Work Text:
Emma had built up a pretty strong bladder over the years. Living in the system, of course every house had to have a bathroom, but that didn’t mean that it was always accessible. And if she was hiding from a foster parent, afraid of being hit, she had to learn to wait until after they fell asleep. So, there were times that she could be a little stubborn about it.
“Emma, do you have to go potty?” Snow asked, after lunch one afternoon. Emma’s little state had varying levels. Sometimes, she was very young. Other times, she was more like an older child, to the point of even a teenager. She was in a bit of a mood and that was showing through.
“No,” she replied, rolling her eyes.
“Is someone cranky?” Snow asked, using that as a warning that her daughter should probably curb her attitude.
“No. I just don’t have to go potty,” Emma mumbled.
Snow had to refill Emma’s sippy cup three times over the course of the meal. Not to mention the cherry slushie that David had bought her prior to that. She knew a trip to the potty was in order, but she knew fighting Emma on that would lead to nowhere.
“Alright, well you let me know.”
“Can I leave the table now?”
“Yes, and unless you want a naptime, cheer up.”
Emma rolled her eyes again and got up, going into the other room. Truth was, she did kind of have to go, but figured she could wait. She didn’t want to prove her mother right. Seemed like a trivial thing to get stubborn over, but she was in a particularly testy mood. Her mom could’ve told her the grass was green and she’d argue it was orange. It was just one of those days.
As she sat in the living room, the need to go increased. She realized she needed to stop being petulant and got up, heading straight for the bathroom on the lower floor, only to find it occupied by her father. She raced up the stairs, dashing for her bathroom. At first just a little was leaking through, but it was ultimately too late. Before she could even reach the door, she had soaked her panties. Emma fell to the floor crying, out of frustration and crankiness. She whimpered, no longer caring about being stubborn.
“Mommy!” She wailed.
Snow heard her daughter and dashed up the stairs, instantly worried. She entered her daughter’s room and found her crumpled on the floor, crying. Before the woman could ask what was wrong, she smelt the problem. Her stubborn little girl had waited far too long.
“Oh baby, what happened? Didn’t make in time?” Snow cooed, crouching in front of her. Emma cried louder, nodding.
“I’m sorry, Mommy!”
“Shhh, it’s alright Pumpkin. Mommy’s not upset with you. This is just why when I ask you if you have to go, you have to be honest right?” Emma sniffled, nodding some more. “Come on, how about a nice bubble bath to get you all cleaned up.”
She helped Emma out of her pretty little dress, a pink one with snowflakes on the smock of it and shook her hair out of the pig tails before leading her into the bathroom, filling up the tub and adding the bubbles. Emma climbed in, still sniffling a bit.
“We all have accidents, sweetie,” Snow told her, gently after failing to coax her into playing with her toys. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“I don’t like it, feels yucky and wet.”
“I know baby, but next time you’ll go sooner, right? If you need help, you know I’d go in with you.”
“Uh huh.”
“What can I do to get you to smile?”
Emma shrugged. Snow sighed and helped clean her. Even little Emma sometimes had walls, not that they were allowed to be up for long. She knew just what her little girl needed. Once Emma was nice and clean, Snow assisted her in getting into her favorite Snow White gown, leading her downstairs. David saw his daughter and smiled.
“You’re in jammies kinda early.” Emma shrugged and put her thumb in her mouth. “Uh oh, is Daddy’s little girl upset?” Snow nodded and rubbed her daughter’s back. David picked his daughter up and twirled her around. Emma’s thumb fell out of her mouth as she started giggling. David smiled, laying a kiss to her forehead. “There, isn’t that better?”
“Not fair,” Emma said, though she was still giggling.
“Yes, it is, it’s a daddy’s job to make his baby girl smile.”
“You know, it’s almost Neal’s naptime,” Snow said. “I think Emma needs one too.” Emma threw her arms around David’s head, shaking her head no vigouresly.
“I’ll lay with you baby, but you know you’re tired. You were up late last night.”
“Mommy too,” Emma mumbled.
Snow smiled. “Mommy too, I just have to put Neal down.”
David carried Emma upstairs and tucked her into his and Snow’s bed, placing her baby blanket in her arms. He laid beside her and she cuddled close to him. He found her pacifier and slipped it into her mouth.
“Get some rest, Cupcake. When you wake up, we can play a game.”
“Otay Daddy,” Emma mumbled, burying her head deeper in his chest.
When Emma did wake up from her nap and Snow asked if she had to go potty, she went right away. Some things were not worth being stubborn over.