Author's note: I would advise to have a tissue ready as this is not a happy story. Emotional scenes will come.
It is not my time to go
"Regina, Regina," her mother's voice sounded in the distance somwhere. It was muffled and she couldn't get through to her. She was surrounded by darkness, smoke, dark threes, she was scared, she didn't belong in this world. Where was she?
"Mommy," she cried out, adding, "Help me, please."
"Your mother cannot help you now," she heard a dark voice that made a shiver run down her spine. The young woman was not afraid very often, but now was one of those times. She turned to look at the grim reaper, if he was here then she was supposed to...
"Mommy!" she was screaming in terror, loud, like an animal that was trapped. Why couldn't she hear her, the reaper was coming nearer, she sank to her knees whispering, "No it is not my time to go, please."
"Regina, sweetheart, please come back to me," her mother was crying now, Regina could feel her shaking her body, she could feel her tears dripping onto her face. She could feel how scared she was of losing her.
The reaper looked at her seeing the young girl, her tears, he didn't usually show mercy, but this time it was different and he said, "I will come back for you."
As Regina opened her eyes, her tears started to fall, she was sobbing harder than she had ever had before. Cora took her in her arms and sobbed just as hard. She feared that this time she would lose her young one forever. That this time she would not pull through. That her young one would not make queen.
"Mommy," Regina whimpered still scared from her vision of the reaper.
"Shhh, I got you," she said, holding her close, stroking her to soothe her.
"He came for me," she managed to get out.
"Who?" asked her mother rather confused.
"The reaper, he came for me, I was scared," she said, her voice trembled.
"I was too, I feared he would take you," Cora whispered, holding her closer.
"Where is daddy?" asked the young girl.
"In the chapel praying for your recovery," said Cora, he had been there all night as the doctor had told her she might make it through the night. Cora however could not leave her. She couldn't even let her slip from her grip, afraid she would lose her if she did.
"I feel tired," she whispered, making her let go, so she could close her eyes and rest.
Henry came in moments later saying, "Any change, my dear?"
"She woke up, she will be fine, Henry," Cora broke into tears again, this time of relief. She got up, walked over to her and hugged him hard. His lips pressing against hers, for the first time in a long time she felt something. Spite the fact that her heart was no longer in her body. She smiled smiled leaning against him. Her rock. Together they watched over their young one.
Regina was looking at herself lying on the floor in her purple gown, one of her finest. She was bleeding heavily from a wound in her side. It stung, more blood was dripping onto the cold stone floor, the wound was deep. She was groaning in pain, feeling how it was pulzating through her body.
"I know you are here," the young Queen spoke, she didn't need to turn to know the grim reaper was once again there.
"We met again, Queen Regina," his dark voice sounded.
She was not scared like when she was young. She was bolder now, stronger. She was no longer a child, but an independent woman. She had gone through so much to go out like this.
"So it would seem," her tone bored like always.
"Do you want me to ease your pain and take you away?" he asked her.
"No, it is not my time yet," she said in a firm tone.
"How many times are you going to say that?" he seemed as bored as she.
"For how many it takes for you to leave me along," she said with a sigh, going back to her body, only to wake up. She groaned as she screamed out for someone to aid her, no she was not going out like this.
Regina was screaming out in pain, fighting for her life, feeling how the electro shock went through her brain and body over and over. She would not give in. Screams escaped her lips as she figured this was the worst pain she had been through in ages.
"Only you can make it stop," the voice of the grim reaper.
"No, no, I don't want to die like this, I have a family, a son," her voice was ever so weak. She shivered lightly now, from pain, from suffering.
"A son that doesn't seem to care about you and a daughter that hates you," he said with an evil laugh. His hand on top of hers now, she was panting.
"They do," tears in her eyes now. She was scared, tired, afraid to give in.
"You know they don't or they would be looking for you right now. Do you remember the first time we met?" he asked the middle-aged woman.
"How can I forget?" she said with a sigh. She had been sixteen and thrown of her horse. As a result she had gotten an ugly wound that had gotten infected. It had gotten really bad and she was sure that that time she would die. He had shown her mercy then and later on. Why she would never know.
"You know I should taken you with me right," he said as she screamed out in pain all over again.
"I know, but I am not ready, Henry," tears stung in her eyes as she pictured her son.
"You are coming with me," he said, she could feel him dragging her into the darkness and she was fighting so hard. Tossing turning until she heard Snow's voice. She was saved, at least for now she knew.
Resting at her place later on she saw images of herself as a young girl riding, the grim reaper chasing after her, ready to take her away. She woke up panting heavily, sweating with fear, hearing the quietness around her. Everyone was sleeping it would seem. She got up of bed and walked over to the kitchen, opening the fridge when she heard someone come down the stairs.
Regina turned to look at Emma, wearing a sleeping top and underwear only. The brunette sighed grabbing a bottle of juice. She found a glass and started pouring it, then put the bottle back, walking over to the bed. She sat down, trying to gather her thoughts it was no use. They had the switch, and she didn't know how to stop it. She took a sip of her glas when Emma did something unexpected. She came over and gave her a hug, saying "We are in this together, like it or not we are a family."
She let go, walking over to the fridge and drank some milk of a cartoon before walking back up. For the first time in a long time Regina felt that she wasn't alone.
"You again," Regina groaned at the grim reaper. She moaned in her sleep.
She knew Emma could hear her now. She was sleeping next to her as always. The brunette could hear her soft voice whispered, "Regina, are you okay."
The brunette wanted to answer her, but her eyes wouldn't open and so she panicked and hard. She tried reaching for Emma, but her body seemed paralyzed. Inside her head she was screaming, trapped, for the first time in ages, scared.
"Regina," Emma was shaking her lightly now. Her Emma, her savior, her wife. She could hear the worry growing in her voice as she said her name over and over again. She could hear herself murmor and whimper. Crying quietly. She could feel tears coming from her eyes even if she couldn't open them.
"I'm here, Regina," Emma whispered, holding her hand now, stroking her cheek. She knew she was struggling. She knew she couldn't get out from where she was, she felt trapped in a nightmare. Her mother was there, hurting her, she was crying, trying to escape.
"Emma," her voice suddenly sounded outside her head, she needed her, she needed her to be where she was, to see what she saw. She was shivering in terror, people were hunting her down, trying to kill her and she couldn't escape, couldn't move.
The former sheriff now mayor called for Henry telling him to get a could cloth to put on Regina's forehead, she was not well, burning up she heard. She was hurting too, everywhere, and she wanted to be held, soothed, for the monters to be gone. As she whimpered in terror she heard her mother whispering, "Whimpering is for babies, you are a big girl now."
"Emma, please," she moaned, feeling the wet cloth on her forhead, her soothing words. It helped.
"Shhhh I am right here, you will be fine," said Emma in a soft tone. She was not letting her go the brunette knew, not after all they had been through over the years. She could feel her rest her head against her chest, whispering calming words.
"She's fighter," the grim reaper said, and she turned around facing him, with all the courage she could muster. He looked as he was floathing a few inches off the ground, his dark cape covering the most of him, still under his cape she could see traces of a face, where his eyes should have been there were two holes shinking like graceres, his nose hardly visible, and his teet clarly showing beneath a jawline, almost like a skeleton, formed in a grusome grin that terrfied her.
"Of course, she is the savior," said Regina, trying to seem indifferent.
"Savior, still she could not save you, and the reason as to why I am here," he said, his dark laugh filling her head. She could feel her hand grasping Emma's holding on tight.
"What's wrong with her," she heard Henry's voice, he was worried also.
"I honestly don't know," said Emma with a heavy sigh.
"Minding me why the fuck am I here with you again," she was annoyed now, more than scared.
Regina on her hands and knees look up at the figure trying to think, should she know why she was almost dying. No that couldn't be. She tried to think, why was she getting weaker, what could cause these symptoms, illness, poison magical or otherwise. "Someone poisoned me," she said, it had to be that.
"You are correct, Regina," he said with a vicious laugh, his eyes shining stronger now. His hand grasping hard around her wrist, dragging her towards the darkness, his world. She didn't know why but that scared her to her very core. She didn't want to go there, she knew that if she did she would suffer torture or even worse. She was fighting against it and hard.
"Why are you fighting this, you will soon be with your mother and father," he said, his face so grim, his smile pure evil. She was called the evil queen for a reason and she had at times thought her smile that, but this... She screamed and hard, she could hear the scream ring in her head and knew it sounded in the room she was lying.
"Emma, why won't she wake up, why is she hurting," Henry's voice, as he added, "Her face is turning white, do something...anything."
"Regina, I know you can hear me," Emma whispered. She knew her wife to be inches from death most likely. She knew she was scared and alone whever she was. She needed her to hear her, fight her way back.
"Listen to me, my voice, I need you to come back to me, it is not your time to go yet," Emma whispered, kissing her cheek, her lips. Regina felt it her lips against her skin, the warmth in them the love. She heard her voice. And her sobs were coming harder and faster as she screamed out, "Leave me alone, leave us alone, please."
"Regina, come back to me, to Henry, please," Emma was crying too now.
"It is not my time to go," whimpering like a wounded animal.
"This is the last time I will let you go and it is not for you, it is for her, next time you have no more chances," he said with a sigh, letting go of her wrist and vanishing into the darkness. She knew that this time she had escaped his claw with an inch only.
Emma watched as Regina's eyes shut wide open and she gasped for air. Her color slowly returning to her face. Tears still on her cheeks now, she was sobbing without control. Emma pulled her close, holding her.
"He...he almost had me this time," she whispered.
"Shhhh I got you now," Emma stroked her, Henry holding her on the other side.
"Who," he asked confused.
"The grim reaper," Regina answered, hiding her face in Emma's shoulder, still in tears. She was out of the darkness for now, safe, love protected. In the corner of her eye she saw him in the hallway of the rom waving his scythe. Next time he would have her and she would have to go freely she knew, she however hoped it would be a long time to that happened. For now she was safe in Emma's arms.
"Emma," Regina was stirring in her sleep, grasping for her wife, Mayor Swan Mills. She was sleeping next to her as always. Then again it was late night. Regina grasped after her to wake her up. Emma groaned slowly opening her eyes, looking at her before asking, "Beautiful, are you okay?"
"No, it is my time to go, he is waiting," she whispered, looking over at the grim reaper in the doorway, this time she would not fight him. She was too old to do so.
"You mean you are...dying?" Emma asked her, her eyes widened.
"I am yes," the older woman said with a heavy sighs.
"Then I am going with you, it would be our last journey together," Said Emma with a heavy sigh, pulling her into her arms, kissing her lips.
"What about Henry, Roland and their families?" Regina asked. She was acting like a mother for both boys, had been for years and so was Emma. By now Henry had married and gotten a family of his own. Roland on the other hand had two dogs he called his family. Emma hadn't liked Roland or Regina with Robin at first, but as she got together she got used to the idea.
"They are all grown up, they will be fine," Emma assured her.
"You don't need to do this, after all it is not your time to go," Regina whispered weakly.
"I go when you go simple as that," Emma said in her regular stubborn tone.
"That was not the deal," the grim reaper was angry now, appearing fully making Emma gasp.
"I do think you should be happy to get two souls over one,"Emma said, feeling how Regina was slipping.
"Yes but your should was never intended for me, you are good and she is evil, I cannot take yours only hers," He spoke, his voice cold as ice. A shiver ran down Emma's spine in fear.
"Both or no one I am not sending her with you alone," Emma snarled.
"Emma...don't," Regina's voice was weak.
"Please don't take away the best thing that has happened to me, she is my everything," tears stung in Emma's blue eyes now.
"Five times I have come for her and now her soul is mine," he came closer, Emma was shivering I fear, holding Regina, leaning to kiss her, the brunette returned her with all she could muster, feeling Emma's power go through her making her stronger.
"I don't want to leave you, sheriff Swan," Regina whispered, looking over at the reaper.
He sighed saying, "Fine you win, Regina, I won't be coming for you again, seems like your soul is not meant for me after all."
Emma frowned was he having a heart, not he couldn't still he left. Regina crying into her whispering, "I love you, I love you, I love you."
"Shhh easy, we are not going anywhere at least not for now," Emma whispered kissing her, holding her closer than ever that nights. She would never let her go not even in death she knew. As for Regina she was grateful that the grim reaper finally let her go, she might not have many years left, but those she would not spend looking over her shoulder in fear. She would spend them happily with the person she loved the most. Her savior.
Thank you so much for reading this story I would love to hear your point of view :o)