A/N: Thank you everyone for reading and following. I'm sorry it took so long. I'm such a perfectionist. Writing this chapter made me realize that I'm going to have more chapters than I thought.
As much as Emma was silently detesting the upcoming ball, she was thoroughly enjoying the alone time. Every day this week she had come back from her shift at the sheriff's office to an empty apartment. Mary Margaret was spending every spare moment she had planning the ball and that meant she was rarely at the apartment. She was, in fact, spending most of her time with Ruby, who thankfully had become Mary Margret's planning partner and not her. David was spending all his time at the abandoned dance studio they found to hold the ball. He was in charge of renovating the space for the event and that meant he was barely around. Then there was Henry. Ever since Neal had come back with her and Gold, Emma had to share her son with both him and Regina. It wasn't bad at first but ever since this idea to throw a ball was underway, she felt as if she never saw him. He would always call but she would only get "I'm doing my homework at Regina's" or "I'm having dinner with Neal" and yesterday he said, "After school I'm going with David to help with the ball."
She wasn't going to lie, it was nice to have a little time to herself. To be honest, she hadn't had much since she arrived in Storybrooke. She was alone at the sheriff's office but there was always something going on that she need to check into and when there wasn't either Hook or Neal would show up and fight for her affections. The apartment hadn't been much of a getaway in the past with the four of them crowed in there but the ball had given her a break. She actually was able to take an hour long bath yesterday. It was heavenly. Now that she had her fair share of "Emma" time she missed her family, her son, and that is why she was standing outside the school waiting for Henry.
"Emma!" Henry came running out. "I just got your text message."
"Hey kid. How was school?"
"Really good. Guess what? Ms. Blanchard finished the poster for the ball. They're inside. I told her I would help her put them up around town."
"Henry I..."
"Come on." Henry grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the building. She couldn't say no now.
"Emma!" Mary Margret said looking up from her desk. "I'm so glad you're here. Ruby is working a shift at Granny's I could use all the help I can get. Come, and take a look at these posters!"
Emma walked up the middle aisle of the classroom and picked up the top poster from a thick pile of copies.
"The Storybrooke Ball." Emma read.
The poster was dark blue with black stars and a half moon to show a night sky. At the bottom was a silhouetted image of two figures dancing. The headline danced amongst the stars and below it was her name.
"Introducing Emma Swan," Emma continued reading. "Saturday May 19th. That's..."
"About two weeks from now, well a little more," Snow stepped in. "We needed to give ourselves enough time to get everything ready."
"This is so exciting!" Henry picked up his own poster to admire.
"So what do you think?" Snow asked. "Do you like it?"
"Yeah. The poster looks amazing." Emma complimented. "I'm really impressed. Everything is coming together so well."
Mary Margret laughed. "Goodness Emma, did you really think a family that's fought against dragons and taken back kingdoms couldn't tackle planning a ball?"
"Mary Margret sorry I'm late" Emma heard her father's voice behind her.
"Don't worry. I've been showing Emma the posters."
"This is really something. Huh?" David padded her shoulder as he walked around the desk to greet his wife with a kiss.
She nodded to her father and then turned her eyes back to the poster. She took the time to read through the details more carefully. She found a something a little surprising.
"Hold on. Couples get in cheaper? That seems like something a dance in our world do not yours."
"I figured a mix of the two wouldn't hurt anybody," Mary Margret said as she began gathering her things. "Besides a ball focuses on ballroom dancing, remember. That kind of dancing requires couples."
"Right," Emma suddenly didn't feel so enthusiastic.
"Oh don't worry Emma," Mary Margret gave her a sympathetic look. "You're the guest of honor. You won't need a date."
"I won't?" Emma questioned.
"No, you're being introduced. That means you'll have to dance with everybody, or everybody who want to dance with you."
"Somehow that is less comforting."
Emma saw Mary Margret smile and shake her head. "Oh Emma."
"Don't worry, Mom. You'll find true love. It's in your blood." Henry joined in.
"Oh kid, come here." Emma pulled Henry in for a hug. "I don't need true love. I'm happy as long as I have you."
"You did wake me up with true love's kiss," Henry smiled up at her.
"I did indeed." Emma squeezed Henry a little tighter.
"Wait!" Emma loosened her grip. "Why don't I just dance with Henry. What do you think kid?"
"Umm..." Henry hesitated. "I do want to dance with you at the ball...it's just..."
"Henry?" Emma filled in Henry's pause.
"Well...I...there's already someone else I want to ask?"
Emma froze for a moment.
"Someone else?" Emma asked still not registering the words in her brain.
"Wow! Look at the time. If we are going to get these posters up tonight we better getting going. Grandpa?"
"Yeah sure thing kid," David grabbed one pile of posters and kissed Mary Margret goodbye. "I'll see you later."
"Bye," Mary Margret whispered.
"Henry," Emma stopped them. "I thought we were going to put up posters together."
"I already told David I would go with him and I'm sure you and Ms. Blanchard have a lot to talk about," Henry said exiting the classroom door.
"David!" Emma shouted for help following them out of the classroom. David stopped but Henry was already far down the hall. "What the hell?"
"Henry's right we got to put these posters up before it gets dark. You can talk to him about his girlfriend later."
"GIRLFRIEND!?"
"Wrong choice of word," David backed away.
"Go! I got this," Snow motioned to David to go. "Emma."
"How come nobody told me about this?"
"Emma. Calm down," Mary Margret grabbed both Emma's hands in hers. "Breathe."
Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"This is why I haven't seen him all week isn't it? Why didn't he tell me? Who is she?"
"One question at a time. Let go back into the classroom and sit down for a minute."
Mary Margaret sat Emma down in one of her student's desks and then sat down in the one next to it.
"So?" Emma waited.
"I don't know if I ever told you this but ever since the curse broke Henry has been doing a lot better in school. By that I mean he's made a lot of friends and he seems to be much happier at school. When we came back from the Enchanted Forest I could tell he felt more comfortable in my class and much closer to his classmates."
"What does this have to do with Henry having a girlfriend?"
"There's a lot of kids that Henry hangs out with now but he does spend more time with one particular person, Paige."
"Wait, the Paige? Jefferson's Paige? The Paige who is actually Grace?"
"Yes, that Paige."
"I have to stop this immediately," Emma stood up.
"Emma. Sit down. That is completely unnecessary. Paige is a sweet girl."
"Mary Margaret, do you remember what Jefferson did to us? Do you remember that he kidnapped you and tied you up?"
"Yes, but that was Jefferson, not Paige. You can't judge Paige just because of her father's actions. Actions he did under the curse, I might add and I think all of us have things we regret from our cursed lives."
"But Jefferson's wasn't cursed. His curse was that he wasn't cursed."
"Emma, what?"
"Jefferson tried to get me to believe in the curse. That's why he kidnapped you so I would come and help him make that hat. That same hat that got us stuck in the Enchanted Forest. I don't want Henry anywhere near Jefferson."
"Unfortunately Emma, I think you're too late for that."
"What now?"
"I heard that it was Henry that convinced Jefferson to reunite with his daughter."
"He was?" Emma's voice softened.
"Yeah. Henry's a good kid and going to find you changed his life. I'm sure he wanted Paige to have the same opportunity with her father. Like I said, she's a sweet girl. You don't have anything to worry about. They're young, you should let Henry take her to the ball. And David was exaggerating they aren't dating they are just close friends."
"Well that makes me feel a little better." Emma finally sat back down. "Thank you."
"I'm always here for you."
"I know you are." Emma smiled at her mother. "There's still one more question. I still don't understand why he felt he had to keep it such a secret. Paige is the reason he's been avoiding me lately?"
"He did invite her to go over to the abandoned dance studio with him yesterday. I saw them together when I stopped over there. Otherwise I've been too busy to know. Is it really that surprising though? I mean think about how you just reacted."
"I admit it, my reaction wasn't pleasant but he was still keeping it a secret from me."
"I think the other problem is that wall I've mentioned before. You haven't exactly been enthralled that you are going to have to dance with suitors at this ball. Not to mention the fact that you won't work things out with Neal. I'm not saying you have to be with him again but Henry knows that you are avoiding him. The relationship department is not exactly your strong suit."
"You can say that again."
"And finally, all kids have trouble talking to their parents about their relationships. Would you like to talk about the boys you are interested in."
"Isn't it time we go put up those posters?"
"Yeah," Mary Margaret smiled, "We really need to hurry."
Mary Margaret rushed up to her desk to retrieve their half of the posters.
"Oh Emma, one more thing," she came back up the aisle. "You may want to think about who you are interested in because even though you don't need a date for the dance we are having a ballroom basics class next week and you should really have a partner."
"What have I gotten myself into?"
