Thicker than Water Part II

by Sara K M

Sequel to the original Thicker than Water. The Charmings' have found each other (again), after Storybrooke was destroyed. Now they face even more challenges as they adjust to life in the real world. Pairings: Mostly Snowing and also minor Abirick. Eventual Captain Swan and Red/OC

5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Disclaimers: I don't own Once Upon a Time. Also, this is a sequel to "Thicker than Water" which was written by La Lisboa.

Emma had an extremely difficult weekend. Snow supposed that could be expected after watching her son disappear with a stranger. Especially since the stranger was taking Henry to a place Emma seemed to know was bad. After the car disappeared from view, Emma stared at the road for at least five minutes. When she had finally turned around, she had tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Henry," she kept whispering over and over. Snow and Charming wrapped their arms around their daughter from both sides, forming a cocoon of love. They kept holding her like that for a minute, just letting her cry and say her son's name. Snow hated seeing her daughter look so heartbroken. She hated seeing Henry disappear, too. In the short time that she remembered knowing Henry, he'd already begun to capture her heart. Still…there was a part of Snow that couldn't help the joy that swelled in her heart. After two weeks of Emma taking care of her, Snow was finally able to take care of her daughter. She could really be a mother.

"I just don't see how"...Emma gulped and sighed, trying to stop crying. "…How I can do this. I mean I know we decided it was the right decision, and the only thing we could do that would allow me to have Henry back personally. But…I already gave him up once. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. To do it again…after I know what an amazing young man he's becoming…and I know he's not going to some place better…" Emma shook her head. "Everything in me wants to run after that car and take him back!" Emma tried to wiggle out of her parents' arms, reaching for the door, almost involuntarily.

Snow and Charming held her, gently, but firmly, in place. "Emma listen, I understand," Snow began. "Putting you in the wardrobe may have been the right decision…but it was hard. Definitely the hardest thing I've ever done, and I've done a lot of hard things…If I had more time to think about it, I'd probably have second thoughts, too."

Charming nodded, still holding her. "Believe us, Emma. We understand why this is so hard. But this is still what's best for Henry, in the long run. We'll do everything were supposed to do, and then Henry can live with us for good. Remember that. He's coming back."

Emma nodded, finally. "Yeah." Then she disappeared into her room. They didn't see her for the rest of the day.

The next day they tried to interest Emma in other things, much like Emma had tried to interest Henry in other things after Regina's death. "So I was thinking we should get some more food soon," Snow said causally, as they all ate breakfast. "Do you think we should go to the supermarket or that Wal – Mart place again?" Snow asked, deliberately looking to Emma for input.

But Emma's response was the same that Henry's had been when people were trying to encourage him to be involved. "Whatever. They both have food." She turned her eyes back to her cornflakes as she ate.

Red tried as well. "I have about $65 from tips now. Which establishment would that amount of money be better for?"

Emma shrugged. "It doesn't really matter. Whatever you want." She took a drink of coffee. Was it Snow's imagination, or was she trying to hide behind her coffee cup?

Charming looked at Emma as he tried as well. "Emma, I know this is hard. But we do need your help to build a life here. And if we don't start doing things like getting more food,…the people in charge will never let Henry come back. We need your help to help you get Henry back."

Emma sighed and nodded. "Okay. We should probably go to the Wal – Mart again, since you guys are more familiar with it. We could use some cookware, anyway."

Snow smiled at Charming and squeezed his hand in thanks. He always knew just what to say.

So they did. They bought more cornflakes, a loaf of bread (Snow would rather make her own, but until she had the money to buy those ingredients, she'd settle for the stuff in the bag), some sandwich meat, a bag of potatoes, so Snow could try making those "French fries" they had had the other day, some chicken in a package, a strange – looking meat called hamburger, and some long strips of rolled flour which Emma called "spaghetti" with a red sauce. They also purchased a pot for cooking and a frying pan to make the French fries and hamburger. They also purchased something called "laundry soap," which Emma had forgotten to buy the other day. Finally they added another edition of the "Bangor Daily News."

But when they returned home, Emma shut herself off from everyone again. How were they going to care for her if she didn't let them? Snow tried what had sometimes worked with Henry. "Would you like us to tell you some stories of our world?"

No answer.

"Would you like to tell us some of your own stories?" Snow tried again.

No answer.

But it was Charming, again that came to the rescue. "I think our clothes are getting dirty. How about we try using this laundry soap now? Do you want to load up the sink?"

Emma came out of her room at that. "That's actually…not the best idea. We need to go to a "Laundromat" to wash our clothes. We'll put them in some bags and take the soap with us." Emma examined a map again. There's one over here, about two blocks over." Snow smiled proudly at her daughter. Emma may still be really upset about Henry being taken to this foster home, but she understood how important her knowledge about this world was to them. (And to Henry, to, if they wanted him to be able to live with them permanently.) Snow also whispered, "Thank you" in Charming's ear when Emma wasn't looking. After all, he was the one who figured out how to motivate Emma.

So they placed what little clothing they had in some bags. (All they really had was an extra shirt each and some undergarments right now.) When they reached the laundry facility, Emma showed them how to place the clothing in the machines, adjust the setting, put the laundry soap in, and place the right amount of coins inside. Snow watched in fascination as the clothes began spinning around all by themselves! "How is that possible, without using magic?" she asked, without thinking.

Emma looked at her sharply. "Keep your voice down," she whispered. "You can't say things like that in public. Magic isn't real in this world, remember. If you start talking about it too much, there could be problems. Even worse, if it gets back to that woman who took Henry…" Emma shook her head, the implication clear.

Snow's mouth dropped open, horrified at the thought. She'd never want to cost Emma a chance to get Henry back permanently! "You're right. I'll have to be more careful about what I say in public. I'm sorry."

Emma nodded., but she didn't talk to Snow at all for the rest of the day. Emma had been pretty quiet since Henry left the day before, only talking when she had to. But at least Emma would talk to the others briefly. She said goodbye to Red when she left for her job that night and she said "excuse me" when she ran into Charming by mistake. With Snow, there was nothing. She didn't even answer when Snow asked Emma what she wanted for dinner that night. Snow knew that Emma's fears of losing Henry was making her lash out. But she had said she was sorry! She wouldn't do it anymore. Why wouldn't her daughter talk to her?

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

The next morning Snow was determined to talk to Emma, one way or another. Charming had warned her not to push too hard, but Snow simply couldn't deal with this…whatever it was between them. She had to be able to talk to her daughter.

So after Emma had her cup of coffee (Snow had discovered it was best not to try to talk to Emma before that, especially if she was already upset), she approached Emma with a determined look. "Emma, we need to talk."

Emma didn't answer.

"Please, Emma. I'm sorry about what I said yesterday. I promise I'll be more careful what I say in public from now on. Just…don't do this to me."

Emma sighed. "You're right." She replied finally. "I should never have given you the silent treatment yesterday. You didn't deserve that. I know you're sorry. It's just…I got so scarred. So much is riding on what…that woman says and the courts say. What if I can't get Henry back? And you guys…are so out of place here…what if someone notices that and uses it against us?"

Snow didn't really know the answer to that. Faith was more Charming's department. She definitely was out of place in this world. Still, she had been out of place in the woods at first, too. She could learn. "We'll just have to follow your lead, like we've been doing, Emma. And I'll let you in on a secret. I'm very good at adapting. How else could I go from being a princess to an outlaw living in the woods? I can adapt here, too."

Emma finally smiled. "Yeah. I should have more faith in my family. I'm sorry."

Snow sighed. "I know this is really hard on you."

"Yeah. Henry has been my joy, my reason for living for the past two years. And now that I can't see him …It's hard to be excited or even interested in anything. On top of that, I'm worried about him. How are they treating him? I've had some really bad experiences with foster homes. I can't believe I can't be there to protect him!"

Snow hugged her daughter, wishing she could have been there to protect Emma, too. "I know. But maybe…this experience will make him stronger. Like it made you. Like my time on the run made me."

"I think Henry is strong enough already." Emma grumbled.

"Well, you can look forward to seeing him on Saturday afternoon." Snow commented, still trying to comfort her daughter. "I was thinking of trying those French fry things today, if you're interested." Snow headed to the kitchen.

But as Snow began getting out the frying pan and the potatoes, she heard a ringing sound. It sounded sort of like a bell…but different, too. It was coming from her black bag…the one where she kept her money and that picture of herself that so many people seemed to find important. What was that? She picked up her bag, and after a second decided to open it. Maybe whatever was ringing was on the inside. As soon as she did, Snow found what was making the noise. It was that "cell phone" that Emma had talked about. A communication device of some sort. That meant someone was trying to communicate with her! It was funny, Snow had used the devices to contact others before, but she hadn't been contacted herself yet.

Smiling, she picked up the device and said "Hello" into it.

"Hello, this is Eastern Maine Medical Center," the person on the other side of the device said. "We have an application for housekeeping from Mary Margaret."

"That's correct," Snow replied. Why was this person contacting her? Was there something wrong with her application?

"We'd like Mary Margaret to come to the hospital for an interview, this afternoon at 2:00PM, if possible."

"That's fine," Snow replied, trying to sound causal. What was an interview? Was it a good thing or a bad thing?

"Take the side entrance on the ground floor, and tell the person at the desk you're looking for housekeeping."

"Okay," Snow agreed as the communication ceased. What was this about? She supposed she should ask Emma.

She quietly entered the room her daughter had been sharing with Red (who was in the living room reading the newspaper). Emma was lying on her air mattress staring at the ceiling. "Hi, Emma," Snow said as she sat down on the air mattress next to her.

Emma didn't answer, but kept staring at the ceiling.

"I was contacted by Eastern Maine Medical Center today. They said they wanted me to come over for an interview for their…housekeeping. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

At that Emma sat up and looked straight at Snow. "That a great thing! It means they're considering you for a job there. The sooner we all get jobs, the sooner we can look into finding a bigger place, like…that woman wants us to. We're one step closer to getting Henry back!"

Snow's eyes lit up as her daughter explained what this interview meant and how important it was. "Then it's more than great, Emma. It's wonderful." She leaned over and gave her daughter a hug. Emma even hugged her back.

"Well, don't get too excited, though," Emma warned. "You have to do well on the interview first. They're going to ask you questions about the job. Just make sure you're confident…and be careful what you say, okay?"

Snow nodded, understanding exactly what Emma meant.

"And make sure you don't sound…I don't know…like you're not interested in cleaning or something," Emma added slowly, like she wasn't sure if she should mention that.

Snow gave her daughter a strange look. "What do you mean?"

Emma sighed. "Forget it. I shouldn't have said anything."

But Snow's curiosity was peaked. "No. I want to know. Why did you say that?" she asked firmly.

Emma sighed and looked at her hands. "I just didn't know how you felt about picking up after other people. I know you can clean up here, of course, and you kept the apartment clean in Storybrooke, too. But that was for us. For our family. Some people get weird about cleaning after strangers. I mean you used to be a princess, right? So are you okay with being…a maid?"

Oh. So that's what this was about. Snow chuckled. "Yeah, I'll be fine with it."

"Yeah," Emma replied. "Like I said, I shouldn't have said anything. You're not a snob. I know that."

"Don't worry. I'm not angry. It's funny; there was a time, back before my mother died, where it would have bothered me. A lot. I had pretty rigid ideas about what princesses were supposed to do and what servants were supposed to do. But after my mother died, and more importantly, after my father died and I had to hide out in the forest…those things didn't bother me anymore. I needed to learn to survive and depend on friends. Things like…what it meant to be a princess weren't that important anymore."

"But what about after you moved back into the palace and became royalty again? Weren't you glad…to have maids and servants again?" Emma's voice sounded curious now. Did Emma really want to learn more about her as Snow? Snow's heart swelled at the thought.

"In some ways, yes. Some of them were good friends. And it wasn't possible for me to take care of the whole castle by myself, obviously. It was too big. So it was nice to have their help. But…I still did like doing things myself, too. Cooking, in particular, was always one of my favorite things to do. But the chefs would try to chase me out of the kitchen…because it wasn't proper for me to be there! I certainly don't see being a maid as beneath me, Emma. It's a job and it will help us get Henry back, like you said."

"Yeah," Emma's voice actually sounded cheerful. And Snow was overjoyed that her daughter was getting to know who Snow really was.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

At 1:30, Snow went down to the bus station to board a bus that would take her to the medical center. It was the first time she had ever done this by herself. Still, Snow had travelled on these buses several times in the last few days. She was confident she could handle it. She reached the Eastern Maine Medical Center with no trouble at all.

Now the side door. Where was the side door? This place was huge! Almost as large as their palace had been. Certainly much larger than the hospital that Regina had died in. But Snow could do it. She could find this side door and go to this interview. Like Emma said, it would help them get Henry back. That door said "Main Entrance," so that probably wasn't it. She walked around for a minute. There was a door on the side but it said "Obstetrician," so she didn't think that was the right door either. Snow kept walking.

Finally she found the door the man on the communication device had to have meant. It was on the side of the building and there were no signs on the top. She opened the door and walked in. Then Snow headed right for the desk in the corner. "I'm Mary Margaret. I'm looking for the housekeeping department."

The woman at the desk smiled at her. "Of course." She had shoulder – length blond hair and bright blue eyes. "You take the stairs at the end of the hall and it's your first door on the left."

Snow nodded and found the door easily. "Hello, I'm Mary Margaret," she announced as she stepped into the small room.

"Hello, my name is Mr. Carlow," said the man behind the desk. He was an older man, slightly balding and a few grey hairs, but still looked pleasant enough. "Have a seat," he said brightly, pointing to the empty chair. Snow did so, immensely relieved this man did not look at her the way Red's boss did.

"So," the man said looking at her application, "You are able to work mornings?"

Snow nodded. "Of course. I can work whenever you need me to, but I particularly enjoy mornings."

The man nodded and scribbled something on her application. "How are you at taking directions? Can you listen to what others tell you to do?"

"Definitely," Snow replied. "When – " Oops. Emma had told her to watch for that. She had been about to say how she had listened to all of her subjects when they had complaints and tried to do something about their problems when she was queen. "When…I was younger, friends would come to me with their problems and I would listen to them and try to do something about those problems," she finished instead.

Mr. Carlow nodded and wrote something down. "Okay, but can you do something someone else tells you to, when it isn't your idea?"

Snow thought about all the times she had to follow Emma's lead in the last few days. "Yes. I can do that."

The man nodded, although he looked a little less certain. "How long do you plan on keeping this job? Do you have other plans?"

Snow shrugged. What was the right answer to that? "No, don't really have any other plans at the moment. I really need a job to help my family. That's all I care about."

The man nodded and wrote something down again. "Do you have children? Do you have reliable childcare?"

What? What did that mean? She didn't have any children right now…just an adult daughter who was desperate to get her son back. "No, I don't have children right now. I live…with some family members who are going through some rough periods. The money from this job could help them."

The man nodded again and wrote something down. "Now, I've had a problem with employees and drugs before. There are people who see the hospital as a free ride to drugs. Do you use any drugs?" The man's voice was the most serious she had heard in the entire interview. Snow didn't know what drugs were, but she was pretty sure she didn't use them. So she said, "No, I don't use any drugs."

The man nodded. "You don't mind if I verify that with a swab test do you?"

What was the man talking about? But Snow shook her head anyway. She was handed a cotton swab. "Put in your mouth and scrape the side of your cheek." Snow did as she was told. "Now give it back to me." Snow did so.

"Okay, you're free to go. We'll let you know about the job in the next day or two."

Snow nodded and exited the hospital. When she returned to the apartment she decided to try making those French fries again. This morning when she had tried to make them, they turned out kind of dry. Emma had said they were more like potato chips than French fries. But the next batch of French fries that Snow made tasted wonderful, and they all enjoyed them with dinner. Even Red had a few before she left for The Hot Spot. (Snow still wished Red wasn't working for…that creep, but she couldn't deny the money she had earned at that job was useful. So Snow stayed quiet.)

OOOOOOOOOOO

The next morning, Snow knew she needed to look at Charming's burn. It had been a few days since she'd seen it, and she wanted to make sure it was still healing. She sighed. She really missed Doc. He was such a wonderful mix of a healer, a brother, and someone she could trust. How was she going to find someone even close to Doc to take care of her family's healing in this world?

"Charming," said Snow, trying to sound causal as they got off the air mattress. She knew his injuries were a sore spot for him. Like most men, he didn't like to appear weak. "How's your burn?"

Charming shrugged. "It's fine, Snow."

"I'd like to see it for myself, if you don't mind," Snow tried to keep her voice causal again.

She should have known she wouldn't be able to fool Charming. He knew her better than anyone. "Stop worrying, Snow. It's fine," he told her firmly.

"I'm sure it is. But I'd still like to see for myself. I worry about you because I love you; you know that."

She moved over and caressed his arm.

He gave her his special smile and kissed the top of her head. "I know….I just don't like it when people make a big deal out of my injuries and illnesses. They're a part of life, you know?"

Snow nodded, still caressing his arm. "Do you think you could let me see it, at least?"

Charming sighed. "Alright."

"Let's go into the washroom again. All the stuff for it is in there. We usually get up before the others do anyway, so maybe no one will even notice," Snow reassured him. She knew how important it was that he didn't show weaknesses to anyone else.

They tip – toed to the washroom and Snow carefully took off his shirt. To her delight, he didn't even make a face as his shirt rubbed against his burn. It really was healing, then.

But as she took off the bandages, Snow noticed the burn was still there, complete with several blisters. She carefully began washing the area with the clear liquid in the bottle.

"Yoewww!" Charming said immediately, obviously resisting the urge to scream as loud as he could and wake everyone else. "That stuff feels like a thousand bees stinging me all at once!" He told her as she finished.

"Well, it all done now. And it is keeping it from getting infected; I can tell." She got some new dressings and began re – bandaging his chest.

"The nightmares aren't as frequent anymore, right?" she asked him as they tip –toed back to their room. The rest of the house was still silent, so they tried to remain quiet.

He nodded. "I haven't gone to the burning room again since the night I got this," He gestured to the burn on his chest.

"That's good," Snow replied.

OOOOOOOOOO

During breakfast Emma drank her coffee and ate some cornflakes silently again. Sometimes she'd look to her right, subconsciously, almost as if she expected Henry to be sitting right next to her. Snow's heart broke all over again. How were they going to help Emma deal with this? She looked to Red and Charming for help.

Charming seemed to be thinking, when Red suddenly asked, "Emma, can you tell us what a yard sale is? I saw some announcements about them in the newspaper I looked at yesterday."

Emma nodded. "They're a way for people to get rid of things they don't need any more. Other people buy them at low prices." She went back to eating.

"That sounds like a great way to get some new things," Charming commented. "Where are they?" he asked Red, although he was obviously hoping to get Emma involved in the conversation again.

"Most of them that I've seen in the paper are in that next town. Hampden?"

Snow nodded. This sounded like a good idea. "We could take the bus there, like we did last week."

Red nodded, "They're not until Saturday, so we'd have to wait until then."

Emma finally looked up at that. "But Henry…Henry's supposed to visit on Saturday! I mean, going to

yard sales might be a good idea, I suppose. We could buy some more clothes so we didn't have to go to the Laundromat every two days. Maybe I could even find some games for Henry. But on the day he's supposed to visit…no." She shook her head to empathize her point.

"But most of the yard sales are supposed to be in the morning, Emma. Couldn't we go to them in the morning and still be back here with enough time to see Henry? If we could find some things for less money…"

Emma sighed as she finished her coffee. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I don't really enjoy getting up early." Everyone laughed at that. Emma would never be a morning person. "But I could see why finding some more clothes, or dishes stuff like that that people sell at a yard sale would be nice to buy cheaply. Can we use your tip money again, Ru – Red?"

Red nodded. "Of course. You know, it's really okay if you prefer to call me Ruby now. It may not be the name I was born with, but it's who I am at the restaurant. I'm getting used to it."

Emma nodded. "Thanks."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It was almost time for Red to return to her job with her scum – ball boss when Snow's communication device rang again. This time, Snow knew exactly what was making the ringing noise and what she should do about it, so she answered it right away. "Hello," she said into the device.

"Hello, Mary Margaret?" said the man with the other communication device. It sounded like the same man she had talked to the day before.

"Yes?" she replied.

"This is Eastern Maine Medical Center. We have decided to give you the housekeeping job. You can report to the hospital tomorrow at 7:00 AM. The job starts at 8:00 but we need you to fill out some paper work first, social security and what not. You'll go in the same door you did yesterday and find my office. Do you understand?"

"Yes. Yes, I understand. Thank you. Thank you very much." Snow ceased the communication, smiling. She had a job! Emma would be so happy! They were closer to getting Henry back, just like Emma had said yesterday.

"Guess what?" she called to Red as she was leaving. "I got another call from that hospital, Eastern Maine Medical Center. They gave me a job, in housekeeping, or cleaning, I guess."

Red smiled and gave Snow a hug. "That's great! That's right over where my restaurant is."

Snow nodded but didn't comment. She'd rather not think too much about the restaurant her friend worked at. "I start tomorrow morning. Emma will be thrilled," Snow continued, concentrating on the important part, as far as she was concerned. "The sooner we can all get jobs, the sooner we can find a bigger apparent. Then Henry can come back to live with us!"

"Of course. I can't wait until he comes back!" Red agreed. "Look I've got go, but congratulations."

After Red shut the door, Snow tried not to think about what happened at the restaurant that Red worked at, where she was headed right now. Instead she concentrated on what she just told Red. Emma was going to be so happy.

"Emma!" Snow exclaimed, rushing to the room she shared with Red (that Emma still spent almost all her time in), "I got the housekeeping job at the hospital! I start tomorrow. Isn't that great? Like you said, we're a little closer to getting Henry back."

Emma had been sitting on her air mattress, staring at her shoes. But when she heard Snow say that, she looked up and smiled. "That's wonderful. It really is. I'm really starting to believe we can get Henry back."

Snow sat down next to her. "Of course we will."

"I just wish I didn't worry so much about him right now. Foster homes are horrible places…They'll be no one to take care of Henry there. Even worse…what if they're mistreating him? I really wish I could have just told that woman, 'No! You can't have my son!'"

Snow nodded, remembering how much she wished she could just tell Regina not to cast the Curse so she didn't have to be separated from her family. "I know. Believe me, I do. But we couldn't do it that way. You already explained that to us. If we had attacked her, or the people she works for, we wouldn't have support. We'd never get Henry back that way."

"Yeah."

"I'm going to make some dinner. I think I'll make those chickens in that package with the rice. Does that sound good?"

"Sure," Emma replied, lying down on her air mattress and looking up at the ceiling again. Snow returned to the kitchen. Charming was still going for a walk. He did that a lot; he wanted to enjoy as much of the outdoors as he could. (Which unfortunately for him, was a lot less than he'd like.) Sometimes, when he went earlier in the day, Snow went with him, but right now she had to make dinner. He'd be back soon.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

That night, Snow told Charming about her new job (he was overjoyed, knowing it meant Henry was closer to coming home), and they finished the chicken and the rice she had made for supper.

Snow decided she'd use the new communication device to call the dwarves. It had been almost a week since she had seen her adopted brothers, and Snow didn't want them to think they weren't important to her any more, just because they lived in a different town now. So much had happened in this past week, and she needed to share it with them. She just hoped they could figure out how to answer the device easier than she had.

So Snow dialed the number that said Leroy (Grumpy). Apparently Leroy was his name in this world. She waited for almost a minute, it seemed like, before Grumpy finally answered. "Yeah, what do you want, sister?"

"Hi Grumpy, it Snow!" she said brightly, not at all bothered by her brother's cranky attitude. Grumpy would always be Grumpy.

"Hello, Snow," Grumpy replied, sounding slightly less…grumpy. Snow was after all one of Grumpy's favorite people.

"So how are you doing with the apple trees," she asked, eager to hear what the dwarves had been doing as well.

"Well, Emma was right. We're picking it up pretty easily. I guess farming isn't so different than mining after all." Snow's heart swelled with pride that Emma had been able to find something the dwarves could do.

"And Sleepy and Sneezy? How are they doing?" Snow asked, concerned. They had been doing a little better when they had left the cave. At least they were eating and listening to Granny. But still…

"They still don't remember who they are or who we are," Grumpy…grumbled. "But they're eating. And they're really enjoying taking care of the apple trees. At least they're starting to consider the rest of the dwarves friends now."

Snow smiled at that. She was glad Sneezy and Sleepy realized they had friends. "That's good to hear, at least…You know I got a job today."

"That's interesting. What is it?" Grumpy asked, curious.

"Cleaning. For one of the hospitals in the city we're living in. It's called Eastern Maine Medical Center."

"I see," Grumpy replied. His voice showed her he was unsure whether this was a good thing or not. "You make sure they treat you well, okay? Or you let me know about it."

"Of course," Snow wasn't' offended by Grumpy's attitude that he had to protect Snow. It was just the way he was; he always thought it was his job to protect her from everyone and everything. When he first got to know Charming, Grumpy even tried to protect Snow from him!

Which is exactly why Snow didn't want to tell Grumpy about the "Henry" situation. If Grumpy knew Snow's grandson had been taken away, he'd try to take Henry back by force. Which according to Emma, was the worst possible thing they could do. So instead, she made small talk for a few more minutes, then said goodnight.

OOOOOOOOOO

Snow got up with Charming the next morning as she always did. However, since she had to go to the hospital early, she couldn't "play" with him as much as she usually did. Charming was a little disappointed, but he understood. As long as David still had that burn on his chest, they couldn't take it very far, anyway. Snow dressed and ate some breakfast quietly, not wanting to wake anyone else. She gave her husband one last kiss and headed for the bus.

After she arrived at the same office she was in the other day the man, Mr. Carlow was sitting at the desk. "Hello, Mary Margaret. Have a seat." After doing so, he asked to see the see the same things the dwarves were asked to show when they found the job at the orchard. These things included that picture of herself and a card with her alias and a long number on it. Then Snow filled out a few forms, promising she wouldn't use the hospital to obtain unneeded prescription drugs. She still wasn't sure what drugs were, but she'd make sure she didn't take anything from the hospital.

Then Mr. Carlow showed her the room next door. "This is your employee room" he told her. "You can put your purse in here," (Snow decided he must mean the black bag she carried with all her things in it) and have a cup of coffee on your break. He pointed to the coffee pot in the corner.

He also handed her a purple shirt that said "Housekeeping" on it. "This is your uniform." Snow supposed that meant she should put the shirt on. She quickly found a nearby washroom and did so.

Soon, Snow was introduced to the other women she would be working with. One was a woman who appeared to be in her fifties. Her name was Marianne. When Snow thought about it for a minute, she realized that was exactly how old she should be now. After all, Emma was Snow's daughter, and she was almost thirty. Snow looked at herself and then at Marianne. It wasn't as if she hadn't thought of this before. But for Snow to see the physical evidence of what she looked like…and what she should look like; it was hard to deal with. She couldn't decide whether she was glad to know she had so much life left to live, or sad because of all the time she had already lost.

The other two women were closer to Snow's age now. One of them had short, curly brown hair. (Seriously, this world was obsessed with short hair for women!) Her name was Cindy. The other had shoulder – length red hair. She said her name was Wendy.

Marianne showed Snow how to wash the hallways of the hospital. "Hospitals have to be kept as sterile as possible, so we have to wash these halls several times a day." She showed Snow the washer and the bucket she would use. Snow was glad to see this world had invented something similar to a broom for washing. She was sure it would be easier to wash floors standing up rather than kneeling on the floor with a sponge. "Make sure you don't get any in your eyes by mistake," Marianne warned. "It has bleach in it." Snow had no idea what bleach was, but she was sure it wouldn't be good for her eyes. She'd be careful. Marianne also told her to make sure she used the "Wet Floor" signs when she washed. They needed to be careful people didn't slip.

At 10:30 the women took something called a "coffee break." Snow stayed away from the coffee. She knew Emma lived on the stuff in the morning, but it didn't have much appeal to her. She preferred cinnamon hot chocolate (although it really was too warm for that right now.) Still, she didn't mind having a drink of water while the other woman drank their coffee.

"So how's your first day going?" Wendy asked Snow.

"Not bad," Snow replied, shrugging. "I'm just glad I have a job."

Wendy nodded. "I know what you mean. "I'm trying to go back to college soon, but it's expensive so I need really need a job, too."

"I'm a single mother to my eight - year – old son," Cindy commented as she took a sip of coffee. "I definitely need a job," she chuckled.

Snow nodded. These women were easy to talk to. She was going to enjoy working with them.

"We all need jobs," Marianne added causally from the background. "It's the way of the world." It's the way of this world, anyway, Snow thought to herself. Not that people in the Enchanted Forest didn't work. Of course they did. But people in that world didn't need to "find a job"; they had one made for them.

After the coffee break, Marianne showed Snow what to do next. It included how to check the patient's bathrooms, take care of their garbage, and take off the sheets on beds that were not being used. Snow was assigned to take care of all the "maternity ward" (Snow quickly discovered that meant women who had recently had babies), as well as some patients who didn't seem to have hair for some reason.

Snow finally finished at 1:00PM, at the same time as Wendy and Cindy. They picked up their bags and headed outside. "I have about an hour before I need to pick up Timmy from daycare," Cindy commented as they walked. "I think I'm…" Snow never heard the rest of what she was saying.

Because standing in front of the hospital, off to the side so he wouldn't get in the way, was Charming. "Charming!" Snow exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled at her, a cross between a cat – that – ate the canary grin, and soft, loving smile. "We didn't get much time together this morning," he explained. "So I thought maybe I'd catch you after you finished and ride the bus home with you."

Snow heart melted as she walked over to her husband. "How is it that you just get more and more…Charming the longer I know you?" she asked him as they walked to the bus station.

He chuckled. "I guess you call me Charming for a reason."

"Definitely," Snow replied as she took his hand and squeezed. "So, how's Emma?"

"A little bit better. She's really happy you have a job now. But she still spends most of her time her bedroom. Red's back at the apartment with her. Maybe she can help."

OOOOOOOOOOO

The next day was basically the same as the day before, although she left the apartment later because she didn't have to be at the hospital until 8:00 AM. She washed the floor exactly the way Marianne had showed her. They all had a coffee break at 10:30AM.

As soon as Wendy and Cindy poured their coffee, however, they pounced on Snow. "So the man we saw yesterday, he was yours, right?" Cindy asked.

It took Snow a few seconds to realize they wanted to know if she and Charming were a couple. "Of course," she replied.

"So where'd you find that one?" Wendy asked her voice full of envy. "I mean he's cute and he's sweet enough to pick up your first day of work."

Snow nodded, taking a sip of water. She had forgotten how much fun it was to talk about men with girlfriends. She hadn't done it with Red in years. "I know, and I didn't even know he was coming! He just showed up to surprise me."

Cindy shook her head. "I didn't know they made men like that anymore. My last boyfriend picked me up when I begged him. And paid for his gas!" She sipped her coffee. "Seriously, where did you find him?"

Snow had to think about how to answer that question. Even though this was just girl talk, Snow couldn't forget Emma's warning. She had to be careful what she said to people in this world. She knew people didn't really have carriages in this world, so she probably shouldn't mention that. "We met on the road," she said finally. "I actually took something from him and he wanted it back," Snow fiddled with her ring as she said that.

Cindy nodded, seeming to understand. Was that more common in this world than in theirs? Not many people in the Enchanted Forest could believe Snow actually met her prince when she was stealing from him.

"So does he have any brothers?" Wendy asked, hopefully.

Snow sighed. "Yes. Well, he had a brother but he died."

Wendy and Cindy's smiles disappeared. "That's too bad. Was he close to his brother?'

Snow shook her head. "Not really. They were raised separately. But I know he regrets not knowing him."

"Well, we should get back to work," Marianne called to them from outside. She had visited the restroom. So they did.

So what did you think of that? I'd love to hear from my readers. Thanks to those of you who have already given reviews. Much appreciated.

I know this chapter was only one POV, which is unusual for me, but Snow wouldn't shut up! LOL.