AN: Thanks for the reviews, favs, and follows! I want to apologize ahead of time for the corruption of a major character, but it's needed for the story.

Warning: Dark chapter with minor details of a rape.


Emma nibbled happily on her burger and fries beside Regina on the bed while August took the single chair in the small hospital room. The two visitors were taking turns telling stories of Emma's past, from the Walt Disney World trips her parents took her and August on every year- because their mother was a Disney fanatic- to her rebel teen years of smoking and skateboarding. Regina talked about how they had met at the tender age of seventeen through a mutual friend named Neal, and the ups and downs of their relationship through the past eleven years.

The fair-haired woman was engrossed with their stories and as they talked about certain things, she would receive flashbacks of her own memories that corresponded and sometimes, she called them out on a missed detail or a fudged up recollection.

After they finished eating their meals, a silence fell over them before Emma cleared her throat and spoke up.

"I just want to say that I'm so sorry for everything I put you guys through by being here," the blonde apologized.

"Oh Sweetheart, don't apologize for something you had no control over," Regina murmured. "Given what happened to you, the doctors told us it was out of your hands. To be honest, we never thought we would have this again."

"What do you mean?" the blonde questioned in confusion.

"Emma," August started as he reached over and gripped her ankle lovingly. "We were told that you would never be coherent again. Between the trauma you suffered and the new world you had created, they reminded us every day that the chances of you having a full recovery were slim to none."

"Was I really that bad?"

"You, um," the brunette stammered as she tried to find the right words. "When you were admitted here, you wouldn't respond to anything. We'd talk to you for hours in hopes that somehow we would get through to you, but it was like you were in a vegetative state. Every so often you would talk as if someone else was right in front of you and that was the only time we ever got to hear your voice. They had to give you a feeding tube and...and diapers were necessary."

"Wait, what?! How long was I in diapers?" Emma questioned in horror.

"About a year and then something clicked into place. You started to eat food when it was put in front of you and you used the bathroom when you were directed to it."

"Oh good God, that's embarrassing," the blonde mumbled as she dropped her head into her hands. "Wait, how did you get the details about the other world?"

"That was all your wife's doing," August praised. "Even though you never talked to us directly, she figured out a way to get you to tell us facts about what was going on inside your head. It was like trying to solve a very intricate puzzle, but Regina was persistent. She would sit with you for hours trying to break through to you. Sometimes it was a key word and other times it was a certain sentence or phrase."

"That had to take forever," Emma indicated with surprise.

"A couple years actually and of course your wife was the only one that you would respond to. Doctors, nurses, friends, a few psychiatrists, and even I have tried, but you wouldn't utter a peep. Regina on the other hand, you chirped like a canary; especially when you turned twenty-eight."

"What happened when I turned twenty-eight?"

"That's when you really spewed out all this information about Storybrooke and it's characters," August answered before he smiled. "But only your wife got to hear about that place. Just the presence of someone else in the room made you clam right up."

Emma couldn't help but feel a powerful connection to the dark-haired woman as she reached over and boldly cupped Regina's face. "I must've recognized you somewhere deep inside my crazy head."

"That's what I kept telling myself. It meant the world to me that I was the only one you'd respond to, and the only one you trusted with your made-up world," Regina admitted. "Even though you hate the Storybrooke version of me."

"Hate is a strong word," Emma countered with a sad smile before she turned to August and asked, "So thanks to Regina, you guys figured out my alternate life?"

"Yup; we pieced it together and the psychiatrists explained how we were all still with you in some way and that the whole fairytale Disney-themed part was because it took you back to an innocent time in your life; a safe haven so to speak," August explained.

"I can't make you understand how real it is and how difficult it is to make myself believe it's not real," Emma confessed.

"We understand that it must be a struggle, but now that we finally have you back, we're not losing you again," Regina promised.

"I need to know what the second thing was that sent me here," the younger woman pushed. "I have to face it like I did my miscarriage. It's time for me to accept the tragic events and hopefully move on."

The blonde watched her wife and brother as they shared a look before August stood up and quietly left the room.

"Where's he going?"

"I'm afraid your reaction to the miscarriage may fall short in comparison to this memory. August is getting Dr. Palmer and some orderlies to be on standby in case you don't react well to the news."

"It wasn't the news so much as it was reliving it," Emma countered.

"And that is reason enough to have the doctor here; trust me," Regina strained.

The younger woman watched as her brother returned with the doctor while two men stood just outside the door. The blonde felt her heartbeat quicken in pace as her nerves seemed to vibrate with anxiety.

"Regina, will you hold me as August recounts what happened to me?" Emma requested in a childlike voice.

"Of course," the brunette murmured as she propped herself against the headboard and pulled Emma into her arms, her blonde head resting comfortingly against Regina's chest.

The doctor was about to protest, but a hard glare from the brunette stopped him before he could utter a word.

"I'm ready, August," Emma declared as she curled tighter against Regina in preparation.

"You were twenty-three when you had the miscarriage," August started as he sat down in the chair beside the bed. "The sudden shift in emotions from being happy about the pregnancy to the turmoil of it ending in miscarriage took a drastic toll on both of you, so you and Regina decided to take a much needed break before you two would try again," August explained before he took a moment to collect his thoughts. "About ten months after losing the baby, you were attacked by someone a few blocks away from your precinct. You had just ended your shift at work when he grabbed you from behind and pulled you into an alley. He wanted to make a deal with you, but you refused to give in and being a trained law enforcement officer, you fought back. The problem was, he had targeted you, stalking and observing you for a few months before he made his move, so he knew how you would defend yourself and he was prepared to counterattack you."

Emma listened intently, but she wasn't prepared for the flashback that slammed into her brain as August's voice faded into the background while images rushed forward through her mind in bold, ugly colors. She felt the knife at her neck, the sting of it cutting into her delicate skin, and the voice of none other than the man she knew as Mr. Gold sneering into her ear. She felt the adrenaline coarse through her as she fought back and the disappointment as each of her defense moves were blocked. She felt the pain of his fists as they connected with her face and the moisture of the damp bricks on the wall behind her. She felt dreaded fear seep into her mind as the pressure of his body pinned her to the ground and she could smell the odor of his cigar-tinged breath as he panted above her.

Her stomach rolled violently as she experienced the traumatizing assault all over again and she fought to keep the bile down before an unexpected scream tore from her throat. Regina clung to her as tightly as she could while the doctor scrambled to pull out the prepared needle before he quickly administered the sedative into her arm.

"G-Gold raped me…Mr. Gold fucking raped me!" Emma realized in sheer terror as she started to shake violently in her wife's arms.

"It's okay, Emma, I got you," Regina whispered reassuringly as she gently rocked the younger woman in an effort to soothe her. "Your coworkers hunted him down and took care of him. He'll never hurt you or anyone else ever again."

Emma felt the sedative start to kick in as she slowly melded into her wife's embrace. Tears ran unfettered down her cheeks before her eyes slipped shut as she succumbed to slumber.

Like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, Emma finally did get a break from both worlds and slept.

A few hours later she slowly woke up to the comforted feeling of feminine arms wrapped around her torso. Risking a peek, she realized Regina was nestled beneath her on the bed while her own head had been tucked underneath her wife's chin. A soft snore had her looking to the side and she saw August was asleep on the metal chair in an awkward position.

Fingers softly tangled into her golden locks and she felt the body below her shift. Lifting her head, she propped it on her fist as she openly gazed upon the other woman's face. She wished the Storybrooke version of her wife had looked at her with such love and adoration.

"How are you feeling?" the brunette softly questioned.

"Better than I expected, and not so druggy this time. What are you two still doing here?"

"We wanted to stay to make sure you were alright."

August suddenly snorted before he jumped awake and looked around. When he saw Emma's grinning face, he couldn't help but return the sentiment. "Hey little sister, it's good to see you smiling."

Emma turned back to the woman beneath her and couldn't help but lean forward and kiss her. It was a guilty pleasure that she was starting to enjoy a little too much. When she pulled back, the blonde felt a uncontrollable shiver run down her spine as dark pools gazed upon her with a hint of desire.

"As much as I hate to do this, maybe you two should go home and get some rest. I'm sure visiting hours have ended a long time ago," Emma indicated before she sat up, pulling her wife up with her.

"Actually, I'm going to remain here with you tonight," Regina informed her. "August, on the other hand, is going to head home and return in the morning."

The older man took that as his queue to leave and he stretched up before he leaned down and kissed Emma's forehead. "She's right, Em. I'll see you in the morning."

"Night Augustus," she replied without thought.

"Hey look at that, you remembered your annoying nickname for me," he chuckled. "I never thought I'd be so happy to hear that awful moniker again. Goodnight, ladies."

The couple watched as her brother took his leave before they turned to face one another. Emma quickly closed the gap between them as she locked her lips on her wife's mouth in a desperate need to connect with her. It quickly escalated as Regina deepened the kiss, her tongue seeking entrance that Emma willingly granted. A moan escaped from both of them as their tongues tangled in a heated dance before the brunette reluctantly broke the kiss. They breathed heavily as their foreheads touched before they locked eyes.

"That was…wow," Emma mused as she heard her wife chuckle.

"I missed you so much," Regina whispered as she tucked an unruly lock of golden hair behind Emma's ear.

"I can tell," the younger woman teased. "Are you sure you can stay here? I don't want you to lose your visiting privileges before I get out of here."

"I'm sure. Everyone here knows me and your brother very well. Dr. Palmer was so elated with your breakthrough that he felt I deserved to be here with you while you're still…well you. Besides, it's not like you're clinically crazy. As a matter of fact, this wing of the hospital is for people like you, more or less; lost souls just trying to find their way back home. Some do and some don't."

"Does he, Dr. Palmer that is, does he think I'm going to revert back?"

"Emma, this is a miracle that even the doctors can't deny. For that reason alone they fear that this is just a brief anomaly, but I know that you'll prove them all wrong," Regina said with confidence.

"I hope so, I mean I feel great, but I'm still flipping between worlds. Plus, I'm not totally sold on this being reality," Emma confessed with a small frown.

"Dr. Palmer said that when you're ready, he'll help you work on ridding yourself of the hallucinations that keep you locked in. Once you accomplish that, you can finally let go of that other world and come home."

"It's not as simple as it sounds," Emma countered.

"I realize that. The psychiatrist here, Dr. Whale, he explained that it was going to be quite a challenge for you when you decide to eradicate the alternate world and the people in it. He said it was going to be the hardest thing you ever do, an example being to tell your dead parents and son that they don't exist. They will fight and cry and try to wear you down, but you'd have to remain strong or else you can't move on."

Emma didn't know how to respond to that. She still felt unsure of what was real and what wasn't, but the thought of telling Henry once again that he didn't exist was a little too difficult to comprehend at the moment.

"I can smell your brain cells cooking," Regina teased. "There is no rush to pick a world just yet. When the time comes, you'll know."

"Alright, you're right."

"Let's get some sleep, shall we?" the brunette offered as she climbed under the covers and opened her arms invitingly.

"Who am I to deny the wishes of the beautiful maiden in my bed," Emma joked before she crawled in beside her wife and settled down into her arms. "I've never felt as safe as I do right now, here with you beside me."

"Goodnight Emma, I love you," Regina murmured before she placed a kiss to her crown.

The blonde was slightly startled by the admission of love, but it felt right somehow. She didn't want to leave her wife hanging and thinking she didn't care, but she couldn't exactly find it in her to say that she loved her either, so she offered the next best thing.

"Ditto," she whispered before she drifted off peacefully.

"Damn it, Emma, wake up!" A voice demanded before a harsh slap struck her face.

The sheriff's eyes flew open from the impact and she looked up to see Mary Margaret hovering above her with her hand held out. A look of relief washed over the pixie-haired brunette as she quickly took her daughter's face into her hands.

"God Emma, you scared the crap out of me! I'm sorry I hit you, but you weren't responding at all. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were in a coma!"

As much as she knew from the core of her being that this was reality, something in her snapped and demanded her to accept that her parents and Henry were possibly nothing more than a mirage created by her own delusional mind. She still sensed the warmth of Regina's embrace around her body and that made her feel grounded in a foreign way. With renewed determination, she wrenched her face from Mary Margaret's grip and stumbled off the couch away from her.

"You're dead!" Emma suddenly snapped. "Stay away from me!"

"Emma, what the hell is wrong with you?!" Snow demanded as she started to approach her daughter in concern.

"I said stay back! I'm mean...I'm sorry Mary Margaret…I'm just not ready to deal with this, not yet so please, give me some space before I say something that I might regret," she pleaded, which caused her mother to freeze in her tracks.

The sheriff took the opportunity to quickly don her boots and jacket. Grabbing her car keys, she briskly marched to the front door and yanked it open as her mother remained rooted in place. She paused in the entryway before she turned back to face the other woman.

"I'm going to speak with someone who can help me figure this out," Emma offered.

"Who?"

"Regina," Emma answered. "She's the only one who can help out right now, so I need you to honor my request and stay the hell away from me for a bit until I can get this under control."

"How long are you going to be gone?" Mary Margaret questioned as her eyes brimmed with tears.

"I honestly don't know. Just take care of the kid and keep your distance from me; I mean it!" the savior ordered before she strode out the door and left a stunned Mary Margaret behind.