Important information:

In this story Killian never was in the Underworld and he never was the Dark One. As I said in chapter 14 when our heroes found Merlin he successfully removed the darkness from Emma.

Enjoy!

We dreamed how we were perfect, and we were — Sylvia Plath

Two months later

"Are you sure that Regina will be able to keep her occupied?" – Killian asked as he carried one of the many boxes that were in David's truck to the house.

"Relax … you should be more worried about Will being alone at the Sheriff's station" – Robin said, following Killian.

"I want it to be a surprise" – Killian stated, entering in the room that soon would be the baby's nursery.

Killian put the box he was carrying on the ground and looked around the room, remembering the events of the night before, when Emma and he returned home, after the dinner with the Charmings.

Emma's back hit the front door as soon as she closed it. Before she realized it Killian's lips took her by surprise. Her fingers immediately got lost into his unruly hair. His good hand caressed her cheek and tilted her head slightly to deepen their kiss.

After a few seconds Emma backed away a bit, disconnecting their lips so she could control her breathing. Her hands left his hair and gripped the lapels of his jacket. Killian buried his head in the nick above her shoulder, where her breastbone met her cleavage, and Emma could feel his lips kissing her skin, sending shivers down her body.

"Killian" – she panted as one of her hands sneaked down into his shirt to grasp the necklaces that he always wears.

He used his hook to hoist one of her legs around his waist and Emma immediately braced her other leg around his waist as well.

"Just so you know …" – Emma gasped as her legs tightened the hold they had around his waist – "I'm loving the surprise" – she managed to say.

Killian lifted his head. He looked at her in an amusing way, making the adorable crinkle between his eyebrows appear.

"This is not the surprise" – he said hoarsely, capturing her lips with his again.

Emma could feel him smirking against her lips, causing her to smile as well. Killian could feel Emma's tongue seeking immediate entrance, forcing his mouth to open. He groaned as the kiss deepened and his hand grasped at her waist with hunger.

Emma started to unbutton his shirt, feeling his hot skin under her hands. Killian reached the bottom of her shirt and Emma lifted her arms, allowing him to take off her shirt.

Killian's eyes widened as he looked at Emma's figure. She was wearing a blue lace bra and he immediately noticed the changes in her body. Killian pushed down her shoulders one blue strap and then the other, slowly, as Emma placed kisses along his throat. His hand reached behind her back and unfastened her bra.

Emma looked straight into his blazing blue eyes. Killian's hair was all messy, making him look younger. She caressed his cheek gently, tracing the scar on his cheek with her fingers as he carried her upstairs.

Once in their bedroom Killian laid her down on the bed and admired her spread on the sheets. His eyes were fixed on her round stomach. She was a vision.

As soon as they were both completely naked, Killian made his way to the bed. Emma immediately wrapped her legs around his torso. He placed his hand on her stomach, caressing it tenderly.

They had never discussed it but Killian knew that the baby that was growing inside of Emma was the product of true love. They never had the chance to break any curse with a true love kiss but he knew that Emma was his true love. How else could he explain that he had found her after three hundred years? People aren't supposed to live that long but he did ... he did it so he could find her.

Emma could feel Killian's hips nestled firmly between her legs. He rested his sweaty forehead against hers as they found their rhythm. Emma laced her fingers into his hair, pressing his face into her neck as the sounds of moans invaded the room.

Minutes later Killian gently pulled out of her and rolled onto the other side of the bed, wrapping his good arm around Emma's belly, bringing her body against his.

"What about the surprise?" – Emma mumbled as Killian covered them both with the sheets.

"Tomorrow" – he murmured before he kissed her forehead.

Emma closed her eyes and cuddled closer to his body. Their legs were tangled beneath the covers and the last thing Killian saw before he fell asleep was Emma's smile gracing her lips.

"The wedding is already next month so there is no way that Regina will let Emma escape until they find her a dress" – Robin's voice brought Killian back to the present.

"Do you really think that we're going to turn this room into a nursery in a day?" – David said, entering in the room.

"We have to!" – Killian immediately said –"We have everything we need" – he added, looking at the boxes scattered all over the room.

The men started to unpack the boxes and David couldn't help but remember the time he tried to put Neal's crib together. It took Emma and him hours to build it.

Killian had bought light blue paint for the walls. They didn't know if the baby was a boy or a girl but Emma had said, on one of their many conversations about the baby, that light blue would look nice on the walls because it reminded her of the sea; even if the baby was a girl she would like the color so Killian had bought the color of the sea. He also asked Regina to do a little spell so the paint could dry quickly.

Killian opened one of the boxes and saw the baby clothes and toys that Mary Margaret and Regina had offered them.

David had helped him choose the new furniture. He also bought a lot of shelves since Belle had offered them a box full of books.

"Anton said that the beans are growing fast" – David said as he opened the paint bucket – "He said that in a few months we will have enough beans to travel to any realm we want to"

"They're still under the protection spell, right?" – Killian asked

"Of course" – David said – "Don't worry the beans are safe. Regina used magic to hide the field" – he added.

After Thomas gave Killian the magic bean David thought that maybe they could use it to create more beans. Magic beans were so rare so if they managed to make more they could use them in case of emergency or if they ever decided to return to the Enchanted Forest.

David knew that deep down Mary Margaret still wished to rebuild the castle and the lands that were taken by the Ogres. As much as they loved Storybrooke the Enchanted Forest was there home. They were royals and there was a lot of people that missed the Enchanted Forest; a lot of people was counting on them to lead them back to their home.

The beans could also be used to visit Elsa and Anna since the portal they used to return to Arendele didn't work anymore, besides portals could be tricky sometimes; magic beans were safer and portable.

"Do you miss it?" – Killian asked, looking at his friend.

"Sometimes" – David said after a few seconds – "I miss the possibilities" – he explained – "The Enchanted Forest can offer us a new kind of life"

"The Enchanted Forest is no longer the place we remember" – Killian said, remembering the time they went to the Enchanted Forest after Pan's curse – "The land is no longer fertile … the houses lie in ruins and let's not forget the ogres issue"

"I know that but …" – David took a deep breath before continuing – "but can you imagine what it would be like if we actually made the Enchanted Forest a safe place again? I lost the chance to raise Emma … to teach her how to ride a horse in the royal gardens, to play hide and seek in the castle hallways" – he explained – "I don't want to miss the chance to do all of those things for the second time"

"I understand, Dave" – Killian said, imagining himself doing those exact same thing with his child – "But I'm not so sure if Emma would want to go …"

"Yeah, I know…" – David sighed.

"Would you consider go back without us?" – Killian asked.

"No" – David said, smiling as he realized that Killian would stood by Emma's side no matter her decision – "It wouldn't be a home without family"

"Perhaps one day…" – Killian said. He knew that Henry would love to live in the Enchanted Forest … he wasn't so sure about Emma though but everything was possible – "Don't give up from the dream just yet, Dave" – he added, winking at his friend.

Perhaps in a few years he would see David playing in the castle hallways not only with Neal but also with his grandchildren.

Will was in the sheriff station trying to do some paperwork. David had asked him to organize the archive since, according to him, there were some loose papers that needed to be arranged in a particular order for easy reference.

After two months of being watched like a child he was finally without a babysitter around. This was his chance to prove that he could spend his shift without a supervisor. This was his chance to prove that he could be a responsible man and finally be taken serious.

He was putting some loose papers into a box when a certain name written on a file caught his attention.

He opened the file and his eyes immediately saw a photo of a beautiful woman.

Ice maker – he read to himself.

Emma had informed him that they kept the register of all the people with magic in town.

He grabbed the picture and looked closely at it. The woman looked familiar. He forced his memory to remember the time or the place he had seen that woman. After a few minutes the sound of the woman's voice invaded his mind and he finally remembered where he had seen her.

"Bloody hell" – he cursed himself, taking his eyes from the photo as he looked at the cell behind him – "She probably thinks I'm a criminal" – he mumbled, remembering the time he had seen the Queen of Arendele.

His eyes found the photo again. She looked beautiful with her long golden braid and her light blue eyes.

Regret surrounded him as he remembered the time he had been locked away in the cell. His hangover had totally blurred his vision that was the only explanation for him not to been able to see her beauty when she was only a few footsteps away from him. He definitely didn't make the best first impression.

He read the file and found out that Elsa had used a portal to return to Arendele; the portal no longer worked.

He couldn't quite explain it why but knowing that Elsa would never return to Storybrooke made him feel sad. He didn't even know the woman and the thought of never seeing her again made his heart ache.

He shook his head trying to control the beating of his heart.

He looked again at the photo. Elsa was smiling. He put the photo back in the file and closed the box before putting it back in the cupboard.

This was ridiculous – he thought – He didn't even know the woman. How could he miss her?

He needed to clear his head. He grabbed the sheriff station's keys and opened the door. He needed a Granny's special burger and a coke … with no ice.

Killian looked around the room unable to hide the smile from his face. The nursery was almost ready. Robin and David were in the kitchen eating a snack and he could hear them discussing baby names.

"David is a good name" – Killian heard David saying and shook his head as he remembered Emma's words: I'm almost sure that he will try to convince us to name him David.

This wasn't the first time Killian had heard David suggesting baby names – baby boy names. He didn't understand why everybody kept assuming that the baby was a boy. Emma's constant references to the baby as if it was a boy didn't help either. Despite Killian's efforts to explain that the baby could be a girl, the whole family was convinced that the baby was actually a boy.

"You do know that there is a fifty percent chance that the baby will be a girl, right?" – Robin said.

Finally some support! – Killian said to himself after hearing his friend's words.

Silence invaded the house and Killian could practically imagine the look on David's face. He was probably trying to find a solution for the baby names suggestions.

After a few seconds of silence, David finally spoke:

"Well, if it's a girl they can always name her Davina" – Killian heard David's suggestion and rolled his eyes. His stubbornness never ceased to amuse him.

He approached the baby's crib and touched the small box inside his pocket. He had been thinking about this for quite some time and he had finally reached to a decision. He was going to purpose to Emma. He had waited for the right time and this was it; this was the surprise.

He had imagined a hundred of places to propose to her and he finally decided that this was the right place to do it. Their child's nursery was the perfect place. It represented everything good in his life – in their life: hope, light, happiness, family, love, future …

He grabbed the small box and took it out of the pocket. He opened the box and he immediately saw the blue diamond ring inside. He stared at the ring for a few seconds and them he put the box in the crib, next to the stuffed animal – a stuffed cygnet.

He sat on the floor and grabbed the box full of books. The nursery was almost ready. He just needed to find the right place to put the shelves and finish putting together the rocking chair.

He could already see Emma rocking back and forth in the chair by the window with the baby on her lap. He could already see himself rocking back and forth in the chair by the window with the baby on his lap. He started to imagine himself whispering her about the stars, telling her stories about princesses and magic beans, holding her in his arms in the chair by the window.

The sound of a giggle caught his attention. He turned his head and immediately saw Neal holding one of the many stuffed animals that were scattered over the room.

David had brought him with him after lunch. The boy had been playing with the stuffed animals for hours. He was an easy kid.

Neal looked at him with his big green eyes. He grabbed the teddy bear and walked towards Killian.

The boy sat next to Killian as the pirate unpacked the box full of books.

"Do you want to help me, buddy?" – he asked tenderly.

The boy nodded and grabbed one of the books. Killian smiled. The boy was like a mini David. Killian just hoped that he didn't inherit his parents' stubbornness.

He remembered one of times when David had hurt himself during his shift and refused to go to the hospital. Killian had to call Mary Margaret so David could see reason. He could still hear Mary Margaret's complaints and see the way David pursed his lips together as he heard his wife's protests. As soon as the call ended the prince had looked at him with a murderous look. During that week he gave Killian the silent treatment.

Mary Margaret was also a stubborn person. He remembered when Robin had tried to teach her a new way to shoot arrows and she insisted that her way was better. After that the competition between them increased. Every month they drag the all family to the woods so they could see who the better shooter is.

"Your family is stubborn as hell, you know that?" – he said to Emma after one of Robin and Snow's shows.

"That's why you fit in so well" – Emma teased him as she rested her head on his chest.

He remembered Liam and smiled. His brother was also a stubborn one. David reminded him of him.

Killian looked at the blonde boy that was sat next to him and smiled. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if Neal inherited his parents' stubbornness.

After a few minutes David and Robin found them in a deep conversation.

"Of course I'll teach you everything you need to know about sailing" – Killian enthusiastically said – "We'll have a lot of adventures and we'll drive your daddy absolutely nuts, you'll see" – he added, playing with one of the stuffed animals that were now surrounding them.

David cleared his throat. Killian and Neal looked at him and shared a look.

"I hope I'm not interrupting" – David said, entering in the room.

"Not at all, Dave" – Killian said, smiling – "We were just making plans for the future" – he teased, winking at the boy.

"Of course you were" – David said. Killian noticed that he was carrying a small box – "I forgot to give you this earlier" – he said, opening the box – "Neal doesn't need it anymore and Mary Margaret thought that the baby should have it. It's a family thing"

David gave Killian the crib mobile.

"Emma never had the chance to have it" – he explained.

Killian looked at the little unicorns that were dangling from each spot of the mobile. He remembered Emma telling him about the little unicorns. He knew how important the mobile was for her and her parents even if Emma never had the chance to fall asleep looking at it.

"Thank you, David" – Killian said, taking his eyes from the mobile so he could look at his friend – "I'm sure Emma will love it"

It was almost sunset when Emma left the store. After spending hours trying all types of dresses Regina finally released her from her torture. She was pretty sure that they had entered in every clothing store of Storybrooke. Regina insisted that Emma needed to try different types of dresses before they reached a decision.

Emma tried to disguise her discomfort. She knew that Regina was just worried about the wedding. She also knew that it was the bridesmaid job to help the bride planning the wedding and she was definitely failing in that department, so the least she could do was keep her mouth closed and try the damn dresses.

The wedding was in the next month and as much as Regina tried to disguise it she was starting to get nervous.

They had bought a long red dress. According to Regina the dress didn't accentuate Emma's stomach.

The dress formed a fitted bodice with princess seams and an apron neckline supported by adjustable spaghetti straps that crisscrossed atop a sultry open back; a billowing maxi skirt cascaded from a fitted waistline into an elegant finale.

Emma was glad that the dress was comfortable. She also liked the fact that the dress was red. It reminded her the time Killian and her attended King Midas's ball.

It's called a waltz. There's only one rule: pick a partner who knows what he's doing – she could still hear Killian's words. She would never forget their first dance.

She couldn't wait to get home and take a warm bath, maybe she could convince Killian to join her.

She was walking through the main street when she remembered that Killian had promised her a surprise. She was unable to hide the smile from her face. She was almost sure that she would never get used to his surprises and his constant demonstrations of affection.

"What do you think daddy is planning?" – Emma asked, caressing her round stomach.

Talking with the baby always calmed her. According to Killian's book babies liked to hear the mother's voice. He used to read to her after dinner. Emma had a feeling that he had already bought another book about babies and she couldn't wait for them to read it together.

She had almost reached her bug when a suspicious car caught her attention. She could feel that something wasn't right. A shiver coursed down her spine. She focused her attention on the car and tried to see the driver's face.

A movement on the street made her took her eyes from the car. She turned her body and saw Belle slowly crossing the street. She was holding at least three books. The librarian was also reading a paper.

Emma heard the sound of a car's engine and turned her attention back to the suspicious car. The car was now moving towards Belle.

Emma looked at her friend. She was still distracted with the paper.

Emma almost forgot how to breathe when she finally saw the person who was driving the car.

Without thinking twice Emma started to run towards her friend.

Belle was crossing the street when she heard someone screaming her name.

"Belle!" – she heard again from the other side of the street – "Belle!"

She stopped walking and looked around the street. Her eyes immediately caught Emma. The Savior was running towards her and Belle froze, not knowing why Emma was running in her direction.

She slowly turned her body and saw a car approaching her at high speed. Her eyes widened and she tried to force her body to move but she couldn't. She looked at the car and saw a woman in the driver's seat. The woman looked familiar. The car was only a few feet away. Belle remained frozen and prepared herself for the impact.

Emma reached her at that moment and pushed her away with such strength that all the books that she was carrying fell to the ground as she hit her head on the side walk. She slipped into unconsciousness.

After a few seconds Belle blinked her eyes. She could feel her head hurt. She tried to move her right arm so she could touch her head and she immediately saw the blood on her hands.

Her skirt and her blouse were ripped. Her legs and arms were covered with some scratches and she could feel them starting to sting.

Suddenly she remembered Emma screaming her name and looked around the street. The Savior was a few feet away from her.

Belle was hoping to find her friend only with a few bruises and ripped clothes but nothing prepared her for what she was seeing. Emma was lying on the ground covered with blood. She could see the amount of bruises that covered her body and she started to panic. Emma's eyes were closed and Belle couldn't see any sign of life in her body.

The librarian immediately realized that Emma had pushed her away the moment the car was about to hit her, sacrificing her own health so she could save her life. Emma had been hit by the car because of her. She needed to do something to help her friend.

She crawled to her. When she reached her, Belle noticed the blood flowing from Emma's round stomach and feared the worst.

No, no, no – she said to her herself – C'mon Emma, open your eyes. You have to open your eyes.

She could feel her eyes watering. Her body started to tremble as she tried to remove the blood from Emma's face.

"You can't be –" – she gulped, unable to finish her sentence.

She could feel her heart beating against her ribcage. She tried to control her breathing but she was starting to get dizzy.

She looked one more time at Emma and then the darkness stole all her strength, making her fall to the ground.

I warned you.