Snow was the first to point it out to him. They were sitting by the kitchen table. Henry had already left for the school bus, and Emma was upstairs taking a shower. "You have a daddy voice," she said through a proud smile. He raised his head to look at her.
"I have a what again?" he asked, pushing a cup of tea in her direction.
"A daddy voice," she smirked. She gave him this look of what's not to understand and he just did not know what to say to her.
"What's a daddy voice?" he asked.
She gave him a big smile, her eyes sparkling. "When you talk to me you have the voice of a lover," she whispered, "and when you talk to Henry you have your protective grandfather voice, always trying to spoil him. And then you have this voice when you speak to Emma". She stopped right there, like she thought it was obvious. He raised his eyebrow in question.
"Really, Charming?" she asked.
He sighed. "Snow, she's a grown woman".
She nodded at him dismissively. "Yes she is. But you still speak to her like you would speak to a rebel teenager. You always sound so loving and careful and you always make sure she knows you're there for her. You're so protective and you let her know that you won't let any-one hurt her. And when when-ever she acts in a way that even slightly reminds you of a rebelling teenager your voice gets stern and you puff your chest with authority".
"Puff with authority, uh?" he smirked, leaning to kiss her.
"Oh god, guys, really?!"
They broke apart and turned around to face the stairs. Emma was standing on the edge of the bottom stair, looking at her parents.
"Oh come on Emma," he said, "it's just a kiss. Here, have some coffee". He got up and turned around to pour some coffee into what he knew was her favourite mug. He placed the mug in front of her just as she sat down.
"The coffee is great," she moaned through a sip, "but it won't make me forget what I had to witness so early in the morning. No, that would definitely require a bit more than that".
"Blackmailing'" he said with realisation, "now why does that remind me of a specific some-one?" He gave snow a look over his shoulder.
Snow shot him a look and he had to stifle a chuckle. He sipped his coffee, looking at Emma and mentally listing all the looks she thankfully inherited from her mother. Such a beautiful girl he had.
"Okay I have to go," Emma said, visibly uncomfortable. "Too many people are still confused with all the Zelena-taking-a-year-off-their-lives issue".
"Emma," he started, and from the corner of his eye he could see Snow smirking.
Emma looked over her shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, be careful. I know". She turned to walk away, but he didn't let her go.
"Emma," he said again, more sternly.
"Daddy voice," Snow whispered in his ear as she turned to wash the three mugs lying on the table. He got distracted for a second but shook his head and went on.
"I mean it Emma, be careful".
He watched her nod and walk out the door before he turned back to watch his wife.
He sat in the living room and read a book when Emma walked in with a grumpy face. He watched quietly as she threw her jacket on the floor and sat by the far end of the sofa he sat on.
"Bad day I gather?" he asked carefully, trying not to push her away.
When she made no effort to answer him, he tries again. "Emma," he said, moving a bit closer to where she sat curled into a ball, looking like she was trying to disappear.
"You're doing it again," she said after a quiet few moments without even bothering to raise her head and look at him.
"Doing what?" he asked her, not sure where to put her comment.
"The discipline thing," she answered.
"The what?" he pressed, utterly confused.
"You have this tone you use," she said, and one look at her made him understand that she was fighting for words. "When-ever you're… unhappy with some-thing I do or, umm, say, I guess".
"Did you just accuse me of being your father, Emma?" he teased.
He watches as her cheeks turned red and her head dropped in defeat. He tried his best to hide his proud smile. They stayed quiet for what he estimated as five minutes before she seemed to be over her accusation. He, however, was still thinking of that 'daddy voice' both his women accused him for having.
"It's just that all of those people out there. They are all so confused and scared, and…" she took in a deep breath, "I guess… it's all just affecting me".
He sighed and moved closer to her. "That's why I told you to be careful princess," he said, ignoring her wince at the pet-name. "You're just like your mother, so caring and loving". She batted her eyes, probably fighting back tears. He placed his hand on her knee before he went on. "It's all going to turn out okay soon enough. But in the meantime, it's going to be hard. But, Emma, it will be a lot easier if you talked to someone. And, princess, you know I'm here to listen".
"Thanks," she said, her voice breaking. "I think I'm going to take a shower". She got up but had no chance to take her first step.
"Oh, and princess?" he stopped her.
She turned around and rolled her eyes dramatically at him.
"Pick up your jacket," he said with mock seriousness, "and don't throw it in the floor next time".
"Or what?" she murmured, but turned to pick it up and hang it in place.
"She pointed it out to me earlier," he told snow.
"Hmm?" she asked, joining him to lay in their bed.
"Emma," he said blankly, turning off the lights.
"You're going to have to explain yourself honey".
"She said I have this… discipline voice. That I use it when I'm not happy with something she says or does".
It was quiet and he was starting to think that she had fallen asleep. But quickly enough, he heard her answer.
"So now do you believe me? You have a daddy voice".
He was tired. He had a week year old son and he was so, so tired. He rescued his child from the hands of the wicked witch. They named him after a hero. He found out his daughter was there to help when he first met Snow. And the most important of all, he got to be called 'dad' by his fully grown daughter, and they were in no way about to die.
They were back home and had just put Neal to bed. Henry had fallen asleep as well and they were just the three of them sitting in the kitchen.
He knew he was staring but he really didn't care. His daughter had called him dad, and it was a dream come true.
"If I said it again, would you stop staring?" Emma teased.
He got up and pulled her into a tight hug. "Don't you ever do this again," he said, using his new found daddy voice.
"Call you dad?" she asked, voice stained with hurt and confusion.
"Oh, no, god no," he breathed. "You should never stop doing that, princess". He took a step back and puffed his chest with authority as best as he could manage. "Don't you ever jump into a time portal again and risk your life like that". She gave him a touched smile in return.
"I promise dad".