Chapter 25

Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter for you! Also, how about that finale?! I wasn't sure how I felt about season 7, but after that ending…Wow! I'm totally excited for next season! I'm definitely going to miss everyone that's leaving, but I'm holding onto hope that the writers can pull it off! What did you all think? Anyway…I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy :)

Emma sat straight up in her bed. She didn't know what made her wake up, but her tummy did not feel very good right now. She grabbed her blanket, crawled out of bed, and made her way downstairs. She wanted her mommy and daddy. She knew they would make her feel better.

"Emma, what is it sweetie?" Snow asked sleepily when she saw Emma coming into the room. She had heard Emma coming down the stairs and sat up to see what was wrong. Emma didn't usually get up in the night.

Emma held her tummy and walked over to her mommy's side of the bed. "Momma, I don't feel…" Emma started to say before getting sick all over the floor.

"Oh baby," Snow said as she quickly got out of bed and scooped Emma up in her arms, avoiding the mess on the floor.

"What happened?" David asked as he sat up quickly in bed after hearing the commotion.

"Emma's sick," Snow told him.

"Aww princess, what's the matter?" Charming asked. He was by her side in an instant. He looked down to see the mess on the floor. He looked back up at Emma and saw tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Emma said as she started to cry. "Please don't be mad at me."

"Oh no, Emma. We're not mad. It was an accident, baby. You can't help that you're sick," Snow told her. She rubbed Emma's back to help calm her down.

"Daddy will get this mess all cleaned up, Em. No worries," David told her. He gave her a kiss on the top of her head and went to get some towels.

"Come on, little one, let's go get you cleaned up," Snow said as she took Emma into the bathroom.

Snow put her hand to Emma's head to feel for a fever. She was warm. She looked Emma over to see if she had gotten anything on herself or in her hair when she got sick. Luckily, Emma was clean, but her blanket was another story.

"Here, Emma. Mommy needs to take your blanket," Snow said as she carefully took the blanket from Emma's hands.

Emma looked down and noticed what happened to her blanket. "Momma…my blanket," Emma said as the tears started to fall again.

"It's okay, it's okay. We'll put it in the washing machine and get it all cleaned up, I promise," Snow assured her.

"But it won't smell the same if you wash it," Emma said as she started to cry harder.

Snow, sighed. She still hadn't been able to convince Emma to let her wash this blanket. Emma was afraid that it wouldn't smell the same if it was washed. Once Snow got her memories back, she told Emma that her blanket was extra special and would absolutely smell the same after it was washed. She and Charming had Blue put a spell on it before Emma was born, so the blanket would always smell just like them. That way Emma would always have a part of them with her. Snow explained this to Emma multiple times, but she still would never let her or Charming wash it. It may have a magic spell to protect the scent, but it still got dirty from time to time and needed to be washed. They never pushed the issue though, it never really got too dirty since it mostly lived in Emma's bed. The blanket would definitely need to be put through the wash now though. There was no way around it.

"Emma don't you remember what Mommy and Daddy told you about your blanket?"

Emma slowly nodded her head. "Momma, I didn't want to get sick on my blanket though," Emma sniffled.

"I know. We'll have it all cleaned up in no time, okay?"

"Okay," Emma said as she laid her head down on her mommy's shoulder.

Snow put the blanket down and reached for the medicine cabinet. She pulled out the thermometer and the Tylenol and carried Emma back to the bedroom.

"Alright, you lay in Mommy's spot," Snow said as she went to put Emma down.

Emma clung to her mommy's shirt and locked her legs around her waist. "No Momma. I want you to hold me."

"Okay, sweetie." Snow sat down on the bed with Emma in her lap and covered her with a blanket to keep her warm. "Can you open your mouth for me, so I can take your temperature?"

Emma slowly nodded her head and opened her mouth.

"That's my girl," Snow said. She put the thermometer in Emma's mouth and held her close as they waited for it to beep.

David came into the room and sat on the bed next to Snow and Emma. He set a glass of water on the nightstand, figuring Emma would have a fever and want it after taking her medicine. "Hey, princess."

Emma looked over at her daddy. She gave him a small smile around the thermometer in her mouth and waved her little hand at him.

David gently brushed his hand along her head to feel for a fever. She definitely had one. David sighed and gave his little girl a kiss on the cheek.

"Okay, babe. Let's take your medicine," Snow said after removing the thermometer and finding Emma had a pretty high fever like she suspected.

"Momma, no," Emma groaned as she rubbed her eyes. She could barely keep them open.

"I know it's yucky honey, but it's going to make you feel better," Snow told her. "Sit up for Mommy."

"Okay," Emma whimpered as she tried to sit up. She felt her daddy put his hand on her back to help her. Emma slowly opened her mouth and let her mommy feed her the yucky purple syrup.

"Here, Em. Do you want some water?" David offered once Emma had all of her medicine down.

Emma nodded her head and took a few sips of the water her daddy gave her.

"Good job, Emma," Snow said, as she gave Emma a kiss on the top of her head. "Why don't you go with Daddy so I can clean your blanket, okay?"

"Okay," Emma said as she turned and reached for her Daddy.

Emma snuggled into her daddy and watched her mommy leave the room. "Daddy, I don't want to be sick," Emma said as she looked up at him, a few tears escaping her eyes.

"I know baby. I'm sorry," David said as he wiped the tears away. He laid down with Emma still in his arms and pulled the blanket up around her. "Why don't you close your eyes and try to get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy," Emma said as she laid her head on his chest and slowly closed her eyes.

Emma opened her eyes and saw her mommy smiling down at her.

"Hi little one," Snow said as she brushed the hair out of Emma's face. She could still feel the warmth from the fever.

"Hi Mommy," Emma said as she rubbed her eyes and reached her arms up for her.

"How are you feeling?" Snow said as she picked Emma up and held her on her lap, wrapping the blankets back around her.

"My tummy still hurts," Emma complained.

"I'm sorry, baby," Snow said as she rubbed Emma's stomach gently. Emma had gotten sick again a few hours after the first time, luckily they made it to the bathroom that time though.

"I thought I heard somebody awake in here," David said as he came into the room. "Look what I have for you!" David said as he held up Emma's perfectly clean blanket.

"Thank you Daddy," Emma said as she reached out to take it from him. Emma snuggled it close and breathed in the scent. "Momma you were right, it smells the same."

"I told you it would," Snow told her with a wink.

David left and came back into the room with a tray of food. He and Snow were going to see if they could get Emma to eat a little soup and maybe some crackers.

"Daddy, I'm not hungry," Emma said, looking away from the food. It made her tummy feel bad when she looked at it.

"How about we take your temperature first?" Snow suggested.

"Okay," Emma said. She opened her mouth for her mommy and waited.

"It hasn't come down," Snow whispered to Charming, worry filling her voice.

Charming gave his wife a reassuring smile. "Okay, Em. Let's take your medicine."

"Daddy, I don't want it," Emma complained as she turned her head into her mommy and covered it with her blanket.

"Come on, Emma," Snow said as she rubbed her back, trying to coax her out.

"Just drink it really fast. I have your water right here for you," David tried. Emma still wouldn't come out.

"Come on little one," Snow said as she pulled the blanket from Emma's face and sat her up gently. "You're not going to get better if you don't take it."

"Fine," Emma said as she stuck out her lip. She watched her daddy move the little cup of medicine towards her, and she slowly opened her mouth. She drank it and quickly reached out for her water. She took a few small sips and gave it back to her daddy.

"How about we try to eat something, now," Snow said as she brought a spoonful of soup towards Emma's mouth.

"No, Mommy," Emma said as she pushed the spoon away.

"Emma…" Snow said as the contents of the spoon spilled onto the floor. Charming was quick with the towel and wiped it up.

"I didn't want it Momma," Emma said as she started to cry. She didn't mean to make her mommy spill it.

"You need to eat a little something, sweetie," Snow tried again.

"But…it'll make…me…sick again" Emma said in between her sobs as she shook her head.

"It's okay princess, calm down," David said as he sat down on the bed and gently rubbed her back.

Emma was trying to stop crying, but she couldn't help it. She didn't want to eat anything. She knew it would make her sick again, and she did not want to throw up anymore. She just wanted her tummy to feel better. She didn't like being sick. She continued to snuggle into her mommy while her daddy was rubbing her back. She liked that, it was making her feel a little better. She sat up after a few minutes and looked up at them.

Snow and Charming's hearts broke for their little girl. Her pale face and little tear stained cheeks made them feel awful. They didn't know what else to do. They didn't want to force her to eat, but she needed a little something in her stomach or she would just get worse.

"Can we go watch a movie?" Emma asked quietly. Hoping they would forget the food and let her do what she wanted since she was sick.

"I'll make you a deal," Charming said. "If you eat a few bites of your soup we can go watch a movie."

Emma sighed. Well that plan didn't work. She looked over at the soup. She thought maybe she could eat a couple bites. She was afraid she would get sick again, but maybe she wouldn't if she only ate a little bit.

"Okay," Emma agreed.

She took a few bites and her daddy let her watch a movie just like he said he would. Emma sat on the couch with her mommy and daddy on either side of her. She had her blanket and one of her mommy's warm quilts to keep her warm. She snuggled in and waited for the movie to start.

Much to their surprise Emma made it through the first movie without falling asleep. She then convinced Snow and Charming to let her watch another one. Snow looked down about a half an hour into the second movie and noticed Emma's eyes starting to droop. She grabbed the pillow that was beside her, placed it in her lap, and tried shifting Emma so she would be laying down instead of sitting up like she was now.

"No, Mommy," Emma said once she realized what her mommy was trying to do. "I can't see the movie if I lay like that."

"Alright," Snow said with a sigh, allowing Emma to stay sitting as she was.

"Come here, Em," David said as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. This caused Emma to rest her head on his chest. He looked up at his wife, giving her a wink.

Snow couldn't help but smile at her handsome and very sneaky husband. He got Emma to lay her head down with actually laying all the way down. His little plan worked. Emma was out like a light within minutes. Snow and Charming weren't too far behind her.

"Momma…" Emma moaned.

Snow sat up quickly. She looked up and saw the credits rolling on the TV. Then, she looked towards Emma. She knew that look. Emma was going to be sick again.

"Come on, sweetie," Snow said as she scooped Emma up into her arms and rushed to the bathroom.

David wasn't far behind her. He and Snow gently rubbed Emma's back, comforting her until she was done.

David carried Emma back to their bed, while Snow got a cool cloth for Emma's head and fetched her blanket from the couch.

"It's okay, princess," David said as he laid Emma down and pulled the covers all around her.

"Here you go, baby," Snow said as she gave Emma her blanket.

Emma gave her mommy a grumpy look as she took her blanket from her. She looked over to her daddy, giving him the same look.

"I told you that food would make me sick," Emma said with a sniffle.

"We're sorry you got sick again, babe," Snow told her.

"Here, let's check your temperature again," David said as he held the thermometer to her mouth.

"No, I don't want to," Emma groaned as she pushed it away and snuggled lower onto the bed. Every time they took her temperature, she had to take more medicine. She didn't want to take anymore of that yucky stuff.

"Come on, Em. Open your mouth for Daddy." David tried moving the thermometer towards her mouth once more.

Emma turned her face away and pulled her blanket over her mouth.

Snow looked up at her husband and sighed. Emma was obviously going to put up a fight. They knew they at least needed to get some medicine in her. They didn't need the thermometer to know she had a fever. They hoped they could get Emma to take her medicine willingly, but they were ready just in case it needed to be done the hard way. Charming gave Snow a nod and she gently took Emma's blanket away.

"Momma, no," Emma cried as she reached out for her blanket.

"Emma, we won't take your temperature, but you at least need to take more medicine," David told her as he poured some from the bottle and into the little cup.

"Daddy, no," Emma whined.

"Open up, Em," David said as he moved the medicine towards her.

Emma just clamped her mouth shut and stared him down.

"Emma, please sweetie," Snow said with a sigh. "I know it doesn't taste good, but it's going to help."

Emma just shook her head. It was not helping. She already took some, and she was still getting sick.

"Emma, you are taking this medicine. We can do this the easy way or the hard way," David told her with a raise of his eyebrows.

Emma frowned as she looked up at her daddy. She looked over to her mommy, who nodded her head. Emma crossed her arms and scooted farther away from her daddy and that yucky medicine. She was not going to take it.

"Alright…" Snow said as she took the cup of medicine from her husband and reached it out towards Emma.

Emma swatted her hand, trying to knock the cup away. Snow was too quick this time and easily moved it away without letting it spill.

"Emma…" David warned.

"I'm not taking it. You can't make me. I don't want it!" Emma shouted as she kicked her legs and waved her arms about, trying the make her mommy drop the medicine.

"Emma, honey. Stop," David said as he took her in his arms and gently held her so she could no longer move her arms and legs.

"Daddy, no! Stop! Let me…" Emma started to shout, but before she could finish she tasted that yucky medicine in her mouth. Emma closed her mouth and glared at her mommy. She wanted to spit this gross grape stuff right at her.

"Don't you dare spit that out Emma," Snow told her in a no-nonsense tone.

Emma frowned as tears started to form in her eyes. She swallowed the medicine and then started to cry. She didn't want to be sick anymore. She hated this. Why couldn't she just get better?

"It's okay, Emma. It's okay. It's all done," David told her as she loosened his grip and gently rubbed her arm.

"Here you go baby," Snow said, giving Emma her blanket back. She brushed the hair from Emma's face and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

Emma snuggled her blanket and continued to cry in her daddy's arms. After a few minutes, she cried herself out and was asleep again. David carefully laid her down onto the bed. Snow placed the cool cloth on Emma's forehead, hoping it would help bring her fever down.

She only slept for about an hour after her little tantrum over the medicine. They tried getting her to eat when she woke up, but she wouldn't. She had refused to eat even a bite since those few spoonfuls of soup. Snow and Charming tried everything they could think of to get her to eat. She slept on and off throughout the rest of the evening and got sick one other time. They had to fight her when it was time to take her medicine again and could barely get her to take even a few sips of water. Her fever hadn't come down much either. She didn't seem to be getting any better.

"Charming, what are we going to do?" Snow asked in a hushed tone. Their little girl was still really sick and Snow was getting worried.

"I don't know Snow. Let's just see how she is when she wakes up," he said as he wrapped his arms around his wife. He was just as worried as she was.

They didn't want Emma to get dehydrated and become even sicker. They knew they would need to take her to the hospital if her fever wasn't broken by the time she was awake. They also knew Emma would not be happy about going there, but they might not have a choice.