Henry's Adventures in Fairytale Land

The Accident

A/N: I've been working on this Christmas story since May. Because I didn't want a repeat of last year when I ended up posting my Christmas story in January and because I knew this was going to be multi-chaptered.

This is based off the holiday story "Adventures in Toyland" or "March of the Wooden Soldiers." I hope you all enjoy it!

Chapter 1: The Accident

The Mayor's Christmas Ball was Storybrooke's grandest event. Everyone talked about it for weeks, starting right after Halloween. The dress shop had to take people by appointment only and the seamstresses put in overtime to get all their orders filled before the ball. Caterers across town put forth their best dishes, hoping to impress the mayor and win the chance to feed her guests. Musicians practiced all year round in anticipation for auditions. The mayor demanded perfection and everyone in Stoybrooke made sure to give it to her.

Henry Mills, the mayor's son, also looked forward to the ball. It was the only one of his mother's parties that he was allowed to attend. All the children were able to stay up late, eating sweets and playing games. Then, at midnight, Santa would come and visit to give them gifts. Last year, he got a new X-Box but he was hoping for something more this year.

Ever since he was a baby, it had been him and his mother. And that was fine. His mother had done a lot for him and made sure he had never wanted for anything. Yet he still saw the other boys in town with their fathers and wanted what they had. Someone to throw a ball around with (not that his mother wasn't good at that), to take him on camping trips, and to do things Mom normally wouldn't let him do when she wasn't home. A dad to do all the father-son things with him instead of Dr. Hopper. He meant well, but it was embarrassing to go to these events with one's therapist.

He also wanted his mother to have romance in her life. It wasn't like she wasn't happy or that she needed a man. But he saw the other couples walking hand in hand or talking or even just comforting each other. Henry felt his mother should have someone who she could talk to or who would comfort her when being mayor got overwhelming.

(Henry also didn't mind having a brother or sister...or a few of both. Being an only child got lonesome sometimes).

No one knew this was his Christmas wish. After all, it was between him and Santa. Henry also knew everyone would try to talk him out it. They would try to explain that wasn't how love worked and he didn't understand because he was ten. But he did understand. He knew he wasn't going to wake up on Christmas morning with a new dad. It would take time before his mom was ready for marriage. He just wanted Santa to introduce her to the man who would be her husband and his new father. Or rather, he wanted Santa to make one certain man realize he was meant to be with Regina Mills.

"Henry? Are you in there?" His mother's voice wafted down the hallway.

Henry spun around from the window in the big black chair his mother sat in as mayor. "Right here, Mom. Do you need something?"

Mayor Regina Mills stood in the doorway, looking up at her son with dark brown eyes. Like always, she was well-dressed in a gray pencil skirt and dark purple silk top. She wore black heels that Henry was impressed anyone could walk in. It was a good thing he was a boy-he could barely walk in sneakers!

She tucked a short piece of black hair behind her ear as she smiled. "Do you want to see the decorations for the ball?"

"Yes!" Henry jumped up and ran toward the door.

Regina held up her hands to slow him, shaking her head. "Be careful. You don't want to end up with a cast for Christmas, do you?"

Henry shook his head. "Sorry, Mom."