"Boxes are heavy," I muttered, and used magic to transport them into the house.
"That is so cheating," Charlotte complained.
"I'll do yours too."
"Well, okay then."
I transported her boxes into the house. "You know, you don't have to help."
"Yes, I know. But if I do, I'm more likely to get to come stay over, right?"
"No. I'd invite you either way."
"Oh, really?"
"Well, duh. You're my best friend."
"You sure I haven't been replaced by Rebecca?"
"Charlotte, are you jealous? Come on, you've got centuries on her."
She chuckled. "I guess that's true."
"Maybe the three of us could all have a sleepover together."
"Oh, that does sound fun!"
"Great. How about Saturday night?"
"Don't you have a date with Michael?"
"No, and sheesh, Charlotte, are you jealous of everybody?"
"No."
"Okay, well, then act less jealous."
"Okay, okay!"
"By the way, speaking of friends and stuff, Mary Margaret is throwing the town a Christmas party."
"You're kidding."
"No. She wants everyone to get together for something and she found her excuse."
"People from your land don't even celebrate Christmas!"
"No, they do not, but Emma does. She's from your land."
"Well, okay then. Who'll be there?"
"Everybody, I guess. Mary Margaret and David, Emma, Baelfire, Henry, Regina probably, that Robin Hood guy she's seeing, his kid, Rumpelstiltskin and Belle, my Papa, me, whatever people from the town that I don't know decide to show up, and you, Rebecca, Michael, and Emmy, if you all decide to come."
"Oh. Well, that does sound like quite a party."
"Yeah. Don't expect it to have anything to do with Christmas, though."
"Oh, I wouldn't. I haven't celebrated a real Christmas since I was... oh... seven. My mother took me to the theater and we saw a show... then we went home and she gave me a necklace as a gift... we didn't have a tree, but it didn't bother me. It was just nice to spend time together, the two of us, with Mother not having to work..." She sighed. "All that was long ago, of course. It would have been just six months before Mother died, and after that nothing was ever normal again."
"Well, this is what's normal now," I said. "A bunch of fairy-tale characters all related to each other in multiple somewhat creepy ways."
"Yeah. The ideal life." Her eyes still stared off at the far-away past.
"You could go back to New York."
"There's nothing there anymore. I was there, for a bit. It's totally different."
"Do you think your old apartment is still there?"
"I haven't the faintest clue, and I don't even think I'd know where to find it."
"You know, you could find an apartment here, in Storybrooke."
"Elizabeth, I don't think I want to spend the rest of my life in Stroybrooke. I've got a few months left of senior year of high school, and after that, I'll probably leave. I guess I'll come back to visit, but-"
"Charlotte, visiting this town isn't that simple."
"I know. But my world is out there, and I'll probably go back out there. I could go to college... back when I lived here girls couldn't dream of that sort of thing, and now I really could."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I want that too, I think. But what if it's permanent? What if we never found each other again?"
"There's the internet now, I don't think it's a problem."
"Oh yeah. Okay, then, but I think you have to apply for college like... now, if you want to go next year."
"Really?"
"Yeah, Bae mentioned it when he was explaining some things about schooling in this world."
"Oh, well, I'll have to get on that."
"Yeah."
"Elizabeth!" Papa called, walking towards us. "Have you moved all your boxes?"
"Yes."
"Excellent. Then I believe we can start unpacking."
"Hey," said Bae awkwardly, standing in the doorway.
"Hi. Would you like to come in?"
"Yeah."
"Then please do."
He walked in. "Emma and Henry are busy with something, but I brought you a housewarming present from us."
"Oh... thank you!"
He handed me a box. I opened it and saw a pretty vase. "Um... thanks."
"Yeah, not the best gift, but it's hard to agree."
"Okay."
"On the note of gifts, though, your birthday is in three days..."
"Oh yeah, it is, isn't it?" I tried to feign surprise, but I failed.
"Yeah, so, as a present, I was thinking... what's your opinion on cats?"
"Oh my... you're going to get me a cat?"
"If you'd like one. Obviously your father would have to agree."
"Yeah, he probably would. And I would love one!"
"Well... great, then! I guess I'll take you to the shelter tomorrow so you can pick one out, and I'll go talk to your father now."
"Thank you, Bae!"
"Yeah, no problem. Where is he?"
"Upstairs."
"So, you have a house," Michael noted.
I nodded. "Good eyes."
"It's so big!" Emmy exclaimed. It wasn't all that big, but I guess anything was large compared to a prison cell.
"I guess it is."
"Do you want to hang out on Saturday night?" Michael asked.
Wow. I guess Charlotte wasn't that off. "Can't, I've got plans with Charlotte and possibly Rebecca. And speaking of plans, do you guys want to come to the Christmas party Mary Margaret is throwing?"
Michael shrugged. "Why not? When is it?"
"December 22nd."
"Awesome."
"Sounds good!" Emmy chimed in.
"I'm free Friday night, by the way," I told Michael.
"Okay then."
"Movie?"
"Sure, or..."
"Or what?"
"We could go ice skating."
"That's a good plan too."
