New Traditions

Emma worked the lock quickly, slipped in the door, and giggled before taking the picture. She ran down the hall and waited with a huge smile. She noticed Robin at the front had just entered and was glancing around. He saw her and his grin fell from his face. "Damnit, Emma," he chastised.

They both looked to the back exit as Will poked his head in. "Bloody hell, Emma." She giggled again.

"Won again boys", she whispered.

Both Robin and Will stilled. "The hell Swan, I thought you said Granny and Red were out tonight, Will whispered back. He was worried about the wolf hearing he had heard Emma talk about.

"They are", Emma whispered again.

"Then why are you whispering Swan."

" Just messing with you".

Robin shook his head at the both of them as he would younger siblings. After all that's what they reminded him of. Siblings always trying to one up each other. The three thieves moved over to the kitchen and looked in the massive fridge. Emma poked her head in, and started grabbing food and handing it to the boys. Ham, turkey, cheese, potato salad and pickles. Last of all, she reached in and grabbed a container of lasagna. Emma busied herself with microwaving the lasagna, cause even if it was frozen it was still freaking amazingly good. While Emma took care of heating the lasagna, the boys made some sandwiches. They carried everything to their table and set it down with plates. They scrambled back to the kitchen, Emma grabbing the brownies, Will getting a pitcher and mugs, and Robin snagging a few bags of chips. They sat everything on the table and adjusted the food to make enough room for their poker game. Will moved off to fill the pitcher with beer.

Emma dealt first. She shuffled the cards and started dealing. As she delt, she said, "game's 7 card draw, 2's are wild, anti up, opening bid's 5 bucks."

"Isn't that a little low for thieves."

Emma gasped as the cards in her hand went flying. Robin turned and knocked two of the chip bags on the floor. Will nearly dumped the pitcher of beer down his shirt. Their gazes moved to sound at the front door where they saw Snow White glaring at them.

"Mate you didn't lock the front door?" Will hissed at Robin.

"M...m...mom!" Emma managed to stutter.

Robin hissed back. "I locked it after I got in". He sounded a bit indignant.

Snow held up a bobby pin. " Bandit." She grinned.

Emma jumped up and started stammering. "Um mom, we were just, yeah um, we were gonna, um we..."

Snow watched her firstborn's unease before taking pity and saying, "Shush Emma. I just want to know why I wasn't invited."

"But Milady, how did you ..." Will's question trailed off as he watched Snow smirk.

"I've known since last time you did this. Since the last time Emma needed to blow off steam and slammed out of the door at the apartment. I followed her."

Emma raised her eyebrows at her mother and frowned. "No one followed me. I know when someone is following me."

"Bandit". Snow laughed at her daughter's expression.

Emma looked annoyed and proud at the same time as she shook her head.

"Emma I was stealing and following people, usually to mug them, before you were born."

Will looked at Snow with renewed interest. "So then Milady. You're a thief."

"Bandit', said Robin and Emma at the same time.

" So who won this month?" Snow White asked.

"I did. " Emma said.

Snow looked at her proudly. "That's my girl."

"Can we interest you in a poker game Milady." Will interjected.

Snow looked at them all and then sat down at the open seat. "Fine. But the stakes should be higher. I'm thinking a 10 dollar minimum." The three thieves sat down. Emma grabbed the cards, reshuffled, and started dealing again.

"So then seven card draw, 2's wild, 10 buck minimum, anti up."

Will passed Snow a sandwich while Robin poured her a beer.

They played till 4am. Snarking. Sassing. Eating. Drinking.

Emma pushed back her chair. "That's it guys, I'm tapped out." Emma had no luck tonight and had lost quite a bundle to no less her own mother who it turned out was not just a thief but a card shark as well. Everyone nodded in agreement and started to clean up. Will and Robin grabbed the food and dishes, Emma put the cards away and rearranged the chairs. Snow started wiping everything down. After they finished they looked around satisfied and but for the missing food and beer, nothing else was amiss.

They all walked to the back door but not before Robin left three 20 dollar bills on the counter. He followed them out the exit.

Robin grimaced at the time, hoping Regina was sleeping and would not notice the late hour when he snuck back into their house.

"Till next time", he nodded at the others, and made his way across the street. The others watched him till he turned the corner.

"Milady." Will bowed to Snow, and then thumbed his nose at Emma. " I will win next time Swan."

Oh, shove off Will. Ana is probably having a coronary wondering where the hell you are."

Snow raised her eyebrows at her daughter but caught the wink and smiled. "Goodnite Will", Snow said.

Will turned to walk away but then looked back over his shoulder. "At least Ana would know what that was mate, Killy would think it was a ceremony of some sort ."

Snow snorted while Emma gave him one of her dangerous looks.

Will continued bantering at her as he walked down the street. "Cause yesterday he thought a mortuary was where you paid the rent." Snow giggled.

Emma threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. As Will disappeared out of sight, Snow drew Emma into a hug.

"Feel better?"

"Yeah. It's just this crazy town and the fairytale issues and Killy, I mean Killian... " Snow laughed.

"I know Emma. Believe me when David and I first took over the kingdom, with all the responsibility, sometimes all I wanted to do was disappear for awhile."

So what did you do. You know to blow off steam, not think about it?" Emma asked.

"I went out into the woods and shot arrow after arrow till your father would look for me and find me. And then he would kiss me and I would kiss him, and then.."

"Mom!" Emma had her fingers in her ears.

"What" I didn't even tell you how he would rip off my..."

"LaLaLaLaLalalala..." Emma started humming loudly. She gave her mother her most traumatized look and shook her head.

Snow looked at her 30 year old daughter and laughed.

"Oh please Emma. do you think I don't know what you and Killian do when you .."

"MOM!"

"I mean you and Killian are in love just like David and I are in love and we are young and he it is so nice when he ..."

Emma facepalmed. "Oh my God, Mom. You are my mom."

"Oh." Snow looked at her adult daughter turning bright red. 'I guess I got carried away."

"Nope no guessing about it," retorted Emma. "Look we can talk about thievery and banditry and my brother and the town and anything, but not that. K?"

"Okay Emma. But you can ask me anything if you need to know about, you know, the best way to do it in .."

"Oh my God Mom. You're drunk."

"Maybe."

"Shit. Dad's gonna kill me. It's freaking 4 in the morning. Where did you tell him you were going."

"Banditering. With my daughter." she answered. She snickered.

Emma grabbed her mother's arm put hers threw it and proceeded to help her mother walk home to the loft. Along the way Snow decided to serenade her daughter with 80's songs. As she belted out "I love Rock and Roll, put another dime in the jukebox, baby", Emma just hoped that no one else saw, or even worse, heard them. By the time they reached the street that the apartment was on. Snow had her head resting on Emma's shoulder and was just humming a Def Leopard song. Emma smiled and decided the hell with it and jumped in.

You got the peaches, I got the cream
Sweet to taste, saccharine
'cause I'm hot, say what, sticky sweet
From my head, my head, to my feet

Do you take sugar? one lump or two?

Snow giggled and they both dissolved into hysterics practically falling over each other. Emma finally got Snow up the steps and as Snow fumbled around for her key, the door swung open. Emma looked up to see her dad looking confused and bit put out. She giggled.

"Here you go dad." Emma pushed her mom thru the door and turned to jump down the steps. She turned around before she opened the outside door to see her bewildered father hanging on to his wife, blinking rapidly while Snow blew her a kiss and giggled again. She waved back and walked out into the cool night air. She put her hands in her pocket as she started to walk home. Her hand pulled out a wad of cash - the exact amount her mother had won from her. She grinned.