Disclaimer:The characters are not mine, but the story is. I make no claims on ABC's Once Upon a Time's intellectual property.

Half of My Heart

"Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one's life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one's side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music, perhaps . . . perhaps . . . love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath."
― L.M. Montgomery

Emma and her friends sat in the chairs laughing at stories of their relationship mishaps, and she found herself eager to share snippets of her past year with Killian. It had been perfect in almost every way, though they both worked obscene hours, they found that laying on both sides of their couch with legs wrapped around each other's worked well. Killian would work on his sketches - personal or for work - and Emma would read case briefs and testimonies. They seldom talked during these extra hours, but each one's presence soothed the other. The silence was comforting, rather than cold.

She blushed as they prodded her for details about what the "real" Killian was like, and the only thing that came to mind was "Perfect."

"See? She's so smitten it's almost boring," Ruby had flown in for the weekend and Emma found herself missing her odd, gun-toting friend.

Mary Margaret piped up, "Hey now, don't knock her. Our Emma has come a long way from where she started. What a mess you were!"

She elbowed Emma good naturedly, knowing that the time for the awkwardness of Emma's past was over.

Someone behind them cleared their throat, "Ladies, I believe it's my turn to speak with Miss Swan."

They turned and Emma would have noticed some of her friends' appreciative looks if she hadn't been so locked onto Killian.

She stood up and nearly leapt into his arms, pressing a hard kiss to his lips; when they broke free she turned around in his arms and gestured to the ladies, "You heard the man! I'll see you all tomorrow bright and early."

They shuffled out, some of them giggling, but Mary Margaret paused and gave Emma a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so proud of you two."

Killian just nodded and she left quietly.

Emma sighed, pressing her back against his chest, "Thank you. I love them all dearly, but I was at my social limit."

He smiled into her hair as he rested his chin on top of her head, "I know, I'm grateful you still haven't found your limit with me."

"Please," she scoffed and pulled away, moving to sit on one of the chairs. "If there was a limit with you, we would've met it a long time ago I think."

She gestured for him to sit and he reached down to pick up the wrapped box he had placed on the chair. Her eyes sparkled as he sat down, "I know we said no gifts, but I've never been good at following those particular instructions."

Killian handed her the small box wrapped in blue paper and Emma smile mischievously as she popped up to grab another gift wrapped box, placing it in his lap. "You're not the only one who is bad at following instructions."

He laughed and she told him to open his first. Opening it carefully, Killian laughed softly as he pulled out the frame, reading what was there.

"Do you remember it?" Emma seemed nervous, but as she saw his thumb brush across it he smiled.

"Of course I do."

She chewed her lip, "You don't think it's too cheesy, do you? I just- I remembered that particular one and it always stuck with me. Without your help I don't think I would've got into Harvard and might not even have been here with you."

He stared at the framed logic game in silence and she spoke again, clearly taking his silence as disappointment. "It was a stupid idea, I'm sorry - kind of lame of me."

"I love it." He finally spoke and his eyes as they looked at her had the look she had come to cherish over the past year. "I was just surprised you remembered and that you wanted to memorialize it."

She grabbed his hand, "Hey, despite what happened at the end, that semester set me on the path I'm on today. I'm here with you, in this beautiful ballroom, exchanging bride and groom gifts with the most wonderful man on the planet. Of course I want to memorialize that."

They sat there for a while, rubbing each other's hands, memories running through their minds.

Killian smiled, "You should open yours now."

Fingers slipped under the sides of the wrapping paper and Emma pulled it off to see a small square box. The last time she had seen something similar, she had finally noticed that Killian was on his knee, proposing. Nothing could shock her after that, she thought.

But when she opened the box, Emma found out just how wrong she was.

"Oh, Killian," she whispered as the necklace fell into her hands. She rubbed her fingers across the pendant that had signified so much of their push and pull relationship. "Raphael. This was your mothers'."

"I gave it to you a long time ago, and I have never regretted it. When you gave it back, I kept it in that box and hoped I would give it to you again someday."

He smiled ruefully, "I figured the day before our wedding was probably the best timing."

Emma looked up at him, slightly teary eyed and she leaned in to kiss him briefly, "Thank you." She huffed, "God, I can't believe I sent this back to you. I was such an idiot."

"Well I knew that all along," he said as he dodged her punch to his shoulder.

Emma was oddly calm as she stood in a wedding dress she had never expected to wear. It had never been something that she had focused on - a wedding, marriage, even a family. David and Mary Margaret were her family and that was all she had needed for the longest time.

Her hair was down, with just the sides pulled back in a simple clasp; the wedding dress was a simple cream off the shoulder, with no frills. Despite the wild elegance of the wedding, Emma had just wanted simplicity in her role.

"You ready?" David walked up beside her with a soft look on his face. She had asked him to walk her down the aisle and Emma honestly thought he had been about to cry in that moment.

She straightened up and shifted her bouquet to her left hand, slipping her right arm around his.

The music which signaled her entrance hit their ears and the doors opened. Emma's world immediately shrunk to where Killian stood in his immaculately tailored tuxedo. He looked at her intensely, drinking her in to the point where Emma flushed and smiled at him.

She finally stood before him and turned to David who pressed a gentle kiss against her cheek and took his place next to Liam, Killian's best man.

Killian watched her walk in front of him and they barely heard the man speak as they watched each other with clasped hands. A throat cleared and they broke their trance, looking at him.

He smiled gently, "It's time for your vows."

Killian and Emma smiled at each other and recited words from Maya Angelou, each taking turns speaking the lines, the meaning behind them resonating with not just them, but everyone who knew how much it took to get them to this place.

We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.
Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls.
We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love's light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only love
which sets us free.

Emma spoke the last lines softly, her eyes brimming; Maya Angelou spoke straight to her soul. Loving Killian, once she had opened herself to him completely, had set her free; every day she woke up next to him and took a few moments to realize what a marvel it was that they were there together.

They slipped their rings on to each other's fingers and the official spoke for all to hear, "By the power invested unto me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

She beamed up at him as Killian wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hard, reluctantly pulling away as they turned to all their friends and smiled at their cheering.

Mary Margaret, Liam, and David got to the reception before Emma and Killian, chattering away with utter awe.

"I honestly cannot believe they're finally here," Liam said. "I thought I was going to have to disown him until he got over his somewhat crippling sense of honor.

David laughed, "Well to be fair, most of it was Emma."

Liam just shrugged - as a brother, it was his duty to keep Killian humble and give him a hard time. However, he would get a pass on his wedding day; as was tradition.

Mary Margaret slapped David's chest, "They're coming!"

The chatter died down as Emma and Killian walked in, hands clasped together and smiles beaming. Anyone who watched them knew they were smitten with each other still, but not all of them knew how long it had taken for them to finally be on the same page.

Killian stepped on to the dance floor and spun around, bowing a little bit as he held out his hand, "I believe you owe me the first dance, Ms. Jones."

Emma placed her hand in his, allowing him to pull her onto the dance floor and wrap his arms around her. "Swan was a name I took for myself after being sent back by my adopted family, I wore it like a brand - it made me stronger. Jones is a name I chose out of love."

He nodded in silent understanding as their chosen song began.

So many nights trying to hide it
But now I stay awake just pleading for more
To think this heart was divided
I'm losing sleep cause I can't ignore

Their hands were clasped as his other was on her waist as Killian glided her around, eyes only for her in a perfect mirror of their dance as Maid of Honor and Best Man more than two years ago. It was that night that Emma knew with absolute certainty she had made one of the biggest mistakes of her life pushing him away, and the night that had sparked their tentative friendship once again.

Find me, here in your arms
Now I'm wondering where you've always been
Blindly, I came to you
Knowing you'd breathe new life from within

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mary Margaret leaning her head on David's shoulder, their hands tight around each other and faces beaming with pride.

Killian pulled her against him and slowed, his arms going around her waist; she wrapped hers around his neck and he leaned and sang the next words to her softly, just for her.

You are the will that makes me strong
Make me strong
If ever I'm alone in this world I know I'll always
Find me, here in your arms

She pressed her face against his as she whispered, "I love you, Killian Jones."

And he pulled back, resting his forehead against hers as he spoke just as quietly, "I love you, always and forever."

Author's Note: Words cannot express how emotional I am at the thought of this story ending. What has made the writing process so amazing has been the readers, especially the reviewers who unfailingly post comments on every chapter. Even the repeat guests that do - I wish I could send you personal messages like I do with the others, but nonetheless I noticed and thank you.

The ending song is "Find Me", an original song by Boyce Avenue who did the cover of "Half of My Heart" - the version that inspired this story. I thought it was both appropriate and fitting that the story end with one of theirs.

The idea of leaving this story unfinished was never something I contemplated even in the darkest days of my depression. It was my very first creative thing I had ever written and it is my gift to a truly wonderful fandom and the first I have ever been a part of.

I'm sad to leave my version of Killian and Emma, but I think I gave them some happiness after all they went through.

I will be writing more, but I do not know what. You're welcome to follow me as an author on here, or just hang around my tumblr (caishakalianah). I'll always be here =)

And so it is with both happiness and sadness that I mark this story complete.

Thank you.