Hey, so this is just a quick story that I wanted to write. It's set a little while after their reunion and it's kinda just a bit of Charming family fluff...which is just the best kind of fluff! Anyway, enjoy!
The storm outside was relentless in its pursuit of achieving its goal of complete and utter destruction and everyone in Storybrooke was forced to take cover in the warmth of their homes while the whistling and howling wind battered against the windows and doors. Emma wasn't certain, but the storm seemed like just the beginning of worse things to come. Ever since the curse was lifted and Rumpelstiltskin released whatever that purple fog was – Emma wasn't totally informed by her father what it actually was – everything seemed to become...darker, if that was the word for it. She couldn't put her finger on it but something was definitely off. Well, besides Storybrooke being inhabited by fairytale characters and her parents being the same age as her and whatnot. But that was just details. Emma - though both forthcoming and reticent at the same time, which was a skill to say the least – found herself quite happy with her new family situation. She was even able to call them by their real names; Snow and James, that was, not Mom and Dad. That was still taking some getting used to.
She sat at the island in the kitchen, finding herself physically ducking every time the wind thrashed against the apartment. Snow stood at the edge of her bedroom still in awe of the fact that her daughter was sitting mere feet away from her. She moved tentatively over to her, placing a loving hand on Emma's shoulder. To her surprise and delight, Emma didn't shrug away like she sometimes did. Sometimes Snow had to remind herself to be patient with Emma and that it would take time for her to come around and to be fully acceptant to the fact that she was also a fairytale character.
"Sounds nasty out there," Snow commented, encircling the island to face Emma.
Emma nodded. "Yeah, I can't understand why James would go out in something like that. He's crazy if you ask me."
"Ah he'll be back any minute, he just had to tie up a few loose ends...and buy ice cream." Snow bowed her head as she giggled softly.
Emma was aghast, yet couldn't stifle a laugh. "You made him walk out in a storm just so he could get you ice cream?"
Snow shrugged, fixing the back of her hair. "Maybe."
"You're terrible!" Emma laughed heartily.
"What, there's a storm outside and we're stuck inside. Ice cream is a necessity in these types of situations!" Snow exclaimed, blushing a little at her request. Maybe she shouldn't have sent her husband out; it did sound like it was getting worse by the minute.
"The things that man would do for you," Emma said. Her parents really did love one another, especially if they were willing to sacrifice life and limb – in both realities- for each other. Even if it was for ice cream. Although she couldn't complain; ice cream sounded really good right now. Emma just hoped it was chocolate, but knowing that Snow requested it, she was sure it was. That was just another similarity they shared.
"Oh that's nothing," Snow waved off, leaning in on the counter, ready to conspire. Emma leaned in eagerly. "When I was pregnant with you I had these cravings for these cinnamon sticks – not like the ones you can get here, they came in stalk-form - and they only existed on the other side of the woods which was like an eternity away considering we didn't have cars like we do now. And, so every weekend he would go out before I woke and chop down some stalks and take them home so that I would have enough for the week. Hail, rain or shine he would go, and I could never stop him."
Emma smiled at her parents' story. She knew they were completely head over heels for each other but the way that James would do anything for Snow was just beautiful. Love really was the most powerful thing.
"He'd do anything for you, too," Snow said interrupting Emma's thoughts.
Emma cocked her head inquisitively, waiting for her to continue.
"Before we were faced with the prospect of having to go through the wardrobe, he worked tirelessly for months fixing up your nursery and adding little touches as he went along. He wanted everything to be perfect." Snow's eyes were alight as she recalled his work ethic. "It really was remarkable; your father couldn't wait to meet you..." Her voice trailed off remembering that they didn't have the chance to get to know her until now.
Emma shifted uncomfortably as her mother seemed to lose herself in thought. She wanted to lighten it up a bit. "And then he ended up meeting me when I'm like this!" she tried to laugh but it came out as more of a desperate sigh. The last thing she wanted was for her parents to beat themselves up again, they had a habit of doing that.
"I wish we could have watched you grow up," Snow whispered making eye-contact.
Emma felt the tears form at the back of her eyes, but they weren't going to do this, not now. "Yeah, me too, but the most important thing is that we know each other now. We will always be in each others lives and no one can stop that." She put a hand over Snow's in comfort. Snow smiled timidly back.
Just then, James barged through the door looking like he just took a long shower in his clothes. "I'm back!" he yelled, shaking the excess water off him, creating a puddle on the floor.
Snow danced over to her husband. "Oh Charming, you're soaked!"
"Yeah, that's what happens when you walk in a storm," Charming smiled, winking at Emma.
"Did you get the ice cream?" Snow asked quickly.
With a wry smile Charming raised a bag in front of his wife's face. "As you wished, my love."
Snow snatched the bag out of his grasp excitedly. "Thank you, sweetie! I'm going to run you a bath, you look like you need one."
Charming grabbed his wife's wrist as she turned away, "Hey, come here." He pulled her close to him and swept her up in an enchanting, passionate kiss. "A bath does sound nice," he affirmed as he let go of her reluctantly.
As Snow skipped out of the room with the ice cream in tow of course, James made his way over to his daughter. He flung his keys onto the counter.
"And who said that chivalry is dead," Emma mused as she picked up his keys to toy with.
"Well, chivalry is what we fairytale men thrive upon; we'd be nothing without it," he said whimsically, taking back his keys.
"That's true," Emma agreed.
"So what were you two talking about before I so rudely interrupted?"
"You," she confessed.
"What about me?" He was intrigued now. Emma knew that because he knitted his eyebrows together.
Emma sighed. "About how you were so excited to meet me."
James stared blankly ahead of him, his breathing faint. Emma waved her hand in front of him. "Earth to James?"
"What? Oh, sorry. So you were talking about me decorating the nursery I guess?"
"Yeah," she confirmed. "It sounds like you were really looking forward to becoming a dad."
James turned to face the blonde and he shyly brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. Emma didn't move for fear of disappointing him. Actually, that gesture was the most 'fatherly' thing James had done, as he was afraid of overstepping any boundaries. He wanted her to warm to him in her own time. "I always wanted a daughter," he breathed in affection, "Everybody in the castle was so excited and telling me how great it would be if we had a son, a prince that would be a great warrior in battle and a great representative for the kingdom, but I really wanted a daughter."
"Why?"
He inhaled deeply. "I wanted a daughter who was just like her mother. I wanted to look to her and feel my heart ache in my chest because she reminded me so much of her." He cleared his throat self-consciously. "And that's exactly what I got. A beautiful, strong-willed, tough daughter who is way more like her mother than she thinks."
This time Emma couldn't stop the stray tears escaping. It was so unusual for James to recall something and be so emotional. Usually, he would tell tales of great battles and of himself and Snow. But here she caught a glimpse of the father she wished she had always known.
"Way more than she thinks," Snow interjected from behind her husband. "And that, my dear Emma, is a great thing!" They laughed lightly together for a brief moment.
"But I want you to know, Emma," James began again, his tone a little serious, "It doesn't matter if you're twenty-eight days old or twenty-eight years old, we still love you the way we did when we held you for the first time; nothing will ever change that."
"And we're so proud of you, honey."
Emma gave a watery smile. "Thank you." She took a hand of each of her parents. "Now, James, could you please take a bath, you're dripping water everywhere!"
James chortled. "As you wish." He kissed the top of her head gently and then went and gave Snow another powerful kiss before jogging to the bathroom.
"Men," Snow laughed.
Emma snickered. "I know."
So please, please, please review and let me know what you think! If I've portrayed a character in the wrong way, please let me know. I hope you enjoyed it!
