Chapter Sixteen

Disclaimers: 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.

I'd like to thank Lisboa again for betaing and for letting me use her story as a starting point.

Red didn't know what she was going to do about her job at The Hot Spot. Sometimes she thought all she had to do was tell Mr. Jenison to stop touching her. But then he'd squeeze her breasts or slap her butt, and Red would think about how good it made her feel. So she'd wait one more day. Other times she thought she'd tell him to stop touching her inappropriately as soon as she entered the restaurant, before he could reach her at all. But Red opened her mouth and no sound came out. She didn't know what was wrong with her. Both Snow and Emma agreed Mr. Jenison might expect, even demand, sex from her at some point. They told Red, under no uncertain terms, that she should stop him before Mr. Jenison was allowed to get that far. So why didn't she do anything about it? Red had never, ever, ever, had a problem with confidence. So why when, she needed it most, was her confidence falling her?

Red's other option, of course, was to simply look for another job. It sounded simple enough, and it was also something her best friends also suggested. Abigail and Fredrick, who were still living with her, looked for jobs on a regular basis now, anyway. So why couldn't Red look through the ads in the newspaper as well? It was stupid, but every time Red thought about looking at the ads, she thought about all those men at the restaurant who eyed her with appreciation. She just couldn't bring herself to give that up.

But Red also knew something had to be done. That was why, on Monday afternoon, after making sure Abigail and Fredrick would be fine on their own in the apartment, Red had decided to go on a long run. Maybe she could make a decision when she returned. In the meantime, she'd always enjoyed running, although she hadn't done it since she lost her paws. It was still hard to realize she couldn't run as a wolf anymore, but she supposed she could run as a human.

Red was about half way through her run when she almost ran into a woman walking a dog on a leash. It was pretty common for humans to do that in this world, although it had taken some getting used to for Red. Where she was from, the dogs roamed free around a whole homestead. The first time Red saw a dog on a leash, she'd been shocked that the people restrained their animals like that. And what about the collars on their neck? Wouldn't it choke the dogs? She remembered asking Emma about it a few weeks ago. "When I was riding the bus yesterday, I say something…pretty disturbing. There was this man holding a rope around a dog as the dog walked! Is that illegal here? Should we tell someone?" She was quite concerned about this poor dog.

Emma had paused for a minute, looking confused, before she finally smiled. "Don't worry about it, Ruby. The man was walking the dog on a 'leash.' It won't harm the dog. It's just the way people take dogs for walks around here. That way, they don't have to worry about them running away or getting hit by a car or something."

Ruby nodded. It made sense that people wanted to prevent dogs from getting hit by cars. They moved so fast. But still… was Emma sure the dog wasn't being hurt? "Okay, but what about the rope around the dog's neck? It looked like it might be choking him!"

Emma smiled. "I'm sure it wasn't, since the dog was still able to walk. Look, I've never had a dog myself, but I know enough about dog care to know that when people put a collar on a dog, they measure it to make sure it won't choke. The collar is just to attach the leash, and prove ownership of the dog. It's fine, Ruby." It had taken a while for Red to get used to it, even after it had been explained to her, but she was alright with it now.

She hoped she hadn't hurt this poor dog, though, after almost running into him. She had certainly scared the poor thing, at least. "I'm sorry!" she told the human and the dog. "Is your dog okay?" she asked the human. The dog growled angrily at her. "I'm very sorry," Red said as she knelt in front of the dog and spoke softly. He was a small dog, with small ears, especially for a dog. His brown hair was long though, touching the ground as he walked. The dog still growled a little.

"He's okay, but I wouldn't do that if I were you. He's not very friendly to strangers. He might even bite you," the human warned her. "Come on, Shaggy. Let's go now," the human told the dog as she tried to tug at his leash.

But Red continued to stare at the dog, for another minute, trying to show how sorry she was for scaring him. Then she finally leaned over and scratched his head gently. "It's alright," she told the dog.

"Careful," the human continued to warn Red, obviously waiting for the dog to snap at her. "Come on, Shaggy," she said to the dog again.

But to the human's amazement the dog licked Red's hand happily. "I…just…don't believe it. He's never let anyone but me get that close to him. And he's never seen you before! If you were anyone else, he would've bitten you by now, maybe even more than once. You must have a special way with animals."

Red shrugged. With wolves, anyway. But then, wolves and dogs weren't that different, were they? Maybe it wasn't so hard to understand why she related so well to this dog. Red patted the dog's head.

"Listen my name is Joan Richardson. You may think this is a little forward, but my sister has been after me to visit her for over a year now. She lives in New Hampshire, you see." Red didn't know where that was, but she assumed it was far away. "I'd love to go," Joan continued, "but I can't leave my dog. He needs to be walked, and brushed, and fed daily. I can't take him with me, because my sister doesn't like him. I can't even put Shaggy in a kennel, because like I said, he doesn't like strangers and has been known to bite them. But…you seem to get along well with Shaggy, and he likes you. If I can plan a trip to see my sister next month sometime, would you take care of Shaggy?"

Red shrugged. "I probably could. The only thing is, I don't know if I could have a dog in my apartment."

Joan shook her head. "You'd have to stay at my apartment. I'd probably have to have you over for dinner a few times, or something, so I could get to know first. But if it works out, I'd pay you a fee we'd agree on to watch my dog for two weeks."

Red nodded eagerly. "That sounds great. My name is Ruby Lucas, by the way. The only thing is…it might be better for me if we did lunch. I work most evenings. Here's my number," she handed Joan a piece of paper with the number to her communication device.

"Lunch would be fine," Joan replied. "Thank you. This is my number," Joan added, handing Red a similar paper with a number on it. Red put the number in her pocket. "So I'll see you soon?"

"Of course," Red replied, smiling. "And I'll see you soon, too," she added sweetly as she patted Shaggy. He licked her hand again.

Red turned around and began jogging home. It looked like she had her answer about her job. She'd continue working at the Hot Spot, but eventually she would also be able to work for Joan, taking care of her dog. It was a big relief not to worry about it anymore. And Red liked the idea of taking care of the dog. It had been a long time since she'd been around wolves (or even other canines). It would be nice to interact with them again. Maybe she wouldn't miss her wolf sides so much.

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OOOOOOOOOO

Late Tuesday morning, after Emma's class at the University but before she needed to be at the police station, she met with her lawyer again. She arrived with a check that all of her family, including Granny and the dwarves, had contributed. Mr. Underwood accepted the check; although he made it clear she would receive another bill after the hearing was finished.

"Okay, Miss Swan, let's get started," he told her as he pointed to a table and chair. Emma sat down, leaning her head back to stretch as she did so.

"I have your blood test that proves you are Henry Mills's birth mother," Mr. Underwood began as he held up the lab results. "I have your lease for a three - bedroom apartment in a moderate neighborhood." He held up the lease. "I also have a death certificate for Regina Mills, the boy's adoptive mother, to prove his legal mother is dead." He held up the certificate. Emma stared at it for a second. There it was, all black and white. Proof that Regina was dead. Looking at it made her want to hug Henry all over again.

Mr. Underwood moved on, obviously not understanding the impact the death certificate had on Emma. "Do you have a pay stub or something that would be written proof you are employed by the Hampden Police Department?"

Emma nodded.

"Good. Bring it in before the hearing on Friday. Now, how are you at public speaking, Miss Swan? Can you testify in court without freezing?"

"Of course," Emma replied confidently. "I used to be a bail bonds person. I had to testify against the criminals sometimes."

Mr. Underwood nodded. "Okay. I need you to tell the judge exactly why you want and need your son back with you, Miss Swan. Put some heart into it. Make sure you explain why it's best for you and for him." He wrote something down.

"Definitely."

"I also have a child psychologist willing to testify on our behalf. Since Henry Mills's adoptive mother passed away recently, she believes he's much better off with family members, especially family he knows."

Emma nodded eagerly. "That's what I've always believed. How can Henry grieve among strangers?" She sighed. She still worried about that.

"How about your family members? Would they be comfortable testifying, or do you think they'd freeze on the witness stand?"

Emma nodded. "My sister and my brother – in – law live with me. They've already told me they'd be willing to testify. And I know they're good public speakers." After all, they used to be king and queen back in the Enchanted Forest. Emma assumed they spoke to their subjects regularly then. She'd also seen them speak to the people of Storybrooke. Yeah, Snow and David would be fine speaking.

Mr. Underwood nodded and wrote something down again.

"I've also been trying to get your boss agree to testify on your behalf. He said he'd try, but he'd have to see what else he was doing that day. You might want to mention how important this is to him. Try to weave the job in, too. Something like if you're son is with you, you'll be happier and better able to concentrate on work."

Emma nodded. "I'll mention it to him."

"How about Henry himself? Would he be comfortable testifying as well? Or is he a shy kid?"

Emma smiled. "Henry is a very grown – up, thoughtful young man," she commented proudly. "I'm sure he'd be fine. Although…try not to have him testify right after you show the death certificate of Regina. I don't know how well he'd handle that."

Mr. Underwood nodded and wrote something down. "I'll do my best." He looked at her thoughtfully. "I also think you should wear your police uniform to the hearing, especially if we can't get your boss to testify. A police officer is a very well – respected member of a community. It would have an impact on the judge, I think, if you showed him something so visual; that you are a police officer."

Emma nodded. "That makes sense."

Mr. Underwood looked at his notes again. "Now you do realize the Collard's are protesting you taking Henry back? They've hired their own lawyer."

Emma sighed. Of course they were. "That doesn't surprise me. They want the money his foster check gives them. I have to get Henry back! My son is not a meal ticket!" she exclaimed.

Mr. Underwood nodded. "I understand. You don't know how the social worker will testify? That could make or break our case."

Emma nodded. "I figured. I had some trouble with her for a while, but the last two visits, she was dancing with us and nodding her head and smiling. I think maybe…she's on my side now."

Mr. Underwood nodded. "Let's hope so. We'll meet again in the courtroom, Miss Swan. I'm going to try my best to get your son back to you." He got up and walked out the door.

Emma nodded as she got up and walked out the door as well. In her opinion there was no "try." Henry would be back with her. If the judge didn't rule in her favor, she'd run back to the woods, or to Canada or something. Henry had spent enough time in a foster home already. Actually, he'd spent almost two months too long there.

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OOOOOOOOOOOO

Red was standing around the kitchen, talking to her new roommates as they continued looking for jobs late Wednesday morning. (It was kind of annoying that she had lost the table, but obviously Snow, Emma, and Ja – David needed it more than she did, especially when Henry returned for good.)

"Here's another job offer for a restaurant," Abigail commented as she looked through the newspaper. "I don't know, though. I still don't really know how to cook. Fredrick says I shouldn't worry about it."

"For some jobs at restaurants; you don't need to cook, Abigail," Red told her as she looked over her shoulder to see the ad. "Like my job at The Hot Spot." But as Abigail pointed to the ad she had been looking at, Red shook her head. It was a place called Kentucky Fried Chicken. Emma had advised against them getting jobs there and other similar places. "No, actually that won't work," she told Abigail. "It's a place called a 'fast food restaurant.' You don't necessarily have to cook, but you would have to use computers and understand them quickly. Emma says it's not ideal for us, since we're not familiar with this world's technology."

Abigail nodded and kept looking.

"I meant to tell you guys," Red began, looking at both her new roommates. "I'll be having lunch with a lady I met on the road someday soon. Probably next week. If it goes well, I'll have a job taking care of her dog." Red's voice showed the excitement about the idea. Shaggy was adorable and she couldn't wait to see him again.

"Okay," Abigail replied shrugging. "That sounds nice for you, I guess."

"If that works for you, I guess it's fine," Fredrick replied. "Personally, I wouldn't want Abigail to go into a stranger's home."

Red nodded. She had expected a comment like that from him. He was protective of Abigail, like Ja – David was of Snow. Actually, some of the things he said made Red think he was even worse. She didn't understand how Abigail put up with it. But fortunately for Red, Fredrick wasn't as close to her as David was. James/David, whatever, had known Red almost as long as he'd known Snow, and he tended to try to protect Red like a sister. But Fredrick had only known Red for a little over a week.

"Well, she really wants me to take care of her dog," Red explained anyway. "Apparently, she's never found anyone who can do that for her. But she wants to get to know me better first. And vice versa. That's why we agreed to lunches." Her voice showed how happy she was about this arrangement. She'd be able to see the dog again, and she would probably have a new job soon.

Fredrick shrugged. "Okay." Red knew he'd never agree to it if it had been Abigail, but he accepted it because it was her. Would Ja – David be okay with it? Probably, if she explained how important it was to her. That was the nice thing about Snow's husband. He didn't let his protective nature stand in the way of people's happiness.

"Here's a job that might be a possibility," Abigail commented thoughtfully. "It a cleaning job for one of the schools. I think I know enough about cleaning after what Snow taught me and what we've been doing for that man's cabin."

Red smiled at her and nodded. "That makes sense. Why don't you try applying?"

Fredrick, however, did not look pleased. "I don't know, Abigail. I agreed to clean the man's cabin with you because I wanted to keep you out of jail. But doing it for a living…it's not very dignified. I mean, you were a princess. Besides, some of those chemicals we have to use can be dangerous. I'd rather you not use them longer than you have to."

Red shook her head and resisted the urge to role her eyes. Definitely one of the times where Fredrick went too far with his over protectiveness. It was just a job, for goodness sakes! It sounded like a good place to start for Abigail. It wasn't even a job where Abigail would have to worry about men like Mr. Jenison. She would be working around children. How could that be anywhere near dangerous?

Abigail seemed to agree with Red. "I love you for trying to protect me, Freddie, but I don't think the job is dangerous or undignified. I may have been a princess in the Enchanted Forest, but here, I need a regular job. And most jobs here, from what I can tell, require specialized training I don't have. This would be a job I could do. And I know how to avoid the irritation from the chemicals."

Fredrick sighed. "I'd like to see you try paining again."

Abigail smiled. "I might, but I don't think it would pay a lot of money, Freddie. I still need one of these jobs," she told him, pointing to the wanted ads.

Fredrick nodded, reluctantly. "Okay. But let me come with you to get the application, please? Especially since you'll have to ride one of those buses. I still don't feel comfortable with you riding those."

Abigail smiled at Fredrick the way lovers do. "Of course."

"Wait. Just a minute," Red said to them. "Do you have to get the application now? I mean, we can have some sandwiches or something first, right?" she asked as she began pulling out bread and sandwich meat from the refrigerator.

Abigail shrugged. "Sure. Why not? It's lunch time," she replied as she began picking up sliced meat for a chicken sandwich, her favorite.

Fredrick nodded eagerly. "Of course. If I can delay Abigail getting on that bus contraption, I'll eat a sandwich." He began picking up sliced meat for a ham sandwich.

Red smiled. "Great," she commented as she began picking up meat for a baloney sandwich. It wasn't anything like the food she'd eaten in the Enchanted Forest, but she considered it a wonderful new addition to her diet. "When you were talking about the Enchanted Forest, I just realized how little of your time over there that I'm aware of. Or even that you're aware of mine. If we're going to be roommates for a while, shouldn't we get to know each other better?"

Abigail and Fredrick nodded. "Okay," they both agreed.

"So you said you were a princess, right?" Red began, looking at Abigail.

Abigail nodded. "Yes. King Midas's daughter."

Red's eyes widened as she realized who this woman was. Prince James's (or David, whatever) first fiancée from the Enchanted Forest. Red would never forget the heartache Snow felt because of that. Was Snow really okay with her being here? Did she know Abigail was? "So you're…" Red began. "You were…" she tried again. "Does Snow know you're here? And is she okay with it?" Red finally settled on asking.

To Red's amazement, Abigail chuckled. "Yes. We've been to their apartment already, actually. We already discussed all the details about my failed engagement to James. Once Snow realized I didn't want him back, which I don't, she was okay with me. I think she and I could become friends now, actually."

Red sighed in relief. "That's good to hear." Red liked Abigail; she was nice to have around. She didn't think she'd ever become as close to her as she was to Snow and Emma, but they were becoming friends. Especially since they were roommates. But because Snow was Red's first best friend (the first friend she'd had in a long time, actually), her loyalty would always be to Snow. If Snow had any problems with

Abigail, she'd make her leave, no questions asked. Like Emma had said before, they could have gone to a motel.

"I was Abigail's personal knight," Fredrick commented, beginning his tale. "I was put in her service from the time she was about eight years old. Things between us just…developed from there." Red nodded. It made a little more sense that he was so over protective (too much, sometimes) of Abigail now.

"And you got married in the Enchanted Forest?" Red wanted to know.

"Yes. Right before the Curse came. Although Prince James, or whatever his name is, recommended we might want to get married here, too. Since our marriage in the Enchanted Forest won't be legal here."

Red nodded. "Yeah, it might be a good idea. You probably don't need to do as soon as Snow and her husband did, because you don't have to worry about custody hearings. But you should probably get married here eventually."

"Makes sense," Abigail agreed. "So what about you? What was your life in the Enchanted Forest?"

Red hesitated. Should she tell them she had been a werewolf? She missed being a wolf these days, but she hadn't forgotten the fear condemnation in people's eyes when they realized what she had been. And with Fredrick being as overprotective as he was, it was a good possibility. She really didn't want to see that look in her new friends' eyes, even if she told them she couldn't transform anymore. So instead she said, "I was Snow's best friend from when we were young women. We met in the forest. I needed to hide out as well." That was pretty close to the truth, anyway.

Abigail and Fredrick both nodded. "That sounds interesting." They continued to talk about things they remembered in the Enchanted Forest until they finished their lunches. Then Abigail and Fredrick headed for the bus stop to get that application. Fredrick looked incredibly nervous as they walked out the door.

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OOOOOOOOO

David was watching the calves and the cows Monday afternoon, when he noticed one of them seemed to be limping a bit. He quickly headed over to the calf, aware that a limping animal could mean anything from an injury to disease. "Hey there, little guy," he commented gently. He rubbed the calf's neck, showing him he meant no harm. The mother cow immediately headed over to check on her child. David rubbed her neck as well. "It's okay, girl," he told the cow. "I just want to make sure your little one is alright." The cow mooed at him. David smiled and began cooing to keep both the calf and the cow calm as he checked the calf's feet. He really believed taking care of the calves was the best part of this job. It made him feel so nurturing and…fatherly. It wasn't as if taking care of them would ever make up for not taking care of his daughter. But it did make him feel better.

As David picked up the calf's back left leg, the animal whimpered in pain. The cow hovered over David and her calf, mooing again. He sighed and realized he had to resort to drastic measures to keep these animals calm. When cooing hadn't worked with the sheep, there was a song he would sing to them. What was it again?

Oh right. Well, it didn't work so well with cows, but it was like cows understood English anyway.

"Ba, ba black sheep have you any wool, Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full." This song would have been a favorite when he was singing Emma to sleep. The cow and her calf were calm again, but David still continued to sing as he checked the calves back foot. "One for the master, one for the dame,

And one for the little boy who lives down the line."

As David looked down at the leg, still singing, he realized why the calf was limping and whimpering. His back left leg was swollen around the hoof. He shook his head. He looked to have some kind of disease. They were going to have to notify Bill immediately and quarantine this cow and calf. David rubbed the cow gently again. "It will be okay," he told the calf. David really hoped there was a way to save the calf. Like his mother had saved that lamb when he was a kid.

Then he ran to the barn where Bill was mixing the new feed. "I think we've got a problem with one of the calves," David told him, out of breath from running.

"Oh? What is it," Bill asked as he mixed the food.

"His back left leg is swollen. I think he's sick," David replied.

Bill immediately dropped the feed and ran to the pasture. "Which one?"

David pointed to the calf standing next to the cow next to the fence in the back. "Over there." They both ran to see the calf.

Bill carefully inspected the calf himself. Then he sighed. "Yeah. You're right. I think he's got foot rot, but I'll have to take him to the vet to make sure. Let me get the trailer. In the meantime, make sure the mother cow is quarantined." David nodded. This "vet" must be some kind of healer in this world. "When Tina gets here, the two of you can search the pasture land thoroughly. That calf was probably infected by cutting its foot on something sharp. A rock, or something like that. Find whatever it was and get rid of it."

David nodded again. "Do you need help loading him into the wa – I mean trailer?"

Bill shrugged. "I might, but I need the cow quarantined first. I'll try to put the cow in myself while you're doing that."

"Okay," David replied. He headed for mother cow. "Your boy is being taken care of," he patted her neck as she mooed and kicked her legs while Bill led the cow in the other direction, toward the trailer. The cow wouldn't budge as he tried to lead her toward the barn. David tried singing, "Ba, ba, black sheep" to her again as he patted he neck, but the cow continued to moo and kick her back legs, trying to head in the direction of her calf. He sighed and continued singing. It appeared the stubborn animal wasn't going anywhere, at least not until after he couldn't see her calf. It was a good thing David had plenty of patience.

Really, he felt sorry for the cow. She had no idea her calf was being taken away to be treated by a healer. She didn't know Bill was giving the calf his best chance. He and Snow knew giving Emma up was the only way to save her. But it didn't make it easy. It was definitely the hardest thing they ever done. How much harder was it for this cow, who didn't understand the situation?

Fortunately, Bill was able to lift the whimpering calf into the wagon himself eventually and leave. Then David looked at the cow, still singing and patting her. "Do you think we can go this way, now? Your little one will be alright." He really hoped that was true. He tried to lead the cow to the barn again, making sure to make it seem like it was a suggestion not a request. Cows were more stubborn than sheep, David had discovered. They didn't want to do anything just because their caregiver told them to. Fortunately for him, David was also well – acquainted with stubbornness (even though it usually applied to people), so he was able to adjust accordingly.

About a half hour later, David was finally able to get to the cow into a stall in the barn. It was a single stall, set aside specifically for cows that needed to be kept alone for some reason. He gave her some food and water, speaking softly to her. "You'll see you're young one again soon," he told her as he patted her neck. "Just as soon as the healer is done with him." At least the calf would still be a young when the cow returned to its mother. She wouldn't miss her offspring's entire childhood.

When that was the cow was finally taken care of, David returned to the pasture and began looking carefully for possible sharp objects. It wasn't easy to do, considering many of the cows and calves were still grazing, but he knew it needed to be done. What if one of the other cows stepped on whatever the object was?

About ten minutes after he began looking, David heard footsteps behind him. "Hi David!" came Tina's cheerful voice. "What are you doing? Can I help?"

David nodded, still examining the ground carefully. "Your father said one of the calves has foot rot. He went to take it to a healer, but he wants us to look for a sharp object somewhere out here that probably infected him."

"I see," Tina replied carefully. Then she knelt in next to him and began examining the ground as well. "I'm glad you're here to help, at least. You make it so much easier," she gushed.

David resisted the urge to roll his eyes. If he looked up, he was sure Tina would be batting her eyes at him. He had been hoping she'd moved on from her crush by now, but he supposed that was too much to ask. Hopefully she'd move on soon.

For the rest of the afternoon, David and Tina scoured the whole pasture land for sharp objects. David had to admit, it was easier to do with help. Finally, Tina pulled up a sharp rock, just under the grass near the barn. "Could this be what we're looking for?" she asked, holding it up to David, smiling in delight.

David turned toward her and examined the rock. "Yeah, I think that's probably it." He smiled and stood up. Then he helped Tina up as well. Tina threw her arms around him after she stood up. "I'm so glad we did this together, David. We do so many things together, you know?"

"Sure," David replied, trying to sound causal. He knew she meant more than just work. He really hoped she'd get over her crush soon.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

David was relieved to find out that the healer gave Bill medicine for the calf the next day. He was instructed to take care of the calf most of Thursday. That included keeping the wound on his foot clean by washing it often, making sure the calf didn't develop a fever, and administering the medicine. All the while, he made sure to keep the calf and the mother cow as calm as he could. At the end of the day, he looked at Bill and commented, "The calf seems to be alright. He hasn't developed a fever, at least." David shook his head. "He's still in a lot of pain, though."

Bill nodded. "Yeah."

"I think the calf will be fine. You're so good at taking care of him and all the cattle, David," Tina gushed, standing a few feet from her father.

"You're going to have to take care of him yourself tomorrow, though," David warned him. "I have a custody hearing to attend." David was really looking forward to tomorrow. Henry would finally be living with them again.

Bill nodded. "That's right. I remember you mentioning that. I guess I can handle him. Maybe my wife can take care of some of the other stuff around here. And of course, I'll have Tina in the afternoon." He smiled at his daughter.

"David's not going to be here tomorrow?" Tina asked, shocked. "I might actually have something else to do…school's getting busy you know, Dad."

"Yeah, but it's going to be a weekend, sweetie," Bill protested, confused. "Don't you have plenty of time to work on school? I could really use your help if David is unavailable."

Tina looked from David to Bill, obviously trying to decide what to say. "Whatever, Dad," she finally replied. "But you'll be back here on Monday, right?" she pleaded with David.

David smiled. Her crush was a bit annoying, but she was still a cute kid. Sometimes he looked at her and saw what he could have had with Emma. "Of course I'll be back on Monday. I love this job."

OOOOOOOOOO

Snow, David, and Emma had agreed to have dinner a little later on Thursday night, because Emma still didn't leave work until 8:00PM. Emma had promised she'd be coming home right away. She had been better about coming home than she was last week, since Emma and Snow weren't trying to avoid each other anymore. But it didn't change the fact that Emma did have some school work that had to be completed at the university. But this night was special, and they all knew that. It was the last night that would be just the three of them in this apartment. Tomorrow Henry would be with them again.

So at 8:30, Emma arrived home just in time for Snow to take the rosemary chicken with wild rice out of the oven. "Hi Emma," David and Snow greeted her as they all sat down. David was happy to see Emma, but he also couldn't wait to eat. His wife was a fabulous cook, and she and only recently discovered this dish.

"Hi," she replied.

"So are you ready for the big day?" David asked excitedly.

Emma nodded. "Yeah, I think so. I met with my lawyer earlier in the week. He thinks we have a good chance, especially with so many character witnesses." She smiled gratefully at them. David and Snow smiled back. They were happy to do anything to help Emma bring Henry back. "He also said I should wear my police uniform to the trial, since police officers are so well – respected and everything." She took a bite of chicken.

David nodded as he finished a bite of wild rice. Like he had said, fabulous. "Sounds like a good idea."

Emma sighed. "The Collards' are fighting my claim, though. My lawyer told me. They've hired their own lawyer." She shook her head nervously. "It could get nasty."

David looked his daughter in the eyes. "Emma, don't think for a second that they're going to take Henry away from you. This is just another fight in this world, remember? We've fought other people before in our world. People that were more powerful than us like George and Regina. But we won. Do you know why? Because we were right, Emma. And the people knew it. You're the right mother for Henry. People know that."

Emma shook her head. "But they already took Henry away from me."

Snow shook her head firmly. "That was temporary, Emma, and we all knew that. It's not the end of the fight. Back in the Enchanted Forest, people took us away from each other." She grasped David's hand for a minute. "But we kept fighting away, because we knew we'd win in the end. And you will, too." She patted Emma's arm.

Emma took a deep breath and nodded. "Right." She took another bite of chicken.

Snow swallowed a bite of wild rice and looked at her daughter with pride. "I just want to say how proud I am for you getting through this, Emma. I know it was hard. Harder than even what we had to do with the wardrobe. Because you still remember Henry. We forgot. And I know sending him to the foster home was very difficult, because you have bad experiences with those places. But you did it, anyway. You didn't run away." Her eyes shown with sincerity.

Emma sighed. "I wanted to run a lot. Several times I've been prepared to do that, too. But I realized I couldn't. Not if I really wanted to keep Henry and make him proud. Especially if I want to be a police officer. Police officers enforce laws. We don't break them."

David nodded. "But the point is, you still made the right decision, Emma, no matter how hard it was. You're a strong woman. Probably even stronger than we are."

Okay, so I did look up some information on cow illnesses, and foot rub was one of them that they could get. I like to think I made the disease fairly accurate as well, as I looked it up, too. Still, like I said before I really don't know that much about cattle or calves. If someone reading does know about them, and it sounds very inaccurate, give me a PM and I'll try to edit it.

Thanks to Alessa for the review. I'm glad you thought Snow's outburst was realistic. As far as Fredrick's overprotection goes, in some ways he is taking it to far. After all, she did survive without him in the Enchanted Forest for a while. This will be a problem in a few chapters. But I think David takes protection too far sometimes, too. And I do think Snow and Emma are more capable than Abigail at defending themselves. (Think, if David was the one turned into gold, Snow would have gotten the water herself, not sent someone else after it.) And this is a world that Fredrick doesn't really understand at all. As far as Tina, I promise you, it won't go too far. I love David working with the cattle and the calves, so I don't want him to give the job up. Anything other than that, read!

Thanks to the rest of you for reading, favoriting, and following this story. I'd love some more reviews, though, too. Please? Red fans should really enjoy this chapter. And/or animal lovers?