A/N: You guys really wanted this epilogue and who am I to deny you?
Here, have this very last, very little bit of UD.

It's been a month since Killian has been discharged from the hospital, a month, during which Emma spent at least three out of four nights at Killian's apartment. She is so incandescently happy that she doesn't mind one bit when August teases them about how he is having a hard time getting any sleep.

They are all standing around the kitchen counter one morning with Emma pouring them coffee when he brings it up.

"I don't know what it is you get up to in that room every night that involves so much name-calling and praying to God, but it is interfering with my beauty sleep," he says, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Consider it payback for all the nights you and Ruby were overly vocal, mate," Killian deadpans, clapping him on the shoulder, "It is a miracle I managed to retain my youthful glow."

Emma giggles at her boyfriend's words and shrugs her shoulders when both guys' gazes land on her.

Of all the time she's spent in this very apartment in the last four weeks, her favorite are the nights that Ruby comes by as well.

Those nights are spent with the boys cooking dinner, followed by a lot of drinking, sharing stories and joking around, and mostly ending with one couple or the other retiring to their room with things other than sleep in their minds.

August's cooking is almost as good as Killian's (almost being a key word here, as Killian likes to point out) so the girls are well fed here, and they appreciate it, having been condemned to week-old takeouts in their own place for years before these guys came sauntering into their lives.

The drinking starts out very light, a glass of wine with dinner, but it is soon shots after shots of tequila and everyone's teetering at the edge of drunkenness. Ruby is almost always the first to fall over, slurring her words and getting overly affectionate with her boyfriend, which leads to them eventually taking things into a more private environment, hence the end to their night.

Even Graham and Regina join in to their nights of fun sometimes and Ruby and Emma are pleasantly surprised to find out that Regina isn't half as rigid and distant as she seems at first glance. In fact, with a couple shots of tequila in her, she is incredibly fun to be around with her sassy remarks and smart comebacks.

Emma realizes that this is a very easy routine to fall into –spending time with the people she cares about the most, surrounding herself with this make-shift family she's found for herself after years and years of searching.

When he looks back to the past month, all Killian can see is the bright light that surrounds every waking moment –the light that emanates from Emma. More often than not, he wakes up to her in his arms, her hair fanning across his pillows (actually, her pillow by now) and it is a sight he knows he will never tire of.

The nights spent with both their friends seems like a blessing to him, seeing her so happy without a care in the world making his chest expand by miles.

What he cherishes the most, however, is the times he has her all to himself (It's during one of those quite times in bed that he realizes Emma is ticklish), whether to bury his face in her neck and murmur his love against her hair, or to map every inch of her skin, every scar, every freckle, with his hands (both of them, now that his left hand is free of bandages), his teeth and his tongue.

It's been a month since Killian has been discharged from the hospital and his injuries are almost completely healed. After getting the A-Okay from Dr. Bailey, he can finally get back to the swim team and reclaim his position as the team captain that was given to Victor in his absence.

Spending a month without getting into the pool had been hard on Killian, missing the excitement of a race and the feeling of serenity that surrounds him when he does laps in the pool after everyone's gone home. Returning to the team feels like getting a part of him back, that's why this is a pretty big day for him.

"An occasion this special calls for a party," Ruby says to Emma a few days prior to Killian's first swim practice since the accident.

Emma's first instinct is to say no, seeing how much she hates parties, but then she thinks what Killian's reaction would be like and it is enough to convince her.

Ruby and Regina come by to help Emma with the party preparations seeing their time is limited. Regina brings three trays of apple pie and Emma knows by now that they'll most likely be the highlight of the party.

"We have two hours until the boys come back from swim practice," Emma announces.

They tidy the place up, prepare the chips & dips and make sure they have enough booze for at least fifteen people.

Then, Ruby finally reveals the contents of the plastic bags she brought with her –decorations, party hats and a banner that says "Glad You Are Alive!"

Not long after they are finished, August and Killian come back to the apartment. Killian's face lights up with surprise and delight upon seeing the state of the apartment as Ruby places party hats on both guys' heads.

"I hope this is okay," Emma murmurs as she moves closer to Killian.

"Okay?" he says, "This is bloody perfect, Swan."

Emma smiles and pecks him softly on the lips. Killian then turns his gaze towards Regina.

"Wait a moment, Regina's here… Does that mean…?"

"Yes, Captain," Regina says amusement clear in her voice, "I brought pie."

August and Killian cheer and give each other a high five and it makes the girls laugh.

As the five of them are nursing their first beers, there is a knock on the door, indicating the arrival of the swim team. Regina goes to open the door, and upon Graham's entry, throws her arms around his neck to pull him in for a kiss. The sight of them makes Emma's heart swell, not only glad that her friend finally found happiness, but also glad that that she could find a friend in the woman who brought the said happiness to her friend.

It's funny to think that only five months ago she inadvertently came to this very apartment with Ruby and Graham by her side (the only people she knew in the entire crowd, really), and all of the faces that were complete strangers then, are acquaintances now, friends even.

After her third beer, Ruby announces that since this is a party, it should involve a game. More specifically, a drinking game.

Fending off Emma's protests, she proceeds to turn the coffee table into a make-shift bar, bringing out the stronger booze for the first time that night.

"Alright, the game is simple and probably has been played by every single one of you before," Ruby says cheerfully. "Basically, we take turns telling something we have never done before, and those who have need to do a shot. You got it?"

Upon everyone's affirmations, Ruby says she'll kick things off.

"Never have I ever… Kissed someone on the first date."

It's innocent enough and almost everyone drinks (including Ruby and Emma is pretty sure it's against the rules).

"Never have I ever been in love," says a guy she knows isn't a member of the swim team and might be the only person in the room she doesn't know.

The cynical view of love still lurking in the back of Emma's head causes her to be surprised when a good number of people drink, including Ruby, August, Regina and Graham. Emma locks eyes with Killian who is sitting sprawled on the floor next to her, and downs her shot in one gulp as he does the same.

She knows that the questions will only get dirtier as the game goes on, and she braces herself for it. As if on cue, August says the next statement with a mischievous look in his eyes.

"Never have I ever done it in a hospital bed." His eyes are trained on Killian and Emma as he grins at them.

Killian throws his head back in laughter, but neither of them drinks.

"I knew you were too chicken to do it!" August half-shouts, waggling his index finger in their direction.

At that moment, Victor dramatically raises his glass, and downs his shot, causing a couple of guys to cheer.

"What do you want me to say," Victor says, "I am in med school."

With that, the room erupts into laughter.

As the hours pass, Emma realizes this might be the first party she's ever attended that she's thoroughly enjoyed herself. How can she not, really? She is surrounded by her friends, and the guy she is in love with is right by her side with his arms draped around her waist. Emma rests her head on Killian's shoulder, closes her eyes and sighs contentedly. If this is how she'll get to spend the rest of her life, so be it.

The semester is officially over. Emma passes all of her classes including, you guessed it, the one she thought she'd fail after she was late to the final.

When she has to move out of the dorms, she realizes she doesn't want to rent a crappy studio apartment for the summer as she always does.

Conveniently enough, right about that time the couple living across the hall from August and Killian decide to move out, and it takes very little convincing on Ruby's part before both girls are moving in there.

After a while, it becomes impossible to keep track of who sleeps over whose apartment.

Emma wouldn't have it any other way.

A/N: You might have noticed that the cover has changed. The new one is done by my amazing friend Sev (somerholish).

With this story coming to an end, I have another project coming up soon. It'll be another AU, a movie one this time. The movie in question is Leap Year (2012). It is one of my all-time fave romantic comedies, and it's just meant to be written as a CS AU. If you haven't watched it, I recommend you do! Or not. Just be on the lookout for my next story.

Hope to see ya again.