an: Because of the overwhelming support and encouragement for more, I decided to write more! Yay! I hope you don't mind that this is incredibly long- it just happened. Enjoy! :)

In the time that it takes for them to get to Maine, they see much of the United States. It takes them two weeks with all of the stops they decide to make.

It's the best way to travel, Killian claims as they cuddle close every night along the way. She just loves having this time together, because it's intimate and fun. Now that they're older and on their own, visiting the various states is for their own enjoyment rather than the result of yet another move, and it really is quite enjoyable.

They have all kinds of pictures from their trip and trinkets from kitschy shops in little towns they stopped in. Henry has a whole bag of little toddler-sized shirts for when he's a little bit bigger with the various states and places they'd stopped.

One of Emma's favorite stops was the Grand Canyon, where Killian asked someone to take a family picture overlooking the vast landscape. She's going to get it framed when they find a place to live in Maine and she'll hang it on the wall along with some of Henry's baby pictures and a few shots of Emma and Killian together.

There's a picture he'd taken of them where he's sitting with her on one of their motel beds, his arm wrapped around her middle while he kisses her cheek. She's laughing, pure joy in the way she tosses her head back, and Emma loves it because of that very fact.

Killian brings out so much joy from her. Being free brings out so much joy from her, and she's excited now that she can explore what this freedom means.

Their tour of Maine's coast brings them first to the beach, and Emma gets so excited that she insists that they stop for a while just so she can breathe it in.

Killian stands Henry up on the sand and holds him up as he places his tiny feet into the water. Emma giggles as she squats down beside her son, finding the happiness on his face contagious.

"Do you like the water, baby boy?" she asks him, giving his little cheek a kiss. "Daddy likes the water too."

Emma glances up at Killian and he winks at her.

"I wish we could just build a house right here," he sighs wistfully.

Emma laughs and pops up onto her feet. She presses her hands on Killian's shoulder and cushions her cheek there as she stares at the waves.

"We don't have very much money for that," she murmurs.

In moments like this, fear stirs in her chest as she considers their future. It's easy to dream of living a good life with the two people she loves the most someplace new, but reality bites and nags at her sometimes.

When she feels the ground beneath her feet, feels the Maine air against her skin, and smells the pine in the air, it feels so real. It's so real, and she has so much she's responsible for.

"We'll be okay, Swan," he whispers, brushing his lips against her forehead. "We've got each other. We've got some money. Just give us some time to land on our feet."

Emma meets his eyes and smiles softly. "Okay."

/

Storybrooke is a quaint seaside town that they stumble into after being told repeatedly by locals nearby that it's the perfect place to settle down and raise a baby.

The town is quiet, the people are kind, and the schools are apparently wonderful. It's a little town, the kind where everyone knows everyone, and it might scare Emma, because intimacy like that can be terrifying, but she has Killian by her side.

They've found themselves a quaint little loft apartment to rent for close to nothing.

Henry's settled against Emma's hip, leaning against her, his cheek on hers, his sticky fingers in the opening of her tee shirt the morning they get to move in. Killian holds up the key and his eyebrows lift excitedly.

"Here we go," he murmurs, and then he sticks the key into the door, twists, and pushes it open.

Emma's heart lifts at the sight of the apartment, barren and ready for them to decorate and change the way they want to. Killian holds out his arm for her to walk inside first and she does, slowly having a look around the place as if she's never seen it before.

She turns to her boyfriend with a deep breath sliding past her lips. He smiles at her and nods his head. "Welcome home, Emma."

Emma reaches for Henry's hand and leaves a kiss to the top of his head. "Welcome home, Killian."

Then they start the slow process of moving in out of the truck and into their apartment, which is difficult with the nearly one-year-old starting to walk and becoming fussy each time Emma steps away from him even if for a minute.

Killian brings up the boxes first, the lighter things, and when he goes back to the truck the first time, Emma manages to sit Henry down on the floor with some of his toys while she figures out which rooms the boxes belong to.

The door opens and Killian grunts a little as he shifts a heavy box against the wall.

"What's that?" Emma asks, furrowing her brow while she reaches into a box sitting on the counter for a glass.

Killian takes a breath and wipes his forehead with his arm. "Henry's crib. I figure it'll help. We can wait for him to sleep and then work on the rest of the heavy stuff."

Emma manages a smile at him as she reaches up on her toes to put the glasses in a cabinet in the kitchen.

Henry babbles and throws something across the room, making Killian chuckle. "Henry, you've got to keep your toys in one place. Papa isn't always going to fetch them for you."

After settling some plates into the cabinet, Emma turns around to find Killian smiling as her son smiles right back at him. Killian leans in to give his cheek some loud kisses.

"You're welcome, Henry," he murmurs, his hand pressing to Henry's.

Killian loves her son more than anything else and it takes her breath away every single time she realizes it.

It's a miracle that he found her when he did. Sometimes she wonders what would have happened to Henry if Killian hadn't been there and she can't imagine that she'd be half as happy as she is today.

There's a knock at their front door and Killian furrows his brow as he hops up onto his feet. They exchange a look, but neither of them knows who could possibly be waiting on the other side.

Emma crosses around the kitchen island while Killian opens the door, and they're faced with the happiest looking woman with dark hair cut short and fair skin. She's wearing a floral patterned dress and she's holding a pan in her hands.

"Hi!" she chirps.

Emma turns when she hears Henry fussing and she goes to grab him as Killian replies, "Hello. Can we help you with something?"

"Oh, no. No. I just… I live just upstairs and I heard that you were moving in today, so I baked you a little welcome home pasta. I figure the last thing you need to worry about is finding your way to the store so you can make dinner tonight."

Emma lifts Henry onto her hip and he immediately snuggles close as she walks back toward the door. The woman's eyes widen at the sight of Emma and Henry. She gasps.

"Oh, a baby! He is so adorable."

Emma manages a smile at the strange woman. "Thanks."

The woman stands there and Killian has a pan in his arm and Emma has Henry and they're all just staring at one another, clearly uncomfortable and uncertain about what they're supposed to discuss now.

"Mary Margaret, what are you-" a masculine voice comes from the hall and Emma hears footsteps before there's suddenly a man at the woman's side, looking as apologetic as they come. "I'm so sorry. She's crazy."

Mary Margaret's brow pinches as she turns to swat her counterpart in the chest.

"David!" She turns to them again. "I'm not crazy. I just wanted to stop in and say hello to the people who will be living in our building. My name is Mary Margaret. I'm a teacher at Storybrooke Elementary. This is my husband, David. He's the town sheriff. We live upstairs on the top floor and we're not crazy."

Emma smiles at the woman as she glares at her husband. She's very sweet, even if her coming to their home was slightly surprising.

Killian chuckles and nods his head. "Well, I'm Killian, and this is Emma. Our son, Henry." Killian stares affectionately at Emma and then Henry as he's introducing them, and he turns back to the pair at their front door with a lopsided grin. "We're moving from Arizona."

"Really?" David asks, taken aback. "What brought you all the way to Maine?"

Killian holds open his mouth for a second and he glances over at Emma. She shifts Henry on her hip and shrugs. "We wanted a place by the water."

"Oh," Mary Margaret gasps, looking like she could pass out from swooning. "Well, you're in the right place. We have the best sunrises and sunsets here. Storybrooke is such a nice town. Perfect for raising a family."

Mary Margaret's staring at Henry, and Henry sucks his fist into his mouth, causing Emma to remove it. He whines at her and knocks his head into her neck.

"Someone's sleepy," she explains. "And we should probably get back to unloading the truck."

Killian nods in agreement. "Perhaps we'll see you around the building."

Mary Margaret bobs her head. "Oh, definitely. I look forward to getting to know you. You seem like such a sweet young couple. How old are you?"

"Okay, Mary Margaret," David sighs, wrapping his arm around his wife. "Sorry. We're going. If you need anything, we're in apartment number three."

Killian smiles in thanks and Emma just holds her breath while she sways a little to help Henry fall asleep. Her boyfriend turns to her after closing the door and he lifts his eyebrows.

"Well," he says, tilting his head. "That wasn't half as bad as I'd thought it would be. Meeting the neighbors." He holds up the food in his hands and gestures to the kitchen. "I'll put this in the fridge and get to assembling the crib for our boy. Then we only have a few things left to bring up."

As Emma watches Killian assemble the crib while she feeds a cranky baby, she can't help but feel the pull of frustration.

Mary Margaret and David were so kind coming to greet them. These two married people in their early thirties, clearly without children, were probably scared away by she and Killian's situation. A lot of people in Arizona were.

The frustration bubbles up with the thought that things aren't necessarily going to change with a change of scenery. People are still going to judge them.

And why shouldn't they? Emma knows how awful it all is.

She's only eighteen years old and she has a baby and she spent a year in prison. Instead of finishing high school, picking out a college, and going to school to do something she's always wanted to do, she's had to face the reality that her choices in life have led her to this place.

She's so young and she's dating the only person that has ever loved her, and while it means the world to her that he does love her, and she would never regret this relationship at all, she regrets not being more careful so she'd have the opportunity to see the world.

She knows the world is filled with all sorts of people. People who might have loved her if they were given the chance. But she knows that most people don't. Neal didn't and she actually gave him the opportunity to.

Looking down at her son in her arms, Emma's heart feels heavy. She loves her son with all that she is. She would give up the whole world to be with him, to be his mother, to love him so he knows he's loved.

But she hates the fact that she's going to be the youngest mom waiting for him at the end of the day in kindergarten. She hates the fact that she's eighteen and has to make choices about parenting when she hasn't gotten to choose a single thing for herself in such a long time, except for this move.

This move that's already causing her to get anxious about whether or not they're going to make it, and if she'll ever find herself here. She may have done a lot of soul searching in prison, but it's different when she's out in the world.

"All right," Killian sighs, smiling as he turns away from the crib. "It's all set up and ready for a sleepy baby."

Emma manages to smile back at him, though her eyes prickle with tears of anxiety and she would like to curl up into a ball in the corner somewhere.

She takes Henry to his crib and sets him down in it, sighing at how easily the baby relaxes.

Killian sets up the baby monitor so they can take it with them and make sure he's okay while they're unloading the truck, and then they head downstairs to bring up the rest of their stuff.

"Emma, are you alright, darling?" Killian asks as he's shifting the mattress of their bed toward her. Emma grabs onto it, ready to lift, but Killian won't let her.

He's standing there in his black, skin-tight tank top, his jeans hanging low on his hips. His chain necklaces hang against his skin and stick there thanks to the sweat. He's in the moving day zone, ready to start over, and here she is, worrying about whether or not she'll ever be able to figure out where she belongs in this world after all she's been through in such a short period of time.

"Yeah," she shakes her head. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He stares at her for a few moments and sighs. "Emma, we decided to move here because we wanted a fresh start. I don't want you having regrets."

"I don't have regrets," Emma drops her shoulders. She glances over at the building. "I just… I'm tired. I'm hungry. I want to have a shower. Can we please just finish this?"

Killian hesitates for a few moments and the nods his head. "As you wish."

/

Looking for work isn't his favorite thing to do. He's held plenty of jobs in his life, as he's hopped from state to state in search for who he is.

Truthfully, he really isn't certain who he is. He's always had life dictated to him, whether he be in the foster system with Emma, or searching for her after he'd realized his mistake of leaving her. Then he'd become Henry's caregiver and subsequently, he'd fallen in love with this beautiful boy he shares with Emma.

Killian leaves the loft the morning after they move in before Emma wakes up. She's beautiful, laying in their bed with her hair a mess over her back. She's turned away from him, her hands shifted under her pillow to boost her head up.

He knows better than to wake her when she's sleeping, especially after how exhausted she'd been the night before, and he leaves a note for her in the kitchen about how he'll be back for lunch. Briefly, he checks on Henry, who lies sleeping on his back, his arms spread out above his head, and then Killian leaves.

The sun is rising as he walks down the sidewalk toward the harbor. He isn't sure what he's going to do with his day; where he'll start looking for work or what he even wants to pursue.

There's a bench that looks out at the water and he sinks down on it, finding the horizon the most calming sight he could possibly find. With the salty air on his skin and filling his nose, Killian throws his head back and sighs.

He has so much responsibility and all he wants to do in this moment is to sail around the world. His love for his family conquers his thoughts every time he so dares to consider it and it grounds him as he stares back out at the water.

The only person he'd ever known that knew his heart better than he could have ever dreamed was Liam. But Liam's long gone now, and Killian finds himself aching for his elder brother more than he ever has before.

He leans forward, pressing his elbows to his knees so he can catch his face in his palms. He sighs.

"Liam, what do I do?" he murmurs quietly. "I'm barely into my twenties and I've got a family to take care of." He squeezes his eyes tighter, thinking of Emma and of Henry. "I love them with all that I am, but I don't know… how do I give my son the life I never had?"

He graduated from high school a year early because he lied in the transition between homes so he'd be able to get out of the third grade, and he decided against college, obviously, because life took him by the hand and showed him where he should go instead. So it isn't as if he has the education to bring him very far, but he does have a history of work, and he has a heart for the sea.

Killian removes his hands from his face and bites on his lip. He watches as ships move about the harbor and his heart squeezes tight within his chest.

He rises to his feet and goes to the closest shop, a tourist trap of sorts, one that offers tours of the harbor and all sorts of knick-knacks like tee shirts or postcards.

The man running the place is called Smee. He's a short man with a floppy hat and a nervous scuttle about him.

He hires him after only two questions.

Killian doesn't think he's ever been so lucky in his life.

/

"So, how long have you and Killian been married?" Mary Margaret asks.

Emma had been in the middle of unpacking boxes in her bedroom while Henry played when the petite woman came knocking. She'd had in her arms a container of muffins and a sweet smile on her lips, so Emma couldn't say no.

They're neighbors, and finding friendships is one of the parts of this transition, so Emma thinks she owes it to herself to at least try to be Mary Margaret's friend. No matter how nosy she can be.

She blushes a little as she stares at Mary Margaret now. Henry's on her hip, nibbling on a piece of muffin she'd fed to him, and Emma averts her gaze to look at him as she considers her answer.

"Oh, um…" Emma meets Mary Margaret's eyes with a slight wince. "We're not."

They're hardly even dating if she's honest about it. They've been on several dates, but it's been a few months since they've had a date to even speak of. She can't blame him for not wanting to; it's hard with a baby that they can't get a sitter for.

"Oh!" Mary Margaret gasps. She puts her hand to her forehead and shakes her head. "I am so sorry. I thought you were. You make such a sweet couple-"

"It's okay," Emma smiles, shaking her head. "We get that a lot. Being as young as we are with Henry."

She turns her attention to her son when he puts his hand on her nose. She tips her head backward and pushes his hand down.

Mary Margaret drops her gaze, obviously embarrassed, and Emma sucks in a breath. "Um. We grew up together. He's my best friend. I guess it was only a matter of time before we got together."

"Well, your family is very sweet." The woman studies Henry and smiles warmly. "If you're ever looking for a daycare for this little guy, I happen to know somebody."

Emma lifts her eyebrows. "You do? I've been…" Emma pauses. "I've been thinking about getting him into daycare so I can work."

Mary Margaret nods excitedly. "Her name is Anna and she just started a little daycare out of her house. She's newly married and she's one of the kindest people I know. I'll give you her phone number."

They talk for a while, and Emma's surprised to find that after a few lingering minutes of awkwardness, Mary Margaret is actually kind and very knowledgeable. She likes to listen to Emma, whenever she decides to talk.

And she's amazing with Henry. The moment she asks if she can hold him, Emma agrees, and Henry opts to stay in her arms until he falls asleep as they chat quietly on the sofa.

Then she checks her watch and gasps at the time. "Well, I need to get going or I'll be late for lunch with David at the station."

"Oh, okay." Emma leans forward to take the sleeping baby from her new friend and smiles a little at her as they rise to their feet. "Thank you for the muffins."

"You're welcome," Mary Margaret nods her head. "I… maybe you'd like to have lunch at Granny's sometime? Maybe… tomorrow? We could have a late lunch. Class is finished by two thirty. It's the best place we have in town. I could introduce you to some people and get you connections?"

Emma's smile spreads. She feels at least a little confident in knowing she has found at least one friend.

"That sounds great." Emma sighs as she presses her palm over Henry's chest. His little arms flinch in his sleep and he arches his back until he's resting with his mouth over her chest.

Mary Margaret smiles down at Henry and then at Emma as she walks to the front door. "I'll meet you there. Best of luck with your unpacking!"

Emma laughs softly. "Thanks."

As soon as the door is closed and Mary Margaret is gone, Emma closes her eyes and sighs heavily. She carries her son to his crib and lays him down, and then she just stands there, her arms folded over the side while she gazes at him.

He's a sweet little boy. His arms like to fling above his head now when he sleeps and he sometimes likes to cuddle with his bear, but most nights, it's as if he's a starfish, and Killian likes to tease Emma that he's dreaming of being in the sea.

She thinks about Killian with a smile curving at her lips and she hears the door open at just that moment.

Emma walks out to find Killian carrying two arms of groceries that he promptly sets down on the counter. "I've got good news and I've got great news."

She arches her eyebrow at him as he stands at the counter with a smile spread wide.

"Okay. Give me the good news."

Killian digs into one of the paper bags until he finds something, then he pulls it out with a triumphant, "Tada! Whoopie pies."

Emma gasps. "Oh my God. No way!"

Killian laughs happily and she goes around the counter to where he's standing. He pulls open the plastic container and pushes it toward her. She greedily grabs one of the chocolate cakes and her mouth waters, but she refuses to bite into it first.

"I totally forgot they have these here."

Killian hums. "Well, it's been a few years since we've lived in New England, to be fair." He pulls one out of the case and has a bite, giving her a nod in the affirmative. "'S good."

She sighs happily as she bites on it and closes her eyes for a moment as she gives out a low moan. "Very good."

She meets his eyes and his tongue flicks over his lips as he snags up the trace amounts of frosting left behind.

"So what's the great news?" Emma asks as she finishes off the treat. She licks her thumb and forefinger and Killian stares at her with his eyebrows lifted and his lips parted.

He reels himself in and shrugs his shoulders. "I got a full time job. At the docks. Sundays and Mondays off."

Emma's eyes widen and she gasps as she pounces up onto him, her legs wrapping around his middle. Killian laughs heartily as her arms go around his neck and she peppers kisses across his face until she reaches his lips and instead kisses him passionately.

He tastes like chocolate and he smells like the sea and she's so in love with him that it's all encompassing.

"You got a job?" she asks breathlessly, leaning back just enough to look at him in the eyes.

Killian laughs. Her fingers caress his face and she grips his cheeks while he holds her steady.

"I got a job," he replies with a sweet smile that reminds her of when they were up to no good and he'd assure her that everything would be alright.

Emma gives him another kiss that steals her breath away and slowly, she drops her legs from him, but keeps kissing him, because she loves him and she's so incredibly relieved that things are working out.

Killian's hands settle on her hips and she sighs against him when their foreheads touch. "I'm glad you got a job."

She can feel his smile with her thumb against the apple of his cheek and his hand tightens on her hip. "I'm glad too."

Emma leans back and admires him for a moment before taking a step back with a smile on her lips. Her heart races happily and she reaches up to tuck her hair behind her ears before diving into the paper bags on the counter.

"So tell me everything about it. What do you have to do?" she asks, glancing over at him as she pulls a loaf of bread from the bag.

Killian's eyes twinkle as he leans in to grab milk and cereal from one of the bags. "Well, I'm going to be taking care of one of the old ships in the harbor. She's called The Jewel of the Realm. Apparently tourists will be coming along and I'll get to take them around the harbor and tell them all about her."

Emma hums. She grabs the container of eggs from the bag and turns around to open the fridge. "Is she pretty?"

Killian chuckles. When she turns to face him, he has a soft expression on his face.

"Aye." He says softly, his voice almost a whisper. "She's quite pretty. But not as pretty as a certain Swan I know."

Emma rolls her eyes. Killian takes a step toward her and then they're kissing again and she smiles against his lips when he hoists her up onto the counter.

Her fingers clutch his face and he leans away as they slide into his hair. He stares up at her like she's the one who hung the stars that he loves to talk so much about.

"I love you," he murmurs.

Emma's fingers release his hair and she lets them fall to his broad shoulders. "I love you too."

And it's almost as if they're just two people, madly in love, ready to face the world, with no trouble before them or behind them. It's the way she'd imagined it would be.

But then the baby starts crying and Killian helps her off of the counter so he can go grab their boy while she finishes putting the groceries away.

Reality is much harder than the fantasies in her head.

/

On the morning of his first day at work, Henry's wide-awake and fussy with a slight fever.

Emma has him cradled in her arms as she shushes him, walking back and forth across the main living space. She's irritated and tired, and he knows she's a little panicked, too, because Henry being like this isn't easy.

"Emma, it's probably just his teeth coming in," Killian says as he steps out of their bedroom, ready for a day at work. He finds his boots by the door just as Emma sits on the couch.

"I know," she sighs. "But how am I supposed to get anything done if he keeps crying?"

Killian laces up his boots fast and then goes to the toy bin in the living room, rifling through until he finds one of the teething toys. He holds it up and goes to Emma and Henry, waving the toy at his son as he sits down on the sofa.

"Henry, try this, Son." Killian hands Henry the toy and he immediately puts it in his mouth, his cries stopping and fading into hiccups that shake his entire little body. "There. Now, you can't keep Mummy from doing what she needs to today, all right? I've got to go to work."

Killian puts his hand on the back of Henry's head and leans in to kiss his forehead. "I love you, little one."

He sits up and smiles at Emma. "You'll be okay?"

She takes a deep breath and nods her head, a smile pulling at her lips. "Yeah. I'll be okay." Killian leans in to kiss her goodbye and she meets his eyes after, nodding again. "Good luck today, Killian."

"Thanks, love." He rises to his feet and sighs. "I'll be home around five."

Emma nods in understanding. "We'll be here."

When he closes the door behind him, Killian releases a heavy breath. Things aren't easy but they're going to be better. With time.

Or so he keeps telling himself.

There have been moments, he's realized, where he feels as if everything's fine and that they're managing with what little they do have. But then there are moments when he looks at Emma and sees how anxious she is about this new life in a new town with new people.

She hasn't told him what's bothering her, but he sees it in her eyes. He knows she's worried about money being tight. He knows she doesn't like sitting still. He also knows she's a little too worried over whether or not this move is going to stick.

As kids, they'd move so often it was hard to keep count. Thankfully, they were clumped together, only being separated once or twice for only a handful of weeks until they found one another again.

When Killian reaches the harbor and stares at The Jewel of the Realm, he knows, more than anything, that he wants a life here to stick. It's quiet and it's peaceful here, and there aren't any people out to get them.

Emma's history is behind her and her mistakes are too, though she might bear the scars of those years in her heart and in the back of her mind.

He just hopes she can find the rest that he's found here.

/

Emma finishes unpacking.

It's not like they have absolutely nothing that needs unpacking, but as she stares at the empty boxes at the door, she silently wishes they had more. The new loft is a little bit bigger than their old place, and they don't have a ton of decorating material or furniture to fill it.

Henry's sleeping, thank goodness, and Emma manages to have a shower, dress up relatively normal, and make the bed, something she hated doing before Killian complained about her not doing it one morning.

She has restless legs and nibbles on her lower lip as she paces around the apartment. She goes to find the photographs from their trip tucked away in a box by her side of the bed and sits on the mattress as she goes through them with a smile on her lips.

Many of the pictures deserve to go on their walls.

She decides that's what she'll do with her time today, and as she goes into the living area, she remembers that Mary Margaret had left her Anna's phone number. Maybe figuring out what she should do with Henry will help the process of change move along more smoothly.

"Hello? This is Anna."

"Hi, Anna, my name is Emma Swan. I'm new to Storybrooke. I got your number from Mary Margaret. She said you have a daycare in town?"

"Yes!" Anna says excitedly. "Yes, I do! How old is your little one?"

"He's going to be one in about a month," Emma says.

"Oh, that is such a sweet age," Anna sighs. "Okay, so, if you'd like, you can stop by with your son and we can see if it's a good fit? I know I'm the only daycare in Storybrooke, but it's still good to have a look around."

It's how Emma ends up pulling up to Anna's house with Henry pulling at his toes and babbling in the backseat.

"Okay, Henry," she says, unbuckling him so she can put him on her hip. "Let's go see if this is place is a good fit for you, huh?"

Henry smiles at her and giggles when she tickles his toes, something that's a relief to her as she's walking him up the small path leading to the house. When she reaches the front door, she knocks, and waits only a few beats before the door swings open.

On the other side, there stands a woman with red hair tied into braids over her shoulders. She smiles so happily at the sight of her. "You must be Emma! Hi! Welcome. Come in, please."

She holds open the door and as Emma enters the home, she smells cookies baking, and hears the television playing some kid's show while a few little voices babble in the background.

"If you could take your shoes off first, that would be great," Anna says, pointing to the left, where Emma finds a sign that insists that she remove her shoes. She does.

"Follow me! I opened this daycare a few months ago and so far we have a few friends with us. Alexandra and Phillip are our littlest ones. They're in the nursery right now. We also have a few bigger ones playing."

Emma smiles when she enters the big living room where the little ones seem to be having the best of times with a woman with white blonde hair. She scrunches her face up as she plays with one of the boys and his Lego's.

"That's my sister, Elsa," Anna says quietly, and the two sisters wave at one another as Anna escorts Emma out of the room and into another. "This is the kitchen. Everything is up to code. My husband Kristoff made sure of it."

Emma smiles when she sees all of the children's artwork hanging on the fridge. The whole home is brightly lit, and Anna takes great care in showing Emma the place.

The upstairs is off limits, because that's where Anna and her husband live, but the whole bottom floor is where the children are free to play.

There are about ten children that currently call this place a daily home, and as Anna shows her the nursery, she whispers, "The smaller ones have their own space away from the bigger kids. I spend most of my time with them. We have a third helper that comes in sometimes, if we need it. Her name is Belle. I'm sure you'll run into her soon enough."

Emma nods her head. Henry seems fascinated with a mobile hanging over one of the sleeping babies' heads, and she laughs as he tries to reach out for it. "You can't play with that, little one."

Anna laughs sweetly. "Well, it certainly seems like he'd be a good fit here. What do you think, Emma?"

Emma takes a deep breath. "I'll definitely think about it. I don't have a job yet, but… if I get one, I would definitely bring him here."

Anna grins. "That would be so fun. I would love to have him." She reaches in to pinch Henry's side and her son giggles happily. "You are the sweetest boy I have ever met!"

/

Emma sinks into the booth across from Mary Margaret at Granny's Diner with Henry sleeping in his car seat beside her.

Mary Margaret smiles happily at Emma. "I'm so glad you agreed to have lunch. I wanted to introduce you to my friend Ruby."

At that moment, a girl comes to their table with a grin on her face. She's dressed in red and white, her hair with a matching streak in it. She has bright lips and brighter eyes, and everything about her screams that she wants attention.

"Hey, Mary Margaret."

"Hi, Ruby. This is my new neighbor, Emma. And her son, Henry."

Ruby bobs her head and holds out her hand to shake Emma's. Emma gladly shakes the waitress' hand and manages to smile.

"So you're new, huh? Welcome to Storybrooke."

"Thank you."

Mary Margaret stares at Emma when she looks across the table at her. "Emma just moved here with her boyfriend Killian."

Ruby's eyebrows lift and a wry grin fills her lips. "Killian Jones? He was here a little while ago. He had a grilled cheese and he was excellent company during my down time."

"No kidding," Mary Margaret gasps, shaking her head.

Emma laughs and shrugs. "It's his first day at work. I'm pretty sure he forgot to pack something to eat."

Mary Margaret and Ruby both laugh.

"Well, he's one hot tamale, Emma. You better stake a claim otherwise some people I know might be clamoring to get him." Ruby says, giving Emma a wink.

Emma rolls her eyes. "I'm used to it. He's generally well behaved, though."

Ruby chuckles. She glances down at Henry and her smile softens. "How old is this little guy?"

"He's almost one." Emma states, reaching down to adjust Henry's blanket. Henry shifts in his sleep, balling up his fists against his face. "He's going to have a birthday soon."

"He's adorable. Congratulations on your genetics, kid." Ruby says, and Emma just smiles a little halfheartedly. Ruby looks up at Emma and Mary Margaret. "I'll give you guys a few minutes to look over the menu. Unless you're ready?"

"Grilled cheese?" Emma asks. "And a water?"

Ruby bobs her head, a little wry smile curling at her lips. "Absolutely. Mary Margaret, do you want your usual?"

Mary Margaret hums. "And a water please."

"Of course." Ruby grabs the menus from the table and then she's off, setting the order on the counter and hitting the bell before bouncing off to another table with a filled order.

Mary Margaret sighs and Emma looks at her.

"So, have you decided what you'd like to do? I know a few job openings in town. Granny owes me a few favors. I could ask her if she'd like another waitress."

Emma glances over as Ruby does her job and shrugs her shoulders. "I… I guess I could. I haven't really thought about it."

Mary Margaret smiles softly at her. "It's okay. You have time to figure that out."

She'd like to argue that she really doesn't. She has a kid and she has to pay for food and for rent. There isn't much space for figuring it out.

"Yeah." Emma settles on, forcing a smile as Ruby returns with their waters.

/

Killian comes home at five and Emma has two plates of spaghetti on their little table. She has Henry bouncing in his bouncer while the television sits on low, playing a cartoon that Henry could probably care less about.

"Hey, babe," Emma says, popping a piece of garlic bread into her mouth. "How was your day?"

Killian smiles widely as he unlaces his boots by the door. "It was fantastic."

Emma hums happily. She grabs her glass of water from the counter and carries it to the dinner table. She settles her hand on her hip and tilts her head to the side as Killian immediately goes to Henry for a kiss and a giggle.

"Hi, my boy," Killian murmurs, leaving a kiss to his head. "Were you good today? Hm? For Mummy?"

"Papa, Papa, Papa," Henry babbles happily, a giggle slipping past his throat.

Killian hums a laugh. He kisses Henry's cheeks and then pulls himself up to his feet.

The way he stares at her reminds her of the way he'd stared at the ocean when they first came to Maine. He crosses the room to her and settles his hands on her hips, making her smile up at him.

"He was good today. We had a lot of action, actually."

KIllian arches his eyebrow. "You did?"

Emma nods. "Yeah. We went to see about daycare and we went to Granny's to meet Mary Margaret for lunch."

Her stomach twists anxiously. She hadn't told him about the daycare idea, and she's a little worried he's not on the same page as she is.

"Daycare?" he asks.

"Yeah." Emma nods. "I was just thinking, like, after I get a job, he can start going to daycare. I'm not sure how long-"

He smiles at her. "Yeah. I think that's smart." He leans in for a chaste kiss, and glances over at the table. "Spaghetti! No way."

Emma chuckles. "It's your favorite kind. I didn't add the gross sauce."

"Yes!" Killian cheers, pumping his fist as he pulls out her chair for her.

Her heart flutters at the action and she sinks down into her seat, setting her water down on the table. Killian sits down next to her and they exchange soft smiles.

"So work was fantastic." Emma says.

Killian hums as he has a bite of his pasta. "It was great. I got to take the ship out around the harbor for a little while at the end of the day and Smee gave me a few books to read on her and the town."

Emma smiles as he continues to talk. He's so excited about everything that he keeps gesturing with his hands and she can tell that he's absolutely in his element. He's happy and he's making the absolute best of their move here.

She squeezes his hand on the table to tell him she's glad that he's having so much fun fitting into his place here and they talk through the rest of their days, laughing when Henry starts talking over them.

They clean the dishes in relative silence, listening to the show while Henry makes all kinds of noise in his bouncer.

Emma washes off the dishes, then hands them to Killian to dry them and set them on the rack, and when they're finished, Killian leaves a kiss to her temple and goes to have a shower to clean the day off of his skin.

Emma feeds Henry and reads him a story as she sits in the rocking chair in his nursery, and he's soon fast asleep in her arms. She sets him in his crib and then leaves his bedroom for her own.

It's early for bed, but Emma feels tired. Tired of this day. Tired of not knowing what she's doing. Tired of feeling like she's not going to figure it out.

She throws on her sweats and lays on top of the covers, turned away from the bathroom so she doesn't have to see it when Killian emerges.

For some reason she starts thinking about the past few weeks and months as a whole and then she's hit with a horrifying realization: she's late.

Emma thrusts herself up so she's sitting and panic rushes through her veins as she starts pacing around the bedroom. She starts cursing under her breath until Killian comes out of the bathroom, and when he does, Emma stops moving, her eyes blown wide as he enters the room.

He narrows his eyes at her upon seeing the look on her face. "What's wrong, love?"

He's in his jeans and a new tee shirt. His hair is dripping wet and he smells really good.

"I… Killian, I'm late." Her breath catches in her throat and she drags her hands up into her hair, shaking her head. "Shit, Killian. I can't- I refuse to be pregnant again."

She starts pacing all over again and Killian gapes at her, clearly not have anticipated her to drop this on him. "How late are you?"

Emma stops to count and shakes her head. "Almost two weeks now?"

Killian closes his eyes and presses a hand to the back of his head. "Alright. Okay. I'll go… get you a test? Would that make things right? A test?"

Emma nods her head as tears well up in them. "Yeah."

Killian holds her gaze for a few lingering seconds and then steps up to her. He presses a hand to the side of her face and gazes at her lovingly. "Emma, it's going to be alright. Either way."

Her stomach is in knots and she feels like she could probably pass out, but she nods and Killian kisses her forehead. "I'll be right back, sweetheart. Think of good things."

And then he's gone, grabbing his keys, sticking his feet into his boots, and closing the door in his wake.

She sits on the floor with her head against the mattress, trying to think of good things, like the way sunlight makes Killian look in the early morning when they're sleeping in, or the giggle of her son when he's being tickled.

She thinks about the afternoon they'd spent at the ocean, with Henry laughing as the waves tickled his toes, and her heart feels content, but then the door opens again.

Emma rises to her feet and Killian holds out a plastic bag, nodding as he enters their bedroom. "I didn't know which I should purchase, so I bought three kinds."

She swallows a breath and smiles weakly. "Thank you." She takes the bag from his extended hand and releases a heavy breath. "Alright. I'll go take the test and…"

"Right."

Emma's stomach jerks and she closes her eyes when she turns around to walk to the bathroom.

She decides in this moment to be brave, and she holds her head high as she removes the tests from their packaging.

She doesn't leave while she waits for the results. She sinks back against the door after washing her hands almost too thoroughly, and stares at the counter where the tests are waiting for her.

Emma tries to not picture a life with two small children in it, because that can't be her story. That can't be who she is. She's not that teenage mother that couldn't control her libido. She's not.

She'd wanted to wait until they were older to have this conversation with Killian. Preferably, they'd be married, and they'd have a solid source of income, and they would be living in a house with space for a little addition. And they'd actually talk about adding to their family before being thrust into this awkward position.

"Emma, are you alright?" Killian's voice is timid from the other side of the door and she closes her eyes tight.

"Yeah," she says, her voice cracking as she forces herself to stand. "I'm… I had to wait a few minutes."

Killian's quiet. "Oh. Is it… time yet?"

Emma stares at herself in the mirror, finding dark circles under her eyes, and bites down on her lip as she adjusts her hair, tucking loose strands behind her ears after throwing it up above her head.

Her heart skips a beat when she catches the barest glimpse of the tests sitting there on the counter waiting for her and she inhales deep.

"Yeah. It's time."

"Would you like me there?" he asks quietly.

Emma considers it for only a few seconds. She's not sure how she'd react, either way, and having him with her might be worse in either scenario. "No, it's fine."

She sucks in a deep breath, steadies her shoulders, and counts to three, and then, she looks down at the counter.

"Oh, thank God," she breathes, the weight lifting from her body when she finds all three tests telling her the same thing.

Emma unlocks the bathroom door and opens it, finding her boyfriend standing there looking worried, his hair a wild mess as if he's been raking his fingers through it.

He looks expectantly nervous, and Emma shakes her head at him. "I'm not pregnant."

Killian releases a heavy breath and closes his eyes, nodding. "Alright. Okay."

He opens his eyes and she sees relief there. It's good knowing they were on the same page, she figures, but part of her had started to get used to the idea, and as she throws the tests into the trash, she throws that away, too.

When she turns around again and shuts the light off, Killian asks, "Are you okay?"

Emma nods her head. "Yeah. I… I didn't want to have another baby yet. I haven't even had my first legal drink yet."

Killian smirks a little and she reaches for his hand as they walk toward their bedroom. His thumb caresses her knuckle and they both sit on the edge of the bed for a few quiet seconds before they both decide to lie down on top of the covers, staring up at the blank ceiling with a heavy quiet settling in over them.

She's not tired, not anymore, thanks to the adrenaline rush of maybe being pregnant all over again.

"Who am I?" Emma asks, the silence of the room becoming deafening.

Killian turns his head to face her, and she does the same, fear rushing through her veins and keeping her heart fluttering rapidly.

He smiles, narrowing his eyes at her. "You're Emma Swan. You're Henry's mum. You're my best friend."

She feels like she's dirty, as if she needs to rip out of her own skin, and she shakes her head as a hard lump forms in her throat. "No. I don't know who I am."

As Killian stares back at her, his smile fades into a frown and his eyes fall, as if he's thinking the same thing she is. He clenches his jaw. "I know how you feel."

Emma swallows and her heart aches. "We're so young, Killian. I dropped out of high school and got my GED in prison instead." She bites at her lip. "I don't have any real friends other than you and I don't… I don't know what I'm good at and I don't know what I want to be. Am I anything? Can I be? Or am I just doomed to being a housewife with a million babies?"

Killian gives her a look. "Emma, you're not… as happy as having children with you would make me, I assure you we would never have a million of them."

She studies him for a few long moments. Her voice is a quiet murmur, "Are you upset that I'm not pregnant?"

"No," he says immediately. "I had a panic attack the second you told me you were late. It's not time, Swan. Neither of us is ready for another baby. One is hard enough as it is."

Emma nods in agreement. "Yeah." They stare at each other silently for a few moments. "When we're older. When Henry's in school. At least."

Killian smiles a little and nods his head. "Aye. After you've figured out where you belong."

Her heart flips at his words and she closes her eyes, pressing her hands over them for a few seconds. "I don't know how-"

"Well, what did you want to do when we were kids?" Killian asks.

She feels him move closer to her and his arm drapes around her middle as his forehead touches hers. Emma takes a soft breath.

"I don't know," she whispers.

"Come now. You know. Tell me what it is you dreamt of. Tell me about your wildest dreams, Emma."

Emma's hand settles over Killian's chest and she shakes her head.

"I don't know. I… I wanted to find my parents. That's all I really ever wanted. I just wanted to ask them why they didn't think I was worth enough to them to keep." Tears well up in her eyes and she bites on her lower lip. "But I don't think I'll ever find them."

Killian is quiet and he takes a deep breath that she can feel on her palm. He finds her eyes and stares into them. "I think you're worth everything, Emma. They were wrong to ever abandon you, but… think about it like this: we would never have met if they hadn't."

Emma nods her head. "Yeah."

Her glasses start to get foggy, so she removes them in her frustration, setting them down on her nightstand. She turns back to Killian and murmurs, "I still feel lost. Like I'm just stuck here with Henry and that's all I'm ever going to be good at. Moving here was supposed to make things new and better and I can't- who am I?"

She starts to get overwhelmed, and Killian must know, because he's soothing when he says, "Maybe you need to just try things out. Anything at all. See if you're good at it. That way you can figure out your place here."

Emma's fingers go to his cheek and she draws lines over the scratch of his day-old beard. It's very light as it is. She sometimes thinks she'd like to see what he looks like with a full beard, but he likes to keep it trimmed, so she doesn't say anything about it.

"Maybe."

Killian searches her eyes and she can tell he's worried about her. He gathers her up in his arms as he turns onto his back and she eases into him, her legs curling up beside him as her arm goes across his chest to hold onto him tight.

"We're in this together," he whispers. "Good or bad. And I know it feels like you can't find yourself here, for whatever reason, but… give it time. Don't feel like it has to happen overnight. Let's just… have a little fun, you know?"

He laughs then, and Emma smiles at the way his chest lifts. "We're allowed to have fun. We're barely adults."

Emma hums as she props her head up on his chest. "Yeah."

She's not prepared for it when he tickles her, and she has to bite on her tongue to prevent from squealing. Laughter spills from their lips as they tickle each other, and Emma pushes herself to her feet when she grabs her pillow from the head of the bed.

Killian gasps when she smacks him and then he's up, too, and they're suddenly having a pillow fight that leads them crashing back down onto the bed, their limbs a tangled mess, and their breathing ragged.

"I won," she says, grinning from her spot on top of him.

He laughs heavily and lifts her hand from his shoulder to kiss her palm. "I let you win."

Emma bursts out into laughter, scrunching her nose up at him as she adjusts herself so she's facing him again. "Yeah, right."

His eyebrows dance and Emma puts her hand on his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too."

/

Emma takes a job as a waitress at Granny's. It's not her favorite choice, but she has really no other options when she considers the short list Mary Margaret had offered her.

It takes a few weeks of working for her to get bored.

Henry's birthday is today and she and Killian had both been so sad having to take him in to daycare, but Anna had snuggled him and given them assurance that they'd celebrate too.

She and Killian got him a few toys that they haven't wrapped yet and they don't even have a semblance of a party or anything. They don't even have cake, much less candles, but with them both working as many hours as they can in order to make ends meet, it's not like they've had much time to talk about such things.

But he's one and he's so much bigger than she'd thought a one-year-old could be and her heart aches when she remembers the day she'd given birth to him, all chained up to her hospital bed, crying out and sobbing when he'd come crying into the world.

She'd held him and kissed him as much as she possibly could, and she'd promised him that day that she'd love him, even when he wasn't with her. She promised him a home, and she's thankful that she and Killian have been able to give it to him.

"So we don't even have a cake," Emma sighs as she slumps down across from Mary Margaret at her favorite table for breakfast. "And it's his first birthday ever and we can't see him until five."

Mary Margaret's brow creases sadly. "Oh, Emma." She reaches across the table and takes Emma's hand. "You know, on the positive side, he doesn't know it's his birthday. He's one."

"It's just the principle of it," Emma shakes her head. "I don't know. Growing up birthdays were kind of… forgotten for me. Killian always remembered. He always had something for me. And I want things to be better for my son, because I want the best for him, you know?"

Mary Margaret bobs her head. "I completely understand."

Emma glances up when a new customer walks into the diner. She pulls herself to her feet and sighs. "I'll be back. Gotta take care of this guy."

She takes a few steps toward the counter, where the guy stands, looking shifty as all get out as he plucks a pastry from the counter case. He pulls it into his jacket as if it's no big deal, all the while staring straight at her, and then just starts walking out of the diner as if he hadn't come in in the first place.

Emma's eyes grow wide and she sets her notepad down on Mary Margaret's table. "Hey! Wait! You gotta pay for that!"

The guy takes off running, and before Emma knows what's happening, she's rushing outside, chasing after the guy wearing a leather jacket with his hair cut short.

He probably thinks he's so cool, stealing from a tiny diner like Granny's.

"Stop!" she calls out after him, her feet pounding against the sidewalk as fast as she can go.

They're heading toward the docks after a slight turn, and she's surprised, but at the same time not at all, when she sees Killian casually walking her way.

He gives her a confused look, but Emma just shakes her head and keeps running after the guy with the stolen baked goods. "Can't explain!"

"What-?"

She's out of breath and she should probably give up, because there are honestly better ways of handling this, but this guy had the nerve of looking her in the eye as he stole the cookies from Granny's counter, and that makes this personal.

Emma finally closes in on him as they're running ever closer to the docks, and she immediately reaches out when she thinks she can make it, tugging him slow enough that she can pounce on him.

"Gotcha," she says, panting as she traps him by his hands over his head and her legs pinned around his hips. A smile peels at her lips and the man squirms, a look on his face reading guilt.

"Bloody hell," he says. "You don't give up. You a cop or somethin'?"

His accent is thick through his deep breaths and Emma laughs, a light airy sound as she stares him in the eyes.

"No. I'm not a cop."

"Then what in the name of all that's good and holy in this world are you doing chasing me through town, mate?" the man snaps, making her give him a sharp look.

"I saw you. You looked at me. Give me the cookies, mate."

The man clenches his jaw and huffs out a few long breaths before she releases one of his hands so he can dig into his jacket pocket. He struggles to pull out the cookies, crumbling into pieces as they hit his chest.

Emma winces. "Okay, so you don't need to give them to me. Just pay for them."

"Make up your mind, oh my gods!" the man complains. "And would ya just climb off me already? I'm not going anyplace fast."

Emma narrows her eyes at him in warning. "Okay. You gotta pay up, though."

"I will." He says through gritted teeth when Emma tightens her hold on his wrist.

She climbs off of the man and stares down at him, her tongue darting out to wet her lips just as Killian jogs up to the pair of them.

"Emma, what happened?" he asks, a worried look in his eyes that's easily betrayed by the slight amazement she sees there, too. It's clear that her tackling this random guy onto the ground was just the slightest bit arousing for him, and she has to smirk because of it.

Emma watches as the criminal on the ground rises to his feet. "He stole from Granny's. I came after him to get the money he owes."

It's then that a squad car with its siren and lights blaring comes whipping down the alley toward them.

"Oh, just bloody perfect. You are a cop, aren't you?" the man asks, dusting his arms and legs off as the car pulls to a stop. "Calling in your reinforcements? Damn it all to hell."

David climbs out of the car and approaches, his arms folding across his chest. "What seems to be the problem, Emma?"

She takes a deep breath and tosses her thumb at the man beside her. "This guy stole from Granny. I'm just trying to get the money he owes her for what he stole."

David sighs. "Scarlet, honestly, you'd think after two weeks of this you'd get the hint."

"I wasn't guilty any of the other times!" the man exclaims, throwing his arms out. "I just took some cookies from Granny 'cos she owes 'em to me."

Emma gives the man a look as David says, "Alright, Will. Give Emma the money owed and we'll be heading to the station."

Will groans. She watches as he digs into his pants pocket for a wad of dollar bills and coins. He hands Emma a few and she nods her head at him. "Thank you. Was that so hard?"

He grunts under his breath and walks toward David, his wrists pressed together in front of him. "Let's go, Sheriff. I've got a date tonight."

"A date? I sure hope she likes you because you might not make that date tonight." David laughs, slapping the handcuffs onto the man's wrists.

He claps him on the back and opens up the back door to the squad car. David pushes his head down and sits him into the backseat, then closes the door and turns toward Emma.

"I'm sorry about him. He's one of my favorite guests at the station, as I'm sure you can tell."

Emma laughs. "Yeah."

David's eyes crinkle at the corners and he stands there, his hands on his hips. "You know… you'd make a good cop, Emma. Have you ever considered police work?"

Emma holds her mouth open. She looks between David and Killian, and then shakes her head. "I- I don't know."

"Well," David shrugs. "There's an opening at the station. You'd need training, but that's what the academy is for, right?"

Emma watches David as he nods his head at them, a smile spreading on her lips as he bids them goodbye.

David speeds off with Will Scarlet in his backseat and Emma looks down at her hand, still clutching the cash the criminal had handed to her. She slowly turns to Killian and he shakes his head.

"Well, that was interesting." Killian tips his head back toward the alley. "I'll walk you back to work."

Emma takes a steadying breath and nods her head. They start to walk in silence and then Emma says, "I think… I think I want to do that. I want to go to the academy and become a police officer."

Killian stops walking and she does too, finding his eyes wide and his jaw hanging open. "Are you… Swan, you-"

"My records are sealed," she tells him. "And I figure it'll take a few years for me to get into the academy. But… that was fun. Chasing him down and catching him. That was fun."

Killian laughs, reaching up to scratch the back of his head. "Well, they do say you should enjoy what you do."

She bites on her lip and shrugs her shoulders, tilting her head slightly. "So can I do it?"

He laughs again and nods. "Aye. Of course. I want you to be happy. If that's how you'll be happy, so be it. I know you're miserable working at Granny's, no matter how kind that woman is to us."

Emma surges forward and wraps her arms around his neck. He grunts softly at the impact and his arms go around her as her legs bend upward. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

She presses a kiss to his lips and sets her feet down on the ground, swaying with him, a big smile on her lips as she stares up at him. "I would move mountains for you, do you know that?"

"Mountains?" she asks, lifting an eyebrow. "Actual mountains?"

Killian smiles at her, laughing under his breath. "Yes. Actual, gigantic, massive mountains. I would probably die in the process-"

Emma laughs, smacking him in his chest as she moves alongside him again so she can walk to work. "You can't die because we haven't finished decorating the apartment and Henry hasn't had his birthday yet."

"Oh, okay," Killian sighs dramatically. "Then I suppose tomorrow will be better to start moving a mountain for you."

Emma nudges him in his hip and he wraps his arm around her to hold her tight. He leaves a kiss to her temple. "Things are working themselves out. What did I say?"

"You said it would be okay here," she says. "And everything is okay. We just have a one year old that won't have any cake at his birthday party."

Killian hums. "I think I can fix that."

/

It's a great celebration.

Mary Margaret, David, Anna, Elsa, and Belle all come to Henry's birthday party after work, and Emma manages to wrap Henry's presents before he tears them open again. Mary Margaret gives Henry a pair of shoes that she'd purchased on her way to their apartment after work. The girls from daycare give Henry some books and a new stuffed teddy.

Henry's quite spoiled for a one-year-old, and Killian thinks it's a good thing, because for the most part, he doesn't have much, but what he does have is good.

They'd all decided to show up on their own terms. Mary Margaret dragged David to their apartment because of the cake, and the girls from the daycare came when Emma told them that they'd be having a tiny get together at their place.

Henry's happy, sitting there in his high chair when Emma and Killian bring him his birthday cake, crafted by Granny herself. He doesn't know how to blow out his candle, so, after singing happy birthday, Killian blows out the candle for him, and they all cheer nonetheless.

Emma takes pictures and videos and for the first time since they've moved to Storybrooke, it feels like a home.

Everyone loves on Henry until he falls asleep, and Killian doesn't think Henry has ever had so many friends around him before in his life. The same could go for him, and for Emma, too.

While they're still new to Storybrooke, things have started looking up. They've found their place here. Back in Arizona, they had just been living for the day-to-day. He'd been waiting for Emma to get out of prison for his life to truly begin, and she'd been waiting for something more to ignite a passion in her heart.

She's laughing at something David tells her as she clears the table, and he thinks it's a gorgeous sight. David makes sure to get her to tell the group gathered about her heroic efforts regarding Will Scarlet and the Case of the Stolen Cookies, and Emma just giggles and blushes her way through the retelling.

He thinks she's a bloody hero for it. He'd been madly confused when he'd gotten off a little later than usual for lunch and found her charging down the street toward a man he'd only seen a few times around town.

But the look on her face, triumphant, as she leaned over the thief, is likely the most beautiful look he's ever seen on her. That's why he knows it's something she loves. Because sometimes she looks at him like that, with such raw passion in her eyes and a smile spread impossibly wide.

And when everyone leaves, they head into Henry's nursery together. Night has fallen, after a few hours of laughs and stories shared, and of friendships blossomed. Killian thinks Henry's first birthday could not have possibly gone better.

Emma curls up against him and releases a sigh. "That was chaotic. But… it was good."

"Aye," Killian smiles a little. "Henry seemed to have a great time."

Their son is sleeping in his crib as they stare down at him, his fingers clutched around his favorite teddy bear. His breathing is deep and he looks peaceful.

Emma hums happily. "He did. He's one. Did you know that? One."

Killian chuckles. He tightens his hold on her and leaves a kiss to her forehead. "I think his first year has gone quite well. He's made loads of new friends. He has his own bedroom."

"He has favorite food," Emma murmurs.

"Aye," Killian smiles. "And he's fallen in love." Emma pulls back a little, arching an eyebrow in question, and he just pecks her nose. "With the sea. You worry far too much. He's one, remember."

Emma sighs and releases him, instead reaching for his fingers as they decide to leave the nursery together.

"So… we kind of have friends now," Emma says as they walk out into the living area.

Killian chuckles. "I suppose we do, don't we?"

Emma bites down on her lower lip when she turns to him. Their palms touch and she clasps their fingers together tightly.

"So, I was going to wait until our anniversary, but our anniversary is forever away, thanks to a certain someone who refused to ask me out on a date the minute he had a chance-"

Killian gives her a look. "Hey!"

Emma laughs. "Anyway." She tilts her head toward their bedroom. "I have some pictures and I want you to hang them in our bedroom."

She drags him into their bedroom and he finds a few photographs they'd taken on their trip to Maine made bigger in frames resting on top of their bed. He smiles at the sight of them, all of the images filled with such joy, and he looks up at Emma with a smile on his lips.

"Where would you like them to go?"

Emma shrugs her shoulders and points to the wall above their bed. "Maybe these two of us here? And the family picture over on this wall, above the dresser?"

"Aye. That should work beautifully."

He hangs the pictures and Emma watches, and when he joins her to study his handiwork, she wraps her arms around his middle and looks up at him.

"Moving here was a good choice," she whispers. "I'm really happy here. I'm really happy with you."

Killian can't help but grin. "Aye." He lowers his lips to hers chastely. "I'm really happy with you too."