AN: See chapter 1 for story notes and summaries.
Ships: Snowing, Rumbelle, Swan Believer, eventual Swanfire, and a delightful Golden Mad Charming BroT3. :)
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For one face claim reveal, I will tell that I chose Gal Gadot as the face claim for Persephone...cause she's perfect as Persephone!
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Thanks for awesome the reviews. Here are individual responses:
Theinferno1536: The Greek Gods in my story are a combination of many things. I borrow a little from Disney and the actual myths mostly. I only saw the Percy Jackson movies once I think so probably less from those. I always look up the original myths on the characters and then a lot of times, like Once, I write my own spin with some original stuff. As for Tamara's back story, it will be different than it was in Finding You Always. Making it the same would be lazy writing on my part.
Grace5231973: I PM'd you and I think we're good on the misunderstanding and whatnot. Yeah, Neal probably should have stayed, but I can promise you he won't be dying in this story. Glad you liked the fight scene too, I was happy with the way it turned out. Yep, Tamara will have a back story. What that is, I haven't finalized that yet. :)
Sara K M: Yeah, Neal is leery of magic. I felt that he never really got a chance to get over that so maybe he will here since he and Emma will eventually be a thing. He has good reason to hate magic though I guess. Yeah, the relationship between Snow and Regina almost seems unrepairable sometimes. Snow wants a relationship with her so badly, but Regina just isn't ready to let her revenge go. Yeah, I just watched that episode where she doesn't mention her super power like it's not a thing. But yeah, the Archie thing might have made her leery. Nope, no Archie dying storyline so she doesn't have much reason to doubt it here. Yep, the confrontation with Hades is here and I think everyone will be surprised by how it goes.
Saberius Prime: Yes, it seems like everyone is doomed, but I think Hades might surprise you a bit. Glad you're excited!
Baratta Jennifer: Yep, Hermes is an idiot.
Number Ten: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Guest: Glad you're enjoying the inclusion of Neal to this story this time around. There will definitely be Swanfire coming up in the future. Tamara is in the way right now, but that won't be for long. Yeah, Snow is having a tough time, but don't worry, she'll always fight back.
Beth1980: Yeah, Regina is definitely not thinking and she is actually left very confused in this chapter. I think you'll be surprised by the confrontation with Hades coming. I agree, Regina gets off way too easily. I will tell you that while I will be redeeming Regina, it will be done differently here. In canon, we had Snow practically begging Regina to love her. That won't happen here. Snow has her mother here, plus Emma is already in a place where she's very close to Snow. So imagine if it was Regina realizing how much she wanted to love Snow and how terrible she was. That's kind of how it's going to happen here. Glad you enjoyed the battle! I was really happy with the way it came out. As for Tamara, she will have a back story and it will be different than the one she had in Finding You Always. I just haven't decided exactly what it all entails yet. Hades is definitely going to throw a wild card into the mix. I have built him up to be hell bent on slaughter, but will he play that card or will he be more sneaky? Oops, I probably forgot the great in front of the grandson, thanks for pointing that out. This family tree is crazy anyway though. I'm so glad to hear this is your favorite story on this site! That's an incredible compliment. :)
izzypirelli: I know, those are terrifying words, especially coming from Charming. Nope, I would never kill either half of our ultimate OTP. I know, Snow has really been through a lot here. I do think Charming's arms make everything better...and his hands. Glad you liked the conversation between Regina, Snow, and Hermes. I really wanted to drive home that Regina just isn't ready to let go of blaming Snow for everything, even though her rational mind should be telling her that she and Snow are both victims. And that she was made evil not by Snow, but her own mother(and Rumple). Yeah, those furies are frightening. I took the description for them that I found on the Greek Mythology wiki page so they were extra terrifying. I know, Whale operated drunk. I guess we should be impressed? I'm not a Whale fan so he'll always be fodder in my fics. Yes, Tamara will have a back story. What that will entail, I haven't nailed down the details yet. I do plan to make the Home Office a bit more interesting. I think the fact that the Home Office turned out to be the Lost Boys was super weak. Protective Charming gives me heart eyes too. No, no long term consequences. The lacerations were surface wounds and more for the fact that I wanted to rip his shirt open during the battle. I'm so bad...like really bad. I know Persephone with a sword gives me Diana Prince vibes too. I definitely did base my Persephone on her. Yes, Snow is definitely a bad ass. Glad you liked the battle scene. I really liked the way it turned out too. Jefferson is right. Snow wants Regina to be good so badly, but she doesn't deserve that faith. Yep, Zelena will figure in coming soon. As for Hades, I see Greg Germann most of the time as they cast him in Once. But then sometimes I see Dan Scott(played by Paul Johansson) from One Tree Hill as Hades, thanks to FindingTallahassee mentioning he would have made a great Hades. Ironically, he played the Woodcutter in Heartless. So it depends on the day, but most of the time I do see Greg Germann in my head. In fact, the entire Hades scene in this chapter was written picturing Greg Germann so I think imaging him will capture the speech and mannerisms I tried to invoke in that scene. :)
Dreaming Out Loud
Chapter 60: Welcome to Storybrooke, Pt 1
Regina and Hermes arrived at the lake. It was just after twilight now and the time had finally come to summon Hades to the world of the living. A chill rippled down Regina's spine and it was definitely from the unusually chilly March air. Spring had come to Storybrooke. In fact, the winter since the curse had broken had been mild and she knew that was indicative of Persephone's presence. It was known now that her emotions could easily affect the weather if she let them be unchecked. Having Snow and her family in her life had given them a very mild winter, but this early morning was frigid. It felt more like a January morning than March and Regina knew why. Kidnapping Snow had likely caused this unseasonable chill in the air and she knew they probably only had moments, before the Goddess came here with the two idiots right behind her.
"Having second thoughts?" Hermes questioned, interrupting her thoughts.
"Of course not...I want my son back and I want her to pay for what she did to my mother," Regina replied. Hermes smirked and popped the cork on the vial, before letting the droplets of Snow's blood fall into the lake. There was a glow in the water and Hermes raised a hand.
"I summon thee, Charon. Bring our Lord and Master to this living realm," he chanted.
"HERMES!" Persephone shouted, as she charged toward them. He smirked and turned to her with a glare.
"You're too late…" he hissed. She growled and her magic slammed into him, thrusting him into the water. Vines came alive and wrapped around his body, constricting him fully, as she seethed with rage.
"Killing is not your way, Persephone," he goaded. She smirked and let her vines wrap around his neck.
"Really? Did you miss what I did to Cora for coming after my daughter? Do you really think I'll think twice about killing you?" she growled and then looked at Regina.
"You have made a grave error, Regina. I warned you! Bringing Hades here will not get you what you want!" Persephone shouted. Regina smirked.
"We'll see…" the former Queen responded, as a boat appeared in the darkness of the waters. Snow and David held each other close, as two figures could be seen in the boat. The one in a dark cloak was obviously Charon and the figure behind him, still shrouded in the shadows, was Hades.
"This won't end the way you think, Regina. Believe me...I know Hades personally and whatever deal you made with him will only hold up if it benefits Hades," Rumple warned. Neal looked at his father.
"You know Hades?" he asked and Emma looked equally surprised.
"It's a long story that will have to be told later, but suffice to say I once owed the God of the Underworld something and would still if not for Persephone," Gold explained.
"I'm not the one he's focused on making suffer," Regina reminded, as she glared at Snow and Persephone.
"What do you think you're doing? You really think this is going end well for you?" David growled, as he held Snow with a frantic edge he hadn't known in a very long time. The man coming toward them was the reason Persephone had been forced to give Snow up and hide her for her entire life.
"If it ends with them paying for what they've done to me...then yes," Regina hissed.
"Then it's true," another voice chimed. They turned to see Henry and Belle there.
"I'm sorry...but he slipped by me when I went to make him some cocoa. I ran all the way to catch up to him," Belle apologized.
"Henry...you need to go home now," Emma said sternly.
"No...I'm tired of being left home! I overheard everything!" he said, as he looked at Regina.
"Did you really kidnap Grandma Snow?" he asked innocently. Regina knelt beside him and reached to him.
"Henry...I did what I did for us," she pleaded with him.
"No...you did it for you. You do want to kill my family. You're not trying to change!" he accused.
"Henry...it's more complicated than that. Persephone killed my mother," she told him.
"I know...she was honest with me. She told me that she did it protect my family...that Cora was going to kill them. And you were helping her!" Henry raged. Regina reached for him, but he backed away toward Snow and Charming.
"Henry...you need to go back home with Belle," Snow urged.
"But what about you and Grandpa?" he asked. David put a hand on his shoulder.
"We're going to be okay, buddy," he promised.
"You shouldn't lie to the boy," Hermes chimed in and one of Persephone's vines wrapped around his mouth to silence him.
Suddenly though, her vines snapped and freed the messenger God. He pulled himself from the water, as the boat docked and they all waited with bated breath. Hermes bowed deeply, as the figure stepped off the boat and Emma reached for her son. As she put her arms around him, Neal moved to stand in front of them, which David instantly noticed and appreciated. He held Snow closely, but was ready to stand in front of both his wife and daughter if it came to that.
"My Lord," Hermes greeted respectfully, as he came into the moonlight.
"Rise my friend," Hades said, as he looked around.
"Such a warm welcome with so many of you coming out to see me," he mentioned, as his eyes locked on his wife.
"Hello, my love," he uttered, as he approached and gently caressed her face with the back of his hand.
"I will never let you harm my family…" Persephone said. He smirked.
"Who says I'm here to do that?" he questioned and her eyes narrowed. She watched him move around her and regard those that had gathered there.
"I see you found your son, Rumpelstiltskin. It seems all the trouble you went through to have the Dark Curse cast worked out, after all," Hades said, as he looked at Belle and then Neal, before regarding Emma and Henry.
"Ah...the Savior. The product of true love and...I guess my step-granddaughter," he said.
"She is not your granddaughter," Snow seethed, as she untangled herself from David and stood with him face to face. He smiled.
"The fair and fierce Snow White...at last we meet again. I have to say, you are as beautiful and as fiery as your mother. I remember the first time I saw her, tending to a meadow full of snowdrops with her mother Demeter nearby. At that point, I had already lived for centuries and yet had never seen such a vision," he said, as his eyes flicked to David and he smirked.
"I'm sure you can relate to what I'm saying. You were as captivated by her as I was by Persephone on the first day you saw her," he said.
"You trapped her in a net. I was a bit more brash, I'll admit and took her back to the Underworld with me," he continued and Snow looked horrified.
"Don't you dare compare yourself to my husband. He is nothing like you!" Snow cried.
"You killed the man my mother loved!" she added. He shrugged.
"In my anger, I did. But she did cheat on me," he retorted.
"You threatened to kill me upon my first breath! You're the reason she had to give me up!" Snow sobbed.
"All true...and I suppose you wouldn't believe me if I said I regret my actions. Hate and rage blinded me, but I am trying to become better," he claimed. Persephone clenched her teeth, as stood before her sweet child and tried to pray on her good nature.
"You have pardoned Regina time and again for crimes much worse," he reminded.
"She slaughtered villages and no one was spared. Not man, woman, or child. Yet you still hold out hope in that pretty, pure little heart that this woman will change," he said, as he smiled.
"And I commend you for it! Think of the place this world would be if people were just a little more like you, Princess," he said, gesturing grandly with his arms.
"Don't. Let. Him. Get. Into. Your. Head," Rumple hissed through clenched teeth to her.
"He's right...whatever he is playing at is a facade. Nothing more. He only wants our suffering," Persephone agreed. He smiled sadly.
"I deserve that from you, but I am going to do my best to prove you wrong, my love. When you left me...I saw the error of my ways. I realized the monster that I was and how much I truly loved you. I don't deserve you...but I am here to make amends to you. And to you...step-daughter," Hades claimed. Snow looked at him with scrutinizing eyes and watched his hand slip into his coat. David pulled her back, fearful of whatever he was searching for.
"I have proof of my good will and I can illustrate that gesture come with a gesture with a gift," Hades stated.
"We want nothing from you," Persephone hissed. He smirked.
"Oh, you want this," he countered, as he pulled out a small mirror and an image appeared on it.
"This mirror is for you, my dear. I know I cannot bring your mortal prince back to life, but I retrieved him from river of lost souls. He is whole again in the Underworld, though I believe his unfinished business keeps him there. But his soul is existing quite comfortably now," Hades said. Persephone glared at him and snatched the mirror from him. Tears came to her eyes, as she saw him sitting in what looked much like the Mayor's office down in Underbrooke. She looked back at Hades with scrutiny.
"What kind of trickery is this?" she spat.
"No trickery," he promised.
"No...not even you have the power to retrieve someone from the river of lost souls once they go in," she recalled.
"I found a way. It wasn't easy, but I did for you," he claimed. She shook her head.
"No...this is some trick or trap. I don't know what you're playing at, but it won't work," she refuted. He smirked.
"I suspected you would feel that way and it's not surprising. But I hope that you'll see that I mean every word I speak," he responded, as he motioned for Hermes to follow him.
"My Lord...why didn't you destroy them?" Hermes questioned.
"Destroy them? I think you have me all wrong, Hermes. I am not here to destroy anyone. I'm here to make peace," he said, as he walked away with a bewildered Hermes following him. Regina looked equally confused and Henry looked between them all.
"Regina...I don't know if Hades meant everything he said, but I do think it's time to put all the strife between us in the past," Snow said. Regina glared at her.
"You want me to forgive what your wretched mother did to mine?" she growled.
"Stop acting like your mother was some innocent victim! She was going to kill us all and you know it," David snapped.
"He's right and if we don't stop this warring between us...then Henry is the one that will end up being the victim," Belle added.
"I don't believe anyone asked you, bookworm," Regina hissed.
"Don't talk to her like that," Gold warned dangerously.
"Mom please...they're right. Think about it! We can all be a family!" Henry said hopefully.
"I don't think that's possible, Henry," she refused.
"Yes it is...if you just try!" the boy said with vehemence. She looked at all of them and then at him sadly.
"I'm sorry Henry...I just can't," she replied, as she disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Well...of all the things I thought might happen here, it was none of that," Jefferson quipped, as Emma hugged her son close.
"I can't believe him," Persephone growled.
"Is that really him?" Snow asked curiously, as she looked at the mirror. She nodded sadly.
"It is," she confirmed.
"But do not let this soften your opinion of Hades...whatever this ploy is, I am sure it is intended to get us to let our guard down," she warned them all.
"Don't worry, we won't be doing that and I won't be letting you out of my sight," David said, as he put his arms around her from behind. She smiled and leaned back against him.
"I think I'm actually going to hold you to that," she said, as she turned in his embrace and relished his arms around her.
"Okay...I think for now, we should all just go home and try to get some sleep," Emma suggested. They agreed, though Persephone doubted she would sleep a wink. But that fine with her. While her family slept, she would work on a variety of protection spells to keep Hades from being able to harm them and she suspected Gold would be doing the same for Neal and Belle.
"Emma...I really need to talk to you," Neal said. She sighed.
"Can it wait?" she asked.
"Not really...because it's sort of something that's going to happen in the morning," he replied.
"It's like two in the morning already. What is it?" she asked. He sighed.
"Okay, so you're not going to like this, but I promise it's not my fault," he replied.
"That's a really bad way to start a sentence," she warned.
"It's Tamara," he said.
"Your fiance?" she asked.
"Yeah...she sort of might be on her way here and will probably be rolling into town by mid-morning," he replied, wincing, as her face went from tired to sheer disbelief.
"She's coming here?" Emma exclaimed.
"Yeah…" he answered.
"She can't come here!" Emma yelled.
"What am I supposed to say?! She surprised me by saying she was already on her way! You know it would just be weird if I told her she can't come!" he shouted back.
"Neal...this is bad! If she sees magic…" Emma started to say.
"Then I'll tell her everything," he finished.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked.
"No...but I'm going to marry this woman. I don't want secrets between us and let's face it, my life is still one big secret from her," he replied. Emma's mouth was still ajar and she sighed.
"I...I can't deal with this right now," she said tiredly.
"She wants to meet Henry," he added.
"You are really pressing it right now," Emma growled and Snow put her hands on her daughter's shoulders.
"The loft is a little small, so how about brunch at the diner for all of us," Snow suggested. Neal nodded.
"Thank you Snow," he agreed, as they parted ways for the evening.
"Another stranger right now is not what we need," Emma grumbled, as she followed her parents back to the truck.
"No...it's not, but he is right about one thing and that is that it would only raise more questions if he refused to let her come here," Snow reasoned. She sighed, not being able to argue with that.
"Come on, let's go home for now. It's very late and way past bedtime for all of us," David added, as they agreed and headed home.
Late that night, Greg closed the book he was pretending to read, as his nurse made her final rounds for the evening. There would be shift change now and the hospital staff would be reduced slightly overnight. This would be his perfect chance to do some looking around and he intended to do just that. Slowly, he got out of bed and put a robe on, as well as some slippers, before he peered out into the vacant hallway. He looked to the nurse's desk and listened to the conversation.
"What was all the commotion in here earlier tonight?" one nurse asked.
"You didn't hear?" the other nurse asked.
"No," she responded.
"Snow White was abducted...her husband very nearly tore this place apart," the second nurse answered.
"Did they find her?" the first one asked.
"I heard they did, but that's not all that happened," a third one interjected, as she approached, as they huddled together.
"I heard that the Evil Queen was behind it and now Persephone's husband is here for revenge," she gossiped.
"Hades?" the first nurse asked in disbelief. She nodded. Greg's face was marred with confusion and disbelief, as these women used these names like they could be real people. He knew the stories he had been told and he had bought into it all with a bit of skepticism. He knew odd things were going on in this town, evidence that he could never find it again after it disappeared with his father still in it. But to actually entertain the idea that such fiction was blurred with reality was a lot to take in.
Once they weren't looking, he slipped passed the nurse's station and into another empty corridor. This town definitely had secrets and he was determined to blow them wide open. He was convinced it was the only way to learn what had happened to his father. He hid, as he heard the sound of a door unlocking and watched a nurse come up from the basement. The door she was coming from had a keypad on the wall, indicating that only certain people were allowed access. He smirked and watched her walk away, as he hurried to catch the door, before it closed. He descended down the stairwell and looked around the stark white surroundings. There was desk and the name plate on it read Nurse Ratched, which made him shake his head in disbelief.
He walked along the barren halls and the janitor seemed to pay him no mind, as he looked in the rooms. Some were empty, but some had occupants. The walls in the rooms were padded and he was in shock, as he realized the hospital had an asylum of sorts beneath it. He looked at the names on the tags. There was an Albert Spencer, an S. Glass, and an R. McMurphy. There were a couple more rooms that had occupants with no name tags. But he wouldn't have time to examine them, as someone called out to him.
"Hey...you can't be down here! This is for authorized personnel only!" Nurse Ratched called.
"Oh...I'm sorry, I got lost. I was only trying to find a nurse. I think I need more pain meds," he said, as she led him back to her desk.
"Orderly...please escort Mr. Mendell back to his room and see that a nurse tends to him," she ordered. Greg smirked, as the orderly led him back upstairs. They could keep trying to hide their secrets, but he was going to discover everything this town was hiding, no matter what he had to do.
Snow mewled into his kiss and found herself lost in him, as he made love to her. When they arrived home, they were tired, but much too wired to go to sleep right away. And all either of them could think about was the harrowing evening they had and how it only made them want to be as close as possible. And so, behind the curtain, they undressed each other with a slow intensity and made love with the same intensity and burning passion.
As they came down from their high, she rested atop his chest and he kissed her hair. One hand slowly stroked her naked back and the other hand was laced with hers in a deeply intimate gesture. She traced the lines on his chest, thankful that her mother had healed the surface wounds inflicted on him by the furries. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then her lips, as she lost herself in him again.
"You found me…" she whispered, as their lips parted.
"Did you ever doubt I would?" he asked. She smiled and kissed him again in response.
"Never will I doubt you or our love," she promised.
"Nor will I," he promised in return. She snuggled deeply into his arms and he pillowed her against his chest, as they finally fell asleep.
Tamara passed over the town line that morning and stopped the car short of town proper. She pulled over on the side of the road and let Hook out of the back seat, before untying his hands. He smirked and leaned in.
"Thank you milady," he leered.
"Just remember our deal or you might find a bullet in your back, Captain," she warned. He smirked. This woman certainly had gumption, he would give her that. But something told him that she wasn't as in charge as she thought she was. He had been a pirate long enough to recognize a pawn when he saw one. The true question was who was she actually working for and when were they going to decide to make their presence known. For now though, he would play her little game and do one thing he was very adept at: causing trouble.
"Good luck to you, lass. I have a feeling you're going to need it," Hook mentioned. She paid his warning no mind though and drove into town, easily finding the diner. Looking around, this little Hamlet looked perfectly ordinary. The townspeople milled about, carrying on with their simple mornings. Her eyes narrowed, as she eyed them all with scrutiny. They may have seemed perfectly ordinary, but none of them belonged here and she was here to see that they were all blown out of this world. But for now, she put on a pleasant smile and spotted Neal waiting nervously outside the diner.
She parked her car and got out, before walking toward him.
"Hey baby," she cooed, as she kissed his cheek. He smiled and they joined hands.
"It's good to see you...I'm glad you're here," he said sincerely. He was actually a little glad. He was going to come clean with everything and as hard as it was going to be for her to believe, he believed she would come around. Then there could be no burden or secrets between them.
"I hope you don't mind, but Emma and her family are coming to breakfast with us. I think it will make Henry more comfortable and Emma is a little protective when it comes to him," Neal explained. She nodded, as they went into the diner.
"I understand...this is her little boy and she wants to know who the people in his life are," she reasoned. He smiled and nodded. She understood perfectly. He only hoped that continued, especially since he would soon be asking her to suspend everything she knew about reality.
"This is such a quaint little town. I had no idea places like this existed anymore. Even small towns these days seem so commercialized and growing until they're no longer small," she mentioned. He nodded.
"Storybrooke is a bit of a hidden gem, I guess. I think that's why my father likes it," Neal replied.
"So things are good with you and your Dad?" she asked.
"I'm not sure we're at good yet, but you seem surprised," he replied.
"Well...let's face it. This is the man that abandoned you," she reminded. He nodded.
"Yeah...but it turns out there are things I didn't really know and from what I've seen so far, he really has changed," Neal offered. She smiled and squeezed his hand.
"Then I can't wait to meet him," she said, as she saw a flash of blonde hair outside the window. She was with a boy and two others that were obviously a couple. And their conversation seemed intense.
Emma walked alongside Henry and it was easy for her parents to tell that she seemed like she was being walked to an execution, rather than brunch at Granny's. They exchanged a silent glance, easily communicating without any words, and then stopped outside Granny's, as Snow gently put a hand on her arm.
"Emma...honey, your father and I talked briefly this morning and we know this is a really difficult situation," Snow began.
"I'm fine, Mom. Neal being engaged doesn't bother me," she insisted.
"Okay...but we know that when we go in there that it's going to be awkward at best, so we want you to know that it's okay with us if you want to make things a bit easier," David added. Her brow furrowed.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"We talked about it and we're okay with it if it will be easier for you to introduce us as perhaps a different type of relation," Snow replied.
"We know to a person that isn't from here that us being your parents is unbelievable," David added.
"So...you think I should introduce you as what? My brother and his wife?" she asked, not missing how it made them both look uncomfortable. But they nodded and she felt her emotions threaten to boil over. It didn't matter to them that they didn't want to be known as anything other than her parents, but were willing to put aside their feelings to make her comfortable.
"I guess that would be easier for her to believe," Emma muttered. They nodded and Henry watched the exchange between them, as they went into the diner. He hated lying, but in this instance he got why his Mom might need to do so. Outsiders were dangerous. He may have been a kid, but he had seen enough movies and read a plethora of comic books to know that.
"Hey kid," Neal greeted, as he took a chair next to his Dad.
"Henry...this is Tamara, my fiance," he introduced.
"It's very nice to meet you, Henry," she said, as they shook hands.
"Yeah...you too," he fibbed politely. He still thought his Mom and Dad should be together, like his grandparents. They had his Mom and they were still in love, so why shouldn't his Mom and Dad be together too?
"And you must be Emma," Tamara said evenly, as she and Emma stared each other down.
"That's me," the blonde answered with a tight smile. Tamara glanced at the couple behind her and then looked expectant.
"Are you family of Emma's too?" she asked. Snow and David exchanged a glance, but Emma answered for them.
"They are my…" Emma started to say, but then stopped, as she realized how much she didn't want to tell anyone that they weren't her parents. She realized that she didn't want to introduce them as anything other than what they were. She knew how difficult it would be for Tamara to believe, but she found that she didn't care. These were her parents and she loved them for exactly that. It hurt to think of introducing them as anything else.
"These are my parents," she announced and Tamara blanched, before smiling awkwardly.
"Um...okay?" she asked in confusion. Emma nodded.
"I know it looks impossible, but they are. These are my parents, David and Mary Margaret Nolan," she replied. Snow put a hand to her heart, as she was incredibly touched and David slipped his arm around her waist. They exchanged a warm gaze and then looked back. Tamara looked at Neal and he shook his head affirmatively.
"Well okay then...it's nice to meet you both too," she replied awkwardly, as they sat down. They could tell that the woman was trying to wrap her head around it all and they ordered from Granny while she did. The meal was awkward at best and it wasn't long, before they were getting a call for the Sheriff.
"Sheriff," Emma answered the call in the hallway.
"Are you sure it's him?" she asked, as she listened to Leroy on the other end.
"Okay...Dad and I'll be right there," she said, as she went back to the table.
"We have something we need to check out. Police stuff," she said vaguely, as she glanced at her father. He nodded and kissed Snow quickly, before getting his coat.
"Is everything okay?" Snow asked. Emma nodded.
"It's probably nothing," she assured, as she turned to Henry.
"Are you okay hanging out with your Dad and Tamara for a while, kid?" she asked. Henry nodded.
"Sure," he replied, with a shrug.
"Okay...we'll see you later," Emma replied, as she and David left.
"I should probably get to the office too," Snow said, as she hugged Henry and put her coat on.
"It was nice to meet you, Tamara," Snow said.
"Likewise," Tamara replied, as she left too.
"So...what does Mary Margaret do for a living?" Tamara asked curiously.
"Grandma is the Mayor," Henry chimed in, as Neal winced.
"Really? Grandma?" she asked and the boy nodded.
"So your Mom is Sheriff and her Mom is Mayor?" Tamara asked. He nodded.
"And Gramps is my Mom's deputy," Henry answered. Nothing about it seemed strange at all to him, but Tamara looked to Neal then.
"Okay...what the hell is going on here, Neal?" she questioned. He sighed.
"Let's go over to the Inn...it's kind of a lot," he replied, as Henry grabbed his backpack.
"You got the book?" he asked. Henry nodded and followed them over to the Inn side of the diner. This was likely going to be a very uncomfortable conversation...