A/N: I'm sorry that it took so long to post a new chapter, but I had a lot of work for school and then I had a lot of Christmas- and New Years parties... I hope you'll like this chapter ;) Let me know what you think and if you have ideas for the next chapters... Enjoy
"Baby, it's almost Christmas," Regina said, smiling at Emma, "do you want to go pick a tree together today?" Emma frowned at her.
"Mommy, why do we need a tree for Christmas?" Emma asked confused. The question made Regina frown.
"To put the presents under, Emma. Where did you put the presents in the other homes?" The child shrugged looking down. "I never got presents," she told her adoptive mother.
Regina's heart broke of sadness for the little girl she loved so much. "Well, this year, I promise, you'll get a lot of presents." She lifted the girl in her arms. The blonde child instinctively wrapped her arms around her mother's neck, hugging her tightly.
Regina helped Emma dress warmly and put on her warm winter coat and boots. When the child was ready, she got ready herself.
Once they had picked the perfect tree, they went back home and Regina got the decorations. She then put them next to the tree, so Emma could reach them easily.
Regina told Emma to start putting decorations on the tree, while she went into the kitchen to make them hot cocoa with cinnamon.
Suddenly Regina heard glass breaking in the living room and hurried there. Emma was looking down at the broken ornament and tears streaming down her face.
When she got closer, she noticed that there was blood on Emma's clothes. "Baby, are you okay?" Emma looked up at her. "I'm sorry, Mommy." Regina knelt in front of her and looked for injuries, finding cuts on her hands.
"How did you hurt yourself," Regina asked worriedly. Emma looked down guiltily. "I wanted to hang the ornament, but it fell and broke. I wanted to pick it up, but I cut my hands." Emma explained quietly, scared that Regina would get angry.
"It's okay, darling. Let's go take care of those cuts." She picked up the little girl and carried her upstairs to the main bathroom, where the first aid kit was.
While she disinfected the wounds, she asked Emma to pick the bandage she wanted. "Can I have that one, with the Princess on it, please? She looks like you." This comment made Regina smile.
She put the chosen bandage on the wound and kissed her daughter's cheek. "All done." She said helping Emma down from the counter. "Come on, lets go finish decorating the tree together." Regina said, leading Emma back to the living room.
When they finished, Regina went to get the hot cocoas. They sat on the couch together and admired their work. It wasn't as structured as Regina usually did it, but she found it more beautiful this way, just because Emma had done it.
"Oh, baby, we almost forgot the star on top," Regina said, putting both her own and Emma's drink on the table. She handed Emma the star, before lifting the little girl so she could reach the top of the tree.
"Can we put the presents under it now, Mommy?" Regina chuckled. "Do you think I already bought presents?" She asked. Emma nodded excitedly, making Regina chuckle even more. She nodded and went to retrieve the presents she'd already wrapped.
She let Emma arrange them under the tree.
After that, they settled on the couch to watch a Christmas movie, but as soon as it started Emma had fallen asleep her head in Regina's lap.
The brunette smiled down at the child and stroked a few locks of golden hair out of the little girl's face.
The next morning they went to Granny's for breakfast. As soon as the car was parked and Regina had helped Emma out of her car seat, the blonde ran inside.
"Aunt Ruby!" She yelled as she got to the counter. The young brunette smiled brightly and picked up the child. "Good morning, Emma. How are you?" Emma was smiling brightly.
"Auntie Ruby, will you take me shopping tomorrow? I need to find Mommy a Christmas present!" The young brunette smiled.
"I'll ask your Mom." Emma shook her head, eyes wide. "It has to be a surprise. Mommy can't know yet."
"What can't I know?" Regina asked raising an eyebrow. "Nothing," Emma said innocently. "Emma, it's not good to lie." She scolded, making Emma look down, tears in her eyes.
"Emma wanted to spend the day with me tomorrow, but she didn't know how to ask," Ruby helped. Regina nodded. "Okay, but promise me not to lie again." She looked at her daughter.
"I promise, Mommy."
It was Christmas morning and Emma was very excited, even though it was still very early. She ran to her mother's room and jumped on the bed. "Mommy. Mommy! Wake up! It's Christmas!" She yelled excitedly.
"Merry Christmas, Darling," Regina mumbled sleepily. Emma sighed, understanding that her Mom wasn't going to wake up completely for a little while. She lied down next to her mother and fell back asleep for a few hours.
When they woke up again, they got up and got dressed, expecting Ruby to arrive to spend Christmas morning with them.
Just as they were both ready, the doorbell rang. "Auntie Ruby!" Emma yelled running down the stairs and almost tripping.
"No running in the house, Emma." Regina told her daughter, as they opened the door to a grinning brunette.
"Merry Christmas, little one, Regina." She greeted them. Emma grabbed one of her hands and one of Regina's and led them to the living room.
Both women chuckled at the child's excitement. "Can I give the first present, Mommy?" The blonde asked hopefully. Regina nodded and Emma grabbed a very badly wrapped present, handing it to Ruby.
She opened the present and smiled. Inside was an artwork Emma had made at school, just before Christmas break. "Did you make this?" Emma nodded. "It's beautiful. Thank you." Ruby hugged the little girl tightly.
Next Regina picked a present and gave it to her daughter, who didn't waste a second ripping the paper away from her new toy. "A Barbie doll! Cool!" Emma squealed. She got up and kissed her mother's cheek, sitting on her lap, playing with her doll.
A few minutes later, she asked her Mom to hold her doll and retrieved another badly wrapped present, giving it to Regina, who gave back her doll, when she was once more seated on her lap.
"Oh, Emma!" Regina gasped as she saw the necklace inside the wrapped box. "How did you get this?" She wondered aloud.
Emma smiled proudly. "I went shopping with Auntie Ruby and then helped in the diner to pay for it," she explained. "Do you like it?" She asked insecurely.
Regina smiled. "It's beautiful, my love." She kissed the little girl tightly, whispering "thank you" in the child's ear.
There were a lot more presents to open, mostly for Emma, but Emma had also wrapped a few more artworks she'd made at school for both women.
It was a great Christmas. The first real Christmas for all three of them and it was absolutely perfect.
The last present, Regina had purposely kept until the end. She handed Emma a piece of paper, making the little girl frown, as she couldn't read yet.
"You know what that is, darling?" She asked the little girl. Emma shook her head. "It's the paper that says that you are officially my daughter."
Emma smiled very widely and hugged her now official adoptive mother tightly. "I love you, Mommy" she said, kissing the brunette's cheek. "I love you too, baby"
It really was a perfect Christmas.