Chapter XVI

                                    

                                          
I gasped and could feel tears forming. Fiona went over to Dad's armor and started crying. I really started crying when Mom was kneeling over his clothing and was crying. I felt Charming pull me into his chest and hug me tightly as I cried. 
I wiped my tears when I heard a frog croaking. 
"Harold?" Mom's voice asked. 
I pulled away from Charming's chest and looked over at my family. I looked up at Charming and grabbed his hand as we walked up to join the rest of my family. 
"Dad?" Fiona and I asked at the same time as a frog with a crown on its head sat on the chest armor. 
The frog sighed and looked away from all of us, "I'd hoped you'd never see me like this."
"And he gave you a hard time," Donkey pointed out to Shrek. 
"Donkey!" Shrek scolded Donkey. 
"No, no," Dad spoke as he turned to face Shrek and Fiona, "He's right. I'm sorry. To both of you. I only wanted what was best for Fiona." Dad looked at me, "Only to realize that what was the best for Fiona, was already given to Belle. And in that sense, I wanted what was the best for Belle. I can see now that both of my daughters already have it." Dad turned back to Shrek and Fiona, "Shrek, Fiona... Will you accept an old frog's apologies and my blessing?"
Fiona and Shrek looked at each other with a smile. 
Dad looked at me and Charming, "Belle, Charming, I'm sure you two don't need to hear it from me, but you have my blessings."
Charming and I looked at each other with a bright, loving smile. 
"Harold?" Mom's voice spoke again. 
Dad looked at Mom and he sighed once again, "I'm sorry, Lillian. I just wish I could be the man you deserve." Dad went to jump off the chest armor, but Mom had caught him. 
"You're more that man today than you ever were... warts and all," Mom said as she raised him so they were eye-level. 
I smiled as Dad had ribbited at Mom's response. 
Then the clock started to chime. 
"Boss! The Happily Ever After Potion!" Puss shouted at Shrek. 
"Midnight!" Shrek shouted at himself before looking at Fiona, "Fiona, is this what you want? To be this way forever?"
"What?" Fiona questioned. 
"Because if you kiss me now, we can stay like this," Shrek explained. 
"You'd do that? For me?" Fiona questioned.
"Yes," Shrek answered without hesitation. 
I could see Fiona look at Donkey and Puss, then at Mom and Dad, and then finally at me and Charming. She looked back at Shrek. "I want what any princess wants," Fiona admitted, "To live happily ever after..." 
Shrek smiled and closed his eyes, leaning in for a kiss. Fiona pressed her hand against his lips, making him open his eyes. "With the ogre, I married," Fiona said as she caressed his cheek. 
The clock started chiming faster as it was finishing up the midnight chimes.
Everybody watched in awe as Fiona, Shrek, and Donkey were lifted into the air and were all changed back into their original forms, before being placed back on the ground. 
"Hey, you still look like a noble steed to me," Shrek said with a slight chuckle, noticing how sad Donkey was. 
Everybody smiled and clapped as Fiona and the real Shrek kissed. 
"Hey! Isn't we supposed to be having a fiesta!?" Puss questioned loudly. 
I couldn't help but giggle when Donkey and Puss were singing. 
Everybody was dancing, so of course, Charming and I were dancing, almost like a tango. There was a big smile on both of our faces as we enjoyed ourselves.