Chapter 15: Until Forever Ends
"Emma!" Snow laughed when a blonde curl slipped from her fingers as her daughter turned to the door. "How do you want me to dress your hair if you keep moving like this?"
"But it's Killian! The footsteps. It's his!"
Henry was first to reach the door, and half-opened it. "Dad, you know you have to wait. You can't see her now."
"I know. And I won't!" he said, standing in the corridor.
"Emma," Snow laughed again as her daughter stood up. "I'll need to start over."
"Killian!" Emma stood with her back to the half-open door and slipped her hand through it.
"Mum…" Henry rolled his eyes and chuckled, before going back to his sister and picking her up. "Do you see that? Mum and dad love each other so much that they can't stay away from each other for even just a few hours."
Killian and Emma were both standing on either side of the door, playing with each other's hand. It was on a day in the start of August, and the atmosphere at the castle and on the rest of the island was festive: Princess Emma Swan was about to marry Captain Killian Jones, and everyone was celebrating.
"Are you sure we can't see each other?" Emma asked. "We don't have to follow the rules."
"Don't tempt me, love," Killian answered from the other side of the door.
A playful smile appeared on her features. "Why not?"
"Don't let me take away from the audience this moment when they see the look of wonder on my face as you come in. Though I'll be just as bewitched even if I've already seen you in your dress."
"I want to see this look of wonder."
"You know that look very well. It's the look I give you every morning when I wake up by your side."
"Killian…"
He chuckled as her tone indicated that she was on the verge of swooning. "Resist, love."
"Give me one valuable reason."
"Think of all the guests who came here to celebrate our love. Think of how disappointed they would be if none of us showed up. You need to resist because if I see you now, I might forget about them and about this whole royal wedding thing, and marry you straight away."
She giggled, then sighed. "I want to kiss you."
"You will. Down the aisle. Be patient."
Emma's attention was caught by Kaelyn, who was squirming in her brother's arms and looked delighted when he put her down. The one-year-old baby girl toddled and slipped out of the room.
"Daddy!"
"Treasure! Look how beautiful you are! As always, I must say."
Beaming, she gripped the skirt of her red dress and looked up at him before saying proudly, "Bweedef!"
"Aye, a princess! That's what you are: my beautiful little princess, in a beautiful princess dress!"
She squealed and held out her arms to him. Keeping Emma's hand in his own, Killian squatted and hugged his daughter.
"The most perfect little maid of honor," he said.
"It's unfair how she can get hugs and kisses from you and I can't," Emma playfully complained, still standing behind the door.
Killian chuckled and kissed the back of her hand. Watching him, Kaelyn reached towards her mother's hand. "Me!"
"Oh, you want to kiss mum's hand too!"
He lifted her up just enough so that she could grab it, and Emma giggled when she felt her daughter's lips against her fingers.
"Daddy!" Kaelyn said, now holding out her hand to him.
Understanding what she wanted, he softly took her hand to his lips and a tinkling laugh escaped her.
"Alright, time for daddy to go back," Killian told his daughter. "And you go back to mum, but we'll reunite soon. Savvy?"
She nodded and he playfully tapped her nose, before leading her back into the room while remaining hidden behind the door.
"My love," he said while tenderly tightening his hold on her hand, "See you down the aisle!"
"Is it time to go there, already?"
"Not yet," he chuckled. "But soon. I love you."
"I love you."
Killian let go of her hand and Emma went back to Snow, who was delighted to help her daughter get ready for her wedding.
Emma was alone in the room. Snow and the children had left only a moment earlier, but every second had seemed to linger since then. She had to wait for her father to come and lead her to the ballroom, where everything was planned to happen. Hopping up and down with impatience, only wanting to reunite with her soon-to-be husband, she was tempted to get out of the room to go and find him. But she resisted. The only distraction she found was the mirror, in front of which she went to stand. Over the past year and a half, she had got used to princess dresses, but her wedding gown was unlike any dress she had ever worn. She wouldn't have minded a simple white dress, but her mother was so excited for the wedding that she had gladly accepted to wear a fancier gown. That was how she happened to be wearing an ivory dress which was more beautiful than anything she had imagined. The simple thought of the way Killian would look at her made her smile; she knew he was always appreciative of how she was dressed, no matter what she was wearing, but she also knew that he would enjoy how the corset was highlighting her outline, or how one of her shoulders was bare, while the other one was draped with a translucent and beaded strip of silk chiffon which was also constituting half of the sweetheart neckline. A layer of the same material was covering the skirt. When she had tried to picture what her wedding gown would be like, she had been afraid it would come with a cumbersome skirt making going through doors difficult, but it didn't: though it was voluminous and beautiful, it was so supple that she didn't even need to worry about being able to hug the one she loved properly. With the corset inlaid with what looked like small diamonds, and the translucent material covering the skirt, her shoulder and a part of the neckline, the whole dress seemed to be glowing. She also loved what her mother had done with her hair: an intricate braid scattered with tiny white flowers was crowning her head and, in the back of her head, it was gathered in a sideways bun.
Playing with her diamond-shaped necklace, the bride started with surprise when the door opened. She turned around and her smile widened when she saw her father.
"Dad! Is it time?"
Standing on the doorstep, Charming was gazing at her. "Your mother told me you looked incredibly splendid, but you look even more beautiful than that. You look radiant."
"Thank you! Is it time?" she repeated and, noticing how impatient she sounded, he chuckled.
"It is."
"Yes!"
She rushed to the door, pushed her father out of the room and grabbed his hand to lead him down the corridor. Laughing, he made her slow down.
"Emma, calm down."
"I can't! I'm marrying my Killian. I need to see him, I want to kiss him now, I can't wait!"
Another laugh escaped him. "You're overexcited."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"No, of course not."
"Then, hurry up! He's waiting for me."
She was right. In the ballroom, all the guests were seated. A central alley was leading from down the stairs to the balcony, where Killian, Liam and Archie were waiting. All the doors had been opened, allowing the guests to enjoy an ocean and blue sky view. Many of them kept casting glances up the stairs, where the bride was supposed to appear with her father any time.
Killian was unable to stand still. Instead of staying where he was supposed to, he went to the front row. Kaelyn was sitting on Snow's lap, and next to them were Henry and Ariel. The mermaid was amused as she watched Liam, who was Killian's best man, trying to pull his brother back on the balcony, in vain. The two of them were now engaged, and Ariel's baby bump was rather prominent already.
As guests reacted when Killian picked Kaelyn up, the groom looked up and indicated the room to his daughter.
"Look at all these people who love you! Do you want to wave hello?"
Beaming, Kaelyn waved her arm, leading to a general awe which made her squeal. She turned again to her father and pressed her face against his neck.
Killian knew most of the guests only by sight. He had been convinced by Emma that they should invite Regina, but he was glad she had refused the invitation. Since the day when she had come and claimed that she wanted to become a better person, she had caused no wrong, and Henry was usually spending two days a week with her. She truly seemed to be on her way to redemption, but Killian still despised her presence.
Glancing over the room, the groom then gazed at the top of the stairs, where his soon-to-be wife had yet to appear. Kaelyn caught her attention by placing her hands on his cheeks. Flashing her a smile, he lifted her up some more, enough to lean his forehead against hers. He brushed her nose with his own and, as always when he was doing that, she was delighted.
A sound of doors being opened made Killian look up. There she was, entering the room, arm in arm with her father. Kaelyn still had her hands on his cheeks while he gazed at the bride, transfixed. A tug on his sleeve interrupted his musings.
"Killian, come back here," said Liam.
But he didn't want to go back on the balcony and put some more distance between him and his true love. The distance separating them was already too long to his liking: before reuniting with him, she still had to reach the top of the staircase, come down, and walk down the aisle.
All the guests had stood up and were looking at her, but the only one she could see was Killian, who was gazing at her while holding their daughter in his arms. He seemed to tell the toddler something and she looked up too.
"Emma," Charming whispered. "You need to slow down."
"But…"
Her father chuckled. "I know you're eager to be down there, but you soon will be. Be patient."
Emma did her best to comply. Killian had handed Kaelyn back to Snow and was kissing her tiny hands. This sight made the bride feel like she was melting: even on a day like this, he was finding time for their daughter. It also made her even more impatient to be with him.
She was not taking her eyes off him. Neither was he. She had just started to go down the stairs when he let go of Kaelyn's hands and walked towards her. Both were preventing themselves from running, but the closer they were to each other, the more difficult it was.
At last, they reached the bottom of the stairs at the same time. Still keeping one hand in her father's, Emma tossed an arm around Killian's neck while he captured her in his embrace and kissed her. Momentarily forgetting the world around them, she gladly responded.
When she remembered the guests surrounding them and the wedding itself, she leant her forehead against his own and bit her lip to stop herself from beaming. "You were supposed to wait for me down there."
"You're marrying a pirate, remember? I only follow my own rules, and one of them dictates me to show you my love whenever I have the chance." He pulled away and flashed her a bright smile before admitting, "I could not resist, I had to come to you."
"I'm glad you did. I desperately needed to kiss you, I didn't want to wait any longer."
"You look dazzling," he commented with a light shake of the head.
"Be careful, if I come into the light with all these diamonds, I might even blind you."
"You don't need any diamond for that, love," he said with a crooked smile, and she got lost in his bright blue eyes.
It was only when she tore her gaze away that, holding his shoulder, she took the time to look him up and down. His outfit was composed of a navy blue coat whose golden buttons matched the golden vest that he was wearing over a white shirt, and white pants.
"You look unsurprisingly devilishly handsome," she commented in her turn, unable to repress an appreciative smile as she observed how much of his chest the neckline let see.
"I didn't really want to wear one of these royal dresses," he replied as if it was only the two of them. "With Liam, we thought a sailor outfit would look great."
"It does. I had never seen this one," she went on, indicating the golden vest.
"Well, it's not every day that we get married!"
"Kids," Charming cut in, "I don't mean to interrupt you but, speaking of getting married…"
With a move of the head, he indicated the balcony ahead of them.
"Right," Killian said as he realized they were still standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Do you want me to go back there, where I was supposed to wait for you?"
"No, don't worry, you can walk with us." He flashed his daughter a teasing smile before addressing the groom again, "At least, with you by her side, I won't need to stop her from running."
Killian raised an amused eyebrow and Emma repressed a laugh. She held out her hand to him.
"We're pirates, anyway," she said. "We don't follow the rules."
"Remind me how I got lucky enough to be the one you're about to marry," he replied while taking her hand.
"The same way I got lucky enough to be the one about to marry you. Come!"
Surrounded by both her father and her fiancé, the princess walked down the aisle. Among the many guests, she spotted a few familiar faces: people working at the castle, some of Henry's teachers, couples and families who had attended previous balls – including the two sisters from Arendelle and the husband of one of them, – and August, the man who had built all the furniture for Kaelyn's room and who had become since then a close family friend.
Glancing at all the cheerful guests, Emma was beaming. When they walked past the front row, Killian paused to kiss Kaelyn's cheek and give Henry a high five. Holding the toddler in her arms, Snow was watching her daughter with teary eyes and a bright smile.
At last, they reached the balcony, where Archie and Liam were waiting for them.
"Finally back where you should have been waiting," Liam teased his brother.
"Couldn't resist," Killian shrugged before exchanging a loving glance with his bride.
Both of them placed themselves face to face. David placed his daughter's hand on Killian's before going to stand behind her, the same way as Liam was behind his brother.
Silence fell upon the guests as Archie started to talk, but Killian and Emma were already in their own world: with their fingers intertwined and their gazes fixed on each other, they were not listening. Instead, they were secretly in communion, sharing their feelings. Emma received an intense wave of love and sent one of her own. She felt his excitement to be standing there and how much he admired her, and she let him know how excited she had been when her father had finally come to tell her it was time. Another wave of excitement reminded her of how she had felt when she had entered the room and spotted him. She thought of how impatient to be in his arms, and delighted, she had been when she had walked down the stairs. The next wave of feelings that he sent reminded her of when she had been standing with her back on the door and of how much she had been willing to be on the other side, with him. She shared how she had felt like she was melting when she had watched Kaelyn toddle to him, and thought of the kiss on her hand only briefly, before he made her relive their kiss down the stairs, on the aisle. She dreamily mused on this moment and her thoughts drifted, bringing her back to the previous night. Killian's lips parted and he slightly shook his head, making her realize what she had unintentionally shared. But it was too late: a hint of a smirk appeared on his features, and feels from the past night suddenly washed over her. It was so overwhelming that she lifted the palms of her hands away from his own to interrupt the communion. With his lopsided grin, the groom looked rather smug; it was not the first time they were playfully trying to make each other give way, and they had never had such a large audience before.
"Killian?"
The pirate looked up at Archie, who had seemingly tried to get his attention several times already.
"I do!" Killian said.
As he heard laughs coming from the audience, he raised an eyebrow and looked around. David, Liam and Archie looked amused as well. Though far from disliking entertaining the audience, Killian cast his brother an inquiring look, wondering what he had done, this time, to cause the laughs.
"Not that part yet!" Liam said with a crooked smile.
"What?"
"The vows!" Charming said in a hushed voice.
"Didn't you prepare one?" Archie asked the groom who had finally realized what was happening.
"Prepare?" Killian lightly frowned. "Why would I prepare anything, when my inspiration is standing right in front of me?" He gave Emma his irresistible look and said, "Princesses first."
"My vow?" she asked.
"Aye, your vow." Killian chuckled, "You're following as well as I am."
"I've been distracted by the one who's about to become my husband."
From the moment when she had interrupted the communion, she had spent most of the time looking away, trying to forget how eager she was to close the distance between them. But now that she was gazing at him again, and that it was only a matter of minutes before she would be able to call him 'husband', the love she was feeling for him made her sigh with contentment.
"My Killian," she started. She lightly bit her lip, knowing exactly what she was about to say. "You simply are the one I'll always share my chocolate with." His smile brightened and, barely aware of all the guests, she went on. "The one I love, and the one I don't ever want to live without. When I met you, I asked you to bring me home, and that's exactly what you did. You gave my life a meaning I never thought it would have. A forever spent by your side probably won't be long enough to let me tell you how much I love you, but I vow to remind you every day how wonderful true love is."
She tenderly pressed her palms against his own, and the wave of love she sent to him got them both lost in a world which belonged only to the two of them.
"That was beautiful," he whispered.
"Your turn," she whispered back.
But there was a moment of silence before he spoke; a moment during which they gazed at each other and drowned in love.
"My love," he finally started. "Being the one standing here in front of you today is the evidence that I am the luckiest of all the men. You're saying that I brought you home, but you brought me love. Love and so much more, including a son and a daughter." He glanced at Henry and Kaelyn, and flashed them a bright smile before focusing on Emma again. "What I love the most about life is that you never know what lies ahead on the road and that, sometimes, the path you take happens to be very different and much better than what was expected. This happened to me when I ran into you. Or more precisely, when you ran into me. How could I have imagined, when I woke up on that morning, that you were about to turn my life upside-down in the best possible way? We were about to set sail, but you ran into me and the plans changed, because I simply knew I couldn't leave without you. From the start, you've been able to make my heart pound and, at first, I didn't understand how or why, but then, I knew. I love you. You are the other half of our equinox. My favorite view when I wake up. My favorite feeling when I fall asleep. This is why I can tell you this: an ocean of love awaits us and, no matter how calm or bumpy the seas will be, I promise to love you and treasure you until forever ends."
Biting her lip, Emma was gazing at him with watery eyes.
"Do you have anything else to say?" Archie inquired.
"Of course," he replied. "I could talk endlessly about my Emma or the true love we share. But that's all I'm going to say for now. Please let me marry her, already."
Archie, who was also teary-eyed, smiled brightly as he asked, "Do you, Captain Killian Jones, take Emma Swan to be your wife?"
"Aye, of course I do."
"Do you, Princess Emma Swan, take Killian Jones to be your husband?"
"Yes, a thousand times yes! I do," she answered and bit her lip, trying to contain her excitement.
"Killian Jones and Emma Swan," Archie announced. "It is my great honor to pronounce you husband and wife."
The joy Emma felt at this moment made her feel like her heart was about to burst out of her chest. She would have kissed her husband, if Henry had not come to stand by their sides. Her attention was caught by what he had in his hands.
"Oh, wow!"
In his hands was a wooden model of the Jolly Roger. The hull was painted and the sails were hoisted in a very realistic way. But what she loved the most about it was the miniature wheel, around which were the two rings.
"It's amazing!"
Killian and Henry had been in charge of the rings, but she had never imagined something like this.
"August helped us," the boy announced proudly.
"My love?" Killian interrupted Emma's musings and she looked up.
He was holding one of the rings. He softly took her hand, and her breath caught as he put it on her finger.
He gazed at the ring, and beamed at her before winking at Henry. "Officially a family."
The boy's smile widened. In her turn, Emma picked the ring from the wooden model. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest when she took Killian's hand and slipped the ring on his finger. When they looked up at each other, they were instantly in this world belonging only to the two of them and, naturally, they closed the short distance separating them, and lost themselves in a passionate kiss.
The silence was broken by Kaelyn, who squealed happily when her brother placed his hands on her eyes, telling her that she was too young to watch. It made Killian and Emma smile against each other's lips. They pulled away only to get even closer as they tightly hugged, and the audience burst into applause.
"Mrs. Jones, you're making me the most fulfilled of all the men," he whispered while still holding her in his arms.
She smiled brightly and kissed him again, before leaning her forehead against his own and whispering, "I'm yours."
"And I'm yours," he replied in a hushed voice.
Lightly scratching the nape of his neck, she watched him as he looked down and trailed his fingers along the translucent and beaded strip of silk chiffon, from her shoulder to its end right below her chest.
"Truly resplendent." He looked up before adding, "And I'm not talking just about the dress."
"I know."
Forehead against forehead, they gazed at each other.
"They're all waiting," Killian said, softly trailing his fingers down her arms. "They're going to come to us. Are you ready, or should we stay like this and let them wait some more?"
"We've made them wait long enough, already."
She quickly kissed his lips before turning to the audience. All the guests were standing and applauding.
"Congratulations, brother!" Liam patted Killian's shoulder.
"Thanks. You're next!"
"Aye. Still a few more months to wait."
"Daddy!"
Kaelyn instantly caught her father's attention. Snow was hugging her daughter while holding the toddler in her arms, close enough to Killian to allow her to grab his coat. Delighted when he took her in his arms, she patted his cheeks and tried to pull him closer. Guessing what she wanted, he brushed her nose with his own.
"Don't move," Henry said.
"What are you doing?" Killian inquired.
"Her shoelace is undone. It won't be long," the boy said while tying it. "Done!"
"Do you want me to take her back?" Snow offered.
Killian shook his head. "I can keep her. I'm sure she'll enjoy greeting everyone."
He was right: guests came in turn to congratulate the newlyweds, and Kaelyn was delighted by all the attention she was getting; she beamed at anyone who mentioned how lovely or adorable she was – which was a majority of the guests – and sometimes even tried to reach for them. That was until she seemingly got bored and held out her arms to her brother, who was standing between Emma and Killian.
"Ewy!"
She still didn't know how to pronounce his name, but he recognized himself instantly, and took her from Killian. The two of them walked away from the crowd and went to play in a quieter part of the room.
The sun set while the newlyweds kept talking to the guests. In the meantime, all the seats were removed and the buffet was installed.
Emma was talking with August when she heard a familiar tinkling laugh. She barely had time to turn around before Kaelyn ran into her and held out her arms.
"Mummy!"
"Adorable little one," August commented while Emma picked her up.
The toddler flashed him a bright smile, before devoting her attention to her brother when he asked, "Do you want to stop playing?"
"No!" The toddler turned to her mother and pressed her mouth against her cheek, mimicking a kiss, then indicated the floor. "Mummy, done."
"Yes, I'm putting you down, treasure."
She lightly kissed her daughter's cheek before doing so. As soon as she was on her feet, Kaelyn cast a glance at her brother. She squealed and ran away when he playfully pretended to chase her.
"She's lucky to have a big brother like this!" August commented as he watched them.
"Very. Henry is an amazing brother."
The orchestra soon started to play and the ball began.
"My dear beautiful wife, may I have this dance?" Killian came to ask Emma with a bright smile, slightly bowing and holding out his hand to her.
"As if you needed to ask," she giggled and let him lead her to the center of the dancefloor.
"I can't get enough of you accepting to dance with me, so I'll just keep asking you any time I get the chance."
They opened the ball and other couples joined them. Waltzing around, Killian and Emma were not taking their eyes off each other.
"Make me fly."
"Which move do you have in mind?" he asked. "With your dress, I can't make all of them."
"The one when you catch me in your arms bridal style."
This idea was coming from the night he proposed, when they had danced and he had said there were moves he was willing to try – moves that would make her feel like she was flying. Emma had kept in mind that he wasn't willing to try them while she was pregnant. One day, when Kaelyn was already a few weeks old, she had reminded him about these moves. Since then, from time to time, they had tried different ones and practiced, not necessarily during balls. Emma knew she could trust him: no matter what the move looked like, he never failed to catch her.
Killian looked around to make sure it was safe. They didn't need to talk; gazing at each other was enough. She placed her hands on his shoulders and he placed his on her waist. When they were ready, she jumped, and he made her go higher and turn around. He caught her bridal style, cushioning her landing by accompanying her, and spun round and round.
"Perfect," Emma whispered.
"Even the landing?"
"Yes. Very soft. Perfect."
With an arm around his neck and a hand on his cheek, she guided his lips to her own, and he slowed down then stopped spinning while they kissed. It was one for the ages; the first score had time to end before he put her down. Slightly dizzy and feeling like the only stable element was Killian, she remained pressed against him and held onto him, keeping her forehead against his and her eyes closed while she caught her breath.
"Are you alright, love?"
"More than fine," she whispered with a smile. "You took my breath away."
He tightened his embrace, shifting his hand from her lower back to her shoulder and brushing her bare skin with his thumb.
They were still swaying on the spot when they were interrupted.
"Mum? Dad? Everything's fine so you don't have to worry, but… I was playing with Kaelyn and she slipped through the guests, and I don't know where she went. Grandpa and grandma are looking for her already."
"What?" they asked in unison even if they had understood very well.
They pulled away and looked around in an attempt to spot the toddler. They went opposite ways, looking for their daughter. A couple close to Emma stopped dancing and looked at her inquiringly.
"Have you seen Kaelyn?" she asked them.
The couple shook their heads. Concerned, they asked the two couples next to them. Taking a deep breath, Emma tried to reassure herself; it was not the first time that Kaelyn was sneaking out of sight, she was probably not far. But she was still worried because there were so many guests.
"Mum! Grandpa found her!" Henry came to warn her.
"Where is she? Is she alright?"
"Yes, she's fine." The boy smirked before adding, "She's at the buffet."
Emma craned her neck to see her daughter or her father, in vain. The reason why she couldn't see them was that David was crawling under the table, trying to reach for Kaelyn who was sitting there, beaming at him. Her fingers, her lower face, and even a part of her dress, were covered in chocolate, because of the fondant she was holding.
Observing her state, a laugh escaped him. "Look at who's her mummy's daughter! Come here, princess."
Kaelyn didn't move and took another bite while waiting for him to come and pick her up. Once he was on his feet, holding her in his arms, she showed him the fondant.
"Hocolate!" she said proudly.
"Is it for me?" he asked with a hand hovering above it.
"No!" She lightly frowned as she protectively took it back. "Hocolate me biwate tweaduh."
"What?"
"That's my girl!" Killian laughed as he joined them.
"What did she say?" Charming inquired.
"She said chocolate is her pirate treasure," he translated. "You can't have chocolate."
"Daddy hocolate!" Kaelyn beamed at her father and handed him a piece of fondant.
"But you can?" David asked.
"My girls share their chocolate with me," Killian answered with a crooked smile, before turning to his daughter. "Is the chocolate for daddy?"
"Aye!"
"What about grandpa?" he asked while taking the piece that she looked very happy to offer him. "Can he have some chocolate too?"
A pout formed on her tiny lips as she looked down at the dessert.
"Don't worry, princess," Charming reassured. "Grandpa won't blame you if you don't want to share your pirate treasure."
But Kaelyn seemed to change her mind: focused on tearing another piece off the fondant, she beamed at him when she handed it to him.
"Wamba hocolate!"
'Wamba' was one of the few words he was able to understand: the word she was using to say both 'grandma' and 'grandpa'. She looked so delighted to offer him some chocolate that he couldn't refuse.
"Sharing your treasure… You'll be an amazing princess!"
"Why, of course she will be. She already is," Killian replied proudly. "Whether she shares her treasure or not."
"Yummy hocolate!" she said before taking a bite.
"How did she even get it?" David asked.
Killian shrugged. "She's Emma's daughter."
The men exchanged a glance and chuckled.
"I'm right here," Emma let them know.
"And do you deny the fact that your daughter takes the ability to sneak chocolate after you?" Killian asked, hiding his surprise to see her right behind them.
"No," she replied with a bright smile, obviously proud. "Next step is eating cleanly. We need to change her."
"Snow and I will take care of her. You two go back on the dancefloor."
"No yummy mow," Kaelyn said.
"You're not hungry anymore?" Emma asked.
The toddler shook her head and turned to her father, who was closer, and handed him what was left of the dessert. "Daddy eeb me biwate tweaduh."
"Aye, daddy will keep your treasure safe," he assured while taking it.
David left the room with Kaelyn. Staring at the leftover fondant, Killian looked up at Emma.
"I just need to put this where she can get it later. Then I'm coming right back to you."
"I'll be somewhere around the buffet."
"How surprising!" He chuckled and kissed her, careful to keep his hands away to avoid any contact between the chocolate and her ivory dress.
Emma had time to go around the buffets. It was one of the most copious ones she had ever seen, and she made a mental note to thank her mother for this, since she was the one who had planned it all. Even the decorations of the ballroom, the music and the lights, were amazing. The whole ceremony was simply perfect.
"Like mother, like daughter," Killian laughed when he came back and found her eating a chocolate fondant.
"Our daughter has good taste. You should have one. More than the crumb Kaelyn gave you."
"Not now that I finally have chocolate-free hands," he said while wrapping her in his arms.
"That's not a problem." She took a fondant and held it in front of his mouth.
A moment later, they were back on the dancefloor. The orchestra had time to play several scores before David and Snow came back with Kaelyn, who was now wearing a navy-blue dress.
For the next dance, there was a switch of partners.
"Emma?" David held out his hand to his daughter and they started waltzing.
"Shall we dance?" Killian invited Snow.
"My daughter, married at last," David said, gazing at Emma. "Love, family, happiness, this is all I ever wanted for you."
"I never thought I would ever have this." Emma glanced at her husband, who was dancing with her mother, and at her children. "Look at them!"
"I'd say you have the happiest kids in the world. They're such bundles of joy, the two of them."
Henry was making his sister dance, and she seemingly loved moving on the music. A few guests had stopped dancing and were watching them. Some of them were even applauding, and that was what seemed to catch Kaelyn's attention: she beamed at them and went back to move on the music.
"Looks like she loves being the center of attention," David commented.
"Not something she takes after me."
"Probably more like her father."
In the meantime, Killian and Snow were waltzing.
"My dear son-in-law," she said with a bright smile. "I really love how that sounds. And do you know what it means?"
He raised an inquiring eyebrow. "It means that I married your daughter and that a pirate is now officially part of your family?"
"It means that you can no longer complain when I treat you like a son."
"But I can assure you-"
"No complaint," she interrupted him playfully. "I will keep making sure that you and Emma have all the meals you need when you go sailing. Nothing will stop me from taking care of you."
"Fine. Even if I still think you don't need to."
"You mean that's the least I can do." Her look became more intense and her tone changed, becoming more serious. "I owe you so much, Killian. For so long, we thought we had lost Emma forever. But you made her find her way back to us. And besides getting our daughter back, we got you, our son-in-law. We got her back, and she is happier than we ever hoped she would be. This afternoon, you couldn't see her, but she was ecstatic. Overjoyed at the prospect of promising to spend her life by your side. Watching you two get married… Today was one of the most magical days."
Slightly unsettled and unsure of what to say, Killian looked her in the eye before a crooked smile appeared on his lips. "Well, I guess I definitely can't complain anymore when I find out that you took care of packing lunch for us."
"Definitely. Speaking of, everything you need for tomorrow is already on your ship."
He looked suspicious. "Only for tomorrow or-"
"For the entire honeymoon. I can't let you and Emma eat only boiled mackerel for a week."
Killian shook his head, amused. "We wouldn't have eaten only this." He spun her around and, when he pulled her back to him, added, "Well, thank you."
She smiled brightly and they kept dancing until the score ended.
"Thank you, my dear son-in-law," she said at the end of the dance.
She kissed his cheek and quickly hugged him, before she and her daughter switched to go back to their husbands.
Soon, it was time for the kids to go to bed, while everyone else kept dancing, eating, drinking, or talking. There were a few more partner switches, leading Emma to dance with August, Liam, and a few other guests who were all honored to have a dance with the princess. Meanwhile, Killian danced with Ariel, Elsa, and other women he knew only by sight or even not at all.
"I'm not saying dancing with other guests isn't nice, but I'm glad to be back in your arms," Emma said when, at last, she was dancing with Killian again. "Everything is so much easier with you. I don't need to think to follow your moves, I always know what to do."
"Needless to say you're by far my favorite partner. Even if dancing with other guests was rather fun."
"I bet it was fun for you. How many of them did you make swoon?"
"A couple," he answered with a smirk. "Especially this one woman I didn't know, named Jessica. I don't think she could handle it, poor girl."
"As if you felt sorry," Emma giggled.
"Not at all," he admitted. "Also, Elsa is inviting us to spend a few days in Arendelle again. She said she told you already."
"She did! We talked earlier. After our honeymoon, we can plan our trip there." She looked him in the eye before adding, "Honeymoon which I still know nothing about."
"And that's not about to change," he teased before kissing her.
They left the dancefloor and kept dancing on the balcony; balcony where they had got married hours earlier, and where he had proposed. This simple thought got Emma lost in his eyes. Thinking of the wedding and the proposal took her even further in the past. She thought of everything they had been through, and remembered the day she had first gazed into his eyes. This made her muse on how, less than three years earlier, she had still been thinking of Boston as her home; on how she had got a choice and, despite her reason telling her to go back to the Apprentice and without really knowing why, she had listened to her heart and gone back to Killian. This was how it had all started; with this wish on her twenty-eighth birthday, and this decision which, at this time, had seemed much less insignificant than it had actually been: this choice to go back to him had changed her life, as he had been about to bring her home in a way she had never expected anyone would.
And now, he was hers. Thinking of the past day and reliving all the overwhelming emotions associated with it, she bit her lip as tears filled her eyes.
"Love?" he inquired.
"I chose you," she whispered.
"I'm afraid it's a bit too late to realize this," he joked. "You did choose me, and I even happen to be your husband, now."
Something which sounded like a mix of a laugh and a sob escaped her. "I mean, when we met. I chose you. And now, we officially belong to each other. If I hadn't… I wouldn't have any of this."
She hugged him and kissed his neck, taking advantage of the opportunity to hide her face there.
"My love…"
"I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too," he whispered back before adding, "My wife."
"My husband," she said, smiling in his neck. "It's so unusual to call you that, after all this time calling you my fiancé."
"I can still call you my love."
"And you'll always be my Killian."
"And you, my Emma."
She giggled, tiptoed to kiss him, and melted in his embrace. They spent the rest of the night dancing, losing themselves in each other's eyes, and being in communion, sending waves of love to each other.
At the break of dawn, they sat on the railing of the balcony and, along with Snow, Charming, and most of the guests who were still there, watched the fiery colors invading the sky and the sun rising above the ocean.
"And here starts our first day as a married couple," Emma said, leaning back against her husband and holding his arms crossed on her stomach.
"Princess Emma Jones," he whispered in her ear. "I'd say it is now time for the next part of our adventure of a lifetime to begin."
"Are we going now?" she asked excitedly.
"Aye."
She beamed when he scooped her up. They didn't go unnoticed: the guests stepped aside to let them pass, wishing them a nice journey.
Before leaving, they stopped by the children's rooms. Kaelyn was sound asleep.
"See you soon, little treasure," Killian whispered.
They kissed her cheek before heading to Henry's room. The boy woke up as soon as his parents opened the door.
"Mum! Dad!"
He got up and tightly hugged both of them.
"We're leaving for only a week," Killian chuckled.
"I know, but I haven't got the occasion to hug like this since we officially became a family. Are all the guests still here?"
"Most of them, yes."
"It was a perfect day," the boy commented. "Are you going on the honeymoon now?"
"Yes!" Emma answered excitedly.
"Take care of your sister!" Killian said. "Even if David and Snow will be there to take care of the two of you."
"And you take care of mum."
"Don't worry about that." The man chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair.
"Dad!" he playfully complained.
"Remember. If there's anything-"
"I know. I can use the seashells to call you."
"Right. See you in a week!"
"Have a nice trip!"
They hugged their son again before leaving the castle.
Snow and Charming were astride a horse, and a second horse was waiting for them. The plan was for the four of them to go down to the docks. There, Emma and Killian would set sail, while Snow and Charming would bring their horse back to the castle. The guests had come out of the castle as well and were forming a guard of honor along the path.
"Come here, love."
Killian helped Emma get on the horse and, as usual, she sat in front of him, sideways because of her dress.
"I'm ready," she announced while wrapping an arm around his neck.
The guests greeted them as they set off. On the way to the docks, they talked ceaselessly about the wedding and how wonderful it had been.
"Wow, we're there already. That was fast!" Emma commented when they found themselves on the docks.
It was time to split. Emma hugged her parents. Snow embraced Killian, and David patted his shoulder, before they got back on the horses.
"It's just you and me!" Killian told his wife, who beamed at him.
Hand in hand, they walked aboard the ship. Emma quickly took off her shoes before going where she needed to be to set sail. Once they had left the docks, she joined her husband behind the wheel.
"Still not telling me where we're going?" she inquired.
"Let's just say I have in mind a few beautiful places where you've never been," he teased. He slightly tilted his head on the side as he watched her play with her hair. "What are you doing?"
"Making myself comfortable," she answered while undoing her bun. Seeing his crooked smile and his raised eyebrow, she repressed a smile and added, "I only mean I took off my shoes and I want to feel my hair dancing in the wind."
"For now," he completed her sentence.
"For now," she confirmed.
He chuckled and kissed her cheek before helping her. At first keeping a hand on the wheel, he ended up leaving it to her to fully focus on the task: he collected the tiny flowers, slipping them one by one in his pocket, then unbraided her hair, and softly slipped his fingers through it.
"Much better," she whispered when she shook her head once he was done, and felt her hair blown around by the wind.
Killian glanced at the horizon and slightly readjusted the position of the wheel. "Let's let forever start!"
"And love each other until it ends."
They gazed at each other, then, at the same time, looked down at their lips. Both still had one hand on the wheel when they kissed and melted in each other's embrace. It was the start of a new day; of a new journey. They had found home in each other, and nothing but love and happiness awaited them in this new chapter of their life together.
The End (Or the Start of Forever)