Emma was just pulling a skillet from the oven when Killian got home, hanging his keys by the door and undoing his belt that housed his gun and sword. "Smells delicious, love," he said as he opened the safe underneath their stairs.

"Thanks. I wasn't sure about this whole skillet thing at first but you have to admit that it's nice to clean afterward," she said. Her mother had gifted it to her as a housewarming gift and it had taken her weeks just to work up the courage to season it and then use it. Part of her didn't feel ready for the responsibility that was a skillet, similar to houseplants. "Henry, it's time for dinner!"

Her fiance swooped in for a kiss as she carefully set the hot skillet on a mat on the kitchen table. "How was the rest of your shift?" she asked. He had called her in that morning to help track down a creature that could become invisible and had gotten loose from some case in Gold's shop. Emma was starting to consider demanding that he turn over everything in his shop that could potentially lead to ending the town.

"Uneventful, mercifully," he sighed as he sat down at the table, taking a hearty swig of the water set in front of him. She folded her arms and leaned against the counter as he continued to give her the rundown from the rest of the day.

"Oh, since we both got paid this past week, do you want me to go ahead and order that mattress?"

"Please, love, I don't know how many more nights my back can tolerate the sorry excuse for a mattress we're sleeping on now."

She lifted her eyebrows at him. "I thought you could sleep anywhere?"

"That doesn't mean I am comfortable. I am an old man after all."

"Uh-huh." She took a spoon from the drawer and dipped it into the skillet, tasting it and groaning in response. "Something is still missing. Honestly, Regina did me a favor in giving me those fake memories where I can cook but that doesn't mean I remember how."

Killian stood and took the spoon from her, motioning for her to step aside as he also tasted it. He looked to the ceiling thoughtfully. "Don't fret, I know just the thing." He reached for the tiny pot of salt that sat beside the stove and sprinkled no more than half a teaspoon over the entire skillet. "Now try."

She did and her eyes widened at how the flavor was completely different and better just after a little bit of salt. "Seriously? You know how to cook?"

"I don't know if adding a pinch of salt equates cooking, my love."

"I wouldn't have thought of that so you must know something I don't."

"You will find that seafaring men are rather self-sufficient. It would be foolish of me to not know how to cook for myself. Besides, when you have lived as long as I, you have plenty of time to become an expert in everything," he boasted, his hand wandering up and down her spine.

She purred and leaned in closer to him. "An expert, huh?" she whispered, angling her head up and waiting for him to kiss her.

"Well, I would actually argue you are the better kisser of the two of us," he said as he finally closed the distance and pressed his lips to hers. She pulled him closer to deepen the kiss and it was as his hand drifted down to slide into her back pocket that she realized Henry wasn't there.

She abruptly pulled away and turned her head toward the steps. "Henry didn't come down. Henry!" she called, listening for a response. Nothing. "Why isn't he answering?"

"Are you certain he's home, love?"

"Yes, I'm sure. He came home and went straight to his room to do whatever it is teenage boys do when they hide in their room all day." She was halfway to the steps before he stopped her with his hook.

"Perhaps I should go speak to the lad?"

"Why? Do you think something's wrong?"

"No, but if he didn't want to talk to you about it earlier, he probably still doesn't want to talk to you."

As much as she hated it, he was probably right. "I'm still eavesdropping from the hallway," she said, motioning for him to go up the steps ahead of her.

"Henry?" Killian said as he tapped his hook on Henry's bedroom door.

"I'm not hungry," came the teen's voice from inside.

"That may be the case, but I care more that you're alright than hungry." Emma shot him an encouraging smile as they heard some shuffling from inside and then the door opened and she flattened herself against the wall so that Henry wouldn't see her there. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"What do you want?" Henry asked miserably.

"I could tell you're upset and wanted to know if you want to talk."

"You couldn't help me anyway."

Killian raised his eyebrows at him. "Try me."

Henry sighed heavily and he must have moved back further into his room because Killian stepped inside. "Mom, you may as well come in too. I know you're out there." Emma blushed but turned the corner and leaned in the doorway. Killian stood by his closet. "Violet's dad is moving her out of Storybrooke, back to Connecticut."

"Oh, kid," Emma said softly, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "Did she say why?"

"Something about wanting to be closer to family and away from magic."

"Well, Connecticut isn't too far-"

"It's not Storybrooke," Henry protested. "It may as well be a different realm. It would be easier to get to her if it was a different realm. Do you know what it's like to love someone and not be able to see them every day?" In his rush of frustration, he had forgotten who exactly he was talking to. He looked down at his feet bashfully. "This sucks."

"We kinda do know a thing or two about that, Henry," she said. She was resisting the urge to brush his hair back as it was a move he had been shrugging away from more and more recently as he got to be too old for such tender caresses.

She looked to Killian and knew without them needing to say anything that he wanted to take this one so she traded places with him, letting him sit beside Henry. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, his hand playing with his hook as he thought over his words.

"Do you remember that year in New York with your mother? As we were saying our goodbyes before you left, I made a promise to her that not a day would go by without me thinking of her, and I kept that promise. Lad, I know how it feels to be parted from the woman you love. What got me through that was having faith that eventually I would see her again - and I did. It wasn't how I imagined it, but it happened, because that's what love does."

"Why can't she stay? We have plenty of space here, or at my other mom's," Henry said. "Then we wouldn't need to be apart at all."

"Henry, you're both only fourteen. You belong with your parents."

"But we also belong together."

"And you can be together," Emma cut in. "We can work something out. You both have phones, we can go visit them on weekends. This doesn't have to be the end of anything."

"It won't be the same," he complained.

"I know. We know," said Killian, resting his wrist on Henry's shoulder.

"What if we can't make it through this? What if she meets someone there who's better than me, who's normal, who can give her a normal life?"

"Only you two can decide how this will turn out. When you choose to love someone, you choose to love all of them." Her eyes briefly met Killian's as she spoke. "If you both really do love each other, then that love will sustain you through this."

"I hate this," Henry sniffed. He kicked at the carpet with his toes. "And Violet was so upset earlier and I felt like I had to be strong for her so I couldn't be upset too because then she would only feel worse."

Emma's heart broke at his words. When had he grown up? She should have known that being surrounded by iconic fairytale romances - and some less conventional ones - he would have learned how to love a girl well but it still surprised to hear just how deep his feelings were for Violet. She knew he liked her a lot, not that he loved her. She could see the same surprise in Killian's eyes.

"You're allowed to feel what you need to," Killian said, saying the same words to Henry that he always did to Emma when she was battling her emotions. "Take all the time you need, my boy, and we'll be here for you when you need it. If this relationship with Violet is something you want to fight for then we will both do what's necessary to fight with you. Isn't that right, Swan?"

She smiled as her heart grew about ten sizes in response to Killian's words. "Sure, kid."

Later that night, they were getting ready for bed when they finally had a chance to talk about it between the two of them. "My heart goes out to the lad," Killian said as he arranged the comforter and pillows just the way she liked. "It is certainly not easy to be separated from the woman you love."

Emma hummed in response as she rubbed lotion over her legs and then began braiding her hair back for the night.

"Perhaps finding a new companion for him would ease the ache of losing Violet," he proposed, raising his eyebrows at her.

"What do you mean?"

"He was asking for a dog last week." She snorted. "I'm serious, love. We may be too busy to care for a dog full-time but he could take care of it. It could be his responsibility as well."

"Oh, because he has so much time after all of his homework and baseball practice and spending time with Regina?" she asked sarcastically.

"Love, this could be good for him at a time he really needs it."

"Killian, a dog is a commitment. It's basically a kid. It's fifteen years of vet bills, of slobber and hair, of buying dog food and cleaning up poop when it goes on the carpet," she told him.

He tilted his head at her. "It's also fifteen years of cuddling and playing and bringing joy to our family. You won't even consider it?"

"Fine, I'll consider it when you find a dog that works with our crazy schedules, that Henry loves, and most importantly, won't die if it falls overboard when we're sailing." She turned over on her side and flicked her light off, drawing the fluffy comforter up over her shoulders as she settled in for the night.

"Challenge accepted," he said as he leaned over to kiss her goodnight.

Two weeks later, Emma and Killian drove Henry to the town line where he would say goodbye to Violet. They hung back, sitting inside the car, trying to give the two as much privacy as possible while also keeping an eye on them. Right now, it seemed like they were determined to hug each other and never let go.

"Do you think you can be in love at such a young age?" Killian asked, playing with the cardboard collar around the coffee cup balanced on his knee.

"I don't know," she said honestly. "I don't want to sound cynical and say no. I just think it's hard to be in love with someone when you don't know yourself and how well do you actually know yourself when you're fourteen? Henry is a fantastic kid but I still see so much in him that can continue to grow and evolve."

Killian shrugged. "Yes, but why can't they grow together?"

"That's true. I'm not saying it's impossible. It would just have to be a helluva special thing for them to be the exception."

"Well, there are certainly plenty of people in his life who have defied the conventions of love. Why begrudge him of the opportunity to do the same?"

"Because I thought I was in love with someone when I was seventeen and look how that turned out." He raised his eyebrows at her and pointed between the two of them. "Okay, I guess now it isn't horrible but for ten years, it kinda sucked."

He reached over and propped his hook on her shoulder comfortingly as they watched Violet get into the car with her dad. Henry stepped up to her window and placed his hand there as she did the same. Emma quickly slid out of the car and joined Henry right at the line as they watched the car drive away. Henry sniffed, and she pulled him into her arms, and he didn't complain or groan about for once. He eventually gripped her even tighter and she felt tears come to her own eyes at how much he was hurting. She wished she could do something for him but as a mother, she knew it was best for Violet to stay with her father. She knew how important it was for kids to be with her parents. Once both Henry and Violet were out of high school they could do whatever they wanted to be together but until then, she and Killian would have to do whatever they could to support the two teens.

"How about some chinese food and hot chocolate and we rent the new Star Wars movie?" Emma proposed, brushing her fingers through his hair. He had asked her to start cutting it shorter and it was so unlike the way he had been wearing it for the last few years. He looked so much older now but with tears in his eyes, he also looked so young.

"Yeah, okay," he agreed, following her back to the car.

It was a few days before Henry was back to his chipper self. He actually requested to spend time at Regina's because he thought she could help him the most of all his parents. It was a bittersweet thing that Regina's experience with heartbreak had equipped her best to take care of Henry. It was harder for him to listen to Emma or Killian talk about it when their loss of each other had been resolved.

The following week, Emma was sitting on the floor by the coffee table researching potential honeymoon destinations and Henry was at the kitchen table doing homework when Killian came through the door.

"Swan, I have saved the day," he announced, kicking the door closed behind him.

"I didn't know the day needed saving," she said from the living room.

He had a large cardboard box balanced between his hand and hook and a large grocery bag dangling from his hook. He set the box down on the floor gently and Emma suddenly knew without needing to look what was inside that box. "Killian," she said in a warning tone.

"Henry, lad, come see," he beckoned. Henry pushed away from the table and before he even made it to the box, a black puppy's head popped up from inside, fixing its big brown eyes directly on the kid. Emma sighed and pushed up from the ground gingerly and winced as her knees popped. She was actually getting old.

"A dog! We actually have a dog?" Henry exclaimed, immediately scooping the puppy into his arms and cuddling it. "Is it a boy or a girl? What breed is it? Where did you even get it?"

"He is a newfoundland, and I got him from the animal shelter. Apparently he was found in the woods as a pup a few weeks ago, abandoned by his previous owners." He looked at Emma who leaned against the banister for the steps, arms folded and head tilted to the side as she recognized his ploy. "Your grandfather came with me to the shelter and he informed me that newfoundlands are very smart, easy to train, and they are water dogs so they are excellent swimmers."

Emma rolled her eyes. She really should have known better by now than to doubt her fiance when he set his mind to something.

"Did he also mention that newfoundlands grow to be the same size as bears?"

"That is an exaggeration, love."

"Not by much. And all of that hair, and slobber…"

"It's a shame you don't have magic that would make cleaning up after it oh so easy."

Henry looked between them and then back to the dog. "So he's here to stay? He's really ours?"

A small thrill went through Emma at Henry using the word 'ours'. This was really their home and they were actually becoming a family and like it or not, this dog was part of that. And okay, he was pretty freaking cute. Emma may be a cynic but that didn't mean she didn't see how cute puppies were.

"Yeah, kid, he's here to stay," Emma said, finally closing the distance between them and taking the puppy into her arms.

"What are we going to name him?"

"Why don't we discuss it during dinner?" Killian proposed. "Now, Swan, pass me the dog and you and Henry can go through everything I got for the pup."

"Why do you get him?" she asked, swinging away from him so that she was out of arm's reach.

"Alas, one hand. It's probably best for me to hold the pup while you use both of your hands-"

"Killian Jones, I know just how useful you can be with one hand. I am keeping this dog."

He sighed and knelt down, withdrawing a big water bowl and a food bowl and several rope toys. He then tossed a plush toy in the air and Emma got a glimpse at it, grimacing when she saw it was a stuffed swan. "I don't know how I feel about him eating a swan."

"He won't be eating it."

"That's what you think." The puppy began licking her feet and wiggling in her arms and she held him closer, burying her face into his soft black hair.

"Henry, there's a bag of food and a dog bed in the car. Care to go fetch them?"

"Sure." He dashed out front, finally giving Emma and Killian a moment alone to discuss their fluffy new addition to the family.

"Now, love, I apologize for not discussing this with you beforehand-"

She cut him off by pressing her lips to his and the puppy pressed between them. He promptly began licking both of their chins, causing them to laugh. She shuffled the puppy into his arms and her heart practically burst when she saw her soon-to-be husband holding the fluffiest black dog she had ever seen.

Their happy family bubble burst when Henry stumbled through the door and threw the bag of dog food down on the floor. "That is the heaviest bag of dog food in the world," he panted, leaning against the door jamb.

"Get used to it. He'll go through one of those every couple of weeks," Emma warned him. His eyes grew wide in astonishment. "Think of it as conditioning for baseball."

"I think of it as servitude," Henry grumbled.

She began to correct him but Killian nudged her with his elbow. "It's okay, love. I'm okay," he assured her. Henry didn't know the finer details of Killian's upbringing - or lack thereof - so he had no way of knowing that the comment could have been triggering to Killian. He stumbled away with the bag of dog food into the laundry room.

They sat down at the kitchen table with the puppy curled up on the floor at the foot of the stairs. David had warned Killian that puppies could be shy during their first few days at home and he could see that emerging. Now that the excitement of the new people had worn off, he was hiding in corners and wandering off underneath tables and chairs.

"So what do you think for a name, Henry?" Killian asked.

"We could do something from one of the fairytale stories," he suggested.

"How can we do that and not potentially offend someone we know?" said Emma. "What about something normal? Like Rex or Fido or Max?"

"Ugh, this is our family. We can't do something so normal."

"Okay, so what else? We could do city names, like Boston." Both Killian and Henry looked at him like she had grown a second head. "What?"

Killian reached out and took her hand. "Love, with all due respect, I am revoking your privilege to name the pup, for the sake of the dog and all of us."

"Fine." She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms.

"What about pirate names? Or things that have to do with a ship?" said Henry.

"Like what? Sail? Helm? Hull?"

"Anchor?" Emma threw in.

"Mast, deck, port, starboard," Killian continued to list.

"Brig."

They all stopped when they heard Henry's suggestion and looked down at the puppy, grins slowly spreading on all of their faces. "I like it," Emma said.

"It might just be perfect," Killian agreed. "Despite the fact that two of us at this table have spent more than enough time in brigs." She rolled her eyes, his amusement at the fact she had spent time in prison never ceasing, even though the cause of it was less than stellar.

Over the next few weeks, Henry spent most of his free time at home with his mother and Killian as they learned how to raise a puppy. Henry rose to the challenge of caring for the pup. He and Killian read all of the books on training that they could find at the library, followed by ordering another several online. While she was reluctant for a dog in the first place, he wormed his way into Emma's heart almost as fast as he grew. She vehemently refused to let him sleep in their bed (mostly because she knew how big he was going to get and their bed wasn't big enough) but Brig did become part of their morning cuddles by jumping into bed with them after one of them took him outside.

It was also an interesting glimpse into the future of parenting for Emma and Killian. It shouldn't have surprised her that he was committed to knowing everything he could about taking care of a dog but what did surprise her was that he was the disciplinarian. Maybe it was that he kept the house as clean as his ship so a dog peeing on the floor was a direct offense to him. Emma, meanwhile, was the more lenient of the two, unfazed by a dog chewing up boxes they left on the floor while they were gone, yelling at Brig and then cuddling him a few minutes later. Either way, it made clear to them that maybe they weren't quite ready to tackle raising a baby together.

On one of the last nice weekends before the New England winter officially set in, the three of them plus Brig took a sail down along the coast to the seaside town where Violet and her father had moved. Violet squealed when she finally got to meet the dog she had seen on FaceTime so many times. They got lunch at a dockside restaurant and ate while Henry and Violet played fetch with Brig along the beach. She had hoped it wouldn't be too awkward with Hank but she couldn't fault him for doing something that she had once contemplated herself.

Emma leaned into Killian at the picnic table, watching the two of them. "They'll be okay," he said to her quietly.

"You think?"

"Aye."

"How do you know?"

"It's easy for them. They don't think too much when they're around each other. They can just be."

She sighed heavily. "I don't know. Sometimes I worry that their rough start could lead to a rough middle and end."

It took a few minutes for him to catch on to what she was saying. Sometimes it was easy to forget that this purely good woman beside him had once held Violet's heart in her hand and used it to break her son's heart. It was, perhaps, the cruelest thing she had ever done and it was done to her son. "Love, you can't blame yourself for all of that forever."

"I'm not blaming myself. I just don't want them to blame me if things do go badly."

"Well, I don't think you have anything to worry about there, Swan. I have a good feeling about them." He squeezed her shoulders. "Maybe it was those early challenges that really made them into what they are now. They wouldn't be the first couple in history to get off on a bad foot." She smiled at him, regret slowly fading into fondness as she thought about their first meeting. "They'll have their own challenges to face, love, but the good news is that they can learn from the best when it comes to overcoming those challenges. And if nothing else, we can look on the bright side of all of this."

"There's a bright side?" she asked, eyebrows raised. She should have known that he would find a silver lining in this. Somehow, even when he was still a rather despicable pirate, he was always able to find the good in a bad situation.

He nudged her ribs with his fake hand. "We got a dog."

"You got a dog. I was an innocent bystander."

"An innocent bystander who insisted said dog come with us this weekend-"

"We couldn't leave him behind!"

"Admit it: you're glad I bought him." She rolled her eyes as he wagged his eyebrows at her. "C'mon Swan, let me hear it."

"Fine. I like him."

His triumphant smile was cut off by her leaning in to kiss him.