When Snow suggested they stop by the sheriff's station to see Charming, Emma was grabbing her coat before Snow had even finished her sentence.

Emma had been dying to check in on the temporary sheriff and deputy ever since she had been ousted from her position as sheriff. She trusted her father well enough, but Neal was another matter. That, and without a job, she was dying of boredom. Six years as a bail bondsman had given her something of an addiction to the adrenalin rush of chasing down criminals and feeling like she was doing something to contribute to society. Hanging out with her mother all day, although quite nice, was not quite as exciting and didn't do much to distract her from her predicament.

Emma speed along the pavement as fast as she could without actually running. Snow was walking by her side at a reasonably casual pace and keeping up with her easily. Emma mentally added tiny legs and tiny steps to her list of things that sucked about being four. Snow knew very well that the reason Emma was so keen on this idea was because it would allow her to check that Neal and her father hadn't burned the station down or something while they were unsupervised.

When they reached the station, Emma let Snow open the door because she knew it was too heavy for her to push open and she didn't want to make an idiot of herself in front of the people walking by, even she didn't recognise them. Snow held the door while Emma shot through and straight for her office.

Neal was leaning on her desk, talking to her father who was sitting at the desk with a pile of paperwork in front of him.

"… It was hilarious, they were right on my tail, and then out pops Emma from some side alley with this bottle of soda and…"

Correction. He was talking to her father about her.

"Neal," Emma's voice was a warning.

Neal turned around and spotted her, not looking the least bit guilty at being caught informing her father

"Oh. Hi Emma."

He then turned back to David, and with a cheeky grin on his face, continued talking.

"Hey David, have told you about the time Emma made me watch Bambi and-"

Emma kicked him in the shin. HARD.

"Emma Swan!" Snow chastised, and pulled her back from Neal in case she was thinking about striking again.

Neal swore and clutched his leg.

"Jesus, Emma!"

"Shut. Up." she ordered.

"I'm shutting up!" he said, wincing as he rubbed his leg. "You kick pretty damn hard for a munchkin."

Emma glowered at him.

"Tell my dad anything else and you'll find out how hard I can kick."

Charming caught that one word in her sentence – dad. That was the first time he'd ever heard her call him that, he looked over at Snow and could tell from her expression that she'd noticed too. Emma didn't appear to have noticed what she had said, as she was too focused on Neal. Snow gave her husband a quick smile of joy before focusing back on Emma.

"Emma, you need to apologise to Neal."

Emma tipped her head up to give Snow a look of disbelief.

"He was asking for it!"

"Violence is never appropriate," Snow said firmly. "Apologise. Now."

Emma and Snow had a bit of staring contest until Emma dropped her eyes and gave a long suffering sigh.

"Sorry," she muttered at Neal.

It didn't sound very sincere.