Thicker than Water Part II

by Sara K M

Sequel to the original Thicker than Water. The Charmings' have found each other (again), after Storybrooke was destroyed. Now they face even more challenges as they adjust to life in the real world. Pairings: Mostly Snowing and also minor Abirick. Eventual Captain Swan and Red/OC

34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

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.

Thanks, as always, to Lisboa for betaing and letting me use her story as a starting point. Thanks also, to SailorNova007, for putting this story on her community. And finally, thank you to those of you that are still reading this story!

So, I'm sorry for making you wait for two months since my last update. I will remind you what I said in my author's note in the beginning of this. If I ever decide to discontinue this story for whatever reason, I will tell you. Otherwise, assume I'm still writing it, no matter how long it takes between updates.

Emma decided to host a small party for Henry's birthday coming up next week. After all, there was no day more special in the world than the day Henry was born. Besides, he had seemed a little upset last weekend, on Father's Day. Emma had a feeling her son had been missing his tried to help him, but it was kind of hard, considering Emma was still trying to accept the fact that Neal was gone for good herself. She decided the best way to help Henry was to give him a reason to be happy again.

Emma asked her mother to bake Henry a birthday cake, and Snow happily agreed. She also invited Henry's two new best friends, Teddy and Eddie. One of the best things about living where they did now was that Henry finally had friends his own age. And from what she understood (she never had any personal experience, after all), kids usually liked to have their friends come to their birthday parties.

Emma also purchased ice cream, punch, and birthday candles. The kids were going to have a big sugar rush by end of the day, but she decided that was okay. A birthday only happened once a year, right? Finally, she purchased a brand – new detective novel for him. Most of the family's money was going toward their family vacation in August, after all. But Emma couldn't give Henry a party and not give him a birthday present! And he seemed to really enjoy those books.

"Emma, I wanted to show you something," David said to her one night as he disappeared into his bedroom. Snow nodded excitedly. Obviously she was "in on" whatever David had to show Emma. Emma nodded nervously, not sure what her parents might have to show her. A few minutes later David walked out with a stick that was slowly being fashioned into…what? "I'm making it for Henry's birthday," David continued. "Is it okay? Do you think he'll like it?"

Emma finally realized her father was making her son a new wooden sword. Henry would love it. She nodded. "It's perfect, David."

"I remember last fall…he asked me to play swords with him using sticks. So I thought maybe, he'd like to have his own. But then I wondered if he might be too old for it, or something. Especially since his friends are more interested in baseball. You don't think he would prefer something else?" It amazed Emma to hear how uncertain David was about this.

She chuckled. "He enjoys playing baseball with his friends, but he's still as interested in his heritage as he's always been, David. You know how much he enjoys the book you all made for him. And I happen to know Henry loved the wooden sword you had for him in Storybrooke."

David nodded, looking at the half – made sword again in relief. Snow walked over to him and gave him a peck on the lips. "I told you it was a great idea," she commented, as she made goo – goo eyes at him. Emma sighed. Well, at least her father had a great gift for Henry. Honestly, she never knew her father could make things like that! A wooden sword from a tree branch?

OOOOOOOOOOOO

The day of the party arrived and Henry bounced all over the house, waiting for it to begin. "When are they coming, Mom?" he asked again. He looked outside.

Emma sighed. "Your party starts at one, so they probably won't be here for another hour – and – a – half.

"Oh," Henry replied. "All right." He disappeared into his bedroom. Emma was proud of her son for trying to sound like he was okay that he had to wait for his party. She was just eager for it to begin as he was.

"How is the cake coming?" she asked Snow.

Her mother smiled. "I think it's ready to be frosted," she replied as she got the frosting out.

Emma spent the next half hour watching Snow frost Henry's cake. "It looks delicious," she told Snow. "Your cakes always are."

Emma also made a sandwich and insisted Henry eat one as well before the party. If he was going to fill up on punch, ice cream, and cake she needed him to eat a real lunch first.

Finally, it was time for the party. David came out of his bedroom with something behind his back. Obviously, he'd put the finishing touches on Henry's new sword. Soon, Teddy and Eddie arrived.

"Hey, man! It's your birthday!" Teddy called as he came in the door.

"Yeah," said Henry as he nodded happily as Eddie slapped him a high five.

"Where do we put this, Miss Swan?" Teddy asked, holding up a wrapped gift.

"You can put it over here," Emma replied, pointing to the area next to the couch. Teddy nodded and did so. Eddie put a smaller gift there as well. Emma smiled at that.

"When do we eat the cake, Mom?" Henry asked looking right at the cake in the kitchen.

"Yeah! I want some cake!" Teddy added running back into the kitchen to get a good look at it.

"What about ice cream?" Eddie asked, coming into the kitchen as well.

Emma laughed. "I think we could have some cake and ice cream now if you wanted." She pulled the ice cream and out of the freezer and the punch out of refrigerator. "But first," Emma pulled the candles out of the cupboard and placed them in the cake. Then she lit them with matches. "We should sing "Happy Birthday."

"Ahh, Mom!" Henry groaned.

But everyone else launched right into the song eagerly. Even Emma's parents seemed to know that song by now, as they sang just as confidently as everyone else. She was proud of them for assimilating in this world so well. Although they might be a bit more…affectionate than a normal couple, she added to herself as she watched David wrap his arms around Snow and she gave him a peck behind his ear.

After Henry blew out his candles, they all enjoyed the cake (which was just as delicious as Snow's cakes always were). They also enjoyed ice cream and punch.

"Time for presents!" Henry exclaimed as he finished his cake and ice cream.

David chuckled as he finished a bite of cake. "You might want to wait for the rest of us to finish, Henry."

Henry glanced around and realized that most of the adults were still eating. "Oh. Yeah."

Everyone else laughed. About five minutes later, they all finished their food and put their dishes in the sink. "Now we can have presents, right?" Henry asked again.

"Yes, Henry," they all said at the same time, laughing again.

He, Teddy and Eddie made a beeline for the living room. Emma and her parents followed behind. "Open mine first, Henry!" Teddy exclaimed handing Henry the gift he came in with.

Henry nodded and tore into the gift. His eyes lit up when he saw it was a game boy. "Oh boy, Teddy! Thanks!"

Teddy grinned. "Well, you can't use my video game system all the time, you know."

Eddie's gift was a couple of new games for the new game boy. Obviously both Teddy and Eddie knew what the other was getting for Henry's birthday. Emma thought that was kind of nice.

Then Emma handed him her gift. "That's nice, Mom," Henry told her, nodding when he saw the new detective novel. "I like these."

Emma waited for David to pull the wooden sword he'd made for Henry. Snow looked at him as well. "Do you have a gift for me, too?" Henry asked, looking at his grandparents.

"Of course we do!" Snow replied eagerly. "Go ahead, David. Give him the gift."

David sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay," he replied finally. "Just…don't be afraid to tell me if you'd rather have something else." Emma rolled her eyes. Why was David so worried about this? Henry was going to love the sword. He pulled it out from behind the couch and handed it to Henry. "What do you think?"

Emma noticed David had added a lot to the sword since the last time he'd shown it to her. The wooden sword had a very nice handle. It had also been sanded so it was very smooth. He'd done an incredible job making it. Henry examined the sword several times, with awe. "This is great, Gr – Uncle David! I mean, a real one would be even better but…" Emma and her parents took the time to shake their heads very firmly. Henry was not going to have a real sword. "But still, I love it!"

"Are you sure?" David asked nervously. "I mean, I thought you'd like it originally, but then…you seemed so excited about your electronic stuff…" He looked over at Henry's new game boy items.

Henry nodded excitedly. "It's great! Can I go outside and try it out?"

Teddy nodded as well. "Yeah, it's great! I mean, I'm used to baseball but a sword would be great, too."

Emma nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. Would you show them how to use it properly, though?" she asked her father. The sword was nowhere near as dangerous as real one, but it still had a sharp point at the end that the boys would need to learn to be careful with.

"Yes! Come with us, Gr – Uncle David!" Henry agreed. "He's really good with a sword, you know," he told his friends.

"Really?" Eddie asked.

"Okay, if he's really good, then I guess he could come," Teddy agreed. All four of them headed out the door, with grins on their faces.

"Wait!" Eddie protested. "We forgot something, Henry!"

Henry, who was obviously eager to try out his brand – new sword, stopped and looked at Eddie strangely. "What is it, Eddie?"

Eddie picked something up. It was a camera. Emma hadn't noticed Eddie had brought in with him earlier, but apparently he had.

"Oh, that's right!" Henry exclaimed excitedly. "Before we leave I want to get a family picture with all of us in it. Okay?"

Snow and David nodded eagerly. "Sounds great,Henry! Where should we stand?"

"How about near the couch? You guys can stand behind it and Henry and his mother can sit on it," Eddie suggested.

"Sounds great!" Henry replied, bouncing over to the couch.

Emma was not nearly as enthusiastic about getting her picture taken as everyone else was, but it was Henry's birthday and this was obviously important to him. So Emma walked across the room obediently and sat next to her son on the couch. She just hoped she didn't look completely ridiculous when the picture came back. She smiled despite herself as she felt Snow put her hand on Emma's shoulder while David put his hand on Henry's. She supposed…having them take a picture all together wasn't so bad.

"Say 'Cheese!'", Eddie instructed as he held up the camera.

"Cheese," they all said at the same time as he snapped the picture.

"Thanks, Eddie," Henry told his friend. "Now let's go play with the sword!"

"Listen to David," Emma called to them as all the boys dashed out the door.

"It's nice that pictures in this world are so…immediate," Snow commented after they left. "I mean I know they have to be developed, but in the Enchanted Forest, we had to hire professional painters to do our portraits. It took them quite a while to finish, so we had to stand or sit there for a while, too. Here, it's just the click of a button."

Emma shrugged. She didn't like having her picture taken, but she hadn't really thought about how much easier it was to do here than in the Enchanted Forest. "Yeah, I guess," she told her mother.

"I'm going to wash the dishes," Snow commented. Emma looked at the door for a few minutes after the boys left, thinking about Henry's new sword. Finally, she turned back to her mother. "How did he make that? From just a tree branch? I mean, I knew he could do basic repair work," Emma commented, thinking of the time he'd fixed their windows. "But making things? I thought that was Geppetto's thing in your world."

Her mother smiled. "It is. I mean, it was; for complicated things like furniture or gadgets that wind up. But David knows how to make simple things from wood as well, Emma. Most common men from our world learned how to make gifts like that. Some of the things in your nursery were things he made himself, actually."

Emma nodded, still amazed. She didn't think the work that David obviously did on that sword qualified as "simple." She wondered what kind of "simple" things she would have had which were made by her father if they'd lived the life they were supposed to. She sighed. It didn't matter. What mattered was what he'd done for Henry. "How did he find time to make it, though?" she continued, still wondering how David managed to make that sword.

Snow smiled again as she continued with the dishes. "He worked on it outside while you were at work and Henry was with his friends. Or early in the morning, before you guys were up."

"Well, anyway, it was a great present for Henry." Emma shook her head again. Just when she thought she understood everything about her parents, she learned something new.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

OOOOOOOOO

Red continued to spend time with Justin. She and whatever dog she was taking care of that day would meet him and Champ at the park. There they played with the dogs and talked to each other. He really was a wonderful listener. He also took her to that "McDonald's restaurant again over the weekend. Fredrick continued to ask if Red if he should chaperone their outings to the restaurant. Red would gently tell him that wasn't necessary and, fortunately, Abigail would agree. (There was no way Fredrick would ignore both Red and Abigail.)

Red knew she really looked forward to spending time with Justin. When he touched her hand…she really liked that, too. And she trusted him more than anyone other than her family. But one afternoon, at the park, Justin tried to kiss her. Red immediately backed away, as panic set in.

"Ruby?" Justin asked sounding confused. "I'm sorry, did I misunderstand? I mean…I thought we were dating, so…" He sighed. "Do you just want to be friends? Or…are you bothered because I can't see, maybe? Did you think you could deal with dating a blind man, but now you decide you can't?" He said the last sentence quite bitterly.

Red looked at the ground, trying to figure out how to explain what was going on to him. "No, Justin, I…think I…like…dating you." She was normally a more confident person. But explaining all of her problems was going to be difficult, especially considering she still wasn't sure of all the "rules" for such a relationship in this world. What if he wasn't willing to accept her as a girlfriend if they didn't kiss? "And your lack of eye sight is one of the things that make you interesting to me. I love to hear how you manage things yourself." Red said that last line firmly, knowing how sensitive he was to people who had a problem with his lack of vision.

Justin nodded. "Okay," he replied, sounding uncertain. "So what's the problem?"

Red watched the dog she'd brought today, a Great Dane name Sally, run around for a few minutes. Feeling a little more confident, she finally replied, "I'm just a little nervous about becoming more physical, I guess. Several months ago, I was…working at a restaurant, and my boss…tried to get too physical with me after I told him…no. I thought I was over it. I mean, he's been convicted and everything. But…the idea of getting physical with anyone now…even you…it made me panic."

Justin finally nodded and tentatively grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Ruby. And I'm sorry it didn't occur to me that you could be having your own problems. How about we proceed with our physical relationship at your speed? When you're ready, you let me know. Or you can take the initiative yourself."

Red's heart swelled that he would be willing to do that for her. She squeezed his hand, which was still clasped in hers. "Would you really do that? I warn you, it might take a while before I'm ready. Besides that experience with my ex – boss, the only other man I've ever been involved with died when I was a teenager." She decided not to mention that Peter died because she killed him. But Red couldn't figure out how many of her issues came from Mr. Jenison and how many came from Peter.

Justin smiled at her and nodded. "Yeah. I will. I really like you, Ruby. And I'm a pretty patient man, so I don't really mind waiting. I haven't met someone I've enjoyed spending time with as much as you in a long time. As long as we're both on the same page in our relationship, I can wait as long as you need." He squeezed her hand as well.

"Thank you."

"Speaking of spending time together, are you going to going to the Fourth of July celebration? Do you think we could go together?" Justin asked, obviously wanting to switch to a lighter topic.

Red smiled. "Yeah. I was planning on going with my roommates, actually. But as long as you don't mind Fredrick's over protectiveness…"

Justin smiled. "No, I don't mind him. It's nice that you have someone to look out for you like that.

"Okay then," Red replied. "Actually, that might be a good time to meet my other friends. I have to best friends that are…sisters. One of them is married and the other has a son. Could they come with us, or would you be overwhelmed?"

Justin thought for a minute. "No, I think that's a good idea. I'm already used to your roommates, after all. I may as well meet the rest of them, if we're going to be dating."

Dating. Red repeated the word in her head again, trying to get used to it. "Yeah. I should be heading back though. I have to get Sally back to the kennel."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

OOOOOOOO

The Fourth of July arrived, and they all agreed to go to the celebration down town. "So what is this celebration for, again?" Snow asked Emma as they prepared to leave the apartment.

Emma shrugged. "Officially, it's to celebrate 'Independence Day' from when we were still ruled by England." Snow nodded.

"We had a holiday like that when we overthrew George and Regina, too," Charming commented, coming up behind them. He paused a minute. "Or we would have that is, if we had stayed there for over a year. Regina," he spat, obviously still angry for what she'd done to their family. Snow took his hand and shook her head at him. Her husband still had a hard time seeing Regina as a good person sometimes, even though he knew she'd raised Henry and had saved them all in the end from Storybrooke's explosion.

Emma took Henry's hand as he heard his grandfather talking about Regina that way. Charming quickly realized his mistake. "I'm sorry, Henry, I shouldn't have said that," he apologized.

Henry sighed. "It's okay, Grandpa. I know she caused you a lot of pain."

"Yeah, but she also tried to fix her mistakes. And I know you still miss her," Charming told him. "And that's what I should remember."

"Well, anyway, I was saying that's what today is officially for," Emma continued, trying to get her family back to a happier topic. "But today, most people just see it as family day for parades, picnics, and fireworks."

"Sounds like fun," said, Charming brightening.

"Definitely," Snow agreed. "And we're meeting Abigail and Fredrick, and Red and a friend of hers, too. It'll be a great day to spend with all of our friends."

"Speaking of them, were did we say we'd meet them again?" Charming asked.

"We said the big fountain downtown," Snow replied as they began walking down the street.

"Sounds good," Charming agreed as they all headed for the bus stop.

OOOOOOOOOO

They got off the bus and made their way to the fountain. It didn't surprise Snow that the others were already waiting for them, considering Red and the others lived closer than her family did.

"Hi everyone!" Red greeted them warmly. "This is Justin," she told them, gesturing to the man standing next to her. Snow inspected him quickly, as she was curious about the first man Red had been interested in since she'd lost Peter. He looked pretty clean – cut with dark hair and a warm smile, although Snow couldn't see his eyes because he was wearing dark glasses.

"And this is Champ," she continued, pointing to a white dog standing obediently next to Justin.

"So this is…Mary Margaret." It obviously went against Red's instincts to call Snow by that name, but Snow understood why she chose to use it. Especially considering, according to Emma, "Snow White" was a fictional character. It didn't really bother her, anyway. She was used to being called that name, at the hospital.

"Hello," she said to Justin. She seemed to remember Red saying Justin couldn't see, so they would have to introduce themselves with voices.

"And her, ah sister, Emma," Snow still didn't like that Emma had to be her "sister," here, but she understood the reasons for it.

"Hi," Emma greeted.

"And Mary Margaret's husband, David," Red continued.

"Hello," David replied, reaching over to shake Justin's hand as well. To Snow's surprise, Justin reached out his hand after a few seconds and shook her husband's hand. Didn't Red say Justin couldn't see?

"And Emma's son, Henry," Red finished.

"Hi!" Henry greeted the new man excitedly. "Cool. A dog!" He headed over, obviously intending to say hello to the dog as well.

"Careful, Henry," Red cautioned. "Champ isn't a normal dog; he works for Justin."

"What?" Henry asked, obviously confused.

Snow felt like saying the same thing herself. She didn't think there were any sentient animals in this world. In the Enchanted Forest, there were a few, and some people were lucky to have a working relationship with those animals. But in this world, a working relationship with an animal didn't make any sense.

"He's my 'seeing – eye – dog," Justin explained. "He helps me get around, because he can see and I can't. And Ruby is right, you need to wait until I get to know you before you pet him or anything, Henry," Justin's voice seemed gentle as he talked to Henry.

Henry nodded, although he looked disappointed. "Okay, I'll wait."

"And as for the rest of you," he added more firmly. "I don't know how many knew I was blind already, but no special treatment because I can't see, please."

"Justin has showed me how he can live independently, by using his other senses and Champ to help him, Red added, her voice showing how much she admired Justin. "He's really good at it."

"Okay," Snow replied, thinking that must be how Justin knew to shake David's hand.

"Well, let's go find a seat!" Emma said to all of them. "The parade will start soon."

They all headed to the edge of Main Street, where the parade was supposed to come through. Henry sat on the curb, pounding his feet excitedly. Emma stood above him, smiling. Red and Justin stood a couple feet away, talking among themselves, with Champ sitting next to them. Abigail and Fredrick stood together as well, seeming to be happy to be there as well. Charming wrapped his arms around Snow, and she leaned against him as they waited.

Suddenly they all heard an incredibly loud noise. Snow knew there were a lot of loud noises in this world, and she'd thought she'd become used to them. But this noise…it was so extreme Snow couldn't stand it. She covered her ears from the sound. Snow felt Charming's hands reach up and put his hands on top of hers, assisting her. She wanted to ask him why he didn't feel the need to cover his own ears; it couldn't be any easier for him to listen to this noise than it was for her. But she was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to hear her, anyway.

Eventually, Snow saw what the noise belonged to: a police car. She wondered if Emma drove a car like that for her job and if she was required to make noises like that. Next came cars with local business labels or what seemed to be organizations. Some of them threw candy, which Henry and the other children watching tried to catch.

Then came several girls and young women in gowns. Their labels said things like "Miss Bangor," "Little Miss Hampden," and "Miss Maine." Were they princesses? Snow was under the impression there were no princesses in this world, or at least not in this kingdom. She decided to ask Emma about it, quietly, of course. "Emma, are these princesses?" she whispered to her daughter as another young woman in a beautiful gown rode by. "I thought you said this kingdom didn't have royalty?"

Emma shook her head and whispered back, "No. They're what's called 'beauty queens.' People sign up for judges to decide which girl is the prettiest. It's a stupid and superficial custom," she sighed.

"I'm glad you know there's more to life than beauty, Emma, but I think if you ever entered a contest like that, you'd win, hands down," Charming commented, with his arms still wrapped around Snow.

"Ahh…thanks, I guess," Emma mumbled, returning to watch the rest of the parade.

Snow shook her head at her husband. "It's so sad that even after all this time with us, she still can't accept compliments. But I agree with you 100% about Emma. If she entered one of those contests, she'd have to win."

Charming smiled at her and squeezed her shoulders. They went back to watching the rest of the parade.

At the end, there was another very loud sound, in which Snow put her hands on her ears to muffle it, and Charming put his hands on top of hers again. This noise ended up belonging to a red truck instead of a police car.

After the parade was finished, Emma commented, "Are we all ready to go find eat lunch and get ready for the concert?" There was a folk concert in the afternoon, in the back of the Paul Bunyan statue that they all agreed to go to. Before it started, they agreed to have a picnic lunch there as well.

"Yes!" Henry agreed eagerly. "Let's eat!"

"Well, we do have to get there first, Kid, Emma commented to her son, chuckling. They all began walking in the direction of the statue.

"Snow?" Abigail asked, walking up next to her. "Can I talk to you for a minute? Woman – to – woman, I mean?" she added to Charming, who was still holding Snow's hand. "Sorry James, or David, or whatever."

Charming nodded. "Sure, Abigail," he replied respectfully. He let go of Snow's hand.

"James, come over here!" Fredrick called. "There's something I want to talk you about, too." So Charming began walking with Fredrick, and Snow could hear them talking about their shared pastime: fencing.

"So, anyway," Abigail began. "I'm sorry to spring this on you. I know we're not very close, but I don't have anyone else to discuss this with."

Snow smiled at Abigail. "Don't worry about it. I know we didn't exactly start out right, but I know you love Fredrick now. I'd be glad to help you with something, if I could."

Abigail nodded. "Thank you. So well…ah…I don't really know how to say this…"

Snow had to bite her lip to resist the urge to say, "What is it, Abigail?" She had a hard time waiting for people when they needed to collect their thoughts; Charming was better at that. But Snow reminded herself that Abigail had come to her specifically to discuss something that obviously made her uncomfortable. And she didn't want to alienate their budding friendship by snapping at Abigail.

Abigail began again. "Okay, so…how long did it take you to become… 'in the family way' back in the Enchanted Forest?"

Oh. Snow hadn't expected that question at all.

"I'm sorry to spring this on you, Snow, but like I said, I don't know anyone else who's been pregnant besides you. And Fredrick and I were married in the Enchanted Forest, too, but we never managed to…to…have a baby there. And we haven't been able to do so since we've been in this world, either. Is there something I've been doing wrong? Did you eat something special or something?"

Snow sighed. She really hated to shatter Abigail's hopes, but the truth was, she hadn't done anything special. "I became pregnant with Emma fairly quickly after we got married, Abigail. (Luckily for her and Charming that it was after their second wedding, rather than after their first.) I don't remember doing anything special…I mean beyond…well, doing what needs to be done." She and Abigail blushed. Neither of them grew up in a world where people talked about such matters openly.

"Is there something I shouldn't do, then?" Abigail asked. "Or something I shouldn't eat?"

Snow shook her head sadly at Abigail. "Not that I know of."

"So do you think this means that I'm…that I'm…" Abigail obviously couldn't bring herself to say the word but both women knew what it was. Barren.

Snow sighed again. "I don't know, Abigail. But lots of women think they can't have children and end up getting pregnant eventually, anyway. And maybe there are things that you can do in this world to help. I could ask Emma about, if you'd like."

"Please," Abigail replied, nodding.

Snow was happy to help her in any way that she could. She remembered the pain that came from knowing she could never carry a child, thanks to George's curse. She looked at Emma, walking ahead of them with Henry and was filled with gratitude again for Ruth's sacrifice. She also hated to admit it, because it sounded selfish, but talking about pregnancy also made her anxious to become pregnant again. She couldn't wait for Henry to be living with them permanently so they could discuss it again.

Soon they arrived at the big statue. Snow still thought it was a little weird that this statue was of a (supposedly) fictional lumberjack instead of a ruler. But it really didn't matter. She could see plenty of other families spreading out blankets to eat lunch and listen to the music. It was obviously a great way to spend time with family. And friends as well, she added to herself as she watched Red, Justin, and Champ spread out a blanket and pull out food. Meanwhile, Abigail and Fredrick had chosen to bring folding chairs to sit on. Snow smiled as she hurried to help Charming lay out their blanket.

Henry and Emma then proceeded to take out the food for all of them to enjoy. They had sandwiches, fruit (pears instead of apples, of course), crackers, cheese, and peanuts. Snow had also baked brownies for desert, although she was leaving them in her bag until after lunch was finished.

As they all sat down on the blanket and began eating, the music began. It was a different kind of music than Snow was used to hearing. In the Enchanted Forest, most of their music consisted of harps, flutes, and an occasional cello. (When she wasn't listening to the birds' songs that was.) The music on the radio in this world usually consisted of drums and several other instruments Snow couldn't always identify with. (Some of the words they sang were also inappropriate in her opinion.) This music was played by several instruments that she believed were called "guitars." The words were about this kingdom and its flag, magic dragons, and "blowing in the wind." Snow decided she liked it and she was happy to see the others seemed to be enjoying it as well. (Of course, any music she was hearing while she was wrapped in Charming's arms was going to sound nice, anyway.)

After they had finished their lunch, Snow pulled the brownies out of hiding. "Brownies!" Henry exclaimed in delight, reaching for them. "I knew I remembered you making them!"

Emma smiled at Henry. "Okay, but one at a time," she told him firmly.

Henry nodded and picked one brownie out of the container. It was nice to see Emma doing such a good job being a mother to her son. (Not that Snow ever thought Emma would do badly, but it was still nice to see.)

"So how many do I get this time?" Charming asked her in a teasing voice.

"One for now," she told him firmly. "Then we'll see."

"'We'll see' huh?" Charming commented. "I can work with that."

Snow shook her head and handed him a single brownie, as well as taking one for herself. Emma took one as well. When they finished, she noticed Justin had gotten up with his dog. She decided to use this time to talk to Red about her new boyfriend. "Excuse me for a little while," she told her family, still sprawled all over their blanket. "I want to talk to Red for a while."

They all nodded. "Hi Red," she greeted her best friend as she sat on her blanket. (It was covered with dog hair, but Snow didn't mind.)

"Hi Snow," Red replied cheerfully. "Isn't this a great program?"

Snow nodded. Some of this world's customs were quite different than they were used to, but they were fun, too. Especially when they gave you a reason to spend time with your family and friends. "Where did Justin go?" she asked, hoping her tone was causal. He seemed like a nice guy for Red, and Red didn't seem upset that he left. Still…if he had left her best friend for a no good reason, especially after Snow had encouraged Red to try 'dating' him…

Red smiled. "He went to take Champ to 'do his business' as he calls it. He didn't want his dog to poop and pee all over everything!" She laughed.

Snow smiled at that. Justin sounded like a nice guy, after all. "So you've decided to try 'dating' as they call it here?"

Red shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. I love spending time with him, Snow. And Champ, too. And I really do trust him more than anyone from this world."

Snow smiled. "Good to know."

"He's really good to me, too," Red continued brightly. "Just last week, he tried to kiss me and I…panicked."

"Huh?" Snow replied, not understanding. "Panic" was certainly not on her mind when Charming kissed her. Even the first time they'd kissed. (And at that point, she hadn't even remembered who he was.) If Justin caused Red to panic like that, maybe he wasn't the guy for her, after all. "Red, are you sure…?"

Red shook her head. "It had nothing to do with Justin himself, Snow. It's just…after my experience with Mr. Jenison (she grumbled the creep's name), and even with Peter…physical stuff is a little scary for me, I guess."

Snow sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I remember now we you were worried about that. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, but Justin was really great about it," Red continued, brightening again. "He said he wouldn't kiss me again or do anything else unless I did it first or told him it was okay."

Snow smiled again. "Yeah, I guess he does sound like a really good man. I told you he might be willing to wait. I'm glad you're happy, Red."

Red smiled. "Yeah, actually he's coming back now, so…"

Snow laughed. "I can take a hint! You want to be alone with your new boyfriend!" She got up and walked back to her family's blanket.

XXXXXXXXXX

OOOOOOO

The music continued to play all afternoon. Spending time relaxing outside with Snow in his arms and his family around him, and okay music in the background…David couldn't think of many things he'd like better.

Of course, it had been nice talking to Fredrick earlier today, too. Fredrick wanted to start fencing again, even if was just for fun, and he was wondering if David was interested in sparring with him. David definitely was. This was a nice world, and he loved having his whole family together again. He really enjoyed the chance to work with livestock again, too. But…a part of David did miss sword fighting. It would be fun to face – off with someone with Fredrick's experience. Of course, he would have to find money and a place to buy a sword first, as he told Fredrick. But it was nice to think about that possibility.

Suddenly, they started a new song. It certainly wasn't the music they were used to hearing in the Enchanted Forest, but it came a little closer. And it sounded like it was a love song. David smiled to himself, thinking it would be a nice song to dance with Snow. "Dance with me?" he whispered in her ear.

"Of course," she whispered back, standing up. As they began dance, he noticed they weren't the only ones who had this idea. Red and her new…boyfriend were happily dancing as well, with Champ watching from nearby. David was happy Red seemed to have found someone now. Especially after her…experience last fall. Abigail and Fredrick were also dancing. Every time he saw them together, he thought about how wonderful it was that Fredrick had been freed from the golden curse. Even Emma was dancing with Henry.

After the end of that song, Snow took out some more food that they had saved for supper. Eventually, the band began to pack up. But according to Emma and some of the other people, they shouldn't leave yet. After it got dark, there would be fireworks. David looked forward to that in particular, as much fun as the earlier part of the day. After all, fireworks were something they used in the Enchanted Forest for celebrations, too. There was something…nostalgic about watching fireworks in this world as well. (David particularly remembered the fireworks they'd set off after his and Snow's formal wedding.)

Red and Justin did leave as the musicians packed up, though. "The fireworks bother Champ's ears," Justin explained, when their friends protested they should stay.

"That's too bad," Snow commented.

"Yeah, but it's not really a big deal," Justin shrugged. "I had fun today. And it was nice to meet you, guys."

"I had fun, too," Red added.

"Well, that's good, then," Snow replied.

After it got completely dark, the fireworks started. They were really pretty, with different colors against

the night sky. "We had these in the Enchanted forest, too," he commented to Emma and Henry.

"Cool!" Henry exclaimed.

"Hmmm, that's interesting," Emma replied. "I thought you guys didn't do anything with technology? I mean, you need explosives to set off fireworks."

Snow shrugged. "I don't know how they did it. All we were responsible for was deciding when we would have them. And then enjoying the display." She looked at David for a second. "Do you remember the fireworks we set off the night of our wedding at the palace?"

"Of course," David replied squeezing her body with his arm wrapped around her. They continued watching the current display.

"Charming?" Snow whispered to him after a few minutes with their eyes still on the sky.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"I've been wondering…how did you know Justin would be able to shake your hand? I mean, Red had told us all he was blind. All the rest of us thought he wouldn't be able to see our hands to shake. But you never hesitated to hold out your hand. You knew he'd be okay."

David smiled. "One of the sheep we had for a time was blind. It was amazing how aware she still was, because she still could hear, smell, and feel things. I figured Justin was the same way."

"Well, I guess you were right," she replied, sounding amazed. "Sometimes I can't get over how much you learned about people by raising sheep."

"No more than what you learned living in the forest by yourself," he told her firmly.

"True," Snow agreed, kissing his cheek. They finished watching the fireworks.

I would love it if you gave me some reviews. Tell me what you liked and what you didn't like. I love to know how you think I'm doing. Don't forget, I always respond!

Here are some responses to the last chapter.

Fangirl: Goodness, I think you're giving me a run for my money for the kind of reviews I'm known for! Don't worry, I don't mind. I love that you like to analyze and discuss my story as much as I like to do with other stories! Glad you liked the Emma/David dancing scene. We'll see what happens with Henry and the birds. Yes, Fredrick is an overprotective surrogate brother, and Abigail can sometimes calm him down. (I think that's another detail only an Abirick shipper would notice.)

As for Justin, he will mellow out some, especially around Red and her friends, as he gets to know them better. But he isn't so much as "trying to change" as he is understanding and accepting that jumping to conclusions at how people will react to his condition is a flaw of his. He tells Red/Ruby this early on because he's hoping she will accept that as well. I showed Justin having a obvious flaw early on in their relationship on purpose as well. This is because I wanted to make it clear that even though he was a nice guy, he wasn't perfect. A lot of people's complaints about OCs are that the characters are written too perfectly, and I wanted to avoid that.

Guest: I'm glad you are willing to "agree to disagree," at least. And I'm glad you seem to be enjoying the story, despite your problems with one aspect of it.

Also, if you are interested in stories that focus more on the Emma/David relationship (with some Snowing as well), you might consider reading my other multi – chapter OUAT story "From Neverland to the Fading Lands." (Unless you've already done that, that is. I can never figure out who has read that story and who hasn't because I got so little reviews for it.)

So if you'd like to read it, please give me a review for it as well. (Unless you already have. I did get one "Guest reviewer," so it's possible you are the same one.)