Blankets
Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time.
Princess Emma had many things. Pretty dresses, which she thought made her look just like Mama. Especially when she wore the hair things with them. Riding outfits, which were perfect when she rode horses with Mama and Daddy. Mama said she looked like Daddy when she wore those, especially when she wore her little red leather coat.
She also had a whole room full of toys that were all hers. Her little brother, Neal, wasn't allowed to play with any of it, as much as he often tried. Stuffed animals, blocks, dolls, and even books, considering Mama said Emma would learn to read soon.
Still, none of those things meant as much to her as her white baby blanket that Granny knitted for her from Daddy's sheep. Her parents told her the story of how Daddy had shaved the wool off from the sheep himself and given the wool to Granny after it had been cleaned and spun. Then Granny carefully knitted it and added the word "Emma," in a purple ribbon.
It was perfect for Mama and Daddy to wrap up Emma in those long winter nights when the castle was cold and drafty. It was also wonderful for when they all took trips together in the carriage, whether to the farm or to another kingdom.
When Neal had been born, Granny made one for him, too.
Now Mama's stomach was getting big again. She had even stopped wearing dresses. Instead, Mama wore shirts like Daddy's, and long skirts because her tummy was growing so much. "That's because there's a baby in here," she told both Emma and Neal as she rubbed her belly.
"Baby?" Neal asked, putting his hand on Mama's stomach.
"Baby," Daddy agreed, as he leaned over and gave Mama a kiss. Again. He did that a lot.
Mama smiled. "Yes, Neal, the baby's in here."
"Open!" Neal demanded, trying to pull up Mama's white shirt. She laughed a little.
"No, Neal," said Daddy, pulling him out of the way. "We can't see the baby that way."
"I might need my shirt pulled up again later tonight," Mama said to Daddy in that funny voice she used with him sometimes. "Or even pulled off, if you're willing to help me, Charming."
Daddy's eyes got really big and he gave Mama a funny look. Then he nodded his head, while still holding onto Neal.
"But back to the new baby," Mama continued, looking straight at Emma this time. "He or she will need a baby blanket, and I think you should help make it."
"Really?" Emma asked. She never thought of helping with the baby blanket. What could she even do? She'd never be allowed to hold a blade, so she couldn't shave the sheep, and she didn't know how to knit. "How would I do that?"
"Well, you could help me choose the sheep which the blanket will be made from," Daddy replied, looking straight at Emma while he bounced Neal up and down on his leg. "And Granny might be willing to show you how to do some stiches. Is that something you would be interested in, Emma?"
Emma nodded eagerly.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Two weeks later, at the sheep – shearing festival, Daddy took Emma to the farm where they examined each sheep carefully. "What do you think of this one?" he pointed to one sheep who had its face deep in the grass as it munched.
The sheep immediately pulled it's face up and bleated right in Emma's face.
Emma bleated right back, not to be defeated by a sheep. "No, not that one, Daddy. It's not very nice."
Daddy nodded. "You're right. I want the new baby to have a nice, gentle blanket, so we'll need a nice, gentle sheep to provide it."
"What about this one?" Daddy asked gently patting another sheep.
Emma placed her hand on the sheep and shook her head. "The wool isn't soft enough, Daddy. I love that my blanket is soft, and I want this baby to have a soft blanket, too."
"What about this one?" Daddy asked, softly patting a small sheep on the far end of the pen. Emma thought it might be one of the lambs that was born this past spring.
She tried to put her hand just as softly as he did on onto the sheep's wool. It was soft and sweet. "I like this one, Daddy."
He nodded. "I will get the shearing tools then. You go inside the cabin and see Mama and Neal. I think they might be baking bread. And later today, you can all watch me play field hockey."
But before she ran into the cabin, he stopped her and gave her a great big Daddy hug. "Thank you for the help, Emma."
Emma felt warm and tingly all over as she wrapped her arms around him as well.
OOOOOOOOOO
Princess Emma was very busy in the next few months. Mama had hired someone to teach her the letters and numbers, so Emma had to practice them every day. Neal was just as much of a pest as he was before, so Emma still had to keep him away from her toys. But she also had to help Mama and Daddy prepare for another baby.
That meant buying new baby clothing and toys at the markets. It meant deciding what they wanted the new mobile to look like. It meant asking Geppetto to build another crib, considering the old one didn't rock any longer. It meant trying to find strange food for Mama to eat. (Once she'd even decided she wanted chimera, and Daddy managed to hunt one for her.)
Besides that, Mama and Daddy were still King and Queen, so they were still responsible for all the servants in the castle, and even the rest of the kingdom. They still "held court" a couple of times a week. And their family still enjoyed time on the farm with Daddy's sheep.
Everyone was busy. Still, Emma tried to help with the new baby blanket whenever she could.
She sat the foot of Granny while the older woman's hands stitched the blanket by themselves. "How can you do that, without even looking?" she asked. "Are your hands magic?"
Granny chuckled. "No, I'm afraid not, princess. I've just been knitting for a long time. Here, you try." She handed Emma the blanket and the needles, and Emma felt the soft wool again. Perfect for the new baby. "Now you wrap a loop around this needle," Granny pointed to the right one. "Then you pull it through like…"
"Not like that!" Emma grumbled, looking at the knot she'd created. Then she threw the needles and the half – worked blanket on the floor. They landed with a thump. "This blanket was supposed to be perfect for the new baby, but now I've ruined it."
"Oh, Emma," Granny sighed giving the girl a hug. "The baby won't care if the blanket is perfect. He or she will only care that it was made with love. Do you love your new sibling?"
Emma thought about that. She was excited about the new baby and the blanket they were making. But did she love him or her? "Yes," she said slowly, looking into Granny's big eyes. "I guess I do."
Granny smiled. "Then why don't we try making the blanket again? Can you pick it off the floor, please?
OOOOOOOOOOO
That winter, their new family rode in the carriage to Princess Abagail and Prince Frederick's Winter Feast. The wind made the noises like Daddy's sheep did when they were angry. Emma shivered a little, wrapping her red woolen dress tighter around her body. Neal pushed his body closer to Daddy's, and he wrapped the little boy under his coat.
But Emma was glad her new brother didn't need to worry about the cold. He was safe and warm, covered in his very own wool blanket. It was gentle and soft, just like Emma and Daddy planned it would be. Granny had stitched good, too, as well as the blue ribbon that said, "James," so he would always know it was his.
"Look at you, James," Mama sang to the baby. "Don't you look snug in that blanket. I wish I could join you," she added shivering herself a little. "Daddy, Emma, and Granny all made you the perfect blanket, don't you think?"
Emma could still feel the cold all the way to her bones, but she sat up a little straighter. She was proud that she'd helped keep her new brother warm.
Thanks for the reviews from the last chapter. Please consider reviewing this chapter as well.
Here's some responses.
Dream 1990: Yes, he is.
Guest: Thank you. And you're right about the after – birth. Apparently, I wrote it as a "TV birth" where the after – birth doesn't exist, LOL. I've added an extra line in the last chapter addressing that.
Baratta Jennifer: Thank you again
Bloomandgrow: Thanks again, I do so love your reviews. :) I'm glad you thought it was well – written, even though it made you a bit squeamish.
Austenphile: Glad the reason for his name worked for you, here.