Hey guys, sorry it took me so long to update. But here is a brand new chapter!
Guest N. and maressaonce, I hope you are happy with the tiny Emma-Henry scene that is in this chapter. I hope it's not dissapointing, as it is only small. However, I've written a three-shot recently, which is called Family Strength. That fic focusses only on the Swanfire/Swanthief family and has some cute Emma-Henry scenes in it. :)
And I hope that there are any Snowing shippers around here, cause I hope you like this one particular scene in this chapter. ;)
Please share your thoughts in a review below. :) *puppy eyes*
''Come on Lacey, we're going home,'' says Gold.
''Home? I don't even know you! Get the hell away from me!'' cries the brunette.
Helplessly, the man turns to Ruby, who just stares back questioningly, also not sure what to do. That's when he takes a deep breath and vanishes out of the bar.
''Who does that asshole thinks he is? Just because he hit that other guy, doesn't make him a hero, and it definitely doesn't mean that I'm going home with him.''
''It's all right, he's gone now. Let's just go home, okay?'' Ruby tries in order to calm the situation.
With an angry snort, the girl follows her friend to the exit, the eyes of the men in the bar piercing her back.
Neal hears a loud bang of the door when he was just falling back asleep. Everything that had happened the last few days and his feelings for Emma make it really hard for him to focus on his night rest. When he hears the sound of glass shattering, and some sort of hard object hitting a wall, he gets up and scurries downstairs, not sure what it is he will have to face.
The living room of Gold's house looks like a war zone. Plants, photo frames, books, and chairs are scattered around the room. A big lamp is in pieces next to the dining table. Gold himself, however, is nowhere in sight.
Neal had only seen his father like this back when he was a little boy, after his father had become The Dark One. Years later, it still scares him. He knows he has to find him, before he's going to do anything stupid.
He doesn't need to search very long. His father's down in the basement looking for anything that can help him get his love back.
''Papa?'' Neal still isn't sure about the status of their relationship, but he feels that over the last few days in Storybrooke, they had grown closer together. However, seeing his father in this kind of state brings up painful memories he had been working hard to forget. Were they back to how it was? Had his father didn't change at all? Well, it was too good to be true anyway.
'''Not now Bae, I need to find something, anything… I…''
Suddenly Neal realizes it. His father looks like an old, helpless man. And the only way Gold knows how to deal with the powerless feeling that is eating him from the inside, is by throwing and demolishing things. It's not evil that's consuming him, it's impotence. ''Papa, easy, what's wrong?'' He beckons his father to go sit on the stool behind the infamous spinning wheel. ''Please tell me, I'll help you.''
Miraculously, his father does what he's told.
Neal listens to the story without interrupting. Although he doesn't know Belle, he can see the love for this woman written all over his fathers' face, when he's talking about her. Yet, it's weird to hear his father talk with so much tenderness about someone else than Bae's mother. But Neal feels that this is right. He's surprised to feel sorry for his father about what has happened to Belle. ''But isn't there anything you can do? I mean, back in our world, you were able to make potions for everything.''
''Magic works different here in this world. There's nothing I can think of that will work. It's a side effect of the curse that made her lose her memories in the first place.''
''But there must be something that we can do? We were also able to magically heal you in this world.'' Neal pronounces the world 'magical' like if it's some sort of deathly disease.
''Yes, but that was because of a flower.''
''And because of Emma…'' adds Neal. ''Wait, why did you want her to plant the flower again?''
''Because she possesses the strongest magic there is. She's the product of True Love.''
''So, maybe she can help this time too?'' offers the other man.
''No she can't. Last time she helped solely for the reason of Henry. She didn't want him to lose his grandfather. This time it's different. She will not be able to call on her powers in this situation, simply because it doesn't concern her closest family members.'' The frustration is taking the upper hand again of the older man.
''We'll fix this. I promise, we'll fix this papa.''
''Mom are you okay? I mean, how…?'' Emma pulls away from her mother's embrace.
''Yes darling, I'm okay, and you're going to be too.''
The blonde suddenly realizes what these words mean. ''Wait, did you hear all of that?'' Her cheeks turn red with embarrassment.
''I did, but don't worry, it will be our secret,'' Snow says as she places an escaped lock of hair back behind her daughter's ear. ''It was your words which helped me through this.''
''I got you through what? What the hell happened?''
The brunette tells her daughter all about what Regina made her believe. Even though she knows now very well that it was all just a hoax, telling the part about Emma's death makes her tear up again.
''Hey, don't cry. Everything's all right. See, I'm right here, and I'm okay.'' The blonde takes her mother's hands in hers, but notices the blood on one of them again, like she saw earlier. ''Mom, you're bleeding.''
Snow quickly looks at her hand. ''I think the physical injuries were real after all,'' she sighs.
''Does that mean that Regina really could've killed you? Even in your subconscious?'' asks Emma, while she presses on a button to call a nurse.
''I think that that was exactly her plan: torture and later kill me, yes.'''
''Mom, I had no idea. If I only knew…''
''It's okay Emma, you helped me. Saved me again, without even realizing it.''
A nurse enters the hospital room, surprised to see that the woman in the bed is awake. ''How are you feeling Snow?'' she asks, where after she starts checking the vitals of the brunette. When she has taken care of the cutting wound on the brunette's hand, she notifies the two women in the room that Dr. Whale will be in shortly to do some final checkups.
When the nurse leaves the room, Snow asks: ''Are you okay? You're covered in bandages.''
''Yeah fine, they released me yesterday.'' The blonde glances at the big clock in front of her. ''I need to pick up Henry from school! I almost forgot about that.''
''Say 'hi' to him from me.''
''Are you kidding me? I'll bring him right over. He will be over the moon knowing that you're awake.''
''That would be nice,'' smiles the older woman.
Emma leans over to give her mother a quick kiss on the cheek. ''I'll be right back.''
''Grams!'' cries Henry the second he sees his grandmother. He throws himself forward to give her a bear hug.
''Whoa Henry, be careful!'' warns Emma.
''It's fine Emma,'' laughs Snow, her voice muffled by Henry's hug. ''I'm very happy to be able to hold you again,'' she says when ruffling the boys hair.
''What did Dr. Whale say?'' asks the blonde.
''He just couldn't understand what had happened with me,'' replies Snow with a wink. ''But he says that physically there's no indication that there's something wrong with me. I can go home tonight if there's no change.''
''Awesome!'' Henry let's go of his grandmother and glances at the two women. ''So, is someone finally going to tell me what happened?''
''That's your mom and my secret,'' says Snow mysteriously.
Emma sends her mother a grateful smile. She doesn't want Henry to know about the horrible things his adoptive mother did this time. It would only hurt him even more.
Henry on the other hand seems confused with his grandmother's reaction. He's always the one in on everything. ''But…?'' he therefore starts.
''No, no 'buts','' warns his mother. ''Grams should get some rest now. We're coming back to take her home tonight.''
''Snow?'' sounds a soft whisper coming from the dark shadows in the room.
''Charming?'' The brunette's voice is still a bit hoarse. She switches on the light next to her.
''Oh Snow! I can't believe you're all right.'' He gives his wife a gentle kiss, and lets his hands examining her face, still not believing that she's really fine.
''I'm glad to see you too,'' laughs Snow. She makes room for him to join her in their bed. ''Come on, I won't break. As you've probably heard from Emma, I'm all better now. Well except for my hand, but that's just a little cut,'' she laughs.
Emma and Henry picked her up earlier that evening. Dr. Whale agreed on releasing her, on the condition that there would always be someone around to keep an eye on her, and that she would take the medication that he prescribed.
''Yeah about that, when is someone finally going to tell me what happened?'' he asks to his wife.
''All in due time Charming, all in due time.'' Playfully she pulls him onto the bed.
Charming slowly lies down and rolls over on his side to face his wife. He kisses her again, and lowers his hands down her tiny figure.
A tingling feeling flows through her, and she's completely lost in the moment. Her fingers run through Charming's hair, down his cheeks and make a stop on his soft lips. Her breathing becomes faster with every touch she feels on her body.
''I missed you Snow,'' pants the man.
''I missed you too Charming. I love you.'' She kisses his lips while her hands are on his chest.
''You are the most beautiful woman in this world and the next.'' He intertwines his fingers with hers and looks into her green eyes. The pain he sees in there worries him, but he also sees something else shining through. Hope. He then knows that they're going to be all right. He lowers his hands again, touching her soft skin.
''Oh Charming,'' she moans, as his fingertips go over the sensitive spot on her belly. The sensation she feels inside her is almost too much to bear.
For a second there is nothing more than silence in the room. A soft evening breeze flows in from the open window.
There is no escaping now. Here are the two people who are the definition of True Love. The purest thing in the universe.
Charming helps his wife to undress and removes his t-shirt before he switches off the lamp on the nightstand.
''Will Gramps and Grams join us for dinner tonight?'' asks Henry to his birth mom.
''Not tonight kid, I don't think so.'' Emma can quite imagine what her parents are up to upstairs, and the thought of it makes her want to throw up. She shakes off the thought and sets down two plates of food on the dining table.
''What is this?'' asks Henry, distrustful, as he looks at the food on his plate.
''It's just mac and cheese. You never ate that before?''
''Not that I can remember…''
''What kind of stuff does your mom cooks for you?''
''I don't know. Like sushi and beef wellington and stuff like that.''
''You're joking now right?'' Emma looks unbelievably at her son. ''Where does she get the time to make all of that?''
The boy only shrugs.
''Well, you'll just have to do with this.'' Emma feels a bit annoyed by the fact that it always seems to be like a competition between her and Regina on who's the best mother for Henry.
''Mom, can I ask you something?''
''Sure.''
''What are they going to do to my mom when they find her?''
The blonde puts down her fork and needs some time to think about what she's going to say to him. ''Your mom has done some awful things Henry. There are many people who are mad at her.''
''I know that. But she's my mom too.''
''I know Henry, I know. We'll talk about it later, okay?''
'''Fine.'' He shrugs again and takes a bite of his mac and cheese. '''Hey, that's actually pretty good!''
''See! I'm not as bad a cook as you might think.''
A half smile appears on the boy's face. ''You're funny.''
''And I love you.''
''What's that?'' asks the boy playing surprised. He just wants to hear his mom saying those three words again.
''You heard me!''
''I love you too mom.''
''Now, finish your dinner.''
''Move that van over there will you. It's in plain sight when you park it over there.''
''Yes Sir,'' replies the other man.
''So, where were we?'' he continues turning around to face the man sitting in the wheelchair, ''Oh yes, so this is where the village is?''
''Yes, Storybrooke is located just behind these woods.''
''Then this location is perfect. We set up our surveillance equipment here, and the SWAT team is ready to intervene at any time.''
''You're not going to take care of the problem right away Inspector?''
''No Mr. Mendell,'' replies the FBI agent, ''the video you showed us seems to be authentic, so we consider this as a high priority case. However, we need to be careful. If this all is true, it is a matter of national security. Now, I would like to thank you for your help. Someone of our team will escort you home. Remember, you've signed an agreement of secrecy. This can in no way leak out. Otherwise there will be severe consequences. Especially for you,'' adds the inspector, well aware of the fact that Greg Mendell is just one of those nosy reporters, trying to make some big bucks out of stories like this.
''Of course. But what about my payment?''
''As I said, an officer will escort you to your house and he'll make sure that all will be arranged.'' The inspector didn't even bother anymore to hide his annoyance for this man. He beckons one of his colleagues and orders him to escort Mr. Mendell home.
The other agent only nods and pushes the wheelchair of Greg to one of the FBI vehicles.