A/N: So as promised, I have written the conclusion of this AU before leaving for my hiatus. I can't adequately express how bittersweet it was writing this, but I promise it stays true to all of my story endings – there is fluff, cuteness, ties back to big moments, and a CS HEA I would pay money to see. Seriously, if you don't want to read over the top sweetness right now, back away slowly. It all unfolds in one twenty four hour period ten years after the last chapter. Anyway, thanks so much for reading and I hope you all enjoy!

10 Years later

"So one more time – what are the rules when aboard the ship?"

Emma looked up from where she was putting the last of the day's provisions on the boat. There on the docks, Killian had four of their five kids lined up as if this was the navy. Emma couldn't bite back her smile, because even if it seemed overly formal, it was something the kids enjoyed. They all of them wanted to be just like their Dad and as soon as little Meara was old enough to understand, she'd be right there. Until then, Emma was holding onto her two-year-old close.

"Yes Hope." Their eldest daughter smiled, looking more like Killian as she did. She already had his dark hair, but her eyes were all Emma, green and glowing with excitement at the chance to be the leader.

"No taking off the life vests. Ever."

"Good. Rule number two? Lizzie." Lizzie might not look like a carbon replica of Emma or Killian (Emma and Killian adopted her two years back when she was seven) but she had the mannerisms down. Killian's half smile and raised brow was there for one thing, but so was Emma's sarcastic humor.

"Running is a no go. You run and it's all over."

"Right you are, love. Hunter, Jack what about rule three?" Their five-year-old twin boys were standing so straight at attention, eager to fill in the last part at the same time.

"Always listen to Captain Mommy and Captain Daddy!"

"Seems all is in order then. Shipmates, man your stations."

The kids knew better than to rush onto the True North, but Emma could see that it was a struggle for them to hold back. The boys came and sat beside Emma in their spots and Hunter immediately made a face at Meara who giggled. Hope and Lizzie meanwhile stood with their Dad waiting to help when asked for it. They had a system out here, and soon enough the sailboat was moving, coasting along the water at a comfortable pace.

There was never a quiet moment the entire twenty minutes of sailing, but Emma didn't mind, and from his joyous smile Emma could tell that Killian didn't either. They had some very excited, eager to learn kids and they were nothing if not adventurous. But boy, they also loved talking. None of them ever met a story they didn't like to tell.

"So then you know what Auntie Anna did?" Oh Emma knew what Anna did. She'd heard this story five times in the past two days from all of her kids, but she feigned ignorance. Asking Hunter what her sister did. "She pushed him right in the mud!"

"Sounds like Uncle Kristoff deserved it." Hunter considered Emma's words and then nodded, smart enough to realize the error of his uncle's ways even if he was only five.

The reason Anna pushed her husband in the mud was simple after all. He'd been watching their teenagers and some of the younger kids for all of an hour, and in that time they completely ripped up their whole backyard destroying grass and leaving muck in its wake. Kristoff hadn't seen it as a problem and Anna showed him why it might be with a simple nudge. Emma only wished she'd been there to witness that moment and the look that must have come to Kristoff's face when he realized he'd messed up.

"Skyler said she's going to write a song about it."

Emma tried to bite back her laughter at Lizzie's comment, but she couldn't. Her niece was very talented and was teaching herself to play guitar to accompany her already strong voice, but her favorite inspiration for music was what she called 'dumb boy stuff.' Kristoff getting his own song would not bode well for anyone forgetting this. Plus, what Skyler sang the others all learned in ten minutes and recited for days on end.

The kids kept the conversation flowing, bouncing from Kristoff's missteps to things happening at school and on their favorite shows. Half the time it felt like none of them were listening to each other but Emma knew better. They might spin off on tangents, but she and Killian were raising a very observant bunch. They saw and heard everything and that made for many a moment when Emma and Killian almost got themselves in trouble. They always found a way to avoid it though, sneaking stolen moments whenever they could.

Emma thought back to yesterday when the kids were all watching the one TV show they agreed on from Disney and how very carefully she and Killian had moved into the dining room. They couldn't indulge in much more than heated kisses and whispered promises of what would happen after the kids were all in bed, but Emma's heart nearly leapt out of her chest when Jack and Hunter came barreling into the room looking for them. Killian had broken away just in time, but if her husband didn't have the awareness to do so it would have been an interesting interlude to explain to the boys.

Emma blushed even now thinking about it, and as if it was a sort of beacon to alert him, Killian's eyes found hers. He had all the intensity that had been there for years, but it slowly ebbed away as he shot her a genuine smile.

"Two minutes to go, Swan."

Killian's voice sounded through the air and though the kids took notice, Emma knew she would be the one who had to get them organized. They had yet to show them this place before, but after a few excursions closer to home Emma and Killian decided their little brood was ready for a full hour on the water. That they were going somewhere that was dear to both Emma and Killian's hearts made it all the better.

"Alright guys, Dad and I told you that we had a surprise right?" All the kids nodded. "Well part of the surprise needs us to be very quiet. If we're too loud, it might not go exactly like we planned. Think we can handle it?"

Jack tugged at Emma's shirt lightly before giving his best stage whisper.

"Like when we play the quiet game at school, Mommy?" Emma nodded and smiled.

"Just like that buddy. Ready?" They all nodded and the game began.

There were some upsets of course. Sixty seconds in Lizzie and Hope exchanged a look that set them into giggles that they tried to repress and right before the two-minute mark Meara hiccupped loudly which made Jack yelp a bit in surprise. But for the most part they were good, holding it in until Killian gave the signal and they all looked out to the awaiting view.

"Oh my gosh! Seals?!" Hope exclaimed, wonder and amazement in her eyes. All the other kids articulated similar astonishment. Their silence was long forgotten, and all of them chattered away about the last time they went to the aquarium and how real seals looked way bigger than their stuffed animals.

"I'd call this a success love, wouldn't you?" Killian asked as he nuzzled into Meara's forehead, sending their youngest into another fit of giggles.

"I would have to agree, Captain."

Emma noticed the flash of heat in Killian's blue eyes, the same one that she'd been on the receiving end of for years, but this was the opposite of a time they could act on that. Tonight though was a different story. They had their monthly date night and it happened to fall on a cousin sleepover, which meant Killian and Emma would be completely alone for hours on end.

Killian's low hum of approval and a gentle kiss on her lips brought Emma from the thick of those thoughts. He smiled at her and Emma returned it willingly. With graceful movements he took Meara from Emma's arms and insisted that she find her camera. He was right to do so, because the shots Emma got rivaled her best ones yet.

Out here on the water this perfect sunny day the light hit everything just right, brightening their children's already luminous faces. Their eyes shone brighter, their smiles were wider and they just seemed happier which was the best thing in the world for Emma to see as a mom.

Emma took candids of Lizzie helping Hunter with his vest and her son staring adoringly up at his sister and some of Hope staring out with her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to count all the animals she saw on the rocks. There were ones of Killian pointing in the distance to a joyous Meara and a few of Jack standing there, calm and steady as he watched the ocean more than the creatures around them. The seals themselves were just an added bonus and while they got to be the subjects of a few pictures (mostly at her children's request), those weren't the pictures Emma would treasure forever.

In ten years the seals all remained just as lazy and lounging as they did when Killian took Emma here the day they agreed they were dating. Emma shook her head, trying to imagine how they'd once started unsure of each other. Life without Killian in it would be so incredibly lacking, but there was a time she hadn't had him.

Now he was her partner, her best friend, and the love of her life. He was the father her children deserved, an honorable man who's hand held hers at every turn. Even now, when he was across the deck with the kids, he never lost track of Emma. Killian's attentiveness had never died away, and as he'd promised, there was never a day when she didn't know that she and the kids were his whole world.

"What about all of us, Mom?" Lizzie finally asked and Emma didn't take her meaning. "We need a picture of all of us."

"That we do, love." Killian hugged Lizzie closer to his side as Emma grabbed the camera stand Killian had stashed away below decks. She set up the camera and the little light blinked telling her they had a few seconds left.

"Everyone say grilled cheese." Killian said making Emma laugh. He did this every time, but every time it struck her as hilarious.

"Grilled cheese!"

The camera flashed catching Emma in the middle of her laugh and Killian looking at her with the kids all smiling wide as the Cheshire cat. It was a gorgeous picture for their beautiful family and a way to insure that the memory of this day would never fade. Not that it ever could; moments this good lived on forever. That's just how powerful they were.

…

Granny's with the Jones clan could never prove a dull affair. Bringing five kids in for a meal, all of them ten and under was a hard fought feat in itself, but it was one that Emma and Killian were used to. They had it all down to a science, from ordering to managing the mess that their kids often brought with them. But today's real test would come from the dessert following. Ice cream with the people they loved might be a bit of a tradition in this big group of friends and family, but that didn't make it any easier.

"I hope no one else was thinking of coming here today. They'd be in for a rude awakening."

Killian chuckled at Dave's assessment as he looked back from the counter to the space around them. His best mate was not wrong. Four separate long tables had been brought together to accommodate their group, and even that wasn't really enough. The whole scoop shop was full with the sounds of kids laughing and playing and their mothers talking amongst themselves.

"One look in the window and I think most sane people would stay clear."

Killian didn't say that because anyone in this family had anything to be ashamed of. None of the children in this group were misbehaved or bad by any means, there were simply so many of them. Between the six couples that made up this troop, there were twenty-one kids all of whom were about to get that rush that always seemed to come to little ones when they got their hands on sugar.

In the midst of that subtly wrangled chaos though was Emma, who had all the patience of a saint when it came to their kids. She never raised her voice, never scolded like so many parents did. Instead she taught their children that the most important thing to have in love was respect for one another. They knew that what Emma said went, and much as she might like to tease him and call him Captain, there was no denying who was running their family ship.

"You've got that look again, brother." Killian looked over to Liam who was securing ice creams for Elsa, him, and their kids.

"And what look is that?" Emma's eyes flicked up to Killian's at that moment and she smiled, lighting his whole world up as she did. When she urged Meara to wave at him it only set the tug at his heartstrings holding tighter.

"The one that says you're about to do something romantic, thus leaving the rest of us at a loss with our wives."

David laughed at that, agreeing immediately and Killian didn't know how to respond to that. He hadn't any intention of doing something out of the ordinary right now, but tonight was another story. When he said as much it was Graham who responded.

"That's what you say, but we all know you're gonna go over to Emma and pull out some hidden flower or quote poetry and the rest of us will be sitting there like chumps with ice cream melting all over us." Killian didn't bother arguing with that. He could claim he wasn't going to do anything, but if an opportunity presented itself to make Emma smile he'd always claim it.

"Usual order today, Killian?" The attendant asked and Killian shook his head, filling in the woman serving him with a slight change. If he hadn't been in the midst of some censure from his brother and his friends he likely would have stuck with his normal selection, but he needed the distraction. As it was, Killian was still taking the heat from them all until his order was ready and he made his get away back to Emma and the kids.

"Everything okay back there?" Emma asked as Killian sat down beside her after getting the kids squared away.

"Everything is perfect, Swan." Emma gave him a doubtful look and he distracted her by reaching for her hand. He brought it to his lips to kiss and as often happened when he undertook the gesture, Emma's face softened into a smile.

"Called it." Liam coughed the words out from where he took his spot beside his wife, but Elsa swatted Liam's arm telling him to lay off. Liam then distracted Elsa with a kiss of his own.

Killian took the chance to immerse himself back into the festivities before them. He looked at how all the little one's were blended together. There were many bonds here, and no one was at a loss for kinship, but the dynamics never ceased to amuse Killian.

Lizzie was currently being admired by three of the littler lasses for her auburn hair. His daughter handled it gracefully even when the little one's wouldn't let go of the wavy tendrils. She was very patient just like Emma and Killian knew it wasn't just from her time in their home, but the time before. When they'd adopted Lizzie she'd been one of ten kids in her group home and she'd been overlooked for adoption a few times by then. But Emma took one look into her green eyes and saw herself at that age, and that was it. In every way that mattered Lizzie was his daughter, just as much as Hope or Meara.

Meanwhile Parker, David and Mary Margaret's youngest son was breaking down his latest toy ship to Jack and Hunter. Parker was an unofficial member of the Jones clan simply because of how much the twins loved him, and Dave often joked that it would be Parker and the twins carrying on their legacy when it finally came time to retire. Since Will's kids had less than any interest in ship building, taking instead after their mother's love for books and indoors, Killian believed he might be on to something.

"You ordered something different," Emma's words pulled Killian from his thinking and Killian looked down at his ice cream. In truth he'd barely tasted the damn thing. Fixated as he was on keeping check of the kids in between sneaking glances at his lovely wife.

"Appears I did, love." Emma smiled.

"Can I try?" Killian offered his cone to her and Emma licked it. There was nothing overly flirtatious about the act but Killian felt himself losing it. "That is good. But not exactly how I thought you were going to let me taste."

"Bloody siren." Emma laughed as Killian pressed a kiss to her lips. It was gentle and light and over too soon thanks to a little child-interference.

"Kiss!" Meara's loud demand from beside them in her high chair made Emma and Killian laugh and Emma pressed a kiss to Meara's cheek.

Killian heard the familiar click click click of a camera, but since Emma was without her favorite accessory today, he imagined it was his niece. Just as he suspected, Killian looked over to find Lena sitting across the table with Hope, sneaking pictures of Emma with Meara. Perhaps she'd even gotten one of his and Emma's kiss without him knowing it.

"Funny how Hope only seems to care about photography if her cousin shows her. If I so much as try to explain how to develop a picture…"

"She gives that dramatic sigh as if you've bored her to the brink of death. Aye, love. Same thing happens when I try to explain boat building to her." Emma smiled at that.

"If this is what ten looks like, just imagine fifteen." Killian groaned, not liking the thought of any of the kids getting older, but they were. Soon there would be teenage heartbreaks, gossip, drama of all kinds and when it came he'd have not one but two teenage girls in the house.

"Not happening. They'll be little forever. Isn't that right, son?"

Hunter blinked up at Killian, his face covered in chocolate ice cream. He might be five but he had taken no pains in learning how not to eat like a toddler. Jack meanwhile sat beside him, identical to his brother but without all the same mess. That was just like the twins. One was messy, the other neat. One was the leader, the other followed. But through it all they stuck together, best friends even on the worst of days.

"What?" Killian and Emma laughed as Killian moved to mess up Hunter's hair a bit. He then implored his son to use his napkin. Hunter wasn't thrilled but he complied.

"So you guys are still dropping them off at five right? I've got dino nuggets." Jack's eyes went wide at Elsa's mention of dinosaurs he could eat and Killian laughed again.

"Aye, love. Pick up still at noon?" Elsa nodded and Killian was grateful for it. When was the last time he and his Swan had a lazy morning? The answer was ages and ages ago, and they were about due as far as he was concerned. Emma's happy sigh as she leaned against his shoulder told Killian she agreed.

"Just a few more hours and you're mine, love." Emma smiled.

"I'm always yours." After all these years nothing compared to hearing Emma say that to him. Now he just wanted to make sure they had a night to celebrate how lucky they were to have each other and this beautiful life they'd built together.

….

Turning once more to make sure that her outfit was just as she wanted it for the evening, Emma smiled at her reflection. It was impossible not to really. She looked damn good, but more than that she looked happy. That excitement in her eyes and the flush in her cheeks were undeniable and it was all because she was getting another moment with her Captain away from the world.

To be fair she loved the world that they had built together. This house was more a home than any other place ever could be, and her kids were everything Emma ever dreamed in more. Creative and compassionate, funny and bright, none of them were without gifts and all of them were special to Emma.

She also still had a job she loved, and she was lucky enough that it didn't call her away from the family she put above everything else. And every night she went to bed in the arms of the man she loved only to wake up to him the next day. So yeah, Emma was smiling, because life was pretty amazing.

Killian was waiting for her right now downstairs and in typical fashion he'd told her nothing about where they were going or what his plan was. That was fine with Emma. She'd learned by now that there was no one she could trust more than her Captain. Wherever he led tonight she was bound to enjoy herself. It was practically a guarantee.

Even if they'd gone on hundreds of dates, been married more than ten years, and had five kids together, Emma never felt any less hopeful when she got the chance to be with Killian. Time had done nothing to dull what it meant to be in love with him and what it meant to be loved in return.

People said that they were lucky to have that spark like this after so many years, but Emma doubted it was luck. Fate seemed a more likely culprit, and that was fine by Emma. Whatever had gotten her here, to this moment, she was grateful.

Emma moved down the stairs stealthy, or at least as subtly as heels allowed for, and she was rewarded with an unaware Killian. Perfect. Now she didn't have to worry about tripping from her own butterflies when he eventually turned around and looked at her.

"Ready to go?" Emma asked as Killian turned. He paused mid swivel, and Emma watched the appreciation in his gaze as he did so. The little black dress pulled the exact response she'd wanted. Killian had gone from easy going and anticipating the evening to undressing her with his eyes in two seconds flat.

"You look stunning, Swan."

Emma laughed at his familiar compliment, coming over to straighten out the collar of his jacket a little bit. Okay she really came over to step into his space. She couldn't resist tempting him a little more. Maybe if she was very lucky Emma would get some of her husband's ever present control to slip. As it was, his hands came to hold her in place with him, warming her through as they did.

"You don't look so bad yourself." Emma moved so she was a whisper away from kissing him and then nipped softly at his bottom lip. Killian groaned aloud.

"Tempting as you are, my love, I will see this date through."

"Sure I can't convince you?"

"I'm certain that you could, Swan. You can do anything you set your mind to, but let's have the date before and then a night of ravishing as you deserve straight after." When he put it like that, Emma had no desire to argue with his plan.

Little did Emma know that her husband was outdoing himself on the thoughtful scale, because here on a random date night that had nothing to do with anniversaries or a milestone achieved, he brought her back to the start of things.

"Our first date," Emma whispered as she looked at the Seaside Museum. They'd been here plenty of times over the years, bringing the kids to see the strange architecture and interesting artifacts, but never like this. Tonight Killian had recreated every beat and every moment right down to the most precise details.

The food, the champagne, the set up in the widow's walk looking out into the sunset: It was all exactly like Emma remembered. Killian's hand held hers, his kisses came at intermittent points and his eyes rarely strayed from hers, and all the while she sat there knowing that this man had changed the game. He'd changed her world all while letting her be exactly who she was.

"So what do you think of the surprise, Swan?" Emma leaned into Killian's side unsure of how to even say all that she was feeling. It was so much, and at the same time it was so Killian. Thoughtful, romantic, over the top, and filled with so much love that just was.

"I think it's incredibly obvious why I love you. You're so good to me."

"No better than you deserve." Emma smiled at his deferring her compliment.

"I know. I know. You'd give me the whole world if you could. Hate to break it to you, Killian, but you kind of already did." Killian chuckled, pulling her closer beside him on the blanket as the fading light of the sunset painted the sky a mix of pinks and orange.

"What if I told you I had one more stop left for the evening?" Emma couldn't imagine how he'd have another surprise lined up, but she wanted to see it all the same. She agreed and they set off, but Emma never would have imagined that they'd end up here.

"The park?"

Killian nodded, holding Emma's hand in his as she came to terms with how very different this familiar place looked right now. They were stationed across the street from the park but Emma could see that instead of the normal flood lights, there were softer twinkle lights hanging about that made this place seem so much more than its ordinary self.

"This is the spot where I fell in love with you Emma. All it took was one look and I knew that you were it for me. I was hooked so to speak." Emma laughed at the characterization but then looked down at the sidewalk they were standing on.

"Maybe if you'd introduced yourself then right over there could have been my spot instead of Elsa and Liam's old house." Killian smiled, his fingers coming up to push a strand of her hair back behind her ear before he led them across the street and into the park itself.

"Funny you should mention that love, because even if it's not where you found me the first time, it's still a sacred space."

Emma looked around and tried to remember what playing with the kids that day had been like. She didn't have any particulars like he did, but something caught her eye and she turned towards the paved walk way just by the grass where they'd been playing. There, written in bright chalks of varying colors were messages. They were all written in her older daughter's handwriting, but each kid was represented here and they all made the same claim of loving her.

"Killian… I don't know what to say." Emma's eyes filled with tears at how beautiful it all was and Killian smiled.

"Say yes." Emma's brow furrowed as Killian showed Emma the last message that was from him. 'May I have this dance?' She laughed at that. How silly of her to think this night would pass without a dance.

"Yes."

With all the smooth charm that flirted with corniness she'd come to expect, Killian pulled out his phone and played a song for the two of them to dance to there in the middle of the park on a random night without any care for what everyone else might think. At this point Emma doubted anyone in town would even be surprised. Killian never tried to hide his love or his grand gestures and there had been many over the years.

"How did you get all these lights up?" Emma asked causing Killian to chuckle.

"Magic…and a fishing line." Emma grinned at his reply.

"And the kids writing the messages?"

"We stopped on the way to Liam and Elsa's."

"Hmm." Killian raised a brow at her contemplative tone.

"Something amiss love?" Emma shook her head.

"No it's beautiful, a truly spectacular evening. But I think you might have overlooked something."

Killian looked around like it was going to be a physical item missing in the midst of his gift. Emma brought her hand and her fingers traced along his strong jaw. Immediately he looked back at her.

"You forgot that I love you always, and that no matter what I was going home with you at the end of tonight." Killian hummed out his approval of that fact as Emma pressed a kiss to his lips. "Take me home Killian."

"As you wish."

….

Stirring from sleep in a darkness too present to signal morning, Killian sensed that Emma was missing. Sometime in the night she'd slipped away, and though that wasn't an entirely new phenomenon, Killian had but one choice: He had to find his lovely wife and make sure that she was okay.

Emma was bound to be in the same place that she always was when she couldn't sleep, and though he could be there in a matter of moments, Killian took his time. He had a way to comfort his Emma that worked like few other things ever could, and he would take advantage of that now.

The kids not being home and in their rooms was strange to him and as Killian passed the closed doors he knew he'd be glad to have them back tomorrow. He was used to bits of light slipping through the door since none of them were terribly fond of darkness, and the occasional incoherent muttering about whatever they were dreaming up. Mostly he just missed having his family close so he could protect them if need be.

He then moved through the hallway, which was lined with pictures, all of them beautiful and taken by Emma. They were of the kids and their extended family because that was what Emma wanted, but in his own office and at the warehouse Killian had more of Emma's prints than she displayed in the rest of the house.

In the past few years her career had taken off, and now along with the appointments she decided to take, Emma was the subject of gallery showings in Portland and Boston alike. Emma had a following and clientele now, she'd even won a slew of awards on the national stage, but she still swore up and down that the best pictures were the ones with the people she loved in them.

By the time he made it to the kitchen, Killian was starting to be more awake. He turned on the stove and got everything together that he needed for his secret weapon to woo Emma back to bed, but as he waited for the cocoa to be ready, he leaned against the counter looking in the empty room and remembering what they'd done in here last week. The kids were all at school and Meara had been down for a nap when Killian stopped home for lunch. Only they never actually got that far, choosing to spend their time wrapped up in each other and more pleasurable activities for a few hours that afternoon.

Killian smiled at the memory, loving that Emma was always with him. In every adventure, in every moment, she was there, blowing him away with how amazing she was day in and day out. He was a fortunate man, more blessed than anyone had a right to be and he was damned glad for it.

Finally when the cocoa was finished and he'd made it just to his Swan's liking, Killian stepped out onto the front porch and felt the cool night air that came on nights like this in Storybrooke. Just as he'd expected, Emma was curled up on the porch swing, presumably looking up to the stars until she'd heard him come outside.

"I didn't mean to wake you," Emma said this every time and he knew that she meant it. He merely replied that it was no trouble. Where she went, he'd always follow. Killian pressed a kiss to her temple, and brought his arms around her when she rested against him.

"Something on your mind in particular?" Emma shook her head as she took a sip of the cocoa and closed her eyes, relishing it without shame.

"It's just one of those nights. I didn't want to fall asleep in case…" Killian knew exactly what she was going to say because he'd had a few nights like this himself.

"In case it's all just been some magnificent dream instead of a real happily ever after." Emma nodded and he felt the action against his chest. "What can I do to show you that it's real, love?" Emma smiled.

"This is pretty good." Killian chuckled at her joke as his hands came to run through the soft golden waves of her hair.

"Then this is what we'll do."

They were silent for a while, listening to the gentle chirping of the crickets nearby and the light lapping of waves off in the distance. It was a serenade of peace and quiet, which Killian knew could heal any ailment of the heart or otherwise.

Once upon a time peace and quiet had been the most enticing fantasy for Killian. Life amongst the quiet was supposed to be his second chance. It might not be an exciting way to live, but it would be better than what he'd known before. He didn't realize then that what he'd really been searching for was Emma and the light her love brought to his world. She was the answer then just as Killian knew she always would be.

"It's too quiet." Killian grinned at Emma's words and when she stepped out of the swing and extended her hand to him Killian answered immediately.

"I was thinking the same."

"What do you say we fix that?" Her tone turned sultry, sending a pulse of longing through Killian despite the lateness and his just having had her a few hours ago.

"How might we do that, Swan?" Emma pulled him through the door, her green eyes gleaming in the dim lighting.

"I think we'll find a way."

Emma's confidence in them was well founded and the way they found was incredibly satisfying for both of them. But in the end they found more than just a temporary comfort. Together Emma and Killian found a path from that moment to the long-term happy ending that they both deserved. And all they had to do was follow the light and follow the love to get there.

Post-Note: Well there we have it. I can't believe another story has come to its close, but I just want to thank you all again for all the love and for sticking with me week after week. This AU was a joy to write and to share, and that is largely because of the awesome people who cheered on my fluffy, overly cutesy ways. I hope you all enjoyed this little epilogue and that if you haven't already you will consider reading some of my other fics. I promise it's all just as painfully cute. Anyway, hope you all have a great rest of your week and thanks again!