Summary - Emma finally managed to sit up, albeit painfully, and was waiting for her father's response. "I think you may have appendicitis." Her eyes widened. "What? How in the world did I end up with that?" Charming Family fluff. Oh how stubborn Emma Swan can be...

Setting - Season 3 ish

Disclaimer - I do not own Once Upon A Time or any of the characters.

Author's Note - My first multi chapter story is heading your way! Still working on the rest, so please check back for more. :)

The past twenty four hours had proven to be one of the most miserable times in Emma Swan's life. She'd begun having pain on her right side and although she didn't want to admit it, her appetite had all but disappeared. The pain had started so gradually that she didn't even notice it at first, she just thought she'd worked out too hard.

It wasn't until she was at work a few days later that she finally came to terms with how much it actually did hurt. Even with her tolerance for pain being fairly high, it had become torture to sit fully upright. Hopefully coffee would help, even with the amount of cream and sugar she doctored it with. Who cared? At this point she would try anything.

With her mom out with Red, and Henry and Hook on the Jolly Roger for the day, it was just her and her dad at the station for the day. And with the pain she was in, she grateful to not have her mom's intuition hovering around.

Her father's voice startled her out of the pained haze she was in. "Hey Emma, I'm going to grab some lunch at Granny's, want me to grab you a grilled cheese?" Hoping that he didn't notice her prior expression, she painted on a small smile of gratitude, "Uh huh." She nodded her agreement.

Once she was alone at the station, Emma pushed back from her desk, clutching her side and doubling over in pain. It was all she could do to not drop to the floor in the fetal position.

Thank goodness she heard the door and managed to sit up before her father saw her. Bolstering herself up on her elbows and feigning interest in an old file, it seemed to her that David wasn't the wiser as he placed the carry out container in front of his daughter.

But his eyes narrowed in on her as she seemingly ignored the hot melted cheese sandwich in front of her. "You okay? You've seemed… well, unusually quiet this morning."

Emma looked up, meeting her father's loving eyes and shrugged. "Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine." There was another painted on smile.

Her answer seemed to satisfy him. "Alright, just let me know if you need anything." He said as he turned to his desk with his lunch.

She finally took a couple of tentative bites of her sandwich. And while it did taste good, between her coffee earlier and sandwich now her stomach started doing flips and sadly she was sure her lunch would be revisited soon.

Sure enough, not even fifteen minutes later, Emma doubled over the trash can.

"Emma!"

Charming was at her side quicker than she could have called for him. He held her hair back til she was done. "Oh, Emma. You're burning up."

A soft moan was all he got as his daughter tried to sit up. White hot pain shot through her lower abdomen. Emma winced as she realized she couldn't fully sit up, not without extreme pain.

"What's going on sweetheart?" Her father gently questioned. Emma grimaced. "So much pain." By this time, David had taken to the floor, kneeling at her side as she tried to explain.

"Where?" He tenderly rubbed her back. "Here." She said as reached toward her lower right abdomen.

Charming's eyes widened as pieced together her symptoms. "Oh dear… um, Emma?" "Yeah?" She'd finally managed to sit up, albeit painfully, and was waiting for her father's response. "I think you may have appendicitis."

This time Emma's eyes widened. "What? How in the world did I end up with that?" "I don't know how, I do know that we need to get you to the hospital."

By the look on Emma's face, Charming knew he was in for a rough ride. A sick Emma meant an overly obstinate, and more stubborn than normal Emma.

"I don't want to." She shook her head. "Just take me home. I'll be fine if I can just curl up in bed." Still learning how to push the right buttons for his daughter, David placed a hand on her shoulder. In a much more in charge fatherly, but still plenty warm voice, he continued. "Based on the location of the pain that you're clearly in, you do have a fever and you just threw up your favorite meal. Do you have a better option?" Doggone it, he was proving to be just as stubborn as her as he raised his eyebrows.

Emma looked at him and narrowed her eyes. "Just give me some ibuprofen and let me lay down for a bit. I promise I'll be okay." Her voice bordered on pleading.

After a stare down that lasted longer than she wished and after seeing his true worry and concern, she conceded, not willingly mind you. As much as she hated hospitals, if this was to appease her dad, then she would try.

She was still no good at this whole family thing, but she was working on it. And with her energy totally zapped by the pain, she knew she had to give it a go.