53
Solstice Gifts
Rumple carefully shut the doors and barred them with magic, after putting an arm about the exhausted Myrnin and leading him into the sitting room. "That man in the red suit was a being called Santa Claus, lad. He's a magician like me, and on the night of the Winter Solstice his magic reigns supreme. He goes throughout the realms bringing presents to all the good children who believe in him and his message of hope and love, and he also comes to the naughty children as well."
"He leaves them gifts?" Myrnin asked, horrified.
"No, he leaves them a reminder to be good, usually a lump of coal, and in the really bad cases, a willow switch magicked to give them a sound spanking for their wicked ways," Rum explained.
Myrnin's mouth quirked up in a small half-smile. "Sounds like my kind of guy." Then he caught sight of Belle on the settle next to the sleeping Clary and Phillip and his eyes widened. "Belle, you're . . . uh . . . expecting?"
"Hello, Myrnin! That's right, I wasn't showing then, so you wouldn't know," Belle smiled. "We're having twins."
"A double blessing, lady," Myrnin said. "At least among my people it is." He came to hug her. "My apologies for showing up like this," he motioned to his mail shirt and war paint. "But this . . . Santa person got me right off the battlefield, so . . ."
"We understand," Belle said, hugging him. "And you're always welcome here. He brought you for Ivy, but we've missed you too, and hope you'll stay with us through the holiday."
"I'd like that. It's been so long . . . months . . . since I've been anywhere except living rough in the forest . . . I feel like a damn barbarian . . ."
"Oh, Myrnin! You need time . . . time to rest . . . and to remember that there is still goodness here . . . and peace . . ." Belle said, stroking his hair.
He sighed into her shoulder. "Sometimes I think peace is a dream . . . a dream I lost when I returned to my people . . . but maybe here . . . I can find it . . . find me again . . ." He sniffled sharply, blinking away the threatened tears.
"The war . . . is it going badly for them?"
"No . . . it's pretty much as expected . . . we're winning on some days, losing on others . . . but the city is safe and so are most of the people, we're scattered about in small holts, but our dark kin haven't annihilated us yet. Nor will they, now that my brother is well enough to be war leader again alongside my father. I'm just . . . sick to death of blood and death and tears, that's all."
Rumple returned with a pillow, sheets, and a fuzzy green blanket . . . the same blanket he'd received so long ago as a solstice gift. "Myrnin, you'd best sleep here tonight . . . so you're the first thing Ivy sees when she comes down in the morning."
"Rum, what about . . .?" Belle looked at her two youngest.
Her husband waved a hand and they vanished from the settle. "I put them back to bed, dearie." He placed the pillow and linens on the couch. Then he gestured again and Myrnin's mail coat vanished to reappear on an armor stand in the hall. "There, lad! Would you like a bath as well?"
"A real one? I can barely recall what that's like," the half-blood prince replied. He wrinkled his nose. "Please, if it's not too much trouble. I don't want Ivy to see me like this."
"It's no trouble. Come, there's my white bathroom down here, with running water. I have a spare shirt and some trousers for you as well, you're almost my height, but I can adjust them to fit you if you need it . . ." He led the young sorcerer down the small hall towards the bathroom just off the dining room.
"Thanks, Rum. I've returned here almost the same way I did before, with nothing except the clothes on my back, like a vagabond mercenary . . ."
"So? Jeff's come home just like you a handful of times, lad, I'm used to it," Rumple said calmly. He summoned some clothing while running the water. "Take as long as you want. I'm going to help Belle upstairs, she needs her sleep. Just don't drown while I'm gone."
Rumple went to help Belle upstairs, leaving the half-elf to soak in the tub.
He returned some fifteen minutes later to find the boy had drifted off to sleep. Suppressing a chuckle, he bent and shook the lean shoulder, which bore a half-healed scar upon it. "Myrnin, wake up," he called softly.
The reaction he got was totally unexpected.
In an eyeblink, the hazel eyes snapped open and a hand came up out of the water, glowing with eldritch power. In mere seconds, a glittering ball of energy had formed in the boy's palm and he flung it at the startled Rumplestiltskin.
Instinctively, Rumple shielded himself, and the ball of destructive force bounced away and fizzled. "Myrnin! Easy, lad! It's me, not an enemy."
Myrnin blinked, coming out of the hair trigger edge that had possessed him. He stared at his hand, which still had wisps of power clinging to it and then at his mentor and cringed. "Starseekers, I almost . . . I'm so sorry, Rum . . . I thought . . . gods of the wood, I didn't mean . . . I'm sorry . . . I dreamed I was back there and when you touched me . . ."
"I understand, lad. Now calm down. It's all right," he soothed.
"No, it's not. I almost fried you," the boy said, anguished.
"I ought to know better than to wake a spellcaster fresh off of a battlefield that way. You're still on edge, boy, just like a merc coming off of a hard campaign." He banished his shield.
Ashamed, Myrnin ducked his head, wishing he'd drowned himself rather than offer harm to the man he'd grown to love and respect the way he never had his own father. "I shouldn't have come here. I'm a screwed up mess."
"Every soldier is, lad, when they first come home," Rumple said simply. "You need to relax and rest, and those hair-trigger reactions will subside."
Flushing, the half-elf rose and wrapped himself in a towel, saying softly, "Really? I'm dangerous, Rum, especially when I first wake up. Maybe you ought to snap those bracelets on me again, so I don't kill one of your kids."
"No, lad. I won't bind your magic like that."
He gazed up at him from the fall of dark hair across his eyes. "You don't understand. Sometimes I have nightmares . . . everyone in my company knows not to wake me, otherwise they could become a casualty. That wasn't just a ball of light, Rum, it was a killing spell . . ."
"I know what it was," the sorcerer said evenly. "Get dressed then come lie on the sofa. I'll give you a potion to help you sleep without dreams."
"You'd be better off using those cuffs of binding or whatever they are."
"No. You're not my enemy, Myrnin, and I won't treat you like one. Now do as I say," he ordered quietly, then he left the room.
Myrnin shivered, then dried off and dressed in the soft woolen clothing Rumple had provided. He ran a hand over his hair and within seconds it was dry, crackling about his head like dandelion fluff.
Then he went back to the settle, where Rumple had set up a bed for him. He sank onto the cushions, wrapping the fuzzy green blanket about him. Gods, he was tired! But he was afraid to sleep. What if Ivy woke him and he hurt her? He would rather die a thousand deaths than harm a single hair on her head.
Rumple returned then carrying a milky potion in a small vial. "Here, Myrnin. Drink this, it'll make you sleep without dreams."
He took the potion and drank it wordlessly. Then he said, "I'm sorry."
"Hush, now. The one who ought to be sorry isn't you, lad, but your bloody father, turning a fourteen-year-old into a blasted soldier. Lie down."
Half-amused, the prince of the il-Shennara obeyed and lay down, letting his mentor gently tuck him in, something no one had done since his mother had died that terrible spring long ago. He could feel the potion take effect and he closed his eyes and sighed.
A moment later, he felt a hand gently carding his hair. "Sleep, lad. Sleep without dreams and when you wake your true love shall be beside you."
Myrnin yawned, feeling himself slip into that twilight world between dreaming and wakefulness. And he was no longer afraid.
Rumple continued stroking the boy's glossy raven hair until he saw Myrnin's breathing deepen into true sleep. Then he rose, kissed the youngster's forehead as he had done countless times to his own children, and murmured, "The blessings of the solstice be upon you, son. Good night."
As he made his way back upstairs, hoping to get in a few hours of sleep before the children woke and chaos began, the star winked at him from the treetop, its unwavering light falling on the sleeping half-elf prince, the lost traveler who had found his way to their door.
Page~*~*~*~*~Break
Solstice morning:
Despite being the last ones asleep last night, Phillip and Clary were the first ones awake the next morning, even before Ivy, who was normally an early riser. Phillip opened his eyes, expecting to still be behind the sofa, and instead found himself back in his bed.
"Huh? How'd I get here?" he wondered for a moment, then he jumped out of bed, suddenly not caring if he ever solved that mystery, and ran barefoot down the hall towards Rumple and Belle's room. As he did so, Clary came out of her room, which she shared with Ivy, also barefoot, and in a cute pink and white striped nightgown.
"Phil! It's morning time!" she crowed.
"Yeah, and we gotta hurry up and wake Papa and Mama to go downstairs to see all the presents Santa left!" her brother said. He was wearing his usual night clothes, a pair of soft creamy woolen pants and a blue shirt that reached his knees.
Together, they skipped down the hall to their parents' room.
"I sure hope the door's not locked," Phillip muttered.
"Then we'll just knock till they open it," his sister replied.
"Okay. Ready?" He set his hand on the knob.
It turned!
Phillip threw open the door.
He could just make out the canopied bed in the middle of the room, and two shapes beneath the pretty gold and green holly comforter. "They're asleep!"
"Duh! 'Course they are. Now let's wake 'em up," Clary said, and she got a running start and then leaped up on the bottom of the huge bed. She rapid crawled over to where Rumple was snoozing and pounced on him, kissing his cheek and then yelling right in his ear, "Wake up, Papa! Wake up! It's solstice morning!"
Rumplestiltskin woke up so quickly he almost got whiplash. "Clarissa! Good gods!" He rubbed his left ear, wincing. "I think I've gone deaf, snippet." He sat up, still half-tangled in the covers, rubbing his eyes.
Clary bounced happily . . . right on his middle. "Come on, Papa! Get up!"
He grunted. "Clary, quit jumping on me. Before I act like your mother a month ago." He caught his excited daughter and set her beside him on the bed.
"Real nice, Rum," Belle muttered a bit tartly, as she opened her eyes.
"Mom! Wake up, it's solstice!" Phillip shrilled and took a running jump and landed beside her.
"I'm awake," Belle yawned.
Just as her husband said warningly, "Phillip Gold, no jumping on your mother. Or else I'll take you across my knee."
"I'm not, Papa!" his son cried. "I'm next to her, see?" Phillip bounced on the edge of the bed to illustrate his point.
"Rum, don't be a grouch," Belle ordered, sitting up as well, one hand on her large middle.
"I don't want him hurting you, that's all," her husband replied, half-apologetically. "I nearly got squished in half by Clary here." He ruffled her hair playfully.
"I'll be careful, Papa, I don't want the babies to get hurt," his son reassured him. Then he added wistfully, "But could you please get up now? We wanna see if Santa left us anything."
"Were you good?" Belle asked, smirking.
"Well . . . yeah . . . I think so," Phillip said.
"I was. I didn't draw nothin' on the wall in a long time!" Clary stated. "And I shared with B'linda too when she was over, even though she's a bossypants."
Rumple started snickering. "I think you two have been very well-behaved. Now go wake up your brothers and sisters. Oh, and tell them no opening anything until we come down there."
"And I need a cup of tea first!" Belle called as the twin whirlwinds scurried out the door. She looked at Rumple and groaned. "Is it really morning already? I was hoping I was dreaming."
"Tell me about it," he yawned, then he threw back the covers and thrust his feet into his slippers. "Come on, lovely lady, we'd better get moving before a riot happens."
Belle levered herself up from the bed. "You can handle it, Rum. I need the bathroom."
"Do you need help, sweetheart?" he offered.
"No, love. Not just yet." She waddled across the room. "Oh no! You two go back to sleep! It's gods-know what time in the morning," she scolded the twins inside her.
Rum looked at the clock on the mantle. "Six thirty."
Just then they heard doors slamming and feet running down the hall. Then Rowan barking and Sweetie neighing.
"Sounds like the riot's already starting," groaned their harried father, and he grabbed his cane and limped towards the stairs, hoping his enthusiastic brood wouldn't knock him over as they ran crazily down the stairs.
As he started down the staircase, he met Snow walking down, her hair hanging down her back, in a pretty mint green bedgown and soft blue slippers. The girl's eyes were wide in her pretty face. "Rum? What's happening?"
He blinked, then realized that she might have never celebrated a solstice morning like this before. "It's the annual rush to the tree to see what Santa left on solstice morning, dearie. You mean you've never done this before?"
"Well . . . sort of," she said. She recalled running down the grand staircase when she was a child, and waiting patiently for her father the king to come in the drawing room and watch her open her gifts. It had all been rather . . . calm, not this mad dash, like they were running a race.
Indeed, Peter and Jack half-shoved each other as they ran down the stairs. "Ha! I beat you down!" Peter whooped, smacking his brother on the back of the head with his nightcap and then running over to the tree. "He came, Jack! Great golly whangers! Look at all the presents!"
Tom and Gingy whizzed by atop Puss, who looked rather frazzled. "Is there one for Gingy, Pete?" Tom cried.
"Probably. Santa wouldn't forget," Peter called back.
"Papa, hurry!" Nick shouted from the bottom stair.
Bae came out of the kitchen with a mug of coffee in his hand. "Give him a break, Nick," he scolded softly, poking the boy in the ribs. "The presents aren't going anywhere."
Rowan scampered across the hall, her ears perked, and trotted into the sitting room. Her nose led her unerringly to the guest sleeping on the sofa, who had been awakened by all the commotion, but had been lying quietly waiting for someone.
Until a hound's sticky tongue swiped across his whole face.
"Ugh! Rowan, ath lerivae, merthal!" Myrnin sputtered, shoving the hound's face away. (Rowan, quit licking, please!)
Rowan wagged her tail happily and barked, as if to say, "Look! Myrnin's here!"
Rafe turned to see why his dog was barking at the sofa and gasped. "Blessed gods of winter! What are you doing here?"
Myrnin winked. "I'm supposed to be a present. Now shh!"
Rafe snapped his fingers at Rowan and she came to sit next to him.
Clary looked to see what the dog was barking about and started to run over to Myrnin, her mouth open to yell his name, when Bae grabbed her and covered her mouth with his hand. "Shh, Clary! It's a surprise, now be quiet till Ivy comes, okay?"
Clary nodded, and Bae took his hand away from her mouth.
"You didn't need to hold my mouth shut, Baelfire!" she snapped, glaring at him.
"Sorry, but you can't say anything about him just yet. You'll ruin the surprise," her brother told her.
"You're mean!" the little girl declared, crossing her arms over her chest.
Rumple and Snow finally reached the bottom of the staircase, along with the rest of the Gold children, except for Ivy.
Then they all waited impatiently for Belle to come down, which she did a few minutes later, with Ivy chatting to her about putting a pan of cinnamon buns she had in the spring house in the oven along with a sausage scramble casserole for breakfast.
"I hope someone made coffee," Aurora yawned. "Because I could use some."
"You always can," Elaina teased.
Rum gently helped Belle out of her chair and they stood at the back of the group of children and Rumple said, "Okay, everyone! No opening the presents until I say so. Rafe, you can hand them out, since you're closer to the tree than I am."
Rafe went over and began handing out presents, calling each child's name in a loud voice.
Each one got three presents—one from Santa, one from Belle and Rum, and one from Jeff and Alice.
Clary tugged on Ivy's nightgown. "Ivy, you only gots two presents. Where's your third one?"
Ivy glanced down at the two packages in her arms. One was a small square wrapped in red and green paper from Uncle Jeff and Aunt Alice. The other was somewhat bigger, and it's tag read to Ivy, Love, Mom and Papa. She watched as all the presents beneath the tree were handed out, and still Rafe didn't give her another one from Santa. Oh no! Maybe he forgot me, she thought, depressed. That had never happened before, but maybe he couldn't fulfill the wish she had asked for.
Clary tugged on her sleeve again. "Ivy, go in the sittin' room an' look on the sofa."
"What? Why?" she asked, puzzled.
"Just do it!" Clary ordered bossily. Bae had told her not to tell, but he'd never said she couldn't point Ivy in the direction of her surprise.
Ivy turned to go into the sitting room, feeling slightly depressed.
Until the green blanket wrapped figure on the sofa sat up and smiled at her. "Miss me, a'liri?"
Ivy screamed and ran forward. "Myrnin! You came! Santa didn't forget!" She threw her presents on the sofa and grabbed her errant half-elven beloved in an embrace so quickly that he almost didn't know what she was about.
Then his arms were about her and he was whispering, "I promised I'd come back, didn't I?"
"Shut up and kiss me, Stormshadow," she mock-growled.
He dipped his head and their mouths met, in one glorious kiss that banished the last of the weariness from him, and stole the ache from his heart that had lodged there ever since Puck had fetched him back to the Heart of the Wood.
Behind them, the children clapped and cheered. "Happy solstice, Myrnin!"
Then Elaina cried, "Now let's open the presents!"
Snow just stood there, her mouth hanging open, as a blizzard of wrapping paper swirled through the air, as each child tore into their presents like they were about to disappear. There was no order, no presentation of gifts, it was like chaos spawned in the foyer. Snow remained frozen, her hands clutching her three gifts, wondering if they had all gone mad.
"Go ahead, dearie!" Rumple encouraged, chuckling. "Open your gifts."
"I thought . . . I was supposed to wait . . ." Snow stammered, looking like a deer caught in a hunter's bow sights.
"The waiting's over, Snow. Go on, rip open those gifts!" Belle encouraged. "The chaos on solstice morning is half the fun!"
She carefully peeled off the paper on her largest gift, which was from Rumple and Belle. Beneath the silver gilt wrapping she found . . . "Oh! A bow! And a quiver with arrows!" she spun around, grinning. "How did you know I'd wanted to learn how to shoot?" She caressed the small yet strong recurved bow of yew, marked with a small snowflake burnt into the stave. The quiver had white fletched arrows in it, marked with another snowflake on the leather.
"Someone whispered that in my ear one day," Rumple smirked. "Happy solstice, Snow!"
She ran over and hugged them both. "Thank you! Now let me see what Santa gave me!" Her face flushed, she opened the prettily wrapped green and red striped package next. Inside a small wooden box was a necklace, a beautiful crystal snowflake on a glittering gold chain. With it was a note. Snow opened it and read it, happy tears falling down her face as she did so.
"What is it, child?" asked Belle, concerned.
"It's my mother's necklace!" Snow cried, holding the box out for Belle to see. "Santa left me a note telling me so. I thought my father . . . had sold all of her jewelry when she died . . ."
"More solstice magic," Rumple murmured.
"Come, let me put it on you," Belle said, taking the beautiful necklace from the box. She clasped it about Snow's neck, where it shone like a star. "It's beautiful, Snow. Just like her daughter."
Snow smiled and spun about, clasping the pendant and laughing while trying to wipe her eyes.
Meanwhile, chaos still reigned as the other children opened their gifts.
"Cool! Mom, I got some new sculpting clay from Santa!" Peter yelled, waving it above his head so they could see.
"Papa, Mom, look at this!" Jack cried and rushed over to show them his new set of sparkling silver spurs. "Like a real knight—only they have rounded points so I won't hurt Steady."
"That's great, Jack," Rum said, tousling his son's hair. "How did you like what we got you?"
"The saddle's great, Papa! And I like the crest on it too, like on my good shirt!" Jack said. "I can't wait to show Ray and ride Steady with it. Thanks!"
"Wow, Rafe, you got a new bow too!" Snow exclaimed as the young hunter unwrapped his present from Santa.
"Just what I wanted, because my old one was getting too small for me!" he examined his new bow, which was similar to Myrnin's, with pride. "Here, Rowan! Look what Santa brought you, you good dog!"
He handed his hound the large meaty bone with a green bow on it, first removing it. Rowan gently took the bone and went to lie on the hearth, next to Rajah, who was also eating his gift from Santa, along with Baron, who was sitting and dipping his paw into the jar of honey that had been left for him. Clary was feeding Sweetie her bottle, and the unicorn was sucking on it happily.
On the table, Puss was eating her mackerel happily, while Tom ripped the paper off his gifts. "Awesome! Santa gave me new paints, brushes, and picture frames. Now I can do family portraits."
"Oh, gods, please! I'm not doing that again!" Jeff groaned. "You can just pretend I'm there."
Alice poked him in the arm. "Don't be a spoilsport, Jeff!"
"What? I almost went nuts doing that for the big one," her fiancé said, pointing to the finished painting that Rembrandt had done, now hanging proudly in the foyer for everyone to see.
"Look what Santa brought me, Tom!" Gingy cried. "A horse!" Indeed, there stood a wooden horse, complete with a red saddle and bridle, on the table, just the size Gingy could ride on. The gingerbread boy leaped on top of it. "Yee-hah, Candy Cane! Away!"
And the horse galloped across the table, just like a real one.
"Aww! That's too cool!" Nick cried, watching. He had gotten some prime woodcarving tools as his solstice gift, as well as a small knife to skin game from his parents, similar to his brother Rafe's larger one.
Tom put his frame on the miniature easel his parents had gotten him and ran after Gingy, yelling, "When's my turn, huh?"
"Look at my sewing kit, Rennie!" Elaina cried, showing her the prettily embroidered sewing case filled with fine felts, ribbons, and pins and needles, all she needed to make trim for her hats. She was also wearing a fine cap of royal purple velvet with a silver rose in it from her parents. "What did Santa get you?"
"That's beautiful, Elaina!" her sister said, then pushed aside the wrapping paper to show her a beautiful hope chest of soft mahogany with two hearts with her and Bae's initials inside etched on the cover. "He brought me this! I can put all my linens and everything for my house in here for when I get married. I put the candlesticks Mom and Papa got me inside already!" She showed Elaina the pretty gold candlesticks inside the chest. "And Bae made me a pendant, see?" She tugged a beautifully carved goose wearing a sorcerer's hat on a black ribbon from under her nightgown. "It's us—the goose girl and the sorcerer's apprentice!"
Elaina laughed. "That sure is clever! Rafe gave me boots," she wriggled a foot, showing Rennie her fine leather boots, like moccasins. "So he can teach me how to walk in the woods with them. And I made him a vest."
"Rennie made me a quilt!" Bae said, as he unwrapped it.
"Yeah, for your marriage bed!" Aurora giggled.
Bae blushed. "Hey, I can't wait to see what Archie brings you, Rory!" He wriggled his eyebrows at her. His parents had given him a fine leather sheath for his elven sword and Santa a bottle of an expensive cologne called Bay Rum.
Aurora stuck her tongue out at him before running over to Rum. "Papa, see the new spinning wheel Santa brought me!"
"That's a fine wheel, my girl!" Rumple said, admiring it as it sat among all the crushed paper. "It'll spin those colored wool skeins excellently!"
"I know!" Aurora looked rapturous. "I can't wait to try it out, and make some new thread!" She kissed his cheek. "Thank you for the wool!"
"You're welcome, dearie," he said, then looked down as Phillip tugged on his sleeve. "And what did Santa bring you, Master Gold? Not a switch, I hope?"
"No way, Papa! I ain't naughty like Arachne!" Phillip said. "He brung me books! Look!" He grabbed a pile of four colorful books and shoved them at Rumple. "See? Peter and the . . . um . . . Star . . . what's that word, Papa?"
"What's it start with?" Rumple asked.
"C!"
"Good! Now sound it out. Come on, spelling bee champion."
Phillip frowned, then he said, "C-Cat . . . chers. Catchers! It's Peter and the Star Catchers series."
"Very good! Now we have a new story to read at bedtime," Rumple praised. "And they're long too."
"I know! Now I'm gonna play with my knights! Nick, let's play dragonslayers!" he yelled over to his brother.
Over on the other side of the tree, Belle was dazzled by the array of new things her daughters brought for her to see from Santa.
"Look at my new ballet shoes and costume, Mom!" Kristen said, twirling about with them. "I can't wait to show Ruby!"
"See my new journal with the peacock on it, Mom!" Nora said. "Now I can write down all the stories we tell each other." She waved it and some colorful ink and a big ostrich feather under Belle's nose.
"I got a songbook, Mom!" Ariel yelled, waving it about then singing a line from a song titled "Tale as Old as Time."
"Hey! Can I see?" asked Finn. "Put it here, Ari, on my new music stand," he encouraged, then they both looked at the music book, their heads together, humming the notes.
"Mom, look at my carpet!" Jasmine cried, showing her the lovely carpet woven in a colorful striped pattern. "It came all the way from Agrabah, my old kingdom, and Aladdin sent his solstice greeting to me with it!"
"Oh, Jasmine! That's lovely, and I'm glad to hear he's doing well," Belle told her.
"Papa! Look!" June said, tapping him on the arm.
"What is it, my will-o-wisp?" he asked softly, looking at the quiet child.
"Santa brought me magic bubbles," she showed him the bottle. "Watch what I can do!" She dipped the silver wand into the glistening solution and blew a large bubble, which she touched with her hand, making it glow like a star.
"How marvelous, Junie! Blow some more," he laughed, then set some glowing too, and they danced in the air like fireflies around the children's heads.
Belle smiled at her husband, who was playing with his shy daughter as if he were almost the same age, surrounded by blinking glowing bubbles. It was a wonderful sight.
"Mama! Lookit my new tea set Santa left for me!" Clary said. She was sitting at a brand new table with three chairs, Mopsy on her left and Chuckles on her right, with a gorgeous porcelain rose tea set on it, happily pouring out colored water and handing cups around to her stuffed animals.
"That's lovely, Clary. We'll have to make some cakes for it," Belle grinned.
On the sofa, Ivy and Myrnin cuddled together, Ivy wearing the new apron and showing Myrnin the new set of steak knives her parents had gotten for her. "Aren't they awesome?" she asked her boyfriend.
"Yeah, they're great for slicing and dicing . . . all those vegetables you're planning on making," he chuckled. "And I like the apron too."
Ivy blushed, for the apron said "Kiss the Cook". "Only you're allowed to follow that advice."
"Good," he smirked, then he did as the apron had said.
Jeff was watching the chaos and laughing. Then he said, "Hey! How'd you all like what I got you?"
"What is it, Uncle Jeff?" asked Nick. "It looks like a spring," he held up his, which dangled from his hand like a piece of coiled wire.
"Okay, let me explain. You all know how I can realms-walk with my hat, right?"
"Yeah!"
"So I decided to get you something different for your solstice gift this year. I used my hat to go into this world where they had a huge building filled with toys, stuff you wouldn't believe. It had this sign on it called Wal-Mart, I guess that's what they called it. I didn't know what to look at first. Then this man comes up to me and he says, "Hey, sir, are you looking for the perfect gift?" and I tell him, "I've got nineteen kids to buy for, can you help me out?" and he smiles and shows me this huge box of these things called slinkies. He said that children there love them and he needed to sell them so he could feed his family. So I gave him twenty gold pieces for the lot and that's what these are. Let me show you how these work," He took Clary's slinky and showed the children how to walk it down the stairs, and race it, and curl it around your arm and make it "jump" across the floor.
"Awesome! Let's have a race, guys!" Nick cried, and Jack, Pete, Bae, and Rafe went upstairs with him and raced their slinkies, which were all different colors, down the staircase, screaming and yelling as one overtook the others.
Puss swatted Snow's across the floor, making them laugh when her paw got trapped in a coil and Jasmine had to remove it for her.
"Are they magic, Jeff?" asked Alice, as a slinky crawled across the table.
"Nope. I don't think so."
"They aren't," Rumple said, cupping one in his hand. "They're made of some kind of odd metal, but it's not magical."
"Who cares?" Tom giggled, jumping Candy Cane over his. "They're really fun!"
"What do you say to Uncle Jeff and Aunt Alice, kids?" Belle reminded.
"Thank you!" they chorused.
Page~*~*~*~*~Break
Ivy managed to tear herself from Myrnin long enough to put her cinnamon buns and casserole in the oven, and the kids and adults all had a piece inbetween playing with their new gifts and helping to clean up the floor of wrapping paper.
It was while they were doing that, that Rennie found two small gifts and brought them over to Belle and Rumple. "Look at this! I found these when I started cleaning up, Mom. They're presents from Santa too."
"For who, Rennie?" asked Belle, puzzled.
"The twins! See, it says, for Rum and Belle's babies, don't open till after they're born and one is labeled Twin A and one is Twin B," her daughter said, handing them the small boxes.
"Oh! It's because he knows, Rum!" Belle said, her blue eyes shining.
"Well, he would if anyone did, dearie!" Rumple smiled.
"Knows what, Papa?" Rennie queried.
"What they are," he answered. "Let me put these up in the chest with the other baby things. We'll open them when they have their christening."
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The day passed quickly, with everyone trying on or using their gifts. Ivy and Rennie got together the big meal in the afternoon. To their shock, Myrnin assisted them, saying he'd had to learn to cook well in the field for his company. "Otherwise I'd end up sicker than a dog, so I can make a few things, like rosemary flatbread stuffed with bacon and wild onions and cheese, or pancakes with honey."
"Good! You do that flatbread thing while I put the pheasants in the oven, along with the ham," Ivy directed. "Boy, was I clever to get a boyfriend who can do more than eat food!"
"You sure were!" Myrnin agreed, then he started mixing up the ingredients in a bowl.
For guests that afternoon for dinner, besides the family, they had Granny, Ruby, Merrin, Chantel, Ray, Archie, Miss Bea and Charming. Everyone arrived around four o'clock, and started eating the appetizers, like Myrnin's stuffed flatbread, Ivy's rice balls, and Rennie's puff pastry bites sprinkled with sugar.
"Happy solstice, Ray!" Jack said, showing his friend the silver spurs.
"Santa brought me a new racing bridle," his friend said. "Because he knew Father was giving me Sunny for my own for a solstice gift this year." Then he handed Jack a bag. "Oh, almost forgot. Here's your present from me."
Jack went and got the present he'd made for Ray. "Thanks! Here's mine for you."
They opened them at almost the same time.
"These racing silks are wicked, Jack!" Ray said, looking at the blue and gold silks with his family crest—a leaping unicorn—on it.
"My papa helped me make them. I figured you could use them if you raced Sunny or Angel again." He held up his new bridle. "Thanks, Ray! This'll go great with my new saddle. Steady's gonna love it. Hey, let's go feed the horses their treats from Santa."
They ran out the back door with the carrots and apples for the horses.
Granny hugged her new cashmere shawl, which was a bright pink color, and thanked Rumple and Belle for it. "This is your work, right, master spinner?"
He nodded. "I wove the cloth, and Belle and I both worked on the embroidery."
The shawl had her initials on it and a sprig of hawthorn and holly.
"I hope you like my holiday nut bread."
"We'll love it," Belle assured her.
"Thank you for our gift basket," Chantel said graciously, she was a tall woman of about thirty with long blond hair, just barely starting to show her own pregnancy.
"Thank you for the lovely table cloth," Belle smiled back. "It's going on the table right now."
Further away, Ruby squealed over her new red shoes, given to her by Kristen. "Tap shoes! Now we can dance together, Kris!"
"Uh huh! And you can teach me how to twirl my new baton!" Kristen grinned.
"Sure! Watch this!"
As she demonstrated that, Archie shyly presented Rory with his gift to her. "I hope, you . . . uh . . . like it."
"A music box!" she cried. "And it plays my favorite song—the Fairy Waltz! Thanks so much!" Then she kissed him, making him blush almost as red as his hair and the new cap and scarf she'd made him.
"I also have some news for you," he whispered. "While I was over at the Goose, getting my pay for the week, I heard the most awful ruckus coming from the Millers, because it's just across the street."
"A ruckus? When?"
"In the morning. I went over right after I opened my gift from Santa. He gave me a set of encyclopedias. Anyway, I was coming out of the tavern when I heard some of the Millers whining about getting nothing from Santa but coal and then I heard Arachne screaming because . . . well . . . there was a willow switch in her stocking and it was . . . umm . . .spanking the daylights out of her. And Missus Miller was yelling, "Rufus, make it stop!" and he was saying, "Just leave it, Margie! It's what she deserves, y'know!" and I almost fell over when I heard that!"
"He really said that?" Aurora gasped.
"Uh huh. Shocked the blazes out of me. I guess he realizes now that she needs some discipline after all," Archie said. "And it's about time!"
The Shepherds were the last to arrive, with Mistress Bea bearing some lovely apricot cookies and ginger cake. "Happy solstice, Rum and Belle!" she cried, hugging and kissing everyone.
"For you, Bea!" Belle said, and handed her a large basket.
"What's this?" she asked, then she clapped her hands when she opened it. "Oh! Books! My very own collection!"
"Now you have a library of your own, Mom," laughed Charming. "Hey, Mary Margaret! Come here for a minute!"
Snow dropped the napkins she was putting at the place settings on the dining room table and ran over to kiss and hug James. "Happy solstice, Charming!" She draped a beautiful blue velvet cloak about his shoulders. "So you don't freeze watching your sheep, shepherd prince."
"I love it!" he said, kissing her. "Hope you like mine!" he handed her a wooden box.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Open it and find out, silly!"
Snow pried off the lid . . . and a black puppy with a white star on its forehead jumped up and licked her face. "A puppy! For me?"
Charming laughed. "He's Dusty and Ranger's pup, the best of the litter."
Snow was giggling as the puppy washed her face. "I love him! He's so sweet, Charming! I've never had a pet before." She hugged the squirming ball of fur to her.
"Aww! How cute!" Belle exclaimed.
"What are you going to name him, dearie?" asked Rumple.
"Umm . . . I think I'll call him . . . Polaris, because of the star on his head. And whenever I want Charming to come over, I'll send him to the Shepherds."
"And I'll always be able to find you," Charming said, petting the puppy and getting his fingers licked. "Good dog, Polaris!"
Then Ivy said, "Okay, let's eat!"
And everyone filed into the dining room for the huge solstice feast. There was roasted pheasants with gravy, ham with pineapple, mashed potatoes, sausage bread, creamed corn, broiled asparagus, buttery shrimp, pasta with carbonara sauce, stuffed mushrooms, and broccoli with cheese. Everyone ate until they were stuffed, and then they drank toasts to each other with Galadriel Golden wine and sparkling white grape juice.
Rumple helped clean up with magic, so dessert was put on the table, along with eggnog, peppermint cocoa, and coffee. Dessert consisted of apple pie, mincemeat pie, a chocolate cake, walnut bread, dozens of cookies, including Miss Bea's, and fried donuts drizzled with caramel sauce.
They all agreed this was the best solstice dinner ever, because it was spent in the company of family, friends, and neighbors.
The heavens seemed to agree as well, for soon a light snow was falling, making everything pristine and white, like a greeting card.
Soon the children were running and laughing in the snow, throwing snowballs at each other and making snow angels, while Polaris and Rowan played tug-o-war with Snow's scarf.
Little did they know, however, that this was the calm before the storm.
A/N: Okay, this was the last holiday chapter, hope you all liked! And now . . . things are going to heat up in the next chapter . . . as Regina figures out something important. And just so you know, their dinner in this chapter was based off of my own Christmas dinner-yeah, we really are that nuts about food, LOL! It's an Italian thing.
