A/N: Well everyone we have reached the end, this is the final chapter (there will be an epilogue don't worry!) I just wanted to pop in and say thank you for all the follows/favorites and all the hugs and kisses and high fives to those who left reviews! You all rock!
The wedding crept closer and closer and Emma still felt buried under the weight of the last minute details Snow insisted needed to be addressed with urgency. The details consumed all of Emma's free time to the point she felt she wasn't getting to spend much time with the man she was actually marrying, it felt as if everyday she came home exhausted not only from being the sheriff but also from having to run errand after errand to attend to every last detail of the wedding that was becoming far larger than she had even wanted in the first place. As soon as she would walk in the door to the cottage she was mentally and physically exhausted, collapsing onto the couch and falling asleep until Killian woke her to try to get her to eat something for dinner.
It was 3 weeks before the wedding date that Emma just snapped. After a grueling conversation with Regina that while Roland was very cute, she and Killian really didn't want a ring bearer in the ceremony; Snow had chosen that moment to text her and say that Mo couldn't get the flowers she and Killian had wanted. After conceding that Granny could cater the wedding, instead of the restaurant that Killian took her to on their first date, Emma had had enough.
"FUCK IT!" she screamed when she saw Snow's text appear on her phone. Emma turned her phone off, got in her bug and raced towards the docks luckily finding Killian quickly.
"Hello love," he said his smile faltering slightly when he saw her, "Are you all right? You look a bit frantic."
"I want to marry you," Emma blurted out.
"Erm sweetheart, you already are?" Killian replied, clearly confused.
"No I mean I want to marry you now, today if we can," Emma said.
"Wait Emma slow down, what's wrong?" Killian asked, his hand stroking her arm trying to calm her down.
"Just this wedding has gotten so stressful and huge and it's not even close to what I imagined getting married to you would be like. I don't know half the people that are invited, I don't care about the tablecloths and wether or not they now match the flowers that we have to reorder since Mo can't get the tulips, and if Regina mentions that Roland would make a great ring bearer I'm going to pull my hair out," Emma felt her voice getting higher and more constricted and stopped to take a deep breath, "And I don't need need all of that to have the wedding I want. I just need you and Henry and I'll be happy, hell I'd be ecstatic if we just went to City Hall. Wait why don't we?"
"Why don't we what?"
"Elope? Fuck this huge wedding, let's grab Henry and take a trip to Portland and get married at City Hall?"
"Well I will admit I wasn't overjoyed with the thought of getting married in front of a group of people I don't know," Killian scratched behind his ear, "But Emma are you sure about this? That this is what you want?"
"Yes, I'm sure of it. Come on let's just go, it'll be an adventure," Emma smiled.
Killian looked at her and smiled, "As you wish love."
They both got into the bug and hurried home, to grab her dress and his and Henry's suits and Killian's fake passport and social security card that Regina had given him in case of emergencies. Emma called Henry when she saw he wasn't in his room, "Hey kid where are you?"
"At Granny's getting a snack why?" he answered
"Killian and I are coming to get you stay there," Emma said into the phone as she grabbed the garment bag that contained her dress.
"Mom what's going on? Is there a monster running around or something?"
"No, Killian and I are getting married, today and we can't have a ceremony without you!" Emma explained.
"What? But what about the wedding?"
"We're eloping lad!" Killian called.
"Well all right then, but I think we should also bring Elsa, if I'm there as Killian's best man you need your Maid of Honor too! Also she's sitting next to me and heard this whole conversation," Henry admitted.
"Hi Emma!" Emma heard Elsa laugh next to Henry.
"Ok you're right, you two come back home and then we'll all drive to Portland," Emma said unzipping the garment bag, thankful the final alterations of her dress had been relatively pain free.
"It's beautiful love," Killian said, wrapping his arms around her waist, "I can't wait to see you in it."
"And I can't wait to see you in your suit," Emma leaned her head against his shoulder, enjoying a moment of quiet before they heard Henry and Elsa charge into the house.
"Emma are you quite sure you want to do this?" Elsa asked as she came into the room, holding her bridesmaids dress in one hand and her heels in the other.
"I've never been more sure of anything, now hurry up we have to get ready and get to Portland before they close City Hall," Emma said.
"Well let's waste no time then, you boys get ready in Henry's room and we'll get ready in here," Elsa said using her 'queen' voice.
Killian and Henry hurried out of the room to change and Elsa helped Emma into her dress and did Emma's hair into a pretty updo. While Elsa put on her own dress, Emma did her make up; her hands shaking slightly.
"You alright?" Elsa asked, placing a hand on Emma's.
"Yeah it's just kind of hitting me that we're eloping. What if we regret not having this big wedding that everyone's been so invested in?" Emma asked.
"Well that is a good point but I think you need to ask yourself something, would you be doing that for you? Or for everyone else?"
"Everyone else, Killian and I always wanted something small. But my parents insisted on this huge wedding that kept getting bigger by the moment," Emma reasoned.
"Well I would definitely say this is small. Okay answer this, are you more excited or are you more nervous?" Elsa questioned.
Emma considered the question and her feelings for a moment before saying, "Excited," with a small smile on her lips.
"Then let's go get you married," Elsa grasped Emma's hands in her own before leading her out of the bedroom.
"Wait hold on!" Henry called from the hallway, "I want to get a picture of when Killian sees you for the first time!"
Emma heard him directing Killian to the living room and Killian's low laughter as he complied with his soon to be stepson's orders.
"Okay Mom you can come out now!" Henry called and Emma finally got to walk out to see her groom standing in his suit waiting for her expectantly. His face was taking her in, his eyes full of wonder and love and his smile reaching ear to ear.
"You look absolutely stunning Swan," he took her hands in his.
"You don't look half bad yourself," Emma took in her soon to be husband in his black suit, his shirt still unbuttoned at the top and exposing his chest hair.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"Of course," she smiled, interlacing her fingers with his, "Are you?"
"I've never been more ready for anything in my exceedingly long life," he said leaning in to kiss her.
"Ah ah ah, no kissing until you two are husband and wife!" Elsa said.
"What?" Emma and Killian asked confused.
"Well you have to keep it special, imagine how good it'll feel when you can finally kiss once you've been married," Elsa explained.
"Well all right then, lets get a move on so that we can actually get married today," Emma pulled Killian towards the door. It took some configuring to get all four of them crammed into the bug but soon enough they were making the hour long journey to Portland, Maine.
~K&E~K&E~K&E~
"You came just in time, you two must be anxious to get married," the county clerk said as Killian set down the pen he used to sign his half of the marriage license.
"Oh definitely," Emma smiled and squeezed Killian's arm.
"Then let's not waste any time, you can get married in the State of Maine room down the hall and I will be with you shortly," the short woman smiled and gestured out the door.
Emma and Killian turned to face each other, she clutched both his fake and real hand and felt his trembling fingers.
"You nervous?" she asked as he lead her to the Maine room.
"No love, just excited to finally be marrying you," he assured her. Emma smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder, she heard the clicking of Henry's camera and trusted that he would be getting some good shots. They reached a room with a sign stating it was the "State of Maine Room" on an official looking plaque.
"I can go in first with Elsa and then get some pictures of you guys as you walk in," Henry offered.
"And I have the rings so don't worry about anything," Elsa said quickly.
Emma nodded and smiled at her son, he has grown so tall in these last few years nearly as tall as Killian, and watches as he and Elsa walk arm and arm into the room where she sees the county clerk waiting for them at a podium.
"Here we go Swan," Killian whispers in her ear and Emma's pulse quickens as they begin to walk into the room together. Henry is snapping away on his camera and Elsa looks like she is blinking back tears.
"Would you turn to face each other please?" the clerk smiled warmly at them, they followed her direction and Emma looked up into Killian's bright blue eyes, so full of love for her. A pleasant buzzing sensation radiated out from Emma's heart through her whole body as the clerk spoke a few words of preamble and welcome.
"And do we have the rings with us?" the clerk asked and Elsa quickly handed them both to Emma. Emma gave one to Killian and held the larger bulkier one in her palm.
"Now Killian repeat after me please. I Killian," the clerk looked at the groom expectantly.
"I Killian."
"Take you Emma."
"Take you Emma."
"To be my lawfully wedded wife."
"To be my lawfully wedded wife."
"And promise to honor and cherish you."
"And promise to honor and cherish you," Killian repeated the words sounding different in his voice, like these would be the most important words he would ever speak in his (very long) life.
"In sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, to have and to hold as long as we both shall live."
Killian said the words with reverence as he slipped the ring on Emma's finger, her hand shaking slightly and tear filling her eyes.
"Okay now Emma repeat after me please, I Emma take you Killian," The clerk said.
"I Emma take you Killian," her voice was shaking with happy tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.
"To be my lawfully wedded husband."
"To be my lawfully wedded husband," Emma sniffled.
"And promise to honor and cherish you."
"And promise to honor and cherish you," a tear had broken free and trailed down her cheek, Killian instinctively brushed it away with his thumb, "Sorry," she whispered to him.
"It's okay love," he whispered back.
"In sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, to have and to hold as long as we both shall live," Emma said as she slipped the ring onto his fourth finger and smiled at him through her teary eyes.
"Do you Killian accept these vows and promise to love and respect this woman more with each day of your marriage?" the clerk asked.
"I do," Killian smiled wide.
"And do you Emma accept these vows and promise to love and respect this man more with each day of your marriage?"
"Of course I do," Emma chuckled.
"Then by the power vested in me by the state of Maine I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride!" the clerk said jovially and Killian pulled Emma to him. His hands on her waist and hers resting on his chest he captured her lips in his in a searing kiss that Emma felt all the way down to her toes. Her hand traveled up and anchored itself on the nape of his neck and Killian took the opportunity to dip her low. Emma giggled and broke the kiss, looking up at his joyful face.
"We did it, we're married," she said as he straightened them up.
"Aye, we finally are," he said as he followed Elsa and Henry out the door, "And you know what this means love?"
"What?"
"We can go on our honeymoon," he cocked an eyebrow salaciously at her.
"This is true, but first we need to do one thing in Storybrooke. Then I promise we can sail away," Emma said.
~K&E~K&E~K&E~
After a celebratory dinner in Portland, the wedding party drove back to Storybrooke and Emma and Killian prepared for their quick honeymoon trip. The new Swan-Jones family stood on the docks in front of Killian's boat.
"I hate to leave this responsibility with you kid," Emma said handing him the letter she had written her parents explaining what she did and her reasons for it.
"I can handle it, now you two go and have fun. I'll see you when you get back in time for the reception," Henry hugged his mother.
"Hopefully grandma and grandpa don't freak out, but they won't be loosing the deposits on any of the reception things," Emma released him from the tight hug.
"Henry thank you for taking the pictures today, you have grown into a spectacular young man," Killian clapped Henry on the shoulder.
"Thanks Killian, now seriously go, have a good time and I'll see you when you get back!" Henry urged them onto the boat. Henry tossed the line that docked the ship and Killian steered them out into the harbor.
"Well love, today has been quite the day if I say so myself," he smiled at her.
"You could definitely say that," Emma leaned her head against his shoulder, "I wouldn't trade this for anything."
"Not even the large ceremony?" Killian asked.
"Nope, today was perfect and I'm so glad to finally be Mrs. Swan-Jones," Emma kissed him on the cheek.
"Aye and I'm excited to be Mr. Swan-Jones, now what do you say Mrs. Swan-Jones? Let's see what that horizon has in store for us," Killian looked out at the sunset.