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Emma jolted awake, sweat beading her skin. Graham was instantly alert.
"Emma? You okay?" He asked.
"I-I…" She gasped for breath. "I saw it. Again. It was just a nightmare."
"What was it about?" Graham pulled her into his arms.
"He should be dead." Emma said.
"Who should be?"
"Gold. Graham, I almost killed him!" She choked on a sob.
"But you didn't. Isn't that the point?" He rubbed soothing circles into her back.
"No." She shook her head furiously. "It was like you. I technically killed him."
"Emma, you had to to break the curse. You had to become the Dark One." Graham said.
"It doesn't make it any less wrong." Emma got up and put her robe on.
"Where are you going?" Graham did the same.
"Getting hot chocolate with cinnamon. Want some?"
"Sure."
"Be quiet. I don't want to wake Henry up."
"What do you think I am, an animal?" Graham joked.
"Well… You were raised by wolves." She gave him a lop-sided grin.
"Very funny." He said sarcastically.
"Will you get a pot out?" She asked.
"Yup." After much clanging and wincing, he managed to find a pot.
"Graham!" Emma hissed.
"Relax, Henry can sleep through anything." Graham assured her.
"How would you- oh."
"Yeah, Regina's a little… loud."
"I could've gone the rest of my life without knowing that." Emma looked like she wanted to throw up.
"You really do hate her, don't you?" Graham couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice.
"I have many reasons to." She answered.
"Other than being the person who hurt your son?" Graham waggled his eyebrows.
"Stop! You're too cute when you do that." Emma laughed.
"And you're avoiding again." Graham stopped, and Emma pouted.
"Nothing gets passed you, does it?" She sighed.
"Nothing you do. I know you too well."
"Can you blame me for hating her? She not only hurt everyone I care about, but me. She took away my happy ending. Well, my childhood, anyway. I didn't have to be miserable." She replied.
"In the end it worked out, though." Graham smiled. "Unless you don't want this."
"I wouldn't trade it for anything." She pulled him into a kiss.
"Besides." Graham turned back to tending the water. "You probably wouldn't have been able to break the curse if you weren't so… hard-shelled."
"Let's discuss your character flaws."
"I never said it was a character flaw."
"You keep implying it." She folded her arms.
"No, no, no. Emma, I wouldn't have you any other way. You're perfect."
"I never thanked you for dying in my arms." Emma said, the closeness scaring her. She retreated into anger, something comfortable.
"Yeah, sorry about that. Although, that was Regina's fault. Emma, my heart broke seeing you like that. Well, it broke again. Or technically for the third time."
"Wait- you could see everything that went on?" She asked.
"Regina's face was pretty funny when you won the election." Graham smiled.
"I think she always looks funny."
"You should tell Henry why it was so important for you to win." He suggested.
"He already knows I love him." Emma shrugged.
"I know you love me, yet you constantly tell me." Graham said.
"Our relationship isn't complicated."
"But Henry's is?"
"Turn the stove up, I want my hot chocolate now." She deflected.
"Emma." He gave her a stern look.
"Fine. If you must know, yes, my relationship with Henry is complicated." Emma put her hands up in surrender, and took a seat on one of the stools. If Graham was going to interrogate her, he was going to have to make the hot chocolate.
"With Regina out of the picture, it shouldn't be."
"Well, it is, so…"
"Then talk to him about it. Emma, no matter what you do, he will always love you." Graham said, his voice soft and comforting.
"I figured that part out. Even the Evil Queen threatening him couldn't staunch his love."
"He's just like you. Smart, stubborn, and adorable." He gave her a quick peck while he passed her, going to find the cinnamon.
"He has your exuberance." Emma quipped.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm not his father."
"Biology doesn't mean anything."
"Thank you. I think."
"Yes, Graham, that was a complete compliment. You're his father figure. Naturally, he wants to be like you."
"I can't express how much I love you." Graham had a big, goofy smile plastered to his face, full of love.
"I didn't think you were this poetic." Emma smiled back.
"I'm not poetic."
"You're proposal speech says differently."
"Fine. I'm a gentleman. It's a little different."
"It's chivalry." Emma argued.
"Precisely."
"Glad we can agree on something." Emma laughed.
"Here's your hot chocolate, Princess."
"Thank you." She mock-curtsied.
Snow, Henry, and James sat at the kitchen table in the morning, sunlight streaming through the window.
"Should we get them on some kind of schedule?" James asked.
"Oh, let them be. They're in young love." Snow smiled.
"It can't be healthy for them to skip breakfast every day."
"They're mature adults who can make their own decisions."
"I don't know about the 'mature' part." James mumbled.
"You might be right about that."
"Who are you calling immature?" Graham asked, entering the room.
"It's all in fun." Snow assured him.
"I know." Graham smiled.
"Where's my mom?" Henry asked.
"Sleeping. I don't think she's a morning person, but add that to her late-night endeavors, I don't think she'll be up until noon." Graham answered.
"I know what it's been the past couple nights." James started, "But is she okay?"
"She had a nightmare last night. I think it was a one-time thing, though.
"Killing a man has that effect." James agreed.
"But Rumplestilskin is still okay, right?" Henry asked.
"He's fine." Snow assured the teen.
"Is she still the Dark One?"
"No. Emma destroyed the dagger a few nights ago."
"What!" Henry burst. "I'm pretty sure that was a bad idea. If the Evil Queen still has her power, then we're screwed."
"In that case, I have to go." James said, abruptly getting up.
"Where are you going?" Snow asked.
"I couldn't protect my daughter before. Now I have the chance to, and I'm not missing it." James answered.
I'M REALLY SORRY ABOUT THE DELAY. LIFE HAS BEEN REALLY HECTIC.