9
Make A Wish
On December 5th, Henry woke up to the smell of cinnamon and vanilla and wondered if he were still dreaming. Usually only Alice, Rumple, or Belle's cooking smelled that good. He rubbed his eyes and looked out the window, it looked to be a fine sunny, if slightly chilly, day. Putting his sheepskin slippers on, he padded down the hall to the bathroom, and afterwards headed to the kitchen to see where the awesome smells were coming from.
"Hey, tiger! Happy birthday!" Bae said, greeting his son with a big grin from behind the griddle where he was making cinnamon vanilla pancakes. He wore an apron that said Sweeter Than Sugar, My Wife Says So.
"Dad, what are you making?" Henry asked, smiling back at him and then sniffing appreciatively.
"Your birthday breakfast," Bae replied, flipping a pancake onto a platter. He turned off the griddle, then gestured to the array of plates before it. "We have Gold Medal cinnamon vanilla pancakes, with bananas and cinnamon syrup, maple bacon, and scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, plus coconut milk and eggnog lattes, courtesy of Granny's."
"Where's Mom?" Henry asked, practically drooling. His dad had definitely inherited the Gold cooking genes.
"Had to go into work, but she'll be home later on for your party. Now, let's eat and see if I rate up there with Alice."
Henry happily grabbed a plate from the cabinet and dug in. "Mmm! So good! It's like awesome, Dad!"
"Good. At least something my mom taught me about cooking stuck," Bae said, and sat down with his own plate of food to devour it.
As he ate, Henry asked, "What time do we need to go to the movies, Dad?" He was going to see a special early showing of The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug with Alina, Grace, Hans, Ash, and the Zimmerman twins.
"Eleven, and it's about nine now, so we've got time. We're meeting everyone in the lobby of the theater in Spring Rock. Are you excited about the movie?"
"Yeah, are you?"
"You know it. I love Tolkien," Bae said. "I'm sure it's going to be great."
Henry smiled. His eleventh birthday was off to a great start.
Page~*~*~*~*~Break
"But I wanna go see the movie, Mommy!" Regina whined, upon finding out that her older nephew and cousin and their friends were going to see the second hobbit film.
Snow sighed as she tried to explain to her toddler that the movie was not something she ought to see. "Regina, honey, that movie's very violent and scary, it's not something you should be watching. Plus, it's three hours long and you'd never be able to sit still that long."
Regina pouted and stomped her foot on the carpet of their living room. "But Mommy . . . it ain't fair!" Sulking mightily, she ran and threw herself on the couch, prepared to indulge her hurt pride in a fine screaming fit. "I wanna go see the movie!"
Familiar with the signs, Snow said quickly, "Regina Nolan, do you know who's watching you right now to see if you're naughty or nice?"
Regina paused in the act of going to beat up the couch cushions.
"Do you?" Snow asked, rather sternly.
"Umm . . . Noel?" she slid her eyes to the elf on the shelf, who was now sitting on an end table.
"That's right. And she'll tell Santa that you're being an awful spoiled brat today," Snow lectured.
Regina pouted, not liking the fact that Noel would tell Santa she was being bratty. She was still miffed that she wasn't old enough to see the movie like Henry and Alina, but at the same time she didn't want to get a present crossed off her list or get in trouble, so she didn't have a tantrum like she would have normally.
"O-kay! But I'm bored, Mommy!" the toddler grumbled.
"Well, why don't you come here and help me wrap Henry's present from you," Snow suggested.
Regina jumped off the couch. "Okay! How we do it?"
"Well, first you get the wrapping paper . . ." Snow demonstrated how to wrap the present they'd bought Henry from Regina, allowing the toddler to give her the Scotch tape and "write" her name on the card.
The big present from her and David couldn't be wrapped, but it was waiting nearby for Henry to come back and after the cake and lunch they had planned would be given to him.
Once the present was wrapped, Snow got in the car and drove over to Gold's house, since the party was being held there, because that was the biggest place they had in the family.
When the Nolans arrived, they found Belle had decorated the dining room with balloons and blue and white streamers and had a nice blue table cloth over the large walnut table, with party favors at each of the children's places.
On the sideboard was a large sheet cake, of chocolate with swirled cinnamon frosting with the words Happy 11th Birthday Henry on it, and a fairy tale book and a wand beneath the letters.
"Ooh! Pretty, Auntie Belle!" Regina cried upon seeing the cake.
"Thanks, sweetie. I did the letters and Alice made the cake," Belle said, cupping her huge belly as she waddled in from the kitchen. "And your uncle's in the kitchen making the Gold special grilled cheese along with curly fries and Alice and I made pizza dip with Italian bread, and cinnamon pita chips with Cinnabon frosting."
"Sounds totally yummy," Snow said, licking her lips.
Regina ran into the kitchen, where Rumple was flipping over several grilled cheeses, wearing a plaid apron that said, #1 Chef—Hot, Sweet, and Satisfying. It had been a gift from Alice—an early Christmas present.
She was wearing a pink apron that said Sassy Mama—Butter My Butt and Call Me a Biscuit, and putting a pan of curly fries in the oven. It had been a return gift from Rumple.
"Unca Rumple, whatcha doin'?" Regina asked, grabbing him around the leg and hugging him.
"Careful, dearie," he warned. "This grill is hot."
Regina sniffed and then said, "Can I have some of that?"
"That's for the party, dearie," he told her. "But here, have some bacon and a cheese slice."
He gave her two slices of bacon and a slice of Cheddar cheese.
While the toddler happily munched her snack, and held onto his leg at the same time with her other hand, Gold continued making grilled cheese and bacon until he had a plate piled high with the gooey crunchy sandwiches, which was what his grandson had requested he make for lunch.
Snow came in and said, "God, that smells so good my tongue's hanging out." She spotted Regina clinging to Rumple's leg and called, "Regina, come over here and watch Uncle Rumple."
"No. I wanna stay here," her daughter argued, biting into her second piece of bacon.
Snow rolled her eyes. "She's in a mood since I told her she couldn't go to the movies with Henry."
"It's okay," Gold reassured her. "I can cook with her by me. I did it plenty of times when Alina was small."
"Yup, that's for sure," Alice nodded. "She was a real daddy's girl, she was almost stuck to him 24/7 when she was a toddler. It was a battle royale almost every day when he had to go to work, unless he managed to slip out while she was asleep. Until we managed to convince her that he'd always come home at lunch, and then she stopped having hysterics."
Snow looked at Regina. "Sometimes I wish she was more attached to me, but after hearing that . . . now I'm glad she's more independent. Although she can be pretty clingy at night when she's tired."
"That's typical. And Alina was clingy usually after she hadn't seen me for a few hours, or first thing in the morning as well as at night," Rumple recalled. He finished making the sandwiches and put them on the platter, keeping them hot with a warming spell. Then he picked up Regina, who was now eating her cheese slice, saying, "Are you being good, Miss Bossypants? Or will Santa end up putting coal in your stocking?"
"Nuh uh, Unca Rumple! He not doin' that!" she shook her head firmly. "He's gonna brung me a puppy!"
"You think so, imp?" Rumple chuckled, tweaking her nose. "We'll see Christmas morning, huh?"
The little girl nodded, then leaned her head on him while she finished her cheese, looking like a picture perfect poster child . . . if you discounted the gleam of mischief in her dark eyes.
"Where's David?" Rumple asked, balancing Regina on his hip and taking a sip from his glass of Coke at the same time.
"He's making sure Henry's present's settling down," Snow replied mysteriously. "He ought to be here way before Bae, Jeff, and the kids come back from the movie."
"Emma should be here around three, so we can relax till then," Rumple told her.
"Unca Rumple, when am I gonna go to Hawaii?" Regina asked.
"What do you mean, dearie?" he asked, prepared to conjure the illusion again.
"I mean, when we goin' to the real one?" Regina stated.
"Regina!" Snow gaped at her.
Alice started laughing. "Ooh boy, Mr. G! See what you started?"
Rumple cleared his throat. "All right, dearie. I'll make you a deal. When you turn sixteen, we'll go to Hawaii. For your sixteenth birthday present. Okay?"
Regina nodded. "Okay, Unca Rumple! Deal!" then she took his hand in both of hers and shook it.
"Rumple, you're not serious?" Snow sputtered. "You're going to take her to Hawaii?"
"Why not? By then she'll be old enough to appreciate it."
"And old enough to attract boys like flies," Alice predicted.
"But none of them will try anything as long as I'm around. Not unless they want to still have feet instead of fins," Rumple growled.
"Now that's one vacation I'd pay big money to see!" Alice chortled. "Teenage Regina and her overprotective uncle! Sparks will fly all right . . . and not necessarily between Regina and those surfer dudes either!"
"You have an overactive imagination, Alice," Rumple snorted.
"And you've got a death wish, Mr. G," the blond chef retorted.
"Wrong. That's the boys who try anything with my niece," Rumple warned.
"What boys?" Regina asked innocently.
"Never mind, dearie," Rumple said. "They don't exist."
"You was pretendin' them?" she clarified.
His mouth twitched. "In a way."
"Unca Rumple, Mommy says the movie Henry went to was too scary for me," she said then, with an I'm-telling tone in her voice.
"Your mommy's right."
Regina looked disappointed. "But I wanted to see it."
"How about we watch a movie of our own, scamp?" he suggested.
"Like what?" she asked, jumping up and down in his arms.
"Uh . . . how about Santa Claus is Coming to Town?"
"Yeah!" the little imp yelled, and squirmed out of his arms to run into the living room.
Page~*~*~*~*~Break
Henry, Alina, Grace, and their friends were starving when they arrived back at Gold's Victorian, despite having eaten popcorn and drunk soda during the movie, which they all said was excellent. The children devoured the Gold special, fries, pizza dip, and pita chips like they hadn't seen food in a month.
"Oh my God!" Snow muttered to David. "They're like locusts."
"So's our daughter," Charming indicated Emma, who was calmly polishing off her second grilled cheese along with some more fries and pita chips.
"That's pregnancy cravings," Belle remarked. "When I got them, I could eat a pint of Cherry Garcia in one sitting."
"I remember those," Snow said reminiscently. "I could eat Grumpy under the table when I got them."
But finally there wasn't a crumb left . . . or rather only enough left to feed a mouse, had Nala permitted any in the house.
Then Gold lit the candles on the cake and they all sang happy birthday to Henry.
"Make a wish!" Regina crowed, as her nephew leaned over to blow out the candles.
When he straightened up, Belle handed him a rather long box and said, "This is from me, Henry."
He opened it to find two boxed sets of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, both the first and second series. "Cool, Grammy! How'd you know I wanted these?"
"Alina only told me about ten times," Belle laughed. "I was going to get them on ebook, but then I remembered you're not allowed to use your Nook yet, so here they are."
He hugged her and then Rumple came up and said, "And your present from me is like Alina's . . . you can pick one item from my shop."
"All right! When can I pick it out?" Henry asked, his eyes shining.
"Whenever you want, but I think you'll be too busy to do so in the next two weeks, what with helping out the firemen and the convent and this new present you're getting," Rumple said, ruffling his grandson's hair.
Henry looked puzzled. "You mean, the books Grammy bought me?"
"No, he means what we bought you," David stated.
"What is it?" Henry wondered.
"I'll give you a hint. You're wearing it," David teased.
"I am?" Henry glanced down at himself, seeing only his usual sweater and jeans on.
"Around your neck, kid," Emma said, smirking.
Henry went and felt about his neck, only then remembering his talisman. "My amulet?" He pulled the little carved horse free from beneath his sweater. Then he gasped. "You . . . you got me . . . a horse? For real?"
"We thought it was about time you had one of your own," Charming said. "He's down at the stables. And I can give you riding lessons also."
"Can we go and see him?" Henry asked, his eyes shining.
"Sure we can, tiger," Bae said. "But first, why don't you open your other presents?"
"Okay, Dad," Henry agreed, and found he had received a book on horse care and training from Alina, a set of fine leather boots with silver spurs from Regina, Grace had gotten him a classy braided leather bridle, Hans a soft blue and purple zigzag saddle blanket, from Jeff and Alice was a nicely tooled saddle, the Zimmerman twins got him a set of grooming tools and some sugar cubes, and Ash a hard hat.
"And this is from us," Bae said, and handed Henry a long package wrapped in colorful paper.
Henry tore off the wrapping and found . . . a small katana inside. "Wow! A sword!"
"Yes, it's a katana," Bae nodded. "Like mine, and like mine it has spells woven into it for sharpness and protection."
"Your dad's going to give you lesson on how to use it properly," Emma added.
"And not only how to use it, but when to use it," Bae stressed.
Henry admired the way the blade glinted in the light, with its wavy patterns rippling across the steel and the grip of red leather. Henry saw there was a small etched panther on the edge if the blade. It was a fine present.
"Thanks, everybody!" Henry said, then he placed the sword on the table and said, "Now let's go see my new horse!"
The gelding David had picked out for Henry was a purebred buckskin Quarter horse, meaning he had a thick black mane, tail, and black stockings on all four feet and part of the muzzle, while the rest of him was a rich golden color. He stood about fifteen and a half hands high, was well muscled through the chest and hindquarters, and had a proud intelligent eye.
"Hey, boy," Henry said, and reached out to stroke his new horse, giving him a treat of apple slices.
"He's a Quarter horse, Henry. That means he can run like lightning up through a quarter of a mile," David said. "Quarter horses are also calm animals and good for beginners. He's about six years old."
"What's his name?"
"That's up to you," David said, smiling as the boy gazed lovingly at the gelding.
Henry stroked the velvet nose and let the horse whuffle into his shirt.
"He's beautiful, Henry!" exclaimed Alina, also stroking the gelding's neck.
"Can I see?" Regina asked, stretching her arms out towards the horse.
"Here, princess," Charming picked her up and allowed her to touch the gelding's nose.
The horse nuzzled her, blowing at her gently.
"He tickles, Daddy!" she giggled, and patted the sleek coat.
"He looks like a show horse," Hans said admiringly. "The kind you can race."
"Or jump with," added Ash. "Like a steeplechase."
"Well, he's from top bloodlines," Charming said. "His parents were a show jumper and a barrel racer, so he comes from good stock."
Henry looked at Alina. "You'll help me pick a good name for him, won't you?"
"Of course. He's a magician's horse, so he needs just the right name," his sorceress aunt said.
"And picking out names is her specialty, like Papa's," Bae added. "A buckskin, huh? Just like the one I saw one day at the fair back in the Enchanted Forest." He clucked softly to the gelding, who swung his head and nuzzled Bae's hand, letting the older man scratch behind his ears.
"You can ride him if you want, Dad," Henry said generously.
"Thanks, tiger. I think I still remember how," Bae said.
Henry spent several more minutes petting and talking to his new horse, while the others watched and waited patiently.
"I can't believe you got him a horse," Emma said. "And I thought we were jumping the gun getting him a sword."
"Hey, you know, he is a prince, Emma," her father reminded her. "And every prince needs a horse to ride."
"So he can rescue a fair lady," Belle smiled.
"Or get knocked off trying to impress her," snickered Snow, and she winked at her husband.
"Thanks a lot!" David harrumphed.
"Daddy, you fell off a horse?" his daughter wanted to know.
"Umm . . . yeah. Once."
"While he was showing off for Mommy," Snow snickered.
"Pride goeth before a fall," Jefferson grinned.
"Aww, be quiet," Charming ordered. Then he turned to Henry and said, "Be here around six tomorrow and I'll show you how to groom and feed him and clean out his stall."
"Sure, Gramps. And then will I ride him?" Henry asked.
"Not just yet. First you learn how to take care of him . . . and then when he's ready, you get on his back," his grandfather said. "I'll show you how to exercise him on a lunge line."
Henry just nodded, stroking the buckskin and whispering, "We're going to be good friends, right, boy?"
Rumple summoned the tack from his house to the barn, and Charming helped Henry put it away in the tack room in a trunk with his name on it.
Then they all went back to the house to eat cake and play some party games before it was time for everyone to go home, and Henry went back to Fire Mountain still trying to think of a name for his new friend, holding his katana on his lap. It had been a most memorable birthday.
Page~*~*~*~*~Break
A few days later, Dr. Whale contacted Mr. Gold and David, asking if they wouldn't mind helping out with a Christmas benefit for the hospital. He explained that they had several children in the pediatrics ward who wouldn't be able to come home for Christmas due to various ailments, like pneumonia, the flu, surgery, a concussion, and one had hemophilia and needed blood transfusions because he'd had his appendix removed.
"We want to make the holiday fun for them, even though they're stuck in the hospital," Victor said. "So my staff and I have decorated the ward and we play Christmas tunes and have Christmas specials down in the rec room, but it's not the same. So one of my nurses came up with the idea of having a little pageant for them and their families. You know, karaoke, that sort of thing. And I was wondering . . . do you think you could help us out?"
"You mean . . . donations?" Gold asked, puzzled.
"Or participation," Whale said. "We need volunteers to sing and stuff. I'd do it, but I sound like a frog croaking."
"Snow and I could help out," David said. "It's for a good cause."
Rumple nodded. "That it is, dearie. Okay, Victor. Let me see what my family says. At least my daughter and grandson can do something."
"Anything you can do would be great, Rumple," said Dr. Whale. "These kids are probably bored out of their minds stuck in here all day, so they'll appreciate whatever you do for them."
"When do you want to hold this pageant?" queried David.
"Uh . . . this weekend. It'll give them something to look forward to."
"And today's Monday," mused Rumple.
The two men went home and discussed things with their families. It turned out that everyone, including Alice, Jeff, and Grace, all wanted to get in on the fun. It was decided that they would all do popular Christmas songs, though Emma, Grace, and Alice said they would only be backup vocals, since neither of them were good singers.
"And we wouldn't want to scare the kids to death," Grace said.
"I have a great idea," Jeff said. "Bae, how are you with performing?"
"Me? I guess you could say I perform everyday with my students when I teach," answered the martial arts master. "Why?"
"Because . . . I think we should do this . . ." and he whispered something in Baelfire's ear. "But can you sing?"
"Uh . . . well . . . yeah . . . it's not my favorite thing to do but . . .seeing as it's for sick kids, okay."
"What are you two up to?" Emma wanted to know.
"Something brilliant," Jeff declared.
"You're planning something, Jeff," Alice accused. "I know that look."
"What look, dollface?"
"The one that says I'm up to something," she grinned.
"Well, I am. Only this time it's something good," her
husband stated. "Meet me at my house tomorrow and we'll go over it, okay?"
"Will do," said Bae.
"What song should we sing, Henry?" asked Alina.
"Uh . . . I'll only sing something if you do it with me," Henry said.
"Okay. What Christmas song do you know really well?" she asked.
"Do we need props for this play?" asked Belle. "And who's doing the scenery?"
"That'd be me, dearie," Rumple said. "I've volunteered to do all the special effects and so forth with some illusion spells. As well as one song. With Regina."
"You have?"Belle was astonished.
"Yes. How about you?"
"Uh . . . I could do one. Now I just have to figure out what," Belle mused.
They all chose songs and then they practiced them the entire week, with Regina going over Rumple's house every day for coaching in the afternoon, while being watched by Ashley in the mornings. That left Rumple free to work in the pawnshop or take Belle shopping, and Belle free to nap during the morning or bake with Alice and Jill before Regina came over.
Henry took care of his horse, whom he'd named Arion, after the horse in Greek mythology who could run on water and air as well as land, in the mornings and afternoon after school. Then he went over Alina's and did homework and then they practiced their song for the Christmas pageant.
After teaching his class, Bae went over the Carstairs to practice with Jeff, and Snow, David, and Belle practiced with each other watching, so they wouldn't be self-conscious when they got up on stage.
Finally the night of the pageant arrived, and the Golds , Charmings, and Carstairs all met up at the hospital, where Whale and his staff showed them the stage down in the children's rec center. There were a few real props, like a Christmas tree and some stockings hung over a fake fireplace, but Rumple said not to worry about the scenery, his magic would take care of it.
And afterwards there would be a visit from Santa's helper, from David, who would hand out presents using a magical sack Rumple had given him, which would let each child pull out a toy he or she really wanted, though nothing dangerous or alive could be gotten.
While the hospital staff set up chairs for the audience and some refreshments, the performers rehearsed behind the curtain and touched up their hair and costumes, some of which had been altered by magic.
Page~*~*~*~*~Break
"Attention, everyone!" Dr. Whale stood at the front of the room, on the stage with a closed curtain. The lights were dimmed and all the children were gathered in front of the stage, some sitting with parents or relatives and others in rolling beds or wheelchairs with IV drips attached. "I'd like to present the Storybrooke General First Christmas Pageant, starring the Golds, Nolans, and Carstairs. We want you all to have a wonderful holiday season, and this is one way we thought we could bring Christmas and it's joy to you, even though you're all in the hospital. And afterwards, you'll have a special visit from one of Santa's helpers, with a surprise. But . . . only if you behave!"
The children clapped and cheered. There were about thirty of them in the ward, and all of them looked painfully eager to see the pageant, their eyes shining hopefully in the footlights as they looked towards the stage.
"And now . . . I present to you a tale of two very different brothers, whom all of you ought to know, because you've seen them on TV," Whale announced. "Please welcome . . . the Miser brothers!" He gestured and the curtain lifted.
To reveal a winter palace covered in ice and snow, with icicles hanging off the turrets and snow piled all around and the drawbridge suddenly opened, with a blast of chilly air that swirled all blue and purple as a familiar tune began to play.
Jefferson leaped out of the doorway, in a white and blue costume that glittered and dripped fake icicles. He wore a glittery jacket of white and silver, with deep blue pants and shiny leather shoes, white gloves and his top hat was changed from black to navy blue.
His complexion had been whitened and his hair highlighted with blue streaks. He twirled his hat around on his finger as he began to sing in a deep bass.
"I'm Mr. White Christmas, I'm Mr. Snow. I'm Mr. Icicle, I'm Mr. Ten Below. Friends call me Snow Miser . . ." As he sang, he capered about, spinning his hat, which emitted gusts of snowy powder and gusts of glitter. ". . . whatever I touch turns to snow in my clutch!"
He bent and picked up a shovel, and it suddenly froze solid and exploded into snowflakes, drifting through the air upon the stage.
The children gasped as Jeff put on his hat and twirled around, grinning and sang, "I'm too much!" then gestured.
Suddenly Alice and Grace appeared, dressed in shimmery blue dresses with tap shoes and white stockings, with glittery hair bows and batons filled with glitter in them, almost like fairy wands.
They danced about Jeff and sang, "He's Mr. White Christmas, he's Mr. Snow, he's Mr. Icicle, he's Mr. Ten Below! He's too much!"
As they tap danced all over the stage, while Jeff cavorted and picked up various things, turning them into snowflakes with loud pops and sparkly effects, the children watched, spellbound.
Then he gestured at the audience and cried, "Come on, kids! Sing with me!"
And they did, chanting the familiar chorus, until Jeff gave his hat a final spin and snow swirled about him and he bowed, singing the final line of the song as the curtain came down.
The children applauded wildly, and then got even more excited when the curtain rose again a few minutes later to reveal a red castle that glowed with flickering dancing flames and had golden turrets and lava surrounding it.
There came a sudden whoosh! Fire sprang up from the stage floor, and out of it stepped Bae, dressed in a glittering costume of red and black, with simulated orange flames flickering all over him, holding his bo-staff in his hand, his hair stiff and streaked with red gel and his face painted with flames on both cheeks.
He spun his staff while singing, "I'm Mr. Green Christmas, I'm Mr. Sun! I'm Mr. Heat Blister, I'm Mr. 101."
He danced across the stage, his staff whirling in complicated patterns, lit up on both ends with illusionary fire, and flames danced and flickered all across the stage.
"My friends call me Heat Miser . . .!" Bae sang, and scooped up a rock. " . . . whatever I touch starts to melt in my clutch . . ." The rock dripped onto the stage and then burst into flame.
The children gasped as Bae held out his hand, which appeared to be on fire, and cried, "I'm too much!"
"Too much!" sang Henry, emerging from stage left dressed in a glittering red jacket and black shorts, carrying a baton that sprouted fire at one end.
"He's Mr. Green Christmas . . ." Emma sang, coming out on Bae's right, dressed in a glittering red body sheath with black boots.
"He's Mr. Sun!" Henry warbled, moving behind his father and pointing his baton at him.
Bae was doing some complex leaps and twirls while Emma sang, "He's Mr. 101!"
"They call me Heat Miser . . . whatever I touch, starts to melt in my clutch!" Bae suddenly threw his staff in the air, and it became a fiery brand at both ends, which he caught and spun around in a flaming circle.
"I'm too much!"
He snatched up a thermometer and sang, "I never want to know a day that's under 60 degrees . . . I'd rather have it 80, 90, 100's a breeze."
He slid on one knee, and held out his hands, singing, "Some like it hot, but I like it really hot!"
Then fireballs appeared in both his hands, which he stood up and threw towards his chorus, who began singing again.
"They call him Heat Miser . . .!"
He reclaimed his staff, twirling it as he danced backwards towards the castle, calling, "Sing it!"
The children began to sing and clap as Bae disappeared into the castle and Henry and Emma danced off stage as the curtain came down again.
As the children cheered and clapped, Bae took a towel and wiped his face, he was sweating profusely.
"God, those lights are hot," he said.
"I was lucky I didn't trip," Emma said, chuckling. "But the special effects were great, Rumple!"
"Yeah, but I felt like my hands were freezing, buddy!" Jeff commented, sipping a cup of cocoa.
"You were Snow Miser, you're supposed to be cold," Rumple pointed out. "And illusion works best when you believe it, Jeff."
"Grandpa, it's almost time for me to go back on," Henry said.
"Here," Rumple gestured and Henry was now dressed in his pajamas and slippers.
"Ready, Henry?" asked Alina, also dressed in her nightgown and robe, with her pink fuzzy slippers on her feet. She gave him a thumbs up.
"Break a leg, you two!" Snow called.
They heard Dr. Whale announce, "And now you'll hear a special wish from two Storybrooke kids just like you . . . who want a hippopotamus for Christmas!"
The curtain rose upon a stage set up like a living room on Christmas, with a tree and a fire crackling, stockings hung and suddenly Henry and Alina appeared at the top of a set of stairs and began to make their way down them as the music began to play again, the piping jaunty strains of "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas".
"I want a hippopotamus for Christmas!" Henry sang as he reached the Christmas tree and turned to face the audience.
"Only a hippopotamus will do!" Alina echoed in her clear soprano. "Don't want a doll . . ."
"No dinky Tinker Toy . . ." Henry chimed in.
"All we want is a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy!" they chorused. "I don't think Santa Claus will mind do you?"
They climbed on the easy chair, sitting on the arms and on top of it, singing gaily about Santa bringing a hippopotamus through the front door.
"There's lots of room for him in our two car garage . . ." Alina sang.
"I can see me now on Christmas morning creeping down the stairs . . ." Henry sang, climbing back up the stairs and then sliding down the banister, much to the childrens' delight.
"And hippopotamus' like us too!" they sang, bowing, and raced off stage right as the curtain covered the stage again.
They received loud applause and Emma hugged her son and said, "You were great, kid!"
"I felt like I was gonna barf," he admitted. "So it's a good thing I drank that potion Grandpa gave me."
"And I tripped climbing on the chair," Alina giggled.
"You both did wonderful," Belle assured them. "Now it's my turn."
She walked out on the stage, dressed in a winter white coat and fuzzy boots, her scene was a snowy woods and there was a reindeer with a red nose walking beside her as she sang Clarice's song from Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer in her beautiful soprano.
"There's always tomorrow for dreams to come true . . . believe in your dreams come what may . . . there's always tomorrow and so much to do . . . tomorrow is not far away . . ."
As she walked, snow swept in from stage left and curled about her, in a pretty kaleidoscope and Rudolph's nose glowed gently as she sang.
"And you'll be there, my friend, someday . . ."
There was even more cheers as she bowed and exited.
"You were fantastic, Mama!" Alina cheered.
"Like an angel, dearie!" Rumple said, hugging her.
Belle smiled at her husband. "Your turn, love. Knock 'em dead, Rumple!"
He winked at her, then called, "Regina, dearie, we're on next. Do you remember what to do?"
The little girl, dressed like a Who from Whoville, with antennae sticking up and a pair of feet pajamas on, scurried over to Rumple and squealed," Unca Rumple, now can I sing?"
"You can, dearie. Just wait for the music to start. I'll be right by you, even if you can't see me," he murmured, taking her hand.
"And now . . . we go over to Whoville . . . where little Cindy Lou is wondering . . . where are you Christmas . . .?" Whale announced.
The curtain lifted, and found Regina perched in the recliner, leaning on her elbow, her cherubic face glistening in the footlights, the fire crackling merrily in the grate, and the soft notes of the song "Where Are You Christmas" began to play.
Rumple was by her, beside the chair, under an invisibility seeming, as she began to sing in her childish treble.
"Where are you Christmas? Why can't I find you? Why have you gone away?"
The Christmas tree lights winked as she sang, her little voice amplified by a tiny microphone clipped to her pajamas. "Where are you Christmas? Do you remember the girl you used to know? Did Christmas change . . . or just me?"
As she sang the final lines of her song, she yawned and rubbed her eyes, then put her head down on the chair and fell asleep.
The children hushed then as a very different song began to play, and the recliner spun away to reveal . . . the Grinch in all his green glory, wearing a Santa hat and coat!
The children gasped and cheered as Gold belted out the beginning of the famous carol. "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch!"
He cavorted across the stage, grimacing and giggling, as he sang, "You're as cuddly as a cactus, you're as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch!"
He grabbed a bag out of thin air and suddenly reappeared beside the tree where Cindy slept in the chair, and began to pluck the stockings from the mantle, singing loudly about having termites in his smile and being like a seasick crocodile.
He slithered upon the floor and snatched up all the presents beneath the tree and stuffed them into the sack. "You're a monster, Mr. Grinch . . .your heart's an empty hole . . ." he gestured and opened his coat to reveal a hole where his heart was supposed to be. " . . .your brain is full of spiders . . ." he removed his hat to show spiders spinning a web on his head. " . . . you've got garlic in your soul, Mr. Grinch!" He opened his coat again to reveal garlic down near his navel.
He spun about, creeping up the stairs to sneak candy from sleeping children, then tiptoeing back down to take Cindy Lou's doll (Sofia) and stick it in his sack.
Whirling around, he put a finger to his lips, winked, and continued singing, picking up the tree and trying to stuff it up the chimney while singing about a triple decker sandwich of sauerkraut with toadstools and arsenic sauce.
The children cried out as the tree was stuffed up the chimney.
And then Cindy Lou awoke and looked at the Grinch and called, "Sandy Claus, why? Why are you taking our Cwistmas tree? Why?"
The Grinch spun around and gave her a deliciously grinchy smile and said, "Why my sweet little tot . . . there's a light on this tree that won't light on one side . . . so I'm taking it home to my workshop, my dear, I'll fix it up there, and then I'll bring it back here."
Then he gave her a drink and sent her back to bed, giving her a gentle tap on the behind so she trotted off stage to where Snow waited, and then he stuffed the tree up the chimney and snickered wickedly before disappearing up the chimney as well.
The children shrieked and laughed and clapped the loudest after that performance.
Gold reappeared backstage, minus his Grinch form, which had been an illusion, dressed in a Santa suit and hat, saying, "Well, that was fun, but I nearly broke my ankle on that last pass."
"Yay, Unca Rumple!" Regina cheered, jumping into his arms. "I did it!"
"You sure did, dearie!" Rumple smiled and hugged her. "Now wish Mommy and Daddy good luck!"
Regina blew them a kiss and waved as Snow and David went on, dressed in elf costumes to sing about "Santa Claus Coming to Town."
The curtain rose upon a gingerbread like workshop with lollypop trees and Snow skipping and singing about Santa making a list and checking it twice.
"Gonna find out who's naughty and nice!" David yodeled. "So you'd better watch out!"
"Better not cry!" Snow warned.
"Better not pout!" David sang.
"Why?" chorused the children.
"I'm telling you why," he called back.
"Santa Claus is coming to town!" the Charmings sang together. "So you'd better be good for goodness sake!"
They sang about Santa seeing you when you were sleeping, then invited the children to join in and sing with them.
The audience enthusiastically did so, singing the familiar song with gusto.
Snow and David ended the carol with the traditional Merry Christmas, before taking a bow as the curtain came down for the final time.
"Okay, folks! That concludes our pageant," Whale announced. "Hope you all enjoyed it, and let's have a big round of applause for our special effects master and resident Storybrooke sorcerer, Mr. Gold! And family!"
The children and their parents gave them a standing ovation.
The curtain parted again and the whole family appeared on stage, with Rumple holding Regina, who blew kisses at the audience and waved.
"You're a little diva, dearie!" he chuckled, as he bowed.
"You guys were amazing," Whale said, looking at them all in awe. "I filmed it all on the hospital cams, so you can have a copy. I don't know how you did it, but those kids loved it."
"You're welcome," Rumple said. "I think we all had a good time."
"But we still have to hand out presents," David reminded him. He took the magical sack Rumple handed him. "Now how's this work again?"
"You just hold it and let the child reach inside," Rumple instructed. "They pull out a toy, the magic does the rest."
David went out to let the children pick a toy out of the magic sack, and the first child pulled out a train set, yelling, "Lookit, Dad! It's the Polar Express!"
"It's my turn!"
"No, me!"
"Hold it!" David cried. "You'll all get a chance to get a turn, just sit quietly till I get to you." He held the sack to a little girl in a wheelchair. "Here you go, honey. Just wish for something and then reach inside."
She pulled out a beautiful doll house, complete with furniture and a doll family. It resembled Gold's Victorian in a way. "Ooh! My own doll house, Mom!"
"It's lovely, Serena," said her mother. "Now what do you say?"
"Thanks, Mayor Nolan!"
David went down the whole first row of kids before the sack suddenly refused to open. "Hey! What the . . .? Uh, Rumple! There's something wrong here!"
Rumple came over to him. "What's the problem, dearie?"
"It . . . it's stuck!"
"No, it's being temperamental," Rumple sighed, and smacked the bag, ordering in a soft voice, "You quit that and behave, you hear? Or else you'll be stuffed back in the attic again!"
The bag quivered and cringed.
"Here. Maybe you ought to take the rest," David said. "It's a magic bag, it listens to you."
So Rumple took the sack, which hiccupped and then opened obediently, recognizing a magic wielder. "Here you go, dearie. Make a wish and then pull out a surprise."
The little girl who was next, reached in and pulled out a Leap Frog Explorer, yelling, "Mama, I got one!"
"Oh, my goodness, Sadie! She's been wanting that forever," her mother exclaimed. "Thank you, Mr. Gold."
"Merry Christmas," he said, flushing slightly.
"Merry Christmas!" Sadie lisped, her front tooth was missing.
Gold went down the row, letting each child pick something from the bag until the last one had been given a present.
When they were all clutching a much-wanted toy, Gold tucked the sack away and rejoined his family.
Once again, Dr. Whale thanked them for doing the pageant and wished them Merry Christmas, saying they could all have some refreshments before going back home. The first Storybrooke General Christmas pageant would not soon be forgotten.
A/N: Hope you liked all the songs I chose for the pageant! I tried to fit them to the people singing them. All rights belong to the song writers, no copyright infringement intended.
Rumple's Recipe Corner:
Pizza Dip
1 package (8 ounces) PHILADELPHIA® Cream Cheese, softened
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 can (8 ounces) pizza sauce
Pepperoni slices
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
Breadsticks or tortilla chips
In a bowl, beat cream cheese and Italian seasoning. Spread in an ungreased 9-in. microwave-safe pie plate.
Combine mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses; sprinkle half over the cream cheese. Top with the pizza sauce, remaining cheese mixture, pepperoni and onion.
Microwave, uncovered, on high for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is almost melted, rotating a half turn several times. Let stand for 1-2 minutes. Serve with breadsticks or tortilla : about 3 cups.
This recipe was tested in a 1,100-watt microwave.
