A/N: Welcome back and thanks to all of you for reading! I hope you'll enjoy part two.

"Why am I being bossed around by a girl half my size?" Flynn asked out loud the next day as he found himself in the kitchen with Little and his mother, making Christmas "nibbles" and cookies for the annual party the Hoppers put on every year on the 24th. Merry and Fuss were off with their father to pick a tree and he had been shanghaied into kitchen duty. Apparently there were downsides to waking up last.

"Because Merry will beat you up if there's no food at the party," Clare replied from where she was peering into the oven to take the cookies out at the exact moment they were ready. Dressed in jeans and a jumper with tiny snowflakes on it that Granny Lucas had kitted, with her blonde hair tucked into a ponytail, and a flour stain on her cheek Flynn was struck by how pretty his sister had gotten. The rare bone structure and smooth skin that spelled enduring prettiness even into old age and the sparkle of something in her eyes yet to be discovered. An icy dread met with hot anger suddenly filled in his chest with a hiss as he thought of how many boys had to be trailing after her already. If he had noticed in an off-hand, brotherly way there were bound to be hormonal boys by the dozen noticing. If they dared even lay a finger on Little, he'd-

"Sweetie, if you squeeze that rolling pin any harder it's going to break." His mother, comfortable in leggings and an oversized Christmas jumper, her eyes wondering, interrupted his thoughts and he cleared his throat. He wouldn't be able to look after Little himself. He was leaving again after New Year's. He had a gig in a seedy bar in Milwaukee on the 3rd. He was going to have to make sure Fuss was doing his job as older brother and keeping the teenage boys of Storybrooke away. Very far away, he thought with a shudder, as his own teenage years came to mind.

"I can take her. Maybe."

"You can try, baby." His mother teased and reached into the fridge. Clare giggled and brought the cookies out. Catching his look she said,

"One. You can have one."

"You're my favorite sister." He told her through the munching.

"I bet you'd say that if Merry was holding the cookies."

"I'm a cookie junkie. I can't help it. But your stuff is the best." Pressing a kiss to her hair he caught his mother's eyes as she brought out her Christmas apron. It was as old as Flynn and the red had faded to pink, the large Santa on it looking rather worn and tired after twenty-five years of uses and washes. But if anything meant Christmas to Flynn it was that apron. It meant Christmas dinner, Christmas cookies, his mother's hands and smiles, his father's twinkling eyes every time he saw his wife in it, Clare the baby's giggles the first time she saw it. All his best Christmas memories (barring the one where Roseanne Wilson had worn nothing but a large bow when she came to visit him in his room the year he had turned twenty) were somehow related to that apron. He felt Clare sigh contentedly next to him.

"There. Now it's really Christmas." Agreeing, he squeezed her closer and sneaked a second cookie from the sheet.

o.O.o

"That'll never fit inside." Rufus stuck his hands in his pockets and looked up at the giant tree.

"You're such a pessimist. It will, if we take it through the back and-" Merry argued and gestured wildly.

"Merry, sweetheart, even if we got it through the door it'd never fit in the living room." Her dad returned.

"I find your lack of faith disturbing."

"Nice reference." Rufus referred to her Star Wars quote. "How about that one over there?" He nodded towards a medium sized tree across the lot.

"That? That's puny. Miniscule."

"That's just cause you're giant."

"Oh yeah? But you-"

"Children. Play nice."

"I'm always nice." She ambled off and smiled as she heard both her dad and her brother laughing. Turning to see them she was touched to see them smiling at each other as they looked at the next tree in the line. Her dad had put his arm around Rufus' shoulder and their heads were bent close as they discussed the tree. They were so similar. Their stance, their smiles, their looks. The way they always put others before themselves. Though she had always felt deeply connected to Flynn it had always been Rufus she'd gone to when she needed support. Just like their dad he'd always been able to give it. When she had been teased at school for being tall, gangly and with a wild fall of bright red hair it had been Fuss she'd gone to for help. He had listened, dried her tears, cheered her up and then he and Flynn had gone to beat up the worst bully. Their dad had been called to the school and told of the fight. And then he'd asked them what had happened. Not yelled or assumed, just asked. And Merry had told him the whole story - after which he had lectured for a while. About not condoning violence. Then he had bought them ice cream for defending her. Feeling her love for the two of them rise in her chest she snuck up behind them and put her arms around their shoulders.

"I think we have a winner." After seeing them in front of it she didn't think there should be any other tree. The moment after she said it the first snowflake fell.

o.O.o

Rufus saw the snowball hit Flynn squarely between his shoulder blades and laughed when he spun around, zoning in on him, his bright green eyes narrowing. The street was filled with people, the Hopper family snowball fight quickly drawing more and more people. By now the street for a whole block was filled with people throwing snowballs, making forts and enjoying the snow. The tree was still strapped to their car, forgotten for the moment as the Hopper family focused solely on pelting everything around them with snowballs.

His parents were in their garden, his mother easily having the better aim so his dad was fairly soaked. But he'd managed to get a few good hits in on his mother and both were laughing as she picked lumps of snow out of her hair. As he watched she drew him close by his green scarf and planted her lips on his. Still curved in a smile they met hers and his arms wound tight around her waist. Pressing harder against him and rising on her toes, his father lost his footing in the snow and with a yelp they fell backwards into a snowdrift. For a moment they looked surprised before his mother just laughed and hauled him close again. His father wrapped his arms around her and turned them over. Feeling the tips of his ears grow red he looked away. Seeing his siblings all wearing similarly awkward faces they grimaced at each other before Merry shrugged and threw a well-aimed snowball in Flynn's face.

He couldn't really blame his parents for still wanting to touch each other still, it was what he wanted to have one day with Cecilia but when it was your parents it was just…strange. Though he was going to learn how to deal with that one soon.

Seeing Cecilia pick her way over the icy bits of the pavement, her face flushed with cold and laughter he felt his throat tighten a bit. She was just so damn beautiful. It didn't matter had seen her every single day of his life so far, sometimes her face still took his breath away. She had the brown hair of her mother and the dark caramel eyes of her father, a petite frame and the softest mouth that smiled a lot. And inside of her was their child. He couldn't believe it still, it was so new. They hadn't told anyone though he wanted nothing more than tell his parents. They had agreed to wait until after Christmas to not disturb proceedings.

A baby, their baby, could come along in July and Rufus was scared out of his wits, happier than he had thought possible and filled with an overwhelming feeling of awe. They'd managed another miracle between the two of them. Cecilia liked to joke the first one was that he had worked up the courage to ask her out at all. He tended to agree as he sometimes still found it hard to believe she had said yes. He'd taken her to the library after opening hours, having asked her mother for the key and they had had a picnic on the floor among the one thing they both lived the most – books.

"Hi," she said as she reached him, her eyes sparkling.

"Hi, yourself."

"You know your parents are making out in that snowdrift over there, right?"

"I'm aware. Thank you for reminding me though."

"Oh, I thought you could be a bit uncomfortable after how I felt this morning, it's only fair. Your daughter is not a morning person either. I thought I'd never feel well enough to get to work."

"Do you feel okay now?"
"Yes, all better." Contented, she stuck her hands in her pockets and smiled at where Flynn was tackling Merry, pulling her into a snow bank.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, we're both fine, Rufus."

"Maybe I should take you home. It can't be good for the baby to be out in the cold."

"We're fine, I promise. The fresh air is good for us. Stop fussing, Fuss."

"I can't help it. Are you really, really sure?" Cecilia rolled her eyes good-naturedly at him.

"I am. My feet are a bit tired from standing, as they are everyday I've worked in a shop, which is the last eight years now and I'm really hungry. That is absolutely all." Relieved as she had stated specifics, and none being a serious complaint he smiled.
"Well, that's easily fixed. Up you go," he bent and swept her up in his arms. Cecilia laughed,

"What are you doing?"

"Hmm? Your feet are tired and you're hungry. So it was either bring food here or bring you to food so I'll do just that. How do you feel about cookies?" She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Favorable. Do you know how much I love you?"

"I do. And I love you too." Pressing a kiss to her hair he carried her past where his parents were now thankfully untangled, his mother making what looked like a family of small snowmen while his father watched, up the porch steps and inside.

o.O.o

"Your brother is so hot." Estelle Schumacher, Clare's friend and daughter of Cinderella and Prince Thomas sidled up to Clare, dressed in a caricature of what winter clothes ought to be, covering less than they showed.

"Flynn?" Clare looked up from where she was making a little pile of ammunition to where Flynn was getting his face forced into a snow bank by Merry.

"Him too but no, Rufus. That smile, and the dimple, those arms. Every time I go to the bookstore I always get distracted by him and end up buying a pile of books I don't want. He thinks I have a serious interest in gerbils as I keep picking up books on them at the store." Clare wrinkled her nose. She couldn't imagine what other women saw in her brothers, physically. To her they were just her brothers and they looked the way they had always looked. "And the way he treats his wife. God, I get warm just thinking about it. Did you see how he just swept her up like she weighed nothing and carried her inside? Do you think they're going to make passionate love, too eager to wait another moment?"

"Ew, stop it."

"You don't see it? That look, the "can't wait until we're alone" look? Your dad gets it too, when he looks at your mum."

"Eww, for real this time, stop." Estelle shrugged.

"All right. But you don't know how lucky you are to have that to look up to. My parents have never looked at each other like that. In fact, they've never had sex." Amused, Clare raised her eyebrows.

"And how then, do you explain your presence here?"

"Magic. Or a test tube. But no intercourse took place, I am sure of it."

"Right."
"Oh no, my brother is coming over. He's going to hit on you again, it makes me so uncomfortable. I'm going to go hit on your unmarried brother as revenge." Shaking her head at her friend as she ambled over to where a now wet and laughing Flynn was chasing Merry, she summoned a smile as Thomas Schumacher greeted her. Thomas was sweet and nice but he was just so dull. A year older than her and Estelle he was assured she would be grateful for whatever attention he deigned show her

"How's it going?"

"Pretty well. I hit Tiny with a good one. Though he's not the smallest target." Rolling her eyes as Thomas failed to get the joke she looked around. Rufus and Cecilia had gone inside. Something was going on with them lately, they were even more lovey-dovey than usual and Clare was going to find out what it was about, she promised herself. Her parents were out of the snowdrift now, laughing and shaking off snow on the porch. Merry and Flynn had started a fierce snowball fight with some kids from the block, the two of them against the kids, from what it looked like.

"Will you be at the party tonight?"
"The one at my house? Yes, I will."

"Cool. Wanna go together?" Before Clare could open her mouth to reply he had leaned forward, clearly angling for a kiss and horrified, she stepped back. The next second seven snowballs hit him in the back. Looking up she saw Merry and Flynn with all the kids behind them, all laughing.

"Free for all!" Flynn called and pelted Thomas again. Hiding her smile, Clare took the opportunity to sneak off.

o.O.o

Merry sipped her mulled wine and enjoyed stepping back and watching the scene for a moment. Her mother was standing in front of the tree, her hands on her hips as she directed Merry's dad where the star looked just right. He was patiently moving it "a little up, a little to the left, no back, a little to the right". Flynn was tugging at the tangled Christmas lights looking like he had just been saddled with the job of emergency landing a plane full of babies and kittens in the middle of the Amazonian jungle. Rufus, Cecilia and Clare were unpacking the ornaments, "oohing" and "ahhing" over the ones that held special memories. The robin Flynn had made at school, the gingerbread man that had been bought at a year around Christmas shop on a trip to New York, the puppy in a stocking that a boy who had had a crush on Merry in first grade had gifted her. Each thing led to a story, a "Do you remember when…" and so on. Merry almost wished there wouldn't be a party in the evening just to keep it going on. The telling and hearing of stories. Of laughing at memories and of shared experiences. The time Flynn had been convinced Santa Claus lived in the basement because if you left cookies in there they got eaten (by Pongo, the dog they had had growing up, they all knew now). When Merry had hit the boy who had had a crush on her in the face because he teased Rufus about his glasses. Rufus' denial to eat turkey because they were a "Thanksgiving Bird", Clare's joy at receiving an Easy Bake oven one year. All the stories were brought out in the light like glittering treasures, carefully examined before they were lovingly replaced in the treasure chest that held them.

And before they ran out of stories the tree was finished, trimmed and shining in its usual spot. Satisfied, they all drank in the view of it before Ruby briskly said it was time to get ready for the party. One by one they want upstairs to prepare but Merry wanted to stay just a bit longer. To hold on to the magic just a little more.

University was amazing and she loved learning, loved being on her way somewhere. But sometimes she missed home so much she wanted to get in her car no matter the time and just drive. She knew it was childish but she still wanted to talk to her mom after a long day, wanted to hug her dad and bicker with her siblings. Every time she came home she was more and more convinced this was where she wanted to come back to. The Storybrooke she'd left, so sure she'd never want to live in a small town again was becoming less and less of the backwater prison it had seemed in her youth and more and more the solid ground she craved under her feet. Her parents had changed in her mind from an anchor that held her back to an anchor that saved her from losing her way and drifting.

Perhaps if her father was starting to slow down his work there would be space for her to take over one day. There was hardly need from more than one psychiatrist in Storybrooke but perhaps one day she could be that one. Live close to her family, see her father after work, shop with her mother on weekends, have dinner at Rufus and Cecilia's. The longer she thought about it the more she liked the idea. Getting up from sitting and watching the tree she decided it was something she'd have to speak to her parents about. But first she had a party to get ready for.

o.O.o

Clare smoother her dress and turned in front of the mirror. Her stomach fluttered and she wondered if he would like the dress. Then she frowned. She didn't even know if he was coming and if he did come he would probably not notice what she was wearing. He never had before, why would he now?

Sitting down on her bed to don her shoes she felt sure she would always hope he would notice her. Would realize she was more than just the baby of the Hopper family. Even though he would probably see her as a baby when she was as old as Granny. Walking over to her dresser and picking up the earrings she'd chosen for their cheery sparkle while still being small and discreet she sighed. It was just as hopeless as it had always been to be in love with him. And still she couldn't help it, as little as she could help being the youngest in the family.

"Wow, you really went for it." Merry ambled in and Clare could tell she wanted to stick her hands in her pockets but the stunning black dress had none.

"I look like I'm trying too hard?" Clare wondered and reached for her earrings. They were stupid anyway, and the shoes were-

"No, no, I'm just used to seeing you in jeans and a sweatshirt. You look great. Fantastic dress."

"It used to be yours," Clare's lips twitched. Merry had a passion for buying pretty clothes but a habit of only wearing jeans.

"I'm sure it looks better on you. Not that I remember buying it." Unconsciously elegant she went over to Clare's bed and flopped down on it. She was dressed in a black dress that ended mid-thigh and flattered her slim figure, her hair was let down and caught the light like millions of golden flames and her legs looked endless, ending in black velvet pumps. As always when she compared herself with her sister she felt stumpier and duller than she had before. Turning back to the mirror she smoothed the heavy chignon and pretended to fiddle with her earring.

"Merry…"
"Mm?"

"How do you make someone notice you?"

"What do you mean?" Merry sat up and tilted her head.

"Well, wherever you go men…I mean people always notice you."
"Have you tried being six foot tall and have hair the color of an orange?"

"It's not orange," Clare protested and sat down next to her. "And it's not just the height and the hair. You make people laugh and talk and they always want to know more about you. Me, I…I…"

"Oh, I get it." Merry leaned forward, her eyes twinkling. "It's a boy. That's why you've pulled out the big guns and look like a million dollars."
"It's not! No, I just wondered because I…" Merry waved away her weak protestations.

"Listen Little, people like you. They can't help it, you're sweet and pretty and you care, anyone who speaks to you for a moment can see that. So who is this idiot who doesn't see that anyway?"

"No. No, I'm not telling so you can go and "help". If he won't realize on his own that I'm…that I'm here, then I don't want it."

"Attagirl. Well, you look fantastic so he's bound to notice that. And if he doesn't see the rest he's a moron. But, if I may make one, tiny suggestion?"

"What?"

"Take a leaf form our mother's book and wear this – here." Merry held out a tube of Red's trademark lipstick.

"I can't wear that. I'm too pale, I'll look like a clown."
"Trust me, I'm your big sister after all." Sighing, Clare figured if it looked horrible she could wipe it off. Accepting it, Merry winked.

"He doesn't stand a chance."

o.O.o.

"Got a sec?" Rufus stuck his head into Flynn's room and he looked up from where he was deciding he still hated ties and was not going to wear one after all.

"Sure do. What's up?" Rufus ambled in, his hands in his pockets. In a slate grey suit and dark shirt he looked less like the small-town bookstore owner he was and Flynn tilted his head. "You clean up good."

"Thanks. Give me that," Rufus held out his hand for the discarded tie. Handing it over Flynn flopped down on the bed. "Don't you think it's time you learnt how to tie on of these?" Slinging it around his own neck he stepped up to the mirror to tie it.

"I don't wear one much. I'm not as settled and respectable as my little brother." Rufus raised an eyebrow at him in the mirror. "Speaking of being responsible, have you…have you been keeping en eye on Clare?"

"How do you mean?"
"As in boys…I saw a few sending long looks today." Rufus shrugged,

"She's a pretty girl, they're bound to notice."

"As long as they don't act on the realization. She's still too young." Rufus chuckled and adjusted the knot in the tie.

"She's eighteen, Flynn. I don't think there's anything you or I can do about her dating."

"We could lock her up."

"Until when?"
"When she's thirty she can maybe go out. Chaperoned." Rufus' lips twitched.

"Come on, Flynn. Besides, Merry dates, you seem okay with that."

"Merry's different. I know she can knock out any man who tried anything she didn't want."

"So because Clare can't knock someone off their feet it's different for her?"

"Yes! No! She's just…she's Little, you know. The baby. I can't believe she's eighteen for crying out loud." Rufus took the perfectly tied black tie off and handed it to his brother, sitting down next to him.
"I know. I guess it's easier for me because I'm here everyday and I see it happening. You've just come back to realize she's about to be grown up." Flynn pulled the tie over his head, adjusted the collar.

"It makes me feel pretty bad. I should be here."

"You should be where you want to be. I want to be here and you and Merry needed to go somewhere else. Clare will go to school but she'll come back here because this is where she wants to be. We will see you when you come home and we'll always call and text and Skype in between. Don't pull the whole guilt thing. You know you'd be unhappy if you stayed here."

"I seem to remember you being pretty pissed when I left."

"Of course I was. I was sixteen and my brother was leaving me behind. Or so I felt."

"I never wanted to make you feel like that."

"I know. I know you felt as if you had to get out, it's something inside of you. Something Clare and I don't have. I'd rather you go and be happy than stick around and want to go." It had been, Flynn thought. A pull, a need, like a panther prowling behind bars, restless and potent it had pulled and pulled at him until he'd had to leave. Had to live, had to see, had drink it all in.

"You always were the best of us, Fuss."

"I don't know about that."
"I do." He put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Now let's go socialize with the crème de la crème of Storybrooke." He got up. "Thanks for the help." He patted the impeccable knot in his tie. There was a lot to be said, he thought, for being back home. The endless bars, clubs and pubs were getting old. He was getting old. And so far "the big break" had evaded him. He wasn't entirely sure the need would force his feet again. Perhaps he could have this, have his family and his brother more. Pop in to hug his mother when he wanted, talk to his dad, hear his soothing voice make everything okay again. See Rufus and his pretty wife around town, keep an eye on Little. He had to think about it more but the idea no longer seemed as boring as it once had.

"Oh, and what did you want to talk about?"

"Hmm?"

"You came in here and wanted to talk to me."

"Oh, right. Nothing. It can wait."

"All right." He could see his brother was wanting to tell him something but Rufus had always gotten around to things in his own time. So instead he slung an arm around his shoulder.

"So do you think Roseanne will be here? Is she still hot?"

"Oh, Christ."