Sorry this has taken so long, huge writers block. Anyway I hope you all enjoy this and enjoy the episode later!


'Okay, I'll be there soon.' Charming placed the phone back on its holdall and stood up pulling his jacket on as he did.

'Who was it? Need any help?' Emma's head had shot up as soon as the station phone had started to ring, she had gone to get it to find her father had been one step in front of her. She had been stuck playing catch up with all the paperwork she had avoided doing the entire day, she had a tendency to put off doing her paperwork straight away leading to her having many days like this one – where her father would take all the call outs so she had to do it.

'Nope. Granny's heard some noises around the alleyway behind the diner, she thinks it's a cat but the animal rescue centre don't have anyone to go out and take a look. I hate cats.'

'You know I could go out instead, I don't mind them.' Emma started to stand up.

'Oh no you don't! Sit back down.' Charming said firmly giving her his dad look causing her to oblige. 'You have to stay here and finish a few more files. I don't think you'll get them all done by end of shift, but if you get a couple finished now you'll have less to do tomorrow.'

'But they're boring.' Emma all but whined.

'Well then maybe you'll think twice next time you put off doing one, then leaving them until they all pile up and I have to tell you to.' He retorted giving her a knowing look. 'Okay, I'll go deal with this demonic beast. Try get some of them done, okay kiddo?'

'Yeah, whatever.' She mumbled as he left.

Emma sat trying to force herself to continue the mundane paperwork, she had just finished one file when the station phone rang.

'Hello, Sheriff Swan here.'

Emma jotted down notes as one of the towns people told her that they'd found a kitten stuck in an ally way near the cannery. She hung up the phone and glanced between her mobile and the file she was about to open.

'Well, I can't exactly leave a kitten stuck by itself. I'll go get it and bring it back here then dad can go and take it to the rescue centre when he get back. Then I'm not technically putting off my paperwork I'll just be helping him out. Yeah that should work.' She thought as she managed to find a cat carrier she remembered seeing at the station before the first curse broke.

Half an hour later Emma was crouchingin the alleyway trying to move some corrugated metal so she could reach the orange ball of fluff that was mewling at her. Another five minutes later she managed to move enough space to reach inside and grab the kitten.

'Hey there, you not find an easier place for me to grab you from?' She joked as the kitten nudged its nose at her hand so she'd stroke them. 'Okay, I get it. Come on we best get back to the station before my dad starts getting worried. He's a pretty over protective parent, hey I wonder where you parents are.' She rambled as she placed the kitten inside the carrier.

She had just strapped the carrier to the seat of her bug and sat down herself when her mobile started to ring. 'Speaking of.'

'Hey dad.'

'Hey Em. It turns out it was a cat who'd just given birth, anyway I managed to them to the animal centre before it closed. But as it's the end of our shift anyway I'm going to get us all dinner from Granny's and meet you at home.'

'Wait, the animal centre's closed?'

'Yeah, why what's up?'

'Nothing! It just …. It just seems like something that should be open for later, that's all. Hey you say there's kittens, any of them ginger?'

'Nope all black and white, so is the mom. What's with the sudden interest in cats Em?' he asked sounding suspicious.

'Nothing! I'll meet you at home in a bit.' She hung up before her dad could question her.

'How'd you feel about coming home with me for the night?' Emma asked the ginger kitten who was sat on her shoulder as she grabbed an empty cardboard box. The kitten rubbed his head against her cheek in reply. 'Hey you need a name, let's see. Ginger? No you don't like that one? Okay, hmm. Wait. Ginger kitten wandering round Storybrooke by his self. Okay I know who you are.' She played him inside the cardboard box she had just pierced holes in the top of and placed a spare blanket in. 'Here's the thing, my dad doesn't like cats so we're going to sneak you in and up to my room before he can notice – but that means you have to be really quiet okay?'

'Here goes nothing.' Emma muttered, half to herself half to the kitten who was curled up asleep, as she opened up the door.

'Hey Emma! Good day?'

'Hey mom, it was alright.' She hurriedly replied as she tried to make her way to the stairs before her parents noticed the box.

Charming raised his eyebrows at that reply, normally Emma would complain about him forcing her to actually do her paperwork.

'What's in the box Em?' he asked narrowing her eyes at her.

'Paperwork.' She lied running up the stairs. 'I'm gonna go dump it in my room before dinner. I'll be back in fifteen.'

Charming and Snow glanced at each other.

'You know that's not paperwork right?' Charming started.

'Of course I know that's not paperwork, and since when doesn't she complain about you forcing her to do her paperwork?'

'So?' he grinned mysteriously.

'So I'll go up first I'm better at being quiet, then once I've opened her door I'll shout you to come up. If by some miracle it's nothing I'll just pretend to be checking on her and not shout you.' Snow said then she kicked off her shoes and tiptoed upstairs.

'Charming!'

He heard his wife shout from Emma's room. 'Guess we were right' he thought as he raced up the stairs. He burst into the room to find Emma sat cross legged on her bed, staring guiltily at her lap, as Snow stood to his side trying not to laugh. On the floor a small ginger kitten was playing with the laces. 'A kitten?!' he asked incredulously. He could hear his wife attempt to hide a giggle beside him but he refused to take his eyes off his daughter.

'I'll leave this to you Charming.' Snow said her smile evident in her voice.

'Wait! Are you sure you don't want to… You might be better at handling this.' The panic was evident in his voice as he stared at his wife pointedly, she knew he didn't like cats but would have a hard time saying no to Emma.

'I'm sure.' She said mischievously. 'I'll start putting the dinner out, I'm sure this won't take long.'

Charming was left staring with his eyes narrowed and shaking his head slightly at his daughter's closed bedroom door. He pinched the bridge of his nose then moved to sit on Emma's bed facing her.

'Emma I –'

'Dad I couldn't leave him where he was! And I knew you didn't, don't, like cats so I thought it was best you didn't know.'

'Emma, what do you mean leave him where he was?' he asked gently.

Emma launched into how she found him and explained her questions during their phone calls.

'And I know who he is! Which means we have to wait until we can find his happy ever after, it's my job.' She said confidently but begging her dad with her puppy dog eyes.

After less than a minute later he broke. 'Okay fine! We can keep him until you find him his happy ever after. What is it by the way? And who is he meant to be? A prince?'

'Nope he was a kitten in the tale as well, his happy ever after is finding a family - in the tale he was adopted by a little girl Jenny. And he's called Oliver.'

'Oliver? What's the tale?' He asked cautiously.

'Oliver and company.'

'Y'know that was a dirty trick earlier.' Charming said to his wife as they finally settled into bed that night.

'What trick?' She asked feigning innocence.

'Getting her to convince me, I do remember when you were pregnant with Emma you trying to persuade me that getting a cat or five dozen would be a good idea.'

'You remember how I only gave up that idea 'cause Red threatened to eat them?'

Charming chuckled, 'I remember you saying I put her up to saying that.'

Snow jokingly glared at him 'To be fair I was hormonal.'

'You're telling me.' Charming muttered as he remembered Snow being pregnant.

'What was that?'

'Nothing dear. We best get to sleep, if I remember right it's your night to wake up with Neil.' He smirked.

'Mm you're right.' Snow smiled at her husband then turned so her back was facing him 'But you have to put up with Emma trying to get out of doing her paperwork all tomorrow.'

'And probably the rest of the week. You want to swap?' he offered half-heartedly.

'Goodnight Charming.' She chortled

'Goodnight Snow.'

Three weeks later Charming and Emma sat at the station, having just given Oliver to his new family. Charming had realised that Emma had slipped a few files of her paperwork into his pile, he had scolded her slightly and told her to get on with them while he got on with his own.

'You know, I think I'm going to miss that guy.' Charming said after a while. He looked over at Emma after he had said it, to see her staring wide-eyed with an excited smile on her face.

'Can we get a kitten?' She asked not bothering to hide her excitement.

'Emma.' He sighed.

'Because the animal centre still have some, I checked.' She said giving him puppy dog eyes.

'Emma.' He said more firmly, attempting to stay strong.

'Please daddy?' She said, still staring with puppy dog eyes.

Charming sighed and threw his head into his hands 'It's up to your mother.'

'But it's a yes from you?' She asked hopefully.

'I suppose so.' He sighed again, knowing how much joy Snow was going to get in teasing him about Emma being about to get her own way with him.