As a Family

Disclaimer: I wish, but no, I don't own the characters/show.

Author's Note: There's a sad lack of Emma and Charming fanfic out there, so here's my stab at remedying that.

"David!"

He braces himself, ready to take the blow, he'd been caught off guard and would pay for it, but before the blade falls the clang of another sword echoes in his ears.

Emma's sword, he realizes, opening his eyes in an instant to see his daughter standing between him and injury by one of the King's henchmen.

Returning the favor, he realizes, déjà vu washing over him.

But as she fights off his attacker, he admires her natural ability with a sword for too long, another minion slinking from the shadows right for them.

"Emma!" he hears himself shout in warning, scrambling to his feet, watching her fell their first opponent only to twirl at his cry, ducking the blow just as he manages to grab the sword of the first to meet their new enemy.

In seconds their second attacker is down, wounded like the first, and with ragged breath he helps her haul them in handcuffs to the sheriff cruiser she'd jumped out of to his aid, and then to the hospital.

It's all rather anti-climatic after the initial attack, with paperwork and everything even as he holds her bloody sword, but he gladly does it, his eyes not leaving Emma for an instant.

She looks fine, untouched, not a scratch on her, but he can't quite convince himself of that fact. It had been his fault she'd been in the fight in the first place. God, Snow was going to kill him for this, if he didn't beat her to it.

"Hey, ready to go?" the reason for his self-torture speaks up, looking tired but otherwise unfazed. Still-

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asks, fight back the urge to reach out and touch her shoulder, to pull her in for a tight hug. They haven't reached that stage yet, but even knowing this he still has to clench his fist to stop himself. All that patience he'd once had is wearing very thin the face of tonight's events.

"Yeah, fine," she shrugs.

If she's lying he can't tell, that was something Snow was definitely better at parenting wise than him, but thinking of Snow reminds him of what they have to look forward to at home. They're both long overdue by now and he doesn't even want to look at his cell phone. This in mind he sighs, motioning for her to lead them out of the hospital.

But the second they pass through the automatic doors, Emma's knees buckle, and he's at her side in a heartbeat.

"Emma!"