That awkward moment when you suddenly realize it's almost been three weeks since you last posted something...oops! Anyway, this was a fun one to write, so I hope you all enjoy!

21. Jello

Storybrooke had a lot of cleaning up to do after the snowstorm that had blown through. No matter where they went, the town's inhabitants found themselves calf-deep in mounds of snow. While it was great for the kids, who had been waiting all winter for a storm strong enough to cancel school and promise a day full of sledding, skating, snowball fights, and hot cocoa, the adults were having a tough time. The snow was heavy and wet rather than powdery, which meant it was just as perfect for building snowmen as it was for weighing down electrical wires.

The storm had ended sometime during the very early hours of the morning, and before noon, David had called to ask if Killian could help him, the dwarves, Robin, and the Merry Men with the telephone poles that had fallen, which were keeping the power from being restored.

"Be there shortly, Mate," Killian had replied. He was now tugging on a pair of snow boots and throwing on a down vest.

"How many poles are down?" Emma asked. She was dressed in sweat pants and the warmest sweatshirt she owned; no power meant no heat.

A smile danced on Killian's lips as he took in the sight; even in lazy clothes, she was still beautiful. He ran his hands up and down her arms, trying to make a little friction and heat. "He said three, so we should be able to get them all done. Not sure when we'll be done though."

She wrapped her arms around him, basking in the familiar feeling, the familiar scent, which somehow always smelled like the ocean, and the warmth he offered. "Assuming you guys get the power up again -"

"Is that doubt I hear?"

Emma stared at him blankly and continued, "Would you like me to have something warm waiting for you?"

His grin turned seductive, sending her heart racing and blood pumping, heating her face. "I can think of something." His voice was low, sultry. He nodded to the bedroom and gave her a wink.

She smacked his arm lightly. This man... "You know what I meant."

"Yes, yes, I know, Love," he admitted, his smile playful again. "And that would be perfect."

Five hours later, a series of beeps alerted her that the power had returned, and she rose to go reset the clocks and make sure everything was working properly. At the stove, she paused. She wished she had asked Killian what he would want when he got home.

He'd been working all day, so hungry would be an understatement. She had been thinking about making soup, but that would take a while. Pasta or omelets would probably be better options.

She decided to call him to see what he felt like just as her phone started to buzz, and she smiled to herself, thinking of the coincidence it would be if it was him. But the caller ID revealed it wasn't.

"Hey," she answered, "Nice job getting the power back on."

David sighed audibly before he said anything. Then, "Please don't freak out."

"That is a very bad way to start a conversation," she said warily. "What's wrong?"

"Well, we're at the hospital." She heard him sigh again, and in her mind's eye she saw him pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's Killian, he-"

"Tell me when I get there." She kept her voice gruff, but underneath the rough facade was a pounding heart and a racing mind, each attempting to overtake the other as she threw on a coat, scarf, and snow boots, and ran out the door.

They had been dealing with electricity, which was potentially hazardous. But at least one of the dwarves - she couldn't think of which one - was an electrician, she was sure of it, so Killian probably wouldn't handle any wires, and she'd heard David's voice far more urgent in other situations.

Her thoughts continued to chase each other in circles until she found David in the hospital lobby, obviously waiting for her. He looked upset, but not terrified. "What happened? Where is he? Is he okay?"

David put his hands on her shoulders, trying to give his daughter some comfort to calm her and slow her flurry of questions. "It's okay, everything is fine. Killian is fine."

She blinked at him a few times, eyes wide. "Why the hell didn't you mention that on the phone?"

"You hung up before I could," David explained calmly. He saw how Emma was peering over his shoulder, obviously looking for a certain someone. "He's in one of the rooms, sleeping right now. I'll take you to him."

Her panic seemed to lessen, but not by much as David led the way down a few hallways and up the stairwell, relaying to Emma the story of a ladder unknowingly perched on a patch of ice and an awkward fall onto the hard, packed snow mounds below. "He tried to land on his feet but slipped and banged up his ankle, and he hit his head kind of hard, but Whale did some tests and didn't think it was a concussion."

If her father said anything after that, she didn't hear; they arrived at the room and Emma didn't hesitate before entering.

Killian lay on his back, his chest rising and falling, slow and even. His ankle was wrapped and elevated on a pillow. He had a bruise, a mix of purple and red, across the right side of his face, near his eye. And, on the stand to the left of his bed, was a plate of blue jello. She had to smile at that as she grabbed one of the chairs against the wall and pulled it closer to the bed. She picked a random magazine from the basket by the door, sat down, and waited.

"Hey, Beautiful," she heard a while later. She lowered the magazine to see crystal blue eyes and a lazy smile.

"Hey," she replied, leaning in closer. "How do you feel?"

He paused, appearing to consider it. "I think I've been better," he admitted, "but this certainly beats getting hit by a car."

"You know," she said, personally feeling much better now that he was awake and joking, "if you didn't want to eat my cooking, you could have just said something." She gestured to his ankle. "This is a little drastic, don't you think?"

"What if I told you I decided to take a try at flight?"

"I'd say you forgot the pixie dust."

"Damn," he sighed, sinking deeper into the pillows. "I knew there was something."

Emma rolled her eyes, smiling. "Well, now you're stuck with your wobbly blue dinner." His eyes flashed to the plate to his left, his face expressing his distaste. "Things could be worse, though," she continued. "We could have you handcuffed to the rail again."

He seemed to ponder this thought. "Actually, waking up, handcuffed to a bed, you nearby..." he trailed off, eyebrows raised provocatively.

Emma rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide the laughter in them. "Just eat your jello."

Some cutesy fun stuff - and of course I had to do one with jello! As always, reviews and requests are welcome! Thanks for reading