Working overtime

A guest asked for a oneshot of Snowing saying some hurtful things to Emma. She tries to shrug it off but can't. This results in her ignoring and avoiding them. Snowing realise something is wrong and try to pry but this just makes her more bitter.

Combined with a oneshot for Shievi, who wished a oneshot of Emma working extra hard at the station since Neal was born so Charming can stay at home more. Snow makes a comment when she sees an exhausted Emma lying on the couch that annoys her.

Emma collapsed onto the couch after another long day. She'd been working double shifts at the station to try and let her dad stay at home more with her mom and Neal. She knew he hated being away from them with Neal so young, but he didn't like leaving Emma alone either. She was insisting most days now that he left hours early so he could have more time with them. But the result was Emma was left wiped out.

"Emma, really?" Snow said, coming in and putting things on the radiator. "Come on, there are things to be done, you could give us a hand." It took a lot of Emma's self-control not to retaliate to that. She was working her ass off for them, wasn't that giving a big enough hand?!

"Hey there lazy bones." Charming chuckled, coming into the room. "All that paperwork today really taken out of you?" Emma had lied to him so he didn't feel so bad leaving. She had actually spent the afternoon sorting out a few disputes which really did take it out of her. She knew neither of them meant it, but it really irritated her.

"What do you need done?" Emma asked, sitting up. Her tone was a bit snappier than she had meant. Her parents were a bit taken aback. Had something happened that she hadn't mentioned?

"Is everything ok Emma?" Snow asked.

"Fine." Emma snapped. "If you don't actually need me I'm going to go upstairs and sort some things out for tomorrow." Emma swiftly moved past them. From the stormy look on her face her parents were now positive something was wrong.

"Emma wait." Charming called, but she pretended she hadn't heard him. She didn't want to be around them just now in fear of saying something she'd regret. What she wasn't banking on was them following her.

"Listen I have a lot of things to organise here, I'll come down in a bit to say goodnight…"

"Something's bothering you." Snow interjected. "Spill." Emma raised an eyebrow, not appreciating being commanded like that.

"Look I'm fine, please, just leave it." Emma sighed.

"Emma, we've been through this. We're your parents. You should be able to talk to us." Charming tried to encourage her.

"Fine." Emma said, fighting to keep her voice calm. If they wanted the truth so badly they could have it. "I don't appreciate being made to feel bad for resting after working weeks of double shifts."

"What?" Charming asked. Emma had led him to believe that days right now were slow so there was no need for him to stay.

"I didn't want you cooped up in the station when you wanted to be here with mom and Neal so I lied a little to encourage you. But either way I'm working my ass off. Just give me a little break yeah?"

"We would of if you hadn't lied." Charming said, slightly hurt. "I would never have left you there alone. Emma, I love spending time with your mother and Neal. But I love spending time with you too. Please, don't ever lie to us about how much you're working again. We don't want you to have any resentment towards us or your brother. Alright?" Emma was a little surprised, he barely ever used his dad tone like that.

"I was just trying to help." She defended herself.

"We know you were, but you don't need to run yourself into the ground." Snow said gently. "If I had known I never would have given you a hard time. But, now that we know things can at least change for the better." Charming nodded in agreement.

"Why don't we make a compromise? We both work hard Monday to Wednesday. Then we take a half day on Thursday and the day off on Friday together with our walkie talkies in case we're needed. Ok?" He bargained. Emma shrugged.

"Sounds fair to me."

"Good. Now that that's settled, Charming, you can drive to Granny's and get us all some mac and cheese. "Love Actually" is on tonight and despite how she'll deny it, it's one of Emma's favourites." Emma went slightly pink.

"It not-"

"See? Well, I'm putting it on anyway so you're welcome to join us." Emma smiled.

"Sure, sounds like a plan."