Disney's Tinker Bell in Storybrooke
A Disney Fairies / Once Upon a Time Crossover
Season 1, Episode 9, Chapter 11

STORYBROOKE, MAINE

Clarence and his band began playing once the stage was clear. Their many hours of practice paid off. They sounded quite good. Each Christmas song they played was met with enthusiastic applause. While they were engaged in a lively rendition of Jingle Bell Rock, Lydia approached Claire and asked that she accompany her to the stage.

"Why?"

"You are an excellent piano player, are you not?" Lydia asked.

"Yes, of course."

"Clarence's band could use an extra hand on the piano for an upcoming number," Lydia explained. "Their own piano player is…, insufficient to the task."

"I haven't practiced in some time," Claire answered. In fact she had not practiced in more than a year. She felt just as insufficient as the young men onstage. However, she was the next best option. Lydia, while an excellent thespian and musician was not skilled on the piano. "What do they want me to play?"

"An arrangement of Silent Night written only for piano," Lydia answered. "It requires a deft touch which only a practiced master can achieve."

The video store owner showed Claire the sheet music. It was easy enough to play, but giving it the required reverence and emotional undercurrent was a different story. "I don't know if I can do this on such short notice."

"If you do not, the young man who plays the keytar will make this sound like so much bad comedy. In all likelihood they will be booed of the stage," Lydia told her. "We need your experience and steady hand."

"Can I practice once or twice before I go onstage and make a fool out of myself?" Claire asked.

Lydia agreed. Claire flagged down Mary Margaret whose students played the angels in the pageant.

"I hate to ask, but can you help Tina, Ms. Blanchard?" Claire asked the school teacher. Lydia explained why and Mary Margaret quickly agreed.

"Go. Play. I've been wanting to hear you ever since I found out you were a pianist," Ms. Blanchard said. "Tina spoke very highly of your talent when she was in my class."

Lydia led Claire to a back room with a piano already set up and waiting. "This is the same piano you will be using on stage," Lydia told her. "It is being stored back here until it is needed."

Claire settled in and practiced scales and other warm up exercises before attempting the song. She tripped over herself several times, but with each attempt her play improved. Under such duress Claire was surprised at just how quickly she was able to find her musical groove again. When it was time Claire was introduced to the crowd. Many wore puzzled looks or quirked eyebrows. Scandal once again swirled around her name and it tainted the crowd against her.

"You'll be just fine, Claire, just do it like your college recital," she said to herself trying to calm her nerves. Claire began in fine form, she poured all of her heart and soul into the tender keystrokes of the music. Her emotions seeped into her fingers. It imbued the music with a genuine quality that was not lost on the crowd that bothered to listen. Those who had chosen to leave for the adjoining room where the Bingo was about to start were drawn back in by the lovely piano music. Claire carried the entire song by herself, she had no musical or vocal accompaniment. She played it beautifully. When the last keys were touched and the last notes played the entirety of the assembled crowd was held in her trance. They applauded with more enthusiasm than they had for any song played by Clarence's band.

Lydia asked if she was up for another piece. This one was more demanding, though. Claire, now feeling her confidence return, agreed. The music was Wizards in Winter by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. She attacked the piece with gusto, adding flares of whimsy and joyfulness to the already outsized piece. The crowd cheered when the song began and they recognized it. They cheered even louder when the number was completed. Claire took a bow and the attendees raised their voices showing their pleasure and approval of her work.

Ms. Kensington felt renewed, as though an old weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She had always wanted to know what it would feel like to play before an audience. The applause, the adulation, the thrill of a live performance. It was just as she had imagined it, only more satisfying. Her only previous attempts were in college as part of her academic training. This time, she did without the aid of her teacher present. She did this entirely without some kind of safety net to bolster her confidence.

She loved it immensely. The question of whether or not she could have been successful as a professional musician had been answered. A question which had been eating at her ever since she was wed to Charles Kensington and they adopted a little girl they named Valerie.

"Valerie?" Claire spotted her again. She and Hartley were standing next to Claire's vendor booth.

"I wanted you to know that this was entirely her idea," Hartley told Claire, as if trying to avoid a harsh punishment. "She knew how much you had always wanted to prove you could be an expert pianist."

"Yes, we spoke about it once," Claire said. She turned to the young girl, her one time daughter. "Thank you. It was a most enlivening experience."

"I…, I want to come home," Vidia said. "I'm sorry about breaking my ornament. I know how important it was to you."

Claire's elation swiftly fled. This whelp claiming Valerie's ornament as her own was the height of impudence. "You're…, you're not Valerie. I don't know if I can do that."

"I had a dream the other day," Vidia said. "A memory."

~O~

It was an autumn afternoon. The wind was cool, but comfortable. The leaves had started to turn, but the lawn was still a lush green. Valerie was just four years old.

"Ready my little pilot?" Charlie asked of Valerie.

"Ready, Daddy," she answered excitedly. She wore his safety goggles and something that resembled a bomber jacket for a four year old girl. Claire had stitched it for her.

"Contact," he said.

"Contact," Valerie replied. She made sputtering noises with her mouth. Then it turned into the roar of an engine. A single prop airplane engine. Charlie picked her up, she put her hands out to her sides and he ran around the yard keeping her just above the grass.

"Higher," the little girl squealed. Charlie lifted her higher in the air. This time at waist level. "Higher!" Now she was at arm level. "No, higher!"

Charlie lifted the excited child into the air and placed her precariously on his hand. He held her aloft like a waiter holding a serving tray above his head. He trotted around the back yard moving in erratic lines as she leaned into each turn.

"I'm flying. Mommy, look. I'm flying."

"Yes, dear. Yes you are," Claire said cheerfully. "Please be careful with my baby," she told her husband.

"Always, dear." Charlie kept his little girl aloft for nearly fifteen minutes. With his help, she dove on the dog, climbed high into the stratosphere, zipped across the savannah and plowed through obstacle courses that were actually the swing set and slide in the back yard.

Valerie's father then dropped her, catching the girl into his grasp and swung her around. From her perspective she was zooming up and down. She squealed with sheer delight.

"Charlie!" Claire glowered. "It's time to land."

"Okay, hon. Tower to pilot," her father called out. "Tower to pilot, ready for landing."

"Ready!"

Charlie then ran out to the edge of the yard, twirled her around a couple of times and then walked her back the house, slowly drifting her closer to the ground. "Lower landing gear."

"Landing gear down and locked." Her feet were down. When she was close enough she put her feet to the grass and proceeded to run. Her father released and she ran right into the waiting arms of her mother who snatched her up into a big hug.

"Mommy, I flew, I flew. Did you see me?"

"Yes, dear, I certainly did," Claire replied. "You were wonderful. Superb."

Charlie, who was now huffing and puffing, caught up with the energetic girl and wrapped both Valerie and Claire into a huge bear hug. He kissed each one with affection.

"You'll be a fine pilot someday," he told the four year old Valerie. "I'm so proud of you."

~O~

"Afterwards, Dad went into his den to call up clients and you and I spent the evening making my Christmas ornament," Vidia told her.

~O~

Claire guided her little one's hands with her large fingers as they formed and made the base. "Now what do you want it to say?"

"I Love Mommy," little Valerie barked happily.

"What about your father?"

Valerie thought about it for a moment. "Can I make two?"

Claire laughed. "Maybe next year, sweetie."

~O~

"We glazed and baked it in the oven. When Christmas arrived, you picked me up and let me put it up first. You were so pleased… so very pleased to see me place my very own ornament on the tree. You said it was the best Christmas present you got that year. Dad was happy, too. And he never once complained that I didn't put him on there."

"He knew you loved him already," Claire answered. "You showed him every day. In all the little things you did together."

Claire couldn't believe her ears. No one knew that story. She treasured it so. She kept it close to her heart, but had forgotten about it in recent years. Hearing this Vidia person recite that memory with such accuracy brought it all back.

"Do you remember anything else?" Claire asked.

"No, just that one moment, but it was enough," the dark haired girl said. Vidia didn't remember anything else. But it wasn't the memory that was important, it was how it made her feel. The emotions, the fun, the love of family was so overpowering. It was an epiphany. A revelation that shook Vidia to her core and forced her to re-evaluate her life. She explained to Claire that fairies arrive as young adults, they don't have parents; they do not attend school and already know fundamental things like walking, talking and eating. What they learn from their guild is how to make proper use of their talent.

"I never knew what it was like to have a family," she told Claire. "A mother and a father. You, I mean, Queen Clarion was motherly, but she never tucked us in at night or helped us with crafts. She was always too busy administering Pixie Hollow to be anything more than a figurehead."

"What are you saying?" Claire asked.

"I never knew what I was missing until I had that dream," Vidia answered. "Now I do. It's what I've always needed. I think my life could have been very different if I had a family. Not just a guild and friends. But a real mother and father."

The one truly unique experience fairies did not share with humans was having a family and the love that came from it. Now Vidia felt it in her heart with an intensity greater than anything ever before. She needed a mother.

Claire's face crinkled into a tearful smile. "Oh my baby!" She reached out and snatched up Vidia into her arms.

"Mom!" Vidia responded with equal heartfelt sincerity.

"I'm so sorry," Claire told her. "I'm so sorry. I should never have turned my back on you. I should never have been so mean. You belong to me. You're my little girl. You will always be my little girl."

"Can I come home now?" Vidia asked.

"Yes, dear. Yes you can. You are so important to me." Claire reached out and begged for Tina to join them. She hugged both girls, one in each arm. "You are my little miracles. You are both important to me."

Her family was whole again. Claire finally got the closure she so desperately needed. Vidia might not be her Valerie, but she was Valerie deep down just like Dr. Hopper said. This single memory surfacing proved it.

An outpouring of applause took the three of them by surprise. Their sweet reunion had drawn a crowd. Mary Margaret hugged Claire and then Vidia. "See, I told you she would come around."

Hartley was clapping, though at a distance to give them privacy. Ruby, Granny, David and even Desiree, Lydia and Cleo were also there. "Awe, isn't that sweet," Desiree said in her sunny, southern drawl. "I can't wait to do my show on Monday and tell everyone. This is just so lovely."

Mayor Regina Mills stormed up to the booth with Sheriff Swan in tow. "There she is, Sheriff. Valerie Kensington no longer resides with Claire Kensington. She is in violation of the terms of her release. I demand you arrest her."

"She isn't in violation of anything," Claire replied harshly. "My daughter is coming home with me."

"But I thought she was living with Hartley Winter?" Regina asked.

"You need to stop reading that trashy newspaper reporter you like to boss around," Vidia said with a smirk. "That guy never gets his facts straight."

Regina shot her an evil look.

"So everything is alright between you two?" Emma asked.

"It's just fine, sheriff," Mrs. Kensington answered happily.

"The-n I guess my work here is done," Emma replied sarcastically.

Claire gave both Emma and the mayor a hat with her company name and logo on it. Emma wore it proudly. Regina just threw it onto the ground in disgust before walking off, fuming.

"Don't go away mad," Vidia said under her breath. "Just go away."

Henry was in the crowd, watching and listening. He stepped forward and addressed Vidia directly. "Did you actually remember all of that?"

"Yes I did, Henry," she answered.

The boy turned to Emma and smiled. "You're doing it," he said. "You're breaking the curse."

"Henry, it's a Christmas Miracle," Emma said trying to talk him out of that ridiculous idea.

"Yeah, and you helped," he said, trying to convince her it wasn't so ridiculous.

"C'mon, Henry, let me buy you a tamale," Emma said.

~O~

News spread like wildfire through the attendees at the festival. As soon as people heard that Claire and Valerie had a heartfelt reunion they lined up to take caps, mouse pads and pens. The sign-up sheet filled quickly and by the time Claire had to shut down the booth for lack of giveaways she had ten pages of potential clients.

The festival was still in full swing so they decided to partake in the revelry. Claire bought a knitted shawl for herself. Tina selected warm mittens while Vidia purchased a small painting lovingly rendered by the blond young woman. It was of a tree with a yellow glow at its heart.

"Where did see this image?" she asked the artist.

"It's fan art," she said. "My friend here is a huge fan of those Tinker Bell movies. I painted the tree where all the fairies live."

"It's called the Pixie Dust Tree," Vidia told them.

"Yeah, I keep telling her that, but she doesn't seem to remember," the scatter brained redhead answered. "I know everything there is to know about those movies. The next one is going to be about the mysterious Winter Woods. Well of course they're mysterious, no one's been there yet. Hello! Earth to me."

"The Winter Woods?" Vidia asked.

"Yeah, it'll be released soon. I can't wait. Wait! What? Didn't I just say that?"

"Nope, not once," the blonde replied with a roll of her eyes.

Vidia paid for the small painting of the Pixie Dust Tree and rejoined her mother and sister. When they completed their rounds of the booths, they decided to try their hand at Bingo.

~O~

"Wow, sis," Tina exclaimed… again…, as the trio came home. "You were awesome at Bingo. Are you sure you've never played before?"

"Never," Vidia replied.

Vidia, despite knowing next to nothing about the game, managed to win a toaster oven, a slow cooker, a stick blender, a single serve coffee maker and a coupon for four to Granny's diner.

"Well I for one am glad you hit Bingo on that slow cooker," Claire said. "We needed another one. While you were away ours shorted out. Now I can make a proper stew again."

~O~

A few days later Christmas morning arrived. As usual, Tina was the first one awake. "Get up. Get up. Get up!" she entreated her mother. When Claire finally stirred at the ridiculous hour of four thirty Tina shot out of the room and bothered her sister who was none too happy with being roused at such an unholy hour.

Eventually Claire called a truce. Everyone could open their presents and then they would all go back to sleep. Tina opened hers and screamed with delight. It was the Dremel tool set she had been wanting. Finally it was hers.

Claire opened up one from Tina and found a one year subscription to This Old House Magazine. "Thank you, sweetheart. I'll make good use of this."

"Valerie, honey, I didn't know what to get for you because of, well… So why don't we go shopping for some new clothes tomorrow?" Claire asked.

"Okay, I kind of been wanting something different," Vidia replied. "These baggy things are for the birds. Literally. Fawn could house at least four nests in these things.

Vidia then handed her gift to Claire. When she opened it, Claire was stunned. It was Valerie's ornament completely repaired. "Oh, this is incredible. How did you…?"

"Tina helped," Vidia replied.

"I did all the work," Tina said.

Claire hugged Valerie and then went to place the repaired ornament on the tree. "There's more," Vidia told her.

"More?" Inside the box she found another ceramic ornament. At the festival, the three women sat down for family portrait. Valerie had taken one of the smaller wallet sized copies and had it placed inside a frame shaped ornament. It read, "My Family."

Claire nearly fell into tears. She hugged her darling girls and then put it on the tree, high in a place of honor. It all felt right. Claire then decided to bring down one of her photo albums and showed the girls what Christmas was like when they were little. For hours the three flipped through the old pictures and laughed. Claire put her arms around her precious darlings and filled in all the gaps they had since forgotten or never remembered.

It was the most wonderful day of the year.

Okay this concludes the Christmas Interlude. I had hoped to have this done by Christmas of 2014, but it was not to be. I hope you enjoyed it, anyway. Please leave a review. Thank you.

Author's Note: The artist and her ditzy friend who sell Vidia the painting of the Pixie Dust Tree are an homage / shout out to the crossover story FOREVER FROZEN by Cryoshade. A splendid Fan Fiction that blends the Disney film Frozen and the tv series Once Upon a Time. Cryoshade began her work long before the tv series put the two franchises together. In her work, Elsa and Anna are swept into the curse and live in Storybrooke as Alison, a starving artist, and Nina, her best friend. Cryoshade's narrative is amazing and wonderfully written. Please check it out.