Fun

Emma, Bae and Astrea were sitting in the living room eating ice cream and watching movies in their pajamas. It was the first time Emma took a moment to relax since she got here. Meanwhile, Stitch was in the bedroom blasting Hound Dog by Elvis over and over and over… and over again.

"When I said I missed music, this was not what I meant." Emma said.

"Give the guy a break. He's been held captive for four years and it's his favorite song." Astrea said.

"Yes but why?" Emma replied. "Anyway, love, love, love this Enchanted movie. It is so cool they made a movie about Giselle. For once, it's very true to her. It seems the newer movies are a little better with that." Emma said as the credits rolled.

"Let me introduce you to some new music." Astrea said then grabbed her phone then connected it to her speakers via Bluetooth. "You have to hear this song Thinking Out Loud by this singer Ed Sheeran. I guarantee you, you will love it as much as Stitch loves Hound Dog." Astrea pressed play and the song came through the speakers.

Emma looked at the phone then at the speakers then back at the phone. "What the?" No wires.

"Oh yeah. You haven't been introduced to Bluetooth yet."

"I've missed a lot in fifteen years. Phones can do anything. Technology has almost caught up with Back to the Future. Actually, since it's 2015 I'm a little disappointed. Where are the flying cars and hover boards?"

"That's what we've been saying." Astrea laughed.

They quieted to listen to the song and Emma was singing along by the second chorus.
"Yes! I love it. I feel it." She was in her feelings because she missed Neal. The three of them got up and danced around the room. They replayed it once more.

"You have to hear this singer named Adele." Astrea said then played Hello followed by a string of other love songs.

"Okay. I love your playlist and I will get me a little tablet thingy, store all of it on there and take it with me when I go home but I can't take anymore love songs. I'm homesick like hell." Emma said.

"Then how about this." Astrea played Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson and they got back up to dance. "You should go to the club with me. It's the only time we'll ever have the chance to go together. I'm pretty sure they don't have clubs back in fairy tale land."

"It's the Enchanted Forest and I don't know…"

"Come on. We never got to do it when you were here before. You were seven months pregnant your eighteenth birthday. It'll be fun!"

"I can't go to a club… And I have Bae."

"Mom, I'll be fine. I'll stay here with Stitch. We're not betraying our family. We'll be there with bells on tomorrow. There's nothing else we can do today. You should go with a clear head and fun is a way to do that." Bae said.

"I don't know if I can truly have fun but... fine. We're leaving at 12:30 and I'm not getting drunk."

"Cool! Until then, let's all go out and get away from Hound Dog." Astrea said.

After they got dressed, they went to fencing classes, not that they need it. Maybe Astrea did but it'd be fun. This was something Astrea did as a hobby with her biological father, Bo. Emma was already a fencing champ when she left.

Emma and Bae were partnered together and Astrea was partnered with a man in the class. Everyone was impressed by how good Emma and Bae were. Bae was still learning the valued sword fighting skill but he was already pretty good. Astrea's partner, tall with blonde hair and blue eyes, his name was Carl went over to Emma after a round.

"You're pretty good for a girl." Carl said.

Emma looked him up and down. "Woman, and my ability to kick your ass has nothing to do with it."

Carl laughed. "I didn't say you could kick my ass."

"I see. You're one of those seeing is believing types. Let's go."

"What?"

"On behalf of every woman you will ever meet from this day forward, I am going to teach you a lesson."

"You're a confident one."

"Less talking." Emma put her fencing helmet back on and started. He wasn't ready. "Rule number one, always be ready. Always have your guard up in a fight." He put his helmet on and began to fight her. Everyone stood around and watched them and he was embarrassed because he was easily losing. Then he was on the floor.

"I take it all back." Carl said.

"Fast learner." Emma helped him up.

"That's my mom." Bae said proudly.

Later they went to practice archery, Emma bought a tablet then they went to eat and then went back home. Once they got there, Emma took some time to help Henry tap into his powers in this world. That came along pretty well.

Hours later, Emma and Astrea went to a popular club in New York. Emma wore a cute little red dress, a pair of pumps and her hair was curled. It was a refreshing look. They got there and Emma kind of stayed on the side.

"Have a drink." Astrea came over with a glass for her and she took a sip. "Loosen up. It's the only time we'll get to do this. I'm not trying to be insensitive to the situation. I just miss not being able to do things with my best friend."

"Okay." Emma said simply. Her friend missed her. She missed her too. They hadn't seen each other in thirteen years and since she'd been back, Astrea was so helpful. The least she could do was have a little fun with her in her world.

"Come." Astrea took her over to some familiar faces.

"OMG. Emma!" They exclaimed. They were some girls they used to go to school with. Some were on the cheerleading squad with her. There were a couple of guys too, one being her old friend Eri. They were in the poetry club together and he took her to her junior prom.

"Wow! Hey guys!" Emma exclaimed. They shared a group hug.

"Where did you disappear to after graduation?" Eri asked.

"Oh, I… moved…" Emma replied.

"What do you do?" One of the girls asked.

"Oh… I own and run an orphanage." Emma answered then Carl, the guy from the fencing class tapped her on her shoulder. "You."

"Yes, would you care to dance beautiful?" Carl asked.

She looked him up and down again. She didn't like him, he was an arrogant, annoying sexist. "I'm married." She showed him her ring.

"Happily?"

"Very." She turned back to her friends and took another sip of her drink. "Let's hit the dance floor, shall we?" She put down her drink and they all went to dance.

Emma finally allowed herself to have fun but 12:30 came around and she was still ready to go. So she said goodbye to her old friends and they begged her to stay.

"Sorry guys but I have kids and a family to take care of. I have a big day ahead of me." Emma said. They understood and said goodbye to her once more. They never thought they'd see her again, they couldn't even find her on social media. They were glad she did well for herself but they didn't expect anything less. So many they went to high school with looked at her as the idea of perfection. She was beautiful, valedictorian, class president, fencing champ, archery champ, a black belt, a cheerleader, on the poetry club... What didn't she do? What couldn't she do? Aside from that time everyone thought she was crazy because she believed she was a fairy tale character and getting knocked up and engaged as a teenager, she was definitely perfect in everyone's eyes. With all that, she still seemed quite mysterious and she still was.

"Did you have fun?" Astrea asked once they got back to the apartment.

"I did. It was nice seeing everyone too. It gave me an idea of what life would have been if I stuck around." Emma replied.

"Maybe you should stick around."

Emma laughed. "Yeah, no." She shook her head.

"Don't you miss it a little? There's indoor plumbing!"

"I miss things. I miss people but I don't miss everything as a whole. Home is where the heart is and right now, most of my heart is in Storybrooke and my heart must be saved. That said, I'm going to bed so I can be prepared to fight for it. Goodnight, friend." Emma went to bed.

No more fun and games.