"Daddy! Tell me a story!" Liam exclaimed, curling up against Killian's leg and staring up at him with Emma's brilliantly emerald eyes. "A story about you and Mommy!"

Tiny Hope cuddled in Emma's arms opened her blue eyes that were so like her father's and looked at Killian excitedly. Hope wasn't talking much yet, aside from an occasional "Wee" meaning Liam. Killian looked at his children and his wife and couldn't help grinning. Emma smiled at him and brushed Hope's downy blonde hair out of her face.

"Go on, Killian, tell the pirate and the princess a story," she said, leaning over to wipe toothpaste off of Liam's cheek.

Killian scooped Liam up and leaned against the wall, putting his son back on his lap. Emma crawled to his side, settling Hope in her arms and kissing Killian on the cheek. "You two rapscallions have heard all of the stories about myself and your mother from Henry," he said as Liam pushed his cold little foot into his father's hand. "How about I tell you a story about a princess and a pirate?"

Hope nodded, her eyes already dropping, and Liam whispered, "Tell us the story, Daddy, please! Hope's going to sleep!"

Emma leaned her head on her husband's shoulder as Killian began.

"Once upon a time," he started, "there was a princess and a pirate."

"Is that you and Mommy?" Liam asked.

"Listen to Daddy and maybe you'll find out," Emma whispered softly. Liam nodded, grinning.

"The princess was the most beautiful creature in all of the realms, from Misthaven to Arendelle to the Land without Magic," Killian continued. "Her golden hair flowed to the backs of her knees, and her emerald eyes sparkled with the ghosts of her past, but the every specter disappeared when she saw the pirate." Emma rolled her eyes.

"The pirate was the most dashing rapscallion in all of the realms, the dastardly man known only by the shining hook attached to his left arm. His gleaming blue eyes were hardened with the things he had seen over his three-hundred years of life, but the princess softened him and taught him to laugh again." Killian glanced at his wife, who was smoothing Hope's hair with a faint blush on her face.

"The princess' parents, the King and Queen of Misthaven, invited every prince and courtier and minstrel to the first celebration held in the princess' honor, a ball for her twentieth birthday, the day she would be officially introduced to the kingdom as Her Royal Highness, Princess of Misthaven."

"Grandpa and Grandma!" Liam said happily. "They're the rulers of Misthaven!"

Emma smiled wryly at Killian. He really had done well, making up his own story instead of reading something from the storybook again. The kids had never so much as thought of going to the Enchanted Forest, yet they knew every landmark on the way to Regina and Snow's castle.

Killian continued with his tale, a touch of Captain Jones in his tone. "The pirate heard of the ball, obtained an invitation, and entered the palace intending to steal whatever he could find, take anything he pleased.

"The princess found him before he could discover anything of value. The pirate could not help but ask her to dance." Killian's tone turned into reverence. "Her dress was the purest of whites, lined with golden threads, and the circlet on her lovely head was formed from gold. And he soon saw that the only item of true value in the palace was standing in front of him.

"He led her through the waltz and saw everything in her that he'd never had before.

"She watched his eyes and saw the hard diamonds in them soften.

"After the dance, the pirate led the princess to the balcony and they spoke of everything and nothing for the rest of the evening. He spoke of the love he had lost, the lifetimes he had spent on the long and lonely path of revenge that ended in someone else destroying his quarry. She told of the isolation, the loneliness of royalty.

"By the end of the ball, the pirate was in love with the princess and the princess was in love with the pirate. It was like they were always meant to be, the princess with the white dress and the pirate with the silver hook."

"It is you!" Liam exclaimed softly. Killian looked down at Liam with one eyebrow raised.

"Keep going," Emma whispered. Her eyes were shining.

"The pirate sneaked into the palace gardens the next night and the princess met him in a white dress, him lifting her into his arms and whirling them around, the princess burying her face into his shoulder, laughing. No one knew their secrets save the other; no one knew that the Princess of Misthaven loved the pirate.

"The king and queen discovered the letters two months later, the pirate's tales of his life on the high seas and the princess's descriptions of the palace and of her subjects. The king was outraged, the queen joyful, and the pirate was called to stand before them.

"The king asked about the pirate's past and the queen asked of the pirate's love for the princess. The pirate answered their questions; the princess never took her eyes from his. The pirate asked for the hand of the princess. The king and queen consented to the marriage of the princess and the pirate.

"The pirate knelt before the princess, his leather coat swaying and his hook gleaming. He took from his pocket the ring that had belonged to his brother, and he asked the princess to marry him.

"The princess knelt in front of the pirate, her golden hair framing her face and her white dress settling around her knees gracefully. She whispered to the pirate, words the king and queen could not hear. Slowly, the pirate eased the ring onto her finger, and the princess dove forward and kissed the pirate."

"Such an important moment, and your daughter is asleep, Swan," Killian interrupted himself to say. Liam giggled and Emma glanced down at Hope, who was indeed asleep on Emma's lap. Killian brushed his finger over Hope's cheek gently and continued with his story.

"They were married a month later. The princess wore white, golden threads woven throughout the soft material, and a gold tiara resting on her shining tresses. The pirate wore a leather coat, his hook shining in the light of their smiles." Emma rolled her eyes at her husband's sappiness but didn't stop herself from kissing him quickly.

"When they were pronounced man and wife the princess surged forward, the pirate catching her, and all watching this first kiss between the Princess and Prince of Misthaven saw the flash of rainbow light that burst from the pair. The pirate and the princess were true love, the love that could never be broken, not by magic, not by any powers of the earth, not by death."

Liam pretended to gag. "Too much kissing, Daddy."

Killian promptly kissed his son on the forehead to Liam's chagrin. "Sorry, lad, I'm a romantic. All of my stories involve true love. You'll understand someday, Liam."

He continued. "They had their honeymoon on the pirate's ship as they sailed throughout the realms. They visited Arendelle, the Land without Colors, Camelot, and Dunbroch, admiring the scenery and the brightness of the sparkling water around the Jolly Roger.

"The first child of the princess and the pirate, a little boy, was born a year after their wedding. The boy was named for the pirate's brother, the best man the pirate had ever known, and his eyes sparkled with the emerald gleam of his mother's."

"Mommy, that's me!" Liam whispered excitedly. Emma nodded and offered him a fist bump.

"Their second child was a little girl, named for the hope the princess and the pirate had always had throughout their years of revenge and anger and loneliness. Her hair was as golden as her mother's, and her eyes were as blue and shining as her father's."

"That's Hope!" Liam whispered, his voice suddenly dropping to the tones of an exhausted little boy. Emma nodded again and brushed the dark curls out of his brilliantly green eyes.

"When the little ones were old enough, the princess and the pirate took them out on the ship to watch the stars. The pirate spread out a blanket and the princess laid next to him, their fingers woven together and their children piling on top. The pirate pointed out the constellations they could see, the little girl curling into his arms as the little boy rested his head on the princess' shoulder.

Killian glanced down at Liam. The boy was sound asleep. He couldn't help grinning at Emma. She brushed a kiss to his jawline. "What happens next, Killian?" she whispered.

Her husband stared down at their children, his eyes drinking in their faces. Killian's voice lowered, Emma's eyes slipping shut as Killian pressed his forehead to hers. "When the children fell asleep, the princess smiled at the pirate. The pirate brushed his fingers over the princess' hair and kissed her softly."

Emma whispered against Killian's lips, "Once upon a time, there was a princess and a pirate. And this was all they had ever needed. The two of them, their children, watching the stars. Because this was their happy ending."

Killian smiled at Emma. Just as they were about to kiss, Liam stirred and whispered, "Is the story over, Daddy? I want to go to bed."