Author's Note: This little series is canon up until episode 3x14. My speculation is, after the Wicked Witch is defeated, Emma and Henry return to the Enchanted Forest with the others to live. Names of children, like Snow White's and Aurora's, are made up and belong to me. Feel free to leave a comment!
Snow White jostled baby Hope in her arms as the little princess squawked. This wasn't how Snow's day was supposed to start. David volunteered to take care of Hope while his wife prepared for their eldest daughter's homecoming. But he got called away before Snow even woke up, letting his wife know via note he would be back before breakfast. Snow snorted.
Would Regina . . . ? No. Her step-mother and friend was busy with Rolan, likely. Snow balanced her dark haired daughter on her hip while she searched through her cherry closet for a suitable outfit. It had been two months since Emma was in port. She last saw her mother in a nightgown with baby spit-up on her shoulder. Snow sighed. There had to be something in there she still fit into.
Snow pulled out a cream dress with full sleeves that billowed around her hands. The skirts flared away at the waist, giving the illusion she wasn't as huge as she felt.
Hope screamed as soon as she was left alone on the bed, surrounded by a wall of pillows.
"Hush honey; it's okay! Mommy's still here," Snow said, trying to smile. Hope cried louder. After tying up the dress, Snow scooped the girl up and sat her on her lap while she tried to fix her messy curls. Seeing her reflection in the mirror, Hope's blue eyes followed her mother's movements attentively. Well, thought Snow, at least she's quiet.
The door slammed open, setting Hope off again. Snow whipped her half-braided head around and glared at her husband.
With blushing cheeks, David crossed the marble floor and kissed his wife's cheek. "Good morning."
Snow said nothing. David sighed. "Are you still mad?" Snow continued braiding her hair.
David picked their daughter up and smoothed back the girl's hair. "Well, at least someone's happy to see me," he mused quietly as the girl grabbed his nose. Snow caught the interaction from the corner of her eye. She felt the anger in her heart simmer and she was caught smiling by her husband.
"What did you have to take care of this morning?" she asked while adding some powder to her pale cheeks.
David sat on their shared bed, bouncing Hope on his knee. "Regina called a meeting with the council. Apparently, there's a new band of thieves rampaging the land. Robin sent an arrow with the message."
Snow turned in her seat and stared at the man. "Why didn't you wake me?"
David shrugged. "I didn't want to interrupt your sleep. Hope got you up a lot, and I figured you wanted your rest."
Snow narrowed her eyes. "David, I thought we agreed-"
"I know," he sighed. "I'm not blocking you out of these matters. You still have as much say as Regina. It's just . . . you're my wife first and a princess second. My wife needed sleep."
Snow sighed and turned back to her mirror. She added some rouge to her lips and smacked her lips together. She heard David get off the mattress and felt his heat behind her.
"If it makes you feel any better, a page grabbed me on my way here. Emma's ship came in. She'll be here soon."
That did make Snow smile. She pushed back her chair and planted a kiss on his cheek. "You're forgiven."
David chuckled. "I'll get Hope ready and meet you at the entrance." Snow agreed and, after grabbing her cloak lined with wolf fur, she exited their chamber.
Along the way, Snow was greeted by an abundance of staff wanting to check things off their list. Did she still want eggs for breakfast? Had she heard anything about what the queen would want? What about the tapestries? Should they be changed?
Snow waded through the chaos with a cheery disposition, or the best she could muster. She hated snapping at people, least of all David, but with the hours of sleep she was getting, it was hard not to. David was right about one thing – Hope did keep her up a great deal. When Snow accidentally snapped at Regina during a council meeting, the queen suggested she and David take shifts with the baby.
"I didn't have that luxury when I had Henry, but it's something you should think about," Regina suggested, without a hint of malice, either. Actually, if Snow thought about it long enough, since everyone came back to the Enchanted Forest, Regina hadn't been cruel or wicked or "evil" towards Snow. At least, not often. She was usually . . . helpful. Understanding.
Snow reached the entrance to the castle she and Regina shared just in time to hear hooves approaching. She exited the castle and waited in the front courtyard for her daughter.
When Emma initially told her parents she was leaving, Snow was upset. She didn't understand why, now that they were finally together, Emma wanted to leave. It took a while, but Snow eventually came to a conclusion.
Emma didn't feel like she belonged in the castle. She wasn't raised there, nor did she have any good memories of being in the Enchanted Forest. Snow wished she could do something to change Emma's thoughts towards her home, but as David explained one sleep-deprived night, there wasn't anything they could do.
"She's grown up, Snow. She can make her own decisions." Yes, but were they the right ones? David added that Hook would be there with Emma. "He won't let anything happen to her."
This was true. Snow still wasn't sure what was going on between those two. Before Emma left, she was sure the two hated each other, but on the day Emma departed, Snow swore she saw them hold hands. She could be wrong, though.
The horse hooves sounded louder. Snow craned her neck, trying to catch the first glimpse of her daughter, but instead she was greeted with the sight of her grandson's father on horseback.
Neal stopped his horse a few feet away from Snow. He dismounted then looked behind him. Henry, on his own horse, was quick to enter the courtyard. Snow smiled.
"Well, you two are right on time!" she giggled. Henry looked different from the previous month when he left with Neal. His hair had grown longer and he wore a cloak similar to his father's, dark in colour with various patches. His leather boots stretched above his knees, the brown vest he wore was partially undone, and he looked to be wearing one of his father's lighter blue shirts.
"Is my mom here yet?" Henry asked as he dismounted. Neal ruffled his hair as he walked past, taking the boy's reins.
Snow shook her head. Henry hugged her tight. She planted a kiss on the crown of his head. He smelt like the forest. She missed that scent.
"Not yet, but she will be soon." When they separated, she suggested he go see what was taking David and Hope so long. "And if you see your mother, bring her too! I'm sure Emma will want to see her." Henry agreed then ran off. Snow walked over to Rumplestiltskin's son and smiled.
"It's not a coincidence you came back now, is it?"
Neal shrugged. "I knew she'd want to see him."
Snow nodded. "How long will you be staying?"
Neal handed the reins of Henry's horse to a wandering stable boy. "I won't be," he replied. "I'll be back in a few months for Henry. Let Emma know."
"I will. Are you sure you won't stay, though? I'm sure Emma will want to see you, too."
Neal stared at the woman he may have, in another lifetime, called his mother-in-law then shook his head. "She doesn't." Neal mounted his paint and waved goodbye to the princess. Snow sighed and waved at his retreating form.
"Gone so soon?" David asked.
Snow nodded. "He's not ready yet."
David wrapped an arm around his wife's waist, causing her to rest against his side. She stifled a yawn. Perhaps if Emma went to bed early, so could Snow White.
Regina's laugh reached her ears. "Henry, slow down! I can't keep up with you."
"Come on, Mama!" Roland encouraged. When Snow looked behind her, she saw Robin Hood's son holding onto Henry's hand as the boys left the queen behind. Regina shook her head, coming to a stop beside her step-daughter.
"I forgot how much energy Roland has when Henry's around," she mused.
Snow grinned. "But look how happy Henry is. They love playing together."
Regina nodded, folding her hands against her bodice. Regina's hair was swept up on a bun and Snow noticed she wore a dress of deep, emerald green, speckled in gold flecks. The sleeves clasped tightly to the older woman's arms, coming over the back of her hands in a pointed shape.
While they waited, Henry and Roland played tag. Hope squirmed in her father's arms, then her mother's, until Regina grabbed the babe and cradled her in one arm. "Honestly you two, you think you would have gotten a handle on this parenting thing," she muttered. Initially, Snow felt a pang of jealousy, but that disappeared when she saw Hope's contentment. In a strange way, Regina is her grandmother. I shouldn't be upset about this. Then why was she?
Horse hooves echoed closer to the castle. When Snow focused back on the entrance, Emma and her crew were just coming in. Snow's chest tightened. She's changed so much.
Emma's blonde hair was longer and left loose, flying behind her like a flag. She wore a tightly fitted, red leather bodice. The sleeves, Snow noticed, were a paler cream colour but speckled in what Snow hoped was not blood. Snow shouldn't gave been surprised Emma donned a pair of brown trousers instead of a skirt. Her riding boots were a darker brown that cinched in at the knee. She looked confident atop her horse. Snow shifted her gaze to the horseman beside her daughter and saw it was Captain Hook. He stared at Emma, his lips tugged up in a smile. Snow tried not to give it away that she was looking.
Regina sighed. "David, you should warn your wife if she continues to bore holes into her daughter and the pirate, they won't make it here."
Snow rolled her eyes as she took Hope back. Henry stopped playing with Roland, who proceeded to run back to Regina. Once Emma saw her son, she beamed at him. She slowed her black Arabian to a halt and launched off its back. Henry ran to her and they collided just as she opened her arms for him. Emma's hand came up and cupped the back of his head, running her fingers through his messy hair. Snow saw her daughter's eyes shut as a tear snuck past.
When mother and son separated, Hook received his own hug, one he was much surprised to get, it seemed. Snow smiled as his eyes widened, then Hook's hand came to rest on the young man's back. Hook ruffled his hair with his hook then let the boy go.
Emma discreetly wiped her eyes before turning to her parents. Snow blinked away her tears and waited as her eldest daughter came over to them.
"Hi," Emma greeted, a smile beginning to form.
"It's so good to see you," Snow said quietly, hoping her voice wouldn't crack. Emma did smile this time. She turned to her father and hugged him. David's connection to his eldest was stronger than Snow's, why she couldn't explain, but she was happy to see them reunited.
"Hope, say hello to Emma," Snow whispered in her ear. The baby squawked, grabbing both father and sister's attention. Wide-eyed, Emma stared at the baby, then her mother.
"She uh, she looks great." Emma looked at David. "Healthy," she tried again.
David wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. "We're glad to have you back, Emma. You took, Hook. How long will you be staying?"
"Yeah, how long are we hanging around here?" Henry asked as he came up beside his mom.
"Well, we haven't talked about that, yet," Emma said as she glanced at Hook. "For a little while."
Snow leaned forward and gave her daughter a tight hug, nearly squishing Hope between them. "Well, you can stay as long as you like, right Regina?"
The queen, not expecting to be addressed, looked up from Rolan who rested securely against her hip. "Of course, why wouldn't she be?"
Emma gave the woman a tight-lipped smile before glancing over her shoulder at the crew. "Do you want to tell them where they can shake up for the night?" she asked Hook quietly.
The pirate nodded. "I'll meet you in the dining hall, love." With that, the leather clad captain went on his way. Emma ran a hand through her hair, avoiding everyone's stares, then glanced at Regina.
"So, where's Robin?"
"Daddy is on an adventure! He said he'll be home tomorrow," Rolan answered. Regina smiled as she gave a nod.
"Well said, Rolan," she chuckled. "We have a place prepared for you and your pirate, up in the Northern tower. You did say something last time about liking that view, didn't you?"
Emma nodded. "Thanks. I didn't think you'd remember that," she smirked then looked to her parents. "Breakfast time?"
Snow nodded. "I hope you still like your eggs over easy!"
Emma smirked. "Not that much has changed, Snow."
The princess mentally sighed. She wished Emma would call her "mom." The group proceeded to head inside with Regina leading. David and Emma along with Henry were on her heels, leaving Snow to carry the rear. With her eyes on her family, she smiled.
We made it. She kissed Hope's forehead then picked up the pace.