Drowning

KATHYCANNNN and a guest asked for similar oneshots that I've combined. It's read and see.

Emma didn't even think about it. She knew it was the only way to stop the fighting. So she swung herself overboard and leapt off the edge of the boat. Charming saw Emma as she prepared to leap.

"Emma!" Charming yelled, trying to stop her. Snow stopped brawling with Regina at the abrupt sound of her daughter's name. She froze as she saw Emma standing on that ledge, but there was nothing she could do.

"Emma!" She screamed as she watched her daughter dive into the water. She brushed past Regina, their squabble forgotten, and over to the edge of the ship where Emma had disappeared. She looked desperately at the murky water beneath her, hoping to see any trace of her daughter. Nothing. Not the tiniest hint of her. Snow's heart felt like it had plunged into the sea alongside her daughter. She was drowning. Within a couple of moments, the others had stopped their fighting and joined Snow by the edge.

"Emma!" Snow screamed again, hoping for a miracle.

"Idiot!" Regina snapped. Why were teenagers so stupidly impulsive?!

"Regina, get her up here!" Snow demanded.

"I can't!" Regina told her. "Not in this storm. I- I can't even see her! I'll just bring up water and…half her leg." Snow shot her a look. Charming wasn't waiting around and watching his baby girl drown. He jumped up onto the edge himself, preparing to dive in.

"Wait!" Hook called, seeing Charming about to jump.

"She'll drown!" Charming yelled behind him. He didn't have time to wait.

"So will you!" The pirate pointed out. "Let me help." He found a rope and had Charming tie it around his waist so he could be pulled back up. Charming got it on himself as quickly as possible before jumping in. Snow watched with bated breath.

It felt like an eternity before anything happened. Then, finally, Charming broke the surface, Emma in his arms. Snow had never felt more relieved than she did in that moment…but was Emma conscious?

"He has her. Pull!" Hook instructed. Snow put her all into it. She had to see Emma for herself.

As soon as Charming's arm appeared back into the boat, Snow was over in a flash. She grabbed Emma under the arms and helped pull her back in. Her worst fears were concerned. Emma was unconscious, and by the looks of things, not breathing.

"Emma?" Charming asked, his hope already fading. Had he been too late?

"No." Snow whispered, holding Emma's head in her arms, stroking her cheek. "No." Suddenly, Emma lurched forward. She coughed, and sea water came spurting from her mouth. Snow and Charming smiled. She was alive. Emma looked up as the clouds cleared.

"I told you." She said breathlessly. But neither parent gave a jot at that moment in time about the fighting or the storm. They were more concerned about Emma. The sudden reality of what might have been hit Snow, and it hit her hard. Snow burst into tears. She held Emma close to her, automatically moving back and forth slightly.

"Um, mom?" Emma said, her voice muffled. "No point going from drowning to being suffocated." Snow pulled back, but only to take Emma's face in her hands and begin to press tiny kisses all over it.

"Never. Do. That. To. Me. Again." Snow said, sealing each word with another tiny kiss. Emma pulled back, horrified. As Snow kissed Emma's face, she noticed some blood trickling down the side of her head. Charming followed Snow's gaze.

"Well, we know why you lost consciousness then." He said, frowning. He looked down at Emma, deeply concerned. "That looks sore, sweetheart."

"I'm fine." Emma said, even though her head was pounding. "Really." Her parents weren't though. Snow gathered Emma back into her arms.

"That was far too close." Snow breathed. She felt Charming's arms encircling her as he joined his girls, creating a group hug.

"It stopped the storm though, didn't it?" Emma pointed out. "I told you it was the fighting." Snow pulled back, frowning. She took Emma's face into her hands.

"Yes, you were right, but I never want to see you jump into action like that again. We could have lost you, Em." Snow told her. She winced at the cut on her head. "That's going to need seen to, plus, you and your dad are still soaking. Come on. I've got some spare clothes for you." Emma was about to get up when she suddenly felt herself leave the ground completely. She turned her head to find that her dad had lifted her up.

"Um, thanks, but I got this." Emma said, but Charming didn't put her down.

"Even so, I'd rather see you get there safely without anymore overboard incidents." Charming told her. Emma rolled her eyes, but gave up trying to be put down. She had a funny feeling they were both going to act a little more irrationally for a few days, but she would ride it out. At the end of the day, if her dad hadn't of jumped in, she would probably be dead. She guessed she could put up with a little overprotectiveness.