A Family Tradition

Disclaimer: I wish, but no, I don't own the characters/show.

Author's Note: A simple extension of Charming and Henry's ending scene in "Broken." I know it's been done by a few others, this is just my take on it.

"- I will always find them."

Henry nearly bowls the man over with the fierceness of his hug, but he doesn't care, instead he only holds on tighter.

And when Prince Charming, when his Grandpa hugs him back, Henry tries to hold back his tears unsuccessfully.

He wants to have faith, he wants to believe, but after believing for so long when so many people didn't, when they all told him there was no way that what he believed was real, it's just plain hard.

And it's not fair.

They all believe now, they all have their memories back, they were supposed to fight the final battle and his family was supposed to live happily ever after. Of course, he knew Emma would take some time to get used to the idea, he knew where he got his stubbornness from, but he also knew she'd get there eventually. And now there was no knowing if he'll get to see that, if he'll get to see her, or Grandma, ever again. And all because he made Emma promise...

"It's okay, kid. I'm here, I've got you."

Kid. Emma called him kid. He hated it at first, it'd felt like she was trying to distance herself from him, but then she'd stayed, and it became his and her thing. Just like Operation Cobra.

Now it's his and Grandpa's thing, and if he and Emma are that much alike then Henry knows he can count on him. The guy is the Prince Charming after all. Nope, he decides, Operation Cobra isn't over, not by a long shot.

"Hey Gramps?" He asks, finally stepping out of James' hug and quickly rubbing away the rest of his tears.

"Yeah, Henry?"

"Let's find my mom and Grandma!"

Charming laughs, that spark in his eye getting a little brighter, and Henry smiles at the sight.

"Of course! That's what we Charming men do, right?"

He's not a baby, he knows that things will get worse before they get better, but as his grandpa brings him in for another hug he can't help but feel hopeful about Operation Cobra 2.0.

It is, after all, a family tradition.