That's How You Know | Emma Swan

Xiii. Helping out a Friend

Storybrooke. Present day.

GEMMA ROLLED HER eyes at her raven haired friend as the two of them sat in a booth at Granny's diner a stack of papers that needed grading between them and two mugs of hot chocolate to keep them going for the day, as Mary Margret was out late last night once again, it had been up to Gemma to grade all the papers that needed it, however due to the late hour and the amount of papers that needed to be graded the red head fell asleep at her kitchen table only to wake up a few hours later as the teaching assistant rang Mary Margret and the two of them agreed to help the other person 

"I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me the last few weeks" Mary Margret smiled brightly at her friend as she put down her pen for a moment and picked up her hot chocolate sipping on it slightly and although sleep was threatening to pull her eyelids closed Gemma managed to smile a small smile at her friend "Seriously I don't know how I could've done it without you so thank you"

"No need to thank m--"  Gemma started but was cut off when a yawn emitted from her mouth, showing just how tired she was but she quickly waved it off as she continued "You should thank Paige if you're thanking anyone, she's been covering for David with Katherine, truthfully though I think it just shows how everyone is scared of our blonde headed friend"

"She can be quite scary" Mary Margret muses with a chuckle 

Gemma ignored the last comment for a moment as she continued to grade the papers and when she had finished the last one for the minute the redhead looked back up at her raven haired friend and added in a whisper "You forget Mare that we're trying to do all this to keep you safe and especially after last night when he got two valentine cards because he didn't know who he wanted to be with even after he told you he would break it off with Kathryn"

Suddenly Mary Margret's face fell but she tried to keep a smile on her face "I know" 

"Come on Mare cheer up don't let him get you down let's just finish these and our hot chocolates before heading to school, we can talk about this later" Gemma told her friend with a reassuring smile, they could get through today and talk about everything later the redhead decided 

* * * * *

Andalisa. Then 

Although Narrisa seemed like an alright person and she seemed like someone that Giselle could see as a mother eventually as she was always kind to the little girl giving her kind smiles and warm hugs but there was something about the black haired woman that made Giselle's skin crawl and her stomach flip flop uneasily just by the way Narrisa looked at her sometimes as if Narrisa didn't think of Giselle as a step daughter instead she thinks of the woman as some kind of baggage -- but that was sugar coated with  sweet smiles and coaxing words

"How is my gorgeous step daughter this evening?" Narrisa asked as she sat on the smaller throne, next to Giselle's father's sitting on it like she had been on it her entire life and it left the redhead feeling uneasy but she didn't say anything as she smiled up at her stepmother 

"Fine" Giselle replied curtly "Where is father we were supposed to go to the meadows?"

Narrisa frowned slightly, the picture making her face looking quite ugly but before Giselle could say anything the frown was gone as if it was never there to begin with and she smiled up at the energetic red head quickly rubbing the girls shoulder "It appears you're father is quite busy with the chancellor and he told me to tell you not to worry and that he misses you and I'm sure that when he is free you'll be able to go to the meadows"