AN: Well fairytale folks, this is it...last chapter. Thank you so much for the pm's, favs, follows, and reviews for this story. Honestly, I never thought this would get the attention it did so thank you for making my life a little brighter to know my work is appreciated!

Happy reading :)

10 years later…

The brilliant silver of Emma's armor reflected like shards of glass in the sunlight as she trotted her trusted stallion towards the towering sharp-edged palace. Her sword's sheath lay hidden beneath the blanket of golden curls that hung limply around her shoulders and down her back. She felt her stomach churn in anticipation as she crossed the threshold of the castle gates.

She had sent word to Regina earlier that week that she would be visiting soon. Ten years had been too long but Emma knew it was what needed to be done. She wondered if her ten year old son would look like the images that danced in her mind often and if he was as energetic and inquisitive as what she imagined him to be. She also wondered how Regina was doing and if the years had been kind to her once her youth spell was broken.

A black knight awaited her approach and then bowed before her as she jumped down and handed Maximus over. She could have easily teleported to the castle but Emma preferred the old fashioned way of traveling, whether by horse or foot.

As she climbed the familiar marble steps another knight awaited her and also bowed before he led her into the castle and towards the grand parlor where Regina stood waiting.

"It's been too long White Knight," Regina purred as she stepped towards the fair-haired warrior and smiled.

Regina and Emma might have been ten years older now but they were both just as beautiful as the last time they had seen each other.

"So I see you have heard my new moniker," Emma humored.

"But of course. I tell Henry everything, including who you really are," Regina admitted.

Emma eyebrows rose. "He is aware that I am his birth mother? You could have claimed him as your own and perhaps indulged him with a fable of me being a distant relative."

Regina chuckled. "I'm afraid I cannot hide anything from him for he would've managed to find out anyway. You will see for yourself after a few candle marks in his presence. He has an uncanny gift of knowing if one is telling the truth and he is quite the meddlesome little boy."

Emma laughed. "Just as I suspected he would be."

"I do hope you are planning to stay for a time before returning to your parents realm," Regina questioned.

"Of course Your Majesty," Emma replied with a smirk as she bowed.

Regina smiled in relief before she turned to the nearby guard. "Summon the prince and have him join us."

"Yes Your Majesty," The knight replied as he bowed before leaving the room.

"How about we change you into something more comfortable," Regina suggested before a red cloud surrounded Emma's body.

"Regina, I am more than capable of dressing myself," Emma lectured as she watched her armor be replaced by a royal blue ruffled tunic with a black vest and matching black suede pants and high boots. "At least your taste is impeccable and for that I shall forgive you this one time."

Regina laughed before the pattering of footsteps running down the hall reached their ears. The queen rolled her eyes before she turned with a cocked eyebrow as her son screeched to a halt in the parlor entrance way.

"Sorry Mom," Henry apologized before she could lecture him on running through the castle. "I was anxious to see Emma."

"Of course you were," Regina agreed before she guided Henry to stand before Emma. "Emma, I'd like you to meet Henry."

The warrior gave a half smirk to the boy as she took him in and the boy beamed a smile in return. Her expression softened when she realized he looked exactly as she had imagined he would and Emma opened her arms invitingly to him. Henry didn't hesitate as he dove into her embrace, hugging her back for all she was worth. Regina looked on with glistening eyes and Emma could see there was a definite change to the supposed evil Queen.

Just as she had predicted there would be.

"Mom told me all about you! Every night we read about your adventures in the book she made!" Henry explained excitedly as he remained locked around her waist.

"Book? What book?" Emma questioned in confusion.

Regina shrugged. "I created a book that would write a tale for every adventure you endeavored upon. That is how we knew where you were and how you fared."

"It's my very own book of fairytales on you. Mom created it for me on my eighth birthday," Henry explained before he pulled away enough to gaze up at Emma's face.

"Fairytales huh?" Emma quoted as she felt the familiarity of the words on her tongue.

Henry nodded at his fair-haired mother and winked. "Yeah, fairytales."

Emma cocked her head at his peculiar notion before she shook it off and focused on the other woman. "You are an astounding mother Regina, as I knew you would be."

"Yes you did, didn't you? I do recall you promising to share that knowledge with me one day. Perhaps one of the days you spend here could be that day?"

"Perhaps," Emma mused.

"In the meantime, Henry can show you to your bed chambers and I imagine he is anxious to spend some time with you," Regina suggested.

Emma nodded before she let the boy take her hand and drag her away. "Thank you Regina," she called over her shoulder.

The queen couldn't help but smile as she watched Henry drag his birth mother down the hall. The past ten years had changed her dramatically and she felt happier and lighter than she had in a long time. She knew it was all because of Henry and she had Emma to thank for that.

After showing Emma where she would be staying, which was her room from when she had stayed there so long ago, Henry pulled her to his bed chamber and quickly shut the heavy-wooded door. The warrior took a seat on her son's bed as he yanked a book from under his pillow before returning to Emma's side.

"Here," Henry said as he thrust the book into Emma's hands.

Emma looked down upon the brown-leathered cover and gasped. Aside from it reading "The White Knight" in fancy gold lettering, the book was a spitting image of the one she had seen from the altered life that she continuously dreamed of. Opening it, she saw colored images of herself with writings of her quests but it was the same style, the same off-white pages, and the same illustration techniques.

"How is this even possible?" Emma mumbled almost to herself.

"When my Mom made the book, I had her make some alterations to it," Henry explained. "It looks just like the original one, doesn't it?"

"Wait, what?" Emma asked dumbfounded.

Henry smiled that cunning little smile before he sat down next to Emma. "I know about our alternate lives, the ones we would've been living had you not broken the curse."

Emma inhaled sharply before she bit her lip. "How did you know I knew about it?"

"Mom was always talking about your prophecies but I knew that wasn't what they were," Henry confessed.

"How long have you been seeing the other life?" Emma wondered.

"About three years now," Henry guessed before he whispered. "That's why you gave me to her. You knew I would change her, just as I had in Storybrooke. That is also your reason for staying away until now."

"Can you ever forgive me?" Emma whispered.

"There's nothing to forgive; I love my mother and I wouldn't have it any other way," Henry explained. "You did what you had to do."

Emma gave a watery smile before she breathed out heavily.

"I had come to the conclusion that I was gifted with these visions because I was never under the dark curse which means of course, neither were you. I should have seen that coming," Emma explained before she squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. "This must stay between us, Henry; no one can ever know what we know."

"But you promised my mother that you would tell her," Henry challenged.

"I think I may just tell her some of it without giving away all of it; enough to satisfy her curiosity."

Henry leaned against Emma's side and sighed. "Welcome home, Mom."

"Thanks kid," Emma replied before she wrapped her arm around Henry's shoulders. "It's been too long."

"It has but you're here now," Henry offered before he grinned. "When you leave for your parent's castle, I'm going with you. Mom said I can visit my grandparents."

"That would be nice. My parents would love to spend time with you," Emma said before she looked upon the book she held. "So tell me, how does this story end?"

Henry beamed a huge smile. "Like they all do of course!"

"Enlighten me."

Henry took the book from her grasp and flipped it open to the last page before turning it back to face Emma. Shock covered the warrior's face as she looked upon the colorful illustration that adorned the right page. A sunset blasted hues of oranges, yellows, and reds across the page as two castle balconies made up each side of the frame. On a hillside in the center facing the sunset stood Emma in her knight's armor with her hand resting upon her son's shoulder. Snow and James stood embraced on one of the castle balconies while looking down at their daughter and grandson and Regina stood on the other balcony with a warm smile as she also gazed down upon the two people in the center of the drawing.

"The book completed itself the day you informed my mother that you were heading here," Henry encouraged as he pointed to the left page. "Read the last section."

Emma tore her eyes away from the beautiful illustration and began to read out loud. "And though the kingdoms were neither at war nor at peace, the innocence of a little boy and the bravery of his warrior mother created a bond for former enemies to become allies out of necessity for the sake of family..."

"Skip to the last sentence!" Henry demanded impatiently.

Emma shook her head and chuckled. "How about we read it together?"

Henry nodded and they locked eyes as as they said simultaneously...

"And they lived happily ever after."

the end