Small Miracles

by SteelyM

Emma Swan, single mom to 17-year-old Henry and 3-year-old Hope, meets Killian Jones when he moves in across the hall in their Boston apartment building. He forms an instant connection with Emma's family, but they are all tested when a mysterious affliction strikes one of the children. Captain Swan and Swan-Jones family AU (or is it?)

15. Chapter 15 - Epilogue Pt 4 Christmas

After the original Dark Curse was broken, the people of Storybrooke continued to celebrate common American holidays.

The townspeople had a knack for selecting and keeping the aspects of their split lives that they liked best. Of course they held onto modern technology, indoor plumbing, onion rings... Most residents couldn't imagine life without them, even if they lived that way for decades back in the Enchanted Forest.

The same was true for holidays. For people who had been peasants and farmers, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Valentine's Day put to shame most of the old, dull Enchanted Forest holidays (like Harvest Day, on which farmers and their families and workers ate a big fall meal, but only after spending the day performing the exhausting and backbreaking work of picking crops by hand.)

During December, all the residents and shop owners of Storybrooke decorated the buildings and trees with twinkling fairy lights. A giant Christmas tree was erected in the town square, and on the first weekend of the month, the whole town came out to drink hot chocolate, sing songs, and watch the ceremonial tree lighting.

Emma, Henry, Hope, and all the other young children in town, having only lived in the non-magical world, appreciated the continued celebration of Christmas. If, for some reason, Storybrooke had abandoned the holiday, Emma knew that she would have continued to celebrate it in her own home. Not just for Henry and Hope, but for herself.

Christmas in the foster system SUCKED. Some of the homes had tried, buying small gifts or signing up for programs that distributed donated presents to needy children. But they all acted like it was just another duty they had to endure for their charges. There was no magic. No love.

Now that Emma had a real family and a home of her own that was brimming with both magic and love, she adored Christmas.

This year, Emma and Killian were working especially hard to give Hope and Henry a special holiday. The arrival of the new baby in January would be a joyful event, but the child would also take up a lot of her parents' time and attention. Emma and Killian wanted to make sure they took time to give their children a little extra focus before the craziness hit.

The family worked together to decorate the house. They strung lights around the front porch (Killian relented and let Emma climb the ladder this time, promising he would hold it steady as she hung the lights on the nails that were still there from previous years.) They decorated the inside with snow globes and Santa figurines. They plastered the fridge and the walls with Hope's holiday-themed artwork.

And of course, they picked out the perfect tree and placed it in the corner of the living room nearest the dining table, where it could be viewed from the kitchen. They strung bright, colorful lights around it and decorated it with shiny balls and other ornaments they had collected or made. Killian had found some old trinkets and costume jewelry on The Jolly, and he and Hope spent an afternoon attaching hooks to them so that they became nautical-themed ornaments.

They also made sure to include Hope and Henry in many of the preparations for the baby's arrival.

Henry had suggested a name that he absolutely loved, and he never missed an opportunity to lobby for it.

They finished decorating the nursery with substantial input from Hope. She picked out an adorable poster based on one of her favorite books, about jaunty cartoon animals who lived on a ship, and supervised as her mom and dad hung it on the wall opposite the crib.

Killian and Emma suggested that she might pick out a gift for her new baby sister, and she took the idea very seriously, listing suggestions and agonizing over the choice for days but failing to come to a decision.

By the second weekend in December, Killian and Emma were feeling confident in their and their home's readiness to welcome their new daughter.

In the interest of spending some extra time focused on the kids, they talked about bringing Hope and Henry to New York to Christmas shop. But as busy as they were, and with Emma's strong desire to stay close to home in case Winifred delivered early, they decided to go back to Boston (a four-hour-shorter drive) for a quick overnight instead.

Henry had mid-terms coming up and felt he had spent enough time in Boston lately, so he decided to stay behind in Storybrooke with Regina. Emma and Killian still insisted that he have his own special outing, so they had taken him on a horseback riding excursion the week before, on a day that was unseasonably mild.

Thus, on the second Saturday in December, Killian, Emma, and Hope set out in the yellow bug early in the morning as a very light snow began to fall.

The purpose of their trip was both pleasure and business. Killian knew that Emma had grown to relish the Christmas season, and she loved to sightsee in the city when trees and store windows were decorated to the hilt. They also planned to shop, and Hope was determined to finally pick out something for her baby sister.

The business part of it was about Winifred.

As they got to know the young woman and her situation a little better, Killian and Emma learned that the girl had forfeited some non-refundable tuition money for acting classes when she decided to return to Storybrooke. Blue and the other fairies had helped as much as they could, but Winifred had very little savings left for her return to New York.

During his time in the non-magical world, Killian had learned that neither conjuring up money by magic nor trading treasure from magical realms for "real" money was as simple as each sounded.

Unfortunately, in the non-magical world, money conjured by magic could be detected as counterfeit by some commonly used tools.

Trading gold and jewels for money wasn't without risk either. Trading gold and jewels for money wasn't without risk either. Apparently the molecules and whatnot that comprised the Enchanted Forest metals were justdifferent enough to be detectable with certain equipment. He and Emma had found this out the hard way a few years ago during tense trip to a fine jeweler in Boston where they attempted to trade some treasure for cash to start a fund for the cost of Henry's university.

Emma and Killian had waited in antique chairs in front of the jeweler's ornate wooden desk while the man went in the back to inspect some of the "antique coins" and pieces of jewelery that they had brought to sell. The jeweler was discerning and reputable, and it turned out that he had a sophisticated X-Ray machine for testing the quality of the gold.

After the man had been gone for nearly twenty minutes, Emma had begun to get nervous, checking her phone relentlessly and twitching anxiously beside Killian. When he finally returned, the jeweler's face had been impassive, but Killian detected a queer glint in his eye as he inspected himself and Emma more closely, his eye lingering an extra few seconds on Killian's gloved prosthetic hand.

Killian's heart had sunk as the man had guardedly explained that they might be more comfortable at a less reputable establishment, and that it wouldn't be unreasonable for him to be calling the authorities on grifters trying to pass off a strange metal as gold, even if it was an excellent facsimile.

Emma had tapped into the deception skills she had built during her bail bonds person days and assured the jeweler that they were authentic antiques from her grandparents' estate. She even acted offended that he would assume that their motives were untoward before she grabbed Killian's arm and left in an false huff.

From then on, they had been more cautious about trading in gold and jewels from magical realms. They did it only once a year, and only with jewelers that did not use sophisticated testing equipment. Unfortunately, this meant doing business in places that were only a step or two above pawn shops, where they received a lot less value in return.

For Winifred, Killian and Emma had decided that it was worth trading in more gold so that she could have the means to start her education and career fresh after the baby was born.

She had not asked them for anything, and they didn't want to insult her, but she was giving them such an incredible gift. They wanted to give her a gift in return, to help her find her future.

Killian had reluctantly agreed that, despite his years in Storybrooke and months in Boston, Emma was still better suited to deal with the not-so-reputable gold buyers they had found in the city. Therefore, after they checked into their room at a hotel in the Theater District, Emma pulled her grey beanie over her hair and buttoned her red wool coat, ready to do business.

"Are you sure you don't want us to go with you? Wait somewhere nearby? If I recall, Dunkin Donuts restaurants are quite common here. We could find one of those," Killian suggested.

"Yes!" Hope cried, no doubt dreaming of her favorite, chocolate glazed.

Emma shook her head sternly.

"No, you guys have fun at The Pru. This will be quick, I promise. I'll come meet you as soon as I'm done."

She knelt down by the door to their room and pulled Hope into a tight hug.

"See you soon, Little Bean," she whispered to her daughter.

"Okay, Mommy," Hope whispered back, planting a soft kiss on her cheek.

Killian bit back any further pleas to join her, knowing that they'd see her in a few short hours. He returned the light kiss on the lips she gave him after she rose to standing on her tiptoes, and they said goodbye.

Killian took Hope to an early lunch and then for a short ride on the T to the Prudential Center mall. He gazed down at his little girl as they walked through the doors of the upscale shopping center, excited to see her reaction to the place.

The glass-roofed plaza was resplendent with Christmas trees, giant wreaths, and golden stars that hung from the ceiling. Several yards into the mall, a display of white wire reindeer in a snow covered grove moved with slow, animatronic grace.

Hope took it all in with wide eyes and an open mouth. Killian took care to navigate them around other shoppers, as his daughter took no notice of obstacles around her. She only wanted to gaze at the Christmas decorations.

"There will be lots more to see, love," Killian told her gently. "Should we head to the toy store first?"

"Okay, Daddy!" Hope replied. She quickened her pace and tightened her grip on his hand as he led them on.

Killian had only been to this mall once before, and it was during the time when he was cursed in Boston, but before his cursed self had "met" Emma and the kids. At that time, he certainly wasn't in the market for toys. Prior to this trip with Hope, he had to use the Internet to confirm that there was a toy store and find its precise location.

To his delight, he'd learned that there was indeed a toy store, and that it was called "Magic Beans."

Hope had been as excited as he was when he'd told her the name of the shop. She knew enough of his and Emma's story to know just how significant those tiny, magical objects had been to her parents.

Now that he had reminded Hope of their destination, she was practically skipping along the marble mall floor in her pink, shearling-lined boots.

As they walked past the gleaming stores filled with Christmas displays, Killian's mind wandered to a less glamorous part of town.

He wasn't worried about Emma; she could always handle herself. He just hated to think of her all alone, slipping into a persona from a darker time in her life so that she could deal with less-than-savory characters all morning. He just wanted her to come back to him and Hope to spend the rest of the day being warm and safe and surrounded by beauty.

"There it is!" Hope cried, breaking through his thoughts.

She pulled him towards a glass storefront that had a white sign with green lettering that said "Magic Beans." Layered on top of the wall beside the store and "growing" up to tangle across part of the sign, was a bright green beanstalk.

"It's a beanstalk, Dad! Just like the one you and Mommy climbed!"

"Ah, well spotted, lass! Although, the beanstalk Mommy and I faced was much, much taller," Killian said with a smile. "Now, what's our mission?"

"One present for Neal, one for Robin, one for me as reward for being a good girl today, and one for my baby sister from me," the little girl replied easily.

"Excellent, darling!" he replied. He marveled at how bright she was and at how articulate she had become. She also displayed shockingly keen observation and memory skills when she was focused on something.

He knew he was biased, but part of him genuinely believed that she might be the most extraordinary child ever born.

She led him inside the store, and they wandered the aisles in search of the perfect gifts. To her credit, Hope spent as much time picking out presents for Robin and Neal as she did eyeing the displays in search of her own reward.

When they had decided on the gifts for Hope's uncle and friend, and Hope had selected a musical Peppa Pig bus she'd been eyeing for a while, they turned their focus to choosing Hope's gift for the baby.

"Hmm...so what do babies like?" Hope asked as her eyes wandered over a shelf of Thomas and Friends trains.

"Well, love, babies tend to like things that are very soft," he replied, picturing Hope when she was around four months old, laying on a blanket on the floor of their living room. She had a plush yellow duck that he used to place on her belly so that she could try to grab it. When she was successful, she'd put it right in her mouth and slobber all over it. Years of washings had reduced the plushiness, but Hope still had the toy on her bed.

"Oh, and they love things that make music, or any kind of noise," Killian continued, remembering back to lazy mornings playing with Hope and marveling as her bright blue eyes lit up with every new discovery.

"And I seem to recall you enjoying mirrors quite a bit. You take after me with that!" he added cheekily.

They had reached a selection of bath toys, and Hope was eyeing a mesh bag that held a set of brightly colored rubber ducks, octopi, seahorses, and boats.

"Will the baby take baths?" she asked her dad.

"Of course, love. Bath toys would be an excellent choice. We need to train your sister to love the water so that she can become a sailor like you!"

Hope grinned at him. "Aye, aye, Captain Matey!" she replied happily.

Killian pulled the bath toy set off of its hook and held it down for Hope to inspect.

"There's no kraken toy. That would be too scary for babies," she noted sagely.

"Aye, love. That it would."

Killian paid for their purchases, and they left the store. They planned to shop for a gift for Emma next, but Hope required a quick snack break. They sat on a bench, and Killian gave her a container of goldfish shaped cheese crackers. He then pulled out his phone to check for any word from his wife.

When there was no message from Emma, he did start to worry, a little. It wasn't just that he was nervous about the jewelry dealers trying to swindle or accost her; she had a taser and could deal with that.

He was worried about one of the more reputable ones feeling that she was trying to grift them and deciding to call the police on her. His heart clenched every time he imagined her being confronted, or worse, arrested, by a cop.

"Daddy, are you listening to me?" Hope asked him.

"What? Sorry, love," he replied.

Busted. He looked down to see the annoyed expression on her adorable face. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and the dimple in her chin stood out.

She was a tiny, blue-eyed, version of her mother.

"My mind was wandering. I apologize," he continued. "A lass as interesting and lovely as you deserves my full and prompt attention."

He listened intently as she continued talking. The subject was the toys they had picked out for Robin and Neal. Hope wanted his opinion on how soon the two of them would let her have a turn playing with the gifts. He assured her that they would be keen to share, but that she'd have to wait for them to play first and be prepared to share her own gifts. That seemed to satisfy her.

Shortly after, he took her snack container back and placed it in the satchel he kept slung over his shoulder. He slipped their shopping bag over the prosthetic hand and into the crook of his left elbow, took Hope's hand, and off they went in search of something for Emma.

The woman herself texted a short time later to let him know that her first sale had gone well, and she was hoping to only visit two more jewelers before she could join them.

Killian relaxed, and for the rest of the day, he made special effort to listen to every word Hope said, and to savor this time with her. It hit him again that it wouldn't be long before she'd have to share his time with another tiny lass.

Part of him grieved.

For as much as they all would adore the new addition to their family, these moments with just him and Hope would be harder to come by. He promised himself that he would make time for them, just the two of them, as often as he could. He would never let his magical little bean forget how special she was.

After all, it was this little girl who, in this very city, fought the forces of dark magic, recognized him as her father, and reunited their family. She was his tiny, magical miracle.

Later that evening, Killian lounged on the king sized bed in their hotel room. Hope was asleep, nestled into his side. Because they were only staying for one night, he and Emma hadn't bothered with two beds or a roll-away, being content to let Hope sleep with them lest she wake up disoriented in the strange place. He gently stroked her soft blonde tangles as he half watched an ice hockey game at low volume.

The day had been a success. He and Hope had found presents for Emma, and she had met them for an early dinner. She had quietly told him that she was happy with the value she'd received for the gold she'd traded. They would have a meaningful gift for Winifred to help the girl with rent and classes back in New York.

Now, Emma was in a chair by the window, her electric breast pump set on the table beside her as she continued to try to prepare her body to feed the baby.

After researching how adoptive moms could breastfeed, Emma had gone back on birth control for a month to stimulate the hormones that were present in pregnancy. In mid-December, she stopped the pills and began taking herbal medication to stimulate milk production. She combined this with regular pumping from a high grade pump she'd gotten from the hospital.

Early on in the process, Killian had cheekily offered to assist with, ahem, manual stimulation, but that method had proven to be rather distracting.

Now, the soft hum of the pump was a soundtrack to his thoughts, but the rhythm was broken when he heard Emma sigh in frustration.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked, turning to look at her. Now, he was used to the sight of the plastic suction cups and tubing attached to her body. Just after Hope was born, it had quite unnerved him the first time she'd used the pump on what he well knew to be very sensitive parts of her. "No milk tonight?"

"Not much," she replied with a sigh. "I feel like I would need to be doing this twenty-four-seven in order to get anything substantial. Plus, I'm bored! Can you tell me a story or what you're thinking about and keep me entertained while I do this?"

"Aye, love. Apologies. My thoughts went a bit adrift."

"What about?"

He glanced down at the child sleeping against him.

"I know we're ready to do this," he said after a moment. "It's just that, a new baby requires so much attention, and I want to make sure that I don't lose focus on Hope. I know that's partly why we came on this trip, but I'm still worried about afterwards. That she might feel left behind or less important after the baby arrives."

"Oh Killian, it's perfectly normal to feel that way," Emma replied kindly. "It just means you're being a good parent."

He swallowed thickly. Even after their years together, her validation still touched him.

"Tell you what," she continued. "Why don't you and Hope schedule a date, at least once a week? Maybe you can pick her up and take her to Granny's, or take her out sailing on the weekend. Just the two of you. I think she'd love that, and it would give me quiet time for feedings or naps or whatever. We'll make sure we stick to it, even if things get crazy."

"That's a grand idea, Swan," he replied. His heart felt a little easier.

"I think we did a pretty good job with Henry," Emma went on. "He's been amazing about Hope and this baby, too. I mean, I was already an adult, and even I was a little hurt when my parents wanted to have another kid. Although, I'd pretty much just met them. I guess that was the weirdest possible situation."

She rolled her eyes, and Killian chuckled in response, remembering the extreme awkwardness (on many emotional fronts) of Echo Cave back in Neverland.

He heard her sigh as she turned off the pump. He politely looked away and down at Hope as Emma moved to pull the suction cup away from her body. He glanced back up as she was straightening her shirt.

"How'd you do?" he asked.

She sighed and held up the small bottle with barely more than a film of clearish milk at the bottom.

"The expression, 'blood from a stone' comes to mind," she answered bitterly.

"Well, I saw a sorcerer squeeze blood from a stone once in Agrabah. It really wasn't that impressive. Sort of revolting, actually," he replied with a sly smile.

She rolled her eyes at him as she screwed the cap on the tiny bottle of milk and then placed it in the room's mini refrigerator.

"It will come," he added softly, truly anxious to ease her worries. "We knew we would have to feed her formula, mostly. Whatever else you can add is wonderful."

Emma nodded, then turned off one of the lights and climbed into bed with them. She gently moved Hope forward slightly so that she could press her shoulder against Killian's, then pulled the little girl back so that she was resting against both of them. Hope's mouth was slightly open as she slumbered, and her hair fell in soft, curly tangles around her little heart-shaped face. She was adorable.

Killian couldn't help but smile at Emma as she gazed adoringly down at their sleeping daughter, her stress about the milk seemingly forgotten.

"She was so sweet and generous shopping for presents today," Killian said. "She's going to be a wonderful big sister."

"The best," Emma agreed.

---

On the third Friday in December, Emma found herself seated at a round table at Tony's Italian restaurant in Storybrooke. On her right was Hope Swan-Jones, looking lovely in a very Christmas-sy red velvet dress with a satin sash. On her left was Winifred, who was sort of the guest of honor. Snow, Tink, and Blue were also present.

The small, girls-only luncheon had been Snow's and Tink's idea. Everyone had wanted to do something nice for Winifred as she waited out the final weeks of her pregnancy, and the young woman was grateful to get out of the convent for an afternoon.

Emma smiled as she watched Winifred tear off a piece of Italian bread from the basket on the table, dip it in a shallow dish of olive oil, and pop it into her mouth. The young woman closed her eyes in bliss.

"No offense to the convent food, Mother Superior, but this might be the best thing I ever tasted," she said.

Emma snorted. "I'm going to have to give you a list of places to try in Little Italy when you get back to New York," she said smugly. "You haven't tasted anything yet!"

"Hey, you love this place, Emma!" Snow protested, glaring at her daughter. "Killian took Emma here on their first date!" she proudly added for the benefit of the rest of the table.

"Awwwwww," gushed Tink and Winifred in unison.

Emma rolled her eyes but felt a blush creep into her cheeks as she remembered the giddy thrills of that evening.

"Anyway," she said, needing a subject change before her thoughts drifted to the date's good night kiss and her blush got out of control. "Hope, sweetie, do you know what you want? Some spaghetti maybe?"

Hope was busily coloring in the boot-shaped map of Italy that adorned the paper children's menu at Tony's.

"I would liiiiike...a cheeseburger," she said, not even bothering to look up at her mother as she answered.

Emma rolled her eyes before leaning over to look at the menu items listed on what was becoming Hope's latest coloring masterpiece. No cheeseburgers, but Emma decided grilled cheese was a reasonable compromise, and less messy than the pasta options (seriously, grilled cheese was just the best.)

Lunch turned out to be a blast. Tink, as usual, was a font of funny stories and sardonic observations about all the latest town gossip. Winifred asked Emma more questions about New York, and Emma found that she had a lot of ideas and recommendations to share. Thanks to Henry, she had tried pretty much every pizza joint in Manhattan.

Hope loved being included with the big girls, and she sat still for a surprisingly long time. When she finally became restless while waiting for dessert to arrive, Snow took her to the restroom and for a leisurely stroll around the restaurant to look at decorations. They rushed back when dessert was served.

Throughout the luncheon, Emma had watched Winifred carefully, trying to assess whether the girl was truly as relaxed and confident as she seemed. Despite her assurances, Emma knew that there was a chance that Winifred could still change her mind. She could realize that she'd bonded with the baby inside of her, or take one look at her daughter the moment she was born and decide she couldn't part with her.

These days, Emma wasn't as vigilant about protecting her own heart, but she knew she needed to prepare herself, even just a little, for the chance that they wouldn't get this baby.

For now, though, Winifred seemed happy as she finished her plate of tiramisu.

"I'm going to miss being able to eat whatever I want," the young woman sighed as she put her fork down. "I need to get this baby weight off before I start auditioning."

"Well," Snow chimed in quickly, "the breastfeeding really helps. You burn about five hundred extra cal-"

She stopped, realizing her mistake as she noticed that everyone except Hope was starting at her with their mouths open.

"Oh," Snow said, her cheeks reddening. "I mean...I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Winifred told her, with genuine understanding on her face. "I'll just have to hit the gym and take it easy on the carbs for a while!"

Winifred's good humor broke the tension quickly, but Emma still hurt for her, and for her mother, who was clearly embarrassed at her faux pas.

"Holy cow!" Winifred cried suddenly after everyone was finished and Emma had asked for the check.

They all turned to the young woman with worry.

"It's fine! Don't worry!" she said quickly. "The little one is just kicking like crazy. Maybe I shouldn't have eaten so much."

Emma felt the rest of the table sigh with relief.

"Hope," Winifred said as she backed up in her chair away from the table and turned towards Emma and Hope. "Would you like to feel your sister kick?"

Tears sprung to Emma's eyes as Hope's face lit up. The little girl nodded vigorously. Emma helped her out of her chair and lifted her onto her own lap so that she could reach out and feel Winfired's belly.

"Right here," Winifred said as she took Hope's hand and placed it on her bump. "Oh! That was a good one. Did you feel that?"

"I felt it!" Hope cried happily. "Was that the baby KICKING? Why is she kicking?"

"Well, she might be training to be a soccer player, or she might want to be a Radio City Rockette one day, so she's practicing for that," Winifred replied with a glint in her eye.

Hope kept her hand in place as she studied the young woman warily.

"Really?" Hope asked, her arched eyebrow momentarily making her a tiny, blonde version of her father.

"Maybe," Winifred replied. "But maybe it's just getting crowded in there because she's getting bigger, and she's just trying to stretch."

Hope nodded solemnly, seeing the logic to this theory, then squealed in unison with Winifred as they felt another round of kicks.

Once the baby settled down, they all reluctantly dragged their overstuffed selves out of their chairs and out the front door. Winifred was heading back to the convent with Tink and Blue, but Emma pulled her aside outside the restaurant. Hope blessed the young woman with an extra big hug goodbye before Snow took the little girl's hand and walked her toward Emma's car.

"Winifred," Emma began, pulling an envelope out of her bag, "I know we haven't talked about money or payment, but..."

"Emma, you don't have to," Winifred replied quickly.

Emma shook her head quickly to silence the girl's protests.

"Look, nobody was around to help me when I was in your situation, and it sucked. I spent a lot of my life feeling like the world was unfair, and that I couldn't trust anyone. It was a shitty, lonely way to live, pardon my French."

Emma paused, feeling her throat constrict with emotion as she remembered that goddamned bitter loneliness. Winifred stayed quiet as Emma took a moment to compose herself.

"Killian and I want more for you," Emma finally continued. "We want you to know that you have friends, and a support system, always. And we want you to have your best chance to fulfill your dream. So please, take this."

She handed Winifred the envelope of cash. The girl took it in her gloved hand.

"Use it for rent, classes, whatever you need," Emma continued.

"I don't know what to say. Thank you," Winifred replied breathily, her eyes glassy.

"Thank you," Emma replied sincerely. "This has all been so unexpected, but it is such a perfect, wonderful gift. Killian and I want you to know how grateful we are."

Winifred nodded and acquiesced as Emma pulled her into a gentle hug. After, she said a few more profuse thank you's, asking that her gratitude be passed on to Killian as well. They made plans to see each other for her next doctor's appointment, the day after Christmas, then said their goodbyes.

---

The other shoe dropped on Christmas Eve, and Emma was not prepared for it.

The evening started out wonderfully, blissfully calm and pleasant. She, Killian, Henry, and Hope had dinner at home and then each opened one small gift in front of the fire. While Killian read Hope the Grinch book she had received, Emma and Henry chatted quietly about the upcoming addition to the family.

"So, we're going with my name suggestion, right?" Henry said smugly. "I mean, we have to."

Emma smiled at him. He was so excited about his new baby sister and really proud of his idea for her name.

"I don't know, Kid," she teased. "Killian and I might have our own thoughts..."

"None will be as good as mine though!" he protested. "It's even meaningful to Winifred. She loves those movies."

Emma rolled her eyes. Henry's Thanksgiving chat with Winifred about their favorite movies had sparked this idea, and he was not going to let it go. The truth was, she and Killian liked the name too. It really was fitting. She just wasn't ready to commit, and they still had almost three weeks, maybe more, to decide.

Hope went to bed at around eight with little protest, excited to see what bounty Santa would leave her. Killian laid down with her until she fell asleep, then he came downstairs to help Emma with the final wrapping and present placement.

Emma insisted that Henry stay upstairs and read. Even though the jig had been up years ago when it came to Santa, they still liked him to experience the magic of walking downstairs to find oodles of presents under the tree Christmas morning.

When they finished, Killian insisted that Emma sit on the couch and relax while he went to the kitchen to get them some eggnog and rum. She happily agreed, holding onto his hook tightly as he helped her stand up from her spot on the floor by the tree.

She settled herself on the couch at an angle facing the tree and gazed at their Christmas tableau. She and Killian had done a pretty damn good job with the gift-wrapping, especially given the awkward shapes of some of Hope's toys and the fact that they had only three hands between them. The tree lights twinkled splendidly in the dim light, and a fire burned pleasantly in the large fireplace to her left.

She smiled as Killian approached, handed her a tumbler, and sat down on the couch next to her. She took a sip of the sweet, creamy nog, which he had spiced just right with nutmeg and cinnamon. Killian wrapped his left arm around her and she snuggled close as they both continued to admire the tree and the gifts.

"You know, love, I'm quite impressed" Killian murmured into her ear.

"Oh yeah?" she asked lazily, lips curling into a smile.

"I didn't think six-inch ribbon curls were humanly possible. You have quite the talent," he replied, nuzzling her neck between sentences and accentuating the final "t" on talent.

She shivered and couldn't help but lean into him more, craning her head to the side to give him more access.

"Okay," Emma breathed. "This isn't fair, nobody should be able to turn compliments about gift wrapping into sex talk."

"I have my unique set of talents, too," he replied, his voice oozing with sin.

"Don't I know it," she said, closing her eyes as he began to slowly plant soft kisses down her neck.

He paused and she froze when they both heard Emma's phone ring from its spot close by on the coffee table. Lately, she and Killian had both been extra conscious of keeping their phones close and their ringers turned up in case Winifred went into labor early.

It was late, almost ten, but Emma told herself it could still just be her mom calling to finalize plans for Christmas Day.

Her stomach dropped when she grabbed the device and saw that it was Blue.

"Hi Blue," she answered.

"Emma, Winifred started having contractions. They're not four minutes apart yet, but they were painful and close enough together that we decided to bring her to the hospital," Blue's tone was curt as usual, but Emma detected an undercurrent of worry.

"Okay," Emma replied, glancing at Killian, who was looking at her with concern. "Are you there now?"

"No, we're still in the car. Tink's driving us. We'll be there in five minutes. If you want, I can call you after they examine her in the event that it's false labor."

"No, I'm coming down there. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

Emma had learned over the years to trust her gut, and right now her gut was telling her that this was it. She hung up with Blue and went into action mode.

"So this is it?" Killian asked, following her as she strode towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, sounds like it," she replied.

"It's early," Killian said, the worry evident in his voice.

"Three weeks is not too early" Emma replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "Due dates can be wrong, too."

She opened the freezer and took out two frozen bags of breast milk, moving them to the refrigerator so that they could safely defrost.

"We'll want those later," she explained. "Can you pack them in a cooler before you come to the hospital and bring them with you?"

"Am I not coming with you now?" he asked.

"I don't know," she replied, furrowing her brow. "Hope, and Christmas..."

"Aye," he conceded. "I hate the idea of leaving her on Christmas Eve."

"We didn't really plan for this specific scenario."

"Why don't you go?" he said, gently rubbing her arm as they stood in the dim kitchen. "If it turns out to be the real thing, I'll wrap Hope up in blankets, and Henry can drive us all over in his car. We'll bring a bag of presents to unwrap at the hospital, including the gift she picked out for the baby."

"Yeah?" Emma said, her eyes suddenly wet as she envisioned the scene.

"We should all be together, Swan," he replied, his eyes full of sweet sincerity.

She nodded and reached up to gently stroke his cheek. He smiled, and they returned to action mode.

Killian updated Henry, while Emma grabbed her breast pump and packed a tote bag full of things she might need for a night at the hospital. She popped into Hope's room to kiss her forehead, then gave Henry a big goodbye hug.

Killian walked her to the door, holding her tight and kissing the top of her head just for a moment before she headed to the cold car.

When Emma arrived in the waiting area outside of Labor and Delivery at Storybrooke General, Tink was there to greet her.

"Hey, Emma. You got here quick," she said, giving her friend a quick hug.

"Well, I'm the sheriff, so I can speed all I want," Emma answered ruefully.

She pulled back and looked at the blonde fairy. Tink was devoid of makeup, and on her forehead Emma noticed small worry lines that she had never noticed before.

"Did they do the exam?" Emma asked.

"Whale's in there with her now," Tink replied, nodding down the short hallway that led to the Labor and Delivery suites.

"Blue was worried," Emma said. It was a statement, not a question.

Tink winced as she answered.

"Yeah, Winifred had been nauseous for a couple of days, and then today, she had complained to some of the other fairies about a headache before the contractions started. When Blue found out, she immediately thought—"

"Preeclampsia," Emma finished for her. "Shit."

Tink nodded sadly.

"Nobody worried about the nausea?" Emma asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

"No," Tink replied, her voice cracking. "She talked about it like it was just because she was eating too much over the holidays. And the headache just came on today."

Emma's heart twisted as she realized her friend was about to cry. She put an arm around her and hugged her to her side.

"It's okay, it's fine. From what I know about it, it comes on really sudden, and there's no way to know if you're predisposed to it with your first child. She's here, and if it's that, they'll just deliver the baby now."

Tink nodded and wiped at her eyes.

At that moment, Blue appeared in the hallway and walked purposefully toward them.

She and Emma exchanged a nod, and then she got right to the point.

"Winifred has Preeclampsia," Blue told them.

Emma's heart sank. She swallowed thickly and nodded for the woman to continue.

"Her blood pressure is quite high, and Whale thinks it's best to do an emergency C-section now. Emma, she would like you to be in the OR. He said one of the nurses can get you a set of scrubs and a mask."

Emma nodded again, suddenly feeling like she was moving under water. The words Preeclampsia and emergency were echoing in her head over and over.

Why hadn't they been prepared for this?

Why hadn't she thought more seriously that something could go wrong?

She felt blindsided and scared and was barely aware of what she was doing as she dropped her bags on a waiting room chair and moved toward the nearest nurse's station.

But before she could even open her mouth to ask for scrubs, Whale stuck his platinum head out of Winifred's labor suite.

Emma had never seen him look so serious before. And he was yelling.

"People, we need to get this patient into the OR, stat! I need a gurney and extra hands NOW!"

"Whale!" Emma barked. "What is it? What happened?"

"She's seizing. We need to operate now."

He stepped aside to let an orderly with a gurney enter the room, followed by the nurse from the nurse's station.

"I'm coming," Emma told him.

"You can't. She's not even conscious," he replied sternly. "Come on, people, let's go!"

He shouted the last words over his shoulder as he jogged down towards the operating rooms. Two nurses and an orderly quickly followed, pushing Winifred on a gurney.

The young woman's eyes were closed, and her skin was paler than any skin Emma had ever seen on a living person.

Emma wanted to reach for her, comfort her and help in some way, but they were gone in an instant.

Instead, she stood frozen in place, vaguely aware of Blue and Tink murmuring together behind her. Mouth dry, still feeling like she was in slow motion, Emma pulled her phone out of her jacket and called Killian.

He answered on the first ring.

"Love? Is it the real thing?"

Emma tried to speak, but her mouth was so dry that nothing came out. Her legs felt like jelly, and her whole body was cold. She suddenly flashed back to a couple of months ago, when Hope was in the hospital in Boston, comatose because of the nightmares that witch had given her.

Fight, she reminded herself. They need you. You have to be there to fight for them.

"Emma? Darling?" Killian asked when she didn't reply.

"Um, there's a problem," Emma heard herself whisper. She blinked and took a breath to fight the onset of tears then continued, "Winifred has a condition called Preeclampsia. It caused her blood pressure to spike, and she had a seizure. She lost consciousness, and Whale took her in for an emergency C-section."

"Oh, Swan," Killian breathed.

She could almost hear the gears turning in his head on the other end of the line as she waited for him to continue.

"But, she'll be okay? Right?" he asked hopefully. "I remember reading about this condition...as long as they deliver the baby. And they got her to the hospital so quickly..."

"Yeah, I don't know," Emma replied. "She looked bad."

"I'm coming down there."

Emma's eyes filled with tears at the love and determination in his voice.

"Babe," she began thickly. "Hope, and Christmas morning...she should have one of us."

"We were going to bring her..."

"I don't know if she should be here, in case something really goes wrong. And I don't want to put this on Henry, having to stay with her alone during a crisis..."

Killian was quiet for a moment.

"All right," he said firmly. "I'm going to call David to see if he can stay here with Hope and Henry for a few hours so that I can be with you. Neal will be sleeping by now anyway. When we have news, one of us will head home, or perhaps Dave can bring Henry and Hope here."

"Okay," she whispered, nodding. "Thank you. Kiss the kids for me, please. I'll let you know as soon as they tell me anything about Winifred and the baby."

"Aye, love. It will be all right."

Despite knowing how scared he must have been, she could imagine his hopeful nod and kind smile in her mind, and it helped a little.

Emma began to pace the waiting room while Blue and Tink sat in chairs. For a little while, Blue held her hands together and put her head down, looking like she was praying. Emma wasn't religious, but she said her own quiet internal prayers to anyone or anything that might be listening that the two young lives in jeopardy tonight would be saved.

Killian showed up thirty minutes after she talked to him, having summoned David and woken Henry up to let him know what was going on.

A few tears came when she saw him, anxious, frustrated tears that did little to relieve the stress from which they were born. He clutched her close while she grasped his shirt in her fists, rested her forehead against his chest and took deep breaths to calm herself.

She filled him in on what she knew, and he gently questioned Tink and Blue about the onset of Winifred's symptoms. He reiterated Emma's assurances that, with that condition, there is little you can do until it's almost too late.

They waited quietly for a while, constantly checking phones and watches with worry. Tink was just offering to go get coffee when Dr. Whale emerged from the hallway that led to the OR.

He was sweating and still looked as serious and worried as Emma had ever seen him, but he offered a wan smile.

"It's a girl," he said. "Six pounds, two ounces."

"She's okay?" Emma cried.

"She's okay. I did send her to the NICU. She is a little premature and her Apgar scores were okay but not great, which isn't unusual in cases like this. We just want to make sure her lungs are strong and that she's breathing well on her own. You should be able to see her soon."

Killian let out a relieved laugh-sob and Emma nodded through tears. But she didn't miss the way Whale's expression darkened as he prepared to update them on Winifred.

"And?" Blue urged.

"Because of the Preeclampsia, Winifred suffered a seizure before we took her to the OR. With her elevated blood pressure, the surgery took a toll on her and it took some time to get her bleeding under control. She still hasn't regained consciousness, and I need to try to figure out why."

"What do you think it is? What is it usually in these cases?" Emma prodded, acutely aware of how small their town was and of Whale's unorthodox medical training.

"It could have been a small stroke," Whale said. "Temporary loss of blood flow to the brain. We still need to run more tests. Honestly, we're lucky she started having contractions and decided to come here so quickly. It could have been much worse."

Emma nodded as Killian put his hand on her back for support.

She kept thinking of that funny, vibrant girl, now pale and silenced. How crazy it was that she could be suffering from something as serious as a stroke, something that Emma thought was only supposed to happen to old people.

They couldn't see Winifred yet, so Blue and Tink agreed to wait while Emma and Killian headed up to the NICU to see the baby. Killian texted David a quick update as they walked.

As they approached the glass window, Emma noticed right away that only one of the room's six incubators was occupied. She stopped short and moved close to the glass, watching as one of the nurses checked a monitor next to the clear plastic bed that held her daughter.

Her daughter. It didn't seem real yet.

But there she was, this tiny (much smaller than Hope, who'd weighed in at seven and a half pounds) pink baby. Emma wasn't sure from this distance, but she thought she detected a reddish tinge to the fuzz on her tiny head.

"Do you want to go in, love?" Killian asked. "The nurse gave us a wave that we could."

"Yeah, I'm just...it wasn't supposed to be like this. She was supposed to have it so much better than I did. Not be punished for years for one mistake. We are getting this gift, but maybe at the expense of Winifred's life...how is that possible? How is that fair?"

Her voice broke on the last word, and she took a breath to gather herself.

"It's not fair, love," Killian replied softly. "But all is not lost, and this babe still needs us. Needs you. More than anything."

Emma broke free from her conflicting thoughts long enough to look up and meet his eyes. She managed a small smile and replied, "You're right. Let's go meet our daughter."

Inside the small room, the nurse monitoring their little girl's condition let them know that her vitals were good, and that she was breathing well on her own. In fact, she was doing well enough that she could be taken out of the incubator and given some precious skin-to-skin contact, if that's what they wanted.

Emma nodded a yes, awestruck as she moved closer to the incubator and looked at the beautiful baby inside.

"Hi there, little one," she said.

They had sanitized their hands on the way in, and after gaining an approving nod from the nurse, Emma reached through one of holes in the incubator and touched her daughter's tiny hand. Her skin was so delicate, and drier than one would think. She was squirming a little, the way babies did, and that comforted Emma.

She was tiny, but Emma felt in her gut that she was going to be okay. She breathed a sigh of relief as she continued to stroke the tiny hand with her finger.

"I can take her out, if you want to sit in that chair over there," the nurse told them.

Emma nodded, unable to take her eyes off the tiny pink person with the red fuzz for hair. She stepped away as the nurse approached and moved towards the chair.

Now, all her memories of having a newborn began to kick in. She matter of factly pulled off her sweater and sat down in the chair wearing just her camisole. She pulled the straps down her arms, revealing most of her chest, as the nurse picked up the diaper-clad baby. Emma felt Killian's eyes on them as the woman placed the tiny child on Emma's chest.

Emma held her gently, marveling again at how little six pounds was (especially when you are used to carrying around an almost-four-year-old.) The baby squirmed the tiny bit and scrunched up her face, then seemed to relax against Emma's warm skin.

"Okay?" the nurse asked.

Emma nodded, and the woman gently covered them with a thin sheet.

Killian knelt beside the chair, on Emma's right.

"Go ahead," she said, smiling, knowing he was dying to touch their new daughter.

He laughed nervously, then reached up and gently stroked the baby's back. Emma thought she felt the baby sigh and relax even more.

They were quiet for a few minutes, just taking it all in.

"Have you fed her?" Emma asked the nurse after a while.

The woman nodded and replied, "Yes, a little formula with a medicine dropper."

"Oh, we have breastmilk!" Killian suddenly exclaimed, remembering the small cooler he had slung over his shoulder. He stood and gave it to the nurse.

"That's wonderful," the woman replied. "We'll alternate this and the formula so she gets used to both."

"Can I try to nurse her?" Emma asked.

"You can try," the nurse replied. "Often, premature babies have trouble latching, so don't get frustrated if it takes some time. It's great that she's just getting used to your scent and your touch."

As it turned out, the baby fell asleep before Emma could try to nurse her, so she just rocked her while Killian knelt beside them, enjoying the moment.

After about fifteen minutes, the nurse needed to take her back to the incubator, and Emma reluctantly acquiesced. She adjusted her camisole and pulled on her sweater, all while watching her daughter closely as the woman wrapped her and placed her in the warm bed, replacing the monitor on her tiny finger.

"Emma," Killian said softly as they backed toward the doorway. "If you'd like to stay here, I'll go check on Winifred."

"Yeah, that would be good," Emma replied, her voice thick as the sad half of their situation hit her again. "Text me with whatever you find out."

Killian nodded. He took her hand gently and brought it to his lips.

"It's going to be okay," he said after brushing his lips across her knuckles.

She nodded, unable to voice a reply. She wished she felt as hopeful.

The moment was interrupted by the nurse.

"Hey, one question, Mom and Dad: does this little one have a name?"

Killian lowered Emma's hand and, smiling cheekily, gave her a little nod.

"It's Leia," Emma replied.

---

Downstairs, in the hospital's intensive care unit, Killian found Tink waiting in another tiny waiting room. She stood immediately upon seeing him.

"How's the baby?" she chirped.

"She's wonderful," he replied, unable to help breaking out into a broad smile. "She's breathing okay, and Emma got to hold her, and she's beautiful."

He saw his old friend's eyes fill with tears, and he hugged her back when she flung her arms around his neck.

"I'm so glad," she replied, pulling away. "Now if Winifred would just wake up..."

Killian felt his heart sink.

"So, no change?" he asked Tink.

The fairy shook her head sadly.

"None at all. They still think it was a stroke, but Whale can't find any meaningful loss of blood flow to the brain. He's afraid to give her blood thinners because of the surgery and the bleeding, so now he's just waiting."

"Bloody hell," Killian muttered.

He wondered if they should be doing more for her, trying to move her. He thought about the hospitals that he'd been in in Boston, after his fall down the stairs and when Hope was sick. Those places were so much bigger, had so much more equipment and staff. He thought that another facility could be doing more for her, but he had no idea if it would be safe to move her or whether Whale would give him a straight answer on the matter.

He didn't want to bother Emma while she spent time with Leia, so he decided to call his best friend.

David answered on the first ring and sounded as if it was the middle of the afternoon, rather than the middle of the night. Killian filled him in on the situation, trying to keep his voice level despite the emotions he was feeling.

David was always a source of comfort to him, equal parts friend and big brother. Killian's eyes filled with tears as the man whooped with joy on hearing that little Leia was okay.

He sensed David listening intently as he told him about Winifred and asked whether they should move her. David seemed skeptical.

He assured Killian that, because Whale had been the only doctor in town for years, he had a lot of practical experience. He also noted that Mary Margaret, as part of her volunteer work at the hospital, had done fundraising to make sure the MRI machine and other key pieces of equipment were kept up to date. He believed that the young aspiring actress was safest there for now, and Killian accepted his advice.

"So, Hope and Henry are going to be up in just a few hours," David reminded him. "What do you want to do? Should I bring them to see their new baby sister?"

Killian sighed, trying to envision what Hope would be like if she found out the baby had arrived but she wasn't permitted to see her. Images of foot stomping and magically flashing Christmas tree lights, perhaps even a few exploding glass balls, flashed through his head.

"I'll come back and get them after I check in on Winifred and Leia once more. That way, you can head home for Christmas morning."

David offered to drive Hope and Henry over to the hospital himself, but Killian insisted that he should be with Neal and Mary Margaret first thing in the morning.

The plan agreed, Killian thanked his father-in-law and prepared to hang up.

"Killian?" David said before they disconnected. "Henry's going to go crazy for the name."

Killian could hear the smile on David's face.

"Aye, he was pretty insistent," Killian replied, managing to smile himself.

"Congratulations, Killian," David said sincerely.

"Thanks, mate."

After hanging up, Killian moved towards the doorway of the ICU room where they were treating Winifred. Inside, he found Blue sitting by the girl's bedside, gently holding her hand.

The machines and monitors hooked up to the pale and deathly still girl gave Killian flashbacks to that terrible day when Hope was unconscious in Boston's Children's Hospital.

Blue spoke to him without turning away from her young charge.

"How is the baby?"

"She's all right," he replied softly, his eyes locked on Winifred's pale face. Even her freckles seemed to have faded. She didn't look like herself at all, and it made him heartsick.

"Emma's with her," he continued. "They think she'll only need to be in that neonatal care room for a couple of days."

"That's good," Blue replied, a small smile turning up the corners of her mouth. "That's wonderful," she continued, reaching up to gently stroke the young patient's forehead. "Now, we just need some help on this front. She needs to find her way back to us."

Killian nodded, trying to reconcile the woman's words with what he'd learned over the past few years of this world's medical practices.

"Is there nothing we can do?" he asked finally.

"We can talk to her," she replied, finally turning to him. "Remind her that we're here, and that we want her to come back. You could tell her about the baby."

Killian swallowed nervously but nodded. Blue stood and indicated he should take her chair. He sat and gently took Winifred's hand the way the other woman had been holding it.

Winifred's skin was disconcertingly cold, and that made him sad. Everything about the girl he knew was warm and fiery. He wondered if she was really even in there.

"Hello, love," Killian said quietly. "It's Killian. I just wanted to let you know that the baby, she's fine. We're calling her Leia. According to Henry, you should approve given your love of 'Star Wars.' She's with Emma and she's going to be okay," his voice broke as he remembered the vision of the love of his life upstairs cradling the new babe.

"So, thank you," he continued. "We want to thank you for this incredible gift that you've given us. But for us to thank you properly, you need to come back to us. Please, find your way back. New York is waiting for you. Those theater people will be astonished by you, but you have to get there first. Please, we're all here for you."

After he finished, he watched her face intently, desperate for some sign of life. But there was nothing.

A few minutes passed, then Killian resigned himself to the continued quiet. He sighed and wiped away the tears that had formed in the corners of his eyes.

He and Blue switched places again, and Blue patted his hand gently before taking Winifred's again.

He lingered in the doorway for a moment more, hoping against hope that something might change. Then he headed back to the NICU to tell Emma he was going home to get their other children.

Emma agreed that it would be best to bring the kids to see Leia so that they could all spend Christmas morning together. Killian stood by her chair in the NICU and they chatted as they stared at the newest member of their family.

He took a turn placing his hand into the incubator to stroke Leia's tiny arm. As he did so, he thought of the baby-proofed hook at the end of his left wrist and wondered whether this child would learn to accept it like her sister had, grasping it just like it was a hand. Like he was whole and normal.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Emma watching them tenderly, but when he turned to meet her eyes he saw the depths of sadness and worry behind them.

He embraced her once more, took a last look at Leia, and headed home, wishing he had the power to snap his fingers and bring Winifred back.

---

Emma stayed in the NICU for a few hours after Killian left, not caring that she wasn't going to get any sleep. She attempted to breastfeed Leia, but the tiny child wouldn't latch, so Emma settled for giving her breastmilk through the medicine dropper the way the nurse had shown her. While she sat in the NICU, she pumped a couple of times in order to keep up her supply.

As the hours passed, Emma thought she could see clear signs of improvement in Leia's strength and alertness, and the nurse agreed.

It was just before six on Christmas morning when Killian texted that he, Henry, and Hope were on their way to the hospital. Emma pressed two fingers to her lips and kissed them, then passed the kiss on to baby Leia, who was wrapped and asleep in the incubator.

On her way back to the Labor and Delivery waiting room, where she had agreed to meet Killian and the kids, she stopped by the ICU. She had checked in earlier, but Blue told her that they had taken Winifred for more tests. Emma hadn't seen the girl since before she'd been taken to the OR for her C-section.

This time, Winifred was back in her room. Emma quietly entered and stood by the bed as Blue watched from a chair against the wall (Tink had headed to the convent to update the other fairies in person and to get a few hours of rest.)

"So, no change?" Emma asked quietly after watching the pale girl for a few minutes. "Nothing at all?"

"They still can't find the specific cause. It could have been a blood clot, or fluid on her lungs, but whatever it is isn't showing up on the usual tests," Blue replied sadly.

Emma nodded, swallowing back her disappointment.

And her guilt.

She knew in her head that Leia was supposed to be theirs, and that it what's Winifred had wanted. But in her gut, all she could think about was how unfair it was that their perfect little daughter may have come at the expense of Winifred's life.

Emma pulled a chair close to the bed and spoke to the girl for a few minutes as Killian had done. She gave her an update on Leia but couldn't think much else to say.

"I'm sorry," she muttered finally. "This sucks, and it isn't fair, and I'm really, really sorry that you're so sick. We all want you back. So just, please wake up!"

Of course, nothing changed.

Emma fought to maintain her composure, but she felt like throwing something. Or maybe punching Whale (that seemed to have worked for her dad once.)

The memory that her kids were going to be there soon forced her to get it together. She sighed to gather herself, then gave Winifred's hand a small squeeze.

"Merry Christmas, kiddo," Emma muttered sadly, by way of goodbye.

Emma arrived at the brightly lit Labor and Delivery waiting room just in time to see Killian, Henry, and Hope ambling towards the room from the opposite hallway.

Henry looked uncharacteristically disgruntled, this was early for a teenager, even for Christmas morning.

Killian was carrying Hope in what Emma liked to think of as her "koala pose." He supported her bottom in the crook of his elbow, and she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, her tiny soft cheek pressed against his beard.

Tears sprung to Emma's eyes as she took in the sight of her family, and she was once again hit with a wave of gratitude for the miracle her life had become.

"Mommy!" Hope cried upon seeing her.

They reached for each other when they met in the middle of the waiting room, and Emma pulled Hope into her arms and hugged her tight.

"Mom, the baby and Santa came last night!" Hope cried, pulling back to look at her mom with delight in her eyes.

"I know, sweetie. Isn't that amazing?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, so amazing she woke up at five because she was so excited," Henry muttered, stepping to Emma's side.

She shifted Hope to one side pulled her tall son against her with her free arm.

"Yeah, it's early, Kid. Thanks for getting up."

"I'm kidding," Henry replied. He brightened and added, "I am really excited to meet little Leia!"

Emma glared at Killian.

"You told him?" she cried. "I thought we were going to tell him together!"

Killian reached up to scratch the back of his neck.

"Well," he said, "the lad guessed, and I just don't have the poker face that I once did."

Emma laughed. She released Henry, grabbed Killian's shoulder, and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"I forgive you," she said. "So, I see you brought some of the loot from Santa?" She nodded down at the two large shopping bags that Henry had placed by some chairs.

"Yep! We're going to open presents (pwesents.) I brought one for Baby Leia!" Hope cried excitedly.

"Do you want to do that first, or do you want to go meet Leia?" Emma asked, shifting Hope in her arms so that she was looking at her straight on.

The little girl scrunched up her face adorably. Clearly this was a true dilemma. The other three chuckled as the child considered her choice.

Finally she said, "I think...baby first."

"Excellent choice," Killian told her, taking her back from Emma in preparation for the walk to the NICU.

The four of them headed to the small room with the big glass window. They stopped at the window to point out Leia, and so that Emma could gently explain to Hope why she was in a glass bed and why there was a wire attached to a clip on her finger.

Hope seemed to take it in stride, understanding that the baby had been born just before she was done baking, and that they had to be extra gentle with her for that reason.

Everyone cleaned their hands before they entered, and Emma and the kids huddled around the incubator while Killian stood behind Henry and watched over his shoulder.

"Man, she is so little," Henry breathed, carefully reaching through one of the holes to stroke Leia's tiny hand.

"She'll catch up," Emma assured him.

"Was I a baby like this?" Hope asked, studying her small, pink sister intently.

"Sort of like this, lass," Killian replied. "Just a bit bigger, and the hair on your head was kind of a light brown, not red."

"I had brown hair?" Hope cried, turning to look at her dad.

"Just for a month or so," he replied. "Then it fell out, and came in blonde like it is now."

"Huh," Hope replied. This was new information to her. "Will the baby's hair fall out and change color?"

"It might," Emma replied. "Or it might stay red. We just have to wait and see."

They fussed over little Leia for a few more minutes before Hope began to squirm in Emma's arms. Emma and Killian exchanged a glance.

"So is it present time, kids?" Emma asked them.

"Sure," Henry replied.

"Yes. But can we see Winifred (Winnie-fwed) first?" Hope asked.

This time Emma and Henry, who knew a little about the gravity of Winifred's condition, exchanged worried looks.

Killian stepped in, plucking Hope from Emma's arms and speaking softly to her.

"Lass, remember how I told you that Miss Winifred got a little bit sick after she had Leia?" he said.

"Yeah. Maybe we can bring her some soup!" Hope replied.

"That's a grand idea, love. Maybe when she's feeling a bit better. But right now, she's sleeping, and I'm afraid she needs more rest before we can see her."

Emma sighed with relief as Hope nodded and seemed to accept that. She soon turned her attention back to presents. They all whispered goodbyes to Leia and headed back to the waiting room to celebrate an unorthodox Christmas morning.

Killian and Henry ran to fetch coffee and hot chocolate from the cafeteria, while Emma and Hope arranged presents under the small fake tree in the waiting room.

Hope, who could spell her own name and recognize it when written, carefully inspected each of the packages that were for her.

Emma responded to a Merry Christmas/Any Updates text from her mom. Snow texted back telling her that they were coming to see the baby as soon as Neal opened his presents. Thinking back to how that kid had torn through his packages at his last birthday, Emma expected them within the hour.

They opened presents when the boys returned. Emma and Killian mostly watched and helped clean up paper and bows.

Henry's haul was modest this year. Emma, Killian and Regina had jointly got him a used car back in the Fall as a combined Christmas and Birthday gift.

Hope was happy with her collection of toys and books, and once all the gifts were open, she settled happily against Henry as he read The Day the Crayons Quit to her.

Emma watched them, her heart bursting with love and gratitude for her (three!) healthy kids. When she glanced at Killian, expecting to see the same feeling reflected in his eyes, she was surprised to see that his brow was furrowed in thought.

She reached over and grabbed his hook.

"I know," she said as he turned to her. "I went to see her earlier. There's no change."

"Emma," he said after a beat. "Can I speak to you about something, out of the children's earshot?"

She nodded, and they quietly stepped away to the far corner of the waiting room.

"What is it, babe?" Emma asked him, rubbing his arm, as he was clearly struggling with something.

"I think we should let Hope try to heal Winifred," he said softly.

"Killian—"

"Hear me out, love," he replied. When she nodded, he continued, "I know you worry about magical healing, especially when the injury or illness is complex."

"Yeah, I worry about it because it doesn't work! I can use my magic to heal a bump on someone's head, but they may still have a concussion inside. It's just, like, surface level stuff. I'm too scared that I'll mess up something really complicated and make it worse."

"I know, Swan, but what if that's just it, the fear?"

"What?"

"When Hope uses her magic, she's acting on unbridled instinct, and she doesn't hold back. It's like her power is conjured up from her innate sense of love and righteousness, and she's using it to set things right, the way they're supposed to be. She just does it, with no fear."

"Killian, are you trying to pirate-splain to me how magic works?" Emma chided him, only half joking.

"Of course not, love. Your magic is extraordinary, and you wield it with wisdom and grace," he replied, raising his eyebrow charmingly.

She chuckled in spite of her earlier annoyance.

"Emma," Killian went on, turning serious, "when I fell off the ladder in the shed a few weeks ago, I was hurt pretty badly."

"Killian—" she began slowly, hearing the warning note in her own voice. "How badly?"

"Well, I was actually passed out for a little while. And when I woke up and stumbled back into the house to you, I was quite dizzy."

"What?" she cried.

They both froze as the kids looked over at her raised voice. Emma gave them a nonchalant wave, and Hope and Henry went back to their book.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?" Emma said softly.

"I didn't want to worry you. Or have you yell at me for my recklessness as you are doing now," he replied with a glint of humor in his eye.

She rolled her eyes at his cheek.

"The point is," he continued, "that when Hope healed my cut, the dizziness went away. It didn't slowly fade, it simply just disappeared. Completely, instantly, as soon as she touched me."

"Killian," Emma said patiently, "I think I get what you're trying to say, but we don't know for sure that all of that was because of Hope. And even if it was, what's wrong with Winifred is so much more serious..."

"But what could it hurt, love?" he pleaded. "What if we just let her try? You know your daughter. I believe that if we let Hope see Winifred, her first instinct will be to try to heal her. Do you really think she could make it worse?"

Emma was quiet. She was still scared. The consequences for everyone would be unthinkable if somehow Hope did make it worse.

"Emma, she won't be afraid," Killian said quietly. He took her arm and turned her gently so that they were both looking at Hope. "Her magic is pure love. When she uses it, it's with a completely true and open heart. If we help her believe she can do it, I think that she will."

Emma turned away from the kids back to Killian. He was right about the fear. Emma had been an adult when she learned that she had magic. For her, using her power had always been laced with a dangerous amount of terror that she would lose control and hurt someone.

As much as they wanted to help Hope learn to respect and control her magic, they had also worked hard to make sure that she wasn't afraid of it. That was the difference between her and Emma.

That and the extra power Hope gained from being the second generation product of True Love.

Emma thought of the fiery, passionate young woman who now seemed to be drained of life in a quiet room just few hundred feet away.

"We could try," she said softly, her voice filled with a mixture of the anguish she felt about Winfired's condition and hope that Killian's suggestion might work.

Killian gave her his customary nod of encouragement, his blue eyes sparkling with hope. She smiled and leaned forward, and he bent down to touch her forehead with his own.

They went back to Hope and Henry and spent a few more minutes enjoying the spoils of Christmas morning.

Emma went to speak to Blue about Killian's idea.

The experienced fairy was usually cautious, but Blue had been present when Hope had healed the young, sickly dark fairy just a couple of months ago. After looking at Winifred's pale lifeless form for a few long moments, she agreed with Emma that it was worth letting the young child try.

Back in the waiting room, Killian sat in a chair and pulled Hope onto his lap. Emma sat beside them and took her daughter's little hand.

"Sweetheart, remember before when you asked about Winifred?" Emma began.

"Yep!" Hope replied. Despite the still-early hour and the busy morning they'd had so far, she still had her usual energy.

"Well, she's actually pretty sick. Something in her body is making it so she won't wake up. The doctors have tried to make it better, but so far, they haven't been able to."

"Is it like when I was sleeping in the hospital?"

Emma winced. The memory of Hope's nightmare-induced coma always turned her insides to jelly.

"Not quite like that, love," Killian interjected. "It's not a magical illness or a curse. It's just something wrong inside of her, but we're not sure what."

"So she's sleeping?"

"It's like she's sleeping, yes," he replied. Then, after a beat, he added, "We thought you might like to see her, and that maybe you could help her, the way you help people sometimes."

"You mean wake her up? Like when I wake up Mommy in the morning?"

Henry, listening nearby, snorted at that.

"Not quite like that, baby," Emma replied, smiling slightly. "More like, when you fixed Daddy's head a couple weeks ago after he fell off the ladder."

"Ohhhhhh," Hope replied. "Okay!" she added brightly after thinking it over for a moment.

"Yeah?" Killian said.

"Sure! I can fix the boo-boo."

Emma and Killian exchanged glances. The problem was, there was no visible 'boo-boo' with Winifred, but they silently agreed to cross that bridge when they came to it. Maybe Hope would just understand.

Henry decided to wait in the waiting room. David, Snow, Neal, and now Regina were all on their way, so he would greet them and fill them in. He gave his little sister a hug and wished her good luck. She rewarded him with a confident 'thumbs up' in return.

Killian carried Hope as they walked to Winifred's room, where they found Blue talking softly with Whale. The normally smug doctor looked tired and defeated, and he nodded at the family as they entered the patient's room. He and Blue backed up towards the door while Emma led Hope to Winifred's beside.

Emma sat in a chair near the head of the bed and pulled Hope onto her lap. Killian stood close by, just to their left, gently stroking his daughter's hair. Emma explained again how Winifred had gotten sick after having Leia, and now they weren't sure why she wouldn't wake up.

Hope was brave, despite the quiet and pallid appearance of her friend. She gently reached out and touched the young woman's arm, then suddenly turned back to Emma with a worried expression.

"She's going to miss Christmas!" the little girl exclaimed.

"She might, love," Killian replied.

"But we got her a present," Hope added.

It was true, they had picked out a small painting of the rocky Maine coast that Winifred could hang on the wall of her New York apartment.

"Aye," Killian said. "It would be lovely if you could give it to her."

Hope nodded, and her features took on a determined set that she'd clearly inherited from Emma.

She reached out again to take Winifred's arm.

"Time to wake up, Winni-fwed! It's Christmas!" she said earnestly.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, Emma felt a sense of warmth emanating from the child on her lap. Suddenly, the overhead lights flickered then went out. But the room wasn't dark.

A glowing white light was emanating from Hope's hands. It spread out from her fingertips up Winifred's arm and grew until it suffused her whole body with its pale glow. Her skin was already so white, the light made it seem like you could see right through her, like she was some kind of ghost or angel.

Emma couldn't have said how much time passed; it might have been a few seconds or a few minutes. But she wasn't afraid. And even more, she knew in heart that Hope wasn't afraid.

The little girl was just setting things right.

Finally, the light on Winifred's skin faded, and Hope pulled away. She slumped back slightly against Emma. The hospital lights blinked back on.

"There," Hope said simply.

Emma looked at Winifred, who was still unconscious. She shot a worried glance at Killian, who knelt down beside them, took Hope's little hand in his own and kissed it sweetly.

"Well done, love," he said.

Maybe he'd sensed some movement from the young woman on the bed, or maybe his faith in Hope was just that strong, because he seemed to realize that it had worked before Emma did.

She looked back at Winifred and, sure enough, the young woman's eyelashes began to flutter.

Emma's breath caught in her throat as she watched, and she pleaded silently for everything to be okay.

"Hey guys," Winifred croaked, finally opening her eyes.

Blue strode to the bed, and Emma saw tears in her eyes.

It was Hope that spoke first.

"Good morning! It's Christmas!"

Winifred looked at the little girl with confusion for a moment, then smiled.

"It is?" she said tiredly.

Whale stepped into the room then, and Emma, Killian and Hope backed away so that he could help Winifred sit up and get her a small sip of water.

They all watched as she seemed to orient herself. After a few minutes, a strange expression passed over her features.

"The baby?" she said.

"She's upstairs," Emma replied. "She's fine, and she's beautiful. You did amazing." Her voice was thick and full of tears.

She was a little ashamed to find that she was afraid. What if, after all this, after almost dying, Winifred had changed her mind about the adoption?

"Good, that's good," Winifred replied. "Congratulations," she added, meeting Emma's eyes with more strength than Emma would have thought possible from someone who had been so ill.

"We're so happy that you're all right," Killian told her, and Emma could hear the emotion in his voice. "You gave us quite a scare."

Winifred nodded then said, "I guess it's not too bad. I didn't have to push."

She smiled wanly at her joke and they all chuckled.

She looked up at Hope.

"Thank you, Hope," Winifred said. "I know what you did for me. I could feel your light bringing me back."

Hope shrugged.

"You were going to miss Christmas," the little girl replied matter-of-factly.

"Okay, this is all adorable, but the patient needs some rest and some time to adjust," Whale told them. "Everybody out."

As they left, Emma glanced back at Winifred one more time. The girl looked tired and sad, Emma thought. But she managed one more small smile in Emma's direction before she rested her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes.

---

The rest of the morning was filled with celebration. Emma, Killian, and Hope found the other members of their family anxiously awaiting their arrival in the waiting room they had taken over in Labor and Delivery.

There were hugs and tears, and gifts were exchanged. David and Snow couldn't wait to see the baby, so Emma led them up to the NICU where they ooohed and awwed as they looked at the little angel through the window.

Snow cried and gushed about how cute she was. David pulled Emma into a long hug, holding the back of her head as he always did. They left to rejoin the party, and she stayed with her baby.

Inside the NICU, she held her daughter close against her breast again. For a few minutes, Leia rooted more actively than she had before, but when Emma tried to place her tiny mouth on her nipple, she took it gently and fell right to sleep.

"Well, I'm glad you're comfortable, anyway," she said with a sigh, smiling down at the tiny, red fuzz-covered head.

"We're so happy you're here, you know," Emma continued. "It was a little bit of winding road, but you're part of our family now, and we love you very, very much."

Leia sighed in her sleep. A few quiet tears spilled from Emma's eyes as she continued to rock her newest little love.

That afternoon, after all of the others had gone home to prepare for Christmas dinner, Emma stopped by Winifred's room again. She knocked quietly, and the tired girl greeted her warmly.

"So, did everyone have a nice Christmas?" Winifred asked wryly as Emma sat down by the bed.

"It will be one to remember, that's for sure," Emma replied with a roll of her eyes. She turned serious and added, "Look, I wanted to see you, now that you're feeling a little better and ask, do you want to see her?"

Winifred closed her eyes at the complicated question.

Emma bit her lip, nervously awaiting the girl's response.

Finally, the young woman in the bed shook her head.

"She's yours, Emma," Winifred said. "I've been thinking of her as yours since before I even met you, and now that she's here, I still think of her that way. It feels right. I'm worried that seeing her might, I don't know, muddy the waters."

Emma took a breath to gather her strength. She didn't want to say the next part, but she knew she'd hate herself if she didn't.

"Winifred, maybe muddying the waters is okay, though. Maybe you should give yourself a chance to see how you feel," Emma said finally.

"Emma, I know what you're doing, but it's okay," Winifred told her. Her voice was gaining strength as she spoke. "She's yours. And it does hurt. But I know where I need to be, and it's not here. And it's not taking care of a baby or a kid. I just want to keep thinking of her as belonging to you and Killian. I want to keep knowing that she's going to the home she deserves."

Emma still must have looked as worried as she felt, because Winifred took her hand and squeezed it.

"Her best chance, Emma. That's what you are. I have no doubts. As soon as I feel better, I'm going back to New York. I have lot to do there," Winifred finished.

Emma nodded, finally starting to believe.

"If you ever want to know about her," Emma said. "Just call, or write, or email us. We can keep you updated as much or as little as you want."

Winifred nodded. "Maybe. I'll think about it."

"And we'll look for you on TV," Emma added with a grin.

"You'll find me!" Winifred replied.

They chatted a little more before it was time for Emma to head home. She wanted to eat and change and visit everyone for a while before coming back again that evening to be with Leia.

Emma and Winifred thanked each other, and they hugged. They both cried a little. Emma promised to stop in every day until Winifred was released, but assured her that they didn't have to talk about Leia if she didn't want to.

As they were saying their goodbyes, Tink and another young fairy arrived to visit. Emma took her leave, grateful she was leaving the young aspiring actress in the care of friends.

---

Three days later, the Swan-Joneses brought Leia home.

There was a flurry of activity as they settled in. Hope insisted on leading the group up to Leia's room to show it to her, proudly pointing out the artwork that Hope herself had chosen.

Killian held Leia up on his shoulder and turned his back so that the tiny baby could appreciate the view of her new space. He put his face close to her tiny one and nodded his head, as if the baby had just whispered something to him.

"Leia approves," Killian told them. Then, winking at Hope, he added, "She especially likes the art."

Hope beamed up at them both in response.

Throughout the day, Emma and Killian took turns feeding the baby. She still wasn't latching, but Emma had faith that it would happen. In the afternoon, Emma took a nap when Leia did. Henry and Killian cooked for the family while Hope played with her Christmas toys.

After dinner, they sat around the living room, alternately gazing at the tiny baby squirming in Emma's arms and admiring the tree that still stood.

"We'll take it down after New Year's," Emma said tiredly.

They all nodded in agreement, too exhausted from all the baby stuff to think about de-Christmasing the brilliantly decorated house.

"Guys," Hope said suddenly. "Look what I can do!"

Before anyone could respond, the little girl began to stare at the tree intently. The colorful lights blinked off, then back on, then flashed half a dozen times in quick succession.

"Well done, lass," Killian said proudly.

"Hey, since Winifred is a fairy, is there a chance that Leia has magic?" Henry asked.

"Maybe," Emma replied. "I'm not sure how all that works. I kept meaning to ask Blue."

"She has it," Hope said confidently.

"Aye, lass?" Killian replied. "How do you know?"

Hope shrugged, then looked at her parents with a mischievous grin.

"Leia told me," she said confidently.

Emma looked at Killian. His eyebrows had shot straight up to his forehead.

"It's okay, babe," she told him. "We can handle it."