A/N: I apologize for the delay in posting this epilogue. Major writers' block combined with a long-planned vacation overseas are to blame, but the vacation was much-needed. Now here I can finally close out this story and the trilogy as a whole.
Mrs Lucky is trucking along just fine. We have her next scan next week, and it's been three months since her last, so hopefully the trends we've been seeing in how the medicine is helping her continue and we see some significant changes.
Laurathechef worked her magic one final time to put a bow on this trilogy. As always, I claim no ownership of anything you might recognize.
Enjoy!
17 March
"And you're all familiar with what you need to do?" Regina asked into the phone as she paced her study. It had been a very long two weeks getting everything she needed for the spell she'd cast the next day, not to mention keeping her girlfriend in the dark about what would really happen.
"Yes, Regina. We know what you want us to do. You've explained it a dozen times. Now go get some rest. Today's a big day," Snow assured her former stepdaughter.
"More than you know," Regina murmured.
"What? What did you say, Regina? What else do you have planned?"
Regina hung up, unwilling to listen to any more of Snow's increasingly agitated questions. There was no answer she could have given Emma's mother at that moment that wouldn't have given away her every intention, especially with Snow's inability to keep secrets.
The conversation with Snow had to happen after the rest of her household was asleep. Emma's hearing was just too good to chance an accidental overhearing of her plans. As she climbed the stairs, taking care to keep her steps light to avoid waking anyone, Regina's mind drifted off into the plans for the next day that only she knew. An excited smile spread across her face and her stomach did an excited flip. She listened to her son's peaceful snoring as she made her way past his door, happy in the knowledge that her family was safe.
Woolen socks – March in Maine could still be very chilly – made no noise on her soft carpeting. Her bedroom door opened in silence, affording her the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen. Blonde hair splayed across a pillow like a fiery halo, framing a face so angelic in sleep it took her breath away.
She slid carefully onto her side of the bed, propping herself up on an elbow to take in the sight of her slumbering love. Emma always looked more peaceful in sleep than she did awake. Every troubled crease, every worry line faded, leaving…sheer perfection. Her milky skin was only the window dressing. As high as her walls were, the blonde's emerald eyes were always windows into her emotions. One only had to know what to look for. Her lithe, fit figure looked like it was all hard planes and sharp lines, but much like Emma herself, when you got past the outer layers, she had a softness to her. Regina gave a pleasant shiver at the recent memory of uncovering just how soft some of Emma's curves really were. Such was the reward of getting to know the real Emma Swan.
Her shiver made enough movement that Emma stirred, blinking bleary eyes open to look at her. "Wha? Whass goin' on?"
Regina's lips quirked up at the corners. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. I just went downstairs for a minute. When I came back up here and saw how beautiful you were, I had to get back in bed."
"Aww," Emma returned the smile through her clearing eyes, "that's one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me."
"Get used to it. As a matter of fact, today is all about you," the brunette promised, reaching out to tuck a strand of golden silk behind Emma's ear, "I have so many things planned for you today."
"You didn't have to go to all that trouble just for me," protested the blonde, "I'd be happy with a day of just the two of us."
Leaning over to plant a soft, chaste kiss on her lips, Regina regarded her girlfriend. "That's where you're wrong. That very attitude is why I will be doing more things like this; to show you how very special you are and how much you mean to me. I won't lose another minute of our time together."
Emma blinked a few early tears away. "I don't even know what to say to that."
"Don't worry. You will soon enough," Regina's smile broadened into a grin, "Now, get your tight little butt into the shower while I finish up my preparations downstairs."
"I can't convince you to join me?" Emma yawned, stretching her arms out over her head, pushing her breasts out as far as they would go in her pajama tank top.
The brunette swallowed hard on a suddenly dry throat, trying to remember the reasons why she shouldn't just rip the flimsy night shirt off and take a nipple into her mouth. "As much as I would love that, there are things I wanted to get done for you. Rain check?"
"Oh, fine," Emma mock-pouted, sliding out of bed and giving Regina a good long look at her naked rear end swaying on the way to the bathroom.
"Woman's going to be the death of me," she muttered, heading for the door to go downstairs, "but what a way to go."
Emma made her way down the stairs as she put her still-damp hair back in a ponytail. She hadn't known what Regina had planned for the day, but since it was her birthday, she decided to dress how she wanted and slid into a comfy pair of leggings and her favorite hoodie.
She couldn't get Regina's parting words out of her mind. Ever since she'd found her parents, they had said the words, but years of abandonment had left her suspicious of empty declarations. Regina's promise was the sincerest she'd heard in her entire life, but the kicker was that she followed through. Her parents had their second-chance kid, and with the drama they'd gone through during Ingrid's scheme had left a wound on their relationship only fixed when Regina set up the Blue Fairy.
Regina had written herself onto every corner of Emma's life, and the blonde was beginning to believe that she would be there for the foreseeable future.
These thoughts were driven from her mind when she turned the corner and stopped cold. She had the strangest sensation that she was doing a wonderful imitation of a goldfish with her mouth opening and closing with no words coming out.
Regina stood at the stove, doing something that probably involved cooking food from the motions her arms were making, but the only reason Emma was aware of Regina's arm movements was the way they made her perfect peach of an ass jiggle.
She was nude, or at least nude from the back. Emma could see some form of garment like an apron protecting her front. Thank God for that, she thought to herself. The brunette was barefoot, which Emma had told her early on she preferred. It was hard to break Regina of the habit of her sky-high heels, but Emma eventually explained that she couldn't get herself fully into the mood if she knew Regina was that uncomfortable in her footwear.
Regina must have sensed her presence, because she turned to look over her shoulder and the expansive visage of curvaceous olive-skinned flesh confirmed to the blonde that the apron was the only garment Regina wore. "Oh my God," she managed to breathe.
At the comment, Regina faced her, and Emma couldn't bring herself to stifle the smile that came to her face at the sexy leprechaun apron that greeted her. A very slim band of ruffled green lace ringed the almost indecent neckline putting Regina's otherworldly cleavage on display. The varying shades of green in the apron set out an intricate design in light gold, ending just barely below the juncture of her thighs. "Top of the mornin' to ye," the brunette greeted her.
"Only if you take that top off," Emma retorted with a smirk.
"Why? So you can find my pot of gold?" Regina winked.
Emma's jaw flapped in the breeze again. "Damn, woman. You're going to be the death of me," she repeated a refrain that was becoming common the more she got to know her True Love and unconsciously echoing Regina's own mock lament from the bedroom.
"Wouldn't want that now, would we?" husked the older woman, "Not when I have such plans for you, for us." So saying, she reached back and undid the strings behind her back, then reached up and did the same to the strings behind her neck, letting the apron pool around her feet.
"Oh, look at that. You found me pot o' gold," Regina attempted in an Irish accent that Emma had to admit was pretty good.
Amazed at her ability to form words with a mouth as dry as a desert (and other places that were just the opposite) Emma looked her girlfriend up and down. "S-so what's my prize?"
Flashing a devilish smirk, Regina turned and plated their omelets along with what Emma could see were pancakes before sauntering over to the table and setting them down next to a bottle of stout for Emma and a mimosa for herself.
"It's not my birthday. Oh, my God. Is someone dying? I'm sick, isn't it? That's why you're a nude goddess serving me my dream breakfast."
Laughing by the end of the rant, the older woman took Emma's hands in her own and calmed her the best way she knew how: apply lips and wait for the blonde to relax.
Worked every time.
When she felt the other woman's breathing even out and her posture lose most of its tension, she pulled back but held eye contact. "Nothing is wrong. No new villain is terrorizing our sleepy little town. No one is sick, least of all you."
Pure confusion shone out of emerald orbs. "Then, what's all this for? Kegs and eggs and...you?" she asked, gesturing to the food and Regina's nude form.
With a warm smile, the brunette took Emma into a warm embrace, chuckling when she felt hands slide down to cup her ass, Emma's favorite place to rest her hands. "All this is because it's a special day for you, and it's because I wanted to show you how special you are to me."
Emma's eyes took on a watery shine that she blinked several times rapidly to clear, refusing to cry in any but the most overwhelming situations. "You're too good to me," she not quite choked, swallowing hard on a lump in her throat.
"It's about damn time someone was," said Regina with conviction, "now let's eat before your food gets cold and then you can claim your reward for finding my pot of gold."
Emma gulped.
The meal was a rousing success. At least, the part of the meal that Emma could remember. For the rest of her life she wouldn't have any memory of what Regina actually cooked for them. Sitting at the table, with Regina while eating her cooking, with the brunette fully nude was one of her top fantasies ever. She'd only ever mentioned it once, in bed shortly after they'd gotten together. She hadn't really expected anything to come of it, but Regina had apparently been listening and planning.
Then Regina took it to the next level. When she'd finished most of her food, the older woman took the bottle of syrup they'd used for their pancakes and drizzled it on her chest, letting the thick, sweet liquid drip down her breasts and onto her stomach. By the time it reached her navel, Emma had Regina lying on the table, doing her level best to clean the other woman off.
The resulting shower – pleading the excuse that she'd needed to clean any excess stickiness off of herself Emma joined Regina in the bathing – lasted the duration of the hot water and led to more adult fun in the bedroom.
Sometime after a lunch that Regina conjured to refuel their bodies afterward, they stumbled downstairs, Regina promising a surprise if they could only leave the house. After enough pleading that she was legitimately embarrassed at herself, Emma acquiesced, taking her sweet time ogling Regina while she dressed in a charcoal-colored power suit with an emerald blouse. Emma eventually, grudgingly, joined her, wearing dark skinny jeans and a deep forest green sweater.
She was just in time to see Regina finish wiggling her fingers and sending a stream of purple smoke out the window. "What was that?"
"The second part of your surprise for the day," the brunette answered with an enigmatic smile.
Pursing her lips, Emma debated using her Charming charms to get the trough out of her girlfriend, but decided to let her have the surprise. "How does my makeup look?"
"You look amazing, dear. Not that you needed any makeup in the first place," grinned the older woman, tracing Emma's cheeks with a soft thumb.
Still feeling a thrill of pleasure at the praise, Emma deflected. "If you're hoping that flattery will get you into these jeans later on, I have to say you're wasting your time. You were already going to get some, anyway. I'm kind of easy that way."
Regina snorted. "You are anything but easy, my dear, and worth so much more than mere words. Now, shall we begin our celebration?"
"Lead the way, my Queen," Emma requested, holding out the crook of her elbow for Regina.
When they got to Storybrooke's downtown area, Emma stopped dead in her tracks. "This…this is what the magic was for? You did this?"
The town was changed. Instead of a neo-colonial seaside hamlet, Granny's, Gold's pawn shop, the post office, and every other building had been transformed into a postcard-picture quality representation of a town in Ireland. The streets were now cobblestone, and Granny's was now advertising itself as The Wolf and Rose Public House.
"You did all this for me?" Emma turned to Regina, stunned into disbelief at the extent of Regina's surprise. "Why?"
"Aside from the fact that you're my True Love and making you happy makes me happy?" the brunette snarked, "Not long after we got together I happened to overhear you singing a song in the kitchen, something about painting the town green. I looked up the lyrics and you changed the city name to Boston. It wasn't hard to figure out that after living there for a few years this might be one of your favorite holidays. It's not enough of a gesture to make up for everything I've done to hurt you in the past, but maybe it's a small step," she finished, looking down at her fingers, entwined together in her nervousness.
"Regina," Emma breathed, taking the other woman's hands, untwisting her fingers and wrapping her in a bear hug, "No one has ever done anything even close to this big for me. I just, there are no words. I love you so much," she finished, hoping the tears in her eyes weren't apparent in her voice.
"I love you, too," Regina answered, holding on just as tight, "But that's not all the surprise yet. Listen."
Emma stilled, focusing her senses on hearing anything Regina might have been talking about. The sounds of music, singing, and general revelry slowly made their way to her ears. "Is that…?" she trailed off.
"Uh-huh," the brunette grinned.
Without another word, Emma dashed into the temporary pub, coming to a screeching halt in the doorway.
Joining her, Regina peeked over her shoulder. The interior had been changed to reflect the images of pubs she'd seen in her research. Instead of chrome and vinyl booths and tables, there were now high-backed dark wood booths with cushions. The tables were similarly transformed. Mirrors with stenciled Celtic designs ringed the interior space, and a crackling fireplace took up one corner. Everything was hung with green decorations. Shamrocks, four-leaf clovers, Claddagh designs, and the intricate knots found in Celtic artwork ringed the interior.
Everything with the townspeople was as she'd instructed as well, she saw. The dwarves had set up a temporary area in the back corner for their band. Part of her spell had given them knowledge of Irish musical instruments. Grumpy held the bodhran, Dopey was the fiddler, Doc had the accordion, Sneezy was picking at a banjo, Happy was puffing away on the uilleann pipes, and the singer was none other than Bashful. They were moving through a rousing chorus of The Black Velvet Band, to the general enjoyment of the townspeople. So much of their time was spent lamenting the world they'd come from, Regina reflected, that they hadn't had any time to really appreciate the world they were living in, other than having central heating, indoor plumbing, and the Internet.
Hook and Tink had a table in the back while the now-leaderless fairies occupied a long bench table in the middle of the room. Geppetto and Pinocchio were off to one side, laughing at something the boy had said while Belle sat at the bar, leaning over and talking to Ruby.
Maybe this idea was a good plan for more than just Emma. She fingered the small box in her pocket, hoping that Emma's reaction portended a positive answer to a certain question she was planning to pop later on. A certain question she'd debased herself enough to ask the Charmings for their blessing in advance, she remembered with a pained grimace that was in no way genuine.
The same Charmings who were in a booth to the side of the room. Neal was in a high chair being fed what looked to be a pureed version of some of the Irish dishes Granny was serving just that day – mashed potatoes, peas, carrots, and the like. "Awww," Regina couldn't stop herself from cooing at his outfit. Snow had dressed him in a miniature white Aran sweater with a matching cap to keep his head warm. David wore a similar sweater, with a black vest and a cap on his head while Snow somehow made a simple peasant's dress look almost royal. David and Henry were tucking in just as eagerly as his son to the non-pureed version of beef stew while Snow was picking at a plate of fish and chips in between spooning more food into her son.
"I have to hand it to you, Regina," Ruby said as she approached, "This idea of yours was even better than you expected. Everyone loves the new menu items, the special booze, and the music. We may have to figure out a way to do this more regularly. I haven't seen so many people in here having so much fun in years."
"I'm glad that people are enjoying themselves," Regina said, taking in the sight of a packed pub full of merriment.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her love bouncing back to her with a Cheshire-cat grin and two pint glasses full of dark liquid that she knew to be the stout Ireland was justly famous for. "This is amazing, Regina! It's just like my favorite bar back in Boston," the blonde bubbled. "Here, I got your first pint of the night."
"Slainte," Regina toasted, clinking her glass to Emma's and enjoying the look of pure adoration sent her way.
The night was a rousing success. After a little time to eat, David and Hook cleared the floor for dancing, and the liquor and music flowed. Emma was radiant. Regina's breath caught in her throat numerous times at the sheer joy on the blonde's face, and gratitude that she'd gotten her head out of her ass in time to be the one that helped put that look there.
She eventually found her way outside, taking a moment to enjoy the clear, cool air while Emma spent time with her family. The moment also gave her time to steel her courage for the coming talk. Her rational mind kept telling her that she and Emma were confirmed True Loves, that they were living together, and that the blonde's answer was a mere formality, but her traitorous heart, doubtful and insecure after a lifetime of abuse and loss, refused to let her put much stock in reason.
"Hey, there you are," said Emma as she made her way out, "I was wondering where you'd gotten to. Why are you out here all by yourself?" she asked, sitting down next to Regina at one of the outdoor tables Granny had chosen not to use on the chilly evening.
"I needed a few minutes to myself to think," Regina answered, half-truthfully.
"Ooookay," Emma drew out her response, "Think about what? Is everything okay?" Little worry lines began to appear around the corners of her eyes.
"Oh, no Emma. Everything's fine. There's just something I wanted to talk to you about tonight and I needed the quiet to frame my thoughts," she rushed to explain, hoping to alleviate any concerns Emma might be developing.
"Talk? You're giving me the 'we need to talk' talk? I know I'm not as neat and tidy around the house as you'd like but I promise I'll do better," Emma started panicking at an imagined impending breakup.
"No, no. It's not that at all," said Regina, trying to soothe the other woman. Taking Emma's hands, she held the blonde's gaze and tried to will her to understand. "I came out here to help calm my mind because I needed to ask you something."
"So here goes," she said, taking a deep breath, "You know my history, how I was forced into an arranged marriage with the King. It was a misery, and I ended up killing him to get my freedom. After that I swore I would never find myself trapped in a marriage again. Never suffer the indignity of having to do my 'wifely duties' whether I wanted to or not. For almost four decades, I was free.
"But I wasn't happy," she continued, noting Emma's face starting to fall. "I was alone and unloved. Until Henry came along. Then all of the sudden there was this perfect little screaming bundle who looked to me to sustain his needs. I was needed. I was loved. He became my entire world, and then when he got the damned author's book, things started to change. He started looking at me with fear, then anger. I'd lost my little prince the day he ran away to find you.
"Then you came along. At first I hated you. How could I not? Whether you wanted to or not you were usurping my role in his life, but once we got through that rough patch, when you woke him from my curse," she hung her head in shame at that deed, which prompted Emma to squeeze her hands in reassurances that it was truly over and forgiven, "When you came back from the Enchanted Forest and we saved the town together, when we moved the moon with our magic, but most of all when you fought to keep Henry in my life, acknowledging that I was the mother that had raised him to be the man he was, I started to fall for you. I started to see how amazing you truly are. Growing up the way my curse forced you to and still coming out of that a strong, caring woman who loved with every part of her being, someone who dropped her old life and moved up to a strange town to be near her son, then stayed to help her family forge a new life after the curse and fought monsters by my side…I was honored to call you a friend, even when I wanted more. I loved you so much, Emma."
"I've loved you just as long, Regina, but what is all this about? What are you doing here?" Emma asked, no small note of fear in her voice.
Regina looked at her, aware of tears threatening to overflow her eyes. "It was in the moment when I saw you under a cursed sleep where no one could reach you, that I felt the sense of crushing loss more than at any other time in my life. It was in that moment when I knew for sure."
"Knew what?"
With a wavering smile, Regina slid out of her chair and got down on one knee.
"Oh, my God," Emma gasped, eyes wide as teacup saucers.
"It was in that moment that I knew that I had found the one person who could change my mind," answered the brunette, reaching into her pocket.
"Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God," Emma repeated, hands moving to her face involuntarily.
"It was in that moment that I knew that I had found the one person who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with," Regina finished, taking the black velvet box out of her pocket and looking up at her love. Casting the Dark Curse was nothing compared to staring into the blonde's eyes, teetering on the precipice of the question she was about to ask.
Regina opened the box, showing Emma the engagement ring and its princess cut emerald surrounded by pure white diamonds. "Emma Swan: will you change the story of my life, give me my happy ending, and accept my promise to give you yours? Would you do me the incredible honor of becoming my wife?"
Emma fell to her knees, ignoring the ring as she took Regina's face in both her hands. Unsure whether the tears she saw were her own or Emma's, Regina blinked them away, wanting to capture this moment for the rest of her life. "You wonderful, infuriating, frustrating, loving, caring, amazing woman," breathed the blonde, "Of course I will!"
And with that she crushed their lips together in a kiss of pure love. They broke apart, gasping for breath and laughing in giddy relief at the dissipation of the tension. "The ring!" Regina exclaimed.
Emma held out her left hand, coughing, crying, and grinning all at the same time. When Regina slipped the band on Emma's third finger, they each heard a roaring sound. Looking over their shoulders, they saw as many people as could fit crowded around the windows of the restaurant.
They were cheering as hard as they possibly could, waving their hands, hugging each other, and in the case of the couples, kissing at the pure joy of the moment. The door burst open, and no one would have been able to keep Snow from being the first person out to congratulate them. David followed soon after, along with Henry, Ruby, Granny, and even the dwarves until Emma and Regina were surrounded by the visible love of all of Storybrooke.
"I love you," Emma said, giving her a chaste, gentle kiss.
"I love you, too," answered Regina, feeling more joy and happiness in that one moment, in a realm she didn't even know existed before the darkest of curses, standing surrounded by former enemies, embracing the love of her life.
"This is our happy beginning; the beginning of the rest of our lives together," she promised, before the assembled people moved back into Granny's to celebrate.
A/N: We're come to the end of this long, crazy ride. I would like to say a sincere thank you to everyone who was with me along this journey. Your comments, reviews, favorites, and alerts meant the world. When I started it I had no idea it would go on like this, but once started it was impossible to stop until I had everything wrapped up.
I hope you enjoyed this conclusion as much as everything that led up to it. Any final comments would be greatly appreciated!