Fluffy fluff. Based on the behind the scenes photos for the mid-season premiere. A birthday gift for my friend curiousgeekblog.

Snow makes her way to Granny's with a bounce in her step. It has been weeks since the Snow Queen's defeat and she finds herself thinking that life in Storybrooke is pretty good when there are no villains around to threaten it's existence. As she rounds into Granny's courtyard she pauses, taken aback by the flurry of activity. Several of the dwarves are setting up what looks like tiki-torches and a large pig is roasting on a make-shift spit in the corner. Snow waves at Happy before making her way over to Granny at the steps.

"Sorry I'm late! Neal was being fussy. It's looking wonderful."

Granny gives a curt nod not taking her eyes off the dwarves. "Still lots to do inside. We would be done by now if Ruby hadn't insisted we needed a theme this year." the gruff lady waves toward the door.

Snow nods. "Is the birthday girl around?"

Granny shakes her head. "No. She took off this afternoon probably with Whale. Leroy! I said light the torches not burn down the place!" Granny barrels past her and Snow chuckles as Leroy, perched on a ladder and holding an alarmingly large bottle of lighter fluid, starts to argue.

She takes the steps two at a time and pulls the door open. The scene inside is slightly more subdued. Carl and Ellie sit in a corner booth unfolding bright yellow paper pineapples as Ashley stands on a stool stringing up a brightly colored lei garland. Belle and Killian are sitting at the counter surrounded by trays full of cubes of ham, cheese, and more olives than Snow thinks they could possibly eat. They seem to have a system. Killian artfully placing the skewers in the peeled pineapples as quickly as Belle assembles them. They are talking as they work and Snow is struck by just how comfortable they seem. Although she knows they have spent a lot of time cooped up researching in the library she had assumed, given their history, that they would never truly get along. She was happy to be proved wrong.

"Ah! your-Snow." Killian greets her with a smile. The corner of Snow's mouth ticks up. He was still having difficulty calling her by her name. She makes her way over and offers a quick hello. Belle fills her in on the skewering process and she happily sets to work. After a few moments Killian breaks the companionable silence.

"Belle and I were just discussing what exactly this luau might entail. Perhaps you could enlighten us."

Snow arches a brow. For a moment she thinks he is joking but a swift look at Belle's curious face dispels the idea. "Oh right. Neither of you have cursed memories!"

"Aye."

Belle shoots her a small smile.

"Well. A luau is…" Snow thinks for a moment trying to figure out exactly how to describe it. "It's a party that is based around the tropical island cultures of this world. There are special drinks and games and tropical themed food." she gestures at the pineapple with her skewer.

"Interesting. That does explain the roast pig, pineapples, and flowers. But what is limbo?" Belle asks.

"Yes and Ruby mentioned something called mai tai's. They sounded like a waste of perfectly good rum." Killian interjects with a raise of his eyebrow.

Snow laughs and he smiles back. She finds it strange how in the past weeks she has gotten to know and appreciate his sense of humor. She has learned a lot of things about the pirate between conversations with Emma and his near permanent presence in their home.

With a shake of her head Snow begins to answer their questions, which were numerous, about all things "luau". By the end of the conversation (or at least her part of the conversation Killian and Belle had lapsed into a discussion on the difference in food varieties throughout the realms) Snow realizes that the two of them were both unquenchable in their thirst for information. As she half listens to them discuss the novelty of hamburgers she muses that their long hours in the library were probably filled with such easy discussion and sharing of knowledge.

Once they finish with the food Granny arrives and puts them to work in other places. The rest of the afternoon is a whirlwind of activity until the party starts. Ruby shows up, a very disheveled Dr. Whale in tow, just in time to welcome everyone and thank them for coming. The party atmosphere is relaxed and festive with soft ukelele music accompanying the conversations. Snow looks around the room with a warmth bubbling in her veins that has nothing to do with the mai tai in her hand. She spots Emma and Killian sitting and whispering in the corner and hides her smile in her plastic coconut.

David appears beside her, drawing her attention and thoughts away from her daughter and the pirate. She smiles up at him as he wraps an arm around her waist.

"They are starting the limbo competition. Care to come cheer me on?" he asks with an excited, alcohol fueled grin.

"Oh I would. But my money is on Killian."

David stood up straighter in mock affront. "Hook? He doesn't even know what limbo is!"

"I explained it to him this afternoon. And believe me he is going to win. I saw him in action at Lake Nostos."

David shakes his head as if he can't believe his ears. He turns and bellows across the room "Pirate! Limbo! Outside now!"

Snow watches as Killian rolls his eyes and plants a kiss on Emma's cheek before rising. Emma grins at her father, clearly happy with the easy friendship that Killian and David had fallen into in the last few weeks.

Before David walks away he leans in and lowers his voice. "I think you bet on the wrong man. I'll have you know that I am very flexible."

She smacks his shoulder and pushes him towards the door. Making a note to make sure he doesn't spend any more time with the pirate.

The competition is fierce with Dopey giving Killian some real competition (David only lasts two rounds, he blames the mai tai's). By the end the courtyard is full of people cheering and clapping. When he wins Killian wraps Emma up in a celebratory kiss that has everyone cheering for a different reason.

Snow laughs along with everyone else and thinks again just how good life in Storybrooke can be when it is completely villain free.