Bang, bang, bang.
Emma jerked awake to a fist hitting her door. At first, she was confused. No one knocked on her door except the landlord she sometimes had casual sex with and they hadn't done so since he got a real girlfriend. Then she realized she wasn't in her apartment.
"Emma, I'm knocking as a courtesy! I can get the key from Granny! Get up, we're going shopping!" Ruby shouted from beyond the door. Emma groaned but rolled out of bed and opened the door, not caring how she looked.
"Jesus Ruby, you'd wake the dead."
"That was the idea. Shower, get dressed, come have breakfast and then we've got shopping to do. We need to pick up the dresses. I already gave in your measurements. You don't seem to have changed much. Might need Granny to take it in a bit, you could stand to put on a few, Em. Snow will take care of that. Anyway, shower, clothes, breakfast, shopping. Chop, chop." Ruby rambled off in thirty seconds flat before sweeping out the room as quick as she came.
Emma shook her head and sighed in fond exasperation before doing what Ruby said. She showered, dressed in black jeans, a short-sleeved off-white cable knit turtleneck, brown boots and her red leather jacket. She walked downstairs, expecting her mom and Ruby to be waiting for her. She didn't expect Ashley, Aurora, Mulan, Belle, Ariel, a redhead she didn't know, a pretty dark-skinned girl she didn't know and... Tinkerbell.
"We having a party or something?" Emma asked as she walked over.
"Finally! Here, breakfast." Ruby practically pushed her into a chair and shoved a plate of food over to her.
"It's nice to see you again, Emma." Belle said warmly as Emma began eating. Aurora, Ashley, Tink and Mulan nodded in agreement.
"You already met Ariel, Emma." Mary Margaret started.
"Hello again, Emma. I'm glad you managed to make the trip." Ariel said politely while rubbing her protruding stomach.
"Thanks. Congratulations by the way." Ariel smiled and Emma smiled back. They weren't close, but they didn't have any animosity towards each other. Honestly, Emma didn't have any with anyone besides Regina and perhaps Gold, maybe Killian depending on how you looked at it. Her relationship with all three semi-reformed villains was complicated.
"Meet Rapunzel." The dark-skinned girl smiled kindly at Emma.
"And Mulan's girlfriend, Merida." The redhead girl stuck her hand out to Emma, the gesture disturbing the wild curls atop her head.
"Nice to meet ya. Heard a lot 'bout you, Princess Emma." She had an accent similar to Killian and Graham's. That threw Emma, but she managed something like a smile and shook her hand.
"Just Emma. Kathryn's not coming?" Emma asked, quick to move on to something else besides meeting new people. More new, she didn't know how much new she could take.
"Frederick's been sick lately. Cancer. Vic's treating him. Thank God for modern medicine. That's why I was really hoping you'd come. She would do it, but I don't want to tear her away from him. I mean, she did for Regina's wedding since they're still friends, but you know." Ruby explained.
"Oh." Emma hadn't known that.
Of course she didn't.
"I hope he feels better."
"You and me both. Now hurry! Those dresses won't buy themselves." Emma had to laugh.
She did miss Ruby.
She did not miss Ruby's shopping habits. They must've been judged in more dresses than a beauty pageant contestant. Ruby couldn't make up her mind. Each bridesmaid dress, though the same deep red and made of the same fabric, would have a different design. She thought Ruby was overdoing it for a single day, but she didn't dare say that. Besides, she liked donning a dress every once in a while and getting dolled up. Sue her. Eventually, Ruby decided. Emma thought it was the end of that but after that, they had to get shoes. She bit back a sigh and followed them to the next store.
This will go by faster, she thought.
She was wrong. She was ready to stick it out but then the talking began.
"So, boy or girl, Ariel? You never said." Aurora asked excitedly, staring at some stilettos and her feet scrutinizing.
"A girl." Ariel replied, happily rubbing her huge stomach. She looked like she would pop any day.
"I remember when I found out I was having a girl. A mini-me to toddle around behind me." Mary-Margaret said sadly.
"Emma hasn't been toddling in a long, long time." Ruby said in a joking tone in order to diffuse any tension before it grew.
"Hey! I'm not that old." Emma exclaimed as the other women giggled.
"Old enough to be married. How's it going on that front?"
"Here we go again." Mulan mumbled. Emma looked at her in confusion, choosing to ignore Ruby's comment.
"Ever since Ruby got engaged, she's been trying to make the rest of us get married too." Rapunzel explained, walking past Emma towards a pair of boots.
"Never mind some of us are just fine with our relationships the way they are." Tink piped up. Emma tried not to think too much of Tink's relationship.
"Oh please, Tink. You're practically married already." Ashley chimed in. Tink blushed a bit and rolled her eyes.
"We are not."
"You are too."
"Are not."
"You are. Admit it."
"I know true love when I see it." Belle said with a smile. That threw Emma. Why would Belle care about Killian getting happiness or true love after everything that happened between them and Rumpelstiltskin? Maybe they let bygones be bygones. Suddenly Tink's phone rang.
"I bet that's him now." Emma swallowed and walked out of earshot towards a rack of shoes, ignoring Tinkerbell's conversation. She did her best to clear her mind and not think of Tink and Killian, who were apparently the cutest unmarried couple in Storybrooke. Who knew? Maybe they completed each other's sentences and had true love telepathy or whatever. Emma took a deep breath before she went down that road of thinking.
This is what I wanted. This is why I left. She reminded herself. Emma sighed. She wasn't doing a good job of convincing herself, but she pushed Killian away, she lied and said she didn't have feelings for him. Problem with lying is you're the one who gets hurt in the long run.
"Emma!" She turned to her mother.
"We're about to make final purchases then leave. School's letting out soon anyway. I'm sure you'd love to spend more time with Henry." Had they really been shopping that long?
"Yeah, coming." She rejoined the women and stuck to Mary Margaret's side while the others made their purchases and Ruby bought her shoes.
"So why aren't you in school? Shouldn't you be teaching? Maternity leave isn't that long, is it? Unless you quit." Emma asked.
"Not quit, got a promotion if you will. I didn't mention this before but now is as good a time as any. Regina appointed me Vice Mayor of Storybrooke." Emma stared at her as if she was speaking gibberish.
"She did what? Why would she do that?"
"Regina and I are actually in a very good place right now. We put all our cards on the table and we had to both let go of a lot of hurt and anger and pain. Believe it or not, we actually went to therapy with Archie and I think we're in a better place than I ever imagined us being in." She said with a soft smile while Emma stared with even more incredulity.
"You just let it go? Her dead boyfriend, your dead father, her dead mother. The sleeping curse, countless dead innocents. 28 years of misery in this town, and you just let it go?"
"It's just like you said, 28 years is a long time to be so... broken. It didn't happen overnight. It started in the Enchanted Forest during the missing year. We bonded as mothers. Then we found out about our mothers' rivalry and how that helped lead to Zelena being the way she was, and it all seemed so much more... unimportant in the grand scheme of things. We decided to do what our mothers couldn't: we moved on for our children's sakes, including yours, and we did it for the town and ourselves. You can't live without hope your whole life, Emma."
Emma looked away. There were moments where she wanted to put aside her animosity for Regina too, even moments where she had, but it was a constant battle, especially when she thought of how her life could've been if Regina never casted the curse. She knew Mary Margaret did love Regina even if she wouldn't say so. Regina was family to her, perhaps only her mother by marriage, but still family and at the end of the day Emma didn't think Mary Margaret ever would truly give up on her but it was still hard to be faced with that truth.
"I... I'm happy for you, that you two could work it out." She tried to find sentiment behind her words but couldn't. Mary Margaret turned around to look at her with a scrutinizing stare, but Emma turned away.
"Let's go get Henry." She walked to Mary Margaret's car (a new car specifically for her and Leo) and got in the passenger seat. The driver's door opened but she startled a bit at the back door opening as well.
"We're dropping Tink off at the school." Mary Margaret explained. Emma wondered why she'd need a ride to the school grounds but figured she was picking up the Lost Boys. Emma didn't speak the whole car ride, choosing to stare out the window instead. When they got to the school Tink hopped out first, thanking them as she did. She made to get out, but Mary Margaret held her back.
"What is it?" She asked.
"What's wrong with you? And don't insult my intelligence by telling me it's nothing."
"It's nothing." The queen gave Emma a look then as if she caught her hand in a cookie jar.
"It's just... everything has changed, and I guess I wasn't expecting it is all." Mary Margaret got that look she got when she wanted to be careful but still tell the hard truth.
"It's been over a year since you left. It'd be more concerning if things hadn't changed."
"I know. Don't worry about my problems, you've got enough to worry over with Leo."
"Emma, you're my child too. I'm supposed to worry."
"Really, don't. My issues – it's... personal." She did her best to ignore the look of hurt that crossed her mother's face, but her brain wouldn't let her.
You're hurting them already.
"The last time you were acting strange and had a problem you wouldn't tell us about, you left Storybrooke. You've only been here a day. I believe that you can find your happy ending Emma, but how will you find it if you never stay in one place long enough to?" Emma opened her mouth and then closed it again.
"Look, I need to take things one step at a time. I've never had anyone and then I have Henry and parents who are the same age as me and Neal again. There's Rumpelstiltskin and fairytale princesses and Neverland, Captain friggin' Hook. I am just so... Graham died because of Regina, Neal died because of Zelena, Henry almost died because I didn't believe, so much has happened. I'm the Savior and I'm not doing a whole lot of saving. I never even wanted to be this. I only did because... you're my family and I had to protect you. I had to protect the one thing I had always wanted and finally had."
"So why did you leave?" Emma looked at Mary Margaret and could see how imploring her look was, how much she wanted to know.
"I..." Emma paused again.
"I'm staying until Ruby's wedding, I'm not going to let all this shopping go to waste. What happens after that? Can we not... can we not talk about it right now?" Her mother's face fell but she just nodded her head before getting out of the car. Emma turned forward and slouched in her seat trying to take slow, deep breaths. She should've known any interaction with her mother would end in nothing less than a heart-to-heart, but Emma couldn't. She had literally only been back a day and she couldn't deal with the emotional influx so soon. She sat up a bit, getting ready to get out, when her eyes caught on a familiar figure.
Shit. What is he doing here? She thought, slouching even lower as Hook stood by the gates of the school conversing with Tinkerbell and Jefferson. Hook must be there with Tink. Emma did her best to ignore the twinge in her chest as he smiled brightly at something Tink said but she couldn't deny it. He was wearing more modern clothes now, though he still wore a leather jacket but over dark washed jeans and a dark blue henley instead of leather pants and his vests. He still had his hook on and his jewelry and guyliner. He looked much the same except... except he looked happy. She didn't think she'd ever actually seen him genuinely happy, but he was smiling and laughing with Tink and Jefferson and warmly greeted Mary Margaret when she approached them. She watched the four interact with each other and wondered where in that she could've fit in. Except...
Expect she had a place between Hook and her mother waiting for her that she turned away from.
To protect them, to save them the pain. She mentally defended.
You caused them pain, nonetheless.
Emma shook her head at Mary Margaret as she looked back at her quizzically then with realization and sadness. Emma felt like banging her head against the car door but then the bell rang, and children started flooding out of the high school. She watched with interest as the Lost Boys passed Tink with little more than hellos and kept walking. The four kept talking and then Emma watched Gracie skip from the building with Wendy and another girl with white blonde hair that Emma didn't recognize. She guessed Gracie was promoted early too. The girl ran to Jefferson and hugged him tightly before hugging Tinkerbell just as tight. Emma's eyebrows must've gone to her hairline as she watched Tink kiss both of Hook's cheeks before tucking herself under Jefferson's arm and holding Gracie's hand while the three strolled away.
Tink and Jefferson? Didn't see that coming.
Emma would admit that of all the changes, this one was the least upsetting. She looked back to Hook and Mary Margaret. Wendy and the blonde were still there. The blonde girl was now standing close to Hook's side and conversing with Wendy while he spoke to Mary Margaret. Henry walked out then, bidding goodbye to some kids and walked down the steps to the group. He looked around a little and she realized he was looking for her.
Don't call me out, don't call me out.
"Mom!" She winced to herself before leaning up and looking out the car window. Hook was now looking at the window, staring at her. He didn't look surprised more... shaken than anything else. She pushed the car door open and walked over to the group feeling like she was doing a death march the whole while before she came to stand across from Hook.
"Emma, lovely to see you again. David said you were here. It's good you could make it for the wedding." He said politely. Emma nodded back just as polite, practically drowning in the awkwardness between them.
"It's lovely to see you again, Sheriff Swan." Wendy said, cutting through the tension.
"And you. How are your brothers?"
"They're doing well, thank you for asking."
"Speaking of, you asked for their permission to stay the night, yes?" Hook asked her.
"Yes, I did. They're with Drusilla and Fantasia today so they don't mind me staying over."
Two things went through Emma's mind.
1. Weren't those the names of Cinderella's, well Ashley's, mean step-sisters?
2. Why would John and Michael let their sister spend the night at a grown man's house? A man who Wendy knew as a villain back in Neverland?
"Hello." A voice said, Emma looked to the unnamed girl. She was staring at her with curious ice blue eyes. Emma looked at Mary Margaret as she kissed her teeth and silently chastised herself.
"Where are my manners? Emma, this is Elsa." Emma looked back over to the girl. She was small for a fourteen-year-old and for all the power pent up inside of her.
"Nice to meet you, kid." Elsa nodded back with something just shy of polite and on the edge of standoffish.
"You're Emma Swan. Papa has told me a lot about you."
Papa? Emma thought she was in foster care, unless she had found a home.
"Well, I hope it was good things."
"For the most part, Swan." Emma looked at Hook and he had a secretive look on his face. Mary Margaret's eyes were downcast while Henry shuffled a little.
There was no way. No way Hook was this girl's—
"Can we go now, Papa? We're going to be late. Anna's probably waiting." Elsa said to Hook.
"Yes, yes we're going. Come along Wendy." The blonde skipped to Elsa's side and the two began making their way down the street.
"You... have a daughter."
"Two. I adopted them a few months ago. You told me to move on and I did." Emma opened her mouth and closed it again because what could she say? It was better than him being with Tinkerbell but also threw straight into her face just what she gave up. Hook was good with children despite all evidence to the contrary. She wondered if he had dreamt of having a child with Milah or even with Emma herself, but she pushed that dangerous thought away. She had Henry and Hook had moved on. In a completely unexpected way, but still.
"I... congratulations, I guess." The corner of his mouth quirked but it wasn't a real smile, wasn't the way he usually looked at her and it was her own fault. He turned to Henry and gave a real smile now.
"This Saturday, yeah? I'll show you some new knots and we'll take a ride."
"Have I ever missed a day?"
"Good lad." He replied, ruffling Henry's hair. He gave Mary Margaret a hug before looking back at Emma.
"It really is lovely to see you again, Swan. I'm glad you're safe and happy." He said, not meeting her eyes, before walking off to join his daughter. Emma watched him walk away, a sight she was most unused to as it was usually the other way around, and she could help the pang in her heart as he left. There was a gulf of distance between them now and she had created it.