Rosalie sits in the clearing and watches the sunrise. She makes an effort to enjoy the moment, but she can't. Not with the thoughts running rampant in her brain. Not with the amount of torture she feels from her isolation from Isabella. It's her fault, her decision, and it doesn't help that Isabella has done nothing but honor her decision. Rosalie glances at her watch. There's only an hour left before she has to go to Regina's and help the woman get ready for the wedding.
Christ.
Swan's getting married to the Evil Queen, and Rosalie's mate is the Evil Queen's daughter. What the hell has Rosalie's life become? Rosalie stretches out her legs and takes a few unnecessary breaths. She cocks her head at the familiar footsteps coming her way, and Emmett plops down in front of her.
"Wanna talk about it?" he asks.
"There's nothing to talk about."
"So, you aren't avoiding Bella, and she isn't going out of her way to avoid you?" he asks.
"Why does it matter? It's not a big deal at the moment. Regina's getting married, and my relationship issues with Isabella can wait until Regina and Swan leave for their honeymoon."
"And if Bella decides to go back to New York City?"
"She's allowed to live her own life."
"Rose."
"What, Emmett? What do you want from me? You want me to beg her to stay? Why would I do that? It's clear she's better off without me, better off running away when things get tough instead of staying to fix it, and it's clear that I'm not her first choice when it comes to these things. I'm her mate, and yet her first option is always to run. She's always running, and for once in my life, I'm standing still. I'm not going anywhere because I uprooted my whole life for her! I changed my world for her, and she still left."
Emmett studies her, and he says, "Again, you mean. She left again."
Rosalie grimaces and looks away from Emmett. Emmett stands up and pats Rosalie on the thigh.
"Remember you have to be at Regina's in forty-five minutes. I'll see you later at the wedding, okay?"
"Yeah." Rosalie grabs Emmett's wrist and squeezes. "Thank you," she says.
"I didn't do anything."
"You listened."
Emmett kisses Rosalie on the forehead and walks away. Rosalie leans forward on her knees and lets out a tired exhale.
Emmerson makes a concerted effort not to worry on his wedding day, but he can't help it. Isabella walks into the room, followed closely by Hook and Jax, and Emmerson notices the dark circles under Isabella's eyes. He wonders if this is how she looked back in New York City when there weren't hundreds of students begging to talk to her at any given moment. Hook shrugs when Emmerson looks his way, and Jax just shakes his head. Apparently, Emmerson isn't the first to notice. Isabella settles in the chair and takes out her make-up. She swipes her hair from her face, and Emmerson freezes. The bite on Isabella's neck looks angry, inflamed, and Emmerson moves across the room. He holds his hand over her neck, and there's so much heat coming off of it that Emmerson fears it might be infected.
But vampire bites can't get infected, right?
"Leave it alone." Emmerson looks at Isabella, who takes her make-up and covers the mark. "Today's your wedding day, and I'm not ruining it over this," she says flatly.
"Bella-
"Rosalie needs space, and I'm giving it to her. The last thing I want is for her to feel obligated to spend time with me just because I'm-
Isabella stops and bites her lip. She shrugs off Emmerson's hand and focuses on her make-up. Emmerson wants to push, he really does, but Isabella has a point. It's his wedding day, and Regina would kill him if he did anything stupid to mess it up. Emmerson is grateful for soundproofed rooms as he goes to his chair and shares the same concerned look with Hook and Jax.
Regina sits still as Charlotte braids her hair. Rosalie enters the room half-dressed, and she smiles genuinely at Regina. Rosalie goes about organizing the make-up, and she ignores the awkward tension in the room. Adella and Belle look at one another, then look at Rosalie, and they grimace. It seems like the entire family is aware of the separation between Isabella and Rosalie. The thought bothers Rosalie more than she cares to admit, but only because she isn't used to having so many people care about her happiness at once.
"Alright, that should do it. Now, I'm going to go check on the decorations," Charlotte says.
"I'll come with you," Belle announces.
"Yep, same," Adella adds quickly.
Charlotte frowns at them before she says, "Okay?"
Adella, Belle, and Charlotte leave the room. Rosalie knows as soon as the door closes, Regina's going to ask the one question that no one else has been brave enough to ask. Rosalie focuses on Regina's make-up, and it isn't until she's halfway finished when Regina asks.
"I take it you and my daughter are no longer together?"
Rosalie pauses just enough to let Regina know the question affected her before she turns and grabs the mascara.
"Not at the moment, no," she answers.
"Why?"
"I resent how easy she was able to leave me behind."
"Do you truly think it was easy for her?"
"It feels that way."
Regina hums under her breath, and that's the end of the conversation. When Rosalie finishes, Adella, Charlotte, and Belle return. Regina catches Rosalie by the wrist before she leaves, and she purses her lips.
"I will tell you something a wise person told me once," Regina says carefully. "You are allowed to be angry and hurt, but I urge you not to do what Isabella did and let your feelings stay dormant until it comes out at the worst time. Live in what you feel, let yourself feel it, and trust your heart to make the right decision when it matters. If you cannot truly forgive her, then tell her. Prolonging the inevitable will only make things worse."
"Would you hold it against me if I never forgive her?"
"Yes," Regina cracks a smile and adds, "But I would accept it eventually. Despite how it seems, Rosalie, I have come to see you as another daughter. If Isabella's decision truly hurt you that you cannot see a future with her, I would be upset, but you will always have a home here."
"It's time to head to the waiting area," Isabella says, leaning against the bathroom door.
Emmerson adjusts his tie nervously, and he checks to make sure he has his vows in his pocket. There are only minutes until he's supposed to confess his undying love for Regina without passing out and until Emmerson gets his dream girl.
"Oh, god. I'm about to puke."
"Hey, stop that." Isabella comes into the bathroom and cups Emmerson's cheeks. "Don't think of this as some massive ceremony. Don't worry about the people in the audience. Don't worry about the officiator, me, or anyone else. Just focus on Regina, and let your heart do the rest," she says.
"What if she changes her mind?"
"Not her. Not when it comes to you."
"Am I going to pass out when I see her dress?"
Isabella laughs and grabs Emmerson's hand. She leads the nervous groom out into the hall, where the other groomsmen are waiting, and Isabella squeezes his hand.
"Yes, but I think it'll be worth it," she teases.
Emmerson nods shakily, and Jax drapes an arm around Emmerson's shoulders.
"I know I've already done this, but if you hurt the Queen, I'll decapitate you in your sleep."
"N-noted," Emmerson stammers.
"Great!" Jax smacks Emmerson on the arm and adds, "You're getting married today, mate. Smile."
"I am smiling."
"No, it's more like a grimace," Hook says.
Emmerson blushes and looks down at the ground. Isabella touches his chest, and she waits until she has his attention.
"My mother loves you with all the love in her heart, and you know that's impressive considering part of it is inside of me. I feel what she feels for you sometimes, and you never have to worry about it fading. You're her everything and her forever. You two are going to make it," her voice cracks, and she finishes, "and I look forward to the day I get to tell you I told you so for doubting me."
Isabella drops her hand and moves back. Jasper signals from his position near the post, and Emmerson shakes out his arms.
"Alright, let's go get married."
Emmerson and Hook go in first, as Hook is Emmerson's best mate, and the others stand outside, ready to escort the bridesmaids. Isabella doesn't react when a cold body slides up next to her, and she automatically holds out her arm. Rosalie slips her hand through the crook of Isabella's elbow, and they both move forward as the line moves. When Emmett and Alia are in front of them, they force smiles on their faces for the audience. Isabella doesn't take it to heart when Rosalie immediately removes her arm once they reach the front. She moves to her spot behind Hook and waits for her mother to appear. When the wedding march sounds, Isabella's issues with Rosalie fade into the background.
Emmerson turns when the song changes, and he takes a deep breath.
"Fuck me," he whispers.
Peter nudges him in the back, and Emmerson blushes when he remembers the vampire can hear him. When Regina's still several feet away, Emmerson jumps down from the platform and bounces on his toes. Isabella laughs behind him, but he can't find it in himself to care. Vincent leads Regina to Emmerson, and Regina smiles nervously.
"You ready?"
"Since the day I met you," Emmerson answers.
Regina's face turns red, and Emmerson gives her a goofy smile. Ruby clears her throat from where she stands by Belle, and the wedding party bursts into laughter. Regina elbows Vincent in the side to move out of the way before she steps up to Emmerson.
"Hey, hey, hey, I haven't said the thing yet," Peter huffs.
"Oh, for crying out loud," Regina says. "You already know he gives me away willingly."
"Without the threat of bodily harm?" Peter asks.
"No more than the threat I have for you if you don't move this thing along."
"Fine."
Emmerson snorts and leads Regina up to Peter, and the vampire holds up his hands.
"You may be seated." The crowd looks around in confusion, and Peter scratches the back of his neck. "Oh, that's right. You guys are the non-traditional bunch," he says.
"Honey, keep it moving before Regina actually hurts you," Charlotte fake whispers.
"Right, right. Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union between Emmerson Swan and Regina Mills. Now, I will be the first to admit that before a few weeks ago, I had no idea what another kind of love looked like. My wife and I have been together for a long time, but she won't mind me saying that the love Emmerson has for Regina is so beautiful, so pure, that it almost makes me want to shed a few tears. The way Emmerson looks at Regina, you would think she hung the moon in the sky, and don't even get me started on the way Regina looks at Emmerson. The two of them could light a fire with a single glance, and I think we're all pretty lucky to be standing here today to watch them take this first step toward forever. I'd ask if anyone objects, but that might be the straw that breaks the camel's back for me."
Regina nods to say he's correct, and that causes the crowd to laugh in unison.
"Good enough then. Now, before we get to the vows, I want to say a few things to Regina and Emmerson both." Peter puts one hand on both of their shoulders. "This is not going to be easy. You will have arguments, you will get frustrated, and you will wonder why you ever agreed to spend the rest of your life with one another. You will feel betrayed, abandoned, and you will question the love in your heart. Nothing will make sense sometimes, and there'll be moments you're lost and confused, afraid of what will happen next. There will be bad times, but the best part about love is that the bad usually outweighs the good in the long run. At the end of every argument, coming home will be the best part. At the end of every misspoken word, apologizing will come with ease, and you will find your footing again. Love is magical, no pun intended, and it requires work. It requires trust, even when that trust is broken, and it requires faith that what you feel for one another will work out in the end.
"After today, there will be no more Regina Mills and Emmerson Swan. It will be Regina and Emmerson, Emmerson and Regina, and the individuals you were as singles will become a thing of the past. You're a team now. That means communication, acceptance, and compromise. The mistakes of your past are in the past, and they should stay there. Never hold on to what Emmerson did, what Regina did, and move forward together as one whole. You two are made for one another, and I, along with everyone else in here, want to see you go the distance. Believe in the love you have for each other, and let it guide you through every storm that might come your way."
By the end of his speech, the only people not crying are the vampires, and even their eyes are a little shiny. One vampire in particular struggles to hold herself together, and Charlotte steps close to Rosalie. Placing a hand on her lower back, Charlotte rubs small circles on her skin to keep the blonde calm. Charlotte, Emmett, Jasper, and Alia were well aware that Peter's speech would be for Emmerson and Regina as well as Rosalie and Isabella. Charlotte risks glancing at Isabella, and she's unsurprised to see the brunette facing away from the others. Emmett whispers something too low for Charlotte to hear, and Isabella nods. Thankfully, Regina and Emmerson are too caught up in one another to notice Isabella. Peter grins and clasps his hands behind his back.
"Okay. Who's going first with the vows?" Peter asks.
Regina lifts her hand, and Peter gestures for her to go ahead.
"Emmerson Swan, you ruined my life," Regina begins. "And I hated you for a long time. I hated what you represented, what you stood for, and the blood that runs through your veins. But I remember one night under the stars, I saw the Emmerson that I know today. The Emmerson that fought hard to stand here and be his authentic self is the man standing before me. The Emmerson that took a risk on a broken Queen with half a heart, and the Emmerson that showed me how wonderful it feels to be loved genuinely and openly. There are so many things I want to say, but nothing feels accurate enough to express how much I love and appreciate you. You mean the world to me, and I will love you until my dying breath. So, I willingly and freely give you my heart and my word that I will be a loving and devoted wife to you. I promise to listen to you, to trust you, and never make you feel unloved.
"I vow to stay by your side in all things, and I vow that I will always come home. You are not only my lover but my family, and we have created a beautiful life together. Nothing, and I mean, nothing will take you away from me. I will fight every day to come home, to have dinner with you, and to hold you late at night. I look forward to falling in love with you over and over and over again. This is our start, our way forward, and I have never been more grateful to have you as my True Love. So, yes, in front of our loved ones, I take you, Emmerson Swan, as my husband. I will love and honor you for the rest of my days. I will be your friend, your biggest cheerleader, and your shoulder to cry on. You're the love of my life, and I'm blessed to be marrying the man of my dreams."
A silence falls over the space, and Emmerson blinks slowly at Regina. His brain is short-circuiting. How did he end up with a woman like this? Is his karma this great? Peter clears his throat.
"Jesus, that was- okay, Swan. Your turn," he says.
Emmerson jumps and pulls out the piece of paper in his pocket. He unfolds it and reads the words out loud, even though he knows them by heart. It helps him stay grounded at the moment and not turn into a stammering mess.
"When I was a kid, I assumed I would be alone forever. My closest friends were vampires three times my age, and none of my foster parents wanted me. I was abused, mistreated, and nearly died from neglect. My life was a shit show, and then a little boy showed up at my door and took me on the adventure of a lifetime. That little boy introduced me to his mother, the woman that did what I couldn't, and I knew then and there that no matter what happened, I had to stay. Not just for him, but for her too. That woman captivated me in seconds, and that feeling hasn't faded. Even when we were fighting for our lives. Even when the whole world seemed to be against us. Even when I was scared shitless and questioning all that I thought I knew, my love for this woman grew and grew and grew until it was the only thing that I knew.
"And to this day, loving you, Regina is the only thing I can do. It's like blinking away the sunlight only to find myself staring at my entire universe. Even if you weren't the Queen, I would bow to you every night, and I would swear my life to keep you safe. I know who you are, and I know what you represent. I remember one night you told me the other version of you was watered down, and you hate being compared to a fairytale, but that's how I feel with you. You're my dream come true, my True Love, and my fairytale ending comes to life. Everything that I am is because of you, your support, and your love. Gina, I promise to care for you, comfort you, and celebrate you. I promise to be by your side through whatever happens. And while the adventure looks a little different, I can't wait to continue it with you. I love you, your Majesty. Always."
"Aw, hell. You two are going to turn me soft," Peter says.
Regina and Emmerson break their staring contest to look at Peter, and he shakes his head.
"Time for the rings," he announces.
Rosalie holds out her thumb, and Regina smiles her thanks as she removes it. Emmerson's hand trembles as Regina slides the ring on his finger, and Regina places her other hand on top of his.
"With this ring, I swear my love and my life to you. So I have said it, so it will always be," Regina says.
Soft purple magic swirls around their intertwined hands and Emmerson shives as the magic sink beneath his skin. He feels the promise in his heart, the sincerity of her words, and he kisses the back of her hand. Hook steps forward next, the ring on his pinky, and Emmerson removes it. Hook bows to Regina, and she curtsies back. Emmerson's tongue sticks out as he puts the ring on Regina's finger, and he shuffles back and forth.
"With this ring, I swear my love and my life to you. I swear to protect you and Isabella for all of my days, and if I were to fail, I accept the punishment Lady magic gives to me. So I have said it, so it will always be."
Regina and Isabella gasp as the magic seals Emmerson's vows.
"Em, what did you-
"I could not, in good faith, go any further without vowing not only to love you, Regina but also to love your daughter as well. Isabella has become a major part of my life, and I know that she is your literal heart in human form. While I will never be able to fill the shoes left behind or attempt to do so, I promise to be her confidant and support system in all that she does. I promise to honor her, trust her, and respect her. I promise to annoy her constantly, and I promise to steal all her Oreos. You two are my family now, and I won't ever let either one of you go. So I have said it, so it will forever be."
Another burst of magic wraps around Emmerson and Regina's hands, and Regina loses her battle with her emotions. Her tears are a mixture of happiness and love, and Emmerson doesn't dare turn around to Isabella. If he did, then Emmerson would confess that his vow was a spur of the moment. He had no previous intent to include Isabella. With everything that's happened and everything Emmerson's gone through, his family wouldn't be complete without her.
"Damn. I guess that's pretty much it, huh?" Peter gestures to Regina and Emmerson. "It is my honor and pleasure to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Emmerson Mills."
"Wait, Mills?" Regina repeats. "I thought I was taking your last name?"
Regina looks at Emmerson, who bites his lip and shrugs. "Swan is gone," he says, shrugging. "Emmerson Mills has a better ring to it anyway."
"I hate you."
"Tell me how much on the honeymoon."
Regina tugs Emmerson down by his tie. She kisses the corner of his mouth and whispers in his ear, "I can't kiss you the way I want to kiss you because I might actually scar our daughter."
"Since when do you care? And is that weird considering she's not that much younger than me?"
"Nothing about our life is normal. That's part of the adventure, remember?"
"I love you, Mrs. Mills."
"And I love you, Mr. Mills."
Rosalie snags Isabella by the wrist as she's walking toward the changing room, and she drags her into the bathroom.
"I want a do-over," Rosalie blurts.
"What?"
"You and me. I want a do-over. I want to go back to when we were sharing pizza while Charlie was at work and sneaking looks at one another in the cafeteria. I want to go back to before the vampires, before Charlie, and start over."
Isabella leans against the wall and says, "You know we can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Because then what would we gain? Who we are now is because of what's happened."
"And that's the problem!" Rosalie shouts.
"I never said it wasn't."
"God, you are so infuriating! You waltz into my life, then leave, and then I chase you across the country. I find you, and then you leave again! You have been walking away from me the entire time we have been together, and I have been chasing you. I have been fighting and struggling to keep up with you, and you stand here like it doesn't bother you that we're broken. You walked away from me like I didn't even matter to you. You left and stayed gone for so long that I was afraid you would never come back. I don't like that feeling. I don't like wondering if the woman I love will return to me, and I hate it. I hate you, and I hate what you've done to my life. Everything I knew about my world now revolves around your family, your friends, and it's frustrating. Because no matter how much I hate it, I wouldn't change it for anything. This is the first time in a long time I've felt loved and appreciated and respected, and I can't even hold onto it because I'm scared you'll leave for the third time and never come back. What good is it being here if I can't even have my mate at my side?"
Isabella doesn't say anything, and what's left of Rosalie's hope dims. She walks backward out of the bathroom, giving Isabella a chance to come after her, but she remains against the wall. Rosalie takes off her heels and sprints down the hall, out of the building, and into the woods. She has no idea where she's going, but she needs to get out of there. She needed to-
Rosalie yelps as she's tackled from behind. The two bodies roll around before they come to a stop at the bottom of the hill.
"What the hell is your-
"I fell in love with you the moment I saw you in the parking lot," Isabella interrupts. "I knew without a doubt that you would be the girl I marry, the girl I spend the rest of my life with, and that has not changed. It has never changed. Even when I- writing that first note was the second hardest thing I've ever had to do. I wrote several different drafts where I begged you to come with me, but I couldn't ask you to leave all that you knew for me. When I found out you were coming to Storybrooke, I was happy, and I was guilty. I overcompensated for that guilt in many ways, and that wasn't fair to you. It was never fair to you, and I'm so sorry, Rosalie, for making you feel like I could live without you. I am sorry for making you question my love for you, for dishonoring the bond we made together, and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I'll chase you around the world if I have to, and I'll never stop chasing you. I love you, and I will never leave you again. I will be by your side wherever you go unless you ask differently. I will shower you with the love you deserve until my dying breath. You, Rosalie Hale, are my life, and I cannot spend another second without you in it."
Rosalie punches Isabella on the shoulder, and she hisses, "Why the fuck couldn't you say this in the bathroom?"
"I was rebooting," Isabella mutters, rubbing her shoulder. "You kind of caught me off-guard, and I didn't have an immediate response, but when the door slammed shut, I raced outside to find you gone. I had to hunt down Emmett to steal some of his abilities to catch up."
Rosalie looks at Isabella, really looks at her, and she says, "If you leave again, I won't be waiting for you to come back."
"I promise I'm here to stay."
"Swear it?"
Isabella touches Rosalie's chest directly over her heart, and she says, "I swear it."
"Good." Rosalie releases a deep breath and touches the side of Isabella's neck where the mating bite is. "How bad is it?" she asks softly.
"You knew?"
"Of course, it's my bite."
"It's not as bad as it was yesterday," Isabella admits. "Still hurts."
"Have you been sleeping? Eating?"
Isabella shakes her head no.
"Okay. Come on." Rosalie flips their positions and drags Isabella off the ground. "Let's go get changed and head to the after dinner. You're going to eat, and we're going to celebrate your mother's marriage."
"What about after? A-are you coming home?"
"There is nowhere else I would rather be."