James runs his fingers through Wilby's fur, smiling as the English Shepherd rests his head on his lap. When David and Mary Margaret left on vacation, James agreed to walk and feed him. After Jack showed up, Robin graciously offered to take over for a few days. Now that the family is returning, James showed up with Sera in tow. He was cautious about bringing the baby around the dog, but Wilby did great. He sniffed the car seat then simply sat by it. James isn't sure why he's surprised. David and Mary Margaret specifically got Wilby while she was pregnant with Emma so he'd adjust to the baby right away. It was a pretty smart move.

"I'd like one of you," James tells his dog-nephew. "My landlord would kill me."

He looks around the well decorated farm style house. It's open concept, you're able to see the kitchen from the living room and beyond. Most of the furniture is calm, soothing tones like light blue and white. Still, there are signs that children live there. Cubbies overflowing with toys. Each with their own little desk that has just about every art supply known to man. Crafts hang proudly on the fridge and walls, surrounded by a million photos. Two tricycles leaning against the driveway, a full swing set and treehouse out back.

A family home. Happy, bright, exciting.

James can afford the down payment for a house of his own, but it was never important until now. His apartment is nice, overlooking downtown Storybrooke. There's a park nearby. But no yard to put a swing set or treehouse. He can't hang anything on the walls without command strips. Lots of kids grow up in apartments, Sera will be fine. And still, James wonders if it's time to give up the unit he's rented since he graduated from college.

The familiar minivan pulls into the driveway. Wilby pulls away from James, scampering to the door. James checks his watch. Sera is sleeping in her Moses basket in Mary Margaret's office. He put her down about an hour ago.

Emma's excited squeals can be heard as she runs up the steps. David isn't far behind, a hand out to catch her if she trips. His niece is still tiny, more the size of a 2 year old than 3. Despite that, she's energetic, wild and clumsy, a trait she inherited from her father. Even from afar, James spots a bandaid on each knee, likely an injury from their trip. Mary Margaret walks behind her husband, a half-asleep Neal in her arms.

James gets up and opens the door, Wilby instantly greeting Emma with kisses. She screams, hugging his neck. James takes a step back, tugging on his ear. How can someone so little be so loud.

"Uncle Jamie!" She throws her arms around his legs. James smiles, easily, lifting her into his arms. His neck is the next to be strangled. "I missed you!"

"I missed…you too…" he manages to make out.

"Emma," David steps into the house, smirking. "Be careful with your uncle Jamie. He's very old."

James rolls his eyes as his niece eases her grip. "We're twins, Davey." David glares at him. "If I'm old, so are you."

"You're 10 minutes older. Which means you'll always be the old man."

"Emmy, I hope you tortured your daddy on the plane."

Emma just smiles, unaware of the jabs being exchanged. "I colored and watched Coco and…and…and I had two bags of pretzels!"

James widens his eyes for her benefit. "Two whole bags of pretzels?"

"Nee is too little to have them. So I gots them."

"You're very lucky. I used to eat your daddy's snacks too."

Emma giggles as Mary Margaret walks in the door. Wilby is busy greeting everyone, trying to jump up and greet the youngest member. 2 year old Neal barely blinks an eye. Mary Margaret smiles and rubs his back.

"He slept on the plane, I don't know why he's still so tired."

"He was off routine for an entire week," David points out. "That's his version of h-e-l-l."

"Gee, wonder where he gets that from."

Mary Margaret shoots him a look. "I'm gonna put him down."

David kisses the top of his son's head and watches as his wife goes upstairs. Emma starts kicking James' chest so he sets her down and she takes off with Wilby.

"Where's all your stuff?" James asks.

"Still in the car. I don't feel like unloading it right now. We had to get a new suitcase just for souvineers."

Emma looks up from Wilby. "Uncle Jamie, we got you two Stitchies!" She holds up three fingers, looks a little confused and then puts one down. "I picked one and so did Nee."

"Thanks, Em."

She nods and goes back to playing. Mary Margaret comes back downstairs, baby monitor in hand. James makes a mental note of something else he has to buy.

"So, what'd we miss while we were gone?" She asked.

James tilts his head. "How was the trip?"

Mary Margaret and David exchange glances. James sighs. These two are annoying enough with their PDA and sweet talk. What makes it worse, they also

communicate with a single glance.

David looks back at him. "What's going on?"

James opens his mouth, just as the little dinosaur's screams can be heard from the office. Mary Margaret groans.

"James, if you got Emma one of those realistic baby dolls, I will k-i-l-l you."

"Relax. Just wait here."

He walks back to the room, pushing open the door. Sera screams up at him from her basket on the floor, her fists clenched. James leans down and lifts her into his arms. He finds her discarded pacifier and holds it to her lips for a few minutes. She calms down enough to suck on it, making little whimpers beneath it.

"Ready to meet some new people?" James whispers. She just stares at him.

He carries her out into the living room, his hand cradling her head. David and Mary Margaret are standing by Emma now. His niece is entranced by some crayons at her desk, not looking up as he walks closer. Mary Margaret sees the baby first, her emerald eyes widening.

"James…" her voice is careful, slow. "Why do you have a baby?" David's head snaps up, jaw dropping.

James shrugs. "I mean…why not?"

Emma finally tears away from her coloring. Her smile grows wide.

"A baby!" She claps her hand over her mouth and then lowers her voice. "Baby."

James nods. "That's right, this is your cousin, Serafina. But I call her Sera." He ignores his twin and sister-in-law staring a hole into his head as he bends down to show her.

Emma carefully strokes Sera's cheek. James expects his daughter to freak out, but she's calm. "Hiya, Sera. I'm Emmy. You can have one of Uncle Jamie's Stitchies."

"That's very nice of you. And fitting because she acts like an alien."

Emma's eyes sparkle. "Maybe she is Stitchy! Or Angel, that's the girl Stitchy."

James nods, watching Emma obsess over Sera. She's only a year older than Neal, but she's always been affectionate towards him. It really shouldn't be a surprise that she's so gentle with her cousin.

Mary Margaret clears her throat. "Emmy, why don't you go play in your room?"

Emma frowns. "But I wanna play with Sera!"

"You can play with your tablet. I plugged it in your room when I took your brother upstairs. Just be quiet and don't wake him up when you pass his door."

The bribe is enough for a very stubborn Emma. James rises to his feet as she rushes up the stairs. David is by his side in an instant, staring at the baby.

"Where did she come from?"

"You have two, you know how it works."

"James!"

He sighs, settling down onto the couch and gently rocking her. She's good on a feeding for now, likely just missing him. Which is a whole thing to get used to. How is she so damn attached? They just met.

"You remember Jack?"

Mary Margaret raises an eyebrow. "The college student we both told you was a terrible idea?"

James nods, ignoring the quip. "Well, she went away for that internship. She came back and gave birth the best day."

"Did you know?"

James feels like a little kid, sunk back on the couch while they tower above him, each with their arms folded over their chest.

"No. She was a string bean when she left, didn't mention shit about pregnancy."

David chimes in. "Where is she now?"

"Probably on her way to UMS. She starts grad school in a couple of weeks."

"Is she coming back?"

"She said she's not."

"So…she left you. With this baby. Alone." David speaks slowly, looking at his wife. "Are we being punk'd?"

Mary Margaret shrugs, her eyes trained on the baby. "I have no idea."

"It's real. They did a paternity test before I could take her home. She's mine."

Mary Margaret drops onto the couch besides him, her fingers rubbing against Sera's elbow. The baby grumbles a little behind her pacifier.

"She's cute ," she says.

"Yeah. Clearly takes after her old man."

Mary Margaret smiles. "Are you okay? I mean you've been doing this by yourself…how old is she?"

"8 days. And I wasn't alone. I've had some help from a neighbor."

Mary Margaret raises an eyebrow but David speaks before she can. "You think you can do this? Raise a baby? Alone?"

James sighs, looking up at him. Doubt is written across David's face. "I want to try."

"You know what this means, don't you? No more partying on the weekends. Forget the long list of girls in your contacts. Your life is going to change forever."

"David," Mary Margaret says, tilting her head.

"No, Mare, he needs to hear this. He can't just go on like business as usual. Everything is about to change."

"Everything has already changed!" James snaps. David steps back a bit and Sera growls. James stands up, pacing to get her to calm down. "Regardless of what choice I make, she exists and I know about her. I can't go back to how I was before, even if I didn't keep her. For the rest of my life, I'll be a dad."

He lets out a deep breath, looking his shocked brother dead in the eye.

"I don't know if I'll be good at this. I'll probably fuck her up. But she's here. I know about her. And I can't abandon her. I…I love her."

It's the first time he's admitted it, to anyone. It's still such a foreign concept. It's been 8 days. He didn't even tell his high school girlfriend of a year that he loved her. How can see say it so easily about a baby that barely exists.

David's features soften. He walks over, looking down at his niece for the first time. James bites his lip. She's still growling, clearly disturbed by the commotion.

"I'm well aware of what I'm giving up," James says. "It's not going to be easy. You always told me to grow the fuck up. Maybe I can try."

"I think taking her home and giving it a chance, makes you a grown up, Jamie." For once, it's not an annoying nickname, rather a term of endearment. He squeezes his shoulder. "We'll help you, as much as we can."

Mary Margaret nods from her spot on the couch. "What do you need?"

James suddenly can't think of anything on the list that Belle gave him. Most of the physical things are taken care of, it's other stuff. Getting her on his insurance, finding a pediatrician, hearing back from the daycare. David's hand remains on his arm. "One thing you need to do is file for sole custody and see if Jack wants her parental rights terminated."

"Really? All that court stuff?"

"During my 5 minutes in law school, I read about a similar case where the mom took off and came back after a year, managing to get full custody because there was no plan in place." James frowns, cuddling Sera closer. "I still have some connections, I can give you their number."

James nods, grateful for the year his brother spent in law school before dropping out. "That'd be great, thanks."

"We can also give you the number of Dr. Friedman. He's the kids' pediatrician and they love him. Goofy but knows what he's doing."

"Okay."

David holds his arms out. "Can I hold her?"

James hesitates. Outside nurses at the hospital, he's the only one that's held her. Belle's offered but understood when he said no. It's not that he doesn't trust them. Maybe it's time to let go, just for a minute.

"Support her head," James instructs as he passes her over.

David rolls his eyes. "I've held a newborn before." He cradles Sera in his arms, a big smile taking over his face and his voice becoming light. "Yes I have. Oh my, aren't you just beautiful?" He rocks her as she screams a little. "I know, I know, it's scary, huh? I'm your uncle Davey, that's your aunt Mary Margaret."

Mary Margaret walks beside her husband, beaming down at the baby. "Oh, I love the way a baby looksin your arms," she whispers.

"Enough to make another?"

"Heck no, both pregnancies were hell on Earth." She carefully takes the baby, ignoring her husband's protests. "I am going to spoil you rotten, yes I am, Serafina."

James is biting back a smile, watching the two. Maybe they can make up for whatever he lacks in the cutesiness department. He tries, but wonders if he'll ever reach that octave David gets when he holds a baby.

David spares him a look. "Serafina, huh?"

"It was the only name I could think of," James says with a shrug. "They kept asking and Jack was no help. Plus, you stole Ruth."

David rolls his eyes before smiling again. "No, I think Mom would've loved that. Loved her."

A beat of silence takes over the room. It's not often they talk about either mother. To James, what is there to say? They were great moms who loved their sons to pieces, then were taken far too soon.

"Does George know?"

James shakes his head vigorously. "No, and he's never going to."

"Hate to break it to you but we said the same about Emma. It's a small town."

"He's not laying his eyes on Dino Girl, ever," James says, firmly.

David nods then does a double take. "Dino Girl?"

James cheeks burn as he scratches the back of his neck. "It's what I've been calling her." David smirks. "Like it's any better than you calling Emma 'Monkey'."

"I'm not judging. Just never took you for a nickname person."

"Of course I am…Davey."

David rolls his eyes, smacking his brother on the back. Mary Margaret is paving the room, still cooing at her new niece.

"Welcome to the club, by the way."

"The dad club?"

"Girl Dad club. It's nice to have someone that gets. They're cute…while also being little women." He laughs. "Emma sounds just like Mare about 90% of the time. She's a tiny debater."

James' lips tug up in a smile. It's equal parts exciting and terrifying. "I'm just glad Sera can't talk."

"Enjoy those moments." He pauses. "Who's the neighbor?"

"Oh uh, her name is Belle. She has a kid too."

"Pretty?"

"You're married."

"Obviously, I meant for you, doofus."

James scoffs. "As you so charmingly pointed out, my days of fuck and run are over."

"She doesn't have to be that way. There's such a thing as a committed relationship. They're not all that bad." He gestures to a picture from his wedding on the wall. "Sometimes, and this may be a big stretch for you, you turn out happier than ever."

James ignores him, crossing the room to his sister-in-law. He doesn't miss his brother's sly smirk. James makes a mental note: David and Belle must never meet.