A/N: What to say about chapter nine? Well it brings us to Liam and Elsa's rehearsal dinner and wedding from Killian and Emma's points of view. There will be fluff, there will be smut, and there will be my quintessential level of feels. It's a lighter chapter, to be sure in terms of length, but not moments in my opinion. I hope you all enjoy, and that it makes everyone's Monday a little brighter!

In Killian's book, punctuality was a key trait to adhere to and strive for. Call it a keepsake from the military, or a defining characteristic, but whatever it was, Killian appreciated keeping to a schedule when one was put in place. Very rarely did he ever flirt with lateness, and in truth, the only times he had were recent and all Emma-induced. Getting caught up in a moment was a hazard of being with someone as wonderful as his Swan, and today was the proof. He'd shown up at her door to pick her up for this rehearsal evening, only for her to convince him to come inside so they could ravage each other a bit. They'd just gotten here under the wire, but now, nearly forty minutes later, the whole wedding party still waited on Liam and Elsa.

Liam's excessive tardiness testified to the transformative properties of being in love, for the brother Killian knew all his years growing up held the same tendency for promptness that Killian did. Actually, Liam typically held himself to a far more rigid standard in the way he lived his life, or at least he did before Elsa. Now Liam was a new man, one driven by the desires of his fiancé and constantly minding his good fortune. Killian could understand that shift all too keenly for his own world looked just as altered now that he was with Emma.

"If I'd known Elsa and Liam were going to be this late, I would have definitely lingered back at the house a while longer." Emma turned in Killian's embrace to face him as she whispered the words low enough that no one else would hear. The smile on her lips tempted him to no end, and if they weren't actually in a church he would consider sneaking off somewhere and giving her something more to smile about.

"Okay that's it. I'm not waiting around for this anymore! At this rate we are going to miss out on the reservations for the actual dinner part of this, and that is the only thing that got me here in the first place." Killian felt Emma's laughter as she hid her face using him as a shield. Ruby did have a point though, this was a far longer wait than any of them should have to endure.

"Fine, but know that if you leave Elsa's just going to insist we have another one after the meal itself." Mary Margaret's comment pulled a groan from Ruby, who tugged at Graham's hand.

"Babe, fix this." Graham looked at Ruby like he'd give anything to do it, but Killian also knew there was no magically making his brother and his wife to be show up any faster.

"Well, technically they have the easiest job, right? I mean everyone knows what they do. It's the rest of us who need to get into place and everything." Ruby kissed Graham for point that out, making the man smile when she pulled away.

"You are a genius! We'll just do our parts and then it'll be fine."

"Oh come on. What's even the point if we don't have a bride or groom?" Anna asked, and Killian saw her turn towards Emma and him. A huge grin crossed her face and that look meant one thing – trouble. "Unless we had people who could sub in for them..."

"But we're all in the wedding." Kristoff said behind her and Anna waved the words away.

"Of course. But Killian just stands there as best man, and Emma's been a bridesmaid more times than any of us." Killian felt Emma tense up a bit.

"Gee thanks for that reminder." Anna's look softened when she realized the implications of the statement. Moments like this reminded Killian why she and her husband worked so well together – they both had a tendency to let their thoughts run away with them, but Anna was always there to bring them back again.

"I just think it might be fun for you to change it up. Haven't you ever wondered what it's like to be the bride?" Killian's whole body pulsed with desire at the thought of Emma as a bride, and he knew in his heart that the only person he could ever bear to see her walking towards was him. He honestly didn't know if he could even manage practicing such a thing with her right now without giving himself and his end game away completely, and since they'd only just said they loved each other a few weeks ago, Killian worried that could hurt the progress they'd made.

"Think we can handle it?" Emma asked, looking up at him and his mouth went dry. She had a bit of humor glinting in her eyes, but he didn't think she could see how in turmoil he felt. If she did, she gave nothing away. Killian nodded and Emma smiled, kissing his cheek lightly before stepping out of his arms. He reached back out for her instinctively and she shook her head. "The bride and groom don't start in the same place, silly."

Well that's a bloody mistake then, Killian thought to himself as he let a chuckling David lead him to his spot as groom.

"This is gonna be hilarious." Killian glared at David, straightening up a bit. He turned his attention back to the end of the aisle, already wondering what was taking so long, though Emma and the others only just turned down the corridor.

"Why do you say that, mate?" David went for a look of innocence that Killian didn't buy for a second.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that you're shaking right now, and you look both ready to faint and to charge over to Emma and demand she actually marry you." Killian ran a hand through his hair, grumbling about needing a less nosey business partner, which only made David laugh harder.

Truth was Killian had been thinking an awful lot about exactly that. It was impossible not to consider what a wedding to Emma might look like given all the activities they'd had to endure for Liam and Elsa's, and at every point in the festivities, he wondered what Emma would want, and how she'd look and act and feel if all of this was aimed at her instead. These quandaries even followed him into dreams, and where he'd once been sleeping only to relive past horrors, he now mostly dreamed of how to make Emma his in every way.

"It's too soon for me to ask her anything like that," Killian said finally and David just motioned to Graham.

"Tell that to him." Well there wasn't much Killian could argue against that, seeing as Ruby and Graham were just as happy as any of the others after a very short courtship and a whirlwind elopement. But before he could give that much more thought, the music started, the procession began, and Killian was all attention.

This didn't feel like playacting to Killian, and with each bridesmaid's walk down the aisle, he felt his heart beat faster and faster. Finally Emma appeared, looking just as she had before, but with a bouquet of flowers in her hand, and it didn't matter that her dress was red, or that there was no audience. Hell it didn't even matter that this wasn't a real wedding, Killian still felt a rush like nothing he'd ever known.

Killian knew in that moment that this was right, and that Emma walking towards him, promising forever and always was the ultimate dream. She'd be his and he'd be hers and then maybe all this overly zealous love and desire would morph into something less hectic and crazy. Permanence might let him breathe again, because every moment that they were parted, still brought him pain, and just the thought that someday this love between them would end made him crazy.

"Killian, if you keep looking at her like that, she's gonna run away screaming." Killian ignored the jest, watching Emma do the opposite of that, moving purposefully and evenly towards him. The next thing he knew, Emma's hand was in his and she was blushing at the touch. Her slightly sun-kissed skin now looked awash in a rosy pink, which made her all the more enticing.

"Hey there, stranger," she said, sounding a little breathier than normal. Killian let out a low growl, which made Emma smile even while it mortified him. He wanted to drag her towards him and kiss her senseless, showing her that this would actually be the best thing for them, but the little bit of sanity he had left held him in place.

"You look lovely, Swan." Her blush deepened, and he could hear the chorus of 'awws' from the bridesmaids.

"Do you think we really need to go through the vows and things?" David asked and before anyone else could get a word in, Killian responded gruffly.

"Yes." Emma's eyes widened a bit but then she nodded and Killian heard Dave chuckling behind him. He wouldn't be laughing if he knew how close to rage Killian felt at the idea of not getting to have this moment.

The priest moved forward then with the vows, and all the while Killian thought of what a wedding truly promised. Love and closeness at all times, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, through good and bad. He wanted to give Emma that and so much more, and as they stood there, he thought of everything they could have – the house, the kids, the lifetime of memories that were good and bright and happy. Suddenly they were at the moment when they would say 'I do' and Killian's whole body pulsed with excitement. Even if it wasn't real, he wanted this memory where Emma said it – where she said she was his from this day until their last days.

"Do you take this man to be your husband?" Emma smiled and was about to reply when the doors flew open.

"Sorry we're late – hey what the bloody hell do you think you're doing?!" Killian nearly yelled out in aggravation but then Emma stepped forward, her hand resting on his chest, calming him back from the impending outburst.

"Language!" Elsa cried out and Liam immediately apologized to her before looking back.

"Of course they get here just when we were getting to the good part," Emma whispered and Killian grinned, running his hands along her body and bringing her closer to him despite their audience and location. He still couldn't find the words to say, but he felt joyous at her response. It gave him hope that someday she'd agree to having a wedding of their own, and his reactions to thoughts of her as his bride tonight ensured that day was coming far sooner than he originally expected.

"If you two hadn't been – oh look at that – nearly an hour late, then we wouldn't have had to use substitutes. Now at least we all know what we're doing, and I am not spending another minute here. There is a steak waiting for me across town, and I'm not missing that for anything." Ruby grabbed Graham's hand again and started walking back down the aisle.

"Seriously, what kept you guys so long?" Mary Margaret asked and they all watched as Elsa blushed, which meant, as Killian expected, that his brother was laying claim to his last moments with his fiancé before their night apart. He couldn't really fault Liam, for he'd likely do the same thing if Emma wanted a night away from each other before their wedding. He thought about how he could convince her not to want that though, only to realize again that he still hadn't even asked her to marry him.

"We were doing something I can't say in front of Father Patrick here. But if you're all so needy for dinner, we'll go." That acquiescence from Liam was enough to enable the rest of them to head out and soon they arrived at the dinner. Killian startled a bit when he saw the party set up for nearly fifty people, almost all of whom already sat in their seats.

"I thought rehearsal dinners were just for the wedding party," Killian said to Emma as they took their spots at the head table. Killian brought her chair closer to his, which Emma didn't seem to mind in the slightest. She held her camera in her lap, knowing that Elsa didn't expect her to capture everything, but wanting to get a couple of crucial shots for her sister. It spoke to Emma's kindness that she favored Elsa's happiness over her own comfort this evening.

"Not this one. I can't even tell you how hard I worked with Anna to get Elsa down to this many people. She wanted to invite everyone going to the wedding." Instinctively Emma's hand went to Killian's leg as she said the words, and his hand came to hold hers there. They had fallen into this easy comfort of togetherness, and despite both of their original fears about being ready for commitment like this they continued to thrive. It felt impossible not to smile in the face of such a miracle.

"Another example of you're differing wedding desires, love?" Emma nodded, leaning into him slightly.

"Definitely." Killian's thumb ran across Emma's wrist, sensing she had more she wanted to say.

"I just remember growing up in the system, one of the things adults always did to make themselves feel better was to list off people who supposedly cared about me. To them, the more people the better, but none of them ever made a real connection. I was a number, and they were supposed to be a number back. I realized then that I will always prefer being with a few people who actually care about me than a hundred who don't really know me."

Anytime Emma mentioned her past, and the struggles of her childhood, Killian could do nothing but thank God that she'd turned out as she had. No one should be subjected to such an upbringing, to feel so alone, and to walk through the world not knowing that they mattered or they were loved, yet Emma had come through that to be this woman so full of love and goodness. She defied the odds and knew her own worth, and somehow, she considered him worthy of being with her. When they'd first met, she'd claimed that she'd been through her own kind of battles, and Killian often wondered if it weren't a worse war than he'd faced. Loss was one thing, trauma another, but never having a feeling you belonged, and losing the hope that you ever would, that was an entirely different beast.

"Will always says that in life you've got the people who wish you well, and the people who wish you happy. The former are well and good, a friendly face to see now and then, but it's the people who wish you happy who you should hold on to." Emma's lips curved upwards at that. Over the past few months, she'd come to know a lot about Will, and always wanted to hear more. She never pried, opting to take things slow and let Killian divulge what he wanted when he was ready, but when Will or any of Killian's other brothers and sisters in arms came up, Emma was all attention.

"From everything I've heard, Will is either one of the greatest philosophers of our time, or a fortune cookie." Killian barked out a laugh at that, drawing everyone else's attention to them, but he didn't give a damn. Instead his eyes remained solely on Emma.

"He is easily the most verbose person I've ever served beside." It was one of the things that drove him craziest and made him appreciate Will all the more. His friend came up with the strangest things on the fly, filling dead air with something other than wretched silence, and for Killian, having a man like that on his team had often been more of a blessing than a curse.

"And you love him for it. Probably meant you didn't have to talk so much." Emma knew him too well.

"Aye, love." Killian pressed a kiss to her temple, catching the scent of lavender in her hair as he did, but was pulled away from more talking or focusing on Emma by his brother's standing up to make a speech.

"Thank you all for joining us tonight on this eve of the greatest day in human history." Everyone laughed at the words but Liam just brought his hand to Elsa's shoulder. She placed her hand over it in a sign of affection and Liam beamed down at her before continuing. Killian heard the click of Emma's camera and looked to see she'd snuck out the device for the picture perfect moment before them.

"Tomorrow might be the day that Elsa and I say 'I do,' but I've been saying it every day since our first meeting, as you all well know. It took a long time to get here, but every step, every motion was worth it for the promise of what lays ahead. We may not know exactly what path life will choose, but we know we'll walk it together, and we hope that all of you will be there on our way." Everyone chorused that they would be and Liam grinned. "Good, glad we've got that settled. Now, let's eat."

"Finally!" This time it was Belle with the thankful exclamation and not Ruby, making everyone at the head table laugh, even Liam and Elsa.

The dinner went on, as did a swirl of conversations around them, but for Killian, this was a moment of peace. Even with all the noise, he stayed grounded in Emma and thoughts of what their path might look like when all was said and done. He felt lighter than air contemplating the possibilities, and he only prayed that Emma could see that path too, so that all these dreams might one day be made real.

…..

The relief Emma felt as they reached the second hour of Liam and Elsa's wedding reception was a profound one. They'd made it, conquering this huge life moment for her sister after months of build up, and now Emma could finally relax. She put her camera back in the bag she'd brought today, confident she'd gotten every shot she needed to for her final wedding gift to Elsa.

The wedding itself, and the party thereafter both went according to plan. The church was packed, the vows were touching, roughly one thousand photos were taken by the actual wedding photographer and a couple hundred more by Emma, and eventually they'd made it here, to this giant hall barely big enough to hold all the guests. Aside from the masses of people, it felt pretty much like any other wedding Emma had ever been too, except for one thing: Killian was here, and so Emma for once didn't feel like an outsider.

All through the rehearsal yesterday and the festivities today Killian stood by Emma's side, with gentle touches and glances, and compliments that made her feel special. While everyone else's eyes were on the happy couple, Killian's attention remained geared towards Emma, and that even held when they'd given speeches. Killian's struck her as the most moving of the bunch, and the words he'd chosen spoke to her not merely because she felt them to be honest and true, but because he'd been torn between looking at his brother and Elsa and staring at her while he said them.

One part of his discourse, remained a mystery though, or at least a little cloudy. Killian said that when you love someone, you just know, which she understood, but he'd gone on to claim that love changed the person you were altogether. It set out a new path for you, one you never expected to take, but couldn't help but dream of. Emma felt the bubble of excitement and a little bit of worry flutter in her chest that had been there since he'd said those words, and looked around for him, wanting a chance to talk about what he'd meant. Maybe this should wait for later, but she just wanted to know if the hope she had in her heart about their future was well founded.

"Looking for someone, love?" Emma twirled around to see Killian grinning at her and she melted under his admiring gaze. He stepped towards her, pulling her into his arms with a natural ease that came from habit. He always looked for excuses to hold her, and it always made Emma a little dizzy in the best way possible.

"Yeah my boyfriend. He's about your height, blue eyes, dark hair. I was going to see if I could convince him to get some air with me, but I can't seem to -," Killian cut her off with a kiss before taking her hand and walking out of the room.

"Turns out I can get jealous even of a theoretical version of myself, love. I hardly thought that possible." Emma giggled at his words before steering him into one of the sitting rooms down the hall from the rest of the party and shutting the door behind them. In a second he pulled her back into his arms again, but something told her to stop. She pressed a hand to his chest, keeping him back slightly.

"I just have one thing I need to ask. What did you mean when you said that sometimes love changes your plan?"

"Well it has, Emma. This was unexpected. You were unexpected."

"Is that a bad thing?" Killian shook his head vehemently.

"No, love. It's the best thing that's ever happened to me, but I almost didn't even make it here. I almost missed out on knowing this kind of joy at all." Emma remained quiet, hoping he would elaborate and he did.

"I didn't leave England right away when I got out of the navy, love. It took a lot of convincing from others that I should even come at all. I knew I'd let Liam down by disappearing on him for years, but more than that, I just wanted to be alone. I wanted some peace and quiet, not to face everything that happened in the past eight years."

Emma understood that impulse all too well, and they'd even discussed it before together. She just never realized that part of it was about Liam too. She thought it was mostly what he'd seen in combat, or the friends he'd lost, but there was his guilt about abandoning his brother muddled in there too.

"But you came anyway." Killian nodded, but it was small, almost reluctant.

"At every turn I almost bailed: the airport, the bus terminal. Even when I stepped into Storybrooke the first time I had no intentions of staying. This town in my mind was a stop along the way, a place to try and make amends to Liam, but not the place I'd try to find myself again." Emma felt her stomach sink at the thought that maybe he never would have come. Where would she be if they'd never met? Still living that lonely life and thinking it was enough, probably.

"So why did you change your mind?"

"I saw you and everything changed. All my life I'd never had a moment like that morning, where I saw someone and just knew I was destined to know them. You took me by surprise because you woke me up from the fog I'd been in for years. That's what I meant by the toast. Loving you has given me more than myself back. It's given me a home and a second chance I neither believed I deserved, nor thought I could ever find."

Emma felt the tears in her eyes at his words, and she closed them shut, just trying to even her own breathing and keep from crying. He meant so much to her, and his truthful words felt like the healing she'd been searching for since she was a kid. He saw her as some kind of savior, some kind of light that guided him home, but he was that for her too, igniting that long dormant part of her that wanted to believe in happily ever afters and people who loved you without leaving.

"I didn't mean to upset you, or embarrass you by looking at you all through my speech. But you define how I think and feel about love. I couldn't toast a happy future without keeping you in mind."

"For someone who's typically so good at reading my mind, you are doing a terrible job of it right now." Killian looked at her with confusion and that was it, the final straw that had Emma pulling him down by his collar for a kiss. She gave him everything in that embrace, hoping he'd see how wrong he really was, but eventually he pulled back needing verbal clarity.

"So you're not angry with me?" Emma smirked against his lips.

"I am so very far from angry." Now Killian kissed her, holding Emma close and driving her crazy until he pulled back again, fighting against his very evident want for her.

"Much as I would like to continue this, someone might come in here, Swan." Emma smiled and pulled out a ring of keys from the pocket in her dress that she adored Elsa for picking for her bridesmaids since it made this moment possible. Emma laughed when she saw Killian's eyes go wide.

"One of the perks of being with me, is I always find a way." She used the key to lock the room from the inside, and then tossed them away on the ground.

"God I love you." Killian's hands roamed the thin fabric of her dress as he kissed her again. Emma felt the surge of lust and want come back full force at his touch and his words. She arched closer, trying to eliminate any and all space between them.

How Killian managed to maneuver them over to the couch was beyond her understanding, but they were there soon enough. Emma pulled back from the kiss to unbutton his shirt, not wanting him naked, but needing just a bit more skin on skin. When she was satisfied, she moved for his pants, unbuttoning them and pushing them down before forcing him to back on the couch. She then kept eye contact with him as she slid off her panties while keeping on her dress. The hunger she saw coursing through him made her feel powerful, and sexier than she'd ever been in her life as she came to straddle him.

"Is it bad that I've have been thinking about this moment all day?" Killian shook his head at her question, his eyes slightly dazed.

"Definitely not. I've had a few similar thoughts myself." Emma grinned.

"I had a couple of ideas of how it might go. Being a wedding sex virgin and all." Emma saw Killian's jaw clench from the strain of holding back, and when he spoke again, his voice held more gravel than usual.

"Well you know I have a fondness for your imagination, love, and an overwhelming desire to be your first at everything you'll give me." Emma smiled, because he had in fact mentioned that a time or two.

"In my head we always had a lot more time, but locked or not, someone's bound to come looking for us." Killian's hands already held her hips tight but squeezed just a bit harder at her insinuation.

"I will give you anything else you might need tonight at home, love." Emma hummed in approval, liking the sound of home being one place for them, even if it technically wasn't yet. She lowered herself down on his waiting cock slowly still, despite her assertion that they needed to be fast.

"Promise?" She asked as Killian growled out a yes and claimed her mouth, completely taking over her seduction. Not that she cared, he was so good at driving her absolutely wild with pleasure, that he could do anything to her.

With hard fast thrusts, and silenced groans they took out on each other with kisses and bites, Emma and Killian both climbed towards that release they both desperately craved. It turned out that all their daylong foreplay was enough to have them ready in record time, and when they'd both tumbled over into bliss, Emma felt the unrelenting kisses Killian left along her skin. He even continued with the affectionate caresses as they righted all their clothes, and tried to hide the evidence of this wedding hook up.

"Remember that night on the dock when I asked you if you were real?" Emma nodded, for she would never forget anything about that night. It felt too important, too big a moment to ever let go of.

"I remember."

"I find myself still asking that all the time, because you have become my everything Emma, and you have me, all of me, to do whatever you like with." Emma ran her hand along his cheek, feeling the stubble there and relishing the subtle scratch on her fingertips.

"We have each other, always." Killian smiled.

"Always. I like the sound of that." Before either of them could reply a loud banging came at the door, and Ruby's voice sounded through the wood.

"Emma you've got about thirty seconds before Elsa realizes you're gone and subsequently broadcasts your absence to the entire town. If you were hoping for discretion, then get your ass back out here."

"There goes your peace and quiet." Killian took Emma's hand and kissed it gently, as he handed her the keys.

"I've no need for quiet anymore, love. I have you." With those beautiful words, they headed out into the party once more, and spent the rest of the evening dancing together until Killian made good on his promise and took her home at the end of the night.

Emma couldn't help but think all the while, that this weekend had been a turning point. They'd known they loved each other before, but now they also knew that this love was capable of greatness. It made them better, and stronger, and mostly it just made them happy. And whatever came next, Emma believed it always would.

Post-Note: So there we have it, this week's installment of 'In Your Light.' I had the pleasure of also planning the next five chapters out today, and I am loving the direction we're heading to next. I hope that you all enjoyed and that you will continue on this journey with me! Thanks again for reading!