Much needed holiday

Jade Star asked for a oneshot of ... a read and see story. Slight 5b ending spoilers.

Guest: I think I did give a note to that, but as you aren't named it'll have just said guest and could have been quite generic.

I sighed contently as I rocked back and forth with Neal on the antique wooden rocking chair in the quaint little sitting room. Having a family connection with Rumplestiltskin himself wasn't always a bad thing. After everything that happened in the Underworld and just after we got back, we decided a family vacation was well deserved. We didn't want to leave town, frightened still about the possible consequences for Charming and I if we left, but Henry managed to convince his other grandfather to let us have his cabin for a week. Being close to home also meant Emma could spend a few hours with Killian if she felt like it.

As I fed Neal, I was able to just take some time and watch my family. The little things that can't be done on a day to day basis as everybody's rushing around, getting ready for the day. But here, I could just watch.

I could watch through the crack in Emma's bedroom door as she had a much needed lie in. She had fought so hard in the Underworld. Of course Charming and I had kept a close eye on her while we were both down there, and it was evident that she wasn't sleeping properly. She was constantly fretting. Here though, here she was able to sleep like a baby. She needed this holiday the most out of all of us, I would say. I was so glad when she agreed to come. It was so good getting to see my daughter just be Emma. Not the Saviour. Not a sheriff. Just my girl.

I could watch as Henry put his new survivalist skills into practice. He'd been watching a lot of Bear Grylls documentaries recently and was pretty confident he could get a fire going by himself. Of course someone always supervised while he did it, but it became clear pretty quickly he was a natural. He was growing up so fast. He wasn't the same little fourth grader I had once taught. He was a young man, and I couldn't be more proud.

I could watch as Charming worked away in the little kitchen. He insisted on being head chef this week. I knew how much he loved experimenting with food, and for the most part, his experiments were successes. This morning though, he was just keeping it simple. We were all getting some bacon and eggs done to order. He already knew everyone's preferred style (and mines were most definitely with a kiss). He loved getting to do this for our family, and I loved watching him. He was such a great father, such an amazing husband. I will never know how I got so lucky to have him as my soulmate.

I looked down at my little boy and smiled. Yeah, I had it pretty good.