Chapter Thirteen
Disclaimers: I don't own Once Upon a Time. Furthermore, there is at least one line in this story that is a direct quote from the episode "Red – Handed." Thanks to the writers (whoever wrote that particular one) for that quote. Also this is a sequel to the original "Thicker Than Water" which was written by La Lisboa.
(Drum roll please….here it is! The Snowing wedding chapter. Of course, there's a lot of other stuff that happens, too.)
I like to particularly thank Lisboa for all of her comments in this chapter. I'm glad she liked it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Tuesday afternoon the next week, Henry had his math homework out in front of him as he sat in the cot he slept in. He had been trying to work on the multiplication problems for an hour now. However, Ronald and Bobby wouldn't leave him alone. "Will you sing with us again, Henry?" they asked as he struggled with his math.
"I'm sorry, I've got to do my homework," he replied to the young boys.
About fifteen minutes later, the boys came running in to the bedroom again. "Will you play tag with us, Henry? We played it at school today; it was so fun!
Henry sighed. "Sorry. Tag isn't really a game to play in an apartment. And I still need to do my homework." Both boys nodded, looking disappointed. He felt sorry for them. After all, Henry was pretty sure Ronald and Bobby would rather do other things than watch TV all day, too. And of course Tim, Evan, and Mr. and Mrs. Collard would never play with the boys. So Henry was their only option. And sometimes, he didn't mind. But today, he really needed to do his homework. The boys were at the age where they didn't do homework in school, which was hard for them to understand.
About ten minutes later, Henry heard a crash from the kitchen. Then it was followed by Tim's voice. "What are you doing pip squeak? Are you trying to knock me over or something?" It was followed by a mean laugh. Not quite as bad as the ones Mom was said to have made when she was the Evil Queen, but pretty bad. Then he heard what sounded like punching and Ronald screaming.
Henry threw down his math homework and quickly made his way to the kitchen. He knew he shouldn't get into fights for stupid reasons, but Tim was obviously hurting the younger boy. This wouldn't be a stupid reason. It wasn't far to hurt someone who was so much smaller than you; Henry knew that. So even though Henry was a little upset Ronald never paid attention to Henry's bruises before, Henry defended Ronald. After all, he knew that was what Grandpa would do. "Hey," he said firmly pushing Tim away from Ronald. "Don't do that to him! Can't you see how much smaller he is than you?"
Tim gave that same mean laugh. "Oh, so I guess you'd be okay with me hitting you, then, huh?" He hit Henry hard on the arm. "Funny, I always thought you were such a wuss, crying and everything. But now I find out you think you're a superhero, saving the day and everything! But you know what? I think you're a lot more breakable than a superhero!" He hit Henry square across the mouth, causing his lip to bleed. Tim laughed again. Then went to hit Henry in the eye, but Henry had gotten used to fights by now. So instead of letting Tim hit him, he dodged and hit the other boy in the face himself. Tim looked at Henry shocked. "You fight back, wuss? Good, that means you won't mind me fighting back, too!'
They fought for another few minutes, Henry was proud to say he caused some cuts on Tim's arm. (He decided it was okay to be proud this time, since he only began fighting Tim to defend Ronald.) But Tim was still a more experienced fighter, so it was Henry that ended up on the floor. Tim laughed again as he went to get a drink from the refrigerator and returned to the living room. At least the injuries he had received from his fight with Evan didn't get any worse. He only managed to get new ones.
As Henry got up (slowly, his new bruises on his knees really hurt), he noticed a penny lying on the ground next to him. He picked it up and put it in his pocket. Then he thought for a minute. Tim had been fighting Ronald when he came in. Maybe it was Ronald's? He found Ronald in the younger boy's bedroom, lying on his bed. "Hi there," Henry said to him.
"Hi, Henry," Ronald replied cheerfully, sitting up. "Thank you so much for helping! Tim didn't hurt you that much, did he?"
Henry shrugged. "Nothing I can't handle. He's so much bigger than you, Ronald. If he tried to hurt you…" Henry shook his head.
Ronald nodded. "I guess. I'm glad you've come to stay with us, Henry. I know you want to go back to your family soon, but you're a nice guy to have around."
Henry nodded, trying not to think about what that statement implied. What would happen to Ronald and Bobby after he left? Who would defend them against Tim and Evan? Or play with them when they had a chance? Certainly not Mr. and Mrs. Collard. He sighed. It didn't matter. He pulled out the penny and held it in front of Ronald. "I found this on the floor. Did you lose it?"
Ronald's eye widened in shock and horror. "No. That's – that's – that's Tim's penny. You have to give it back to him right away! And make sure he knows you didn't take it on purpose! Tim gets…real mean when people take that penny."
Henry nodded. Tim? Mean? Meaner than he already was? That didn't sound good. Still, Henry was pretty sure he could handle him. After all, Henry had taken on an Evil Queen, a Dark One, and an evil social worker before. (Henry forgot all those people cared about him. That may have made a difference when he dealt with them.) He could take on a bully like Tim, too. Still, it didn't change the fact that this was apparently Tim's penny. A part of Henry wanted to keep the penny, to teach Tim a lesson. But Henry knew it wasn't right to steal, even from people like Tim.
Henry made his way to the living room and handed Tim the penny. "You dropped this in the kitchen."
Tim grabbed the penny and shoved it in his pocket quickly. "Where did you get that? Did you take it because you lost the fight?" He grabbed Henry's shirt and shoved him next to his face. "You better not have. That's mine!"
Henry sighed. He had been warned about this. "No," he replied firmly, looking Tim in the eyes, showing Tim he wasn't afraid to stand up to him, but also hopefully telling Tim he was telling the truth. "Like I said, you dropped it in the kitchen. I'm giving it back to you. That's all."
Tim finally nodded. "Okay. Thanks." Henry walked away, planning on finally returning to his math homework. As he was almost out of ear shot, Tim commented softly, "It was from my dad. He gave it to me before he died. He said he had it since I was born, 'cause I was lucky. So it was a lucky penny. It's the only good thing I have in my life." Then Tim returned to the TV, acting like he hadn't just revealed such a secret.
Henry stared at Tim from a distance. Had he really jus said that? Tim was ordinarily so…so…Tim. For him to actually thank Henry for the penny, and even reveal why it was special; it seemed out – of – character. But maybe it wasn't so uncommon for kids who had to live without family to have something to hold on to. After all, Henry had his mother's letter, which he still kept in his shoe. What had Mom kept? Then he remembered something.
Henry was helping Mom finish unpacking, now that she had decided to stay in Storybrooke. In one of the bottom of the boxes, he spotted a woolen blanket with the name "Emma" embroidered on it. It was the blanket from the book! The one Snow White and Prince Charming wrapped up Emma in before they sent her through the wardrobe. If Henry had any doubts whatsoever about Emma being the Savior (he didn't ,really, since time had started again), they were erased with this tangible proof. "Where do you want this?" he asked his mother, showing her the blanket.
Mom grabbed the blanket and stuffed it in a drawer, without saying anything.
At the time, Henry had been too excited about seeing the blanket to wonder about her odd behavior toward the blanket. But now, Henry was pretty sure he understood. Mom kept that blanket all those years because it was "the only good thing in her life." But she didn't want to admit it, just like Tim had trouble admitting it, because it made her vulnerable. So Mom had kept it hidden in the drawer. Henry thought further. If it had been the "only good thing in her life" (until she had gotten her family back, of course), she'd probably want it back, wouldn't she? But Mom's blanket had been destroyed when Storybrooke had been, just like Henry's book. Unfortunately for Mom, he didn't have anything like the letter to replace her lost blanket. If she had asked, he was sure Granny would be happy to replace it with a new one. But Henry also knew Mom would never ask. After all, asking made her vulnerable, didn't it?
But Henry still wanted to help his mother. He knew having him in the foster home was harder on her than it was on him, as difficult as it could be for Henry. But at least he had his mom's letter to get him through. Of course, Mom had Grandma and Grandpa, and Red to help. But still…Mom could probably use her blanket. Granny was going to Grandma and Grandpa's wedding this weekend. He'd ask her to make another one then.
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OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Snow had just finished another shift at the hospital Thursday afternoon. She still smelled of the vomit she had to mop up from a few of the patients with no hair. She'd have to wash herself when she returned home. But as she put gathered her things, Cindy and Wendy cornered her. "Wait a minute, Mary Margaret. We've got a surprise for you." Their faces and voices shown with excitement. It was obviously a surprise they thought she'd like.
But…she still smelled like vomit. "I appreciate that," she replied slowly, trying to walk around them. "But can we talk about this some other time? I smell like…vomit!"
Cindy and Wendy stood firmly in place so she could walk around them without hurting the two women. "No. We have to talk now," Wendy insisted. Her voice still sound incredibly excited.
"And smells like that are common when you work in the hospital. Or when you have kids," she added thoughtfully. "Believe me, I can handle it and so can she," Cindy commented, pointing to Wendy.
Snow nodded, although she suddenly felt a little sad. Cindy had said, "Smells like that are common when you have kids." It would have been common for her too, if she had raised Emma. Her smile faded as she thought of this.
Fortunately for Snow, her new friends were so excited about their "surprise," that they didn't notice Snow's change in attitude. "Okay, so we know you said your wedding was going to be really small…" Wendy began.
"…But we just couldn't let you get married without giving you some kind of present," Cindy finished. Her voice got higher and higher as she continued talking. Snow got the impression it was something that happened when the woman became really excited.
Still…A present? That was nice of them but..."That's not really necessary. I mean I appreciate the effort…but this wedding is more of a formality than anything else." Seriously, she and Charming were already married. She didn't even think her family was buying them presents. "Besides, you two have already helped me so much already. That can be your present."
But Cindy and Wendy shook their heads firmly. "No. We already bought you a gift. Deal with it. You should always have presents for a wedding, even if it is 'just a formality,' Wendy told her.
Snow sighed and nodded slowly. It still didn't come naturally for her to take orders from others, after spending the last year as a queen. But these girls were obviously trying to do something nice for her. If she said "no", she could really hurt their feelings. "Okay. Thank you, I guess."
"We wanted to get you a bed," Wendy continued. "A nice big bed, especially since you don't really have a bed at all…" Snow nodded. She knew where they were coming from. A bed (like the one they had in the palace) would be a lot more comfortable, for sleeping and other things. But, it was more important to get their family back together than for them to have nice furniture. Apparently for Henry to return, they would need money. Besides, an air mattress in a nice, safe apartment with Charming was nothing compared to a lonely log bed with black knights trying to kill you.
"But we couldn't afford it," Cindy continued to explain. "We did manage to find you a nice second – hand couch. It looks perfect for cuddling," she added. "We'll use Wendy's father's truck to deliver it this afternoon, just like we did with your table last weekend. So be ready."
Snow nodded, trying to process all of this information. Her new friends had already helped her find a replacement to work for her during Henry's "custody thing" and helped them move their table. Now they bought her and the family a couch? That would be perfect for cuddling? "You guys…you're too much," she smiled, shaking her head. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Wendy and Cindy said at the same time. "So you go on home and wait for us to bring it in," Wendy told her.
"Actually, why don't I help you bring it in?" Snow suggested. "I mean really, you've already done too much. At least let me help you transport it."
Cindy shook her head. "It's your wedding gift Mary Margaret. "You don't help transport your wedding gift! Go home. You can help us by having the door unlooked."
"But – " Snow protested.
"We mean it," Cindy told her firmly. "Go. Home."
Finally Snow sighed and nodded slowly.
OOOOOOOOOO
The couch actually looked really nice in their new three – bedroom apartment, Snow had to admit. It was a forest green color, which went great with their tan – colored walls. Furthermore, forest green was a favorite color for both Snow and Charming, since it reminded them so much of the outdoors. It was a smaller couch that fit in a corner because of its shape. She could see what they meant when Wendy and Cindy had said it would be perfect for cuddling. Snow could already imagine her and Charming sitting on it with their arms around each other and their legs intertwined. Of course, it would be great for their whole family as well. Emma and Henry could enjoy it as they talked or read their books (Snow had discovered Henry loved the books Emma had bought for him.) It really was a wonderful wedding present…for the whole family.
After she thanked Wendy and Cindy several times for the couch, she finally left to take a shower. It may not have bothered them, but Snow didn't really like the fact that she could still smell vomit on herself. As she did so, she thought about that word again: family. The wedding was officially hers and Charming's, but didn't it actually belong to their entire family? After all, they'd invited everyone. And more importantly, the main reason for them getting married (at least right away) was to make sure Henry returned to them and reunited their family. So shouldn't their wedding include as many family members as possible? She smiled as she finally realized who the other witness besides Henry should be. She picked up her communication device to invite that person over for the night.
OOOOOOOOO
Friday afternoon, Snow left the hospital as soon as possible (after thanking Cindy and Wendy again for their wonderful gift). She had a lot to do before her wedding. The first thing she did was cash her check at the bank. Then she quickly rode the bus to the supermarket. After all, Snow had a lot of people to feed tonight. This wedding wasn't going to be a big celebration like they had in the Enchanted Forest, of course. So there would be no large feast with fine china. But still…the wedding was at 4:30PM. People were going to be hungry afterwards. Especially her brothers, the dwarves (those men liked to eat, Snow remembered). Besides, from what Snow understood, by the time Granny and the dwarves returned to the orchard, there wouldn't be enough time for them to eat dinner.
So Snow, Charming, and Emma had agreed they would provide a bit of food at a local park (it would be the one they had taken Henry to a few weeks before; they all liked ii) for the guests. Snow bought bread,
sandwich meat, water, a bag of things called "chips" (they looked easy to eat), crackers with cheeses (it would be more familiar to some of the guests; they served them in the Enchanted Forest sometimes), and after some consideration, a large package of ready – made cinnamon rolls for desert. Snow would have much preferred to bake her own cinnamon rolls, of course. They were her favorite treat, and she loved to bake. But Snow hadn't had enough money to buy ingredients for cinnamon rolls earlier this week, and now that she did have money...there simply wasn't enough time. After thinking it over, she also added a bag of grapes as well. After all, there was always someone complaining there wasn't enough fruit at a party. She also bought another package of those plastic plates and cups.
Her final stop for the day was the Wal – Mart, where she would pick up the rings she and Charming would use for the ceremony. They were plain solid gold, so they didn't really go with her other wedding ring (which was a silver band), but Snow didn't care. These bands were proof that they were married in this world, according to Emma. She couldn't wait to wear one.
Now she was ready to return home and prepare to get married. Again. It was a bit ridiculous how excited she was to marry a man she'd already married twice before. Really, this wedding was a formality, right? That's what she'd told everyone. It was why she didn't want people worrying about presents. (That and she wanted to make sure her all of her family's extra money went to getting Henry home.) So why was she skipping and humming happy tunes all the way home? Probably for the same reason she couldn't wait to wear the plain gold band, she supposed. She really wanted to be married to Charming officially in this world. That and she always enjoyed celebrating their love in their previous ceremonies as well. So even though Emma was giving her mildly annoyed looks, Snow kept humming happily as she showered and dressed for her wedding.
Emma and Snow finished at the same time, and Snow thought Emma looked very pretty in her simple skirt and blouse. She told her so. "Emma, I know you don't like to dress up, and I understand that. But you look wonderful today." She hoped her eyes made it clear to Emma how serious she was.
Emma shrugged. "Thanks. I guess." She looked away, obviously uncomfortable. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything, Snow thought to herself. But Snow wanted to make it clear to Emma how important she was, especially on this day.
OOOOOOOOO
After Charming arrived and quickly showered and dressed (he looked gorgeous, of course, in his blue suit), they were on their way. They had decided it would be easier to meet their other guests at the courthouse. On the way, Charming made sure to compliment both of his girls…or women, rather. "I'm really lucky, you know," he said as he looked from Snow to Emma while they rode the bus. "I have the two most beautiful women with me today. Those outfits are perfect for you."
Snow smiled sweetly at her husband (fiancé? She wasn't sure right now.) Emma nodded, and looked away, much the same as she had done when Snow complimented her. Snow wasn't sure it was the attention Emma didn't like, or the attention related to her clothes. She hoped it was the latter.
Finally, they arrived at the courthouse, where Granny, the dwarves, and Red were already waiting. The dwarves looked very nice in clean – cut suits. Granny looked equally pretty in a sky blue ankle – length dress. As they all exchanged hugs and congratulations, the judge came out. "Are you all here for the wedding? Are we ready to get started?"
Emma shook her head as she looked around. "No, we're waiting for one, er actually two more people. One of them will be a witness."
The rest of the group agreed. Of course they were missing Henry. They certainly couldn't start the wedding without him. They also had to wait for that woman, the social worker, because she was brining him and apparently had to be present at all of Henry's outings with them. They all hated it and found the woman extremely annoying. But there was nothing they could do about for now.
The judge nodded pleasantly. "Okay. Let me know when you're ready."
A couple of minutes later a familiar car pulled into the parking lot and Henry jumped out. He looked like a very handsome young man in his navy blue suit. But what really made Henry look nice was the broad grin across his face as he ran to his family. "Mom!" he called giving Emma a hug first, as he always did. Then he hugged her and Charming as well. "Thanks for letting me be a witness, Grandpa, Grandma," he whispered to them so no one else would hear.
"No problem, Henry," they said at the same time as they hugged him back. He made a small noise, almost unnoticeable, as they did so. What was that about? Snow thought. She was just about to ask, when Henry ran off to hug the rest of their family. She'd ask him later.
Finally, they entered the courtroom portion of the courthouse, where they were told the wedding would be held. Snow looked around for a second. It looked kind of like their throne room back in the palace, with the formal setting, the witness chair, and the extra places to sit for other people. The biggest difference was instead of two thrones in the front of the room, there was a big, tall table with a chair behind it.
"Okay, the couple that's getting married, please stand off to the side for a minute. The witnesses come here to sign the license. The rest of you can sit down over there," the judge told them, pointing to a group of seats. Snow took the license out of her purse and handed it to the judge. Henry, Emma, and Red all came forward. Snow smiled as she remembered Emma and Red's reactions when she told them she'd made her decision about who the second witness would be.
Emma had just gotten to their new apartment an hour ago. Even though Red didn't live with them anymore, she arrived at their apartment after work so they could all talk. The three of them sat down on the new couch. (Both Emma and Red had admired it when they came in.) "I've made my decision. It took me a long time to decide who should be our other witness, but I've finally figured it out." She smiled at both of them.
Emma nodded, getting up off the couch. "Of course. I understand. She was your best friend way before I even existed. I don't like dressing up, anyway. You'd probably rather have someone who looks really pretty up front with you." Emma looked at Red. "Your dress is beautiful."
Snow shook her head violently, and pulled at Emma hand. "No, Emma. That's not what I meant. I was just trying to surprise you. I suppose I should have tried a different approach. I want you up there with us and with Henry. Where you belong. And the skirt you chose is wonderful, Emma, even if it isn't very fancy."
Emma's mouth dropped open. "Really? You mean it? I thought…I mean, I guess I expected..." Emma shrugged her shoulders, obviously unable to put her thoughts in words. Snow understood some of it though. Emma's life had taught her she was never good enough. Snow was even gladder she let her be a witness now. She never wanted Emma to feel that again.
Red, meanwhile nodded from the couch. "It's okay, Snow. She's your real family. She's your child. Of course you'd want her to be part of the ceremony. With Henry. I get it. I kind of wished you hadn't called me all the way over to hear the news…but hey, at least I got to see your new couch. It's nice." Red shrugged.
Snow nodded. This was more the reaction she had expected. "No, Red. You're still my sister. You gave me a family when I had none. I want you up there with us, too. That's what I was trying to tell you two. I can't choose between you, and I shouldn't have to. You're both my family, and I see no reason why you can't be co – witnesses."
Red's mouth dropped opened. "Really? You mean it? Thanks, Snow!" Red leaned over and gave her a hug.
Emma, who had sat back down on the couch by now, nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." She paused for a minute, admiring the couch again. "So this is pretty nice. You said it was a wedding present from a couple of your co – workers, huh?"
Snow sighed and nodded. She had a feeling she knew where this was going. "Yes. They insisted on it. But I hope you don't think you need to get us something. None of us have a lot of money, and our extra money should be going to getting Henry back. Besides, it's not really necessary." She chuckled. "Everyone here knows Charming and I already married, anyway." She shrugged her shoulders.
Emma nodded, smiling. "I know. But after realizing you received a gift from your co – workers, I decided I wanted to give you something, too. Especially after you made such an effort to include me in the ceremony."
Snow looked confused. "But you still don't have any money, Emma.""
Emma smiled again. "It's okay. This gift won't cost any money. I was thinking…maybe I'd spend tomorrow night at Ruby's instead of here. We can't afford to send you guys to a hotel room, like honeymooners usually do, but you can have the place to yourself for the night."
Snow thought about that for a minute. She loved having her whole family together, so she couldn't wait for Henry to return to them permanently. She also kind of missed living with Red, although she understood why they couldn't right now. But still…the whole apartment to themselves right after they got married again? That did sound good, Snow admitted. "Yeah. Okay. That would be a nice gift, Emma."
Charming agreed after he heard the idea. ( He let the women talked amongst themselves, because the decision about the witness didn't really concern him.)
So Emma, Red, and Henry all signed the marriage license and the ceremony began. And tonight, Snow and Charming could enjoy some time all to themselves.
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David thought this wedding ceremony was even more perfect than the previous ones. It was small and intimate, unlike the lavish royal wedding they'd had at the palace. David had known that wedding was important to the kingdom, and more importantly, to Snow who had just been given back her birthright as a princess, so he had agreed to it. But it always felt a little overwhelming for man raised as a shepherd. Besides, Regina's threat haunted the rest of their marriage in the Enchanted Forest, as much as he tried to reassure Snow not to worry.
But this wedding also included more of their friends and family than their first. (And no one was dying anytime soon.) Red, Granny, and the dwarves being there made the wedding even more special. But most importantly of all, Emma and Henry were at this wedding. In fact they were even participating in it. How could any wedding they could have had in the Enchanted Forest compare with that?
To top it off, the judge here allowed them to use their own vows. The vows they had agreed to in the Enchanted Forest were fine, of course. David still remembered them. Do you take this woman and promise to love her for all time? Of course he did, and he had agreed. But this way, they could make the wedding more personal.
David took Snow's hand and looked straight into her eyes as he began his vows. "I'm happy you'll be Mary Margaret Nolan now, because it means everyone will know we're married. I love you. It doesn't matter where we are, or who we meet, or what happens to us; I've always loved you and I always will. I love our family," he glanced at Emma and Henry as he said this, and they smiled back at him. "I love the way you love our family. I love your aggressiveness and the way you're always ready to defend yourself and your loved ones. I love your impulsiveness, even when it gets you in trouble. And when it does get you in trouble, don't worry, because I'll find you. Always." He smiled at her tenderly as he finished his vows. David had worked very hard the night before to think of a way to say his vows that would mean something to Snow, but at the same time, not give away their Enchanted Forest past to those who didn't know. He was quite pleased with the result.
Then Snow looked straight into his eyes as she began to speak. She also gave his hand a squeeze, as their hands remained clasped. "I don't care what my name is. As long as I'm married to you, people can call me whatever they want. So I'll be Mrs. Nolan from now on. I love you and I'll love you wherever we are and wherever we go. I love the way you love our family and would do anything for them. I love the way you always want to do the right thing and can motivate others to do the same. I love your patience, even if I can't always understand it. I love your undying faith that things will work out for the best. And you know I'll do anything and everything to help you make things work out. That's why I'll always find you." Snow had apparently done the same thing he had done with her vows, because he could hear all the hidden meanings that not everyone else would understand.
"It is now time for the rings," said the judge from the background. David turned and looked at him, surprised for a minute. He had forgotten the man was even here. From the look on Snow's face as she looked at the judge, and then back at David, she had forgotten as well.
Henry, however, had obviously not forgotten, as he eagerly took the gold band out of his pocket and handed it to David. (Snow had removed the rings from her purse and given them to Henry, Emma, and Red; since she understood them to be their responsibility in the ceremony.) "Thank you, Henry," David said to him softly, as he picked up the ring.
"You're welcome," Henry replied, looking so proud to be entrusted with this job. David was really glad Henry was included in this. Emma had been right; it obviously meant a lot to him. And David really wanted Henry to do things that made him feel like a part of their family, since he couldn't live with them right now.
"David, put the ring on her finger and say, 'Mary Margaret, I give you this ring as a sign of my fidelity,'"
the judge instructed.
David slid the ring gently onto Snow's finger, smiling as he did so. He remembered when he put her other wedding ring on her finger. It felt like only about a year ago to him. Strange that it was actually about thirty years ago. But he felt the same joy today, as he did the first time, because this meant they were married in this world. Then he repeated the words the judge told him, "Mary Margaret, I give you this ring as a sign of my fidelity."
Then Emma and Red handed Snow the other ring. (It was a bit awkward for two people to do so, but it was important to them, so they managed.) The judge instructed her to say the same phrase to him. As Snow slid the ring on his finger, she gave him the smile that he loved most, because she only used it for him. Then she repeated, "David, I give you this ring as a sign of my fidelity." He smiled back, enjoying the feel of the ring on his finger. David really loved the idea that they both wore wedding rings in this world.
Finally, the judge concluded (it was weird how often David kept forgetting he was here, considering he was conducting this ceremony. But between having Snow smiling at him and looking into her beautiful eyes and Henry and Emma watching beside them, David wasn't paying attention to anything else.) the wedding. "With the power invested in me and the state of Maine, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride," the judge added to David. He grinned from ear to ear as he placed his arms around her head, cradling it. Then he leaned down and placed his lips on hers. She wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He slid his tongue into her mouth gently and slowly caressed inside for a minute while she did the same with his mouth. It felt wonderful. Still, they drew apart quickly. They were, after all, in public.
All they're friends stood up and clapped, congratulating them again. Henry shook David's hand, obviously trying to appear grown – up, but David hugged him anyway. Red, Snow, and Emma hugged as well. Then Snow added to their surprise. "We've planned a little celebration with some food to eat if you want to meet us at the park past the supermarket in Bangor. Please meet us there. I'll have to run home and get the food first."
"Sounds great, Mary," Granny said to Snow, chuckling at her new name.
"Of course, Sn – Mary Margaret," Grumpy agreed, almost calling her by her real name by mistake.
Snow smiled at him, acknowledging it was okay. David knew they needed to be careful, but they all slipped sometimes. How many times did Henry almost call them Grandma and Grandpa? With that they all exited the courtroom and headed for the park. (Although David and Snow and Snow needed to stop at the apartment to get the food first.)
It turned out Emma needed to stop at the apartment as well, since she needed to prepare her overnight bag. David thought it was very generous of Emma to offer to spend the night with Red. Since it was clear neither woman had a problem with it, he and Snow both agreed it would be great to have the apartment all to themselves for the night. (Of course they had their own bedroom but a whole apartment raised so many other possibilities…)
Within twenty minutes, everyone had arrived at the park. David and Snow set out the food on one of the tables and told everyone to help themselves. "Cheese! With crackers! I love this stuff," Happy announced stuffing his plate full. David chuckled, remembering how much cheese and crackers the dwarf used to eat at their balls and feasts.
"Hey, watch it," Grumpy protested to his brother. "We're still going to have to work tomorrow, remember? I don't want to find you unable to move in the morning because you ate too much!" He tried to take some of the food off Happy's plate.
Snow gently took Grumpy's arm away. "Let him be, Grumpy. It's a party, remember? A little more food isn't going to hurt him tonight. Wouldn't you like some, too? I seem to remember you enjoying the crackers and cheese when we were home."
Grumpy frowned for a minute before replying, "You're right, Snow…I mean Mary Margaret."
Snow smiled. "It's okay; I don't think she's listening right now." The social worker was watching everyone from a distance, obviously not fitting in. David didn't care, and he didn't think anyone else did either. Not after all the work that woman had done to break up their family. Plus, she had been quite hard on Emma the last few weeks. Good riddance.
Instead, he picked up some bread and made something called a "ham sandwich." David had eaten them several times in the last few weeks. They were quite tasty. Snow, meanwhile made something he had heard was called "roast beef." Emma chose ham with cheese on top of it and so did Henry. The rest of the guests all chose the food they wanted as well, and they thanked Snow for providing it.
After the dwarves finished some cheese and crackers, they picked up some cinnamon rolls. As they bit into them, Grumpy commented, "Remember how Doc used to say Snow ate too many of these when she was pregnant?" He sighed, obviously missing his brother.
Snow picked up a cinnamon roll as well. "And I never paid attention to him," she chuckled. "What did he know about pregnancy cravings, anyway?" She bit into the roll and swallowed. "I hope he didn't think I didn't care about what he thought…" She looked to her other brothers for support.
"Of course he knew, Snow," Happy told her.
"I know he did, Snow" David added coming up behind her. "And I'm sure he'd be happy you're enjoying them now."
"You think so?" she looked at him hopefully.
"I know so," he told her sweetly. She finished her roll within a few minutes, thinking.
Then Snow looked around at the trees before smirking to herself. David braced himself for another one of his wife's impulsive, off – the wall, but usually brilliant ideas. She was up to something. He was glad she was happy again, though. She began whistling quite loudly for a minute before he realized what she was doing. Every bird in this entire park (and probably some from other places as well) flew over to Snow and began whistling back to her. Then she gave David a loving look. "Now that we have some music, would you like to dance with me?"
David smiled back at her in the same manner. "Of course. This is perfect," he replied, taking her hand. With that, the waltzed around the park for about five minutes. Then Snow invited the rest of the guests to join them. As the rest of the group did so, he thought again about how much better this was than their previous ball in honor of their marriage. They didn't have to worry about threats, it was far more intimate, Henry and Emma were here as well, and David knew how much Snow would rather have her bird friends provide music than stuffed - up musicians she didn't even know.
He watched as Henry eagerly took Snow's hand as she taught him how to waltz to birds cooing and whistling. Granny was dancing with Sleepy. (Sleepy and Sneezy seemed to be doing much better, although they still didn't know anyone from their previous life. But they ate the food and laughed with their brothers.) David took Emma's hand. "Would you like to dance with me?"
But Emma looked very uncertain. "I really don't know if this is a good idea, David. I know everyone seems to be enjoying themselves but…it doesn't really look…normal." She deliberately looked to the social worker, who had finally fixed herself a plate of food now that everyone else was dancing instead of eating. But the woman's face looked uncertain as she watched the family dance to birds.
David sighed. "Forget her, Emma. Henry is having a great time. Look at him." Emma looked over to Henry and Snow, who were laughing as she taught him the waltz steps. Henry stumbled, but he didn't seem to mind. Actually, it was he who insisted they continue. "I know we have to do what she says to get Henry back, but we've been doing that. Still, I think they're a line between not doing what she says to do, and doing everything to make her happy. She's not a part of our family. This is our family." He threw his hands wide open to show everyone there. "Besides, you've already done everything she says to do, and she's still being difficult. Why should we care what she thinks?"
Emma sighed, apparently still not accepting his reasoning. "Because she is the one who the judge will listen to when we go to the hearing! I won't do anything that could keep Henry away from me, David."
David sighed as he took her hand. "And I won't either, Emma. But we're not doing anything wrong, are we? This isn't illegal in this world, or something?"
Emma shook her head.
"Then how can the woman honestly argue against it? Henry is enjoying it, remember? Come, I'll show you the waltz steps, too."
Emma finally took a deep breath and nodded. For the rest of the party the Charming family snacked and danced to the birds. Emma also danced with Henry and even managed to dance with Grumpy. Snow danced with all of her brothers as well as David again. David also danced with Red as well. In the last dance, even the social worker was dancing. The party was a success.
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OOOOOOOOOOO
Emma couldn't believe she'd actually spent the evening dancing to birds tweeting, cooing, and whistling. Just when she thought she was done with her family's surprises (live fairytales? Magic? Her parents had actually loved her? Destruction of an entire town with magic? Fine.), she gets hit with something new. She supposed she shouldn't be that surprised. After all, she'd seen Snow communicate with birds before, when they were in the Enchanted Forest. But still…to actually dance to birds…it's something out of a Disney movie. And if it's one thing she's learned about her family, it's that they're as far from their Disney counterparts as could be. Still, Emma had to admit it had been fun. Even the social worker had seemed think so in the end.
And Emma was really glad her parents had gotten married. It was one less thing to worry about as they worked to get Henry back. Besides…she had to admit she liked seeing them happy, although their gooiness was hard to look at sometimes. That was why she was glad to spend this night with Ruby.
Emma had brought a few of her school books with her, in addition to a change of clothes, etc. for tomorrow. "We'll have to sleep on my air mattress," Ruby told her apologetically as she unlocked the door. You might want to do your reading there as well since I don't have anywhere else to sit, either." Ruby shrugged.
Emma shrugged back as they went into Ruby's bedroom. "It's okay. I don't mind. I mean, it's just for tonight. Besides, I've had worse places to sleep. At least we're inside."
Ruby's smile faded as she heard Emma mention that. "I'm sorry you had such a hard life. That's not what they wanted for you. It's not what we wanted for you."
Emma shrugged again as they sat down on the air mattress. "Don't worry about it. My life is what it is. I'd rather not dwell on it on such a happy day. But…speaking of hard topics, I've been meaning to ask you something."
Ruby looked a little nervous at that.
"You can choose not to answer if you don't want to. I would certainly understand. It's just…why are you still working at The Hot Spot? Snow is right, if it was just about the money, you could look for another job while you're still working there. So…what is it?
Ruby looked at the floor for a few minutes, obviously even more uncomfortable than she was before.
Emma sighed. She figured Ruby wouldn't want to talk about it. "It's okay. Like I said, I understand there are things you don't want to talk about, believe me. If you didn't want to talk to Snow, why would you talk to me? I was just curious, but forget I said anything." She picked up one of her school books and began reading.
But Ruby shook her head. "No, Emma I think I should talk about it. It would be good to talk to someone. And believe it or not...it would be easier to talk to you than to Snow. That's part of the reason I got so mad at her. Because she's part of the problem."
Emma was confused. How could Snow be part of the reason Red worked for that poster – child for sexual harassment?
Ruby looked at the floor again and sighed. "I'm ashamed to admit this, Emma. So ashamed. I watched your parents go through…everything to get where they are now. I watched Regina, and George, and everything in between tried to break them apart. So I know they deserve what they have. But…I'm jealous of what Snow has with your father. It's funny. When I met Snow, I was the one with the boyfriend. She told me and I quote, 'I don't think love is in my future.' But my boyfriend…died and Snow found your father.'"
Ruby finally looked back up at Emma. "It never bothered me before. Or at least, I didn't think it did. But now I have…someone who looks at me like a woman. Who touches me and likes…my attributes. It's been a long time since I've had that. I know my boss isn't interested in me," Ruby rushed on, anticipating Emma's counter – argument. "He's interested in any woman who comes into the restaurant. And I'm certainly not the only waitress he pays attention to. But it still…makes me feel good. That's why I can't bring myself to leave, even though I know what he's doing is wrong." She looked at the floor again.
Emma nodded when Ruby finally finished. "Ruby, it's okay.'
"Whatever," Ruby replied, sounding ashamed. "Don't tell Snow I told you that, okay? I don't want her to feel sorry for me or feel guilty about what she has with her husband. And don't tell Granny, either. She'd have a fit."
Emma nodded again. "Of course not. And if you promise not to tell my parents, I'll tell you my story.
Ruby hesitated, but eventually nodded.
"Growing up, I had no one, which I'm sure you figured out. When I was sixteen, I met this guy…and I fell pretty hard. We were together for about a year. He was Henry's father. The relationship ended when he abandoned me, like everyone always did. I gave up Henry for adoption, as you know. So when I was in my twenties, I had no one again. But I remembered what it was like to have a man care about me…and pay attention to me like that. Plus, I was a bail – bonds person, which was a great job for me, but it didn't make me feel very…womanly. To make me feel like a woman, and to get that kind of attention, I had quite a few one – night stands."
At Ruby's blank look, Emma realized that wasn't a phrase that was used in the Enchanted Forest. "A one night stand is when you have sex with a man for one night…or afternoon as the case may be, and then after that you never see him again. One of them was even with a married man. You think you should be ashamed, Ruby? I broke up a marriage! I committed adultery!
Ruby nodded. "Okay. I guess you do get it."
"But just because I do get it doesn't mean I don't agree that your job could be dangerous, Ruby. What if he does demand sex? Men like that do sometimes."
Ruby shrugged. "Then I'll say no."
Emma shook her head. "Men like that aren't used to hearing no, Ruby. Especially since you've never given him any indication his attention isn't welcome. He could put a lot of pressure on you until you agree. He could even get violent."
Ruby nodded. "But the attention…I need it," Ruby looked conflicted. She was like a drug addict, only she was addicted to her boss's harassment, Emma realized.
"I know it's hard. It was hard for me to give up one – night stands, too. But when I decided to be in Henry's life, I realized I needed to be a better role model for him. You need to decide what's really important to you, Ruby. And well as what might happen if you do try to tell him no for sex." Emma shuttered at the thought of her friend in such a situation.
Ruby nodded. "I'll think about it. I just wish Peter was here. Then I wouldn't have to worry about any of this. But he's dead."
Emma nodded. "Neal – that was Henry's father, he died too." They hugged each other.
"And for the record, I understand what you're talking about with my parents. I'm happy they're married…again, for Henry and for themselves. My parents are great people and I'm glad they're there for me. But sometimes…it's like they're in a bubble, and they don't notice how they look to the rest of us. Especially those of us who don't have a significant other." She looked at Ruby meaningfully. "Usually, I have Henry, so it doesn't bother me that I don't have anyone else. But since I don't right now…I know it can be lonely. Maybe we can lean on each other rather than on perverts? If you want someone to gripe about that you don't have a guy, I'm here." Emma chuckled at that, hoping to lighten the moment.
Ruby nodded again, chuckling as well. "Yeah. I'll think about that, too." She still looked confused about what to do, but Emma hoped she'd make the right decision soon.
Then Emma returned to her reading for school. But she realized there had been a shift in their relationship. Ruby and her family had always been close, and Emma had been perfectly okay with that, especially with all the times she'd watched Henry for them. But Emma had always seen her as her mother's friend. Now Ruby was Emma's friend, too.
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OOOOOOOOO
Snow and Charming returned to their home with some of the leftover food. They gave the crackers and cheese and the potato chips (which the dwarves loved almost as much as the crackers) to the dwarves. Snow and Charming had a few pieces of bread, two pieces of turkey, a piece of cheese, one cinnamon roll, and the rest of the grapes.
After putting the food away, they grinned at each other. "So what do you want to do first?" Charming asked Snow as he rubbed himself up against her chest.
Snow wiggled away for him, thinking the surprised and frustrated look on his face was adorable. "You know, I'm kind of sweaty from all the dancing we did outside. I was thinking maybe I'd wash off first."
Charming nodded. "Of course," he replied, still looking frustrated. He obviously didn't get her message.
She decided to let him out of his misery, even if he did look adorable like that. "You know they're a big tub in the bathroom, right? Not as big as the one we had in the palace, but a lot bigger than the one we had at Red's. Plenty big enough for both of us to 'wash off.'" She grinned at him and disappeared into the bathroom.
Charming entered the bathroom within another minute as Snow was filling the tub. "You have such great ideas," he muttered as he kissed her.
"I knew you'd catch on soon enough," she replied as she pulled off his shirt. They both pulled off each other's clothes and climbed into the tub. The water felt wonderful after such a long day. And Charming sitting on the other end made it even better. "Mmmm," she mumbled. "This is wonderful."
"I know," Charming replied, as he picked up the bar of soap and a towel. He began washing her feet, slowly.
"Mmmhhhmmm," she moaned. That was heaven. After being on her feet for most of the day, she couldn't think of anything better than her husband's hands washing and massaging them.
After finishing that, he gave the same treatment to all of her other parts. When he got to the back of her neck, she almost came apart right there. That was a sensitive region, which of course Charming knew. He grinned.
Then she did the same for him, starting with his feet just has he had done. Snow knew Charming had been on his feet most of the day as well, and she wanted him to feel like he made her feel. When she got to behind his ears, Charming almost had a heart attack the way she teased the area. Well, turn about was fair play, after all. Then they were ready to get down to business. The tub was smaller than the one they had in the palace, but that almost made it better. After all, this way they had to sit closer together. For this activity, it was best to sit as close as possible.
Finally, an hour later, they climbed out of the tub. After all, the water was getting cold by then. They wrapped up in blankets (since they had no robes), and headed for the kitchen.
"I feel like a snack. How about you?" Charming asked.
Snow had been eying the last cinnamon roll for a minute. But Charming grabbed the bag of grapes. "Come with me," he told her as he headed into the living room.
Snow looked at the cinnamon roll again for a second before following Charming. He looked like he had something…interesting in mind to. He was sitting in the middle of their new couch. "Will you sit by me?" he asked her, more gently this time.
Of course, Snow went to him immediately. So she and Charming sat on the couch for the next hour and a half wrapped up in blankets and each other, feeding each other one grape at a time. "I think this is better than the cinnamon roll," she told him as she fed him another grape and he licked and kissed her fingers.
"I thought you'd agree," he chuckled as he smiled at her.
"I think I'll like grapes as much as cinnamon rolls after tonight," she told him as he put the next grape in her mouth. Instead of kissing his fingers, she leaned in and gave him an open – mouthed kiss, sharing the grape with him.
The rest of the night was filled with plenty of romantic moments, suitable for only Snow and Charming.
I'd like to thank tate4ever, Isabella Poulous, and Nan119 for the reviews of this story. I'd also like to thank all my anonymous reviewers. I'm glad you're enjoying this story and that you think I'm doing a good job. I'd also like to thank those who have put this story on follows or favorites.
I hope my Guest reviewer liked the job David finally got.
I'd also like to give a special thank you to parapentistria4ever for reassuring me that the dairy farm/cattle raising works so far.
What did you think of that chapter?
There are plenty of things to review about. We had Henry feels, and Charming family feels, and Snowing romance, and more Charming family feels, and Emma/Red bonding and more Snowing romance!
Could you please give me some reviews? I don't suppose some of you would consider the fact that Tuesday is my birthday? I would consider a review from any of my readers to be a wonderful birthday present. (Just think, a present you don't have to buy, wrap, or even spend a lot of time making!)
Oh, I do realize many of you have finals this week. If you want to wait a few extra days before writing a review, that's perfectly okay.
One more thing. I know I said I'd try to go back to posting once a week again, but the next chapter is harder to write than I thought it would be, so you'll have to wait another two weeks for another chapter again. Sorry.