Author's Notes 1:

A couple of headcanons of mine that are useful before reading this fic and that aren't exactly canon compliant:

* Despite loving her parents, the real Wish Emma (aka Emma Nolan) was a rebel princess who defied social expectations. She was taken to a faraway land when the Evil Queen sent the real Emma Swan to the Wish Realm, so that the real Emma could take Wish Emma's place.
* Regina still killed Wish Snow and Wish Charming, and Wish Emma settles in Storybrooke in order to avenge her parents' death and get her revenge on Regina.
* Wish Emma also had a cursed identity in Hyperion Heights
* Wish Henry doesn't exist

Author's Notes 2: This story features Wish Hook, Wish Emma and Alice! If this isn't your thing, you may want to skip it.

~.~

It's a quarter past eight when Rogers walks into Granny's diner, already daydreaming about the delicious french toast only the old Widow Lucas knows how to prepare to his liking. If he's honest with himself, though, there is one other reason that brings him to the diner this early in the morning: the redhead currently sitting in one of the booths, holding a cup of hot cocoa in her hands and looking as stunning as ever. An instant smile spreads across his face when he sees her, and his hand wanders to his pocket. Great, he didn't forget it.

The woman's eyes find him and she greets him with her always radiant smile, encouraging him to reach for a cinnamon sprinkler before making his way to her.

"There you go," he offers her the sprinkler with a somewhat devilish grin on his lips. After they'd met some months ago, they had quickly become close friends, and he'd learnt quite fast that Emma Nolan absolutely hates cinnamon.

"Haha," Emma replies with a twinkle in her eye that makes his heart flutter. She's so beautiful that sometimes he thinks he's going to pass out from staring at her. He's brought out of his daze by the screech that escapes her lips when he drops a package of four Oreo cookies on the table.

"Uh, you're the best!" he laughs as she eagerly opens the package and crumbles a cookie into her hot cocoa.

"Between you and Alice, I don't know who eats more junk."

"Hey, don't judge me. You know I love hot cocoa with Oreos."

"Is there anything else that you love that I should know about, Princess?" he asks as he takes off his black coat and sits opposite her, eager to know just a little bit more about this fascinating woman.

Emma shoots him a curious glance, but he swears he can see a hint of a smile as she takes a bite of her waffle.

"I like orchids, the smell of gas... birds, dogs... fries, chocolate pretzels... sex..." Rogers widens his eyes at her nonchalance, and it's only when Emma starts chuckling that he stops looking like a deer caught in the lights. "But do you know what I really, really love?"

"What?"

"Being referred to as Emma Nolan instead of 'Sheriff-with-a-dye-job'".

"Ah, you're still getting that nonsense."

"Only like all the time..." she says with an eyeroll. "I swear I'll slap the shit out of the next person who stops me on the street to ask me how little Hope is doing."

"I can relate," he offers, letting her know that her affliction is one he knows all too well. "At first I thought of dying my hair, but alas..." he raises a mocking brow at her, enjoying this playfulness that has become a habit between them.

"Very funny," Emma throws a piece of her waffle at him and they're interrupted by Granny bringing Rogers his coffee and french toast. He's thanking the old woman when Emma Swan and the other version of him walk into the diner, their baby safely tucked in Emma's arms. It's a situation that's happened many times before, but Rogers always finds himself not knowing exactly what to say or do in these instances.

Emma and Killian notice the two of them from afar, and it doesn't surprise him when he sees the town's power couple waving at them before making their own way to a booth.

"This is so fucking weird," Emma whispers from across him, casting her eyes down to her plate. Rogers chuckles at her cursing tendencies - she has a very potty mouth, that one - "What? I told you that princesses do swear."

"Clearly, they do," he says, thinking about how much he loves that particular trait of her, but he doesn't have the guts to admit it to her.

They fall in a comfortable silence as Rogers finds himself studying little Hope Swan-Jones from afar. It's remarkable how the child appears to be a perfect blend of her parents: sandy blonde hair that resembles her mother's and bright blue eyes like her father's... And like his. The absurdity of the situation gets to him and he can't help but let his mind wander.

"If we ever..." he says out loud before taking a sip of his coffee.

"What?" Emma wrinkles her nose and waits for him to actually form a coherent sentence. Roger meets her gaze then, and he begins to stutter under her confused stare.

"If we were to... you know... have a child together... Do you think it would look like her?" he tilts his head in Hope's direction, wishing that Emma doesn't take offense to his question.

"I don't know..." Emma turns to look at Hope without an ounce of subtlety, before a smirk dances briefly across her lips. "We could always find out."

Rogers practically chokes on his coffee, a flush creeping up his neck all the way to his ears until he looks as red as the stewards' aprons.

"Relax, I'm joking," Emma says with what seems to him a hint of hurt in her voice, but he doesn't have time to question her about it. "Speaking of children, how is Alice? I hope she's calmer than yesterday."

"Aye, she's fine. It's just the usual wedding anxiety, "he offers her a gentle smile, but then his face grows more serious and he starts tapping his fingers against his coffee mug. "It's funny you mention Alice, because she's part of the reason why I'm here."

"What's wrong?" the sudden worry in Emma's voice does things to his heart. For some reason, Emma had developed a protective instinct over Alice ever since they'd met. There wouldn't be a day she wouldn't ask about his daughter, and there was even once that Alice had gotten food poisoned, prompting Emma to go out of her way - and comfort zone - to bring her some chicken soup with ginger, hoping it would soothe Alice's upset stomach.

"Alice wants you to be her wedding godmother."

Emma drops her fork on the table, her mouth gaping open as she's hit with an overwhelming wave of emotions. Her hands start shaking and she fails to calm herself down.

"I... No, I can't," she finally says, managing the put her fork back on her plate and not daring to look at Rogers.

"You can't? Why not?" It's only when she gives him a knowing look that he puts two and two together. "Because Regina will be there."

"Forgive me if I don't want to go to a wedding where the woman who murdered my parents will be in attendance."

Rogers' heart goes out to her, wanting nothing more than to comfort her and ease her pain, but there's also a part of him that wishes she would set her revenge aside, for Alice. "You know she has to be there, she's the Queen."

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me," Emma's voice is sharper now and she gulps down the last drops of her hot cocoa before reaching for her dark purple leather jacket.

"Are you really going to do this to Alice?" he asks, the knot of bitterness in his words making Emma flinch.

"You know why I'm here, Hook."

"So that's it? You're just here to avenge your parents' death, nothing else?"

Emma glances away from him. Of course that's not the only reason why she's here. Didn't he know? But her revenge was important too. How dare he not understand that of all people?

"I'm on a mission here," she taps one finger forcefully on the table. "I won't let anything detract me from my goal."

"Oh, so now we're a distraction?"

"That's not what I meant," she's almost yelling now, barely containing her frustration. "I just want some fucking justice, okay?"

"Then why are you sitting here with me? Why aren't you plotting Regina's death? Why do you come to me when you want to go for a walk or when you 'feel like it'? Why is it that every Tuesday, you and Alice go for ice cream and then ride the bumper cars until you're crying of laughter? Why have you been in this town for well over a year without doing anything to Regina? Is revenge what you're truly after? Because it bloody doesn't look like it, Emma!"

He has to catch his breath, still not believing the words had actually left his mouth. He'd snapped at her and it wasn't his brightest moment, but she had left him no choice. Emma was so scared that she was so important to Alice - and to him - that she couldn't even see that her revenge was but an excuse to embrace her feelings. An excuse for her to keep running away from them.

"You and I... We're more alike than you think," he says more softly this time, letting his hand rest over hers. "We understand each other. You know revenge isn't the answer, Emma. I think you're afraid of being part of something."

There are tears brimming her eyes and a pang of guilt washes over him.

"Look... She's better off without me, okay?" Emma says, pulling his hand away from hers and getting up from her seat. "You both are."

Rogers barely registers her leaving the diner, a mix of anger and disappointment bubbling up inside him. He thought she was different, he thought she was special. He thought she cared for Alice as much as Alice cared for her. How could she do this to her? To them?

Listening more to his heart than to reason, he stormed out of the diner, running after her.

"You know what? They're wrong," he shouts at her, making her stop in her tracks and turning around to face him. "You're nothing like the Emma Swan I know."

"You're right. I'm not."

"I'm sorry, Starfish. I tried to talk to her, but..." Rogers' words die on his lips as he lowers his head. He hasn't seen Emma since their fight at Granny's, and although he can't hide his disappointment, he tells himself that he won't think of Emma Nolan for the next couple of hours. He's just minutes away from walking his daughter down the aisle, and he will not let his sadness taint her big moment.

"Don't be, Papa," Alice comforts with a hand on his shoulder. "I wish Emma was here, but there's nothing we can do to change that. And besides... you'll be the prettiest godmother in all the realms!"

They laugh together, until something catches in his throat as he casts a proud, loving stare at his daughter in her wedding dress. His jaw clenches just slightly as he tries to fight the tears that threaten to fall. He can't believe his little girl is getting married.

"Are you ready?" Rogers shakes his head, bringing himself out of his daze. "It's almost time."

"Yes, I just have to..." Alice turns to look at the mirror in front of her, hairbrush in her hand as she tries to put some flyaway hair in its place. "I really wish these stinkers wouldn't have a life of their own."

"You have to be more stubborn than them," a voice sounds from the small room's door and a wide grin settles on Alice's face when she spots Emma's figure through the mirror.

"Emma! You came."

Rogers could feel the frantic beat of his heart as he blinks to make sure that Emma is truly there with them. He can't help but let his eyes wander over Emma, the way her emerald green dress hugs her curves in the most delicious of manners stirring something within him he'd thought to be long lost. He finds himself chuckling when he sees his daughter running to Emma and pulling her in for a hug. He wishes to join them, but he opts to give them this moment together. Emma had done it. She'd put Alice before her revenge, and that thought alone does nothing to ease the butterflies in his belly.

"You look beautiful," Emma gushes as her hands enclose around Alice's. "Robin's going to faint when she sees you."

"I hope not. I'd like to get married now that I've gone to all this trouble."

"Here, let me take care of that," Emma grabs Alice's hairbrush and turns her around until they're both looking at the mirror. "As a former Princess who attended way too many royal balls, I know all about taming stubborn hair. Trust me."

There's something about the scene he's witnessing that makes Rogers smile from ear to ear. At first he doesn't understand why there's a warm shiver running down his spine, but when he sees Alice looking at Emma with utter adoration, it finally hits him: this is everything he has always wanted for his daughter - a mother. Someone who would do anything for her, someone who would put her first no matter what.

When Emma is finally done, Alice grins at her own reflection on the mirror, happy with the final result.

"I'm... going to see if... it's raining outside," Alice says with a not so innocent look on her face, maiking both Rogers and Emma blush slightly. It's blatantly obvious she's only coming up with an excuse to leave her father and Emma alone. "You know what they say about rainy weddings..."

They share a timid smile once Alice leaves, silence settling between them until Rogers gathers the courage to speak.

"I thought you didn't care about anything other than your revenge," he says, and all he gets in response is that beautiful smile he was falling in love with.

"Maybe I just needed reminding that I could."