Thank you for reading guys, it's been a pleasure. Hope you're all coping with lockdown...

"...Happy birthday to you!" They all finished singing and watched the girls blow their candles out, cheers echoing. The crowd dispersed from around them and Granny started cutting the cake, well, the one that they were sharing. The other two cakes were for home. Emilia still thought it was a little excessive.

Emma spotted her dad and Regina and smiled as she put her arms around the girls. "It worked."

"Never doubted it would." Meredith glanced over to her parents, David's arms around Regina's waist. "But they never actually do break up."

"Never?" Emma questioned with a shocked expression.

"Nope." Emilia replied with a smile. "This right here is the closest they ever get."

"So you know what it was about?" She couldn't deny she was intrigued. Her dad and Regina argued frequently but never like that. It was never ignoring each other or pretending nothing happened, it was always heated. Regina always told everyone what he'd done wrong and he did the same. But not this time which had Emma thinking it must have been deeper.

Emilia and Meredith both shook their heads. "We don't spy on them. Not after we dug into moms past." Meredith cringed a little at the memory of what she'd seen.

Emma gave a knowing look at that, having heard Regina recount her past to her well over a decade ago. "It made her who she is." She stated and looked between the twins. Even after 17 years she sometimes just had to look at them, not really believing they truly came to be. "It must be weird being able to see all of that. Isn't it tempting to just know everything?"

"Yes." "No." The girls replied at the same time.

"Meredith!"

"What?! Surely you find it tempting!"

"No I don't. I can't always control it, I used to do it all the time but I stopped after Snow White."

Meredith sighed. That made sense. "But it's pretty cool. I stay away from when you all die but everything else is pretty much on the table."

"Thanks." Emma replied with a dry laugh.

"Hi." A voice came from behind them and they all turned to see Snow. Emma's arms dropped from around the girls and an excuse to leave was on the tip of her tongue. Snow saw the move in Emma's eyes and quickly dove in. "Don't leave, Emma. I just came to..." They all saw her hesitate for a second before shaking her head. "I don't know why I came over. I guess I just wanted to say happy birthday to you two."

"Thank you." Meredith replied and felt Emilia penetrate her head for a second causing her to hiss. Looking to the side she saw her sisters harsh gaze and looked down.

Snow saw the interaction and sighed to herself. She understood why they couldn't forgive her, Emma and Emilia especially, but it didn't mean it hurt any less.

Closing her eyes briefly Snow took a breath. "I'll go-"

"No you won't Snow." They all jumped a little as Regina slotted herself between Emilia and Emma, grabbing Emilia's shoulder in warning. "Emilia has something to say first."

Internally rolling her eyes so her mom didn't see, Emilia forced a tight smile. "Thank you. Snow."

A dejected smile graced Snow's face as she turned back to Naveen and Charlotte in their booth. "Emilia." Regina said in warning.

"You're not the one she tied to a chair and electrocuted." Emilia deadpanned.

Regina gave a tired look to her daughter. "She shares a heart with your dad, she tried to kill me when I was pregnant, she tried to turn Neal against me and she electrocuted my kids." She tucked a piece of Emilia's hair behind her ear. "I know what it's like to hate her but I've done worse and she forgave me. So forgive her."

"It's not that easy." A quiet voice came from her.

"I know." Regina kissed her head. "But try, that's all I can ask."

"Okay." Emilia hugged her mom. She knew it was the right thing to do and she would forgive her eventually but right now it still hurt.

"Thank you." Regina sighed contently as her daughter hugged her tightly.

It was difficult for Regina to wrap her head around the fact that her children were practically adults now. Henry had grown up too quick and Neal had followed suit. Regina wasn't sure why but having Emilia and Meredith grow up was hitting her harder. They were her last chance to be a mom and now she felt redundant. They didn't need stories reading to them or help with their homework anymore, they were their own people and as happy as she was to see it, it hurt that her job was practically done. Before she could get too teary she pulled back from Emilia and cupped her face giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Go and enjoy yourself." She said to her daughter before drifting off and finding a seat.

Before she could even take a breath she felt a presence next to her. "She's okay isn't she?"

"Of course she is." Regina replied sympathetically as Belle looked at April pinching Liam's arm. "She's more than okay, she's happy."

Belle gave a heavy sigh. "We've never really been the closest." She finally looked to Regina trying to contain the tears in her eyes. "With Gideon it was easy but I never really understood April. I still don't."

"Look Belle." Regina breathed. "You're an amazing mother and April loves you more than she'd probably ever let you know but she's not like most kids. You're the woman that saw the man behind the beast, that accepts change and individuality from everyone..." Regina wasn't sure how to approach the next bit. "But when April began to change you weren't there for her-"

"But-"

"You weren't." Regina stuck to her words and cut Belle off from arguing. "You pushed for her to be the daughter you always imagined and she rebelled more and more as you pushed harder and harder. I mean the girl was petrified tonight at the thought of you seeing her in a dress because she thinks you'll push her to wear more girly things when the truth is, if you hadn't have made such a big deal in the first place she'd have probably worn things like this sooner. Yes, she can be a bit rebellious and I know Emilia doesn't always help that, especially the skipping school, but that's what kids do. So I beg you, don't mention the dress or how she's wearing less makeup, just let her be herself and she'll come around."

"You always know how to handle her. You're the one she goes to when she needs an adult and you tell Rumple. I'm never in the loop. I just feel so... on the outside. It feels like you've always been her person and I don't know how to change that."

"I won't lie and say I'm not close with her because I am. She's Emilia's best friend and Meredith's girlfriend, she's practically lived at our house for a few years but the only reason we ended up so close is because you wanted to control her and I left her alone. She comes to speak to me because I don't obviously push her, I let her talk and cry and get it all out before I butt in and try and help." Regina saw Belle wipe her eyes quickly. "But there is something you'd be able to help her with that I can't."

"What?" Belle asked and cursed herself for sounding so desperate.

Clenching her teeth in anger at herself for not being able to get through to the girl, Regina sighed. "Magic."

"How would I help her with magic? I don't have magic."

"Exactly." Turning for a second, Regina watched April sat on the corner of a booth with Emilia rested between her legs and them both laughing at Liam and Will seemingly playing a stupid game. Returning her eyes to Belle she began again. "April doesn't see the good in magic. The only times she uses it is when she loses control and lashes out. I'm not a good example, Evil Queen and all, Rumples not a good example being the Dark One, Snow tried to kill my kids, her best friend included, using magic and Emma is just as bad at not using it. April isn't going to listen to someone with magic so she needs her mom to help her embrace it. Help her."

"I don't know how." She was ashamed to admit it but she didn't.

"Which is why you're perfect. She doesn't need you to be in control and understand everything. She needs you to be by her side and help her."

"You really think so?" Belle sounded so small that all Regina did was nod. "Okay. Thank you. I know we don't always see eye to eye but really, thank you, for looking out for her all these years."

"She's part of the family, Belle. So are you." Regina smiled at the woman lightly. They'd never really been friends, the only time they'd been mildly friendly was when Belle told Regina about the whole town knowing about herself and David. But they'd always cared about the others children, they'd always remained civil. They were family and at the end of the day that's what counted. With a final nod to Regina, Belle gathered herself and got up, moving towards the bar.

Emilia watched Belle walk away from her mom and smiled lightly before a fist made contact with her arm. "Ow you prat!" Emilia retaliated and shot Liam back in the arm.

"Birthday digs." He smiled broadly and hit her again.

"Do that once more and I swear to- Ow!" Another hit made contact with her arm and she froze him in place with a raise of her hand. Literally froze the boy.

April and Will were laughing so hard that they drew the attention of others. Icicles hung from his nose and the only part of him that could move was his eyes. "Oh that's just brilliant." April recovered and touched his cold face. "Can we keep him like this?"

"I think your son is getting bullied." David stepped next to Killian by the bar and saw the man look his frozen child.

A laugh escaped Killian. "I'm sure he deserved it."

"Who deserves what?" Emma appeared behind her husband.

Killian pointed. "Liam's a human popsicle."

The second she saw him she burst out laughing. "Take a picture, Em!" Emma shouted and Emilia replied with a thumbs up as she got her phone out. "If I could I'd learn how to do that." Emma leant against the bar and nodded her head towards the kids. "Maggie would never be naughty again."

"Child services might have a problem with that?" David reminded his daughter that she wasn't the only authority.

Emma shrugged. "Who'd believe a child saying that their parent has magic and turns them into ice? I'd win."

"On that note I think he needs to be released before you get any other ideas." Killian kissed Emma's cheek before heading off in the direction of the kids.

With that Emma was left with her dad and a cocky grin graced her features. "So you and Regina are good again." It wasn't a question.

David rolled his eyes. "Yes, I suppose we have you to thank for that."

"Well, I mean I had a lot of help from my favourite sisters." She giggled lightly watching as Liam got unfrozen and returned to hit Emilia once more before he held his hands up in surrender. Turning back to her dad she sobered a little. "But really, I'm glad you're both back to you two. You had us scared for a minute."

"I was scared for a minute." The reality hit him in that room. The words she'd been saying had made so much sense and he'd genuinely feared that she'd want nothing to do with him after he put her through that. But this was Regina. She was more than a true love or a soul mate. She was more in every way and had been for nearly two decades. "So really, thank you." He placed an arm around his daughter and kissed her head.

Emma let herself sink into her dad. "They're all really growing up." They both took a second to watch the kids, even Maggie and Charlotte were running around like best friends. "Like really fast."

"They're getting sentimental." April sneaked an arm around Meredith making her jump a little. "Your dad and Emma."

Meredith gave a small smile. "Yeah I guess they are."

There was a pause where April looked at her girlfriend and noticed her sadness. The way her eyes didn't really leave the sight of Emilia, Liam and Will being the boys they are. "Hey, speak to me." April nudged her gently.

"I don't really fit in, do I?" Meredith turned into April and rested her head on her shoulder.

"What?" April frowned looking down at her. Didn't fit in? This was Meredith. She was popular, everyone was her friend. How didn't she fit in?

A sigh left her. "With you guys. I don't fit in."

"I didn't think you'd want to." April was confused.

Removing her head from April's shoulder, Meredith looked at her. "Of course I want to. You're my girlfriend, Em's my sister and Liam's family. Will pretty much is too. And I've never fit in with you guys. You're your own little impenetrable group and I'm always on the outside."

"But you don't even like Liam and we never got on like friends, Em was always my best friend. As for Will, I mean, you used to tease him with all the other kids."

"I was a child then, I'd never do that now."

"And he knows that, we all know that. But you don't really want to be friends with us all." Meredith looked as if she were about to argue before April continued quickly. "You have Samantha and Lucy and your cheer girls. You don't fit in with us because we don't really fit at all. Liam lives in a different century, Will's mute to the public, I'm a metal freak and Em's Em. I get what you're saying but we don't have to have the same friends. I love you for you." April smiled and got one back. "Even if your best friend is Samantha."

"Hey!" Meredith swatted April mid laugh.

"Sorry I couldn't resist." April tucked a piece of hair behind Meredith's ear. "We don't have the same circle and that's okay."

"I love you." Meredith kissed her lightly. She knew she was being stupid but seeing them had always made her jealous. But they weren't her people, April was right.

A small dart of paper hit Meredith. "So soppy." Liam scrunched his face up at the pair before turning to Will and Emilia. "Are they always this soppy?"

"Oh yeah." Emilia replied with a giant smile.

"And you two are so much better." Meredith made her way over holding April's hand.

Emilia rolled her eyes. "In public, yes."

April sniggered. "Only because you spent years pretending you were just friends."

"As opposed to years pretending to be enemies?" Liam shot back and Will grinned.

"Hey guys." A girly voice hit them and Liam turned and barely contained his disgust.

Looking to Emilia he grimaced. "Oh joy." The grin he got in return made him grin back.

Meredith sensed the change but didn't feel completely awful this time. They didn't have the same group and that was okay. "Hey, Sam." Meredith replied to Samantha and kissed April again before going off to the rest of the cheer girls.

Will linked his pinky with Emilia's and she smiled. It was something they did before they were public, even before they were together. "Happy birthday."

"Who'd have thought you'd have made it to seventeen." Liam said and the other three looked at him. "What? She does die like pretty often."

"You are such a prat, Liam." April nudged him and the rest laughed. He wasn't wrong.

Regina found David and slipped her arms around him from behind causing him to turn slightly and raise an arm so she could slip to the side of him. Putting his arm over her shoulders he felt her lean into him. "They're all grown up." She whispered lightly watching the children.

"Funny, Emma just said the same." David kissed the side of her head and she looked up a him. "We did a good job."

"Not too bad." Regina smiled and David couldn't resist kissing her lips. "Did you ever think this would happen?" Regina asked as he pulled away.

David shook his head. "Never." He pecked her lips again. "But I am so happy it did. I love you." He kissed her once more. "So much."

"I love you too." Regina put a hand to his face and kissed him lightly.

Pure happiness overtook her and she could help her smile as she snuggled back into David. They were where they were meant to be. It may not have started the way they'd hoped but it worked. The universe certainly knew what it was doing and a final look to each other told them they wouldn't have had it any other way. The dreams that haunted them turned into something so wonderful that words couldn't express it.

The beautiful nightmares led to the best life they could have imagined. No it hadn't always been perfect and yes they had their bumps in the road but it's what made them them.

Everyone finally got their happy ending.

The End.