Chapter 10: Down the Aisle

Five months later, on the last day of July.

Emma could barely believe this day was real, she could barely recognize herself in the mirror. She loved this white dress she was wearing; quite simple, without any lace or a train, but still a beautiful bustier dress. She loved everything about this day, and what she loved the most was this man who had walked into her life and brought her light, love and hope, this man she was about to join down the aisle; Killian Jones. Thinking of his name was enough to bring a broad smile on her lips. At the end of the day, she would officially be Mrs Emma Jones, married to the man who had broken down her walls and won her heart.

Through the porthole, Emma could see the sun reaching the horizon; it was the end of a day, and the beginning of a new life. She could hear the guests arriving above her, on the deck. They had decided to celebrate their union on a ship, a three-master they had rented. It reminded her of the Jolly Roger, even if he didn't agree. They had rented the ship, Killian had dropped anchor near the beach where they had spent their first date and, under his admiring look, Emma had conjured by magic a wooden bridge from the deck to the land. She was now in one of the cabins, getting ready for the moment she had been waiting for weeks, the moment when she would say yes to a life by his side. It was hard not to hop up and down with impatience; she had to stay immobile as Snow was dressing her hair. Killian kept saying she had brought good in him, but he had also changed her a lot. She couldn't remember a single moment in the previous few months that hadn't been joyful; with him she was feeling loved like she had never been before. She could finally feel like she was part of a fairy-tale. One of her favourite moments was surely this warm night they had spent about three months ago, for their twelfth date. All the restaurants of Storybrooke being already tested, Killian had taken her to another town in Maine. He had booked a table in a luxury French restaurant. The tables were installed outside, directly on the sand, facing the sea. While they were waiting for the dessert – something they had never heard about, called tarte Tatin – Killian's shy side had showed up again, as he had seemed to struggle with words like he had when asking her out for their first date. "There is something I want to say, but I'm not sure this is a good idea. I don't know how to say it, and I don't know how you would react. Not knowing what you would say is quite frightening, but surely I should just ask and see."

His hesitation had made her smile. "Alright, ask away, what do you want?"

Killian had stared at her with a lopsided smile, thinking for a moment. When he had talked again, he had sounded much more confident. "What do I want? I want to wake up by your side day after day, and I want to treat you right and do everything for you. I want to be your reason to smile, and I want you to be my reason to live. I want to feel my heart pounding every time I feel your touch, and I want to see you blushing every time you feel mine. I want to say that you're mine, and I want to be honoured to be yours, because I love you. There is one way to get all of this, just one question to be answered: will you marry me?" By the end of his speech, he had one knee on the floor, handing an open box containing a silver ring embedded with a ruby. Emma perfectly remembered how she had felt. Forgetting everything about the people surrounding them, her heart feeling like it was about to explode, tears of happiness coming to her eyes, the answer had seemed obvious to her. She had thrown her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Yes I will!" With a smile filled with emotion, he had put the ring on her finger and kissed her again.

"So, what do you think?"

"Sorry?" Emma came back from her daydreaming.

"Your hair, it's all done, what do you think?" Snow was all smiles, admiring her daughter.

Emma looked into the mirror. Her hair was wavy, some of it arranged in a messy bun. It was sprinkled with beads and white flowers. The dress seemed already unusual on her, but with her hair dressed like this, she was even more difficult to recognize. "It's perfect, thank you so much!"

"I couldn't be more proud of you, Emma!" Snow went back upstairs where Charming and Neal were waiting, leaving Emma alone in the cabin. She still couldn't believe what she was seeing in the mirror. Snow had really done a great job with her hair. She couldn't believe either she was wearing such a dress, as she had never thought she would ever get married. She softly placed her hands on her belly; under the dress could be perceived the nascent baby bump. Emma was now four months pregnant. She remembered too well that one day when she had woken up, alone, in her bed. This was unusual; Killian had got into the habit of sharing her bed, and she had got used to wake up by his side, to stare at him while he was still sleeping, imagining the perfect outline of his body through the blanket. But this morning, he wasn't there. When she noticed the rose and the piece of paper on his pillow, she smiled again and rushed to unfold it. His writing was both masculine and elegant, like stylish scribbles.

My Love,
I didn't want to wake you up. I forgot your father needed me today, he wanted me to help him with something this morning.
I'll come back soon, don't miss me too much, though I know I will miss you. A lot.
I love you,

Your devilishly handsome fiancé.
PS: Your breakfast is on the table.

Grinning, Emma folded back the paper and took the rose. It was when its scent reached her nostrils that she felt something was wrong; suddenly, she felt nauseous. At first thinking it was because Killian was missing, the idea she may need a pregnancy test crossed her mind. She immediately went to the pharmacy to buy one. After minutes of hesitation, worried about the result, she finally looked at it: positive. She could then feel nothing but fright; as much as she loved Killian, she wasn't feeling ready for this, all the memories from her first pregnancy were reappearing. Killian had changed her a lot, but the fear was the same as years ago. Maybe the test was wrong, maybe that was a false positive. Emma ran to the pharmacy to buy another test. Positive once again. She was definitely pregnant. She gave in to panic, holding on to the ledge of the window, breathing hardly, tears rolling down her cheeks. It was more than eleven, she was hoping Killian would be back soon, he was the only one she wanted to see, she wanted to find comfort in his arms, where she was generally forgetting everything about reality. She spent more than an hour pacing her room, walking from the window to her bed, and from her bed to the window again, trying to get rid of the panic. Sitting on her bed, her head in her hands, trying to catch her breath, she dried her tears, decided to hide them from Killian. Eventually, he came back, in a good mood as usual. His expression changed when he saw her. He gazed curiously, concerned, trying to decipher her expression. "Emma?"

She caught his eye, took a deep breath, and revealed to him the news that had been tormenting her for hours. "I'm pregnant."

"You're…" Speechless, a broad grin illuminated his face. He pulled her into a tight embrace, before letting go to be able to look at her. "Emma, this is amazing." His eyes were shining as tears of happiness had made their way to them. Emma had never seen him crying before. He didn't seem afraid at all, just immensely happy. She couldn't handle it, panic stroke again. She burst into tears, tears that couldn't be confused with tears of happiness, and buried her face in his collar. "Emma?"

She was looking down, afraid to catch his eye, afraid of everything. "I can't do it. I don't know how to take care of a child. I just can't, I'm so scared. What are we going to do?" Her voice was shaking, tears rolling down her cheeks more than ever.

"You can do it, you're doing great with Henry," he tried to comfort her.

"He's already a teenager, I haven't done anything."

"There is a moment I will never forget. It was when your brother was just a new-born, when Henry, your father and you were surrounding Snow and your brother at hospital. I was standing at the door, and I've seen your smile. At that moment, honestly, all I wanted was that it could be you on this bed, holding a baby, our baby. My point is that if you smile when you see a baby, you can be a mother." She looked away. Invaded by panic, she seemed to have difficulties to breathe. Killian had never seen her so distraught. "Emma… Emma, look at me!" Placing his hands – his actual one and his fake one he had got to use instead of his hook – on both sides of her face, he forced her to lock eyes on him. "Look at me, love. Nothing can go wrong. I have yet to see you fail."

"I will fail this." She seemed disconsolate, shaking with tears.

"Tell me why you are scared."

"I've already told you."

"Panic is striking you right now, you just need to let it go. Just say it. Why are you scared?"

Emma focused on his blue eyes. Calming down just seemed impossible. "I'm scared because I can't do it. I can't take care of a child, I was not ready for Henry, I'm not ready now, and I will never be. I grew up without a mother, I can't be one." She choked with tears.

"Excuse me for being so bold, but you also grew up without love, and look at us now. You're giving me more love than I've been given in my whole life. And I don't know if you're aware of that, but I love you. I love you, and I believe in you: you will be an awesome mother. Right now you can't see it, because you're panicking. But let go of the fear and try to imagine how it will be." Emma was still shaking, drowning in tears, breathing too fast. "You're not calming down, right? Words have no effect. Let me try something else." Without warning, he kissed her, softly putting her bottom lip between his for a few seconds, before pulling away to look at her. The kiss had distracted her, tears had stopped, but it hadn't been enough to slow down her breath. He wrapped her tightly in his arms. "Focus on my breath, love, follow the rhythm." He stopped talking, breathing steadily. She complied, focusing on the movement of his chest against her. Minutes went by. Slowly, she calmed down. "Good, keep on following this rhythm," he said, still securely holding her against him. "There is no reason to be afraid. What is happening is amazing, there is no reason to be afraid. You won't be alone. I will be there, I will stand by you, day after day, always and forever. A baby is the best thing that could ever happen to us. Love, this is the best present I could be given."

After a few hours, he had managed to convince her; once she had let go of the fear, the thought of a Killian Junior, as dashing as his father, running everywhere in the house, was just irresistible. Nothing bad had happened with him by her side, nothing bad would ever happen, he would be with her. She was now cherishing the life growing inside her, smiling at the thought of a miniature Killian. This was the only point on which he hadn't convinced her. "The baby won't be like me. It will be much better than that; the baby will be a beautiful girl like her mother, a perfect lady pirate." They didn't know if the baby was a girl or a boy, and they actually didn't really care; the baby would bring them nothing but happiness, no matter what. But they liked to tease each other about this; Killian contradicted her whenever she was talking about a Killian Junior, and generally ended up playfully pressing his lips on hers so he could have the last word.

There was a knock on the door, and Emma jumped. Her lips stretched into a broad smile as she remembered where she was: still facing the mirror in the cabin, her hands still on her baby bump, ready to get married. "Killian has without any doubt very good taste. You're beautiful." Charming was in awe, admiring his daughter. "It's time." He held out his arm. She immediately grabbed, and they left the cabin. They went up the stairs, getting closer to the hubbub coming from the guests. The stairs led her on the stern of the ship. Everything was glowing with the sunset light. As soon as she appeared on the deck, the hubbub stopped as everyone turned around to look at her. Like Charming a few minutes before, they all seemed awestruck. She caught a glimpse of the one she loved, waiting for her down the aisle, but she looked away, feeling like she would just run to him if she stared any longer. And she couldn't run, she had to walk. Most of the seats at the back were occupied by inhabitants of Storybrooke she had never talked with. This was the result of their open invitation; anyone could come, and the marriage of Snow-White's daughter had obviously attracted many people. Emma spotted among the guests Tinkerbell, Philip and Aurora. Just in front of them were Belle and Gold. The relation between him and Killian had got better; there was no hate anymore, at least coming from Killian. One day, just a few weeks before the wedding, they had crossed their path in the street. Emma and Belle were talking, while Gold was spitefully staring at the man standing in front of him, at his fingers intertwined with Emma's, at the man again.

"Don't you think it's time to get over this?"

"Are you asking me to be your friend, pirate? Here's my answer: never." Emma staring at him, he turned to face her. "You have to understand. It already requires all my self-control not to kill him."

"No, not friends." Killian made the effort of not saying he didn't want such a man as his friend. "I was just suggesting we should get over the past, hate is leading nowhere."

"Not interested."

Killian shrugged. He had tried. Later, the conversation had led Killian to talk about him. Emma and he were sitting on a tree trunk in the forest. "I know I'm already not using it a lot these days, because I could accidentally hurt you with it, but would you miss the hook if I didn't use it at all anymore? If there was a way to get my hand back?"

At first looking curiously at him, she then opened wide eyes. "Is there a way?"

"Aye, perhaps. I've met Rumplestitskin this morning. He didn't admit I was right about letting go of the hate – you can't ask this man too much, – but he didn't look daggers at me; that's an improvement. He was aware we're engaged. And I don't know why, I don't know if Belle has dropped some goodness potion in his morning coffee, but he offered me, as a wedding present, to give me back my hand. He was serious. He said to me it would be more convenient to put a ring on my finger if I had a hand. Yes, I know," he added when he saw Emma's amazement, "that's why I really wonder what Belle did to him."

"What did you say to him?"

"That I needed to consider it. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about it. Would you be bothered?"

"Why would I?"

"I don't know." A lopsided smile appeared on his lips. "I wouldn't have any reasons to be called Captain Hook anymore."

"Is that your reason?" she laughed. "Anyway, you're Killian to me. Go and see Gold, have your hand back before he changes his mind."

"I will! And situations like yesterday will be avoided." He smirked, playfully nudging her in the ribs. She laughed, knowing too well what he was talking about. He was referring to the previous afternoon. They were in her room at Granny's, he was shirtless because it was a really warm day. Somehow, Emma ended up against the wall, kissing Killian whose body was pressed against her. While he was running his hand under her top, she ran hers along his arm, until she stopped at the level of his wrist. She felt his lips stretching into a smile against hers before he pulled away, smirking. "Not the right hand, love."

"Yeah, I can see that. I've just killed the moment, right?"

"Totally," he pretended to sigh. She blushed and he laughed. "I'm kidding, love. I was teasing you, I just wanted to see you blush."

This was the last time Emma could be mistaken, as he soon went to Rumplestitskin and came back to her, grinning and raising both hands to show her.

Emma couldn't stop all the thoughts running through her mind. She had barely reached the middle of the aisle. Tempted to look at its end, she forced herself to look at the guests so she could keep walking slowly. Regina was there, looking at her with a broad grin. She was sitting next to Robin, their fingers were intertwined. Emma had finally been informed on what Robin and Charming had been talking about when she had met them at Granny's: he loved Marian, but he also loved Regina. He had lived for years thinking he would never see Marian again, mourning her all this time. Slowly, he had learned to live with it. And finally he had met Regina. She had brought light into his life, and he could not just ignore his love for her. His problem had been that he could not help thinking of Regina whenever he was with Marian. Charming had told him someone would inevitably be hurt. Not willing to choose, he had let time take its course. After a few weeks, Marian had noticed he had changed, he had noticed the touch of sadness in his voice, in his eyes. At last, everyone was suffering, and she had preferred to leave. Robin had spent days inside, wondering what he was doing, until he crossed Regina's path again. The way she was now smiling at Emma, holding Robin's hand, with Roland – cuter than ever in his white suit and his bow tie – sitting on her knees, was the evidence pixie dust never lied; they were meant to be.

Smiling back at the guests, Emma kept walking, clutching Charming's arm. She reached the level of the first row of seats, where Snow was sitting next to Ruby, Neal asleep in his stroller. Finally, after seconds that have felt like hours, she was there. Charming held her hand and led her next to the rudder, to Killian. She looked up and took a deep breath as she finally allowed herself to study him. Her heart raced. Dressed in a beige suit, his hair dishevelled the way she liked it, his smile brighter than ever, he was even more devilishly handsome than usual, flawless. Archie was standing behind them, facing the guests.

"Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends," Archie started, "we are gathered here today to celebrate Killian and Emma's love, and witness their joining in marriage. Marriage is…" Archie talked about the values of marriage, while bride and groom were barely listening, too busy staring at each other, exchanging bright smiles. Killian was just too much distracting; she didn't feel like listening to Archie's speech, all she wanted was to kiss his lips. But the only contact she was allowed at the moment was his hands in hers. It had already been two weeks since he had got his hand back, and she was still not used to it. She tightened her clutch around his fingers, staring at his look filled with tenderness, forgetting everyone around as if they were living in their own world, a bubble of happiness. "I love you," he whispered so low that she actually read the words on his lips. Archie was finishing his speech. "Their love is so substantial that they're not even listening to me." The guests laughed, Killian and Emma focused on him again. "This is what love should be like, the ability to live in a world that only belongs to us. It's now time for the vows. Emma, would you like to begin?"

Emma nodded, stood up straight, and took a deep breath. "I've never been really gifted when it comes to express how I feel. All I can say is that I never thought I'd be one day wearing a wedding dress. I never thought I'd be able to love again. I had forgotten how good love can feel, but you've been there to remind me. You won my heart. We could even say you won it twice, but I think that, even if I needed you to remember, my heart has remained yours since the first time you won it, and I promise you it will always be. You wanted to be my reason to smile, you are. I love you." Emma felt Killian's grip tightening on her hands, his thumbs brushing her fingers. She was usually so reserved about her feelings that it was actually the first time she was saying these three last words he had been waiting to hear for months.

"Killian?" Archie asked on a tone that indicated it was his turn to speak.

Looking Emma straight in the eye, still holding her hands, he started talking, confident. "Sailing the oceans is not always easy; sometimes, you have to face a storm. Giving up is an option, but it's worth fighting it to keep sailing. Because most of time, sailing feels like one of the greatest things; this feeling of being free, this feeling that your ship is your home, your own world, a world you mostly control, enabling you to explore all the lands. You are surely thinking I'm digressing there, but I am not, because it is the same with love; our love is our ship, we are both co-captains, sailing life as we would sail the wide ocean. This ship can face storms, such as a memory loss, but the fight must never stop and hope has to remain, because the sun always ends up shining. I know this because our ship is unsinkable, we faced a storm, and now we're here, together. For now we're the two of us, and soon, this life growing inside you will join us. We will be a family. This is the greatest gift I could have ever been offered; thanks to you, I am probably the happiest man of all the realms. There is finally in my life a goal worth fighting for. You are my home, my reason to live, and I love you, more than anything."

Moved, Emma bit her bottom lip. She wasn't the only one Killian's speech had stirred; Archie also had a tear in his eye. "That was… touching," he said. "I now have a question to ask the two of you." He paused a second, making sure he had their attention. "Do you, Killian Jones, choose Emma Swan to be your lifemate?"

"Aye, I do!" He replied immediately, not taking his eyes off her.

"Emma Swan, do you take Killian Jones to be your husband?"

"Oh yes, I do!"

"Killian and Emma Jones, this is my great pleasure to declare that you are now married. May life provide you nothing but happiness."

All Emma wished was that the moment could last forever, floating in this bubble of love like she was right now. Archie gestured to Henry, who came up to them. "You two are perfect together," he whispered to them, beaming. He was holding a small red velvet cushion on which were two silver rings. Emma seized a ring and, gazing at his left hand, put the ring on his finger. Killian studied his hand before staring at the woman who owned his heart. It was his turn. He seized the second ring, the one embedded with small diamonds.

"Emma, with this ring, I promise you eternal love. I promise I will be every day by your side to love you, to cherish you, to shelter you from any harm, from any storms the future could hold. I promise you will never experience loneliness again, and I promise to do anything for your happiness. I promise I will protect and take care of your heart, the most precious of all the treasures. And I promise I will never stop flattering you, but for now," Killian glanced at Archie, "is it time for the 'you may kiss the bride' yet?"

Emma laughed at his question. She was so focused on him that she didn't notice most of the guests had laughed too. With an amused smile, Archie nodded. "You may now kiss the bride."

Placing his hands on both sides of her face, Killian leaned in, her lips parted as they met his. Grabbing his collar, Emma pulled him even closer. Before the wedding, she had thought of this moment when she would kiss him in front of all the guests, this was not the kind of things she was used to do, and she had thought she wouldn't let the kiss last too long. But now she was there, she forgot about it; barely aware of the guests, she had no wishes to end it. She felt like something hot was running through her veins when he lightly ran his tongue inside her lower lip. Emma responded, moving the tip of her tongue against his. Eventually, he pulled his tongue back. She gently nibbled his lip, not willing to let go. Their lips parted, he stared at her, his hands still on her face.

Emma heard Archie say it was now time for the first dance. Music started. "Mrs Jones, shall we dance now?" Killian asked, grinning, offering his hand. Grinning back, Emma slipped her fingers inside it and followed him along the aisle, down the stairs leading to the below deck. The guests stood up and walked behind them. The below deck had been converted into a dance floor. The sky started to darken as the night was falling, stars began to show up. Fairy lights hung around the edge of the ship were providing a soft lightning. Killian and Emma started waltzing slowly as the first lyrics of the song echoed.

You light the skies up above me,
A star, so bright, you blind me.

Emma was following Killian's lead, her fingers intertwined with his, her left hand on his shoulder, his right hand in her back, their faces mere inches apart. They didn't need words to express the happiness they were feeling; their smile and the tenderness in their looks were enough. The beat of the music escalated and Killian started spinning Emma around, drawing her away before pulling her back against him. He wrapped her in his arms. He was right behind her. They were both looking at the ocean, his hands on her baby bump, her hands on his, swaying in rhythm with the music which had slowed down.

If walls break down, I will comfort you,
If angels cry, oh I'll be there for you,
You've saved my soul.

Many couples had joined Killian and Emma on the dance floor, all waltzing synchronously. But they barely noticed them; they were only aware of their dance, hearing the music which was speeding up again.

You and I we can ride on a star,
If you stay with me girl, we can rule the world,
Yeah you and me we can light up the sky,
If you stay by my side, we can rule the world.
All the stars are coming out tonight,
They're lighting up the sky tonight,
For you.

They kept swirling across the dance floor, Emma gracefully spinning around Killian, until he pulled her back to him. The song ended and the guests applauded. Killian and Emma didn't move. They stayed in a close embrace, her right leg between his, his hand on her waist, their fingers intertwined. Emma glanced at her left hand on his shoulder, at her ring, at his left hand, at the silver ring on his finger. She then looked up at him, fixing her gaze on his bright blue eyes.

"Now you're officially mine," she whispered. With the back of his hand, he grazed her cheek, and whispered back.

"Always."

The End