AN: I kind of took a break from this story, but I hope to get back to it, so if you have a prompt, please send them in! And enjoy this new addition.
Thanks for all the great reviews. Here are individual responses:
fantasylover4evr: Thanks! Glad you like my writing so much! I agree, Emma should have gotten a fresh start with her parents.
Guest: Glad you liked it! I love when Snowing has more children and if you like that, you'll like this one too. I agree, I don't see them stopping at two.
Austenphile: Thanks! Glad you liked it! You'll like this one too, because in this, after Ruthie, they get two more little miracles. I agree, Snow would have trouble leaving her babies. Glad you like the reappearance of Snow's Viking gang. :)
SexyStarWarslover: So glad you liked it! Yes, Ruth will be just fine with her big brother and big sister. Ha, yep, date night with the Vikings is the best!
Ragsweas: Thanks! No, Emma does not know about being de-aged. I will see what I can come up with for a one-shot with her finding out. Glad you enjoy these!
SecretLoveCara: Glad you liked it! Yeah, I know how that is. I was fourteen when my half-brother was born.
Barratta Jennifer: Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Perfectly Charmings
Moments
Moments. That's what he had once told Emma that it was all about. Moments.
After the curse broke, modern technology wasn't something David gave a lot of thought. Once he had been given false curse memories, the vague knowledge of how this world worked came with that. He didn't really give driving or using a cell phone a second thought. It was like muscle memory. For Snow too, as she had awoke in this world as Mary Margaret Blanchard and all the knowledge needed to function in this land.
Despite the fact that there were some things he missed about their land, that they both missed, they had come to enjoy the conveniences of this world.
Technology especially. Information at your fingertips, instant communication with the people you loved, and modern medicine. Raising two kids made them very grateful for modern medicine, especially. One sick baby was frightening enough, but two had been the scariest thing he was sure they had ever faced. But with easily and readily available medicine, that scary night where both Emma and Neal were running fevers turned out just fine with a bit of over the counter baby fever reducer.
They had both expressed relief and joy that they were on this journey together. And with Storybrooke now a quiet town mostly, they were discovering those joys of raising a family together.
One joy they had discovered was the digital camera. For their first anniversary after the final battle, Regina and Henry had gotten them a digital camera with a photo printer, insisting that they throw the Polaroid in the trash. And it had been the best thing they had done. They soon had albums full of family photos. Snow was content to document every single moment of their babies lives, as was he. And when he stopped to think about it, he marveled at the innovation. He was sure there was no better way to document their lives, until he discovered the camcorder.
"And here we have the two most beautiful babies ever," David said, as he zoomed in on Emma and Neal, who were playing with a few toys in the middle of the living room. He panned up and focused on his wife then, who was watching them from the kitchen.
"And then there is the most beautiful woman ever," he said, as he focused on her. She gave him a look and shied away.
"Charming, no I look awful...I don't even have makeup on," she complained.
"You could never look awful, my darling. You're as beautiful as they day I met you and you always will be," he promised. As always, she felt like melting at him words and smiled at him.
"I hit you with a rock the first time we met," she reminded.
"Still the best thing that's ever happened to me, right up there with marrying you twice and the days our children were born. And then the day we got our second chance with Emma," he said, as she smiled fondly and glanced to their babies again.
"Charming…" she whispered, motioning to the living room. He panned back with the camera and they saw that Neal had pulled himself up onto his legs, while holding onto the sofa.
"That's it buddy…" he encouraged. Snow knelt down.
"That's it baby...come to Mommy," Snow called. He grinned and started to clumsily walk toward her and Snow caught him in her arms.
"Oh baby...you did so good," Snow said, with tears in her eyes.
"Did you get that?" she asked hopefully. He smiled back.
"Yeah, I got it," he confirmed, as Emma babbled up at him.
"Hey Princess...are you going to walk today too?" he cooed. Emma crawled over to the sofa and pulled herself up onto her legs. They waited with bated breath, but she wobbled and fell back onto her diapered rear. She let out a shriek of frustration and he chuckled.
"You'll get it, princess. Neal just has a few months on you," he promised, as he turned off the camera for the day.
As their lives progressed, David continued to document their lives on film. Every school event, every school program, from Neal's days in little league to Emma's in track and field. To the school programs where Emma played a tooth in the Kindergarten rendition of proper dental hygiene. And the program where Neal played a head of broccoli in the first grade play displaying proper nutrition.
As they got older, David's penchant with the camera annoyed his children a bit, but they would always look upon the memories fondly. And it had become a favorite pastime of him and Snow to curl up together in the evening and occasionally watch one of the videos they had of their babies at various stages. He had never imagined they could document their children's lives like this and so when little Ruth Eva came along and then their surprise twins two years later, Aiden Robert and Carina Rose, they documented every moment of their lives as well.
It had always been David's dream to have a large family and they had thought for a while that such a chance was lost to them. But they had gotten everything they wanted and would never take it for granted. And just as they had documented every moment of Emma and Neal's lives and would continue to do so, they would do the same for their newest arrivals. It didn't matter how crazy things got in a house with two teens and three toddlers, and several pets, Snow and David wouldn't change any of it for the world.
Snow sided up to him, as he filmed their little ones playing in the yard with their older children and she put her arms around his waist. He smiled down at her and pecked her on the lips.
"They're growing so fast…" she mentioned.
"I know...I know it's good that time is moving again, but I wish it would slow down just a bit," he mentioned in return. They knew it wouldn't and someday, they would be empty nesters. But with five children, there wasn't doubt that they would eventually have a house full of grandchildren someday. And they would enjoy every moment from now until then and beyond. Moments...that's what it was all about, after all...