This was a request based on the idea where Anna Elizabeth strictly starts calling Emma & Killian just "Mommy and Daddy." She wants to make sure that Liam and Elsa would still be okay with that. This takes place a few months after "Always."
Note: I really wanted to use Elsa's parents' names from Once Upon a Time, but I couldn't find her father's name. So, I just used his name from Frozen.
"Mommy!" Anna Elizabeth loudly whispered from the living room.
It took a moment for Emma to register that Anna Elizabeth was talking to her. The blonde was still getting used to being called that.
Emma then walked into the living room to see her sleeping one-year old sprawled out on Anna Elizabeth's back, clutching some blonde curls in his hand.
"Kid, what were you two doing?" Emma asked, trying not to giggle.
"Liam wanted to play horse," Anna Elizabeth answered.
"He did, did he?" Emma asked, with a knowing look toward the little girl.
Anna Elizabeth scrunched her nose in thought before she answered, "He told me he did."
Emma only shook her head in response before she picked up her son and carried him to his nursery.
When she returned, Anna Elizabeth was pulling out a piece of paper.
"Can you help me with this, Mommy? It's for my class."
As Emma took the paper, she groaned internally when she read the words "family tree" across the top.
Anna Elizabeth's third grade class was doing a unit about families, and the students were to complete a family tree project at home to turn in to the teacher. The projects would be displayed in the hallway outside of the classroom.
Before Emma could answer her daughter, who was staring at her with big blue eyes, Killian came through the door.
Anna Elizabeth ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug.
As they pulled away, the small blonde exclaimed, "You can help, too, Daddy!"
"Help with what?" Killian confusedly questioned.
"My family tree project," Anna Elizabeth exclaimed.
Killian cut his eyes toward his wife as he responded with pretend enthusiasm, "This should be fun."
"My thoughts exactly," Emma responded.
Anna Elizabeth then asked, "Can we start now?"
Killian ruffled her curls as he replied, "Let's eat dinner first, love."
Anna Elizabeth nodded before sprinting over to the kitchen.
As Killian helped Emma by moving the plates and silverware to the table, he asked, "Where's Liam?"
"I just put him down for a nap," Emma answered.
"Ah. The lad will probably be up in an hour looking for something to eat," Killian observed.
She nodded in response just as they joined their daughter at the round, wooden table.
Emma had just placed Liam in his playpen after feeding him. She then joined Killian and Anna Elizabeth on the floor, where they were trying to figure out how to do the project.
"But Daddy, I want everybody want everybody in the project," Anna Elizabeth complained.
"Love, I know that you do. But it may be rather difficult," Killian gently explained.
"Why? They're my family," Anna Elizabeth simply replied.
Killian ran his fingers through his hair as Emma took his other hand and squeezed it.
She then took a breath and told her daughter, "You see, kid, our family is special. Killian and I are taking care of you now instead of Liam and Elsa. Which means that you have two families. I also have two families because I was adopted. Do you understand why it may be hard to include everybody?"
Anna Elizabeth furrowed her brows in thought for a moment.
With childlike innocence, she then responded, "I don't want nobody to be left out."
Killian and Emma smiled at their sweet little girl.
Emma then ruffled her blonde curls as she told her, "Well then, I better make copies of some more pictures then."
Anna Elizabeth smiled brightly in response.
Over an hour later, the family tree was nearly complete.
The first attempt at following the typical outline of a family tree had been entirely too complicated and required a new poster board. Luckily, when it had been listed under the school supply list, Emma bought extra.
This time, Emma and Killian helped glue the second set of copied pictures, and Anna Elizabeth wrote her own explanation as to who they were.
All that they lacked were Elsa's family and Emma's birth family.
Emma glued the picture of Elsa's parents next to the picture of Brennan and Elizabeth.
Anna Elizabeth stared at the picture for a few moments before she observed, "Aunt Anna looks like her daddy."
"She does, doesn't she," Emma agreed.
Anna Elizabeth then asked, "What are their names?"
"Gerda and Agnarr," Emma answered.
Anna Elizabeth furrowed her brow as she remarked, "Those are funny names."
Emma and Killian couldn't help but chuckle before he explained, "Well, love, they're Danish names. That means from the country of Denmark. It's on the other side of the ocean. That's where your mother and Aunt Anna's parents are originally from. I believe that Gerda moved here when she two, and Agnarr was six."
Anna Elizabeth took in Killian's words before she asked, "Is that why Aunt Anna wanted to live in Denmark?"
"Yeah, kid, it is," Emma answered.
Anna Elizabeth nodded in response before she asked the spelling of Gerda and Agnarr.
Killian then found the picture of Anna, Kristoff, Joan, and Charlie. Once it was glued, and Anna Elizabeth had written beside it, Liam grunted from his playpen.
Killian got up and went over to the playpen. He scooped his son up and observed, "Someone needs a diaper change." He then began walking to the nursery.
Emma had already glued the picture of Sharon and Dylan, as well as of Nick and Sage, to the board.
When Anna Elizabeth turned her attention back to the poster board and began to write, she paused.
"What is it, Anna Elizabeth?" Emma questioned.
"I don't know what to write," Anna Elizabeth answered.
"What do you mean, kid?" Emma asked, slightly confused.
" 'Cause Sharon is your mommy, but you don't call her that, and she's married to Dylan. But he isn't your daddy. Grandpa Nick is," Anna Elizabeth answered, growing more confused as she spoke.
Emma stroked Anna Elizabeth's curls as she began to explain, "You see, kid, sometimes people who are married decide that they don't want to be married anymore. There's lots of reasons why that happens. So, they get a divorce. That's what happened with Sharon and Dad. And then Sharon found out that I was in her tummy, but she didn't want to be a mommy. That's why she gave me away. She wanted me to have another mommy and daddy."
After a moment, Anna Elizabeth pointed out, "But you found her, and she's your mommy, now."
Emma sighed as she thought over what to say. This was quite complicated. After a few moments, she sighed once again and told her little girl, "You are right, Anna Elizabeth. Sharon is my mommy, but I don't call her that. The reason is that while I care about her, I don't really see her as my mommy. I still see Grandma Ruth as my mommy. Does that make sense?"
Anna Elizabeth was quiet for several moments. Emma then knew where these questions were really coming from when Anna Elizabeth asked, "Do you think that my mommy and daddy are still okay with me calling you and Uncle Killian just "Mommy and Daddy"?"
Before Emma could answer, Killian came back in with Liam. He saw the saddened expression on Anna Elizabeth's face.
He placed Liam in his playpen before he asked, "Everything alright?"
Anna Elizabeth had momentarily turned her attention to the picture to the picture of Liam and Elsa, so Emma caught her husband up to speed.
The little girl then looked back up at Emma and Killian with a question in her blue eyes.
Emma then began to explain, "Listen, Anna Elizabeth, just because I don't call Sharon "Mom", doesn't mean I don't love her like she's my mommy. It is okay that I don't call her that."
She then took a breath and continued, "Just like it is still okay that you call Killian and I "Daddy and Mommy" all of the time. It is okay that you want to call us that – Liam and Elsa are happy that you see us as your parents. So that you know that you still have parents who love you and take care of you. There is nothing wrong with that."
Anna Elizabeth thought for a moment before she asked, "Are you sure?"
Killian then wrapped her in a hug as he answered, "Of course, love. All they want is for you to be happy. You can trust me on that," as he stroked her curls.
As they pulled away, Anna Elizabeth pulled Emma into the hug too as she told them, "I love that you're my mommy and daddy."
Killian and Emma planted a kiss on either side of her head as they simultaneously answered, "So are we."
They then heard Liam make a whining noise from his playpen.
Emma turned to see her son standing in his playpen with outstretched arms.
She and Killian both chuckled before Emma got up and scooped up Liam.
She then asked him, "Do you want a hug, too, kid?"
Liam then pointed to Killian and Anna Elizabeth.
As Emma sat back down on the floor, Liam got up from her lap and toddled over to his father and sister, trying to wrap his small arms around both of them.
As they pulled away, Liam noticed the poster board full of pictures.
He saw the one of Emma and Killian and pointed. He then said, "Ma-ma? Da-da?"
"That's right, lad," Killian praised him, as Emma smiled brightly.
Anna Elizabeth then pulled the toddler in her lap and pointed to the picture of herself.
"That's me!" she exclaimed.
Liam looked at the picture before he looked up at his sister and said, "Bef."
Anna Elizabeth gasped as she realized what he meant, "He knows my name!"
Both Emma and Killian smiled brightly as he observed, "So, he does."
The little boy then reached for the locket around Emma's neck. She pulled him into her arms and held him before she told Anna Elizabeth, "Okay, kid, once Daddy glues the picture of Noah and Courtney, and you write beside it, we'll be all finished."
Anna Elizabeth nodded before turning her attention back to the board, where Killian had already glued the picture.
Anna Elizabeth then wrote, "This is my Uncle Noah and Aunt Courtney. Uncle Noah is Mommy's adopted brother. Grandpa Nick is his daddy."
She then exclaimed, "I'm done!"
"Alright, love, you can go put it in your room," Killian told her.
Anna Elizabeth nodded before she stood up and sprinted off to her room, poster in hand.
Killian then stood up, followed by Emma.
"You know, love, I could have held Liam while you got up," he suggested.
"I managed, didn't I?" Emma refuted.
Killian rolled his eyes as he pointed out, "You know, love, you can be entirely too stubborn for your own good."
Emma then replied, "Yeah, well, you'll get over it," with a teasing smile.
She then placed Liam back in his playpen when she heard the dryer ding.
Killian only shook his head in response.
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That night, Emma was walking out of Liam's nursery. Tonight was one of those nights when her baby had trouble falling asleep.
The blonde then went to go check on Anna Elizabeth. Emma instantly could tell that the little girl was wide awake.
Emma went to kneel down beside her little girl's head as she asked, "Hey, kid, can't sleep?"
Anna Elizabeth shook her head in response.
"Why?" Emma asked.
The small blonde then questioned, "Will you ever call Sharon "Mommy"?"
Emma offered a small smile as she answered, "I'm sure that one day I will. I'm really happy that I found Sharon, and she's happy about it, too. We are family, and we love each other very much."
"Really?" Anna Elizabeth questioned with wide eyes.
"Yep," Emma answered with a smile.
Anna Elizabeth smiled back in response before she told her, "I love you, Mommy."
"I love you, too, Anna Elizabeth," Emma responded before she kissed her daughter's forehead.
The little girl then rolled over on her side. Within a couple minutes, she was sound asleep.
When Emma returned to she and Killian's room, she crawled under the covers and sighed.
"You alright, Swan?" Killian asked as he rolled on his side to face her.
"Our family is complicated," Emma answered.
Killian couldn't help but chuckle in response before he observed, "I take it that Anna Elizabeth had more questions about Sharon."
"Yeah," Emma simply replied.
Killian gently kissed her forehead before he told her, "Anna Elizabeth doesn't see that our family is complicated – she just sees the people that love her. I think maybe that is the best way to see it, love."
Emma took a moment to think on his words. She turned over to look at him. She looked into those mesmerizing blue eyes before she reached over to caress his cheek and told him, "You always know what I need to hear."
Killian smiled genuinely at her as he replied, "Well, Swan, I'm married to my best friend."
Emma smiled back at him as she told him, "So am I, Killian."
He then leaned in and captured her lips in a sweet kiss.
When they pulled away, Emma rested her head on his chest.
He planted a kiss in her hair before he told her, "Good night, my love."
"Good night, Killian," Emma responded.
A few minutes later, she felt her husband's breathing even out, and she knew that he was fast asleep.
Emma couldn't help but think of Liam and Elsa. Both of them had been just as protective over their daughter as they were over their younger siblings.
She knew that they were smiling down because they were all okay: Killian, Belle, and Anna. Each of them were leading happy, successful lives with the one they loved beside them.
And for Liam and Elsa's little girl, she was happy as any child should be. She was calling someone else "Mommy and Daddy". Someone else was making her feel loved and cared for. Emma knew that they were still okay with that.
Everything was still okay.