Ecstatic, brimming with joy, and overflowing with pride and love for their son; that's how Snow and Charming felt at that moment. Their son was walking! He was finally walking! Sure, they knew that this moment would come. But deep, deep down, they were both afraid that they'd miss it again. Afraid that they'd miss this simple moment in exchange for something seemingly more mundane – a meeting or disturbance in town or another ice wall. There were things that royals had to attend to, you know, even if they'd much rather be at home with their loved ones. But their son was walking! Their little baby was growing up, and most importantly, they had been there for it. They didn't miss this vital first-step like they had with –
"Emma!" Snow exclaimed, jumping up with her son in her arms, turning pivoting on her toes to share this moment of joy with her daughter. "Emma?" Snow's face fell when she didn't see her daughter standing behind them. "Did she go somewhere?" She turned to her husband, whose expression mirrored hers. Suddenly, they heard the sound of a car starting outside. They rushed over to the window just in time to see Killian getting inside the car and driving off, their hearts sinking as the car moved away.
"I don't understand…" Charming began, concerned and slightly confused, "Did we say something? Why did she leave? Did something happen?" Snow shook her head, feeling equally as confused.
"No, she seemed fine during dinner, and she didn't say anything about not feeling well –"
"- Not that she would have." Interjected Charming softly, his frown moving slightly downwards and his brow creasing together.
"Right," Snow whispered, her heart sinking and breaking all over again for her daughter. "But she was fine when she was playing with Neal earlier, and…" She trailed off, lost in her thoughts before she resurfaced with a gasp. She glanced down at her son, who had fallen asleep in her arms.
"What? What is it?" Charming jumped up closer to his wife, whose eyes had started to fill with tears. "What's wrong, Snow?"
"Charming…" She began, her head shaking slowly. "Emma left right after Neal took his first steps." She looked up at her husband as a look of realization washed over his face that was swiftly replaced with one of heartbreak.
"So she thought…" he began to speak, but trailed off, knowing that his wife knew exactly what he was thinking. She nodded. The two of them had discussed the possibilities of this happening during one of their 'pillow talk' sessions, but didn't realize that this would be the outcome. They knew that Emma logically understood that they hadn't meant to hurt her feelings, but Emma felt cheated – and so did they. They, too, had missed out on seeing their daughter – their precious, sweet, beautiful, strong little girl – grow up. They had missed everything from her first word to her graduation and to her first heartbreak and everything in between. Emma was upset, she felt alone and – it ripped their hearts apart to even think it – unloved (which she was not in any way, shape, or form). There was nothing Snow or Charming could do to change what happened in the past, and as much as they wanted to take her pain away, they wouldn't want to change anything about their daughter because, to them, she was perfect in every single way.
"We should call her. Make sure she's okay." Charming said, clearing his voice as he rose from his position next to his wife.
"Wait, let me put Neal in his crib." Snow rose, cuddling her son closer to her chest, and kissing his forehead. Charming nodded, bending down to kiss his little prince and then his wife, his lips lingering on her forehead as both of their eyes fluttered shut, reveling in each other's presence and comfort.
"Snow…" Charming's voice came out soft and pained. This wasn't easy – not for anyone involved – but it was something they were going to deal with and overcome. This wasn't going to tear them apart.
"I know." She whispered back, her voice shaky and quiet. She let out a sigh and moved towards their room where she leaned down to place her son down. "I love you, my little prince." She kissed his nose and moved his baby blanket up over his shoulders before quietly moving out of the room as only a bandit could. She walked up behind her husband and put a hand on his shoulder, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to his back. He turned around and wrapped her in his protective embrace. The royals let out a sigh, both of their minds spinning in attempt to make sense of what to do. It's true that they had never truly comforted Emma in a situation like this before. She wasn't one to openly display her emotions and she still felt slightly uncomfortable with her parents PDA towards her, but she was improving.
"Charming what do we do?" Snow mumbled against his chest, her voice groggy with unshed tears. He pulled his arms tighter around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "There has to be something we can do. She's our baby and we can't just sit by and watch her in pain." He kissed her again. "But we can't just sacrifice these moments with Neal. He's our baby too, and…" She trailed off. They couldn't simply prioritize one child ahead of the other. "I wish…"
"At least she's not alone, Snow." Charming mumbled into her hair, rocking her back and forth on her feet. "She has Killian, and even if she won't open up to us, she will to him."
"But how do you know?" Snow pushed, "Charming she has to know how loved she is." Snow let the tears fall from her eyes, burying her face deeper into her husbands chest, allowing herself to feel safe in the arms of her true love.
"I know because she's you, Snow. She's our daughter and there is so much of you in her." He smiled, thinking of his two ladies. Snow sniffled.
"What do you mean?" She asked, allowing herself to be led to their bed and slipped under the covers.
"Do you remember that one time we were staying in the cottage in the woods? You had just helped a little girl find her way back to the path after she had strayed trying to find some flowers for her mother. We went back to the cottage but the whole walk home, you were reserved. We met the dwarves and you were cordial with them but I knew you then and I know you now. There was something inside of you that was breaking," he paused, pulling her on top of his chest and kissing her hair. "You insisted that you were fine, but the second that we got back to the cottage, your shoulders slumped, as if the weight of the world was falling on top of you. You changed into one of my tunics because you said it made you feel safe and the second I touched you, you broke down." He felt his wife stiffen as the memory of that night flooded her mind.
"It was the anniversary of my mother's death, I…the girl, she reminded me of what I used to do for my mother and," she shrugged, allowing the tears to fall from her eyes knowing that she was safe in her husband's embrace. "And, I just missed her." She took a breath, her voice cracking. "I was so used to being on the run and in the woods that I didn't even realize my mask was on. It wasn't until we went back to the cottage that I saw your tunic and I, I just wanted to feel safe. I put it on and it smelled like you and then you were in front of me and you hugged me and I knew that I wasn't alone and that I could cry and it would be okay, because you were there. You're always there." She looked up and him and stretched her neck to kiss his lips.
"But, Charming, this doesn't change the fact that our baby girl is hurting and it's our fault." Charming pulled her closer; of course he knew that his Princess was in pain and that yes, it was partially their fault. Technically speaking, everyone involved knew that there was nothing they could do. This was just something they were going to have to deal with.
"I know, Snow. I know and I know that she's in pain and that her heart is aching. Gods, Snow I wish, more than anything in the world, that we could take away that pain. But she's not alone. She has Killian and I'm willing to bet my life that he's taking care of her right now. It's just a storm, and all we have to do is ride it out. We can call and check on her, but she's also a grown woman."
"She's our baby, Charming. She's our baby girl and I want her to be a part of this family." Snow insisted, her heart aching at the thought of her baby girl feeling unloved.
"She's all grown up Snow. Our baby isn't a baby and of course, she'll always be our baby, but she's so much more than that now. She's a mom to Henry and she's Killian's love. She's our daughter, but she's also Neal's sister and Ruby's goddaughter. She's a friend, a mentor, and leader, a protector, and a lover. She's everything we wished for and more, but this is our reality now. We can't change what happened in the past and even if we could, would we really want to change anything about her?" Snow shook her head. Charming took a breath, nodding his head. "Right, so we just have to find a way to make her feel comfortable and it'll take time, but it's a big adjustment for us all. We can do it." He laughed, his chest vibrating, "Hey, if this family can defeat Pan, then we can make it through this storm, okay?" Snow giggled, nodding her head in ascent.
"Can we still call?" She whispered after a minute. "Just to make sure she got home okay." Charming nodded, having already dialed Emma's number on his phone. It rang a few times before someone picked up on the other line.
"'Ello?" Killian's groggy accented voice floated through the speaker as he carefully untangled himself from Emma and pushed the covers back.
"Um, Killian? Is Emma there?" Charming questioned, checking to make sure that he hadn't called his mate instead of his daughter.
"Sorry, mate, you just missed her. She fell asleep a little while ago." Killian whispered, carefully climbing out of their bed and tiptoeing over various objects strewn across their room as he made his way into the kitchen.
"Is she alright?" Snow questioned, her hand tangling in Charming's as they waited with bated breath to hear the Pirate's answer.
"She will be." Killian answered, a soft smile creeping across his face as he thought about how peaceful his Swan looked as she slept, but quickly turning to a frown as he remembered the sound of her cries from earlier that night. "Listen, about last night –" He was interrupted by Snow's interjection.
"We know," she began, taking in a gulp of air. "We know that she was hurt, but Killian we have to do something about this."
"Aye," he nodded, "She knows that no one ever meant to hurt her there. She doesn't fault you for anything, but you have to understand that she feels like she's been given the short stick, you know? With you and Henry and everything that she's been through, I think it just hurts her sometimes. But she's our Emma, so she won't ever say anything to us, but –"
" – but you can tell," Charming interjected. "And you're – "
" – always there for her, mate." Killian said, his voice unwavering.
"We know, that's why we're not worried." Charming said, glancing at Snow and giving her a smile.
"And Killian?" Snow questioned, grasping Charming's hand.
"Aye, Milady?" He responded and Snow smiled at the title. "Yes, she had the short stick, but not anymore. She has you and that's more than we ever could have wished for her." There was a silence on the line for a few moments and Killian cleared his throat suddenly overcome with emotion before he heard his voice being called from behind him. He turned around to see Emma standing in the entryway to the kitchen in nothing but one of his shirts, her eyes red and swollen and her fingers playing with the hem of the shirt falling to the middle of her thighs.
"Listen, I've got to go, but we'll talk tomorrow, yeah? Breakfast at Granny's?" He waited for the Royals to affirm and then he ended the call, walking across the kitchen to embrace the love of his life.
"You alright, love?" He questioned, using his stump to move her chin up from where it was buried in his chest. She nodded.
"Was that my parents? She questioned, her eyes falling back down to the floor, the tiles suddenly very appealing to her swollen eyes.
"Aye," Killian said, kneeling down so that his face was in the line of her vision and taking her hands into his, kissing them and standing up to his full height. "They wanted to talk to you, but I didn't want to wake you."
She nodded, "I woke up because you weren't there. I thought for a second that you'd left, but then I heard your voice and I just…I needed to see you." Her eyes matched his then and he could see her. He could read her and he knew that she was opening herself up to him so that he could read her story. He leaned down and kissed her, his lips soft and welcoming, nothing like what she had felt in her heart earlier that evening when she ran our of her parent's loft. Eventually, they had to break for air, but their foreheads rested against each others, breathing in their love.
"I love you," he whispered, his voice still slightly groggy, but comforting nonetheless. "I will love you until the end of time and long after that. You're it for me, Emma Swan, and I intend to spend the rest of my life proving that to you. No matter what the future holds for us, I intend to weather the storm right by your side. We can get through this, love, and we will." His nose brushed hers and quietly kissed her tears away, all the while smoothing his thumb over the back of her hand.
Her voice was clouded with the tears that were falling from her eyes, and she responded the only way she knew how, by looking him in the eyes. "I love you, too, so much that it scares me and I just…I'm glad you're here. Thank you, Killian." She wasn't much of a words person, and most of the time she left that all to Killian. He always wrote the birthday messages and sent out the messages to family, but he knew that she felt the same way about him.
"There's nothing, no one, and no place I'd rather be, love. But right now," He picked her up playfully, and when she squealed, his heart soared. "Right now it's time to go back to bed." He gently placed her underneath the covers and the simple gesture brought tears to her eyes. "Goodnight, darling. I love you." He kissed the top of her head and Emma Swan decided right then that this is where she would like to stay for the rest of her life.
"I love you, too." She whispered before succumbing to sleep, content and safe in Killian's arms.
The next day at Granny's Neal was showing off his new-found walking skills while his parents waited for his big sissy and Killy bear to show up for breakfast. He didn't know much about what had happened – he was only 10 months old! Give a guy a break – but he missed his sissy. Soon enough, the bell jingled and Neal toddled over to see who it was under the watchful eyes of his parents. He looked up and, lo and behold, there stood his sissy. He giggled and reached his arms up and she gladly obliged, scooping him up and carrying him back to his high chair at their booth in the back.
"Hey Mom, Dad" Emma said, smiling at the two while she buckled her little brother into the chair. She leaned over to hug and kiss the both of them while Killian gave her little brother a hello. She slid into the booth across from her mother and Granny came over and poured their coffee. Emma shot her a grateful look and Granny winked at her, moving away to bring the food.
From where Emma was sitting, she could play with her little brother and as she did so, she felt everyone's eyes on her.
"Emma," Snow began, reaching out her hand to take her daughter's. "Sweetheart, about last night…" Snow trailed off, not really quite knowing where to start. Killian's hook moved to the small of Emma's back, giving her an encouraging smile. She smiled back and squeezed his hand under the table.
"Listen," she began, squeezing the hand underneath the table tighter. "I don't want either of you to feel like you're to blame, okay? Stuff like this…it's hard, but it just takes some getting used to, that's all. I wouldn't trade any of you or any of this for a different life. I love how things are now and I'm okay with it. Really, honestly, and truly I am." And it was like a dam had opened, and once Emma Swan was on a roll; there was no stopping her. "I don't want to have to spend the rest of my life with everyone walking on eggshells around me. We all deserve a happy ending and Neal is our fresh start. I'm not saying that some days won't be harder than others, but we can get through it, together. Who knows what our next adventure will be, but as long as you're both here, I know we'll be okay." Emma smiled, her eyes slightly teary as she took her fathers hand so that she was holding both their hands. They had tears slipping from their faces and Emma blushed slightly, but allowed herself to be pulled out of the booth and into her parents embrace.
"That's all we ask for, Princess. We love you, and we're so proud of all that you are. We want to be able to share these moments with you, no matter what." Emma felt her father's hand on the back of her head and there, in a secluded corner in Granny's diner, Emma allowed herself to cry in her parent's embrace. Of course, it was nothing like how she cried with Killian, but it was a start and her eyes locked with his over her parents shoulder, mouthing a 'Thank You' in his direction. He winked and went back to tickling her little brother and suddenly, Emma could see it too. A little girl with Killian's dark hair and her smile, or a little boy with his father's smirk and his mother's eyes. They locked eyes again, and suddenly Emma knew what their next adventure was.
"So," Emma chuckled, allowing everyone to take a second and compose themselves. "How long do you think you have before you have to baby-proof the entire place?" Snow and Charming simultaneously groaned, followed by a squeal from Neal who had somehow managed to escape from his high chair and was toddling towards his family.
"Not long now, I suppose." Killian said, following the little Prince and taking his spot next to Emma. They had weathered the storm, and made it out alive and together. All was well.