A/N: So here it is: the last chapter. Before I let you guys read on, I would like to take a moment to say a massive thank you.
Firstly to everyone who has read and followed this story: 06shart, AlyssJoceyln, Amee95, Anuxi, Clarizabel, CtrlAltDelicious, DracoAngelOfLight, EmmaSwan97, Emmalime, Femvamp, Frog1, Greathe, HeMaNiTe, JackSparrowsWench92, Janie In A World Of Her Own, Jazmingirl, JET1967, Kamen Rider Lynx, KingdomHeartsNerd, KortneyBreAnne, LIVEreadLOVEwriteLAUGH, La5021, Lessa Wildmoon, LilNewbornVamp, Linzerj, MnM1803, NCISGleek, Nightcrawler's Shadow, Obsessive-Gal, OnceVampireGossipLiarxo, OrdinaryCastleOUATfan, PhantomNovelist, Sarahhpouatfan1223, Sheldonite73, SkellingtonGirl97, Spike847, SwanQueen4055, TexannaRose, TorchwoodIsAwesome, TrinaAngel, WellITriedSoManyOptions, Welshbabe88, Words Unleashed, XSerendipity92X, Zachary Inverse, aidar, anitarose, bobbinbird, britpup, bronzesnidget196, caseylu, chinadoll816, fictionfrek101, gamecocker, hadesdaughtermacaria, hfce, hjbau, juls124, kittywrite, lancemanion, lastlovesangel, luisa mendoza, nikibear0219, oldmcpiper, oogie0811, pamy, sakura-blossom62, scifigrl10, serialwatcher2182, shaemysterious, talkstoangels77, twilightocd94, wildpartyhouse247 and ziva2010. I can't tell you enough how glad I am that you've gone on this journey with me.
Secondly to everyone who added this story to their favourites: 06shart, addictedoncer, Aod4L, Byoken, GoldMotel, JackSparrowsWench92, Janie In A World Of Her Own, Jayjay6671, Jazmingirl, Kamen Rider Lynx, KingdomHeartsNerd, Lady Rain Valecha, Lessa Wildmoon, LilNewbornVamp, Linzerj, Nightcrawler's Shadow, Obsessive-Gal, Opalbrat, Princess Juliet Rose, Rhianna Park, Sarahhpouatfan1223, Sheldonite73, TexannaRose, TrinaAngel, ana27734, brubia14, darksage11, frictionfrek101, hadesdaughtermacaria, hfce, hp1616, juls124, luisa mendoza, mysterysock2 (apologies for not including the fullstop, but your name would be taken out if I did), nikibear0219, pamy, runnerlover121, scifigrl10, serialwatcher2182, simplymegan15, twilightocd94 and ziva2010. I'm so glad you enjoyed this story.
Next I'd like to give my biggest thanks to everyone who took the time to review. I really can't put into words what those reviews have meant and how much they've helped me. So thanks go to: miley-avril, Aod4L, red lighting, BrittanyLS, b, WildDragon26221, hfce, twilightocd94, Obsessive-Gal, Lynne26, Linzerj, CtrlAltDelicious, Angels-heart1, Byoken, kelli Maguire, Lacorra, Emmalime, CAS, juls124, talkstoangels77 and all the anonymous reviewers. Double thanks do to anyone who suggested an encounter for Emma to have. I really can't thank you enough.
And without any further ado, chapter twenty!
Part 1: A Grand Day Out
Emma yawned and languidly stretched out in bed.
"So you're finally awake," Graham murmured, grabbing one of his ties and standing in front of the mirror. After watching him struggle for two minutes with the thin-style tie Snow had bought him as a birthday present, Emma took pity on him.
"Here, let me." Pushing the covers back, Emma rolled out of the bed and came to stand behind him, holding her hand out for the tie. Turning, Graham handed it to her and stood still as Emma ducked under his chin and began fastening it around his neck. As she finished up, he dipped his head until his nose was buried in her hair, inhaling the scent of peaches as his arms circled her waist. "There, done," Emma announced, stepping back only to find her way barred by Graham's arms. Ignoring the way he was looking at her, she said, "Don't forget your waistcoat."
Graham opened his arms, releasing Emma, who unhooked his waistcoat from one of the hangers in her wardrobe and held it out for him to slide his arms into. Smoothing down the shoulders, Emma moulded her body to his back, pressing her form against him. Graham smiled and took one of Emma's tiny hands from his chest and pressed it to his lips.
"Enjoy your day off," he told her, turning and pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"Enjoy your day at work," Emma replied with a smirk. "I'll see you later."
He nodded. "Just don't forget: its date night tonight."
"I won't," Emma said, rolling her eyes.
"And don't go back to bed. Snow's somehow managing to keep your cocoa warm for you."
"Nope. See, I'm getting up," she replied, pulling on one of her old hoodies over her pyjamas. Graham didn't look convinced, but he left the room anyway, calling a goodbye over his shoulder. As Emma collapsed back down on the bed and closed her eyes, she could faintly hear him saying goodbye to Henry. That didn't prepare her for Henry barging into her room and quite literally diving on her, though.
"Oof," Emma exclaimed as the air was driven out of her lungs, winding her.
"Graham said to tell you not to go back to sleep," he said, exuberance filling him up and turning him into a bundle of energy.
"Henry," Emma groaned, her voice the complete opposite of Henry's as lethargic as she was.
"What?"
"You can talk. Look at you. You're still in your pyjamas too," she answered, peeking open one of her eyes to look at his Incredible Hulk PJs.
"Graham said," he insisted.
"Fine. Fine, I'm getting up," Emma responded, pushing her body up with Henry still sat on her. As he tumbled off, he fell about laughing before racing out of the room. Following him to the kitchen, Emma grabbed a steaming mug of cocoa and leant against one of the counters. "So, what are we doing today?"
"We're going to the stables," Henry replied, almost yelling because he was so hyper and excited. It wasn't very often that Emma got the opportunity to take the day off from work and spend the day with him but it was getting easier now that so much time had passed since the curse had broken. After three months, everyone had fallen back into either their roles from the Enchanted Forest or from Storybrooke and most vendettas had been settled.
It seemed everything had changed. Snow and James had accepted Graham into their home and he and Emma were now in a formal relationship. Regina was cordial with them, as they were with her. And, somehow, Emma was managing to get on with her parents.
"Morning, honey," Snow said as she entered the kitchen from her bedroom.
"Morning."
"Sleep well?"
"Could have slept longer," Emma muttered to herself before nodding and smiling at her mother. "Where's Dad?"
"He went for a run. He should be back soon-"
No sooner had she spoken than the door opened and James, looking rather sweaty, entered. Bending over with his hands on his knees, he tried to get his breath back. Between huffs and puffs he managed to kiss Snow and get out, "I'm going for a shower."
Whilst they waited for James, Emma ate breakfast (the only member of the family who had yet to do so), feeling Snow and Henry's eyes on her the entire time. Strangely it didn't make her skin crawl quite so much as it used to when people stared at her. As she finished up, she ordered Henry up the stairs to change, walking in his wake to her own room, where she fished out a pair of leggings that were thicker than usual and a t-shirt layered over one of her long sleeve t-shirts. Somehow, despite having a head start over James, she was the last to be ready and as she pulled a comb through her tangled curls, Snow called up the stairs to her.
"Emma?"
"Hurry up!" Henry added in a shout.
"Just coming!" Emma yelled back. But that wasn't enough for Henry who ran upstairs and into her room before beginning to tug her out of the room by the grip he had on one of her arms. "I'll just be a minute," she told him, using the weight difference between them to remain on the spot. "I only need to finish my hair. Why don't you check your bag's all packed?"
"I've already done it," he answered.
Emma was hardly surprised. Henry's backpack went everywhere with him and it was always stocked with the essentials. Sometimes when she emptied it out at the weekends, she would find various articles of food somewhere in the process of decay.
No matter what she said, Emma couldn't get Henry to give her two seconds peace. Even telling him that he was only making it take longer for her to get ready didn't work.
"Finally," Henry moaned as she put her comb down on her dresser and turned to shoo him from the room.
"What time do you call this?" James asked, pulling back the sleeve of his plaid shirt to check his watch. "I thought we were meant to be leaving fifteen minutes ago."
"And I would have been ready if someone hadn't kept pestering me," Emma replied, looking pointedly at Henry, who looked guiltily down at the floor before as he muttered an apology. Sighing, Emma drew him to her side. "Come on, let's go. I thought you had some 'mad skills' to show me," she said to Henry.
Henry perked up, talking to his mother about all the different things he could do with the horse his grandparents had bought for him, as James drove them all to the stables in his truck after insisting that he wouldn't be caught dead in Emma's bug.
"It's not that small," Snow had reminded him.
"But it's yellow," he had complained, walking away to his own vehicle and climbing in the driver's seat without another word.
When they finally stopped outside the stables, Henry had barely paused for breath amidst all his talking. Snow and James shared an amused look as Emma tried her best to look interested the entire time. Hopping out of the truck, Henry rushed to the trunk to retrieve his helmet and switched his sneakers for the tall riding boots James had bought him two months ago.
Done, he turned to his family, stuck his helmet on his head; though he didn't bother to clip it on, and ran off.
"Come on!" Henry called over his shoulder.
Emma groaned but took off after him anyway.
"Last one to reach Shadow's stall has to clean it out afterwards," Henry yelled back to Snow and James.
"We should go," Snow mumbled before jogging after her daughter and grandson.
"Yep, wouldn't want to be a slow coach," James chuckled, giving his wife a few seconds head start before chasing after her.
As Emma rounded the corner where the entrances to all the stalls were, she found Henry was nowhere to be seen.
"Henry?"
There was no answer.
"Are we playing hide and seek?"
A stifled laugh echoing around the paddock she was stood in told her that they were in fact playing hide and seek now. Grinning as she searched, Emma peeped over the top of one of the stable doors only to jerk back as the mare inside wheeled around and almost head-butted her.
"Oh Henry," Emma chorused, hoping to elicit another noise from her son that would alert her to his hideout.
This time he didn't make a sound and Emma was left throwing her hands on her hips and looking around in vain. Going back to her original logic, she checked the next stall along, finding it empty. After searching two more, she had all but given up when she came across one with the door opened and approached it slowly. Before she had gone three steps, the horse inside bolted, tearing across the paddock and giving Emma the fright of her life since she'd assumed that the stall was empty as the door had been opened.
Barely having any time to react after the shock of the horse racing out, Emma's heart palpitated again as Henry's arms locked around her waist.
"Got you!" he declared.
"That you did," Emma replied a little breathlessly.
"Did you see Shadow? He can run really fast!"
"Yeah, I noticed that."
Snow and James appeared just then, having given up on the so-called 'race' somewhere between the car and the stables. Turning to them, Emma sent a silent plea for help to which Snow and James responded to by biting their lips to refrain from smirking. After a small shove from Snow however, James soon jogged over and rescued Emma by hauling Henry up into his arms and carrying him over to Shadow, where he slung him over the horse's midnight-black coat until he was sat on the saddle.
"Okay?" Snow asked. "You're as pale as me."
Emma scoffed. Somehow she didn't think she could ever look as pale as Snow White.
"Come on, the best view is over there," Snow said, nudging Emma and pointing diagonally across the paddock. The two of them hurried over to the spot she had indicated and climbed over the fence surrounding the paddock, leaning on the wood as they watched James lead Henry and Shadow around.
When he thought Henry was settled enough, James jogged over and joined them, the three of them the only spectators to Henry coaxing Shadow into a canter and then a gallop. When the occasion called for it, all three of them would clap as Henry made Shadow switch gaits.
Once Henry had worked through walking, trotting, cantering and galloping, James brought out the jumps and set them up, leaving off the top few poles on each one because Henry wasn't that advanced yet and they didn't want any accidents.
The first jump Henry made easily and Emma couldn't help the surge of pride that ran through her. With the riding boots, the professional helmet and his breeches, Henry looked like a proper rider (albeit a small one.) She couldn't believe all that he had managed to achieve in such a short amount of time. He'd only been having lessons for two months and it looked as if he'd made a strong bond with the horse James and Snow rented out for him.
She carried on watching, wincing as the horse occasionally refused a jump and when Henry had finished the jumps, she found herself cheering for him. After dismounting Henry rushed over and leapt onto the fence, beaming.
"That was great, kid!"
"Your turn now, Mom," was all he said back to her.
"What?" Emma demanded, sure that she had misheard.
"Your turn," Henry repeated, enunciating each word thoroughly.
"Oh no, no way am I getting on a horse."
"Why not?"
"Because I'll fall off, Henry," Emma replied. "Why don't we just eat lunch?"
"I can go and get the picnic things," Snow offered. "I packed an Apollo bar for you, Henry."
Giving in to the bribe, Henry clambered over the fence to join Emma as Snow and James jogged away to the car. Not only was Henry supplied with candy and chocolate, but the Snow had also made sandwiches with his favourite filling: ham and mustard. Emma wrinkled her nose at the smell, but didn't complain since she had her own food to enjoy. Somehow Snow had found the time to make Emma tuna melts as well as a good old-fashioned BLT for James and a chicken salad sandwich for herself. The woman was a marvel sometimes.
When they were through eating, the sandwiches reduced to breadcrumbs, the carrot sticks gone, the cakes scoffed and the candy demolished in seconds, Emma reclined back on the picnic blanket, resting her hands on her full stomach. Even though the sun rays falling on her face were causing a deep red light behind her eyelids, she couldn't help smiling. It was days like this with her family that made all the bad ones worthwhile.
Somehow, through her good mood, she found herself giving in and agreeing to a 'leisurely' ride; a decision she greatly regretted when she came face to face with the brute of a horse James had picked out for her.
After watching her standing stock-still staring at it for a few moments, James sighed and let go of the reins.
"Here, I'll help you up," he offered, ducking down and grabbing Emma around the waist, effortlessly lifting her off the ground until she began to struggle.
"I can manage," she managed to croak embarrassedly.
"Okay," James acquiesced, setting her back on her feet and stepping away, glancing back over his shoulder doubtfully as he mounted his own chosen horse.
It took Emma another five minutes to place one of her feet in the stirrups and haul herself into the saddle, by which point James and Henry had already eagerly set off. Eventually though, Emma was somewhat settled and the horse naturally followed in the wake of Snow, James and Henry's steeds.
Her thigh muscles ached from nervously clamping around the horse's sides, but it was still an enjoyable experience, Emma found. Henry couldn't help coaxing James into a race, and as long as he was having fun, that was all that really mattered in Emma's opinion.
A timeline so you can hopefully avoid confusion:
Reunion (Chapter 2) – Same day as the breaking of the curse
Witch Hunt (Chapter 12) – Same Day as the breaking of the curse
Parents together (Chapter 6) – 1 day later
Wooden Man (Chapter 8) – 2 days later
The Big Bad Wolf (Chapter 4) – 2 days later
A Bug's Life (Chapter 13) – 4 days later
Fathers (Chapter 14) – 6 days later
Bluebeard (Chapter 16) – 6 days later
Up Goes the Beanstalk (Chapter 7) – 1 week later
Hiking trip (Chapter 9) – 1 and ½ weeks later
Huntsman (Chapter 3) – 2 weeks later
Making Mischief (Chapter 15) – 3 weeks later
Only Just (Chapter 18) – 3 weeks later
Regina chapter (Chapter 17) – 3 and ½ weeks later
Storming (Chapter 1) – 1 month later
Dance with Somebody (Chapter 11) – 1 month later
Dreaming (Chapter 5) – 5 weeks later
A Fairy Mystery (Chapter 10) – 5 weeks later
Part 1: A Grand Day Out (Chapter 20) - 3 months later
Part 2: Date Night (Chapter 21) - 3 months later
A/N: Originally this was going to all be one chapter, but it was getting way too long, so I've split the last chapter into two parts. I hope you won't mind. Also, quick apologies for the wait for this chapter. I've been going through some tough personal stuff and I just lost all motivation, including my motivation to write. This isn't the only story that had suffered. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this. One more chapter to come.
Thanks for reading and reviewing!