Note: I have included an epilogue to Wake Me Up. Enjoy.


August 2002

Emma felt a shiver travel throughout her entire body.

"Henry?!" Regina called, running towards the stairs. Emma could feel a difference just in the way Regina spoke. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine," Emma said, watching Regina. She had tears in her eyes, she looked frantic. "He's sleeping."

"I have to go," she said suddenly. "You have to take care of Henry."

"Wh-what? Where are you going?"

"You broke the curse, Emma. I have to go. Take Henry and leave NOW!"

Emma shook her head in fear, but felt compelled to listen just because of the tone of Regina's voice. Picking up Henry's sleeping body, she tried not to cause him too much trouble, but his eyes fluttered open anyway.

"Hi Henry," Emma said softly. She couldn't help but smile a little when she looked at him. "I'm your Mommy."

"GO, Emma!"


"What was that?" Snow looked at David, then the people sitting at their ceremony. As soon as she saw their faces, she knew.

"Snow?" Red asked, standing up hopefully.

"Red!" Snow tried to run to hug her, but could only waddle in her dress, so she waited for Red to come to her with open arms. "I missed you so much!"

"She did it! Your child, the Savior, she saved us! Is it her 28th year already?"

"No," David said curiously. "It's her 18th."

"18 years only? Saving a kingdom ten years ahead of schedule, she really is your daughter," Red teased. Though it was a joke, Snow and David stole glances of pride at each other.

"Speaking of- where did our daughter go?"

"She ran," Neal supplied helpfully.

"I think I know where," Gold came out of nowhere, speaking almost regretfully.


Emma was walking in a daze. She had a baby, her baby, in her hands, and no idea what to do next. She was making her way back to her family, slowly, but she was walking towards them. She never got the chance, though, because she was stopped by a familiar face on the street.

"Emma?"

"Bae? Why aren't you at my parents thing?"

"It ended. And it- it would have been weird. Why do you have a baby? Is that Henry- Regina's kid?"

"No, well, yes. And no. It's hard to explain."

"Where's Regina?"

"I don't know," Emma admitted. "I think I just broke the curse."

"Whoa, what? That's what that was?"

Emma shrugged. "I don't know. I think so."

"That's insane, Emma."

"I know. I think- I think Regina ran."

"What do you mean ran? And left you with her baby? Why would she do that?"

"It's not exactly her baby," Emma said slowly. "He's mine."

"What?"

"I gave a baby up for adoption eight months ago, I didn't know where he went, I thought I was doing what was best for him. I didn't know he would end up here, of all places, with Regina."

"Eight months ago? Emma is there any chance-"

"No." Emma said too quickly.

"That means he was born in December. Which means that it happened-"

"Bae, stop. I said no!"

"Emma! Be honest with me!"

Emma hated herself for crying. She hated how she felt so vulnerable around Bae, she was strong, she didn't need him! So why did he always make her feel like she was down on her knees? She looked down at Henry, who was wide awake, staring at her, studying her.

"Do you want to hold him?" Emma answered his question softly, smoothing the soft tufts of dark hair on Henry's head. Bae nodded and put his hands out. "He looks like you," Emma whispered. "He has your eyes."

"You should have told me," Bae said, betrayal laced in his voice. "I wouldn't have sent you away. We could have been together and raised him."

"I wanted you to be with me because you loved me," Emma explained. "I didn't want you to do it to fill obligated to because of your relationship with your father. That's why I gave you the choice to run away with me. You said no. I wanted you to say yes because you loved me."

"Emma it wasn't like th-"

"Emma!" Her mom's voice called, her feet waddling underneath her dress. An entire town of people was behind her. "Where did you go? We were so worried!"

"I'm sorry," Emma said truthfully. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You broke the curse! You did it, Emma. How did you do it?"

"I- I don't know. It just happened."

She watched her parents, who were watching her and eyeing Bae and Henry.

"I'm Baelfire," Bae introduced, lifting one hand from Henry to shake hands. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Rumplestiltskin's son."

"Ah, we've heard a lot about you," David said, shaking his hand, then looking back and forth curiously. "How do you know Emma?"

"Oh, um," Bae stammered. "I met her back in Boston. I was living there and I worked at her high school for a short time."

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Emma shrunk. She didn't even have to look at her parents to know it showed on both of their faces.

Y-you don't know him. He worked at my school.

He WORKED at your school? He was an adult? He took advantage of you, Emma!

It wasn't like that. I love him. I wanted it.

"Dad, please," Emma said before David could recoil his fist back and bring it to Bae's face. "Don't do anything stupid. He has Henry in his arms."

"Henry? Regina's adopted kid?"

"He's eight months," Emma said, hoping her parents would understand without her having to say it outright. "Eight months ago, he was born..."

"That's impossible," her mom said slowly, the idea still processing in her mind.

"Mom, Dad...," Emma introduced. "This is your grandson, Henry."

The sentence softened both of them as they looked at the tiny person, staring up at the world in wonder. Snow held out her arms, and Bae didn't dare keep Henry from his grandmother a second longer.

"Hi Henry," she said smiling. "It's so nice to finally meet you under better circumstances."

"When I found out, I was going to take him and run," Emma explained, watching both of her parents coo over him. "But he seemed like he was living in a good home. He seemed cared for. I told him I was giving him his best chance, I was going to leave, and I just kissed him goodbye. That's when it happened."

"An act of true love," David said, smiling at Snow.

"True, selfless, unconditional love," she agreed.

December 2011

She was awful at decorating cakes. It was definitely not the passion that she let slip away. She tried to decorate a design on the race car shaped cake she had made, but it all came out looking like a bunch of misshapen lines.

"Maybe next year, we should leave the cake decorating to Granny," Neal joked coming up behind her and scooping a swab of frosting on to his finger. "At least it tastes good."

"Hey! Get out of here," Emma warned her baby brother. "This cake is for Henry."

"He doesn't even like racecars," Neal joked. "What possessed you to try and make a race car shaped cake?"

"Honestly I don't know," Emma admitted. "I thought it would seem cooler than it does."

"Where is the kiddo anyway?"

"He's with his dad, I think working at the pawn shop. You know, the family business," Emma said, rolling her eyes. Bae and Rumplestiltskin were trying desperately to get Henry interested in taking over the Pawn Shop. "Do you know when Mom and Dad will be here?"

"Mom and Dad what?" Snow asked, peeking through the door with a container of cookies.

"Hi guys," Emma smiled and walked towards them to help him. She took the container of brownies from her mom and looked at her dad carrying a present that was almost as tall as his waist. "Presents on that table. What the heck did you guys get him?"

"None of your concern," Snow waved.

"Actually, it is my concern, considering he's my son."

"Yeah, yeah," Snow waved again, making David laugh. Emma glared at Neal when he let out a giggle behind her.

"I'm back!" Henry yelled, running through the door. "Dad gave me an early birthday present! Wooden swords! We went sword-fighting."

"Swords?" Emma questioned, looking at Bae behind Henry. Behind Bae was Mr. Gold and Belle, holding hands.

"He's ten, he can handle them," Bae shrugged. Emma sighed and shook her head.

"Go wash your hands, then we'll celebrate," Emma instructed, then turned to Bae when he ran to the bathroom. "You fed him something for dinner, right?"

"Of course. Relax, Emma. It's all going to be okay."

Emma shoved him back playfully when he tried to kiss her. "Uh-uh. Celebration for Henry first. Us later."

"Sounds fair enough," Bae smirked.

Emma lit the candles while the family gathered around the table. She shut off the lights just as Henry raced back into the room, staring at the light from the candles in wonder. He took his seat at the head of the table, and everyone broke into the chorus of happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear hennnnrrryyy, happy birthday to you!

"Make a wish!" Emma said, standing in front of Henry with her camera.

"What if I don't have anything to wish for?" Henry asked, suddenly worried.

"Then," Emma smiled, "you wish for everything to stay exactly the same."