Their trip coincided with the release of Killian’s third novel, which had turned out just as well as Emma had predicted and suddenly launched him from a glowingly-reviewed but lightly-read novelist into a bestselling one. His agent scrambled to take advantage of this surge in popularity by arranging book signings and other appearances in London, waving away his protests that he was “on my bleeding honeymoon, mate,” and aided and abetted by an Emma who was so proud of her husband that she thought she might burst with it, and wanted to show him off. Eventually he agreed, on the condition that he be allowed to choose the bookstores where he did the signings. 

“London has some amazing bookstores,” he told Emma as they lay curled around each other one evening, her head on his chest, his hand caressing her rounded belly. “Bookstores and tea rooms, that’s what I love about this city. There’s no such thing as a decent cup of tea in the States.”

“We dumped it all in Boston harbour that one time,” Emma deadpanned.  

“Bookstores and tea rooms,” continued Killian as though she hadn’t spoken, “And pubs. We should go on a pub crawl.” 

“You know the rugrat won’t let me drink.” 

“You can still enjoy the atmosphere, which is most of the fun anyway. I’ll plan us a route. Through Wapping and along the river, I think, that’s where I used to live and there are some great old places there. We can start at the Mayflower.” 

“The Mayflower? Like the ship?”

“Exactly like the ship.” 

When they got off the Tube at Rotherhithe, Emma was astounded. With its quiet streets lined with brown brick buildings opening onto the riverfront, it showed another facet of London entirely. Of course she knew from her experience living in New York that large cities were basically a collection of neighbourhoods, each with its own personality and style, yet for some reason the relative peace of this little corner of east London came as a surprise.  

So did the Mayflower pub. 

“This is great!” Emma exclaimed, taking in the view of the river from the small wooden balcony at the back of the upstairs room. “Are all pubs like this?”

“Not in the least,” smiled Killian. “Many of them are dank shitholes, if we’re honest. But the good ones can be amazing.” 

After the Mayflower, they took the Overground train across the Thames to Wapping, walking hand-in-hand through more brown brick streets to Turner’s Old Star, with its spacious and charming outdoor beer garden, then on to the Town of Ramsgate, another riverside establishment with a stunning outdoor deck and riverside view. From there they walked along the riverfront path to the Prospect of Whitby, Emma’s favourite pub yet. She found its dim, dark wood and flagstone interior charmingly quaint, and its iteration of the now familiar outdoor deck with sweeping view of the river enhanced by the addition of a gibbet and noose. 

“Used for hanging pirates,” said Killian, gesturing with his pint. 

“Really?”

“Aye, primarily, though there were others. In the case of the pirates, legend says the bodies were left there to hang until three tides had washed over their heads.” 

“Damn.” 

“The hazards of a pirate’s life, darling.” 

They ended their day by taking a taxi to Limehouse and The Grapes pub, where they ate fish and chips then as they were leaving shook the hand of Sir Ian McKellen, who co-owned the place. 

“I can’t believe we met Gandalf,” gushed Emma as they cuddled in the taxi on their way back to their AirBnB in Belgravia. 

“What honeymoon would be complete without it?” joked Killian. 

“Today was really fun,” said Emma. “I loved all the pubs, I can see why you miss them living in Storybrooke.” 

“Storybrooke has other attractions,” said Killian, smiling at her, his eyes warm with love. “London’s great but it’s not my home, not anymore. My home is wherever you are.” 

New Year’s Eve found Emma and Killian dressed to the nines and mingling with London’s literati on the opulent balcony of the Royal Penthouse of the Corinthia Hotel, on the north bank of the Thames. It was pretty much the last place Emma would have predicted she’d be if she’d been asked a few weeks ago about her New Year’s plans, but she wasn’t about to argue. The penthouse was taken every year by the London branch of Killian’s publisher for the New Year’s Eve party they threw for their top authors, and the fact that they thought highly enough of Killian’s new book to invite him to the party that year made her proud enough to burst. Or cry. But that could just be the pregnancy hormones. 

Killian’s agent, a nervous, bustling little man called Smee, shared her pride, though his seemed to be focused slightly more on his own foresight in backing Killian through the less-than-stellar sales of his first two books and the vindication of his third one’s bestselling status. 

“I always knew you’d hit on the right formula eventually,” he blustered as Killian smiled indulgently and Emma ground her teeth, wishing the little man would stop patting himself on the back and let her enjoy the New Year countdown and fireworks with her husband. “It’s not easy to find that delicate balance between artistry and popular appeal, but I always knew that with a little encouragement you could— is that Ben Aaronovich? I’ll be right back.” He thrust his empty champagne glass into Emma’s hand and hurried off in pursuit of the author of the popular Rivers of London book series. 

“Ugh,” said Emma, turning to deposit the glass on the tray of a passing waiter and resisting the urge to wipe her hands on her dress. “He’s a bit of a rat, isn’t he?”

“Aye, that he is. But he truly did stick by me for a number of years, so I’m prepared to overlook it. That said, I think we should disappear before he comes back.” Killian grabbed Emma’s hand and pulled her away into the crowd. 

The Royal Penthouse’s balcony offered a sweeping view of the Thames, similar to the ones they’d seen at the pubs but considerably swankier, and neither Emma nor Killian could imagine a better place to stand for the countdown and fireworks display. As the London Eye lit up and the assembled crowds below began to chant the descending numbers, Killian wrapped his arms around his wife, resting his chin on her shoulder and entwining their fingers together over the swell of their child growing inside her. When the last number was called and the noise of cheers and fireworks erupted around them, he turned his head and kissed her, tasting the sharp bite of the club soda and lime she’d been drinking mixed with the familiar precious flavour that was uniquely her. He thought about all they had to look forward to: the birth of their baby, his burgeoning career, settling in to their married life together, and felt such a surge of happiness and contentment that it brought tears to his eyes. 

“Happy New Year, my love,” he murmured against her lips, feeling her answering smile before he kissed her again. “I have a feeling it’s going to be our best one yet.”  

Thinking back on that night, which was now only a week ago, Killian still felt his heart race and his excitement rise. It was a long build up to make Emma his wife. He’d managed to hold off on asking her to marry him only through the spring of this past year, and by June she’d had his mother’s ring on her finger. If it were up to him it would have been that night last Christmas Eve, the one where Emma had run when finding the letter, but when they’d both truly come clean and started fresh together. Killian knew even before that that Emma was made for him, and so when he saw her at their wedding at last, walking towards him in a gown of white that was fit to perfection and hugged her every curve he was lost.

The memory of Emma coming towards him and ultimately taking his hands in hers to be wed was one that Killian would carry every moment for the rest of his days. He would recall the glossy tumbled curls of her golden hair, which always reminded him of the sun, hidden only somewhat by a wreath of white flowers. The bouquet she held in her grasp captured both Christmas and the intimacy of a wedding, with whites and shades of red that made him recall the scarf she wore before he even knew her name. But most of all Killian would remember the brilliance of her smile, for it was so beautiful and magnificent that it could outshine the sun.

In the instant where Emma vowed to have him for always and forever Killian was nothing short of elated. There were no words for his feelings at that point of the ceremony, because words simply couldn’t stack up to all that he felt. All Killian knew was that he was the luckiest man alive for having Emma and that he was ready to give her all of him in return. Every dream she’d shared, every wish that she had he was ready to give her, and he made that clear in his vows, even pulling some of his promises from the letter that had brought them together and almost torn them apart months before. He cherished every word of that missive that she’d written, which she’d shared that night a year ago, after they’d come home from the festivities with their loved ones. It was a remarkable work in his eyes, and to see his own wants so perfectly mirrored had been breath taking. Their hopes were so aligned and it told Killian that they were made for each other and that the dreams they shared were bound to come true.

Killian could hope for nothing more than a partner who would stand by his side in good and in bad, who would love as him fearlessly as he was willing to love in return, and to challenge him and push him forward in every way. Emma was the embodiment of that, a light in the darkness and a north star in good times and in bad. She had become his best friend and his better half, and there was never a day when he didn’t think of her with the fiercest kind of love. Even when they fought, and even when things weren’t as perfect as the fairytales would have one believe, what they had was all he needed. It was magic, pure and simple, and Killian knew that on some level a higher power, whether it was magic or something else, had led him to this remarkable woman who truly made him whole.

“I’ve never been more ready for anything, my love,” Killian said, answering his new bride after a short and thoughtful pause. “Save perhaps for our wedding.”

Emma laughed at his added words, the sound reverberating through him as she leaned against his side. They were tucked away in a cab, coming home from the airport after a week on the beach in paradise. Her hair was even more vivid and brilliant than before, blonder from the sun at the same time her skin was kissed with color. She was gorgeous and utterly relaxed, and she was clearly enjoying his expression of devotion and want to marry her. By now, Emma was well aware of his attachment to her, and she’d grown accustomed to his never-ending need to be near her and to see her safe, happy, and cared for.

“Wow. That’s a big statement seeing as you nearly charged out of the chapel with me in your arms before we could even say I do.”

“I managed to contain myself,” Killian responded, feigning some injury as Emma playfully rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“Barely,” she said, with her smile breaking through and her eyes coming back to his, sharing her love and her light. “But after reading that letter you wrote me I didn’t expect much else.”

Killian willed himself not to go red at his wife’s words, for he had nothing like embarrassment about what he’d written to her. It was a pre-wedding present, and honestly a necessity on his part. Her friends had insisted that they spend the night apart before the ceremony and Killian hated the distance when they were so close to their union. So, in the hopes of making himself and his intentions explicitly clear he’d written his own letter of want and desire. It felt fitting to give one to her, it being a year since she’d shared hers with him, and because he’d wanted every detail to be right, Killian found he memorized the words that had all been written from the heart…

My Dearest Emma,

To think that there was ever a time before knowing you is staggering to me. I know it existed, that life before us was once the norm, but you and your love have transformed my world completely. What I knew before is now so different, it’s so much better, and I want to start by thanking you for bringing me so much just by being you. You are the product of the life you have lead, the pain and the goodness, the sadness and the hope. There is no one else the world over like you, and for that reason, no one can ever begin to compare.

A year has passed since you wrote your own letter, and though it might not have had my name, I know your heart was calling out to mine. I remember every word of what you wrote, they’re tucked away forever in my memory, and I know this letter can never compare. But I hope you’ll trust that I mean what I say when I tell you that you are the love of my life. You, Emma Swan, are the answer I’ve been searching for. You are distraction and desire, joy and satisfaction, happiness and love. In short you are every good thing in this world and no one can deserve you, but I promise I will spend each day trying, my love.  I will be a man who does right by you, and who never lets you feel like you are anything less than perfection.

Though our vows might not be said until tomorrow, I feel it’s only right to lay out my feelings explicitly here, so that you may have a similar gift to the one you gave me a year ago. It is my most earnest wish to walk this world by your side, Emma. I could never envision a better partner. You see the world for all it is and you manage to find the beauty at every impasse. You make me hopeful and have helped me grow. Before you I was lost, a kind of lost I know you’ve felt as well. But those days are over. We’ve a whole life to get to, and a whole new world to explore.

I can’t wait to see all that our life will be. I can’t wait to build our perfect home, to start the family you’ve always truly wanted, and to face each trial with you on my team. It will be the greatest honor to be your husband, and I vow to protect, support, and love you as you have always done for me.

Wishing you were here, but knowing tomorrow will bring all we could ever need…

Killian

“Is it cheesy to say that I love how much you love me?” Emma asked, pulling Killian from his thoughts and brightening his world as she did. “Because I really really do.”

“No, Emma. Our love could never be construed that way.” Emma raised a brow and he amended the statement. “And if it can, well so be it. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Would you?”

“Never,” she whispered before placing a kiss to his lips. It was one of so many Killian had lost count, but damn if it didn’t feel like the first kiss all over again. There was so much warmth and possibility and it was impossible not to feel the weight of every worry or care lift with Emma in his arms. Right now, life was damn near perfect, but as their kiss broke and the cab slowed to their end destination, Killian hoped that in the next few minutes things would get even better.

“I believe we’re here, love,” Killian said, extending his hand to hers and helping her exit from the car. Only when they were outside did the haze of their kiss seem to leave Emma, and when she looked at the beautiful home they stood in front of she was shocked.

“Wait, Killian what are we doing here?” Emma asked, her emotions and anticipation all written clear as day on her beautiful face.

Killian knew that Emma must be somewhat thrown by the house that stood before them. It was a lovely place just outside the city, and Killian and Emma has seen it before completely by chance. When they’d passed it a few months back while en route to another outing, Emma confessed that it was the ‘absolute dream’ in her estimations for best home. If she could pick any house to live in in the world it would be one just like this one, so, having that knowledge, Killian set out to make it so, unwilling to settle for something Emma might love less and making an offer that the owner’s couldn’t refuse.

“We’re coming home, Swan, just as I promised.”

“Oh my God,” Emma said as her eyes traced over the house with glee and excitement, and then it sank in that he was being honest and she ran back over to him, throwing herself in his arms and holding on tightly. “Oh my God you bought us a house!”

“Aye, I did. And though it was touch and go for a little bit, it all came together in the end.”

“So all those random business calls you suddenly had on the weekends… they were this weren’t they?” Emma asked, the pieces of the puzzle clicking more fully for her as she did.

“Yes. I had to have the team working round the clock to have it ready for us tonight.” Truth be told there were some changes that needed to be worked to make it exactly what Emma wanted, and through consulting her friends and the pinterest page Emma didn’t know he knew about, he was able to address some small gaps in the home that would make it more ideal.

“And it had to be tonight, huh?” Emma asked, her hand coming up to cup his cheek as she looked at him lovingly. “You couldn’t wait for a while, despite all the work that needed doing.”

“I wanted to start the New Year with my wife in our new home. I think we’ve waited long enough, and honestly waiting doesn’t suit me.”

Emma laughed at that, ducking her head into the crook of his neck before kissing him there gently. Killian held her tighter, glad that she was happy. Whatever came next would just be the cherry on top. Emma would no doubt come to make this house a real home for them both, furnishing it beyond some of the pieces he’d chosen that he thought were to both of their tastes, but he could tell he’d done a good job with this gift and that his bride was truly blissful. They hadn’t even gone inside yet, but she trusted him implicitly and that was clear as day.

“Well I can safely say it’s the second best wedding present that’s ever existed.”

Killian stilled, watching Emma as she came back to look at him still smiling. He was confused with her response and he let her know it. “This is only runner up?”

“Mhmm. I mean don’t get me wrong I love this house, and you are the world’s most perfect husband for doing this… but I got some good news right before I got your letter and I’ve been waiting to tell you ever since. It felt like the kind of thing that we should be home for.”

Killian wondered what she could mean as Emma brought one of his hands to the flat of her stomach. It took a split second for him to follow her meaning and then all words escaped him. Was his wife saying what he thought she was? Was she… could she really be pregnant?

“Emma?” he asked, his mind not able to string the words for such an incredible turn of events into something spoken aloud, but his bride just smiled happily, running her thumb across his hand where it was pressed against their growing child.

“In about seven months we’ll be having a baby,” Emma whispered and that was all it took for Killian. With those unbelievable words he closed the space between them, kissing his wife as much as decency would allow before he realized they were still out in front of the house and not inside. It was cold this deep into winter, too cold for his wife and child to be out, and instinct demanded he get them inside quickly. With a swift motion he swung Emma up in his arms, and he led her inside, crossing over the new threshold of their home intent on celebrating all of their good news.

“So I take it you’re happy then?” Emma asked as he brought them to their new room, laying her down gently on their bed and taking in the beautiful sight of her there before him. She was completely content and more than happy, and that was all Killian ever wanted for his precious Emma.

“Happy doesn’t do it justice, Swan. Not even a little bit.”

“Same,” Emma confided, pulling him closer with a look in her eyes that told him she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. “I love you, Killian. We’ve already had so much together, and now we’re going to have so much more.”

“Everything, Emma. We’re going to have everything.”

And after saying that he loved her too, and showing her exactly how much all the rest of the night long, Emma and Killian rang in the new year together, knowing that they were, in fact, on their way to having everything they could ever want and so much more.

“No! How is this possible!” Gothel said in outrage as she tried again only to be jolted back by the strange light once more.

Emma had no idea what was happening, but she knew it started with thoughts about her family. So she focused on the way her mother always included her favorite dishes at Sunday family dinners, or how her dad always cradled the back of her head when he hugged her and her sweet Henry, who had such a positive outlook on everything and who made you want to be a better person. And Killian, who came into her life when she believed herself unlovable and never gave up on her, who broke down her walls to become the love of her life.

Suddenly Emma felt a pulse of energy burst from within her. The straps that had held her down and the cuff around her wrist instantly vanished. She immediately jumped from the table to find that the pulse of energy had knocked Gothel out.

“Emma!” Amelia called out from the other table.

Emma turned to see that Amelia had also been released from her bounds. “Amelia!” she exclaimed as the little girl rushed toward her and immediately wrapped her arms around her. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Amelia said as she pulled back from the embrace. “How did you do that, Emma?” Before Emma could respond, she saw Gothel start to struggle to her feet. Pushing Amelia behind her, she braced herself for whatever the witch did next.

When Gothel turned around, Emma was ready for the magic that shot her way from the witches hand. Their magic met in the middle, both fighting for the upper hand. 

“You’ll have to kill me, Emma, because I will never give up. No matter what you do to me, or where you send me, I will always come back until I have what’s mine,” Gothel said menacingly.

Emma knew she was telling the truth, knew that Gothel would never stop being a threat to her family. Almost as soon as the thought left her head Emma felt the same pulse of energy form earlier swell from within her. She felt the energy start to fuse with her magic, amplifying it, making it stronger.

Gothel noticed the chance right away. Fear immediately began to cross her features as she felt the intense magic begin to weaken hers. 

“How are you doing this?” she said, struggling to hold her own.

Emma started to move forward, the light encasing the dark with every step she took until she was toe-to-toe with Gothel, looking her right in the eyes.

“Try coming back from this." closing her eyes, Emma concentrated with everything she had until she began to feel the magic wash completely over her from head to toe and then burst from her.

Gothel began to scream as the powerful white magic started to wrap around her like a cocoon. “No! This isn’t how it was supposed to happen!” she cried out in despair as she tried to blast her way out of it.

Emma watched as the magic continued to surround her until Gothel stopped moving. She started to approach the immobilized witch with her hands still raised when suddenly her eyes widened in astonishment as a blinding light started to emanate from within the tomb-like structure. Emma quickly turned and grabbed Amelia, taking cover behind one of the tables to shield themselves as the light continued to grow brighter and brighter until the capsule finally exploded into a thousand pieces.

When the dust settled Emma opened her eyes to find Amelia looking up at her. 

“Emma. What happened?”

She shook her head at the little girl. “I don’t know, baby.” They slowly stood up to find nothing left of either the capsule or Gothel.

“Is she gone?” Amelia asked with a small wobble in her voice.

Emma looked down at Amelia, realizing that after all these years the little girl was finally free of constantly having to look over her shoulder  wondering if Gothel was going to find her. She crouched down and put her hands on Amelia’s arms. “Yes. Yes, she is.”

The little girl’s face lit up and she threw herself into Emma’s arms. “Thank you,” Amelia whispered into the crook of her neck. 

They stayed like that for several minutes, both just happy to be safe and alive when they suddenly heard noises coming from the tunnels. Startled Emma rose to her feet and put an arm around Amelia, quickly moving her over to a spot along the wall of the cave hidden from view. 

“Stay here and don’t come out until I call for you.” Emma turned back toward the tunnel opening, wondering if maybe Gothel had a contingency plan in case of her demise. “Who’s there!?”

“Emma!” A very familiar, deep accented voice called out.

“Killian!” Emma yelled, hurrying toward the opening of the tunnel where her husband's voice was coming from. 

Their eyes locked at the same time. Nothing else mattered, only getting to each other as soon as possible. They crashed into one another, their lips meeting in desperation from thinking that they were never going to see each other again.

When they pulled away from each other Killian brought his hand up to rest against her cheek. “Are you alright Swan?” he asked as he began to look around urgently. “Where’s Amelia?”

Emma reached up and took his hand in hers. “Yes. We’re fine,” she reassured him, as she looked over her shoulder. “Amelia. It’s okay to come out now.”

Peeking her head out, the little girl's eyes lit up. “Killian!” she cried out happily as she began to run over to him

Killian bent down to catch and lift her up into his arms. “Oh! I’m so glad that you're okay, little lass,” he crooned softly as he held her tight. He turned back to Emma with a perplexed look on his face. “Swan, what happened? Where’s Gothel?

Before Emma could respond, she heard several more voices coming from the tunnel, then a second later her parents and Regina came into view. “Mom! Dad!” she said joyfully, running to embrace her parents.

“Oh, Emma! We were so worried! Are you okay?” Snow asked, concerned.

“Yeah. I’m fine.” Emma looked around and noticed that someone was missing. “Where’s Henry?” she asked.

“He stayed back at the convent, rather reluctantly I might say,” Regina informed her. 

“Okay good,” Emma sighed with relief. “How did you all find us?”

“It was Silver, love,” Killian stated as he made his way over to them, Amelia now standing beside him, holding on to his hook. “She left a message telling us she brewed a potion that would help us find this place,” he finished.

Emma still didn’t know how she felt about the deceased fairy. On the one hand, Silver had been in league with Gothel, but she had also given her life while trying to save Amelia and herself.

“Swan?” Killian’s voice broke through her musings.

Emma looked up into his questioning gaze. “It’s nothing, Silver...” she paused, giving him a knowing gaze, not wanting to upset Amelia with the memory of what happened. “Anyway,” she said before turning to her parents, “Mom. Dad. I want you to meet somebody. This is Amelia.”” She held her hand out for the little girl to take and brought her over to them. “Amelia, sweetheart, these are my parents, David and Snow.”

David stepped forward and bent down to greet her. “Hello, Amelia. It’s very nice to meet you.”

The little girl gazed up at them and smiled shyly. “Hi.”

“Emma, I’m sorry to interrupt but what happened with Gothel,” Blue asked as she approached the group.

“Gothel’s gone.” 

Emma  proceeded to tell them everything that had happened. From when she talked to Gothel at the hospital, to waking up imprisoned, to Silver trying to rescue them, then finally the battle with Gothel and the strange magic that had helped her defeat the witch. After she was done she took in everyone’s reactions. Her parents looked stricken, while listening to how close they had come to losing their daughter, while Killian had taken her and held it in a vice like grip. When she glanced up at him, Emma saw  his jaw was clenched with quiet rage. She could only imagine what was going on inside his head, so Emma brought her other hand up and stroked his arm lovingly.

Killian calmed instantly at the gentle touch of his wife. Just hearing about what Emma and Amelia had been through made him want to resurrect that bloody witch just so he could have the pleasure of killing her again. Taking a deep breath to quell those thoughts he then turned to Emma and gave her a grateful smile. 

“Emma. Do you have any idea what the magic was?” Blue asked her.

Emma shook her head. “No. All I know is that it wasn’t coming from me.”

Killian cocked his head. “What do you mean love?”

“Gothel used the cuffs on us, so I couldn’t use my magic and neither could Amelia. It also felt entirely different from my own magic, plus once Gothel was defeated it went away,” Emma explained.

Regina stepped forward then with an incredulous look on her face. “So, what you're saying is this magic just came out of nowhere, helped you do that,” she paused and pointed at the dust on the floor that indicated all that was left of the witch, “to Gothel and then just disappeared.”

“Yeah, that is exactly what I’m saying. Listen to be honest, right now I really don’t care where it came from. I’m just glad that this is over with.” Emma looked up at Killian. “Can we please go home now?”

“Of course, love.” Killian bent down to once again pick Amelia up then put an arm around Emma. “Let’s get out of here.”

The group (minus Blue, who had stayed behind to take care of the jars of magic) made their way through the tunnels and out of the catacombs. They emerged into a wooded area that Emma instantly recognized. 

“The Apprentices Mansion?” she asked, turning to see that the entrance to Gothel’s hideout had been directly beneath the grand house.

“Yes. We were just as surprised. My guess is that Gothel was drawn here because this place still has some strong magic associated with it,” Regina stated.

Emma remembered all too well the kind of magic that resided in the mansion. Shaking her head to clear the unpleasant memories she turned to Regina. “Will you bring Henry back to the house for me?”

Regina nodded. “Yes. Of course.”

“Thank you,” Emma said gratefully, turning to her parents she gave them a knowing look, trying to convey everything she couldn’t voice out loud. When they both gave her a nod of understanding she reached for Killian, who was still holding a now sleeping Amelia, and the three of them disappeared in a plume of white smoke. As soon as they reappeared inside their house, Killian stepped away to lay the little girl down on the sofa. 

Emma watched her husband for several minutes as he stood there silently before walking over to him and gently placed a hand on his arm. 

“Killian?” she whispered. When he turned to look at her, Emma was taken aback to see tears running down his face. “What is it?” she asked concerned.

“I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost you,” Killian said, his voice trembling.

Emma reached up and tenderly cupped his face. “Oh, Killian. I know exactly what you were going through. When I was down there, I thought I was never going to see you again, never get to hold you in my arms and.. " she stopped. Her voice cracking as she started thinking about what had almost happened down in the catacombs.

Killian wrapped his arms around Emma and held her close. They stood there in each other’s embrace for what seemed like an eternity until the sound of the front door broke them apart. They looked up just as Henry came into view.

“Mom!” Henry called out as he rushed over to her and threw his arms around her. “Are you okay?” he asked worriedly.

Emma closed her eyes as she held him tight. “Oh, Henry. I’m alright,” she reassured him as she pulled back.

“And Amelia?” Henry asked, equally concerned about the little girl who he had come to care for deeply.

“She’s fine. See,” Emma said, moving aside to show him the sleeping girl on the sofa.

Henry’s shoulders slumped with relief. When his mom and grandparents showed back up at the convent alone, he'd feared the worst. Not even their reassurances that Killian, Emma, and Amelia were okay could calm him down. He needed to see for himself that they were fine, and immediately asked Regina to bring him back to the house. “I was so scared, Mom.”

Emma reached out and placed a comforting hand on his arm. “I know, Henry. I was too, but Gothel is gone and we’re all safe and together now.”

“Aye, my boy, your mother is right. Everything is going to be alright now that we are all back together,” Killian stated, joining in to try and calm his son’s nerves.

Before Henry could respond, a noise drew their attention to the sofa where Amelia was starting to wake up. The little girl blinked in confusion at first, unsure of where she was until her eyes landed on the three of them and a smile immediately spread across her face. 

“Henry!” Amelia shouted happily as she leaped from the sofa and ran over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“Hey! I’m happy to see you too!” Henry said, beaming down at her. He crouched down so he could be eye level with her. “You okay, squirt?” he asked with affection.

Amelia nodded her head. “Yep. Emma saved us. She’s a hero,” the little girl replied, looking up in awe at the woman who finally freed her from the fear that one day, somehow,  Gothel would find her.

“That she is little love, that she is,” Killian agreed, giving his wife a proud smile.

Emma could feel herself begin to blush at all the praise being thrown her way. She looked to change the subject and found the perfect way out when her stomach started growling. 

“Um… anyone else hungry?” she asked, realizing that they all probably hadn’t eaten since that morning.

A series of Yeses rang out, and the four of them made their way to the kitchen. Not wanting to wait too long, they all decided on grilled cheese and soup. As they all sat down to eat, Emma looked around the table and once again realized how close she had come to losing everything. Suddenly ,a gentle hand lay upon hers and she found Killian’s gaze on her. He gave her a knowing smile and brought her hand up to place a kiss on her knuckles.

After they were finished eating, everyone could feel the day start to catch up with them and they decided to call it a night. Henry went first, climbing the stairs tiredly after one last hug from his parents. Next, Emma took Amelia upstairs to get cleaned up while Killian locked the house up.

 After she helped Amelia out of the bath and brought her to the spare room, Emma realized the little girl still didn’t have any clothes of her own, so she quickly ran to grab an old shirt for her to wear.

As soon as Emma got Amelia into bed the little girl was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She sat there for several minutes just watching her sleep until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Glancing up, she saw Killian standing behind her and she reached up to place her hand on top of his, holding on to it like a lifeline. 

“She barely made it to bed, started falling asleep as I was brushing her hair,” she told him.

“Poor lass. She’s been through so much, yet stayed so strong during it all,” Killian responded as he grasped her and pulled her to her feet. “Come on love, let’s go to bed.” 

Emma didn’t have the energy to drag herself into the shower, and decided that could wait until morning. As she was changing into her pajamas, Emma said something to Killian that had the potential to change their lives forever. 

“We still need to go to the convent and get Amelia’s things. The poor girl has been wearing the same thing for two days straight.” When she didn’t get a response she turned to see Killian looking at her in surprise. “What is it?” she asked in confusion.

“You want Amelia to come stay with us,” Killian asked, hoping she was saying what he thought she was saying.

Emma looked at him in bewilderment. “Well. Yeah. We said that we wanted her to. Remember?’

Killian walked over to where she was standing by the dresser. “Aye, love. I do. I thought it was just going to be until Gothel was taken care of, though.” He stepped closer and placed his hand and hook on her arms. “Are you saying that you want her to live with us permanently?”

Emma stared into his eyes, searching until she found what she was looking for. “Yes,” she said smiling at him.

Killian returned her smile and surged forward to catch her lips in a passionate kiss. When they pulled back he couldn’t contain his excitement. “Oh, Swan! I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.”

Emma giggled at his excitement, barely able to contain her own. "I know we haven’t talked about it, but I’ve fallen in love with Amelia and I want her to be part of our family.”

Killian reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand. “Emma, I feel the exact same way. I’ve felt this connection to her since the first moment we met her and I think she was always meant to be with us,” he said with conviction.

Emma gazed lovingly into his eyes, tears pooling in her own. “We are going to have a daughter.”

Killian let out an amazed chuckle. "Yeah. We are.” He stopped when he noticed Emma starting to sway on her feet. Realizing she was exhausted, he gently steered her to the bed. “But first you need to get some sleep, love.”

When they climbed into bed, with their arms wrapped around one another, they both fell asleep thinking about how much their lives were about to change, and knew that they would be able to overcome anything as long they had each other. 

Killian paced up and down the length of the foyer for what seemed like the millionth time. “Why isn’t it working?” he asked impatiently as he turned to Blue and the other fairies as they ran their wands along the panel of the door.

Blue sighed in frustration. “If you would stop asking me every five minutes, maybe we would be able to concentrate.”

“Oh, I’m sorry if I’m bothering you. It’s not like Emma and Amelia are being held by an insane witch,” Killian sarcastically said.

“I am fully aware of the situation, but we are not going to get anywhere if you keep interrupting us,” Blue said, becoming increasingly annoyed at not being able to remove the spell that kept them trapped.

“You’re supposed to be the blasted Blue fairy. Although, I shouldn’t be surprised you can’t fix this, you didn’t even know that one of your most trusted fairies was working with the enemy,” Killian said snidely.

Blue whirled on him, anger clear on her face. “I don’t believe I asked or wanted the input of a pirate. So why don’t you just stay out of our way and do what you're good at... nothing.”

Killian opened his mouth to bite out another insult when a voice called out. "Stop!"

Killian and Blue turned to see Henry standing off to the side with a stricken look on his face. "Just stop. Listen, we are all worried, but yelling insults at each other isn't going to help solve our problem."

They hung their heads in shame. Both appalled at the way they had behaved. "Aye, you're right. I'm sorry, my boy." He turned to Blue. "Forgive me, I spoke out of fear and it was uncalled for."

Blue could tell that he was being sincere, and regretted speaking so harshly to him. She admitted that she had held a grudge against him for his role in trapping herself and the other fairies all those years ago. But she could see now how unfair that was to him, and how much he had changed to be a better man. “I’m sorry, too. I haven’t treated you fairly, and that was wrong of me.”

Killian was slightly taken aback by Blue’s response. He had a feeling that she wasn’t talking about their shouting match just now. He gave her a nod of understanding and then cleared his throat. “Alright then, let’s get back to it.”

After several minutes one of the fairies let out a cry of excitement, “It’s working!”

Killian and Henry snapped their heads up and watched as a shimmery line of magic began to dissolve all around them. “Oh! Bloody good show, ladies. Well done!” 

Racing over to the main door, he practically tore it off its hinges in a hurry to get out. He had just made it out onto the top of the stairs when he saw Regina, David, and Snow standing on the ground below him.

“What the hell is going on!?” Regina exclaimed with her hands on her hips.

“Mom, Grandma, Grampa!” Henry called out with joy. Running down the steps and into his mother's arms.

“Regina. Where’s Emma?!” Killian asked frantically when he reached the group.

Regina pulled away from Henry’s embrace and looked at Killian with regret. “I don’t know. When I noticed that she had been gone awhile I went to check on her and found the cell empty. Both her and Gothel were gone,” she explained 

Killian felt like his legs were nearly about to give out. “No,”

“I immediately called Snow and David. When they met me here, we saw the force field around the building.”

“Killian, what happened?” Snow asked 

“I’ll tell you what happened. Gothel had an accomplice amongst the fairies. Silver. She incapacitated Henry and I, and took Amelia,” he said distressed.

The trio stared at him in shock. “What!” Regina said, disbelief clear in her voice.

“She trapped us in the convent,” he said, swallowing roughly before continuing. “So she could help Gothel take Emma.”

They were all at a loss for words. David looked over at Henry who’s eyes had begun to well up with tears, then back at Kilian. He reached over and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “We’ll get them back,” he said with determination.

“How? We have no idea where Gothel has been hiding or the first place to even look,” Killian said despondently. 

“There has to be some sort of clue about where she is. What about Silver? Maybe she left something behind, we should check her room.” David suggested.

Killian let out an aggravated sigh. “Fine. It’s worth a shot. Let’s get to it.”

The five of them headed back inside to hopefully find anything that will help them locate Emma and Amelia.

X

After an hour of searching, which had resulted in nothing, tensions were beginning to rise. “This is a waste of time!” Killian said, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

Snow, ever the optimist, tried to remain positive. “We can’t give up.There has to be something we are missing.”

“We have searched everywhere and there’s nothing! And every second we waste is another second that Emma and Amelia are in the hands of that monster!” The last few hours of fear and uncertainty had finally started to bubble to the surface, causing Killian to lash out with his hook and swipe at the contents that were on the dresser he was standing next to.

When everything clattered to the floor an old jewelry box broke open and the five of them watched in shock as a plume of smoke rose from it. 

“What the hell?” Regina said as a figure began to materialize.The figure of Silver.

The young fairy looked nervously around before speaking. “I must be quick. If you are seeing this then my part in Gothel’s plan has finally been made known. It also means that I am most likely dead. I know that there is nothing that I can do to atone for my transgressions, but I hope that when you do find this message that it’s not too late. I’ll be attempting to rescue Emma and Amelia from Gothel myself, but if I am not successful I have brewed a potion that will take you directly to the entrance of her hideout.” She stopped suddenly, her eyes darting nervously to the side. “I must go. Please hurry.” Then the connection winked out.

As soon as the image faded, there was silence for several seconds before Killian finally broke it. “She was trying to help us. Let’s not have it be in vain. We have to find that potion,” he said urgently as they set to work, hoping that they wouldn’t be too late.

“Aye, love. But we’ve had our fights, we’ve waged our battles, and we’ve earned this through and through.”

Emma hummed out her agreement to that indisputable fact into the mild night air as she tucked her head against his shoulder and Killian felt his own sense of peace shift more thoroughly into place. His mind wandered back towards the journey they’d gone through to get here and he tracked in a matter of seconds all of the twists and turns that got them to this beautiful moment.

After the final battle had been fought and calm and peace had returned to Storybrooke once more, there had been enough of a lull for Killian and Emma to decide on next steps. Given the breakneck pace of the several years before, it was almost alarming to have so much down time, but they had made the most of it and Killian’s grin widened as he thought of all the afternoons he’d spent stealing moments with her at the station and all the nights they’d spent not sleeping and getting wrapped up in each other instead.

It was one of those nights that had brought forth their next chapter in the story of their love, one where Henry ended up having a little sister and Emma and Killian had the chance at doing this whole parenting thing together right from the start. It was pure magic and also complete terror rolled into one indescribably entity, and the first year of his little Hope’s life Killian had fluctuated between being a wreck with worry and blissfully happy to have this chance and have Emma as the partner to undertake such a journey with.

Since that time Hope had reached the tender, troublesome age of four and she’d also been joined by another sibling, a healthy baby boy named Liam who was currently waddling through the thick of his terrible twos with Emma’s golden hair and Killian’s teasing blue eyes. That smirk that Killian was known for had also been past on to their little boy, and every time it appeared on his son’s happy face, it spoke to all the mischief they’d have in store with this lad someday.

“You think the kids were good for Mom and Dad?” Emma asked and Killian chuckled at that, shaking his head in an honest reply.

“There’s really no telling. They’re darlings the two of them, but they also realize they’ve got their grandparents wrapped so tight around their little fingers they can get away with anything they bloody wish to.”

Emma laughed at that breakdown of their children’s relationship with their grandparents, her hand running over Killian’s arm lovingly as she looked back up to him and her jade colored eyes caught his. Gods she was beautiful, truly just as lovely as the first time he’d laid eyes on her, and though they’d had all this time to get used to being together, Killian’s heart still skipped a beat at the gorgeousness of that happy smile that curled at her lips. It was such a treasure to spend a happy moment with Emma, and right now life was filled with such moments to a remarkable degree.

“Are you trying to say that we’re not just as under their spell? Because I hate to break it to you Captain, but you’re hardly the strict disciplinarian when either of them flash you that puppy dog look of theirs.”

“Perhaps you’re right, Swan, but can you really blame me? They’ve all the same magic and magnetism of their incredible mother, and then on top of that they have the benefit of being my children too. As such they’re the whole package in any conceivable way.”

Killian didn’t need to look at Emma to know she was rolling her eyes at that, but he couldn’t help the joke all the same. Truth was he could be a total pushover when it came to those little tykes, but there were moments when he was far more serious, especially when it came to their safety. And when Emma believed it was time to put their foot down as a parental unit, he never questioned her, always knowing that it was best for them to be a team. Besides, his lovely wife was easily the smarter of the two of them with better instincts than he could ever hope to have, and Killian would be a fool not to follow where she led.

Emma replied to his teasing with some sass of her own, checking his ego in a way that was blunt but also loving, which was easier said than done, and at that moment they turned the corner onto their street, finally coming into view of the house they called home once more. It was a relief to be back in this place where they both belonged to be sure, but as they were making their way up the walkway of the house, Killian knew the night couldn’t end just yet He had plans for Emma, and as she looked to head up the front steps, Killian held her back, surprising her with his lack of motion and bit of redirection.

“Before we go inside, my love, there’s one last thing I was hoping we could do.”

“Oh really?” Emma asked with a smirk and a heated look that spoke to the best kind of trouble life could bring. She licked her lips and her gaze dropped to his mouth in turn and Killian’s whole body flared with warmth and delicious tension. Damn she was a siren! She was still capable of making him crave so much more with just as ingle expression, but he had to resist, at least for a while longer until they were back inside and in the confines of their bedroom once more.

“Do you trust me?” he asked and Emma’s face softened into a sweet, sincere smile as she nodded.

“Always.”

With that soul searing agreement in his grasp, and with Emma’s hand clutched in his, Killian moved them around the house to the backyard where his surprise for her was currently waiting. It was a familiar path to get to that quiet, little oasis, and once they were through the back gate Killian flicked on a light switch to illuminate the space. The resulting gasp that came from Emma was exactly what he’d wanted. He looked to her reaction and he found her truly surprised in the best possible way, if the happy tears that were misting up her eyes were any indication.

“Killian… it’s beautiful,” Emma finally said, tearing her gaze from what he’d prepared and designed in the backyard today before leaving for their date without her knowing.

The space out here was a place of haven and reprieve for their family, and along with the playground contraption meant for the kids (which had taken Killian and David far longer than they’d care to admit to put together) there was a garden and flowers and greeneries all around. This outdoor place truly enhanced an already wonderful home, and this house, that had at one time been shroud in dark memories, held nothing but brightness now. Everywhere he looked Killian could recall some perfect moment, and tonight the whole place was lit up with twinkling lights and precisely hung lanterns to enhance the evening’s moonlight and to provide a special ambiance he knew in his heart his wife would enjoy.

“I’m glad you like it. But I have to admit my motives are not purely unselfish.”

“They aren’t?” Emma asked as she looked back to him with a curious glance and a raised brow that he had to smile at.

Even with this face of confusion coloring her expression, Emma was the most beautiful person he’d ever laid eyes on. She was more than words could ever hope to capture, but the one that came to mind as the twinkling lights illuminated her golden hair was angelic. Like an angel Emma was something more than human, something so far surpassing ordinary, and yet somehow she was also his. He could feel it so surely, sense their hearts were completely intertwined, and see the love in her eyes even with his questionable behavior right now. His heart stopped for a moment as he tried to take her in and feel that love, and a few too many seconds passed where he forgot he was supposed to respond. But when he regained his composure he cleared his throat and set out to explain his intentions.

“I was hoping that with this heightened setting as an inducement you might dance with me, love.”

“You want to dance? Out here?” Emma asked, sounding like she couldn’t fathom his train of thought even as excitement and desire colored her features.

“I do,” Killian said easily and Emma took one more second to think about it before beaming up at him again and moving to take off the heels she was wearing.

Now it was Killian’s turn to be thoroughly confused, and he sent her a questioning look about why she would be shedding her shoes in such a situation. But then Emma explained that knowledgeable partner or not, this would not be a successful dance if her heels were sinking into the dirt the whole time. This made a good amount of sense all things considered, and because Killian was always a gentleman, he removed his shoes as well so they were perfectly matched out here under the starlight.

The only thing left for them to do at this point was to play some music, and with the help of some trusty instructions for all things modern that Henry had left for Killian when he’d last left home, Killian had figured out a way to get some playing out here in the yard. All it required now was the click of a button and the soft, soothing tones of the melody he chose played out all around them. The song in question was one of Emma’s favorites. It was a timeless classic in this realm, he’d been told, and it was one he’d grown rather fond of too because every single lovely word reminded him of Emma.

“Just when I think I’ve got you all figured out you find a way to surprise me,” Emma said at one point when he’d twirled her and then dipped her low and Killian laughed aloud.

“You know me better than I know myself, love. You just sometimes forget that there’s nothing in my world that matters more than seeing you happy.”

With those words let loose between them Emma tucked in closer to him, changing their style of dance to something less rigid and rule based than a waltz. Killian had no problem with that either, for it meant he and his Swan were wrapped up closer together and he could feel her heart beating in time with his. The gentle thump thump thump was a beautiful reminder of he fact that they were both here and alive and living the life they’d always fought for.

Out here in the quiet, with the soft hum of the song’s melody around them and the gentle chirping of crickets coasting on a soft ocean breeze, Killian felt like all worry and care could slip away. Nothing could touch him here, and part of the thrill of all of this happy feeling was that they needn’t travel far to find it. Being here – being home – was the best thing imaginable, and even when this moment did eventually fade away and they slipped back into the house, Killian knew he’d have no resentments or regrets. For when he was with Emma, such moments of magic would always find a way to come again, and Killian was ready for a long long life filled with such interludes.

“I know it’s hardly news at this point, but I think it bears repeating that I love you,” Emma whispered as she looked back up at him and Killian smiled at that, not in a cocky way, but with genuine gladness. It didn’t matter that he’d heard that every day for years at this point. It was still a miracle in his estimations that he’d ever secured Emma’s love at all, and he was always grateful to know he’d maintained a claim to her heart through all the ups and downs life had to bring.

“It might not be news, but it’s still the sweetest thing I’ll ever hear, Swan,” Killian said before whispering that he loved her too. He saw the impact of his honest words too, and the light of wanting and desire that had already been smoldering in Emma’s green eyes sparked to a higher pitch as she pulled him down for a kiss out there on the lawn and under the golden lights.

The kiss made no attempt at politeness, and it was all too easy to get sucked into a yearning that wasn’t strictly appropriate for being out in the open like this, but that didn’t stop Emma and Killian from lingering as long as they could in this embrace. They took things just to the edge and then pulled back, and even then, the only reason Killian could even begin to move away from his lovely wife was because he heard a creaking sound on the floorboard of the back porch. He knew then that they weren’t alone any more, and all it took was one glance in the direction of the house to see he was right and that there were in fact two tiny witnesses to what was meant to be a private moment.

“You guys sure do kiss a lot,” their daughter Hope acknowledged bluntly.

Killian felt as a laugh broke from Emma’s chest, and though she tried to keep it quiet the shaking reverberated through since he was still holding her squarely in his arms. He had no intention of changing that just yet either, even with the unexpected appearance of their two little ones out here. Instead he only grinned as he watched his little lass pushing her wayward brown curls from her precious face as her other hand held onto Liam’s little fist with all the care and authority of a good big sister.

“And you, my little princess, are out of doors when it’s past your bedtime. How did you two get out here anyway?” Killian asked, though he had his suspicions as he came to scoop a giggling but tired little Liam into his arms and Emma came to take Hope’s hand.

“Magic, duh,” their daughter said and Liam chorused with his own attempt at the word he called ‘magix.’

“What did we say about using your powers when Mom and Dad aren’t home, Hope?” Emma asked sternly but still with so much love it couldn’t be denied.

“Not to do it,” Hope said with a dramatic sigh. “Sorry, Mommy.”

“Sowwy, Mommy,” Liam chorused back and Killian felt his heart fill with even more love for these two little rascals he loved so dearly.

Emma, meanwhile, proceeded to forgive their little ones while still emphasizing that Hope had to be careful in that effortless way that only a truly good mother could maneuver. She walked the line so brilliantly, and Killian couldn’t help feeling this rush of pride that Emma had truly become the best version of herself that she could be. She was so good at this, just as she was so good at so many other things, and it was impossible to resist her as she flashed him a knowing smile and they got the kids squared away for bed once and for all after relieving her parents from babysitting duty.

“I have to be honest, Swan. This is not exactly how I envisioned this night ending,” Killian said when they’d entered the hallway once more after Hope had finally drifted off to sleep with Liam fast on her tail.

“Really?” Emma asked with a smile and a glance back in the doorway where Hope’s nightlight illuminated their sleeping daughter in a soft golden light.

“Really. You know I had all sorts of ideas about getting you alone. I never anticipated an interruption in getting here,” Killian whispered as he led her back to their room and watched Emma’s eyes darken and her cheeks flush ever so slightly.

“Maybe it was unexpected…” Emma acknowledged thoughtfully as she came up to run her hand along his chest. “But if you want the truth I thought it was perfect.”

“As did I, love,” Killian confessed, glad for the fact that the two of them were on the same page. “In fact, I think perfect is exactly the way I’d characterize everything about this life we’ve made together.”

Emma whole-heartedly agreed with that, and she showed Killian that not only with matching words that sounded sweetly to his ears, but a night of bliss so blindingly brilliant it was almost like a dream. But the best part was that it wasn’t a dream. None of this was a dream. Somehow, someway, this was really their life, and the most magical part of this happily ever after was that they still had so much love and light and hope to share for now and always.

…………….

I found a love for me Darling just dive right in And follow my lead Well I found a girl beautiful and sweet I never knew you were the someone waiting for me 'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love Not knowing what it was I will not give you up this time But darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own And in your eyes you're holding mine Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath But you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight Well I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I'll share her home I found a love, to carry more than just my secrets To carry love, to carry children of our own We are still kids, but we're so in love Fighting against all odds I know we'll be alright this time Darling, just hold my hand Be my girl, I'll be your man I see my future in your eyes Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song When I saw you in that dress, looking so beautiful I don't deserve this, darling, you look perfect tonight Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song I have faith in what I see Now I know I have met an angel in person And she looks perfect I don't deserve this You look perfect tonight

Post-Note: It’s always nice to have another Ed Sheeran song in the CS mixtape, and as I have joked before, I have had enough prompted Sheeran chapters to make a whole mixtape just for him. I honestly still might, someday because I love him, but we will have to see. Anyway, there are still a lot of prompts on my list of songs, and though this one was a newer one than some, it’s where my inspiration wanted to lead me to today. I hope you guys have enjoyed and that this chapter finds you doing well! Have a great rest of your day and thanks for reading!

“She was more flow oriented when we spoke,” Tiana affirmed. “But you don’t really need to be focusing on that today, Emma. I know you’re in a rush. You were just supposed to be dropping off those sketches and then getting out of here…”

“But I got sucked up into the crazy, I know, I know,” Emma stated easily. “Trust me I’m aware that if I am not ready to go in ten – crap, I mean five – minutes I will have one very disgruntled husband on my hands.”

And Emma wasn’t lying. Killian wasn’t often demanding, but today he’d been sincere in his request that Emma be quick with wrapping up things at work. They were pressed for time this morning and it was all in the service of what Emma was sure would be a truly delightful weekend away, but old habits were hard to break and try as she might Emma really didn’t like to let go of all control on any of her projects. She wanted to be right on the front lines from start to finish with every dress, but that just wasn’t possible given all the success that Bliss Boutique had found this past year and how much demand there was on their time and the time of Tiana and the rest of their designers.

“That’s all right, Ems,” Elsa’s voice said from the doorway as she held in her hand a blue box with their bakery logo on it. “I’m sure you’ll find a way to make it up to him.”

“You are a freaking god send, Elsa. Seriously you might just be my savior today,” Emma professed as she snuck a peek inside the box, finding an exact assortment of Killian’s favorite treats for the train ride they were taking this afternoon. These should do very nicely for winning back her man’s favor, at least until Emma could get him alone and give him a proper apology. Just the thought of that had a shiver of anticipation racing through her and Emma smiled, imagining of all the ways she could make Killian forgive her for her workaholic ways.

“That’s what sisters do, right?” Elsa teased, pulling a laugh from Emma at the mention of their newfound status.

Since Elsa and Liam had married a few months before they’d all gotten used to the idea of Elsa and Emma being actually related, and Emma couldn’t think of a better friend to call a sister, especially when Elsa was always saving her ass like this and made Killian’s older brother so incredibly happy. It was amazing to see how well Elsa and Liam had blended their lives together, and though they were incredibly different they were perfectly suited somehow. Elsa managed to dull away many of the sharp edges that most people associated with Liam, and Liam had brought out a new side of Elsa that Emma had never seen, one that was totally confident in herself and blissfully happy with her life in the way her kindhearted and loyal friend truly deserved.

“Absolutely. I just wish I had more talents other than making dresses. Your skillset seems to come in handy a lot more often,” Emma joked before the phone she had in her pocket began to vibrate. Someone was calling her and it was Emma’s initial instinct to ignore it since the only person who could need her now who wasn’t at Bliss was Killian and he’d never call when he could come sweep her off her feet in person. But when Emma saw the number of her doctor’s office flash on the screen she was concerned. Was something wrong? She accepted the call to find out, her hand trembling slightly as she did.

“Hello?” Emma answered, a little anxious about what kind of news she’d be hearing. She’d only gone in for a check up last week and there hadn’t been anything she was waiting to hear back on.

“Emma Jones?” the nurse asked through the receiver and Emma replied that it was in fact her. “I’m calling because the last of your tests results came in from your most recent appointment, and it turns out that you’re pregnant. From the blood test we ran it appears you’re already a few months along. Probably right around eleven weeks or so.”

The fact that Emma didn’t drop her phone onto the ground was a miracle because she was totally shocked. Her jaw practically hit the floor and her mind was racing in a million directions. But through all of that there was one feeling in the center of her chest that outshone all of the others and it was hope. Hope that this was really happening and that after months of wondering when the day would finally come, she and Killian were expecting the child they both so badly wanted.

“Wait, I’m sorry, could you say that again?” Emma said into the phone biting back a smile and feeling like the whole world had just gotten even brighter and more beautiful in the blink of an eye.

“You’re pregnant, Emma. Congratulations.”

It was all Emma could do to pretend to listen to the woman as she give her some more information about setting up an appointment with another doctor and follow up care in the coming weeks. Truth be told all of it went in one ear and out the other and Emma felt like her heart was going to explode as she turned back around to face her friends. She was expecting to find just Tiana and Elsa, but when she looked around she saw that Ruby and Mary Margaret were there as well and waiting on her news.

As soon as Emma hung up she wanted to tell them everything and share in this happy occasion with the friends she loved so dearly but she also knew it wouldn’t be right to tell them before Killian knew. He had to be the first person she told no matter what because he was going to be her partner in this, and that realization that they’d be taking this on as a team and that their new dream really had come to fruition brought tears to Emma’s eyes. She was practically shaking from the feelings of love and happiness coursing through her, but she had to try and play it cool or risk the words tumbling past her lips too soon.

“What’s wrong Emma? What happened?” Mary Margaret asked worriedly and Emma’s gut clenched. There was nothing wrong, only something magical knocking at her door, but she couldn’t say it and she struggled to sound convincingly unaffected.

“I’m fine, I promise. It’s just… complicated,” Emma said hoping that would be enough to pacify her friends. But she must not have realized her instinctive motion to put her hand above her tummy where her and Killian’s baby would soon be growing. All it took was one look at that gesture and the happy tears in her eyes and all four of them were guessing at once.

“Oh my god, you’re pregnant!”

“Shhh!” Emma said, shushing them and looking out the doorway to make sure that Killian wasn’t there to overhear. “And even if that were true I can’t say… because if I were pregnant there’s kind of someone else who would need to know first.”

Emma’s comments were met with understanding but that didn’t stop the almost bursting sense of excitement from all of her friends. It was clear as day that this miracle wasn’t just destined to make Emma and Killian happy but their whole family of friends as well. There were tears and some barely restrained jumping and all of her friends stood there fidgeting and trying to contain their good moods when fate came barreling in and compounding the situation all the more.

“Ms. Swan?” one of the new assistants greeted while ducking into the room with a noticeably worried look on her face.

“Technically it’s Mrs. Jones, Ariel, but don’t worry, you’ll get there,” Tiana said evenly despite her still radiating excitement for Emma.

“Oh right,” the redheaded girl said. “Well your husband is here to pick you up and he said something about not waiting another minute to get to your vacation.”

“Oh my God this is going to be the best vacation ever!” Elsa said gleefully. “Between Emma’s good news and Killian’s-,”

Whatever Elsa was about to say was interrupted by a swift slap on her arm from Ruby and a look that could kill. It told Emma that something was definitely up and that there was a very good chance her husband had something up his sleeve for this long weekend of theirs, but before she could ask questions Mary Margaret and the others were shooing Emma to the main room of the shop and then Emma was face to face with Killian and her suspicions went out the window.

Standing there in the middle of the business she’d built with the sunlight streaming in behind him, Killian was a sight to behold, and he was no less handsome today than he had been more than a year ago on that train where they first met. But it still amazed Emma that this was her real life. She’d long ago given up on pinching herself and she trusted that she was in fact this lucky, but sometimes the amount of happiness she felt surprised her. It was still so sure and constant after all of this time and the honeymoon phase that everyone said would fade was still here and it appeared it was here to stay.

“Swan,” Killian said when their eyes met and she’d crossed the room to him and Emma couldn’t resist stealing a kiss from him right there in front of everyone, audience be damned. She didn’t need an excuse to kiss her husband, after all, but right now she had the best one ever and Emma was just so thrilled at everything happening she couldn’t resist celebrating somehow and with the most important person in her world.

“I love you,” Emma whispered when they broke apart, and when she did the look on Killian’s face that made it seem like this moment with her was the best moment he’d ever known and she was the most important person in the universe prompted her to tell him right here and right now despite the slightly strange delivery of this life-changing news. “I have something I have to tell you.”

“You can tell me anything, Emma. You know that.”

As he made the promise Killian’s hand came up to cup her cheek and his eyes traced her features with all the love in the world. Emma could just imagine that love made into something new, a paternal kind of devotion that Killian would share with their kids as they all grew up into their own people with their own dreams and ambitions and wants to change the world. Emma knew that Killian would attach the same intensity of purpose to being a father that he had to being her soul mate and because of that he’d be the best Dad and the best partner she could ever have in this.

“I’m pregnant,” she confessed finally, waiting with bated breath for his response.

Emma wished she could have crafted a prettier way to express this amazing news, but she needed Killian to know about this blessing now and not at some later point where she found words to rival the ones he was always gifting her with. But in the end Killian’s reaction, even if Emma hadn’t been overly flowery in her language, was everything she’d been wanting and more. At first there was the briefest blip of shock that crossed his handsome face, but it shifted so quickly into this incredible sense of hope and wanting that Emma couldn’t think of anything that she’d ever seen that was more beautiful than this moment.

“You mean it, love? You’re really – I mean we’re really…?”

He couldn’t even finish the words but Emma nodded, the happy tears finally slipping down her cheeks as she told him he was going to be a Dad. And whatever she’d thought would happen when she told her husband about their upcoming adventure, Killian exceeded that by pulling her into his arms and spinning her around until she was laughing and holding onto him for dear life. It was a truly fantastic moment where both of them were caught up in the emotion of it all, but it soon hit a bit of a bumbling halt when Killian realized this might not be the safest of activities.

“Bloody hell, love, the baby! I shouldn’t have done that, Swan. I’m sorry I -,”

There was no need to let Killian delve into worries about his instincts, and truth be told Emma didn’t want for him to have a thing like regret anywhere near his mind. Not on this perfect, amazing day. So instead she pulled him down by the collar of his jacket and kissed him again in front of everyone and with no attempt at all at keeping it tame or appropriate for public consumption. All Emma could think was that she loved this man and wanted to feel that love and all the blessings that they’d found together as well as all of those still to come.

Eventually though, interruption did arrive in the form of Emma’s friends all needing to get their congratulations in and Emma officially ‘telling’ them about the baby. There was a chorus of glee and a happy applause that broke out through all of Bliss Boutique, but as far as real celebrations went, they would have to wait, because Emma and Killian had a date to keep and a train to catch for a trip back down memory lane.

“It couldn’t be more perfect timing,” Emma said as they arrived at the station and boarded the train that would lead them back to Misthaven.

“Aye love,” Killian replied as he brought her hand up to his lips to kiss gently. “A year ago today you made me the happiest of men by agreeing to marry me. You changed my life forever, and now you’ve done it again.”

“You changed mine too,” Emma whispered as she took her seat and curled into Killian where he sat beside her. “And now it’s all happening, just like we wanted.”

“Indeed it is love,” Killian said as he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. “Indeed it is.”

………………..

At the start of today’s journey, Killian truly believed he would have the upper hand when it came to surprises. This trip to Misthaven had an intended purpose beyond a mere weekend of relaxation and restoration, one that Emma wasn’t yet aware of, but Killian never imagined that when he walked into her shop today she’d give him a gift he’d been almost scared to really hope for.

A baby. Killian and Emma were going to have a baby and it was amazing to him in every way. Their love had created something bigger than themselves and within the year their family would grow to include a whole new being that was part Emma and part him. It was crazy to think of such a wonderful twist of fate being real, but also it was the best gift anyone had ever given him save for perhaps Emma vowing to be his wife for all the days of their lives when they got married.

It honestly felt like they hadn’t a right to be this happy. Things in their world were so good and had remained that way almost since the start. There were hiccups of course, with the occasional crisis at work or short-term obstacles that every couple faced, but the bond between Emma and Killian wasn’t rattled or shaken. It had only grown stronger with each day, and in the face of this new adventure Killian was certain that it would grow even more. There was no one on earth Killian would rather raise a family with than Emma, no one he could even conceive sharing such a roll with, and he was getting his wish to have this chance with the best woman alive, a woman who had changed him for the better and continued to bring light and love into his world time and time again.

“We’re going to have make so many decisions,” Emma murmured from her spot curled up beside him on the train.

They’d been here wrapped up in each other for about an hour and they were nearly at the Misthaven station now. In that time they’d talked of so many things but none more important than their incredible joy at the prospect of this next chapter. Yet Emma, being the planner that she was, was no doubt thinking of concrete changes that would have to come before the arrival of their little boy or girl and formulating a list of things that had to be completed before the day their son or daughter was born.

“Like what, Swan?” Killian asked as his thumb ran across her hand lightly tracing over the tops of her fingers to where the two rings he’d given her always remained. He loved the idea of hashing out particulars because it would only make this feel more real and he welcomed Emma’s sharing her thoughts and wishes with him now more than anything.

“Well for starters we should probably start thinking about doctors and parenting classes and where to put a nursery…”

“All things we can handle in due time, love. But that’s not what’s foremost on your mind right now, is it?” Killian implored, wanting to know what Emma had been thinking before trailing off, because there was clearly more playing out in that brilliant mind of hers and he would always want to know her hopes in any situation.

“Well we’ll have to think about staying in the city. I thought we’d have a little more time to figure it all out but ever since the doctor told me the news I can’t get this image of us and our family and wide open spaces out of my mind.”

This confession was music to Killian’s ears even if Emma didn’t realize that it would be. She was sitting here thinking that somehow this bit of news would be an inconvenience or a massive hurdle for them to overcome, but it actually wrapped up perfectly into Killian’s plans for today. The gift he had for her might not seem as crazy as it did before with this bit of truth between them, and it would hopefully fit seamlessly into Emma’s plan and hopes for more.

“I’ve a feeling we’re on the right track, love. You just have to trust me.”

Emma grinned at Killian’s insistence and promised that she did trust him before the automated voice in the train car sounded telling them they’d arrived at their destination. Once there, however, Killian surprised Emma by insisting that they drop their bags off at the house where they’d be staying (which was the same little cottage they’d rented out a year ago) before pressing on to the real surprise. This proved rather shocking to Emma who imagined they’d get immediately to the part where they locked themselves away from the world and reveled in all the happiness today had already brought them, but as usual she accepted his leading her in a new direction and she trusted it would bring a magical moment her way if she handed over the reins to him.

“You know whatever it is your taking me isn’t going anywhere, right? This town doesn’t change, that’s why it’s so charming.” Emma joked before running her hand up his chest in an soothing gesture as they walked down the quiet streets of this cozy little hamlet.

“I know, love, but when we get there you’ll realize why I’ve no wish to wait,” Killian explained, smiling as he thought of the moment when Emma would finally understand all that he’d done for her and for their future.

“Even if it means getting me all alone to celebrate the good news?” Emma asked with every intention of seducing him to her will and distracting him from the prize that was nearly before them.

“Even then. But you have my word, Swan, I will be getting that privacy with you shortly, and when I do we’ll celebrate in a way we’ll never forget.”

This seemed to appease Emma for the time being and they picked up the pace in the direction of their destination, but even when they arrived at the front gate of the spot where their worlds had changed forever, Emma seemed to miss that this was it. The surprise was the house before them, or rather the big sign in front that bore the word ‘SOLD’ in giant white lettering, but Emma didn’t seem to understand that all of this was more than mere coincidence.

“They sold the house,” Emma whispered deflatedly as if sad for the fact that Marie and Charles would no longer be here in this magical place where Emma and Killian had promised to tie their lives forever together. “I wonder who will live here now.”

“We will, love,” Killian replied and at first Emma didn’t seem to process what he said, standing still and calm for a moment until realization dawned on her and her jaw dropped as she swung back around to look at him.

“Wait you bought a house? You bought this house?!”

“Aye, I did. I know I should have asked you and I know the summer season’s crazy right now. Your schedule’s a wreck and mine is too but we could move in the fall when things cool off again.”

With Emma tearing her attention between gaping at him and gaping at the house, Killian pulled her hands into his, bringing them up to kiss gently one by one. He expected a response from her immediately, but in her lingering shock and quiet he filled the air between them with his fantasy for what a life lived here could mean for them, hoping to illustrate for Emma all that he imagined and all he wanted to give her.

“This house is perfect, my love, and I can picture no place better to grow old and raise a family than right here. You want wide-open spaces? This house has all that and more. It’s a perfect oasis in the safety of a small town where the sky is the limit and anything can happen. We were meant to be here, Emma, and I know you felt it too when we were here last. The commute’s not great but not terrible; an hour by train both ways, but we can ride in every day together. Honestly I can think of many a worse fate to face, especially when you think of all we could make here for us and our family.”

Emma continued to stare at him with a hundred emotions flitting across her features but for some reason Killian couldn’t get a clear read on what his lovely wife was thinking. Was she angry with him about making such a large decision as this? Or was she as happy as he was? He didn’t know for certain until she rushed him and pulled him down for another kiss that rivaled the one they’d had back at Emma’s shop. Only this time there was nothing like the interruption of before, and the kiss ran longer and hotter until they were both breaking apart with their breathing ragged and their faces flushed.

“You bought us a house,” Emma whispered with a smile on her lips. “No, correction, you bought us our dream house.”

“So you like it then?” Killian teased, knowing now that he’d done just as good as he expected when he put this plan in motion months back.

“I don’t even have words right now, other than I love you. And the rest of it we’ll figure out, but this… this is perfect, Killian.”

Killian had to agree with that sentiment, and by his estimations this day might just rival their wedding day as the best one he’d ever had. But it only got better to as he took Emma’s hand and led her inside, showing her the interior of this great house that they’d visited before, which was just as charming and magnificent indoors as it was outside.

Right now the home they could officially call theirs was bare inside with no furnishings at all because Marie and Charles had already moved to be near their grandchildren earlier this month. This left what felt like a gargantuan amount of space that Killian had wanted to fill, but he was determined to give Emma the chance to do this home up as she saw fit. He would always trust her tastes more than his own, and he could just imagine the nights they’d fill dreaming up exactly how things would be if they could have everything they wanted. Emma would fill the hours with measurements and design particulars, and he’d spend his time loving her and probably distracting her more than he should. But either way it was going to be fantastic, of that he was sure.

“It’s even better than I imagined,” Emma said when they’d gone through every room and even begun picking out which one would be for them and which would be a nursery or the rooms their kids would someday claim. “But what about the gardens? I mean there’s no way, right? We can’t handle all of that. We’d never have time for anything else.”

“Much as it pains me to admit, Swan, you’re right, that’s not an option, but we found a way around it. The acreage with Charles testament of love for Marie has been donated to the town to become a public park. And there was an endowment from a private benefactor to keep it well funded and perfectly attended to for years and years to come.”

Killian could see that Emma couldn’t even begin to calculate how much money that would take. She was a smart woman, the smartest he’d ever met, so she was likely running through every question about where they would have gotten the hundreds of thousands of dollars at the very least that were needed for such an endeavor. He supposed he could let her continue to surmise about what could have happened, but Killian didn’t want to wait to grant Emma every answer, not when at the end of this reveal they could truly enjoy everything they now called theirs.

“I can see those gears of yours shifting, love, and the answer to your internal musing is one I’m guessing will surprise you. The source of the gift is your favorite neighbor.”

“Mrs. Hubbard?!” Emma asked, totally shocked, and Killian could understand the feeling. It had amazed him at first too, but then again nothing could truly astound him given all the ways his life had changed in the past year since meeting his Swan.

Yet for Emma, this revelation was of a much larger and impactful kind, and Killian felt it was best to leave any explanations to Mrs. Hubbard herself. So without further ado he pulled out the letter that Emma’s old neighbor had provided him with this morning before he’d left the city, and he enjoyed how Emma made no motion to hide it from him, extending it in a way so that he knew she wanted him to read it along with her without any sort of secrecy.

Dear Emma,

Surprise! It turns out the old lady across the hall who you’ve humored for all these years had a secret and now it’s time for it to come to light. I am – rather unfortunately in my opinion – filthy, stinkin rich. Truth be told the money that made this acquisition possible comes from my late husband’s family and we neither of us ever really knew what to do with it while he was alive. So we did the only thing we could think: we basically pretended that it wasn’t there and lived out life in relative normalcy. It was the best decision we ever made, and I attribute so much of our happiness to it.

But sometimes there are moments like these where money can make the world a better place, and when Killian told me about his wish to buy you this home and the story you two already have here, I knew I’d found an outlet that would both make me happy and do my dear departed Fitz proud. You know how much we enjoyed spending time in the Botanical Gardens and how I still go whenever I can to honor his memory. Escaping to that place was one of the only things that kept us sane enough to live in this crazy city for as long as we did and so it feels only right that we preserve another sanctuary for more people to enjoy all while I grant you and your great love the chance to grow as it deserves.

There’s all kinds of legal jargon that comes with things like this that I don’t want to bother you with – that’s what lawyers are for after all – but there was one last thing I wanted you and Killian to have: the grove of roses out behind the house in the spot where Killian meant to propose to you is yours. I’ve taken care of everything, and the same groundkeepers for the new park will keep it all in order so you don’t have to worry about a thing. Consider it a late wedding present and a wish bestowed from me to you that you have everything I had with my Fitz and more.

I know you’re probably thinking to yourself that this is too much, it’s too grand a gift, or some other nonsense, but you’re wrong, Emma. You and Killian deserve to be happy, and this will be your way, I know it will. Fill this house with children, make this house a home in a way you never had, and build the life you always wanted, my dear. Convince those friends of yours who you love to do the same so that you may never lose each other, and most of all, don’t ever let a day go by where you don’t hold the people you love close and tell them just how deeply you care. Because after all my many years upon this earth I’ve known only one thing to be really true: love is always the answer and it will get you through anything, no matter what.

All the best from your dear friend and favorite neighbor,

Lizzie Hubbard

It was completely understandable to Killian when he heard sniffling come from his wife and he watched as Emma wiped away fresh tears that had spilled onto her cheeks. This note was truly touching in its heartfelt sincerity and even he felt choked up upon reading it. Killian hadn’t known the full depths of what Mrs. Hubbard would write though he had suspected, but the woman who had always proven to be full of wisdom and sound advice came through once more with flying colors. Her ideas on how Emma and Killian should lead their lives together was exactly he wanted, right down to convincing their friends to make the move as well (which was already in the works on every front) and he knew from Emma’s reaction it was what she desired too. He just had to cut through the intensity of feeling a bit to get to the heart of that.

“All in favor of making her an honorary grandmother?” Killian said half joking but mostly serious as Emma choked back another sob and nodded, agreeing with that totally.

“Tell me this is really happening,” Emma whispered as she wiped away the rest of her tears and looked up at him again, appearing just as beautiful now as she did in every moment, tears or not.

“It is, Emma. I promise you it is,” Killian replied, meaning it from the bottom of his heart.

And with that promise and with the knowledge that life was winding down a path towards something beautiful and miraculous and so totally worth fighting for, Emma and Killian shared another kiss, cementing this moment for all eternity as one of the happiest ones they’d ever known. In the span of that kiss the world faded away, time seemed to trickle to a stand still, and all that remained was the two of them caught up together in the same happy space of love and light and every good thing.

But the best part of it all was that when they finally did break apart, and reality descended once more, none of the picture perfect feelings or the hope and joy of all of this dissipated. Instead it grew day-by-day, month-by-month, and year-by-year, until every dream they’d had for their lives and their love was made real, and they found that they had truly achieved a magical, memorable, once in a lifetime kind of wedded bliss.

That of course was easier said than done given their location in the city. Arguably Emma and Killian could have made this a destination wedding outside of the metropolitan limits, but that kind of hassle coordinated in just a few month’s time seemed an impossible feat, so Emma had resigned herself to something beautiful indoors. She needn’t have bothered though, for Mary Margaret and the rest of her friends had achieved the impossible, supplying Emma with a picture perfect place she’d always loved but never imagined could be used for her special day.

“I still can’t believe you guys managed to shut down the gardens for the whole day just for me,” Emma said from her spot under a great, pitched, white tent where she and her friends had been getting ready. It was a ways away from the actual processions, which would be held in the rose garden, but this patch was beautiful too with its fall perennials blooming up in the last mild wave of heat before the autumn chill would come.

“We would do so much more, Emma. You know that,” Mary Margaret promised as she came to stand beside her, her eyes filling with tears yet again though they’d been misty all day since they’d first arrived.

“I do,” Emma agreed nodding and taking her friend’s hand in hers. “It just… it feels like a fairytale or something. I almost can’t believe it’s real.”

“Pinch yourself,” Elsa said gleefully from where she was fixing the last bit of her golden hair into the long, elegant braid she’d decided on. “I’ve been doing a lot of that these days, scared it’s all just some wonderful dream.”

Emma laughed at Elsa’s suggestion, loving that her friend was so happy with everything going on in her world too, but then she yelped a bit when she felt a sharp stinging prick. It was from Ruby who’d snuck up on her from behind to get in on some of the fun and no doubt make a witty, sarcastically inclined joke.

“This is real, Emma, but if you need continued reminders they can be provided. It’ll just be a little strange to explain to Killian when your wedding night comes why you’re black and blue all over.”

The mere mention of her wedding night to Killian made Emma’s blood hum and her spirits lift even higher than they already were. She wanted to get there so bad, and part of her wanted to just be man and wife all ready. At the end of the day, that union was what she wanted more than everything else, and if they’d just had a quickie wedding at City Hall that would have been fine by her. Emma would still be married to the man she loved and that was what she wanted. But then there was also the part of her that realized just how lucky she was to have a day like this one and that counseled her to take in every tiny detail. Emma wanted to remember all of this to carry with her always, and she knew before so much as setting a foot in the direction of that aisle that this would always and forever be one of the best days of her life.

“Speaking of Killian, I’m kind of shocked we haven’t seen him,” Elsa said looking around as if he’d pop up somewhere.

The thought of that made Emma laugh, seeing as she’d born witness to Mary Margaret’s not half-hearted threats of Killian breaking with tradition. It had been made very clear that should Killian break protocol there would be a problem, and though Mary Margaret was small and from the outside not terribly scary, Killian had the good sense not to mess with Emma’s feisty and opinionated friend.

“Oh you have in a way,” Mary Margaret said. “All these flowers? They’re from him.”

“They are?” Emma asked, not having realized that was the case. She’d loved them the second she entered the tent, immediately adoring how these ones were more wild and vibrantly colored than any of the ones she and Mary Margaret had chosen for the bouquets or the ceremony itself, but Emma also knew Mary Margaret and she thought her friend would love splurging on these beautiful blossoms to keep Emma’s spirits up as she was pampered and readied for the ceremony ahead.

“Yeah, didn’t you see the note?” Mary Margaret asked and then she looked to the central bouquet and there, clear as day, was a letter in an envelope with Emma’s name on it in Killian’s scrawl.

“That’s my bad,” Elsa admitted a little guiltily. “When we were walking in here I distracted everyone with croissants, remember?”

“How could we forget?” Ruby asked, running her hand along her stomach and across the stunning full-length dress she was donning. “You got any more of those lying around somewhere?”

“I might,” Elsa stated primly. “But you have to promise no more mishaps. You nearly ruined your dress last time and all for the sake of chocolate. Emma’s dresses are way too beautiful to be risked that way, staining it would be downright criminal.

Emma absentmindedly smiled at the compliment of the work she’d done on the gowns in the very limited down time she had at the shop, recalling how each friend had a slight difference in style so they wouldn’t feel so uniform. They were done in a soft, rose-kissed bellflower color that was at once elegant and still vivid enough to convey the sense of romance Emma wanted and each dress symbolized the personalities of Elsa, Mary Margaret, or Ruby in some tangible way and was then highlighted even more by the arrangement of white and pink flowers that tied each friends’ hair back. Curled and styled to perfection, they all of them looked sleek and pristine enough for a photo shoot, but the flowers imbued just a touch of wildness and magic to the feel, just as the arrangement of flowers holding Emma’s hair did in their purely ivory shade.

But truth be told thoughts of flowers and dresses couldn’t hold a candle to the crisp white envelope in her hand, and soon everything else faded away as Emma fixated on her note, which was more than welcome after a full day of being apart from her husband to be. Eagerly she devoured every word, feeling their thoughtfulness and caring as she did, and allowing that sense of peace and rightness that always came with Killian to infiltrate her heart and make an already wonderful day that much more lovely.

My Dearest Emma,

To say that I am ready for this perfect day is an understatement. Truth is I have been hoping it would come for so long I’ve lost count of just how much waiting there has been, but knowing that the wait is nearly over means everything to me.

Today you and I will stand up in front of our loved ones and our friends, exchanging our vows and sealing this love that we’ve found together in a way that can never be broken. I fully intend to make use of this opportunity we have today, Emma, and there are plenty more promises to come, ones you deserve to hear and feel and be certain of every day for the rest of our days. But for now I will simply say this: everything I have and everything I am is yours, and it has been since I first saw you as a stranger on the train.

Perhaps I didn’t realize it in full then, and maybe the visions of making you my wife and putting my ring on your finger hadn’t bloomed completely all those months ago, but I was halfway in love by our first date, and the rest of this journey – the rest of this blissful fall  – has been the best thing to ever happen to me. You, Emma Swan, are the best thing in the world and I will love you always without question and I can hardly wait until the moment comes when I get to say ‘I do.’

Holding that note close to her chest when the words were read with tender love and the utmost care, Emma felt the tears prickling at her eyes. Her heart was so full in the face of Killian’s professions, and though he’d made these sentiments known many times before, their power was in no way diluted. Instead, between Killian’s clear and unyielding love and the almost tangible magic of their surroundings and the general aura of today, Emma felt like she was floating through this picture perfect moment that was almost too good to be true.

“What do you think he wrote to her this time?” Elsa asked in the background, though Emma didn’t look up to where her friend was not so quietly trying to get answers.

“What he always writes – something wonderful that makes him the one person in the world Emma could ever happily marry,” Ruby said, sure of both Killian’s goodness and his rightness for Emma. That certainty was touching too, gracing the already happy buzz inside Emma’s heart with just a bit more joy and that was it, the tears were falling, and Emma couldn’t avoid her friends anymore, looking up at them with a big smile on her face.

“How the heck did I become this person?” Emma asked half mocking and half serious in her inquiry as her friends all came over to circle around her. “I always thought the whole crying on your wedding day thing was so cliché…”

“That’s because you were a cynic, and if Granny’s take on life can be trusted it’s the cynics who fall hardest in the end,” Ruby attested and Emma laughed, totally believing that to be true because she was living proof of such a theory.

In the years leading up to the moment she met Killian, Emma had never actively engaged with the idea that she would fit this script. She wasn’t looking for a wedding or marriage or someone to complete her, and she didn’t fit the mold of what so many other people seemed to want. She’d always denied that she was lonely or that she needed any kind of man in her life at all for more than a one night stand, and love, nice as it may seem in stories of old, was just a way of losing all that she’d worked for and then losing herself too. What Emma desired more than anything was to be her own person and find her own path on no one else’s terms but her own. She’d craved independence for her peace of mind, and the only exceptions she allowed were her friends who all understood that she would be there for them always but that she had to remain true to herself no matter what. 

What she hadn’t realized though was that loving someone, or really loving the right person, didn’t have to change that. She could still be the Emma that she wanted to be with Killian and somehow she could be more too because Killian saw her as more and showed her day in and day out that she was the most important person in the world to him. With that consistency and earned trust in someone who was there for her and who would stay no matter what, Emma had come into her own, and the last barriers between her and really understanding herself and what she needed had been conquered. Now Emma could honestly say that she was walking down the aisle with no fears or qualms or worries, and though she might not be able to see the future exactly, she had faith that wherever life may take them, she and Killian would be more than all right.

“I never could have gotten here if it hadn’t been for you guys,” Emma whispered to her friends, watching as each of them accepted that thought and knowing that they’d heard it from her before. But though they might think they understood, Emma didn’t think anyone ever could. Unless they had grown up in the same way as Emma, with that constantly gnawing feeling of having no one who cared and no one to turn to, they couldn’t truly comprehend what finding family meant, and before romance had stepped into her world Emma had found family with the three best friends anyone could ever have.

“None of us would be where we are without you either, Emma. We needed you just as much as you needed us,” Mary Margaret promised while taking Emma’s hand in hers as Elsa took the other.

“And we always will, Emma. No matter what happens, we will always have each other.”

Emma laughed more to let out the bubbling sense of emotion gripping at her than at any humor and she looked across to Ruby who was still standing there with a teasing smirk in typical form. That was for the best though to be honest, because if they all indulged in much more of this, they were all going to fall into that state of sappiness Emma pretended to dread but clearly didn’t mind so much. Nevertheless she wanted to uphold at least some of her reputation and when Ruby cracked a joke, it helped tremendously in that effort.

“So is this the part where we pinky swear to always be best friends?” Ruby asked, playfully. “Because I was kind of hoping we could be that adventurous, bad ass friend group that has a way more hard core means of cementing our bond.”

“Where the heck did you get the idea that we’re totally ‘bad ass?” Mary Margaret asked through her happy tears. “Two weekends ago we watched a marathon of Judy Garland movies and there wasn’t a dry eye in my living room, so you need to reevaluate.”

“Touché,” Ruby said knowing when she was beat and finally giving in and coming to join them, pulling all of them in for a hug. “All right fine, we can have one minute – maybe two - of this mushy stuff and then we’re getting Emma married. Deal?”

The friends all agreed that it was to be so before laughing together and embracing each other in a slightly weepy way. After all emotions were high, and today was a big day, but the most prevalent feeling Emma gathered from her circle of chosen sisters was support and hope, hope that she would find everything she was looking for with Killian, and that she’d continue on this path where she chose love and reaped the happy benefits of that choice each and every day.

“I hate to break up this moment, my dears,” a voice that Emma recognized as Mrs. Hubbard’s called from across the tent, pulling all of their attention in that direction. “But it’s time to get this show on the road. Emma’s got an awfully handsome and wildly impatient man out there waiting for her, and I think you’ve got sixty seconds at most before he comes and carries her down the aisle herself.”

“That sounds about right,” Ruby said at Mrs. Hubbard’s words, and Emma found herself grinning and laughing again at the summary of where they were as her friends all pulled back and grabbed their bouquets readying themselves for the march down the aisle.

In that moment all of it became even more real to Emma. She could feel herself standing at the precipice of this next big step and after a life spent mostly believing that love just wasn’t going to be in the cards for her she was ready to prove her past suspicions wrong. As such she took her own bushel of flowers in hand, thinking to herself that there should have been something like nerves in the picture right now, but there weren’t any. There was no sense of questioning, only the real and vibrant feeling that this was about to be one of the happiest moments of her whole life.

“Are you ready, Emma?” Mary Margaret asked, pulling Emma from the daydreams of what it would be like to walk down that aisle and tie herself to Killian forever, and without any kind of hesitation Emma nodded.

“Definitely,” she affirmed and with that there was one final hug between the friends before they were descending through the greenery in their single file line to arrive at the rose garden.

The march itself, though winding at the start, wasn’t very long, but there was time for Emma to imagine so much about what it would be like and how Killian would look waiting for her at the end of the line. The Universe couldn’t have granted them a prettier day for a ceremony like this, and as someone who had seen so much of Mary Margaret’s gift for creating an atmosphere, Emma could only fantasize about how fantastic it would be, but her dreams never could have given the real thing justice and at the sight of the start of the official procession, Emma was amazed, taking in the splendor of Mary Margaret’s imagination for a brief time before the pinnacle moment came, the one where Emma was finally in view of her fiancé, and the rest of the world faded away.

In that instance, while gazing upon a man who was not just handsome and loyal and loving, but kind and thoughtful and sexy all at once, Emma felt in one of those all too rare ways that this was a moment she was destined to face. Walking down this aisle to Killian with their loved ones looking on felt like her spectacular fate, and it also felt like a critical spot in the tapestry of her story over all. Everything that had come before this, good, bad, and in between played a role in who she was right now in this flash of time. She was the product of the life she had lived, and in many ways the woman who made it to the end of that flower petal covered walk way and took Killian’s hand in hers had been shaped so much by the love of this man and the friends in her life who had all shown her that she was so much stronger than she knew, and that she deserved to be this happy.

“God your perfect,” Killian whispered to Emma, breaking that charge between them slightly and causing Emma to laugh. She wondered if he even realized he’d said that aloud, but in those crystal clear blue eyes of his there was nothing like regret, only a love so strong it commanded to be embraced fully and forever.

“Good thing you’re marrying me then,” she teased back, and while the grin Killian sported at her sass was enough reward to have Emma cherishing that tiny display of wit, the kiss he stole that broke with custom and expectation was even better. It was quick and fleeting, but its impact was pure, and as Killian pulled back and whispered that he loved her before looking to their justice of the peace, Emma felt more tears stinging her eyes.

The ceremony, gorgeous and expertly crafted together as it was, was both intimate and moving and there were more than a few times when Emma felt the beauty of the most important parts of her life all being tied together. Her best friends in the world were all standing there beside her cheering her on (or rather happily and mostly quietly weeping about this lovely union), while other friends sat throughout the crowd, filling the space around them all with well wishes and hope as Emma took that final leap of faith and went through every motion just to promise to the man that she loved that she would be his and he would be hers all the days of their lives.

“Today Emma and Killian have chosen to prepare their own vows. Killian, would you like to start?” The officiate asked, and with a nod that never dared to break the eye contact between him and Emma, Killian indicated that he would.

“Emma – before I met you I was living a life I thought I wanted, one that I fought hard for, but that ultimately wasn’t everything I hoped. I fancied myself content with work, with friends, and with the idea of success I carried with me always, but what I didn’t realize was that none of that mattered, at least not nearly as much as love. The world was black and white to me, and I was right there with it, going through the motions but lacking that spark of something that makes life truly all it can be.”

As Killian said the words, gifting them to Emma in front of a sea of people who loved them, Emma felt them reverberating through her. They were so relatable, a real expression of how similar they were, and how, crazy as it was, they had lived very similar lives. All the drive and determination and the boundless work ethic was something they shared, but that dedication at the expense of a real love life had also made this that much more of a risk for them. Both Emma and Killian had had to change a little bit to really let their relationship thrive, but it had been worth it, and Emma knew she felt just as Killian did, that she would never go back to that old life for anything.

“Then I met you, and though it took some time for me to make my move, you brought me the magic my life had been missing without even trying. You were the light in a universe I hadn’t realized was dark, and the color when I needed it most. In you I have found so much, Emma, and I’ve learned even more about what it means to love and be loved and how success is more than the business you build or the people you impress.”

“Amen, brother,” Liam proclaimed from behind, and though Killian and Emma’s eyes never wandered from each others, there was a rumbling of laughter that emanated all around them that both of them shared in as well.

“The truth is the best thing I’ve ever done in my life is love you, Emma Swan, and I vow to always love you, to have and to hold you, all the days of my life and ever after. I promise to build toward that life you want – the life we both want – a little bit more every day until we have everything and more. And whatever happens, whatever life may deem fit to throw in our way, I want you to know there is nothing I wouldn’t do to see you happy, and there is no trial or test we can’t withstand now that we have each other.”

It would have taken a stone cold heart to resist the pull of those vows, and Emma had anything but a hardened heart now. As such, she could feel the tears streaming down her face, but they were eased away as Killian’s hand came to cup her cheek and brushed them gently. In his blue eyes there was all the love in the world and an element of truth that could not be denied in any way, and the peace and hope that came with their expression melded so beautifully with the exhilaration Emma was experiencing knowing that this was actually happening and that she wasn’t going to wake up to it all having been some marvelous dream. This was really her life, and it had never ever been better than it was in this moment.

“Hot foreign guy,” Emma whispered. The slip of words must have been incredibly random because they had Killian’s brow furrowing and confusion reading all over his face, but when she realized what she’d said Emma laughed before shaking her head and continuing on. “There was a time, back when you were just a stranger on the train, when you were once only known to me as hot foreign guy.”

“Let me guess,” Killian said as a smile warmed his face and his hands came to take hers again. “Ruby had a hand in that particular moniker.”

“Guilty as charged,” Ruby said, causing Emma, Killian, and the rest of the crowd of attendees to laugh yet again.

“Yes. Before I knew you, Killian, you were just a man, a man I was scared to know or approach or classify as anything but ‘hot’ because with my track record I needed things tidy and clean and neat. It was the only way I knew to protect myself and keep myself from getting hurt, and with everyone else it always worked, until you. I tried to make you small in a way because even then I knew there was a risk: my gut was telling me that there was more to you than the attraction I was feeling and that… well it was pretty freaking scary.

“I had no proof of that of course, there was no evidence that you could be the one to heal the heartache of my past, but somehow I knew. I knew that you were different, and when the timing was right and we really met and got to know one another you proved me right while blowing away everything I thought I knew about love altogether. I wasn’t ready for you, Killian, and in some ways I still feel like that. I can’t believe we’re really here and that love like this can be real because life always taught me otherwise, but you show me every day that it can be and that what we’ve found, rare and amazing as it is, is the best thing in the world and the surest way to the purest kind of happiness a person can have.”

The look in her very soon to be husband’s eyes told Emma so much of what he was thinking, and as raw and exposed yet still willing and hopeful as she felt, Killian was just the same. It was beautiful to see and to know that as she said these words he was hearing her in just the way she needed to be heard. With Killian there was no judgment, there was just an understanding of who she was that was more intimate and thorough than anyone else in the world, and a love that wasn’t going to dull in any way come what may.

“I love you, Killian Jones. I love you with my whole heart and once upon a time that would have been enough to have me running, but now I’m stronger than I was and I’m surer in myself and what I want because I have you. You’ve given me freedom from my past like nothing else ever could and you’ve shown me that I am enough and that I always was and always will be. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for that, but I do promise to love you forever and to always chose love for this day and the rest of my days, no matter what comes.”  

It was so incredibly hard when all of that was said not to just pull in her man for a kiss to seal the deal after laying out her vows, but somehow both Emma and Killian resisted. Yet no sooner had they uttered those two fateful words, ‘I do,’ then that kiss was had and their union was cemented there in front of all the people they loved. And though it might have been called a little too heated for the audience, and a little more risqué than the run of the mill wedding embrace, Emma didn’t care. Because at the end of the day it was perfect and more than befitting of a happy couple who loved as truly as they did, and who always would, forever more.

…………….

In the aftermath of a wedding ceremony that Killian could only describe as perfection itself, the tangible high of fully belonging to Emma was still more than present in every way.

Killian had spent the last few hours here at their reception mingling amongst their family and friends and feeling the real joy that came when so many people were invested in him and Emma and in their love’s success. But easily the best part of all of it was Emma herself, and Killian knew that if all of this had happened with just the two of them and none of the accompanying fanfare he’d have felt just as much. What was most gripping about today was the union they’d formed and the promises they’d made to stand together now and always, and the rest of it lovely and awe inspiring as it might be, was just a bonus for what mattered most.

“There have been more than a couple of times tonight when I’ve thought to myself ‘I need to stop smiling so much,’” Emma confessed, pulling Killian’s thoughts from where they’d wandered back to where she was now tucked into his arms as they danced in the middle of the ballroom where their reception was being held. “But then I look at you and at least I know I’ve got company in the whole over the top happiness thing.”

“Well, my love, this ‘thing’ as you’ve so eloquently put it isn’t going anywhere any time soon. I’ve a sneaking suspicion we’re in for quite a time of similar feelings.”

At his words, Emma melted further into his embrace, her smile warming all the more and making him feel totally complete. It was tantalizing and amazing and a more entrancing feeling Killian did not know, but there was this thought in the back of his mind that had been there all day: all of this was a moment in time he’d remember forever, but it was hardly over, and half of the anticipation of the wedding wouldn’t even manifest until they finally got out of this place and back home for the night. Tomorrow they’d be leaving on their honeymoon, but tonight… well Killian planned to remember each part of tonight with just as vivid detail as he would everything that had come so far.

“Thoughts like that will get you into trouble, Killian,” a voice that proved to be Liam’s said from beside him and Emma, and though the arrival of his brother halted Killian and Emma’s dancing, she didn’t step out of his arms and Killian didn’t dare to put any more space between them. “Much as you might like to, you can’t just run off from all this, at least not yet.”

“Definitely not,” Elsa agreed from her spot alongside Liam. “We’ve still got cake to eat and then there’s the pres- I mean, um, you know... more toasts and stuff.”

“Aye, the toasts and stuff,” Liam parroted a bit unevenly, casting a bemused expression at the woman he loved in what was hardly a look of censure despite her nearly giving away a crucial secret.

“Speaking of cake, now might not be such a bad time to have some, don’t you think Els?” Emma asked, sneaking a sly look at Killian and conveying to him in that moment that this was purposeful. With her fleeting glance Emma essentially made it known that she was eager for cake not for the treat itself but for the fact that it would be getting the show on the road, and it did Killian’s heart good to know that as lost in yearning for more privacy with Emma as he had been all evening, Emma was just as eager to get onto that part of the night too.

“Totally. But I might need some help… that thing weighs almost as much as me,” Elsa said, feigning as if she wouldn’t have an army of helpers from the staff hired tonight as she batted her eyelashes at Killian’s brother.

“I’m at your service, love, as you well know,” Liam promised, and Killian and Emma watched as Emma’s friend giggled happily before pulling Liam down for a quick kiss and leading him presumably to wherever the cake was waiting in the wings.

“So what do you think the present Elsa was clearly not suppose to be talking about could be?” Emma asked when Elsa and Liam were out of earshot on their way to the ivory colored confectionary monstrosity Elsa had created for this special day.

“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, my love,” Killian said casually, but despite his belief that he had a good poker face without any real tells, Emma saw through him immediately, looking a little accusatory though still happy at the same time.

“You’re totally in on it!” she cried out poking a finger into his chest as she let out a low and throaty chuckle, sending a flutter through Killian’s heart and sparking a grin at his lips he couldn’t contain.

“Perhaps, but you’ll enjoy this, Emma, I promise you that.”

And in the end that claim from Killian was proven to be true, for no sooner had the two of them cut the cake swiftly brought forth by Elsa and her staff, sharing the first bites together before the rest of the party had their share, then the moment of truth for the gift came and Emma discovered what had been done.

After weeks of planning and a fair amount of maneuvering on the parts of both Killian and Emma’s friends at Bliss, they’d managed to secure a honeymoon for Emma that wasn’t just the week away from the all the noise of the city they’d first planned, but three weeks spent visiting three separate places Emma had always wanted to see since she was a girl and that Killian was more than willing to show her. Together they’d be jetting off to France, Italy, and finally England, and though it would mean a fair bit more travel, Killian knew it was what Emma needed and that it’d give her not just the reprieve she required from her continuously hard work at the shop, but also adventures she’d been denied so far in life that he wanted her to have desperately.

“Wait, I don’t understand. This isn’t – I mean – I thought – we can’t go away for three weeks… can we?” Emma asked, her eyes turning to Killian showing her need for answers but also that almost childish sense of wonder that they might actually be able to do this given the busy nature of their lives.

“You can and you will,” Ruby proclaimed firmly. “It’s all arranged, Emma. We’re going to hold down the fort at the boutique while Will and Belle cover at the magazine for Killian. Meanwhile you’re going to go on that European adventure you’ve always talked about but never went on with your hot, foreign husband in what can only be described as the most romantic of getaways. There’s even a castle involved and you’re staying in it, princess.”

“There’s a castle?!” Emma asked, her eyes jumping back to Killian’s and they were wide with shock and more of that exuberant sense of delight.

“Well technically it’s a rather large villa but -,” Killian’s words were interrupted before he could set the record straight.

“It’s a castle!” all of Emma’s friends affirmed and then Emma was barking out a laugh and biting her lip before breaking into a smile and aiming it at him.

“I’d ask you how you did this, but it doesn’t matter. I love it, and I love you.”

Before Killian could say anything himself Emma was pulling him down for a kiss there in front of everyone, and though it was hardly the first they’d shared as husband and wife in front of this crowd today, there was whooping and hollering and cheering all the same. It was likely all out mayhem from what Killian knew about the loved ones they’d invited today and how frequently they’d all enjoyed the open bar, but he barely heard it because he was too wrapped up in Emma and too bloody glad for her approval of this rather risky gift (three weeks was almost an eternity in Emma’s estimations when it came to work) to pay it any mind. Instead he allowed himself to feel this glorious moment with the woman he loved, and then found himself wishing they could have so much more when it was over.

“What do you say we get out of here for a little while?” Emma asked, her voice dipping low and her fingertips tracing a soft line along his neck that had Killian’s blood pumping and body tightening. Then she licked her lips and he was damn near hopeless, finding it harder and harder to resist her always successful attempts at seduction.

“From my estimations there’s still about two more hours of festivities, my love. I’ve been told multiple times by Mary Margaret herself that us leaving this building any time before midnight simply isn’t an option.”

“Do you trust me?” Emma asked, her green eyes lit up with humor along with that mix of love and need that shone so brightly all evening long.

“Without question,” he replied instinctively and Emma beamed up at him before taking a look around the room and finding that many of their friends had returned to dancing or retreated back to the wedding party table, lost in their own worlds and conversations. Then when the coast was clear as it would be given the wandering eyes of the room, Emma made her move, and the two of them hustled out of the space with as little attention as they could procure as the two honorees of this reception.

Once outside of the ballroom itself, the sounds of music and party going were far more subdued than they had been inside, and the farther they walked, the quieter it became. It was a peaceful quiet too, one that allowed Killian to hear the thumping of his own heart that was still racing from the highs of the day, but the best part was the feeling of Emma’s hand in his, leading him through the corridors and up to an elevator away from the public eye that led somewhere Killian knew not, but that he couldn’t wait to see.

“I gather that my wife has had a plan this whole time,” Killian stated smoothly, pulling Emma back against him as the elevator doors closed, his lips coming to graze against her ear and eliciting a tiny shiver that he could feel through the fine fabric of her gown.

“Consider it a gift for both of us,” Emma quipped easily and Killian found himself chuckling as his hands traced lightly across her waist.

“Couldn’t stand the thought of waiting so long to get me alone, love?” Killian flirted and Emma rolled her eyes, but Killian saw through it and he felt the way her hand clutched his just a little tighter and the way her pulse fluttered against where his thumb ran against her wrist.

“I just figured that the all of five minutes we had together in the limo from the park to here wouldn’t be enough, and if my memory serves, I was right about that.”

The mention of their drive from the botanical gardens to here immediately sparked heated memories for Killian. In his mind he replayed that impassioned exchange as if he were living it right now and not exiting the elevator on one of the tallest floors of the hotel. Those precious few minutes hadn’t been nearly enough to satisfy his craving to have and claim his lovely bride, but it had been rather enlightening, and between the kisses and the teasing they’d both partaken in Killian learned some critical things, one of which was that Emma’s dress wasn’t just stunning but practical as well. His lovely and ever brilliant wife had actually designed this piece of wearable art in a way so that he could have easy access to her without tearing the garment from her body, and since she was too beautiful for Killian to even think about restraining his desire now that he had her alone, that was a godsend to both him and the dress itself.

“Nothing short of a lifetime with you will ever be enough, my love,” Killian whispered, taking Emma’s hand and raising it to his lips as they finally made it to the door of their destination and Emma hummed out a happy sound before slipping a keycard from where it had been hidden in her dress and opening the room to them.

“Good thing that’s what we spent today signing up for then,” Emma said as she pulled Killian in by the front of his shirt before he closed the door behind her and boxed her in against the hard wood. “But in the meantime we have this. Mary Margaret may or may not have given me the same scolding about leaving the premises too, but I figured technically this is a loophole since we’re still in the building.”

“You’re a bloody genius, Swan, you know that?” Killian asked, not bothering to look around a room he was sure was immaculate, but only caring about reveling in the pleasure of having Emma for a wife after all this time dreaming of when this day would come.

Emma laughed at Killian’s praise before running her hands up along his body lovingly, and when the melodic sound of her happiness faded, there was still every trace of it along her gorgeous features that made her look young and carefree. Though she was dressed in a stunning gown that was formal and elegant and every bit befitting of royalty itself, Emma had never looked more open and unguarded. The joy in her expression was tangible, and it so keenly matched Killian’s own sense of elation, that it was impossible for his own smile not to grow wider.

“So you’re still going to call me that now, even though I’m legally Emma Jones now?” Emma teased, and Killian growled low in his throat, loving the sound of his surname attached to her. Perhaps it was a tad bit possessive of him, but he didn’t care. It meant the world to know Emma had chosen him, and that even if her name in the public sphere would continue on as Swan so as to preserve the brand she’d steadfastly created, she was still his wife who’d loved him enough to take on the family Jones and to secure that someday the family they made together would share that name too.

“Always.”

With that promise, the thin line they’d both been walking of control seemed to snap and they were both in motion, arching together as close as could be for more kisses as their hands roamed and their hips sought out each others. It was heaven itself to have Emma in his arms like this and away from prying eyes, but in some ways it was also agony, for the one thing Killian wanted most was to take his time with her. This was their wedding night, and he wanted his woman to feel ravished and cherished in the way she deserved. Emma was a goddess amongst mere mortals, the best part of his world, and truly his everything, and Killian had always found that his best way of making her see and feel that was showing her, but right now he couldn’t illuminate his love for her the way he might like. After all there was still a party full of people downstairs waiting for them, and at most they probably had twenty minutes that they could afford to be gone before a search party was called and everyone noticed the prolonged absence of the happy couple.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Emma murmured as they came up for air, her breathing ragged with the passion between them and her eyes now darker with that undeniable sense of wanting that Killian too felt. “Tonight when we’re home again we can have everything, but right now I just need you, Killian.”

Even after all this time it was amazing to hear words like that from Emma, and the truth was they overwhelmed him even more now than they had at the start of their relationship. Yes, it had been a gift each and every time he took a new step towards trust and love and forever with her, but tonight, when everything had been said and an understanding had been reached in front of each other and God and everyone they loved, Emma’s words were even more powerful. Somehow, someway, this woman who held Killian’s whole heart in her hands had found fit to love him too and to want him back just as fiercely as he wanted her, and Killian would never deny her anything, not when in his heart of hearts he wanted all the same things and in the same ways.

“As you wish.”

Those three little words sealed their fates so to speak, and as Emma worked tirelessly to free the buttons of his dress shirt so her fingers could graze against the searing heat of his skin, Killian made quick work of utilizing the cuts in her dress to reveal her to him. What he found though stunned him and had his mouth watering too, for Emma in a wedding gown was one thing, but Emma in tiny white scraps of lace put on only for the purpose of being peeled off by him was something else all together.

“Killian,” Emma whimpered when his fingers grazed through the thin cut of her already soaked panties. “We don’t have time for teasing.”

“No teasing, love,” Killian ground out as her hands came to unzip his pants. “Just have to get you ready.”

“I’m ready now. Totally, totally ready,” Emma claimed as Killian knelt down before her, pulling one of her legs to come over his shoulder to open her up to him as his hands came up to do something less than gentlemanly that couldn’t be avoided. With one strong tug he tore the lace from her body, revealing her waiting sex and sending his hunger into full affect as he did, and then he looked back up at his waiting bride to see if she’d refuse him, but the unabashed desire in her eyes and the flush against her creamy skin said he’d find nothing like resistance and that was all the encouragement Killian needed.

As soon as his mouth was on her all thoughts of wanting something else evaporated from Emma’s mind and from Killian’s too, and as had often happened before Killian felt himself growing more and more addicted to making her writhe beneath him. Every sigh and moan and movement to get him closer turned him on, and Killian was unrelenting until the last possible moment when he knew that just one last swirl of his tongue against her clit would send her spiraling. Only then did he pull back, carrying Emma from where she’d been to the massive couch the room provided and releasing himself from the confines of his slacks to take his bride.

“I know what we promised today, Emma,” Killian said as he thrust inside her fully, almost losing track of everything when they groaned from the blinding pleasure at once. “God knows I know, but I need to hear it again, love.”

“I love you, Killian, and I’m yours forever,” Emma replied as her eyes met his, understanding already what he’d needed though he hadn’t had the wherewithal to put it into words himself. It was a testament to their connection and the bond they had to each other, and Killian vowed the same things between kissing her as they both rode that blissful high to total completion.

When relief finally did come it was fantastic and sublime, shattering that tension of ever growing need and easing the ache for a little while, but after they’d taken a few moments to come down from their peaks, Killian knew it wasn’t nearly enough. What he wanted right now was to whisk this miraculous woman back to their home and make love to her a hundred ways before jetting off on their honeymoon and having her all over Europe, but that couldn’t happen, not without disappointing their friends and by extension disappointing Emma too.

“I have an idea for how we make it through the next two hours,” Emma whispered, smiling against him and bringing an immediate smirk to Killian’s lips as well.

“And how is that, Swan?” he asked, pulling back to look at her and brushing away some fallen strands of her golden hair that had fallen out of place.

“We keep telling ourselves that we’ve got three whole weeks to make up for it with no interruptions from our meddling friends, and no responsibilities to get in the way.”

“Damn I love the sound of that,” Killian confirmed as he pulled Emma up to stand against him. “I love it almost as much as I love you, Mrs. Jones.”

And with that and a few final kisses, Emma and Killian headed back downstairs to dance and laugh and celebrate the joining of their lives with the people that they loved, knowing that they had years and years ahead of them to linger in this joy and to build a real and lasting happily ever after side by side.