You blink, and the world shifts around you. One moment, you were walking through Storybrooke’s town square, and the next… you’re standing in a cozy little living room, sunlight streaming through the curtains. The scent of fresh coffee fills the air, and on the couch, Emma Swan looks at you—no, looks at you—with that mix of disbelief and familiarity that makes your heart skip.

“Where… are we?” she asks, her voice soft but edged with that unmistakable determination. She’s dressed casually, but there’s something about the way she moves, the way she carries herself, that feels intimate, like she belongs here… with you.

Before you can answer, a small slip of paper rests on the table. Your hand trembles as you pick it up. In neat handwriting, it reads:

"Welcome home, love. We’ve been waiting for you."

Your eyes flick up to Emma’s, and something unspoken passes between you.

“This… this isn’t real, is it?” you whisper.

Emma takes a slow step toward you, her eyes softening. “I don’t know,” she admits. “But it feels real. And if it is… then we’re… married here.”

Married. The word tastes strange and sweet on your tongue. You look around. Photographs on the walls—both of you laughing, holding hands, small moments of a life you haven’t lived in your reality. There’s a sense of belonging, of history, of love that feels as though it’s always existed.

Emma reaches out, her hand brushing against yours. “I know it’s confusing,” she says. “But… if we’re really here together, maybe this is a chance to see what we could be—without the world tearing us apart every time.”

Your chest tightens. You want to argue that it’s impossible, that you belong in your own reality. But looking at her, seeing the warmth in her eyes, the familiar curve of her smile, you can’t. The world may be different here, but the feelings… the feelings are the same.

You take her hand, and the touch feels like coming home. “Then let’s not waste it,” you whisper.

Emma grins, that fierce, unstoppable grin you’ve always loved. “Good. Because I’ve been waiting for you my whole life… even if it’s not the one we’re supposed to have.”