Chapter 3
The repetitive pounding that had been echoing through the mansion was slow to to make its way into Emma's consciousness. Annoyed and groggy, she slowly sat up. The incessant knocking on the bedroom door finally cutting into her awareness.
"Emma! Get up!" Regina's exasperated voice came from the other side. Emma heard some mumbling then the banging again.
"I'm up! I'm up..." she sighed, flinging the covers off haphazardly and walking clumsily to the door.
Regina stood rigid with her arms held tightly across her chest, holding closed a particularly sheer, black robe. Emma's eyes had wondered down Regina's body and fixated on the tan, smooth legs.
"whats up?" Emma asked, still looking at Regina's legs, not noticing the phone in the brunettes hand, or the worried expression on her face.
"We have to go." Regina clipped.
"What? Where? WHY?" Emma whined, still looking at Regina's legs.
Finally realizing what she was doing, green eyes snapped up to catch worried brown ones.
"what?" Emma said again, this time more concerned.
"Zelena called, She is with Henry and doctor Whale at the hospital. Henry has a high fever... a very high fever." Regina's voice was wavering. Her palms had become so clammy it was difficult to hold her cell phone.
Emma put a hand on Regina's shoulder, which caused more shaking that Emma didn't notice.
"OK.. it's OK... go get changed and I'll meet you down stairs in 5 minutes." Emma's voice was steady and reassuring. With a gentle squeeze of Regina's shoulder, she spun around and closed the door before Regina could react. Slowly, the brunette also turned to bed room, giving herself a silent pep talk.
"was she looking at my legs?" Regina asked to no one. She shrugged and ripped her robe off as she began searching for something to wear. Not caring what, or even bothering with makeup.
Regina raced down the curved stairs, almost crashing into Emma at the bottom.
"what took you so long?" Emma asked kind of annoyed.
Regina rolled her eyes, "I didn't sleep in MY clothes. Can we go?"
Regina snapped back. Emma just opened the door and gestured with her hand in mock gentlemanly stature. Regina walked past her and down the walkway. When she reached the car, she realized Emma was not behind her. Emma was still at the threshold. Watching.
"what is this, Miss Swan?" Regina yelled.
Emma smirked as she simply closed the door behind her and approached the woman waiting at the car.
"sorry," Emma smiled. "I've just never seen you in skinny jeans before..." Regina looked down at herself.
"They really suit you..." Emma pressed her lips together as she opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat in one fluid motion.
"Oh, shut up." Regina mumbled as she made her way to the driver side and got in. turning the key in an overly exaggerated motion, she flung the gear shift into drive and pressed the gas a little harder than intended. The little black Mercedes left two black tire lines as it spun into the street and made its way to town.
"whoa, easy Regina!" Emma tried to calm her with a hand on her shoulder again. Regina's tension eased and the car slowed to a reasonable speed.
"sorry. I am just.." Regina stared blankly in front of her. "worried."
"i know, but we wont be any good to Henry this way. Try to be calm... Madam Mayor."
Regina looked at Emma through the corner of her eye.
"Madam Mayor?" Emma smirked at the confusion on Regina's face
"well, you haven't called me Miss Swan in a long time."
the full smile on Regina's face told Emma her mind was calming.
"oh," Regina laughed. "Sorry... Emma."
both women sat in silence for the rest of the short car ride.
Arriving at the hospital, Emma was surprised to see her fathers sheriffs car in the parking lot.
"whys my dad here?" Emma wondered out lout to no one in particular.
"maybe he's got a case or something." Regina offered.
The women walked in silence, and much to closely to each other. Emma noted at this moment that Regina had trouble walking in a straight line and smiled to herself.
The fishwife nurse greeted them at the door and walked them to Henry's room, where a few people had already gathered to sit with Henry who was sleeping. Emma saw Dr. Whale writing on Henry's chart in the corner, and her parents were sitting in two chairs to the left of Henry's bed. Zelena was standing beside Whale, cooing to a giggling baby Robin, probably giving whale some background on what happened to Henry.
"Henry..." Regina breathed, sitting on his bed and taking his hand in hers. His smaller hand was hot and sweaty.
"what happened?" Emma asked to no on in particular.
"I honestly don't know," Zelena responded quickly, "He was like this when I went in to wake him this morning."
Sitting beside Regina, Emma placed her hand flat against the other woman's back. An action that, unbeknownst to Emma caused a slight fever to rise in Regina as well.
"we're doing tests." what offered. "we'll let you know when we know anything." the tall doctor closed his chart folder and made a beeline for the door. Everyone knew he didn't' like to be in the same room as Regina for long. He was among a select few having trouble with her new found heroism.
"I came as soon as I heard." a deep British voice said from the door way behind Emma. She squashed the bubble of panic and nausea that the voice stirred inside her gut.
"Hi Killean." Emma deadpanned, without turning around. "Who called him?" Emma asked the room.
"I did." Zelena said, "I thought he would want to know." Emma's eyes softened. Zelena was trying.
"is he going to be alright?" Killean asked, stepping up to stand beside Emma where she sat behind Regina, who for her part was motionless. A coarse hand found its way to Emma's shoulder, which she shrugged off.
"Of course he is." Emma snapped and jumped up, moving to stand near Henry's head, in front of Regina. Regina's eyes were dark and menacing. Her jaw clenched and her nostrils flared. Emma gave her a half smile to signal that she was OK which seemed to calm the storm brewing inside Regina. Placing a hand on Henry's head, Emma slowly caressed his face till she was cupping his cheek. His eyes flitted open and met hers.
"hi." his voice was rasped and cracked.
"Hi kid!" Emma whispered through a smile. "How you doin?"
Henry leaned into her hand and closed his eyes again.
"My head hurts."
His face began to pale and the bright rose of his cheeks faded. His lips went pure white and Emma instictually grabbed the gray bucket on his bedside table. Regina grabbed it from her and held it up to Henry as Emma lifted him off the bed. His smaller body heaved a few times before he calmed and Emma helped him back down onto his pillow. His face slowly returning to a red sheen. Beads of sweat had formed on his forehead, which Regina leaned forward to sooth away.
"Mom?" Henry asked weakly, his eyes still closed.
"YES?" Regina and Emma asked in unison. Looking at each other, they smiled sadly.
"I'm tired."
"Go to sleep, Henry. We will both be here when you wake up." Regina squeezed his hand before letting go and standing up. Together, her and Emma pulled his sheet up and tucked him in.
"well, that was something to see." Killean said from the foot of the bed.
"why are you here?" Emma asked trying to sound less annoyed at his presence than she was.
"I came for the lad!" she smiled and stood with his chest high as if he'd just won a championship jousting competition.
"Is something wrong?" Zelena asked nervously from her corner. The baby cooed made a a gurgling sound.
Regina sat back down beside Henry as Emma walked past her. She walked up so close to Killean she could smell the alcohol on his breath.
"Yes, Zelena, something is wrong. But it won't be fore long."
Zelena watched nervously but amused. Witty quips making their way into her mind, but not her mouth, as her better judgment was driving her.
From the other corner, David cleared his throat and stood up.
"Emma, whats going on?" he tried to sound authoritative, but as per usual he just sounded nosy.
"David. Sit down." his fair skinned wife pulled on his sleeve till he plopped down again.
"Killean is leaving." Emma stated more to Killean than anyone else.
"why?!" the Pirate's jaw twitched in defiance and he lifted his head higher.
" because I said so."
Emma's voice was menacing and Killean leaned back. Looking around the room, he nervously spun on his heels and left in a huff. Turning around just passed the door way he fixed Emma with a gaze that made her want to punch him.
"cocky bastard." she whispered to no one as she turned to sit behind Regina again on the bed with Henry.
"Emma?" Snow asked meekly from her chair in the corner.
"Yes?" Emma calmly answered
"Henry will be fine." Her words so simple but so comforting. And though no one could see, Regina grinned.
"WHELP." Zelena blasted. Bringing all eyes to her. "I'll be off. Let me know if any of you needs anything." her smile genuine and kind.
"Thank you." Regina nodded her appreciation to her sister. "we will keep you posted."
Zelena walked passed the foot of Henry's bed, stopping for a moment to mumble a wish of luck to her nephew whom she was quickly becoming fond of.
"Bye Zelena." Emma said gently as the once wicked woman left.
"Ta-ta!" she threw over her shoulder.
Regina and Emma's eyes returned to Henry, now sleeping soundly. The sweaty sheen covering his face gave him an almost angelic glow.
"its probably just a really bad flu." Regina offered to the room.
"I'm sure of it." Snow replied. "We're going to go get some breakfast. Would you two want anything from Granny's?"
"No, thanks." Regina replied blankly. Emma smirked and looked at her mother.
"Yes. Please. Just a little something. It doesn't matter what." Emma nodded her thanks.
The charming couple left the room quietly leaving the two woman alone with their son. Once the room was empty and they were alone, Regina spun around on the bed to face Emma.
"OK. What in the hell happened with you two yesterday?!"
Emma, slightly flustered, opened and closed her mouth a few times before responding.
"What? I told you already."
"No, you didn't. Not exactly." Regina looked troubled. Her eyebrows knit together. "Please."
Regina almost begged. "Tell me.
Emma's face fell. Her eyes closed as she took a deep breath. "OK."
Emma spent the next 10 minutes recounting how She had found Killean drunk, staring a picture of Mila. When he'd denied it she got mad. He eventually confessed that he had been pining for his lost love and he never really stopped loving her. He claimed he still loved Emma but she felt betrayed and when she told him that she wanted him to leave, he'd slapped her. That's when she left.
"I will squash him like a BUG?" Regina was livid. Her voice ragged and deep. The thought of someone striking Emma was too much. She felt the evil boiling inside her. Her eyes turned a black so black it was almost red.
"no." Emma placed a hand on her knee. Immediately quelling the rage inside Regina.
"He hit you, Emma." Regina felt sick to her stomach.
"And it will never happen again." Emma said softly. "i told him it was over as I left."
a slight squeeze from the hand on Regina's knee seemed to calm her completely.
"you can stay, with me.. with US.." Regina gestured with her head in Henry's direction, "Long as you want. You are always welcome."
"Thanks." Emma grinned. "I'd like that."
