LADIES, GENTLEMEN, ONCERS OF ALL AGES...The chapter many of you have waited for is here!
It's Father/Daughter Dance time!
I let this set for like a week, continually going over it to make sure I was satisfied. I really hope you guys like it, since I know several of you have been really anticipating the fluff fest.
I apologize for falling way behind on responding to reviews. Please know that I love and appreciate every single one of them! Every time I get one more it makes me more excited to update, and you guys have been so sweet. So thank you!
The Ball isn't over yet, though, I have more in store for you! But for now, enjoy!
Emma was drawn to where Regina was standing, worried about the fact that she had August by the nape of his shirt and the boy was trying futilely to get free.
"Uh, Regina, you know that's not Henry, right?"
Regina leveled Emma with her signature glare and jerked her head forward. "I'm only trying to assure that my son has a moment of privacy. The puppet keeps wanting to go over there."
Emma followed Regina's gaze to where Henry was dancing with Grace and her cheeks immediately widened into a grin. They were moving stiffly and awkwardly, as all eleven-year-olds dance, and looking completely besotted with one another. She leaned over so Regina could hear her without having to yell. "Aw, he worked up the nerve!"
Regina nodded. "That he did. I told him to just ask her, and tell her that she's pretty. That never fails."
Unabashedly staring at Henry's "moment of privacy," Emma was unsurprised when she found herself flanked by her parents and Neal. Even Gold and Lacey sidled up to watch, with Hook appearing on the OTHER side as to avoid being too close to Gold.
"Can I go now?" August whined, wiggling against Regina's hold.
"No!" everyone said in unison.
"That's my boy!" Neal exclaimed, shooting a thumbs up in his son's direction as Henry peeked over at them.
They all erupted into quiet cheers when Grace finished their dance with an innocent peck to Henry's mouth.
"I can't believe this is already happening," Emma moaned.
"Tell me about it," Regina agreed, releasing August who scrambled straight to Henry. Meanwhile Henry himself was making a show of deliberately ignoring his family.
"They grow up so fast," Mary Margaret said, winking at Emma.
Emma smiled at her mother then looked up at her father, who had a sort of faraway look on his face. She knew that look; both of her parents got it when they were thinking about something in particular that they would have liked to have been a part of in her life. She supposed even the dreaded first kiss or first boyfriend was something they desperately wished they could have been around for.
"Hey, hey," Ruby's voice echoed across the party, and she tapped on the microphone on the stage to get everyone's attention. "Is everybody having a great time?" the crowd cheered their answer. "Good! Well, the night ain't done, yet! I'm pretty sure either Leroy or Lacey have spiked the punch, so we're about to have some real fun!" everyone laughed and sent playfully accusing looks at Leroy and Lacey, who pointed at one another.
"It's ten o'clock, and you know what that means!" Most people smiled in understanding, while Emma frowned, not liking being the only one in the dark. "Now, as most of you I'm sure remember, we have a very special tradition in the Enchanted Forest. It is said that it goes back as far as Snow's great, great, great grandparents and is believed to be good luck! When the clock strikes ten, you take a person who is important to you and participate in this very special dance. So all you need to do is grab a special guy or girl in your life and head on up here for The King and Queen's Waltz!"
A soft, melodic tune began to play, and men and women rejoined the dance floor. While mostly couples, Emma noticed several cases of "that special guy or girl" being someone's family, most notably Jefferson as he took Grace's hand.
Having escaped August once more, Henry made his way over to them, but his smile faltered when he looked back and forth between Emma and Regina.
Emma hesitated, and glanced back at David who was taking Mary Margaret's hand, but was looking at Emma hopefully.
Making up her mind, Emma caught Henry's eyes and jerked her head toward Regina then back at David. Understanding immediately, Henry lifted his hand to Regina.
"Wanna dance, Mom?"
Regina looked like she could cry, and gratefully took Henry's hand. Emma hadn't even been aware Regina was capable of smiling like that.
Heart beats fast,
Color and promises,
How to be brave,
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?
Emma turned fully to her parents, catching them before they went off to the dance. She asked Mary Margaret a question with her eyes, and her mom beamed and took a step back, elbowing David in the process.
But watching you stand alone,
All of my doubt,
Suddenly goes away somehow,
Emma bit her lip and looked up at her father, at his barely concealed excitement, still trying to come to terms with the fact that the young man staring back at her was her father. She fiddled with her hands impatiently. She didn't have the nerve to ask, but she could have the nerve to accept.
One step closer...
Grinning from ear to ear, David offered her his hand, in his most "charming" manner. "May I have this dance, Emma?"
With one last glance at her teary-eyed mom, Emma placed her hand in her father's much bigger one, and let him lead her into the dance.
It was a slow waltz, and an easy one that she could thankfully keep up with without thinking about it. She was a little surprised that the song they chose was a modern one, but she supposed that maybe that was how they were trying to be "both."
Time stands still,
Beauty in all she is,
I will be brave,
I will not let anything take away,
What's standing in front of me,
David, bless his heart, looked just as nervous and uncomfortable as Emma felt. They both observed the other couples, not quite able to look at one another. With her hand on his shoulder, Emma mentally remarked on just how tall her father was.
Every breath,
Every hour has come to this.
One step closer…
Emma felt his eyes on her, so she took a breath and looked up. She was relieved to find sparkling humor shining back at her. "First time I danced at a ball I stepped all over Princess Abigail's feet. She swore never to dance with me again."
Emma laughed. "First time I danced with a boy, he leaned in to kiss me, but I turned my head at the last second and wound up head-butting him. His nose bled for an hour."
David snorted. "Serves him right!"
I have died everyday waiting for you,
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you,
For a thousand years,
I'll love you for a thousand more…
"I'm proud of you, you know."
Emma furrowed her brow. "For what?"
He chuckled. "For a lot of things, actually. But specifically tonight I'm proud of the way you handled yourself when you and Snow got here. Believe me, I know how overwhelming that can be. All that attention focused on you? Makes you just want to go and hide. Like you can't possibly understand what you'd done to deserve it. But you did wonderfully. I'm really impressed."
Emma was amazed by how accurately he described her feelings, and blushed under his praise. "Yeah, I guess going from shepherd to prince, you know how I feel. How did you deal with it?"
"Oh, it was awful when I was posing as James, but after I married your mother it got easier. She's such a humble, kind-hearted little thing, but when she's standing before her people she just exudes confidence and power. I learned from her. You, on the other hand, have it naturally." Emma shrugged that off "No, I mean it, you're more like her than you know."
"She says I'm like you."
He grinned. "I like to think you have some of me too. But really? You may have my hair, eyes, and tact and your mother's stubbornness, kindness and chin, but you, Emma Swan, are most definitely a person all your own. I know we can't take credit for how you turned out, but you should know…I'm really proud of how you did."
Emma averted her eyes, not sure how to handle this much emotional honesty. And of one thing she was certain; he was being nothing but purely honest, and that was staggering.
"Ok, Em, I'm gonna say one more thing, and I swear, afterward we can go back to talking about guns and if you never want me to get mushy again just say so and I won't. Deal?"
Emma tilted her head and waited, the corners of her mouth quirking up. He may not know her as well as Mom did, but he certainly understood her.
"I'm so proud that you're my daughter."
Emma looked down at her feet, unable meet his eyes again, lest he see the tears in hers. Hesitatingly, haltingly, she leaned forward until her head was resting on his shoulder. She felt him stiffen, as if surprised, but then he relaxed and slowly brought up his hand to cradle the back of her head.
Like he did 29 years ago.
He must have been feeling especially brave, because she felt him press a quick kiss to her hair. "From the moment I found out you were going to be a girl, I so looked forward to dancing with you at your first ball. Sorry it took 29 years."
Emma sniffed, allowing herself to be comforted by the heartbeat beneath her cheek. "It's okay. Better late than never," she wouldn't tell him, at least not this night, but this was her dream come true too. Ever since she was a little girl, staying home the night of the Daddy/Daughter dance at school.
I have died everyday waiting for you,
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you,
For a thousand years,
I'll love you for a thousand more.
All along I believed I would find you,
Time has brought your heart to me,
I have loved you for a thousand years,
I'll love you for a thousand more.
"Dav…Dad?"
She smirked as he jumped in surprise, much as her mother did. "Y…Yeah?" she could clearly hear the smile in his voice, even though she wasn't looking at him.
"I'm proud to be your daughter, too."
Emma smiled wider as he hugged her tighter, forcing back discomfort when she felt a tear hit the top of her head.
Yes, it was still weird, but more and more Emma simply didn't care. She didn't care if people heard her call her best friend Mom, didn't care that she was sharing her first father/daughter dance with a guy her own age. It was weird, but that was beginning to be okay with her. She had a mom and a dad, what she'd wanted her entire life, and what was more was she was loved, and she loved them. She loved them as her family, she loved them as her best friends in the entire world.
And dammit, she was happy, so screw the weirdness.
When the song ended they pulled apart, almost reluctantly, but David kept hold of her hand. It was then that they realized however, to both of their horror, that they were alone on the dance floor. Everyone else was just watching, and there wasn't a dry eye in the place.
Mom had a camera, clicking it just in time to capture their identical expressions.
"Dammit," they muttered in unison.
Taking pity on them, bless her, Ruby took to the stage again. "Okay, folks, let's get some punch going on here and dance!"
The song changed to another of the old world dances, and everyone quickly forgot about the father and daughter who'd just shared a monumental moment.
"Thanks for the dance, Emma," David said as they exited the dance floor.
Emma didn't answer, but throwing caution to the wind, she spun to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck for a hug and a kiss on his cheek.
By the time Mary Margaret found them David was close to tears himself, and he and his wife exchanged happy, tearful expressions. "What do you ladies say we go get some of this spiked punch?" he asked, clearing the emotion out of his throat.
"I'm in," Mary Margaret said, and pointed in the direction they were going. "To the punch!"
"Let's," Emma droned then leaned in to her dad. "Mom's already been in the punch, hasn't she?"
"Indeed she has, my dear," David answered with a chuckle.
