Epilogue with a dash of Captain Cobra for the-savior-swan for being an awesome beta and cheerleader. Without her, this story would never have made it this far. (Also, thanks to the CS chat for putting up with my whining sessions during my writing breaks).

Thanks to all those who have followed, favorited, reviewed and reblogged. I'm still amazed by the success of this story that literally started as a crack!fic based on my time working at a library. Thank you, thank you, thank you. (And if you're looking for more Library!Killian, I'll be continuing the canon-verse fic "The Awkward Matter of the Pirate and the Librarian" in the near future.)

Chapter Thirteen: Epilogue

Killian's contract threatened death by hanging should he step out of line, but eventually Regina agreed to let him take Henry sailing on Liam's boat. Henry, however, was a much easier sell. Killian barely had to breathe the word "pirate" before Henry adopted him as the second best stepdad-in-training ever (second only to Robin, of course.) After almost a full weekend at sea, Liam pronounced Henry a natural sailor, and Emma couldn't help but wonder what she'd done to deserve this little stitched together family.

The four of them—Emma, Killian, Liam, and Henry (Tink having had her fill of ships for a good long while)—meandered back to the library so Henry could see where Emma worked while they waited for Regina and Robin to pick him up. Henry wanted a book about all the sailor's knots Killian had shown him. He was in the Non-Fiction stacks, Killian helping him to pick out a good one, while Emma hovered in the AV section. Liam flipped through the new CD arrivals and made a happy noise when he pulled one from the rack. He caught Emma glancing at it—a new release from that same glam rock resurgence band his brother had borrowed ages ago, still in their rock star leather.

Liam winced, the case still in his hand. "Don't tell Tink. She was fine with them for our wedding, but they're not her taste in the slightest."

Emma's eyes widened. "Wait, that was the band you had at your wedding?"

Liam nodded and handed her the CD. She'd only seen the band on-stage in passing, her attention fully on Killian for most of that time, and they had been dressed in dapper but otherwise unremarkable suits. But still, ignoring the makeup and the crazy outfits, something did look familiar.

"How did you get a hot-ticket rock group to do your wedding?" she asked.

"I didn't, Killian did. Nice lads, really. Owed him a favor."

Emma studied the cover again. The grungy eyeliner. The rock-god leather. The fresh-out-of-bed hair.

"Liam," Emma questioned quietly. "Killian told me he used to be in a band, before his accident. Is this…?"

"Aye," Liam winked and pulled out the lyrics booklet. "So you don't know about this, then?"

He flipped it open to a song and handed it over. The lyrics were pretty, much more intricate than she'd expect from looking at the band, but aside from that she didn't understand what she was supposed to get until Liam tapped the liner notes at the top.

Lyrics by K. Jones.

So he hadn't been exaggerating about a shot at stardom.

And suddenly his wardrobe made so much more sense.

She made an embarrassingly squeaky sound, like an electrified chipmunk, and her eyes shot back up to Liam, who was turning red from holding his laughter in.

"Swan?" Killian asked softly, his concerned voice suddenly in her ear. He and Henry had returned from Non-fiction, Henry staring up at her from her hip, books in hand.. "Are you okay, you sounded like you were choking or something."

Liam let out his laughter, softly, but his snorts still drew a few glances from some patrons at the study table. Killian's eyes narrowed on his brother and Emma could tell he knew something was up.

"Oh," the elder Jones snickered. "Just letting them in on your secret rock star life."

Henry perked up. "Killian's a rock star?"

"Yeah," added Emma. "Now that your book is done, are you going to run off and seek your fame on stage?"

Killian rolled his eyes. "Tossing the lads some lyrics for a B-side hardly amounts to rock stardom, and I'm not running anywhere. We're in a library. It's against the rules."

Emma bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Humility on you is almost frightening."

"But you can't give up," insisted Henry with all the innocence of a ten-year old. "Wasn't it your dream? You can't give up on your dream!"

Emma thought Henry's insistence had more to do with the prospect of a rock-star pseudo-step-dad than any deep philosophical influence, but she shot a patronizing smile at Killian all the same.

"Well, that's the thing about dreams, isn't it?" Killian replied, coming to a knee before the boy. "Sometimes they break and you can't put them back together. But sometimes you're the one that breaks, and when you pull yourself back together, everything's changed. What you once wanted doesn't seem so important anymore. And you find new dreams."

He glanced up at Emma. "Better dreams."

Henry frowned, clearly not completely enthralled with this answer. "Can you still teach me how to play guitar?"

Killian laughed. "Aye, lad. That I can."

Henry, forgetting where he was, let out a woop that turned heads at the study tables. He blushed and whispered a soft, "Sorry."

About that time he looked out the window to see Regina's car pull up to the library and, breaking into a smile, he scampered toward the door to wait for them. Emma moved to follow him, but Killian tugged her back by the wrist. He glanced over his shoulder at Liam, who took some unspoken cue to follow after the boy.

"I was serious, you know," he whispered as soon as Liam was out of ear-shot, "about staying."

"I believe you," she replied.

"Good," he said as he pulled her back into his space. She went to hug him under his arms, but with his one hand he guided one of hers to his right coat pocket, gently slipping hers inside. She frowned slightly, wondering what he was up to, when her fingers brushed against a small velvet box and she gasped.

"Killian, is that-?"

"It's there whenever you want it," was all he said.

Emma cracked a smirk. "I hope it came with a good return policy."

Killian growled and Emma let out a snicker that drew dirty glares from the study tables.

She slipped her hands behind his neck, threading her fingers through his hair before she softly giggled, "I love you too, Killian," and pulled him down for a kiss.