Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT.
Summary: Emma had never met someone as infuriating as the captain of the Jolly Roger in her 28 years of being a talented thief. When he requires her help to find a dagger to "skin" the Dark One as he likes to say, what she's really agreeing to is late night fights, breaking her walls, falling in love, oh, and winning the war with her parents she knew nothing about. Emma Swan doesn't know what she should be mad about. How about that coin purse he tried to steal that started this whole thing….
Warnings: This is AU. There is no Curse. Hook returns to the Enchanted Forest from Neverland when Emma is 28. Emma is still an orphan. Reasons being that I prefer her to have that lost boy/lost girl connection with Hook. Henry does exist and will be explained for as the story progresses.
A/N: Happy Sunday! :D
You guys are amazing! Ping-ping-ping that's all my phone was doing when I posted the last chapter ^_^ and I'm glad to present you with a new chapter ON TIME! ^_^ I'm back in the grind, got a few chapters ahead of time, all they need is a bit of editing.
Anyway, onward! Enjoy!
His grip on the hilt of his sword turned his knuckles white.
This was not how it was supposed to go. Never was it supposed to even come close to this.
Never was his daughter supposed to be in danger from the very knights that were meant to protect her.
David's eyes closed as he recounted the events that occurred before reaching his home. The warning, the pirate, the wounds, his daughter, all grown up and looking like she could've been his wife's sister.
This was their fault.
No one, not even their most trusted ally Lancelot knew of Emma's existence. She was supposed to be dead to the land, sacrificed in the effort to stop Regina's dark curse.
His hands flew to his face and he bent his back in a slouch that stayed with him from his younger years as a shepherd. His hands shook as his mind, heart, and body craved to hold his daughter who, by some miracle, pulled through all the dangers life had thrown at her on her own.
She had Snow's gorgeous green eyes, her chin and apple cheeks, her long eye lashes, she was brilliant with a bow as her mother was, and possessed that willful fire that she procured when she challenged him all belong to Snow. Both women were princesses forced to be outlaws to survive in a world that cruelly turned upside down before they even knew what was really happening.
It's all our fault.
During the first years they sent Emma away, David and Snow had an ugly bitterness in their hearts, resenting each other for the choice they made together of removing their daughter from their side. Why weren't you stronger? Why didn't you fight against my decision? The finger pointing was endless that they almost fell into a loveless marriage that was crushing the kingdom.
Had Regina not reminded Snow that she didn't need to interfere for Snow to lose her happiness, they tried to make amends. Regina wasn't going to win at anything. They forgave one another and tried to stay in constant contact with Odette, who had agreed to watch Emma with her swan brothers.
Odette's blonde hair and blue eyes made her seem a likely biological mother for Emma, no one would question their familial connection. Through various letters, they learned that their sweet Emma was growing to be a bright, loved child regardless if they were in the picture or not. They breathed a little easier as the war with Regina continued.
But then, something they feared happened. Winds carried words to Regina that their daughter might still be alive in Odette's village. Still hungry for revenge on Snow for her lost love and broken curse, Regina cast waves upon waves of Black Knights on the village, taking Odette and her brothers captive.
Both he and Snow raced to the village with their most trusted knights flanking them, hoping to reach it before it was too late. But they were, they always were.
Regina had burned the village to the ground and its straggling survivors were picking up anything they could to move to another area.
All the children were gone. All of them.
Regina had taken them as captives as well, hoping to find Snow's child in the midst of them. It was terrifying, because nobody knew what Regina would do to those children. Mothers were crying and screaming in the arms of their peers as the weight of what happened to their village and children crashed down on them.
Snow broke down beside them, almost destroying herself when the villagers remorsefully told her that they had not seen the little girl with blonde curls they called Emma Swan once they Evil Queen slammed down her hand. She might have died this time. Perhaps burned beneath a house. Or she was captured, and Regina would remove her from the world. No scenario looking pleasing.
It took David weeks to pull Snow from their bed, her broken heart weighing her down to the mattress. They could only hope that Odette was able to send her away, and they would fight to find their dear friend who raised their daughter as her own.
One morning, David woke to a pull in his gut to return to the village. It was strong, and made him sweat with anticipation as he slipped into his riding clothes. Never one to distrust his instincts he returned without his wife, who was holding a counsel to assess the damages Regina was still plaguing on their lands. The once smoldering woods were covered in a thick fog that his horse refused to step into. After tied it to a stronger white tree, he trudged through it alone.
He was meant to be there, he believed. He could feel the magic of his world caressing his flesh and blood.
When he reached the cottage that was once Odette's, he was shocked to find a single swan, bobbing idly in the lake, with its head tucked into its feathers. Regina had taken Odette and her swan brothers, the village should've no longer had any of the magnificent creatures, let alone anything living. When the Swan lifted its head to him, it flapped its wings about as if startled and quickly swam to the edge he stood at. He crouched and removed a glove to pet it. When he reached out he gasped.
David recognized the blue gems that once belonged to Odette. Remembering an old conversation between Snow and Odette, he gathered that swans didn't have a variety of eye colors, only black and brown. There was no mistaking it. Regina had cursed Odette to remain a swan, but alone, without her brothers. His heart went out to his friend.
Odette had pulled herself out of the lake and ruffled her feathers as she nuzzle his shoulder before walking off. Her beautiful notes beckoned him to follow her.
They travelled into the surrounding forest, away from the damage. When they approached a single tree, whose trunk was swollen from an opening big enough for a small child David cocked his head curiously. He touched the wood and inspected the outside. Its texture was almost similar to the wood of the magical wardrobe that Gipetto carved for Emma. The tree was untouched by the fire that once surrounded it. Odette placed her wing on the truck, telling him to look. So, he reached inside, feeling the magic of the tree. He remembered choking on his tears that threatened to fall when he found locks of blonde hair, small tufts of white wool, and a ripped edge of a purple ribbon that dangled from a splinter. He cried for joy.
His Emma was still alive.
Snow ordered a search party in silence, words flew on the quiet, white wings of the doves she sent out to her most trusted friends in villages surrounding the kingdom, to keep an eye out for their daughter. They could only let so many people know that their daughter was alive, for at the thankful moment, Regina casted the idea that their daughter was still alive. It was a delicate card they had in this long weary battle.
They went to beg every night, holding each other tight and hoping that someone would send word of her.
They hadn't heard anything. From no one.
Until thirteen years passed and their old ally Robin Hood sent a thief with a message: He had Emma, and she was pregnant with their grandchild.
David knew that his wife was exchanging messages with Robin to keep tabs on her daughter and to know what happened to Emma in the years her location was unknown. He wasn't going to rip this privilege from his wife (not that he could, she would fight tooth and nail against him if he dared to voice his worry). It broke her heart to hear that Emma was very distrusting, not telling Robin anything about her life unless it was necessary.
It was a sign to them that Emma's childhood was damaged. Was it beyond repair? They didn't know. And it wasn't like they could do anything about it. Emma had to remain a nobody in Regina's eyes.
However, this time, Snow had offered to foster Henry, their grandson. David was against it, knowing that if their daughter was anything like her mother, she would follow, and no one would stop her. And with her following, walking to the Royal Palace, through areas where Regina still ruled with an iron fist, there was a chance that their daughter and grandson would never make it to them. It was a chance David wasn't willing to take.
But Snow was adamant, sending the letter to Robin and Emma without his knowledge until Ariel and informed them of Emma, Henry, and a pirate ship. David was furious with his wife.
"This is my only chance to help her Charming," she pleaded, her face weary from the years of fighting and crying. "My baby… She grew up without me, and she's bitter. I couldn't help her through anything."
David sighed.
He was correct. Emma did just what he expected she would do. She even had the help of a dark pirate that he wasn't prepared to deal with. Especially their relationship. Whatever it was. Gods, he hoping it was nothing.
But the more he hoped the more he realized that their relationship was more than just business. David knew from experience that no man would take a wound for a woman unless he felt something.
He heard the running boots that echoed in the empty throne room after the doors slammed open. He almost smiled.
When they grew louder and stopped at the bottom stairs of the dais he dropped his hands from his face.
Her face was flushed, her gasps of air slipping through her slacked, red mouth, and her wild, thick, black hair was loosened from its once elegant braid. She appeared younger, even with the strips of grey in her hair, and the wrinkles in her skin seemed to vanish as her face glowed. She was dressed in her old white hunting gear that still fit her form perfectly. Even after all these years, his wife was still breath taking. Especially when her jade green eyes sparkled to life as they were now.
"Charming," she whispered.
He expected the news to reach his wife as soon as he entered the castle. He only hoped that his ways of handling everything had not. A ghost of a smile reached his lips.
She cried and flung herself up the last steps to wrap her arms around him, burying her face into his neck. David encircled his arms around her waist, practically pulling her onto his lap. He breathed in the scent of her hair and felt his rushing blood calm down.
"She's here…" he nodded against her head. "She's home. Oh, Charming, she's home."
David, wasn't as optimistic as his wife this time, feeling the weight of the situation return. "She's in danger…"
Snow White abruptly pulled from her husband. She frowned, almost pouting. He prepared himself for a tongue lashing until she grabbed his face between both palms and held it steady while she stared deep into his eyes. His body grew heavy at the familiar gestures, and he slumped in his throne while she held his gaze captive. Her dark lashes brushed over her cheeks in the flurry of her quick temper. She opened her mouth, he could already hear the anger she was going to let loose.
But then her open mouth curved in the corners.
"And we are going to protect her. We are going to keep her safe this time. You and me. The way it should have been in the beginning."
She captured his lips in a kiss that was so full of passion he couldn't believe he forgot how willful his wife was. His arms around her tightened, encasing the warmth and feeling of her that he loved, smiling in their kiss.
When Snow pulled away and he witnessed the droplets of tears that hung onto her eyelashes. He groaned. There really was no way out of this. He wished this happy moment would last longer but he had to tell his wife the truth about Emma.
"Snow," he began, straightening his slouch.
"We can train her! The Blue Fairy can train her in magic! She'll be better prepared for Regina if she so stupidly—"
"Snow—"
"Oh, let me see her! Please, Charming! I want to see Emma!"
He bit the inside of his cheek. This life that was breathed back into his wife made her as beautiful as when he first met her, when she clobbered him with a rock, and it was killing him to have to break the news to her. The light would fade, but her passion would be returned. And it would turn against him.
David sighed—he was doing that a lot—and took his wife's hands in his. He brought them to his lips as if they were the very last shield he had.
"Emma… She's in the cells…"
Snow's head reared back. Her brow furrowed and the smile downturned. The air suddenly felt cold around them and he winced, but kept his hold of her hands. She slipped from his lap and took a step back that he followed because of his tight grip on her hands.
"Charming…"
"She has no idea who we are to her, Snow. I couldn't give her special treatment in front of the knights. Nobody knew who she was to me," David shook his head and brought her hands to his sweaty forehead. "I slipped. I almost—I wanted—to just jump off my horse and hold her. She's so brave, Snow. She's loving of her son, and she has your knack for not knowing when to back down." He chuckled lightly. But Snow White was watching him with disbelief in her eyes.
"She, August, and Lancelot were fighting. They knew she was a thief, even though she didn't steal anything. I'm almost certain August initiated it, you know how he is about outlaws. I had to arrest her, she fought against the royal guard."
"David." He flinched and dared a peek at his wife. Her cheeks mottled and her lips were pursed. Wrinkles formed on her forehead and her brows knitted together in anger.
"She's not hurt," he quickly added, "Although, I can't say that for her companion…" He really didn't like how Captain Hook, a pirate that the mermaids claimed other pirates strayed from, took the attack that was meant for his daughter. Now, he appreciated the fact that the man stopped the attack, but it gave David an underlying message that Emma held onto some part of the pirate to have him sacrifice his safety for a royal. And he clearly knew that Emma was royalty.
Snow pulled against his grip, forcing him to stand. Her green eyes were lit with fury at his decision. "The cells? You put our daughter in the cells?!"
He hissed at her, "Snow, lower your voice!"
She wretched her hands from his grip. "YOU PUT MY DAUGHTER IN THE CELLS?! She's never going to trust us once she learns the truth now, David! How could you—"
He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her flush to his body, rubbing his large hands up and down her arms in an effort to calm her. She raised her hands to his chest to push him away, and in return he wrapped his arms around her to hold her in place.
"She will learn trust us. I didn't put Henry down there. He's in one of the guest rooms of our wing. Snow, everything she's does is for her son, and if we treat him right, we'll have some of her good graces to work with."
When he had Emma locked behind the cell doors, she screamed for her son, and it pulled the strings of his heart.
His knights weren't gentle with her and he would scold them for that later, when the storm had calmed down. He didn't expect them to be gentle with her, she was a woman who could stand her own ground and that was a cue for the knights that they should not take her lightly. The women of their realm were fierce, and sometimes downright scary.
"Please! Don't separate me from him!" she cried. He dared a look over his shoulder at her and almost fell apart at the tears of pain, worry, and anger that watered her cheeks. How many times had he seen that look on his wife? She shook almost uncontrollably and gulped down her fear to regain some of her strength. "He's all I've got…"
She crushed him with those words. David wanted to brush away her tears and tell her everything would be alright, like a father was supposed to do. To tell her that they did what they did. They sent her away to keep her alive because she was all they had.
King David only nodded and tried to ease her worries with distant words. "Your son will be safe. I will not hold him in the cells down here. He will be placed in a room with a guard by the door. If what you say of my wife writing to you is true, then I shall reunite you with him."
"My rucksack!" she said, reaching through the bars as if to grab him. "Her letter is in my rucksack."
He knew. He read it. He lied about his awareness of the letter because of his knights, but particularly because he didn't like how Captain Hook seemed to know a lot about what was going on. And the man was right, Emma's existence was not a subject for the public to hear just yet.
He nodded and left them in their cells across from each other. He almost smirked when she turned her wrath on the injured pirate.
"This is all your fault!"
"Really, love, is that anyway to thank a man who took a sword to the shoulder for you?"
He was certain the guards were having a good laugh at her chewing the fearsome pirate out. The dwarves always did with when Snow did the same to him. He almost groaned at that. The comparisons to his life with Snow were not helping him.
Snow slammed a tiny fist on his chest and he coughed from the force of it. He was getting old and she seemed to forget about that. He held her tighter so her desperate struggling would cease.
"Well, of course we're going to treat Henry right! He's ours too!" She shook her head, "I can't believe you did that."
David gave his wife a forlorn smile and leaned his forehead against hers. She sighed haggardly but leaned her own head up to meet him. His smile grew a little more.
"I am a king. I have to make a show of things sometimes…"
"Oh, Charming…" He kissed her forehead and released her. She fidgeted under his gaze. It was so out of character of his wife but it a part of her that he saw on occasions. He entwined their fingers knowing that there was something else that would make the happiness return to his wife.
"Let's go meet Henry."
She gave him a small smile and followed as he carefully lead her down the steps. Before they left the throne room, she wrapped her arms around his. "What if he doesn't like us?"
"Oh, trust me, it's me he probably doesn't like right now," he chuckled, "You're still in the clear."
She pressed her body closer to his, and he felt her nervousness in the grip of her fingers. "Does he look like her, Charming?"
David bobbed his head side to side, thinking of the little boy who was his grandson. "He has the family's gumption. I think for him, it's more of an internal thing. He hardly looks anything like Emma."
Snow's head tiled to the side, "is he recognizable to you?"
"No, his features don't ring a bell in my head. But it's alright, because he's still ours." His wife beamed at him and they walked together through the busy palace.
"Charming, I called for our inner council," she told him, "with Emma returned to us, there's no telling what Regina is going to do once she finds out. The Blue Fairy is coming as quickly as she can…"
He paused as he thought of the members of their council, and blanched slightly.
There was the matter of August… Pinocchio. The good puppet-turned-boy became a bitter young man at the death of his father. Gipetto was designing a new contraption that he wanted to surprise the kingdom with, so he buried himself in the middle of nowhere with the blue fairy and August as his only contact to the outside world. When August visited, he came upon his father trying to fight off a group of horrid bandits. August was able to chase them off, but they did their damage to Gipetto, who was too old to survive the wounds.
August wanted revenge. And the man knew that if he took one step towards it, he would return to a puppet. He travelled to the east, looking for something. He told no one about it. David hadn't heard from his faithful knight in years. But when the man returned, he had a smug look on his face and hoped that David would allow a man who claimed his revenge back into his ranks.
David would never forget the pained look Jiminy and the Blue Fairy had when they saw August, who found a way to slip past his end of the deal with the fairy with no repercussions.
Regardless, August was back in his ranks, with a bitter hatred for outlaws. David kept a close eye on the man, hoping to free him from the fog of his rage. Clearly, it wasn't close enough.
After the meeting, he hoped August would realize how blind he had become with his anger and make amends with his daughter. If his wife and daughter didn't wound him too much.
David nodded grimly at his wife's decision. "Good choice, Snow."
Henry cursed colorfully as he once again failed to pull the curtains from their rings.
He was separated from Hook and his mother and it was driving him mad.
Weren't they invited to the palace? Why were they being treated so poorly? Especially his mother?
A little voice whispered in his ear that once against his mother lied to him. About what exactly, he wasn't sure. He had read the letter. It was clearly an invitation. He couldn't remember the exact words of the letter, but perhaps there was something they had to do to gain access?
Henry was sure that people who were invited to the Royal Palace were treated with respect. And yet him, his mother, and Hook, were all going about this secretively, being mindful of where they stepped. They knew something they didn't want to share with the eleven year old boy.
Henry flopped onto his bottom and crossed his arms and legs, trying to think of some way that he could escape and return to his mother.
Maybe if I do that she'll be more trusting of my capabilities…
He wasn't playing his games with the Merry Men for nothing. Roland always told him that it was their way of training the younglings of their band. There were times Roland gave him advice to give Henry the upper hand in dealing with the mischievous group of older men.
His fingers tapped against his arm as he looked about the room. It was large and extravagant, certainly bigger than his room at the Dark Castle. The tones of the room were a dark red and a warm gold, they were in the tapestries, the covers of the bed, the curtains, and the sofa. He didn't feel like a prisoner—it was inviting and made Henry almost forgive their situation. Almost.
My mom is still not with me…
He tried to fight for his own freedom when he was separated from his mother. He knew he was small but maybe he could slip through their fingers if her applied enough pressure… But then the king, King David, grabbed Henry under his arm and all but dragged him to the room he was now locked in.
"Henry," he hummed, when he deposited the boy in the red and gold room, "I will have your mother returned to you. I promise."
When he turned and locked the door, Henry heard him bark an order to the guards that followed. He listened closely, waiting until the footfalls had vanished before pushing aside tapestries to find hidden trapdoors.
If this palace was anything like the Dark Castle, there were secret openings in every room that lead to ant tunnels throughout the palace. They were escape routes, so as long as no one spoiled their secrets. After no such luck he assessed his chances of going out the window.
His room was high above ground, and had a breathtaking view of the sea, but there was absolutely no way he would be capable of jumping down and surviving, It was either take the chance of the jagged rocks in the ocean, or the hard ground of the cliff.
When he decided that he could create a makeshift rope he ran about the room looking for all and any kind of cloth that could handle his weight. He tied the sheets of the bed together and it still fell short. He remember from Little John to not take the covers in case someone walked in before he was able to escape. When thick comforters were missing, something was wrong. So he opted for the curtains when he couldn't find any more cloth to tie to his makeshift rope.
And that caused him to let loose the words the thieves and pirates said around him.
If his mother ever heard him say the words all of his friends would lose their heads.
His head perked up at the greeting behind the door. "Good day, your majesties."
Henry inhaled sharply and grabbed his rope. He rushed to the other side of the room, away from the balcony and tossed the cloth under the bed skirt. He sat himself on the bed just as the door opened to reveal the King.
He smiled at Henry and took a few step towards him. "I hope the room is to your liking."
The boy shrugged, trying to seem indifferent. "They're alright. A little bit too much for a thief's son though."
The King chuckled and crossed his wrists in front of him. "Well, this will be your room for the remainder of your stay. You may decorate it as you wish."
Henry raised a brow at the King, feeling something crawl up from his stomach. It wasn't a good or bad feeling, it was just…odd. "So, did you read Snow White's letter?"
The man nodded, "Yes, I did read it. I'll be fetching your mother in just a bit. But I wanted a few words with you."
The boy wrinkled his nose and opened his mouth to say something. A little squeak distracted him. Both of them darted their gaze to the door where a woman stood with her hands pressed to her heart. Henry almost slipped off the bed to run into her arms until he noticed that her hair was pitch black and not blonde.
"M-mom?" he croaked.
No…not mom…
This woman looked almost identical to his mother. Same nose, eyes, cheeks, and chin. She was a little bit taller, and she was older. She radiated pure warmth and had big bright eyes glimmering with love and adoration. Her show of happiness in front of the king was how Henry was certain the woman wasn't his mother. His mother was always closed up in front of strangers. Especially in front of a man who tied him down to a horse.
Henry shook, "Wh-What's going on?"
The woman gasped and rushed forward, a look of worry etched onto her face, she took him in her arms and Henry couldn't help himself from wrapping his arms around her. So strange, this feeling…Was he… betraying his mother?
"You poor thing. Don't worry, we'll be returning your mother to you, but there are some things we need to discuss with you."
This woman even hugged like his mother. It was so warm and bursting with love that Henry almost didn't want to leave because, although he wouldn't admit it outright, he was terrified since they were captured.
"Who are you?" he murmured in her shoulder.
She pulled back and gave him a watery smile. She grasped his chin and made him look at her, at his mother's green, green eyes. She giggled and her red lips widened.
"Oh, Charming, he has my cheeks!"
"He doesn't need to know that Snow… And he's still a boy, they might thin out when he comes of age. Those might be mine."
"At this point, you don't matter."
"Snow? Snow White?" Henry whispered.
The woman nodded and sat properly on the bed beside him. "Yes, Henry, and what David and I have to tell you is very important, so you must be listen carefully and promise that you won't talk to anyone about this until it is safe."
"Safe?" His gaze bounced back and forth between the Queen and the King, who was currently lounging on the sofa. "What's going on? Is my mom alright?"
Snow White cupped his cheeks and she kissed his forehead. "She's fine… She's…home."
David watched as his wife told their grandson of their tale. He was rigid at first, distrusting of David, as was expected of him, but soon, he relaxed in the arms of Snow White who was telling the story of what really happened, of his lineage.
The boy was obediently silent, absorbing all her words with wide eyes and a little crooked smile. The ability to trust and believe that was absent in his daughter was present in Henry.
Perhaps, if Henry believed their tale, then they could get Emma to believe them.
It was going to be an uphill battle. It had taken Robin and his band of outlaws years to gain her trust and adoration, and they were only trying to be friends with her. David and Snow were going to have to explain how they were her parents and why she grew up without them.
When Snow had finished their tale Henry's grin downturned slightly, "You two do realize that my mother isn't going to… really believe this story right?"
Snow nodded while David responded, "It… would take time… But is there anything, anything at all that Emma could believe?"
Henry looked up at Snow White, whose arm was still wrapped around his shoulders. He wrinkled his nose and scrutinized her under his eyes.
"You look so much like her… I really thought you were her for a moment…" Snow beamed at his words, even when he sighed. "I believe you guys… I really do but… my mom."
"Perhaps," Snow started, "Perhaps, you could tell her for us?"
"I don't think that would be a good idea," Henry replied, bowing his head. "I'm just a kid. She's always telling me that my imagination is wild. She wouldn't believe me either. I think you guys should just tell her!"
David hummed. Here he was, a king about to ask a boy of eleven springs for advice on how to convince his daughter, "What should we do, Henry? Emma is already furious with me."
Henry looked at Snow again, reaching out to play with the ends of her braid. "I think… you should tell her. If she sees how much you love her, she might see a resemblance to her love for me." He smiled up at his grandmother and David's heart melted.
The promises that Snow wrote in her letter to Emma of fostering Henry became so pleasing to David. He would love to train this boy, his grandson. He would love to tutor him in the ways of being a young prince, train him with a sword and shield (Snow and Emma would want him to be thoroughly protected of course). Not to mention he'd love to put some meat on those skinny bones. He almost laughed at the silliness of his mind.
Snow's shoulders sagged, trying to be positive, but this was a fragile situation. "Do you think that would be enough, Charming?"
"Based on what Robin told us, I'm not so certain."
Immediately, Henry's hands flew to his face, he groaned loudly and tossed his body back against the bed. "Robin! Oh no, she's going to be so upset with him too… whether or not she believes you guys. Her trust in him is going to smithereens…."
David shifted uncomfortably in his position. Perhaps they should have called for Robin? Or even Odette? Her curse made her a swan in the day, but a human at night, she would have an easier time convincing Emma of the truth as she was their daughter's adoptive mother. David started to lose feeling in his fingers. Emma had two figures in her life that were somewhat parental, and neither were him and his wife. It was disheartening.
Henry mussed his hair, his eyes squinted shut as he tried to think of a solution. He blinked his eyes open, sat up straight, and hummed, then he crossed his arms and swung his legs back and forth.
Snow's eyes darted to David as she rested her cheek on Henry's head. He saw fear in her eyes, fear at being rejected by her own daughter. If rejected, Emma would take Henry away from them, and they would probably never see her again. She evaded them for years, she could do it again, but on purpose this time. David sighed.
"Snow, so as long as Henry believes us, we have a chance with Emma, even if it will be slow."
"It can't be any slower than her and Hook..." Henry murmured. David's eyes hardened.
"What about her and Hook?" David growled.
Snow White gave him a warning glare.
"David, don't you start."
"He's a fu—pirate!" he blushed slightly from his slip of tongue, hoping it wasn't caught by neither of their ears. Of course, he was just fooling himself to think that Snow didn't catch what he almost said. Her eyes narrowed at him and he almost sank back into the sofa.
"She's an outlaw as well, David, you'd do well to remember that." Snow gave an undignified huff and fixed her grandson's hair. "Besides, it's not our business if she's chooses this man. She's… all grown up…"
Henry giggled, "Hook's trying so hard to get on her good side. But he slips every now and then. He's about as stubborn as my mom. Based on her reactions to his name today, he's got some pieces he's got to fix." He beamed at both of them. "You guys don't have anything to slip on. And besides, what reason would you have to lie about something as big as this to her?" Henry took Snow White's hand in his and looked at both of them like a patient diplomat. David's smile returned.
"Just talk to her. I know you two can make her believe that she's home. That's all she's every wanted."
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