a/n: just a little something that came to mind. as always, once upon a time is owned by its creators. just borrowing the characters.

hope you enjoy!

Emma placed the last folder on top of the foot-high pile of paperwork and leaned back in her chair. She exhaled loudly as she placed an arm over her face.

"Are you all right, Em?" David asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just happy to be over and done with this mountain of paperwork," Emma replied, groaning a little.

"Good. Let me finish up with my own paperwork first. Then I'll call your mom to let her know I'll be taking our little girl out for a little father-daughter dinner. How does that sound?"

Emma sat up straight and grinned at her father. Lovely visions of hot, toasty grilled cheese with mounds of onion rings after a long day trumped the fact that David just referred to her as little girl. "You're on, Dad."

"Looks like you guys had a great time," Snow remarked as David and Emma entered the loft laughing.

"You bet." Emma impulsively hugged and kissed Snow on the cheek. She was in such high spirits that she didn't catch Snow's look of surprise at her free show of affection. "You know what really made my day? Dad made Granny make me a grilled cheese tower," Emma finished dreamily, smacking her lips.

"David!" exclaimed Snow reproachfully, but she was smiling.

"What? She enjoyed it, right, Emma?" David winked at his daughter, earning a smack on the arm from Snow.

Emma laughed. "I did, and it was the best I've ever eaten," she said. "Well guys, I'll be turning in early tonight." She turned to David and hugged him tightly. "Thanks again for the wonderful dinner, Dad. I had a really great time."

"Nothing but the best for my girl," David said proudly, hugging Emma just as tight.

He and Snow looked lovingly at their daughter as she headed up the stairs.

Later that night, Emma dreamed of her father dying. She did not actually see David die; it was more like some person simply telling her and Snow that something terrible had happened to him.

"No! I don't want to hear it!" Snow had screamed in Emma's dream. She ran before Emma could stop her.

The messenger turned to walk away as well but Emma stopped him, saying harshly, "Tell me everything. I need to know what happened."

The rest of the dream was a swirl of different events, but there was the underlying knowledge that David was gone forever. Emma woke from the dream feeling disoriented yet with something heavy weighing on her heart. After staring blankly at the ceiling for a few moments, the first thought that came to her mind was to check on David, just to convince herself it was just a dream.

Emma quickly tiptoed down the stairs, making sure to avoid the creaky step. She made it to Snow and David's bedroom without a hitch. She did not dare creep in for fear of waking her parents up and the possibility of them making her explain why she's standing there in the wee hours of the morning looking like a frightened child.

Instead she peered between the curtains and stared hard at her parents curled up into each other as they slept. There was the subtle rise and fall of Snow's arm that rested lightly on David's chest as he breathed. The gentle sound of David's breathing was music to Emma's ears. Satisfied at last, she crept back up to her own room.

Emma lay on her bed, curling on her side and hugging her pillow close to her. "Dad's okay," she murmured quietly, drawing in a shuddering breath. Her relief was so great that her breath suddenly came out in quaking yet silent sobs that she could not stop.

It's just a dream, Dad's okay. He's just downstairs sleeping beside Mom. He's okay. Emma thought over and over, turning her face on her pillow.

She fell asleep with tears still wet on her cheeks.

The next morning found Emma sitting closer to David at breakfast. Same thing when she opted to ride with him in his pickup rather than driving her yellow bug to work. She discovered that her dream had a profound effect on her more than she realised when she cuddled up to David as he drove. Oh, she tried to be casual about it, like she has done it every single day. David, on the other hand, was pleasantly surprised that all he thought was to relish the fact that his daughter was being cuddly since it rarely happens.

Emma was grateful for the work that distracted her from her worry that something bad might happen to David. There were a couple of calls that day that she had to attend to outside the station. Both times Emma insisted that David stay exactly where he was "so there would be someone at the station when someone comes over". Because Emma's reasoning made sense somehow, it did not occur to David that it was Emma's way of protecting him from whatever trouble there was outside.

However on the drive home, David noticed that Emma sidled close to him once again and looped her arm in his and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Hey there, my little koala," David teased.

Emma only grunted in response to that but did not release her hold on David. She did, however, have to when they finally pulled up beside their apartment building.

It was just Snow, David, and Emma in the loft that night as Henry was still staying at Regina's. After dinner, the three of them curled up on the couch watching a movie. David was sitting between his wife and daughter with a big bowl of popcorn sitting on his lap.

The contents of the bowl gradually lessened as the movie progressed, and the slight weight on David's right side as Emma leaned onto him eventually became heavier. A glance at Emma told David that she has dozed off a little more than halfway through the movie, with her arm snaking around his middle.

"Looks like our little koala has fallen asleep," David chuckled softly.

"Koala?" Snow asked, puzzled.

Knowing that Emma would be hard to wake for the time being, David told Snow about Emma's behaviour that day. It had clicked in him that something was up with their daughter the second time she snuggled up to him. He then gave her an opportunity to speak up when he teased her about being like a koala, but she did not say anything.

"It's not like I'm going to question her about it, I actually love that she's becoming more expressive with her affections with us," David finished.

"That's true. But you know Emma, sometimes she just needs a little more than a subtle nudge to get her to talk," Snow said.

"You're right. I'll think of a way," David replied.

Emma woke not long after Snow and David's conversation and after grumbling a little that her parents allowed her to miss parts of the movie, she resumed her comfortable position on David's right side. She did not see the knowing glances her parents made at each other.

After the movie, Emma trudged upstairs to her room to prepare for bed. David saw his chance and followed when he was sure that Emma was about to sleep.

"Knock-knock," David said as he entered.

"Hey, Dad, what's up?" Emma stopped in the middle of turning down the covers.

"I've come to tuck you in, sweetheart."

"Really?" Emma cocked her head to one side. She wasn't sure if David was being serious or just kidding.

"Yup. Hop in." David's tone gave Emma the impression that he was indeed serious about the tucking in business, so she did as he asked.

Once David had tucked Emma cosily in bed, Emma looked up at him and asked, "Now what?"

"Now I tell you a story," David declared. He made himself comfortable on the side of Emma's bed and began before Emma could react to it. "Once upon a time, there was a little koala who loved to go on many adventures."

Emma resisted the urge to roll her eyes since her father being right there with her is more than an assurance that he is alive and well. So instead she said, "I see that you've got a recent fascination with koalas."

"Shh, I'm telling you a story," David shushed gently. He took Emma's hand in his and continued on about the little creature going on lots of adventures, each more ridiculous than the last. David noticed that Emma gripped his hand a little tighter as he went on with the story, light as it was, so he gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb until her fingers relaxed. When he got to the end, Emma was in that place between sleep and wakefulness. He tried to remove his hand from Emma's, but Emma held it back. He almost missed her sleepy question. "What is it, honey?"

"Were the mommy and daddy koala worried whenever the little koala went on her adventures?"

David smiled at the childlike question from his same-age daughter. "Of course. Every single time. They love her so much so it's perfectly normal for them to be worried. But they do love their daughter enough to let her go on adventures."

"Was the little koala ever afraid?"

"Yes, she was. But you know what she thinks is the best thing?"

"What?"

"Coming home. Some of her adventures were dangerous, so she always looked forward to home because she knew her parents were there waiting for her." David brushed off a lock of hair that had fallen on Emma's face.

Emma by this time had curled on her side and burrowed ever closer to David. The last sentence brought back her dream from the previous night full force. "But what if… the little koala comes home and… and the mommy and daddy aren't there anymore? What if something bad happens to them while she's… she's away?" Emma's voice hitched a little.

Aha. Here we go. "Come here." David gently drew Emma to him and cradled her head on his chest. As Emma unconsciously nuzzled on his chest, he gently stroked the blonde waves that fell all over the place. "Bad dream last night?"

Emma's hold on David tightened. "Yeah…" she mumbled. "Mom was there but you were… you were gone… and it just… hurts so much. I can't…"

"Shh, I'm here, honey. Nothing bad is going to happen," David soothed his silently weeping daughter, kissing the top of her head. "It was just a dream."

"I know. But don't you think it's kind of silly to get... scared by nightmares?" Emma sniffled.

"Not at all, whether you're ten or thirty," David reassured Emma. "Even I have my share of nightmares up to now that left me shaken up afterwards. " He turned Emma so he could look straight into her glistening eyes. "Just never, even for one second, think that your mom and I would think any less of you if you come running to us when you have nightmares. Is that understood?"

"But..."

"No buts, Emma," David said firmly. "You're our daughter. We may have missed out on you growing up, but if anything like this happens again, remember that to your mom and I you are never too old to ask for anything, especially for comfort when you need it the most."

"Okay." Emma figured to let it all out while she still can. "I… I came down last night to check on you."

David smiled. That was a good start. "And was I okay?"

"Yeah." Emma answered into David's chest.

"Good," David said. He kissed Emma's temple. "Now go to sleep, it's another busy day tomorrow."

Emma let out a sleepy whine. "Don't leave me."

"I won't," David assured her. "Daddy's here." He continued to stroke the mess of blonde curls until he was sure that Emma was about to fall asleep.

"Good night, Daddy." Emma sighed in contentment when she felt David cuddle her closer.

"Good night, my little koala. Sweet dreams."

fin