Title: Chasing Cars
Chapter One: Emma's Birthday
Author: snarkysweetness
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Emma, August, Henry, and it's a surprise; Emma/August
Summary: Emma's two boys surprise her on her 29th birthday.
Warnings: Booth family fluff and Henry being WAY too precocious.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: I'm on a fluff kick, I guess. I'm also on a Daddy!August kick. I regret nothing.
Emma woke with the sun burning the side of her face. Letting out a groan, she turned over, pulling the covers over her head. Her body ached and she felt groggy, like someone who had overslept. She sat up suddenly, looking at the clock before cursing. She was late for work. Sure, she was the Princess and the Sheriff so no one was going to reprimand her, but she took her responsibilities seriously.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?"
August entered their bedroom carrying a tray of orange juice, bacon, toast, and pancakes.
"I have to go to work."
"Not today you don't."
Henry rushed into the room, throwing himself onto the bed.
"Happy Birthday, mom!"
Emma smiled before kissing the top of his head.
"Thanks, Henry, but I have to-"
August cut her off.
"Deputy Charming is on duty today with the help of Deputy Snow and don't argue with me. You've been overworked for weeks, don't think I don't know when you're sick, Ems," August said, kissing the top of her head. "Besides, it's your birthday, you deserve a day off."
It was true; the past few weeks had been Hell. As if breaking the curse and all of the events that led up to it hadn't been enough, she embarked on a journey to bring August back, all while dealing with the return of magic and trying to establish some sort of order within the town. Were it not for August forcing her to sleep every night, she wouldn't get any.
"My parents aren't going to spend my birthday with me?"
She'd been a bit resentful towards them, after all, even if they'd been trying to do good by her, they had abandoned her, but she still wanted them to want to be with her.
"They're going to be here for dinner. I figured you needed to sleep in and you get us for the day."
He thought of everything. No wonder she loved him so damn much.
August set down her tray before moving to scoot Henry into the bed so he could sit with them.
"So, what's the agenda for the day, then?"
Emma took a bite out of her bacon, her stomach turning a bit. She picked up her toast instead, nibbling on the end of it.
Henry reached into his pocket and pulled out a list and Emma smiled. Her boys were very thorough.
"First: breakfast!" Henry crossed it off the list. "And you've already slept-in." Another item off the list. "Bubble bath, that's next mom."
"Well, of course."
August caught her eye and smiled.
"Then we're going to watch Princess Bride," Henry began before August cut him off.
"Your favo-"
"Please tell me the two of you are actually going to let me watch it this time?" Emma grumbled as Henry and August exchanged 'innocent' looks.
"Of course," the say together before Henry went back to his list. "Then we're picking up lunch at Granny's and going to have a picnic at 'our place'-
August, what's-
Ewww! Is this where you guys go to-"
August ripped the list out of Henry's hands.
"Wishing well, kid, wishing-
No."
Emma snorted into her orange juice before focusing on her pancakes.
Precocious indeed.
"And then we'll come back here where Sheriff Swan will get to take a nap while Henry and I make dinner."
Emma nearly choked on her pancake. Sure, they could manage breakfast without burning the house down, but dinner?
"Okay, maybe Granny's helping."
Emma sighed in relief.
"That's better. What then?"
"Dinner with the family, I tried to keep it to just us and the grandparents, but the extended family will be here too."
Emma frowned. That meant aside from the three of them, her parents, Ruby, Granny, Geppetto, and Archie there would also be the dwarves. She'd have a house full of people, which meant putting off telling August her news.
August caught the look on her face and leaned over to kiss the top of her head.
"Sorry."
Emma shrugs.
"It's fine. And after dinner?"
"After dinner Grandma and Grandpa are taking me to get ice cream so you and August can-"
"HENRY!" They both cried out.
"What? I'm eleven, not stupid."
August shook his head and grabbed the kid, throwing him over his shoulder.
"Come on, your mom needs to finish breakfast and you have to check on her present," August whispered before setting him down.
"Right, Operation Swan is a go!"
They watched Henry run off and August slammed the door shut before crawling back into bed with Emma, kissing her for a very long moment. She reached up to cup his face; forget about the breakfast tray in her lap.
"I say we have about half an hour in that bathtub, Sheriff," he teased, breaking their kiss and reaching out to keep her tray from falling. Emma swatted him away playfully.
"What is 'Operation Swan'?"
August ran his fingers down her arm, sending shivers up her spine.
"Henry's present for you, very secret."
"Let me guess; hand-written Storybrooke with a little help from his writer friend?"
"However did you know?"
"Because; I know my kid."
Emma secretly loved it when Henry made things for her; his imagination inspired her.
"And what are you getting me?"
"Your present comes later, baby," he teased, kissing her.
The day went by slowly and much to Emma's enjoyment. Even when Henry and August launched into their Princess Bride re-enactments during the movie, just like they always did, complete with fake sword-fighting. Someday she'd be able to enjoy her favorite movie in peace, but until then she had to admit she enjoyed seeing the two of them together.
Emma sat against the edge of the well, smiling as she watched Henry and August throw around a football. August was great with Henry, like he was his own son, and Henry adored August. Sure, her kid liked just about everyone, but it was different with August, they shared a real bond, and Emma was glad that her kid had someone other than his grandfather to look up to.
And she loved him; somehow he'd found his way through all of her walls and she didn't want him to go anywhere. And why would she? He loved her more than she thought any man could ever lover her, he was good to Henry, and he had the best heart of anyone she'd ever met.
Sure, her father might be the real Prince Charming, but August was hers.
Emma decided she didn't want to wait for the perfect time to say something to him, what better time than this moment?
"Henry?"
Henry stopped trying to tackle August so he could take the football and looked up at her.
"Yeah?"
She bit her lip to fight off a grin before speaking.
"How would you feel about having a little brother or sister?"
He shrugged while August froze, gaping in her direction.
"It'd be kind of okay, I guess."
"And it wouldn't make you feel weird?"
Henry gave her an incredulous look.
"Why would it be weird?"
Emma exchanged a look with August who looked as confused as the poor kid.
"Because I don't want you to feel like I love you less if I decided to have another-"
"I wouldn't. I mean…you weren't ready and you're here now, so…" He shrugged again. "I wouldn't mind it and…it would be cool to be a big brother and have someone to play with."
He waited a moment and then spoke again.
"But if we ever get back home, I was born first, so I still get to be King someday, right?"
Emma snorted and August broke out of his momentary stupor.
"Yes, Henry, you're still my first-born, no one's getting that throne of yours."
Henry nodded, thinking about it, before smirking.
"Okay, then I'm okay with it."
"Come here."
Emma waved Henry over and pulled him against her, hugging him tightly while kissing his temple.
"Why?" He asked suddenly, pulling away from her and raising an eyebrow.
"I'd like to know that too," August croaked, still standing in the same spot, squeezing the football so hard his knuckles were white.
Emma pulled Henry against her, kissing the top of his head. With a Cheshire-Cat like grin, Emma watched August for a long moment before speaking.
"You know why."
"What does that mean?"
Henry pulled away, making a face at her.
August stared at Emma for another long moment before dropping the football and launching himself at her, his lips claiming hers as he pulled her flush against his body. Emma wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, the world fading away for a brief moment.
"Gross!"
Emma broke the kiss, sliding her hand down to toy with the bandana around August's neck. She kept her gaze down before nervously glancing up.
"I'll take that as a positive reaction, then?"
August took both of her hands in his and lifted them to his lips, pressing them against her skin.
"This is real?"
"If it isn't my body and I need to have a serious discussion about this morning sickness I've been having."
August smirked at her with his shit-eating grin.
"I love you," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her again.
"I know."
"Child present!"
Emma pulled away to find Henry covering his eyes and shook her head.
"Sorry, kid."
"You guys are weird and you didn't answer my question."
Henry looked between them, clearly confused.
Emma bit her lip and slipped her fingers through August's, trying not to laugh.
"He's not as smart as we thought."
August shook his head.
"No, but I think we should keep him anyway."
Emma nodded.
"Probably."
"HEY!"
August smiled and pulled Emma against him, kissing the side of her head as Emma settled against him, thinking this had to be the best birthday she'd ever had, followed by her previous birthday when Henry had shown up on her door.
What Emma didn't realize yet was that her birthdays were only going to get better.