It's been 11 long weeks since we found ourselves reintroduced to Brad Womack, "the most controversial 'Bachelor' in history" after the Season 11 snub that saw him leave DeAnna Pappas and Jenni Croft empty-handed at the final rose ceremony.

Fans were mistrustful at first, skeptical that the patented 'Bachelor' magic would work for our troubled entrepreneur the second time around, but here we are at the 'Bachelor' finale and Brad has -- against all odds -- chosen his future bride (or at least the subject of another messy tabloid breakup).

But who did Brad choose? Join us after the jump to find out.

Brad chose ... Emily Maynard!

Resplendent in a cream gown, Emily arrived to the final rose ceremony with both nerves and characteristic poise -- which was just as well, since Brad was back to his stammering, blushing self as he recited the speech he'd prepared for her.

"You're so much more to me than a leap of faith, you're the one, Em, you're it, you're once in a lifetime," Brad said. "Please give me your forever, please let me be your best friend ... please let me protect you and your beautiful daughter; please give me the opportunity to love you for the rest of your life."

The proposal was tearful, adorable, and full of "I love you's," and for everyone who has witnessed the nervous, jittery way Brad has reacted to Emily all season, it doesn't come as much of a surprise. The closing montage was set to Train's 'Marry Me,' and there may have been a tear or two shed over my keyboard, I can neither confirm nor deny.



No season of 'The Bachelor' would be complete without weeks of rampant speculation about his final choice, and this season has kept us guessing. We felt sure that Brad wouldn't walk away empty-handed again, but would his final pick be a case of tokenism, or would he truly develop feelings for one of his bevy of bachelorettes this time around?

From the outset, two clear frontrunners emerged from the pack. Chantal O'Brien, a vivacious executive assistant, made a resounding first impression on Brad when she slapped him, "for every woman in America," the moment she stepped out of the limo. They've had chemistry, passion and a comfortable rapport over the course of the show, even speaking confidently in regards to their future together during Brad's visit to Chantal's home town to meet her parents. But Chantal has proved to be jealous, needy and somewhat of an emotional wreck over the course of the season, getting involved in petty fights with the resident in-house crazies like Michelle Money, rather than focusing on her relationship with Brad.

Then there was Emily Maynard, a sweet southern belle with a tragic backstory and a guarded heart (you can't make this stuff up). She and Brad shared instant chemistry too, and Brad's propensity to turn into a stuttering, blushing wreck around her has given us hours of entertainment. But Emily has a child to think about too, and for a while it seemed like she planned to keep her distance around Brad to keep herself and her daughter from being hurt again, as they were following the death of her last great love, Ricky Hendrick, a NASCAR driver who was killed in a plane crash.

The road has been rocky, and we've seen a funeral director named Shawntel and a peppy dentist named Ashley self-implode or fall by the wayside, while controversial drama queen Michelle stayed in contention long past her expiration date.

Read on for our recap of the episode, or hit the comments to share your thoughts on Brad's final choice.

Brad has traveled the world with his potential partners, and tonight, we saw his mother and siblings arrive in South Africa for an emotional reunion as our Bachelor prepared to make the toughest decision of his life. It was clear from Brad's tearful reaction to his family that perhaps all the therapy and "soul searching" actually paid off and he really is a changed man, which could actually point to some longevity in the relationship he's about to embark upon (what can I say, I'm the sentimental type!).

Chantal arrived first at Brad's pad first, enthusiastically greeting his family and launching right in to reminiscing about falling in love with Brad in Costa Rica, and admitting that she "just knew" that she loved him the moment she saw him (before or after the slap, I wonder). Brad's brother told her that he'd never heard Brad say he's ready to propose to anyone before, while Brad's mother warmed to Chantal immediately, calling her "precious".

After Chantal left, Brad admitted to his mother that he didn't have a single concern about Chantal meeting his family, and that he feels like himself with her. "If everything works out, I will marry her," he insisted (and lied!).

The next day, Emily arrived with flowers and plenty of nerves, and Brad's family immediately noticed how shy she was in comparison to Chantal. The family was touched by the story of Emily's loss, but made certain to talk to Brad about his expectations in terms of becoming an instant father. "I would welcome the opportunity to be a father," Brad admitted, prompting his brother to observe the way Brad lights up when talking about Ricki and his relationship with Emily.

Brad's mom thanked Emily for trusting Brad with the opportunity to meet her daughter, and was touched when Emily called Brad "her angel," an admission that moved Brad's mom to tears.

"Now you can see why I'm so screwed up," Brad laughed when he returned to hear his family's verdict.

His brothers pointed out that the two women are polar opposites, that with Chantal, Brad would have the adventure and freedom of a young couple with no ties, while with Emily, he could have stability and a settled, established family right from the start. It was clear that the family was drawn more towards Emily, especially after Brad's mom pointed out that he couldn't keep his hands off the blonde during their time together. "I was not nearly as animated with Emily as I was with Chantal," she pointed out. "Because I think I was looking at the woman my son is going to marry."

Brad's final date with Chantal was just as playful and energetic as many of their previous outings have been, even when it took a turn for the scary with a dip in the ocean amongst the sharks (I can't believe he didn't marry her after forcing her to endure that -- so cruel!).

Over dinner, Brad told Chantal that he felt like he'd known her for five years, and Chantal gifted him with a map of all the places they'd been together, as well as a love letter, aww. Whatever else you may say about Chantal, she certainly hasn't been afraid to express herself and put everything on the line for love, and it's a pity that she got her heart broken in the process.

On Emily's date, the eponymous 'Bachelor' helicopter made a reappearance for a flight to the Cape of Good Hope, more low-key date than his time with Chantal. The pair sat on a beautiful mountainside and had a serious talk about their potential future together: "It's not going to be cool Uncle Brad anymore, you can't just go back to your bachelor pad and drink beer and watch a football game," Emily warned, trying to put the experience in perspective. Brad seemed pensive after the discussion.

Later, Brad arrived at Emily's room to try and clarify his position. "Ever since I met [Ricki], I want you and her to give me the chance to be an actual father, not just a stepfather. I would never want to come in and replace her father, but I guarantee that I can love you both more than you can ever imagine," he insisted.

Emily asked what he thought being a father would mean. "Unconditional love, being a provider, a protector, a friend when the time calls for it, and a disciplinarian when the time calls for it," Brad promised, which sounded like a darn good answer to us, but Emily wasn't convinced. She seemed to be trying to give him every opportunity for an out, and Brad was evidently getting flustered -- the two certainly didn't part on the most comfortable terms, with Brad feeling "defeated" and "slapped in the face" by Emily's continued questions.

The sun rose on the final day with Brad feeling conflicted, especially after his botched conversation with Emily the night before. After a pensive wander around the town, Brad finally came to his decision. "When you know, you know," he confidently proclaimed, before picking out one hell of a diamond ring. "I've wanted this feeling for 38 years."

Chantal was first out of the limo once more, and unfortunately for her, also the first to leave. "I have stronger feelings for someone else," Brad told her, and her tears started pouring immediately. "Everything I've said from the very beginning, I've meant, I really have. Everything we have is very real. It's simply a matter of me having stronger feelings for somebody else." I wonder why he didn't say Emily's name, it's not as though Chantal was under any illusion as to who the other woman was.

"It just sucks because I felt so strongly," Chantal sniffled, somewhat lost for words before Brad walked her out. Black was clearly a good color choice for her dress (while Emily wore white -- prophetic much?).

During the 'After the Final Rose' special, it was revealed that Brad and Emily aren't exactly experiencing the kind of fairytale ending we might have envisaged for our happy couple -- Emily's insecurities are clearly still holding her back, and the two admitted that they've had a number of knock down, drag out fights over the phone and in person since the show ended. The worst part of the experience for Emily has apparently been watching the show as it aired, since it seems to have compounded her feelings of self-doubt and made her feel like "a dime a dozen," after seeing how Brad interacted with the other women over the course of the season.

Emily shocked the audience by admitting that she wasn't ready to get married or move to Austin yet (which is actually sensible, not as horrifying as the audience seemed to think, since she'll also be uprooting her daughter in the move), but she was still affectionate towards Brad and didn't seem eager to shut him out altogether.

After some sage advice from pretty much the only three 'Bachelor' couples who are still together, Ali and Roberto, Jason and Molly, and Trista and Ryan, Brad and Emily did seem to be in a slightly better place with each other, and it's clear that Brad is willing to apologize and compromise in an effort to cure Emily of her insecurities.

I'm not certain that the couple will live happily ever after as long as Emily continues to keep her distance to try and avoid getting her heart broken, but after all she's been through, I can't help but hope for a dream wedding -- as hopelessly optimistic as that may sound.

Do you agree with Brad's final choice, or do you think he should've picked Chantal? Share your reaction below! Are you looking forward to 'The Bachelorette' when it premieres on May 23rd?

Follow Laura on Twitter: @LauinLA.