Hello Readers, and once again, thank you for inspiring me to another story's end! And now, let's wind this story up... and thanks again, everyone, for reading and for reviewing. You all make writing so worthwhile.

"More pancakes, Henry?" Regina smiled as she sat across the table from her son, and at his enthusiastic nod, she signaled Red to bring over another stack.

"How many days have you been living on granola bars?" Emma asked, passing Henry some more syrup.

"Three," Henry answered around a mouthful of bacon. "I didn't want to take a chance at being spotted, so I kept away from civilization as much as I could once I got off the bus."

"Well, slow down before it all comes back up again," Emma said. "And then once you're done here, you look like you can use a bath and about forty hours of uninterrupted sleep."

"I'm not that tired," he protested. "And I want to hear Grandpa and Grandma tell me about the battle with George. The book had the story, but I want all the details." He glanced around. "Where are they, anyway?"

"They left to get get Belle," Regina answered. "She called your grandmother from the town line and said she needed a ride back."

"Your grandmother said she sounded really upset," Emma added. "I told your grandfather to take the squad car in case there was something major going down."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "What I wouldn't give to have heard that conversation."

"I'm sure it wasn't pleasant," Robin agreed.

"Indeed." Killian crossed his arms, scowling. "I should have taken care of him while he was still helpless."

Emma put a hand on his arm. "Let Belle take care of this. This one is her fight, and she can handle it."

Killian gave her a reluctant nod, and his hand came up to slide over her hand, twining his fingers between hers.

"Speaking of helpless," Robin said, "What ever became of old George?"

Regina smiled a catlike smile. "I have him in my foyer," she said. "He makes a stunning coat rack."

"Good to know the spell is holding," Emma said. "So I guess none of it got reversed?"

"Nothing got reversed, just re-arranged again." Regina pointed out. "We all have both sets of memories."

"We certainly do," Killian murmured, causing Emma to squeeze his hand with punishing force.

"And you have that scar on your thigh where George's guard nicked you with an arrow," Robin added. Regina raised her brows and leveled a death glare on him as Henry's eyes widened.

"Yes, well... I think Henry's just about finished here," Regina said with a forced smile. "Why don't we take him home?"

"I could go back to your house," Henry said. "If Grandma comes back with Neal, I won't get much sleep."

Emma nodded. "He's right."

"I think that's a good idea," said Robin. "Roland could do with a nap of his own, after all that hiking in the woods."

"I'm awake!" Roland said. "I don't need a nap!"

"Yes, you do," Robin said, tapping his nose fondly.

Roland turned his wide brown eyes on Regina. "Pleeeaase?" he pleaded.

She looked over at Robin, who gave her a discreet shake of his head, followed by a wink.

"I think you should listen to your father," she said, smiling. Roland gave her a crestfallen look, grabbed the last piece of bacon and stuffed it in his pocket as they all stood up.

Killian reached out, clapping a hand on Henry's shoulder. "Good to have you back, Henry," he said with a grin. "And it surprises me not one bit that you found a way to save us all."

Henry grinned. "Thanks. You get some credit, too. I got some of the money for my mountain bike by playing dice with the other guys."

Killian arched a brow. "You used the dice I gave you, I wager."

"I won every time."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Of course," she said, putting an arm around Henry. "Now, if you don't mind, Henry needs to find his bed and get some rest." She dropped a kiss on the top of Henry's head and he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight.

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you," she replied, kissing him again. "Now, go."

Emma leaned her head against Killian's shoulder as she watched them leave. "It's good to be back. Really, really back."

"Not a fan of the Enchanted Forest, I take it?" Killian asked with a sideways grin.

"Not a fan of sleeping on straw mattresses," she answered. "But the ship was awfully nice."

"It was," he said, a bit sadly. "I miss the old girl already."

"What do you think happened to Blackbeard? You didn't run into him anywhere, did you?"

Killian shook his head. "No. But it would have been nice to have seen him as a barmaid or monk."

"Yeah, sorry I missed that," Emma said wryly. "Well, at least I had a ship for a little while."

His eyes narrowed. "My ship."

"Granny makes an excellent bos'n," Emma said.

"Damn right I do," Granny called out.

Killian gave her a nod. "I'll keep that under advisement, should I ever get my ship back."

"C'mon," Emma said, nudging him in the ribs. "I thought you liked the pirate in me."

Killian leaned down, putting his lips by her ear. "I'd like to put some pirate in you right now, love," he murmured.

"Get a room, you two!" Granny called out.

Emma raised her brows and smiled at Killian. "You heard the lady."

He gave her hand a tug, pulling her along down the hallway toward his room. He released her just long enough to get the door open, then he pulled her inside and shut the door behind her. Emma sank back against it.

"We did it," she sighed.

"Not yet, we haven't," Killian replied, sitting on the bed and tugging at his boots. She smiled at him.

"I meant, we got us all back," she said. "As convoluted as all that was, we managed to fight our way through it back to who we were."

"You're welcome to strut out your alter-ego anytime you'd like with me, Swan," Killian said, waggling his brows. "She certainly livened things up."

"I think you handled the prince thing pretty well," Emma said. "You were a perfect gentleman." Her eyes moved down to the carpet, remembering. "Well, nearly perfect."

He scratched his head. "On second thought, perhaps she's better left as a memory. She damn near killed me."

"How cold was that shower, anyway?"

His eyes narrowed. "Frigid."

Emma couldn't help it, the laughter bubbled up from inside, partly from the memory, partly from relief that it was all finally over. She shook her head.

"Oh, Killian," she said, still laughing. "I love you."

It came out of her mouth before she could call it back, and her eyes went wide with alarm. Killian was off the bed in a heartbeat, his hand sliding around to cup her head as he moved in close.

"Oh no, Swan," he said. "Don't think for a moment you're backing out of this." His eyes were overly bright, holding hers with an intensity that stole her breath away. "You've said it, and I won't let you rescind it." His lips hovered just above hers. "Not now."

"Killian, I - " she looked away, swallowing hard. He turned her face back, gently.

"I love you, Emma. Truly, and with everything I have to give. You must know that."

"I just...I think maybe we should...I don't know," she finished lamely.

"What?" he answered. "Am I to pretend that you're just another dalliance? That you haven't changed me? Given me a reason to be a better man? All because love has brought us both such pain?" His thumb brushed her jaw tenderly. "I'm not afraid, Emma. Not of this. Not of you."

He kissed her lingeringly, softly, his lips moving across her face to feather her cheeks, drying the tears that were sliding down.

"You're the bravest woman I've ever known, love. So do it. Be brave with me."

He kissed her again, and this time it was deeper, wilder, taking on a life of it's own and their lips clung and parted and clung again. His body pressed her tight into the door and she ran restless hands up and down his back, moving into his hair and tangling there, feeling like she just couldn't get close enough.

He reached down, swinging her up into his arms and she moved her mouth to his neck, his chest, as he lay her on the bed and came down over the top of her. It didn't take long to get the rest of their clothing out of the way, and soon enough, Emma found herself in a welter of heat and need, rolling with him, and sliding herself down on him, arching her back to drive him harder into her. Her fingers dug into his chest as they moved and slid and ground together, and she was so lost in the sensation of him buried deep inside her that she didn't hear him at first. He called her name again, softly.

"Emma."

She opened her eyes, fevered and unfocused, unable to still the movement of her body. His hand came up to her hip, gripping her tight as he slowed. His eyes locked with hers, heat meeting heat, and she knew. She knew what he wanted.

"Say it, Emma. Please." His voice was a husky whisper as he continued his slow, torturous rolling of his hips, and the pleasure was building, building...

"I love you, Killian. Now and for always. I love you."

His face broke into that devilish grin that never failed to make her heart skip a beat.

"Now that's better," he said, pulling her down on him hard as he sped up, sending her over the edge, splintering into a thousand pulsing pieces, riding out her pleasure until she collapsed on him, sated and safe in his arms.

They lay there for a long, long time, unmoving, with Emma's hand lightly tracing patterns on his chest and his hand at the small of her back, stroking slowly back and forth. Emma's voice broke the silence.

"It's just such a big step," she said.

"It is a big step," he agreed, kissing the top of her head.

"Like jumping off a cliff."

He tilted his head down so he could look at her, and she stared up at him, still a little dazed but not uncertain anymore.

"Well, then," he said, twining a lock of her hair around his fingers. "It's a good thing we've got someone who can poof us to the bottom."

And his kiss cut off her laughter, as they rolled across the bed once more.