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 25! I have been working on this one for a while. I knew what I wanted in it and how I wanted to end the chapter, but I didn't realize it was going to be so long! Hope you don't mind a long chapter! :) Like always, thanks for all the reviews! :) Enjoy this chapter!
Memories
At had been an hour since, Charming had left for work and Emma was sleeping, but it was a very restless sleep. Snow had been sitting by Emma's side as Henry was in the other room watching one of his Disney classics. Snow had got one of the trash cans and put it by the bed for when Emma needed to vomit. She didn't want Emma to have to go back and forth from the bathroom every time she had to throw up. All of sudden, Emma started whimpering and moving her head back and forth, "He tricked me. I am sorry! Please don't!"
"Emma. Emma. It's a dream, sweetie. It's okay." Snow said as she shook Emma to wake her up.
Emma looked up at her with wide, frightened eyes that were just starting to realize that it had been a nightmare.
"It's okay. I am here with you. It was just a dream." Snow murmured to Emma as she wiped away Emma's tears. "Do you want to tell me about your dream?" Snow asked Emma kindly.
"No. I think…I think I am going to be sick." Emma said as she struggled with the blankets.
"Here, Emma." Snow picked up the trashcan just in time for Emma to vomit into it.
"That's it, Emma. It's okay." Snow said as she held Emma's hair back. Emma finished throwing up and laid back down on the bed.
"I'll be right back, Emma. I am going to get something for you to drink and take care of this." Snow said as she took the trashcan to empty it and rinse it out. Snow then checked on Henry and made some tea for Emma. Henry was watching Snow White and the seven dwarfs again. That was his favorite Disney classic.
"Here, Emma. Drink this tea it will help your throat feel better." Snow said as she helped Emma sit up against the headboard. She was determined to get fluids into Emma as much as possible.
Emma sipped the tea as she thought about her nightmare of the Thomas family. She was about seven years old at the time. She was there for about a year. It was a horrible year that she didn't really like to think about. She was so scared of Mr. Thomas because although he didn't get drunk like Mr. Brown, he could be just as mean and terrifying when he was completely sober. Mrs. Thomas didn't hurt her physically besides a slap here and there, but she was really mean and degrading to Emma. Mrs. Thomas would constantly tell Emma how much of a nuisance she was and how she was the worst foster kid they ever had. Emma would always get the worst chores and the most chores even though she was the youngest of the foster kids.
"Emma, did you want to talk about your nightmare?" Snow asked Emma, interrupting Emma's thoughts.
"Not really. I think I just want to go back to sleep." Emma said as she put the mug back on the side table.
"Are you sure, Emma?" Snow asked looking worried that Emma didn't even want to talk about her nightmare.
"Yeah, I hardly even remember it now." Emma lied.
"Ok, sweetie." Snow said softly as she helped settle Emma into bed again. "Sweet dreams, Emma." Snow said as he kissed Emma's forehead.
Emma quickly fell back to sleep as Snow sat back down in the chair to watch over Emma. She was wondering what Emma was having nightmares about and why she felt like she needed to lie about it. She had know that Emma knew exactly what her nightmare was about, but didn't want to talk about it so she lied so that Snow wouldn't push her anymore. Maybe she would want to talk about it later. Snow continued to sit with Emma for next little awhile just watching over her.
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Charming had been in and out of the station since he got there. Little things here and there kept popping up. So he would go deal with it and then come back only to get another call for something else he had to go take care of. Nothing major happened, but it was a busy afternoon. Emma was constantly on his mind. He hadn't had the chance to call to see how she was doing and it caused him to constantly be worried about her.
He was back at the station again and was about to start working on some paperwork when a voice interrupted him.
"How's your darling little daughter? Why isn't she back to work with you? Hopefully she isn't too traumatized to come back. I was looking forward to seeing her everyday. She is something to look at, you know." King George snickered.
"Don't talk about my daughter." Charming said as he tried his best to avoid going over there and punching the daylights out of him for even thinking about his daughter.
"What you don't like to hear about how good-looking your daughter is? I'm thinking about her now." King George sneered at Charming. He was just waiting for the Shepherd to blow up. He loves being able to mess with his head, make him suffer.
Charming had to count to ten in his head, like 5 times before he got up from his desk and took the files to Emma's office to work in there. He slammed the door so that King George wouldn't be able to talk to him. It was for King George's own safety that he stayed in Emma's office. If he had made one more comment, Charming would not have been able to stop himself from dragging King George out of his cell and beating the crap out of him. He started to work on the paperwork as he calmed down and was able to work uninterrupted for the next hour or so.
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"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.
"Reed shoved me against the wall!" Emma explained as Mr. Thomas dragged her to his office.
"Don't lie to me you little brat. I knew you were trouble since that social worker dropped you off." Mr. Thomas said as he shoved Emma into his office causing her to fall to the ground.
"Please, I am not lying. Reed..." Emma tried to explain again, but was interrupted by Mr. Thomas pulling her off the floor and slapping her across the face.
"Lying isn't going to help you here! Now, you can find out what happens here when you make trouble!" Mr. Thomas yelled at Emma as he slapped her face again.
Emma's cheek stung as tears trickled down her face. Maybe she did deserve this. Maybe she was worthless. "Please, I am sorry, please don't." Emma pleaded as tears fell down her face.
Snow could tell that Emma was having another nightmare. Emma had woken up two other times in the last three hours with nightmares. Each time, Emma would end up throwing up and then Snow would try to get her to talk about the nightmares, but Emma would just say she couldn't remember or that she didn't feel like talking about it. Snow was also getting Emma to drink at least something each time Emma woke up. She knew that getting fluids into her would help with the fever and the flu.
"Emma, honey. It's okay, it's just a dream." Snow said as she shook Emma out of her sleep. "Emma, it's time to wake up."
Emma again woke up with a terrified look in her eyes. "I'm sorry." Emma cried.
"Oh Emma, you don't need to be sorry for anything." Snow said softly. Emma quickly sat up and hugged her mom. She just needed her mom now. "It's okay, Emma. I am here. I've got you." Snow murmured as she held her daughter, rubbing her back. "I've got you, baby." Snow repeated.
Emma cried softly into her mother's shoulder. The dream felt so real, like she was experiencing it all over again. She hated it. She didn't want to talk about it, but she needed her mom.
"Shh, Emma. It's okay." Snow continued to murmur to Emma. "It's alright, I am here."
Emma calmed down as her mother talked to her. Snow continued to hold her until she felt Emma was ready for her to let go.
Snow let go of Emma and wiped a few tears away from Emma's cheeks. "Do you want to talk about it?" Snow asked once again, hoping Emma would change her mind about sharing her nightmare.
"Maybe a little. It is always the same dream lately. It's actually more of a memory. After the Browns, I was in a foster home with the Thomas family. They had four foster kids living with them including me. I was the newest and youngest of all the foster kids. There was one of the foster kids who would always pick on me and try to get me in trouble with the Fosters. I didn't like living with them." Emma said, but didn't really want to get into the details of her nightmare just yet, maybe later.
"Oh Emma, I am sorry." Snow said knowing that Emma hadn't said everything, but she at least tried to say a little of her nightmare.
"It's okay." Emma said, but then got the same sick feeling she has had multiple times that day. "Oh no." Emma said as Snow got the trashcan, knowing what Emma meant by her 'oh no.'
Emma continued to vomit in the trashcan as Snow pulled Emma's hair back into a ponytail so that it wouldn't get in her way. "It's okay, honey." Snow said quietly to Emma as she rubbed her back.
"I hate this." Emma said as she finished throwing up.
"I know, sweetheart. How about I get you something to drink?" Snow said softly.
"Okay. Is David…I mean, Dad, back yet?" Emma asked, knowing that she hadn't seen him and she missed him. Also she wouldn't mind another story to distract her from her nightmares.
"Not yet, but I am guessing he will be back soon. Do you want me to call him?" Snow asked.
"No, it's alright. He is probably busy since we haven't been there." Emma said, although she really wanted to say 'yes, call him,' but she didn't want to bother him.
"Okay, I am sure he will be home soon, anyway." Snow said with smile. "I'll be right back."
Snow went to the kitchen to quickly get some 7up for Emma and brought it back to her. "Here you go sweetheart. I am going to go make some soup for dinner so if you need anything just call me okay?"
"Ok. Thank you, mom." Emma said. She was truly grateful for all her mom was doing for her. She knew it couldn't be easy to take care of her and Henry. She just hoped that she didn't get her mom sick.
"Oh Emma, you're welcome." Snow said as she couldn't help, but smile at Emma using 'mom' so easily. She loved hearing it. Snow then went back to the kitchen to make up some soup from Emma and a grilled cheese for Henry and herself for dinner.
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It was about 6 o'clock and Charming still hadn't come home and Snow was starting to get worried. Supper was finally finished so she fed Henry and she made a tray for Emma. She brought it into to Emma, who had fallen asleep again. She gently shook Emma awake so that she could get more fluids into her.
"Emma, it's time to try to eat a little soup." Snow said as Emma woke up slowly.
"Okay." Emma said, feeling hungry, but not sure if she would be able to really eat a lot of it. She was more worried about how much of it she would be able to keep down. "Is Dad back yet?" Emma asked, thinking he would be back by now. Normally they tried to get back by dinnertime.
"No not yet, but I am going to go call him and see when he will be back. I am sure he just has been busy." Snow said with a smile.
"Okay." Emma said as she sipped her chicken noodle soup, which tasted really good. "This is really good. Did you make it from scratch?" Emma asked.
"Yeah. You really like it?" Snow asked knowing that Emma wasn't much of a soup person.
"Yes." Emma said, but wasn't sure how much she would actually be able to eat.
Snow smiled. "Good. Well I'm going to go see what is holding your father up. I'll be back in a little bit." Snow said and then got up to go call Charming.
Snow loved that Emma liked her soup, it was silly, but it made her so happy. She always wanted to be able to be a good mother to her child and now she was able to do some of the things that she wasn't able to do for Emma when she was younger like make her soup when she was sick.
Snow grabs her phone and calls her husband.
"Hello Snow." Charming answered.
"You sound tired." Snow said worried.
"Yeah, it's been busy here. I have been in and out of the station most of the day." Charming explained.
"Oh nothing big I hope." Snow said a little worried.
"No, it was just little things here and there. I just sat down a little bit ago to get some of this paperwork done. It is starting to pile up again." Charming said. It was not secret that both Emma and him hated doing paperwork.
"Do you think you will be home anytime soon?" Snow asked hoping he would come home. She missed him when he wasn't there and she knew that Emma wanted him home as well. She thinks that Emma liked their little story time just as much Henry and she probably wanted to hear another story. She herself wouldn't mind hearing a story either.
"I wish, but I really need to get some of this work done. I'm about to go get King George some supper and then hopefully get a couple more files done before I come home. How's Emma?" Charming asked, worried about his daughter.
"She is okay. She is eating some soup right now. But she has been having nightmares and has thrown up quite a few times since you left. I finally got her to tell me a little of what her nightmare was about, but she didn't seem to want to go into detail about it." Snow informed Charming.
"I am sure when she is ready she will tell you what it is about. It is good that she is at least starting to open up to us more. Is her temperature still up?" Charming asked.
"I haven't checked it, but I can tell it is still high. I am going to give her some more medicine soon which should help it some." Snow said.
"Okay. Well, I hate to let you go, but I better get King George supper." Charming said in a tired voice.
"Okay, don't stay too late, Charming. Some of the work can wait till later." Snow said, worried that Charming was going to work himself to death.
"I'll try not to, love. Call me if you need anything. Love you, Snow." Charming said lovingly.
"Love you too, Charming."
"Bye."
"Bye, Charming." Snow said and then hung up the phone. She missed her husband and wished he had been able to come home sooner, but knew that there was a lot of work to be done at the station. She didn't want to make him feel guilty for not coming home so she didn't tell him that their daughter and grandson wanted to hear more stories. It would have made him feel bad and he was already probably feeling guilty that he wasn't able to be there to help take care of Emma.
Snow hung up and went over to check on Henry.
"Was that grandpa? Is he on his way home?" Henry asked. He wanted to hear another story.
"Yeah it was, but unfortunately he can't come home just yet." Snow informed Henry with a small sad smile.
"Ah, I was hoping he could tell us another story. Hey, could you read from my storybook to my mom and me? I think she would like it." Henry said with a grin.
"That's a great idea. Why don't you finish up your dinner and then bring your book into my room." Snow said.
"Okay!" Henry said excitedly.
Snow walked back over to Emma, who had surprisingly ate most of her soup.
"Is he on his way home?" Emma asked with a little bit of excitement in her eyes.
"Not yet. I guess it has been pretty busy there." Snow informed her daughter.
"Oh." Emma said looking like a little disappointed kid. She was actually looking forward to her father coming home and she wouldn't have minded another story.
"Henry wants me to read his storybook to you and him. Would you like that?" Snow said trying to cheer Emma up.
"Actually, I would like that." Emma said sheepishly with a small smile.
"Ok! First, though we need to see what your temperature is and get some medicine into you." Snow said, excited that Emma wanted to hear her read a story. It was really cute how she loved to hear stories even though she was trying to hide it.
Snow handed Emma the thermometer and Emma reluctantly put the thermometer in her mouth. Henry ran into the room with his storybook.
"Here Gramma! Can you read it now?" Henry asked excitedly.
"In a minute, Henry." Snow with a grin as she got some medicine ready for Emma to take.
The thermometer beeped and Emma took it out to look at it, but Snow got it before she had a chance to really see the number. "What is it?" Emma asked, a little annoyed that her parents never seemed to let her look at her temperature.
"102.8. It went down some, but not a lot. Here take your medicine." Snow said looking worried. After Emma took the medicine, Snow got on the bed next to Emma and Henry got on the bed on the other side of Snow. Emma laid her head on Snow's shoulder and Henry snuggled up close to his grandma. "What story do you want me to read?" Snow asked.
Emma and Henry looked at each other. Emma mouthed something to Henry and then Henry nodded his head. "How about the one where you meet Gramps? I love that one." Henry said.
Snow started reading the story of how Snow White met Prince Charming as Emma and Henry listened intently to the story.
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It was 9 o'clock and Charming still hadn't come home yet. Henry had gone to go watch a movie after Snow finished reading Henry's storybook. Emma had fallen asleep towards the end of story. Snow was starting to get worried again about Charming still not being home. She had figured he would have been back by now and was about to call him again when Emma started tossing and turning. For the last hour, she could tell that Emma's sleep was not very restful, but it didn't seem like she was having a nightmare.
Emma's cheek stung as tears trickled down her face. Maybe she did deserve this. Maybe she was worthless. "Please, I am sorry, please don't." Emma pleaded as tears fell down her face.
"Shut up, kid. I don't want to hear your apologizes. It's too late. Maybe this will teach you something. Maybe by the time I am through with you, you will understand your place in this world. Your just trash, worthless, not worth the trouble." Mr. Thomas said as he unbuckled and took off his belt.
"Please, I am sorry, don't do this." Emma pleaded, feeling worthless and afraid of Mr. Thomas. She didn't even think he was drunk, like her last foster parent. The way he looked at her gave her chill that ran down her spine. She was afraid of this man. She may deserve what he gave her, but he scared her.
"Quit your crying, brat." Mr. Thomas said as he grabbed Emma.
"Please don't. I'm sorry!" Emma said as she cried.
"Emma, honey. Wake up, you are dreaming again." Snow tried to wake Emma up right after Emma cried out "Please don't. I'm sorry!"
Emma once again hugged her mom as tears ran down her cheeks once she realized that it was a nightmare again.
Before Snow had even the chance to see if Emma wanted to talk about it, Emma got sick again. Snow quickly took care of the trashcan and got Emma something to drink.
"Here, Emma. How are you feeling, sweetie?" Snow asked as she handed Emma some tea.
"I'm alright." Emma said.
"Do you want to talk about your nightmare?" Snow asked.
"It's nothing. My foster-brother, Reed, shoved me into the wall, so naturally I fought back. He always tried to get me angry so that I would get in trouble with our foster parents. This time was the first time, he got me in trouble with Mr. Foster." Emma concluded, still not really wanting to tell the whole story. "Do you know where my blanket is?" Emma asked, referring to her baby blanket.
Snow remembered bringing it downstairs for Emma a while ago and putting it under her pillow in case she wanted, but it must have got lost somewhere in the bed since then. "I think it is here somewhere. Ah, here it is." Snow said as she handed Emma her baby blanket.
"Thanks, mom." Emma said as she put her baby blanket under her blanket and held on to it as she closed her eyes. She didn't really want to fall asleep, but she was so exhausted from being sick.
"Goodnight, Emma. Sweet dreams." Snow said as she kissed Emma's forehead. Snow continued to watch over Emma while she slept, not wanting her to have another nightmare again. Snow was exhausted, but she wanted to make sure Emma would be okay and she wanted to wait till her husband got back. She was sure that he would be back soon.
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It was 10 o'clock a lot later than Charming expected to be getting home. He was worn out, but he was mostly worried about Emma. He hated that he had to leave her when she was sick, but the work had to get done. He walked into the apartment to find it quiet and Henry asleep on the couch. He quietly walked over to Henry and gently picked up Henry to carry him up to his room. He tucks Henry in to bed and then kisses his forehead. "Goodnight, Henry." Charming said with a smile.
Charming slowly walks down the stairs to go find Snow and Emma. Snow looks as exhausted as he feels. She is sitting in the chair beside the bed almost falling asleep herself. Emma looks like she is sleeping peacefully, but Snow said that she had been having nightmares throughout the day.
Charming comes into the room and kneels in front of Snow. "Hey, Snow. Why don't you get some sleep? I'll watch over Emma." Charming whispered to Snow.
"Okay. Do you want me to get you something to eat before I go to sleep?" Snow asked tiredly.
"No, no. I am good. You get some sleep." Charming said softly as he kissed Snow on the forehead.
"Okay." Snow smiled as she got up and went to go get ready for bed. She was exhausted, but she knew that Charming must be exhausted too.
Charming went over to Emma who was sleeping and felt her forehead, which was still burning up. He moved some of Emma's hair out of her face and then kissed her forehead. He hated that she was sick and that he had been away a majority of the day. He fixes the covers over Emma and notices that she is holding on to her baby blanket. He brushed his fingers over the blanket remembering when he carried her in it. He knew from Snow that Emma still had it and was glad that she was able to have something from them. It was cute that she got comfort from it after some many years. It looked like she used it well from the looks of it.
"She asked for it." Snow came up behind Charming and Charming put his arm around her.
Charming smiled, "I'm glad that she had something from us." Charming whispered.
"Me too. Goodnight, Charming" Snow said and then stood on her toes to kiss Charming.
"Goodnight, love." Charming said lovingly.
Charming sits in the chair that Snow was sitting in as Snow gets in bed beside Emma and quickly falls asleep. Charming hadn't eaten dinner, but he was too tired to get up and didn't want Snow to have to get anything for him.
It hadn't even been an hour since he has been home when Emma starts tossing and turning, muttering something about "I'm sorry. Please don't." He quickly goes over to her and wakes her up.
"Emma, sweetheart, it's just a dream." Emma wakes with wide eyes that look like she has hardly slept because they are bloodshot. He sees fear and hurt in them and wonders what she was dreaming about this time. "It's okay, sweetheart, I am here." Charming said and then Emma tears started to stream down her face so Charming pulls Emma in to a hug. "Shh, It's okay, baby." Charming whispers as he holds his daughter with one hand holding the back of her head.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Charming asked kindly after a little while when Emma seemed to calm down some.
Emma shakes her "no." "Are you sure? It might help to talk it out." Charming said as he wiped some tears from her eyes.
"Ok." Emma said quietly. "It was about the foster family I had after the Browns. The Thomas foster family, there was four of us foster kids that lived with them. One of the foster kids was quite a bit older than me and he would always pick on me and get me in trouble with Mr. and Mrs. Thomas. I didn't like it there." Emma didn't really want to go in detail about what happen in her nightmare, which was more of a memory than a nightmare. It actually happen in real life, she was just reliving it in her dream.
"So that's what you were dreaming about?" Charming asked. "Your time with the Thomas family. What happen in your dream?" Charming asked trying to see if Emma would tell him more. He could tell that she was avoiding really talking about the nightmare.
"I think I am going to be sick" Emma said before she threw up in the trash can that was beside the bed where Snow had kept it. Charming rubbed her back as she threw up. When she finished, she looked up at Charming. "I'm sorry." Emma said with tears in her eyes. She was exhausted even though she had slept for most of the afternoon and evening.
"Honey, you have nothing to be sorry for." Charming said kindly as he felt her forehead and put a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Would you like something to drink?" Charming asked. Emma nods as she lies back down. Charming quickly takes care of the trashcan and gets a drink for Emma.
"Here, you go sweetie." Charming said with a smile as he hands her some 7up. "Now, tell me about this nightmare." Charming asked gently as he sat on the bed beside Emma.
"Reed, my foster-brother, was picking on me when I first got there and he shoved me across the room. I knew that if I didn't defend myself, that no one would so I got back up and started to punch him. Not that it probably hurt him at all; I wasn't that strong yet. Mr. Thomas happened to come in when I was punching him and then I got in trouble. He didn't like me, well none of them liked me, but I understood. I was just a paycheck to them and I was worthless. I deserved it." Emma said as tears came down her face at the memories of the Thomas family. She felt so alone there and absolutely worthless. She couldn't even look at her father because she was afraid that he would see that she was worth nothing as well.
"Emma, look at me." Charming said as he lifted Emma's chin so that she was looking at him. "You have never been worthless. Did they tell you that you were worthless?" Charming asked.
"All the time." Emma said it like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Oh Emma. They shouldn't have told you that because it is not true and it never has been. Do you want to tell me about the rest of your nightmare?" Charming asked, knowing that there was more, but Emma seemed reluctant to tell him. He didn't like that he said that "she deserved it" because it sounded like she didn't deserve whatever the man did to his daughter. He could see the hurt and fear in his daughter's eyes and he knew that whatever that man did she couldn't have possible deserved.
"No." Emma said as a few more tears escaped. She wasn't ready to share more of her nightmare. "I don't really want to think about it anymore." Emma said sadly.
"Ok, princess." Charming said as he took Emma's cup from her and helped her lay back down. He noticed that she had her baby blanket clutched in her hand, but didn't mention it. He wondered how he could get her mind off her nightmare. She really seemed to like his story earlier. "Would you like to hear another story?" Charming asked thinking it was worth a shot.
"Sure." Emma said as she shrugged her shoulders. She really wanted him to, but didn't want to seem like a little kid.
"Ok. Let me think." Charming said with a smile. Although, she was playing it off like she didn't care too much about stories, he had seen the excitement in her eyes when he asked her. "What kind of story do you want to hear?" Charming asked.
"Maybe more about your pranks." Emma said with a sparkle in her eye, not trying to hide her excitement this time.
"Okay. Let's see. There was a time that I was trying to prank John and things didn't go the way I planned."
"Uh oh. What happen?" Emma asked as she hung on his every word.
Charming chuckled as he said, "That's what I am going to tell you. So you remember that John and I use to prank each other all the time?"
Emma nodded so Charming continued. "Well I was getting him back for letting the animals out of the pen and getting me in trouble with my mother. She thought I was so forgetful from always leaving the pen open at night, but it was actually John. So I thought of this great prank to play on him, not to necessarily get him in trouble, but let just say it would be something he would have for a while, sort of permanent."
"What did you do to him?" Emma asked curiously.
"I am getting there." Charming chuckled, he loved how Emma was so interested in his story. "So I rigged a bucket above his barn door so that when John would open it, whatever was in the bucket would fall on him. Since I was grounded for a week from his prank, I thought whatever should last at least that long, so I bought the cheapest paint I could find which happen to be some ugly green colored paint. I wasn't exactly sure how it would work, but no matter what it would be funny." Charming stopped to chuckle as he saw the look on Emma's face.
"Paint? You put paint in the bucket?"
"Yes." Charming said as he chuckled again. "Anyway, so like I said, my prank did not go as planned. So one morning, I snuck out of my house really early and set up the bucket with the paint in it. I wanted to see John when it happened so I hid in the barn until he came in. I set it up thinking that John would be the first one to walk into the barn so naturally the bucket would fall on him, but luck wasn't on my side. Instead of John coming into the barn, his mother came into the barn. I was horrified as I saw the green paint fall all over her. I felt so bad that I jumped out of my hiding place to try to stop it, but of course it was too late and consequently showed her that it wasn't John who did it, but me. John's father had been right behind her and seen the whole thing. After he helped John's mother, he practically dragged me home to my mother so that I could tell her what I did. Let's just say that I wasn't just grounded for a week and I wasn't sitting comfortably for a while either. And John's mother's hair was green for quite a while, not that I saw it, but John told me." Charming finished his story with a chuckle.
"Did you get into a lot trouble when you were younger?" Emma asked with a smile.
"Ah yes. I did. Now that I think about, I kind of feel bad for what I put my mother through." Charming said with a sheepish grin. "But it was worth it."
Emma chuckled, but it turned into cough.
"Here, honey. Drink some of this." Charming handed Emma her drink.
Emma drank some of it and then leaned back against the headboard again closing her eyes.
Charming could tell that Emma was struggling to stay awake now. It seemed like she really enjoyed his story maybe it would help her to have better dreams. "Come on, Emma. Why don't you lie back down?" Charming said as he helped Emma to lie back down on the bed. "Sweet dreams, Emma." Charming said as he kissed Emma's forehead.
"Night, Dad." Emma mumbled tiredly.
Charming smiled as he heard his daughter call him "Dad." Charming continued to sit on the bed by Emma until she was asleep and then watched her for a while as she slept hoping that she wouldn't have any more nightmares. After a while when it seem liked Emma was sleeping peacefully, Charming sat back down in the chair beside the bed and continued to watch over his daughter.
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