The Life We Left Behind

The Christmas Miracle

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Everywhere you go
Take a look at the five and ten, it's glistening once again
With candy canes and silver lanes that glow

The snow was calmly falling down onto the street. Not a soul was outside in the cold, everyone was huddled together in their homes, celebrating this very special holiday that was all about decorations with twinkly lights, candy, hot peppermint cocoa and eggnog, stockings hung by the fireside, an overweighed old man in a red bathrobe with a beard who was flying on a sleigh with reindeers, and somehow also about the birth of some other savior somewhere long ago, but Killian wasn't sure whether he was also living here in Storybrooke.

He peeked out the window through the curtains, getting more and more impatient by the second. Where the bloody hell were they? They said they'd be here an hour ago.

„Darling?", he turned around when he heard her voice and almost got a heart attack when he saw her in her tight bordeaux-colored velvet off-the-shoulder dress. How could any person be that incomprehensibly beautiful and perfect? And tonight, she even had a smile for him that seemed to actually come from the heart.

„You look absolutely stunning, love", he said, reaching out for her hand.

She walked over to him and let him take her in his arms. „Thank you. You do too, though! I think I'll never get enough of the sight of you in a suit."

He leaned in to give her a gentle kiss, then she looked at him with big brown eyes. „Are you coming? Most our guests are already there."

„Aye, I was just waiting for..."

„Henry and the other Hook?", she nodded, „Henry called, they got back into town today and are just taking a bit of time to shower and get ready. They should be here any moment now. Come, mhm?"

Arm in arm they went into the living room where the rest of their family and friends were already sitting around the festive tree and the cozy fireplace.

„Alright, so...", she said with an inviting gesture, the perfect hostess, „who'd like hot chocolate or eggnog? We also have mulled wine, with or without alcohol."

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Toys in every store
But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be
On your own front door

Finally, the doorbell rang, and Killian almost ran to the door to let in their last two remaining guests.

„Finally...", he whispered when he greeted Henry and his stepfather.

His other version raised an eyebrow. „I believe the words you are searching for are ‚Thank You', mate! We got lost in that damn forest and almost didn't make it back in time."

„Aye, I noticed that!"

„Henry!", Regina came down the hallway, arms wide open to give her son a hug, „You made it! Welcome home!"

He hugged his mother tight, thinking about where they had been and what they had done – and what that would or could mean for her and her future.

„Are you okay?", she asked, stroking his back, when he didn't seem to want to let go of her again.

„Yeah yeah, I'm fine, I'm just... I've missed you!"

„Oh, well isn't that nice! You were only gone for a week, but I've missed you too", she gently cupped his face between her hands, then went up on her tiptoes to kiss his forehead, very carefully to not leave any traces of lipstick.

When he and Hook went to greet the other guests, she gently stroked Killian's back. „And you, are you alright, dear? You seem a little fidgety tonight?"