Glimpses into Another Time: Emerald: Precious Little Life
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AndrewJTalon
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Radian, Gallia, Vale
Six years after Salem's Defeat
- - -
Emerald Arc stood over the crib in the softly lit nursery, one hand resting on the rail as she gazed down at their daughter. Baby Amethyst slept peacefully, tiny fists curled near her cheeks, rosebud mouth pursed in dreams. She was so precious, so sweet, so impossibly cute that sometimes Emerald's chest ached just looking at her.
And yet, tonight, the ache had twisted into something darker. A fleeting, horrifying impulse had flashed through her mind. A vision of her little girl going out the window into the dark night... By her own hand.
Tears slipped silently down Emerald's cheeks as she stared at the innocent little face, wondering where that came from.
A happy ending... I don't...
The front door opened and closed with a familiar quiet click. Jaune's voice drifted through the house, low and careful so as not to wake the baby. "Em, I'm back."
He hung his coat by the door and padded through the rooms until he found her. The sight of his wife crying softly over their daughter's crib made his heart clench, though it wasn't the first time he'd come home to this.
Without a word, he crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her from behind, nuzzling the back of her mint-green hair. She stiffened for a moment, then melted into him.
"J-Jaune…" she whispered, voice thick.
He held her tighter. "What's wrong?"
Emerald bowed her head, shoulders shaking. "I… I'm sorry…"
A sob broke free. "I just… for a moment… when I looked at her…? I wanted to throw her out the window!" The confession tumbled out in a horrified rush. "I… I'm still a monster… even after everything…!"
Jaune's arms didn't loosen. He turned her gently until she faced him, cupping her tear-streaked cheek and guiding her eyes to his.
"A monster?" He gave a soft, fond huff. "You're no monster." His thumb stroked her skin tenderly. "A monster wouldn't have hesitated. A monster would not cry over what they thought. Monsters don't feel remorse, and they certainly don't regret." He rested his forehead against hers. "So no—you are Emerald Arc. My wife, my love, my greatest treasure, and the mother of our child. You found your way back from being lost. You redeemed yourself. You became a hero the world will always be grateful for."
A watery laugh escaped her through the tears. "You… you always have to sound so… so corny?"
Jaune's smile widened, warmth lighting his tired blue eyes. "I'm a knight, a doctor, and—according to reliable sources—the world's greatest thief. I think I'm allowed to be a little corny."
Emerald sniffed, indignation cutting through the sadness. "Hey! I'm the world's greatest thief, thank you very much."
He looked away with exaggerated thoughtfulness, then turned back with a Cheshire grin. "Eh, I don't know about that. I did manage to steal your heart, didn't I? Pretty sure that makes me the better thief."
"You… you dork," she muttered, but she was laughing now, soft and genuine.
Jaune simply held her closer, resting his head atop hers as they stood in the quiet nursery. Amethyst slept on, undisturbed.
After a long moment, Emerald murmured against his chest, "…I stole your heart first, idiot."
He chuckled. "You can't steal what was already yours, Em. No matter how many times you say otherwise."
She flushed, burying her face in his shirt. "You… ugh. Why do you frustrate me so much? I was sad and depressed and you just… interrupt me…"
"If I can't get my wife out of a funk, then I'm clearly not doing my job right," he teased gently.
Emerald leaned into him with a quiet sigh. "…Part of me still doesn't think I deserve any of this. A happy ending. I keep waiting for something to take it all away."
Jaune nodded slowly, gaze distant for a moment. "Waiting for the other shoe to drop. I get it."
She licked her lips, eyes drifting back to the crib. "When I look at her… I want to kill anything that tries to hurt her." A pause. "Is… is that normal?"
"Yeah," he said without hesitation. "I'd say so. Just thinking about someone trying makes me want to bury them so deep not even tree roots would remember them."
"Good," she whispered. "Good."
She reached into the crib and gently stroked Amethyst's soft cheek. The baby whined faintly, then settled again under her mother's touch.
"She's so beautiful," Emerald breathed.
Jaune's smile softened as he watched them both. "Gets it from her mother."
Emerald snorted, but leaned in to nuzzle his jaw. Then, quieter: "…Take me to bed."
She pressed a tender kiss to his cheek.
"Of course," he murmured, brushing his lips against her forehead before scooping her up in a bridal carry. She wrapped her arms around his neck without protest as he carried her down the hall to their bedroom.
The room was humble, but warm—filled with wedding gifts they hadn't had the heart to pack away, and walls covered in photographs: Amethyst's first days, the two of them exhausted and glowing in the hospital, family portraits with Jaune's sprawling clan and the friends who had become chosen family.
Jaune whistled appreciatively as he stepped inside. "You know, looking at all this again, I'm starting to worry we'll run out of wall space for the rest of the kids."
Emerald arched a brow, lightly scolding. "Hm? Rest of the kids? You're already planning on more?"
He flushed, glancing away. "W-well—I mean, given my family's track record, I wouldn't be surprised if we somehow beat my parents."
"And when exactly were you going to ask me?" she pressed, but the familiar sly smirk tugged at her lips.
Jaune's embarrassment melted into a sly grin of his own. "Yes, but you never know. These things do just… happen."
Emerald paused, expression softening. She took a slow breath. "Jaune… I grew up all alone. I don't want that for Amethyst."
His cheeks colored deeper, but his eyes were steady and warm. "Then we'd better make sure she never has to feel that way, shouldn't we?"
She smiled—small, hopeful, real. Then her gaze flicked down to her post-baby body in the simple T-shirt and jeans. "Though… um… I know I'm… chubbier than I was—"
Jaune cut her off gently. "I'm gonna stop you right there, Em. If you think a few extra curves are going to turn me away, you must be mistaking me for someone else." His hand slid to her thigh and gave a playful squeeze. "Newsflash—I'm very into that."
Emerald's breath hitched, a slow, heated smile spreading across her face as she pulled him down toward the bed.
- - -
Written with RedDragonEmpress's help.
Six years after Salem's Defeat
- - -
Emerald Arc stood over the crib in the softly lit nursery, one hand resting on the rail as she gazed down at their daughter. Baby Amethyst slept peacefully, tiny fists curled near her cheeks, rosebud mouth pursed in dreams. She was so precious, so sweet, so impossibly cute that sometimes Emerald's chest ached just looking at her.
And yet, tonight, the ache had twisted into something darker. A fleeting, horrifying impulse had flashed through her mind. A vision of her little girl going out the window into the dark night... By her own hand.
Tears slipped silently down Emerald's cheeks as she stared at the innocent little face, wondering where that came from.
A happy ending... I don't...
The front door opened and closed with a familiar quiet click. Jaune's voice drifted through the house, low and careful so as not to wake the baby. "Em, I'm back."
He hung his coat by the door and padded through the rooms until he found her. The sight of his wife crying softly over their daughter's crib made his heart clench, though it wasn't the first time he'd come home to this.
Without a word, he crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her from behind, nuzzling the back of her mint-green hair. She stiffened for a moment, then melted into him.
"J-Jaune…" she whispered, voice thick.
He held her tighter. "What's wrong?"
Emerald bowed her head, shoulders shaking. "I… I'm sorry…"
A sob broke free. "I just… for a moment… when I looked at her…? I wanted to throw her out the window!" The confession tumbled out in a horrified rush. "I… I'm still a monster… even after everything…!"
Jaune's arms didn't loosen. He turned her gently until she faced him, cupping her tear-streaked cheek and guiding her eyes to his.
"A monster?" He gave a soft, fond huff. "You're no monster." His thumb stroked her skin tenderly. "A monster wouldn't have hesitated. A monster would not cry over what they thought. Monsters don't feel remorse, and they certainly don't regret." He rested his forehead against hers. "So no—you are Emerald Arc. My wife, my love, my greatest treasure, and the mother of our child. You found your way back from being lost. You redeemed yourself. You became a hero the world will always be grateful for."
A watery laugh escaped her through the tears. "You… you always have to sound so… so corny?"
Jaune's smile widened, warmth lighting his tired blue eyes. "I'm a knight, a doctor, and—according to reliable sources—the world's greatest thief. I think I'm allowed to be a little corny."
Emerald sniffed, indignation cutting through the sadness. "Hey! I'm the world's greatest thief, thank you very much."
He looked away with exaggerated thoughtfulness, then turned back with a Cheshire grin. "Eh, I don't know about that. I did manage to steal your heart, didn't I? Pretty sure that makes me the better thief."
"You… you dork," she muttered, but she was laughing now, soft and genuine.
Jaune simply held her closer, resting his head atop hers as they stood in the quiet nursery. Amethyst slept on, undisturbed.
After a long moment, Emerald murmured against his chest, "…I stole your heart first, idiot."
He chuckled. "You can't steal what was already yours, Em. No matter how many times you say otherwise."
She flushed, burying her face in his shirt. "You… ugh. Why do you frustrate me so much? I was sad and depressed and you just… interrupt me…"
"If I can't get my wife out of a funk, then I'm clearly not doing my job right," he teased gently.
Emerald leaned into him with a quiet sigh. "…Part of me still doesn't think I deserve any of this. A happy ending. I keep waiting for something to take it all away."
Jaune nodded slowly, gaze distant for a moment. "Waiting for the other shoe to drop. I get it."
She licked her lips, eyes drifting back to the crib. "When I look at her… I want to kill anything that tries to hurt her." A pause. "Is… is that normal?"
"Yeah," he said without hesitation. "I'd say so. Just thinking about someone trying makes me want to bury them so deep not even tree roots would remember them."
"Good," she whispered. "Good."
She reached into the crib and gently stroked Amethyst's soft cheek. The baby whined faintly, then settled again under her mother's touch.
"She's so beautiful," Emerald breathed.
Jaune's smile softened as he watched them both. "Gets it from her mother."
Emerald snorted, but leaned in to nuzzle his jaw. Then, quieter: "…Take me to bed."
She pressed a tender kiss to his cheek.
"Of course," he murmured, brushing his lips against her forehead before scooping her up in a bridal carry. She wrapped her arms around his neck without protest as he carried her down the hall to their bedroom.
The room was humble, but warm—filled with wedding gifts they hadn't had the heart to pack away, and walls covered in photographs: Amethyst's first days, the two of them exhausted and glowing in the hospital, family portraits with Jaune's sprawling clan and the friends who had become chosen family.
Jaune whistled appreciatively as he stepped inside. "You know, looking at all this again, I'm starting to worry we'll run out of wall space for the rest of the kids."
Emerald arched a brow, lightly scolding. "Hm? Rest of the kids? You're already planning on more?"
He flushed, glancing away. "W-well—I mean, given my family's track record, I wouldn't be surprised if we somehow beat my parents."
"And when exactly were you going to ask me?" she pressed, but the familiar sly smirk tugged at her lips.
Jaune's embarrassment melted into a sly grin of his own. "Yes, but you never know. These things do just… happen."
Emerald paused, expression softening. She took a slow breath. "Jaune… I grew up all alone. I don't want that for Amethyst."
His cheeks colored deeper, but his eyes were steady and warm. "Then we'd better make sure she never has to feel that way, shouldn't we?"
She smiled—small, hopeful, real. Then her gaze flicked down to her post-baby body in the simple T-shirt and jeans. "Though… um… I know I'm… chubbier than I was—"
Jaune cut her off gently. "I'm gonna stop you right there, Em. If you think a few extra curves are going to turn me away, you must be mistaking me for someone else." His hand slid to her thigh and gave a playful squeeze. "Newsflash—I'm very into that."
Emerald's breath hitched, a slow, heated smile spreading across her face as she pulled him down toward the bed.
- - -
Written with RedDragonEmpress's help.
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