Hey guys! I want to thank you all for sticking with the story for so long. Your views keep me going. The last chapter had a madbeauty bump and now that we're past that it's time for a Henry/Grace bump. Just a heads up... I nearly cried writing this chapter. Please enjoy!


Belle smiled to herself as she walked to library. The past three months had been very calm for her. She and Jefferson had decided to continue their relationship and things had been going pretty well for them. He'd been more honest with her and she had decided to be more trusting with him. It was hard for her but she was feeling more comfortable with him every day.

It was early in the morning and the town was barely waking up. She was heading in extra early that day to process a new shipment of books. The library wouldn't be open for a few hours so she was very confused to find a visitor waiting for her on the steps of the building.

"Grace?"

The young girl sat on the steps of the library with her eyes closed leaning her head against a pillar. She had her arms crossed over her chest to fight off the early morning chill. Belle swiftly walked over to the steps and gave her shoulder a gentle shake.

"Grace?" she whispered again. "Honey wake up."

Grace groaned as she opened her eyes. "I'm not sleeping."

"Well you fooled me," said Belle raising her eyebrows. "What are you doing here so early?"

Grace just shrugged her shoulders. "I couldn't sleep last night. I've been wandering around town since 4am. I just settled here."

Belle took a look at her watch. 7am. She'd been wandering around town for 3 hours?

"Grace does your father know you're out of the house?" asked Belle.

Grace shook her head. "It's 7am on a Saturday. I doubt he's even awake."

"Grace!" exclaimed Belle sternly.

"I'll call him I promise. I just… I couldn't sleep."

Belle looked at Grace. Her arms were still crossed over her chest, the rims of her eyes were red and she just looked… lost. This girl needed someone to talk to.

"Well it's pretty early but I think Granny's just opened," said Belle. "I actually have a lot of work waiting for me in there. So if I was willing to pay you in donuts do you think you'd be willing to help me process a few books?"

Grace gave her a small smile. "I could be up for that."

XXXXXXXXX

After a long, one-sided conversation with her father and a chocolate-covered donut Grace was looking a little better. She was still silent though. Completely lost in her own thoughts. She and Belle had been quietly adding to stickers to the spines of books for the past thirty minutes before the older woman finally broke the silence.

"Grace, is there anything you'd like to talk about?" She asked cautiously.

"No," lied the younger girl.

Belle sighed before continuing. "You say that but in my experience people don't turn into wandering insomniacs for no reason."

Grace frowned and hesitated before speaking. "Belle if I tell you something private do you have to tell my dad?"

Belle slowly set down her book. "Um, that depends. Are you in danger?"

"No."

"Are you sick?"

"No."

"Are you doing anything illegal?"

"No," answered Grace exasperatedly.

"Then I suppose… I don't have to tell him… if he doesn't need to know," said Belle slowly picking up another book. "Did something happen?"

Grace faltered before answering. "Henry said that he loved me."

"Oh!" said Belle with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. She hadn't seen that coming. Grace and Henry were so young. She didn't expect them to be saying those words until they were much older. She attempted to put on a supportive smile. "Well… how do you feel about that?"

"I- I said thank you," answered Grace.

Belle's smile dropped. "What?"

"He said he loved me. And I said thank you. Then I made an excuse and ran away. I didn't say it back to him," explained Grace nervously. "That's not good is it?"

Belle struggled to come up with something supportive to say. It seemed like a fairly big deal but she didn't want Grace to be more worried than she already was.

"Well Grace you did run away but remember it's not so much the act that matters as much as why you chose to do it," said Belle cautiously. "Is there something you're afraid of?"

Grace sighed before answering her. "I guess I'm afraid of why he would say it."

"What do you mean?" asked Belle curiously.

"Boys lie sometimes right?" said Grace.

Belle nodded her head conceding. "I suppose they've been known to do that."

"Well what if he's not saying… it because he means it?" said Grace. "What if he's just saying it because he thinks it's what I want to hear and he wants something from me?"

Belle shook her head. "Grace I've known and lived with Henry for quite a while now and I just don't think that's true. He's such an honest person I don't think he'd lie to you about something as important as this. Besides what could he want from you that's worth a lie as big as this?"

"Sex," said Grace bluntly.

Belle felt the book she was holding slip from her fingers and slam on the table. The harsh sound was just enough to slip her out of her apparent paralysis. She cleared her throat awkwardly as she scrambled to pick up her book again.

"I'm sorry was that inappropriate?" said Grace softly.

"No!" said Belle quickly. "You just- you caught me off guard."

It felt like someone had just thrown a brick in her stomach. She took a deep breath before sending Grace a nervous look. "Has he… ever… expressed interest?"

Please say no. Please say no. Please say no!

"No," answered Grace.

Oh thank god.

Belle let out a breath she wasn't even aware she was holding. "Okay. If that's true then why do you think that's his reason for saying he loves you?"

Grace looked down at her hands before answering. "Because that's what Victoria Greenwich says."

Belle furrowed her brow in confusion. "Who is Victoria Greenwich?"

"She's a girl who goes to school with us," explained Grace. "She used to be a princess in the Enchanted Forest. She said… she said that princes like Henry… only keep peasant girls like me around for one reason."

Belle felt her her jaw drop and her heart break at Grace's explanation. She felt so foolish for thinking those class wars had been left back in the forest. When she saw Grace hastily wipe a tear from her cheek she quickly went to wrap an arm around her. Grace immediately laid her head on Belle's shoulder.

"Grace listen to me," she said fiercely. "That is not true. The girl who said those things to you is a moron. You are an incredible, beautiful young woman and trust me that matters a hell of a lot more than who your parents are. Any young man, prince or not, would be lucky to have you. Never let anyone tell you any different. Okay?"

"Okay," said Grace with a trembling voice.

Belle pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head and rubbed her shoulder soothingly. She would have to tell Jefferson about this.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jefferson came to pick up Grace after the library had opened. After her talk with Belle the girl was no longer in tears but she was still troubled. For the rest of the day Belle just felt emotionally exhausted. Knowing what Grace had said to her was heartbreaking. Luckily, there had been room in the budget to hire an assistant librarian. So around lunch time she left the library in the capable hands of her assistant, Nova, and went home for the day.

However, it didn't look like she would be resting. When she got home she found all the Charming clan plus Robin and Regina in the kitchen looking over the new forest maps Snow had ordered for the rangers.

Regina looked up at Belle's entrance. In the past three months her stomach had evolved from its regular flatness to a healthy round bump. Not overly obvious but enough to cause a double take. She tilted her head. "Belle what are you doing home so early?"

"I'm taking a mental health day," she replied exhaustedly.

"Well the new maps are in," said Snow from her seat next to David. "Why don't you come take a look?"

She shuffled over the table, picked up one of the new forest brochures and examined its glossy cover. It was a twelve-fold brochure and when completely unfolded it featured a whole map of the forest on one side. There were different points for certain landmarks, campgrounds and rest areas. For the past few months Jefferson had been working closely with the Merry Men identifying all the places they thought needed to be specified.

Belle sighed. Jefferson. Grace.

The hatter was picking her up for a date later tonight and she would have to tell him what Grace had told her earlier. She didn't imagine that it would be pretty. And Jefferson wasn't the only the person who needed to be told.

"Have you guys talked to Henry about sex and love and relationships yet?" Belle asked.

Everyone at the table turned and gave her a quizzical look.

Emma raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay how did you get from forest maps to our son's sex education?"

"I'm sorry," said Belle taking a seat next to her. "I don't even really need to know what you've said about sex. I just need to know if you've talked to him about how to behave in a relationship."

"And what brought this on?" asked Regina, skepticism coloring her tone.

Belle sighed before continuing. "If I tell you I need you both to promise that you won't overreact."

By this time all eyes were on the librarian.

"Okay," said Regina suspiciously. Emma nodded in agreement.

"Grace was waiting for me at the library this morning," said Belle. "She looked pretty distraught so I invited her in to talk. When I asked what was wrong she said… that Henry told her that he loved her."

"What?" said Regina in a low voice. "No that can't be right. He's only fifteen. He's a baby. He shouldn't be saying those words. He's too young."

Robin placed his hand on Regina's shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze. She immediately placed her hand on top of his. "Try not to stress yourself out Regina. Remember the baby."

Emma just sat in shock opening and closing her mouth repeatedly. Her son had said I love you to someone? For the first time?

"We need to talk to him," she finally said. "He can't just go around throwing out words like that. Not when he fully doesn't understand what they mean."

"Well how do you know he doesn't understand what they mean?" said Snow crossing her arms. She'd always been very supportive of Henry's relationship with Grace. She saw the way her grandson looked at his girlfriend and there was no doubt in her mind that what he felt for her was more than average teenage affection.

Regina sent a glare her way. "Because he is fifteen years old! He doesn't know what love is. He can't! He is a child!"

"Regina's right mom," said Emma. "Henry's too young to be able to comprehend those sort of feelings."

David rubbed the back of his neck nervously and mumbled something under his breath.

"I'm sorry Dad," said Emma turning to look at him. "What did you just say?"

The prince warily snuck a look at Regina. She'd become a lot more volatile since she'd become pregnant and he was sure that what he was about to say next would land him on the receiving end of a fireball. However…

"I said I disagree!" he said firmly.

Both his daughter and his stepmother-in-law fixed their fierce gaze on him.

"Excuse me?" seethed Regina. "How could you possibly say that?!"

"Well look at his track record," argued David. "He believed in the curse when no one else would and he was right. He believed that you could change and become a hero when no else would and he was right. Ever since he was kid Henry has always known what was real and true. I'm sorry if it's hard for you to hear but that's the boy you raised him to be. He's got the heart of the truest believer. So if he believes that he loves Grace then… I believe him."

"Charming is right," said Snow beaming at her husband. "It doesn't matter what age he is. When you know you just know. Besides look at the example you've both set for him. Regina look at you!" – she gestured toward the queen- "You're pregnant and engaged to your soulmate. I don't think I've ever seen two people more in love."

Regina gave Robin an involuntary smile at Snow's words.

"And Emma look at you and Hook," continued Snow. "He crossed realms for you! He brought you home to us. He loves you and he's always made sure that you've known that."

Emma smiled to herself thinking of the leather clad pirate she called her boyfriend.

"He might be young but he knows what love is," said Snow. "And that's because he sees it every day when he comes home to you four."

Regina rolled her eyes at her stepdaughter's hopeful tone.

"Pretty words Snow," said Regina. "But that does not mean I am comfortable with them saying 'I love you' to each other."

"Well that's part of the problem," said Belle meekly. "He said it to her… but she didn't say it back to him. In fact she ran from him. After saying thank you."

Both Robin and Charming winced to themselves at this new revelation. They both knew thank you was never a good response.

"No!" gasped Snow with wide eyes.

"She actually said thank you? That's painful," said Robin.

"Oh he's gotta be devastated," said Emma dropping her head in her hands.

"Wait," growled Regina. "Are you telling me that my son stood there with his heart practically in his hands and she rejected him?"

"It's not that she wanted to Regina," said Belle. "She was just… scared."

"Of what?" asked Emma.

"That he was lying to her for sex," admitted Belle.

Regina felt her anger flare up at Belle's words. There was no way her son was capable of such treachery! "And just how the hell did she come to that conclusion?"

"Some girl named Victoria Greenwich," said Belle, disdain dripping from her words.

Snow groaned and rolled her eyes as soon as she heard the name. The girl had already earned quite the reputation with all the school's teachers. "What happened?"

"Apparently she's not supportive of relationships between royals and commoners," said Belle angrily. "She told Grace- and I quote- that princes like Henry only keep peasant girls like her around for one reason."

Regina felt her anger wash away at Belle's explanation. It was replaced by a deep sorrow.

Emma eyes just widened in shock. "What a bitch!"

"Emma she's a child!" scolded David.

Snow just shook her head at her husband. "Child or not David it's an accurate description."

"Snow!"

"David I'm sorry but I've watched this girl grow every day for three years and she is just a horrible, unpleasant human being!" said Snow. "Because of her status in the Enchanted Forest she attempts to rule over the other children in school. She can't go one day without putting down someone who she deems unworthy. It's hideous."

Belle nodded her head in agreement. "She got so far into Grace's head with that comment that she couldn't believe that someone who she's known since she was ten could actually love her. She was up wandering around town all night trying to that girl's words out of her head."

"It's shameful," said Robin.

"It's tradition," said Regina solemnly. "We can all sit here and act indignant about the way Grace was treated but the truth is that's just how it was in our world. And if we were back there now instead of wagging our fingers at this girl, telling her she's being cruel she was being we would give her a pat on the head and tell her that it was kind of her to make sure that Grace didn't get her hopes up."

"Regina you can't mean that," said Emma incredulously.

"Can't I?" said the queen giving the savior a pitiful look. "Emma you didn't grow up there like we did. Lucky you, you got to grow up in a place where love could cross all barriers but that was not the case in our world. I loved Daniel. He was good man and he had a kind heart. But because he mucked out stalls instead of running kingdoms my mother saw fit to end his life for loving me. And trust me he was not the first. Do you really think if your grandfather was alive now he would be pleased to see your mother in the arms of a shepherd? No. Your father would've been killed on sight for even entertaining the thought of a life with your mother. True love be damned."

Snow grasped David's hand as she listened to Regina's words. She'd often wondered about what her parents would think of David if they had ever gotten the chance to meet. She wanted to be as optimistic as possible but she knew the truth was even if she was able to get them to appreciate him as a person they would never have deemed him fit to be her husband.

"The truth is that as a royal family we are quite unique in our willingness to marry those not born into the same level of the hierarchy that we are," finished Regina. "And that's something Henry and Grace will be challenged with."

"Is that why you were asking if we've talked to Henry about sex and relationships?" Emma asked Belle.

Belle nodded her head. "I love Henry and I know he doesn't see Grace that way. And according to her he hasn't expressed any interest in doing such activities yet."

"Oh thank god," breathed Regina. She was barely ready to accept the fact that her son was falling in love. If she found out he was already thinking about sex she might just collapse.

"However when I talk to Jefferson tonight I would like to be able to give him a concrete promise that you've talked to Henry about this," continued Belle.

"When I asked him about it he said that he had already learned about sex from his time during the missing year," said Regina.

"Well when we were in New York I sent him to a sex ed class and I think they covered everything," said Emma shrugging her shoulders.

Regina just sent her an incredulous look. "Are you kidding me Swan? You were going to let our son walk around with his only knowledge of sex coming from the New York public education system."

"Hey I checked the curriculum!" said Emma defensively. "It was accurate and thorough. It's not like he's running around thinking babies come out of cabbage patches!"

Regina scoffed at the blonde. "It's nice to know you take the same approach to parenting that you do to paperwork. Bare minimum and nothing more."

Snow noticed a snarl begin to grow on her daughter's face so she rushed to speak up. "I think what Regina means is that there's more to this than just the facts. You need to speak to him about the values and behavior you expect from him when dealing with young women."

Emma sighed. "Fine. I guess Regina and I could take some time to instill him with our values."

Both Charming and Robin exclaimed in protest.

"Look you're both great mothers," said Charming. "and Henry is lucky to have you both but this is not a conversation a boy can have with his mother. It's far too awkward."

"That's ridiculous," said Regina.

"I actually agree with Charming and Robin," said Snow. "Learning about relationships is a father-son, mother-daughter thing."

"Mom that's sexist!" said Emma.

"Sexist but true," said Robin. "You can disagree all you like but have you ever talked to David about your past sexual history."

Charming sent a piercing glare the archer's way. "Robin do you know how many weapons are in this room?"

"See how uncomfortable it gets?" said Robin with a smirk. "Not even ten seconds in he's responded with violence."

"Well awkwardness aside we're his only options," said Emma sadly looking down at her hands. "Neal is… gone."

After a pause Robin spoke up. "I'll talk to Henry."

Regina turned to look at her fiancé.

"You will?" she said softly. Henry and Robin got along just fine but her fiancé had always given the boy his space. Regina had always assumed that Henry was past the age of needing someone to step into a fatherly role so she'd never pushed Robin to take a more active role in his life.

"Of course," he said nodding his head. "I'll make sure he knows how to treat Grace."

"Thank you," she said pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Belle let out a sigh. "I just wish Grace had someone to talk to about such things."

Emma sent a smile her way. "She might not have a mother Belle but she did have you. I bet that meant a lot to her."

Belle thought of how much she'd grown to care for Grace these past few months. "I just don't want her to be hurt."

"Well she won't be if we have anything to do with it," replied Regina. "When you talk with Jefferson tonight make sure he knows that Enchanted Forest rules mean nothing in this house. Tell him that when it comes to this relationship we'll always have her back."

Belle gave her a grateful smile. "I will."


So how do you think Henry's talk with Robin will go? Or Belle's talk with Jefferson? Stay tuned to find out.

If you're missing into OutlawQueen check out my new story The OQ Side Of Things. It features all the Outlaw Queen scenes I couldn't feature in this story. Chapter 1 is Robin's proposal.

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