Thanks again for all the support! I got so many reviews and new followers after the last chapter and it made me so happy! Please keep them coming, they make it all worthwhile! Here's the next chapter! ENJOY!

~Mags

Chapter 25

The French toast was a hit with Aidan…Emma and Killian sat on the other side of the booth as they watched him take bite after bite…only pausing to gulp down his milk. "I'm thinking he needs brushing up on his table manners," Emma joked before taking her own bite of French toast.

"The lad hadn't eaten at an actual table in…well…maybe never." He then frowned down at his breakfast and poked at it with a fork. "I'm not so sure about this."

"It's Egg's Benedict," she said as she picked up her coffee. "You'll like it."

"I'm thinking I should have gotten the French toast," he said as he pocked it again and watched it jiggle. "Why must food jiggle in this world? First the jell-o…and now this?"

"At least it's not blue," she said with a smile and then rolled her eyes. "Just try it…I hardly doubt you've never had eggs before."

"Not like this," he said giving her a look before finally cutting into it with his fork.

"Make sure you get the Canadian bacon and English muffin with it," she said as she leaned over to point. "It's what makes it…"

"Excuse you, Swan," he said annoyingly as he nudged her away. "I do believe over the course of 300 years, I've managed to perfect the art of eating…unless there's a different way you do it in your world?"

She pressed her lips together in amusement and shook her head and then looked over at Aidan and winked at him when he giggled. "So?" she asked when he took the first bite.

"It's…different," he said and then gave a little shrug. "But quite good…very good," he added after another bite and then pointed his fork to the other peculiar thing on his plate. "And what's that?"

"Hash browns…fried potato." She reached for the bottle of ketchup and plopped it by him. "It goes great with this."

He set his fork down so he could pick up the bottle. "It looks like a bottle of blood."

"Brilliant!" Aidan exclaimed as he tried reaching for it. "Can I try?"

Emma couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry, kid…doesn't go well with French Toast…but we'll come back for lunch and you can have it with some fries."

"Is this some sort of trick?"

Emma looked over to see Killian had his ketchup bottle upside down, but nothing was coming out. "No…it's just the ketchup being stubborn." She took the bottle from him and then smacked the bottom with the heel of her hand until a big glob of ketchup plopped on his plate. "There!"

"Bloody hell," he grimaced.

"Trust me…you'll like it."

And he did like it…so much that he barely left a crumb on his plate by the time the waitress took it away. And since Aidan didn't quite finish his breakfast, he reached over for a taste of French Toast and it was bloody delicious, but now was paying the price.

"I don't think I've ever eaten so much in my entire existence," he groaned and then looked over at an amused Emma. "At this rate, I'll be as big as Smee before I know it."

"Another reason why people jog," she said as she chuckled into her coffee. "It burns all the calories you consume."

"Bloody hell…does that mean I'll have to start jogging?"

The mental image of Hook running in the woods dressed in a jogging suit made her choke on her coffee. "I don't know if jogging would be your thing…sword-fighting burns calories…stick with that and you'll be fine."

"I can definitely do that."

Emma turned in her seat towards him and placed a hand on his leg. "Can I ask you something?"

He glanced at her and lifted a brow. "Keep that hand there and you can ask me anything you want, love."

She gave him a look. "I'm being serious."

He reached down and covered her hand with his. "Sorry…of course you can."

"Why…why haven't you asked me about Neal?" she asked softly and then looked down when he swept his thumb against her hand. "You know I've talked to him."

"Aye."

"Then why…?"

"I'd be a fool if I spent the time I have with you talking about another man, love."

Her heart fluttered in her chest. "You're not the least bit curious?"

"You came to me this morning…you let me hold you…kiss you…I'm here with you…I don't need to know anything else."

Overwhelmed with feelings, she leaned over and kissed him firmly on the mouth…not caring who saw or what they thought. This was the man that she couldn't stop thinking about…this was the man that made her smile one minute and roll her eyes the next…this was the man she couldn't seem to keep her hands off of…and this was the man she was beginning to fall in love with.

"People are staring, my dear," he said teasingly against her mouth.

"Does it look like I care?" she asked with smile as she swept her thumb across his bottom lip.

"Well, I care," Aidan pouted from across the table. "You guys are going to make me barf!"

"Get use to it, lad," Killian said as Emma pulled away but their hands remained clasped under the table. "It's going to be a regular occurrence if I have anything to say about it."

"Aww, man…kissing is gross, stupid and…hey, there's Henry!" Aidan exclaimed suddenly as he got up on his knees and waved enthusiastically.

Henry made his way over followed closely by David and Mary Margaret. "Come sit next to me, Henry!" Aidan said as he scooted over and patted the empty spot beside him. "Killian and your mom were…"

"Aaaabout to take him shopping," Emma quickly interrupted him while Killian met Aidan's eyes and gave him a warning look as he shook his head.

Henry did not need to find out about his relationship with his mom by a blabbering little boy who didn't know when to stop talking. Aidan answered with a confused look but then got the picture and gave him a quick nod of understanding as he pressed his lips together.

"There you are," David said to Emma as he pulled a chair up for his wife before getting his own. "We were wondering where you went."

"I woke early and went for a jog…stopped by the Jolly Roger to take these two to breakfast."

"I had French Toast!" Aidan said proudly and then turned to Henry. "Do you like French Toast?"

"Sure," he said with a smile. "In fact…I think that's what I'll get, too."

"We were just telling Henry that we were about to head out and get Aidan some new clothes," Emma informed them as she shared a quick smile with him, silently telling him she appreciated his silence. "He's in desperate need of a new wardrobe.

"And what about the pirate?" he asked as he picked up the cup of coffee that the waitress had just placed in front of him. "Going to get him to switch from leather to denim?"

Hook gave him a scowl. "Keep talking, prince."

"Actually…it's not a bad idea."

He whipped back around to Emma. "What?" Killian balked. "I don't need new clothes."

"You're in Storybrooke now," David pointed out with a grin. "If you want to stay in Storybrooke…and something tells me that you do…you got to dress the part."

"Listen, I'm not…"

"Good point, Dad," Emma said interrupting Killian's rant. "And since it was your idea…you can take him."

David choked on his coffee and then cursed when he burned his tongue. "Damn it…no…I'm not taking Hook shopping."

"You're damn right you're not," Hook interjected.

"Guys don't go shopping," David informed her. "Not in this world, not in our world…not in any world."

"I'll do it," Snow said for the first time with a small, mischievous grin. "It'll be my pleasure."

Hook gulped. "I'm officially terrified."

"Too bad there's not a Nordstrom's in Storybrooke," Emma said as she gave Hook a glance over. "You'd look good in a nice, long Burberry coat."

Snow groaned in pleasure. "Nordstrom's…I love Nordstrom's."

Emma's jaw dropped. "How do you know about Nordstrom's?"

" ," she replied with a smile. "Regina didn't keep us under complete lock-down during the curse…of course at the beginning we ordered everything over the phone."

"Did you ever find it odd that although you experienced the evolution of technology…the entire town didn't age?"

"We were cursed," David reminded Emma. "Why would we have?"

"Exactly…by the way, sweetie," Snow added as she placed a hand on his arm. "If we are ever able to leave Storybrooke without forgetting who we are…Nordstrom's will be my first stop."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh brother."

Ignoring him, she looked at her daughter. "Have you ever been?"

"I'm a girl…what do you think?" She gave her mother a little smile. "Wait till you get a load of the shoe department."

"Stop….you're killing me."

"What the bloody hell are they talking about, mate?" Hook asked David.

David shook his head. "Who knows? It's a woman thing."

"Ah…say no more."

"Well, we better get going…we'll just meet you back at the apartment." She gave his hand a friendly squeeze. "Good luck."

"Gee, thanks," he said sarcastically before she scooted out of the booth.

"Hey, Mom?" Henry said as he slid out so Aidan could crawl out. "Before you go…do you mind if we go somewhere and talk?"

"Sure, kid," she said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Everything okay?"

"I don't' know."

She frowned slightly and then looked up at the rest. "We'll be right back…let's go over and sit at the booth over there, Henry."

She followed him over to the last booth towards the back of Granny's and instead of sitting on the other side she slid next to him and put an arm around his shoulders. "Talk to me, Henry."

He sighed as he looked down at the table. "You and dad aren't getting back together." He lifted his head and shifted his eyes up to hers. "Are you?"

She took in a quick breath…completely floored at what he said. "What?"

"I always knew there was something going on between you and Hook," he said as his eyes shifted over to where he was. "I'm not an idiot…and I was okay with it…I had been thinking that on the Jolly Roger on our way home…that if Hook made you truly happy then I'd be happy for you…but then…"

"Then you saw your father," she finished for him with a sigh. "Henry…"

"I had hoped that maybe…maybe your feelings for Hook would go away…that you only felt for him that way because dad was gone…but, that's not the case, is it?"

She looked at him sadly as she brushed her hand over his head. "No…as much as I tried to deny it, the feelings were there…even before your dad fell through that portal."

"I know."

"And as much as I'm glad to see Neal alive…glad that you didn't lose a father…I don't…I'm not…"

"It's okay," he said before she could find the words. "It's not just you, Mom…Dad may not realize it, but…there is something between him and Mulan…I may have been tired last night, but not tired enough to miss how he looked at her…how she looked at him."

She shook her head hopelessly before placing her cheek against the top of his head. "You're one smart kid, you know that?"

"I have strong genes."

She laughed as she pulled away and smiled down at him. "You certainly do."

"There's something else."

"What?"

"I saw you kiss Hook through the window," he blurted and then pressed his lips together.

She lifted her brows. "Oh."

"I know why you cut Aidan off before he could say anything," he continued on. "You didn't want me to find out that way…but I did see…and you know what I thought?"

Speechless, she could only shake her head.

"That I've never seen my mom this happy before…the way you smiled at him after the kiss…I've only seen you smile like that a handful of times…and they've always been directed at me."

She sighed as she touched the side of his face. "Oh, Henry."

"I'm happy for you, mom…really…how could I not be? After everything you've been through…no one deserves it more."

She pulled him into a fierce hug, smiling softly when she felt his arms circle her waist. "I love you, Henry."

"I love you, too," he murmured as he closed his eyes.

They held each other for a moment before Emma finally pulled away. "Hey…do you want to help me shop for Aidan after your breakfast? I could use the help…and I think Aidan would love it…he looks up to you."

"Sure," he said with a smile. "I like Aidan…even if he does talk too much."

She laughed as she ruffled his hair. "Let's go."

Killian stood back up when they made their way over. "Everything okay?" he asked.

She gave him a quick nod. "Fine."

Henry then suddenly grabbed Killian's hook and yanked him forward, making him have no choice but to stumble after him. Henry whipped around and tugged him forward until Hook bent down so he was eye level with him. "Problem, lad?"

"Hurt my mother…and I'll make you walk the plank…understand?"

He lifted a brow as he lifted his hook in front of Henry's face. "You dare threaten a pirate, lad?"

Henry lifted his chin up in defiance. "When it comes to my mom…you bet I would."

He glared at him for a moment before finally his mouth tilted up in amusement as he tapped his hook against Henry's chest. "Your mother's awfully lucky to have you, my boy."

He grinned proudly. "I know."

"There's something you need to know about me, Henry…when I love someone…I don't do it halfway…I love them with everything I have…and I'll fight for them until my dying breath."

Henry gave a little nod. "I believe you."

Killian grinned as he tucked his chin with the curve of his hook. "Good."

"Hook!"

They both turned to see Snow standing a few feet behind them. "Let's go, shopping awaits." She clapped her hands twice. "Tick-tock."

He rolled his eyes and looked back down at Henry. "Wish me luck…I'm going to need it."