Parents in the night- part 4

Julia asked for a oneshot of a 4th instalment following on from Ch3085 "Parents in the night- part 3" where Emma wakes up still pretty out of it, but lets her parents help her. Snow tries to make her open up, but she's still in her own little world. She finally finds her voice and asks why they didn't want her enough to raise her. Combined with Ahdinnaeken's request of Snowing finding Emma curled up on her bed with the storybook, crying because she had to have such a traumatic childhood. As well as Cameron Greg House's request of Snow waking up in the middle of the night hearing Emma crying, but Emma says she doesn't want to talk about it so snow just lay in bed holding her daughter the whole night just to let her know she's there for her and she's not alone anymore. Also Pearsons' request of Emma breaking down in front of her parents because she's tired of fighting for everyone's happiness.

Snow and David couldn't sleep that night. They were still concerned about Emma needing to go to the hospital. She slept a long time, almost until the following afternoon. Even when she did wake up, she wasn't herself yet. Her mind was somewhere else. She wasn't able to process much that was going on. Fortunately, she didn't put up a fight when either of her parents helped her out that day.

They worked as a team, for the fight time since the curse had been broken. Whilst Emma was still in shock, they made sure she ate. Snow fixed her hair to keep it out her face. David helped get her from her bed down to the couch so she wasn't in her room all day. It was like she was a zombie. Snow was desperate to get Emma to begin to trust her. To begin that mother-daughter bond, but wherever Emma was, she couldn't hear Snow calling to her.

Both their hearts were breaking by that night. Emma was still in the state of shock. They knew there was a chance they might have to call it and take her in, but they also knew there were risks attached.

"I just want her to talk to me, Charming." Snow said in desperation. "I just want her to know we're here for her, and we'll never let her go again."

"She'll know that in her own time, Snow." David told her. "She just needs time." Deep down Snow knew that's what her daughter needed most, and she would try her hardest to be patient, but Snow needed to get through to her daughter.

It was another sleepless night for David and Snow as they thought about taking Emma to the hospital by the next day if there was no improvement. Maybe being out in the cold had done more harm than either of them had realised. Or so they thought.

Around midnight, Snow heard a faint noise coming from the direction of Emma's room. She listened intently, was that crying?

"What?" David asked her. "Can you hear something?" Years of being a bandit had finely tuned Snow's senses to the slightest noise. There was a chance Snow being the only one to hear the crying was because of that, but there was also a chance it was something more.

"I'll be back soon. I'm going to check on Emma." Snow told him. She got up and climbed the steps to her roommate, no, her daughter's bedroom. Sure enough, as she got closer it became clearer it was definitely crying she was hearing. Snow opened the door and her heart broke for her little girl. She was lying on top of the covers, curled into a ball with Henry's storybook clutched tightly against her chest.

"Emma?" Snow asked, coming forward and crouching down beside her. "Emma, sweetheart, talk to me." Snow begged her.

"Why wasn't I enough for you?" Emma said faintly, tears still falling from her eyes. "Why did I have to go through twenty-eight years of Hell before finding out I actually had a family out there the whole time? Why was I alone for my whole childhood? Why does everyone else get to be happy because of my pain? I'm so tired already, and I haven't even broken this damn curse. Why do I have to fix everything when there was nobody there to fix my problems? Why didn't you keep me?" Emma sobbed. Snow brushed some hair from Emma's face.

"Oh Emma, you were always enough for us." Snow told her. "If we could have kept you, we would have. We were trying our best to give you your best chance. If you stayed with us, you would have been cursed here too. You wouldn't have been able to grow up and break the curse, it would have been forever. Who knows what the Evil Queen would have done to you as a helpless baby? We were trying to protect you." Snow did her best to explain. Although she understood that this all might be falling on deaf ears. All Emma knew was pain. What did a curse matter now? Suddenly, Emma's whole face changed. It became almost stony, hard. She flung the book to the bottom of the bed and turned her back to Snow.

"It doesn't matter. Just leave me alone." She demanded, although her pain was still clear in her voice. Snow understood. These were Emma's walls. The invisible force she used to protect herself from people who might hurt her. Snow refused to give in now. She would not be just another person who let Emma down. She took the brave route and clambered on beside Emma, draping an arm around her middle.

"I don't care that you're still mad at me. I get it. I probably would be too in your shoes. But I'm going to prove to you Emma, step by tiny step if need be, that you are no longer alone in this world. You have your father and I, and Henry. We will never leave you again. I am always here for you." Snow promised her. Emma did not respond. Snow wasn't expecting her too. She just wanted to show her that she wasn't going anywhere, and this seemed like a good start.