A/N: Part 4 of Normal Day in Storybrooke – Warning Lots of Fluff :) Thanks for the Reviews! I ended up adding to this one because of SarahAlicia's review! Hope you like this chapter! Enjoy!
Normal Day in Storybrooke - Part 4
David set Emma down at the table that was already set and ready for them to eat. Emma shivered and David frowned before heading to his and Snow's room.
"How are you feeling, honey?" Snow asked as she sat down across from her.
"I'm fine." Emma said.
Snow smirked, but didn't say anything. She could see that Emma was shivering and that she looked pretty sleepy too.
David came back over with a blanket and zip up sweater. "Here put this on, kid." David said as he handed her the sweater.
Emma took it and put it on since she was freezing. "Thanks." Emma said shyly.
David smiled before putting the blanket over her lap so that her legs would be warm too.
It did make a big difference in making her feel comfortable, but it also made her more sleepy than she already was. She picked up her fork and started to eat. It all looked wonderful, but she couldn't taste any of it. She frowned and started to just pick at it slowly.
"This is really good, Snow." Emma heard her Dad saying and she wished she could taste her food.
Emma reached for her drink to see that it was juice and she rolled her eyes. She didn't really like drinking juice, but her mom was determined to get fluids into her.
"Thank you. I thought it was about time for it again." Snow said softly.
"It was indeed." David said before eating more of his Chicken Alfredo.
Snow turned to Emma to see her looking disappointed at her food. "You can't taste it, can you?"
Emma looked up confused at first before realizing what she asked. "It's fine, really."
David and Snow shared a knowing look.
"Why don't you try some of the soup?" Snow said as she stood up.
"I'm not really that hungry, mom." Emma tried. She didn't want to eat anything because she couldn't taste it and she really didn't care for soup.
"You need to eat something, Emma." Snow said as she started towards the kitchen to get some broth for Emma.
Emma looked over to her Dad for help, but he was looking at her with concern and she knew he wouldn't be any help.
Snow came over with the broth and set it next to Emma's plate of Chicken Alfredo. "There you go, baby."
Emma blushed at the 'baby' part. "I think you are getting me confused with Neal." Emma mumbled.
David hid a smile at Emma's embarrassment.
"No, I'm not. You are our baby just as much as Neal is." Snow said seriously.
"That's true. I remember the day you were born. You were so tiny and remember she had that birthmark..." David said with a soft smile.
"Dad! We don't need to talk about that..." Emma said as she blushed further. She knew where her birthmark was and it was weird that they knew where it was too.
"Yeah, that was a cute birthmark, shaped like a snowbell. I was talking to Ella and Aurora about Emma's and Neal's birthmarks. Ella said that her daughter has one in a similar place as Emma's." Snow said.
"Mom! Why were you telling her where mine is?" Emma asked looking horrified of someone else knowing where she had her birthmark.
"Emma, I'm sure your mother would have told Ella about your birthmark in the Enchanted Forest too. You would have been just a couple days older than Alexandria and we were very close to them. I'm sure your mother would have shown Ella your birthmark on your..."
"Dad! Can we stop talking about my birthmark?" Emma asked, her face was a deep crimson color now.
David chuckled before exchanging an amused glance with his wife. "All I was trying to say is that you are very much our baby." David said with a loving smile at his daughter.
"You were a very beautiful baby." Snow said with a huge grin.
Emma rolled her eyes and hoped her parents wouldn't embarrass her in public with those kinds of stories. It was embarrassing enough with them three, but she couldn't imagine if they did start in front of any of their friends. She didn't realize how embarrassing her parents could be when they were all the same age, but they could still be plenty embarrassing. It didn't matter that they were the same age as her because they were still her parents.
"I wonder how similar she would have been as a baby with Neal?" Snow said curiously.
"I don't know. I have a feeling she would have been pretty stubborn and gave us a run for our money." David said as he reached over and lightly touched her cheek before adding, "like she does now."
Emma groaned as she wondered how long they would be on this subject. She listened for a little while as they talked about things they thought she would have been like as a baby then as a toddler, and as a little girl. After awhile she just tuned them out and put her head on her hand as she tried to eat. She took a sip of the broth and couldn't taste it, but at least it made her throat feel a little bit better.
"I have a feeling she would have been sneaking away to go find you all the time. She wouldn't have wanted to have etiquette lessons or any lessons probably." Snow said with a laugh at the idea of Emma having to attend lessons.
"I can just imagine a little Emma coming to see the horses or to watch the Knights practice sword fighting. What do you think, Em?" David asked as he turned to look at Emma.
"Hm?" Emma asked as she blinked her eyes to look at her Dad.
"Nevermind, sweetie, I think we know that answer." David said with a smile and Emma frowned wondering what he was taking about. "Finish your soup, honey." David ordered softly as he touched her cheek with the back of his fingers.
Emma returned her attention to her soup and picked up her spoon.
Snow gave David an impressed look at getting Emma to obey without any arguing, but then David gave a meaningful look to communicate it was just because she was half asleep already. They smiled as they turned their attention back to Emma who was slowly eating her soup.
"I wonder what her first ball would have been like..." Snow started with a smile.
"It would have been okay as long as the boys stayed away." David said as he leaned back and crossed his arms.
They continued to talk as Emma finished her soup. She wasn't really listening, but the sound of their voices was comforting.
David and Snow continued to talk about Emma until they heard her spoon clatter and looked over to see Emma's head start to slip off her hand. David and Snow reacted at the same moment. Snow reached over and grabbed Emma's plates as David went over and caught Emma before her head fell on the table.
"Well that was close." Snow whispered and they both chuckled.
Emma jerked awake at their chuckles, but was still half asleep. "Hm."
"You better get her to bed." Snow said with a chuckle.
"Come on, baby girl." David said with a smile as he helped her stand up.
"Not baby..." Emma mumbled.
"Oh I remember very clearly you as a baby in my arms..." David started.
Emma groaned as she walked unsteadily beside him. The only reason she hadn't fallen was because David had a tight grip around her waist to keep her steady. When they got to the bottom of the stairs, Emma stopped suddenly.
"What's wrong, Em?"
"I don't need to go to bed yet. I just got up." Emma said in a very whiny voice that had David swallowing back a chuckle before answering her.
"I'm afraid you do." David said firmly as he gently pushed her forward, but Emma dug in her heels.
"Noooo." Emma whined.
David heard his wife chuckle behind him so he turned to give her a glare, but she just smiled in return.
"Sorry, kiddo." David said as he picked up Emma in his arms since she wasn't going willingly.
"Daddy, please." Emma said, but it was in an irritated voice as she tried to wiggle out of his arms.
"Emma, stop." David said sternly, but couldn't help but chuckle at her stubbornness.
Snow was laughing in the background at David struggling to get Emma upstairs, but in the end David somehow managed to get their daughter up to her bedroom.
David placed Emma on her bed. "Come on, under the covers." David said with a chuckle.
Emma frowned, but got under her covers. All the struggling had taken the rest of her energy from her and she wasn't feeling like fighting him anymore. "I'm not even tired." Emma grumbled.
David adjusted her covers as he smiled because she was so very tired and cranky because of it. David kissed her forehead. "Sleep, baby girl."
Emma just glared at him, but it wasn't very strong because he could tell she wanted to close her eyes.
David stood up and looked over to where he had placed the baby monitor to see that it wasn't where he put it or anywhere in the room for that matter. Then he remembered how Emma was up to something earlier so he turned around to look at Emma with a pointed look. "Where is it?"
He watched as Emma's confusion turned into guilty look because she knew what he was talking about.
"What are you talking about?" Emma asked in an innocent voice.
"You know what I am talking about, the baby monitor. Where is it?" David asked.
Emma shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, maybe mom has it." Emma lied.
"Well then let's ask her." David said, but the look he was giving her told her that he knew she was lying and he wasn't very happy with her. "Snow, can you come up here?" David called down the stairs.
Emma grimaced and thought this might be the best time to "fall asleep." She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.
"What is it, Charming?" Snow asked.
"That's not going to work, young lady." David said in a frustrated voice and Emma opened her eyes with a sheepish look.
"What's going on?" Snow asked looking from her daughter to her husband.
"Do you know where the baby monitor is?" David asked.
Snow looked over at Emma. "Emma thought you might have taken it downstairs at least that's what she told me when I wanted to charge it before dinner." Snow said as she looked at her husband and then her daughter.
Emma grimaced, her lying to one parent about the other was blowing up in her face.
"Well she just said that you might have it." David said catching her in her lies. "Where is it?" David asked as he put his hands on hips.
Emma looked over at her mom who was giving her an identical look and had her arms crossed. She was hoping that her mom would be on her side, but it didn't look like she was very happy at being lied to either.
"Emma, we're waiting." David said with a look that made her feel like she was 13 again.
Emma gulped. "In the drawer..."
David opened the bedside drawer to find the baby monitor, but it didn't have the red light that it was supposed to have. He looked at Emma who quickly looked away. He narrowed his eyes before looking at the back of the monitor and checked the batteries to find none. He looked back in the drawer for the batteries, but he couldn't find them. "Where are the batteries?" David said as he looked at Emma again.
Emma pointed to the other bedside table with a sheepish look. She couldn't look at her father, but she imagined what kind of look he was giving her as she heard him sigh and walk around the bed to open the drawer. She heard him snap the batteries back in and turn it on. She figured she was going to get some kind of lecture, but then she heard footsteps and the lights go out besides the hallway light. She snapped her head up to see they had left the room and didn't leave the monitor.
Emma wasn't sure why she felt hurt when she realized that they had left and didn't leave the monitor. Sure the monitor had annoyed her, but she did like that it meant they cared for her. Did she upset them so much that they were actually mad at her now? She didn't want them to be mad at her. It was only a joke...well sort of a joke...
She looked a the doorway and realized they didn't close the door. Maybe they would come back...
Emma waited and waited, but they didn't come back. She then heard their voices coming from downstairs and she strained her ears to hear them. She couldn't tell what they were saying, but then she heard her mom laugh.
She frowned. They weren't coming back up to even say goodnight. She thought about it for second before she realized she was being childish. She was 30 years old and she didn't need her parents to tuck her in even if she was sick.
She frowned again. Her parents didn't even check her temperature again. Before dinner they had been so overprotective, but now they weren't. She knew it annoyed her, but she still liked it to an extent. She had never had parents that cared so much about her to be overprotective until now. She didn't want that to change just because she played a joke on her Dad. She didn't mean to make him mad at her.
Emma heard them both laugh and then Neal giggle. She had the sinking feeling in her stomach when she realized that this was all about Neal. It was Neal's monitor they had been using for her, but her father was upset that she had done what she had done with it since it was Neal's. Neal needs everything, gets everything. They have Neal why would they want her especially when she creates problems. She wasn't a child or a baby that they wanted and now they have to take care of her and pretend to care of her. But now that she made them mad they realized that she was too much trouble and Neal needed them more than her. They probably prefer him more than her too.
She heard Neal giggle again and bite her lip as she closed her eyes and tried to prevent the tears from coming.
She opened her eyes quickly when she realized why they probably hadn't wanted her downstairs: they didn't want her to get their baby sick. Emma gasped as she cried.
She sat up quickly, a little too quickly and looked at the time to see it was only 8:15. She couldn't stay here if she was a burden, if they didn't want her. It hurt too much and she couldn't handle it. She had to leave.
She got out of bed, but then had to sit back down because she was rather weak and lightheaded. To be honest she felt miserable from her head cold. She then realized that her parents hadn't even given her anymore medicine. They didn't care anymore.
She stood up and used the bed to get to the door. She wasn't sure why her parents had left the door open, but she didn't care. She was leaving.
"Did you hear that?" David said when he heard a creak and then footsteps. He looked over at the stairs to see Emma's feet. "That girl is supposed to be asleep." David said with a tired sigh as he walked around to cut her off before she got to the bottom of the stairs.
Snow came around as well holding Neal in her arms. "Emma, what are you doing out of bed?"
Almost all of the lights were off in the apartment besides the hallway light upstairs and the two lamps in her parents' room.
"I'm leaving." Emma stated as she continued down the stairs even though she felt more lightheaded then before.
"You're going to leave in your pajamas?" Snow asked as she tilted her head to the side.
"And without shoes?" David added, trying hard not to smile.
Emma frowned realizing she hadn't even thought about it. She was really feeling lightheaded and confused now. "I'm leaving." Emma said as she started forward quickly, but it was too much for her head and she felt herself falling.
"Emma!"
David had seen Emma start to lose her balance and had reached out to catch her. He caught her before she hit the stairs. "Emma." David said softly as he touched her cheek.
"David, get her to our bed." Snow said as she went to put Neal down in his crib.
David picked her up and brought her to their bed. Emma was starting to stir as he got her there. She opened her eyes in confusion. "What happen?"
"You fell." David started.
"Probably because you are congested." Snow added before turning to David. "Let's try to relieve some of congestion. Can you carry her to the bathroom?" Snow asked.
David nodded.
"I can walk..." Emma started.
"Emma, you just fainted that proves you shouldn't be walking." David said as he carried her to the bathroom.
Snow had already turned the shower on hot and was grabbing a box of tissues from the living room. "Set her down." Snow said as she pointed to the closed toilet.
David did set her down, but stayed next to her just in case she was still a bit dizzy which she was since she ended up leaning her head against him.
Emma looked to her mom in confusion at why she was in the bathroom with the shower running.
"You're going to need these." Snow said softly as she handed Emma the box of tissues.
"What?" Emma asked with a confused look, but then she sneezed and knew what was going on.
After about ten minutes, Snow turned the shower off and opened the door to the bathroom. "Feel any better?"
Emma nodded slowly feeling even sleepier then she had and her head felt a whole lot better.
David smiled before helping Emma stand and leading her out of the bathroom. "Ok, it's time for you to get back to bed." David said as he led her over towards the stairs.
"Wait, let's get some medicine into her first then she can head up." Snow said thinking it was a little past due for her medicine.
"But I'm leaving..." Emma said with a frown at how they seemed to think she was staying with them.
David and Snow looked at her with a sympathetic look.
"No, you aren't." David answered. "But you are going to take your medicine and head back upstairs."
"Here. Take these." Snow said as she came up to Emma with a cup of sprite and two pills.
Emma looked at them in her hand.
"Emma, take them." Snow said with her mom look and Emma complied pretty quickly. "Now, head upstairs and get in bed. Your father and I will be up in a few minutes."
Emma looked from her Mom to her Dad trying to gage if they would actually make her go and from the looks they were giving her, she knew they would. "Ok." Emma said before she went upstairs.
David and Snow watched her go up and waited till she was upstairs to talk. "Wondered why she wants to leave." David said with a shake of his head.
"I don't know, but she sure is out of it. She really needs the sleep. Those pills should help her with that at least."
"Yeah they will." David reassured her.
Emma walked upstairs and got in bed. She was exhausted as she pulled the blankets up around her. She still wanted to leave, but she couldn't even move right now let alone
leave the apartment without getting caught.
Emma's parents walked in and saw that Emma was fighting to keep her eyes open.
"Ok, Emma, it's time to sleep and this time stay in bed." David said.
Emma looked at him with a sad look before closing her eyes. She knew why he wanted her in bed and asleep. He wanted her to be out of the way and the reason why he had been so frustrated was because she had taken him away from Neal. Also she was being a burden to him that he didn't want to deal with.
Emma didn't feel them tuck her in or say goodnight. She knew she was being childish wanting those things, but she had gotten use to being treated that way. She figured they left the room as she drifted off to sleep.
"Well that didn't take long." David whispered as he lightly felt Emma's forehead.
"She is exhausted." Snow commented and David nodded.
David kissed Emma's forehead before heading to the door. Snow smiled softly as she tucked a strand of hair behind Emma's ear before kissing her daughter's cheek. "Goodnight, baby girl."
Emma woke up feeling very disoriented and confused. She then remembered that her parents were mad with her and she had tried to leave, but for some reason that hadn't worked very well. She didn't want to leave, but she didn't want them to be mad at her. So without much thought she untangled herself from her blankets and got out of bed.
She walked downstairs to a completely dark apartment and over to her parents' bed. It was only after she shook her Dad's shoulder that she realized what she was doing and she was about to turn away.
"Emma? What are you doing out of bed?" David said in a groggy voice as he looked at her with concern.
"Uh...I must have been sleep walking..." Emma said feeling very embarrassed at waking him up in the middle of the night. She turned to leave again, but David had caught her wrist.
"Hey, what's wrong?" David asked softly, but kept her wrist in his hand.
Emma looked at him feeling a mixture of guilt and embarrassment.
"Are you not feeling good?" David asked as he sat up and felt her forehead. It was still about what it had been before.
Emma shook her head no. She knew she needed to just tell him because he was seeing right through her lies. "Are you both still mad at me?" Emma whispered as she looked down at her feet to avoid his eyes.
David smiled softly realizing what was bothering her so much and why she had wanted to leave last night. "For the monitor?"
Emma nodded, but didn't look up because it sounded like she just reminded him about it. He might be mad again. She tried to leave, but he still had a firm grasp on her wrist that kept her grounded next to the bed.
David got out of the bed and turned Emma to look at him, but had to raise her chin for him or actually see her face. "Emma, we aren't mad at you. It was a bit frustrating when all we were trying to do was make sure you were alright and taken care of, but we aren't mad."
"Are you sure? It is Neal's." Emma asked.
David looked at her in confusion. "Why would that matter, Em?"
"Because if I lost it or broke it then Neal wouldn't have it. And Neal needs everything and gets everything." Emma rambled off.
"Do you not want your brother to have everything?" David asked, seeing where this was going now.
"Well, I do, but..." Emma said and got a look from her Dad.
"But you didn't get everything..."
"I'm not jealous."
"Aren't you?" David asked with a small smile. It was rather adorable, but also very sad because he wished she could have got everything they could offer.
Emma avoided his question with one of her own. "Wouldn't you rather just have him then me? It would be a lot less complicated and you wouldn't have to be burden by me." Emma said sincerely as she looked at her Dad who was looking at her in shock.
"Emma Ruth Swan, we have always wanted you. We have always loved you. You have never been a burden and we don't mind the complicated because it gives us you. And having you is worth it every time." David said firmly as he held her arms.
Emma looked up at him trying to gage how truthful he was being and knew that everything he was saying was absolutely true.
"Your father is right, Emma." Snow said from the bed, having been woken up by the movement of the bed as David had gotten up. "Neal doesn't replace you. We love Neal just as much as we love you. We are thankful that we can give him things we weren't able to give you, but we wish that you could have gotten those same things as well."
Emma wasn't sure if it was the late hour or being sick, but the tears started to fall from her eyes after hearing her parents. She felt herself being pulled into a hug by her father and his hand cradle the back of her head. She closed her eyes enjoying the moment of feeling safe in his arms.
After a moment though, David leaned back and looked at her with a smile. "Come on, you can sleep with us." David said as he directed her towards the bed.
Emma climbed in, scooting to the middle of the bed so her Dad could still lay down. Her mom adjusted the blankets over her and wrapped an arm around her stomach before kissing Emma's cheek.
David got in as well and turned to his daughter and wife with a smirk on his face. "You were jealous." David teased and saw the heat rush to Emma's cheeks. He smiled and placed a hand on her face before bringing her head towards him as he kissed her cheek.
"It's okay to be jealous, it's actually rather cute." David said with a smile.
"I wasn't jealous..." Emma tried, but both of her parents chuckled.
"David, can you imagine her in the Enchanted Forest being jealous of Neal?" Snow started and Emma groaned.
"Well I'll just be going..." Emma started as she tried to get up, but both of her parents' arms were around her keeping her down on the bed.
"Oh no, you're stuck with us, kiddo." David teased with a laugh.
"Yep, baby girl." Snow added, knowing how much Emma loved being called a baby.
Emma rolled her eyes, but secretly loved the attention of her parents. Before she realized it, they were both kissing her cheeks.
"Goodnight, Emma." David said softly.
"Sweet dreams, sweetheart." Snow added with a kind smile.
Emma smiled in return, not having the words to express the love she had for the two of them. They had their arms wrapped around her keeping her warm and safe. She closed her eyes and felt one of her parents, probably her mom feel her forehead. She wasn't sure what happened after that because she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
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