The sun was setting behind the thick wall of trees where Graham and David were waiting, the King having insisted on testing his mobility with the knowledge of the fairies imminent arrival. His walking was labored and his steps heavy as he walked to first stoke the fire and then to check the map that Killian had been drawing in the damp earth the hopes of breaking the code of the forest trails.

"Shall I put on some water to boil? I believe there is a bit more of the tea." Graham dug his long arm into the saddle bag. "I still have a few of the berries and roots too. We could…"

"No need right now," David interrupted, lowering himself slowly back to the ground and holding his leg out stiffly and awkwardly. "If the fates are kind to us Emma and the others will be back soon and the fairies will arrive after that. I can't see it going wrong now, even if we are speaking of a werewolf, a pirate, and a magic wielding princess."

Graham knew that his employer meant that as a joke and chuckled as expected, digging his heels into the ground as he bent his knees. "Red won't let anything happen to them. She's quite protective of your daughter. And I am sure you have noticed the pirate's devotion to her."

"It is hard to miss."

"And she is not shy about reciprocating," Graham continued, his eyes staring downward as if he did not wish to see David's reaction. "I don't mean to make it sound inappropriate, only that she was quite worried about you and would have not been as strong as she was had he not been there for her."

"Is this where you tell me the tale of how I should be glad for her finding love and ignore my dislike of men like him? Or where you tell me that my reluctance to accept him will only push her away?" He coughed, rubbing his ribs instinctively. "Because I assure you that I am aware. I am also aware that my wife loved a shepherd only pretending to be royal. We don't always have control over such things."

"No, I would daresay the more we try to control it the less likely we are to do so. That's what Red says anyway. She said that the more she attempts to prevent herself from becoming the wolf the harder it is to transition back to human form. Do you suppose that's true?" Graham nearly groaned as he felt the heated stare of his employer and king. "Gods but I sound like a boy with his first lass. I only meant we have had the opportunity to talk. She's quite an interesting woman."

"I've always thought so," David chuckled softly. "And yes, she does have a point. We can be our own worst enemies in that regard. I know with Snow that I never wished to love her, nor her me. I had other obligations and she was on the run from Regina. It is madness to think that we could love one another in the midst of all that." He smiled at the memory, remembering that long and anguished run through those very woods in search of her. He'd felt as though his heart might break to never see her again.

"Love seems to not understand timing or propriety."

"No, I would say it doesn't." His eyes were half closed as he considered that. "Are we still discussing you and Red?"

"I only meant to point out that perhaps the pirate never wished to fall in love with your daughter, but as you know we have very little say in such matters. I have watched him, your majesty. He would give up all he is for her. And while that is noble, I think you and I both know she would never allow it. If it were not for her boy, she might take to the seas with him at least for a while." Gathering his strength, he lifted his chin and met David's tired gaze. "And I think that must scare her as much as it scares you."

"I only wish for her happiness. When you came to me and told me that Snow was still alive, I was never more relieved in my life. And when you fetched me when Snow and I were to be wed and told me of Regina's plans, I listened because I knew you would push me in the right direction. I have trusted you with my wife, my children, and my own life. And if you trust the pirate, then perhaps I should too."

***AAA***

"Are we truly doing this?" Regina asked as Snow lit the tapered candle herself. "I don't mean to be pessimistic, but perhaps a bit of caution should be exercised."

"All we have at this point is hope, Regina," Snow answered back, returning to what would normally be a servant's duty. She had dismissed some of them for rest, stating she was capable and needed the distraction. "The people love my husband and adore Emma. There have been prayers going up daily for their safe return. If I don't believe they are returning then no one will."

Regina touched the edge of the wooden table with delicate fingers. "Snow, I know that you are always the last to lose hope. I simply think that perhaps planning some large banquet to welcome them home is premature. Allow your plan to work. If and when they return, then we can plan a gala in their honor. It will be more meaningful that way."

Snow placed one of the vases next to the candles and ran her fingers up the stems of the flowers there to arrange them artfully. "I appreciate the counsel, Regina, but I wish to celebrate. And this moment is far from a large, public celebration. It will be a family gathering to best map out the next course of action."

Smirking ruefully, Regina turned toward the curtained off area and took a single step in that direction. "It is your choice of course. I only hope this celebration is complete with all its guests. And I hope that you have reconsidered my request regarding the dagger."

"Regina, I don't feel that today is the day to be discussing the dagger or the Dark One. We need to concentrate all our good thoughts and prayers on the return of my husband, daughter, and the others. I certainly will not make a hasty decision that could endanger us. The dagger will remain secure for now. It is not a statement against you, Regina. It is simply the safest measure."

Inhaling sharply, the woman's eyes narrowed as she looked at her former step-daughter. "I think the safest measure would be to have someone trained by the Dark One with full use of her powers. Did I not prove that I could be trusted in all this? What more must I do?"

Snow's face softened, her mouth turning down as she spoke. "Regina, I am sure that your frustration is growing. I know it may not seem fair, but I won't risk what happened in the past happening again. Your mother helped him escape, but David and I made it possible to happen. We thought that contract he signed and the deal he made with Ella was enough to trap him. No amount of rocks and squid ink could control him. He escaped by her hand. I won't risk that again, not now when we have the dagger and can stop him from ever hurting anyone again. You said yourself that he would have killed Henry if he had felt it would have been necessary to his end goal. How can you risk Henry's life just so that you can get your magic back a little earlier?"

The color drained from the former queen's features as she stared defiantly at Snow. "Don't you dare bring Henry into this. I came to you for help. I came begging. And the result is a disaster. If I had my magic, I might very well be able to help you fight for your family. But you have left me impotent to ward of danger. So if your daughter and husband don't return, their deaths are at your feet. Their blood is on your hands." Her skirts, sleeker and less full than most women of the village or the palace wore, snapped with the force of her turn. "I will be in my suite."

Snow did not call after her, did not follow. It was only after the footsteps, fast and furious, disappeared and ceased to echo that she sank into the armed chair at the table head where her husband usually sat. "Please," she whispered to no one in particular. "Please let them be well and home to me soon."

A full hour later Elsa was the one who found Snow staring out the window on the west side of the palace, her chin resting in her hand and her eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of the sun's disappearance for the night. She knew that she could not fully understand the woman's anguish, as she was not a mother or a wife. Still she empathized for her and found herself wishing to speak to her sister and to Emma so desperately that she felt quite alone.

"Perhaps a bit of the soup would warm you," she said as she entered and bowed her head in ceremony. "I could order you some while we wait for a sign from the fairies."

Snow did not deviate from her position, but let her shoulders sag slightly. "Before I married him, David and I spent quite a bit of time apart. Circumstances and others conspired against us to the point that we were always searching for one another."

"Emma has said it was quite a tale." Elsa moved her chair closer to the window and peered out into the still bright landscape. "You remind me of my parents in that way. They were always spinning yarns about this adventure and that. But none of their trials seem as great as what you and your husband seem to have endured. Your love must be quite strong to endure where others would have given up."

"All love comes with trials, but sometimes you do wonder about the purpose. I thought we were foolish sometimes. What sort of life could it be if we were to spend it always apart and longing for the other? David persisted though, fought for us when even I lost hope. And then came the glorious news of Emma's impending arrival. We both decided then and there that we would never be apart again. We would be parents to our beautiful child. Two loving parents, something neither of us had for very long as children."

Not masking the sadness of thinking of her own parents' short life, Elsa wiped at a tear. "Emma is lucky to have you both."

Snow turned her head, looking upon her daughter's friend and her equal. "Your parents loved you very much. I know they would be so proud of the queen and woman you have become."

"I hope so," Elsa answered. "You and your family have been very kind to me, making me and making Anna a part of your home too. I only hope that when they return we can all be happy once again."

"Perhaps, but it will be different. Each time we fight these battles, a bit of the innocence is gone from our lives." Snow's voice was wistful and soft.

"Maybe this will be the last time." Elsa knew her friend deserved happiness beyond measure. Perhaps it was possible that the peace they had known would return.

"We thought we won when Regina was defeated and bound from magic. The Dark One was quiet. Everything seemed right in our kingdom. We let ourselves become complacent. Because even if this works and they return, it is not the same as it was. There is Henry to consider. And Emma will be the one to decide the fate of the Dark One. While that is a responsibility I loathe for her to have, I feel it is something she must do. She is the one who had her son taken from her. He almost killed her and Henry. It's her decision."

***AAA***

There was no sight so beautiful to Red as seeing Emma and David reunited as they crested the hill at camp just before the sunset. Emma, who had been tired from all the walking and her run in with the black knights, had ignored the pain in her muscles and ran the last 100 or so yards to her father. Throwing herself into his arms, she half sobbed and half laughed as his hand reached up to cradle the back of her head.

"I do hope he is right about the fairies," Killian said softly as Graham joined them and welcomed them back to camp. "I don't know how much longer…"

"Hush," Red told him, hiking her skirts to step over the log they had been using for seating during watches. "This is a happy moment. Don't ruin it with worry."

Her dark hair was tangled and there were brambles stuck to the fabric of her dress and cape. But Graham looked at her as he had the night of the ball, his jaw slack and eyes wide as he took it all in. If she noticed, she perfected her ignorance to his attention and set about redistributing their meager belongings.

"Perhaps a moment of privacy for them," Graham remarked, leading Killian away to where he had ground tied the horses that looked as weak as the humans in the that moment.

Emma's tired legs carried her to her father, throwing herself at him. It was much like she had done as a child and he returned from a long hunt or a few days of diplomatic missions. She clung to him, feeling every bit that small girl who had fallen asleep on his lap as his advisors spoke to him in hushed tones. "Papa, you're well." Emma was not even aware of their observations or departures. "I didn't want to lose you, Papa. Please promise me that you are well."

"More than, Emma. I am more than well to be here with you and see your face and hear your voice." He craned his neck, looking down at his daughter who seemed more like the child he had spoiled than the independent young mother and princess she was now. "I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"I tried to heal you, tried so hard. But you didn't wake…"

His chuckle rumbled in his chest and against her cheek. "I am not hurt, Emma. I'm simply older now than I used to be. I needed the rest after days of walking and climbing. I am sorry to have worried you."

She nuzzled into his chest, appreciating the warmth. "I suppose I should get used to worry. Mother says she has not stopped worrying since I was born."

"Perhaps she has a point. It is instinctual to worry when you are a parent." His fingers dug into the tattered material at her shoulder. The seam was split and the skin under it marred with scratches from the branches on her journey. "I will forever worry about you. Even when you are old and gray."

She knew she should pull back from him, be strong so that he would not see the pain in her eyes. But she didn't. She curled her legs under her skirts and kept her head on his chest, ear above his heart. "I will be that way with Henry?"

"I suppose so. You will learn to be a good mother. Your mother and Johanna will help you, my darling girl. As will I. And if I am reading the situation right, that pirate of yours intends to be around too. He will undoubtedly win that boy over with his tales of the sea. What child would not like that?"

The material of his shirt was just as battered as her own and now damp from her tears. "You won't mind Killian being around?"

"That is the other plight of being a parent. We must accept that which once seemed impossible," he said, stroking her long tresses that had unwound during the journey back to camp. "Why did you leave?"

She attempted to explain, throwing herself at his mercy for doubting that they were stronger as a group. His rebuke was not harsh, but he reminded her of her importance to him, her mother, and the kingdom. "Emma, you should not feel as though you owe me or anyone here for coming to find you. There is no doubt that any of us would have done so alone and would do so again."

Her forehead rested against his shoulder as she tried to listen with an open mind. Blaming herself would do no good, he said to her, explaining that it simply took away from the complexity of the situation at hand. Rumpelstiltskin had controlled and manipulated the situation for far too long. While her magic was powerful, evidenced by his recovery, the Dark One had been perfecting his for centuries.

"We were unfair to expect you to defeat him," the King said, soothingly patting his daughter's back. "But from what I know from your mother, he is confined and we are once again safe."

"Blue and the others will be coming to guide us home?" she asked, daring not to hope too much that it could be true. In some of her quiet hours she had called to Blue fruitlessly, beckoning the fairy until there was not a thread of belief in her. "Tonight?"

"At nightfall I presume," he told her. "Your mother spoke to me while I was asleep. It was our best option. The fairies have the dust protect us as we travel and the light to guide us."

"You sound like her now," Emma mused, her body relaxing a bit. "So full of hope. I wish that I was…" She pulled back, her eyes grazing over where he had been hurt. The angry red was gone and replaced by his normal complexion.

"It comes to parents after a while, though I remember your mother had it long before you were born. She always believed we would somehow take the kingdom back. So if she believes we can deal with the Dark One, I have no doubt we will." He followed her gaze to where Killian was attempting to use his hook like flint to start another fire. "It is easier to believe in those we love. I think that you may understand that more now."

She blushed at his attention to the matter. "He says he loves me."

"And you love him." There was a slight resignation evident in her father's tone. He'd aged over the few days, lines deeper and hair lighter. Or maybe it was just the dim light of a waning day. "It's alright, Emma. I know. It happens when we aren't fully wanting or expecting it. And while I can't say as I ever thought…"

She pulled her knees in close and wrapped her arms around them, looking quite young. "He says he intends to ask your permission to court me properly, but Papa, I'm not sure that…Henry's there at the palace. He will be so confused by this all."

"Don't confuse obligation with excuses. Henry will be just fine. He will get to know you and you him. And I do think that this pirate of yours will be just fine with that." His chuckled mixed with a groan as he clutched at his side. "The Captain doesn't seem to be bothered by your status as a mother."

"And Regina?"

"She will come to terms with it. It is your choice, Emma. Henry's your son, but he's no possession. That is a lesson you will learn as a mother. Henry is a little boy, a real person. His needs and wants are just as important if not more as your own. While Regina is complicit though not fully aware in all that transpired to keep him from you, she's the only mother he has known. I cannot see you forbidding her from seeing him."

"I wouldn't want that," Emma said softly, trying to imagine the pain that he would feel at the separation. "But I cannot ignore that he is my son."

"No one is asking you to do so." Her father shifted in is seated stance. "I think I might need a bit more rest. Why don't you go check on that pirate and see if he could use an extra hand with the fire?" He chuckled at her expression when hearing his comment. "You know what I meant. Go talk to him. I doubt that he and Graham have that much to discuss."

"You only just saw me again and now you are wishing me away?"

David craned his neck back and yawned silently. "I think he may need you more. Though I would not tell him this, I think he might be a little afraid of talking to me about his intentions. Don't fret though. I will not make the captain suffer too much."

"I…"

"At the very least invite him over here so that he does not feel as though I am keeping you away."

***AAA***

Regina stared at the locked door, her hand hovering and then back from the round pull. She repeated the motion several times. And while she might not be able to throw balls of fire or send useless people to their deaths, she did still wear the anger of her former self when two of the servants from Snow's quarters asked her if they might help.

"You're scaring people, Regina," Robin said warningly as he approached. "The palace is abuzz that you are threatening the lot of them if you do not get what you want."

"They should be too busy with preparations for this homecoming rather than idly gossiping about me." Her fingers curled around the pull, but she did not yank it back. "I am not dangerous to them."

"Perhaps not, but you are hovering around the only entrance to the dungeon where the Dark One is residing. And rumor has it that you have made mention of memory potions that would ensure Henry does not every recognize Emma. It is not beyond imagination that there may be something afoot." He took a step closer to her, gently running his hand along her extended arm, drawing her hand into his. "You can't do this, Regina. You can't expect him to make a deal with you."

She swallowed, still not meeting his eyes. "I will do anything to protect Henry."

"This isn't about protecting Henry. It's about keeping him. It's about making him a pawn in this game of yours." He pulled her hand toward his chest, trapping it there against his heart. "I know that trust is hard for you, as is waiting. You feel out of control. You feel as though you have no say in your fate. But Regina, that is the height immaturity. Let's wait and s…"

"Let's wait and see?" She scoffed, yanking her hand back. "You couldn't possibly understand. Henry may not be my flesh and blood, but he's still my son."

"And you think I don't see that. I'm not going to argue the virtues of Emma to you. I'm simply asserting my authority in this situation. If you open that door and make a deal with a man who may as well be Lucifer himself, I am done with you. Roland and I will travel home alone. And for that matter it will only be after I do everything in my power to ensure Henry's safe return to the Princess Emma. She is not even here yet, but you are already fighting her for this boy. Give the woman a chance. She may have a solution."

"I wish I could trust that."

***AAA***

The sky seemed to have darkened, but Killian wasn't yet sure if he was seeing any signs of fairies. His efforts to busy himself as Emma spoke as privately as she could to her father were seemingly just for show once the fire was reestablished and burning brightly. Graham had attempted to converse with him, offering bits of advice. But Killian heard very little as he tried not to intrude on the father daughter moment.

"You seem deep in thought, Captain," Emma said, sinking down beside him and boldly closing the gap that should have been required of them. "Might I be a part of them?"

"Always," he answered with a sly smile of his own. "Your father is well enough to travel?" He shot a quick glance in the King's direction with the hopes that he was not being judged or skewered with the royal's eyes. He was not, giving the pirate the boldness to allow Emma that seat with him without too much worry.

"I think that he is, but it is hard to know for sure. Perhaps the fairies will somehow help us with the transport." Curling her arm around and through his, she laid her head on his shoulder. "I can't believe we are discussing the idea of fairies taking us back. It makes my father seem mad."

"Quite mad," Killian agreed. "But there is always room for hope in situations like these. I know that I have often relied on little more than hope, my wits, and my cunning."

She threw her head back with a delicate laugh. "You have hope?"

"Aye. It is often the only thing between us and true madness. And while I might be quite a scoundrel and scourge, I am still a man. I have hope that things will happen as I would like though it is not always in my design. I had hopes that you would see me as more than a pirate and you do."

"Just as you see me as more than a princess."

"How could I not? So now I have hope that we will return to the palace so that you might truly know your son and so that your mother will have her husband and daughter." His cheek rubbed against the crown of her head. "And in that time I have hope that you will still wish to have me about."

"Of course," she said quickly and solemnly. "I don't wish to trap you, but I would miss you terribly if you were not there. It will take some getting used to from us both? Perhaps we might find a solution. I still wish to travel with you. There is much to see."

"I will gladly show you anything you wish," he remarked. "You have not fully told me. Though I suppose that is your right. What did the Dark One show you of Baelfire's location? Will we be headed there to see after him?" His voice seemed tight as if he might not want to know the answer.

She shook her head, the tumble of her hair cascading down from a hastily plaited braid. "It was a strange looking realm where there was very little that I understood. But he appeared happy and safe. I don't know that I would want to disturb that even if I could. The Dark One said there is no magic there, but there seemed to be wondrous things I can't explain."

"And your son?" The slight breeze lifted his hair from his forehead and made him blink against it.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I have never considered the possibilities of that. But I know that he is safe there in that realm. He always spoke of it. That is where he wished to be – away from all of this and his father. I don't know that my news would be received well even if I did know how to get that to him."

"It is not my place, but I think that we should concentrate on getting you back to your son. We can make decisions and plans about contacting the lad's father when we know more. It is not that I don't wish for Henry to fully know both his parents, I simply don't trust that the Dark One has given all the information. What if opening a portal to this strange realm were to cause some cataclysmic shift of things. No, we should consult with what we know and can find if that is your wish."

Her mouth opened to tell him that she did think that the wisest course of action, but she quickly shut it as a humming glow appeared just over the tree line. He slid his hand into hers and pulled her up to standing with him, as amazed as she was by the sight of what appeared to be more than 100 fairies flittering about overhead.

"How beautiful," she said in a whisper, squeezing her palm against his. "We're going home."

She noted the strange expression on his face that melted into a smile. "Aye, love. We are."

It took almost no time for Blue to assess the situation and decide to carry them back with magic rather than a more laborious trek through the woods and back toward the center of the kingdom where the palace sat. In a flash of light the five were there one moment and then in the foyer of the palace, hands and arms linked. If their sudden appearance was a shock to anyone, it was not expressed as the flurry of activity that surrounded them was that of warm hugs and claps on the back to welcome them.

Snow was in her element as she transferred her husband's arm to her own shoulders and began to call for Doc to see to him. She did so with the assurance to Emma that he was fine and well. "You were so skilled at healing him, but I still must make a fuss. Otherwise he won't know that I care."

"I missed you," Emma answered simply, placing a kiss on the apple of both her parents' cheeks before heading in the direction of the stairs. Elsa was only a step or two behind her, along with one of the servants who was carrying a bundle of towels, homemade soaps, store bought soaps, and even scrubbing brushes.

"I know you are anxious to see Henry," Elsa called after her as the ascended the grand staircase, "but you must see to a bath first. No need in scaring the poor boy."

***AAA***

Wrapping her arms around herself, Emma stared from the window of her parents' study at the night sky that had not yet given way to morning. The blackness was peppered with silvery stars that winked back at her as if in on a secret confidence that she had shared while pondering their beauty.

Their journey back to the palace had been swift with the aid of the hundreds of fairies illuminating the path that would have been impossible to follow otherwise. She had clung to Killian's arm as the magical beings lifted them to make the travels swifter and less dangerous for the companions. While her father had closed his eyes and wished it to be over soon, Killian and marveled and thrilled in the adventure and spoken of his own ship's magical properties.

While she did not miss the cold, damp earth of the forest, she did miss his solid warmth next to her and the way that he would hold her next to him and make room for her head upon his shoulder. For all the talk of his need to properly court her due to her station, she had found herself appreciating the subtle intimacy of those moments that were disguised and comfortable necessity instead. Yet it made her wonder if Red's stories of his popularity and prowess with women at the seaside town where they had met were true or simply myths to go along with his ruthless reputation.

"He will come to love you," Snow had said before retiring to her own chambers with David waiting. Emma had not given nearly as much thought to Henry's reaction to her as she might have wished, her mind worrying over her father's health, Rumpelstiltskin's fate, and Killian's devotion. So she dedicated a few moments to it as she heard the staff setting up for what was being called a private family breakfast that would include Henry and Leopold. Henry was a delightful child from her memories of him, but that had been when he was a distant relative and playmate of her brother. She was not fully sure how it would all work.

David had been more stoic in his own comments, simply stating that she had their full support and love no matter what her decisions. As her mother had stated, she would be responsible for dispensing justice to the Dark One, a feat she did not relish attempting.

Turning back toward the shelves and desks that her parents used for their personal correspondence, Emma waded through the oversized furniture back to the door. It would not be appropriate to awaken anyone at such an hour, but she did not wish to be alone with either her thoughts or fears any longer.

Her silent stroll through the halls revealed that Elsa was still awake and making lists of her items to be packed for the journey back to her own kingdom. Emma knocked quietly and stole into the suite without the knowledge of more than the guards posted there.

"I am glad you are home, Emma," her friend said, pulling her in for a hug. "I would not have been able to leave knowing you were still lost to that awful maze."

She did not express her own guilt ridden feelings about the predicament nor her fears that she had put others in danger because she had sought a way to cooperatively destroy the Dark One. So instead she focused her attentions on her friend's impending departure.

"I will miss you. I always do."

"And I you," Elsa assured her, linking her arm through the other blonde's and leading her over to the settee. "I do wish you could come to visit more often. Anna is so busy with her married life these days that I feel quite alone sometimes. Perhaps you and Henry should consider a holiday with me?"

"That might be in order given all the turmoil of late. I don't know how we would manage it, but it is a lovely idea."

Elsa had a desire for the chilliness of rooms and left her fireplace dark and without the flames that licked upwards in other parts of the palace. The window next to them was open and the scent of the trees trickled in with the slight breeze. While Emma shivered, Elsa seemed comfortable but not unseeing. Passing her a sheepskin blanket, she smiled. "I am sure the Captain would gladly manage your voyage. He does not seem to want to be apart from you for very long."

There was a question in Elsa's observation that Emma pretended she didn't recognize, one that she had wondered about herself when it came to Killian. He had made his interest in her known through words as well as affections. And while she reciprocated and appreciated his attentions, she was not sure if he fully grasped the gravity of her role as a mother. How could he? She barely did.

"My father may object to that sort of thing," Emma noted, her hands folding on top of the blanket. "Though I wouldn't mind it at all."

A momentary look of disappointment crossed over Elsa's face as she studied Emma carefully. "I don't think your father would be all that surprised. If I overheard correctly, Captain Jones is planning to speak to your parents after breakfast about you. Should I assume he has plans for your courtship?" Emma's expression was both embarrassed and frustrated at the same time. "Emma, please. You are like a sister to me. If I am to gain him as a new brother, I should be among the first to know."

Sighing with resignation, Emma held hand over her mouth for a moment. "He said he wishes to court me until a more proper time for us to be together."

"And you think your parents will allow it?" Elsa prodded, not yet smiling or giving any hint as to her happiness for Emma.

"He said he doesn't wish to ask for permission, merely acceptance. I am a woman and a mother, not simple or without abilities to make up my own mind about a suitor or more." Emma blushed slightly as she considered the implications of that. "Do you think that…Do you think that the kingdom would accept him?"

"You are worried?"

Emma had previously braided her damp hair after her bath, the thick rope of hair fashioned over the shoulder of her pale green gown. By morning it would produce a mass of curls and waves that would cascade down her back. "Only that he might find it tedious and not worth his time or energy."

"I get the feeling that he would find anything worth the time if it meant more time with you."

"Perhaps," Emma agreed, staring at her friend's wordless support through a smile. "I would hope that he would."

***AAA***

That morning the breakfast with family and close confidants had served multiple purposes. In addition to being a celebration of sorts, it had provided an opportunity to reacquaint and even brief moments to consider Rumpelstiltskin's fate. Emma carefully considered her role in that decision as she sat with Killian across from her parents with an unhidden hand upon his injured arm.

"The decision does not have to be made in this moment," Snow assured her, hiding none of her smiles at her family being reunited again. "There are more pressing matters."

Emma did not have time to ask what those might be as Johanna ushered both Leopold and Henry into the room before curtseying and retreating. And while she knew that Henry was unaware of his lineage and her connection, she did feel a pang as her brother warmly welcomed her with a brief hug before running to his father.

"Henry," she said, as her eyes misted and then cleared, "I was hoping you might sit here with me."

The boy's face showed he was slightly confused at the invitation, but the heaping piles of food won out over questions. He climbed into the chair easily and comfortably once he realized that his new friend Leo would be across from him.

Emma's breath caught as the boy's face turned upward and he thanked her for saving him a seat at the table. He answered her questions about what foods he liked and entertained her with stories of his recent experiences in the stables and playing with Roland and Leopold.

"Where is Roland?" Emma asked, her eyes reluctant to leave Henry.

"Robin felt it better to keep this gathering small," David explained, gesturing to the table that included the royal family, Elsa, Graham, Killian, Red, and Granny. Regina and Belle had both declined invitations but for different reasons. "He is worried about her reaction to seeing things this morning."

Emma inhaled sharply and then thanked the servant who poured both her and her son more juice that had been freshly squeezed for the occasion. "I suppose I understand."

Ever observant, it was Killian who noticed the wooden sword that had been tied to Henry's side, a toy he had carried for days. "That looks like quite the weapon, lad. Have you slain anything with it yet?"

Everyone seemed grateful for the distraction as Henry and Leo launched into tales of their imaginary adventures and perilous fights against dark and evil. They were so entertaining that Emma nearly forgot herself in appreciation of their storytelling, especially Henry who had no limits to his creativity. Even at his young age he had a strong sense of audience and seemed to know how to string them along. She was so enthralled that she did not notice the others leaving one by one until she looked up to see her mother ushering Leo off for his daily lessons and Graham assisting her father back to his chambers for a rest. Only Killian remained seated beside her and that mostly due to her grip on his arm that made escape impossible.

"I should leave," he said once when Henry was thinking of just what color the dragon should be in his tale. Emma shook her head. "Give the two of you a moment."

"Stay? Please?" She looked almost fearful as she stared at him through her glistening eyes. "I…"

He nodded his consent and smiled helpfully at the boy beside her. "So lad, tell me. You've seem to know a lot about a dragon, but have you ever fought a kraken?"

Henry repeated the word, unsure of its meaning. In the process of his story telling, he had moved closer to Emma, his short legs swinging on the bench and his hands sometimes playing with the lace edge of her sleeve. When he realized his imposition on her, he pulled his hands away and shoved them under his thighs as was customary in those days for children to do to learn the lesson. Emma reached out and tugged his hands back out to freedom.

"I don't mind," she assured him. "The lace is soft and pretty, is it not?" It wasn't exactly a topic she had thought about having with her son, but his interest had spurred within her a desire to continue talking to him.

"Yes," he admitted, his chubby finger tracing over the pattern. "It is pretty." He toyed with it only a moment longer. "Where's Roland? And Mama?"

Emma felt a sourness in her stomach at the earnest desire of Henry to see Regina. It was to be expected, but still the words had curdled inside her and left her nearly retching at the thought. "Henry, I…" Killian squeezed her hand, his silence not unwelcome but not what she needed either. "I'm not sure. Perhaps we should go fetch them?"

It only took a moment for him to agree, jumping up to standing with no effort at all. At the last moment he stuck his hand up and toward her to hold, which she accepted gladly. Her eyes stayed trained on him as they exited the room, Killian on her other side and keeping his bad arm at the small of her back. It probably would have been more proper for him to have offered his arm, but she was glad for the momentary intimacy that gave her strength.

They didn't find Regina right away, but that was to be expected according to the feeling that Emma got from her mother's wary look. Finally they found her in the library on the second floor. She was thumbing through a thick volume as she stared sightlessly at the pages faded ink.

"Regina, I wanted you and I to speak to Henry," Emma said as calmly as she could, feeling the warmth of Killian's damaged arm through the material of her dress. "Would now be…"

"I doubt I have much choice." She slammed the book closed and turned to face them, holding her arms out to embrace Henry. The boy ran to her, dropping Emma's hand to do so in his sprint. The dark haired woman cradled his face in her hands and stared sharply into his chestnut eyes. "I love you, Henry. You must remember that."

Emma had never expected the conversation to be easy, but it was insanely difficult to say the least. Tears were shed by both women, though for different reasons. And Henry's young mind hardly grasped the nuances of the relationship he now had with both of them. All he knew was that the woman he knew as his mother was upset and the woman who had seemed so kind was too. Kind hearted as he was, he shifted his time between the two, patting their arms and offering hugs. But he had questions too.

"Where will I live?" he asked, not observing the hitch in Regina's breath at the blunt question.

"Here with me," Emma said firmly, not willing to budge on that concession. "You will still see Regina when she visits or we visit her."

"Here with Roland and Leo?" he asked again, clearly trying to picture the circumstances of his new life. "With them?"

"Leo lives here," Emma clarified, looking to Regina who was still silent. "But Roland will return with his papa to where he has always lived."

It was a sticking point it seemed. Roland was his brother, his best friend. And the idea of a home without him was too much for Henry. He asked Emma to reconsider and asked Regina to do something. Regina fumed silently and finally told Henry that perhaps it was time he let the adult speak in private. Once Johanna was summoned to walk with him back to where the other boys were located, Regina snatched the book back off the table and placed it on the shelf with a thunderous thud.

"I had hoped you would say something to him to make this easier," Emma declared, her chin lifting defiantly. "You claim that you did not know of his parentage when you received him, but surely you can understand my desire to raise my own son."

"And surely you must realize that I cannot simply let him go because you now want him."

Emma shuddered, swallowing her first words because they were not fit to say even in the trying circumstances. "I have always wanted my son. My son has always been loved by me. I was tricked and he was stolen from me, but that doesn't mean that I don't deserve to raise him. This isn't an argument. I had hoped you would make this transition easier, but I can see you won't. Is there anything I can do to make you understand all I want is what is best for him?"

"Ruining my life is what is best for him? You don't even know him. You have some fantasy about being a mother. It's not easy. It's hard work. And you are not up to that, Princess Emma."

She shook her head as Killian prepared to say something, not willing to let him fight this battle. "Why are you still here? You must have known I would not let you take Henry with you?"

"Yes, well, perhaps there is one more thing you could see to before you insist upon ruining all that has been my life." She lifted her arms, letting the heavy silken material fall back, maroon revealing thing olive arms circled with black leather. "Your mother has not seen fit to have these removed. Perhaps you could be so kind."

Emma took no step forward, dropping her head slightly as if to study from a distance. "I am to understand that the only way to remove them is with the dagger of the Dark One."

"Yes, that your mother is in possession of within in her chambers I presume."

"Convenient that the one thing that could free your magic this time is the one thing that could free the Dark One," Killian interjected sardonically. "The Queen doesn't strike me as a vindictive soul, so I would think her reluctance is tied to his possible escape more than your acquisition of power." Even in the light weight linen of the clothes laid out for him, Killian exuded much of that military meets pirate style that seemed to call to Emma.

"I have assured her it is quite safe," Regina argued. "She is simply unwilling to listen to reason." She thrust her arms out again.

"I don't think the Queen is to be blamed for her reluctance when dealing with such a dangerous item." Killian kept at Emma's side, but his hand reached at his side for sword which was not there. It was Emma's turn to soothe him, all the while assuring the woman who had married her grandfather that she would see to it that it was discussed later at a meeting of the royal guards.

"This could all be settled so easily," Regina said, holding her arm out again. "Just get the dagger, Emma."