I am really sorry about the delay in this chapter, I couldn't find the right push to write it. I hope you like this bit, always very grateful for the reviews/follows/favourite if it wasn't for you guys I probably would have stopped writing.

If any of you have any suggestions or requests of father/daughter moments you would like, I'd appreciate the ideas and the challenge. :)

Charming and Emma made it to the stable in good time. Though Emma herself had been very quite the whole journey. Charming just put it down to nerves, facing the whole horse riding thing.

Though for Emma she couldn't help thinking about the small family they had just left behind at Granny's, watching Ella and Thomas cuddling and holding their baby, who was meant to be the same age as Emma. Well Emma couldn't help but admit she was hurt.

It wasn't her parents fault she knew that, but the sadness that came over her couldn't be helped. A part of her wanted that. Wanted the connection, to be hug and told everything was going to be okay.

Charming had tried to give Emma her space, but he was dying to know what had put her in this sudden solemn mood. He took a deep breath, what he didn't ask he would never know "Ok Emma, what's wrong?"

Emma, who was in her own world, almost forgot that he was sitting beside her. She looked up almost unexpectedly "nothing I'm fine." This was her automatic response.

She grew up thinking that people don't really care when they ask that question. They were just being polite. She gave the fake smile and the automatic response, which was just that... fake. She never had to worry otherwise.

Unfortunately for Emma, Charming was learning his daughter's reactions and fast. It helped that they were so much like her mother's. "How about you give me a truthful answer now."

Emma just stared at him, fear of giving into her own emotions which were already overwhelming her. How could she admit that she was jealous of a baby, it was pathetic in her opinion. Not wanting to answer his question, she turned to get out the car slamming it behind her.

Charming chucked slightly, not because he knew something was up with Emma, but because he could very much imagine her as a teenager. He was sure that time in her life would have sent him grey.

He turned to follow Emma out the car. She was leaning against the passage side of the door arms folded. Walking round he stood in front of her, though careful not to crowed her also. "Emma talk to me. Please."

Emma avoided eye contact as long as she could. Though it was surprising difficult. "Fine" she said exasperated with his stare 'you really want to know? "

Charming kept quite, afraid to say the wrong thing that would make Emma retreat further. He did the only thing he felt safe doing, and nod his head. Hoping that was enough.

"I was jealous okay. I wanted that to be me. I wanted to be held and cuddled by my parents. When Alexandra wakes up in the middle of night, she is going to be told that its all going to be okay. That they are there for her. Do you know what I was told! I was told to shut up before I woke the others. And all I wanted was for MY parent's to tell me that it was all going to be okay, that for once in my life someone was there for me!" Emma took a deep breath, she didn't mean for a that to come out. The problem was she had be keeping it inside for so long. That when it finally bubbled over, it exploded.

Charming was shocked, hearing the pain in her voice. He couldn't lie, it hurt. All he wanted to do was scoop her up in his arms. To tell her that he and Snow were there for her now. He knew that her body language was saying she would appreciate anything but. However he couldn't just stand there and say nothing.

Thinking carefully about his next words, he wished Snow was here also "Emma, watching them back at the diner, don't you think that hurt also. Watching Thomas pick up his daughter like it was nothing, that hurt. You can't think that when Snow." He shook his head "No. When you're Mom was pregnant with you. That we thought about that stuff. You having nightmares, your first words, hell all the firsts that we missed, we thought about every last one. Knowing that we missed that. It kills us everyday."

Emma could see his blue eye fill with emotion. For the first time since she found out that Mary-Margaret and David were her parents. She saw the real pain behind the consequences of putting her in that wardrobe. Not knowing what to do with that, other than get into the car behind her and drive until she was no longer in Storybook's limits, which was not really an option. Emma tried pulling David's attention back to the horses, clearing her throat "so we gonna ride these things or what?"

Charming chuckled slightly at her attempt to distract him. He decided it was best, for both of them to just leave her be, they could about this later. When they were more ready and when hopefully Snow was there also. He turned to the stables "Are you sure you are ready for this Emma."

David's smile was infectious, she could see the enthusiasm coming off of him, and she couldn't help but smile in return. Even if in reality she wanted to run a mile away. "Bring on. Your Highness."

Emma couldn't help but tease him over his true identity, but she almost forgot that she was takking to her father "as you wish... Princess."

Crap she had forgotten that link. She was a Princess, not that she ever thought of herself as one. Though how could she not, her mother was Snow freaking White, and her father was bleeding Prince Charming. There was no doubt about it. If Emma had grown up with them, she would have a Princess.

Charming laughed directly at Emma when he dropped the P word, her face paled a fair amount. If he didn't know Emma, maybe he would have panicked a little. Instead he gave her a while to pull herself together. The best way to do that was to give her a few minutes alone, so he walked over to the stables greeting some of his old friends.

Being honest with himself, he missed travelling via horse back. Sure a car was faster, but there was nothing better to him than the adrenaline of going by horse. It may have helped that he met Snow that way. Competing with her was always exhilarating. Charming wonder what Emma would be like on a horse.

He wasn't lying earlier when he said that he and Snow had thought about her firsts. That included horse riding, he couldn't wait to get a little Emma on her own pony. Snow and him had decided very early on, that they were the ones who were going to be teaching Emma things. Not governesses or any other members of staff. They would bring up Emma, and damn it they still would teach her stuff. Even if it was 20 years too late. At least they were still young enough to be around.

Hearing the gently steps of Emma behind him, and waiting until she was close enough to be touching the horse. Even if it was hesitantly.

"So how do we start this thing?"

Emma grew to regret her last words as her father went in to full explanation about horses and how to treat them, how to trust them etc. The trusting part Emma had issues with. Until she had arrived in Storybook, she had only ever trusted Neal, and that hadn't turned out well for her. But she knew that she would have to learn to trust Charming, and surprisingly to her that was fairly easy to do.

Once Charming had showed her the correct way to saddle a horse, it was all prepared to be ridden. It had finally hit Emma that she had to get on the thing.

Charming could see her hesitation "It's okay Emma, you can do this. I'll be here the whole time." He smiled encouragingly.

Emma took one look in his eyes and knew. He wouldn't let anything happen to her. For once in her life, she had people she could trust, to learn from and most importantly be there for her. Placing one leg in the stirrups, Charming asked her if she was ready.

With him there, the only answer that came to her head was "I'm ready Dad."