AN: First of all, did anyone catch my 3x05 reference in the last chapter? If not, go back to the scene where Mara goes to Mr. Gold's shop. I put it in there :3

Also, don't forget to take the survey at the bottom after you've read

ENJOY!

It didn't hurt. Not one bit at all. Emma Jones felt so blissful, as if this childbirth were by magic. Nevertheless, she still cried out as she pushed the baby out and she held her husband's hand rather tightly. Thankfully he had endured worse, such as losing his hand altogether, so squeezing it tightly was child's play.

"You're almost there, Emma," Dr. Whale said excitedly, "Just one more push and we're done."

With one final push and a loud gasp from Emma, the lights in the room began to get brighter and brighter until the sound of a baby's cry filled the room, then the lights were so unnaturally bright until they dimmed down all at the same time not a moment later.

"It's a girl, Emma," Whale said, as he took the baby to get cleaned off.

"May I, doctor?" Killian asked, holding his arms out in front of him as he began to approach Whale.

He hesitated once he got a good look at the shiny, silver, and pointy hook where his left hand should be. Whale took and step back and attempted to conceal the baby from him.

"Whale," Emma said, still sweating and tired, but just as demanding, "He's her father... let him hold her."

Whale looked from Emma to Killian, then nodded. He handed the tiny squirming baby wrapped in pink cloth to her father, who held her with his right arm, supported by his left arm.

Once Kilian Jones looked into the eyes of that little ball of perfection, with dazzling blue eyes, little pieces of black hair above her perfect pale skin, he could feel something special about that crying angel; something magical about her. All of that hope he had saved up had finally payed off. Here he was with his wife, rubbing his arm gently as she smiled at them, and his very own child. It was a dream come true, especially for Emma, who had also finally gotten the real family that she deserved.

"Would you like to hold your little girl?" Killian asked, handing the small child over to the mother, whose eyes were swelling up with tears already.

Emma nodded and took the baby from her husband's arms, then saw the beautiful toothless opened mouthed smile from the newborn with beautiful blue eyes.

"She looks like you," Killian said softly.

She brushed back the black locks on her head and chuckled, "No way… that hair and those eyes? Those only belong to one person I know."

He nodded. Emma then became wide-eyed to the baby.

"Hi Mara…" she whispered, smiling at the small girl as she grabbed at her mother's blonde locks.

"Emily," Killian breathed, "Mara Emily."

Emma pressed her lips together, then looked from her husband, back to the baby, rocking her gently in her arms, "Mara Emily Jones."

It was a bright white light that was so bright that everyone had to cover their eyes just to make sure that they wouldn't be blind after this. Rumple was using his magic to try and break the spell over Emma's yellow force field. Mara felt fairly helpless that she couldn't do it herself, that was for sure. Tristan knew that, that's why he stayed close to her.

Suddenly, the light set off some kind of spark and it bounced against the walls of the mine.

"Mara!" Tristan shouted as he ran and jumped on top of Mara, causing her to fall flat on the ground, with Tristan guarding her body.

She looked up at him and smiled, "I could have handled that myself… but thank you."

Tristan stood up and helped Mara up on her feet, brushing the dust off her shoulders and arms. The magic ball of light wasn't done running its course, however, and it jolted back quickly, striking Mara in the back and causing her to fall forward. It was no surprise to everyone when Tristan jumped in front of her and caught her and she fell weak in his arms.

"Tristan…?" she asked, her hands placed firmly on his shoulders as she breathed heavily, looking into his eyes.

"Mara," Killian said, running towards her as Tristan gently let her walk over to her father, watching her carefully, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Mara said, holding onto her father's arms tightly as she readjusted her stance, "Yes, I think I'll be okay."

Killian nodded and patted Tristan on the shoulder, "Thank you, mate."

"No problem," he answered.

Hook then turned his attention to Rumple, "What have you done?!"

"Dad!" Mara said, releasing herself from his grasp and standing in between him and Rumple, "I'm okay. Obviously the magic wasn't that powerful enough to actually hurt me."

"Not powerful enough?" Mary-Margaret asked, "But how? Rumple, your magic is always powerful enough."

"I don't understand…" Rumple said, looking directly down at his palms, "I've broken the paralyzing spell before, how is this not working?"

Mara suddenly gasped and stepped back for a moment, gaining the worried attention of Killian and Tristan while everyone simply waited for her to say something worthwhile. Her thoughts began to circle back to the moment when Peter first came aboard the Jolly Roger; the first time she ever saw his face when he was younger.

"You best hope you still have your hope with you. The moment the heart of the truest believer grows up and leaves home, all of the magic in your precious Storybrooke will die out."

"Henry…" Mara whispered.

"Who?" Tristan asked.

"Henry?" Mary-Margaret interjected, "What about him?"

"We were warned, mom, dad, and I," Mara explained, "We were told that if Henry grew up and eventually left this place, then there would be no hope for Storybrooke."

"Who told you this?" David asked.

"Pan," Killian answered.

"We made a de-aging potion for him and slipped it in his breakfast one morning," Rumple added, "so as long as he was in Storybrooke, he would never grow up."

"When he left, everything seemed just fine," Killian said, "that's why we never worried."

"Until now," Mara breathed, "Rumple, your magic doesn't work as well as it used to because Henry hasn't been back in years. Without the heart of the truest believe HERE to keep magic alive, then magic will slowly continue to thin out until it's gone forever."

"That Peter Pan is quite the sneak, isn't he?" Rumple muttered.

"What else is new?" Killian groaned.

"How about this," Rumple said, raising his eyebrows, "Pan told you about Henry all those years ago not because he wanted to protect Storybrooke, but he wanted to protect himself."

"So Peter Pan is selfish," Tristan shrugged, "I thought we already knew that."

"What I mean is, that if Henry doesn't believe soon, not only magic in Storybrooke, but Storybrooke itself AND Neverland will cease to exist."

"What about Mara?" Tristan asked, "She restored the magic in Neverland, can't she keep it that way?"

"She could," Rumple said, "but she is just gaining her magic. The heart of the truest believer is far more powerful than anything she could ever do."

"It's settled. We have to find him," Mara said immediately.

"And leave Storybrooke?" Belle asked.

"Well somebody has to," Mara nodded.

"I'm going too," Rumple said, "If anyone knows how to find Baelfire in New York City, it's me."

"Don't you forget, crocodile, that I crossed realms and found my wife in New York quicker than it took for you to do so and find your son," Killian interjected, "and I will not leave my daughter's side."

"It's settled then," Mara said, "The three of us are going."

"And I'm going as well," Tristan added.

"No," Mara protested, "I need you to stay here and look after my mother, not to mention my grandparents and my aunt."

He nodded, "As you wish."

"Whilst you're sleeping, I offer our apartment next to Mary-Margaret and David's," Killian nodded, "You seem honorable enough to 'house-sit', as my wife calls it."

"Thank you, captain," Tristan answered.

David was watching Emma, making sure that nobody suspicious came along and tried to take her away or something of the sort. Mary-Margaret, to her dismay, was sleeping alone in her apartment. Killian was finally asleep in his own bed once again while Mara was back in her old room, still decorated like a 7 year-old's pirate fantasy. Tristan was asleep in the room across from her. He was so close, yet so far away for her to comprehend. Tristan wasn't really asleep either. He just stared at the shadows on the wall as the rain pattered against the window.

The sound of a door creak made Tristan draw his sword instantly from his bedside table and hold it firmly up in the air, facing directly towards the door with very little light coming from outside with the occasional lightning bolt due to the rain outside.

"Shhh," a familiar voice hushed.

Mara came into view from the darkness and her figure was distorted by the harsh amount of light from the moon and the spots on the window from the continuing rain. Tristan, however, was relieved and put his sword away.

"Mara..." he sighed.

"Relax," she said soothingly, "This is a safe place; completely unlike the other world..."

"I still can't believe you kept this whole other side of your life to yourself," he said.

"I don't talk about it much... the less people on that side know about this side, the better," she answered, "That's what makes this place so safe... hardly anyone outside, except those who lived here, know it exists."

"A world without anyone following us? No sneak attacks or raids every other day?" he asked, "That's gonna take some getting used to."

"Well now that you know it's here, you can came back whenever you want," she said softly, sitting down on the side of the bed.

He looked at her hand for a moment and hesitated to make a move with her. Was she technically with Peter now? Wouldn't that mean he is crossing a line by romantically pursuing her? He had held her in his arms so many times before as if they were forever devoted to each other. They slept by each other's side because they were terrified to be without each other, yet she still called him "friend". What confused him the most was after everything they had been through, she kissed Peter. Peter seemed more than happy to accept her perfectly pink lips against his own, and that angered Tristan. Peter must have known that Tristan had feelings for Mara, he just had to. Then again, Peter was never really known to do the honorable thing.

"Tristan..." she whispered.

"Yes?" He answered almost instantly.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" she asked.

He smiled and nodded his head, "I think you'll always know the answer to that question."

She chuckled and got beneath the covers with him. It was different this time; sleeping with something covering her. All the better now that Tristan was there. Tristan perfectly accepted her as his arms wrapped around her and she snuggled close to his chest, her hand resting firmly on his heart. He began to play with her little strands of hair while he felt her heart beat against his own. This was the happiest Tristan could be, yet he couldn't feel happy because he saw a vision of Peter, standing in front of them as he watched over Mara, his woman, not Tristan's.

"Mara..." he whispered, "You kissed Peter... in Neverland."

"Shhh," she hushed, "He kissed me, to be precise."

"Yes, but you gladly accepted it, didn't you?" He asked, angrily.

Mara sat up and turned herself so her hands were on either side of Tristan.

"Listen to me carefully, because I will not say this to you again," she ordered, "This is all very confusing for me... you are wonderful... magnificent... compassionate... and just... so beautifully human..."

"But?"

"But there's also Peter..."

"I don't need to hear what you like about him," he halted.

"Both of you are wonderful people... and I know that it's selfish to say that if I choose one I lose the other... but I may not ever see Peter again... and you both deserve all the happiness in the world-."

Tristan sat up just a little bit and pushed her back so she was laying down on the bed and he was hovering over, just an inch away from her lips.

"And I want you to know that the last thing I want to do is distract you from your mission," he whispered, "But once this is over and you've succeeded, you'll know that there is someone waiting for you... right in front of you... who loves you... and not in the way that you think... but in the way that is the strongest, deepest, purest kind of love. The kind of love that will do anything to make sure you are at your strongest... the kind of love that tempts me right now at this very moment."

Mara lifted her hand and pressed her palm against his cheek, smiling softly at him. He was there, just above her, and he was perfect and soft and kind. He was a good fighter and thief and pirate, but he was also a noble man with a heart purer than Mara's, no matter what any magical prophecy says. Tristan had the heart of gold.

"Oh Tristan..." she said, her voice trembling.

"Enough already," he said before attaching his lips to her in a sweet kiss.

That sweet kiss wasn't like anything Mara had expected. If she had ever kissed Tristan in her imagination once or twice, she had imagined him with a soft kiss, a tender and gentle care to him. But it wasn't like that at all. Tristan was fierce, fiery, and passionate. It was unexpected and yet it was what Mara needed as they pressed their bodies closer together to feel the heat between them. They both let go from the kiss, breathing heavily.

"Mara-."

"Don't talk," Mara demanded, taking his face in her hands and quickly kissing him again, only harder this time.

The tension was soon becoming too much for both of them to handle. It was Tristan's dream come true to be desired in this way by the most wonderful girl to ever step foot on the planet. Kissing her sweet lips as she breathed heavily and begged for more made him finally feel like she was accepting him, and not just as her friend, for once.

At the same time, however, it felt too wrong. There were much more important things to focus on than who Mara's heart belongs to. Her mother was paralyzed within a force field while her own brother may not even believe in her anymore. This wasn't the way he wanted this to happen.

"Wait, stop," he whispered against her lips.

Mara sighed heavily and fell back on the bed, "What's wrong...?"

He bit his lip, wondering if he was about to make a big mistake, "Do you love me?"

Mara's eyes widened, "Yes…" she paused to watch the reaction on his face, whether or not it'd be positive or not, but his expression didn't change, and it worried her, "I've always loved you like my own dear friend… but in the past few months… something's changed, Tristan. I've never even admitted this to myself before… but my feelings for you are much different now than they were before… at first I just admired you for being so compassionate and a much more perfect human being than I am… but now I just need that. I need you, Tristan… I love you."

"Do you love me and only me?" He asked immediately after.

She bit her lip and glanced at the ceiling. Tristan nodded and fell on the bed next to her.

"I'm not gonna make you think too hard about it now," he said, "Lucky for you, I'm a very patient man. I've waited a while for your heart, what's a few more weeks while you figure out your family situation?"

Mara turned over and smiled at him, "Thank you... you truly are the most amazing person... sometimes I wonder if I even deserve the love of someone like you."

He brushed a piece of hair out of her face, "Ditto."

They fell asleep in each other's arms that night, listening to the sound of the rain and watches the patterns on the wall together. He lay on his back with his arm holding her close to him as she lay on her side, her hand firmly placed on his chest while his thumb gently grazed against her shoulder. It made Mara really think this time. Tristan's kiss wasn't better than Peter's, it was just different. They were both wonderful. However, there was a chance that Peter was selfish and her family was right about him, and it's possible that she'd never see him again because of it. Would it be a great loss if Peter really would be gone from her life forever? Would life be better without him? Was Tristan really the right choice for the long haul? Peter could never ever leave Neverland for as long as he lived, nor did he want to leave. Being with Peter meant a lifetime on an island, becoming a princess of all things magical; maybe the queen, possibly. Tristan would lead a life of adventure, always searching new lands, finding new possibilities, and having her parents by her side. Mara knew that choosing Tristan meant choosing family, and choosing Peter meant choosing Neverland.

When the sun rose in the morning, Mara did not remember having any dreams. They were possibly dreams of black and white. Now the rain had stopped and it left a refreshing smell in the air. Mara quietly got up from the bed, kissed Tristan's forehead.

"I do love you…" she whispered, stroking his perfect brown hair as he slept.

She quietly sneaked out of the room, returning to her own without making a single sound as if nothing had ever happened.

There was only green, brown, and gray for miles. It was a long winding road with a yellow line straight down the middle and an orange line horizontally across it. The town line. Mara felt so weird coming here again. She first visited it when she was a child, wearing little blue jeans and a cute little blue top as she stared off into the land of no magic. Now she was back, heading straight for it with no regrets, dressed the same way as she was before. Rumple's car was slowly approaching the line when he pushed on the brakes and it came to a slow stop just before it crossed the line. Rumple leaned back.

"Do you have the vials I gave you?" he asked.

Killian and Mara took little glass bottles out of their pockets.

"Alright, now pour it on an item that is always close to you," he instructed.

Killian dabbed it onto his gray fleece, which he wore along with jeans and a white shirt whenever he came to Storybrooke as a way to fit in, as Mara unclasped her necklace and spilled the contents of the shell and rubbed the liquid onto the chain.

"Good," Rumple nodded before turning back around and pushing the gas and jolting the car forward; a feeling Mara hadn't been used to in a long time.

Rumple began to drive slowly once they crossed the town line. Mara felt a shock go through her entire body that sent shivers down her arms and legs.

"Everybody okay?" he asked.

"I'm good," Mara said, the necklace now securely around her neck.

"I remember myself just fine, thanks," Killian grinned.

"Excellent," Rumple said before driving off much faster into the distance.

The car ride was going to be a long one, considering that they had to go all the way to New York. Mara watched the position of the sun as it moved higher and higher into the sky. She thought of Tristan every now and then, especially about how he deserved a proper goodbye rather than just getting up and leaving after she told him about this big revelation she had about her feelings for him. Everything she said that night was true; that her feelings did change for him, but it was only until that night did she fully realize that they did. It went from an admiration to a desperation. Mara loved Tristan. Mara also may have loved Peter. It was difficult to say. Peter was in Neverland and if Peter couldn't leave Neverland, there was no way her parents would let her go back to find him. That kiss may have been their last. What if Peter really was selfish? What if he was too selfish to even consider leaving his precious island? Was her dilemma not good enough for him? Tristan cared enough to go anywhere with her, trust anyone for her, anyone except for Peter, which made perfect sense. It was all very confusing.

"You seem to be very heavy in thought, love," Killian said, breaking Mara from her trance out the window.

She shook her head twice and looked over at her father, "I've got a lot on my mind."

"I'll say," he chuckled, "Your parents left you at 12 years old, you captained a ship for 4 years by yourself, you've crossed to three different realms in under 48 hours, you just got your father back after 4 years, you've discovered that your mother is alive, you're traveling to New York City for the first time, and you have two boys playing one hell of a tug-of-war over your heart."

"You know about-?"

"Please," he scoffed, "How could anyone not see that the Jacobs boy pines for you? Everything he does is for you. It's written clear as day in his eyes."

"It's all so strange," Mara said, staring at the floor of the car, "My best friend becomes a someone who is deeply in love with me and my enemy becomes a forbidden love that I may never have…"

"Right," Killian said, rolling his eyes, "The new and improved Peter Pan."

"Why is it so hard for all of you to just accept that he's changed?" Mara asked, "He's good now, dad. I promise you."

"I find that one hard to believe," he answered.

"Why?"

There was silence. Kilian looked away from his daughter and up to Rumple in the driver's seat. Rumple sighed and looked at Mara through the rear view window.

"Because his name isn't Peter Pan," Rumple said, "His name is Malcolm."

"What?" Mara breathed, "How do you know that?"

"Because a long time ago, there was a little boy in the enchanted forest with a father who was absolutely terrible. He was a gambler and a cheat, but the boy still loved him even though his father was terrible to him-."

"Peter is the boy..." Mara whispered.

Killian hushed her.

Rumple continued, "Months after the father left the boy with two women to be cared for, the boy returned to the father with a magic beans. The father took them to a place called Neverland. When they arrived there, the father was so consumed with greed for magic, that he let go of every single adult attachment in order to become a boy again, that way the magic of Neverland will return to him. So a shadow took the boy away from his father and threw him back into the Enchanted Forest forever. The father stayed in Neverland and was transformed back into a boy. Amongst his travels, he found a little doll which his son named "Peter Pan" and so he called himself that name in honor of his son."

Mara was silent and looked from her father to Rumple several times.

"You can't be serious," Mara said, shaking her head, "Peter... Malcom, that is... had a son?"

"That's not even the worst part," Killian chuckled, "Tell her."

Rumple sighed, "Malcolm… is my father. That boy in the story is me."

Mara gasped and clasped her hands over her mouth, "It can't be true… it just can't be."

"What? That your special forbidden love abandoned his own family or that you kissed an old man?" Killian asked, laughing.

Mara leaned back against the seat, slouching only slightly so she could get comfortable for the long car drive. No thoughts filled her head as she purposely attempted to make her brain go numb for a while.

"Would you like to talk about something else, then?" Killian asked.

"Like what?" she said with her eyes closed.

"No idea," he chuckled, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Four years."

"I haven't missed much, have I?" he added.

"No," she said, turning her head and opening her eyes, "Everything I've done, you've heard in passing, I'm sure."

"Like captaining the Jolly Roger," Killian said with a proud smile, "I can't believe it. My own daughter captaining the ship like a pro… you know who would be proud of you, of course."

Mara smiled and looked out the window, "Uncle Liam would."

There was more silence, more like morose silence now.

"What was he like?" Mara asked again, still looking out the window.

Killian sighed, "He was a good thinker, a hard worker, and he had a very good sense of logic. He never easily listened to anyone other than the people he was close to, that was both an excellent trait that made him a captain and the reason for his downfall."

Mara nodded, "Would he like me? You know, if he were alive?"

"Well… things would be different if he were alive today," he answered, "If Uncle Liam were alive that means the dreamshade really did heal him instead of kill him. I would still be a Navy Lieutenant and he would be my captain. I know this is a bloody awful thing to say, but I am somehow grateful my brother died that day… because I would have never rebelled against the royal court and become a pirate, I never would have shared secrets with the greatest bandit himself, Flynn Rider, and I never would have met the Queen of Hearts who could have never told me to go in disguise as a poor injured man in order to trick your mother. Most importantly, your mother would have never seen right through me and made me the man I am today."

Mara scooted closer to her father and grabbed his arm, cuddling herself up against him like she used to do when she was a small child. Killian smiled and kissed Mara's hair. In the rearview mirror, Rumplestiltskin admired and watched with jealousy of how Killian had been the only father not to abandon his child purposefully amidst the chaos that goes on in the lives that they lead. A man who was claimed to be a villain turned out to be the most honorable father of them all. Oh how things change.

The car ride was quieter after that, but it was a good kind of silence that people could reflect upon and relax. There were so many problems going on, but in this silence, the three of them could let them go and calm every last nerve in their bodies until they reached their destination.

New York was a lot more different than Mara had imagined it to be. First of all, she thought it would be cleaner, second of all, she thought there would be less people and the buildings wouldn't look so frighteningly tall. It was like a big piece of land filled with giant castles everywhere. The car pulled up in front of a mass of buildings with several doors, several windows, and several fire escapes.

"We have reached our destination," Rumple said proudly as he undid his seatbelt.

"You ready?" Killian asked Mara.

"I have to be," she insisted, "otherwise we came all the way here for nothing."

Killian nodded in agreement. Mara undid her seatbelt and opened the car door, taking in the brisk air of the city along with the subtle winds that came from it. Rumple lead the way to the door and opened it, allowing Killian and Mara to enter in first. He made his way past the both of them once inside and pressed the button he was most familiar with.

"Hello?" a voice came from the white box.

"Surprise!" Rumple said happily.

"Dad," Neal's voice responded positively, "What are you doing here?"

"Must a dad have a specific reason to come and visit his son after all these years?" Rumple said.

Neal chuckled, "Hold on, I'll buzz you in."

There was a very unappealing buzzing sound that came from the air and Rumple pulled the gate open.

"After you two," Rumple said, letting them into the building first.

After climbing a few flights of stairs, Rumple found the apartment door very proudly and almost effortlessly, then began knocking three times, smiling very deeply.

Neal opened the dark green door and almost immediately grew a smile that went from ear to ear.

"Papa!" he cheered, taking Rumple in for a big hug.

"How are you doing, Bae?" Rumple asked.

"I'm fine, doing good," he answered, "Come in, please."

"Hey Neal," Mara said, stepping into the apartment.

Neal caught sight of Mara and looked very confused, but once he looked her up and down and took in the sight of her, his eyes grew very wide, "Mara? No way. That can't be you."

"It's amazing what several years do to one's growth," Mara laughed and ran to Neal for a hug.

"It's good to see you again," he laughed, "Henry will be home any minute from school and he'll be so excited to see his baby sister again. Where's your dad?"

"Present," Killian said, walking into the apartment with his head held up high to the clouds as he stalked very closely to his own daughter.

"Killian Jones," Neal nodded, "You look good for a handless guy in street clothes."

Killian looked down at his hookless arm and grinned, "If one must fit in, one must not be wearing a full length leather jacket with a vest, pants, and silver hook to match. In this city, it is best to wear jeans and show everyone that your hand is gone."

"I see…" Neal answered awkwardly.

"But enough about me," Killian smiled, "Where is the boy? We've come to see him."

"Oh?" Neal asked.

"Something's gone terribly wrong back home," Mara explained, "We really need you and Henry back in order to help fix things."

Neal chuckled, "Why would I wanna go back? So I can watch my son have more fun with his mother than me? So I can stand there and be Emma's cheerleader while Hook does all the real work? Sorry guys, I'm not bringing Henry back there so he can be a part of the Mara show."

"Is that why you left, then?" Mara asked, "because you were scared?"

"I wasn't scared," Neal argued.

"Then what on earth could possess you to believe that it was okay to take Henry away from his home?" Killian asked, "What makes tearing a brother and sister apart okay?!"

"I was supposed to be the one to marry Emma!" Neal yelled, then calmed himself down, "It wasn't supposed to be you. Henry, Emma, and I are the ones who are supposed to get our happy ending..."

"If you forget, mate, I gave your family a shot, remember?" Killian said, "As it turns out, I was the better choice, and just look at what we've created from that. Our daughter is the finest captain, pirate, and fighter on the seven seas… and she looks just like me so of course she's absolutely gorgeous."

Mara shot a look at Killian, then at Neal. She was ashamed at how these two had been treating each other all this time. They were arguing no better than Tristan and Peter were when she was in Neverland.

"Look, there is nothing to argue about anymore," Mara said, standing in between the two of them, "My mother made her choice, end of story. But that fairy tale to rest and pick up the one that we're in the middle of now, before something terrible happens to everyone we love in Storybrooke, okay?"

Killian and Neal were looking straight at each other. As Neal opened his mouth to protest, the dark green wood door flew open. There stood a big and tall young man. He had a backpack on one shoulder and one earbud in his left ear. He was muscular which made him very intimidating. He stared at the floor most of the time as he walked into the apartment, his shaggy brown hair in front of his eyes.

The brown haired boy looked up, then pushed his locks back over his head to see the people that were standing in his apartment. An old man on the couch, a one handed man in a gray fleece with jeans and dark slicked back hair, and a beautiful girl in jeans and a blue button down blouse with black boots and the most enchanting blue eyes in the whole world. Those eyes stopped him right in his tracks, causing his ear buds to fall out of his ears and his back back to hit the floor along with all of his stuff.

"Mara?" he asked, almost too hesitant to walk towards in her in fear of what she might do.

Mara blinked twice, trying to examine this person who seemed like a stranger to her, but then she saw the youthful glow in his face, his rosy cheeks, and the little smile that he gave her. She gasped.

"C-Can it really be you?" she asked, stepping closer to him, "After all this time?"

"Yes… It's me," he answered, "Your big brother."

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