A/N: Even though I am crazily in denial that this fic could ever be over, the time has come. This is my last planned installment, and as such is very bittersweet. After a last chapter that showed their engagement and seemed to give them the happily ever after Emma and Killian deserve (in every AU!), we're flashing forward nearly 25 years to see Emma and Killian sending their youngest children off to college. It's pretty short, but you can expect parallels and cute moments with said kids, and a sappy but sweet way to end the story. Thank you so much for reading, and I truly hope you enjoy!

24 Years Later

Emma

As Emma strolled along the grounds of her alma mater once more, she couldn't help but notice how much things had changed. Many of the old buildings that she'd practically lived in during finals and classes looked completely different. She shouldn't have been surprised, a lot had happened in the twenty-five years since she'd graduated from this school. She'd found a career she loved, earned a masters, married the man of her dreams, and had four incredible children who were all now grown, even if they'd forever be her babies.

Emma had transformed, much like this school had. She had gone from a girl who wanted a life in the background to a fully formed, thoroughly happy adult, secure in who she was and what she wanted. Emma had found her meaning and her purpose, and honestly was living that happily ever after that so many people worked so hard to find. That she was lucky, she would never deny, but all of the good in her life was also a product of hard work and determination. Every day she did her best to be a good wife, a capable worker, and a loving mother, and only hoped her best would be enough. So far it had been.

Certain things about the campus around them though, had stayed nearly exactly the same, including the building she'd lived in her senior year. Now considered an older dorm, and repurposed for incoming freshman, Emma could do nothing but marvel at how eerily similar it all looked. The memories she had here were substantial, and as she walked the long hallway with her youngest daughter Leia, she couldn't help the flood of remembrances and the smile that came to her face. When they passed the showers, and the door to her old room for instance, or when they walked past the common room and the stairwell up to Ruby and Gwen's old dorm. Every piece of this place held a memory, and nearly all of those held Killian. It was a lifetime ago, but she could remember all of it like it was yesterday. Somehow Emma knew she always would.

"You know all of the other parents look stressed and sad right now, but you have a huge grin going. Should I be worried you don't love me anymore?" Emma turned her attention to her eighteen year old daughter, whose honey colored hair was as long as Emma's had been at her age, falling in similar waves around her shoulders. Of all her children, people tended to think that Leia looked the most like Emma, but there were still traces of her father, especially when her daughter smiled.

Leia already knew the truth, which was that Emma was struggling with her and her twin brother Ryder leaving home for their first year of school. This time felt so different than when Hope had gone, for her eldest child had been ready and prepared and completely assured that college would be great. She'd immediately fallen in with good friends and found a love for her classes but had checked in every day with Emma and Killian. Liam was the same way, and though she'd missed her older two so much, Emma still had Leia and Ryder. Their home still felt full, even if it wasn't all the time.

It would be such a dramatic change now that all four kids would be away and Emma still didn't know how she'd handle it. She'd been a mother for over twenty years now, and she would never know what to do with an empty house and no kids to drive to activities or help with homework or aid through crushes and dances and friendship woes. But, Emma did know that her daughter was nervous, and just like her mother, Leia tended towards sarcasm when feeling in doubt. To ease the slight tension behind Leia's hazel eyes, Emma responded in kind.

"Hate to break it to you kid, but we've been waiting for this day since you were born." Leia smiled as she opened up the door to her room, still getting used to the way the keys unlocked here. The interior of the space looked spectacular, certainly a homier room than Emma's ever had been. The colors were perfect, everything matched but not to an overwhelming degree, and all along the walls in Leia's section of the room were filled with her own paintings that she'd made herself. Her daughter was extremely talented, and Emma was glad that she'd been proud enough of her works to hang them up here.

With the help of Killian and the other kids, they'd had Leia all moved in this morning pretty much in record time, but neither Emma nor Leia had been ready to say goodbye when she was settled. So here they were, hours later, after a lunch with the family at the cafeteria and a walk around the grounds just the two of them. Leia's roommate, a very sweet and incredibly bubbly girl named Sarah (who reminded Emma a lot of Mary Margaret), was currently off with her own family, which allowed Leia to speak freely to her mother.

"Do you think I'm really going to like it here, Mom?" The subtle crack in her daughter's tone only solidified to Emma that her baby girl was worried. Without question she moved across the room to pull her daughter in her arms and into a warm hug.

"I know you are, honey. Just promise me one thing. Promise me to be braver than you're mom was. Even if it's scary, let people in. It's so much better than going it alone." Leia nodded into Emma's shoulder.

"I promise I'll try. Besides, I have three siblings and some of my oldest friends coming here too." Emma smiled, so glad that along with all of the Jones kids there were two other familiar faces for Leia to see: Lizzie, Mary Margaret and David's daughter who was a junior, and Derrick, Ruby and Graham's son who would also be a freshman.

A knock sounded at the door and both Emma and Leia looked up to find that it was Sarah, no longer joined by her parents. The girl, who had radiated excitement and glee before now, looked a little less self-assured, but she plastered on a smile all the same.

"Oh good you're here. It would have been kind of sucky to be alone right now. Who knew I was actually going to miss Mom and Dad and my pipsqueak brothers?" Emma smiled at Sarah, but watched as some of Leia's lingering tension melted away. That Sarah was able to be so open with her own worries was a godsend. Now Emma truly believed Leia would do the same.

"You know the best remedy for that is making friends. Leia, why don't you call Derrick and see if he's here yet. Knowing Ruby they'll be late and he might still need some help with his set up."

"You already know a guy going to school here other than your brothers?!" Emma wasn't actually all that surprised at the flush that came to her daughter's cheeks when Sarah asked the question. She had a sneaking suspicion that Leia's long-term friendship with Derrick might be blossoming into something more. But she wouldn't push. If it was meant to be, it would happen on it's own.

"Yeah I do. I actually already messaged him and we could go meet up with him and his roommate if you want?" Sarah was so excited at the prospect of meeting people she grabbed her bag and told Leia she'd be outside. That was probably for the best as it left Emma alone with Leia to say her goodbyes.

"I think I'm finally ready," Leia said and Emma smiled, holding back her tears as she nodded.

"I know you are, honey. And if you need me, I'll just be one phone call away, okay?"

"Okay. Love you." Emma felt her throat close up a bit as she gave Leia one last quick hug.

"I love you too, Leia." With that, Emma took her leave so the girls could go about having their college fun. She had faith that it would all work out, but that didn't mean she wasn't a little sad in the meantime. The only remedy she knew, would be finding her husband and having him remind her that all if this was just as it should be.

…

Killian

Years ago, when Killian had walked these grounds as a student himself, he'd had a dream, one that had sparked on his first day here – he dreamed that he'd find the courage to tell a beautiful, funny, incredibly smart girl that he liked her and would give anything for a chance to show her he was worth liking too. That dream had followed him around through his day to day, on the team and in the classroom, but eventually, he'd manned up and said his peace. Every single day he rejoiced in that show of bravery, but today of all days, that joyousness was compounded. Everything that he had now, his life, his kids, his wonderful marriage, was all due to him finally pulling it together and speaking to his Swan.

After a morning of getting his two youngest settled in to their new homes away from home, and lunch with all his children, of whom he was prouder than he could ever say, Killian now had the distinct pleasure of taking a walk with Ryder alone. He had given this particular tour once before, to his eldest son Liam just last year, but for some reason, Killian knew it would be Ryder who got the most out of it.

Where Liam was a manifestation of all of Killian and Emma's more confident qualities, Ryder was a man of a different make. Instead of showiness and loud professions like his brother, Ryder was a waiter, a quiet boy who'd grown into an observer of people much like his mother. Whip smart and an even more talented baseball player than Killian had been, Ryder could have gone to any school in the country, but he'd chosen to come here. When Killian had asked him why, Ryder said that this was his family's legacy and it was where he belonged – it was part of his story.

Of all Emma and Killian's children, Ryder was always the one most interested in stories. Every night, when he'd been younger, he would force his little eyes open to hear every last word that Emma and Killian would read to him, while his older siblings had all long ago fallen asleep. Ryder had been the kind of kid who paid attention to the adults at the party, later repeating verbatim something that his parents or their friends had said in the hopes of understanding. He was a curious lad, hungry for knowledge, and eager to absorb everything he could. Ryder always seemed to be grappling with life's big questions, but one thing Killian had yet to see was his son show interest in anyone as more than a friend.

All through the years, girls had pined for Ryder, a fact that had driven his twin sister Leia a little crazy, for she'd had to sort out her friends based on who wanted to be friends for the right reasons, and who wanted to get closer to her brother. Still, Ryder was nothing but polite, claiming that he'd know the right girl when he saw her, just as Killian had. It was for this reason and so many others that Killian knew this tour would not be wasted on Ryder, and indeed, his son was asking him more questions along their way than even he'd expected.

"Did you have a favorite place when you were here, Dad?" Anywhere your mother was, was Killian's first thought, but he decided to spare his son that level of disclosure. When he considered actual places, he found that he did have one, and it was the last stop he'd decided on for this tour.

"Aye son, and you're looking at it." Ryder took in the observatory with interest, walking towards the front of the building without even checking in with Killian first, but just as they were reaching the steps, Ryder suddenly stopped. Killian noticed that his son's gaze was caught on a young woman with auburn hair who looked rather uncomfortable as she stood with who Killian assumed were her parents. The girl was certainly very pretty, but from his son's blatant stare, you'd have thought she was an angel.

This must be what it was like for Liam all those years ago, Killian thought to himself as he broke out into a full grin. Gods if only Emma was here for this, he was half inclined to film it for her so she could witness it, because this was certainly history repeating itself. Ryder was feeling the strike of love on the steps of the observatory just like his old man had. And, similar to Killian back then, Ryder was struck immobile, not moving towards the girl who at this point was looking at him too. She offered him a smile and Ryder's face tried to make one of it's own, but it failed somehow. Chuckling, Killian came to his son's aid.

"Excuse us, but would you happen to know where and when the parents' seminars are?" Killian cordially spoke with the girl's parents but gave his son a look that said 'get on with it, son.' Finally Ryder seemed to understand and he started a conversation with the girl that Killian kept track of while he kept her parents distracted.

"So, come here often?" It was quite possibly the most terrible opening line his son could have chosen, but despite Killian's slight grimace, it seemed to win over the object of his affections. The girl smiled wider, shaking her head.

"Does that line ever work for you?" Ryder stammered back a reply.

"No clue, this is the first time I've panicked badly enough to use it. Let me try again. Hi, I'm Ryder." Ryder extended his hand which the girl quickly took to shake.

"Diana." After a few more minutes of talking, Killian felt he'd enabled enough, the rest was up to his son, so bidding Diana's parents farewell, he pulled Ryder back just for a moment.

"I can see the barrage of questions you've got rattling around in that brain of yours, so let me just say all I can tell you before sending you off. If you like her, don't be shy about it. I have very few regrets in this life, but the only one I do have is waiting as long as I did to tell your mother how I felt about her." Ryder nodded, looking back at Diana for a moment before returning his eyes to Killian's.

"You forgot to tell us in the stories that this part is absolutely terrifying." Killian couldn't help the laugh that emanated from his chest at his sons words.

"Aye it is. You'll get used to it though." Ryder groaned as he hugged Killian and in that moment the pang that came from knowing that he'd hugged both his youngest daughter and son goodbye settled in his heart. Watching Ryder step back to the girl who'd caught his fancy, Killian allowed himself a final moment to watch on before turning back to find Emma.

He located her on the green on the quad, swarmed by people all around, but even to this day saw only her. When her emerald eyes found his, she smiled, and suddenly that pang of longing for the good old days, with the kids running and screaming through the house, were gone. They were all ready for this next step, even if it might be a hard adjustment at first. Taking Emma into his arms, he kissed her, not giving a damn about the world around them and relatively certain that none of his children were around to mortify. When they broke apart, Emma was the first to speak.

"So… what do we do now?" He ran his thumb along the smooth skin of her hand as he took it in hers.

"Perhaps everything that having a gaggle of children in the house made so difficult for twenty years." He saw the exact moment that she understood him, registering the heat that flared to life within her.

"Sleep?" He laughed heartily at her joke and wrapped his arm around her as they set out to return to the car once more.

"Something along those lines, love." She kissed his cheek and he looked down to her with a quizzical brow.

"What was that for, Swan?" She sighed, a happy little sound he'd come to know quite well through their years together.

"For loving me, exactly like you do."

Post-Note: Another story gone… I do not even know what to say. Quite frankly, it's kind of hard to process and to let a story go like this, especially since 'Like You Do' is not only my most popular fic, but the first story I ever wanted to adapt to CS. It's been a constant in my six months of writing fanfiction, and this AU, for whatever reason, just gives me all sorts of warm fuzzy feelings in my heart. I truly hope that you guys have enjoyed this story, and so many of you have been so wonderfully supportive along the way. Know that it all means so much to me, and I am truly glad to have shared this with you! If you haven't already, check out my other stories, which I promise are filled with just as much fluffy goodness. Thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful rest of your week!