Thanks again to everyone who reviewed, favourited and followed this story last chapter :) Your responses have been great!

Well, I have to say that this chapter was very tricky to write, but I'm glad at the way it's turned out :) Writing vows for this pair was not easy.

Anyway, here's Emma and Killian's wedding. Hope you enjoy!


Chapter 4 – The Wedding


"Ow!"

"Emma, hold still! These pins are meant to go in your hair, not your eye!"

"They didn't go in my eye, they went in my scalp."

"Well, they're going to go in your eye if you don't stop moving!"

"You know," Emma began, as her mother worked behind her, "this would go a lot easier if you would just tell me what you're doing."

"Not a chance," Snow said, picking up another piece of her daughter's hair. "I want something about your wedding day to be a surprise."

"Well, I can tell it's a sort of bun," Emma stated, wincing as another pin hit the delicate skin of her scalp. "Ow."

"Stop moving," her mother chided her gently. "This would go a lot quicker if you would just stay still."

Emma groaned. "I'm not used to sitting still for so long."

"I'm almost done, honey, I promise," Snow reassured her, placing another pin into her daughter's blonde locks. "You're going to look absolutely beautiful."

Emma closed her eyes with a sigh, but didn't argue. For a few minutes, the room was silent as Mary-Margaret worked on her hair; the only sounds coming from upstairs where Regina and Belle were changing into their bridesmaid dresses.

"What time is it?" Emma suddenly asked, opening her eyes to catch a glimpse of the kitchen clock.

"11 o'clock," Mary-Margaret answered, glancing at the time herself. "Don't worry; you still have another hour before it starts."

Emma chuckled. "Isn't the bride supposed to be late?"

"Not on my watch she's not," Snow answered stubbornly, as she put the last bobby pin in place. Taking a step back, she glanced at her handy work with a critical eye, before making a slight adjustment.

"Can I look now?" Emma asked, hopefully, excitement building in her stomach.

"Not just yet," Snow said slowly, adjusting a piece of hair that had fallen out of place. "Okay...now you can look."

Closing her eyes, Emma took a deep breath to steady herself, before slowly turning around to face the mirror; butterflies beginning to fill her stomach as she did. Slowly releasing the breath she was holding, Emma then slowly opened her eyes to look into the mirror for the first time all morning. With a sharp intake of breath, Emma's eyes quickly filled with tears as she glanced upon her reflection. She could barely recognise herself in the beautiful vintage lace dress that emulated every pattern woven in the material. Her hair was twisted up into a bun just like how it had been at King Midas's ball, with a few strands of hair falling neatly at the sides of her head. Her makeup was subtle, with just a slight touch of blush, red lipstick and darkened eyelashes to show for it. Emma couldn't believe she was looking at the same person.

"Oh, mum..." she choked out, glancing up at Mary-Margaret with tear filled eyes.

"We're not done yet," Snow said gently, as she turned to pick up a small chest from the table behind her. Emma's widened in shock as her mother opened it to reveal her tiara.

"No princess can get married without a tiara," Snow said, her voice hoarse as tears began to fill her own jade eyes.

"It's beautiful," Emma said tearfully, as Snow gently placed the tiara on her head, where it sat glittering as the sunlight hit the tiny diamonds entrenched in the trinket.

"Now, you look just like the princess you are," Mary-Margaret said, as she tried to hold back her tears. "You look absolutely beautiful." Resting a hand on her daughter's cheek, she gave her a loving smile. "I am so proud of you."

"Mum, don't make me cry!" Emma exclaimed, blinking her eyes rapidly to avoid the wave of tears she felt coming. "I don't want to ruin my makeup before it even starts."

Snow gave a watery chuckle. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I can't help it!" she exclaimed, a smile twitching at her lips.

"What can't you help?" came Regina's voice from the stairway, causing Emma and Snow to glance around, immediately stopping Regina and Belle in their tracks.

"Oh, Emma," Regina said, looking flabbergasted as she looked her up and down. "You look beautiful."

"Forget beautiful," Belle smiled. "You look gorgeous. Killian is going to be speechless when he sees you."

Emma grinned. "You three don't look half bad yourselves."

Sweeping her eyes over her bridesmaid's cherry red dresses, Emma duly noted that each of them reflected the wearer's individuality and style. Belle, as the most adventurous dresser, had chosen a full length crinkle chiffon dress with a contoured Queen Ann neckline, draped waist bodice and floor length skirt, complete with two inch red stilettos, that Emma wouldn't even consider wearing, no matter what the occasion. Regina, was wearing a Chiffon Knit halter neckline gown with shirred details at the straps and bodice, along with a regular pair of red high heels. Mary-Margaret, on the other hand, though, was wearing a more modest Lux Chiffon, sweetheart neckline with a pleated bodice, inset midriff and shirred skirt, occupied by a simple pair of red high heeled sandals. All three women couldn't have been more different if they tried.

"Well, I hope so," Regina said dryly, adjusting the straps of her dress. "Or the 20 minutes I just spent trying to wedge myself into this dress was all for nothing."

"She's overdramatising," Belle said, as Emma and Mary-Margaret burst into a fit of laughter. She glanced at Regina with an amused grin. "It was more like 5."

"Hey," Regina replied, with a small hint of a smile. "At least I didn't take 5 minutes just to get my shoes on. How on earth do you wear those things?" she asked the librarian, seeping her eyes down to the monstrosity that was her shoes.

"With great practice," Belle admitted, lifting one foot up with a wince.

"And that," Mary-Margaret said, with a nod to Belle's stilettos, "is why Emma and I chose to wear sandals. If I'm doing to be standing up all day, I'd rather not be screaming in pain by this afternoon. What do you think, Emma?" She turned back to her daughter, who was glancing into the mirror with a blank look on her face.

Snow frowned. "Emma?"

Emma stood transfixed, her eyes not fixed on any point in space but staring out into the void.

"Emma? Are you alright?"

Her vigil was broken, and she jumped slightly, startled at her own mother's voice. A small guilty wince grew across her cheeks as she turned to face her mother.

"Sorry, mum, I must have zoned out."

"Honey, are you alright?" Snow asked her, concerned. Sitting beside her, she quickly took one of Emma's hands in her own. "Are you nervous?"

"Not in that way," Emma said, looking back at her mother with a smile. "I've never been so sure of something in my life. And a few years ago, that would have scared the crap of out me," she added with a laugh.

Snow smiled. "Then what is it?"

Emma mumbled something she couldn't quite catch.

"What was that?"

Emitting a long drawn out groan, Emma glanced back up at her mother, with a slight blush tinging her pale cheeks. "I'm scared of making a fool out of myself!" she admitted, her face turning brighter by the minute. "I'm scared of messing up my vows in front of everyone. You know I suck at words! Yet Killian is so," she struggled to find the right word, "eloquent. He'll probably say this beautiful speech and here I'll be, struggling to even say anything. Heck," she added with a soft chuckle, "he probably isn't even nervous."

"Nervous?" Snow snorted, causing everyone to glance towards her in bewilderment. "You really think Killian isn't nervous?"

"Well, obviously you don't," Emma retorted angrily, hurt evident in her eyes.

"Oh, baby, I didn't mean it like that," Snow amended quickly, reaching up to cup her daughter's cheek. "It's just...I saw Killian as I was leaving the loft this morning, and believe me, he was anything but calm." At the look of surprise crossing her daughter's face, she chuckled. "Honestly, I think he's just as nervous as you," she told Emma gently. "He was getting dressed as I left, and all he could talk about was how badly he was going to stuff up his vows."

"And here I thought Captain Guyliner was full of self-confidence," Regina grinned, as Emma let out a relieved laugh. She glanced over at Emma. "It appears you've made your pirate as nervous as you are."

"It looks that way," Emma giggled, before glancing over at her mother. "Why didn't you tell me this?" she demanded, although her tone was amused.

"I didn't think it was relevant at the time," Snow admitted sheepishly, laying a comforting hand on Emma's arm. "If I'd known you'd felt this way, I would have told you as soon as I got here because it probably would have helped Killian too. He seemed to think you were the one who was going to show him up."

"I don't think it's possible to show him up," Emma smiled, before she glanced back up at the clock. 11:20am.

"Emma," her mother said softly. "Why don't you call him? He doesn't leave for another ten minutes."

Emma threw her mother a look of surprise. "I thought that wasn't allowed?"

"You're not seeing him, Emma," Regina pointed out, before Mary-Margaret could answer. "You're just happening to check on him before the wedding starts, is all," she added with a sly smile. "Nothing wrong in that."

Emma gave her a grateful smile. "I'll be right back," she said quickly, grabbing her phone as she exited the room. She glanced back up at clock, now reading 11:22, before she quickly dialled Killian's number and waited as it began to ring loudly in her eardrums. Emma found her hand shaking as each ring passed her by with no answer.

"Emma?" Killian answered, after the fifth ring. "Love, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Emma replied with a relieved sigh, as she carefully sat down onto the couch. "I...I just wanted to hear your voice, that's all."

She heard him chuckle. "Well, I can't say I'm disappointed, love," Killian admitted. "But is there any particular reason?"

"Does there have to be a reason?" Emma asked, her voice teasing.

"Open book, love," Killian reminded her, his voice gentle, soothing the butterflies that had taken up residence in her stomach for the past half an hour. "I could tell something is up. Now, what is it?" He paused. "You're not having second thoughts are you?" he asked her nervously.

Emma smiled. "No," she assured him gently. "I'm just...Killian what if I stuff up my vows in front of everyone? You know I'm not good at this sort of thing. What if I ruin everything?"

"You won't," he reassured her gently. "Besides, even if you do, do you really think it'll matter to me? I know how you feel."

"I know," Emma said quietly "I just...want things to be perfect, you know?"

"As do I," Killian said, softly. "But even if it doesn't turn out the way we want it too, it won't matter. No one is going to laugh at us."

Emma sighed. "I know," she said.

"It'll be fine, love, don't worry." Killian's tone was reassuring. "In half an hour's time, you're going to walk down that aisle, looking stunning in that dress of yours, and not long after that, we'll be married. That's all that matters in the end."

Emma smiled. "You always know what to say, don't you?" she asked him, causing him to emit a chuckle on the other end. "Thanks."

"Any time, love," Killian said, as a loud shout sounded from his end.

"Who was that?" Emma asked, as Killian turned away from the phone to answer them.

"Your father," Killian replied. "I'm afraid I have to go now, love. We're heading off. Will you be alright?"

Emma smiled again. "I am now," she assured him, before lowering her voice. "I love you."

"I love you too," Killian replied, a smile evident even in his tone. "See you soon."

"See you soon." Taking the phone away from her ear, Emma's lips curled into a wide smile as she pressed the end call button, before carefully standing up and heading back into the other room where Snow, Regina and Belle were waiting.

"How'd it go?" her mother inquired, seeing the wide smile that lit up her daughter's face. "Do you feel better?"

"I do now," Emma admitted, adjusting her dress one last time as the clock suddenly ticked past 11:30am.

"Are you ready, honey?" Snow asked her, as a proud smile began to form on her face.

T aking a deep breath, Emma smiled and gave her a nod. "I'm ready," she confirmed. "Let's get going."


Killian was nervous. No matter how much he tried to deny that fact, there was no mistaking the slight tremor in his right hand as he stood waiting under the erected archway in the park. Nor could he ignore the endless amount of butterflies that had taken up residence in his stomach within the last ten minutes since his arrival. He glanced up at the bright blue sky where the sun was rising higher and higher every minute. Not long to go now.

"Why are you so nervous?" came Henry's voice from beside him.

"I am not nervous," Killian replied, not even bothering to meet the boy's eyes.

"Yeah, sure," Henry said, with a quick roll of his eyes, "that's why your hand is shaking like a leaf?" He placed a comforting hand Killian's shoulder. "What's wrong?" the teenager asked him.

"Really, lad, I'm fine," Killian said, throwing the boy a small smile.

Henry raised an eyebrow. "I'm not buying it."

Killian sighed in frustration. "You know, you're more like your mother then you care to admit, lad."

"I know," Henry answered with a small grin. "Now, what's wrong?"

"I'm not nervous about marrying your mother, lad, so don't worry," Killian assured the thirteen year old with a smile. "There's nothing I want more in my life then to be with her."

Henry frowned. "Then what is it?"

Killian sighed. "I just...don't want to disappoint her."

Henry snorted. "You won't," he reassured the pirate gently. "Killian, we all went to the underworld to get you. You and mum shared true loves kiss. She knows everything about your past. After all that, I highly doubt you'll disappoint her. Trust me," he added, patting Killian's shoulder.

Killian gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, lad."

"You really think mum would have gone after you if she had one inch of doubt about you?" the boy asked incredulously. "Talk about self-loathing."

Killian chuckled. "You're right, lad."

Henry smiled. "Just...try not to die again, alright?" he asked the man, tone suddenly shy. "I really don't want to lose another dad."

"I'll...I'll try not to, lad," Killian said, his voice slightly hoarse as tears began to prick at his eyes. He cleared his throat. "I'm glad you're up here with me today, lad," he said, a smile lighting up his eyes. "I couldn't have thought of anyone better than my stepson to be one of my best men."

"I'm glad too," Henry said, as he wrapped his arms around Killian in a quick hug, which quickly ended when Robin and David quickly came up to them.

"The girls are here," David said, as he clasped Killian on the shoulder. "Good luck, mate."

Killian nodded nervously. "Thanks."

"Are you ready?" Robin asked him, as he stood beside him and Henry.

K illian threw him a smile. "As I'll ever be."


Arriving in the vicinity of the park, the first thing Emma saw, even through the sheltered trees as she waited, was an isle of white carpeting running down the park, lined with short, bowed pylons linked to each other with bows acting as a fence. Heart and star shaped balloons and other festivities – wreathes, flowers wrapped into the ribbons, and small gossamer bags full of potpourri decorated the fence, which led towards row upon row of white fold-out chairs, each with an envelope with a name written upon it – that is, unless one of their many family or friends who were milling about the site or sitting in their chairs had disturbed them. At the far end of the seats, an altar, wreathed in peonies and roses, stood beneath a similarly flowered arch; two braziers on either side of the arch burnt sweet smelling incense from which blue smoke rose lazily. From where Emma was standing, she could only just make out the figures that were Killian, Robin and her son, but it looked as if they were relaxed and laughing.

"Wow," was all Emma could say as she took the sight in. "No wonder I hardly saw Henry and Robin yesterday. This is...this must have taken ages." She turned to her mother in awe. "Did they really do all this themselves?" she asked, astonished.

"David helped a little, but other than that it was all them," Mary-Margaret said with a smile, sweeping her eyes over the nearest decorations. "Killian wanted to help, but Henry didn't want to ruin the surprise for him."

"I'm glad he didn't," Emma heard her father's voice say, as he approached them. "The look on his face when he arrived was everything Henry could have asked for."

Turning around to face her father, David suddenly stopped dead in his tracks as he took in the sight of his daughter in her wedding dress for the first time. Opening his mouth in awe, Emma didn't fail to notice the pool of tears that began to collect in his eyes as he looked her up and down.

"Oh, Emma," David said, reaching up to cup her cheek gently. "You look...absolutely beautiful."

Tears pricking at her own eyes, Emma smiled. "Thanks," she said happily, as she glanced at his outfit with a small grin. "I see you got your tux," she said, eyeing the white, modern fit, tuxedo that he was wearing with an amused smile.

"I told you," David grinned. "The father of the bride has to look the part."

"Well, you succeeded," Emma chuckled.

"That you did, honey," Snow grinned, stepping forward to give her husband a quick peck on the cheek. "I hope you haven't showed the other guys up."

"Since when have I ever been able to show Killian up?" the prince asked, with a laugh. "No, he, Henry and Robin are dressed quite the part in their own way. As you'll soon see," he added, as Emma raised her eyebrows in question, before music suddenly began to play in the background.

David looked back. "I guess that's our cue," he said, before turning back to give Emma a proud smile. "Are you ready for this?" he asked, leaning forward to kiss her forehead.

Taking a shaky breath, Emma nodded. "I'm ready," she said, linking her arm with her father's as Snow, Regina and Belle began to make their way towards the aisle; Belle handing her a bouquet of bright pink peony's on the way.

Taking a deep breath, Emma clutched her father's arm tightly as she waited for her cue. She watched as Snow turned to look at her with an encouraging smile, before making her way slowly down the carpeted aisle, a bouquet of pale pink roses clutched against her chest. When she was halfway down the aisle, Belle soon followed, who was then followed by Regina, who also threw Emma a reassured smile, before soon following the other two down the aisle.

David turned to her. "Ready?"

Emma nodded. "Ready," she confirmed with a smile, before taking her first step onto the aisle.

Heads immediately turned towards her as soon a she came into sight, resulting in a hushed wave of gasps among the crowd as they took the pair in. With all the eyes on her, the butterflies in Emma's stomach intensified tenfold, causing her to clutch her father's arm tighter in response. Feeling the increase in pressure, David patted her hand lightly in response as they slowly made their way towards the altar, as their friends watched on proudly from their seats. From the corner of her eyes, Emma could make out the forms of Granny, the dwarves, Ashley, August, Marco, Whale, as well as many others looking on as she passed them, her eyes now seeking the one person she wanted to see most.

Glancing ahead at the altar, her eyes first picked out Henry and Robin as they stood proudly off to one side. Emma's mouth twitched in an amused smile as she noticed that both of them were dressed in black dress pants and a white long sleeve dress shirt, accompanied smartly by a black formal dress vest, absent a tie, instead of the dreaded tuxedo. Beside them, Snow, Belle and Regina already stood waiting, and as Emma's eyes swept over her bridesmaids, her eyes finally landed on Killian.

Killian was waiting nervously at the end of the aisle, with the biggest smile she had ever seen plastered on his face, looking every bit as handsome and dashing as ever in black dress pants, blue dress shirt and matching black formal dress vest; also lacking a tie. His hand was shaking slightly as it rested at his side, but he was otherwise composed. The only thing that gave him away was the way his cheek twitched every so often; a sure sign his emotions were getting the better of him. Seeing this, Emma bit down on her lip in an effort to stop the flow of tears that were beginning to pool in her eyes, as, at long last, she reached the altar, where David turned to her with a proud smile.

"I'm so proud of you, Emma." Kissing Emma's forehead, he soon glanced over at Killian, giving the pirate a small nod of approval, which Killian returned, before making his way over to an empty chair beside Granny, taking baby Neal in his arms in the process.

Turning her attention to the man in front of her, Emma felt the butterflies begin to re-emerge in her stomach as Regina stepped forward to take the bouquet from Emma's hand, which Emma released to her with a shaking hand. No sooner had Regina returned to her position, Killian reached out his hand for Emma to take, which she did without a moment's hesitation. Piercing blue eyes met jade.

"You-" Killian began, a warm smile lighting up his face as he took her in for the first time. "You look beautiful."

"You don't look half bad yourself," she grinned, as Archie stepped forward, silencing the whispering guests immediately.

"It is an honour to be gathered here today to witness the union of Emma Swan, and Killian Jones," he said cheerfully, throwing them both a wide smile. "Today they will be taking their first steps of their new lives together, and hopefully, leaving behind the bad memories of late." Stopping there, Archie quickly looked up at them, seeing if it was alright to continue. Tightening their grips on each other's hands, they nodded reassuringly to the conscience, before returning their gazes to each other.

"Emma and Killian have been through much together to get to this point, but they have proven beyond doubt that their love is stronger than any force that is thrown their way, and will continue to do so as they move onto the next chapter in their lives." Archie cleared his throat before he went on. "They have proven, without reason, that loving someone is a reason to stretch beyond our limits for the sake of each other. To look into the soul of each other and accept the other for what they see. And to love each other so deeply, that even death couldn't keep them apart."

Tears were already beginning to flow down Emma's cheeks, causing her to bite down hard on her lip to stifle a sob, while beside her, Killian's Adams apple began to bob as he swallowed hard on a pool of tears that were building in his own azure eyes. In an effort to steady herself, Emma gently took hold of the coolness of Killian's hook.

"Loving is the ultimate commitment which challenges us all to become the people we wish to be," Archie continued hurriedly, seeing the affect he was having on the couple, "and today, Emma and Killian wish to declare their love to all of you present. Now," Archie smiled, "who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

David stood proudly. "I do," he said, throwing Emma and Killian a grin, resulting in a resounding snort from both of them; their earlier tears quickly forgotten. "Yeah, I know," David chuckled, sitting back down in his chair, "stupid tradition."

"Sorry, should have left it out," Archie chuckled, causing a ripple of laughter through the audience. "Anyway, "he continued, clearing his throat in the process, "as a part of this union, comes the declaration of love, and today, Killian and Emma have written their own vows that they wish to share with one another. Killian," Dr Hopper said, with a glance towards the pirate, "you may speak first."

Swallowing nervously, Killian felt a wave of butterflies suddenly engulf his stomach as he struggled to recall his vows, written the previous night at his old room at Granny's, while Emma was at their new home. The moment he had been so afraid of messing up was now becoming all too real, and as his hand started to shake within Emma's grasp, he suddenly felt an encouraging hand on his shoulder, and he looked around to see Henry, giving him a look of encouragement. Grateful, Killian gave the teenager a grateful smile, before looking back to Emma's eyes, which were already beginning to glisten with tears. Taking a deep breath, Killian cleared his throat, and began to speak.

"Emma, when we met, I was nothing but a ruthless pirate, who had embraced nothing but darkness. I thought I was not meant to have a happy ending, and I let that consume me for far too long; until I met you." Tears began to prick at the corners of his eyes, as he glanced at Emma with a tender smile. "You pulled me away from that darkness that had consumed me for so long. You reminded me that revenge was not what I needed. Because of you, I have now become the man I have always wanted to be; not only for myself, but for you as well." Voice growing thick with tears, Killian cleared his throat. "With you and your family, you have given me the life I have always wanted, and the love I hold for you is stronger than anything I thought possible."

Sniffling loudly, Killian struggled to hold the tears at bay, but as they suddenly spilled from his piercing blue eyes, onto his cheeks, his voice began to fail him. Looking up, he met his eyes with Emma's; he saw that, she too, was crying. Tears were flowing thick and fast down her cheeks as she gazed into his face, her own jade eyes glistening brightly. "Emma, you are the strongest woman I have ever met, and you have proven that you will always use that strength to not only protect yourself, but me as well. You have travelled back in time with me, fought snow monsters, and even travelled to the deepest depths of hell to save me, even though I didn't deserve it. You are the most amazing woman I have ever met, and I sometimes wonder how I got so lucky to have found you. Without you, I would still be the man consumed by darkness, and now, I couldn't imagine my life without you." Reaching up to wipe at the moisture on his cheeks, he threw Emma a watery grin, which she quickly returned, tears still cascading down her cheeks unchecked.

"Emma Swan, you are my happy ending," Killian choked out, "and I promise that I will always remain by your side. I promise to love and cherish you for the rest of our days together. I know that life in this crazy town has never been easy," he chuckled, causing Emma to grin, despite her tears, "and it probably never will be. But I promise that whatever comes our way, I will always remain by your side. I love you Emma Swan, always have, and always will."

Emitting a half giggle, half sob, Emma met Killian's eyes with a wide smile on her face.

"So much for not knowing what to say," Emma said, resulting in a chorus of laughter that swept through the assembled guests like a gust of wind, while beside her, Killian let out an amused chuckle.

"Well, anything becomes easy to say when you're looking at the person you love," he said softly, causing Emma to blush brightly as a few giggles were heard within the audience, including Henry and Archie, who cleared his throat guiltily as Emma threw him an exasperated look.

"Emma, you may now speak your vows," he said quickly, throwing her a small smile.

Despite her earlier discomfiture, Emma's heart suddenly leapt in her chest as the cricket said these words. Killian may have been able to speak his vows eloquently, but now it was her turn, Emma could feel the nerves take up residence within her stomach. Taking a deep breath, Emma closed her eyes for a few moments, as the fluttering of butterflies engulfed her stomach, causing her hand to begin to shake within Killian's grasp, causing him to immediately tighten his hold in order to steady her. Feeling his reassurance, she opened her eyes; only to find jade eyes suddenly connect with piercing blue, as he gave her a warm smile. Her nerves faded slightly.

"Killian," she started; her voice shaky, "when we met, my walls were up; my heart closed off. I hid from any possibility of love. In my past, people were always letting me down, and because of that past, I shut myself off from everyone. I was a barrier to my own happiness. Until I met you..."

Feeling her voice beginning to constrict, Emma tried her best to ignore it, as all the while her eyes began to burn once more with unshed tears. "When we met, you were so different to any man I had ever known. No sooner had we met, and you were reading me like an open book. You were the one person who wasn't bothered by my walls. You embraced them. You tore them down one by one. You opened my heart again just when I thought it would never happen again..."

Blinking furiously, Emma struggled to hold back the wall of tears that were quickly filling her already blurred eyes, but as they spilled onto her cheeks, her voice began to grow thick. "You opened my heart again," she repeated, sniffling intermittently, "and in the process you healed it. You never gave up on me, even when I pushed you away. No matter how hard I tried to make things for you, you would always come back. For some reason, you saw something in me that I never saw in myself, and for that...for that I am grateful."

Sniffling loudly, Emma quickly took a hand to her mouth as she let out a soft sob as a fresh wave of tears suddenly spilled from her eyes. Glancing into Killian's eyes, she saw his eyes widening in understanding, before he ran a thumb over her hand gently, giving her a reassuring smile in the process. Taking a deep breath to collect herself, she continued.

"Letting you into my life was the best decision I have ever made," Emma choked out, voice thick with tears. "Because of you, I have become a person willing to let love into her life, and to give it back in turn. You have made me a stronger person just for being in my life, and I would walk through hell a thousand times over to have you by my side." She reached up to wipe at the moisture in her eyes. "I love you so much, Killian Jones. Thank you so much for bringing me home."

Heart pounding, Emma suddenly broke into a huge smile as she finally completed her vow, relief emanating through every part of her body. Beside her, Killian beamed at her, tears still glistening in his own eyes, as he stroked her hand gently. They smiled at each other tenderly.

"Let us exchange rings," Archie spoke up, his own voice slightly thick.

Digging his hand into his pocket, Henry quickly withdrew the rings, before hurrying over to place them in Emma and Killian's hands, cracking them each a watery smile in the process. Emma and Killian couldn't help, but chuckle as noticed the teenager's red, glistening eyes as he returned his place beside the wedding party, all with identical reddened eyes; the worst being Mary-Margaret, who was sniffling loudly every couple of seconds.

"Killian, will you repeat after me," Dr Hopper said, glancing towards the pirate. "With this ring, I marry you, and bind my life to yours. It is a symbol of my eternal love, my everlasting friendship, and the promise of all my tomorrows."

Killian took a deep breath, and gently took hold of Emma's hand with the curve of his hook. "With this ring," he repeated softly, looking into her eyes, "I marry you, and bind my life to yours." Taking the yellow gold wedding band with ten beautiful inlaid stones in his hand, he gently slid the ring over her ring finger. "It is a symbol of my eternal love, my everlasting friendship, and the promise of all my tomorrows."

The grin on Killian's face once the ring snug on finger, was earth shattering, and as he glanced up at Emma, she couldn't help but gasp aloud at the love that shining clearly in his bright blue orbs. "With this ring," she began, without breaking his gaze, "I marry you, and bind my life with yours." Taking Killian's right hand in hers, she slid his own yellow gold wedding band with simple pattern detail over his ring finger, where, all but one ring was now absent on his finger. "It is a symbol of my eternal love, my everlasting friendship, and the promise of all my tomorrows."

"Emma and Killian," Archie beamed, as a hushed round of whispers suddenly began to come over the guests, "by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss…"

Without waiting to hear the rest of the cricket's sentence, Killian pulled Emma towards him, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss, which Emma immediately responded too, automatically wrapping her arms around his neck as she felt his lips on hers.

"…the bride?" Archie finished lamely, as Emma and Killian became engrossed in each other, with the sounds wild clapping, cheering and whistling echoing all around them lost to them, as their kiss deepened. Beside them, Henry and Robin threw a handful of confetti over the top of their entwined heads with boisterous laughs as Emma wrapped her arms around Killian's neck, winding her hand into Killian's raven locks.

"Oi, you two, are you gonna come up for air or not?!" Leroy's amused voice suddenly shouted from the sea of clapping, which was quickly replaced by a roar of laughter.

Breathing a laugh against each other's lips, Emma and Killian half-heartedly pulled away from each other, resting their foreheads against each other's; identical smiles etched upon their faces.

"I love you, Emma Swan," Killian said tenderly, reaching up to caress her cheek, wiping at the remaining dampness on her cheek.

"Emma Swan-Jones," she corrected emotionally. "And I love you too," she said thickly, laying a hand over Killian's with a loving smile, who pressed a gentle kiss to her temple in response; just as they were suddenly engulfed in a hug from behind.

"Welcome to the family, Killian!" Henry exclaimed cheerfully, engulfing his new step-father in a tight embrace. "You have no idea how long I've waited to say that," he grinned.

"I think I have an idea, lad," Killian grinned back, wrapping his hooked arm around the boy's shoulders. "But I'm honoured to be a part of your family, too."

"And so are we," came Snow and David's voices from beside them, and before had even had a chance to turn around, Emma and Killian were engulfed into a tight hug.

"Congratulations, baby," Snow said, reaching up to cup her cheek with a bright smile, before turning her gaze to Killian. "Welcome to the family, Killian," she smiled, cupping his cheek as well. "I'm proud to be able to call you my son-in-law. And might I just say," She grinned, with a gesture towards his outfit, "that you look quite dashing in that vest."

"Don't I know it," Killian quipped, causing Emma to roll her eyes in amusement. "But to be honest," he continued, with a warm smile at Emma, "it's nothing compared to Emma." He reached up to cup her cheek. "You look absolutely stunning, lass," he said. "What you told me about that dress does not give it justice. And here I thought you couldn't get more beautiful."

Emma blushed. "Well, you don't look bad yourself," she grinned. "The vest look has always suited you, though."

"I have to admit, you don't look too bad, pirate," Regina said, as she, Belle and Robin came forward to give their congratulations. "Don't let that go to your head," she added, noticing Killian's smug grin. "You have a big enough ego as it is. "Besides," she went on, glancing at her own love, "I think Robin looks quite handsome too. I like the vest."

"Good to know," Robin grinned, placing an arm around her shoulders. "Anyway, congratulations, mate, Emma. I'm happy for you. You deserve it."

Killian nodded to him. "Thanks, mate."

Emma smiled at him. "And thank you for helping Henry with these decorations," she said. "They look amazing."

"It was worth it," Robin said, looking around the mass of decorations. "The look on both your faces said it all."

"Even if it did take forever," Henry chimed in. "I thought we'd never finish!"

'Well, they look good, kid," Emma smiled, placing a kiss to her son's temple. "Thank you."

"Your vows were beautiful as well," Belle said, throwing them both a soft smile. "I think you made all of us cry, not just yourselves."

"Well, it wasn't the idea," Emma chuckled, leaning her head against Killian's shoulder. "But I'm glad they turned out alright."

"More than alright, I'd say, love," Killian assured her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I'd just like to know how you picked those rings," Snow said, in awe, as she glanced at the sparkling band of gold nestled comfortably on Emma's ring finger. "It's beautiful."

"Henry helped."

"No I didn't," Henry said, with a roll of his eyes. "I went along," he explained, "but it was all Killian this time. Especially the engraving…"

"Engraving?" Emma glanced at Killian in surprise. "What engraving?"

Killian grinned sheepishly, before nodding to her ring. "I had Jeremiah engrave both our rings. I was going to show you after the wedding."

Intrigued, Emma gently pried the piece of metal off her finger, before holding it to the light where, in cursive script, that ran along the inside of the band, read 'true love never dies', with a hook and a swan on either side of the words, to stop them from running over themselves.

"Oh, Killian," Emma said, glancing up at him with tear filled eyes. "It's…it's beautiful. But-"

"I wasn't going to give you a wedding without an engraving, love," Killian said, reaching up to wipe a stray tear as it trailed down her cheek. "So, do you like it?"

"What do you think?" Emma asked him, emitting a watery chuckle. "I love it, you stupid pirate. Oh god, here I go again," she laughed, emitting a great sniff. "Seriously, let's just get going before my husband, "she emphasised the word greatly, "comes up with another way to make me cry."

"Although, I'm sure that could be arranged, love," Killian grinned, "I don't plan too. Although I can't keep any promises."

"I wouldn't either, considering we still have a reception to go too," David grinned, causing Emma to snort, as they and the guests began to make their way towards Town Hall. "And you," he threw Emma a warm smile, "owe me a dance, I'd say."

Emma chuckled. "Sure, dad," she said. "As long as Neil allows it, that is," she chuckled, watching as the baby slept soundly in his father's arms.

"Oh, I'll make sure of it," David mumbled, as he adjusted the little prince in his arms.

"So…Emma," Mary-Margaret said slowly, as she watched her husband and baby son begin to walk. "Now that you're married," she threw the couple a look that neither of them could quite read, "will I be expecting a grandchild for Neil to play with anytime soon?"

"Mum!"

"Mary-Margaret!"


I hope you all liked this chapter :) It wasn't easy to write, but I'm glad of the way it turned out in the end. The vows were slightly tricky, but I just channelled their feelings throughout the series and it came along. And if you're wondering why I didn't add in the reception, t's because I think it was a good place to end it where it was. I was going to write it in, but I think it would have dragged it down, so I ended it where it was.

Anyway, thanks for reading. Don't forget to leave a REVIEW if you are able, but please remember that I DO NOT tolerate flames, but KIND constructive criticism is accepted :)

A/N: Ok, so I was going to leave this story 'in progress' to see whether or not I wanted to continue, but I think it might now be best to end this here. I have another fanfic on the site that needs constant attention and I just don't have the time to update them both, so this story is now finished. Thanks for reading though! :)