Snowing Fluff One shot set between Snow Falls and 7:15 am.

Some of us who saw the season 3 final were more than a little upset that a certain heroic scene was rewritten and Charming never saved Snow from the black knights. This story is my way of returning that scene to the Snowing timeline. Charming has sent the note declaring his feelings to Snow, but she hasn't gotten it because she has not stayed in one place long enough for the birds to catch up with her.

The man who been teasingly dubbed Prince Charming found that he was unable to forget the woman who had given him the nick name.

He had discovered that there was a small cell of revolutionaries in the ranks of King George's army. They were men who were unhappy with the tyrannical ways of their King and uncomfortable with the Kingdoms alliance with King Midas. Charming, as he had started to think of himself more and more, trusted these men with his own life, the life of his mother and the life of the woman he loved. He had tasked them with watching over the Bandit Snow White, as he had started to think of her more and more. He would send his trusted men out with supplies to stock her hide outs and he would even have them leave her gold coins. After all, gold coins were never in short supply thanks to Midas.

Mostly he just thought of the bandit who had stolen his heart all the time. He was thinking about her at the moment as he sat on the forest floor on a tattered blanket. He had told his bitter betrothed that he was going out hunting for a few days. In reality, he was looking for Snow. His men had given him a disturbing report. Snow had not been at any of her known hiding places for weeks. He was afraid that she had finally amassed enough fortune to escape to another realm and he would never see her again. The mere thought was devastating. He had sent her a note declaring his feelings for her, but the birds had been unable to find her.

That was when he realized that he had to be the one to find her, because if she was still in this realm he would find her.

He absentmindedly played with a long spear as he thought of Snow. Two nights ago he had been forced to attend an engagement ball with Princess Abagail. It had been a nearly unbearable event, his fiancé had refused to dance the entire night and by the end of the evening he had become convinced that she did not know how to dance. He had gotten through the evening by day dreaming about dancing with Snow. He knew in his heart that she danced divinely. After all, she was a true Princess. He sighed and worried that she had received his note and had refused him because she knew he wasn't worthy of her. He was set to marry Abigail that very night. If he didn't find Snow soon he might have to go through with the wedding to Abigail.

He was still daydreaming with movement beyond the trees caught his attention. He leapt to his feet when he realized that it was the Queen's Black Knights and they had captured Snow White. One of the soldiers had her slung over his horse and was galloping off with his prize. Without hesitation Charming grabbed his bow and a handful of arrows and tore through the forest on a mission to save his princess once more.

Snow hadn't been able to stop thinking about Prince Charming. Somehow he had gotten under her skin and could not forget the way his smile made his eyes shine or his gentle touch and kind words. She realized that there were two real problems with her infatuation. Number one, he was engaged to another woman and number two, thinking about him was becoming a distraction and it was going to get her killed. She was already slipping because the Queen's men had found every one of her hiding places. She could tell by the outside that someone had been in every one of her lairs and she had not dared to go into any of them for several weeks. As a result she had not been able to restock on supplies. She had also been forced to sleep in the elements because she no longer had a safe place to lay her head at night. It was all thanks to Prince Charming! Meeting him at been the worst thing to happen to her. It was his fault that she was hungry and had not had a good night sleep in days. Still, she couldn't stop thinking about him and longing to see him again. One thing she had realized over the past few weeks was that she didn't like being alone. She wanted a home, so she had decided that she was going to go back to the cabin and live with her friend Red. It wasn't home, but it was as close as she could get at the moment. She was thinking about this as she filled her canteen from the river and walked back through the forest. She was also daydreaming about Charming and what it would be like to have home with him. Lost in her dreams she did not see the Queen's Black Knights until it was too late and they had surrounded her. As one of the knights threw her over his saddle and carried her off like some kind of prize trophy Snow thought that this was Charming's fault as well. If she hadn't been thinking about him she would not have been captured.

Charming took careful aim at Black Knight. A bead of perspiration fell from his forehead and he let the arrow fly from the string of his bow.

Snow heard the whoosh of arrow as it flew through the air and felt the thud as it pierced the leather armor covering the chest of the knight. He felt off of the horse and hit the ground with another thud. Snow slid off of the horse and tried to catch her breath. She felt dizzy and her heart was racing. Her rescuer came rushing through the forest and she was surprised to see that it was Charming.

"You saved me!" She stated out of breath.

"I saved you again!" He corrected. A grin spread across his face.

There it was, that teasing smile of his that made her heart turn to melted goo.

Snow felt herself grow lightheaded and she was pretty sure that it wasn't because she had eaten a decent meal in ages and it wasn't because she had been nearly abducted a few minutes earlier.

"I have a camp just over there." Charming indicated through the woods.

Snow followed him without hesitation.

Part 2

He led her to a small clearing where he had his camp staked out with the tattered blanket, a pack holding supplies and a small arsenal of weapons, including his sword, scabbier, a pointed spear and the quiver full of arrows. He propped the bow against a tree and replaced the arrows in the quiver.

"What are you doing here?" Snow asked with renewed breath.

"Hunting." He replied with a nod towards his weapons.

"Does anyone really believe that?" She asked exasperated.

He gave her a knowing smile and noticed her keen interest in his pack.

"Are you hungry?" He asked. "I have more than enough to share." He looked at her and noticed she looked thinner than she had the last time he had seen her.

He laid out the food and saw her eyes grow large. She sat down and eagerly ate the fruit, cheese, meat and bread he offered.

"What are you really doing here?" She asked with her mouth full of food.

He had to hide a grin, she was behaving most unprincesslike and he loved it.

"I was looking for you." He admitted with feeling in his voice.

He caught her off guard.

"You found me!" She said shyly.

"As I told you, I will always find you, Snow." He reminded her gently. "I was afraid you had left the realm. I sent you a note." He informed her.

"I never got a note. I have been moving around a great deal these past few weeks." She casually informed him.

"So I noticed. Why haven't you gone back to any of your hideouts?" He asked with concern in his voice.

"Someone has been to all of my hiding places. I think the Queen's men have been following me." She admitted with fear in her voice.

"I have been sending my men to restock your hideouts. Their presence is what you have detected. Your hideouts are safe." He assured her.

A look of shock crossed her face.

"Why would you do that?" There was a touch of anger in her voice and a hard veil had fallen across her face.

"I did it because you are my friend and I am worried about you." He stated softly.

"You have to stop helping me, if Regina finds out she will come after you." Snow stood up and angrily turned her back on him.

"I don't care it Regina sends a legion of demons after me, I will never stop helping you!" He cried out with more feeling than he expected.

"Regina wants to burn me alive!" Snow reminded him.

"I know that." He stated simply.

"People who help me end up being killed, Charming!" She stated emphatically.

"I have a name, you know?" He asked softly.

"I know that, your name is Prince James, you are engaged to Princess Abigail and I have been asking around. You are not very well liked!" She accused.

He took a deep breath. "What you have heard is not true. Sit down Snow and I will tell you who I really am." He indicated the blanket.

She sat down and pulled her knees up. He told her everything. How he was a nothing but a Shepard and how James was not his real name. He told her how he agreed to take his brother's place and slay the dragon and how King George had threatened to kill his mother if he didn't marry Abigail.

When he was finished Snow was too stunned to speak and he feared it was because she was angry at him for lying to her.

"Snow, please say something." He begged.

Her eyes filled with tears, "That is the most noble thing I have ever heard. You are willing to give up your life for the people of your Kingdom and your mother." She stated with feeling in her voice.

He looked to see if she was mocking him and he saw only genuine admiration written on her face.

"Snow, we need to talk." He stated seriously.

She knew what was coming next. He would ask her to run away with him. But, it would never work. Regina would find them and kill them both or worse.

"Right, we will talk." She promised, "But my canteen is empty. I saw a stream right over there. Would you mind filling it for me?" She asked sweetly.

He jumped up eagerly.

"Of course and when I get back we will talk and we will figure out a way to be together." He leaned towards her and for a moment she thought he might kiss her, but he just took her canteen. She watched him go and thought about how chivalrous he was. She watched with a look of longing in her eyes until he disappeared into the woods. With a heart filled with sadness she scooped up everything that he had out on the blanket and stuffed it into his pack. She swung the pack over her shoulder and fled in the opposite direction from the path taken by her Charming. Every step she took away from him she convinced was for his own good. It had to be this way. She could not let him pay the price for the sins she had committed against her stepmother.

He got to the river and realized that her canteen was full of water. Then he realized she had sent him on a wild goose chase. He took off back to his camp running, but by the time he got there she was long gone. All of his weapons and supplies were gone as well, including the gold plated sword King Midas had given him. That one would be hard to explain. She had also taken a small purse of gold coins. Those he had meant for her to have all along. Luckily, she had not taken the ring his mother had given him. He pulled out a chain from around his neck. The ring was on the chain. He meant for her to have it as well sometime soon. He would just have to find her again.

He looked down at the tattered blanket that she had left.

"She robbed me again!" He stated out loud and then he laughed. He picked up the blanket and slung it over his shoulder.

The End