I.
A slow dripping sound cued her pull from unconsciousness.
It was steady and rhythmic, blending with the sounds of a monitor beeping at an even slower pace. It would've been soothing if waking in a strange place hadn't been so jarring. But it was just calm enough to keep her grounded to the room. Grounded – and not in the dark place.
The P.A. let out a wave of static with an announcement for a moment before it went silent again. Though it was very muted to her ears, she heard the mention of an operating room and name that made a hasty escape from her mind.
So, a hospital.
After that conclusion had slowly come, there was a distinct smell that managed to make itself very familiar to the foggy forefront of her mind. It was sterile. Cold. Possibly disinfectant or anti-bacterial. The smell, however, reminded her more of the morgue than anything else. Like death was around. Just waiting.
Death; the word came very clearly to her mind.
Her heavy eyelids snapped open and bright, blurry hazel meeting a white ceiling. It was fuzzy around the corners of her eyes but clear enough to make out things. The room was clean and gloomy. A firm hospital bed was under her body. The walls were pale yellow, and the linens were gray and thin. It didn't seem to inspire much confidence for a patient getting better. Maybe she wasn't expected to get better.
With that thought, she was immediately alarmed by the tingling of her lips and tongue. Her fingertips and toes buzzed unpleasantly. Everything felt like being underwater. Inaudible and unclear. But also like breaking the surface of the water, everything came back all at once and very abruptly.
In a panic, she forced her body up from the hospital bed, taking in a big breath that felt like it had been ages since the last. A shaky hand reached up to rip the nasal cannula from her face.
She looked down at her hands, finding a black brace on her left. She felt the thin needle attached to her right. She pulled on the IV and bent forward at the sharp pain that vibrated through her arm. Her eyes turned to the heart rate monitor that started to beep erratically.
A scream startled her, and she looked to a nurse who was wide-eyed and shocked. She dropped her hand away from the lines coming out of her arm and looked around again. There was an empty bed on the other side of the room.
Her hand went to the IV line and then to the foam electrodes stuck to her temples. She pulled them off and jerked away from the ones attached to her chest under the hospital gown.
There was this sudden urge to escape. A strong need to rid of these machines and to be away from this place overwhelmed her.
This place she didn't know.
This place was not home.
"Oh my god," the nurse said, knocking over a metal tray. She pressed herself against the cabinets, sliding along them until she sprinted out the door. "Dr. Whale!"
Storybrooke's only '75 Camaro – cherry red and too fast – sped down Main Street, booking it away from Granny's diner. The authority in town was probably laughing over a lunch that had started without her and damn Granny for threatening hell if their new delivery service wasn't quick and efficient the moment she came up with the idea.
Ruby's phone rung again, and she sighed. She picked it up and jammed her thumb into the screen to answer.
"Yes, Regina?" She asked, faking a sweet tone – one Regina would see right through and roast her for it.
"You're late, dear."
"Hm? Oh, really? I had no clue. Definitely my bad," Ruby said.
"Cut the attitude, Rubes," Emma said from the background. "I'm taking your chips, by the way."
"Asshole-"
Just in time, she glanced back to the road ahead from the rearview and slammed on brakes at the figure stumbling into the middle of the road. There was enough smoke from her abused tires to consume all of 1st Street as the car skidded to a stop. "Whoa!"
"Ruby?" Regina's concerned voice became distant in her ear as her phone tumbled from being pressed against her cheek and shoulder. It landed with a clatter under the gas pedal, but she barely noticed it at all.
Instinctively, she put the car in park but left the engine running as she got. From the shock and adrenaline pumping through her, she momentarily felt not except a surge of anger at the person steadily becoming clear through the tire smoke.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" Ruby raged stalking forward. "I could've run you over!"
Once again, she had to stop in her tracks, when it became immediately apparent that it wasn't the typical Storybrooke crazy. Not Leroy on a drunken bender, singing Taylor Swift songs. Not the remaining Merry Men finding a reason to be vigilantes from time to time – but Emma had mostly scared them out of that. But this was undoubtedly one of those Emma type problems.
She was a kid. A teenager, based on height alone, dressed in a hospital gown took her off her rant immediately. There was a magical glow coming from her right hand, while her left arm stayed secured in a black splint. She looked lost which Ruby would expect nothing less if you'd ran out of the hospital, through the hospital parking lot, and onto the road – and nearly hit by a car. However, it was a little odd, said teenager didn't seem to realize she had almost gotten run over. Her eyes were darting everywhere but Ruby and her car.
"Hey," Ruby said, attempting to get closer. The girl's eye snapped to her, but she squinted like she was trying to make Ruby out. "Are you okay?"
A glowing hand raised towards her in defense. Ruby raised her hands in surrender to show she wasn't a threat.
"It's okay. You're fine. I want to help." She took one step forward. "Can I do that?"
The teen shook her head.
"I need to get you back in there," Ruby said, pointing to Storybrooke Medical. "You're injured. How can I help?"
She shook her head again, but the glow from her hand dimmed even as Ruby continued to move closer and closer. It was clear whatever energy her body had summoned was waning.
"I get it. I do. Every full moon, I wake up scared and lost. In woods." Ruby was close now, keeping firm control over her wolf - only letting her eyes shift from brown to red. Close enough to reach out and place a hand on her but also close enough to end up with a hole in her chest if the magic was malicious enough. "But I have someone to help me come back. It's only fair I pass on the kindness, right?"
The hand fell limp at the girl's side as Ruby tentatively reached out and gently rested a hand on her shoulder. The girl took a big breath, and Ruby became very clear in her vision. It didn't feel so much like drowning now. She looked into Ruby's eyes, and they both stared at each other for a moment. They both watched each other's eyes flash a bright gold.
Unknowing of the occurrence in herself, Ruby relaxed her hand and cupped the nape of her neck to keep her calm. The gentle ministrations of her thumb against a vein seemed to lull her drastically.
"See? You're safe. I'll bring you back," Ruby said.
The girl swayed lightly and then blacked out completely, Ruby catching her before she fell. She glanced at the unconscious young woman and then sighed. She turned to the small, curious crowd they'd amass – surprised she didn't notice them – and gave an exasperated look to the few hospital staff amongst them.
Useless, she thought.
"A little help would be nice," Ruby said with annoyance as she was still cradling an injured, unconscious girl in her arms. But finally, they scrambled into action.
Ruby paced in front of the nurses' station, ignoring that she was on the receiving end of a deathly glare from one of the nurses present. Although, it was possible she'd only settled for a glare out of pity since Ruby seemed worried.
She'd texted Regina that everything with her was fine, but she and Emma should head over as soon as they could.
After having spent only twenty minutes in the waiting room, the space behind her ignited in purple smoke behind her. She turned around as Regina and Emma appeared. The sheriff removed the last of her sandwich from between her teeth.
"So, I missed lunch?" Ruby chuckled.
"What happened?" Regina questioned. "We thought something happened to you. Your text was vague."
"Emma doesn't look too concerned."
"I was having lunch. Regina refuses to give me a three-count before she poofs us places." Emma muttered, trashing the remaining half of her sandwich. "Food doesn't travel well. So, you're not dead…"
Regina elbowed her and looked at Ruby expectantly.
"I was driving, and a kid ran out into the road."
"Did you hit 'em?" Emma frowned.
"No! She's a comatose patient." Ruby received two odd looks from the women in front of her, and she shrugged. "They wouldn't give me details. They're not a liberty to disclose it with me, but I do know that she had magic. The only explanation for why she managed to get into the road in the first place. Seemed right up your alley."
Before either woman could get a word out, Whale burst through the doors with a woman hot on his heels. They stopped just short of the trio.
"Oh, good. You're already here," Whale said, looking to Regina.
"Me?" Regina questioned. She clasped her hands together, already anticipating that it was going to be a long day. "Why do you need me?"
Whale gestured to the double doors, and she followed skeptically behind the pair of doctors. She glanced back to Emma and Ruby, who only shrugged in response.
She followed them through the ICU with a severe look on her face. She wouldn't have known who this child was, and it was even less likely to be so when she had no information.
"Dr. Whale?" Regina questioned.
"She's very jumpy, as Miss Lucas might have mentioned," Whale said.
"Very vaguely," Regina said.
"We can't get her to calm down now."
"Well, Ruby managed just fine. It seems your staff is just as incompetent as you."
Whale paused and turned on his heel, ready to fire back. A hand on his arm stopped him from getting a word out. The woman beside him took the clipboard and took a step away from him.
"Maybe it's best if I take point on this one," the woman said.
"You can have the patient. I have better things to do anyway," Whale said, storming off in the opposite direction.
"I should be a whole lot more concerned about this hospital," Regina said with a wary expression.
"I pick up his slack. Which is a lot." The woman held out her hand to Regina, and she accepted it. "I'm Dr. Campbell. I got roped in after the last curse."
"Nice to meet you," Regina said. "Maybe you could tell me what's going on? I'm mostly in the dark about all of this."
"Right." Dr. Campbell nodded, not even glancing at the clipboard and motioned to the door a few steps down. "She's our only Jane Doe and considering you don't seem familiar…"
Dr. Campbell handed her the clipboard.
"After the last curse, of course, there were newcomers, but according to everyone, she showed up in the E.R. unconscious." Dr. Campbell watched as Regina scanned the reports and paperwork. "We were under the impression you were aware that you were the emergency contact because of your signature on the documentation stating as the most powerful authority in town you're the legal caretaker."
Regina flipped through until she came across the page where her name was signed. The signature was undoubtedly hers. But she would've remembered agreeing to act on behalf of a comatose patient.
A teenage girl. We admitted her into ICU with severe injuries, including head trauma. She hadn't opened her eyes until an hour ago when she ran in front of Ruby's car. Brunette. Light brown eyes.
She released a deep breath and handed the clipboard back to Dr. Campbell.
"Nothing rings a bell?"
"I'm afraid not. I supposed it doesn't matter now, though. If I can help, I will."
The doctor looked grateful – more than she'd ever seen Whale be for anything. Without another word, she opened the door, revealing the commotion going on inside.
"It's alright, honey. You're safe here." The nurse was speaking as calmly as she could manage with raised hands. She took a step closer, and in response to the unwelcomed movement, the teen tensed up. Regina's eyes widened as a wave of electricity, bright green and lethal, exploded into the wall behind the nurse. It missed her completely, but what interested Regina was that the girl hadn't moved a finger to do it.
Rightfully so the nurse quickly escaped the room out of reasonable fear of electrocution.
"I was considering a sedative earlier when she came in."
"I wouldn't recommend it," Regina said. "Just give me a moment."
"Of course." Dr. Campbell nodded – unusually calm after what they'd all just seen. She stepped out, closing the door behind herself, and Regina directed her attention back to the patient.
"I see we're having a bad day. I know those, believe me." Regina inspected the narrowed look she received and let out a chuckle. "I was the Evil Queen. I know all about bad days."
The girl's hand twitched, and a small spark ignited in the air above her lap. It slowly started to form into a ball of charged energy - green and purple tendrils wrapping around each other violently.
"That's impressive. It's draining, and you're injured, so I know you must be hurting." Regina took a cautious step. "I know something that will help, but you have to trust me."
The ball only grew a size bigger but the girl's brow creased in discomfort.
"I'll start with me then. I'm Regina. Reformed villain, mayor of this town you're in."
Regina was somewhat known for her impatience – and her weakness when it came to children.
She sighed and reached out to energy spiraling in place. Her arm jumped at the spark that grazed her hand before her own magic overpowered it and she closed her hand around the shrunken magic. She closed her fist around it, and it disappeared with a small puff. The teen slumped a little.
"I think you and I will get along just fine if you learn to trust me." Regina was slow and careful as she reached with both hands, pressing a palm to the girl's chest and back. They both shivered at the transfer of magic. The burden of power lifted from the injured girl and into Regina who could bear it just fine. "Isn't that better? I want to help, dear. I'm going to take care of you until we figure everything out, okay?"
Regina removed her hands and received a nod. She sat down in the wooden, green chair next to the hospital bed. From the ongoing silence, Regina could tell it would be a one-sided conversation. Although, she didn't blame her for it since she'd just woken up after being in a coma for months. It was back when Zelena was in town and that already felt like ages ago.
"Do you know where you are? Remember anything before waking up here?" Regina asked. Surprisingly, the girl did open her mouth to speak, but only a small inaudible sound left her throat before she pressed her lips together in a grimace.
Regina quickly spotted a pale pink cup sitting next to a clear plastic cup with two pills in it. Because she wasn't sure what they did, she only went for the cup. Regina gently moved her fingers, and the cup floated from the table over to the girl. Confused brown eyes became a bit clearer as she watched the cup until it was close enough for her to reach.
After a few shaky sips of water, she sat down the cup on the bedside table. She cleared her throat quietly and looked to Regina again with a furrowed brow.
"Do you remember anything at all?" Regina asked.
She shook her head and said, "Nothing."
"What about your name?"
"Dawn, I think. I don't know if it's mine. It's all I remember."
"That's fine. Would you like to be addressed as Dawn?" Regina questioned. "It's up to you what you want me to call you."
"Dawn is okay."
Regina offered her a gentle smile and nodded, giving her a soft, "Okay. Good."
The door eased open in the momentary silence, and Regina was about to scold someone until she saw that it was Emma and Ruby – too impatient to wait any longer for news. Dawn tensed up, but no magic formed.
"Dawn, this is my friend, Emma. She's the sheriff. And you've met Ruby already."
Emma gave a small wave, keeping to the edges of the room. Ruby, however, didn't hesitate to approach.
"Better?" Ruby asked. Dawn nodded. "You're in good hands with Regina."
Dawn turned her eyes to Emma, and they both raised their eyebrows at each other.
"Have I done something wrong?" Dawn asked.
"Well technically you were jaywalking," Emma said with a shrug. "I could give you a ticket if you want."
"She's joking," Ruby said, pursing her lips at Emma.
"You're not in trouble," Regina said. "But you were in an accident. We're not sure of any details, but we have to look into it. You were badly injured."
"How bad?" Dawn asked.
Regina cleared her throat, recalling the startling list of injuries in the case file Dr. Campbell shared with her. She readjusted her position in the chair. She shared a look with Dawn, and the teen nodded her confirmation.
"If you're sure. You arrived here with a broken arm, a dislocated shoulder, twelve broken ribs, a collapsed lung, severe head trauma…six stab wounds, and third-degree burn down your left side…" The other three in the room glanced at Dawn's left side, and Regina continued. "That they report disappeared after a few days."
"Damn, anything else?" Emma scoffed. "Jesus, kid. What happened?"
"I don't know," Dawn said.
"You don't remember any of that happening?"
"No."
"She's not sure of her name. And that's fine." Regina assured. "Which is why I'm your guardian for the time being. You'll stay with me. But it's only temporary until you and I work out some permanent arrangements for you."
Dawn nodded, but her brow furrowed as though she was confused…or in pain. Maybe it was both. Either way, Regina knew it was best she rests despite having been 'sleeping' for a few months. She must have been exhausted.
"You're confused and probably very tired. I don't want to give you an unnecessary headache. So, I'm going to stay here with you, and we're going to let Dr. Campbell look at you. She's offered to take over in place of Dr. Whale. She's much more pleasant, believe me."
Dawn didn't say anything, but it was apparent she was opposed to the idea of any more people poking and prodding. She glanced at Ruby.
"Can you stay?" She asked.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'll stay," Ruby said.
"I'll go run down that case file for my report," Emma said. She walked over to the bed and gently reached out for Dawn's shoulder. "Don't worry, kid. Regina is going to take good care of you."
The dining room only held the sounds of forks clinking against the glass plates.
Regina lifted her glass to her lips, raising an eyebrow as Emma sucked up a noodle. She and Henry snickered as quietly as they could as if Regina couldn't have possibly seen it. The brunette rolled her eyes at them but never seemed to be more malice than affection.
Lately, it was getting harder to share these family dinners with Emma when it was difficult to ignore her growing crush. She couldn't help but find things adorable about the blonde and on top of that, she was Emma Swan, and she didn't have too many unlikeable qualities. Beautiful. Sweet smile. Terrible, yet amusing sense of humor. And, unfortunately, Regina had to admit the leather jackets and the Bug were growing on her.
She knew something had sparked between them in Neverland and even a little bit before that if she thought about it. But when she finally acknowledged it was a crush – a big one – it had been a few weeks after Robin had left. She hadn't heard from him and decided that the flame had officially died. Then one Friday, Emma sent Henry off to spend the night with his grandparents and had a fried ice cream pie with a bottle of wine with her.
That was the moment she figured it out. Emma had been taking a bite of the pie as they watched the Breakfast Club. And after she was caught staring, Emma just smiled at her. This teenage crush formed and then just continued to grow without permission.
"So, mom…" Henry started. Regina blinked out of her thoughts and looked over to him. "I'm fourteen now…I was thinking maybe I should start learning how to drive."
Emma jumped, hearing Regina practically choke. She gave a worried glance to the older woman. "Do you need the Heimlich?" She asked. It came out mumbled since her mouth was full of food.
"No, but thank you, dear." Regina chuckled. "You may need it, though."
Emma scrunched up her nose playfully but then looked over to Henry with a skeptical expression, remembering her father had taken Henry on a driving lesson once before. That wasn't the most excellent idea, and Regina damn near had a heart attack when he just casually confessed to it.
"Uh, I don't-" Emma started, not exactly sure what to say. They usually needed a little more time – alone – to coordinate, especially with something so big. So, she closed her mouth without finishing her sentence and slowly chewed as she looked to Regina as if they could sort this out from across the table without speaking.
Regina cleared her throat. "Your mother and I need to talk about it first. You may be fourteen but-"
"But I'm a teenager." Henry inserted.
"Don't interrupt your mother," Emma mumbled over another mouthful of food.
"Thank you." Regina grinned, and Emma gave her a toothy smile. Damn that smile. She turned away and looked back at Henry to reply to him. "Henry, let us think about it, please. As I was saying, you are a teenager, but technically you shouldn't be behind the wheel until you're fifteen."
"She is right, Henry."
And so, commenced the pouting.
Although, because he has his mother's stomach, Henry was easily satisfied by a bowl of ice cream before bed. He gave both his mothers a hug, leaving the women to themselves.
They took their time washing dishes with glasses of wine and conversation as always. Regina insisted on washing, so Emma was standing next to her with the drying towel over her shoulder, pouring herself another glass.
"So, how did it go earlier?" Emma asked.
"How did what go?"
"The kid. You and Ruby stayed back."
"It was fine, I suppose. Dawn didn't talk much, but I wouldn't expect too much conversation after she'd only woken up from a coma not even a full day yet. Dr. Campbell expects that her memories could return gradually, but with the trauma she suffered, it's possible she won't ever remember what happened to her."
"Sucks." Emma murmured.
"So eloquently put." Regina smirked, passing a plate to her. "Other than that, her motor skills are looking promising. The doctors are about ready to call her instant recovery nothing short of a miracle or magic, of course."
Emma hummed her acknowledgment as she dried off the plate and then put it the dish rack as Regina passed her Henry's claimed Iron Man glass.
"You want to say something."
"Are you really going to take in a stranger?"
"She's a little girl, Emma." Regina frowned. She was surprised Emma was against the idea.
"Little? She's a teenager. Teenagers are headaches."
"She doesn't know who she is, and she has no one to look after her."
Emma sighed, tilting her head to the side. "Regina, if you go through with this I know for a fact that you'll get attached. And there's nothing wrong with that, but it'll be a big change for you and Henry."
"I know that." Regina laid the towel down next to the sink and leaned back against the counter.
Regina had thought about this. Bringing Dawn into her household would inevitably mean adopting her because she couldn't leave her on her own when she was alone and without a life that she could remember.
"I'm going to support whatever you choose," Emma said. "But I just want you to be sure. Are you?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
I've been sitting on this for almost a year, and have wanted to share it for some time. But as some writers may feel, I was worried there wouldn't be much of an audience after the show ended. In that time I've also realized that there wouldn't be a point in writing it and not considering sharing it, so here we are.
This is both a new and old story of mine. Anyone who's been around my works since 2015 is familiar with Dawn's character. So, this would be a rewrite of 'The Hatter.'
My beta, Withgirl, and I have been excited about planning this. I'm proud of where this is going and hope you all will enjoy it.
