My little bday fic for the lovely skypeopleandswans. Do go and wish her a Happy Birthday!


It was eerily quiet when Emma got home that night. Usually she was greeted by the racket of yet another pirate fight or a hunt through some foreign land but today there was no sound to be heard. The corridor was bathed in darkness, the only glimmer of light coming through the closed living room door.

Curious as to what was going on, she ridded herself of her boots and made her way through the flat, opening the door quietly. The image that presented itself to her immediately warmed her heart. Their living room had been transformed into a huge blanket and pillow fort and there was only little light coming through from under the blankets. She heard whispering voices and giggling and decided to softly knock on the door.

The voices fell silent, replaced by the rustling of sheets and pillows until a bushy head appeared through a slit in the blankets.

"Mommy!" the little girl chirped happily, "Daddy's telling stories, come listen!"

With a smile, Emma walked over and went down on her knees, crawling in after her daughter. Inside the little pillow fort, Killian sat comfortably on a throne of cushions, Liam firmly sat in his lap and Amelia leaning her head against her father's arm, inspecting the pictures in the book in front of her.

"…That's when the pirate realised his hope to win the princess's heart was not lost completely. As they watched her parents fall in love, he could feel her open up a little more, and the princess had to admit to herself that maybe she had always underestimated him," Killian continued his story while Emma found her way to his side, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"It wasn't until later that the princess acknowledged this but when she finally did, it was the beginning of a timeless love story, the likes that had only been recorded a few times."

"That's you and mommy, isn't it?" Amelia interrupted, looking at the picture in Henry's storybook.

Killian chuckled. "Aye, little love," he affirmed before turning to look at Emma beside him, a cheeky smile on his lips.

"Hello, my love," he whispered, leaning in to place a soft kiss to her lips.

She hummed in contentment, closing her eyes and enjoying the soft feel of his lips on hers but the childish chuckle to her right made her break the kiss and she smiled at her daughter, then ruffled her son's hair.

"Henry?" she asked, leaning her head against Killian's shoulder.

"Staying over at Grace's."

She nodded and studied the storybook in little Liam's lap. It showed the picture of her first real kiss with her now husband in front of Granny's, and next to it was their story written down for prosperity. Sometimes Emma still marvelled at the fact that her life was worth being told in a book.

While she contemplated the strangeness of her life, Liam pushed the book away from his lap and crawled over into her lap, curling into her arms, sucking his thumb absentmindedly. His blonde hair stuck up every which way and his green eyes looked up at her sleepily.

"Are you tired, little prince?" she muttered sweetly.

Her son shook his head, yawning and Emma pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, holding him a little closer to her. She was still not entirely sure how this was her life now. A big family, a life as normal as she would never have imagined herself having, a loving husband and three wonderful children, she could wish for nothing more.

"Do you like our palace, mommy?"

"I love it," Emma smiled, watching Amelia crawl onto Killian's lap. He ran a hand through his daughters dark hair and smiled.

"Almost as grand as your parent's castle," he chuckled. "Hm-mm," she disagreed, "much better."

Killian then continued his story, recounting more than reading it from the book and his voice slowly lulled their children to sleep, Liam in Emma's arms, Amelia in Killian's lap with the book still on the same page as before.

Soon the only thing to be heard was the soft breathing of the Jones family, Emma and Killian both watching the rise and fall of their offsprings chests as they dreamt of pirates and princesses battling monsters, sailing the seas and falling in love.

"It's a nice little story," he whispered into the quiet.

"The best of them all."

"I love you, Swan."

Emma smiled, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. "Love you, too, pirate."