Chapter 9
The first few weeks of a child's life should be blissful, contented and organised that's what all the maids had told her. Liars, Snow thought as she heard her daughter's anguished cries. Oh she loved Emma truly, they loved her. The little smile she would give whenever she saw them, the way she would confidently wrap her little finger around her own, the way they could both get Daddy to do exactly as they wanted. She sighed, feeling for her husband through sleep-filled eyes. However, her hands only met the empty side of the bed.
However, there was no need to worry for as Snow opened her eyes more and pulled herself up out of their bed she saw her beautiful husband rocking Emma while pacing gently by the sunlit balcony.
"See Em this is Mommy and Daddy and Emma's Kingdom." As Snow stood in the middle of the room her hand fell on her heart as she silently listened to him tell their now considerably quieter daughter what he could see.
"These are the mountains. They are glorious. Perhaps, you and I could climb one together one day? Hmm? What do you think?" Emma gave an excited shriek as Charming carefully and ever so slightly propped her up in a slight sitting position being conscious enough not to lose his firm grip on the wriggling infant. "It'll be just us. We won't tell Mommy because she'll only worry." He gently whispered before continuing.
"Ah and there is the most special place of all. The forest where began my journey and met the fierce and bewitching Princess whom I was destined to marry. Truthfully, we got off to a somewhat rocky start but, after a while we found our way. And the best part is we got married and had the most perfect baby in all the realms, in the entire universe. You my precious baby."
Well Snow melted right then and there. The sight of the two most important people in her world bonding. The Little Princess yawning sweetly and stretching her little arms out of the blanket which her dutiful father had wrapped her in and that also had her name sewn delicately across it in bright lavender letters. Emma. She gently crept up behind him lacing her fingers around his waist and kissing his bare shoulders.
"Good morning Charming Good morning Emma".
Charming turned happily careful not to wake the sleeping babe.
"Good morning Snow". He said hungry for her kiss.
She obliged placing a light and long kiss on his famished lips before gently taking their daughter from his arms and placing her in her crib. As she had already fed her an hour before she knew that their child would not need feeding for a while which meant one thing, Johanna could be called to watch her meaning "Mommy and Daddy Time".
"Snow. What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking it's a good thing I asked Johanna if she'd watch Emma for a few hours".
Meet me in ten in the spare bed chamber.
Ten minutes later David dutifully knocked on the door of the chamber.
"Come In". It was a seductive request.
"Oh My God!" Charming exclaimed when he had fully seen the vision before him. She was standing there in the most stunning lilac and lace nightdress he had ever seen. Every bit of the material hugged and enhanced the curves of her body minimising the remaining trace of baby weight she had.
"You like?" She was teasing in her footsteps and words dancing gentle fingers across his the V of his open shirt.
"Oh I LOVE!" He groaned as he pulled her flush against him and scooped her gently up onto the bed for the greatest hour of "Mommy and Daddy Time" and the first time that they had had completely alone and undisturbed since their daughters birth.
She kissed his chin and he her lips and neck before they tiredly collapsed against each other.
"Well that was… Wow!" Oh darling I had missed you so".
"Glad to hear it." Snow sang and hugged him tightly. He did however; notice a slight sense of worry in her tone. Call it instinct or spousal intuition but, he knew he knew that despite their time his wife needed to check on their baby.
He loved her for it because despite getting completely and utterly lost in his wife's voluptuous and stunning form he always had "How's Emma? What's she up to?" running through his head like a happy little anxiety that must be held by all parents until their child is old and grey. You never stop wondering and worrying about your children especially, when you have been through as much as they have. To have Snow and Emma at all was a miracle.
"What are you doing?" Snow enquired puzzled as he started to put his white dress shirt back on.
"We're checking on Emma".
She stopped him just before he attempted to get out of bed.
"Snow we need to see her."
"Oh I know and we will just one last kiss before we do."
She was not meaning a gentle, polite kiss that they could have shared in front of their baby let alone Johanna not without making her blush for a week.
So they eventually arrived at the nursery fifteen minutes later than they had originally planned because there was the last kiss followed by another and another but, now finally as Snow swept up their considerably heavier child they had kisses for her and as it turned out they were endless too.
It was only as Emma started to get hot and sticky and would not stop crying that they started to panic.
"Oh my goodness Charming she's burning up!"
"Hush Angel Mommy and Daddy are here. Daddy's going to get Uncle Doc and he's going to tell us how we can make it all better."
"Oh my sweet baby." Snow sobbed as Emma howled in her arms
"I should have never suggested we leave her David. This is my fault. If she…?! Snow started words broken through anguished tears.
"Look at me. Look at me Darling. This is not your fault it's not anyone's fault. Babes get sick all the time. You yourself ensure Blue and the Fairies heal as many families as they can on a daily basis giving them food and water and enough medicine to last them for years". "They get better. They all get better because of you."
"IT's OUR BABY". She was nearly inconsolable.
"I know. Darling I know". He pressed a pained kiss to his wife's forehead then placed another on the tiny crest of his precious little girl before going to retrieve Doc.
It was the longest few minutes of Snow's life.
Even as Doc bathed Emma's forehead and gave her the smallest amounts of herbal medicine it seemed as though the nightmare would never end.
It was only when the cheerful doctor gently felt her for-head as he had done every few minutes since arriving that he said the words Snow and Charming had been longing to hear.
"The fever has broken my dear friends. If you just continue to give her a few spoons of this when she wakes for her feed and bathe her for-head if she needs it she will be fine. The worst is over."
"Thank you so much Doc!"
"If you should ever need me I'll be in the infirmary." "Good night Princess Emma bravest of them all." He whispered happily rubbing a gentle finger across the child's chubby and bright if not incredibly worn out face as she lay peacefully in her crib blissfully unaware of all the commotion her illness had caused.
"Thank you Doc" Snow replied again before giving him a grateful kiss on the cheek as he left the family alone.
"Emma Ruth Charming don't you ever scare us like that again." Charming cooed as his wife gave a gentle snort knowing full well she would as she grew and probably revel in it just as she revelled in making David worry. (Within reason of course,)
"We love you Angel. You can scare us as much as you want because we'll always be here to protect you."
"Daddy will slay Dragons and Mommy will fight the Ogres…"
Charming smiled at Snow. "And if you or Mommy ever gets lost". He started as Snow playfully rolled her eyes knowing he'd said this throughout their engagement and throughout every day that their child had grown inside of her up to now. His devotion to his family to her to their future children would never stop until the day they both grew old and passed she knew he would always find them because find meant love. He will always love them as she would
"Oh we don't know Em. What will Daddy Charming do?"
Emma gurgled knowing the answer.
"That's right baby girl."
Snow turned as Emma finally fell asleep finding herself being happily enveloped into her husband's loving arms as if shielding her from a long passed threat.
She sighed happily into the crook of his neck before looking up into his brilliant blue eyes that were glistening with love for his new family. She kissed him tenderly before murmuring so they could both hear.
"He'll find us. He'll always find us."
Well that was the longest chapter in a while. Hope you enjoyed some much needed normal family drama. Thank you so much for the reviews. I'll go on for as long as this story needs telling which could be two, three maybe four chapters. Though, really Charming family moments are endless aren't they? XXXXXXXX EmWorm
