HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGAN! So I decided to do something special for you since this is technically your first birthday that I've been friends with you so, with a lot of help from some friends, we wrote you a bunch of mini fics to one shots to ficlets on a whole range of your favorite Once characters. Have an absolutely fantastic, amazing, awesome, hilarious magical birthday you lovely lady. You absolutely deserve it you Emma Swan you ;) Hope you like them!

20. Charming and Neal haven't had much time to talk. But now that everything's calmed down, they talk. Charming gets rather protective of Emma while the men discuss.

Written by: Saskia

"Hey Neal, do you mind if we uh talk?" Charming nudged Neal's shoulder as he observed the party. After everything seemed to have settled down-upon Henry, Emma and Neal's homecoming, they decided to throw a party. Or rather Snow decided to throw a party. Charming had been the ever doting husband, helping to pick out napkins and plates and cups and a whole flurry of activity to get ready. Now the whole party was in full swing, as everyone talked well into the night. Snow stood by the kitchen counter, leaning against it slightly; wearing a white sundress. She was absolutely glowing, and winked at Charming as he stared at her. She blushed before Red turned around from talking to her to shoot Charming a look. He chuckled and shrugged before following Neal out the door, down the stairs and out into the night.

It was a pleasant summer evening. The stars twinkled and danced as the two men sat down at a bench, feeling a little awkward. For Neal, it was the fact that sitting next to him was his girlfriend's father, a man he barely knew. Not only that, but how could he simply explain away why he had left his daughter, why she had grown up with no one, and how he had suddenly come back into her life? And for Charming, it was that the man who sat beside him had promised his life to his daughter and then whisked it away. Pulled the carpet out from under her, and run out into the night. He did not know the whole story, but as Charming let his own ideas of scenarios roll around like waves in a storm-he practically shuddered at the thought. Neal was the first to speak, his words quiet in the somewhat chilly night.

"I never meant to leave her. Emma I mean. It's just that August he showed me this typewriter that said: I know you're Baelfire. And I couldn't just go back to that life. It terrified me," Neal let his words sink in, worried about Charming's reaction.

Charming tried not to let his emotions show, running over his face with his hands. Breathing deeply he turned to look at Neal.

"Neal, I know you care about my daughter, I do. But do you understand how much my little girl was probably terrified? Being abandoned like that. Just like…I did. As much as I don't want to admit it to myself, I also abandoned her as a baby. I can keep telling myself that it did save all of us but just like she told me, we all would have been together if I had not let her go. That's something that I have to live with. But I will never let anything happen to her ever again, especially not abandonment. And knowing that you abandoned her once before scares me," Charming paused weighing the words in his head. Yes, he was being over protective. Yes, he had probably terrified Neal. But he couldn't let anything happen to Emma again. He wouldn't let it happen.

"I am sorry about well everything James or David or umm David? But I can make a promise to you forever that I will never abandon Emma again. She is, home to me. I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with anybody else. She completes me, brings out the best in me and protects me sometimes a hell of a lot better then I can protect myself. And that's why, I wanted to ask you for her hand in marriage, " Neal finished, producing a ring.

Charming almost fell off the bench in shock, embarrassingly. He stared at Neal for what felt like an eternity before finally making up his mind. He knew what he had to do.

"You can," a lump had formed in his throat and he swallows back tears. Time passed so fast, had she not just been born? Had the curse not just been broken? It was then that Charming's mind wandered. He could see their future. Neal and Emma moving in just down the street, coming to pick up Henry from Snow and Charming's house. All of them laughing as they shared a picnic or just watched TV together. Yes, it was perfect. But their lives had been anything but perfect since then. Could he truly trust this man to restore the balance to their family? "marry my daughter." Charming finished, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. The smile on Neal's face was unmatched and he pulled Charming in for a hug. Charming let out a chuckle and hugged Neal back before standing up from the bench, and gesturing back to the apartment. Neal nodded and they walked back.

The sounds of the party were still in full swing, and now having finally gotten closure with Neal over his daughter and the past Charming couldn't help but smile. He walked over to Emma, who was leaning against the counter, wine glass in hand, talking to Red. Her face was glowing and Charming smiled. There was a flash and Charming could see her as a child. Of course it was just his imagination but this dream was far better then the reality. He could see Emma running toward him, blonde curls bouncing up and down.

He exited the vision, before walking up to the pair. Red smiled and politely excused herself as Emma turned to look at her father.

"Hi. What's going on?" Emma asked, noticing the tears that were threatening to fall from her father's eyes.

"I love you Emma. And I'm sorry. About everything," Charming answered before gathering her in a hug. Emma smiled widely, and felt her own tears build up in her eyes.

"I love you too Dad. I love you too."