Chapter 33

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

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

A few days later, Ms. Adams called Red on her communication device and told her that Mr. Jenison had been convicted of two counts of Unwanted Sexual Misconduct. Red was overjoyed. The creep would be punished for what he'd done to her and the other woman, after all. She didn't have to worry about him anymore. She called Snow and Emma, and they invited her over for lunch at their house to celebrate. (David and Henry had gone grocery shopping, to leave the three of them alone.)

Snow made something called "grilled cheese sandwiches," which were fairly simple to make, from what Red understood. All you needed was a frying pan, bread, cheese, and butter. You just made a sandwich out of the cheese and then used the butter and the pan to fry it. Red had heard about them before and even seen them once or twice, but she hadn't had the occasion to try them yet. They were quite good, however. She might make them herself sometime.

They all sat down at the table and Emma poured the three of them some grape juice. "I know wine would be more appropriate for a celebration like this, but we don't have any. We could wait until the guys get back but then…" Emma's voice trailed off, obviously trying to find a way to explain herself.

But Red knew what she meant. "It wouldn't be just us girls," she finished for Emma.

"Right," Snow agreed. "Not that Charming and Henry aren't happy for you, too, but…"

Red smiled. "Don't worry. I understand what you guys are trying to say."

Emma smiled. "Well, good, because I'm not sure we can!" She chuckled at the way she and Snow hadn't really explained it properly.

Red and Snow laughed at that as well. It felt good to laugh with her friends. When was the last time they'd done this?

"Anyway, we're trying to save money for our trip in August," Emma added. "Not that this isn't important,…but…"

Red sighed. "Don't worry. I get it. This is great the way it is."

Emma sighed with relief.

"So," Snow began holding up her glass. "To punishing men who 'take liberties' when they shouldn't."

"And to getting one more scumball off the streets, so he can't hurt other women," Emma continued," holding up her glass and smiling at Red.

Red smiled back at her. That was right. She hadn't just helped herself by talking in that courtroom; she'd helped other women who might have gotten hurt by him, too. Still, there was something else she wanted to say, too. "And to standing up to him, so I can get my life back." Telling everyone in the courtroom had been extremely difficult, but Red was glad she'd done it.

With that, they all clinked their glasses together and then took a sip.

"Thank you for making the grilled cheese, Snow," Emma commented as she took a bite. "Mmmmmm."

Snow shrugged and took a bite herself. "No problem, Emma," she smiled. "Besides it's not like they're hard to make. They taste pretty good, actually."

Red nodded as well. "Yeah, I think I might make them myself sometimes, at my place." Then she asked something she hadn't had a chance to ask yet. "So how are the birds doing now that the weather is warmer, Snow?"

Snow brightened. "Very well, actually. Sometimes I go outside the hospital to see them. They have a small park there. Occasionally, they show up here, too. And how about your dogs?"

"They like taking walks and they love it when I take them to the park," Red replied, trying to sound causal. She wasn't ready to admit how much she enjoyed going to the park herself. She looked forward to seeing Justin there again.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

The next time Red saw Justin at the park, he greeted he with a warm smile. "Would you like to go running with us?" she asked him, referring to herself and the dog she was talking care of. (It was a German Sheppard named Daisy.)

Justin sighed. "I don't think I could run quite as fast as you do, so I probably wouldn't be able to run 'with you.' Besides, I have to be careful not to spend too much time around other dogs. I wouldn't want Champ to get confused and not be able to work."

Red nodded. "Yeah." Sometimes she forgot Justin's dog wasn't an ordinary one. But she'd still like to do something with him today. "Maybe you'd like to run around a little while with Champ? Does he like to do that?"

Justin shrugged. "He doesn't run around much, because, like I said, he usually works. I usually bring him to the park to play, so he can have a break from leading me everywhere."

Red nodded. "That makes sense. Does he like fetch?"

Justin nodded. "Yeah, he does actually."

"Then why don't we play with the dogs? You play with Champ and I'll play with Daisy. We'll see which team is the best at fetch!"

Justin nodded, seeming to be interested. "Champ and I will beat you guys for sure! We've been a team for a long time, you know. Come here, Champ, boy" he called as he clapped his hands. Champ's head immediately snapped up from the rock he had been sniffing. "We're going to play fetch, Champ. Can you find a stick?" he asked the dog. The dog picked up a stick off the ground and brought it to Justin.

Red smiled, enjoying their interaction. It was obvious Justin was incredibly close to his dog. Then she shrugged and looked at Daisy. "Do you think we could beat them, girl? We haven't known each other that long, but you like me, don't you? Don't you want me to win?" She picked up a stick and held it up for Daisy to see. "Go fetch!" she told her, throwing it as hard she could.

Daisy barked in agreement and ran off to find the stick.

For the next half hour, Red and Justin playfully argued which dog was better at fetch. "Look how much faster Daisy is, Justin! " Red commented. "She's definitely the best."

"No," Justin protested. "Daisy may be faster, but that's only because she runs more than Champ does. Can she find you if you change positions? Champ can." With that Justin threw Champ's stick again and then walked off to another bench. Red throw Daisy's stick as well and walked over to the other bench. As Justin tried to find exactly where the bench was, she went to grab his hand and lead him in right direction. But before she could, he managed to grab the back of the bench and sit down himself. Red marveled at all he could do on his own.

A few minutes later, Justin was right. Champ found Justin in his new location and handed him the stick again. Red had to wonder if there was a little Charming family in that dog. Daisy continued looking for a little longer before she finally spotted Red and handed her the stick. "Okay," Red shrugged. "How about we call it a draw? Both dogs are equally good at fetch in different ways." She petted Daisy as she did so.

Justin smiled. "Sounds good."

"Well, Daisy and I have to be going now, but I'll see you here next week?" Red asked hopefully.

Justin nodded. "That was fun. Why not? We'll be here again, won't we Champ?" he asked his dog as he attached his harness again.

OOOOOOOOOOO

The next week, Red brought a bulldog named Bowser to the park. Bowser enjoyed being outside, but he was an older dog and didn't have the energy to play that some of the others did. So he simply sat down, content to watch all the people at the park.

"Hello, Ruby," Justin greeted her as he sat down on their regular bench.

Red smiled. She was getting used to how well he could notice things even if he couldn't see. Still, sometimes she still marveled at his skills. He knew she was here, after all and he hadn't even said anything to him! "Hi Justin," she told him cheerfully. "How is Champ today?"

"Wonderful and healthy, as always," he replied as he let go of the dog's harness. Champ began chasing some butterflies nearby. "What dog did you bring today?"

Red smiled. "He's a bulldog named Bowser." She leaned over and petted the dog's head. "He's really enjoying being outside, but he's a little older than the other dogs I've brought, so he doesn't really play." She tried not to hide her disappointment about that. Bowser had wanted to go out so badly today, and her boss had felt sorry for him. But Red preferred to play with the dogs she took to the park with her. She had been hoping for another contest against Champ and Justin. They'd all had a great time with that last week.

"You'd like to play with a dog?" Justin asked her.

"Well…I…" Red replied, not sure what to say. They didn't even know each other that well. How did he know she was disappointed?

"I can notice tones of voices quicker than most people can, because my hearing is so sharp. It has to be, you know." Justin grinned. Red nodded. That made sense. She could do that herself sometimes, because her hearing was so strong. She just wasn't used to anyone else having hearing that intense. "So, if you like to play with a dog," he continued, "I think you could play with Champ. He'd like that."

Red's eyes widened. "Really?" she asked excitedly.

Justin smiled. "Really. I have to be careful who I let play with him. I don't want anything to happen to Champ, especially because he's a working dog. Besides, a lot of people don't understand that there are times he can't play. So I just say he doesn't play at all. But Ruby, I know you're really good with dogs. I trust you with him. And right now is Champ's playtime, so it's okay."

"Thanks," Red replied gratefully. She ran over to Champ, who was still chasing butterflies and asked, "Hi. Do you think I can help you with that?"

Champ stopped and looked at Red strangely. Red was sure the dog knew who she was by now, but he wasn't used to other people playing with him. "Don't worry," she told him as she petted his head. "Justin said it was fine. Look," she pointed in the distance. "It's another butterfly! Let's go get it!"

Champ took off at the butterfly Red pointed at, and Red jogged beside him. "I think we're going to get him this time, don't you?" she encouraged the dog. Just as Champ was about to reach for the butterfly, it flew away. "Oh well," Red told him, "There are others. Look, there's another one on that flower over there. Let's go get it!" She pointed in the direction of the new butterfly, and they were off again.

Red and Champ spent about half an hour chasing butterflies before it finally got tiresome. "Okay, Champ," Red told him, petting his head. "I think it's time for a break." She went back to sit on the bench with Justin. "Thanks again for letting me play with him. That was fun."

Justin shrugged. "Well, like I said, I could tell you wanted to play with a dog. Besides, I enjoy listening to you play with them, too. It's one of the reasons I come here to be with you."

One of the reasons? It wasn't the only reason? What did that mean? As Red continued to think about that, Justin asked her, "What do you do when you're not playing with dogs, anyway?"

Red shrugged. "Well, like I said before, I work in a dog kennel, so I spend most of my days taking care of different dogs. But I also fix dinner for myself and my roommates. And I like to read, too."

Justin nodded. "I like to read sometimes, too."

Red nodded, confused. "How – " she began.

"Books on tape are a wonderful invention," he snapped. Then he paused for a minute. "I'm sorry, I know you didn't mean anything by that. It' just…like I've said before, I don't like it when people try to imply I can't do things myself."

Red sighed. "Well, I was just curious."

Justin nodded. "I know. I just…sometimes I jump to conclusions and think people are implying that when they aren't. But yes, most of my books are audio, so I 'listen' what I read. A few of them are written in Braille, too."

"I see," Red replied. This world really had some benefits for people like Justin. There certainly weren't any ways for blind people to read books in the Enchanted Forest.

"I should be going soon," she commented as she looked at the clock on her communication device.

"Oh," Justin said, in a disappointed voice. "How would you like to meet for lunch this weekend, instead of waiting until this time next week? We could just go to a McDonalds or something."

Red thought for a minute. "Sounds like fun." Then she thought about it again. "Are you trying to court or…" What was that word Emma used for courting in this world? "Date me? Or is this just between friends?"

Justin shrugged. "Whatever you want it to be. If it's just between friends, we can meet at the restaurant. The one near the mall. If it's a 'date' then I'll pick you up at your place. Give me a call when you decide." Justin wrote his number to his communication device on a piece of paper and handed it to her.

Then he called for Champ and hooked him back to the harness and left.

Red stared at them leaving for a long time. She liked spending time with Justin. She looked forward to eating with him at the McDonalds. But did she want him to court her? Well, at least Justin told her she could think it over. "Come on Bowser," she told the bulldog. "Time to go."

OOOOOOOOOOO

Red thought about Justin for the rest of the day. He was really fun to talk to, and she enjoyed playing with Champ, too. Furthermore, she realized something else about him that was kind of surprising. She trusted him. Trusting people had never come easily for Red; there were too many people who wished her harm when they realized she was a werewolf. And trusting strangers in this world had become even harder after her experience with her scumball ex – boss. Red had never worried about Justin looking at her inappropriately, though. She supposed there were some benefits to spending time with a person who couldn't see. But still…the fact that she trusted him so much already, did that mean something?

Justin trusted her more than he seemed to trust others, too, Red thought. After all, he let her play with Champ, and he said that wasn't usually something he let other people do. She smiled. She liked that Justin trusted her. It made her feel good.

Still, did that really mean she wanted Justin to court her? Would she want him to kiss her? Was she ready for kissing after what had happened with Mr. Jenison? Was she even interested in kissing him at all? Red didn't know. With Peter, her feelings were so easy to understand. After all, she and Peter had grown up together. One day she and Peter were learning how to read at the local schoolhouse and playing tag when all their chores were done. And the next day, they were both kissing each other, saying they couldn't help themselves. It had all happened so naturally.

Red sighed. It certainly hadn't ended "naturally," though. Maybe a new relationship was better this way, when she wasn't sure about kissing or anything physical yet. It might turn out better in the long run. But would Justin want to kiss her right away if she told him it would be a "date"? What if he didn't want to wait? Or what if she told him to wait and it turned out she wasn't interested in kissing him, after all?

Maybe it would be better if they stayed friends. After all, if they were friends, they could still talk. They could still play with their dogs together at the park, or even get something to eat. On the other hand, Red already had two surrogate brothers. She didn't really need another one. And if they decided to "just be friends" that was what Justin would be come.

OOOOOOOOOOO

The next day, Red wasn't any closer to figuring out what to do about Justin. So after work, she finally decided to call Snow on her communication device. Maybe Snow would have some advice for her. It had been a long time since Red and Snow had talked about romance anyway, so it might be kind of fun.

"Hi, Snow!" Red greeted her cheerfully when she answered.

"Hi, Red, how are you?" she asked her.

Red sighed. "Pretty good, overall. I'm glad I took care of my ex – boss."

"So are we, Red. You know that."

"Yeah. Snow…" Despite the fact that she had been looking forward to talking to Snow about romance, she was a little nervous as well. It had been so long since they'd talked about this, Red wasn't sure she remembered how to go about it. "How do you know when you want to be…more than friends with a man?" she finally blurted.

"Are you interested in someone, Red?" Snow asked curiously.

"I don't know!" Red exclaimed. "That's what I can't figure out. There's this man…his name is Justin. I met him at the park where I take the dogs to play sometimes. He takes his dog to play there, too. He's fun to talk to. Sometimes we play with the dogs together. Now…he's asked me to go to lunch with him this weekend. He's says it can be just a lunch between friends, or it can be…I guess they call it a 'date' here. But I'm just…not sure."

"I see," Snow replied. "You mean you're afraid to try a relationship with him?"

"Sort of," Red admitted. "I don't know if I'm ready for anything physical because of what happened with…my boss. And I don't know if Justin will wait until I am."

"All you can do is ask, Red. Maybe he'll understand."

"But I don't even know if that's what I want with him, Snow!" Red protested. "And what if I ask him to wait, and he does, and then it turns out that's not what I want?"

"Then at least you'll know you tried," said Snow. "It's been a long time since you've even had the chance for romance, remember. Do you really want to throw this opportunity away?"

Snow had a good point. "No, not really," Red admitted. "I just don't know why I can't know I'm attracted to Justin right away. I mean, I grew up with Peter, but when we got older…things changed, you know? Suddenly all I could think about was spending time with Peter and kissing him. That's…not how I think about Justin."

Snow chuckled. "But you do think about him a lot, don't you?"

Red sighed. How did she know? "Maybe," she admitted.

"When I met Charming, I was attracted to him, I won't deny that. But after we parted, I didn't spend all my time thinking about kissing him. I spent a lot of time thinking about how much I admired him, and how much fun it had been to 'work' with him. How much I believed in him, and how he believed in me. Attraction is nice, Red, but it doesn't make a relationship. Trust, respect, and enjoying being together are just as important, if not more important."

"That makes sense, I guess. I do trust Justin. I was just think about how unusual that was for me, especially after what happened with Mr. Jenison…I'm pretty sure he trusts me, too," Red added, thinking again how Justin had made an exception for her to play with Champ.

"See," Snow commented, chuckling.

"And I definitely admire him," Red continued, thinking of how many times she was amazed at what he could do, even though he couldn't see.

"Well, Red I think you have your answer, then. Just try this 'date.' If it doesn't go well, it's fine."

"All right. I'll do that." With that, Red ended the conversation. Then before she could change her mind, she punched the number Justin had given her.

"Hello?" Justin greeted her.

"Hi, it's Ruby," she replied.

"Hi, Ruby," he greeted back. "Do you have your answer?"

"Yes," Red replied, firmly. She wasn't going to back down from this decision, now that she'd made it. "I'll go on that 'date' with you."

"Great!" Justin replied eagerly. "I'll pick you up at about 12:30. Where do you live? And more importantly, are there any distinct sounds around your home?"

Red thought for a minute. It was a rather odd question, and something she never really thought about. "There are trees outside," she replied, finally. "I don't know if that helps." She gave him the address as well.

Justin sighed. "Okay. I guess that's better than nothing."

Suddenly, Red thought of something else that might help. "And the place always smells like fish! We try to cover it up with air freshener, but it only goes so far…"

Justin laughed. "Okay, that is useful."

"One more thing," Red added, thinking of something else important. "I have a roommate who…sees himself as sort of an overprotective brother. He's gotten better than he used to be, but still…Anyway, he'll be home this weekend. I just thought you might like to be prepared for him."

Justin sighed. "Okay. I'll remember that."

OOOOOOOOOOO

On Saturday morning Red tried to decide what to wear for her time with Justin. He couldn't actually see what she wore, so she really didn't need to wear anything to please him. Red was happy about that, actually, because she didn't have to worry about Justin staring at her body parts, like Mr. Jenison and all the other men at the restaurant did. But Red was taught that you should dress nicely when you spent time with a man. So should she wear a skirt? Or would it be better to wear pants? After all, the rules for courting seemed a little different in this world. At the same time, sometimes "rules for courting" should be ignored. After all, the most successful romantic relationship that she knew was David and Snow's, and they didn't follow half of the rules they were supposed to in the Enchanted Forest. So maybe Red should just where what she wanted to?

Finally, Red picked out a red blouse and black pants. It was what she was most comfortable in, after all.

Now she had to explain what was happening to Fredrick. Red really wished he was working today; he did work some Saturdays. But no such luck. At least Abigail was here as well; she tended to be more reasonable than Fredrick.

"So I'm going to lunch with someone around noontime," Red began, after they all finished breakfast.

Fredrick nodded. "Emma?" he asked.

"Snow?" Abigail asked at the same time.

Red smiled. They knew her well. Emma and Snow were the people she met with socially, after all. "No, that's who I usually go to lunch or something with, but this time it's someone else. It's…a man I met at the park a few weeks ago. He's nice."

Just as Red had suspected, Fredrick's eyebrows shot up. "Are you sure about this Red? Just because he seems nice doesn't mean he is. Abigail and I should go with you. You should have a chaperone if you're courting, anyway."

Red sighed. Yep. Overprotective brother. "I understand what you mean, Fredrick, but that's not necessary. He's taking me to a restaurant. There are going to be a lot of other people there anyway, so it's not like we'll be alone."

Fredrick sighed. "Well, I'm happy to hear that, but I'd still like to be able to keep an eye on him. And are you sure that's what you want to wear?" He gestured to the outfit she'd chosen. "You're really supposed to dress nicer for when you spend time with a man."

Red shook her head. "I thought about that, but I decided I rather wear what I'm comfortable with. I get the impression that courtship rules are different here, from what I've read and what Emma has said. Besides, Snow and David never followed courtship rules in our land, and they did all right."

Fredrick looked incredibly uncomfortable with this idea.

Abigail smiled at him. "I know you like to protect me and other women you care about, Freddie, but I think Red is right. The rules for a lot of things are different here. And the rules for courting probably are, too. We've learned the hard way that we can't expect people to understand how we're different because we're from the Enchanted Forest. We have to adapt."

Fredrick just grumbled.

"Look what I found at the bookstore the other day," Abigail told him, trying to change the subject. "They've got a sale on written plays! Would you like to go look?" She handed him the flyer.

Fredrick's eyes lit up as he examined it. "Let's go!" he told Abigail. "We can just go with Red on the way."

Red felt like banging her head against the wall. So close.

OOOOOOOOOO

Eventually, Red heard a knock at the door and a bark accompanying it. That must be Justin! And Champ, of course. Happily, she opened the door. "Hi, Justin," she said to him.

"Hi Ruby," he replied, happily as well.

Fredrick immediately came to the door as well. "So you're the man taking her to lunch?" he asked, suspiciously.

Justin nodded firmly. "Yes. I'm Justin Gondor." He held out his hand for Fredrick to shake.

Fredrick shook it and asked, "Are you a gentleman?"

Justin nodded. "Yes, sir."

Fredrick nodded again. "So you don't mind if my wife and I go with you? We were going up that way anyway, to go to the bookstore."

Justin automatically pulled his hand away. "I see. So you think I need someone to hold my hand everywhere I go, don't you? It doesn't even occur to you that I found your place on my own, much less that I go to work every day by myself. That's right. I work, too," he snapped.

Fredrick's eyes rose as he looked at Red. "Are you sure you want to be with someone with this kind of attitude? It doesn't seem appropriate."

Red put a hand on Justin's arm and stood next to Fredrick, to defuse the tension. "Calm down, please, Justin. This is a misunderstanding. Fredrick doesn't even know about your…condition. He's just a little overprotective and wants to keep an eye on me, like I said before. And he and Abigail had made plans to go to the bookstore, anyway."

Justin sighed. "Okay, I apologize to you, then, Fredrick. I'm actually…blind. But I can still function independently in the world, especially with Champ, here." He petted his dog. "I get pretty upset when people say or imply I can't, and sometimes I read into things that aren't really there, like I did with you."

Fredrick nodded. "I see."

"So can we start again? We'll all ride the bus together to the mall area, and we'll stop at the McDonalds, and you guys can stop at the bookstore."

Fredrick paused, then nodded. "That is acceptable. Abigail?" he called into the apartment. "Are you ready to go?"

"Sure, Freddie," she replied, running to the door.

OOOOOOOOO

When they reached the McDonalds, Red was surprised that Fredrick brought Champ inside as well. "I thought…I mean, I didn't think you were supposed to bring dogs in restaurants in this world," she told him, confused. She'd never seen anyone bring a dog in a restaurant before.

Justin smiled. "Champ is a service dog, so he's an exception to the rule."

Red nodded. "I see." Fortunately, Justin didn't seem to notice her comment about "this world." They waited in line for a few minutes. As they did so, Red noticed the menu for this restaurant was on the wall. She wondered how Justin would pick his meal, but she decided not to assume he needed Red to read it. Justin got really upset when people assumed he needed help when he actually had a way of doing it himself, she'd noticed. So she'd wait. If he happened to need help, hopefully he'd ask. In the meantime, Red decided on the chicken club sandwich with fries and a water.

When they got to the front of the line, Justin asked for a Braille menu. The woman dug around the counter for a few moments and finally handed him a piece of paper with bumps all over it. Justin ran his fingers over it a few times, before saying, "I'll just have the double cheeseburger with fries and a coke. And Ruby, what do you want?"

"The chicken club with fries and a water," she replied, still staring at the piece of paper with the bumps on it. So that was Braille, huh? It really was amazing what Justin could do with his fingers. Red was also a little surprised when Justin paid for their meal himself, using a piece of plastic. (Emma called them credit cards, she remembered.)

Within a couple of minutes, their food was ready. The food here was a lot faster than some of the other restaurants she'd eaten at. But it also wasn't as fancy. Maybe that's why it was cheaper. "Let's go find a place to sit," Justin told her. "Come on, Champ," he said to the dog. Ruby watched as the dog led Justin around the restaurant so he wouldn't run into anyone. She was beginning to have a better idea why his dog was so important. It was nice to see how Justin interacted in a place other than the park. She felt like she was getting to know him better.

When they finally sat down, Justin smiled at her. "So how have you been in the last couple of days? Are the dogs giving you trouble?"

Red laughed. "Sometimes, but I can handle it. Speaking of jobs, I know you said you had one, but what do you do?" She was surprised he hadn't told her about his job yet.

"I'm a plumber," he replied causally.

Red nodded, wondering if it would sound weird if she asked what that was. "People think it's kind of strange, sometimes, when I bring Champ to fix pipes, but it usually works out." So that's what plumbing was. Fixing pipes. She supposed that would be important in this world, since everyone had pipes to bring water inside their homes. Speaking of Champ, Red glanced at him and was amazed at how – well behaved he was. He didn't beg or try to snatch their food at all. She knew Champ was quite well behaved already, but that was surprising, with all the dogs she worked with at the kennel.

"I'm sorry again about what happened with your roommate earlier, by the way," Justin commented suddenly. "You told me he would be overprotective, but…I just get tired of people telling me I can't do anything."

Red shrugged. "It's okay. Fredrick will get over it. Actually, he has gotten over it. If he didn't, he would have never let us leave."

"Okay," Justin replied.

"Do you wish you could see?" Red asked suddenly, curious. "I mean, I know there are a lot of things you can do anyway," she said quickly, before he could remind her that. "But I mean, with people's attitudes and everything…Plus there are still a lot of things you miss out on. Rainbows. The color of flowers at the park. Champ's beautiful white fur," she commented as she looked down at the dog. "Is there…anything you can do to fix it?"

Justin finished chewing a bite of his double cheeseburger. Then he replied. "There are eye transplants. But they're expensive. Besides…I know this is probably hard for you to understand, but I don't really want to see. I've been blind all of my life. It's part of what makes me 'me.' And if I could see, I'd miss the ability to really listen to people. I'd miss the close relationship I have with Champ. No matter what people's attitudes are, I wouldn't want to trade those things."

Red nodded. Justin could have just as easily been talking about her werewolf ability. No matter what people's attitudes were, being a werewolf had been part of her. She missed running as a wolf at night. She missed being able to protect her family with her natural weapons. "I understand that more than you think," she told him. "There's a part of me…I lost some months ago. It got me into trouble, and a lot of people didn't understand it. But I miss it. And if I could find a way of getting that part of me back, I would do it in a heartbeat."

Justin nodded. "I don't know what you mean, but I can hear you're really serious about it. I'm glad I finally have someone who understands how you can't take something away that makes you, 'you.' I've had people before tell me I should look into getting an eye transplant." He reached for her hand as he said this. His touch felt nice.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

OOOOOOOOO

Emma made sure she contacted some people that could get Hook a green card, in case he decided to do honest work when he got out prison. Soon, her connections came through, and Emma was sent an official – looking green card with the name "Killian Jones" on it. Emma sent it on to the prison, hoping Hook would get it. She really didn't know whether he would use it or not, but in case he decided to do so, it would be available.

There were other, more important things for Emma to think about. Like the fact that this Sunday was Father's Day. Emma hadn't forgotten how her mother had reacted when Emma told her she wanted to celebrate Mother's Day with her. She didn't think she'd ever seen Snow so happy in the entire time she'd known her. David, she was pretty sure would react in a similar way. After all, she remembered how David reacted when she had told him she loved him. And David deserved to have a day to be honored as a father. As her father.

So what should Emma do for him? She could buy him a card, of course, but once again, a card seemed a little…not enough for David's first Father's Day. (Last year, she wasn't really angry at David over Father's Day, but she had an even harder time seeing him as a father than she did Snow as a mother. She was ashamed that she hadn't even bothered to get him anything.) This year, David had become her father, just as Snow was her mother. (They just weren't able to admit it in public.)

She could take him to lunch, like she'd done with her mother. Emma was sure David would be happy to go to lunch with her if she asked. But somehow…going to lunch just didn't sound like the kind of relationship she had with her father. She talked to her mother (or rather her mother talked to her usually, Emma admitted). But talking to each other was what she and Snow did. Emma certainly talked to David when it was necessary. They had talked about her job at the police force just recently, after all. Still, usually, her relationship with David was more about doing things together than it was about talking.

Then as she looked at their living room one night, Emma thought of an idea. What if she invited her father to dance with her again? He seemed to have a lot of fun dancing in the living room with her last time they did it, after all. And the nice thing about dancing was they could talk at the same time, if they wanted to.

Emma decided to talk to Snow and Henry about going to the park that afternoon. She knew they both loved watching her and her father dance before. And she didn't want to make them feel excluded or anything. But…this was Emma's first real Father's Day with David. She wanted it to be just the two of them, just like Mother's Day had been just Emma and Snow. So she approached the subject carefully to both Snow and Henry, one at a time.

"What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?" Emma asked her mother, trying to sound causal. Her mother had just come back from a late afternoon walk.

Snow shrugged. "Not much. I'll probably go for a walk to talk to the birds again. Sometimes your father comes with me. Did you want to come, too?"

Emma sighed and looked down. She hoped her mother wouldn't be too disappointed to find out it wasn't Snow she was interested in spending time with. "Ah…actually, tomorrow is Father's Day and I wanted…" she tried to explain, nervously.

"You wanted to spend some time with your father?" Snow finished. She sounded very happy about it. Emma sighed in relief. "That's wonderful, Emma, but what does that have to do with me? Charming and I don't have any plans tomorrow, if that's what you're asking."

Emma nodded. That was good to know (although she'd rather not think about what kind of "plans" her parents could have had). "Thanks, but actually…I was wondering if you could take Henry to the park. I had something planned here for just me and David, so…"

Snow nodded eagerly. "Of course! I'm always happy to spend time with Henry. And I'd be happy to help you plan a Father's Day for your father. I'm sure he'd love that." She squeezed Emma's arm as she said that.

Emma smiled a little. It was good to know she had her mother's support, she supposed.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Later that night, Emma went into Henry's room to talk to him about her plan. "Henry, what do you think about going to the park with your grandma tomorrow?"

Henry shrugged and nodded. "Yeah that might be fun. I'd still like her to teach me how to talk to birds. Do you think she'd do that?"

Emma shrugged. "You'll just have to ask her." She tried to concentrate on the conversation, not on how weird it was that Henry was actually serious about learning how to talk to birds. And Snow might actually be able to do that, considering that's what she'd spent this afternoon doing, when she was taking a walk. Yep. She had a strange family. But then she smiled at Henry and thought of her parents. And they were a family she loved.

OOOOOOOOO

The next morning at breakfast, Snow and Henry talked excitedly about their upcoming trip to the park. "Do you really think you can teach me to talk to them?" Henry asked her.

Snow smiled. "I don't know, Henry. But we can try. We'll just have to start small, okay?"

David looked confused as the two of them talked. He was obviously trying not to let it bother him that he wasn't included in this outing. Emma smiled as she took a drink of juice. She decided to put him out of his misery. "Did you know today is Father's Day?" she asked him.

David froze just as he was about to put a piece of pancake in his mouth. "Huh?"

"Today. It's Father's Day. I thought…maybe we could do something together."

David's face broke into a wide grin. "I'd love to. Do you want to go to lunch?"

Emma stopped chewing for a minute. Obviously he expected her to take him to lunch, just like Emma had taken Snow to lunch. What if that was actually what he wanted to do? What if he thought they didn't need to dance, because they'd already done it a couple of times? What if he thought Emma was being cheap, not spending any money for his Father's Day present, when she'd paid for both her and Snow's lunches for Mother's Day? She finally finished chewing and swallowed. "We can do that if you want to," she told David. "But I was kind of thinking…maybe…you might like to dance together again. We have all stuff we need here already, after all."

To Emma's delight and relief, her father nodded eagerly. "That sounds perfect, Emma."

They all finished their breakfasts, and Snow and Henry left. "Do you know where the dancing CD is?" she asked David, still a little self – conscious about this plan. "It's been a while since we used it."

David nodded. "Of course. I'm pretty sure it's right where we left it." David walked over to the CD player and pulled out the CD. "See?" he told her holding it up.

"Yeah," Emma smiled in relief. "Let's get started. Maybe with just the waltz?"

David nodded as he turned on the music and then took Emma's hand. "Of course. Although I'll tell you again, you did a wonderful job with all of the other dances last time, Emma."

Emma shrugged. "I guess. I just don't see how I'll ever be as good as you or Snow. Not that I really need to be but…"

David sighed as he danced with her. "I mean it, Emma. You're a much better dancer than you give yourself credit for. Look how well you're already doing." Emma glanced at her feet for a second and realized he was right; her feet seemed to be moving effortlessly. "Your mother told me you and I dance exactly the same way , you know. I picked up dancing pretty quickly, too."

Emma was still uncomfortable with compliments; no matter how many times her parents (or anyone else) gave one to her. So she didn't know what to say to that. But she kind of liked having some things to share with her dad. Like an ability to fight and (apparently) dance. So she smiled at that as they continued dancing.

"So…ah… Happy Father's Day," she told him awkwardly. Maybe it would have been better if she'd taken him to lunch after all. They wouldn't be able to talk about all the stuff that made her uncomfortable if they had been in public.

But then David's whole face lit up. "I can't think of a better Father's Day present than this," he told her sincerely. Maybe it was worth it after all. She wanted David to be able to be her "dad" just as much as she wanted Snow to be her "mom."

"So….ah…thank you for all the times you've supported me and helped me. With Henry, and with this new world, and with my job, and well…" Emma's voice trailed off. She still wasn't sure how to talk about some of this stuff.

David nodded eagerly. "Of course. I'm your father."

"Yeah….I'm glad," Emma admitted. "You know I've never known a person who…ah supports what I want and fights so hard to give it to me the way you do." There she said it. What she'd really wanted to say to him today. The song finished just then, and the CD began playing the next song.

"I'm happy to give you want you want Emma. Always." Do you want to dance for another song?" David asked, hopefully.

Emma shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

XXXXXXXXXXX

OOOOOOOOO

Henry and Grandma got off the bus and went to the big park, where Grandma and Grandpa had their wedding celebration. (Grandma said that park had the most trees, so it would probably attract the most birds.) "Okay, Henry, sit next to me," she told him as she sat in one of the benches.

Henry eagerly sat next to Grandma. "Now whistle."

Henry did so. Nothing happened.

Grandma smiled. "Try to shape your lips like this," she explained as she demonstrated. "Then your whistle will sound like a bird's call."

Henry tried, but he couldn't quite form his lips in the right way.

Grandma demonstrated again and one bird flew down to her, tweeting eagerly. She whistled back for a minute and then she smiled. "Hold out your hand, Henry."

Henry shrugged and did so. The bird chirped and hopped on his hand. Henry grinned.

OOOOOOOOOO

Henry had a really good time at the park with Grandma and the birds for while. But despite himself, he couldn't forget that today was Father's Day. And he had no father anymore. It was a depressing thought, and it made Henry lose interest in Grandma's birds. "Are you sure you don't want to try whistling again, to see if you can call them yourself?" Grandma asked, after Henry had lost interest.

Henry sighed. "Not really."

Then Grandma tried to invite another bird to sit with them. "Hold out your hand, Henry," she to him as the bird flew down, tweeting.

Henry shook his head.

"Would you like to pet her" Grandma asked as the bird perched on her finger.

Henry sighed. "No. I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore."

Grandma nodded. "Is it Regina again?" she asked, probably figuring Henry was usually upset about his dead Mom.

Henry shook his head. "I still miss her, but since today's Father's Day…I've been thinking about my dad. I know I've already said 'goodbye' and he wants me to be happy…but…" he shrugged.

Grandma hugged him. "It's okay, Henry. I still miss my father sometimes, too. We can go home if you want." Grandma paused to call Emma and say that they were coming home, and then they headed for the bus stop.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

When they got home, Grandma said something about doing dishes, but Henry made a beeline for his dad's memorial. "Happy Father's Day, Dad. I wish I had something to give you today. I wish you were here with me."

Mom came out a few minutes later. "You miss your dad, huh? Because it's Father's Day?"

Henry shrugged. He didn't want to make a big deal out of this to her, because he knew she still missed, too.

"It's alright, Henry. I'm sorry. Do you want to go back inside now?"

Henry shook his head. "No, I'd like to stay out here for a while."

Wow, that was a lot of reviews for chapter 32! Thanks, guys. Please keep them coming. Here's some responses.

Guest # 1: Glad you liked the Snowing in this chapter. I'm a big sucker for couples who had unusual an courtship to use those rituals as foreplay after they get together. I think the show kind of agrees with me, when you see how Snowing reacts in "Tiny" to fighting together and how their first post – baby date was a hike in the woods, not a dinner date. I do appreciate you simply skipping the Ruby/Red scenes, instead of complaining to me about including her.

CaptainSwanti: I'm glad you're enjoying the story as a whole. And I really appreciate that you think I'm doing a good job with Hook. Until the season 3 finale, I didn't pay much attention to him, so I was really nervous about getting him right. I am pretty proud of how those scenes turned out, though. (Although I can't take all the credit for the "Hook" scenes. I had a lot of help from Lisboa.)

Misscam: Really glad that you liked the Snowing in the forest, and the party for Emma, too. (I had a pretty good idea you'd like the Snowing, though. Because I've read a lot of your stories that are based on them chasing each other, and "playing" in the forest, as foreplay.)

BanditCharming: Glad to hear you liked Snowing in the forest, too. It seems a lot of people agree with me on what they would do for foreplay, especially for special occasions.

Guest # 2 First of all, I'm glad that you're still enjoying the story as a whole, despite your problems with it. I do hope you like the "Daddy Charming" in this chapter.

Second of all, let me assure you that I do not prefer Emma/Snow over Emma/Charming. Snowing is my favorite relationship to write and read about. For that reason, you will find Snowing in every one of my chapters (although there may be anywhere from a couple of scenes to one line of Snowing, depending on the context of the chapter). All of the other Charming Family relationships, I like equally, so I try to give them equal time. I probably don't succeed all the time, because as I said, the only relationship I go out of my way to include is Snowing. But I do my best.

It is easier for me to see Snow and Emma's similarities, and I admit that, as I said before. But I also think that David is a better parent to Emma, between the two of them, so I think it balances out. There are times where Snow seems to try to force Emma to do/think what Snow thinks. David really tries to accept what Emma wants and thinks. I tried to make Emma acknowledge that quality of David's in this chapter.

Also I will tell that I am not done with David and Emma's similarities. They both have a reputation for being blunt/short on tact, and it's something I'd like to address. I just need to find a place for it to "fit," in this story.

I'm sorry you still have problems to pass Emma and Snow off as sisters for this story, but as I have told someone in a PM recently, there is no way I can please everyone in a multi – chapter story like this. I appreciate you reading and I appreciate your reviews as well. But ultimately, it is your decision whether you want to continue reading, despite your issues.

Fangirl 308: Welcome! (And I'd like to do the 'secret high five' to my fellow Abirick shipper. LOL.) I'm glad you're enjoying this. As I've told all of my readers who have mentioned this, I love to examine cultural, technological, etc. differences between the Enchanted Forest and our world. And in a story like this, where no one has fake memories, and they are living among "regular" people, it really allows me to highlight them.

I completely understand where you're coming from about reluctantly accepting that Hook is trying to change and that CS, bearable, at least. As I've said in my notes before, I'm a Swanfire shipper, too, and I went through the same thing in season 3B after Quiet Minds but before the finale. I promise you, I'm writing CS for this story because I like Killian now. But also because Neal isn't available, not because Killian is better.