It was silent.

Too silent.

It was a different silence than when they were traveling yesterday.

Snow and David didn't like it. This isn't how they envisioned their family to be when they went somewhere together, or when they went on a family hike or vacation.

Emma was still ahead of them, and has been ever since they left a few hours ago. Even when they stopped to rest to keep their feet from falling off, Emma didn't say a single word to them. She didn't even look at them.

"Do you think she'll ever talk to us again?" Snow whispered one time when they were back on their feet. They were out of earshot from Emma because she was so far ahead of them, but she wasn't out of their sight.

David gave Snow's hand a small squeeze, which he had been holding all day. "Of course she will, but like we've been discussing this whole trip, all she needs right now is time. I don't know the reason why she's been avoiding us all day, but I don't think she meant any of those words she said. I think she's not making any contact with us right now because she feels horrible about talking to us like we don't matter to her."

Snow nodded, understanding.

It grew dark quickly, and they were close to the castle, but not that close to wait until they got there. Snow recognized immediately where they were, and not just because they were close to her "lonely corner of solitude", as David had put it all those years ago, but because they were very close to the troll bridge. This was the path Snow took to go back into the forest. About a few minutes from here is where they had to go back to their lives after getting the jewels back from the trolls. To get to the castle, they had to go the way David walked all those years ago, down that path that exited out of that part of the forest and into the kingdom to the castle.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Snow recognized the trail immediately. Maybe David didn't, but only because it was now twilight.

Unexpectedly, Emma went over to a tree and sat down against it, tired from walking. David and Snow picked another tree and sat down against it, still holding each other's hand, taking in the scenery with the little light they had left.

"Do you know where we are?" David suddenly whispered into Snow's ear. It wasn't a casual whisper, but it sounded more like a playful whisper. His mouth softly grazed over her ear as he spoke, so quietly that Emma couldn't have possibly even known he said anything. He stroked her hand softly with his thumb.

Snow turned to him, smiling. Their mouths were barely inches apart, and oh how she wanted to kiss that romantic smile off his face, but Emma was probably watching them (which, she was, through the darkness) while they were too interested in each other to notice. "Yes, Charming. I know exactly where we are."

He carefully pecked Snow with a chaste kiss on the lips, and then continued. "Mm, I also know that this is where you, a little teaser, stole my ring again and tried it on, right in front me, a taken man."

She held up the back of her right hand in front of his face, letting him perfectly see the green jewel somehow slightly sparkling on her middle finger in the little moonlight they had. "You mean this?"

That ring had gone a long way. It had gone down from his ancestors, to trolls, to his true love's hand, back to him, and to his true love's hand again, making her his wife. It even survived the curse, somehow staying on her. Not the same hand, maybe, but it never left his true love. Besides, the ring does follow true love, no matter what, right?

He took her hand and kissed her knuckles, and then wrapped his fingers into hers. She smiled sweetly, pecking him back with another short kiss.

They almost fell asleep like that, Snow and David leaning shoulder to shoulder against a tree, hands wrapped in their own warm embrace. Before they could get any sleep, Snow looked up from David's shoulder and over at Emma.

Or, at least, where she thought Emma was.

She wasn't there.

"Charming," Snow whispered. He opened his eyes to his wife staring at him. "Emma's not here."

David sat up, looking over at the other tree where Emma was. Sure enough, the space was empty. He looked back at a worried Snow and leaned back against the tree, pulling her against his chest. She laid her head on his shoulder, sprawled over him, her face towards his neck.

"She probably just went to go take a walk," David pressed a kiss into her hair, reassuringly. She angled her face up a little to kiss his jaw softly.

"I guess you're right," Snow whispered, both closing their eyes at the comfort they were in.

All of a sudden, a giant, thunderous roar echoed through the trees, sending Snow and David out of their peace and quiet. The two abruptly stood up, alert, each grabbing their weapons, which were next to them on the ground against the trunk of their tree.

They raced into the forest, trying to find the source of the chaos that was shaking the forest floor. Searching and panning the whole area for Emma possibly hurt or on the ground, they found nothing but noise. It was still echoing around them, so they couldn't figure which direction it was coming from.

Finally, finding a clear path of forest, Snow saw Emma on the ground, terrified, but a big huge clump was kneeling over her. It did not look human whatsoever, but she couldn't tell what the alien-like creature was with no light and little moonlight to help.

Ogres. Lancelot had warned them about ogres.

Emma, what have you gotten yourself into, Snow thought.

Snow stepped into the clearing behind the ogre, but not too close. David was about to stop her, but she got too far for her to hear him over the sound of the ogre, and he didn't want to shout, because that would let the ogre notice Snow.

"STEP AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!" Snow yelled as loud as she could over at the ogre.

The ogre stopped making the ear-busting noise and paused, getting up and making its way to Snow.

"Mary Margaret, NO!" Emma screamed, but she didn't want to get in front of the ogre again. All this heroism in her family apparently skipped a generation, and she did not understand sacrifice yet.

Before David or Emma could act, Snow pulled an arrow from behind her back and aimed at the ogre, which was now almost able to pick her up. Right as it reached down, she shot the arrow right into its eye, sending it down with a large, loud thump. Emma stared in awe at her mother, who just practically saved her life.

Snow made her way over to Emma, who was staring in awe with her mouth open. Snow acted like it was nothing, and David the same as he made his way to them.

"Are you alright?" Snow asked, concerned. She put a hand on Emma's shoulder.

Emma nodded, and then found her voice again. "Y-yeah... thanks."

Snow smiled softly. "You're welcome. Now come on, we all need rest. We can see the castle from where we were, so that's how close we are, but we definitely need sleep more than anything."

Emma nodded again, but as Snow and David turned around to start heading back, she spoke up. "Wait."

They stopped and slowly turned around. Emma walked over to them.

"David, Mary Margaret... I am so sorry for saying those things to you earlier, and it doesn't make it any better that I've avoided you guys all day since then. It was so stupid for me to fight over taking a shower outside, but I never meant those words. I couldn't face you guys because I didn't know if you hated me then or what, but... I am so sorry. Yes, you are my parents, and you do deserve to be."

By now, Snow's eyes were flowing with tears, and David's eyes were just now starting to glisten.

"Oh, Emma," Snow started, but she thought best of it and gathered Emma in a very tight hug, never wanting to let go of her daughter. "No matter what, we could never hate you!"

As they broke apart, Emma faced a now-crying David. He suddenly embraced her with the same force as Snow. His daughter, his very own daughter, actually thought he hated her for the words she said. He could never hate his own daughter. Never, ever, ever. Not even if it was a deal he absolutely had to make with Rumplestiltskin.

And she just now called them her parents. Her parents. He knew it was true, but when it's being said by his own child, it makes it even more real than he could have imagined. He - David, a shepherd who went through so much - was a parent. A father. A dad. And the mother - a princess turned bandit - is Snow White. It was so surreal to him.

They headed back towards the original trail and to their own trees. Snow and David went back to the position they were in before they heard the ogre - David slumped against a tree with Snow laying against his chest, her hand over his heart, her face into his neck. They didn't close their eyes, though. Emma was watching them again, but more closely.

David picked up Snow's right hand and, very slowly, slid his ring off of her middle finger. He held it up very close to his face, examining it carefully. She looked up at what he was doing.

"I do believe this is not where it's supposed to be," David said, looking back down at her. He carefully picked up Snow's left hand, but he slipped his fingers through hers, gazing into her eyes. "Snow White, I know we are already legally married in this land, the Enchanted Forest, but I want to proclaim to the world that you are mine. So here we are, in the very same area we were all those years ago when you tried this very same ring on for yourself, so I want to ask you this: Will you marry me...? Again?"

Snow chuckled at his sweet, romantic speech, and leaned up to kiss him on the lips. It wasn't chaste, but it wasn't a big, passionate kiss either. It was more of a leisurely, loving kiss. "Charming," She whispered when they broke apart. She looked right into his sapphire-blue eyes. "What do you think?"

They both grinned at the familiar line. He pulled his hand out of her left one, but only to gently slide his ring onto her ring finger, where it was originally before the curse. Snow looked down at her left hand and his hand only inches apart, so she reached for his hand and wrapped her fingers around his. She leaned back up and kissed David into a longer leisurely kiss than last time.

"I love you," Snow murmured against his didn't break apart for a while.

From the other tree, Emma smiled at the true love her parents were sharing. She used to think of it as weird or disgusting, but she doesn't anymore. Their love is definitely inseparable.

The Charmings fell asleep right there, all perfectly content. Emma had her parents back. David was softly embracing his wife. Snow was in her husband's arms. They were going to get married. Again.


A/N: Woo hoo! I'm back on a roll here! But I sacrificed half of my sleep for you guys, so you are so welcome! I LOVE seeing your reviews and how you tell me to update soon, because that encourages me to start continuing right away :) I have summer school today, however, so I can't update during the day, but I might tonight.

Remember how I said I have surprises in store? That was definitely a surprise, wasn't it? Well, trust me, there's more that you would NEVER expect happening. Please review! Tell me things you would like to see more of: Snowing, family, maybe a little Hook (and all the SwanCaptain shippers clap), tacos (and all the Snowing shippers clap *claps*), maybe some extended time at the castle, sword fighting, horseback riding, archery, hunting, hiking, bonding, storytime, touring, YOU NAME IT. Just tell me what you want to see and I'll reply. Maybe I might already have some of that planned.