Mirror Image

Hello Oncers! Feeling the need for a bit of Charming, Emma and Henry bonding, so here it is!

Counting down to season four and it's just a few short weeks now – so exciting! Need to finish my post season 3 fics before they become totally AU...

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, no money earned. All in good fun.

So, are we sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin...

Once Upon a Time, in a town named Storybrooke there lived a beautiful, tough as nails princess who lived in a cosy loft apartment with her beloved family; her parents, her brother and her son...

'Hey? Earth to Dad?' Emma waved a hand in front of her father's face until his unfocused gaze withdrew from the door and he looked at her.

'Where's Mom?' she asked when she had his attention.

'She and Ruby went out to buy baby clothes.'

'And left you with the chores?' she commiserated; he was doing the dishes.

'I don't mind. Apparently I don't give enough thought to choosing between almost identical dungarees. I'm better off here.'

'I feel your pain,' Emma agreed. 'Apparently all sleepsuits are not the same. Or so I was told last week. So what's up?' she asked. 'You look... I don't know...troubled, maybe a bit gloomy.'

'It's nothing, I'm fine,' he replied, giving her a smile that didn't quite go all the way to his eyes.

'Really?' she prodded. 'You've been drying that plate for about five minutes.'

David looked down at the very dry dinner plate in his hands for a moment before placing it on the counter and picking up the next one from the drainer.

'Is it about Mom? Or Neal? Are they ok?' She asked, a pang of worry suddenly overtaking her.

He shook his head in denial, reassuring her, 'No, they're absolutely fine.'

'You can tell me stuff you know. I mean not embarrassing stuff about you and Mom, but general stuff,' she teased.

'I know,' he replied smiling at her joke. 'It's nothing really. I'm being unreasonable.'

'No you're not. You haven't said anything,' she pointed out.

'I'm thinking unreasonable thoughts,' he clarified.

'About...'

'Ok,' he sighed. 'It's about Henry.'

'Henry? Has he done something? Is he ok?'

'No, he hasn't done anything, he's amazing! It's just that he's spending a lot of time with Hook these days, which is natural, I realise that. He's your boyfriend, so obviously Henry's starting to see him as a father figure, but I just... I don't know. I guess I'm thinking about how it was when you and Mary Margaret were in the Enchanted Forest and he was relying on me. It was nice. And now he wants to go swordfight with Hook and I'm ashamed to admit that I'm a little jealous.'

'Henry loves you,' Emma reassured.

'I know, but I also know that in comparison with a pirate I'm not exactly cool to a twelve year old boy.'

'You showed him your carefree, reckless, fun side letting him drive the truck. He loved that.'

'Well, yeah, what twelve year old wouldn't? But that doesn't make it a good idea.'

'Well no, but between you and me,' she leaned in conspiratorially, 'It sounded like something I'd have done with him too if I was trying to get on his good side,' she admitted, and in return got a real, if brief, smile in return.

'You know, I don't want to sound like I'm feeling sorry for myself. I mean I'm happier than I've ever been. You guys are staying in Storybrooke, Mary Margaret and I haven't had to search for each other for months now and I love seeing how much Neal changes every day. It's just going to be a while before he's going to be up for much besides burping and cuddling. I just miss Henry and I don't really have any other tricks up my sleeve to tempt him away from piracy right now. And anyway, Henry should get to spend his time with whoever he wants.'

'Yeah he should, but I don't think it's that he doesn't want to spend time with you. I just think even kids as mature as Henry can get a little caught up in themselves now and then. I can talk to him.'

'No, don't do that. I don't want him hanging out with me because he feels like he has to.'

'No pity dates, huh?'

'Exactly. I just need to think of something he'll like that won't endanger him or the street furniture or lead to a night in the cells for me.'

'Yeah, it would be embarrassing to have to arrest my own father and co-sheriff.'

'And I don't want to have to resign in disgrace.'

'You'll think of something. And in the meantime, I mean I know I'm not cool like a twelve year old boy, but I'll swordfight with you.'

A big grin spread across his face, 'Screw the dishes. Let's go,' he replied.

'En Garde!' Emma called out.

'That's fencing!' David replied. 'This is broadswords.'

'So what do you say when it's broadswords?' She asked.

He grinned, 'You say "Prepare to die, you black-hearted villain!" Or you know, a big loud battle cry.'

'Yaaarggh! Emma yelled, raising her sword, and then lowering it as her fearsome battle cry disintegrated into a helpless giggle.

Finally pulling her face straight, she raised her sword again and they clashed blades, trading blows and blocks, and stepping back, circling each other.

'You're really good at this,' David observed, as she reacted quickly to block his jab.

'I guess I inherited the swordfighting gene,' she replied, blushing at his praise. 'But watch it, I can take you,' she bragged.

'Ha! Don't get too cocky,' David warned as he reached under her guard and smacked her lightly on the shoulder with the flat of his sword.

'Hey! Show me how you did that!' she demanded.

'You know Henry does think you're cool,' Emma said, as they sat side by side on a bench, catching their breath after their pitched battle and watching the birds flocking over the park. 'You watch him tomorrow at breakfast; he's your mirror image. He always wants the same breakfast you have and he always sits like you. Or when you're walking together, he matches your stride.'

'Really?'

'Yeah, I first noticed it when Mom and I got back from the Enchanted Forest, and then after he remembered about magic, and you guys, and our real lives, he started doing it again.'

David watched the birds, relaxed and happy. 'Thanks Emma. I didn't realise how much I needed this.'

'Any time.'

'Really?' David asked, his tone endearingly hopeful.

'Yeah. It was fun. And as Dads go, you are pretty cool. I mean, I guess most women my age would be worried about sparring with their dads in case they fell and broke a hip.'

He snorted a laugh. 'Maybe next time you can teach me some of your bail-bonds-person tricks,' he suggested.

'Oh, I have some awesome tricks to teach you,' she replied, and he gasped in happy surprise as she leaned in for an unsolicited hug and kissed him on the cheek.

He savoured the moment knowing life didn't get any better than this.

'So what are your plans today?' Emma asked as she and Henry took their turn at the dishes the following morning.

Henry shrugged. It was Sunday, and the day stretched dull and endless in front of him. 'I don't know. I'm done with my PlayStation game. I could see what Hook's doing I guess.'

'You don't want to hang out with David? You guys don't spend so much time together anymore,' she observed.

Her father had said he didn't want her to say anything to Henry, but she'd studiously avoided promising not to, and having thought about it, she'd realised it was a little weird that Henry wasn't spending so much time with his Gramps because he was definitely talking about him just as much as he used to.

Henry shrugged again, 'I don't want to bother him; he's busy. Neal needs him now,' he replied.

Ah, so that was it. Emma internally rolled her eyes at the pair of them. If they'd just talked to each other, they'd have realised that they were both missing each other, and both thinking the other didn't have time for them anymore. She'd say it was guys, but she could totally see herself doing something like that too. It wasn't guys, it was stubbornness; it just ran in their family.

'I can promise you kid, he doesn't think you're bothering him.'

'Really? Cause I've been wanting to ask him to teach me something.'

'Yeah?'

'You remember in the boat house, when the flying monkeys attacked us, right before Mom, you know, Regina, right before she broke the curse, and you guys came running in to save us?'

'Yeah, I don't think that's something I'll forget in a hurry,' Emma replied. 'I didn't realise a pregnant lady could move that fast,' she added remembering her heavily pregnant mother brandishing her bow and arrows and doggedly keeping up with her and David.

'Gramps threw that sword and hit the flying monkey. It was so awesome. I want him to show me how to do that.'

Emma shook her head smiling. Her Dad had thought he had no more tricks up his sleeve. 'You should ask him then.'

'Really? You think he'd have time?'

'I think he'll be totally thrilled if you ask him and he'll drop whatever he's doing then and there, and your Grandma and me and Neal will come and watch you learn how to throw a sword.'

As Emma had suggested, David had watched Henry at breakfast that morning, and had found himself suddenly feeling quite self conscious as Henry had eschewed the pancakes his mother and grandmother had chosen in favour of the poached eggs on toast that David had chosen instead. He found himself even more self conscious as he watched Henry follow him in eating first the corners and then the edges of his toast along with the egg whites, so that the yolks lay on top of the trimmed bread, the best saved for last, just as he'd done since he was a boy following his own father's methodical approach to eating.

Henry had been on dishwashing duty with Emma after breakfast and David wasn't surprised when his grandson approached him immediately afterwards as he changed Neal's diaper. After all, Emma hadn't promised not to address the issue he'd raised with her son as he'd asked. Emma thought she was pretty wily so she probably thought her father hadn't noticed that omission.

'Hey Gramps,' Henry began, examining the toe of his sneaker, strangely shy all of a sudden.

'Hey Henry,' David replied cheerfully, lifting a newly clean and diapered Neal into his arms and waiting for his grandson to continue.

'Are you busy today?'

'Nope. I'm open to any suggestions you've got, kid.'

'Cool!' Henry said enthusiastically, looking up finally and meeting David's wide grin with one of his own. 'I need you to teach me how to throw a sword!'

David walked over to where Mary Margaret was sitting on the park bench with Hook and Neal in his carry-cot keeping her company. He was walking on air.

'Hey, little one,' he said crouching in front of the baby and kissing his soft, downy head.

'Hey, where's my sugar?' Mary Margaret asked, playing the overlooked, kiss-starved wife.

'I'm sorry!' he replied, leaning in for as loving and passionate a kiss as seemed appropriate in public.

'I don't need any sugar, mate,' Hook reassured him with a raised hand and a sardonic grin as David broke the kiss and straightened.

'And I can't tell you how grateful I am for that,' David replied.

'Not a bad swordsman, our Henry,' Hook observed.

'No, he's not. We'll make a fearsome knight of him between us,' David agreed, feeling secure enough now to give Hook his credit for what he'd taught the boy. 'He wants Mary Margaret to start teaching him archery too. Emma's not teaching him any of her tricks until he's past those difficult teenage years.'

'Sensible lass. He'll have enough tricks of his own without her teaching him how to pick a pair of handcuffs.'

'Look at them both,' Mary Margaret said to her husband, with a wide grin on her face. 'They both of them rotate their swords to settle their grip, just like you do. Mirror image.'

David sat on the bench and put his arm around Mary Margaret's shoulder, and she settled comfortably against him. They watched their daughter and grandson taking turns throwing their swords at the target, just as he'd shown them, both of them hitting the bullseye every time.

'Emma picked that up by herself, you know,' he said proudly. 'She took out the dragon with her first try.'

'So did you,' Mary Margaret reminded him. 'It's what you do when you have a loved one to get back to.'

He nodded and they were all silent for a moment as they watched mother and son in friendly competition.

'I just wish we could keep them all safe forever, but I know we can't,' he said.

'Right, there's always going to be something to fight for,' Hook agreed.

'Henry's going to be a lot more prepared than we were though,' David replied, optimistically.

'We're going to teach him everything we've learned. And then we'll teach Neal,' Mary Margaret reassured.

David nodded, 'And we'll be here to protect them for a long time and we've got lot of experience between all of us,' he said, including not just himself, Mary Margaret and Emma, but Hook and Regina, Rumpelstiltskin and Belle, Ruby, Granny, the dwarves, Robin, Archie, the whole town. Between all of them they had enough to get Henry and Neal and all of the children through anything, to earn them a long and happy life.

A happy ending.

'Hey, Gramps, did you see?' Henry called as he ran over, his sword resting on his shoulder.

'Yes, I saw! That's great work, Henry. So what do you want to learn next?' he asked.

'Well, since you ask... there's this girl...'

Around him Emma, David and Mary Margaret's faces dropped with horrified shock. Hook just laughed, watching the show to see how they'd extricate themselves from that one.

'Ok,' David managed to choke out. 'We can talk about that. But before we do, how about a hot chocolate?'

'Yes!' came the relieved chorus. They all headed for Granny's.

...And they all lived happily ever after.

Thanks for reading. And just so you know, I love reviews. I'm needy like that!

Sleep tight, kids. Until next time.