This is the second of my Charming Family Christmas series, and follows the prompt Town Christmas Fair. The next one will be up by Friday as I have a big presentation in uni on Thursday which I haven't even started, it will also explain why Snow is feeling how she is.
Feel free to send me prompts!
The town was starting to get into the Christmas spirit, the weather was getting colder, and there was talk of snow falling soon. Along Main Street people had been working tirelessly to string up different lights, some in trees and on lampposts, others hung over the road from one side of the street to the other, Regina could have used magic to help them along but she claimed it was more festive to have hard work going into it… when Snow asked her she claimed that it had absolutely nothing to do with trying to annoy Leroy who was overseeing the crew putting them up. As she stood there claiming they weren't straight constantly, Snow didn't quite believe her, plus she easily magic-ed up a fully decorated Christmas tree five minutes later which didn't help her claim.
The lights switch on was at the start of the month, it just so happened to coincide with Miner's day, it was the first time that the town had celebrated it since they were cursed, which felt like a lifetime ago, particularly to The Charmings. This time Snow wasn't being shamed by the entire town for an affair with her actual husband, and David hadn't been arrested under the mysterious disappearance of someone just yet, so it was already more successful.
David held onto Neal as they waited in the square for the lights to switch on. He looked down at Snow and Emma. Snow was crouched down with her arm wrapped around Emma's waist, Emma was stood up but leaning against her mom. David knew that Snow was being particularly attached to Emma that day, Regina had obviously noticed it too by the look she was giving them but David knew she had the reason partially wrong, she wasn't just being clingy to Emma because she missed the adult Emma but was feeling blessed that she was able to have the chance to raise little Emma (minus four years).
He suddenly came back to himself as he heard the rest of the town, who had also gathered that evening, clapping his son in his arms joined in. He looked over and saw Leroy and the rest of the dwarves exchanging coal with candles, as was traditional on Miner's day.
"Mommy! It's Grandma and Henry!" Emma pointed at the pair as they stood ready to turn the lights on, or as well as one could with mittens on.
Snow took in Emma's adorable beaming smile, despite being bundled up in a warm coat, a little beanie hat, mittens, and scarf, her cheeks and little nose were pink from the cold. She looked at them with such love it was almost unbelievable that she didn't know the past life she had lived. "Yes, sweetie, it is." She tucked and errant curl behind her ear. "We're all going to count down, and then Henry's going to press a special button, and all the lights Uncle Leroy made everyone put up, and the ones on the really big Christmas tree are going to light up and look really pretty." Somehow Emma's smile got even brighter. It was infectious.
She listened as people started to count down from five. "Mommy they're doin' it wrong."
Snow giggled. "We're doing it backwards sweetie, here I'll help you, okay? Three…"
"Three." Emma said only a tiny bit after her mother.
"Two."
"Two."
"One!" They said at the same time.
Henry pressed the button and the lights down the strip lit up, the light zipped up and down the tree as it lit up, making random ornaments come alive, reindeers started to come alive and chased each other around the fir tree, glittery smoke puff from the idyllic Santa's grotto's darted around the tree.
Emma gasped as she looked down the street at tall of the glittery lights, she looked at the tree, they were close so she was able to see the more distinct details. She gasped again and excitedly pointed at the tree. "Mommy look!' She shouted still pointing. "Look it's Santa!"
Around the tree a small Santa Clause in a flying sleigh, pulled by nine reindeer, flew from the bottom all around the tree before coming to a rest at the top near to the shining star. Despite the noise of the crowd Emma could hear the bells jingling as the sleigh flew.
"Y'know only really good kids who are getting lots of presents from Santa Clause can hear that bell."
Emma looked up and saw Henry grinning down at her. "Henry!" She grinned back at him and threw her arms around him.
Henry smiled softly at the young girl who used to be his mom, she would always kind of be his mom but it was a very weird situation, no matter what she would always be important to her. And he was clearly special to her. He was still getting used to it all. She was really short, even shorter than most four year olds, he crouched down so he could hug her properly. "Hey Ems." He greeted when she eventually pulled out of the hug. He stood up and hugged Snow. "Hey Grandma."
"Hey sweets." She looked at her grandson who was now easily towering over her. "You've gotten way too tall."
Henry chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck in the same way David usually did, he was very much like his grandfather, he was equally a Charming, Stiltskin, and a Mills.
"You turned on the lights." Emma told him proudly.
"I did." Henry told her with a grin. He had claimed that it was nepotism that he was the one who turned the Christmas lights on when his mother had first asked, but when Regina had told him that the town had taken a vote and asked for him to turn them on as he was The Author and had broken a fair few curses himself, he had accepted straight away. He smiled as his baby uncle started to say "Hen!" at him, and his grandfather pulled him into a hug.
"You did a good job up there kid, your mom would be proud, I mean she is now, but-"
"-Thanks gramps." Henry interrupted, he knew what he meant, he knew his grandparents were trying to be delicate with his feelings since Emma had changed and he appreciated it but they didn't need to anymore. It was hard still, but it was lessening, he loved Emma regardless and he was getting used to their different relationship now.
"Why do you call daddy gramps?" Emma asked him innocently.
Snow and David shared a look unsure of what to say.
Ever the hero, Henry saved them. "Because he's sooo old."
Emma paused then nodded her head in understanding. "He is."
"I'm not old!"
"It's okay, daddy, Granny's old too." Emma consoled.
David's mouth opened and closed like a fish.
Snow laughed but she placed her hand on David's chest sympathetically. "It's okay, dear, I love you." She kissed him.
"Hey Emmy," Henry crouched down so he was on eye level with Emma, "when they kiss you have to go 'ewww'."
"Ewww." Emma said beaming when Henry gave her an encouraging smile.
"At least we still have Neal." David said dramatically… then sighed heavily when Neal joined his sister and nephew with making the noises that neither Emma nor Neal truly understood why they were doing it.
"I'm sure we can block them out." Snow said, she kissed him again, though that was mostly to embarrass Henry, judging by how David was kissing her, he too wanted to embarrass their grandson.
"Henry, what's that?"
Henry looked down at Emma, she still had trouble saying his name and the 'r' sounded like a 'w' but even he had to admit it was adorable, then he looked at what she was pointing at. She was looking at one of the games in the fair which had been set up. "Oh, you have to throw the basketballs into the hoops, if you can get the really hard ones you win a toy." He paused for a second looking at her face which was full of wonder as she stared at him. This was something new to her, she had never had any of this before… at least in her memories. "Hey Emmy?" He looked at her lovingly as she looked up at his request. "Shall we go and try win some things?"
"Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" She bounced with every word.
Snow smiled at them, her bad thoughts were pushed to the back of her head, she knew it would always be hard for Henry but she could see that they two still loved each other. She placed her hand on Henry's back and rubbed a circle onto it. Henry looked at her and she had to refrain from pointing out how old he had gotten. Instead she smiled at him with love and she saw that he understood all the meaning behind her smile. "Let's go play some fair games guys!" She told her children and grandchild enthusiastically.
David happily handed over money to them all as they made their way through all of the fair games. They had been joined by Regina and Robin, as well as Roland and Robyn, as they walked around, the kids playing on the games, and their parents being extra competitive. David noticed that Snow was holding back a little on how competitive she was being, she instead was helping Emma with a tiny puzzle she had won in a lucky dip, it wasn't unusual for Snow to love spending time with Emma, but it wasn't like her to turn down a competition with Robin.
Regina frowned and walked over to David who was bouncing Neal who was getting tired as the evening wore on. "What's wrong with Snow? Did you say something?"
David rolled his eyes. "Despite what you think I don't go around upsetting your step-daughter." He said with quiet heat, normally she did not get to him, but he was like his wife in that he was affected by that day as they always had been. He sighed when he saw her look concerned at why he spoke like that. "Sorry, the kids don't really sleep, so neither do we." He explained, though Regina understood with having Robin and his brood become part of her family. "She's just a little attached to Emma today, don't worry, everything's fine."
Regina looked into his blue eyes, she could see he was hiding something, but that he was also telling the truth. "Let me know if I can help." She said gently.
"Thanks Regina." David said softly so that she was the only one who could hear him. He knew that she was family and therefore they both cared about each other and loved each other, deep, deep, down. They settled down at the picnic table with Snow and Emma, Neal was in David's arms, and Robyn in Regina's, and they watched Robin play the games with Roland and Henry.
Eventually they realised that it was getting late and they ate from food booths, most of them teased how Regina had to eat fair food, none of them thought that they'd see the Regina ever eating a greasy burger. Emma offered Henry a few bites of her burger, and he offered Emma a couple of bites of his burger, Emma didn't know it but this is what they would do in New York when they ate. It was a bitter sweet memory.
The rest of the evening was taken up with mooching around the fair, they played on the games and looked at the market stalls, when they came across a stall run by Ruby selling hot chocolate they decided that it would be their last port of call, they bought their hot chocolates and settled down at a picnic table once more. As they talked and drank their hot chocolates Emma fell asleep nestled between David and Snow, they all decided to call it a night as even Roland was starting to get tired, David volunteered to carry Emma but Snow insisted.
They said goodbye to Regina, Robin, Roland, and Henry, the latter who promised to visit his grandparents soon, and David made sure that his son was wrapped securely in his arms as he slept, while Snow fussed over Emma.
David could tell that she was still distracted by something, but that was a matter for private when they were at home and they could take solace in each other with no distractions, but for now they were happy. He leant down and kissed her lips. "I love you, Snow White."
Snow blinked a couple of times, she could hear the levity behind his words, she was certain that he knew why she had been even more attached to Emma that day than usual she felt a little guilty that she had been hogging her but he clearly didn't mind. "I love you, Prince Charming." She said in the exact same tone as he had said his words. "We've had a good day." She told him honestly, she wished that it could have been on another day when she could have enjoyed it even more, but there was nothing they could do about that, they had had a good day regardless. "Let's take our babies home and put them to bed."
"I have a surprise for you before we go to bed."
Snow raised her eyebrow, certain that she knew what it was, but she had guessed wrong.