Judge Snow

FictionLover12 asked for a oneshot of Neal and Emma having a sibling quarrel and one of their parents breaking it up.

"Neal, this is serious!" Emma shouted at her seven year old brother. "You can't just go tearing up my paperwork like that! Do you know how hard it is to get all this back?"

"Well you shouldn't yell at me for accidentally spilling my juice!"

"Yeah, all over my paperwork! At least I would have been able to fix that but I can't get this back!"

"What is going on?" A voice came from the door. Both siblings pointed at the other.

"Ask them." They said together. If tensions weren't running so high Snow might have laughed.

"Ok." Snow said calmly. She took a coin out and flipped it, after deciding which of her children represented heads and which tails. "Neal, you go first."

Snow listened as both of her children gave their side of the story. She sat down and thought for a minute.

"Neal," She said calmly. "What you did was very wrong. Emma and your dad work hard at the station, and part of that hard work is their paperwork and you've just destroyed it. How would you feel if Emma came home and just ripped up your homework?" Neal shrugged, looking down. "And I'd bet you'd still be annoyed if she accidentally spilled juice on it. Maybe leaving your cup near Emma's work isn't a good place to leave it. Apologise to your sister." Snow ordered him,

"But she-"

"Isn't who I'm talking to just now. I will talk to your sister as well. But right now I am talking to you. And what you did was still wrong so apologise to your sister now." Snow told him.

"Fine." Neal grumbled. "Sorry."

"Like you mean it." Snow reprimanded him. Neal took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry I ripped up your work Emma." He said more calmly. Snow smiled at him.

"That's better, now why don't you go up to your room and calm yourself down." Neal simply got up and stormed out the room. When Snow was sure he was far enough away she turned to Emma.

"Please be patient with him." She said firmly, but still gently. "Remember he's still a little boy-"

"A little boy who's created an extra week's worth of work for dad and I." Emma interrupted.

"Emma." Snow warned her. "Please don't interrupt me. Yes, and I'll bet if you didn't shout at him he would have been pretty sorry about that. Instead you got him all defensive and he ripped it up. Yes, that was still wrong but maybe now you can understand why. And maybe you should try and keep any paperwork away from where he can leave a cup yeah?"

"Fine, whatever. I knew you'd be on his side. Sorry I'm not seven and cute anymore." Emma grumbled, getting up and leaving herself. Snow put her face in her hands and sighed. She hated being the judge.