The Polar Express
“What did you think, baby?”
“It was a-may-zing!” Emma put great emphasis on each syllable, turning to Regina with a bright smile. “I loved it!”
It was Christmas Eve Eve – which Regina insisted was not a thing, but Emma claimed was – and they had sat down to watch a holiday movie. They’d narrowed it down to Elf, The Grinch, or The Polar Express, when Emma admitted she’d never seen The Polar Express. In 108 Mifflin Street, that was practically blasphemous. It was the first Christmas movie Regina had ever watched, and she and Henry had since curled up with it annually. How Emma hadn’t watched it with them even once over the past few years was wild in and of itself.
Regina planted a kiss on her head as she shifted to collect the empty bowl of popcorn. “I’m glad.”
What Regina didn’t appreciate at that moment, was that the movie had given Emma a big idea. Little Emma’s ‘big ideas’ tended not to be very bright. Usually, they were overly messy or incredibly dangerous. This one, was the latter.
“Ten minutes until bed, baby.”
“Otay.”
As Regina cleared away their movie night, Emma trotted upstairs to pack a bag. She was getting on that train. Tonight. Of course, none of the kids in the movie had a bag, but that was because they hadn’t known where they were going. She needed a camera for another picture with Santa, maybe a jumper to keep herself warm. And if she was going out in slippers, she needed big fluffy socks. On the train, she could write Santa a letter too!
She tucked everything she needed into Henry’s old backpack, then pulled Edmund the bear off the bed to take with her. It was a long journey, and if adults weren’t allowed on the train, she was going to need a friend. Besides, Edmund loved hot chocolate. He’d be awfully disappointed if he missed out.
She pulled on her robe, threw her bag over her back, and tucked Edmund under one arm. If she started now, she could make it to the railway station before the train came. She didn’t know exactly when it was due in Storybrooke, so it was important to get there as quickly as possible.
Despite her slippers, her footsteps were heavy on the stairs. Regina came out of the kitchen, leaning against the wall as she watched her baby trek to the door. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I go to d’train.”
“Is that so?” Regina shifted closer.
“Uh huh.” Emma smiled up at Regina, oblivious to the ridiculousness of her statement. “Jus’ like d’boy.”
“Why are you in your pyjamas then?” Regina couldn’t hide her amusement at the silly scene. Her hands clasped across her chest like she could barely contain herself.
Emma rolled back her shoulders, displeased that she appeared to be being made fun of. “All d’kids in the movie were in deir pjs.”
Regina pressed a kiss to her little one’s cheek, then rubbed the stain away with a practiced thumb. Her hands remained so she could stare deep into Emma’s wide eyes. “It was also Christmas Eve.”
“Hmm.” Emma thought on that for a moment before nodding sagely. “’Kay. I go tomorrow.”
She turned back to the stairs, dropping the bag to be left at her feet. Edmund was dragged behind her, bumping against the steps in the most adorable fairytale way. She didn’t hear the chortling laughter Regina muffled behind a hand as she planned her adventure for the following night.
Bedtime was relatively easy considering what had almost happened. Regina and Emma cuddled up reading The Polar Express, Emma taking copious mental notes. It wouldn’t do to go unprepared. She whispered excited statements about what she was going to do when it was her turn, and each time, Regina would give her a tight squeeze and a kiss.
By the time Emma was finally out, Regina knew what she had to do to keep her baby safe.
-
“Emma!” The girl woke to Regina shaking her shoulders, staring down above her. Anxiety was written clear on her face. “Are you ok? What happened?”
The effects of sleep still hanging over her, Emma curled into a tiny ball as she asked, “what you mean?”
“The train!” Regina exclaimed, pointing at the window. “I thought you were on the train.”
The blonde pulled herself up to sitting and stretched. “What train?”
A furious sigh, “the Polar Express. The train tracks are outside! I thought you were gone.”
Emma flew to her feet, shuffling to the window. “Dere train tracks?”
“Yes. Come see.” When she ran to the door, Regina grabbed her robe and growled, “put something on.”
Emma retrieved the robe as instructed, tying it in a haphazard knot as she flew down the stairs. She was at the front door in moments, hopping on one foot to pull on her boots. The smattering of melting snow drew her attention, and she peered down to the white powder crunched into her soles.
“Mama! Mama, look!” She was so busy staring at the snow she completely missed the smirk Regina was trying desperately to hide.
“What is it?”
“Someone been out in my boots.”
“Oh no!”
The cold hit them the moment the door was opened, and Emma was grateful to bury into the robe she was forced to put on. She stared with rapt amazement at the long trails of her own boot prints leading to the road: one going out, and a second coming back in.
She stomped her foot next to one just to be sure. All three sets had a star on the heel. There was no doubt that she had been out in the snow during the night. Had she been sleepwalking? That would be no good. Why had she been out?
The train tracks!
Regina had said there were train tracks.
She broke out into a sprint towards the road. Regina flew after her, yanking her wrist back before she’d even passed their cars. Regina walked her grip down to take Emma’s hand securely but gently, saying in a measured voice, “let’s go together.”
In the centre of the snow-covered road were two long lines resembling train tracks. Emma’s gaze shifted between the tracks and Regina. “Dere really are tracks.”
“I know.” Her hand was squeezed tight. “What do you think happened, darling?”
Emma ticked over the possibilities before turning a slow, amazed, wonder-filled look to Regina. “D’you think it was Polar Spress?” She paused, looking to her feet and the boot prints. “Was I on it?”
“Check your pockets!” Regina said with a touch too much enthusiasm. Her voice was gentler when she added, “maybe you have a ticket.”
Emma fished her free hand in the first pocket – nothing – then the second. A glittering, golden ticket was retrieved. Her mouth fell open as she held it up to the streetlight. She flipped it around, watching how the light shimmied on the image of the train, then over the fancy font marking ‘The Polar Express’ and ‘Round Trip’. Punched out was the word ‘Trust’.
She pushed it up so Regina could see. “Look!”
The woman took it like she was holding a fragile gemstone. “That’s incredible.”
Emma came to the only logical conclusion her brain could supply. “I musta been on d’train.”
“You must have been.” Regina handed the ticket back. The little girl shivered, pushing herself against Regina’s side. “Come on inside.”
They trudged through the snow back to the house. “But Mama, you said it only come Christmas Eve.”
“Hmm.” She pulled her tiny girl up the steps towards the door. “Well, the movie must have gotten it wrong.”
“Yeah, dat makes sense.” She kicked off her boots wildly, her eyes still fixated on the ticket. “I gonna tell Henry when he get back.”
“He’ll like that.”
It was all Emma could talk about for the rest of the day. Regina was sick to death of the concept by dinner, at which point the movie had been played twice more and the book read once. It was worth it, however, when Emma made no further mention of going out in the night to meet the train.