#ataleontheweb

Decorating the Tree

            A crescendo of Christmas music swelled throughout the house, and excited chatter filled the family room. Rumple had just dragged in a fresh Christmas tree. The baby, Chantelle, sat in her baby swing squealing with delight while Belle and 3-year-old Aidan clapped their hands excitedly. Belle had already brought up all the decorations, and they were all laid out, ready to be hung on the tree. Carefully, she helped Rumple put the tree in its stand and push it upright.

            Aidan wandered over to his little sister and sat next to her while his parents nestled the garland and lights into the topmost branches of the tree, working their way down. He rested his head against the baby's and began cooing softly along with the Christmas carols that were playing. Rumple stopped for a moment, entranced by their children and tapped Belle on the shoulder, pointing to where Chantelle gurgled with laughter.

            Smiling, she kissed Rumple on the cheek before continuing with the decoration of the tree. Aidan toddled over to lend a hand putting the garland on the bottom branches. Rumple guided him patiently, showing him how to place the garland so that it would be visible, but stay put on the tree.

            When the tree was lit, there was nothing left to do but to put on the ornaments. Rumple pulled a box out of his pocket and presented it to baby Chantelle, who simply smiled and giggled. Inside the box was a silver Christmas tree ornament with the words "Chantelle's First Christmas - 2013" etched on it. It was identical to the one they had had made for Aidan three years earlier. Rumple picked up the baby and carried her over to the tree.

            "Would you like to help your sister," Belle asked Aidan, picking him up so that he could reach over and guide Chantelle's hand to the tree. Aidan nodded enthusiastically, and so helped baby Chantelle put up her very first ornament (with Rumple's help, of course). Rumple put the baby back in her seat while Belle and Aidan sang along to the music, her sweeping him along in her arms in the most beautiful dance Rumple had ever seen. He picked up Aidan's ornament and handed it to him.

            Aidan insisted he could hang it by himself; it only took him 3 tries to get it to stay on the branch. Belle set him back down and they danced for a bit while Rumple watched and Chantelle danced along in her seat.

            Slowly but surely the ornaments made their way onto the tree as even Rumple joined in dancing with Belle and the kids. Finally, the only thing that was left in the box was Belle and Rumple's chipped cup, which they had turned into a Christmas tree topper.  Rumple gathered the cup carefully in his hands, and passed it to Belle, who was standing on a chair. She placed it gently on the top of the tree, checking and double-checking that it was secure.

            She climbed down, and kissed Rumple quickly as he gazed up at the tree. Softly, she took his hand and led him to the couch where Aidan sat next to Chantelle. Rumple picked Chantelle up out of her seat and sat down between Belle and Aidan with the baby on his lap. Aidan climbed carefully over Rumple to sit on Belle's lap.

            Christmas music playing in the background, Rumple laid his arm around Belle's shoulders, gathering her to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and the four of them sat bathed in the twinkling lights until both kids had fallen asleep and had to be carried upstairs to bed.

Christmas Carols and Cookies

            The smell of cookies floated throughout the house. Belle sat at the kitchen counter next to Aidan, and Rumple sat opposite them with Chantelle on his lap. Belle was rolling out sugar cookie dough that Aidan promptly mangled with cookie cutters, managing every once in a while to produce something resembling a tree or a Santa Claus or a star. Regardless how deformed the cookies were, the child moved them carefully onto a pan for decorating. Belle began humming under her breath, lost in the task of rolling out dough. Swiftly, Aidan chimed in, singing the carols out loud as Belle hummed. Smiling, Belle looked up and began singing in earnest along with Aidan.

            The baby clapped her hands delightedly, giggles rising from her stomach as she squirmed on Rumple's lap as though she were dancing. Briefly, Rumple thought back to when Belle had been pregnant with Chantelle; how whenever she would hum or sing, the baby would go crazy kicking and bouncing about. It happened so often that they decided to name the baby "Chantelle", the French name meaning "song". Coming back to the present, Rumple bounced the baby as she danced before adding his own voice to the carol.

            As the song came to an end both Belle and Aidan had their eyes closed, so Rumple snuck a bit of dough from the table and stuck it in his mouth, chewing and swallowing quickly.

            "You're going to eat all the cookies before they're even baked!" Belle admonished him while she slapped playfully at his hand. He gave her an impish grin and she just sighed and went back to rolling out dough.

            Music filled the kitchen while Belle and Aidan finished cutting out and decorating the cookies. Chantelle danced on Rumple's lap to the sound of Belle's voice while he tried to find opportunities to sneak a bit of dough. The baby was sleeping in Rumple's arms by the time the last tray of cookies went into the oven. Belle was still humming quietly as she bustled around the kitchen, and Aidan yawned.

            Rumple stood up and walked around the counter, putting an arm around Belle's waist. He pulled her in close with the baby between them and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "I'll go put the kids to bed," he whispered into her hair.

            Deftly carrying Chantelle in one arm, he nudged Aidan along in front of him and went upstairs, beginning the bedtime ritual. As Aidan prepared for his bath, Rumple laid Chantelle gently in her crib, then went to bathe Aidan.

            When the kids were both asleep in their beds, he returned downstairs to Belle, just as she was putting away the last of the cookies. She smiled up at him, "I saved you one." Laughing quietly, Rumple grabbed the cookie off the counter and popped it in his mouth -- chocolate oatmeal, his favorite.

            Snapping the lid on the last container of cookies, Belle sighed wearily and went to sit in Rumple's lap, curled into him, her nose nuzzled against his neck. Rumple kissed her hair lightly, his fingers grazing along her back and they sat together in silence, lights twinkling softly in the darkness. Sighing once more, Belle lifted her head to look at Rumple. "I love you," she whispered, touching his cheek.

            "I love you, too, my darling," he replied, leaning into her touch. "But we should get you to bed; you look exhausted." She smiled softly before unfolding herself from his lap. The two walked upstairs hand in hand before collapsing into bed.

Night Before Christmas

             The baby was already tucked into bed and sleeping soundly, so Aidan relished in the undivided attention of both his parents as they guided him in writing his letter to Santa. He had already helped his mother arrange cookies carefully on a plate, picking out only the very best ones for Santa. Loudly, he insisted on adding a note from Chantelle since she was too little to write to Santa herself. His parents both shushed him, hoping that he wouldn't wake the baby, before Rumple set about helping him write the note from Chantelle. Neither parent could help but smile as he listed off the things the baby would want (more naps surely, some more hair bows, and a dinosaur toy). With a final flourish of a red crayon, Belle helped Aidan sign his name at the bottom of the letter.

            Belle ran to fetch a glass of milk while Rumple helped Aidan arrange the cookies and letter just so on the table next to the tree. When she came back, Aidan was sitting atop Rumple's shoulders, both men grinning from ear to ear.  She set the milk down next to the cookies before standing on tiptoe to kiss Aidan's forehead.

            "Off to bed with you now, before Santa comes!" she whispered to him. As soon as the two boys disappeared up the stairs, Belle called Neal's cell phone.

            A few short minutes later, Belle eased the door open to let him in, listening closely to the sounds of Rumple giving Aidan a bath upstairs. Neal smiled and silently handed her a squirming present, and she flashed him a smile. Waving, Belle mouthed "thank you", and closed the door quietly. She headed upstairs, praying that the present wouldn't make any noise.

            In the playroom, she left out a bowl of water, and set the squirming ball of fur down on the bed that Rumple had snuck in earlier. Giving it a quick scratch behind the ears, she shut the door, closing it in before joining Rumple and Aidan just as they were finishing up his bath.

            Aidan's energy was bubbling over, even as his yawns grew ever bigger. They each read him a bedtime story, and finally turned off the light just as he was protesting, "But I'm not sleepy." They heard him yawn and turn over, and so crept back downstairs.

            Sitting on the couch, they watched the Christmas tree flickering with lights. Rumple whispered in her ear, "Merry Christmas, my darling" and kissed slowly along her neck. Belle shivered and tried to keep quiet. Stolen moments while both kids were asleep were rare, and so she reveled in the feel of Rumple's lips against her skin. Slowly, she shifted so that Rumple was laying atop her on the couch, hands roaming, feverish lips seeking. Belle's hands slipped under Rumple's shirt, ready to pull it out from his trousers when they heard a small voice.

            "Mommy...daddy?" Aidan stood in the doorway, yawning and rubbing his eyes. At the sound of his voice, they both jumped back into a sitting position, mouths open and poised to launch explanations of their positions -- they'd had plenty of practice on this front already.

            Aidan just blinked sleepily, looking from one to the other, "Why are you still awake?" He walked closer to them, and Rumple scooped him up in her arms.

            "We're waiting for Santa, Aidan," Rumple whispered to him, "We wanted to tell him what a good boy you've been this year, and what a good big brother too!" Aidan nodded, eyes blinking back sleep. "But you better hurry and get back to bed, or else Santa won't come at all!" Aidan nodded again, and wrapped his arms around Rumple's neck, silently asking for his father to carry him upstairs.

            Belle shot Rumple a small smile and kissed Aidan on the forehead before following Rumple up the stairs, turning out the lights as they went. As Rumple settled Aidan back in bed, Belle changed into her nightgown and crawled under the covers.

            When Rumple slid under the covers next to her, he found that she was already asleep. There was nothing for him left to do but wrap himself around her, his head resting on hers, arms holding her protectively, and fall asleep.

Christmas Morning

            A thick blanket of snow had fallen over Storybrooke overnight, the chill starting to creep in through the windows. Soft, early morning light reflected off of the glistening snow, and baby Chantelle sighed contentedly in her sleep. At the noise, Belle woke and glanced over at the crib. Smiling, she rolled over to face Rumple and cuddled into his chest. Rumple's eyes fluttered open; "Happy Christmas, dearie," he whispered as he planted a kiss on her forehead. Belle grinned up at him; "Happy Christmas, Rumple."

            Rumplestiltskin pulled the covers up close around the both of them, and Belle burrowed down into the warmth. With one leg tossed over his, she pulled herself closer to him, her arm resting gently on his chest. Her fingers traced patterns on his bare skin and she lazily planted light kisses on his shoulder. Rumple quickly glanced over at the baby to make sure she was still sleeping before tilting Belle's head up and capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. She gasped softly and melted into him, their bodies familiar with this routine.

            Belle's nightgown was hitched up around her waist, her fingers digging into Rumple's shoulder when their door suddenly burst open to reveal a small flame-haired boy bouncing in. Clutching his teddy bear to his chest, he bounded onto the bed in excitement. Aidan began jumping up and down on the bed and yelled "Wake up! It's Christmas! Wake up! Santa's left presents!!"

            Belle groaned a little, pretending to wake up while trying to discreetly fix her nightgown under the covers. Rumple shushed the boy, pulling him in for a hug while explaining that the baby was still sleeping, so they had to be quiet. But it was too late -- screaming soon filled the room. Slipping out of bed, Belle moved to the crib and picked up the crying baby. Soft, soothing noises emanated from the back of her throat and Chantelle quieted. Aidan had settled down into the bed next to Rumple and Belle slipped under the covers once more, shivering from the cold.

            Aidan turned to the baby in Belle's arms, stroking her forehead gently like his parents had showed him. "Happy Christmas, baby sister," he whispered, planting a kiss above her wispy eyebrows. Chantelle smiled, her big blue eyes staring up at her older brother in adoration. Carefully, Belle handed the baby to Aidan so that he could hold her.

            With the baby balanced carefully in his arms, Aidan dipped his head down, murmuring to Chantelle while Rumple put his arm around Belle's shoulders, both of them watching their kids with smiles that lit up their faces. "Christmas is the best," they heard Aidan whisper, "I'll show you how to open your presents; that's my job since I'm your big butter." Rumple's grin widened and he turned his head slightly to look at his wife. As he watched her watching Aidan and Chantelle, he was convinced that she had never been more beautiful than in this moment. But then, how many times had he already thought that?

            Finally Aidan looked up and announced that Chantelle wanted to open presents. Belle shuffled him off, telling him to fetch his robe, and then set Chantelle back in her crib for a moment while she quickly changed into her favorite dress. As she moved, she began to sing Christmas carols under her breath. Rumple watched her as he dressed himself before going to pick up the baby from her crib. As soon as he got close enough to Belle to hear her singing, Chantelle began to coo and squirm around in his arms as if she were dancing. Belle smiled when he offered his hand to her and pulled her in to dance slowly around the room with the baby tucked safely between them, the only music coming from Belle's own lips.

            Aidan rushed back into the room, grabbing at Rumple's hands to pull him toward the stairs. Laughing, they followed him downstairs. Rumple switched on the lights while Belle went to the kitchen to put on a pot of tea. When she returned with a steaming pot of tea and a glass of juice for Aidan, Belle settled in next to Rumple on the couch while Aidan sat on the floor squirming in anticipation. Chantelle was starting to get fussy, so Rumple handed her back to Belle who settled her in to nurse while sipping on some tea. Finally, Rumple loosed Aidan on the presents. Belle watched Rumple's face about as much as she watched Aidan's, and it was clear that he enjoyed this just as much as their son. She snuggled against him; she loved that he wanted to give everything he could to those he loved.

            They both watched happily as he tore open presents, joy plain on his face. Every so often he would pause, bringing a present over to the baby and showing her how to unwrap it properly. Each time, Chantelle would squeal with delight, giggles bursting out of her and Aidan would plant a kiss on her cheek.

            When he had finally worked his way through the mountain of presents, Aidan flopped down on the couch next to Rumple, gulping down juice. Rumple ruffled his son's hair. "You're not too tired for one more present are you?" he laughed softly, looking down at Aidan. Big blue eyes turned up to meet his, and the boy shook his head and grinned.

            "Go check in your playroom!" Belle chimed in, bouncing the baby lightly on her knees. As Aidan bounded away, Rumple reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small box. "I know we said no gifts this year," he whispered to her, kissing her temple, "but I couldn't resist." Belle gave him a playful swat before taking the box and opening it gently. Peals of laughter began to fill the house, and footsteps echoed upstairs. Inside the box was a beautiful diamond necklace that Rumple immediately placed around her neck. Grinning widely, Belle reached into the pocket on her dress, pulling out a similar black box.

            "I thought we said no presents," Rumple arched an eyebrow at her and she shrugged. "Besides," he continued, "You've already given me the best present this year," he said as he stroked Chantelle's head tenderly. The baby slept peacefully against Belle's breast, and she just pushed the box at him. "Open it!"

            Rumple took the box carefully, and lifted the lid to reveal a pair of onyx cufflinks -- the exact ones he had been admiring just the week before. Loud footsteps came crashing down the stairs, and Rumple quickly switched out his old cufflinks for the new ones and gave Belle a kiss just as Aidan came bounding back into the room, followed by a rambunctious Labrador puppy. 

            Belle held Chantelle as Rumple slid onto the floor to play with Adrian and the dog. She smiled at the contrast between the normally serious Rumple and the way he played with their children. Quietly, she got up to go get some food out of the kitchen and came back with a tray full of breads. They happily ate and played all morning until it came time for Belle to start preparing for Christmas dinner.

Rumple took the kids upstairs, tucking them in for naps; the new puppy snuggled up with Aidan. Then he returned downstairs to help Belle cook.

 Christmas Dinner

            Everyone was convening at Belle and Rumple's house this year for Christmas, so the couple slaved away in the kitchen while their kids napped. Belle carefully laid out the fine china on their long dining room table, and set out hors d'oeuvres for when the guests arrived. When the food was all ready, Belle and Rumple headed upstairs to wake Aidan and Chantelle and get them dressed.

            Neal, Henry, and Emma were the first to arrive, the boys bounding in to play with Aidan and the new puppy. Mary Margaret and David arrived shortly after, followed by Regina. The men all went outside to play with Aidan and his dog, while the women sat inside, passing around Chantelle before finally bundling up and heading outside to watch the boys.

            Neal and Henry were facing Rumple and Aidan in a snowball fight, the puppy alternating between protecting Aidan and chasing snowballs through the air. Finally, Aidan toddled over to Belle where she sat on the porch, his dog following closely.

            Mary Margaret leaned down to talk to him; "Who's your new friend here?" Aidan hesitated a bit, having not thought of a name yet. He ruffled the dog's ears for a moment before looking up at his mother. "Can we call him Chip, momma?" Belle laughed and nodded her approval as Aidan turned back to Mary Margaret to tell her the news.

            "Santa brought Chip this morning!" Aidan cried happily, "he left him in my playroom where he knew I'd find him!" Chip barked and began licking Aidan on the cheek, tail wagging.

            "Santa brought him, did he?" Emma smiled, giving Belle a wink. Finally, the other boys came over to the porch and the group headed inside for dinner.

            Sitting all around the table, they passed the food, filling their plates and chatting away. Suddenly, Aidan stood up in his chair and waited for everyone to stop talking. He cleared his throat importantly, and all the adults gave him an amused look. "This is the best Christmas ever," he announced, kissing Chantelle on the forehead where she sat in her high chair next to him. Then he sat back down and smiled around the table.

            Neal spoke up, "Oh yeah? What was the best present that Santa brought you this year?" Aidan frowned, little brows knitting together in a mix of confusion and frustration. Finally, he responded, "Santa didn't bring me the best present" to which the adults exchanged horrified looks, wondering if he had already stopped believing in Santa. Then he continued, "The stork did" and he beamed at his little sister and gently pushed a wisp of hair from her forehead.

            All the adults aww'd happily and then they all tucked in to eat. Aidan kept trying to sneak pieces of food from his plate to the floor for Chip, and so Rumple had to keep stopping him with the gentle raise of an eyebrow and shake of the head.

            When dinner was finished, they all moved into the family room to sit around the tree and exchange presents. Belle brought in coffee and the cookies Aidan had made and Chantelle was happily bouncing on Regina's knees. Aidan insisted on handing out cookies to everyone before settling down in between his little sister (on Regina's lap) and Neal, his big brother.  

            Laughter filled the room as presents were opened; hugs were exchanged all around. After a while, Belle took Chantelle back from Regina so that the baby could nurse. She sat back, her precious babe in her arms, and watched the room. Finally, she thought, they were a family.