"Come on, Emma, we're going to miss the fireworks!" Henry shouted as he dragged the town sheriff by the hand, weaving in and out of neighbors and friends as they prepared blankets and picnic baskets on the grass of the meadow, staring excitedly up at the sky. Emma nearly tripped over her own feet as she tried to keep up, spitting her blond hair out of her mouth; Henry was spry for a little kid, but he wasn't so little now as when she had first met him a few years ago.
"Kid, the fireworks don't start for another two hours, calm down," Emma chastised him playfully as Henry came to a stop, grabbing the blanket she was carrying under her arm and flicked it open, the fabric billowing as it softly lay itself upon the ground. The white and red checkered cloth looked eerie under the moon, the black sky acting almost like an ultraviolet flashlight.
Having it be the Fourth Of july, the whole town had gone to the meadow by the park. It rested on the cusp of the forest's edge, giving parents good view of the rinky-dink playground if their kids became restless at any moment. Sighing, Emma sat herself frown on the blanket as Henry nearly threw himself n the ground, pressing his cheek against the soft cotton. Emma absentmindedly ruffled her sons hair, grinning at him.
"Tired, huh?" she asked, Henry groaning a he pushed himself up on his elbows. People around them were chatting loudly or eating their food. Looking around, Emma spotted Leroy and that nun- was her name Sister Astrid?- giggling over a small basket, the smell of freshly baked blueberry muffins wafting through the air, tickling her nose. Emma smiled- the two of them had never looked any happier, having been separated from the other back in the Enchanted Forest.
But here, Nova and Grumpy- as they were known back in the Enchanted Forest- were able to be together once again. And why not? Everyone deserved a happy ending now and again.
"Emma!" a voice broke through her thoughts, and Emma whipped her head around to see Mary Margaret and David running towards them, basket bouncing in the schoolteacher's arms. The schoolteacher was panting hard as she skirted to a stop at their blanket, plopping herself down breathlessly besides the blond woman. David neatly crossed his legs as he sat dan next to his wife, ruffling Henry's dark brown hair.
"So, have the fireworks started yet?" Mary Margaret tried catching her breath as she placed the picnic basket down in front of her, flipping open the wooden lid to reveal dozens of treats- a plate of buttery biscuits, a bushel of deliciously red apples. Emma sniffed at the food, her mouth watering as Mary Margaret then reached inside to withdraw a platter of freshly baked apple tarts, cinnamon and sugar dancing in her nostrils.
"No, they don't start for another hour," Emma repeated, eyeing the food, "and that looks delicious! May I?" Mary Margaret grinned, holding out the plate of biscuits, Emma skimming them before grabbing the plumpest, fluffiest one she could see. crumbs spewed everywhere as she chomped down on it, licking her fingers between each bite.
"Thanks," she said between mouthfuls of bread, "anyway, do you know if anyone else is coming?"
Sighing, Emma looked around once more. There was Grumpy and Nova, as she had seen before. Now she spotted in he dark as best she could Ruby playing with Dr. Hopper's Dalmation, Pongo, the animal wagging its tail as it ran around with the girl, tongue lolling out of its mouth. The therapist himself sat not too far away, chatting about something with the girl's Granny.
"I feel like they'll just show up when they want," David cut in, "besides, it's not like fireworks are that special."
This comment caught Henry's attention, the teenager widening his eyes at the older man.
"But it's the Fourth Of July! Fireworks are the whole point!" he exclaimed, wringing his hands in the air, "I mean, come on!"
Pollen danced in the air as the group then portioned the contents of the basket, Mary Margaret shooing away ants as they tried to sneak their way under the food in long straight lines, marching like little soldiers going into battle. The night sky had become darker, diamonds twinkling against black velvet.
"Ugh this is why I never eat out," Emma joked as she grabbed an apple. The skin was rough against her hands, the fruit itself tart and sweet as she bit into it, juice dribbling down her chin. "Like, can we get a bug spray or something?"
"I think I have some in my bag…" Henry trailed off, reaching for his green backpack, zipping it open to rifle through it.
"Excuse me, Madam?"
Everyone glanced up to see who had spoken, Emma wiping crumbs off her face. A young woman was standing in front of them, the light of the moon creating a halo effect around her golden curls that cascaded down her back. She wore a simple dress, with ballet flats on her feet. Tucked under her arms were multiple chairs and a blanket, and they watched as she hefted the times in her arms, trying not to drop everything all at once.
"Oh, I interrupted something didn't I- I-I'm so sorry!" the girl became flustered, lifting her knee to balance the chairs in her arms, her knuckles turning white as she tightened her grip, "I'll be out of your way soon…." Emma and Mary Margaret exchanged confused glances as she yelped, her wares slipping from her and crashing to the ground with loud clanging.
"I'm so sorry!" she repeated, rushing to pick everything up, stealing a quick glance over her shoulder. She gave David a polite smile as he went to help her, lifting the chairs as if they were nothing.
"I'll help you," he said, scanning the field, "Now, where are you putting these?"
The girl tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her face turning red as she glanced at her feet as she replied, "Oh, I-I was wondering if I could set up next to you?"
"Of course!" Mary Margaret cried suddenly, making the girl jump, "We have plenty of room- you know what? Why don't we jet put these together, we can make one giant picnic area!" The girl's face fell as she shook her head, holding a hand out in front of her.
"Miss, that's very kind, but I don't think Madam would like that-" she tried declining, freezing as a harsh voice rang through the air.
"You useless girl!" screeched a woman as she came briskly charging at them, her lips pursed with anger. The girl flinched slightly at the woman's harsh tone, looking as if she would fold in on herself like flower petals enduring a harsh winter wind. The yelling woman's face was bet red, her face caked with makeup, her auburn hair tied in a chignon bun at the nape of her neck. Emma had to stifle her laughter as the lady stumbled in a pair of snakeskin heels, the shoes sinking into the grass.
"I'm sorry, Madam…." the girl stammered as she gently pried the chairs from David's grip, "I didn't-"
"You're right you didn't think!" the woman snapped, "When I give you a task you complete it or you may as well be the bug I squish under my foot! Got it?!" The girl hung her head, struggling not to drop the lawn chairs as she nodded forlornly.
"Yes Madam," she agreed, "I'll go find some place to set these up then." Sending one last smile in the group's direction, she opened her mouth only to have the other woman cut her off.
"These people don't want to speak to the likes of you!" she snapped, the girl hurrying away, "They have better things to do with their time- now go!" Emma grimaced as the woman turned back to them, her arms crossed angrily as she shook her head. Clicking her tongue, she added, "That girl doesn't realize how good she has it. The help can be so….. tiring, sometimes, don't you agree?"
An awkward silence had befallen the group as the woman was joined by two young girls, both looking to be about eighteen years of age, maybe twenty. They had smug grins on their faces, one wearing a pink sundress, the other wearing a yellow one. Their brown hair was done in matching curls, and snorts erupted from their noses as they tried stifling giggles.
"Mother, the wench is setting up our chairs all wrong," laughed the one in yellow. The one in pink nodded in agreement.
"Yes, mother, shall we go yell at her?" she inquired. Their mother simply rolled her eyes, waving them away with a hand. Off they went, yelling the girl's name, although Emma couldn't quite catch it amidst their gales of laughter. The woman smiled at their receding backs, clasping her hands together firmly.
"Drizella and Anastasia," she said, "my daughters. Aren't they just lovely?" Before anyone could awkwardly agree, she held out a hand, adding without hesitation, "Lady Tremaine. I do apologize for not introducing myself earlier." David took her hand, giving it one firm shake before slowly descending to sit next to his wife, lovingly brushing her black bangs out of her eyes.
"Nice to meet you," the schoolteacher said politely, a strained smile on her face, "Mary Margaret Blanchard. This," she gestured to David, "Is my husband David, and our daughter Emma." Emma raised a hand as Mary Margaret pointed to her, a chill going down her spine as Lady Tremaine caught her gaze.
"Emma…. what a lovely name," Lady Tremaine commented, "Now, I must go before the help succeeds in failing to do such a simple task as putting up a chair. Do excuse me."
A collective sigh of relief was heard as she sashayed away from them, all the while screening at her daughters: "DRIZELLA! ANASTASIA! DON'T FOLLOW THE MAID INTO THE STREET IF SHE GETS HIT BY A CAR IT'S HER OWN FAULT!" followed by a loud sigh of "Why did I have ti have such stupid daughters?!" A cool breeze blew through the park, and Emma pulled Henry's sweater tighter around his body, cuddling up next to her son to keep him warm.
"She was… colorful," Mary Margaret said tastefully, swatting flies away from their picnic basket. David shrugged.
"That poor girl though," David said, "she needs to stand up for herself." The teacher nodded in agreement, resign her head on his shoulder.
"I think she can handle them," Emma cut in, "besides, we didn't come here to worry about a stranger, we came here for a Fourth Of July celebration! Right, Henry?" The boy shrugged, instead going to reach for the picnic basket. Emma laughed. Teenagers were easy to take care of, as long as there was food they were pretty occupied.
Looking up a the sky, Emma could see colors creeping along the black velvet, unitl a loud boom made her jump, and a rainbow exploded overhead. The townspeople around her had started "oohing" and "aahhing", and out of the corn rod her eye, she could see Nova and Leroy snuggling up against one another, the dwarf's arm wrapped around the fairy's lithe form.
Castng her gaze forward, she saw Ruby running around with Dr. Hopper and Pongo, playing fetch with a rather large stick. If she squinted far enough, however, she could see the Tremaines and the young blond girl. While the three brunette women were sitting comfortably, it looked as if they made the blond girl sit in the grass.
"Wow, they don't even have the decency to give her a chair?" Emma muttered in disbelief, watching as Drizella and Anastasia laughed obnoxiously loud at whatever it is they were doing; most likely something incredibly stupid.
"What was that?" Henry gained Emma's attention and she gave him a light peck on his cheek, running her fingers through his brown hair.
"Don't worry about it, kid," she said, "just watch the fireworks, 'kay?" She kept her eye on the blond girl as she sat with her family, all the while focusing on how the colors of the fireworks illuminated her son's face, rainbows dancing in pirouettes on his cheeks.