Chapter 10- Ever After

Emma POV

"I'm going with David and Killian," I said firmly, drying my tears and picking myself off of the ground. I stared into Syrena's empty crib as the determination built up inside me. I was going to go get my daughter back. This ends now.

"Emma, no!" David and Mary Margaret cried out at the same time as Killian said, "Absolutely not, Swan!"

"Emma, you just gave birth," Mary Margaret said, obviously trying to try the reasonable approach. "You physically aren't able to go running after a Wicked Witch!"

"I'm going," I replied stubbornly. "I'm not going to just sit and wait for everyone else to defeat Zelena."

"She's definitely your daughter, mate," Killian said to David. "She's just as stubborn as you are."

"Not to alarm you guys or anything, but look," Mary Margaret interrupted, pointing at the open window. A bright light was shooting straight up to the sky. And it looked like it was coming right from Zelena's farmhouse.

"She did it!" I gasped. "She actually opened up a portal to the past!"

"We have to hurry, Killian," David said, already making his way down the stairs. "We don't have a lot of time left."

"Right behind you, mate," Killian replied as he followed David down the stairs. I slipped on my black boots and threw a thick black coat over my clothes as I rushed after the two men as fast as I physically could.

"Emma, we went through this already," David said impatiently, one hand on the door. "You need to stay here."

"I'm coming," I snapped. "You can either stand here and waste more time arguing with me or we can just go beat this Witch's ass."

"Fine," David said tiredly as he ran a hand through his hair. "Mary Margaret, stay here. We'll be back before you know it."

"Okay," Mary Margaret said in a trembling voice.

I opened the door and went outside, shivering because of the sudden change in temperature. Killian came out and closed the door behind us to give Mary Margaret and David some privacy.

"Emma, are you sure about this?" Killian asked worriedly, standing behind me and resting his hands on my shoulders.

"Killian, I'm going to be fine," I said as soothingly as I could. "Zelena needs to learn a lesson. No one messes with me and gets away with it."

"Okay, love," Killian sighed. "Just be careful. If anything happens to you, I would blame myself forever."

I turned around in Killian's embrace so that we were face-to-face. I was momentarily distracted by his closeness. My heart immediately started racing, a fact that Killian didn't miss. He immediately grinned and raised his eyebrows suggestively at me. "Even with all of your denying, I seem to have quite the effect on you."

"Or maybe the adrenaline is getting to me," I countered. "We have a war to go fight, remember?"

"Liar," Killian breathed, bumping his nose against mine. I unconsciously gasped at the touch. "Open book, remember?"

"Shut up," I whispered, admitting defeat. "It's bad form to gloat."

"Stop me then," Killian countered, a wide smirk on his face. He pressed his lips together to hide his grin, and he was driving me mad. Before I knew what I was doing, I had grabbed him by the collar of his coat and pressed my lips to his forcefully. He responded immediately, cradling my head in both of his hands.

"That wasn't fair," I whispered between kisses.

"No one said I have to play fair, love," Killian smirked as he deepened the kiss. I responded eagerly as my fingers began creeping lower down his chest.

We were so fixated on each other that we didn't hear the front door creak open as David let himself outside. Killian and I both jumped away from each other when David cleared his throat loudly. I blushed at being caught by my father when Killian and I had been having a very intimate moment. I felt like a teenager being scolded by her parents after being caught kissing a boyfriend. Except it felt weird to call Killian my boyfriend- he was so much more than that to me.

"Let's go," I said, ignoring David's red face and deathly glare at Killian that clearly said "I will deal with you when we get back, pirate."

Five minutes later, we arrived at Granny's Diner. I jumped out of David's car and realized that it was a mistake a moment later. I winced as a sharp pain shot through my abdomen and down my legs.

"Emma!" David hurriedly rushed to support my hunched up frame. "Are you ok? Do you want me to take you back to the apartment?"

"No, I'm fine," I replied, straightening my back and walking towards the diner, ignoring David outstretched arm and Killian's worried glance.

I threw the door to Granny's open with more force than was warranted. Every person in the diner turned to face me with shock written on their faces. David and Killian trailed in behind me, both still looking furious at my recklessness.

Regina was the first person to recover her voice. "Ms. Swan," She began in her cool, calm voice. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"The same thing as you," I replied with a shrug. "Going after Zelena."

"You gave birth yesterday," Regina arched her eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be sitting around somewhere and resting?"

"I'm fine," I replied, trying my best to look like I wasn't in any pain.

"Alright," Regina turned back to the group seated at a large table. "We have the advantage this time. Gold has his dagger and isn't under Zelena's control anymore. She can't force him to do anything. Let's go."

I found myself in David's truck again, along with Killian, David and Robin. I was surprised at how well all three men seemed to get along. They even made plans for a night out at the Rabbit Hole after the madness with Zelena was over. I leaned my head back, content to just listen. Killian, of course, noticed immediately.

"Swan, are you alright?" Killian inquired from the passenger seat.

"Fine," I sighed. "Please, Killian, stop worrying."

Once David had skidded to a halt near Zelena's farmhouse, Killian immediately leaped out to hold open my door and help me out. I rolled my eyes at him, but he saw the small grin hiding on my face. "You like chivalry, Swan?" He breathed.

"I can take care of myself," I argued. "I don't need chivalry."

"Guys, look," David breathed, pointing at the glowing light shooting out of the barn. It was truly magnificent up close, shooting straight up to the sky and disappearing into a circular cloud high up in the sky.

"Don't get closer to it," Gold commanded as he closed the door of his car and walked towards us. "The strength of the… time portal… might draw you in."

"So we just wait out here until Zelena decides to come out to meet us?" I asked harshly, prepared to leave the group behind and march right into the barn myself.

"No need for that, dear," Zelena suddenly materialized right in front of me and laughed at my shocked expression. "I didn't expect to see you here." She snarled. "I thought you'd let your dashing pirate save the day again for you."

"No one saves me except for me," I snapped. "Now give me my daughter. Or you will regret it."

"Sorry," Zelena smiled wickedly and turned back to face the time portal. "Your daughter is already in the past. I suspect that the Evil Queen will find her and kill her- or worse- in mere minutes."

"What do you mean?" I inquired sharply. "I thought you wanted to go back further than that?

Zelena's smile disappeared and her eyes darkened with hatred. "It doesn't matter," She snarled at me. "Rumplestiltskin will choose me this time! I will get my happy ending!"

"Fate is fate, dearie," Gold said from behind me. "Regina was the one who was destined to cast the curse. And she will do it again."

"Get out of my way," I snarled, trying to push Zelena aside. "I have to go to my daughter."

"I'm so sorry," Zelena said with a cold laugh. "I think the portal is closing!"

Pure fury radiated through every fiber of my being. I felt my hands get warm and suddenly, I just knew. My magic was back, and Zelena was going to lose. I grinned at a shocked Zelena, who looked at the pure white light shooting out of my hands with fear and anger.. Somehow, I had gotten my magic back at the perfect moment. Regina ran up to stand beside me and she shot her own white magic at Zelena, and I relished in the exhilarating feeling of my magic being strengthened with Regina's. I embraced the magic flowing through my veins and smiled widely at a panicked Zelena just as she crumpled to the ground. I left Regina to deal with the powerless, defeated Witch and ran to the barn, ignoring the shooting pain rushing through my body.

"SWAN!" I heard my name being called, but I paid the voice no attention. If I had to go in that portal to save Syrena, then I was going to do it. "Swan, wait!"

I threw the door to the barn open and allowed the rapidly dwindling swirling light to suck me into the hole. The last thing I heard was Killian's vague screams, "One of these days I'm going to stop chasing this woman!"

I landed heavily on the hard ground. The air left my lungs as I crashed onto the earth. I couldn't prevent the agonized scream that escaped me as my still-sore body made contact with the hard ground. The ground swirled underneath me as my head began to pound from the pain. I felt strong arms wrap around me and lift my head off the ground and cradle me. I could tell that the man was yelling, but I couldn't make out his words. So I let myself sink into the relief of the darkness.

When I came to again, I was lying in a soft bed and surrounded by thick blankets. There were cold strips of what felt like ripped pieces of clothing lying on my forehead. I opened my eyes and saw Killian sitting in a rickety chair beside my bed with his head buried in his hands.

I tried to speak but my throat was so hoarse that only a low rasping sound came out. Killian's head immediately shot up and his dull eyes brightened with pure relief. "Emma!" He cried in relief. "Love, you will most certainly be the death of me."

"Water," I whispered, trying to ignore the burning, parched feeling in my mouth and throat. Killian immediately ran to the bedside table and filled an old mug with water for me.

"Easy, love," He whispered as he helped me sit up and drink.

"Where are we?" I croaked, staring at the simple room that we were currently in. It was small and sparsely decorated, yet it still felt homely and inviting. The walls appeared to be wooden, so I assumed that we were in a cabin of sorts.

"A kindly man heard me trying to wake you up and insisted that we stay with him until you recover," Killian replied.

"So, what happened to me?" I asked, trying to understand why I was feeling so terrible. "I mean, besides falling out of the sky two days after giving birth."

"You hit your head, love, so we believe that you are concussed," Killian explained. "Luckily, it appears that there are no broken bones or other injuries."

"I feel much better," I soothed him. It was true. After drinking the water Killian had offered me and sitting up, I almost felt like my normal self again. "Did you find Syrena?"

Killian's heartbroken eyes answered me before he began speaking. "No, love," He affirmed. "The man who found us and I searched for hours, but it appears that someone found Syrena and took her before we did. Let's just pray that they are kindly people."

"We need to find her, Killian," I said. "We can go to the nearby villages and ask if someone found a baby in the woods recently."

A gentle knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. "I made some soup for the two of you," A familiar Irish accented voice said. Immediately, the face of a kindly sheriff with curly hair and green eyes came to mind. But it couldn't be him. Graham couldn't just show up- he was long dead.

But there he was. Graham stood in front of me holding a tray of soup and bread, looking alive and healthy. "Graham?" I asked, hardly daring to believe my eyes. I had watched him die in my arms. It couldn't be him. Memories of an innocent crush and sweet kisses came to mind, and I felt myself smile as the memories replayed in my mind.

"Mi'lady, you hit your head," Graham said softly. "I believe you are confused, I'm not Graham. Most people call me the Huntsman."

"Thank you," I whispered as Graham carefully laid the tray in my lap. "I will leave the two of you to eat now."

"Graham?" Killian inquired sharply the moment the door closed. "Do you know this man, love?"

"Yes," I said. "Graham died before the first curse was broken. Regina crushed his heart and he died in my arms. But I didn't know, of course. No one knew, we just assumed that he had a heart attack."

"Just like Milah," Killian said softly, his eyes haunted as he replayed Milah's death in his mind. I squeezed his hand comfortingly. "Did you care for him?"

"I did," I said truthfully. "And I still do, but I love you Killian. Graham is just a friend."

"I trust you," He said, his blue eyes clear and honest.

"We need to take him back with us, to Storybrooke," I replied. "He didn't need to die. We can save him."

"Yes, lass, we will take him, once we figure out how to transport to the future," Killian said.

"We need a wizard," I smiled confidently. "We need to find Gold."

"You can't be serious, love," Killian said, sounding slightly annoyed. "The Crocodile would kill me on sight if he saw me now."

"We'll explain what happened," I said firmly. "He'll listen to us, he has to."

"I wouldn't count on that, dearie," a cackling voice replied. Rumplestiltskin materialized in the room and immediately began magically choking Killian.

"Stop!" I cried in panic. "Rumplestiltskin, you have to hear us out, please!"

"What do you have to say that is so important that it can't wait until after I kill him?" Rumplestiltskin inquired with a maniacal grin on his face that widened as Killian began gasping and turning red.

"We're from the future!" I cried. Rumplestiltskin immediately froze and released Killian, who collapsed and began gasping for air.

"Killian, are you alright?" I asked, staring at Killian's red face and hearing his heavy wheezing as he tried to breathe.

"Fine, love," Killian managed to gasp out.

"But time travel can't be done, dearie," Rumplestiltskin said confidently, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Someone cracked that code," I said in a resigned voice. "Her name is Zelena."

"Zelena," Rumpelstiltskin sneered. "I knew she was trouble the moment I laid eyes on her."

"She threw my baby into a time portal, and so Killian and I jumped in after her." I explained. "Can you show us where our baby is?"

Rumplestiltskin immediately waved his hand and a magic crystal ball appeared in his hand. "Look in here, dearie," He said, bringing the crystal ball closer to me.

Syrena was wrapped in her pink blankets and lying contently in the arms of Snow White. "Snow White has Syrena," I said excitedly to Killian, feeling relief trickle through my body. Snow White wouldn't let any harm come to Syrena.

"She is hiding with a girl named Red on a farm half a day's ride to the west," Rumplestiltskin said as he gestured towards the general direction we had to travel to. "Now, can I kill him?"

"No," I snapped. "You guys can fight it out in the future. I need him to help me now. And speaking of the future, can you get us back there?"

"I will try, dearie," Rumplestiltskin smiled rather evilly. He was gone a moment later, disappearing as suddenly as he had come.

"That was… enlightening," Killian said somewhat sarcastically.

"Killian, stop," I sighed. "Yes, he tried to kill you. But now we know where Syrena is and might have a way to get back to our time."

"We leave tomorrow," Killian said in a voice that left no room for argument. "You need to rest today."

"Okay," I sighed, knowing Killian was right. It was almost night, so it would be pointless to leave now. "But first we have to explain this whole thing to Graham."

Surprisingly, Graham took the news quite well. "So, you're from the future?" He asks for the third time as he stares at us incredulously.

"Yes," I said patiently. "And you need to come to the future with us."

"Why, mi'lady?" Graham asks curiously. "I have a good life here in the woods."

"Because someone kills you in the future," I explain. "We want to save your life."

Graham looks even more stunned now, if that was possible. "Who killed me?" He stuttered. "And why do you care whether I die or not?"

"We were friends," I whispered. "I can't just leave you here knowing that you're going to die."

"Mi'lady, I have to think about this," Graham said seriously. "I will give you my answer after we rescue your daughter from Snow White."

"Alright," I conceded, knowing that Graham was being very open-minded about this time-travel and death news I had just thrown on him. I would have scoffed at the mere mention of time travel, but Graham was taking it very well. "I'm telling the truth, I swear to you."

Graham stared into my eyes for a long moment before replying. "I know you are, Lady Emma. Thank you." He smiled briefly and excused himself from our room to go and sleep.

"Good night, Killian," I whisper as I snuggled deeper into Killian's chest. I sigh as his salty rum smell invades my nostrils and immediately calms me.

"Good night, love," He murmurs into my chest. "Sleep well."

Before I knew it, Killian was shaking me awake and sunlight was streaming through the window of our room. "Good morning, love," He said to me as he laid a horrible-looking dress on the bed next to me.

"What the hell is that?" I asked in horror as I gestured at the clothes. "I'm not wearing that!"

"This is what women wear in this land and time," Killian replied. "So, yes, you will wear it."

"Why can't I just wear my own clothes?" I protested as I fingered the corset in the dress.

"Because black coats and jeans don't come into vogue here ever," Killian smiled. "And I'm excited to see you in this clothing."

I sighed and let Killian help me into the corset and dress. He pulled a cloak over my shoulders and I quickly brushed through my long hair and tried to make myself look halfway presentable.

"You look stunning, love," Killian murmured softly. "Now let's go find our daughter."

By the time Killian and I went outside, Graham had saddled two horses and was already sitting on one of them.

"I only have two horses," Graham said. "Can you ride together?"

"Of course," Killian said as he gave me a boost and climbed on behind me. "Thank you for your kindness, Huntsman."

"You are kind people," Graham said in his deep voice. "Normally, I spend most of my time with animals. But you two are bearable, I suppose."

"Glad to hear it, mate," Killian smiled. "And if you choose to come with us to Storybrooke, we will extend the same kindness to you."

"Thank you," Graham replied earnestly. "What was my life like in this Storybrooke?"

"You were the sheriff, which is like the enforcer of the law," I explained. "I was your deputy. You were kind and persistent."

"Were we close?" Graham asked curiously, glancing at Killian and I in confusion. "Did I know Killian?"

"No, Killian came to Storybrooke after you died," I replied. "We were just starting to become friends. You died weeks after I came into town."

"I think that I would like to return with you," Graham decided. "Do the people in town like me?"

"Yes, everyone missed you after you died," I said, remembering Graham's funeral. "They would love to have you back."

"How did I… you know, die?" He asked hesitantly. "I'm sorry I'm asking so many questions."

"It's fine," I quickly assured him. "Regina- the Evil Queen had your heart, and she crushed it. But she's changed, she isn't evil anymore."

"Are you sure she's changed?" Graham asked. "I hear terrible stories about her."

"She's different now," I assured Graham, who nodded thoughtfully.

"Anyone can change," He mused. "Perhaps the Evil Queen is not as evil as she has people assuming."

The rest of the ride went pleasantly. The weather was perfect for riding, and Graham obviously knew his way around the Enchanted Forest very well. We stopped to eat in a small village before continuing on to the hillside where Graham said that the farms would be.

"So, what do we tell Snow?" I whispered to Killian. "Hi, we're here from the future to get our daughter back?"

"No," Killian looked at me with a smile. "We tell her that we sought out the help of the Dark One after our daughter went missing."

"That's a good idea," I mumbled, wondering how Killian always managed to keep his cool.

"I'm a pirate, love, remember?" Killian said in response to my shocked expression. "I've had to get out of my fair share of sticky situations before."

"I guess so," I conceded. "Look- I think we're there!"

We had just crossed a hill and were now staring down at a lush green valley of farms. "This is where you will find Snow White," Graham announced. "King Midas's castle is in the distance."

I could just make out the gleaming shape of the castle in the distance. "Is it made of gold?" I asked curiously, watching the sun reflect off of the castle.

"Aye," Killian replied. "King Midas's touch transforms anything to gold. It's not surprising that his castle is made of gold."

"So, which of these farms is Snow hiding at?" I whispered as we rode our horses through the small village. Each small house and farming area looked the same. We would have to knock on all the doors or ask someone.

"We could go the market and ask which of the farms belongs to Red and her grandmother," Graham suggested.

The marketplace was small and almost empty. All the villagers had already bought and traded earlier in the day and now the market resembled a ghost town. "Excuse me, sir," Graham went up to an old man who was in charge of a fruit cart. "Do you know where we can find Granny Lucas and her granddaughter Red?"

The man eyed Graham suspiciously before answering rather grudgingly. "Take the road to your left. Their farm is the third one down, on your right hand side."

"Thank you, sir," Graham said. He remounted his horse and we took off in the direction that the man had pointed us in.

I could barely contain my excitement as we made our way to Red's farm. I was finally going to see Syrena again, and hold her in my arms. I turned around in the saddle and smiled at Killian excitedly. "We're going to see Syrena!"

"I missed her too, love," Killian smiled. "She is a the greatest treasure a lowly pirate like me could have hoped for."

We tied out horse's reins on the fencepost outside the door and walked up to the front door and knocked. I held my breath as we waited nervously. The sound of footsteps could be heard and a second later, Ruby threw the door open.

"Hello?" She asked in confusion, her gaze guarded. "Who are you?"

"We are here to see Snow White," I said softly. "We aren't here to hurt her or turn her over to the Evil Queen."

Ruby stared at us for a long moment before quickly ushering us in and slamming the door shut. She led us to a small kitchen. Snow White was sitting at the table, holding a sleeping Syrena in her arms. When she heard us come in, she stared at us in fear and moved to get her arrows and give Syrena to Ruby.

"What do you want?" Snow White asked in an angry voice. "Did Regina send you?"

"No," I replied, staring at my mother with a slight pang in my heart. She didn't even know who I was. "We're here for our daughter, Syrena."

"This is your daughter?" Snow White asked incredulously. "I found her abandoned in the woods!"

"Mi'lady, please," Killian began. "My wife, Emma, gave birth two days ago. We were not safe where we were, so we had to travel immediately after she delivered Syrena. Emma fainted along the way. I put Syrena down for a moment to tend to Emma. When I turned back, Syrena was gone."

I moved to take Syrena from Ruby's arms. "Hi," I whispered happily. "I missed you, sweetie."

Snow cleared her throat. "I was hiding in a tree, waiting for a royal carriage that I could rob. I know it sounds bad, but I need money so that I can go somewhere where Regina can't find me."

My mouth went dry and my heart rate sped up. Snow White and Prince Charming first met when Snow robbed his carriage. If they didn't meet, and Snow left, I might never be born. Or Henry. Or Syrena. Somehow, Killian and I had to save the future.

"I heard a baby crying," Snow continued, oblivious to my panic attack. "I couldn't leave the baby there, alone and crying. So I abandoned the plan to rob the carriage and instead went to save the baby."

"Thank you, Mi'lady," Killian said respectfully. "My wife and I are forever in your debt."

"It was nice to meet you, and I'm glad Syrena is back with her parents," Snow smiled earnestly. "I would love to have children of my own someday."

"You will," I blurted out without thinking. In response to Snow's surprised expression, I hastily corrected myself. "I mean, I'm sure you will. You look like you would make a wonderful mother."

"Thank you," Snow said shyly. She quickly pulled on a thick cloak. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. I'm to a tavern to see if I can meet a pirate with a ship to grant me safe passage."

To my surprise, Snow reached out to give me a hug and kiss Syrena's forehead gently. "I'm so glad I got to meet you, Syrena." Then she turned to me. "Good luck with your family."

"Thank you," I whispered, realizing that Snow had no idea how much I needed her good luck. I literally had to save my family's future from being destroyed.

"Killian, we should go too," I said, giving Killian a pointed glance. "We have a lot to do."

"Yes, love, of course," Killian said. We quickly thanked Red for letting us into her home and left moments after Snow.

"Killian," I hissed. "We have to talk."

I tightened my hold on Syrena. I had to save the future, for her sake. She had to be born.

"What is it, love?" Killian asked in concern. "Are you feeling unwell again?"

"Snow didn't rob that carriage, and that means that she and Prince Charming never met. If Snow leaves on a ship tonight, my parents will never meet and get married. I'll never be born. Henry won't be born and neither will Syrena." I told him in a hushed whisper. "We accidently changed the future, and now we have to fix it."

For the first time since we arrived in the Enchanted Forest, Killian looked as panicked as I felt. "What do we do?" He asked urgently. "We only have hours until Snow leaves."

"I don't know," I whispered. "Do you think we should call on… him again?"

"No," Killian shook his head vehemently. "We can't take that risk. That imp won't help us. We made this mess, and now we have to fix it."

I racked my brains furiously, trying to come up with a solution to our problem. "She's leaving on a pirate ship," I whispered to myself, and suddenly, I knew what we had to do.

"Killian!" I called out. Killian had gone over to Graham to fill him in. "I know how to fix this!"

"You need to go the tavern," I said. "Be Captain Hook, tell Snow that she can have passage on your ship."

"What will that accomplish?" Killian asked in confusion. "And what if she recognizes me?"

"Wear a dark cape and make your voice sound different," I said. "And tell her that her payment is Charming's ring that she needs to steal. Their story will be back on track then."

"That is a bloody fantastic idea," Killian said in approval. Graham quickly handed Killian a cape, and I watched him pull the dark cape over his hair and face. "I'll be back, love. You and Graham wait here."

"Good luck," I whispered and gave him a quick kiss.

He mounted the horse and quickly urged the horse into a run. Within moments, he had disappeared into the darkening evening.

"Mi'lady, come and sit," Graham urged me as he laid a blanket down in the shade of a tree.

"Thank you," I smiled as I sat down and held Syrena in my arms. It felt so good to hold her again, after everything we've been through in the past few days.

"She is a beauty," Graham observed as he sat next to me. "I can't imagine how frightening it must have been to lose her- twice."

"It was awful," I said, remembering the frustration and helplessness I'd felt.

We sat in companionable silence for over an hour, speaking very little. Graham inquired about Storybrooke several times, and I talked to him about the time we spent together in the station.

"So, my name was Graham Humbert?" He asked with a snort. "It sounds rather strange, but at the same time, familiar."

I laughed. "Yeah, it is," I agreed. "But I think Graham suits you."

"I agree," Graham said with a small smile. He looked into the distance. "I hear a horse." He said as he quickly stood up and drew his loaded bow.

"I don't hear anything," I said, amazed that Graham could hear so well.

"I grew up with wolves," Graham explained. "They rubbed off on me."

Sure enough, moments later, I saw a dark, hooded figure on horseback riding directly towards us. "It's Killian," I said, also standing up, making sure that Syrena was still wrapped in my cloak. It had gotten cold as the sun set and I was afraid she would catch a cold.

"She agreed," Killian said in elation, relief written all over his face. "She said that she would get the ring tonight and meet me at the port tomorrow afternoon."

"I knew you could do it," I smiled in relief. "Should we head to the port right now so that we can wait for her there tomorrow?"

"Yes, we can get a room at an inn," Graham agreed. "The babe will catch her death out in this cold."

Killian and I rode together again, with Syrena securely held in my arms. Graham rode in front of us like before, keeping a watch on the path ahead.

"Look, King Midas's castle," Graham said, pointing at the huge castle. "It seems that there is a ball of some sorts tonight."

Sure enough, the castle was alight with torches and there were multitudes of expensive, royal carriages pouring in.

"What could the ball be for?" Killian wondered thoughtfully.

"Princess Abigail and Prince Charming," I explained. "They're engaged to be married."

"So, Snow White is attempting to steal the ring during the ball," Graham stated. "Should we stay and keep watch, in case she needs help?"

"Yes," I decided. "We can't leave any of this to chance."

We stayed a safe distance away from the castle, far enough to be able to spot Snow if she came but far enough to not be discovered. After long hours sitting in the darkness, I finally spotted a dark figure run up to the castle walls, throw and secure a rope and begin scaling the wall.

"Look, that must be her," I whispered, making sure Syrena was still covered by the many blankets we had thrown on her. Killian, Graham and I were taking turns holding her, making sure she absorbed as much of our body heat as possible.

"Aye, that's her," Killian affirmed. "Let's pray that she gets the ring and Charming sees her but she manages to escape."

We held our breath for several endless, tense minutes. When Snow suddenly reappeared and clambered over the castle wall and began climbing down, we all breathed sighs of relief. I smiled as Charming's figure appeared in the open window of the castle room. Even from this distance, I could hear him yell at Snow. "I will find you," He roared. "No matter what you do, I will always find you!"

I smiled in triumph. "She did it," I said proudly. "Charming will trap her tomorrow and then she will save him from the trolls. He'll get the ring back and that is when they begin to fall for eachother."

We ended up spending the night where we were. Killian, Graham and I took turns keeping watch, so that when Charming left, we would follow him. According to Henry's storybook, Charming would trap Snow up in a tree and demand that the ring Snow stole be returned to him.

I felt someone shaking me awake several hours later. "Emma, love, it's your turn to take watch. Are you sure you don't want me to cover for you?" Killian asked quietly.

"I'm fine," I said reassuringly, taking Syrena from Killian's arms. The lights in the castle were still visible. It was in the early hours of the morning, but the party was still in full swing.

"Would you have liked to go the ball?" I asked Killian curiously. "Have you ever been to one of these balls?"

"Yes, love, in my Lieutenant days, I went to my fair share of balls," Killian said reminiscently. "You would look stunning in a ballgown, perhaps red and low cut."

"I can't dance," I smiled at Killian's fantasy.

"There's only one rule to waltzing," Killian murmured in my ear as he helped me to my feet and put an arm on my waist. His other gripped my hand and we began to move in a slow waltz. "Pick a partner who knows what he is doing."

We danced for a while, forgetting every other care in the world. When Killian attempted to hide a yawn from me, I ordered him to go to sleep while I began keeping watch with Syrena in my arms. She slept through my whole watch, being the perfect angelic child that she was. Even when I handed her off to Graham, who was in charge of the last watch, Syrena didn't stir. I watched Graham cradling Syrena and a warm feeling spread through my body. I thought I would never see Graham again. How wrong I had been.

Graham shook us awake at dawn, explaining that Charming had just saddled up a horse and ridden away. We quickly packed our meager belongings, jumped on our horses and rode after Charming. We found him hanging a trap from a tree and hiding the net among the debris on the forest floor. Killian, Graham and I stayed back far enough where Charming wouldn't suspect that he was being watched.

"I think Snow is coming," Killian hissed as we watched a figure walking directly in the path of Charming's net.

Sure enough, Snow emerged from the trees a moment later and unsuspectingly walked straight into Charming's trap.

"Don't worry," I said in response to Killian's shocked expression. "This is how it happened the first time."

"Your parents had quite the courtship, love," Killian grinned. "They could give us a run for our money!"

"Now what?" Killian asked curiously as Snow and Charming began to walk away.

"They're going to get stopped by trolls on the troll bridge." I whispered. "Snow saves Charming, and that's really where their feelings start to develop, I think."

"What are we waiting for then?" Graham asked incredulously. "Let's follow them!"

Suddenly, a dark figure appeared in front of our horses and blocked our path. "Reveal yourself!" Graham shouted as both he and Killian drew their swords. "We are armed!"

The figure reached up a scaly hand to flip his hood down. With a shock, I realized that it was Rumplestiltskin. "Hello, dearies," Rumplestiltskin said with a crooked yellow smile. "Congratulations, you destroyed- and fixed- the future."

"So, that's it?" I asked in relief. "We fixed it?"

"Yes, dearie. Snow gives the ring back and doesn't run off on a pirate ship. Eventually, she and the Prince marry and have- you! He said with a cackle as he pointed to me.

"Can you get us back to the future?" I asked in relief. I had never been happier to return to Storybrooke in my whole life.

"That's a problem," Rumplestiltskin said. "Only the people who went through the portal can open it again."

"Meaning that I have to open it?" I asked incredulously. I was just getting used to having my magic back, there was no way I could open a portal.

"I can't take a chance about you," Rumplestiltskin said. He clicked his fingers, and suddenly I felt like I was hurtling through time and space. When I could see clearly again, I saw that we were in a dark and cluttered room. It seemed to be full of furniture, tapestries, boxes and statues of all sorts.

"Where are we?" I asked as I looked around the vast, two storied cavern. Graham and Killian looked just as clueless.

"The vault of the Dark One!" Rumplestiltskin cackled. "Where I keep all the magic that even I don't understand! You'll be trapped here, forever!"

"No, wait, please," I begged Rumplestiltskin. "You have to help us!"

"Bye, dearies," Rumplestiltskin cackles evilly before disappearing. I sighed in frustration as I looked around the room for anything that could help us. My eyes landed on a dark wand and I knew that I recognized it. The Black Fairy's Wand, that Pan's Shadow had tried to steal. Perhaps that could help me open a portal.

"Killian, look," I said excitedly, turning to show Killian the wand. I saw him fingering some ancient looking tapestry curiously.

"Put it down," I hissed. "If the Dark One is afraid of this stuff than we should be terrified of it!"

"Alright," Killian grumbled in disappointment as he set the tapestry on an old table. "Why do you get to touch stuff then?"

"Because we know what this is! It's the Black Fairy's Wand, and it can help us open a portal!" I said excitedly. "Watch!"

Killian shifted Syrena in his arms and nodded encouragingly at me. "Let's see it then, love!"

I focused all my energy on Storybrooke. I closed my eyes and thought of all the people I knew and getting back to them. Faces flashed in my mind's eye- Mary Margaret, David, Regina, Robin Hood, Neal…

When I felt the rush of magic and Killian and Graham's whoops of triumph, I knew that I had succeeded. The portal back to Storybrooke had been opened.

"You go first," I told Killian, who was keeping a firm hold on Syrena. "Graham, go!"

Killian and Graham jumped in and I prepared myself to jump after them. Before I could, though, a hand reached out to grab me.

"Let go!" I screamed in a panic. Rumpelstiltskin had grabbed my arm and was preventing me from following the others into the time portal. "Let go of me!"

"Just a moment," Rumplestiltskin hissed. "I need to know something! Do I find my son?"

"Yes!" I cried, trying to wrench my arm from the man's grip.

"Bae," Rumplestiltskin says lovingly as a smile lights up his face. "But there's something else, isn't there?"

"He dies," I whisper brokenly. "He died to save us all, he died a hero. You can't take that away from him!"

"No, I can fix this!" Rumpelstiltskin says fiercely. "I won't let him die!"

"You can't change the future! You could end up making it worse!" I cried desperately. "I loved him too! You have to forget everything I told you!"

I spiraled away from Rumpelstiltskin as he let go of my arm to reach into his coat and pull out a small vial of blue liquid. I recognized it as a memory loss potion, and I breathed a sigh of relief. The future had been saved, and Killian, Syrena and I were going home. Everything felt right again.

ONE DAY LATER

It seems that all of Storybrooke had succeeded into squishing themselves into Granny's Diner. News had gotten out that Killian and I had gone to the past and saved the future, and naturally, everyone in Storybrooke decided it was time for a celebration. Hopefully, now that the Wicked Witch was defeated, Storybrooke would become peaceful, and villains would stop trying to kill us.

I was squished into a booth with Killian, who was holding Syrena, David, Mary Margaret, Robin, Regina, Henry and Graham. Graham and Henry had rekindled their old friendship, and Henry was showing Graham how to use an iPhone. Regina looked happier than I had ever seen her, and I felt a warmth in my heart. Regina had finally found her happy ending, with Robin. I remembered Tinker Belle briefly explaining that Robin and Regina were soulmates, and I smiled contently. At long last, everything in Storybrooke was perfect.

"What are you thinking, love?" Killian murmured into my ear as he noticed me staring.

"I'm just thinking about how lucky we are," I said honestly. "Everyone finally found their happy endings. And I have a family now- it's all more than I ever dreamed of."

""I'm the lucky one," Killian smiled down at Syrena. "I found you, love."

"Promise me that you won't leave," I commanded Killian. "Like Neal."

"Never, love," Killian vowed. "Why would I leave if everything I could ever want is right here? You'll never be alone again."

I smiled contently as our lips met. Everything was just right, in this moment, and I wished that it would never end.

No one noticed the single, perfectly shaped snowflake drifting through the air outside. It stuck to the outside of Granny's glass door, and several miles away, a Queen began her revenge. She would see her sister again, and the Dark One would pay for he had done to her family.

I'm sorry it took me so long to update! I just got back from a two week vacation. I planned on updating before I left, but I just got too busy to finish it up and post it before I left. I'm also sorry that this chapter ended up being so long- I could have split it into two chapters, but I didn't want to keep dragging it out, especially since I haven't updated for so long.

I don't have a sequel planned. I only wrote that last part in because I wanted to include Elsa in the story, even if just for one sentence. I know that she isn't necessarily evil, just misunderstood. But I think that Rumpelstiltskin had something to do with separating Elsa and Anna and then trapping Elsa in that tapestry. Anyway, I guess we'll see what happened when Season 4 starts! :)

Marion doesn't come back from the past in this version. I hated that twist and felt so bad for Regina. So, instead, I brought Graham back.

I might post a couple of one-shots every now and then, whenever my muse strikes. They'll be mostly Captain Swan or Outlaw Queen.

Thank you for sticking with me through this story. I am so thankful for the beautiful response I've gotten. Love you all! Bye!