Final Author's Notes: And so, my friends and readers, we've reached the end of this one. I have to say that I fully enjoyed writing this story and that is one that I am immensely proud of with the way that it turned out in the end.
I'd like to thank my dear friend Kimmy for catching typos/grammatical errors that had slipped past me. For someone who never read fan fiction before, she did a great job (and now she's hooked, but what can I say...)
Caryn, my go-to chick when it comes to stories/brainstorming/etc, your endless support means the world to me and I can't thank you enough for you being there through every paragraph, every chapter, pointing out when things don't work/don't make sense and never failing to be completely honest with me. I love you, C!
To the readers who have kindly left reviews, especially to those who always reviewed every chapter, I thank each and every one of you. I may not always personally respond, but I read them and appreciate you taking a moment or two to reflect and share your thoughts!
That's it for this one...and in my head I've titled this "the epic-logue" not only for it's length, but because of the way it evolved as I wrote it. Even rereading it gets me in tears and awash in emotion. I hope you enjoy the last of this story! And please, don't forget to leave a review!
(Five Years Later…)
Regina watched as seven-year old Henry ran towards the small group of his peers just as the bell rang, signaling the start of a new school year and the second grade. The sound of laughter and the odd cry of the younger ones clinging to their mother's as the teachers ushered the children into lines and led them inside filled the air. She smiled and turned to Emma, wanting nothing more than to steal a kiss yet she held back, holding Emma's longing gaze with her own for just a few lingering moments.
"Have fun, Henry!" Emma called out and she reached to grasp on to Regina's hand.
"I will, Mama!" Henry smiled back at her before following the rest of the children inside. "I love you!" He called out with a wave of his hand. "I love you both!"
"Bye, Henry," Regina smiled and waved back at him before pulling her hand free from Emma's. They made their way to the Mustang and wordlessly got in the car. It was a beautiful summer morning and the heat of the day was just beginning to creep up. "I need to go back home. There is something that I forgot."
"Okay," Emma said with a soft nod, playing with the ring on her left hand, the very same ring Regina had given her nearly five years ago on Christmas. "We're going to be late for work."
"No, we're not," Regina smiled at her as she reached over for her hand. "We're taking the day off. There is something a little more important that we have to do today."
"Oh?"
"A surprise, darling."
Regina could feel the nerves bubbling just under the surface, but it wasn't as if they hadn't talked about it before. They had, just a few times over the years, about finding another house to live in together, but every time they did look, there never was anything that seemed to suit either of their tastes. Real estate in Storybrooke was hard to come by, but Regina had been talking with Kathryn for a little while and she found a house a little ways out of town with a bit of property and from the description, it seemed perfect.
It wasn't officially theirs yet, but it was an estate sale and the general public was not aware of the availability of the property. Regina wanted Emma to see the property with her and she wanted Emma to sign the paperwork with her because she wanted it to truly be their home together. She had left the key to the house at home, not on purpose, but with the chaos of the morning and getting an excited Henry ready and off to school, it had gone forgotten in the envelope tucked in the bedside drawer.
Regina pulled into the driveway, kissed Emma's cheek quickly and told her she would be right back. She hurried into the house, grabbed the envelope with the keys and folded it carefully, placing it in her back pocket before heading into the kitchen. She had gotten up earlier that morning not just to pack Henry's lunch for school, but a small lunch for the two of them she planned on having at the house they would hopefully call theirs in the near future. If that fell through, and she sincerely hoped that it wouldn't, she planned to take Emma down to the beach.
She packed the sandwiches and the bottles of Coke into a small cooler and took it out to the car. She put it in the trunk and got back in with a smile on her face. Emma looked at her skeptically, but didn't say a word as she backed out of the driveway and drove off. The property was just a little further down the road from the Nolan farm and when Emma realized what road they were on, she reached over for Regina's hand.
"Where are we going?"
"I told you, it's a surprise. If I told you the surprise, it wouldn't really be one, would it, darling?"
"You know I don't like surprises," Emma muttered with a pout Regina had an urge to kiss away, but she kept her eyes on the road and gave Emma's hand a gentle squeeze.
"I know you do, but I have a feeling you're going to like this one."
"Are we going to visit David?"
"No."
"But we're—"
"Emma," Regina sighed and gave her hand another squeeze. "Just be patient, darling. We're not going to the Nolan farm and I am not telling you what the surprise is either."
Regina offered a smile before turning her eyes back to the road, looking for the rock Kathryn said was at the end of the almost hidden driveway. When she saw it, she came to an almost stop before making the tight turn on to the gravel driveway. Trees lined the edge, covering the narrow driveway like a blanket from above and as she approached a smooth curve, Emma turned to her.
"Stop the car."
"Emma—"
"You totally brought me out here to kill me, didn't you?" Emma asked cheekily.
"Dear, I think that you read far too many murder-mystery books for your own good," Regina said with a playful roll of her eyes and took the curve in the driveway and realized it went down a smooth hill, the house barely in sight with all the trees that surrounded the property. "Do you honestly think that I would be capable of doing such a thing?"
"Well no, but sometimes when we're fucking and you do that thing with your tongue—"
"Emma," she sighed with a shake of her head. "You are insufferable, you know that?"
"You still love me."
"That I do," she smiled and she made one last turn on the gravel driveway and came to a stop.
Trees surrounded the white two-story house and there was a small clearing in front and out in the back. Kathryn had warned her the house had been vacant for several years and the family of the man who once lived there had finally decided to part with it recently. It needed some work, that much was clear from the condition on the outside, but she had hoped it wouldn't need too much work despite the fact it'd been vacant for years. Regina looked over at Emma who was just staring at the house with a perplexed look on her face.
"Who lives here?" Emma asked quietly. "Regina?"
"Well, no one lives here, not yet," she replied and she slipped out of the car and re-adjusted her aviators. "What do you think?"
"It looks haunted," Emma chuckled as she moved to stand at the front of the Mustang beside Regina. "Seriously, what are we doing here?"
"Well," Regina said as she took the envelope out of her back pocket with the keys she'd gotten from Kathryn. "I thought we'd take a look at the house together. Kathryn needs the keys back by one since the lawyer is coming back to town this afternoon to pick them up."
"I'm not following."
Regina laughed and wrapped her arms around Emma, kissing her softly. "Darling, we're here because I'm hoping that maybe this house will become ours. We've talked about this before, we've looked at other houses, but none of them quite fit our family."
"So you brought me to a haunted house in hopes that it'll become our new home?"
"Oh, Emma," Regina shook her head and kissed her once more. "It isn't haunted, my love. It's just been vacant for some time now. It'll need some work, as you can see, but can't we at least look at the house before making a decision?"
"Okay," Emma said softly before leaning in for another kiss. "I kind of like how private it is too."
"There is quite a bit of property, which I'm sure Henry would love to spend hours exploring."
"Oh he would," Emma smiled and she stepped out of Regina's embrace. "Okay. Let's look at the house before we make any decisions."
Regina reached for her hand and led the way up to the front porch. The wood creaked with every step and Regina tried one of the three keys on the ring, the second one sliding into the lock and opened the door. It was a little dark in the entranceway, dusty with a few leaves on the wood floor and cobwebs in the corners. Regina led the way inside and pocketed the keys, tightening her grip on Emma's hand as they stood in the front hallway.
A grand set of stairs led the way up to the second floor and to the left was a sitting room and to the right a large dining room. Some furniture had been left behind and Regina went through the sitting room first with Emma lagging behind her, hesitant. The sitting room led the way to an even bigger room with a grand stone fireplace and bookshelves, mostly empty, lined two of the walls. She pushed opened a door and led the way into a kitchen that was easily twice the size of the one they had now and it was in fairly decent shape aside from the dust and the leaves that blew in through the broken french doors.
"It's huge," Emma laughed and let go of Regina's hand, walking over to a door and yanked it open. "I think there is a cellar down there but I really don't want to go down and find out."
"Scared?" Regina asked as she walked up behind her and wrapped her arms around her.
"Little bit, yeah."
"Come on, let's look around some more," Regina whispered into her ear before stepping aside and leading the way out to the dining room where a large table sat and covered with a large sheet. There was another fireplace in there, but not nearly as grand as the other. "Do you want to head upstairs?"
"It's kind of dark in here, isn't it?" Emma asked and she pushed the light switch. "And no electricity."
"Of course there wouldn't be when nobody lives here, Emma. Why don't you run out and grab the flashlight from the kit in the trunk?"
Emma nodded and quickly rushed out of the house and Regina took a look around the front hallway. She closed her eyes and she could clearly see it in an entirely different state. Clean with the floors gleaming, sunlight coming in the windows once some of the trees had been trimmed back or removed from around the house, a fresh coat of paint on the walls and the sound of Henry's laughter flowing down from upstairs.
She could see all the potential the house had already and she could see the three of them making it their home, living their lives there happily until the end. She knew that it being outside of town and practically cut off from the outside world, they could live and love without worry as they did in their own home, always afraid of any types of affection even in their own backyard. There, they wouldn't need to worry of such things and they could quite literally forget the rest of the world.
"There is a garage out back," Emma said as she came back in with the flashlight. "We should check that out later. It has a huge padlock on the doors."
"Of course. I'm sure one of the keys will open it," Regina replied and she took the flashlight from Emma's hands and turned it on. "Shall we?"
They climbed the stairs together and looked at each of the four bedrooms, almost all equal in size aside from the one at the far end of the hallway that had its own small little bathroom adjoined. Regina was mildly surprised since she had expected it to be in a lot worse shape inside. There was nothing a good cleaning, a fresh coat of paint and a few new windows couldn't fix. They ended up at the top of the stairs and looked over the landing down at the front door.
"It—it's great, Regina," Emma said softly as she turned to her. "It needs some work, but it's great. Don't you think it's too big for the three of us?"
"Is it?"
"No," Emma smiled. "No, I don't think it is."
"Shall we go outside and look at the garage?" Regina asked and Emma nodded wordlessly.
Regina switched off the flashlight before they headed out the front door, hand in hand and walked around to the back of the house where a large garage stood. It seemed to be in slightly better shape than the house and sure enough the doors were locked with a rather large padlock. She fished the keys out of her pocket and the first one she tried opened the padlock. Together they pulled open the barn style doors and walked inside.
The first thing that caught Regina's eye was the yellow Volkswagen Beetle. The engine was on a worktable behind it but other than that, it looked to be in good shape. Emma noticed too and walked to the driver's side and opened the unlocked door with a look of awe on her face.
"Do you think this comes with the house?"
"Kathryn mentioned that anything on the property and in the house stays, so yes, I believe the car comes with the house."
"It's a beautiful car," Emma said and she moved to sit down in the driver's seat. "When Neal and I got married, I saw one just like this and he promised one day he'd find a way to get me one. We stole one once, but he drove. It was yellow, like this one, only it had a real funky smell to it."
Regina smiled and leaned against the door, watching Emma as she became lost in her memories, giving her that moment. They very rarely spoke of her deceased husband and when Emma did mention him, Regina just listened. It was all she could do and even though she knew the true nature of their marriage, she knew that Emma loved him in her own way and that even five years later, she missed him terribly.
Emma sighed and got out of the car, straightening out her pale yellow sundress with a lopsided grin. "If we get the house, do you think we could find someone to get the car running?"
"I'm sure we can, darling."
"Could you—can you teach me how to drive?"
"We still have yet to teach you how to ride a bicycle, darling," Regina chuckled. "And every time I've tried to talk you into it, you always find some excuse to get out of it."
"Tell you what," Emma said as she loosely draped her arms over her neck. "You teach me how to drive and then I'll let you teach me how to ride a bicycle."
"All right," Regina laughed and she kissed her softly. "It's a deal and one you are most definitely not backing out of once again."
"I won't. I promise."
Regina laughed and they shared one last kiss before walking out of the garage and shutting the doors. Regina put the padlock back into place and turned to face Emma who was staring up at the back of the house with a wistful smile on her face. She didn't have to ask her to know that Emma was thinking of turning the house into their home and she just moved to stand behind her, wrapping her arms around her and placed her chin on Emma's shoulder. They stood there for a few minutes, the slight breeze rippling through the trees as the sun gradually rose higher in the sky. Regina smiled, something she'd been doing a whole lot of lately, and just held on to the quiet moment they had that was theirs alone.
"How much is it?" Emma asked quietly.
"We can afford it."
"Can we?"
"The family, they aren't asking much, just enough to abolish the debt."
"How much, Regina?"
"Seventy-five," she replied quietly.
"Grand?"
"Yes."
Emma exhaled sharply before nodding her head. "Okay."
"Okay?"
"Let's do this, Regina," she said as she turned in her arms. "Let's buy the house, fix it up, and make it ours."
Regina laughed and kissed her hard and deep, her eyes prickling with tears—happy tears—as she thought of all the memories they would make there together. When they parted, Emma reached up and gently wiped away the tears that had fallen wordlessly.
They spent some time exploring the property, careful not to stray too far. They sat on the hood of the Mustang and ate the sandwiches Regina prepared for them that morning while talking about the amount of work that would be needed before they could even think of moving in. They would have to hire a handyman to come and do the things they couldn't do themselves and Regina already knew that Marco would be more than willing to help them out for a low cost. The car, Regina knew she could hire Michael Tillman to come around and fix it up for them, for Emma, but that would be a significant cost alone and one she had no doubt that she would be willing to pay just about anything to get the car running for Emma.
Regina knew if she called her father and asked for him to come and help fix up the house, he would come in an instant, but with her mother unwell as of late, she knew he would be hesitant to leave her for very long, if at all. She still would call him, to tell him about the house and make plans to invite the family up when her mother was well again.
They met with Kathryn that afternoon in the mayor's office with the estate lawyer who came into town with all the paperwork that would be needed in order for the house to become theirs. For hours they went over the paperwork, signing and initialing where needed. Emma looked nervous as they signed the last page and arranged to meet with the lawyer the next day at the bank to transfer the funds to the Montague family.
It wasn't official, but it was close to it, and they picked Henry up from school and took him out for ice cream, telling him all about the house and the plans they had to fix it up and move in hopefully before the fall. He asked if they could build a tree-fort and Regina promised him they would at the start of next summer and that was good enough for him to be completely on board with moving to a new house out in the country.
[X]
Emma sat in the shade on the front porch with a glass of lemonade, watching as Regina and Marco unloaded the wood from the back of his pickup truck. They had been given the keys to the house just two weeks after they signed the paperwork with the lawyer and Regina, eager to get started on the house, wasted no time in hiring Marco, a local carpenter, to help her get the house fixed up. Every afternoon, the two of them would head over to the house together and work. Emma stuck with cleaning the inside of the house while Regina worked with Marco on repairing parts of the roof and replacing some of the windows.
They had been going to the house for close to three weeks and the progress they'd made was rather impressive. Emma could really see things moving forward and she could see the house taking shape of what it would've looked like in its former glory.
She watched Regina as she wiped at her sweaty brow, helping Marco with the last of the wood before she turned and smiled back at her. It was a hot day, hot enough for the beginning of September, and there wasn't a single cloud in sight just beyond the canopy of trees that surrounded the property. Regina jogged over to where Emma sat in the shade on the front porch and Emma handed her the glass of lemonade with a smile.
"What are you two doing today?" Emma asked and Regina just gulped the lemonade until all that was left was the few ice cubes in the glass.
"The back porch," she replied, exhaling sharply. "Is there any more lemonade, darling?"
"Yes," Emma smiled. "A whole jug in the fridge. Would you like me to get you another glass?"
"Perhaps later," she replied and cast a glance over her shoulder back at Marco before leaning in to kiss her softly on the lips. "Thank you."
Emma reached out to grab on to her wrist and pulled her back in for another kiss. "Regina, he knows we're together," she said softly when she felt Regina stiffen. "If it bothered him, do you think that he would be here helping us fix the house up?"
"Well no, but I—"
Emma cut her off with another kiss, one that Regina relaxed into. She smiled against Regina's lips before letting her go and saw Marco staring at the two of them with a small smile on his face. Regina jogged over to the pile of wood and started carrying the pieces with Marco around to the back. Emma just sat back further on the bench and listened to the quiet that surrounded her.
In the five years she had been in Storybrooke and with Regina, she had never been happier in all her life. The start had been rough, there was no doubt about that, but looking back she knew she was a different person then. The situation with the Gold's had changed a lot of things for both of them, but they had stuck through it together and came out stronger in the end. Regina had become a part of her little family, filling in the missing pieces that were there even when Neal was still alive. In the five years they had been together, they rarely ever spent much time apart nor did they ever feel the need to.
Their relationship came easily and Emma knew a lot of it had to do with love. They had their moments where they bickered over small things that didn't matter at the end of the day and they never went to bed angry, always resolving the issue by talking through it and occasionally making love if the words never came easily. While keeping their relationship quiet from the rest of the town proved to be challenging, it was worth it. Even Henry knew not to call Regina "Mommy" outside of the privacy of their own home or to tell others that his mother's shared a bed every night. As wrong as everyone else would view what they had, Emma cherished her relationship with Regina and loved her more than she had ever loved another soul before in her life.
There were a few who knew of their relationship, of course. There was Kathryn and Ruby, Johanna simply because she had dropped Henry off one afternoon a few years back and entered without knocking, catching the two of them kissing heavily on the couch in the living room. The Nolan's knew and that was quite by accident, but they had proven to be nothing but accepting of their relationship. The Nolan's had also become quite close friends over the years as well despite the age difference between them. Mary Margaret was never one to keep secrets well, as David had said once or twice before, but she never uttered a word about their relationship to anyone outside of their small circle of friends.
Those people weren't just friends, they were practically family and for someone who had grown up without a family of her own, Emma felt truly blessed to have them all in her life. She wasn't even sure what made her think of them, of her relationship with Regina, but she found herself thinking about it a lot more lately, more than she had in the past five years they'd been together.
She wanted, more than anything, to marry Regina Mills. It wasn't possible to do that legally, but she wanted to even just have a commitment ceremony once the house was ready and they had moved in. Regina had never expressed her thoughts on it aside from the ring Emma wore on her left ring finger that was a promise of commitment in itself. She never took it off unless she showered or was doing dishes. The ring had become a part of her and something she knew she would never be able to part with for as long as she and Regina were together.
Emma shook her head as the sound of hammering interrupted her thoughts and she took the empty glass back inside and put it in the big sink in the kitchen. She leaned against the edge of the sink and looked out the window, watching Regina as she lifted the bottom of her tank top to wipe at her face. Nothing but lustful thoughts crept up into her mind as her body reacted to the sight of her flat stomach on display.
The roar of what she knew was Ruby's car pulled her away from the window and she headed to the front door to greet her friend. The visit was unexpected and she would've worried if it had something to do relating to work if she had shown up in one of the cruisers.
"Hey!" Ruby called out as she waved out the window and parked her car behind the Mustang.
"Hey, Rubes," Emma smiled as she skipped down the front steps. "What brings you here?"
"I thought I'd swing by and see how things are coming along out here," she replied as she got out of the car. "I also brought some cold beers."
"Aren't you supposed to be working today?"
"Nah," Ruby laughed. "I took the day off too."
"And who is at the station if you're here?"
"Leroy," she said with a shrug and tossed Emma a can of cold beer. "What?"
"You left Leroy down at the station? Alone?" Emma asked skeptically. "I know the man has come a long way over the years, but seriously? You trust him to answer the phone and respond to calls alone?"
"Em, he's a deputy now so yes, I trust him. Where's Regina?"
"Out back with Marco fixing the back porch," Emma replied, following her as she headed around to the back of the house.
"Hey guys!" Ruby said cheerfully and she tossed Marco a can of beer and then one towards Regina once they had looked over at her. "How is everything coming along?"
"Wonderfully," Marco replied with a smile. "Thank you for the beer, Ruby. It's about due time we take a break."
Ruby and Marco fell into a quiet conversation and Emma found herself sitting under one of the big oak trees. Regina walked over and sat down beside her, bumping her shoulder against hers with a smile. Emma leaned over to steal a quick kiss and was surprised when Regina leaned in to kiss her hard and deep, the hesitation she'd had earlier no longer there. Emma moaned quietly when they parted several minutes later and all she could do was lose herself in the brown eyes staring straight into her own.
They sat in relatively peaceful silence and enjoyed the beer that Ruby had brought them. Regina reached out to take Emma's hand in her own, both of them smiling as their fingers easily intertwined. Emma's mind was still consumed of the thoughts that had been there all day and she leaned into Regina's side, sighing contently at how at ease she felt when she was near her. It seemed as if they forgot Ruby and Marco were there as Regina let go of her hand and draped her arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to her.
"Regina," Emma sighed as she tried to shrug her arm away. "You're all sweaty."
"I know, but you never complain about it when we're in bed and I'm—"
"Regina," Emma chuckled quietly and poked her in the side. "You are so bad."
"Naughty, dear," she whispered into her ear. "I'm not bad, I'm naughty."
"Yes," Emma sighed as she felt a delicious ripple of arousal flood through her body. "You are."
Just across the yard, Marco and Ruby watched the couple with a smile. Marco toasted silently to Ruby and they sipped their beers. "They make a wonderful couple, don't they?" Marco said quietly and Ruby nodded. "They've been together for quite some time too, yes?"
"Yeah, five years now," Ruby replied quietly. "Wait, how did you know they—"
"It is not hard to see the way they look at one another," he replied. "They look at each other as if there is no one else in the world they'd rather see. Love like that comes but once in a lifetime. It is a pity they have to hide what they have from everyone else."
"Yeah," Ruby nodded. "Maybe one day that'll all change."
"Perhaps not in our lifetime," Marco said sadly. "Come on, Ruby, let's give the two some privacy. It's growing a little too hot to continue working out here today."
"Should we say goodbye?"
"No," he smiled as they watched Emma and Regina share a lingering kiss. "Let's not interrupt their moment."
[X]
It was late in September, a Saturday, when they officially moved into the house. They weren't short on help as their friends had come to help them move their things. The Nolan's had been the first to arrive, Mary Margaret laying out all the fixings fit for a buffet on the kitchen counter while David and Regina began to unload the furniture from the U-Haul truck they'd rented. Marco and Ruby arrived shortly afterwards and Ruby headed straight to the kitchen when she found out Mary Margaret had brought food and Marco helping David and Regina with the couch as they tried to fit in through the front door.
Emma and Henry brought up the lighter boxes to the bedroom, Henry picking the room furthest from theirs as his own. She helped him unpack his toys and when she found the old sheriff's hat, the badge and the toy gun in one box, she smiled at the memories it brought.
"Where do you want to put these, Henry?" Emma asked and he shrugged, too busy with putting his books on the shelf above the bed. "Henry?"
"I don't care," Henry replied. "They're old."
"It's been a long time since you played with them last," Emma replied and she took the items out of the box and walked over to the other set of shelves that sat over the built-in desk. "Do you remember when Regina gave them to you?"
"Yeah," Henry smiled over at her. "I do."
"Do you remember how you wouldn't answer anyone unless they called you Deputy?"
"Yeah," he chuckled with a shake of his head.
"You're growing up so fast, kiddo," Emma sighed as she walked over to her son and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "You need to stop growing up so fast. Next thing you know you'll be taller than your mama."
"I'm almost eight."
"Don't remind me," Emma chuckled. "You still have quite a few months to go before you're eight."
"I can finish," he said as he pointed to the half empty boxes on the floor. "I think I can hear Mom calling for you."
Sure enough, Regina was calling out for her and Emma left Henry in his new bedroom and found Regina standing out in front of theirs. Emma walked over to her with a smile and wrapped her arms around her, kissing her softly and slowly. Regina just laughed against her lips and pulled her into their new bedroom.
"Regina, we have guests, we can't—"
"I know, darling," she sighed softly. "I just wanted to steal a moment away with you."
"Okay," Emma smiled as they spun around the room a few times before coming to a stop where the mattress sat on the floor, the wood frame still in pieces next to it. "Regina…"
"I love you," she whispered against her lips and kissed her deeply until Emma was left completely breathless and her body tingling from the intensity of the kiss. "I love you."
"I love you too," she whispered back. "Regina—"
They were kissing again and there was nothing chaste about it. Regina moaned against her lips and slid her hands down across the curve of her behind before lifting her up effortlessly into her arms. Emma wrapped her legs around Regina's hips and kissed her harder, her hands sliding into her hair with ease. She moaned when her back hit the wall and Regina let her back down to her feet, their hands grasping and caressing as they kissed without abandon.
The passion between them had always run deeply right from the very first time they'd kissed. It was passion that never died, passion that was sparked easily, like throwing gas on a tiny flame and watching the fire grow higher and hotter, reaching to the sky. It was the passion that was fueled by love, by longing, and by lustful need. It was passion that before they had met they had never quite known and now it was something they couldn't quite live without either.
They only parted when they heard a crash downstairs and they ran off to investigate, thinking that maybe something had been broken when it had only been David accidentally dropping his beer in the kitchen. It took only a few hours more before they had everything out of the U-Haul and they were all sitting on the back porch, eating from paper plates and David and Marco telling stories of the way Storybrooke had been twenty years before.
It was late by the time it was just the three of them alone in their new home together. With Henry in bed early as the day had been long and tiring, Emma found Regina sitting on the front porch with a glass of wine in one hand and another sitting on the flat railing in front of her. Emma smiled as she took the glass of wine and sipped before she sat down next to Regina on the bench.
"It's been such a long day," Regina sighed. "I'm glad it's finally over."
"We still need to get the bed frame set up."
"Of course," Regina laughed quietly and she put an arm around Emma. "We can do that tomorrow. All I want is to relax and share a glass of wine with my love."
"Sounds perfect."
"A perfect way to end a perfect yet tiring day. Is Henry in bed, darling?"
"Yeah, he was out like a light the minute his head hit the pillow."
"Hmm, perfect," Regina murmured as she nuzzled her nose against Emma's neck. "After we finish our wine, perhaps we can go up to bed ourselves."
Emma laughed and turned to kiss her lightly. "You are never too tired for that, are you?"
"To make love? No, never, darling."
"Regina?"
"Hmm?"
"I want to get married."
"You know that is not possible for us, darling."
"I know," Emma frowned. "But I've been thinking," she said and she didn't miss the subtle way Regina playfully rolled her eyes. "I want to exchange vows with you, Regina. I want to commit myself to you for the rest of my life. I want our friends, our family there to witness our commitment to one another. While I know we'll never have a real wedding or what we have will never be considered a real marriage, it won't feel like it's not."
"You want to not-marry me?" Regina chuckled and she turned slightly to face her. "Emma, we commit ourselves to one another every day and we will for the rest of our lives. We don't need some silly ceremony to prove that we love one another, that you, Henry, and I are a real family. Our friends, our family, they know that we love each other dearly."
"I want a silly ceremony," Emma said with a frown, one that was quickly kissed away. "I know it sounds ridiculous, but I want that with you, Regina. I want to share one special day with you, one that is ours and ours alone. I don't care if it's silly. It would be about me and you, our love, and our commitment to one another."
Regina was silent and she sipped her wine, staring off across the front yard, lost in thought. Emma lifted a hand and gently stroked Regina's hair just above her ear and watched a host of different emotions show in her soulful brown eyes.
"You don't want to?" Emma asked softly.
"Emma—"
"It's just be our closest friends, maybe Marco too," she continued. "Maybe your parents will be there too and I know Zee wouldn't miss it for the world."
"I want to," Regina said after a moment, her eyes still looking out over the front yard. "I want to have that with you, to share a day about us with the ones we love. I keep hoping that maybe the world will change and that we can save that special day for when it does."
"What if that day never comes in our lifetime, Regina? What if we wait our whole lives for the world to change and it never does?" Emma asked and they both sighed softly. "Why don't you want to, Regina?"
"I do want to," she replied under her breath, turning to look at her with a soft smile curling over her lips. "Tell me, darling, where would this ceremony take place?"
"Right in our own backyard, by that oak tree," Emma replied, unable to fight the giddy smile that came out with ease. "Maybe Mary Margaret can cook up a buffet of food for us like she did today and we can have a cake too."
"A cake, dear?"
"Nothing too big or over the top, of course."
"Of course."
They spent a good hour talking about Emma's dreams for the ceremony and by the time they crawled into bed, Regina had started putting in a few ideas of her own. While it wasn't a yes or a no, not quite yet, Emma knew that one day and hopefully soon, she would have a day that belonged to her and her love, just like every young girl dreamt of having one day…
[X]
(Ten Months Later…)
Regina stood in front of the mirror in the guest room and took in her reflection. She barely recognized herself in the dress she had chosen for that special day, but she chose it because Emma wanted to see her in a dress for once without any complaints. Behind her, her sister wiped at the tears that fell from her eyes and she placed her hands on her shoulders.
"You look beautiful, Regina."
"Thank you, Zee."
"If only Mother could see you now…"
"She would agree with you and then she would find a way to put a stop to this whole thing," Regina replied, a small tug of sadness pulling at her heart as she turned to face her older sister.
It was only five months earlier, shortly after Valentine's Day, that their mother had a stroke, her second one in four years and landed in the hospital. After she had been in the hospital for barely a week, she passed away in her sleep on a stormy Sunday afternoon. It wasn't until Regina made the drive down to the city with Emma and Henry did she think back to the first night in their new home and the discussion she and Emma had had about a commitment ceremony. It was just hours after the funeral and while they were at the house for the wake that she knew she wanted that ceremony as much as Emma did.
They started planning it as soon as they returned to Storybrooke a few days after the funeral. It took them two months to settle on a date and once they did, everything seemed to fall into motion. When Regina's father sold the house, he relocated to Storybrooke with Zelena in tow. They moved into Regina's old house on Mifflin Street with a strong will and determination to start a brand new life there in town.
"Maybe she wouldn't have interfered," Zelena said after a moment and she moved her hands to fix Regina's hair. "You know that Mother wanted us both just to be happy in life."
"If that was the case, Zee, she wouldn't have gotten into it with me every damn holiday you guys came here to celebrate with us."
"Regina—"
"You know what? No, I won't let her ruin today. Today is about Emma and I, our love for one another, our commitment," Regina said as she stared at her reflection in the mirror and smiled. Zelena smiled too and wrapped her arms around her from behind, hugging her tight. "Thank you for being here, Zee."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world."
"That's exactly what Emma said when she first brought the idea up with me."
"When was that?"
"The first night we were in the house," Regina replied and she turned around and hugged her sister back. "I love you, Zee."
"Come on," Zelena said as she made a grab for Regina's hands. "The ceremony is due to start in a few minutes. Aren't you incredibly excited?"
"I'm nervous," Regina replied and she shook her head when Zelena started laughing. "I am."
"Why?"
Tears welled up in her eyes and Zelena shook her head, moving to wipe away at her tears before she ruined her makeup too much. Regina didn't have a clue why she was so nervous and feeling so very emotional about the ceremony, but it suddenly crept up on her and she worried she might forget her vows she'd written a few weeks prior.
A knock on the door made them both turn and Henry sheepishly poked his head into the room. When Regina nodded, he stepped into the room. "Mom, Mama sent me to see if you're ready," he said and Regina just nodded with a watery smile. "You look beautiful, Mommy."
"Thank you, my little prince. You look so very handsome yourself," Regina smiled and she pulled Henry in for a hug, careful not to mess his hair he had slicked back with far too much gel. "Tell your Mama I'll be down in just a couple of minutes, all right?"
"Okay," Henry beamed. "Can I get a kiss, Mommy?"
"You know you never need to ask," Regina whispered, bending down to kiss him on the forehead before shooing him out of the guest room. "I cannot believe he's grown up so quickly."
"He is a wonderful boy."
"He is."
"You had a big part in raising him into being the boy he is and the man he'll become," Zelena said and it only caused another wave of emotions to flood through her, ones she could hardly hold back. "Oh, Regina," Zelena sighed and wrapped her arms around her. "Come on, save the tears for later, yeah? It's time for you to go down and see your wife."
As they had planned, the ceremony was taking place beneath the big oak tree in the backyard. A few chairs were set up in a half circle around the tree and when Regina emerged out of the house through the french doors, she was greeted by the sight of Emma Swan in a beautiful white dress, waiting for her beneath the tree with the elder Henry standing at her side.
Everything that made up their family was there to celebrate their day. Mary Margaret and David were seated at one end of the half circle of chairs, Mary Margaret crying before Regina even made it down to the tree. Kathryn and Ruby sat beside them, Henry next with Marco to his right and Johanna sitting near the end. Zelena took the second last empty chair and sat down just as Regina stood beneath the tree and drank in the sight of the beautiful blonde woman in front of her. Her breath was stolen away the moment Emma smiled and a single tear rolled down her left cheek.
"Hi," Emma whispered as Regina reached up to wipe away that tear. "You look beautiful."
"You as well, my love," Regina whispered, leaning in to kiss her softly as her father cleared his throat and she turned to face him. "Hello, Daddy."
"Regina," he smiled and he kissed both cheeks. He pulled away with tears in his eyes and he went to sit down next to Zelena.
Regina took both of Emma's hands in her own, smiling at her as she let herself become lost in the moment, their moment. She kissed her once more before stepping back and she took a few deep breaths, not once breaking the intense gaze they had become transfixed in.
"Emma Swan, you are the love of my life, you are the air I breathe, the warmth in my soul, and the beat of my very heart. You are the sun that shines through the clouds on a cloudy, grey day and you make me feel so very loved and so very whole every day of my life," Regina said, her voice wavering as she tried to hold back the tears. "I truly believe that I fell in love with you before I even knew your name or anything about you. I fell in love with your smile, yes," she laughed as Emma smiled brightly. "That smile. But you aren't the only one I fell in love with that day," she said and she turned to smile over at Henry who beamed right back up at her. "I love you, Henry."
"I love you too, Mommy," he whispered and it only caused Mary Margaret to sob a little harder as David rubbed her shoulders and tried to get her to calm down.
"Regina Mills, you take my breath away," Emma whispered, squeezing her hands a little before she continued. "I never knew it was possible to know a love quite like this and I never want to know what life would be if you weren't in it. You are my life, Regina, and you were my life before I even knew I was falling in love with you. The last five years we've been together—"
"Almost six!" Ruby chuckled and it made them both shake their heads.
"I have never been happier than I am when I am with you. You came into my life and swept me off my feet, and like you, I wasn't the only one who fell in love, my son, our son fell in love with you too. We became a family before we even realized we had become one and I wouldn't trade our beginning for anything else in the world because that beginning has brought us here today."
"I love you, Emma," Regina smiled at her. "I love our family and I love that we can share this special day with the ones who mean the most to us," she said and she turned to face the others, tears streaming down her cheeks when all she saw was faces filled with nothing but joy and love.
"We want to thank you for sharing today with us," Emma said and she swallowed thickly through her own tears. "I know this will never be official in the eyes of the law, but today I take Regina Mills to be my wife."
"And I take Emma Swan to be my wife."
"To have and to hold, in sickness and in health."
"For richer, or poorer," Regina continued, drowning in the watery green eyes just inches from her own. "For all the days of my life."
"Until death do us part."
"And for forever, I promise to love you," they whispered together before their lips met in a slow and passionate kiss.
Regina once again lost herself in her lover, her partner, her best friend, and her wife. It was the sound of their family clapping that finally pulled her back down to earth and she parted from the kiss but not before she kissed her one last time.
Everyone came together in one big hug, a crush of bodies where all they could feel was the outpouring love from their friends, their family. It was Marco, surprisingly, who got the party started, pulling out the speakers to the stereo through the living room window and blaring the radio, filling the yard with upbeat music everyone started dancing around to. Emma never left Regina's side, not even when Henry sandwiched himself between them and they danced like nobody else was even watching.
The celebration went on well into the night and after Henry tired himself out by dancing too much and eating too much food, Zelena put him to bed while the others started drinking wine on the back porch. Regina was enjoying the day thoroughly and there had never been a time where she felt so free and relaxed to be exactly who she was with the very woman who had taken her heart nearly six years before. She kissed Emma every moment she felt the urge, held on to her tightly as they danced to the radio and when they all settled down on the back porch to drink, they sat on a chair together, arms around one another and their eyes locked in an intense, lingering gaze.
When the celebrations began to die down with Marco taking Johanna back into town in his truck, Mary Margaret drunkenly saluting them while David tried to get her into his truck, Regina's father kiss them both goodnight and she knew he wouldn't make it much further than the couch in the living room before the wine got to him too. Zelena laid out on the lounger, wine glass dangling from her fingers as she stared up at the sky and beside her and Emma, Ruby and Kathryn whispered and giggled and shared long, lingering kisses while their hands began to stray.
Regina stayed up all night out on the back porch with Emma in her arms, both of them exhausted but wanting their day to last forever. They barely moved until the first rays of sunlight began to poke over the horizon and Emma unsteadily rose to her feet and pulled Regina up with her.
"Let's go to bed," she whispered as they met halfway for a tired kiss.
"What about those two?" Regina whispered as she looked down at Kathryn and Ruby as they slept in the hammock just off the side of the porch. "Do we leave them?"
"They'll be fine. I'm more worried about Zee."
They looked over at Zelena, passed out in the lounger with her nearly empty glass of wine still in the clutches of her fingertips. With a small laugh, they headed inside and up to bed, careful to be quiet as to not wake either of the Henry's that were still fast asleep.
With Emma's help and with gentle fingers, she stepped out of her white dress and preceded to slide the zipper down Emma's dress, dropping kisses along her shoulder as she did. They crawled into their bed together and under the soft white sheets, moving only to hold one another as they both slowly gave in to the pull of sleep.
She dreamt of nothing but hopes for the future, their future, their lives that had begun all over again with the vows they had spoken less than a day before. She dreamt of her days filled with laughter, with love, with endless of hours of them spending time together as a family and alone together. She dreamt of growing old with Emma, watching Henry grow up into a wonderful young man and finding a wife of his own to start a family with. She dreamt of long summer days spent out on the back porch and of long winter nights where they would lay in front of the fireplace in the living room and hold on to one another until the flames went out.
Regina woke hours later to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and bacon cooking downstairs. She stretched out slowly before pulling Emma close to her, kissing along her neck and shoulders until Emma began to stir from her deep slumber. As much as she wanted to make love, she knew it would have to wait until her father took Henry on the fishing trip the planned later on that day. Even after spending the last five and a half years waking up in one another's arms, it felt different that morning, surreal in a sense, but wonderful nonetheless.
"Good morning, my love," Regina whispered and Emma moaned quietly in protest. "It seems that my father is cooking breakfast, a very late one at that. We should go down and join the others."
"In a minute, Regina," Emma murmured tiredly. "I just want to lay here with you for another minute…or ten. Maybe another hour?"
"Emma—"
"Maybe I can be persuaded," Emma grinned even though her eyes were still very much closed.
"With a kiss, darling?"
"Yes. With a kiss."
Regina obeyed her wishes happily, kissing her deeply and passionately until a knock on their door pulled them apart and the sound of her father's gentle voice called them out for breakfast. They shared one last kiss before pulling themselves out of bed and dressed before joining their family in the kitchen for a late breakfast.
The laughter that soon filled the house warmed Regina's heart to the core and as Emma stole the last piece of bacon off her plate and blew her a loving kiss, she knew then that the rest of her life would be filled with nothing but moments of laughter and of love.
[X]
(Thirty-Seven Years Later…December 29th, 2012)
Henry sat with his beautiful wife and their fourteen-year-old twins watching the news as it unraveled on the television. He was shaking, tears streaming down his cheeks in sheer joy. He turned to his wife and shook his head, unable to believe the news that in the state of Maine it was now legal for his mother's to marry each other.
"Henry," Grace smiled at him. "You need to call them, tell them the news."
"I know," he said, nodding as his wife wiped away his tears. "Grace, honey, I think I have the most perfect idea I've ever had before."
"Uh oh," Grace teased and she kissed him on the cheek. "Tell me after I get ready for bed. Girls, say good night to your father and go to bed, please."
Henry nodded and kissed both of his daughters good night and settled back on the couch, watching people all over the state of Maine celebrating the good news. He knew his mother's and well, and he knew they wouldn't have the television on or even the radio. They were in their seventies now, still living at the house they bought together thirty-eight years ago, living a quiet and peaceful life together just as they had for forty-three years. He, his wife, and the twins had just spent Christmas there with them and while his mother's were getting on in their years, they still had a youthful, playful spark to them, and still so very much in love.
He remembered the day they had their commitment ceremony and even though he had been just a young boy, he knew how much it meant to both of them to share that with their family. It had been a beautiful day filled with love and he couldn't remember a time before that when he'd seen them both so happy before. That happiness only continued throughout the years and even though it was never a real marriage, they treated it as such.
Even though the years had gone by, Henry still longed to see his mother's get married, to see how happy they would be for it to finally be real. They argued they didn't need a piece of paper, but when it came to his Mama, he knew it's what she always dreamt of having one day with Regina. Not just to have that marriage certificate, but for them to take each other's names.
Henry had been the one who started referring to his family as the Swan-Mills shortly after their commitment ceremony took place and it was a name that stuck over the years. He never failed to notice that faraway look in his Mama's eyes every time he said the name and it was a look of longing for that to one day become real.
"Chloe and Abby are in bed," Grace said tiredly when she finally came back down to the living room and found Henry with his laptop out and furiously typing. "What are you up to, honey?"
"I have an idea. It's something I want to do for Mama and Mom."
"What are you cooking up?" Grace asked as she sat down next to him and draped an arm over his shoulders, looking down at the screen. "A wedding?"
"For Mama and Mom," Henry nodded excitedly. "I just finished sending Kathryn an email about getting a marriage certificate drawn up for them," he said and he pointed to the screen which he had Word opened up on now. "I want this to be a surprise. It'll be something small, Mama and Mom never did like being the center of attention."
"This is Emma and Regina, of course not," Grace chuckled quietly. "How small, honey?"
"Us, the kids, your parents, Aunt Zee if we can bust her ass out of the nursing home for the day, Kathryn and Ruby of course. Mary Margaret is still alive, but I doubt she remembers much these days."
"Okay, I'm with you so far," Grace replied. "Where is this going to take place? Neither of them leave the house much these days."
"We'll have it there," Henry replied. "It'll be special. It's where they had their commitment ceremony when I was seven."
"It's December."
"Yeah, and?"
"It just snowed this morning and if you haven't noticed, honey, it's really cold outside."
"Yeah, I know," Henry sighed and he turned to look at his wife. "Maybe we could have it inside the house. They always liked sitting in front of the fireplace for hours on an end. Couldn't tell you how many times I found them curled up together early in the morning, never having made it to bed because they were sitting in front of the fire."
"They just passed the bill, honey, don't you think maybe this could wait?"
"No," Henry said with a shake of his head. "They've been waiting long enough already. They shouldn't have to wait any longer, you know? Come on, Grace, I'm going to need you to help me pull this off."
Grace sighed and kissed him on the cheek. "All right. I'm in. Let's do this. For Emma and Regina."
[X]
Emma watched as Regina carefully poured a cup of tea, her hands shaking slightly as she put the kettle back down on top of the stove. Her life partner had aged gracefully and even though she was nearly seventy-nine, she still had yet to have a single stray strand of grey touch her beautiful brown hair. She found everything beautiful about her in every way and while she knew the years had been good to her too, the lines near her eyes were deeper and her blonde hair, while not so blonde anymore, had turned almost white.
"See something you like, darling?" Regina asked, her voice husky still with sleep.
"You know I do," Emma chuckled, wiggling her eyebrows over at Regina, seeing her roll her eyes in that playful way she never grew tired of. Emma walked over to where she stood at the counter, pouring in a little milk into her tea. "Come here."
"Emma—"
"I want to kiss you," Emma murmured, her lips brushing lightly over Regina's lips. "Come on, don't you want to?"
"I always want to," Regina smiled and she turned to kiss her softly on her lips. "There, now will you let me have my morning tea in peace, darling?"
"Would you like me to start the fire?"
"Yes, dear, that would be lovely."
Emma kissed her once more before hurrying off out of the kitchen. She busied herself with putting some fresh logs into the fireplace and got a fire started, stepping back after a few minutes to admire her handiwork. This was their favorite place in the entire house, right there in front of the fireplace and on the couch that had definitely seen better years. She stood right where she was because if there was anything she had grown to learn over the years is that even if Regina was a little testy first thing in the morning, it never failed to take her long to come to her, to place her cup of tea on the end table and wrap her arms around her from behind.
She smiled when she felt the warmth of Regina's arms wrap around her and she turned her attention to the many pictures that were on the mantel. Pictures of their family over the years, of Henry and his wife Grace on their wedding day, of their two young twin girls, and of all of them, the most recent one in the middle, taken just less than a week ago on Christmas Day.
"What are you thinking of?" Regina whispered into her ear.
"Our beautiful family. Us. The life we've had."
"We do have quite the beautiful family, don't we?" Regina sighed happily and Emma turned to see the smile dancing over Regina's lips. "I love you, darling, more than anything, and we've had such a wonderful life together. I truly could not feel more blessed."
Emma turned in her arms and they easily fell into step, Regina's arms around her waist and Emma's around her shoulders, swaying to music that wasn't there but always played within their hearts. They were kissing within moments, slow and deep, clinging to one another as they always had and Emma found herself too afraid to let go just yet. She moaned quietly when Regina's hands playfully squeezed her ass and she smiled into the kiss before kissing her with a passion they quite hadn't felt for a handful of years.
Despite the kiss leaving them both breathless, neither pulled away from one another just yet, both clinging to the moment just as they did with each and every single one of them for the last forty-three years they had been together. It was the sound of several approaching vehicles making their way down the driveway that drew them apart.
"Are we expecting someone this morning?" Regina asked and Emma shook her head no. "Who on earth could it be?"
"I don't know," Emma shrugged and took Regina's hand in hers. "Let's go and find out."
Ruby Lucas stormed through the front door, as she had done for many years without knocking first and threw her arms around them both. Emma looked over at Regina, both of them oblivious to what they owed to Ruby's surprise visit so early in the morning on New Years Eve.
"Tell me you've heard the news!" Ruby laughed as she leaned back at looked at them both. "Oh my god, you haven't, have you?"
"What news?" Regina asked and she inhaled sharply as Henry came in the house, his wife and their twin girls following close behind him. "Oh my, what is going on?"
"Grace," Emma smiled as she moved to hug her daughter-in-law. "What is everyone doing here?"
"You didn't hear the news?" Grace asked and Emma shook her head no. "The state passed the bill!"
"What bill?"
"The one that'll let you two get married of course!" Henry laughed and he wrapped his arms around both Emma and Regina tightly. "You can get married now!"
"We—what?" Regina asked, tears springing to her eyes as Henry let them both go and she reached out for Emma. "We can get married?"
"This isn't a joke, is it?" Emma asked shakily while looking at the woman she had spent a good part of her life with. "This is real? This is happening?" She turned to look at her delightfully happy son and that's when the tears began to fall. "Really?"
"Grandma!" Abby laughed as she ran towards Emma and wrapped her arms around her. "You and Nana are getting married!"
"I—"
"Perhaps not now, Abby, but maybe one day soon," Regina smiled down at the young teenager.
"No, not one day soon. Now," Henry said and Emma gasped as several more people entered the house all at once. "Mama, you and Mom are getting married right now. Don't worry, Grace and I took care of everything and Kathryn helped."
"Hey, I helped too!" Ruby laughed from across the front hallway. "Kathryn, you brought it, didn't you?" She asked the moment that Kathryn walked through the front door followed by a woman neither Emma nor Regina had ever seen before. "Tell me you brought it!"
"I have the certificate," Kathryn replied. "And the officiator," she said with a smile as she turned to face them both. "Emma, Regina, this is Reverend Ann White. She's going to marry you two today."
Everything was happening so very fast that Emma's mind couldn't quite process it all quickly enough. Regina however was pulling her in for a kiss, tears streaming down her cheeks as she kissed her over and over again. It didn't register in her mind that Regina was saying her name over and over again.
"Emma, darling?" Regina whispered as she placed her hands on Emma's tear-stained cheek and for a moment, like many times throughout their lives, the rest of the world fell away. "Are you all right, my love?"
"I—I—what the hell is happening?"
"We're getting married."
"Now?"
"Apparently our son still hasn't grasped the very meaning that soon doesn't mean now," Regina laughed and Emma shook her head, laughing along with her as they fell into one another's arms.
It was nothing but a whirlwind from that very moment on, Grace and Ruby taking Emma and ushering her upstairs with Kathryn taking a hold of Regina's hand and following suit with the twins rushing up the stairs behind them. They put them in separate rooms, Regina in the master bedroom and Emma in the guest room across the hallway. Emma soon figured out that the whole surprise wedding had been thoroughly planned, right down to the dress that Ruby took out of the garment bag and presented to her.
Emma was silent as they got her ready, willing her tears away, wanting to save them for when she saw Regina in her own wedding dress. It felt much like the day of their commitment ceremony, where the nerves suddenly kicked in but for entirely different reasons. She was excited and giddy beyond belief and she couldn't wait to see Regina, to finally and officially call the woman her wife.
"I'm getting married!" Emma gasped happily as Grace applied a little bit of lipstick and stepped back with a smile. "Hot damn, did you guys plan us a honeymoon too?"
"Emma!" Ruby laughed and she moved to hug her tightly. "It was going to be a surprise."
"Where you sending us then?"
"Not telling you," Ruby laughed and promptly kissed her on the cheek. "Come on, Em, let's get downstairs and wait for your bride, shall we?"
"Is this really happening?" Emma asked, allowing herself to be led from the guest room and towards the stairs, her attention drawn to the closed master bedroom door as she heard the giggling coming from within. "Ruby?"
"This is all Henry, Em. He planned everything and only told us yesterday what was happening. Do you know how hard it was for us to find you both a dress in just a few hours?"
"Are we going away someplace warm?" Emma asked, her mind suddenly focused on the honeymoon that came with the surprise wedding. "Come on, Ruby!"
"How about you get married first, all right?" Ruby smiled and led her into the living room.
Emma was surprised to see their beloved couch had been moved out from in front of the fireplace. The officiator stood by the burning fireplace with a book held in her hands and that's when Emma saw the twin gold band rings on top. Her hands were shaking as Ruby instructed her to stand at the right of the Reverend and Henry called out from the bottom of the stairs that they were ready to start. Emma's heart was racing as familiar faces filled the room and she saw Zelena seated in a chair next to an aide she knew was from the nursing home, likely only there to keep a keen eye on her batshit crazy ass. Henry hushed everyone as he walked through the sitting room and stood at the doorway. He smiled lovingly over at Emma before turning to take Regina's hand in his own.
From the moment Emma looked at her, she didn't see the woman that Regina had become, she saw the woman she had first fallen in love with and she nearly melted at the very sight of her. Watching Henry as he walked her across the living room towards her, it was truly a sight to see. Regina reached for her immediately, moving in to give her a kiss that was quickly stopped by the Reverend clearing her throat to capture their attention and she gave them a wink.
"The kiss comes at the end, after the vows and the rings, ladies," she said softly with a smile and cleared her throat. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here on a very special day to join two very special women in holy matrimony. For most of their lives, they have only known the love of one another and they have been nothing but loyal to one another. They have lived their lives missing only one thing and that is to be joined by marriage, from now until all eternity…"
[X]
Henry stood beside his wife and wrapped an arm around her, watching his mother's exchange their rings and move in for a kiss before the reverend could announce them as wives. The room erupted into a cheer and then laughter as Emma grabbed on to Regina's behind before giving her a playful slap that was rewarded with a glare and then another kiss.
"Only your mothers can act like teenagers still and get away with it," Grace whispered to him before dropping a kiss to his lips lovingly. "They truly are happy, aren't they, honey?"
"Yeah," Henry grinned. "They are. They always have been for as long as I can remember."
Henry kissed his wife before making his way towards his mother's and he pulled them both in for a hug, the three of them crying and sharing that moment together, a moment he knew nobody thought would ever come for the two of them. He could feel them both trembling in joy as they held on to him tightly and he didn't let go of either of them, not for the longest time.
Henry stepped back and allowed his mothers to get caught up in the excitement of the moment, posing for pictures and neither of them taking their eyes off one another for a single second the whole time. Henry couldn't keep his own tears from flowing. The whole room was filled with nothing but happiness and love, his mothers at the very center of it all and the very reason everyone was there celebrating their love and their marriage.
It was a day Henry would never forget and one his mothers certainly never would for the rest of their lives. He would never forget the look on either of their faces just before they kissed as wives for the very first time, forty-three years after they first met and fell in love.
Not everyone had an epic love story of their own, not one quite like what his mothers shared, and not everyone was given their happy ending, at least not one they had spent most of their lives dreaming of.
He understood it now, what Regina had said so many years ago. He knew what she meant when she said that Emma was her ray of sunlight, the bluest of grey skies. He knew because he had his own ray of sunlight shining through, three of them in fact. His wife had become his ray of sunlight, brightening his life in ways no one else could. And his daughters too, because they did nothing but fill his heart with light, with love and with happiness.
He understood it all now, so very perfectly, and he was grateful and blessed to have grown up with two very wonderful women that he was so very proud to call them Mama and Mom.
The End