Once Upon a Christmas
By MariaBreakfastOwl
It was a quiet Christmas season in the little town of Storybrooke, Maine. Everyone was using their time off work to be alone. Sherriff Emma Swan was upset that there was no good cheer upon the arrival of what was supposed to be a joyful time. The only festive lights around were the red ones hanging from Grannie's Bed and Breakfast and the ones that Mary Margaret hung around her apartment door. It was a sad sight.
"Why don't we have a town party? That'll get everyone to lighten up," Emma suggested.
"The people probably won't come unless you have something particularly special to win them over," Mary Margaret pointed out.
"They can't all be that depressed. It will be good for them to get out and have some fun."
"What do you think the Mayor will say?"
"Well, she'll either arrest the entire town or attend the party and blame me for her not having a good time. I don't think she would turn down a chance to liven things up a little."
"I guess it's worth a try."
Emma first went to the diner to ask Ruby (who was cleaning the place up before closing for the holidays) for her opinion about a town Christmas party.
"I guess it is kinda' boring around here. And I could use the interaction. Sounds like a good idea!"
Next she went to see Archie and Mr. Gold. They both thought a party would be a nice change of scenery. She also went to ask David and his wife and several other townsfolk. Once she had enough people on her side, she went to see Mayor Regina Mills. If she could win the Mayor over, the party could go on. But if she said no, the people of Storybrooke would have a gloomy Christmas.
"No."
"What do you mean no? The town has been in a slump for days, and the people need a little Christmas cheer!"
"Why would I promote a holiday that is based on lies? Ms. Swan, every year moms and dads tell their children that once they fall asleep, Santa will come to fill their stockings and put presents under the tree. When those kids get older they have to deal with reality. A town filled with civilized grownups shouldn't have to rely on this jolly nonsense for their happiness. And even if you decide to throw your party behind my back, don't think about inviting Henry. He has to finish his homework before he can celebrate anything."
"First of all, who said Santa isn't real? If we're all fairytale princes and princesses, why can't Santa exist? Second of all, the reason parents let their kids believe in him is it gives them a sense that there truly is magic in the world. But, with all this curse business floating around, I'm not going to go into the details of magic. Third, the civilized adults of this town are depressed. Christmas time is the only time that people really get a chance to celebrate with family, and you aren't letting them have that. And what homework does Henry have? Mary Margaret didn't assign any over Christmas break."
"I gave him homework myself. But, that's none of your business. I still say no about the party. You will not convince me to change my mind, so I suggest you leave. Good day, Ms. Swan."
"Good day!"
As Emma left the Mayor's house, she saw Mary Margaret walking on the other side of the street. She ran across to tell her about the meeting with Regina—and tell her what they needed for the Storybrooke Christmas party.
"She said no."
"But you're doing it anyway, right?"
"How did you know that?"
"I live with you. I have learned that you are headstrong and you don't like being told what to do."
"You must know me better than I know myself. But anyway, she said that Christmas is pointless and isn't worth celebrating. And she also said that even if I throw the party, she won't let Henry go. She personally assigned him homework for over Christmas break. She also doesn't believe in Santa."
"Well, she doesn't believe in the curse, so it makes sense that she doesn't believe in Santa Clause. Why would she give Henry homework; I told them that after Christmas they could write a report on a subject of their choice for extra credit, but it wasn't mandatory."
"Apparently she didn't think that was good enough. But what I don't understand is why she is so sore about Christmas. Throughout my career I have met few people, even bad guys, that don't like Christmas. Well, whatever the reason is, I'm not going to let it spoil everyone else's holiday spirit."
Emma and Mary Margaret went out and bought cookies, pies, ham, holiday decorations, and other holiday things. By the end of the day, they had all the supplies they needed to throw a holiday party. As the two of them stood outside the diner, they realized they had forgotten something…
"A location! That's what I missed! I don't know where we're going to have the party!" Emma panicked.
"Relax! We can think of something…probably," Mary Margaret tried to calm her.
Ruby was walking down the sidewalk and overheard them talking.
"Why don't we have it here?" She suggested.
"Where? On the side of the road?" Emma was confused.
"No, silly. We can have the party at the diner," Ruby corrected. "It's closed through the holiday so there won't be any customers, and there's a kitchen, so the food can be cooked right there."
Mary Margaret agreed, "Great idea! Let's get started on the decorations."
Ruby helped them prepare for the festivities. They worked late into the night. When they had finished, there were lights strung across the ceiling and a small tree stood in the corner with tinsel and dollar store ornaments. There was also a small bouquet of red flowers set as a center piece at each table. It wasn't elaborate, but it was enough to put smiles on all three of their faces.
The next day Ruby and Emma spent cooking and baking. They worked their butts off until the entire countertop was filled with holiday goodies. The diner was oozing all the delicious smells of Christmas. The aroma drifted out the open door and spread throughout the street; it put all who were out and about in a good mood.
Finally, Christmas Eve had arrived and all the townsfolk were in a tizzy. They were excited for the party. Emma, Mary Margaret, and Ruby were all at the diner, tying loose ends and putting on the finishing touches. Everything was almost ready and guests were on their way when…
"There's something missing? The decorations don't feel complete," Mary Margaret contemplated. "OH! I know exactly what we need!"
"What? What do we need?" Emma tried to ask, but she was already out the door.
Mary Margaret ran down the road and to the nearest dollar store. She went inside and searched the aisles for the last piece of the decorations. When she finally found it, she brought it to the counter and handed the cashier a wad of money.
"Keep the change."
"Wow! Thanks! Merry Christmas, ma'am!"
"Same to you," Mary Margaret yelled as she bolted out the door.
She ran all the way back to the diner without stopping. On her way back, she passed by David and his wife and Mr. Gold, who were all on their way to the party. When she got back, she opened up the small box she held and pulled out little plastic figures.
"The Nativity," She said proudly. "Christmas isn't complete without Jesus."
"Wow, I can't believe we all forgot about that," Emma felt a little ashamed.
"Don't beat yourself up. Everyone gets a little sidetracked sometimes. Now, let's get this party started!"
Just as she said that, the guests started to pool in. The diner was full of happy people before you could count to ten. Everybody was laughing and having a good time, until someone crashed the party.
Across the street, Regina saw the lights on in the diner and could smell the Christmas cookies. She knew that must have been the party going on. She was angry. In a rage, she stomped across the road and flung the door open. But once she saw everything, her heart melted. A speechless Mayor stood in the doorway.
"Are you going to arrest us?" Emma sarcastically asked.
"What is this?" Regina stood confused for a moment. "I said I would not allow a holiday based on lies to be celebrated in my town."
"This is Christmas. And it's not all about Santa Clause and gift-giving. This holiday is about the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ." Mary Margaret held a little plastic baby Jesus in front of Regina.
"I haven't celebrated this in years," She half said to herself. "My father used to celebrate Christmas with me every year." A tear streamed down her face as memories flooded in.
"There's always room for one more," Ruby said with a smile.
The townspeople all had a good time together. For one night in the year, even enemies set aside their differences and come together to celebrate. Emma went and brought Henry to the party, by Regina's orders. They all had a merry Christmas. And the next morning, everyone had something special sitting at their front door. Maybe Santa really did come?
The End