Snow and Emma were sitting at Granny's counter having a girls' night out. They were sipping hot cocoa topped with whipped cream and cinnamon and chatting with Ruby when she had moments to spare. It was Snow's idea, for lately Emma seemed to be weighed down by an invisible burden that she refused to open up about. David and Henry had eaten dinner with them, then set off for home to put Henry to bed. The family time seemed to be loosening Emma up a bit, but she was still guarded. Snow swiveled her stool around to face Emma, weaving her fingers around her mug of cocoa.
"So, girls' night out," Snow started, awkwardly. "It's a little like old times, when I was Mary-Margaret and we were just good friends."
Emma's somber expression softened.
"We're family now. I think we're a lot closer." She sipped her drink, thoughtfully.
"I was hoping you would say that. Emma, lately I've noticed you seem... sad? I haven't been able to figure out how to bring it up." Snow blinked earnestly at Emma, trying not to let herself be overcome with emotion. "I just want you to know you can tell me if something's wrong."
Emma opened her mouth to reply, when she was interrupted by the ring of the bell over the entrance. She and nearly everyone else in the diner turned around to see who had come in. It was Belle, looking cloudy and self-conscious. It was difficult to see her with this new, fragile demeanor. Snow gave Belle one her most welcoming smiles, which Belle took as an invitation. She sat down gingerly on a stool next to Snow, and was cordially greeted by all three ladies. They had all tried their best to offer her unconditional understanding and friendship, ever since her ordeal.
"Hello, Belle," Snow started, enthusiastically. "How are you holding up?"
"Fine. Good." Belle was staring at the counter as if she were trying to memorize a phone number. "Can I ask you something? Do you promise not to laugh?"
"Sweetie, you can ask us anything." Snow leaned forward and patted Belle's knee. A part of her secretly hoped that Emma was taking notes. This was how you asked your friends for support.
"Is Captain Hook real? Does he live here?"
Belle looked up at Snow and Emma, curiosity burning in her eyes. Emma and Snow's eyes went wide. Ruby whirled around when she heard Hook's name, and stalked over to lean in from the kitchen side of the counter.
"Yes, Belle, he is definitely real. Did you see him? Did he talk to you?" Ruby barely contained a snarl.
"He just apologized to me, in front of the library. He was very polite. It seemed as if he really meant it."
"He apologized?" Snow was incredulous.
"Well, not before trying to justify the whole thing. Typical man. But it's really nice to hear you say he's real and I wasn't just dreaming him up."
"Oh he's as real as they come." Emma murmured. Ruby heard, and gave her a sideways smirk.
"Are you okay? Did he say anything to upset you?" Snow continued, cautiously, noting the way Belle seemed to sigh after each recollection.
"I'm fine. I just - I think he's the most handsome man I've ever seen." Belle grinned sheepishly, trying to replay the story Captain Hook had told her a few more times in her mind, recounting his low voice and mesmerizing eyes. She didn't know how long she'd be able to hold on to the memory before she'd have to reconfirm that it did indeed happen.
This admission changed Ruby's demeanor entirely. In a moment she was transformed from the overprotective mama-wolf into a shameless gossip hound.
"OH MY GOD, BELLE. Did you hit on Captain Hook?" It was all Ruby could do to prevent herself from full on yelling.
"I might have." Belle blushed and bit her lip while Emma and Snow continued to stare, wide-eyed. "It doesn't matter," she continued, "he's already got a girlfriend."
"He said that?" Ruby's mind was racing. "Did he say who?" She shot a quick glance at Emma, and laughed internally at her terrified expression. "Belle, you HAVE to tell us, what were his exact words?"
"He said..." Belle breathed deeply, calming her mind in order to retrieve this thought. "He said he already had a savior."
Ruby slammed her hands on the counter, gleefully. She turned her hungry eyes on the savior, Emma. Snow whirled her stool around to face her daughter. It felt like minutes since she had last been able to blink. Belle followed the other two women to Emma's face, which was just now being overrun by a flush that had crept up from her neck.
"Is it you, Emma?" Belle asked with complete innocence.
"What?" Emma sputtered. "That's ridiculous."
"You can't deny it, Emma!" Ruby was nearly frothing. "You marked him as soon as he got to town. I can still smell it on him when he comes in for food."
Snow's mouth had opened in shock and then confusion.
"Marked him? That's impossible - and disgusting." Emma was beside herself.
Snow nodded wordlessly in agreement with Emma.
"Pheromones, sweetie." Ruby waved her hand in a circle in front of her face. "They're kind of impossible for me to ignore." Now it was her turn to be stared down by three looks of surprise. She tried to shrug it off. "It's for the better. I lose less girl friends that way. Always know when to keep my paws off."
Belle's eyes widened at the thought.
"Emma, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize."
Once again Emma was like a deer caught between three high powered searchlights.
"NO. No, no, no. There is nothing to be sorry about. There's a big difference between being the savior and Hook's savior. And he's...pheromone-y because he's in my jail all the time."
Ruby rolled her eyes. "That's not how it works."
Snow opened her mouth to speak, when Emma's cell phone suddenly began to ring loudly.
"Oh look at me, saved by the bell." Emma hopped off her stool and walked a few feet away from the group in order to hear the call. She listened for a moment, then let her head slump, rubbing her forehead with her free hand. She told the caller she'd be right over, then hung up and stepped over to her mother and friends.
"I have to go." Emma's voice was low, and she had trouble making eye contact. "Hook is causing problems at the tavern."
"Oh dear. Whatever shall you do? I guess you have to go get him." Ruby taunted Emma, sarcastically.
"Hey, I'm just doing my duty."
Emma turned on her heel and stalked to the door, but she couldn't get out before Ruby called after her.
"You'd probably be a lot less uptight if you actually started doing your duty!"
The door clanged shut behind Emma, leaving Snow still clutching her cocoa, battered by waves of emotion. She placed the drink gingerly on the counter, then looked up at Ruby with watery eyes.
"Is it true? Pheromones? Really?" She was nearly whispering.
Ruby cocked her head sympathetically, cursing herself for being so brazen in front of Snow. They had always been so close. But now Emma wasn't the only one who couldn't get used to the idea that Snow was Emma's mother. Ruby tried her best to choose her next words carefully.
"Pheromones can't tell you anything about true love. But I know that people have needs, just like animals. Sometimes one person is missing something that another person can replace. It might not have to be forever to be good for them. For both of them."
Ruby was drying a glass absentmindedly as she came up with this bit of wisdom. Snow covered her face with both her hands, shaking her head and whining Ruby's name.
"You basically just told me that my daughter needs to get laid." her voice was muffled by her palms.
"There, there," chimed Belle. "If it makes you feel better, he really is the most beautiful man I've ever seen."
A/N: I. Love. This. Chapter. I hope you squealed. But it is short. I love your comments, and they really inspire me to make sure everything I post is the best I can come up with.
