Chapter 43
Disclaimers: I don't own Once Upon a Time. Also this is a sequel to Lisboa's original "Thicker than Water."
I'd like to thank Lisboa for betaing, especially with writing Killian, and for letting me use her story as a starting point. The Gremma feels in this chapter are dedicated to you as well.
Emma tried not to think about Killian after he told her to stay away from him. Killian had made it quite clear he didn't want anything to do with her. There was a part of her that understood his reasoning, too. He had started to open himself up to Emma. He even tried to accept her family. Then Emma suddenly rejected him. She hurt him when she did that. Far more than she had hurt him with the bruise. Seriously, how else did she expect Killian to react?
The other part of Emma was quite angry and hurt with Killian. She had apologized, after all. She had swallowed her pride and admitted she was wrong. Did Killian have any idea how hard that was for a stubborn person like her? She was only trying to protect Killian before. Didn't that count for anything? Emma had finally been ready to open up to Killian that night. To "fight for the possibility of love," as her mother said. And Killian told Emma he didn't want anything to do with her? How could he do that?
Emma sighed. Her mother had been wrong. Emma couldn't have two True Loves. Neal was dead and he had been her True Love. There would be no more chances for Emma.
But there was nothing Emma could do about it, so she would have to get over Killian. It was difficult to do under the best of circumstances. After all, Emma still missed him when it was her idea to break – up. At least then, she'd had Ruby to comfort her. Now Ruby had Justin again. Of course, Ruby, Snow, David, and Henry all did the best they could to cheer her up, and Emma appreciate their efforts. But how could they really help? Snow, David, and Ruby all had their own significant others. They were happy and in love. They didn't understand the pain of having lost a boyfriend. A chance at love. Henry…while he understood the pain of being dumped, Emma didn't want to burden her son with her problems. Besides, Henry didn't seem to understand how upset she really was about losing Killian. Henry knew their relationship was supposed to be temporary, after all. He'd been expecting them to break – up soon.
Emma now realized her feelings for Killian were a lot stronger than a "temporary relationship." She wasn't happy without him. The season didn't help, either. It was Christmas time. Christmas music played on the radios in stores. Decorations for the holiday covered the downtown. Chief Winslow put up a small tree on one of the tables in the office. Most people were happy during Christmas, but Emma had difficult memories during this season. For so many years, it was a time that highlighted that she had no family to spend it with. Last year, she had a family, but she was so upset about Neal's death that she couldn't feel anything. This year, Emma couldn't help but think how much more fun she'd be having if Killian was celebrating the holidays with her.
Still, her family was trying to make Emma happy. Snow invited her to share hot chocolate with cinnamon many nights. Henry sang Christmas songs and encouraged Emma to join him.
"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!"
Henry belted out as they waited for Snow to finish supper on night. "Come on, Mom, you know this one."
There was a part of Emma that wanted to roll her eyes. Did Henry really expect her to sing such a cheesy song? Especially when she wasn't really happy about Christmas? But the look on his face showed he did. And Emma couldn't disappoint her son.
"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride
On a one – horse open sleigh, Hey!
Dashing through the snow
In a one – horse open sleigh
What fun it is to ride and sing this sleighing song tonight.
Oh!
Jingle –"
David came in the door just then. It was unusual for him to work later than Emma, but it happened occasionally. "Hi everyone!" He rubbed his hands together. "It's getting cold out there."
Snow gave him a kiss hello. (Emma was thankful it was a small kiss, considering it seemed necessary for them to kiss all the time.) "What's wrong with your mittens?" she asked David sternly. "You've been wearing them when you go outside, haven't you?"
Emma chuckled. It was funny to see Snow lecturing David instead of her on wearing mittens.
"Well – " David began shrugging his shoulders. "I thought I might not need them today so…"
Snow shook her head. "You always need mittens at this time of year, Charming. Especially considering you work outside." She took his hands between hers and began rubbing them herself.
"But the ones I have from last year have holes in them!" he protested.
"Mittens with holes in them are still better than no mittens at all," Snow grumbled. "You better be wearing mittens tomorrow, if you know what's good for you."
"Yes, Ma'am," David replied, grinning at her. And then he kissed her again. Emma rolled her eyes.
After Snow went back to cooking dinner, Henry pounced on David. "Grampa, we're singing Christmas songs! Come sing with us. Do you know, 'Jingle Bells?'"
David shrugged as he gave Henry and Emma a hug. "I think I remember it from last year."
Emma smiled, despite herself. "Even if you don't, it's really easy to learn."
So David, Henry, and Emma all sang Jingle Bells until supper was ready. Emma was sure the stupid song would be playing in her mind for the rest of the night, but she supposed Henry's happiness was worth it. And singing it with her father as well…it was all right.
OOOOOOOOOOO
The next day, as she and David rode the bus together, he asked her about a gift for her mother. "I want to get Snow a sewing machine for Christmas this year," he told Emma. "I've seen them in stores before. I think she'd really enjoy it. She could make all kinds of things for the family with it. Like Henry's cape from his Charming costume. She could have made a much better one if she had a sewing machine. Or even a new dress for you."
Emma made a face at that. She already had plenty of dresses, thank you very much. She didn't need more.
David immediately back – tracked. "Or not. But she could make you a shirt, maybe. Or a quilt. Snow used to do some sewing in our world, when she had time. I just think with this machine, she might be able to make more things, and enjoy it more."
Emma shrugged. "Sounds great. What's the problem?"
David sighed. "Well, we have a little more money this year than we did last year. But the sewing machine I want to get still costs a lot of money. Not that Snow isn't worth it but still, I'd like to get some things for you and Henry, too. I was hoping you'd help me pay for it. Then it could be from both of us."
Emma nodded. "Sounds great." It did sound great. Then she wouldn't have to worry about what to get Snow for Christmas.
David nodded eagerly. "We'll have to go into the store sometime together so I can show you which one I was thinking about. You can tell me if you like it."
Emma shrugged. It didn't really matter. "I'm sure I'll love it, but yeah. We can do that."
Of course, there was still Henry, David, and probably Ruby to think of. Emma wished she could be more excited about buying gifts for everyone. It was really too bad she wasn't buying a present for Killian as well. She had seen a great second – hand guitar for sale in the newspaper. Emma still remembered how well he'd played the guitar at the club. She would love to get him his own guitar. But it didn't matter. Killian wanted nothing to do with her.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
That Saturday afternoon, David showed Emma the sewing machine he had been looking at in Wal – Mart. It was a nice Singer model that could stich a lot of different fabrics, fix buttonholes, and even do a little quilting. "Don't you think she'd like this? I could see her making all kinds of things for our family with it." David's eyes shown with that annoying goofy look he always had when he talked about Snow as he looked at the sewing machine. Emma tried to stare only at the machine.
"Sure," she replied, trying to sound enthusiastic. Honestly, she never thought of Snow as a sewer, although Emma did know she'd sewed part of Henry's Halloween costumes. Although…didn't Mary Margaret do some sewing in Storybrooke? Emma couldn't quite remember, but she knew some of the things that Mary Margaret did, Snow did not. Still, if David said Snow would like the sewing machine because she liked to sew, than it must be true. Whatever.
"So do you think you could pay half of it?"
"Why not?" Emma replied.
"So do you have a gift idea for Henry, yet?" David continued, as they walked through the store.
Emma shook her head. "Not yet." Honestly, she knew she should be thinking about gifts, but she couldn't manage to do so.
"Well, maybe we could take a look at the boys department while we're here."
Emma nodded. "Why not?" It was nice that her father was trying to help her. They looked at clothes for Henry, but none of them stood out. They looked at games for his Gameboy, but he had some of them already. They looked at the detective novels she'd bought him before, but that didn't seem right, either. Emma wanted to get something great for Henry, but it was so hard for her to get excited for Christmas.
Eventually, David decided to go home. He wanted Emma to come with him, but Emma was still hoping she might find some more gift ideas. So she looked around the store for a little longer. Then she tried the mall. Nothing really caught her eye. Eventually she decided to return home as well.
But as she changed buses at the station, she ran into someone she didn't expect. Killian. Emma stared at her ex – boyfriend, shocked. She really believed Killian would leave this time. What reason did he have for staying in Bangor now? Killian made it perfectly clear he didn't want anything to do with her anymore. So why hadn't he run back to the Jolly Roger?
Suddenly, Killian turned around and looked straight at her. Emma tried to turn away quickly. The last thing she needed was for him to know she was staring at him. But she wasn't quick enough. "Hello, Emma," Killian said cheerfully.
Why was he so cheerful? "Hello, Killian," Emma snapped. "Or maybe I should say Hook." His face fell at that, briefly. Good. He didn't want her to call him by his old nickname. Then he tried to mask his emotions. But Emma had already seen it. "Goodbye." She walked toward her next bus.
"Emma!" he called after her. "Can we talk?"
"Why?" she replied. "Didn't you say 'We can't see each other anymore?' Listen to your own rules, Hook."
"You said it first!" he protested. "And then a couple of weeks later you came back to me. Why can't I do the same thing?"
Emma paused for a second. That was true. Emma had come back to him after she had said they couldn't see each other anymore. Could Killian be doing the same thing now? Then she shook her head. It was too much to hope for. "I don't care!" she snapped at him. "I'm not going to try to open up to you anymore. I already did the brave thing once. Several times, actually. I asked you for a date. I came back to you and admitted I was wrong. But you said no, Hook. You know, I think you're the coward now!" With that she walked toward her bus again.
He looked like she punched him when she called him a coward. Good. "Takes one to know one, Swan. You broke up with me first!"
"And I tried to make up for it!"
"What do you think I'm trying to do now? At least I let you talk to me. In private. You know we're attracting attention. Do you really want all these people," he gestured to all the people at the bus station. "Hearing about our problems?"
Emma paused. She supposed he had a point. If they were going to talk, they should do it in private. Especially if they were going to talk about Storybrooke, or the Enchanted Forest, or her family. Should Emma let him talk? Could she open up to him that much? Well, he was right. Killian had let her talk before. And it sounded like…maybe he was sorry, too. Could Emma hope for that?" "Okay," Emma replied finally. "But don't take too long. I'm supposed to be going home."
Killian smiled. A real smile. Emma had forgotten how much she loved his smile. "Good. We can go to my apartment."
Emma nodded. They walked there quickly. She began to notice the cold on her hands. David was right. What good were mittens if they had holes in them? She rubbed her hands together.
"So look, I was trying to say I'm sorry, Emma," Killian began as they entered his building. "I shouldn't have pushed you away before. You made a mistake, and you tried to make up for it. I should have let you do that."
Emma looked at Killian. Did he really say sorry? Point – blank? He didn't strike her as someone who admitted that they were wrong easily.
"I'm not used to having someone I can trust, Emma," Killian continued. "It's hard for me. But I knew I could trust you to help me defeat the giant – "
" – And then I tied you up so you couldn't get down." Emma felt a little guilty about that now, but it had seemed like the right thing to do at the time.
"Yeah," Killian agreed. "That set me back a little. But then you tried to get me to help the town when Greg and Tamara blew up Storybrooke. You said, 'you and me, we understand each other.' And we did. We do. And then you sent me that green card. I can't begin to explain what that meant to me. That you believed in me. That you helped me with no strings attached. I really started to open up to you after that. To trust you. And then – "
"I said I didn't want to see you anymore," Emma finished. "I get it, Killian. I really do." After all, Emma knew how much it hurt when someone left you. People had been "leaving her" all of her life.
He unlocked his door and they both went inside.
"There's one thing I don't understand, though. You said you never trusted anyone until me. That you only wanted to be responsible for yourself. I understand that. That's the way I used to live my life. But didn't…you used to have a crew? I mean, you were a pirate captain, right?" It was the one thing she didn't understand about Killian. She knew he was a loner and had a hard time trusting people; she could tell by the way he acted. But didn't he have a whole group of people working with him on his pirate ship? How long had he truly been alone?
Killian shrugged. "Looks can be deceiving. You can be in a group and still be lonely," he replied vaguely. Emma had hoped he would elaborate more than that, but she supposed she should take what she could get. Then he looked at her. "What's wrong with your mittens, anyway? I noticed your hands seemed cold when we were walking here."
Emma shrugged. "They have some holes in them. Honestly, I don't think they're worth wearing, but my mother has a conniption when I don't. She says mittens with holes in them are better than no mittens at all."
Killian nodded. He paused for a minute. "Holes in mittens can be annoying, especially when it's cold. I think I can fix them for you. Come here," he called to her as he disappeared into the bedroom.
Emma couldn't stop herself from laughing. Was he serious? She knew Killian had a lot of talents besides sailing and pirating, but sewing? Wasn't that a little too…feminine for him?
"What's so funny?" Killian asked as he found his old pirate coat hanging in the closet. He reached into one of the pockets and pulled out large metal sewing needle and a small ball of yarn.
"Well,…I'm sorry, but sewing up holes on my mittens doesn't sound very…piratey." She used "piratey," instead of "manly," hoping not to offend him.
Killian smiled. "It's because I'm a pirate that I know how this. Ships can get pretty cold, depending on the time of year and where you're sailing. And pirates don't worry about weather; we're too adventurous for that. So when it got cold…we needed wool socks and mittens sometimes. And most of the time we didn't have a woman to make them or repair them for us. A port wasn't always available to get new ones so…"
Emma nodded, fascinated.
"Give me your hand, Swan," he told her after he threaded the needle. (With one hand.) Emma did so, and to her amazement, he began to sew up her holes. Emma couldn't help but notice how intimate it felt. It was strange; all he was doing was holding her hand. But he was standing so close to her, so close she could feel his breath on her hand. And he sewed up her holes with so much care and tenderness…
"I loved being a pirate captain at the time," Killian began again, causally. "Everyone took orders from me; I was in charge of everyone and everything. But at the same time, I had no friends. They all took orders from me because they had to. And anyone I caught disobeying me walked the plank. I didn't trust my crew. Not really. Not the way I trust you."
"I see," Emma said. She was beginning to understand what Killian meant when he said "you can be lonely in a crowd of people."
"I have trusted other people in the past. I trusted Milah. I spent the best years of my life with her on my ship, having adventures with her. But then…she was killed."
Emma nodded. "Yeah."
"There. That one's all set," Killian gave her hand back. Her mitten was completely sealed.
"Thank you," Emma replied.
"I can do the other one for you if you want," Killian commented, holding up his hand.
Emma nodded and gave him her other hand.
"There was one other person I trusted besides Milah," Kilian continued, as he began sewing up the holes on her other mitten. "My brother, Liam. He a navy officer. He practically raised me after my parents died. I looked up to him, Swan. And he was killed, too. By a poison he injected himself with, trying to prove he was right."
"Sounds like he was pretty stubborn," Emma commented. She seemed to be surrounded by stubborn people. Why should it surprise her there was another?
"Aye," Killian agreed. "And he was so determined to do the right thing all the time. 'Good form' he called it. Your father…he reminds me of him, actually."
Emma nodded. "I guess I can see that."
"After his death, I was pretty angry. About everything, at everyone. But especially the king. It was his fault Liam died. The king made us believe that poison was medicine that would help people. That's why he told us to look for it. So I became a pirate to rebel against the king."
"I see," Emma nodded. She looked at Killian with new eyes, understanding that this man hadn't been able to depend on anyone for a long time. Until her.
"I want to trust you again, Emma. I miss seeing you. I want us to help each other. I don't want to feel lost anymore. But Emma…you can't run away from me again. No matter what."
Emma nodded. "I understand. I don't want to feel lost anymore, either. And I do trust you." She did. Killian had stayed in Bangor after they'd broken up. Twice. That meant Emma didn't need to worry that he might leave her. At all.
Killian nodded, still looking skeptical. "Well, your holes are all set."
"I still can't believe you know how to sew." Emma shook her head.
"Actually it's called darning. It's a knitting thing."
"I see," Emma replied. It was still strange. And what was even stranger was he knew all those technical terms. "I trusted a couple of people before you, too you know," she began. He told her about her past, after all. What better way to show she trusted him than to tell him about hers?
"I know," Killian. "Your family." He sounded slightly envious. Of course. Emma had a family and he didn't. No wonder he wanted to spend so much time with them.
Emma sighed. "Yes. Definitely my family. I'm glad I have them. But actually, I was talking about men I had relationships with. Or at least had feelings for. Neal, you know about."
Killian nodded. They both remembered Emma's decision to kill Tamara because of what happened to Neal.
"But there was someone else. Before Neal….and well, after him as well." Emma reached under her sleeve and pulled out Graham's bootlace. "His name was Graham. He was the sheriff in Storybrooke when I arrived. This was his. I kept it…after he died. Or was killed, actually. I think he was killed now."
"Oh Emma…" Killian sighed, looking at her.
"Graham was one of the first people to believe in me. That I could be better than who I was. A police officer. We…were interested in each other, but he was tied up with Regina somehow. I think she killed him when he finally stood up to her. When he chose me."
Killian nodded.
"I couldn't help thinking that all of the men I cared about died because of me. I started thinking…that would happen to you, too. That's part of the reason why I got so scared before."
Killian nodded. "I understand. But Swan, I've been alive for three hundred years. I'm good at surviving. And all of the people I cared about were killed in the past, too. I'm not going to let that stop me from seeing you. Not anymore."
Emma nodded. "I'll try to remember that." And she would. An image of Neal disappearing through the portal flashed through her mind, but she blocked it out. An image of Graham dying in her arms flashed in her mind but Emma shook her head. She couldn't let that get to her.
Instead, she leaned over and gave Killian a big kiss. "Oh, so we're kissing again now?" he smirked, although Emma could tell he was excited.
"Yes," Emma replied, kissing him again. Things started to get a little heated after that. Emma thought maybe they might even have sex tonight.
But Killian eventually back away. "Didn't you say you had to be home soon?"
"Yes," Emma replied. She tried not to feel rejected. He won't leave me, he won't leave me, she said to herself.
"Look, Emma" I still want to have sex with you; don't get me wrong. But…I'm still a little…skeptical about our relationship. Our talk tonight was special, and we're closer because of it. But, I still can't forget the way you pushed me away a few weeks ago. I'm going to have to work up to this point to our relationship."
Emma sighed and nodded. "Okay." Seriously, she never expected a pirate to have such a problem with sex! Still, she needed to respect his wishes. She had to win his trust back. "Kisses are fine, right?" she asked as she left the apartment.
"Of course," Killian replied as he brought his lips to hers.
Emma smiled to herself as she left. Even if they weren't having sex, she was happy. She and Killian were in a relationship again, so she could spend time with him again. Kiss him again. He would make her laugh again. Emma wondered if that second – hand guitar was still available. It looked like she would have a merry Christmas this year, after all.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
OOOOOOOOO
Henry was finishing up some homework that afternoon when Grandpa came back. "Where's Emma?" Grandma asked as she came over to kiss Grandpa.
"Still looking for some gift ideas, I think," Grandpa replied after he finished kissing Grandma. "Actually I'm glad she's not home yet. I can get these down to the basement before she arrives." Henry suddenly noticed Grandpa was carrying a bag. Did it have Mom's Christmas present in it? Would Grandpa tell Henry what it was?
"Henry, are you almost finished with your homework?" Grandpa asked him.
Henry shrugged. "Just about. Why?"
Grandpa smiled at him. "I thought you might like to help me with this gift for your mom. But I want to make sure you're working on homework, too. Finish your homework and you can find me in the basement, Henry."
"Sure, Grandpa!" Henry replied.
"Make sure you wear a coat when you go down there, Charming," Grandma told him. "I know it gets chilly down there, even though it's warmer than it is outside."
Grandpa shook his head, but left his coat on. "Sure, Snow," he replied sweetly. Then he kissed her on the cheek and went down to the cellar.
Henry worked on his homework quickly. He loved doing things with Grandpa, so whatever he had planned, Henry was sure would be great. Besides, he liked the idea of helping Grandpa with a gift for Mom. He didn't know what to get his family this year. He still didn't have any money, and he couldn't give them snapshot photos all the time. When he was all finished, Henry headed to the basement to see Grandpa. (Grandma made him where a coat, too.)
Grandpa had several pieces of wood laid out, as well as a hammer, nails, a tape measure, and a small saw. Right now, he was rubbing one of the pieces of wood with sandpaper. The project looked really cool.
"Hi, Henry. I'm making an end table for Emma to put next to her bed. Do you think she'll like it?"
Henry nodded eagerly.
"Would you like to help me? Then it can be from both of us," Grandpa smiled at Henry as he said this.
"Yes!" Henry replied. "I'd love to."
"Okay then. Why don't you pick up one of those pieces of wood and start sanding them. They need to be smooth, so she won't get a splinter."
Henry and Grandpa spent the rest of the afternoon sanding the wood to make it as smooth as possible. It felt great, to spend time with Grandpa and make something for Mom at the same time.
OOOOOOOOOOO
The next day, Mom mentioned she'd like to have Killian over for dinner. Tonight. Henry didn't understand it. Killian? Wasn't their relationship done? After all, the man hadn't been to their house in almost a month! Mom hadn't mentioned him in weeks. Grandma, however, seemed to think it was a great idea.
"That's wonderful, Emma!" she exclaimed eagerly. She began opening cupboards and searching for food. "What does he like best? Is there anything he doesn't like?"
Mom shrugged. "I don't think he's very picky. He likes McDonalds, but he also likes chicken parmesan when we go to fancier places."
Grandma nodded, still looking in the cupboards. "I think I have ingredients for chicken parmesan." Then she whispered to something to Mom that Henry didn't hear.
"Mom," Henry asked when she finished talking to Grandma, "What's going on? I thought your relationship with that man was supposed to be…you know, 'temporary.' Isn't over now?"
Mom sighed. "Come on, Henry. Let's talk for a minute." She led him into his bedroom and shut the door. "It's true, I thought my relationship with Killian was going to be temporary. And I ended it when I thought it was the right time. But Henry…I missed him a lot. Way more than I thought I would. And Killian missed me, too. He didn't even return to his ship after we broke up, like I thought he would. So I know I can trust him to stay with me now. And your grandma told me…'the possibility of love is worth fighting for.' She thinks maybe…I can have more than one True Love. So I've decided to try…something more permanent with Killian."
Henry looked at his hands as Mom talked. Grandma said that, huh? Well, that explained why she was so excited Killian was coming to dinner tonight. Grandma wanted Mom to find love with someone. It made sense. And Henry admitted that Killian was a pretty good guy. He seemed to treat Mom pretty well and had made her happy before. And if he could stay in Bangor after they'd already broken up…Henry hated to admit it, but Mom was probably right. He wouldn't leave her.
Still all of that didn't mean Henry was happy about Mom and Killian having a permanent relationship. Mom was supposed to have a permanent relationship with Dad. Dad and Mom had True Love! How could Henry be okay with her replacing Dad with Killian? Would Mom expect him to think of Killian as Dad as well? Mom had said she'd never be happy that Dad was dead…but Henry wondered if she might have been lying. She seemed pretty happy she might have a "permanent relationship" with Killian. That Killian could be a True Love, as well. And Dad would never have a relationship with anyone ever again.
"I see," Henry replied, finally. He looked at Mom's face again. She looked so hopeful. She obviously really wanted things with Killian to work out this time. Henry couldn't disappoint her by telling her his problems with it.
"Grandpa, can we go down to the basement?" he asked instead. Grandpa had been reading the paper, but maybe they could work on Mom's Christmas present again. That would be nice, to spend time with Grandpa. Especially considering he was a little irritated at both Mom and Grandma.
"Sure, Henry!" Grandpa replied with a big smile on her face.
"Don't forget coats!" Grandma reminded them.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Mom had even asked Killian to help pick out their Christmas tree the next weekend. Grandma had smiled and said she thought it was a great idea. Even Grandpa had nodded and said, "I think it's great that you're happy again, Emma."
Henry had felt like a horrible son because he couldn't be happy for his mother as well. So he plastered a smile on his face and tried to pretend everything was fine.
Killian came by that Saturday afternoon. "We all ready to look at Christmas trees?" he asked brightly.
"Definitely," Mom agreed, smiling at him and taking his hand.
"I love trees, so I've been ready for a while," Grandma chuckled.
"I know you do," Grandpa told her, looking into her eyes.
They all headed for the bus stop to go to the tree farm. Henry held onto to Grandpa's hand.
OOOOOOOOOO
When they got off the bus, Grandpa used his other hand to take Grandma's. Then suddenly, he gasped. "Why aren't you wearing your mittens? We're going to be outside for a while, you know. Your hands are going to get cold." He shook his head and began rubbing her hands against his.
Mom laughed. "Seriously, you always lecture David and me for not wearing our mittens, why don't you have to wear them?"
Everyone laughed at that comment. Despite Henry's mixed feelings about this outing, he laughed, too. Mom was right. Grandma should be wearing mittens!
Grandma shrugged. "I guess I didn't think about them when we left. Besides they've got holes in them, anyway."
Grandpa shook his head. "And what did you tell me about that?"
" – You said that wearing mittens with holes was better than no mittens at all," Mom answered. She was still chuckling.
"Yeah, I guess you guys are right," Grandma admitted, looking at the ground.
"It's okay," Grandpa told her softly. He rubbed her hands against his again. "Just remember next time."
"You know…if you want those holes gone, I'm good at fixing everything," Killian commented. "I already took care of Emma's."
"Yeah, he did a good job, too," Mom added, holding up her hand. All the holes in her mittens were sewn together with some kind of yarn.
Grandma and Grandpa shrugged. "Yeah, that would be nice," they replied slowly. They appeared to be surprised Killian could do something like that. Henry had to admit, he was impressed as well.
"Okay, now why don't we look at trees?" Grandma asked.
"Sure!"
They looked at tall trees, but Grandma said they were too big for their house. They looked at little trees, but they all agreed they wanted a more than a two or three foot – tall tree. "I want something that makes me feel like I'm back in the forest," Grandma added.
Then they found some five foot trees. "These look like the height we're looking for," Mom commented. Their family finally settled on a pine tree.
"So what are we doing with it, again?" Killian asked looking at the tree.
"We're going to take it home and decorate it," Henry replied. Wasn't it obvious? Hadn't he been listening to them as they picked out a tree? Just how out – of – it was this man?
"We did have Christmas trees in the Enchanted Forest, too," David commented, confused. Exactly! It's not as if Killian was completely unfamiliar with the custom.
Killian shrugged. "Aye, but there wasn't much space for Christmas trees on the Jolly Roger," he chuckled. "I'm just not used to the idea."
Everyone else chuckled as well. Even Henry. The man certainly was funny.
"Well, then you should help decorate it, too," Mom told him, looking into Killian's eyes. Henry resisted the urge to gag at that.
"Aye, if you want me to. But how do we get it back to your house?"
Grandma shrugged. "I have a co – worker with a truck. She'll help us take it back when we're ready. I just have to call her on my communication device."
OOOOOOOOOO
Eventually, they were all back at the house and so was the new Christmas tree. Grandma made more popcorn for them to string on the tree. Henry tried not to eat the popcorn, but ended up snacking on quite a few kernels. Of course, Killian and Grandpa ate some as well, so it wasn't like he was the only one.
Henry also showed Grandma all the feathers he'd saved for her, just for this occasion over the summer. "Do you want to hang these on the tree, too, Grandma?"
Grandma's eyes lit up. "Of course, Henry. Thank you."
They both hung up the feathers. Henry loved it. It looked just like something out of the Enchanted Forest.
"I love it," Grandpa agreed, wrapping his arms around Grandma. "It reminds me of you."
"It certainly is different," Killian commented as he looked at it. "But different is pretty good, I think." Henry decided the day had turned out pretty well, even if Killian came with them.
Before Killian left, Grandma and Grandpa handed them their mittens for him to fix. He promised to return them as soon as possible. Then he kissed Mom (yuck) and left.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
OOOOOOOO
On Christmas, everyone decided to go to Snow and Emma's house to open gifts and celebrate Christmas. It would get a little crowded, but since they all handled it on Thanksgiving, they should be able to do it again. Red, Abigail, and Fredrick brought all their presents with them.
"Merry Christmas!" they all greeted as they came in the door.
"Merry Christmas," Snow, Emma, David and Henry returned. They all smiled.
"Sure, Merry Christmas," said a voice uncertainly in the background.
Red stepped forward and realized it was Killian. It seemed he and Emma had made up, just like Red and Justin did. Red was happy about that. "Merry Christmas, Killian," she told him cheerfully.
Speaking of Justin…Red heard a bark at the door, so he must be here! She opened the door and greeted her boyfriend. "Hi Justin, hi Champ."
"Hi Red," he replied, grinning. He made a point to call her by her real name whenever possible now. There was a part of Red that wanted to tell him it wasn't necessary. (After all, Emma still called her "Ruby.") But, it was kind of nice to hear "Red" from Justin's lips.
"Cool!" Henry exclaimed. "The dog is here. I know, I'm not supposed to pet him and everything, but I still like seeing him."
Justin grinned as he walked into the apartment. He sat down in one of the chairs and carefully removed Champ's harness. "You know what…Henry? I think Champ would like to see you, too. Go ahead; call him."
Henry grinned from ear – to – ear and called out, "Champ!" Champ wagged his tail and trotted over to Henry, where Henry petted him for a couple of minutes. It was nice to see Justin becoming more comfortable with her friends and family. Justin rarely let others pet his dog, after all, much less someone Henry's age. But Justin was settling in with everyone fine.
Granny arrived last, holding gifts as well. "It's nice to see you again, Red," she told her granddaughter, giving her a hug. Red hugged her back. She'd missed Granny, too. "And the rest of you as well," she added with a smile to the whole room.
"Merry Christmas," everyone called out.
With everyone there, they all sat down to open gifts. David and Henry begged Emma to open the first one, and it turned out to be a wooden table she could put next to her bed. "Do you like it?" David asked her softly, as she examined it.
Emma nodded. "Did…you make this?"
David nodded.
"And I helped, Mom! So it's from me, too!"
Emma grinned. "I love it. It's perfect," she told them. She automatically gave Henry a big hug. After pausing for a second, she gave David a big hug, too.
Snow opened a gift next, which was a nice sewing machine from Emma and David. Snow seemed excited with all the new things she could make for her family with it. She gave Emma a hug and David a kiss to thank them.
Abigail gave them all engraved handkerchiefs, tablecloths, and place mats. Fredrick gave them all books based on their interests.
Emma gave Henry a usual – looking leather glove. Red thought it might be called a baseball glove. "I know you'll have to wait until spring to use it, but now you don't have to worry about borrowing Teddy's," Emma told him.
"Thanks, Mom," Henry grinned. "It's great."
"This goes with it," Killian added, handing Henry a bag.
Henry nodded and opened the bag. "A baseball!" he grinned.
"Well, if your friends aren't available, you can still play a little," Killian told Henry, smiling.
"I guess," Henry didn't sound quite so happy about that. Red wondered what was bothering him. But before she could wonder further, Henry asked "So who gets the next gift?"
Emma smiled and reached behind the tree to retrieve something. Something big. "Merry Christmas, Killian," she told him, handing it to him. It appeared to be some sort of instrument. It looked kind of like a ukulele.
"Swan!" he gasped. "This is…wow. I haven't gotten my hands on a guitar in months. And I don't think I've ever owned my own guitar! This is…Emma, I don't know what to say…" he examined the guitar again.
"Say 'thank you'", Emma replied softly, looking straight at him.
"Thank you."
"Why don't you…ah, play us something," David suggested slowly. He probably wasn't entirely comfortable with Emma having a boyfriend. It was nice he was making the effort. From the looks on Emma and Snow's faces, they appreciated it.
"Sure," Killian replied, sounding surprised at the request. He positioned it on his lap between his hand and his hook. Then he played a song. It wasn't one Red was familiar with, but it was still very nice. She hated to admit it, but she couldn't stop staring at Emma's boyfriend. He could play a guitar with one hand?
Killian smiled at them. "Yes," he said chuckling. "I play the guitar one – handed. Everyone in this world seems to think that's impossible."
"Oh, it's not that we think it's impossible," Henry protested, grumbling. "It's just not something we're used to seeing."
"Don't worry about it, Killian," Justin commented. "Not a lot of people believe I can do much without eyesight, either. We just have to prove them wrong."
"Thanks, mate," Killian replied.
Killian gave Emma a beautiful teal – colored sweater. "I think it will look pretty sexy on you," he told her as she admired it.
Emma's smiled seemed to say she agreed. David grunted at that, but at least that was all he did.
Then the gifts continued. Granny gave them all new hats and mittens again. She also gave Champ a doggie sweater. "I wasn't sure if it was something he needed or not," Granny explained to Justin. "But I saw the pattern and I thought, well, maybe…"
"No it's great," Justin replied, feeling the sweater. "It will be nice to keep Champ warm when he goes outside in the winter."
Red gave Granny some new knitting supplies. She also gave Emma and Snow new outfits. Furthermore, she'd found a great present for Justin. A new book on tape. Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers' Soul. Red had loved the book herself, and she knew Justin would, too.
Snow gave David a book on woodworking.
Eventually, all the presents were opened. Everyone was happy. It was a great Christmas.
"So I guess we're ready to leave, now," Red commented to her friends. Granny had agreed to make Christmas dinner for her, Justin, Abigail, and Fredrick.
"Of course," the others agreed. "Thank you. Merry Christmas."
But Justin stopped her. "Wait, Red. There's one gift left."
Red looked at the tree. There were no more presents under it. "No," she replied confused. "I don't think so." It suddenly occurred to her that Justin had never given Red a gift. She knelt under the tree and looked a little closer.
Justin smiled mischievous. "The gift isn't under the tree. It's right here." He pulled a small box out of his pocket. It looked kind of like…well, it couldn't really be…Justin got on one knee in front of her.
Red's eyes lit up. It was! It really was!
"Red, I love you. And I know you love me. Will you marry me?" He opened the ring box to reveal a ring with a ruby in the center and two small diamonds on either side. "I thought I'd ask you in front of everyone, so I'd know if they'd accepted it at the same time. Justin was smart. He must have been thinking about Fredrick. Fredrick looked…slightly unhappy about this development, but he nodded, anyway.
Everyone else cheered.
"Yes, Justin," Red finally replied. "I'll marry you."
Justin smiled and slid the ring on her finger. "I asked the jeweler to give me a ring with a ruby on it. I thought because you liked red so much…and it felt like something you would wear. Do you like it?"
"I love it," Red replied, admiring the ring. She did like things with red on them. It was nice that Justin thought about that. And the ring looked perfect on her finger because Justin put it there.
So, it looks like all my Christmas chapters are going to be in the summer. Sort of against my principles, but whatever. Once, again I had scenes I really needed for Christmas. (Specifically Emma and Killian making up and Justin's proposal to Red.) And I wasn't willing to wait until Christmastime to give it to you.
And I got the idea that Killian knows how to knit (and darn), from Katta's "Tight – knit." (which is on my favorites page, if you're interested. Great Charming Family and Captain Swan story.) But it makes sense to me, too. I read a "history of knitting" book a couple of years back, and it said most sailors knew basic knitting.
Please give me a review if you have a couple of minutes.
Here's a response from last week.
Guest: I'm glad you're still interested in this story and that you enjoyed Snow and Emma's talk. Sorry there has been so much CS and Red in the last couple of chapters, but I'll give you a small spoiler because I know it will make you happy. There will be a lot of Snowing scenes in chapter 44.