Hello there! So here I come again with this insanely long fiction. This is just the prologue to tell you guys a little about the beginnings of this story, but the next four chapters or so will be dedicated to how Emma and Killian fell in love with each other, because that's also a long story to tell here. I hope you'll like the first chapter!

"Emma, can you bring this to table six, please?"

"On it!" The waitress said, grabbing the dishes and tankards her boss was handing her.

A plate poised on her right hand, another balanced on her forearm and the beer mugs in the left one, Emma Swan made her way through the crowded tavern to obey the order that her boss, Matt, had just given her.

She knew that this entire situation was a risky exercise. She could drop anything at the slightest wrong move, and it was something she wasn't willing to experience. She didn't want to fix the potential damage. Her wage wasn't that high, she couldn't afford to pay for the broken plates, and she already had enough work without adding on it.

Ans she trusted herself on this. She was doing this job for ten years now. An actual decade. She'd had her fair share of broken plates and mistakes in her beginnings, but not anymore. She knew what she was doing. It was perhaps the only thing she was good at, she thought.

She didn't linger on those unpleasant thoughts. She placed the order in front of the client on said table six, and rushed back to the counter to attend to the bar, behind which she was working that night. Matt was looking for new employees, they were understaffed, and the tavern was crowded. No wonder, it was the best establishment of the kind in a hundred miles radius.

Emma suddenly felt like she was doing twenty things all at once. She was exhausted, and it was only starting to get dark outside. She still had hours to go before being allowed to get a bit of rest. But she was used to this by now. And she wouldn't complain : as long as she wasn't starving and had a roof above her head, she was happy.

The tavern would usually close around midnight, except for one special night a week, where it was open until dawn. Those days, she was allowed to finish early. Her boss knew her for so long, he liked her a lot, and she had a reason. She had a ten-year-old son awaiting for her to go to bed. Matt didn't really have a choice but to let her take this weekly day off. She was working extra-hours almost every day anyway, and she really thought she deserved this.

She sighed, smoothing the regulatory dress she had to wear every day. Then she turned to the bar to answer a client asking for her.

Her wage wasn't high for the hard job she did, but Henry and herself had been housed, free of charge, in a little room above the tavern for years. Things were a bit different, now. She'd indeed moved from the small room she'd shared with her son, what allowed her to have a bit more money, and to buy more things for her little boy. She liked that a lot. She just wanted her son to have the life he deserved.

She could easily remember all those nights she'd spent on the cold, wooden floor of the room, to let her kid sleep on the only bed they owned. Her comfort had drastically improved since then. She would certainly not complain about this. As an orphan, she'd always been used to that kind of rough treatments, but it was still nice to be able to sleep in a real bed, with real blankets. She finally felt safe, after all those years of fear and despair. And all of this was because of a very special someone. The only one with her son who'd never given up on her.

"Swan, stop daydreaming and serve the freaking clients!"

That charming comment was coming from Calvin, Matt's son. Emma tried really hard not to roll her eyes, knowing it would only make things worse, and obeyed without a word. The both of them had never gotten along. He was barely older than she was, but it wasn't stopping him from treating her like dirt. Needless to say she didn't really like that behavior.

Sure, her clothes were old and a bit damaged. Sure, she barely had enough money to feed her own son, and without that job, she would be panhandling right now. But it wasn't an excuse to treat her as if she were nothing. She was strong, she was a warrior. She just hadn't been lucky.

Her parents had abandoned her in a dark spot of the Enchanted Forest as she was barely a few hours old. To that bad start, she had to add years spent in the streets, some bad meetings, a past as a criminal and having to take care of a baby had barely seventeen.

Calvin couldn't judge her for this, because he'd been born at the right place at the right time. He couldn't even begin to imagine what she'd had to go through to survive. He would never know what true hunger was like, he only knew the softness of the silk on his skin and the love of adoring parents, and he didn't get what it was like to be left alone over and over again.

She didn't give herself a lot of credit, but she knew she was strong. She'd survived all of this, the hunger, the fear, the coldness, she'd raised a baby all by herself, and happiness had finally seemed to have found her after years of broken hopes and heartaches. Calvin couldn't get any of this. And she wouldn't waste her breath on him.

"He's a pain in the ass." Old Sam whispered as she was handing him his beer.

That made her chuckle, but she tried to hide it behind a fake cough so she wouldn't have to deal with another one of Calvin's rude comment. The old man winked at her, and took a long sip out of his drink. Sam was a regular costumer in the Howling Wolf tavern, and he'd always been really nice to her.

She knew he felt a kind of paternal affection toward her, given how young she'd been when she'd started to work there. He liked the fact she would never complain about anything. She just shrugged at him, cleaning the counter all at the same time. Glancing at Calvin to make sure he was too busy yelling at another waitress to pay attention to her, she answered :

"I'm used to it, don't worry. I won't let him get to me."

"Good, kiddo." He said. "Still, he shouldn't behave like that."

"He's just a jerk." She said with a small smile. "What about you, Sam? How are you?" She added, stopping her task to talk to the old man.

"As good as I could possibly be. We were talking about the Dark Curse with Berny." He said, gesturing to the other man sitting on his left.

"Sam, it's been almost thirty years. You should get over it sometimes." She gently teased him.

The Dark Curse. How often had she heard those words. It was the favorite subject of the older population, in the Enchanted forest. It had literally traumatized an entire generation. Emma had always lived in a Forest touched by the Dark Curse, and she liked to tease old Sam, but deep down, she could easily imagine what the citizens had felt back when the curse had hit their homes.

Overnight, the Evil Queen's threats had become real. She'd imprisoned Snow White and Prince Charming's entire kingdom, and they were now stuck in time. Without notice, what everyone now called the Black Dome had appeared around the castle, the city and everything surrounding it. Every soul that had tried to cross the Dome had ended up transforming into dust. Rumors said those touched by the curse had no idea of what was happening to them. They were living the same day over and over again, without aging, desperately stuck in their own lives.

What had been until then the capital of the Enchanted Forest had literally disappeared, erased from life, time and space, along with the kingdoms around it. People had long stopped trying to cross the damn Dome, too scared to get killed by the black mass. Finding a solution had been given up long ago.

Because if this entire situation was traumatizing, if a good part of the Forest had been touched, Emma lived in one of the remote areas, one of those places that had been almost forgotten for centuries as the capital was going strong. Through time, as the main kingdoms were nowhere to be seen, these lost places had developed to become towns, cities, ruled by lords and ladies.

Emma lived in the far north of the forest, directly opposite to the Black Dome that stood in the south. She'd never known anything else than this little village she was living in. She'd been abandoned by her parents right here. She'd come into age here, she'd panhandled here, and she'd finally found a life here.

"It's not the same for you, kiddo. You can't remember how it was like to wake up in a world where the capital was gone. People were panicking. There were riots, most of the citizens were trying to cross realms and reach another world, because everyone thought the Dark Curse was going to hit them as well." He explained as she was trying not to smile, hearing him telling her the same story for the hundredth time. "Remind me, how old are you again?"

"I'm twenty eight." She said with a small smile.

He looked a bit surprised "Oh, so you're born the year of the curse, then?"

"Not only the same year. The same day as well." She smiled with a little shrug.

"Wait, today is your birthday?" He said, opening his eyes wide.

Indeed, this cold day of fall was not only the Dark Curse's twenty-eighth birthday, but also her own. She'd been found in the woods the same morning the citizens had discovered, terrified, the new Black Dome obstructing a good part of their world. When she was little, she liked to think that her parents hadn't abandoned her willingly, but had been forced to because of the events that had occurred that night.

She'd dreamed about a woman with the same blonde her as hers, a warm smile on her face as she was singing her a lullaby and holding her close, making her feel safe. She would tell her she loved her more than anything in the world and was the most precious princess to ever live on this planet. She'd imagined a dad with green eyes and a soft grin, who would teach her how to horse ride and would take her on his strong shoulders so she could see the world from up high. A little brother or sister, maybe, with whom she could play in their big yard.

But with time, she'd understood that these were only stories she'd imagined to help her find sleep at night, curled up in a dark street, her rags for only blankets to keep warm. Because if they'd loved her, they would have come to get her way sooner. And this had never happened. She was just an orphan, unwanted, unloved for so long. But she'd finally managed to build her own perfect little family, and she was so happy. It was the best victory she could have imagined.

"Something I didn't know about you, kiddo!" Sam said with a wide smile. "And what are you doing here instead of celebrating this with your family?"

"No rest for the waitress." She joked. "My birthday isn't anything important, really. And I need the money, for my son. I certainly won't take any day off."

"Would you at least let me buy you a drink, then?" He kindly offered.

"That's so sweet of you." She smiled, touched by the gesture. "but if Calvin catches me with a glass in my hand, I won't ever hear the end of it."

"Swan, what the hell are you doing again?" The boss's son then shouted, as if to illustrate her words. "We don't pay you to talk to the costumers, are you serious right now?"

"Talking about the devil." She sighed, walking a bit away from Sam and aware that her short break was already over.

"You shouldn't let him talk to you like that. You deserve better" The old man told her, before lifting his glass up in the air. "Happy birthday, kiddo. You're brave. It's a rare quality in this crazy world."

"Thanks, Sam." She said with a smile.

And, without further ado, she started to clean the counter again. She was now well aware that if she stopped once again during the evening, Calvin would do anything to make her life a living hell, and she wasn't about to let him do this the night of her birthday.

The moon had replaced the sun for a long time already. The tavern stood right at the village's entrance, a few miles from the main city that was so much bigger than where Emma lived. The place wasn't protected by any fence and was surrounded by a thick forest, but the tavern was pretty famous in the area. The citizens were all regular costumers of the only real good tavern they could find nearby, and the village was almost right next to the harbor. The travelers had to cross the place to reach the bigger city, and were often taking a deserved break in the establishment. The Howling Wolf was therefore always crowded, and Emma was never left without something to do.

She walked out of the tavern, wrapping her old cape tighter around her shoulders to try and protect herself from the freezing cold. The place was empty. As always, she was the last one to get out. She'd worked extra-hours again to try and earn a bit more gold.

She looked around her for a few moments, and her heart fastened, as it would every night. Excited to see him, mostly. But also scared. Scared that he wasn't there, that something had happened to him, that he was gone and she'd lost him. She trusted him more than anyone, she trusted him more than she trusted herself and yet, she couldn't help herself but to be afraid. Too many abandons, too many tears and too much pain. Her past was catching up on her sometimes, and she couldn't do anything about it.

But then she noticed the dark figure walking toward her, his thumb looped in his belt, his steps assured and fast. She saw him smiling at her in the distance, and felt her entire being relaxing underneath his familiar gaze.

He was there. He was always there.

She didn't wait any longer. She rushed to the handsome man with dark hair and eyes as blue as the ocean in summer, smiling up at him. Killian Jones, former Captain Hook. Killian Jones, who had given up his pirate life for her. Killian Jones, who was taking care of her son – their son – while she was working. Killian Jones, with whom she'd decided to build a life. The man she loved. Her rock. Her soulmate.

He wrapped his left arm around her waist, hook resting on the small of her back, and she placed herself on her tiptoe to kiss him senseless on the spot. After two years spent together, after everything they'd been through, they were still more in love than ever.

She loved him so damn much. They'd both been broken by life and were a bit lost when they'd met. They'd found comfort in each other's arms. He'd given her everything, he'd given up his revenge on the Dark One, who'd killed the woman he loved back then, for her, for them. He was taking care of Henry as if he were his own son. He'd brought her walls down, same walls that she'd put around her heart to try and protect herself, because she'd been so hurt in the past. He'd proved to her that she could still trust people in this world.

They'd built a family, a home. They'd found happiness on the Jolly Roger, where they lived together, all three of them. Thanks to him, she could say that she was finally happy.

"Hey, handsome." She said, pulling a bit away to look up at him, her hand resting on his stomach.

"Hey, gorgeous." He replied in the same charming tone, what made her snort.

"Stop it already. I'm anything but pretty right now." She groaned, stretching a bit as his arm was still wrapped around her. "The tavern was crowded. I'm exhausted."

"Oh, believe me, Swan. You'd be wearing a burlap sack and still be the most stunning woman I've ever laid my eyes on." He answered softly, placing his hand on her cheek, making her smile and blush a little, because he always knew what to say to make her feel good. "Good day, today?" he continued, gesturing to the bag she was wearing on her shoulder.

She grinned widely and raised her eyebrows at him, opening the pouch to show him her treasure. Six little loaves of bread, three oranges, one ration of rice and two chicken legs. Every night, as the tavern was closing up, the employees were allowed to share the leftovers of the day between them, and since they were understaffed for a while now, she was able to bring more food back home.

The couple would generally let their son eat what he wanted, and would share what was left. It happened quite often for them to be happy with this amount of food. They would most of the time use her wage only to buy a complete meal for the little boy. Because she wasn't earning much, and money was disappearing like crazy. Especially since Henry was growing like weeds and was eating twice as much as he used to, growing out of his clothes so fast it would astonish her every time.

And they both had a dream. A wonderful dream, and they needed to save in order to live it. It was what would give them the strength to keep going, when they would both be exhausted, hungry or cold. This prospect of a better life awaiting for them at the end of the road was worth everything.

Leading a nomadic life on the Jolly Roger. Sailing from harbor to harbor. Buying products from one town to sell it back in another, and make a living out of this. Showing the world to their son. Just be happy, the three of them, forever.

Except that, to start this wonderful dream, they needed money. Lots of it, since they didn't wish to starve to death during the first few days. And her wage as a waitress, despite all her extra-hours, wasn't high. Saving wasn't easy.

Of course, Killian would help her financially every time he could. He would take small jobs here and there, woodsman, helping travelers to build their camp for the night, passing a message from one village to another. But he wasn't managing to find somewhere to work full time, since no one here wanted to hire a former pirate.

She hated that, she hated these people who couldn't see behind his past. He'd changed so much. He was so loving and kind and caring, he had the biggest heart she knew, and the citizens still couldn't understand how good of a man he was. His reputation was pursuing him, stressed by the hook he was still wearing as his left hand.

She knew how guilty he felt for not being able to bring more money back home. But she would comfort him, every time, with a soft word, a hug or a kiss. One day, they'd reach their dream. Maybe in a few years, sure, but she was willing to wait. For now, they were together, all three of them, and that was all that really mattered.

"We'll be able to last for an entire day with this." He noticed, leaning to press a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Henry is gonna be so happy." She said, grabbing an orange, knowing just how much her son liked the fruit.

"He's waiting for you, by the way." He stated, looking at her with a playful smile, knowing all too well how she was going to react to these information.

She opened her eyes wide. "Are you kidding me? He's not in bed yet? Killian, it's one in the morning. He's ten years old..."

"Don't look at me like that, I can assure you this is not my fault!" He laughed quietly. "The lad insisted to stay awake and wait for you. Who could blame him, he didn't want to miss his mum's birthday."

"Oh, babe." She said, resting her head on his shoulder as he was holding her tightly against his chest for a few seconds. "You know that, technically, it's not my birthday anymore."

"We've barely had the time to see you today, love. We needed to celebrate this sooner than later." He said, stroking her spine and making her shiver. "And we do have a few surprises for you."

"What?!" She said, looking back up at him and slowly shaking her head. "What do you mean by surprises? You know we don't have the money for this..."

"Let's say that I've taken a few more jobs lately to be able to offer you what you deserve, darling."

She felt her eyes filling with tears, hearing him say those kind words. For as far as she could remember, before meeting Killian, she'd never received anything for her birthday. When they'd got together, they'd never really had the money to do anything special. He would always figure something out, taking her to a restaurant or spending an afternoon on the beach, so she would feel special and wanted and loved, but quite frankly, having him and her son by her side was all she needed to be happy.

She looked into his eyes to try and make him understand just how much this gesture was touching her soul. He'd always been the one good for big speeches in their relationship, and she didn't know how to make him understand how much she loved him. Him and her son were the center of her world.

She absently played with her necklace, on which was hanging his brother's ring, that he'd given her all those years before. It'd become one of her quirk when she was moved. He just smiled and held her even closer for a moment. An open book, he'd always called her. She knew he could understand her without words, he could guess how she was feeling in a heartbeat and always knew what to say. God, she was so in love with him. He ended up interlacing their fingers together and said softly :

"Shall we go? The lad is waiting for us."

She nodded and followed him in the dark of the forest. In the fifteen-minute walk they took to join the ship, he managed to make her laugh several times. They talked about anything, without having to force themselves, as always. He knew everything about her, just like she knew him by heart. They even stopped walking for a few seconds, as he was answering one of her teasing with a tickle fight that made her shriek. They were often behaving like two teenagers when they were together. Because Killian Jones wasn't only her lover and soulmate : he was also her best friend.

They ended up reaching the little harbor where the Jolly Roger was tied up. At first sight, you could think it wasn't such a safe place to raise a kid, but appearances could be deceptive. Nobody would have dared to attack Captain Hook's son. Even if Emma and Henry knew him as such a gentle and kind man, she knew what he could be like when he was angry. He would have killed anyone who would have made her or Henry suffer.

She wasn't that fond of that kind of violent behavior, but she was getting him. She would have done the same if someone had attacked any of her two boys. And the threat he seemed to be to those who didn't know him personally was allowing them to raise their son in a safe place. She wasn't going to complain about that.

As the good gentleman he always was, he made her climb on the deck first, then took her hand to lead her to the captain's cabin, where they both slept every night. Henry had inherited one of the other cabin, a bit smaller, but it gave them all the privacy they needed.

As soon as Emma entered the quarters, she noticed that the table that was standing in the middle of the little room had been all set for a dinner. Candles were lightened up, laying on a light red tablecloth, and three plates were neatly placed on it. She pressed Killian's fingers between her own to quietly thank him for all of this. She was feeling so touched, she was feeling loved and wanted, and she could never thank this wonderful man enough for making her feel that way. That's when her eyes fell on her son, who, his arms folded and used as pillows, had fallen asleep on the table while waiting for them.

She had a little tenderized smile, approaching Henry to kneel on the ground and watch him sleep. He wanted to pretend he was all grown-up already, but he was still looking so young for his age. Yet, he was the most mature, clever little boy she'd ever met.

He wasn't like the other kids of his age. He liked his books more than most of his peers, and she did everything she could to offer him as much books as possible with the little savings she had. It was the least she could do, she thought, he liked reading so much and she just wanted to make him happy. She gently pushed a strand of dark hair away from his face, running her fingers through his locks, like she used to do when he was little and she would help him find sleep.

The touch of her hand woke him up. Henry looked up and blinked with a sleepy expression that made her smile, slowly coming back to reality. He immediately grinned when he saw her, and wrapped his arms around her neck for a hug. As she was faltering because of the strength if his cuddle, chuckling a bit, he exclaimed enthusiastically :

"Happy birthday, mom!"

"Thanks, kid." She answered, dropping a kiss to his hair and still smiling at how happy he seemed.

She kept him against her for a while, just enjoying his presence by her side. She would often feel guilty for not being able to spend more time with him. Her job was stopping her from watching him grow up. Of course, she would always take a day off for his birthday and would do the best she could to be with him, but she wished she could have done more. She usually left the ship around nine to make everything ready at the tavern for lunchtime, and stayed there until it was dark.

She only saw her son a few hours a day, since he was most of the time already sleeping when she was coming back, and she hated that. She loved him so much. He was astonishing her every day with his cleverness, his kindness and humor, and she would have wanted to spend each minute of her life with him and Killian. But she also had to bring some money home and put food on the table. So she knew she didn't have a choice. She was just doing her best.

Henry ended up pulling away from her to turn to Killian with a wide smile. Her boyfriend chuckled because of how happy their son looked, and protectively placed his hand on his shoulder. She smiled, happy to see them so close. Henry's birth father was long gone. He'd disappeared, leaving her heart broken and letting her deal with another abandon. He didn't even know about his son.

She'd raised him all alone for seven years, exhausting herself to try and offer her son a decent life in their little room back at the tavern. And then, Killian had arrived and everything had changed. He'd always gotten along great with the little boy, that was actually what had made him and Emma get close at first, and Henry had finally found the paternal figure he'd been lacking for so long.

Killian was so wonderful with him, advising him, listening to him, making him laugh and chasing away his nightmares. He was his son too. It wasn't the biological bound that really mattered after all. Killian had always been there. And they were a perfect little family, close and as happy as they could be. She loved both of them beyond words.

"Killian, can we give mom her gifts, now that she's here?" Henry asked, eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Of course, lad." Killian said. "You first."

Emma got back on her feet to go join Killian as Henry was proudly getting something out of the cupboard, standing opposite to the bed. She shared a questioning glance with her boyfriend, who just smiled back at her and placed his hand on the small of her back. When she turned her attention to her son again, she saw him faltering under the weight of the biggest chocolate cake she'd ever seen, and she felt her lips parting in surprise, her mouth already watering at the sight in front of her.

She couldn't even remember the last time she'd eaten something that sweet and delicious. As a kid, she used to stare at the sweets disposed in the bakeries windows, until the manager came out to chase the dirty looking little girl dressed in rags, who disturbed the costumers. Then, when she'd had Henry, all her strengths had been gathered to give him a good life. She would always buy something of the sort for his birthday, but would never really eat it to leave him enjoy it on his own. And if Killian had brought her to some really good restaurants in their relationship and she'd had a taste of what it was like to eat what she wanted, it was the biggest cake she'd ever laid her eyes on.

She was a bit out of breath, and looked at her son placing the cake on the table and smiling up at her with pure happiness. Killian chuckled, amused by her awestruck expression, and briefly buried his nose in her hair to breathe her in. He then kissed her temple, what made her come back to reality :

"What… How..." She stuttered, unable to form an articulate sentence.

"I told you, Swan. I took some jobs." Killian simply shrugged as if it were nothing.

"What kind of jobs? And how many? That kind of stuff cost a fortune!"

"Don't you worry about this, lass. Let's say that I'm preparing for this date for a few months." He simply said, making her understand that he wasn't going to give her more information.

"Thank you." She said, approaching both of them to ask for a hug, so touched by their gesture. "Thank you so much."

"Wait." Killian chuckled slightly. "The surprises aren't over yet."

"Are you insane?" She tried to protest, wondering where he'd found all that money and what she'd ever done that was so good in her life to deserve such a loving and perfect family.

He cut her off with a quick peck on her lips, making her smile. "No buts allowed, Swan. Just enjoy it. And turn around."

She stopped trying to protest and just did as he'd told, while Henry was almost bouncing up and down in excitement. Killian gently made her blonde hair fall over one of her shoulder, tickling her neck and making her shiver. As she was trying to understand what was happening and was really starting to think that her family had turned crazy, he said softly :

"We've gone together to choose it, the lad and I. I Hope you'll like it."

And, before she could answer, the cold touch of a necklace reached her skin, about three inches above the ring Killian had offered her. Intrigued, she looked down to discover a beautiful silver necklace, and three little pendants hanging on it. One was a book, the other an anchor and the last one a feather. Henry and his passion for reading. Killian and the ocean. Herself and the swan, because of her last name. Their little family, represented in a single marvel.

She turned back to them, eyes wet with tears and not even trying to imagine how much he'd payed for this beautiful necklace, because she knew it'd had to cost a damn fortune. Father and son both looked at her with questioning gazes, waiting for her to say something. They shared a playful glance when they noticed they'd made her speechless.

"So, what do you think?" Killian simply encouraged her.

"I… it's… Thank you." She said, feeling a bit lost, because before meeting Killian, she'd never been used to being put first. "Thank you so much. It'll never leave my side."

They smiled at that, and she approached them, arms wide open to hug them both, trying to make them understand how happy she was and how much she loved them. And in the dim light of their room, she held her boys tight against her for a long, long time.

"Would you tell me a story?" Henry asked, one arm under his neck to lift his head up more easily.

Killian and Emma were sitting on the edge of his bed. It was so late, their son should have been asleep for a long time, but they had lost track of time. Henry was already half-asleep despite his request, exhausted by the late hour and the amount of food he'd just ingested. Emma had to admit being full was making her pretty sleepy as well, as she'd never been used to that sensation. She smiled at her son and gently placed his blankets back so he wouldn't get cold. Then she said, turning to look at Killian :

"Sure thing, kid. What do you wanna hear?"

"Can you tell me the story of the lost princess, please?" He asked with his most adorable smile.

She narrowed his eyes at him to make him understand she wouldn't step into his trap, and he only smiled at her as an answer, still trying to coax her. She shook her head as Killian was quietly laughing, amused by their silent conversation.

The story of the lost princess was her son's favorite. It was a myth, saying that Snow White and Prince Charming had actually had a daughter the night of the Dark Curse, and that the baby was the only one who'd managed to escape the curse. Except it was nothing more than a legend to her. There was no proof of the existence of this little girl. Sure, Snow White had been pregnant right before the curse, but since no one had ever been able to cross the dome, there was no evidence of the princess ever being born.

It was just a glimpse of hope for those who thought everything could still change and the lost kingdom could one day come back to life. Because the story wasn't stopping there. It was said that the princess was destined to save her parents' kingdom. The savior, they all called her, someone capable of such powerful white magic it could break any curse. No one even knew the name of the kid.

This story shouldn't have had any kind of importance for her or her family, but it was without Henry, who had imagined since he was a toddler that Emma was actually the lost princess.

Sure, it was making sense and Emma could understand why he'd thought such a thing in the first place. He'd imagined this entire story because she was an orphan born the day of the Dark Curse, and never knew her parents. He just wanted to think himself to be a little prince and not a poor child, barely seeing his mom because she was working her life away.

It was normal and she hadn't tried to contradict him at first, thinking he was going to give up on this idea soon enough. But he'd carried on with it, claiming several times a week that she was the princess and had to go save her poor parents, that they were going to live happily ever after in a castle and everything would be okay. Like she was some kind of royalty. This kid had read way too many books.

She was starting to get really worried. He was ten now, and she didn't know if it was normal to still be holding on to such ideas at this age. And she didn't want him to live in this imaginary world and be disappointed at the end. She wasn't some kind of princess or Savior. She wasn't destined to do anything. She was just an orphan, exhausting herself at work to try and feed the family she'd managed to build over the years. She was never going to be more than that.

"It's a myth, Henry, not a story." She sighed.

"But mom..." He tried to protest.

"No, kid." She gently cut him off. "I'm not a princess. I'm not a Savior. It's not me. We don't even know of this kid ever existed in the first place. It's time to let it go, now."

He just shrugged at her, looking a bit disapproving at her protests and giving him the sassy look she had gotten used to every time she would say those words. Killian came to help her then, agreeing with her on this, and tried to make their son smile again by saying :

"Your mum is right, lad. But choose another story. Anything, I promise."

"Can you tell me the story of how you both met, then?" He said, grinning back at them.

Emma and Killian both shared an amused smile. The story of their meeting, as long and complicated as it was, was also one of Henry's favorite. It was eventful and full of twists, and he loved to hear his parents telling him how their lives had been turned upside down. Killian wrapped his arm around Emma's waist, pulling her close, and she started with a big smile, resting her head against her boyfriend's shoulder.

"Once Upon a time..."