A/N: Sorry for the delay in the chapter. I've been sick the past couple of weeks, but it was all worth it - I'm 3 months pregnant. I have been super tired and sick for about 11 weeks now. Thank you for all the reviews on the last chapter and thank you for all the follows. I appreciate everything! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Reviews?

The walk back to the Jolly wasn't a long one. It was hidden in the same spot it had been hidden years ago. They even walked past the area where Emma had once said goodbye to Killian. Memories came flooding back, but Emma tried to push them from her mind. Now was not the time or place to be thinking about it. However, she must have not been the only one remembering where they were.

They had only been walking for a short minute – her mother leading the way. Mulan and Aurora were following behind. Emma brought up the rear with Killian. They hadn't said anything to each other, letting the awkward silence fill the void between them. However, as they passed their shared place, he moved closer to her, taking her hand in his.

A silent conversation passing between them. She still wasn't quite sure what to say to him. Talking to him used to be easy it used to come naturally. Now, she wasn't sure words were enough to tell him everything. How could she explain everything that happened to him? How was she going to explain her entire existence, when even she didn't quite understand it? However, one thing sat more forward in her mind. She was happier than she had been in a while. The moment Henry arrived at her door and came back into her life was one of the best moments she had ever had happen; the moment she realized Killian Jones was real and he was back, was one of the best days of her life.

She had pushed him far from her mind for years – only really thinking about him when she was drunk or on their anniversary – which she determined was the day after her birthday. It was the same story – as it always was. She pushed him from her mind when she was away from him, and regretted it the instant he came back into the picture. She couldn't keep doing this to him; and she couldn't keep doing it to herself. She had to decide once and for all where this thing with him was going to go.

They continued walked, all the while Emma kept hold of his hand. It felt natural to want to stay in his embrace. Their kiss had ignited something in her – made her realize something. She wanted this. Or at least she thought she wanted this. He was everything she wanted once – and she wanted to see if she could have it again.

It was surprising to her that she was even thinking this. After Henry, she realized that maybe happiness wasn't in the cards for her. The couple of years after Henry – college and fights with her other mom; they were hard on her. She built up some walls; yet they came down easily with him around. Around him, she felt like she finally had the opportunity to have what she always deserved.

He let go of her hand as they boarded his ship, after saying goodbye to Mulan and Aurora. They were going to be headed back to their land, in search of Phillip. Emma was tempted to give them the compass to help them, after all they done for her; but she knew they would be able to find him without it. Plus, if she gave up the compass, they would never make it home.

It had been so many years since she saw the Jewel of the Realm, yet here they were, standing on its deck. Except now, it was the Jolly Roger. It was just as grand as she imagined – however, it seemed more beautiful. She glanced around the ship, noticing Killian now at the helm, preparing them to take off. He had explained to them that the ship could sail itself – something about the wood being magical and the ship having a relationship with him.

She could tell he was at home aboard the ship – it was where he always belonged. He was confident here – more so than when they were on land. He had always been cocky, a bit sure of himself since coming back in her life; yet here he was surprising her at just how much he was holding back. His swagger was indescribable. To simply put it, it was exhilarating to watch.

"We will need to sail for a while. We need to get far from the shore, and far from Cora's reach. The Jolly will take us to the safest spot, when she drops her anchor we will know it's safe to leave." He hollered to the group.

"I think I'm going to head below and find somewhere to rest. I haven't been sleeping well, and it may be nice to be well rested when we get home." Her mother spoke from behind her. Emma didn't miss the wink in her mother's eye when she passed her by. Maybe it was time for her and Killian to finally talk, for them to finally lay everything on the table.

She moved to stand with him behind the wheel. His eyes were trained on the horizon, as if he was helping to plot the course.

"So love, you are finally headed back home." He said as a way to clear the air between them.

"You know ever since arriving here, I've been racing to make it back to Henry. However, now that we are so close, I'm actually worried that this won't work." It was something she had been worried about since boarding the ship. There had been so many hiccups already on their adventure; and now that she was so close, she couldn't help but think something else was going to go wrong.

"We will get back to your son, and your family." He said firmly. It was almost as if he knew for a fact it would happen.

"You think so?" she questioned.

"I've yet to see you fail love." He said, turning to finally look her in the eyes.

"Thank you." she whispered, unsure of where to go from here. She knew they needed to have a conversation, but she wasn't quite sure how to approach the subject of their past.

"I think we should talk Swan." He said instead – again knowing exactly what they both needed.

"Yeah, we should. What do you want to know?" she pondered.

"Well, you said you thought I was a dream. Why don't you explain it to me? I am not really sure what you meant." He said.

At least that was a good place to start, she thought. Start at the beginning explaining everything. Maybe then he would understand why it was so hard to believe in him, why she acted the way she did all of those years ago.

"When I was younger, I started dreaming about a village. I couldn't explain why it was always the same village, with the same people, yet the dreams kept coming. The first time I met you, you were losing your mother. The second time I met you, you were sold to that horrendous captain. The time after, you were drunk, having wasted all of your money to leave servitude. The next time was the first time I really met you, the night you asked me on a date. I hadn't been able to dream about you twice in a row before. I tried everything I could think of to make sure I made that date with you. I wanted so badly for you to be real. However, every morning after meeting you, I would wake up in my bed in my realm. I guess the only way I could explain it were through dreams. As I got older, it became harder on me to stay in the dreams, to keep them coming. It also got harder on me to want to go. I didn't want to hurt you, to lead you on. In my mind, while you may have been just a dream, you were important to me – almost as important as my mom. I didn't want to hurt you. After our first date, I spent the first few months praying to everything that I would find you again, praying for the dreams to come – and they came, but you were never there. It was like I started to give up hope that you were coming back. I started to think that maybe you were too good to be true." She moved to sit down as her confession continued. Killian moved to sit next to her, pulling her hand back into his. His eyes pleading for her to keep talking, nothing but compassion filling them.

"That was why I was always so vague with you about my life, always so unwilling to promise you anything. During my senior year I was starting to forget the whole village entirely, that was until the night of my homecoming game. There was a party at a friend's house and I went. I got so drunk that I don't even really remember how I got to bed; all I really remember was waking up and hearing you were returning from that long mission. Something in me that day told me I had to get to you, that I had to finally tell you how I felt. I spent so long hiding my feelings because I pushed myself into believe that you were truly only a dream, even though somewhere inside of me, somewhere deep, I knew you weren't." his hand squeezed hers at her admission. For some reason, she always knew he was real – he may have been too good to be true, but their connection could have never been made up.

"That time, when you returned, for some strange reason, I was able to stay for months. It's the longest I ever spent in my dream world. However, in my realm, only a few hours had passed. I knew time wasn't always the same between your world and mine – but it had never been that different. However, I was glad I spent that time with you, that we spent that time together. When I woke up I was so disoriented – I wasn't sure what was real or fake anymore." she looked over at him, to see where he was.

"So you really thought I was a dream." He questioned. His eyes didn't show any pain, just some confusion.

"Yes." She said with a cry in her voice. She hated that she didn't believe in him all of these years, and she knew it must hurt him to say so.

"You felt like a dream to me at times too Emma. Too good to be real. I didn't believe I was worthy of someone as caring as you, yet there you were. For some reason I didn't think you could really exist." He had always felt that way she knew that.

"I'm sorry I never believed in you, in what we had." she was crying a bit. Silent tears running down her face.

"Love, please don't cry. I understand. You had to deal with a difficult situation, and you dealt with it the only way you knew how." How the hell did he even understand?

She had dreams after their final night together. Things that night changed their relationship, everything changed that night. She did dream of him again, but she was never able to actually touch or speak to him. Instead, she saw the pain he went through when he lost Liam. She saw the destruction that happened when Killian returned home to find her missing.

"But you never found me again, you were so angry. I did dream of you again, yet I was never able to actually talk to you. I saw everything. The last I ever saw of you I was turning twenty-three. You were drunk and rambling on to someone with a red hat about how you've lost everything. You were so angry with me for leaving you." She could still feel that pain that he felt that night. That was the last time she had dreamt of him.

"Love, I was mad, but I don't think I was ever mad at you. I remember that night – very clearly even though I was pissed. That was the night I lost my hand. That was the night that I started to realize you didn't leave me – you were taken from me." He didn't elaborate, but Emma needed to know more.

"Rumpelstiltskin?" she questioned thinking back to the beanstalk. He had said he wanted to find her and get his revenge on the man who took his hand.

"Aye, there is more to your dreams, and he holds the answer; and once we arrive back in your realm, we will get them. I promise you, I will do whatever it takes to find out the truth." He said rather sternly. "Now, why don't you tell me about after your dreams."

"That one is easy. I had Henry right after high school. Ingrid, my adoptive mother who is actually from Arendelle believe it or not, was amazing. She helped me through the hard times, helped me decide to put Henry up for adoption. We knew it would be his best change. I wasn't ready to be a mother. I would have been a bad mother," she announced thinking back to that decision.

She was sitting on the couch seven months pregnant, with her acceptance letter to Boston University in her lap. She could defer a year she had already contact them to see what her options were. They understood, willing to let her come the following fall or spring. Yet, she knew she wouldn't be able to afford her dream school with an infant. She couldn't afford to take her child away from Ingrid, who would be helping raise it.

It was that night she decided Henry deserved to have a better life, one with parents who could give their children the world. Ingrid had told her it would make her a better parent, and she was right. She never could have raised Henry right, she could have never given him what Regina did. She was too young, too scared. Besides, in the end everything worked out – she would have never known this world to be true if she hadn't given Henry up for adoption.

"Swan, you would have been a fantastic mother, but you did what you had to do. No one could blame you for that." He held her hand, rubbing circles on the back of it. She hoped he truly believed that.

"After Henry was born, I attended college, got my degree in criminal justice and began my career as a bail bondsman. It wasn't a bad line of work, the money could be good and it gave me the opportunity to travel a bit, you know see the world." She reminisced about some of her favorite places she saw; New York, Savannah, she even took a special job in California so she could see LA.

"It sounds like you had quite an adventurous life." He sounded a bit jealous of her life, but he shouldn't be.

"It really wasn't." she said.

"Tell me love, did you move on?" a tough question actually, she could tell he really didn't want to know, yet Emma knew he wouldn't be satisfied until he knew.

"There were times in college – I dated, but the men, boys really, weren't worth anything, but they sufficed an itch. I was never really happy. The only thing that made me happy was my career, so I started to focus on that. And what about you Killian? Did you enjoy some wenches while I was away?" she responded.

"I was a pirate love, for three hundred years. However, most of that time I was in Neverland; however, when I was released, before I met up with Cora, yes I had some nights on the town; but similar to you nothing was ever wavering." Emma was hurt a bit, hurt that he somewhat moved on. However, she couldn't blame him, especially since she had done the same.

They sat in silence a bit longer. The coast was no longer in view of the vessel. The sun was also beginning to set, the stars becoming visible in the sky above them.

"I never stopped looking towards the sky you know." She finally said.

"Aye, neither did I love." He agreed, "So, why don't you tell me about your boy. When did he find you again?"

This was the question she was hoping to avoid. Not because she didn't want him to know about Henry, because she simply didn't want to see his face when he learned the truth – the truth no one else really knew – the truth about that night at the party.

"Henry found me on my twenty-eight birthday. I had just wished I wasn't alone – Ingrid couldn't visit me and for some odd reason, I missed him so much that day. He showed up at my door all demanding and confident, saying I was his mother and my family needed me – that they were in trouble, that I had to save everyone's happy endings. It was all crazy, but for some reason I followed him blindly." She laughed at the memory.

"I broke the curse a few days ago – I was leaving, trying to give Henry his best chance again, I was going to find Ingrid, however, she was already in town. She knew everything, but that is a story for later. Regina – the evil queen – tried to poison me, instead Henry at the apple turnover, causing him to fall under the same sleeping curse my mother was put under. I was able to wake him with True Love's Kiss. Everything happened so quick after that – Gold brought magic back to the land, a wraith was released and attacked Regina, we opened a portal to trap the wraith, but Mary Margaret and I fell through, which brought us here, and you know the rest." She shrugged.

"Well now, you are getting back to your boy, and we will set things right." Killian tried to brighten her sprits. She wasn't really upset, but things were starting to weigh on her.

"Listen Killian, there is something you don't know, that you should." She started, looking towards him.

"And what is that love? Something I need to know about your town before we get there?" he questioned, an amused look spreading over his face.

"No, it's about Henry, about the night I became pregnant. For a while I couldn't piece together the night – I didn't know who took me upstairs from that party. I didn't know who I spent the night with. When I woke up I was naked except for my underwear. I was so drunk the night before, so stupid. I thought it was the guy who took me upstairs, I remember him laying me down in the bed – however, when I questioned my friends, they told me they didn't remember anyone who matched my description. That was the same night I dreamt that we spent those months together, the morning I woke up was the morning you left." She spoke, not really sure of what else to say. The truth was going to come out. She caught his face and only saw confusion, but the wheels in his mind were turning, she could tell from the expression on his face. His face scrunches up a bit when he is thinking hard, and his face was mimicking those expressions right now.

"What are you saying love? I'm not quite following." He said, a bit quieter than normal – it was if he was finally putting the pieces together.

"There is only one explanation now, one that I have known in my heart since I had Henry, but never really wanted to admit to myself. One I couldn't admit to myself." She said a bit quieter now.

"What is what love?" He responded.

"You are Henry's father."


He was stunned. She could see the emotions moving across his face - disbelief, anger, and confusion. Emma was also feeling all of those things as well. She just told him the secret she had never told anyone else in her life. No one knew that Killian Jones - the now feared Captain Hook - was the father of her child.

When she first got pregnant during her senior year - after spending a night drinking at a party and dreaming she had spent three months with the man she used to love - she wasn't quite sure what was happening. Confusion didn't even cover the emotions she was feeling. In the back of her mind, she did wonder if Killian was the father, but the thought kept being pushed from her mind. He couldn't be - he was just a dream. She must have blocked out whatever memory of who the real father was for some reason. Or she was just too plastered to remember it.

Her mother asked her about it a few times, and each time Emma would break down crying and refused to speak about it. Sometimes she was ashamed at what happened - how could she allow herself to get into that situation. Other times she was pissed - how could anyone take advantage of someone? However, most of the time she was just there – she was just existing – willing herself to feel something, anything.

When she finally saw Henry again after 10 years - when he showed up at her door, she thought she was staring at a young Killian. Henry had Emma's eyes, but everything else was Killian. It was in that moment, that she actually started to allow herself to think that maybe Killian was real, that maybe, just maybe, somewhere Killian existed. However, the thoughts were quickly pushed away - thinking that she as just seeing what she wanted to see.

Standing in front of Killian again, she knew it was the only answer. She really did spend all those nights with him. She really did get to know the man behind the hook - or so to speak. She knew him before everything. She really did love him.

"Say something." she begged, in a small voice. He was still holding her hand, but his grasp on her had diminished.

"I'm his father?" he whispered.

"Yes." was all she was able to respond. When she said it, he dropped her hand and stood up. He began to pace around the wheel, running his fingers through his hair.

"Killian, please." she said, trying to pull him back. He wasn't angry, but she couldn't say he was thrilled either.

"Please what Swan? Why didn't you tell me sooner? Were you ever going to tell me? Why didn't you tell me?" he pleaded. She could hear the pain in his voice - one of disappointment and she wasn't quite sure if it was in her or in her son.

"Because you were so focused on revenge. For the longest time I didn't even know he was yours. Remember, I thought you were a dream - a wonderful and amazing dream. When I found it this whole thing was real, I knew that you must be his father, however, you were so focused on Gold and getting revenge. I couldn't have that in Henry's life." she explained. It was a good reason, if she said so herself. She wasn't going to subject Henry to his father, to have Henry get close to him, to just have him leave. She was sure Killian would just leave, but that Gold would make him disappear.

"Besides, there was never really a good time to tell you. I had to trust you again. You have to understand, Henry is the most important thing in my life - more important than my parents, than you, than anyone. I was just trying to protect him." she saw his face soften. Maybe he was finally starting to understand where she was coming from.

"I would never put him in danger, you know that." was all he was able to respond.

"I know, but I guess I was also protecting myself. I was scared to admit that what we had was real, that it meant something. I'm sorry Killian, I should have told you sooner." she cast her eyes down, looking at her hands.

"Were you always going to tell me?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. If you betrayed us, if you couldn't give up this vendetta against Gold, then probably not. However, if you proved yourself, if you were the man I once knew - yes, I would have always told you. You are his father," she said, saying nothing but the truth. He could be pissed all he wants, but she hoped he would understand her first priority was always going to be Henry.

"I get it Emma, I really do; but you should have told me sooner." he confessed, and she finally looked up to meet his eyes.

"I know, and I'm sorry." she said, as he moved to sit back down next to her.

"I understand. But the question is now love, do I get to meet him?" she could see in his eyes that he wanted nothing more.

"You really want to meet him?" she asked. She wasn't sure why he wouldn't want to, but she was still worried that he may want nothing to do with him or her.

"Aye, more than anything." he said, his eyes filling with love.

"Yes, but please, just don't break his heart." she begged. She still wasn't one hundred percent sure that he had given up this quest to see Gold skinned. She had hoped that maybe, he may put it aside for his own son.

"Trust me - I am not going to do to him what my father did to me. I am not going to hurt him," he said rather sternly. She could tell he was sincere in his declaration.

They sat in silence a bit longer. Neither of them really knowing what to say. Things were awkward, that was for sure, and neither of them really knows where they stood. She knew he still had feelings for her - he had spent 300 years looking for her. And she thought she may still have feelings for him - the kiss sure reignited some spark that was still inside of her. When his lips touched hers, something stirred in her and it was like no time had passed at all. It was as if they were still young and in love, spending time together in their clearing.

"So…" she finally said, as the ship began to slow down. They were close to where they would drop the dust and be on their way.

"I guess we have a lot to figure out love." he replied, filling in what she was going to say.

"Yeah, we do." she agreed.

"I can't believe I'm a father. I can't believe we have a son." she could tell he was still trying to grasp the situation at hand.

"He is amazing. Really. He looks like you too. When he first found me, I thought it was you. He is stubborn at times, and he gets this dreamy look in his eyes - like he is drying for adventure. He is confident - a bit too confident if you ask me." she smiled, thinking about her son.

"Does he know?" he asked.

"No, I never did tell him about his father. He asked me once, who his father was, but I didn't tell him anything. I told him that once the curse was broken, we would talk about everything. At the time, I was hoping he would forget, or it would give me time to make up a story. Now though, he will get to meet his father." she knew Henry was going to be elated - especially when he found out who Killian was. Henry was accepting of pretty much everyone. His adoptive mother was the Evil Queen after all - and if he could love her, he would surly love his own father, no matter who he was.

"We will tell him together," she said, reaching over to take his hand back in hers.

"Do you think he will be happy?" he asked, finally letting her see his worry. He wasn't angry with her, not really. This whole thing really revolved around him being self-conscious. "You don't think he will be mad at me for not being there for him?"

"You didn't know," she countered, hoping to shove some reality into him.

"But I could have fought harder to find you. I could have tried harder. I should have tried harder," he said.

"You did everything you could have. Besides, you are here now. You found me, found us, in the end. That is all that matters. Besides, I am sure if you found me a few months ago, and even years ago, I would have never believed you. I would have just thought I was dreaming again - or I would have gone insane," she laughed, knowing she would have. She was glad though, that they found each other when they did. "But we are here now."

"Aye love, that we are. But where does it leave us?" he countered, asking the question she wasn't sure how to answer.

"I'm not sure. What we had, was years ago, we aren't the same people," she admitted. Yes, she still felt something, but she wasn't quite sure what it meant or if it was even something like what they used to have.

"That's true lass, but I never stopped loving you. I know you feel it too." he was confident in his statement, and he was right. She did feel something.

"I don't know what I feel," she said.

"I will win your heart again Emma, and when I do, we will be family. Till then, I just ask that you don't push me away, that you trust me." she looked up and stared into his blue eyes as he said he was going to win her heart.

In her heart, it was what she wanted, what she had always wanted. Her brain however, was telling her that it may not work. He was Captain Hook, and she was the savior. Yes, they may share a child, and yes, they may have loved each other in the past, but it didn't mean anything. People grow up, they grow apart, and they change. She wasn't the same girl he once knew, and he certainly wasn't the same man. She still had to make sure she could trust him, that her belief in him wasn't misguided. It was a tough wall that he would have to climb over, but she knew he was up for the challenge.

They were staring at each other, another wave of energy pulsing between them when the ship lowered its anchor. Quickly they peeled away from each other, Emma heading to get her mother, while Hook prepared the ship.

As she descended the ladder and into the hull of the ship, she wasn't quite sure where they were going to go from here, but she knew that it would be an adventure. She wasn't sure how to tell her parents about Henry's paternity. She wasn't even sure how to tell Henry. She wasn't sure how Killian was going to fit in, how he would adjust to Storybrooke and being a father. She wasn't sure about Gold or her dreams. However, she did know that things were finally falling into place.


They had dropped the dust into the water and watched as the portal opened up in front of them. Her mother was clutching the compass for dear life, with its dial pointing exactly where they needed to go. Killian was standing close by, able to read the compass, so he could guide the ship to their destination.

As the ship was sucked through the portal, Emma was surprised that they weren't falling. They were still sailing upright. There was no more water, but it was as if the ship was gliding through the air. Was this how the ship got to Neverland? It really was like Peter Pan. God, what is my life? Emma thought to herself.

It took less than one minute to travel though the portal, and when they exited they came flying out, landing on the ocean surrounding Storybrooke with a large splash. She could see the clock tower not far in the distance. The docks were close. Only a few more minutes and she would be back with Henry and they would get back to having a normal (or somewhat normal when your parents are fairy tale creatures and your son's father is a pirate captain) life.

As they were pulling to the docks, Emma could hear the sirens of her cruiser pulling up. Her mother ran to the side of the ship. Emma followed quickly behind. There standing on the hood of the car that had just parked was her son - waving erratically and shouting for joy. Her father stood in the door of the car, looking calm. Ruby was also with them, a huge smile across her face. Surprisingly there was one other person that had joined their group - Regina. She was a bit farther back, by her car. She didn't look too pleased about their arrival, yet couldn't help but smile at her son's amusement.

It was something Emma, Killian and Regina were going to have to work out. Emma was not about to leave again anytime soon. She was staying put - she was going to raise her son and be in his life - whether Regina liked it or not. She wasn't going to stop Killian either from being a parent. If he wanted to be a father, if he wanted the chance with Henry, then she wasn't going to stand in the way. She only hoped Regina would agree. It wasn't like Emma was flat out taking Henry away, but she deserved the chance to be his mother too.

Within a second of Killian lowering the gangplank, the group rushed the ship - well Regina hung back and walked at her own pace, but the rest ran aboard. Henry, while she could tell he was happy to have her back, was more impressed with the ship they were on.

"I can't believe you came back on a Pirate ship - how cool is that?" Henry said, as he ran into her arms. Her mother was kissing her father - which made Emma smile but feel scared at the same time. Ruby was just standing off the sides smiling. Henry pulled back and looked up at his mom "I am so glad you're home."

"Me too kid, me too! I've missed you," she said.

It was in that moment that she realized Killian was standing a ways away from them. He was staring at Henry. He had a smile on his face, and a tear in his eye. He was seeing his son for the first time. She could tell he was happy, that he was already in love with the boy, but he was also unsure of himself. He didn't quite know what to say or do. For once, the famous and cocky Captain Hook was speechless.

"So, what happened, how did you get here?" her son asked with an animated expression on his face. She knew he would want to hear the whole story, but now was not exactly the time or place.

"It's a long story Henry, but first we have someone for you to meet." she said, grabbing his hand and moving him towards Killian.

"Henry, this is Killian Jones, he helped us while we were in the forest. You may know him though as…" she was beginning to say his famous moniker when Henry spoke.

"Cool, you're Captain Hook!" he was excited to say the least. Henry eyed the hook that had replaced his father's hand, but didn't comment on it. He was impressed.

"Aye lad, that I am." was all Killian was able to choke out, his voice cracking as Henry spoke.

"Henry, Killian is also someone else. Killian is…" just as the words were leaving her mouth, Regina finally made it on board and interrupted in her traditional fashion.

"While I am glad you are back Ms. Swan, mind telling us what happened while you were away?" Something in Emma told her that Regina was not as glad to have Emma back as she may seem. However, her question did have a point, and she was kind of glad it stopped her from letting everyone know the secret. This was something she should tell Henry alone first, with Killian.

"It's a long story, but I have to say, your mother is a piece of work." she responded, moving Henry into her arms.

"That she is." Regina responded with a sad look upon her face.

"Well, while I love seeing everyone, I'm hungry. Why don't we all meet at Granny's soon and discuss our adventures." her mother piped in. She was glad for the relief; things were starting to feel awkward on the deck of the ship.

"Sounds great, Henry and I will go shopping for some things and we will see you all back at the loft before we meet at Granny's - say six o'clock?" she responded. Maybe it would give them time to talk to Henry alone.

Ruby and Mary Margaret walked off the ship followed closely by her father, who had given her a slight hug hello before he left. Things were still awkward between them, but just like with her mother, she felt that their relationship was on the mend, and soon things would be normal - well as normal as they could be here.

Regina stood behind for a moment. She was eyeing Killian suspiciously, and she kept looking between the three of them. Emma could see Regina trying to figure out the connection that was between them - and she knew she would figure it out soon. Maybe Henry needed her here to hear the news she was about to drop on him. Maybe Regina would show she has changed and help Henry understand the situation they were all now in.

"So, Ms. Swan, want to tell me exactly who Hook is? You were saying something as I walked aboard, and I for one would really like to hear the rest of the statement." She said, with a knowing glow in her eye, yet they held hatred too.

"Right, ummm…." she was at a loss of words at the moment. She looked over at Killian and saw the trepidation in his stature. He was just as worried about how Henry would react as she was.

She moved Henry, who was still hugging her side to sit down near the side of the ship. She motioned her head to tell Killian to take a seat with them. Regina moved to stand near them, scrutinizing their actions. She was glaring daggers into the pirate, unafraid of letting her hatred of the man show.

"Henry, you know how I never talked about your father." she began, looking down at Henry who nodded silently. He had asked before, but Emma was never able to tell him anything. "Well, the reason was because I couldn't explain what had happened. When I was a kid, I started dreaming of a seaside village, I made friends there, met people who changed my life forever. The last night I ever dreamt of that place, and interacted with the people was on the night I became pregnant with you. When I woke up, I was in a friend's bed with no recollection of what happened the night before. I was stupid and was drunk."

"So you are saying you were drunk when you got pregnant with my son?" Regina spit.

Emma looked to the woman, and cocked her head to the side, as if to say, really? Just let me get through the story and I will explain. Besides, it wasn't like using magic on him was any better than what I had done.

"Like I was saying, I had no recollection of what happened, so I didn't know who your father was. I asked all my old friends, and no one was able to identify the man I was describing to them. So, I never really had an answer for you." she said, looking back down at Henry. He looked so confused.

"So what does this have to do with Captain Hook?" he questioned, looking over to the pirate. Killian looked so nervous, and Emma's heart broke a bit for him.

"Well, he was one of the people I dreamt about and met." she said, looking into Killian's eyes, remembering their time together as she told him.

"So you two have met before?" Regina questioned.

"Aye, but Emma didn't know that I wasn't a dream - it was over 300 years ago for me." Killian added, knowing at least this part of the story now.

"That is impossible." Regina countered, and it seemed like she was right, but here they were.

"It should have been, but it wasn't. I can't explain it, but I am sure there are people here who could." Emma added, "but that is neither here or there right now. What matters is when I landed in the Enchanted Forest; we landed in the seaside village. In a few days, we met Hook, and everything came flooding back. He was real, as was everything that I experienced there."

"How is that even possible?" Regina questioned.

"I have no clue, and if I did, don't you think I would explain it." she bit back. "We were actually hoping that you may have an answer."

"Ms. Swan, I am sure you know that time travel isn't possible, even with magic. Whatever happened, I have no way of explaining, but I am sure that someone in this town does have the answer." Regina's thoughts were the same as her mother's - Gold had the answer - he would know why Emma was able to travel back in time. Especially now, knowing that Gold took Killian's hand and it was the last time she saw him.

"I am still not getting it." Henry said, pulling the adults back to the matter at hand.

"Henry, what I am saying is that Killian and I had a relationship and the last night I saw him was the night I got pregnant with you, which could only mean one thing." she said, looking down at her son. His eyes were all hers, but she could see the young boy Killian used to be in his features.

Henry arched his eyebrow, still not fully understanding.

"Henry, Killian is your father," she said.

There was a stunned silence from her son and his adoptive mother. Regina's jaw had dropped substantially. Henry was staring at Killian, who had a timid smile across his face. Already, Killian had nothing but pure love and admiration in his eyes for his son.

"When I landed in the Enchanted forest, and we found each other again, everything suddenly clicked - it was the only explanation. Henry, Killian only found out a few hours ago, I didn't want to keep it a secret from you." she said, with nothing but sincerity. She never wanted him to not know who his father was.

"How did you not know?" Regina questioned, "How can this pirate be my son's father?"

"Regina, I didn't know the other world was real - I really did think everything was a dream. And I don't think I need to explain how Killian is Henry's father, but all that matters now is that he is." she said, hoping to calm down the queen. Regina was already an angry and vengeful person, but if she was even a smidgen like her mother, she didn't want her getting ahead of herself.

"Ms. Swan, a word in private please." she said, moving towards the helm of the ship. Emma looked down at Henry, who was still staring at his father, she couldn't read his thoughts, but she knew they would be OK.

Emma walked towards Regina, who was scowling at the situation they had all found themselves in.

"Ms. Swan, how can you possibly think that this was a good idea? How could you so recklessly tell Henry that this pirate, one of the most ruthless and uncaring I may add, is his father?" Regina questioned, motioning to where they were sitting. It looked like Henry was actually talking now, his lips moving only slightly as he continued to watch Killian.

"Henry has a right to know who his father is, just like he had the right to come and find me. I was not going to lie to him or hide the fact that his father is alive. When I didn't know, I dodged his questions, but now that I do, I am not going to let your fear hinder his chances of getting to know his father." she said, rather rudely, but Emma was done playing games. Regina tried to hide Henry from her and turn him against her for years, and she wasn't going to let that happen again.

"Ms. Swan, may I remind you that he is my son. You should have consulted me first. I am the one who knows what is best for him." Regina bit out. She was back to the same argument she always used. It infuriated Emma that she just couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Henry had a large family - one that loved him and just wanted him to be happy. While she may not enjoy Regina, she wouldn't keep him away from her, not now - not when she remembered what it was like to not have a true family. Why couldn't she just understand that Emma wanted Henry surrounded by love, to know where he came from.

"Cut the shit Regina. I am tired of the same excuses from you. He may be your son, but he is also ours. You may have raised him, but Killian and I are his family too. You cannot think that you are mother of the year; all of us just want what is best for him. Henry has a right to know his father, to know where he comes from. This decision was mine and mine alone. You have no reason for Henry not to know his father, so you are just going to have to deal with it." she spit out. Regina was either going to accept that Henry's parents were back in his life or she wouldn't but the bickering and fighting would end today.

"And what if he leaves? What if he hurts him? You and him are the same you know, both never settling down, both running from the past." Regina yelled back.

"He would never abandon his son - ever. He would never hurt him. I know that for a fact. He may have been Captain Hook back in your land, but I have only ever known Killian, and the man I know, the man I have found to still be there, would never cause his child any harm. All we want is to be there for him and help raise him. We are both here to stay, and I recommend that you get used to it. Neither one of us want to take Henry from you - all we are saying is that we are his parents too. We deserve a spot in his life, just as much as you do. If you have a problem with that, well, you need to deal with it, because we are not going anywhere." her emotions were getting the best of her, a tear was streaming down her eyes as she bit out her response to Regina's rather harsh words.

Sure, Emma may have never really settled down anywhere, never kept a steady job, never had a steady man in her life; but all of that changed with Henry. Regina always made her out to be a bad mother, simply because she never quite felt at home in the outside world. However, that was over now. She never felt more at home as when she saw the Storybrooke skyline come into view when the ship passed through the portal.

Regina calmed down a bit with Emma's last response. She was taking in everything that Emma had said. Emma could only hope that she would understand a bit.

"You don't want to take him from me?" she questioned, unsure if Emma really meant what she said.

"No, I don't. While I don't fully trust you Regina, I did a lot of thinking in that forest, and if you make Henry happy, then why should I keep him from you. We all still have a lot to discuss - I know I would like Henry to spend some nights with me, but I also know he would like to stay with you too. We need to figure this all out - for him. We need to put aside our personal opinions and differences, and work to give Henry everything he deserves." she responded - with nothing but the truth. While in the forest, Emma realized that if she tried to keep Henry away from Regina, she would be no better than her. Plus Regina did love Henry - in a weird and sometimes twisted way, everything she did was for him.

"All right Ms. Swan, but just know that if either of you harm Henry in any way, you will pay." she added, moving to go back towards her son.


While Emma and Regina had their little scuffle, they missed the interaction that was happening between Henry and his father.

Killian was nervous when Emma actually told Henry who he was. Henry seemed impressed when he first found out that he was Captain Hook, but now he wasn't sure what the lad was thinking. He stared at him for what seemed like hours, just taking everything in.

"So… you're my dad?" Henry finally spoke when Emma left to go talk with Regina. He was still staring at him, but there wasn't hatred in his eyes, which Killian was worried about, instead, he saw awe and happiness.

"Aye lad, I am, I'm your father." he responded, with happiness in his voice - which did crack a bit. It was the first time he was actually saying it to his son - his son. After 300 years of searching, trying to get to Emma, trying to get his revenge on the man who took everything from him - he never expected to find that he not only lost so much more, but could gain so much too. He studied Henry, and like Emma said, he did look like a younger version of himself. He had Emma's brilliant and inquisitive eyes, but the hair and the nose was all him.

"I'm Henry." his son replied, reaching out to shake his hand. It was kind of cute how much of a gentleman his son was. While he may hate Regina - and the past they shared, which was filled with too much violence - at least his son was polite because of her.

"It's nice to meet you Henry. Sorry it took so long." he said, smiling down at his son.

"It's OK. You didn't know." Henry smiled back.

"Aye, but had I known, I would have found you much sooner - the both of you." he explained, looking at up Emma for the first time. She was yelling something at Regina, pointing down to them.

"Mom's pretty great isn't she?" he questioned.

"She is. I've spent 300 years trying to find her, and now that I have, it doesn't seem real. None of this seems real," he confessed, looking down at his hook.

"I'm glad you're both home." Henry said, smiling, "Can you tell me what it's like?"

"What what's like?" Killian questioned.

"Being a pirate?" Henry laughed, excited to learn everything about his new parent.


Regina had left them after her confrontation with Emma - saying that she would see them at Granny's. Henry was talking to Killian about his days as a pirate - and it brought a smile to Emma's face to see them bonding already. Her son was always a trusting boy, one to pick up a conversation with anyone. If she had to guess, Regina never had to have the stranger-danger talk with him. Killian was telling him about the food they used to eat, when Henry stood up and said he was going to see what the kitchens looked like - leaving Killian and Emma alone.

"He is amazing Emma." he said, turning to walk towards her. She hadn't really moved from the position Regina left her in.

"He is, isn't he?" she had to agree he was pretty amazing. While Emma hated herself at times for giving him up, for not being there for him, she was glad she did it.

"Thank you." Killian said, when he reached her, pulling on of her hands into his. He stood directly in front of her, taking her in. In the past few days, Emma had gone from seeing the man she used to love, to finding out he was someone different - someone she never thought he could be, to thinking the man was still inside, to finding out he had grown into a better man - even with the pain. Sure, there were things in his past that he wasn't proud of - he was a pirate after all, but he always had a reason for doing them - her.

"For what?" she questioned, unsure as to why he was thanking her.

"For letting me know Henry, for sticking up for me with Regina and your family. For reminding me what I was fighting for. The past few years Emma, I was angry, I was doing things that went against everything I stood for; yet the second you came back into my life, I knew that I had to change, that I had to fix my mistakes. You trusted me," he confessed.

"Of course - he is your son and you have proven so far that you will do the right thing. Just don't let me catch you with Cora ever again. That was just creepy." she said with a disgusted look on her face - just remembering the way he flirted with her, made her feel like spiders were crawling on her body.

"Do I detect a bit of jealously love?" he jested, but Emma knew he wasn't wrong. Yes, she did feel a ping of jealously when he was so brazen with Cora.

"No." she said firmly though, she couldn't let on.

She had told him earlier, she wasn't quite sure what she felt anymore. Did she still love him? Could she? They had been through so much - and so much time. While she was pretty sure he was the same Killian she once knew, she knew there were changes in him. Could she enter back into a relationship that was built on a fantasy; at least a fantasy on her part? Part of her said yes, it jumped at the chance to be with Killian again. They worked well together they understood each other. The way their lips met, the way their bodies aligned - they were perfect for each other.

However, another part of her - the cynical part that started to grow when the dreams of him because further apart and when she had Henry, told her a relationship with the pirate would never work. He may be acting like the man she once knew, but he had just spent 300 years being a pirate, and they were known to play games and lie. It was telling her she had to protect Henry at all costs. Henry had to come first. She couldn't enter a relationship with him, while protecting their son. Killian needed to develop that relationship first, and then, maybe Emma would be ready for him once again.

"Emma, remember what you said, you wouldn't push me away." he pleaded.

"I'm not. I wasn't jealous - grossed out would be a better expression. But I'm not pushing you out, but I am not pulling you in either. Our main focus should be Henry. He comes first. We need to focus only on him, and if we fall into place than so be it, but I am not going to risk anything with him in mind." she said. "Now, go find our son, we have to go shopping and meet my parents. I am sure they need to be told as well. Just don't stand too close to my dad when we tell him." she smiled at her remark as Killian went below to fetch Henry.


Shopping with a pirate is actually quite amusing. He questioned almost every piece of food they put in their cart. Thankfully, Henry was more than willing to help his father out. Already, it seemed like they had never been separated. Henry talked to him like they had a relationship that had been going on for years, not minutes. The only thing Henry hadn't done was call him dad. It reminded her of when she first came to Storybrooke. He called her Emma for the first few days, only calling her his mother when introducing her or wanting to piss Regina off. She also didn't want him calling her mom for a while, but when he did, she couldn't believe she had gone so long without hearing those words.

"What the bloody hell are pop-tarts and why are we buying a flavor called Confetti Cupcake? What kind of food are you feeding the lad Emma?" He questioned, with a look of pure horror on his face.

"It's for breakfast, Killian. You toast them and eat them. They are actually pretty good." she confessed - she loved the breakfast food, especially the blue raspberry ones, but Henry preferred the cupcake ones.

"This is just rubbish Swan." reaching into the cart and taking out the pop-tarts and setting them on a shelf nearby.

"Hey - my pop-tarts!" Henry said, quite upset - a tradition pre-teen boy.

"Come now lad, I can make you a true pirate's breakfast of grapefruit and boiled mackerel. There will be no way my son will get scurvy," he said, as he walked back towards the counter that had the meat. Emma had stopped him earlier from buying every single piece of fish he saw, but there was no stopping him now. She let him go, and once he was out of their eyesight, Emma grabbed the box and placed it back in the cart, hidden under their taco meat.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," she said, winking at her son, who was now laughing hysterically. "Come on, let's get those taco shells and head home."

Thankfully, Killian didn't find anything else to really comment on during their shopping experience, even though he did add quite a few extra items to their cart - including the mackerel. Henry distracted him while Emma checked out, so he wouldn't see the pop-tarts they were hiding. It reminded Emma of when she was young and Ingrid would "hide" candy from her. She always knew where it was though, and snuck too many pieces at times, but she never thought that one day she would be hiding pop-tarts from her pirate ex-boyfriend.

They all walked back to the loft together, Henry telling Killian about what school was like and how his grades were. Killian was more than enthralled with the conversation. He almost ran into a light post - twice - because he was so busy just watching Henry and talking with him.

As they entered the loft, Emma could hear the sounds of giggling coming from the room that sat off the kitchen.

"Hey! Guess what - taco shells were on sale!" Henry yelled as he raced through the door.

"I still don't understand what the bloody hell tacos are…" Killian began as he came to an abrupt stop behind Emma, almost running into her.

She was standing in the middle of the large open room, her mouth dropped, staring at her parents naked in their bed - at least it seemed they were naked. Her mother quickly pulled the covers up to cover her body and her father bundled the covers up around his lap. Yep, they were doing exactly what she thought.

"What are you guys doing in bed? It's the middle of the afternoon?" Henry asked, clearly not as scared at the scene in front of him as Emma was. Behind her, she could hear the pirate laugh.

Her father shot daggers at him with his eyes, as Emma reached back to swat at him. Mary Margaret, ducking her head a bit more under the covers was the one to answer him.

"Well, the trip back was tiring and I needed to rest." she said, in her teacher voice - one that said, of course this is the right answer, and you shouldn't ask for any details on the matter.

"And I needed to… help her rest." her father added.

"Aye mate, I'm sure you did." she heard Killian say, as she saw him move out of the way and into the kitchen - a smirk appearing on his face. "Lad, why don't you show me how to make these tacos? Maybe then I will understand."

"What's not to understand? It's meat and cheese - what's not to understand? Come on." Her son said, with a bit of disbelief that Killian really didn't know what tacos were.

"We didn't think you would be back yet," her mother confessed to her in a whisper.

"Yeah, well, here we are. So maybe next time, you could put a tie on the door, or text, or…. you know what? I'm just going to go make some tacos. There is something I got to tell you guys, so maybe get dressed and join us," she said with embarrassment fully covering her face.

She heard her father say that it was impressive that they could still provide her with a few traumatic childhood experiences this late in the game. She chuckled as she joined the boys in the kitchen - which was already a mess.


Once the tacos were made, and Henry was sent to shower and get ready for the party, Emma knew it was time to tell her parents about Killian. She was sure Regina wouldn't be keeping it a secret - knowing that she was still kind of pissed about the fact her adoptive son was the real son of someone she hated, and her parents didn't need to hear that story from her. They deserved to hear it from Emma.

She sat them down - making sure that her father was sitting away from Killian. While Emma didn't mind the fact he was a pirate - and had done questionable things in his past - she didn't think her father would take it very well that he was the one who was Henry's father. She didn't really think it would matter who the father was - David would be a treat to any man who was in this situation.

She was right. When Emma told them Killian was Henry's dad- after explaining her whole dream sequence and her past with them - he father stood up and yelled at the pirate. Thankfully Mary Margaret laid a hand on David's arm and that seemed to calm him down.

"Wait - so Captain Hook - is Henry's father?" her mother questioned - wanting to make sure she was understanding everything right.

"I know, I know. There are a million questions you may have - and believe me - we have them too. How was it even possible - considering the vast time difference in our lives." she said, knowing that most of the questions that her parents were going to ask wouldn't have an answer.

"Emma, why didn't you tell me?" she asked, with more pain than Killian had shown earlier when she dropped the news on him.

"I wasn't sure what I was going to do. OK?" she confessed.

"Please tell me you weren't thinking about not telling him - both of them?" her mother countered - knowing exactly what Emma's thoughts were earlier.

"I just wanted to protect him." Emma said, sinking back into her seat, with nothing but guilt swelling in her system.

"I get it Emma, but you of all people should know how important it is to know who your family is." her mother added.

"I know OK. And I told him. So what's with the guilt trip?" Emma yelled, standing up and moving to stand in the kitchen.

"We just want to make sure you are telling us everything." her father said, "You are telling us everything right?" he added, looking over to Killian.

"Aye." was all he got in response.

"We don't know how this all happened - or at least parts of it. I thought everything was a dream. I would fall asleep in my bed, wake up in this village, then wake back up in my bed again," she explained for the thousandth time.

"Have you asked Ingrid?" her mother asked - a bit of pain seeping back out.

When Emma arrived in Storybrooke originally, everyone was under the curse, yet Emma told Mary Margaret all about Ingrid and the life she had growing up. Ingrid came to town a few days before the curse broke, hoping to help Emma realize what she was meant to do all along. Since the curse broke and being sucked into the portal - Emma hadn't talked to her adoptive mom. When Ingrid first came to town, Emma was pissed at how quick she was to try and get Emma to believe. She had known all along and never told her. However, in the past few days - Emma was realizing her mother had been trying to tell her ever since she was little, but she never listened. Maybe it was time to have a talk with Ingrid.

"No, I actually haven't seen her since the curse broke. But, maybe I should. But we all know who is going to know everything about what happened." she said, looking over at Killian as she said it.

"The bloody crocodile." he snarled.

"Who?" her father asked.

"Gold, Rumplestiltskin, what ever the hell his name is. He will know the answers," she agreed.

"But will he tell us anything?" she knew her father was right - it was a long shot to have Gold actually talk to her and give her any information.

"I don't know, but it's a chance I have to take." she said.