Hans walked the deck absently.

wait... impossible... the stars are all wrong... he stopped, and thought for a moment ...great, I fell asleep at the wheel.

There was nothing to be done. He needed to get to sleep. Looking up, he saw Sophia dancing in the moonlight. Hans smiled. Then he saw Elsa.

Whoa.

Apparently his imagination was quite... vivid. Hans felt drawn to her. She was wearing a pale white dress that was... well-fitted. Very well fitted.

Whoa momma.

Hans approached, hoping that his imagination would be up to the task, "Love me."

"Of course," She smiled in return. Oh, yes, this was much better than real life where she hated him.

...The sky grew dark. Sophia disappeared.

"Wait..." Hans turned, seeing Gunther and Archer, "What are you doing here?"

"We aren't just going to let you sail away! Now give me your daughter!"

It was ridiculous. But Hans knew what was going to happen next. He saw it every time he saw the sisters, and every time he closed his eyes; the same scene played out over and over and over. His first innocent.

"My daughter must choose for herself, please, let me and my husband leave!"

"No..." Hans moaned. Archer moved forward, so Hans moved forward, so Gunther drew his sword. Fearing her husband's life, the queen threw herself forward. The storm knocked her off her feet and onto the blade, "noooo..." He moaned.

Blood. Blood everywhere.

"Noooooo!"

The ship rocked as Hans withdrew his sword from the ever-widening pool of blood.

"Brother!" Cried Archer, "It's time to fulfill the king's errand!"

Hans ran behind his brother, pulling his brother's belt up, and around his ribs. He then pulled as hard as he could, stealing the air from the king's lungs.

Archer was gone. In his place was his deceased eldest brother.

"You'll never get away with this," Said Elsa's father.

"I know." Muttered Hans, throwing his brother into the sea, "And next, I tell the crew to make sail for home, cutting you loose. Unfortunately, your crew is incapable of salvaging the situation, and you drown."

"...take care of Elsa."

Hans bolted up, awake. Sophia was steering the ship. Bad idea. He took control back. If Elsa ever found out the truth about him... she would hate him even more.

Then again, she did deserve to know the truth, didn't she?

The sky grew dark. Slim icicles pelted the deck. Hans swore, "Sophia, go to my room and lock the door."

He turned to find Elsa, clutching his brother's belt. Lightning flashed. The name, 'Olaf' was clearly visible.

"What... what is this?"

She didn't remember? She didn't know that her parents went to his brother for a companion? She didn't know that the companion he had selected was Archer, even though Hans had begged for the assignment?

"Elsa, what's wrong with your eyes?"

She was sleep walking! Wait... Hans shook his head, trying to focus. Somewhere between her dream and his, she wasn't quite awake, but she was starting to lose control of her powers anyways.

"Why did you leave me?"

Hans thought for a moment that this might be the Enchantresses doing. It didn't matter though; the danger was real enough. Spikes of ice rained from the sky and hit the deck. Hans fastened his belt to the steering wheel before dodging the incoming attack.

Elsa screamed. Rage, hate, anger, frustration. All of it rolled into one. Hans leapt on top of Sophia, taking two hits to the back. He could feel the familiar touch of death again. It was comfortable to him by now.

"Go to my room."

"Yessir," She bolted.

"Elsa, listen to me, you're not thinking clearly!"

"Aren't I? Who are you?"

"Elsa, please, just tell me what's wrong!"

Her eyes became focused for a moment as she fought the enchantment. It was in her mind, something to keep her brain from remembering.

...Olaf. It must have been part of the deal. He found a way to suppress the princess' memory until the deal was finished. The parents found out, so they fled.

...and now all that information was hitting her.

"I'm sorry!" She screamed over the wind, "Daddy please, come back!"

Hans cursed. This was even worse. Sure, every girl had problems with her man. But once her father got involved? He thought of Blacksails and how Sophia needed lots of love to even begin to trust someone else. Elsa was in a pretty bad position.

More spikes hit the deck.

Time for plan 'B'. Hans dodged back and forth. Elsa wailed as the partitions blocking her mind shattered. Emotions flooded back with the memories, rending her into the maturity of her five-year-old self.

The ship rocked as the prince dodged back and forth. The number of safe spots decreased. He was playing a chess match on his deck and losing. A row of spike curved left. He chopped the tops off and leapt over them to safety as the spun back around to where he'd been moments ago.

The prince huffed in discomfort. The entire ship had spikes jutting out, turning the thing into a wooden pincushion. He tried grabbing the rail, but instead found a purchase on the ice itself.

...that might work. His gloved fingers grabbed onto the ice columns, hoisting his body along on the reeling ship. The wind blew, and the occasional whizz of spikes whirled overhead, but Hans kept going. His hand-hold was knocked loose, so he used the icicle itself to stab into the deck, and, using the centrifugal force, spun towards the queen.

"Elsa!" He hit her heavily, "Elsa, sweetie, listen to me, it's... uh, me..." He winced as her nails found purchase in his neck, "It's not your fault your dad didn't make it back; it's mine. I was there. I... killed him."

Not exactly true, but it would work.

"Your mom and dad turned to my brother for help. He insisted that a marriage between you and Archer would work. He thought it would ensure his safety. Instead... your dad stood up for you. Said he wouldn't do it. So we chased him down. What's happening to you has something to do with..." He paused. Magical forces were at play, so what could he say, "It's my fault, it's all my fault!"

Elsa's wailing hit a roar. Hans was knocked backwards onto the spike-littered deck. Her eyes focused, finding clarity in the world. Her memories were restored. Looking at Hans, she realized where she'd seen him before, and why she'd not trusted him the night of her coronation.

"Olaf..."

"Is dead," He coughed, "I was young and stupid and reckless. It's not your fault."

Elsa moaned in self-loathing, "I never... grieved their passing. My dad tried his best to... I don't know." She hugged herself. She hated being manipulated. And Hans had been doing it to her for longer than she realized.

"I thought... you'd realize who I was," He groaned, not rising from the deck, "That night. I thought... by magic you would recognize me."

It made sense, in a way. How had Hans known so much about her family? That Anna was so vulnerable, or that she was so impossible to win over.

"Hans," She said, refusing to make eye contact, "...can you get up?"

He paused, then nodded. But he didn't get up. Elsa clenched her eyes. By the time she opened them, his blood was running along the deck.

"Please..." she begged. He groaned, getting up, "Let me see."

He looked guilty for a moment before turning around. His back, legs and arms were littered with spikes.

"Doesn't matter," He said, "You didn't miss with that last hit."

Elsa put her hands back over his heart, feeling the thump-thump getting softer.

"Elsa, I lo-"

He stopped as ice spread over his skin.

"NOoooooOOOOooO!"

a.n. Okay, I think that was sad enough. Everybody about ready for me to end it here? Or more sadness?!