Since the curse had broken, no place quite had that feel to it as much as the houseboat with the three of them sharing stories of impossible things and partaking of marmalade sandwiches. Robin missed the Enchanted Forest and the farmhouse she had shared with her mother, but there was something special about here and now.

And, here and now was filled with Christmas with her true love and the man she had grown to see as a father figure of sorts, who so readily had accepted her as part of his family. Who had battled alongside her aunt and mother, who had sacrificed so much of his happiness for the sake of Alice, Henry, everyone.

“Robin?” She shook herself from her daydream and glanced up to Killian. “You alright, love?”

“Of course. Just thinking,” she said, then looked to Alice who was busy giving the potatoes hell. “I found something the other day and, I know presents are a tomorrow morning thing, but I want to give you both a gift now.”

Killian opened his mouth to protest, but was beat to the punch by an enthusiastic, “I love presents!”

Robin chuckled, rising from her seat to give Alice a kiss, Killian looking briefly at the boiling pots to give them some privacy. She then reached into her satchel and pulled out two small, carefully wrapped packages and handed one to each of them.

“I know it’s… I mean… well, here,” she stammered.

Alice and Killian held the matching gifts, both moving to stand in front of Robin. They reminded her so much of each other. Their eyes, their ears, their mannerisms. Even now, they both leaned forward to kiss her on each cheek, Alice going a step further and pulling her into a hug.

“You haven’t even seen what it is yet,” she said with a watery giggle.

“Whatever it is, thank you,” said Killian.

Then, together, father and daughter tore into the paper and opened their respective boxes, revealing matching white elephant figurines. “In case you ever needed to find each other again. I… I bought myself one, too. So you could also find me.”

This time it was Killian that pulled her into a hug, allowing her to rest her head for a moment on his shoulder as he kissed her blond hair. “Thank you. So much.”

Before she knew what was happening, she felt Alice tear her into her own arms, almost crushing her in her renewed embrace. “I love you,” her light voice rang, sending a thrill up Robin’s spine.

“I love you, too,” she whispered back.

Killian watched his girls, feeling a warmth that came from so much more than the boiling pots nearby. The TV nearby hummed, and he heard George Bailey’s voice break through the blissful white noise around him.

“What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey. That's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon, Mary.”

He took in the words as the girls pulled away from each other, their faces glowing with unbridled affection. These girls had brought him so much hope and happiness after so much suffering and sacrifice. If either of them asked, he’d give them the moon.

An unknown female voice brings him back to reality. He turns his head curiously in search of the source of the sound. A woman, a beautiful woman, in fact, is standing by his side, a soft smile on her face and an enigmatic spark in her green eyes. The woman tilts her head slightly, pointing to the table where her daughter and Robin sat. "The blonde girl with blue eyes?"

Both girls are blondes with blue eyes, but, considering the woman's angle, she can only observe Alice's face. Not that there’s really a difference. From the moment when Robin and Alice fell in love, he felt that not only had he not lost a daughter but had won another one along the way. The woman doesn't need to know that, though, so he nods in response, unable to suppress the pride in his voice. "Aye, that she is."

Maybe he should feel uncomfortable with a woman who watches her daughter without restraint while her smile grows wider. Instead, he throws sidelong glances at her, studying her profile. She has her reddish hair pulled back in a long braid that falls over her right shoulder. Her clothes are plain, but he can detect a glimpse of regal elegance in her demeanor. She may be able to deceive other people by pretending to be someone she is not, but not him. There is something more hidden under those peasant clothes and he suddenly finds himself wanting to find out the mystery.

The woman turns her head back, her gaze now looking for his. "She's beautiful, and she seems happy." There's a melodious cadence in her voice, which together with the growing sparkle in her eyes, manages to distract him. "She looks like you."

A sudden heat creeps up to his cheeks, making him blush at the veiled compliment. She is flirting with him, he can say, even though he has lost practice in this regard. But the look she gives him from under her long lashes and the way she licks her lips don't go unnoticed by this old pirate.

He had forgotten how it felt to be the recipient of such compliments but he masks those feelings by bringing up his old friend, the sassy pirate who has always been hidden among layers of revenge, frustration, and suffering.

"I'll take that as a compliment, love." He arches an eyebrow seductively. While speaking, he takes a step forward and offers his hand to the unknown woman. "Killian Jones, at your service." She tilts her head slightly, her smile doesn't disappear from her lips, a shadow of interest causes the brightness of her gaze to increase. She extends her hand and he takes it, bringing it to his lips and pressing a soft kiss on her knuckles, his gaze never leaving hers.

"I know who you are. It's a pleasure to meet you finally, Killian." He holds her hand for a few more seconds, studying her face, confused by her words. He feels a tug on his stomach, a small flutter so subtle that in other circumstances it would have gone unnoticed. But he has spent hundreds of years thinking that he would never feel anything like that again, so it's a little shock to notice how that spark ignites inside and threatens to spread throughout his body if this unknown woman doesn't stop looking at him with those mysterious green eyes so penetrating.

She finally withdraws her hand and, before he can react, she is already leaving. He wants to stop her, a need to see that smile once again takes hold of him, but instead, he remains paralyzed, not knowing how to react. "I'm Anna, by the way." The last thing he sees, before she turns to the door, is a brilliant flash of white teeth and curved lips.

He is still confused when he arrives at the table holding the drinks, feeling a slight dizziness that prevents him from realizing at first that Alice and Robin are no longer looking at each other but at him. It’s not until he sits down that he manages to get out of his reverie and finds himself with two pairs of blue eyes looking at him with a funny expression.

"What?" "Nothing." The two lasses respond in unison maybe too fast. They throw sidelong glances at each other as they press their lips together as if they want to suppress a smile. He doesn't care that his girls have fun with him, though. He would do anything to make sure that Alice's smile lingers on her lips. "I know your nothing, so, do you care to enlighten your old father about what's so funny?" "You're grinning." It's Robin who speaks first. "I do grin quite frequently, thank you very much." He furrows his brow, pretending to feel a little offended by that statement. "And you seemed a little... stunned?" Now it is Alice who continues. "Yep, awestruck, I would say." Both look at each other before starting giggling at his expense.

"But you did it fine, Papa. I must say I'm impressed, I had never witnessed your flirting skills before." Alice extends her arm from the other side of the table, giving his hand a light squeeze.

It's true. His life in recent years has been a continuous sprint, raising his daughter trapped in a tower while trying unsuccessfully to save her. Later, running desperate trying to find a cure for his poisoned heart. Then working with the resistance, and helping Henry and his family. Then cursed and finally trying to adapt to this new life... He hasn't had time, nor desire to flirt. He feels his cheeks flush again at the thought, as he begins to scratch behind his ear. "I ... I wasn't flirting." He doesn't even know why he denies it. He shouldn't feel uncomfortable talking about these things with his daughter. There are no secrets between them. But this is something so new that he is not sure how to handle it.

"Of course you were." Their voices sound in unison, while both roll their eyes at the same time. He cannot decide if he finds this rapport between them adorable or a little irritating. Irritatingly adorable. That is. "But since you seem a bit out of practice, maybe we could give you a little push." Alice offers through a naughty smile.

"Yes, because it just so happens that we know that woman, or rather her story. So, do you want us to tell you a tale, Killian?"

They have managed to catch his interest. There is something in that woman, a halo of mystery surrounding her that has activated something in him. So of course, he is more than willing to listen to her story. He leans back in his seat, his hook resting on the table while waving his hand towards them. "Okay, I'm all ears."

Alice nods subtly as she glances at Robin before she starts talking. "She is not who she says she is, although I suppose that, given how perceptive you are, you have already realized it. She is bored with her life devoid of emotion, so from time to time, she hides under those peasant clothes and visits taverns, the docks, even she has also been seen walking alone through the woods."

"It's not clear what she is looking for." Robin continues. "Some say she's looking for new experiences, for adventures, others say she's looking for her soulmate."

"Indeed," Alice adds. "Her parents have already given up after she has rejected her countless suitors. She seems tough and demanding, but we believe that deep down, she is a romantic person, who just wants to find her true love."

They pause for a moment while exchanging glances that would melt the heart of the most imperturbable person. It's Robin who continues with the story, looking for his gaze now, as if the following words were addressed to him. "There's another version of this woman. She's from ... another place. This other woman had a much harder life than your mysterious lass. She grew up alone, with no family, but eventually, she did find her family. She also found her true love in a somewhat unexpected way. Everything seemed to be against them, but they fought for their love and they won. This woman thinks that if her other version has managed to experience true love, maybe there is someone there waiting for her. That's why she keeps seeking."

"She is a princess, like her other version." For some reason, before Alice continues, he begins to notice a buzz of recognition in his mind. His heart beats hard against his rib cage, and his stomach clenches in knots, with the anticipation of what comes next. "She is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming."

The realization of what all that means falls over him leaving him speechless, a slight dizziness appears again until almost leaving him dazed, but not enough to hear the last sentence of his daughter. She offers him a reassuring smile, while she squeezes his hand again. "Maybe it's fate. Maybe any version of Captain Killian Jones is destined to find his soulmate in the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming."

"And maybe Anna, the princess you just met, has already finished her search." Now it’s Robin who gives him an encouraging smile.

Despite his initial shock, that little flame that had ignited before has become a suffocating fire inside. He was no longer open to love, he had convinced himself that love was not in his cards, that he was perfectly happy now that he had his daughter by his side, a few faithful friends, a family. But suddenly, the idea of experiencing something similar to what his other version has experienced is too tempting. He almost feels the need to go after that woman and find out for himself if all this is true. But something tells him that it's not necessary to hurry. She has found him and he is sure that she will find him again.

Maybe it's a matter of fate after all.