*Okay now: we have a lot to cram in here and not a lot of time to do so. We have Henry/Grace sweetness, Snow/James wedding things, vivid Emma/Graham memories, and a queen who knows what's coming next. What could possibly go wrong? Thanks for reviewing, and as always, your opinions matter to me.*

I Am Chosen

"So grandma" Henry asked Snow one day, when it was just the two of them. James was off to Thomas's for lunch with Ella and Thomas, Emma was off to work again. Which left Snow with her two grandchildren. "you don't mind if I call you grandma, do you?"

"Of course not, dear." She replied sweetly to the boy as she pushed a tray of cookies into the oven, her apron covered with flour from where she wiped her hands on it. "Cookies will be ready in twenty minutes, alright Henry?" Henry nodded at the woman. "Now what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"The curse." Snow's heart sank. These were the two words she despised more than anything in the world. "How can we completely defeat it?"

"Well, Henry, we don't exactly know. All we know is that part of it has to do with killing... Regina." She saw gloom hang over the boy's face.

"Oh." Was all he could afford to say. "I guess this day was always coming."

"Henry, I know she's your mom..." Snow tried to comfort the poor child.

"What will happen to me, if killing her doesn't break the curse." Henry asked bitterly.

"I guess you'll live with Emma and James and I." She saw Henry's face light up all over again.

"Really grandma?"

"Of course, dear, of course."

There was a dramatic pause as Henry hugged his grandmother. Finally he spoke again on their grave topic. "Who will kill her? And when?"

"Rumplestiltkin, at the wedding." Snow answered calmly as she heard a wail come from the room Juliet was in. "Look, Henry dear, if it could be done any other way you know we'd try it..."

"You want to give us all our best chance." He mused, she nodded. "And sometimes that's all that can be done."

Snow looked at the incredibly mature boy she called her grandson. Henry Mills, the brunette she had taught all these years. Her daughter's son. Who would've guessed?

...meanwhile, there's something great going on at Rumple's place...

"You kept it after all this time?" Belle asked, looking at the chipped cup on the dining room table in his apartment. They were enjoying dinner, Belle was quite an excellent cook, and she saw it in the cabinet and decided to pull it out. He smiled when he saw it.

"It reminded me of you." He mused, remembering what the queen had said about her. How miserable it made him. "I couldn't afford to lose that memory."

"I'm so sorry, Rumple, that I left."

"I sent you away, don't be sorry. I should be." He said, putting his hand on her shoulder. They both looked at the cup carefully and admirably. Finally he spoke again. "It almost worked, you know."

"What almost worked?" She asked, looking up at him from her seat in the chair.

"True love's kiss." She smiled at these words and stood from her seat. "I didn't think it could, but it did. You softened who I was."

"I think you were always a good person, you just didn't want to be." Belle hugged him and kissed his cheek. "If you weren't you wouldn't have tried to find me."

"Thank Emma Swan." Rumple added as the exited the kitchen. "She knew just where to look."

...some time later, Henry and Grace meet up at Granny's to go over Snow's wedding gifts...

Henry was sipping his hot chocolate, getting over the news he had heard only the day before. It was the Sunday before the wedding, Red sank down and went to her sewing behind the counter. The door opened quickly, and the little blonde girl sat beside Henry. "A hot chocolate, please." She said. Grace looked at Henry, and he melted like butter.

"So you like hot chocolate too?" Henry asked. "With or without cinnamon?"

"Without." She stated, playing with one fair curl from under her beret. "I'm more of a classic whipped cream girl."

"There's a first time for everything." Henry whispered as he pulled the card from his bag. On the front of the pink construction paper card was the drawing of a castle, much like the one from Henry's book. When Grace opened the card, she read the words carefully. This time you'll get your happy ending for sure.

"It's... nice, Henry." She said sweetly as Red brought her her hot chocolate with the mound of whipped cream on top. "Don't get me wrong, it's nice."

"You're just saying that, Grace." Henry added sourly, swirling his cup around anxiously.

"Henry, what's bothering you? I just said your card was nice, I like it. It's sweet for you to give it to your grandmother. But you can't tell me there isn't something bothering you." Grace put her hand on Henry's arm as he pushed the card back into his bag.

"They have to kill Regina." Henry expelled. "And that should make me happy, everyone gets to go back to the Enchanted Forest and all, but I don't know if I can go with everyone."

"Henry, I lost my mama when I was only three. You found Emma, you found your grandparents. Everything will turn out fine, trust me." Grace replied reassuringly. "Our world is willing to accept our secret savior." She smiled and ruffled Henry's hair. "Well, I'll see you later. I'm sure papa's looking all over for me."

"Will you be at the wedding?" Henry asked hopefully as he followed her out of the diner.

"Of course, Henry. Of course I will." And the lovesick ten year old watched the girl he seemed to fall for disappear, then started to head home to the woman he was going to watch murdered.

*Tonight we will learn about our favorite stranger won't we? And what a joyous experience I hope that is for everyone! Let's raise all our hopes for Regina's murder, Snow's second marriage, and the slow but sure recognition of Princess Emma and her darling children.

Review please!*