Notes and disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or settings from OUAT. This is my first fanfiction I've written and put up somewhere but I hope you like it! Feel free to leave reviews and comments i'm hoping this story will go on for a while.

The darkness swirled around Regina making a hellish noise, the black tendrils hungry for a victim, someone to pay the price. Emma watched on in horror, taking a step forward but pausing... she was the Savior, and Regina in no way deserved this. It was funny really how far they had come since the first time Emma had stepped foot into Storybrooke, rather how far Regina had come.

'I don't deserve to be happy when I haven't even worked for it.' Emma thought, her eyes jumping to everyone around for only a second, time was not on her side and she didn't have time to think it over. Didn't have time to delve into her past and think about what a crappy hand life had dealt her. She looked to Hook, who had recently become a part of her life, one she was grateful for but knew once again, she hadn't earned it.

And then without even letting it register what would happen to her, she did something, perhaps arguably the most heroic thing she had done since falling face first into the odd fate-entwined town. Stepping closer to Regina despite her cries for the blonde to stop Emma thrust the dagger forward, feeling the black swirling vortex grip at her and she felt the dark pull of the dagger itself, it's weight becoming heavier with every small moment that passed. She imagined this is what you must feel moments before you pass from this world, the feeling was intense yet oddly calming. She saw Regina, free from the darkness and knew that some way, somehow it would be alright.

The familiar faces vanished, a dense cold blackness was all that overtook and surrounded her, like walking alone at night on a chilly winter eve... And unknown to the ever faithful blonde Savior, she was about to get that chance to truly deserve happiness.

The transition from darkness to a blinding light was almost instantaneous, causing the panic and pain from her actions to finally hit Emma like a truck barreling into her. The weight of her sacrifice finally processing although she had little time to think about that. After many moments she finally willed her eyes to open and adjust to her surroundings.

Everything was so wrong.

'Am I dead? Did I... Did I die for Regina?' Emma thought her eyes studying the tiles on the dark ceiling...tiles...

'I don't think there's tiles in the afterlife, at least I hope not.' She finally brought herself to look at the source of where the light was coming from, a computer in the corner of the room was the only thing lighting the small, stale smelling room. Suddenly she was ripped from her thoughts as an alarm sounded next to her, more than startling her into an even more panicky state. Her eyes jolted quickly to the source, a heart monitor next to her bedside. She was in a hospital? None of this was adding up to what she last remembered happening, maybe she was dead after all? She couldn't stop the grim thoughts sneaking up on her. 'Maybe they somehow saved me and I've been in the hospital?' She quickly thought trying to will the former thought from her mind immediately. She had so many questions and the alarm was beginning to give her a migraine.

She heard talking and the rustling of footsteps behind the door to her room, to which they finally entered bringing an end to the alarm but also more light into the room than she would've liked. Emma squinted bringing a hand up to her face to try and provide a shield for her eyes, her arm covered in IVs.

When she could finally make out the figure, she realized to her dismay she did not know this person at all.

The man before her was checking the clipboard at the end of her bed quizzically. "Well Ms. Emma Swan, welcome back to the world." He said with a half smile she knew he had probably put on every day for every patient.

"Who are you? Where am I?" The savior shot the questions out at him quickly despite her voice raw and hoarse, her eyes still burning both with passion as well as from the overhead lights.

"I know you probably have a lot of questions, but you are currently at Light Beacon General Hospital in New York... and I'm a doctor here, you've been in a coma for two years young lady." He spoke to answer her questions but they only brought more. Emma felt her mouth dry and agape slightly.

"Where's my family, Henry... David, Mary Margret?!" She studied him closely, knowing he wasn't lying in the slightest as long as her super power was still intact, and that brought more emotion to wash over her.

He raised an eyebrow, "I, um... well it says you don't have any contactable family members here and," He paused before saying the second part, knowing it brought a lot of pain to hear it. "no ones come to visit."

"Wait a minute... that can't be true..." Emma felt tears begin to collect in her eyes, there was no way this was real. Something had to be up, something had to have happened after the darkness dragged her under. She would be damned if she had sacrificed herself only to find everyone she cared about was simply gone. She gripped the side of the bed so tightly she felt her knuckles turning white, what happened to them? Could Storybrooke have fallen apart after she...?

"I have a family. I need to get back to them." She struggled trying to sit up while the doctor assured she could do that after she adjusted to freshly coming out of a coma.

"You might just be confused about your past, try not to do anything until we know one hundred percent you are alright." He tried to convince her. Confused about your past... and the thought crept up on her, only for a second, and it scared her more than anything or any adversary ever had; what if Storybrooke, and everyone in it, had been a dream or a hallucination while she was in this coma. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes grew wide, she felt her heart about to beat her right into another medical condition as the heart monitor went crazy.

Emma felt as if she was about to faint until she heard a voice, a very familiar voice speaking seemingly lightheartedly outside to the receptionist.

"Regina!"

The brunette jumped a little at the intense voice, but came straight over curiously. She first took in the sight of the doctor who looked slightly uncomfortable staring at this particular patient, and she knew he was pretty close to calling for backup. But then her eyes fell upon the blonde haired woman who looked frazzled but somehow relieved, with a stare that felt like she was looking into the very depths of Regina's soul. Though what was a bit more curious was the fact that she had called out her name, nevermind the fact that she was having a really hard time breaking that eye contact.

About to speak Regina paused for only a second as if she was re-thinking what she was about to say, glancing at the paperwork. "Ms. Swan, it seems you were in a coma for quite some time, and I don't believe we've met- although please correct me if i'm wrong?" Regina spoke motioning for Emma's doctor, who was still in the room, to check her vitals.

Emma heard Regina's voice, most definitely the Regina she knew. Saw her face and the way she carried herself, all Regina... though this Regina was apparently a doctor? 'We haven't met...?' was the only thing repeating in Emma's mind for what seemed like an unusually long amount of time and she realized she probably should've answered Regina's question quite a while ago. But being stunned about all of this was an understatement. "We met in Storybrooke remember? You were the E-" Emma began though suddenly another realization hit her, what if this was another "author" incident and she was in another realm where everyone would most certainly think her crazy, perhaps even lock her up again. If this Regina truly didn't remember her maybe something was up. On the other hand even if Regina was bluffing right now to hide something even greater she knew she shouldn't press it either way, Regina always had her reasons and she was very intelligent. What scared Emma the most was the fact that her lie detector wasn't picking up a trace of any inconsistencies with the ex-evil queens sentence and that was enough to worry her into shutting her mouth. "You know what nevermind maybe I do need some rest." Emma stated although as she slipped back down into the bed she was well aware of the deer in headlights look that was plastered all over her face, even so she couldn't take her eyes off Regina who was giving her a very confused and concerned look, and Emma felt as if when she looked away the dark haired woman would simply cease to be.

Notes: Also I apologize as I don't really know what happens after someone wakes up from a coma I kind of just BSed it, Chapter two will hopefully come within the next few days!