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Six year old Astrid leaned over the railing of the Jolly Roger as she stared up at the moon's reflection on the sea.

She sighed in sadness, longing to know her birth parents and wanting to know if they even think about her at all.

She always wanted to know why they would give her up and for what purpose.

Hook stepped over tower and leaned against the railing, glancing down at the small blonde.

"What's the matter, lass?" Hook lightly inquired, "Seasick?"

The six year old shook her head and admitted, "No... I just- Why would mybirth parents give me up? What made them want to ever give up their child?"

The one handed pirate glanced over at her and tried to assure her, "I'm sure that they had a valid reason, kiddo. And I'm also positive that you'll find out that answer one day whenever you meet them."

Astrid glanced down and looked out at the sea again as did her adopted father, both now silent in contented thought.

Astrid stood next to Hook in front of everyone as Henry walked down the aisle and gave the ring to the said pirate.

Astrid smiled, and continued to smile when she saw her son and Alexandra walk down the aisle, throwing flower petals.

Alex grinned at Zephyr and lightly threw some petals on him as well once the two reached the end before finding their seats.

Astrid had been made the maid of honor by her sister.

Emma then stepped out in her wedding dress with Snow and David on both of her sides.

Their parents walked her down the aisle, stopping at the end.

David lifted the veil and kissed Emma on the cheek as did Snow.

David stepped over to Hook and shook hands with him before he also kissed his other daughter on the cheek.

The three of them joined their family in their seats, leaving the groom and bride.

"Ready to recite your vows?" Archie began.

Hook spoke up, "Emma, when we met, there was just one thing that mattered to me... getting my revenge. And you did something that no one else ever could-"

Astrid cleared her throat some, earning some laughter throughout everyone.

Hook grinned even more and continued, "Other than AJ, you showed me a heart full of love was... the most precious treasure of all... and one that I don't intend to lose. They say that a captain's heart belongs to his ship."

He took the ring from Archie and slid it on Emma's finger, "And with this ring, it now belongs to you."

"Killian..." Emma now spoke up, ready to kiss him and close to tears, "I spent so much of my life on my own. And then... Henry found me, and brought me to Storybrooke... and helped me find the rest of my family. But just because you learn... that you come from true love... doesn't mean that you believe that you'll ever find it. But thanks to you... now I have."

Emma took the other ring from Archie and slid it over Hook's ring finger.

"Do you, Killian Jones, take this woman to be your wife and to love her for all eternity?" Archie began.

"I do." Hook murmured.

Archie glanced over at Emma, "And do you, Emma Swan, take this man to be your husband and love him for all eternity?"

"I do." Emma also murmured, making the pirate smile even more.

"Then, it is with great pleasure that I now pronounce you husband and wife-" Archie spoke back up.

Astrid cut in, "You may kiss the bride now!"

Everyone laughed at that as Hook winked at her before he pulled Emma closer and the two kissed deeply.

Six year old Astrid sat in her bed that night, a storybook in her small arms, as her mother, Freya stepped inside of her room.

"What do you got there, darling?" Freya spoke up as she sat on the side of the bed next to her.

"It's just a book about these fairytales... They're not real." Astrid sighed, her blue eyes watery some, "They inspire hope, and hope is for suckers."

Freya smiled some, "Now, what gives you that idea? Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear."

The six year old looked up at her as Freya added, "Never lose hope, my darling girl. Promise?"

The small girl held the book tighter and nodded, giving her adopted mother a small smile, feeling better now.

At the reception, everyone was dancing and enjoying themselves while Astrid stood off to the side, a sad smile on her face.

Emma noticed the absence of her twin and spotted her, moving over to her, "Astro? Hey... What's wrong?"

Astrid gave a convincing smile and hid her left hand behind her back, "Nothing. This is... a magical night, Em. I'm so happy for you. You deserve every good thing."

Emma narrowed her eyes some, "What're you hiding behind your back? What's going on?"

Tears filled Astrid's blue eyes as she kept her smile, showing her left hand which had turned gray.

Emma widened her eyes, "What the hell is that?"

"Banishing the Black Fairy from ever stepping foot out of her realm again— it took a lot out of me..." Astrid began, "Soon, I will no longer exist in this world, but Emma-- this isn't goodbye. It never is."

The said Savior shook her head desperately, close to tears, "No, no, I can't lose you. I can't. It's always been you, Astrid, who... You always get me out of whatever problem there is. I need you. I need my sister, my twin."

Astrid pulled her into a hug while the gray spread up her entire left arm, "Hey, it's okay. We'll see each other again... in another world somehow, someway, whenever."

Emma cried in the tight embrace, continuing to shake her head, "But you won't be here with us..."

Astrid closed her eyes, a single tear falling down her face, "I will always be with you, Emma. We're twins. No matter what."

Emma sadly smiled and stepped back, wiping her face with one hand, "I'm really gonna miss you, punk."

Astrid sadly smirked, "I'm really gonna miss you too, bitch."

Emma held up her hand, "Thunder."

Astrid looked at her hand for a second before clasping her own hand in her sister's, "Lightning."

Their family soon joined them as Snow spoke up curiously, "What's going on, girls?"

The grayness soon spread up Astrid's left shoulder and up her left side.

Astrid sighed and faced them, "I'm disappearing from this world. For good."

Snow's, Hook's, and David's eyes filled with tears as they looked at their daughter in front of them, letting out, "What?"

Astrid deeply inhaled and looked at each of them, and explained, "Whenever I had defeated the Black Fairy, there was a price, and I knew there was, but it didn't matter. I couldn't lose my family. So, in order to completely banish her... I had to banish myself basically... Now, I only have a few moments left before I completely fade away..."

Hook shook his head slowly, "You said this wasn't a bloody sacrifice play, AJ." He couldn't bear to lose his adopted daughter, the first person to ever believe in him.

"I know," Astrid sighed, "But as the Creator, I bloody saw how it would've ended. And I couldn't do it. This is the better path. Trust me."

Regina was the first one to pull the immortal woman in a hug, "I'm sorry, Astrid. I hope in this next life... that you'll have you own happy beginning because you deserve it more than anyone."

Astrid hugged her back, "Thank you, Reg. I hope you do, too."

Regina smiled in the embrace before stepping back.

Snow and David was the next ones to pull Astrid into a tight hug, David moving a fatherly hand on the back of her head.

"Be safe in this next world, A," Snow murmured, "We love you. Always."

Astrid smiled and nodded as David also murmured, "Remember what we all taught you, and never lose your hope, your faith, or your belief."

"I promise," The said Creator softly assured as her parents kissed her on both her forehead and her cheek.

They parted as she faced Hook now and slowly began, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you..."

Hook stopped her, "I know why you didn't. I would have stopped you because, despite it all, you actually do listen to at least me."

Astrid nodded with tears in her eyes, "You were the one that was always there for me, even when I was a mere baby, through it all, ev-everything."

Hook sadly smiled, "And I wouldn't trade a second of it. You might've been born to Snow White and Prince Charming, but you were to be my daughter as well, kid. You will always be Astrid Jones to me. Not Creator or Artemis, just Astrid."

Astrid rushed into his arms as the two shared a long fatherly-daughterly hug, him moving a reassuring hand on the back of her head.

"I love you," Astrid murmured in tears.

"And I love you, AJ," Hook quietly let out, a tear falling down his face, "We'll see each other again. Fate can't hold us apart."

"Right. We always cross paths with each other every time." Astrid sadly laughed, stepping back and looking at each of them, "We've been through it all, and we've came out stronger each time and better because of it. We always find a way to be together."

"Mommy," Zephyr spoke up in between Henry and Robin.

Astrid knelt down to his height, moving her hands over his small arms, "This isn't goodbye. We will see each other again. I promise. Somehow, someway, somewhere, whenever. This is just... until we can find a way, but until then listen to your family. Choose to be good. Always fight. Remain hopeful, and never not be yourself."

Zephyr nodded with tears in his eyes as he watched her slowly fade somewhat, "I'm gonna miss you, Mommy, until then."

Another tear fell down Astrid's face as she laughed some more, "Oh, me too, baby, me too. I love you so much. Don't ever forget that. Okay, Zep?"

The seven year old nodded and wrapped his arms around her neck, "I love you times a million."

"Wow, that's a lot, kiddo," Astrid smiled in their embrace, "And I love you times a billion."

Zephyr grinned in their embrace also as his mother kissed the top of his head before the two parted somewhat.

She moved over to Roland and Robin, "Be good to Regina. She deserves it. And continue to do good yourself."

Robin nodded, "Likewise, Artemis."

Astrid smiled and hugged her other father figure, "Thank you for taking me in as your own when I felt like I was all alone."

Robin softly said, "You're never alone, Astrid. Always remember that."

"I will. I'll never forget." Astrid assured and knelt down to meet Roland's height, "Goodbye, my little munchkin. I love you. I'll see you one day again."

Roland jumped into her arms and hugged her, "I love you too, sissy. Go be a hero."

Astrid nodded in the embrace and handed the boy to his father before moving over to her nephew.

She began to fade some more as she faced the fourteen year old, "Man, you've grown, buddy."

Henry laughed some, "So have you, my favorite aunt."

Astrid kept her smile, "Never stop believing, Henry. You're the best Author there is."

The teenager nodded, tears in his eyes, rushed into her open arms and hugged her, his head on her shoulder.

"Believing and hope are two very powerful things." Henry stated, "And the thing I most believe in and put my hope towards? It's always been you, Aunt Astrid."

Astrid looked back at him curiously and replied, "You still have hope for me?"

"Hey... I still have hope for something four billion miles away." Henry answered with a smile, referring to his belief that Pluto is a planet even when science still says it's not.

Astrid grinned some more and nodded, "Not bad, Bud." She pushed him softly as he laughed lightly.

Parts of the immortal woman began to turn to dust as she stepped back and looked at her family once more.

Gold then stepped over to them and also spoke up, "Farewell, my dear sister. Stay good. You're one of the best purest people that I know."

Astrid softly smiled at that, "Thanks, Stiltskin. See you in the next world whenever. You're my family, too. Keep choosing good. I believe in you."

Gold nodded as she looked at each of her family one final time.

She was so lucky to have the time that she did with each of them.

And she was okay with going now. She was at peace truly for once.

It was time.

After all of the fighting, all of the suffering, all of the happiness, the laughter, the pain, the trials, everything.

It was time to move on to the next life.

She knew whatever was to come next, she could handle it because she has the best family ever, their faults included.

And she wouldn't trade any of it or any of them.

Was she scared? Not in the slightest.

Astrid then faded into dust and blew away in the wind, disappearing completely without a trace to be found.

But it didn't matter how she went.

She embraced whatever was to come with open arms because you can't ever truly plan out every single detail of your future.

So, why not? Just go the bloody hell along with it.

It's not in the destination. It's about the journey, after all.

Right?

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I cannot believe we have reached the end of finally! Yay! This has been a journey in watching my Astrid Jones grow.

This isn't entirely the end, however. I mean, if you don't want it to be after all. In the next book, Astrid Jones will be in world separate from the Once Upon A Time universe. You, as the readers, have decided and have picked the Marvel universe and Bucky Barnes. So, that is what you shall get!

I am super excited to write that next book and already have several ideas about her part in the Marvel timeline and all that.

Or if you would prefer not the Marvel world, I can do a separate book about a different crossover- possibly- of your choice entirely. (i.e it could be Supernatural, Teen Wolf, or some other show or even movie, who knows?) There are endless possibilities to all of it.

And then we all say in Artemis, THE END.

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