Jefferson held the ale in his hand and tried not to think about how far his own personal life had fallen as he stared into it.

He had sat with his son…for days. He was the only person that his son didn't blatantly try to attack. Emma had tried to see him again and he rushed at her. Killian had deflected him with a punch with the hand that had rings on there.

Jefferson wanted to think that him not being attacked was progress but he knew better. His son's real weapons were his words and he used them without remorse against his father every day. Jefferson explained his story a thousand times but his son remained firm. He hadn't been abandoned; he had run away and betrayed his queen. It was a story so full of holes that one could see through it if they had independent thinking but Jefferson knew that Regina would've made sure that everyone, his son especially was brainwashed to serve her.

He was starting to give up. His son would never change, he would never trust him.

Red sat across from him and nursed her own drink. They didn't have to talk about it, not anymore. She knew how he felt by now; she couldn't comfort him as it would be false. He would feel better and then go to see his son and his son would rip it all away.

"Sir?"

Both he and Red turned around and looked at the man standing in the doorway. It was one of the cabin boys from the pirate ships. He forgot which ship it was supposed to belong to, "What?"

"Your daughter…she's here."

Jefferson stood up and cursed. He didn't look at Red as he raced to the door. He cleared the doorway and saw his daughter climbing off the horse. She'd worn pants and a deep red riding gown with brown embroidery on it. It did little to hide the swell in her belly, Jefferson saw it immediately.

His baby was pregnant.

Jefferson froze; he didn't know what to do with that, his little girl was still that same ten year old when he left her in his eyes. He still had to remind himself hourly that she was a grown woman. How was he supposed to process that he was going to be a grandfather?

Killian gave her a free flirting smile and helped her off her horse.

Grace gave him a nod, "Thank you."

"Any time my lady, just say what you need and I'll make sure you get it tenfold."

Grace gave him an amused smile and turned to her father, "Papa."

Killian's smirk fell, "Papa?"

"Got my appearance, don't you think?"

Grace gave him a gentle smile and wrapped her arms around him, "I've missed you."

"Missed you too, papa."

He wrapped his arms around his daughter and ushered her inside, "Let's get you out of the cold."

"You just don't like the funny flirting man."

"That too."

"Don't worry papa, men have looked at me the same way he looked at me for years."

Jefferson never ever wanted to imagine anyone looking at his little girl the way that Killian looked at her.

"Is the baby okay?"

"Yeah, Charles and I are very excited."

"So excited that he lets you run off to the rebel's camp?" Jefferson asked, "In your condition and all?"

Grace smiled a bit, "He doesn't rule me like that."

"Its basic principal, you shouldn't be here."

"I got your letter."

"I wrote you to tell you that your brother was safe."

"You wrote to tell me that you weren't getting anywhere with him."

"That wasn't an invitation."

"Wasn't it?"

"These are rough men, Grace. Pirates and those who work for the dark one. You shouldn't be here!"

"They won't hurt me."

"Won't they?"

"No, they won't dare put their hands on the daughter of one of Emma's favorite advisors," Grace smiled gently, "Besides, I won't stay long. Just here to get my brother on the right track. Is he okay?"

"No. But he's better off that way."

"I'm surprised you haven't killed him yet."

"Gotten close."

Grace smiled at his dark humor, "So have I. Multiple occasions."

"I don't want you in there. You're pregnant."

"He won't hurt me,"

"You sure about that?"

"My brother would never lay a hand on me," Grace told him, "I'm the only one that can sway him."

"Still," he stayed firm, "I'm going in there with you."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000

His son straightened the minute he saw Jefferson come in and he sneered, "Time for more 'Son, I love you if you change'?"

"I love you no matter what, that's part of why you're still alive," Jefferson told his son gently.

If his son was affected by that, he didn't give any indication because he gave that smirk that made Jefferson wish he was someone else's kid so he wouldn't feel bad about wanting to punch him, "Then unchain me, let's have a hug fest."

His smirk was gone the minute that Grace walked into the room.

And he started shaking, "Gracie?"

Grace gave him a tender smile, "Hey Jeff."

"No!" Jefferson watched as his son shook his head, "No, you shouldn't be here. They shouldn't have brought you here."

"I came here because I wanted to, no one knew."

"They'll force you to stay, just like they did me."

"No they won't," Grace knelt in front of him, "Jeff, he's our father. Everything he's told you is true."

"No, no, no, no, no, he betrayed us. He betrayed Regina and left us because he was too much of a coward to take care of his own family."

"Regina lied to you."

"No, no she was good to us. She let us live with grandfather, she let you have your husband and she gave me a good place in the army. He's the one that left."

"Because of her."

"You're WRONG!" Jefferson watched as his son started to break down, "Even grandfather said it. He left us, he betrayed his realm. Grace- you're defending a rebel when Regina gave you everything."

"In payment for the lives of our father and mother," Grace told him, "I was there. You were too young to remember but I do."

"No! You were traumatized; you just saw…mother was killed by bandits."

"No," Grace snapped, "No, don't you ever tell me that I didn't know what I saw. Regina wanted us dead or hurt. She sent guards to force us back to the castle, now what do you think would've happened to us? If she didn't kill us then she would've wanted to mother us and then what would've happened. How would we have turned out? We owe nothing to Regina because it was the Dark One that made sure we got to grandfather's safely. That's why Regina never hurt us. We were under the Dark One's protection."

"You're wrong," he sobbed, "Then why didn't he bring dad back? You're wrong, Grace, you're wrong."

He was breaking down now. Jefferson could tell that his son was starting to listen.

Grace wrapped her arms around her brother's neck, "No, Jeff. I was never wrong."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Marriage?" Charming's voice boomed through the room so loudly that Emma was certain that everyone passing by could hear them.

Emma felt herself cringe at the term, her father said it like it left a bad taste in his mouth, "I haven't given my consent yet. I wanted to speak with you first."

"He came to us trying to urge you away from him. We had a…relationship intervention!" Charming screamed.

"That was before the battle…awoke feelings," Emma said.

"Emma," her mother offered quietly, "We just got you back. To be separated so quickly-."

"But I won't always be gone. Bae and I agreed, I'll spend half a year with you two and-."

"Emma," her mother whispered, "You'd stay longer for him."

"He wouldn't stand for it, the deal was that I stay half a year with you all."

"You're marrying the Dark One's son."

"I don't think of him like that," Emma snapped.

"Do you think the people would stand for that?" Charming said, "His voice softened a little, "That you're marrying the child of the man that could have helped them but didn't?"

"If I save them," Emma started, "And I pull this off, then I should be able to marry whomever I wish."

"We just want you safe," Snow said, "You wouldn't…be safe there. The people would trust you; they wouldn't support you as queen if you married into the Dark One's family."

"Bae's not like him."

"Oh we know," Snow said quickly, "We know, honey. We know Baelfire is an honorable man with honorable intentions."

"He better be, don't think I don't know about you sneaking to his room at night," Charming muttered.

Emma blushed, "Papa."

"I would feel more comfortable if he allowed us up there too, but the fact of the matter is that Rumpelstiltskin won't let us near that castle if he can help it," Charming said, "I don't worry about Baelfire, I worry about you being with the Dark One for half a year for the rest of your life."

Emma wrapped her arms around her father, "I can handle myself."

"Neither one of us wants you separated from us again," Charming whispered, "Not after the way we were ripped apart before."

"We won't be," Emma promised, "You'll always know where I am."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Emma closed her eyes, "I want you to be okay with this. Because I want to be with him, he makes me happy."

"Do you love him?"

"Yes," Emma said without hesitation.

Charming sighed and looked at her mother, who gave a silent but reluctant nod.

"If this is what you want…we'll support you," he told her, "Because you've earned this. You deserve to be happy because it was you that's lost more than anyone because of this war."

"Thank you, papa," Emma whispered.

"But I don't have to like the circumstances."

"Me neither," Emma kissed his cheek and embraced him again.

Her mother kissed her cheek, "Just please don't stay on that mountain forever."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"You proposed to Emma shortly after telling her that your father ruined your third marriage and immortalized you in your first marriage."

"I really didn't want to think of it like that," Baelfire told Red as they sat across from each other at the table.

"What did she say?"

"Nothing. She was in shock."

Red smiled, "Emma, saying nothing."

"Yeah, it's quite a shock," Emma said and came up. She wrapped her arms around Bae and kissed his cheek, "Hey."

"Hi," he gave her a sweet smile, "Was there a lot of bloodshed up there?"

"Some, not much," Emma smiled "They gave their blessing."

"So?"

"So?" Emma mocked, "You'll be getting yourself a wife, sir."

"You'll marry me?"

"I'll marry you," Emma smiled at his growing excited grin. He kissed her passionately and lifted her up. Emma gave an excited laugh and held him close as he spun her around.