A/N: Hey everyone! Oh my God it has literally felt like forever since I posted, and I took such a long break away from the story that I kind of forget where the heck we were. If you're like me, read the last few chapters and you'll remember in no time. If, however, you're like some of my other readers who have been rereading because you are desperate for an update, well honey, we finally have one! In this chapter we are coming to the promised dinner from last chapter. I have been waiting a long time to include more tangible Snowing and CS scenes, because I love a story where Emma has her parents and then her parents get to meet and mess with Killian. Throw in the fact that we have Elsa and Anna, as well as Ruby and Granny and it's truly a grand old time, at least in my book. This chapter is packing a lot of fluff, because I think we all need it quite honestly, but there's a bit of a twist coming again. I know, I know this story is getting to be so twisty, but I think you guys will like where things are going and I can't wait to see your responses! Anyway thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

Fear was a funny thing.

For Emma there were a number of things in her life right now that justifiably sparked fear in her heart. The first and most obvious was the physical threat on the horizon. Killian's brother was en route to Storybrooke and they didn't know what he wanted. It was hard to imagine Liam was coming with good intentions, and as such, they all had the space to be afraid. Then there were other more mundane things that could cause her all kinds of anxiety, since Emma was, in fact, a worrier. These included things like whether Anna and Elsa would be okay with everything they'd learned today, or whether she and Killian would find their way to a more 'normal' life. She wanted that, but it just didn't seem like that calm and serenity was coming any time soon and that was taxing to say the least. But somehow tonight Emma didn't have the capacity to fixate on Liam's potential wrath, or the future that fate was bringing her way. Instead, all she could focus on was the immediately impending chaos that would descend when her parents, her best friends, Killian, and his family were all under one roof.

"Maybe we should come up with a panic phrase," Emma declared suddenly as they were on their way to the Nolan residence for dinner with Elsa, Anna, and Ruby in tow. "You know, in case we have to get out quick."

"I'm sorry love, I'm unfamiliar with that term," Killian responded, a touch of humor lacing his voice.

"You know, a panic phrase," Emma said, giving a slight shrug of her shoulders as she explained herself. "It's like the stranger danger term your parents give you as a kid so you know if you can trust a random adult or not. Ours was 'operation mongoose' but don't ask me why because I have no idea where it came from."

Looking at Killian, Emma could tell she wasn't making sense. Her anxiety about this evening was causing her to blabber on about things with less coherency than she would like, but Killian remained patient and did his best to piece together her thoughts. "Uh, well in that case no, can't say I've ever had one of these panic phrases before."

"Well it's simple really. It's basically a safe word, so in this case if my parents get too crazy and we need to leave we have something to say as a signal that we got to get going."

"Emma, I realize this is a big step, and I know your parents are… involved so to speak," Killian said, totally underselling her parents' investment in her life and her business. "But I assure you there won't be any cause to leave. I might not know your parents well, but I do know they mean no harm."

"Mean no harm and do no harm are different things," Emma muttered, and she could hear her resigned tone of defeat as she said the words aloud. Without even looking at Killian she knew he was on the verge of laughter, but instead of her mate's sound of amusement filling the air, it was Anna who broke into giggles.

"Oh come on, Emma! It's going to be fine. You two are already mated right? So what's the worst that happens? Your Mom pulls out those terrible photos of us from middle school and your Dad threatens that he'll kill Killian if he ever hurts you."

"Do either of those possibilities sound fun to you?" Emma asked and Anna immediately grinned so Emma amended her statement. "If you were me, would you enjoy a night like that?"

"Probably not," Anna agreed, "And my Mom definitely didn't have the balls your Mom does or the blunt way of asking things, but come on, Emma. We all know Killian's never going to hurt you so it's a non-issue. Besides Ruby and Granny have the dirt on Killian so it'll all be even in the end."

"What have you told them, Red?" Killian asked his cousin and Ruby smiled like the cat that caught the canary. This made Emma lighten somewhat, because whatever Ruby had it had to be good.

"Oh nothing much," Ruby claimed coyly. "I'm still saving the best stories. Don't want to run out of those too early."

Killian groaned at his cousin's words and because it was such a relatable outburst, Emma immediately took delight in it. She found herself laughing in spite of herself. Thank God she wasn't in this alone. Knowing Killian had family who gave him grief too (even if it all came from a place of love) was a relief. No one would ever match her parents' level, but at least she wasn't in this alone. And by the way that Killian was watching her relax into her laughter Emma knew that Killian didn't care about her finding out any of his embarrassing stories. His blue eyes told her everything in that moment, and the most important thing was that all he wanted was for her to be happy. With him she always found a way to be so, and it was only a love like this that could ever induce her into subjecting herself to this familial torture.

"Is it bad that I actually feel better knowing you've got stories too?" Emma asked and Killian shook his head as he pulled her in closer to his side. The feel of his body pressed against hers was hot but familiar. It made Emma feel safe even as she felt electrified, and the anxiety of before began to dissipate as contentedness took its place.

"No, it's not. Anything that makes you feel better is something I cherish, love."

"God, I know it's a miracle you guys found love and everything but sometimes its just so…" Ruby trailed off, but Elsa and Anna were quick to fill in.

"Sweet?" Elsa asked.

"Adorable?" Anna replied.

"I was going to say 'extra' actually. I mean come on. Who says stuff like that?"

Emma bit back more laughter as Elsa and Anna went beat for beat with Ruby about what love should be like and whether Killian's words were romantic or over the top. But whatever assessment they came up with in the end, Emma wouldn't really care. The only thing that mattered was how she felt about Killian, and every time he made confessions like that it soothed her. Killian enriched her life and made her braver than she'd ever been. She was confident and comfortable in the love they were building together, and she loved his sweet words, even the cheesy ones.

"I dream of a day when they all find another amusement to preoccupy themselves," Killian murmured to her, drawing Emma's eyes back up to him. He had light in his eyes and she could tell he wasn't taking their talk seriously either. "It might help if Elsa or Anna found someone to love too."

"Oh God don't let my mother hear you say that. You'll be recruited for her matchmaking in a hot second."

"I can think of worse things to do than showing other people the way to love," Killian said and Emma agreed with him.

"And what about Ruby? You don't think she wants love?"

"She does," Killian replied. "But my cousin is particular. It's going to take quite the person to stack up to her expectations."

"I heard that!" Ruby said, though a human wouldn't have been able to and both Emma and Killian laughed.

"It's not a bad thing," Killian emphasized. "If you're going to love someone you better make sure they're perfect for you."

"Aww, he thinks Emma's perfect for him," Anna said and finally Emma rolled her eyes.

"Okay enough. I mean seriously, we're about to be with my parents for at least three hours. Can't you give us any peace?"

Anna and Ruby agreed that they would and Emma shared a knowing look with Elsa. Her best friend never gave Emma any real problems about things like this. It wasn't her way and Emma appreciated that, and she knew she could trust Elsa to keep the others in line. Still the teasing had done wonders to distract Emma from her worries about this evening, and unfortunately, as quiet descended on the group, they cropped up again.

"I know you have a lot of feelings about tonight, Emma, but I can hardly wait to finally see where you grew up."

"Well the wait is almost over," Emma said with a smile. Her house might not be nearly as palatial as Anna and Elsa's but she did love it so. She'd had such a perfect childhood for so long, and it wasn't until Neal had gotten sick that things took a turn. Even since then things had gotten better, and that house had always been a part of the good times in her life. "Think you can handle it?"

"I hardly think it's the house that's hell bent on bringing trouble, love," Killian joked and Emma swallowed harshly despite knowing that he was only kidding. "Nothing to fear on that score though, Emma. There's no force in this world that could keep me from loving you."

"How do you always say the right thing?" Emma asked, as they stepped to the front door and Killian grinned back at her in a way that sent a bold shiver of delight through her whole being.

"It's a gift."

"Okay love birds, you've got about five more seconds before we have incoming," Ruby stated, clearly having heard everything as they approached Emma's parent's door. "Three, two, one."

At the exact mark the door swung open, but Emma was surprised to see it was her Dad and not her Mom standing there. "Thank goodness you're early. Your Mom might have said seven but she..."

"Never means it, I know," Emma said, filling in for her Dad as she gave him a hug. "I was surprised she wasn't pacing by the windows yet."

"Granny's been a good distraction. She keeps talking about you and Killian and how shifter happily ever afters work." The comment was benign, but then Emma watched her father's face pale as he looked to Elsa and Anna. "Uh, I mean, well -,"

"Don't worry Mr. N, we know the deal," Anna filled in merrily. "People turn into animals and then they fall in love with your best friends. We've got it."

"Or sometimes your best friend is the shifter," Elsa offered nonchalantly, and Emma smiled, knowing that she hadn't mentioned that to Elsa so her friend must have picked that up through her own magical intuition. "Like Uncle Lance."

"Yup. Can't wait to tell him you girls all know now. It's gonna make the summer barbeque pretty interesting," her father said as he led them all inside, shutting the door behind them.

"Oh Lance already knows," Emma's mother announced cheerily as she walked in with a beatific smile. "I told Gwen a little while ago. I forgot one of the ingredients in her chocolate soufflé recipe and I filled her right in. God I love walkie talkies."

Elsa and Anna laughed as Ruby and Killian looked at Emma with confusion. Again, Emma was amused at how even Ruby seemed to be stumped. Apparently witchy visions didn't involve her Mom's somewhat childish antics.

"Mom and Aunt Gwen talk all the time. They joke that they're sisters separated at birth and as such they have all sorts of time to make up for. But it was a lot of calls. Like so many calls a day that Dad and Uncle Lance used to tease them that walkie talkies would be more efficient. Then for Christmas last year Neal and I had an idea – or really Neal did. I just funded it. He found these walkie talkies online that create their own frequency and that can cover super large distances. I think they're for the military? Anyway, we got them for Mom and Aunt Gwen as a joke, but now they use them all the time. The gift backfired."

"I'd use it right now if she and Lance weren't having their date night," Emma's mother said, waving the walkie talkie that was clipped to her apron. "But there's always next time. Anyway, thank you all for coming. You must be Ruby. I've heard a lot about you."

"Knowing Granny it's all bad," Ruby said with a sly grin.

"And all true," Killian quipped, leading Ruby to playfully punch his arm.

"No she had only good things to say, about you and about Killian."

"Where is she exactly?" Emma asked, knowing Granny was supposed to be here.

"She's on soufflé watch," Mary Margaret announced, and this prompted a skeptical look between Killian and Ruby. "What? What's so funny?"

"You said they were chocolate right?" Ruby said, biting back her laughter.

"Let's just say Granny has very few weaknesses, but the main one is chocolate. I hope you've made extra since she's very likely tricked you into trusting her with those treats."

"I heard that!" Granny said, coming from the kitchen with her hands on her hips and an unamused look on her face. Her eyes were lit up with humor however, and then she admitted the truth. "And I'll have you know I only had one, and I ran it by Mary Margaret first."

"Wow, seems Storybrooke has had a positive influence on all of us," Killian said easily and Emma felt herself warm at the way he spoke about her home.

"It has a way of doing that," Emma's mother said as her father came around to kiss her temple. "Now come on, dinner's ready and I have just about a million questions."

Taking a seat at the dining room table that Emma had spent nearly every important holiday gathered around, it was nice to see how natural all of this was. Everyone found their spots organically, and when Killian pulled out her chair like a gentleman, helping her into her seat, Emma was touched. She knew the gesture didn't go unnoticed, but Emma avoided looking at any one else. Instead she looked to Killian, taking an extra boost of comfort from his subtle nod and upturned smile.

"So…" her father finally said, drawing Emma and Killian's attention back to the table. Her Dad only looked at them a moment before deferring to his wife. "Do you want to do the honors?"

"Don't mind if I do," her mom said happily. As Mary Margaret rose back up from her seat, Emma watched Ruby whisper to Anna.

"What's happening?"

"It's like grace. Before every meal they say what they're thankful for. Neal started it."

"He did indeed," Emma's mother said, and Emma watched as her mom's eyes grew a bit misty. It certainly wasn't getting any easier for her having Neal away at summer camp, and she could tell her mom missed her brother fiercely. "But we continue it even when he's not here, and tonight we have so much to be thankful for.

"We have new friends and new family," her mother said looking to Granny and to Ruby. "It has been a pleasure meeting you both and to welcome you into our home. I know there's so much more to learn and to hear and Emma will tell you I never met a story I didn't love."

"Ain't that the truth," Emma joked and everyone chuckled together.

"But more than that, I can sense you two will be good for us. You've already brought so many good things, which leads us to our next grateful thing. We are grateful for Anna and Elsa and their new journey. It's been a tough few years, but you girls," Emma heard her Mom's voice break, a sign of how much she loved her friends as if they were her own children. "You both have blossomed into such wonderful women. Your family would be proud. We are proud, and wherever this new magic may take you, we know it'll be exactly where you need to be."

"Yeah it will," Anna said, reaching her hand across the table to take Elsa's in a sisterly sign of affection.

"We're thankful that our children have their health. We're thankful that Neal is so happy, that he's making friends and expanding his mind. He's being challenged and engaged and he's finding out more and more about himself. His old scars have all but healed; his light continues to shine so bright. There's nothing in the world he can't accomplish.

"At the same time our Emma has found her happy too. It's a new kind of happy. Beyond having purpose, it's the happiness only available through love and hope and belief in something more. With Killian she has found her match, a match we very much approve of, not that you needed our approval. But rest assured, this doesn't mean we can't still have a little fun. Your father and I haven't honed these interrogative skills for nothing."

Emma didn't know whether to groan aloud or duck her head in embarrassment, but when Killian's hand squeezed hers tightly she looked at him instead and she saw his subtle smile from before had grown into a full blown grin.

"Whatever you guys have got, I can take it. Anything for Emma."

"You sure about that?" Her Dad asked and Killian looked to him and nodded.

"Yes sir, I'm sure."

A moment of comfortable silence elapsed where her Dad gave Killian his own silent show of approval and then Emma realized that her Mom was supposed to be talking. But when she looked over to the other end of the table her mother's tears had fallen.

"I'm sorry, I know I know. It's just…"

"It's just that life right now is good, and we have a lot to be thankful for."

The words from her Dad were agreed to by everyone at the table and with their pseudo-prayer said, dinner was served. It was just as excellent as Emma expected. Her mother was actually a great cook, and the company was awesome in the end. It took a little getting used to that their dinner conversation would include things like shifters and spells and such, but Emma was delighted to find that her mother wasn't as prodding and extensive as she expected. In fact, she only saved those extra exploratory questions for Emma and Killian, and Killian, luckily, managed to take on every one. By the end of the meal he seemed to have won her parents over even more, and Emma was so happy and carefree she had actually forgotten what brought them all together in the first place. Only after dessert was cleared away did Emma realize she needed to talk to her parents about Liam and the potential danger ahead, but her father beat her to the punch.

"We know already, Emma," her Dad said quietly as she helped him clear the table. The two of them were back in the kitchen, away from the others who were conversing over coffee. "Granny told us about Liam, and then Killian called me while you were with Anna and Elsa."

"He did?" Emma asked, completely surprised by the revelation and her Dad nodded.

"He did. He said he was sorry to not come speak to me directly but he didn't want to let you out of his sight. I agreed that that was for the best. In the mean time, I can't think of anyone that's better to protect you than Killian."

"Really?" Emma asked, feeling a wave of surprise that her Dad would hand over the reigns of a job he'd taken on her whole life. She didn't often need protecting, but her father had always been her greatest champion. For him to allow Killian to step into that role was huge.

"Really. And it's not just because he's stronger and faster than I will ever be, but because he loves you, more than life itself," her Dad said, stunning Emma with his honesty and acceptance.

"He does," Emma agreed, her heart filled with so much love in this moment. Love for her Dad and for Killian, two men who both cared so much for her and who had always shown her that she was theirs to protect and to embolden. "But did he explain it all Dad? We could be in real danger. I know Killian will do anything it takes if it comes to that, but -,"

"I want you to know that it's all going to be okay, Emma," her Dad said as he put a hand on her shoulder, something he'd done many times through the course of the years. "I've talked to Graham and to Tink. We have some elements put in place already for would-be hostile shifters. And I'll call your Uncle Lance in the morning and get him and Gwen here ASAP. I thought about maybe sparing him the headache, but you know him. He'll be livid if we leave him out of anything that could be considered a good story."

Emma wanted to laugh at that because it was honestly funny. She could picture Uncle Lance now, bemoaning a fact that he missed a good fight and whining (but still in a loveable way) that he was left out. But this wasn't some party that people weren't getting invited to. This was a potentially dangerous and more than hostile situation.

"I never wanted any of this to happen. I never dreamed that we might be in danger, and I know Killian didn't either."

"There's no need to explain, Emma. You love each other and you're bonded. His danger is your danger and vice versa, but that also means your family is his family. No one has to go through this alone. We're all stronger together, and I would never let anything break this family apart. This is a battle we can fight, and not all battles are like that."

"I love you, Dad," Emma said hugging him quickly and taking comfort in his firm embrace. She knew he was thinking back on Neal being sick and how helpless that moment was. Emma hoped it wouldn't actually come to fighting Liam. Maybe this was all being blown out of proportion, but she knew her Dad was right. They had better chances of beating someone who wanted a physical fight than they did of an unknown disease. They'd been through hell before, and they could all do it again.

"And I love you, Emma," he said, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head before stepping back. "But we should get back now. Your mother has missed you something fierce. Best to give her as much time as possible tonight so she doesn't start stalking you tomorrow."

With a shared laugh, Emma and her father headed back to the living room where everyone was seated. With one last kiss to her father's cheek she took her spot by Killian on the couch. Immediately his hand found hers and she felt so at peace, and though she knew her parents eyes were watching her closely over the next hour of the party, Emma didn't care. She knew they had their approval and best wishes, and that was perfect as far as she was concerned.

"You know, Ems, I don't think you've given Killian a proper tour," Anna said, the mischievousness of her intention seeping through in her tone.

"Well technically I haven't given Ruby or Granny one either," Emma quipped, expecting the subject to drop when she did, but it seemed not only Anna was in on this little attempt.

"Actually your Mother showed me around earlier," Granny said with a wry smile.

"And I have the witchy all-seeing thing happening so I don't really need tours," Ruby said. Emma looked at them all, waiting to see if any of them would break, but they all stood strong, unyielding in their want to give Emma and Killian alone time.

"Right, well we're all still visiting. Killian can look around any time. It's not like he's going anywhere," Emma insisted and it was her mother who interjected.

"We know that, but still it would be rude not to give him the tour, honey. Go on – it won't take you long and I'd hate to have to ask your father to do it."

"Hey! I give great tours," her father insisted and though Emma agreed she hopped up immediately, not wanting to subject Killian to an undisclosed amount of time with her Dad if they didn't have to.

"Of course you do, Charming."

"Quick, before they hurt themselves with the plotting on our behalf," Emma whispered to Killian who chuckled aloud as he rose with her, following her out of the living room and towards the rest of the house.

"It's crazy how one second they're testing us and the next they're trying to get us alone," Killian mused as they walked through the study and then her parents' library on the first floor. "I hardly know what to expect at any given moment."

"I wish I could say that will change, but with my family it probably won't. I love them, but they just love to meddle. It's in their blood."

"Which technically means it's in your blood too, love, yet I never seem to see you interfering in such ways."

"Maybe I just haven't had the chance yet," Emma said, pulling Killian towards the stairs so they could see upstairs. The action made her heart flutter. She'd never actually had a guy up here before, and all through her teen years she'd thought about it. Other kids were sneaking away with high school sweethearts, but Emma felt like she could never even try. Her parents were vigilant with a capital V and because of that Emma always knew it was best to play things safe. "Who knows, maybe when Elsa or Anna find someone I'll be just as involved."

"Somehow I don't doubt that, love," Killian said with a grin. "So this room was yours then."

"How could you tell?" Emma joked, what with the girlish white canopy over the bed and the pale yellow color on the walls. There were also all sorts of books, most of them about animals, and trophies from her days running track and cross country.

"It feels like you here," Killian said definitively. He moved forward, looking about on the tops of her dressers and tables. He gazed at every picture and item that she'd kept here. It was kind of a time capsule here, with the person she was at eighteen essentially frozen in place while still being surrounded by items from her younger days. But where she could have been embarrassed, she found she was totally comfortable with Killian seeing all of this.

"Did your room at home feel like you?" Emma asked, curious about his life abroad. She knew a lot about it, about the running and yet also how Killian felt safe there for so long. But she never asked for details like that, and she found herself now wondering what a snapshot into Killian's youth would have looked like.

"It did to an extent. But it never held much significance to me. The house was important. It was the place my mother made for us, but my room… well I haven't thought of it in a long time."

"Sorry to bring up bad memories," Emma whispered and Killian turned, approaching her and taking her hand in his.

"There's nothing to apologize for, Emma. The memories aren't bad, not all of them. If anything you're doing me a favor." She looked into his eyes, searching for clarification. "You remind me that so much of my past was good, despite everything, and that as lost and broken as I've felt, I had everything I needed before. I have memories just as worth preserving as the ones worth forgetting."

Emma felt a surge of pride at Killian's words, not just because she was proud of him and his growth since they'd met, but also because she was happy she was making a difference in his life. Killian deserved to have the best and to access the good that he'd seen without the pain of the bad that had taken much of it away. If she helped him to rejoice in what was in any way she was overjoyed, and as he took her more fully into his arms, his hands drawing gentle but thrilling that feeling only grew stronger.

"So I hate to ask, but I can't seem to help myself. Did you ever… I mean did anyone ever…"

"The only guests in this room were my family and Anna and Elsa," Emma said, understanding what his question was going to be. She couldn't help but smile at his jealousy of a boy who never existed, and when he looked so relieved at her confession she laughed aloud. "Tragically this room never saw much action."

"Well we could change that, love," Killian said, his eyes moving from hers down to her mouth. She could see the hunger there in his gaze, and as she watched him wet his own lips her heart fluttered and the gnawing sense of want low in her gut grew louder and louder. "We could pretend, just for a few moments, that our pasts aren't what they were. We could pretend we'd met sooner, that we'd found each other all those years ago."

"And let me guess, you'd have been the kind of boy who climbed up terraces to get the girl?" Emma asked, her voice going breathy as Killian's hands moved across her body. She took a few steps towards the bed, and Killian immediately followed.

"If you were the lass up in the tower then yes, I'd have been exactly that kind of boy."

Emma allowed herself to imagine what it would have been like. As a man Killian was gorgeous, and she knew as a teen he'd have stolen her breath away. The attraction they had now would still have been there, if just a little more awkward and bumbling. But it was a beautiful dream, to think of finding one's soul mate so soon. She found herself craving that fantasy, and she pulled him down for a kiss to live it out if only for a moment. The two of them tumbled to the bed, but Emma noticed how quiet the action was, no doubt thanks to Killian's shifter graces. It turned her on to no end, and she began to lose herself, forgetting where they were and why they were here. All she knew was she wanted Killian and she never wanted to let go. She wrapped herself around him, and lost all track of time. He always took her to this totally new place, and tonight was really no exception.

"I think we would have had a real problem if the fantasy were true, love," Killian said when he finally pulled back from the delicious moment they were having. The words confused her and she blinked up at him only to find him smiling down at her thoughtfully, his fingers running through her hair as he gazed down at her. "I suspect I would have been here far too often. With an enticement like you up in this tower, nothing could have kept me away."

"I'm sure my father would have loved that," Emma joked and Killian grinned, his eyebrows wagging mischievously as he pulled her back up to a standing position and quickly straightened out the scene of the crime. He helped her pull her dress back to where it should be and then adjusted his shirt accordingly.

"Speaking of, I believe your father's patience is wearing thin. I can hear pacing downstairs. What do you say we put him out of his misery?"

"Good call," Emma agreed, taking one last look at her room and then accepting Killian's hand as they headed back to the hallway. "But this is not over."

"No it most certainly is not," Killian agreed, pressing one last kiss to her lips before they descended the stairs and returned to the rest of the group who all gave them knowing looks. Killian remained unfazed by them, but Emma could feel a blush creeping over her cheeks. Still, she took her seat again on the couch, unwilling to let the attention get to her.

"Did you two have a nice time?" her mother asked and Emma tried to respond but Killian took the reins for her.

"We did. You have a beautiful home, Mrs. Nolan, one that's clearly housed a remarkable life for your children."

"Well thank you, Killian," her mother said, clearly touched by the compliment. "That's very sweet. I'm sure you and Emma will do the same someday soon."

Emma inhaled so sharply that she almost started choking on air, but her mother's grand statement had been even more badly timed for her father, who was taking a sip of his night cap. He began coughing immediately, his eyes almost bugging out of his head at the comment, but where everyone else looked concerned, Emma's mother was not. "Oh come on, David. I was just teasing. I know they'll do things in their own time. No one's rushing anyone."

"Good," her Dad said when he finally caught his breath. "But please, let's keep all future 'teasing' to moments when I'm not drinking, shall we?"

Everyone laughed and her mother agreed. "Sounds like a deal, Charming. Now why don't you come sit down with me? I just convinced Ruby and Elsa and Anna that we should play some sort of game and I know how much you love charades. You can be on my team."

Emma's father smiled and moved across the room, but before he reached her mother a knock sounded at the door. Immediately the shifters went on red alert, and Emma guessed that Granny and Ruby had fallen into the same sense of comfort that Killian was prone to while in Storybrooke. It was hard to take shifters off guard, and with Ruby it should be even harder, but it had been done just now to none of their liking. Her Dad, however, didn't seem worried in the slightest as he moved to the entryway. Only when he'd opened the door did she hear his inhale of breath and immediately Emma looked to see who it was, not believing her eyes when her gaze landed on the unannounced guest. She blinked a few times, stunned into silence and spell bound by the scene before her. There was no way. Like seriously, no way.

"Oh David," the woman said, her voice filled with emotion and her big eyes filled with tears. "It's really you. I found you. I finally found you."

Instinctively, Emma's mother stood up, moving to her Dad as the woman pushed forward and hugged him close and when she did, their new arrival was obscured from Emma's vision. In that moment Emma told herself there was no chance that this could be who she thought it was. Her eyes had to be playing tricks on her, but when they pulled back Emma saw her again and she knew she wasn't mistaken. While this woman had never been here in all her life, Emma had seen this woman before, in a photo on her Dad's desk at the clinic. But though so many years had passed since that photograph was taken, this woman stood here truly untouched by time. Somehow a ghost from the past was here with them tonight, and Emma was unable to fathom how anything like this could possibly be happening.

"Emma, love, who is that?" Killian asked, his voice on edge and his hands on her in a protective hold. She looked back to him, sensing his panic and his dislike for this uncertainty, and she reached for him, still not knowing what to say. She turned back to the rest of the room, and she found that the others were also looking at her for an answer, but Emma felt like hers couldn't possibly be right. Still she said it aloud, hearing how crazy it sounded, but knowing despite all reason that her guess was correct.

"I think… I think it's my grandmother."

Post-Note: So I'm guessing most of you are looking at the screen you're reading this on thinking 'uh, what did she just say?' and honestly that makes a lot of sense. This is a pretty out of left field thing, but I've known since the beginning that David's story and his family aren't as cut and dry as they've seemed. Not only do they have hunter lore and that background, but there are other things clearly at play if his Mom can potentially be back here. For those of you who don't recall, all we've heard of about Ruth was that she's in a photo on David's desk and that she reportedly died in childbirth. But not to worry, next chapter will address those questions of what the heck is happening, and you'll see how this story line fits into other ones I have been weaving together throughout the story up to now. Anyway thanks so much for reading, and I really hope that you've enjoyed!