Chapter 39

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, as always, for betaing and letting me use her story as a starting point. (Not to mention the help with writing Killian.)

I hope some of you are still interested in seeing a positive view of Snowing and Charming Family.

To David's surprise, the former pirate took his and Snow's advice. He came to their house a week later and told Emma he had a job working at a boating store. Emma seemed moderately impressed with that, although she still insisted he would return to The Jolly Roger eventually. The man also stopped pressuring Emma to admit her feelings every time he saw her. He still looked at Emma in a way that made David incredibly uncomfortable. And David was pretty sure he tried to kiss her once, but Emma pushed him out of the way again. But other than that, the man simply stopped by the house to "say hi" to Emma every couple of days.

Emma seemed to be happy to see him when he stopped by. Yesterday, David was pretty sure Emma started smiling the moment the former pirate walked into their yard. "Hi Killian," she said as soon as he knocked on their door. That was another thing. Emma had started calling the man "Killian," again. David wasn't sure how he felt about that.

Henry appeared to be warming up to the former pirate as well. Henry was impressed the man had found a job and was no longer interested in revenge. He smiled at the man as well sometimes. Yesterday, Henry even admitted, "I think you could be a good man."

"Mate, Henry," the former pirate corrected. "The word is 'mate.' And I think you could be a good mate, too." Henry had grinned at that. David wasn't sure he liked the idea. Someday, this man just might take his daughter away from him. Would he take Henry away from David as well? Still, that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Emma still showed no interest in spending time with the former pirate other than inside their house and in the yard. And there were no more kisses, fortunately. That meant for now, Emma and Henry belonged to David.

David sighed. He needed something to get his mind off the former pirate. Henry brought home some papers from the school. They were really for Emma, since she was the boy's mother, but she'd told David and Snow they were welcome to look at them, too. David began looking through them. Some of them were Henry's school work. From his grades, it looked as if he was doing well in school. That was nice. There was also a notice for parents about a group called the "Parent – Teacher Organization."

The group would be meeting at the school in the evenings, about twice a month in the cafeteria. Tomorrow night would be their first meeting, and they were looking for new members this year. It seemed they decided on different fundraisers for the school and then managed them. David wondered if he would be able to attend this meeting, considering he wasn't really Henry's father. But he thought it would be a good way to get more involved with Henry and his school (before another man took his place). It would also be a good way to get more involved with the community they were living in. They had been living here for over a year, after all. And finding ways to raise money was one of the things he and Snow had done as rulers in the Enchanted Forest.

Would Snow be interested in coming as well? It would be nice to do something with his wife. Of course, she wasn't Henry's mother, either. Emma was already doing a wonderful job with that. But Henry did live with him and Snow, so they were kind of "part – time guardians" of Henry. Emma welcomed their advice about her son, after all. David looked at the notice again, thinking.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

After dinner, Henry went to his room to do his homework, and Emma turned on the radio. David and Snow began doing the nightly dishes which was something they always liked doing together. "I saw something kind of interesting in Henry's backpack today," he began as he dried a plate.

"What was that?" Snow asked as she washed another plate.

"It was a note for this group called the 'Parent – Teacher Organization,' or PTO for short. Apparently they do most of the fundraising for the school. Since it's the beginning of the school year, they're looking for new members. I was thinking…I don't know…we used to fundraising campaigns in the Enchanted Forest. It might be nice to get more involved in the community now that we've been living here for a year."

Snow nodded. "We're not really Henry's parents, though."

David nodded, too. "Yeah, I thought about that. But he still lives with us. Maybe they'd still let us in."

"But what if Emma doesn't like the idea? Maybe she'll think we're trying to pretend to be Henry's parents because we don't think she's good enough or something…She still has a lot of insecurities, Charming. Remember how hard I had to convince her to accept us having another baby?"

David nodded. "So we'll talk to Emma first. But I'd like to try this out. I love working with the cows on the farm. But…I'm also beginning to wonder if I should be doing more. When I was a king in the Enchanted Forest, I helped so many people. I was involved with so many things. I liked that. Now, well,I'm helping Bill, of course, but it's not the same thing. If I went to this meeting…at least I'd help Henry's school. I'd be involved with more." David decided not to mention his desire to be more involved with Henry now in case he was taken away from him.

Snow nodded. "I know what you mean. I'm happy with the job I have, because it helps our family, and that's the most important thing. Besides, the other women I work with are nice. But, when we were rulers, we changed so many lives for the better. It was a nice feeling." She began scrubbing the plate again.

David nodded. "I'm glad you agree. That's the other reason I wanted to go to this meeting. I miss working with you. When we were monarchs, we ruled as a team. We didn't always do everything together, but we tried our best to do so. All of our decisions were discussed and made together. Now, we're apart from each other all day, working on jobs that have nothing to do with each other."

Snow shook her head. "No. That's not true. We're both Emma's parents, and we do that together."

David nodded, smiling tenderly. "True. That's definitely the best job to have together. And the next baby, too. But I'd like to do something else with you, too."

"Besides dishes, that is?" Snow asked as she rinsed off the plate and handed it to David.

"Dishes are always fun with you," David replied as he dried off the plate. Then he dipped his hand in the soapy water and decorated her hair with bubbles. Snow giggled. "But yes, besides dishes."

"Okay. We'll talk to Emma, and if she's okay with it, we'll go."

OOOOOOOOOO

They finished the dishes about a half hour later and came out to the living room. "Emma can you turn down the radio?" David asked. "We wanted to talk."

Emma looked at the two of them and nodded. She appeared nervous, although she was obviously trying not to be. "What is this about?"

"Your father found something in Henry's backpack that interested him," Snow began.

Emma nodded. "I see. Is Henry in trouble?" Her voice sounded a little panicky. "Henry, did you have any trouble in school today?" she called to her son.

"No, Mom, of course not!" Henry replied inside his bedroom.

"No Emma, that's not what we meant. Sorry. We should have made that clear. Henry is fine." David used the voice he always used to keep animals calm.

"Okay. That's a relief," Emma's face relaxed a little. "So what is it?"

"It was something about a "Parent – Teacher Organization. They have their first meeting tomorrow," Snow continued.

Emma looked at them in disbelief. "You aren't trying to tell me I should join the PTO, are you? I mean, I love being Henry's mother, and I'm glad he's with us for good now. But working with groups of people like that…that's not really my thing."

"No, Emma, that's not what we meant, either. We wanted to know if it was okay if we went to the meeting."

Emma sighed in relief. "Oh. Well, the PTO is always looking for new members. As long as you tell them Henry is your 'nephew,' and you're living with us, they should be okay with it."

Snow nodded. "That's good to know. But we were actually wondering is if you were okay if we went."

Emma shrugged. "Why shouldn't I be? You're Henry's family, too."

Emma appeared like was actually serious. "Thank you Emma," David replied and hugged his daughter. Snow hugged her, too. "Thank you for giving us Henry and for agreeing to this."

Emma smiled at them. "I'm glad I had Henry, too."

OOOOOOOOOOOO

The next evening, David and Snow went to Henry's school after dinner. They made sure to bring their membership dues as well, three dollars each. "I'm glad you suggested this, Charming," Snow whispered to him as they sat down. "I think it's going to be fun."

Other people arrived in the next few minutes. Eventually, a woman looked around the room and stood up. She had short light brown hair that seemed heavier in the front than in the back. "Hello everyone, I'm Mrs. Bates. I teach seventh grade math here. I see some new faces this year; that's wonderful. Why don't we introduce ourselves?"

There were about twenty people in the cafeteria. Some of them were teachers and others were parents. He and Snow were the only ones here because of a "nephew" but no one seemed bothered by that. David did notice most of the people in the room were women, however. And all the other men besides him were teachers. But there didn't seem to be any rules that parents had to be women. So David decided not to worry about it. (He was gladder than before that Snow was with him, though.)

"So I assume everyone is okay starting with the pumpkin sale we do every year?" Mrs. Bates asked when all the introductions were finished.

There were a chorus of "uh – huhs," "yeahs," and "sures."

David added, "Sounds like a good idea." He remembered that a lot of people decorated with these orange things last year for the day called Halloween. Emma called them pumpkins. If the school was selling them, their family would buy one this year. Maybe they'd even put a funny face on it, David thought to himself with a smile. Henry would love that.

"Great," Mrs. Bates commented as she wrote something down.

"Wait," a man protested. David seemed to remember his name was Mr. Yeager and that he taught eighth grade science. "I think we should sell them differently. We always make the kids responsible for selling the pumpkins. I think, since we're deciding what to sell, we should be selling it as well."

"No," a woman protested. David tried to remember her name. Miss Whipple? Mrs. Wangor? Ms. Widdor? "Our kids are in middle school. They should be learning responsibility. Besides, the money we raise are for the kids, anyway."

"Oh, please," another woman protested. She was sitting across the table from him and Snow. Her name was Ms. Black. "How many of your kids actually sell this stuff, anyway? My Brandon won't do any of it! I end up selling all of it myself!"

"Well, I think that's your problem, Ms. Black," snapped the Mrs. W lady. "I make sure my daughter does what she's supposed to do!"

"I have other things to worry about than whether my Brandon sells pumpkins! Like working 40 hours a week and still keeping track of all of my kids, thank you very much."

"Okay, this isn't what I meant," Mr. Yeager protested. "I just meant the pumpkins are really a PTO fundraiser. So the members of the PTO should be selling it. I was thinking we could sell them in the mall or something."

"But the PTO raises money for the kids," protested another man. Was his name Mr. Johnson? Jimson? Jackson? Something like that.

"Okay, let's all calm down," Mrs. Bates stated from the front of the room. "Yelling at each other isn't going to accomplish anything."

"I believe I have an answer that will solve the problem," Snow announced. David smiled at her. She was so smart. "What if we allow those who want their kids to sell the pumpkins to sell them? The rest of us can set up a table and sell the pumpkins at the mall, or whatever."

The others stared at his wife in shock, like they couldn't believe the answer to their problem could be so simple. David, of course, wasn't at all surprised. Snow was smart, and she'd also been raised to be a leader. A queen. That meant she'd been given lessons in diplomacy. She knew how to talk to people to make them feel like they counted and their ideas were important. She knew how to make people compromise. And she'd never been afraid to speak up, either. Honestly, David found Snow in leadership mode almost as attractive as her in fighting mode. He smiled at her and squeezed her hand under the table. Coming to this meeting was a great idea.

"Well, I think that could work," Mrs. Bates admitted, looking at Snow in surprise again. "Does that work for the rest of you?"

There were a chorus of "sures," "why nots," and "I guess that makes sense." Some of the others just shrugged.

"Okay, so I'll set the order forms here," Mrs. Bates continued. "Those who want to sell the pumpkins that way, or have their kids sell them, as the case may be, can pick them up. The others can sign up for slots to sell them at the mall."

The others nodded and got up. Some of them took forms and others wrote something on a piece of paper. "Do you want to take the order form or a spot at the mall?" David whispered to Snow.

"Whatever you think is best," Snow whispered back.

David shrugged. "Maybe we'll bring an order form home and see what Emma and Henry think. And then sign up for a time slot, too."

"Sounds good."

As they approached the table, though two women seemed to be in a heated argument. "I need this time slot, Emily," one woman was saying. She had short, curly brown hair. "It's the only time I'm available."

"Well, Marjorie, I don't think your head is on straight. Because I know you have more time available than I do," said the other woman. She had light brown chin – length hair.

"Listen – "Marjorie began, snapping at the other woman with her hands on her hips.

But David had enough. He put himself between the two arguing women with his hands on his hips. "You two need to stop acting like children. Perhaps you can both do the same time slot? Assuming you can act like adults." His method of solving problems wasn't like Snow's, considering he'd never been trained in diplomacy. David preferred to tell people exactly what he thought of the situation and demand they fix it.

Marjorie shook her head. "I don't know who you think you are but – " she began.

But Emily shook her head. "No, he's right. We're fighting like children. Would you like to sit at the table with me next Saturday afternoon, Marjorie?"

Marjorie nodded, and they both signed up for that slot.

Snow and David signed up for Sunday afternoon. "I'm proud of you, you know," Snow told him when they finally left the cafeteria. "Those women were being annoying. I could have tried fixing it myself, but I don't know that they would have listened to me. Sometimes diplomacy is too…weak for people like that to listen to. Your straight – talk was better."

"You are never weak, Snow," David told her, kissing her cheek. "But I know what you mean. Sometimes your method is better, and sometimes mine is."

OOOOOOOOOO

The next night, as their family sat down to Snow's wonderful pork chops and stuffing, Henry asked, "What did you guys do that was so cool a the PTO meeting last night? My math teacher couldn't stop talking about how great you were."

David shrugged. "Your Grandma put some of her diplomatic skills to work to solve an argument." He smiled at Snow as he said that. Then he took a bite of pork chop.

Snow smiled back after swallowing some stuffing. "And then your Grandpa used some of his straight – talk to solve another argument."

Henry nodded. "Well, Mrs. Bates said you were a great help. I always thought you guys were cool because you fought off bad guys and dragons and stuff. But I guess you're pretty good other ways, too."

David shrugged. "There's more to running a kingdom than using a sword, Henry. Diplomacy is important, too."

"Or an arrow," Snow added. "And straight – talk is just as important as diplomacy."

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Later that night, after Henry had gone to bed, Emma was reading the newspaper. David and Snow sat down on the couch, on either side. "The PTO has decided to sell pumpkins," Snow began.

Emma put the newspaper down. "Why are you telling me this now?"

David shrugged. "There was a debate about whether the kids should be selling them or not. Your mother solved the problem by suggesting that the parents decide whether they want their kids selling the pumpkins."

"So, parent, what do you think? Should Henry be selling pumpkins or not?" Snow finished.

Emma shrugged. "I guess he can sell them around the neighborhood, as long as one of us goes with him. If he wants to, that is."

Snow nodded. "I could offer to go with him when he gets home." She paused for a minute as she looked between Emma and David. "You know, I can't believe I've never noticed it before, but you too talk the same. Very blunt. Like just now Emma, when you asked, 'Why are you telling me this now?' Or last night, Charming, when you broke up a fight by telling those women they were behaving like children."

David looked at Snow for a minute. "Blunt, huh? I always thought it was just being honest. Straight – talking, like you said before."

She punched him lightly in the arm. "You know what I mean! I just think it's interesting. You say Emma's so much like me. But I think she's equally like you."

Emma nodded. "I know I use a lot of 'straight – talk' or bluntness, when I'm talking to criminals."

"Well, I'm glad you can put it to good use," David told her, giving her a side hug. He liked knowing Emma was like him, too. It showed he was her father, which was nice, especially considering that former pirate had been by today again. He looked at Snow. David needed to get his mind off Emma's new "friend." "She, looks like you though, Snow. Especially when she's unhappy, stressed, or determined. I can tell when things are bothering her because her expressions are so much like yours."

Snow smiled at that, but Emma made a face. "I don't know if that's a good thing. Sometimes I'd like to keep my thoughts private."

David smiled at her. "I don't know everything you're thinking, Emma. Just enough to know when you need help. And I'd never demand anything from you unless it's really necessary. Besides, it can work when you're happy, too, which is nice."

Emma shrugged. "I guess." She paused for a minute, then commented, "Even if he doesn't want to sell pumpkins, Henry will love decorating one. It's nice we're getting one this year."

David realized Emma was changing the subject to subject to something that was easier for her to talk to. That was okay with him. "Yeah, Henry will have fun with a pumpkin."

"Definitely," Snow added.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

OOOOOOOO

As Emma went to bed that night, she thought about what David said again. She had no idea he could read her so well. Although it made sense, Emma supposed, if her facial expressions reminded him of her mother. But Emma was still a private person. She didn't like the idea of her expressions on display like that. So the next day, she avoided David. She made sure to take the bus to Hampden different times than he did, and she hung out with Killian when she came home instead of David and the rest of her family. She even went to dinner with him at McDonalds to avoid eating with David. Killian was happy with the invitation although Emma had to make it clear that they were still just friends.

"No kissing or hand – holding," she told him firmly as they made their way to the restaurant. "And I'll pay for my own meal."

"Of course, Swan," Killian replied. "As you wish."

Killian's reaction to McDonald's was interesting. "So there's no one to wait on us at this restaurant?"

Emma shook her head. "No, we just order our food here and then pick it up ourselves." She scanned the menu for a second. "I think I'm going to have a quarter pounder."

Killian looked at the menu himself for several minutes. "What's a 'Big Mac'?"

Emma smiled and tried not to laugh. "It's a…double hamburger, I suppose, with vegetables and sauces on it as well."

"Maybe I'll try that, then," he shrugged.

When their food arrived, Killian was even more surprised there were no plates and all of the dishes were made of paper. "So we just…throw everything away when we're done?" he asked in disbelief

"Of course," Emma replied. "Killian, you've been living here for almost a year. Haven't you been to a fast – food restaurant before?"

Killian shrugged. "Well, last year I was busy trying to be a pirate again, so I was usually on my ship. Then, of course I got caught, so I was sent to prison, as you know. After I got out…it was easier to just hang out at the tavern where I worked, or eat at one of the shops on the cost. After all, I was still living on the Jolly Roger."

Emma smiled at him. She hadn't realized how out – of – place he still felt in this world. It made Emma glad she decided to be his friend. "Well, what do you think of fast food, now that you've tried it?"

Killian smiled at her. "Anything I do with you is great, Swan."

He looked at her like he wanted to kiss her again, so Emma got up and put her trash away. "This isn't a date, remember," she told him firmly as she returned to their table.

Killian nodded. "It's kind of nice not to worry about waitresses interrupting us, though."

Emma just shrugged, deciding not to think about that comment.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

When she returned home, she realized she hadn't thought about David and his ability to violate her privacy in a while. Hanging out with Killian was fun. Still, after Emma said, "Hello" to him, she escaped into her bedroom. After twenty minutes, Henry knocked on the door. "Hi Mom, where have you been today?"

Emma felt about two inches tall at that moment. She had been so busy avoiding David today, she forgot to pay attention to Henry! "I'm sorry, Henry, I've been busy with work…and things. Is there anything you need? Do you need help with your homework or something?"

Henry shrugged. "Not really. I've just been wondering, did Grandpa do something wrong? Because you're acting like you're angry at him. Whatever it is, I know he's sorry. I'm sure he'd be willing to apologize if you let him."

Darn Henry and his perceptiveness! Of course he knew there was something wrong between Emma and David, and of course he wanted to fix it. Emma sighed. "No, Henry, your grandfather didn't do anything wrong. I'm just…he just…said something that made me uncomfortable."

Henry gave Emma a hug. "Well, I'm sure he didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Mom. Can't you talk to him again? I'm sure he'd like that."

Emma sighed after Henry left. It was true. David hadn't meant to make her uncomfortable at all. He was just saying she was a lot like Snow. Like her mother.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Emma thought about that the next day. David always said she and Snow were impatient. Apparently, they also had similar facial expressions. Snow noticed Emma and David were both blunt. They tended to speak to the point. And didn't David say she fought like he did? Emma also knew she was stubborn, which probably came from both of her parents.

There was a time when Emma thought inheriting traits from her parents was the last thing she wanted. Why would she want to be like deadbeats who left their baby by the side of the road? Then after she found out who her parents were, she didn't see how she could be anything like those courageous people who fought off magical villains and saved their world. Who still believed everything would turn out okay. But now…her parents insisted she got a lot things from them. Emma decided that wasn't so bad. It was kind of nice, actually.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

"Officer Swan," Chief Winslow called to her when she was getting ready to leave that day. "We're going to be hosting a dance in the Hampden gym in a couple of weeks. As a fundraiser for the department."

He handed Emma a wad of tickets. "Sell as many as you can. And all officers are required to come. With an escort."

Emma stared at the tickets as she went home. She was expected to sell all of these? Emma didn't even know that many people! At least the ticket said it was open bar. She could use some alcohol if she had to go to something like this. Still…a dance. This was the kind of thing her parents would love to come to. Still, in order to ask them, she'd have to start talking to David again.

Emma sighed. Henry was right. David hadn't meant anything by his comment the other night. She arrived home to see Snow dishing out spaghetti. "I hope you're eating with us tonight, Emma," her mother commented. She sounded a little angry.

"Yeah, I will," Emma snapped back, a little defensive. But she still sat down.

"Thank you," Snow replied smiling.

"I'm glad you're here today, Mom," Henry commented.

David just smiled.

"The Hampden Police Department is hosting a dance in a couple of weeks. Sort of a fundraiser, I guess. I'm supposed to sell as many tickets as possible. Would you two be interested in coming?"

"Of course, Emma," David said brightly. He was obviously overjoyed that Emma was talking to him again. "Anything to help you."

"Our wedding anniversary is coming up, too. When we got married in this world, I mean. I think this would be the perfect even to celebrate it," Snow added happily, giving David goo – eyes. Ugh. Oh well, at least she'd sold two tickets.

"I agree," David smiled at her with goo – goo eyes as well.

"Speaking of fundraisers, I helped Grandma sell pumpkins around the neighborhood today!" Henry told the others excitedly.

Emma smiled at her son. "That's great, Henry. How many did you sell?"

Henry shrugged. "Only two. But that's okay. I'm just starting." They talked about Henry's pumpkins for the rest of the dinner. It was pleasant, except David didn't talk to Emma that much. Emma wondered if he might be a little mad at her for how she treated him yesterday.

OOOOOOOOO

After Henry had gone to bed, Emma decided she needed to talk to David. She certainly didn't want her father angry at her, even if she might deserve it. She went to him with a peace offering, a glass of wine. She'd probably need some alcohol herself for this conversation, anyway. "Hi, David, I got you a glass of this," she told him as she handed him the wine.

David looked overjoyed that she was talking to him again. "Thank you, Emma."

"Are you mad at me?" Emma asked in a small voice. "I mean, because of the way I acted yesterday. I shouldn't have avoided you like that."

David shook his head. "No, Emma I'm not mad. Well…maybe I'm a little angry at myself for what I said. I should have known me reading you like that would make you uncomfortable. It's just…Snow and I were talking about ways you were like both of us, so I thought I'd mention your facial expressions. But obviously, I should never have said anything…" He took a gulp of the wine.

Emma took a drink of her own wine. "It's okay, David. It did make me uncomfortable, I'll admit that. But I also know you didn't mean anything bad. And you'd never use it against me."

"Of course not!" David replied, horrified at the thought.

"I know that, David…I trust you. I just had to remind myself that. I guess if I have to be an open book to someone, it should be my father." David's eyes lit up at that. He leaned over and gave her a hug. "And…I'm glad I'm like both my parents," Emma whispered in his ear.

David smiled at her. "We're glad, too."

"Is there room for another in this party?" Snow asked, coming out holding her own glass of wine. "I'm glad you two made up."

Emma shrugged. "Sure. Why not. I was…just telling David that I'm glad I'm like both of you."

Snow smiled. "Me too," she replied as she sat down next them and took a drink of wine.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Emma asked Ruby if she wanted to come to the dance as well. Ruby bought two tickets, one for her and one for her boyfriend. Ruby also encouraged Emma to ask Abigail and Fredrick. They both agreed to come right away. "Maybe we could go shopping this weekend," Snow commented to Emma that night. "I'm sure the other girls would come, too."

Emma paused for a minute. She still wasn't much for dressing up. She already had the skirt and blouse she'd worn to her parents' wedding. Wasn't that enough?

"We don't have to if you don't want to," Snow said quickly. "I forget sometimes that buying dresses isn't enjoyable for you like it is for me. I just thought, since this is your first real dance…and I wanted to get something for myself because of our anniversary anyway…but never mind."

But Emma could hear the longing in Snow's voice. Would it really be a problem for Emma to go shopping for dresses with her? It was obviously something important to her mother. And maybe it would be a good idea for Ruby and Abigail to come as well. It would mean Snow wouldn't focus all her attention on Emma. "No, I think it's a good idea," Emma commented. "With Ruby and Abigail, too."

Snow smiled. "Are you sure, Emma? I don't want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable just to make me happy…"

Emma chuckled. "It's fine, Snow. I'm sure I'll have fun." Or she'd try to, anyway. It was a good thing it was her father that could read her expressions, and not her mother.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

That weekend, Snow, Emma, Ruby, and Abigail all went to the mall to buy dresses and accessories for the dance. "So how is this dance different than a ball at the Enchanted Forest?" Abigail asked Emma as they went into the mall.

Emma shrugged. "I would assume it will be less formal. People will wear dresses and suits instead of gowns and tuxedos."

"What's a tuxedo?" Ruby asked.

"A fancy suit that make men look like penguins," Emma replied. "Well, they can look nice on some men, I guess. They didn't have those in the Enchanted Forest?"

The other three women shook their heads.

Emma shrugged. "It doesn't matter. They won't need one for this. Just make sure your dates have a suit. Like the one David wore to your wedding," she added, looking at Snow.

"Okay. So the gowns in the shop I work at are not what we want?" Abigail asked.

Emma shook her head firmly. Thank goodness for that! "No. Just regular dresses."

"Okay. Let's try this store first," Ruby suggested, pointing to a store that sold mostly women's clothing. It looked as good as any of the others.

"Okay," Emma agreed. Let's get this over with, she added to herself.

Abigail held up a bright blue floral print. "What do you think?" she asked the others.

Ruby shrugged. "It's nice."

"Or how about this one?" She held up the same pattern, only in light purple.

"Maybe. Personally, I'm looking for something red."

"As usual," Snow laughed with her friend. Then she pulled a cream – colored dress with a yellow ribbon off the rack. "What do you think of this, Emma?" she asked as she held it in front of her daughter.

I think it makes me look like a ten – year old. Really, who wears ribbons around their waists? Emma thought to herself. "No," she told her mother firmly.

"Well, okay," Snow replied, putting it back.

"Oh!" Abigail exclaimed in delight. "What about this one?" She held up a deep blue dress that was covered in sparkles. It went down to the ankle but was cut in the back, about half way up the leg.

"I think it would look really nice on you," Ruby told her.

Abigail nodded. "I love it." She twirled around, holding onto the dress.

Emma nodded. It wasn't the sort of thing she would buy, but Abigail obviously thought it was great. "I think that's your dress."

"I don't think anyone else is going to find dresses in this store. Why don't you just pay for that, and then we can try another one," Snow suggested.

They all nodded. After leaving the store, Abigail approached Emma. "I've been meaning to thank you."

"For what?"

"For letting me know that there were other ways to become a mother in this world. I know I talked to Snow, but she got the information from you. Fredrick and I still aren't sure what we're going to do, but…at least we know we can do some things."

"Sure," Emma nodded, feeling uncomfortable. She quickly went into the next clothing store and grabbed the first dress she could find. It was a red dress that was covered in a rose pattern. The dress went just past the knee. It wasn't half – bad, she admitted to herself, but there was someone else it might look better on.

Ruby's eyes lit up as she saw the dress. "I love it! Unless…you wanted it, Emma," she added quickly.

Emma shook her head. "I think it would look better on you."

Ruby nodded. "I do like red! And look, the roses even have texture! Justin will like that."

"I think that's your dress then," Snow told her.

Ruby nodded and picked it up.

"But there are some other dresses like that in a different color if you'd like, Emma," Snow commented as she looked through the rack.

Emma shrugged. "Maybe."

"Or there's this," Snow held up a red dress that had no print on it. It had a V – neckline and went to the knee.

It was nice, it was simple, and…Emma liked red, too. Emma picked up the dress and held it up to herself. "I like this one."

"Great!" Snow almost clapped her hands in delight. "I think it would look perfect on you, Emma."

"Now we just need a dress for you, Snow," Emma told her mother. She held up a velvet dress in a deep forest green. It went to the ankle. "What do you think of this one?"

Snow shrugged. "Maybe." They all looked around a little more.

"Or how about this one?" Emma held up a sage green dress that went off the shoulders and lace below the waist. It went down past the knee.

Snow examined the dress. "I like it. I always love wearing green; it reminds me of the forest. And with this lace below the waist, it might make me look a little taller."

Emma smiled. "I'm glad you like it, but you do realize nothing is going to make you look as tall as David, right?"

Snow shrugged. "I can always try," she replied as she laughed. "Of course, you don't have to worry about that, since you're already as tall as he is."

Emma laughed, too. "I guess I am." It was nice to joke around with her mom. This shopping trip had been okay after all. The women spent a little while longer at the mall. Some of them wanted to get accessories.

As they went home, Emma brought up something else. "So, another thing that will be different about this dance is they'll probably have some…faster dances than you're used to. I can teach them to you. If you want." Emma had been thinking about teaching her parents fast dances since their night at the club. It would be nice, to teach her parents some dances instead of the other way around. And maybe the other women would like to learn, too?

Snow nodded eagerly. "I'd love that, Emma! I bet David would, too."

Ruby shrugged. "Sounds like a good idea."

"I'll think about it," Abigail replied.

OOOOOOOOOO

Emma held her "dance session" in their living room the next Saturday. Abigail had to work, but Ruby came. Snow and David were also there, of course. Even Henry wanted to learn. "I know I won't be going to your dance, Mom," he explained. "But I'd like to know more dance moves for my next school dance. The Halloween Dance is coming up."

Emma nodded. "Okay, Henry." She turned and looked at the others. "I should really have music for this. Fast – dancing music. But we don't have any available, and we certainly can't afford to buy any new music. Especially after we all bought tickets and dresses. So just…pretend there's fast music in the background, okay?" It was the only negative part of this plan. She hoped it didn't bother any of them. After all, when her parents taught ballroom dancing, they made sure to get some music for it.

But Snow smiled and shook her head. "It's fine, Emma."

"Don't worry about it," Ruby added.

"Okay, so the first thing I'll show you is a turn." Emma demonstrated. "I know you're used to doing turns in dancing, but in fast – dancing, you turn by yourself, instead of with a partner.

Ruby and Henry were able to master the turn quickly but Snow and David had more trouble. They were so used to turning and twirling together, trying to turn individually made them lose their balance a little. But they laughed as they practiced, so Emma knew it wasn't a big deal. Within a few tries, they were fine. Emma supposed it made sense. They were used to dances, after all. And David was used to turns and twirls with sword – fighting.

"The next move is sort of a variation of a belly – dance. Only you let your whole body wiggle." Emma demonstrated. First she wiggled her tummy. Then her shoulders. Then her arms. Then her legs. Then her entire body.

David's eyes widened as Emma danced. "Is that…how everyone dances here, Emma?"

Emma shrugged. "Not for all the dances, of course, but it's a popular move for a fast dance. Of course, fast – dances are less…structured than the stuff you're used to. People do different moves at different times. Or in different ways. Like this." Emma wiggled her entire body all at once rather than one body part at a time.

David shook his head. "I suppose it's good that I'll be there too if you'll be dancing like that." Emma sighed. Just what she needed. An overprotective father at a dance that was a fundraiser for her job. "Where did you learn to dance like this anyway? Who taught you?" His voice sounded like he might threaten whoever dared teach Emma this kind of dancing.

She shrugged. "No one taught me, David. It's just something I picked up when I was younger. I used to spend a lot of time in clubs as a bail bonds person. There good places for criminals to hide."

David nodded, not sure what to do with this information. Snow rubbed his shoulder for a minute. "Why don't we try the move now, Charming? Wasn't Emma nice to try to teach us these dance moves?"

David sighed and finally nodded. So they tried them. Henry did pretty well but the others had to practice for a while. "This is quite different than the kind of dancing I'm used to," Ruby commented as she tried for the fourth time.

David tried practicing himself but spent more time looking at Snow. "It's…distracting, too," he muttered. Emma decided to pretend she didn't hear that.

Eventually, everyone was satisfied with it. "Okay, the last thing I'm going to teach you is a little kick. It's kind of like the leap you taught us before," she told Snow. "So you should catch on pretty quickly, actually. The difference is you don't really leap." Emma demonstrated a kick. "See you leave your other foot on the ground while you do this one. Or you can do it from the side." Emma gave a side kick. "Or in the back." She demonstrated.

Emma was right; Snow mastered the kicks very quickly. David also mastered them easily. Probably from all the footwork he did when he was sword – fighting, Emma figured.

Ruby and Henry had to practice them for a while. But eventually, they could all do them. "Now, with fast – dancing, like I said before, there's a lot of improvising. So you might start out with something like this." Emma began wiggling her arms and upper body. Then she did a turn. "And then you end up with something like this." She wiggled her legs and then did a small side kick. "Why don't you guys try improvising?"

They all nodded, although David still looked uncomfortable with watching Emma wiggle. But fortunately, he practiced dancing anyway. And he seemed to enjoy dancing with Snow. (That certainly wasn't surprising.) Ruby and Henry had fun as well. Over all, Emma decided her lessons were a success. It was a nice way to spend time with her family and her best friend.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Emma was quite pleased with herself for preparing for this fundraiser dance thing so well. That is, until one of her co – workers asked who she was going to the dance with. Shoot. She had forgotten about that part. Chief Winslow said they all had to have escorts. Emma thought about her options. Most of men she knew already had dates, obviously. And she wasn't about to go with another officer. Emma was really trying to keep her relationship with them causal. No friendships.

There was only one other option. Emma would have to ask Killian. He still came by their house every few days to hang out with her, as the saying went. She had to admit, she was quite impressed he was still in Bangor. Killian had insisted he was staying from the beginning, but Emma thought he was full of it. But in the last month, the former pirate had found a job at a boat shop and had started renting a small one – bedroom apartment. Furthermore, he was always civil and friendly with the rest of her family as well. Emma was particularly impressed with the attention Killian tried to pay to Henry. And he was fun to talk to. Emma loved the way he made her laugh.

Still, Emma would have to make it clear that they were still attending this dance as friends. Killian still "made eyes" with Emma and had tried to kiss her once or twice. He clearly still thought they would start dating soon. Emma would have to make it clear that wasn't happening.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

"Hi Henry!" Killian called when he showed up the next day and Henry was coming from Teddy's house. "How is it going, mate? Anything exciting happening?"

Henry shrugged. "Grandma was helping me sell pumpkins yesterday. We did it a couple of weeks ago, too."

Killian nodded. "I think I heard about that. Maybe I'll buy a small one."

Henry nodded happily. "Thanks!" Then he ran inside the house.

Emma came outside the house herself, after watching the exchange from the window. "Hi Killian. Thank you for the sale."

Killian shrugged. "I don't really know what a pumpkins is for, but I'd like to help your lad out. He's my mate."

Emma smiled and nodded. She was glad Killian liked Henry. "Well, speaking of fundraisers…I was roped into this dance fundraiser thing for the police department. Where I work, I mean. We have to sell tickets. And we have to come. With an escort. So I thought…"

Killian's eyes lit up. "You thought…" he prompted her.

Emma looked at the floor for a second. He wasn't going to make this easy, was he? But she took a deep breath and finally said, "I thought I'd ask you to go with me."

"Of course, Swan. It sounds like a bloody wonderful idea."

Emma sighed. "You need to buy the ticket," she cautioned him. "And do you a have a suit? I mean the leather looks good on you but…"

Killian smugly. Obviously he loved the fact that Emma had just admitted she liked him in leather.

"You have to wear a suit to this dance," she finished quickly.

Killian nodded. "I can get a suit, Swan. No problem."

Emma nodded. "Good. But you understand that this isn't a date, right? We'd just be going as friends."

Killian's eyes flashed disappointment for a second. Then he smiled. "Of course."

"I'll get you the ticket, then."

OOOOOOOOOOOO

That weekend the whole group of them rode the bus to Hampden, and then walked the distance to the high school where the dance would be held. Her parents hummed and singing some kind of cheesy love songs to each other that Emma couldn't identify. Ordinarily that kind of behavior annoyed her. She was glad that they were happily married but did they have to make it so obvious to everyone else?

But tonight…Killian was making her laugh so much she hardly noticed. "I don't think I'll ever get used to riding instead of steering," he told Emma as they rode the bus. "And what's with the colors on this bloody bus? It's like I'm in a big dessert!"

Orange and white made him think of a dessert? Pirates must eat strange things in the Enchanted Forest. But…sheesh that was funny. Emma laughed.

After they got off the bus, white flies swarmed around them, especially as they walked near the river. "Goodbye bugs!" Killian told them. "You're not invited. This is my night with Emma." She laughed again.

OOOOOOOOOOO

They finally arrived at the high school, and they all ducked into rest rooms to change. (They had all decided it would be best not to walk for twenty minutes outside in formal wear.) When Emma finally came out, Killian stared at her dress for several minutes. "That dress suits you, Swan," he told her.

Emma nodded mutely as she stared at Killian. She admitted to herself that Killian was very attractive and even sexy in his pirate garb. So she never expected him to look so attractive in the black suit he'd chosen for himself. But seriously…the suit had to be made for Killian, because it made him look…wonderful. "I…think you look pretty good yourself," she finally told him.

Killian gave her another one of his smug grins.

David smiled at her when he came out. (He was dressed in the suit he'd worn to his wedding.) "You look beautiful, Emma," he told her fondly. Then he turned to Snow and stared at her for several minutes. When he finally spoke, he said, "You're both beautiful." His voice was full of love. Snow smiled at Emma as well.

They all handed their tickets to the doorman (who turned out to be Chief Winslow. Why did he get to come without an escort?) He smiled at her as she entered, though. "Hello, Officer Swan. Good to see you. It's nice that you've brought several friends," he added, as he looked at the group that was with her.

Emma nodded, moving along quickly. "Sounds like you get along well with your boss," Killian commented. "I knew you were good at your job."

Emma shrugged. "Let's dance," she replied instead. Dancing with Killian was nice, even if it did make Emma very aware of his presence. They waltzed to several slow dances before taking a trip to the open bar. "Where did you learn to waltz?" Emma asked. It didn't seem like something a pirate would know how to do. She was learning Killian had a lot of hidden talents besides piracy. Guitar playing and dancing, for example.

Killian shrugged. "I was a Navy officer before I was a pirate. It was a long time ago." He took a big gulp of his rum. Obviously he didn't want to talk anymore about it. Emma could understand that. "How about you? Where did you learn to dance?"

Emma shrugged. "My father taught me the waltz last year," she commented as she smiled at her father, dancing with her mother. "I learned fast – dancing by spending time at a lot of clubs as a bail bonds person."

Killian nodded. "I picked up a lot of fast – dancing when I was working at the club, too. Fancy another go?"

Emma nodded and they walked back to the dance floor. As Emma began dancing, she noticed her father still didn't look happy with a lot of her moves. But fortunately, her mother was also dancing and that distracted him a little. It was still very enjoyable to dance with Killian.

OOOOOOOOOO

Later that night, Emma stopped to use the restroom. "So what's happening between you and what's his name? Killian?" Ruby asked as she came out.

Emma shrugged. "He's just a friend. He's fun to be around, though. I'm glad he came with me, if I had to have an escort tonight."

Ruby chuckled. "Just a friend? That's not what I see when you look at him and when he looks at you."

Emma shrugged. "Well, he'd like it to be more; I agree with that. And…I'm attracted to him. But a relationship wouldn't work between us."

Ruby looked at Emma, confused. "Why not?"

Emma considered that for a minute. She'd been so busy thinking about how "a relationship between them wouldn't work," she hadn't thought about what her reasons were for a while. Obviously, her concern for what the social worker would think no longer applied, since Emma now had "permanent custody" of Henry. And Killian had certainly proved he wasn't a criminal anymore. But the other reason was still true. Neal was her chance at romantic love, and he was dead. "I don't see any point in starting something with him that won't go anywhere," she told Ruby. "Neal was the love of my life."

Ruby sighed. "I'm not denying that you loved Neal, Emma. And it's too bad that he died. But…does that really mean you'll never have another chance at love? I thought that once, myself. Peter was dead, so my chance was gone. But now I have Justin. I talked you about this before, remember. About opening yourself up to the possibility of finding someone new. Killian could be that someone for you."

Emma sighed. "I'm glad you have Justin, Ruby. But we're two very different people. Just because you have a chance doesn't mean I can."

Ruby smiled at Emma. "We are different, Emma. But we're similar, too. I know how hard it is to open up to someone new, especially after someone you loved died. But it's worth it, too. Believe me." Ruby took Emma's hand and led her back to the gym. "Look at your parents." Snow and David were staring into each other's eyes, completely oblivious to anyone else. "Look at Abigail and Fredrick." Emma didn't know them as well, but they seemed to be doing the same thing. "Don't you want to have a chance at that someday?"

Emma shrugged.

"You do. I know you do. We talked about it before, remember? Just think about it. Just try one date at a time. That's how I started with Justin."

Emma sighed and picked up another drink from the bar. Killian there waiting for her. "Hi Swan," he greeted her. "Shall we dance?"

Sorry this chapter was so long. I really wanted to include Snow and David's involvement with the PTO and some development of Emma and Killian's relationship (particularly the dress).

The dress I had Emma wear was supposed to be modeled after the red dress she wore in the season 3 finale, only less of a ball gown and more of a regular dress.

I understand many of you are too busy for reviews this time of year, so I'll forgive you for staying quiet. However, I will also tell you that Wednesday is my birthday, and I consider reviews to be a wonderful birthday present. And you don't even have to pay for it!

Here's a response from my last chapter.

Misscam: Yeah, Snowing is fun to write romantically AND as parents. (Or both, like in the last scene.)

You know, I realize it's virtually impossible for any Snowing/Charming Family fan to dislike your stories. But I think the reason why we like each other's stories so much is because we both see Snowing the same, even though the plots are different. (I mean they're relationship with each other, with Emma, and their personalities.) I certainly model a lot of my characters on yours.