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

9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

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

When Snow went into work on Monday morning, she went straight to her boss's office, Mr. Carlow. She needed to make sure she could have September 28 off. Or at least leave in enough time for this "hearing" that would decide where Henry would live. She had promised Emma she would be there to support her and help get Henry back. And she would. Snow didn't care what she had to do, she would be there. That meant she had to talk to Mr. Carlow about it.

"Hello, Mr. Carlow," Snow greeted him as she walked confidently into his office. "I need to talk to you." She had said "talk" not "ask" on purpose. She needed to make it clear that she wouldn't take no for an answer. Snow still remembered how Emma tried to pretend it wouldn't bother her if Snow didn't come to the hearing. "You job is important" she had said. That was true, but no job could be more important than her daughter. Her daughter needed Snow there, whether she was willing to admit or not. And her grandson, too, who was obviously lonely, living without his family.

"Okay," Mr. Carlow replied, looking up from reading something.

"On September 28, I will need the day off, or at least be able to leave before 11:00AM," she told him firmly. 11:00AM should give her enough time to change out of her cleaning uniform into other clothes and ride the bus to where this "court" was.

Mr. Carlow stared back at her, a little disapprovingly. Well, Snow didn't care what he thought. She needed this time off. She looked right back at him. "You are going to have to tell me why before I can consider it, Mary Margaret. I can't have people asking for time off whenever they feel like it. You were hired to work during that time," he told her after a moment.

Oh. That made sense. Snow had told this man she could take directions and orders from other people in her interview. And she had been able to do that, as Marianne explained how to use the cleaning supplies in this word. But, since she still expected this man to do as she asked, without explaining why, maybe she was still adjusting to the fact that she wasn't a queen in this world. "Of course. I'm sorry. My…sister," it was still a little difficult to call Emma a sister, but at least she could say she was family. "Has a custody hearing at noon. It will decide where her son will live. We need him to live with us, his family. Emma needs me there to support her and to be a character witness."

Mr. Carlow nodded. "That is a good reason." He wrote something down. "But unfortunately, we have a fixed schedule here. If you want that time off, you're going to have to find someone to work it for you."

Snow nodded. "Okay." If that's what she needed to do to go to this hearing to help Emma and Henry, she would do it. She'd just have to talk to some of the employees that normally worked in the afternoon.

OOOOOOOOOO

After work, Cindy and Wendy invited her for lunch in the cafeteria. "I don't have to pick up Timmy today; he's with his grandma. Is your man picking you up today?"

Snow shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Actually, there's something I'd like to talk you about." These ladies had worked here longer than she had; maybe they knew who she could ask to work for her. They picked up some sandwiches and some drinks and sat down. Snow decided she'd try that "cola" that she had seen Emma and Henry drink before.

"So, Mary Margaret, you said there was something you wanted to talk to us about?"

"Yes," she said, taking a sip of cola. It was alright, but Snow was pretty sure she'd stick with water from now on. "I need to find someone to work for me on September 28. Or at least work from 11:00AM. My, ah, sister, has a custody hearing that day. They'll decide where her son will live. I need to be there to help. Mr. Carlow told me I could have the time off, but only if I found someone to cover my shift myself."

Cindy nodded, her eyes widening as Snow explained the problem. "Of course we'll help. Custody hearings are nasty. I'm glad I never had to go through that with Timmy." It was interesting that these "custody hearings" seemed pretty normal in this world. People actually took away other people children on a regular basis? And the rest of the world simply accepted it? Snow hoped she and Charming could become leaders someday to change some of these laws. But in the meantime, she needed to deal with Henry's custody hearing.

Wendy nodded as well. "I hope I'll never have deal with that, either. I'd like to think if I had a kid, I'd be married. But if I wasn't I'd make the custody agreement real clear. Too bad your sister can't find a man like yours. But that's beside the point. We'll help you find someone so you can go the hearing."

What did Emma's "man" (did she mean husband/boyfriend?) have to do with anything? Snow agreed it was too bad Emma didn't have a husband to help her raise Henry. She really didn't know what happened to Henry's father. At least Emma had her, and Charming, and Red to help. But what did any of that have to do with the custody fight? It might be better not to ask, though. Wendy obviously expected her to know what she was talking about. If she asked too many questions, Emma was right. People would realize they didn't belong here. What would happen then? So Snow paused and took a bite of her sandwich. "Thanks," she finally replied. "So who do you think I should ask first?"

Wendy shrugged. "I really don't know. I haven't been working here long enough to know the people that don't work on our shift, either." She took a bite of her sandwich.

Cindy thought for a few minutes, staring into space as she did so. "Don't ask Jamie. She would only give you a big speech about not wasting your time. Samantha would probably like to help, but she has a kid, too. I don't know if she can change her childcare hours. There's Sally, I suppose. I can't think of a reason why she wouldn't help, but I don't know if she will. I don't know her that well. She usually comes in at four."

Snow nodded. That sounded promising. "I'll stay here and find out if I can see her. What does she look like?"

Cindy shrugged. "Shoulder – length blond hair that she usually wears in a ponytail. She should come in the employee room today. "

Snow nodded. "Okay." They finished their sandwiches and the other ladies got ready to leave the hospital. Snow settled in the employee room to wait for this "Sally."

Sally finally showed up, at ten minutes of four. "Hello," Snow said to her, holding out her hand. "I'm Mary Margaret."

Sally nodded, looking a little confused. "Okay. I'm Sally," she said, shaking Snow's hand.

"I have a big favor to ask you, and I was told you might be receptive to it."

Sally nodded, looking nervous.

"I usually work from 7:00 to 1:00, but on September 28, I need someone to come in at 11:00AM for me. My sister has a custody hearing for her son. I need to be there to help her." Snow was getting used to calling Emma her sister. She didn't even hesitate calling her that this time.

Sally stayed quiet for a few minutes thinking. Snow was just beginning to think she'd have to ask someone else when Sally finally said, "Okay. I'll do it. I understand how important it would be to help your sister with this. But if I ever need you to work for me, I expect you to agree as well. My shift is 4:00 to 9:00."

Snow's eyes lit up in gratitude. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!" Now she could help Emma at the hearing. She didn't have to worry about her job!

"Don't forget, "Sally reminded her. "I expect you do to the same for me if I ever need you to."

"That's okay. I can do that." She left the hospital singing to herself, she was so happy.

XXXXXXXXXX

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Emma arrived at the Hampden Police Department at 7:00AM on Monday morning, just as she had promised. It still wasn't easy for her to get up that early, but hey, at least they had coffee in their apartment. Besides, this job was important to her. Better still, Chief Winslow even offered her a cup at the station.

"So, Officer Swan," he began as they both sat down with fresh cups of coffee, "let's get started on the paperwork." Emma nodded as she quickly filled out all the standard forms including social security and income tax. Then she came to an unfamiliar form. "That's for health insurance," Chief Winslow told her as he noticed her looking at the form. "A full – health insurance plan is provided for you and your family members with this job."

Emma's eyes widened as she began to fill out the form. That was wonderful news! The health insurance plan would really help her in the custody fight for Henry. And since Snow or Mary Margaret was supposed to be her sister and lived with her too, it appeared she was eligible for the health insurance as well.

The next form was for her police cruiser. "Before I can issue the cruiser, I need to lay out some ground rules. You are allowed to use the car because of this job. It does not belong to you. Therefore, I expect to be kept clean and in good condition. If it is broken by accident, we will provide money to fix it, but only if you can prove it wasn't your fault. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Emma replied. She hoped she never got involved in an accident with the police cruiser. It was really hard to prove accidents weren't your fault.

"And one more thing," Chief Winslow continued. "I understand you live in Bangor?"

Emma nodded.

"I don't have a problem hiring you to work here, but I need you to understand the cruiser is for you to use while you're in Hampden. You will not be permitted to drive it home. You are allowed to use it to do occasional driving off the job. For example, to buy a coffee," he gestured to the cup she was currently sipping, "a newspaper, or to visit someone who lives here before or after your shift if you would like. But driving out of this town cannot be used with our cruiser."

"Okay." Emma agreed. It would have been nice to have a car to drive to and from work in, but it made sense she could only use it in this town.

"I'll give you the keys to Cruiser D for now," the chief told her as he finished his lecture. He pushed over a key.

"Thanks," Emma told the man, smiling. She put the key on her key chain, which currently carried only her apartment key. It made her feel official, seeing that key on her key chain. She really had this job.

Chief Winslow disappeared for a minute. When he came back, he was carrying new police officer's uniform and a weapon. "This is your uniform. They are made for men, so I got you the medium. I hope it fits. Here's your name tag. This is your service weapon," he continued, showing her the gun. "You know you need to wear it at all times when you're on duty, right?"

"Of course" she replied.

"Okay, there's a rest room down the hall to the right. You can change there and then you can get started. Officer Sam Collins will be in soon. He'll be your partner for this week."

Emma found Officer Collins to be interesting. He was man about her age, average height, with dark brown hair and a long nose. He was liked to talk, that was for sure. "So you used to be a bounty hunter, huh? That sounds cool. Why did you quit to become a police officer in Suburban Maine?" he asked her as they got in the police cruiser.

Emma shrugged. "I wanted to spend more time with my son," she replied, trying to keep it simple.

Officer Collins nodded. "That makes sense. If I ever had kids, I wouldn't want a job that required me to travel that much, either." He pulled the car out of the driveway and turned onto the road. "I guess Hampden's not that bad. When I was in school I always figured I'd be one of those big city cops, you know? Solving murders and busting up gangs. But I got offered a job here…and I guess it's alright. I grew up a few miles from here so I'm used to it. I spend more time stopping people for speeding than doing anything really exciting. But my mother is happy, and I have time to play baseball."

That was a lot of information. Emma hoped he didn't expect her to talk that much. She didn't really share information about herself with someone she just met.

"Do you like baseball?" he asked her, interrupting her thoughts.

She shrugged. Honestly, even though baseball was America's pastime, it wasn't something she'd ever enjoyed. Team sports had never really appealed to her, since she'd never had anyone to play with. In the past year, when she did finally have family and friends to play sports with,...well, her family preferred archery, sword fighting, and horseback riding to modern sports.

"I thought you might like it," Officer Collins continued as he drove through town. "A lot of women don't. But since you're in police work…well I thought you might like men's sports."

Emma stared at him, trying to decide how she felt about that comment. Police work was men's work…was that what he was saying? And what was this about "men's sports"? Her dislike for baseball had nothing to do with it being a "man's sport!" Still, it didn't sound as if he doubted her abilities as a police officer, unlike Officer McKendric and Chief Winslow had at first. In the end, she kept quiet.

Officer Collins continued, "I have a group of guys I play ball with regularly. We could always use an extra player, if you ever interested."

"I think that person is parked in that spot illegally," Emma replied instead, hoping to get his mind back on the job. Why was he so talkative? She didn't need a friend; she needed a job.

Officer Collins looked at the car Emma had indicated, parked in front of the local supermarket. The car was parked sideways, so it took up two parking spots instead of one. "Yeah. You're right. Let's write them a ticket."

OOOOOOOOO

During the rest of their shift, they wrote up two other parking tickets and stopped one man for speeding. They also bought two more cups of coffee and a couple of sandwiches for lunch. Officer Collins was right about one thing. Police work in suburban Maine wasn't very exciting. Despite all the trouble they caused, a part of Emma longed for the days of Cora, Hook, Regina, and Tamara in Storybrooke. Then she inwardly scolded herself. Cora was killed, but not before causing a lot of heartache for people, especially Mary - Snow. Hook was…well, alright, she supposed. Regina was still the mother Henry was grieving for, who sacrificed her life to save as many people in Storybrooke as she could. And Tamara…well, Emma would rather not think of all the hurt and betrayal that involved thinking of her. At least working here, her family was safe, and Henry would live with them again soon.

Officer Collins spent the rest of the shift trying to talk Emma's ear off. She supposed, in a way, she couldn't really blame him. After all, they didn't have much else to do. Still, he expected Emma to be comfortable with talking with him in a way she really couldn't. Finally, their shift was over. "I'll see you, tomorrow, Emma," he told her as they got out of the car they had parked back in the station.

"Sure," she replied, trying to sound cheerful. He wasn't a bad man at all. He seemed very nice. But all this talk, talk, talk! Even worse was when he expected her to talk back. Emma wasn't going to share anything about herself with someone she barely knew. She sighed and walked back to the bus stop. Unfortunately, she'd still have to wait until 5:00PM before the evening bus would come back. In the meantime, she'd buy some ice cream and read the newspaper.

OOOOOOOOOO

Snow had made a delicious stuffed chicken that night, and the three of them ate two helpings each. "How was your first day on the job?" Snow asked Emma.

Emma shrugged, "Not bad. It wasn't very exciting, but that's okay. I can still help people with this job, and more importantly, it will help me get Henry back."

Snow nodded. "That's good. Did you get along with the other people working there? I found the women I'm working with are very friendly. They're fun to talk to. They even helped me find someone to work my shift on September 28. I can go to the custody hearing with you, Emma!"

Emma eyes widened. "Really?" She didn't know why, but a part of her had expected Snow to not be able to go. Snow had already made it clear she would make sure she would come to the hearing, hadn't she? So why was Emma so surprised it worked out? Maybe because things didn't usually work out for Emma. "That's great." Snow leaned over and gave her a hug. Emma even returned it. She was getting used to this "family being there" stuff.

"So what happened with your job?" Snow asked again. "How did you like the people?"

Emma tried to hide her surprise at all these questions about her life. She still wasn't used to people being so interested in her. "They're all right. The Chief is pretty nice, now that he's gotten over his chauvinism. I liked getting the key to the car and the uniform, especially with the nametag. It made it feel more…real, you know?"

"Can I see it, Emma? The nametag, I mean?" David asked. He smiled proudly at her. Apparently he understood how important those things were to her. She had been secretly hoping they would want to see it.

"Of course. I'll get it after dinner," Emma promised, grateful.

"So what about the other police officers, Emma?"Snow pressed. "Did they give you a hard time for being a woman, too?"

Emma sighed. She had been hoping Snow would forget about that. "No…I mean, not really. The man I worked with today…he was okay, I guess."

"What do you mean, you guess?" Snow persisted. Didn't she know when to let something go? Emma wondered. She wasn't comfortable talking about why she didn't like Officer Collins.

David touched his wife's shoulder softly and shook his head. "Sounds like you had pretty good first day over all. I'm really glad you got a nametag and everything.

Emma smiled gratefully at David. "Yeah." They did look at Emma's official nametag closely after dinner as well as her service weapon. It was nice to have parents that were proud of her.

OOOOOOOOOO

That night, Emma was excited about her day. David was right; it was pretty good overall. She was an official Hampden Police Officer. Henry would definitely with them again soon. As a result, she had trouble falling asleep. That led to her hearing noises that she definitely would rather not hear. "mmmmhhhhhmmmm. "Ooooo yes!" "uh – huh, that it!" "love you." Were the wall in this apartment really that thin? Or were they just being really loud? For all the trouble they had in Storybrooke (since her parents' bedroom had no door) maybe it was better because it wasn't on the same floor as hers!

Then suddenly, Emma thought of something scary. Really scary. Were they using birth control? It was unlikely, considering they wouldn't know anything about modern methods. A baby…beyond Emma's discomfort with the idea (a baby that would have the life she never had), there were practical problems why her parents shouldn't be having a child. They were far too unfamiliar with this world, for one thing. They had very little money, for another. But most importantly, Emma wanted her family's energy to be concentrating on getting Henry back, not adding to the family.

Did this mean she'd have to talk to her parents about birth control? Emma pulled her covers over her head at the thought. She couldn't think of anything more awkward. She'd rather listien to sex sounds, even walk in on them again, any day over that. But it had to be done, didn't it?

OOOOOOOOOOO

Emma's day at work on Tuesday was very similar to Monday. She and Officer Collins stopped two people for speeding and gave out three parking tickets. Emma reminded herself that this job would allow Henry to live with her again. It would allow her to spend more time with him when he finally came back than bounty hunting. It would also provide her family (at least some of them) with health insurance. So she would continue to do this job.

Officer Collins also continued to talk Emma's ear off most of the day. She, really, really, wished he wouldn't. She didn't want to be this guy's buddy. They were just co – workers. End of story. Emma had enough to deal with concerning her family without befriending co – workers. Still, it wasn't as if they had anything else to do all day.

At least listening to Officer Collins was easier than what she would have to do when she returned home. Ugh. She still couldn't believe she'd have to talk to her parents about birth control! Finally, their shift finished and Emma climbed out of the cruiser. "See you tomorrow, Emma," Officer Collins called out cheerfully.

"Okay," Emma agreed, trying to get away from the cruiser as fast as she could. What if he offered to take her out for coffee or something? She headed for the bus stop. At least she could wait until 5:00PM until she had to worry about the "birth control conversation" with her parents.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Eventually, Emma had to go home, as much as a part of her would rather spend the night at the bus stop than deal with the awkwardness of this conversation. "Hey, David, how would you like to go for a walk tonight? I know how much you miss the fresh air from your farm." Hopefully he'd be more receptive to her request if she showed she understood her father better since their conversation. Indeed, David smiled at her at that. Even Mary Margaret's eyes shinned as she realized Emma had made a point in getting to know her father.

"That's really nice of you Emma, but I went for a walk already today. We went together after Snow finished her shift at the hospital. The park is lovely there." He shared a loving look with his wife.

Ugh! Emma said to herself. This is why these two definitely need birth control. And Emma had just realized she'd much rather talk to Mary Margaret about this alone than both of them. So David had to leave. "I really think you could use more fresh air, David!" Emma insisted. "You used to spend all day in the sun. You definitely need more." She gave him a gentle push toward the door.

Suddenly it seemed to occur to David that Emma didn't want him here for some reason. "Okay, Emma, I'll leave." He headed out the door, but not before Emma saw the hurt on his face he had tried to hide. She wanted to say she was sorry, but talking about birth control with Mary Margaret would be hard enough without David. She needed to get through this first.

Mary Margaret turned back to Emma after David disappeared. Her face appeared to be displaying several emotions at once. Emma could see confusion, hurt, and pride on Mary Margaret. "What was that about?" Mary Margaret asked. "I'm honored you'd like to talk to me about something…but Emma...maybe David should hear it too?"

Emma sighed and went to sit at their kitchen table. "It's not what you think. This isn't about me at all."

Mary Margaret nodded. "Okay," she replied, her voice showing veiled anger. "Then why can't David be here?"

Emma shook her head. "This is really hard for me to talk about, okay? I need to get through this before you start asking questions like that."

Mary Margaret sighed and nodded.

Emma took a deep breath and just blurted it out. "Have you guys been using birth control?"

Mary Margaret stared blankly back at her. "Huh?"

Emma looked at her hands. She had been afraid of this. Mary Margaret didn't know the modern terminology, so Emma was going to have to explain what birth control was! She's just Mary Margaret, she's just Mary Margaret Emma said to herself. "Birth control is…a way to prevent pregnancy when you're ah…doing stuff that might get you pregnant." Emma continued looking at her hands the whole time she was speaking.

Mary Margaret nodded in understanding. "Emma, you do know you'd still always be our daughter even if we did have another child, right?"

Emma sighed. She did know that…sort of. But it wasn't the point. "Yeah, okay. But surely you realize now is not the right time for new babies?"

Mary Margaret sighed. "There's always a reason not to have children, Emma. You just have to face them and do it anyway. I learned that a long time ago."

Emma buried her face in her hands. She knew this conversation would be difficult. It would be awkward. She also worried it would be hard for Mary Margaret to understand what Emma was talking about. It had never occurred to her that convincing Mary Margaret to use birth control would be so hard.

Emma put her head up and looked the brunette in the eye this time, so she would understand how important this was. "Yes. That may be true. But in this case, there isn't just one reason not to have a child right now. There are several I can think of. You guys are still getting used this world, for one."

"But Emma –" Mary Margaret protested.

"That's not all," Emma continued, holding up her hand to silence the other woman. "We don't have much money right now. We don't even have the money for a couch or real beds! How would we pay for a crib, and all that other stuff we'd need?"

"We'd find a way – " Mary Margaret protested again.

Emma held up her hand again. "But most importantly, we need to concentrate on Henry's custody hearing right now. Not on new babies. I don't want anything to get in the way of Henry returning to live with us."

Mary Margaret finally sighed and nodded. "Okay, I can see that."

She looked so sad as she gave in that Emma had to give her something. "It doesn't mean forever, you know. As soon as Henry's custody is set…maybe you can try having another one."

Mary Margaret's eyes lit up as she hugged Emma. "Thank you." Then she sat back down. "So how does this 'birth control' work?"

Emma sighed and looked at the floor again. Now she had to explain how to use birth control. Help! She's just Mary Margaret. She's just Mary Margaret, Emma repeated to herself again. "Well, there are these things called condoms," she began a little nervously. "You put them on the guy's…member before it goes…in, so to speak. You can buy them at the Wal – Mart."

Emma peeked back up at Mary Margaret's face to see what her reaction would be. She was already shaking her head. "No. I really don't think…we'd want to do that." Mary Margaret said, just as nervously. It was nice to know Mary Margaret was no more comfortable with this conversation than Emma was. "Isn't there anything else we could use?" Mary Margaret asked hopefully.

Emma shrugged. "There are also birth control pills. You just swallow the pills every morning. Just don't forget to take them."

Mary Margaret sighed and thought for a minute. "Those sound easier. Are you sure they aren't…dangerous at all? In that dungeon, they tried to force me pills, but they reminded me of Regina's alchemy so…" Her voice trailed off as she tried to collect her thoughts.

Emma smiled. "No they're not dangerous. They only prevent pregnancy while allowing you to…still do stuff. They do have a few side effects, but a lot of women don't even experience those. You should be fine"

"Well…okay." Mary Margaret agreed.

"You'll have to get a prescription for them from a doctor," Emma continued. At Mary Margaret's blank look, Emma elaborated, "That's a written note from a doctor that's okay to have the pills. It should be pretty easy for you since you work at the hospital now. Just look for the office of the OB – GYN. I even have health insurance for you to pay for it, with the job at the police department."

Mary Margaret nodded slowly. "Okay. Will you write that down for me?" Emma did so and handed her the slip of paper. "I'll take it to work tomorrow."

Emma sighed in relief that that conversation was over. "Now let's go find David. I don't want him to feel like I don't trust him or something. Because I do, you know. I just this stuff…it's hard enough with you. But with both of you…" Emma cringed at the mere thought.

Mary Margaret nodded and patted Emma's arm. "I understand."

"You'll tell David about the birth control, right?"

"Of course."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

OOOOOOOOO

Snow did talk to Charming about the "birth control thing" that night. He reluctantly agreed to try it, at least until Henry was living with them again. Emma was right. Nothing should be more important than bringing their family together for good. Charming also agreed with her that those "condom things" weren't a good idea. The very idea of having something between them when they were together like that... No, they needed to try something else.

So Snow agreed to look for the doctor with the strange title at the hospital on Wednesday. At their coffee break, she brought up the doctor to Cindy and Wendy. "My sister suggested I see this doctor while I'm here. Called a," she paused as she searched for the piece of paper Emma had given her in her bag. "OB – GYN," she finished.

"Ah – huh!" Wendy nodded.

"Yeah, sooner or later we've all got to do that," Cindy agreed. "I can show you where the office is. You can make an appointment now, before we have to get back to work."

The doctor's office was three floors down from their employee room and around the corner. It wasn't too hard to find. The woman at the desk agreed Snow could see the doctor this afternoon at 3:00PM. Snow happily agreed.

Then she quickly returned to her job. Those floors didn't wash themselves, after all.

OOOOOOOOOO

After she finished her shift, Snow headed to the hospital's park while she waited for 3:00PM. Charming wouldn't be coming today, but it was still nice to be outside. She missed her birds. As she headed out, Cindy and Wendy headed toward their cars in the same direction. "So why do you need to see the gynecologist, anyway?" Cindy asked. "Pap smear?"

What was that? Snow wondered. Out loud she replied, "No. My sister suggested I use…birth control pills."

Wendy grinned and nodded. "Yeah. I can definitely see why you would need those."

Cindy giggled, understanding as well. "Things are going pretty well for you then, I see. How long have you been together?"

Snow paused for a minute, not sure how to answer that question. Technically, she and Charming had been a couple for over thirty years! After all, Emma was thirty, right? But there was no way Cindy and Wendy would believe that. So Snow answered, "About three years," which was the time they remembered being a couple, back in the Enchanted Forest.

Wendy shook her head, "And he still treats you the way he does. Boy, you're lucky."

Snow smiled softly. "I know." No one had to tell her she had to be the luckiest woman on earth to have Charming.

Cindy shrugged. "I don't know. If I were with a guy for that long, I'd wonder why we hadn't got married yet." Then she covered her mouth. "Sorry. Maybe you don't want to get married. A lot of women don't these days."

Snow stopped walking at that comment. She had been enjoying talking to these women about Charming. How long had it been since she and Red had a real "girl talk" about men? But at that last comment, she didn't know how to respond. First of all, Cindy had insulted Charming; she implied he wasn't willing to marry her or something. (Which was beyond ridiculous, considering they were already married.) Second of all what did she mean by "a lot of women don't want to get married?" What kind of world was this?

After another minute of wondering what to reply, she finally called out. "He's willing to marry me! We're going to get married in another month!" So there.

Cindy and Wendy, who had almost reached their cars by now, ran back to Snow. "I'm sorry Mary Margaret! I shouldn't have said anything like that. He's obviously a great guy. Forgive me?" Cindy asked.

Snow shrugged. "It's okay, I guess."

"Why didn't you tell us you were engaged right away?" Wendy wanted to know. "News like that is to be shouted!"

Snow shrugged. She supposed she just didn't really consider it a big deal. She was looking forward to marrying her husband again and being official in this world. But still...in reality they were already married. "I don't really see it as a big deal," she finally told the two women who were becoming her friends. "I mean, I'm happy about it, of course. But we're not having a big ceremony or anything. I think we've got about," she thought for a minute. "Ten people invited."

The two women nodded in understanding. "Well, it's still great news," Wendy told Snow, smiling.

"See you tomorrow. I've got to pick up Timmy," Cindy commented.

Snow sat down to wait for her appointment. Hopefully she could get the birds to come to her today.

OOOOOOOOOO

Snow was finally ready to go to her doctor's appointment. She filled out another form that included her name, birth date in this world, that social security number thing, and the health insurance Emma had told her the police department provided. (How much paperwork did this world really need?)

When they called the name "Mary Margaret" she was led into a small room with a strange – looking bed and one chair in it. The room also had a funny smell. But Snow shrugged her shoulders. It didn't matter. Emma and her co – workers never indicated she had anything to worry about from this doctor. She had promised Emma she would get the birth control pills. So she would do so.

When the doctor entered, the room Snow was amazed to see she was a woman. She didn't know why she was so surprised. Snow had spent her life breaking gender roles in the Enchanted Forest and was proud to see her daughter doing the same here. People in this world seemed to have a more relaxed attitude about women's roles. After all, women here wore pants and short hair on a regular basis. So why was she so surprised women could be doctors, too?

"Hello. I'm Doctor Marshall," said the young – looking redhead with a wire necklace around her neck. "You must be Mary Margaret."

Snow mentally shook off her surprise and smiled at the doctor. "Yes. I'm Mary Margaret."

"So why have you come to see me today?" the woman doctor asked in a friendly voice.

"I was told to see a doctor about…birth control pills." Snow replied, trying to sound more sure of the decision than she really was. She knew Emma was right. There was no way they could think of more children when their family was still separated. And it probably would be a good idea to understand this world a little better before she and Charming had more children. But still…a part of her heart broke at the thought of preventing babies from being created. It didn't seem natural to Snow. Besides, she and Charming had always figured they'd have several children. How long would they have to wait before that dream could come true? Snow reminded herself that Emma promised when Henry's custody was sorted out, they could have more.

Meanwhile, Doctor Marshall nodded at Snow's statement. "Okay. You are aware birth control pills don't protect against sexually transmitted diseases? We recommend you use them with condoms or with a partner you are 100% sure is clean."

Snow's mouth fell open at that statement. She stared at the doctor in shock. Sexually transmitted diseases? Why should she be worried about that? Charming had never and would never enter a brothel! "I don't have to worry about that," she snapped at the woman. She was really getting tired of her husband's honor being questioned. "I am – I mean I'm getting married in another month."

The doctor nodded. "Okay I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure. I don't know your medical or personal history, since this is the first time you've come here."

Snow sighed and nodded. "Yeah. I guess that makes sense."

"Okay. I can give you the prescription as long as you're not on antibiotics?"

Snow had no idea what antibiotics were, but they must be another type of pills. She knew she wasn't taking any others, so she replied, "No, I'm not."

"Okay. However, I am going to have to give you a brief physical, since this is your first visit here. Take off your shirt, please."

Snow shrugged and did so. The woman rubbed her breasts for a few minutes.

"I need to give you a pap smear, too. Please take off your underwear," the doctor continued.

Snow sighed and did as she was told, but a wave of sadness hit her unexpectedly. She hadn't thought this would be a full doctor – examination. The last doctor's examination she had had was when she was pregnant with Emma. Doc had given it to her, as he had all of her exams since she had met him. Snow remembered the careful way he would touch her and speak to her. Doc was a man who knew how a person was treated was just as important in healing and care as herbs, potions, and fairy dust. She missed her old friend. How could she have another doctor's visit without him?

She was so lost in thought about her departed brother that she didn't even notice Doctor Marshall had already finished. "Mary Margaret?" the doctor asked. "You're all set. Here's your prescription for the birth control pills." She handed her a piece of paper with some writing on it. "You can take it to any drug store."

Snow put the paper in her bag and left the hospital in a daze. Doc! She thought to herself again. I miss you.

What did you think of that? I'd really love to have some more reviews, although I'm grateful for the ones I already have (and the favorites and follows).

Also, I'm still working on another project, so I won't be posting for another couple of weeks again. I'll try to post chapter ten by the end of the month.