It was Christmas Eve, and the entire town of Storybrooke was packed into Granny's Diner for her annual Christmas party. Neal sat in a corner booth observing it all. Everyone was happily drinking eggnog or hot chocolate and cinnamon chatting, some tables had been pushed out of the way to create a makeshift dance floor, which Hook was taking his turn on with Tinkerbell. Along with Snow and Charming, even Henry had been able to convince Emma to dance with him. The boy was currently laughing at Emma's bad robot.

"And where's your special lady this evening?" Belle asked as she slid into the seat next to him, Neal smiled at his father's girlfriend.

"She hasn't arrived yet," Neal smiled cheekily. Just then the bell over the door jangled and in rushed Wendy Darling, her blonde curls covered in snow and her brother's at her heels.

"Bae!" Wendy cried when she saw him,

"There she is!" Neal said hugging her, "Wendy, this is Belle. Belle this is Wendy." Neal smiled,

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Wendy smiled at Belle.

"It's nice to meet you too… Wendy." Neal dug into his pocket and pulled out a brightly wrapped box. Smiling he handed the gift to Wendy,

"Merry Christmas, Wendy!" Neal beamed as Wendy ripped open the present. She gasped,

"Oh, Bae!" Inside was a lovely gold charm bracelet. Three charms dangled from it, a little gold heart, a British telephone booth, and a small figure of a fairy. "It's beautiful!" Wendy cried as Neal took the bracelet from her and fastened it around her wrist.

"I'm glad you like it," Neal smiled, out of the corner of his eye he caught Belle looking at him.

"Wendy, come on let's get some hot chocolate!" Michael smiled.

"Coming! I'll be right back, Bae!" Wendy said bounding off after her brothers.

"Don't," Neal said the moment Wendy was out of earshot.

"I didn't say a word." Bell said coyly,

"But I know you, you were going to." Neal said,

"You let her call you Bae-"

"I let her call me that because it helps her cope!" Neal insisted, they both knew it was a lie.


Later that night Neal sat with Wendy in the booth, she was fascinated with the bright colored lights on the tree. And Neal was explaining how they worked. When Granny announced it was time for the children to head upstairs with Red and get ready for the annual Christmas pageant. Wendy excused herself and hurried after Red and the other children upstairs. The adults chatted mildly as they waited, then the music started up and the kids filed down the stairs dressed in full costume, Henry being the oldest of the bunch was playing a young Ebenezer Scrooge. I boy in a suit stepped forward, he was to play the Narrator and was reading from the script. The play plotted on with Marco playing old man Scrooge until finally the boy in the suit stepped forward and said,

"Then the ghost left the room floating through the window. Scrooge closed the window and went to bed shaking in fear, and fell asleep. Next day when the clock struck one, Scrooge saw a strange creature beside his bed." Marco stepped towards the stairs,

"Who are you?" He asked, Wendy, who was playing the Ghost of Christmas Past, was to make her entrance. But it was not Wendy who descended the stairs, it was a beautiful young woman, dressed in a long white gown that glimmered as if it had been woven by fairies, the edges of the sweeping sleeves and hem glittered with silver thread. No jewels adorned her throat, wrists or fingers, but a slender circlet of silver peeped out from her golden curls.

"I am the Ghost of Christmas Past. Get out of bed and come with me." The woman said in a voice that sounded to Neal like a lullaby. Neal leaned over to John and Michael who looked shocked,

"I thought you said Wendy was playing the Ghost of Christmas Past. Who's she?"

"She was," whispered John in response, Undisturbed by the change in cast the Narrator stepped forward to deliver his line,

"The ghost took Scrooge through time to a small town which Scrooge started to remember. He then remembered the houses, the church, the river, the bridge, and the people."

"They can not see us or hear us. They are just shadows from the past." Not Wendy explained,

"And they appeared in a garden. Scrooge was a young man who was sitting in a garden beside a lovely young woman. The woman was crying." The Narrator explained, Henry stepped forward with his school friend Grace who was pretending to cry,

"I can't marry you, Ebenezer. There's something you love more than me." Grace wailed pitifully,

"Nonsense," cried Henry, "I love no other woman."

"That's true." Said Grace looking mournfully into the camcorder her father was holding. "You love money. You love it more than anything."

"There`s nothing wrong in loving money. We got engaged when we were poor, and when we were happy being poor." Henry protested,

"I hope you are happy with the life you have chosen." Grace cried as the Narrator stepped forward,

"And the woman ran away from the garden." He said, the play plodded on and Neal could not figure out who the enchanting woman was, finally there was applause and the actors took their bows, the children ran off to join their parents and the woman came over to Bae and the Darling brothers,

"Hello, Bae." She said smiling at Neal, Neal was about to ask who she was and how she knew his name when he noticed the charm bracelet on her wrist. Three charms dangled from it, a little gold heart, a British telephone booth, and a small figure of a fairy.

"Wendy?" Neal cried shocked,

"Surprise!" Wendy said weakly,

"What happened to you?" Neal asked taking her hands in his,

"Your father concocted a potion for me, I was so tired of being a child and I… I need to tell you something…"

"What?" Neal asked,

"I… I love you! I always have, I want to be with you, Bae forever!" Neal couldn't help but smile,

"I didn't dare hope my feelings would ever be returned," Neal said, he stood, even now that she grown he still towered over her, John and Michael's eyes were burning into him for several deadly moments,

"Oh for the love of God, Baelfire! Kiss her while we're all still young!" Michael cried, Wendy laughed and Bae cut her off with a firm kiss, the rest of the room cheered happily, Neal and Wendy blushed,

"Merry Christmas, Wendy Bird." Neal whispered,

"Merry Christmas, Bae."


Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Joyous Kwanza and a happy holiday season to you and yours! Everyone be safe and please review!