Author's Note: Hey, all I know it's been a very long year since I have updated. Last year, my computer completely died on me, and while I thought most of my work was backed up unfortunately it was not. So I've spent most of the year trying to write without trying to remember exactly what I wrote before as it comes out rather shallow and rushed. So worry not I have not abandoned my stories, we are just having horrible technical difficulties, and of course, in these times of Corona, I do and don't have a lot of time on my hands.

Chapter Five

"You really need to find a hobby, love," Regina whispered as she wrapped her arms around Emma from behind stopping her mid-pace before she kissed her cheek.

"Who is with the kids?" Emma asked. She had come to the cliff overlooking Storybrooke in the early hours of the morning. Storybrooke looked buried under the snowfall, and no doubt, Regina's guards would be hard at work digging pathways for the people, she could already see some lights on for the early risers.

"Maleficent, Robin, and Zelena, they're in good and safe hands," Regina reassured her. "Now what got you out of our bed so early, when I was still so very naked and willing?" Regina had gotten up to care for the girls, and when she had come back, Emma had disappeared from the room.

"You should be home where it's warm with our kids," Emma murmured.

"So, should you?" Regina reminded. "What's wrong?" Emma pressed her lips together. "Emma, we talked about this, you need to talk to me, are you seeing Rumple again?"

"It's not exactly that, Hook, he's nearly here, and I know that the darkness would just love it if we destroyed one another and all the power went to Rhiannon, might be enough to corrupt the true love magic inside her. It was already so hard for me."

"Well, we just won't let that happen will be, keep that love you have for us your family in your heart, and you will come out on top," Regina told her. "Now come, it's Christmas morning, we are going to enjoy it with all of our children, and then we'll raise the army, I assume we have a few hours before he's in town?" Emma nodded.

"Good, I'll make sure we're all well-fed and ready for battle, besides, I need Henry and your parents to show their true colors. I don't know that I've won Henry over at all, just because he's been angry with you about Neal."

"What do you think he's going to do?" Emma asked.

"Well, it's a double-edged sword, but I hope he tells the Charmings, because when I see how Arthur sets up his men, then we'll know where their loyalties lie, and they can't sneak up on my soldiers or me during the fight."

"That's smart, we'll have to take them into custody immediately. I don't suppose Blue got the intel she wanted though."

"Hmm…I've been laying down fake information to Henry for a while now, everyone knows to be weary of big Henry, unfortunately," Regina murmured hugging Emma a little closer needing the comfort as she thought about her son. They had a lot of work to do, but it wouldn't be happening with Blue involved or his grandparents under a magic spell.

"You'll earn his trust back," Emma said. "She won't destroy us; we're just going to grow."

"I'm worried that he's a frozen version of himself, and I'm also worried that he'll just die, like his time will run out. I really need my hands on the book she used." Emma frowned.

"I hadn't thought of that, I thought we might get our twelve-year-old back, I miss the kid."

"I know, I'm still sour twelve-year-old him hasn't seen the poinsettias and that now it's just normal to four-year-old him."

"Aww baby, I'm sorry." Emma kissed her forehead.

"It's fine, if he's not going to die on us and I hope not, I'm thinking I can transfer his old memories to him up until Hook hit him with the spell. I'm not really sure how much Henry consciously knows as a four-year-old, but his brain has translated it in some way to recognize that he knew his dad and that his dad is dead."

"What if he gets his memories back when he's older."

"Then he gets his memory back without all the messy bits, by then he'll be a completely different person believe me." Emma nodded and looked back out over the town.

"How long do you think it will take Arthur's men, to clear the other side when they realize Hook's back?"

"I'm anticipating late afternoon, early evening, it's going to be a night battle, assuming Hook or the Gnat don't use their magic. But I expect they will if they don't want exhausted men."

"The dwarves, they could clear enough space for them to fight before the barrier."

"It would be stupid, if we pushed back, the heavy snow would hinder them in full armor. Arthur isn't known for being that stupid on the battlefield."

"Well, he was stupid enough to attack you," Emma growled. "I can't believe I didn't sense the danger around you, I was right there."

"Don't worry about it, physically it never happened," Regina murmured.

"But mentally you remember it, sometimes when the girls exhaust you and you dream, I know you have nightmares."

"Nightmares have been apart of my existence since I was a child," Regina shrugged "They're a part of me as much as my love for you. I have many nightmares Emma, but it is not that piss poor excuse for a ruler that haunts me. I'm sad to say it, but he was not the worst, but he was definitely the last to touch me without permission."

"I'm still going to make him pay," Emma murmured.

"After the girls and I have our fun, well mostly me because they probably don't remember."

"You really don't dream of him?" Emma asked. Regina smiled at her and kissed her cheek.

"Really, I was upset, shocked, violated yes, and hurt. But honestly, because I reversed time a little, I am able to distance myself from it, and to be honest it took exactly one nightmare of mother and three of Leopold to make dreaming about that night, seem like child's play if only because I took the Zombie juice and got to start flaying him alive. I could never do that to Mother or Leopold in my dreams no matter how much I wanted."

"Well, I'd best ensure my Queen finishes getting her revenge."

"Damn straight it's all I want for Christmas now." Emma chuckled and kissed her. They kissed for a long moment. "Stop your brooding and come home now, it's our first Christmas with our babies and the rest of our family and you get to bring the girls down, they always smile super big when you hold them and get excited." Emma could help but smile as her black leather disappeared to be replaced by an ugly Christmas sweater and Christmas-themed pajama pants. Her hair tumbled down in messy curls as she grinned at Regina who was eying the ugly scratch Christmas sweater in absolute disgust.

"Does this mean, you'll wear your sweater?" Emma asked.

"Emma that sweater can burn in hell, sheesh if you ask me you were made to be the dark one," Regina huffed before disappearing.

"You love it," Emma said following her back home easily.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" The adults all exclaimed.

"Aww I missed it," King moaned coming in behind Emma and all the children. "You promised to wake me." She now pouted at Regina who was busy snapping pictures.

"I tried King honest, ask Emma, I shook you and everything."

"It's true," Emma said as she eagerly took her place on the floor with the girls who were all smiles Zuri eagerly transported herself to sit next to them.

"Oh boy, she's going to be popping all over, I know it," Zelena sighed.

"Oh no, she's gonna teach the girls," Regina groaned, and sure enough, Rhiannon was clapping her hands and found herself on the couch where Zuri had been between Zelena and Robin. Regina and Emma groaned.

"This girl is going to have us running all over," Emma whined.

"Well at least you don't need sleep," Maleficent said.

"Hey, no, no distractions are not allowed, you didn't wake me," King said.

"You were exhausted still, sit down or I won't let you join the battle when it happens." King sat, but she really looked so much better than a few days ago. Regina had brought her to the house to supervise her and today was the first day she'd allowed King out of bed without holding her there by magic.

"That's not fair, let me die with honor by your side."

"I didn't nurse you all this time to have you die at all," Regina reminded as she began handing out presents.

"Uh sis, how does Christmas work again?" Zelena whispered.

"A jolly fat man squeezes down the chimney with a sack full of toys that good boys and girls wished for. Right my little prince."

"Right mommy!" Little Henry exclaimed. "Roland Mommy and Mama tooks me to see Santa last year." Roland's eyes lit up.

"Uh huh, uh what does Santa bring bad girls like us?" Zelena asked Regina reached down and three champagne glasses appeared.

"Bottomless mimosas," Regina said handing one to Zelena and King.

"And bad boys?" Robin asked as she had a fourth for Maleficent.

"Hey, I'm a bad girl too," Emma pouted.

"Emma, stop you don't need frown lines for when I start taking pictures of the girls and you." Emma huffed but stopped frowning. Robin got a bottomless beer. Little Henry, Roland, and Lily ripped through their presents, and she captured it all. Emma had a great time helping all three babies open their gifts and get them to smile for the camera. King managed to snatch the camera from Regina and get her in the shots too.

"Hey kid, why are you frowning, you love Christmas," Emma said. He shrugged.

"This isn't my Christmas or my family it's his," He jerked a thumb towards little Henry, who was now playing cowboys and Indians with Roland and Lily, but Roland was not juiced about the lack of honor a cowboy had seen as they stole the land they worked on.

"Hey, don't say that, there is room here for both of you, maybe our dynamics need to change a bit, but there's room. Besides Santa did not forget you." He pursed his lips at her.

"Mom, really I'm not four," He said. "Well not all of me." They chuckled.

"Santa is definitely real," Emma said. "He came here last year." Henry rolled his eyes.

"He did not," Henry said.

"He totally did, Regina didn't get me the kayak that's still leaning against the wall, Santa did."

"That's true, I didn't know where the hell I was supposed to hide it," Regina huffed. "And Emma didn't buy this garden set." Regina held it up. They'd regifted a few things from last year for sure to fill the Christmas tree on short notice.

"Oh, and what did four-year-old me get?" Henry asked.

"Apparently magic, but I don't think Santa gave you magic, so much as you are the truest believer," Regina said. "That's my take on it."

"Guess, I'll just have to see if I get magic," Henry shrugged. They shrugged too as Regina went digging among the piles of wrapping paper from the children.

"Ah Zelena, it seems you have presents," Regina said coming back with two. "This one is definitely from Santa cause I don't have that wrapping paper, this one is from me because I don't have as many strict rules for gifts. Regina went back to searching, pulled out something larger for Robin.

"You shouldn't have," Robin said.

"I didn't," Regina giggled. Next, she pulled out something for a startled Maleficent, who was enjoying her bottomless mimosa.

"Coal?" Zelena asked confused.

"That's what naughty children get from Santa I'm afraid," Regina said. "But as I said, I'm not so strict." Zelena had to laugh and opened it to find a necklace with the word wicked on it.

"I love it," Zelena said instantly.

"I knew you would," Regina grinned as she kept digging as they exclaimed over Robin's new crossbow and Maleficent's new suit with matching hat.

"Mom you don't have to keep pretending until you can think up what to conjure me," Henry said.

"I'm not, I genuinely saw a present with your name on it and no I didn't accidentally give it to Henry already." Regina found a book that was wrapped from last year with birthday wrappings.

"Oh, I can't believe I forgot!" Regina exclaimed.

"I knew it," Henry said.

"No," Regina said as she pulled out the book with a huge grin and turned towards King.

"It was meant for your birthday, but little Henry it for a Christmas present and took it out of my packing pile and back under the tree."

"For me?" King asked in shock. Regina nodded.

"Yeah, I know you said that sometimes your memories of Aaliyah don't feel that real, so I thought maybe this would help with that." King eagerly ripped open the present with toddler-like zeal.

"He he, big bad general loves presents like a toddler," Emma teased. King paused.

"And so, does the dark savior, I got on camera how excited you were when my Queen gave you the death star lego model."

"Yeah, well, it's cool, okay," Emma said. They stuck their tongue out at each other before King turned her attention back towards the present. When she opened the book, she saw photos of her daughter.

"Cool, I remember that day, we fed ducks and had so much ice cream mom was exhausted and regretful."

"I did, I regretted it so much," Regina groaned. "But they were happy."

"Oh, since I figured out what pictures were, I always wished I had at least one."

"Now you have many," Regina said. King started to cry.

"Oh my God my Queen, the charmings have ruined you, you're so emotional right now," King admonished as she hugged but then pushed Regina away.

"I would never," Regina said offended even as she had her own tears. "I'm the least emotional person in this house."

"Little Henry has less emotion than you," Emma teased.

"Perhaps that is so Ms. Swan, but I still have less than you." Emma's body visibly stiffened as she blushed a little. It didn't help that Maleficent smelled her arousal and the look on her face let her know it, and Regina's smirk let her know, that she knew just what she had done. Lily came running over and smashed into Emma.

"Aunty Emma, why do you smell funny, like you want Aunty Regi?" Lily asked. Emma went so red; it covered her whole face until finally she just literally became invisible.

"Oh Ms. Swan, it's fine dear," Regina told her. She meant to pat her leg but accidentally hit her crotch, so Emma's only response was to run invisibly from the living room and up the stairs. She slammed the door. Regina had to chuckle with the others, and she went back to her search.

"Mom, I think the red-headed one has it," Henry said. Regina sat up and looked at Rhiannon. "She made it appear in her hands." Rhiannon was currently on her stomach slobbering on the small package.

"Honestly, Little Queen, you knew I was looking for that," Regina said as she took the package. Rhiannon screamed and magicked it back to herself.

"Oh no, that we aren't doing, when I say no, I mean no Rhiannon Charlotte Isabella Regina Mills." Regina took the present back. "This belongs to your brother, not you."

"Wasn't there an Emma in her name?" King asked as Henry took the now wet package as Rhiannon cried. Regina lifted her up and cradled her before she let her nurse in comfort.

"There was, but Emma conveniently forgot it when she was filling out the Cuban birth certificate, speaking of Henry wait until Emma comes back down." Henry didn't wanna wait forever so enlisted his younger self in flushing out Emma. They got her back down, still red, but visible.

"I don't get it," Henry said when he pulled out a glass ball with a gold ring around it.

"It's a Remembrall!" Emma exclaimed in excitement.

"A gag gift, come on, how is this helpful if it turns red all the time when I've lost two years well more now."

"Come now, I wouldn't do that, this was a party Mom part Santa gift," Regina said. "In that ball are memories of your father from little Henry, Emma, and Gold I also managed some memories from that jerk Smee of your father's time on Hook's ship when he first ended up in Neverland and from Wendy Darling and her brothers. Oh, and Tink also had some. They're not all good memories, because I don't want you to have a one-sided view of him. That's not how you wrote it in the book, so I wanted to be true to you. But the not-so-good memories you can only watch with Emma or I until you're like twenty-one."

"Wow that's my dad," Henry said as he looked into the ball and a memory of the first time Gold saw his son." He hugged both her and Emma. Lily came over to Robin.

"Uncle Robi you said I could have fifty dollars if I made Aunty Em blush," Lily said.

"I haven't forgotten, you my dear were great, it was everything we wanted," Robin said and gave her the fifty.

"Oooh money, I can gets ice cream wit Hemry and Roli now," Lily bounced off as Emma was now glaring at Robin.

"Worth every cent, I just never dreamed the moment would be so perfect," Robin told her.

"Jerk, Regina why are you friends with him," Emma whined.

"Because he's a jerk?" Regina asked chuckling a little. Emma pouted more and crossed her arms.

"You'll get over it," Regina reminded her as little Queen finished nursing and fell asleep. "Come on let's get some breakfast in us." They were all standing up when Emma froze and turned into all-black leather.

"He's here," Emma said.

"King assemble the army now," Regina said. King hurried out, but Regina shook her head and magicked on her winter uniform.

"Mommy," Henry said grabbing onto her leg.

"It's fine baby, King just went to go get Cox, she's going to watch you while Mama and I go handle a few things," Regina told him soothingly.

"What about Zuri, no way they don't use her," Zelena murmured.

"I'll take the kids to a hiding place, they'll be protected," Emma said. It didn't take long for Cox to arrive with three other guards.

"Go with Emma," Regina ordered them as she bundled up each of her children making sure to pack them an endless bag of essentials.

"If we fall, you are to cross the town line, and drink this potion before you go, it will give you all the knowledge you need to survive out there and stay hidden from Hook."

"Yes, my Queen." They saluted her and each took a child or two.

"Lily use your fire to protect the others," Maleficent told her.

"I love you and you belong as much as little Henry," Regina whispered to the bigger version of her son. She kissed and hugged him before he reluctantly went with Emma. He was beginning to understand what Emma meant by he's back, and that the war Blue had told him was happening, was going to come to a head today. He looked at Regina as if he wanted to say something, but then he was gone as Emma's magic engulfed them all.

"Now that they're safe, let's prepare for battle," Regina said before changing clothes into a similar uniform as her guards. She outfitted Maleficent, Zelena, and Robin as well.

"Ooh I like, very flattering," Maleficent said before they all disappeared and leaving Robin holding his new crossbow.

"Guess, I'm jogging," Robin said to the air. There was a chuckle and fire surrounded him, and he too was gone from Mifflin house just in time. Hook had appeared directly on Mifflin street as soon as he was across the town line and when he broke the barrier, which was now the least protected thing the house was empty.

"You can't hide for long Swan," He said before stopping out and heading for the barrier that kept the towns apart.

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