Title: Love is Strength
Disclaimer: Once Upon A Time and its characters belong to Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and are owned by ABC. Not Mine!
Warning: K+ (Mentions some violence/kidnapping)
Author's Note: Chapter 21! Merry Christmas! :) This chapter is extra long – I didn't realize it till I finished it, but oh well! :) Thanks for the reviews – they make me want to write more! :) Enjoy!
Choose Your Battles Wisely
6:00am
"Is the baby crying again? Poor little, Emma. Her parents gave her away because she was such a cry baby!" Reed mocked Emma.
"Leave me alone, Reed!" Emma said to her new foster brother who was twice her age. She was seven years old in the Thomas foster home.
"Or what? Are you going to bother Mr. or Mrs. Thomas? That would just get you in trouble!" Reed said as he walked over to Emma.
"I am not scared of you." Emma stood up to Reed. In her previous foster home, she had learned that if you didn't stand up for yourself, no one would.
"Oh really." Reed sneered as he grabbed Emma by the arm and shoved her against the wall. "You are just a big cry baby!" Reed laughed at Emma.
Emma got mad and rushed over to Reed and punched him as hard as she could just as Mr. Thomas walked into the room.
"What are you doing!?" Mr. Thomas stormed over to Emma, grabbing her by the arm roughly. "I knew you would be trouble. I should just send you back, you worthless brat!" Mr. Thomas said as he dragged Emma out of the room.
6:30am
Emma wakes up suddenly with her heart beating fast from her nightmare and realized she was crying again. She was dreaming about the foster family she had after the Browns. Wait, I don't even remember going to sleep. I just remember David… no, Dad picking me up which I should have protested, but I was too tired to even think about it. Besides, my throat is killing me and talking hurts. I hate having these nightmares. I am surprised I didn't wake anyone up this time. This fever is making me relive my past. Ugh. Emma goes on to think about her nightmares of King George and her foster homes. Reed use to pick on her all the time and he would purposely get her in trouble with Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Thomas. This was the first out of many times that Reed got her worked up enough to get her in trouble with the foster parents. And getting in trouble at the Thomas house was not a good thing. There were four foster kids and they all shared the same room. Reed was the worst and since Emma was new he picked on her the most. Emma was terrified of Mr. Thomas.
Oh no! Emma groans as she starts to feel like she is going to vomit. I need to get out of bed without waking anyone up. Emma thinks as she looks to see that her father's arm is around her and Henry is squished up beside her. She doesn't want to wake either of her parents because her mother and father have lost a lot of sleep because of her already.
So Emma tries to get out of bed without waking anyone and then rushes to the bathroom hoping she will make it in time. She makes it just in time to start vomiting again. She half expected one or both of her parents to come rushing in, but they don't. Good, I didn't wake them.
After Emma finishes throwing up, she is wishing that one of her parents did wake up because believe it or not it is nice to have someone to hold your hair back or get you some water or carry you back to bed. I don't think I have enough energy to make it back to bed. I hate being sick. Emma thinks, as she lays down on the bathroom floor too exhausted and weak to get up. I'll just lie here for a while and then go back to bed. Emma thinks as she closes her eyes.
8:00 am
Charming slowly wakes up feeling like there is something he needs to be doing. He is so exhausted. The last few days have been chaotic with Emma getting kidnapping by King George twice and then Emma getting sick last night. Emma! Charming panics as he realizes that she is not in the bed with them like she was suppose to be. He starts to panic thinking of the worst, which would be King George somehow, kidnapping her again. I would have noticed that. She must be in the bathroom…probably got sick again. Charming thinks as he gets out of bed to go back sure his daughter is all right. They probably need to start getting up anyway if they are going to take Emma to the doctor's office.
"Emma. Emma, are you alright?" Charming softly knocks on the door. He listens for Emma to tell him she is fine, but he hears no response. "Emma." Charming knocks a little harder starting to get worried.
Charming tries the door, which is unlocked and opens the door. "Emma." Charming says as he walks in. Charming sees Emma curled up in a ball lying on the bathroom floor by the toilet. He rushes over to her and feels her forehead. "Oh, Emma. Why didn't you wake us up?" Charming says to a sleeping Emma.
"Emma. Emma, wake up sweetie." Charming said as he shakes her shoulder. He briefly wonders how long she has been like this, hopefully not long.
Emma groans. "Don't wanna." Emma mumbled.
"Come on, Emma. You can't stay here on the floor." Charming said as he gently lifted her to a sitting position.
Emma blinked as she realized that she fell asleep on the bathroom floor.
"Why were you sleeping on the floor?" Charming asked Emma as he grabbed the thermometer from the counter then sat down next to Emma on the floor.
"It would have taken too much energy to go back to bed. Floor was cold, felt good." Emma mumbled still not quite awake.
"You should have got one of us to help you." Charming said as he handed Emma the thermometer.
"Is this necessary?" Emma said as she looked at her father with a tired glare.
"Yes." Charming said daring her to try to challenge him.
"Ugh." Emma groans to show her annoyance, but stuck the thermometer in her mouth. She needed to choose her battles carefully and this one was not one that was worth the trouble.
"Good girl." Charming chuckled which got him a glare from Emma.
Emma leans her head against Charming's shoulder as she waits for the device to beep. Her head was pounding and she couldn't keep it up anymore.
As soon as she leaned her head on his shoulder, Charming wrapped his arm around her trying to give her as much comfort as possible.
The thermometer beeped. Emma went to grab it, but like a majority of the times, her father reaches it first.
"Why do I even try?" Emma mumbled under her breath.
Charming just chuckles and then looks at the thermometer. 103. Definitely going to the Doctor's office. Charming thinks.
Snow walks into the bathroom. "What are you guys doing?" Snow said as she saw her husband and daughter sitting on the bathroom floor.
"Oh your daughter decided to take a nap on the bathroom floor." Charming said with a smirk.
Emma rolled her eyes. "I don't take naps." Emma said grumpily.
"Sounds like your daughter woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Snow said with a grin.
Emma just groaned as she closed her eyes.
"What was her temperature?" Snow asked Charming in a whisper. Snow knelt down in front of Emma and felt her forehead.
Charming mouthed "103." "Do you want to tell her or should I?" Charming asked Snow about telling Emma about going to the doctor's office.
"Tell me what?" Emma asked as she opened her eyes wondering what they were up to now.
"We think you need to go the doctor." Charming said knowing that Emma was not going to go very easily.
Emma sat up and looked at both of her parents. "No, I don't need to go to the doctor. I'm fine." Emma said thinking that this was the kind of battle she was talking about that was worth fighting in. Doctor, no way!
"We are not asking, Emma. You can either go to the hospital or the doctor's office, but you are seeing a doctor." Charming said sternly.
"Neither." Emma said stubbornly as she looked from one parent to the other.
"That's not an option, Emma." Snow said sadly. "Now. Do you want to take a shower before we go?" Snow asked trying to change the topic.
"Yes, but I am not going to the doctor." Emma said stubbornly. "I'm fine." Crap. I'm going to be sick again. Not helping my point. She quickly got to her knees and started to throw up in the toilet once again.
Charming quickly held her hair back as Snow rubbed her back as Emma vomited in the toilet. After Emma finished vomiting, Snow got a cup of water for Emma to wash her mouth out with and a washcloth to cool her head down.
"You were saying something about being fine…" Charming said as he looked at Emma knowing that they just won the battle.
Emma groaned. "Okay, but not the hospital, please." Emma said defeated.
"Deal." Charming said with a soft smile, which earned him a small smile in return from Emma. Charming quickly gives Emma a kiss on the head and then gets up to leave the bathroom so Emma could take a shower.
"Do you need help getting into the shower, Emma?" Snow asked, worried about how weak Emma was.
"No!" Emma said quickly.
"Okay, if need help let me know. I'll go get you some clean clothes." Snow said as she left the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Overprotective parents. Ugh. I don't want to go to the doctor's office and I definitely do not need my mother's help taking a shower. Ugh. Now I have to actually move or else Snow may not give me an option of giving me help. Emma goes to use the tub to help her stand up, but realizes when she goes to lean on her wrists that her wrist was still hurting from the first kidnapping experience when she got her gun kicked out of her hand. They both still hurt from the ropes. Her whole body aches from being in King George's trunk for so long. Her shoulders hurt from having her hands tied behind her back, but she didn't tell her parents that because that would just be another thing for them to worry about. Just as Emma tries to stand up again, she starts to cough, which makes her throat burn evening more. Before she knows it Snow is back with her clothes. Rats. She's back. Emma thinks.
"I thought you would be in the shower by now." Snow said with a confused look on her face.
"I was waiting till you got back with my clothes." Emma lied, hoping Snow would believe her.
Snow looked at her suspiciously. "Sure you don't need help?" Snow asked again.
"Maybe just help standing up." Emma said slowly not really liking asking for help.
"Of course." Snow said as she went to help Emma stand up.
"Do I really have to go to the doctor? You don't think it is necessary, right? You could convince dad that I don't need to go." Emma said hopefully, trying to get her mom on her side.
"Nice try, but I actually agree with your father." Snow said with a smirk.
"Oh come on! It's totally not necessary." Emma complained.
"Emma, I am not going to argue with you. You need to take a shower. Do you need anymore help?" Snow asked still worried about Emma.
"No." Emma said trying to think of another way to get out of going to the doctor's office.
"What if I promised not to complain about anything you guys wanted me to do if you don't make me go to the doctor's office?" Emma asked.
"Tempting, but no. We are going to the doctor's office. Take a shower." Snow said sternly.
Emma sighs. Seriously, what do I have to do to avoid going to the doctor? Emma thinks as Snow walks out of the bathroom and shuts the door once more. Emma slowly gets in the shower as she thinks of how to convince her parents that she doesn't need to go.
8:30am
Snow rolls her eyes as she comes out of the bathroom.
"What?" Charming asks from the kitchen.
"Your daughter is trying to convince me that she doesn't need to go to the doctor so that I can convince you that she doesn't need to go." Snow said with a sigh.
"Did she?" Charming asked with a chuckle.
"No, but she was thinking really hard when I left so I am guessing this battle is not over. She will probably try you next." Snow said with a grin.
"It was a little easy to get her to agree, but I think I can handle it if she tries again." Charming said as he wraps Snow in a hug.
"I think you are underestimating the stubbornness of your daughter." Snow said with a laugh.
"You mean your daughter?" Charming said raising an eyebrow.
"You are more stubborn than I am, especially when you are sick!" Snow said in a mock, offended tone.
"Okay that is true, but she got some of your stubbornness too." Charming replied.
"Yep. She is double the trouble." Snow concluded with a grin then kissed her husband.
"Hey what's going on?" Henry said as he walked into the kitchen rubbing his eyes.
"Good morning, Henry." Charming said.
"We were just talking. Here I'll get some breakfast for you." Snow said with a smile at her grandson.
"So are we sticking with our plan?" Henry asked Snow. "You know the door?" Henry hinted about "barring the doors" so that his mom or gramps would have to stay and participate in family time.
"Oh well, we have to take Emma to the doctor's office, but after that we can go on with the plan." Snow answered.
"What plan?" Charming asked confused about what they were talking about.
"Oh it's nothing, Gramps!" Henry said with a mischievous smile.
"Hm…I don't know. You two look like you are up to something." Charming teased Henry and Snow.
"Are we up to something, Henry?" Snow asked innocently.
"No, Grams." Henry replied with a smile.
Charming chuckled. "Well while you two are up to nothing, I am going to take a shower in Emma's bathroom." Charming said as he left the kitchen.
Snow and Henry laughed as they eat their breakfast cereal.
9:15am
Charming and Henry are both ready and Snow is taking a shower in Emma's bathroom. Red is coming over to watch Henry when they take Emma to the doctor, which Henry wasn't necessarily thrilled about, but after everything that happen he knew that they were just taking extra precautions. This time Charming was going to wait until Red got there to leave, he wasn't taking any chances with his family even if King George was locked up in jail.
Charming was beginning to wonder about Emma because she had been in the shower for a long time now. He knew that she was weak and exhausted from being sick. So he goes over to knock on the door again, just to make sure she is okay. "Emma, are you okay?" Charming asked through the door. No response. "Emma." Charming knocks again. He can hear the shower but no response from Emma so he panics. Before he knows it he is opening the door and walking in.
"Emma!" Charming said as he walks into the bathroom.
Emma had sat down in the shower because she had felt weak and accidently fallen asleep, but woke up as soon as her dad said her name the last time. "DAD!" Emma hoarsely yelled through the curtain after she realized that her dad was in the bathroom while she was taking a shower. "I am fine! What are you doing in here?" Emma quickly said hoping he would leave.
"You weren't answering me. Are you okay?" Charming replied still worried about her.
"Yes, I am fine." Emma lied, but there was no way that her father was going to help her. She didn't really think she could get back up, but she would find a way.
"What didn't you answer me if you were fine?" Charming asked hearing the lie in her answer.
Seriously, Does he really have to call me out on my lie? Just leave! " I fell asleep, but I'm fine now. Can you leave now?"
At that point, Snow had come in after she heard Charming's worried voice. "What's wrong?" Snow asked.
Both of them! Seriously, what do I have to do to get a little privacy! Emma thinks as she hears her mom come into the bathroom.
"She fell asleep in the shower." Charming stated worriedly.
"I am fine. Now will you both leave!" Emma said quite annoyed at their overprotectiveness.
"Emma, are you sure you are okay?" Snow asked knowing that she probably was out of energy.
"Yes!" Emma said frustrated at their persistence.
Charming and Snow exchanged a look. Snow silently suggested that he leave and she would help their daughter. Charming left after kissing his wife and he closed the door.
Yes. They're gone! Emma thinks as she believes that both her parents have left the bathroom.
"Emma. Let me help you." Snow said after Charming left.
Emma groaned. "Do I have choice?" Emma asked slowly knowing that her mother was probably going to help her whether she liked it or not.
"No, I guess not." Snow said with a chuckle.
Emma just groaned. My parents….
Snow turned the shower off and handed Emma a towel then helped her stand up and get out of the shower. "Now was that so bad?" Snow asked.
Emma rolled her eyes, not wanting to give Snow the satisfaction with the truth that it really wasn't that bad, but seriously she could have done it herself.
"I'll leave you to change." Snow said with a smirk.
Before she left, Emma said "Do we really have to go to the doctor's office?" She still was not giving up on not going.
Snow just gave Emma her mom "look" and left the bathroom.
"I am guessing that was a yes." Emma muttered under her breath before getting dressed. I guess I'll have to work on Dad myself….but how am I going to convince him that I don't need to go…
9:45
Emma finished getting dressed just in time to have Snow coming back in with her brush and hair dryer. "I am not going to dry my hair." Emma said seriously.
"That's right. I am going to do it for you." Snow said with a smile, loving the idea of doing Emma's hair. She should have had the chance to do many times, but the curse messed that up as well. So she was taking this opportunity to help Emma.
Emma just smiled knowing why her mother was so happy about helping her with hair. She actually thought it was cute of her mom to want to help her even if she didn't need help.
Snow started to brush Emma's hair and then dried it enjoying every moment of it.
While Snow was drying Emma's hair, Emma came up with a plan to get out of going to the doctor. So after Snow finished with her hair, Emma began to put her plan into action. "Hey, I think I need David to help me get to the kitchen." Emma said to her mother.
"Of course." Snow was surprised that Emma admitted at needing help that she went to go get Charming right away, but then it dawned on her. She wants to talk to her father without her mother so that she can convince him not to take her to the doctor's office. Snow chuckles.
"Your daughter wants your help. Good luck." Snow said with a huge grin.
"What does that mean?" Charming asked with a confused look.
"You'll find out." Snow said with a giggle.
Charming walked to the bathroom a little confused and a bit wary, wondering what his daughter was up to now.
"You need my help." Charming asked suspiciously as he walked into the bathroom.
Okay, Emma. Make this convincing or else you are going to the doctor's office…here goes nothing! Emma prepares herself. "So I was talking to Mary Mar…mom and she doesn't think that it is necessary that I go to the doctor's office. She said that it was okay if we didn't go if you said it was okay." Emma said not looking at her father. It was a long shot, but it was all she had.
Charming knew she was lying because she wasn't looking him in the eye, but decided to play along.
"She said that?" Charming asked Emma giving a disapproving look hoping she would own up to her lie.
"Yeah." Emma said thinking that her father was actually buying it.
"So if I called her in here. She would tell me you didn't need to go?" Charming asked Emma.
Crap. "Yes." Emma lied but looked him in the eye this time to try to get him to believe her.
If she wasn't his daughter, he would believe her, but for some reason, possibly a father's instinct, he knew she was lying to him. "Then lets go ask her." Charming said firmly as he helped her stand. He didn't really take to kindly to his daughter lying to him.
This isn't good. Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to get in trouble? I'm 28, but trying to lie to one parent about the other parent is a bit childish. Rats. Well no turning back, now…
"We don't need to ask her!" Emma panicked.
"I think we do." Charming said sternly as he helped her out of the bathroom.
"Snow." Charming called.
"What?" Snow asked thinking that Charming seemed a little frustrated with their daughter.
"Emma said that you said that you didn't think she needed to go to the doctor." Charming said.
Snow's jaw dropped. "Emma! I didn't say that." Snow scolded.
Crap. Now I have both of them mad at me. Epic fail.
"Nice try, kiddo. We are going whether you like it or not." Charming said sternly as he sat her down at the kitchen table. "And don't think you can lie to us like that." Charming added firmly, looking her in the eyes.
Busted. I feel like a little kid right now, how do they do that….right…they are my parents.
"What do you have to say to your mother?" Charming asked in a disapproving tone.
What? He is making me apologize; no one has ever made me do that! Geez.
"Emma." Charming said sternly when she didn't respond.
"Ok! I'm sorry I put words in your mouth." Emma said quickly, stunned that her father was making her apologize like she was a seven year old.
"And what do you have to say to your father?" Snow hinted to Emma in a disapproving tone.
Oh Come on! Ugh. "I am sorry that I lied to you about what mom said...well or didn't say." Emma said actually feeling sorry that she lied to him. She didn't like that they were disappointed in her. The little girl in her wanted them to be proud of her.
"You are forgiven. Now, Red should be here soon, then we will leave." Charming said.
"We are still going? I don't need to go." Emma complained.
"That's enough, Emma." Charming said firmly with his dad look.
Battle lost. Can't say I didn't try.
Henry had watched the whole conversation and was trying really hard not to laugh at his mom getting in trouble with her parents.
A moment later there was a knock at the door and Charming answered it. "Hey Red, thanks for helping us out today."
"It's my pleasure, Henry and I have a blast together!" Red said excitedly.
Charming went to put his coat on and then got Emma's coat while Snow talked with Red. "Let's get your coat on."
"Please don't make me go." Emma said in a quiet voice.
Charming leaned against the table in front of Emma. "Emma, we wouldn't make you go if we didn't think it was necessary. Why don't you want to go?" Charming asked.
Emma hesitates. "Whenever I was going to a new foster home they would take me to the hospital or a doctor for tests and stuff. They would never come in with me. Or if I got hurt and my foster parents would take me to the doctor, and if someone reported them I normally would get in trouble because they thought I told them something. I didn't though, but they never listened to me." Emma answered as she absent-mindedly played with her coat buttons. I shouldn't have said all that….but I kind of want him to know.
Charming lifted her chin with his finger so that he could look into her eyes. "I am sorry that you went through that Emma. This time we will be with you the whole time. You won't have to be there alone. And I am sure it will be over before you know it. Okay?"
"Ok." Emma said feeling slightly better knowing that she wouldn't be alone.
"Are we ready to go?" Snow said having heard the conversation. She had wondered if it was something with her past that made her not like going to hospitals or seeing doctors. She went through so much.
"I think so." Charming said giving Emma an encouraging smile.
Emma nodded with her own little smile. Parents: 1 Emma:0. I have to work on these battles…..