Summary: After Robin's tip off, Henry arranges for them to meet all his mothers, over breakfast, to tell them about their engagement. And something ethey suspected was true. Three weeks after he discovered Snow's early infidelity, David has finally reached a decision. Do they split up permanently, or what?
Author Note: Thanks to everyone who has continued to read my somewhat odd little story, and especially those who've taken the time and trouble to private message me their feedback and constructive comments. I really appreciate it, and will try to answer all of them.
Fi xx
Granny's Diner – Sunday morning
The café looked much busier than usual when Snow walked in. It only made her feel even more uncomfortable! But she'd taken more time to prepare for the day than usual. Being fair with remarkably good skin for her age, she didn't usually need make up. But after Clara's tender care and advice oast Friday, she decided to turn over a new leaf and start looking after herself. Having Neal compliment her hair and look yesterday, made her feel so much better. As part of that new leaf, she also decided that, before she returned to work on Thursday, she'd refurbish her entire wardrobe, starting at Kathryn's. Whatever this damn world was going to throw at her from now on, at least she'd face it looking like Snow White, not Mary Margaret bloody Blandford!
"Morning Snow! Another seriously-sexy outfit?" winked the proprietor, admiring the summer knee-length she'd decided to wear, even if the air was a bit nippy for early May. "Royal blue? Suits you. They're sitting over in the back corner. Coffee?"
"Please Rubes," as she looked over, instead of just seeing Emma, Killian and the girls sitting down, as she'd expected, it appeared she was also joined by Regina and Marian. "How's Dorothy?"
"Already left for Sherwood with Nat. We're talking, just about, but she's still keeping me in the doghouse, and hasn't come back to our bedroom. So how'd it go with Henry's new girlfriend yesterday?"
"She's really nice, and Henry seems completely smitten! That's partly why I'm here. Emma asked me to come over because Henry sent her a message first thing this morning, asking to meet her here. He's bringing Ella apparently, so you'll have a chance to see her."
"Great. Well you go join them, and I'll bring your coffee and the menu. They've only just ordered."
"You reckon she's pregnant?"
"Yes Emma, all the signs were there. She regularly rested her hands over her stomach, something Gina and I both used to do when we were expecting. She never touched the wine, or the seafood, or the coffee come to that. And she drank water quite a lot, all afternoon, and popped to the bathroom more times than usual."
"It's true," Regina agreed with her wife. "And did you see how Henry fussed around her? He even served her food - he never did that for any other girl we've seen! All the little whispers, his arm around her when she stood. He was being exceptionally protective, I thought."
"Perhaps he's just in love?" Emma wasn't convinced. "He could have been protecting her because of how we reacted when we questioned that last girl he brought home!"
"Personally Swan, I'm inclined to side with the Locksley ladies." Killian chipped in. "I've seen that look on many a woman with child. A serenity. A glow."
"And what does Robin say about it? After all, he was the one hiding something after Henry met him in the pub last week."
"Nothing, annoyingly!" Regina rolled her eyes. "He refused to confirm or deny it when I asked him outright! Last night he came out with some nonsense about never betraying a confidence. Ridiculous, I call it. Henry's our son!"
"Rather a hypocritical attitude, don't you think your Majesty?" Killian arched his brow, and she glared right back at him. Even Emma was frowning, but he seemed completely unphased. "I seem to recall a certain someone spending many years trying to end the life of a certain ten-year-old princess, for betraying a confidence? Locksley's only showing the same quality after which you named your own daughter!"
"Killian, don't start!" Emma warned. "Don't bring all that up again!"
"Why not? You're all being hypocrites aren't you? Including you, Emma! If young Henry has asked for Robin's silence, and he's kept it, then the three of you should feel ashamed for trying to make him break it! I'm sure the shoe would be on the other foot if he broke one of your secrets!"
"Why'd you even bring him along?" asked Regina, irritated, but knowing full well he was right. Last night had been awkward, and Robin had started becoming increasingly annoyed at their continued pushing. Especially as they'd already left him in the cold during their own heated lovemaking! He'd stormed off and slept in the spare room. She and Marian would need to do something to repair that particular fragile ego!
"Hello ladies, Killian." Snow appeared at the table. "Where are all my grandchildren, and Henry? I thought you said-"
"He's coming, mum. Regina and I both got a text from him early this morning, just after five. He didn't say the reason, but it sounded urgent. We're just talking about it now. They think she's pregnant, and the more I think about it, I do too!"
"Well I wouldn't be surprised, judging by the way she was acting." She sat, as Ruby silently laid a coffee and menu in front of her, studiously avoiding Emma's sudden cold hard hair, at the woman partly responsible for the disintegration of her parents' marriage. "Admittedly I was rather distracted, but even when I saw them, I noticed something."
They all waited till Ruby walked away. "Ok, out with it?"
Killian, seeing all four of them leading forward to speak without being overheard, rose from the table, knowing when he wasn't wanted. "I'll leave you all all to conspire in peace then, shall I? Snow, I must just say, you're looking extremely fetching today. Much as you were yesterday! Clearly, you're feeling like your old self. It's hard to believe you're old enough to be the grandmother of my children!"
"Oh, well thank you Killian, that's sweet of you." The compliment from her son-in-law made her cheeks pink. Marian winked at her. "I just spent a little time at a salon and had a trim. I think I needed it…"
"Good for you. Swan, I'm going to go talk to Philip and head home. I promised Clare we'd only be gone an hour, but you take all the time you need. Call me when the witches coven's over?"
She rolled her eyes, trying not to smirk as he stepped away. But as she did, the bell over the front door jingled as Henry walked in, Ella following him.
"Looks like your sacrificial lambs have arrived?" Killian smirked. "Try to be gentle you lot. You don't want them getting angry and leaving town now, do you?"
Just before they'd walked inside, Henry and his new fiancée stood together. "Okay, you ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be," she was more than nervous. "I really don't want them thinking I'm a tramp!"
"Don't start all that again," he rested his large hands on her shoulders, gently pulling her against his chest. "They won't. They'll love you. I promise!"
"Thank god Robin tipped us off!"
Unbeknown to his mothers inside, Robin had sent a text message to Henry, at around five that morning:
'RL: Your mothers already suspect Ella's pregnant, by the way you were acting. I've said nothing. Be wary.'
After he'd read it, he talked with Ella, and they agreed to break the news of their engagement, and her condition, as soon as possible. Apart from Robin, the only person who knew was his paternal grandfather. The Dark One had detected her condition the moment he walked in the door yesterday morning, so he was fairy sure if he bumped into Blue she would also notice and word would get out before they were ready. So he texted both mothers:
'Henry: Mums, thanks again for yesterday. Ella loved it. I need to see you again. It's important. Granny's at 10 this morning?'
In his own mind, he'd prepared various answers for whatever they were going to throw at them. He was fairly certain they'd take it well (he was twenty eight after all. Not too young, surely?) but if they didn't, he'd already decided they wouldn't settle in Storybrooke and he'd look elsewhere. Just before walking in, he texted Robin back, thanking him for the tip-off, and for keeping their secret. He also told him they were now engaged.
As he stepped inside, holding the door open for her, and catching the mothers all watching, Killian walked up to them.
"Morning, lovebirds!" he grinned. "I'm just on my out. Have fun in there, and good luck with the Spanish Inquisition!"
"That bad, huh? Any words of advice?"
"With those three? Always give as good as you get. And if they play dirty, just remind them to think back to what they were doing when they were your age!"
"Henry?" called Ruby, quickly stepping around the counter, to give him a hug. "Great to see you again. So, his must be your new girlfriend? Snow said you were coming. Hello lovely, I'm Ruby, Ruby Lucas. Welcome to my diner."
"Ella. Lovely to meet you too, Ruby. Henry's told me a lot about you already! You were Red, right? Married to Alice? From Oz?"
"Kansas, actually. She just travelled there to…" Ruby moved to give her a hug, but as she did, her wolf senses detected something unmistakable! She briefly looked down at Ella's stomach, and back up again, her mouth ajar. Fortunately, Henry realised what she'd just discovered!
"Yes Rubes, it's true! Please don't say anything just yet?" he whispered. "We're just about to tell them, okay?"
"Okay," she nodded, sporting an enormous grin. "Might be too early to get the bubbly out, but…congratulations!" she whispered back.
As they moved to the end of their table, his grandmother, birth, adopted and stepmothers' eyes were all focused entirely on Ella, with various weird, forced smiles on all four faces. "Hi mums, gran. Thanks for coming. Sorry about the short notice, but…we thought it was best!"
Snow pulled out the chair next to her. "Ella, come sit beside me, dear? Because I arrived later, we never really had the chance to get to know one another properly yesterday, did we?" The odd way his grandmother studied her, made Henry realise just what they'd been discussing before they walked in!
Then Marian noticed something different about the girl. White cotton gloves? Indoors? "Ella, are you cold? Do you need-"
"She's fine, Marian!" Henry interrupted, a little too abruptly. "Listen guys, can I say something, before you all start asking questions?"
"Henry?" Emma could see his anxiety, watching him place his hands on his girlfriend's shoulders protectively, as she sat. "Marian only asked-"
"Without interruptions? Please?" All four looked up at him, surprised at the tone. Emma nodded.
"Thanks. Look, I want to tell you all something. Several things, actually. First, I've actually known Ella for over three and a half years now, most of them before she even moved in with me back at Oxford. We met when I realm-jumped that first time. Mum, you remember that motorbike of mine? Well, this lady here stole it!" All eyes went back to Ella, who merely rolled her own, smirking and batting his hand, having heard it before. "But to be fair, she was trying to escape from her folks. Her stepmother's a real bitch! Anyway, we met up and I helped her and Queen Tiana take back the kingdom. I-" He stopped, seeing the horrified look on Regina's face. He'd never told either of his mothers about being in the middle of a war zone in another realm! "Yeah, perhaps I'll save that bit for another day. Anyway, before Merlin helped get me back, he also helped us time jump, so I'd only been away a month."
"We knew you jumped realms. That's risky enough!" Emma was horrified. "But time jumping? That could've been seriously dangerous! And I should know!"
"Yeah well, as I said, I had Merlin to help me with that. And I never time-jumped in this realm, did I? Anyway, that's not the point. Just that I've known Ella a lot longer than you think! She moved into my apartment in Oxford, just over a year ago. And I'll be honest, I fell hard for her before we even arrived." Ella looked up at him, beaming with happiness at his open declaration in front of his mothers. She'd felt it too. All the women noticed, recognising love had clearly bloomed between the pair. "Sorry, I keep getting distracted! Anyway, mums, I wanted to say that I've never felt love like this before, and I know in my heart it's real. So much so, that I was going to do something about it just before Christmas last year. Now, I finally plucked up the courage. I asked Ella to be my wife. And she said yes!"
Three jaws dropped in surprise, as Ella carefully removed the white cotton gloves when he finished, to reveal a diamond ring on her wedding finger. "How could I not say yes? I love him!"
"Oh my god!" said Emma, her eyes filling with happy tears, Regina now already on her feet, lifting the girl's, his fiancées, hand to look, feeling herself, unusually, lost for words.
"Wonderful news!" said Marian. "Congratulations, both of you!"
As Ella watched Regina's face slowly break into a huge teary smile, she added. "And yes Regina, your suspicions were right. I'm also two months pregnant! God willing, you're all going to be grandmothers in December."
For a moment, Henry felt himself become invisible amid the pandemonium, as all the women were now on their feet, circling around his new fiancée, taking turns in a succession of hugs and kisses, all delighted at the news. He turned when he felt a hand land on his shoulder, to see Ruby, also dewy-eyed.
"Do I get the first hug with the father-to-be?" He gathered her into his arms.
The fourth one to hug Ella was Snow. "Welcome to our family, Ella. It's wonderful news. And before you ask, I have no problem being called great-granny!"
"This one might, but you'll always be Snow to me. The fairest of them all, great-granny or not!"
"So did Robin already know?" asked Marian after they'd cuddled, arching her brow.
Henry answered for her. "Yeah. I walked into his pub straight after she told me; He saw the shocked look on my face, so I told him. Besides, I knew he could always keep a secret."
Regina and Marian shared a resigned look, knowing they still needed to make amends for last night. Though he denied it, Robin was still sulking!
Word quickly spread about their engagement. Especially once Leroy showed up again for his midday coffee. Next step for Henry and Ella was the Gold's. Marian and Regina left to meet the girls and Roland in Sherwood, while Emma and Killian went to the Jolly to collect their own. Only Snow remained, chatting with Ruby, with an unplanned day ahead. Unfortunately, that was the time David chose to walk through the door.
"Hi," he said, somewhat awkwardly to his estranged wife. "How're you doing?"
"Fine…" Snow felt equally uncomfortable. "Have you heard about Henry? And Ella?" As his brow rose, shaking his head. "They're engaged."
"That's wonderful!" he seemed genuinely pleased. "She seems lovely."
"That's not all of it. You're also going to be a great-grandfather!"
"What?" his eyes rose in astonishment. "That's…incredible! Hell, they didn't hang about, did they? When?"
Her spirits lifted when she saw the first genuine look of happiness he'd given her in weeks. "If everything goes well, just before Christmas. Wedding in a few months' time, though nothing's arranged yet. That's top of their list."
He looked almost tearful. "Brilliant. I thought he seemed really protective over her yesterday. Now I know why." He looked down at her. At the face he'd fallen in love with so long ago. "You've got time for a coffee?"
"Erm…" she was about to go in the back with Ruby for a chat, now that one of her waitresses had arrived. But now wasn't the time. "Sure, though I've had something to drink just now. Henry was here. Called all his mothers in to break the news. You just missed them…"
"Oh. Well, I'm sure we'll catch up. So what are you doing today?"
"Not sure. Probably a little prepping for Thursday. I'm going to be working full-time at the school. You?"
"Nothing much. Neal's with the Briars till three, and I'll pick him up. I've got a sneaking suspicion Aurora's pregnant again."
"Rory? Oh my goodness."
"Yeah. Don't say anything yet. Just something Phil said to me the other day. About needing a bigger place."
As they sat, facing each other, a young blonde waitress appeared, with his usual black coffee and another cup with a bag in it. "You back on Chamomile tea?"
"Helps the stress." She gave him a sad smile, before another awkward silence fell, both using the gap to sip their drinks.
"So," another awkward silence. "Neal said he was staying out at Pip's. What did you do last night?"
David knew almost everything there was to know about his wife (or, at least he thought so, till recently). He knew how she worked. How she delved for information. How she was usually the biggest gossip in town, with a vast web of unpaid informants. So he also assumed someone had said something, and that he was being primed for information which she already knew about. But he also believed in telling the truth.
"I went out. I met up with Merlin and two of the new teachers at Neal's summer school. At the Rabbit Hole. Maleficent and her daughter were there too."
"Maleficent?" Snow always felt uncomfortable in the dragon's presence; not surprisingly, considering past events! She was bad news!
"Yeah. Seems they just located Lily's father. Maleficent's also going to be teaching them."
"David, I'm not sure I feel comfortable having Neal anyway near that woman!"
"We've talked about that. I settled it. Even Lily's prepared to let it go."
Another silence. Until… "So that was it? Just the nightclub? Nothing else?" The moment she uttered the last two words, she regretted it, knowing it would only reveal to him that someone had seen them and reported back to her. And judging from the look in his eyes, she was right!
"Two of us ended up at Antonio's."
She nodded, slowly. "Neal said you were going on a date. With the witch who I saw the other day?" Then, as his brow arched. "I'm sorry, it's none of my business." Not any more.
"It wasn't a date. But it was nice. I had a good time." He watched her closely, seeing where she was going with this. "But then, you already knew that, didn't you?"
"I'm not spying on you, David!" she reacted, a little too defensively. "It's just…someone called me."
"I guessed. Why don't you just ask me, what you clearly want to ask me Snow, without going around the houses?"
"Did you…sleep with her?"
He took his time on his coffee before answering, noticing how she kept looking down. "No. We kissed. A few times. It was a nice evening, nonetheless. We thought we might do it again before long."
Snow didn't know how to feel at the news. Pleased? Definitely not. If he'd had sex with the woman out of anger or frustration, it would have perhaps just been a way to redress the balance. Assuage his anger. Getting his own back on her for cheating. But this? The fact he enjoyed it opened up the possibility of something deeper! But he hadn't finished.
"Snow, I'm not looking for a relationship with anyone else right now. I'm not even looking for sex! First, I'm trying to figure out a way to fix my marriage. If I can fix my marriage. Morgana understands that, too. She was just great company, and helped me see things a different way."
"You want to fix it?" her voice became almost a whisper. Was she hearing things?
"Of course I want to! I used to think I had the world's strongest marriage!"
"Until I screwed it all up. When you found out I'd had sex with someone else…"
"You really think that's what this is all about? That you slept with Ruby forty years ago? That I'd really just throw my marriage away, after you also had a quickie with two women three weeks ago, rather than try and seek counselling?"
"Then what-"
"You're in love with Ruby Lucas! And Ruby Lucas is in love with you. That's what this is all about! Why do you think Dorothy's still not talking to her? It didn't take some fucking truth stone to tell me what was staring me in the face! It just confirmed what I already suspected…"
Another silence. Heads down.
"David. You said you want to fix this? I want to fix this too. I've apologized to you so often, I don't know what else to do? I understand why you went out with Morgana. Hell, I think I could have understood if you'd just screwed her, in some sort of revenge! But this? I felt so angry last night when someone rang me to say you were seen kissing her. So jealous. However, I deserve that. But, I don't want you to date other people. I don't want to date other people. I want to date you! I love you, but if you can't ever find a way to forgive me, for everything, what can we do? I can't bear this anymore!"
"I know…" he nodded again. "I've spent a long time thinking. And I've been talking to Dorothy almost every day…"
"You know, Dot told us you two had slept together?" That surprised him. "She only said it to see how we'd react. To wind us up. I guess we deserved that, too."
"She's under a lot of stress. Not fair, when she's already three months pregnant. I'm seeing her later."
"What can I do David?"
"You can come home. That'd be a start. Better for Neal, too. He needs you there."
"And then?"
"We talk. Dorothy and I are considering something. So all four of us should get together fairly soon."
Snow moved back to the farm the following morning, settling most of her things into one of the spare bedrooms. It was an awkward feeling that first night, but Neal helped to make the process a little easier. Then, two days later, on the Wednesday morning, before she was due to return to the school, David surprised her, by telling her he'd arranged to cook.
"Tonight? You know I've got an early start tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Don't worry, it won't be anything too big. Neal's sleeping over at Emma's, as I've invited two guests over."
"Guests? David, I'm not prepared! Why on earth didn't you tell me?"
"Dot and I only agreed it last night. She texted me this morning, now she's got Natty being taken care of."
"DOROTHY AND RUBY? You've got both of them coming over?" Snow couldn't believe her ears! She thought he might try and kill the wolf at one point!
"Yeah. I need to clear the air with Ruby. And tell you both what we're thinking…"
"We? You mean you and Dorothy?"
"That's right. We agreed we can't go on like this. It needs dealing with."
Sure enough, the minute he left for the sheriff's office, Snow was straight on the phone to Ruby.
"Yeah Snow, it was a surprise for me too, seeing as she's been giving me the cold shoulder all week. Even though I swore nothing would ever happen, no matter what any damn truth stone said! Any idea what they're planning?"
"No. But the fact that whatever it is, they're working together, bothers me. I guess as you've got Nathaniel, and she's already three months pregnant, they're trying to figure out support arrangements? I don't know Rubes, I really don't. I guess we'll just have to wait till tomorrow."
Thursday evening
It was just after six when she came home, after her first full day at the school. She was exhausted, not being used to the long hours, but the delicious aromas of a roast distracted her from the nervousness she felt at what was to come.
"Hi. Long day?" said Charming, as she walked into the kitchen. He was wearing a cooking apron, and busied himself between the pans.
"Very," she yawned, kicking off her shoes. "Smells good. Are they here yet?"
"Should be here by seven. There's time to freshen up, if you want?"
It felt almost like old times. "I will in a minute. I just got back from dropping Neal off at Emma's. think I need a drink. You want anything?"
"A cold beer would be good. Thanks."
As she looked in the dining room, she saw four placemats out and the table laid. Presumably, if he hadn't gone to all that trouble, he wasn't planning on having a stand up row with Ruby? So, what was this – the last supper?
"Looks nice. Would you like me to dress up?"
"Whatever you prefer. Some of those new outfits you brought over look good."
She smiled back at him. Perhaps the evening wouldn't be so bad after all?
An hour later, the guests arrived, Dorothy leading the way in, while Ruby followed behind her. The wolf was, most unusually for her, nervous, wondering what he and her wife had planned. She gave him a cautious look as they all walked through the kitchen. "Something smells good?"
"Pork roast. With crackling on."
"Crackling? You mean…rind?"
"Not quite. It's much more moist but crispy too. I've got it from a recipe Ella sent me yesterday."
"Getting to know your future daughter-in-law then?" Dorothy grinned at him, giving him a warm hug and a kiss on his cheek. "I met her yesterday, when Henry brought her down to the sheriff station. She's gorgeous. Good choice him! Looking forward to being a great grandparent?"
"Don't say that! I'll ask him or her to call me 'Bumpa' like Hope and Lizzy do." As he spoke, Snow appeared in the kitchen. She'd changed into an off-the-shoulder teal-coloured satin midi-dress, with a gently flared skirt and matching shoes. Even David was caught by surprise. "Wow! You look lovely, Snow."
Ruby looked her up and down, admiring the vision. "You look great, girl! If I'd known you were dressing up, I would have done something myself!" However, seeing her wife now staring straight back at her, she decided not to say any more.
"Don't be silly Rubes. I've been stuck in jeans and a polo all day. I just needed to get into something more feminine. David, what do you think?" she gave him a cautious twirl, so he could see the back as well.
"I think you look beautiful," he replied, genuinely. She looked so much more like the woman he originally fell in love with. "Best you stay away from the stove with that on. Why don't you take them through? Diner will be ready in about twenty minutes."
Ruby still looked unsure. "Can I say something?" He nodded. "I see you've gone to a lot of trouble to cook, and I can speak for Snow too, when I say we're more than surprised you suggested we come over. Frankly, I don't think I can eat a thing till I know what all this is about? Particularly what you and Dot talked about. I know you must hate me, David, and I can't say I blame you, even if it was decades ago! But I've wrestled with this for weeks, and I don't think I can stay, unless you just tell me"
"Fair enough. You go sit over there; Snow, perhaps you should sit with her for this. Dorothy, come sit beside me?" Snow's brow furrowed, not sure why, but clearly they'd both talked about it.
"Right. Now, as you know, me and Dorothy have spent a lot of time talking about what happened between you two. We also talked about those incidents here and the diner a few weeks ago. Yes, I was angry, and I know my behaviour hasn't exactly been exemplary. Dot and I had a heart-to-heart and I've forgiven her for her recent actions. And yours. I'm sure it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, and you probably all thought that, as we've all shared a bed on numerous occasions, it would be okay. I didn't think so, but I've moved on. I'm over it."
Snow and Ruby kept looking down, like berated schoolchildren, knowing the worst bit was to come.
"But finding out from the dreamcatcher about what went on between you two was different. That was infidelity, plain and simple. A betrayal. It hurt more than you can imagine, and that's why I reacted the way I did, and left. At first, I planned on leaving you Snow, and start divorce proceedings. It took a while for me to calm down. Oddly enough, it was Neal who persuaded me not to rush into anything. That boy has an amazingly wise head on his shoulders when you consider how young he is?"
"Neal knows?" Ruby's voice croaked. "Snow, you didn't tell me that?" But she just kept her head down, saying nothing.
David continued. "He knows everything, as does Emma. He put a listening device into this room before I came back, because he was wondering why I'd left, and what you two were talking about. He picked up everything we said when we came back."
Snow finally spoke. "He said he was disgusted with me. Disgusted! He also said if you left, he'd go with you."
"Well anyway, I told him I'd be thinking about what I should do. For him. But also for my other son," he looked at Dorothy. "…and the baby to come. Whatever I did I'd want to still be a part of their lives."
"Ruby, I told David already, that I wouldn't allow what happened to affect his relationship with Natty, whatever happens," said Dorothy, giving her wife a hard stare. "Sorry David, I interrupted you."
"It's okay. During that first time apart, I met Merlin, and he told me some interesting things about you two. He gave me that Alitheia stone, to help me find out what you were truly thinking. And what you'd done in the past. When it told me you two were in love with each other, that's when everything really changed for me!"
"And me!" Dorothy nodded. "You may never have cheated on me Rubes, but while I knew that you were in love with someone else, you could! I know all about how strong those wolf hormones are when you're in season. Remember Marian?"
David carried on: " So, I decided I needed a proper amount of time to think. That's when I told you I wanted a trial separation. It was split fifty/fifty, not sure whether I should end it completely, or seek some sort of counselling from Archie or whoever." He stopped and sniffed the air. "Maybe I should check on the pork."
"FUCK THE PORK!" Snow spluttered. "If it burns, it burns! Just tell me what the hell you decided! Put me out of my misery, for god's sake!"
It was rare for Snow to swear, though she'd been doing plenty of it recently! David maintained a serious face, despite wanting to laugh. "Okay. Oddly enough, what swung things for me was that evening I had out with Morgana. We got talking about a lot of things. About relationships and fidelity in the human, fairy and dragon worlds. And wolves. Fairies have a different attitude completely. Did you know they can change their sex organs with a spell? From a girl fairy to a boy fairy? Bet Blue never told you about that, eh Snow?" He saw from Dorothy's frown that he was deviating. Yet again. "Sorry, I-"
"Before David goes wandering off at a tangent," the frown turned into a warm smile. "Like he did with me, and starts talking about fairy-cocks and dragon orgies, he discovered from Merlin something about bonding with wolves and werewolves…"
"Yeah, sorry. Anyway, it seems Ruby here has almost certainly pair-bonded with you Snow, before we even met. And according to Merlin, this wolf bonding, this permanent alpha-link, can carry across to a human, too. And stays till death. Permanent separation is like mourning."
Snow couldn't look at him. Or Ruby, but the wolf rested a hand on hers under the table, waiting for the outcome. But it was Dorothy who spoke again.
"So anyway, David and I have agreed to try something. Ruby, I can't change your past, and it seems I can't break this weird wolf- bond you've got with her, not without ruining our marriage in the process. David's got the same problem with you, Snow. So, we thought, one option would be to try and open up our marriages."
"Open up?" Ruby was confused. "Dot, what do you mean? Marry them? Or let everyone be with other people?"
"Neither. This would just be between the four of us. Basically, I'd allow you a relationship with Snow. Or David, or both of them. But the same rules apply to all four of us. Nothing outside of the people in this room, and no discussing it with anyone else!"
"And we'd propose to try like this for a few months…" David chipped in. "And if everyone's comfortable with it, we extend the agreement, perhaps permanently, until any one of the four of us wants to stop, for whatever reason! That way, nobody gets hurt. Or more hurt than they have been."
"So like the Briars? Or the Locksleys?"
"A little. But no four-way poly marriage, and no all living together. At least, not unless we all decide something in the future."
Snow couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. "David, you'd really agree to this? Letting me and Ruby be together? Perhaps on our own?"
"Yes, but equally, you'd have to let me to be with Dorothy. Same rules apply."
"Do you want that?" Snow spotted the look he shared with the hero of Oz. "Have you two…already?"
"We haven't, apart from when you were with us." Dorothy took his hand in hers, placing them on the table. "But we were tempted, after everything that happened. It's something David and I would like to explore."
Snow studied the pair of them, trying to comprehend the change. There was a warmth between them she perhaps hadn't noticed, and it'd be a lie if she said she wasn't bothered by it. She felt mildly jealous that her own husband was taking an interest in someone who wasn't her. But after all she'd done to him, she knew it was understandable. So that's it? We just agree this and move on? After all the pain of the last three weeks?
"Well I'm in!" said Ruby, firmly. "If it means I get you back, Kansas? Yeah. Even if I do have to share. At least it's with them"
"Snow?"
She look up at him in disbelief. "Could it really be that easy, David?" she shook her head, bewildered. "After everything I've done to you? I mean, I want it. I want you! But…would you really be able to forgive me and we move on? Or are you just doing this, to hold the family together? Because the last three weeks have been the worst of my life, and I've been through quite some shit in that life! I don't want to do this, if you're going to throw it all back in my face sometime in the future!"
He gave her an intense stare, considering her words and how best to respond. "I've thought about little else. As I told you before, this isn't about sex, even if that's what started it. Hell, if it had been about sex, I could have accepted Morgana's invitation to spend the night with her and Mal! But it wasn't. It was about love. Whether I like it or not, I'm still in love with, Snow White, despite everything. I also have three children to consider, a fourth in six months time. And I need each and every one of them in my life. And you. And I'm also not going to pretend, I've got growing feelings for Dorothy here." The woman next to him pecked him on the lips unashamedly, in full view of their spouses. "I already forgave you last week, as I told you. But I haven't forgotten. However, I won't rake up the past again, unless you give me reason to. "So yes, I'm serious. We can all do this together, if we all want to."
"Alright," she gathered Ruby's hand from her knee, holding it on the table in front of them. "I'm in too. But I don't want any word of this getting out until we're all agreed! I don't want my own son throwing the sort of comments that he made, back at me again."
Ruby nodded. "Snow's right. We keep it strictly between ourselves."
"Well my lips are sealed!" said Dorothy.
"Not a word!" David agreed. "Now, let me get that joint out of the oven!"
Five minutes later. At Emma's house…
Neal appeared back down in the living room, to find his sister, watching the TV half-heartedly, with another eye on her tablet.
"They're going to do some sort of two couple thing! Dad and Dorothy, Mum and Ruby!"
"What?"
"Mum and dad. They're getting back together, but they're going to share somehow. A bit like Gina, Robin and Marian…"
"When did you hear that?" But seeing he'd just charged down the stairs, she had a horrible suspicion. "Please don't say you bugged them again?"
"I was getting desperate, and I know they won't tell me anything, so I have to find out for myself."
"Neal! For god's sake, that's immoral. And illegal! I'm the Sheriff around here! And strictly speaking, I'm breaking the law, if I don't arrest and charge you!"
"Yeah, but you're not going to, are you?"
"What makes you so sure, smart-ass? Think having magic makes you immune from prosecution?"
"No, but if you arrested everyone who broke the law around here, you'd have to arrest Gina for killing that guy Sheriff Humbert years ago, wouldn't you? And get yourself arrested and charged for killing Cruella de Vil?"
"Who the hell told you about Graham Humbert? Henry?"
"Doesn't matter, does it, sis? Point is, I know! Now, do you want to hear about what mum and dad are going to do, or play cops and robbers?"
Emma groaned internally, shaking her head in disbelief. Everyone said she was an annoying little shit at his age. He was way too much like her!
Meanwhile, in the Gold Mansion…
"Bloody hell! You have got to be kidding me?" He gasped, watching the words appear on the coarse paper, magically, even though the enchanted Author's pen and ink remained in the safe downstairs . "My family is so bloody strange!"
As he turned the last written page, making sure he hadn't missed any drawings his author presence would have started, he heard a soft voice nearby.
"Henry? Are you still reading those stupid old books? Come to bed, I'm getting lonely."
"Sorry," he closed the book carefully, sliding it to the back of the desktop, placing the other four heavy story books on top of it, prevent her reading it. That one would definitely have to go back in his grandpa's safe! "I'm coming..."