A/N: Well, folks, this is the final installment of our tale. It's short and fluffy, but I like it and I hope you do, too. Thanks so much to everyone who has favorited, reviewed, and generally come along for the ride. I'm so grateful for all the support, and hope you are satisfied with the final destination!

Chapter 21: Home

"Hey, our first kiss as an official couple!" Emma says, beaming, when they break apart.

Regina groans. "If you're going to be this lame, I might have to reevaluate the whole 'couple' thing. I can't be seen in public with such an embarrassing person."

"Shut up, you love me," laughs Emma. "And my lameness."

"You're right. I do." Regina leans her forehead against Emma's and whispers, "I think I've loved you since the moment you told me you thought Elizabeth Bennet married Darcy for his house."

"Oh, yeah? Well, I win, because I loved you from the first moment I saw you. Love at first sight - ha!"

"I wasn't aware that our love was a competition."

"It's not," Emma agrees. "But if it was, I would totally win, because I got the best prize of all: you."

Regina's entire face momentarily melts like she might start getting emotional again, but the teasing sparkle in her eyes quickly returns. "Actually, I'm pretty sure I'm the one who got the best prize."

"You're not, but thank you." Emma goes in for another kiss, drawing Regina in even closer towards her and running her hand up and down the other girl's back. Regina moans involuntarily; it's quiet, practically inaudible, but she still blushes and pulls away.

"We probably shouldn't make out in the middle of a crowded diner," she whispers.

Emma shrugs. "I don't think anyone cares. But we can get out of here, if you want," she suggests with a playful wiggle of her eyebrows. "I'm not that interested in my burger anymore - your lips are much more delicious." After a brief pause and reconsideration of her words, she adds, "I meant for that to sound sweet and romantic, but I think it actually came off pretty creepy."

"It did have hints of cannibalism," Regina laughs, "but I kind of liked it."

"We're just going to forget that I ever said that, okay? But, on that note, do you want to get out of here?"

Regina shakes her head. "We'll have plenty of time to kiss in the future, since neither of us is planning to leave this ridiculous town anytime soon."

"Ha! You admitted it! You admitted that Storybrooke is ridiculous!"

"Of course it's ridiculous," Regina mutters. "And it's not like we're going to live here forever, but for now, at least, it's home."

"Yes, it's home," Emma agrees, putting an arm around Regina's shoulders. Her girlfriend - even the thought of that word makes her whole face light up - hums softly and nuzzles her nose against the base of Emma's neck. They both sit in content silence, soaking up the comfort and safety and love they've managed to find in each other's arms.

"Hey, Swan!" Graham hollers from across the diner, where he and Mulan are setting up the dartboard. "You wanna play? Mills, you can come, too!"

Emma rolls her eyes at her friend, annoyed with him for interrupting her perfect moment. "Dude, can't you see I'm on a date? With my girlfriend?"

"Took you long enough," mutters Mulan, while Ruby shouts from behind the counter, "I knew it! Pay up, Graham - you owe me five bucks."

"It's not fair - you have your wolf senses," Graham grumbles, but he reluctantly hands over a five dollar bill to a smirking Ruby, who quickly deposits it in her apron pocket before Granny can see.

"You should have learned by now not to bet against me."

Graham scowls and shoots a pleading glance toward Emma and Regina's table. "Just one game? It won't interrupt your date too much."

"Come on, Graham, stop whining like a little girl and get ready to get your ass kicked," orders Mulan. "Don't worry, guys. He won't bother you anymore. Congratulations, by the way," she adds with a smile.

"And Storybrooke is once again ridiculous," Emma laughs as Granny brings over their burgers. A disapproving but still somehow good-natured glare paints the elderly woman's face. "I'm sorry if this first date isn't going exactly as you envisioned."

"It's perfect."

"Well, even if it wasn't, we'd have plenty of opportunities to get it right. Hopefully we can stick with this couple thing for a long time, yeah?"

"Hopefully," Regina agrees, eyes suddenly clouding with doubt. She swallows hard and wraps both arms around Emma's torso.

"Thinking about Dani?" Emma asks gently. Regina nods and buries her face, and Emma can't think of anything to say to make it all better, so she doesn't.

And maybe that's okay.

"Dr. Hopper and my dad both said that I have to let go of the past if I want to be happy again," Regina sniffs, "but it's difficult."

"Maybe you don't have to, though," Emma reasons. She hasn't entirely thought this through, but it makes sense in her head. "I think you can try to let go of the hurt but hold onto the good memories. Like, what's a really good memory you have with Dani?"

"You really want to know?"

"Yeah, sure. I mean, I told you about my exes. She's important to you; she's part of your story, and I want to know all of your story."

Regina inhales shakily and says, "She was really into nature. She used to find the beauty in the smallest things. We would ride through the woods together for hours and just listen to the birds or smell the flowers. She taught me how to appreciate the simple things in life, which was kind of the opposite of my upbringing."

"She sounds like a really positive person," Emma observes, gently squeezing Regina's hand.

"She was. Unfortunately, she was also nine years older than me, which seems to be the part everyone fixated on."

"It is kind of a big age gap."

"Yes, and looking back, I can see why someone might have thought it wasn't healthy. But Dani...she wasn't like that, at all. She was very respectful of the fact that it was my first relationship, and she never pushed me to go farther than I wanted. But, of course, when Mary Margaret found out she was twenty-three..."

"Her first instinct was to tell your mom."

Regina nods her head against Emma's shoulder and takes a shuddering breath, trying to hold back tears. "I don't blame Mary Margaret," she says quietly, "not anymore. It's just...I was so lost and angry and...I suppose it was safer to blame her than my mother."

"Probably," Emma agrees, shivering at the thought of Cora. "But she blames herself. She really regrets what happened."

"I know that. We talked about it - and a lot of other things - this afternoon."

Emma is about to say that she knows, but she quickly stops herself. She's pretty sure she wasn't supposed to overhear that particular conversation. Instead, she comments, "That's great."

"It is." Straightening and wiping her eyes, Regina turns to Emma and says in a very businesslike tone, "Speaking of Mary Margaret and conversations with her, why haven't you said yes?"

Caught completely off guard, Emma blushes and ducks her head. Why hasn't she said yes? "I don't know," she finally admits.

"I still don't really understand why you didn't just say yes in the first place. I mean, being adopted is what you've always wanted, isn't it? I understand being caught off guard, but-"

"I actually was adopted, once," Emma cuts in, carefully avoiding her girlfriend's eyes.

"Wait...what?"

"When I was a baby, a family adopted me, and then they sent me back anyway a couple of years later, when they got pregnant with a kid of their own." This still hurts to talk about, and she feels the pressure building in her eyes, a red hot burning sensation like she wants to cry. It's even worse than her birth parents abandoning her: at least in their case, she can argue that they hadn't yet formed an attachment to their hours old baby, and there were circumstances beyond their control that forced them to give her up. The Swans had literally decided she wasn't good enough and replaced her. She hasn't spoken about this in years - tries not to think about it, really, but how can she not - and she anxiously awaits Regina's judgment.

Regina's eyes fill with tears, "Emma, I'm so sorry," she whispers. "I had no idea."

"It's fine," mutters Emma. This was a mistake; she doesn't want pity. "I'm over it."

"You're obviously not, and that's okay. But if it makes you feel any better, Mary Margaret's not going to do that."

"She might! You never know - this relationship with David could take off. She's still young. They could definitely have a baby together." It all comes out in a rush: fears and anxieties she didn't even know she had. She waits for Regina to tell her she's being silly, but she doesn't.

"Even if she gets married to David and they have a baby together," Regina says slowly, "which I will admit is a possibility, there's no way she's going to abandon you. We've had our conflicts over the years, but Mary Margaret doesn't abandon people. She never gives up. I speak from experience."

Emma has to give a shaky laugh at that. "Yeah, I guess you do. And you're right."

"Does that mean you're going to say yes?" Regina's eyes are bright with hope, and she bounces a little on her seat in such a childish, giddy way that's so out of character for her that Emma finds it utterly adorable.

She twirls a French fry between her fingers and thinks about it. Maybe it's time to take a chance. "It does," she decides.

Regina grins hugely and points at the door. "Great, you can tell her right now!"

"I'll - what?" Emma exclaims, groaning as she turns around to see Mary Margaret entering the diner with David Nolan, apparently out on their own date. One major problem with Storybrooke's size, she observes, is that there are very few options for dining out. Maybe in a year or so, when she and Regina are licensed to drive, they can have a romantic night or two out of town.

She's pulled abruptly out of her daydreams of the future by Regina's voice excitedly calling Mary Margaret over to their table. "Regina!" she hisses with a pointed glare at the other girl, who ignores it.

"Emma has something to tell you," Regina informs the math teacher.

They both look at her expectantly, and Emma blushes a deep shade of red. "I...um...about the opening to be your daughter," she stutters, trying to cover her nerves with humor. It's not working like it usually does. "Is it still...available?"

"Of course it is!" Mary Margaret cries excitedly. "Are you still interested?"

"I...yes," she finally manages to choke out. Suddenly, there are arms around her and she doesn't even know whose they are, and she's crying and Mary Margaret's crying and Regina's crying, and even David comes over to get in on the action. The other patrons of the diner actually applaud when they find out what's going on, and it's simultaneously the happiest and most embarrassing moment of her life.

"Um...I guess you can leave now," she mumbles awkwardly when it all dies down. "I mean, you've got your own evening plans, and we don't really need you chaperoning our date." Honestly, it's not that she minds having a parent breathing down her neck - it means she has parents - she wants to get this night back on track. You only get one first date.

But then her girlfriend clears her throat, and Mary Margaret smooths her sweater and slips into the booth across from them. "Actually, there's something very important I need to discuss with Regina," she says seriously. Emma glances between the two of them in confusion. Hadn't they already discussed enough important topics that day?

"Now, I know that you and I have our own history, and we've talked about a great many things in the past, including topics related to Emma. However, now that you're officially dating and she's on the way to officially being my daughter, I think it's time we talked about you dating my daughter."

Emma blushes, and Regina tries to hide a smirk as she replies, "Is this where you start to question me about my intentions? Rest assured, Miss Blanchard, I will never do anything to harm your daughter."

"I have no doubt your intentions are honorable," Mary Margaret says with mock seriousness, "but I must warn you that if you hurt her in any way, I will destroy you."

"Good, then the feeling is mutual."

The two women meet each other's eyes and burst out laughing, and Emma rolls her eyes.

"You guys," she groans. Not that she'd ever admit it, but the fact that the two of them obviously planned this actually makes a huge bubble of happiness rise up through her chest, into her throat, and as Regina nuzzles her head against her shoulder and Mary Margaret grabs her hand from across the table, she's afraid it might burst out of her at any minute.

"When did you have time to plan this whole thing?"

"We came up with it about five minutes after you stopped eavesdropping on us this afternoon."

Emma guiltily stares at her lap. "You knew about that?"

"I'm actually a little hurt that you think we're that stupid," Regina jokes. "And you should know by now about your mother's super-acute avian hearing.

Your mother. The phrase makes her heart grow so many sizes that she almost ignores the bird thing. Not that it really bothers her anymore...much.

"I am the happiest creature in the world," she declares. "I may be even happier than Lizzie Bennet, even though there's no Pemberley in this town."

Mary Margaret laughs, and Regina elbows her lightly in the side and grumbles at her to eat her burger.

It may have taken sixteen years and a well-above-average number of bumps in the road, but in this moment, every single one of them feels worth it. She'd gladly go through a lifetime of hardship if it would lead her to these people. To this place.

Storybrooke may be the strangest town in the universe, and she still doesn't quite understand how it's real, but it's home.

She's home.