Title: The Wooden Swan
Chapter One: The Enchanted Forest
Author: snarkysweetness
Rating: PG
Characters: Pinocchio, Red Riding Hood, & Snow White (and I guess Emma too since she's in Snow's stomach at the time) with Charming, Lancelot, Geppetto, & Granny in the background; foreshadowing to Emma/August & of course Snow/Charming
Summary: During a war council meeting a very pregnant Snow decides to get some mommy practice in.
Warnings: So much cute and fluff I think even I might die.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: Can this please happen on the show? Likeā¦just Snow interacting with BB Pinocchio, please. I want this so bad.
Snow leaned her head back with a long sigh. Every inch of her body was sore. She'd spent nearly a decade on the run from her step-mother, living in the wilderness, abusing her body, but none of it compared to the woes of carrying a child. She hoped Charming appreciated what she was going through for him, because she had no desire to ever do this again.
The kingdom would just have to deal with having a female heir because Emma would be the only one.
She drowned out the sound of Charming and Lancelot's new plans to raid Regina's castle and take her prisoner. Snow knew any plans to capture Regina would be futile, but she'd allow them to have their hopes for glory before shooting them all down later. Aside from the fact that it would be a suicide mission, she was Queen here, which meant that she called the shots.
Plus, who wanted to argue with a hormonal, pregnant woman?
And she was not losing her husband because he wanted to be a big damn hero.
Snow turned her attention to her right, sending a small smile to her best friend, who sent her a sympathetic shrug. Next to her, Granny snorted at Lancelot's suggestion that they throw Regina in a cell with Rumpelstiltskin, negating the need for Snow to tell them what a horrible idea that would be.
From the corner of her eyes, she caught sight of Geppetto leaning down to pat his boy on the head and Snow found herself inadvertently leaning over in her chair to get a good look at him. He was an adorable child; mild-mannered, helpful, and kind. She caught herself smiling at his as he looked up from his carving and he shyly smiled in return.
Snow tried to justify her actions as needing to spend time with children since she was to be a mother soon, but really, she just wanted to play with the young boy. Geppetto was a wonderful father, but Snow knew full well what life without a mother was like and she wanted to reach out to him.
She settled herself on the floor next to him and shrugged off Charming's warnings that the floor was too cold. Red tossed Snow her cloak and Charming gave up trying to reason with her.
"What are you working on, Pinocchio?"
"A present for baby Emma," he said proudly, holding up a misshapen piece of wood.
Snow tried to figure out what it was, but she eventually gave up.
"What is it?"
"A swan; to match her blanket."
Granny held up the knitting she'd just begun and sure enough, Snow could make out the bottom of a swan embroidered into the fabric. She gave Granny a smile and returned her attention to Pinocchio as Red joined them on the floor.
Ruffling his hair, Red kissed the top of Pinocchio's head, making the little boy blush.
"Will you make me a wolf, next?"
"I can't, Miss Red, Papa and I are building a crib for baby Emma, but I promise I will when we're done."
Snow felt tears sting at her eyes. He was the most precious thing she'd ever seen. If her Emma was half as wonderful as he was, she'd have a hard time telling Charming 'no' when he asked for a son.
"I see what's going on here; you're starting early, aren't you? I've seen many a lad work hard to woo a female, but I'm impressed, Pinocchio; I've never seen someone begin paying up his dowry before the young maiden is born."
Pinocchio made a confused face, abandoning his work to glance up at Red.
"Don't lie to me, young man, you want to marry yourself a princess, I get it. But not to worry, I have it on good authority that you're already set to marry the princess," she told him with a wink.
Pinocchio made a face.
"Eww, that's gross, Miss Red, she's just a baby!"
Snow bit back a chuckle. That Red was a wicked one.
"Don't worry, Pinocchio, by the time you're to marry Emma, you'll both be grown up," Snow teased.
"But what if I don't want to marry her?"
"She'll be heartbroken, I'm sure. How could she not? You're a fine young man; I can't imagine you won't be a dashing knight in her guard someday."
"Really, your majesty, I can be a knight?"
Snow laughed and kissed the top of his head.
"You can be anything you want, Pinocchio. In my kingdom, anyone's dreams can come true."
"Can I finish Emma's present first?"
Snow and Red exchanged an amused look.
"Of course," Snow told Pinocchio seriously, watching as he went back to his work diligently.
It was too soon to be thinking about royal weddings, but if Snow had her pick, Emma would follow in her mother's footsteps in not marrying a real royal.
