Emma had been sitting in the trap for about 8 hours now and she was starting to consider calling her parents. She didn't believe that they would actually just leave her hanging here this long, she thought of all people Snow would have come back to let her down. Emma peeked through one of the openings and looked around for—she actually didn't know what she was looking for. A sharp edge? The rest of the rope?
"Snow?" Emma called out weakly trying not to yell. "David? Anybody?" She sighed at the realization that she would have to scream their names out before they would let her down and she could not deal with that humiliation. She sat back and sighed once more deciding to take a short nap.
"Charming, it has been 8 hours and we haven't heard from her." Snow began to panic pacing in the tent that they set up near the castle.
Charming put a hand on his wife's shoulder, "I'm sure she's fine. Emma is smart…either she will find a way out herself or she will have to face the realization that she needs us." Snow began to giggle. "What?" Charming smiled.
"Just seeing Emma stuck up there. Is that what I looked like?" Snow looked up into Charming's eyes.
He shrugged, "Not exactly, but you were used to what this world offers. She isn't, not yet anyway."
Snow thought about that, when they heard a scream coming from the woods. Charming and her exchanged a panicked look as they went running out of the tent and to the place where their daughter hung.
Snow looked up and let out a relieved sigh as she saw Emma was still there. Emma was staring at something and this caused Snow to follow her gaze, "A rabbit? Emma you scared me over a rabbit…not even a mountain lion?" Emma glanced over not realizing that she screamed loud enough to catch her parent's attention. Charming just chuckled not even sure how to respond.
Emma groaned at the fact that it was just a rabbit, "I heard a growl and then lots of rustling and-and this came out." She paused before continuing, "It can't be just a normal rabbit." Snow and Charming both started laughing unable to control themselves. Emma threw them an angry look, "It's not funny!"
Charming tried controlling his laughter in bits and pieces, "Emma, it's just a rabbit."
Snow now able to control her laughter began to wonder if Emma would have been this hard to handle when she was little. She would always be getting herself into trouble, but luckily her and Charming would have always been there to save her.
Emma stared at the rabbit analyzing it, making sure that her parents were right. After it started to hop away instead of biting her, she closed her eyes because this is what she tried to avoid: humiliation.
Snow looked up at Emma again, "Emma, will you just let us help you get down?"
Emma looked through one of the holes at her parents, "Where is the thing to help get me down?" She watched as Charming and Snow walked closer to this weird rock that held a bunch of rope tied around it. "No, I got it." She answered Snow's question.
Snow and Charming kept watching their daughter trying to figure out an escape. Why was she so stubborn? Snow thought. They sat there for an hour watching Emma not only study the rock, but swing the trap back and forth as if to break it.
Emma was out of breath and sat back down making Snow look up, "Are you done yet?"
Emma nodded, "Can you just get me down?" Charming smiled at the not only tired, but defeated expression on his daughter's face. Snow flicked her hand at the rock telling Charming to pull it. Snow was tired of watching her daughter be an acrobat and landing on her ass or hitting the side of the trap every time a plan went wrong. Charming pulled the rope and Emma came crashing down.
Snow instinctively walked over to Emma dusting her off. "You look like you could use some sleep."
Emma sighed not even sure what to say, but gave her father a look. "Thanks for the gentle let down." She replied with irritation and got up walking away towards the tent so that she could finally lie down. It didn't go unnoticed by her parents that she looked in pain with every step she took.
Snow sighed leaning into Charming who was now behind her. "What are we going to do with her, Charming?"
Charming smiled, "I don't know. Whatever she will let us do, I guess." With that Snow and Charming followed Emma back to the tent hand in hand.
