Missing Year

Ocean Princess

"Then we are all in trouble." The adults laugh. Granny served the family their meal.

After the diner, Emma and Killian took turns letting Hope walk to them on Main Street. Henry was taking photos and videos of his sister walking to their parents on his parents' iPhones. His Mom phone vibrates. "Mom, you have a phone call."

"Kid, take over." She takes her iPhone from her son.

Henry kneels down. "Hope, walk to me, baby sis."

"Wy-wy!"

Emma swipes and answered her iPhone. "This is the sheriff Emma."

"Hi, Emma. This is Prince Eric."

"Hi Prince Eric."

"Ariel had the baby."

"Ariel had the baby!" Killian and Henry stood up smiling.

"Yes. We want you, Killian, and your family to meet our daughter first."

"We will see you all very soon." She ends her phone call.

"Love, is that Prince Eric?"

"Yes, Ariel had the baby. It is a girl!"

"Awesome! The baby's birthday 10 days before mine."

"Yes, another princess to our crew."

"Aye, an ocean princess."

Emma faces her daughter. "Hope, Ariel had her baby. A baby girl. We are going to meet your best friend!" Hope smiles.

"Swan, I will drive us there."

"I have a gift for Ariel and the baby at the house." The family walked home. Emma went inside to get Ariel's baby gift as Killian changes Hope's diaper before they went into the yellowbug. Hope was babbling. "Are you excited to meet your best friend?" Hope babbles. "Yes, you are excited. I know you will be so nice to your new best friend. Because when Daddy met Ariel, I was mean to her."

He holds Hope on hip and faces her. His daughter who grabbed his face with her two sticky soft hands. "Once upon a time, in Neverland, I was fighting Peter Pan and the lost boys. I was full of hate, very very mean. When Daddy was helping Ursula, he found the Jolly Roger,he used magic to make the Jolly Roger big again. Ursula hurt Daddy on the head when I could not give her singing voice back to her. In the tiny bottle, where the Jolly Roger was before it returned to its normal size. When Daddy was drowning, Ariel saved Daddy. I found out that Ariel had a baby in her belly, I saved Ariel from the bottle. I saved Ariel and your bestfriend." Hope screams. Emma was watching Killian telling the pirate tale to Hope by the door of Hope's bedroom.

Emma enters the room. "Hope is saying I love your pirate story, Dada."

He smiles. "Swan, did you enjoy the pirate tale?"

"Yes, captain, I did." They kiss.

"Mama." Emma scoops Hope into her arms and kisses her on the cheek.

Killian drove his family to the hospital in the yellow bug. "Mama." Hope began crying.

"Baby sis, Mommy is in the car with us."

Emma turned around. "Sweetie." She placed her hand on her daughter's knee. "We are almost there. Then, we can snuggle." Hope just continues to cry. Emma does not like seeing her daughter upset.

Killian knows his wife was hurting. "Love, it is way past her nap time."

"You are right." He parks the car.

Emma goes into the back of the yellowbug to her very upset daughter. She unbuckles her and held her in her arms. "Hopey, Mommy is here."

Hope hugs her Mommy stops crying. "Mama."