I'm back! Sorry it's been a while, life just got on top of me. I got poorly, then my cat got super poorly and then my chronic illness got the better off me and I've been quite down about that. I'm back now though and hopefully will be updating a little more regularly, if people are still interested in reading what I've got to write?

if you want to thank anyone for getting me back into writing then head over to Kymbersmith90's page and give her some love on her fantastic work! She's been the one to motivate me to get back into writing!

I'm gonna start dating these oneshots now so you can see where about we are on the time line of this story, does that help?

Anyway, enough of me going on, I hope this is okay, it's obviously a first for me for a while so I'm a little rusty but I hope you all enjoy it! :)

2nd December

"Can these go in yet?" Charlotte asked from where she sat on the kitchen counter holding the bag of chocolate chips. She looked at her Mom and then her Grandmother hoping one of them would give her the answer she was hoping for.

"Not yet" Snow smiled as she passed her the bowl of flour "But this can."

Charlotte took the bowl and poured into into the mixing bowl that sat on the counter beside her. The three of them were making some of Snow's famous Christmas cookies ready for the school's festive bake sale that afternoon.

"Mom, there is way too many of us in this kitchen, I'm just gonna see what Dad, Killian and Neal are up to in the yard" Emma said before turning to walk towards the back door.

"No, Mommy, you promised you would help me and Grandma!" Charlotte pouted.

Emma sighed, as much as she loved baked treats she was never one for baking herself, but she had promised Charlotte that she would help. She turned back round and stood in front of her daughter "I know I did, Love bug. There doesn't seem a lot for me to do though."

"Well, you could start stirring this altogether" Snow suggested nodding at the bowl that now had all the ingredients in except the chocolate chips.

"And I can add these while you do?" Charlotte asked hopefully.

"Yes" Snow laughed "You two can do that and I will make sure the oven is at the correct temperature and get the baking trays out."

"Okay" Emma took hold of the wooden spoon and began to mix the ingredients together "You can start to add the chocolate now, Bug, but not to many, okay?"

"Grandpa says you can never have to many chocolate chips."

"We don't always have to believe what Grandpa tells us."

Charlotte sighed as she tipped the bag and left 5 chocolate chips fall into the bowl. "That enough?"

"Of course it isn't, you need a lot more than that."

Charlotte then proceeded to tip the whole back of chocolate chips in "Is that enough?"

"I guess it'll have to be" Emma smiled as she mixed the chocolate chips in. "The kids at Grandma's school are going to love you."

"Oh my, that's a lot of chocolate!" Snow exclaimed as she came back over with the baking trays.

"Apparently Grandpa told her you can never have to many chocolate chips" Emma replied.

"Well I guess I'll be having words with Grandpa" Snow said as she took a small handful of the mixture and rolled it into a ball before flatting it on the baking tray.

"Can I make some?" Charlotte asked.

"How about we make them together?" Emma suggested "I roll and you flatten?"

"Yes! I love the flattening bit the best!" Charlotte grinned.

"I know you do" Emma kissed her daughters forehead before taking out some mixture and rolling it in her hands.

Half an hour later the cookies had been baked and were now cooling on the counter and the three girls were now in Snow's living room with Charlotte laid on the floor watching Tarzan on the TV while Snow and Emma were discussing Christmas on the couch.

"So are you nearly ready for Christmas?" Snow asked her daughter.

"I've got some shopping done. Still need to get the main bits"

"Same here. Neal has been asking for an IPad this year but I'm not sure I'm ready for my seven year old to have an IPad and be connected to the internet."

"You can sort the settings, restrict what he can and can't do"

"I know, it just feels like a big step towards the dreaded teenage years" Snow sighed.

"Thankfully we've got a little while to go before that. All Charlotte has asked for is a pram for her doll Molly"

"That's nice and simple" Snow smiled. "How does it feel knowing this will be your last Christmas as a family of four?"

Emma sat back and placed her hand on her growing bump "It feels good. It's exciting to know that next year on Christmas morning they'll be an extra stocking on the fire place and more presents around the tree"

"And how is Charlotte now? Still expecting a sister?"

Emma laughed "No... well at least I think she's more open to the idea of a brother now. Henry sat down with her the other night and spoke about all the bonuses of having a brother and she seemed quite excited about it."

"That's good, although I suppose with Neal and Henry it would be nice to get another girl in the family"

"It would, I guess we just need to wait and see when the time comes"

Snow leant forward and placed her hand on Emma's bump hoping to feel a kick but also knowing it was probably still a little early. "I can't believe you're not finding out this time!"

"It'll be a nice surprise when they arrive."

"But how am I meant to shop for them?"

"Just go for greens, whites and yellows and then you can't go wrong."

"Mommy, Mommy! It's mine and Daddy's song!" Charlotte exclaimed as she jumped up from the floor "And he's not here, he is gonna miss it!"

Emma picked up the remote which sat beside her and paused the film "I've paused it, go get him from the yard and then we can play it when your back."

"Okay" Charlotte said as she ran over to the back door to find her Father.

"It's sweet that this is their song" Snow beamed. "All thanks to Neal watching it on the day you first came round with her too"

"Yeah" Emma replied "It's become my favourite song too, just because it now reminds me so much of the two of them."

"I wish we had a song for Neal" Snow sighed "There was just so much going on at the time though it was the last thing to cross my mind."

Emma took hold of her Mother's hand and gave it a squeeze "You have other things that remind you of Neal, I'm sure?"

"I do" Snow gave a sad smile as she knew that even though she had things that reminded her of Neal she didn't really have any special little thing that reminded her of Emma's childhood.

"Daddy, quick" Charlotte said interrupting the moment as she pulled Killian into the sitting room. "It's our song, put it on Mommy!"

"Okay, Okay" Killian laughed as he sat down next to Emma on the couch and pulled Charlotte up to sit on his lap as Emma pressed play and 'You'll be in my heart' started.

Snow gave Emma's hand a squeeze before letting go and quietly making her way out of the room to let the little family enjoy this moment together.