Dear Santa

AU NYC

Swen/Swan Queen. No curse. No magic, (well, none beyond the magic of true love). Story inspired by the Lifetime Original Movie Dear Santa. The gist of the plot belongs to them.

Characters belong to Once Upon a Time/Disney.

Character career inspiration came from some of Emma's background with Neal combined with Charlize Theron's character in The Italian Job.

The fictional nonprofit run by Regina is inspired by DC Central Kitchen.

A/N: I've toyed around with playing out this story in a combination of various ways while brainstorming. I think the lifetime movie was super cheesy cute and was curious to try my hand at it with Swan Queen. I think I'm satisfied with how everything will play out… I took character sketches/development into consideration.

Please note: For the purpose of this story, Emma is not Henry's biological mother. Henry's biological parents are unknown.

I don't have a beta, so if you wouldn't mind being a beta for this story, simply reply to this with, "I volunteer as tribute!" lol sorry, I can't help my dorky humor.

Welp, without much further ado…

Dear Santa Chapter 1: Operation Happy

Emma could not believe her unbelievably bad luck. First, the police raid was a complete bust, and the lead detective dropped the ball but somehow made her look like the idiot in the situation. Now her car was breaking down in the middle of a street in the city that never sleeps. After resigning to the fact she could not get her beloved yellow bug to start again, she checks traffic to make sure it is safe, and gets out and shuts the door. She yells out to random men walking by, "Hey! My car stalled. Can—," before Emma could finish her sentence, one of the men yelled, "Come on boys!" He turned to Emma and said, "Guide the wheel, and we'll push."

Emma immediately got back into her car, put her car into neutral, and thanked her lucky stars she likes driving with the windows down. There were two men pushing the car at the front windows and two men pushing the car at the rear bumper. Once her car was safely next to the curb, she got out of her car to yell, "Thank you," as the men went back on their way. Nothing like living in New York, Emma thought to herself. Emma could think of worse places she could be than in Manhattan with her broken down car.

Emma returned to the driver's side of her car and placed a call on her cell phone, "Hey Rubes! What are you up to right now?"

"Hey lady! Lucky for you, I just finished my shift and I could be up for some brief mayhem."

"Well the only mayhem I'll be up to is debating whether or not I want to hail a cab or catch a train back to my place. Does your granny still happen to run that towing business?"

"Uh, oh. Did you yellow bug break down again? I don't know why you just don't get rid of that thing… And, yes, she does."

"Could you—"

"Yes! I hope that I can be there in a half hour or less. If this makes me late for my date with Belle, you will owe me BIG time."

"Thanks Rubes; you're the best!"

"And you know this!"

When Emma hung up her phone, she could not help but smile. In spite of her recent state of loneliness in life, she realizes life blessed her with some great friends. Debating whether or not she should risk her cell phone battery by playing yet another round of Candy Crush Saga or read the case files of an upcoming case she has to assist with, a paper airplane whipped through the passenger side window and bumped into her right arm. She said, "What the…," and looked up and noticed no one out of the ordinary. She grabbed the paper plane and got out of her car to look around the surrounding buildings, but did not see any evidence of someone just having thrown a paper airplane. She was getting ready to throw it back into the air with Ruby pulled up in the tow truck and honked the horn. Ruby hopped out and greeted Emma, "Hello my damsel in distress," and started giggling.

Emma smirked and replied in a dry voice, "Oh thank you so much my fair maiden. I'd be forever lost without you."

After Ruby hitched the car and attached it to the tow truck, she and Emma climbed into the front. She asked Emma, "Where to?"

"My old buddy Neal's. He's a bit of a grease monkey."

"You mean the same Neal who supposedly 'fixed' your car in the first place? Oh come on, you know he's just Jerry-Rigging it."

"Yeah, but if I take my baby to an actual mechanic, they'll make me get rid of him."

"Em, you've got some serious attachment issues my friend. You should get out more, gain some new hobbies, find some more meaning to life than work, ya know? And, for the love of all things glitter and gold, get out and try to meet some new people—date a little!"

"Yeah, I hear you," Emma muttered noncommittally.

"Hey, what's that you've been holding in your hands?"

"Oh, I completely forgot I was holding this! Wait… I think there's some writing on it. It just came floating through my—hey," Emma exclaimed at Ruby who snatched the paper plane from her grasp. At the stop light, Ruby unfolded it, and read the page aloud:

Dear Santa,

I don't want any toys this year. All I want for Christmas is Mom to have a new wife. My mom works very hard and deserves to be happy. Ever since Mommy Tink passed away, she hasn't been the same. After a lot of time and thought and talking things out with Dr. Hopper, (he is the shrink my mom has me talk to,) I know that wanting happiness does not mean the person who has gone on is being forgotten or replaced. I know Mommy Tink would want Mom and I to be happy. We can call our mission Operation Happy. Mommy Tink always believed in everyone she knew, so I believe in you Santa, and I know you can do it.

Sincerely,

Henry Mills

P.S. Dr. Hopper helped me write my letter. I hope that isn't cheating.

A/N: Fairy Queen shippers, please don't hate me.