You guys have your permission slips? It's time for a feels trip…(Alright, terrible joke haha.)

Chapter Thirteen: More Secrets

It had been a couple of weeks and things were eerily calm. Zelena hadn't been spotted since she threatened August, but that didn't nessecarily mean it was good news. Despite their attempts, no one was able to find a way back home, so they were still stuck as they tried to live their lives in Storybrooke. Emma was finding this extremely hard, especially since things were still weird between her, Snow and Charming. They had bonded a little, but it still felt like a roommate situation rather than living with her parents.

She noticed that Snow was acting particularly off one day. She was due to go into the office, but didn't. She was jumpy, didn't say much and overall seemed distant. Charming knew what was going on, it was Emma who didn't and she was getting a little fed up. They were a family and they weren't supposed to have secrets.

"What's going on?"

Snow's head snapped up from her tea. "What?"

"You've been acting weird all day. What's wrong? Did Regina do something? Zelena?"

"No, of course not. We would've…"

"Then what aren't you telling me?" Emma demanded, her voice sharp. Her other parents had kept a secret from her for 16 years. She had a lot of problems trusting Snow and Charming as a result but she was really trying. Normally they made it easy, today was not one of those days.

Snow sighed, shaking her head. "It's nothing you need to worry about."

Emma folded her arms over her chest. "So, we have secrets now."

"It's not a secret." Snow let out a shallow sigh. "I don't have the energy for this." She got up and grabbed her jacket. "Charming, I think I'll go to the office after all."

Emma watched her leave, her annoyance building. Snow would rather leave than telling her what was going on, she didn't understand the logic behind that. She turned to face Charming, who didn't look much better himself.

"Will you tell me?"

"Em…it's not easy to talk about."

"A lot of things aren't!"

"Please don't raise your voice at me…"

"Fine. I'll just go to my room. It's nice to know that parents keeping stuff from their kids isn't just an Odette and Derek trait."

Charming bit down on his lip as Emma headed for the stairs leading to her room. He hadn't even considered that, neither had Snow. Yes, the subject was hard to bring up, but they had to for Emma's sake.

"Emma, wait." Emma turned around, the annoyed look still on her face. "I'm sorry." He sighed. "It's just a hard day…do you remember Ella and Thomas?"

Emma thought about it for a minute, she had met so many of their friends over the past few weeks, it was hard to keep track. "Ella…Ella's the pregnant one, right?" She could remember thinking that had to be hell to be pregnant for 16 years.

Charming nodded. "Yes. And she just had her baby…a little girl, Alexandra. We should've said something, it just hasn't been an easy day for your mother or I. It's hard to talk about."

Emma stared at him for a minute, letting the information sink in. She suddenly felt like an ass. She hadn't known, but she could completely understand why this upset them so badly. Ella and Thomas were going to be able to raise their daughter. They wouldn't have to put her through a magical wardrobe, miss 16 years of her life. She wouldn't be raised by strangers, she was just theirs. It was weird for Emma, because a part of her even felt sad. Snow and Ella had been pregnant at the same time in the Enchanted Forest. Had the curse never been enacted, they would've been incredibly close in age. They would've grown up best friends. Ella and Thomas didn't seem to be frightened of her magic, they would probably raise Alexandra to be the same. She could've actually had a friend, one that wouldn't just disappear.

"I…I'm sorry," Emma whispered.

Charming shook his head. "Don't be. Like I said, just hard for us to talk about. We'll work on it."

"You shouldn't have to." Emma took hold of the bag Snow had bought for her. "I'll be back."

"Wait a minute, where are you going."

"I'll be back," she repeated, grabbing her coat as well. The clothes were still so strange to her. She was currently wearing a red and black flannel shirt and jeans. She had worn more pants in the past month than she had in all her 16 years. The jacket was red as well and made of leather material. Either way, it was must more comfortable than the dresses she had been made to wear.

"Emma..."

"This is something I have to do alone. I'll be fine."

Before he could say anything else, Emma headed out the door and walked the short distance to the diner. Snow and Charming had been giving her money, in case when she was out, she wanted to buy something. The currency looked odd to her, the coins and paper weren't what she was used to, but she had figured it out to an extent. Walking to the counter, she saw Mrs. Lucas…no, Granny (she insisted that Emma call her that, despite the fact that she didn't know her well at all).

"Emma," she gave her a smile and then looked around. "Where are your par…where's Snow and Charming?" While some didn't understand how Emma wasn't calling the royal couple "Mom and Dad", their closer friends did. Emma was grateful for that, it took the pressure off. She had tried to say it, a couple of times but just couldn't. She didn't look at them and see her parents…not yet.

"Snow's at the office, Charming's at the loft. I just wanted to get a couple of hot chocolates with cinnamon to go."

"You've got it. It'll take me a bit, I just used up the last of the hot chocolate."

"That's fine." Emma settled down at the counter and watched her disappear into the back. Red came approached the counter a minute later, grinning.

"Hey pup," she said. Emma resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Red was insisting on calling her that, claiming to make up for lost time as her godmother. Emma hadn't really had godparents growing up, Lord Rogers was probably the closest and even then, they weren't close. "You here alone?"

"Why is that such a surprise to everyone? I'm 16," Emma didn't mean to snap, it was just annoying. If she wanted someone to be overprotective, she'd go find August.

Red raised an eyebrow. "Sor-ry."

Emma sighed. "No, I'm sorry I just bit your head off. I'm just in a weird mood."

"Something happen? Regina? Her weird sister? Do I have to eat one of them?"

That time, the teen did roll her eyes. "No. It's not them…did you hear about Ella and Thomas?"

Red smiled. "Ah, that I did, just a few minutes ago, actually." She nodded to the back and Emma turned around, seeing Snow sitting there. "That's why I asked if you were alone. I had just got through talking to her."

Emma felt stupid yet again. "Oh."

"She's not eating anything, I just gave her a sympathetic ear."

"Yeah…I ordered something with Granny, could you have her bring it over there when it's done?"

Red nodded with a smile. "Of course."

Emma got up and went to the back booth, sliding across from Snow. The woman looked up, a little shocked.

"Emma." She glanced behind her. "Charming's not with you?"

"No. I came here alone. I didn't really give him a chance."

"How did you know I would be here?"

"I didn't," she admitted. "I came here to get some hot chocolate and then I was going to head to your office."

Snow studied her face, she didn't look annoyed as she had before. "He told you, didn't he?"

"Only because I accused him of being like Derek…which wasn't fair." Emma tried to be careful calling her adoptive parents "Mom" and "Dad" around Snow and Charming. She knew she didn't have to, she just wanted to make things easier on them. No matter what, no matter how many times they lied, they would always be her parents. She just wondered how long it would take her to feel like she could call her other parents the same.

The realization of what Emma must have thought fell upon Snow, causing her to frown more. "That's not what I was trying to do. I didn't even think…"

"No, it's fine. I overreacted."

"I think I did too, I should've just told you."

Emma nodded. Neither was ever going to agree with the other, they'd just be caught in the circle of apologies. "It's weird for me too," she admitted. Snow gave her a confused look. "I know it's not the same, but knowing that she's here…I feel weird."

"You two were meant to be playmates," Snow said, thoughtfully. "Best friends."

For a moment, she wasn't there with Emma. She could remember Ella telling her about her pregnancy, about what they had done so she could keep her baby. How the tables had turned, with Snow being the one that lost her child. But before then, the two of them had talked about their children, how they would raise them together. If they were a boy and a girl, they joked maybe they'd even get married. During the curse, Snow had known Ella as "Ashley", a single woman while "Sean", her boyfriend doubled down to his controlling father. She had even been planning on giving the child up since she couldn't do it alone. But things were different now. She was happy for her friend, extremely so. She was going to be an amazing mom. Alexandra wasn't going to ever call anyone else "Mom." The baby would never be calling Ella by her given name.

It wasn't that she blamed Emma for calling her "Snow". She had put herself in her shoes, she wouldn't be able to just call a random stranger "Mom" or "Dad" so soon. It was still hard. She didn't have to be Mary Margaret anymore, she got to be Snow. But as Mary Margaret had been childless and single, Snow White was a wife…and a mother. She was being patient, giving it time. It just wasn't the easiest thing in the world. Especially when one of your closest friends has a little girl of their own.

"I wish…I wish that could've happened," Emma said, softly.

Snow shook her head. "No, you don't. You were raised by your other parents…"

"I didn't have any friends though," she reminded her. "Outside August."

"Even so…"

She knew Emma was just trying to help her feel better and a part of her just wanted to let her. But she knew the truth. Emma had conflicting feelings on the curse. She would never wish that she hadn't been adopted, because it would take away the first 16 years of her life. It would change who she was. Even Snow wasn't sure if she would turn back the clock, given the option. She wanted more than anything to raise her daughter, to have a closer connection. But not at the expense of who she was.

Suddenly, she felt someone touching her hand. It took her a minute to realize it was Emma. A half-smile spread across her face and she gripped it. They would find their groove, eventually. She was trying so hard not to be too motherly, but she couldn't help it. Emma was her daughter. 16 or not, she would always try to guide her in the right direction.

"Do you want to go visit Ella?" Snow asked. "Maybe it'd be easier if we did it together?"

Emma smiled, nodding. "I'd like that."

"Great. I should probably call your father and let him know that we're going to be a bit." She got up and walked to the counter to ask Red if she could borrow the phone. Once she got hold of it, she could see Granny bringing over two to-go cups to Emma. A smile went across her face, her daughter was very sweet.

It only took two rings for Charming to answer the phone. "Hello?"

"I have to say, I'm quite proud of you, picking up on the technology."

"Snow, do you know where Emma is? She left the loft and…"

"It's okay, she's with me," Snow assured him. He could hear him sigh out in relief. "She just felt bad about earlier."

"I'm sorry I told her, I just didn't want her to think…"

"I understand. It's good she does, it seems like she has some emotion behind it."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, her and Alexandra were meant to be best friends…from what she's told us, she didn't have too many growing up."

Charming sighed. "I want to send those kids to a dungeon or something."

"I had a similar feeling. Anyway, we're going to go visit Ella and the baby."

"You sure you're up for that? Thomas said they understood if we couldn't visit for a while."

"No, it's better to do it now, I don't want things to be weird between us and them." She shook her head, even though her husband couldn't see her. "They're our friends, it's not their fault we're in this situation."

"Alright. You want me to come?"

"Unless you really want to…I think it's something Emma and I have to do together."

"No, that's fine." She could practically see his smile in his voice. "I'll see you two later."

"See you later." Snow hung up and turned around to find Emma standing there, the two cups in her hands. "Ready to go?"

"Yes, this one's for you." Emma extended one of them. "Hot chocolate with cinnamon."

Snow smiled. "Thank you." She accepted it and the two headed out the door, getting in her car so they could drive to the hospital.

Emma didn't feel apprehensive about it until Snow was checking with the nurse to see just what room Ella was in. The minute they walked into it, she felt like turning back around and leaving. Ella was sitting up in bed, a bundle of pink blankets in her arm. She looked up, a surprised smile going across her face.

"I wasn't expecting you two to show up," she said.

"Of course we did," Snow said, walking over with Emma trailing behind. She looked down at the baby her friend was holding. She was so small, though Emma had been smaller. To be fair, Emma had been born 3 weeks early while Alexandra had been about 834 weeks late…

"She's cute," Emma whispered. She had seen a few babies over the years, but never really up close. She was the youngest and most of her parents' friends only brought their older children to parties.

"Where's Thomas?" Snow asked.

"Oh, he just went to go get something to eat. I had to make him, he didn't want to take his eyes off her," Ella's smile widened as she glanced back down at Alexandra. "Not that I blame him. I love her so much already."

"I know what that's like."

Emma looked at her, confused. Snow just gave her a patient smile and touched her cheek, it wasn't something Emma was going to understand until she was a mom herself.

"Would you like to hold her?" Ella offered, hesitantly.

It wasn't that she didn't trust them with the baby, she just knew it had to be difficult for them to be there. Ever since the curse broke, she had tried to treat the subject delicately. She didn't want to upset her friend. It was weird for her that Alexandra and Emma wouldn't be playmates. Weird to think that the baby Snow had been pregnant with at the same time she had been pregnant with Alexandra, was 16 years old. Snow wasn't sure if she could handle it, not yet anyway. Emma's curiosity was peaked, however.

"Um, sure," she said.

Ella smiled and sat up, gently showing her how to hold the baby. She had to laugh at the look on Emma's face as she made sure her hands were in the right place. "You won't drop her, I promise."

Emma looked down at the baby, she was all wrinkled and everything, but cute nonetheless. "Hey Alexandra," she whispered.

Snow watched her with the baby, a bittersweet smile going across her face. Ella reached over and grabbed hold of their friends hand.

"Maybe they won't be friends," she mused softly. "But, Emma is welcome to babysit."

Snow chuckled. "Something tells me she'd like to be the babysitter for once."

August felt weird being alone in his father's house. In the palace back home, he never was. Even if Emma was in her lessons and Alise was off with Hank, there was still the staff and his knights. He didn't like the quiet. But, since they still hadn't figured a way to get home, his father had to keep working in his little shop. Once they were back in Misthaven, it would be easier. There, he had the inheritance left to him by his adoptive parents. His father and Jiminy would never have to want for anything ever again.

There was a sudden knock at the door, interrupting his thoughts before he could begin to wonder once again if Emma would choose to stay with Alise or return to Misthaven with him and everyone else. Selfishly, he really hoped it was the latter.

Opening the door, he nearly jumped back upon seeing who it was. Zelena had that wicked grin across her face, a large box in her hands. "Get out of here," he growled.

"For a prince, you sure are rude," she told him, shoving past him to get into the house.

"Get out of here before I get Blue."

"Would you relax?" Zelena rolled her eyes. "No need to fetch that little blue flea." She dropped the box onto the table. "I just brought some stuff I thought you might want."

"I don't want anything from you," he bit back.

"It's nothing dangerous. Just some items that once belonged to Emma."

August cautiously walked towards the box, though his eyes were on his sword that was on the other side of the room. Peeking inside, he saw she was telling the truth. There was her favorite doll, the one Alise had given her when she realized she had powers, the letter Odette had given her, a few of her most treasured books, whittlings that he had made her for her birthday and two daisy chain crowns. Well, they were once daisy chains, the flowers had long died, but Emma had pressed them in books once they had started to so she could keep them forever.

"Why would you do this?"

"I grabbed them before I left to come to Storybrooke, I figured Emma might want them."

August still wasn't buying it. "You want to start a war, why in the hell would you do this?"

"Like I said, I want you on my side."

"And like I said," August stepped closer to her. "My alliance lies with Emma. No one else."

"Stubborn boy," she chided.

"I am not a boy."

"Right. You've long grown up. I mean, it seems like only yesterday your father was yelling at you for not keeping a better eye on Emma when she snuck off when you played in the meadow."

August's fists clenched at the memory. "Shut up."

Zelena smirked, seeing how badly it was all getting to him. "And then there was that time he introduced you as his daughter's nanny…"

"I said shut up!" August exploded. Zelena's smile widened.

"That's it darling, your anger. We're a lot more alike than you realize…"

"I am nothing like you!"

"I beg to differ. I was adopted as well, my mum left me in the woods for dead. My adoptive mother was amazing, Odette reminded me a lot about her actually…"

"Don't you dare say my mother's name," August told her.

Zelena rolled her eyes. "Touchy, touchy. But my adoptive father…well he was much like Derek was with you. I wasn't good enough, I wasn't what he wanted." She walked around him in a circle, bending down to whisper in his ear. "He would've gotten rid of me if given the chance, just like Derek threatened you…"

August tried to keep it in check, he knew what she was doing. She wanted him to snap, to prove she was right. But he wasn't about to give her that satisfaction.

"I admire your restraint, Pinocchio," Zelena raised an eyebrow. "Though, maybe that's because you don't have it in you. After all, you couldn't save Tinkerbell…"

And that was all it took. August reached for his sword, holding it out to her. Zelena's eyes lit up and she grinned evilly.

"That's better," she said.

"You don't say her name either!"

"Oh, your pwecious true love," she pouted out of mock sympathy. "Say, does Emma know…"

"No! And you're not going to tell her!"

A sudden voice came from the door. "What is going on here?" Both turned their heads and saw Charming standing there.

Zelena sighed. "I'm beginning to see my sister hates you people." She flicked her wrist and disappeared in a cloud of green smoke.

August lowered his sword, allowing it to drop at his feet. Charming slowly approached him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"Did she try to hurt you?"

"No…she was baiting me. And I almost fell for it."

"Baiting you? With what?"

August tipped his head back. "I don't know much about Zelena, but Emma was wrong. I'm more like her than I think even I realize."

"I don't understand."

August looked down at the box again, pulling out the two daisy crowns. "Emma made these when she was little."

Charming smiled a little, they had clearly seen better days but the image of his daughter making them was precious. How he wished he could've been there for that. "I bet she looked adorable in them."

"Oh, they weren't for her, they were for me."

Charming looked up, his eyebrows raised. "What?"

"You see, I didn't get to wear a tiara like she did and she thought I would feel left out. So, she made me these." He smiled at the memory. "I never had the heart to tell her I had a crown."

Charming's confusion melted and he smiled again. "And I bet she insisted you wore them."

"Oh yeah. It was quite a look, but she worked hard on them so," he shrugged, placing them back in the box. He picked up one of the books, examining the cover. "We used to read this book together, it was the first one she learned to read by herself. But I was pretty sure that's because she had the words memorized."

David gently took the book from his hands. It was the "Ugly Duckling". "I know this story, it's cute." He appreciated August sharing these items with him, he didn't have anything from Emma's childhood. "How do you have these things?"

"Zelena gave them to me, to try to butter me up."

"I don't understand why she keeps going to you."

"Like I said…she thinks she can bait me."

"What does she have on you?" Charming eyed him, suspiciously, his grip tightening on the book "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. It's not what I did." August sighed. "It's about what our father did."

"Your father?" David was confused. Outside lying, he could tell that Emma clearly had no ill feelings towards him. She talked about what great parents she had. "I thought he was good."

"He was. To Emma, to Alise too sometimes. But there was more beneath the surface…things I kept hidden for years to protect Emma. I never wanted her to see him the way I did." August's eyes went down to the book in his hand. "Especially now. She's already questioning enough about her life."

Charming could see the look on his face, it was one he recognized. He had seen it on his own after having to move into George's palace. Slowly, he placed the book back into the box. "August, what did he do?"

August shook his head. "I can't tell you, because then you'd tell Emma and she can't know. Not yet. I'm not putting that on you. Zelena knows and that's enough."

"I could help you if I knew what she did."

"No, you can't. This isn't something that we can protect Emma from…she's going to be hurt when she finds out. Extremely. She's going to feel even more confused about everything and I can't have that. I have to protect her, just as I always have. You have to trust me, Charming. I know what I'm doing."

Charming wasn't sure what to say at first, he could see the anxiety, the fear in August. It was only then did he realize that he had been too hard on him. It was clear what Geppetto's decision had done to him. He was terrified. All he wanted to do was protect Emma, even at the expense of himself. He really loved her. More than anything he wanted to help him, to be there for him. But he also knew he was right. Whatever he told him, he wasn't going to be able to keep from Emma. She had been lied to enough in her life, there couldn't be any more secrets. That morning had proved that much and that had been a small secret. Whatever August was hiding, was bigger than Ella giving birth.

"Alright…I trust you. But if you do ever want to talk," he gave him a small smile. "I know a thing about asshole adoptive fathers and not wanting to talk about it so people don't feel bad."

August returned his smile with half of one. "Thanks…I can't really talk with Papa about it, he feels guilty enough."

"You're not alone, August. You don't have to handle this by yourself anymore. You have more than just Emma now."

Charming wasn't totally positive, but he could've sworn he saw tears prick August's eyes at that thought…

I warned you guys you needed a permission slip for this one. More secrets…uh oh. As always, please let me know what you want to see! Feel free to send me questions or prompts on here or on my fanfiction Tumblr: justanoutlawfanfiction. I hope to have the next installment up soon! Until next time friends. =)