Operation Charming
Summary: Because sometimes, there are problems only Grandfathers can fix. A post-Season 1 tale.
A/N: This little tale has been sitting in the back of my head for awhile, but then Henry started shouting that he wanted his turn in the spotlight and who was I to deny him? It's a one-shot for now, but I may continue it if enough people like it!
This story is dedicated to my Pop, who I miss ever so much.
Disclaimer: OUAT and all of its characters belong to ABC...all I own is a serious addiction to the cast's twitter antics (you can call me darling or peach anytime Josh!)...
James pushed open the door to Granny's, shaking off the rain which stubbornly clung to his hair. The blast of warmth which hit him full force was in complete contrast to the stormy weather raging outside, the second day in a row that fierce wind and rain had buffeted the small town of Storybrooke. The cafe was filled with townsfolk seeking shelter, sustenance and company; the low murmur of conversations stilling momentarily as various people stopped to nod their heads towards James in greeting.
Ever since the curse had broken, people had looked to James and Snow for leadership...a responsibility they had both gladly undertaken as it returned some sense of normalcy and order to a town full of people who remembered them as their beloved rulers. It had not been an easy few weeks, the uncertainty they all felt about their futures and the threat still posed by the currently missing Regina casting a pall of nervousness over everyone. But as each day passed uneventfully, people had begun to relax to a certain degree, taking the time to renew familial and friendship bonds which had been torn asunder by the power of the curse. James especially had been grateful for the time to establish a true relationship with his daughter and grandson, his suddenly expanded family a source of great joy to a man who still carried memories of the relatively lonely life he'd suffered as David.
Speaking of family, a quick scan of the room revealed Henry sitting alone in the far booth, his head drooping almost dejectedly over what James recognised to be the book which chronicled life in their home realm. His brow furrowed...as far as he knew, Henry was meant to be back at their apartment with Snow. The duo usually spent the hour or so after school had finished for the day together, keeping each other company while Emma and James were still at work (he had taken a position within the Sheriff's office, finding it a more suitable job than his work at the animal shelter...and being able to spend more time with his daughter was an added bonus).
"He's been sitting there like that for over half an hour. I've asked him what's wrong but he just says nothing every time."
Red had sidled up next to James, her expression as she looked over at Henry just as concerned as his own. She considered the young boy to be family given that Snow was her dearest friend and Henry reciprocated by calling her Aunt Red, a moniker she carried with pride.
"Do you know why he's here? Where's Snow?"
"Ella's come down with something, so Snow volunteered to help look after Alexandra for awhile. She asked if Henry wanted to come to, but he declined and she dropped him off here...she said she'd sent you a message to let you know," Red answered, eyebrow raising in curiosity at James' lack of knowledge. Usually the two were inseparable, and when they couldn't be together they always ensured they knew where the other was. Red didn't blame them though...after all they had been through, she believed a small amount of separation anxiety was to be expected.
James patted down his pockets, searching for his phone to verify Red's story. Finally locating it tucked into one of his coat's many pockets, he checked the screen to see that Snow had indeed sent him a message, sealed with a kiss as her texts always were.
A loud sigh drew his attention towards his grandson again, who followed it with an emphatic slam of his book's cover, frustration clear on his youthful face. Seeing Henry so obviously unhappy was too much for James to witness from a distance any longer.
"Red, can I please get..."
"One hot chocolate with cinnamon and one black coffee coming right up," she finished, placing an encouraging hand on James' shoulder before turning away to make his order.
Covering the short distance to the far booth, James slid quietly into the seat opposite Henry who was staring down at the tabletop with a look of utter concentration upon his face.
"If you stare any harder, I think you might just burn a hole clean through the table."
Henry sighed, raising his head and resting it against his hand.
"Hey Grandpa."
Even after a month, hearing that name come from Henry's mouth caused a delighted thrill to course down James' spine. It was still somewhat surreal that he had gone from a new, first-time father to a grandfather practically overnight but despite the challenges it presented, James revelled in his new role. Deciding that the best way to tackle his grandson's malaise was to confront it head on, he leant forward on his elbows and plainly spoke.
"What's wrong Henry?"
"Nothing."
James expected the answer...Henry was very much his mother's son after all, despite the fact that he had not been raised by Emma. As James had come to realise, if you waited them out they would cave and explain their problem eventually. Sitting in a comfortable silence which was only broken by Red stopping to deliver their drinks, James took a sip of his coffee, eyeing Henry over the small curl of steam rising from the hot beverage. Sure enough, after a few more minutes Henry breathed out and looked up at James with determination written across his features.
"Grandpa?"
"Yes?"
"How do you get a girl to like you?"
James momentarily froze, before placing his coffee cup carefully down upon the table. Of all the things he had expected Henry to say, a question about opposite sex had not even flittered across his mind for a moment. His grandson was only ten after all...he didn't think this was a topic he'd have to worry about for a few years yet but on reflection he supposed he shouldn't have been so surprised. Henry was extremely mature for his age with a belief in true love which was reinforced by the relationships he observed around himself every day, including James' own with Snow.
"I suppose it depends," James eventually answered, taking another sip of his coffee.
"On what?" Henry asked, stirring his marshmallows slowly into his hot chocolate, his eyes fixed on James' face with a hint of desperation. Knowing that he had to tread carefully, James gathered his thoughts and shot his grandson a warm smile.
"Well, am I to presume we are talking about one girl in particular?"
Henry nodded slowly, a small blush taking up residence on his cheeks, the pink hue an exact duplicate of the one which had spread across his grandmother's face on a regular basis while she had been merely Mary Margaret.
"Is she a friend of yours already?" James probed further, wanting to learn as much as possible before he gave Henry any advice...he did not want to be responsible for leading him down the wrong path, especially if that wrong path led to heartbreak.
"Yes," Henry said quietly, "I've known her for a little while but lately..."
He trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words.
"Lately every time you see her your heart races and your stomach fills with butterflies...and you want nothing more than to see her smile at you with happiness sparkling in her eyes," James finished with a knowing smile.
Henry's head snapped up, awe and excitement shining clearly upon his face.
"Exactly! How did you know?"
James leant forward as if he was going to impart a secret, Henry imitating him so their heads were bent close together across the table.
"Because that's the way I felt about your grandmother when we first met...and how I feel about her still."
"Because she's your true love," Henry said matter-of-factly, "Just like..."
He paused, seemingly unwilling to share the identity of the object of his affections and James interrupted to let him off the hook. If Henry wasn't ready to let him know who exactly he was talking about, James wouldn't push him.
"Yes," James confirmed, before scrubbing a hand across the stubble which adorned his cheeks, "Now if this girl is your friend, then she must already care about you...have you tried to tell her how you feel? You never know, she might feel the same way you do."
"But what if she doesn't?" Henry asked worriedly, "What if I tell her and she laughs at me?"
"If she is truly your friend, she won't laugh at you even if she does not feel the same way. Love is a risk; I suppose it's up to you whether you believe it is a risk worth taking."
Seeing that the troubled look was still firmly in place on his grandson's face, James racked his mind for something he could say which would reassure him further.
"After the first time I had met your grandmother, I could not erase her from my mind. She was with me in every moment, filling my heart even though I did not know whether she shared even the smallest portion of the same feelings. Even so, the easy path would have been to forget her...to protect my heart and allow myself to become married to Abigail, a relationship which had no chance to create hurt as I felt nothing more than friendly affection for her."
"But you didn't," Henry interrupted, hands resting upon his book, "You sent her a letter."
James nodded, "I decided that what I could possibly gain...a love so strong and pure that it could be nothing less than true love...was worth the heartache my confession might have garnered. It is a choice, a risk, I would take every time."
Henry nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. Silence reigned for a moment, James wondering whether he had said the right thing. He had no doubt that if he steered Henry wrong, he would have both his wife and his daughter's wrath to deal with.
"She's worth it," Henry finally said, a bright smile lighting up his features, "After all, if you hadn't taken a chance then my mom wouldn't be here and neither would I. So if you could do it, so can I. But..."
"But?" James prompted as Henry fixed him with a determined grin.
"Can you help me? Help me come up with a way to tell her I mean...maybe I could write her a letter like you did for Grandma?"
"I'd be honoured to help you...after all, true love must be fought for," James replied with his own grin, Henry's happiness infectious as always, "And I think a letter is a fantastic idea."
"Awesome!"
The exclamation was very much that of a ten-year-old, the contrast to the maturity of their previous conversation making James laugh heartily in amusement.
"We need a name though," Henry continued, almost bouncing in his chair from excitement, a far cry from the morose young boy James had originally observed upon entering Granny's.
"A name?"
"For our plan Grandpa! So no-one else knows what we're doing, not even Mom and Grandma."
James chuckled again, remembering the first time he'd learnt about Henry's previous naming attempt for his plan to restore everyone in Storybrooke...though he supposed he could not argue with the results of Operation Cobra. Without it, he likely wouldn't be sitting here advising his grandson on his love life.
"Ah, good idea. What do you suggest?"
Henry frowned and James could practically see his mind ticking over, they way his forehead wrinkled was apparently just like his own if his wife was to be believed.
"How about Operation Charming? Since you're going to help me charm her just like you did to Grandma."
He looked so pleased with his choice that James knew he would have agreed even if he'd come up with something far more ridiculous.
"Operation Charming it is," James agreed, taking the hand Henry held out towards him and firmly shaking it to seal their partnership, "And for its first stage I suggest we order a slice of cake. After all, even I can't be charming on an empty stomach."
Henry giggled, nodding enthusiastically.
"I like the way you think Grandpa."