Episode 4x02

"Warmth"

As he approached Emma and David at the town line, Hook realized that it was his third time seeing them there. The first time had been the night Greg Mendel arrived, when Hook had shot Belle and then been hit by the oncoming car. The second time was when Emma and Henry left Storybrooke and Regina transported everyone else to the Enchanted Forest to escape Pan's curse.

How much had changed in between each of the three meetings. Still, some things were the same: Emma avoided getting too close to Hook, or being alone with him for too long; and David gave him a hard time about his pursuit of Emma.

Hook had not expected everything to change immediately after his confession and their kiss outside of Granny's. Still, he had hoped that Emma would spend a little more time with him, outside of the crises that always arose in this town. He did not buy the excuses she offered; they may have been true, but they were not the real reason for her avoidance. Whatever that was, she was not ready or not willing to share it with him. So he could only wait and continue to show up when she wanted him.

David was more civil about the matter of their relationship than he used to be—no more warnings, commands, physical blows, or vows to keep them apart. But there was still a protective edge to his voice as he brought up the topic of Hook's intentions.

Hook could not fault David for having reservations about him being with Emma. In fact, part of him appreciated that Emma's parents cared so much about her wellbeing.

He also could not deny what David said about his lecherous reputation. While traveling through the past, Hook himself had seen, from an outside observer's view, how he used to behave toward women he fancied, and how he would have treated Emma if they had met in those days.

What hurt was that David seemed to think Hook was still like that, despite everything he had done for Emma and her family by this point. It made him wonder if they would ever consider him good enough for her.

He thought about throwing David's own words back at him, reminding him that he had expressed confidence in Prince Charles' s love for Princess Leia; but he decided against it. He did not even know if David remembered that conversation.

Instead, he quietly retorted, "I wouldn't risk my life for someone I see as loot." She was so much more to him than that, and he hoped to become more to her, but that would only happen if she wished. "Whatever we become, it's up to her as much as me." He nodded to David once, a question in his eyes—Do we understand each other? Will you accept me if she chooses me?—and after a moment David nodded in agreement.

In a strange way, Emma both divided and united the two of them. The greatest stumbling block to their friendship, besides Hook's former villainous ways, was their opposition over Emma's heart. At the same time, the primary things they had in common were their care for her and their determination to fight for her.

Much had already changed in Emma and Hook's relationship over the two years they had known each other. Who knew what it might become in the future? Just weeks ago, he had thought she was lost to him forever; now he was living in Storybrooke and trying to court her in earnest. At least he would have been courting her, if she gave him more than a few minutes of her attention at a time.

The two men were distracted when they heard Emma's voice near the ice wall. When they came over, they saw that Emma was not alone. She had found the person who conjured the wall: a pale, fair-haired woman in a sky-blue gown. She did not look happy, and in Hook's experience, that was bad news in the case of magic-wielders.

The confrontation was confusing, as Emma tried to shield the mysterious woman from the men. David's drawn gun and Hook's namesake seemed to frighten her. The next thing they knew, flakes of snow and ice were swirling in the air around them. Stalagmites of ice rose up around them, and the wall itself shook, raining down huge chunks of snow and ice. All four of them were knocked down, the men away from the wall and the women further into it.

When Hook and David got to their feet again, they saw that the ice wall had sealed over the alcove where Emma had been. They could not see her, and when they shouted, they could not hear her.

Now, the strongest feeling that they shared was panic.

They tried calling with the walkie-talkie, chipping at the ice, and lifting some of the blocks, but nothing worked. David stopped Hook's furious hacking at the ice with his hook, and reasoned that magic would be needed to dismantle the wall. Hook was almost angry at him for being so calm at a moment like this, when they had no idea if Emma was alright, or if she was even alive after that cave-in.

As they tried to think through what to do, David continued to shout into the walkie-talkie. It was another minute before Emma answered, sounding shaky and breathless, but alive. She introduced the woman, Elsa, and explained that she was looking for her sister, Anna. She had found a necklace that belonged to Anna in Gold's shop, and concluded that Anna was in Storybrooke.

"She wants you to find her, before—"

"Before I freeze this town and everyone in it."

David and Hook's eyes met over the walkie-talkie, mirror images of dismay and dread. So this Elsa woman was keeping Emma hostage and threatening the whole town.

"Okay," David answered finally. "We'll head to town and start looking."

Hook glanced incredulously between the prince and the wall. "You mean for us to just leave her there?"

"Well, one of us could stay, but we wouldn't be of much help here," David pointed out.

Hook hated it when he was right. He held out his hand for the device, which David passed to him. "Emma?"

"Yeah?"

He wanted to reassure her, but it was hard when he himself was so worried.

"Killian? What is it?"

"Just—be patient," he said lamely. "We'll be back as soon as we can."

"I know." There was a note of humor in her voice as she reminded him, "I'm not going anywhere."

Hook reluctantly followed David to the police car, and continued to hold the walkie-talkie as they drove back and walked through the town. It was all he could do to keep himself from calling every five minutes to make sure Emma was alright; he told himself to wait until they actually had something to report.

Hook hated the fact that he, personally, could not get Emma out of this situation. He had to rely on the Golds, who both reacted strangely to hearing the name "Anna"; Bo Peep, who was less than thrilled to see them; and David, who seemed to have some past knowledge of this woman.

When David realized that he had known her by a different name, he seemed revitalized, surer of what they had to do, his determination now boosted by confidence in success. Hook envied his newfound confidence.

They were about to leave Bo Peep's meat shop when Elsa radioed them. Hook was the one who heard the dreadful message, and then had to relay it to David: Emma had passed out from the cold inside the cave. "She's freezing to death."

They were running out of time.

By unspoken agreement, they dropped the search for Anna and instead raced back to the ice wall. Hook had previously been rattled by how fast these land vehicles went, but now it seemed as though it could not go fast enough.

"We have what we need to find Anna," David said, nodding to the magical shepherd's crook that Hook was holding up on the passenger side. "That'll have to be enough for her."

As David drove, Hook tried to negotiate with Elsa over the walkie-talkie, hoping he could convince her to release Emma. But she answered with a confession and an apology, and he finally registered how fearful and contrite she sounded. She had not been threatening them earlier, she had been warning them. She could not adequately control her powers without her sister's support, so she was unable to open the ice cave.

Hook did not want to believe it, but what she said was consistent with what he understood about magic: it was fueled by emotion, and having other people's love and support helped to focus it. Part of Hook wanted to curse the enchantress, but her helplessness reminded him of Emma, who also struggled with her magic. Too often, she held herself back, either because she did not want it, or because she did not believe she could use it.

David tried to reassure him, though his posture was tense and his grip on the steering wheel made his knuckles look as white as the snow. "She'll be alright. We'll get there in time. We'll get them out of there."

His optimism was sometimes as annoying as his wife's, but in this moment, Hook envied it.

The situation was different for David. He had already gone through periods of time when he was separated from his family—including Emma herself—and had to fight to get back to them. This prior success allowed David to be more levelheaded, while Hook felt desperation rising up like a tide within himself.

He had lost his first love, whom he had long believed was the only true love of his life. Falling in love with Emma had felt like an unexpected gift, a treasure found by accident. After everything they had been through together—after everything he had done to find her, bring her back to Storybrooke, and convince her to stay with her family—after she had finally started to open up and let others into her heart—they could not lose her now.

Once they reached the ice wall, Hook had to wait while David talked to Elsa, essentially giving her a pep talk. It was not unlike the kind of speech Liam or Hook might have given to bolster a crew's courage before a dangerous endeavor.

One line stood out to Hook: "Survival isn't enough. You have to live." That was a good one. If—no, when—Emma made it out, he would have to tell her that, the next time she said they should focus on surviving a crisis.

David finished his impassioned exhortation, and then all they could do was wait for Elsa to work her magic.

For a minute, nothing happened. Then the wind began to blow snowflakes away from the wall. Then, a small circle formed in the wall as small chunks of ice were blown out from inside. Another moment, the circle widened, becoming a few feet wide—and when they bent down, they could see the two women.

"Emma! Emma!"

Emma was sitting on the floor, hunched over and dazed but awake. Elsa looked surprised but delighted and relieved by her success, and helped Emma get to her feet and walk stiffly to the opening.

Hook and David both reached in to help Emma climb through. When she fell onto her knees, and they helped her stand up, she turned, not to her father, but to Hook, clinging to him for warmth and support.

It was the first time they truly embraced, instead of one of them catching the other when they stumbled, or some other such nonsense. They held each other closer and tighter than they had ever dared before. She was trembling all over, her teeth chattering near his ear. She was so cold that holding her sent a physical shock through him, but he felt as relieved as if he had been the one to come out of the freezing climate. She shuddered against him, and one of her hands came up to feel his hair, which made him shudder a little too.

"You okay?" he asked. Emma did not speak, but nodded against his shoulder.

For a moment, they simply held each other, letting their relief course through them; then Hook felt her weight on him increase as her legs gave out. Moving quickly, he bent down, slipped his hand under her knees, and lifted her fully into his arms. The fact that she did not protest, and even continued to hold on to him, bracing her arms around his shoulders, was remarkable—it might have testified to how comfortable she now was with him, or of how tired she was at this moment. David made no comment either, and stayed to speak with Elsa while Hook carried Emma to the car.

Hook had to bend down awkwardly to open the door while holding Emma. Once he managed that, he slid into the backseat and set her down on his left. She was still shivering, and only let go of him to rub her arms a bit. Keeping his other arm around her, Hook lifted his hand to touch her face—so cold, far too cold. In the light from the car, he could see that her skin was pale blue, her lips a darker shade of blue.

He pressed a kiss to her icy forehead and kept his mouth close to her face as he spoke, hoping his breath would warm her. "Sorry we took so long, love."

She was still taking deep, shaky breaths, but she managed to say, "S'okay."

When David got to the car, he bent into the driver's side and twisted some dials, which made hot air blow out of the little vents in the car's interior. Then he appeared at the left-side door to fuss over Emma. Hook reluctantly let go of her so they could have a moment; the father deserved a chance to hug his daughter and make sure she was alright.

David acted quickly, as clear-headed and decisive as he had been all evening. He touched Emma's face and hair, either to feel how cold she was, or to reassure her, or himself, that she was safe now. He hugged her briefly and kissed the side of her head, whispering an apology and promising to get her home quickly. Then he bent down and tugged off her boots; once she proved she could wiggle her toes, despite the lack of feeling in them, she immediately folded her legs under herself on the car cushion.

"You should take off the jacket," David instructed, in a tone that sounded both reluctant and efficient. "More layers will make it harder for heat to get through."

The two men's eyes met over Emma's head. It took a moment for Hook to realize that David had been addressing him.

"Can you try to keep her warm?" David asked, speaking plainly now. His tone was serious, clearly not liking that he had to ask this favor, but accepting the situation and trusting Hook with the task.

Hook nodded. "'Course, mate."

"Don't let her fall asleep." With that David closed the door on them and went around to help Elsa into the passenger seat.

Hook turned away from Emma and shrugged off his coat. Emma tried to doff her own jacket, but her limbs and fingers were still stiff, and she was still shaking all over. "Let me, love," Hook said, quiet but firm. He pulled her jacket off with his hook. He put his long coat over Emma like a blanket and slipped his left arm around her back, pulling her to his side while keeping his hook off of her; the last thing she needed to feel was cold metal.

"Th-thanks," she said. Under the duster, Emma slipped her right arm around his back, and settled her left hand on the exposed part of his chest. He shivered slightly, and it was impossible to tell whether it was from the cold or the fact that Emma was touching him more intimately than she ever had before. "Sorry," she said, "is that okay?"

He smiled incredulously, and placed his hand over hers, pressing it even harder against his skin. He would never protest her touching him; but all he said was, "Whatever you want, Swan. Whatever you need. That's what I'm here for."

She smiled in thanks, and tucked her head under his chin as she leaned into him, her face pressed to his neck.

David called Henry to let him know they were on their way. Other than that, no one spoke much during the car ride. The silence was not helpful for Emma, who was already drowsy; Hook nudged her whenever she seemed on the verge of sleep. It was a hard balance, trying to make her feel comfortable without allowing her to succumb to her exhaustion.

He tried rubbing his arm across her back, his hand up and down her arms, hoping the friction would warm her. "I don't often wish I still had two hands," he murmured, "but now is one of those times." How he might have held her if he had two hands, and warmed her if they had some privacy …

He felt her smile against his neck, and then she used what little strength she had to lift his hand and hold it against her cold cheek again. "This—is still—pretty good," she assured him, her words still coming out shakily.

Hook let out his breath involuntarily, smiling in spite of himself. He rubbed his thumb over her cheek, then kissed the top of her head.

This was not what one might consider a happy moment, and it might not be a pleasant memory in the future, but they were grateful for it all the same. It was rare that Emma showed such open affection and accepted help—especially from him—without reservation.

As they drove through town, Hook wondered if Emma's parents would let him stay with her once they reached the apartment. Would they accept his presence beside her when the danger had passed? Would Emma want him to stay, once she was out of the proverbial woods?

When they pulled up, Hook nudged Emma into wakefulness again. "We're home, love. Can you stand?"

She thought for a moment, and asked quietly, almost shyly, "Would you mind carrying me?"

He smiled. "Not at all, but that's not an answer."

"I think my dad will appreciate you helping me get home."

Sure enough, David made no comment as Hook picked her up again, and he even held the door open for them before guiding Elsa in as well.

In the candlelit apartment, Henry was waiting for them with a pile of blankets next to an armchair. He did not seem surprised to see his mother in Hook's arms with his coat for a blanket; his only emotion was concern for her. "Mom! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, kid," she answered, an automatic assurance.

"She will be soon," Hook promised as he carried her inside.

When he set Emma down in the armchair, she handed his coat back to him. "You're gonna be cold too," she said.

Hook accepted his coat and slipped it back on, while David wrapped his daughter up in blankets—probably his first time doing so since the day she was born. Elsa helped too, while Henry and Hook knelt on either side of Emma, each clasping one of her hands. Henry sandwiched her hand between both of his, and Emma shifted her hold on Hook's hand so that her fingers were interlaced with his. He only let go when the electricity came back on, to fetch the space heater and turn its warm air current on Emma.

Even while she was recovering, Emma still thought of others, apologizing to Henry for something that had happened earlier and asking Elsa if she was alright. Now that Emma was stable, David wasted no time in testing out Bo Peep's staff, which ought to show them where Anna was.

There was no image, and no voice, but there was something audible: a heartbeat, confirming that Anna was alive.

As they were rejoicing over this news, Snow White entered the apartment, pushing her son in his stroller. She might have been just as taken aback by the stranger in her home as by the sight of Emma looking so cozy with Hook. His arm was around her again, and she leaned into him, grasping his left arm where it rested on her lap. He rubbed her back with his hand and pressed a kiss to her hair.

David came to stand next to Snow, the woman he had had to find so many times, and explained that they were going to help Elsa find her sister. "It's what this family does. We find people. We always do. Because we really, really don't like to give up."

Emma was smiling at her parents, so she did not see Hook glance down pensively at her. He knew that to be true of her and her family, but for the first time, he realized that description fit him as well. When he set his mind to a goal, he refused to give up on it. When he loved someone, he loved them with everything he had.

He had tried to let go of Emma, but he had never truly given up on her. And despite how much pain and inconvenience and annoyance she might cause him, he knew that he never would.

While David and Snow caught up on the night's events and discussed what to do next, Henry distributed mugs of hot cocoa, starting with Emma and Elsa. He then surprised Hook by offering one to him; the drink was sweeter than he was used to, but he added a bit of rum from his flask and made it more palatable. Finally, Henry carried his own cup over and sat at Emma and Hook's feet. The mother and son clinked their mugs, smiling like they were in on a secret; then they looked expectantly at Hook, until he clinked his mug against theirs. "Cheers."

As they drained their cups, Hook thought about excusing himself, or slipping away unnoticed. But before he had the chance, Emma turned to him and asked, "Can you stay?"

It did strange things to his heart to hear her finally say that. He cast a glance at her parents, who were still talking with Elsa, and answered, "If your family will let me."

"They will," she assured him. "Henry, can you find some pajamas for Hook to borrow?"

He did not know what words Emma used to convince them, but before he knew it, Henry was handing him a set of David's nightclothes, and Snow was sorting out extra blankets and pillows on the couch. Not wanting to question anything, he followed their suggestions and instructions, changing quickly in the bathroom and leaving his hook and brace on the shelf there. When he came out, Snow ushered Emma into the room for a hot bath.

Henry spoke quietly to Hook as they set up the couch. "Thanks for helping her. I … right before she left, she was trying to cheer me up, and I wouldn't let her. I couldn't have forgiven myself if that was the last time we saw each other."

Hook did not feel as though he had done much, but he squeezed Henry's shoulder, hoping that could convey all that he felt.

Emma emerged looking much more like her normal self, her cheeks pink, her hair blow-dried. She was dressed in warm pajamas, along with several sweaters and a sweatshirt. Even then, Emma kept a blanket around her shoulders and gravitated to Hook's side.

They worked it out so that Elsa took Emma's usual bed in the loft, while Emma and Hook stayed together on the couch. It was not quite large enough for an adult to recline, so they would have to sleep sitting up.

Hook settled in with one blanket on top of him, but Emma held out the long blanket on her shoulders, offering one end to him. He accepted it, and under the shared blanket, she curled up against him the same way she had in the car. He put his arms around her again, and this time, she felt warm to the touch.

It was not how either of them had pictured their first time spending a night together. (Camping in Neverland and the Enchanted Forest did not count, since that had been forced by extenuating circumstances.) Snow warned them that the baby was likely to wake up once or twice during the night. It was not as private or intimate as Hook might have hoped, but he was happy and relieved just to have her there, alive and with him; and as they cuddled beneath the blankets, it was hard to want it any other way.

"Are you comfortable?" he murmured, shifting his arms around Emma. "Warm enough?"

"Yeah. Much better." She lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him. "Thanks for being here."

He smiled, and his fingers played with the ends of her hair. "I'm just glad you're here." His gaze flickered down before meeting hers again. "Somehow, I … in all our adventures, I never thought we'd come that close to losing you. The Savior and all."

Something happened in her eyes—a shifting, or a softening—when he said that. But before he could ask what she was thinking or feeling, she cupped his cheek in her hand, and pressed her lips to his.

There, at last, was the warmth they both needed.

Author's Note: I've been sitting on this chapter for a long time! It was just supposed to be a glimpse of Hook's thoughts after Emma is freed, but, as is my habit, it turned out way longer. Feedback is appreciated!