This was my CSSS gift for Niahm (sarcasm-and-rainbow-sprinkles) on tumblr and I never got around to posting it here. It didn't turn out exactly how I wanted, but when does anything ever go the way we plan? So without further ado, Charming-Jones family Christmas fluffiness. Enjoy!
It seemed like utter chaos had hit the Jones household.
Emma was cursing as she removed a tray of burnt cookies from the oven, smoke billowing from the appliance and the detector beeping shrilly. As soon as she'd dropped the ruined desserts in the sink, she began to open the kitchen windows and flap a dish towel to dispel the fumes. Meanwhile, Henry was chasing a barking Laddie, the Irish Setter puppy he had gotten from his grandparents at his birthday a few months before (to protests from all 6 of his parents and step-parents), while Killian tried and failed yet again to put the baby gate up to block the hyperactive pup's way down the hall.
"Emma, I swear if that mutt wakes…"
As if on cue, loud wailing could be heard, coming from the nursery. Killian disappeared down the hall, tripping over the abandoned baby gate in the process. Henry finally cornered Laddie and managed to herd him towards the door, promising a walk as he grabbed the leash hanging on the coat rack. Emma gave up fanning the smoke and stood on a chair to remove the batteries as Killian reappeared, a squirming and screaming bundle cradled in each arm.
"Lass, I'm trying, but I don't think I have what they want."
Sighing, Emma hopped off of the chair and plucked one fussing baby from his arms, heading back to the nursery to breastfeed their son, while Killian gently bounced their daughter, Molly, from side to side as she continued to squawk.
"You're going to have to wait princess; Sir Liam seems to have gotten the first go this time around."
"I honestly think we may have to invest in a cow in a few months, Killian. These two are never full. I can just imagine when they start eating real food."
"They'll probably be as picky as possible, just to spite us," Killian adds, the smirk on his face going soft as his daughter coos and sucks on his knuckle.
The twins were barely three weeks old at this point. While she loved them both with every fiber of her being, Emma felt as if all she ever did around here was feed them (which may have been part of the reason her cookies were burnt – she wasn't that bad of a cook, no matter how many comments her husband made about "this world's strange and inedible confections"). Killian, on the other hand, had taken the role of doting father by the horns: burping and changing their babes, making dinner and cleaning their cottage after working with her father at the Sheriff's Station, while she took a few months off with the babies. He even tried helping a 14-year-old Henry with homework (that was hilarious because she's pretty sure they don't do algebra in the Enchanted Forest and he'd had to concede defeat with that one).
Finished with Liam, they switched children; Emma feeding Molly while Killian walks out towards the kitchen. He comes back a few minutes later, Liam snoozing in the crook of his elbow, his other hand (She was sure he would have managed with the hook, but two hands were usually better than one, especially with newborns in the mix) holding onto one of the burnt cookies.
"You know, love. If you painted these, we could tell your mother they were ornaments and not to eat."
Emma tossed a receiving blanket at him, her eyes narrowed, though she couldn't help but laugh.
"No time for that, I guess we'll just have to see if the bakery is still open on our way there. I'll put these two down and jump in the shower. Make sure the gifts are packed and ready to go. And tell Henry to leave Laddie out back, I am not having him track God knows what through here and then go berserk when we go to leave."
"Not a problem, lass. I'm on it."
As it turns out, he wasn't on it. No sooner had he stacked the insane amount of gifts by the door, Henry and Laddie burst in, dragging in water and dirt with them. And as any dog would do, Laddie shook out his coat, effectively spraying Killian and the stack of neatly wrapped gifts.
Emma had obviously just rounded the corner, asking if her wedding ring was in the bowl by the sink, when she stopped dead in her tracks, taking in the mess before her. Killian and Henry looked guilty. Laddie barked happily. However, she made no comment. She just turned back towards their bedroom with a sigh. They'll never change…
"While I loved the Bug lass, I think this new chariot of yours is much more practical."
With the impending arrival of the twins, the Bug was no longer big enough for their growing family. Killian and a hugely pregnant Emma had crossed the town line into the closest city with a car dealership to purchase a larger vehicle (though Emma put her foot down and refused a van with sliding doors; she was NOT a soccer mom). It was also a great alternative to walking to Snow and Charming's house, with two newborns, the stack of gifts, a box of chocolate chip cookies from Granny's (thank god for Ruby) and Laddie on a leash. So gifts, dog and children were packed into the vehicle, with a newly-licensed Killian behind the wheel. Teaching him standard had been an interesting and somewhat terrifying experience, but he had shown great improvement since then.
Christmas was, without a doubt, Snow's favorite holiday. Killian had explained that, in the Enchanted Forest, they'd also celebrated something resembling the Winter Solstice, usually with the royals hosting a grand ball dripping with pomp and circumstance. The porch of the Nolan house was decked out in garland and lights galore. The large Christmas tree was also visible from the living room window, dripping in red and gold baubles as well as Disney figurines (which Henry had picked out the year before and he thought they were hilarious).
Snow had obviously been waiting for them by the window. No sooner had they opened the car doors, she had the door thrown wide open and had plucked Molly from her car seat, cooing at her granddaughter. She let Emma take off her coat and put down the bag of gifts before handing her back and repeating the process with Killian and Liam. Henry, who had gone to the backyard to let Laddie tear around with Snow and David's rescued Border collie, King, was swooped into a one-armed hug by his grandmother, his face turning red from the sheer force.
Once everyone was undressed, Snow began handing out reindeer antlers to the little family (there were even minuscule red baby bonnets for the twins). Emma groaned.
"Are these really necessary?"
"Of course they are!" Snow exclaimed "We need a festive Christmas picture! You were still pregnant when we did the Christmas card so now we need these two gorgeous angels of yours in a family portrait!"
They made their way to the living room, where David was trying to keep James, Emma's two-year old brother (she still found it weird to call him her brother and Henry had flat out refused to even try to call him "Uncle"), from climbing up the Christmas tree. Both are also wearing reindeer antlers, though James' pair was dangerously close to falling completely off his head.
After much fussing from the toddler and an Olympic effort to fit everyone in the frame (either Killian or David always seemed to be cut in half), they finally crammed everyone onto the couch by the tree or on the floor in front of it. However, everyone started complaining when Snow squeezed her way out to set the timer on the camera and tried to elbow her way back in before the flash went off. Even though she took at least ten pictures, there was always someone with eyes closed or a strange look in each one. The family matriarch had to give up and swore she would have Ruby help her photoshop smiles onto everyone's faces.
Dinner was as crazy as any other family gathering. Snow had cooked way too much food. Henry still didn't want to eat yams. Killian and David squabbled over carving the turkey (David wanted his son-in-law to do it so that he could hold Liam, but Killian didn't want his father-in-law to criticize his methods, mates or not mates). James threw a fit and tossed a large heaping of mashed potatoes against the new wallpaper. Molly puked in Emma's plate, which had happened before but was enough to make everyone lose their appetite.
Afterwards, Henry helped James tear into the pile of gifts he'd received from 'Memma' and 'Killy' before opening his own as well as his siblings. Snow had obviously gone overboard, which Emma had begged her not to do.
"Mom, honestly. They're only three weeks old. Do they really need THAT much?!"
"But it's their first Christmas! I couldn't resist!"
It was already late when they finished up. Emma and Killian had tried to leave quietly, but Snow had insisted that everyone pack up to head over to the small Storybrooke church for Midnight Mass. David and Killian had valiantly argued that they didn't do it in the Enchanted Forest and that their Savior had been born in October and not at the end of December (which made Emma groan). But she was having none of it. Christmas was, first and foremost, a religious holiday, so they were going to church. No ifs, ands or buts. The reluctant group managed to snag seats near the back and after over an hour of long-winded homilies and way more than the recommended dose of Christmas hymns, they were free. The Nolans stuck around to chat briefly with the other church-goers, but the Joneses escaped immediately, the twins waking up and wailing their way through the last song.
Christmas morning was a much tamer affair than the night before. Since Henry no longer believed Santa ("come on mom" he'd said "it is the Land Without Magic. How is one guy supposed to fly around the whole world in one night and not ever get caught?"), he was able to sleep in after their late night out, though Emma and Killian were up by 7 AM, twins changed, fed and sleeping again long before their brother dragged his feet into the living room.
Henry was ecstatic about his new cell phone (Emma had been reluctant about that one, but how did you stay in touch with a kid who had three different houses?). Killian spent over an hour putting together a baby swing that fit both twins at once. Emma had tears in her eyes when Henry had given her a hand-drawn and bound book, depicting hers and Killian's story. Her son was a very talented artist (which he definitely didn't get from her), but she knew his heart was set in story-telling. She'd heard him mention once that he could go to Boston University to study English Literature so that he could write his own books, but she didn't want to start thinking of her son leaving her already. She still had a few years before that happened and she was going to take advantage of that.
Regina, Robin and Roland arrived around 11 o'clock to pick up Henry. They were having a Christmas luncheon with him before he went to Neal and Tinkerbell's for Christmas supper with Grandpastiltskin, Granny Belle and little Amelie, who had just turned one. He promised to call before going to bed, waving his cell phone in their direction before giving Emma a quick hug and high-fiving Killian as he ran out the door.
With presents opened, twins sleeping and Henry gone, Emma and Killian did the obvious thing… collapse on the couch. They were exhausted from all the running around and preparations for the holiday. Emma flipped on the TV and let A Charlie Brown Christmas play in the background, while Killian brushed his fingers through her mussed curls.
"I think I could sleep for a week. Thank god it only comes once a year."
"I agree, love. Though it may be a bit more hectic next year, with Molly and Liam crawling everywhere…"
"Don't even talk about next year. Let them be my babies and never talk about them growing up."
Killian chuckled and kissed her hair before fiddling with the pendant he'd given her, three interlocked circles encrusted with their children's' birthstones. She sighed and snuggled closer to him, grateful for the moment's peace and all the love this man gave her.
"Merry Christmas, Killian."
"Merry Christmas, lass."