Chapter Eight
Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time. Also, this is a sequel to the original "Thicker than Water" which was written by La Lisboa.
Warring: There will be some violence in this chapter.
Emma and David had the apartment to themselves that Wednesday morning since Snow was working at the hospital and Red had left to pay her cell phone bill. Emma was more used to living without Henry (even though she still missed him like crazy) and she was in a better mood because her interview had gone well the day Emma had decided she wouldn't spend all of her free time in her room. Instead she sat at the kitchen table ( it was really the only place they had to sit) and actually had a conversation with David.
"So your interview went really well yesterday?" David was asking her.
Emma shrugged. She had told them as much last night at dinner. "I guess. The police chief was pretty tough, and he didn't show any emotion either way. But I thought my answers were pretty good."
"I'm sure they were great, Emma," David replied, confidently as ever. But then he continued, "What questions did he ask you? How did you respond?" Emma couldn't get over how interested David seemed to be in her interview. Of course, it was important to Emma, so she supposed it should be important to him, too. It was just so surprising that someone was that interested in her life. Even in Storybrooke he didn't ask that many questions. Of course, that could be because David usually did everything with her, being her deputy and all.
"Well," Emma finally replied, looking back up at him. "He asked me why I quit the bounty hunter business. I told him the same thing I told you. Because Henry was more important and I couldn't be a good mother with a job like that." David smiled proudly at Emma at that statement. "He asked me why I should get the job without any college experience," Emma continued. But as David stared at her blankly, she realized he didn't know what college was.
"College is…more schooling…after regular education is finished. Most advanced jobs including teaching, banking - that's money – handling -, and doctoring require college education in this world. I never went because college cost a lot of money. The bounty hunters didn't care so much because I only needed to deliver the criminals, and I was never hired on a permanent base."
David nodded. "This world sounds more and more complicated the longer I'm here. But I'm sorry you never got to go to this "college" just because you didn't have enough money."
Emma shrugged. "It was never important to me when I was younger. I got what I needed in any way possible, you know? I didn't need formal higher education to succeed. Now…I don't know. Maybe I should have found a way to go to college. If it could help me get the job…"
David nodded in understanding. "I'm sure you had an answer for the…what did you call him?"
"Police chief."
"Right. I'm sure you told the police chief why you should get the job anyway, though." David commented his voice full of confidence again.
Emma shrugged again. "Yeah. I told him that I had more experience with criminals than most of the applicants probably did. And…I also…kind of told him I could help kids from making mistakes." She really hoped David didn't ask too much about that last detail. Her past trouble with the law wasn't something she still wasn't willing to share with him. He was so proud of her right now. How could he be proud of her if he knew she had been a criminal herself when she was younger? Especially since it was something she was still ashamed of?
But David simply smiled at her again, nodding. "Sounds like a good answer to me." He paused for a second. "Hopefully, I'll get a job soon, too. Then we can start looking for a bigger place."
Emma nodded. "Is there anything in particular you're looking for? I know you're used to being a…leader, but like I said, you'd have to wait a while for people to know you before you could do that."
David shrugged. "I'd be willing to do anything to help our family, Emma," he said clearly, looking right into Emma's eyes so she understood how serious he was. Emma wondered if Snow had told him about her concerns with Snow being a maid. "And as far as being a leader, you're probably right. I'd need to be more acquainted with this world and its people before I could do that. I might do it someday, though. There are certainly some laws in this world that need readjustment."
Emma nodded, knowing exactly what he meant.
David continued, "What I'd really like to do for a while is what I did as a child. Farming and taking care of livestock. But I haven't seen any jobs like that in the newspaper." He shrugged. "It's okay. Like I said, I'll take any job that helps this family."
Emma nodded, staring at David blankly. He took care of livestock as a child? She had always pictured her father as a prince, or at least a noble, dressing in fancy clothes, eating formal dinners, and a house full of servants. Again Emma remembered Henry had told her David had switched places with his twin brother, James, who was raised as a prince. Still, it was another reminder of how little Emma really knew about her parents. She remembered her decision a couple of days ago to start asking them about their lives in the Enchanted Forest. Here was her chance to start. She took a deep breath and asked, "What do you mean? What kind of livestock did you take care of?"
David beamed at her, obviously pleased that Emma wanted to know more about his life. "Sheep. My father died when I was pretty young, younger than Henry, actually. So for most of my life it was just me and my mother birthing the sheep, raising them, and shearing them. We'd use their milk sometimes, too, though, because cow's milk was hard to come by. Of course, there were also the less flattering parts like cleaning up the sheep dung, too." David's voice showed he remembered this life fondly.
Still…David was a shepherd for most of his life? It was quite a contrast to the life Emma had assumed he'd had But it explained a lot. His patience and his willingness to let Emma approach him, for one thing. And if he was raised mostly by his mother, it might explain why David was so comfortable around women and expressed feelings easier than most men did. (Certainly more easily than Emma did.) It also gave Emma a new appreciation for David's leadership skills. Despite his lack of experience as a child, he was an excellent leader.
"I remember one lamb that was born when we had a late spring," David continued with his childhood memories as a shepherd. "She was kind of small and it was still so cold…I didn't know how she could make it. But my mother…she knew there just had to be a way to save this lamb. She wrapped it up in one of our old wool blankets from last year. She built a small fireplace inside the barn so the lamb could stay warm all night. My mother and I watch over it all the time. She knew when to comfort it and hold it close, and when we should watch it from a distance. And it was like…this lamb began to realize it had to live because…someone cared about it so much, you know?" He smiled at her.
Emma nodded, still not speaking. She couldn't help but notice the parallels between this little lamb David was discussing and herself. There were times Emma wasn't sure she make it through her life, especially now, with Henry missing. But her parents loved her enough to make it possible. Apparently David learned a lot about life and taking care of people by taking care of sheep. She also couldn't help but notice it was David's mother, not David himself who believed the lamb could be saved. David was ordinarily so optimistic, so it was hard to believe there was a time he wasn't. It must have been a trait he had learned from his mother. Maybe there was hope for Emma to learn some optimism, too.
OOOOOOOOOOO
That afternoon, Emma received something in the mail from the State of Maine Social Services. She opened it right away. After all, it probably had something to do with Henry, right? She began to read:
Dear Miss Swan,
The Hearing to decide the custody of Henry Mills will be held Friday, September 27, at 12:00PM, at the Bangor City Court. Judge Quincy will preside. You will appear at this court at the appointed time, or it will be assumed you do not want custody of the child.
If you wish, you may consult a lawyer to assist your case. You may also ask people to serve as character witnesses on your behalf.
Sincerely,
Child Social Services
Of the State of Maine
Emma read the letter a few times, making sure she understood everything. She had wished her court date would be a little sooner than another month and a half. She missed Henry desperately and worried about him constantly. Still, Emma hated to admit it, but in some ways it was better this way. It would give her family more time to find jobs and a three bedroom apartment. David and Mary Margaret would be legally married by then, so they wouldn't have to worry about those complications. Plus, Emma hadn't thought of it until now, but maybe she should consider hiring a lawyer. One of the benefits of being outside of Storybrooke was she had more options than just Mr. Gold.
"What are you looking at Emma?" Mary Margaret asked, who had returned from the hospital about an hour ago.
"It's the letter about Henry's custody hearing. It will decide whether Henry can live with us again," Emma replied.
Mary Mar – Snow's eyes widened. "Can I see it? When will it be?" David and Ruby, who had also returned from paying her cell phone bill, also came over, interested in Emma's response.
"Not until the end of September," Emma grumbled. "It's a long time to wait, especially considering I'm so worried about Henry. But I guess it could be a good thing. It gives us more time to do everything we need to do." Emma sighed.
Snow smiled. "I'm proud of you for realizing that, Emma." Then she picked up the letter and skimmed it. "I'll have to talk to my boss at the hospital; see if I can get out earlier that day," she commented, obviously noticing the time of the hearing.
Emma shrugged. She hadn't thought of that. The time of the hearing ran over Snow's work time. "Don't worry about it," Emma told her. "Your job is important; it helps us pay bills and buy the things we need."
But Snow, David and Ruby all shook their heads at once. "I'm going to the hearing, Emma," Snow said firmly. "I'll figure something out with my job. I promise. The job does pay bills and everything, but nothing is more important than my family. I need to support you; I need to make sure Henry is allowed to live with us again. The letter says you can have "character witnesses" to help you. I could do that."
"That goes for me, too, Emma," David added. "No matter what job I may have in the future, I'll go to the hearing anyway. I need to be there for you. And I can serve as a character witness, too."
Ruby smiled, "I'll be there at the hearing, too. It doesn't conflict with my job anyway, but I want to be there to help. Henry belongs with this family; anyone can see that. I'd be happy to tell that to anyone who needs to hear it."
Emma nodded, not sure what to say. She should have known her family would be there for her for the hearing, even if it conflicted with jobs. After all no job she might get could prevent Emma from being at the hearing. And if there was one thing Emma was learning this family was good at, it was loyalty. Of course they wanted to be there to support her and make sure Henry was returned to their family. It was just...sometimes she supposed it was still hard to believe people would put her first, she supposed. Out loud she replied, "Thanks," to the group, smiling.
They smiled back. Snow looked at the letter again. "What is a lawyer? Should you see about getting one?"
Emma shrugged. "I hadn't thought about it, but it's probably a good idea. Although I don't know how we'd pay for a lawyer right now… But I have to do everything I can to get Henry back with us and away from that foster home!
"We'll figure something out," Snow told her. "Like I said before, maybe we can ask Granny and the dwarves to pool their money with ours." Everyone else nodded in agreement.
"Let me look up it in the phone book. I'll see if I can find someone who specialized in child custody cases," Emma commented as she began thumbing through. Eventually she found a Wendell Underwood who looked promising. He worked in a small law firm, so the fees if they won wouldn't be that high. But the man advertised to be a child custody specialist. Emma called him up and he agreed to meet her next Tuesday at 2:30PM.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
Friday afternoon, Emma returned to the Hampden Police Department for another interview. She was ecstatic that they called her again. She was well on her way to getting another job in law enforcement and even more importantly, to getting Henry back.
"Hello, Miss Swan," the police chief greeted her again as she entered the office.
"Hello, sir," Emma answered confidently, looking him straight in the eye. She was the best person for this job, and she would do whatever it took to prove it.
"Well, you did well on the questions the other day and you passed the polygraph," the police chief said to her. "So today I'd like to focus on the physical aspects of this job." He handed her a gun, almost identical to the one she carried in Storybrooke. "You said you could handle a weapon before, right?"
"That's right," Emma replied confidently. If it was one thing Emma knew she was good at, it was shooting a gun.
"So prove it to me," the man told her, leading Emma to the target practice room in the back of the police department.
"Of course," she replied. She picked up a pair of headphones and placed them over her ears at the same time as he did. Then Emma pointed the weapon at the target and hit the bull's eye. She pointed again and again. Emma hit the bull's eye every single time. After about six shots, the police chief tapped her shoulder. "That's enough," he commented looking at her in awe. Emma smiled back. She knew she could shoot as well, if not better, than the men employed here.
The police chief took off his headphones and Emma did as well. "Okay, you've proven you're able to handle a weapon. But while we're discussing guns, I'd like to ask you another question. When do you think is an acceptable time to fire a weapon?"
Emma looked him in the eye and replied, "When someone is threatening me, another officer, or a civilian with a weapon themselves. If the person is a minor, I'd be a lot more hesitant to use the gun on them than an adult. I'd really try to talk them out of it. But as a last resort…you've got to protect the innocent people and the other cops."
The police chief nodded. "Okay, I just wanted to make sure your aim wasn't that good because you used your gun too quickly in the past."
"One more thing. Tom!" he called from around the corner. A well – built man with dark hair wearing a police uniform appeared in a couple of minutes. "Yes, Chief Winslow?"
"I want you to practice holds with this woman," he told the other man, pointing to Emma. "She's applying for the open police officer's job. See if she can get you into these cuffs while you're making a struggle." He pulled a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket.
The man, whose nametag red "Officer McKendric", scoffed. "Whatever," he muttered. He proceeded to make a show of making a struggle as Emma put the handcuffs on him.
But Emma knew he hadn't really tried. Drunken bail jumpers that she found half asleep put up more of a fight than this man did. Emma had a feeling he was "going easy on her" because she was a woman. She shoved the man on the ground. "Listen, I may be a woman, but I can put a man in a pair of handcuffs when he's making a struggle! I used to be a bounty hunter. Let me tell you, bail jumpers can put up quite a big fight. Let's try again for real, shall we?"
The man took a deep breath and nodded. This time the man fought her for real. He squeezed her arm but Emma twisted out of his grasp. She kicked him in the back of the leg and he stumbled but didn't fall. Instead he grabbed both of her arms and held her so she couldn't twist out this time. Emma bit him on the shoulder hard, and his arms relaxed. Then she twisted out. Then she grabbed his arm and pulled it to his back. He tried to kick her, but she stepped out of the way in time. Instead she kicked the same leg she had kicked before a lot harder. The officer fell onto his stomach with an "ooofff!" Emma grabbed his other hand and fastened the handcuffs around him.
From the back ground the police chief nodded. "I think that's enough."
"Definitely. I wouldn't want to be fighting against this woman for anything," Officer McKendric agreed. "I'd love to have her on our team, though."
Emma looked at Officer McKendric and the police chief hopefully. The police chief nodded. "Okay, I'm prepared to offer you the position, Miss Swan."
Emma's eyes lit up. It was happening! She had a job she enjoyed and she could provide for Henry! "Thank you so much, sir."
"Hold on a second," the man cautioned as he led Emma back to his office. "Thanks for the help, Tom," he added to the other man as he unfastened the handcuffs. "You're free to go." Officer Tom McKendric disappeared from the building.
"There are some conditions," he told Emma as he sat back down at his desk. Emma nodded. She should've known getting what she wanted couldn't be that easy.
"I know you have quite a bit of experience in law enforcement already, but I still need you to take some courses in criminal justice. You can take them at the University at Orono; it's right next to Bangor."
Emma sighed. She knew this was too good to be true. She couldn't afford college courses. She started to shake her head.
"I can set you up with a loan from a bank on my recommendation," he continued, anticipating her problem. "You'd be eligible for in – state tuition because you've lived in Maine for a couple of years. Here's the name of the bank." He wrote down "Key bank" on a piece of paper and handed it to her. "Here's the list of the course s I'd like you to take." The police chief handed her another list that included: Constitutional Law, Illegal drugs – habits and problems, Corrections, and Profiling – a tool or discrimination? "Some of them won't be available until next semester, so you'll have to take them then. Sign up for two of classes this semester. You'll work here thirty - five hours a week instead of forty because you'll be starting school soon. Because of that, you'll get a $19,000 a year salary instead of a $20,000 salary. Is that acceptable?"
Emma nodded. Attending school while she was working might be difficult, but it would be doable. At least she now had a job. "Yes, sir," she replied, smiling. Then suddenly, she thought of something. "I won't be available on Saturday afternoons for the next two months; my son visits me on those days. And on next Wednesday, on September 13 and the 27,I will need the afternoons off as well because of my custody problem with my son. Is that acceptable?" After all, her parents' marriage technically concerned Henry's custody as well.
The thought for a minute and wrote something down. "Yes, that will be okay."
"Thank you, Sir," Emma replied, gratefully.
For the first time since she met the police chief, he gave her a wide grin. "It's Chief Winslow, Officer Swan." Emma nodded again. She liked the sound of that. It sounded almost as good as Sheriff Swan. "Come in on Monday, and I'll issue you a uniform, a weapon and a squad car. You can also fill out the necessary paperwork."
Emma smiled widely. "Of course." As Emma walked out the door, she couldn't wait to tell the rest of her family her wonderful news!
XXXXXXXXXXX
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Henry had done his best to stay positive since he had returned to the Collard's on Saturday evening. His mom had given him some nice detective novels, which were a lot more entertaining than watching TV all day. Grandma had a job, so his family would be able to find a bigger apartment soon. That meant Henry would be living with his family again shortly. In the meantime, Henry tried not to let Tim and Evan's fighting or teasing bother him. He still worried about his family, but it looked like Grandma, Grandpa, and Red were adjusting to this world okay. He was still worried about how Mom was dealing with him being in foster care, but at least she had the rest of the family to support her through it, right?
But Tuesday night, Henry dreamed happy memories of Mom Regina. Memories he hadn't thought of in years. The time when Henry was convinced there was a monster under his bed and refused to get up. Mom Regina crawled under his bed and "killed" the monster for him. The time when he made a plaster handprint for her for Mother's Day and her eyes actually welled up in gratitude. The time when he convinced her he should ride the school bus to school, because that's what all the other kids did. Even though she had wanted to drive him, she finally allowed Henry to do what he wanted, saying "I want you to be happy, Henry."
He woke up in the middle of that night, tears filling his eyes. Henry had tried so hard to be strong since Mom Regina died, especially since he knew he'd have to leave his family. It was his purpose to fight this lady using her rules, and he could only do that if he was strong like the rest of his family, right? But after being bombarded with so many happy memories of his dead mother…Henry couldn't take it anymore. He just…missed her, especially after he remembered the way things used to be between them. He spent most of the rest the night silently crying, soaking his pillow with tears.
The next morning Henry wiped the tears from his eyes several times and splashed water all over his face. He didn't want anyone to know he had been crying the night before. Then he headed to the kitchen for breakfast. He was pretty sure they were all having toast today, so he didn't have to worry about Tim and Evan fighting over the last candy bar.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
Fortunately, no one seemed to notice Henry had spent the night before crying. Of course, it helped that Henry usually kept to himself, reading his detective novels. Still, maybe it was a good thing that people weren't very observant in this household.
That night, Henry dreamed of the happiest days of his life. It was the day when Grandma and Mom Emma had returned from the Enchanted Forest. For a couple of horrible moments, Henry had actually thought Mom Regina and Mr. Gold had killed them before they came through the portal. Then suddenly, a hand appeared on the well…and Mom Emma pulled herself out! Grandma quickly followed. What made it even better was that Mom Regina had actually saved them! Grandma was also able to wake Grandpa from the sleeping curse (of course). That day…his whole family had actually worked together. It had given him hope that things would be okay in the future. The next day, at the welcome back party, Mom Emma even allowed Mom Regina to come. He'd never forget the elation he felt on those days, of having his whole family celebrating together.
But when he woke up, tears filled his eyes again. This was even worse than the night before. His whole family would never be together like that again, no matter how much he wished for it. There would be no other occasion for them to work together, celebrate, or even just say "hi." Mom Regina was dead and there was nothing Henry could do about it. At it would be a while before he could even see the rest of his family, much less celebrate with them. He was stuck here, in a home where no one cared about him. This time Henry's cries weren't silent. Despite himself, he whimpered, gulped and sniffed as the tears continued to come.
Just then a loud car honked outside the window of the bedroom. Tim and Evan grumbled as they woke up to the noise. But before they fell asleep again, they heard Henry's sniffs and whimpers. "Is he actually crying?" Tim asked in disbelief.
"I think he is," Evan replied, also sounding shocked.
"I knew the kid was a freak, but I didn't know he was a wuss, too!" Tim explained. "What do you say we teach this wuss a lesson?" he asked as he climbed out of his cot.
"Sounds good," Evan replied climbing out his cot, too.
Henry tried to stop crying and wipe his eyes. He didn't know what these boys were planning, but it didn't sound good. But it was too late. The boys had already come over to the cot he slept on. Evan grabbed Henry's arms and Tim climbed onto his legs. For the next hour, Tim punched Henry's face and chest. "This is what it means to be a wuss, got it, wuss?" the two boys said as they continued to beat him.
The next morning, Tim and Evan got up like nothing happened. At least they didn't seem to have broken anything, Henry thought to himself. Although he did have multiple bruises on his chest and face. He
sighed as he got dressed. The bruises weren't that big though, so he'd probably be okay. They sure did hurt, though, Henry thought as he pulled his green shirt over his head.
As Henry ate his breakfast, no one mentioned his bruises or asked about them, not even Ronald or Bobby. Henry knew the parents in this foster home didn't really care about him or the other boys. They had already made it perfectly clear. But to be so obviously injured…and no one even asked about it? Henry remembered a time when he was younger and he fell, climbing on the monkey bars. It was just a few scrapes, and his teacher had put Band – Aids on them. But when he arrived home, Mom Regina had asked about them. She wanted to know where he got the scrapes. Of course, when he told her the monkey bars, it had started her belief that the playground was "unsafe", but still. At least she had cared that Henry was hurt! No one cared here. Not even the younger boys, who seemed pretty nice last week.
As Henry finished he breakfast, he didn't know how to take this anymore. This was foster care? No wonder Mom Emma didn't want him to go into it. He was separated from his family, he was living with people who didn't care about him at all, and the boys his age teased him and beat on him. Maybe Mom Emma had been right. It would have been better to run away and hide in the woods.
He began looking through his detective books again, hoping to take his mind of his problems. Suddenly as he picked up his copy of The Tower Treasure, a piece of paper fell out. It had been carefully folded, so it would be easy to miss. What was it? Something the previous owner had forgotten about? Mom had mentioned she got these books at a yard sale.
But as Henry unfolded it, he realized it was addressed to him.
Dear Henry,
I know living in that foster home must be really tough, and I want you to know how proud I am of you for doing it anyway. You and your grandparents were right. Running away never solves anything. But I'm going to find a way for you to live with us again. We've already started the process, since your grandma has a job. Just remember, no matter how tough things get, you have a family that loves you. We'd do anything to make you happy, Henry.
Love,
Mom
Henry read the letter over and over again, as hope for getting through this filled him again. His mom was right. Running never solved anything. Besides that, he did have a family that loves him. A family that he could only live with permanently if he didn't run from the foster home. And that knowledge could get him through this awful place. He clutched the letter to his chest tightly. He needed to keep this in a safe place, so he could look at it whenever he needed to and it wouldn't get destroyed. The letter gave him hope when he had none, just like he fairytale book had done. It was now his most important possession. After thinking for a second, he placed it inside his shoe.
As Henry's day continued, his mind kept going back to his mom. This was a woman who had been raised in foster care. She had sixteen years of parents that didn't care about her and other foster children that taunted, teased, and hurt her. And she still came out of it a nice person who loved him and wanted to be the best mother she could be. She was even capable of helping others, Henry thought to himself, thinking of all the times she helped people as Storybrooke's Sheriff. Henry knew Mom Emma was a hero, just like the rest his family. But he had always thought that was because she was the Savior. And because she had tried to help Mom Regina slow the failsafe down when Storybrooke blew up. Henry never thought the most important reason she was a hero was because she had survived the foster system and was still a good person. But he definitely believed that now. And if Mom Emma could survive it for sixteen years, he could definitely survive it for a few months. He could become a hero, just like her.
OOOOOOOOOO
Henry woke up on Saturday, looking forward to his visit to his family. But as he put his blue shirt on, he noticed the bruises on his face were still quite visible. Mom had written that she understood running wasn't a good idea. But if she knew Henry had been hurt…would she still believe that? Remembering how close Mom had been to punching the lady who took him away, Henry wasn't sure she would. Quickly making a decision, Henry quietly tip toed into the Collard's bedroom and found some cover – up. Carefully, he dabbed some on the bruises all over his face. There. The bruises on his chest were unnoticeable as long as he kept his shirt on. Too bad they still hurt a little.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
The woman who took him away arrived at 11:00. It was an hour after she had arrived the week before but he supposed he didn't need to take the blood test this time. Of course, when she arrived, Mr. Collard was playfully tickling Ronald and Bobby (he never even touched the boys during the week), and Mrs. Collard was examining Henry's detective books. "These are wonderful books, Henry," she told him, sounding sincere. "I'm so glad you enjoy reading," she smiled at him. Inwardly, Henry thought If you really were glad I enjoyed reading, you'd buy me some books, too. But it's TV all the time, here. But outwardly, Henry smiled at her. If Mom Emma could be nice to people after surviving foster care, he could, too.
As Miss Jordan, got him into her car, she exclaimed, "We have a surprise for you today, Henry. We're meeting at the Wal – Mart instead of your family's apartment. You are all going to go shopping!"
Henry nodded, trying to figure out why that was something to get excited about. They had already been shopping at Wal – Mart a couple of weeks ago. And Mom Emma had bought him more clothes last week, too. Why would his family want to go shopping again when they could spend time together at the apartment?
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OOOOOOOOO
The Charming family had some sandwiches before they left, since the social work woman made it clear she would buy a small lunch for Henry on the road. Then they quickly rode the city bus to the Wal – Mart and waited by the door for Henry to arrive.
Although Snow was shocked to hear that she wasn't legally married to her Charming in this world, she had warmed up to the idea of having another ceremony. It would be a chance for Emma and Henry to see them marry as well as the rest of their surrogate family. They were even planning on including Henry in the ceremony. According to Emma, that would mean a lot to the boy. Snow was more than happy to do something to make him blissful again, since the boy was forced to live away from his family for now.
Snow was thinking on including Emma in the ceremony as well. Their "marriage license" indicated they needed two witnesses, correct? So who better to be the second witness than their daughter, and the mother of her grandson? But Emma hadn't expressed any interest in being a witness; even though she made it clear she'd like Henry to be one of the witnesses. Maybe the idea made Emma too uncomfortable? Besides, a part of Snow wondered if she should ask Red to be a witness, instead. After all Red was like a sister to her. Furthermore, Red had helped her find Charming more times than she could count. There would be no way they would have been married one time, let alone three times, without her help. Snow sighed. It wasn't a decision she'd have to make now. They would both be attending the wedding, so they would need dresses, right?
As Snow continued to mull things over Charming came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "You okay?" he asked her quietly. "I know it bothers you that were not married in this world; it bothers me, too. But we're going to fix that, right?"
Snow shook her head. "No, it's not that. I'm actually looking forward to marrying you again." She stroked his cheek and he gave her his special smile. "I was just thinking…were supposed to have two witnesses. Henry will be one but who will the other be…" Her gaze drifted to Emma and Red, who were talking amongst themselves.
Charming nodded in understanding. "We don't have to decide that today. Let's just concentrate on finding some things to wear to the wedding."
Just then, a car drove in to the yard and Henry and the social worker lady stepped out. Henry made a beeline for Emma. "Hi Mom!" he exclaimed as he gave her a great big hug. Then he whispered something in her ear and Emma smiled back. After he and Emma hugged again, he turned to the rest of the group. "So why are we here today?" Henry asked confused. "Didn't we buy clothes already?"
"Well," Emma replied, "Actually, we're going to need clothes for a special occasion." She smiled at Snow and Charming, encouraging them to tell Henry the rest.
"We're getting married," they both said at the same time, sounding excited about the idea. No matter how many times they ended up getting married, they always ended up enjoying the ceremonies…or the majority of them anyway.
Henry looked confused for a minute. "But…" he began. He was probably wondering why they were getting married when he knew his grandparents already were married. Then, he seemed to realize why. They weren't married in this world. "That's great!" he replied brightly. Snow was beginning to realize her grandson was very smart and extremely good at reading between the lines. She'd have to remember that.
"We'll be getting married in a few weeks," Snow continued, explaining the details to him. "On Friday, the 13th, at 4: 30. We've already been given permission for you to come, even though it's not your normal visiting day."
Henry nodded happily at that. "Really?" he asked the social worker woman, afraid to hope. The woman nodded.
"But that's not all," Charming continued, kneeling down slightly to talk to him eye – to – eye. "We want you to be a part of the wedding, Henry. We want you to be one of our witnesses. Would you like that?
Henry's eyes lit up and his mouth fell open. "Really?" he asked when he finally spoke again. "You'd really want me to stand up with you?" Henry sounded way past blissful, like he couldn't believe this was real.
"Of course," they both replied, nodding. Henry ran to both his grandparents and gave them a big bear hug. Emma had been right; being a witness for their wedding meant everything to Henry.
Snow, Emma, and Red looked at many different dresses. Red was, of course, searching for something…well, red. "How about this one?" Emma asked Red, holding up a plain dark pink dress.
Red shrugged. "Well, it's not really red. I'm looking for something red."
"You could wear that one yourself, Emma," Snow suggested, holding the pink dress in front of her daughter.
Emma made a face and shook her head. "Too much pink. If I have to wear a dress, it's going to be in a more neutral color." Snow nodded. Her daughter didn't seem to be that interested in dressing up. Snow wondered if Emma would've had a different attitude if she had grown up in the Enchanted Forest as princess, or if it was just Emma being Emma. She shrugged. It really didn't matter. This was who Emma was now; a person who didn't care for dressing up. She'd have to remember that.
"Maybe something more like this, then?" Snow held out a simple black skirt that went down to the knee. "You could wear a simple blouse with it."
Emma picked up the skirt and inspected it. "This wouldn't be too bad." She nodded.
"I think that would look very nice on you, Emma" Charming agreed.
"I think it looks alright, Mom," Henry added looking up at the skirt as well.
"Okay," Emma agreed, putting in their cart.
Snow inspected several dresses herself, but nothing seemed to fit. She didn't want anything too fancy; after all she'd already had a formal wedding. But at the same time, Snow was a person who had grown up believing celebrations meant dressing up. And no matter how many times she married her husband, it was always a celebration. "This one has too much lace," she commented, holding up sky blue dress that had lace all over the sleeves, waist, and collar. "This wasn't what I had in mind," she continued, looking at a plain purple dress that was far too short in her opinion. "This is too much black," she shook her head, pulling out a silk black dress. Snow was always more comfortable in white or colored dresses than black.
Emma shrugged. "We don't have to buy everything here, you know. There's a Goodwill store in this city, too. Maybe we'll find something there."
Snow nodded, relieved. "Okay. Let's take a look at the men's clothes now." Maybe Charming and Henry would have better luck than she did.
Charming found a suit in a nice dark blue. Snow thought it looked wonderful; she always loved the way blue brought out his eyes. Henry tried to find a suit that looked similar. Snow realized that even though Henry didn't seem to be any more interested in dressing up than Emma, he looked up to his grandpa and wanted to be just like him.
"How about this one, Henry?" Emma asked, showing him a black suit made for a young man Henry's size.
Henry shook his head. "I wanted one like Gr –" he paused, obviously remembering the social worker woman was still with them. "Like…David's," Henry finished.
Emma smiled. "That's okay; maybe we can find something at Goodwill for you too," she told him as she patted his shoulder. Was it Snow's imagination, or Henry make a wince of pain as Emma did that? But a second later, the look was gone, so she decided it must have been her imagination. After all, Emma hadn't noticed anything wrong.
"Let's order some wedding bands," Emma said, taking charge of their situation again. Snow was able to get a measurement for her ring quickly, since the lady simply measured her existing wedding ring. Charming, however, had to have his finger measured. Snow found she loved the idea of Charming wearing a ring as well. It showed their marriage was a partnership; that they were equals that did everything together, like they always had. From the look on Charming's face as he tried on the different rings, he loved the idea as well. It was one more reason why having another wedding was a wonderful idea.
After ordering rings for both Snow and Charming (they would be told when their rings arrived on their communication devices), the group headed off to the Goodwill. The social worker woman volunteered to take them all in her car. Although they were all uncomfortable with getting in a car that belonged to the woman who had taken Henry away, the group finally agreed. After all Henry would have to ride with her anyway, so this way, their family could ride together. It was a bit of a tight squeeze for five adults to ride in this "car", but they managed.
As the woman drove, Emma told her the news had been looking for an opportunity to share. She finally had a steady job, at the Hampden Police Department. The woman seemed somewhat impressed; although she was quite disappointed Emma had still failed to take her blood test. "I'll take it as soon as I can, after I get my first paycheck, okay?" Emma told her, firmly. "I would have taken it this week, but I didn't expect it to be so expensive."
The woman sighed as she continued driving. "Some of the things you will need to provide for your son will be expensive, Miss Swan. You have to be willing to accept that if you want to take care of him."
"I am willing to accept that!" Emma exclaimed, almost screaming at the woman. "I just need to get the money to take care of it. I will have the money as soon as I get my first paycheck at the Police Department."
The woman apparently had nothing to say to that. Snow was glad for that, because she would have screamed at her as well. Emma was doing everything the woman asked her to do, and the woman still had complaints? What was wrong with her and with this world?
Henry, obviously wanting to defuse the situation, chose this moment to say, "I'm so glad you got the job at the police department, Mom! That's the job you really wanted! I knew you could do it!"
Snow could hear Emma's smile in her voice from the back of the car. "Thanks, Henry. I'm happy about it, too."
They reached the Goodwill and Red was able to find what she was looking for right away: a red dress.
Snow looked for a while, trying to find just the right dress: not too fancy and not too plain. Definitely nothing in black, she added to herself as she found another black dress among the clothes in her size. "What about this one?" Emma asked showing Snow a bright green dress with sparkles all over it. "It's definitely not something I'd wear, but you might like it."
Snow shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe." She kept looking. Maybe she shouldn't be so picky. What did it really matter what she wore, as long as she married Charming, again?
"Excuse me?" the social worker said from behind. "What about this one?" She held up a royal blue dress that had a rather low neckline and fell to the knee. Snow first instinct was to say "no" to anything this woman suggested. This was the woman who had taken Henry away from their family and was still giving Emma a hard time about the stupid blood test. Why should she listen to her at all? But still…a blue…it was similar to the color on Charming's suit. So she picked it up and inspected it. It was actually…exactly what she was looking for.
"That would look great on you, Mary Margaret," he daughter told her, nodding as Snow held the dress against her.
"I think you'd look gorgeous in it," Charming told her, his eyes showing the truth in his words.
"And it matches Gr – David's" suit!" added Henry, excited. "Now we just need to find something in that color for me."
They were able to find a suit for Henry in blue. It wasn't quite the shade of blue that he wanted; it was more of a navy blue, but Henry was satisfied, so that was what mattered. They also all bought some black dress shoes at the Goodwill for the occasion. Then, unfortunately it was time for Henry to go.
"Goodbye Henry," they all told him, giving him a hug. "We'll see you next week."
"Thanks for letting me be a witness," Henry told them as he hugged his grandparents.
"No problem," they replied.
Emma hugged her son one more time, and then Henry got in the woman's car and drove away again.
They all sighed and picked up their purchases to wait for their bus.
What did you think of that? I appreciate those of you who have followed or favorite this story, but I'd really love some more reviews as well. Pretty please?
Also, I will be switching to an every other Sunday posting schedule after today. I'm starting a new project (which has nothing to do with Once or fanfiction, for the record), and it needs to be my top priority. Look for chapter nine on March 16. Of course, after next week, we'll have the show back on Sundays, so that should help, huh?