A Merry Swan-Jones Christmas

"Daddy! Mum! Wake up! Santa came and left many gifts under the Christmas tree and he's brought snow too!"

Emma groaned and sank her head into her pillow while Killian opened his eyes and propped himself up on one elbow. Their three-year-old daughter, a beautiful little girl with curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes wearing a penguin onesie, was jumping up and down at the foot of their bed, beaming and clenching her fists with excitement.

"We're coming, treasure," said Killian. "Wait for us before you open any present!"

Hope squealed and darted away.

Killian grinned mischievously at Emma who still had her head buried in her pillow. Without warning, he playfully pounced on her and nuzzled her. "Time to get up, love."

"Too early," mumbled Emma. "Not enough sleep."

"It's not that early. You should sleep at night, lass."

She scoffed. "I wonder whose fault it is. How are you not tired?"

Killian chuckled but didn't say anything and watched her with twinkling eyes. She was keeping her head in her pillow and that was a sight he couldn't resist; he covered her with kisses and, suddenly, she was wide awake.

"Killian… Hope's waiting for us," she said in a low voice. "Don't make me want you now."

"Don't you always want me?" he asked smugly, gazing at her with a crooked smile and a teasing eyebrow.

Hiding her smile, she rolled her eyes and threw at him her side of the quilt which landed over his head. She got out of bed laughing and put on her pink unicorn onesie – which had been chosen by Hope (because "unicorns are magical, like Mum.") Killian was faster: by the time she was dressed, he was waiting for her on the doorstep, wearing his panda onesie (also picked by their daughter).

He took Emma's hand and scurried downstairs.

"You look almost as excited as Hope," she pointed out with a heartfelt smile on her lips.

"Maybe I am," he said. "It's Christmas!"

Hope was sitting on the floor in front of the Christmas tree, admiring its lights. She stood up as soon as they entered the room and looked at them with a bright smile, but Emma noticed something else: besides the Christmas lights, the room was sparkling with golden glitter, something that happened when overexcitement triggered Hope's magic.

"Sweetie, do you have your moonstone?" asked Emma.

"Yes." The little girl indicated the necklace she was wearing, hidden inside her onesie. "Don't worry, Mum, I'm in control. I just love the glitter, it's pretty!"

"I love it too," said Killian. "Come here, my little penguin!"

Hope skipped with joy towards her father and hugged him as soon as he scooped her up, then held out her arm, inviting her mother to join the hug.

If Emma was asked to define happiness, this was what she would describe: embracing the two people she loved most as if she was holding her whole world in her arms, leaning their heads against each other's and sharing all the love and joy. She sighed with delight.

"Merry Christmas, my loves," said Killian.

"Merry Christmas," repeated Emma.

"Merry Christmas," said Hope. "Can we open our presents?"

There was a pile of gifts for their daughter and, beside the small package Emma had put under the tree for Killian, there was a present she had not seen before. "What's this?"

"Open it and you'll see," said Killian.

Emma pecked him on the lips and dropped next to Hope who was opening her first gift. Having her suspicions about what it could be, Emma tore her present open, then beamed at Killian when her guess was confirmed: she found inside the gift wrap a pirate outfit made of black leather pants, a white shirt, a burgundy leather corset top and a black leather coat.

"After all these years, it was about time you finally got one!" said Killian proudly.

"Like Daddy!" Hope exclaimed excitedly.

She had just opened her first present and was showing her parents her own new pirate outfit.

"You're going to be the cutest little pirate!" said Killian.

"Santa is so nice," said Hope. "Mum, you got one too, we'll all be like Daddy!"

"We can all dress like pirates for our next expedition on the Jolly Roger!"

"Can I try it now?"

"Don't you want to open your other presents first?"

Hope shook her head. "If I open them now, I won't have any more presents to open."

Killian chuckled, "Then, go and try it."

"Let's go together," Emma told her before she addressed Killian, "You wait for us and do not touch anything."

"As you wish."

Emma and Hope went upstairs and came back a few minutes later. Emma led the way and joined Killian who gave her a very appreciative look.

Hope peeked from upstairs. "Can I come down?"

"Yes, come!" said Emma.

Hope had her parents' full attention as she proudly walked down the stairs wearing her red pirate dress.

"My pirate princess!" exclaimed Killian, welcoming his daughter with open arms and scooping her up when she threw herself into them. "You definitely are the cutest pirate princess in all the realms!"

Hope beamed and hugged him, then looked at the gifts under the Christmas tree. "I still have presents to open."

She squealed when she found the set of paint and paintbrushes in the second gift. The third one was a book about animals that she hugged before she looked through its pages.

"It's already my favourite book! It's so beautiful! And look at that tiger, tigers are my favourite animals!"

"Tigers are also Mum's favourites," said Killian with a smirk, earning himself a nudge from Emma.

"Daddy, this one's for you."

"Is it?" Surprised, he took the small package Hope was handing him and glanced at his wife.

"Yes!" said Hope. "Of course Santa brought you something, you're very nice!"

Hope went back to admiring her book.

"Did you really think there was nothing for you under the Christmas tree?" Emma asked him.

"I didn't expect to get anything, you already gave me the best Christmas present last week."

Softly, he pressed his hand over her lower abdomen and a bright smile lit up her face. These were news they hadn't shared with anyone yet and they were planning to keep it a secret a few more weeks. Even Hope didn't know that she would soon become a big sister, but they knew she would be delighted.

Suddenly overwhelmed with love as she was thinking about her growing family, Emma leant her head against Killian's shoulder.

"Open your present," she told him. "It's not as precious as the early Christmas present we got last week, but I think you'll like it. A homemade little something."

With his curiosity tickled, Killian opened it. "Since when do you make rings?"

In the little box was a silver ring with a red stone.

"I didn't make the ring, but I improved it," said Emma. "It's no regular stone. Try it on."

Instead of waiting for him to put it on, she took the ring and slid it on his forefinger.

"What do you mean when you say you improved it?" asked Killian.

"It's enchanted. Do you remember how, one day, you told me that every ring had a story?" she asked him. "This one tells its own story. Our story."

Killian looked confused but Emma pointed out a small button on the side of the ring that he pressed with his thumb. Instantly, white light came out of the stone and turned into a multitude of colours that formed an animated picture of them and their daughter on the Jolly Roger. A moment later, the colours moved around to create another picture. This time, they saw themselves at their wedding, putting rings on each other's fingers.

"Wow! That's magic!" Hope had just noticed what was going on and, clutching her book against her, had come closer.

The picture dissolved and a new one appeared. Emma and Killian were sitting on the couch and Hope was in her mother's arms. This memory dated back to the day they had come back from the maternity ward.

"Look at this, treasure," said Killian, crouching down next to his daughter so that she could have a better view. "It's you in Mom's arms, you were just a few days old."

Emma was cradling the newborn and Killian was gazing at the two of them in turn, admiring their daughter and cuddling his wife, before Emma placed the sleeping baby in his arms.

"Love, that's…"

"All of our best memories on shuffle," completed Emma. "You can never know which one comes next."

"I meant to say that's beautiful and amazing. Mesmerising."

"I'm glad you love it. You can press the button again to stop it."

"I don't want to stop–" That was when he saw a present under the tree. "Treasure, you still have a present to open."

"I know," said Hope. "I waited so that I still have one to open, but I've waited enough so I'll open it now."

She went back to sit at the foot of the tree.

"Thank you so much," Killian whispered to Emma before he gave her one of those kisses that swept her off her feet.

Then, they gave their full attention to their daughter who had finally decided to open her last present.

"A game!" she exclaimed.

"Wow! It's a treasure hunt game!" said Killian, feinting surprise.

"A treasure hunt like you do?" asked Hope. "Yes! That's it, that's why there's a treasure chest on the box! I'm dressed like a pirate princess and I'm going to hunt treasures like a pirate captain! Can we go on our adventure now? Pleaaaase?"

Killian and Emma exchanged a glance. Going on a treasure hunt right away was not what they'd planned. Killian was first to talk.

"Alright, let's go on an adventure!" he said to Emma's surprise and Hope's delight. He knelt down to be at his daughter's level. "But first, I'm going to let you in on a little secret: a pirate captain never goes on an adventure with an empty belly." He lightly poked her stomach as he went on, "This means your first mission is to fill this little tummy of yours with your favourite breakfast."

"Okay, Captain Daddy!" said Hope with a bright smile.

Emma beamed, admiring Killian's ability to approve their daughter's plans while making her accept theirs. "Sweetie, how about waffles and pancakes for breakfast? We can prepare the batter together."

"Yes!" Hope approved cheerfully.

"Perfect!" said Killian. "You two take care of breakfast, Daddy needs to change because I can't go on a treasure hunt dressed like a panda, can I?"

Hope giggled. "You can't. You need your pirate captain outfit. And you also need food in your tummy so you go and change now while Mum and I prepare breakfast, and then you come and have waffles and pancakes with us," she said while pushing him towards the stairs.

"That's my girl!" Killian said proudly, amused by her authoritative tone. "What a perfect little captain you make!"

Killian headed upstairs while Hope and Emma went to the kitchen. What Hope didn't know was that, while she cooked with Emma, Killian didn't only put on his good old black leather outfit but also took her game and set a treasure hunt by laying a trail all over the house. He didn't say anything about it until they had their fills of waffles and pancakes.

"Hope, look at that, what is it? Under the fruit bowl." Killian pointed at the card he'd just discreetly hidden under the bowl. "It looks like a clue."

Hope was amazed to find the card. "It's a picture of a bed! What does it mean?"

"I think it means the treasure hunt is on!" said Emma.

"And you probably need to go and look around your bed," said Killian. "I think you should go and check inside the box, there'll probably be stuff to help you on your quest."

The family went back to the Christmas tree and Hope opened the treasure hunt game box.

"There's a message! Daddy, can you read it?"

Hope handed him a note in his own handwriting that he read:

'Dear little captain,

Congratulations on finding your first clue! It is now time to start your adventure. Here is a map leading you to the treasure. To get there, you will need to find several clues. Do not forget your pouch as you will collect gold coins along the way.

Happy treasure hunt!'

The little girl squealed, took the red pouch and spread out the treasure map. A path was traced and a dozen of points indicated a dozen clues needed to be found before reaching the treasure.

"I think you can fix your first card on the map, on the first point," said Killian. "That'll help you keep track of your expedition."

A little magnet let Hope fasten the clue card to the map. "Nice!"

And they set off to her bedroom, Hope leading the way and forbidding them to help her. She looked around her bed, in her bedside table and under her bed but found nothing. It was only when she looked under her pillow that she found a golden coin along with a second clue card that pictured the television.

The treasure hunt went on, leading them from room to room as Hope collected golden coins and clue cards that she fastened to her map. She was delighted. Some clues were easy to find, others required more time.

"A snowman." Hope was looking at the clue card she had just found. "Where am I supposed to go? There's no snowman outside."

"I think that means we have to build one," said Killian. "Do you want to build a snowman with Mum and Daddy?"

"YES!"

This was how the treasure hunt took most of their morning.

There was at least a foot of snow blanketing the garden, the yellow bug, the roofs and the trees. Everything was quiet as if the snow had absorbed every sound. The family teamed up to build a beautiful snowman made of two very large snow balls, with two sticks as its arms and marbles as its eyes, its mouth and the buttons of its coat. They also gave it a red scarf and a Christmas hat.

"Here's the final touch!" Emma walked out of the house and handed Hope a carrot.

Killian scooped up their daughter so that she could give their snowman a nose.

"Mister Snowman is so handsome!" said Hope, still in her father's arms.

"That's probably the most beautiful snowman I've ever seen," said Emma. "Great job, sweetie!"

"Check under its hat," Killian told his daughter.

Hope did as she was told and found a golden coin and the last clue card on top of its head. She looked astounded. "How did you know it was there?"

"I've been a pirate captain for so long, I'm used to finding treasures so I know where to look. You'll see, you'll soon be even better than Daddy."

She beamed at him. "The clue says we need to go back to the Christmas tree. That's where we'll find the treasure."

They went back inside and Hope ran to the Christmas tree.

"There's nothing under the tree."

"Look around," said Emma. "It's probably not far."

"Treasures are usually well-hidden," added Killian.

Hope walked all around the tree and found nothing. She walked around again more slowly and, this time, noticed something inside the tree, balanced on the base of a branch. "A gold bar!"

The gold bar was a toy which sounded filled with something.

"I think it's full of coins!" said Hope, shaking the bar close to her ear. She opened it and emptied its content on the table. "Coins and chocolates! And I love these ones. This is the best treasure hunt!"

Immediately, Hope started dividing the chocolates into three piles.

"Sweetie, what are you doing?" asked Emma.

"I'm sharing with you and Daddy," said Hope as if it was obvious. "It's chocolate!"

"I know it's chocolate, but you don't need to share with us, you can keep it."

"But it's sad if you don't have chocolate."

"You're the kindest, I'm so proud of you," said Killian, sitting by her side and hugging her. "Now, you can keep all the chocolates if you want, because it's your treasure. And if you really want to share, which is very nice, two chocolates will be enough for Mum and Daddy."

"Then, I'll give you and Mum three chocolates."

At this moment, the bell rang and Emma went to open the door. "Sweetie, look who's here!"

Hope gaped and instantly forgot about the chocolates when she saw who was standing next to her mother. "Santa!"

"Merry Christmas, Hope!" said Santa – the costume was so great that Henry was unrecognisable under it. "What a lovely little pirate princess! This outfit suits you very well."

Hope turned to her father who was still sitting by her side. She sounded slightly worried as she asked him, "What is Santa doing here? I thought he was sleeping because he's been up all night."

"I'll soon go to sleep, but before that I wanted to visit the kindest kids and you're one of them."

"Oh!" Hope was relieved to hear this. She got up and went to hug Santa. "Thank you for all my presents."

"You're very welcome!"

"We went on a treasure hunt this morning, we found the treasure. Look!" Hope led Santa to the table and handed him a chocolate. "You can have a chocolate."

"Thank you so much!"

Hope beamed and looked through the window. "Where are your reindeer?"

"Ha, I'm afraid you won't be able to see them," said Santa. "They're on the edge of the forest, resting because they've been working so hard last night."

"Oh that's okay," said Hope. "They deserve a good nap. But what about you? You've been working all night too."

"I am fine, sweetheart, do not worry about me. My reindeer did most of the work, I was just sitting in my comfortable sleigh."

Killian and Emma were standing aside in each other's embrace, watching Hope and Henry. Emma was clutching Killian's vest and nestling her head against his shoulder, blissful and feeling nothing but love and happiness.

"This is the best Christmas I've ever had. We have such a beautiful family," said Emma, leading Killian to tenderly tighten his embrace. "In moments like this, I just know that we made it."