6101719: So this is a bit of a filler chapter, because the entire Snow White ordeal was way too long to fit into one chapter. As is, this is like a thousand words more than the last one. But the next chapter should be up real soon. I wrote it all at once and saw how huge it was, so I cut it in half (roughly) and fixed it up into two. I just have to edit the next bit. Hopefully that'll only take a little while, and the other half will be up later today *crosses fingers*

Until then, enjoy!

Setting: A week after the first movie night and Henry's back living with Regina, but spending a lot of time with Emma and his grandparents.

The diner was empty on a quiet Thursday morning, save for Ruby organising the back shelf behind the counter. Granny had just recently bought a new set of milkshake glasses, and there wasn't quite enough room for all of them, necessitating a bit of creative re-shelving.

Ruby didn't mind the monotony of the work so much. There was a time when all she wanted was excitement, but she found that now that thing were back to a calm, slow pulse, Storybrooke was exactly the town she wanted it to be.

And it was so good to have everyone home and safe from Neverland. Ruby had worried endlessly for her friends while they were gone, spending many nights curled up in her living room with Belle, reading old novels and Kleenex boxes for the heartsick princess. And it made her feel even better to know that as happy as she might be, Belle's sentiment completely eclipsed her own.

Ruby was smiling at this thought when she heard the bell over the door chime. Turning from the back wall, she saw Henry Mills waving as he shut the door.

"Hey Henry! What's up?" Ruby put down the glasses in her hand to return the wave.

"Hey Ruby." The twelve-year-old hopped up on one of the barstools. "I'm here to invite you to a movie night tonight."

Ruby lifted a hand to her heart. "Me? Oh Henry I would love to! May I have some details?" She leaned down on the other side of the counter, chin in her hand.

Henry did the same. "Well, I got an old box of movies from my dad a week ago, and tonight we wanted to watch Snow White. Most people here haven't seen them, even Mary Margaret and David."

Ruby smiled widely. "I think that sounds like a great idea! Where is this being hosted?"

"I think at Emma's house."

Her smile disappeared. "The loft? How many people are coming?"

Henry counted. "Hm... well my family is six of us, and then you and Granny, Hook, and of course we have to invite the dwarves—

Granny whistled, appearing in the doorway. Both heads turned to face her. "Sounds like an awful lot for a small place!"

Henry's smile fell. "You're right. Well, do we know of anyone who could host it instead?"

Granny and Ruby looked at each other. Neither wanted to see Henry's plans fail. This poor kid just got back from being kidnapped, Ruby thought. The least he should deserve is an opportunity to watch a movie with his friends and family.

Granny snapped her fingers. "I have just the idea. Let me give Leroy a call and I'll get back to you." She disappeared into the back room.

Ruby offered a consolatory smile. "I'm sure it'll work out. If we're involving the dwarves then I can't see how it would fail." She stood. "But in the meantime, how about a milkshake while we wait for Granny? On the house." Granny had long ago given Ruby licence to give Henry anything he wanted for free from the diner. There were perks to being the boy who saved the town.

"Thanks Ruby." Henry accepted the frozen treat a moment later. He drank a few sips, his expression thoughtful. "Can I ask you something Ruby?"

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "Sure, what do you want to know?"

She could have sword a slight blush crept onto Henry's cheeks. "What do you know about being in love?"

Ruby felt her already-raised eyebrows shoot up into her hairline. "Love? Oh… wow. That's not what I was expecting you to say. Um, well for starters, it's… often not what you would imagine." She thought back to all those years ago, when she had been in love. How long ago was it, anyway? Thirty years at least. I don't think Henry could have asked a worse person for this sort of advice, Ruby thought worriedly. Especially when his grandparents are Snow White and Prince Charming.

Henry nodded, and Ruby could practically see him taking notes in his head. "So you've been in love then?"

A sad smile creased her face. "Yeah, I was once." She felt something at the back of her throat starting to clench. Instead she put on her best business face. "What do you need to know?"

"Well, for starters, why do people fall in love?"

Ruby chuckled. "Isn't that the question we all want answered." She thought about it for a long time, trying to hide her own lack of experience with the examples she'd seen around her. "Well, I'm no expert, but I think… I think people fall in love because love is one of the greatest things in the world. Love isn't perfect, but if it's true love, then it makes you a better person. I mean, look at Regina. She was the evil queen. But as she grew to love you, she became a better person. And look at all the good things she was able to do because of that love? So, I think people fall in love because, in their hearts, people want to be good. They might not think they have any good in them, but that's just because they can't see it. When someone else brings out the good in you, well I guess that's part of what love is. And that's an amazing thing to do for someone." She looked down, feeling embarrassed. "But I don't know too much about love."It's best to be honest; hadn't Ruby learned that lesson the hard way?

Henry reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "I think you know a lot more than you think. That was super helpful. One more question." An impish grin lit across his cheeks. "If you wanted to… create the opportunity for two people to fall in love, how could you do that?"

Ruby was touched by the boy's sincere compliment, but couldn't avoid wondering about that sly smile of his. "Well, like I said, a lot about love is seeing the good in someone, even when they might not be so sure it's there, so you would have to make them see it. But that means different things for different people. When I was in love, it just sort of… happened. One day I just woke up and realised that the thing I wanted most was to be with him. Other people are thrown together, and they suffer through hard times and become everything to each other. Snow and Charming were kind of like that. They started helping each other, and then before you knew it they were swearing to always be there to help each other, even when things looked impossible. Sometimes it just hits you in an instant, when you realise that your whole world has just been turned upside down. Your heart gets pounding and you feel like a light started shining." Ruby smiled, thinking of Belle's story with Rumple. It had been like that. Glimpses of a man behind the monster, showing her she would be wrong to assume she'd known anything about him before.

Henry looked thoughtful. "So what you're saying is that there's no way to be sure two people are going to fall in love, right?"

"There's no recipe for love, kid." Granny emerged from the back room, a recipe book in hand as if to prove her point. "But it looks like you're in luck; we've got the next best thing lined up for tonight."

"What?" Ruby and Henry asked simultaneously.

Granny smiled. "A drive-in movie. Of sorts. There's an old warehouse down by the docks, and Leroy said it's got electricity. We've got a projector, here, and he says it won't be too hard to wire a VCR up to it, with some speakers of his. The back wall facing the Atlantic will be a perfect screen."

Ruby gasped. "A drive-in? Really Granny, you worked it out?" She looked ready to burst with excitement. This is exactly the kind of thing the new Storybrooke could use!

The old woman only smiled, causing Ruby to shriek excitedly.

She raced around the counter to the boy. "Henry, this is perfect! Have you ever been to a drive-in movie before?" She grabbed his wrists, barely able to contain herself.

Henry shook his head, confused. "No, what are they?"

"A movie, up on a huge screen, with old-fashioned popcorn and drinks, and people drive there in their cars and bring blankets and they sit in the cars, or on the ground all wrapped up and snuggled and it's one of the sweetest things in the world." She twirled him right off the stool, leaning in to whisper. "And romantic, if you've got some romancing to do." A wink punctuated her words.

Granny chuckled and left them in the diner, muttering about how Henry was too young for girls. The boy waited until she left before whispering to Ruby. "I need you to keep a secret."

"What's her name?" Ruby's excitement had grown since Granny's announcement of the drive-in. Henry was like the little brother of the entire town. She just had to know who had caught his attention.

"It's not what you think. This isn't about me." He took a deep breath. "It's about Emma."

Ruby felt her excitement dwindle. "Are you being a matchmaker or what?" She raised an eyebrow, no less intrigued than before, even if she was more cautious about the subject.

"You could say that." Henry looked serious. "You can't tell her what I'm doing though, okay? It's important."

Ruby nodded emphatically. "Never. But I do have a concern." She tightened her grip on his wrists, trying to think of how to phrase what she had on her mind. "I know you might be excited about both your parents living in Storybrooke now, and I get that. I'm just worried about how messing with them could turn out." She smiled sympathetically. "Am I wrong again?"

Henry nodded. "Yep."

Ruby exhaled, obviously relieved. "Good. I would hate to see you get hurt—

"It's about Hook."

Ruby stopped abruptly. "…You're full of surprises today, aren't you?" She took a deep breath. "That may even be worse, honestly." The look on her face told Henry just what the waitress thought of the dashing pirate captain.

"He's not who you think," Henry insisted. "I don't know what happened, but things are different since Neverland. He helped rescue me… and I think maybe he might be a good guy now. Or at least not evil."

Ruby had to smile at the kid's way of organising all the black and white in his mind. And she had to admire that even at twelve, he had matured enough to spot the grey areas, and more than acknowledge them, but even appreciate them. "Well maybe he's not a super-villain anymore," she chose her words carefully, "but I wouldn't want to be too hasty about any romances between him and your mother."

Henry's lips turned up slightly. "Okay. But you still won't tell anyone about this, right?"

Ruby crossed an X over her chest, above her heart, knowing she was telling the truth. "Promise."

"Emma! Change of plans for Operation Normal!" Henry waited on the mat for his mother to materialise at the bottom of the stairs in her apartment. "You're never gonna guess what Granny did for me."

Emma wrapped the oversized knitted cardigan tighter around her torso. "Oh? Well then you'll have to tell me."

"Have you ever been to a drive-in movie?"

Emma raised an eyebrow. "I didn't even think you would know what that was. I've been to one or two, yeah. How did you manage to pull this one off?"

Henry smirked. "Connections."

Emma shook her head, an inquisitive stare directed at her son. "Well, where are these 'connections' going to be playing this drive-in movie?"

"At an old warehouse by the docks. Leroy's setting it up right now. But as the creators of Operation Normal, I think it's our job to tell everyone about it. Granny said she'll tell everyone at the diner, and I already called your parents. But we should make sure to invite Mr Gold and Belle, and Regina, Archie, and Hook of course."

Emma wasn't sure how she felt about the "of course" thrown in at the end. It had been nearly a week since she'd seen the pirate, when he'd moved back onto his ship after recovering from his nasty bout with the cold. But she had told Henry he could invite him back to the next installment in their movie nights. "Alright. Well, why don't we head to Mr Gold's shop right now and tell him about the drive-in." She grabbed her boots and car keys from beside the door.

"Sounds good."

Minutes later the bell was chiming above the door to Rumplestiltskin's store. Belle was at the front desk, greeting them with a warm smile.

"Hello you two," she came around the counter. "What can I do for you?"

Henry stepped forward. "There's a drive-in movie tonight by the docks, and we were wondering if you and Mr Gold wanted to come. We're watching Snow White, at seven."

The woman's eyebrows shot up. "Are you? Well that sounds like a fitting choice if ever I heard one. I'll talk to Mr Gold, but I think you'll see us there."

"Is he out right now?" Henry looked towards the back of the shop, not seeing anyone.

Belle nodded. "He's helping Baelfire move into his apartment. Another shipment of his things came from New York this morning."

"Well he's welcome to come too." Emma added. "Everyone's welcome, actually. But we wanted to personally invite you, since you are family after all." Emma wrapped an arm around Henry's shoulder.

Belle looked touched. "Well thank you. That means a lot." Her smile, Emma decided, was one of the most genuine things she'd ever seen.

"You're welcome." Henry beamed. "But we have a lot to do this afternoon to get ready, so we should probably go."

Belle nodded, understanding. "Then I won't keep you. Thanks for stopping by, and I'll be sure to tell Bae and Rumple about your invitation."

Back in the bug, Emma and Henry made quick rounds to Dr. Hopper's office before heading to Regina's, where they learned that the mayor was not home.

"That's weird," Emma frowned. "I thought your mom didn't work late on Thursdays."

Henry looked less puzzled. "Today must have been a special case." He opened the door with a key from his pocket, a key Emma had never seen before. "Well I can just stay here and wait for her to come home to tell her. I'm sure she'd like to hear it from me instead of just a note anyway." He stepped inside, turning to face Emma without inviting her in. "Hook's the only one we haven't gone to see yet. But you can handle him without me, right?"

Emma searched his eyes for the mischief she knew had to be there. Henry was the real driving force behind all their Operations, and seldom left her to her own devices when he had another choice. But she saw nothing, which unnerved her. "Alright kid. But if Regina doesn't come home too soon," she held up her walkie-talkie, "let me know, and I'll come get you. Hate for you to miss the second installment in Operation Normal."

Henry agreed before closing the door without ceremony. Emma felt her frown deepen. He was up to something. She was sure of it.

Regardless, she was out at the piers minutes later. The Jolly Roger was much easier to spot now that it was visible, but Emma found that made it seem more intimidating.

Even for a pirate, it seems like a weird thing to do; live in a boat when there's a whole town right here. Emma made her way up the gangplank, looking around for the ship's captain. She didn't see him on the main deck, so she moved towards where she knew Hook's quarters were, calling his name.

The captain's cabin was much as she remembered it when Henry had been there on their journey back from Neverland, but somehow cozier. Blankets lay piled on the hastily-made bed, strewn across the back of the chair, and an old, thick rug lay on the floor. The windows were closed tightly and rags were shoved between the shutters, keeping out any natural light but what came through the open door and a lamp sitting on the desk.

Emma turned to look for the captain in another part of the ship, satisfied he wasn't in his rooms. She decided he might be in the hold, and was about to go check when a call from the rigging nearly scared her out of her wits.

"Snooping about my ship, are we Swan?"

Her hand reached for her gun without a thought, before she even realised that David had taken the day as Sherriff and she'd left the weapon locked up at home. She craned her neck up to the source of the sound, noticing Hook at an unsettling height on the mast nearest her, leaning casually against the huge beam.

"I was looking for you!" The words were out of her mouth before she remembered who she was talking to. She sighed, knowing Hook couldn't hear the regret at her poor choice of words.

"Ah, well I knew you could only stay away for so long!"

She didn't need to be able to see him to know he was likely making ridiculous faces as he spoke. "I came with a message from Henry!" She clarified. "What are you doing up there?"

"Work needed done up on the royal mizzie!" He shouted, starting the climb down at what appeared to be a reckless speed, even for a man with two hands. "Yards acting up."

"I have not any idea what that means." Emma shouted back. "But I get the working part. Is it fixed now?"

Hook hit the deck a moment later. "Aye. And that's the mizzenmast, mizzie for short." He pointed at the mast he'd just dropped from. "The main mast is the one in the middle, foremast at the front."

"Let no one ever accuse me of going a day without learning." Emma deadpanned. "Looks like you'll have a pirate out of me yet."

Hook laughed. "There's a bit more to it than just knowing the difference between those three, darling." He made his way over to where she was standing, than infernal grin still stretched across his face. "Your boy said he wanted a tour sometime. Maybe he'll be able to teach you the ropes." He laughed at her bitter reaction to the pun. "Speaking of the boy, what's the message you have for me.?"

"We're having another movie night tonight, and he wanted you to come."

Hook smiled fondly. "Who's the unlucky star of this one?"

"Mary Margaret and David. And Regina too, I guess. It's the story of Snow White, at least in the same sense as Peter Pan was the story of Neverland." She offered a wry grin, having not forgotten any of the captain's exclamations about the inaccuracies.

"Well I can't say no to the boy. Unless, of course, you'd be interested in getting creative to convince me." He grinned, not giving her time to offer a rebut. "But otherwise I have no excuse. And I'd be honoured to join you again."

"It's a little different than last time, actually. We wanted everyone to be able to see it, so we're setting up a drive-in. It's like a movie on a huge screen outside." She explained, noticing his raised eyebrow. "It's at a warehouse near here. Leroy's setting up now, and Granny and Ruby are bringing popcorn and drinks to sell."

Hook was still doing a rather ineffective job of hiding his confusion. "Is this some sort of tradition in this realm?"

Emma smiled. "Something like that. People bring their cars and watch from inside them, or they bring blankets and sit on the ground if it's warm enough. I've been to a couple before. It's a staple date night from the sixties, pretty much."

More eyebrows. "A date, you say?"

Emma hadn't realised that was among the words he'd picked up on since being in Storybrooke. Her initial response was to flush slightly, not helping her situation any. "You know what, you can call it what you want. Henry told me to invite you, so here I am."

"Well as much as I should like to think of it as a date, from what you've told me, I understand there is little exclusive about your invitation." Emma couldn't tell if he was purposely letting her see his slight dejection or if she was just getting better at reading him.

"Yeah, you're right, but we would still like you to come. It'll be a lot of fun. Just bring some of those blankets from your cabin, it's going to get chilly tonight." Emma crossed her arms, searching for an appropriate way to end the conversation.

Thankfully, Hook made no suggestive comments involving his cabin and keeping warm, despite the ample material Emma had presented him with. He only smiled. "As I said love, I would be honoured to join you. Are you making your way to this warehouse now to see to preparations?"

Emma saw her opportunity. "You know, I wasn't going to, but that's a good idea. I'd hate for Leroy to have to do all that by himself. Wanna come?" This lastly came without any real consideration on Emma's part. But once the offer was out there, she could not bring it back. She didn't mind as much as she thought she might have.

Hook looked as surprised as she at the invitation. "Indeed, I think I would. I'll bring those blankets now. And perhaps change into something more suited to… what did you call it?"

"A drive-in."

Hook nodded. "I'll only be a moment, love." He disappeared to his cabin, leaving Emma without much to do but idly look around the ship. Which she found she rather enjoyed, now that it wasn't in a storm or being pulled through the air by a demon shadow.

The first thing she noticed was how clean the whole thing looked. The deck had been stained with blood and grime from the trip, but now looked even-toned and well-waxed. The ropes that had been slightly brown and frayed all looked to have been recently replaced, and even the sails seemed crisper and fresher-looking.

Something about this struck a chord with Emma. Hook didn't strike her as the overly-meticulous type. Sure, he loved his ship, and was always precise in his care of her, but this seemed to reach beyond being a good captain. This much cleaning would have taken a lot of time for just one man.

That's because time is something he has an awful lot of these days. A voice spoke up. He doesn't have family here, after all, or even friends really. What else would he do all day besides take care of the Jolly? She's the only one he's really familiar with in this whole town.

Emma felt a pang in her chest as this sunk in. He's lonely, she thought, feeling slightly guilty and more than a little sympathetic. She thought back to their conversation, noticing that there were a few times when Hook could have cracked his signature brand of joke, but refrained. He was trying to keep things amiable. She realised. He knows how I get tired of his smart remarks, so he didn't make them. He didn't want to ruin it, however brief our conversation may have been. She may have been overthinking it slightly, but when the man in question emerged, one look at his optimistic expression and Emma didn't think she'd been too far off-mark. He wore stony blue jeans with a rip in one knee and a plain black hoodie, neither piece one she'd seen before. Not a stitch of leather in sight, only yards and yards of plaid fabric in his arms; the blankets she'd mentioned. He was almost unrecognizable.

Then he noticed her appraisal, responding with a sly wink that abolished any confusion about just who Emma was dealing with.

She offered her car for a place to keep the blankets, opting to walk the short distance to the warehouse.

The moment Emma set sight on the place she knew that it had been perfectly chosen. The warehouse had been three stories, made out of solid whitewashed brick, with neatly boarded windows. One of the dwarves, Emma couldn't tell which from the distance, was meticulously painting those boards to match the walls, providing an even screen for the projector, which was currently being fiddled with by Doc and Leroy.

The lot itself was huge, with an old wooden fence surrounding the sand and grass square. The remaining dwarves were tearing down the a section of the enclosure nearest Emma and Hook, allowing cars to come right from the road into the lot.

Leroy was in full project-mode when the pair of them went to offer their assistance. His demeanor was not unlike that of a drill sergeant, and though Emma understood the importance of a quick and thorough job, she had to fight to keep the smile off her face as he barked and hollered for the others to kick it into high gear.

As per the dwarf's instruction, Emma and Hook set to work inside the building with Ruby, who was trying to clean a large room to sell the refreshments from. She seemed surprised to see the pirate with her friend, but she masked it well behind the brooms she handed to the two of them.

The three made quick work of the room, wiping down tables and wiring up some Christmas lights, since there were no real lights in the room. Emma thought it added a sweet, quaintness to the otherwise drab atmosphere. And the lights were dim enough to hide the stained floor and old walls.

By the time Granny, Mary Margaret and David arrived with the popcorn machine and drink cooler, it was just after sunset and an hour before the movie started at seven. The rest of the preparations finished quickly, leaving all those involved free to find a place to relax for the show.

Emma checked with Henry via walkie-talkie to make sure he was getting a ride with Regina before heading back to her car with Hook to get the blankets they'd left earlier. They were just driving back to the lot when Henry buzzed back.

"Emma?"

Hook grabbed the contraption off the dash, having closely observed Emma working with it before. "It's Hook lad. What's the matter?"

"Oh, hey Hook. Um, well my mom's not too sure how this movie is going to go over, since she was the evil queen and all."

Hook grinned. He remembered Charming and Snow's faces when they learned just who this movie was about a short while ago. And he knew better than anyone how the villains got it worse than the heroes.

The boy continued. "So I told her I would sit with her to make her feel better, but I didn't want Emma to be sitting alone." A crackle of static. "Is that okay?"

"I'll be fine Henry." Emma leaned over to call into the box. "I think it's a good idea that you sit with Regina for this one."

"I'll take care of her for you lad." Hook winked at Emma as he spoke through again.

"We'll be nearby." Emma added, giving a pointed look to her passenger.

"Okay. Thanks guys. See you soon!"

They reached the lot in that same instant, Emma parking the bug smack in the middle of the square, facing the side. She took out the old picnic blanket she'd brought from home, laying it out beside the bug, on the side facing the screen. She sat down on the soft ground, leaning back on the driver's door, eyes shut.

"You planned this out rather well, didn't you darling?" Hook sat down on her left, depositing one of the blankets onto her lap. "Shall your parents be joining us this evening?"

"Not sure." Emma wrapped the blanket around her shoulders. "They might want to enjoy a date by themselves."

"So father dearest won't be around to keep me at a distance." Hook's voice conveyed all the rotten charm Emma didn't see with closed eyes. "Wonderful."

"Well don't get any ideas. You might be getting your own date but that's it." Another gust of wind blew through, and Emma found the blanket was doing little to help.

"Emma darling, you've got the thing upside down." She opened her eyes to see the captain's frown, his right hand picking up one corner of the blanket condescendingly. "Allow me." He spun the cover around, remarkably quick for the angle at which he was working, and tugged the two sides of the blanket around her again. "There you are. It has a slit down the middle to allow you to wrap it." He brought one of the flaps around from one shoulder to the other, creating a sort of poncho. "It looks lovely. Does it feel warmer?"

It did, but Emma wasn't sure how much should be attributed to the blanket and how much she owed to Hook's proximity. She only nodded. "Thanks."

"Anything for you love." Hook settled back against the car, wrapping his own blanket similarly before placing a third across their legs. "You don't mind?"

Gentleman. The word appeared with a soft puff of wind through the lot, reminding her of the complications of the man to her left. "No, thank you."

"Do you feel warm enough?"

Emma was wary of what response her answer might reward her with. "Yeah, I feel fine."

"Good. I'd hate to have to move much closer and leave your father's good graces after only having been there shortly."

The lack of suggestiveness in Hook's response surprised Emma. She remembered again her earlier speculation about why he was acting strangely, and decided to test those waters. "So, what have you been up to since last week?" She casually tucked the walkie-talkie under the blanket, watching Hook's reaction out of the corner of her eye.

He looked taken aback, but only for a moment. "Oh nothing spectacular. That sickness left me rather tired, so a few days I spent doing as little as possible." He ran his index finger around the curve of his hook, seeming distracted. "I kept busy." He turned a look on her that was entirely suggestive of the kind of busy he preferred to be, but again, Emma found it lackluster compared to his normal retorts.

"Well, when you get bored with whatever business you have on your ship, you can always come to town." She kept her tone casual, knowing Hook and his ego wouldn't want her to outright tell him she knew he was lonely.

Hook laughed. "What makes you think I've been staying away? I have no interest in the town, darling. But thank you for your generous offer."

His flippant manner referring to the town felt abrasive to Emma. She narrowed her eyes. "You might not have been welcome before. And I'm the sheriff. I would have known you were here."

"The crocodile's not trying to kill me anymore, love, nor I him. I could have kept a low profile." He still wore that superior smirk.

Emma bristled. "I would know because it's my job. Most of the town still doesn't trust you, because most of the town wasn't in Neverland to see a man any different than the one who shot Belle over the line." Hook winced, though it was barely perceptible. "Don't try to make me sound stupid because I know better than them."

He turned to look at her, arrogance gone. "As you wish, darling." He looked away, facing the screen that was undergoing picture checks. "And thank you."

It was quiet, but Emma couldn't keep the smile off her face.