Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter! I did my best to include a little bit of Henry in this chapter for those who requested that. As for David, I don't think he will make an appearance in this story. I really strive to make my stories feel real, and I don't feel like I'm connected enough to the character of David to write him convincingly (if that makes any sense). Sorry!
The next day Emma returned home from work around 5. As she stood in the doorway to remove her boots, a flash of bright red caught her eye from across the room. Walking closer, she was surprised to see a small mound of gifts had accumulated under the tree in her absence; Mary had certainly been busy today! Curiously, she knelt on the floor and glanced over the nametags, smiling as she noticed that the top three were addressed to Henry. She sifted through the remaining gifts in the pile, noting that Mary appeared to have bought something for almost everyone in Storybrooke.
Just as she was about to stand back up, she spotted a small box near the bottom of the pile, and gasped as she realized it had her name on it. Deep down, she'd known that Mary would insist on getting her something, but actually seeing the gift under the tree was another story. She smiled, touched by the thought that, for once in her life, she had someone who cared enough about her to buy her a Christmas present. Almost immediately, however, her smile was replaced by a feeling of alarm. If Mary had gotten her a gift, it meant that she was going to have to get Mary something in return, but she couldn't even begin to imagine what her friend might like.
Suddenly a thought struck her – if she knew what Mary had gotten her, she might have a better idea of what she should buy. She knew peeking at one's presents was childish, but she was desperate, and, to be honest, curious. Glancing around to make sure she was alone, she gently shook the gift. As she'd expected, shaking the box had given her no real insight as to what it contained, but it seemed like they always did that in movies. Slowly, she began to work her fingernail under the edge of the wrapping paper. Mary was skilled at gift wrapping (why did that not surprise her?), and Emma knew that if she wasn't careful, she'd never be able to convincingly rewrap the gift.
"Emma! What do you think you're doing?" Emma turned, startled, instinctively hiding the box behind her back and looking up with a guilty expression.
"N – Nothing. I was just…" she trailed off, unable to come up with a lie, and knowing that Mary would see right through anything that she came up with.
Mary stood at the foot of the stairs, hands on her hips, eyebrows raised, and a look of disappointment on her face. Secretly, she was amused to have caught her roommate in such a juvenile act, but she was not about to let the woman off easily.
Guiltily, Emma slid the box back under the tree and stood up. "Sorry," she mumbled unable to look the brunette in the eye, "I panicked when I saw that you'd gotten me a gift, and I thought that maybe if I saw what you'd gotten me, I'd be inspired as to what to get you."
"Oh, Emma," Mary sighed, crossing the room to stand next to the younger woman, "that's not the way it works. I got you a gift because you're my friend and I care about you, not because I expected to receive something in return."
"I know," Emma shrugged, "but – "
"No 'but's' about it," Mary said decisively, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "Gift giving is a choice, not an obligation." She waited for Emma to nod in assent before continuing, her tone light, "Now, can I trust you to control yourself, or do I need to hide your present somewhere until Christmas?" Emma flushed at her roommate's teasing, and rolled her eyes.
The sound of someone knocking caused them both to turn toward the door, and, moments later, Henry let himself in.
"Hey Emma. Hi Miss Blanchard. I'm ready to decorate cookies!" He declared.
"Hey kid," Emma said, unsure what he was referring to.
Mary quickly jumped in to explain, "I invited Henry to come over and decorate the gingerbread cookies I made last night. Everyone knows you have to leave cookies and milk out for Santa!" She winked at Emma behind Henry's back, and headed into the kitchen.
Emma and Henry each took a seat at the table and watched as Mary set out the tray of cookies, as well as several icing pipers and an array of sprinkles, jelly beans, and various other candies. They each took up an icing bag and began to work in silence.
About 30 minutes later, Emma finally finished her cookie and looked up to check on the others' progress, surprised to see that both had completed two cookies in the time it had taken her to do one. Henry's first cookie appeared to be a boy with shaggy brown hair, and the other, she was touched to see, had been decorated to look like a blonde woman wearing a red leather jacket and black boots. Mary, using the expert touch of a skilled baker, had designed her pair to look like a prince and princess, complete with jewels made out of sprinkles in their crowns. Emma looked back down at her own cookie, slightly embarrassed. She'd been attempting to make a Santa cookie, but had instead created a rather creepy looking red blob, and in the process, she'd managed to get red icing not only all over the table, but all over her hands as well.
"Made a bit of a mess, huh?" Mary asked, smiling as she noticed Emma attempting to wipe the sticky substance off her hands. It amused her to see her normally put-together roommate look so much like a frustrated child.
"Yeah," Emma admitted sulkily, irritated that her attempts to clean herself only seemed to be making the situation worse. Mary walked around to Emma's side of the table. She leaned over, pretending to examine her roommate's cookie, and bit back as smile as she squeezed a thick line of blue icing on the woman's already sticky hands.
"Oh, Emma, I'm so sorry!" She tried her best to look remorseful, but her inability to suppress her laughter quickly made it clear that the "spill" had been no accident.
"You so did that on purpose!" Emma exclaimed. "I will get you back!" she declared, reaching out to grab her own bag of frosting.
"Now Emma, dear, let's be mature," Mary said teasingly as she quickly crossed the room, both to avoid her roommate's retaliation, and to fetch the messy woman a wet towel. Emma accepted the towel, but not before sticking her tongue out at Mary like a petulant child. Mary noticed that Emma had gotten a small patch of icing on her cheek as well, and she fought the strange urge to lick her thumb and wipe her roommate's cheek clean. Instead, she gestured to the blonde, who quickly scrubbed away the offending frosting. Henry merely watched the two "adults," laughing at their immature behavior.
The trio decided that they should leave both of Henry's cookies, as well as Mary's princess cookie, out for Santa. Mary placed her prince cookie and the two remaining undecorated cookies in a plastic container for Henry to take home and eat later. The Santa "blob" was deemed inedible, and even Emma had to laugh along with the others as she dumped it in the trash.
That night, as she showered, Emma kept discovering little patches of icing. She was amazed at how the stuff had managed to get deposited in her hair, under her nails, and even on one of her arms, even though she'd been wearing long sleeves! Despite the mess, she had to smile. Henry had clearly enjoyed himself, and, in truth, so had she. While she still wasn't sure how she felt about Christmas, she looked forward to more cookie-decorating with Henry and Mary in the years to come.
Ok, well that's all for the second chapter. If you enjoy the Emma/MM relationship and are looking for something to read while you wait for the next chapter, allow me to recommend my other OUAT fic, "Grounded!" (I know the cool kids probably don't promote their own work, but I've never been cool).