Christmas Gifts

"Wow, who did the wrapping job on this one?" Clanging sounds echoed through the wrapped…object, as Emma tried to haul it from behind the Christmas tree. "Do be careful with that!" Hooked hopped up from his place on the couch, wrapped up in a scarf and wearing a Christmas hat on his head. He took the present from Emma, before whispering to her, "You try wrapping something like this with one hand!"

Emma face softened slightly as she playfully giggled and touched her finger to his nose. "I'm sorry darling," she smiled at him, and his smug face returned, as he picked his way through the various bits of ribbon and paper strewn about Mary Margaret's living room.

"Henry, here lad, Merry Christmas!" Hook said as he laid the package very carefully in front of Henry. It looked like two boxes of a larger size had been stuck together (which was, in fact, what Killian had done). The paper around the box looked like it has been rolled around in one continuous wrap, and the only tape on it was duck tap, slapped on in sporadic places, and wrapped a few times around the whole package. Small holes were punched all over the package from what Emma could only assume was his hook. She stifled a giggle as Mary Margaret came back into the living room with a tray of hot cocoa and a raised eyebrow at the package.

But to a 12-year-old boy, it was a big package, and he didn't care what it looked like. Hook stood with eyes sparkling as Henry pulled at the wrapping paper, struggling with the thick duck tape, but giddy with excitement. David discretely left the room and came back with a pair of scissors, handing them to Emma over the back of the couch. Emma smiled at him, finding this whole thing amusing and strangely comforting at the same time. She'd never had it before.

"Hey Kid, why don't you try these?" Emma handed Henry the scissors. After cutting through several layers of paper and tape, Henry removed a beautiful old guitar from the box.

"Wow Killian!" he exclaimed as he held the guitar in his lap. The wood was an old, beautiful grain, with carved fish that flowed from the body up to the neck, where they continued in pearl inlay. Hook was on his knees by Henry now, full grin on his face and his eyes were shining back between Emma and Henry. Emma had a look of shock on her face. Where could he have possibly gotten this…he didn't have a job.

"Now Henry, I want you to understand, that this is a very special guitar. It was passed down to me from my brother, and then I passed it down on to your father, when he spent time with me before. Now, it's yours."

Emma just looked at Hook, blinking back a few tears that threatened to spill out, as Hook showed Henry where everyone had carved their initials in the back of the guitar.

Henry ran his fingers over the letters, before placing it to the side, and leaning over to hug Hook. "Thank you Killian. I love it." Killian looked shocked and then a look of pure happiness came over his face as the boy embraced him, and Emma had to excuse herself to go into the kitchen, under the guise of needing to check the ham in the oven, but dabbing her eyes with a tissue once she was out of sight.

Henry picked the guitar back up and enthusiastically strummed out a very offchord, and everyone cringed. Mary Margret's eyes widened towards Hook and gestured to the baby's room. Hook looked apologetic.

"Ah, why don't I teach you to play it later lad, when your uncle isn't asleep ok?" Henry nodded his head, and ran off to put it in his room.

Emma shook her head to clear it, before opening the oven door, and checking on the meal that was producing the delicious aroma. "Smells heavenly love," Killian crooned as he leaned over the kitchen island to get a better view of the open oven door.

"Well, we still have a ways to go with it, but I do believe it's coming along nicely," Emma replied in a sing-songy voice. She closed the oven door, and removed the oven mitts, leaning on the other side of the island from him and kissing him quickly across it. "That was a beautiful gift that you gave Henry," Emma said in hushed tones to him.

Killian shrugged nonchalantly and came around the island to wrap his arms around her. "I just thought the boy would like it, and I haven't been able to play it for some time either so," he trailed off, rocking her back and forth to the sound of Christmas music flowing in from the living room. Emma sighed into his sweater, hugged him tighter, and let him sway her with the music.

"You know, I haven't given you your gift yet," he whispered into her ear, before planting a soft kiss on her neck.

"Oh?" Emma asked, not focusing on the words, but the current moment she was in. His scruff tickling her neck, his lips on her skin, the smells and sounds of Christmas around them.

Hook pulled a small package out from his back pocket, and held it in front of her. Wrapped in a ball, again covered in duck tape, it resembled a festive softball. With a few holes punched through the wrapping of course. Emma snickered at it, before kissing him on the check, and grabbing a small knife off the counter to slice open the wrapping. Inside, was a small wooden box. For a moment, she hesitated and looked at Killian.

"This isn't…." she stilled before opening the lid. Killian chuckled and closed the space between then. "No lass, this isn't what you think it is, although it is…," and he opened the box, "a ring." A delicate band of tiny pearls sat in the box in front of her. He pulled it out, and slipped it on her right hand.

"I know you are fond of your bobbles and nick-nacks, so I wanted to add to your collection." She idly touched the swan pendant hanging from her neck, before running her fingers over the delicate pearls in the band. Hook's brows furrowed, "Do you not like it?"

Emma looked up at him, "Of course I like it you silly man," she chided him playfully, as she reached up and kissed him, running her hands through his hair. She was smiling through the kiss, and this made him smile.

Later, as they lounged in the living room and watched a mindless Christmas movie on TV, bellies full of a Christmas feast, Emma slipped the ring off to look at the dainty pearls in the band. Everyone in the room had nodded off to sleep, including the pirate she was snuggled against. Looking at the band up close, on the inside, she could see small letters engraved.

"My Swan~I will love you always"

Emma looked up at his face, and he was staring down at her. "Where did you get this?" she whispered to him. His right hand caressed her shoulder as memories flooded back to his face. "This ring is from long ago. Every pearl on that ring, I procured myself. I've had it for so long, I almost forget about it. Emma, I don't have much of value to give, but what I have is yours. It always has been."

As he leaned to kiss her she asked "And the engraving on the inside?" He smiled at her, running the back of his hand across her face, "It's a promise, forever."

Here's a thing that I couldn't get out of my head after the interview this morning. Slammed it out real fast, so sorry for grammar errors.