Emma awoke the next morning to the sound of seagulls fighting in the near distance. She stretched and went to check her alarm… forgetting that fairytale boats don't have those luxuries. She groaned, rubbing her eyes. She took a deep breath through her nose, inhaling the damp wooden smell of the Jolly Roger. She could see light through the small window in her cabin, so it obviously wasn't the middle of the night. She was as well getting up and making herself useful. And then she remembered how long they'd been on the boat. They'd been on it now for exactly a month. And they'd left Storybrooke exactly a month before her birthday.

"Happy birthday to me…" She mumbled, not really in the mood for celebrating anyway. It wasn't like she'd ever properly celebrated a birthday anyway. But having Henry missing was, pardon the pun, the icing on the cake. After getting dressed, she trudged to her cabin door and swung it open. She nearly leapt back screaming in surprise to see Snow and Charming standing there, grinning like idiots.

"What the Hell you guys? You nearly gave me a heart attack! Has nobody ever told you it's weird to stand outside someone's room grinning creepily?" Snow just giggled and pulled her daughter into a massive hug.

"Happy birthday," Snow whispered in her ear. Emma pulled away, a confused look on her face.

"How did you… Never mind…" Emma finished, a little embarrassed. Of course her mom knew her birthday. Snow raised her eyebrow at Emma, smiling. James had a similar expression.

"Yeah- once un-cursed, you don't tend to forget the day a baby comes out of you-"

"Or the day you got stabbed sending her through a magic wardrobe." James added. Emma smiled, blushing. Nobody had ever remembered her birthday before. She was terrified they'd planned a party, she wasn't sure she was ready for that.

"Listen, I'd appreciate it if nobody else knew about this…" Emma hinted. Snow looked a little awkward.

"Ah," Snow said. "There might be a problem there. I didn't tell anyone, but think about it! Regina knew you were born on the same day as the curse, and she's not going to forget that day is she? And Rumple knew your birthday before we did. So the only person on board who doesn't know is Hook." Emma gave a sigh of frustration.

"Well, keep it that way…" Emma grumbled. Snow giggled again before both her and James each kissed Emma on the cheek and dragged her up to breakfast. Everyone else was already awake and tucking in to scrambled eggs. Both Regina and Rumple gave Emma awkward smiles. Emma acted like she hadn't seen them, she'd managed her whole life without birthday wishes and she didn't need them now. Rumple didn't seem to take the subtle hint.

"I believe congratulations are in-"He stopped at the stern look he was getting from all three Charmings. He smiled at their faint attempts to cover up a birthday. "Then again, maybe not…" He chuckled. Emma nodded, wanting to keep the day as quiet as possible. Hook seemed oblivious to the blunder, or if he wasn't he was tactful enough to let it slip. After breakfast had been cleared away and duties had been dished out, Snow and Charming pulled Emma to the side.

"I know you don't want to celebrate," Snow said, squeezing Emma's hand. "However, we're your parents, and we get to ignore your embarrassment." Snow started leading Emma towards their chamber. "We have a gift for you." She said excitedly.

"It's not much," James added. "But it's a family heirloom that should really belong to you." Emma blushed not knowing what to say. She'd never had a proper present let alone something so special. She followed her parents into their chamber. When they were inside with the door shut, they went over to the cabinet. Snow pulled out a little silver box and started to rummage through it until she found what she was looking for. She looked lovingly up at Charming and he returned the look, before they both gave it to Emma.

"This," Snow said, holding it up. It was a ring on a lovely golden chain. "Belonged to your grandmother."

"My mother," said James. "It can tell the gender of children before they are even conceived. We realise that it's a little late, but it still belongs to you." Emma's mouth fell open.

"Oh no, I couldn't take something so special, it belongs to you, dad…" Snow held up Emma's hand.

"Emma today is your special day, and this is your special gift. So for once, would you do as you're told and take it?" Snow went to put the ring in Emma's open hand, but as she did so, the ring started spinning in a small circle. James and Snow looked at each other, slightly confused, slightly scared. James took the ring and hovered it over Snow's hand. It didn't even twitch. But Snow didn't expect it to. She knew she owed it to Emma to focus on her rather than have other babies. He held the ring over Emma's hand and it started spinning again.

"I don't understand," Said a confused Emma. "What's wrong?" Snow looked up at her daughter.

"It's only meant to go North to South as it did with you or East to West as it did with your father and his brother. I don't know what a circle means…"

"It means, dearies," Said a voice from the door, making them all jump. "That at some point, Miss Swan, you will have the choice of conceiving another child. As you have not made up your mind on whether you will take action or not, the ring cannot decide the gender." The three Charmings looked at each other, very obviously alarmed.

"But Neil's dead." Emma stated. "Who else would I want to have another child with?" Rumple shrugged. "I can't tell you that, I can only tell you what the ring knows." But Charming thought he knew who it might be, and he was damn well sure it wasn't going to happen.

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