Alright guys, so I am trying to get the next chapter of I Won't Let Go Up. I have a good portion written, it's just not coming to me easily. But with Valentine's Day coming up, this is. This one shot takes place during the time jump in between The Lost Get Found and I Won't Let Go, so it's before Emma and Bae started going out, also before Lily's parents started having problems.


Emma gratefully accepted the tissue that David passed to her and blew her nose. "Thank you," she mumbled when she was finished.

"You're welcome," David gave her a small smile. "I'm sorry you're sick."

"This would happen to me," she complained.

It was Valentine's Day of all days and while she was single, she was still planning on going to a party at Lily's. Mal and Marvin were going all out for it, pretty much the entire freshmen class (along with a few sophomores) had been invited. But no, Emma had come down with a pretty bad cold and Mary had insisted that she stay home. That also meant that Mary and David's plans had been cancelled. Emma had tried to insist that they still go out, she was nearly 15, she could take care of herself just fine. But alas, there was no point in arguing. They weren't going and that was it.

"We can watch a cheesy romantic comedy," Mary offered from her spot in the armchair, her husband was beside their daughter.

"I really wish you two would just go out," Emma said, sniffling a bit. "I'm fine."

"You didn't even go to school today."

"That's neither here nor there. At least eat your food in the other room." They had ordered Chinese, but Emma wasn't very hungry. Or she was, but nothing sounded good.

"Maybe we should give her a little break," David told his wife, gently. He knew that Emma felt guilty about them missing their date night, even though they insisted they would just have one another time. She wasn't going to be any easier to take care of if she was grumpy.

"Just for a little bit," Mary relented, standing up. At that moment, the doorbell rang. "Who could that be? The food's already here." Emma just used the opportunity to grab another tissue and snuggle deeper under the quilt. She really did feel like crap. A moment later, Mary reappeared…with Bae. Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Bae? What are you doing here?"

"We all felt bad that you couldn't come to the party, so we put a care package together for you." Bae held up a brown paper bag and for the first time since she came down with the stupid cold, Emma smiled. Mary gently lead David out of the room to give the two friends some privacy. "We each got you a little something."

"You didn't have to…"

"We wanted to."

Baelfire took David's spot and pulled out a takeout container of chicken noodle soup.

"From Ruby, she had Granny make it specially for you," he explained.

Emma smiled a little wider. "It smells great. I actually haven't eaten anything all day."

"She figured that." He set it down on the coffee table and then removed a small Tupperware container. "From Lily, cupcakes and other treats from the desert table at the party. She made sure everything was chocolate, none of that pesky vanilla nonsense."

Emma giggled. "Well, chocolate is always better."

Baelfire shook his head at her sweet tooth. "I let it slip to my mom that you were sick and she insisted on sending over a book." Emma beamed as he pulled out a copy of the latest book in the series she was reading. Leave it to Belle to think of books.

"Tell her I said thank you, she's so sweet."

"And then, here." Baelfire grabbed the last two items from the bag, they were wrapped in newspaper. "These are from me. I was going to um, give them to you at the party but…"

Emma raised an eyebrow but then stood up, telling him to wait a minute. She went to her bookbag and pulled out a wrapped package of her own. She had gotten each of her friends a little Valentine's Day gift and was going to give them to them at school before she got sick. She handed Bae his and sat back down.

Baelfire opened his first, it was a teddy bear wearing a shirt that said "Bae". He burst into a fit of laughter. Ever since that phrase had become popular, everyone had been making comparisons to his name.

"I couldn't resist, I mean how many people can say they have an actual Bae in their lives," Emma told him with a slight giggle that lead to a cough. Baelfire quickly reached over and grabbed her juice from the table. She smiled gratefully and sipped it.

"It's perfect, I love it." I love you, he thought to himself. Sometimes it was hard to just be friends with Emma, especially when she got him stuff like that. Clearly it was marketed for someone to give to their significant other, not as a joke between buddies.

Emma opened up the first package and grinned. The typical little candy hearts, in an Avenger style box.

"Thank you, I love these things." She opened up the next one, it was a pink and white plush swan. "Aw, this is so cute."

"I know you're a Nolan now…but you'll always be a Swan to me."

Emma bit down on her lip and he worried that he had made a mistake, until she began to smile. A big, beautiful smile. Yes, sometimes it was hard being just friends with Emma, but he would stay that way, if it meant getting to see her smile like that. He was afraid the gift would offend her. He knew how she felt about her past, about her biological parents. But he hadn't fallen in love with Emma Nolan, he had with Emma Swan. To him, she was both and he hoped one day she would stop trying to shut out the past her.

"It's adorable." Emma thought about it for a moment and then kissed his cheek. Both of them blushed under the small action, though they didn't want the other to see.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Em."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Bae."


So there you go! Something to tide you over until I can finish up the next chapter, haha. Make sure you follow me on Tumblr, for more updates. My main account is: just-an-outlaw and my fanfiction one is: justanoutlawfanfiction. Someone actually asked a question to David from this verse and I had him answer it haha. Hope you all have a great weekend (and Valentine's Day!).