Emily Marie
This is actually the third fic I wrote. I just had to figure out how I wanted to fill in between the live show announcement and this point because this would be a huge time jump irl, so I have had this queued for a very long time in the future to make sure that it didn’t get posted before I was ready for it to be posted because I wanted to write the other fics first (at this moment that I’m writing this right here, I have not even figured out the middle parts and the second fic isn’t even posted yet, if that gives you a taste as to how long this has been sitting in my cue. If this comes out on January 1, 2019, well... I wasn’t quite done filling in the middle.
Also, I decided to post this a day early for Phil’s birthday. I’m not going to tag him because I will be making a different happy birthday post for him, so that’s that. After this week, they will go back to being posted on Wednesdays. So that’s that.
I’m not sure how many fics I have put before this, but you should probably go read them first. Someday in the future, I’ll probably make one big masterpost of all the fics, but until I finish the series, that isn’t going to happen, therefore, it is going to be your responsibility to make sure you read all of them.
Anywho.. no one cares about this. You’re all wondering who this mysterious Emily Marie character is, and why she’s important enough to have this fic named after her. Well, you’re about to find out.
“Dan, are you ready?” Phil inquired. It was the day that they were going to go see the child they would be adopting. Of course, it was a stupid question of whether or not they would adopt, they always knew they would. After all, they loved Dil like their own child, why not actually have their own child?
“I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life,” Dan replied. He paused for a moment. “I’ve also never been more terrified. Phil, are we ready to be parents?” Phil smiled fondly. Dan had been freaking out about the possibility of adopting a child since they’d first discussed it a few months after the wedding. He, of course, had always wanted one. Phil had been a little bit more skeptical, but had given in because Dan wanted one so badly. Phil took a deep breath.
“Today we will meet the child that will be ours for the rest of time.” Phil sighed fondly. “Alright, let’s go.”
They hopped into their car, of course Dan was driving and Phil in the passenger seat, shouting directions. He was being what is known as a “backseat driver.” Dan found it incredibly annoying, but he didn’t say anything.
The last few months had been a whirlwind of adventures. They had various social workers go to their house to make sure they were worthy to be parents. Of course, it was a bit harder for them to convince the social workers that they weren’t porn stars and that they did have actual jobs that actually paid them, even though they would both be stay at home dads. The agency almost didn’t approve Dan and Phil to be adoptive parents. It completely shattered them both when they were told it may not be possible.
Both Dan and Phil knew of the child that they were about to meet for the first time. She was a little three-year-old girl named Emily Marie Green. They had a single picture of the girl. They had both fallen completely in love with her the second they saw the picture. Knowing she could soon be their daughter made them fall even harder for her. Dan had cried the first time he saw the picture of his, hopefully, to-be daughter.
By the time they’d reached the courthouse, where the social worker had told them to go, both Dan and Phil were shaking with anxiety. What if the child didn’t like them? What if the agency suddenly decided them unfit to be parents? Dan parked the car and turned around to look at the car seat that they had installed in their car over a month ago, as soon as they found out about Emily. He bit his lip and tried to refrain himself from crying. He was about to meet the little girl that would call him . . . well they hadn’t quite decided what she would be calling them. She couldn’t very well call them both “dad.”
Dan grabbed Phil’s hand and squeezed before getting out of the car. They linked hands again once they were both out.
“Ready?” Dan asked. Phil could only manage a nod. He was so nervous to meet the little girl, even though she was only three. They walked through the doors together. Jackie, the social worker, greeted them in the lobby. She had the little girl, Emily on her hip.
“Hello Mr. and Mr. Howlester, this is Emily.” The little girl hid her face in Jackie’s shoulder. Dan covered his mouth. She was even more adorable in real life.
Someone had put her dark brown hair into pigtail braids (how a child that small had that much hair, Dan had no idea). She was in an adorable white dress (why they put a toddler in white, also a question Dan had no answer for). He choked back tears.
“Hello Emily,” Phil said softly. “My name is Phillip.” He walked towards Jackie and put his hand softly on Emily’s. “This other guy with me, his name is Dan.”
“Are you being shy, Emily?” Jackie asked. Emily didn’t respond. She just tried to hide her face even more from Phil. Dan walked over behind Phil and put his hand on Phil’s shoulder.
“Hi Em,” Dan said. “Phil and I, well, we’re your new dads.” Emily looked up. Dan’s heart melted at the sight of her bright green eyes. She looked like she’d been crying. His heart broke. Jackie whispered something in the child’s ear. Emily nodded and Jackie put her down.
Emily cautiously walked towards Dan and Phil. She looked up at them curiously. Phil squeezed Dan’s hand.
“Pinch me, this isn’t real, is it,” Phil whispered.
“I’m right there with you. I think we’re dreaming the same beautifully torcherous dream,” Dan whispered back. They both got down on their knees at the same time. Emily stumbled quickly towards them and hugged them both. First Phil, then Dan. This time, Dan could not fight off the waterworks. This beautiful little girl was their daughter. In two months time, she could legally be their child.
She backed up and looked them in the eyes. Then she walked up to Dan and rubbed his face.
“Why crying? Sad?” Dan shook his head and smiled.
“I’m ok, Emily. I’m ok.” He kissed her cheek and picked her up and spun around. She began to giggle. Phil stood up with him. “Are you ready to come home with us?” Emily nodded. Phil looked over to Jackie.
“Are we good to leave? Any papers that we need to sign or anything?” Phil asked. Jackie nodded.
“You can leave.” With that, Dan put her on his hip and began running towards the doors. Phil followed at a slower pace, just wishing to enjoy the moment of watching the love of his life playing with their daughter, Emily Marie Green (soon to be Emily Marie Howlester) for the first time.
