I do not own Once Upon a Time.
So, here is happiness and some funniness. Wedding dress shopping can't be hard, can it?
Amelia Hunter found herself being half dragged down the streets of Storybrooke by Marian and Belle. Helen led the way to the bridal boutique. Marian had offered to make the bridesmaids dresses and the flower girl dress, however, as she said herself, a wedding gown from this realm was a bit out of her skill set. And now nothing could make her pass up the chance to see her oldest and dearest friend in a gorgeous gown.
It wasn't that Amelia wasn't looking forward to dress shopping, she loved shopping and clothes, but she had a sick feeling in her stomach. She had a bad feeling that it was going to be a long day.
It was just going to be her, Helen, Marian and Belle. Jordan was confined to bed rest, doctor's orders. Being seven months pregnant with twins was keeping Amelia's sister out of the shopping adventure. Emma was in Boston with Henry, they were beginning to scope out colleges. Henry could go anywhere he wanted, but he wanted to stay close to home, much to the relief of his mothers. Ruby was dealing with a peculiar difficult wolf time, not really sure why.
No matter, the small group was enough for Amelia. They were her family, stuck by her through thick and thin…
"So, I invited a few more people to the shopping trip…" Helen opened the door.
Amelia gulped. Who else was here? And her question was answered when she saw Mary Margaret and Ashley sitting in the middle of the shop waiting for her. They jumped up to hug her.
"We already picked out some dresses that we think you would look amazing in." Ashley told her. She rarely got out and was so looking forward to her daughter starting preschool soon.
"Regina said she would come here after she finished up a few things at the office." Mary Margaret added.
"Why are you picking dresses for me? Isn't this my wedding?" Amelia asked, not sure how she felt. Maybe this was why she felt sick this morning.
Mary Margaret didn't answer. She just pushed Amelia towards the fitting rooms.
So Amelia Hunter, the former bounty hunter, was wedding dress shopping with Snow White, Cinderella, Belle and Maid Marian with the Evil Queen popping in. What kind of personal hell would this be?
No.
No.
No.
This is what she got for shopping with the pretty pretty princesses. Why were her cheerleaders not by her side?
Huge. Too tight. Wouldn't be caught dead in. Stupid. Ugly. Weighs a ton. Just no.
"Every girl wants to feel like a princess on her wedding day." Mary Margaret gently informed her as she adjusted Amelia's sleeve.
"But I'm not a princess! There's a difference between royalty and nobility. Why am I the only one who knows that?" Amelia attempted to keep the whine out of her voice. She had already tried on about three dozen dresses.
"Regina, what do you think?" Marian asked.
The mayor had finally made it to the shop. She bit back her comment. Her thoughts matched Amelia's: the dress was horrible. "It looks nice, but it's not the one." She said diplomatically.
"Thank you, at least someone agrees with me." Amelia was grateful.
"Regina, what did you wear when you married Mary Margaret's father?" Belle asked. Regina had been King Leopold's second wife many years ago in the Enchanted Forest.
"It was the most beautiful gown in all the realms, she looked like a vision…" Mary Margaret mused out loud.
Regina rolled her eyes but did wave her hand and instantly Amelia was wearing that exact dress.
The former bounty hunter had to force herself not to vomit. She couldn't breathe, her waist was tiny but the metal form under the dress wouldn't fit through a doorway, unless she went sideways. It weighed a ton; she struggled to keep her balance.
"It looks terrible…" Amelia growled.
"That's because it's on you, dear." Regina remarked.
Everyone in the group turned to looked at Regina, stunned. Where had that comment come from? Was she randomly turning back into the evil queen?
Regina quickly noticed the shocked faces. Her hand flew to her month. "I am so sorry! Roland has us watching Sleeping Beauty every day for three weeks…"
"Sleeping Beauty?" Marian inquired. She actually hadn't seen a movie since arriving in Storybrooke.
"We are going to have to host a movie night at the library soon." Belle said. The library had so many events planned; it was hard for them to keep up.
"Add it to the list. Regina, get this dress off of me, now." Amelia growled. She would have done it herself but it would be in shreds. At least Regina would be gentle.
Regina snapped her fingers. Amelia now wore the not so ugly dress. And back to the fitting room she went.
Amelia stared at herself in the mirror. Her group was crowded around her, studying her reaction.
"How do you feel about this one?" Belle asked. They had been in the shop for hours and Amelia had tried on five dozen dresses. She hadn't found the one yet.
But this one…
"I like it…" Amelia started to say.
"But you don't love it." Helen finished gently. She hated to admit it, but wedding dress shopping with Amelia was more of an adventure that she had originally thought. Everything had to be perfect and Amelia was picky.
Yes, the dress was beautiful. It was soft and simple, it actually reminded Helen of a Greek goddess.
"This isn't the one. What if I never find the right one?" Amelia tried to keep the fear out of her voice. Her wedding day was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. Well, after True Love's Kiss, both of them.
Mary Margaret squeezed Amelia's hand. "You will find the right dress. As soon as you put it on, you will know. Don't lose hope."
Of course Snow White was going to bring hope into this.
Amelia gathered the skirts and headed back to the fitting room. She knew there was another dress waiting for her.
You will find the right dress, she said. As soon as put it on, you're know, she said.
Well, Snow White, this is not the one.
Amelia had to force herself not to gag. It was easily the most ridiculous dress she had ever seen. She flopped into a chair, the dress made a noise when she sat and it puffed up around her.
She leaned her head back against the wall, sighing heavy. How long since she walked into the shop? She looked at her phone. Are you serious? Six hours? I have been stuck shopping with the princesses for six hours? And there was no progress with picking a dress. Mostly because she didn't seem to have a say. Since when did she ever let someone have control over her?
Her phone buzzed, a text from Neal. At least there was someone who made her smile.
How's the dress shopping going?
She and Neal told each other everything so she answered back honestly. I would rather be in Neverland right now. Or facing the Horned King again.
Ouch. That bad?
Yep.
Want me to come and cheer you up?
Yes, she would love that; it would put her in a much better mood. But he couldn't come. No, you aren't supposed to see the dress before the wedding. It's bad luck.
Seriously, I think we spent all our bad luck already.
Don't say that too loud, the universe might hear us. If I get out of this alive, I will see you at home.
Love you baby. Don't break anything.
Amelia stood up again and studied herself in the mirror again. The dress was huge; the whole skirt couldn't fit in her view. The sleeves were puffy watermelons on her shoulders and the neckline was a tad lower than she wanted. Amelia couldn't breathe correctly; the corset was tied too tight. And to top it off, it was lacey and sparkly and she was pretty sure there were feathers on it. It wasn't even tasteful princess. Then she turned around to see the back. Gods above, there was a huge bow back there. Her phone came out again and she quickly snapped a picture, sending it to Jordan.
A reply came five seconds later.
Yikes. If I could get over there, I would give the princesses a piece of my mind. I love them but I don't think they really know you. That dress is so not you.
Thanks. I have been here for six hours and I doubt I'm close to finding my dress.
You can get through. You have been through far worst and you came out the other side. Text me a picture when you find the dress.
At least Amelia felt slightly better now. Until her stomach growled, she remembered she hadn't eaten in hours. Stressed and hungry, not a good combination. So she texted for help.
Hey, are you busy?
I was just going to hang out with David and Robin. What do you need, lass?
Save me.
Save you? Never thought I would hear those words coming from your mouth. And I have heard a lot of interesting words from you.
Save it, I am not in the mood. I'm hiding in a fitting room at the wedding boutique. Just come here. Don't let the princesses see you. And bring food. Please.
I love hearing you beg.
Killian, I will ring your neck.
Sorry. Be there in fifteen minutes.
This wasn't weird, this was normal. Yes, Killian was her former lover, but they had each other's backs, like Neal had Emma's. He was one of her best friends. Gods above, they had come so far since their very first meeting. And also, such a long way as people. They were much better people now.
Ten minutes, that's how long it took him. She heard his voice down the hall. "Amelia?"
"Third room on the right. I can't really move." She had fallen back into the chair. The dress weighed too much, she was trapped.
Then there was a soft knock at the door.
"Come in." The door creaked open and Killian popped his head in. And his jaw dropped. "Quit staring and close the door." She told him harshly. He did close the door, but continued to stare.
"Lass, you look…" Funny how she could still make him speechless.
"Don't say it. I did not pick this dress. It is awful and I look horrible. Did you bring the food?"
He still couldn't form any more words, he just handed her the huge bag. She ripped it open to see three donuts, a turkey club with French fries, lasagna and a dozen cookies, all in nice take out containers. "Did you rob Granny's? You know what, don't answer that, I don't care." She dove in for the donuts and actually moaned. "One dirty comment from you and I swear…. This has to be the best donut I have ever had. I have been stuck in this store for the past six hours and no dress yet…." She suddenly felt overwhelmed. Killian grabbed another chair and sat down next to her. She shoved some French fries into to her mouth.
"Maybe bringing you all that food wasn't a good idea. You won't fit into your dress." Killian said, knowing she needed a joke.
"Please, I work out at the gym enough. I'll fit into any normal dress." She looked down at her dress, then placed the bag on the floor and stood up. Killian needed to see the whole horrible picture. "This is not normal. It's like a unicorn threw up on me! Throw a pair of wings on me, I'm a freaking fairy! I don't wear bows, I shoot them. This is not normal, at least not for me. I'm not a princess. I was a bounty hunter; I don't get nice things…"
"Correction, you were a bounty hunter, a long time ago. Now you are a librarian, a hero and you are going to be a beautiful bride." He sensed something else was going on with her. "What are you afraid of, lass?"
She sighed and sat back down next to him. "Nothing."
Killian rolled his eyes, that was a front out lie. He took out his flask. Her eyes widened at it, damn man knew how to bribe her. "I'm afraid this is all a dream, a really really good dream. And I am going to wake up in the Enchanted Forest alone." He nodded, it was a start. He handed her the flask and she took a long drink. Then Amelia continued her rant. "I have been trying to turn my life around since we all came to Storybrooke. I think I did a decent enough job, but I still don't feel like I deserve it. I have a good life now, an amazing life. I have Neal and my wonderful supportive family and friends but I keep glancing over my shoulder just to make sure I'm safe and everyone is safe." Amelia held up her palm, the horns were still there. "I'm afraid there is some way that my past will do something to ruin everything. Enough though I know it is now powerless…" She actually fought back tears. "How do you do it, Killian? We both started this journey as villains, how do you accept this life?"
"First off, you were never a villain, you just made poor choices but your heart was always in the right pace." He had to say that. "As for myself, I pinch myself every day. Never in a million years would I ever picture myself this happy. I have friends, people who have my back no matter what. I might be engaged to a bloody princess who is the most amazing woman I know… present company not included."
"Most amazing woman… Wait, engaged?" Amelia turned to him and threw an am over his shoulder, placing a kiss on the side of his head. "Killian, why didn't you tell me? When did you ask her?"
"I didn't ask yet." He seemed almost shy.
"Oh then forget I congratulated you. When are you planning on asking?"
"Not anytime soon, right now the focus is you and Neal. I don't want to steal the spotlight from you." They sat in silence for a few minutes; Amelia had to take in all of Killian's words.
She was worth it; she did deserve happiness. A smile crossed her face. "Thank you Killian."
"Any time, lass. Now, are you ready to finish this quest for the perfect wedding dress?"
"Yes, but on my terms…" She stood up.
"Of course…" He started to say.
"Help me get out of this dress." Amelia pointed to the back zipper. Killian stared, shocked and confused. "Don't give me that look, you know how to get a woman out of a dress." She glanced over her shoulder at him.
The zipper was pulled down and the dress fell. It sounded like it weighed a ton. Amelia grabbed the short robe that was over the chair and threw it on. She looked over at Killian, who had his eyes squeezed shut.
She had to bite back a laugh. "Really? There's nothing you haven't seen. I'm decent, you can open your eyes."
He did so and looked down at the dress. "I will never understand women's fashion. That looked uncomfortable."
"Tell me something I don't know. Okay, so the plan is: you go back to the main room and distract the pretty pretty princesses and I'm going to the back room. I am picking my own dress."
"Sounds good, lass."
They both exited the fitting room, Killian went to the right, Amelia went to the left. The storage room was down this hall. She shoved the door open and actually groaned. There were thousands of white bags, they all looked the same.
How on Earth was she going to find the perfect dress in this?
Maybe she could use magic? Just to point her in the right direction. She closed her eyes and snapped her fingers and was transported across the room. Her hand touched one bag. Was this the dress?
Amelia slowly unzipped the bag and gasped. She grabbed the bag and transported herself back to the fitting room; she was already in the dress.
Yes, this was the one. She knew because she had to bite back tears. It was beautiful and perfect.
The dress was strapless, fitted to about her knees. That's where it flowed out in soft gathers. She could breathe in it, which was the most important thing. But the thing that made the dress perfect for Amelia were the navy flowers.
She stayed in front of the mirror to just stare, to take in the moment. Then she walked out into the main room of the shop.
"Killian, seriously, get out! You're going to take information back to Neal!" Belle shouted and her shouting was rare.
"Why are you even here?" Regina asked. She couldn't imagine why the pirate captain was in the bridal shop.
Killian tried his best to stay calm. Amelia needed to get out here now, before he was killed, or worse.
Suddenly his prayers were answered. He heard some someone clearing their voice.
"I think I found it."
Everyone turned to see a beaming Amelia. She actually blushed under their speechless expressions and walked to the center of the room.
"Sweetheart, you look…" Helen almost couldn't form words.
"This is definitely the one." Mary Margaret said.
"I think you look like a vision." Marian added, taking in the whole picture.
Killian just nodded. Amelia looked happy and ready to take on the world. She mouthed 'thank you' to him before he disappeared from the shop. Now to keep Neal in the dark about how beautiful his bride was.
Who was he kidding? Neal already knew Amelia held the moon and stars.
Amelia's small group was gathered around her. She spun a few times. She liked the back was low enough to see her tattoo on her shoulder blade. That was not going to be covered up. The dress did make her feel like a royal princess, that wasn't really that much a stretch.
She only needed the shoes, and some sort of headpiece, she was forgoing the veil. The jewelry was picked out, the infinity necklace and her engagement ring.
Everything was coming together. Amelia would continue to count down the days.
Aww! Killian coming for a heart to heart. They have a really good relationship now. Note- Jordan is pregnant with twins, so Amelia is going to be an aunt. Amelia still has the scar on her scar from the Horned King, it's to remind her of all she overcame. Killian is going to propose to Emma in the near future.
My tumblr is megairishrose for anyone looking for visual aids, all the dresses Amelia tried will be on there soon.
Reviews?