There was no one Emma loved more than Henry. He was her whole world.
But, Gods, she dreaded his school Christmas concerts. There would be off key singing by kindergarteners, where at least one would start bawling before it ended. At least one kid actor would forget his lines and improvise terribly. The audience would forcibly laugh at horrible jokes, and half-heartedly applaud after every ear-grating song.
The only bright spot, at least in Emma's eyes, was that Henry was the most important character: Santa. Even better, he only appeared near the end when he had to teach the main actor the Important Lesson. Usually, it was the meaning of Christmas. That means Emma didn't have to pay attention for the first 45 minutes.
She felt incredibly sorry for Elsa, who sat beside her with a bemused expression. She didn't get any references, or the songs. She was being a good sport about it, but Emma saw her picking at the yellow ribbon on her wrist in boredom.
Emma checked the time on her phone. She had about ten minutes before Henry first appeared.
She leaned over, and whispered in Elsa's ear: "Hey, I have to step out for a second. Want to come with?"
Elsa didn't give it a thought. She nodded enthusiastically, and the two quietly snuck into the hallway, trying to avoid the cameras that kept flashing, trying to get that perfect shot of their child.
Cool air hit Emma's face, a blessed reprieve from the stifling gym/theater.
"Is something wrong?" Elsa asked her. Her eyes squinted trying to adjust to the bright light of the hallway.
"Nope. Just if I have to hear another whine of a kid I might just go surrender to Ingrid." She leaned back against the wall, pressing the heel of her hand to her forehead.
Elsa laughed out loud, but tried to cover it with a cough. She shook her head, scolding Emma. "That's not very nice, Emma. They're very…enthusiastic?"
Emma snickered. "That's one word for it, I guess."
Elsa grinned; pleased she could make Emma laugh. "Except the ones who cried, of course."
"Yeah." Emma shoved her hands in her back pockets. "You really didn't have to come today, you know."
She really didn't. Killian had bugged off, claiming he had things to do. He offered to take over Sherriff duty so David could watch his grandson. David still kept his radio on, not trusting Killian to do the job right.
But Elsa had agreed to come when Henry asked, even looking a little excited. Maybe she just felt honored to be included in the Charming bunch.
Elsa shrugged. "I know, but I wanted to spend time with you. I have a feeling we're getting close to finding a way back to Arendelle, and I don't want to miss a single moment."
Emma gave her a sad smile. "I'm going to miss you, Elsa."
"I'm going to miss you too," Elsa said, thickly. She swallowed hard, blinking back a sudden rush of tears.
"Can you promise me something?" Emma asked, grabbing her hand, pulling her close. "Even if we find Anna and a portal back to your kingdom, that you won't leave until after Christmas. Please?"
Elsa rubbed Emma's arm. "Of course. I promise."
Emma wrapped her arms around Elsa's waist, bringing her close to her body. She buried her face in the Queen's hair. "Thank you."
She could feel the vibrations against her cheek, as Elsa whispered: "I think I love you, Emma."
Emma exhaled, and pulled back from Elsa. Her heart thudded nervously. No words could come from her mouth.
Elsa continued: "I don't care if that means like we're the sisters Ingrid wants us to be, or just as friends. Or… more. I just want you to know, no matter what happens: I love you, Emma Swan."
Emma took a deep breath. "Elsa…"
"I know." Elsa squeezed her hand. "You don't have to say it back. I just want you to know."
"Okay." It was all Emma could say. But she did bring Elsa back into a hug, never wanting to be apart from her.
Emma had a hard time saying she loved someone. Her experience in the foster system and with Neal had kinda screwed that up for her. It seems anytime she said 'I love you' to someone, something bad would happen.
They stood there for a few minutes, their breathing synchronized. Emma felt tear drops on the back of her neck, and hated herself knowing she was the cause.
Before they knew it, Emma heard Henry's voice floating out from the gym. They reluctantly parted, knowing they had to go back inside. Emma couldn't miss Henry's part.
They quietly made their way back to their seats. Emma at least had the courage to not let go of Elsa's hand. She couldn't say she loved her, but she could show it. It made the concert a bit more bearable.
Afterwards, Emma's whole family met up with Henry, who was still in costume. They surrounded him with congratulations and hugs. Her son couldn't stop smiling.
"Elsa, what did you think?" Henry asked her eagerly, his voice muffled by his fake beard.
"Well…" Elsa picked her words carefully. "You were definitely the best Santa Claus I have ever seen."
Emma bit down on her lip to conceal her smile. Henry didn't pick up on the subtle offence. He wrapped Elsa in a hug in thanks. Elsa's eyes widened, and awkwardly patted him on the back.
That did make Emma smile, her son and the woman she very much liked embracing. She could almost picture them as a family.
Mary-Margaret could see it too, and she practically crushed Charming's hand in her happiness. Elsa was definitely the kind of person that could fit into their family perfectly. She was going to get Emma to see it too before Elsa had to go home.
She made it her Christmas mission.
AN: Thanks for the follows, faves, and especially the reviews! I only have one more chapter to write, so I won't abandon this fic, I promise.
