A/N- So… this chapter is a bit longer than the others. I had originally planned to break it down into two, but since I was finished with them both, I decided to upload them as one. It's really late as I'm proof-reading, so take it easy on me! ;)
As always, feedback is greatly appreciated! Thank you to those who have offered kind words so far!
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Disney, ABC, Once Upon a Time, or the cast/characters of.
"Emma," Regina murmurs, finally losing her resolve.
She turns in Robin's arms and lets him hold her. He drops his bow and wraps his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "It's alright. You're okay," he whispers.
"Mom!"
"Henry?!"
She pulls away from Robin's embrace and kneels down to catch her son, who is running at her at full speed. Pushing his hair away from his face, her eyes frantically inspect him for any sign of injury.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Emma. We have to do something. She can't lose her heart!"
"I know we do. I know. We'll figure something out." The crack in her voice betrays her forced calm demeanor.
"I'm going after her," David sounds. "Regina, you and Henry go be with Mary Margaret. Robin, come with me."
The two men nod towards each other before Robin retrieves his bow from the ground. He turns back to Regina one last time.
"Watch over Roland for me?"
Regina nods. "Of course."
He plants a small kiss on her lips and takes off towards David. "Be careful," she calls out, more out of obligation than of actual concern. The realization of that fact hits her like a ton of bricks. She shakes her head. This is not the time.
Henry helps his mother stand up straight and hobble over to a nearby bench. "Here. I'll go get Roland. I left him at the B&B."
"Okay," she whispers. She doesn't know what else to say, what else to do. She feels so powerless, so weak right now. Over the last few days, Emma has been right by her side and now, well… now she just feels empty and alone. Even without her heart, she knows something is missing.
Like her happy ending had been ripped away. Right before her eyes.
She shakes her head. No. That's not possible. It's Emma, the pain in her neck, the annoying brute, the daughter of her adversary, the… the savior. Her savior.
She takes a few steadying breaths before surveying the damage to her ankle. It's already swollen and bluish-purple bruises are forming. She waves her hand over it.
Nothing.
She closes her eyes and, once again, breathes in and out slowly. Wave.
Nothing.
If Emma were here right now, she would be making some sort of smart remark about how this is a prime example why Regina shouldn't walk around in heels every day anyway.
"Oh, Emma. Why did you do this to me?" She says in a low, discouraged voice.
"What? Emma did that to you? Why? How?"
Regina looks up when she sees her son and Roland standing beside her, also eyeballing her twisted, discolored ankle.
She clears her throat. "No, sweetie. Emma didn't do this to me. We were in the tombs practicing magic and something went awry and I—I fell," she says as she remembers Emma lifting her into her arms. The hold had been firm, yet so gentle, as though she were made of glass and any wrong move would have shattered her. She remembered wrapping her arms around Emma's neck and trying her best to feign disgust in being so close to the woman.
What was going on in her head right now? What had suddenly changed to make her feel this way towards Miss Swan? Since her arrival in Storybrooke, all she had managed to do was to pull her son away from her and get on her nerves and under her skin just by existing. If nothing else, she should hate her by mere association.
Snow.
"Come, Henry, Roland. We need to get to the hospital."
Henry nods, watching his mother take Roland's hand. He feels a pang of jealousy go through his chest, but quickly dismisses it, knowing he should be worried more about Emma right now.
Regina makes her way, very slowly, to Emma's car and cringes when the driver's side door creaks open. She huffs, but slides into the driver's seat anyway.
"Can you drive with your ankle messed up?"
"Yes, Henry. I should be fine. I'll have Dr. Whale look at it when we get to the hospital if that makes you feel better."
He nods and gets Roland buckled into the backseat before taking the front beside his mom.
"Is she going to be okay?"
She doesn't even look towards him. She doesn't want to lie to her son and, right now, she really doesn't know what will happen to Emma. Seeing the pain in his mother's face, he tries a different approach.
"Aren't you going to help her?"
Her head darts around quickly, looking at him across the seat. "I—I want to help her, I do. I mean, I will. Yes, of course. But my ankle… I don't know how much help I will be."
He nods as though he understands, although the meaning behind her explanation carries a more mature connotation than what the youngster realizes.
She puts the car into drive and heads down the road towards the hospital.
"Why would Zelena take Emma? I know she's the savior, but you and Emma have never really gotten along, you know?"
Regina realizes Henry hadn't been out at the square when Zelena gave her twisted clarification for stealing Emma away. She's quietly thankful for that. She has no idea how she would even begin to explain that to her son.
"Well, Emma has quite a powerful form of magic- one which neither Zelena nor I possess."
"Light magic. A hero's magic."
She grimaces a bit at that word (and also about lying to her son) before answering a simple "yes."
As they pull into the hospital parking lot, her cell phone vibrates in her pocket.
David.
"Hello," she quickly answers, hoping they've discovered something about Emma.
"Regina, it's Robin. I wanted to make sure you and the boys were alright."
"Yes. Yes, we're fine. Thank you. Any news on Zelena's whereabouts?"
"No. Not yet. We're at her storm cellar, but, so far, no clues have surfaced. We're heading into the woods now."
"Oh."
"Don't worry, my queen. I will save your heart. You will have your happy ending. This, I vow."
Regina's head spins. Her heart? She hadn't even thought about that. In fact, that was the last thing she was worried about saving.
"I appreciate that. Just worry about getting Emma back safely and with her heart. Okay?"
"I will do everything in my power."
"Please do," she sighs as she ends the call.
_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._
Somewhere in Storybrooke…
"What the hell, Gold? Let me go! I know you don't want to do this. We're family for crying out loud."
Emma struggles against the chair she is tied to in some musty old building.
"I can't," he forces between clenched teeth. His eyes dart across the room to Zelena, who is standing by a window, her silhouette the only thing visible.
Emma lowers her voice. "Look, I know she has the dagger and you have to do what she says, but believe me, if you think a chair and some rope can hold me, you're quite mistaken."
He almost rolls his eyes at her ignorance. In fact, he would have, had he not been under the thumb of the green witch.
"Trust me, my dear, I am fully aware of your, how should I say? Sketchy past? But you won't be leaving that chair. Not any time soon and not unless she," he motions towards the colorful woman "wishes it."
"It will only be a matter of time before they show up here," she finally breaks her silence and turns to face the pair. "When they do, it will be too late. Your heart will be mine and you'll be nothing but a shell of a savior. No one will want you then. Not even her."
"I don't know what it is you want with me. I came here to be with Henry, then to break some stupid curse for my family. I'm not a savior. Never wanted to be. I'm no good to you."
"That won't work on me, love. And I think we both know better. What you think you are in that head of yours is no concern to me. What is important, though, is who you are to my sister."
"A pain in the ass?"
"I see her calloused veneer has worked its charm on you as well, but no. While I'm sure she'd deny it until her dying breath, she cares." She stops to lean over the blonde, placing her hands on the arms of the chair. "She cares very deeply about you and your pure, white heart."
"So, what are you saying? Regina is out to steal my heart, too?"
She laughs and stands up, nodding her head and clasping her hands together. "How charming and romantic of you."
Emma's brow furls in confusion. "Romantic? Wait… you mean?"
"Mmhm. That's exactly what I mean."
"Regina has… feelings? For me? Why? And how would you know that?"
"Do you not feel the same for her?" She asks, ignoring the question.
"I—I—I…" Emma fumbles, her mouth unable to form an argument at the moment.
"No need for words. You won't need them soon enough."
Zelena's hand hovers over Emma's chest. Gold turns away, unable to witness what is about to happen.
Emma lunges forward when she feels the pressure in her chest along with the blinding pain.
"Fuck," she groans, her breath escaping her body.
The wicked witch grins, her eyes sparkling yellow, as she wraps her cold, bony fingers around Emma's beating heart.
"Zelena, you don't have to do this," Gold finally speaks up. The sight of his only grandson's mother being brought to the brink of death proves to be too much for even him to just stand by and watch idly.
"You shut it or I will make you do it for me, Dark One," she spits. He flinches at the name.
Emma looks up at Zelena and clenches her jaw tight, forcing the pain out of her head. This can't be the way it ends for her. She was just getting to know her parents, just getting to be a real part of Henry's life, just getting closer to…
"Regina."
"What?"
Zelena's eyes follow Emma's. Just as soon as she looks behind her, she's knocked to the side by a burst of flames. Her hand pulls out of Emma's chest, causing her to gasp loudly. The force of the pull nearly knocks her backwards in the chair.
"No!" Regina rushes over to Emma, who is slumped over, breathing heavily.
She looks up into her dark eyes, and, for the first time since encountering the woman, feels absolutely nothing. Realizing what has happened, her eyes dart to the green figure lying on the ground a few feet away from them. She sees her own heart, thumping slowly, glowing red, in the monster's hand.
Regina turns to finish her off, but Zelena holds the organ up for her to see her wrapping her fingers around it slowly.
"You do and it's over."
"Don't," she cries, putting her hands up. The desperation in her voice causes a smirk to form on Zelena's face. She had seen this happen to Daniel and it had destroyed her life. Now, watching Emma's heart being tortured the same way almost kills her right on the spot.
Out of the corner of her eye she sees Emma walking across the room towards Zelena, her head high and her eyes clear.
"Rumpelstiltskin!" she calls, scrambling to her feet.
Emma doesn't flinch, doesn't emote at all. Regina almost has to turn away. She has seen this in people who have no control over their hearts. She saw it with Graham and countless others she had tortured in her dark past. It happened to those who possessed pure hearts- not people like her, whose hearts were already darkened, shriveled, useless parts of their anatomy. She could function as "normal," but didn't feel things as deeply as anyone else. She could never really give herself to someone without it, despite her efforts.
"Emma, watch out," she warns as Gold appears in front of her.
Emma looks down at her right hand, willing the flame to form in it, then her left. Pushing both hands towards Gold's chest, he falls to the floor, unable to move.
Regina's eyes grow wide as she's watching her. It's like something has taken over her body. This magic, this power, seems to come from nowhere, but is bigger and stronger than anything she has ever seen.
Emma shoots a warning glance towards Regina, who obeys and moves out of her warpath. She stops dead in front of Zelena and lowers her voice.
"I think you have something of mine."
Although a bit shaken, Zelena isn't about to give up so easily.
Over the next few moments, the three women have it out- lights, flames, and sparks flying every which way in the cold, dark building. Had he not beheld it himself, Gold would have never believed such powerful magic was possible.
But here was the savior, fulfilling her destiny and saving them all once again, just like he said it would happen.
_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._
David and Robin come running up just in time to see Regina helping Emma out of the building.
Her eyes flash red when she sees them.
"Where the hell were you two?!"
David is shocked by her tone and looks to Robin, whose face seems to be devoid of any emotion.
"We got lost, in the woods."
"She could have been killed! In fact, she was damn near death when I got here."
The two men look over Emma and then down at Regina's ankle. It has been heavily bandaged, but by the look on her face, she's still in severe pain. She motions back towards the rusted tin building.
"You two take care of that. I need to get Emma somewhere safe."
_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._
When she wakes up, everything is a bit of a blur. She groans and tries to roll over, but stops when she feels the IV in her arm and a warm hand on her forehead. She squeezes her eyes shut a few times to totally clear her sight.
"Mom?"
"I'm here, honey."
Emma sits up in the bed to the best of her ability and looks to the very-pregnant woman by her side.
"You haven't—"
"Nope. Not yet. I slipped away from the delivery ward to make sure you were okay when they told me you were beginning to wake up. Don't get ahead of yourself. Whale said you need to take it easy to keep from aggravating any injuries."
"Injuries? What happened? The last thing I remember was being tied up in some fishy-smelling building."
Mary Margaret gives her a run-through of what happened by the docks and how her heart had been taken out of her body.
"Whoa."
"Yeah, whoa," she says, offering a small laugh.
"What happened then? How am I injured and when can I get out of here?" She begins to fidget with her IV again, earning a reproachful look from her mother.
"Slow down, savior. You have some internal bleeding. They want to keep you a few days to make sure everything is okay."
"Zelena… is she? Did I?"
Mary Margaret just nods. Even when going up against someone she should hate, she can't bring herself to be happy over another human's demise.
"Oh."
They sit in silence for a moment while Emma takes in everything she just learned.
"Regina's okay, too," Mary Margaret finally offers.
Emma shakes her head, wondering how in the world she forgot to ask about her.
"That's good. No injuries?
"Other than her twisted ankle, no."
"Oh, yeah. I think that one might have been my fault. I don't really remember what happened at the docks. I just remember her putting my heart back into my chest once we were out on the boardwalk."
"Yes, she did. She saved you, Emma. Zelena was going to kill you, but she got there just in time. She stopped her."
"With a bum ankle, nonetheless."
Mary Margaret nods. "She came in here, dropped Henry and Roland off with Ruby, had them bandage her ankle, and then raced to find you, mumbling something about 'Charming' being an incapable buffoon."
Emma grows quiet again, desperately trying to wrap her head around everything.
"Where are they, David and Robin? Are they okay, too? I remember them being there."
"Yeah, they're okay," she sighs, trying to skirt the embarrassing issue of them getting turned around in the woods.
Emma sits up on the side of her bed. "Is it okay if I get up? I just want to walk a bit, clear my head."
She nods and helps her to her feet. "Just take it easy. No running off to save anyone's day, okay? I've got to get back to having a baby."
"Yeah. Have fun with that," she winces, finally feeling the pain from her injuries.
_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._
From the hallway, she sees Regina and Robin sitting in the waiting area, holding hands and talking. Emma stops and grabs at her chest, holding onto the IV post so to not collapse to the floor. Regina catches the movement from her peripheral and hurries to her side, holding her up.
"Whale!"
"No, no," she pants. "I'm okay. I just… wow. What the hell was that?"
She rubs her hand over her heart a few times, willing the pain to go away.
"I think you need to get back into the bed."
Emma nods and straightens up. Their eyes meet and suddenly, everything that happened before rushes back to her. Regina watches the realization as though it's in slow-motion.
"Emma?"
"I have…" She pats her hand over her chest and looks down at the floor, trying to find the right words.
"You have what? Does your chest hurt?"
Emma forces a smile and looks towards Robin, then back at Regina.
She takes a deep breath and turns away from Regina, who is watching, confused.
Emma bites her tongue and forces back any cry of pain that might escape her throat and shoves her own hand into her chest.
"That never gets easier, does it?" She groans, turning back around.
Regina's mouth is hanging open in horror.
"Emma Swan! What the hell are you doing?" She demands.
She smiles that lopsided smile of hers and shrugs.
"This one's yours."
Regina's brow crinkles. "What do you mean, 'mine?'"
"When we were at the docks and you and Zelena were fighting, I slipped out of the rope and chair and got it back. I didn't want her or Gold to notice, so I pushed it into my own chest for safe keeping."
Regina's eyes tear up. She hadn't even realized. She was so focused on saving Emma's heart that any concern about her own was completely locked away.
"That's how you had the strength to fight her off? Because of my heart? That's how you conjured both light and dark magic at once? And your internal bleeding. You've had two hearts in your body since I put yours back in," she trails, the weight of it all crashing around her.
Emma shrugs again. "I guess. I don't really know how all of this stuff works yet."
She holds the heart close to her chest from where she just removed it, not offering it back just yet.
"And Regina?"
"Yes, Emma?" The whispering softness of her voice almost causes the younger woman's knees to buckle.
"There was another heart, too."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I was going to take it, but I couldn't risk it, you know?"
Regina eyeballs the heart in Emma's hand. "How did you know which one to take?"
Emma bit her lip as she tried to come up with some logical reason.
Nothing.
"I just knew."
By this time, after witnessing Emma take her heart out of her chest, Robin had made his way to stand behind Regina, his hands protectively on her shoulders.
"Here," she finally says, her hand outstretched towards the man with the organ in her palm.
Emma's eyes meet his. "I guess this is your job," she laughs awkwardly and a bit sadly before placing it carefully in his hands.
"Thank you, Miss Swan."
"Just part of my job. I am, after all, the savior."
Regina still hasn't moved her eyes from Emma's face. This whole exchange, she has just been staring at her blankly, not really knowing how to react or what to feel.
Robin offers a small laugh and then turns Regina to face him, breaking her contact with Emma.
"Come, darling; let's get your heart back where it belongs."
He begins to walk her away from the blonde. Emma leans against the wall and watches. Although she keeps walking, Regina turns to face Emma just for a moment, her eyes wide and her lips still parted.
Emma offers a pained smile and watches her turn her attention back to Robin.
When she realizes she's not coming back, she turns and begins to make her way back to her empty hospital room.