David emerged from upstairs where he had been tucking Emma into bed. He chuckled under his breath and walked to where Mary Margaret stood near the window kissing her cheek.

"What?" Mary Margaret questioned, referring to the obvious mirth on his face.

"I love seeing her so excited, but getting her down was a chore. You'd think after a full day at the festival she would be knocked out."

"It's Christmas Eve, every kid fights bedtime. Are you sure she's asleep?"

"Yes."

Neither one noticed Emma, who had faked falling asleep, quietly sneak out of her room and hide behind the upstairs balcony post.

"You can't blame her for being a little excited. I'm excited too. Tomorrow will be our first Christmas with her. I'm planning a huge breakfast, and then we'll go to the Christmas service together and maybe take a walk through the park and build a snowman. The park is so beautiful in the snow. In the afternoon I'll make my famous cinnamon hot chocolate and we can sit by the fire and watch White Christmas before heading to Granny's for Christmas dinner."

"You did make time on your schedule for opening presents, right? I'm thinking that's why Emma was so excited she couldn't sleep, but hey I'm sure hanging with the old people, watching even older movies, is somewhere on her list," David teased.

"White Christmas is a classic, and we are not old," Mary Margaret scoffed as she playfully slapped him."

"Old enough to have a ten-year-old."

"A pretty great ten-year-old."

"I can't argue with that."

"How about a glass of Christmas cheer for Santa?"

Mary Margaret poured him a glass of wine from the bottle she had opened while David had been upstairs putting Emma to bed. He kissed her as he accepted it.

"Thank you, Mrs. Claus."

They sipped in silence. Both individually thinking how perfect this moment was, sitting together in the glow of the Christmas tree lights, listening to the crackle of the fire, the smells of pine and peppermint permeating the air, waiting for their child to fall into a deep sleep so they could wrap the closet full of gifts. It was a moment each of them had wished for during the lonely Christmas's past.

Mary's eye caught the ornament that Emma had painted during their girl's night. She got up and moved to the tree. She lifted it with her hand, so it rested lightly on her palm. Her eyes filled with tears and her mind with dark thoughts as she stared at the blue and silver ball.

"David, what are we going to do after tomorrow?"

"Mary Margaret, please don't ruin this evening."

She whimpered at his words, trying to tell herself the same thing. Her eyes remained fixed on the ornament which was beginning to blur in her teary vision.

"I can't help it. I don't want to send her back."

"And you think I do? We have to."

"She's our daughter."

"She's not."

She looked away from the tree to meet his eyes. There was a growl in her voice as she answered.

"Don't you dare say that. She is my daughter."

"That's not what I meant, of course she's our daughter.

Filled with pain and anger Mary Margaret just wanted to hit something. In an uncharacteristic move for her, she threw her wine glass against the fireplace.

"Yet you're willing to send her away. I don't think I can. I mean physically, I don't think I can."

"Legally she's a ward of the state. We don't have any rights here. In their eyes we are no longer her parents. We either bring her back or they will come take her, and possibly arrest us."

He placed his hand on her arm, but she pulled back as if his touch was poison and ran from the room.

Emma watched crouched in her hiding place at the top of the stairs. They were going to send her back. She should have known it was coming, even if things seemed different this time. Emma Swan always got sent away.

She quietly moved back to her room. She wanted to stay with David and Mary Margaret. She wanted to be a family. She had to do something.

Downstairs, David caught up to Mary Margaret in the bedroom and took her into his arms.

"Darling, stop and listen to me. Of course, she's our daughter, and I don't want to let her go either. In fact, I have no intention of it. I've already contacted my father and forced him to give me the name of the lawyer who handled her original adoption. I promise, I'm going to get her back for us."

Mary Margaret leaned back and looked at him hopefully.

"You contacted your father? And he actually cooperated?"

"I didn't give him a choice. I don't want our first holiday to be our last. We are going to petition the courts for joint custody. We are going to adopt Emma back. I was waiting to tell you and Emma tomorrow. It was going to be my Christmas present."

David took her face into his hands, wiping the remaining tears with his thumbs before he leaned in and kissed her just as the clock on the mantle quietly chimed the stroke of midnight.

"Merry Christmas, Mary Margaret," he said before kissing her again, this time with a little more fire.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you and spoiled your surprise."

"I know how you can make it up to me," he said winking, his hand making its way under her shirt to stroke the bare skin.

"I think Santa needs to get busy wrapping Emma's presents."

"What Santa needs is a little motivation so he can properly assemble Emma's new sled."

"You know I still don't think it's a good idea to give her that, considering she's already crashed one."

"Let's see what I can do to convince you."

She squealed as he swept her up and tossed her onto the bed, climbing in after her. Half an hour later, Mary Margaret extracted herself from his arms and got up. She slipped David's robe over her shoulders.

"Hey Santa, it's time to get up and get to work. Why don't you go make some coffee while I take a quick shower?"

David sat up on the edge of the bed and put his arms around her waist. His lips played at the exposed skin near her collar bone.

"Or I could join you in the shower?"

Mary Margaret pulled away and walked to the bathroom. She stopped at the doorway and faced him.

"You've had your fun, now get up so you can put together your daughters new sled. And I'm locking this door, so you don't get any ideas."

After a quick shower, she followed the aroma of freshly brewed coffee to the dining room where David was on the floor surrounded by scattered parts, trying to connect the two in his hands. He cursed under his breath when they didn't seem to fit. He didn't notice her enter the room, so her laughter startled him.

"Have you tried reading the directions?"

"Very funny," he scowled. "I don't think they sent the right pieces." He pointed to the table, "I poured you some coffee."

She picked up the mug and took several sips, letting the warm beverage warm and energize her before plopping down beside David. She picked up the still folded instructions.

"Let's see what we got here."

With the help of the instructions, they quickly figured it out and nearly had the sled put together when David's phone vibrated on the dining table. He got up and looked at the screen.

"It's Graham."

"Oh David, on Christmas Eve?"

"I'm sure it's nothing. I'm betting Leroy got a little too festive at the Christmas festival tonight."

"And Graham can't handle that on his own?"

"Well Leroy can be a little ornery when he's drunk."

"Just when he's drunk?" she questioned with a knowing smile.

"See, you get my point."

"Graham, what's up?" David answered.

"What! That's not possible."

David rushed from the room. Filled with concern, Mary Margaret got up and followed him up to Emma's room. They entered to an empty bed and the cool breeze of an open window once again.

"I'm gonna nail those windows shut," he grumbled, "or better yet, her feet to the floor." He brought the phone back to his ear. "Thanks, Graham, you did the right thing. Keep an eye on her, we'll be right there."

David hung up the phone and turned to face a panicked Mary Margaret.

"What is going on? Where's Emma?"

"Graham and Ruby were cleaning up from the festival when they spotted Emma sitting on a bench near the docks crying. He was afraid if they approached her that she would try to run so he called me first."

"How in the world did she get all the way into town by herself?" Mary Margaret questioned.

"According to Graham, it looks like she rode my bike. He found it laying on the sidewalk."

"That's almost ten miles in the dark and cold, not to mention that your bike has to be too big for her to ride comfortably."

"I'm quickly learning to never underestimate that child."

"I don't understand, things were going so well. Why would she run away again?"

"Only one person can answer that. Grab your coat Mary Margaret, let's go get our daughter."

David parked his truck near the wharf and the two of them got out. Ruby hugged Mary Margaret while Graham addressed David.

"She hasn't moved, she's just been sitting there staring at the water. I'm pretty sure that she knows Ruby and I are here watching her, so she's probably expecting you."

"Thanks Graham. You can head back to the station; we've got it from here."

"You'll call me if you need anything?" Graham asked.

David nodded and Graham slapped him encouragingly on the back. Ruby and Graham headed up the street.

"Nice pajama pants by the way." Graham added over his shoulder with a chuckle, as they walked away.

Emma was sitting with their back to them. Her blonde hair shined in the harbor lights as her curls tossed in the wind. She didn't acknowledge their presence though David knew she must have heard the truck drive up. Mary Margaret moved to run to her, but David held her back, his instinct to approach slowly. He took a few steps and called out to her.

"Emma, Mary Margaret and I are here. You're not in trouble. We just want to talk to you."

Emma didn't respond or even turn around and look at her. They cautiously advanced to stand in front of her.

Emma's eyes were puffy, her creamy skin blotched with red from spending the last half hour crying as she watched the waves wash back and forth on the shore. She felt like those waves…always moving back and forth…always thinking you had made it to the safety of the shore…only to get pulled back again. How many more times could she muster the energy to make it to shore before she let go and let herself remain lost?

The couple sat, one on either side of their daughter. Mary Margaret took hold of her hand. David was the first to speak.

"Why did you run away again Emma? I thought things were going well. I don't understand."

"I didn't run away, I promise. I was coming back. I just needed to do something."

"What in the world did you need to do in the middle of the night, and without telling anybody?" he asked trying to keep his voice from showing the exasperation he felt.

"You'll think it's silly."

Mary Margaret squeezed her hand. "Sweetheart, nothing that's important to you is silly."

"I came back to find Santa Claus."

Emma saw the confused expression on Mary Margaret's face as she considered her daughter's reason for sneaking out of the house. Emma began to cry again as she tried desperately to explain.

"I need to tell him that I'm sorry that I didn't believe. I want to believe he has magic. I want to tell him what I want for Christmas and beg him to give it to me. I can be good from now on. I promise I can be good."

Emma was crying hard now, close to hyperventilating.

"But it's too late. He's gone. I want to believe and it's too late."

"What is it you want, Princess?" David asked. "Whatever it is, I'll get it for you."

"You can't. That's why I need magic. I heard you tonight. I snuck downstairs and I heard you say that I have to go back tomorrow. We're not going to be a family, and that's what I wanted. I wanted Santa to make it so that I can stay with you and Mary Margaret forever.

Mary Margaret wrapped the girl in her arms. "Oh, Emma, that's what we want too, more than anything."

"But you're sending me back, you have too," she choked out.

David placed his hand behind her head as he joined his family in the hug.

"You didn't hear everything, Princess. I told your mother earlier and now I'm telling you. We are going to be a family. Scratch that, we are a family, but we are going to make it legal."

David moved so that he was looking directly into her beautiful green eyes.

"I was going to surprise you with this tomorrow. I've contacted a lawyer to try and reverse your original adoption so that custody of you reverts back to Mary Margaret and I. We will be your legal parents and you will be able to live with us forever."

Emma wiped at her tears. "And you think that's possible?"

"I'm going to do whatever it takes to make it possible. You don't need Santa Claus to make your dreams come true, Princess, you have me. And Mary Margaret," he added as he took his love's hand. "Can you believe in us, Emma?"

"Will I still have to go back?"

"For a little while. Just until we can show the courts how much we love you, and that we belong together."

"And you promise you won't leave me there, you'll come get me?"

"We promise, Sweetheart," Mary Margaret said as she brushed away the last of the girl's tears. "We are never letting you go again."

"Can you believe in us, Emma?" David asked, hoping for his daughter's trust.

She answered by wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. David curled his left arm around his daughter and opened his right to Mary Margaret. She joined in the embrace, kissing Emma's cheek before burying her head into David's chest. A family sealed together in love and faith.