Captain Swan - Set My Soul On Fire

THIS IS ONLY A SNEAK PEEK!!!!!!!!!!!

A/N: I just started writing this chapter today while trying to get over a nasty cold so please forgive the mistakes. Here's a little teaser :)

Chapter 8

When the lasagna is almost done, her mother asks her to set the table, so Emma gets on her tiptoes and reaches into the cupboard, grabbing four plates and stacking them. Emma can feel her mother's eyes on her when her sweatshirt raises, revealing her slightly protruding belly.

"Putting on a little holiday weight I see?" Mary Margeret teases playfully.

Emma freezes, her face paling at her mother's comment. Is her belly really that noticeable? She sets the plates on the counter and self consciously tugs the hem of her sweater down to cover her stomach. "Uh, yeah, I guess so. Too much of your pie and Christmas cookies," she laughs nervously.

"I understand, believe me," Mary Margeret says, placing her hands on her belly. "I do tend to overdo it with it the cookies, both the baking and the eating," she laughs. "Just wait until you're a college freshman, with the amount of stress and pressure you'll be under, you'll likely gain that Freshman 15."

Emma's cheeks burn as her mother hands her the silverware, and she grabs the plates and heads to the table to set it, hoping her mother doesn't notice how flushed she is. Gaining fifteen pounds during freshman year is the least of her worries. She'll be too busy taking care of her infant with her boyfriend while working to help pay for said infant's needs and going to school to worry about her weight.

"I'm sorry, Emma, I didn't mean to upset you," Mary Margeret says in a worried tone. "You really shouldn't feel so self-conscious about your body." She strides over to Emma, gently cups her cheeks in her hands and presses a kiss to her forehead. "You're beautiful and perfect the way God made you. Don't forget that."

Emma offers a feeble smile and continues her task as her father enters the kitchen.

Mary Margeret looks at him and says, "Right, honey?" even though he wasn't present to hear the conversation.

"What's that?" he asks, cracking the oven open to look inside and get a whiff of the yummy food smells. "Mmm, the lasagna looks and smells delicious."

"Emma's beautiful and perfect and doesn't have to worry about gaining the Freshman 15."

David closes the oven door and turns around, furrowing his brows. "Of course she is. Who said otherwise?"

Emma rolls her eyes as she finishes setting the table and goes over to kiss his cheek. "No one, Daddy."

The timer on the oven goes off and Mary Margaret turns it off, along with the oven. She grabs some oven mitts, takes out the pan and transfers it over to the counter to cut the lasagna up into serving sizes. "All I said was, Emma put on a little holiday weight because she's got a cute little belly on her, but that she shouldn't feel self-conscious about it," she says to David while looking up from her task

"I'll get Leo," Emma grumbles, wanting to leave this topic behind in the dust, especially with her father in the room.

She starts to make her way out of the kitchen when she hears her father say, "Of course she shouldn't feel self-conscious. I have to beat the boys off of her with a stick."

Emma stops in her tracks and spins around, glaring at her father. "What do you mean you have to beat boys off of me with a stick? What boys?"

He shrugs nonchalantly and leans back against the counter. "Boys at church mostly. Do you know how many times I've caught them in the front row, trying to look up your dress while you're on stage singing?"

"Daa-aaad!" Emma screeches and raises her hands to her face, groaning into them.

"What? I didn't actually beat them off with a stick, I only gave them a polite warning."

Emma drops her hands to see the clueless look on his face. He really has no know idea how embarrassing he is asking boys to stay away from her. Anger surges through her as she thinks about the texts he sent her from Killian's phone. "Yeah, like you gave Killian a polite warning to stay away from me," Emma blurts out, but doesn't realize it until it's too late and claps her hand over her mouth.

Crap.