Chapter 21:

(Hook)

8 months later…

Storybrooke

I pulled the Chevelle in front of the school and smiled over at my son in the passenger seat. "Look, Hope's waiting for you."

My son's cheeks burned red and I couldn't help but smile. He'd been homeschooled his whole life, so going to an actual school was different for him. It had taken him a little bit to find friends, but one of his best friends was Hook and Emma's daughter, Hope. Even though they weren't in the same grade, they were about the same age and they got along pretty well.

Snow opened the car door. "Hi, Brantley! Are we ready for another great day?"

"Yes, ma'am," he grinned up at her.

"Have a good day, lad." I told him.

"You, too, Dad!" He called over his shoulder as he ran up the walkway to where Hope was standing by the front doors. I watched them walk inside, my boy talking animatedly to the slightly older girl.

Snow leaned down and sent me a small smile. "How is everything going?"

"As well as can be expected," I told her. "We're adjusting, as needed."

"Good." She said, but she was looking at me carefully.

"Well, don't want to be late." It was an awkward thing to say, but I desperately wanted to get out from beneath her scrutinizing gaze.

With a knowing smile, she said, "No, we don't want that."

She shut the car door with a wave, and I pulled away from the curb.

Work was tedious and slow. Emma had put me on desk duty nine months ago and had yet to take me off. I think she was still mad at me for putting a bullet right between Nick's eyes because she'd had a lot of paperwork and explaining to do and 'accidentally' sending the body for cremation. It had been a mess, but she'd done what needed done.

I couldn't complain about the desk duty. At least I was able to drop my boy off at school in the morning, and pick him up in the afternoon.

She needed to put herself on desk duty, though, being eight months pregnant and all. It was a boy, this time, which made her husband as happy as he was terrified that the boy would come out just like him.

Around lunch time, Alice called to cancel our weekly lunch. She wasn't feeling well. It was understandable. She and Robin had chosen to begin a family, and my daughter was nearly seven months pregnant with what will be a beautiful little girl when she came into this world. It had taken them a few months to decide who should father their first child, and they were still keeping it a secret.

At least the grey streaks in my hair fit the title Grandpa.

After another few hours, I clocked out and headed to go pick up my son from school. We stopped by the grocery store on our way home. There were a few items I needed to pick up, and a few things Brantley wanted as well.

By the time I pulled into the driveway in front of the cabin, it was almost dinner time. Brantley and I grabbed the bags and carried them inside. Something fabulous was cooking and my mouth began to water as we headed for the kitchen.

As we entered, Liv looked back at us from where she was manning a pot of what looked like sloppy joes. It was a huge pot, too. I set the bags down on the counter and crossed over to her, wrapping my arms around her and resting my hands on her large, rounded belly.

Just a week or two left before we learned if we were having a boy, or a girl. Since we had one of each already, we'd chosen not to know beforehand. In fact, I was pretty sure everyone knew, except us and maybe Snow.

I pressed a kiss in the hollow behind her ear. "How's your day been, love?"

"It's been good," she smiled. "We've missed you, though."

A grin settled on my lips as I rubbed a small circle on her belly. "I missed you both, too."

"Momma, we got your ice cream and pickles." Brantley said as he went to put one in the freezer and one in the fridge.

Liv leaned her head back against my shoulder and beamed over at him. "You two are Godsends."

I heard a car pull into the driveway. "Are we expecting company, love?"

She giggled. "Hmm, maybe?"

Alice and Robin arrived bearing hamburger buns. Shortly after Emma, Hook, and Hope arrived with sodas and juices. Then, Regina, wish-Henry, Henry, Ella, and Lucy arrived with chips. Zelena showed up with a bottle of wine that I knew Alice, Emma, and Liv had saved their one glass a week for tonight. Finally, David, Snow, and Neal came through the door bearing one of Snow's fabulous desserts.

Together, we ate and chattered about. The pregnant women and non-pregnant women talked babies on the couch, and I couldn't help but smile at my wife, my daughter, and my good friends scattered about the couch, the arms of it, or sitting on the floor in front of it. Brantley, Hope, and Neal were at the table, chatting animatedly over their dinner. David was talking to Henry and wish-Henry near the stairs as they sipped at beer.

Hook and I stood near the fireplace, surveying the room.

"I still find it hard to believe at times," he said.

I cocked a brow at him.

"Don't do the bloody eyebrow thing. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

I did. The whole concept of family was foreign to us both for a long time. It was when he met Emma, and I fathered Alice, that it began to change for us. Now, we each had families and friends that were like family.

"Can't say I'd change a thing, though. Especially since it led us to this moment." I said to him.

He grinned and clapped my shoulder. "Aye. Me, either."

After a while, and after the kitchen had been cleaned, everyone started to head back to their own homes. From the front porch, I waved as David, Snow, and Neal headed out. They were the last to leave. Brantley had taken the garbage to the can, so I waited for him before going back inside.

"Go on and get your shower." I told him.

"Yes, sir," he thudded up the stairs.

Liv was dozing in one of the armchairs as something classical played on her phone sitting atop her belly. When the music stopped, those grey eyes fluttered open. She stretched, then asked, "Did Snow and David leave?"

"Aye," I answered. "They just left."

"I put this whole thing together and couldn't even make it to the end of the night."

With a smile, I leaned down and pressed my lips to her temple. "Growing a baby is exhausting, love. No one blames you for that."

"I love you," she smiled.

"That's why you married me," I reminded her, taking her left hand and helping her onto her feet before pressing a kiss to the ring on her finger there.

With another smile, she said, "That's a very true statement."

"I love you, too," I told her, then gave her hand a gentle tug. "Let's get you upstairs."

She groaned. "I'll be glad when I don't need help up the stairs anymore. It'll be nice not to feel as big as a house anymore."

I fought back a chuckle, knowing it might hurt her feelings, even though I didn't agree with her assessment of herself. "You're beautiful, love."

Another smile was sent my way as we headed for the stairs.

We'd just reached the landing when Brantley came out of the bathroom in his pajamas. He hugged his mother and me, "Goodnight, Momma. Night, Dad." He reached out and touched his mother's belly, "Night, baby brother or sister."

Then, he crossed to his room and shut the door.

"He's going to be such a good big brother," Liv said when she took a seat on our bed.

"Aye," I agreed.

"And he'll be a great uncle, too." Her lips twitched to fight a smile.

Yanking my boots off, I tossed them into the closet, and then went and took a seat beside her. "I can't believe I've lived long enough to become a grandfather."

She giggled. "You're hundreds of years old."

"That's not what I mean. It's like Hook and I were talking about earlier. We never thought we'd have the love of a beautiful woman or children. We thought we'd be alone forever, unworthy pirates seeking our revenge."

"But look at you both, married men with children and babies on the way," Liv said as she laid back against her pillow.

A chuckle escaped me as I, too, laid back. "Aye. I wouldn't have changed anything if it brought me to this moment."

A watery smile was sent my way before she reached out and switched the light off. Then, she curled into my side as best as she could. I wrapped one arm around her and placed one hand on her belly, feeling a gentle kick from the child inside.

Softly, she whispered, "I love you, Killian."

I pressed my lips to her temple, "I love you, too, Liv."

Five years later…

You are not my mother, mother, mother.You want to ruin me the way the world ruined you.But I'm not like you, not like you.I'm not an outcast, outcast.I'm not an orphan or a street rat, street rat.Or some crazy girl whose lost her way, her way.You chose hate, hate, hate.But I choose love.

The full moon illuminated the ugly, gnarled tree—the only thing twisted and bald in the lush forest. Some say that it marks the grave of a cursed witch and that is why it doesn't grow, a reflection of what lies beneath. The ones that know what is imprisoned inside don't deny that it is a mirror image of the prisoner.

A fissure appears, then another and another. From the chipped and damaged bark, waves of fury radiate. Each wave weakens the wood until it shatters, sending splinters and chunks in all directions. Standing where the tree once stood, in a robe black as night, is a woman with long blonde dreadlocks, vengeful blue eyes, and a thirst for revenge.