Emma stretched as she rose from her bed the next morning. She could hear the theme song for Phineas and Ferb, so she knew Henry was watching television.
She smiled at the reminder that she was back home where she belonged until she spotted a single rose on the nightstand next to her bed.
"How the hell…" she breathed as she picked it up and noticed the note underneath it.
Em-
I'm still the man you remember.
I love you.
-K
She didn't want to admit it, but she felt herself melt a little in response. He'd been the only one she'd allowed to call her 'Em.'
She put the flower down and went into the living room.
"Hey Kid. Where is everyone?" she asked looking around. Brooklyn usually chatted incessantly until someone told her to stop. It was oddly quiet.
"Grandma and Grandpa took Brooklyn and Austin with them to get breakfast. They said you deserved a chance to sleep in," Henry explained as he kept his attention on the television.
"Did your siblings get you hooked on that show?" Emma smirked.
"It's funny," Henry smiled. "Besides I wanted to talk to you."
"Everything okay?" she asked as she sat down next to him.
"Who was that guy last night?"
"Right. I was wondering when you were going to ask me about him," Emma nodded. "Henry, that was Captain Hook."
"How did he get here?" Henry asked as he pulled out his book and flipped to the appropriate story.
"The Jolly Roger and some fairy dust," Emma told him. "He's how we got home."
"He's going after Mr. Gold, isn't he?" Henry realized.
"He probably will," Emma nodded.
"How come he has the same eyes as Austin?" Henry asked, "Are we related to him?"
"I was in Boston a little over five years ago when I met a man named Ian Jones. I fell in love with him. One night we went to sleep and when I woke up the next morning he was gone. I didn't see him again until that lady I told you about last night, Aurora, found a survivor in a camp back in the Enchanted Forest. Ian is Captain Hook. He's also Brooklyn and Austin's father."
"That's so cool," Henry's eyes went wide in surprise.
"That's one word for it," Emma chuckled. "Secret is another. Your brother and sister don't know about him. Since I'm not sure what he's going to do after he has his revenge on Gold, I'd like to keep it that way."
"Okay. I wish I had a pirate for a father," Henry frowned.
"You've got a prince for a grandfather," Emma reminded him.
"Yeah," he continued to frown, "But I don't even know my father."
"I know," Emma leaned back against the couch. "I am sorry for that. He died a long time ago."
"Do you have any pictures of him?"
"I'll take a look through my things. I might," Emma nodded. "Henry, did you hear anything on the fire escape last night or early this morning?"
"No," he shook his head, "Just Austin this morning when he woke up and went to watch the sunrise."
"Right," Emma nodded.
"Why?"
"I thought I heard scratching sometime during the night."
"It was probably a cat or something."
"Maybe," Emma nodded as she thought back to the words Killian wrote.
"Hello, we have take-out," Mary Margaret announced as she, David, Brooklyn, and Austin came through the door.
"Mommy!" Austin ran straight for her followed by his sister.
"Good morning, Sweethearts," Emma hugged them both, "Did you have fun with Grandma and Grandpa this morning?"
"Yep, Grammy did my hair," Brooklyn stated proudly.
"And she did a beautiful job," Emma smiled. "What did Granny feed you?"
"Waffles!" Austin smiled.
"Yum," Emma stated, "Did you bring me any?"
"Uh-huh," Austin nodded. "Bacon and fruit, too."
"You know me so well," Emma ruffled his hair.
"Henry, breakfast for you, too," Brooklyn climbed on her brother's lap.
"Thanks, Brookie," he hugged her before he went to the table where Mary Margaret was setting out his plate.
"How'd you sleep?" David asked as Emma sat at the table with Austin on her knee.
"Good," Emma nodded. "I'd almost forgotten what having a mattress felt like."
"Did you go camping, Mommy?" Austin looked at her with his eyes wide as usual.
"Something like that, Sweetheart," Emma nodded. "I also climbed a tree to watch the sun rise."
"He's quite the early riser, isn't he?" David nodded. "Tough to get used to."
"Did you wake Grandpa every morning?" Emma snickered in response.
"He locked the window," Austin frowned.
"That wasn't very nice of him, was it?" Emma chuckled.
Austin shook his head.
"He doesn't sing good, Mommy," Brooklyn added her two cents. "And he didn't know the words."
"Did you teach him, Peanut?" Emma inquired as both she and her mother bit their lips to keep from laughing.
"Henry gave him your music box. That taught him the words," Brooklyn smiled at her big brother.
"That was good thinking, Henry," Emma replied.
"Thanks," Henry said over a mouthful of waffles.
"Not with your mouth full," Emma and Mary Margaret said at the same time.
"That's spooky," David looked between his wife and daughter.
"Mother," Emma raised her hand.
"Me, too," Mary Margaret reminded them. "Also a teacher."
"So, what are we going to do today?" David asked to change the subject, "Something special hopefully to mark your return home."
"Actually Granny stopped me before we left the diner," Mary Margaret said. "She said something about a welcome home party. She and Ruby are going to plan it. They'll let us know when and where."
"That will take a little while," Emma stated, "What would you guys like to do today?"
"Well, after checking the date, I realized that Halloween's in a less than a week," Mary Margaret said. "So, maybe we should find you guys some costumes."
"Yay!" Brooklyn cheered.
"Why don't I take them shopping and let you two have some time alone?" Emma suggested to her parents.
"That's not-" Mary Margaret started.
"A bad idea," David finished. "Thanks, Emma."
"Sure," Emma nodded. "Henry and I just have to get dressed."
Once their daughter and oldest grandson had vacated the room and their younger grandchildren were occupied by the television, Mary Margaret turned to her husband with her hands on her hips. "What was that about?"
"Our daughter is right," David smiled. "We haven't had a lot of time to ourselves since the curse broke. I think it might be nice if we did."
"And what will we be doing with this time, Charming?" Mary Margaret smiled.
"Something that we haven't done in nearly three decades, at least not together," he smirked.
Mary Margaret blushed a bit as she turned to finish cleaning up the breakfast dishes.
-d-d-d-d-
"So, do you guys like your costumes?" Emma asked as she walked down the street with Henry, Austin, and Brooklyn.
"Grammy's gonna be so surprised when she sees me," Brooklyn giggled happily.
"I bet she will be," Emma smiled.
"Hi, Emma," said the voice she'd know anywhere as they turned a corner.
"Hello," she nodded as she tightened her grip on Brooklyn's hand just a touch.
Killian smiled at her and then looked to her children. Her oldest boy was looking at him curiously while holding the hand of a boy with eyes identical to his.
"Who are you?" Brooklyn spoke up.
"Brookie, this is Killian Jones," Emma said after a moment's pause. "He just moved to town."
"Hi," Brooklyn smiled. "My last name is Jones, too."
"Is it?" Killian said after his eyes bounced off of Emma's for a moment.
"Uh-huh, but Mommy says Jones is common."
"I said it's a common name, Honey," Emma corrected with a small laugh.
"There's nothing common about you, Miss Brooklyn," Killian smiled at his daughter.
"Thank you," Brooklyn smiled at him shyly.
"We should get going. I have to stop at the grocery store and pick up some things for dinner," Emma excused them.
"A moment, please, Emma?" Killian stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm.
Emma debated before she looked at Henry, "Can you take your brother and sister into the store? I'll be right there. Keep them out of the sugar aisles."
"Okay, Mom," Henry nodded.
Emma waited until they were alone before she looked at Killian, "What is it?"
"We need to talk about what happens next."
"You take your revenge, get on your ship and sail back to wherever you came from," Emma said. "Now we've talked. Bye."
"Were you listening to me last night?" Killian asked. "My plan was to find you again after I was done with Rumple-Gold-whatever his name is. The fact that I found you before doesn't change that my plan was to get back to you. Emma, we could have a good life again. We were happy together."
"I can't," she shook her head. "I can't put the children in harm's way."
"I would never hurt them."
"I don't mean you," Emma very deliberately looked down the street before she started to walk around him.
"You gave them my name?"
"They are your children," she said quietly before she left him standing on the sidewalk.
=f=f=f=f=f=
"Okay, there you go, Brookie," Emma finished tying the red ribbon in her daughter's hair as they prepared to go trick or treating on Halloween. "Perfect. Mary Margaret, do you have the camera?"
"And who are you supposed to be, Brookie?" Mary Margaret inquired having not yet watched the fictionalized animated movie supposedly based on her life as she handed Emma the camera.
"I'm you, Grammy," Brooklyn proclaimed.
"Excuse me?" Mary Margaret stared at her granddaughter in bewilderment.
Emma fought a giggle.
"I'm Snow White," Brooklyn twirled around to give her grandmother the full effect of her costume.
Mary Margaret looked at her daughter in confusion, "What is she talking about?"
Emma went to the DVD cabinet to pull out the disc that Brooklyn had almost worn out to show her mother. "This is who she thinks you are."
Mary Margaret stared at the cartoon version of herself, "You're kidding."
"At least she's pretty," Emma bit back a laugh.
"This is…I have no words," Mary Margaret shook her head. It looked nothing like her.
"It could be worse," Emma added, "Regina is truly hideous when she turns into the evil queen."
"She's ugly," Brooklyn frowned. "She has warts."
Emma snorted.
"So this Snow White," Mary Margaret tapped the case against her hand, "Is she at least a skilled archer like me?"
"She's actually kind of helpless," Emma replied, "All she can really do is clean the home of the dwarves."
"Clean the home of the dwarves," Mary Margaret nodded.
"Animals love her," Emma added.
"At least they got one thing right," Mary Margaret rolled her eyes as she went to her trunk and pulled out her bow and quiver of arrows.
"Taking a turn as the prince of thieves?" Emma raised a brow at her mother.
"If Brookie is going as me, we're going to do it right," Mary Margaret stated as she helped Brooklyn with the quiver.
"Austin, Henry, let's go guys," Emma called for her boys.
They both came out dressed as nearly identical pirates.
"Ahoy mateys," Emma couldn't resist the urge to greet them.
"You guys look perfect," Mary Margaret gushed. "Ready to go?"
"Yep," Austin nodded.
"You say 'Aye' when you're a pirate, Austin," Henry corrected his younger brother.
"Aye," Austin corrected himself with a nod.
"Are we waiting for David?" Emma asked.
"No, he got called over to Game of Thorns. Apparently it got egged," Mary Margaret said.
Emma sighed in reply, "We'd better get a couple of pictures while these three are still eager and awake."
"He said he'd meet us for dinner at Granny's. She's having a Halloween special tonight," Mary Margaret added as the children posed for pictures.
"I'm almost afraid to ask," Emma raised a brow as she followed her mother and her kids out the door, stopping short when they ran into Killian on the sidewalk. "Oh."
"Hi, Killian," Brooklyn waved eagerly.
"Your majesty," he bowed with a smile.
"Are you dressed up like a pirate for Halloween, too?" she asked.
"Yes, I am," he nodded. "And I see I have some good company."
"Ahoy, Captain," Henry said with a smile.
"Ahoy mates," he responded as he asked the adults, "Why is everyone dressed differently tonight?"
"It's Halloween," Emma explained, "You remember Halloween, don't you? Remember that night we went to that party back in Boston? I was dressed as that nurse."
"Still have the outfit?" Killian asked with a leering smile.
"Wouldn't you like to know," she glared at him.
"Perhaps I would," he gave her a look of longing that had her looking away to hide her blush.
"Come on, Mom. All the good candy's going to be gone if we don't get going," Henry said.
"You're absolutely right," Emma smiled, "Did you want to join us, Killian?"
"Thank you, yes," Killian nodded.
"Great costume," Emma snickered as she walked with him a few steps behind her mother and children.
"Only day I can get away with dressing like this," he noted. "I suppose I should buy myself some normal clothes unless you kept my clothes from Boston."
"Pitched them out the window when I woke up alone that first morning," she told him, though she'd actually donated his clothes to charity after a few months when he hadn't returned.
"Then shopping it is," he responded with a sense of dread.
"If you're planning on staying," she added.
"Who sells clothes around here?"
"Dopey has a men's clothing store."
"I guess I'll have to visit his shop," he concluded, "Any requests?"
"Jeans, dark ones," she recommended, silently adding in her mind, "Tight ones."
"What was that last bit, Love?" Killian tried to make out was she'd inadvertently mumbled out loud.
"T-shirts," Emma covered. "You always looked nice in blue."
"I'll admit I actually liked the jeans back in the day."
"Once you got the hang of zippering them," Emma smiled.
"You try doing that with one hand."
"Did you want something when you came by tonight? Did you have a reason for coming over besides being shanghaied into watching the kids con the neighbors out of candy?" Emma asked suddenly.
"Yeah, but it can wait," he replied.
"You sure?" Emma asked. "Because we're as alone as we're going to get right now."
"I wanted to know if you wanted to have dinner with me," Killian said.
"Like a date?" she bit her lip nervously.
"Yes," he nodded. "Exactly like a date. We have been on one or two of those."
"Things were different then."
"True," Killian nodded as he looked towards the children in front of them before refocusing on her, "But a few things are the same."
"Such as?"
"You avoid my eyes when I make you nervous," he smiled.
"I do not," she protested.
"And you blush when I call you on it," he continued.
"Stop it," she demanded as she shoved at his shoulder.
"And you always get a little violent," he laughed.
"Mommy! Look what Ashley gave me," Brooklyn held up a treat.
"A caramel pear," Emma looked at Ashley.
"We're not fans of apples around here," Ashley shook her head.
"Neither are we," Mary Margaret agreed.
"Alexandra makes an adorable mouse," Emma told Ashley.
"She does, doesn't she?" Ashley laughed as she bounced her daughter in her arms, "And your boys make wonderful pirates, and are you Snow White or Robin Hood, Brooklyn?"
"Snow White," Brooklyn frowned. "Grammy says she carried arrows. Is she wrong?"
"No," Ashley laughed. "Snow White was a fierce bandit and a kind princess."
"Grammy was a bandit?" Brooklyn asked, "Aren't bandits bad?"
"Not always, Sweetheart. Now where are you broth- Oh dear God. Henry, let him go! You are not making anyone walk the plank," Emma ran over to where her sons had Nicholas Zimmer on a board over the small pond in front of one of Ashley's neighbor's homes.
All three boys pouted as Nicholas stepped back.
"Whose idea was this?"
"Mine," Nicholas said.
"Who gave you that idea?" Mary Margaret asked.
"I was going to mutiny," Nicholas said.
"Mutiny?" Killian laughed, "Do any of you even know what that means?"
"Barbosa did it to Jack Sparrow," Nicholas frowned.
"Barbosa? Jack Sparrow? Who are these people?" Killian asked.
"It's a long story. Nicholas, where's your dad?"
"He's still working at the garage," Nicholas stated, "Henry said I could trick or treat with him."
"Oh. Okay," Emma nodded them on to the next house. Just as Henry was about to escape her grasp she pulled him back to whisper, "Next time ask me if someone can come along, okay?"
"Okay," Henry gave her a guilty look.
"Go on," Emma prodded with a smile.
"You're such a pushover," Killian teased her as Ashley and Mary Margaret kept close tabs on the children.
"Henry has a crush on Nicholas's sister," Emma told him with a smile. "I'm helping him score points."
"Playing matchmaker," Killian laughed, "He's a little young in this world, isn't he?"
"Yeah, but it's cute," Emma admitted.
"A true romantic," he couldn't resist another opportunity to tease her.
"Shut up," Emma frowned. "By the way, Barbosa and Jack Sparrow are characters in movies."
"Pirate characters?" he asked.
"Yeah," Emma nodded. "It's one of Austin's favorite movies. He just loves it."
"We have ourselves a pirate in training," Killian smiled.
"Tell me about it," Emma shook her head.
"It's weird being back in this realm," Killian admitted, "It feels a lot longer than five years."
"Maybe you should go check Boston out," Emma suggested. "You might feel more at home there."
"That's not what I meant," he replied, "I never felt like I belonged in Boston. This place feels more comfortable than Boston did. Perhaps it's the slower pace."
"Yeah," Emma looked around them at the kids in costume and narrowed her eyes at a couple of older kids, "J.J., those eggs better be for your mother."
"Yes, Sheriff Swan," the young boy quickly pocketed the eggs.
"I think he's afraid of you, Love," Killian smirked as he watched the boy dart off.
"That's a good thing when you're the sheriff," Emma smirked.
"Who's following him?"
"Oh, his younger brothers. That's J.J. Schumacher. His mom has a few dozen children."
"Is that the women whose house looks like a shoe?"
"That's her," Emma nodded.
"That's a lot of children," Killian stated, "Where is Mr. Schumacher?"
"I don't know," Emma shook her head.
"Hey, the kids are saying they're hungry," Mary Margaret waited for them to catch up. "What about you two?"
"I could eat," Killian nodded.
"Any word from David?" Emma asked as they started their trek towards Granny's.
"Tommy Sprague and Billy Schumacher got caught tee-peeing Regina's apple trees."
"I thought they were cutting that tree down," Emma replied.
"Not yet apparently," Mary Margaret shook her head. "Enjoying yourself, Killian?"
"What's not to like about reacquainting myself with this realm's customs?" he asked, "I'm still hoping to talk Emma into her nurse's costume."
"I don't have it anymore," Emma said.
"Yes, you do," Killian smiled. "I know you do."
"You don't know me as well as you think you do," she challenged him as they walked into Granny's.
"That's what you think, Love," Killian murmured.
"Hey, Ruby. Nice costume," Emma complimented the woman who wore a gypsy costume, pretending she hadn't heard Killian.
"And what's your costume?" Ruby snickered, "Are you playing Sheriff tonight?"
"I am playing the mother taking her children trick or treating."
"Uh, good costume," Ruby gave her a half-hearted thumbs up.
"Let's have some dinner," Emma said to her kids.
"I want peanut butter and jelly," Brooklyn climbed into her mother's lap.
"I think we can do that," Ruby nodded. "Emma?"
"Meatloaf," Emma nodded, "With those fries Granny makes so well."
"What about you, Austin?" Ruby poked the miniature pirate with her pen.
"Rum," he smiled.
"No!" Emma said immediately.
Austin pouted at the rejection.
"What's say you and I have burgers," Killian posed to the boy.
"Okay," Austin nodded as he perked right up.
"Henry?"
"I'll have a burger too."
Ruby went around and took the rest of the orders as Brooklyn reached towards Killian and grabbed at one of his necklaces, "What's this?"
"A chain that was given to me by a very important person," he said.
Emma looked over and saw what Brooklyn was holding.
"Brookie, it's not nice to grab other people's things," Emma grasped her daughter's hand away from the necklace.
"I wanted to see the pretty necklace," her daughter pouted slightly.
"Just ask if you can take a closer look," Emma told her. "And say 'please', remember?"
Brooklyn nodded and then smiled hopefully at Killian, "Can I please see your pretty necklace?"
"Yes, you may," Killian nodded with a smile as he leaned closer to the little girl and put the locket in her hand.
"It's pretty," Brooklyn traced the stones that decorated it.
"Thank you," Killian smiled.
"Is there a picture in it?"
"No," Killian shook his head.
"Oh," Brooklyn said before she let it go and leaned back against her mother.
Emma looked at Killian and noticed the look in his eyes. She knew that look. She knew who he was thinking about.
Milah.
-d-d-d-d-
"I'll be right up," Emma said to her family when they got to the door of their building.
"Okay," Mary Margaret nodded. "Goodnight, Killian."
"Milady," he nodded at his children's grandmother.
"Come on guys," Mary Margaret guided the kids into the building and left her daughter alone with Killian.
"Why don't I think you're about to take me up on my offer of dinner?" Killian asked after Emma didn't say anything once they were alone.
"We can be friendly. We don't have to avoid one another while you're in town. I won't cross the street to get away from you," Emma started. "But we can't be friends or anything beyond that."
"What happened? You were fine up until we ate at Granny's," Killian was a bit confused by her behavior.
"Let's just say I remembered why you're really here," Emma's eyes strayed to the chains around his neck and then darted away.
Killian sighed, "The locket."
"Did you really think I wouldn't remember?" Emma asked.
"Em, I…."
"It doesn't matter," Emma shook her head. "Like I said, we can be friendly."
"Friendly," Killian nodded. "Like you are with that doctor who didn't stop staring at Ruby's bum all night?"
"Dr. Whale and I co-exist," Emma nodded.
"I don't want to co-exist with you Emma. It's not enough. It will never be enough."
"It has to be," Emma told him before she turned to go into the building.
"Why?" he put his hand on her arm.
"You know why," she whispered.
"Em, you've never played second fiddle to me," he tried to assure her, "Yes, I had a first love named Milah that I lost, but you were the first and only woman that has made me want to get over her. It's not fair that you continually hold her against me."
"You're still wearing the locket she gave you," Emma pointed out.
"And I'm wearing the necklace you gave me too," Killian pulled out another chain that had gone unnoticed by her since they'd been reunited.
"It's not just the locket," Emma shook her head. "It's you wanting to kill someone, to end a person's existence over her."
"Put yourself in my position, Emma," he told her, "What would you do if someone ripped out my heart right in front of you and crushed it?"
"I don't know," Emma admitted. "I can't even imagine what that was like. But what I can tell you is that once you do this, you won't be you anymore. You will be so damaged and dark. I've seen what that kind of darkness does."
"What would you have me do then Emma?" Killian pressed her, "I can't just let the Dark One prance around without a care in the world."
"I'm not going to tell you what to do, Killian. I never have before. I'm not going to start now. I've known two people who've let their revenge take over their life. We're standing in Regina's end game for her revenge on my parents. Rumplestiltskin's revenge cost him his son."
"I've lived with this anger for three hundred years," Killian told her, "I don't know if I can let it go, even for you and our children."
"Yeah," Emma nodded. "That's pretty much what I thought you'd say. Goodnight, Killian."
With that Emma walked into her building, shutting the door behind her.
Killian stared at the shut door for several minutes before he made his way back to the ship to contemplate what she'd told him. She'd always had a way of making him see situations differently. Tonight was no different. He knew that any attempt on Rumplestiltskin's life would permanently end things with Emma and would likely result in him never seeing his children again.