The sun had slowly risen above the small town in Maine, casting a light, golden glow on the so far empty streets. Today there was no one who woke up fearing an attack from the Wicked Witch; today everything was as it should be. Happy endings were back.
Emma smiled to herself as she thought about it. With Regina now capable of using both black and white magic, the Saviour would not be needed in town anymore. She could go back to New York again, live the life she had built for herself and Henry over the past year. A life without magic, a normal life; that was what she wanted.
"Emma?" her father said, waking her from her thoughts. "Are you okay?"
"What?" she asked, certain that she had missed something that her parents had said to her. Instead they both just smiled and shook their heads. Emma huffed and leaned against the wooden pole by the stairs leading up to the loft.
"So, isn't it finally time you tell me the name of my little brother, or should I just keep calling him Hey There?" she asked.
"No use, Emma", Rachel called from the top of the stairs. "Seems like your parents are very keen on keeping that thing a secret from us."
Just like Emma, Rachel had stayed in the apartment that night. The loft was big enough for both of them and, Emma reasoned, once she was gone Rachel could have it all for herself until she found a place of her own. At least it seemed like that was what the Children of Magic were planning to do; staying.
"The thing is", David said and rocked the baby in his arms, "there is this tradition. Back in the Enchanted Forest when a new royal was born you usually announced the name at a coronation ceremony."
"We would have done it with you if we could've", Mary Margaret said with a soft smile as she kept folding the freshly ironed laundry.
"You're not going to hold him out in front of the clock tower and present him like in the Lion King, are you?" Emma asked with a suspicious frown. David chuckled in amusement and Emma could hear Rachel do something similar above her head.
"Of course not", her father said. "In fact we've decided to forgo all pomp and circumstance for a nice potluck at Granny's."
"The important thing is to mark the occasion", Mary Margaret filled in, "and remind ourselves that after all that we've been through we're still together, as a family."
Yes, a very strange family, Emma thought, where the oldest child seems to be the same age as her parents, and her parents were once Prince Charming and Snow White.
The stairs creaked as Rachel walked down, fastening a necklace with a silver rune around her neck as she did.
"And since it's a potluck, I'm going to whip up some Swedish cinnamon buns", she said.
"Was that what that dough you were making earlier was for?" Mary Margaret asked. "It smells wonderful!"
"Hopefully the finished thing will as well", Rachel said with a smile, before tying her hair back in a ponytail and walking over to the kitchen. Just then the door opened and Henry walked in, his nose buried in today's local paper.
"Hey, check it out", he said and walked over to Emma, "I think I've found us a place."
Emma frowned and took the paper from him. It was opened at the adverts and Henry had circled one announcing that there was an apartment for rent close to the docks.
"You're looking for apartments?" Emma asked and looked up at Henry. The boy nodded.
"What do you think?" he asked. Emma looked down at the circled advert once again. From the description it did sound like a nice place; a newly redone kitchen with a dining area, two bedrooms, an office and a large living room, all for a very reasonable price.
"Yeah, Emma, what do you think?" Rachel asked from the kitchen. Emma looked down at the paper again. She had yet to tell them of her plans. Only Hook knew that she intended to leave Storybrooke and she was not quite sure how to tell her parents. Eventually she smiled and folded the paper.
"I think", she said and placed an arm around Henry's shoulders, "that your grandparents can't decide what to name your uncle and they are using a fairytale tradition to try to buy themselves some time."
Henry burst out laughing at the looks on his grandparents' faces and the tension in the apartment disappeared as quickly as it had built up. Emma smiled and glanced back at Rachel, who simply shook her head at her and continued with her baking.
"Has he given you a ring yet?" Maryse asked, grinning at Belle. The brunette blushed and shook her head.
"We're not going to have engagement rings", she said. "Rumple and I have decided to get married as quickly as possible, before anything else happens. There will only be a wedding ring."
"Just tell me if you need any help with the wedding", Maryse continued. "Clothes, decorations..."
"I didn't think you'd be that interested in it", Belle pointed out.
"It's the wedding between the Beauty and the Beast; who wouldn't be interested?" Maryse replied. "Look, I've promised Arianne to help her with something for the potluck at Granny's, but if you realize you need my help with something, all you need to do is call. I've got Emma's old phone number."
"I know that", Belle said with a smile and gave the younger woman a hug, before watching her run down the street. Not until she disappeared around a corner did Belle allow her facade to drop and the panic to resurface. She stormed towards the pawn shop and flung the door open, rushing inside. As the shop was empty she figured Gold must be in the backroom, causing her to hurry past the various items and in through the second door. Her fiancée turned around when she entered, a surprised look on his face.
"Look", Belle said and pulled the Dagger out of her purse, "this... this is too much power to keep with me."
"No, no, I don't want it, Belle", Gold said and stopped her from handing it back to him. "The point was I trust you."
"I know", Belle sighed, "but... isn't there somewhere I can store it safely? Back in our land, at your castle, you had that vault, the one with no doors..."
"That was for only the most dangerous and unstable magic", Gold pointed out, "that which even I couldn't comprehend."
Belle looked down at the Dagger in her hand and then gave Gold a quizzical look.
"And this doesn't qualify?"
Gold smiled softly.
"No", he replied. "You see..."
He took the Dagger from her and flipped it in his hands.
"I understand this magic all too well. I left that vault and all its dangers behind, but this Dagger..."
He walked over to the table where she had placed her purse and placed the curved blade back inside it.
"This is not dangerous, because as I said; I trust you."
Belle looked doubtfully at the purse, then felt Gold's arms around her. They made her look up and the look on his face made her smile. He seemed at peace with himself, for the first time in forever.
"Let's discuss something a bit more pleasant", he said and ran his hands down her arms, taking her hands in his, "like our wedding."
Belle smiled and squeezed his hands.
"I told my father the good news", she revealed, "and he gave us his blessing."
"The man who kidnapped you in order to keep us apart?" Gold said with a doubtful frown. Belle nodded.
"I've forgiven him", she pointed out, "and he's forgiven you. He knows you're a changed man; everyone does. Especially me."
Gold smiled, before leaning forward and allowing their lips to meet. She kissed him back, but was eventually the one to break the connection.
"Come now", she said and pulled him along through the shop. "We don't want to be late to the potluck at Granny's."
"Yes, I believe you're right about..."
Gold stopped, his eyes fixed on something outside the window. Belle frowned and walked back so that she stood next to him.
"Rumple", she said as she noticed the pillar of fire rising up into the air, "what's that?"
"Nothing good", he replied and grabbed her hands. "We have to tell the others."
Granny's was filled to the brim with people, some dressed in ordinary clothes, and some dressed as fairytale characters as they had previously been Zelena's monkeys. In a stall by the windows sat a heavily pregnant Princess Aurora beside Prince Phillip and listened intently as Filipi and Chris tried to explain to them how a car ("magical carriage") worked. Arianne, Tessa, Clarissa and Rowan helped organizing the various additions to the potluck on the counter. Indira, Wolfgang and Toby stood somewhat to the side and, as Indira had her wand out, it seemed like they were discussing something regarding that, though no one else was able to hear what it was as they had placed up a Muffiliato-charm around them.
The stall occupied by the Charmings was crowded. On one side sat Catriona, Mary Margaret, with the baby in her arms, and Henry, while on the other sat Ella, Ruby and Rachel. David stood next to his grandson, leaning against the back of the couch. On top of that Jade, Maryse and Miranda had pulled up chairs so that they could sit there too, as Henry was currently reading the story of how Snow White and Prince Charming met to his baby uncle.
"And that's when the bandit leapt on top of the carriage and stole the Prince's jewels", Henry read. "As the Prince chased the thief on horseback, through the treacherous forest..."
"Really?" Emma asked and came up to them as well, followed by Hook. "I can't hear the kid's name yet but I have to hear this story again?"
"My son should know where he comes from", David replied with a smile, which caused Emma to roll her eyes.
"Are you sure you want the first thing he knows to be that his parents fell in love during an armed robbery?" the blonde asked.
"I wasn't armed!" Mary Margaret protested.
"Except with a rock", Ella said and leaned forward to point at the text.
"I still have the scar", David pointed out, touching the thin pale line somewhat right of his mouth.
"Which healed!" Mary Margaret pointed out. Ruby and the six Children of Magic around the table fought hard not to laugh at the playful argument, causing David to shake his head in amusement at them.
"But that's just how we met", Mary Margaret explained to the baby, "not how we fell in love."
"I don't think he understands all of that just yet", Jade said with a lopsided grin.
"Well, falling in love was a bit more complicated than just meeting", David said and leaned forward, flipping the storybook to the next page. He pointed at the picture covering the left side.
"See? Here are the Black Knights and me saving your mother's life."
"Huh", Mary Margaret said and flipped to the next page. The image on this one displayed a group of trolls standing on a rundown bridge.
"The attack on the Troll Bridge", she said, "where I saved his..."
"But", David continued and flipped the pages in the book again, "it wasn't until I saw my mother's ring on her finger that I knew in my heart that there was... no other woman I would ever love."
He smiled lovingly at Mary Margaret, who smiled back.
"How romantic", Catriona sighed.
"I wish you'd told me then", Mary Margaret told her husband. "We would have saved so much time."
"How could I?" David said with a chuckle. "I had to get to my wedding."
"Woah, what?" Maryse asked and straightened up in her chair.
"Sorry, have I missed something?" Hook said and looked equally confused. "You were previously betrothed, mate?"
"To Katherine", Ruby said and nodded at a blonde woman by the counter, currently conversing with Granny.
"Though", Rachel said and flipped back in the storybook until she found an image of a blonde woman dressed in blue, "she was Princess Abigail back then."
"King Midas' daughter?" Hook asked and frowned at David. "The man who could turn anything into gold? Why would you leave that opportunity?"
Emma hit him in the chest with the back of her hand.
"Hey!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, most likely in reaction to Hook's comment.
"Well, what can I say?" David said with a shrug and a smile. "My heart was destined for another."
Mary Margaret looked pleased at that response and returned to cuddling with her son.
"You just had to find her first", Ruby said with a smile, then turned to explain to the others. "She ran away and was living in a farm."
"It sounded like such a peaceful life at the time", Mary Margaret said with a smile, "leave everyone and everything behind..."
"Huh", Hook said, "like mother, like daughter."
"Hook!" Emma hissed, but everyone had already turned to look at her in surprise.
"What is he talking about?" Henry asked. Emma turned to look at her son, then sent a panicked look in her father's direction.
"Should we read more stories?" he quickly suggested, though the look in his eyes clearly said that Emma would have some things to explain later.
"Actually..."
The voice came from Regina who, followed by Robin Hood, now joined the group.
"I would like to know what he is talking about", she clarified.
"It's nothing", Emma replied and averted her gaze.
"Are you planning on going back to New York?" Regina questioned.
"Why would we go back to New York?" Henry asked, frowning.
"You're not", Regina replied. "Right, miss Swan?"
"Emma, what's going on?" Clarissa said as she came over to the group.
"It's complicated", the blonde Saviour replied and refused to look at anyone.
"Why would we leave?" Henry asked. "This is our home!"
"Henry, this isn't the time or place..."
"I think it is", Regina interrupted Emma.
"No, it's not", Emma replied, before turning around and storming out through the door. Hook closed his eyes momentarily before placing his half-finished glass of beer on the table.
"I'll talk to her", he said.
"Wait", Henry said and closed the book, "take this. It might help her remember where she belongs."
Hook accepted the book and sent a glance in Wolfgang's direction. The boy immediately stepped away from Toby and Indira, following the pirate out through the door. After some hesitation Clarissa followed as well.
"She's going to come around", Miranda told Henry. "She can't just pull you away from here now; this is your home."
"She's just stubborn", David said and gave Henry's shoulder a squeeze, "like her m... I mean, like all of our family."
The boy nodded, before his gaze stuck on something outside the window.
"Grandpa?" he said and pointed. "Look."
All the people around the table turned and looked in the direction of his finger, seeing the pillar of golden fire rising up into the air.
"What is that?" Henry asked, just as Gold and Belle hurriedly entered the diner.
"That", Gold said, "is a problem. That light is from Zelena's time portal. It's open."
And trouble's back in town!