Regina stepped in to the room full of familiar faces, her heart thumping against her ribcage with every step she took towards Charming and Snow standing on the dais. The grand hall roared into applauses the moment she stepped in with two Henry by her side.
"What is this?" Regina asked when she stopped in front of Charming and Snow where her sons left her.
"This is for you. All the realms have been united and now we need someone to lead us." Snow said.
"The people have decided Your Majesty." Charming continues and ushered Neil down the dais before he presents the chest behind her to Regina.
Charming opens the box to reveal an elegantly beautiful tiara.
"They want it to be you, Regina." Snow said.
Regina looks around the room that was filled with her families, friends, and her people. Her heart melted at the smiles on their faces for she had truly earned their trust and respect. But her eyes were searching for one person in particular.
"Are you ready?" Charming asked.
"Uh," Regina inhales deeply as her eyes searches the room once more, "Is everyone here?"
"I think the baby was fussy." Snow whispers.
"Oh, okay." Regina nodded in response, smiling at the thought of the baby.
Snow smiles and took the tiara from the box, "Shall we begin?"
Regina took a deep breath and nodded, though her heart ached for a certain blonde to be in the room.
"Do you, Regina Mills, accept the role of the first elected ruler of the newly united realms?" Snow raised her chin and asked, and she couldn't be prouder of her enemy turned friend.
"I do."
"Excellent." Charming said softly, "So, if you please." He gestured for her to lower herself to be crowned.
Regina did as she was told, bending slightly to accept her crown and title.
"I now crown you" Snow started but was interrupted by the door opening roughly.
"Sorry, I'm late." Emma barged in to the door with Hook tagging along with the baby in his arms.
"Emma" Regina sighs in relief, smiling at the idiot who was always late, no matter for what event, even for her own daughter's baby shower.
"You didn't think I was gonna miss this, did you?" Emma laughs as she walks in to stand beside Henry (the grown up one, she still having a bit of trouble wrapping her head around two Henry)
"Aw, kid, you want to give Hook a hand there?" Emma asked as she hugged grown-up Henry.
"Pun intended, pun always intended, isn't that the case?" Hook commented as he passes the baby over to her big brother.
"So, how is little hope? Is she ready for her first coronation?" Henry asked as he cradles his little baby sister gently in his arms.
Regina looks at her little complicated family with love in her eyes. She wouldn't change anything she had done or the pain she had to go through if this is where she will end up at.
"If we're all here, can I please continue?" Snow whispers loudly.
"Sorry, Mom, Sorry" Emma apologise as she took her place quietly beside Henry.
Attention was once again focused on the ceremony in the center of the room where Snow continues where she was interrupted earlier on.
"Regina Mills, I now crown you" Snow declares as she bestowed the tiara on top of Regina's head, "the Good Queen."
"Long may she reign" Snow announces with tears pooling in her eyes.
They had come a long way from enemies to friends and now family. The room once again roared into cheers and applauses. Charming and Snow bows respectfully to the newly crowned queen.
Regina stepped down the dais and accepts the hugs and congratulations from her families, stopping at the grown-up Henry and cooing at the baby in his arms.
"Madame Mayor" Emma chuckles.
"Uh, I think you'll find it's Your Majesty." Hook said as he hugged and congratulated Regina.
"Well, she'll always be Madame Mayor to me." Emma smiles knowingly at Regina.
"This is your happy ending." Emma sighs happily.
"Hmm, no Miss Swan, not even close. This isn't an ending. I hate endings. Because then your story is done. And everyone here, their stories are far from over." Regina answered.
"Well, a happy beginning then."
"I'll like to call it a second chance." Regina smiles warmly before she stepped back on to the dais.
She cleared her throat and addresses the entire room, "I thought my story came to an end a long time ago, and then new people came to my life. People who gave me a second chance"
Regina looks towards her family, "I can't wait to see what's store for me next, well, for everyone. I refuse to believe there won't be more adventures, more love, and more family."
She looks around the room, and smiles, "And yes, there will be more loss because that's just part of life. And in the end, we can get past it all with hope."
Regina ended her speech with her attention on Hope who was now cradling in Emma's arm. As Regina shifted her eyes up to the blonde, their eyes locked and the rest of the room fell away where the only occupants in the room was just them and the baby still cradled in her mother's arm.
A throat cleared at the back before Charming announces to the room, "Food will be out in the courtyard! Our queen has her own personal affair to attend to at the moment."
The crowd cheers and applauses, Charming winked at Regina before he passed by her and lead the audience out to the courtyard along with Snow.
"There is one tiny mistake in this coronation today." Emma said once the room was cleared out.
"Oh, what is it?" Regina perks her eyebrow and asked as she stepped down the dais towards Emma.
Emma pulls Regina in for a kiss, careful not to squash the baby between them before whispering against her lips, "It's Regina Swan-Mills instead."
"Well, I'm not until a few weeks later." Regina laughs and pecks the pouting lips, "But I do love the sound of that."
That did appease Emma. Regina smiles and took over their daughter from Emma's arm.
"Why are you late, Miss Swan?"
"Because your daughter decided to be difficult before she comes to her mother's coronation. I had to change her and then she was crying because she was hungry, so I had to feed her." Emma explained.
"Oh, so she is my daughter when she is being difficult?"
"Why, yes. Do not argue with your pregnant fiancé." Emma huffed.
Regina chuckles, "How is this little one doing?"
"She misses her mommy this morning." Emma pouted.
"I'm sorry Darling, Zelena sounded urgent on the phone and I didn't want to wake you up. You were sleeping so soundly."
Emma nodded and picked up her bag from the floor, "I know, this little one is keeping me up all night. I think she is excited for her mommy's big day today."
"Am I the only one in the dark?" Regina asked.
"Yes, it's a surprise for you. Now come on, let's get to the food before our two Henrys finish them." Emma exclaimed and dragged Regina along.
"So, why is Hook with you?" Regina asked, masking her jealousy under her nonchalance.
"I was with Lily, and she had a fight with her mom over her choice of partner again. So, Hook, not wanting to upset Lily further, volunteered to drive me here while letting her cool off on her own."
"Well, I wouldn't blame Mal. I don't know what she sees in him."
"Be nice, Regina, he is our daughter's godfather after all."
"I didn't approve of that." Regina muttered under her breath.
Emma stopped at the door abruptly that causes Regina to almost collide into her back. She turns and pulls Regina in for a deep passionate kiss that leaves both of them breathless.
"Not that I was complaining, but what was that for?" Regina asked, panting against Emma's lips.
"We've come so far, Gina. Hook is a friend, my buddy if you would call that, and we've been through a lot too. But I don't want him to take away what we have here, and neither do I want to lose him. So please don't make me choose between you and him." Emma looks into Regina's dark soulful eyes and took a deep breath before she continues, "I'm not asking you to like him, what I'm asking is for you to be the bigger person here, and accepts him that he will be in our life, as a friend and a parent to our children."
Guilt washed over Regina at making Emma feel torn between her and Hook, she didn't mean that comment.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I would never make you choose between me and your friends." Regina reached for Emma's hand, caressing the ring on her finger, "I know Hook and I had some history, but I can promise you I will try to be civil with him. If I can do this with Snow, I can do it with him too. But I can't promise I won't throw in one or two comments about his appearance, did he even change his clothes?"
"Of course, he did, probably not every day." Emma laughs at the condemnation look on Regina's face.
"And you expect me to let him go near our daughter?"
"I can make sure he changed before he goes anywhere near Hope."
"Oh, how would you make sure of that?" Regina perks her eyebrows at Emma.
"Lily. She is a clean freak, now stop throwing your jealous fit, you and Mal can insult Hook over your tea session for all I care. Can we get the food now? I'm feeding for two."
Emma said and walks away towards the courtyard, leaving Regina staring after her retreating form.
This is everything she needed; she is the good queen now, a mother to her children, and a soon-to-be wife to an amazing and beautiful woman. Her second chance.