The day had flown by. As soon as the carriage pulled up to the front of the castle, Emma was dragged into a never-ending process of approving decorations, food, drink, and of course, her attire. Snow seemed ecstatic about the pending festivities, though it probably had more to do with the return of David and Henry. Rather than bubble with excitement, Emma couldn't stop worrying. Have they entered the realms of the kingdom yet? How many breaks were they taking? How many men traveled with them? She took out most of her frustration on the humble seamstress during her final fitting.

"It's fine! Stop trying to change it! This is taking way too long!" She barked at the woman. Snow entered the fitting room, having heard word of Emma's hostility she knew she had to intervene.

"Emma, no daughter of mine will attend a ball with an oversized dress." Emma glared edgily at her mother. The seamstress continued to work around the bottom hemline.

"Is it really necessary for me to go to this thing anyways?" Emma groused.

"Yes of course! Aren't you excited for them to finally be coming home?"

"I just don't see why this ball has to be tonight. I'm tired, you're tired. When Henry and David get back they're going to be exhausted. I haven't been able to spend any time with my husband today."

"Yeah well neither have I," Snow's eyes darkened with the intolerance of her daughter's whining. Despite Snow's best efforts, it was impossible to completely hide her shattered spirit from her. "Look, I know that the last couple of weeks have been especially difficult-"

"Try months," Emma squeezed her fists with frustration.

"Okay, months." Snow passively dropped her shoulders, "Look, tonight is not for our enjoyment."

"Yeah clearly," Emma snidely muttered under her constrained breath in the corset. The seamstress tugged the inner ties tighter, "Goddamnit I already can't breathe!" Emma growled at the seamstress. Snow shook her head and walked up to the platform where Emma stood. Taking ahold of the ties, Snow tugged a bit harder on the ends of them. "What the hell!"

Snow smiled and nodded for the seamstress to continue on. "Behold the struggles of a princess," she grinned. The seamstress finally tied up the back of the dress and turned the mirror for Emma's long-awaited approval.


The ballroom quickly filled with guests as the night progressed. People were enamored by the splendorous atmosphere of the glamorously attired the walls, tables, and floor. The musical ensemble played chipper musical pieces in glorious melodic tones from the corner of the room.

The first hour had gone by when Elizabeth finally made her royal appearance. In an impressively sized light blue gown, she pulled her shoulders back and cocked her head up confidently as she descended down the royal staircase. Her little golden tiara sat complacently on her head amidst the radiating golden curls which were loosely pinned into an elaborate bun. People smiled affectionately at the little princess. She returned smiles and moved with constructed poise and grace. If only they knew, Emma mused to herself. Ever since Elizabeth's first appearance at a royal function, Emma had always been amazed by how easily it all came to her daughter. She always had a knack for being the perfect cultured princess in the eyes of hundreds, though behind closed doors her uncontrollable spirit had a tendency to ravage her tutors and keep everyone on their toes.

Emma detected Elizabeth's subtle shifting glances scanning through the audience. She was in search of someone, the same person Emma was dying to find as well. When she finally reached the bottom of the staircase, Elizabeth curtsied politely to her guests then walked straight over to the royal table. Emma smiled warmly and pulled out the closest seat for her daughter.

"You did that magnificently," Snow leaned over to congratulate her granddaughter. "Were you nervous?"

Seeming a little discouraged, Elizabeth shook her head carelessly. She wasn't nervous about making her royal appearance; she had already done that plenty of times. She was nervous about whether she would see her father. Emma looked worryingly down to her daughter who continued to desperately peer out into the masses in search of him.

Emma was relieved when familiar faces arrived to the celebration. Jefferson brought his daughter, Grace, who was now making plans to attend her second year at the newly established university with Henry. The two were inseparable, which Emma didn't dare to protest. She could never think badly of Grace, her kindness and innocent spirit was exactly what Henry needed to keep his adventurous spirit in check. Rumplestiltskin and Belle made a brief appearance with their six year old son, Adam earlier in the night. Though Emma's relationship with Rumplestiltskin was still on the mend, she and Belle were close confidants. Considering the men they had married, the two women were perfect for giving advice whenever they encountered marital frustrations. Adam's bright blue eyes, which peaked beneath his dark brown curls, fixated on Elizabeth as he gave her a wide grin. Elizabeth leaned back into her chair, blushing profusely from this boy who was smiling at her. Emma was thankful that she still found boys like Adam gross, for the sake of Killian's sanity.

After what seemed like an eternity, the gallant trumpets erupted over the music and through the halls. James jumped out of his chair and took off towards the main entrance in a sprint. Emma, Snow, and Elizabeth were quick to get up from their heavy seats, but knew better than to run in their tailored gowns.

The guests cheered in celebration as the doors opened to the front of the castle. She felt the heaviness lift from her chest as she caught sight of two riders galloping through the main entrance gate. A company of royal guards followed a close distance behind them. Even as they approached closer and closer to the entrance, Emma was shocked that she couldn't distinguish which of the two figures was Henry. Has he really grown that much since she last saw him?

Both riders slowed their horses down to comfortable trotting as they reared to the front of the stairs. Emma finally recognized the first rider coming in to be her father, David. He practically jumped from his moving horse to greet little James, who was waiting at the bottom of the steps. David joyously fell to his knees to embrace his little boy. David's tear streaked face glistened from the bright moonlight when he turned to smile at Emma. She gratefully fell into his arms, receiving an excited kiss on her cheek. He let out an excited laugh when he turned to finally greet Snow.

Emma turned her attention to the second rider who had just come to a full stop behind David's horse. From where she stood, his head was held as a silhouette of the moonlight, but Emma could recognize him just by his slightly slouched posture. Henry quickly dismounted his horse before Emma could wrap her arms around him. He returned the grip of her embrace tightly. It was clear that Henry had gotten stronger since he left. He had even grown a little taller as well. "Hey mom," he laughed into her shoulder. She giggled happily, "Hey kid."

After being picked up and kissed by her grandfather, Elizabeth turned to devilishly grin at Henry. He beamed at his little sister, "Do my eyes deceive me or do you actually look like a lady tonight?" Her eyes narrowed with childish amusement as she ran over to him. He knelt on one knee to be level with his little sister when she jumped into his arms.


They were given a half hour to hastily change upstairs before coming back down to greet their guests. After freshening up, Emma was even more amazed by how Henry's appearance had matured over the course of just a month and a half. Though he was a model prince before his travels, most of his baby fat had now hardened into lean muscle.

Snow and David were finally ready to have their first dance together. Emma stood there in awe with the rest of the guests, observing her parents' flawlessness as they glided so effortlessly around the hall. David started to occasionally look up from Snow to Emma. He kept giving her enthused grins, as if he was waiting for something to happen. Suddenly a warm hand caressed the back of Emma's bare shoulder, "Might I have this dance?" Killian provocatively purred in her right ear.

She excitedly turned to meet his clear blue eyes. He was smirking, obviously much more himself after a few hours of needed rest. He no longer bared the shrouded lining of filth over his face, though there was still a hint of black shadow that subtly hovered under his eyes.

She smiled amusingly at the biggest shock of all: the lack of leather in his attire. It was indeed a rare occurrence that Killian actually listened to her father's suggestion of losing the usual grungy getup. His well-tailored formal suit was predominantly black and gray, with red accents lining his jacket and collar. The top of his collar was informally buttoned a few buttons down, which was what Emma preferred. Even when dressed as a royal, there was no hiding the pirate in Killian.

He held her hand as the two walked onto the dance floor. She could no longer think about the people around her or even about the proper steps she needed to take. Killian led the first half of their dance slowly and effortlessly without words or even cocky facial expressions. Their gazes were transfixed deep into the others. After a few swift rotations through the hall, Killian began to smirk devilishly. "My, how your form has improved."

"Better than yours, no doubt," Emma grinned mockingly. She really didn't have a clue what dictated good or bad form in ballroom dancing. Testing Killian's pride was just something of an amusement for her.

He cocked his eyebrow at the challenge, and then proceeded to swiftly twirl her around and pull her back close to his body. Killian's eyes darkened as their faces hovered mere inches away. Emma could feel herself begin to melt in his intense gaze. Just before she could move any closer, he pulled back and resumed the proper steps of their dance. "This party, these people, it's all rather a nuisance," he muttered, "don't you think?"

Emma scoffed, "Quit complaining. At least you didn't have to sit in this overcrowded ballroom to wait."

The end of the dance drew near as the melody slowed. Killian pulled Emma closer. His hand slid a little further down her waist. "No love," he breathed into her ear, "I sat and waited on the edge of our empty, cold, bed." Killian's hand gripped her lower waist in a burning desire. Emma could feel her knees begin to shake under her gown as chills ran up her spine.

The loud white noise of the audience's applause snapped Emma back to reality. She had almost forgotten the vast public eye they were under. She also hadn't noticed Henry's entrance to the dance. Grace smiled brightly by his side in her modest yellow ball gown.

The music started up again almost immediately, playing a recognizably beautiful melody that Emma hadn't heard in a long while. It was the father daughter dance. Right on cue, David was by their side offering Emma his hand. As Emma and David started the dance off, Killian stepped to the outer circle and eagerly scanned the crowd for his little partner. After a minute of searching, he finally he met eyes with Elizabeth. She was glowing with the excitement of finally seeing her Daddy again. Disregarding formalities, she hastily ran across the dance floor towards him. Killian picked her up with ease and held her at his side as they entered the dance. Elizabeth's bursting excitement soon mellowed into a complacent happiness as the dance proceeded. She rested her head upon her father's shoulder, happily closing her eyes to listen to the music and feel the gentle breezes from Killian's slow steps brush against her face. Jefferson eventually led Grace onto the floor, as did Maurice with Belle. Other fathers gradually joined the dance floor with their daughters in hand as the song progressed.

Emma loved dancing with David; there was something so assuring about his presence that helped her feel at ease. There was, however, no denying the exhaustion and soreness that was so evident in his face. Usually he was very good at hiding his troubles, especially when duty called for formalities. Emma was thankful that the dance was slow enough for it not to be too troublesome for him. "Are you going to make it?" Emma perked jokingly with a smile.

He laughed, "Hey, you try traveling two days on horseback. It's not as easy as it looks."

"I'm not judging. There's a reason you've never seen me on a horse."

David smiled warmly at his daughter, thinking inwardly of how beautiful she looked dressed as a princess rather than a sheriff. "It's good to be back. I was really worried about you," he spoke earnestly.

Emma cocked her head and gave him a stern look, "I can take care of myself. You of all people should know that."

He laughed at his daughter's stubbornness. "Even the great Emma Swan needs help sometimes. I know that the timing of the trip wasn't ideal and I worried about taking Henry away from you."

She sighed, looking at him with desperation which really meant to stop talking. She didn't need to have this conversation with him here and now. Bad timing was such a David Nolan trait. It was indeed bad timing for the trip and it was clear that Emma had it rough for the past few weeks without Henry and Killian.

He smiled weakly at the unresolved troubles lining Emma's face and leaned in to give her an affectionate kiss on her forehead. It was clear to David that this ball, which was clearly a product of Snow's antics for upholding tradition, was bad timing for his daughter. "We can talk about this later, I'm sure," he glanced up to view the party that took place around them. "I think the night you really need has been prolonged from you long enough."

David slowed their steps down until finally they were standing still. Following the lead of the king, the musicians hushed their playing to silence. He gave Emma one last excited grin, knowing that he was about to score some major parent points.

"Honored guests," he spoke loudly to gain their attention. "I thank you for being here tonight to give us all such a warm welcome. I think I can speak for myself, my grandson, the royal attendants, and of course," he gestured to Killian, "my son-in-law when I say that it is good to be home." People all around clapped enthusiastically. "This kingdom has endured a long struggle in the past years to regain its footing. We understand that it is our responsibility to assist everyone the best we can. From these travels to other kingdoms, we have established good relations with neighboring monarchs and close lands that can support us on this path of reconstruction." They clapped again, smiling excitedly by David's encouraging words. "Tonight has served as an example of the kinship that we all share. It is no surprise that the separation of our family has been a challenge for us. We also recognize that it's been a challenge for you as well. I speak for my entire family to thank you for your continued faith in us. I must now speak honestly and frankly with you, my friends, by admitting you've probably seen us all in better condition." The audience erupted with laughter and a few nods. "With that said, we must regrettably take our leave from this gallant celebration to regain some much needed rest." They applauded David's final words. He looked down to Emma, then shot Killian a quick humored look.

Feeling such an immense sense of gratitude to him, Emma hugged David affectionately. Even Henry, who was normally able to stay awake until the early hours of the morning, sighed with the relief of finally being able to retire.


Killian carefully carried Elizabeth up the staircase as the rest of the family bid their final farewells to close friends. By the time David had announced their departure from the party, Elizabeth had already fallen asleep on Killian's shoulder. She forced herself to stay up way too late.

When he finally reached Elizabeth's room, he was shocked to discover the radical alterations since the last time he had seen it. Laying her down on her bed, he scoured the nursery drawers for a simple nightgown to change her into. "Where the bloody hell is everything?" He muttered frustratingly. Emma reached the room before he could make any progress. With ease, she pulled out a nightgown and slipped her daughter out of the heavy multi-layered ball gown. Elizabeth could barely keep her eyes open, let alone stand up straight. When she was finally changed, Killian picked her up off the bed as Emma pulled the comforter and sheets out from the neatly tucked corners. He set her back down gently, though this time she grumbled, "I don't want to go to sleep, Daddy."

Killian chuckled, pulling the blankets over her, "Don't play coy, darling. You've avoided sleep long enough for tonight," he straightened the blankets and tucked in the sides. She opened her blue eyes stubbornly, remembering just how long it had been since he last tucked her in. "No, I can't go to bed."

"Why ever not, love?" He whispered as he leaned in to kiss her on her forehead. Elizabeth leaned back, shooting him a grave look of apprehension. He studied her expression for a moment, only to recognize the hidden fear that lurked in her eyes. An apprehensive fear. An unsure fear. The fear of abandonment. The realization that his daughter lost faith in him punched Killian in the gut. She was afraid he wouldn't be here when she woke up. He remembered that many months ago, he couldn't find the strength to wake his sleeping daughter to bid his final farewells. She awoke to find that her father had already gone without saying goodbye.

"Can I sleep with you and Mommy?" She pleaded, her sea blue eyes widened with apprehension. Despite his concern for his daughter, Killian also knew that tonight was not the night for Elizabeth to sleep with him and Emma. Observing Emma's anxious expression, it was clear that she was thinking along the same lines. Though Killian was still exhausted from his travels, he planned on spending his first night home rekindling every last spark that he had been deprived of with his wife.

Before he could say anything, three quiet knocks sounded from the door. It was Henry. He slouched against the door, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He yawned as he ran his hand through his already disheveled chestnut brown hair, "I can take her if you want." Henry's ceremonial sword hitched to the side of his belt glimmered from the light glowing from the bedroom. Emma still didn't like the idea of giving Henry an actual weapon, regardless of the fact that he was approaching his twentieth birthday.

"Would it help if you slept with Henry tonight?" She asked Elizabeth soothingly.

Elizabeth seemed unsure at first. She looked back at Emma and Killian hesitantly. Slowly with resolve, she began to push aside her blanket and sheets. Elizabeth stumbled onto the floor barefoot and quickly ran over to take Henry's outstretched hand. Henry gave them a "goodnight" nod before leading his little sister down the hall to his room. They sat in silence, waiting for the prolonged sound of Henry's door shutting. The metal hinge clicked shut, and Emma sighed with relief. A moment passed by before Killian turned and grinned excitedly. Taking each other's hand, they eagerly rushed out of the room, across the hall and into their bedroom.