Author's Note: Last chapter. Thanks for reading!
Getting back to Boston early the next morning, Killian and Emma parted ways with Liam, taking Emma's car back to her place. The traffic was light as they held hands, fingers entwined. Their minds were heavy as Emma tried not to think too much about the day ahead of her. The wedding was in the evening and even though she would have to meet with her sister extra early to get ready and get their hair done and pictures taken, she still had some time to rest until then.
"How much time do we have, love?"
"A few hours. What do you want to do?" she asked as she turned to look at him. "Of course after a much needed shower," she added.
Killian leaned in closer to her until his lips were grazing her ear and replied with a whisper. "Something crazy..."
Emma laughed weakly and after a shower and a change of clothes, they pulled in front of Granny's Diner. Emma sucked in a breath as they went inside. Sitting at one of the booths, she couldn't help but think of the last time she actually had breakfast. The day after her father had died, she and Killian had came their for breakfast but she didn't actually eat anything, so really the last time she had breakfast was with her father.
She had spent all this time avoiding it because she knew that it would remind her of him and would make her unbelievably sad, but now, she just thought of the good memories of him and it made her smile. She thought about how she had wanted to be police officer but then when he was shot, the doctor's couldn't save him. Her father was a heroe who had gotten medals for saving lives but no one was able to save his life. From then on she decided that she wanted to save heroes instead of just becoming one. And more specifically, she wanted to help save the younger generation so they would have a chance to grow up and become a heroes like her father.
When the waitress came by, Emma and Killian sat at the same side of the table and ordered more food than they could even eat. They shared plates of scrambled eggs, bacon, French toast, sausage and of course waffles with strawberry and whipped cream. They were both starving, not even being to able to remember the last time they ate. Emma practically inhaled her food as it hit her tongue.
"Now I know why you never wanted to eat breakfast with me," Killian teased with a smirk as he watched her.
"What?" she asked, her mouth full of food.
"Cause you eat like a baby dinosaur. You don't even chew."
Emma looked at him unashamed. "You think you can get used to it?"
Killian shrugged like he had to think about it. "Hmmm... I think so."
Emma swallowed her food and scooped some eggs on her fork. "I was hoping we could do this a lot more."
"Really?"
"Mmmhmm," she replied with a nod as she took another bite.
"You know, I was thinking, we're going to have to come up with some new rules," he suggested.
"What kind of rules?" she asked with a curious stare.
"I'd like to start calling you honey and babe."
Emma gave him a look of disapproval. "I don't know about babe."
"No?"
Emma shook her head.
"Snuggling?"
"Oh yeah. I think I'm going to stare deeply into your eyes," she said with a smirk as she leaned in closer to him and looked into his eyes.
"Wow, this is all moving so fast, love," he joked.
"Also, I'd like to leave the door open when I pee."
Killian shook as head. "I think no."
"I think I'm going to do it all the time. It's gonna get weird." They both laughed and Emma took his hand in hers and kissed his lips. "I think I could get used to this," she said with a smile.
"Me too, love." He kissed her forehead and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
He was hopeful for the future ahead of them, knowing they both wanted the same thing, but they were in no rush to get there. Although, when they danced together at her sister's wedding that evening, Emma was hoping the next one they'd be dancing at was their own wedding.
*****
Two Years Later...
Emma sat at her vanity, hair and makeup finished, long, white satin wedding gown on. Her hair gathered over a sleeveless shoulder with a purple flower flip pinned above her ear. She looked down at the envelope in her hand that Liam had handed to her only moments earlier. He left with her mother, sister and Elsa, Ruby, Belle and Robin after they got their hugs in, all of them teary-eyed. She couldn't believe that more than seventeen years ago she was a loner and unsociable loser. Now she had more people who loved her than she probably even deserved. If only her father could have been there, too, walking her down the aisle.
It was only a matter of time before she would be marrying the man she had spent the last two years making up for waisted time with. They had soaked up every last drop out of their time together. Going on romantic dates, moving in to their own place, getting engaged. And of course adopting Adam and Ava. A lot had happened in the last two years, but she wouldn't take any of it back for anything.
Emma opened the envelope, revealing a letterhead neatly folded. Taking in a deep breath, she opened it, not really know what the letter was for. They were about to spend the rest of their lives together, unless he was using this as a cruel way off calling off the wedding. But considering how devoted he was to her and the way he had looked at her the day before when they went their separate ways for the night, that idea was ridiculous.
My dearest Emma,
Can you believe it? We're about to get married today. You and I getting married. It feels so surreal, and yet it feels more right than anything else in this world.
If you're wondering why I've written you this letter when I could be saying these things to you in person, you're about to find out.
Before you read any further and before you walk down the aisle, there is one last thing I would like you to do for me. Go into bedroom closet. There's something I want to show you.
Emma's eyebrows burrowed in confusion, wondering what he was up to, but she complied. Still holding onto the letter, she picked her dress up so it wouldn't drag on the floor when she walked and started towards the door. She went into the closet and switched on the light. Her eyes spanned the inside, but there wasn't much to see. Only the clothes hanging up and the rack on the floor full of shoes. She almost looked at the rest of the letter for clues, but then she remembered something. The last time he showed her something in the closet, it was the markings on the wall that showed how many days he had been at the orphanage.
Emma looked to her left at the wall, but it was bare. She stepped closer, her eyes searching around for anything out of the ordinary. Then she looked more closely where the last shirt was hung, hiding a part of the wall. As she squinted her eyes, she could see part of some pencil marks, so she used her free hand to push the hanging shirt out of the way.
Her mouth fell open at the sight. There were so many markings covering that section of the wall. What they were there for, she had no idea. The letter, she thought. He put that in the the letter. She lifted the letter in her hand to read the rest of it.
If you're reading this now, then hopefully you've seen the markings on the wall and wondering what they mean. But before I tell you, there are some things I need to say, first.
Seventeen years ago, I was a lost boy who met a lost girl and look at how far we have come. We made a pact to do something great and we did just that. Hopefully we can instill the same desire to do great things in our children (together we can do anything).
Though the things we've done may not be enough to change the world, you've definitely changed mine. You've been there for me more times than I count on my fingers and toes and I've always made sure I did the same for you.
You told me once that people weren't meant to be together forever and maybe you were right, but I knew from that very moment that you and I would be an exception. I knew that I would do whatever it would take to make sure we would always be together.
The road we've traveled down has certainly not been an easy one, and yet, here we are on our wedding day about to exchange vows. I thank the stars every day that you came into my life that day and even though I've lost you time and time again, you've always came back to me.
There is so much more I would like to say to you, but as you're reading this, I am patiently awaiting my beautiful, amazing bride to meet me at the end of the aisle, so there are a few final things I will say before I let you go.
As you know, I used to keep track of the number of days that I was in Neverland, but ever since you came into my life, I've been keeping track of the days for a different reason and every time I moved to a different place, I added on the missing markings.
What I'm trying to say Emma, my darling Swan, is that those markings represent the number of days that I have loved you. To be more precise, I have loved you for six-thousand, five-hundred seventy days and I plan on loving you every day after that until my very last breath.
I know you have not always loved me the same way, but your friendship throughout the years has meant more to me than I can ever begin to explain. And I look forward to many more years to come.
You have been my best friend since I was thirteen and I am standing at the alter today the proudest and happiest man alive to have the privilege of marrying you, my best friend, my lover, my everything. I love you, Emma Swan, with all of my beating heart.
Always and forever yours,
Killian
In that moment, she felt tears in her eyes, happy ones. All of the hurt and pain that she had felt in those twenty-eight years had dissapeared and she could only feel joy, happiness, complete bliss. It may of taken her a long time to get here, a long time for her to stow away her fears, a long time to let down her extremely high walls and well-guarded heart, but somehow she made it here. And that fact that Killian stayed with her through it all, well that was a miracle in itself.
She tucked the letter securely into a drawer with the other ones they had kept all these years from when they were apart. As she grabbed her bouquet and left the bedroom, she couldn't stop thinking about the honeymoon to Hawaii they had planned and even more, she couldn't stop thinking about how she was going to rock her husband's world with the lingerie she was wearing underneath. It was sheer white and laced together with purple ribbon. She couldn't wait for him to untie her with his teeth.
Emma went downstairs where Adam and Ava were waiting for her. She hugged and kissed them before leading them out the back door. She looped her arms through her children's and stepped into the sand in her bare feet, feeling it between her toes. Her smile could match the brightness of the sun as she walked with her children down the aisle. The sun was sparkling off the ocean behind the gorgeous man waiting with playful smirk. Her stomach was filled with butterflies but with one look into his ocean blue eyes, she knew that the future was nothing to be afraid of.
*****
Ten Years later...
Emma hummed to herself a song in her head as she flipped pancakes, wearing only an old t-shirt of Killian's. When they were browned to her liking, she turned off the burner and grabbed the pan. She turned around to slide them on to her husband's plate as he worked on the crossword puzzle in his hand at the kitchen table and looked up, gracing her with a smile as she leaned down to kiss his lips. He was wearing only his boxers, relishing in the fact that they could finally walk around like that since Adam and Ava went off to college.
Emma set the spatula and pan back on the stove and came to sit in his lap. After she spread butter and poured syrup on the pancakes, Killian pulled his arms around her. She grabbed the plate and fed him bites of pancake as they worked on the crossword together and otherwise fell into a comfortable silence. She leaned in to kiss him, tasting the sweet maple syrup on his lips. They may have gotten sick of waffles with strawberries and whipped cream but even after twenty-seven years, they had yet to see a day when they would get sick of each other.