AN: this is the sequel to Finding Forever and Losing Forever. To fully understand what is going on, it is necessary to read both stories. Of course, you can read this on its own, but some points may get confusing.

AN: I really wish I knew why Anna became a pirate, but somehow, she snuck it on me. She is adorable though.

AN: I'm going to try to update either every Sunday or Monday. I have most of the story planned out and am working on getting it down on paper. This is a complete AU. I do want to say that I am a review junkie, so please, just drop a line, even if it is just a "this story sucks". But I love constructive criticism.

AN: The only good thing about Quiet Minds was the Outlaw Queen. The rest was stupid. Just wanted to throw that out there.

Once upon a time, there was a young princess. She was born to a princess turned bandit turned Queen and a shepard boy who had replaced his twin brother as a false King. But her parents had an enemy, her step-grandmother, the Evil Queen.

So the Evil Queen, in accordance to a wicked's Imp's plan, cast a curse to end all curses. She sent all the inhabitants of their home into a different world, a world without magic. A world without happy endings.

But before the curse could be cast, the princess was sent away through a magical wardrobe, to the world without happy endings to survive on her own. She was just born, with barely any time for her first feeding when she was sent to be a hero.

She grew up fast and mean, in what this world called the 'foster system'. It was cruel and hard, but in her fourteenth year, she met a boy. A boy who had a story of his own.

This boy was born to a poor spinner and his very unhappy wife. His father was a coward and he mother abandoned them for pirates and adventure. But when the boy's life was in danger, on his fourteenth birthday, his father made a choice and became the very same Imp who had created the curse that had destroyed the princess's family.

Of course, at this time, they did not know that.

But the boy had grown up in his own way in the wilds of Neverland. He did things and saw things that not even the princess was to know about, but it gave him nightmares every night.

On the princess's fifteenth birthday, they ran off together.

Soon, they learned of the curse and of what happened to their parents. On their son's third birthday, they received a book that told them the full story. The book called Once Upon a Time.

That book gave them the beginning.

Together, they would bring back the Happily Ever After's.

Niall smiled at his wife as she stepped into the kitchen, "Hello gorgeous."

"Hello, handsome," She replied, dropping the file in her hand on the table. She stretched, cracking her back and allowing her husband a wonderful view of her midriff. "What's for dinner?"

"Spaghetti," He said, holding up a spoon with red sauce on it. "I was going to make meatloaf, but apparently that's about the same as poison, according to your children."

Emma grinned, coming to lean her hip on the counter. "Oh? My children, hmm?"

"I spend all day with them, so yes, your children." He turned to press a kiss on her lips. "How was your day?"

"Typical." She replied, sighing. "Three cheating husbands and a cheating wife. Fun."

"Sounds like."

"Yeah, what about you?" She raised an eyebrow, looking around their small apartment. It wasn't as much of a mess as it normally was, which meant he had gotten the kids to clean.

"I finished that stupid clock," he said, grabbing the pot of noodles to drain. "So I get to take that down to the customer tomorrow. I forced the children into slavery and made them actually pick up their toys. The Dread Pirate Morgan almost incited mutiny, but I cut that off by reminding Sir Henry of a knight's duty to obey their liege lord." He shook his head. "They are supposed to be cleaning their rooms now, but I have a feeling Henry is reading and Anna is trying to find a place to hide her treasure."

"Now, that sounds like fun." Emma laughed. "A mutiny, really?"

"I wish she was something other than a pirate. Anything really."

"Nope, your kid is a pirate. Suck it up," She had no sympathy.

"And there was something else," The change in tone caught her attention. He was looking at her, eyes serious. She gulped, suddenly worried.

"What?" She asked quietly.

"I got a call today. A job offer, a good one." He put the spoon in the sauce, and started taking off his 'Stay-at-home Dad' superhero apron. "It would be steady work, a good paycheck, and they're offered us an actual house. One with three bedrooms. I asked. Problem is, it's in this little town in Maine."

"Oh," She blinked. "That sounds good though."

"Emma, your birthday is in two days," Niall said, as if that was the worst part.

Emma closed her eyes. "You think it's-?"

"Most likely. The town is called Storybrooke, and if that's not a warning sign, I don't know what it."

She placed her shaky hands on the counter and glanced down the hall. "If we go, we could be risking the kids. I don't think this Evil Queen would be merciful on children."

"If anyone tried to go after our kids, they die." His voice was soft but confident. Emma believed him. He hadn't had to hurt anyone in a long time, but she could remember the way his would flick a knife out of a hiding place the moment someone looked at them wrong. Niall had mercy, but very little where his wife's wellbeing was involved. He had even less when it concerned his children.

"Okay," She whispered, turning to wrap her arms around him. "Do you think we should go?"

"It's your parents." He said quietly, laying his cheek on top of her head. "It's you doing the cursebreaking. I can help, but it's up to you."

She inhaled in a breath, breathing him in. She loved him. He had been her escape from foster care, her rock in the hard times, her everything. He had to be her true love, because that was the only description she could use for him.

"Alright." She leaned back to look up at him. "But you get to tell the kids."

"No problem," Niall grinned wickedly. "I get to have the nine to five now. You get to be home with the kids."

"Ugh," Emma bounced her forehead on his collarbone. "Way to ruin it."

He laughed loudly at that.

Ruby knew every person in town. It was a point of pride for her, and she didn't have a lot to be proud of. So she knew that the family who walked into the diner was not from around here.

The man was short with brown hair and brown eyes. He was dressed in jeans and a stripped scarf wrapped loosely around his neck. His lips curled in a devilish smirk at something his wife was saying. His wife was gorgeous, blonde and a few inches shorter than he was. She looked confident and tough in a red leather jacket and boots. She punched her husband on the arm playfully.

The children, a boy and a girl, were adorable as well. The boy was about ten, and had his father's hair and eyes. A big book was tucked up under his arm. His little sister was small, big blonde ringlets spilling out from under a pirate's hat.

Ruby knew she wasn't the only one watching. Storybrooke didn't see a lot of visitors.

They sat at a booth along the wall, the parents on one side, the kids on the other. The boy immediately cracked open the book and both kids leaned over it. Ruby raised an eyebrow at that, but still sauntered over wearing a smile.

"Welcome, I'm Ruby. What can I get you to drink?"

"Coffee," Both parents groaned at the same time. Both kids grinned at them.

"Hot chocolate!" the boy chirped, "with cinnamon on top please." Ruby blinked, but wrote it down with a nod. The girl sat there, her eyes narrowed, obviously contemplating Ruby.

"Anna?" The mother asked, raising an eyebrow. The girl looked up, head tilting. "Drink?"

"Oh, hot chocolate, please, but no cinnamon. That's just gross," She wrinkled her nose. "Who drinks hot chocolate with cinnamon?"

"I do," The woman answered dryly. "As does your brother."

"Well, you guys are weird."

"I know someone else who drinks it that way," Ruby piped up, smiling. "Mary Margaret, a teacher down at the school, like cinnamon on her hot chocolate."

The man and woman traded a look that Ruby couldn't decipher.

"Well, she's probably weird too," the girl shrugged.

"So says the pirate," the man replied and grinned at Ruby. "Ignore her. She's crazy." The girl stuck her tongue out at him, which he returned. Ruby couldn't help but laughing at them.

She returned with their drinks and set them down. She looked at the parents. "So, you guys are new here?"

"Yeah," the woman said. "Guess in this small town, we stand out, huh?"

"A little."

"Fun," The man intoned. "The name's Niall. This is my wife Emma."

"And I'm Henry," the boy said, waving a little. "This is Anna." The girl huffed and glared at Henry. , making her father, Niall, sigh.

"No, I've said this once, I will say it again. I am not introducing you as the Dread Pirate Morgan. It's not happening."

"Anna wants to be a pirate, if you can't tell," Emma said in explanation.

"Somehow, I didn't get that from the hat." Ruby said. She looked at Henry. "Do you want to be a pirate too?" She asked.

"Nope. I want to be a knight." He straightened, his face bright.

Emma turned to her husband. "I blame you for the fact our children want dangerous lives."

He raised an eyebrow. "Uh, no, that's your line. My family is known for it's cowardice."

Emma conceded with a tilt of her head. "True."

Ruby couldn't help herself. She laughed. "Forgive me, I can't help but ask. What brings you to Storybrooke?"

"Job," Niall answered. "Speaking of which, do you know where I can find Mr. Gold's pawn shop?"

Ruby felt herself go pale. "You're working at the pawn shop?"

Niall raised an eyebrow. "I am. I'm going to go by the look and tone that I may be taking my life into my own hands?"

"No. It's just, Mr. Gold- he's" Ruby stumbled over the words. "Why are you working there?"

"I restore antiques." Niall explained. "Mr. Gold hired me to restore some of the things in his shop. However, I'm thinking that Mr. Gold's has a reputation?"

"Oh. But, yeah, he does. That's him," Ruby pointed out the window at the limping pawnbroker across the street. All four of the family turned.

Niall flinched back, his hand snapping out to grab his wife's hand. He looked like he had gotten run over by a truck. He stared out the window, eyes wide. Emma grabbed his fingers, dipping her head between him and his view of the man out the window.

"You alright?" Ruby asked, suddenly worried. She wasn't sure what had happened, but it was obvious that Niall somehow knew the older man.

"Fine," He said, shaking his head. He turned to smile at her, though it was tremulous. "He just looked like someone I knew once. He isn't, though. The man I knew was taller. It was the limp, I think." He glanced at his wife. She nodded, but Ruby noticed that they didn't let go of each other's hands.

"Mom, can I have a hamburger?" Henry asked. He was watching his parents, eyes narrowed, but his tone sounded innocent. "Please?"

"Oh! Me too!" Anna looked up at Ruby. "Do you have tater tots?"

"No, I don't" Ruby said, trying to recover from her confusion. "French fries alright?"

Anna looked at her brother. "You want them?" She asked. He scrunched his nose up.

"I'll eat some, sure." He said, nodding.

"Cool, then fries please."

"Okay," Ruby finished taking their order and walked back to the kitchen where she could safely eyeball the family. They were all hunched over their book, whispering among themselves.

She wasn't sure why, but the waitress suddenly got the feeling that this little family was going to the best thing that every happened to Storybrooke.