A Christmas Special

Thank you all for the lovely support I received for the previous chapter.

A little gift for Christmas and I'm sorry if there is any mistakes or errors. They are my fault as I don't have anyone as a Beta at the moment

I hope this spreads some holiday cheer. It's short but I wanted to add my own spin on how Henry got the Storybook and it happened to be a Christmas Miricale.

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time, or any characters involved.

Thanks and enjoy.

Killian for most of his life, rarely spent Christmas with anyone else besides Granny and Ruby but recently he had grown quite close to a young lad known as Henry. Of course he knew who Henry was, everyone in the town knew of the Mayor's adopted child but most weren't that close to him. So when Mary Margret came to him out of the blue talking about Henry and how he needed hope in his life, especially with Christmas around the corner. So a thought sprung to Killian's mind.

Killian sighed into the wispy winter air as he waited outside the library for Mary Margret, they had arranged a special gift for Henry. A gift they knew that he would like but well that was the problem at the moment. The idea was perfect but they just didn't know exactly what they were going to give him. Which sounded stupid but the lad deserved something special and they weren't going to settle for anything less.

Figaro meowed at Killian impatiently, not liking the cold air any more than Killian was at the moment. "I know, Figaro, but I promised Mary Margret that I wouldn't start without her."

Figaro, again, meowed in reply. Raising his nose at Killian before turning and sitting with his back facing him. Killian snorted, "Well fine if that's the way you want to be, have fun sleeping outside tonight in the cold and don't count on Ruby or Granny letting you in out of pity."

"Oh Killian!" Mary Margret came racing over, wrapped up in layers of clothes and scarfs that made her look like a walking insulator, "Sorry, I'm late. Thank you for not starting without me."

Killian laughed at her, warming his hands up despite having gloves on as he grabbed the library keys, "That's alright, but I don't think I'm the one you need to apologize to." Killian nodded his head down to the pouting cat, who still refused to look at Killian.

Mary Margret gave Killian the 'I'm sorry' glance, smiling at him, before kneeling beside Figaro, "I'm sorry that I made you wait outside in the cold, Figaro, but you know that this is all for Henry." At the mention of Henry Figaro turned around and lovingly nudge Mary Margret's knee in forgiveness before turning to the library door and began scratching it. That door had become a scratching post for the damn cat.

"Impatient little buggar," Killian mumbled out, fumbling the keys slightly as he unlocked the library door.

"I hope that this is okay Killian, I don't want you to get in trouble with the Mayor for a missing book," Mary Margret said nervously, tugging at her jumper sleeve as she walked into the somewhat warmer room. Killian was only thankful that the library was at least insulated for the cold winter months, even if the heater didn't work.

"Trust me, the day someone comes into the library complaining about a missing book will be the day that Madam Mayor spreads the Christmas spirit with holiday cheer," Killian joked, breathing a sigh of relief when he walked into the library, loving the homely feeling that he always got when he came here, "So what exactly are we looking for?"

"Um…" Mary Margret sighed, "I honestly don't know." Looking around as if the room was filled with marvellous hidden treasures, finally being uncovered. Killian didn't know why Mary Margret didn't stop by more often, the woman loved books. "He needs hope, something that will show him that good will always prevail and that there are happy endings out there if you just continue to try.

Killian thought for a moment before a smile crept up on his face, "I believe that we may be looking for fairy tales," Killian said, before walking down one of the aisle, Mary Margret and Figaro close behind him. "Something here should do the trick."

They had spent a couple minutes browsing through the endless titles, books on various different tales but none seeming to catch either of their attention. Which troubled Killian as he was always able to find something to interest the lad when he began coming to the library every afternoon. Killian sighed in exhaustion, mumbling something about checking some other aisles. Mary Margret slumped to the ground with a huff. This idea wasn't working out, god, what were they going to get Henry. The poor boy was just getting worse and worse, she didn't want Christmas to just become another day in the boy's life where he couldn't look forward to something, to the future.

Something was tugging at Mary Margret's sleeve, "Figaro!" Mary Margret gasped, looking at the thread of wool that was unravelling at her sleeve in Figaro's mouth. Figaro slipped under the bookshelf, pawing playfully at Mary Margret's feet. She would have laughed at the odd behaviour had it not been for something jutting out from under the shelf slightly, catching her eye. She frowned slightly, moving herself upright and reaching for it. It was a book. Why had a book been tucked under the shelf like that? Killian was usually so tidy with the library, surely he wouldn't leave a book lying around. Mary Margret flipped the book over, 'Once Upon a Time'. She glided her hand over the leather cover, oddly feeling as though this was a part of her. Which was a silly notion but she smiled. She had found it. The perfect gift.

"You found anything yet?" Killian called from the other aisle.

"Yes," Mary Margret replied, "Yes I have." Her smile only widened.

The next day, Christmas had arrived, everyone had gathered at Granny's for a small gift exchange. Granny had prepared her special lasagne and favourite cocoa. Henry was sitting silently in the corner as Will was making a rousing speech of friendship and cheer, which Leroy and Anne were trying to stop. Killian nudged Mary Margret, motioning towards him. They both got up and walked over placing the neatly wrapped gift on the table in front of Henry.

"Is this for me?" Henry asked, his eyes slightly widening as they brightened up.

"From me and Mary Margret," Killian replied, sitting himself beside the boy, while Mary Margret sat across smiling at Henry, "To remind you that you do belong here."

Mary Margret reached over, placing her hands on the table, "That you are loved here." She pointed towards to wrapped gift, "We found this in the library."

"Aye, and you know what? Every week I clean the library, thousands of times but Mary Margret found something while we were looking, something that I have never noticed before," Killian said to Henry as the boy picked up the gift and started unwrapping. Revealing a large leather book, entitled with golden letters 'Once Upon a Time'. A smile finally found a way upon his face.

"It was there," Mary Margret said, "Just like magic."

Henry frowned at her, shaking his head, "That's not possible."

"Well, of course not," Mary Margret replied, although something twinged in her saying otherwise.

"But it happened, lad. This book somehow arrived," Killian emphasised, as Henry had begun turning the pages, "I don't know how it ended up in my library, it wasn't in the computer system but there it was. And do you know what I saw when I looked inside." Henry looked up at Killian, "Hope."

Henry looked down at the book, "Looks like fairy tales to me."

"And what exactly do you think fairy tales are?" Mary Margret asked him, smiling as she glanced down at the book, "They are a reminder that our lives will get better if we just hold onto hope. Your happy ending may not be what you expect, but that is what will make it so special."

"Thank you both so much for this," Both Killian and Mary Margret looked at Henry, knowing that they had made the right choice.

"No worries, lad," Killian ruffled Henry's hair, who laughed and tried to duck out of the way.

"Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a powerful thing," Mary Margret said, "Thank you could use it."

Henry looked up to Mary Margret, only to be startled by her appearance. Stunned to see that she was now dressed as though she was the princess in the book. She was the princess, he realized. Snow White but not a moment later the image of Snow White faded and she was the same Mary Margret. Henry looked toward Killian, seeing if he could see anything different, but saw no change. That was when it dawned on Henry. Maybe it was real, a happy ending here was possible for not just him but everyone. A better life away from this world.

Henry had spent all that evening pouring over the book, until he came to the last page. Looking upon the image. This was the most important part of the book, this was where everyone hoped lied. Where everything could change. This Christmas wasn't just like any Christmas, it not only had been his best but it made him realized something. He may have to go home to his adoptive mother but things had changed. There was hope. That was the best Christmas present that he ever was given in his lifetime, despite what his adoptive mother may say. He knew differently know.

A smile crept on Henry's face, "Emma."

I hope you enjoyed it though it may have been short.

Reviews, favourites, and follows are always appreciated.

I just want you all to know as well, that I'll be away for a week for the Christmas holidays and I don't know whether I'll be able to get to a computer to update. So I'm sorry about that.

Merry Christmas to all of you and a Happy New Year!