Epilogue
"Well," Killian started as they climbed the steps to their front door, "all in all, I would say that was a successful Christmas day," he finished as Emma unlocked the door and held it open for him to walk inside with Hope in his arms.
"Even with the detour to the children's home?" Emma asked, closing the door behind them and switching the lights on.
"Aye. You must be glad to have the case solved. And Hope and Neal enjoyed seeing Santa. So, alls well that ends well," he decided.
"I suppose so," she muttered, kicking off her shoes and hanging their jackets up. "So, do you want to make Hope's bottle or take her up to get her changed for bed?"
Killian wrinkled his nose then and handed the baby over to Emma. "I'll do the bottle," he decided, heading for the kitchen.
Emma grimaced, catching the scent of what had made him wrinkle his nose. "You only said that because she's just pooped! You git!" she grumbled.
Killian laughed as he filled the kettle with water for her bottle. "I have no idea what you're talking about, love."
Emma shook her head and carried the stinky baby upstairs to get her ready for bed. After returning from the children's home, they had spent another couple of hours with her parents, enjoying the delayed dessert and a couple of drinks as they played some lively games together. But when it became evident that Hope was getting cranky and ready for bed, they made their excuses and headed home, stopping at the convent on the way to drop off the bag of toys that was still mystifying Emma. The Nun's had been delighted with the unexpected gift and promised to deliver them to each recipient in the morning, telling the kids that Santa had accidentally delivered them to the wrong address.
By the time Killian came to find his girls in the nursery with Hope's bottle, Emma had a now sweet smelling and clean baby dressed in her reindeer print onesie snuggled in her arms. It wouldn't be long until she would be asleep after her hectic and excitable day and was pretty much zonked as they lay her in her crib. Her parents kissed her goodnight as she snuggled down in her sleeping bag and then taking each other's hand, they walked across the hall to their room.
"So, what are we going to do now?" he asked, eyeing her alluringly as he closed the door with his backside.
"Well, I know what I'm going to do," she smiled and let go of his hand. She began to undress then, hanging up her new sweater in the closet and tossing her jeans and top in the laundry hamper.
Killian sat on their bed, watching her with a hint of disappointment. "You know I prefer to unwrap my own gifts, love." He winked.
Emma laughed and then headed for their bathroom, grabbing something from the dresser on her way.
"Wait, what are you going to do?" he asked, worried now that they were not thinking the same thing.
"I'm going to take a bath," she replied. "Mom bought me some of that expensive bubble bath that I love and I thought a nice, relaxing soak in the tub sounded a good way to end Christmas day," she explained further as she turned the taps on and then spun around to the mirror to tie up her hair as the water ran.
"I thought we had other plans on how to end our day?" he pouted as he stepped behind her, his hand on her hip as he nuzzled her neck.
Emma smiled at his reflection in the mirror – there was no denying that they looked good together. Nudging him away with her backside, she slipped from his embrace and went to check on the tub, adding a good helping of bath bubbles to the warm water. "I never said you couldn't join me." She threw the suggestion over her shoulder, watching his expression change from one of sulkiness, to one of utter delight.
"Well, why didn't you say so!" He began to undress and remove the brace for his hook.
Within minutes they were together in the hot water. The tub was full of luxurious, scented bubbles and the bathroom was full of steam as they cuddled together, her back against his chest where she rested between his legs and lay back against him. His hand was currently massaging her shoulders and the back of her neck, releasing all the knots and tension that she had, just as he had promised.
"Can I ask you something that might sound silly?" she asked.
"What's that, love?" He brushed her hair out of his face and leant his chin on her shoulder.
"Do you believe in Santa?"
"Huh? Santa?" he asked, sounding a little bewildered. He obviously hadn't been expecting that. "Like, Santa Claus, the big jolly man who supposedly delivers all the presents?"
"Yes, do you believe in him?" she repeated.
"Well," he mused. "I had never even heard of him until my first Christmas in this realm. So I suppose I neither believe nor disbelieve. Why do you ask?"
Emma exhaled as she considered how to word what she wanted to share with him. "It's just, earlier when we were at the home, when the old guy dressed as Santa gave me all those gifts. Well, he vanished right in front of me, twice. One minute he was there talking to me, the next he was gone. And he did it again on the street, he winked at me and then was just...gone. And...I just wondered."
"If he was real?" he asked dubiously.
"Don't say it like that, as though you think I am going crazy. I never knew dragons or mermaids or even Captain Hook was real until I came here. And I'm bloody married to the latter!" she scoffed.
"Then, I suppose anything is possible." She felt him shrug behind her and begin to massage her neck again.
She laughed then as she remembered something else. "He also said it was nice to see myself and my husband on the nice list these days."
"Oh really?" he asked, his lips against her ear before he kissed her just below it.
"Mmm," she sighed and then moaned louder when he rubbed his hand in just the right spot with the right pressure. "So good," she whispered.
Killian chuckled. "Keep making those noises love and people will think we're doing something much naughtier."
"Maybe they'll be right," she muttered, turning her head and brushed her lips against his in a kiss. It quickly became lusty and deep as she moaned against his mouth, wrapping her arms around his neck and shifting her entire body to face him, practically sitting in his lap. Breaking the kiss, she pulled back and just smiled at him, her fingers brushing the short strands of hair at his neck.
"What?" he asked, puzzled by the intense look she was giving him.
"Just...I love you so damn much," she told him.
Killian smiled, kissed her lips once. "And I feel the same," he replied.
And then they were kissing again, hot and heavy. Moaning as hands began to roam each other, frustrated that the tub didn't allow enough movement as the kissing went on and on, tongues brushing against each other as lips moved together.
"Oh," Emma huffed, rather dissatisfied, "forget the damn bath!" she finished and began to climb from the tub. He followed suit, they both dried off quickly and fell into bed together.
And so their Christmas day ended just as Emma had promised, with the pair of them thoroughly and delectably enjoying one another. Until naked, sweaty and sated, they fell asleep in each other's arms.
Their night passed completely uninterrupted as Hope slept right through the night for her parents, just as Emma had predicted.
A Christmas miracle if ever there was one!
I really hope you enjoyed this. If you would like to give a writer a Christmas gift, please leave me a review - thank you!
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!
xC
