A/N: Last bit of tying up loose ends before finishing everything off in a more fun sense :). I will try to get another update done tomorrow as it's my birthday next week and I have a couple of people coming up to stay, food to eat, and wine to drink, but if I don't manage, I'll be back as soon as I can with the next chapter. I hope this one reads alright :)
"So, how did it go?"
David asks, smirking when he catches Emma's attention lingering on the box of pastries bought earlier at Granny's and nudging it across the table in her direction as he reclaims his seat behind his desk.
Well. Technically, her desk.
"Living up to the stereotype?"
She grins, selecting an eclair, and David frowns at her amiably, missing her meaning as he so often does. There had been a time when her need to explain herself with an ill-concealed sigh had hurt his heart a little, but nowadays he simply offers her a shrug; sometimes apologising sarcastically for his royal standing only to be reminded that he's not his wife and that he has no business claiming such things.
"Cops like doughnuts. Pastries."
"Doesn't everyone?"
"Every normal person, yeah. But it's just this thing."
"Well, then."
David splays his palms, before returning to the matter at hand.
"Did you and Regina manage to sort out everything with Hyde?"
"We did. We sent him home. He wasn't especially thrilled about it, but it's done."
Emma massages her throat before offering her father a smile.
"Wow. That simple?"
He marvels.
"Yes and no."
"Oh..."
David frowns, concerned that there might be adverse news to come, but the blonde simply shrugs and informs him lightly
"I went a bit off-script - well, Regina's script - but it all worked out fine in the end. Honestly, she should be thanking me rather than scolding me."
"She's much better at the latter, it must be said."
Charming chuckles, raising a brow when Emma nods agreeably instead of expressing her displeasure further.
Because it's not displeasure... I'm not sure just exactly what it is, but she winds that woman up as though it's a sport; as though she's eagerly anticipating the inevitable fallout.
Having gotten to know the blonde well over the last couple of years, he's fully aware that Emma has a tendency to behave similarly around anyone she actually likes spending time with, something she'd been tentative about exploring with him initially, but that he'd picked up on long before the breaking of the Curse when observing interactions between the Sheriff and her housemate.
Mother and daughter.
Still, the way she teases and pokes at Regina is something else entirely. The intensity of her teasing is something else entirely. Similarly, he's picked up on the fact that the way Queen invariably responds is of a subtly different nature to how she treats anybody else who crosses her.
"Was Regina's lack of gratitude perhaps due to the fact that you somehow put her in a perilous position?"
He muses silkily, shaking himself from his thoughts, and the blonde rolls her eyes as she replies dismissively
"I think it was more to do with putting myself in a perilous position than it was doing the same to Her Majesty, which seems pretty unfair when you think about it. As I said, it all worked out fine, and if she'd had a little more faith in me, she would have known I'd probably get us out in one piece."
"Probably..."
Charming hones in on the part that he imagines the Mayor had taken issue with, offering Emma a pointed look that she ignores in favour of helping herself to a croissant.
"What did you do?"
He sighs when it becomes apparent that the blonde considers the matter suitably explained to the point of becoming dull.
"Hm?"
"What did you do that Regina didn't approve of?"
"How long have you got?!"
"Today."
"Again, I-"
"-What did you do that led to you two bickering in the snow?"
"We weren't. Not really. I just... We clashed heads this morning when discussing the caveat attached to the plan. The whole magical drain thing that would happen if the portal we opened wasn't sealed correctly. Regina insisted she should be the one to pay the price because of what happened with the dagger and a whole bunch of other reasons I didn't agree with, and I told her how I felt. Naturally, being Regina, she ignored me... Well, no, that's not fair. She's usually pretty good at listening to me, just not when she's made up her mind about something and thinks she's doing the right thing... It wasn't the right thing, though. It just wasn't. Regina is her magic, it's been part of her for years, and she shouldn't have to sacrifice part of that in a bid to keep me from offering to step in when it's a good day if I remember I can simply wave my hand and dry my clothes rather than leaving them out on the line for the best part of a week hoping for it to stop raining."
"Emma, you didn't..."
Charming frowns, knowing that the blonde's decisions are her own to make, but troubled by the thought that she's entered into a magical contract she might not fully understand.
And even more troubled by the thought of having to share the fact with Snow...
"I didn't. I remembered what Regina told me about when she went through-... When she looked up what Malificent told her about using portals to cross realms, and how using a candle can pull you back to where you came from. Honestly, I probably should have asked more questions, as when Regina mentioned it before, she spoke about this 'Gift of Sevens' thing, and I could only get one drop of blood to fall from the knife, so maybe I did it wrong, I don't know, but I figured if the thing keeping the caster's magic in limbo was the fact that they never used the portal themselves, maybe we should just use it... Regina cast a spell on the mirror to bring up Hyde's study, and, when he moved in front of the glass, I just made sure that we all went through, rather than just him."
"You pushed Regina through a mirror?!"
David asks, supposing he's hardly surprised that the Mayor had seemed slightly perturbed if this is the case, and Emma shakes her head, dusting her fingers off on her jeans.
"No, I only pushed Hyde. Regina grabbed my wrist to try to stop me from following him. I knew she would, that she'd try to help me, so I just gave her a tug."
"Emma..."
"Yeah, yeah, I know, it could have all gone wrong. I've just listened to that schpiel on repeat on the drive over here. It didn't go wrong. We went through, ditched Hyde, and made our way back to Storybrooke in less than five minutes. No harm done, and Regina gets to keep full control over her magic. I broke the seal she made around the mirror just in case as soon as we came back through, but, I guess as soon as she was back on this side of the glass, the portal will have stopped existing either way. Honestly, I don't know why she's so pissed off at me!"
"She probably just didn't fancy the possibility of being stuck in another realm with you."
Charming smirks, amused by the thought now that he's certain neither of the others will come to any further harm.
"Oh, I don't know about that..."
The blonde chuckles, before catching herself and adopting a neutral expression in the face of David's open confusion.
"Anyway. It all went smoothly. Everything's back to normal and fine now, save for a bunch of uprooted randoms we have to figure out what to do with, but Jekyll will take some of them when he fixes his ship, and we have more than enough houses standing empty since things changed after the Curse first broke, and-... What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Emma frowns, noting the way her father stares at her as though trying to figure her out.
"... Killian seemed understandably upset that you ended your relationship with him. You, on the other hand, seem at peace with it."
"Well, yeah, it was my decision. Why change the subject?"
"... Is that what I'm doing?"
"We were talking about sending Hyde home. How is Hook-"
"-We were talking about you and Regina."
"What about us?"
"That's sort of what I'm asking you..."
David replies, clearing his throat; sure that what he's beginning to suspect is pure madness, and that disclosing his suspicions to the blonde will land him on the receiving end of a vibrant blend of outrage, amusement and disgust, and yet...
"You've been fond of her for a long time now... I won't insult Regina by suggesting the feeling was mutual until much more recently. That doesn't change the fact that it very clearly is."
"... You can insult her. I'm pretty sure there's less in it than you think. She started liking me long before she actually admitted to doing so."
"She does like you."
Charming nods, studying the blonde pensively.
"Well, you don't have to sound so perplexed over the fact. I'm alright."
Emma huffs waspishly, earning herself the grin she'd been fishing for in a bid to call an end to this unwelcome discussion, but David simply shrugs as he agrees neutrally.
"You're alright... So were a great many people Her Majesty chose to take issue with."
"She's not like that anymore."
"I know. She's changed, we all know that. I'm just beginning to wonder how much she might have changed."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"No?"
"No."
"Well. Alright... You mentioned dinner... Did you need us to have Henry tonight?"
"I... Uh... I think he might already have messaged mom about helping with Neal."
"Okay."
"Okay..."
Emma frowns, crossing her arms defensively as she stares Charming down, but he merely offers her a thin smile and averts his attention to the paperwork on the desk.
"I would tell you to be careful, but I suppose I don't really need to. You're much more cautious than either Snow or myself ever have been, at least with respect to the current context."
"Mm, and would you mind sharing what context that is?"
The blonde growls, and David shakes his head as he reasons simply
"You should be the one to say it before anyone else puts words into your mouth... But, for sake of avoiding any hard feelings, I wasn't suggesting that you should be careful on account of who Regina used to be. Not in the context of dinner, or... Otherwise. I was merely concerned that there's a fair bit at stake in, uh, exploring certain avenues of interest. That said, Hook told me you two sat down and discussed your decision. When he told me you'd ended things, I suggested - perhaps unhelpfully, in which case I apologise - that you can be a little cold when you feel stressed, and that he shouldn't necessarily take everything you said - or didn't say - to heart. He assured me that you'd very clearly and bluntly meant what you'd said and that there was no danger of miscommunication as you'd finally 'admitted it'... I didn't ask for an explanation on that last part. He was angry, and my loyalty lies elsewhere, so I let it be. I suppose I'm beginning to suspect that I have some idea of what he was referring to, but it's not for me to say. After all, I know you're not one for delicate discussions, and you wouldn't have chosen to sit and speak with Killian without having first given the matter a sufficient amount of thought."
"... I wouldn't, no."
Emma agrees quietly. Nibbling her bottom lip as David nods and opens the drawer of the desk to locate the keys to the gritter, she's unable to help herself from bursting out
"And?!"
"And?"
"Well, am I right in thinking you suspect what I think you do?!"
"Hm. I hope so, or this discussion would be even more awkward."
"And you don't have any thoughts on the matter?!"
"Oh, I have plenty, and your mother will have many more, no doubt, but that's not really something you need to concern yourself over at the end of the day... Now, Regina? She might want to spare just a little concern when it comes to approaching the matter with Snow, but... I'm sure she's fully aware of the fact and finds herself equally tickled and bemused."
"I don't-... I-... How did you know?"
The blonde asks, feeling a little as though she's just experienced a ride in an elevator travelling much too fast, and she narrows her eyes when David finally finds the key and speaks down to his hand in an impossibly mild tone.
"Know what?"
Silence, and Charming lets out a deep sigh before looking back up at Emma and adopting a smile as he drinks in her overtly guarded expression.
"You should be the one to say it."
He repeats gently, and the blonde swallows before replying in a purposefully flat tone.
"Me and Regina..."
Cheeks flushing red to match his daughter's as she submits and lays any further uncertainty to rest, David's smile widens in spite of the awkwardness between them.
"I didn't. Not really. Not before you explained what happened today."
"What, the fact that I didn't want her to sacrifice control of her magic is that unbelievable if I'm not getting something out of it?"
"I'd really rather not think about what you might be getting out of it, and no, that's not what I meant."
"I-"
"-And, I was similarly adverse to the idea of you and Hook, before you take that the wrong way."
"... Mm. Kind of like how I was when it came to you and mom and the bed in the living room..."
"Exactly like that."
Charming agrees grimly, offering the blonde a shrug as he addresses the rest.
"You two look out for each other, you have done for a long time now, and no, there's nothing about that fact that suggests anything other than that you care for one another. As you should, given everything you've been through. But you wind each other up, too, and you each enjoy doing so, that much is obvious. It's obvious to anyone else in the room because they're not in on it. Not part of it. They might be part of the conversation, and you might use them to make your point against the other, but they're not part of what you two share. Again, that could just be because you two have a history... It could be, but I don't think it is. Not all that it is, anyway... I don't know what's been going on with you these last couple of days, and I'm fairly sure I don't want to know. We've seen a great deal of Henry, and remarkably little of you and Regina, and that's unusual, but hardly proof of anything... The way you two were over dinner the other night, though, what with you wearing the Mayor's shirt and her sniping at you only to be met with grins and glances rather than a reminder to watch herself, that was puzzling. Not proof. Not even wholly suggestive, just puzzling... You breaking things off with Killian and spending as much time in the aftermath with Regina as you have done would be similarly innocuous, if not for the fact that you haven't seemed to be seeking her out for comfort, but rather out of enjoyment. Honestly, it's hard to answer your question, as it wasn't just one thing. Not just one thing you did, or one thing you said. I suppose, mostly, it's what you haven't said. What you haven't said today, here, now. You're hardly shy when it comes to catching people in their implications and telling them in no uncertain terms how wrong they are, but you've said nothing... And, maybe in a way, it just makes sense, too. Maybe... In a way that something grossly absurd and utterly insane can make sense."
"... Gross?"
"I would say so. In the same way that your trauma on account of our ill-located bed was gross. Nothing more."
"Gross, then."
Emma agrees, chuckling lightly as she feels an unexpected rush of relief and she offers David a thin smile.
"You need to talk to Henry."
He offers gently, and the blonde shakes her head and assures him gruffly
"We did. He knows."
"Ah. Well, then... In that case, I better go and get the roads done."
David holds up the keys pointedly as he pushes himself up from his seat.
"... Do you need any help?"
Emma asks awkwardly, and he shakes his head; closing the box of remaining baked good and handing it to the blonde.
"No. I don't need you sat next to me commenting on how I drive in the snow."
"You already know what I think about that."
"I do, but until I watch you navigate a carriage effortlessly through a blizzard, I'm not going to take it to heart... You should go."
"Oh... Okay."
"You have dinner to get ready for, after all."