A/N: Hey everyone! So today seemed a fitting day to show all these characters I love getting happily ever afters. This epilogue picks up ten years after the last chapter and focuses on a new tradition in the Jones household – a party at their house on the last day of school each year. It's a little window into their lives years later and it includes their many friends, kid cuteness, and an excess of CS fluff to round things out. Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoy!

10 Years Later

From the moment the last bell rang, signaling the end of the day at Storybrooke Elementary School, Emma had been smiling. It was hard not to despite the bittersweet feeling of saying goodbye to all her students again. Another year, another batch of growing kids going off into the world that Emma would no doubt miss.

However now Emma's life held four little ones of her own who were never leaving and whose presence was a perfect kind of constant. Hope, Hunter, Leia, and Ryder were the most important people in Emma's world (along with their father) and they were also the best remedy to any heartache.

Her children's presence and Emma's calls back home always eased the slight melancholy of bidding goodbye to a school year, and any of the sadness she did feel was gone as three of them raced to her classroom at the end of the day. Hope, Hunter, and Leia arrived in her doorway so quickly Emma almost wondered if they'd left their own classes prior to official dismissal. She wouldn't exactly be surprised knowing how excited all of her kids were for their summer vacation.

"Are you ready Mom?" Emma's eldest son Hunter asked, clearly impatient to get going. He was a second grader, but in many ways Hunter was eight going on thirty. He was a mini-Killian too, right down to the dark hair and blue eyes, but it was his steadfast determination and his want to get things perfect that played off most like his father.

His older sister Hope in comparison didn't care for perfection at all. She was all authenticity all the time and Emma had to be proud of her girl for loving herself enough to live that way. Only a truly secure feeling of belonging could create such a fearless kid, and it did Emma's heart good to know that Killian and she had provided that. Hope was also an ideal older sister, loyal to the highest degree, and protective just like her Dad.

Which left Leia, little, fairytale loving Leia who spent most of her days telling stories and dreaming up worlds necessitating the most profound imagination. She was creative and happy and friends to anyone who would let her try. She got into a little bit of trouble with Hope, always trying to prove she was just as brave, but she also took after Hunter, trying to always be at her very best and to do things the 'right way' the first time.

Despite their differences though, all of Emma's children were currently sporting the same expectant face. Their eyes were lit with excitement and the slightly upticked smiles all screamed of Killian's being their father. She saw herself in every child too, but mostly Emma saw them as individuals all worthy of her support and unconditional love.

"Almost, just one last thing."

"The wishes," all three kids supplied the words and she smiled, nodding to them.

"That's right. Want to help me?"

Emma barely got the whole question out of her mouth before they were crossing into her classroom and helping her collect the pieces of paper. They handled them carefully, all of them respecting the power of each wish, no matter how small. When they were all collected Emma looked back around the room. She'd have a few hours in the coming days to gather the rest of her things and organize a bit more, but for today this was good.

"Now can we go, Mommy?" Leia asked and Emma laughed.

"Now we can go."

The four of them moved through the rest of the school, weaving through the remaining people. The building had largely cleared out thanks to everyone's desire for summer break, and now Hunter especially was eager to get the show on the road too. Emma couldn't really blame him – no kid ever wanted to be late for a party after all and that was exactly where they were heading, to the Jones family annual 'Start of Summer' bash.

"We've got to hurry or we're going to be late."

"Dad's home. He can man the ship until we get there." Emma smiled at Hope's faith in her father. Her eldest daughter was not easily rushed for anything. Hope did things in her time and in her way even if there was a party on the horizon.

"But if we get there too late Uncle Liam will eat all the ice cream cake!"

All of the kids gasped at little Leia's statement and Emma bit back another smile. Liam had a love of messing with their kids and threatening to eat all the cake was a mild demonstration of that. He was beloved despite his antics though, because in the end he cared about his nieces and nephews and only wanted the best for them despite the bit of ribbing he granted himself along the way.

"Well I guess that's our cue to get moving then, isn't it?" The kids all nodded and they picked up the pace as they walked out the front door and into the sunny afternoon.

Days like this, with the sun and light breeze of the nearby coast, Emma loved living close to school. There was no reason to drive in such mild weather and the added time of the walk gave her time to listen to her kids about their last days of school and their hopes for the summer even if they were eager to get home.

"Jessie said she's going to sleep all day tomorrow and I think I will too." Hunter scrunched up his nose at Hope's comment, clearly unimpressed in his sister's desires.

"Vacation isn't for sleeping. I'm going digging for worms to go fishing with Ian and Jacob. That'll be way better than sleeping."

"Speak for yourself." Hope and Hunter were clearly at an impasse, but Leia ignored it all, rattling off what the whole family could do together.

"We're going to go to The Pier, and the park, and the zoo, and the beach, and to the ice cream shop and -," Emma smiled as she listened to Leia's ever lengthening list of summer activities. Her daughter was young but she was already well versed in the plusses of summer vacation. Summer was always a big deal in their family and Killian especially made no attempts to hide that it was his favorite season.

"It's all about access, Swan. I have you and the kids with me at all hours of the day. What more could a man want?"

Killian had expressed that sentiment more times over the past ten years than she could count but Emma definitely agreed with him. There was a certain kind of magic that came with being home and getting to partake in all these meaningful memories with her husband and their kids. Sure there were also moments when she was close to actually pulling her hair out, but that was just a part of the ride, and she would never resent any stress that came, not when their lives were this good.

Emma listened as the kids added more things to the list of what they wanted to do like sailing and horseback riding and going back to camp. That last part especially made Emma smile. The camp they were discussing was one that Emma and Killian had managed to create six years back. It worked through the foundation and for a few weeks each summer kids in the system from across the region came to Storybrooke for an immersion program. They then were intermingled with the children from Storybrooke and while there all of them were given an incredible chance – to just be a kid and partake in experiences that granted them new friends they could carry with them thereafter.

Killian spent a majority of his time working from home or in the foundation's offices as the Captain of sorts. Emma was still very involved, but the hard work and the labor that was required to get her ideas to fruition was all sponsored by Killian, allowing Emma her promised chance to still teach and still make a difference for those kids.

"What do you think Dad did for the party this year?" Hope's words sparked a whole new round of discussion for the kids even as it cut through Emma's musings.

"Dinosaurs!" Hunter said excitedly, reminding Emma of his fascination with the long gone, gigantic beasts. It had been two years and there was no sign this phase was ending any time soon.

"A tea party!" Leia replied with an equally chipper tone. It definitely would not be a tea party, but that wasn't a real problem. Leia managed to get her parents and at least one of her siblings to a tea party roughly once a week so she'd be fine without one today.

"I bet its Star Wars. He and Uncle David love Star Wars." Emma laughed at that and all of her three kids immediately shifted their attention to her.

"Mom, do you know what Dad's got planned?" Emma shook her head.

"Nope, you know the rules." Hunter sighed dramatically before saying it aloud.

"All end of school parties are top secret." Emma ran her hand along her son's shoulder.

"Mhmm. But hey, look at the bright side, we're almost home and then you'll know."

The kids all seemed to realize in that moment just how close to the house they were and without so much as a word they took off sprinting down the rest of the street, leaving Emma laughing harder as she watched them go, making her way in her own time. By the time she'd arrived, they were all in a clear state of ecstasy because the theme was one near and dear to all of their hearts: pirates.

"Argh, matey! I'll make you walk the plank! Now, tell me what you know and I might let you live." Hope held a plastic sword up at Hunter who was wearing an eye patch and a plastic hook.

"Never! I'll take it to me watery grave before I give away the secret!" The two of them dueled with more coordination than the average kid, no doubt thanks to the countless pirate movies they always wanted to watch.

"Mommy I get to be a mermaid!"

Leia's voice sounded out from the porch where she was being attended to by a doting Killian and Emma smiled, walking through the gate and making her way up to them. When she did, Ryder came tumbling towards her in that two-year-old way and she immediately scooped him up and dropped a kiss on her son's forehead.

"I see that. You know mermaids have been known to give pirates a little bit of trouble now and then." Hope looked terrified at the prospect.

"No Mommy, mermaids are helpers. They sing, and they swim, and then they brush their hair in the sun like this." Emma smiled as Hope tried to run her hand through her curls, leaving them a bit of a mess in the process.

"Sounds like fun." Leia acknowledged that it was fun before hugging her father.

"Thanks Daddy!" Killian smiled at the words and dropped a kiss to the crown of Leia's head.

"You're very welcome, lass. Now go on and see what's still in back." Leia immediately did with Hope and Hunter fast on her heels. Emma and Killian meanwhile moved at a more leisurely pace immediately taking each other's hands as they did.

"And here I was thinking that nothing could top last year's superhero extravaganza." Killian chuckled as he led her to the back, which was completely transformed into a child's pirate paradise.

"So what do you think?" He asked Emma the question as if it weren't obvious.

"Wow." Killian grinned at her assessment.

"Does it pass muster then, love?" Emma smiled at him before kissing her husband lightly in a barely lingering display. This was the most they could get away with in front of the kids, but it was enough to tell him just how pleased she was with all his effort.

"It definitely does, but how did you manage all of this?" Killian nodded to Ryder who was currently leaning against Emma's shoulder in that docile way of his.

"I had an impeccable first mate with me today." Emma smiled at the hyperbolic compliment.

"Is that right? Let me guess, he went down for a full two and half hours today."

"Right you are, love. Rather remarkable how much one can get done with that kind of time."

"Oh I don't think this is something just anyone can whip up. This takes some super-Dad abilities for sure." Killian scratched behind his ear looking a little sheepish at her compliment and Emma smiled wider. All this time later Killian still had moments where he got overwhelmed by the truth of how much she appreciated him and it was cute and charming.

"I just wanted to see them happy." Emma looked over to the bouncy house where her three eldest kids were happily bounding around.

"Well it looks like you got your wish." Killian's thumb ran across her hand as he held it.

"And you, love?"

"Happy is a given state when you're around." Killian smiled wider and pulled her into his chest but their eyes moved from each other back to their kids who were squealing and laughing and having all together too much fun.

That state of exclusivity just for their family didn't last long though, and pretty soon everyone was arriving. All of their friends and family and their children in turn made their way here for this party, and there was no one in the group who wasn't seriously impressed with the display.

Killian had left no stone unturned in his imaginings for this gathering. They had everything from the bounce house to a slip and slide to a scavenger hunt that ended at the kid's tree house just a ways away. Emma knew as the afternoon went on that he'd been modest before. This kind of event couldn't come together in a matter of hours. No, her husband had worked long and hard on this, and she was so grateful for it, as was everyone else.

"I can't believe you guys did all of this," Elsa proclaimed a few hours later when everyone was finally sitting down to a dinner on the picnic tables Killian set up a little beyond the house and Emma shook her head.

"Don't look at me. This was all Killian." Liam took the opportunity to deliver a playful punch to Killian's arm.

"Jeez, what did I do to deserve that?" Killian's voice was stern, but it was for show. He wasn't mad at Liam in any way. This was just brothers being brothers.

"You made the rest of us look bad." Killian shrugged.

"There's nothing saying you can't throw one of these yourself."

"What themes are possible left at this point? You've gone and used them all up over the years. No, I'll stick to hosting poker night thank you and leave it at that." The mention of the card game prompted an unexpected response from Hope of all people.

"Hey Uncle Liam, can I come next time?"

"To poker night, lass?" Hope nodded.

"I know how to play. Uncle Will showed me last time we went to his house." Emma and Killian both immediately looked to Will who looked affronted.

"What?" Killian looked between Hope and Will before replying.

"You couldn't think of anything else to entertain her with other than gambling?"

"We only used M&M's, mate. She's not lost the family fortune by my hand. Besides, I was sick of always losing so I needed the practice." Emma shook her head still trying to wrap her head around this even as she smiled.

"Did she help at least?"

"Absolutely not. She's a natural and took me for every last piece of candy I had to my name." Killian grinned at that and patted Hope on the shoulder.

"Well done, love." Hope beamed at Killian, clearly thrilled at her father's approval.

"So can I come?" Liam was looking for a kind way to let Hope down easy. These were nights for all of the dads without their wives or kids. To change that would be losing that element of 'male bonding' guys needed.

"Why limit yourself to a silly poker night? If you're really so talented we should take you on the road. Atlantic City, Reno, Vegas..." Ruby trailed off her attempt to steer Hope away from the gathering but it backfired unexpectedly in the form of a suddenly very curious and determined Leia.

"Hope's going to the magic place? I want to go to the magic place!" Emma's brow furrowed at Leia's words. "Uncle Liam said that is Mommy and Daddy's magic place."

"He said what?!" Emma and Killian asked at the same time and a hush fell over all the adults and Liam looked near passing out as he started stuttering incoherently. Leia meanwhile kept talking.

"Well Auntie Elsa and Uncle Liam's magic place is the beach. They saw each other and it was love at first sight. They told Ari that their fairytale started there. So I asked where my Mommy and Daddy's was and Uncle Liam said Ve…. Ve…"

"Vegas," Hunter supplied without much emotion or interest and Leia nodded pointing her finger at her brother.

"Right, Vegas. Then Auntie Elsa got real mad and her face turned all red and when I asked Uncle Liam about it he had to whisper but he told me it's a place with lots of magic and sparkles and pretty dresses where people get married. Most of them are by accident he said, but you and Daddy did it on purpose so you were special and you got extra magic to bring here to us."

Emma sat there flabbergasted at the words coming from her daughter's mouth. It wasn't that they were actively hiding their story from the kids, but hell it certainly wasn't Liam's place to share these details, especially ones that were less than correct. Now Leia actually thought Vegas had some kind of supernatural powers, and if there was anything her daughter loved it was a good fairytale.

Emma tried to figure out a way to respond to this but she simply told Leia that even if they met in that place it was Storybrooke that had all the magic. That seemed to be the end of it, leaving Leia and the others happy at the prospect of living in an enchanted place. Still, even with the crisis averted, Emma was frustrated. Who did Liam think he was bringing up Vegas?

Before Emma could ask, Killian started chuckling beside her and she looked his way. He in turn nodded his head towards Elsa and Liam, and there, even now, was a very angry looking Elsa and a slightly fearful Liam. To see the juxtaposition of this small, pale woman with icy blonde hair and now fiery blue eyes glaring at her hulking husband was a sight and it did soften some of the disappointment in Emma's chest.

"Don't get me wrong, love, I will fight my brother here and now if that's what you wish, but his foolishness seems like it will be dealt with in more painful ways. We both know how much Liam hates upsetting his wife."

Emma sighed and nodded allowing Killian to press a gentle kiss to her lips that got rid of every last piece of frustration before pulling back and promising he'd make his brother's failing up to her later in a heated whisper. With that Killian stood up from his spot and got the kids all moving again, and as if he'd sent out a silent beacon the other guys followed suit leaving Emma alone with her friends.

"Emma, I'm so sorry. Liam doesn't mean to be such an ass, he's just -," Emma waved her hand at Elsa and offered a small smile. Suddenly it didn't seem like such a big deal, not when she had Killian planning to reward her for her patience later.

"It's really fine, Elsa. Just maybe next time tell us when he goes on a story telling spree?"

Elsa immediately said she would, leaving the friends all quietly watching after their kids. The whole backyard was buzzing with their infectious enthusiasm for life. There wasn't a single child in the group without a smile on their face and at least one partner in crime and that was the magic of everyone's story: that all of this could happen and turn out so wonderfully all of these years later.

"They are on their way to life long friendships," Mary Margaret said, happy tears forming in her eyes.

Emma smiled. Her friend was always emotional, but it had only gotten worse since she'd had her kids. Not that Emma was completely heartless or devoid of feeling in this moment – she had to admit it was a beautiful thought that her kids would find their place to belong with the children of the friends who'd been her first family.

"Who knows, maybe some of them will grow to find more. Those teen years are coming up fast. Crushes, heartbreak, first loves…" Emma shook her head, stopping Elsa's train of thought in the process.

"Don't let Killian hear you saying that. If there's two things he can't stand talking about it's the kids growing up and potential love interests, especially for Hope. She mentioned one of her friends has a boyfriend a few weeks ago and I swear he was inconsolable even when I told him none of that is real at their age." As if Killian could sense Emma was talking about him he looked up and sent her a smile and had Ryder wave her way. Emma waved back feeling her heart swell in her chest as she did.

"Graham's the same way. He almost had a stroke when Amber wanted to put a poster on her wall of one of those teenybopper boy bands."

"Let me guess, you bought her three more just to mess with him?" Emma offered and Ruby smiled wickedly.

"It was only two, but yeah. He was pissed but I made it up to him." Ruby winked, not letting the innuendo play out on it's own.

"Of course you did."

"As long as the kids are happy, that's what matters most. The rest of it's just details." Belle said the wise words aloud and everyone nodded. She was right after all. That was what all of them were working towards – giving their kids the best lives they could.

"Speaking of details, we haven't gotten serious about the yearly girls trip and I was thinking Vegas…" Emma rolled her eyes as everyone laughed until Emma eventually joined in too. She had to admit it was a pretty funny joke considering that after so long it had come back into conversation again.

For a while longer the friends got to stay in their little collective, planning out their impending weekend away (which was definitely not in the city of sin) as their husbands watched the kids. Of course reality did return again, and eventually they were all called back into the fray of things before everyone departed for their homes. But at every point during the party Emma knew she was more than blessed. To have so many people in her life who mattered was a miracle, and to have a place like this to call home was just as fantastic.

"What's that look for, love?" Emma regarded her husband who'd found her thinking away as she gathered the last of the things from the backyard to bring inside and she smiled.

"I just love you." Killian's features softened at her heartfelt words.

"Well that's good news, love, since I'm in rather the same boat." Emma laughed at the cheesy response, disregarding the things she'd been tidying up and deciding to pull Killian in for a kiss instead. And when she finally pulled away, Emma headed back inside to the family that she'd wanted her whole life finally made real.

…

"Think they're finally out for good?"

Killian posed the whispered question to his lovely wife from their spot on the living room floor where all four of their children were currently breathing evenly and looking tuckered out from their long last day of school and first taste of summer freedom. It had been quite a day for them all, and a long one for Killian and Emma as well, but he wouldn't trade a second of it away for anything. The kids were content, his wife was happy, and that meant Killian was too.

The whole space surrounding the Jones family at the moment was completely transformed with the ground beneath them covered in pillows and blankets and more sheets hanging above them in a seemingly random, but secretly intricate design. It was a custom in the Jones house that big days came with similarly exciting nights, and for Emma and Killian's children, indoor forts were a must have. Luckily for all of them Emma had a knack for creating them and then a gentle touch when it came to clean up in the morning.

"I think we're good."

With Emma's assessment the two of them moved quietly and with the least amount of rustling that they could to extract themselves from the tent. Once upright again Killian found himself smiling and immediately pulling Emma to him. She stepped into his arms in the same natural way that she always did, fitting perfectly against him as she had every day for the past ten years.

"Would you be in favor of a bit more tradition, love?"

Emma smiled ruefully at Killian's inquiry and nodded, collecting one of the remaining fluffy blankets and setting up the monitor (that usually was just for little Ryder, but would work nicely for all the kids now congregated in the same room) as Killian moved to the kitchen to procure his own element for the more adult part of the evening. When he returned to Emma his wife raised a brow in silent question and he showed her the spoils of his search.

"Wouldn't be stargazing without a bit of rum."

Emma shook her head as she laughed and Killian took her hand in his, leading her out of the house and just to the side of the yard where the short trail to the meadow was. One moment the path was dark as was the rest of the world and the next it was illuminated with similar lights to the ones Liam had created all those years ago. They kept them up all year now, finding use for this place in every season.

This meadow was the home of their ice rink in the winter, and their best leaf piles for the kids every fall. Of course spring and summer were made for wild flowers and firefly catching, but at any time of year it could be used for looking up into the stars as they were doing tonight. Killian knew they'd be in for a perfectly clear sky and out here in the woods the light pollution would be low, allowing them to see it all.

"Who knew that weird tech thing you had me buy you for your birthday would be so handy?"

Killian chuckled at Emma's comment. She was impressed by the fact that he'd turned the lights on with his phone, and though she didn't understand any of the system she'd bought him, she was right. Now it was easier to steal a moment like this with the woman he loved despite the hectic nature of their lives.

"I think we made do before, Swan." Emma admitted they had as Killian traded her blanket for his flask and set the plush comforter out in the middle of the meadow, just in the right spot where the tree coverage gave way and they had a whole sea of stars to look at.

They were familiar by now with this view, but never in his life would Killian tire of it and he knew Emma felt the same way. Sometimes they brought the kids out here and the telescope he'd procured to teach them of the constellations, but more often than not this was an outing best saved for him and Emma.

Some nights they talked and others passed by in almost complete silence, but each trip out here healed any restlessness life might incite for both of them. Every time Killian left knowing that their existence was a small one in a universe much larger than they ever could be, but still this family was the most important thing in the world to him. When everything else was murky or confusing in his life, his love for Emma and their kids always shone through just like these countless stars, and any chance he got to hold Emma in his arms grounded him in that undeniable truth.

"I didn't get the chance to ask you how your day was. One minute you were back in my arms and the next there were a million things before us."

Emma looked over her shoulder back at him and Killian could see the tiny bit of remorse there. It was mostly gone and surely there was far less of it than there had been in past years on the last day of school, but his wife's devotion to her students would never fully go away. She still cared for each and every one of them.

"It was hard, but coming home made it better." Killian ran his hand up and down her arm in a gesture of comfort.

"I'm glad to hear it. Any good wishes this year?" Emma considered a moment before nodding.

"One student wished for a pizza the size of the moon. When I told him that would be an impossibly big wish he told me his mom always says to dream big."

"Let me guess, Charlie Mullins?" Emma laughed and Killian could feel all the remaining tightness in her stance expel as she did.

"Yeah."

"Always has been a literal one if memory serves. And hungry." Killian knew Charlie from their summer camp as well as Emma's class. He was a good boy and where all that food went Killian would never know he was tiny by every standard and still a world-class eater.

"His mom brought in snacks for the whole class today though, so it was all right." Killian chuckled, reaching for the flask and offering it to Emma. His wife accepted it but then a sly smile graced her lips.

"Do you ever think that we should try a new drink? Maybe whiskey or vodka? I hear brandy's not bad." Killian could hear the teasing in Emma's voice but he still feigned distress.

"You want to change our signature beverage, arguably the best drink of choice in the world, at this stage in the game? Are you mad?" Emma laughed at his dramatics.

"It was just a thought." Killian pulled her closer, feeling her warmth and the softness of her curves against him.

"That'll be my defense when I propose we leave cocoa by the wayside tomorrow morning." Emma gasped.

"You wouldn't!" Killian grinned, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"No love, I wouldn't dare. Even if I could deny you anything, you've a band of likeminded little ones running around the place all just as capable of swaying me to anything their hearts desire." Emma hummed out a delighted sound at that.

"What can I say? I taught them well. It's the extended family that's the problem." Killian smiled despite himself. He still found Liam's casting 'Vegas' as a magical place earlier to be mostly funny, and he knew deep down that Emma did too.

"I offered to duel my brother again, love. The offer still stands, though I will say time has made a stockier man so one punch won't put him down like it did last time." Emma laughed aloud at the bold claim.

"So you're saying defending me from libel isn't as easy as defending my character was all those years ago?"

Killian thought back to that moment with Liam. He'd landed a hard blow to his brother mostly thanks to surprise and a searing rage and there was none of that anger available now. To think how far they'd come from Liam insisting Emma was a gold digging nobody. Now Liam and Emma were very close, a true brother and sister even in moments of frustration and friction like they'd faced today.

"Technically everything he said was accurate. We did in fact get married in -," Killian didn't have the chance to get the words out as Emma's hand came to cover his mouth.

"I think we've given that city more attention than it deserves today." Killian smiled and then took Emma's hand and kissed it gently.

"As you wish, love. So what are we drinking to?" Emma eyed the flask considering his question and then she smiled.

"To one night." Killian smiled, knowing immediately that she was referring to the night they first met.

"Just the one?"

"To one night turning into a lifetime of so much more." His heart thumped loudly in his chest at that and Killian agreed, toasting the same thing before taking a sip of his own of the burning liquid. After they'd had what they wanted Emma snuggled back into him, leaving him feeling better than any libation ever could.

"So, we've a whole summer ahead of us. Nothing but time and togetherness." Emma laughed against him and Killian could feel the rumble from her chest emanating through him.

"We'll be together yes but where do you see this time coming from? Hope's got summer soccer, Hunter has it in his head that every morning is made solely for fishing at the crack of dawn, and Leia listed at least twenty things on the way home she's dying to do. And then there's Ryder who will be running behind all of them just trying to keep up."

Killian smiled at the image of their youngest tottering around after his siblings. Someday he'd be a graceful boy with the same lithe lines as his siblings, but for now he was still in that awkward, learning to move phase, which made for a fair bit of scrapes and many a spill on the ground. Ryder never complained though, he was adverse to pain and rarely cried which was a rarity in little ones.

"Here I was thinking last summer was testament enough to my craftiness, or have you forgotten all those moments I managed to steal for us then?" Emma shivered against him and her eyes looked up at him through thick lashes. Even in the muted light Killian could see a bit of pink visible on her cheeks.

"Hmm, my memories just a little hazy. We did go a whole year since then…" Killian felt himself growling out a reply that they most certainly did not wait a whole year for other such interludes. He'd been finding moments to sneak with Emma every day since their wedding and he'd be doing so every day for the rest of his life.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you're trying to get a rise out of me, Swan." Killian's words were low and they triggered a sultry smile from his wife.

"Is it working?" Killian flipped their positions so he was moving over her on the blanket, boxing her in against the ground.

"You tell me, love." Emma groaned at the feel of his hard length against her and nodded.

"Yup. Seems the mission was a success." Killian chuckled at Emma's strange way of putting it. She tended to get this way when she wanted him, her word choice veered into a slightly less collected territory, but he loved every bit of it just as much as he loved the subtle sigh she let out in the kiss.

When they were both heaving for breath, and had riled each other up to a point nearing no return, Killian pulled back, running his hand through her golden hair as it splayed out on the blanket and looking into her eyes. Emma was every bit as perfect now as she had been at their meeting. Time had done nothing to dull the ache he carried for her always and the love that every part of her sparked in his chest.

"Your choice, love. Either we finish this here or we spend the night back in bed where I can I ravish you fully." Emma grinned despite the clear hunger in her eyes.

"How about a little compromise? We'll start here and then go back to that bed idea of yours." Emma arched her hips up to him and Killian bit back a moan at the feel of her against him.

"Have I ever told you you're bloody brilliant, love?"

"Once or twice." Killian repeated the sentiment regarding her brilliance as well as her beauty and every good detail of his love as he made good on his promise, starting by giving them both their needed release out there under the stars before heading back home with his Swan tucked under his arm.

The kids remained fast asleep when they returned, and despite how picturesque they appeared sleeping there in the fort, both Killian and Emma knew it wasn't the best idea to have them out of bed all night. Instead they took shifts getting them all up to bed and when that was done and all of them were back in their state of slumber, Emma and Killian moved hand in hand back to their room

"You know I made a wish with my students today," Emma said as Killian locked the door behind them before running his hands along her body.

"Did you, love?" Emma nodded. "And what was it you wished for this time?"

"That this crazy, chaotic, perfect forever with you and the kids lasts a really, really long time." Killian smiled at that thought for it was his most ardent wish too. Truly nothing else could ever be better than this family together and happy.

"It will, Emma. I promise you it will."

They sealed that promise with a night filled with love in the best possible way, and in the end that promise rang true. Forever stayed a good long while with happiness always in attendance and through every up and every down Killian and Emma had each other to make the journey all the better.

Post-Note: Another story has reached its end and I can't believe it. This one especially has been so fun to write because it wasn't my idea in the first place and it was the first multi-chapter I ever developed on a prompt. I just want to thank that reader so much for sparking that idea, and to thank all of you for joining me on this journey. Married in Vegas AUs might be a dime a dozen, but they are nothing if not perfectly suited for fluff as I hope this story proves. Anyway thank you all for reading and I hope if you haven't already that you'll check out my other stories, which are equally matched in most every way. Thanks again!