My Fanfic Series “Captain’s Choice” is a series of one-offs set in and around the “Memory Keeper” trilogy, and in this chapter, we see Emma, getting ready on her wedding day, with a little help from Mom and Dad….
“You know, Emma, this would go a lot faster if you’d stop fidgeting,” Snow said, trying her best to keep a smile on her face. “I still say we should put it up.”
“Killian likes my hair better down. And so do I.”
“Hmmph.” Snow said, around a mouthful of pins.
“Do I really need all this crap in my hair? Really?”
“It goes with the dress,” Snow said, with a touch of exasperation. “Now hold still.”
“And this dress is so…white. I mean it’s practically blinding. Really, really white.” Emma frowned down at herself. “I feel kind of weird. I’m on my second kid with two different men and you’re marrying me in white?”
“First of all,” Snow said, with a bit of exasperation, “It’s ivory, not white-white. And it’s not ‘blinding’ it’s just sort of…shimmering.”
“I’m just saying that I don’t think I’m as qualified for the white dress as you were, that’s all.” Emma pointed out.
Snow was suspiciously silent, looking off to the side.
“Mom?” Emma’s mouth parted in shock. “Are you telling me that you two…?”
Snow gave a delicate shrug.
“He besmirched your honor?” Emma said with a wide grin of surprise. “Really?”
“My honor – and his – were completely intact, thank you. Since when do we measure honor in such antiquated terms?” She pushed Emma back around and busied herself behind her, jabbing pins into her head. “Honestly, Emma, just because you read about us in fairytales doesn’t mean we’re not progressive.” She finished with Emma’s hair and then turned her toward the mirror.
“Whoa, no! No.” Emma’s jaw set stubbornly. “No tiara. I am not getting married like some fairytale princess.”
“Emma, please…” Snow entreated. “I know the tiara’s not your style, but – ” She bit her lip, blinking back some tears. “It was my mother’s, and her mother’s before her. And the kingdom would love to see you in it, even if it’s only this once. Please?”
Emma gave her mother a dark look. Snow knew she wouldn’t be able to take the tears.
“Okay,” she grumbled. “But just this once.” Emma looked at herself carefully in the mirror, still having a hard time believing what she was seeing. She did look like something out of a fairytale. The long-sleeved,shimmering ivory gown came off the shoulders, with a fitted bodice that ended in a low vee at her hips. The jeweled detailing on the front of the bodice featured a mix of diamonds and sapphires in alternating patterns that sparkled and glimmered with every shift of position. The gown was backless, ending in a long, sweeping train that flowed back a good seven feet.
“How did you manage this dress on such short notice?” Emma asked, turning back and forth.
“You’ll have to thank Regina for that.” Snow said, walking around her to give her a good once-over. “She’s all about the wardrobe. The shoes were a gift from Princess Ella.”
“Cinderella gave me shoes?”
“Yes. And Aurora sent the bouquet, Belle sent the garter, and Mulan gave you this golden cricket charm to pin into your gown. Ariel took care of the decorations. See? We fairytale girls know how to get things done!” Snow dusted her hands together with a wide smile.
“Yeesh. This was supposed to be a simple ceremony.”
“Knock, knock!” David called from the other side of the doorway. “Emma! Snow! It’s time!”
Snow grabbed both of Emma’s hands in her own. “One minute!” She stood looking at her daughter, unable to speak for a moment as the tears coursed down her cheeks.
“Oh, Emma. I’ve always dreamed of this day.”
“Bet you never dreamed I’d be marrying a pirate,” Emma said with a wry grin.
“No, of course not. But I did dream that you’d find true love, and that’s the dream I really wanted to come true for you.” Her voice broke on a sob. “More than anything.” She swiped at her cheeks, trying in vain to wipe away the tears.
“Stop, you’re going to get me blubbering..” Emma said, blinking hard and failing to keep her own tears in. “Even before I knew you were my parents, I wanted what you had. And I never thought I had a prayer of getting it. If it weren’t for the two of you, I would have never met him.” Her jaw trembled at the thought. “Thank you just doesn’t seem like enough, y’know?”
Snow put her arms around her, and they stood hugging for a long, long moment until another impatient knock sounded at the door. They broke apart with a laugh.
“I’d better go.” Snow gave Emma one more approving nod, then opened the door for David. She gave him a kiss, choking back another flood of tears and walked down the hallway. He stood watching her for a moment, shaking his head fondly.
“She’s a mess,” he said, smiling as he stepped into the room. He lost the smile a moment later when his eyes landed on his daughter.
“Oh,” he managed to say, glancing around wildly. “I need to sit down.” He found a chair, and half-fell into it, burying his face in his hands.
“Dad?”
He shook his head, unable to answer her. Emma dragged another chair over and sat down next to him, putting her hand on his back.
“You okay?”
He finally looked up, rubbing his hands across his face.
“Yeah. Yeah, just…give me a minute.” He took a deep breath in, then rubbed his eyes and cleared his throat. He looked over at his daughter. “You look beautiful, Emma.” He bit his lip, hard, but the tears fell down his cheeks anyway.
“Thanks,” she said, smiling as she wiped his face for him. “And I’m going to tell her you were just as big of a mess as she was.”
David gave an explosive laugh. “She’ll never let me live it down.” He gripped her hand in his. “Are you ready to do this?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Emma said with a shrug.
“Captain’s Choice” can be found on Fanfiction.net and Archive of Our Own (AO3).
Britt DeLaney 