Chapter Text
The night wind gusts by the boats anchored at the harbor as Hook looks at his ship, once again hit with intense depression and sadness at seeing the Jolly’s state.
It wasn’t supposed to end like this.
“That’s what you get for being weak.” It taunts.
The pirate climbs into its deck with a heavy heart, his mind circling back to the same thing it has been going to ever since he was freed from Zelena.
His home was gone, where was he supposed to go now?
“That was …”
“You should go to your family, love”
“Pathetic.” It says and Hook shakes his head. He promised himself that he would try, he promised Emma that he would try. “Remember how she looked after your kiss? She couldn’t wait to get away from you!” It snarls as Hook runs his hand on the remains of the ship.
It doesn’t matter, if she doesn’t ask me to, I’m not leaving.
The Darkness growls in frustration and Hook looks around himself.
He has to try, he has to do what he can, he doesn’t want to lose to It.
“You think you have any chance? You are already ours Killian Jones!” It starts but he drowns it out, something else catching his attention.
“What about Baelfire, huh? She is the mother of his child! And David? You think that’s what he wants for his daughter?” It snarls again.
Hook walks slowly to the center of the Jolly and closes his eyes, a cold breeze blowing through his hair as he tried to focus.
“You are too destroyed! Too hopeless! No one will want that!”
“Shut up!” He snaps at It and takes a deep breath. If he focuses enough, he can finally see it, he can finally feel, there, at its center, it’s…
Hook smiles as It frowns beside him.
“Diapers, change of clothes, towels, anything else?” Emma asks as she checks the contents of the carrying bag. When her mother takes too long to answer she looks up to see her sitting in the armchair, looking lovingly at her baby,
She smiles and goes to them and sees Robbie sleeping peacefully in her mother’s arms.
“Are you sure you want to go out?” Emma asks softly and her mother looks up at her, the same smile still on her face, but it doesn’t hide the eye bags and the deep tiredness she sees on the woman.
“Yes, I want everyone united.” She says and Emma nods.
“Then I will get the stroller.” Emma grabs the thing they bought just recently from the other room. Zelena accelerating Snow’s pregnancy might have ruined her experience in that way, but Emma will be damned if her mother misses any part of her new son.
“Your father went to the Jolly to invite Hook.” Snow says and that gives Emma a pause.
Hook.
The smell of the sea and the taste of rum.
She shakes her head and hums, bringing the stroller to her mother. She can’t afford to think about this now, or anytime soon for that matter. She still doesn’t know what to do and she doubts that this time the pirate will have any answers, after all, he left without saying anything last night.
She is not mad about it, she only checked if he was still outside to see if she had to sneak out. Perhaps they are too alike to work out.
Work what out, Emma? Are you going insane?
“Perhaps you’re the one that couldn’t handle it.”
“What is it, honey?” Snow asks, catching her by surprise.
“What? Nothing.” She brushes off but Snow frowns. “I have some reports to write at the station so I might be a little late.” She says, turning her back to her mother and going to the kitchen.
“Regina is making you do reports?” Snow asks, incredulously and Emma silently curses her own weak excuse.
“I take my job seriously.” She says, turning to see her mother looking at her with a raised eyebrow. “I will go now, let me know how it goes and I will try to get there in time.” She says, and leaves before Snow can say anything else.
She closes the door with a sigh and tries to take her mind away from the pirate.
“And then we can put another cabin on top of the already existing one! Make the quarters bigger, then we relieve some of the occupied space in the kitchen and do another room to…”
David can hear the Captain’s excited voice even before he reaches the harbor. Hook is talking, gesticulating crazily, walking from side to side in the remains of the Jolly Roger as his crew listens to his plans, and, judging by their faces, they are as put off by it as David is.
“What is going on?” David whispers to Starkey as he cocks his head to the side, watching the captain as he points and talks more about changing sails or even adding new sails, are you writing this down, Smee?
“We think the Captain finally lost it.” Starkey answers, not taking his eyes off Hook, with a slight frown on his face. “He called us here and started talking about fixing the Jolly or remodeling it…we are not sure yet, he just started babbling.” He finishes with a shrug as Hook pulls one rope a little and a piece of the ship falls apart, but he keeps talking.
“Maybe this is a cry for help.” Cecco whispers to him. “Somebody should say something.” He says and then nudges Smee, who is standing more in front of the group with a paper and a pen in hand but obviously listening to their conversation as well.
“Why do all of you always make me do this? Why don’t Starkey say something for once?” Smee murmurs to them, raising the paper in front of his face so the captain can’t see him shifting his focus. “You’re the one who has been with him the longest.”
“That’s why I am the quartermaster.” Starkey whispers back at him. “I handle the supplies and navigation issues, you wanted to be the first mate, so now you deal with it.” Starkey whispers back.
“Because you didn’t tell me that the last first mate died from-…” Smee whispers back but Bill interrupts him by pushing him forward and making him drop his paper and pen.
“SMEE! Are you paying attention?!” Hook snaps and Smee takes out his hat and starts fiddling with it.
“Sir…there’s been some unrest…” He starts and David would pity the guy if he wasn’t so amused at the situation. “We are thinking if…maybe…this might be…a foolish endeavor…” He finishes almost in a whisper and Hook keeps glaring at him.
“Smee, come here.” Hook says, with a serious voice, pointing at the place beside him on the Jolly’s burned deck.
“I would rather not.” Smee answers and a few of the pirates scoff at his answer but Hook only glares harder. With a sigh, the first mate climbs the stairs and steps into the precarious floor of the Jolly.
A few days ago, right after the ship was destroyed, the pirates didn’t have a problem stepping in and out of it, but now, after the seawater has made its wood not only burned but also wet, the thing is even more dangerous.
Smee slowly approaches the captain but when he reaches him, Hook pulls him to his side with an arm on his shoulders.
“Tell me, Smee, what do you feel?” Hook asks with a dangerous smile on his face and his first mate is a ball of tension.
“Scared?” He answers making the other pirates chuckle, but Hook shakes his head.
“No, really feel it.” He says again. “Close your eyes.” Hook demands and stops in front of his crewmate as he obeys. “Now, feel it.”
“I don’t…” Smee starts but then he stops suddenly. He opens his eyes in shock and turns to his captain with a question in his eyes. Hook nods at him making a smile blossom on Smee’s face and then both of them are laughing joyfully.
“Great, it is contagious.” Starkey murmurs.
“Come here, you have to see this!” Smee exclaims and the pirates murmur, but their curiosity wins them over.
David is unsure if this many people should be standing on the deck at the same time, but his own curiosity makes him follow the others. Hook smiles at him and puts his arm around him now.
“Close your eyes, David. Feel it.” He repeats to him and David sighs but follows the instructions.
He closes his eyes and waits.
He hears a few gasps and laughter around him but still doesn’t know what got the pirates so excited, so he frowns and pays attention to anything out of place…
Suddenly, he feels it.
There’s a point of warmth, weak and small, but undeniably there, under his feet, the wood shakes a little.
David opens his eyes wide and turns to his friend to see the wide smile on Hook’s face.
“The Jolly is alive!” He says and David smiles as the pirates cheer. “Never doubt her resilience again, ya’ sea rats!” Hook exclaims at his crew and they nod, but the smile stays on their faces.
“But how?” David asks.
“The Jolly is the most incredible ship in all of the realms, mate! That’s how!” Hook answers with a smile. “If she is still alive, there’s still hope.” He says, a little lower and David smiles and claps the captain on the shoulder.
“We can fix her.” He says and Hook nods as his crew starts walking around the deck, now they are excitedly talking of ways to fix her and what they have to buy, and how long they think the work will take. Hook looks on proudly and David couldn’t be happier. “We were going to eat breakfast at Granny’s, we should let the others know the good news.” He says what he came here to say and sees Hook’s smile dim down a little.
“I don’t know, mate, I think I should stay and help the planning. We have a long work ahead of us.” Hook answers, itching behind his ear and David frowns at the excuse.
“You left last night without saying goodbye.” David says and Noodler, who is walking by them right then, raises his eyebrows and whistles suggestively.
“I knew it.” He says making David frown and Hook glare at him.
“Now you can hear fine, right, scum?” The captain says and kicks him lightly making his crewmate laugh as he walks away telling the others he won a bet.
David shakes his head and decides to ask about it later.
“I wanted to come here to rest, mate, you and your family were too busy celebrating, I didn’t want to interrupt the moment.” He tells him.
“You barely met my son.” David tries which makes the pirate laugh.
“Don’t worry, I will be there when he reaches drinking age.”
“Killian, is there any other reason you don’t want to come?” David asks and Hook looks at him, startled for a second but then shakes his head.
“I just got my hand full here, mate.” He says making David sigh.
“Okay, then later, Snow and Regina want me to go with them to buy more baby stuff, and I could use an ally.” He says and Hook scoffs.
“I think I can save you from that.” He says with a smile, conceding and David counts it as a win.
“Great, I will ask Emma if she wants to join us…” He starts but then the pirate interrupts him again, clearing his throat.
“Actually, I think it would be better if you did that as a family. What do I know about baby stuff anyway?” He says and David squints his eyes at him.
He had the impression Hook had been acting weird since he and Emma came back from their time travel adventure, but until now he had no proof of it.
“Is everything all right?” He asks with a frown.
“Of course, as I told you, I just have my hand full here.” Hook answers and walks away, going to his first mate to brainstorm more ideas for the Jolly.
David frowns at his back and thinks that maybe, the answer to his questions is at the tip of his tongue, but the answer he comes up with is so outlandish that it must be wrong. Maybe Snow will be able to have a clearer explanation.
David comes home and sees only his wife, sitting at the armchair, looking at nowhere with a frown on her face.
“Hey.” He says, kissing her on the forehead and running a delicate finger on his son’s face, and she smiles at him.
“Hey.”
“Where’s Emma?” David asks, looking around and seeing everything Robbie needs already packed, but his daughter is nowhere to be seen.
“She left, she said she will try to make it to the diner.” Snow says making him frown, then he thinks about his conversation with the pirate.
“I think Hook is avoiding Emma.”
“I think Emma is avoiding Hook.”
They say at the same time and look wide-eyed at each other.
“You think they…” Snow trails off and David crosses his arms.
“No.” He says immediately, making her frown.
“David!” She says. “She’s a grown woman, she can make her own decisions.” She continues and David feels guilty, but he can’t shake off the feeling.
Hook and Emma, again he is confronted with that possibility.
“I know.” He says. “We don’t know if this means anything, they could have had a fight.” He tries but his wife knows it is a desperate option.
“David.” Snow chastises and he sighs, running a hand on his face.
“Can we not talk about this now?” He asks. He needs to find a way to explain how he feels about this possibility without sounding like a complete ass.
“I don’t know what you are so hesitant about.” She says and he sighs, frustrated.
“And you’re okay with this?” He asks, wanting her to share his fears but instead, she smiles at him.
“Yes.” She answers. “Did you see them in the book, David? The way they look at each other?” Snow asks, her tone full of wonder but David can’t handle it, because he has seen it.
The way Hook and Emma looked at each other in that picture, even if it was only a second immortalized by the book, can only mean one thing.
But he can’t wish that for them, it is too tragic.
“David, what is it?” His wife asks him, her tone calmer this time, with a slight frown on her face.
“WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!” Leroy screams, suddenly barging into their loft, Happy following him closely behind.
“What?” David asks with a frown.
“We were just driving home when something blasted me with magic! The whole van is iced over.” He explains and the couple exchange a look. “We woke up in a meat locker, who the hell has that kind of magic?”
“You call Emma and I will get Regina.” Snow says.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay here with Robbie?” He asks, knowing she hasn’t been sleeping well because of the baby, but his wife smiles and he already knows that it won’t be a newborn that will make his wife stay behind in a crisis.
“This will be Robbie's first crisis, it’s good training.” She says and gives him a peck on the lips. “Don’t think you ran away from this conversation.” Snow whispers to him and he sighs. “Leroy, help me with the stroller, will you?” She asks the other and grabs the bag of baby supplies. “See you at the diner.”
David watches as she leaves and sighs.
They really can’t get a second of peace, not even for a parental’s crisis.
“No, Leroy, I don’t know if the insurance covers freezing your van,” Emma says with a sigh and her mother can’t hide her mirth at the situation.
“But you really didn’t see anything else?” Her father asks and the man shakes his head.
“It was over too quickly.”
Regina frowns at the side, thinking deeply about the situation and Emma hates that their moment of peace didn’t last even a day.
“You know anyone with freezing powers?” Emma asks the Queen but she shakes her head.
“Never met anyone like this before.” She says.
“Then I guess we do it in the old way.” Emma says with a sigh and stands up from the booth. “Dad, you go check out the van and see if you find anything there, I will go around town and see if anyone has seen anything.” She says and David nods.
“Wait, I…” Snow says, standing up, Robbie still in her arms.
“You are going to stay here.” Both David and Emma say at the same time and she is relieved that her father shares her sentiment.
“Please, mom.” Emma says as she sees the fight brewing in her mother’s eyes. “Stay here with Robbie while we figure out what is going on here.” She says and her mother sighs looking at her husband and seeing the same pleading look on his face.
“Fine.” She concedes but is clearly not happy about it. “But if anything happens, let me know.” Snow finishes it off with, sitting down again and her sad look makes Emma hesitate but she knows they are making the right decision.
She and David leave the diner but don’t walk two steps before she ends up colliding with somebody.
“Swan.” Hook says with a hand on her shoulder to help her not fall.
“Hook.” She says with a sigh and wide eyes.
Crap.
“I-…”
“We were-…”
They both say at the same time and stop, avoiding each other’s eyes.
“Go first.”
“Go first.”
They say at the same time again and Emma sighs at the awkwardness of the situation. This shouldn’t be like this, the…the kiss meant nothing…right?
David notices the awkward silence that dawned upon them and clears his throat, and Emma is glad that he is taking over the conversation.
“We were going to find out if we have any clues of our new threat.” David explains and Hook nods with a little frown in his face.
“I heard Leroy screaming we were under attack and just came here to see if everyone was okay.” Hook explains and Emma scoffs. Damn it, Leroy.
“Leave it to Leroy to keep everyone calm.” Emma murmurs making the pirate chuckle and she smiles at the sound.
Fuck.
“Why don’t you come with me to help?” David asks and Hook shakes his head.
“Sorry, mate, I just came here to see if everyone was all right, but you guys seem to have everything under control. I need to go back to my crew.” He says and Emma is at the same time relieved and mad.
Thank God, with him leaving the awkwardness can go, but at the same time, is there a reason he doesn’t want to stay?
The three of them stand in silence for a few seconds and Emma wants the ground to swallow her up right now, Hook and her being awkward she understands, but why is David acting weird now?
“I should-…”
“I am heading -…”
“I will-…”
The three of them say at the same time, pointing in different directions and Emma closes her eyes as they leave in opposite ways.
Well, that went well. She thinks with a sigh as she hears the sound of her father’s truck.
“Swan.” Hook says, suddenly coming back and Emma momentarily panics until she sees the serious look on his face. “I think I found something that can help.” He says and she follows him.
They don’t need to walk very far for her to see what he means, in the ground, there is a trail of ice.
“I thought that ought to be weird enough to mean something, right?” Hook says and she nods, seeing the trail leading somewhere.
“Leroy van was iced over.” She explains and he nods. “Know anything with this kind of magic?” She asks and when he takes too long to answer she turns to see him frowning to the side. “Killian?” She asks and he turns back to her, the frown still on his face, and shakes his head.
“I don’t.” He answers, cryptically but then points to the trail again. “But I guess this will lead us to it.”
Emma looks at him for a few more seconds but decides this is a problem for another time, for now, they need to find out where all this ice is coming from.
Emma and Hook reach an abandoned warehouse and she already has her gun raised when they open the gate She looks around, alert, confident at having the pirate at her back when the door to the warehouse bangs open.
“What the…” Emma mutters looking up at the freaking Giant Snow Monster standing in front of her.
“Well, that’s a new one.” Hook says, also looking up and the thing seems to finally notices them. It turns to them, each step causing a little earthquake and they just stay still watching what it is going to do.
It brings its face closer to them and appears to sniff once, and something must catch it by surprise because it reels back suddenly, and then it screams at them. More alert now, Emma raises her gun again and shoots at it, but it barely makes a dent in the snow.
“Run.” She says and runs.
“You know…” Hook says, running beside her, the snowman closely behind, breaking walls and trash cans in the way. “I could end this easily!” He exclaims at her.
“Hook!” She exclaims back, ready to remind him of his promise to her.
“I know, I know.” He says back with a sigh as they finally gain some speed on the thing.
“Okay, we need an attack plan.” Emma says, stopping and turning back to watch the monster approach.
“SNOW MONSTER!” Leroy screams behind her making everyone that is standing near, scream in panic and Emma has to roll her eyes. The thing hits a power line and grunts in pain and/or anger, before changing course and going to the woods.
“I think the noise is scaring it.” Emma tells Hook.
“At least Leroy’s alarm was useful for once.” He says.
“We should go after it, the Merry Men are still in the woods.” She says and goes to the forest, Hook following her closely behind.
They reach the Merry Men before the Snow Monster, having lost sight of it. Robin stands up with his weapon in hand when he sees them approaching and it takes a second for Emma to realize why he doesn’t put it down when he recognizes them.
Hook killed a few of his friends not even two weeks ago.
“There’s a monster coming this way.” She says, without time for anything else now. Robin still sends a quick look to the pirate before turning to his men and giving orders to get their weapons.
“It’s coming.” Hook says looking out of the forest and Emma can’t see it or hear it but she trusts him.
“Don’t attack him!” She exclaims at the thieves but as soon the words are out of her mouth, the monster jumps in front of them. She can’t really blame the thieves' knee-jerk reaction to the danger at hand, but she still screams when they start to shoot arrows at it. “It gets angry when attacked!”
But it is too late, the thing roars in their faces and raises its hands pushing a few of the Merry Men away with only one swing of its arm.
“Pistol, arrows, hook, my cutting wit. I don’t think we have what it takes.” Hook says, with a shake of his head, then turns to her. “But you do.”
The Snow Monster raises his hand at them this time and Emma barely manages to pull Hook to the ground with her before any of them are hit.
“Your magic, love.” He says, as if nothing happened, still on the ground with her on top of him. She looks at him with a frown and wants desperately to say she doesn’t think she can do it but her walls make it impossible to do so. Hook understands it anyway, and nods in encouragement.
Emma takes a deep breath and stands up, he stands near her as they look at the Monster.
“Remember Neverland? Think about who you want to protect.” He whispers to her and she nods, raising her hands. The surge of magic doesn’t feel as foreign as before, but she finally feels the warmth again in her veins, and she lets it out at the Snow Monster. Distantly, she hears Hook grunt and takes a small step back, but before she can check on him, she realizes it was useless. They only made it angrier.
Before they can truly panic, Regina appears from behind the trees, David following closely behind with a sword in hand.
The Queen merely looks at the Monster and them, before raising her hands and sending a much stronger ray of light magic its way, and the thing dismantles into the ground instantly.
They sigh in relief as Regina and Robin hug.
“Don’t worry, love.” Hook says, putting a hand on her shoulder. “I am sure you will get the hang of it in no time.” She turns to him, taking his hand in hers as she notices something in it. To her shock, she sees a burn mark on the back of his hand, the thing red and ugly.
“Oh my god, was that…” Me? Hook chuckles despite her panic and looks at the wound too.
“Don’t worry about it, Swan. Look.” He says and she sees that the wound is healing itself quickly, meaning it won’t leave any side effects…and that it probably was worse before she noticed it.
She lets his hand go and sighs, looking around and seeing a few of the Merry Men looking at the snow the monster left behind, curiously.
“We still have to find out who did it.” She murmurs then turns back to the pirate in front of her. “I think I will-…”
“I will leave-…” They say at the same time and Emma squints her eyes at him and sees him doing the same.
“Are you avoiding me?” They ask at the same time and widen their eyes.
Is she? Of course, she is, but only because she has consideration of his feelings and-…
“I just thought you needed time.” He says and she inhales. Does he mean that…?
“Time for what? It was…” She starts, seeing his eyes light up a little but she is suddenly terrified. This is too much. “Just a kiss.” She says and he nods, unable to hide the disappointment in his eyes.
“Of course.” He says with a soft smile and Emma feels like a monster. “We were just feeling like it.” Killian says and she nods.
“Right, nothing wrong with that.” She says and he nods.
“And for the record, love, I am not avoiding you.” He says and she raises an eyebrow at the lie, and he laughs a little. “I mean, I am really busy at the moment.” He says. “We are rebuilding the Jolly Roger.” He explains making her widen her eyes.
“What?” She asks.
“She is alive, Swan.” Killian says with a blinding smile and Emma can’t help but mirror his expression.
“That’s amazing!” She exclaims. “How?”
“She is an amazing ship, always has been.” He says. “Doesn’t matter how destroyed she was, I know she still has hope. I know I can do it for her.” He says, enthusiastic and she smiles at his determination.
“Excited to go back to the sea?” She asks and only feels the jab of that when she says it out loud. He is a pirate, of course, he is excited to go back to the sea. His home is not Storybrooke. Killian doesn’t notice her turmoil and simply laughs goodheartedly.
“Always.” He answers and she forces her smile. “But everything I want is still here.” He finishes and Emma's heart stops for a second. She can see the moment he realizes what he said because he widens his eyes and itches behind his ear.
“I think I-…” Emma trails off, pointing back to the rest of the group and Hook nods.
“Sure, love.” He says and she turns her back to him.
Fuck.
“See? Do you really think any of this means something?” It says as Hook watches Emma’s retreating’ back.
“I am glad everyone is okay.” David says approaching him.
“Right.” Hook answers and finally looks in the direction of the glaring thieves. The Darkness laughs as Hook waves slightly at them with a small smirk. “Hook.” David condemns and Hook sighs.
“What? They are distrustful fellas, what should I do? Grovel?” He asks and David shakes his head with a frown, making Hook feel instantly regretful and he sighs. “I can’t exactly apologize for what I did, David. I just have to-…”
“Can’t you?” David asks, his tone harsh and Hook is caught off guard.
“What?” He asks with a frown.
“Can’t you apologize?” He clarifies but Hook is still confused and looks at David as if he grew a second head.
“Are you serious?” Hook asks.
“He wants you to grovel and watch as the thieves spit on your face! He wants you to fail!”
“I didn’t steal something from them, David. I killed their friends.” Hook snarls and David shakes his head with a frown.
“When you wrong someone, you apologize, what they do next is up to them.” The prince says and it is such a rose-tinted vision of the world that suddenly Hook is reminded of how bloody different he and the prince are.
“You know what I do to people who kill my friends?” Hook says darkly but the other doesn’t stand down.
“Then maybe they are better people than you are.” David answers making the Darkness laugh. Hook doesn’t let it show that it affected him and keeps his glare at the prince.
“They know what happened and they know why I did it, I have nothing else to say to them.” Hook says and turns around.
He no longer is in the mood to go to the Jolly. He wants to go to a bar.
“Hook!” Emma calls out before he can leave the clearing they are in. “My mom wants to see you.” She says, her communication device in hand.
Hook sighs as the Darkness snickers.
“Can’t say no to Snow White.” He whispers to himself and follows the others back to town, avoiding every single pair of eyes on the group.