When Emma came to Storybrooke, she thought she would just be dropping a lost child off at home. never in her wildest dreams did she expect to gain a family. Now she had three children, including the biological sign if she thought she had lost all those years ago. She had found her biological parents, who turned out to love her and had not intended to abandon her. She had little brothers, though it was a little odd to think of them that way considering they were younger than her children. She had two aunts, an uncle, a cousin, a grandmother, even a great-grandmother. And last but not least, she had Killian.

After she and her dad restored order in Storybrooke, they went down to Granny's too meet up with Killian and the kids. That is where she got introduced to the rest of the family, with the exception of her mom and brothers. She had met all of them before, but that was when they were still under the curse, so it didn't really count. She would never feel less strange about the fact that her family had been there the whole time, and she hadn't even realized it. They had so much time to make up for and Emma did not want to miss a single minute of it.

Admittedly, Emma felt a little awkward meeting her extended family. The last time they had seen her, she had been an infant and now she was a full-grown woman. They seemed a little awkward and uncertain too, but they were clearly willing to give Emma a chance and accept her into the family. Now that she knew they were related by blood, Emma was a little surprised to notice that she had features in common with her Aunt Red that she had somehow never noticed before. Their lips and noses were nearly the same. Emma also held her baby cousin Ella for the first time; though they were not biologically related, Emma didn't consider her any less a part of the family.

"I'm so glad you're finally with us," Granny said, getting emotional. "When Regina attack, we weren't even sure you had survived."

"But I did," Emma assured her. "Despite everything, we survived, and we found each other. We always find each other, no matter what. We're family, and nothing will ever tear us apart again."

Eventually the time came that they had to go home and get some sleep. There wasn't enough room in the loft for Henry, Hansel, and Gretel now that Emma's brothers had returned to human form. And they couldn't let Henry return to the mansion he had once lived in with Regina alone, so Emma suggested that the three kids stayed with their grandfather and great-grandmother Ruth for the night. Later they would find a more permanent solution. Emma kissed her children goodnight as Ruth took them home with her and promised to call first thing in the morning.

Before Killian left, he took Emma to the side and said, "My brother's here, in Storybrooke."

"Are you going to see him? Do you want to see him?" Emma asked, concerned by the unease on her boyfriend's face.

"Yes, it's just…" Killian sighed. "I don't think I can ever forgive my father for what he put me through."

"Then don't," Emma said firmly. "He was the parent, and you were the child; what happened between you two is on him."

Killian smiled faintly, "Thank you, love. It's hard to separate my feelings about my brother from feelings about my father, but he's no more responsible for our father's crimes than I am."

"I hope things go well with him, your brother," Emma leaned forward and kissed him. "You're a good man, Killian. I know you'll do right by him."

Emma and her dad went to the loft. When David walked through the door, seven little boys immediately sprang on him saying "Daddy!" He just laughed and hugged them and told them he was so happy to see them again. Emma stood in the doorway, not wanting to break up the beautiful moment since she was still a stranger to her brothers. When they finally noticed her, they seemed confused but welcoming.

"Hi," Emma said awkwardly. "I'm your sister, Emma."

"Is that true?" one of the boys asked, turning to their parents.

"Yes," Snow explained. "You knew I was expecting a baby, and here she is, only she's not a baby anymore. I promise you'll understand when you're older."

That seemed to satisfy the boys, because they immediately swarmed Emma with hugs just as they had David. Emma felt so happy and free knowing her brothers accepted her without hesitation. David and Snow introduced each one to her, though Emma know it would take some time for her to get them all straight in her head, let alone get to know them. But she was invigorated and confident; they were family and that meant the world to her.

Her brothers' names were Leo, Tommy, Jamie, Al, Willy, Johnny, and Charlie. They were seven years older than her, but due to the curse that meant they were still only seven years old. Dear god, how did Snow manage to handle them on her own all day? In addition to Emma's own children and baby Ella, there were now eleven children in the family to look after. It was daunting, but Emma trusted that she and her family would eventually get the handle on it.

"You know, I have three children," Emma told the boys. "Henry, Hansel, and Gretel. So, that means you guys are uncles."

"But we don't know how to be uncles!" Leo worried.

Emma smiled fondly at him. She already felt so much affection for her brothers; they were the sweetest. "That's okay. Being family means we all give each other a chance to be our best selves. I'm sure you'll learn to the best uncles ever."

The next morning, everyone met up at Granny's again. This time the restaurant was empty apart from the family. Snow and David's sons had never been outside in the loft before, and it was all Snow and Emma could do to keep them from running in every direction because of their natural curiosity end desire to explore. The boys reunited with their aunts and uncle and met their new baby cousin for the first time, since Ye Xian had still been pregnant when Regina cast the curse. Shortly after they showed up, David and Ruth arrived with Henry, Hansel, and Gretel. The Charming brothers greeted their paternal grandmother warmly and were introduced to their nephews and niece.

This was the first time the entire family had been together since the curse was cast. All the pain and heartbreak and uncertainty were things of the past, Emma thought with determination. Now that they were together, there was nothing they couldn't accomplish.

She had found her family, her home.

Fin


AN: I'm so proud of myself for finally finishing this fic and I'm immensely grateful to everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. Your support has meant so much. Happy New Year everyone!