A/N – And here's the last chapter! Thank you all so much for the support, and I'm so glad that you've enjoyed it :)

For disclaimer see chapter one.

"Penny?"

Cracking her eyes open, Penelope found a very excitable five year old perched on the side of her bed. As soon as she'd found out Jack was staying with her she'd made him a bed on the floor of her tiny room, and regretted it every morning since. He was a ball of energy that seemed to have no concept of night and day. It had been a tiresome few days.

"Good morning, young man," she groaned, "Is it even light outside yet?"

"Yes silly," Jack giggled, clambering further onto the bed, "It's time for breakfast."

Breakfast had become a rather companionable affair since the others had left, with Penelope invited to join her young charge, Spencer and King Jason for the meal. Her master seemed quite taken with Jack, and after the breakfast things had been taken away she had become accustomed to leaving the boy with the king for a few hours. This morning was no different.

"Can we play chess?" Jack asked. His version of 'playing chess' involved watching the two men and being allowed to move the pieces for one of them, with no idea that he was being subliminally taught the rules of the game. It was the same way that Jason had taught his daughters to play when they were small.

"Of course we can," Jason smiled, "Hop up."

And that is how, an hour later, the returning victorious party entered the great hall to find Jack curled in King Jason's lap, moving whichever piece the man pointed to. Spencer, sat facing the door, jumped to his feet when he saw them, knocking the board flying.

"Daddy!" Jack cried, scrambling down and barrelling towards his father. Emily caught him before he could crash into Aaron.

"Be careful, baby. Daddy is a bit sore."

Jack nodded gravely and slowly wrapped his arms around his father's leg. Aaron reached down and stroked the boy's hair, his slightly pained smile easing in the presence of his son. They helped him to one of the abandoned chairs and Emily lifted Jack onto Aaron's lap where he hid his head in his father's chest and refused to move.

Across the room Jason had hurried to Jennifer's side, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.

"Thank goodness. Thank goodness," he chanted, taking her hands in his and pulling her close to him, "Thank goodness you're safe."

As the rest of the group piled into the room, there was a scream from the empty doorway and a whirlwind threw itself at Prince Derek, pushing him into the wall. The whirlwind, also known as Penelope, peppered his face with punctuated kissed.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she babbled.

Prince Derek grinned, and let her burn herself out before he shrugged as best he could in her iron grip, "You're welcome sweetheart."

"Father, Erin Blackheart had been defeated. We shall never have to worry about her again," Emily said, "You can rule in peace."

Slightly overwhelmed, Jason sank back into the other chair and shook his head. Spencer perched on the table besides him.

"I'd like to stay and help you," the doctor said, "If you'll have me. I have a lot of ideas and now that Erin is out of the way I –"

Jason stopped the flow with his hands held weakly in front of him, "Spencer, you'd be very welcome. You don't need to explain yourself to me."

"And I have something else to tell you," Emily added, resting one hand on Aaron's shoulder and stroking his hair with the other, and waiting for Jason to notice. As the truth sank in, a slow smile spread over the king's face, and when he saw Jennifer reach for David's hand, he smiled even more.

"Oh," he said faintly.

-ONCEUPONATIME-

Very early the next morning, Emily awoke to find her sister was already out of her bed, and she rushed to the window to look into the garden. Jennifer's hair was just visible as she walked the furthest path from the castle, joined firmly at the hand with King David. To Emily's surprise, Penelope and Prince Derek seemed to be with them, Penelope's arm threaded through Derek's. With a deep chuckle, Emily moved away from the window and let herself quietly out of the door.

As she hurried past the library she heard the unmistakeable sound of a child laughing and slipped through the door. Aaron and Jack were curled in one of the largest chairs and Spencer was stood before them, manipulating a silver coin so it appeared that it was coming from behind Jack's ear.

"How did it get there, Daddy?" he squealed.

"Magic," Aaron grinned.

"Good morning," Emily said, running her hand subtly across Aaron's shoulders and into his hair, "What's going on here?"

"Spencer's doing magic!" Jack cried, "Look."

"Shall we see if the princess has one behind her ear as well?" Spencer smiled mischievously, reaching for Emily's hair and brushing it out of the way, "Oh wow. Look!"

He opened his hand to reveal a different coin, offering it to Jack to inspect. While the boy was occupied Emily dropped a kiss on the top of Aaron's head.

"What's all this noise in my library?" grumbled a voice from the door, and King Jason strode in looking younger and less put upon than he had for a long time.

"Spencer's magic!" Jack jumped up and showed the coins to Jason.

"Magic? We better not tell Madam Greentree. She'll be annoyed if she thinks there's someone poaching on her turf."

"I won't tell," Jack whispered, "She might turn Spencer into a rabbit like she did to the bad man."

"You told him?" Emily raised an eyebrow, looking down at Aaron who shrugged.

"Only the interesting parts."

"I want to be a knight when I grow up!" Jack jumped up and down, "Can I be a knight?"

"I think you can be whatever you want to be," Aaron said, scooping him up, "And I have a question for you. How would you like the princess to be your new mom?"

"Really?" Jack gasped, his eyes wide, "Does that mean Jason would be my new grandpa?"

"I guess it does," Aaron nodded, "Is that alright?"

"YES!"

"Well then," Jason reached out and pulled Emily close to his side, "It seems that this hare-brained scheme has worked out rather better than I hoped it would."

And after that day, they all lived happily after; Jason ruled over a peaceful and prosperous kingdom, with Spencer by his side as his special advisor and his best friend. Jennifer married King David and went with him to the mountain lands of the north, where she was accepted by his citizens with open arms. Prince Derek took Penelope back to the desert lands with him, where his mother decided that she wholeheartedly approved of the match and Penelope the servant girl from the north became the darling of the people. Emily married Aaron and they split their time, with Jack, between King Max's kingdom and Jason's castle until Aaron retired and they moved to be with Jason permanently.

Yes, as is the nature of these stories, they lived happily after…well, almost.

But that's another story, for another day.

A/N 2 – Pssst…me again ;) I just want to take a straw poll here – would people be interested in some shorter sequels/one shots set in this universe? Now I've set it up I don't really want to leave it alone…