Disclaimer: Reluctantly I have to admit that I don't own these characters. They are property of others far luckier than myself.

With morning sickness finally behind Emma, the Jones family set out on a summer cruise a few weeks before the start of Henry's new school term. They'd sailed all the way down the east coast and back up again, making their final stop before they returned to Storybrooke in New York City. Fallon was proving to be a big city girl as she soaked in the excitement and energy of the city from sun up to sun down for the few days they made port.

Henry had found an advertisement in the paper the day prior of a dog show in an auditorium near the harbor. He'd made the mistake of showing it to Fallon who pestered her parents relentlessly until they agreed to take her. In her mind, she was certain she could convince her parents that a pet would be a much better addition to their family than this baby they were trying to get her excited about.

"Why are we doing this?" Emma asked as they walked towards the auditorium on the last day of their vacation in New York City. Fallon was pulling on the hands of both her parents, "We don't have any pets, and quite frankly we don't have room for one now. We don't even have room for this newest addition."

"Which will be solved by the time you go into labor," Killian assured her as he caressed her slightly rounded belly before he went to purchase the tickets for the pet expo.

"Lots of talk, yet I haven't yet seen much action on that front," Emma replied as Fallon bounced up and down in excitement as she waited for her ticket to gain entrance. "Now remember, Fallon, we're just looking. We don't have any place for a pet onboard the Jolly Roger."

"Actually, Love, lots of sailors take dogs aboard their ships," Killian chimed in as he handed Fallon her ticket.

"I thought we talked about this," Emma muttered under her breath.

"We talked about the children not taking a pet home," Killian replied as ticket taker allowed them into the auditorium as each handed over their tickets, "You said nothing about dogs aboard the Jolly Roger."

Fallon was greeted by one dog after another all day. It was a long afternoon of pouty faces and an even longer string of no's.

"This is torture to a child Fallon's age," Emma noted as they had a bowl of ice cream as an attempt to cheer her daughter up just before they were to leave the expo and New York. Emma had wanted to leave while they were still pet-less and get ice cream on the way back to their ship, but Killian had insisted that ice cream would perk his little princess right up as she moped behind them.

"What if we..." Killian began.

"No," Emma quickly hushed him before he could voice his thought. Any hope that Fallon sensed would be seized upon, and so far Killian hadn't caved.

"But that last puppy..." Killian replied.

"That was a sheep dog," Emma's eyes narrowed, "Do you know how big that dog will get when it's full grown?"

"There's a lot of room to roam in Storybrooke," Killian reminded her as we wagged his brow.

"Oh, god," Emma groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose. They were about to become pet owners, and there wasn't anything she could do to stop it. "I knew this was going to happen. I knew if we came here we wouldn't leave until we took on a pet. Since you're the one to cave, you're the one that is taking care of the thing, and if it gets into my shoes there will be heck to pay."

"Come on, Fallon, let's get ourselves a puppy," Killian held out his hand to his princess, "Which one do you want?"

"The fluffy one," Fallon's eyes grew wide in excitement as she took his hand. Emma threw her ice cream in the nearest trashcan as they returned to the last vendor where Fallon had grown particularly attached to the puppy that had licked her face repeatedly. The sheep dog pup was mostly white except for the black ears and rear.

After doing the necessary paperwork, Killian was handed the leash of the newest member of their family. After several more stops along the way to procure the necessary supplies, they were making their way to Jolly Roger. Fallon skipped the entire way with a gigantic smile on her face, showing the puppy the way back to their ship.

As they prepared to set sail, the dog found himself a comfy spot at Emma's feet as he appeared to be right at home as the ship rocked back and forth in the open water while Henry steered a course back to Storybrooke. Fallon was using the puppy as a pillow to take her nap. It was the cutest thing Emma had ever seen as she snapped picture after picture.

"How long will you be mad at me, Love?" Killian inquired as he sat next to his bride after they were well out to sea.

"He is cute," Emma sighed, "And that smile on Fallon's face even as she sleeps is priceless."

"He needs a name," Killian nudged Emma gently.

"Max," Fallon popped up, startling the puppy with her sudden motion. The dog jumped into Emma's lap.

"I thought you were asleep, Princess," Killian tapped at her nose as he pulled her into his lap.

"Not tired," she replied as she pet the pooch's head.

"So you think he looks like a Max, huh," Emma smiled as she stroked the dog's back rhythmically.

"Yep, he looks like the puppy dog Prince Eric had in 'The Little Mermaid'," Fallon's head bobbed as their newest member of the family licked at her fingers.

"Hmmm," Emma hummed as she took in the dog's appearance. Her daughter did have a point. "What do you think, Dog? Will you answer to Max?"

On cue the dog barked happily.

"Sounds like a yes," Killian chuckled as Fallon wrapped her arm around the dog's belly, hugging it tight.

Henry tied off the wheel to keep their heading steady as he joined the group.

"His name is Max," Fallon informed her brother.

"We've lost our minds," Emma groaned as Fallon and Henry ran around the ship, playing with the dog as Killian wrapped his arms around Emma's waist, his hand resting on her belly.

"This is our own happy ending, Love," Killian nuzzled into her neck, "Enjoy it."

"We've earned it," Emma agreed as she guided his lips to hers.

"We have indeed," Killian mumbled against her lips.

"Sit," Fallon commanded her beloved puppy as she held a treat over her head as she stood on a chair, out of the reach of the puppy's leap capabilities.

Max had been a part of the family for over six months and the entire family had fallen head over heels in love with him. Even Emma, the most reluctant of the family, was quickly sucked in by his canine charms.

"Fallon, get off the chair," Henry commanded his sister as he lifted her off the chair just as she dropped the treat into the dog's mouth.

"Henry, put me down," Fallon moaned as she wiggled out of his grasp.

"Mom and Killian are coming home from the hospital any minute. They don't need to be going right back after you crack your skull open," Henry scolded her.

Fallon could only giggle in reply as she bent down and hugged Max around the middle as he chomped away at the biscuit.

"Your brother is right, Princess," David told his granddaughter, "No climbing or standing on the furniture."

Fallon ignored her grandfather's half-hearted attempt at scolding as her focus was solely on her dog. She loved her dog. Emma had worried that Fallon would get sick of the pup and all the responsibilities that came with it, yet six months later Fallon was as excited as she was the day they'd first adopted him and brought him into their family.

"Fallon, are you excited for the new baby to come home?" Mary Margaret attempted to get her granddaughter's attention as she kept a watchful eye on the hot cocoa she was warming on the stove.

"No," Fallon responded as she gave Max a thorough rubdown. The pup soaked up the attention with great enthusiasm as he rolled over and presented his belly to her.

"It was worth a shot," Mary Margaret snickered, "David, will you see if Leo is awake? I want him up and less grumpy before Killian and Emma get home."

"Good luck with that," Henry snickered as he resumed his studying, missing the stern glance his grandmother sent in his direction.

Fallon began barking to get Max to bark in response. Max didn't disappoint as he howled along with her.

"Now none of that when the new baby gets here," Mary Margaret instructed her granddaughter as she set two mugs of hot chocolate with cinnamon on the table for her grandchildren, "We don't want to scare the baby."

"Does the baby have a name yet, Grandma?" Henry asked as he gave up on studying. He was too excited for his parents to bring his newest sibling home. He'd visited them in the hospital each day they were there, of course, but now they were coming home. He was more excited for this baby than he'd been for when Fallon came home from the hospital, though he'd never tell his sister so. Fallon was already having trouble adjusting.

"Not that Killian or Emma have told us," Mary Margaret replied as David emerged from the guest bedroom with a grumpy looking Leo in his arms. The guest bedroom had been a recent addition when the new baby's nursery had been built as a surprise welcome home present for the family when they'd returned from their summer cruise. "Hi, Leo. Do you want some hot cocoa?"

The grouchy little boy nodded his head and then waited patiently for his mother to provide him with the hot beverage at the table next to Fallon.

"They should be here any minute," Mary Margaret stated with eagerness filling her voice and face.

Max barked as he heard footsteps approaching the front door.

"Shh," David hushed the dog as he grabbed for his collar, so that Max couldn't make a break for it when the door opened. He'd taken off on enough unsolicited jogs over the past six months for all the adults to take precautions when Max went to the door as it was opening.

"Welcome home," Mary Margaret greeted Emma, Killian and the baby all wrapped up in the carrier that Killian carried along with the diaper bag over his shoulder and Emma's hospital bag in his other hand.

"Need a hand there, Captain?" David reached for the baby carrier rather than the luggage.

"I told you that you were being ridiculous," Emma rolled her eyes as she removed her coat as Fallon ran towards the door to greet her parents, "I could have carried something."

"You carried a child for nine months," Killian told her, "I can carry a baby and some luggage a few steps."

"Mama," Fallon greeted her, nearly throwing her arms around Emma's middle.

"Careful, Sweetheart," Mary Margaret held Fallon back at the last second, "Mama is going to be a bit swore for awhile."

Fallon's eyes began to tear at the thought she'd done something wrong.

"It's okay, Princess," Emma pecked at her cheek as Mary Margaret picked her up, "Mama's not mad at you."

David had crossed the room and put the baby carrier on the kitchen table so that he could lift out his grandson. "Goodness, you forget how little they are in the first few days."

"I'm not even going to make the statement about how little he wasn't three days ago when he was coming out of me," Emma sat down slowly.

"He's such a handsome little prince," Mary Margaret cooed as she swayed back and forth with Fallon in her arms, "Don't you think so, Fallon?"

"No," Fallon pouted as she crossed her arms and huffed and then wiggled out of her grandmother's arms. All eyes were on the new baby, and Fallon didn't like it one bit. She was used to being the center of attention. Fallon looked towards her grandfather with the newest bundle of joy in his arms and ran from the room with tears in her eyes. She slammed the door before Max could join her inside.

"That didn't take long," Henry felt immediate guilt for Fallon's actions. He'd been trying to prepare her for this moment for several months.

"We expected this," Emma sighed as she locked eyes with her husband.

"Let's go, Love," Killian helped Emma to her feet.

They turned the knob of Fallon's door only to find that it wouldn't give. Her door didn't lock, so there had to be a magical force behind it.

"Her magic has progressed," Killian continued to turn the knob to force the door open.

"In need of a pry bar, Mate?" David inquired.

"Don't tempt us," Emma pulled her husband away from the door and focused on it until it popped open.

Killian quickly stepped in to keep the door open as it violently swung back the instant it came open. Fallon's head was buried underneath a pillow, and they could hear her crying hiccups.

"Fallon," Emma spoke softly as she rubbed circles into her daughter's back, "Will you come out?"

"No," was Fallon's muffled reply as Killian shut the door behind them so they could talk to the tiny brunette in private.

"Where's my little navigator?" Killian tried to pull Fallon away from her pillow.

"No," Fallon moaned as she held onto her pillow even as she was pulled upright into his lap, keeping her face buried into it.

"Hey," Emma tugged at the pillow, "Come out, Fallon. Papa and I want to talk to you."

"No," Fallon kept her grip tight.

Killian began tickling her until Emma could yank the pillow away. Fallon huffed, crossed her arms and refused to make eye contact with either of them as she kept her head down.

"Fallon, Papa and I love you so much," Emma began as Killian hugged her tight.

"No," Fallon's bottom lip protruded.

"Yes, we do," Killian added, "And nothing will change how much we love you. You are our little princess."

Fallon kept quiet as she waited for her father to continue, "You will always be our princess no matter what."

"This new baby isn't to replace you," Emma added, "Papa and I just have so much love to give that we wanted another baby to share it with. We still love you and Henry like we always have. It's just like when we had you. We love Henry as much now as we did before we had you, and we love him the same now as before your brother was born."

"You not tuck me in," Fallon pouted.

"We missed two nights," Killian responded calmly, "But we made sure that Poppy and Grammy would take our place just like they do when you stay with them. If we didn't love you, we would have left you to fend for yourself while we stayed at the hospital."

Fallon looked unimpressed by his explanation.

"Princess, we love you, and we will always love you," Emma added, "If you want to stay in here and pout, we can't stop you, but you're going to miss out on all sorts of family fun. We're going to have ice cream. I know you like that."

"Can I have sprinkles?" Fallon's blue eyes locked with her mother's with a hopeful expression.

"You can have sprinkles and whip cream, and Papa even got some cherries to put on top just for the occasion," Emma snickered, "But you have to eat it at the table with the rest of us."

"And you have to have that Fallon smile on your face that we all love so much," Killian added as he tickled her rib cage.

Fallon giggled slightly in response before she slid out of his lap.

"Do you want to see your new baby brother?" Emma asked as she offered Fallon her hand, "I know he's anxious to meet you."

"Okay," Fallon bobbed her head as she took her mother's hand and followed her into the living room.

"Have a seat on the sofa," Emma tapped Fallon's bottom lightly, "If you sit nice, you can hold him."

Fallon climbed up and was immediately joined by her puppy, who lapped at her cheeks.

"Down, Boy," Killian yanked on his collar, "You know better than to jump on the furniture."

Max hopped down and curled up at Fallon's feet as he usually did, while Emma took her son from her father's arms and brought him over to where Fallon was sitting.

Emma lowered her baby into Fallon's arms, helping her adjust to the weight and support his head.

"So what's his name?" Mary Margaret inquired as she snapped away with the camera.

"We thought about torturing you like you and Dad did with Leo and wait until we could arrange a little gathering at Granny's," Emma gave her mother a curious grin.

"Don't you dare," Mary Margaret gasped.

"We couldn't do that to Fallon," Emma kissed the top of her daughter's head, "Meet Bradyn Liam David Jones."

"David?" Emma's father choked out in surprise.

"We wanted to name him for the two most positive influences in our lives. Killian's brother gave him a sense of integrity and a love for the sea. You and Mom gave me a home and a family to belong to. We couldn't think of two better people to honor," Emma explained.

David looked on the verge of tears as Leo climbed up on the sofa to sit next to Fallon and take in his new nephew. He looked as unimpressed as Fallon originally did.

"I thought you were going with Liam as a first name," Mary Margaret noted as she watched the children interact with the newest family member.

"We talked about it," Emma agreed, "And before Fallon popped out as a girl, she was going to be named Liam, but this time around Bradyn caught our eye. Killian actually found it in a book that he had been reading. We kept coming back to it."

"He can wear my dollies' dresses," Fallon proclaimed.

"She's going to torture this little lad," Killian chuckled.

"It's what big sisters do," David chuckled as he patted Killian's back.

"What do you think, Fallon?" Emma asked as she wrapped Bradyn's hand around her finger, "Can we keep him?"

"Okay," Fallon bobbed her head.

"If she said no, would you have given him back?" Mary Margaret asked under her breath.

Emma snickered in response. She knew that it would be an adjustment, but this was the first step.

"Can I have ice cream now?" Fallon asked.

The End

Think of this as a two-part epilogue. While I intended for the first part of this to be only epilogue, I couldn't in good conscience end this story without welcoming Bradyn into the world and into the family.

I hope you have enjoyed this journey. If you want another sequel, let me hear you.