Blackout
A guest asked for a oneshot of there being a big storm in Storybrooke with a blackout and loud thunder. Emma is especially scared and the whole Charming family sleep together cuddled in the one room.
Emma was good at masking her emotions. Her childhood in the system had taught her that much. Any sign of a negative emotion and you're branded a soft touch for your whole stay there. Emma might be good at hiding the fact the crashing thunder and car alarms going off combined with the lack of proper lightning was bothering her so intensely, but her parents were even better at spotting it. They both knew all the little signs to look out for to spot when Emma was upset or scared. They were all going off right now.
Snow and David both knew that an obvious reaction wasn't always best with their daughter. Subtlety was key with Emma. There was no chance in Hell Emma would be able to sleep with all of this going on. She was in fight or flight mode. They had to bring her down gently.
"Well, everything's out, which also means we have no heating." Charming commented. "It's due to get pretty chilly tonight. I think we're best sticking together." Emma raised an eyebrow.
"I think I'm a little old to be jumping into bed with you guys. Take Neal and put him in the middle. We'll be fine." Emma said, but her leg bouncing up and down told her parents she would not be fine.
"It's not often we get a night together like this. Back home, your father and I had a little tradition in stormy weather. One I think it's time we brought to Storybrooke." Snow said, smiling. "We're making a fort."
"A fort?" Emma asked. Her parents nodded.
"It's not like we can watch TV to pass the time. The torches don't really give enough light for reading or even board games either. This will give us something to do." Charming pointed out. Emma sighed.
"If it will keep you happy." She reluctantly agreed. Snow and Charming were relieved they didn't have to coerce her into the plan. It was much easier this way.
Charming got the spare bedsheets from the linen closet whilst Snow and Emma set about rearranging the furniture. They brought the cushions down from the couch and comfy chairs to use as mattresses for the night whilst the frames of them were used to hold up the bedsheets. Thus creating an effective fort.
The family were able to lull Neal to sleep by using the torches to create interesting shapes on the wall the bedsheet created. They loved the way his giggles made Emma smile. Snow and Charming then began to absentmindedly tell Emma some stories from their life back home. It didn't take long though for them to notice that she had stopped responding. Snow looked to her side and confirmed what they all knew: she too had fallen asleep. Charming handed her over a blanket to cover Emma with.
"Great idea with the fort." Snow praised her husband. "She's out like a light now. That'll be her until the morning, when hopefully this has all passed." Charming gave Snow a kiss before pulling her into an embrace.
"I have my moments." He said cheekily. Both them smiled warmly over their sleeping children. It was still hard for them both sometimes, knowing what might have been with Emma. That just made them cherish moments like this even harder.
