Part Two, Have a Holly Jolly (Roger) Christmas

Once home, they set right to work baking.

Emma hummed happily. Henry stirred up sugar cookie dough for the cutters while Emma worked on the rum raisin. She giggled to herself as she handed Killian the rum extract.

He took the tiny bottle. "What the bloody devil is that?"

She chuckled. "It's the rum," she said innocently, but with a teasing smile.

He gasped, literally holding his hand over his heart. "What the devil has some evil wizard in this cruel land done to you?" he asked the bottle.

Emma laughed. "Relax, no one's hurt your precious alcohol. It's rum extract."

He wrinkled his nose. "Extract? What, some evil doer has wrenched the essence out?"

She shrugged. "Kind of."

"Oh, Swan, that is simply wrong," he said, sagging against the kitchen counter.

"Killian, you're too funny," Henry said as he worked the hand mixer through his dough.

"And you and your mother are wicked to mock me in my pain."

She laughed. "Let's just make the cookies. Ok?"

"Rum raisin cookies without rum?"

"This is rum," she answered, opening the extract.

He shook his head. "It is an impossibly small bottle. There can be very little essence inside."

She laughed and let him take a whiff. "I can tell without even tasting it that this sad little liquid has no right referring to itself as rum."

"Maybe they're afraid that using real rum would hurt real, non-pirate people," Henry suggested.

Killain smiled and waved his finger at him. "Of course, Lad, that is it. Smart boy you have there, Swan."

She chuckled and finished the rum raisin batter as Henry made cut-outs with the sugar dough. Killian sat beside him at the kitchen table, a real bottle of rum in hand. He watched Henry make the shapes then tried his hand at making a few Jolly Rogers.

He truly enjoyed the activity with Henry and Emma, especially the icing of the pirate ship. He even managed to make little pirate flags.

"Killian, it's Christmas. At least put a Santa hat on the skull."

He looked over and smirked at her. "Many have tried to take the terror out of that flag, Love. Not even your red and white clad magical gift giver's headwear would accomplish that."

Henry looked at her and they both laughed. She sat beside them, watching their art unfold.

It was a fun, pleasant afternoon. Soon they had several trays of baked santas, reindeer, bells, Jolly Rogers and "land lover" rum raisin cookies, as Killian called them.

Several hours later, Emma collapsed onto the sofa. "That wore me out." She looked at her watch. "It's about time to get ready for dinner with my parents. Dang, we skipped lunch, didn't we? I doubt Mom's serving grilled cheese."

"Perhaps we can stop on the way and get a small one," Killian said, lounging beside her.

She smirked and nodded. After a short rest, they changed their clothes, which was good because Killian was covered in flour and icing.

Henry wrapped up several trays of the cookies to take with them. Emma grabbed the presents and off they went.

They did stop to get Emma a grilled cheese, but it didn't ruin her dinner. They had a nice evening with Snow and David, Regina, Robin, Roland, Belle and a few other residents. Snow did question the ship cookies. "Don't ask," warned Emma.

Sometime after eleven, they decided to call it a night.

After they got home, Henry ran to get some cookies. "You just ate a four course dinner!" yelled his mom as Killian laughed.

"Growing boy, Emma," he said.

"Mom! We're out of milk! I can't eat cookies without milk!"

"Or leave them for Santa milk-less, I guess," she said.

He gave her a 'very funny' look.

"Fear not, Lad. We shall go and fetch the white drink." So off he and the boy went on a quick run to the store.

It took nearly an hour.

"Where have you been?" she asked when they finally returned.

KIllian glanced at Henry, who chuckled. "Go on, you try to explain," said the boy.

The captain frowned.. "Emma, Love…" he stopped, shaking his head. "I cannot. I do not even believe our tale."

"Where the heck were you? Why didn't you call? I was getting worried! It's Christmas Eve, you know!"

"Ah, exactly, Swan. That is very important to the explanation."

"It is?"

Her boys looked at each other again. "Go on, Killian. Tell her."

"Why can't you?" retorted the pirate.

"One of you...talk."

Killian sighed, closed his eyes and blurted out, "We were with Santa Claus."

Emma was speechless and apparently doubtful, considering the look she gave them.

"It's true, Mom!" cried Henry. "And there's more! He wants us to go with him!"

"What?" she asked, incredulously.

"It seems the old boy is having a bit of a reindeer problem," Killian said. "The poor things were fed a rather large diet this evening of cookies, mince pies and eggnog. Apparently carrots were in short supply."

"They're too sick to fly, Mom!"

Emma shook her head. "What are you two talking about? Santa...reindeer. Guys, it's a story, a legend."

Killian scratched behind his ear and said with a smug smirk, "Like Snow White and Peter Pan, Love?"

She frowned.

"Mom, listen! We don't have much time! He needs our help!"

"Who?"

"Santa Claus," the men said in unison.

"Honestly, Swan, pay attention."

She scowled at the Captain.

"The reindeer got sick not far from Storybrooke," Henry said, "Santa could sense magic nearby. He knew if there was magic, he could still save Christmas."

"Sounds like a bad holiday movie," joked Emma.

"Tsk, tsk, Swan. I'd watch it. Santa is listening and he's closer than you think," said Killian.

"Yeah, Mom. He needs us to take him."

"Take him where?"

Killian shook his head. "You are trying very well to pretend you're thick, Emma. Where does Santa go on Christmas Eve, hmm?"

She chuckled, shaking her head. "Oh, so he wants us to help him deliver gifts to all the good boys and girls of the world."

"Ho, ho, ho!" boomed a voice, outside her house. The front door blew open, a cold wind rushed inside, tossing snow along with it.

Emma's mouth popped open as the snow began to whirl around in a large spiral until it revealed…

"Santa," she whispered.

The red clad round man smiled like a blazing, cheery fireplace. "Emma Swan. How do you do? Please forgive my intrusion into your lovely home, but I sensed you weren't quite believing and the clock is ticking."

She just stared, first at the Claus, then Henry, then Killian.

"Kind of takes your breath away, doesn't it Swan?" asked the cheeky pirate.

She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

"Did you explain the problem?" Santa asked.

"We tried," said Killian. "She has a bit of a belief problem. She's slow to get started." She smirked at her.

She shook her head to clear it. "Santa Claus is in my living room."

He smiled at her. "Not for long I hope," he said. "I have a schedule and I am so very behind. These boys have been so helpful and thanks to them, I am ready to resume my journey. I need their help, but they refuse to come unless you come too."

Henry smiled. "Can't go on an adventure without you, Mom."

"It would be heartless to leave you here alone on Christmas Eve with no explanation," agreed Killian.

"So, Emma Swan, will you come with is?" asked Santa. "Will you help to deliver my toys?"

She nodded, almost instinctively. She couldn't quite believe this was happening.

"Wonderful!" cried Santa. "Hold on, I'll transport us all by Christmas Snow!"

"Um, to your sleigh?"

Killian put his arm around her. "Oh, Swan. We are not going by sleigh."

Another cold wind burst through. It swept them all up and blew in a furry. When it cleared Emma recognized where she was. Without question, they all stood upon the Jolly Roger.

"The Sleigh is kind of useless without the reindeer. It isn't made of enchanted wood like this fine vessel" said Santa, getting comfortable on a large Christmasy throne-like seat that was definitely not present on the Jolly the last time Emma had been aboard.

From the wheel, Killian grinned like a Comic Con fan meeting his idol. "Did you hear that, Jolly?" he asked as he stroked the pegs of the wheel. "He said you're a fine vessel. He is quite right of course."

Henry sat beside Santa, next to the largest bag Emma had ever seen. It was red velvet and trimmed in white fur.

"Ahoy, mates! Our first destination awaits!" cried Killian. He spun the wheel and the ship rose into the air.

Emma was expecting to be thrown about, but she wasn't. She realized the snow was still floating among them, apparently flying them and keeping them all stationary like gravity.

"Tally ho!" cried Santa with glee.

Emma joined Killian at the wheel, slipping her hand inside the crook of his arm. He looked at her with a joyous smile. She glanced back at Henry, who was digging through the bag of toys and chatting with Santa about how happy the kids would be.

Emma sighed happily. This was going to be one amazing, unsurpassable Christmas Eve.

Around six in the morning, the magic snow appeared again in Emma's home. It deposited the three of them on the sofa set. They laughed and giggled.

"That was amazing!" cried Henry.

Emma giggled like she couldn't stop. She felt warm inside. "It was pretty cool."

They all just sat there, tired but happy.

"I underestimated this Christmas tradition," said Killian. "I enjoyed it far more than I had expected."

"Well, to be fair, most people don't get to be Santa's helpers for real," Emma said. She yawned and put her head on Killian's shoulder. "I'm glad we don't have to go anywhere."

"Hmm, a nice day of sleeping beside you, my Love sounds like heaven."

She chuckled and kissed him.

Henry yawned. "I'm going to go sleep too," he said, getting up. "After I have some cookies. Gift delivery builds up an appetite."

Emma laughed. She snuggled into her pirate's side. "Can we just stay here? The bedroom is so far away."

"You'll get no argument from me, Love."

They began to doze off, entwined on the sofa when Henry called out, "Hey! Where are all the ship cookies? I know we had a bunch left."

"Maybe Santa ate them," called Emma, "or he poofed them out in the snowy wind, like he did us."

"Why just the ships though?" asked Henry, coming out of the kitchen with a plate of reindeer and bells.

"Well," said Killian with a smirk. ""He did say he loved my Jolly Roger, lad."

Emma giggled. "Like I said, a weird Christmas was pretty much a guarantee around here. Weird but wonderful."

"Indeed," murmured Killian, taking her hand and kissing it. "Merry Christmas, my love."

"Merry Christmas, Killian."

The End

Part Two

Once home, they set right to work baking.

Emma hummed happily. Henry stirred up sugar cookie dough for the cutters while Emma worked on the rum raisin. She giggled to herself as she handed Killian the rum extract.

He took the tiny bottle. "What the bloody devil is that?"

She chuckled. "It's the rum," she said innocently, but with a teasing smile.

He gasped, literally holding his hand over his heart. "What the devil has some evil wizard in this cruel land done to you?" he asked the bottle.

Emma laughed. "Relax, no one's hurt your precious alcohol. It's rum extract."

He wrinkled his nose. "Extract? What, some evil doer has wrenched the essence out?"

She shrugged. "Kind of."

"Oh, Swan, that is simply wrong," he said, sagging against the kitchen counter.

"Killian, you're too funny," Henry said as he worked the hand mixer through his dough.

"And you and your mother are wicked to mock me in my pain."

She laughed. "Let's just make the cookies. Ok?"

"Rum raisin cookies without rum?"

"This is rum," she answered, opening the extract.

He shook his head. "It is an impossibly small bottle. There can be very little essence inside."

She laughed and let him take a whiff. "I can tell without even tasting it that this sad little liquid has no right referring to itself as rum."

"Maybe they're afraid that using real rum would hurt real, non-pirate people," Henry suggested.

Killain smiled and waved his finger at him. "Of course, Lad, that is it. Smart boy you have there, Swan."

She chuckled and finished the rum raisin batter as Henry made cut-outs with the sugar dough. Killian sat beside him at the kitchen table, a real bottle of rum in hand. He watched Henry make the shapes then tried his hand at making a few Jolly Rogers.

He truly enjoyed the activity with Henry and Emma, especially the icing of the pirate ship. He even managed to make little pirate flags.

"Killian, it's Christmas. At least put a Santa hat on the skull."

He looked over and smirked at her. "Many have tried to take the terror out of that flag, Love. Not even your red and white clad magical gift giver's headwear would accomplish that."

Henry looked at her and they both laughed. She sat beside them, watching their art unfold.

It was a fun, pleasant afternoon. Soon they had several trays of baked santas, reindeer, bells, Jolly Rogers and "land lover" rum raisin cookies, as Killian called them.

Several hours later, Emma collapsed onto the sofa. "That wore me out." She looked at her watch. "It's about time to get ready for dinner with my parents. Dang, we skipped lunch, didn't we? I doubt Mom's serving grilled cheese."

"Perhaps we can stop on the way and get a small one," Killian said, lounging beside her.

She smirked and nodded. After a short rest, they changed their clothes, which was good because Killian was covered in flour and icing.

Henry wrapped up several trays of the cookies to take with them. Emma grabbed the presents and off they went.

They did stop to get Emma a grilled cheese, but it didn't ruin her dinner. They had a nice evening with Snow and David, Regina, Robin, Roland, Belle and a few other residents. Snow did question the ship cookies. "Don't ask," warned Emma.

Sometime after eleven, they decided to call it a night.

After they got home, Henry ran to get some cookies. "You just ate a four course dinner!" yelled his mom as Killian laughed.

"Growing boy, Emma," he said.

"Mom! We're out of milk! I can't eat cookies without milk!"

"Or leave them for Santa milk-less, I guess," she said.

He gave her a 'very funny' look.

"Fear not, Lad. We shall go and fetch the white drink." So off he and the boy went on a quick run to the store.

It took nearly an hour.

"Where have you been?" she asked when they finally returned.

KIllian glanced at Henry, who chuckled. "Go on, you try to explain," said the boy.

The captain frowned.. "Emma, Love…" he stopped, shaking his head. "I cannot. I do not even believe our tale."

"Where the heck were you? Why didn't you call? I was getting worried! It's Christmas Eve, you know!"

"Ah, exactly, Swan. That is very important to the explanation."

"It is?"

Her boys looked at each other again. "Go on, Killian. Tell her."

"Why can't you?" retorted the pirate.

"One of you...talk."

Killian sighed, closed his eyes and blurted out, "We were with Santa Claus."

Emma was speechless and apparently doubtful, considering the look she gave them.

"It's true, Mom!" cried Henry. "And there's more! He wants us to go with him!"

"What?" she asked, incredulously.

"It seems the old boy is having a bit of a reindeer problem," Killian said. "The poor things were fed a rather large diet this evening of cookies, mince pies and eggnog. Apparently carrots were in short supply."

"They're too sick to fly, Mom!"

Emma shook her head. "What are you two talking about? Santa...reindeer. Guys, it's a story, a legend."

Killian scratched behind his ear and said with a smug smirk, "Like Snow White and Peter Pan, Love?"

She frowned.

"Mom, listen! We don't have much time! He needs our help!"

"Who?"

"Santa Claus," the men said in unison.

"Honestly, Swan, pay attention."

She scowled at the Captain.

"The reindeer got sick not far from Storybrooke," Henry said, "Santa could sense magic nearby. He knew if there was magic, he could still save Christmas."

"Sounds like a bad holiday movie," joked Emma.

"Tsk, tsk, Swan. I'd watch it. Santa is listening and he's closer than you think," said Killian.

"Yeah, Mom. He needs us to take him."

"Take him where?"

Killian shook his head. "You are trying very well to pretend you're thick, Emma. Where does Santa go on Christmas Eve, hmm?"

She chuckled, shaking her head. "Oh, so he wants us to help him deliver gifts to all the good boys and girls of the world."

"Ho, ho, ho!" boomed a voice, outside her house. The front door blew open, a cold wind rushed inside, tossing snow along with it.

Emma's mouth popped open as the snow began to whirl around in a large spiral until it revealed…

"Santa," she whispered.

The red clad round man smiled like a blazing, cheery fireplace. "Emma Swan. How do you do? Please forgive my intrusion into your lovely home, but I sensed you weren't quite believing and the clock is ticking."

She just stared, first at the Claus, then Henry, then Killian.

"Kind of takes your breath away, doesn't it Swan?" asked the cheeky pirate.

She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

"Did you explain the problem?" Santa asked.

"We tried," said Killian. "She has a bit of a belief problem. She's slow to get started." She smirked at her.

She shook her head to clear it. "Santa Claus is in my living room."

He smiled at her. "Not for long I hope," he said. "I have a schedule and I am so very behind. These boys have been so helpful and thanks to them, I am ready to resume my journey. I need their help, but they refuse to come unless you come too."

Henry smiled. "Can't go on an adventure without you, Mom."

"It would be heartless to leave you here alone on Christmas Eve with no explanation," agreed Killian.

"So, Emma Swan, will you come with is?" asked Santa. "Will you help to deliver my toys?"

She nodded, almost instinctively. She couldn't quite believe this was happening.

"Wonderful!" cried Santa. "Hold on, I'll transport us all by Christmas Snow!"

"Um, to your sleigh?"

Killian put his arm around her. "Oh, Swan. We are not going by sleigh."

Another cold wind burst through. It swept them all up and blew in a furry. When it cleared Emma recognized where she was. Without question, they all stood upon the Jolly Roger.

"The Sleigh is kind of useless without the reindeer. It isn't made of enchanted wood like this fine vessel" said Santa, getting comfortable on a large Christmasy throne-like seat that was definitely not present on the Jolly the last time Emma had been aboard.

From the wheel, Killian grinned like a Comic Con fan meeting his idol. "Did you hear that, Jolly?" he asked as he stroked the pegs of the wheel. "He said you're a fine vessel. He is quite right of course."

Henry sat beside Santa, next to the largest bag Emma had ever seen. It was red velvet and trimmed in white fur.

"Ahoy, mates! Our first destination awaits!" cried Killian. He spun the wheel and the ship rose into the air.

Emma was expecting to be thrown about, but she wasn't. She realized the snow was still floating among them, apparently flying them and keeping them all stationary like gravity.

"Tally ho!" cried Santa with glee.

Emma joined Killian at the wheel, slipping her hand inside the crook of his arm. He looked at her with a joyous smile. She glanced back at Henry, who was digging through the bag of toys and chatting with Santa about how happy the kids would be.

Emma sighed happily. This was going to be one amazing, unsurpassable Christmas Eve.

Around six in the morning, the magic snow appeared again in Emma's home. It deposited the three of them on the sofa set. They laughed and giggled.

"That was amazing!" cried Henry.

Emma giggled like she couldn't stop. She felt warm inside. "It was pretty cool."

They all just sat there, tired but happy.

"I underestimated this Christmas tradition," said Killian. "I enjoyed it far more than I had expected."

"Well, to be fair, most people don't get to be Santa's helpers for real," Emma said. She yawned and put her head on Killian's shoulder. "I'm glad we don't have to go anywhere."

"Hmm, a nice day of sleeping beside you, my Love sounds like heaven."

She chuckled and kissed him.

Henry yawned. "I'm going to go sleep too," he said, getting up. "After I have some cookies. Gift delivery builds up an appetite."

Emma laughed. She snuggled into her pirate's side. "Can we just stay here? The bedroom is so far away."

"You'll get no argument from me, Love."

They began to doze off, entwined on the sofa when Henry called out, "Hey! Where are all the ship cookies? I know we had a bunch left."

"Maybe Santa ate them," called Emma, "or he poofed them out in the snowy wind, like he did us."

"Why just the ships though?" asked Henry, coming out of the kitchen with a plate of reindeer and bells.

"Well," said Killian with a smirk. ""He did say he loved my Jolly Roger, lad."

Emma giggled. "Like I said, a weird Christmas was pretty much a guarantee around here. Weird but wonderful."

"Indeed," murmured Killian, taking her hand and kissing it. "Merry Christmas, my love."

"Merry Christmas, Killian."

The End