Tears welled up in his eyes as his breath caught in his throat. This. This was too good to be true. His baby sister was getting married. For over fifteen years he had watched this stubborn teenager grow into the beautiful, strong woman before him, but now he was standing in front of her on her wedding day looking like—hell, winning the lottery couldn't even hold a candle to the joy radiating off Emma's face.

"Well?" She asked hopefully, picking up a small arrangement of purple calla lilies from the chair in the corner to add to her look.

A tear slipped, and Ruby teasingly nudged him further into the room to get his feet moving. Wordlessly he stood in front of her, and with a gentle push of his finger, turned her around slowly. Reaching just past her to the chair, he scooped up the clip that held her veil, carefully extending the chiffon material until it flowed to the middle of her back. Precise fingers clipped the veil just below the brooch, and as August gently fanned out the material, Emma turned slowly in his arms with a watery smile.

"You," he said earnestly with a kiss to her forehead, "are tied for first for most beautiful bride here."

Emma laughed with a shrug. "Second best."

"Jesus, you're whipped already," August groaned.

Emma laughed again and pulled him into a hug which August was quick to return. "I was worried you weren't gonna make it."

"And miss the chance to see my baby sister make the best decision of her life?" August rapped his knuckle gently against her chin. "Never."

"We're starting soon, guys." Neal called, followed by the door opening allowing the faint sounds of instrumental music playing from the upper level to filter below.

August offered his arm, grinning when Emma laced hers through it, then parted the curtain. "Let's go make it official."


Growing up, Emma was never the type of child to throw a pillow case over her hair as a makeshift veil and make a toilet paper bouquet, gliding down an imaginary aisle to her Prince (or Princess) Charming. In fact, she had her funeral more mapped out than her wedding because at least that one she was guaranteed.

Writing to Regina changed everything.

For nearly thirteen years, the lives of Regina Mills and Emma Swan had been intertwined so carefully it was as if the sisters of fate themselves had weaved their lifelines together. The last five had been an emotional rollercoaster for the small family. Not only did Emma continue to suffer from her PTSD, but Regina, and Henry by extension, had their paths to acceptance cave in with Emma's presence. Neither Mills had complained about it, even though there were times when Emma feared they would resent her for it. Dr. Hopper had voiced his concerns about their seemingly hasty reunion, but the family was more than ready to take any necessary steps to know each other once more.

Therapy sessions—individual, couple, and family—were attended every week. Henry had stopped his sessions six months after Emma's return, the child at the stage where the magic in miracles was still in arms' reach, and even their couples' therapy had dwindled down to near non-existent just last year. However, every week for almost four years, Regina drove with Emma to a therapist in Portland more trained to help Emma transition into the world once more after her secluded stay in Brookhaven. Most visits, Regina would sit in the waiting room, nervously fidgeting and disregarding the book she would always tote with her only for Emma to come out emotionally drained or distant during the ride back. Hours' worth pouring over guide books, internet searches, and talking with Archie opened up Regina's communication so that she could support the soldier whenever she needed.

The anniversary of her capture still proved hard for both women, and some nights Regina would wake up sharply and shake Emma in turn if only to see her eyes open and her chest rising, but the Christmas music Henry blared around the house and the mistletoe August would none too subtly leave hanging helped relieve the instinctual anxiety that took over. Over time, Emma continued seeing the good doctor every few months. Touching base with him and getting affirmation that she was still on the right track was all she needed whenever fears and insecurities swept over her that were too much for either her or Regina to deal with on her own.

Despite the hardships, they were attached to each other's side through it all. On the nights when Emma's nightmares got the best of her, Regina was there with a soothing palm to her face reminding her that she was safe. When Regina would be overwhelmed with stress and lashed out on everyone around her, sometimes opening up old wounds in her blind fury, Emma would pull her close, massage her shoulders and remind the older woman they were together now.

They dated again. Dinners, plays, even returning to the drive in on their revival nights. It was tentative at first, like fanning a dying flame, cautious that too much force would put it out, but they got to know each other once more. They fought, more often than usual, because Regina was a tad too protective whenever Emma stepped out the door, and Emma was still quite stubborn in her need to be strong in front of her family. For every argument, they loved twice as hard because time had been stripped from them, and wasting it was a hard lesson learned. There were family road trips to Quebec; cheering at Henry's Boy Scout ceremonies; matching Halloween costumes as Jim Hawkins, John Silver, Captain Amelia, and Doctor Doppler. Making up for lost time became their favourite pastime.

The family that Emma craved, the family Regina ached for, came together when Henry was ten. He had very formally sat Emma and Regina down at the kitchen table and handed out booklets to both of them with pictures and anecdotes outlining why exactly he should be adopted by Emma, if that was okay, of course. Emma smirked at his spunkiness but the pleased grin on her face gave way to her true emotion. Regina, loving she had raised such an organized little man, kissed his temple and looked to the blonde in question, silently backing up the boy's claim.

Henry had officially become the first Swan-Mills by the end of the summer.

Call it fate, good timing, or just plain luck, the unadulterated happiness overwhelming Emma to the core made everything they had gone through—every bullet, every letter, every second spent apart—worth it.

Today, she was able to tell the world that she loved Regina, and no one could stop her.

Emma waited just inside her change room and shook with excitement as Ruby exited the room and made her way up the stairs. No doubt Henry, their ring bearer though the teen liked to be called the Best Groomsman, was already up the stairs and waiting by the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the ocean. A beat passed and heels clicked on the stairs. Tina, Emma guessed. After another few seconds, Neal left with an encouraging squeeze to her bicep.

"Almost," August whispered in an attempt to ease the excited agitation as they heard Kathryn make her way up the steps. He turned and winked at Emma, leaning over to tickle her cheek with his scruff in a quick kiss before moving forward out of the room, following Regina's Maid of Honour.

Her heart was pounding now and her cheeks hurt from grinning because in a few minutes, she would walk up those stairs and wait by their family as Regina made her way to her. Their relationship had been anything but conventional, and even their marriage held in front of a judge was a quick decision to grasp onto a good while it was still there, so this wedding had been as by the books as they could possibly get. Emma hadn't seen Regina since the night before, and separating on the eve of their wedding day was harder than it should have been. Ruby had housed Emma and Henry for the night, while Regina, Tina, and Kathryn had stayed at the mansion. Neither friends nor Henry could keep the women's phones away that night as they constantly checked in on one another and even snuck a phone call in before bed to wish each other good night. A quick phone call had turned into a whispered conversation about their excitement before they nodded off, falling asleep to the sound of each other's breathing.

Her trembling fingers shook in anticipation, but Emma reminded herself yet again that soon, she would be able to see her bride. The instrumental music waving in the bridal party shifted to a different tune. Inhaling deeply, Emma squared her shoulders and stepped out of the room. She had half a mind to look for Regina's dressing room, if just to shoot the woman a reassuring wink, but Emma moved forward, turning onto the middle of the stairs and carefully lifting the hem of her dress to step up. Breaching the halfway point, Emma ascended up into the main banquet hall that was lit up by paper lanterns in pale colours matching their theme. The guests stood, grinning her arrival, some already teary-eyed while others, Graham specifically, throwing her a thumbs up.

Emma giggled at that but kept her composure as she walked through the short aisle of guests. Over the years, it still felt surreal for the wanderer to have made so many close friends, but as she grinned at the men in their army blues sitting by the front, Emma wondered why she ever doubted the fact.

Henry, tall and lanky now at thirteen and wearing a suit that matched his Uncle August, stood on the right with Tina and Kathryn, smirking at her with a grin that was all teeth and dimples. Emma nodded to Archie, the host of the celebration, because both Regina and Emma deemed the man perfect for the role as he helped them heal on their still continuing journey. She stopped and stood beside August, Neal, and Ruby on the left before turning back toward the crowd.