Another little Christmas surpriser for ya'll. This is an idea I got a few weeks before finals but I wouldn't allow myself to start until they were over. I wish I had because I've been a little short of inspiration for this story, but I still have the core idea, I just need to figure out a way to make it work. This chapter is done but I'm working on the next few. This won't take away from my other story, just when I have inspiration for this one I'll write. I've never written Emma this young before so we'll see how this goes. Hope you all love it. Tell me what you think! Merry Christmas.

"Daddy." Emma shrieked as her father chased her around the field. At three years old Emma was a ball of energy. Adorable, spunky, and an absolute sweetheart; she could make anyone fall in love with her.

"I'm going to get you Ems." James caught up to his daughter and swept her up into his embrace. They collapsed on the ground both laughing. "Oh Em." James brushed his daughter's blonde locks out of her face. "I love you so much."

"I love you too daddy." Emma smiled. Her eyes caught a butterfly and she hopped up chasing after it. James propped his head up with his hand, smiling as he watched his daughter run carefree around the meadow, her golden curls whipping around and glinting in the sun. He cherished these afternoons he got to spend alone with his little girl. Truthfully they were to few and far between these days. His duties with the other kingdoms had been overwhelming lately and were taking entirely too much time from family.

He had been trying to cut back on the out of kingdom trips lately. Every time he came home to his wife and daughter running into his arms he realized more and more how much he was missing, how much he missed them. They were to two single most important things in his life. When he and Snow had finally gotten married after years of struggle he didn't think it was possible for him to be any happier. That was until the day his daughter was born. That was truly the happiest day of his life. She was a little light in life and every day with her made him realize just how lucky he was.

"Daddy." Emma ran up and pounced on her father. James grunted as he positioned Emma more comfortably on top of him.

"Yes munchkin?" James smiled at his daughter's glowing face.

"Can we play hide and seek?" Emma's eyes twinkled.

"Of course we can Ems. It's your day. We can do whatever you want." James said.

"Really?" Emma lit up.

"Really." James lifted Emma off him and kneeled to get to eye level with her. "I'll count to 50 and you hide. You remember the rules?"

"Don't go outside the boundaries." Emma repeated the warning her parents had given her multiple times. Snow and James were very overprotective of Emma, with good reason. Anyone who wanted to harm them had an easy target in her. She was their biggest weakness. "Close your eyes, no cheating!"

"Ok." James laughed and covered his eyes as his daughter darted off. "One… two… three…"

"Forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty." James pulled his hands off his face and turned around; trying to discern what direction Emma had run off in. He knew Emma's favorite hiding place was near the river so he started off in that direction. He was walking slowly through the trees when he heard a panicked yelp. "Emma!" He broke off into a run, his heart pounding violently in his chest. A million scenarios were running through his head, each one worse than the one before. If anything happened to his little girl he would never be able to forgive himself.

He burst into the clearing to see Emma staring quizzically at a man. When he saw who that man was the pounding in his chest only intensified. James immediately positioned himself in front of Emma, shielding her from harm.

"Why hello Prince Charming." Rumplestiltskin smiled. "It's been a long time."

"King." James corrected. "And not long enough."

"Oh come on, let's be cordial." Rumplestiltskin looked at Emma who was peaking out from behind her father's legs. "For the little one."

James pulled Emma up into the protection of his arms, not trusting her safety anywhere else. Surprisingly when he looked at Emma she didn't seem scared, just interested in the creature in front of her. James couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride. Emma was unphased by fear; she was truly her mother's daughter. "What are you doing here Rumplestiltskin? I thought we had an agreement. You're freedom in exchange for you leaving this kingdom alone. The operative phrase being leaving this kingdom."

"Oh don't worry, Charming." Rumplestiltskin stared intently at the little girl in James's arms. "I'm not here to cause any trouble. I'm just investigating…"

"Investigating what?" James said coldly.

"That." Rumplestiltskin pointed at Emma and giggled.

James pulled his daughter closer and turned Emma a little farther away from him. "What do you mean?"

"You didn't tell me your daughter had magic Charming." Rumplestiltskin tapped his fingers together. "This is very interesting indeed."

"Emma doesn't have magic." James said. "That's insane. Neither Snow or I have magic, how in the world would she?"

"Oh your daughter doesn't just have magic." Rumplestiltskin held up a finger. "She is magic."

"What are you going on about?" James's patience was wearing thin.

"Your precious baby girl is the manifestation of the most powerful magic there is. True love." Rumplestiltskin reached out to touch Emma.

James pulled his daughter away protectively. "Don't you dare touch her."

"Oh Daddy protecting his precious baby girl from the mean man." Rumplestiltskin mocked James. "Don't worry, I have no intention of harming young Emma. Why would I? Her powers will make things so interesting."

James hesitated. He wanted to run, to get Emma as far away from this man as possible. But something inside him told him to wait, to her Rumplestiltskin out. "What do you know about this magic?"

Rumplestiltskin giggled excitedly. "Oh she will be very powerful, very powerful indeed, if she can control it that is. She could have the power to destroy worlds, or it could destroy her. We'll see just how strong your offspring is. Though coming from the two of you, I would suspect she has great strength inside her."

"When?" James glanced worriedly at his daughter. "How long do we have to stop it?"

"Stop it?" Rumplestiltskin asked. "Why on earth would you want to stop it?"

"Just answer me." James demanded.

Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes and concentrated. "The magic will manifest itself at midnight on her sixth birthday. At that time the world will meet a power unlike anything it has ever known. Little Emma, I can not wait to see what you will do." Rumplestiltskin drew close to Emma.

At this point the fear had become too much for Emma. No matter how brave the little girl was, she was still only three and the man in front of her terrified those many years her elder. She buried her head in her father's shoulder and whimpered. James held her to him tightly. "Get away from her. Get out of our kingdom."

"As you wish your majesty." Rumplestiltskin bowed and disappeared in a flash of purple smoke.

"It's ok Emma." James soothed his daughter. "He's gone. He can't hurt you."

"Who was that daddy?" Emma looked up at her father.

"A very bad man sweetheart." James told his daughter. "If you ever see him again I want you to run away as fast as you can. Do you understand me?"

Emma nodded and threw her arms around her father's neck. "He was scary."

"I know baby." James gently rubber his daughter's back. But I won't let him hurt you. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

"I know." Emma whispered.

"You do?" James smiled at his daughter.

"Uh huh." Emma nodded. "You're mama's Pwicne Charming. You protect her always, just like me. "

"That's right Emma." James placed a kiss on his daughter's forehead as he walked back to where his horse was tied up. "I will always protect you."