Disclaimer: I don't own Children of Eden
Eve stared at the enticing apple in her hands that the snake had given to her. The glistening red fruit looked delicious and all she had to do was take a single bite of it and get all of her questions answered. Or at least, that's what the snake told her.
Eve opened her mouth and brought the fruit up to it, intent on taking a bite. She paused as her doubts took over, the fruit pressed against her mouth, her teeth about to chomp down.
What if the snake was wrong? What if she didn't know anything once she ate the fruit? What if none of her questions were answered? What would Father do when he found out? How disappointed would Adam and Father be? What would happen to her? To Adam? To Father?
Eve's hand that was holding the apple dropped back to her side and her mouth snapped shut. She peered around and saw the snake was gone. Even if she would gain knowledge from the piece of fruit, she had promised to both Adam and Father, with some reluctance, to not eat the fruit. She needed to honor that promise and push thoughts of Beyond away.
Eve glanced down at the tantalizing piece of fruit in her hand and tightened her grip on it slightly, although the fruit's skin stayed unmarred, as she made a decision. She ran off to find Adam, to help him with the bug list so they could show Father later, the fruit still in her fist.
She found Adam on the other side of the garden. "Adam! Adam! Adam!" She called to him as she ran over, grinning at him. She paused near him though, seeing the bugs all around. She stepped carefully, making sure that she didn't step on any of the bugs and stood next to Adam.
"Yes dear?" Adam asked after a moment, glancing up at her and her grin.
"Look!" Eve held the apple up for him to see.
Adam looked and his eyes widened. "Eve! You know what Father told us! We aren't supposed to touch the fruit." He said, scolding her.
Eve rolled her eyes. "I know, Adam, but before you get any madder, I'm not going to eat it. I'm going to show it to Father." She said before launching into her story about what had happened after Adam had left, explaining the snake's seduction and it's attempt to get her to eat the fruit and how she had decided to not eat the fruit and wanted to tell Father what happened and that she wanted to help Adam with his bug list.
Adam was frowning at the end of Eve's story, which worried her greatly. Although, he had tried to interrupt her story multiple times, so maybe he was frowning because she hadn't let him interrupt. "We should definitely tell Father about this." He agreed before glancing down at his bug list. "But until then, you can help me with the bug list." He said before handing Eve the list, letting her write down the rest of the list as they alphabetized the bugs.
Eve dutifully did what Adam asked her, although her thoughts wandered to the apple which she had placed on the grass while she wrote the list for Adam. Adam was quick to help her refocus on the list though, reminding her that they wanted to show Father a completed list.
The pair eventually finished the bug list and made a few other lists for plants and animals as they waited for Father. Father appeared during the cool of the day, Adam quickly greeting him. Eve hesitantly greeted him, her gaze on the apple as she hugged Father.
"What troubles you, daughter Eve?" Father asked, concerned as to why Eve's greeting wasn't as enthusiastic or filled with questions like it normally was. He wasn't fond of her natural curiosity, but she was his daughter, and he cared for her deeply because of that fact. His eyes then caught sight of the glistening apple that laid innocently on the grass. "Eve…" He said, disappointment seeping into his tone as he pulled away, unable to look his daughter in the eye. He turned away from Adam and Eve. "You ate the fruit…"
Eve's head dropped, feeling Father's disappointment, even though she hadn't eaten it. She quickly went over to the apple as she remembered this fact. She studied the unbroken and polished skin for a moment before looking up at the disappointed and quickly growing angry Father. "I didn't eat it, Father. I thought about eating it though." She said, holding the apple out to him.
"What?!" Father whirled around to face her. "Then why do you have the apple, Eve?" He went over and snatched the apple away. He studied it for a moment, his body relaxing as he realized that his daughter still had her innocence and the fruit skin was unbroken.
Eve quickly explained what had happened to Father and was surprised when he hugged her tightly. She hugged him back, even though she didn't understand why she was being hugged. Weren't hugs used for greeting?
"Daughter Eve, don't scare me like that again." He told her sternly as he pulled away from her again. "Promise me that you won't touch the fruit again?" He said, staring into her eyes.
Eve nodded. "Yes Father. I won't scare you like again. And I promise I won't touch the fruit again." She said, and this time she meant it. "And I'm sorry for breaking my promise, Father."
Father nodded before looking at Adam, who had been silent this entire time and seemed a bit subdued by what had happened. "Can I see your finished lists, Adam?"
Adam immediately brightened and handed his and Eve's finished lists off to Father. "Here, Father. Eve helped!" He said, stepping over to Eve as they watched Father look over their lists. Eve hugged Adam as they watched Father, both waiting with baited breath to see what Father would have to say about their lists.
Father looked up at his children and smiled. "Wonderful job, Adam and Eve. Why don't you two finish another list before it becomes bedtime?"
Adam and Eve eagerly nodded and proceeded to continue a list, neither of them questioning Father's suggestion/order.
Father smiled a little and watched his children for a minute. He then looks back down at the apple, which was still in his hands. He sighed a little. He would have to dispose of it. He didn't want either of his children to be tempted by it again. He walked over to the edge of Eden and tossed the apple into the Wasteland beyond Eden, not bothering to see what would happen to it. He then went to the Tree of Knowledge and cast the snake out of the garden, cursing it to walk on its belly and be unable to communicate other than through hissing. He returned to his children at twilight, watching them say their prayers before going to bed. He turned the rest of the day into night once again and went to bed himself.
Meanwhile, out in the Wasteland, nothing was really happening. The apple had splattered on impact and where the seeds landed, new apple trees started to grow. The difference between these apples and the ones in the garden though, were that these apples weren't anything special.
Adam, Eve, and Father continued to live their days contently inside the garden of Eden. Eve still had questions about the Beyond and Father answered them, telling her and Adam about the Wasteland outside of Eden. Adam and Eve quickly agreed that the Wasteland sounded horrible and that they never wanted to go there after Father's story. Eve's restlessness was put to rest, although she still asked Father plenty of questions, which he answered as best as a Father with a curious daughter could.
The pair of lovers continued to grow up, but retained their innocence and were eventually gifted with children of their own by Father, when Father thought they were ready for them after Adam and Eve showed how responsible they were with taking care of the animals in the garden. Their three sons, Cain, Abel, and Seth, grew up with the same innocence their parents enjoyed and followed the same rule about the Tree of Knowledge. When Cain started to have the same look in his eye Eve had once had, Father (known as Grandfather to Cain, Abel, and Seth) told him about the Wasteland. It didn't stop Cain from wanting something more and leaving the garden to explore the Wasteland for himself, but that's a story for another day.
A/N: This is my first Children of Eden fanfic and I hope I did the characters justice. I haven't written fanfiction in a long time (anything that I feel is good enough to post anyways). If you have any suggestions on how to improve something, please let me know! I was in a local production recently and started to think about a whole bunch of 'what if…' scenarios, and thus created this! If you haven't listened to Children of Eden before, I highly recommend it as it is such a healing and underrated show. And if you want to see more Children of Eden fanfics, or even a continuation of this oneshot, let me know!