Title: Quieting the Darkness
Summary: "We need something to lift their spirits, Charming," Snow explained. "We're all just spinning our wheels here, and our growing discouragement is not helping anyone, least of all Emma. Regina and Belle can work on the research for a couple of hours. Let's use that time to do something together."
Spoilers: Up through 5x02, "The Price."
Characters: Snow, Charming, Emma, Henry, and Killian, with a cameo by Granny.
Rating/Warning: K+. Family hurt/comfort, ahoy.
Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time and its characters were created by Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and are owned by ABC. I borrowed the characters when they weren't looking but I promise to leave everything just the way I found it.
Author's Note: Anonymous prompt on Tumblr: "Do you think you can write some charming family in Camelot. Nobody does " I was glad to! This isn't my normal fluff-fest (because aside from the ball, the mood in Camelot doesn't really allow for it), but hopefully it's family-feels-y enough. Feedback makes my little day! Enjoy. :)
Snow White's heart sank into her stomach as she eyed her daughter from across the breakfast table. Emma was her baby, her little girl, her pride and joy, her light in the darkness … and they were losing her. That light, that spark that made her Emma was dying, getting smothered by the darkness that now resided within her.
Sometimes Emma did seem like herself. She still could be warm and lovingly teasing, and she still had that fire, that fight, that spirit that made her Emma. But sometimes she was cold. Sometimes her voice was a low monotone that sent shivers down Snow's spine. And sometimes that fire, that fight, that spirit was nowhere to be found.
Despite the urgency of their mission, Snow couldn't help but feel like she was losing her baby girl more and more every day. Each time the darkness took hold, it seemed to hold on longer The hope in everyone's eyes was dwindling with each passing hour, each dead end. And there were no words to express how utterly painful it was for Snow to find less and less of Emma in her baby girl's eyes.
"We need to do something, Charming," she murmured to her husband, who was seated beside her at the breakfast table. He, too, kept a watchful eye on their little girl. At this very moment, she was picking at her food, lazily shifting her scrambled eggs around on the plate with her fork.
Both their hearts ached. Emma Swan never simply picked at her food. Even when faced with a plate of something entirely outside her comfort zone, she typically ate like she meant it.
Charming heaved a sigh. His voice quavered slightly as he said, "We're doing everything we can, Snow."
It was the truth, of course, but an unbelievably painful one. They were doing everything they could … and it wasn't nearly enough.
"I meant in the more immediate sense," Snow clarified, trying not to dwell on the utter helplessness she knew they were all feeling. "Look at her. She's miserable."
Charming set his fork down and gave her his full attention. "Of course she's miserable, Snow," he said softly. "She has the darkest force any of us has ever seen inside her, fighting for control. I don't–"
"And look at Henry," Snow continued with a nod towards their grandson. "He's so worried. And poor Hook … the pirate is beside himself."
"And you and I are beside ourselves, too, but what do you propose we do? The only one who can tell us how to save her is Merlin, and he can't be of any assistance until we figure out how to free him from that tree."
Snow spared another glance at her baby girl, who had finally taken a small bite of scrambled egg. "I'm proposing the six of us – you, me, Emma, Henry, Hook, and little Neal – take a couple hours off and do something. We need to get out of these walls for a bit and take our minds off of it."
The incredulous look on his face made it clear that he couldn't believe she was suggesting that they put the rescue mission on hold even for a minute.
"We need to do something to lift their spirits, Charming," she explained. "We're all just spinning our wheels here, and our growing discouragement is not helping anyone, least of all Emma. Regina and Belle can work on the research for a couple of hours. Let's use that time to do something together."
His eyes lit up in realization as he grasped the meaning underneath her words. Doing something together would not only give everyone a much needed break, it would also serve as a subtle reminder to Emma of what she had to fight for. "How about a picnic lunch?" he suggested. "It would provide just enough of a break that it'll hopefully relax everyone but it won't be long enough to make them feel like they're wasting precious time."
Snow smiled. "I think that sounds perfect."
The first order of business was of course asking Granny for her help. They'd originally thought of asking Arthur's kitchen staff to put something small together for them but had decided against it. Henry and Emma would much prefer the comfort food of home, they'd figured.
And of course once they'd told her their plan, Granny had been more than willing to help. "I'll make you up the perfect picnic basket," she'd said, already mentally preparing a quick menu for the meal. "I'll even tuck in a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches right before I drop the food off for you. Your daughter certainly loves her grilled cheese."
"Thank you, Granny," Snow had said, smiling in gratitude.
Charming and Snow finished setting up the blanket in a particularly peaceful area at the base off a tree on the castle grounds just as Granny delivered the basket. "What do you think?" Snow asked her husband as she gazed around at their picnic area.
"It's just what I was imagining," he assured her. "Quiet, out of the way, serene. It's perfect."
She smiled at him and slipped her hand into his. Then, as one, they entered the castle in search of the rest of their family.
They found them in Emma's chamber. Henry sat in a plush chair in the corner of the room with little Neal in his arms, and Hook and Emma were perched on the edge of her four-poster bed. Hook was holding Emma's hand in his lap, his thumb running over the back of it, but Emma didn't seem to notice; she was staring off into the middle distance.
The boys were quite obviously worried. Snow's own heart skipped a beat in her chest at the sight of her poor baby girl so lost and troubled.
She'd clearly arrived at this little idea of hers at the perfect time.
"All right, everyone," she said, clapping her hands together once to capture their attention. (Twenty-eight years of being an elementary school teacher had obviously left an imprint on her habits and mannerisms.) "We're getting out from behind these walls for a little bit."
Emma blinked as if coming out of a daydream. Snow was relieved to see a little of the spark return to her eyes.
Hook and Henry, on the other hand, both frowned in confusion. "Where are we going?" Henry asked after a beat.
"It's coming up on lunchtime," Charming reminded them, "so we're having a picnic on the grounds. Come on, everybody up."
The boys exchanged a glance as if trying to determine whether or not leaving for the meal was a good idea. Henry shrugged after a beat of consideration and stood up, shifting Neal in his arms for easier carrying. A still wary Hook squeezed Emma's hand and tugged her to her feet. "Come, love. Looks like we're in for a change of scenery."
Emma didn't say a word but she went along with all of them willingly.
Snow made a quick pit stop in her chamber for Neal's diaper bag, and then she and Charming led everyone outside to their chosen picnic spot. Her eyes were solely on her little girl as everyone settled down on the blanket and awaited their meal. As soon as Charming opened the basket, the warm, comforting aroma of grilled cheese wafted out and into the air around them.
Emma inhaled deeply and finally smiled. "I take it Granny's generator hasn't run out of fuel yet."
She sounded so much like herself, like the Emma they knew, that Snow couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "No, it hasn't. She's using it judiciously."
And thank the heavens for that because there was no doubt in Snow's mind that the grilled cheese was at least part of what had brought Emma back to the present this time.
In the way only a mother could, Snow kept a watchful eye on both her baby boy and her baby girl as everyone ate. Relief washed over her like a wave when she saw the light return to her daughter's eyes. That light lit the fire of hope in everyone else's eyes and by the time everyone had eaten their fill of sandwiches and chips – the fryers being broken meant no fries or onion rings – the helplessness that had seemed so prevalent had receded enough for relaxation to make its way in.
After Charming packed up their empty plates and tucked them in the basket with the remaining food, Henry and Hook stood up to take a quick walk around the grounds. "We'll be right back, love," the pirate said, grasping the hand Emma had reached up to him and squeezing.
"Okay," she said, giving them a little smile.
Snow watched them as they walked off, their heads bent in discussion. The two of them were planning something. Snow had no idea what it was but they were most definitely planning something.
Sighing contently, she shifted her attention to her baby girl, who had sidled up next to Charming while watching her boys wander off. "How're you feeling, sweetheart?" she asked as she shifted over to Emma's other side.
"Better," Emma assured her. "I didn't realize how much I'd missed grilled cheese until now."
Once again, she sounded much more like herself. The deep, throaty voice of the Dark One was nowhere to be found. Snow grinned and cupped her daughter's cheek in her palm. Charming slung a comforting arm around his daughter's shoulders before pressing a kiss to the side of her head.
Gentle touches like these were ordinarily too much for Emma but today she welcomed them, relaxing into her father's embrace while reaching up to touch her mother's hand. "Thank you both for this. It's nice to have a quiet moment away from everything." She paused for a beat and then softly said, "It helped quiet the darkness a little bit."
Charming and Snow met each other's eyes over their daughter's head, blinking back tears. "I'm glad, sweetheart," Snow whispered, running her thumb over Emma's cheek.
They all knew the darkness hadn't been quieted for good. They all knew it would be back and probably with a vengeance. But for now the sun was shining, beating down on their faces with a lovely warmth. For now the birds were twittering softly in the tree above them. For now, Emma had closed her eyes, rested her head on her father's shoulder, and just let herself bask in her parents' love and security.
For now the darkness was quiet, and that was enough.