As she walks through the gardens, flowers sway around her. She lets her hands run along the tall plants, barely noticing the pricks and scrapes some leave behind.

A voice calls her name, trying to capture her attention. Emma turns towards it, slightly intrigued by the sound. She sees her father standing by the water's edge. James is crouching by a rock, beckoning her closer with an outstretched arm. She hurries towards him, her blond hair flying behind her. He looks up when she steps closer and pulls her into his arms.

His blue eyes meet her green ones and his face shows nothing but love. James smiles down at his daughter wondering, not for the first time, how he ever got so lucky. He holds out a bright, red flower for her to see, but then pulls it away when she starts to reach for it. Emma pouts slightly and feels him chuckle quietly.

"Remember," he says in a soothing voice, "nature is to be respected. You don't want to hurt the beauty it gives us so freely." His daughter nods slowly, eyes full of hope and wonder. He slowly places the flower in her outstretched palms, cautioning with his eyes not to drop it.

Emma gazes down at the flower, careful not to move her hands too much as not to crush it. She looks back up towards her father, a huge grin on her young face. Slowly putting the flower back into his open palm, she looks around them, feeling as if someone is watching.

There is a slight crunch behind her and she whips her head around, long, curly hair hitting Charming in the face. Emma sees someone walking closer and pushes herself out of her father's arms. She runs in the direction of the sound, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever was coming towards them. The person comes into view and Emma starts to run faster, tripping over her tiny feet. Snow smiles softly when she sees Emma, bending down to her level, opening her arms wide. Emma runs straight into her mother's arms, clasping her tiny hands around Snow's neck.

Snow picks up her giggling daughter and twirls her around, causing Emma to laugh harder. Snow laughs with her and then stops spinning, holding her daughter tight in her arms.

"I see someone has been playing in the gardens again," Snow remarks, plucking a few leaves from Emma's curls and trying to rub some dirt off her cheek. Snow feigns annoyance, but it's easy to tell she is trying hard not to laugh.

"I was looking at the pretty flowers and then Daddy called me over," Emma turns toward Charming, sticking her tongue out at him. He in response sticks out his tongue too, before looking over at his wife.

"Really, and what was it that Daddy wanted to show you that was so important?" Snow asks. Emma squirms in her mother's arms, and then runs back to her father when placed back on the ground. She gently takes the flower that is still in his hand and dashes back to Snow, holding it up for her to see.

"This! It's the most prettiest flower I have ever seen! But Daddy says I mustn't drop it or crush it, otherwise it will be gone forever!" Snow smiles at Emma's exaggeration, and then turns toward James with adoration evident on her face.

"Yes and that would not be very good," she reasons, looking back at Emma. She gently takes the flower from her daughter's cupped hands. "Let's find a place to put it so it won't get hurt, hm?" She crouches back down to Emma's level and then gently places the flower behind her ear. The red flower shows brightly in the young girl's blond hair, adding a sense of beauty to the already pretty child.

"There! Now you'll always know where it is," Snow said, gently running her hand through Emma's golden locks. Emma grins at her mother before turning back to her father.

"Look, Daddy! Mommy put the flower in my hair!"

"You look beautiful, Princess!" He tells her, smiling softly. Emma grins widely and then looks back at Snow questioningly.

"What is it, Emma?"

"You need a flower in your hair too! Then we can both be a princess!" Snow smiles at her daughter's words and looks up at her husband when she hears him laugh. He smirks slightly, making his way to his girls.

"I couldn't agree more, Emma," he replies, pulling Snow back up to her full height with one hand, and producing another red flower from behind his back with the other. It's now her turn to smirk but she stands still, letting him put the flower in her long, ebony hair. He kisses her forehead lightly before whispering in her ear.

"Now you're a princess, my love." A small giggle escapes Snow's lips and she then presses a light kiss to the scar on her husband's chin. Before Snow can respond, Emma calls her name.

"I wanna see, Mommy!" James laughs quietly as his wife pulls away to bend down to Emma's level. When Snow motions to the new addition in her hair, Emma's smile grows across her face. "Now we match!" Snow laughs and pulls her daughter in for a hug. Before letting her go, Snow places a kiss on Emma's hair and then rises to stand next to her husband. James laces their fingers together and Snow leans into his side, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Well, Princess, what do you want to do now?" James asks Emma, who is staring blankly across the gardens, twirling a blond curl around her finger. She turns back to her parents as a yawn slowly overcomes her.

"I think," Snow begins, "that it's time for a nap for the little princess." Emma only nods, her eyes slowly starting to close while her finger still absentmindingly twirls her hair. Before Snow can say anything else, James lets go of her hand and gently picks up Emma in both of his arms. As Emma nestles into her father's embrace, Snow gently pushes away the golden hair from her daughter's face.

"Are we going home, Mommy?"

"Yes, sweetheart. When you wake up, you'll be back home in bed," Snow answers, softly caressing her little girl's cheek. "You can sleep now."

"Sweet dreams, Emma," James whispers softly, carefully pressing a kiss to her hair.

Fin.