Mulan pulled up to the school quickly rushing as they all got out of the car dressed in their gowns there where a fair few people arriving now, no sign of Killian and Emma yet though.
"Good turnout" Elsa smiled she was really starting to look forward to tonight and it looked like the rest of the school did too, almost all of them.
"Ok" Mulan huffed "I guess if we finish up before eight there is still time for some hunting" Mulan said looking over at Red "If the dance is lame, I bet Belle will let us in the library" Mulan continued barley noticing the atmosphere everyone else was experiencing.
"Yeah sure" Elsa said walking off.
"Hey you ok" Anna asked hearing the exchange.
"Maybe we should see how the night goes before we make any plans" Elsa frowned as they made their way in.
"What's with the attitude" Mulan frowned.
"I'm just tired" Elsa replied trying to remind herself not to snap.
"We all are, there's no reason to snipe at each other" Red replied.
"Is there, what are we even doing here?" Elsa said bitterly looking at them.
"What do you mean?" Mulan replied confused.
"I mean why did you come with me tonight you clearly don't want to be here" Elsa said directing her anger towards Mulan now.
"It is our duty to help people, not to be partying" Mulan said gesturing towards the entrance to gym now lined with cloth and fairy lights.
"We can't have one night off" Elsa scoffed.
"We don't have time for that" Mulan replied frowning.
"Or you don't have time for me" Elsa shot back
"What, come on the only reason where here is because you told us to come, for Emma" Mulan replied a little stumped as to where this sudden outrage had come from. After all she only got dressed up tonight because Elsa had asked her too.
"She's right Elsa, what are we doing?" Red huffed.
"There kind of right" Anna chimed in.
"Huh hmph" Killian coughed announcing his presence as well as a shocked Emma.
"Hey we don't have to go in, I just thought you guys would want this" Emma said feeling guilty.
"What we need is to take action" Mulan responded.
"Hey not so harsh" Red replied looking over at Mulan "She just means this whole dance is a little out of the blue given current situation" Red finished.
"Emma organised this for you" Killian said getting frustrated.
"It's just I feel like I ruined everything by coming here starting all of this, it's my fault if it weren't for me so much would be different" Emma paused trying not to cry. "Peter would be here".
As Emma said those words silence fell over the group, Red comes over to Emma a surprised look on her face she wipes the tear from Emma's check forcing her to look up at her.
"What happened to Peter has nothing to do with you, I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like" she pauses looking around at her friend's Red realising she was hurting them and herself by grieving alone after all they were grieving this loss as well.
"I didn't mean to push you all away" Red said taken aback realising what she had been doing by obsessing on tracking the creature with Mulan. "If it weren't for you, I'd be lost and alone, revenge and grief it would have consumed me" Red said placing her hands-on Emma shoulders.
"You truly are my saviour, don't ever forget that" Red finished.
They all came closer now looking towards Emma in agreement with Red words making sure Emma knew she was no burden to any of them. With that they decided to give this night a chance.
"Ok" Emma replied tears welling up.
"Ok" Red replied smiling.
"Come on, tonight's going to be great" Elsa interjected.
"Come on love, let's dance" Killian grabbed her hand pulling towards the dancefloor midway through a song, that she somewhat recognised it had that noughties punk rock vibe. It felt so good, scratch that amazing to just to be jumping and waving her head around forgetting which way was up with her friends.
"Careful" Red giggled as Emma almost stood on her foot, and she grabbed Emma's hand.
Standing in somewhat circle formation the group continued like this through the next few songs. They stopped worrying about how they looked if they had messed up their hair and all their fears where put aside so they could just be in this moment together.
Until he grabbed her hand once more, he had such grace. Much more coordinated even while wailing about like the rest them. He spun her towards him, and Emma let him lead the way.
"You got some moves" Emma said as the music slowed and they moved closer together
"You know Swan, this night has been in the works for some time" Killian said
"Yeah I guess, it has" Emma smiled looking around
"Those flyers have been hung up around this school for as long as I can remember, and I never once gave thought to a night like this" he continued looking around the dimly lit gym disco lights flickering.
"Oh, not your thing I guess" Emma replied
"Well I thought as much, I thought that all I had left to give was to avenge my brother" Killian replied.
"Right" Emma wondered what it would be like to live with that hate for so long, wondered how he could even bother with something as trivial as a school dance. How could she? When people they cared about where trapped.
Killian could see Emma's change in expression he didn't intend to make her doubt herself again; he knew what she was doing with organising tonight events, even if she wasn't so sure. He just couldn't find the words; he could dance but using his words wasn't his strong suit.
"Getting everyone together a night like this exactly what they needed. A reminder of what they were fighting for and more importantly who they are, you lose yourself if all you have is the fight day after day" Killian said.
"Come on it's just a dance" Emma replied frowning.
"It's more than that, after all these years after searching every corner of this town, one thing gave me hope" Killian said.
"What" Emma frowned.
"It's you, Emma" Killian responded "It's you, I had been waiting all this time for you" Killian smiled.
"I know we will find Liam and Lilly, everyone, together" he finished
Emma didn't know what to say she hadn't realised she had inspired this change in him, she stopped dancing let go of his hands for moment and leaned in. This kiss felt better than all the ones before like a weight had been lifted tender and slow. The pulled away continuing to sway in each other's arms.
"Oh PDA" Mulan rolled her eyes from across the dance floor with Elsa.
"Come on it's a dance, make outs are expected" Elsa said a little jealous everyone else seemed to be having such a good time except for Mulan. Elsa could tell even after the talk they had her mind was still on the conflict outside the flicker of the disco lights.
"I'm sorry" Mulan blurted out seeing Elsa's sad expression.
"For what" Elsa replied trying to sound aloof.
"Come on you made pretty obvious your upset with me" Mulan looked at her eyebrows raised.
"Yeah, keeping my emotions in check isn't my strong suit" Elsa shrugged.
"Probably would have been nice if we didn't spend so much of the evening at Granny's going over possible monster sightings and actually had real date" Mulan continued with her apology.
"That would have been nice" Elsa smiled.
"It's just before all this, before Highschool" she said looking around the dancefloor it seemed so foreign to her, now that she remembered who she was. "I was a warrior in the emperor's imperial army, they didn't care how old you where only your gender" She continued rolling her eyes "they certainly didn't care if you had passed calculus, that duty is all I know" Mulan finished saddened by her past.
"I had no idea" Elsa replied feeling guilty.
"How could you I've been so distant; I'm going to try harder at adjusting" Mulan finished.
"Hey we will figure out a way to live with duel identities, all of us together" Elsa replied grabbing her hands the moved in closer dancing together.
Feeling the sadness creeping up on her and her missing dance partner, Red saw Anna sitting at one of the tables and her chance to ditch the dance floor for a moment, she made her way over.
"What's up with you Anna" Red asked
"There was time I would have given anything for a night like this but everything here is so strange, I don't have fake memories like the rest of you, it's hard" Anna replied
"Understandable" Red smiled "That guy over there is eyeing you I think his about to ask you dance" Red replied as he made his way over.
"Ughh no I have sworn off meeting any boys at dances" Anna said practically ducking under the table as he came by.
"What's up with her" He asked confused as he got over to them.
"Sorry buddy not tonight" Red said gesturing for him to move along. He looked confused but kept on his way as Anna emerged from under the table.
"Come on, I promise not to break your heart" Red said holding out her hand for Anna. She laughed taking it and the two of them re-joined the others on the dance floor.
"Don't make promises you can't keep" Anna said as they started the nut push.
Mary Margret stood by the snacks table it was good to see Emma happy with her friends she felt like a somewhat normal parent for a moment, chaperoning the school dance standing awkwardly by the plastic cups as they danced around, a little too closely. She tried to keep her mind on the positive sometimes there was no denying it because how could she be happy how could any of them be they had missed so much time together and it was going to take more time before they could grow closer really get to know each other, be a family.
"Hey, lost in thought" Belle asked making her way over.
"Yeah a bit, sorry did you need something" Mary Margret replied smiling.
"Just the keys to your office" Belle replied
"Oh, what for" Mary Margret said as she started searching her pockets for them
"The sheriffs here, the 'Queen' requests some personal affects from her former office" Belle replied.
"What, we cleared out any personal items and gave them to her a while ago, there is nothing of hers left" Mary Margret frowned.
"You'd have to ask her" Belle shrugged.
"She's here" Mary Margret responded as her eyes darted towards Emma instinctively.
"Yeah" Belle responded sensing the tension.
"I think I will" Mary Margret replied.
"Umm" Belle started to say but Mary Margret was already gone she had been waiting for the opportunity to confront her not just about this but what really happened when she got kidnapped with Emma.