Life in the balance

A guest asked for a oneshot of Emma getting really hurt in a car accident and her parents being by her side during her recovery. I've set it during season 3. Henry has his memories back, but the baby hasn't been born yet.

The only sound that could be heard in the room was the steady beeping of the machines keeping Emma alive. Each parent clung to one of her hands for dear life. Hoping they could pass over some of their own strength over to her. Heck, they'd both switch places with her if they could, but that wasn't the way life worked. It was just a freak accident. A deer came out from the woods, Emma swerved to avoid it and went colliding into a lamp post. Now here she was two days later, still unconscious. Snow and Charming had hardly left her side since. They couldn't; not until they knew their baby girl would be ok.

"Well, I did have plans in place to make sure the Saviour couldn't wreck my plans like she did my little sister's, but it seems she's gone and made it all a whole lot easier for me." Zelena had suddenly appeared in a puff of green smoke. In a split second, Charming was out of his seat with his sword pointed at the witch. Snow had flung an arm over Emma in an effort to protect her.

"Step away from my daughter." Charming growled. Zelena just smirked at him.

"In case I do what? Kill her? Seems to me like she's doing a fabulous job of doing that herself." Zelena taunted them.

"Emma's going to be fine." Snow said coldly. "Both our children are. You're not going to hurt either of them."

"We'll see about that." Zelena warned her. "I just had to come and see the poor little patient for myself. Sorry, forgot to bring the grapes." Zelena teased. "Saves me having to get my hands dirty when her little sibling is born."

"You're not going to hurt her." Charming growled. Zelena laughed, and disappeared once again. Charming sat back down, both his and Snow's hearts pounding.

They weren't sure how much of that Emma had taken in. They went on the assumption that she could hear everything they said. For the most part, it gave them some comfort. Charming reached across and kissed her forehead.

"I won't let her, or anyone else, hurt you." He promised her. Snow laced her fingers with Emma's, brushing some hair out of her bruised face. That was one of the very few good things about this accident. Asleep, Emma had no walls. Snow and Charming were free to parent her as mushily as they felt.

"You're safe." Snow said lovingly to her daughter. "We're both here. We just need you to come back to us." Snow's voice cracked a little, but she was determined to stay strong. For Emma. Charming came over and rubbed soothing circles on his wife's back. He reached down and kissed her forehead. He too was feeling lost without their daughter. She was a fighter though, of that they were both sure. She would come back to them.