Emma sighed anxiously as she sat at the breakfast table. Henry busily ate his Fruitloops as he tried to beat level twenty three of his video game.

"Relax babe," said Neal with an amused smile on his face as he came into the kitchen. He adjusted his tie and kissed Emma on the cheek.

"I am relaxed," she said even though she, herself didn't buy it.

Neal chuckled talking note of Emma's extra strong grip on her spoon. "Yeah, the spoon begs to differ."

She rolled her eyes putting down the spoon in her bowl of Cheerios, officially done trying to make herself eat despite her anxiety. "I'm not ready to let her go," Emma admitted quietly.

Neal pulled out the chair next to her and sat down. "I know, neither am I. One moment I can hold her in the palm of my hand, and then I blinked, and she's off to preschool."

"I'm never blinking again," she said with a hint of a smile.

He chuckled. "And Mr. Henry over here," he said a little louder than before trying to pull Henry's attention away from the video game, "is going to into Junior High this year."

Henry looked up from his Gameboy trying not smile at his father's call out but failed. "You're not seriously gonna cry Mom are you?"

Emma laughed lightly. "No I am not."

"Promise no tears?" doubled checked Henry.

"I promise." Sh crossed her fingers behind her back which didn't go unnoticed by Neal who took her hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Okay good, I'll go get Alison." Henry went upstairs to his little sister's room. It was painted a creamy white with baby pink accents. Over her bed was a light pink canopy, fit for any princess. He found her sitting on her bed flipping through his storybook, which she must have snuck into his room to get once again.

"You ready Ali?"

She looked up at his with her big sparkling blue green eyes with a big smile. "Yes!" Alison hopped off the bed and took Henry's hand and followed him downstairs into the living room.

"Wait here okay Ali?" he asked. She nodded and watched her big brother go into the kitchen.

Henry winked at his parents and stood up tall clearing his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Princess Alison on her very first day of preschool!"

Alison came running into the kitchen with excitement eager to show off her first day of school outfit to her mother. "Don't I look pretty Mommy?" She twirled around in her baby blue sundress. Neal had picked out the outfit, right down to shiny black shoes. Her golden blonde hair shimmered in the line of sunlight coming from the windows accenting her bright blue eyes. Her hair fell around her shoulders in loose curls like Emma's. She was gorgeous just like her mother.

It was enough to bring tears to Emma's eyes. She wasn't much a crier but her baby girl was growing up. "Oh Alison you look gorgeous!" said Emma holding back tears as she went over to her daughter.

"Daddy said you'd like it!" said Alison excitedly jumping into Emma's arms as she picked her up.

Emma showered her four year old with kisses, causing Alison to squirm in her arms giggling. "Your daddy has very good taste," she said putting her down.

"You can't forget this," said Henry holding up Alison backpack, a blue and sparkly with Cinderella on it.

Alison put on the backpack and everyone had a good chuckle at the fact that is was practically bigger than her.

There was a knock on the door. "I got it." Neal answered the door to see Snow, David, Regina and Killian standing at the door.

"We couldn't miss the kid's first day of school now could we," explained Snow beaming with excitement. This was their first time being grandparents from the start and they wanted to take full advantage of it.

Neal smiled stepping back letting them come in. Him and Killian exchanged a swift nodded as he came in. Killian never quite got over Emma, and Neal didn't blame him. He wouldn't have either if it was the other way around. Despite that, they had come up with a way to make it work, and that was as good as it was going to get.

"There's my little princess," said Snow hugging Alison.

"Look at my backpack!" She turned around so Snow could admire her Cinderella backpack.

"Wow what a cool backpack."

Charming sat next to Henry at the island who was happily watching Alison run from person to person showing off her dress and backpack.

"So junior high huh? I remember when you were in Mary-Margaret's class."

Henry smiled. "Well that's a good thing, considering that I was in her class for like seventeen years making bird houses."

David laughed, "That is true. But those were some pretty good bird houses."

"They sure do beat Algebra homework."

He chuckled ruffling Henry's hair.

"Alright, everyone stand over here," called Snow pointing in front of the island. "I want to take a picture."

Everyone filled in in front of the island. Emma and Neal were in the middle, with Emma holding Alison. Killian and Regina stood next to Emma and David and Henry crouched down in the middle.

"Everybody say cheese!"

"Cheese!"

Smiling along with them Snow took the picture. "What a great looking family," she commented.

"I wanna see the picture!" Alison wriggled out of Emma's arms and ran over to Snow how bent down to show her the picture. "But you aren't in the picture."

"I know, but everyone I love is in the picture so that's good enough for me." She kissed Alison on top of her head.

Neal looked at the clock. It almost 7:30 and the school bus would be coming soon. "Okay kids! Get all your stuff ready and we'll walk you down to the bus stop."

"Uh Dad?" asked Henry hesitantly as he grabbed his backpack.

"What's up buddy?"

Henry nodded for him to join him in the corner and Neal followed. "What's going on kid?"

"I was wondering if I could walk to school instead of walking. Grace is on the way and…"

Neal smirked. He and Emma were aware that Henry and Grace had a crush on each other. Although him and Emma found the two of them absolutely endearing, neither of them were ready to have "The Talk" with Henry.

"Sure kid, just make sure it's alright with your mom."

Henry sighed and went to find Emma.

Alison happily showed off her Cinderella backpack to Regina. "Do you like it?"

"It's nice, kind of ironic," said Regina slightly amused.

"What does 'ionic' mean?" asked Alison with a frown.

"Don't worry about it. It looks lovely," she said with a smile.

"Thanks!" She twirled around in her dress. "Don't I look like a princess?"

"Princesses have tiaras."

"But I don't have a tiara."

With a flick of her wrist a small golden tiara appeared in Alison's hands. "Wow, how'd you do that!"

"Magic," whispered Regina. "Now you can be a princess."

Alison excitedly put on her tiara and went over to Killian and Emma showing off her newest accessory.

After another ten minutes of chatter and attempting to get everyone out the door, Neal and Emma walked Alison to the bus stop. Henry had left a few minutes early to set off to walk to school.

Emma's heart started beating a mile a minute when she saw the school bus round the corner. "Neal I'm not ready," Emma whispered in Neal's ear.

"She'll be fine Em," he said taking her hand. "She's got your survival genes."

"Who am I gonna snuggle with as I watch Good Morning Storybrooke?"

"Preschool's only three days a week, you two can catch up on Good Morning Storybrooke on Thursday."

Emma cast a glance over to Alison who was busily crouched inspecting a lady bug who had crawled on to the sidewalk. "You do realize that dress and those tights are going to be ruined by the end of the day," she said amused.

Neal shrugged good-heartedly. "At least she looked good for Snow's picture. And she looks absolutely adorable just like her mother."

Emma threw him an incredulous look.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"You are so corny."

"Oh please you love it."

"Love what?" asked Alison finally bored with the lady bug.

"Nothing, you're dad's just trying to be funny."

"I was thinking, I don't really want to go to preschool yet," said Alison cowering behind her mother as the yellow school bus pulled up.

"But don't you want to show everyone at school your pretty dress?" asked Emma turning around so she could face her daughter.

"No I wanted to show you the dress. Can't you and Daddy come with me?"

"You see sweetheart," said Neal stroking his daughter's hair reassuringly. "You're going into preschool which means you're a big girl now and big girls go to school without their parents."

"But if I'm s big kid, I can't snuggle with you and Mommy."

"Oh no, no matter how old you are you can always cuddle with us."

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart," said Emma kissing Alison on the cheek.

Alison thought over it for a moment. "Alright I'll go," she decided.

Neal and Emma each gave her a goodbye kiss and watched her get on the school bus.

Neal put his arm around Emma's shoulders as they waved goodbye to Alison. "They grow up so fast," he sighed.

"Yeah, we gotta talk to Regina about making that stop."

Neal chuckled. "Come, we still have some time before work and you and I both could use a cup of coffee."

"Sounds good to me."

"So," said Grace grabbing her Math book out of her locker and closing it so she could face Henry who was leaned up against the wall. "Your Mom let you walk to school?"

"Yeah, she was a little busy trying to not cry on Ali's first day of preschool."

Grace giggled. "And was she successful?"

Henry chuckled. "Not as successful as she wanted to be, but I have to admit that Ali was making it awfully hard with how cute she looked in her dress."

"Ali is pretty cute." She followed Henry down the hall as they walked to their first class. "What do you think of my outfit, it's not too Junior High try-hard is it?"

Henry took a step back to observe Grace's outfit. She wore blue skinny jeans with a floral printed top. "No, I think it looks nice."

She smiled. "Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself."

He chuckled. "We make a good looking couple," he joked before he even realized what he said. Grace and him both blushed and continued walking to class in silence.

Regina looked up when she heard a knock on her office door and it open. In stepped Robin Hood along with his irresistible ability to charm his way into her heart. She tried to stop the small smile the spread across her face but did so unsuccessfully.

"What are you doing here? Don't you and your merry man have hunting to do?"

Robin smirked and crossed the room to sit across Regina at her desk. "Actually yes," he said plopping down a brown takeout bag from Granny's onto the desk. "But it only takes one man to hunt down a plain bagel with cream cheese for the mayor." He smiled.

Regina couldn't help but smile. "What, no OJ?" she joked.

Robin shrugged chuckling. "There's unfortunately an OJ shortage at the moment. Terribly inconvenient, I know." Regina laughed

After a comfortable moment of silence, Regina spoke. "So you came all the way down here to deliver a bagel?"

"Now that you say so no. Roland's been asking when I'm gonna finally invite you over for dinner. So Madame Mayor, would you like to join us for dinner? My grandmother's famous shepherd's pie is on the menu."

"I uh," she was rather surprised by the offer. "I guess I could, Henry will be at Emma's for the night."

"Is that a yes?" he asked with a smirk.

"I'll bring dessert?" she asked to answer his question.

Robin smiled standing up to leave. "6 o'clock good for you." She nodded. "See you at six o'clock sharp. Good day Regina."

"Good day Robin." She watched him leave with a smile from ear to ear. And then she realized something. What on earth was she gonna wear to dinner?