Gold

{45}

I hurriedly got dressed and made it downstairs to see Charming carrying yet another food tray.

I rolled my eyes and made eye contact with Emma. I knew Snow was upset about Cora, but it had been a week. It was time to move past it. And Charming wasn't helping matters, what with serving Snow breakfast in bed every day and enabling her.

"Breakfast in bed? Really?" Emma asked him, looking irritated.

"What happened has been really hard on Mary Margaret. The least we can do is make sure she's eating." Charming defended. He'd been using that line every morning when Emma and I would say something. It was starting to get old.

"I think it's time to give the hot cocoa and  foot massages a rest. It's time to haul her ass out of bed and make her get past this." Emma told him.

"That's a little harsh, don't you think? She took Cora's life." Charming said.

"Yeah, she did, but she did it to help us. She needs to get out of that bed before she isn't able to. This can't keep her down forever, Charming." I told him.

Emma gave me a look for calling him Charming, but a habit was a habit.

"Is everything okay?" Henry asked, coming down the stairs.

"Everything's fine, kid. Go get your coat, we're gonna be late." Emma told him.

"Bye, Gramps. Bye, Aunt Claire." Henry said and I smiled at him. "Bye, buddy." I told him, grabbing my own coat as he left the apartment.

Emma walked over and did the same, turning to Charming one last time.

"I know you think that she needs our help, but at the end of the day, she's the only one who can help herself." Emma told him.

She opened the door and I followed her out.

"Claire, you want to come along to Granny's? I don't know if I can brave Neal alone." Emma told me and I glanced over at her.

"I thought the coparenting thing was going well." I said and she sighed.

"It is. I just can't look at him without remembering that year I spent in jail for him." She told me.

"I know, but you have to, for Henry." I told her.

"I'll come along, though. I should probably get to know Baelfire anyways, since I was almost his stepmother." I told her and she smirked.

"What is it with you and calling everyone their fairy tale names?" She asked me and I grinned. "It's a habit. Plus, Baelfire just sounds cooler. Don't worry, I'll call him Neal to his face." I told her and she grinned.

We finally caught up with Henry who was carrying his book. We walked into Granny's to see Baelfire at an empty booth. Henry rushed over to him.

"Hey, buddy how are you?" Baelfire asked Henry.

"I'm good. I brought this. I thought you could tell me what it was really like over there." Henry said, showing Baelfire the book.

"Sounds great." Baelfire said, then glanced to where Emma and I stood.

"Hey, buddy why don't you run into the diner and get us three hot cocoas and then we'll dive in." Baelfire said and Henry grinned, rushing to the counter.

"I'm gonna have to take a rain check on that. I need to get down to the station to take of some things." Emma told him.

Baelfire looked between us. "Can't it wait? There's a couple of things I want to talk to you about. Tamara went to my place to get some of her stuff." He said and I looked at him in confusion.