"If your Majesty would be so kind as to secure that line we might make some progress in our journey."
Mr. Gold shot a glare down at the mayor from behind the ship's wheel, where Hook had a spyglass trained on the horizon, actively trying to ignore the situation. The pirate was a firm believer of staying out of other people's business unless it benefited him in some way, and frankly a seasick queen didn't pique his interest. He continued to scan the horizon, keeping a look out for mermaids.
Regina braced herself against the ship's railing for a moment before tugging at a stray bit of rope, grimacing behind a curtain of dark hair. Leave it to Gold to taunt her when she was out of her element. Ships simply weren't her thing, and she hadn't been aboard one in ages. She managed to tie off the rope just as a large wave rocked the Jolly Roger, knocking her against the side of the ship and taking her feet out from under her. Regina stayed sprawled on the deck for a second, rubbing the back of her head where it had come into contact with the aged wood.
Across the deck Emma had just finished coiling a span of rope with Snow when she looked up to see Regina pushing herself into a sitting position. Even from across the ship Emma could tell that something was wrong, and started to make her way over to the port side.
A minute later Emma was beside the mayor, offering her a hand.
"Are you ok, Regina?"
She placed a helping hand on the brunette's shoulder, pulling her to her feet with her free hand. Regina, having regained her balance, took a step back and brushed a strand of hair from her eyes.
"I'm quite well, thank you. I'm just not used to being on the water, that's all."
Emma's raised brows and crossed arms communicated her disbelief as her self-proclaimed super power kicked in. Yeah right.
"We've been out to sea for almost two days and you want me to believe that you still haven't found your sea legs? Even I've managed not to fall on my ass, and I'm probably the least coordinated person here."
A brief flicker of purple flickered across Regina's usually brown eyes, catching Emma off guard, and she lurched forward, peering into the older woman's face.
"What the hell is wrong with your eyes, Regina?"
The mayor absently raised a hand to her face, her brows meeting in the middle of her forehead.
"Nothing's wrong. Other than feeling a little seasick, I'm fine."
Emma took a step closer, her voice taking a harder edge to it. She could hear Snow's footsteps approaching behind her, along with Charming's voice calling from the bow of the ship.
"Cut the crap, Regina. I just saw your eyes flash purple, and we both know that's not normal."
Regina held her hands up in an effort to prevent an argument and gave a forced smile. Snow came up behind Emma and stood by her elbow, her usually fair face reddened from exposure. She looked from Emma to Regina, taking in the mayor's defensive stance and the pained expression on her face. Snow leaned in close to her daughter, until her lips were only inches from Emma's ear.
"Emma, what's going on? Is everything alright?"
Keeping her eyes trained on the woman in front of her, Emma shook her head. Hell no.
"Something's wrong with Regina. I just saw her eyes change color for a second and she says she doesn't know what's going on."
Regina threw up her hands and rolled her eyes in frustration.
"Miss Swan, if I knew what was going on, believe me, I would tell you."
The old hiss began to creep back into Regina's voice, and Snow stepped back, instinctively glancing around for Charming. Rising tensions coupled with the relatively small confines of the Jolly Roger could easily lead to a messy confrontation. Hook never seemed to give definitive answers when asked about the journey's duration; whether he actually knew or not was up for debate. Emma turned on her heel, and brushed past her mother, ignoring her protests.
"Emma! Emma, please calm down."
The Savior's determined steps quickly became shuffling ones and she sighed, turning to face the other women. Snow was right: now wasn't the time to overreact. Emma had expected Snow's questioning stare, but what she hadn't expected was the sight of Regina clutching at the railings as she slowly sank to the deck. Emma darted forward, hands a blur in her concern. She crouched down beside the mayor as Snow rushed over, shouting for Charming.
"God, Regina, something is seriously wrong. Please, you've got to let us help you."
Regina gave a weak nod and Emma could see another flicker of purple through her dark bangs. Emma didn't know if she had imagined it, but the purple seemed darker, more intense. Charming jogged up to meet them as she and Snow each took an arm and helped Regina to her feet.
"I heard yelling, is everything ok? Regina?"
Snow shook her head in response as Emma began to lead the group toward the hatch that lead to the lower deck. Though supported between the two, Regina seemed to have trouble walking. Twice her boots caught on grooves in the deck, making her stumble against Emma's shoulders.
"Hey, don't take me down with you!"
"I'm sorry. I…I think I might need to lay down."
Charming ran ahead of them and stood beside the hatch, glancing behind him up at the ship's wheel where Mr. Gold and Hook were solemnly watching the activity. The bright light was too strong to be certain, but Charming was under the impression Gold was smirking.
Two seconds later Charming realized that Gold had been smirking when he heard Emma and Snow's shouts behind him and the sound of something heavy making contact with the deck.
Charming turned around to see his wife and daughter hovering above Regina, who was lying unconscious at their feet. In the span of a few seconds nearly all of the color had drained from her face, making her almost unrecognizable.
Emma's hand was still twisted in the heavy fabric of Regina's coat and she gave the prone woman's shoulder a rough shake in an attempt to wake her up.
"Regina. REGINA."
When another rough shake didn't garner a response Emma jumped to her feet and jabbed a finger in the direction of the helm, narrowing her eyes at Gold.
"Gold! What the hell is going on?!"
The older man didn't say a word, and instead simply leered in response and disappeared into the captain's quarters, leaving Hook to face the barrage of abuse spouting from the Savior. Hook sucked on his teeth, catching the silvery glint of a mermaid's tale through his spyglass. Neverland wasn't too far off and they would arrive in a matter of days with the wind in the sails. That being said, the remainder of the voyage would be a lot more pleasant without having to listen to conflict among the crew.
Let's hope she has a speedy recovery, he mused, listening to Emma's voice grow faint as the Charmings carried Regina below deck.
"Wait a minute. You mean to say that Regina is suffering from residual energy from the Curse's trigger?"
Though the Jolly Roger's interior was dim, Snow could still see the confusion written across her daughter's face and found herself mirroring her expression. After making sure Regina was settled in her cabin Emma had demanded answers from Gold, and it took all Charming had to keep his daughter from punching the pawnbroker in the face. Snow had managed to calm Emma enough to sit her down in an attempt to talk through the events, in hopes they might be able to come up with some answers themselves. Gold hadn't given up any information, but it was fairly evident what had happened to Regina.
"If you think about it, Emma, it makes sense. That would explain the strange purple light you saw in her eyes."
Emma shifted her position to the edge of the bunk and absently tucked a curl of hair behind her ear, blue eyes darting worriedly at the doorway. She knew that across the passageway Regina was lying in the cabin she shared with Emma, carefully propped up with pillows gathered from various on board compartments. The mayor had remained unresponsive the entire time, despite Emma's continued efforts to wake her up.
"But, why is it only affecting her? We both came into contact with the trigger, and I feel just fine."
Snow crossed her legs and picked at the wool blanket at the foot of the bed, avoiding the searching eyes she felt on her face. When she finally spoke, it was in hushed tones.
"Emma… Regina was still weak from being tortured when you two deactivated the trigger. There's no telling what kind of long-term effect an experience like that will have on her."
Her words were echoed by the sound of creaking timbers and the soft roar of distant waves, punctuated by a gull's cry. Indiscernible shouting came from somewhere overhead, and Snow broke the quiet with a muted cough.
"What am I going to do?"
Snow looked up to see tears welling in Emma's eyes and immediately reached out a hand to give her cheek a reassuring touch.
"Shhhh…I'm sure we'll figure something out."
Emma gave a weak laugh, and brushed a tear from her face before pushing herself off of the bed.
"We'll figure something out."
Entering the cabin without knocking felt foreign the first few of times, and Emma caught herself hesitating for a split second before entering the room. Deep down inside a part of her had hoped to find Regina awake and moving about the cabin, but the quiet shape resting on the bed was a harsh reality check.
"Hey…"
Emma didn't know why she bothered saying anything at all, but the illusion of normalcy was somehow comforting. She crossed the small quarters in a few steps and stopped at the foot of the bed, staring down at the woman who had become an irrevocable part of her life. It was difficult to imagine she had once considered the helpless woman before her an enemy; all of the bickering seemed pointless now. Emma sighed and walked over to the other side of the cabin to the messy collection of blankets she called her bunk, and sank into a nest of flannel tartan.
Determining the rooming conditions had been fairly straightforward; Gold had made it very clear he wasn't going to occupy the same cabin as Hook. Snow and Charming had a cabin to themselves, naturally, and given the fact that the Jolly Roger was his ship, Hook remained in his captain's quarters. That left both Emma and Regina to take the last cabin on board, a decision which neither woman had given much thought to, their main focus instead on finding their son. Regina had been a decent roommate before she fell unconscious – she went to bed early and didn't seem to mind when Emma stayed up until the small hours of the morning. Now, seeing Regina like this, Emma felt a twinge of guilt for not having tried to spend more time with her. There was so much to Regina that Emma didn't know about, and Emma hated to think that she might never get the opportunity to really get to know her.
"Emma, are you hungry?"
Charming's voice carried down the corridor from the direction of the ship's galley, rousing Emma from her reverie. She got to her feet and moved to the cabin's door, leaning out into the passageway.
"No, David. Thanks though."
Truth be told she was hungry, but the thought of leaving Regina alone was stronger than her hunger, and Emma made up her mind to keep watch over the mother of her son,stomach be damned. If there was no way to help Regina before reaching Neverland, Emma hoped that someone there might be able to explain how to cure her. The Savior was prepared to wait, and wrapped herself in a blanket to do just that.
Emma woke with a start in the middle of the night to find herself drenched in a cold sweat, gasping for breath, her thin tank clinging to her skin. In her dream she'd had the vague feeling of being suffocated, though the only other person in the room was Regina. The silvery moonlight streaming in through the porthole above her bunk assured her that Regina hadn't moved during the night; it was easy to pretend the brunette was merely sleeping. Emma kicked the heavy blankets from her lap and swung her legs over the side of the bed, her feet just barely brushing the wooden floor. She hesitated for a moment to collect her thoughts and let her breathing resume a normal rhythm. A few minutes later she sighed heavily and got to her feet, making her way over to Regina's side of the cabin. From where she was standing she couldn't see the mayor's face, which was partially hidden by her dark hair. Emma leaned over the unconscious woman and gently brushed the hair from her face.
"Hang in there, Regina."
Her voice was just barely a whisper over the soft ambiance of the ocean, said mostly as self reassurance. The Savior tucked the blankets around the brunette's prone form, careful to smooth out the fabric's biggest wrinkles. She stepped back to admire her handiwork, suddenly struck by the thought that Regina had carried out the same actions for Henry for a decade. The thought of her son held hostage in a strange land sent a pang of guilt through her heart, and she sank to the edge of Regina's bunk, overwhelmed.
"We messed up, didn't we?"
Emma turned to look at the unconscious woman, though her eyes unfocused deep in thought. She wondered what Henry was doing, and if he was safe. Greg and Tamara were so unpredictable, and there was no telling what a couple of zealots like them were capable of. Considering Regina's current state, they would do anything to reach their ends, especially when magic was concerned. Emma decided it didn't help to dwell on situations beyond her control, instead focusing on finding a cure for Regina, who was one of two people on board who had experience visiting other lands. Hook had been to Neverland several times before, but Emma hadn't had the time to sit down with the pirate and learn more about their destination. Had she had free time Emma wasn't quite sure she would've wanted to have that conversation with Hook; the unwanted advances he made while she was around the pirate made her uncomfortable and in light of recent events, a lusty pirate would send her over the edge.
Thoughts of Henry had stirred Emma's sleepy brain into a wakeful state and she begrudgingly realized she wasn't going to get anymore sleep for the night. She gently prodded Regina's shoulder just to remind herself that she wasn't actually asleep before wrapping herself in the blanket from her side of the cabin and settling in to keep watch.
When Snow came to wake her hours later she found her daughter slumped across the legs of the mayor, clutching the blanket that spanned them both.
"Gold says we should only have about a few more days until we reach Neverland, barring any bad weather."
Emma was perched at the foot of Regina's bunk, her knees drawn up to her chin. Hook had pointed out a school of mermaids that morning after breakfast and mentioned that mermaids never strayed far from shore. If the dark clouds on the horizon continued to blow over they would make landfall in about a day. When she wasn't busy grilling Gold for answers or working on the ship's maintenance Emma kept vigil over Regina, going so far as to take some of her meals in their cabin. She even found herself talking to Regina about what they would do once they got home; a Swan-Mills family movie night was already in the plans.
"You know Regina, even though I was devastated when we lost Henry, I think deep down I know we'll be able to find him."
Emma tucked her knees closer to her face and wrapped her arms around her legs, hugging them tight.
"I know, because when we're together, we're unstoppable. Back there in the mines?"
She blew out a large breath and laughed softly.
"I'm still in shock. We were able to stop the trigger because we worked together. For Henry…. And magic! I never imagined I'd be able to do magic!"
With those last words something clicked in Emma's mind and she spread her hands in front of her, glancing at Regina. I can do magic… she thought… magic.
Emma crouched on the bed, turning to face Regina. She held out her hands in her direction, closing her eyes and tried to focus on creating magic. The rumble of distant thunder echoed faintly throughout the cabin, suggesting the storm wasn't going to blow over anytime soon. Great.
What had Gold said again? That magic was feeling an emotion - thinking wouldn't help in this case.Just feel… I want you to get better … we need you… please…
A sense of warmth pricked at Emma's fingertips and she risked a peek at her hands. A faint bluish glow lit up her fingers, creating a small halo of light that just barely illuminated the cabin. Emma carefully reached out a hand toward the head of the bed, not realizing she was holding her breath. The blue light got closer and closer to the mayor until Emma's fingertips were mere inches away. Emma wasn't entirely sure what she was doing, but she figured anything was better than watching Regina just lay there, and carefully touched the fingers of one hand to Regina's arm.
When the mayor failed to wake up, Emma suddenly realized she had stopped breathing and let out the breath she'd been holding. Maybe in order for the magic to work it needs to be skin to skin contact. Last time Emma touched Regina through her jacket and had no trouble making magic, but maybe this was different. Regina had been awake the first time, anyway. The Jolly Roger gave a gentle rock sideways, almost throwing the blond off balance, but she was able to catch herself in time by bracing herself against the bulkhead. Emma inched closer toward the head of the bunk until her knees were resting at the small of Regina's back, allowing her to reach out and touch the older woman's cheek. Emma had expected a flash of warmth or light to happen when she touched Regina's face, but again, nothing happened. If anything the warmth in her fingers spiked for a moment before fading. Emma traced a finger along Regina's jawbone experimentally before rolling off the bed, giving up. Even though she wasn't able to wake the mayor up Emma knew now that her untrained magical ability wasn't going to come in handy anytime soon.
Well, there goes that theory.
Another rumble of thunder, closer this time, reminded Emma of the approaching storm and she moved to look out of the porthole. The usually emerald sea had taken on a bilious hue and a mass of dark clouds crowded the sky, matched in color by the roiling water beneath them. A flash of lightning stung Emma's eyes and she shied away from the porthole, anticipating the answering clap of thunder. Seconds later her ears were met with the familiar sound; the storm was very close. Again the ship rocked as it rose over a wave and fell into the resulting trough, causing Emma to knock heavily into the edge of her bed.That would definitely bruise later.
"Ouch, shit!"
Snow's shrill voice rang out down the passageway and grew progressively louder until the woman herself appeared in the doorway, cheeks flushed.
"Emma! We're in for a horrible night and there's nothing to do but ride it out! Hook is telling everyone to fasten themselves to something sturdy. David and I are tying ourselves to our bunk. We have room for you, but you need to come now!"
Another huge wave rocked the Jolly Roger and both mother and daughter staggered to keep from falling to the floor. In her bunk Regina rolled with the ship's movements and Emma dashed over once she regained her balance as a flash of lightning lit up the cabin.
"I can't leave Regina by herself!"
Snow reached a hand out for her daughter but was blinded by the light, and turned away, shielding her eyes. From across the hall Charming's voice was lost amid the thunder.
"Emma! Emma, please promise me you'll tie yourself down! Promise me!"
Emma braced herself against Regina's bunk in an effort to keep the mayor from rolling onto the floor. She didn't like the way Regina's head lolled freely in time with the waves, and she placed a hand to her forehead to steady the movement.
"I promise! I'll be ok."
She flashed a lopsided grin to pacify her mother, hoping that she appeared more confident than she felt. I have no idea what the hell I'm doing.
Snow hesitated in the doorway, torn between conflicting self preservation and maternal instincts. She had lost her daughter once before, and would be damned if she lost her only child during a storm, on a ship, in the middle of nowhere.
"Just… be safe!"
She disappeared back down the passageway as quickly as she had arrived, leaving Emma alone with Regina. Snow had suggested she tie herself down, but Emma had no idea where she would get rope at a time like this. The last place she saw a coil of rope was on deck, but it wasn't like she would be able to venture onto the upper levels in this storm. Another flash of lightning lit up the cabin, and Emma glanced wildly around the small compartment for anything that she could use to secure them both. A small trunk in the corner served as a makeshift wardrobe; the only thing it held were clothes Hook had given to Emma for her to wear. So far she had successfully managed to avoid wearing his hand-me-downs; though in the back of her mind she knew her clothes only so many more days left in them.
A particularly aggressive wave suddenly pitched the Jolly Roger from fore to aft, throwing Emma headfirst into the side of the cabin, where she just barely caught Regina's lip with an elbow. Emma clutched at her throbbing forehead and let herself slump to the floor, pain clouding her vision.
"Son of a bitch!"
Through half-closed eyes she caught sight of a dusty spare bit of rope beneath Regina's bunk. She couldn't believe her luck, but didn't stop to question it. Emma slid under the mattress, snatching the coil before it could move away with the next wave.
"Gotcha!"
Shimmying out from under the bunk was awkward but Emma managed to push herself to all fours and started to get to her feet. Without a hand to steady her, Regina threatened to tumble off the bed as the ship continued to move erratically, and Emma watched as one of the mayor's arms slid over the side, dangling toward the floor.
"Shit, shit, shit! Regina!"
Emma scrambled to her feet, ignoring the pounding between her eyes and pushed Regina's shoulder back onto the bed, using her hip to prevent the unconscious woman from moving further. She quickly uncoiled the rope and looped it twice around her waist, securing it with a knot. That left about five feet of workable rope for her to tie to the bunk, and Emma passed the rest of the rope around one of the bedposts, wrapping it tight until only a few feet of slack was left. Emma slipped an arm underneath Regina's shoulders and lifted the older woman into a sitting position before climbing onto the bed behind her. She hooked her arms around Regina's shoulders and pulled the brunette into her lap until her head just rested against the hollow of Emma's neck. Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's waist and crossed her legs to prevent the mayor's lower body from slipping off the bunk.
A blinding flash of white light tore through the cabin and the whole ship shook as a bolt of lightning struck the ship's main staff. The sounds of splintering wood and ripping sails were quickly lost in a rumble of thunder and Emma jerked her head down in reflex. Regina's locks tickled her nose and Emma opened her eyes to see a mass of dark hair moving straight at her. Seconds later a stream of bright blood gushed from Emma's nose and dribbled down the front of her only shirt. It managed to leak onto Regina's cheek before Emma was able to pinch her nostrils shut by shoving her head into the crook of Regina's neck.
This is definitely one of the weirdest things I've ever done, she thought, watching lightning cast strange shadows on the portion of floor in her line of sight. The thunder wasn't as loud, which meant the storm was finally starting to dissipate. Her eyes traveled down to Regina's neck and she noticed that, unlike Henry, she didn't have a pulse. Henry's time in the hospital had been the worst experiences Emma had been though, but she had managed to break the curse. A kiss had brought him back to them in the hospital, and Emma suddenly wondered if all of her attempts to wake the mayor had failed because she didn't kiss her.
Didn't someone say that kisses could break curses or something? Then again, the thought of kissing Regina awake had never occurred to her, until now. Emma gingerly released her nose to see that it had started to stop bleeding and wiped her hand on her jeans. She leaned in closer to the mayor and gave her cheek a peck, fully expecting her to wake up.
Aside from a smear of blood on her cheek, Regina remained unchanged…. and unconscious.
"You've got to be kidding me right now."
The fact that nothing had happened could mean two things: either a kiss wasn't going to cut it, or that the kiss was simply in the wrong place. Emma closed her eyes and sighed. I'm about to kiss Regina in the middle of a storm out in the middle of some ocean. I don't need this right now. After a moment or two she opened her eyes and leaned in for a second time, slowly bringing her lips close to Regina's face. She hesitated at the last minute, trying to figure out at what angle this could work and hooked a finger around Regina's chin, until the mayor's face was tilted up at her. Emma's eyes swept the comatose face for a second before she went for it, meeting Regina's lips with her own. Regina's eyelids immediately fluttered open and she gasped for breath, staring up at the face above her.
"Emma?!"
Regina sprang away as if electrified, bumping Emma's nose in her haste and causing it to bleed again. Emma fell back against the pillow with a groan, clutching at her nose in an attempt to stop the flow. Regina was already on her feet, her dark brown eyes wide in surprise when she realized the stickiness on her cheek was blood.
"Am I… am I bleeding?"
Emma shook her head, and hooked a thumb at herself. She didn't bother trying to get up with the rope still around her waist, content instead to rest on the bunk for a little longer to nurse her nosebleed.
"Gno. I amb. Yore hed hid me ond tha noze."
Regina stared at the scene before her, trying to process what was going on; Emma was lying in her bunk, rope around her waist, practically bleeding all over the sheets. The last thing she could clearly remember was being on deck; how did she end up in this situation? With Emma's arms around her? Regina frowned and stepped forward, waving her hands as if to make the image go away.
"Sit up. It'll help stop the bleeding."
Her voice was gentle without its usual bite, which surprised Emma. She had expected Regina to demand why she had woken up in the arms of the Savior, not to give medical advice. Emma propped herself up on an elbow and gave the mayor with a sidelong glance.
"Thangs. Sorry aboud the blud. Do you thing you coud undye me?"
Speaking with a pinched nose made Emma sound ridiculous, and Regina couldn't help but let a smile tug at the corner of her lips. Regina hadn't always seen it, but in that moment she looked so much like Henry, with her ruffled hair and lopsided grin that Regina felt compelled to do as she was asked.
Regina began to work on the knots, glancing down at Emma from time to time, noting the way she stared at the opposite wall, as if embarrassed.
"So, care to tell me how I ended up in your lap?"
The casual conversational tone of her voice made Emma slightly uncomfortable and she chided herself for feeling embarrassed. All I did was find a way to wake Regina up, that's it. If that's it, why do I feel guilty? The rope slackened enough to let Emma sit up and she tried to laugh around her pinched nose, with little success. She carefully removed her hands from her face, satisfied to see her nose had stopped bleeding for a second time. She shrugged hurriedly, brushing her hair away from her face.
"The ship was caught in a really bad storm, and I didn't want you to get hurt. You were out of it, and would have fallen out of your bunk."
Emma untied the rope from her waist and rubbed at where she could feel the beginnings of a bruise.Awesome. Great. Regina stood off to the side of the bunk, not knowing exactly what she should do or say. It wasn't like the mayor to be at a loss of words, but then again she'd never been in a situation quite like this before. Hook's voice boomed overhead, breaking the tension in the room, followed by Gold's softer response. Emma suddenly wondered how her parents had fared during the storm, and realizing her out, she got to her feet.
"So, I'm gonna… go check on Mary Margaret and David."
She paused, staring awkwardly at the floor.
"Yeah. Anyway, I'm glad you're better."
She took a few steps toward the door but stopped, turning slowly toward Regina. Emma met Regina's eyes, relieved to see they were back to their normal color. She held out a tentative hand, managing a sheepish grin.
"Welcome back."