A/N: This takes place right after "The Shepherd." I just had to write it out once it came to mind. I hope they explore the father-daughter relationship in the series. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time.

Daddy's Little Princess

After his reunion with his wife Kathryn, David went outside, just walking aimlessly on the sidewalks of Storybrooke, just thinking. So many things were jumbled around in his mind, so many memories.

He now remembered his life with Kathryn, and yet calling her his wife sounded strange to his own ears, it felt hallow and empty. The word wife didn't feel real. It didn't send a tickle up his throat like sparking champagne, making him grin foolishly. The word just came up and out of his mouth, dry and barren. He wondered if it was because he had just regained his memories, or because they had been estranged for so long.

There was a battle going on between his brain and his heart. His brain spoke saying, "You loved Kathryn, you married her, till death do you part. You must honor it, do the right thing and work it out. Don't throw away all those memories together."

His heart spoke only two words.

"Mary Margaret."

He couldn't explain it, but even though his heart only spoke two words, it felt as if it spoke of a lifetime.

David halted, squeezing his eyes shut and grinding his teeth. He bit back a cry of frustration, as he remembered Mary Margaret's face and her eyes, those beautiful eyes blinking back tears. At that moment at the Toll Bridge, he had never felt so much like…a villain.

The clapping of shoes on the pavement alerted him that there was someone approaching. He glanced behind his shoulder to see Emma walking down the same sidewalk. She had a deep frown on her face, her eyes seeming to be in another world, full of troubling, disturbing thoughts.

"Emma?" David called out.

Emma glanced up, noticing him up ahead. "David?" She continued walking until she reached where he stood.

David glanced down the darkened streets, then back to Emma's face. "Emma, shouldn't you be home?" his brow furrowed as he looked down at her with concern. "It's getting late, it's not safe for you to be out there alone."

Emma cocked an eyebrow at him, her lips turning up in amusement. "Thank you for your concern, David," she said. "But I'm twenty-eight years old, and I am the deputy of the town. I think I can take care of myself."

"Oh, right, right!" David exclaimed, his eyes going wide. His mouth widened into a smile and he laughed out loud at his own foolishness. Treating the town deputy as if…as if she was a child. "Sorry, I don't know why I just…," he trailed off, going quiet. His eyebrows knotted together, trying to focus on something that seemed out of his grasp, he then shook it off,"….never mind." He glanced at Emma. "Of course, you can take care of yourself…no one needs to save you."

After that Emma and David just continued walking down the sidewalk, no saying much to each other, until Emma spoke up. "So, how did things with Mary Margaret go? Why isn't she with you?"

David visibly winced, sharply inhaling through his nose. Mary Margaret! Of course, Emma was Mary Margaret's roommate! He had forgotten about that for a second. He glanced nervously at Emma, his mouth cringing with guilt. "Oh, Mary Margaret," he hung his head, sighing," I…I told her I was going back to Kathryn."

"You what?" Emma hissed, staring him down with a gaze as piecing as a sword. David now understood why the Sheriff chose Emma to be his deputy.

"I…I feel awful about it!" David cried out. "But I remembered my life with Kathryn…and I have to do the right thing!" he said, trying to defend himself. But the truth was, had he been his own executioner, he would have let himself hang. "I really did…do feel something for Mary Margaret, I just…," he sighed, his shoulders falling forward. "I truly never wanted to hurt her."

Emma sighed, shaking her head as she cursed under her breath. "And I told her to go to you." she pounded her first against her thigh. "Nothing seems to be going right today."

They continued walking down the sidewalk, not saying a word to each other, not even small chit-chat. It was apparent to David that Emma was giving him the cold shoulder as she glared ahead, not even glancing at him.

"So, you remember, huh?" said Emma, suddenly breaking her silence. "That's…that's good," she said weakly.

David glanced at her, faintly nodding. "I remember," he said, then paused. "Our marriage was going through some rough patches and then it would get really strained whenever the subject of children came up."

"Children?" Emma said curiously.

"Kathryn didn't want any children, but…I did."

Emma stuck her hands in her pockets. "Let me guess, you wanted a son to play catch with, to go to football games with, and to have burping contests."

"No, no," David said, softly chuckling, shaking his head as he stared down at the pavement. "I always wanted a daughter, actually."

Emma glanced at him surprised. "Really? I thought all dads wanted sons."

David stared ahead, cracking a smile. "I wanted a daughter to spoil, but not so much that she'd be a spoiled princess. I wanted a daughter to always protect," he chuckled, glancing at Emma," even when she'd complain about me being overprotective." His eyes softened as he stared ahead, thinking about a little girl calling out, Daddy.

"I wanted to be that little girl's Prince Charming, until the day came that she found her own Prince Charming."

David turned to Emma to see her giving him a strange look, but it disappeared as she blinked, looking away. "If only all dads could be Prince Charmings," she mumbled.

David tilted his head, wondering what she meant by that. Hadn't her own father treated her like a princess? It was hard for him to imagine a father not loving his daughter. "Would you like me to walk you home, Emma?" he said, not liking the idea of her walking alone, even though he knew she could take care of herself.

"No, I'm fine by myself," said Emma. "I don't think it's a great idea for you to be around Mary Margaret, right now." She gave him a pointed gaze, as if saying 'don't hurt her anymore.'

"Oh, yes…Mary Margaret," said David, solemnly. His eyes snapped open as he felt something cold and delicate on his nose. He raised his hand, lightly pressing a finger against his nose, and then pulled it back to see a beautiful, tiny, half-melted snowflake resting on his fingertip. "Snow," he breathed, astonished.

David bent back his head, staring up into the night sky; his eyes grew in pure delight as he saw tiny crystals fluttering down from the heavens. Snowflakes painted the night, surrounding him with their majestic and serene embrace. "I can't believe it!" he cried out, grinning and laughing unrestrained. He stretched out his arms. "It's snowing!"

Emma squinted her eyes, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, that tends to happen, especially around this time of year."

"It…it's just I can't remember the last time it's snowed in Storybrooke," David said, closing his eyes and just feeling the snowflakes' gentle, light kisses on his face. "Feels like forever."

Emma nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. "Well, you enjoy your snow. I'm heading home."

His heart spoke again, this time with eight words.

"We have to give her, her best chance."

David didn't really understand what it meant, but as he looked back ahead to see Emma leaving, he felt a pang in his heart—it was familiar—as if he had watched her disappear before. He called out to her before she disappeared completely around the corner. "Emma!"

Emma stopped, turning around to face him.

David just stared at her, and then he smiled. "Emma, I hope one day you find your Prince Charming."

Emma rolled her eyes, but then she smiled, looking happy for the first time that night. "According to Henry there's a whole bunch of Princes around here, but unfortunately I think they're already taken." She shrugged her shoulders, her smile fading a bit. "Besides, I always seem to fall for the bad guys. Thanks anyway, David."

David watched her until she completely disappeared from his sight, he then noticed something wet trailing down his face. At first he thought it was just another melting snowflake, until he realized his eyes were watering.

He wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, standing in bafflement as to why he was crying. He figured it must be the frigid air hitting his eyes, making them tear-up.

Turning around he headed in the direction of his house, but then he paused in his footing. He glanced behind his shoulder to the spot he had last seen Emma. He stared out into the falling snow, his gaze pensive.

He had been wrong. Mary Margaret wasn't the only thing that felt real here.

"You feel real to me, too."

Please review! Thank you, writetress