Days and nights, she was there. Standing by his bed side, listening to the ceaseless 'bip, bip, bip' that indicated his heartbeat rate with a small relief. She would watch the line making steady ups and downs, hoping that it doesn't stop. Ever again.
Mary Margaret had visited, letting Henry see his father once or twice but it was no appropriate place for a kid. David came too, in vain. He stood by her, but Emma didn't really want any one else to stay.
"You should rest, Emma." He sighed, worried.
"I'm fine."
But she wasn't fine. Not really. Not until she was sure that Dr. Whale's surgery had worked out fine. It's been a couple of days, he said it was normal but Neal had yet to wake up.
The only times she'd leave her seat would be to get a coffee and come back as fast. She felt like she owed him to stay. They owed it to each other. He had to live for her.
One night, it was past midnight and Emma had finally agreed to lay down her head at his side to close her eyes. Holding his hand tightly. When she felt a small move beneath her fingers and raised her head to him wincing.
"Neal?" Emma's eyes grew wide, "You're okay?"
He cleared his throat, frowning. Not quite realizing that she was there but nonetheless enjoying it, "I think… Tamara, I-"
"It's okay, we took care of her. Don't worry." She replied, raising herself more upright. Her hand never leaving his unconsciously.
Neal finally examined his surroundings, furrowing his brows more at the sight of the dark night and quiet hospital. "How long- how long have I been passed out?"
"Couple of days. You had a surgery but you're fine now."
"You stayed here to watch over me all that time?" He smirked a bit, thinking that she probably hadn't.
"We promised to take care of each other, right?" She responded honestly.
Her words hit him, yet again she had taken care of him in the way he never did and failed during all these years. "I'm so sorry I didn't believe you, Emma." Neal breathed slowly, his eyelids heavy.
Emma paused, his words feeling all warm and weird within her, so she just tried to smirk back to him, tilting her head toward the bullet hit his chest, "I think you've paid the price hard enough, haven't you?"
He suppressed a smile, his lips curving into a painful yet amused smirk, squeezing her hand a little bit tighter, "I have."
They stared at each other for a few more seconds, but it only brought a wider relieved grin upon Emma's lips. And they didn't need to say anything else or apologize another countless of times. For now, it was just Emma and Neal of 11 years ago.
And they knew they loved each other, they didn't need anything else.