Capturing the monster

kiki asked for a oneshot of a young Emma coming into her parents room in the middle of the night telling them there's a monster in her room. When Snowing takes her back through they find George trying to kidnap her.

"Daddy, wake up!" Emma said irritably, shaking her father with as much force as she could muster. Charming began to groggily come to.

"Huh?" He asked, still half asleep, wondering who had shaken him awake. After wiping the sleep from his eyes and blinking a few times so that his eyes adjusted to the darkness he saw Emma, sitting at the edge of the bed. "Emma, why are you through here? It's the middle of the night, honey."

"There's a monster in my bedroom. He thinks that I can't see or hear him standing behind the curtain, so I fooled him into thinking I was just going to the toilet, but actually I was coming through to get you. You need to get rid of him daddy." Emma demanded. Charming smiled, one of his favourite daddy duties (even if the timing wasn't ideal).

"What's going on?" Snow yawned, the noise waking her up. "Emma, what are you doing here baby?"

"There's a monster in my room." Emma answered her mom. "Daddy has to chase him away." Snow shared a knowing smile with her husband.

"Alright princess." Snow said, as she and Charming got out of bed and Snow picked Emma up. "Daddy will get rid of the monster that's there and then you and I will double check that there aren't any hiding anywhere else in your room, ok?"

"Ok." Emma said, feeling scared. She didn't like this monster. He hid. All the other monsters didn't hide.

Charming and Snow walked back through to Emma's room. Charming walked confidently up to the curtain.

"Alright baby, lets get this monster… What the?!" As Charming pulled the curtain back, Snow recoiled with Emma. She was right, there was a monster in her room- George.

"Guards!" Snow called out. "Guards! There is an intruder in Emma's room!" Four guards immediately ran into Emma's bedroom, but not before Charming had got a good couple of punches in.

"Which part," Charming hissed "of stay away from my family did you not understand?"

"I will get the brat." George growled. "I will make you pay for what you did to me."

"We did nothing to you, George. You have made yourself miserable." Snow said sadly as the guards pulled him off the floor. Charming moved over and took Emma from Snow, holding her protectively as George was taken from the room. "And you will never get your hands on Emma, we will not allow it. You will spend the rest of your pathetic days rotting in the dungeon for even thinking about it." George screamed curses and profanities as he fought the guards holding him all the way down the hall, but the guards held firm. Emma curled nervously against her dad. Charming gently kissed Emma's cheek.

"You were such a clever girl coming and telling us." He praised her. Both he and Snow were avoiding thinking what might have occurred if she hadn't. "But it's ok, the monster's gone now, and you can sleep with mommy and daddy tonight. No monsters can get you when you're with us." Emma's only response was to clutch her daddy's tunic tighter as he carried her back to their room. She wouldn't let go even when they were in the bed and eventually fell asleep on top of his chest. Charming curled his arms around her protectively as Snow shuffled over on the bed so her head also rested on Charming's chest. They both wished to be as close to Emma as possible.

"This is her life, isn't it?" Snow whispered sadly. "There will always be people out to get her because we are her parents."

"No, Snow, I refuse to believe that." Charming answered her. "Yes, there will always be villains out to hurt people like us, but that does not mean they will all be able to get close. We can keep her safe, Snow. And more than that we can keep her happy and loved. Emma will never lack in either of those departments." Charming stretched over and gently pressed a kiss against her lips. "Now we need to sleep too. I can't chase monsters if I'm exhausted." Snow chuckled.

"Sleep well, my Charming. Oh, and remind me one night when our daughter isn't visiting us that you need a hero's reward for capturing that monster." Charming's all face lit up as he smiled and closed his eyes. He really would have sweet dreams tonight.