#hunterfire

Graham walked through the door, holding an arm load of bags. “Anyone home?” He sighed when no one bothered to come to the door. “Seriously? Neal, I saw your car in the drive. Darcy, your bike is leaning against the garage.”

“We’re currently dead,” Darcy called from the living room.

He rolled his eyes and walked in, watching the two obsess over the Switch that Darcy got for Christmas. “Or slaves to a machine. Come on, I’m not setting up for this party all by myself.”

“It’s not really a party,” Neal pointed out. “It’s just us, Papa, Belle and Gideon.”

“Neal.” Graham gave him a look.

“Alright, alright.” He got up and walked over, grabbing a few bags and pecking his lips.

Darcy pretended to gag. “I don’t see what the big deal is, it’s New Year’s Eve. It happens every year, so what?”

“It’s the start of a new year, anything’s possible,” Graham said.

“Don’t make me gag again.”

 He hopped up, grabbing a bag and going into the kitchen. Neal smiled, wrapping an arm around Graham’s waist.

 “I happen to find your optimism very sweet.”

“Glad one of you do.”

“He’s 13, it’s how they are.”

“Darcy came out of the womb being sarcastic.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

 The next few hours were spent cleaning and setting up the house. Graham had gone a tad overboard with the decorations. Their house looked like it belonged in the center of Times Square, all that was missing was Mariah Carey to do a drunken number.

 It wasn’t long before Rumple and Belle came with Gideon. He instantly ran over to Darcy, ready to play video games and look over comic books. Neal started pouring out some scotch for his father and Belle, the former of which was looking around the house in mock amazement.

 “I’m guessing this was all Graham’s doing.”

“What, Pop? You don’t think I’m capable of this?”

“For Darcy’s first birthday, you wanted to just stick a candle in a cupcake and call it a day.”

“Okay, so maybe I’m not as obsessed with the holiday as everyone else.”

Belle chuckled. “Just like your father in that way.” She looked out the window, watching the snow pile on the ground. “It’s really coming down at there. The winds are picking up too.”

“Thankfully we’re in here, surrounded by these warm decorations.”

Graham rolled his eyes and threw a cheese cube at his husband. “Rumple, Belle, you want a second son back at home?”

“Like you would last five seconds without me,” Neal said, handing out the glasses and making sure to get some soda for the boys.

 The truth was, they knew why he was obsessing so much. Something bad always seemed to happen at their parties. Whether it was villains crashing or birthday candles starting a small fire, they seemed to be cursed with being unlucky. They wouldn’t let it get them down, though. They had a lot to be thankful for. For once, there were no bad guys knocking down their doors. Everyone else in town was with their families, knowing better than to ask a favor from Rumpelstiltskin over the holidays.

 Over that past Christmas, things had been especially stressful. Krampus came to town, ready to wreak havoc on the “naughty children” of Storybrooke. Darcy and Gideon didn’t fall under that category, but they had made Krampus’ list nonetheless. It was up to their parents to save them and they had, just in time for Christmas. Not that it was the kind they were used to.

 The upcoming year was one to be celebrated, because nothing could tear them apart this time.

 As the night wore on, they all gathered by the T.V to watch the festivities in New York. Gideon and Darcy headed over to the side of the room to go over comics and get away from the “old folk”. Around 11, however, the power started flickering and soon, it was completely out.

 “Aw man!” Darcy shouted. “What are we supposed to do now?”

“Oh come on, this isn’t so bad,” Neal said.

“How are we supposed to watch the ball drop?”

“You know, in the Enchanted Forest, we didn’t have televisions.”

Gideon made a face in the dark. “Papa says that all the time, too.”

“It’s the truth,” Rumple said, getting up. “We can light a fire, countdown to midnight on the grandfather clock.”

“It’ll be just like our first New Year in the Dark Castle,” Belle said, a huge grin on her face as she linked her arm through her husband’s.

 Graham dashed into the kitchen and grabbed some more snacks, while Rumple and Neal started the fire. They all gathered by it, Belle leaning against Rumple, Neal doing the same with Graham. He wrapped his arms around him, kissing his cheek.

 “I know this isn’t the night you pictured,” Neal whispered.

Graham shrugged, keeping his grip on him. “It’s even better. It reminds me of home.”

“Do you ever wish we could go back there?”

 He looked around the room. Rumple and Belle were whispering amongst themselves and the kids were pouring over a comic book by firelight. Ever since the curse broke, there were plenty of times that Graham had wished they could go back. Yet, over the missing year, he had missed Storybrooke as well. It had been where he and Neal fell in love, where Darcy was born.

“No. I’m happy here,” Graham said, finally. “This is where our family is, together.”

Neal smiled, nuzzling his cheek against his. “I have a feeling Papa, Belle and Gideon will be spending the night…but maybe in a few days we can ring in the New Year how we used to before we had a kid.”

A smirk fell across Graham’s lips. “Sounds like fun.”

Gideon pulled out his phone, looking at the clock app. “We’ve got 11 seconds to midnight.”

 The family smiled at each other, counting down together.

 10

9

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1

Happy New Year!

 Graham kissed Neal, who deepened it in return. “To another happy year,” he whispered.