SORRY IT'S TAKEN ME SO LONG TO UPDATE. SOME INTEREST IN THIS STORY SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN LOST SO I PAID MORE ATTENTION TO MY OTHER ONES. THAT SAID, I STILL LOVE YOU GUYS.
DON'T OWN IT.
Still in the spirit of Valentine's Day, Snow prepared dinner to the theme. Graham was still amazed World War Three hadn't begun, and Henry had forgiven himself for causing them all worry earlier. Snow finally sat down with her plate, smiling at the expectant stares of everyone.
"The red mushy stuff is just mashed potatoes. I put food dye in it. I promise you it's all edible."
"And steak." Emma guessed. Snow nodded. "So you're really into Valentine's Day?"
"It's her favorite holiday." James said. "It's most people's here in the Enchanted Forest."
"I like Christmas!" Henry's declaration earned hearty laughs from everyone. "Mom, what's yours?"
"Me?" The blonde took on a deer in the headlights look. "Um… I'm not really –I guess I'm better now, but… New Year's wasn't so bad. Christmas is good, too, I guess. Now that I have you guys. This is good steak." Emma was eager to change the subject, and she doubted anyone could disagree with her last statement.
"Thank you." Snow smirked. "I just love festivities. I love seeing all of my friends –speaking of which, James, can you ask Doc to get going on making phones? I do miss the convenience."
"Parties. And balls–"
"Parties, yes. Emma, your baby shower's next month."
"I already told you I don't really need one, as much as I appreciate the gesture."
"Nonsense." James beamed. "We missed your pregnancy with our grandson. We are not about to let that happen again. You should have been spoiled with gifts, and Henry would have been the center of every conversation."
"Neither of them are going to grow up to be spoiled brats." Emma looked to Graham, who nodded in agreement. "Henry's perfect, and I'm trying really hard not to screw that up."
"So you're averse to inheriting the throne?" Snow questioned. This made the blonde nearly spit her wine out.
"Wait, what?"
"In the case that James and I meet an untimely demise, you're next in line." The queen explained.
"Oh, right. I mean, well, I can try. I promise I won't intend on setting it up in flames. Yeah. I was a sheriff for nearly 5 years. Surely I can run a kingdom. But you two try to stay alive, please." Snow and James smiled at each other.
"I'd say we raised a good one, but…" James laughed. "She raised herself. It's okay, Darling. Someone can write your speeches for you."
"Neither of us are good at the talking thing." Snow assured her daughter. They lapsed into comfortable silence for a few minutes before Henry piped up.
"Bashful and the other dwarves helped me make this." He gave a small, tan box to Emma, a ribbon wrapped haphazardly around it. "It's for you and Dad."
"Thanks." Emma shook the box, trying to figure out what was in it. "Here, Graham, you can open it. I know you get excited about this stuff."
"What can I say? I'm a five year old trapped in a man's body." With a grin, the new sheriff tugged at the ribbon and threw wrapping paper all over the place. Boston began playing with it, and Emma reached into the box and pulled out a knit, yellow onesie.
"Is this..?"
"Yeah, it's for the baby. We got started on it before we knew if she was a boy or girl."
"I have the best big brother." Emma read. "Wow, this is amazing. Thank you, Henry."
"And that statement is so true, Kiddo." Graham ran a hand along the fine material, amazed at the quality of the work.
"That's it!" The blonde exclaimed. "Kiddo! That's her nickname."
"I think she'll love it." Snow smiled. "Now just for a real name."
"Don't push it, Mom." Emma mirrored the brunette's expression.
"Have you even talked about it?" Henry asked excitably.
"Yeah, we have. And no hints!"
"Please!"
"How about we play a game." Though it was worded as a question, Emma's voice told her son there was no room for argument. Nobody would, really. She smirked as Snow began to fidget. "Leave the dishes. They'll still be here in an hour."
"I win again!" Henry exclaimed, throwing his hands up in victory. "Are you guys even trying?"
"I keep drawing bad cards." Emma said with a comical pout.
"We're playing 'Sorry', not poker." Henry pointed out.
"I keep drawing one's!"
"Hey, at least you got out of the 'start box'." James cried out indignantly. "I swear you rigged this."
"Graham shuffled." The boy shrugged. The sheriff felt his heart clench at the fact that Henry hadn't called him 'Dad'. He thought that maybe it was an absentminded thing. Emma didn't always refer to James or Snow as her parents, depending on who she was with or the situation. Perhaps Henry had just overthought it and slipped, using his first name. Graham made a mental note to ask Emma her opinion later.
"Well, I think I've gotten fed up enough with losing for one night. What do you say about dessert?"
"Dessert!?" Henry beamed.
"Chocolate cake with a raspberry swirl." Knowing the answer to her question, Snow got up and headed to the kitchen. "The winner can clean up."
"No fair!"
"No fair that you kept winning." Emma stuck out her tongue and followed her mother.
"I'll help because I'm a good person!" Graham called, and began throwing everything in the box. James followed suit.
"Put it away neatly, would you guys." Snow yelled back. "I swear,men are good for nothing except saving." She said to her daughter, who laughed heartily. "I mean, I know I've had my fair share of getting saved, but your father finds himself in the most peculiar situations…"
"Six more months and this castle will even out." Emma leaned against the table and placed her hands on her stomach. "Right, Kiddo?" Just then, the blonde felt a tiny flutter that she would have missed had she not remembered the feeling from her pregnancy with Henry. "Oh my God…"
"You okay?" Snow turned around, eyes full of concern.
"I think… I think she just moved. Graham!" In an instant, her husband was at her side.
"Is the baby okay?" He asked, James and Henry pushing their way through the doorway.
"Yeah, I… she moved. It was small and maybe I was imagining it…" Emma could barely form a coherent thought, but somehow managed to get her point across.
"So if I put my hands there I might feel it?"
"No, she didn't kick, she just moved. The earliest you can feel it, though, is 13 weeks." She still couldn't believe it.
"Which is only in two days." Graham said, his face full of awe, as was everyone else's.
"You know, they say when a baby kicks or moves when you talk about something, it can give foresight into who they'll be. That they like something or agree." Snow said quietly. At this, Emma threw her head back and laughed.
"So what does it mean? That she moved?" Henry asked.
"Nothing really. Just reassurance that she's doing okay." Snow answered since Emma had lapsed into a giggle fit.
"You sure you didn't hit your head? I know I caught you, but…" Graham draped an arm around his wife.
"No, I'm –I'm fine." Emma sucked in a few breaths and dabbed at her eyes. "I don't know what just happened there… what Snow said, it was just so funny in the context of what happened."
"Yeah, what did happen?" Graham accepted the slice of cake Snow handed him. A glance and smirk between mother and daughter spoke volumes.
"Our daughter is going to be very fun to raise. I don't know about anyone else, but that cake smells really good."
"I almost forgot that your sense of smell is keener due to the pregnancy. We'll have to make sure James doesn't cook for the next six months. Nothing like burnt stuff to bring back the morning sickness."
"Hey!"