FIC: OUAT: Days to Come (G, 1/1)
Title: Days to Come
Song: Days to Come by Opshop
Wordcount: 1,112
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: Snow, Emma
Notes: Spoilers to 2x04. Written for onceuponaland
All,
All eyes
Were upon you
Tonight
And no you don't know me - at all
But I'm so desperate
To be known
Snow cannot condone the mob that attempts to destroy her stepmother hard on the heels of the breaking of the curse. She suspects that fury will come in time: for the daughter who the world has not treated kindly, who stands before her herself a mother; for the grandson nearly dead from magical poison; for the husband nearly lost time and again. But for now she is too lost in the warm glow of her family reunited.
And it’s Emma that holds Snow’s attention the most. Emma whose life has been revealed to Mary Margaret over the months as painful and lonely - who has every right to be as bitter and angry as Regina, but isn’t. Emma who has struggled against Regina’s unreasoning hatred, unable to understand where it has come from, then worn down almost to terror at the destructive pressure of such rage. Emma, who with only a few words from Henry, is able to defend Regina.
This is her daughter, and even as she desperately looks for ways (beyond a chin) that she resembles herself, or Charming, isn’t sure how much she’ll ever be able to claim as being part of her. She didn’t raise this daughter. She wasn’t the one who taught her to be strong, to be moral, to be good. Emma just is, and the responsibility rests on her shoulders, not on her parents.
Snow just wishes it didn’t have to be this difficult.
Whatever you've done
All those things we've been through
Let me make it up to you
Don't be discouraged - we've all been victims
Whatever broke you down can be outrun
We can live for these days to come
To come
To come
We can live for these days
Snow wakes in the night to a muffled whimper. She sits up groggily, confused, taking in where she is and why. Layers of her different lives are stacked on top of her and she struggles to remember if she is Snow White - princess, fugitive, fighter - or Mary Margaret - meek school teacher - or someone else completely.
The ground beneath her is hard, and the blanket she is curled under doesn’t quite keep out the chill of the night air. The sky above indicates the dawn isn’t far away. Mulan, taking her turn at standing guard, sits near the dying fire, scowling at Snow for some indefinable reason.
She is back in her world, with Emma, trying to get back home to their family.
When purpose sets in so does Snow’s awareness - just in time to hear the quiet whimper again. Instinctively she knows it’s Emma. Before she is fully conscious of what she is doing, she’s beside her daughter, hand on a shoulder, shaking her awake.
“Mary Margaret?” is the sleepy response. “’S time to get up?”
“Not quite. You were having a nightmare.”
“Oh, yeah,” says Emma. “Right.” She doesn’t offer anymore, and she doesn’t meet Snow’s eyes.
Snow is learning the value of not pushing at Emma, but she can’t quite help the words that slip out. “Do you want to talk about it?” Or the hope that’s in her tone. Emma has been uncomfortable in this land, struggling to find her footing in a world of magic and monsters, and Snow is afraid that the sudden change of power in their relationship will drive a wedge between the pair of them. She is desperate to prevent that, but Ogres and Disney characters are determined to get in her way.
“It’s not important.” Emma tucks her blanket back around hunched shoulders, and curls back around herself. Her eyes drift shut with a firmness that is not completely natural.
Snow successfully manages to resist the urge to say ‘of course it matters’ and tuck her own blanket around her daughter for extra warmth. Instead, she reaches out and grips Emma’s arm. “I’m here if you need me,” she says instead.
Emma relaxes a little under her grasp and mutters something that is either conciliatory or sarcastic before her breath evens out. On the other side of the fire, Mulan’s attention has wandered in a different direction and Snow is glad as she resettles herself a little closer to her daughter.
All,
I'm all ears
I've been listenin' out for you
For all of these years
And no, I - I - didn't know what to say
But you've got to believe me, believe me
Believe me, I never meant it that way
Snow’s old home is ruined, which Snow had been expecting. The stone is mostly intact, though it has begun to crumble in places. Here and there the windows are cracked and broken, tapestries worn, curtains and carpets moth eaten. Three decades of abandonment has not been kind to Snow’s home.
She’d known this. After seeing what the curse had wrought on her homeland, Snow had known the castle, ground zero, could hardly have gone unscathed. But she was not expecting the nursery to still look like the place where she’d planned to raise her daughter, even through the damage. Under the wreckage it is still the place where she’d held so many dreams like some final sting of Regina’s curse.
The words spill out, as she tries to explain to Emma that this is the place they were supposed to be happy. This is the life they were supposed to lead, but was taken from them and now is mostly like the nursery - still visible, but lost to ruin.
Whatever you've done
All those things we've been through
Let me make it up to you
Don't be discouraged - we've all been victims
Whatever broke you down can be outrun
We can live for these days to come
To come
To come
We can live for these days
Henry’s glad shout is what breaks the stunned tableau, and in less than a heartbeat he is in Emma’s arms. Immediately, he starts babbling about absolutely everything that has happened since they’ve been gone while Emma tries to get a word in edgewise. Snow’s attention is drawn away from her daughter and grandson to the man standing in front of her, eyes watering despite the smile. He reaches out a tentative hand to assure himself of her realness. “You found me,” he says after moment.
Her own eyes are burning, smile achingly wide, she pulls him closer. “Always.”
“Eww,” says a voice from side.
“Yeah, I can’t deal with that,” says another.
Snow and Charming break apart to find Emma and Henry regarding them with identically disturbed faces. Overcome with emotion, Snow just laughs, joy bubbling through at being able her daughter home and safe. At being able to be with her daughter, here in this place with the people they love best.
Charming moves forward, “Emma,” he says reverently.
“Hi,” she says, eyes set firmly on his chin.
Time has taught Snow to read her daughter’s expressions, but the glaring similarities between Emma and Charming would be obvious even to a stranger. The mixture of hope and awkwardness reflected back and forth between the two. For a moment, they seem caught in some form of eternal loop of anxious expectation. Beside Snow, Henry takes a breath, but Snow drapes an arm around him, looks down and shakes her head.
“May I?” asks Charming, arms spreading outwards.
Emma nods before being engulfed in a hug. She stiffens visibly for a moment, but then returns the embrace with feeling. Over his shoulders, her brimming eyes meet Snow’s.
This is their future, here and now.
All,
All these fears
We've been walkin' around on eggshells
For all of these years
Whatever you've done
All those things we've been through
We can live for these days to come
To come
To come
We can live for these days to come
Song: Days to Come by Opshop
Wordcount: 1,112
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: Snow, Emma
Notes: Spoilers to 2x04. Written for onceuponaland
All,
All eyes
Were upon you
Tonight
And no you don't know me - at all
But I'm so desperate
To be known
Snow cannot condone the mob that attempts to destroy her stepmother hard on the heels of the breaking of the curse. She suspects that fury will come in time: for the daughter who the world has not treated kindly, who stands before her herself a mother; for the grandson nearly dead from magical poison; for the husband nearly lost time and again. But for now she is too lost in the warm glow of her family reunited.
And it’s Emma that holds Snow’s attention the most. Emma whose life has been revealed to Mary Margaret over the months as painful and lonely - who has every right to be as bitter and angry as Regina, but isn’t. Emma who has struggled against Regina’s unreasoning hatred, unable to understand where it has come from, then worn down almost to terror at the destructive pressure of such rage. Emma, who with only a few words from Henry, is able to defend Regina.
This is her daughter, and even as she desperately looks for ways (beyond a chin) that she resembles herself, or Charming, isn’t sure how much she’ll ever be able to claim as being part of her. She didn’t raise this daughter. She wasn’t the one who taught her to be strong, to be moral, to be good. Emma just is, and the responsibility rests on her shoulders, not on her parents.
Snow just wishes it didn’t have to be this difficult.
Whatever you've done
All those things we've been through
Let me make it up to you
Don't be discouraged - we've all been victims
Whatever broke you down can be outrun
We can live for these days to come
To come
To come
We can live for these days
Snow wakes in the night to a muffled whimper. She sits up groggily, confused, taking in where she is and why. Layers of her different lives are stacked on top of her and she struggles to remember if she is Snow White - princess, fugitive, fighter - or Mary Margaret - meek school teacher - or someone else completely.
The ground beneath her is hard, and the blanket she is curled under doesn’t quite keep out the chill of the night air. The sky above indicates the dawn isn’t far away. Mulan, taking her turn at standing guard, sits near the dying fire, scowling at Snow for some indefinable reason.
She is back in her world, with Emma, trying to get back home to their family.
When purpose sets in so does Snow’s awareness - just in time to hear the quiet whimper again. Instinctively she knows it’s Emma. Before she is fully conscious of what she is doing, she’s beside her daughter, hand on a shoulder, shaking her awake.
“Mary Margaret?” is the sleepy response. “’S time to get up?”
“Not quite. You were having a nightmare.”
“Oh, yeah,” says Emma. “Right.” She doesn’t offer anymore, and she doesn’t meet Snow’s eyes.
Snow is learning the value of not pushing at Emma, but she can’t quite help the words that slip out. “Do you want to talk about it?” Or the hope that’s in her tone. Emma has been uncomfortable in this land, struggling to find her footing in a world of magic and monsters, and Snow is afraid that the sudden change of power in their relationship will drive a wedge between the pair of them. She is desperate to prevent that, but Ogres and Disney characters are determined to get in her way.
“It’s not important.” Emma tucks her blanket back around hunched shoulders, and curls back around herself. Her eyes drift shut with a firmness that is not completely natural.
Snow successfully manages to resist the urge to say ‘of course it matters’ and tuck her own blanket around her daughter for extra warmth. Instead, she reaches out and grips Emma’s arm. “I’m here if you need me,” she says instead.
Emma relaxes a little under her grasp and mutters something that is either conciliatory or sarcastic before her breath evens out. On the other side of the fire, Mulan’s attention has wandered in a different direction and Snow is glad as she resettles herself a little closer to her daughter.
All,
I'm all ears
I've been listenin' out for you
For all of these years
And no, I - I - didn't know what to say
But you've got to believe me, believe me
Believe me, I never meant it that way
Snow’s old home is ruined, which Snow had been expecting. The stone is mostly intact, though it has begun to crumble in places. Here and there the windows are cracked and broken, tapestries worn, curtains and carpets moth eaten. Three decades of abandonment has not been kind to Snow’s home.
She’d known this. After seeing what the curse had wrought on her homeland, Snow had known the castle, ground zero, could hardly have gone unscathed. But she was not expecting the nursery to still look like the place where she’d planned to raise her daughter, even through the damage. Under the wreckage it is still the place where she’d held so many dreams like some final sting of Regina’s curse.
The words spill out, as she tries to explain to Emma that this is the place they were supposed to be happy. This is the life they were supposed to lead, but was taken from them and now is mostly like the nursery - still visible, but lost to ruin.
Whatever you've done
All those things we've been through
Let me make it up to you
Don't be discouraged - we've all been victims
Whatever broke you down can be outrun
We can live for these days to come
To come
To come
We can live for these days
Henry’s glad shout is what breaks the stunned tableau, and in less than a heartbeat he is in Emma’s arms. Immediately, he starts babbling about absolutely everything that has happened since they’ve been gone while Emma tries to get a word in edgewise. Snow’s attention is drawn away from her daughter and grandson to the man standing in front of her, eyes watering despite the smile. He reaches out a tentative hand to assure himself of her realness. “You found me,” he says after moment.
Her own eyes are burning, smile achingly wide, she pulls him closer. “Always.”
“Eww,” says a voice from side.
“Yeah, I can’t deal with that,” says another.
Snow and Charming break apart to find Emma and Henry regarding them with identically disturbed faces. Overcome with emotion, Snow just laughs, joy bubbling through at being able her daughter home and safe. At being able to be with her daughter, here in this place with the people they love best.
Charming moves forward, “Emma,” he says reverently.
“Hi,” she says, eyes set firmly on his chin.
Time has taught Snow to read her daughter’s expressions, but the glaring similarities between Emma and Charming would be obvious even to a stranger. The mixture of hope and awkwardness reflected back and forth between the two. For a moment, they seem caught in some form of eternal loop of anxious expectation. Beside Snow, Henry takes a breath, but Snow drapes an arm around him, looks down and shakes her head.
“May I?” asks Charming, arms spreading outwards.
Emma nods before being engulfed in a hug. She stiffens visibly for a moment, but then returns the embrace with feeling. Over his shoulders, her brimming eyes meet Snow’s.
This is their future, here and now.
All,
All these fears
We've been walkin' around on eggshells
For all of these years
Whatever you've done
All those things we've been through
We can live for these days to come
To come
To come
We can live for these days to come