Magnitude; - a measure of brightness and brightness differences in astronomy; a measure of the energy of an earthquake.
She couldn't believe she was doing this. Of everything she wanted to do, speeding down the highway towards the guy she was happy about leaving was not the way she wanted to spend her Saturday night. She was happy he was gone, she'd never wanted him back in the first place, and his reappearance was a nightmare she'd hoped she would never have to live. At least that's what she'd been telling herself all this time.
Turns out even Emma Swan's walls didn't go that high.
Truth was his sudden appearance had reawakened something in her that she thought was long dead. She'd tried to play it off like she didn't care, like it didn't matter one way or another he was now living the life they'd been dreaming about – with another woman. In fact she'd been completely determined to bury it. He'd broken her heart once and she was not going to let it happen again. If he loved her so much, if she meant something to him, he never would have given her up.
Unfortunately her mother saw right through it, as she did most things. Neal had come to say goodbye to Henry, and give confirmation to their plans of when Henry would be going to spend time with him. But when he'd turn to walk out the door, the look on his face nearly broke her. Pain, sorrow, regret.
Longing. The same looks he'd been giving her for his entire stay in Storybrooke.
It was the same look he'd given her in his apartment when she'd revealed Henry was his son.
But there was an unspoken question in it this time, a certain hesitation.
Do you want me to stay? Ask me to stay and I will.
At least she thought she did. But when she said nothing, when they had both said nothing, not even a goodbye, he walked out the door and out of her life for a second time. And there it was, there was her answer. If he wanted to stay, if he wanted her around, he would have.
She thought she would at least feel something, but all she felt was numb. It was better this way. It was better before and it was still better now. The only contact she'd ever be forced to have was when she dropped Henry off or if she saw him on the street when he visited Storybrooke. He'd made it crystal clear his future was with Tamara in New York. That's why he'd never come looking for her when the curse broke. She'd been replaced.
Sinking down on her parents bed, Emma lay her head down on the pillow, staring at the hands on the clock while the seconds ticked by. Snow, who'd been watching the exchange quietly from the kitchen, walked over and laid down beside her daughter. Hugging her from behind, Snow wrapped her arms around, gently stroking Emma's hair in soothing strokes.
"You didn't ask him to stay," she said softly.
Emma didn't even move. "If he wanted to stay he would have."
"Maybe he didn't know you wanted him to."
"I don't want him to. I never wanted to see him again in the first place and I don't want to see him ever again."
Snow smiled. Emma was definitely her blood. "The tears on your face say something different."
"What..." Emma trailed off, reaching up to wipe away at her face, shocked to find tears falling down her cheeks. "I... no. No. I will not cry over that asshole anymore. It's not about him anyway. I just didn't expect to have to deal with any of this crap ever again. He doesn't give a shit about me, that's why he replaced me, that's why he let me go to prison instead of telling me, that's why he didn't come find me and that's why he didn't even apologize. I don't even know why I'm having this conversation, it doesn't matter and he sure as hell doesn't matter."
"Emma... do you remember what I told you about your wall?"
"What about it..."
Pulling Emma closer, Snow hugged her tightly. "It may keep pain out. It may keep you from having to deal with all that bad stuff that you're so desperate to avoid. But Emma, it keeps everything else out too... you could very well be right, maybe he doesn't care. But maybe he does and you'll never have the answers to those questions because you don't dare let yourself feel long enough to ask. Because Emma, from where I was standing, it looked like he cared. A lot."
"Then why...?" Emma sobbed before she could stop it.
"Maybe he doesn't want to cause you any more pain. And maybe he has his own wall to fight. You thought that we had abandoned you too and it turned out there was a reason. Maybe Neal has a reason too."
"But it's too late... the wedding's tomorrow..."
Bringing Emma towards her, Snow brushed at her daughter's face and kissed her on the forehead, grateful that despite everything, she could at least be there for her even if she hadn't been growing up. "Then I guess you know what you have to do."
"I can't."
"Yes you can. Emma you need to do this. Trust me... I know. And if you don't tell him now, if you let him go without at least asking, you'll regret it forever. And if it turns out you're right, you won't have to live your life with the what ifs and you'll always have a family who loves you."
Hesitant resignation moved through her. She knew her mother was right, but the thought of even having the conversation was enough to make the bile rise. Rising from the bed, she grabbed her signature red leather jacket from the nearby chair and pulled the keys from the pocket. She froze in place momentarily when she saw the clock. 8:15pm. The same time that the clock had shown when she'd decided to stay in Storybrooke. When time here had begun to move forward again. Which had eventually lead to the curse breaking.
Maybe, just maybe, it was a sign of something good for once.
…
And so there she was in her little yellow bug, the place where it all began. She couldn't keep the memories at bay even though she was trying not to think about it too hard. If she did, she would lose her nerve and turn around. But he was haunting her and she couldn't help it.
He was there next to her, smiling and laughing with her while they came down off an adrenaline high on their latest heist.
He was there screaming out in the back seat, another nightmare plaguing him as they did every night. And she would climb into the back and hold him until he fell back asleep.
He was there beside her when they would just drive, their destination anywhere and nowhere, and he would look over at her when he let her drive and just watch her. She could remember the butterflies, how much harder her heart beat when he gave her those looks, the looks no one had ever given her before, so much love and adoration. It terrified her, but at the same time she never wanted him to stop. And everytime she tried to blush or hide it, he would just reach over and take her hand and kiss it sending her further into the spiral.
And he was there... that night she retrieved the watches from the train station... where he'd kissed her... where they were so close to being home...
And just like that he was gone.
It took all of her willpower to keep the car going straight, to not turn around, to not simply pull off into the woods and scream. This was insane. She was driving four hours away to talk to the man she hated on his wedding night to find out if he maybe still cared about her.
'No. I don't give a damn if he still cares or not. I just want to know.'
So then why had it been the first thing that came to mind?
Gripping the steering wheel hard, Emma grit her teeth, fighting back tears. No, he wasn't worth this. He'd had the chance to lay it on the table at the bar in Manhattan and he didn't. Maybe that's all there was to it.
'Maybe he doesn't want to cause you any more pain. And maybe he has his own wall to fight. You thought that we had abandoned you too and it turned out there was a reason. Maybe Neal has a reason too.'
'Tallahassee, baby. We're almost home.'
'You let me go to prison because Pinocchio told you to?'
'I was... I was trying to help you.'
'By letting me go to jail?'
'By getting you home.'
They loved each other. He'd practically proposed to her. All of those loving looks and tender kisses... were they really all fake?
But did it really even matter? They were all for Tamara now.
Her mother was right.
She needed to know.
Inhaling deeply, Emma looked at the little radio clock as distant colorful lights began appearing in view. 1:15am, there written in tiny green flashes.
It was the middle of the night, and he was probably asleep. In bed. With Tamara. The thought nearly made her ill and she was surprised at all of the jealousy that suddenly surged through her. This was supposed to be their wedding, their life. They should have been in Tallahassee, with a big yellow beach house and Henry splashing around on the beach. She should be the one in that bed. Where the hell did it all go so wrong?
It wasn't long before Emma found herself in the middle of downtown Manhattan, pulling the bug off to the side of the street. For a few moments she simply sat, closing her eyes and breathing deeply, an unconscious tremble creeping across her skin. Of all the dangerous, scary situations she'd ever been in, she couldn't ever remember being as terrified as this moment. And it was odd, because she'd gone over every little thing she wanted to say over the past twelve years if this moment ever came. And now that it had it was like all of it had flown out the window.
Exhaling sharply, Emma opened the door, stepping out onto the concrete sidewalk, a small puddle on the ground that splashed up to greet her. It had begun to rain, that misty spring rain when everything dead was washed away and reborn again, second chances blooming from snow covered cherry blossoms. They had met and loved in the heat of summer. Their love had died in the frozen autumn. Little by little winter sealed it away in ice as she got further into her prison sentence. And in the end it was spring that would decide their fate.
Pulling the glass door open, Emma walked up to the security gate, pressing the familiar blank button to his intercom. She hadn't known what she was expecting, but her heart fell when she heard no response. But she had come too far now, so she would resort to one of the many things they had become extremely adept at – breaking and entering.
Reaching into her pocket, Emma pulled the electronic lock pick from her keyring, a tool she had acquired during her bounty hunting days. Throwing looks over her shoulder every couple of seconds, Emma pushed the door open when she heard the click, being careful not to illicit too much sound.
When she finally reached his door, she began to pound on it, hoping she wouldn't have to start yelling. Feeling the frustration build, Emma put her ear to the door, listening for signs of any movement. But it was dead and dark. And the irony never ceased to amaze her. She'd grown up thinking fairy tales were false legends that existed only to give people hope that they could have a happy ending. But knowing now that she was part of a fairy tale, the very essence of her life was one of those stories that gave people hope, she realized that she had been right about one thing. Fairy tales might be real, but they seldom ended in happily ever after. She hoped that this wasn't written into her story, because many a young girl was going to end up bitterly heartbroken.
Sinking against the door in defeat, Emma laid her head back against the paint peeled wood, wondering if it would be worth it to wait. She winced when she realized he could come back with Tamara. They were probably together at some hotel, celebrating, maybe at the very spot where they'd be married. Wiping away at the stray tear that began to fall down her cheek, Emma looked down the stairwell praying that maybe, just maybe he'd show up and for once some chapter of her life might end happily. But as the minutes fell away, daydreams slowly decayed back into reality, and she felt foolish all over again.
He wasn't coming.
She might have been a princess, but there was no white knight waiting to sweep her off the dirty floor of that New York apartment building. Only the ghost of regret and the longing for better days. When they'd talked in that bar, he told her he believed in fate. Maybe it was fate's way of telling her it wasn't going to happen.
Pulling herself off the floor, Emma once again reached for her utility ring, jamming it into the doorknob. Maybe she wouldn't be able to confront Neal on this trip, but she refused to go back empty handed. She was going to steal her heart back. Pushing it open, she found herself once again standing in his apartment, eyes scanning the room in darkness, wondering where in the mess it could be. Her eyes fell on the dreamcatcher, wondering if he'd hung it with it, but there was no sign of it, and even though she'd resolved to give up hope, part of her hoped he kept it too. Moving to his bedroom, Emma began rummaging through his bedside drawers when she heard the sounds of heavy foot steps behind her. Her heart leapt in anticipation when she thought it might be Neal coming down the hall, but it hitched when she heard multiple steps. Neal and Tamara? No, the footsteps were too urgent, they-
"Hands above your head! Now!"
Startled, Emma turned to see a pair of cops in the living room, arms raised with guns aimed straight for her. And for a moment she couldn't breathe, unwanted memories crashing down on her, caught in the undertow of dark waves.
And it was that moment she realized her mistake- picking an electronic lock meant triggering an alarm. She'd been so desperate for answers that her common sense had flown out the window and she ended up making a fatal rookie mistake. She was really rusty.
'Well if this isn't a sign, I don't know what is.' And for the second time in her incendiary history with Neal Cassidy, she put her hands above her head, ready to be hauled off to jail.
…
"I already told you. I was meeting my friend at his apartment and he forgot to give me the spare keys. I pressed the buttons on the intercom panel and someone let me in. The alarm probably triggered because its faulty."
"At 1:30 in the morning? Miss Swan, would you be willing to stake you freedom on it if we interviewed all of the tenants in the building?"
Sighing, all Emma could do was face desk and wonder how the hell she was going to explain this one back home when she got to make her phone call. "Yes. Are we done now?" she asked impatiently. She wanted nothing more than to climb back in the car and go home and forget this whole road trip from hell even happened. What was she thinking? Of course her mother would convince her to go, in every version of Snow White she'd ever heard, the princess had gotten her fairy tale ending. How could her mother possibly understand this?
"Nice try. What's the name of the friend you were meeting?"
Before Emma could answer, a deep voice cut her off, freezing her in place and halting her breathing. She felt paralyzed and the room began to spin around her.
"Neal Cassidy. I asked Emma to meet me at my apartment, my friend across the hall buzzed her in. I left something back in her house out of state and she brought it back to me."
The officer behind him moved into the room, pulling a small set of keys from the pocket of his uniform pants. Unlocking Emma's cuffs, he promptly removed them, motioning for her to leave. "The story checks out, she's free to go."
Standing up slowly, Emma stole a glance at Neal, whom wasted zero time in flashing that damn cocky smile of his straight at her, reminiscent of the one he'd given her the day they first met.
Fucking Neal.
Dropping her gaze from his, she stormed past him out of the interrogation room, straight out the glass doors. Stopping out in front, Emma took a deep breath, craning her head back to glance at the sky, annoyed at how easily her resolve had been shattered when he walked in the room. She couldn't even bring herself to look at him when he walked up beside her.
"You know... if you wanted it back, you could've just told me," he said softly, placing the necklace in her palm. "I've been carrying it around... kind of a good luck charm."
Emma could say nothing, heart fluttering when she felt his skin on hers. She didn't want to show him, didn't want to admit that she wanted it back, because then he would know she was lying about her reason for giving it back to him to begin with. It had been so long... twelve years far too long. But she just wasn't ready yet. They stood in stony silence, letting the rain fall down around them and she was grateful that he at least let her have this moment and didn't force her to speak. She didn't know how long they were standing there when she was snapped out of her reverie, the feeling of something being draped over her shoulders tugging on her senses. It took her several moments to discern that Neal had taken off his hoodie and placed it over her. Reality sinking back in, the cold of the rain had soaked into her skin, chilling her to the bone and causing her to shiver.
Of course he would choose this moment to be sweet and chivalrous when she was trying to fire herself up enough to ask questions. Exhaling another short breath, she finally grounded herself enough to face the earthquake. "How did you know I was here?"
He bit his lip. "I came back to the apartment because I forgot I left the ring at home. I saw the cop cars out front and saw you with them so I followed."
Emma let out a light, bitter laugh, cinnamon over cyanide. Of course the reason he had returned was because of Tamara. The only fated thing about him and herself was their child and maybe that was it, maybe they had already fulfilled whatever insane plan destiny had waiting for them.
"I see. Thanks," she said, stuffing the swan necklace into her pocket, turning to walk down the street and try to find wherever the hell Neal's apartment was.
"Emma."
Groaning, she stopped dead in her tracks, turning to look back at him with tired, hardened eyes. "What now?"
"You wanna go somewhere and talk?"
She rolled her eyes. "No, I don't. From this point forward all we are to each other is a couple of strangers who happen to share DNA in the form of a child. Nothing more. Now please just tell me where your apartment is so I can get out of here."
She watched as he winced, and before she could stop it her heart softened slightly, much to her annoyance. Ever the thief, he knew his way around barriers, turns out that included invisible ones as well. "Yeah, I get that. But you wouldn't have come all the way here if there wasn't something important."
Swallowing hard, she grounded herself, determined not to let him get the best of her, the aftershocks threatening to knock her off balance. "I guess," was the only response she could manage.
Nodding, Neal started off in the opposite direction, motioning for Emma to follow. It wasn't long before they found themselves in a nearby park, surprisingly quiet for a major city, even a few stars were visible above. Neal made his way to the swingset nearby and Emma followed, taking the seat beside him. It was an old habit of theirs, one they found comfort in. It reminded her of the childhood days she had lost, of the freedom she found, swinging through the air and the temporary innocence it gave. After learning who he was, she realized that it was probably much the same for him, though he was often content to just sit beside her while she messed around. Gripping the chains, she inhaled deeply, trying to steady herself. She swore, fighting the dragon in the underground hadn't even been this frightening. Once again he waited, staring off into the distance until she was ready.
'Frightening why though? Because you're scared he'll reject you or because you're scared you're still in love with him?'
Closing her eyes and pushing the inner admonishments down, she finally spoke. "I need... I need to know something. If what you say is true... about August telling you who I was... and telling you to leave me behind... why?"
Neal looked at the ground and kicked up the sand beneath him, his heart sinking down into the dirt. He knew exactly where this conversation was going. "I told you I just... I wanted you to get home. I wanted you to have your family. You talked about finding them... imagining who they were and what they were doing. You were hurting... and when I learned the truth I couldn't deny giving you what you always wanted. What kind of monster would I be if I'd kept you for myself?"
Emma gripped the chains harder, her fingernails digging into the soft skin of her palm, on the verge of drawing blood. "You could have told me... we could have figured it out together. It was written into your father's stupid curse, he made sure of it! I was getting back there no matter how it happened! But you just left me! I meant nothing to you!"
"I know... I'm so sorry... Emma... fuck," he trailed off, his voice cracking and getting lower. Getting up, he paced around, fingers running through his hair in an effort to keep himself glued together. "You never meant nothing to me. I never wanted anyone else around. I was perfectly happy being alone, drifting from place to place. I didn't want anyone, I didn't NEED anyone. And then you came... you came and you were just like me, and the way you looked at me, like I was the most important person in the world. I was perfectly content to live out the rest of my life that way but then I met you. You gave me back my heart when I didn't think I even had it in me to trust or love someone else ever again. You saved me."
Unable to hold it in any longer, Emma let the tears come, tears tearing down walls in acid. No more wall, no more hiding. If she wanted to move on... truly move on... she needed to be at peace with it. Which meant she couldn't be stuck with all these questions. And that was the thing she hated most about him. There was always that undercurrent of kindness he had that made her guard come completely crashing down and she hated that he could get to her so effortlessly. "You were the most important person in the world to me... but obviously I wasn't to you."
"Emma I... that's not true. I didn't think things through, I get that, and you have no idea how much it's killed me. I'm so sorry... all I could think was that my father had done something else stupid and dragged the woman I love into the very center of it and what might happen if you didn't go through with it and how happy you could be with your parents when you did break it. I didn't think... I made the wrong choice Emma... I'm so fucking sorry," he finished, voice completely breaking, blood running cold when he realized his words were the same as his father's had been.
His use of the present tense wasn't lost on her. "You're a liar... you didn't love me, you never did! And if all of that bullshit were true..." she inhaled a shaky breath. It was time... time for the question she had been dreading the most, the one that had been haunting her since she learned his true reason for letting her go. Balancing herself on the poles of the swingset, she finally turned to face him, tearstained stares and twelve years of agony spreading out like a tiny universe between them. "Why didn't you come back for me... when you knew the curse broke... you didn't come back for me. You didn't come to see if I was okay. I wasn't even a thought in your mind. You just got engaged to the first girl you came in contact with... if I meant so much to you... why...? Why didn't you come back for me..."
Stepping forward cautiously, he continued to gaze at her, well aware of his heart still being in the dirt, crushing it with every word. He never hated himself more than he did in that moment, knowing he put that look there, that he was responsible for those tears and that cold steel shell, and that he was responsible for condemning her to this misery. She may have gotten back to her family... but he'd pushed her straight down the most costly road. He was no better than his father. "I thought you would hate me. I knew Emma... oh god I know better than anyone, what abandonment does to you. Knowing that I did that to you, that I created those feelings in the woman I love more than anything... how could you ever forgive me, much less want me after that? I wanted you to get back to your parents... even if it meant letting you go... I didn't think of a way that we could go together because I'm... I'm not worthy of you... how could someone choose me when they could have their parents back, something they've been dreaming about for so long? When I said I wanted to settle down to be with you... I meant every word. It made you so sad, to never have had a true home... and I wanted more than anything to create a home for you, because you meant more than anything else in the world to me. If I could give you happiness I would give anything for that, even my own."
Seeing her in further sobs, he stepped forward to embrace her, and to his surprise, she let him. Her body was violently shaking with all of the anger and sorrow she'd been keeping trapped, the feelings and nightmares replaying themselves in dark daydreams. Her response was automatic, and it made his heart sing when she didn't push him away and instead wrapped her arms around him, wrapping neatly around his neck is if that was where they were made to fit. "My father... he made this curse because of me. Because he wanted to find me. Because I tried to force him into leaving our world so many people had to suffer. You got torn from your family," he trailed off, nearly choking on the words. "You're the mother of my child... and you had to give birth to him in prison because of what I did to you. My mother left me when I was just a little kid... my father let go of me and let me come to this world by myself. He gave me up because he couldn't let go of his magic. Emma he just... he just opened his grip. Just like that, like it was so easy, like I was some piece of trash he no longer needed and just threw me away. Nobody's ever loved me enough to keep me... who the hell would ever choose me for their happy ending when the people who were supposed to love me most couldn't? No one... no one except for you."
This was supposed to end differently. She was supposed to hate him, maybe even finally give him that punch across the face he deserved. But not like this. It was the most sincere, heartfelt apology she'd ever heard and the shivers ran down her spine at just how much of a mirror image he was to her. She wanted to scream, to cry, to call him a liar, to walk away and never see him again. He belonged to someone else, and he just dropped all of this on her. She'd been expecting the same story as before, she had never expected him to fully drop his walls and tell her everything. If she could hate him, it would have made it easier to forget him but she couldn't. She wanted to do nothing more than to stand there in his arms, erase and rewrite the entire history between them so they both could end up happy. She loved him, her heart had always been his since day one, but now he belonged to someone else. She wished she hadn't come at all. Her mother was wrong about one thing. She wasn't left with no what ifs... she was just left with an entirely different set of them.
Neither counted the time they were standing there until Emma felt him pull away, opening her eyes to reveal the sunrise in the distance. She felt numb when he released her and she felt foolish all over again. She had been so certain his answer would be negative that she hadn't even considered what to do if they weren't. "I uhm... you should probably... you're gonna be late."
"Yeah," he whispered, giving her one of those looks that made her heart hurt so much. Neal reached into his coat, pulling out the dreamcatcher. "I want you to have it. I'm making peace with my father slowly but... I don't want you to suffer nightmares because of me. I want you to have happy, peaceful dreams. Ones where you can dream about someone who loves you, and who will love you back, and treat you like the princess you are. Someone who deserves you. And then maybe one day the scars will be gone and I can at least know you're okay." Leaning forward, he gave her quick peck on the cheek, brushing her hair back, taking the moment in and burning it to memory. How beautiful she was, how the morning sun lit her golden hair, the chill causing her cheeks to blush, the humidity causing her hair to curl in a way he'd never had the chance to see before. How she deserved so much better. "Bye Emma."
Body feeling numb, Emma once again had to hold on to the pole, sinking back in the swing before she fell to the ground. Holding the dreamcatcher against her, she watched while he walked away, her heart spilling out onto the ground. Little did she know, it was joining his. "...Baelfire?" she called out, unaware of why she was suddenly compelled to call him by his true name.
Spinning back to look at her, he couldn't help but smile a little. His name sounded so good in her voice. "Yeah?"
And it wasn't reason, it wasn't logical, but still she did it. She couldn't leave without saying it. "...I love you. I've always loved you... and it will always be you."
He smiled at her sadly before turning away again, blowing her a quick kiss. "I love you too. I always will." He walked away from the sunrise, away from his princess, towards the wedding where he would marry the woman he didn't love.
…
Emma wasn't sure how she'd managed to get back to her car, but eventually found herself staring down the sunshine yellow bug. She felt a fresh wave of tears at the sight of it, at what it represented and what had just walked away from her. She was angry with herself for reacting like this, she thought she'd come to terms with all of this years ago, and all it took was this trip for years of walls to come crashing down. Sighing, she moved to the car and opened the door when she noticed a piece of paper lodged under the windshield wiper. A ticket, why not? She was already gaining quite the rapsheet today. Underneath it all, it turned out she was still that young, naïve thief who just wanted her fairytale ending.
Wiping at her tears angrily, she threw the paper in the seat next to her, hanging the dreamcatcher on the rearview mirror. Feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, Emma closed her eyes, and simply let the tears fall. She was mourning for the younger naïve girl, for Neal, for both of them, for the future they were robbed of. He should've been here... he should be here with her. She felt childish, but she suddenly wished she could see the stars, and maybe if she wished hard enough this wouldn't have to happen. That's how it worked in these things right? It had brought Henry to her, it could work again.
So she took a deep breath, and she wished, visualizing the star in her mind, hoping that maybe whatever magic was flowing in her veins would be enough to make it count.
'I wish... that you were here with me.'
And just for a moment, he was. He was there in his groom's tuxedo, and she was in her bridal gown, and she was in his arms and he was spinning her around while they kissed until finally the world blurred around her and faded into the blackness of dreams.
…
Hours later, Emma woke to the sound of tapping on the window next to her, but she hardly cared. Pulling her jacket over her head, she turned over, facing away from the glass and praying whoever it was would get the hint.
"Emma, wake up."
She froze, eyes snapping open, breath frosting over, unable to leave her lungs. She had to be dreaming... there was no way.
Turning back to the other side, Emma thought her heart would leap from her chest when she saw him. Pinching herself on the back of her hand, she winced, definitely awake. Rolling down the window, Emma gaped, her mouth open and shaking her head as if trying to wake from a self made delusion. "I... how? I don't understand. I thought you would be on your honeymoon by now."
Leaning forward against the car, Neal smiled at her, a white paper bag dangling from one of his hands. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't go through with it. I just... I saw her in her dress getting ready in front of the mirror, and this tiara she was wearing. And all I could think about was a different princess, and that it was her who should be in that dress next to me instead. Guess seeing the bride in her dress before the wedding really is bad luck after all."
"Who is this other princess? I'll kill her."
Grinning, Neal leaned forward, brushing a light kiss against her lips. "She's kind, and beautiful, and smart. Not half bad with a lock pick either, she picked the lock straight off my heart when I lost the key."
She could help but burst out laughing. He always did have the corniest pick up lines. "Alright alright, I guess I'll let her live if she means that much to you."
Kissing her again, he pressed his forehead to hers and stared into her eyes. "She does. I love you Emma."
"I love you too."
The smile warped into a frown, a sigh escaping his lips. "I still don't feel like I deserve you."
Placing her hand on his cheek, she gave him a kiss and rested her head against him. "Maybe you should let me be the judge of who and what I deserve."
Half smiling, he pressed a gentle kiss to her palm before standing back upright. "So what do you say princess? Got any room in your carriage for a poor miscreant peasant?"
"Mmm... I suppose, but I require payment first."
"Way ahead of you," he laughed, tossing the paper bag into her lap. Emma, lover of all baked confections, stared approvingly. "Jelly donuts. You remembered."
"I know my girl."
Laughing, she reached into the bag to pull out a donut, biting into it hungrily, shocked when she realized how much she missed the taste. She hadn't been able to eat them since that day back in Portland. Polishing it off, she caught Neal staring at her out of the corner of her eye. "What?" she asked, mouth full of powder and raspberry.
Neal just beamed at her, trying not to laugh. "You got a little something..."
"Oh," she blinked, pawing at her face in an effort to get it off.
"Allow me," he winked, moving toward her in a sweet kiss, tongue flicking over her lips to lick some of the "sugar" off. "There, that's better."
"...there wasn't really anything there was there."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Punching him on the arm, Emma offered the bag to him, and for the longest time they sat in silence. No jelly donut survived the encounter.
And no it wouldn't be easy. But they had each other and from then on, they, and only they would be able to choose their destinies.