So...bloody hell...this is the hardest chapter I've ever had to write! Between a power outage that caused me to lose part of what I'd written (lesson learned about saving every ten seconds during a spring rainstorm) and the writing/deleting/rewriting I did over the course of the past few days...HERE IT IS FINALLY haha. I apologize for the long wait, but here's hoping it was worth it! There's still more to come - I'm thinking two or three more but hopefully I can wrap it up soon! Hopefully you are still reading :] and thank you all so, so much for your lovely comments/support on this story. You're all amazing! As always, all characters/rights belong to OUAT. I own nothing!

It was moments like this that made being eight months pregnant bearable. Emma had been sentenced to the couch where Killian had demanded she do nothing but rest and exert no effort unless it was to turn the page of the baby naming book she'd been scouring for weeks now. He sat on the floor, leaning back against the end of the couch where her head was pressed into a throw pillow. As she sifted through the variety of monikers on the pages, her hand ran absentmindedly through his hair - an action he had always loved. She toyed and twisted the dark tufts, smiling at the comfortable sounds he randomly made.

Killian had ended up sitting with a shoebox of old pictures, a familiar position for him ever since Emma became a memory keeper of sorts. Nesting had taken its toll in the form of chronicling every single photograph in their possession and Killian - much to his chagrin - had become the official scribe. His handwriting was just so beautifully calligraphic and swirly and it would look amazing in each album. Well, that's the story she was sticking to. She was choosing not to address his dramatic sigh that came after completing the words on the back of each picture. She smirked to herself when he'd pause for her reaction, but ultimately kept going. God, that man really loved her.

"Love, all I'm saying is that Leopold is not the worst name-"

Emma loved Killian. She really did, but he was sure getting to her over this baby name thing. Of course, he was great at teasing her about pretty much anything, but this was a whole new level of ridiculous. He turned to brave her reaction and she was sure that the glare she threw him said plenty, but of course he wouldn't be so easily swayed.

Ever since they'd found out they were having a little boy, Emma had been on the hunt for the perfect name. Killian found such humor in her persistent search, opting to tease her about it at every opportunity he had. She scowled at his ridicule and he let out an amused laugh. Well, that was just fine. Two could play this game.

"Well, as long as we're discussing names that I know you love," Emma began in a sing-song voice. "Why don't we use Peter as an option?"

He reached back and tickled her feet playfully as he took on an expression almost identical to the one she'd given him. His blue eyes were dark and trying to feign annoyance as he put on quite the grimace. She was playing a bit dirty for sure - she knew all about the disdain he had toward the neighbor they'd had in their first apartment - a man who'd surely pressed Killian's buttons in every annoying way possible. She laughed, mussing his hair gently. He smirked back at her against his will and it humored her to know how easily she could get him to fold.

"Well, terrible choices aside," Killian told her, leaning back within reach of her hand again. "I think when you find it, you'll know - or rather we'll know."

"Maybe you're right," Emma conceded, letting out a flustered sigh as she tossed the book to the floor. "This dumb book is getting us nowhere."

"Well, that doesn't mean you have to throw it, Swan," he laughed as he raised his eyebrows comically. "Book abuse doesn't look good on you, love."

She narrowed her eyes at him playfully and he returned the expression, a smile crossing his lips. He stood to retrieve the book and Emma's eyes landed on an envelope wedged into the box of memories. She reached for it, noting a bit of scribbled text on the front - K & L summer in Ireland.

"Killian, what's this?"

Curiosity got the best of her and she failed to wait for his reply, flipping it open and fishing inside for the contents. Her breath hung heavy in her throat when she realized what she'd stumbled upon.

"We were so young there - family vacation up the coast of Northern Ireland," Killian's voice narrated, full of some emotion Emma couldn't quite pinpoint. "Well, what was left of a family anyway."

Emma's finger ran across the photograph, tracing the image of her husband as a young boy standing on the shore. They looked simplistic and joyful in a way Emma hadn't seen before. Killian's hair blew wildly in the breeze and Liam's mess of curls were damp from the salt of the sea. The grin on Killian's face was mirrored with her own and she felt his eyes on her, a blue curiosity she found when she looked up at him.

"Something amusing you, Swan?"

"No - well, actually...kind of," Emma shrugged, holding the picture up for him to see. "I just wish I knew him. You both look so happy here."

"Yeah, we were-" Killian replied, choking back an emotion he hadn't planned on. "-and Liam would have loved you."

"You think so?"

"Well," he began, returning to her side and kissing her gently. "You put me in my place the moment we met, made me chase you and your stubborn heart for quite some time, and eventually offered me a chance for the family I lost when he passed. I'd dare say he'd worship the ground you walk on - almost as much as I do."

She rolled her eyes comically, running a firm hand through his dark hair as he grinned in return. He reached forward familiarly and rested a gentle palm on her abdomen. It was so sweetly protective and anticipatory in a way Emma didn't ever believe she'd have.

"I can't imagine what it was like to lose him," Emma said softly, resting her hand on top of his. "He took care of you - and for that, I'd dare say I owe him one."

"Oh, is that so?"

Killian's goofy smirk - the one she absolutely adored - spread across his face and he arched a questioning eyebrow at her. Liam had been there for her husband in every single way before she'd ever known him. He'd kept him whole - kept him alive with a belief in the will to live after losing so much. Though Emma would never have the opportunity to meet this older brother, she had the utmost respect and love for him.

"Killian?"

"Hmmm?"

His blue eyes set firmly on hers as he awaited whatever idea she had turning around in her mind. He ran his fingertips across her stomach, something he did often and carefully. They really should have discussed what she was about to say, but something told her that this decision she'd silently made was one he wouldn't argue with.

"I like it - Liam."

"Liam," Killian repeated, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "My brother's name?"

Emma nodded carefully as realization filled his features and his eyes began to water in a lighter color. Yes, there would be no argument here.

"For the baby," Emma confirmed with an honest grin. "Let's name him Liam."

"You're sure?"

"More sure than I've been about anything in a long time," she decided, brushing away the tear on Killian's cheek. "I think it's the perfect choice."

The look on his face was one of the purest gratitude and when his lips landed on hers, it was oh so clear that he agreed. He was right - when they found it, they'd know...and now, they sure did.

Standing in the doorway had become an endless activity by the time Emma began to think that maybe everyone was right - perhaps she was overreacting. He'd been asleep for about ten hours, but he did have pneumonia plus some drowsiness from a few quite late nights - she supposed she ought to take the blame on that. Yet as her eyes studied him and lingered on the steady pattern of his breathing, she told herself that it was okay to be a bit overprotective. She had every right considering what they'd been through.

"I heard you were keeping watch over Sleeping Beauty."

Emma turned to find Ruby striding toward her, a caring grin on her face as she taunted Emma's faithful observation. She had probably come to visit Victor, but it was endearing to see her stop by to check in on them before heading back to the bar. God, hopefully August was holding the fort down successfully.

"Nothing wrong with keeping an eye on him," Emma responded, arching an eyebrow in playful defense. "After all, can you blame me?"

"I suppose not," Ruby shrugged, leaning against the frame of the door. "Victor says the sleep is good for him though. Not to brag up my boyfriend, but I'm pretty sure he will do whatever is required to keep Killian and another coma away from each other."

"Not that I don't have faith in Victor's medical skills," Emma began, sighing softly. "But do you trust that his residency experience will support that belief?"

"Absolutely," Ruby grinned. "Besides, I've made it pretty clear to your Irishman that if he scares you like that again, a brain injury will be the least of his worries."

Emma laughed softly and Ruby rested a hand on her shoulder, squeezing in a comforting way. Emma met her gaze with gratitude - that girl had always been good to them. Ever since all of this occurred, Ruby had been there to help pick up the pieces. She'd probably never fully understand how thankful Emma was to have her around.

"You know, Em," Ruby began. "It's okay to worry, but it's also okay to believe that things are going to be fine. It's okay to have faith that you two have been through the worst of it."

Emma's eyes lingered on Killian's sleeping form for a moment before turning to Ruby with a stubborn smile, one that was slowly dissolving into hope. Maybe she had a point - maybe it was time to stop anticipating the worst. A flicker of optimism danced in her eyes as she watched the pulse of the heart monitor follow the rise and fall of his chest. They'd been through worse - they would make it through this.

"I know - and thank you."

"For threatening your husband? Happy to help with that anytime."

"Good to know," Emma laughed, teetering on her heels. "But Ruby - could you do something for me?"

"Ugh, yes - I'll get Victor to come check on him again."

"Thank you, Red."

She rolled her eyes with a laugh, turning on her heel to search for the doctor who'd checked on Killian multiple times in the last hour already. Emma knew her caution was probably exaggerated, but hell if she wasn't going to do everything in her power to keep him close - even if it meant being a nuisance to the nurses and a sky high hospital bill. Killian was worth every bit of it.

It was a fever dream like no other - it just had to be. Yet when he hugged him tightly and without words, it was like he wasn't gone at all - he was almost real. It was almost like he was there.

He'd had enough encounters with addled minds of sleep lately to know that in all actuality, it was a dream - but one with definite purpose. The idea sparked a curiosity he had to follow. Honestly, chasing after his older brother was a skill he'd mastered long ago.

Killian's heart pounded in his ears as he stood shoulder to shoulder with the man he'd missed terribly for years. The horizon was calm and Liam sigh heavily, the mist of the sea hanging slightly in the air.

"Liam," Killian started, nearly stumbling over the name of the man beside him. "What are...why are you here?"

He immediately felt like the worst of kin by saying such an ungrateful thing. Truthfully, seeing Liam gave him the strangest sense of hope. He just wasn't sure what to do with that feeling.

"You know what I mean," Killian tried again, rolling his eyes. "I just have to ask for the sake of my mind. I just have to make sure my brain hasn't progressed to producing ghosts."

"It's good to see you too, brother," Liam chuckled, firmly folding his arms across his chest. "I prefer to think of myself as anything but a demon...and like I said - I've got something to show you."

"At the docks?"

"Of course at the docks," Liam repeated, a clever grin on his face. "Seemed like an appropriate place to begin."

Killian smirked a bit, scratching the place behind his ear that was decidedly less sore. The two of them had basically grown up in the shadow of the sea so it was fitting - although the tranquil harbor of Storybrooke was rather different than the rocky cliffs and waves they'd left back in Ireland.

"I don't know if there will be much showing if I can't see," Killian commented as he tilted his head toward the sinking sun. "The view isn't as nice once it's dark."

"Don't say so just yet," Liam replied distractedly. "Just give it a minute."

Killian was about to break into their old brotherly banter when he heard voices - two of them. They were far too familiar.

"Ah, there they are," Liam smiled, his eyes landing on the owners of the conversation moving closer. "Actually I guess it's more like there you two are."

His neck turning abruptly gave him a sight he hadn't anticipated at all. There he was - and he was with Emma. Killian watched himself in a state of pure happiness, the woman he was clearly in love with linking her arm through his and her head on his shoulder.

"Liam, what's this?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Killian's older brother nodded back toward the scene and it suddenly became a predictable moment of the best kind. Killian watched himself fish a ring from his pocket and though he couldn't hear anything, he watched the proposal fall from the lips of the man he once was. Emma's reaction was perfect as her unoccupied hand covered her mouth and she nodded, a tear rolling shamelessly down her cheek. Killian's face filled with elation as he watched himself slide the ring into place and lift her into his arms, swinging Emma in a circle like some fairytale moment.

"Pity you forgot such a thing, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Killian breathed, observed the way that his lips had found Emma's. "But why...why am I remembering it now?"

"Because you never should have had to lose this memory in the first place," Liam said after a minute, his eyes finding Killian's with care. "You have made mistakes in your life, Killian, but Emma isn't one of them. The pair of you worked harder than you can imagine to have this life you know not of. You should have it now - all of it."

"I'd like to agree, brother - but it would appear that life has other plans. As much as I want it, the past few weeks haven't afforded me such luxury," Killian replied, feigning a smirk of sorts. "But I'm starting to believe that we might be okay without the knowledge I've lost. I have Emma and if that's all I ever gain back, it will be enough."

"But perhaps you can have it now," Liam told him, smiling in a promising manner. "If you want it - that is. I know you've been through hell, little brother. I know you've had to overcome much and so has Emma. If you could have it back and keep what you have now...would you want it?"

Killian looked at Liam with incredulous curiosity. He'd all but let the possibility of getting his memories back go as soon as he saw that Emma wanted a life with him regardless of the outcome of his brain's recovery. The idea that he could get it back was one he hadn't dare entertain, but now that Liam was offering the possibility...well, it was one he didn't want to let go of.

"More than anything, brother."

"I hoped as much," Liam said firmly, a proud smile following his words. "So let's see if I can help you with that."

Emma dropped her head back against the smooth leather of the chair in the corner of his room, watching him through her drooping eyelids. She couldn't sleep - not yet. He might wake up and she needed her eyes open to meet his if he did. She scanned the heart monitor's rising and dropping flash and the still, relaxed state of her husband before deciding it would be okay to get some air. A walk was probably just what she needed.

How she ended up here wasn't much of a mystery - even though she hadn't planned on it at all. Emma stared through the glass at the several rows of open cribs, most of which were filled with wiggly, tiny, beautiful newborns. Her eyes darted from the pink caps to the blue ones and she smiled softly at the expressions of each one. To her left, she noticed a new father pointing toward a particular baby while whispering something in the ear of the young boy he was holding. They both looked amazed, the dad proud and the new big brother full of questions about his sibling. Emma didn't know which baby had just joined their family, but as she watched them, she realized just how much she wanted to see her husband and Liam in a moment like the one she was observing. She finally admitted just how much she wanted another baby - and how much she hoped Killian would too.

Wandering back to his room, a new light filled her eyes and she knew what she needed to do. She had to know - and the moment Killian was awake, he'd know too. She only hoped she could give him the news she was longing for.

"Hey Anna," Emma began slowly as she approached the girl she'd come to know well as she scribbled on a clipboard. "It's...nice to see you."

"Emma! Yes, finally," Anna laughed, setting the clipboard on a nearby counter and lunging forward to hug her. "I'm so glad we can finally be happy to talk to one another - although I've heard Killian was a bit under the weather. Is he doing better now?"

"He is - he's going to be fine," Emma nodded, swallowing bravely. "But I'm actually here for something else."

"Oh? Well, I'd love to help you. What can I do?"

"I...I need-" Emma stuttered, trying to fight off a swarm of butterflies in her stomach. "-a blood test."

Anna appeared confused for a moment, but as the question seemed to hang on her tongue, Emma's simple smile gave her away. She knew Anna was restraining from pulling her into another death grip of a hug and she had to appreciate the willpower - they couldn't celebrate just yet. She had to know for sure first.

"Well," Anna breathed happily as she gestured toward the lab. "Right this way."

Killian wasn't sure how Liam knew about all of this - how his brother had become such a faithful keeper of the memories he'd lost. He was glad someone recalled everything, especially now that he was proposing to help him do the same. Was it really possible? Killian was filled with a hope he didn't know he still possessed.

"There's plenty I'm sure you'd like to recall," Liam explained. "But I have to ask - what do you want to see?"

"A loaded question for sure, brother," Killian sighed, trying to sift through the desired memories he longed for. "But perhaps...something happy. I don't care what, but maybe something with all of us - this little family of mine. Just something happy."

"You mean with my little nephew as well? I have to say Emma would have won me over with that," Liam grinned stupidly. "From what I've gathered, he's carrying the name well."

"You have no idea," Killian laughed softly, suddenly missing his son's presence. "He'd love you, Liam."

"And I - him," Liam nodded with a chuckle KIllian missed. "Even though it appears he inherited your looks, little brother."

KIllian scoffed, shaking his head before facing the way Liam was tilting his own. There they were - all three of them. The water seemed like a likely place to find many of these memories and this one was no different as Killian noted his bare feet and Liam's sandy hair. Emma's smile was one he would gladly gaze upon for as long as time would allow and it grew as she set her eyes on their little boy. Killian watched himself play papa, a task he had been relearning and loving more than he'd ever dreamed he would. Liam was attempting to escape his embrace, his little toes trying to navigate the sand and failing as he was lifted by his father. That little laugh gave Killian life once again and he grinned wildly at the sight of himself with his son. The moment swallowed Killian as he wondered if they looked like this to others - so picture perfect and playful. The idea that they did provided him with a sense of the happiest pride.

"Never dreamed you'd be such a family man," Liam commented, clapping him on the shoulder. "But I have to say it looks good on you, Killian."

He smirked at the compliment, continuing to observe the scene he was glad his brother deemed to be happy. He laughed softly as he watched Liam finally elude him, the little boy's feet carrying him away and into the shallow water washing up on the shore. Emma gazed after their son in the identical way that Killian, both past and present, found himself doing. His breath hitched hard in his throat as he watched himself turn and draw his wife into a passionate kiss, his hands in her hair and hers resting on his biceps. It was a gesture Killian had been a part of a few times since the accident and as he watched it now, he knew it was something he was always meant to have.

"So this is it, Killian," Liam interrupted, his voice smooth and caring. "This is your life - and you can have it back."

"But how, Liam? How do you know this?"

"The mind works in mysterious ways, little brother," Liam said, a tone of humor enveloping his voice. "That much should be obvious or I wouldn't be here."

The awareness that Liam no longer would be after all of this built a sadness in Killian's heart, one he never knew he'd have to face again. His brother seemed to sense it and he pulled him into a firm hug. It was the goodbye he'd never gotten - the moment he always wished they'd shared before Liam had been lost to him.

"You know I'm always here, right? You've got the name you chose for your little boy to thank for that," Liam clarified, a flattered demeanor radiating from him. "He'll keep me alive - as I'm sure he does for you and Emma every day."

"I'll miss you, brother," Killian admitted, trying not to choke on his sentiment. "I think I'll always miss you."

"Likewise, little brother," Liam agreed. "But now you won't have to miss your memory as well."

"Liam," Killian tried, his voice still disbelieving. "I just...thank you."

"I didn't do anything," Liam smiled. "But I'm glad to be here to witness your return, KIllian. Now, get back to that life of yours and try not to lose your mind again."

Killian laughed, trying to formulate a reply when he was suddenly blinded by the whitest light. He squinted sharply and a gust of breath sprung from his chest, causing him to momentarily fight for air the way he had during the accident. It hit him hard and with a force he had never felt before.

There were moments he remembered - meeting her for the first time, the million ways she'd shut him down, how he had been pulled into the green of her eyes from the second he saw them. There were the many late nights he'd spent trying to figure out how to win her over and the numerous times he imagined what it would be like to kiss her.

But then there was the thousand things he didn't remember that now - by some unexplained miracle or magic - he was completely flooded with.

The meteor shower. The first genuine smile she'd shown him. Their game of back and forth banter from the beginning all the way to the night before the accident. Their first date. Their first almost kiss and then the heated actual kiss that finally followed. Every single intricate detail of the process of falling head over heels in love with her.

The two times he nearly proposed and the one time he finally did. The way she'd said yes over and over and the way she looked with happy tears all down her cheeks. The rainstorm where they'd stood shivering but realizing that they would finally get to be together for the rest of their lives. The wedding. His vows and hers - and not just the words he'd heard when he'd stumbled upon the video at home. The way she'd kissed him, sealing everything he'd ever dreamed of having with her.

House hunting, buying, and restoring. The way she looked with paint on her face as they colored the walls of the place they would both call home. The picture frames - every single one. The nights they spent arguing over movie choices and how much salt was too much in terms of popcorn.

Liam - their little Liam. How he'd come home to Emma blurting out news of her pregnancy. The way she looked so concerned that he was upset and the absolute joy he'd shown her instead. Bantering about the baby's gender and hearing the heartbeat echo in his ears as he found out they were expecting a son. Watching her frustration with the way her clothes ceased to fit and how he realized that he preferred her barefoot with no clothes whatsoever, her stomach swelling in a way that he found beyond beautiful. The way they'd picked their baby boy's name together yet at Emma's prompting. The way she'd endured hours of labor without yelling at him as much as she had every right to - and the way his son's lungs sounded the first time they heard him cry.

There were years of Liam - watching him learn to run before walking and laughing as he mastered scaling the stairs much earlier than they ever planned. The way the little boy fell asleep on his chest at night for years and the gentle way he'd help him to sleep by reading anything make believe. Hours at the park and morning walks to school. Breakfast together and countless rounds of Q & A. The contagious laugh when he tossed the little boy into the air and tickled him relentlessly. Endless 'I love you, papa' moments and the hugs that matched. The way that he went swimming in his son's blue eyes every morning and the way his soft hair felt when he leaned down to kiss him goodnight.

The bar and the hours he spent there. The nerves he'd encountered the night he opened and they way it all melted the moment he laid eyes on Emma. The way he'd teased her and laughed as she claimed she could move a keg on her own and the way he'd made up for his taunting by kissing her senseless while she sat on the wood of the bar. Watching baseball in his office while attempting to multitask. Late night dart games with David that often ended poorly - and even the annoyed yet humorous look she wore in the rare moments that she had to pick him up in his much less than sober state.

The years he'd spent married to the woman he would have chased to the end of the world and back. Relentless passion and chemistry that never fizzled. Waking up to her shallow breathing and the sunlight dancing across her skin as he kept her comfortably in his arms. The way she looked at him when he was working or playing dad or just in general. The way she loved him. The way she needed him.

It was back. All of it.

His eyes snapped open and stared hard at the ceiling before searching the room for her. She was there - of course she was there. Her long blonde curls were gathered loosely and tied up at the base of her neck. Surrounded by a large blanket, she was engaged in what appeared to be a somewhat pleasant sleep. She was everything he needed to see in that moment - and she was his. She'd always be his. He knew that now.

He didn't know how and he didn't know why, but it was real. It had happened. He remembered - and he couldn't wait for her to wake up to that.