** I want to apologize for the length of this. It's short. I tried really hard to make it longer but I can't seem to fit anything else in to it so please accept this Emma David Chapter for what it's worth and be sure to review. :) Thank you.**

Chapter 3

After a while the two women make their way back up to the main deck hand in hand until Emma turns to her mother. "I think I'm gonna go have a chat with Dad." She says this with an ever cheesy smile merely to appease her own sense of awkwardness at using the endearment.

Mary Margaret nods and gives her hand a squeeze before releasing her.

Emma finds David at the Bow of the ship simply staring out in to the distance, his arms crossed over his chest as he stands in deep thought. She smiles at the sight of him and slowly makes her way closer. "You think you have me all figured out do you?" She says with a hint of playfulness.

He turns to the side to see her standing there and cannot help but smile. "What do you mean?"

"Oh… just how you seem to know so much about me and what I need." She says with a shrug as she turns to meet his gaze.

He nods. "Oh you mean because I knew you needed you mother?" He grins quite proud of himself. "It didn't take long for me to figure out that you and I have the same weakness. I mean sure it came as a surprise but it makes sense." He says with a shrug.

She sighs quite contently as she looks out over the distance. "I don't know how I feel about all that." She ponders aloud.

"About what?"He asks, starting to feel a bit concerned by her comment.

"About you knowing me." She says with a bothered shrug and furrow of her brow. She turns to meet his gaze. "I didn't really know how it was going to be with you. I mean with her it was... well... I wouldn't say easier but she already acted like such a mother to me it just fit. With you... and now..." She cannot manage to finish her thought. "You just..." She shrugs.

"I know." He says with a grin and a bow of his head.

"Stop... doing that." She says with a touch of terror which causes David to panic.

"I... uh..." He stutters and shakes his head not sure what he has done wrong.

She laughs and grabs at his arm to put him at ease. "No... I just meant stop reading my mind. I don't like it."

His facial features relax and he lets out a sigh. "Oh, I can't help that... and I know you might not believe this but it actually really scares me that I can do that." He says with a hearty chuckle. "I mean your mother and I have always been able to communicate with little more than a glance and a nod but here I am... as you say... with the sudden ability to read your mind. It terrifies me but then I guess that's normal when you're a parent."

Emma smiles at hearing this and links her arm through his as they both lean on a banister in front of them. "I guess so." She offers quietly.

"We are literally in the same boat when it comes to parenting." He says with another chuckle.

"Oh... terribly cheesy joke." She chides.

"It's not every day that I'm on a ship and can use that reference... I couldn't resist." He offers with a shrug as he places his warm hand over the one she has linked with his arm. "I imagine though that you have the same sort of relationship with Henry don't you?"

"Well... I don't really have him figured out the way you seem to have me all figured out. I don't know what he's thinking or how he's going to react to things. He's got a little bit of Neal in him and a little bit of me which explains all the rebelliousness and the trickery..." She says as they both laugh. "... but because of Regina I think he's a lot more mature and grounded than he should be. I think that is what throws me off. He's got this... this completely optimistic and hopeful side of him that I don't relate to at all."

"Oh that's not Regina, that's genetics. He's just like his grandmother." David suggests.

"Oh... right. She might have mentioned to me once that optimism must run in the family. I... only told her it must have skipped a generation." She says with a shrug.

"For every naysayer there is someone to win us over. I mean I don't always have the faith that your mother does but I love her enough to do what she asks of me, to stand by her choices and decisions."

"Yeah well... If it weren't for her and Henry I probably would have let Regina die for us in the mines. I kind of feel guilty about all that. Some savior… more like selfish and insensitive jerk." She says now with a discouraged frown.

"Hey..." he says as he squeezes her hand. "It was a tough decision to make. I don't blame you. I might have done the same if it meant protecting all of you. I mean it was your mother's decision after all to send you through the wardrobe and skip the curse. I thought she was out of her mind but I did what she asked because she had faith that you would come back to us and that was enough for me. It will always be enough."

"I'm starting to learn that." She sighs. "It's nice though finally having someone around who thinks like me. I mean I still don't like the idea that you know me as well as you do." She says with a laugh. "... but it's nice feeling like there's finally someone out there who gets me. Not to mention that fact that this someone is my Dad."

At this he pulls his arm from her grasp and wraps it around her in one fell swoop. "Certainly took you long enough but you did find us." He says with a smile as he feels Emma sidle up to him and rest her head against his shoulder. "I always knew you would."