Happy Beginning Captain Swan

Preparing for Christmas

The next day it was lightly snowing, Emma woke up finding her husband making breakfast. "Morning, captain."
"Morning, swan." They kiss. "I made your favorite." Killian shows her a mug of cinnamon hot cocoa.
"Cinnamon hot cocoa. Thank you." They kiss. She looks out the window to their backyard. "It is snowing."
"Aye, it was snowing when I woke up." Killian wrapped his arms around his swan.
"I always get so excited to see snow as a kid. It is always a sign of Christmas coming."
"Aye, I love winter. I knew it was going to snow today, that is why we went onto our second home yesterday to prepare the Jolly Roger for the snow besides our adventure."
"I had so much fun sailing."
"My swan is a pirate."
"Yes, our whole family is your crew." They hear Hope crying and rush upstairs to Hope's room.
"Mommy."
"Hopey." Emma scooped Hope into her arms.
"Mommy."
"Hope, we are going to go Christmas tree shopping today."
"Little love, you are going to help Dada and Mommy pick a new Christmas tree."
"Then we are going to come home to decorate the tree and our house for Christmas." Hope hugs her Mommy. "You can stay with me, baby girl."
"Tay, you Mommy." Hope cried more.
"You are staying with me, Hope." She kisses Hope on the head and sits on Hope's toddler bed. "Hopey, do you want me to do your hair?"
"Bwaids Mommy!"
Emma smiles. "I can braid your hair."
"Yay!" Hope smiles. Killian smiles seeing his swan cheering up Hope. She gets a brush and combs Hope's hair. "Your hair is so pretty."
Killian goes downstairs seeing Henry entering the house. "Son, where have you been?"
"I went to Ava's."
"Lad? Did you sleepover at Ava's?"
"No. I went to Ava's and we went out to Granny's for early breakfast. She wanted to spend time with me before she finished a few final papers. It was starting to snow when we were at Granny's. She just dropped me off home."
"Did you have fun?"
Henry smiles. "Yes. We just talked. She really needed a break writing papers for her class."
"Aye, she just wanted to spend time with you."
"Yes." They hear Hope crying.
"Hope has been having a rough morning."
"Why?"
"I have no idea." Hope comes downstairs with her hair up in two pigtails and in a diaper. "Hope, why are you running?"
"No!" Hope cried more and ran to the living room. Emma comes down looking frustrated.
"Mom, Hope.."
"Kid, she does not want to get changed."
"Swan, I got our little pirate." Killian gets Hope, he scooped Hope into his arms. "Little pirate, you are being stubborn."
"No, pway.." Hope tried to get out of her Daddy's arms. "Pway!"
Emma sighs. "She is so much like me."
"Mom, she just wants to play."
"You just came in?"
"Yes, Ava called me and wanted to have breakfast at Granny's. She needed a break from writing her final papers. We just talked."
"What time did you go to granny's?"
"Around 7:00am."
"Wow, kid. She is getting you up early."
"Yes, I guess so. She really wanted a break before she edits her papers."
"I know she had fun with you. We are going to buy the Christmas tree today and decorate it."
"Yes!"
Hope was giving Killian a hard time. She goes to her daughter. "Hope. You just want to play?"
"Yes."
Emma carried Hope to the window. "Look, what is the weather outside?"
"Snow!"
"That is right, baby girl. It is snowing outside. We get to travel in the snow today."
"Pway snow."
"Little sis, we are going to play in the snow but we have to get ready to go outside." He tickles Hope. Henry watches his sister while their parents get ready for the day. Henry began taking ornaments down from the attic as the rest of his family had breakfast. After they ate, Emma takes Hope upstairs and changes Hope into a pair of snowpants, a pink turtleneck sweater and snow boots. She puts Hope's winter coat on, gloves and scarf and a beanie hat. "You are ready for the snow." Emma changes into her winter outfit with a gray beanie to keep her head warm.
Hope goes to her Mommy. "Mommy out alk."
"Yes, sweetie." They go downstairs.
Emma walks Hope outside. "Snow!" Emma smiles seeing her daughter so excited. Hope walks around. "Yes, Hope, snow."
Killian returns from the shed and returns with an ax. "Swan, I have my ax."
"Why?"-
"I thought we can cut our own tree, it is part of a Christmas tradition, I think."
Emma chuckles. "Killian, we are going tree shopping in the parking lot not cutting it down for the woods."
Killian gives his swan a disappointed face and pouts."Okay."
Emma smiles seeing her husband getting into the Christmas spirit. "I love your Christmas spirit, though."
"Thank you, swan." They kiss.
Hope throws a snowball at her parents. "Hope!" Hope was laughing. Emma takes the ax from her husband.
"You little pirate." Killian scooped Hope into his arms and tickles his little lass. Emma smiles.
Henry arrives outside bundled up seeing his Mom holding the ax."Dad, I told you that Mom won't let us use the ax."
Emma chuckles. "Kid, you are right."
"Lad, I had to try." Hope giggles. "You just want to play in the snow."
"Yes."
"Little duckling, we can play in the snow while we get our Christmas tree."
"Mommy." Emma scooped Hope into her arms. "Tay.You."
"Killian, I am going to stay in the back with Hope. Kid, do you want to drive us to the Christmas tree lot?"
"Yes!"
"Swan, I will make sure Henry drives us safely."
"Hey, Dad! I am pretty good at driving."
"Aye, your Mom is an excellent teacher."
Emma sits in the back with Hope and buckles her in. Henry drove his family to the Christmas tree lot. "Henwy, dwive."
"Yes, Henry is driving the car. Do you think he is doing a good job?"
"Yes!" Hope clapped her hands. Emma smiles.
"See, Dad,even Hope knows that I can drive."
"Henwy drive dada!"
"Aye, you are right, Hope and Henry." Emma chuckles. Hope clapped her hands. Henry drove his family slowly to the Christmas tree lot. Hope fusses. Emma gives Hope her sippy cup of milk. "Henwy dwive slow."
"Hope, I can hear you, little sis."
Emma chuckles. "Your brother is driving slow because it is snowing, baby girl. He does not want to get in an accident."
"Henwy dwive afe."
"Yes, Hope." Henry stops the car at the tree lot. The family went out of the car, Hope held her Mommy's hand. "Twee."
"We are getting a Christmas tree." The family went walking around the lot.
Hope wonders off playing in the snow. "Dad, Mom, I can play with Hope." Hope throws a snowball at her Mommy.
"Hope!" Hope was giggling. "You little sneak." Emma throws a snowball at her daughter making her laugh. Emma tickles Hope making Hope laugh more. Killian took pictures of his two loves playing in the snow. She scooped Hope into her arms. "Snow fun."
"Yes, the snow is so much fun to play in."
"Pway."
"Mom, I can help Dad choose the tree."
"Make sure your Dad doesn't buy the biggest tree in the whole lot."
"Hey, I heard that, swan."
Henry chuckles. "I will make sure we get a good tree,Mom." Hope tugs her Mommy's hand.
"I am coming, Hope." Killian and Henry went walking around to find the right tree.
The wind was taking up. "Mommy."
Emma scooped Hope into her arms. "Hopey, you are with me. Let's go see the tree Dada and Henry chose. We can go home and have cinnamon hot cocoa."
"Yes, cocoa." Emma smiles knowing her daughter is her mini version of herself. She carried Hope to Killian and Henry. "Boys, did you find our tree?"
"Swan, I found our tree." Henry and Killian show Emmathier tree.
"It is a good size, Killian."
"Dada..snow."
"Yes, Hope, snow. We are going home now, little love." Two workers carried the tree and tied the tree to the roof of the yellow bug. Hope began crying as Emma put her in her car seat. "We are going home, baby girl." Hope gripped her Mommy's hand. "Hope, when we go home, we can decorate a gingerbread house."
"Ookie."
"Little sis, gingerbread is a big Christmas cookie."
"Ookie."
"We can make a gingerbread house and decorate our tree." Hope smiles. Killian pays for the tree and enters their car. He drove his family home. Emma takes Hope inside and opens the door for Henry and Killian, who were carrying the tree inside of their house. They placed the tree in the living room. "Twee!"
"That is our Christmas tree baby girl."
"Cocoa."
"Yes, Hope after we get changed into dry clothes." Emma takes Hope out of her wet winter clothes and changes her into a pink long sleeve dress. "Cocoa."
"We are going to make cinnamon hot cocoa in the kitchen." Emma makes cinnamon hot cocoa and gives Hope hers in a sippy cup. "Ank you."
"You are welcome." Emma brings a tray of cinnamon hot cocoa to the rest of their family.Killian and Henry were setting up the tree. "Dada...Dada cocoa."
"Little love, did your Mommy make you cinnamon hot cocoa?"
"Yes!"
"Sweet, cinnamon hot cocoa." Henry takes his mug and sips it.
"Lad, while you and Hope enjoy cinnamon hot cocoa, while I go get the tree decorations in the attic." Killian goes upstairs, Emma follows him. He goes into the attic to get the Christmas boxes and passes down the boxes to his swan. "The tree you and Henry chose is perfect."
"Aye, I had a feeling it will fit our living room, perfectly." They kiss. They went up and down bringing boxes of decorations to the living room. Henry was with Hope on the couch. "H!"
"We are having H&H time now."
"Henwy." She hugs her brother. "Luv you."
"I love you, Hope."
"Best brother."
Henry smiles. "I have the best sister ever." He kisses Hope on the head.
"Book."
"I can read you story from my book." Henry reads Hope a story.
"Mommy?"
"Mommy is right here, little sis."
"Mommy."
Emma scooped Hope into her arms. "Sweetie, do you want to help me decorate the Christmas tree?" She kisses Hope on the head.
"Yes." Emma, Killian, and Henry decorated the Christmas tree.
Killian goes to his two loves. "Hope, I have a new ornament for you ."
"Me?"
Killian smiles."Yes, Hope."
"Open, the box, baby girl." Killian held the box letting Hope open the box, it was a Pluto in a Christmas scarf ornament. "Pluto! Pluto twee!"
"Hope, you got a Pluto ornament?"
"Yes!Dada! Ank you."
"You are welcome, Hope.
"Hug." Killian takes Hope from Emma and lets her hug him while Emma holds the Pluto ornament. "Luv you Dada."
"I love you Hope." Emma takes a picture of Hope hugging Killian."Henry, I bought you a new ornament too."
"Yes!" Henry opens his box which was a Yoda from Star Wars. "Awesome! Thanks Dad!" Henry hugs his Dad.
Killian smiles. "You are very welcome, Henry."
"Henwy, Pluto tree."
"I see your Pluto ornament, little sis. Dad got me a Yoda ornament."
"Twee Dada!"
Killian chuckles. "Yes, Hope." He takes Hope to the tree.
"Up!" Killian holds up Hope so she can hang the ornament.
"Hope is so bossy, like you, Mom."
Emma chuckles. "She takes after me, kid."
"Mommy, twee."
"She wants you, Mom." Emma takes Hope from Henry and she lets Hope chose the decorations to hang on the tree. Hope chose a pink Christmas ornament with her name on it. "Pink!"
"Yes, Hope. That is a pink Christmas ornament."
"Hope."
Emma and Killian smile big that their daughter can read her name. "Yes, that is your name, H-O-P-E."
"Hope!"
"Mom, Hope can read."
"Yes, she is starting to read. We read a lot to her; which is paying off."
"Twee!" She shows her ornament to her Mommy.
"Yes, Hope. You can hang the ornament." She carried Hope to the tree. "Where do you want to put it." Hope points to the top. "That is a good spot, Hope." She lifted Hope up and let Hope hung her ornament. "Good job, Hopey. High five?"
"Five." Hope high fives her Mommy.
"We are a great team, baby girl."
"Best Mommy." Hope hugs her Mommy. "Luv you."
"I love you, Hope." She kisses Hope on the head as Killian took pictures of his two loves moment. "Hope..." She takes Hope to the fireplace to show her the Christmas stockings with their names on them. "Which one is your stocking?"
Hope points at Henry's stocking. "H!"
"Yes, that is an H. Who stocking is that?"
"Me!"
"No, not yours. Who else's name starts with an H in our family?"
"Henwy! Henwy!"
"That is right, Hope. Henry. That is Henry's stocking. Whose stocking is next to Henry's?"
"Hope! Me!"
"That is right, baby girl. You are so smart!" Hope clapped her hands. She gave Hope kisses on her cheek.
The family continued to decorate the tree. Killian put garland on the staircase rail. Emma put a wreath around their Swan-Jones sign on their door. Henry put lights around the tree. Hope sees the star. "Dada book."
"Like the stars in my stories. I teach you and Henry how to navigate the stars in the sky."
"Olly Wawa. Out."
"Yes, Hope, on the Jolly Roger and in the backyard."
Henry approaches his Mom and sister. "Hopey, do you want to make a gingerbread house?"
"Ookie!"
Emma chuckles. "It is a cookie where we can decorate."
"Eat ookie."
"Mom, is that part of the rule of gingerbread houses? I thought we can use them as decorations for Christmas."
"Luckily, I bought two gingerbread houses so you both can decorate your own house each."
"We can eat one and keep one for decoration?"
"Exactly and they are prebuilt so you two can decorate them."
"Awesome!" Henry gets the gingerbread houses and sets them up at the kitchen table.
"Swan, I never decorate gingerbread houses."
"I am not the best at them. You can help Hope decorate hers."
"Aye, I can help Hope."
"Dada! Ookie!"
"We are going to decorate your gingerbread house with icing and candy."
"The candies are nut-free, Killian."
"Aye, I was about to ask that question." Hope tugs onto her Daddy's hook. "I am coming, little pirate princess." Emma smiles. She watched Henry decorate his gingerbread house and Killian helped Hope was sitting on his lap decorating her gingerbread house. Hope put the white icing all over the roof and got her hands messy.
"Mom!"
"Mommy!"
"Join us, swan!"
Emma joins her family at the table and sits next to Henry. He gives his Mom icing to let her decorate. "You decorate one side and I will decorate the other."
"Deal."
Meanwhile, Killian was decorating Hope's gingerbread house while Hope was licking her frosting covered hands. "Little love, I am doing all the work. You are licking the frosting."
"Help Dada, ookie."
"You are helping me?" Hope gave her pouty face. "Yes, you are Hope." He gave Hope kisses on her head. Hope smiles.
Emma sees Henry decorating the candy in a certain order and crushing candy canes. "Kid, what are you doing to the candy canes?"
"Making doors and windows."
"What should I do?"
"The pile of the colorful candy you can decorate the roof."
"Okay. I can do that." Emma decorated the roof as her son was making windows. "How is it going, Killian?"
"So far, I have to roof, Hope is eating the frosting."
"Dada."
"You are helping?" Hope puts candy on the roof. "Oh, now you are adding candy to the roof. Do you want me to add windows?"
"Dows, door, yes."
"Aye, one door and two windows."
"Dad, do you need help?"
"I got it, lad."
"I help Dada."
"Okay, little sis. Are you adding candy to your gingerbread house?"
"Yes!" The family continues to create their gingerbread houses. When Kilian was finishing the gingerbread use, the roof collapsed. Hope began crying. "No..No.."
"Hope, dada is going to fix it, little love. Fix it. Do not cry." Henry helps his Dad as Hope cried more.
Emma takes Hope from Killian."Hope, do you want to bake cookies with me?"
Hope smiles."Ookie! Mommy."
"You can be my little baker."
"Ake!"
Emma was setting up the ingredients and cooking items they need. Hope was in the cabinet of trays. "Hope, can you give me the big tray?" Hope gives her Mommy the tray. "Thank you, Hope." She mixes the batter. She sets Hope on the counter and lets Hope crack the eggs and be her mixer. While she was adding the chocolate chips, Hope was eating chocolate chips from the bag. Emma chuckles. "You little chocolate chip pirate." Hope smiles. "You can have a few of them, sweetie. We need them for our chocolate cookies." After Emma mixed the batter. "Hope, we need to put our chocolate chips in the batter." She tries to help Hope.
"Mommy."
"You got it?"
"Yes,Mommy."
"Okay." Hope puts the chocolate chips in the batter.
"You are such a good little baker."
Hope smiles."Ookies. Henwy."
Henry goes to his sister. "Hope, you are baking with our Mommy?"
"Yes ake ookies."
"Can I have a cookie when they are finished?"
"Yes! Mommy Henwy ookie!"
"Yes, Henry can have cookies, sweetie. We are baking for our family."
"Ake..ake! Mommy Hope time.
Emma chuckles. "Yes, this is our Mommy and Hope time." Hope clapped her hands. Emma kisses Hope on the cheek.
Henry returns to the table to work on his gingerbread house while his Dad worked on Hope's gingerbread house. Emma lets Hope help her put the cookie dough on the oil spray tray. "Good job, my little baker."
"Dada."
"You can go to Dada. I have to put the cookies in the oven."
"Help you."
Emma loves her daughter being her little helper. "Hope, this is my job. The oven is very hot."
Killian gets Hope for the counter. "Hope, I need your help with our gingerbread house." Killian carries Hope back to the table letting Emma put the cookies in the hot oven. She puts the timer on.
"Mom! Check out my gingerbread house."
"I am coming." She sees a colorful candy-covered gingerbread house and sees a snowman with a candy cane hook. "Is that a pirate snowman?"
"Yes, that is Dad."
"Awesome!"
"Snow Dada."
"Yes, Hope. I made a Dad as a snowman."
Killian was smiling. "That does look like me, lad."
"I could not make your black leather jacket. I made your hook with a candy cane and frosting for a pirate patch."
"Ookie home, dada."
"Yes, Hope. I fixed your gingerbread house, Hope. We can continue to decorate it."
"Ank you."
"You are welcome, Hope. Henry, you helped me fix your sister's gingerbread house."
"It was a lot of frosting to stick the roof together."
"Ookie."
"The cookies are in the oven, little love." Hope decorates her gingerbread house. "You are decorating the gingerbread house so pretty."
"Ank you, dada."
"You are welcome, Hope." He kisses Hope on the head.
"Olly Wawa."
"Little sis you can put the Jolly Roger on the house."
Hope gets the frosting. "Dada! Henwy! Olly Wawa!!"
"You want me to use Henry's idea? The Jolly Roger on the gingerbread house."
"Yes!"
"Kid, you are giving ideas to your sister."
"Yes, and she is listening to me. I am doing my job right as her big brother."
"Henwy, pway."
"Lad, I can finish up, Hope's gingerbread house."
Henry walks with Hope to the living room. Hope plays with toys in the living room with Henry with her. "Henwy." Hope hugs her brother. "You just wanted H&H time?
"Yes."
"I love H&H time." Hope smiles.
Emma sits next to Killian knowing Killian was struggling. "Is it hard?"
"Yes, to draw the Jolly Roger with frosting on a gingerbread house is hard."
Emma takes the frosting and did her best to make an outline of the Jolly Roger. "There you go."
"It is perfect, swan. Hope is going to love it."
"I did my best." They kiss. When the cookies were done, Hope came running in.
Killian catches Hope. "Hope, you do not run to the oven. The oven is very hot. You can get hurt."
"Dada ookie."
"Mommy is taking the cookies out of the oven, little love."
Emma takes out the tray of cookies and shows it to Hope. "Ookie."
"We are going to eat them soon when they are cool, baby girl."
"Little love, let's go finish our gingerbread house." Killian and Hope finished their gingerbread house.
"Olly wawa!"
"Mommy helped me with the JollyRoger."
"Olly wawa, Mommy!" Hope clapped her hands.
Emma takes pictures of her family with their gingerbread houses. "These gingerbread houses look amazing!"
"Thanks, Mom!"
"Ank you, Mommy."
"You both are very welcome."
"Where can we put them? Can we put them in the living room Mom on the mantle?"
"Not on the mantle. I was thinking we can set them on a table nearby the couches with the Santa decorations."
"Aye, love, we can put them there."
"Dada."
"Do you want to hold your gingerbread house to the living room?"
"Yes!" He sets Hope down and gives her the gingerbread house. Henry places his gingerbread house on the table. Killian holds Hope so she can place her gingerbread house on the table next to her brothers. "We made awesome gingerbread houses."
"Some, Henwy."
Henry holds Hope and hugs her. "You are awesome, little sis." He kisses Hope on the cheek.
They return to the kitchen and have chocolate chip cookies with their parents.
When Henry and Hope were in bed, Killian made a fire in the fireplace. He sits with Emma on the couch and hugs his swan. "Killian?"
"Yes, swan?"
"I was thinking..."
"What are you thinking about Emma?" Emma kisses him.
"You are helping me give our children. I mean, we are giving Henry and Hope Christmas traditions. The ornaments that you gave them today they will always have every year. It is something I never have, ornaments from my childhood."
"Henry and Hope will always have them, love."
Emma hugs Killian. "Stay."
"I am not going anywhere." Killian kisses Emma on the head. "We are having our alone time in our very Christmas festive house."
Emma smiles. "I love you so much."
"I love you so much." They kiss. They continue to snuggle and enjoy their quiet time in their decorative house for Christmas.
Meanwhile, Regina was still mad at the Swan-Jones family, she had something up her sleeve. She goes to the psych ward and goes to a room. "I need to see her." A nurse opens the room. Regina finds Snow White in her bed. "Regina?"
"Mary Margaret. You are free to go." She gives an evil smile knowing how much this will hurt Emma.
To Be Continued.