"Mr. Jones?"

The boys' teacher called out into the hall, looking around for Killian. They had met before, and as soon as she laid eyes on him crouched in the too small chair lined up along the side of the school hall, she smiled wearily, and waved him into the room. Only halfway through her parent teacher conferences, she already looked exhausted.

"Swan, aren't you coming?" He turned to Emma, surprised that she hadn't already hopped up from her seat in the hall to join him.

"Oh, yeah, sure." She gathered her purse and followed him into the room.

"Ms. Swan. Good to see you as well. Please, sit down." She gestured to the chairs in front of her desk, and they immediately sat, and Killian draped his arm around Emma's chair.

"I have to say, Mr. Jones, and to you, Ms. Swan, Liam has handled this year remarkably well. I've had students in the past lose a parent and it has always been rough. To have Liam lose his only parent, and go through this transition, well, that's a testament to the two of you. Whatever you have done has been exactly what the boy needed."

Killian spoke first, as he turned to Emma with loving appreciation clearly evident on his face. "Really, it's all due to Emma here. I couldn't have handled it without her. She understands the lad, and has helped me learn what he needed. Without her, I'm not sure either one of us would have survived this." He squeezed her shoulder as he said this and Emma shook her head with a small smile.

"You guys would have figured it out, Killian."

The teacher smiled at them, having quickly realized that there was more than just a friendship at play.

"Well, whatever it was, he's a very lucky boy, and I'm sure he'll handle the transition to middle school just fine in the fall." She went through his grades, and continued by suggesting the elective courses she thought he would enjoy the most. Emma and Killian were both relieved at the teacher's report. They were amazed by how well Liam seemed to be lately, and the confirmation from an outside source was a weight off their shoulders. Emma couldn't wait to have a private moment with Killian to share her happiness.

"Now, rather than make you wait around and come back in, we can move on to Henry." She shuffled some papers around on her desk, trying to find the appropriate folder.

"Killian, can you go find the boys? That way when I finish up in here we can be ready to leave? I know they're going to be hungry."

She had turned to Killian as she finished her request, but was taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor.

He stood silently, face set into an unreadable expression, but the clenching of the muscles in his jaw signaled something was wrong. Not knowing at all what happened to cause this, she watched in confusion as he left the room.

Barely able to focus as the teacher outlined the same basic information for Henry, she was anxious to leave and find Killian and the boys. When she did, his look had not changed.

He turned and curtly called to the boys. "Come on, lads. Time to go home."

"I thought we were going out to dinner? You guys promised we'd get Olive Garden." Both boys were well past their typical dinner time, and on the verge of becoming complete whiners. It was usually a dangerous combination, as Emma would be the first to shut down any complaints.

"Not tonight. We need to go home. You can order a pizza from the car." Killian's tone and quick gait as they walked towards the car was enough to stifle any further complaints from the boys, and they quickly followed, realizing now was not the time to argue.

Emma, still baffled at his change in mood, silently followed as Killian led the way out to the car. He didn't speak a word as he drove them home, and Emma knew with the boys in the car, this was no time to ask questions.

He was the first into the apartment, throwing his wallet onto the counter and brusquely instructing Liam and Henry to eat as soon as the food arrived. His pace hadn't slowed at all, just as quick and determined as it had been at the school, and he continued into Emma's bedroom, silently.

She followed him with a glance at the boys, noting their troubled faces. She was desperate for an answer, every bit as confused as they were as to what had caused his abrupt change in mood.

Closing the door behind herself, she breathed out, steeling herself for whatever was to come.

"Killian, what's wrong? Did I …"

He didn't even let her finish before he spoke.

"So I'm not a part of Henry's life? Is that how it is? You and I share Liam, but Henry is just yours?"

She wanted to speak, to say something, but his words felt like they were out of nowhere. Of all of the things that could have been wrong, and she'd imagined so many scenarios sitting silently in the car as they drove home, this had not even crossed her mind.

"I'm not going to pretend that didn't cut, Emma, to have you dismiss me as though I was not there for him every bit as much as you have been there for Liam this past year. As though I didn't want to speak with his teacher and to hear everything she had to say. You can keep your walls up for yourself, but I will not accept you shielding Henry from me. I love that boy as though he were my blood."

She looked at him, stunned to hear the anger in his voice.

"It may have been you and Henry against the world, but it's not anymore. I'm here for both of you. And I'm not going anywhere. You need to get used to that idea. Push me away all you like, but you will not push me away from Henry."

Emma sat on the bed, watching him pace as he spoke. His words were clear and sharp, but loud, and she hoped the boys couldn't hear in the other room.

Finally, he paused, looking to her for a reaction.

"Killian." She stopped. She had no idea how to continue. He was right. Every word he said was true. But there had been something in her that without thought dismissed him from the room. She didn't want to push him away. And she certainly didn't want to stand in the way of his relationship with her son. Henry was lucky to have a man like Killian in his life, a man who loved him so unconditionally.

He continued to stand looking at her as she remained seated silently. "Emma…"

She cut him off before he could continue.

"I know." She inhaled deeply before continuing. "You're right. I don't know why I didn't even think to have you stay in the room, Killian. You should have been there. She thinks Henry's pretty great. I wanted you to hear that." She tried to smile, hoping to cut the tension.

His pacing had continued, but he stopped a moment to return the smile.

"You have to trust me, Emma. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not going to hurt Henry."

"You think I don't trust you?"

He turned in surprise. "Isn't that what this is? Keeping me at arm's length, not fully letting me in?"

She stood, and crossed to him, reaching for his arm and his hand simultaneously.

"I think you're the only person in the world I do trust." Tears had started to flow, and she didn't even bother trying to stop them. "I just don't always know how to show you. And I'm going to make mistakes, Killian. I'm not perfect. But I want this. I want you and me. I want you and me and Henry and Liam."

She dropped her head to his shoulder, and he took her in his arms as she cried.

"I'm sorry, Emma. I shouldn't have gotten so angry."

"NO." She pulled away a bit, enough so that she could look him in the eyes. "You had every right to be angry. And you need to tell me when you're upset with me. I'm not the only one in this relationship who gets to have issues."

His lip pulled up at the side as his arm tightened around her waist, gathering her body closer to his. "No, certainly you're not the only one who gets to have issues. I'm just a little better about letting you help with mine." He heard her dry laugh against his shoulder, and knew they were past the worst of it. "You really want this, Emma? You and me? All of it?" He felt her head nod on his shoulder.

She turned and leaned her cheek to his chest so that her voice would not be muffled. "I love you, Killian. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me and Henry. And Liam's a lucky kid. We're better with you. All three of us."

"And I with you, love. All three of you."

Turning her face up to look at him, her smile almost blinding him. He noticed her eyes were still filled with tears, but this time he could see they were of joy, not of pain. Reaching his hand up to wipe away the moisture with his thumb, he then leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her lips. He wanted to hold her and live in this moment forever. There was so much more for the two of them to discuss, but they were parents and there were boys who needed to be minded.

"Why don't you get yourself sorted. I'll go find out what mischief our lads have gotten themselves into while we've left them unsupervised, with a pizza."

With one last kiss, he departed, and she heard him call out from the living room that they must have taken the food across the hall to his place. He yelled that he would go rescue it, in the hope there would be enough left for them.

Looking in the mirror at her mascara covered face she chuckled. She loved Killian's ability to joke after so serious a discussion. She loved that his first instinct was to check on the boys. She loved hearing him say 'our lads', and knowing just how strongly he meant it. She loved that she loved him, and was able to finally say it without any hitch in her voice or hesitation.

She rushed through cleaning herself up, anxious to join her boys, all three of them.

Standing outside the door to Liam's room, she listened a moment to the voices inside. She didn't know what made her eavesdrop, rather than join them immediately upon entering the apartment. She could see inside the door just enough to know Killian was perched on the bottom bunk, with the boys flanking him, a head on each of his shoulders.

"Are you and my mom going to break up?"

"No, Henry. People don't leave each other because of one fight. Your mom and I love each other very much. Nothing could make me leave her. Or you. Sometimes grown ups fight."

"Was it our fault?" This time the question was from Liam.

Emma had to burst into the room at that moment. She remembered too well from her childhood the pain of listening to her foster parents arguing. She would try to cover her ears, try to drown out the shouts. But all too often the harsh words would end, and the next day she was right back where she started, in a group home waiting on a new family, wondering what she'd done this time.

"NO!" She flew through the door, trying to figure out how to scoop both boys into her arms. "It wasn't your fault Liam. Not yours either Henry. Of course it wasn't." The tears she'd just managed to stem were again streaming down her face as she felt the guilt coursing through her. "Grown ups get angry with each other, and sometimes we fight." Killian moved over on the bed, allowing her to bunch in between himself and Henry. Liam climbed over him, tucking himself between Emma and his brother. "It doesn't ever mean you did anything wrong."

"Lads, we didn't mean to scare you. Truly. But," he looked over at Emma smiling in confirmation, knowing they were on the same page, "Emma and I are very much staying together."

The boys had fallen asleep in the bottom bunk of Liam's bed, curled up in Killian and Emma's arms as they talked, and joked and laughed as a family. Emma and Killian had moved gingerly, trying to extricate themselves from the boys' limbs without waking them, and turned to study the two peaceful faces as they slept.

"Should we move one of them to the top?" Emma wasn't used to the sleeping arrangement of the boys at Killian's and didn't know who took which bunk here.

"No. They actually both end up sleeping on the bottom bunk more often than not. One might move to the top in the middle of the night, but it's not worth potentially waking one of them up now. Come on." He motioned for her to follow him out of the room, but gave a final glance to the lads as he shut off the light and closed the door. She was waiting for him just outside the door, jaw wide open in a yawn. As soon as he joined her, she pressed her body into his, sliding her arm around his waist. "What do you say? Is there room in your bunk for me tonight, Jones?"

He pulled her close. "Always, Swan. Always."

He paused a moment as he watched her walk down the hall in front of him to his room. It wasn't as though it was a now or never situation, but he definitely felt as though he was ready for it. And after tonight, she just might be too.

"Swan," he called out, "you know, we could fix things so that there isn't a my apartment. Your apartment. Liam's room. Henry's room. We could have all these things be ours."

She stopped in her tracks, and he suddenly worried it was too much. That it was the wrong time. She spun slowly, and he walked to catch up to her.

"I could move out of my place. I'm not tied to the lease. But, you've got six months left on this lease. And this place isn't big enough for all four of us, Killian. I mean, we could make it work but maybe crammed in here isn't the best way to try. It would be better if we found someplace big enough where maybe the boys had the option of their own rooms, even if they never ended up using them?"

He let her ramble, with a smile on his face, happy that none of the objections had anything to do with actually living with him. Once there was a pause in her thoughts, he nodded and agreed.

"Love, I had no intention of us living here. And as for the lease, I can afford to default on that. I was thinking of a house." She started to protest, he was sure about the cost, but he shook his head with a silent request to let him continue. "The boys are switching schools next year anyway, so maybe we can look in some different areas? I have no problem with the lads having their own rooms. We'll want that as they get older any way. A bit of space for us all to have our own corners if we're in a funk. What do you think?"

Her lips were pursed tightly in a smile as she started to nod her head quickly. "I think all of that sounds perfect."

Emma crawled into bed that night next to Killian, and wrapped her arms around him happier than she'd ever been. She had spent so many years telling herself that as long as she had Henry, she had everything she needed. That was true. Henry was her first love, but not her only love. As she thought about the dark-haired, blue-eyed man in her arms, and his doppelgänger of a brother down the hall, she knew that opening yourself up to more only made your life richer.

She heard Killian mumble "I love you, Emma Swan." as he fell asleep, and she rose up on her elbow to smooth out his hair and press a kiss to his forehead. "And I you, Killian Jones. Forever."

She fell asleep with the sound of his heartbeat in her ear, and dreamt of their life together, all four of them.

AN- There will be an epilogue with a nice little tie up. And on tumblr there will potentially be a sister post where I talk about the fic and all of the head canons I have about it (there are a ton.)

Thank you so much to EVERYONE who has reviewed, favorited, followed, and sent words of support along the way. Every last one of them has meant so much. I love this little story, and it is a huge achievement for me. I could not have done it without hearing from you guys. Seriously.