A/N Here it is my lovelies, the last chapter. It's fluffy and a little sad but worry not, I already have most of the Epilogue written and it's a wonderful fluffy happy ending!

Thank you all so much for your comments and for just READING it at all.

Cheers.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Henry is waiting for Emma and Killian on the front porch of their house when the newlyweds return from their impromptu honeymoon. They are walking up the front path to the house and Henry comes bounding down the steps to throw his arms around his mother in greeting.

"Welcome back, Mom!" He says with a huge 'Henry' grin and Emma tries not to have a mental freak out at the fact that her son seems to be taller than her and vaguely man-shaped. When had that happened?

Henry pulls away from their hug and turns to Killian to give him the same, making his new step-father smile.

"Grama is inside with Neal, trying to sort all the gifts that people left while you were away."

Emma looks at Killian with a stunned expression that he returns with added confusion.

"Gifts? People left us gifts?" she asks her son as he escorts her the rest of the way to the house.

"Of course. Wedding presents." He answer with a smile and a roll of his eyes as they walk up the steps.

Killian interrupts Henry's explanation by taking Emma's hand from behind her and pulling her back to him before she enters the house.

"Sorry, lad. But I think there is one more wedding tradition that needs to be carried out here before once more heading into the breach of social obligation." He says, grinning as he leans down to sweep an unsuspecting Emma off her feet and into his arms.

Emma gives a squeal of delighted alarm and laughs at Killian's antics as he steps through the doorway to their home.

Snow turns to watch them from the couch with a happy smile on her face and Henry rolls his eyes again and heads to the kitchen, continuing his eternal quest for snacks.

Killian sets Emma back on her feet inside the door and pulls her back to him for a sweet lingering kiss before releasing her. They turn towards Snow and their grins drop at the sight of the large pile of brightly wrapped gifts, filling up the majority of floor space in their living room.

Snow stands to step over Neal, crawling over the small patch of free floor space, to embrace her daughter.

"Wha? What is all this?" Emma finally manages, after Snow releases her to hug Killian. She gestures around to all the gifts as she turns.

Snow keeps smiling as she explains.

"Well, the people of Storybrooke are grateful for everything you have done for them over the years and wanted a chance to thank you in some small way." She says matter-of-factly with a shrug at her daughter and a small chuckle.

Emma stands, trying to word a proper argument but Killian steps up to take her hand a kiss her knuckles lightly.

"Stop, Emma." He says, tilting his head to look directly into her eyes.

"You deserve all of this. And more." He says, holding her eyes until he sees her relent.

Emma sighs in defeat with a loving look at Killian before turning back to her mother.

"Okay. Well, I guess we'd better open these and then write out quite a few thank-you notes." She says, staring disbelievingly at the mountain of gifts as Snow scoops up Neal before he reaches the nearest pretty package.

"I have all the thank-you notes on the kitchen table and I have already started a list of names…" Snow starts rambling as she wanders around, explaining her method of organization for the gifts.

Killian shares an amused, helpless look with Emma before his gaze is snagged by something hidden in the gift pile.

"Oh ho! What is this?" he asks no one as he slips around Emma to pull a large bottle of expensive rum, sporting a sad little bow, from the pile.

Snow gives a laugh at Killian and Emma quirks an eyebrow.

"That is from Leroy and Wil Scarlet."

Killian furrows a brow and looks at Snow.

"You mean the dwarf and the drunkard that I punched in the face the night of our first date?" he asks with a confused chuckle, but Emma quirks her head in scrutiny at him.

"Wait. You punched Wil in the face the night of our date?" she asks with narrowed eyes of accusation and Killian pauses, realizing his error.

"Ah, Well… yes, I did." He says and gives Emma his best charmingly apologetic smile as Emma tries to scowl at him but fails.

"That's why he wouldn't tell me who hit him. You were standing right behind me at the station." She says, putting the pieces together.

Killian grins at her and wraps her in his arms.

"Not to worry, Love. I did make it up to him weeks later when I ran into him at the Rabbit Hole. I bought him a drink and we had a rather grand night talking about our travels and mis-deeds." Killian says to a resistant but smirking Emma.

Finally, Emma sighs and embraces Killian back.

"Fine. But you can write him a particularly nice thank you note."

Emma laughs at Killian's pained expression and pulls out of his arms to help her mother and Killian backs away to seek refuge in the kitchen with Henry.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Storybrooke Library

A week after their honeymoon, things settled down a bit and Emma and Killian fell into a routine. Emma would leave early in the morning to drive to the Sheriff's Station and Killian would make breakfast for Henry and walk him to school before joining Belle and Hope at the library to help restack books and get lessons on the computer from Belle.

Belle arranged a 'storytime' on weekday mornings at the library for all the young children of Storybrooke and Killian would mind the stacks or settle down with a book as she read to the children. He sated his curiosity about his new world as he sorted the books and he found that he enjoyed it quite a bit.

Around noon, Killian would go to Granny's Diner and pick up lunch for Emma before heading to the station with coffee in hand.

"Lunch time, Love." Killian says as he sashays into the station and drops a paper bag on Emma's desk before handing her a coffee cup.

Emma smiles gratefully as she accepts the cup and takes a much-needed sip.

"Thanks. I needed that. How's your day going, babe?" she asks, as she stands from her chair to give her husband a hug and a sweet kiss of greeting.

"Fair." He says but his expression sobers.

"Belle is taking Hope to see her father today when you lot put him in his newly made prison cell and release him from the kraken's ink."

Emma's smile falters and she takes Killian's hand in silent support.

"The cell will be better than being paralysed forever and we can't just ignore all he has done and the fact that he shows no sign of stopping his scheming."

Killian puts a hand up in a defensive gesture.

"No need to convince me, Swan. I'm all for locking the Crocodile up." He says with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes.

"I'm simply concerned about Belle and the little lass. Belle is not coping well with her betrayal of Gold and like the rest of us, she is wondering on the fate of her tragically flawed husband."

Killian walks in close to put his arms around Emma and she drops her head to his shoulder as they both sigh unhappily at the giant problem that is Rumpelstiltskin.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Rumplestiltskin's New Prison Cell, Under the Town Hall

Killian and David carry a frozen Rumple into the new cell and lay him on the floor before backing out again. Regina then raises the bars of the cell, coated with kraken ink, and raises the magical barriers.

Emma is magically hovering a cloth dipped in kraken blood in front of her and when Regina gives her the signal, she floats the cloth through the prison bars and drapes it over Rumple's arm.

Everyone waits tensely for some sign that the blood has successfully undone the paralysis of the kraken ink and they all take a collective breath when Rumple starts moving his hand and a few minutes later, after the blood has finished working, Rumple stands to face the assembled heroes.

"Well, that's it then, is it? Just going to lock me up and throw away the key?" he says, words dripping with venom but no one answers him until Belle steps out from behind Killian and walks towards her husband with Hope in her arms and tears running down her face.

She stares at Rumple for a full minute before she speaks to him.

"I think you need to be in there, Rumple. We have all trusted you, time and time again, and you have always either failed us or betrayed us outright."

Rumple staggers back at Belle's words but doesn't say anything.

"I am sorry it came to this, Rumple, but you brought this on yourself." Belle is struggling to get the words out now and Regina elbows David and silently motions towards the exit, in an attempt to give Belle some privacy. Regina, David and Snow all make a silent retreat, leaving Emma and Killian with Belle.

Belle takes a moment and hands Hope over to Emma, who gives her a sad smile and takes Hope and follows the others out, to wait for her Belle. Killian crosses his arms and stubbornly refuses to leave but he does back away a few steps to give Belle some feigned privacy.

Belle takes a steadying breath and turns back to her husband.

"I've made a decision, Rumple. I've decided that Hope and I both deserve someone in our lives that will choose us over their own selfish gains. I know you love us in your own way but you have proven so many times that your love for us comes second to your love for power."

Rumple seems to collapse in on himself as he backs away from the bars and falls to the ground.

"Belle…" he pleads in a strangled voice. "I can change."

But Belle shakes her head sadly as she fights back more tears.

"I don't believe you anymore Rumple."

She says in a small voice and then whirls around to leave, nearly running into Killian's arms and sobbing as he helps her towards the exit.

Rumpelstiltskin sits on the floor of his prison cell facing the reality that his happy ending just walked away from him.

And it was his own doing.