The first thing sixteen year old Emma Swan noticed upon waking was that she was in her own bed in Mary Margaret, no her mother's, apartment. And even having been home for a few weeks after the ordeal in the Enchanted Forest with her mother Emma still sighed in relief once discovering she was home.

The second thing Emma noticed was the retching sound coming from the bathroom. Curious, Emma got out of bed and walked to the bathroom door. She had finally made it and was about to push the door open when her father stepped out of the bathroom.

"David?" Emma questioned, "Is everything alright? Are you alright? I heard someone being sick."

"Everything's fine, kid. Your mother seems to have picked up a stomach virus. That was her you heard." Noticing the panic on his daughter's face David was quick to continue, "But there's no need for you to worry. She just needs to rest and she'll be good as new. I promise."

Deciding that her father was telling the truth Emma nodded and then offered, "Maybe she should stay in my room while she's resting. It is closer to the bathroom, so it will be easier for her if she needs to lose her lunch or something."

David was about to respond when the two of them heard a fresh round of sick starting up from behind the bathroom door.

"That would probably be for the best. I'll get your mom, uh Snow, settled and then I'll come down and make you something for breakfast." David cringed when he slipped in referring to Snow as mom to Emma. They had made such progress in becoming a family, but they still needed to take baby steps and to let Emma set the pace. It would do no good to push the girl more than she was willing to go, it would only result in setbacks.

Emma had noticed David trying to cover his slip up, but in all honesty, she didn't mind. Truthfully, she had been referring to them as mom and dad in her head ever since she set foot in her nursery in the enchanted forest. Seeing everything they gave up for her had really hit home, and she was able to forgive them. However, she wasn't there verbally. There were still some walls that had to be taken care of, but she was working on it.

Deflecting from what could become an uncomfortable silence Emma spoke to her father, "You make breakfast? I don't know if that's such a good idea. The only person in this family who can cook is currently sick."

Smiling at Emma's ability to overlook his slip up and her reference to their family David defended himself, "Hey, I may not be able to make pancakes like Snow, or waffles like her, or anything hot for that matter, but I can pour a mean bowl of cereal. So go on downstairs, I'll be down in a few minutes."

Nodding, Emma continued on past the closed bathroom door on her way downstairs letting out a "feel better Snow," as she did. All she received was a groan of appreciation in return.

Once Emma was downstairs David walked back into the bathroom to comfort his wife. The sight of her looking so miserable hunched over the toilet tugged at his heart. He walked over and started rubbing her back, "Feeling any better?"

Snow looked at him through tear filled eyes, "A bit, not much. How's Emma?"

David smiled at his wife's ability to put their daughter first, no matter what her own predicament might be.

"She's fine. She's offered up her bed to you so that you can be closer to the bathroom. I thought it was a good idea and it made her happy to be helpful so I agreed on your behalf."

Snow smiled upon hearing Emma's offer. It was the little moments like that which got her through some of the tougher points of trying to bond with her young hurt teenage daughter. Sure, Emma may have wanted to find her parents her whole life. And sure, Pinocchio may have prepared her for everything the curse was about her whole life. But that doesn't take away the pain of being parentless your whole life. The pain of being alone. But moments like this, where Emma's concern for her parents shone through, was what made the patience all worth it to Snow.

"But where will she sleep?" Snow half heartedly objected.

"She'll take our room and I'll take the couch until you're feeling better."

"How charming of you," Snow smiled up at her husband. "Just make sure to wash the sheets and the bedding before she gets in. I've been laying in them all night and my germs must be everywhere. I would hate for her, or you, to get sick."

"Anything for you, my queen."

After getting Snow settled in Emma's bed David headed downstairs to have breakfast with his daughter. After pouring two bowls of cereal David handed one to Emma and they both settled down.

"Any plans for today?"

Emma looked up at her father's question. "I'm supposed to go out with a few friends in a little bit," Emma half lied. Technically Andrew was her friend. It just wasn't more than one friend. And technically it was more of a date than simply hanging out. But still, her father didn't need to know that. And neither did her mother for that matter. Emma shuddered to think what would happen if her overbearing, overprotective parents found out that their not so little girl had a date.

David eyed his daughter suspiciously; it was a school day, which was still a sore subject in the apartment. Snow wanted her daughter to go back to high school and to finish up like all of the other kids in town. Emma, however, argued that she already had her GED. That was the first thing she got after she had herself emancipated and dropped out of high school. It had been one of August's conditions of them starting their quest for Storybrooke two years early.

"Don't all of your friends have school today Emma?"

Emma rolled her eyes at her father, "Oh no, don't you start with me too. I've told Snow, and you, a million times. I have my GED already. Plus, what good is American history going to serve me when we find our way home?"

"What if we can't get home, Emma? And even if we could find a way, you were there; you saw what it was like after the curse. "

"Even if we can't get back, it's not like we can leave Storybrooke. There's no college in town, so it's not like a diploma will matter much in the future."

David sighed, knowing that this was one argument Snow and he weren't going to win because, well frankly, Emma had a point. The outside world and Storybrooke couldn't and wouldn't ever merge. The only thing they could do as a town would be to create a sense of order and to help one another survive and exist.

"I'm not looking to argue with you about school, Emma. I'm just trying to figure out what you're not telling me about your plans for today."

Emma groaned, "Fine, fine. I kinda have a date or something today with this guy from the mechanics shop."

David felt like his heart was going to pump out of his chest, his little girl had a date. Not only that, but his little girl was going to sneak off to spend her date with a boy.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Emma. I'd like to meet this punk before you go spending an entire day with him."

"He's not a puck David. He's a nice guy. Why can't you just trust me?"

"Oh, I trust you perfectly fine. It's the punk I don't trust."

"He's not a punk, he's a nice guy."

"Tomato, tomato" David quipped.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"That'll be Andrew," Emma said quickly, depositing her bowl in the sink, "gotta go."

Emma was almost to the door when her father beat her to it.

David swung the door open to reveal a teenage boy. Trying to keep his paternal instincts in check, David welcomed the boy in and closed the door.

David stared the boy down, clearly not liking the fact that his little girl lied to him about hanging out with friends so she could hang out with a boy, a boy whom she didn't even want to introduce her father to.

"Aren't you going to introduce us, Emma?" David questioned, not taking his eyes off of the little punk who thought he was good enough to date his daughter.

Emma groaned, this was not how today was supposed to go.

"David this is Andrew, Andrew this is David, my father." Emma made hasty introductions and then tried to pull Andrew out the door with her, but David wasn't having any of it.

"Hold on a second there princess, I just want to chat a bit with Andrew here." Turing his gaze from Emma back to Andrew, David continued, "She is a princess you know. That makes me the king. And if anything happens to the princess while you two are 'hanging out' the king's men will know who to look for. Am I clear?"

Andrew, to his credit, looked a bit nervous as he stammered out, "Y-yes sir. I understand."

David, still not pleased, but a bit more relaxed turned to Emma. "You may go 'hang out' with your 'friends' now, Emma. And since you're going to be out all day you won't mind being home for dinner. It will be served at 6."

"Don't you think six is a bit early? Before the curse Mary Margaret didn't really give me a curfew. She just let me—"

"Don't push it princess," David emphasized the title again, "You'll be home for dinner at 6."

"God, you're being such a dad!" Emma screamed before hurling Andrew out the door following.

Still tense David started when he heard a noise from behind him. Seeing it was only his wife David calmed down a bit and went over to her.

"Everything alright," Snow started, "I heard voices. You didn't sound particularly pleased."

"Our little Princess tried to sneak out on a date. Lucky for me the little punk came up to get her and I had a chance to lay down some rules." David admitted, hoping his wife wouldn't be upset with him for being overprotective of their daughter considering the space they both agreed to give her. His wife surprised him, however.

"She's on a what?! How could you let her go out with a boy, David? Do I even know him? Who is he? She's too young for this nonsense!"

"Snow, calm down. I handled it. The punk knows what will happen if anything happens to our princess." David calmed his wife, but inside he was thinking 'it's a good thing for Emma that Snow was sick, or snow would have her locked up in her room swaddled in blankets for the rest of eternity.'

"But she's out baby, David." Snow pouted.

David smiled and pressed a kiss to his wife's forehead, frowning when he still detected a temperature.

"I know, Snow. But unfortunately for us, she's not a baby anymore. And we agreed to give her space. And not allowing her to leave the house is not giving her space. Now she'll be back by six and when you're feeling better you can interrogate her all you'd like. But for now let's get some medication into you and let's get you back to bed.

Emma stormed into Granny's diner, alone. Her date hadn't gone very well. Her father was right, he was a punk. But she'd never admit that to her father. Which is how she wound up at Granny's at one in the afternoon with nothing to do for five hours. Because there was no way in hell that Emma would give her father the satisfaction of going home early and proving him right.

Looking around Emma saw the person she was looking for. Red was sitting at the counter, so Emma went to join her mother's best friend.

Upon sensing another presence with her, Red looked up from the papers she was reading and saw Emma.

"Hey girly, what's up?" Red asked.

"Why do guys suck?" Emma blurted out.

"I uh, what?" Red asked, not prepared for this.

Emma chuckled, "Sorry Red. It's just that you're my m-Snow's best friend. And if things hadn't happened like they did I probably would have grown up with you too. You'd have been like the cool aunt I never had. And my, uh Snow is sick so I can't talk to her right now. So I've come to you." Emma finished, blushing slightly.

Red smiled affectionately at the little girl she adored. "Alright girly, lay it on me. What's the boy trouble?"

Smiling, Emma continued, "I had a date with that guy Andrew from the garage today. But it seems like he only had one thing in mind. And that thing is the furthest thing from my mind at the moment. So I slapped him and left and came here."

"Did he hurt you?" Red demanded.

"NO! No, he was just a little forward and I didn't appreciate that. So I left."

"Good. It's good that you respect yourself enough to have a limit and to enforce it Emma. As for guys sucking, it does seem like that, doesn't it. But it's not all of them. Today it was Andrew, tomorrow it might be a Billy, or a Matt, or a Connor. But eventually you will find the right guy, and all the sucky ones won't matter."

Emma smiled up at Red, "Thanks that did help a bit."

"Anytime. So, why don't you get a slice of chocolate cake to go, go home and watch a movie today?" Red suggested.

"And give David the satisfaction of being right about Andrew, I don't think so. I have to kill some time until six."

Red laughed, "David told you to be home from your date by six! Good luck in the future girly, that is one protective papa."

"Tell me about it."

Suddenly a cloth came flying at her. Emma looked up at Red who smirked, "What's this for?"

"You need some time to kill for five hours and I need some help. So consider yourself hired."

Emma looked confused, "Huh?"

Red explained, "You need some time to kill during the days while your parents are working, and as Granny expects me to help her run this place and Snow and James expect me to help find a way back to the enchanted forest I'm going to need another waitress to cover some shifts. So what do you say? Nine to four Monday through Friday sound good to you?"

Emma looked up at her could-have-been-an-aunt and smiled, "Works for me. Thanks Red."

"You got it girly, anytime."

Emma walked into the apartment a little before six with a bag from Granny's in her hand to find her father hard at work, cooking. Shocked, but not wanting to hurt her father's feelings Emma was quick to hide the bag of food in the fridge before her father saw her.

Finally, David did see his daughter standing there.

"Hey, how was your date," he spat out at the last word.

"It sucked, there won't be a second one."

Despite the glee David felt at the fact that there would be no second date he said, "I'm sorry it didn't work out. Is there anything I can do?"

Emma smiled, and mustering up all her courage she said, "A hug wouldn't go amiss."

David smiled and opened his arms for his little girl, who stepped into them quickly and held on tight.

"You were right, he was a punk," She laughed.

"I could kill him for you." David offered, and Emma wasn't sure if he was serious or not.

"Thanks dad, but I think we'll let the peasant boy live this time."

David thought he had heard wrong, but upon looking down at Emma he saw her smiling and he knew she had done it. She'd finally called him dad.

"Oh princess, thank you."

Father and daughter stood together for a few minutes before David instructed Emma to go make him and Snow's bed before dinner.

Pulling the sheets out of the drier Emma started giggling. David heard this and walked over.

"What's so funny, kid?"

Holding up the now pink sheets Emma managed to get out, "Oh daddy, mama's going to kill you."