Regina took photos with her phone of her two sons and wife decorating the Christmas tree. She thought about how quickly they grow up – Henry now having no problem whatsoever putting bulbs at the top of the tree. Nowadays it was Henry who was lifting his little brother Bodie up so he could put ornaments up higher.
After taking some more photos, she eased herself down on the couch and Emma turned and smiled at her, and mouthed, "you ok?" Regina nodded as she let her hand rest on her oh-so-pregnant belly.
A part of her couldn't believe she was once again carrying a child – a child that she was again magically impregnated with, although this time it was not a surprise. Her and Emma had been trying although they had been trying so that Emma would be the one pregnant this time. However, for whatever reason that didn't seem to work out, so it was Regina once more.
She was due in a little less than a month's time.
She was thankful that it was almost time. This pregnancy had been a little rough on her compared to Bodie. She didn't think the morning sickness was ever going to pass and this baby loved to move around – a lot. She felt like she hadn't been able to have a full night's rest in the last three weeks or so.
But despite the inconveniences, she loved that they would soon be adding to their family.
"Mom," Bodie asked turning to her. "Why don't we ever get a white Christmas here?"
Ever since Bodie had started kindergarten that year both of his parents had noticed a stark increase in the amount of questions the young boy could ask in a day's time.
"Um … well the weather just has never been cold enough for us to get snow that early in the winter season I guess," Regina responded.
"Do you think it is hard on Santa when there is no snow?" Bodie asked.
"I don't know, I never really thought about that," Regina said.
He turned back to put another ornament on the tree and then turned back to her. "How does the sleigh work with no snow?"
"I'm sure Santa's magic makes it all fine," Regina responded.
Bodie seemed to consider this and nodded this head. "Do you have as much magic as Santa?"
This time Emma snorted a little laugh at the question, which thankfully went unnoticed by her younger son.
"Santa is able to use magic all around the world, whereas I just have Storybrooke, so I'm sure he is more powerful," Regina said, seeing how Emma and how Henry were both giving her a thumbs up for her answer.
"Yeah," Bodie agreed and then went back to his decorating.
Emma meanwhile came over to sit by her wife and watch her boys for a bit. She leaned over and whispered, "I hope your ego is ok after admitting Santa is better at magic than you."
"I didn't say better, I just said more powerful," Regina whispered back.
"Still, it was nice of you," Emma said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "But once Bodie is in bed tonight we are going to have to talk about that white Christmas thing."
"Whatever do you mean?" Regina asked, trying to put her most innocent expression on.
"Oh, I think you know," Emma said.
It was later that night when Bodie was in bed and Henry at least was pretending for his brother's sake that he too was in his bedroom to sleep.
Emma was taking a bite of cookie, which she promptly washed down with some milk to show that Santa had been there when she said, "Spill it."
"Spill what?" Regina asked.
"You do know there is like four inches of snow in other parts of the state right now, right?"
"And what does that have to do with us," Regina said.
"You don't think it odd that we don't have a white Christmas?"
"Odd, no," Regina said. "I mean Storybrooke may be part of Maine, but it is its own part as you know."
"Come on Regina, my lovely wife who doesn't like snow, why don't you try another excuse."
"I don't mind snow."
Emma laughed, "You don't mind it as long as you don't have to be out driving in it or dealing with it in some way. We get like a couple of snows here a year and always in the same few weeks. You are going to sit there and tell me that is a coincidence."
"Well, maybe not entirely a coincidence."
"I knew it," Emma said. "You magicked our weather, didn't you?"
"Look, I didn't just do it for my own selfish reasons," Regina explained. "Do you know how much it costs a city to deal with snow removal, not to mention overtime for the sheriff's office in responding to crashes. It's simply economical to keep the weather at bay. It's not like I never allow for snow. I do because the kids like to play in it, but there is no reason to get the 90 inches of snowfall a year that the rest of the state sometimes get."
"Ok, ok, I get those reasonings, but it's Christmas," Emma said. "Don't you think the kids deserve a white Christmas?"
"Alas, I am on a doctor-ordered magic ban," Regina said.
"Then teach me to do it."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because we don't have time," Regina said. "We have to put together all the gifts from Santa and get them into place."
Emma considered this. "What if, just this once, we … I mean I use magic to put those together and that will give us the time needed for a little winter wonderland magic?"
Regina thought this through. She really wasn't looking forward to being up half the night putting together toys as tired as she had been lately.
"Deal," she said.
The next morning – a super sleepy Henry posed for a picture with his super excited little brother Bodie – before they were allowed to descend on the piles of presents.
"One more thing before we let you go," Emma said, as Bodie was ready to sprint for the toys he saw there. "It seems like Santa must have heard you last night." She pointed over at the window and Regina pulled back the curtain and raised the blinds.
"Snow!" Bodie yelled.
"That's right, Storybrooke has a white Christmas after all," Emma said proudly, because if she was being honest, she was pretty impressed with her handiwork.
"Can we go out and play later?" Bodie asked.
"Of course we can," Emma said. "But let's see what Santa brought first."
Bodie didn't need to be told twice as he made his way over. Henry however stopped to give his mom Regina a hug. "Couldn't have let me have a white Christmas growing up?" he said.
Regina looked at him in shock. "How did you know?"
"Please, you do not like the snow," he said.
"Well in my defense, when you were Bodie's age, there was no magic in Storybrooke."
"Yes, but I broke that curse when I was 10, so not much of a defense," he said. "Plus at that point, I really did believe in magic."
"Are you saying you don't believe in it anymore," she asked.
He put a hand on her belly. "Depends on if I get another little brother or not."
She slapped his hand. "Get over there and be big brother."