I remember I thought you looked like an angel

Wrapped in pink soft and warm

You've had me wrapped around your finger

Since the day you were born

-My Little Girl, Tim McGraw

When Killian Jones was sitting in the waiting room of Storybrooke Memorial Hospital awaiting the arrival of his niece, he never dreamed he would be the one raising her. Four years later, he was watching her color at the kitchen table as he brought her a bowl of Fruit Loops. As he placed the bowl in front of her, brushed a curl from in front of her eye, and sat down in the chair beside her, he thought of the day when his sister-in-law Elsa told him that she and Liam wanted him to be Anna Elizabeth's godfather.

Anna Elizabeth was 3 weeks old as she lay sleeping in her mother's arms. Killian was in the kitchen making the tired new mom some coffee, and his brother Liam was outside helping their sister Belle pack her car to go back to New York City. As Killian walked back into the living room and sat the coffee mug on the table, he said, "Let me take her while you drink your coffee."

As much as Elsa adored her baby girl, she welcomed a small break as she carefully handed Anna Elizabeth to her brother-in-law. The small pink bundle squirmed for only a moment and then fell back asleep as Killian adjusted her in his arms. Elsa grabbed the mug from the table and took a long sip as she watched Killian with her daughter. She couldn't help but see the look of adoration on his face as he watched her sleep – Anna Elizabeth already had her uncle wrapped around her little finger. Killian heard Elsa shift in her chair; as he looked up, he could see that she had something on her mind.

"Something you want to talk about, love?" he asked.

Elsa set her gaze on Anna Elizabeth, and then back to Killian, "Yes, actually."

Killian nodded for her to continue.

"Liam and I have been talking, and there's something rather important we wanted to ask you," Elsa said, as she nervously fingered her blonde braid. Killian rarely saw Elsa nervous – he knew whatever she had to ask him was serious.

Killian sat up straighter, careful not to the wake the baby, and simply replied, "Yes?"

There was silence for a moment, then Elsa looked over at Killian, caught his gaze, and spat out, "Will you be Anna Elizabeth's godfather?"

Killian pondered the question for a minute. Her godfather? Killian adored his niece - he would do anything for her, as well as her parents, but the question caught him off guard. Why were his brother and sister-in-law thinking about this now? Well, there was only one-way to find out:

"You and my brother want me to be Anna Elizabeth's godfather? What made you think of this now after she's just been born?"

"A lot went into this decision, Killian," Elsa began, "you, Liam, and Belle lost your parents just as Anna and I did. While Anna and I were old enough to take care of ourselves, you all were still children – and I know how hard it was. Liam was barely 16 when he became whom you and Belle relied on. You all had to grow up too fast. Liam and I didn't want our baby girl to face that same fate in case anything should happen to us, and we knew you would make the best choice. My sister Anna and her husband Kristoff live overseas, and Belle lives in New York City where her career is her focus. Liam and I, as well as yourself, have put down roots here. We have dear friends who are more like family, and we couldn't think of a better place for our daughter to grow up, and a better person to raise her if the worst does happen."

Elsa took a breath as she finished speaking and looked at Killian expectantly. He couldn't deny the truth in his sister-in-law's words.

As Killian was thinking over Elsa's words, Liam came through the front door, and said, "Well, she's off. Back to the Big Apple."

He paused at the entryway between the kitchen and living room, took in his brother's face, and sighed, "You told him."

Elsa looked at Liam and simply nodded before adding, "He still hasn't answered."

As Liam walked over to sit beside Elsa, he placed an arm around her, and asked Killian, "Well, what do you say, little brother?"

Killian had to stop himself from rolling his eyes at what his older brother still insisted on calling him as he glanced back and forth between Liam and Elsa before looking down at the sleeping child in his arms. Anna Elizabeth was waking up, and opened and looked up at him with those same blue eyes that all three Jones children had inherited from their mother, and his decision was made.

"Well, Liam," Killian began, as he walked over and placed Anna Elizabeth in her father's arms, "your younger brother would be honored to be this little lass's godfather, even though I know that nothing is going to happen to either one of you," he said as he smiled at his brother and sister-in-law.

And with that, Killian turned to grab his keys and his phone and headed toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Liam called over his shoulder.

"I have someone to meet."

Killian immediately wished he used a different set of words as he sighed and looked at the floor; his brother wouldn't hesitate to tease him. He instead however, heard the light singsong voice of Elsa saying, "Oh really?" feigning innocence. It seemed that Liam had managed to bring his wife in on his teasing as well. Killian rolled his eyes at the laughter coming from the living room and made his way out the door.

A tug at his sleeve brought Killian back to reality.

He turned his head to look at the mop of blonde curls staring at him with Liam's eyes. He couldn't believe it had been six months since he rushed to the emergency room only to have the doctor tell him that his brother and sister-in-law were gone. It was a small miracle that Anna Elizabeth begged to stay with him that night instead of going with her parents. He didn't even want to think about what could have happened. He pushed those thoughts out of his mind, and focused on the little girl in front of him.

"Yes, love?" Anna Elizabeth held up the picture she had been coloring. Killian looked and noticed how his niece attempted to stay within the lines as she colored in the green on Tinker Bell's dress – Killian had lost track of how many times he had watched Disney's Peter Pan with his niece. She just loved the tale involving a flying boy, pixie dust, the Lost Boys, and a one-handed pirate.

"I think Tinker Bell looks rather stunning. Why don't we hang her on the refrigerator?" Killian told Anna Elizabeth as a smile made its way on her face. As he stood up and reached out to lift and carry Anna Elizabeth over to the refrigerator so she would be able to reach it in order to hang her picture, she lightly pushed him away.

"I can do it!" she said with a determination in her voice that reminded him of his brother.

Before Killian could do or say anything, Anna Elizabeth was trying to drag her chair in front of the refrigerator. Killian couldn't help but smile at the sight. Anna Elizabeth may have been the spitting image of Elsa aside from her eyes and the curl in her hair, but in every other way, she was without a doubt her father's daughter. Liam definitely passed down his stubbornness to his only child.

Despite Anna Elizabeth's protests, Killian moved the chair in front of the refrigerator and watched as his niece climbed on the chair to hang her picture, all the time making sure she didn't fall. As much as her stubbornness made the four-year-old a handful at times, Killian honestly wouldn't have her any other way.

As Anna Elizabeth climbed down from the chair, she turned to Killian and asked, "Are we going to the park today?"

Killian squatted down in order to be at her eye level and replied, "Only if you finish your cereal", and then ruffled her hair.

Killian then turned and carried the chair back over to the table. Anna Elizabeth quickly hopped back up in the chair and began scarfing down her cereal.

"Hey, slow down, Anna Elizabeth. The park isn't going anywhere," Killian told the obviously anxious little girl.

With her mouth still full, Anna Elizabeth said, "I have to play with Evie today!"

"And you will. I'm sure she wants to play with you too, love. And I can also tell you that David is making her eat her cereal too," Killian resolved to Anna Elizabeth, and she seemed to understand as she slowed down her eating.

Killian could imagine that David was having the same conversation with Evie. David was one of Killian's closest friends, as well as Liam and Elsa's. Elsa introduced both Liam and Killian to David and his fiancé Mary Margaret shortly after she and Liam started dating. Now David and Mary Margret had been married ten years, and they had two kids –a rambunctious eight-year-old son, Jamie and an imaginative five-year-old daughter, Evie.

Killian had always admired how good of a father David was, as well as Liam, and he wasn't sure he measured up. Killian wouldn't trade raising Anna Elizabeth for anything in the world, but the role of fatherhood hit him unexpectedly. He couldn't begin to describe how many times he questioned himself in the last six months – it made him miss his brother even more, but he was doing all could to be the best for his niece. She was all that mattered.

Killian was shaken out of his thoughts when Anna Elizabeth, in an outfit that didn't quite match, came bounding back into the kitchen and began pulling Killian toward the front door.

"Come on, Uncle Killian! Let's go!"

As soon as Killian and Anna Elizabeth were out the door, she asked, "Uncle Killian, will you give me a piggyback ride like Daddy used to?" with every bit of childlike innocence shining in those blue eyes. Killian only smiled at the little girl before scooping her up in his arms and then placing her on his back.

As Killian and Anna Elizabeth made their way to the park, he thought of some advice that David had given him, "You've been her godfather since she was a month old – what she needs now is a father. You won't ever really replace Liam, but you can still be a good father just the same. Love her and be there for her: that's all any parent can do, and it will be enough."