Their wedding, just the evening before had been far more than Emma could ever had imagined. Had the decision been fully hers to make she and Killian would have quietly slipped down to the courthouse for a simple civil ceremony and filled everyone in later with a small gathering. But in the end, the pirate had insisted on a grand affair - much to the gratefulness of her parents - saying that Emma deserved nothing shy of the marital celebration she would have received as the Princess she was born as back in the Enchanted Forest.
Killian was still soundly entangled in the throws of sleep as she slipped from his arms and their big, cozy bed. Quietly she tugged on her jeans that were draped over the armchair in the corner of her room, slipped on a thick pair of cotton socks and, following her bra, pulled on an oversized cotton tunic before quietly existing their room and padding softly down the hall to the kitchen. She fixed herself a cup of hot cocoa with cinnamon before she eased out the front door to the porch and settled, knees to chest, onto the swing which hung softly swaying in the corner. The cool, crisp salty breeze blowing in from the harbor chilled her skin as it played and danced with the loose strands of her soft golden waves. Emma inhaled deeply, enjoying the way the chill felt as it entered her lungs just as she had the night before as she had stood on the docks in front of family and friends and because the wife of a certain devilishly handsome Pirate Captain.
As she sipped her cocoa, her mind drifted back to the previous nights merriment...
After the ceremony, the hugs and handshakes and exchanges of best wishes, Killian and Emma had slipped away for a moment to breathe and collect their thoughts before they made their way to the bustling overly elaborate reception that she was certain her mother had put together for them. Dr. Hopper had so perfectly captured in his words the true meaning and depth of their love, just as Killian seemed to have reached deep down into her sole with the vows he had written and recited to her. Though everyone could hear them, his words had been meant only for her and it was only her could truly comprehend the totalness of their meaning. She could still hear his final vows to her ringing through her ears as if he had just spoken them to her again... "I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give and all that I am, in the only way I know how - to the ends of the world... and time." She smiled and he noticed.
"Swan, you look giddy as a child. What is tip toeing through that head of yours?" Killian chose that moment to wrap her in a strong embrace but hesitated before he lowered his lips to hers.
Emma spoke softly against them as they touched. "I'm just trying to wrap my head around it all. I..." Her cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment. "... I can't stop hearing your voice in my thoughts and the words you said to me. Killian, they were beautiful."
He took the opportunity just then to seize her lips. Into that kiss he poured all of his pent up emotions - his joy, his lust for her, his apprehension of doing something to lose this new life they created together. He kissed her with everything he had within him and she returned it all with feverous passion. It was the kiss he had wanted to share with her at the alter, but one he had tempered for the eyes of the public. Because this kiss, these emotions, this love was meant just for her. He loved her. He had given up everything he had for her, and would do so again at a moments notice if it meant he never had to spend another waking moment without her by his side. Killian broke the kiss and placed Emma slightly from him. She began to protest, but his arms still wrapped around her held her tightly to him. Leaning their foreheads against one another's they locked gazes and attempted to catch their breath.
"I meant every word, love, just as I always have. It's always been you - from the moment I met you, I knew you were the one that could make me forget it all and allow my broken heart to love again. And I will follow you, and love you, to the ends of the world and time." He brushed a tender kiss across her forehead as Emma continued to cling to him; it was as if she would simply slip away if he were to let go of her.
When Emma spoke he could tell she was trying her best to hold back tears. "Killian, I need you to know something. I need you to understand that someday this may all fade away, but the love I have for you will always shine through the brightest of magic. I will truly love you through every circumstance that life may bring us to in the future because you and Henry are the treasures of my heart, and I will always support and encourage and defend you as we, together, face whatever is to come. I know that no matter what it may be, with you by my side, we can defeat any obstacle."
She looked up at him then and was nearly swallowed whole by the intensity of his blue eyes as they stared deep into her. She swallowed hard as she continued. Emma knew she needed to finish; needed to spill it out before it bubbled over and exploded.
"You were picked for me long before I was born - I am sure of that - and I am through with running. I am through with putting up walls and keeping people out and pushing away love. I am through with denying who I am and what I was put here to do. You are the one my soul loves and I don't know how I will ever be able to make up for everything I have put you through to get to this moment together."
He kissed her again, this time slow and steady. A kiss that said everything was fine, everything was perfect, and everything was right. It was a short kiss, but it was enough and it set her heart and mind at ease. With that, Killian released his arms from Emma and moved instead to hold her arm.
"Love, it's time we joined the festivities. After all, it isn't every day that a storybook Princess marries a devilishly handsome Captain."
He raised his eyebrow and smirked a bit. She laughed and swatted at his arm. He was right, she knew it. If they didn't show up soon, her mother or father or Henry would be looking for them...more for his sake and then hers, they dare not keep them waiting any longer.
Just slightly past the dock where she and Killian had just been wed, the boardwalk opened up into a large gathering area; this was where her mother had chosen to host the reception. For as charmingly elegant and cozy as their ceremony had appeared, the reception site was a marvel of decorating and modern convenience. Three giant canvas ship sails were strung up to act has a temporary roof over nearly the entire harbor side square. Dim twinkling lights, candles, lanterns and soft laces and silks oozed off of nearly every surface. Round tables were covered in neutral silks and crowned with white floral arrangements that dripped with crystals and pearls. Chandeliers hung from five different points throughout the area and small seating clusters appeared to have been just ripped from a luxurious little forest cottages. A small circular area at the center of it all had been left cleared for dancing while the musicians had set up a slight way back as not to interfere with the crowds. There were cake tables and food tables and beverage tables.
The residents of Storybrooke were already enjoying the party as Emma and Killian entered. Her father was the first to catch sight of them. Making his way to the center of the room, he gathered everyone's attention. "Good people of Storybrooke, it is my greatest pleasure to present to you my daughter, Princess Emma and her new husband, Captain Killian Jones! Please join me a round of applause for the newly weds!"
Everyone cheered, some whistled and others toasted. The band struck up a waltz - just like the one they had danced at King Midas' ball that evening in the Enchanted Forest - and Killian lead her to the small clearing at the center of the room. He bowed and kissed her hand, "May I have this dance, your highness?" His lips snuck up into a sexy grin.
Emma curtsied slightly, "It would be an honor, Captain."
With that, Killian lead his new bride out to the center of the floor and proceeded to twist and twirl her about. Though others joined, to the two of them, nothing else existed but them and the music and the moment they were in. Emma could have danced with him all night, the smile on her face was one filled with love and joy. As the music drew to a close, Killian bowed again slightly and lead his Princess off the floor.
He brushed a soft kiss to her cheek. "I tell you Swan, just as I did before, you're a natural."
Emma softly smiled at him, laughter sparkled in her eyes, "Well, it helps to have a partner who knows what he's doing." She winked mischievously as she left him standing there in the center of the floor, laughing.
As the night progressed Emma found herself twirled around the floor by her father, hip bumped and hustled by Leroy, jumped around and bounced up and down by Henry, two stepped by Robin, and even caught up in a tango with Marco. In between the hugs and conversations, well wishes and long-drawn out stories laced with advice, Emma seemed to constantly be looking around for Killian; usually she would find him seated at a table, kicked back with a glass of rum and deep in conversation with another Storybrooke resident, laughing and carrying on. Other times she would spot him gliding past her on the dance floor with Rudy, Belle, Granny or even her mother in tow. He was truly the guy that everyone wanted to sit and have a drink with - the story teller, the ladies man, the pirate - but more than that, he had truly become one of them, a citizen of Storybrooke and now, on this very day, a member of the Charming royal lineage. The pirate had become a prince. Her prince.
As the evening began to wind down and their fellow wedding goers began to say their good nights, Emma's ears perked up as she heard the opening strings from a song that Killian loved to play for her. Glancing around the room, she - at first - couldn't locate her groom. Where had he gone off too?... But then she heard him. His low, sexy, gravely voice drifting through the speakers; he called to her first to grab her attention.
"Swan, love, I'm fairly certain you can hear this and as long as you can I ask that you please listen close and take every last word to heart. I may not have penned this little diddy, love, but it suits our love just fine. My darling Emma, I hope this is just as you wish..." She smiled at him then, he nodded in acknowledgement of her understanding to his meaning as he started to sing...
"All of the lights land on you
The rest of the world fades from view
And all of the love I see
Please please say you feel it too
And all of the noise I hear inside
Restless and loud, unspoken and wild
And all that you need to say
To make it all go away
Is that you feel the same way too
And I know
The scariest part is letting go
'Cause love is a ghost you can't control
I promise you the truth can't hurt us now
So let the words slip out of your mouth."
Emma was transfixed. She had heard him sing before; it had become a regular thing around their home, especially on quiet nights when the windows were open and the sea breeze would glide through and rustle the curtains... But tonight there was something different about the way he sung for her. Something enchanting and deep; something she just couldn't turn away from or ignore. She found herself moving toward him, eyes locked on the pirate. His eyes were closed, his hip propped on a single stool that stood in front of the microphone. He was somewhere lost in his guitar, the song and thoughts of her.
She pulled out a chair from a table just to the side of where he was; realizing only as she was sitting down that both of her parents, her little brother and her son were already seated there. David placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder as her mother started to choke up with tears. Henry got up from his seat and moved to stand next to her, wrapping his arm around her and placing his hand atop his grandfather's. Her family surrounded her with their love and Killian serenaded her with his..
"And all of the steps that led me to you
And all of the hell I had to walk through
But I wouldn't trade a day for the chance to say
My love, I'm in love with you
And I know
The scariest part is letting go
'Cause love is a ghost you can't control
I promise you the truth can't hurt us now
So let the words slip out of your mouth
I know that we're both afraid
We both made the same mistakes
An open heart is an open wound to you
And in the wind of a heavy choice
Love has a quiet voice
Still your mind, now I'm yours to choose
And I know
The scariest part is letting go
Let my love be the light that guides you home
'Cause love is a ghost you can't control
I promise you the truth can't hurt us now
So let the words slip out of your mouth."
As he ended the song, Killian opened his eyes to find her. What he saw grabbed ahold and squeezed at his heart. There was his Emma, love spilling from her eyes that were locked on him, surrounded in love from her family and glowing - quiet literally. They were whole... All he had in all the worlds and in all of time was her. It would just have to be enough.
Emma noticed the look in his eyes, the slightest hint of sadness, as he put down the guitar and moved towards where she sat. David and Mary-Margaret had noticed it too, and as Killian drew closer they both stood and moved toward him; Mary-Margaret holding the young sleeping Prince closet to her heart. He paused as they stood in front of him. David spoke first.
"Hook..." He stiffened; they changed approaches. "Killian, we may not have exactly gotten off on the right foot..."
"Or even first few feet, really," Mary-Margaret added with a nod and a smile.
"Right, " David agreed. "But both Mary-Margaret and I want you to know, to understand, that our Emma loves you and if she loves you and has found the true goodness in you, then we can too. Her happiness is everything to us, and you..."
Mary-Margaret broke in again, "... You are her happiness, Killian! I, we," she indicated to herself and David, "would go to any lengths to ensure that she is always happy, and we see the same in you. You lost her for a year, Killian, and you traded everything you had to get back to her. We lost her, for twenty-eight years, and couldn't give a thing even if we wanted to, to get her back to us. We've been in the same places when it comes to Emma - broken, longing, missing, loving - and now, here we all are again, in the same places for the same person. We are family now, Killian, and with our family you will always have a home."
He smiled subtly, still a bit caught off guard and trying to process it all. Emma's family had just acknowledged him as a part of their family. They had taken him in like an orphan and made him a part of them. The old Killian would have laughed daringly and told the Charming's where they could put their love and their family... But he had changed. This Killian that stood there now, madly in love with their Princess and just having poured his heart out through a song, was appreciative and open; it would not come easy, he knew that, but it would come in some way, shape or form.
He bowed then, just slightly, "Your majesties..."
"Please, it's David and Mary-Margaret," David offered.
"Or Mom and Dad," Mary-Margaret spoke innocently, testing the waters more than anything and smiling slyly.
Killian smiled a bit uncomfortably as he raised his brow. " I think we'll stick with David and MaryMargaret." They nodded. "But to any effect, I thank you both for opening your arms and your home to me... And, well," his hand went to scratching behind his ear, "I suppose now your family as well. I thank you."
The moment had ended and Emma's parents were certain that the Captain wanted nothing more than to get to his bride. Acknowledging the fact, Killian was able to pass and finally make it to his Swan. She stood, Henry still by her side. No words were spoken, but they all knew. They were a family now - a complete little unit of three. A unit of three that was part of a larger family that loved them. Together there was not a foe they could not conquer nor an issue they could not tackle. Together they had the powers of good on their side and good would always triumph over evil. They embraced then - Killian holding both Emma and Henry tight to him.
The creaking of the front door hinges startled her from her thoughts. Emma looked over to see Killian, hair still messy with sleep, stepping out onto the porch. He carried a heavy woolen blanket in his hands and a smile on his face. He had pulled on a pair of jeans and a waffle knit shirt but unlike Emma his feet were bare and his eyes were still adjusting to being awake.
"There you are, love, the bed was getting cold without you in it." He teased her as he sat down on the other side of the swing and placed the blanket on her feet. She smiled and softly laughed as her eyes locked with his.
"I didn't mean to wake you, Killian. I'm sorry if I did."
He placed his hand on her knee, "Not at all love, I was already stirring." He retrieved her mug from her hands and took a sip, instantly gagging. "Bloody hell, Swan, I don't know how you drink this with all this spice in it."
Her laughed - good hardy, deep laugh. "It's an acquired taste, I guess. Just like you, pirate." At the statement, she raised a challenging eyebrow.
He both accepted and proceeded to jump in with both feet. "A taste you seemed to have acquired a liking for, m'lady." His eyebrow raised and a sexy grin took over his lips. He stood then, placed the mug down on the porch railing and took her hand, tugging her to her feet. "And since you've acquired it... Care to have a little taste?"
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I hope this lived up to its counterpart, I Will Love You... For A Thousand Years! Please let me know :) Essentially these are both follow ups to the multi chapter story I am writing, Sigh No More. I truly hope you all are enjoying them!
I also hope y'all picked up on The Prince Bride / Dread Pirate Roberts reference 3 and just in case you wonder about the song... The Words by Christina Perri.