Last chapter, peeps, but it is a longer one. Thanks for seeing this through with me, and follow me for more stories to come in the future. Let me know what you think about the final curtain. Cheers! Muah!

The Final Chapter

When Emma opened her eyes she had to smile at Regina looking down at her.

The moment Emma opened her eyes. Regina peppered her face with kisses. This sent Emma into a giggling fit which led quickly into a coughing fit and an agonizing pain for Emma.

Regina whispered apologies as Emma slowly regained her composure. She petted Emma's hair down repeatedly until the blonde's eyes focused on her. She smiled her biggest smile. "Hey, you!"

Emma smiled for a moment, until the memories of the last few days came back to her. Her heart leapt to her throat as she sat up straight. "HENRY!"

Regina pushed her back down, watching as her chest heaved up and down. "It's okay! It's okay! Just relax. You saved Henry. You are the savior, after all." Regina bent down and buried her face into Emma's neck, and sighed when she felt Emma's arms around her. Regina let her body fall onto the bed as their embrace deepened. Tears fell as both women knew they had weathered the storm. They had made it through.

Emma pulled back, still holding Regina in her grasp. They met eyes, and simultaneously met souls. They were together. They were a family. And nothing...no force of nature...no magical curse...was EVER going to change that. Ever. Forever. They were happy. Forever. Forever they were happily forever after. Finally.

XXXXXXX

***1 Year Later***

Regina walked into Granny's nervously. She glanced around and was annoyed to find that of course it was busier than normal. She spotted Emma and Henry in the corner booth with Snow and David. She took a deep breath and walked over.

There was a chorus of greetings. "Hey, babe" "Regina!" "Hey, Mom!"

Regina smiled and waved hello. She bent down and gave Emma a raised eyebrow as she gave her a sweet peck on the lips. "Hello, dear." Regina caught Emma's sexy smile as she sat down in the booth. Regina sat across from Emma and next to Mary Margaret who squished David in the corner. Emma ruffled Henry's hair as she teased him about his arcade date with Paige.

Regina fiddled with her hands nervously when she felt a comforting hand on her leg. She looked over to Snow who was smiling supportively at her. David was also smiling. When she looked over at Henry he was also eyeing her. Fortunately, Emma was dense as ever and didn't notice any of the exchanges.

They chatted a bit, waiting for Ruby to come take their order. Snow kept catching Regina's eye and clearing her throat. Finally Regina lost her patience and magically elbowed her in the ribs. Snow let out a sharp squeak.

Emma shot her a confused look. "Are you okay?!"

Snow did her best to recover, shooting a smug Regina a quick glare. "Yes, I was just thinking, honey, Ruby seems pretty busy, why don't you go grab us some menus."

Emma looked a bit surprised. "Uh, yeah okay." Emma got up and walked over to the counter.

Regina glared at Snow. Always has to meddle.

Snow, David and Henry looked at her expectantly. "It's now or never," David said with a smile. Regina shook her head and took a deep breath.

Emma came back with the menus and sat down. "Five menus, just as you-" Emma had been handing out the menus when she noticed something on her plate. Her jaw dropped. It was a small black velvet box. Like those ones that hold jewelry. Like, rings. She didn't notice Henry take the menus from her, she was too busy staring wide eyed and open mouthed. She looked up and met Regina's eyes.

Henry, Snow and David were statues. Statues with excited, goofy smiles on their faces.

Emma swallowed and slowly picked up the box. She fiddled with it in her hands for a moment before licking her lips and opening it. She felt the tears filling her eyes as she looked down at a perfect shimmering, quite large diamond ring. She stared at it for a moment and swallowed thickly. She took a deep breath and raised tear filled eyes up to Regina's.

Regina was clearly nervous, but had perhaps the sweetest expression on her face Emma had ever seen. She blushed feverishly as she cleared her throat. "Apparently when you do this kind of thing, it's supposed to be some grand gesture." Emma couldn't keep her breathing steady. Regina looked over sheepishly at her. "I figured, what's more grand then making myself vulnerable in front of the very people I've spent my life trying to intimidate."

Neither woman noticed the entire diner had silenced, watching the scene in front of them. When Regina told Snow of what she had planned, she should have remembered the woman's tendency to spill secrets. Of course Snow told Ruby who told, well, everyone currently in the diner.

Regina smiled softly and continued. "I was a terrible person. I did horrible things. I was on a path of vengeance that only led to my own self destruction." Regina smiled as Emma looked on, hanging on every word. "And then I met you," Regina shrugged her shoulders, getting slightly emotional, trying to squash her tears down. "You came in like...hurricane Emma," they both chuckled, "and completely turned my life upside down. I didn't realize how lost I was. Until you challenged me at every turn. You woke me up. You reminded me what it was like to have love in my life. Even when we were at each other's throats, you had this healing effect on my heart, on my soul." Tears were falling gently down Emma's face. And Snow's too, not that either woman were aware of anyone else in the world right now.

Regina blinked slowly as Emma wiped the tears off her cheeks. "I guess it brings things full circle, that my True Love ends up being the daughter of the very person I had wasted my life trying to destroy." Regina glanced at Snow who she now saw had tears streaming down her face. Regina flicked a smile then looked back at Emma. Her face softened. "You have taken everything I have tried to become and crumbled it in front of me. I'm not the heartless Queen I told everyone I was. You've made me feel. Made me want things like a family, a home, a life that is completely entwined and dependent on another. For the first time in my life," Regina fought back a sob as a traitorous tear fell down her cheek, "I feel like I finally belong somewhere. I belong with you. In this...ridiculous family that I tried so hard to destroy."

Tears were flowing all over the diner as Regina stood up from the booth. Emma was still holding the box, hands shaking and breathing harsh.

Regina slowly got down on one knee and took one of Emma's hands. Gasps came from all around her, including Emma. Regina looked up at her, almost with desperation in her eyes. "As far as grand gestures go, I think kneeling in front of the very people at one time I had ruled over as Queen should be quite...telling."

Emma's heart before was teetering on the edge, but at this gesture melted completely. She knew very well how difficult it was for Regina to show her vulnerability, especially in front of the people of Storybrooke. She had chosen this venue to profess her undying love and need of Emma: this venue right in front of her former nemesis. In front of the people she had previously ruled, tortured, cursed. She had intentionally made herself the most uncomfortable and exposed she had ever been. This was Regina's grand gesture. And it was so selfless, so-incredibly romantic in Regina's own way, that Emma had to thrust a hand up to smother her sobs of joy.

She looked down as Regina gently took the open box out of Emma's hand with a slight smile. Emma could hear her heart beating wildly as Regina smiled up at her.

Regina took a deep cleansing breath, knowing every eye in the diner was on her. She smiled weakly, holding the box shaking in one hand, gripping Emma's hand in the other. "Emma Swan. You have my heart. My soul. You are my soul mate and my True Love. I am on bended knee, in front of everyone I have ever taken their happy ending from, begging you for my own. Will you marry me?"

Emma erupted into sobs. She knew Regina had never offered herself up so freely, so naked, so vulnerable in front of anyone, never mind her entire kingdom. This sacrifice alone would have brought Emma to a quivering puddle, but the fact that it was coupled with a proposal was almost too much for Emma to process.

Emma wiped the flood from her face and nodded vigorously. "Yes!" She pulled Regina to her feet. "Yes, you silly, stubborn, ridiculous, amazing, wonderful woman! Yes, I'll marry you!"

Regina could barely function as her shaking hands took the ring out of the box and clumsily placed it on Emma's hand.

The entire diner erupted into cheers. Snow burst into tears as the rest of the room felt their hearts melting.
Henry and David clapped foolishly as it seemed a long foretold prophecy had finally been fulfilled.

Finally Emma pulled Regina to her feet as she smiled fully. Regina let joyful tears leave her eyes as Emma just as willfully brushed them away.

Their eyes met and instantly sealed a bond that had already all but been cemented. Emma let her fingertips fall gently down Regina's face as she tried to let her feelings pour from her eyes.

Regina gripped Emma's fingers and kissed them gently. She allowed Emma to grip her neck and pull her into a fierce yet gentle, chaste yet passionate, simple yet all-telling kiss, causing both women to become weak at the knees.

The women embraced, faces buried in each other's hair, oblivious to the celebration of the outside world. They breathed in each others scent, subtly welcoming the embrace of their son into the mix. They both sighed out in contentment, realizing they sere a family. They had finally...finally found their happy endings.