Chapter 38
Disclaimers: I don't own Once Upon a Time. Also, this is a sequel to La Lisboa's original "Thicker Than Water."
More Killian/Hook in this chapter. Help me with his character, as always.
Emma woke up the next morning wondering what she had been thinking when she kissed Hook…or Killian, or whatever he was calling himself, the night before. Okay, so he had been handsome. Very handsome. But that didn't mean kissing him was a good idea. The former pirate was obviously quite attracted to her. What if he thought the kiss meant they could pursue a relationship?
Then Emma shook her head. "You're being ridiculous," she told herself. "It was just a kiss. Probably brought on by the alcohol we drank. And Killian probably kisses other women all the time. What about that…Kristen?" She tried to ignore the feeling of…of…jealousy that still boiled inside her when she thought about the other woman. Kristen could have Killian if she wanted, Emma told herself firmly as she got dressed.
"Mom, hurry up!" Henry called from the next room. "I want to get some breakfast!"
"I'm coming, Henry!" she replied. Emma put on the teal shirt Ruby had given her for her birthday and a pair of white pants. She felt more comfortable in shorts, especially in such warm weather. But she didn't get a chance to shave her legs today, so…wearing shorts might not be a good idea. Especially if I see Killian again, she thought before she could stop herself.
When she finished getting dressed, she paused for a second, wondering why she hadn't heard from her parents. Usually they were up before Henry was. Could they be…? , She couldn't even complete the thought. They were after all, her parents, who had to be the king and queen of physical affection. On the other hand, they were being incredibly quiet for engaging in such an activity. Still, Emma knocked on their door, loudly. (It was important to always knock before entering a room her parents were in a room alone together.) "Snow? David?" she called out, through the door.
There was a long pause. A very long pause. Emma was just about to knock again, actually. Then, Snow finally replied softly, "What is it, honey?"
She sounded like she had just woken up. Emma shook her head at how absurd it was it was that Snow and David had slept later than she had. Until it occurred to her why that might be the case. Then Emma wished she hadn't thought about it at all. She rubbed her eyes, trying to erase the images that suddenly appeared in her mind. "We're getting ready to go to breakfast," she told her parents, hoping to focus on something else.
"Of course," David replied, sounding sleepy as well. "We'll be ready soon." Then there were some kissing sounds.
"Don't take too long, please!" Emma called through the door. Her parents better not be getting ready for another round.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
A half hour later, Snow and David finally emerged from their room, fully dressed. They were still exchanging little kisses, which made Emma want to gag, but at least they were dressed, she supposed. "So where do we want to have breakfast?" Emma asked Henry, hoping to get them all focused on something else.
"I have a great idea!" Henry exclaimed. "We could buy some cinnamon rolls or something at a bakery, and then go down to the beach again. I bet it looks so...cool early in the morning.
David nodded eagerly. "We used to go out on the beach to eat in the morning when we lived in the palace sometimes. It was wonderful, wasn't it, Snow?"
Snow nodded, looking dreamily at David. "Yes, the view was breathtaking."
David shrugged and wrapped his arms around her. "I agree, although I think we're taking about two different 'views.'"
"Charming!" Snow gushed and kissed him, again!
Emma groaned. If the beach was going to provoke her parents into more of this type of behavior, there was no way any of them were going near it. Besides, there was a possibility they would run into Kilian again. Didn't he still live on his ship? Okay, so Emma had decided the kiss was just a kiss…but it was better to avoid any complications all together. "No, that's a bad idea," she told them firmly. "Henry, didn't you say you were hungry?"
Henry shrugged and nodded.
"Then wouldn't you like to go to a restaurant that you could get a nice big breakfast? Some sausage, eggs and bacon? Maybe with some hash browns? Or a big stack of pancakes with syrup and a side to go with it?"
Henry's eyes widened at the different possibilities, just as she'd hoped he would. "Yeah, let's do that!" he replied eagerly.
Snow and David shrugged. "If that's what you guys would prefer, then it's fine," the replied. So they all set off for a restaurant that advertised a huge breakfast buffet. They each had two or three helpings.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
When they all finally finished breakfast, Henry wanted to see some of the shops near the waterfront. "Come on, Mom," he insisted. "What the point of a vacation if we can't buy some souvenirs to take home?"
Henry had a point, she supposed. They had saved money specifically for each of them to buy one. But being near the waterfront made Emma nervous. What if Killian saw her?
"Come on Emma," Snow agreed. "It's so much fun to shop near the ocean. And all the little trinket shops they have here look a lot more interesting than what they have at Wall – Mart."
"Well," Emma sighed, thinking about it. "That's probably true." The stuff they would have here would be more personalized and different. For all she knew, Killian wasn't even up yet. Or maybe he was already sailing. Even if she did see him, how did she know he was interested in seeing her? It was just a kiss, she reminded herself again.
"Great," David agreed, smiling at Snow, and then at Emma and Henry as well. They set off for the shops.
One of the first shops they found was a place that sold t – shirts, of course. The shirts were pretty typical of tourist town t – shirts. They all said "Old Orchard Beach" across the front. Some of them also had a picture of the beach or a sailboat on the front. They came in every color imaginable, such as black – and – white, blue, and green. They also had pink (which made Emma want to gag), orange, and even tie – dye (which made Emma wonder if she'd stepped into a 1960's time warp).
"I like this one," Henry announced, holding up one of the black – and white t – shirts. He'd definitely picked out one of the better shirts.
Still… "Henry, it might be better to wait to buy it. What if you see something you like better in one of the other shops?"
Henry paused for a second. Obviously that hadn't occurred to him.
"There's a lot of different things to see these shops, Henry," David added. "It's best to look at everything first."
"Are you sure?" Henry asked. He looked confused.
David nodded. "These are the kind of markets we had in our world. I've had a lot of experience with them."
Henry's eyes lit up, as they always did when he learned something new about his fairytale heritage. "Really?"
"Really," Snow agreed.
"Okay," Henry nodded. He put the t – shirt back. "I'll see what else there is, then." With that, he bounced out of the store.
The next shop was a music store, which sold a combination of hand – made instruments, regular instruments, sheet music, and a few CDs. Emma and her family looked around for a few minutes, but since none of them played music, it wasn't that interesting to them. Emma did stop to admire a guitar which was sitting on the wall, however. It looked similar to the one Killian had played last night. She still thought it was really weird that the former pirate actually played guitar. Still, it didn't really matter. What he did with his spare time was his business.
The next shop sold handmade jewelry, which Snow seemed to really admire. They stayed there for a while so her mother could examine everything. Personally, Emma was a little bored. Jewelry was never really her thing. But she tried to stay patient for Snow's sake. Tried being the important word. Eventually Emma had enough. "Can we move along here?" she asked her mother as she examined some bracelets again.
Snow smiled at Emma. "Of course. I'm sorry. It's just that I love that kind of jewelry. It's so much more…natural than silver or gold. It reminds me of my wedding ring."
David nodded and caressed Snow's hand as she held one of the bracelets. "Of course it does. Your ring was my mother's, and this is the kind of jewelry she used to have. Not that she had much of it, but…" He shrugged.
Emma suddenly looked at the jewelry with new eyes. This was the kind of jewelry her grandmother would have worn? Henry began examining the jewelry much closer after hearing that as well. They all ended up staying in the shop for a little longer.
Snow was particularly interested in a green bracelet that matched the color of her ring, although the stone was obviously not real. "I love how it makes the ring more noticeable," she commented as she showed off the bracelet and the ring together.
Emma nodded. "Yeah, they do look nice together."
"I think the ring and the bracelet make you more noticeable," David commented. "They bring out the green in your eyes." He smiled at her and caressed her cheek, right under her eyes. Emma sighed and rolled her eyes.
"I'm really tempted to buy this right now," Snow commented.
David nodded. "I know what you mean. But still…"
" – I suppose we should see what else there is," Snow finished.
The next shop sold miniature boats. David and Henry seemed particularly interested in those. Some of them made Emma uncomfortable, because they reminded her so much of The Jolly Roger. Still, she kept quiet. She certainly didn't want her family to know how…affected she was by Killian. You weren't affected, remember? She told herself firmly. It was just a kiss.
Finally, they were ready to leave that store. Unfortunately, when Emma did so, she almost ran into the person she was trying to avoid. "Swan!" he cried in delight. "Fancy seeing you again. I trust you enjoyed yourself last night?"
Emma shrugged, trying to sound neutral. It was very hard with him standing so close to her. She backed up a few feet. "It was okay."
"Okay?" Kilian repeated in disbelief. "A kiss like that is just, 'okay"?
"You kissed my Mom!" Henry exclaimed, angrily. He pushed himself between them. "What are you trying to pull, pirate?"
"Not a thing, lad!" Kilian protested. "I told you, Henry, I'm a reformed pirate. And I assure you, the kiss was your mother's idea. Wasn't it, Emma?" He looked at her waiting for her to confirm his statement.
Emma sighed. "Yes, it was my idea." She certainly didn't want Henry to think Kilian had done something to Emma against her will.
Henry nodded, not looking to happy with this information either.
"Care for an encore?" Killian asked grinning smugly at Emma again.
Emma sighed. This is exactly what I was afraid of. "Look, what happened between us last night is irrelevant. It was just one kiss. And that's all it ever needs to be."
"How can you say that?" Kilian protested.
Emma shrugged. "Easily. Look, I'm happy you've made an honest life for yourself here, but we'll be leaving soon. And then we'll never see each other again. Besides, I think the alcohol influenced my decision to kiss you."
Killian looked surprised at this information. He did know they were only here for a vacation, right? "What about the rest of today?" he tried again.
Emma grinded her teeth. He was getting on her nerves. "I said, 'it was just one kiss.' And that's all it ever needs to be!'" she exclaimed. "Now get out of our way. Hook," she added, using his old name to distance herself further.
"But – " he protested again.
David chose this time to step in front of the former pirate, squaring his shoulders with his feet again. "I appreciate you taking us sailing yesterday. But now my daughter has very clearly asked you to leave. I suggest you do so, unless you want me to hit you again." He raised his fist up to show the man he was serious.
"Or I could hit you myself," Emma added, showing her fist as well.
"Hey, I throw a good punch!" Snow added coming forward as well.
"I'm sure I could hit you, too," Henry added, doing his best to look as threatening as his grandfather.
Hook sighed. "I guess I'll be leaving, then." He walked off. He looked kind of upset, but Emma told herself he'd be fine. Kristen will be available for him.
Then she turned around and saw she was standing exactly like David. Huh. She hadn't even noticed that before. But she looked at her father and grinned. "I guess we do fight the same."
"Always, Emma," David replied, smiling. "Shall we see other stores they have?"
"Okay," the rest of their family agreed.
They visited several other shops. Henry's favorite was a bookstore. In the end, he bought a book about "classic Maine tales" which had stories from Maine authors from 1820 to 1920. David also bought a book. It was about the Maine government system. Snow did buy the green bracelet she had admired before. And Emma ended up being the one to buy a t – shirt, although she chose blue. After the family were finished shopping, they picked up lunch at a deli. Then they had to get ready to go home.
XXXXXXXXX
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
While the Charming Family enjoyed their time in Old Orchard Beach, Red and Justin spent time with his mother in Houlton. Red found Justin's mother to be a friendly woman who was eager to get to know her son's girlfriend better. "Hello, Ruby," she greeted her when they got off the bus that evening. (The only bus that went to Houlton left at 6:00PM.) "I'm Julie Wendell. "Are you treating this girl right, Justin?" she teased her son.
Justin rolled his eyes like he was used to his mother's teasing. "I try, Mom," he replied, sighing. He and his mother had to be pretty close if she was able to tease him like that, Red thought. Justin was often so sensitive about things that Ruby couldn't tell when it was okay to tease him and when it wasn't. Except about his dog, of course. Her relationship with him and his dog was always the strongest.
Speaking of Champ, Mrs. Wendell leaned down and greeted him, too. "Hi there," she said to the dog without petting him. "I have a bunch of bones I set aside, just for you. Does that sound good?"
Justin chuckled at his mother this time. "Mom, I really wish you wouldn't spoil Champ when we come up. He's a working dog, you know. He's fine with dog food."
Mrs. Wendell shook her head, like they'd had this argument before. "You only come to see me once a year, Justin. So why can't I spoil you and Champ? Of course, this year I have Ruby, too. I hope you're hungry, Ruby. I've planned a big dinner for the three of us. Do you like stuffed chicken?"
Red shrugged. "Sure." Mrs. Wendell reminded her a little of Granny, the way she was eager to show affection by feeding the people she cared about. Although Granny wasn't usually this friendly around strangers. (That was partly why she hadn't introduced Granny to Justin yet.)
"Great," Mrs. Wendell replied brightly. "Here's my car." She walked toward what could be a blue or black automobile (Red couldn't tell which in the dark) and climbed into the driver's seat. Justin climbed into the backseat with Champ and asked Red to do the same. Red shrugged. At least she was more comfortable in automobiles than she used to be. The speed didn't bother her anymore, and she knew she was safe with Justin and his mother. Still, she hadn't really expected Mrs. Wendell to have a car. It surprised her. No one she was close to had cars, so she wasn't used to them. The car was surprisingly comfortable, though. The seats weren't as hard as the seats on the bus.
Honestly there were several things about Mrs. Wendell that surprised Red so far. First, that she was so friendly to Red. She hadn't really thought about it, but she supposed she expected Justin's mother to be more…suspicious of her. Like the way Fredrick was when he first met Justin. Second of all, Red was kind of surprised that Mrs. Wendell could see. Red supposed she thought everyone in Justin's family was blind or something? She didn't know; she just didn't expect Mrs. Wendell to see so well. Of course, Red wasn't going to mention that to Justin. It was exactly the kind of thought that would offend him.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
They all arrived at a small, comfortable – looking home that was near a lot of other houses. Mrs. Wendell unlocked the door and they all went inside. The front room was nice with several windows and decorated in blues. However, Mrs. Wendell and Champ immediately headed for the kitchen. It was a modest – sized room, but no smaller than the kitchen where Red lived. There was enough room for a table and all the machines that people in this world thought were necessary to have in a kitchen, anyway. The room was decorated in light greens and blues.
Justin's mother pulled the chicken out of the oven. "I kept it on warm, so it should taste fine," she commented as she pulled the chicken apart and put in on three different plates.
Meanwhile, Champ began to dance and bark around the kitchen. That kind of behavior was unusual for him. Red figured it had something to do with Justin's comment that his mother spoiled the dog while they were visiting. When Mrs. Wendell pulled a couple of bones out of the refrigerator and placed one on in a dog bowl, Red knew she was right. Champ immediately began chewing on it.
After Mrs. Wendell retrieved the stuffing from the stove, the three adults sat down to eat. "Oh!" Justin's mother exclaimed just as she sat down. "I forgot. I bought a bottle of wine for tonight." She got up again and pulled out three wine goblets and a bottle out of the refrigerator. "I hope you like white wine, Ruby. It's Justin's favorite, and it goes well with chicken. But you can have milk or water if you'd rather…"
Red smiled at her. "No, this is fine." Growing up as a peasant in the forest, she never drank wine. She had developed a taste for it when she lived in the palace, but she wasn't picky about which kind was served.
So Mrs. Wendell poured them all a glass of wine and then they started eating. "So how is work going, Justin?" his mother asked him.
"Fine," he replied. "Champ is helping me keep the pipes clear." He glanced over at the dog who was still attacking the bone he'd been given. "Of course, I'm always busier in the winter, but I get enough work during this time of year, too."
Red nodded. Sometimes she forgot Justin had "a day job" as well as taking care of Champ and visiting her. She'd have to make sure to ask him more about it in the future.
"And you take care of dogs, Ruby?" Mrs. Wendell asked.
Red nodded. "Yeah. I really enjoy it."
"Do you work for an animal shelter?"
Red paused for a second. She'd heard of that before but she had to think for a second to remember what it was. "No," she replied after a couple of moments. "I don't take care of strays. I work at a kennel, taking care of dogs while their owners are away. It's like a baby – sitting service."
Mrs. Wendell nodded. "Oh. Well, Justin tells me quite good with the dogs." He nodded vigorously.
Red smiled. "Yeah."
"So who's your latest match on , Mom?" Justin smiled as he asked his mother.
Mrs. Wendell brightened. "I think I've got a really good one this time. A landscaper from up state New York. He's divorced, too, with two sons. I think we have a lot in common."
Justin shrugged. "Whatever you say, Mom."
Red stopped eating for a moment as she took that in. First of all, apparently Justin's mother was divorced. She didn't really think about it, but she had assumed Mrs. Wendell was widowed, like Granny, when it became obvious Justin's father wasn't around. Divorce was possible in the Enchanted Forest, but incredibly unpopular. Divorced women usually became bitter from rejection. Justin's mother wasn't like that at all. Red reminded herself that there were many differences between this world and the Enchanted Forest. Some she apparently still needed to learn. Speaking of which, what was " "?
"You're not going to tell your new friend about me, are you, Mom?" Justin continued.
Mrs. Wendell shrugged. "I already told him I have a son, Justin."
Justin shook his head. "That's not what I meant and you know it. I mean about my…condition."
Mrs. Wendell sighed and put down her fork with a loud bang. "I don't know. It depends on how serious this one gets. But it may not matter."
Justin grumbled. "It mattered to Dad."
Mrs. Wendell shook her head. "I've told you before, Justin. Your father didn't leave us because you were blind. He left us because he decided work was more important than family."
"Which was easy for him to decide with a son he was disappointed in," Justin grumbled. Then he paused for a second, as if he remembered Red was there, too. "I'm sorry, Ruby. This isn't the time for this argument."
Mrs. Wendell nodded. "That's true. I apologize as well, Ruby. Do you like your meal?"
Red smiled. "I don't mind. It was nice to understand a little more about you, Justin. And the meal is fabulous, Mrs. Wendell. In fact, I was wondering if I could have the recipe when we leave. My Granny would love to try it."
"Certainly," Mrs. Wendell replied brightly. The rest of the meal finished with them all in good spirits.
OOOOOOOOOOO
The house was small, so it only had two bedrooms. One for Mrs. Wendell and one for Justin and Champ. Mrs. Wendell made up the coach for Red to sleep on. Red was happy about this arrangement. She had a feeling a lot of couples in this world were more…physical than she and Justin were, but Mrs. Wendell obviously didn't expect them to be. So either Justin had told his mother that they weren't physical, and she respected Red's wishes as well as Justin did. Or Mrs. Wendell simply expected Justin to not be physical with his girlfriend. Either way, it meant she would get no pressure from either of them while she was here.
Justin came back inside when Red finished putting on her pajamas. He had just taken Champ out for the last time that night. "Goodnight, kids," Mrs. Wendell called as she exited the bathroom and disappeared into her bedroom.
"Goodnight, Mom," Justin replied. "I'm going to use the bathroom now, if that's okay?" he added to Red.
Red put her hand on his for a moment. "Wait. What happened with your father? I mean you don't have to tell me if you don't want to but…"
Justin shrugged. "Like Mom said, he left us. He was a big – time doctor in Portland, and he constantly spent more time at the hospital than at home. Sometimes we only saw him once a week. Mom was upset that he neglected his family; he was upset that we didn't take his work seriously. So they ended up getting divorced, and Mom moved us back to her hometown. But…I always felt like he didn't like my blindness, somehow. He never came out andsaid it, but sometimes… the way he talked to me…I don't know. He relies a lot on his eyesight for his job at the hospital. And he's never made much of an effort to spend time with me since the divorce, either. Mom just says that's because only has time for his job. But I don't know. It's hard to believe…"
Red nodded. It was easier to understand why he was so sensitive about his condition if his father rejected him because of it. (Okay, maybe he hadn't; it was hard to tell. The point was Justin believed his father rejected him because of his blindness.) Now she felt really guilty that she thought his mother might be blind, too. Mrs. Wendell wasn't' blind and although she was nice enough, Justin seemed to feel like an outsider even with his own family. He felt his father rejected him and his mother didn't listen to his views. Red was determined to make him feel important and special. She put her hands on both his shoulders. "This is what I know, Justin. You're a wonderful man who treats me well. And you're blindness only makes you a better person, so I won't reject you for it."
"Thank you, Ruby," Justin replied, full of emotion.
Then Red leaned over and gave him a hug. Then she kissed his cheek.
Justin smiled after that. "I should go use the bathroom now."
"Of course."
As Red used the bathroom herself and then climbed onto the couch, she wondered what had happened. Just she really just kiss Justin? Okay, so it was on the cheek, but that counted, right? It felt good, so it better count! She hadn't even thought about Mr. Jenison or Peter at that moment. The only thing that had mattered was Justin. Maybe she was finally making progress.
OOOOOOOOOO
When Red got up the next morning, she smiled. This visit seemed to be going well so far. She was glad she'd decided to come. After she got dressed, Justin came back inside with Champ. "Good morning, Champ," Red said to the dog. Champ grinned at her the way dogs do. She smiled. It was great that the dog was so comfortable with her.
"Hi Justin," Red said, turning her attention to her boyfriend. "Are you having a good morning?"
Justin smiled. "Yeah. I think this is going to be a good day," he replied.
"Great," Red smiled as well. Then she gave him another kiss on the cheek, just to show that last night's kiss wasn't a fluke. Justin smiled again. Then he leaned over and kissed her cheek. It was wonderful.
OOOOOOOOOO
Mrs. Wendell fed Justin, Red, and Champ a nice breakfast. After they finished, Justin asked Red if she wanted to see the school he used to attend here. "We'd have to walk a little while," he warned her. "There's no bus system in Houlton and my mom needs to go to work. But can go around the park. We can do it."
"Sure," Red replied. She was a bit out – of practice in walking a lot, but she knew she could do it. Besides, walking and running long distances never bothered her as much as they bothered regular humans. Wolves were made to travel long distances.
Eventually, they reached the school. It was a much larger school than what Red had expected. The school she had attended had been one room for all of the village children. The building had also served as a meetinghouse for discussing problems. (Like what to do with giant wolves, for example.) The school Justin showed her was at least seventy – five feet long. Maybe a hundred feet. It also sat on what appeared to be a hill, so part of the building was two stories. Red realized in this world, buildings tended to be larger. She had seen plenty of tall buildings in Bangor, after all. But from what she seen of Houlton, it was much smaller than Bangor. It was just…surprising that the school was still so big. "It's bigger than I expected," she commented, voicing her thoughts.
"You mean because I can't see – " Justin began, snapping as he often did when he thought someone was patronizing him for his blindness. Then he stopped himself and took a deep breath. "No, you don't. You don't say things like that because you think I can't do anything, do you?"
Red's face lit up. "No, Justin. I don't." It was nice to hear he was starting to trust her on that issue, especially considering he trusted her so much with other things in his life. "I just meant that Houlton seems like a smaller town than Bangor. I thought the school would be smaller, too."
Justin chuckled. "It is. Bangor's high school is humongous."
"Well, this school is still a lot bigger than the school I went to."
"Really? Where did you go to school?"
Darn. She'd really set herself up for that one, didn't she? Well, she didn't have to get specific, Red decided. "A small village," she replied vaguely. "The school was only one room."
Justin's eyes widened. "Really? A one – room schoolhouse? You must have really lived out in the wilderness, then."
"Definitely," Red replied.
"Well, anyway, let me show you a little more of my old school. Come on, Champ," he said to the dog.
"The room on the end is the cafeteria." He pointed to the part of the school with only one floor and they all walked in that direction. Red looked into the window and saw a big room complete with tables. There were also several refrigerators and what looked like tables for food. School lunch was certainly different than it was when she was child when she brought a bag of dry food in from home. Justin also showed her the library, where they kept many books – on – tape for him and some of his classrooms. It was interesting and it helped her get to know him better.
OOOOOOOOOO
Justin treated her to lunch at a local diner. People knew him in this town, so he and Champ were accepted into the establishment easily, and no one implied he couldn't do things for himself. It was a nice, comfortable atmosphere. After that, Justin let Champ play in the park for the afternoon.
Finally, it was time to return to Mrs. Wendell's house. "Hi, kids," she greeted them when they came in. "Hi Champ," she added as well. "Are you ready for another bone?" She paused for a second. Then she continued, "I thought I'd make pork chops tonight. With potatoes. Is that okay?"
"Sounds good, Mom," Justin replied cheerfully.
"Of course," Red nodded.
"But in the meantime, I was wondering if you'd like to see these, Ruby." Mrs. Wendell pulled out a huge book with plastic pages. Red wondered what kind of book this was and why Justin's mother thought she'd be interested in it.
"Oh, Mom, you didn't!" Justin complained. "I can smell the photographs from here. Please don't tell me you got out the baby pictures!"
Baby pictures? And there were more than one? Red remembered the picture Henry had given Emma for her birthday. Apparently pictures like that were common in this world.
"Just a little," Mrs. Wendell replied cheerfully. "But there's school pictures in there, too. I just thought, since you showed her the school this morning, she might like to see what you looked like then, too."
Red nodded. "Yes, actually, I would." She picked up the strange book. It was covered with pictures. Some of them were "posed" like the way royals would commission someone to paint their picture. Others were natural, like the people in the picture didn't know they were being photographed. These "photos" must be taken really fast if that were possible.
Justin sighed. "Alright. Whatever."
"This is Justin when he graduated high school," Mrs. Wendell pointed to one photograph with him in a robe and a strange – looking hat. She flipped through some others. "There he is with his father."
Red inspected the picture and noticed neither one looked particularly happy. Maybe Justin was right about his father. Still, it was too bad. "They look alike," she commented, noticing they had the same hair color and nose.
Mrs. Wendell showed Red all kinds of pictures of Justin while the dinner cooked. It was wonderful to see him like that. But Red was starting to feel a little guilty. She had no pictures to show Justin of herself when Red was younger. Of course, Justin wouldn't be able to see them, anyway, so it was kind of ridiculous to think about. But the principle was the same. Justin was offering to show her his hometown, talk to his mother, and even see pictures of himself when he was younger, all in an effort for her to get to know him better. Not to mention Justin confided to her about his problems with his father.
What had she done in return? She gave him vague answers about her childhood. She hadn't even mentioned him to Granny. She had decided not to tell Justin about her past. After all, the present was what mattered, right? It wasn't as if she could go back, so what difference did it make? And Justin would probably never believe her. If she tried to tell him, Justin would simply decide to have nothing to do with her. But…she wasn't so sure she could keep it from him anymore, either. Wasn't she keeping a big part of herself from him by not telling her about her past? Red shook her head. Don't think about it, she told herself. Just enjoy the rest of your visit. It was time for dinner.
OOOOOOOOOOO
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After they all returned from their trips, life went on normally. Henry was also busy getting ready for a new school year. Emma helped him by a new backpack, a three – ring notebook, and other school supplies that they decided were necessary. Everyone was in a much better mood than they were this time last year. Henry was living with them permanently, Snow, Charming, and Red were becoming used to this new world (Red said even Abigail and Fredrick were becoming more used to it), and Red was no longer spending time with the creepy restaurant owner. In fact, Red even had a nice man that made her happy.
Henry also enjoyed spending time with Teddy and Eddie. When school started, they all rode the bus together, just like the year before. Sometimes when Henry arrived home, he would tell Snow he was going to the local park or to one of the other boys' houses.
About a week and a half after school started, Henry was at Teddy's house, playing on the boy's big video game system. Snow was finishing up washing the kitchen floor when Charming arrived home. Emma would be home again in another hour. "You'd better not be tracking mud in my kitchen, Charming!" she threatened as he came in the door. She held the mop in a way that would allow her to attack him.
"Of course not," Charming replied, smiling at her. He took off his shoes and jacket right at the door. "I wouldn't want to make more work for you." Then his look turned devious. Before she could ask what he was up to, he reached into the mop bucket and splashed some of the dirty water over her. He chuckled. "You said not to get mud in the kitchen. I didn't." He shrugged innocently.
"Oh, you're going to get it for that!" Snow replied, splashing some of the water on him as well.
Within a couple of minutes, they were both covered in dirty water. Snow shook her head as she dumped out the water and put away the mop. "I think we should probably get washed off."
Charming nodded, like that was exactly what he had in mind. "Sounds like a great idea. Together?" he asked hopefully. "Emma won't be home for a while yet."
Snow smiled at him. "Sure."
OOOOOOOOOO
They were both…ah, cleaned and dressed by the time Emma should arrive home. Snow was just trying to decide what to cook for supper when they heard Emma yelling. Both she and Charming immediately went outside to see what was bothering their daughter. The former pirate they'd met a couple of weeks ago in Old Orchard Beach was standing on their front lawn. Emma was screaming, "I already told you, I don't want you here. Now are you going to leave or do I have to arrest you for stalking?"
Snow and Charming raised their eyebrows at each other. That didn't sound good. "It's too bad I don't have a bow – and – arrow handy," she whispered to him. She still felt the electricity between them from their joint shower.
Charming nodded. "Yeah. He's proven he can defend himself against my sword, but I don't think anyone can compete with you and a bow." He rubbed the arm Snow used to shoot her bow. It looked like he felt the electricity, too.
Snow smiled at him. "I think we can still defeat him if we need to though." She headed out toward Emma.
But Charming held her back, to Snow's surprise. "Definitely. But maybe we won't need to. Emma's a pretty competent fighter herself, after all. And if we intervene…she might think we don't trust her to take care of herself."
"But Charming – "Snow protested. She still wanted to make up for all the times she hadn't been able to protect Emma. Besides, Emma told them she accepted them as parents now, right?
"I know," Charming nodded, understanding what she was trying to say. "But if we want to keep a good relationship with Emma, we need to choose when she needs us and when she can do fine on her own."
Snow nodded and watched Emma with the other man again. He screamed back, "The only reason you don't want me here is because you don't want to deal with your feelings for me!"
Emma's eyes widened at that statement for just a split second. Could there be some truth to the former pirate's statement? She had kissed him when they were in Old Orchard Beach, after all. But then Emma's hostile face returned. "Look, Hook. I don't care why you think you're here. I want you gone. Now." She pushed him with all her might, and the man landed a few feet from her on the ground.
Charming smiled at that. "See? I told you Emma could take care of herself," he whispered to Snow.
But the man sighed. "I do love your fighting spirit, Swan. I'll be back later," he promised.
"You'd better not be!" Emma yelled at him as he finally left.
Snow watched as the man took off. What was his game, anyway? Why wouldn't he take "no" for answer? Did he see Emma as some sort of pirate's conquest? "I'm going to go 'talk' to him," she told Charming. "I know Emma can take care of herself, but there's nothing wrong with 'talking', is there?
Charming shrugged. "I suppose not. But only if you let me come with you." He smiled at her, the way he did when they were getting ready to fight off an enemy in the Enchanted Forest. Partners in crime. Forever. With that, they both ran after the former pirate.
They finally caught up with him on the bank of the Penobscot River, just outside of the city. They sprang into action simultaneously. Snow grabbed his ankles and held tight. Charming jumped on top of the man and held his arms and upper body. Despite his struggles, they both held firm. "We just want to 'talk,' buddy," Charming told him.
"I can see that," the former pirate replied sarcastically. "I thought you bloody 'heroes' were above torture?"
"That doesn't apply to men who are trying to play our daughter!" Snow snapped.
"And we're not here to torture you. Yet. Like I said, we just want to talk. We just decided to use methods you'd understand."
The man grumbled. "Whatever, mate."
"So, what are you doing with Emma? Why did you come here?" Snow asked firmly, with her hands still on his ankles.
"None of your bloody business!" the former pirate snapped. "That's between Emma and me."
"Emma's business is our business, mate," Charming replied, looking him in the eyes. "Now are you playing a game with Emma? Trying to win her just so you can gloat about it or something?"
"No!" he protested. "I find her fighting spirit and survival skills very – ah, attractive….And…and," he sighed and looked away. "Emma is the only person who ever did something for me with no strings attached. When she gave me that green card this past summer…" he shook his head like he couldn't even put into words. "She believed in me."
Snow and Charming looked at the former pirate with new eyes. Was he serious? It looked like he might be.
"And she feels something for me, too," he continued, looking smug this time. "I know she does. I just need to get her to admit it."
Snow shrugged. "Well, that may be, but I think you're going about this all wrong. Emma…doesn't like to be pushed."
Killian shook his head. "No. I'm doing it the only way it will work. Emma will never admit anything if I disappear. 'A man who doesn't fight for what he wants deserves what he gets.' I'm fighting for Emma."
Snow sighed. "That's all well and good, but Emma is different than most women."
The former pirate shook his head. "I understand more about her than you think. Probably more than you do," he muttered the last line, but Snow and Charming still heard him.
Charming took his hand and socked him in the jaw again. "Don't try to tell me you know Emma better than we do! She's our daughter."
Snow sighed. "I don't mean you should leave altogether. I just meant…show her you plan to stay in the area permanently. But don't constantly ask her to accept you. Wait for her to come to you. Probably one of the reasons she's pushing you away is because she doesn't think you'll stay."
The former pirate sighed and nodded. "Aye. She told me as much when I found her at the police station where she worked." He looked away again. "'I know you,' she said. 'You'll never live far away from your ship and the sea for long.'"
"And will you? Go back to your ship, I mean?" Charming asked him sternly, with his arms still around his arms. "I don't want Emma to start to accept you, only to have you leave. Too many people have done that to her already."
The man shook his head. "No. I need Emma more than I need my ship. In the weeks since she left, I got depressed. I was tempted to try piracy again, but I didn't want to ruin Emma's faith in me." Snow wasn't sure she believed him, but he sounded sincere, anyway.
"Okay. Prove that to Emma and to us, and maybe we'll accept you. And just maybe, she will, too."
"But you need to stop pushing so hard," Snow continued. Like I said, Emma doesn't like to be pushed. I think she likes to believe she has some control over her life for a change. She wants to be the one to make decisions. Let her decide when she wants to approach you." Charming gave Snow a strange look. Snow smiled at him. She knew what Charming was thinking. You're giving advice on not pushing Emma, Snow?
"It's something I've had to learn about Emma myself," Snow admitted. "But I'm better at it now."
Charming chuckled at that comment, probably thinking about a half hour earlier when he had to explain to Snow why they couldn't get in the middle of Emma's fight. Because Emma could take care of herself and she didn't always want help. She wanted to control her own life. "Okay, so I'm still working on it…but it's still important to understand Emma."
The former pirate nodded. "I get your point," he grumbled finally.
"You can get up now," Charming commented, letting go of him. Snow let go of him, too.
The man shook his head. "Do you really think you could've held me there if I didn't bloody want you to? I could have gotten up any time I wanted. I just knew you two wanted to 'talk.'" With that, he walked away.
Snow and Charming looked at each other and shook their heads. "We totally had him," Charming commented. Then he gave her a big kiss.
"I thought you had enough of me an hour ago in the shower," Snow said to him playfully after he finally released her.
"You know I can never get enough of you," Charming replied. He smiled at her again. Then he took her hand, and they headed back home.
If you are interested, Killian still owns The Jolly Roger. He's just keeping it docked because he's decided to come to Bangor.
Thank you very much for the reviews, as always. Please keep them coming. They really do help me write.
Here's some responses.
Fangirl: Yeah, their trip wasn't the "relaxing family bonding" that the Charmings' were expecting, was it? But when I decided to go CS for this story, I needed away for Emma and Killian to meet after he got out of jail, and I thought this was the best way to do it. And yes, David and Henry have good reasons to be suspicious of Killian, but Killian wanted to be nice to them, especially because they were Emma's family.
The arguments about the bikini between Emma and Mary Margaret and David is another cultural difference. To Emma (and to us), there is no reason why a thirty – year old woman can't wear a bikini if she wants to at the beach (provided she has the body for it). But to someone from the Enchanted Forest, wearing a bikini would look like a person was wearing underwear to the beach! Mary Margaret was a little more accepting in this chapter than David for two reason.
She has seen other bikinis in the store that were more revealing than the one Emma chose.
Mothers usually have an easier time than fathers seeing their daughters in any kind of revealing clothes.
parapentistria4ever: I'm very glad you like my Captain Swan moments, and Daddy Charming moments as well. And yes, Emma will have trouble with her parents when they get pregnant.