Chapter 4

Motherhood

Red had never felt such worry in her entire life. She ran and ran looking for her Swan, her Goldie Locks. She tried getting to her by her smell, but nothing. She was getting extremely worried. In wolf form, she ran around looking for any possible clues that would led her to her daughter. She had a surprise for her Goldie. Her daughter was one of the most precious things to her. She had united her and her husband, Graham, who she loved dearly.

She remembered that day like it was just yesterday…

After the huntsman came back from the castle she had settled the precious little girl in the bed she shared with Graham. He had burst through the door with a wide smile.

"Oh gods, you need to stop—" Red could not finish because the man she loved took her face in his hands and kissed her with such raw passion, her knees became weak.

"I have wanted to do that for a long time." He said before kissing her again, this time with more tenderness. As air became necessary for them both, they pulled away and looked at into other's eyes. Red saw love and passion, the same look she had been giving him for years.

"Red, my Red I have my heart back. We can now get married and give Swan a family." The huntsman kisses Red's hands. "I love you, my precious ruby." He whispered.

"Are you sure about this? I mean, with my being a wolf and all…" He kissed her to silence her again and chuckled.

"There is nothing my heart longs for than for you to be my wife, wolf." Red laughed and nodded, tears of happiness running down her cheeks as she held his face as he did hers.

After the wedding, Red had Emma stay with her friend Belle from the Light Kingdom. Belle had Emma for a month. Emma was almost a year old by then. Belle spoiled the little girl, letting her play with everything she could touch. It was on one of those days when Emma had met who she now called her uncle. The young man walked into Belle's book store, eager to see the woman he admired from afar, Belle.

But Belle was not the one who greeted him, it was a little girl with golden hair and the greenest eyes he had ever seen. She only looked at him for a moment before going back to the snow bells she held.

"Hello, little one." Emma looked up smiling and waved at him.

"What's your name, blondie?" He asked with a chuckle. She was just so cute.

Emma looked down, distracted by the flowers. The boy bent down to make her look into is eyes.

"You won't say your name, so I will name you Goldie Locks." Emma giggled at him and held up one of the beaten flowers. "Aren't you just a little princess?" He asked, offering his arms to carry her.

The baby giggled loudly as the boy spun her around. Belle that had run off to the store's pantry and was surprised to see Emma's in the arms of a stranger. Well, a stranger to Emma, not so much for her. She had seen the young man around.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be a bother." The boy said, putting the little girl down where she had been. Emma giggled again with one flower in her small hand and another holding onto the boy so he was bending at a weird angle.

"Oh no worries Emma's has a gift for making people like her, don't you Swan?" Her accent was enough to make the boy dizzy. "But please, be careful. She is my friend's child and it was irresponsible of me to leave Emma alone." Emma looked at Belle at the mention of her name.

"I meant no harm, my lady." Belle couldn't help but smile at the boy's sweetness.

"Don't fret, I know." She said and then looked at Emma as she let go of the boy's shirt. "Well, her name is Emma Swan."

"Perhaps that name doesn't suit her like the one I just name her, my lady. I present to you, Princess Goldie Locks and of course, her loyal guard, Pinocchio." He bowed in front of Belle admiring the woman's laugh and unreal beauty.

From that first meeting, Pinocchio became very important in Emma's life. He had named her Goldie Locks and she had named him August because they always spent more time together when summer arrived.

It was as if destiny had tied their lives together, because August went into service as a guard for the Dark Kingdom, where he worked with Graham, Emma's father. This is how he came to be Emma's uncle; Graham and August were inseparable. August was hopelessly in love with Belle, which is why he had the best times when he and his Goldie got to see the beautiful woman.

Emma's first Birthday was a big celebration for Red. It was to take place in their home, but it was very important and she couldn't wait to see her baby. She quickly cleaned up and was making her way out of castle she worked in. The Light Kingdom, ruled by King James and Queen Snow White.

She knew Belle and her baby were on their way up, too and she couldn't be wondered if her daughter would like her birthday present, when Belle appeared with Emma in her arms.

"Red!" Belle's call could be heard in the royal bedchambers.

Queen Snow stood up from her bed, something that she rarely did after her baby girl was taken away from her. Snow saw Belle, her library supervisor and the owner of the book store in the village.

"Hey!" Belle smiled at Red, and so did the Emma. Little Emma began to giggle and put her arms out for her mother would take her. Snow peeked from her bedchamber's door. That baby was very fond of Red, she wished she could see her face. She looked about as old as her own child would be.

"Swan, did you cause a lot of trouble?" Red hugged her baby girl close to her chest and Emma giggled kissing her mom's cheeks.

"Goldie Locks, who is she?" Belle asked Emma. This was a very common game for them to play. Emma grinned, pointing at Red.

"MAMA!" The little Swan said with excitement and started to howl just she knew her mother did. Belle and Red looked at each other and laughed. Reds heart swelled with pride.

She was a mother.

She kissed her baby girl and hugged her to her chest.

Snow could not believe what she was watching. Red had been pregnant before her wedding? Is the huntsman the real father? She needed to know all of this for Red had been her friend. How could she not know?

Before she made the decision to speak up, Red looked at her. Of course she had smelled her.

"Snow, I know you're there. Come out and meet my daughter." Snow did as told and when she laid her eyes on the beautiful green eyed baby. Her chest hurt as if her heart were being crushed inside her.

"Your…your daughter?" Snow asked, her throat tightening, needing to know. That baby has David's hair color and the same color of her eyes, thought Snow. She looked nothing like Red.

"Yes, this my little Swan. Belle and her Uncle called her Goldie Locks. But you can call her what pleases you." Red said proudly showing off her child.

"Can I ... I ... Carry her?" Snow whispered, feeling her heart break further.

"Absolutely, Your Majesty." Red said softly, handing over the quiet, curious girl. She saw the pain Snow was feeling and she couldn't imagine how much it would hurt, but she wasn't giving up her child either.

Red knew that Emma was Snow's daughter. She knew they had the same smell, but Emma was different. She had the smell of magic, she had been marked since birth. Red didn't mind that Emma was born with magic. If her daughter was to be a sorceress, that was fine with her; Emma was her daughter hers only. She saw Snow suffering everyday but she was not ready to give her happy ending to Snow White. At first Red thought about giving the Princess to her former family but all it took was a smile from that Swan to melt her mama's heart.

Emma had won over Snow too, Red noticed. How could she not?

Snow took Emma in her arms and smiled at her, but Emma's face contorted and she began to cry. Emma called for her mama, moving away from Snow arms to land on Belle's.

"Goldie! Was wrong?" Belle asked, surprised by the sudden change in behavior of the baby.

"I'm so sorry, Your Majesty. I'm her babysitter and she…she has never acted like this with anyone."

Red didn't say anything, she felt proud of her baby for staying with her, for picking her. Red gave Snow a sad smile.

"We must go. Swan turns one today and we have to wait for her father at home." Red kissed Snow's cheek and took her hood off, transforming into the wolf. Belle placed the baby in the hairy back of the mama wolf and Emma held on.

"I will see you for your celebration, Swan. Goodbye, now." Belle shouted as they both disappeared in the distance.

Snow watched them disappear, standing beside Belle. She watched and it was as if her soul were leaving her body. She didn't understand why she felt such dread for she did not know she had just seen her daughter and had not recognized her.