1. The Awkward Silence

"So, Emma…?" Prince charming said to his daughter, as they sat in the police cruiser on patrol for the day. Since she had returned from the fairytale world she had taken back her job as sheriff and he had became the deputy for Storybrooke, protecting all of the fairy tale citizens from any danger. But the shifts had become awkward, as it was hard for them to discuss things. This was because they could not become simply friends, nor could they just have an instant father-daughter relationship. Staring at his daughter, the prince wondered where the years had gone to, and he felt a moment of sadness for not having the chance to raise her. He wished he could have that time back, but since he realized that he could not, he decided on the next best thing, asking her about her childhood.

Emma sighed, knowing that he was probably going to as her about something she didn't really like talking about. She wanted her past to remain her past, especially from her family. She didn't want them to think of her as the girl who had made that many mistakes. She wanted them to think of her as herself, as in present tense. However, she wanted to be closer to her father, and not be stuck in the same awkard hesitant silence that seemed to surround the two of them and their coffees. Therefore, she nodded, "Yeah?" She asked, looking out the window.

"We never really had much time, well any really, to talk before you and Snow got sent back to our world…."He wasn't sure how to ask the question, because the silence seemed to be engulfing him even though he tried to fight it. It was as if it was taking a claim on him and his voice.

"So you want to know about my childhood, huh?" Emma finished his thought, knowing that in their delicate family balance since their return, this question was going to eventually be asked.

"I do." He answered, "But only anything you want to tell me." He didn't want to pressure her, and he wasn't even sure he'd want to hear all of it after having Snow tell him about her being in the foster care system for most of her life and hearing that it was a horrible experience for her. He wished he had gotten the chance to see her grow up, but unfortunately he was not given that chance. Instead he had done what he could for her, and sent her away for more than a quarter of her life, time they would never get back.

"I'm not sure how much there is to tell, really." Emma started, staring down at her lap for a moment before looking up at him. "I went through so many homes for my first sixteen years they all seem like a blur. I got out of the system, finally, did some stupid things, ended up in prison. When I got out, I had Henry, and I wanted the best for him, so I put him up for adoption, and then I became a bounty hunter. And then, on my twenty eighth birthday, Henry came and found me." She smiled at that, that was her favorite, yet one of her most shocking memories.

He nodded at her, he'd heard all of those things before, but he wanted to know more. Not the broad things, but the small details, her favorite toys, books, games as a kid. So he asked her about them.

Emma smiled as she answered, "I loved the game of life. I only played it a few times, but I loved it because you never seemed to have a really bad outcome. Your life could take so many directions but no direction ended badly." He smiled at her answer, having faint memories of playing that as David, and even though he knew those memories weren't really real, he knew what she meant about the game, and how fun it was. "My favorite book was, oddly enough, Romeo and Juliet. "He was positive that everyone knew that book, he was certain of it, and he wasn't sure that he wouldn't do the same if Snow lied dead in front of him. He wasn't sure if he would want to live if she was dead. He was curious to why Emma like it so much, though. "I had this doll, her name was Lilly, I carried her around until I was around eleven, when my foster dad threw her into a fire. " The thought of Lilly saddened Emma, but at the same time, the memories she had of that doll put a smile on her face.

"I'm sorry." Prince charming said, putting a hand on her shoulder, and finally breaking the awkward silence of the moment.