I'M SO SORRY IT'S TAKEN ME SO LONG TO UPDATE. LIFE GOT IN THE WAY. A SPECIAL THANKS GOES OUT TO Aod4L FOR THE CRAVING SCENES. ALSO, KEEP IN MIND THIS STORY IS TOTALLY AU. WHEN GRAHAM IS THINKING ABOUT EMMA, HE REFERS TO HENRY'S FATHER. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT NEAL ISN'T OUR FAVORITE TEN YEAR OLD'S FATHER, AND THAT HIS FATHER (BAELFIRE IN THIS STORY) DIDN'T ABANDON EMMA IN JAIL. ONCE AGAIN, I'M SORRY ABOUT THE LAPSE IN UPDATES. ENJOY!
DON'T OWN ONCE UPON A TIME. LET ME KNOW WHEN I DO.
"So, what's on the agenda today?" Graham asked, rolling the shoulder that Emma had punched a few minutes earlier. After that, her lips had proceeded to attack him.
"Oh, I don't know. I thought maybe we could go shopping for decorations for the nursery."
"Can I come?" Snow chirped, bouncing happily down the stairs, followed by her husband and grandson.
"Snow, it's their baby. How would you have felt if your mom decorated Emma's nursery with you?" James reasoned, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as they entered the kitchen.
"I would've loved it." Snow snapped. "I had to grow up without her."
"No, she's right." Emma pushed herself out of a chair and placed her plate in the sink. "She can come. I know what it's like, too." She gave the brunette a small, appreciative smile that made Snow beam. "I guess you two can, too."
"Yes!" Henry fist pumped before running over and embracing his mother. "You here that, little sister? I'm gonna help decorate your room." He talked to the blonde's belly. James just smiled, happy to be included –to have his walled up daughter asking him to come along– and also a little wary, uncertain that this is really what she wanted. "Okay, Kid, let go. I gotta change."
"Me too." Graham said. Snow and James exchanged an amused glance, and Henry rolled his eyes.
"So do us three." The rest of the Charming Clan go up to their respective rooms.
"So, what color scheme are you thinking about?" Graham asked excitedly as the five are pulled in their horse-drawn carriage.
"Honestly, I haven't given it much thought." Emma responded.
"I'm picturing hard-wood floors and pink walls. Not tickle-me-pink, but a soft pink."
"Ack." The blonde made a face. "I don't mind a little pink, but I will not subject my daughter to too much of it."
"What's wrong with pink? It's not like we're having a boy."
"Did that really just come out of your mouth? And I don't suppose you want to get a doll house and Barbie's while we're at it?" She said sarcastically.
"Barbie's?"
"It's a type of doll." Emma shook her head. "The point is, I don't want to push her one way or the other. I mean, I'm not against girly things, but she should have the best of both worlds. I fully intend for her to learn how to protect herself."
"Of course, Em. I was just thinking… about your nursery… I thought the wall color pretty." Graham was patient throughout her rant. Finally, the laughter he, James, Henry, Snow had been stifling broke free.
"What?" Emma folded her arms across her chest.
"You're just funny." Snow gasped. "Also, your father and I had the same conversation."
"Right after you named her without talking to me about it." James pointed out. "Which really, I was glad we were on the same page. Cause I thought you were going to be a boy. It's just too bad we didn't get to do any of those things with you." He sighed.
"Way to put a damper on things." Emma muttered. "But it's okay." She reached out, grasping one of James' hands. "You can still continue teaching me how to use a sword. I like spending time with you." The rest of her family gaped at her. Since when did Emma Swan say things like that? But it wasn't entirely unexpected to Graham. Slowly, over the months, he had seen her shed the layers and walls around her. Maybe not so much shed, but more lower. He already knew, since the moment he met her, that there were layers to her, much like an onion. But the walls kept him from seeing the different layers. He knew that behind the tough front she put up to the world, there was most definitely a soft side to her. Seeing it, though, made him almost giddy because it felt intimate, like it was a secret only they shared. But he knew it wasn't. Her parents had seen it, too, and Henry to a lesser extent. And since many of the walls were down, at least with her family, he got to see just how many layers there were. He was pretty sure he has seen her more vulnerable than anyone else has. It was something, once upon a time, he thought he'd never say. He thought about the way she smiled more, how her face has softened. He wondered if this was the way she was before Henry's biological father knocked her up… but he didn't let his thoughts go much farther than that. He didn't want to think about what that sorry excuse for a human being did to his wife.
"I…" James opened and closed his mouth a few times, then jumped out of his seat to pull her into a bear hug, regardless of the fact that the carriage was hitting some bumps. "I'm not so good with words, and I'm afraid if I hug you any tighter, I'll squash the baby. But I'd love to continue teaching you, Darling."
"Great. Um, you're squishing me."
"Sorry!" He exclaimed, immediately releasing her. Going over a particularly large bump, he tumbled backwards, landing in his seat with a thud. Henry giggled.
"There's a reason his nickname isn't Graceful." Snow smirked.
"What's your nickname?" The boy asked his grandmother.
"Excellent question." James rubbed a finger against his chin, deep in thought. "I don't think I ever gave her one."
"Why not?" Henry prodded.
"We were a little busy for a while. You know, trying to take back the kingdom and defeat Regina. And then soon after we got married, Snow got pregnant and we were focused on Emma. We could come up with one now."
"Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no." Snow groaned.
"It'll be fun!" Henry insisted. Emma looked between her son and her mother, trying to decide which side to take.
"Considering how much crap I put up with from you, I think it's time for a little payback." The blonde grinned mischievously.
"I don't even know where to begin." James sighed, once again stroking his stubble.
"Well, it doesn't help that she already has a name that's a noun and an adjective." Emma pointed out. "And as a side note, I really want some cheez-its."
"What are those?" James looked confused.
"Kind of like goldfish." Snow replied, thinking back to when she and Emma were roommates in Storybrooke and the latter would often go through a box a week.
"She eats fish?"
"No." Emma smiled. "The best way to describe it is like a cheesy cracker. But when we get some, you can try them."
"What about Stealthy?" Henry suggested, ignoring the current conversation.
"No, he was one of the dwarves' brothers and he died saving me. Or was it saving Charming?"
"Honestly, I've lost count." The king admitted.
"Me, too."
"Since we're talking about honesty, you honestly reminded me of a porcelain doll when we were waiting for King George's army to attack, right before, you know… my mom died." James said.
"A porcelain doll?" Snow raised an eyebrow.
"Come on, just think about it. Your rips were ruby red, you skin was white as, well, snow. You looked so perfect –not that you don't every day." He backpedalled.
"That was 34 years ago, give or take. How about something a little more… applicable to now." Emma said.
"You actually read the book?" Henry looked amazed.
"It was important to you, so it was important to me." She answered, smiling at her son.
"I got it!" James exclaimed, pure glee written across his face. "Tiger!"
"Yeah." The blonde agreed, and Henry nodded vigorously.
"I'm not orange."
"No, but you're beautiful and dangerous. One second you're calm and relaxed, the next it's like, pounce!"
"I should know." Graham thought back to their first meeting. "She was eating an apple, and then, bam!"
"So it's decided." James grinned. "C'mere, Tiger."
"You four are infuriating, you know that? Especially you, Charming." Despite herself, Snow leaned into her husband's embrace.
"Five." Graham corrected, placing a hand over Emma's stomach. He locked eyes with the blonde, both of them smiling like idiots oblivious to the world around them.