Oh my goodness, I know I told you I would have this final chapter up last week,

but I got pretty darn sentimental about the ending,

and I couldn't help but want to put it all off for as long as possible because this has been such a wonderful adventure, and I hate it when adventures end.

I began Almost Lover on December 24, 2013.

I went on to write An Empty Heart on May 14, 2014.

And now I end Try To Remember on October 25, 2015.

I'm going to write a special thank you and post it separately. I am so, so grateful to each of you. Many of you have been here from the very first chapter.

Others of you found Try To Remember just recently.

I am thankful for each and everyone of you, and if you all could do ONE more thing for me :)

If you could all write a review. I want this last chapter to be the most memorable.

Even if you could just write a single word describing what this story meant to you.

Thank you, thank you all so much!

Without further ado...this is the end, my friends.

!Enjoy!

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...Two Day Later...

"Hey."

Emma knew who it was the moment she heard his voice. She felt her cheeks growing redder and redder against her will. She hadn't seen him or spoken to him since they had left the Queen's vault two days previous. Why couldn't he just leave her alone? It was all too much to take in, especially right now.

"Hey," she responded without looking at him. She loaded her firearm and strapped it into her holster. She did the same thing with her second gun.

"That's some serious ammunition you're packing, Sheriff."

"I'm just on my way to arrest Regina," Emma replied in an emotionless tone as she grabbed her red leather jacket and put it on over her shoulders.

Jefferson crossed his arms and looked impressed. "You have enough evidence to do that?"

"Of course I do," Emma risked glancing at him. "Sydney confessed in the vault, and I have several witnesses for when she's put on trial. Speaking of, are you willing to testify against her?"

"Sure," he responded immediately. Something about his soft gaze on her and the way his eyes followed her all around the room made Emma feel uncomfortable and her stomach clench nervously.

"I mean, I just figured I'd ask since you were there, and -"

"Emma," he quieted her with a single word, "Of course I'll testify."

She caught his eye and they stared at each other. Several seconds ticked by before Emma blinked and looked away. She refused to believe that the nervousness she was feeling was the result of any kind of sexual tension between herself and the freaking Mad Hatter. She needed to get out of there as quickly as possible, before the situation got any stranger.

"Alright," Emma said awkwardly, "Okay, good." Now was the dreaded moment. Jefferson was blocking the door. She had to get passed him. She steadied herself and walked up to him. "But I've gotta go, so I'll see you later." She made to walk past him, but he wouldn't let her pass. He grabbed the crook of her elbow. "Let me go," she groaned.

"Emma..."

"Jefferson..."

The two of them spoke at the same time. Their eyes caught again. She couldn't look away, even though she really wanted to. Emma licked her lips as he came closer, but he didn't kiss her.

"Emma," he whispered to her. "I'm not going to push you. Lord knows, I want to talk about what happened down there in that vault, but I don't want to scare you away. Obviously, I died. And obviously, you were able to bring me back to life. Emma, that means something. But we won't talk about it until you're ready. I promise. So, for now, let's just continue on as before."

"I don't think I know how to do that."

Jefferson smirked. "To be honest, neither do I. But...I mean, we can do some things differently."

"Like what?"

He answered her by cupping her cheeks in both hands and bringing his lips down to hers. Her breath caught in her throat as electricity shot through her entire body. She lost all rational thought as his fingers ran across her skin with a feather-light touch.

When he pulled away he grinned. "Goosebumps," he whispered into her ear.

"Damn," she swore, but she couldn't resist smiling as he kissed her again.

Regina could wait another minute. Emma wound her fingers into Jefferson's hair and moaned against his lips. Or an hour. Regina could definitely wait another hour.

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"I must say, I've always wanted to see you behind bars, your Majesty," Rumpelstiltskin smirked as he entered the Sheriff's office and saw a dejected and defeated Regina Mills seated on the thin mattress of the prison cot.

"I'm in no mood to listen to your gloating, Gold," she practically growled.

He came closer to her cell, until he was only a few inches away from the door. "It's Rumpelstiltskin now, dearie, if you don't mind. And after everything you've done, my gloating should be the least of your problems."

Regina raised an eyebrow and finally turned her head to look at him. She looked defiant once again. "Are you going to kill me?"

He scoffed. "I confess, the thought did crossed my mind, butthen I got to thinking. You see, I don't have to kill you. You're safe for now, Regina, but those bars won't protect you forever. The curse's been broken, and you have a lot of angry fairy tale creatures ready to see you hang for what you did to them. I hate to think of what they're going to do to you." He reveled in the split second that Regina's eyes filled with fear.

"Why don't you tell me how the curse was broken?" She tried to change the subject. "I've been trying to figure out how, but Miss Swan wouldn't give me any of the juicy little details. How did the Savior do it?"

"True Love's kiss is the most powerful magic in the world," he replied in a sing-song voice, and when she looked at him in confusion, he offered her an explanation. "Miss Swan," he raised a finger, "And our illustrious Mad Hatter," a second finger lifted into the air.

The Evil Queen had never looked so surprised. "Seriously?" She reeled.

"Seriously," he sneered. "You have to admit, your Majesty. True Love comes in the strangest of forms. How ironic it is, then, that you shall never find yours. While everyone else has what matters the most to them, you lost the only thing that was important to you: your power. Even I found love."

"How is our dear little Beauty doing anyway, Rumple?"

Rumpelstiltskin gave a sardonic grin. "Enjoy your time in your cell, Regina. I'll be sure to see you at your court date."

She sneered at him, but he just continued to smile as he walked out of the prison, leaving the defeated Evil Queen behind. What a relief it was, that they would never have to deal with her ever again.

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Belle hummed softly as she rocked Rose back and forth in her arms. Since her baby girl had been brought back to her only two days ago, Belle had barely let Rose out of her sight and had insisted on holding her as much as was possible. She knew that the danger was passed, but she still felt fear in her heart every time Rose so much as whimpered. For now, Rose was perfectly quiet and Belle just watched her child sleep. She felt perfectly content.

Two days ago the Dark Curse had been broken. Two days ago her memories had flooded back into her mind. Two days ago she had stopped being Belinda and had become Belle once again. Two days ago she had woken up after 28 years of living a lie. Two days ago she had been reunited with the love of her life, and she had recognized him as Rumpelstiltskin instead of as Robert Gold.

Belle smiled softly. Not even the darkest and most evil of curses had been able to keep her from falling in love with the man fate had designed her to fall in love with. Nothing could keep them apart, and now they would be together for the rest of their lives. As Belle and Rumpelstiltskin.

"Is she asleep?" She heard the gentle lilt of his voice and turned around to face him. She smiled at him.

"Yes, finally."

Rumpelstiltskin limped into the room as Belle somewhat reluctantly laid Rose down into her crib. The moment the baby was no longer in between them, Rumpelstiltskin swept Belle into his arms and she laid her cheek on his shoulder. Much like Belle couldn't stand to let Rose go, Rumpelstiltskin likewise wanted to hold Belle as much as he possibly could.

"You look beautiful, dear," he whispered into her ear and felt her smile against his shoulder. He pulled her away and cupped her cheek. "You always did as Belinda, but your eyes always had this blankness. Like you didn't know who you were."

"I didn't."

Rumpelstiltskin nodded his head. "Now your eyes are filled with recognition and familiarity, and you're more beautiful than you ever were before. I missed you so much."
"Was it difficult?" At his confused stare, Belle tried to clarify. "Was it difficult to see me every single day when you knew that it wasn't really me?"

"Of course it was. Every single day I wished that the real you was there. I promised myself that I would make you remember."

Belle felt tears in her eyes. "And now I do."

"That's not so much my doing as it was that of Miss Swan and the Hatter."

"I still can't believe it," she gave a watery grin and then laughed. "And I'm usually excellent at seeing those types of things."

Rumpelstiltskin chuckled. "Don't blame yourself, sweetheart. I don't think any of us expected Jefferson's True Love to be the Savior, but they did save us all."

"I really love True Love," Belle whispered to him.

"As do I."

He kissed her then and Belle moaned at the touch of his lips on her. Her fingers curled into the long hair at his neck, and she arched into him when his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer.

"I love you," he said as his lips ghosted across the skin of her face, over her cheeks, and down her neck. Belle clung to him as tightly as she possibly could.

Her eyes were closed tight as she smiled a full and beautiful smile. "I love you too, Rum." She buried her face into his neck and kissed his pulse point as he rubbed his knuckles up and down her back. "I want to marry you," she admitted softly and felt his grip tighten around her.

"Then marry me," Rumpelstiltskin kissed her hair.

Belle pulled away only an inch so that she could look into his eyes and see the truth shining in them. "Really?"

He nodded. "I want to live the rest of my life with you, Belle. We've been through hell and back, and I love you so much. We shouldn't waste any more time. Let's make you, Rose, and I a proper family, sweetheart."

"Alright, Rum," she agreed with a beautiful laugh and pressed her lips against his.

….Their story was far from complete...

But They All Lived Happily Ever After.

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Remember what I said, if you could all write a review. I want this last chapter

to be the most memorable.

Even if you could just write a single word describing what this story has meant to you!

Thank you, thank you all so much!

It's done. This tale is finally done.

In the words of so many other writers before me, I now write:

THE END