They were arguing, again.
It had seemed so straightforward at first, all six of them boarding the Jolly Roger on a mutual quest to find Henry. There was just a small detail Emma had overlooked.
They all hated each other.
Literally, every single one of these people had tried to kill at least two or three others on this boat multiple times. The trip over here had been an exercise of utmost patience and self restraint on her part, as her parents, Gold, Regina, and Hook were at each others throats mercilessly, bickering and storming off to different corners of the boat at intervals throughout the trip. Emma had been forced to play the peacemaker on multiple occasions, and it was getting old fast.
They had finally arrived on the shores of Neverland, which would have been a tense situation for a group of people who got along, much less for a group of people who were barely allies. After a loud arrival on the island's shores, with Hook yelling at them to follow his orders and remain quiet, and the rest of them yelling back, they had finally managed to hike inland, reaching a clearing where they decided to make camp.
It was nearing dusk and Snow and Gold had (after being voted the pairing that would have the least desire to kill each other, run off, or get distracted) left the group and were searching for a source of fresh water. This left Hook, Regina, David, and Emma to make camp and build a fire, neither of which had been accomplished in the last hour. David and Hook had been arguing for the past 30 minutes about what the best direction to be heading in the morning was, and Regina, who had looked on with a smirk for the first 5 minutes, had now retired to a nearby log, looking annoyed and occasionally shooting the Captain and the Prince haughty glares.
Emma, who had at this point tried to chime in several times, had finally had enough. David, she noted, was just as stubborn as she was, and wouldn't back down. Hook was as obstinate, arrogant, and altogether infuriating as usual, and she knew that there was no way this would end well. Huffing impatiently, she blew a stray bit of blonde hair out of her face and crossed her arms in front of her.
"Hook, David, we need to…"
She started, but was quickly interrupted by her father, who raised his voice and scowled at the pirate.
"I'm telling you, heading North towards the mountain is our best bet. It's most likely these Lost Boys and their leader will have made camp somewhere at the heart of the island, where they think we won't be able to find them."
Hook sighed impatiently.
"With all due respect, Your Highness," Hook began with a sneer, bowing in mock respect and flourishing his hook in the air.
"You have no experience dealing with the lads as I have. The brats and I have a regretfully long and infuriating history, and I know that they keep their camp towards the Western part of the island."
David dragged a hand across his face in exasperation, and pointed towards the forest.
"We just CAME from the Western part of the island, pirate!"
"Well then we must have bloody MISSED it, Highness!" Hook roared, practically spitting in the Prince's face.
David's face took on a dangerous calm as he took a step forward, leveling his gaze with Hook's.
"I'd watch your tone if I were you, mate." He spat, glaring at the pirate.
"Oookay, break it up…" Emma stepped forward quickly, trying to wedge her way between the two arguing men. Despite her efforts, the Prince and the Pirate continued to stare icily at each other, refusing to back down.
This was getting ridiculous.
"David." Emma started, trying to make eye contact with her father.
When he continued to glare at the pirate, Emma raised her voice.
"DAVID, let it go!"
Hook smirked at the Prince haughtily, greedily looking Emma up and down.
"You should listen to your ravishing daughter, Your Highness. She's absolutely right."
"THAT'S IT!" David roared, lunging for Hook.
Emma grabbed onto David's collar urgently, yanking him back.
"Dad, STOP!"
David froze, turning his head slowly to look at Emma, his face instantly morphing to an expression of shock. Even Hook looked at the two in surprise.
Emma lowered her voice, speaking softly.
"Come on, Dad, it's not worth it."
David looked at her for a beat, his eyes softening and his expression a mix of bewilderment and adoration, before he seemed to shake himself out of a stupor, nodding to his daughter, but not trusting himself to speak. Emma looked over his shoulder to Hook, raising her voice to the pirate.
"We're gonna go find some wood for a fire, Hook. Don't kill anyone or get yourself killed while we're gone."
Emma smiled wryly at the pirate as he smirked and called back,
"I'll miss you too, Swan!"
Emma rolled her eyes before turning back to her father, who was once more glaring at Hook, and nodded at him to follow her.
They walked in relative silence for a period of time, stopping at intervals to gather dry sticks, leaves, and brush. As Emma stopped once more to pick up some dry moss, she heard David clear his throat, and begin speaking behind her.
"Sorry about that."
Emma turned to where he was stooped behind her with his back turned, and gave him a confused look.
"What for?"
David turned to look at her and sighed.
"For losing my temper like that. Something about that pirate just... infuriates me."
David shook his head and rolled his eyes, readjusting the enormous pile of sticks and brush in his arms as he stood once more. His expression softened as he sought his daughter's eyes with his own.
"You shouldn't have had to step in like that, and I'm sorry I let it go that far."
A slow smile spread across his face, and he winked at her.
"Seems as if I'm still not getting this parenting dynamic right, seeing as you're doing most of the parenting."
Emma snorted as she stood, brushing off her pants as she did so.
"I think we're all still figuring this out. We do kind of have one of the most messed up family dynamics of all time."
David chuckled softly, reaching to help her pick up the armful of sticks she left on the ground.
Emma smiled gratefully at him as she began to speak again.
"But you don't need to apologize. I know how infuriating Hook can be, and I would have done the same thing if I were you."
Emma stood, taking the remaining bundle from David and began to laugh.
"You know, it's actually funny how similar we are."
Emma trailed off, staring at her shoes, and wondering if she had said too much. This was all new territory for her- this business of actually having parents, trusting them, and letting them in. She glanced up at David to find him smiling at her, before turning to look at the trail in front of them, as if in thought.
"Snow always thought we would be."
Emma's head snapped up as she looked at her father in surprise.
"Really?"
David chuckled, ducking under a branch, and holding it back so that Emma could pass through.
"Really. Snow used to wake me up at night and complain that my daughter was already practicing proper dueling form in the womb, and it was keeping her awake."
Emma snorted at the picture of a pregnant and cranky Snow.
"Guess I was a stubborn fighter even before I was born."
Emma smirked and David winked at her, eyes twinkling in mirth.
"Just like your Dad."
Emma smiled shyly, looking down once more as they continued walking.
David laughed and shook his head beside her.
"Honestly, it's an inescapable trait with Snow and I as your parents."
David's wide smile softened, as he seemed to become lost in thought once more.
"We had almost your whole life mapped out before you were born. Snow would teach you palace etiquette, archery, how to prepare for a ball, while I was in charge of teaching you sword fighting and self defense."
David chuckled at the memory.
"But Snow always told me you would have me wrapped around your finger. And she was right. From the moment we found out Snow was pregnant with you, I wanted you to be a Daddy's girl. I wanted to be the one sitting at your tea parties, being dressed up in ball gowns, and the one chasing you through the palace halls. I wanted to comfort you when you had nightmares and threaten every boy who so much as glanced at you. I wanted to watch you grow up and become the amazing young woman you are."
David's voice broke as he choked on the tightness in his throat, his gaze remaining fixed on her, as he attempted to express all of the love and regret he felt and could not put into words.
Wrapping an arm around her, David hugged his daughter to him tightly, pressing a firm kiss to her temple, and murmuring against her head,
"I'm so sorry I wasn't able to, sweetheart."
Emma suddenly found her own throat constricting as she fought back tears and closed her eyes, leaning into her father's embrace.
This was the father she had dreamed of having her entire life. The kind of Dad who would come home from work and scoop her up in his arms and ask her about her day. The kind of Dad who would come into her room late at night and comfort her after a nightmare. The kind of Dad who would play games with her, and wink at her from behind her mom's shoulder after she stole a cookie. The kind of Dad that would have understood her stubborn streak and knack for mischief. The kind of Dad she would have looked up to as a model of leadership, determination, and courage. The kind of Dad who would have loved her, and made her feel like a Princess.
"Me too, Dad."
Emma felt David squeeze her tighter, and heard him emit a sound in between a sob and a laugh. Emma reached up and grabbed his hand, squeezing it before slowly pulling out of his embrace. Letting out a shaky laugh, she swiped at her eyes.
"I doubt I would have made you wear the ball gowns, though. I was always more a knights and dragons kind of girl."
Winking at him as he chuckled, Emma continued.
"Although, if you're still up for that, I'm sure I have a couple dresses that might fit you back in Storybrooke."
David laughed, blinking away tears and shaking his head before turning to look at her once more, mirth dancing in his eyes.
"I think I'm ok with passing on that bonding experience if you are."
Emma chuckled and nodded her head.
"You know, as tempting as it would be to see Prince Charming himself in a pink cocktail dress, I might have to pass on that one to save the last shred of sanity and innocence I have left."
David let out a booming laugh at that, and Emma found herself laughing alongside him, both completely losing it, and collapsing to the ground in a fit of laughter.
After what seemed like an eternity of their laughter dying away, and then beginning again full force after glancing at each other, they both finally sat up, wiping away tears of mirth.
"You know, that's the first time I've laughed that hard in a long time."
Emma said with a chuckle, reaching around her to pick up the discarded pile of sticks and brush.
David smiled softly at her, still laughing softly as he retrieved his own pile, and helped her to her feet.
"Me too, Em."
The moniker felt easy coming off of his tongue now, and he marveled at how easy it was to be with his daughter like this. The hesitancy he had felt since the curse had broken in being around his daughter was fading, and it warmed his heart to sense the barriers between the two of them slowly breaking down. As he looked at his daughter, amazed at how beautiful she was when she smiled, he felt a pang of regret at how many moments like this one he had missed, and at how many moments they could have shared together.
Seeming to sense his thoughts, Emma playfully bumped his shoulder with her own.
"I think Snow was right."
David looked up from his musings and smiled at her questioningly.
"How so?"
Emma grinned up at him.
"I think you and I would have gotten along really well."
David glanced at her in mock surprise.
"What, so we don't get along already?"
Emma smiled mischievously at him as she pushed through the brush ahead of them and into the clearing.
"Ehh, you're alright."
Grinning cheekily at him, she left her father staring at her in wonder as he chuckled to himself, struck by the love and adoration he felt for this amazing woman who was his daughter. Sure, they still had a long way to go, but they were getting there, slowly but surely. Their family was still learning how to be a family, and once they had Henry back, they could truly begin to grow together. As Charming watched his daughter talking with her mother, he felt a wave of pride and love wash over him. For now, one thing had been made abundantly clear.
Emma was her Daddy's girl.