Work Text:
Pairing: Emma/Neal (Once Upon A Time)
Setting: pre-canon AU
A huge effort had been made with Christmas, not for their own sake, but almost entirely for their son. Even though he was ten years old, and should be far beyond believing in Santa anymore, he still liked to make believe that was where the pile of gifts came from. Neither Emma nor Neal had the heart to tell him he was wrong. After all, they both knew magic was real. It made sense that their son ought to believe it too.
Of course, they lived in a land where magic was rare if not non-existent. Things might have been easier if they had access to fairy dust or a wand, but it wasn’t to be. Instead, going straight meant going without, especially since they realised the little one was on the way. It had been rough in the beginning, and though it was better now - the two of them earning, and the kid having been raised to know the value of simple, thoughtful gifts - Christmas was not exactly a lavish affair and life was never easy.
“Oh, I love it!” There was a grin a mile-wide on his ten-year-old face, as he tore the pretty paper off another box and revealed a new scarf inside.
It wasn’t much. None of what he was getting this year was fancy or at all expensive, but his gratitude was big and real. Emma couldn’t love him more if she tried.
“We raised a good kid,” she said, leaning back into Neal’s arms right there on the carpet alongside the Christmas tree. “God knows how, but we did.”
“I don’t think we’re done yet,” he reminded her, kissing her temple, “but I know what you mean. After what I went through, I never thought I could be a good father. I wasn’t sure I would ever be a good anything.”
“You and me both.” She sighed, recalling her own past in foster homes and orphanages, the memory of which made her shudder even now. “But somehow, we’re making it work. I guess, corny as it sounds, it must be true what they say,” she said then, turning to smile at him. “Love really is the most powerful magic.”
“Yeah.” Neal smiled back at her, his nose rubbing against her own. “I guess it is.”
“Hey, mom? This one’s for you and dad.”
When their son appeared before them with the large, flat, gift-wrapped present in his hands, Emma found herself frowning.
“What did you do?” she asked first her son and then her husband. “Seriously?”
“I have no idea.” Neal shrugged, hands then raised in mock surrender, as Emma shifted from his embrace to lay the gift down on the carpet and tear the paper away.
“You think I bought something so big? On my allowance?” Their son shook his head.
Emma’s hands were shaking as she pulled the paper apart, revealing a large book inside the wrapping. Flipping it over, the gold-embossed words on the brown leather cover seemed to burn into her retinas as she read them - ‘Once Upon A Time.’
“Oh, cool, an old-fashioned book of fairytales.”
It should be nice to hear their son’s joy at the sight of the gift, but Emma’s mind was elsewhere as she looked at Neal then and he stared back at her, their eyes meeting, the truth all too plain to the both of them.
“I think somebody is trying to tell us something,” he said in a low voice. “I mean, you will be twenty-eight in a few months...” he trailed off, grasping her hand tightly.
Emma swallowed hard and nodded her head. So much for her quiet family life. It seemed destiny was chasing her and was doing a fine job of tracking her down. God only knew what next Christmas would be like, but at least she knew, whatever she had to face next, she wouldn’t be doing it alone.