On my mind, up past my bedtime
No rest at the kingdom...
Alone in my place, my heart is away
All that I can think of is...
We should get married, we should get married
Let's stop holding back on this and let's get carried away…

"Mine" - Beyoncé

Mine

She didn't think it would actually fit.

Her mother had brought over the dress earlier, surprised that it had actually made it over in the original curse. Of course, Snow insisted that Emma should wear whatever she wanted to for her big day but after she left, curiosity won out and now she was standing in front of her bedroom mirror, in her mother's wedding dress. Her hands smooth over the texture in the full skirt and she does a full turn, smiling as she admires it from all angles. For a dress that quite literally came out of a storybook, it worked quite well in this realm.

"Emma? Are you home?"

The baritone of Killian's voice as it travels upstairs completely takes her out of her reverie. She had been so entranced that she didn't even hear the front door open.

"Killian? Is that you?"

She hears the quickening of his pace coming up the stairs. He had left early that morning, before she and Henry had even woken up, so he was probably eager to see her after being away for so long.

"Aye, it's me… I was just doing the last minute preparations on the Jolly Roger before the ceremony. It's hard to believe that our nuptials are nearly here."

"No, wait! Don't come in here!"

But it's too late. The door swings open and with a shriek, she quickly turns away from him, burying her face in her hands, a feeble attempt to hide her appearance. His protective instinct kicks in and he immediately rushes towards her, concern seeping into his expression and voice.

"Swan? Are you alright?"

"Killian, I told you not to come in here! It's bad luck to see me in my dress before the wedding!"

And then something that she doesn't expect happens. He laughs. She peeks through her fingers and looks into the mirror and sees him smiling.

"Emma, after everything that we've been through, do you really think that a silly superstition could ever keep us from finally being married?"

She lowers her hands and meets his smile with one of her own. Perhaps she was overreacting just a bit with the dress. Their relationship defied all sorts of conventions. One little broken rule shouldn't tip the balance.

"No, I guess not."

She turns around to face him and he just stares at her in complete awe. She's never known him to not have anything to say but just once, her pirate was rendered speechless. He envelops his hands around hers and brings them to his lips, gently kissing her knuckles.

"Swan… in all of my years… I have never seen a more exquisite sight than you in this dress."

She feels the tears welling up in her eyes and she doesn't even try to stop them from falling. To think that she almost lost this, more than once. The thought of life without him now was inconceivable. They were bound to each other, a bond that withstood time, realms and even death.

"I didn't realize how important this was… I mean, it's just a dress but I didn't know how important this really was, Killian…"

"What?"

"To see that look on your face…"

"I'm sorry that I ruined the surprise, love… I didn't mean to upset you."

He gently reaches out, brushing away the wetness from her cheeks, but she just shakes her head and smiles.

"No, I'm not upset… I'm glad that it's just you and me right now… and no one else is going to see that look but me."

Her hands grip the lapels of his leather jacket and she presses her forehead to his, exhaling shakily. His arms wrap around her waist, pulling her in closer.

"What is it, Emma? You still seem vexed."

"Killian, it just all became so real to me now… being in this dress and seeing you look at me like that. It just hit me all at once. This is really happening, isn't it? We're really getting married."

"Aye, love… that is, if you'll still have me."

He barely gets the last syllable out before she captures his mouth in a kiss that makes her head spin. How she ever was so lucky to find him was beyond her but she would hold onto him and never let him go so long as she lived.

"After everything that we've been through, if you think that I'm not marrying you, you're absolutely crazy."