#cs married

“Hmm,” she said, scooting closer to him.  “So many choices.”

She brought her hand up to his chest and allowed it to trail down his shirt.  She skirted it along his arm, pausing to caress his hook, and then moved to his thigh.  Emma’s fingers danced along his thigh until she allowed her hand to rest on his crotch.  Killian sucked in a breath as she palmed him through his jeans and felt him begin to grow hard.  

She leaned towards him, her face nearing his, her breath a whisper on his skin.  Her lips bypassed his and then came to rest on the scar on his right cheek.  Killian’s eyes fluttered closed as his wife gently pressed a kiss to the scar.  It surprised him that this was her favorite part of him.

She slowly pulled back and he opened his eyes, meeting her gaze.

“My scar?  I had no idea,” he said.

Emma smiled, bringing her thumb up to run along it.  It wasn’t until about a year into their relationship that he revealed how he had received the scar.  Emma had always assumed it was the result of a fight during his pirating days.  She couldn’t have been more wrong.  He had suffered the scar at eight years old while enslaved on a ship.  He had missed a spot while scrubbing the deck, so his master had taken a shard of glass from a broken bottle and punished him by slicing him across his cheek.

Killian dropped his eyes. “I detest it.  Every time I look in the mirror, it makes my stomach turn.”

Emma brought her hand to his chin and lifted his head so he met her eyes.  “You are the most handsome man I’ve ever seen, Killian.  And this scar only makes you more beautiful to me.  It’s a reminder of the terrible things you had to endure, the darkness that you had to battle, and how you came out on the other side of it all.  It’s not something to be ashamed of.  You should be proud of it.  You should wear it like a badge of honor.”

Killian felt his lips slide into a slight smile.  “I suppose I never looked at it that way before.  You always have helped me see things in a different light, love,” he said.

Emma smiled and then lowered her voice.  “Maybe later I can show you my other favorite parts.”

“I look forward to it,” he replied with a grin.

“Your turn,” she said.

“Dare,” Killian said, as he pulled a piece of paper out of the bowl.

“Whisper something in your spouse’s ear that will turn them on,” he read.

Killian’s eyebrows darted upwards and his tongue lashed at his lips.  Emma felt herself getting turned on just by the sight of her husband.  He leaned forward, his warm breath on her ear sending shivers down her spine.  

He purred into her ear. “I want to taste every part of you.  I want to hear you scream my name with my head between your thighs and my tongue inside of you.”

Emma felt her panties flood with arousal at his words.  She sucked in a deep, calming breath.  Killian pulled back and smiled, as her skin grew heated.  

“You okay there, Swan?” he asked.

Emma nodded.  “Yup, fine.  Uh, truth,” she said, needing a moment to recover from his dare.

She pulled out a truth slip and read, “How soon did you realize you were in love with your partner?”

Emma smiled, as her tongue clicked at the roof of her mouth.  She scanned her husband’s face.  “Well, I’d say there was a lot of denial going on for a long time.”

“I’d say that’s accurate.”

“But I think I knew in my heart when you admitted you traded your ship for me that I was in love with you,” she said.

Killian smiled.  It was the moment their relationship really began.  He would still have to knock down many more of her walls and they would have to overcome many obstacles, but that was the moment when everything changed.  

“I knew how important the Jolly Roger was to you.  It was your home.  And to know that you sacrificed it to find me, to help me and my family.  It showed me that you truly had changed and it allowed me to open my heart to you, despite how scared I was.”

Killian linked their fingers together and then lifted her hand to his lips.  He placed a soft kiss on her knuckles.

“And I will be eternally grateful you did,” he whispered.

Emma smiled as Killian released her hand and then dipped his into the truth bowl.

“What is your favourite thing about your spouse?” he said.

He lifted his eyes to his wife’s.  “I couldn’t possibly pick just one,” he said sincerely.

Emma tilted her head to the side and shrugged her shoulders.  “I guess you lose then.”

His eyes widened. “I suppose I will have to force myself to choose from the hundreds of things I adore about you then.”  He paused for a long moment.  “Your strength,” he finally said.

Emma smiled, as she brought her hand up to his cheek and stroked it.

“You are the strongest woman I have ever met, Emma.  You have been through so much in your life.  It would have destroyed most people, but it only made you stronger.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. “Dare,” she said, pulling out a strip of paper.

“Take off your spouse’s shirt using only your teeth,” Emma read.

Killian’s eyebrows danced in delight.  “I rather enjoy the dares,” he said.

Emma’s brow furrowed.  “Well, this isn’t exactly fair.  You’re wearing a vest and a shirt.”

“Are you admitting defeat?” he asked.

Emma shook her head sharply.  “Never,” she said firmly.

Emma shifted on the couch and maneuvered herself so she was straddling her husband’s thighs.  She gave him a devilish grin before dipping her head down to his chest.  Her hands moved to grip his hips, as Killian sucked in a breath and tangled his hand in her golden locks.  Thankfully, his vest was held closed by a zipper.   Emma’s lips wrapped around the zipper pull and then she took the metal between her teeth.  Slowly, she lowered the zipper until his vest fell open.  She then moved her mouth up to his collarbone, pausing a moment to lick the skin there and then place a kiss at the chest hair peeking out.  As her mouth moved to the first button, her hand moved from his hip to his clothed cock.   She rubbed him through the material, as her teeth gripped the fabric of his shirt and then pulled so the button slipped through the hole.

“Bloody hell,” he breathed, as he cupped the back of her head.  

Emma continued moving downwards.  She held the button between her teeth and slipped it through the next hole, as she continued to stroke him.  Killian’s head fell back and his eyes slipped closed.  After a few more minutes of her delicious torture, his shirt fell open, revealing his glorious, toned chest sprinkled with dark hair.  Emma smiled and pressed a kiss to his skin.  She trailed her kisses all the way down, pausing at his belt buckle.

“You better stop now, love, or this game is going to be over very soon,” he said.

Emma looked up at him through her lashes.  “Would that be so bad?  We can continue tomorrow.  Remember, we have the whole weekend.”

Killian’s lips slipped into a grin.  “Brilliant idea.”

Emma smiled and quickly pushed his shirt and vest off of him.   She dropped to her knees before moving to his belt, undoing it, and throwing it behind her.  She undid the button on his jeans and then pulled the zipper down.  She smiled as his cock sprung free.  Every once in awhile he still liked to go commando.  

Emma wasted no time in placing her mouth on him. Her tongue ran along his shaft and then swirled around his head.

Killian moaned, as he cupped the back of her head.  Emma bobbed her head, taking in as much of him as she could.  

“Want to come inside you,” he managed to say.

Emma smiled around him, as she released him with a pop.  She crawled back up his body, pausing to lift her dress and drop her panties to the ground.   She then settled over her husband’s lap.  Killian brought his hand up to her cup her mound and then slipped a finger inside her.  

“So wet already,” he groaned.  

Emma sighed, as his thumb moved to her clit and he added another finger.  But his fingers weren’t enough.  She pushed his hand away and took his cock in her own hand, lining him up with her entrance.  Slowly, she sank down onto him.  

“God, you feel so good,” Killian breathed as his wife began to ride him.

Emma moved up and down on his cock, using his shoulders for leverage.  She rotated her hips, until she felt him hitting that spot inside her that always made her see stars.

“Fuck!” she moaned, as his hook came up to rub at her clit and she soon felt her belly begin to tighten.

“Come for me, love,” he whispered.

And with that she fell over the edge and he soon followed suit.   Emma dropped her head onto his shoulder for a moment, before moving her lips to his and slipping her tongue inside his mouth.

“That was amazing,” she breathed, as she pulled back and rested her forehead against his.

“I love this game,” Killian said with a grin.

Emma laughed and kissed him again.

…

The following night, Emma found her husband in their bedroom.  He had put on pajamas: a t-shirt and plaid lounge pants.  She came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“Ready for bed already?” she asked, pressing a kiss to his back.

He turned around in her arms and dropped a kiss onto her forehead.  

“Actually, I was hoping we could continue our game from last night and I figured that perhaps these clothes could make some of those dares a bit easier.”

“Ah, I see,” she said.

Killian slipped his hook under the strap of her tank top and caressed her jean clad hip with his hand.  “Perhaps you could slip into something that provides easier access too.”

Emma smiled and shook her head, as she took his hand and led him to their bed.  She gently pushed him down onto it and then came to stand between his legs.  

“Easier?  Now where’s the challenge in that?” she asked.

Killian licked at his lips and then watched as she disappeared for a few minutes and then returned with the two bowls.  She sat down on the bed beside him and placed the bowls between them.

“It was your turn,” she said.

“Truth,” he said, as he dipped his hand into the bowl.

“If you had never met your spouse, where do you think you would be?” he read.

Killian’s eyes lifted to Emma’s face and his voice softened.  “I’d surely be dead,” he said.

Emma felt tears fill her eyes and she lifted her hand to caress his cheek. “Why do you say that?”

“I was on a mission of vengeance, love.  I wanted to kill the crocodile.  I wasn’t going to let anything stop me.  But, as you know, he is far too powerful.  If I had continued on my mission, then he surely would have killed me eventually.”

Emma smiled sadly. “And I’d be lost without you.”

Killian took her hand in his.  “You saved me, Emma.  In so many ways.  I was already dead inside and you brought me back to life.”

He leaned forward and placed a kiss on his wife’s lips.  When they parted, Emma cupped his face.

“You did the same for me,” she whispered.

Killian smiled and then nodded at the bowls.  “I believe it’s your turn, love.”

“Truth,” Emma said and pulled a slip out.

“What is your partner’s most annoying habit?” she said.

Emma’s eyes danced in delight, as Killian’s lips turned downward.

“You know, love, you can say pass.  You can’t argue with perfection,” he said.

Emma chuckled.  “Humble as always.” Emma tapped the paper against her chin. “Now let me see.  Ah, I’ve got it.  You’re a bit of a neat freak.”

Killian’s eyebrows lifted. “I fail to see what’s annoying about that.”

Emma shrugged.  “You like everything just so.  I mean, I could never duplicate the way you make our bed,” she said, gesturing to it.  

“A tidy bed was a requirement in the royal navy.”

“The sheets are so tight I can barely get into it,” she said.  “And heaven forbid I move a pillow.”

Killian ran his hand along a wrinkle in the comforter, smoothing it out.  “I suppose you can take over the making of the bed then.”

Emma shook her head. “No, that’s okay.  I’d hate to take away something you enjoy so much.”

Killian smiled and bobbed his head. “As you wish.”  

Without a word, he put his hand into the dare bowl and pulled out a slip.  “Turn your spouse on without touching them or saying a word,” he read.

Emma smiled, as she waggled her eyebrows. “Hmm, I like that one.  It’s quite a challenge.”

Killian leaned in close to her, his breath brushing across her lips.  “Aye, that it is.”

Emma watched as he brought his hand and hook to his shirt and lifted it above his head.  He tossed the shirt onto the floor, as Emma’s eyes roamed his bare chest.  She ached to touch him, to run her fingers through the hair and over his hard muscles.  Killian grinned at her and then slipped his hand beneath the waistband of his lounge pants.   Emma watched as his hand slowly disappeared.   He began to stroke himself, his head lolling back and his eyes slipping shut.  Emma felt her panties flood as she watched him harden, his arousal tenting his thin cotton pants.  

His eyes opened and he grinned at her, as he slowly stroked himself to completion, mouthing her name silently.  He removed his hand, reached over to the night table and grabbed a few tissues.  He slipped his hand back into his pants and cleaned himself up as best he could, before discarding the tissues.

“So, love,” he began, turning to her, “did I meet the challenge?”

Emma shook her head. “Nope, did nothing for me.”

Killian’s tongue darted out, moistening his lips.  He reached out, his hand dipping down between her legs.  He could feel her wetness even through her jeans.

“Liar,” he whispered before pressing a kiss to her lips.

Emma giggled, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he pressed his palm against her center, the rough material scraping her clit.  

“Fine, you win,” she admitted.

“The game?” he asked, pulling back.

“The round,” she clarified.  

Killian pulled back and nodded. “Your turn.”

“Truth,” Emma said and pulled out a piece of paper.  “What is the sexiest thing about your spouse?” she said.

Killian grinned, as she smiled at him, her eyes scanning his body. “Now that is a challenge.  I don’t see how you could possibly pick one thing.”

She ran her hands down his chest.  “You possess many physical attributes that are sexy as hell.”

“Aye,” he said.

She tilted her head, as she lifted her hand to stroke his cheek.  “But the sexiest thing about you is the way you love me,” she said softly.

Killian arched an eyebrow.  “Is that so?”

She nodded.  “Yes.  You love me unconditionally, Killian.  You embrace my flaws.  You build me up when I am down.  You make me feel safe.  I don’t mean physically, but emotionally.  Before you, I could never open myself up to anyone.  But you broke down my walls and showed me it was okay to be vulnerable. That it didn’t make me weak.  It made me stronger.  And the way you believe in me even when I don’t believe in myself is amazing.”

“You’re the amazing one, Swan,” he said, pressing a kiss to her lips.  

Emma smiled and then watched as he pulled a slip from the truth bowl.

“Which of your spouse’s body parts do you love the most?” he said.

Killian’s tongue slowly swiped across his lips, as his eyes washed over his wife’s body appreciatively.  

“Well, now that is an extremely difficult query,” he said, as Emma blushed under his gaze.  “So much to love.”

He reached out and brought his hand to her face.  His thumb swept below her eye.  “Perhaps it’s your beautiful eyes and the love I see in them when you look at me.”

His thumb moved down and ran along her lips, as she sucked in a shaky breath. “Or perhaps it’s your mouth.  The way your lips feels against mine or the wicked things it does to me.”

His hand moved lower, cupping her breast through her tank and brushing his thumb across her nipple.  “Or perhaps it’s your gorgeous breasts.  How they feel in my hands and the way your nipples feel against my tongue.”

Emma moaned as he dipped his head down and latched onto her nipple through her tank and lace bra.  She brought her hand to his head to keep him there, but he was soon on the move.   He kissed his way down her stomach, pausing at her most intimate area as he looked up at her.

“Or it could be your cunt.  How warm and wet it is when I am inside you.  How you feel wrapped around my cock.  How we fit perfectly together.  How you taste on my tongue.”

“Oh God,” Emma said, as he placed a kiss to her center and she felt her clit begin to throb.

She felt his hand move behind her, cupping her ass.  “Or maybe it’s these perfect globes.  How they fit in my hand.  How they look when I am taking you from behind.”

His lips moved to her thigh and he kissed down her leg.  Emma wanted to shove the jeans off so she could feel his lips and the rough scrape of his whiskers on her skin.  

“Or it could be your long legs and how they feel wrapped around me as I thrust in and out of you.”

Emma sighed, threading her fingers into his hair.  “Pick one,” she breathed.

He kissed his way back up her other leg and pushed her tank up to just below her breasts.  He pressed a kiss to her flat stomach, his thumb running across the faint stretch marks left from her pregnancy.  

“But if I had to choose, I think I’d have to pick your stomach, love.”

Emma’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked down at him.  “Really?  Why?”

“These,” he said, tracing his finger across the stretch marks.  

“The stretch marks from my pregnancy? But they’re so ugly.”

He shook his head. “On the contrary.  You may see them as the one imperfection on an otherwise flawless body, but I don’t see them that way at all.”

“How do you see them?” she asked, as he brought his hook to one and gently ran it across it.

“As a symbol of your strength.  You were a scared teenager all alone and pregnant in jail.  And you did the hardest thing any mother could ever do.  You gave your child up so he could have a better life.  You may think that meant you were weak, love, but it was a sign of strength.  And every time I look at them when we make love I think of how much you had to overcome.”

Emma shook her head, as she blinked back tears.  “Only you could make me appreciate my stretch marks.”

He bobbed his head and pressed a kiss to one.  “And now that we’re married, when I look at them, I think of how one day you will carry our child, but this time you won’t be alone.  This time, you’ll get to experience all of those moments you missed with Henry and we’ll share them together.”

Emma cupped his face and dragged his body upwards until his lips met hers.

“I love you so much,” she whispered.

“I love you, too.”

She gave him one last kiss before saying, “Dare,” and pulling out a slip of paper.

“Give your spouse a lap dance,” she read.

Killian’s lips spread into a huge grin. “I need to thank whoever came up with these.”

Emma smiled, as she climbed off the bed and Killian scooted to the end.  She turned her back to him, bending over so he had a good view of her ass.  Killian brought his hand up to caress it.

“I think you’re wearing far too much clothes, love,” he said.  

Emma swatted him away. “No touching.”

“Bloody hell, woman,” he whined.

Emma laughed as she lowered herself down onto his lap.  She ran her bottom over his cock, smiling as she felt it spring to life again.  Spreading her legs, she ground her center down on him.  She felt her panties flood again as she rotated her hips and had to bite her lip to stifle a moan. She slowly turned around and looped her arms around his neck, as he brought his hook and hand to her hip to guide her movements.  This time, she didn’t chide him for touching her.  Emma pressed her body down onto his cock a few more times and then stepped away.

“What the devil are you doing?” he asked.  

Emma shrugged.  “You get what you pay for,” she said.

Killian groaned, as he brought his hand to his covered cock.

“Your turn,” she said with a sweet smile.

“Give a man a minute, Swan,” he grumbled.  

Emma waited patiently and then watched as he finally said, “Truth,” and pulled out a piece of paper.

“How many days could you go without your spouse?” he read.

He reached out and pulled his wife back down beside him on the bed.  He met her eyes.  

“I’ve had to go out with you far too many times, love.  Every time we are separated it is worst than the last.  Pure torture.  Waking up without you, falling asleep without you in my arms.  I never want to go a day without you again,” he said.

Emma smiled, as she reached up and caressed his cheek. “Me too.”

She then pulled the last piece of paper out of the truth bowl.  “If you could fix one body part on your spouse, what would it be?” she read.

Emma met her husband’s eyes, but he quickly averted them.  “It’s okay, Emma.  You can say it,” he said softly.

Emma ran her hand down his arm, stopping at the brace that held his hook in place.  He usually removed it when he slept, but he hadn’t yet.  Gently, she undid the straps that held the apparatus in place. She slowly removed the hook and dropped it to the bed.  Emma’s hand caressed the scarred stump.  She lifted his arm and brought the stump to her lips, placing a soft kiss on it.

She then met his eyes.  “You’re perfect just the way you are,” she whispered.  “I wouldn’t change a thing.”

He tilted his head to the side, purposely not looking at his ragged flesh.  He hated the sight of it.  

“Love, you can be honest.  I know how unseemly it is.  If I could change it, I would.”

“This is a part of who you are, Killian.  And I love every part of you.”

“Emma, I was able to hold you with both hands for the briefest of moments.  What I wouldn’t give to be able to hold you the way you were meant to be held, make love to you the way you deserve.”

Emma’s eyes widened. “Are you kidding?  Killian, I have never felt deprived.  It’s always incredible.  You are quite adept with that hand of yours and you know your hook turns me on.”

He swallowed roughly and nodded.  “I just wish I could be whole for you.”

Emma cupped his face and lifted his eyes to hers.  “You are everything I could have ever wanted and more.  Never doubt that.”

She then pressed a kiss to his lips.  

“Thank you,” he whispered.  He then pulled a slip out of the dare bowl.

“Give your spouse a hickey somewhere they wouldn’t expect,” he read.

Killian’s eyebrows darted upward and Emma giggled as he quickly trailed his mouth down her stomach.  He lifted her tank top, bunching it up below her breasts.  He then pressed his mouth to a spot just above her navel.  His lips pulled the skin into his mouth, applying pressure, until his wife was writhing beneath him.  Emma threaded her fingers into his hair and pressed his head down.  He nipped at the skin with his teeth before sucking it into his mouth until Emma moaned.  Killian pulled back and looked at his handiwork, smiling at the red mark on her skin.  

Emma smiled down at him and said, “Dare,” before pulling out another slip.

“Give your spouse a strip tease,” she said.

Killian’s eyes lit up.  “Aye, that’s what should have accompanied the lap dance.”

Emma grinned as she stood.  “Better late than never.”

She stood just out of his reach and began by slowly inching her tank top up over her stomach.  Killian’s eyes became hooded with desire as he watched her.  She lifted the tank over her head and then dropped it to the floor.  His tongue darted out to moisten his lips at the sight of his wife standing before him in her black lace bra.  Emma slid her hands across her chest to cup her breasts, before trailing them down her sides.  They rested on her hips for a moment before she reached for the button of her jeans.  She popped the button and lowered the zipper.  Killian watched as she slowly slid the jeans down her hips and legs until they were pooling at her ankles. She reached down and pulled her boots, socks, and jeans off in one motion.  

Killian sucked in a breath as he felt himself harden again at the sight of his wife standing in her bra and matching black lace panties.  She turned around and slid one strap down her shoulder.  Then she slid the other.  She reached behind her and flicked the clasp.  The bra dropped to the floor, as Killian swallowed roughly.  Emma looped her thumbs into the sides of her panties and slowly lowered them down her hips.  She bent over then, giving him a nice view of her ass as she kicked them free of her.

Emma slowly turned around to face her husband, smiling at the slack jawed look of awe on his face and how he was stroking himself again.

“Bloody hell,” he breathed at the glorious sight of his bare wife.

Emma blushed at the way his eyes looked as if they wanted to devour her.  She brought her hands up, squeezing her breasts and toying with her nipples.  

“Come here,” he growled.

Emma laughed as she practically pounced on him.  She settled on his lap, straddling him, and shoving her tongue into his mouth.  

“I need to be inside of you,” he managed, as his mouth moved to her neck.

Emma pulled back and nodded at the bowl.  “There’s only one more left.  It’s a dare and it’s your turn.”

“Forget the game, love,” he mumbled against her skin as he sucked a mark onto the skin of her collarbone.

Emma tugged his hair so he looked up at her. “So you’re forfeiting then?”

“You win,” he grumbled, moving his mouth to the valley of her breasts.

Emma laughed, as her eyes slid closed and she threw her head back.  She could feel his cock pressing against her clit as she rocked against him.

“I happen to know what the last dare is.  I think you’ll want to do it,” she panted.

Killian looked up at her, his lips swollen and pupils blown wide.  Emma reached over to the night table and opened a drawer.  She pulled out a bottle of chocolate syrup and a towel.  

“Let’s just say it involves this,” she said, holding the bottle up.

Killian’s eyes widened and he quickly dug his hand into the bowl and pulled out the last slip.

“Pour chocolate syrup on your spouse and then eat it off of them,” he read.

His lips spread into a grin as he threw the paper behind him and tossed her onto the bed.   Emma giggled as he spread the towel over the sheet and then grabbed the bottle from her.  He pulled the cap off with his teeth and then hovered over his beautiful wife, who was now spread out before him.  

He tilted the bottle and poured a strip across her collarbone.  His mouth quickly followed, licking her clean.  Emma laughed as he swirled the chocolate around each nipple.   His lips closed over the rosy buds, his tongue circling them until the syrup was gone.  

He moved down her body, drawing a heart on her stomach.  Emma threaded her fingers through his hair and held him to her skin as he made his doodle disappear with his tongue.  He continued south until he was between her legs.  Killian drizzled some over her center and then quickly licked her clean.   He was about to continue his ministrations there, when he felt Emma tug on his head.  She pulled him up to her.

“I need you inside me now,” she whispered, as she pulled the bottle out of his hand and tossed it on the ground.

“As you wish,” he replied.  

He quickly shed his pants.  He then grabbed ahold of himself and lined his cock up with her entrance.  

He pushed in, slipping in easily, as Emma clawed at his back, moaning his name.  She threw her head back, as his mouth ran along her jaw.  Emma wrapped her legs around his hips and gripped his ass with her fingernails, pushing him into her more deeply.

“Fuck,” Killian groaned, as his lips moved to her neck and then her breasts, his teeth nipping at her erect nipples.  

“Killian,” Emma breathed, as she felt her belly begin to coil.  “I’m so close.  Don’t stop.  Please, right there.”

Her husband reached down to where they were joined and thumbed at her clit.  “That’s it.  Come for me, love.”

A moment later, Emma screamed his name and then he spilled his seed within her.  Killian grinned as he collapsed atop her, but made no move to extricate himself from her body.

Emma smiled, as she ran her fingertips down the muscles of his back.  

“That was a really fun game,” she said.

“Aye, love, we must play it again soon,” he replied.

They fell silent for a moment, until Emma broke it.  “Promise me we’ll always be like this.”

His brow furrowed. “Like what?”

“Like this.  Never able to get enough of each other.  Adventurous. Vulnerable.  Honest.  Intimate in every way.”

Killian lifted his head and placed a kiss to her lips. “I promise.”

Emma smiled and stroked his scruff.  “Good.”

…THE END…

Emma smiled her mother's ideas knowing that Snow meant the best when she put forth plans for an extension of the party's merriment, but if she gave her mother too much leeway then Emma would run the risk of ruining the party before it even began. If they went too flashy or too big that simply wouldn't be a party for Killian and that would be a shame, especially when Emma believed that she had found the perfect balance that would make this party both enjoyable to Killian and to all of their eager guests as well. It was old world meets new world in many ways but there would be good food and music and even a cake with rum infused frosting for dessert.

"Everything looks perfect as is, Mom. You've already done such a wonderful job and you've been a big help."

That response allowed Emma with a way out that didn't hurt her mother’s feelings, and she hoped that her Mom would believe her praise because Emma meant every word. The truth was Emma wasn't exactly cut out for party planning and none of these little details and thoughts had ever mattered much to her or ever came naturally. In this marriage there was one partner who was predominantly the thoughtful one with grand gestures and big surprises aplenty and that was Killian, but now Emma was trying to take a cue from his playbook so to speak.

"I think this is incredibly sweet Emma," Belle said as she approached from the kitchen where she had been getting much of the food for the evening plated and ready to go. "And it’s also very symbolic. After all, this is the anniversary of when he came back to you, right?"

Emma nodded, unsurprised that her and Killian's friend had figured out Emma’s underlying intentions. One year ago today in the midst of some of the worst pain Emma had ever endured, where her heart has been broken and all hope seemed lost, light returned to her world once more when Killian was brought back to her through a magic too strong and too powerful to fully comprehend. That day had been the start of a whole new chance for both Emma and Killian to do this whole true love thing right and they had made the most of that opportunity living every day like it might be their last but hoping all the while that they would have the happily ever after that was promised to all heroes. In many ways both of them had been reborn on that day, and so it only seems fitting that a day like that should be cherished and remembered and that on this day Emma should try and make her husband see just how much he meant to her.

"It is, yeah. But it's crazy to think how different our lives are now. We might never be ‘normal’ but this whole not constantly fighting the forces of evil thing... Well it’s pretty amazing."

"It's nothing less than you both deserve," Emma's father quipped from the other end of the room. "I think this family and this town have had just about enough trouble to last a lifetime."

Everyone easily agreed with David's shrewd analysis and Emma felt a surge of warmth  in her chest at the thought that everyone she loved and everyone she cared for truly had found peace in the aftermath of the final battle. Each person here had played a role in Emma’s being strong enough to overcome her fate, but the one person who had done the most and whose love had shown throughout every moment no matter how dark with unwavering strength was Killian. He had been her rock when times were hard and he had been her faith when all hope seemed lost, and Emma knew that he would always continue to be her biggest fan and most adamant supporter as long as they lived.

At that moment the front door flew open and in a rush that was unexpected Emma watched as Henry came clamoring through with an earnest look on his face. For a second fear overtook her and there was a return to the old worries of the past. A look like that might mean there was some big bad knocking on their door poised to wreak havoc or that someone might be in grave danger, but then Emma noticed that though Henry seemed frazzled he wasn't truly upset and her gut told her that whatever he was about to say she could handle.

"Henry what's wrong?" Snow asked quickly but Henry's eyes stayed on Emma. 

"We've got a slight hiccup in our plan. I know I was supposed to bring Killian after we were finished sailing on the Jolly, but he wanted to stay behind and short of saying you were in trouble I don't think there was anything I could do to get him to come."

“Well this is typical. We throw the pirate a party and he’s too wrapped up in that precious boat of his to even come,” Regina said with attempted sarcasm that Emma could plainly see through. No matter what she said, Regina had grown to consider Killian a friend and she did care about him underneath all of that dry wit.

“I tried to get him here, I really did. I even floated the idea of letting him make that mackerel stuff he’s always talking about for dinner, but he didn’t bite.”

Hearing more of what had happened and just how much enticement Killian had denied to avoid coming home made Emma smile despite herself and she began to piece together parts of the puzzle that might escape the others in the room. If she had to guess Emma would say that Killian, smart and ever observant as he was, was likely onto them and trying to stall, but there was a way to get him here and Emma knew the time had come to make her move. 

"That's all right kid I've got it from here," Emma promised as she gave Henry a hug before saying goodbye to the others and heading out the door in search of the docks. She chose to walk instead of using magic and the journey was quick and the weather outside was mild enough that it was more than pleasant, but the best part undoubtedly was when she was finally aboard the Jolly Roger and was reunited with the man she loved.

"So... where you planning on returning to us land bound folk any time soon, or is this your move to get the hell out of dodge?” Emma asked after quietly sneaking up to the deck and watching Killian for a few seconds where he stood at his perch at the ship’s edge. When her voice sounded out between them he turned immediately and Emma could see even through the clear intensity he was grappling with that he was relieved to be reunited with her again. It was just the way he always was, and that quiet but ever present concern was an amazing and unspoken reassurance that Emma was loved completely by her husband and that nothing would ever change that.

“You joke, love, but you know there’s no leaving for me. Not without you at least.” Emma let out a light laugh at the thought of them leaving every care and responsibility behind them for a life on the high seas before stepping forward to take the hand he offered willingly and feeling that spark of connection as soon as they were joined. “What do you say we set sail and go wherever the winds take us?”

“I say it sounds pretty perfect as long as I’m with you, but tonight’s not so good. We’ve got plans.”

"Aye, I know about the party, Swan,” Killian announced, as if somehow he’d been keeping that little fact secret when his awareness was written all over his face.

"I figured as much when you gave Henry the slip with no clear reason," Emma confessed, prompting a surprised look from Killian before understanding infiltrated his piercing blue eyes and a softness returned to his features once more. Instinctively he pulled her into his arms wrapping her up in his embrace, and Emma welcomed that, stepping into him and into the place that had come to feel most like home to her in the whole wide world.

"It's not that I don't appreciate the gesture, my love, because I do, and timing it so precisely with my coming back from the Underworld was brilliant on your part. As I’ve said before my life truly began anew when I was given another chance to be by your side, and it’s as good a day as any to be grateful for. I just... Well truth is I've never had one of these, at least not one I can remember."

Hearing that (even though Emma had anticipated that might be the case) stung in a painful way and her heart went out to Killian as she thought about the stories she had heard from his less than happy and wholesome childhood and the largely unfortunate years that followed. They were very alike in this, in how life had robbed them of so many simple pleasures a person should know, but now Emma was hoping to rectify some of those old wounds and also share new joys that would grant them more of those miraculous second chances their love was prone to creating. 

"There's no better time to try it out than now," Emma offered as her hand came to cup his cheek and she smiled at him and the feelings of rightness only he could bring into her life. 

"Oh really? And why is that?" Killian inquired, teasing a bit more as he did and allowing himself to leave behind his earlier worrying. It was a beautiful sight for Emma to see him do so too, for she knew how hard it was to battle ghosts of lives past and she was always in awe of Killian’s willingness to try even when the going was tough.

“Because I'm hoping we will have at least another sixty years together and it’s only fair that we both get a birthday to celebrate," Emma murmured, picturing in her mind’s eye where they would be ten, then twenty, and fifty years down the line. The visions were hazy of course, and they were open to changing since she couldn’t really see the future, but the one thing Emma was certain of was that she and Killian would be a team and they’d be happy. "And besides, this year I have the perfect gift to give you.”

“You needn’t have troubled yourself, Swan. You know the best thing in the world is you. What else could possibly compare to calling you mine?”

His words were touching and heartfelt and Emma let them wash over her skin as she felt the rumble of his lilted voice flow over her as well. Tears pricked at her eyes and she could feel the swell of emotion inside her brought not only by the good fortune she was about to share, but by this unique and remarkable man who loved her so. Killian didn’t try to be perfect by any means, and he was clear with her and with everyone that he was only human and that he would make mistakes, but for Emma he was every ideal made real. He loved her with everything in him, brought passion and joy into her world every single day, and he looked at her as he did now - like she was the rarest gem of all - so often that it was almost commonplace. But this feeling in her heart would never be common, and the magic they’d found together would never dull in any way, especially not in the sight of what she had to tell him now.

“Maybe finding out you’re going to be a father?”  Emma whispered, her hand taking Killian’s in hers and bringing it over her tummy that hadn’t yet begun to show but was destined to do so soon since right now a little girl or boy was growing bigger and bigger with each passing day.

“I’m going to - a father – you mean – you’re – I mean we… Swan?!”

The mumbled words and incoherent babbling was so unlike Killian in every way, but to Emma it was beyond endearing, and watching the whole host of reactions that crossed his face was brilliant. He went through every phase she’d been in since finding out she was pregnant, excitement, glee, a little bit of trepidation, but mostly there was this love infused thankfulness that only someone who had lost everything before could know. The two of them had seen the darkest depths of what life could offer, and so it made this moment where things were so totally and completely good all the more wonderful.

“Yup. You and I have roughly six months to get ready for a new addition to the Jones family, and then you’ll get a new, slightly less ‘colorful’ moniker: Daddy.”

That was evidently the final straw for her husband, and the next thing Emma knew she was being pulled closer, her lips crashing against Killian’s as he kissed her with so much feeling and emotion that it superseded all other things. It was heated and yet sweet all at once, intimate but unabashed in its publicness, and truthfully Emma couldn’t tell where she ended and where Killian began because she was so wrapped up in him that she lost the ability to decipher anything but that she loved him and that she was really and gloriously happy.

The rest of the world faded away for a while then as one kiss turned to two and then three and then more than Emma could count, and all that remained in the meantime was the two of them, both thrilled and elated at the new adventure they had waiting for them and this next chapter of their lives that would be so worth all that hard work and fighting they’d put in the past few years. This was a part of that whole happy beginning they were after all along, and with Killian by her side Emma knew she was more than ready for this new challenge and this next step they would take together.

“Every day you give me more and more reason to love you, Emma, and today has been no different,” Killian said when they finally pulled apart, their foreheads resting against each other as Emma closed her eyes and just soaked in this perfect moment with her one true love. “I don’t know how a man can possibly be this blessed, but I swear to you this child will know just as you do that there is nothing and no one above our family to me. This, right here, is the most important thing, and it always, always will be.”

The power of those words for Emma, a woman who had at one time had considered herself to be nothing more than a lost little girl, was immense, and again those happy tears fell, spilling over her cheeks before they were wiped away by Killian as he whispered more words of affection and love. In response the only thing Emma could think to do was tell him that she loved him too and then kiss him senseless all over again, waiting party guests be damned.

Eventually, however, the two of them did face the music, arriving at the party and telling everyone the good news (because Killian couldn’t bear to keep the secret). There was, of course, the obvious hope and joy Emma had expected from their family and friends, and in the end the night was a great one that was more than worthy of remembering because of all the laughs and enjoyment that was had amongst them all. And every year from that point on when that same date rolled around, Emma didn’t hear any complaints from Killian about his ‘birthday,’ because he agreed that there was more than enough cause to celebrate and more than enough blessings to keep the Jones family happy and grateful forever more.

Once there, they found their seven year old twins engaged in a tug-of-war with a plastic sword.

“It’s mine! Give it back!” Liam screamed.

“You’re supposed to share!” Leia yelled back.

“What the devil is going on in here?” Killian asked.

“Dad, Leia took the sword Grandpa gave me and she won’t give it back.”

“He wouldn’t share it with me,” Leia countered.

Emma looked at their son.  “Is that true?”

He shrugged.  “Well, yeah.  Swords aren’t for girls.”

Emma’s jaw tightened and she crossed her arms over her chest.  Killian chuckled as he slapped their son gently on the back.

“Oh, lad, now you’ve gone and done it.”

“Excuse me?”  Emma said. “You know I am quite skilled with a sword, as is your grandmother.  What would make you say such a thing, Liam?”

Leia smiled.  “I know why.  He’s afraid I’ll be better at sword fighting than he is, so he doesn’t want me to use his sword.”

“Liam,” Killian began. “Is your sister right?”

Liam shrugged and dropped his gaze to the ground.  “She’s better at everything.  School, sports, even video games.  I just wanted to be better than her this one time.”

Emma and Killian’s faces softened.  Emma took the sword from them.

“Have a seat on the couch,” she ordered gently.

The twins sat down on the couch as their parents sat across from them on the coffee table.  

“You are not in competition with each other,” Emma said.

Killian nodded.  “Aye, you both have your own talents and gifts.  All we ask if that you try your best at whatever you do.”

Emma bobbed her head.  “Your father is right.  And if one of you happens to be better at something than the other, then you should be proud of each other.  Just like I know your father is proud of me, even though I am better at sword fighting than he is.  Right?” she said, turning to her husband.

Killian’s eyes widened and he chuckled nervously,  “Well, love, I’m not sure I’d say you’re better than me.  After all, I do have a few centuries of practice on you.”

“True, but at this point, I’ve defeated countless villains, so that has to count for something,” she said.

“Aye, that it does.  But to declare you are better than me is a bit of an overstatement,” he said.

The children stared at their parents.   Emma and Killian were suddenly aware that their parental lecture had gotten away from them.

Emma forced a smile.  “The point is, I am proud of your father for being so good at sword fighting and he is proud of me.”

“That’s right.  And we want you to support each other and be proud of each other,” Killian added.

“Okay,” they replied begrudgingly.

Emma held the sword out.  “So you have two choices.  You can either take turns playing with the sword or we keep it and no one uses it.  What’s it going to be?”

Leia and Liam exchanged a glance, then sighed heavily.  

“Take turns,” they mumbled.

“Brilliant,” Killian said with a grin, as Emma handed the sword over to Liam.

“But it’s time for breakfast now and then we need to get ready for our fishing trip on the Jolly Roger today.  Go get washed up,” Emma said.

The twins scampered out of the room.  

Killian grinned at his wife.  “Love, you don’t truly believe you’re better at sword fighting than me, do you?”

Emma shrugged.  “Well, when we dueled in the Enchanted Forest, I did beat you.”

Killian leaned in close to her, his eyes scanning her face and stopping at her lips, as he replied softly,  “I was distracted.”

His lips moved to her jaw and he began to leave a path of kisses down it.  

“Oh yeah, by what?” Emma breathed.

“Your beauty,” he mumbled against his wife’s skin.

 “Sounds like an excuse to me,” she giggled, as his mouth trailed down her neck.

 “Perhaps a rematch is in order then,” he said, lifting his lips from her body and meeting her eyes.

 “Maybe so,” she agreed.  “I’ll give you this though.  You made good on your promise.”

 “And what promise was that?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

 Emma grinned. “Every time you jab me with your sword, I definitely feel it.”

 Killian laughed and kissed her again.

 …

 It was nearly noon by the time they made it onto the Jolly Roger.  The twins helped Killian ready the ship and soon they were sailing away from Storybrooke.  Once they were far enough out, Killian dropped anchor.  He handed each child a fishing pole and they hurried to the side of the ship.   Emma and Killian watched the twins as they waited for a bite.

 “Can you believe we made them?” Emma asked.  

 Killian put his arm around his wife’s shoulders.  “Sometimes it’s hard to believe.”

 “They’re a product of our true love,” she said.  

 Killian pressed a kiss to her temple.  “Sometimes it’s hard to believe that this life we have built together, this family, is real.  These years we have spent together have been the happiest of my life.”

 Emma nodded.  “Mine too.  I love our life.  I love our family.”  She paused and then met his gaze. “What would you say to adding another little pirate or princess to it?”

 Killian raised his brow and then grinned.  “I’d say that making the two we already have was an awful lot of fun.  I certainly enjoy the process.”

 Emma took his hand in hers and brought it to her belly.  “And what if I told you that the fun we so frequently have has already produced another little pirate or princess?”

 Killian’s eyes grew wide in shock.  “You mean…we’re…you’re...you’re with child?  We’re going to have another baby?”

 Emma nodded, a smile spreading across her lips.  “Yes,” she whispered.

 Killian’s lips gave way to a huge grin.  He pulled his wife into his arms and pressed a kiss to her lips.  He then looked into her eyes.

 “You are an incredible mother, love.  I can’t wait to bring another child into this world with you.”

 Emma felt tears fill her eyes.  “You are an amazing father, Killian.  This adventure certainly hasn’t been easy, but I have loved every minute of it with you.  I can’t wait to see what comes next!”

 They kissed again, but were soon interrupted by their children.

 “Mom!  Dad!  Come quick!” they screamed.

 Emma and Killian parted and ran over to their children.

 “Liam has something on his line,” Leia said.

 Liam pulled on the rod as the line jerked back and forth.  

 “That’s it, lad.  You’ve got it,” Killian said.  “Now reel it in.”

 Liam held on tightly, as he reeled the line in.  Their eyes widened as he pulled and a huge striped bass leapt out of the water.   Liam kept reeling it in and then pulled again, dropping the fish onto the deck.

 “Bloody hell!  It’s massive!  It must weigh at least 10 pounds!” Killian said in disbelief.

 “Great job, honey!” Emma said, giving him a hug.

 Leia smiled at her twin and then lifted her hand to high five him.  “Awesome job, Liam!”

 Liam grinned proudly and slapped his sister’s hand. “Thanks!”

 Killian picked the fish up.  “I think we’ve got breakfast for tomorrow.”

 His wife and children scrunched up their noses and replied, “Yuck!”

 Killian shook his head.  “It’s good for you.  Not like those toaster tarts you all insist on eating.”

 “They’re called Pop Tarts, Dad,” Leia corrected.  

 “Whatever their name, they are absolute rubbish,” he said.

 Emma and the twins simply shook their heads and laughed.

 …

 They fished until the sun began to set.  All four cuddled up close on the bench Killian had built for them, as they watched the sun turn the sky into a rainbow of colors.  Killian wrapped his arm around his wife.  Leia rested her head in her mother’s lap, as Liam did the same in his father’s.  Soon, the children drifted off to sleep.

 Emma looked up at her husband.  “So what do you think?  You think we can handle another one?  We’ve already got our hands full with these two.”

 Killian nodded. “I think there isn’t anything we can’t do as long as we do it together.”

 Emma sucked in a breath, her expression suddenly growing serious.  “I think we’ve been spoiled these last couple of years, Killian.  We’ve been villain-less and curse-free.  It’s made things easier.  But this is Storybrooke.  That could change at any moment.”

 Killian nodded and pressed a kiss to her hair. “Aye, love.  And whatever comes our way, we will deal with together.”

 Neither had any way of knowing that the very next day their lives would change forever.

 …

 The next morning, Killian went to retrieve the newspaper from the front lawn.  He had just picked it up when his eyes caught sight of something down the street.   His mouth dropped open at what was before him.   Killian turned and ran into his house.

 “Emma!” he screamed.

 Emma came running down the stairs, her eyes widening at the fear etched across her husband’s features.

 “Killian?  What is it?  What’s wrong?”

 “I don’t know exactly, but it looks as if there’s a curse coming.  There’s an enormous blanket of blue smoke heading this way.”

 “Oh my God.  I have to warn my parents,” she said, heading to retrieve her phone.

 Killian gently grabbed her elbow, stopping her movement.  

 “There’s no time, love. It will be here any moment,” he said.

 Emma squeezed her eyes closed and sucked in a calming breath.

 “Leia!  Liam!” Emma called, as she cradled her stomach with her hand.  

 The twins scampered down the stairs and came to stand before their parents.  

 “What?” they asked in unison.

 Their parents knelt before them.  Emma cupped Liam’s face, as Killian did the same to Leia.

 “There’s a curse coming.  It will be here any minute,” Emma said.

 Tears immediately filled their children’s eyes.  The fear suddenly present in them broke their hearts.

 “What is it going to do?” Leia asked softly.  

 “We don’t know, sweetheart,” Killian replied.

 “Will it separate us?” Liam asked, his voice trembling.

 Emma and Killian exchanged a look.  They had always been honest with their children.  

 Emma slowly nodded. “It might,” she said.

 “No!” they screamed, as tears began to stream down their cheeks.

 Emma and Killian pulled their children close to them, rubbing their backs soothingly.

 “Shh, loves, it’s going to be okay,” Killian said comfortingly.

 “Your father is right,” Emma said, as they pulled back and looked at their parents.  “We have been through alot and we always find our way back to each other.  No matter what happens, hold onto that.  And always remember we love you.”

 Emma and Killian hugged and kissed their children one last time. Then they stood and faced each other.  

 “I love you,” Killian said, as he blinked back tears.

 “I love you,” Emma replied, her voice cracking with emotion.

 Killian placed his hand on her stomach.  “No matter what happens, I will always be with you.  I will always be by your side, even if you can’t see me.”

 Emma cupped his face and stood on her toes as she brought her lips to his.  Tears streamed down their cheeks as they kissed.   When they parted, their foreheads remained touching.

 “If we are separated again, then we will find our way back to each other.  Nothing has ever stopped us before and nothing ever will,” she said.

 “Aye, love, I’ll never stop fighting to get back to you and our family,” he vowed.

 Emma sucked in a breath and wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand.  She swallowed roughly and then quickly moved to the table by the door.  She grabbed a Sharpie out of a cup on the table and returned to stand in front of her husband.

 “Give me your hand,” she ordered.

 Killian extended his hand, palm up.  

 “What are you doing, Swan?”

 “Something to remember me by,” she whispered.

 Emma wrote with the Sharpie across his palm:  Forever Yours.  Love, Emma.

 She met his gaze.  “These curses have a way of wiping our memories. If that happens, and assuming this remains on your hand, I want you to know that somewhere there is someone who loves you and is waiting for you to get back to them.”

 Killian smiled sadly and kissed her again.  Then he took the Sharpie and lifted her hand with his hook.  He was about to write the same thing across her palm when the blue cloud enveloped their home.  Emma and the children became frozen to their spots, while Killian disappeared.

 …

 Killian’s head was pounding.  He felt like he had consumed an entire barrel of rum.   He felt the warm sun on his face and the hard ground on his back.  Slowly, he pried his eyes open.   He was met with the sky, which seemed to be spinning.  His body ached, as he finally managed to lift himself into a sitting position on the sidewalk.   Killian rested against the brick building behind him, as he took a deep breath.

 Where in bloody hell was he?

 He stretched his legs and arms, trying to determine if he was injured in anyway.   His eyes moved to his left hand, his brow furrowing at it for some unknown reason, as if it didn’t belong to him.   His gaze traveled to his other hand and he flexed it.   His brow wrinkled curiously as he noticed something was written on his palm.  He held his hand up in front of his face.

 “Forever Yours.  Love, Emma,” he read aloud.

 Emma.  Emma.  The name rolled around in his head.  He felt his heart skip a beat and his breath catch in his chest at the sight of it.  

 He didn’t know who Emma was or why exactly her name elicited such a reaction in him, but he knew that she must love him and that she must be waiting for him somewhere.

 Slowly, he stood, a determination he couldn’t explain boiling up inside of him.  Deep inside of him, he knew he had to get back to her.  Someway, somehow.

 ...THE END...

…

Henry led Emma onto the roof where she and Killian had gotten married.

“Why are we here?” she asked, glancing around the barren roof.

“I’m hoping it will jog your memory,” he replied.

“A roof is supposed to jog my memory?” Emma asked, brow raised.

“This isn’t just any roof.  It’s where you got married.”

Emma’s eyes widened.  “Married?  I have a husband?”

Henry nodded.  “Yes, you got married right before the curse hit.”

Emma sighed. “Curse.  Right.  So, let me get this straight.  I’m the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.  I’m the Savior.  So who’s my husband?  Robin Hood?  Peter Pan?”

Henry felt his lips twitch into a smile.  “Captain Hook, actually.”

Emma shook her head, a laugh flowing from her mouth. “Of course.”

Henry nodded.  “I want to show you something.”

He led Emma over to sit and he sat down beside her.   Henry pulled the Storybook out of his backpack.  

“Storytime?” she asked.

“Yup,” he said, turning the pages and pointing.  “This is your parents’ wedding.  This is your birth.  They put you through the wardrobe so you could break the dark curse 28 years later.”

Emma stared at the pages blankly.  It didn’t seem like her life.  It just seemed like a story.  

Henry kept turning until he had nearly reached the end.  He pointed at the next picture.

“And this is your wedding.  That’s your husband.  Captain Hook.  Or Killian Jones, as he goes by now.”

Emma looked at the man before her.  “Killian,” she whispered.

She reached out and ran her fingers across his face.  Henry searched her eyes for any sign of recognition.  He thought he saw a spark of something.

“Do you remember him?”

She slowly shook her head.  “No.”  She paused and added softly, “We look happy.”

Henry smiled at her use of the word ‘we’.  Maybe he was making progress.   He was convinced that the Black Fairy hadn’t wiped her memory.  He believed that she had just filled her with hopelessness and a lack of belief that caused her memories to be repressed. He just needed to find a way to bring them back to the surface.  

“You were.  This roof looked beautiful.  The sun was setting and there were curtains and lights and flowers.  And you danced and sang with your new husband.”

“It’s a nice story,” she said, dropping her eyes.

“It’s not a story, Mom.  This is your life.”

Emma shook her head.  “Henry, I know you mean well.  But none of this is real.  There are no such things as curses or villains or magic beans.  And I am not the Savior.  I’m sorry.”

Henry felt tears well up in his eyes, as he slammed the book closed.  

“I’m not going to give up on you, Mom.  You taught me that.”

He then got up and walked to the door.  Emma watched him go and then turned her eyes to the sky.  The sun was beginning to set.  She wouldn’t admit it to Henry, but something felt familiar about this place.  Something felt special.

...

Killian found himself standing in the middle of Main Street.  Storybrooke looked mostly the same, but somehow bleaker.  A few stores had changed and everything just seemed darker and dull.  

Killian knew what he had to do first.  He had to find Henry.  He turned on his heel and headed in the direction of Granny’s.   He was halfway there when he heard a voice behind him.

“Hook?”

Killian spun around and found Henry just yards away from him.

“Henry!”

A huge smile appeared on Henry’s lips.  He came rushing forward, surprising Killian when he enveloped him in a hug.   Killian smiled, as he patted his stepson’s back.

“It’s good to see you, lad.”

Henry pulled back and met his eyes.  

“How did you get here?  Where’s my mom?  Where are my grandparents?”

Killian let out a breath, as his tongue darted out to lash at his lips nervously.

“I’m afraid I’m the only one here,” he said.

Henry’s eyes widened.  “Why?  What happened?  Are they okay?”

“You needn’t worry, Henry.   Your family is fine.  But the portal only allowed one person through before closing.  It was decided I should be the one to go.  We saw in the mirror what has happened to your mother.  They thought I would have the best chance of getting through to her.”

Henry took a moment to absorb this information and then nodded.  “They were right.”

“Where is she now?”

“I broke her out of the mental hospital.”

Killian grinned. “That’s my boy.”

“I brought her up to the roof where you two got married.  I don’t think her memory was wiped.  I think her memories have been repressed. I hoped bringing her there would jog her memory.  ”

Killian’s face fell.  It was where the best day of his life had turned into the worst.

“Did it?”

Henry shrugged. “I don’t know.  I thought I saw a flash of something in her eyes for a moment, but then it was gone.  Maybe you’ll have better luck.  I just left her there a few minutes ago.”

“Aye, then that’s where I will go.”

“Wait,” Henry said, digging into his pocket.  

He pulled out Emma’s engagement and wedding rings.  

“Here,” he said, placing them in Killian’s hand. “Maybe these will help.  They took them from her in the hospital, but I found them and snuck them out.  I knew she wouldn’t want them left there.  I was going to give them to her to see if they sparked anything, but I didn’t want to overwhelm her with too much too quickly.”

Killian stared at the rings, tears now blurring his eyes.  He had loved placing them on her finger and the promises they held.  

“Thank you, Henry,” he said, as his fingers closed around the rings.

He only hoped he could use them to get through to her.

…

Killian opened the door onto the roof, stopping in his tracks when he saw his wife sitting a few yards away from him.  It took every ounce of his strength not to run to her.  

“Swan?” he said.

Emma’s head shot up and her eyes met his. She couldn’t explain it, but she felt her heart skip a beat and her breath catch in her chest at the sight of him.  He was the man from the storybook.  According to Henry, he was her husband.

“Killian,” she said.

His lips spread into a smile and he quickly closed the distance between them, coming to sit down beside her and meeting her gaze.

“Do you remember me, love?” he asked, searching her eyes.

Emma stared into his eyes.  There was something so familiar in the beautiful blue orbs.  She finally shook her head and tore her eyes away from him.  It broke Killian’s heart to see his wife looking at him like he was a stranger.

“No, I’m sorry.  I just recognized you from the picture in Henry’s storybook.”

“Emma,” he said, lifting his hand to her cheek.  “Please look at me.”

She flinched when he touched her and it broke his heart even more.  His own wife flinching at his touch.  But Emma hadn’t flinched because she was scared or uncomfortable.  She had felt an undeniable spark when his skin had make contact with hers.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled and began to pull his hand away.

Emma grabbed his hand and took it in hers.  “Don’t be,” she said softly.

She looked down at their entwined hands, marveling at how well they fit together, how her hand seemed to be made for his.  Her eyes focused on his wedding ring, her thumb running over it.

Killian sucked in a breath at feeling the touch of his wife again.  

“This is where we were married, Emma.  We had never been happier.  It was supposed to be our happy beginning.”

“I’m sorry, I know that’s real for you.  But it’s not for me,” she said.  

Killian squeezed her hand in his. “Aye, that it is.  You need to look inside yourself, love. It’s all there waiting for you to find it, to believe again.”

“I can see that you love the woman you remember,” she replied.  

“I love you, Emma,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion.  Killian sucked in a deep breath as he continued.  “I have lived centuries and you are undoubtedly the most amazing person I have ever met.  When I met you, I believed in one thing and one thing only: revenge.  It was the only thing I cared about.  You changed all that.  You made believe I could be more.  You made me believe I could change.  You made me believe in love again.  No one in all my years was able to do that but you, Emma.  You are the Savior.  It took you a long time to believe in that and the world you came from.  But you did and you have helped so many people.  They still need you.  And I need my wife.”

Emma felt tears fill her eyes at his heartfelt words.  She could feel her heart swell as she looked into his loving eyes.

Killian slipped his hand from hers and dug into his pocket.  He emerged with her engagement and wedding rings.  He held them out to her, cradling them in his palm.  

“These belong to you, love.”

Emma stared at the rings and, suddenly, something flashed before her eyes.  She squeezed her eyes closed, as images assaulted her senses:  Killian down on one knee.  Twice. Holding up the engagement ring.  Then slipping it on her finger.  And then they were standing on this very roof as he slipped the wedding band on her finger.  Then they were kissing and singing and dancing.

Emma shook her head sharply.  It felt like a dream.  It didn’t feel real.

“What is it, Swan?  Did you remember something?”

Emma shook her head again, but refused to meet his eyes.  “No.”

Killian reached out and gently lifted her hand with his hook.  Emma watched as he slipped both rings onto her finger.  She stared down at the rings on her finger, a powerful feeling of love welling up inside of her.  It wasn’t like anything she had ever felt before.  

Killian touched her cheek again, but this time she leaned into his touch.

“I know you feel it, Emma.  Our connection.  Our love.  Our souls are forever entwined.  The love we share is powerful and rare.  It’s true love.  And we fought for a life together.  We fought for our future.  I will never stop fighting for us and I know you won’t either.”

Emma stared at him for a long moment, her eyes scanning his face and finally settling on his lips.  Slowly, almost automatically, she leaned forward.  She cupped his face in her hands and softly brushed her lips across his.

Killian was surprised by the gesture.  He wanted nothing more than to kiss his wife with all of the passion and love he had bottled up inside of him.  But he knew he needed to allow her to take the lead.  

She pulled back, searching his eyes for a long moment, before diving back in and kissing him again.  This time, it was far more than a brush.  Her lips melded to his, her tongue diving in and tangling with his own.  Killian’s hand swept into her hair, as he pulled her closer to him and deeper into the kiss.  

As Emma kissed him, more images filled her mind.  Moments with her parents, Henry, Killian, and her friends.   There were so many with the man before her, the man she was kissing.  But now they didn’t feel like a dream anymore.  They felt real.  They felt as if she had lived them.  And kissing him felt like the most natural thing in the world.

She finally pulled back again, breathless, and smiled, meeting his gaze.  

“Killian,” she whispered.

Killian felt a smile twitch at the corner of his lips, but he remained cautious.  “Emma?  Do you remember?”

Her smile widened, reaching her eyes until they twinkled.  “I remember.  I remember everything.”

A huge smile spread across Killian’s lips and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him.  

“I missed you so much,” he said.

Emma nuzzled his neck, revelling in her husband’s familiar scent and the comfort of his embrace.

“I missed you, too,” she whispered.

Emma pulled back and met his eyes, her hand going to his cheek and her thumb running along his scruff.  

“I love you, Killian,” she said.

Killian felt his heart swell at her words.  “I love you, too, Emma.”

“Thank you,” she said.  “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

“I never will.  You’re my wife now.  Your battles are my battles.  We will find a way to defeat the Black Fairy and then we can truly have that happy beginning.”

Emma nodded, as he pulled her into his arms again.  “Nothing is going to stop us this time.”

Emma placed her head on her husband’s shoulder, as he wrapped his arm around her.  Their eyes moved to the setting sun.  Tomorrow, a new day would come and, with it, the hope that she feared was lost to her forever.

...THE END…