HOT CHOCOLATE

YES! My dearies and darlings! I've updated! I know I'd usually be updating "Once Upon a Time…and Again", but edits are taking a while since it's a long chapter! I hope that this is good! :-D Thank you for all of the feedback! For those interested, there's a link to the video promo for my next Snowing story "Until…" in my profile! I'll start posting it after I finish "Hot Chocolate". Without further ado…

Thank you, my dartie! XD For being such a freaking KICK ASS beta and doing all of this editing for my muse who's decided to run amok the last couple of weeks!

O~U~A~T

Confrontations

Snow and James remained curled in bed, speaking softly together, kissing lazily and holding each other tightly.

"I've missed you so, Snow." He brushed the fringe from her eyes, skimming his lips across her temple.

"And I you," his wife murmured. The gem on her ring flashing caught her attention, a deep frown tugging at her lips. "I'll have to switch it back," she commented quietly.

James' gaze followed hers, expression illustrating how little the prospect of her removing the ring from her ring finger appealed to him. After several moments of tracing the jewel, he remembered something. "Hold on." The prince reached over to his bedside table, pulling the drawer open and removing a small item before closing it again.

Snow's eyebrows shot up her forehead when she realized that the item was a small, velvet jewelry box…one the size for a ring. She accepted it when he handed it to her, popping the lid to find a lovely, simple ring with four tiny emeralds set in a diamond shape. Her eyes went to his.

His fingers carded through her short locks. "I bought it as an engagement ring just before I was arrested; I planned on proposing soon…I wanted it to be official between us here. I wanted everyone in Storybrooke to know that you are mine, officially, and that I'm yours."

The princess handed the box back to him, crossing her arms and smirking. "Well, are you going to do it properly?"

He chuckled, reaching out for her hand; regretfully he switched her actual engagement ring back to her right middle finger. Then he removed the new ring from the box and took hold of her left hand again. "Will you marry me, Snow…again?"

"Well," she laughed lightly, "since you asked so nicely."

"What's wrong with simply saying yes?" he teasingly questioned as he slipped the ring onto her finger.

Snow kissed him. "Do you really think I could just say yes?"

"True." He kissed her back, both of them smiling into it.

They sat with their foreheads pressed together for a several heartbeats.

Pain crept into Snow again, they'd spoken of it earlier and it was coming back anew, a fresh wound reopening, it probably would do so for a while. "Emma."

His arms tightened around her. "I know. But she's here. She found us."

Snow squeezed her eyes shut. "But this world…it's hurt her so much!" She lifted her head to meet his gaze. "And we sent her to this-this place! We sent her here all alone!"

James stroked her cheek. "Regina wouldn't have let her live. You know that, my darling. She wouldn't have permitted the one person who could break her curse the chance to do so." He pressed his lips to her temple. "At best she would've been trapped as an infant forever. The curse would've never been broken. And we would've all been separated forever…" Holding his wife close he continued, "As much as we both hate it, and that it breaks our hearts and has caused Emma so much pain…this was honestly the best way it could've gone in the horrible, impossible situation we were handed."

Tears slipping silently down her face, hand pressed to her empty womb, Snow was more than willing to let her husband hold her and do his best to try and reassure her. She knew he was right, that with the position that Regina had put them in there really hadn't been any other choice, they'd been trapped with no options. But that didn't ease the guilt and pain she felt.

After a while, she slowly pulled out of his embrace. "I should get dinner started, Emma…" her voice cracked and it took a few breaths before she was able to continue, "Emma will be home soon."

Reluctantly, James released her, watching closely the weight of her grief, visible in every line of her bowed shoulders. He rose from bed and dressed quickly alongside her, no intention of leaving her for even a moment, knowing that the emotional roller coaster that she'd been on all day–hell for weeks, ever since the memories had begun to return–had worn her completely down.

He puttered around the kitchen with her–they hadn't really had the chance to do this much, cook together, back home, in the Enchanted Forest, but it still felt comfortable, familiar, and was exactly what Snow needed. James watched the noodles they were boiling for Mary Margaret's homemade baked macaroni and cheese recipe. All of them desperately in need of the comfort food.

"So..." Snow began tentatively, keeping her eyes on the cheese she was grating, "do you really think that Emma's starting to believe?" Green eyes slowly lifted to blue.

James nodded but there was a grim set to his mouth. "She's starting to…but she's fighting it. All she's ever known is this cold hard world where faith is scorned and belief punished. It's beaten her down repeatedly." After draining the pasta, he pressed his palms against the edge of the counter. "And for 28 years she's believed that we just dumped her at the side of a road." James wrapped an arm around his wife as she let out a sob. "After having such a thing drilled into her for so long trying to convince her otherwise will be difficult. It's gonna take time and patience."

Snow leaned into him, absorbing as much comfort from him as she could. "It's going to be painful, isn't it?"

He couldn't lie to her. "Yes."

Her eyes squeezed shut. "Haven't we all suffered enough?! Why can't we just simply be happy?"

Charming pressed his lips to her forehead. "True love isn't easy. But it's always worth fighting for," he echoed his own words from decades before.

A tear escaped from the corner of Snow's eye, James caught it on his finger, kissing her temple.

"We're a family. And somehow we'll make this work."

Keys scrapping in the lock of the front door broke the moment. Snow swiped at the tears in her eyes, turning a terrified gaze to her husband. James nodded to her reassuringly: Yes, he understood. He knew the fear, exhilaration, hope and despair she was feeling.

The prince turned as their daughter entered, grinning in welcome at her tentative movements and wary gaze. "Hey, Em." He knew that she noticed Snow behind him trying to compose herself, but Emma was keeping her attention on him. "Dinner's nearly ready."

"Great." She fidgeted with her keys, posture nervous, guarded. "What're we having?"

Snow cleared her throat, turning with a warm smile on her face, struggling to hide the tumult of emotions she was feeling. "Baked mac 'n cheese. Plenty of leftovers."

"Great." She still hadn't moved from the door.

David knew that their daughter could tell something in "Mary" had changed, and probably part of her suspected what but she wasn't ready for that leap of faith. "Em," he began as he turned to pour the noodles into the pan where they would bake, gently nudging his wife to keep her from staring at their daughter and making her uncomfortable. "Would take mind setting the table?"

Some of the tension slipped from the blonde's frame. "Sure." She hung her keys on their hook along with her jacket.

While Emma was setting plates on the table James leaned down to Snow's ear, a comforting hand pressed to the small of her back. "I know it's hard, darling," he whispered, "but we have to be careful. We don't want to scare her away."

Green eyes squeezed shut, she nodded, her pain reflected on her face. "I know."

Emma was grabbing silverware when she stopped dead. "Is that a ring?"

Snow's head shot up and followed her daughter's gaze to the ring Charming had just given her, and held it up smiling. "Yeah. Ch-John just proposed."

The blonde managed a genuine, if still tinged with wariness, smile. "That's great." She included James in her gaze. "Congratulations."

He wrapped his arm around Snow's shoulders. "Thanks, Em."

She shoved her hands into her pockets. "I'm really happy for you guys."

Snow caught one of her daughter's hands before it was tucked away, squeezing it, desperately needing the physical connection. "Thank you, Emma."

The blonde smiled, nodding, as she released the grip. "I'm gonna take a quick shower," their daughter announced.

Snow wrung her hands, wanting nothing more than to dash up to her daughter and wrap her in a hug, but she held herself back. "That's great. The macaroni should be out of the oven by the time you're done."

Emma bit her lip, finger tapping her badge clipped to her belt. "Sounds good…thanks…" her voice trailed off.

Her mother smiled hopefully, quickly saying, "You're welcome!"

After another awkward beat Emma walked to the bathroom, though her parents could tell that at least part of her wanted to run.

Snow's face crumpled, James quickly stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her shoulders from behind, kissing her crown.

"I can hardly breathe, Charming. She doesn't trust us at all."

"No," he murmured into her locks. "That's not true. She trusts us. If she really didn't she wouldn't still be here."

Her emerald eyes slid closed. "I guess. But she doesn't trust us like she did before as simply John and Mary Margaret."

He was silent for several moments. "She just doesn't know how to deal with…us. Snow and Charming. Or how to deal with all of…this being true."

"I know that she has every reason to feel the way she does, and more, but…" Tears trickled down her cheeks. "It hurts."

James swallowed hard, kissing her temple. "I know."

O~U~A~T

Two days later things were still tense with Emma. She seemed to spend as much time at work as she could, only coming home to change clothes, sleep–usually long after Snow and Charming had already gone to bed–and when she was tired of eating at Granny's. Snow was discouraged, tired and her stomach had been acting up for days now. And with Charming having been back at work full time for days, she was glad to have restarted teaching; it helped take her mind off of everything.

Snow watched the children, chuckling at their antics. The Enchanted Forest or Storybrooke, in most worlds children were very much the same. Full of life and mischief.

"Miss Blanchard."

Her back went ramrod straight. Regina. She had to take several deep breaths before turning to face her stepmother. Seeing Regina not as the intimidating mayor but as the woman who saved her life, helped raise her, whom young Snow had loved–and truthfully part of her still did. The woman who murdered Snow's father, seized the throne, whom Snow and Charming defeated together. The woman who cursed them all into this place…the one who took their daughter away from them for 28 years, making them miss everything.

Regina strode up to her smirking. "I see you're back."

Her own mouth quirked, feeling satisfaction knowing that they'd defeated her, that they were breaking the curse bit by bit. "Yes." She smiled pleasantly. "Isn't it wonderful? Everything worked out."

Snow could see the grimace Regina tried to hide behind the smile and looking away.

"Henry forgot his lunch. Have you seen him?" She looked around for the boy–Snow's grandson, she was still reeling from that realization, class that day would be the first time she'd seen him since remembering.

Gods, she inwardly worried, how was she supposed to act normally around her grandchild?! How did Charming do it?!

"He's with his mother," she said, knowing it was petty, but enjoying the look on the elder woman's face. After all Regina had put them all through, both in the Enchanted Forest and here, the princess felt she'd earned a little leeway for a few jabs.

The mayor's head whipped back around. "Ms. Blanchard, is there a problem?"

Still smiling, Snow shook her head. "Not anymore." The smile disappeared. "Though someone did go to a lot of trouble to make it look like J-John and I had done something horrible." She took a deep breath, a smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth. "But they failed."

"Yes. Sidney Glass," the queen said forcefully, "who's safely incarcerated."

"If it was Sidney," Snow quickly countered, her doubt thick in her tone and gaze.

"Well, ask your roommate. He confessed."

Snow couldn't help the roll of her eyes. "Of course he did."

Regina narrowed her eyes. "Are you insinuating something?"

"No," the princess countered, "I'm stating it."

The mayor's jaw dropped. "Why you–"

"You know, Regina," Snow quickly cut in, "I could forgive you many things. But going after the ones I love… That I can't forgive. I just have never understood how making others miserable could make you happy, because it can't be a healthy or truly lasting happiness." She shook her head. "It truly is so sad, because in the end…no matter what you think, it won't make you really happy. In fact it will leave a giant void in your heart."

Regina gaped at her.

"So, I forgive you for what you did to me. But," she took a step closer to her stepmother, "if you ever touch John or Emma again, or if Henry ever suffers even a moment because of you, nothing will save you." While the elder woman was still too stunned to say or do anything, Snow looked just beyond her shoulder. "There's Henry." It took everything in her to walk away, rather than snatching her grandson up in a tight hug.

This was going to be a long day.

O~U~A~T

Snow was making last minute preparations in the classroom before her students came in.

"Hey, Mary!"

She froze. Henry. Slowly she turned, eyes doing a quick sweep to make sure there was no one else before finally allowing them to rest on her grandson. "Hi, Henry."

An instant later he'd plowed into her, hugging her around the waist, grinning up at her. "I'm so glad you're back!"

Snow swallowed back the lump lodged in her throat, running her fingers through his short brown hair. "Me too."

A concerned frown pulled his lips down. "You ok, Mary?"

Heart squeezing tightly, she managed a smile. "Yeah… This…this is…a great start to my first day back."

Henry's grin was brilliant. "Really?"

"Yes." She bit her lip, casting a quick glance at the door and then looked back at him. "A hug from my grandson is the best start I could ask for."

His eyes were as wide as saucers. "Grandson?" he whispered. Henry's face lit up. "You remember?"

She cradled his face between her palms. "Yes… I do."

Henry lunged back into her embrace, head tilted back to look up at her. "So, can I call you Grandma or Grams, when it's just you and me and Gramps?"

Snow couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her, tears welling in her eyes. "Yeah…I would really like that."

He grinned at her brilliantly. "Awesome…Grams!"

Ruffling his hair, she chuckled. "Yeah, very awesome."

He caught her hand as she was pulling it away, staring at the ring. "But this isn't you guys' ring." He looked up at her, frowning.

Twisting the ring on her finger, his grandmother smiled at him fondly. "No. I've always had our ring and I couldn't suddenly use it as an engagement ring. So, your Gramps gave me this one so that we can tell everyone that we're at least engaged."

"So…" The boy bounced on the balls of his feet. "Are you guys going to get married again?"

"Depending on what happens with the curse, that's the plan."

His mouth quirked to the side. "Can we tell my mom that you guys remember yet?

The princess laughed softly at his petulant tone. "No, not yet." She combed her hand through his hair. "But…maybe soon."

O~U~A~T

Soooooo…was it ok? O.O I know Snow hasn't totally gotten into it with Regina yet, she's trying to protect her family and herself so she has to watch her step at least SOMEWHAT. And I know it wasn't all kisses and puppies with Emma, she's still in denial and it's going to take some time and a clearing some garbage from the air before we can get to some bonding. I hope you guys like it! :-D Now, I'm off to part 2 of "Tu contiens ton oeil le couchant et l'aurore" which is proving to be a LOT of fun and VERY hot! XD

Back                         Home                              Once Upon a Time Main Page                          Next