Exhaustion
Since I've had more than one request for a follow up to the previous chapter thought I'd give it a bash :).
Granny smiled as she saw Snow coming into the diner. It had been four hours since Emma had crashed upstairs in the bed and breakfast part of the diner. And around five hours since Red had called Snow to explain the situation from the station.
"Come to collect your daughter?" Granny asked her. Snow nodded.
"Yeah. She upstairs?" Granny nodded.
"Snoozing away merrily. Good luck waking her." She teased. Snow smiled before heading up the stairs. She simply followed the sound of Emma's snoring to source what room she was in. Snow carefully opened the door. She smiled at the sight. Emma was lying on the bed on her stomach. One leg straight out and the other bent at the knee pointing to the wall. She was almost cuddling the corner of the covers. Part of Snow just wanted to stay for a little bit and watch her sleep, she looked like all her troubles had simply melted away. But Snow knew it was better to get Emma back to their house. She could get some food down her and tuck her up for the night. She gently sat on the edge of the bed, just watching her face for a few more seconds before she woke her.
"Emma," She said quietly, stroking her cheek. "Emma honey, you need to wake up." Emma grumbled something, her eyes still shut. Snow chuckled lightly before gently shaking her shoulder. "Come on sweetheart." Emma slowly blinked her eyes open. She was a bit confused as to why she was at Granny's at first before her memories came back to her. She smiled sheepishly at her mom, knowing a small lecture was coming.
"Thanks for waking me up mom. I'll just go back to my apartment now…" Emma said sitting up.
"Not a chance. You're far too tired to drive yourself home. You're not going back to your place anyway, you're coming back to ours so I know you're not going to pump yourself full of coffee and try and do some paperwork. Come on." Snow said getting up. Reluctantly, Emma trailed after her.
They had only been in the car for a couple of minutes when Snow struck.
"Emma, promise me you won't do that again." She said seriously. Emma rolled her eyes.
"I would have been fine…"
"You can't know that Emma. Anything could have happened to you. You could have crashed the car or been caught by any of the many people out to get our family because you weren't on your guard. I know you were trying to look out for your dad, but it's our job to look out for you, ok?"
"Ok, ok…" Emma mumbled closing her eyes to go back to sleep…"
"Nuh uh, not just now." Snow said, gently shaking Emma's leg. "Try and stay awake Em. You won't sleep tonight otherwise."
"Come on." Emma whined. "I'll be fine."
"Fine." Snow said calmly. "But if you fall asleep your daddy's coming and carrying you inside."
"I'm awake." Emma said, sitting up straight. Horrified at the very idea. Snow smiled. She was sure David would be carrying her to bed at some point today given how exhausted she was. But Emma didn't need to know that just now.