Ship's Core (CaptainSwan fanfic)

Seven

David's POV

"Where's Emma?" I asked the maid urgently almost immediately after I woke up.

"I-I-I'm so sorry Y-Your M-Majesty. But y-your daughter sh-she was... she w-was t-taken, Your Highness." she stuttered.

"What?!" I yelled demandingly.

"Sh-she's gone."

*

I had now been searching for her for three days straight. I had sent out many search parties, and even attended some myself, but we hadn't been able to find her anywhere.

I was sitting in front of the blazing fireplace of the parlour with a glass of whiskey in hand.

As I stared at the dancing flames, I remembered Emma, when she was no more than four, looking at the fire.

Her mom was beside her on the floor and they were chatting away merrily. I hadn't been paying attention; I was tired from that long day. However, I snapped my attention to my wife and daughter at this moment:

"Mommy?" Emma asked.

"Mhm?"

"Mommy, I can't hear any music." Emma said matter-of-factly.

Snow chuckled. "Well, that's because there's none playing, sweetie."

"Then why is the fires dancing?" she asked curiously.

Snow laughed yet again, while trying to come up with something to say in response to her daughters question.

"Well," she began confidently.
"People, sometimes, dance when they're happy, even if there isn't any music. And see all of the flames dancing beside each other?"
Emma nodded enthusiastically.
"They're dancing because they're happy. Do you no why?"
She shook her head vigorously.
"It's because they're together. They're a family, and they're together, and they're happy when they're together, see?"

Emma looked confused.
"But we're together, and we're not dancing."

I smiled and so did Snow.
"Hmm, that is a problem, isn't it?" she said playfully.
"I guess there's only one way to fix it."

She stood up and swept Emma into her arms, tickling her a little. Emma laughed an adorable, light hearted laugh.
They began dancing, Snow spinning her around and tickling her, they were both laughing loudly.

"Wait!" Emma shouted.
"Daddy, you have to dance, too." she demanded.

I chuckled. "And why's that, Princess?"

"Because I am a Princess, and I will be a Queen. So you must dance!" her mouth was brought into a straight line; she was trying to be serious. But her eyes twinkled in amusement. 

I sighed, a genuine grin on my face, and stood up to join them. We spent the rest of that night dancing endlessly to the silence.

But it wasn't really endless. Snow was gone. And so was Emma. Now, I had nothing.

I lay back on my chair, tears silently falling down my cheeks. I closed me eyes. I just wanted it to be over. I wanted it all to be over.

Just at that moment, the bell on the wall of the parlour rang loudly, disturbing my painful peace.

I rose from my chair and walked out into the hall.
There were guards standing on either side of the giant double doors. I nodded to them, signalling for them to open the doors. The bell was still ringing loudly.

The guards pulled the doors and they slowly creaked open. My heart rose when they revealed Emma. She had her golden hair in a side braid and she was wearing a silky baby blue dress that hung loosely down to her feet.  

"Emma." I said softly.

I ran towards her and held her into a hug, but she did not hug me back. The ringing of the bell was still going.

"Emma, where were you? Why did they take you?" I asked urgently.

"No one took me." she said, not a single emotion showing on her face. "I ran away."

I furrowed my eyebrows, curious.
"Why?"

"I wasn't happy, Daddy." she replied plainly. "I wasn't happy here, even when Mom was alive."

Ouch. I felt a pang in my chest and my smile vanished.

"I was happy when I ran away, Daddy. Happy."

"No . . . no, this is some sort of joke." I said beginning to freak out.

"No. No joke, Daddy." came her voice, only her mouth didn't move.

She began to fade slightly, disappearing before me, slipping away from my grip, and there was nothing I could do about it. The ringing grew louder still.

"Emma!" I yelled.

"I just have one more thing to say, Daddy." she said. "Wake up."

My eyes darted open. I was in the parlour, where I must have fallen asleep when I closed my eyes before.

"Wake up!" I looked up to see one of the guards who stand by the door, Gerry, shaking me awake.

It was then that I noticed the parlour bell ringing.

"I didn't want'a disturb ya, 'Majesty, but somen's bin ringin' at the door for the past five minutes." Gerry explained.
"I figured it must'a bin urgent. So I came 'ere to wake ya."

"Yes, thank you, Gerry." I said, before rising to go to the door, though I was a little more scared to this time.

I went out to the hall, Gerry hurriedly walking beside me, and he and the other guard pulled open the doors, to reveal none other than;

Regina.

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I know this chapter was really short, I'm sorry! But I like how it turned out and I was afraid that if I added any more, I would ruin it. Besides, I'm tired and I wanted to update today.

But anyways, I hope you enjoyed! If you did, please make my day by voting and/or commenting! That would be awesome!

Love and bad dreams,
-C

Ps: If you are unfamiliar with the TV show Once Upon A Time and you want to know how I picture theses characters, read the cast. If you search up their names with "once upon a time" after, you will see them how I imagine them in the book. If you think some of them look like they are different ages to how I made them in this book, it's because I made them different ages in this than they are in the show.

I hope that made senseXD