Title: The Five Stages of Grief
Chapter Seven: Starting Over
Author: snarkysweetness
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Emma, August/Pinocchio, Henry, Snow, Charming, & Geppetto; Emma/August & Snow/Charming
Summary: Emma prepares to move forward with her life.
Warnings: Nothing horrible…but nothing I can list without spoiling the ending.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: I just want to say; Damn this show. There was a time when I would have ended this all dark and twisty and anyone who's ever read my Harry Potter stories knows this, but this show has RUINED me. Now I write fluffy and hopeful happy endings. Anyways, I hope this makes up for the pain I've put you all through. As always, mad props to the wife.

It starts all over again.

Emma remained silent for a moment, allowing her father to hold her. Confident that she could stand on her own, she opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it.

"Well, it took you long enough."

Emma's eyes flew open as she realized that the voice she'd heard earlier hadn't been in her mind. She reached down and took his hands in hers, registering that while the arms around her were familiar, they didn't belong to whom she'd first assumed.

The moment her mind wrapped around what was going on, she spun around quickly, nearly sending herself careening to the floor, but his arms held her upright.

She immediately brought her fingers up to his face, hesitantly touching his cheeks before trailing them over his forehead, nose, and then chin. As soon as she felt reassured that he was real and he wasn't going to fade away from her, she let out a breath she hadn't even been aware she'd been holding.

"I knew it!"

Emma threw her arms around his neck while laughing in relief.

"Really? Because I have to tell you, the glass coffin is really making me doubt that."

She pulled away to swat at his arm.

"Shut up."

"Are you crying?"

He reached up to wipe away a stray tear and Emma shook her head.

"No."

He pulled her against his chest, smirking.

"You missed me," he whispered, bringing her face towards his as Emma fought to break away from him, not wanting him to see her like this.

"I did no-"

His lips covered hers and Emma sighed into his mouth, bringing her fingers up to clutch his shirt as she returned the kiss. He moved one hand into her hair, deepening their kiss, while keeping one arm firmly against her lower back.

When the need for air became too great, Emma reluctantly broke away from him and rested her forehead against his.

"August…"

"Princess."

"How…"

She didn't even have the words, so she yanked him by his shirt and brought his lips back to hers with fervor. Emma ran her hands down his chest before backing him up against a column slowly, until his body was pressed flush against it.

Her fingers went for his belt buckle but August grabbed her hands and pushed her off of him.

"Ems," he whispered, staring down at her and shaking his head. "Not here."

Emma remembered where they were and nodded.

"Right, it's…creepy…"

She grabbed him by the back of the neck and pulled him towards her, kissing him once more before leading him towards the bug, walking backwards so she could keep her eyes on him.

Emma pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed Henry, keeping one hand in August's.

"Mom?"

"Hey kid. Listen, I know you were going to spend all day with your grandpas, but I have a surprise for you. So have your grandma pick up breakfast from Granny's and then you and your Grandpa Charming can swing by and pick Grandpa Geppetto up, okay?"

August lifted an eyebrow and Emma shook her head, so he wouldn't say anything.

"Mom…does this have anything to do with me getting a baby sister?"

Emma glanced up at August with a smirk.

Not yet, she thought.

"Kid, just be home for breakfast, okay? I love you."

"Love you too, mom."

Emma snapped her phone shut and August pressed her against the door of the bug.

"'Grandpa'?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Your dad really likes Henry. He's even teaching him…stuff. What in the Hell does a wood carver do anyway?"

August smirked and Emma rolled her eyes.

"Besides that."

August leaned in and kissed her quickly.

"They do lots of stuff."

"Hmm, well, we have until morning; do you want to show me some of this 'stuff'?"

"I've already showed you my 'stuff', but I suppose I could be per-"

Emma cut him off with a kiss and he smirked.

"Why don't you take us home, Princess?"

Emma could get used to that nickname.

Killing the engine, Emma watched as August looked up at the apartment building. He was more handsome than she'd remembered and she never wanted to let him out of her sight again. And while she had a million questions for him, there was only one thing she wanted to do right now.

"What's wrong?"

She smiled.

"Nothing."

Emma popped off her seat belt and climbed over to the passenger's side, straddling August.

"Princess, I don't think there's enough-oh, well if you're going to do that, then-"

Emma chuckled and sat up to allow more room for her hand but hit her head, hard, in the process.

"Don't even-" She warned, seeing the amused look on August's face.

August pulled her down to his level and kissed her forehead.

"Let's do this upstairs, you impatient little minx."

Once they were back in the apartment, August pressed Emma against the door and tucked a loose piece of her hair behind her ear. His gaze was so intense butterflies began to flutter in her stomach.

"I love you, Ems."

Emma closed her eyes and tried not to laugh.

Of course…

She opened her eyes and smirked.

"I love you too."

August watched her warily.

"What's going on in that beautiful brain of yours?"

Emma pushed away from the door, took his hand, and drew him towards the bedroom. When the back of her knees hit the mattress she wrapped her fingers around the back of his neck and brought his lips to hers, still smirking.

"Emma?"

"We're going to make a baby."

August was taken aback.

"Right now?"

Emma nodded.

"Oh yeah."

August pondered her words and after a moment, nodded, a look of bemusement crossing his features.

"All right, if my Princess commands it of me, I suppose I don't really have a choice."

Emma fought back a smile and shook her head.

"You really don't."

The sun flittered in through the curtains and Emma groaned, rolling over to hug her pillow but she hit a warm body instead. Emma sat up so fast, the blood rushed to her head and she gave herself a headache. Cursing, she recalled the night before and smiled slowly.

She reached over to run her fingers through August's hair, wondering if he was up for round five when she heard the sound of her dad's truck downstairs.

"Crap!"

Emma jumped over August, waking him in the process, and began gathering their clothes from the night before. Throwing his clothes on the bed, she hurriedly dressed.

"August! My parents! Get up!"

"What?" He groaned and sat up to pull on his pants, but he wasn't fast enough for Emma so she gathered his shirt and pulled it over his head. Once she got his arms through August caught her wrists and pulled her into his lap, kissing her.

Emma chuckled into his mouth and drew away from him.

"Not now."

"We're both dressed, its fine," he insisted, giving her another smooch.

She'd been through Hell over the past few months over him and he wasn't the easiest man to resist to begin with, so she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. August ran his hand over her back, resting it over her bottom before pressing her body against him. Emma moaned into his mouth, forgetting all about Henry and her parents for a moment.

But only for a moment.

"Mom, we got French-"

Charming's keys fell to the floor with a loud clang and Emma jerked away from August, her cheeks flushing.

"August!"

Henry left his fuckstruck Grandparents and ran into Emma's room, throwing himself at the both of them. August let go of Emma to pull Henry against him.

"Hey kid," he whispered, hugging him tightly.

Emma watched them with a smile and then wrapped her arms around both of them, kissing the top of Henry's head.

"How did you do it, mom?!"

"Hey! How do you know she did it?"

Henry pulled away with a smile, his arms locked around August's neck.

"Mom didn't tell you? She has magic!"

August gave her a 'look' and Emma shrugged.

"Something about being the product of 'True Love' or some nonsense."

"And here I was thinking that kiss did it."

"Oh, mom tried that loads of times!"

"HENRY!"

August smirked and ruffled Henry's hair.

"Is that so?"

Henry nodded.

"Yup, she tried everything."

"Tell me more about 'everything'."

Emma opened her mouth to speak but once again, she was interrupted.

"Pinocchio?"

Emma slid off of August and pulled Henry into her lap, allowing August to stand and move towards the common area.

August and his father watched one other for a long moment before they threw their arms around one another. Geppetto held August closely, crying, while repeating 'my boy' over and over again and Emma could make out 'I missed you too father' from August's end. She held Henry closer and enjoyed watching Geppetto have his moment.

"How did you do it?" Henry whispered.

Emma kissed his temple and smiled.

"The same way I brought you back, kid, I just didn't do it right before."

She had kissed Henry goodbye before leaving to slay the dragon and that hadn't broken the curse. It wasn't until after he'd 'died' and she told him she loved him for the first time that True Love's Kiss worked. So it wasn't until she did that same with August that she was able to save him. If she'd figured that all out a lot sooner, she'd have saved them all a world of hurt.

"Emma?"

Snow still stood with her mouth half open while Charming was trying not to rage over finding his daughter on top of a man.

Emma just gave them both a smug smile.

"I told you he wasn't dead."

Henry hopped off her lap and ran towards the kitchen to get their breakfast on the table. Emma followed him slowly. Geppetto released August and went for Emma, kissing her face.

"You did it! Thank you."

Emma gave him a small nod, happy to see him joyous for once.

"Henry, my boy!"

Geppetto hugged Henry who began asking when they could finish working on 'Operation Swan'. Emma shook her head, not wanting to know.

August grabbed her by the waist from behind and pulled her against him. He placed a small kiss on her neck before whispering into her ear.

"Speaking of, what do you say we work on 'Operation Booth' tonight?"

Emma turned her head, giving him an 'excuse me' look.

August spun her around and pulled her against him, giving her a quick kiss. He placed a hand over her flat stomach and winked.

"You know what."

She shook her head.

"I can't wait to see your face when you realize I wasn't joking."

His eyes twinkled for a moment before his lip curled into a smirk as if to say 'challenge accepted'.

"Your Majesties?"

Emma didn't have to look to know her mother was physically restraining her father from pulling August aside to have a 'talk' at that moment.

"Yes, August?"

"I'd like your permission to marry this stubborn daughter of yours."

"YE-" Geppetto covered Henry's mouth, but it was too late, everyone knew August had Henry's approval.

Snow exchanged a look with Charming who was not pleased. Emma was still his little girl, after all, and the only thing he knew about August was that his daughter had spent months in torment over him. Eventually, Snow's stare won and Charming reluctantly let out a sigh.

"If Emma says 'yes' then fine. And we're going to have a long talk."

Emma rolled her eyes.

August nodded and released Emma, joining Henry at the table. Emma stood there for a moment, flabbergasted. Was he…

"Well?"

August glanced up at her.

"What?"

"Are you asking?"

"No, I was asking if I have permission to ask. See, this stubborn Princess I know took months to save me and I think I need a long time to recover before I commit to anything," he teased, popping a piece of French Toast into his mouth. "Then again…I do want to make sure our little Operation is done properly, so…I could decide to commit at any time. I guess you'll just have to be ready at all times, Princess."

Emma scoffed in offense before she moved to the table, joining everyone else.

"Does this 'operation' have anything to do with me getting a little sister, because I want one of those," Henry whispered to August and of course, everyone heard him.

Emma choked on her orange juice and even Charming laughed.

"All right kid, my first act as your new dad is to teach you about filters," August muttered, ruffling his hair.

"Cool."

"Hey, no one said you're allowed to parent my kid."

"Whatever you say, Princess," August teased. "Whatever you say."

For all of August's teasing, less than a week later, Emma woke with a very simple, very 'Emma' engagement ring on her finger. August didn't even bother to ask, he was cocky enough to expect a 'yes' and Emma was damaged enough to be freaked out at the idea of some big romantic proposal.

And the wedding itself?

Even simpler. Just them, the parents, Henry, Ruby, Granny, and Archie, with the Blue Fairy officiating. Emma only bothered with actually going through with it for her father's sake.

"So, Henry's spending the afternoon with your father," Emma whispered, wrapping her arms around August from behind.

"Is that your way of telling me that you want to work on 'Operation Booth'?"

"We could…but it'd be pretty futile seeing as the operation has been completed."

August spun around, dropping the spoon he'd been using to stir their dinner.

"Are you saying 'Operation Baby' is a go?"

Emma smirked, her eyes twinkling.

"Oh yeah."

August lifted her up and twirled her around before kissing her fiercely.

"I love you, Ems."

"I love you too."

And always, every time, it takes your breath away.