So sorry for the delay, our power got cut for a few hours (yet one more reason to hate my government, ugh!) so I wasn't able to upload this as early as I would have liked. It's a bit of a filler chapter but I'll try and make the next one extra awesome for you guys.
Again: Characters are not mine
Chapter 7
When Henry opened the door to Regina's room, he faltered, worry overtaking him as he looked at his mother, her eyes were closed and her chest rose and fell steadily with her breaths, as if she were merely sleeping, her condition only evidenced by the sickly pale hue of her skin and the sounds coming from the several machines that surrounded her. Robin sat by her side, holding one of her hands to his lips with both of his, his eyes never leaving her sleeping form. He didn't even notice Henry was in the room until he spoke.
"How's she doing?" he asked, and Robin jumped at the sound of his voice.
"Oh! Hello, lad. She's resting, I don't think she's in pain," he replied, and Henry nodded as he made his way to the other side of the bed and gently patted Regina's head.
"You can go home, I'll stay with her."
"I'm quite alright," Robin said, not even turning his head.
"Roland will be worried. Go get some rest and you can bring him to see her tomorrow when she wakes up," Henry insisted, and though Robin wanted to argue, he couldn't, nodding at Henry instead and placing a last, lingering kiss on Regina's hand before getting up and shuffling his way outside, pausing by the door to look back at them and smiling a little when he noticed that Henry had taken his place in the chair.
He passed Emma and Killian on his way out of the hospital, but didn't stop to talk to them, merely giving Emma a quick wave and hurrying out the big double doors before his resolve failed. He couldn't go back to his place though, not yet. He needed time to breathe, to collect his thoughts, so instead, he went back to the forest, desperately trying to find something, anything, that would give him a clue as to what had happened, hoping he'd run into the shadowed silhouette Emma had mentioned. However, when it got dark and he still had nothing to show for his search, Robin decided to put it off until the next day.
When he got home, it was to find Roland asleep in the window seat in his room, his messy hair covering his face and blowing slightly whenever he exhaled. The sight made Robin smile.
"I tried to move him to the bed, but he just got right back up and sat there," Marian said from the doorway while Robin picked the boy up carefully so as not to wake him. When he put him on the bed, he stirred.
"Papa?" he asked sleepily, instantly perking up when he heard his father reply.
"Yes, son. I'm here, it's alright."
"Did you find her?" he asked, and his voice broke a little.
"We did. She's sick from being out in the cold, but she'll be fine," Robin said, still marveling at how relieved he was to hear those words.
"Can we see her?" Roland asked, sitting up in his bed.
"Not tonight, Roland. She's sleeping, but we can go tomorrow, if she's feeling better."
The boy seemed appeased by that, nodding and hugging his father before cuddling up in his bed again and drifting off to sleep. Robin planted a kiss on his forehead and closed the door behind him, making his way to his own bedroom, where Marian was getting ready for bed.
"Everything alright?" she asked.
"Something attacked her, we don't know what it was. She was passed out on the ice when I found her and the cold, it… it could have killed her, but we got to her in time."
"That's… good," Marian replied, not knowing what else to say.
"I know we have to talk, but it's been an exhausting day, and—" he began, but his wife immediately started shaking her head at him.
"No, no, it's fine, I understand. We can talk tomorrow," she finished, and he gave her a grateful nod and stripped, changing into his sleeping clothes while she snuggled up in her side of the bed.
Robin went into the bathroom, resting his hands against the sink and taking deep breaths before looking at his reflection in the mirror. He was so tired, the full extent of the day's events catching up to him at last. He could've lost her. The sight of Regina's cold, limp body was burned into his memory, and his mind would not stop revisiting the image even as he splashed some water on his face and rubbed his eyes. He forced himself to think of the way he had last seen her, sleeping peacefully with Henry by her side, and it seemed to calm him down enough to go about his nightly routine. The fact that she was alive and safe from harm served as a balm to sooth the ache that had settled in his soul since the moment he'd found out she was missing.
Walking back into his bedroom, he noticed Marian was already asleep, and try as he might, he just couldn't lie next to her. Not tonight. He grabbed a spare blanket and his pillow and went to the living room, setting himself up on the couch, the thought of seeing Regina awake soon lulling him to sleep.
LINE BREAK
The smell woke her up in the middle of the night. It was stale and synthetic and strange, not like the soft, sweet apple scent of her house. Her eyes were so heavy that it took her several tries to be able to open them and when she managed it, she did so slowly.
A dull white glow from a lamp in the hallway was the only source of light in the room, but paired with the moonlight streaming through the window, it was enough for Regina to take in her surroundings and realize she was at Storybrooke Hospital. Everything hurt. It was like someone had taken a sledgehammer to her very bones, her entire body screaming as needles of pain began to register all over it, and she was cold, shivering even while covered in fluffy blankets. Her hand felt warm, though, and looking down she realized it was because Henry was holding it while he slept on a chair next to her, his head on the bed by her leg. Regina smiled at her son through tearful eyes and slowly moved her other hand to thread it in his hair, massaging his head gently as a lone, salty drop fell down her cheek.
"Henry," she gasped out, her voice broken and raspy. It took the boy a minute to wake, but when he did, he jumped up instantly.
"I'm gonna go get Dr. Whale," he said hurriedly, but Regina shook her head, flinching at how much it hurt when she did.
"Not yet," she said, and Henry shook his head, insisting.
"We need him to check on you, I'll be back soon," he replied, but Regina squeezed his hand before he could remove it from hers.
"Please," she rasped, looking deep into his eyes, silently begging him to let her have this. He nodded at last and then collapsed on the bed as he hugged her.
"I was so scared I would lose you," he whispered shakily into her ear, which only made her hug him tighter, even though it hurt to move.
"It's okay, I'm okay," she kept saying, her hand rubbing his back up and down in an attempt to comfort him. She had expected him to start asking questions immediately, but he didn't. Instead, he cuddled next to her on the bed and draped his arm across her middle, snuggling his head on her chest as she wrapped her arm around him, wincing a little when she accidentally pulled on her IV line. The hospital bed was a bit too small for the two of them, and Regina knew he must be uncomfortable as he crammed himself in what little space was available, but he didn't seem to care, and in all honesty, neither did she. The feeling of having her son back in her arms was too wonderful to pass up. Henry then brought one of the blankets that had slid down her body when she moved and threw it over both of them, taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes.
"I love you, mom," his grip on her tightened a little when he said it.
"I love you too, Henry," Regina replied softly, resting her cheek on the top of his head and letting herself drift off to sleep once again.
LINE BREAK
The next morning, Regina woke up with Henry still curled at her side. She placed a kiss on his forehead and took a deep breath, just enjoying having him there with her.
A few minutes later, an elderly nurse came into the room and checked the readings on the machines surrounding Regina.
"Oh good, you're awake. That was quite a scare you gave us, your majesty, but I'm happy to report that you'll be back to top form in no time," she told her in a low voice, so as not to wake Henry, and Regina nodded and thanked her. The nurse then smiled tenderly at them.
"He's a good boy. Ms. Swan kept trying to get him to go home last night and rest, but he wouldn't have it, said he was not leaving this hospital until you did. The prince offered to stay with him," the nurse then tilted her head towards the couch, where David was fast asleep. Regina had not noticed him there when she'd woken up the night before, too caught up in being able to hold Henry again to care about anything else.
"When can I go home?" she asked, and it felt like darts were stabbing her throat as she spoke.
"You'll have to ask Dr. Whale, but I'd say two, three days tops," she said cheerfully as she took her leave, letting her know the doctor would be in shortly.
Regina felt Henry stir and then yawn as he cuddled closer to her, opening his eyes and smiling at his mother.
"Hi," he said sleepily.
"Hi, there," she whispered, smiling back at him.
"Did you sleep well? I didn't crush you, did I?" he asked, worried again. Regina stopped him from getting up, hugging him closer.
"It was the best sleep I've had in a long time," she told him.
"That was because of the meds, though," he teased, and she shook her head with a smile on her face.
"You shouldn't have been out there alone," Henry said then, his tone growing serious.
"Henry…" she began, but he kept talking.
"I get that you're sad, mom, but facing something dangerous on your own is not going to help make things better, you should have taken someone with you."
"He's right, you can't just go off on your own for something like that, Regina," came David's tired voice from the couch as he woke up and began to stretch. She'd forgotten he was there.
"And just what gives you the right to dictate what I can and can't do?" she fired back at him, though her weak voice failed to have the authoritarian effect she was looking for.
"He is my grandson, I don't want him to lose his mother," David said firmly, and her anger lapsed momentarily as she basked in his recognition of her relationship with Henry. None of the Charmings had ever really acknowledged her to be his mother until now. She turned to her son.
"Henry, this had nothing to do with me being sad, I just wanted to see what was happening, and I'd rather not have to put someone else's life at risk."
"Well I'd rather you didn't put your life at risk. No more going into the forest alone, okay?" he asked, his voice stern. Regina opened her mouth to argue, but something about the way Henry was looking at her made the words catch in her throat, so she closed her mouth and nodded instead.
"I promise," she said when she finally spoke.
"What happened, anyway?" David asked, rubbing his eyes as he got up from the couch and walked over to them.
"I'd rather not discuss that right now," she said, feeling her eyelids droop.
"Go back to sleep, mom, I'll be here when you wake up," her son said, taking his place at the chair by her bed again.
"Why don't you go home instead? You can take a proper nap in your own bed, eat something, and then you can come back," his mother said, lifting her head to look at him.
"She's right, Henry. Besides, I'm sure Emma and Snow would like to see you," David said.
"Grandpa, I told you yesterday, I'm not leaving until she does."
"Henry, I'd feel much better if I knew you're well. Staying cooped up in this hospital can't be good for you," Regina added.
"Mom, I'm fine, and I'm staying with you," Henry said, determined not to leave her side. Regina simply let out of a breath and let her head fall back on the pillow.
"Fine, you win, but only because I'm too tired to argue right now," she said with a bit of quiet amusement in her voice as Dr. Whale walked into the room.
"I don't know what the hell you were doing out there, but you're lucky to be alive right now," he said by way of greeting.
"Leave the chastising or another time, Whale, and just tell me when I can go home," she rasped as she watched him check the machines.
"Vitals look fine, blood pressure seems stable, but I'm keeping you under observation for the next two days. If all goes well, you can go home on Thursday. And no, not a day sooner," he said when she started to argue, "I don't care that you're the queen, right now you're my patient, and what I say goes, you're staying here."
"Fine," she huffed, letting her eyes close again as he walked out of the room.
"Such a snappy fellow, isn't he?" David asked with a laugh.
"His insolence would cost him dearly if I could move," Regina replied, but both David and Henry could tell she didn't really mean it.
"I'm going home to check on Snow and the baby, I'll stop by Granny's on the way back here to get you some soup, I have a feeling hospital food is not your thing," David said with a grin, "Henry, are you alright staying here on your own for a little while?"
"I'll be fine," the boy replied, nodding at his grandfather.
"Okay, I'll be back later with breakfast. Call my cell if you need anything," he replied, making his way out the door.
"David?" Regina called from her bed.
"Yes?" he asked, popping his head back in.
"Thank you… for spending the night so that Henry could stay with me," she replied, and felt a knot form in her throat as she realized how much she meant it. David gave her a small smile and a nod before he finally left the room.
LINE BREAK
He was holding her at last. He had run who knows how many miles, but he'd reached her, right before she disappeared. Her scent was sweet and intoxicating, her smile blinding as he looked down at her and marveled at how perfectly she fit against him. She was wearing a heavy, red velvet coat, her body clad in black leather under it, her posture displaying her as every bit the queen that she was, but her hair was short, her face soft and devoid of the heavy makeup that usually accompanied the lush outfits. She was the queen and she was Regina and she was his. He wanted to shout it to the heavens even as he held her hands in his to his chest and leaned down ever so slowly to touch his lips to hers.
"Papa," someone whispered in his ear. He tried to shut the voice out and hold on to his dream, where the ends of her silky hair danced between his fingers and the feel of her hands on his skin overwhelmed him, the softness of her lips taking over his entire world.
"Papa," the voice said again, and this time he felt something poking his bare shoulder.
"Papa wake up," the voice was a bit louder now, the poking more insistent.
"Roland, what is it?" Robin asked, eyes still closed.
"The sky's awake," his son whispered. Robin opened one eye and caught a tiny ray of sunshine coming in through the curtains on the living room window. He scrunched up his nose, rubbing his face with one hand.
"It's early, son," too early, Robin thought.
"You said we could go see Regina," Roland whispered back. He had now climbed on the couch and was resting his chin on his father's chest with a pout.
Robin took a deep breath and shook his head, he should have known. Roland had been so worried about Regina, of course he would want to go see her as soon as he woke up.
"Papa," his son whispered again when he noticed Robin wasn't moving.
"Go get ready while I make breakfast and then we can go, alright?" his father whispered back. Roland quietly got off the couch and padded to his room, leaving Robin to ponder about the previous day's events. There was so much turmoil in his heart, he couldn't make out what it was that he was feeling, but he was sure about one thing, no matter how hard he tried, he would never be able to let Regina go. He was a fool to ever think his feelings for Marian would return to what they used to be, and he felt horrible for knowing that the intensity with which he had once loved her would probably never come back. He couldn't just leave her, and he couldn't just show up and tell all this to Regina either, especially not now when she was so weak and there was probably a new enemy on the loose. Hell, he wasn't even sure what he was thinking of doing, all he knew was that his feelings for Regina were stronger than anything he'd ever felt, and it scared him and thrilled him all at the same time.
A/N:
Like I said, filler chapter, but I hope the little bits of Regal Believer helped! And it seems Robin is finally catching on to what we all know! =)
Also a heads up! GISHWHES starts tomorrow and if it's anything like last year, it's gonna be a hectic week. I'll try to keep to the update schedule but just know that if I don't, I'll get to it as soon as the hunt is over. BTW, if any of you would like to help my team and I out with GISHWHES, that'd be great too! My twitter name is also verkaiking and a link to my Tumblr is on my profile, so just find me on either of those and let me know if you're up for it! It's gonna be awesome.
I've noticed reviews are down, but the Favorite and Followers counts just keep rising so I just wanna give a big, massive THANK YOU to those of you who are reading and enjoying this story, it means more than you can possibly know.
I'd also love to give a big shoutout to AddieGreysPPPEvilRegal for leaving me the sweetest review yet! Literally made me smile like an idiot, so thank you for that!
See you next week!
-B
