Chapter 27

Disclaimers: I don't own Once Upon a Time. Also this is a sequel to La Lisboa's original "Thicker than Water."

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

The last week of January, David was finally able to relax again. Snow and Emma were recovered from the flu (by his standards, not theirs). He had been happy to take care of his women when they were ill, but it had been exhausting. Especially considering he had to spend so much energy convincing them to lay down and rest. In fact, David didn't think he'd been this relaxed since before he had been ill. (Trying to get up when you were supposed to be resting wasn't really relaxing, either, especially considering he had to try to do it without Snow catching him.)

It also appeared that Henry had been lucky and hadn't caught the flu from any of them after a few days. That was a huge relief to all of them. All of their family seemed to be doing well, actually. Even Emma seemed relatively happy. And Henry had found hope in his fairytale book, just as Emma said he would.

So David worked at the dairy farm that week in a very good mood. He whistled as he fed the cows, he sang as he cleaned up their waste, and he even laughed as he dumped one of the milk containers as he picked up the milk. "No big deal!" he chuckled as he cleaned it up. "We'll just get milk from you next time," he told the cow as he petted her neck.

The cow mooed at him, and David laughed again.

Tina continued to gush about how much fun he was to work with and how great he was. David didn't mind. That Friday afternoon, Tina approached him nervously as they fed the cows again. (They needed to be fed more often in the winter, since they couldn't gaze.) "So, um, David, do you have a Valentine?"

David stared at her for several minutes, having no idea what to say. He wanted to ask, "What's a Valentine?" But Emma had warned them not to act like they didn't understand this world. Of course, Tina was just a girl, so it was not like she would probably hold it against him or tell her father or something, but sometimes it was better to pretend he knew something he didn't. David had gotten quite good at pretending to know about things over the years, after all.

A Valentine was probably one of those machines everyone in this world found so necessary to have. Maybe Tina wanted to give him one? "Well," David began carefully, "No, I don't but I don't really think I need one." He smiled at her gently, hoping that she understood that he really didn't need any of those mechanical contraptions.

Tina's eyes lit up and her smile went from ear – to – ear as she flung her arms around him. "Of course you need one, David! We all do! Everyone needs love!" Wait. A. Minute. Love? Tina continued, oblivious to his internal thoughts, "We'd have to keep it quiet, of course, because I don't think my father would approve, but we could still be Valentines! We would know!"

Oh. No. What kind of mess had he gotten himself into now? Apparently Valentine was a romantic term, and by saying he didn't have one David gave Tina the impression he was available. Gently but firmly, David grabbed her arms took them off his waist and stepped back a little. "Tina, I'm sorry, but I'm much too old for you." Especially if he took in to account all the years he'd apparently lived during the Curse. David didn't think about it often, but the fact was, he should be in his fifties by now.

Tina shook her head and tried to wrap her arms around him again, but David stepped away. He sighed. David thought he was being kind to Tina by being nice to her. She was only a girl, after all, and he figured she would lose interest in him soon. But apparently, by not making his feelings clear, David had been leading her on. How was he going to do this? He didn't want to break the young girl's heart, especially since Bill loved having his daughter work for him. But something had to be done.

"David, I'm very mature for my age, you know," Tina tried to explain, trying to make her voice sound mature as well. She actually sounded more like one of those stuck – up nobles he'd been forced to talk to after taking on the role as Prince. He took a deep breath and reminded himself that Tina wasn't a stuck – up noble, she was a girl with a crush, and he still needed to be gentle with her.

He slowly shook his head and sighed. "I'm sure you are mature, Tina. You do a very good job helping your father and me on the farm." Tina's eyes lit up with hope. David really hated to do this to her. "But Tina, no matter how mature you are, you're still too young for me. You're also my employer's daughter. Besides, I ah, may not have a Valentine yet, but I have someone I'd like to ask. Maybe you can find someone else, closer to your age."

"Fine!" Tina cried, her voice sounding like she was holding back tears. "I'll do that! I'll find someone so much better than you," she exclaimed as she ran off.

David sighed as he began cleaning some of the stalls. He hoped she would find someone better for her. It was too bad he was unable to wear his wedding ring when he was working here. If he had, Tina would know he was married and would have never asked a question like that. But working in an environment like this, with dirt, cow manure, and cow feed all over the place, there was simply too many opportunities for David to lose his ring. He certainly didn't want that to happen. It was very special to him, especially considering it was the first wedding ring he'd ever had. (Men didn't wear rings in the Enchanted Forest.) The ring was safe in his pocket and that was where it would stay, until he left the farm at the end of the day.

Still, there was one good thing that came from that conversation. This world had something called Valentines for romantic relationships. He'd have to find out more about that. Snow would probably like it.

That weekend at Wal – Mart, David found out Valentines were what people called the people they loved on Valentine's Day, which was February 14. Apparently the decorations had actually been up for a while. David supposed he'd been too busy worrying about sick family members to notice them. On that day, men would give women flowers, chocolates, trinkets, by them dinner, and take them dancing. Those sounded like great ideas, but David decided to do something a little different for Snow. Especially considering they were still paying for the lawyer that helped them get Henry back, so he'd rather not spend a lot of money.

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OOOOOOO

"So what are you doing for Valentine's Day, Mary Margaret?" Cindy asked her one morning in the first week of February. They were all sitting down for their coffee break that day, although Snow still stuck to water instead of coffee. She had never really developed a taste for coffee, and the room didn't keep hot cocoa available.

"It must be something good," Wendy commented. "It's your first Valentine's Day as a married couple, after all."

Snow nodded, trying to pretend that she understood what her two friends were talking about. Unfortunately, she ended up having to do that with Cindy and Wendy a lot. But she still considered them friends, since they were very nice to her and her family, and were a lot of fun to be around.

"Are you going to dinner at a fancy restaurant?" Cindy asked excitedly. "Or maybe he'll take you dancing? Or ice skating?"

"Maybe her husband is planning on making it a surprise," Wendy suggested, noticing for the first time that Snow hadn't responded yet.

"Yeah, I think that's it," Snow replied, trying to sound more confident than she felt. Apparently this "Valentine's Day" was a special day for couples. But Snow had no idea whether Charming knew anything about it, much less whether he would find out about this "Valentine's Day" in enough time to plan something for them. It might be better for him not to do much, anyway. After all, they were still paying the lawyer's bill from Henry's custody case. Charming didn't need to spend money to prove his love for her, anyway.

Still, as Snow thought about it the rest of the day, maybe there was a way for Snow to use this "Valentine's Day" to show her appreciation for him. It wasn't as if Snow needed to spend money to prove her love to him, either, but…it would be really nice to do something special for Charming, without spending money. The more she thought about the idea, the more she liked it.

But what should she do? She could plan a special meal for just the two of them, of course. That would be quite romantic, but relatively inexpensive, since they would be using their own home. Still, if she did that, she would have to tell Emma and Henry to leave the house, and she hated to do that to them. Especially since they were finally happy after those months of anger, "numbness" and self – doubt. They could go for a walk together, she supposed. But where? It got dark early, so there weren't as many places for them to walk this time of year. Not that Snow would ever be afraid of the dark, especially in the forest, but Snow knew Charming liked to see her face when they were together. She liked seeing him, too. What about that park they had been married in? Would they have those metal torches up at night for them to see there? Probably, since she's pretty sure she'd seen the torches at that park before. If they had the metal torch lights there, maybe she and Charming could go there. It would be quite romantic, to spend some time at the park they had been married at in this world.

The next day, after work, she checked out the park. She smiled in satisfaction. The park had the metal torches. It was all ready for her and Charming on February 14. (Snow had also found out that was the date of this "Valentine's Day.") As she was leaving the park, she thought of an even better idea than a simple walk. Something really special Snow could do for him. But she'd have to get to work on it soon.

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"So, have you figured out who you're going to ask to the Valentine's Day dance, Henry?" Teddy asked as they played video games at his house Saturday afternoon. "It's next weekend, after all."

"I don't know," Henry replied, who wasn't really thinking about dates right now. He focused on the screen for a minute, trying to hit the controls just right. Then there it was! Victory! Henry threw up his hands in the air in triumph. "I win!"

"Yeah, well whatever," Teddy grumbled. "I'll get you next time!"

"Hey, can I play now?" Eddie asked from the background.

"Sure," Henry, shrugged, handing the controls to the other boy. They all knew the agreement to them all being there was they would have to take turns playing the game.

"So seriously, Henry, who are you going to ask to the dance? I mean, it's a Valentine's Day dance, so you should go with someone," Teddy asked again as they set up another game for him and Eddie. "I think I'm going to go with Samantha."

Henry nodded. Samantha was in Teddy's homeroom. Sometimes they would talk. Besides, she had beautiful long, flowing hair. It's sounded like Teddy had made a good choice.

"I've already asked Janie," Eddie commented.

Henry rolled his eyes. Well, that would have been easy for Eddie. Janie had an enormous crush on him. Sometimes they teased him about it, but when it came to who to invite to a dance, at least Eddie didn't have any worries.

But for him? Henry would have to think about it for a while. "I'll figure something out," he told his friends.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Henry watched some of the girls in school the next day, trying to decide which one he would like to spend the Valentine's Day dance with. Some of them obviously already had dates. Some of them were obnoxious. Then his eyes fell on Michelle, as she answered a question in math class. Her voice was clear and pleasant. She smiled a lot, Henry thought to himself. And she was really pretty, with shoulder – length poufy blondish hair and full lips. Besides, he remembered how they'd danced together at the Halloween party. It had been nice. She was the one Henry wanted to invite.

But what if she said no? What if she already had a date with someone else? She wasn't one of the ones who obviously had a date, but that didn't mean she didn't either. Maybe he should ask Teddy to ask her. No, Henry said to himself. Teddy wouldn't understand Henry nerves; he'd just make fun of him. Teddy had already bragged to him and Eddie at lunch that he'd walked right up to Samantha this morning and asked her point – blank.

Maybe he should ask Sally to talk to Michelle. Didn't they eat lunch together? Yeah, that's what Henry would do. So after school, before he got on his bus, Henry took a deep breath and made his way to Sally.

"Hi," he said to her carefully.

"Oh, hi Henry," she replied.

"You know your friend, Michelle? What does she think of me? Do you know? Do you think she'd like to go to the Valentine's Day dance with me?" Henry asked in a rush. Then he ran off, not giving Sally a chance to answer. He had a bus to catch, after all. (Besides, this way he wouldn't have to worry if she already knew the answer was "no.")

OOOOOOOOO

The next day, however, Henry was slipped a note by Sally. It said, "Michelle is interested in you. She really enjoyed dancing at the Halloween Dance with you that one time. Would like to go to this dance with you."

Henry beamed and walked up to Michelle in math class. "So, Sally said you'd like to go to the

Valentine's dance with me?"

Michelle smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I think that would be fun, Henry," she replied just as the teacher entered the room. Henry hurried to his seat, grinning from ear to ear. Wait until he told Teddy and Eddie about this!

OOOOOOOOOOO

That night, Henry knew he needed to talk to his mother about his plans, though. He really hoped he could convince Mom to let him go himself this time. Henry loved his grandparents dearly, and looked up to them (especially for their relationship), but he did not want to go to a school dance with them! Especially since he was going to be with Michelle this time. True to their word, Grandpa and Grandma had kept their distance when they went with him last time, but still…Henry didn't like the idea.

"Mom," he began after dinner. "There's a Valentine's Day Dance this Friday. Is it okay if I go? All my friends will be there."

Mom shrugged. "I guess so. You did well enough at the last one, Henry. I just can't believe you're old enough to go to school dances." She shook her head.

Henry sighed. "Yeah, um, about that. All my friends have dates, too. So I asked this girl, Michelle, from my math class. Is that okay?"

Mom's eyebrows shot up. "A date!? That's a little more complicated. Let me think about it for a while."

Henry sighed and looked at the ground. He had been afraid that would be her reaction. How could he convince her to let him go? "But Mom, it's a school sponsored event! It's not like we'd be alone together or something. I just want to see my friends and this nice girl. That's it," he promised.

Mom sighed. "Maybe."

OOOOOOOOOO

The next day, Mom agreed to let him go. Yes! "But there will be ground rules," Mom added, cautioning him. "You will meet your friends and the girl at the party, do you understand me?"

Henry nodded.

"And since the dance starts at 8:00PM, and I won't be home by then, your grandparents will ride with you on the bus to the school, okay?"

Henry nodded, but gulped. This brought up that other…sensitive issue. "Okay, but Mom, do they have to come with me this time? I mean they're great…but I'd rather not go to the dance with them."

Mom shrugged. "I think you can handle it yourself this time, as long as you stay in the gym with your friends. Do you understand me?"

Henry nodded eagerly. "Of course, Mom!

Mom smiled. "Then you can go to the dance by yourself, Henry. " Then she whispered. "And between you and me, I think your grandparents have their own Valentine's Day plans, anyway."

Henry smiled. "Yeah."

"And I'll pick you up at 9:30? Is that when the dance ends?

Henry nodded.

"Okay I'll pick you up outside the school and we'll ride the bus home together, okay?"

"Okay."

"One more thing, Henry. I know this is a pretty causal date for you, but I don't want you to feel pressured to kiss or anything, okay?"

Henry shrugged. Michelle was nice and he looked forward to seeing her but he didn't think he'd ever thought about kissing her.

"And this is very important, too. Not just for this Friday, but for anytime you're with a girl in the future. "Always ask her if she's okay with doing anything physical before you do it. Whether it's kissing or…anything else you may do in the distant future."

Henry nodded. He supposed that made sense. Although…"But Mom, Grandpa and Grandma don't ask each other if it's okay to kiss before they do it!"

Mom chuckled. "When you're at the stage in a relationship that they're in, Henry, you can basically assume the other person is okay with kissing. But that won't happen to you for years. So for now, make sure you ask first, okay?"

"Okay."

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OOOOOOO

Emma had never been a fan of Valentine's Day in the past. It was a day that was only fun if you had someone to share it with, after all. But this year, with Neal's death so fresh, it was especially hard. Emma couldn't stop thinking how she and Neal could spend this day if he were still alive. Maybe they'd go out to dinner. Or maybe they would just wait for Henry to come home (Emma couldn't believe Henry was actually old enough to have a date for his school dance). But there were plenty of interesting things she and Neal could have done from the apartment. They could have shared a bottle of wine. They could have gotten frisky and decided to play strip poker. Or they could have even decided to have some bedroom fun. And she and Neal would have talked about how difficult it was to accept Henry had his own Valentine's Day date this year. No one would have understood how hard that was for her like Neal could.

Emma had thought she was over her anger concerning Neal's death. She hadn't felt this anger boil up inside her in two – and – a – half months. She still missed him, but Emma was trying to concentrate on what made her happy these days. Seeing Henry laugh, reading the fairytale book with him, enjoying cinnamon cocoa with her mother, even riding around in her police cruiser ( because it made her feel useful) all made her happy. But now, she kept thinking about how Neal should be with her on Valentine's Day. She began slamming doors and grumbling to people again, like she had done a few months ago.

She tried to defuse her anger by walking all the way home instead of taking the bus part way. But since walking didn't channel her anger as well as running did, it only worked a little bit. (It was way too icy to run on the sidewalks.)

Once again, around Henry, Emma tried to force herself to conceal her emotions. Henry had enough to deal with without worrying about Emma, after all. And now that things were finally looking up for Henry, she didn't want to ruin it. He was finally getting over Regina, he had said "goodbye" to his father, he was making friends in the neighborhood and at his school, he had rediscovered his optimism since he acquired his favorite book again, and soon he would go on his first date.

But around her parents…that was another story, especially considering how happy they appeared to be as Valentine's Day approached. They even seemed to be whistling and humming all the time! "Get out of my way," she snapped at Snow on the way to the bathroom one night.

"Why are you smiling at?" she grumbled David the next night as she prepared to go back into her room.

Was it any wonder her parents would realize there was something wrong with Emma? Actually, it was a little surprising. Emma had thought they might be so excited about their Valentine's Day plans they didn't really notice her moods. But they did. Thursday night, after Henry had gone to bed, her parents decided to talk to her. They knocked softly on her bedroom door. "What do you want?" snapped Emma.

"We noticed you were feeling upset again," Snow began softly as she opened the door..

"And we wondered if it had anything to do with Neal," David continued.

Emma shrugged. "So what if it does? There's nothing we can do to bring him back. I already said 'goodbye' to him. Now I'll say goodbye and goodnight to you," she told them firmly. She really hated it when her parents thought they could talk about her problems to make them better. As if! Seeing them happy together only made her angry she didn't have Neal.

She got up and tried to close the door on them. "Didn't you learn your lesson from last time?" she snapped at Snow. "And you!" she pointed at David. "I thought you were willing to give me space!"

Snow put her hand on the door. "I did learn my lesson, Emma," Snow told her, more forcefully this time. "I just thought you might like to have Red come over tomorrow night, since she helped you so much before. We'll all be gone, so you guys can talk without anyone else getting in the way."

Emma paused staring at her mother. Was she really giving her permission lean on Red instead of Snow? While she was thinking about that, David continued, "And I'm always willing to give you space when you need it, Emma. I just thought, since Snow had such a great idea, I could show I supported, it too. I thought, maybe, you'd be more receptive if it came from me."

Emma nodded. "Thanks, I guess. I do think having Ruby over tomorrow is a good idea. We can play cards or something. But really," Emma looked at her mother. "You didn't' need to bring David as well. I was fine with the idea coming from you. I just…can't believe your okay with me talking to Ruby instead of you."

Snow shrugged. "I've accepted that she can help you better with this than I can, Emma. And maybe I did need to bring him with me, if only to help block you from shutting the door," Snow joked.

Emma shrugged. "Yeah." She knew her mother was trying to make her laugh, but she wasn't really in the mood for that right now. "Speaking of tomorrow, you know Henry is going to the dance at his school, right?"

David nodded. "He's mentioned it a few times, yes." The fact was, the dance was all Henry had talked about for days.

"Well, I told him he could go to the dance without us this time, as long as he rode the bus with you guys to get there. Is that okay? I'd do it myself, but by the time I get home, his dance is half over."

"Of course, Emma," Snow replied.

"We're happy to help," David added.

"I'll pick him up, so you don't have to worry about that," Emma assured them.

They both nodded.

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OOOOOOO

Henry finished the spaghetti that Grandma had made for dinner quickly on Friday night. "Can I get dressed now?" he asked. He had decided to wear the suit he had worn to Grandpa and Grandma's wedding.

Grandpa, who still had his mouth full of food, shrugged.

Grandma looked at him and replied. "Yeah, I guess."

Henry jumped off his chair and skipped into his bedroom. He was so excited for tonight! He was going to another dance with his friends, and he even had his own Valentine's date. He even got to dress in a nice suit for the occasion. He wondered if he looked at all like Grandpa when he had gone to balls in the Enchanted Forest.

Henry smoothed his pants and shirt after he finished dressing. Then he added the suit jacket. Finally, he came out of his bedroom. "I'm ready!" he exclaimed, bouncing over to where his grandparents were cleaning up the dinner dishes.

Grandma looked him up and down. "I think you look very handsome, Henry."

Henry smiled at her. "Do you think I look like Grandpa? When he took you to a ball, I mean?" he asked, hopefully.

Grandma smiled. "Exactly like Grandpa, Henry." For some reason, she blinked a couple of times at that.

Grandpa turned around. "I guess we should get going, then." He picked up Henry's jacket and helped Grandma put on hers. Then he put on his own and they all put on hats and mittens as well. They would have to walk to the bus stop, after all. "You know, Henry," Grandpa commented as they walked. "It's great that you look nice, but it's even more important that you treat the young lady you're with respect tonight. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Henry nodded. "Mom talked to me about that already. You mean to make sure I ask Michelle before I kiss her or anything, right?"

Grandpa smiled and Grandma chuckled. "That's right, Henry. Remember that. You never want to do anything with a girl that she doesn't want you to do. Although I'd prefer it if you restrain from kissing tonight, anyway."

Henry nodded. He wasn't really planning on kissing Michelle tonight. They boarded the city bus and soon arrived near his school. Although Grandma and Grandpa did walk him to the door, they didn't go inside this time, thank goodness. As soon as Henry went inside the school, he began looking for Michelle. He spotted Teddy, but he was already with Samantha, so he didn't really want to interrupt his friend. As Henry continued to wander around the hall, someone tapped his shoulder.

"Hi Henry; you look great," Michelle smiled at him after he turned around.

Henry smiled. "You look beautiful, Michelle," he told her, a little nervously. She really did. She wore a deep purple dress that went down to her knees. It looked like it was made out some kind of silk. The waist of the dress also hung way past Michelle's actual waist. The effect made her look taller and older. Her hair also flowed at her shoulders, as it always did, but it had been curled at the end. She made his heart skip a few beats, just looking at her.

Michelle smiled again and nodded.

"Do you want to get a drink first, or go into the gym?"

Michelle shrugged. "Let's go into the gym for a while."

Henry nodded and took her hand, like the way Grandpa always did with Grandma. It felt warm, probably because their hands were so sweaty, but it also felt really nice. It made him feel all tingly.

Henry danced with Michelle for several songs. He was really glad Michelle didn't mind that he didn't know all those new dances some of the kids here knew. "I'm just here to have fun, Henry. We don't have to win any dance contests," she told him when he looked nervously as other kids performed complicated dances.

Henry nodded. "If you want to learn how do some other dances sometime, my gr – " Oops. Henry didn't think he'd ever get used to calling Grandpa and Grandma "aunt and uncle" in public. "My aunt and uncle know some old – fashioned dances. They could even teach us how to ballroom dance." He looked at the floor after he said that. He thought it would be a lot of fun to have Grandpa and Grandma teach him how to ballroom dance. Especially with a girl like Michelle, who he really enjoyed dancing with. But…what if Michelle thought it was a stupid idea?

But fortunately, Michelle replied, "I think that sounds like a lot of fun, Henry. Maybe next weekend?"

Henry nodded. "I'll have to talk to them first, but I think they'd be okay with it. We could use our living room, since it's pretty big and we still don't have some furniture in it."

Michelle smiled at him again. Henry really liked it when she did that. "Let's get some drinks," she suggested.

They sat with Teddy and Samantha, as well as Michelle's friend, Sally, and her date. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

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OOOOOO

Ruby automatically agreed to hang out with Emma the next night after Emma got home from work. So when Emma got home, she quickly prepared some sandwiches and crackers for them to enjoy. She was so glad Ruby was coming tonight. Talking to Ruby about her romantic troubles always made Emma feel a little better. Just as she finished, she noticed two cards had been left on the table with her name on it.

Probably from her parents, Emma figured. She sighed. She really hated pity – cards, and she knew that was exactly what these were. She had gotten a few of them over the years, from work colleges who knew she didn't have any dates on Valentine's Day. Emma had always thrown them in the trash before. Still…since they were from her parents, she supposed she should open them.

One had a father carrying a little girl, on his shoulders. "I love my girl," said the card on the front. In the inside, it said "Happy Valentine's Day, daughter," and it was signed "David." Emma shrugged. As cards go, it could be worse, she supposed. Even if it was still a pity – card.

The other card had a big heart on it and said "Happy Valentine's Day, daughter," and on the inside, Snow had written, "You still have love, Emma." Emma shrugged and looked at the cards. She was torn between being touched that her parents were trying to include her on Valentine's Day (which, she admitted, was a big move for a couple who liked romance as much as they did), and being upset that they had still given her pity – cards. Besides, she really didn't need reminding that she had no romantic love anymore. For now, Emma hid them in her bedroom. She might throw them away later, though.

In the meantime, Ruby was here. "I'm always here for you to lean on, Emma," she told her as she came in the door a little past 8:30. "It's not like I have anyone to spend tonight with, either," she sighed. "In another time, I might have thought about going out tonight, to go eat or go dancing or something. But after my experience with Mr. Jenison," she spat on the ground to show what she thought of him now. Emma couldn't agree more. "I can't really handle men looking at me like that anymore. I try to stay away from places like that."

Emma nodded. "Makes sense." She didn't really want to go to those places, either. They reminded her too much of places she and Neal might have gone if he were alive and they were a couple again. "Besides, we have to pick up Henry in another hour, anyway."

"So I brought cards," Ruby held up a deck of cards. "Do you want to play hearts or something?"

Emma shrugged. "As long as it's not poker."

"What's poker?" Ruby asked as she began shuffling the cards.

Emma shrugged. Sometimes she still forgot how little her family and friends knew about this world. "It's a card game people play in this world for bets. I was picturing playing it with Neal…by betting articles of clothing," she explained.

Ruby nodded, obviously not entirely comfortable with this line of conversation. Emma figured it probably made her think of her assault again. She decided to change the subject to the other thing that was bothering her. "Can you believe Henry is actually on a date tonight? I mean, I know it's not a real date, because he only has one because all his friends do, but still! He's almost a teenager, Ruby! And I missed ten years of his life!"

Ruby nodded as she dealt out the cards.

"I wish Neal was here to help me with him," Emma continued. "We'd sit here worrying about his first date together. But we could still have a Valentine's Day together, at the same time."

Ruby nodded. "Sometimes I still wish Peter were here, too."

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OOOOOOO

The moment Snow and Charming dropped Henry at his school was quite bittersweet. It was nice that he was so happy, but Snow couldn't believe her grandson was old enough to go to a dance with a girl. "We missed so much of his life," Snow sighed as he disappeared into the school. "Before he left, when he asked me if he looked like you…I couldn't get over how much he did. He's almost a grown – up, Charming."

Charming sighed as well. "I know, but at least we can be in his life now," he told her, giving her hand a squeeze.

Snow nodded. He was right. Charming was always so good at reminding her to stay positive.

"So what did you want to do tonight?" he asked her, changing the subject. "We told Emma we'd stay out of the house tonight, remember? Do you want to go get a drink? Or go to the mall or something?"

Snow smiled. He still had no idea what she had planned for them tonight. "Actually, I was thinking we could stop at one of those places that sell hot drinks and get some to go. Then we could go to that park that we got married in this world."

Charming gave her his special smile. "That sounds like a wonderful idea." They got back on the bus and rode to a place near the park. Then they stopped at a store that sold drinks and snacks and was open late at night. Fortunately for Snow, they did sell hot cocoa. So she bought herself a cup. Charming decided to try coffee. After all, he'd never really been a fan of cocoa, and he associated tea with sickness, especially with his recent experience. "I know you don't like it," he explained to her. "But Emma does, so I'd like to see how it tastes for myself. I've never really had the chance to try it."

Snow shrugged.

"So are you actually going to drink cocoa without cinnamon?" he teased her as they walked out of the store. "I thought you always said you couldn't have one without the other!"

Snow grinned at him and pulled a package of cinnamon out of her jacket. Then she carefully sprinkled in the appropriate amount of the spice.

Charming shook his head. "So are you carrying that with you everywhere you go now? In case of a cocoa emergency?"

"No, of course not," she chuckled. "I just knew I would need it tonight." She smiled at him again as they entered the park. It was almost completely deserted. She had a feeling people in this world didn't really like the outdoors in the winter very much. But for someone like her who lived in the woods without much heat for several years, this was nothing. As long as Snow was wearing a coat and the hat and mittens Granny made, she was fine. A hot drink didn't hurt, either. And since Charming had worked outside almost all of his life, she knew he felt the same way. It was nice that the park didn't have many people there, actually. It meant they had more privacy, which was wonderful, especially with what she was planning for Charming tonight.

Charming smiled at her, and then looked around at the park. "You planned this in advance, didn't you? It wasn't just an idea because Emma wanted to talk to Red tonight." Then he took a sip of his drink.

Snow smiled at Charming as she sipped her own drink. "What do you think?" she teased. Then her smile faded as she thought of Emma. "I wish Emma were happier today, though. She's got so much on her plate. Losing Neal, Henry growing up and going to a dance himself…I wish I could help her more." She shook her head.

"You did what you could, Snow," Charming told her firmly, squeezing her hand again. "You made sure Red was available to talk her, and I know it meant a lot to Emma that you suggested Red come over tonight. We also made sure Henry was able to get to his dance, which helped Emma as well."

Snow sighed. She knew he was right, but it didn't make it any easier. Besides, that wasn't all Snow had done. "Actually…that's not all I did," she commented softly. "I bought her a Valentine's Day card at a store. I wasn't planning on it, really I wasn't. But I saw a card that had the word "daughter" on it…and I couldn't stop thinking about giving it to Emma. Do you think she'll like it, or will it rub salt in her wound that she doesn't have Neal anymore to spend today with?" Ever since Snow had put the card on the table, she had worried it would do more harm than good. Was she pushing too hard again?

Charming shrugged. "I don't know if it will rub salt in Emma's wounds or not. But I'd like to believe it was a good idea. Especially considering I bought her a card, too."

"You did?" Snow asked, a little surprised. Snow still wasn't sure how much he knew about Valentine's Day. It would be impossible for him not to notice it at all, considering how much it decorated the stores in the past few weeks. But he notice it in enough time to plan anything? Did he figure out what all those decorations meant?

"Yeah," Charming replied, taking another sip of his drink. "I wasn't planning on it or anything, either. But I saw this card of a father carrying his daughter on his shoulders and I just thought…I don't know, I wanted her to have it."

Snow smiled. Maybe it wasn't a horrible idea to get Emma a Valentine's Day card, if they both had the same one.

"But let's let the rest of the night be about us, huh?" He gave her his special smile again. "I have something for you."

"You do?" Snow supposed she shouldn't be so surprised. They may not be familiar with this world, but her Charming was very observant, so he would pick up on things. Especially important things involving love. Besides, he was used to having to "learn on the go" so to speak, because he had to study everything involving being royalty after becoming a prince.

"I do," Charming confirmed. "Why don't you sit on that bench over there," he pointed to a nearby one, "and I'll give it to you."

Snow nodded and did so. She wondered what he might give her. As soon as she sat down, he began singing.

"We've had it rough

Since the beginning

We think we're through

But the problems keep coming

Yet we're tough

So we're still doing it.

And there's nothing

That I would want to change

Because we're still together

From bird feathers

To battle

To cattle

And family

We'll have each other

Forever more"

Snow sat on the bench with her heart swelling so much she thought she might turn into one. Charming had composed a song just for her. Actually she'd heard him humming the tone he'd used in the past week, but she hadn't thought much of it. Snow had forgotten how much she enjoyed hearing his voice. In the Enchanted Forest, sometimes he would sing for her when they alone together.

When he finally finished, he smiled a little shyly at her. "So did you like it? I know you like my singing, but I've never written my own song before so I didn't know…" The uncharacteristic display of uncertainty was kind of cute.

"I love it, Charming. Really," she promised him. "I'll show you how much soon. But right now I want you to sit on the bench. I have something for you, too." It was quite ironic, actually, considering what Charming had just given her. But then, maybe it shouldn't surprise her so much. They were in sync with so many things, after all.

Snow stood in the same place Charming had and began singing the song she had written for him.

There was beautiful boy

Who wanted to be one thing

A wonderful shepherd, like his dad

But then he became a man, oh boy!

A demand was made by a king

That the man become a prince

But the man did not remain mad

Instead he helped a princess

That had been cast off bad

The man didn't spend his life

Wondering why

He believed everything had a reason

And he helped the princess understand reason

And happiness together."

Snow was pretty sure the song wasn't perfect, or even all that great. But she wanted to sing Charming something about his optimism and the way he always supported her. And she knew he liked her singing voice, too.

"I love it Snow," Charming told her softly, when she finished. He got off the bench and wrapped his arms around her. Smiling he whispered, "Is it okay if I kiss you?"

"What do you think" she whispered back, wrapping her arms around him as well. They both leaned in at the same time and their mouths met for a wonderful, deep kiss.

When they finally parted, Snow remembered the comment Charming had joked about. "Seriously, I know we think it's funny, but I'm glad Emma told Henry to make sure he asked the girl before he did any kissing. I think the rules for courting…or dating I guess they call it here, are really different than then they were back home, from some of the things I've been hearing. Who knows what Henry may be encouraged to do." She shook her head, shuddering.

Charming nodded. "I know what you mean. When I was his age, I wouldn't have even asked my mother about keeping time with a girl. But Henry says all of his friends have dates to this dance, too. It's something we'll have to keep an eye on, along with Emma, that he doesn't do anything inappropriate."

They walked around the park with their arms around each other, sipping their drinks for another hour before they decided to head home. Henry should be back by now, so Emma would probably be okay with having them at home again.

Okay, first of all, can I say it bothers me when girls and women talk about what their "men" did/bought them for Valentine's Day, or complain that their men didn't do anything/buy anything? Valentine's Day is a day about LOVE, not about females. So it should go both ways. From personal experience, I do understand that buying/doing something for Valentine's Day that is appropriate for a man can be difficult. But that doesn't mean we should stop trying!

That's one reason I had Snow concentrate on doing something for Charming, not being overly concerned whether he knew enough about V – Day to have something planned himself. (I also think it's very in character for both of them to plan a surprise, each believing the other doesn't know enough about V – Day to have done anything.)

Second of all, I wrote the poems/song lyrics that they gave to each other myself. Their insecurities about the quality of their songs are my insecurities. I don't write poetry and I don't write songs, so they probably don't have the proper beat, rhyme sequence, meter, etc.

I do know people who write good – quality poetry, but unfortunately, they're both busy so I don't want to bother them. They are also not very acquainted with OUAT. My sister also doesn't write love poetry, so I don't know if she would be comfortable trying (and I couldn't take one of her old ones, because they wouldn't fit). My husband used to write love poems, many years ago, but I don't think he's inspired anymore, and I don't know where his old ones are.

So I figured that even though Snow and David would be good singers (based on both the Disney versions of their characters and the rumor that the actors are actually quite good singers), they wouldn't be really good at writing their own songs. But also figured that the other person wouldn't really care. What they would care about is that their spouse took the time to write a song about them/their relationship and sing it.

Thank you very much for reading, following, and favoriting. And a special thank you to those who have reviewed. Here are some responses to those who reviewed chapter 26.

Nan: I appreciate the fact that you think I'm doing a good job with the characterization of all the Charming's. I've also thought of the perfect chapter for the scene you asked for, so stay tuned!

Guest: Baby Neal will exist in this story. I think it's very important for Snowing to have more children (notice I said children, not child). But he will not appear anytime soon. Snow promised Emma they wouldn't try for another child until after Henry's custody is certain, and right now Emma only has "temporary custody." So Snow has been taking birth control pills. I do realize that birth control doesn't work 100% of the time ( a fact most people ignore or don't understand). But for the purpose of this story, it does work for Snow. In the meantime, if you wish to read a story with Snowing having/taking care of a baby, there are plenty of them available.