Okay, so I said it was going to be an epilogue, but I started writing and things went a little differently than I originally intended. But I'm glad. This feels far more thorough of an ending and I know that I wouldn't be happy with myself if I just wrapped up everything with a view into the future and called it a day. I've been working on this story for over three freaking years. Crazy, I know, but damn if life and writer's block and everything didn't just kick my ass repeatedly during this story, lol. So this will be several views into different stages of their ongoing development to give these characters a proper and deserved ending and to tell this story the way I always wanted to.

Now, it's finally time to bring this one to a close. I sincerely hope you all feel like this story wrapped up as it should and you enjoy this final chapter.

The Love of The Lost

Two Months Later…

"Emma…" Regina barely managed to get the name out coherently before her lips were sealed once again by the other woman. She allowed herself to be pushed up against the door of the car parked outside their therapist's office for another few seconds and briefly wondered how inappropriate this must be. It was hard to care, though.

A car horn blaring in the distance startled both women and Regina finally pulled all the way back from Emma. As per usual, she was met with a childish, yet somehow still endearing pout. She just shook her head though, and moved around the car to the passenger side. She was free of crutches finally, but her foot was still encased in a bulky boot that made driving unsafe.

"I think we're sticking a little too close to these kissing rules." Emma complained as she slipped into her own seat and secured the buckle into place.

"Stop whining, you know it's a good idea. We can't rush things, remember?" Regina was being reasonable and Emma knew that, but it still bothered her and it showed in her expression.

"But we both want to move things along, so doesn't that mean it's not really rushing?"

"That's not how it works, actually." Regina started with a laugh and Emma rolled her eyes. "Emma, we're doing really well. You are right, I admit I do want to move faster, but what I want more- what I believe we both want more, is to make it work this time. To make this last." Regina reached across and threaded her fingers into Emma's. "We need to be patient. I know it'll be worth it." She squeezed Emma's hand and smiled when Emma returned the gesture.

"You're right." She sighed and lifted Regina's hand to sneak in one quick peck on her knuckles before letting go to start the car.

"Wohoo! Oh yeah! I totally taught him that." Emma said cockily as she clapped and cheered. Regina gave her a slight roll of the eyes, but she couldn't help her smile or whistling out a few times as well, to cheer on her son.

"When he was nine." Henry pointed out sarcastically as he sat in the collapsible chair next to them. Emma glared at her boy as he looked back down to continue scribbling in his notebook.

"Now Henry, that last part right there, was called a goal." She let her words drag as she spoke slowly and condescendingly. Henry returned her glare in full force and chucked the water bottle at his side, towards his blonde mother.

"I know what a goal is."

"Mhmm. I guess I'm still trying to wrap my head around why you agreed to be the sports writer for the school when you know almost nothing about any sport outside of sword fighting." She added the last part quietly so only Henry could hear her.

"I told you, I have to start somewhere and this is where they needed someone. I mean it'll at least gain me experience writing. I like it." He shrugged and faced forward again. "Now leave me alone. This is the last game of the season, I need to concentrate. This has to be good."

Emma shook her head, but she was smiling as she turned back and faced the field again. Luca was so confident and determined. He sprinted down the field close to them and Regina cheered once more as Lilly clapped her hands within her mother's arms. They were all mesmerized watching the young boy expertly steal the ball away from the other team and begin bringing it back towards the opposing goal.

Time was about up then and everyone stood to watch as the Shark's moved towards their final win of the season. Luca had the ball and was coming up towards the goal, but it appeared the defense wasn't giving up quite so easily.

Luca was quickly double teamed, but he didn't pause. He looked up to see Damian cutting down the center and without a moment of hesitation, he made the killer pass through the defenders. Damian's foot landed right on target and the boy struck the ball forward, right into the goal.

"I can't believe this is the final party of the season." Susan spoke sadly, but Regina's expression wasn't sympathetic.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll find plenty of reasons for get togethers in the meantime." They both laughed and turned to face their families, running around Susan's backyard.

"So, things are still moving forward with you two?"

"Yes, surprisingly." Regina said as she sipped from her wine glass. Not exactly her cider, but it surely hit the spot.

"Why is that surprising? You two are in sessions what...twice a week? I've never seen a couple with such determination to work through their problems. I'm only surprised you two haven't already moved back in together and adopted a few more children."

"Don't let Emma hear you say that." Regina laughed for a few seconds before quieting down. "No, in all seriousness, it has taken all of our efforts to keep this slow. I know if I gave her the green light, she'd be moved in and ready for family life in a heartbeat."

"And that isn't what you want?" Susan asked as she studied her friend.

"It is, actually. I mean how could I not? Look at them." She paused as they watched Emma hoist Lilly into the air, both girls giggling the whole time. Henry was tickling at Lilly's legs and Luca was playfully "saving" her by pretending to try to pull Henry away. "But it's only been a few months and things are going this well because we're sticking to the plan and going through the motions. Same with Henry. We've come so far, but that's because we're slowly working through our issues, and not taking any short cuts."

"I know what you mean. But what's the magical time that it'll be okay to take that next step? What is it you're waiting for, exactly?" She regarded Regina as the other woman watched her family with a happy, yet concentrated expression.

"I'm hoping that we'll just know when it's the right time. I believe we will."

Four Months Later…

"And how does that make you feel?" Dr. Parsons asked Henry and the teenager gave a soft smile.

"Almost like before."

"Before you found out about your mother's past?" She asked and he nodded.

"Yeah, like when we would sit outside and pick apples from the tree outside our old house in Maine. When we were our only family. I mean that's not to say I don't love our family now. As different as we all are now." He interjected quickly and Barbara nodded along. "I just mean it reminded me when we were just mother and son and nothing else mattered."

Regina listened to her son talk with a soft and loving smile in place. She rubbed her hand across his back and the two made eye contact for a few seconds before the therapist spoke up again.

"Well I think you two should keep up with that. I wondered how you'd handle cutting back on therapy, but to know you're still keeping that spot for mother and son time is so encouraging to hear. Therapy doesn't always have to take place in an office with a doctor overseeing. Just the two of you, bonding and talking and just keeping each other's company is a fantastic substitute."

"I think we won't have any problems keeping up with it. I'm just glad my son isn't too cool to spend a few hours on a horseback ride and picnic." She teased and Henry shrugged.

"I mean it's out on the trail where there aren't any witnesses." He laughed when Regina gave him a playful shove.

"Well you two, I am so happy to see the progress you've made. I still hope you'll set up regular appointments to check in, but I agree it's time to widen that gap a bit more. You're ready." The doctor smiled proudly and stood and mother and son followed suit.

"Well I'll still be back tomorrow, with Emma." Regina had grown used to seeing the therapist nearly as much as her own family and was walking towards Clark's desk as she did every session to double check their schedule. The doctor though, stepped up as well and placed a hand on Regina's shoulder.

"Perhaps, you two can try taking a session off as well." She suggested and Regina raised an eyebrow.

"We already cut back to once a week, you want to cut back even more?" She asked and the doctor smiled.

"I think you two could use a bit more time to yourselves to see how to work without my constant opinion. Just take an extra week and see how you feel. I believe your relationship with Emma is also ready to stand on its own a bit." She kept smiling while Regina looked off in thought. It took a few seconds before she finally nodded.

"I guess I'll see you next week."

"I look forward to it."

Regina walked into the house and was met with the sound of Emma's laughter, which elicited an instant smile. The sound was quickly followed by running feet and a smaller, more high pitched giggle just seconds before Lilly came bounding around the corner.

"Mommy!" Lilly squealed and Regina had to pause to take in the moment. She still wasn't completely accustomed to the new title by her youngest child and the name still made her heart beat a little faster.

"Hello, sweetheart. What's got you all excited?" She asked as she lifted her daughter into her arms. Lilly pointed behind her.

"Emma's it!" She yelled at the same time Emma's head popped around the corner.

"She's it, huh?"

"Yes, Mommy run. Run!"

"Better run, Regina." Emma said as a slow smile spread across her face. She moved predatorily around the edge of the wall towards them until Regina suddenly surged forward and took off in a run.

The house quickly filled with the sounds of running feet and laughter once more. Luca came down the steps at the wrong moment and got tagged by Emma and the pursuit heated up even more. Henry made his best effort to play his I'm-too-old-for-this card, but neither mother was having it and Regina personally force him into the game when she tagged him herself.

They were all so wrapped up in their fun, that no one heard the knocking on the front door, or the subsequent entry from two of their frequent guests. It wasn't until Susan and Damian walked into the kitchen where Emma was running in an effort to evade Lilly's grasp, that their presence was finally noted.

"Oh! Susan, Damian, hey." Emma stopped to catch her breath and was surprised when Lilly automatically wrapped her arms around one of her legs, still shy when she was surprised with guests.

"Hello, I'm sorry to barge in, but I didn't think you heard us at the door."

"Yeah, a lot of ruckus going on here." Emma smiled and ran her fingers through Lilly's hair as the little girl's grip started lessening as she relaxed.

Regina walked in just in time to witness the sight and absentmindedly touched at her chest when her heart made that little tugging sensation that had become frequent as of late. Seeing her most untrusting child clinging to Emma was quite the picture and it brought up a thought that had been running through her mind more and more.

"Regina…" Susan smiled lightly as she noted her friend's distraction. She almost laughed when the brunette blinked in surprise, not having even noticed Susan yet. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, we just let ourselves in."

"Oh you know it's fine. Damian, I'm glad you could come stay tonight." Regina shook off the surprise and stepped more into the kitchen. Luca and Henry walked in as well as the house had quieted down. That was until Lilly, almost timidly, crept forward and without warning, yelled-

"You're it!" The little girl tagged Damian on his arm before turning around and making a run for it. Damian paused for a second before he clued in and grinned towards Luca and Henry. All three boys were off within seconds, leaving only the women standing in the kitchen.

"Well you've certainly got your hands full now, don't you?" Susan laughed as she spoke to Regina.

"Well she's got help, so the worst they can do is double team us, but we can handle it." Emma winked and leaned back against the counter, standing confidently.

"Oh I believe it." Susan nodded. "So how are you all doing? Oh and I've been meaning to ask you Emma, how are your classes going?"

"Really well actually. Becky has been helping me a lot, so that's great."

"I'm sure. Yeah she was just telling me the other day how excited she is that they'll have another social worker as soon as you've gotten your degree." With that, Emma let out a small laugh.

"Well it's still going to be awhile on that, but I am super grateful that she'll be willing to hire me when I'm ready."

"Well I'm happy for you both." Susan said, sincerely. "And thank you again, for this. It'll be nice to spend a night alone with Jack before he heads back to the base."

Regina and Emma both smiled sympathetically.

"You won't have to wait so long to see him again this time, right?" Emma asked, getting a nod in response.

"Correct, it'll actually only be about a month this time, but you know it's still hard."

"Of course, well you know, take your time, okay. We have no plans tomorrow, so Damian can stay as long as you'd like. No rush." Regina reassured and leaned in to give her friend a hug.

"Thank you. Both of you." She smiled gratefully at them before turning and heading for the door. Regina walked her out before returning to see Emma still inside the kitchen.

"Don't we have therapy tomorrow?" She asked, confused.

"Actually, I was going to talk to you about that." Regina started, taking a seat at the table. "Dr. Parsons said that we should take the week off and see how we do. I guess she believes we're ready to be a bit more independant."

"Really?" Emma asked with a sly smile spreading across her face.

"Yes…" Regina knit her brow at Emma's change in demeanor. "I'm not sure what you just got out of that, other than that we don't have to go downtown tomorrow."

"Well the last time she cut back our sessions, we agreed that meant we deserved more than an hour reward for our efforts, right?" She asked with the same smile in place, though Regina matched it with her suspicious expression.

"I recall." Was all she responded, though she remembered quite well when the doctor had told them to cut back to once as week and her and Emma had upgraded from a small kiss in reward for a therapy session, to a full blown, back of the car, make-out session. Had a phone call from the baby sitter not interrupted them, Regina had to admit she's not sure if they would have stopped.

"Well I'm just wondering, what this means for us now? I mean this has to wrack up some serious relationship points, right?" She winked and Regina regarded her for a moment.

It was generally her automatic response to just shut Emma down and move on. In most scenarios when Emma would tempt her into taking their relationship to another level, and it certainly was tempting, Regina would do everything she could to resist and insist that they continue taking things slowly. But it was getting substantially harder as they both grew closer and their relationship became stronger, so much so that they're own therapist was pushing them to take a chance on themselves.

Now, Emma was giving her signature and infuriatingly cocky grin and Regina felt like maybe it was time to shake things up a bit. So with that in mind, she stood from her chair and moved swiftly in front of Emma, relishing in the surprised expression that appeared on her face. She pushed it a bit further, in fact further than she had in literally years, and placed a hand on either side of Emma's body.

As she gripped the granite behind Emma, she leaned in until their bodies pressed against one another. She both felt and heard the sharp intake of breath from the other woman, but it didn't deter her. Emma was always the one initiating their contact recently and Regina realized she greatly missed the feeling of having the upper hand.

She leaned in close enough to brush her lips along the shell of Emma's ear.

"Well Emma…" She whispered. "What do you think it should mean, hmm?" She pulled back enough to see Emma's throat bobble as she swallowed hard and Regina managed to control her smile into her own signature smirk. She let her lips graze Emma's, just teasingly, before moving to her other ear and whispering again. "What do you think we've earned now?"

"Uh-umm. I-I guess-"

"What's wrong, Emma?" She asked teasingly again, cutting off Emma's stuttering. "Cat got your tongue?" She pulled back enough to look Emma in the eyes once again, but it seemed Emma was finally snapping out of it and responding to the challenge. After shaking her head and letting out a slow breath, Emma smiled back.

"Hardly." She didn't give Regina another chance to respond before slipping an arm around her waist and spinning them quickly to change positions.

This time, Regina didn't bother pushing Emma away. She couldn't find a reason to and as Emma's lips found their way to the expanse of her neck, Regina truly felt like they were ready to move forward. That was why she let her own hands lift to Emma's face and it was why she guided thin lips to her own.

Unfortunately for them, the second they each moved to deepen the kiss, they were once more met with the sounds of running feet and laughter and they barely managed to separate to a reasonable distance before both of their boys came sprinting through the house. Surprising both of them, it was Henry leading the chase of his younger brother with no lack in enthusiasm.

A moment later, Damian jogged by, clearly looking for a place to hide, and he was soon followed by the youngest family member. Lilly was still full of joy, trying to find the boys to stay in the action and both Regina and Emma smiled genuinely, despite the interruption.

"Well, that got interesting." Emma said once they were alone again. Regina let out a laugh and shook her head.

"It certainly did, didn't it?"

"You don't...feel like we should slow down again? Wait some more?" Emma's voice turned timid and Regina suddenly felt a small amount of guilt for denying them both so many times. She didn't want to hear that tone anymore so she move closer to Emma once more.

"No, Emma, I don't. In fact…" She paused as she let her hands rest around Emma's waist. They held each other's eyes and Emma tilted her head as she waited for Regina to finish. "...why don't you stay the night. I could certainly use help with the kids and it would be...it would be nice to have you here."

Emma's smile, when it brightened up completely and shined so brilliantly, still made Regina's heart race. She felt it just after her words were out and Emma's answer was clear in her expression. Even more so, when Emma leaned in for one more kiss, before the children running wild in the house made their presence known again and the women were begged to provide nourishment for them.

Two Months Later…

"So, just so I'm understanding this, you're living together-"

"Well, technically-"

"Just staying over at Regina's house on a nightly basis, yes, I apologize." Dr. Parsons cut off Emma's interruption quickly. "You've been staying in the same house on a nightly basis for over a month now, almost two months, but you two haven't yet been intimate."

Emma made a face at the term which immediately elicited a eyeroll from Regina. Both looks were ignored by the doctor though, who was patiently waiting for an explanation.

"We've been busy." Emma started with a shrug and Regina nodded.

"Exactly, Luca is playing baseball now-

"Henry is doing his stuff with the paper, plus he got into the astronomy club-"

"Lilly's adoption was just finalized and she's starting kindergarten." Regina finished and both women shrugged.

"And those activities take place at night, in bed, when you're all alone?" The doctor asked and eyebrows were raised in surprise at her bluntness.

"Well Doc...I mean it's just…" Emma tapered off as she tried to find a way to explain. Regina took a deep breath and continued for them.

"We don't get any alone time anymore, right up until the day ends and frankly, with three children, life is a little exhausting right now. But it's nice. Spending the time together at night, even if we haven't quite gotten back to that point, has been really good for us."

"I agree with that." Emma added. "Plus, I mean this is kind of huge for us, after everything we've been through. I feel like we've worked so hard to get to this point, and I just don't want…" She looked off as she once again, tried to find her words. The Doctor tilted her head as she regarded Emma.

"You're scared." She said as a statement and Emma sighed and gave a slight, reluctant nod. "Of what, exactly?"

"I don't know, I mean I just don't want her to be disappointed. I love her and I don't want us to have built up to this and have some kind of expectation that we can't meet. I mean...I don't know if any of that makes sense." She kept her eyes on her hands and still when Regina rested one on top of hers.

"It makes sense." She reassured. "Because I feel the same. I've held you off since you've been here, for...something around nine months now." She shook her head and rose her eyebrows, showing amazement at herself. "Always saying we needed to take it slow and work until we reached whatever end goal I thought we'd eventually reach. But now that we're at this point, I don't really know what the big finale is. I feel like I'm still waiting for something, but I don't know what." She finished and both women smiled at the other, finding relief in knowing their thoughts weren't exclusive.

"There is no end goal." Dr. Parsons spoke up, gaining their attention again. "You have put in so much time and so much effort and you're relationship is ready to move in whatever direction you deem fit. You don't have to keep waiting for some grand finale. Being intimate doesn't have to be a finale. It's another step for you to take when you both decide you're ready and then you'll continue on with your lives, again, in the direction you choose." She placed her pen and pad down on the table in front of them and clasped her hands together.

"This is a big deal for you two, I know that. But it's also not a big deal, at the same time. Don't get caught up on your expectations or worries or doubts or anything else. Just do what you feel is right, when you feel it's the right time and trust yourselves. I believe in you both. It's time to believe in yourselves."

"I don't know why we made such a big deal out of this." Emma said as she let out an obviously nervous laugh. Regina didn't miss it and stepped right up to where she stood by the foot of her bed and took both her hands.

"Yes you do. We both do. Because us, our relationship, our family, everything we've been through...it's all a very big deal. But the Doctor was right, this isn't our grand finale. It's not the ending or even another beginning, it's just another part of our lives." She smiled at Emma and tried to convey the confidence she was feeling.

After months of Emma being the confident one, always ready to move forward the moment Regina was, Regina was more than a little surprised to find her suddenly the shy one. Suddenly timid and unsure. It threw her off for sure and Regina had yet to figure out what exactly she was so hesitant about now. She knew Emma loved her and Emma of course knew Regina felt the same-

It was a little stunning how a realization that should have been obvious can just come to you out of nowhere. She kind of wanted to laugh and kick herself all at once.

Emma had made her feelings clear from the moment she got to California and then every day since. She'd made grand declarations, such as the time she'd crashed Susan's party and stood in front of a group of complete strangers to put her feelings on the line. She'd taken the rejection on the chin and managed to soldier on despite the heartbreak.

She'd also show her feelings in quiet moments. Some during therapy when she told Regina that her love never wavered since the day she had left Storybrooke. Some during the nights they laid side by side, sharing nothing more than soft touches and small kisses goodnight. When they could see nothing beyond the pitch black, Emma seemed to always feel safer opening up and she'd whisper something she loved about Regina.

In all those months, Emma had been clear she was willing to go at Regina's pace and she never pushed for her to do or even say anything. And Regina had appreciated that more than anything but it wasn't until that moment, that she realized how much she'd taken advantage of Emma's kindness. That she'd spent so much time holding them at a pace she thought they needed that she forgot to remind Emma how she felt. To show her that they were in every part of this together and it wasn't just about Emma proving something.

Moving one hand to Emma's cheek, she made sure to get her attention. She wanted that timid look gone and all uncertainty for her feelings to vanish completely. So she took a deep breath and smiled softly.

"Emma...I love you. I love you. I'm sorry I haven't said it in awhile. I think..." She looked off briefly and Emma leaned into her palm. "I think maybe subconsciously, I felt like that was somehow my grand finale. That finally saying it out loud again would seal the deal on us and something would be over."

"You know..." Emma started as she leaned closer and wrapped her arms around Regina's waist. "Between you and me and all our issues on what and where our relationship is, I'm pretty shocked the doctor felt we should take steps back from therapy. As far as I'm concerned, she should be supervising us twenty-four seven."

"Well I don't know about that." Regina laughed before lowering her voice, leaning into Emma's embrace at the same time. "I certainly don't think anyone should see what's happening now."

With that, she didn't give Emma anymore warning before breaking from the embrace and shoving her backwards. Emma bounced up on the mattress and grinned up at Regina. Reaching forward, she pulled the other woman into the bed with her and swung a leg over until she was looking down at Regina. They shared a warm smile before bringing their lips together softly.

"I love you too, you know." Emma said as she pulled back. "Always."

"I know." Regina lifted her fingers to brush blonde hair from Emma's face. "Now, I think maybe it's finally time we stopped talking." And those were the last words spoken that night.

Two Years Later…

Henry stood in the mirror and turned to one side. His head tilted slightly as he inspected the new outfit tailored to fit his growing body. He'd finally managed to shift almost completely out of the awkward stages in his development, but over the last few years, that process had meant new clothes had to come on a regular basis. It was fortunate that their family had another son to use his hand-me-downs, though his athlete brother didn't exactly fit the same mold.

Now was a special occasion, so even though he probably could have worked with something inside his closet, his mothers had wanted their children to look their best. So for that reason, Henry turned once more to make sure the suit fit right. He faced the mirror once more and adjusted his tie to be perfectly center. He even brushed his hands across both shoulders to remove the last bits of lint from the clean, black materiel.

Once he was satisfied, Henry grabbed one of the bouquets of flowers he and Luca had secretly purchased that morning and headed down the hall. He stopped by one door and tapped his knuckles on the wood a few times before a voice answered to enter the room.

Stepping inside, he was hit with an instant flash of deja vu, but it ended quickly. Because that day was quite different that the one he was remembering nearly four years before. His mother was dressed quite similarly and so was he, but they were so different now. Older, stronger, and with far more love in their hearts. He could see the dramatic difference in the glowing smile on Emma's face, alone.

"Henry." She said and now he could even hear the difference. He could hear the love and joy. The hope. Holding the bouquet out in front of him, he offered the flowers to his mother and accepted the hug she gave him in return.

"You look beautiful, mom."

"Thank you, Henry. You look pretty dashing yourself." She gave him a wink before turning to set the flowers down. Henry leaned back and smiled at his mother.

"We got it right this time, didn't we?"

"Oh yeah, kid." Emma answered confidently. "Just took us a few years, but...I'd say it was worth it, don't you think?"

"Definitely." They enjoyed a moment of silence as they both remembered how far they'd come for this day, until another knock interrupted them.

Becky, who'd become Emma's closest friend outside of Regina, greeted the two of them and Henry politely excused himself to find his other mother. When he made it to her room, he was able to witness a similar sentimental moment between her and his siblings.

Regina was sitting with Lilly in her lap, trying to tame the girl's wild hair into a ponytail. Luca was standing in front of a mirror all but mimicking Henry's inspection of his outfit. Henry heard him ask how he looked and Regina jokingly told him how handsome he was despite the shaggy hair falling into his face. Henry laughed internally, knowing how much Regina just loved what Luca called his "surfer hair". Henry thought she should just be happy he finally got past the mohawk stage.

Finally making his presence known, Henry gave a soft knock as he pushed the door the rest of the way open. Regina instantly lit up as she looked him up and down and stood to hug him just as Emma had.

"Everyone looks fantastic." She commented and regarded her children. "Are you all ready?"

"I still need the rings and Lilly needs the flowers."

"I've got all of that." Susan appeared inside the door. "If you two want to come with me, we'll get set up." She reached out a hand and Lilly took it. Luca let Regina attempt to fix his hair for another few seconds before she gave up and he left with Susan, a familiar smirk on his face.

"Thanks for doing this, Henry." Regina turned to her oldest child once they were gone. Henry walked over to her and faced her, now right at eye level with his mother.

"You don't have to thank me mom, it was my idea."

"I know, which why I'm so grateful. And for this." She said as she turned and lifted a folded white paper from the table behind her. "Henry, I...I don't even know what to say. I love you so much." Her voice was soft and Henry could see the emotion in her eyes.

"I love you too and I just wanted you to have something to remind you of that. I was a little afraid making it a letter would bring back bad memories, but I was really hoping you would see it in a good way." He shrugged and Regina laid her hands on his shoulders. Truly, he had written that letter as a way of showing where they were now and how far they'd come, but he had definitely been nervous that the sentiment would get lost in the memories of the letters Regina had written them. He had seen it as poetic and hoped she would as well.

"Sweetheart, you and I have gone through so much and I'm telling you, it means everything to me. You mean everything to me and I will cherish this and you, forever."

Henry suddenly felt his own emotions welling up and moved right into Regina's arms. He hugged her with the same ferocity he did when he was a young child and she was his entire world. Their world was so dramatically different now and life had taken so many wild turns, but they'd made it back to one another with a bigger and stronger family by their side and their love was only growing.

"Ready to walk down the aisle?" He asked as he finally pulled back.

"With you by my side? I'm ready for anything."

Regina took his arm as he offered it to her and they walked side by side back down the hallway to get outside. Out there, all their friends, her son and daughter, and the love of her life, stood awaiting their arrival. Regina took a few deep, steadying breaths and squeezed Henry's arm.

"Are you happy?" Henry asked and glanced at Regina.

"More so than I have ever been." There was nothing but sincerity in her tone then. She faced forward as they stepped into the light of day and she saw her family. It was finally time for happily ever after.

THE END.

Thank you SO MUCH for staying with me and supporting this story. I know it's been a long journey, but this was everything I wanted to tell in this story and I am so happy to have finally gotten to the end. I hope you enjoyed this with me.

Now if you would kindly do me a favor and leave one last review, it would be so greatly appreciated. Thank you again!