Cyberbullying

kiki asked for a oneshot of a preteen Emma trying to sneak out of the house with makeup on. Snowing catches her and Emma has a meltdown saying that people on social media were calling her ugly.

"Emma hurry up you're going to be late!" Snow called from downstairs. "You won't have time to eat breakfast and you know that it's the most important meal of the day!"

"I'm just coming mom! Would you chill?!" Snow just rolled her eyes. Emma might only be eleven but she was rehearsing for being a moody teenager wonderfully.

"Emma do not speak to your mother like that." Charming called sternly, coming to stand beside Snow. "You have ten seconds to get down here or you're not going to the cinema with Beth this weekend." He warned her. They heard Emma gave a sigh of annoyance before she appeared on the landing and stomped down the stairs. "There, much better. You've just got some time to grab a bowl of Shreddies before you head off." Emma nodded and was about to head into the kitchen, but Snow held her back. Emma was holding her face down. That was a sure sign she was up to something. She took Emma's chin and tilted her head up. Both she and Charming then shared a look of surprise.

"Well I see someone has raided my makeup bag." Snow said disapprovingly. Although she was quite impressed at how well applied the makeup was, both she and Charming had agreed Emma wasn't allowed to start wearing makeup to school until she got to High School. "One, why were you in our room and using something that belongs to me without my permission and two you know the rule about makeup. Go scrub it off, now."

"But I have to wear it." Emma whined.

"No you don't." Charming retorted. "Emma you're still a little girl, you don't need to go around with a painted face. Even when you're an adult you…"

"But the other kids say I'm ugly." Emma said, finally breaking.

"What?" Charming asked. Emma suddenly began to cry.

"Online. Any time I post a picture they'll pop up and tell me how ugly I am and that I must be adopted because I can't be your daughter." Snow and Charming now immediately understood how very serious this was. Cyberbullying could be incredibly damaging and they knew they had to nip this in the bud right now.

"Emma go bring us your tablet and show us what they've been saying." Charming told her." Emma nodded glumly and went upstairs to get it. While she did that, Snow went to the home computer to look up the school's website for the name of both Emma's headmistress and her head of year.

Emma came down a moment later and handed her tablet over to her dad. He scrolled through the messages and he had never felt so enraged. How could children be so cruel? Snow came over with the names and school number written down and looked at the comments herself. Their hearts broke for their little girl. How long had these ideas been spinning around in her little head? They both bent down so they were eye level with her.

"Emma Ruth, you listen to us." Snow said gently, each parent taking one of their daughter's hands. "You are one hundred percent our biological daughter, and you are nowhere near ugly. You are so beautiful. Don't you listen to those bullies, they are just jealous and because of that they're trying to hurt you. We're going to get this sorted, don't worry. You can stay home today while we do." Emma had only told them what was being said online, who knew what was being said to her face or whispered behind her back. "The head's name is Ms Polanco. Emma's year head is a Mr J. McMenamin." Charming nodded as he picked up the house phone.

"The three main culprits seem to be Michelle Stone, Natasha Mulgrew and Adrienne Fowler. Although a Juri Rodriguez and a Vicky Wiley also seem to be involved."

"Do you have to name them?" Emma asked timidly. "They said if I told on them they'd make it ten times worse." Charming pulled Emma into a hug.

"Honey, for this to stop we have to name them. But they're not going to make it ten times worse. It's going to stop, we promise."

"Now I think you deserve a treat for breakfast for being brave and telling us." Snow said. "How about Granny's best Belgian waffles with blueberries?" Emma smiled weakly and nodded. "Excellent. Well you go wash the makeup off so I can see your beautiful face, then we'll leave your dad to call the school then and he can join us when he's done?" Snow suggested, feeling it might be better for Emma to be out of the house when the call was made. Charming nodded, agreeing with the plan and Snow briskly whisked Emma out as soon as she came back with a clean face. This would all be sorted out by the end of the day. They would not allow their daughter to be bullied in any form, and they would not allow to think she was anything other than beautiful.