36

You Can't Win 'Em All

The town meeting was set for six PM that evening. Before that, after showing her todldlers pictures of the nearly finished clubhouse, Emma spent the time in Rumple's study on her laptop, going through as many articles as she could find on video game violence and the effects it had on children. She had Archie on the speakerphone while she read some of them, discussing some of the major points she would make.

"Children becoming desensitized and showing a lack of empathy when learning of incidents of violence is one of the major issues we're finding," he said. "True, we have had incidents of extreme violence in this world's history before the invention of the video game, however, they have become more frequent and the victims are not from one specific group."

"All the studies I've found here have some other thing that was done to refute their claims. Now I'm not trying to say all kids will turn out like this…but there are those who can."

"Correct., which is why we must take more active roles in their lives, like you and Neal are doing, even with the ones under the regression spell. Have you spoken to the boys since the incident?"

"Yes. I think they've learned their lesson but to be sure, Neal and I made sure all the games Henry had were taken out of his room and right now he's putting some passwords on his laptop and the satellite box so they can't watch any program above G unless we're there."

"That should help."

Emma jotted down the points she wanted to make on index cards, highlighting the most important ones and numbering the cards so that she could flip through them while she was speaking. It reminded her a bit of the speeches she had to give when she was in school only this speech wasn't to make a grade…it was to make a difference.

Emma finished the last of her notes, tied them together with a rubber band and handed them to Neal to look over while she got dressed.

He perused them carefully and flipped one of the cards over to add a few things of his own, points he felt his father would make if he were the one delivering the speech.

"Henry, we're going to need you to watch the kids tonight," he said to his son.

"What all do I need to do for them since they're still sick?"

"Make sure to give them their dose of Tylenol...keep checking them to see if their temperatures go up...use the ear thermometer. And make sure they drink plenty of water. Most of the time if something's wrong, they'll tell you."

"Okay."

"I'm not sure how long this meeting's going to last but we'll be home as soon as we can."

"I can handle it, Dad."

They were sick but also easily bored and got into everything as he'd discovered today. He was like that when he was their age and probably drove Regina up a wall.

Right then they were napping, but he was prepared to entertain them with some board games, like Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders. And a few movies as well, like Aladdin and The Lion King.

Every seat in the town hall was filled and there were others standing when Emma and Neal arrived. Several people approached her to thank her for calling attention to a very serious issue.

Her parents sat in the first row of seats nearest the lectern. Snow winked at her and David smiled encouragement. Next to them were Archie, Ruby, and Granny.

She took a deep breath, counted to ten and began.

"First of all...I'd like to thank everyone for coming tonight. I realize we all have busy lives but I feel this issue must be addressed immediately as it affects all of us, especially our children."

"I agree with that," Jefferson said. "I have a daughter and some of the games she tells me some kids at school are playing concerns me greatly."

"Unfortunately, Jeff, it's not just the games we need to be concerned with."

"What else are we talking about here, Emma?" the portal jumper queried.

"Television...movies and the internet as well," she replied.

"Okay, lay it out for us," he invited.

"Let's start with the games...you've probably heard what some of them are but today I am going to focus on one as an example...Grand Theft Auto."

She looked down at her notecards. "This game, if you are not familiar with it is considered a first person shooter game. Basically you act as a member of the Mafia, stealing cars, killing and assaulting people. This game is intended for adults but my eldest son obtained a copy from another boy in his school."

Worried murmurs went around the hall at that statement. Jefferson and Snow shook their heads.

And today.." she sighed again. "Neal and I caught Killian and Rumple playing it. Most of you know now that Neal's father, Captain Hook, Regina and Belle are still under a regression spell as three year olds. I was horrified. "They were exposed to so much in the short time they were playing the game...murder..prostitution...and music with inappropriate lyrics. Were this any other children than two regressed adults, what would the impact have been?"

"Did they know what they were seeing?" asked Sneezy.

"Yes. Both of them were exposed to some of these things when they actually were children."

"How awful!" Snow said feelingly. "They're babies!"

"Yes...they are to me...they're MY babies...and that is why I am taking such a firm stand on this."

"And what do you propose we do about it?" Jeff asked.

"We all have to be more attentive to what our children are exposed to.

"I've already confiscated the games my son had and destroyed them. I have also put a password on our satellite box so the children cannot watch anything above a G rating without one of us present.

"We've password protected our computers and all of the movies we watch are now in our room under lock and key." Emma shuffled through her notes and continued. "I know...this is not going to be easy for any of you to do but I've been doing some reading on how these things affect children and I don't want it to happen to mine. And it seems that every day there is another news story about another child committing horrible acts of violence..."

"The dangers in this town...do not just come from magical creatures...or magic..."

"They come from everyday things your kids are exposed to-things you might not even think about because we don't come from a realm where such things are commonplace." Neal interjected. "We all know to teach our kids not to play with fire, or swords and daggers, bows, or any kind of magical item, but how about what they look at on the Internet?" He gazed out at all the familiar faces.

"Most of your kids probably know more about surfing the Web than you do, for all of your pre-implanted knowledge," he said. "And while you might recognize a gun as a weapon and know to teach your kid not to touch it, would you also recognize a game like the one Emma just told you about as a threat also?"

Probably not if we didn't have all the facts before us," Michael Tillman admitted. "But now that we do, we can take action if we discover it in our childrens' possession."

"Those of you who have shops in the area with games and other media items with adult themes in stock have to be responsible also. Know who you are selling to. Check for ID if you have to. I know...this sounds like a cigarette or alcohol sale but if you walk into a store in any other part of the country, you will see this being done." She hooked up her laptop to the projector and placed a series of images on the screen. "Video games and music CDs now come with labels warning parents of content that is not suitable for children. Movies and television show discs should have the rating information posted on the wrapper before it is opened. After that...you have to look."

"These...video games...and other items you speak of Emma, what effects do they have on children?" Melanie asked.

"There is an ongoing debate about that, "Archie answered. "But the most common belief is that prolonged exposure to violent content can desensitize a child to it when it occurs in reality. Meaning when they see it in real life, they lack empathy for the victims of acts of violence."

"How horrible!" Melanie exclaimed.

"Though there has been violence in this world for centuries, we are exposed to it now far more than we ever have been before through the technolgy it has to offer," Emma added.

"Why is this world so dependent on such technology if it so harmful?" she asked.

"There are some good things in it Melanie, and you will learn that the longer you live here."

"Our kids are not going to be happy with us policing them," another parent spoke up.

"Would you rather police them and keep them safe or let them get into anything and wait to see what happens?" Snow demanded angrily. This particular parent was one she knew well and showed little interest in his son's life, never attending parent-teacher conferences, and a few times his son was caught with an absence excuse he'd forged...poorly.

"We can't keep our heads in the sand anymore, guys. That's the bottom line," Neal said firmly, dozens of adults nodding their heads in agreement.

"I'm not surprised it was your father who started all this," the man grumbled. "Or that his grandson even had a game like that given who he is...kid or not."

Neal's hands clenched into fists as he fought to control his temper. "My father's past has nothing to do with this," he hissed. "He's a child who has no memory of that time in his life right now but when he does come back do you think he's proud of it? No! And neither is Killian. Or Regina! And Emma and I will not tolerate ANYONE badmouthing OUR children. DO YOU ALL UNDERSTAND ME?! I'll take that silence as a yes." For a moment he thought he sounded just like his father. Though Rumple had been known in his village as a coward, he never allowed anyone to put his son down without putting his foot down.

"We're not forcing anyone to do this but we would appreciate your cooperation," Emma informed the audience. "If we all are consistent with how we handle this issue, then we can make our town a much safer place for ourselves but most importantly for our children because they are the ones who mean the most to us."

Everyone began applauding.

The young sheriff was moved to tears. "Thank you...years ago I believed in my heart that I could never be a mother. But now that I have my Henry back in my life and through a little accident with the magic I am still learning, I have been given the opportunity to raise four more wonderful children, possibly to adulthood...and like any parent...I will do whatever it takes to keep them safe...as would those of you who have your own children. I understand now what you go through every day. It's not always easy...but I don't think any of us would trade a single moment of the time we spend with them for anything."

The applause grew louder as she stepped down. Snow and David threw their arms around her.

"We are so proud of you," Snow sobbed.

"Thanks...Mom..." Emma murmured. "You know . . . that's the first time I've ever heard you say that. I always thought . . . I failed you because of . . . my past and all . . ."

"No. We never thought that about you," David said. "In fact, I always blamed myself for what happened to you. But now that we're together . . . you can come to us for advice or . . . or . . ."

"Anything you need," Snow finished. "It's what family's for." She bit her lip. "And I don't mean just you, Emma. I mean Neal, Rumple, Belle, and Regina too. Heck, even Killian's family now since he's been regressed. And it's time we acknowledged that fact."

Then she went and hugged Neal too, saying, "If your father were here, he'd be very proud of you, Neal."

"You think so?"

"I know so," Snow smiled.

Neal smiled back. Family was the most important thing. It was the point his father made both in his childhood and now.

Page~*~*~*~*~Break

Now that he no longer had his Xbox, Henry was bored while he waited for the kids to wake up. While he was reading a book, his bedroom door opened and Regina walked in, an expression he knew well from her adult life well on her face.

It was the 'Don't Talk To Me Until I've Had My Coffee' face. He rarely saw it during the week since she was always awake before he was. On the weekends when she slept in, he would turn on the coffee pot so that it was ready for her when she finally did get out bed.

"Hey Regina," he greeted. She hopped onto the bed beside him. "You okay?"

"Tired of being in bed," she grumbled. "N'bored."

"Yeah, me too. Wanna watch a movie?"

"Kay."

He put in Snow White, knowing it was her favorite. It seemed to keep her amused.

Killian, Belle and Rumple woke up an hour later and joined them in the room but they didn't want to watch a movie. They wanted to play some of the games Henry had sitting out. He taught them how to play Chutes and Ladders first.

That was a fun game, but soon Belle and Rumple grew bored and wanted to play Candy Land.

"Not yet," Regina said. "I wanna play too and I'm still watching Snow White."

"How many times do ya gotta watch it?" Killian snorted.

"As many times as I want," she shot back.

"Whatever," he rolled his eyes.

Since he couldn't play Chutes and Ladders by himself, Killian decided he should do something else. He recalled something he'd seen on TV about an eating contest, and he looked at Henry and said, "Hey, Henry. What's grosser than gross?"

Henry grinned. "Is this a joke?"

"Sorta. Do ya know?"

"Um . . .no," the older boy said, because he wanted to hear what the little schemer had to say.

"A sandwich made with crappy condiments," Killian crowed. "And I dare ya to eat it and not throw up!"

"Gross!" Belle made a face. "I'm not eating anything like that."

"Me either, dearie. Just thinking 'bout it makes me want to barf," Rumple declared, wrinkling his nose fastidiously.

"Oh, I wasn't gonna have you two eat it," Killian smirked. "I want to see if Henry can . . . cause he's supposed to be the big brave older brother." He gave Henry a challenging stare. "Well? Think you're up for it?"

"You want to challenge me to eat a gross sandwich?" Henry clarified.

"Uh huh," Killian nodded. "Here's how it works. I get a piece of bread and put all the condiments from the fridge on it and roll it up . . . and eat it. An' I have to chew and swallow at least two bites. No spitting it out or throwin' it up."

"And you think I can't do it?" Henry laughed.

"I dunno. Can ya?"

"Let's find out."

"Ewww! Henry, that's 'sgusting!" Regina cried, having come into the kitchen where the others were and heard the last bit of his conversation with Hook.

"Yeah, tell me about it!" Belle said. "Nasty!"

"And if you puke, I ain't cleaning it up!" Rumple stated. "No way Jose'!"

"Oh, cool it, Rumple!" Killian said. "Just watch me! I'm gonna make Henry toss his cookies!"

"You wish!" Henry snorted. He went to get the condiments from the fridge while Killian got the pieces of bread from the bread box.

Killian got out two pieces of sliced white bread and put them on the counter. "Now . . . put on the condiments."

Henry squirted mustard, ketchup, mayo, relish, butter, hot sauce, barbeque sauce, and tarter sauce on the bread.

"EEWWW!" screamed Regina. "I'm gonna throw up just lookin' at it!"

"Then don't, dearie," advised Rumple. "Cause I ain't cleaning up your mess either!"

"Ready?" Hook cried. "Roll 'em!"

Henry rolled up the slices of bread. Then he handed one to Killian and took the other one. "Okay . . . on three . . . count for us, Rumple!"

Rumple did. "One . . . two . . . three! Go!"

Henry looked at his sandwich dubiously.

But Killian chomped down on it right away.

Then he made a face.

"Swallow it, dearie!" Rumple encouraged.

"Rumplestiltskin! That's so . . . " Belle began.

"'SGUSTING!" Regina yelled.

Henry bit off a piece of his and swallowed. Then he coughed. "Ugh! Too much hot sauce!"

"Blech!" Now Rumple looked grossed out.

"Turds!" muttered Hook and he took another bite, chewed once and swallowed. "That's two! And I ain't puked yet."

"Hallelujah!" Belle grimaced.

"Ya want a medal or a monument?" Rumple asked.

Henry tried valiantly to take another bite, but his mouth was on fire and he couldn't swallow. "Water!" he gasped.

Regina went and handed him a cup of water. "See? You shoulda never done this. Now lookit you!"

"You need bread," Rumple disagreed. "My papa used to eat hot peppers an' he always said bread or milk helped cut the heat."

Henry went and stuffed a piece of bread in his mouth and then drank a glass of milk. "Better!"

"I won! I won!" Killian cheered.

"You're proud of that?" Belle frowned.

"Yup! You're a girl, you don't get it," the little buccaneer answered.

"Hey! I'm not dumb!" Belle flared.

"I'm a guy and I wouldn't do that," Rumple objected.

"That's cuz you're a fusspot," Killian snapped.

"Don't be a jerk!" Rumple gave him a Dark One glare.

"Guys, enough!" Henry wheezed. "Now let's play Candy Land."

"Whadda we get if we win?" asked Killian.

"Candy. Duh!" Regina rolled her eyes.

Henry giggled. He loved how the toddlers could be so literal at times.

"I wanna Reeses!" Rumple said.

"I want a Hershey bar with almonds," said Hook.

"I want a Snickers," Regina informed them.

"I want an Almond Joy," Belle said calmly.

"And I'll just watch . . ." Henry said.

Five minutes later all four toddlers were engaged in a cutthroat game of Candy Land.

Henry had never thought that possible . . . until he watched his adopted mother, grandpa, a one-handed pirate, and a librarian play the game.

"Aww! Why do I have to go to the stupid Candy Cane Forest!" Regina moaned.

"It's better than being stuck on the licorice space and having to lose a turn!" Killian groused. "How come you never get one of those, Rumple? You cheating?"

"Bite me, Jones! You can't cheat . . .it's all luck of the draw!" pointed out the pawnbroker.

"Yeah, just cause Rumple hasn't gotten a bad card yet doesn't mean he's cheating," Belle defended. She moved her blue gingerbread piece ahead to a yellow space.

"Then what's with me n' Killian getting' all the cards with bad things?" Regina grumped.

"Bad luck," Henry sympathized.

Rumple drew a card. "Yes! I get to go to Gumdrop Mountain!" he waved the picture of it around.

"And take the shortcut!" Killian groaned. "That sucks!"

"For you!" Rumple returned, and moved his yellow piece to it and took the shortcut, putting him ahead of the rest of them on the board.

"Lemme see that card!" barked Regina.

Rumple handed it to her. "Read it n' weep, dearie."

Regina scowled. "It's my party an' I'll cry if I want to. Stupid game!" She threw the card down angrily.

"Don't be a sore loser," Belle scolded.

"Easy for you to say!" Regina snorted. "You ain't losin'!"

"Hey! It ain't over till the fat lady sings," Henry reminded them.

"Yeah!" Killian agreed. "An' Granny ain't here."

"Oohh! I'm telling! You called Granny fat!" Belle pointed at him.

"Did not! Henry did!" Killian cried.

"Liar liar pants on fire," Rumple chanted. "Now tell the truth, dearie, an' shame the devil."

"You shut up, Rumplestiltskin!" Killian shouted. "You an' your girl witched the cards so's you could win."

"Did not!" Rumple clenched his fists.

"You callin' me a liar?"

"Yeah. Everyday and twice on Sundays, dearie! I don't need to use magic to win."

"Killian, stop," Henry ordered. "It's a game, and it's not even over yet. You're supposed to have fun."

"But it's only fun when you win," the little pirate huffed.

"Yeah an' we're losing," Regina sniffed. "It ain't fair!"

"Neither's life. Now deal with it," Belle declared. She moved her piece ahead to a red square.

"Kiss my butt!" Regina snapped sassily. She drew a card. "Yay! I got Princess Frostine!" She moved her piece.

"Whoo hoo!" clapped Killian.

"Hip hip hooray!" Rumple said sarcastically. "Now quit your grousing, dearie, and play!"

"Grrr!" growled the small queen. "One of these days, Rumplestiltskin . . . pow! Right in the kisser!"

"You an' what army, babydoll?" he sneered.

"You wanna knuckle sandwich?" she demanded.

"You wanna slug surprise?" he cracked his knuckles.

"You wanna get ten minutes in the corner?" Belle demanded.

"NO!" both small magicians said.

"Then quit acting like jerk-offs and just play the game!" she ordered irritably.

"I got a blue square!" Killian cheered. "Now I'm cookin' with gas!"

"Better than passing it," Rumple remarked wickedly.

Henry cracked up.

So far it was Rumple in the lead, then Belle, Regina, and Killian.

Belle picked a card. "Yay! A red square." She was now five spaces from the end of the board.

Rumple went. "Ohh! A purple square!" He was now three spaces from the end.

"I gots a blue one!" Regina squealed and moved her red piece up a whole part of the track.

"I got a licorice hole!" Hook scowled. "This game bites the big one!"

"Hey, you win some, you lose some," Rumple said philosophically.

"Spoken like a lawyer!" Killian sneered.

"Aww, don't be a party pooper," Regina spoke up then, as she pulled another good card and moved ahead of Belle.

"Look who's talking!" Killian muttered.

Regina went red.

"Be nice!" Belle shook her finger at him.

"Who do you think you are—Miss Goody Two Shoes?"

Belle glared at him. "Of course I gots two shoes, you imbecile! Who'd wear one anyway? And I'd rather be good than be a sourpuss!"

"You tell 'im, dearie!" Rumple cheered. Then he pulled another card . . . and got a purple one again. He moved his gingerbread boy ahead to the rainbow square . . . and won the game.

Belle began to sing "We Are the Champions."

Regina moved and came in second. "All right!"

Hook crossed his arms and pouted. "This game was rigged."

"Spoilsport!" Regina said.

"Hey. You can't win them all," Henry said. "Besides, you beat me in the other contest."

"Yeah, at least you won something," Belle pointed out.

"And win or lose, it's how you play the game," Henry reminded them.

"What's that mean?" grumbled Hook.

"It means you be a good sport whether or not you win," lectured his brother. "Because otherwise nobody will want to play with you."

"They won't?"

"No, because nobody likes bein' called a cheater," Rumple growled. "Specially when it's not true!"

"I think you ought to tell Rumple you're sorry," Henry told Killian.

Hook sighed. "Okay . . . sorry, Rumple."

"S'all right. It's just a game, dearie."

"You gonna kiss and make up?" Regina teased.

"Nope. He's my friend, not my boyfriend!" Killian objected.

Rumple raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, dearie. I don't swing both ways."

Henry nearly fell on the floor laughing hysterically.

"Good thing!" Belle declared. "Cause I'm not sharing you, Rumple!"

"Yeah, cuz it's illegal to have two wives," Regina said.

"That's not happening," Rumple assured them.

"Two wives?" Killian repeated. "Who does that?"

"Sultans in the olden days usta have harems," Regina reported.

"Cool! I think I wanna harem," Killian said dreamily.

"If you wanna harem, then you'd better get Viagra," Rumple told him.

"What's that?" asked Belle.

"Drugs for men," Regina answered.

"I don't wanna take drugs!" Killian protested.

"Then don't have a harem," was Rumple's answer.

Henry nearly busted a gut laughing.

"Okay . . . let's clean up. It's time for bed," he said after he caught his breath.

The four groaned, but then he said if they didn't clean up there'd be no bedtime story.

The game was cleaned up in an eyeblink.

Henry made sure all of them went potty before tucking them in and reading to them from a book called Guess How Much I Love You?

He'd gotten to page five when all the kids conked out.

Then he tucked the book aside and went to read his own, still chuckling. He couldn't wait to see his parents' expressions when he told them what had gone on. He just knew it would be priceless.

A/N: This chapter's dedicated to my mom, whose birthday would have been today, had she not passed away two years ago. She bought me my first game of Candy Land. Thanks everyone who has reviewed and followed and favorited this. Please continue to do so!