prompt: a cute fluffy private moment between newborn Noelle and daddy, maybe him telling her about her family and how she is never allowed to date
prompted by: KBC04070911


Graham stands over the cradle, rocking Noelle in his arms. She's wrapped up in the blanket that Granny had made her, just like her mother's except that the coloring is seasonal, forest green yarn and a bright red ribbon spelling out her name. It's his daughter's first night home, Emma is in the bathroom getting ready for bed, and it's just him and his baby girl for the moment.

"Hey there, precious," he coos at her, his darling little girl, "Daddy's got you."

His daughter. He has a daughter. He's a father. He's father to a princess. It's enough to overwhelm him; he, the wilding hunter that no one had ever cared for, had, by some miracle, earned the love of a royal, and not just any royal, but Emma, who is both a princess and a hero, and they had a family.

"You know, Ellie," he says, placing a kiss on her forehead, "You're going to be the most spoiled little princess in Storybrooke. Your Grandpa David and Grandma Snow already bought you half the toy store," her little fingers grasp at one of his and Graham smiles, "And I think your big brother Henry took up a collection so he could buy you the other half," he jokes, even though she won't understand.

Those big beautiful baby eyes of hers look up at him. He knows that there's little he'll ever be able to deny his daughter. He is already wrapped around her finger and besides; she will have a better childhood than he and Emma did. They already vowed to make sure that she will always feel loved.

She is perfection, half him and half Emma, their love embodied, made tangible, and he suddenly understands why David hates him so. No boy will ever be worthy of Noelle. Not that he ever believed himself worthy of Emma's love; just, now he could see the other man's perspective as well.

"While we're talking," he lowers his voice to a whisper, "Let's make an agreement, shall we? No boys. You're going to grow up and join the fairies in the convent, right? Right," he nods.