I know I have not updated this story in ages, and I am sorry – I hope those of you who have read in the past will forgive me if I promise to update regularly. Thank you for all of the comments, reviews, and time that you've taken to read previously, and if you've enjoyed the story before, I really hope you'll continue to read new chapters as I post them.

Chapter 9

Present-Day Storybrooke

She'd been in Storybrooke for two weeks now, and it still seemed unreal at times. Being in her own land, no matter how desolate, how dangerous it had been…she was keenly aware of that missing part of her soul and sometimes, she felt an overwhelming urge to return to the life she'd known for so long. Here in Storybrooke, though, she had her family. And she wouldn't ever give them up.

"Earth to Mary-Margaret."

Her daughter's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She glanced up at Emma, who stood next to the park bench, smiling at her. "You look like you're trying to solve the world's problems in one go." Emma sank down next to her as they both watched Henry swing from the monkey bars.

"Or two worlds." Snow gave her a wry smile, moving over to give Emma more room. "Just thinking about what we left behind us."

Emma studied her mother for several minutes. "Do you want to find a way to go back?"

Snow reached for Emma's hand. "Not with things like this. Not with everything so up in the air here and in the Enchanted Forest. The only thing I want to do right now is to keep you and Henry safe."

"You know, you could let us take care of you a little." Emma stared straight ahead, her discomfort suddenly showing again. It was still strange to be a daughter, still strange to think of her former roommate as her mother. Even so, she couldn't help wanting to protect Mary-Margaret, the same way her mother wanted to protect her. "I think I still owe you for taking down the ogres in the Enchanted Forest."

"Family doesn't keep score." Snow squeezed her hand with a grin. "Although, if you'd ever like to have an archery competition, I'll retract that statement."

"Mom!" Henry called, flinging himself from the monkey bars to the ground. "Don't do it! She'll wipe the ground with you!"

Snow and Emma laughed, and Emma was pretty sure that he was right. "No kidding. I'd rather take on Robin Hood."

Henry leapt onto the bars again, concentrating on alternating hanging by his knees and his hands. His mother and his grandmother watched him, no need to put their happiness into words.

"I saw Azure yesterday." Emma said, breaking the quiet after a few minutes. "She was walking down the street in front of the library around lunchtime."

Snow frowned. "Lunchtime?"

"Yeah. Twelve-thirty, one o'clock."

"She's supposed to be in school then." Snow sighed. "Blue enrolled her last week. I haven't talked to Blue, but I've seen Azure heading out of school during school hours twice. Her teacher's obviously aware of her absence, so I'm sure Blue knows."

Emma turned to Snow. "Whether Blue knows or not, I'm not sure I understand why Azure needs to go to school. At least, not yet."

"Normalcy." Snow responded, shaking her head. "Blue is determined to give her the Storybrooke version of normalcy. You're right, though, I've wondered the same thing."

"What is normal around here? In Azure's mind, she's spent the past 28 years taking care of herself in a terrifying land, even if her physical form never grew from that of a fifteen-year-old girl. She is, for all intents and purposes, an adult." Emma struggled to find the right words, to be tactful, not to hurt Snow. "She's grown up without her mother, and it must be difficult for both of them to find a middle ground."

"Spoken like someone who knows from experience." Snow wasn't offended. "I just worry for Blue. She carried around so much guilt in her old life about Azure, about the things that she couldn't tell her or wouldn't tell her. So many people here have only seen her as a fairy godmother, they never saw any of her life in Fairy Glen."

"You know, that's something I've been wondering." Emma's tone suddenly became curiously playful. "How does a fairy godmother, a flying, wish-granting, tiny wisp of a person have a secret affair and get pregnant by a…" Emma struggled to find a word. "I don't know. Human?"

"Fairies have always had the ability to take human form. They don't often do so for a long period of time, but even fairies have the desire to be just like everyone else sometimes." Snow smiled, wryly. "I think Blue just had a time where she was fed up with granting wishes for everyone else and wanted to experience life as a human. So she did. I remember seeing her – I was just a teenager at the time, before I ran from Regina - and it was somewhat of a shock to see the woman I thought of as my personal fairy godmother living just like everyone I knew."

"Rumspringa." Emma mused. Snow looked at her in confusion, so Emma tried to explain. "It's something Amish teenagers go through. The Amish are a religious sect. Most of them don't believe in electricity, use cars – "

"I've read about them in textbooks. I know who they are." Snow grinned. "I've never heard of Rumspringa, though."

"I think it loosely translates to 'running around'. They get a chance to experience what life is like in the outside world, and decide if they want to become a part that world, or join the Amish church and commit to being Amish for the rest of their life." Emma explained. "Sounds like Blue needed to have the fairy version of Rumspringa."

Snow nodded in agreement. "That's a fairly close comparison. But when she became pregnant, she wanted the safety of her family."

"So you really don't know who Azure's father is?" Emma stared at Snow, trying to use her secret power to discern if Snow was going to tell her the truth.

"I really don't. I wish Blue would tell us, tell her friends, let us help her. There are times that she seems so terrified that Azure will discover her real parentage. I can see it in her eyes, I can see how much it scares her."

"Well, when she's ready to talk, she has plenty of friends to lean on." Emma reached for Snow's hand, squeezing it. "She doesn't even have to make a wish. She just has to ask."

Granny's Diner

Granny's was quiet, typical for mid-afternoon. Aside from two random townspeople, the only patrons sat in a booth, talking quietly.

"You've got to stop leaving school in the middle of the day." Belle admonished Azure with a smile. "Your teachers must know that you're doing so."

"I hate it there." Azure shook her head. "I really hate it. They stare at me. I don't understand the writing in the books except for what you've been teaching me. I don't understand why I have to learn what they want me to learn. I'm only there because my mother says it's what normal teenagers do around here. They go to school. But I'm not a normal teenager."

"I shouldn't be keeping your library visits a secret from your mother, though." Belle tried to reason with Azure. "She's responsible for you. As much as I enjoy your visits, it's not my place to decide whether or not you can stay."

"I just need more time to get used to everything." Azure glanced down at her clothes, a light pink turtleneck sweater and jeans, with pink fuzzy boots on her feet. Uggs, the other kids called them. She didn't think they were that cute, but she did have to admit that they were the most comfortable shoes she'd ever worn. "Even the clothes…it's rather fun to wear pants instead of a dress all the time, but it's just different. And when I'm in school, even if I'm dressed like the others, it's still obvious that I don't fit in. The other kids make me feel different. They laugh when I get an answer wrong."

Belle's heart ached for her young friend. "You've got to give it time. Give them a chance to get to know you."

"You didn't need time." Azure pointed out. "If I mess up a word, you never laugh at me. You're the only person in Storybrooke who understands what I'm feeling. My mother included."

"Then as your friend, I'm asking you to stop skipping class." Belle smiled at her. "If it were up to me, I'd love to have you in the library with me all day. You're a great helper and the company is nice. But you owe it to your mother to try."

Azure sighed. "Okay. I'll do it for you."

"Not for me." Belle shook her head in amusement. "For you and for Blue. Show her that you're trying."

Azure nodded, silently. Belle reached into her wallet and put a twenty dollar bill on the table. "For our lunch. I've got to get back to the library, and while I can't tell you what to do, I'd like to suggest that you come clean to your mother about skipping class. Be honest with her."

Azure nodded again. Belle gave her a quick hug, leaving wordlessly, knowing Azure would do as she suggested. She knew that Blue was apprehensive about the amount of time that Azure had been spending with her. Jealous was probably closer to the truth, but they both knew that Azure was clinging to Belle's friendship as a safety net. True, Belle was genuinely fond of the girl and enjoyed spending time with her. Still, at some point, she would need to step back to let mother and daughter work on their relationship. Without a safety net.

Alone at the table at Granny's, Azure lingered over her chocolate malt and French fries, a book open on the table next to her. Belle had been teaching her to read this strange new language – English - with this book, called Jane Eyre. Almost every word was a struggle, but Jane's story intrigued her. She identified with Jane's struggle to fit in, to find her place in life.

As she began to try to read where she'd last left off with Belle, a shadow fell over the table. Azure glanced up to see a man standing there, a small, strange smile on his face. He looked familiar, but she couldn't place him.

"Jane Eyre. A lovely choice. It's a beautiful book." The man said, tapping the pages with a finger. "Are you enjoying it?"

"I'm just learning to read English." Azure admitted, sheepishly. "But yes, I am enjoying it so far, thank you."

"Ah, you must be the Blue Fairy's long-lost daughter." His face registered recognition. "There's been much excitement in Storybrooke since you've arrived. It seems only fitting that the fairy godmother should get her happy ending."

"I'm not so sure how happy things are so far." Azure had no idea why she would say such a thing to a man she didn't know. "I miss our old land very much."

"It's not easy, is it?" The man sympathized with her. "Those of us who have been in Storybrooke have had years to become used to our surroundings. I can only imagine how difficult it is to come to this world since the curse was broken."

"Who are you?" Azure couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. "Do I know you?"

The man smiled. "My name in Storybrooke is Albert. Albert Spencer. But in our old land, I was King George."

"You're Prince James' father!" Azure exclaimed. She'd heard things about him. Not so nice things.

"That's quite a long story, my child." Albert – George – gave her a gentle smile. "I'm not the same person I was in our old land. Twenty-eight years living a different life will change even the hardest of hearts and I regret many of my past transgressions. But I'm disturbing you. Please, go back to your book. It will be worth the challenge of learning to read it, I guarantee you."

"It's all right, really." Azure motioned to the empty seat. "As you can see, my lunch partner disappeared. You're welcome to join me. I could use help with some of the difficult words.

"That's very kind of you." Albert slid into the booth across from her. "Why don't you tell me where you are, and I'll be glad to assist as needed. I haven't read Jane Eyre in quite a while."

Azure pushed the book halfway across the table. "She's just arrived to become governess to the little girl." She began to read, slowly, haltingly. Albert provided help when she stumbled over a word, but as Azure read, she found that her confidence grew.

Outside of Granny's Diner

Blue took a deep breath, trying to calm the anger bubbling up in her throat. She'd suspected that Azure had been leaving school early to go to the library, to see Belle, but a short discussion with the 9th grade teacher had confirmed her suspicions. And it hadn't just been once or twice, it had been nearly every day since Azure had been in school. The teacher hadn't wanted to tell Blue immediately, assuming that Azure was going through a period of adjustment, but as it had been two weeks, she'd finally gone to Blue and informed her of her wayward daughter's absences.

Blue's first stop had been the library, but it was closed. A quick word from a passing Grumpy let her know that Azure was having a late lunch with Belle at Granny's. When Blue saw Belle leave Granny's, she knew that her daughter would still be there. Before she confronted Azure, however, she needed to calm herself, so she'd gone to sit in the town square for a few minutes to collect her thoughts.

The alone time hadn't done much to soothe her nervous guilt. It had been nearly two months since Azure had been in Storybrooke, and it felt as if the distance between them was even more vast than it had been when they were two worlds apart. It ripped her heart in two every time Azure chose to go to Belle instead of coming to her. She didn't know how to help her own daughter.

Truth be told, she was jealous. Jealous of Belle, jealous that her daughter preferred Belle's opinions to her own mother's. Jealous that Azure would talk to Belle about her fears, her worries, her hopes, but not her. She felt as if she had failed her child.

It wasn't Belle's fault. It wasn't Azure's, either. They couldn't help that they had connected. Blue was grateful to Belle, even if she couldn't show it, grateful that her daughter would at least talk to someone she trusted. But she wanted to be that person.

She thought back to the first time Azure had said "Mama" and how in love she had been with the tiny girl, how she'd felt as though she'd always be the center of her world. She'd give anything for Azure to call her Mama again. She wanted to be the center of her daughter's world again, just as her daughter had always been the center of hers.

Gathering her strength, she promised herself that she'd listen to Azure, hear her side of the story and do what she could to help Azure acclimate to life in Storybrooke. She wouldn't force it, she'd let it happen for Azure at her own pace, even if it meant allowing her to withdraw from school or spend time with Belle. Her daughter's needs came first, before her own selfish emotions.

Her heart lighter, she crossed the street to Granny's and went inside. When she saw Azure, her heart began to pound so hard in her chest that she couldn't hear anything else. Blackness swam in her eyes and she struggled against the nausea that threatened to overtake her. It wasn't rage. It was pure, unadulterated fear that swept through her entire body.

It was him. Sitting across from her child, an open book between the two of them, Azure reading the unfamiliar language as he corrected her pronunciation gently or helped her with a difficult word. A scene she'd never imagined because she'd tried so hard to prevent it. So damn hard. And all for nothing now.

Azure noticed her first. She glanced up at Blue, smiling tentatively. "Mother!" She called, happily. "King George – I mean Mr. Spencer – he's helping me with my reading. It's very kind of him, isn't it?"

He turned to face Blue, his expression pleasant, as if simply greeting an old acquaintance. "Good afternoon, Mother Superior." He stood, motioning to the booth. "You have a very charming daughter. She's allowed me the pleasure of listening to her read a bit of one of my favorite books. Now that you're here, though, I'll take my leave." He gave a mock bow to a bemused Azure. "It has been an honor, my child. I do hope we meet again soon."

Azure blushed in embarrassment. "Thank you for your help."

"My pleasure, my child."

White-hot anger shot through Blue at his use of 'my child'. She resisted the urge to grab her wand and blow him into oblivion. As he walked past her to leave, he whispered words that Azure couldn't hear, whispered them so softly that had Blue not known better, she'd have thought that she imagined them.

"Our daughter is a beautiful girl. If you think you can keep her from me now, think again, Fairy."