Chapter 11. The Plans Now

"What time is it," Emma asked when she emerged from the bedroom after a very restful night's sleep, seeing Neal in the kitchen.

"Almost one," Neal replied.

"Seriously, you let me sleep that long?"

"You needed it," Neal said with a smile.

"Something smells good."

"Waffles, toast with jelly and orange juice."

"Got any Fruit Loops?"

"I go all out and you want Fruit Loops?"

"Not me the baby."

"So he's developing your sweet tooth isn't it?"

Emma smiled, "And Neal-,"

Neal placed the cup in front of Emma, "Hot cocoa with cinnamon. Are you ever going to tell me where you picked up that habit? I know you said you've had it for as long as you can remember but I'm curious."

"Well since you do believe in my family," Emma said swiping a finger across the whipped cream and placing it in her mouth, "I saw Mary Margaret have it exactly the same way so I probably got it from her."

"Nice," Neal said with a nod. "So does that mean there's gonna be a third generation of that."

Emma took another swipe of the whipped cream, "Most likely," she said with a coy smile.

Neal smiled and got Emma her Fruit Loops which Emma graciously dug into.

"I was thinking about heading down to the hospital later to check on David."

"That will be good. You never did tell me how you found him."

Emma popped in one of the O's that hadn't yet touched the milk enjoying the sweetness of it, put down her spoon and swallowed. "You want an honest answer?"

Now Neal was really intrigued. He placed his hands on the counter and looked at Emma, "Please."

Emma left for the bedroom and returned with the story book. She had read her birth story before closing her eyes for the night.

Emma placed the book on the counter and looked until she came to the spot she wanted. She pointed.

"It was in the story," she said to him.

Neal looked at the page and saw Snow White facing some ugly trolls.

"I thought you didn't believe."

Emma shrugged, "Yeah well I probably don't but you do and it's a better fairytale than the ones I've concocted for myself over the years so I figured what the hell I might as well try anything."

Neal smiled, "And it led you right to him. So do you believe now?"

Emma leaned forward, "I believe that I have some weird connection to David and Mary Margaret. As to whether or not I'm actually their kid that's a bit weird for me considering what there's a ten year age gap?"

"Could be worse."

"How?"

"My father could have made it so that you would have broken the curse on your twenty-eight birthday instead of your eighteenth. Then you, David, and Mary Margaret would all be the same age."

Emma had nothing to say, that thought was too disturbing and even weirder than her being eighteen and them twenty-eight.

"On that note," said Emma, "I'm going to go get ready and take a shower."

"Oh want my help with that one? I could lather your hair among other things."

Emma glanced over at Neal with a coy smile, "I was hoping you'd suggest that."

"Miss Swan," Graham said as he passed Emma in the hall.

"Sheriff."

"Here to check on David?"

"I am."

"Well I'm glad I ran into you. I wanted to thank you for your help yesterday."

"I can't take the credit, Mary Margaret was the one who did most of the hard work."

"Still what you did was pretty incredible yourself. Listen how would you like a job? I could use you as a deputy."

"You do know that I'm pregnant right? I really won't be able to help that much."

"That won't be a problem. You do what you can for now, take your maternity leave, and then you're back on the job after that. I can hire both you and Neal as deputies. It would be nice to have the added hands around. It's got medical insurance so all of your prenatal is covered. It's got dental." Graham pulled out a card and handed it to Emma. "Think about it," he said to her. "I'll hand Neal a card too when I see him."

"Thanks."

Mary Margaret looked up when Emma opened the door to David's room.

"Glad to see you awake," Emma said to David.

"Thanks," replied David. "You're Emma right? Mary Margaret told me you had a hand in finding me. Thank you."

"I just drove the car," Emma said not wanting to take any credit.

"You did more than that," said Mary Margaret, "You knew exactly where to find him. How did you know that's where he would be?"

"Finding people is what I do," said Emma not elaborating that of all places she got the idea from a book.

"I hope you don't take this the wrong way," said David, "but I can't shake the feeling like I've seen you before."

Emma smiled a little, "I was thinking the same thing."

Mary Margaret looked at Emma and David. She couldn't exactly describe the feeling she was having. It wasn't jealousy but something else, a sense of pride and joy at seeing two strangers connecting.

"The doctor's say David should be getting out of here later tonight," said Mary Margaret.

"That's great, any idea what your next plans are gonna be?"

"You mean since apparently I camp out in the woods," David said making a joke. He looked at Mary Margaret. "We've actually been talking about that."

"I've offered to let David stay with me," said Mary Margaret. "I am the most qualified since I've been his only visitor for who knows how long."

"Really," Emma said not being able to contain her surprise.

"Just at least until he gets back on his feet and I do have a spare room," said Mary Margaret.

"Congratulations by the way," David said nodding to Emma's belly.

She placed her hand over it. "Thanks."

"How far along?"

"Thirteen weeks."

"So you've still got a ways to go. I'm sure it's gonna be great."

David smiled. He wasn't sure why he was drawn to Emma just like he couldn't understand why he was drawn to Mary Margaret but with her it was attractiveness and with Emma it was something else. There was something about seeing Emma and seeing her pregnant that brought a sense of pride really, pride for which made no sense.

"Do you have any names picked out?" David asked confused by his interest.

Emma blushed a little bit. She and Neal hadn't told anyone their baby names but she felt compelled to tell them.

"They can't be that bad," said Mary Margaret.

"No they're not bad," said Emma, "If it's a girl Eva Ruth."

"That's pretty," said Mary Margaret. "And if it's a boy?"

"If it's a boy we're giving him the middle name Henry and his first name will be named after my dad, David."

"Your dad's name was David," David asked.

Emma only nodded.

Mary Margaret was confused now, "But I thought you didn't know who your parents were?"

"Well I don't, not really. I've just come across his name recently."

"That's great!" said Mary Margaret, "And your mom?"

Emma took a breath, "I'm still working on that one."

Around the evening Emma made sure to be there when David was discharged. He was still a bit weak in his legs so the hospital had given him a cane, temporarily until he got his strength back.

As they reached the top of the stairs Neal was coming out of his and Emma's apartment and looked a bit confused.

Emma was quick to answer, "David's staying with Mary Margaret until he can get back on his feet."

Neal smiled, "Really, that's great, can't think of anyone better."

Emma raised her eyes giving Neal a teasingly back-off kind of look and Neal only smiled more. Emma turned her facial expressions back to a regular state.

"David this is my boyfriend Neal."

Neal reached out and shook David's hand, "Boyfriend slash fiancé. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Finally?"

Emma looked at Neal and subtly shook her head.

"I just meant it's nice to finally meet you in the sense that you're up walking around."

David smiled, "Well it's nice to be up on two legs again."

"Babe, we should probably get going," said Neal.

"Right."

"Where are you two off to?" Mary Margaret asked.

"We both got offered a job by the Sheriff's Department," said Emma.

"Who ever knew people like us would be caught on the right side of the law for a change," said Neal.

No one said anything to that comment instead opting for their 'see you later's.'

"I'm so glad you both decided to take me up on my offer," Graham said to Emma and Neal when they were in his office.

"Just so we're clear," said Neal, "You really want people like us? No offense but we aren't exactly model citizens, at least we weren't before Emma got pregnant."

Graham nodded, "I know all about your past Mr. Cassidy, a friend of yours actually gave me your references and some background."

"Let me guess," said Neal, "August."

Graham looked down at some files, "August Booth that's right."

Neal bit his lip and nodded.

"Okay when am I gonna meet this guy," asked Emma, "he seems like he likes to meddle in our lives and I can't understand why."

Neal just shook his head. He didn't really have an answer instead he said to Graham, "Yeah but people like us-,"

"You're more than just your past Mr. Cassidy. You worked for social services and you Miss Swan were a bail bonds man."

"Bail bonds person," Emma corrected.

"The point is you've both had jobs that make you qualified for this one and your pasts qualify you even more because you understand those worlds, you know have street smarts and trust me those are valuable assets. It's always just been me working here for as long as I can remember and that's been fine but it would be nice to have a few extra sets of hands around here in case things do start to get out of control. I doubt they will since this is a small town but you never know. So what do you say?"

Emma looked at the uniforms that Graham had on his desk.

"I am not going to be wearing that," said Emma.

"And um, you think you can get people to do what you want wearing that red coat?" Graham asked.

Neal smiled, "Trust me buddy, she can get you to do just about anything no matter what she wears but the leather jackets, way more her superhero cape than anything else so yeah she can." Neal looked at Graham, "Where do we sign the paper work."

"It's all ready taken care of," he said. He pulled out two badges from his desk.

Neal took his and clipped it to his belt.

Emma looked at it with a bit of discomfort, "Seriously?"

"Hey, you want to be a part of this community officially you got to have the credentials."

Emma reluctantly took the badge and the second she clipped the badge to her belt the entire office shook and the lights flickered, some of the lights shining on Emma only.

"What the hell was that?"

"Guess you getting a job does make our living here official," said Neal.

Emma looked at him a bit worried. Though she was still a skeptical believer she couldn't help but think now that Neal was right about whom she was and how she was some kind of savior. Part of that scared her but there was another part, the part that had come to know David and Mary Margaret in which she felt safe and finally felt like she had a home because if what all of Neal was saying was true that truly had meant that she had found her parents, a journey she never thought she could imagine finding.