Grieving
LyssLovesShules33 asked for a oneshot in which Emma has had a miscarriage and Snow finds her crying on the bathroom floor and comforts her. So there is a trigger warning for a miscarriage theme.
Snow couldn't sleep. She hadn't slept properly in the last week. None of the family had. Charming had only recently drifted off into a restless sleep beside her very recently. Not since Emma had lost her baby. She was staying with them for a bit, she and Hook were struggling with the loss. They all were. Could you grieve someone who was never born? Snow thought you could, in fact, she was now certain of it. All the things they could have done together…and now they were lost dreams. Snow sighed, sitting up in bed. There was no point lying there tossing and turning, she got up as quietly as possible, slipping out of the room. Her intention was to go into the kitchen and make herself some tea, but she stopped at the bottom of the stairs. She could definitely hear sniffling, and it wasn't Neal. Snow's heart broke. Her poor daughter, she must be in so much pain. She couldn't leave her alone like that. Snow made her way up the stairs and followed the sound of the sniffles to the bathroom. She knocked before peeking her head in.
"Oh Emma." Snow whispered, seeing her daughter with her back against the bath and her knees up against her chest. Emma looked up, eyes puffy and red from crying. Snow immediately went down beside her, wrapping her arms around her. It was testament to how vulnerable Emma was feeling that she rested her head against her mother's shoulder.
"I failed them." Emma croaked. "I couldn't even protect my own child when they were still inside me."
"Oh Emma no." Snow said, running a hand through Emma's hair. "No sweetie, this is not your fault. This is nobody's fault."
"I feel so empty." Emma admitted. "Like I've lost a part of me."
"That's because you have. Emma, you lost your child. It's bound to be difficult for you. I wish I could make it all better for you, but I know that nobody can. It's like any other type of grieving, honey, you need time. As much time as you need, and anything else. If you need anything at all just let your father or I know and we'll get it.
"I know." Emma whimpered, her head still against Snow's shoulder. Snow felt so useless as a mother. Her baby was hurting, and there was next to nothing she could do to help her. She could feel Emma shivering beside her.
"Emma, you're freezing. Come on, let's get you back to bed…" Emma shook her head frantically.
"It's worse there." She told her mom. "I can't go back there."
"Ok." Snow said. "Just wait there a second then, I'm coming back." She got up from the floor and as quickly as possible made her way to Emma's room and grabbed her quilt. She came back to the bathroom and sat beside her again, wrapping both of them in the quilt. "I'm right here." She whispered, again stroking through Emma's hair. Emma relaxed slightly into her mother's touch. At least she wasn't alone.