New Enchanted Forest, Four Years Ago

Alena found Jack pacing back and forth. His boots had worn the ground beneath him.

She approached him and squeezed his hand. "Jack, I want to help. Please let me."

He snatched his hand away. "You can't help me. Don't you get it?"

He leaned against one of the trees, his back toward her. He crossed his arms over his chest.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She then slowly walked toward him.

"I want to get it, Jack. I really do – I know you're blaming yourself for what happened, but he would have come after us anyway. You can't blame yourself for that."

He wheeled around to face her. "I do blame myself because I decided to go off and confront Facilier – without even considering the fact that I have absolutely no chance against him. You shouldn't have to rescue me."

Alena couldn't help but sigh. "You know what? You're right – you shouldn't make stupid decisions that will only lead to you being in trouble. But when it happens, I will be there for you, Jack – I will fight for you and with you."

Jack shook his head. "You shouldn't have to fix my mistakes. I should have thought about what it would mean for you – but I didn't. Clearly, I'm not ready for this."

Alena furrowed her eyebrows. "Ready for what?" At the desperate look in her love's eyes, hers widened with realization as she gasped.

"Jack, you can't mean that – not after all we've been through."

"I just can't…" He blinked back tears. "I put you in danger – I don't know if I can forgive myself for that. And I don't think you should either."

She smiled at him as she took his face in her hands. She then kissed him softly before she told him, "You risked the wrath of Dr. Facilier all for me. How could I ever even think about leaving?"

He couldn't help but blush at her words. He'd never considered himself as a hero – especially given his tendency to be a little extreme – and yet, her belief in him made it seem possible.

He then tentatively began, "Why me? What is special about me?" He took a deep breath and continued, "And I don't want anything about second chances, true love, or your ruthless father. Why me? Why do you want me?"

She considered his words as she looked deep into his brown eyes. With a deep breath, she then told him, "You make me laugh the way no one else ever has: until I can no longer breathe. You annoy the hell out of me, and you push my buttons in a way I didn't even think was possible – and yet, I somehow find myself smiling just thinking about it. Which is a little crazy, but it's true.

"You get what it's like to hide a little of yourself away when you're surrounded by people. Even if you're okay with it, it doesn't mean you don't want someone who understands. You don't expect me to be any less stubborn or temperamental because you know that's who I am. You don't expect me to be subtle or hide behind anything and would rather I be myself – even if it drives you a little insane.

"I never have to explain what I'm doing or the how's or why's behind it. You just get me – and you make me wonder why in the hell I ever settled for anything else. And I will never settle again because you're it for me."

He wiped the tears that had begun streaming down her face. May the gods help him, he was so in love.

This heart-pounding, knee-shaking, skin-tingling, mind-boggling feeling of love was all new to him – and he felt as though he might explode from all the emotions reeling through every inch of his body.

Yet, as he stood there with his eyes boring into hers – his hand still caressing her cheek – he realized he wanted this feeling – he wanted her – until his final breath left his body.

He then swept her into his arms and kissed her as though his very life depended on it. She didn't hesitate for a moment as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, her hand sliding into his hair.

He held her against him until he needed air. He finally pulled his mouth from hers, and they both stood panting.

Once she had caught her breath, she said, "I feel like I know the answer already, but I want you to say it. Do you feel the same about me?"

He smiled as he leaned his forehead against hers. He took a deep breath before he told her, "If I could say 'yes' a million times, I would. You're the only one who's ever looked at me like I'm your happy ending even though we both know I don't know what it means to be that for someone. You literally slammed your way into my heart, and there's no way in hell I'm letting you leave."

She smiled until her face hurt from the expression. She then kissed him – this time softer and slower. He smiled into it before he curled his hands around her waist and squeezed.

When they pulled away, he took a deep breath and brought his eyes to hers. He rested his hands over her heart as his skipped a beat.

His mouth went completely dry. Goosebumps covered every inch of his skin. And yet, in the next moment, the words rolled off his tongue as though he were meant to say them his entire life.

"I-I love you, Alena."

She beamed as she cupped his face in her hands.

"Oh, Jack, I love you, too."

He smiled at her before he leaned down to kiss her forehead. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

He rubbed his hand up and down her back. He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped.

"This might be a little weird to say – but I feel like my whole life led me to you."

Alena shook her head and brought her eyes back up to his. "I feel the exact same way – we were meant to find each other. I'm so incredibly happy we did – and that isn't about to change."

He ran his thumb over her cheek before shooting her a sweet smile. He then entwined their fingers and suggested, "How about we take a walk by the lake? I don't think I'm ready for this to end – or to share you with your family."

She chuckled lightly at his words before she said, "I think that's a great idea. And it sounds like fun."

She then cocked an eyebrow and challenged, "But if you are gonna - I don't know - try to throw me in, I am dragging you in with me."

"I actually wasn't going to do anything, but now that you mention it, I can't think of anything better," he offered with a grin.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. He only chuckled before he pecked her cheek. "Just kidding. I really do want to just take a walk with my beautiful girlfriend."

She smiled at him before she squeezed his hand and began leading him in the direction of the lake.

Hyperion Heights, Present Day

"There's no way you overslept and missed your final."

"Yes, I did! Why don't you believe me?"

"Because you almost always woke up an hour before breakfast – and you were almost always well-rested and in a good mood."

"Almost being the key word. A few mornings, I'm just not feeling it."

She side-eyed him. "And I'm ignoring that part about the good mood."

He shrugged. "I didn't mean anything by it." He then bit his lip - hiding his grin.

She narrowed her eyes. She then smacked him in the arm.

"Ow! Okay – that much I didn't miss. I still have bruises from you."

Alena rolled her eyes. "You act like I'm deliberately trying to hurt you or that I'm actually hurting you."

Jack laughed. "You do know that's the point right? I'm messing with you to get a rise out of you."

Alena shook her head. "I should know that by now, but I always fall for it."

"Mm-hmm," he hummed with a chuckle. He then asked her, "So, what happened with the final?"

"Well," Alena began as she ran her fingers through her hair, "My professor happened to be my advisor, so he let me take it that afternoon. Although 'let me' might be the wrong way to word it."

Jack furrowed his eyebrows. "Why do you say that?"

"We never had a traditional class for finals. You just came, took it, and left. As long as you took it before his last upper level class, you were fine."

Jack couldn't help but shake his head. "So, in reality, you didn't have to take it during your class time. But your overachieving self freaked out for no reason."

"I'll have you know being an overachiever meant I graduated Summa Cum Laude among other honors, and it got me my dream job after the girls were born."

Jack raised both hands. "I didn't realize you took it so seriously." She hummed and nodded –

both of them then burst out laughing.

Alena let out a breath as they sobered. She then tapped her fingers against her chin.

"I think that's the only time in four years that I came remotely close to being a little late on something."

Jack shook his head. "No wonder your roommate always teased you about getting up at the crack of dawn."

"Oh, my friends did, too – but they still weren't as bad as you."

He rolled his eyes. "Very funny," he deadpanned as she let out a chuckle.

With a deep breath, she gestured and added, "I mean, I guess I can see her point. I still woke up early on the days I didn't have class to study and do homework. Not that Caroline even knew I was even awake – she was a really heavy sleeper."

Jack couldn't help but chuckle. He then tilted his head. "Wasn't she the one who would have you model for some of her sketches and drawings for her art classes?"

Alena shook her head. "That was one of my friends, Elena. We met in art appreciation."

"Oh, that's right. The one you said that you weren't even sure why she had to take it."

Jack couldn't help but chuckle. "And I told you it was probably an easy elective for her – and you should have tried it sometime."

She shook her head. "I remember – I also remember Caroline said the same thing. It always annoyed me."

She then gestured and added, "Even though she was the music major whose schedule was more stressful than mine."

Jack hummed, a chuckle escaping his lips. "So, I'm not the only one who gives you a hard time."

He then nudged her shoulder. "But you make yourself an easy target."

She rolled her eyes while he let out another chuckle. Once he sobered, he asked her, "Did you keep in touch with anyone after graduation?"

"I haven't seen any of them since then, but we're all friends on social media. I hear from Elena and Caroline most often. They both have amazing lives with their careers, social lives, and families keeping them wonderfully busy – and Caroline is still searching for her birth parents. They both live in New York City with Elena owning a studio, and Caroline playing in the New York Philharmonic Orchestra."

She smiled. "Caroline dreamed of playing Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty, and it came true for her."

Jack smiled. "And I know that she, Elena, and your other friends are just as happy for you." Alena smiled back at him.

A giggle then escaped. At Jack's furrowed eyebrows, she explained, "I think 'happy' is a generous term when it comes to Caroline's reaction about the twins. She could hardly believe I fell in love again after Tyler and I broke up. Which in fairness, I didn't think I would either."

She paused as she and Jack shared a sweet smile. She brushed the hair away from his forehead before she waved her hands.

"You already know how hard I fell for him. And Caroline helped me through it – and she knew how hard I worked to get to a place where I could be truly content and happy."

"And then we quite literally barreled into each other's lives, and we were never the same," Jack supplied, a smile snaking its way across his features.

Alena couldn't help but chuckle. "So, yeah, we were video chatting after I had put the girls down for a nap. But then Lily woke up and started crying for her teddy bear. And then I had to rock her back to sleep."

She paused to take a breath. "She heard the cries, and I told her it was one of my daughters. I saw the questions in her eyes, but she knew I needed to check on Lily. And when I got back, I told her, well…"

"Some version of the college boyfriend story?" Jack supplied. The hurt barely concealed in his voice.

He then ran his fingers through his hair. "Gods, I'm sorry. I can't even imagine how hard this has been for you. Whatever hurt I feel doesn't even compare to yours – I mean, you did what you had to do so you could still raise the girls and find a way to be happy."

She squeezed his hand. "I knew you'd understand – but thank you for saying as much."

He hummed and nodded as he twirled a piece of her hair. He then took a breath.

"So, uh, what did you tell her?"

Alena took a deep breath of her own. "As close to the truth as I could get while leaving out the fairytale bits. She knew me too well for the college boyfriend story to work, and I wasn't sure I could make up anything truly convincing on the spot. And so, you're one of my brother's best friends who is on a long job overseas."

Jack wrapped his arm around her and squeezed her waist. "You are so incredibly strong and amazing. I'm so lucky to have you in my life."

She smiled and rested her head against his chest. She snuggled close to him. The sounds of traffic punctuated the comfortable silence between them.

Alena then lifted her head, her eyes finding his. "You know, I thought we were supposed to have our normal for a little while."

He shrugged. "You're the one who started it, Blondie."

"I am not! You're the one who asked me if I still kept in touch with anyone from college."

"And you're the one who volunteered the fact that Caroline was surprised about the twins."

"You're the one who…" Alena shook her head and rolled her eyes while he laughed. She smacked his chest.

"One of these days, I won't fall for it."

Jack only hummed, a grin spreading across his face. He then teased, "I think it's pretty well established that your buttons are fairly easy to push. And while you may know your way around a good cover story, you're not always the greatest at hiding what you really feel."

She shook her head, another eye roll accompanying it. Jack then burst into laughter.

"That reminds me of when you told me about hijacking your dad's rum after your 18th birthday party."

Alena couldn't help but laugh. "The fact that I actually got drunk on my birthday made my tattoo story more believable."

Her cheeks flushed. "I'm not sure it was my best idea – but my friends and I thought it would be a fun way to end the party."

She then paused as a chuckle slipped out. "I severely underestimated my tolerance. God, I was sick and hungover."

"I'd be sick too if I chugged a whole bottle." He nudged her shoulder with his while she rolled her eyes.

"Dad would have noticed the bottle was less full, but I wasn't quite yet so far gone that I didn't think to refill it before I poofed it back."

"That could have gone a lot worse for you if you were a little less resourceful or your parents weren't working."

Jack nudged her shoulder again. "But man, you would have had to come up with a hell of a cover – and it would have been pretty funny. I already knew you were a handful, but that story solidified it for me."

She nudged him back – a little more forcefully. She then waved a finger at him. "You're the one who took Henry out drinking for his birthday. Neither of you could walk out of The Crimson Crow."

"Your brother's a writer, so he sometimes has a tendency to exaggerate to make it seem more dramatic or epic than it actually was."

"Mm-hmm." A grin made its way across her face. She then laughed.

Jack found himself laughing as well. He then stroked his chin. "We're really gonna have some interesting stories to tell Emma and Lily when they're older."

Alena rested her chin in her hand. A light blush stained her cheeks as she explained, "The girls saw me doing magic so I began telling them my family's story - and ours. I think it's safe to say they love hearing about Mommy and Daddy the most."

Jack smiled, a warmth appearing in his brown eyes that spread across his face.

"Falling in love with you has been my most amazing adventure, and I'm glad you can share it with our girls."

She smiled back as she ran her hand up and down his arm before she squeezed his hand.

Jack then rubbed the back of his head. "But I'm not sure I have any chance of following you. I mean, storytelling is practically in your genes."

Alena ran her fingers through his hair. "I know Emma and Lily will love Daddy's stories as much as I do."

He shook his head. "I'm pretty sure you're biased – and that you're trying to make me feel better."

"Maybe a little – but that doesn't mean I don't believe it."

A bright smile then enveloped her features. "As I recall, The Crimson Crow was nowhere near close to being the most exciting."

He couldn't help but smile. "Now that you mention it, slaying those giants does make for a good story."

She only hummed – an expectant look crossing her features. His smile only grew before he rubbed his hands together.

"I met Henry out on one of the paths leading into the forest. He leaned against his motorcycle, and he looked pretty lost. I thought I'd see if I could help."

With a giggle, Alena supplied, "I'm pretty sure he was lost, so I'm sure he appreciated it."

Jack chuckled. "Yeah. And we just started talking as I led us through the forest. We just hit it off – he told me about Storybrooke and you guys, and we talked about our adventures. And then came the giants."

He took a deep breath. "They lived deep in the forest, but something or someone had brought them out, and they were out for blood. And when they saw us, we thought we were goners. But then we both had the same idea: we fought and slayed them."

He then paused and rubbed his chin. "I think I asked him where he learned to sword fight, and he told me his grandpa and his stepdad. He then said that they taught you, too."

A grin spread across his face. "But I imagine you were a little more difficult because of that temper."

He furrowed his eyebrows when he met with silence. Alena's head then fell on his shoulder.

Jack looked down to find her fast asleep. He smiled.

He brushed the blonde hair from her eyes before he slowly moved his shoulder from underneath her. When he stood, he heard a grunt from her.

His eyes widened before she curled up on the couch. Jack watched her - his smile returning - until he was no longer sure of how much time passed.

He then leaned down and slid his arms under her back and legs before he gently lifted her.

He carried her into the bedroom. He moved the blankets aside and placed her on the bed. He pulled the covers around her and then watched as she snuggled against the pillows.

As he watched her chest rise and fall, the corners of his mouth quirked upwards. He then brushed the hair that fell into her eyes before he caressed her cheek.

"You're so peaceful – like all your worries have drifted away."

He then let out a sigh as he eased down next to her, his heart weighing down his chest. His next words barely rose above a whisper.

"I'm so sorry for everything I'm putting you through. If I could go back and change things, I would. But all I can do is tell you this – you are my everything, and I love you. I love you so much."

He ran his fingers across her face before he stood and headed back to the living room. He shut off the lights and sank down on the couch.

As he lied there, he expected his thoughts to race. Instead, they drifted toward his blonde-haired, blue-eyed love sleeping a room away.

He loved her more than he had ever loved before – and their love would be his strength. His strength until he could hold all three of them in his arms forever.

A/N: And that's a wrap on this chapter! Until next time :)