Once Upon a Time 1. Chapter 1

It was a cold, cloudy afternoon in Storybrooke. Emma was sitting on the couch in the apartment she shared with her family, thinking about everything that was going on in her life, when she noticed her mother standing in the kitchen and staring at her. She felt slightly uncomfortable, as she knew that whenever Mary Margaret, or Snow, looked at her that way, it was because she was trying to find the right words to say something Emma most likely did not want to talk about.

It was not long before Snow approached her with a topic Emma had been trying to avoid for the past weeks. "I know this isn't easy for you, and I know it will take some time for you to adjust after all that has happened. I don't want to push you, Emma, but you have to give him a chance." Snow's eyes were filled with anguish. She could only imagine how painful it must be for James, being rejected by his daughter, his treasure, the precious bundle he had given his life to protect all those years ago.

Emma stared at the floor, unable to look at her mother, whose sad, begging eyes could have broken her heart at that moment. Those eyes she knew so well, those eyes which had shed so many tears because of David… because of her father. Emma still had a strange, awkward feeling whenever she tried to get used to the idea that David and Mary Margaret were her parents. She was over the anger she had felt about being abandoned, or at least she thought she was. Still, having her parents around did not feel natural to her, especially when those parents were about the same age as her. Especially when having her mother somehow meant losing her best friend, the only one who had ever understood her and accepted her exactly the way she was. And worst of all, how could she get used to having David as a father when most of the memories she had of him included him breaking her mother's heart?

"Emma?" Snow was still waiting for Emma to say something… anything. She understood what her daughter was feeling, but she knew she must say something, or else Emma would never let James in.

"Uh, yeah, sorry." Emma realized she must have been lost in her thoughts for at least a few minutes. She did not know what to say. She wanted get that wall down, she knew she had to. Still, it was so hard. "I just don't know if I'm ready yet."

"But how can you know before you at least give it a try?"

Emma thought for a few seconds before she said anything. She knew her mother was right, and she wanted to give her father an opportunity to get to know her. She did not want to admit it, but there was nothing she wanted more than to be able to get to know him too. She had been looking for her parents for so long, why was it so hard to let them in now that she finally found them? "What if I can never do it? What if it never feels right?"

"Emma, it's natural that you are feeling this way… you missed out on so much, you two never got to know each other. We never got to be a family, but now we are finally together." Snow knew that Emma's world had been turned upside down in the past few weeks, and she did not want to push her daughter too far.

"Can we talk about this later? I promise I'll think about. It's just… I need a little more time."

Snow was a bit frustrated, but she knew she should not insist, or she would end up driving Emma away. "Of course." She gave Emma a smile before she walked towards the couch her daughter was sitting on. "So what are the plans for today?"

Emma smiled back at her mother. She could not help feeling relieved that she had managed to avoid the topic for a bit longer. "No plans. What if we just stay in and watch a movie or something?"

Snow grinned at the question. She felt no need to answer. She grabbed a large box full of DVDs from a drawer and sat next to her daughter. "So what are we watching?"

"Um… I'll let you decide this time. Last time I got to pick it didn't end really well." Emma was now laughing, as her mother tried her hardest not to blush. A little over a month ago, Emma had convinced Snow, or Mary Margaret, to watch a scary movie with her. The woman had ended up in tears and made Emma stay awake with her for the rest of the night. When she was done laughing, Emma kept on looking at her mother, thinking about how ironic that had been. She had had to comfort her own mother when she was scared to be alone at night.

Snow was thinking about the irony as well. She did not think it was that funny, though, as it only reminded her of the fact that she never got the chance to comfort Emma when she had nightmares or was scared at night. She was determined not to miss out on any future experiences she could still have with her daughter.

"So, what is it?" Emma had a curious smile on her face.

"Well… Since Miss I-Don't-Watch-Chick-Flicks refuses to watch romantic movies, I guess we could watch the new Batman film. Maybe you should start learning about superheroes, since I guess now you are one yourself."

"Or… we could watch one of Henry's Disney movies… and learn about princesses, since now _you_ are back to being one!" Emma looked at her mother, wondering if she hated the idea. "I mean… We don't have to."

"No! Of course we have to!" Snow loved the idea. She was surprised and thrilled at her daughter's curiosity. It was the first time Emma had shown interest in learning about her mother's past. "I can tell you how everything actually happened… You know, those movies are not completely accurate."

"I guess I realized that when we were in the Enchanted Forest and you shot that ogre with the arrow. I was _not_ expecting that!" Emma was still amazed by how her mother had defended her from the creature.

"What, you thought I was going to sit there and watch?"

"I guess I was half expecting you to start a musical number with a couple of birds or rabbits or something… You know… like in the movie." Emma was now laughing again, although what she had just said was not entirely a lie.


	2. Chapter 2

**I wanted to thank everyone who left reviews and who followed/favorited this story. It is my first time trying to write a fanfic and your feedback is very helpful and means a lot to me! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint any of you!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time, its characters, or any of the storylines on the show (although I wish I did! Haha!)**

Snow pulled a disc out of the DVD box and looked at it for a while. She wondered if it suggesting _Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs_ would sound too pretentious.

Before she could say anything, Emma took the disc from her hands and walked towards the DVD player. "You just read my mind."

Snow now grinned at the blonde. It still amazed her how a simple gesture from her daughter could bring her such happiness. Being with Emma brought her a feeling she had for so many years only dreamed of experiencing. A feeling she had known for the short nine months she had carried her child in her womb, but which was gone the instant Emma was brutally ripped from her arms. Snow still remembered the moment she saw her daughter for the first time. It was as if her heart and soul had been taken from her and handed to the tiny green-eyed angel she would only be able to hold for those short minutes. At that moment, she had known she would give her life to protect that child. She had finally understood the words she heard from James' mother months before. T_hat's what parents do. They put their children first._

Emma sat back down on the couch after turning on the DVD player, and looked at her pensive mother with curious eyes. "Don't tell me you are still bitter you didn't get to dance with the birds," Emma chuckled, "If you want I'll go find you a blue bird and a couple of rabbits outside and you can do it right now. I mean, not before Henry gets home. We wouldn't want him to miss that."

"Someone's got her father's sense of humor," Snow blushed. "Now shush, Regina is about to make her grand entrance, you don't want to miss that," she pointed to the TV screen.

Mother and daughter were silent throughout most of parts of the movie. Emma still could not believe the most famous fairytale character of all time was her sitting right next to her. No, she could not believe that was _her mother_. As much as she refused to admit it, Emma was so proud to be able to call that woman, so kind and yet so strong, her mother. Gathering all her courage, Emma mumbled, "We should call whoever wrote that movie and tell them you are so much cooler than that naïve little princess they made you to be." She bit her tongue the moment those words slipped from her lips, half wishing Snow had not been able to hear them.

But it was too late. Her mother turned to face her, her eyes sparkling with surprise and a grin from ear to ear. "You think I'm cool?"

"What kind of uncool person would shoot a giant ogre in the eye and come out alive to tell the story? Really, who would have though my m-"Emma stopped when she realized the magnitude of what she had almost said. Snow looked at her with hopeful eyes, which soon became sad ones as she realized her daughter had no intention to finish the word she had longed to hear for so long. Emma was heartbroken herself, realizing how she could have made her mother so happy but had frozen instead. As much as she wanted to say the word, it refused to come out. "Uh, anyway, that was pretty cool."

Snow sighed in disappointment. She had waited twenty-eight years to hear that word, and lost her breath when she thought she would finally hear it. Still, it was already amazing knowing that her daughter was proud of what she had done. As for that word she so wished to hear, Snow knew she needed to give Emma space and time to figure out when _she_ wanted to say it. It was useless to try and get it out of her.

Snow was absorbed by her own thoughts, seeming to have forgotten the movie was still on. Emma, on the other hand, had her eyes were fixed on the screen, amazed by how she was, for the first time in her life, entertained by a fairytale cartoon. "Is that really how he saved you?"

"What?" Snow finally came back to reality.

"David. Is that really how it happened?"

"Oh," Snow glanced at the television and realized the scene where James kisses her and wakes her was playing, "sort of." Emma looked at her questioningly, expecting her mother to explain what she meant. "I guess your father was much more handsome and, well, Charming than they made him in the cartoon." She giggled as she noticed Emma rolling her eyes. "But I guess it was pretty close." Snow was now smiling, remembering that moment all those years ago, when she woke up and saw Charming's sparkling blue eyes, and heard the words that made her feel so safe. _I will always find you._

Before they knew it, the movie was over, and mother and daughter caught themselves smiling at the moment they had just shared. Snow felt like she had missed out on so much with Emma, and now every moment she got to spend with her daughter was so precious. Emma felt like a child listening to a bedtime story, except she was not a child anymore. But that did not matter. She finally had her mother right next to her, and knew that no matter what age she was, she would always be Snow's little girl.

Suddenly, a feeling of guilt took over Snow. She thought of her husband, who was still trying so hard to bond with their daughter. She did not want to ruin the moment, but she could not help it; she felt an urge to say something, to stand up for James even though it might upset her daughter. "Emma… the last thing I want to do is to push you too far, pressure you into doing something you are not ready for."

Emma could see it coming. She wanted to jump off the couch and lock herself in her room if that was what it took to avoid this conversation for at least a while longer. She let out a heavy sigh and fixed her eyes on the floor before saying, "Is this about James? Because _really_, I'm not ready. Can you just give me a little more time?" For some reason, Emma felt she was not getting any more time. This time, it seemed like there was no way out of it.

"I understand that you feel you're not ready. But how can you know if you haven't tried? I know it sounds like a lot to ask right now, but every time you ask for a little more time, I see his heart break a little. I am so happy you and I have been doing things together, things we never got a chance to do before… but it kills me to know that your father hasn't had a chance to do any of those things with you. He is still missing his little girl even though she is right here." Snow could feel tears forming in her eyes as she thought about how Emma's rejection made her husband feel. "I'm not saying you have to be the one to reach out, just… just give him a chance to try and get close to you. I can see him trying so hard to hold back when he sees you. Because if it was up to him, he would hold you and never let you go again."

Emma thought of how painful it was when she first came to Storybrooke, being so physically close to Henry but still not being allowed to be his mother. She had fallen in love with the boy and regretted ever having given him away, and it killed her to think she would never be able to be a parent to him. Emma had vivid memories of how she got to see her kid every day and spend time with him, but especially she had memories of the sharp pain she felt in her heart every night when she saw him go home to another mother. As she looked into her own mother's desperate eyes, she realized she was inflicting the same pain on her father. With the difference that he had never willingly let her go as she had done to Henry. In fact, he had _had_ to let her go to make sure she would be safe. He had given his life to save her when she was only a few minutes old, and now she was causing him a pain more agonizing than the one he had felt when he was injured by that knight's sword moments after saving her life. Taking a deep breath, Emma placed her hand on top of her mother's and looked into Snow's eyes before uttering the words her mother longed to hear, "Thank you, m-" Emma took another deep breath and tried again, "Thank you, mom. I… I'll try."


	3. Chapter 3

**We finally get some Emma/Charming moments!**

**I am ****_so_**** sorry for how long it took me to get this up. My days have been quite hectic with school work and I haven't had much time to write.**

**I wanted to take the time to thank people who reviewed the last chapter! I love getting feedback, so please keep the reviews coming, they motivate me to write faster!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time, its characters, or any of the storylines on the show.**

That evening, Charming arrived back in the apartment carrying two paper bags from Granny's with food for the whole family. He was surprised, not to say startled, as he walked into the living room to find the lights off and an unusual silence. Ever since Snow and Emma arrived back in Storybrooke from the Enchanted Forest, the family had been spending much of their time together, and an empty house was a rare occurrence. While things in the town had been quite peaceful since his wife and daughter's return, Charming did not want to take any chances, so whenever anything slightly unusual happened, the most outrageous possibilities flashed through his mind. Not knowing the exact location of his wife, daughter, and grandson felt like a dreadful nightmare, especially given the unknown whereabouts of Regina.

James felt a rush of anguish pass through his body at the prospect that his family might be in danger, and within seconds he managed to locate his sword leaning against one of the brick walls of the loft. As he walked towards the sword, determined to find whoever it was that posed danger to his family, he heard Emma's voice and let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Hey… are you okay?" Emma had witnessed her father's agitation and was herself startled at the man's behavior – James had not noticed, but he had begun walking back and forth as he considered the many possibilities of what could have happened to his family.

"Uh, yeah, wh-" James took a deep breath as his heartbeats began to slow down. "Where are Snow and Henry?" While he was relieved to find Emma free from harm, he could not calm down completely until he knew his wife and grandson were safe as well.

"Henry forgot his book at school and asked Snow to drive him back there." Emma was puzzled by James' anxiety, since everything seemed to be the same as when he left in the morning. "Why, did something happen?"

"No, I… um… I just wanted to make sure you were all fine." James did not want Emma to know about his insecurities. After all, he was supposed to be the brave one, the fearless hero who would protect his family from all threats and enemies. "How was your day?" James did his best to hide the tension that had taken over his body, and hoped the change in topic was smooth and unnoticed.

"Henry went to school. Snow and I watched your mov-" While Emma had grown more accepting of the fact that her parents were_ the _Snow White and _the _Prince Charming, saying it out loud still sounded crazy and surreal. "Uh, we watched _Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs_." She saw the corners of James' lips turn upwards and noticed his eyes fill with a sparkle she had only seen once before, the day he first saw her and knew she was his daughter. "Now don't even try to get me to watch Cinderella or Winnie the Pooh or whatever. Today was an exception."

Charming let out a quick laugh at Emma's nervousness, his blue eyes showing his surprise and contentment at the realization that this was probably the longest sentence his daughter had said to him ever since she got back from the Enchanted Forest. Whether he admitted it or not, he was slightly jealous of Snow for the amount of time she got to spend with Emma, and for how his wife had bonded with their daughter while he couldn't even get her to say more than a few words to him at a time. "Will not. But don't think I don't expect you to come sword fighting with me at some point, because I'm not giving up on that." There was a tentative smile on his face, as he waited to see Emma's reaction to the suggestion.

To his surprise, the blonde smiled back at him as she made herself comfortable on the couch. "Don't worry, I'll teach you, though I don't think you can match up to my skill level." Emma was fascinated by how effortless this conversation had been so far. Up to that day, every time she had been alone with her father for more than a couple of minutes, awkward silence took over the place.

"Hey, young lady, you might have killed that one dragon, but you seem to be forgetting who you got your talent from."

Emma was slightly uncomfortable at how paternal James sounded, but decided to shrug it off. At the end of the day, the only explanation to how she had managed to kill that dragon was that it was in her genes.

"Uh, Emma… I guess I never really got the chance to tell you I'm sorry for the way I acted before you broke the curse. I promise the person I thought I was is a far cry from the person I really am, and I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you and especially to Snow." James noticed Emma getting uneasy at the direction the conversation was going, but he knew that was his chance to say what he had been meaning to say for so long. "Most of all, I am sorry for what my decisions put you through. Putting you in that wardrobe was the hardest decision I have ever had to make, but I needed to make sure you would be safe. I am sorry your mother and I had to send you away… and I am sorry you have been lonely all this time."

Emma was ready to dismiss the topic. She was not ready for any kind of deep conversation with James, or at least she thought she wasn't. But then she remembered the promise she had made to her mother, and decided to give her father a chance. She stared at the floor as James went on, "I hope that one day you will understand that I love you so much, and that even though I couldn't protect you for all this time, you will always be my little girl and I will give my life if that's what it takes to keep you safe." James was not able to keep tears from escaping his blue eyes, as he recalled that moment all those years ago when he kissed his little treasure goodbye, knowing it was the last time he would be able to do so for twenty-eight years.

Emma now could not help the tears which had begun to fill her own eyes. For twenty-eight years, she had felt lonely and unloved, and now for the first time in her life she was surrounded by people who cared about her, and not just that, she was surrounded by people who would give their lives for her. It took her all her strength not to get up and fall into her father's arms at that moment, as she slowly realized she held the man's entire heart in her hands.

Seeing the tears that now escaped Emma's eyes, James could only hope those were tears of joy for finally having a family that loved her, rather than tears of anger for having been abandoned as an infant. He was not sure it was the right thing to do or how Emma would react to so much closeness, but his instincts at seeing his daughter so vulnerable made him walk towards the crying blonde. Before he realized it, he had placed his hand right on top of Emma's in an attempt to comfort his daughter and soothe her incessant tears. It broke James' heart to see Emma so helpless, especially because he knew he was somewhat –if not entirely– responsible for all the heartbreak she had been through. As he looked at his daughter's fragile blue eyes, so much like his own, all he saw was a little girl who never learned that there were people in the world who would love her unconditionally without asking for anything in return.

Her father's touch brought a feeling of comfort Emma had never known before. Throughout her twenty-eight years, Emma had become familiar with hurt and despair. The only love she had experienced had turned out to bring her even more heartbreak. And at this moment, letting her walls down and exposing her deepest wounds for the first time, she felt completely dependent on this man who now sat right next to her. After so many years not trusting anyone but herself, she felt like she could finally open her heart without fearing that it might be broken again. For some reason, James' touch felt so warm and comforting. If only for that moment, Emma felt as if she was that fragile hour-old newborn her father had held so tightly in his arms while fighting an army of knights.

Still sobbing at the comfort James brought her, Emma did not notice herself scooting closer to him and burying her face into his chest. The man had been trying to keep his own tears from falling, but the warmth of his daughter's skin against his body proved to be more than he could handle. James held Emma tightly, and wished this moment would last forever. He regretted every second he spent away from his most cherished treasure, and now having his little girl so close to him was a feeling he never wanted to let go of. He pulled his daughter even closer to him, and to his surprise she did not attempt to pull away. The sweet smell of Emma's hair was the same she had when she was a few minutes old, a smell James had never forgotten and that now brought him so many bittersweet memories.

Emma didn't know exactly what she felt at that moment. All she knew was that she felt so safe in the arms of that man whom she had, to that point, not even been able to call her father. All she knew was that those arms around her were the safest of havens, and that right there she felt all the hurt and sorrow she had been keeping in her heart fading away.

It was the scariest of feelings, allowing her walls to crumble down one by one, but for some reason she felt more at home in her father's arms than she had ever felt surrounded by all of those walls. Emma allowed herself to stay like that for a few minutes, giving her father and herself the chance to experience this precious moment after so many years. When she finally unlocked herself from James' arms –she kept herself only a few inches from him, just the right distance that allowed her to look him in the eyes while still feeling his heart beating– she could only bring herself to say, "Please... please don't leave me again."


	4. Chapter 4

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time, its characters, or any of the storylines on the show.**

Still on cloud nine after finally having the moment with his daughter he had been desperately wishing for, Charming could not stop looking at Emma, who had been sitting no more than a few inches from him for the past hour; she was so beautiful, almost the exact copy of his wife if it wasn't for his blonde hair and blue eyes. It still amazed him how he and Snow had created a child so perfect in every way. His train of thought was broken when he remembered something and without thinking twice reached for Emma's arm, rolling her sleeve up and checking her forearm like his life depended on it.

"Whoa there, what are you doing?" Emma was startled to say the least. After such an emotionally draining hour, the last thing she was expecting was for her father to tackle her arm with that much energy. Charming did not answer her question, still examining his daughter's arm with a focus Emma had never seen before. His eyes finally stopped at a spot and Emma could see them glistening. "Uh… okay… What's going on?"

Charming glanced up to face his daughter with an affectionate smile on his face. Emma could tell there were a hundred emotions going through his mind, though in her very confused state she was not sure what emotions they were exactly. The prince looked back down at her arm and gently drew lines on it before he finally began, "The day you were born and I had to take you to the wardrobe, I had this intuition telling me it would be a long time before I saw you again." Emma was still puzzled. _Okay… What does my arm have to do with anything, though?_ She decided not to say anything and to just let David go on. "When I was fighting Regina's knights, I had two things going through my mind; first, to keep you safe, and second… I was trying to come up with reasons not to send you away, to convince myself you would be better off with us. But in the end, I couldn't come up with any better reasons than "I love her too much to let her go." Emma now tried to fight back the tears that formed in her eyes. While she was growing used to having people in her life who cared about her, hearing someone tell her they love her still sent a wave of emotions right through her heart. "I just knew it had to be done and though it was the sharpest pain I have ever been in, I just couldn't let the curse hurt you too."

Charming took a deep breath and looked up to see an attentive Emma looking right into his eyes. He was half expecting her to walk away claiming she had a headache or just giving him any other lame excuse not to listen to what he had to say, but surprisingly, she just nodded with a shy smile and patiently waited for him to continue. "But I just couldn't let you go like that, I needed something to hold on to, anything to give me hope that you would come back to us and that you would still be our little girl… and then I saw this right here," he said pointing at a tiny yet noticeable heart-shaped freckle Emma had never noticed on her left arm. Then, he began to roll up his own sleeve and showed his daughter a heart-shaped freckle on his own arm. "You might have your mother's chin and nose and beauty and kindness, but this here is our thing, and I knew it would keep us connected no matter how far apart we were." Unexpectedly, Charming let out a quiet laugh, confusing Emma a little. "I guess when they told you Prince Charming was your dad you weren't expecting this cheesy dork, were you?" Emma now let out a small laugh herself. "But as cheesy as it may sound to anyone else, to me that little freckle was a little bit of hope I could always hold on to. And my hope was fulfilled now that I see you still have it… because it tells me you still are my baby girl."

* * *

When Snow and Henry walked back into the family's apartment, they gasped in surprise at what they saw. After many failed attempts to get Emma to bond with Charming, Snow had finally decided to give her daughter her space and let her decide when she was ready to open up to her father. While Emma had promised she would give him a chance, Snow could never in her wildest dreams imagine that chance would come so soon.

Emma slept peacefully on the couch, her head resting on Charming's chest, and his arms wrapped protectively around the blonde's small frame. Snow closed her eyes for a few seconds and was brought back to the moment she handed her precious newborn to her husband all those years ago. Only this time, her mind played the moment differently. Instead of running out the door with Emma and leaving behind a heartbroken Snow, Charming gently moved his exhausted wife to the opposite side of the bed so he could sit next to her and hold the baby close to Snow; time seemed to stop as she and her husband looked at the most beautiful thing they had ever created –and would ever create.

Snow had been lost in her thoughts, eyes closed and a smile on her face, for a little while before she was brought back to reality by Henry, who was tapping on her arm with a big grin on his face. "I told you grandma, I knew she would come around!" If there was one person in this world –and in other worlds as well– that would be as happy as she was about Emma and Charming spending time together, that person was Henry. The little boy had longed for a family for so long, and after many lonely years he finally had that. All that had still been missing was for Emma to accept David as her father, and it seemed that it was finally happening.

Snow wanted to join her husband and daughter and share the moment with them, after all she had also been separated from Emma for twenty eight years and longed to be close to her. She knew it was risky to wake them up, as she knew her daughter well enough to know Emma might bring her walls back up just as fast and she had surprisingly brought them down. Still, she could not fight her overwhelming urge to have her husband and daughter in her arms and finally feel like the family they should have been from the beginning.

"Hey Henry, why don't you go take a shower while I fix us all some dinner?" Snow simply could not steal her husband's thunder in the presence of Henry. She was embarrassed that she was giving in to her temptations and refused to ruin Charming's moment in front of her grandson.

"But grandma! When they wake up I want to be here to hear about it too!"

"Well, if you take your shower now I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to hear all about it over dinner."

With that, Henry took off and ran upstairs straight into the bathroom. The boy's shoes and clothes were thrown all over the place, and Snow couldn't help but be amused by how Henry could still be a little boy even after all the craziness he had been through. Her thoughts were soon interrupted by Emma, whose breathing became heavy as she adjusted herself in her father's arms. Snow did not notice her own head tilting slightly to the side as the smile she had on her face while thinking about her grandson became a wide grin as she looked at her daughter.

Emma looked like an angel. Her perfect curls covered the entire right side of her face, and her hand tightly grasped David's shirt. That was a moment Snow wanted to keep in her memory for the rest of her life. Twenty nine years later, her husband was finally able to hold their daughter in his arms; these were the two people Snow loved more than anything she had ever known, and if she could freeze the picture at this moment, she knew she would.

The absolute peace she felt at that moment was interrupted by a still sleeping Emma, who began to breathe heavily and to move in agitation. The blonde started whispering words her mother tried to grasp but couldn't, and Snow's heart shrank in anguish as she realized her daughter was having a nightmare. It wasn't too long until Emma's whispers became loud words, "Don't do it! No! No! Don't leave me!" Snow wanted to run to her daughter and hold her, and tell her that everything would be okay. _How could anyone ever leave her?_ She wasn't sure waking Emma up was the best approach to the problem, so she stood where she was and prayed that her daughter's nightmares would go away on their own. She soon realized her prayers were unsuccessful, as Emma continued, "Please don't leave me! I promise I'll be good! Please, daddy, please!" Charming woke up in a start at the word, and saw a crying Snow standing a few feet from them, eyes tightly shut and her hands covering her ears in an attempt not to see or hear her daughter so upset.

Charming was still a little dizzy from the way he had just woken up, but hearing the word _daddy_ was like turning a switch on in him and it immediately brought out his protective side. He pulled Emma even tighter into his arms and rubbed circles on her back in an attempt to comfort his daughter. He noticed she was sweating and trembling, and felt his own heart tighten in his chest. He wasn't sure what he was doing or even if he knew how to do it, but he suddenly found himself humming a lullaby while holding his daughter tight on his lap. Emma seemed to be comforted by her father's tight grip as she began to calm down after a few minutes. When David noticed that Emma was back into deep sleep, he brought her closer to him and whispered to her, "I'm never leaving you again, baby girl."


End file.

Once Upon a Time, Family, Hurt-Comfort