Chapter 35: Family

Emma sat in a booth at Granny's across from Henry and watched him eat French fries as only a preteen boy could do, with relish and with no care about the calories going to his thighs. She looked around Granny's; everyone in town seemed to be there, which was the problem when you lived in a town that only had one family restaurant. It also might have had something to do with the fact that Granny was nearly giving away the food that she had left over from the wedding reception. Most people had come straight from the reception. Regina was sitting at the counter and Emma thought about asking her to join them.

"When can we move out of the loft and move in with Granma and Gramps?" Henry asked through a mouthful of fries.

Emma resisted the urge to tell him not to talk with his mouth full. He was growing up and he needed to figure some things out for himself.

"Well, we have a lease until the first of next year." She explained. "Plus, they are going to have the new baby and I think maybe we need to give them a couple of months to get settled in. Mostly, it is the lease though.

Regina slid off of her stool and slipped into the booth next to Henry.

"I would be willing to take over your lease on the loft." She offered.

"You want to live in the loft?" Emma asked with disbelief in her voice.

"Anything is better than that hovel in the woods that you father stuck me in." She replied.

"I like the cottage, it's cozy." Henry replied.

When he became mayor, Charming had been given Regina's mansion, which he gave to the dwarfs. He had moved Regina to a small cottage in the woods with an extra bedroom for when Henry stayed with her.

"It is not my mansion!" She replied.

Grumpy looked up from his burger. "You are lucky the Prince didn't dump you in a jail cell, which is where you really belong!" He ran his hand over the handle of his pickax in a threatening manner.

"You took your pickax to the wedding? Who does that?" Regina quipped.

"The type of person who carries an ax to a wedding is the same type of person who doesn't like wedding crashers!" He growled.

Emma was sure that she was going to have to intervene and she was about to stand up when the bell over the door jingled announcing the entrance of another customer. Pretty much everyone in town was there already. Even Belle and Gold were sitting at a back booth. Even Whale and the ultrasound technician were eating in the café. She half expected to see her parents walk in. She was surprised to see Chad standing in the doorway with a perplexed look on his face. She had given him very detailed instructions on how to find Storybrooke because she knew he would need to bring King George back when he was strong enough to travel. She hadn't expected to see him so soon though. They had just left George in his custody that morning.

"Chad, is everything alright?" Emma asked anxiously.

He surveyed the scene with wonder.

"All of this is exactly how you described it. All of these people are actually from fairy tales?" He asked.

"You told him about us?" Regina shot Emma a death glare.

"I had to tell him about you, that was the only way I could get him to help me." She explained. "Chad, where is George?" she asked.

"He escaped! Cynthia thinks he might try to go after Mary Margarete and her twins." He explained breathlessly.

"What twins?" Emma's eyes grew large with surprise.

Chad sat down on the seat next to her with a heavy thud.

"A tech at the hospital reviewed the ultrasound that was taken this morning and it turns out she is having twins." He replied.

"I knew there was something strange about that last ultrasound I performed." The ultrasound tech from the Storybrooke hospital explained. "The image kept changing from girl to boy. I finally told them what I thought they wanted to hear, that they were having a boy. I figured I had a 50/50 chance of getting it right. I guess I was really 100% wrong." He shrugged.

Emma glared at Whale. "How does that happen?"

It was his turn to look nonchalant. "Our equipment is old; it came over on a Curse." He looked towards Regina.

"Wow! They are having twins. They are going to need another crib." Henry replied excitedly.

"Does he know about the twins?" Emma asked.

"When Cynthia found out she went and blasted him for putting 3 lives at risk, so he knows now. The last time I saw him he still had that white bracelet thing on his wrist."

"He will come back for the dagger." Rumple explained helpfully. "He will need to kill one of the twins in order to prevent the prophesy from coming true. He will kill the girl. He has no use for girls."

"What prophesy are you talking about?" Belle asked.

Regina exchanged a look with Rumple and he nodded.

"There is a revelation that states that the savior and her two siblings are the only ones powerful enough to return us to the Enchanted Forest. We figured even your parents could not reproduce that quickly and so we thought we had more time in this world." Regina offered.

"George doesn't want to go back?" She asked.

"In our land he is a disposed monarch who is rotting in a cell. Of course he doesn't want to go back!" Rumple added with flare.

"You don't want to go back either!" Regina pointed out.

"My work here isn't done." He replied cryptically.

"You mean, you haven't found your son yet." Emma replied. "I have news for you, Balefire or whatever name he is going by these days isn't here. Besides, even if he were you are the last person he would want to see!" She yelled with more emotion than she had intended. She had looked for Henry's father and had not been able to find a trace of him and if anyone could have found him it would have been her.

"What do you know about my son?" Rumple asked angrily.

"Later." Emma replied. "Regina, the dagger is safe at the sheriff's station, right?

"I put a blood lock on the safe." She replied as if to say, "Do you take me for an idiot."

Emma was almost afraid to ask, but she had to know. "Whose blood did you use?' She asked reluctantly.

"Henry's blood so that you and your father could open the safe." She replied.

Emma groaned. "That was the worst thing you could do. He is related to everyone!" She glanced at Rumple. Henry's interest was piqued as well.

"Mom, what are you saying?" He asked.

"We really will talk about it later." Emma said softly. She realized that she was going to have to tell Henry about the other half of his family sooner or later, it looked like sooner had come.

A trail of people followed her to the station where they found the safe open and the dagger and the portal ring that Emma and Charming had found in OZ missing.

"How did George get past the blood lock?" Regina asked.

"He is related to Henry through David. He is Ruth's father." Emma sighed.

Emma noticed that this news surprised Regina, but Gold seemed unfazed.

"You knew about his relationship to us and you knew that was the real reason he was interested in my brother?" Emma challenged.

"It seems like I am not the only one who is keeping secretes, Dearie." Rumple replied.

"I had no idea, otherwise I would never have used Henry's blood in the spell." Regina replied.

Henry closed his cell phone.

"I just tried to call Gramps and Granma at the house. There was no answer." He explained solemnly.

I look of pure fear crossed Emma's face and she tore out of the station. She had four family members in danger and she had to find out what was happening.

Snow and Charming sat in an audience chamber in Merlin's castle waiting for Ruth and Merlin. Snow was practically seething.

"How dare your mother make us wait like commoners seeking an audience?" She replied angrily. They had successfully used the portal rings to travel to OZ and once they had reached the castle they had been met by a representative who had led them into a grand chamber to wait.

Charming squeezed her hand. "I am sure as soon as my mother knows we are here, she will be here to greet us. Are you going to be alright seeing her?" He asked.

"I was angry at Ruth for a long time for tricking us, if you have found a way to forgive her, so shall I. Where could they be?" She asked impatiently. "We need to see if they can help us find a cure to restore your eyesight."

"I am sure that Merlin will find a way to help, after all he is a great wizard." Charming offered.

"I just wish they would hurry up." She replied. She had been keeping something from him for most of the day, but she was not sure how much longer she could hold out. She had started to have contractions before the wedding ceremony, but they were getting increasingly close together. She might not want to have their child before her husband had regained his sight. But, in true Charming family style, the child was not cooperating. There was no doubt in her mind; their child was on his way.

"I hope Emma doesn't worry about us." He sighed.

"We left her a note, plus we will be back before she has a chance to miss us." She tried to reassure him, but she only griped his hand very tightly as she felt a contraction.

"Snow, is something the matter?" He asked.

Before she could answer, the door opened and a young man in flowing robes entered. He instantly smiled when he saw Snow and Charming.

"I am Merlin, I am so happy to final meet the legendary Snow White. David, it is so good to see you again." He embraced Charming warmly. "I am so sorry that we kept you waiting. David as soon as your mother learned that you had returned she insisted on personally traveling to Neverland to procure water from an enchanted well that we are certain will restore your eyesight."

Snow stood with her mouth open in shock.

"Can I do anything to make you more comfortable?" He seemed concerned that Snow was in obvious pain.

"Just get Ruth!" She said through clenched teeth.

"Is Neverland and this well far from here?" Charming asked.

"Not far at all." Merlin replied. "I will go see if Ruth had returned." He promised.

"Are you sure I can't get you anything?" He asked Snow again.

She shook her head in the negative. He gave her one last concerned glance and left the room.

"That was Merlin?" She asked in amazement.

"It sounded like him." Charming admitted.

"He wasn't what was I expecting." Snow replied.

"Snow, be nice.' He husband chided.

"He is just so…" Her voice trailed off as another contraction overcame her.

'I know, he is young, but I think he is older than he looks and he seems to love my mother." He shrugged.

She let out a pained yelp.

"What is going on?" Charming demanded.

"I'm in labor. Charming, our son is not waiting any longer. He is coming now!" She stated breathlessly.

A panicked look crossed Charming's face as he led her to the chair.

"I'll get Merlin." He called as he rushed out the door. Since he did not know the castle well, he nearly tripped down a flight of stairs in his blind haste.

Someone helped him to his feet.

"David?" His mother asked.

"Mother do you have the water?" He asked.

"Yes right here." She showed him a flask as she led him back to the waiting room. Merlin followed behind them.

"Is there a price to be paid for using the water?" He asked his mother.

"The sprit protecting the well is also a mother, so she gave it to me as one mother to another." Ruth replied. She noticed Snow sitting on the chair and beamed. "Snow, it is so wonderful to see you again. You look positively radiant."

Charming has taken the flask with the water from his mother and impatiently he asks, "Mother, do I drink this or pour it over my head?"

"Drink it." Merlin replies. He has finally caught on to Snow's predicament. "Shall I call for the midwife?" He asks.

"I think we would both appreciate that." Charming replied as he swallowed the water. Snow gave another yelp of pain and her husband rushed to her side.

"Did it work?" She asked breathlessly.

"Snow, you look beautiful." That was how he decided to answer her question, but that did not tell her if he could see of not.

She gave him a disappointed look and he laughed.

"It worked!" He shouted happily. She only had a split second to share in his happiness before another contraction began.