*I would like to thank "Lady Blade WarAngel" for her MASSIVE amount of help on this chapter, so I hope you all love it as much as we're hoping for the soon release of OUAT season two!*
Eye To Eye
When Eponine woke up that morning, she saw a note tacked to her door. "Nursery at ten, meet me. Emma." was written neatly in cursive, Eponine pulled down the note to tuck it in her pocket before she got ready. Brushing her wild curls, changing from her nightgown to her usual tan riding ensemble and heading down the stairs. No, it was already nine thirty. She couldn't get breakfast before meeting HER for whatever reason.
Emma stood in her bedroom getting ready, a squalling Juliet heard from the other room. Snow walked in just in time to lace up the back of Emma's violet dress as Emma tied her newly braided hair with a ribbon. This princess thing wasn't what Emma was used to, but she liked it. "Emma, are you just going to let her scream like that?" Snow wondered. "She'll wake up the entire household."
"Trust me, mom, this plan will work." Emma coaxed, looking at her mother with hope in her eyes. "Henry's in the stables, I'll meet him just for a little while. Allison and Margaret made breakfast for you. Go on down and enjoy it." Snow smiled at her daughter and gave her a quick hug.
"I hope, Emma, that one day Juliet and Henry will do for you what you've done for me and your father." Snow walked out and saw Eponine walking down the eternal hall toward the nursery. "Good morning Ep. I hope you slept well." She continued down the stairs, and Emma followed once Eponine made it into the nursery.
Eponine saw the screaming baby instantly, feeling nothing towards the child. "Come on, Emma. You wanted to talk: here I am. Let's talk." She looked around. Emma wasn't there, and Juliet just kept screaming. "Emma?" Nothing but the screaming. She tried to mute it in her mind, but that didn't work. Elizabeth walked by, and Eponine looked at her. "Lizzie, can you help here?"
"Your meeting not mine, Ep." Elizabeth added wisely. "See you at breakfast." Elizabeth continued bouncing down the stairs and Juliet continued to cry out.
Eponine made her way over to the crib, almost feeling bad for the infant. "Your mother left you like this." Eponine scoffed, expecting something to change. Nothing did, Eponine reluctantly reached out to hold little Juliet's hand. The crying quieted for a moment and Eponine learned a short valuable lesson. "You were just lonely, weren't you?" Eponine bent over the crib and took out the little girl, who giggled in her arms.
"Ep." Juliet spouted, making Eponine smile even a little bit. No, she smiled a lot as Juliet said it again. "Ep."
"Thats right, kid, I'm your auntie Ep." Eponine chuckled as a presence was felt in the doorway. Emma had finally joined the meeting.
"You're really good with her, you know." Emma said softly, trying to comfort her stone-cold sister. Eponine walked over to her, as if passing Juliet off to her. "Go on, you can hold her. But we should sit and talk."
"There isn't much to say." Eponine explained softly. "I was jealous. I've always been jealous of my big sister. Ever since Henry was born."
"Why?" Emma asked. "Weren't you sixteen when I had Henry?"
Eponine nodded, then answered the simple question. "Everyone has a dream, Em. Ever since I was six I had wanted to be a mother. And ten years later, you found out you were going to be one... you never wanted to be a parent. You had Henry and our life was turned upside-down."
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you were jealous of me." Emma apologized, sitting beside her sister. "Why don't you tell me a little about Maria though. I want to know more about you."
Eponine's wall- like Emma's- had something that triggered its breaking. "Maria and Juliet were supposed to be born around the same time. Juliet was born in early September, Maria was born barely a day after Juliet. She was so beautiful, she was the best of Marius and I."
"And then?" Emma was happy that she was getting to know her reclusive sister.
"That December, Maria got sick. We didn't know what was wrong, we thought she just had a little cold or something... but it wasn't. It took her life." Eponine wiped a tear from her cheek and Juliet looked up at her. "Marius still bets it was Regina. I don't want to believe it was magic, somehow I thought it was my fault. Marius and I... maybe we weren't meant to have kids like you and Graham."
Emma put her hand on Eponine's shoulder and spoke sincerely. "Ep, you would be a great mother. Look how good you are with Juliet." Juliet's eyes peered at Eponine.
"Ep. Auntie Ep." Juliet managed, smiling at the woman as Eponine hugged her tightly.
"Emma... I'm sorry I was so cold to you. Can we start over, on a new page?" Emma nodded, glad her sister was so willing to move past this. Eponine hugged Emma and smiled. "I want everything to be like it should have been. I should be there for Juliet, just like you would've for Maria. You would've loved your niece, right?"
"Of course, Ep, why wouldn't I?"
As Eponine and Emma walked down the stairs to the other room, Eponine paused with Juliet still happy in her arms and looked at her sister with a certain level of confidence. "Marius and I want to have another child, I want to make sure that my family supports me."
"Ep" Emma told her sister. "whatever you do, remember mom and I are there for you one hundred percent. Just like I bet you'll be there for Juliet."
"Nothing's going to harm her, Em, not while I'm around."
...later, James and the boys have made their way to Rumple's castle and Belle greets them...
"James" Belle gave him a quick hug before showing them in. "looks like you got your sons after all."
"Son-in-laws, actually." Michael piped, looking at the surprised woman. "I'm afraid Avery is a little too... wild for this excursion."
"I see." Belle smiled at James. Marius of course took his brother-in-law's lead and spoke.
"Miss, could you please bring us to speak to your father? We're here for Rumplestiltkin."
"Father?" Belle asked with a chuckle. "Father, no. My husband." Marius looked surprised.
"I was under the illusion he was an older man." Baelfire rushed to the door and gave his stepmother a kiss on the cheek. Marius walked closer to Baelfire and held out his hand for the man to shake it. "You must be Rumplestiltkin."
"That's my father. He's been expecting you three." Baelfire announced, looking at James. "You must be prince James. My mother spoke highly of you and your daughter Emma." Then suddenly Marius recognized how he knew her. Belle. The woman who wore blue to his and Eponine's wedding.
"Eponine's godmother, Belle." Marius realized, her eyes widened. "You were at the wedding, the first time she'd met you. Elizabeth already knew her godmother, Red always stayed in the castle amidst the twins' courtships, but Ep never had the pleasure of meeting you."
"Belle-" Baelfire warned, grabbing her arm. "we mustn't stay and chat. Father knows the importance of their visit."
...later, the impatient Rumple wants to reason with James- alone...
"Take them to the other room, Bae, I just need their father." Rumple hissed, sending his son and the two younger men away. He was a little less scaly now, less golden fish-like scales but still a yellow tinge to it. He was pruned up, as you'd expect someone as old as he was to be. "Looks like royalty is treating you well... again. How's the girl?"
"Six blessed children." James replied softly. "Eponine Grace, she's twenty eight now, oldest of the twins... has a temper but that was expected. And Elizabeth- Lizzie-Anne, calmer and more reasonable of the twins." His gorgeous twins, the ones that looked like Snow. Dark hair, but his eyes. His blue eyes glittering on their porcelain faces. "Lilly Allison, little Ally, she's twenty five and looks just like Emma it's almost uncanny. Margaret Claire, just as glorious as Snow ever was, pretty as a picture. Just turned twenty one week ago. Oh! and my pride son, Avery Drew, seventeen and wild."
"And your grandchildren." Rumple pondered. James looked gravely down at the elaborate red-and-brown carpet beneath his black leather chair.
"You think she's after Henry?" James asked, terrified for his grandson.
"Oh I know Regina's not after Henry." Rumple assured him. "No no. Wouldn't it be such a waste: going after someone who resents your very existence? Henry isn't a concern." James raised an eyebrow. "She'd be after Juliet."
*And this is today's grand end. I would like your reviews, pretty pretty please :) So smile, give me your suggestions (which are likely to end up in the story, like Lady Blade WarAngel learned) and remind me why you still read :D it's great to know you all care!*