NOTES:

Is it really negative inner thoughts if it's technically not your own thoughts? I don't know, but just in case, I guess a potential TW for poor mental health. Not that I think it's much of a surprise since suicide was already mentioned previously. Oh, and also nearly halfway through the season and 10 chapters in so if you're sticking around, thanks for reading what I write in my free time, in its best AND in its worst. Congrats on getting through this cringe, you masochists.

Emma and Sam sat in Sam's (previously both of their's) room at Granny's, an attempt was made to break the awkward silence.

"So..." Sam began

Oh god. "I'm just going to start."

"Probably for the best."

Deep breaths, Emma. Deep breaths. "When Neal and I were...together." Emma paused, trying to think about how she wanted to phrase what she wanted to say next after Sam's face immediately soured. "We weren't exactly in the most legal profession."

"Yeah, I noticed. I saw a reward posted while in the academy, wasn't that surprising. You do look like Sly Cooper in the face."

"I do not!"

"So do. Anyway, Neal and you were criminals, that went on for a while, now I want to know what happened next, because that's where I'm blind."

Emma's lips felt dry. "Neal ended up stealing a lot of watches." Come on, Emma. Out with it. The quicker it's said, the better. "And, I ended up taking the fall for it."

"The coward left you to rot?"

Emma rubbed her left shoulder. "Before you ask, he has no idea about Henry."

"Good. Even if he wants to, he's not coming back."

Emma attempted a smile. "You gonna shoot him?"

Sam smiled back. "Oh, definitely. I won't miss either, right in that empty space he claims to hold a heart. Now, what happened after Neal fucked you over?"

"Well, once I got out, I may have..." Emma paused again. "Spent two years in Tallahassee."

"You didn't come back for two years?! What the fuck!?" Sam's voice raised, his face shifting to one of shock.

"You have a right to be mad."

Sam took a long exhale. "No, no. I'm not mad, I just needed to take it all in. You came back after Tallahassee?"

Emma nodded. "Almost got arrested again, bounty hunter after I skipped bail."

"Not surprised. Not many thieves rack up those kinds of rewards nowadays. You must have been very proud."

"She ended up letting me go." Emma continued. "She got arrested for helping me look for my parents. Breaking and entering."

Sam looked surprised once more. "Seriously!? You have issues, sis."

Asshole. "Yeah, I know." Emma spoke begrudgingly

"I'm just kidding, Em. I'm just messing with you, so, anymore road trips before you came back?"

Emma shook her head. "No, I did get my jacket on the way though."

"The jacket has an origin story? Badass." Sam then leaned over and put his hand on her shoulder, patting it. Then, he pulled Emma onto his bed and used his other hand to ruffle her hair. Damn it, Sam. "I'm proud of you, sis. Took you forever to open up but it was worth the wait. That was funny."

"It was not funny, Sam. Now let go!" Emma pulled herself away from him, laughing. "You can be such a dick."

"Hey, I'm just saying I'm proud of you." He hugged Emma. "Seriously, I am. Must have been difficult. Now, how do you feel?"

"Better," Emma admitted, albeit reluctantly because she knew Sam would get smug about it.

"Told you so."

"Shut up."

"Fine. Just go have some fruit loops or something while it's still breakfast time."

"I think I'll have grilled cheese instead. Just to spite you."

"Fine! Just eat your god damn breakfast, Emma!"

"You coming with?"

"Nah, I'll stay here awhile."

Emma's brow raised and this time it was her turn to be smug. "And why would you do that? Is it, by chance, the waitress?"

"No!" Sam replied defensively. "I'm just busy is all."

Sam waved goodbye to Emma as she left the diner, and he started sniffing. I smell wolf again. He then turned around and Ruby was standing close behind him with a big smile. "Agh! What the hell, jezebel? Ever hear of personal space?"

Her smile widened. "Nope."

"Just the person I wanted to see anyway. You able to ditch shift?"

"Oh, and why would I do that, Sam? Do you want to sneak off and make out?"

Sam was deadpan as he spoke. "I have a kid now."

Ruby's flirty demeanour vanished. "You have a kid!?"

"Ava Zimmer. I'm adopting so she doesn't get stuck in the system. Well, her choice. We're spending the day together to see if there's a connection."

"Well, that's sweet and all but what does that have to do with me?"

"I pretty much live here, she's gonna be doing the same, she might as well get to know the only waitress I let talk to me." Also, you'll be there to make me look like less of a twat.

"Well, I'm touched. Give me a sec'." Ruby disappeared behind the counter and into the back.

Sam stood in the middle of the room in silence, waiting awkwardly for Ruby to get back. Why do I feel like such a jackass right now? Maybe because you are?

"Excuse me." Someone said as they were passing by Sam and the two tables he stood between.

"Oh, sorry." Sam tucked himself into one of the seats and he got up once they sat down on the opposite table. That's why. Why were you standing in the middle of the walkway, you stupid jackass. Exactly, idiot. This is why Jack is dead, you piece of absolute shit. Can you even do anything right?

Sam's inner thoughts were interrupted by Granny and Ruby having a screaming match. "Taking another shift off!? Is it that boy again?!"

"He's adopting, Granny!"

It's only been a minute and I regret everything. That has to be a new record. Why did you think this was a good idea, asshole?

Can you stop insulting me, Samishtara. We haven't even left the diner yet.

Should have just let the kid go into the system, she isn't separated by her brother anymore.

We are not doing that.

Sam's new inner argument was interrupted by Ruby storming out from the back. "Sorry about that, let's go."

"How'd it go with Granny?"

"She came around to it."

Bullshit.

Definitely bullshit.

As they were leaving, Mary Margaret came in, she was rushing. "Excuse me." They both let her by. "Thank you."

"No problem." Sam said.

"Bye, Mary Margaret." Ruby added.

"Bye."

As Ruby and Sam exited the diner, they saw David just up the street, it was about 7:15 AM and he always got coffee from the diner around this time. That's suspicious and potentially creepy. Whatever, I'm off duty, stalking is not my problem right now.

Ruby and Sam arrived at the station, Graham was holding Ava's hand at the front, waiting for Sam. When he saw the two walking over, he said something neither could hear and then pointed in their direction. Ava looked down at her feet and let go of Graham's hand, having held the one he hadn't injured, and walked over.

"Thanks for this, Graham." Sam knelt down in front of Ava. "Hey, kiddo. You doing okay?"

Ava slowly looked up, her eyes showing evident signs of sadness. "Yeah."

Ruby smiled at her. "Hi, Ava. I'm Ruby." You are adorable, missy.

"Hi, Ruby."

"You had breakfast yet?" Sam asked.

"No."

"What do you like? We can get anything you want."

"Pancakes." Ava spoke softly. "I haven't had them in a while."

"I will make you some. I know someone who's got all the ingredients for it and won't mind if we use it." Sam then whispered in a jokey tone. "As long as you don't tell them."

Ava smiled back, whispering back. "I won't."

"Atta girl. I knew you were smart. And I knew for a fact you were loyal. You've got admirable qualities, kid. Keep up the good work and you'll end up just fine. Come on, let's get you some pancakes."

Well, I am pleasantly surprised. I never expected you to be so good with kids.

Sam looked as if he read Ruby's mind and whispered into her ear as the three walked. "My constant humour can be good sometimes."

"Maybe you're just made to be a dad." She whispered back.

"I hope not. I hate kids." Sam spoke a little too loudly and noticed Ava was looking at him now. "Not you though. You're pretty cool." Sam then took Ruby and Ava to Mary Margaret's loft and made them both pancakes, they were sitting when he dropped two plates of pancakes in front of them. "Wait a minute." He ran into the kitchen and returned with chocolate syrup and maple syrup. "And wait some more." He ran back into the kitchen and returned with strawberry syrup and honey. "And a little more." Then he came back with golden syrup and corn syrup. "And one more time." He once more returned with grape syrup and cherry syrup. "Take your picks or mix and match."

"Wow, you sure have a lot of choices." Ruby said

"Pancakes are my third favourite food for breakfast. It's only beaten by toast and Weetabix. Any argument is acknowledging you are wrong, stupid, and one of the many problems in the world and should be exterminated."

"Well, aren't you opinionated."

Sam then looked around the room, rubbing his left hand's knuckles as he did so, then his eyes landed back on Ava. "You need help with that?"

"No thanks." Ava said, she had put chocolate syrup on both her pancakes.

You two are so cute together.

Sam glanced at Ruby and weakly frowned. "Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" Ruby feigned obliviousness.

"You know what, Ruby."

"Do I?"

"Yeah, you do."

So boring. You need some fun in your life that doesn't involve car crashes.

"You didn't want to make any pancakes for yourself?"

"Ate beforehand." Sam spoke as if he wasn't even bothering to hide a lie, Ava was too busy eating her pancakes to notice but Ruby did, although she chose to not acknowledge it. Ruby poured strawberry syrup over her two pancakes. "Good choice, that's my favourite of the selection."

"Then we have that in common."

Sam then noticed that Ava had gotten some chocolate syrup around her lips, so he ran into the kitchen once more and returned with some kitchen roll. "Couldn't be bothered getting toilet roll or finding a napkin. Doesn't matter, this works all the same. Again, nobody says a word."

Sam reached over and tried to clean the syrup before it dried, causing Ava to giggle and pull away. "I can do it myself, y'know."

"But can you do it better than me? I think not."

"He's got you there, Ava. You'll find nobody else as serious about cleaning as him."

"No need to thank me all at once." Sam put the piece of roll in Ava's hand.

"Nobody's rushing, darling."

"Already receiving a lack of appreciation. Can't wait for my number two dad mug for Father's Day."

Samishtara stood in his room, looking in his mirror. He was wearing a bright gold doublet with a dark blue tunic underneath that emphasised the thin ribbon around his neck, which was mostly hidden by the doublet. His leggings were varying shades of light to dark green, the further up the leggings, the darker the color went. Embroidered into the sides was a darker shade of gold in a circular structure that was patterned similar to the shape of an eight which continued to wrap around each other till the end of his leggings, which made four eights on each side. To finish his outfit off, a tulip and rose picture were embroidered into the front of the breast pocket. As he checked himself out, Virosha Solarn entered. Virosha was wearing black leggings with a pattern like Samishtara's, this time it wrapped all around, like sprouting leaves. This design also was on his doublet which was the same colour as his leggings, and his tunic underneath was a pale white. His breast pocket had a flower picture embroidered into it like Samishtara's, except his was just the rose. "Looking good, Virosha. Expect nothing less from the man of the day."

"Thank you, but I am not the man of the day." Virosha waved it off but smiled excitedly nevertheless. "Thank you for finding time to come. I know how busy you can get."

"You're a friend, of course I'm gonna show, and not just for the cake." Samishtara hugged Virosha. "How's Alleesa? He excited too?"

"More like freaking out."

"Makes sense." The hug ended. "I'm proud of you both. And smooth moves by the way, proposing on your thousandth anniversary. A special number for your relationship, a romantic day, and just enough time to get him to question whether or not you'll be cohabitating forever."

"Like I wasn't going to propose." Virosha said sarcastically. "The cake makes all the money worth it."

"As your king, I demand the first slice." Sam smirked.

"I'll let you debate that with Alleesa. I'm not getting involved."

"I think I'll pass, I don't want to get on his bad side right now."

"Pussy."

"Fuck you and your special day."

They both laughed. "I want your opinions on some things at the venue, we never decided some of the placements of things and I know you're good with designs."

"I'd be happy to help."

Sam, Ruby, and Ava were in the park, Ruby was sitting down on a bench as Sam and Ava were further away with a ball playing catch. Sam bent forward and shot his arm up, throwing the ball in Ava's direction, he was doing surprisingly well considering his throwing arm was still bandaged. It was all muscle memory. Ava on the other hand struggled, but her injuries didn't impact her throwing hand and so was able to keep up.

We are so lucky she likes catch, I have no fucking idea what kids actually like to do. We stayed inside too much.

We? Fuck you. Don't bring me into this. YOU wanted this. This is all on you. This should be beneath us. We have a curse to break, Rumplestiltskin needs a slit throat, and we were betrayed by Graham and Archie. We should have killed them for their insolence.

They didn't betray us.

Stop being foolish and listen to me or I'll take back control of the body.

Relax for two minutes. See that smile on Ava's face? Isn't that just a wonderful site?

It's a waste of time. We have better things to do.

Not right now we don't.

Ava had caught the ball and threw it back. Sam caught it and threw it back. Ava threw it back and Sam caught it. Sam threw it back and Ava caught it. Sam threw it back and Ava caught it. Ava threw it and Sam caught it, having it initially miss by grazing his finger, it bounced up and Sam fell back reaching his hand up and gripping the ball right as it landed in his hand and almost rolled off. He laughed as he got up, rubbing his clothes off. "Nice one, kid."

Sam threw the ball, intentionally throwing it too far for Ava to catch. "Hey! No fair!"

"Suck it up, bitch, why would I play fair?" Sam paused. "You didn't hear that language from me."

"Seriously, Sam?" Ruby asked, giving a mock-disappointed look. "Hasn't Emma told you enough times to mind your language."

"You didn't hear anything, Ruby!"

You really don't ever shut up, do you?

Hey! Shut up, we're the same person.

Are we? Are we really? Because, I'm really not seeing it beyond physical appearance.

Identical twins aren't exact in personality.

We aren't twins, moron.

I never said we were, I'm not that stupid. Who's the moron now?

Still you.

Damn. Walked right into that one. Damn you rhetorical questions.

Just shut up.

You talked first.

Shut up.

Fine.

Stop talking.

I am.

No, the fuck you aren't.

Yes, I am.

SHUT UP!

I am shutting up...dick.

Fuck you.

"No cheating this time." Ava said, throwing the ball back to Sam.

"Fine. Not like I need to cheat to win anyway."

"Kick his butt, Ava!" Ruby cheered.

"What the hell, Ruby?! Picking the kid over me?! This betrayal will not be forgotten!"

"Yeah, yeah! Play the game already!"

Samishtara had spent over an hour critiquing the venue in front of Virosha and Alleena. Alleena Strimzell was wearing a matching outfit to Virosha. "These napkin's colors and table colors don't even pop, their not even straight, how the fuck do you mess up a straight line of tables? Don't even get me started on the paint job. Absolutely ridiculous anyone thinks mint green works with the rest of the room." He paused and then added "But if you two like it then that's all that matters."

"We appreciate your honesty." Virosha said.

"Oh, oh no." Alleena muttered. "He's right this place looks awful, should we redecorate the whole thing? Maybe we should cancel?"

"Honey, relax." Virosha rolled his eyes. "He's just giving you a hard time. So, relax. The place looks fine. That being said the tables not being straight is a good note, can't believe we missed that."

"That's why I'm so great, almost as great as I am humble of course." Samishtara pointed to the curtains. "Maybe those should cover up the windows. Might get really sunny and I know I don't want to be blind during the vows."

"Right, right. Smart."

"Is it smart or common sense?"

"Calling me stupid?"

"Yeah."

"Can you two stop messing around for one second?" Alleena interrupted. "We have a wedding to prepare for."

"Honey, we can do both. We're professionals."

"Yeah." Samishtara agreed. "We're professional jackasses."

"We are not professional jackasses!"

"You ain't speaking for yourself on this one."

Sam, Ruby, and Ava throughout the day had gone around to introduce her properly to their friend's, Ashley, Archie, David and Mary Margaret briefly but they were having to rush because of some bird problem (Sam had zoned out and not remembered what the actual problem was, having gotten distracted by the animals at the shelter and wanting to spend time with each and every one of them individually), Regina, although Ruby felt a little uncomfortable during that conversation, and they skipped over Graham since they had already gotten to know each other that morning. Midway through the day they had gotten lunch at Granny's, while Granny was mad about seeing Ruby again after her shift-ditching, she let it go once she got introduced to Ava. And they had also had dinner there later in the day too, there really was a lack of places to eat in Storybrooke. Once they had finished eating, Sam was excited to show Ava where she'd be staying, even if it was just a small room in a bed and breakfast place. Sam held her hand and ran down the hall with her (Ruby walking behind them), pushing the door open with a big smile on his face. "And welcome to the most magical place on Earth." Sam and Ava then looked inside the room, it was very tidy, which was expected, and somehow, it felt smaller than before. The two then looked back at each other. "I may have exaggerated. It's still cool though, even if it doesn't exactly function like a TARDIS." Sam paused. "Have you seen Doctor Who?" Ava shook her head. "What?! Firstly, you are missing out, second of all, you are gonna need to learn some of my references if you're gonna survive with me." Sam sat down on his bed and then pointed to the bed that Emma used to sleep in. "That would be your bed if you wanted to stay here. I know it's not much, if there was space I would have let you stay in Mary Margaret's loft." Ruby now stood in the doorway.

"It's perfect." Ava said, running her hand along the covers.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Really? You sound pathetic.

Why are you so negative all the time?

What reason do I have to be positive? I share a body with a pussy.

You share a body with someone who is a pussy.

I just said that.

No, you said 'I share a body with a pussy', that would mean you share a body that has a vagina with someone.

Kill yourself.

Sam looked at Ruby, and then back to Ava. "So, if you wanted to stay in Storybrooke, would you..." Don't even bother asking. The day went well. We are not this person, we are a king, not some weak little bitch. You aren't this person. Neither are you. Yes, I am. You will crash and burn, you will bring this child down with you, you will bring your 'friends' down with you too. Stop while you are ahead. "Want to stay?"

Ava nodded. "I'd love to. This is the most fun I've had in a long time."

"Well, I'm glad. But not every day will be this fun, for example, school. Mayor Mills already told me you'll be starting next week."

Ava looked nervous. "Really? I haven't been to school in a while, and it's so late in the year. What if I'm behind everyone else? Or can't make any friends?"

Sam waved it off. "Relax. I'm sure you'll be popular and smart enough to catch up. And, I asked Mayor Mills to put you in Henry's class so you know someone. She agreed, so if you need someone or something, you can go to him, it's not like he's still mad at you. Seriously, that kid is too friendly for his own good. As long as you don't go back to thieving, Mayor Mills would be furious if you got her kid into more trouble and would definitely take you out of his class." He laughed. "Not that you have any reason to steal anymore. I'm sure you noticed but Mayor Mills is an interesting woman to say the least. Very caring when she wants to be, and very protective."

"That's one way to put it." Ruby mumbled.

"She's better than she gets credit for." Sam said. "Just don't get on her bad side, alright kid?"

"Yeah. Got it."

Regina peered into Emma's empty police car in an attempt to look for her. This is a new low.

"If you're looking to blame me for the storm, I think you're taking things a bit far now." Emma said, appearing from behind the back of the car as she filled the trunk up. I'm regretting this already.

"I need you to look into something, deputy." Regina explained. "Someone's in town. Someone new."

"Yeah. I know. I have him directions to Granny's the other night."

"You talked to him? What did he say?"

"He asked for directions. What's the big deal? Who is he?"

"I've asked around, but no one seems to know anything."

"And why do you want me to look into him?" Emma asked. "Last time you had me looking at information, it was Dr. Hopper's files, and you used that as an excuse to get me and my brother out of town."

Seriously? You're still not over that?

"Yes, well I'm sorry. If I knew it bothered you so much I'd have asked Sam if he weren't so busy." Regina felt sick but persevered. "And I'm sorry for trying to get you out of town."

Emma smirked at the apology but her focus was on Sam's mention. "He's busy with what? He's resting. He did just get injured."

That caught Regina's attention now. "He's with Miss Zimmer."

"Ava? What's he doing with Ava?"

"Adopting her. Did you not know?"

Emma frowned. "No."

Now that's something I can use.

"Never mind about that, I need you to look into this new guy. Not because I want you gone but because I need you to."

"As hard as it is for you to believe, there is no law against visiting Storybrooke."

"This isn't about the law, Miss Swan. You're gonna do this because I asked you to. And because you'll see it's the right thing to do."

"And why is that?" Emma closed the trunk.

"Because he was in front of my house. Taking a particular interest in the one thing we both care about. Henry."

Emma didn't feel great about this, but she gave in anyway. "I'll look into him."

The venue was filled and silent, Samishtara was seated near the front, just before the immediate family and the family you only ever have to invite because someone in your immediate family guilt-tripped you into sending an invite out despite them living way too far away for it to be convenient for anyone involved. The place had been adjusted to his ideas, plus a couple other changes but nothing of particularly significant note. Before and likely after the wedding he'd be swarmed with attention and questions from guests as he was practically a celebrity among them (although he'd have called himself a pseudo-celebrity at best). This whole thing is disgusting. Agreed, the colour scheme is a mess. I meant marriage. It makes us weak. Does it? I don't think it does. Just wait, Virosha won't make it to the end of the week. He'll die bleeding out in a corner all alone. Virosha and Alleesa stood up straight in their matching clothes up front, smiling and looking into each other's eyes. Their eyes were so telling, so loving. Part of Samishtara wanted to vomit and another part of him wanted to gush over everything. After a moment of silence the officiator spoke the usual wedding talk that occurred during every wedding. "Welcome all, before we begin. I would like to make some acknowledgements. My name is Johstrin, and I am grateful and honoured to be the one officiating this marriage. Next, I would like to thank people from the crowd. I would like to thank Mrs. Solarn for her amazing parentage and asking me to officiate. Long ago, I had the honour of uniting her and her beloved in matrimony and I have no doubt this marriage will be just as successful in their endeavours. I would also like to thank Mr. Solarn, not just for his great parentage, but also for helping his son figure out his sexuality when he was going through such a rough time in his life. As for our other groom, I'd like to thank Mrs. Strimzell and Mr. Strimzell for their excellent parentage and for paying for all this. Truly generous. I would also like to thank every business and their workers, as they put this place together for the day and they did so incredibly if I do say so myself. And I would like to thank our king, King Samishtara Astor for showing his support by taking time out of his busy schedule to attend and for his contributions to the wedding whether small or large. Of course, I cannot do thanks without thanking our grooms. Thank you both for uniting us all today for this momentous occasion. Finally, I would like to give one final thanks to everyone here and everyone unable to attend. Thank you for coming here on this special day, whether it be in person or in spirit." Everyone clapped, their claps were loud but short. "It is in my opinion that a marriage isn't just born on a wedding day, but from the day you both feel that special feeling of love. While it may not always work out before marriage or after marriage, I still believe this. Why? Because I have seen so many couples come and go over the years and those that last, there is nothing else quite like it in this world. As I mentioned before, I officiated Mr. and Mrs. Solarn's marriage and I have no doubt they raised a wonderful man. While I am less familiar with Mr. and Mrs. Strimzell, from what I have learnt about them recently, I trust my judgement and believe the very same. Furthermore, I trust our groom's judgments. Now, one think the groom's have told me before the wedding was that throughout their relationship, despite their struggles and differences, they always found themselves aligning with each other, in morals and in character. Isn't that special? For two people who are quite different, in their past, in their home life, and much more, I think what we all noticed most of all, is their difference in their personality. While one spends their time cleaning for a living, the other abides by the five second rule." A couple laughs echoed through the mostly quiet venue. "Despite all these differences, they found their perfect fit, they finished their puzzles by founding their piece. I don't need to stress this importance, we all know how important that is when marriages continue to grow and change as time goes on. A wedding is not a validation of what you have today. You're not just agreeing that you both love each other currently. You're agreeing that you will love each other forever, no matter what happens in life. you're agreeing to love the future person that your partner turns into and that in my opinion, is the most beautiful part of not just marriage, but also life, these special connections is what makes it all worth living. You're agreeing to hard work. You're committing to tackle the scary and unknown together. You're committing to sacrifice. You're agreeing to set aside the things you want individually and prioritizing building the life that the other person dreams of. Because that's what love is. Giving always and forever for each other just to see them smile. Anyone who's ever had a soulmate will tell you that when it comes to marriage, when asked how they knew it was right, they will say 'I just knew'. And our grooms both know. In fact, I would not have officiated if I did not know. You would not be here if you did not know, so before this marriage is seen by the eyes of the Hasjin people, let's give them one final round of applause for these two for recognising what piece they were missing." Another round of applause ensued, this time the officiator clapped too. "Now, if our two grooms are ready, I'd like to ask those special questions." Virosha nodded immediately and Alleena nodded too but after a deep breath. "Very well. Do you both choose to be each other's partners for life despite any struggles you may face?"

"We do." They both said.

"Do you choose to trust and respect each other, and support one another in good times and in bad times?"

"We do." They repeated.

"Do you love what you know about each other today, and trust what you do not yet know?"

"We do." They repeated once more.

"Now, for your vows."

Alleesa looked nervous but Virosha gave him a reassuring smile. With another deep breath he began his vows. "Well, let's get the obvious out of the way. When I first met you, Virosha, I thought you were a narcissistic prick. I remember when we first met. You had just returned from a mission and were very successful in whatever it was you were doing, I don't remember, anyway, to celebrate you took to the bar and got drunk. So, so drunk. I still can't fathom how you were able to stand by the end of the night. You also spent the whole night flirting with anyone who would listen, and you were the only one listening because you just talked about yourself the whole time and how great you were. And I guarantee I wasn't the only one annoyed by your little show. I can also guarantee I was the most pissed at you because you threw up and I had to clean it up. That being said, I'm glad that all happened because it meant I got to know you and fall in love with you, even if you can sometimes be a narcissist. And so, I vow to be with you always till the very end."

Virosha spoke next. "Well, vows aside, I am great and I deserve all the love, but so do you. You are truly incredible." He then recited his vows. "When I was younger, I can admit I wasn't the best. I was pretty rough back then but as time went on, I found myself improving because of my friends, my family, and of course, you. You have helped me so much in such a short amount of time. And this last thousand years have made me a much better man. I don't think anyone else could have done it, and that tells me just how amazing you are. All the vomiting and the headache that occurred in our first meeting was horrible, really bad. But, despite that, you made that moment so special. Which would be strange to think, but that's just what love is. Love makes everything special with that person even in the most ridiculous or gross moments. You make every second special for me, and I love you for that. Thank you for everything you've done and will do, and after everything in just this last thousand years has done to improve me, I cannot wait to see how I improve in the future by just being around you. And so, I vow to be with you always till the very end."

Johstrin spoke up. "Wonderful, now without further ado, may our best men bring the rings to the front." Samishtara stood up and walked to Virosha's side. Alleesa's best man did the same with him (his name was Eshearell and was responsible for convincing Alleesa to ask Virosha out in the first place). They both reached into their right pocket and held the ring out in their palm for the respective groom to take. They took it and then the grooms exchanged rings, slipping it onto their ring fingers. As is the tradition of the Hasjin culture, both the best men had bowed to each other and then Johstrin spoke again. "Now, by the power vested in me, and by the strength of the love within this room, I now pronounce you..." He did a dramatic pause. "Married. You may seal the matrimony with a kiss." They kissed and one final round of applause was done.

Despite David's better judgement, he followed Mary Margaret after her insistence that she would be fine. And it wasn't that he didn't trust her to deliver the bird safely to its flock during the coming storm, he just had to go, he needed to know she was safe. He knew every part of this was wrong and yet, he followed anyway. The surrounding region was coming back to him now and he could make his way around it much easier than he could about a month ago. He had caught up to Mary Margaret just as the storm had begun to worsen. Mary Margaret peered over a small edge, alerted by the calls of the flock. She dropped the cage that held the bird nearby and peered below in search for the noisy set of birds. The loud rumbling of the storm and what sounded like a blast of nearby thunder caused her to loose her balance and fall forward, clutching one of the roots still embedded into the side. Her weight was pulling the root out. Come on, David. Save her. Save her. David ran to her side, laid down on the ground and looking over the side, his hand extended out for her to take. "Here. Grab my hand."

"David?" She took his hand.

He grabbed with his other hand, a nearby piece of wood for support. "Hold tight." They both grunted as he pulled them both up safely. The two hugged, their breath heavy and adrenaline pumping. "You really think I'd let you come out here alone? You okay?"

"I'm fine. Thanks." Mary Margaret started running off.

"Where are you going?" David followed after her.

"I came to find the flock." Mary Margaret replied.

"And I came here to get you before you got hurt." His words were partially silenced by a thunderclap. "We have to go."

"No!" Mary Margaret ran to the caged bird's side and picked it up.

"Doing this on foot is not the best plan."

"The gate was closed."

"I know. I saw. It's too late. We have to go."

"No, but the…" David interrupted. "Mary Margaret, it's not safe." Another thunderclap. "We have to get out of here. Come on." I'm sorry. I am. Reluctantly, Mary Margaret let him wrap his arm around her and they ran back in the direction of town. As they ran, they stopped and David pointed in the direction of a cabin, it looked like it hadn't been used in a while. "There. Come on."

The two were drenched and shivering. Taking this as an opportunity to get warm they took cover under the jutted out roof and Mary Margaret called out loudly to anyone inside. "Hello? Hello, is anyone in there?" She peered inside. "It's empty."

Must get you warm.

David kicked the door in and helped her inside. He closed the door behind him and started a fire. "Okay. Let's get you dry."

"Whose cabin is this? You sure it's okay for us to be in here?"

"Well, you're roommates with the sheriff." David said, jokingly. "So, I doubt she'll arrest us for breaking and entering." He then wrapped a warm blanket around Mary Margaret. "Here." Mary Margaret shivered slightly, uncomfortable with their closeness. "Hey, I'm just trying to help." She just nodded in response. "What's going on with you today?"

Thunder rumbled in the background as Mary Margaret spoke. "What's going on? What's going on is I still have feelings for you."

"What?"

"Why do you think I go to Granny's every morning at 7:15? It's to see you. And I don't know why. Because it just makes me miserable. Because every time I see you, it just reminds me that you chose Kathryn instead of me. And that's why I didn't want you to come to the woods with me. Because being around you is too…It's too painful." Today is a really bad day for my better judgement. David let out an anxious chuckle. "You think this is funny?"

"No. it's just…The reason I go to Granny'd every morning at 7:15, is to see you."

Thunder was the only sound for the moment, they both leaned in for a kiss, but at the last second Mary Margaret pulled away. "How can you do this?"

"What are you talking about?"

"David, I know."

"You know what?"

"About Kathryn."

"What about Kathryn?"

"That she thinks she's pregnant."

"What?"

Another short bout of silence as Mary Margaret broke it, feeling awful. "You didn't know."

"No."

"And you two aren't trying?"

"Not as far as I know. Mary Margaret, you have to believe me."

"Shh. David." Mary Margaret looked outside and rushed to the caged bird. "The rain stopped. I need to get her out."

"No. Mary Margaret." He followed her out as she followed the bird calls. "Mary Margaret, please."

"Shh! Listen." The flapping of wings overtook above them. They looked up and doves were flying north. "The flock. They didn't leave."

"They must have been waiting for the storm to clear." I should go with my gut more often.

Mary Margaret put the cage on the ground, opened it up and held the bird out for it to fly. "Okay. Okay, girl. Time to join your friend. You can do it." With a little motivation, the bird flew upwards and vanished, mixing in with the flock. David moved his hand onto Mary Margaret's and attempted to hold it. "No, David. It's too painful."

He sighed. Why did you even try that? You heard what she said in the cabin. You need to respect her boundaries no matter what your heart says. "It doesn't have to be. We don't know Kathryn's pregnant."

"Doesn't matter. You chose her."

"I know. But I still have feelings for you."

I love you, Mary Margaret, with all my heart no matter what. And that's something that can never be taken away from me. Even if it means being hurt constantly. You will always be the one I want. Now and in any conceivable future.

"You can't have both." Mary Margaret stated.

"But I do have both. I know. I know it doesn't make sense. But it's like I have these two conflicting lives. Memories of feelings for her, and real feelings for you."

"Who's to say which is real?"

"I can't get you out of my head."

"I know. Me too. But we're going to have to. We're just going to have to forget each other."

Never. I can never do that. You mean too much.

Mary Margaret walked away, leaving David alone as he stood there in silence, deep in thought, with nothing to keep him company but the birds as they chirped and the breeze running coldly against his skin.

Emma stepped into Granny's diner, the door's bell jingling behind her. She was soaking wet still. The newly arrived stranger was sitting at a table near the door drinking coffee. She approached him, removing her hat. "We need to talk."

The stranger didn't turn around to face her. "Why?"

"Because. You're suspicious." Emma moved around the table so they could face each other.

"Sitting here. Out in the open. Drinking coffee. Wonder what kind of hell I would've raised had I ordered a donut."

"You were talking to Henry."

"You mean the little kid who came up to me asking me questions? Is that unusual for him? Being curious and precocious?"

Damn it, Regina.

"What were you doing outside his house?"

"My bike broke down. It happens."

Emma glanced down at his suitcase. "Your mysterious box. What's in it?"

The stranger grinned smugly. "It's awfully frustrating not knowing, isn't it?"

"Just tell me."

"Why? Is it illegal to carry around a box in these parts?"

"No, of course it's not."

"You really wanna know what's inside it, don't you?"

"No! Well, maybe." Emma sat herself down opposite to him.

"I'm gonna make you wait. You're gonna have to wait a long time and watch me carry it around. Hauling it to strange and mysterious places. And with each passing moment, the mystery will become more tantalising. Your imagination will inflame, but so will your frustration. Never knowing, only guessing what could possibly be inside that box?" He leaned in closer. "Or, you could let me buy you a drink sometime and I'll tell you right now."

"You wanna buy me a drink."

"Yes."

"Okay. A drink it is." The stranger dramatically flipped the suitcase as he brought it up onto the table. The content thudded inside. He smiled smugly again as he glanced at her then at the case, flicking the locks open and revealing what was inside. It was a typewriter. "Really?"

"I'm a writer."

"That's why you're here?"

"I find this place provides inspiration. Don't you?" He closed the case and locked it back up. Then he got up to leave.

"Wait." Emma spoke quickly to keep him around. "Have you been here before?"

"I didn't say that." He dropped some money on the table and walked away.

"What about that drink?"

"I said 'sometime'."

Sam sat on the edge of Ava's bed as they prepared to go to sleep. Ava yawned as Sam began reciting her a story from memory, her eyes trained on him as she listened intently. "Once Upon a Time there were twins, a boy and a girl. The boy was named Hansel and the girl was called Gretel and their father was a lumberjack. They weren't very rich. nor did they have their mother with them, but they were happy together. And no matter what, nothing could separate them as a family. However, one day when they were working, their father sent them off to get some kindling, and just in case they got lost, he gave them a compass. This compass was special because no matter what, it would help them find each other no matter the distance. Yet, when nightfall came and they used their compass to return to where their father had sent them off from, he was nowhere to be found. Hansel and Gretel were getting scared now but they didn't just cower there. They went searching for their father and found themselves on the main road. Unfortunately for them, this road and the forest they worked in was part of the Evil Queen's kingdom. Luck was not on their side as the queen and some of her knights were going across the road that night. When the Evil Queen discovered the twins, she was furious. The twins, ever the brave ones despite their fear attempted to escape. They were able to outrun the knights in their heavy metal armour but the queen was magic. She dragged them to the floor with magic vines. Well, this escape attempt seemed to have put the queen in a more pleasant mood, despite all her evilness, she admired how brave they were and decided she would not only let them go, but would also find her father, just as long as they helped her with one little job. She wanted them to steal from the Blind Witch. But the Blind Witch was not a foe to be taken lightly, she had a strong sense of smell and a taste for children's flesh."

Ava interrupted. "I don't remember the Evil Queen being in this. Are you sure you're telling it right?"

Even the ten year old can recognise this is bullshit.

"Yes. I'm telling you the real story, what really happened." Sam exhaled. "Well, at least till a thousand different adaptations changed stuff. Never mind. Do you want to hear the story or not?"

"I do."

"Then shushy wushy." Sam exaggeratedly cleared his throat and then began the rest of the story. "The witch's house was made of gingerbread and the inside was full of mouth-watering treats and desserts, all of which the witch used to manipulate children into entering her domain. Hansel and Gretel were determined though and despite the dangers, they wanted to find their father more than anything. They went inside the witch's home while she slept. She slept by her fireplace, decked with the bones of Humans she had devoured, and the object of the Evil Queen's desires was right there. Gretel, she was smart, she went right over to the fireplace and took the satchel that held the object, Hansel was foiled by his own greed. He gave in and took a bite from one of the many cupcakes. And it was as if they were magic because that one bite caused the witch to awaken and jump out of her seat. Unable to defeat the Blind Witch due to her powerful magic, they were easily dispatched. She locked the twins away and began preparing them to be her next meal. The twins knew the only way to escape was to make a clever plan, so they planned for Hansel to grab the keys off the witch as he's about to be cooked and pass it to Gretel so she could rescue them both and make a run for it. But, Hansel was too scared. Gretel then took this duty instead, truly a brave girl. So, when the Blind Witch grabbed Gretel from out of the cage and locked Hansel inside, she prepared to cook her in butter. Gretel attempted their plan, and successfully got the keys. One lucky throw and Hansel caught the keys, unlocking the cage. When the Blind Witch attempted to put Gretel in the oven, Hansel pushed the witch inside and they both locked the witch in, running away with the satchel. When they returned to the Evil Queen's castle, they gave her the satchel and inside was an apple, a magic apple. The very same she would use on Snow White. The Evil Queen now had what she wanted but she refused to abide by the terms of their arrangement, she tried to manipulate them into living with her and joining her. Hansel briefly considered it but Gretel knew better than that, she stood her ground and reminded her brother of what they truly wanted to achieve. So, they both refused her offer. Furious, the Evil Queen sent them back into the forest with nothing but their lives. And what the twins didn't know was that the Evil Queen was the one who took their father and held him captive so she could manipulate them into getting the apple for her." Just one of the reasons Regina needs to be put down like the beast she is. She's trying to be better. She'll falter, best not to hurt yourself and stop her before she betrays you. I'm not listening to you, Samishtara.

"Did they find their dad again?" Ava asked.

"Uh...Yes. They, they did. And they lived happily ever after with their father because they were all brave and were able to find each other again. Because that's what family does. They find each other."

Don't lie to the child. Be honest with her.

She doesn't need to know who she is. Not yet.

Stop making yourself weak.

Later tonight we're working, you know this. Just let me have this.

You don't need anything but retribution for the innocent.

We are getting that.

We can get it faster!

Just shut up!

Ava yawned. "Night, Sam. Thank you for the story."

"No problem, kiddo." Sam got into his bed and stared up at the ceiling.

Go! Now!

She isn't asleep yet.

I don't care. The sooner the better.

Patience. Regina may not even be asleep yet.

She needs to die too, if she's awake then we can kill two birds with one dagger.

I'm not talking to you anymore.

We'll see how long that lasts. You need me. You will always need me. You know that.

Samishtara sat by himself in the corner of the venue, he had eaten some cake and had enough boring conversations to last him a lifetime. The only thing worse than boring work questions at a wedding is boring work questions at a wedding asked by people who know little to nothing about what they're asking. Virosha noticed this and came over. "The cake's good, right?"

"Amazing." Samishtara admitted.

"Expensive as shit. Real fucking worth it. You look bored, by the way."

"Work can be so dull. Weddings can be so dull. Both can be so dull. Nice vows by the way. Love that it was short and sweet."

"I hate being watched."

"Tell me about it, a whole lot of pressure. Weddings most of all, pretty important not to fuck up. Experience it all the time, speeches and whatnot. People suck, y'know. Do you know how many people assumed I was married? Don't answer it, you can either exaggerate an answer or actually try and not get it right."

"I'll humour you. How many?"

"Twenty fucking six. Like it matters if I'm married or not. What bullshit. If I were married, they'd be here with me and I wouldn't be sitting in a damn corner. And these ridiculous questions, it's like they're all illiterate. They just need to open a damn book or watch it. We've really advanced our technology and they don't seem to even bother."

Virosha laughed. "You seem stressed. Maybe you should go. Nobody would be mad about it, and you can just make up an excuse that you're busy with work that they don't understand. It's better than you hitting your head against a wall or whatever you do when you're mad."

"This day is important to you, I can't just leave."

"You can leave if it benefits your health, y'know. Reputation is overrated anyway, let people talk. They do't mean shit to us. We're family here, not these strangers wanting attention. Also, you may meet your special someone out there."

"Today, on your wedding day, because I left? That's some real fairy tale bullshit. Very funny."

"Anything can happen. We have a Wendigo soul in a necklace, we have these negotiations going with the Humans, we have that wolf-monster or whatever it is still out there. Life is crazy. Shit is real. All that or whatever. Just go, man."

Samishtara sighed. "Fine." He stood up and handed Virosha his plate. "Can you take this for me?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks."

"What're you gonna do anyway?"

"You said that the wolf-monster is still out there? I think it's time someone goes and finds it. Solve this problem once and for all."

"Good luck with that."

November 22nd 2024.

Sam snuck into the back of Regina's home and looked up at the windows in an attempt to make sure nobody was there (Not that it was bright enough to see much anyway). After we stupidly compromised Regina's vault and got Graham his heart back, we can at least reap some sort of benefit now. The only place close to her left is her precious tree. Sam knelt down in front of Regina's childhood apple tree, it was starting to go back after his and Emma's 'mishap'. We're not killing Regina, alright? Sam started digging up the spot that looked the most recently dug. And why not? I'm not leaving Ava alone too long. Anything could happen. Pathetic. Sam pulled the Dark One's dagger from the hole and put it in his pocket. He was quick to cover the hole and leave. When he got back to the diner, he went into the kitchen to wash his hands.

"What are you doing up?" Sam recognised the voice. It was Ruby.

Sam quickly turned around. "Fuck! I told you to stop doing that. Can't a man just wash his hands late at night for non-suspicious reasons."

Ruby's brow raised. "I'm just gonna let this go."

"Probably for the best. Why are you up?"

"I got hungry." Ruby shrugged. "How's Ava sleeping?"

"Great. Told her a bedtime story and soon after, right out."

Ruby leaned in closer, her hot breath pushing against his face. "I love stories. Which one?"

Sam pushed himself away slightly. "Hansel and Gretel."

"I love that one. Look at you, you're fitting into the dad role real well."

"I'm not her dad."

"Then what are you?"

"I'm her Sam."

Ruby laughed. "And what does having a Sam involve?"

"Advice that is either really good or really bad, no between, bad jokes, fun, free food, and being cared for."

"That's just a dad."

"Is not."

"Is."

"Fine. Maybe it is."

"I'm proud of you, Sam." Ruby kissed his neck.

Push away.

No.

Sam wanted to kiss her back, to feel her soft lips against his, but this overwhelming urge to restrain himself took over. He kissed her cheek and then pulled away.

Refuse an order again and I take control of the body fully, got it?!

Fine.

Silence took over for a moment, both felt awkward. Ruby broke the silence, avoiding eye contact as she spoke. "We should probably go to bed."

"Yeah. Probably."

"Good night."

"Night."

Kathryn entered her's and David's bedroom as he buttoned up one of his blue and white patterned shirts in the mirror. "Anything you wanna tell me?" He asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Something's up. Isn't it?" Kathryn looked annoyed, her face scrunched up and her eyes rolled. "What?"

"I feel like ever since you've come home, you're here, but you're not here." She said. "I know you say you're trying and I know you've been through a lot, but" David tried to speak. "Kathryn, I…" Kathryn then stopped him. "No, David, please. Just let me finish. I know it's been hard on you, but it's also been hard on me. I want a family with you someday. I want children. I'll be honest. I thought I was pregnant. And when the test came back negative, at first I was upset, but then I was relieved. We're not ready. If I was pregnant now, it would be a disaster."

"Yeah."

"But, I wanna fix this. I wanna fix us."

"Me too."

"Do you?"

David nodded, it was a small nod barely full of any assurance.

"Well, then let's go see Dr. Hopper. Let's get some help. Will you do that? Will you give us our best shot?"

"Yeah." David sat down next to her. "Look. You and I, I know we're, I know we should be in love. And I wanna make that work."

Kathryn smiled. "It's 7:10." David looked back at their clock. "We should get going if you want your coffee before work." Kathryn got up.

"No." He got up and put his hands to hers. "Why don't we go downstairs and have some breakfast instead?"

"Okay."

"All right." He kissed the side of her head and smiled back at her.

There he is. The man I love. It's so good to see you again, David.

Emma stood outside Sam's room at the diner. It was just past 7:35 and Sam always woke up at that time to see Ruby working while half-asleep. It was the only time he could make fun of her without getting sexual comments in return. Sam opened the door and stood in the doorway, greeted by Emma's stern expression. "When were you going to tell me?"

"About Ava?" He asked. He then responded in an honest tone. "Literally the next time I saw you."

"You could have told me sooner!" Emma exclaimed.

"I could have." Sam agreed. "But I didn't."

"And why the hell not?" Emma asked.

"Many reasons, let's see: Recently injured, you're gonna be worried about me, I've never looked after a kid before and I typically don't like them, if I failed I'd have to send Ava away after all and I knew how hard that would be for you, and we worked really hard no to get her and her brother to stay the first time." He paused. "I was going to tell you, honest. But I didn't want to disappoint you and give you false expectations. You were either gonna say I wasn't capable of this responsibility, which is have agreed with, or you'd be fine with it, and then I risked letting you down. I didn't want to let Ava down either. I wanted to be her best shot and I really think I can be that. I tried really hard, I tried really hard before for her, this all felt right to me. I just knew it was right. It's just one of those things. But none of that matters now, I am sorry, but I did it. Ava won't ever be in the system."

Emma sighed. "Thanks a lot, Sam. Now I feel like a bitch. I'm proud of you. And, I get it. No hard feelings about all this."

"So…" Sam had a wide grin on his face. "When Ava wakes up, should I introduce you as Aunt Emma? Because I don't think she'd want to get to know Deputy Swan."

"I suppose." She smiled back.

"Also, heads up. She's seen practically zero tv, we're gonna get to show her Star Wars for the first time."

"We're doing it release order before you even start." Emma said.

"She's not seen it, not never heard of it, Em'. She knows the Vader twist. There's no other reason for the release order. Plus, we have spin off movies and shows to watch too. We aren't doing everything by the damn air dates. So much would pass by the time Clone Wars Season Six ends and Season Seven begins."

"We aren't having this argument again. It's the release order."

"You are insane."

"Insanely reasonable."

"That is oxymoronic and you know it."

"You're a moron."

Sam pointed at her in a mock-aggressive way. "We'll settle this later. I have a waitress to help wake up."

"Just kiss her already."

"We don't kiss."

"That's not what Ruby said. She's been telling everyone about it."

"It was late at night and she got the hormonal version of hungry. Hormgry or something ridiculous like that."

"She was talking about in the hospital…what are you talking about?"

Sam paused. "That's…what I was talking about. Excuse me a minute." Sam walked to the edge of the steps and shouted "Ruby! What the hell have you been telling people?!"

What a lovesick moron.

David entered Granny's diner for coffee and as if fate willed it, Mary Margaret was there, thanking a waitress for getting her coffee. Granny's voice could be heard in the back telling Ruby and Sam off for causing a commotion and disrupting business. Mary Margaret and David both made eye contact and then David rushed outside, Mary Margaret in quick pursuit, forcing him to stop.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"it's 7:45." David replied.

"I know!"

"Well, I'm trying not to see you."

"Well, I am trying not to see you."

You followed me out here. Not the other way round.

"Well, how do we stop seeing each other?" David asked.

"Apparently, we can't."

"This is a problem."

"Yes."

"She's not pregnant."

Go with your gut.

They both leaned into each other and kissed, it felt like fireworks that took forever to fly finally making their ascent, and then that bang. The moment, it felt perfect and neither of them would want to change a single thing about it.