Killian stared at the retreating forms of their visitors from Arendelle. His mind swarmed with thoughts of Emma, how she must be feeling if she had decided to lie to him, her parents, and Henry. From the first day they had met, Killian had known that Emma was a lost girl, an orphan that had walls as high as that beanstalk they had climbed. He had called her an open book on that beanstalk and meant it—but now, after meeting the younger, more open version of Emma, he realized that he had only read a few pages of that book.

His thoughts were interrupted by the familiar click of heels on the sidewalk.

"Your Majesty." he said with a tip of his head, never quite able to rid himself of the protocol and manners he'd been instilled with as a young officer.

"Hook," she acknowledged, giving his long coat and leather pants a once over before glancing around the outdoor patio. "Where's the rest of the Charming clan? Henry texted and said Emma had disappeared, but now she's back?"

He smiled, because now he could laugh at the panic and confusion of the last hour.

"Yes. The young Swan was able to reverse the spell, with some help from Elsa. They returned to the place where they were originally changed, which caused some panic but we found them."

"Well, that is the family motto." Regina let out a huff and Killian wondered if the Queen was miffed that she hadn't been invited to oversee the attempt at magic.

"They're inside recounting the escapade to Emma, if you care to join."

Regina looked at the door, no doubt considering the pros and cons of having to listen to those stories.

"If it helps, Emma has no memory of the last two days."

"Really?" Her eyes narrowed.

"Aye. The last thing she and Elsa remember is defeating the Snow Queen."

"Well, that's convenient." Regina looked to the door. "Are you coming?"

Killian realized that he didn't want to rejoin the festivities, especially if he might somehow tip Regina off to Emma's lying. He gave a short shake of his head.

"I'll be along in a minute."

"Suit yourself." Regina shrugged one shoulder and strode away. He waited until the door had closed on her and, with a sigh, turned to the outdoor tables.

He made himself comfortable in his usual seat by the fence and pulled out his flask to sip at his rum as he thought. He watched as more people arrived at Granny's, no doubt informed by Leroy of Emma's return. They all seemed excited to finally celebrate defeating the latest villain. They exuded the good cheer of the victorious, and Killian found himself smiling as he watched them arriving and eventually spilling out onto the patio with him. Young children raced through the chairs and somewhere behind him he heard the sound of wooden practice swords and laughter. Through the windows, he caught sight of Emma and her family laughing.

His took a sip of rum and his chair was suddenly rocked by a collision. He turned to see a curly brown mop of hair and his stomach turned; it was the Locksely boy, the one that he'd injured.

"Sorry!" The lad squeaked before ducking under the table to retrieve something. He came back up, almost knocking his head on the table edge and forcing Killian to lift it to avoid a collision.

"Steady, lad!" The boy grinned up at him, no trace of fear or recrimination.

"Thank you!" He cried, looking at the lifted table.

Killian nodded. "Keep a handle on your blade, young squire. It's dangerous to be caught without a weapon."

The boy lifted his sword with a grin. "I will," he answered before running off to continue his play. Killian watched him with a small grin.

"You're good with kids."

Killian turned in his seat in surprise to see Emma standing before him, her head cocked and her arms wrapped around her body as though she were cold. He felt his face grow hot at the compliment. He glanced back at the boys quickly before pushing himself up from the chair with a practiced smirk.

"Yes, love, my charms extend beyond women." He stepped forward, his hand on his belt and his eyebrows dancing. She rolled her eyes. "It's true. Just ask your father, he is quite taken with me these days." She snorted with laughter and he grinned wider. He had missed her so much. But her smile disappeared quickly and despite their proximity, her eyes didn't quite meet his.

"Swan?" His smile dropped and he pinched his eyebrows in worry.

She glanced around the patio. "Can we…uh, talk?"

"Of course, love." He quickly considered their options for a private conversation. "Walk with me?"

She gave a small nod and for a moment, the strong, independent woman disappeared and he saw the vulnerable little girl he had comforted on the floor of her bedroom. He offered his hand and after a pause so brief he thought he imagined it, she took it with both of hers.

He gave her a soft smile as they struck off in the direction of the docks. They walked in silence, Killian waiting for her to say whatever was on her mind, content to have her hand warm in his and their shoulders bumping occasionally as they strolled.

"You walk differently in your pirate clothes," she murmured.

He chuckled, not sure where the conversation was going. "The coat is quite heavy. Perhaps it changes my balance."

"No. That's not it," she shook her head but didn't elaborate. They walked on and reached the empty docks before she spoke again.

"Leroy told me you stole his boat this morning."

Killian cursed inwardly at the gossipy dwarf. Emma did not approve of his appropriating boats without asking.

"I merely borrowed it."

"Killian." She pulled him up short and dropped his hand. He turned to face her accusing gaze.

"If I had stolen his dinghy, it would not be safely docked." He gestured toward the boat in question, bobbing on its mooring. "I would be long gone with my prize."

"Was that your plan?" Her voice cracked slightly.

He frowned. "Pardon?"

She gestured to his clothes. "Were you planning on stealing the boat and..and leaving Storybrooke? Leaving all of us behind?" She didn't say "me," but he heard it anyway. The lost girl was always so quick to assume she would be abandoned.

He thought of Henry asking him the same question that morning, when he had thought he would never see Emma again. He took a deep breath and closed the distance she had opened up between them.

"I will admit that without you, a life in Storybrooke was less than appealing. But I never had serious intentions of leaving you. Even if you had remained a child, my place is here, next to you. And besides, I knew you would want me to teach Henry the fine art of pirating."

She gave him a small smile at that and he felt his heart clench. Gods, he had missed her; all her smiles, all her frowns, all of her. He stepped closer and grasped her hand.

She looked down at their entwined fingers. "So the clothes were just for the benefit of younger me? To impress me with your pirate costume?" She gave him a cautious raised eyebrow.

Usually, this was where he would quip or tease her, but he found that he wanted to tell her the true reason. He had developed the habit of being open, honest and without bravado with younger Emma and he didn't want to stop. He was addicted to this new intimacy.

"When I discovered you might remain a young girl, I felt adrift. I needed something familiar, like my clothes and the feel of the ocean beneath my feet. That's why I changed and why I borrowed the boat."

She smiled at him and laid her hand to his cheek, caressing his small scar. Without saying a word, he knew she understood. He grinned, suddenly cheeky.

"Were you truly worried that I would leave? Your lack of faith wounds me!"

She quirked her mouth. "Well, you did yell at me and leave quite dramatically."

Killian suppressed his grin. In the moment she had forgotten that she wasn't supposed to remember that incident.

"Aye, love, but you accepted my apology."

"Only because I was so happy you were back." She scoffed, landing a light slap on his arm. He let the grin explode on his face as he leaned closer.

"What?" She asked breathlessly, her eyes darting to his lips.

"You remember," he murmured so low that it took her a full minute to register his words. By then, his mouth was hot against hers. She leaned away with wide eyes.

"You know?"

"Open book, remember?" And before she could answer he dipped back down to capture her lips once more. He could sense the moment she decided to stop thinking about the consequences of his knowledge and abandon herself to the kiss. She surged against him and they stumbled back into the railing. He grinned into her mouth, joy at having her in his arms bubbling out between them. She grinned back, and the kiss slowed and stopped as they rested their foreheads and breathed, grinning like fools.

She ran her hand through his hair.

"I'm your lost princess," she whispered.

He brought his thumb to stroke the dent on her chin. "Oh. Aye," he breathed, knowing that what she was really asking was if he loved her.

She kissed him again, gentle and sweet her own way of expressing the words she couldn't quite yet say. She sagged into him as he leaned on the railing. Her hand trailed over his chest and down to the charms on his necklace.

"It's so strange. I remember these being huge and sitting in your lap as you told me about them." She stroked his dagger charm thoughtfully. He placed his hand over hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I imagine it is all very overwhelming."

She nods. "Yeah." She rubbed at his charm and he waited for her to say more. He ran his hand in a gentle circle on her back, hoping that she would want to share the burden of her thoughts. After a few moments, she tipped her head up to meet his eyes. Her own were shining with unshed tears.

"Are you going to tell my parents?"

"Of course not, love."

"But you think I should tell them."

He shook his head. "Swan, I think you should do whatever you feel comfortable with. The younger version of you did and said things that you no doubt wish could be undone, but I think your parents would appreciate knowing that they had given you some happy childhood memories."

She glanced away and he felt her tense up.

"Emma?"

"I just think my parents would rather not talk about it."

He stared at her and she shifted away, her eyes still not meeting his.

She shrugged. "I mean, I know what it's like to realize the kid you gave up had a rotten childhood because you weren't there. I'm sure they feel guilty about how screwed up I was. I mean they were pretty eager to get rid of younger me."

Killian let out a bark of laughter.

"What?"

"Emma. Your parents were delighted to get a glimpse of you as a child. They treasured the time they got to spend with you."

She arched her eyebrows, her eyes skeptical. He sighed and led her to a nearby bench. Once seated, he explained to her the complications of what had happened to her, how her parents had decided to play it safe and raise her with no memory of her former life. How the next morning, they had changed their mind, despite the risks involved, because they knew it was what Emma would have wanted.

"They didn't give up the younger version of you because they didn't want you. They love you and want you to be happy, Swan."

She stared down at their clasped hands. "Thank you for telling me, Killian." She breathed before looking up and giving him a gentle smile. "Maybe later, after I've had some time, I'll tell them that I remember."

He grinned back. "Well, don't wait too long. Your parents are not quite as perceptive as I am." Her smile grew. "But Elsa is a terrible liar, and I can't imagine Anna will be any better."

Emma laughed, then, and the sound warmed his soul. She stood and pulled him up beside her. "Come on, pirate. Before Dad sends Leroy out to find us."

She leaned into him as they walked. "You know, I did learn a lot of new things about you while I was a child," she teased.

"Such as?"

"You've met the Tooth Fairy."

"Aye."

"You have quite the commanding voice."

"Well, I was a ship's Captain for a few centuries."

"You can sing. Really sing."

He chuckled. "A fact I was not trying to hide, I assure you."

"You told me about your brother." Her voice grew soft as her finger fiddled with Liam's ring on his hand.

His throat was suddenly too tight to respond, so he kissed the side of her forehead and drew her closer. They walked in silence for a few steps.

When he could trust his voice, he spoke. "I learned quite a bit about you too, love."

"Really?"

"You love the Peter Pan story. And you were more interested in being a pirate than a princess." She chuckled. "You are a natural at magic, sword fighting, and archery." They were almost to Granny's, so he pulled her to a stop and turned to face her. "Your first instinct is always to help others. To help Elsa when she was scared, to help me find my princess." She blushed. "And no matter what age you are, you find me irresistible." He bit his lower lip and was rewarded with a flick of her eyes to his mouth.

She caught herself and rolled her eyes. "Please."

"Oh. And," he brushed his hand just below her ribcage and she squirmed away, "You are ticklish."

She swatted his hand. He smirked at her and it only took a moment before she was kissing it off of him. Her own hand ghosted to his waist and he flinched away, pulling back from the kiss to see her grinning triumphantly.

"That knowledge goes both ways, buddy."

He grinned back. This playful Emma was something he had only caught glimpses of before. He wondered if she felt the shift in their relationship; how much easier it was to be open, free spirited. But he didn't ask, just basked in the warmth of her smile as they walked the remaining steps to Granny's.

They were greeted with a loud cheer when they entered the crowded diner. After exchanging words with a dozen or so people, they settled into the booth with her parents and Henry. Snow gave him a knowing smile while David shot him a glare and Henry grinned.

But Killian just smiled broadly at all of them; too happy to have his Swan back to care what conversation they had interrupted.

"Well, what did we miss?" Emma asked suspiciously as her hand found his under the table.

"Oh nothing." Snow started.

"Grandpa was wondering if you two were getting engaged." Henry piped up with a sly grin. It was a harmless jest but Killian felt his face flush red and he released Emma's hand to scratch behind his ear.

"That is not what I said!" David stuttered, red in the face for a different reason. "I was just saying that it was a good thing Emma DIDN'T remember, since you promised Hook you were going to marry him when you grew up."

Henry giggled and even Snow had a small smirk. Killian glanced at Emma. Her cheeks were tinged pink and she refused to meet his eyes. When young Emma had insisted that they would marry someday he had laughed and enjoyed David's annoyance but now the idea felt weighted with new meaning. He could tell Emma felt it too, and while that intrigued him, this was not the time or place to discuss it. He determined to diffuse the situation and fixed a smirk upon his face, turning on the charm.

"It's true, Swan. You were quite insistent. But lest you think I would take advantage. I refused on the grounds that you were too young for me." He bumped her shoulder playfully.

She snorted. "I AM too young for you. There is like a two century age gap!"

The tension relaxed as David slipped into a smile and Snow and Henry chuckled. Killian waved his hand and sent a wink towards Henry as he reached into his back pocket.

"A technicality. And besides you are quite grown up, now." He leaned into her "So what do you say lass? How about we indulge in some more adult activities?" He waggled his eyebrows on the last two words.

Before anyone could manage more than a gasp at his innuendo, he brandished his flask and offered it to her with a wink. The table erupted in laughter as Emma took a drink of his rum. She returned it with a grateful smile and the conversation turned to other topics, the subject of marriage firmly dropped.

Yet Killian couldn't so easily drop the idea in his mind. He had decided a long time ago that being with Emma, in whatever way she needed him, was enough for him. He had hoped she could come to love him and someday let him through her walls but a commitment like marriage had seemed a dream. But now, with their strange new level of intimacy, and her own reaction to the idea he couldn't help but feel alive with the possibility.

David had wandered to the counter with Happy while Henry and Emma were engaged in a serious conversation about "poofing" vs "teleporting" when Snow stood with baby Neal and interrupted Killian's thoughts.

"Killian. Will you take him? I need to run to the bathroom." She didn't wait for his response before leaning forward and placing the squirming prince into his arms.

"Never too early to practice." she whispered before patting his shoulder and disappearing into the crowd. Killian chuckled. David may not like the idea of Emma getting married to her pirate but Snow clearly disagreed.

"What did she say?" Emma asked suspiciously even as her eyes softened at the sight of Killian holding her brother.

He smirked. "I'll tell you when you're older."

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"Yesterday is but today's memory, and tomorrow is today's dream." -Khalil Gibran

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Authors Note: A HUGE thanks to every single person who sent me a note or review on this story. Follows and favorites are fantastic but hearing from you really made my day and kept me inspired for what ended up being a really long story! As always a big hug to my beta Vena Grey!

There is an epilogue coming but this is essentially THE END! Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed the conclusion!