A/N: Thanks for reviewing and following this story! I forgot to say that it will be more than a one-shot (kinda redundant saying that now LOL) but most likely there will be a small number of chapters. Not that you should believe me since my first "one-shot" is now 12 chapters. Enjoy!

Burden of Proof 2

It was early morning. James stared at the kitchen bench waiting for the other members of the apartment to rise. He had stayed the night again to be with Snow, not wanting to leave her so upset. He certainly had no desire to leave her for an empty room at Granny's.

It had been four days. Four days since he and Snow had told Emma the truth about who she was. And nothing had changed since their fight.

Emma was still living at the apartment. She hadn't said anything, so James figured she'd either changed her mind about leaving, or hadn't been able to get a room at Granny's, or knew that he had a room there. Frankly, he was surprised – and relieved – that she hadn't decided to sleep on the cot at the sheriff's station given how angry she was.

Every morning Emma would grab breakfast and head to work, all without acknowledging his presence. She barely said a word to Snow, replying to her questions and endevours to reach out to her with a stony faced politeness. Snow put on a brave face whenever Emma was around, but James knew how much the rebuffs hurt his wife. As soon as Emma left for work, Snow would return to the bedroom. She would call in sick for work, and then she'd spend all day lying in bed, sometimes crying softly, other times staring into space waiting for Emma to get home. Nothing Emma said or did was as painful as not seeing her. And nothing would make her stop trying to make amends.

The objects of his worry both entered the kitchen at the same time. One, dressed and ready in dark skinny jeans and leather jacket complete with Sheriff's badge. The other, still in rumpled pyjamas looking bleary-eyed from another fitful sleep.

"Good morning Emma," said James, not expecting a reply.

He rose to press a kiss to his wife's temple and cupped her face with his palm.

"Morning," he whispered. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine," Snow said with as much brightness as she could manage. She smiled at her daughter who was searching the cupboard for the ingredients for her breakfast. Every morning Emma ate the same breakfast. Froot Loops with milk and sugar. So childlike and so very unhealthy. The kind of thing a child would eat when her parents had left her without supervision.

"Emma?" Snow grabbed the Froot Loops box off the bench and waved it. "I – I could make your breakfast for you, if you want?"

Emma fixed the pixie-haired woman with a sarcastic glare and took the cereal box from her. "I know everyone thinks I'm a screw-up but I'm pretty sure I can pour cereal, thanks."

Snow tried her best to look unfazed and took one of the stools next to James at the bench.

"Do you like unicorns, Emma?" asked Snow, cheerfully, as though nothing was wrong between them.

Emma nodded, crunching on a mouthful of Froot Loops. "Sure, they taste like chicken."

James snorted with laughter in spite of himself at his daughter's deadpan quip. He saw his wife's mouth drop open in shock.

"Um, that's," started Snow, slow to get the joke. "Oh right, you're kidding.

"I was just remembering that…i-in your nursery you had about fifteen toy unicorns." The quaver in Snow's voice showed how nervous she was, re-introducing this topic. James smiled. She was trying to get Emma to see the real everyday-ness of their former lives. He squeezed her hand lightly.

"Every market day your father would oversee the livestock sales and when I was pregnant with you he would always come back with a toy unicorn. He couldn't resist buying them. James had them strung up into a mobile for your crib," Snow smiled lovingly at her husband.

"Snow was convinced she was having a girl," said James, returning her gaze. "Besides, unicorns are beautiful powerful beasts…"

"But Emma, do you know what happened to those unicorns one day?" said James innocently.

Snow whirled around at him in alarm. "James…"

"You know how sometimes pregnant women get a little emotional …Well, one day your mother threw them-"

"Charming!" cried Snow, horrified. She socked a punch into his shoulder.

"What, ow! It was funny!" he muttered, defensively.

"Wow," said Emma loudly, to break up their tiff. "You guys have shown an impressive endurance in keeping this up. But I've got to get to work." She dumped her bowl in the sink, grabbed her keys and left.

When Snow had disappeared into the bathroom, James bolted outside to catch Emma before she drove away. He put a hand on the car door to prevent her opening it, earning him a fierce glare.

"Emma, wait," he pleaded.

"What do you want, David?" said Emma, evenly.

"I want to talk to you about Snow… okay fine, about Mary Margaret," he amended, when she gave him a sarcastic eyebrow raise.

"Can't you see what this is doing to her? She's beside herself with worry about you. Okay, even if this is a delusion…she really believes it, you said so yourself."

Emma folded her arms across her chest and waited for him to go on.

"Think about it. She's just remembered her other life, a life which her stepmother has tried to destroy many times. And it feels like only minutes ago that she gave birth to a daughter that she had to give up. She's a mother mourning her lost baby."

"You know I don't believe any of that." Emma's gaze flicked away.

"She thinks her daughter hates her!"

"I don't hate her," said Emma quietly. "But she can't be my mother. We're the same age. It's impossible."

James nodded, frustrated. "Fine. But Mary Margaret is your friend isn't she? Does she deserve how you're treating her? Is this what you always do, Emma, push people away when they get close enough to love you?"

"You know nothing about me. Now, get – away- from the door," said Emma in a low voice.

James raised his hands in mock surrender and stepped back.

"Well, when you're finished punishing us we'll be here. Because we're your family. And no matter how hard you try you can't push us away. Especially Snow. She won't let you."

Emma rolled her eyes and yanked the car door open. She turned to David and said with a mocking sarcasm, "Did you just give me a parental lecture, David? Cos let me tell you, I've had plenty of foster Dads try that on me before and it's never worked. What makes you think I'll listen to you?"

David grinned and shoved his hands in his jean pockets. "Because you're still here … and I am your father."