Thanks again to everyone that has left me a review, I love reading them it really makes my day. The next update might take a little longer, I have assignment deadlines coming up this weekend, so please be patient with me and enjoy this chapter!
She looked so broken. Her beautiful blonde hair was bloodstained around the fresh bandage that the nurse had just changed. Regina, Snow, and David have been sat at her bedside for hours, with no sign of the blonde Sheriff waking up. Regina is occupying the chair on the blondes right-hand side, while the Charmings were facing the brunette on the other side of the blonde. Only a few words had been shared among the group, Regina didn't feel like making small talk while waiting for her ex-wife to wake up. She wished that Henry was here, she needed her...their son. Regina's head shot up as she heard Snow let out a small giggle. Smiling in the smaller brunette's direction, she re-entered into the conversation.
"I'm sorry...it's just, for years we hated each other and tried and failed to kill each other and now look at us!" Snow giggled, Regina often thought about the position she had been put in with the brunette and Regina agreed that it was definitely a comical arrangement.
"Is that only just hitting you now?" Regina smiled at the brunette as she sat back in her chair and ran her hands through her messy hair.
"I think so...the woman I hated the most in the world, ended up being my daughter's true love." Snow let a stray tear run down her cheek, as she smiled gratefully at the Mayor.
"Former...former true love." Regina hated to destroy the woman's hope that she and Emma would work things out, but she'd rather destroy her hope now than let it build up over time.
"I know...I just miss the look on her face she used to get when you walked in the room and the way that her eyes lit up when someone mentioned you in conversation...she's different now, she has been since the divorce. She's not our Emma anymore...I know it's not your responsibility anymore, but even when she's around you, you make her a better person." Snow confessed. Regina had never heard the brunette say such things to her before and it took her rather by surprise.
"We just need to focus on her getting better," David jumped in before Regina had a chance to reply to the smaller brunette. Regina was thankful for this scapegoat and smiled gratefully at the prince.
"I agree," Snow's smile was fake, but Regina knew that her words were not.
"Regina, don't you think it's time we call Henry? He needs to be here, just in case." Snow suggested, Regina knew that she was right. She had been putting off calling her son to tell him the news for hours, but there was no sign that Emma was getting better just yet and he had the right to be here.
"Excuse me…" Regina stood and walked out to the hall. Ruby answered the phone almost instantly, with sleep once again laced in her voice. Regina swore mentally as she looked up at the clock, it had just gone past 6 am.
"Is everything okay? Is it Emma?" Ruby talked in a rushed panic.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize what time it was...she still hasn't woken up...she looks bad Ruby, I've never seen her like this before." Regina whimpered, letting some of her bent up emotions come crashing down.
"She's going to make it through this baby, Henry just walked downstairs. Do you wanna talk to him?" Ruby asked, in the background, Regina could hear her son mumbling something about breakfast and asking why Ruby was on the couch.
"Yes, please put him on," Regina spoke sweetly, Ruby didn't respond she simply handed the phone to the teen and proceeded to make breakfast and a steaming pot of coffee.
"Mom, why is Ruby on the couch? And why aren't you here, it's only like 6 or something." Henry yawned into the phone.
"Henry, it's your mom...Emma was in an accident last night, I'm at the hospital now with her parents. I'm gonna have Ruby bring you over okay…" Regina waited for the boy to say something, say anything.
"Is-is she okay?" Regina could tell that boy was already starting to weep as his voice cracked through the phone.
"Oh sweetie, you know your mom, she's the strongest person in this whole damn town. You go and get ready and I'll have Ruby drive you straight here okay." Regina could feel herself start to weep, but she refused to let herself fall apart on the phone, not while she was trying to keep her son together.
"Okay, mom...I love you." Regina smiled as she bit her lip, trying to keep herself contained.
"I love you too sweetie…" Regina's voice cracked, without saying another word Henry passed the phone to Ruby and ran up the stairs to get ready, as the hot tears streamed down his face.
"Hey baby, what do you need me to do?" Ruby spoke with such kindness, it almost made Regina feel guilty about the dream she had about the blonde, while Ruby was sleeping on the couch, no doubt waiting for an update.
"Can you bring Henry here, he needs to be here just in case…" Ruby interrupted, knowing that talking about such things would upset the brunette.
"Of course, anything else? Do you want me to bring breakfast or something?" Ruby asked as she hopped around Regina's room trying to change her clothes.
"A change of clothes would be nice and don't worry about food, just get here quick...thank you, Ruby, I know it's not the most ideal of situations and you'd rather have ended our date night in a different way…"
"Don't be silly Regina, Emma is a huge part of your and Henry's life. I knew that going in, I'll see you soon okay." Ruby confessed, only partly lying. She was pissed that Emma took over their date without even being there, but all that was washed away when Regina got the call about Emma's accident. Now all she wanted was for the blonde to be okay.
"Goodbye…" Regina hung up the phone, feeling even more guilty. Ruby was amazing, any other person would have just left last night, but she stayed and now she was bringing Henry here.
When Regina re-entered the room, there was still no change with the blonde. Snow and David were happy to hear that their grandson was on his way, hoping that maybe Henry's presence could wake the sleeping blonde. But Regina knew that, wouldn't happen. Emma's wasn't under a sleeping curse, her true love couldn't save her. Not in this or any world, what Emma Swan needed was a miracle and that was a Regina could think of.
The Charmings entered the own conversation once again, leaving Regina to stare at the blonde. Her hair was never styled to perfection, but it always suited the blonde nonetheless, except for now. The bloodstained hair stuck to the side of her face and the overgrown fringe hung loosely over her blackening eye. Without thinking, Regina pulls her chair closer to the blonde and slowly and sweetly moves the hair out of the blondes face. Absentmindedly, Regina begins to play with the ends of the blondes soft hair, twirling it around her fingers as her former in-laws watch on in confusion and excitement. Regina smiles at the sleeping blonde, she always looked so peaceful when she slept, it was always a magnificent sight for the brunette. Especially the first time she witnessed the blonde woman fast asleep next to her.
(Flashback)
Regina could hardly sleep last night, she was far too nervous. She and Emma had never shared a bed before and Regina was worried that she was going to do something to scare the blonde off. Regina stayed with her back to the blonde all night, she was afraid to face the blonde. Emma was oblivious to all of this and found herself completely comfortable in the brunette's presence and especially in the brunette's bed.
It had just gone 7 am when Regina gave up any hope of falling asleep. In a huff, she flipped onto her back and let out a sigh of despair. Beside her, she could hear the faint sound of snoring coming from the blonde, Regina couldn't help but smile at the cuteness of the blonde. Moving to lean on her elbow, Regina began to roam Emma's body with her eyes, she was wearing a simple white tank top and plaid jammie shorts. Somehow the blonde had kicked the blanket off herself without disturbing the brunette during the night. The Mayor studied the blondes face, she couldn't get over how peaceful the blonde looked, Emma always had the worries of the town on her shoulders, but when she was asleep all of that melted away. Regina liked this version of the Sheriff. Unbeknownst to be brunette, she reached a hand out to toy with the ends of the blonde's hair, as she stared lovingly at her.
"It's creepy to stare at someone when they are sleeping by the way…" Regina jumped as Emma spoke, quickly she retracted her hand away from the blonde's hair and sat up straight, embarrassed that she had been caught by Emma.
"Sorry…" Regina's face was beet red as she watched the blonde rub the sleep out of her eyes and adjust the pillow to cuddle with as she looked up at the embarrassed brunette.
"I thought it was cute...and if you had slept last night then I would have done the exact same thing." Emma raised a tired eyebrow at the brunette, who then began to hide her head in her hands.
"This can't be happening…" Regina mumbled into her hands.
"Hey, come here!" Emma flipped over onto her back and opened her arms for the brunette to come closer.
"Can we just forget that anything happened?" Regina begged as she moved to cuddle into the blonde's chest.
"Now...why are you so scared to sleep with me," Emma asked as she ran her hands through the brunette's hair.
"Me? Scared! That is completely comical Miss Swan." Regina sounded offended, but Emma knew that it was all an act.
"Okay, you don't have to tell me just yet. All you have to do now is sleep, Henry warned me about what happens when you don't get your beauty sleep, my love." Emma kissed the brunette's hairline, as her grip on the older woman tightened.
"Thank you…" Regina yawned as she finally fell asleep in the blonde's arms, for the first and certainly not the last time.
(End of Flashback)
Regina felt content thinking back to that first time, the two women spent the night together. Everything and everyone around her were tuned out, all that she could focus on was Emma, so much so that she failed to realize that Ruby and Henry had arrived to find Regina playing with the blonde's hair, stuck in a loving gaze with the sleeping blonde. As the door finally slammed shut, Regina broke her gaze and her eyes met with Ruby's hurt ones. Quickly she pulled her hand away from the blonde and stood to engulf her son whose eyes were already red and puffy from the drive there. As Henry's grip on his mother tightened, Regina couldn't keep it in anymore and after hours of waiting and containing herself she finally broke down in the arms of their son. Snow was first to her feet and quickly wrapped her arms around the two brunettes. Feeling Snow's presence Regina leaned back into her arms and allowed herself the freedom to cry for the blonde woman she once loved.
"It's okay Regina, I've got you." Snow whispered as Regina turned in the hug to fully wrap herself in Snow's arms, while Henry took shelter in his grandfather's. Ruby stood at the door, taking in the scene around her. The Charmings and the Mills, made up the perfect family, one that Ruby didn't think she could ever truly belong to. Quietly, she placed the bag of clothes on the spare chair and walked out of the private room and out of the hospital.
"I'm sorry...I don't know what came over me." Regina wiped away her tears as she finally pulled away from Snow.
"You don't have to apologize Regina...I know that if the roles were reversed, Emma would be inconsolable." Snow smiled, before walking over to hug the worried boy. Regina resumed her previous position, staring at her son who couldn't tear his eyes away from the blonde. Everyone was drained from all the crying and waiting, they just wanted Emma to wake up...but instead the blonde began to flatline.