Authors Note: Hey guys, here's another chapter. Hope you enjoy. I have a couple ideas of where I'm going with this, just wondering if you would mind if I went back and did a chapter with pregnant Snow? Reviews and suggestions for ideas are always welcomed. Thanks Guys :)
Chapter 5
"Emma, come back here!" Snow slowly chased her daughter down the hall.
"No, mommy!" The little girl kept on running until she spotted her father inside the council room and instantly ran to hide behind his legs. "Daddy, help!"
Charming laughed at his daughter's antics. This happened every night. Snow would start getting Emma ready for bed but as soon as the toddler could escape she would run down the hall to prolong going to sleep. "I thought it was bedtime."
"No, Papa!" Emma shook her little head and reached up for him.
"No bedtime?" He tilted his head as he lifted her up. Pushing back her hair from her face, he smiled. "We had a long day today, Em, I think it's bedtime." He rubbed her back and she let out a little yawn. "See, you are tired."
"No," she argued. Boy could his daughter put up a fight when it came to bedtime.
"Emma, are you in here?" Snow walked into the council room to see Emma sitting on her father's lap arguing with him about sleeping. She laughed and leaned against the door frame. "Well, what does Papa think? Bedtime for our little princess?"
"Mama," Emma whined.
"Em, we had a very busy day today, and we have another busy day tomorrow, you need to sleep." Sure, reasoning with a toddler didn't really work, but she had to try.
"How about you go with your Mama and finish getting ready for bed and Mama and I will read you a bedtime story?" Charming looked at Emma who was looking sleepy leaning against him, trying to keep her eyes open to win the bedtime battle.
"Kay." She raised her arms up defeated and Snow picked her up and placed her on her hip. "Sleep with Mama and Papa?" Emma looked up hopefully.
"So this is what it's really about? You want to sleep in our room?" Snow raised her eyebrow. Truth be told, she loved having Emma sleep with her in her room but she didn't want Emma to get too attached and not sleep in her own room alone.
"Mhm." Emma rested her head on Snow's chest and let her fingers catch some of her mother's hair.
"When was the last time she slept in our room?" Snow could already see her husband giving in.
"Last week, I believe."
"See, once a week, that's fine. She sleeps in her room six days and one in ours. I miss my cuddles." Charming gave her puppy eyes.
"Pwease." Emma looked up at her mother with the same puppy eyes as her father.
"Alright, but, Charming, you have to stop giving in so easily," Snow laughed knowing that was never going to happen.
"Yay!" Emma clapped her little hands together.
"So, who is going to join us tonight?" Snow asked as she walked back towards her daughter's room.
"Ulfy, and banky" Emma replied after thinking intensively
"Wolfy and banky? We're going all out tonight aren't we, Em?" Snow laughed as she reached Emma's room and placed her down on the ground. "Alright, go get them and then we are going to wash up in the washroom. I think you still have twigs in your hair from rolling around in the dirt with your father today. The things that man teaches you." Snow got lost in her own thought.
They had gone out for the day to visit Ruth's grave. The family tried to go together at least once a month and Emma loved visiting. Her grave was at the cabin surrounded by flowers and forest and plenty of space for an active toddler to run around. This was a time where the family could just be a family and not have to be the King and the Queen.
Breaking her mother out of her thought, Emma walked back over to her with her arms full of toys. "Mama ready?"
Snow and Emma dropped off her toys in the master bed chamber before heading off to the washroom. Once Snow realized how dirty Emma had really gotten, she took the time to give her daughter a bath. "Did you have fun today, Em?" Emma smiled and nodded her head as Snow rinsed the soap out of her hair. "Do you like visiting Grandma Ruth?" Snow knew that Emma didn't understand the circumstances but she wanted Emma to know how loved she truly was, even before she was even a thought.
"Yes, Mama." Emma smiled and splashed water.
"You know how much it means to your Papa when we go and visit her, right?"
"Means a lot. Papa happy," Emma paused to think, "but Papa cry." She looked worried at her mother.
"Yes, your Papa cries sometimes but it's because he misses her so much and wishes that you and her could play for real together in person." Snow poked her daughter's nose.
"Like Gamma Eva?" Emma tilted her head. She had only ever heard stories about her mother's mother but always loved to hear them. She was a little confused as to why they never visited her like they visited Ruth but she did know how much Snow loved her.
"Yes, like grandma Eva," Snow gave a sad smile.
"Mama sad?" Emma got worried again.
"No, no, I'm fine, baby girl," Snow tried.
"No, mama sad." Emma took her little hand to Snow's cheek to wipe away a tear that had fallen
"I'm a little sad, baby, because I know just like your Grandma Ruth, Grandma Eva would have loved you so much." She kissed Emma's hand as she got her dressed in new clean nightwear. "Now for that hair of yours," Snow started to smile again. Emma's hair reminded her so much of her own. Her mother would always know what to do with it.
"Hair?" Emma felt the top of her head not understanding what was wrong with it. For Emma her hair would be fine if it was sticking out in all directions.
"Yes, Emma, your hair, I think we got all the dirt out but it's all tangled." Snow took a brush and started to comb her hair softly. After a good five minutes Snow had finally gotten every knot out of her hair. Emma's blonde hair went to her shoulders and the wetness was starting to make her shiver a bit.
"Cold, Mama." Emma tried to find warmth in her mother by curling into her.
"Sorry, Em," Snow let out a small chuckle as she wrapped her daughter in a warm towel and led them out of the washroom. The walk back to the room was quiet and Snow could tell that her daughter was getting sleepy. Once they reached Snow and Charming's room, she placed her daughter on the bed next to her wolf and blanket. Emma just sat there, looking a little dazed, obviously still trying to not be sleepy. Snow changed into her sleepwear and walked back towards the bed. "Alright, princess, is it time for bed yet?" Emma nodded knowing that she was too tired to fight it away. "Good, because mama's tired," Snow laughed.
"Papa's tired too." Charming walked into the room and headed towards the wardrobe to get his own sleepwear. Emma smiled and cuddled herself into her mother's arms as they both got comfy under the covers. "May I join?" Charming joked.
"Papa, sleep here," Emma tapped on the empty space on his side of the bed.
Charming climbed in to join his family. He gave his daughter a big kiss. "Goodnight, princess, I love you." He saw her smile.
"Love you, Papa." Emma kissed him back and settled again in her mother's arms. Just as soon as Charming kissed his wife and placed his head on the pillow Emma yawned. "You promised a story," Emma whined.
"Alright, princess, what do you want to hear?" Snow looked at her daughter.
"I dunno, a happy story," Emma shrugged and closed her eyes.
"A happy story. I've got just the one." Charming looked at his wife and she smiled knowing exactly what tale he was about to tell "Once upon a time..."
