"You look so beautiful, Emma," Snow said, tears filling her eyes.
The mirror reflected back a woman dressed in white silk and lace, with a crystal tiara sitting atop her head. Her hair was arranged in an intricate pile of braids and curls, with pearls peeking out here and there. Her earrings were brilliant diamonds and her necklace was a deep sapphire set in platinum. Snow said that it had been her mother's, and her mother's mother's before that. All Emma could do was stare at herself in disbelief. The day was finally here; her wedding day. It was a day she thought she'd never have.
"Are you okay?" her mother was asking her.
Emma muttered something. Maybe it was about feeling okay, or maybe it was about needing some water or some fresh air. She didn't know. She only heard her own voice, and then she was ducking out of the room.
Once she reached the hallway, her gaze fell on the door at the end. The glint of the brass knob drew her attention and somehow her fingers were reaching toward it, grasping it, turning it.
The cool breeze from the autumn day reached her and caressed her skin. She gulped it in and ran outside to immerse herself in it. The lot behind the little chapel was mostly empty, with only her father's truck, her yellow Volkswagen, and a few other vehicles parked near the door. Her chest felt tight and she took another deep breath, and then she started running.
She ran down the street, past the library and the clock tower, past the school and past Regina's mansion. Soon she ran out of road and ran barefoot into the grass, having lost her shoes somewhere along the way. Thoughts of Cinderella ran through her head as she wondered if anyone would find them and try to fit them on to her feet. That idea made her run faster, for the safety of the trees surrounding Storybrooke.
Branches snagged in her hair, untethering the artful updo. It cascaded into brilliant golden waves around her shoulders, and still she ran. She went by the magic well, that she'd climbed from with her mother as they escaped the Enchanted Forest to return just a few short years ago. She began to laugh as she remembered that she'd left him there with Cora, on that beach. And her laughter turned to tears as she realized she was leaving him behind again. Her prince charming… no, her pirate charming, with his leather and jewelry and his shiny, deadly hook.
She brushed away her tears and realized she'd emerged from the woods and was in the field in front of the old farm house. Finally, she stopped running and began to walk toward it, thinking that maybe there would be a bed in there, and she wasn't Cinderella, she was Goldilocks, needing a place to curl up and hide.
She reached the old porch and tried to open the door, but it was locked. She went to the window and peered inside. It was dark and deserted. She felt deflated. She didn't want to be here, not really. Why did she keep doing this to herself? Why did she have to sabotage every chance she had at happiness? And what was she going to do now? She couldn't go back and see them – it was too embarrassing.
She turned and dropped down onto the rickety wooden steps, stretching out her legs and studying her filthy, beaten up feet. Some princess she'd turned out to be, right? A twig scratched against her cheek and she plucked it out of her hair. There were a few other twigs and leaves and even berries that she'd picked up, too. She ran her fingers through the tangled locks and did her best to restore some order to them. Once again, she'd made a mess out of everything. Sighing, she rose from the steps and walked around to the back of the little house, where she remembered seeing a well. A cool splash of water on her face sounded good.
And there he was, down on his knee holding a crown made of daisies on his hook. He smiled up at her, as only he could, with a wicked glint in his eyes, and a raised eyebrow that dared her to kiss him senseless.
"Hook…"
"Milady." He rose and placed the flowers atop her head. "These are for you."
She looked up at him, understanding exactly what this all meant. "You knew."
"Aye," he said. He took her hand and led her to where an arbor stood, covered in vines and red roses. "My Swan will never make things easy, but I am a pirate, and capturing treasure is my life." He lifted her hand to his lips and softly kissed the knuckles. "You have to know by now how much I love a challenge."
Her heart filled with gratitude, and something deeper, and she barely noticed as her family and closest friends joined around them in a circle. Her father gave her away while her mother and baby brother cried. Archie read the words that she barely heard and Henry gave them their rings. Killian kissed her deeply as she held on tight and kissed him back.
It was perfect.