Title: Eternally Missed
Category: TV Shows » Once Upon A Time
Author: Alwaysbringback-up
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T (for language)
Genre: Suspense/General

Rescue Me

Pairing: SwanQueen

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the OUAT universe. All characters belong to the show's creators, Eddie and Adam. I promise that my writing is done purely for recreational purposes only. No ill harm is intended.

A/N: Here's the next chapter! I hope you like it.

When Elsa closes her eyes and then nods, Regina takes her hand and they vanish in a puff of purple smoke. When Regina opens her eyes - she's a little shocked that she even closed them to begin with - Regina lets out a gasp, as she's met with the sight of Emma for the first time in weeks. She hadn't realized how much she's missed the blonde until this moment.

"Emma!" Regina gasps as she rushes forwards, toward where the blonde is laid out on the bed. There's no doubt in her mind that Elsa was right. Emma is only just on this side of death. The pallor of her skin is as white as the sheets covering her.

Anna and Kristoff tentatively back away from where they have been tending to Emma, and Regina pushes her way passed them, setting her case on the bedside table before she sits down on to the mattress next to the blonde. Emma looks so vulnerable and devoid of the life that Regina's used to seeing that it's almost hard to swallow. In fact, it feels like someone is playing a really bad joke on her. Regina reaches out involuntarily, her fingers brushing back the damp hair away from Emma's eyes in a gentle caress.

Regina gasps and retracts her hand, as if burned, and Regina reckons that that's exactly what has happened, because Emma is burning up. The blonde's skin feels as if it has been recently forged in a fire. Emma's hair is damp, and drenched in sweat.

"How long has she been like this?" Regina asks urgently, concern lacing her voice.

"Since it happened," Anna answers, "Kristoff and I have tried everything that we could to get the fever down, but we've had little success."

"Has she regained consciousness?" Regina inquires, as she continues her ministrations, brushing several damp, errant strands of blonde hair away from Emma's face. Everything suddenly feels ominous, and Regina isn't sure that she can fix it.

"No," Anna says softly. "Not since it happened."

"She has been making noises, though" Kristoff offers, "Like she's talking in her sleep. Only…I can't quite figure out what's she's saying. It's all in a language I've never heard before."

Regina's brows furrow at the news, as her forehead creases with worry. There was no way that this was a simple poisoning. Regina can feel a pain in her chest building.

Her attention is turned back towards the blonde as she can hear Emma's labored breaths.

Regina swallows hard as her hands reach for the sheet covering Emma, and starts to peel it back. It becomes clear, as she does, that the upper half of Emma's body is naked. Regina genuinely doesn't want her first glimpse of Emma to be like this.

Regina doesn't want it to be happening like this. But she has no choice. She has to assess the damage before she can work. Regina's hands begin to move purposefully now, to the thick bandage rolled over Emma's chest and shoulder. With quickened, sure movements, Regina carefully unwraps and pulls away the bandage. She can't help but wince at what she finds. It's a gruesome wound, and Regina feels a pain seize her chest in sympathy. My god, the pain alone must be terrible.

"Oh, god, Emma," Regina breathes, as her fingers trace the greenish black lines spidering from the epicenter of the wound over the right half of Emma's chest and shoulder. It's clear, now, that the blonde only has minutes to live, and even that is starting to seem like a generous estimate.

"It's nearly reached her heart," Regina's speaks aloud.

"Can you save her?" Elsa asks as she appears beside Regina.

"I assure you, I have no intention of letting Emma die," Regina snaps. "She doesn't get off of the hook that easily."

"Off the hook for what?" Anna blurts out from her position a few feet away.

"For leaving us," Regina whispers, with tears building in her eyes. She can feel them prick at her eyes, and isn't sure she can hold them back. The brunette shakes her head then, telling herself to get a grip. Emma needs her to be strong. The blonde's life might very much depend on her ability to think clearly.

Regina clears her throat, and steels her nerves. Regina can see only one way to save the blonde. She doesn't like it…not at all, but she has to buy the blonde some time.

"What is about to happen isn't pretty," Regina warns everyone in the room, her face contorting at the thought. "Leave us."

"But…." Elsa has the nerve to protest before she's smart enough to catch herself. "Anna, Kristoff," she says as she nods to them. "Let's give Regina some space." The three of them are halfway across the room, when Regina speaks.

"Wait. Ice Princess," Regina says. "I need you to stay. I need your help." Regina has to respect the blonde's bravery when she comes back to Emma's side without any hesitation.

"Take her hand," Regina commands. "I need you to cool her down. Her fever is too high. I need her lucid enough to understand what is happening." Elsa nods, and starts casting. Regina watches as the place where Elsa's hand is joined to Emma's begins to frost over. Elsa's other hand, which is placed over Emma's head, is having similar results, and Regina has to admit that Elsa's magic has its uses.

The first sign that Emma's coming to, is the long drawn out groan that passes from her lips. Then the blonde's eyes start to flicker beneath her eyelids. Tentatively, Regina picks up a washcloth from the basin next to the bed, and begins to soothingly brush away the stale sweat from Emma's now clammy face, and neck. This seems to rouse Emma, further.

"Emma, dear," Regina's voice is firm, "I need you to wake up now." Regina swallows, as her thumb sweeps over Emma's cheek in a soothing gesture. "I know you can hear me. Just follow my voice, Emma. Come on…"

"Why isn't it working?" Elsa's voice cuts in.

"Just give it a minute," Regina snaps, "Like everything else, this takes time."

"Time is something we don't have," Elsa says pointedly. "If the poison reaches her heart, she's as good as dead."

"Don't you think I know that?!" Regina shouts. "Now will you just quiet down, and let me work?!" Elsa swallows hard, and clenches her jaw, resolving to follow the brunette's instructions.

"Emma," Regina whispers, "Please don't do this to me, love. You need to wake up now."

Soon enough, vibrant green eyes are flickering open. For a long moment, Emma looks confused.

"Emma?" Regina says softly. "Emma, hey, you with me?"

"Re-gina," Emma's breath hitches. "What's going on? What are you doing here? Am I…"

"Dead? Hallucinating?" Regina finishes for her softly. "No, darling. I…I'm here. Elsa came for me. I came to help."

"Help with what?" Emma says groggily as she starts to push herself up in bed.

"I…I wouldn't do that," Regina admonishes as she places a hand over Emma's heart.

Of course, with Emma being as stubborn as a mule, the blonde doesn't listen. It isn't until she feels the blinding pain shoot across her chest and shoulder that she yields, and falls back onto the pillows with a hoarse scream.

"I told you not to do that," Regina says softly. "The pain must be excruciating."

"You must be loving this," Emma mutters, her voice overflowing with agony. And Regina winces. It feels as if the blonde has just slapped her. "You finally get to say that you told me so."

"You think I enjoy watching you suffer?" Regina practically whispers. "Emma, I care about you. I…I never wanted this for you…"

"Not even when I first came to Storybrooke, and threatened to take Henry away from you?" Emma questions.

"Not even then," Regina confirms. "Although I have to say that I didn't mind the idea of putting you in eternal slumber. You talked too much."

"Hah," Emma almost laughs, but then the pain has her groaning and sinking down even further into the pillows. Emma lifts a hand to her face, scrubbing at it as she chokes back moans of agony.

"The whole way here, I was afraid that you'd be dead before I made it to you," Regina confesses. Emma's hand falls away, and the blonde's green eyes seek out Regina's. As emerald green meet warm chocolate brown, she knows Regina is telling the truth.

"I'm sorry," Emma says quietly. "I'm sorry for all of this. I…I'm sorry I left and didn't come back."

"It's okay," Regina, replies with a sad smile. "I…I'm the one that drove you away."

Regina does something that even she doesn't expect, then. She sets the washcloth back in the basin and leans forwards. She closes her eyes and presses her forehead against Emma's, so that she's nearly close enough to kiss. Emma closes her eyes.

"I came to fix you and bring you back home," Regina whispers, "Henry misses you, Emma. I…I miss you. I lied, when I said that I didn't care if you didn't come home. It's been killing me, not having you there. I need you."

"Th-Thank you," Emma says as she reaches up with her good hand to caress Regina's cheek. "Thank you for finally telling me how you feel."

"Emma, I…" Regina feels her throat closing up. "I want you to know. I'm not going to stand in the way of your happiness. If you want to be with Elsa, then I…I understand."

Emma opens her eyes to meet chocolate brown. She sees the war waging in Regina's eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Emma says quietly.

"I just want you to be happy," Regina says sadly. "I'm sorry," Regina breathes as they pull apart. "I feel like this is my fault somehow. I…I should have been there," Regina's voice cracks under her emotion.

"Hey, It's okay," Emma says softly, as her eyes meet Regina's expressive brown orbs.

"I just want you to know," Regina explains, "About the Storybook page. It wasn't because I don't care about you. It's just… after Robin I…"

"I know," Emma says softly, weakly. "Regina, it's okay."

"No…" Regina whispers, "None of this is okay, Emma." Regina sighs. "I'm no good at this sort of thing, but I…I care about you, Emma. There's no denying that any longer."

"Regina," Emma says with a weak smile. "That was never in question. You're my friend. That isn't dependent on whether or not you are willing to admit it."

Emma's eyes close for just a moment. At least that's what Emma tells herself, but she realizes when she feels Regina's hand sting the flesh of her cheek that it must have been for longer, because Regina's pleading.

"Stay with me, Emma," she commands. "If you die on me, I swear that I'll never forgive you."

"Ugh," Emma groans as she feels everything lurch around in a sickening, dizzying way. "Wh-What happened?"

"Just hang on," Regina orders, "Don't leave."

"I'm here…I…I'm not going anywhere," Emma tries to assure her, but Regina can tell that Emma is losing the battle. The sinuous lines stretching across Emma's chest have grown an inch or so in these last few minutes.

"Evidence suggests the opposite," Regina says a heartbeat later. "Emma, I need to…"

"Don't tell me," Emma says, cutting Regina off. "Just do whatever you have to."

"You don't understand," Regina says, as she looks into Emma's eyes, "I need your permission for this. I…I need to pull out your heart. If the poison reaches it, then there's nothing even I can do to save you. We're out of time."

"Take it, Regina," Emma says, then. "I…I'm not good at this stuff, either, but I care about you too," Emma says as her eyes bore deep into Regina's. "And I trust you." Regina gasps at the admission, her breath hitching in her lungs.

"This is going to hurt, " Regina says, her eyes misting with tears. It's déjà vu all over again. It is every bit like what happened with Marion. And it's killing her to think that she has to do this to someone she cares about.

"I know," Emma says.

"No," Regina says as she shakes her head. "You… You've never felt pain like it before, Emma." Then, Regina says regretfully, "God, I don't want to hurt you."

"Just be quick about it," Emma says, "You know…just make it quick, like when you're ripping off a band-aid."

"I assure you," Regina says with a sad smile, "It's a lot worse than ripping off a band-aid."

"Well, I know that, silly," Emma says as she rolls her eyes. "Just…" Emma's words cut off harshly as Regina's hand plunges into Emma's chest. For a moment, Regina feels the pain as acutely as if someone's hand is plunging inside of her own chest, but then Regina comes to her senses and wraps her fingers around Emma's heart and pulls back, feeling the heart pulse in her clutched fist. For a second, she expects that she won't be able to pull it out, and that somehow the same magic that protected Emma's heart from Cora will protect it from her as well. But then, there's a terrible squelching sound, as Emma's heart is ripped free of her chest by Regina's hand. Regina doesn't know whether to be horrified or amazed, as she realizes that Emma must have been telling the truth. The blonde truly trusts her with her life. It's the only explanation.

In that same moment, Emma's eyes roll up in her head, and the blonde starts seizing. Regina feels a paralyzing fear take over as she realizes that she might have waited too long.

With her free hand, Regina grabs Emma by the jaw, trying to make Emma's eyes meet hers.

"Emma? Emma, look at me!" Regina cries, "Emma, look at me!" Regina can't keep the fear out of her voice as she screams, "Don't you dare die on me!"

Without meaning to, Regina's other hand squeezes the heart clutched in its grasp, and Emma's accompanying scream is one that will stay with Regina forever. As a consequence, Regina reflexively drops the heart onto the bedspread, trying to hold Emma down as she thrashes on the bed.

"Help me!" she screams at Elsa. "Elsa, help me!"

The blonde Ice Queen rushes forwards and helps Regina hold Emma down. Emma continues to seize for another minute before Emma finally falls still.

Elsa places her hand over now empty space where her heart used to be, and channels.

"Come on, Emma," Elsa pleads, as she places a kiss to Emma's forehead. "Be strong. Just hang on a little longer." Regina watches the whole scene, with a surge of jealousy.

Regina clambers off of the bed, turning her back on the scene.

"Stay with her," Regina commands, as she grabs her case. "I need to mix the antidote. And I need to be alone for a minute. I need to…"

"Anna will take you to your room," Elsa offers. Regina scarcely hears her as she rushes for the door, clutching the handle of her bag hard enough to turn her knuckles white.

It is many hours later that Regina finishes the antidote. The making of the potion is laborious, and Regina knows that if she's neglected any detail, she could be sentencing Emma to a horrible horrible death.

She hears a soft knock and looks up just in time to see Elsa walking in with a food tray.

"In case you're hungry," she says in explanation.

"Don't you have servants for that?" Regina snaps, her words harsher than necessary. Regina sighs and then lifts a hand, rubbing at the tension in her forehead.

"I wanted to make sure you're okay," Elsa admits, "I know that Emma would want me to."

"I'm fine," Regina says shortly, then sighs. "No…No, I'm not okay," Regina admits. "But it doesn't matter. The potion is done. We'll know soon enough if it's worked, but I'm going to need some help getting it down Emma's throat, first."

"You should eat something," Elsa persists.

"Thanks, but I'm really not hungry," Regina argues as she holds up the vial. "Well, we best get to it."

With Elsa's help, she manages to pour the foul concoction down Emma's throat. With a spell, she attempts to draw the rest of the poison out of the wound, and close it. She is only marginally successful.

She doesn't know why she expects the reaction to be immediate, as if Emma's eyes will suddenly spring open and the blonde will insist she's fine and wrestle her way out of bed. But as more and more time passes, Regina realizes that it's just not going to happen.

Regina's head sinks into her hands, as she holds her breath. She can't look at Emma, anymore. It's too painful to see the usually vibrant blonde like this. What if it doesn't work? Regina looks up as she feels a hand on her shoulder.

Elsa offers her some tea, and Regina gratefully accepts.

"Thank you," Regina says, but through no fault of her own, the words sound hollow and empty.

"I'm sorry," Elsa says a while later, as silence looms between them. "It should be me lying there," she says, her voice full of a guilt so sincere that Regina felt sympathy for her. "That arrow was meant for me."

"But it's not you lying there, is it?" Regina bites out, but her voice sounds less accusatory than she intends for it to, instead it just sounds altogether defeated.

"I didn't even realize what was happening," Elsa sighed, "Emma apparently noticed something I didn't because she shoved me out of the way just before the arrow struck. Then, all hell broke loose." Regina is silent, speechless as the scenario flashes through her head in a sort of dizzying fury.

"Did you get the guy who did it?" Regina asks.

"Yes," Elsa confirms. "He's in the dungeon."

"I want to see him," Regina requests, but it sounds less like a request and more like a demand.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Elsa hedges.

"Why?" Regina questions, "Are you afraid I'll rip out his heart and crush it?"

"Actually," Elsa confirms, "That's exactly what I'm afraid of."

"He deserves to pay for what he's done," Regina argues.

"And he will," Elsa replies, "Just not in the way you might want him to." This only earns a growl from Regina.

"Regina," Elsa says a moment later, when a heavy silence builds between them. "I need you to understand something. When I asked her to stay and help me unify the kingdom, I never thought that it could end up costing Emma her life," Elsa says morosely, "I never wanted that."

"Well, saving people is what she does," Regina says finally, in response. "She saves people…even Evil Queens who don't deserve it."

"You're not evil, Regina," Elsa protests. And Regina laughs, then.

"If only you knew the things that I fantasized about doing to you when I discovered you were trying to take Emma from me," Regina says in explanation a moment later.

"Wait…" Elsa says in disbelief, "What? What are you talking about?"

"You and Emma," Regina sighs. "You want her to stay here and be your right hand."

"How do you know about that?" Elsa argues.

"I see the way you look at her," Regina speaks calmly, "I…I saw you two at the ball. You kissed her." The last few words hold an undeniable edge to them, and Elsa looks towards Regina. She can see the guardedness, and restraint in the brunette's posture.

"Whoa! Hold on a second. You're jealous…!?" Elsa says as if she's completely bewildered. "You honestly think that I'm trying to take her from you?"

"I…I don't know what to think," Regina admits.

"I assure you. It's not what you think," Elsa says exasperatedly. "Emma and I are close. I won't deny that! But we're not close in the way you think! She…She has feelings for you."

"And how do you feel about her exactly?" Regina asks.

"Regina," Elsa sighs, not sure how much she can say to the brunette. "I'm not sure that it's something that I should talk about."

"I…I'm just trying to understand," Regina utters in frustration. "It…It's been eating me apart for days," Regina confesses. "I…I genuinely care about Emma, but I'll happily step aside for you, if it means that she'll be happy."

"Regina, the kiss didn't mean anything. We were both hurt, lonely," Elsa recounts. "And perhaps we'd both had a little too much to drink."

"But what about your relationship with her in Storybrooke?" Regina questions. "I saw how close you became while you were there. It's like she couldn't be without you. Are you really telling me that she feels nothing for you."

"She was scared!" Elsa recounts. "Her magic was raging out of control, and she didn't know how to stop it. She was so devastated by the notion that she had inadvertently hurt Henry that she was willing to risk death to get rid of her magic," Elsa says passionately, through labored breaths. "And I know how that feels… My parents tried to teach me to conceal my magic, to repress it, and it nearly destroyed me. I thought they were scared of me, and I know that Emma felt that way, too. She knew that David and Mary Margaret didn't mean to feel that way, but it doesn't matter…. all that matters is that they did. Emma saw the way they looked at her, and she felt alone…alienated. But I was able to show her that it was okay. I was able to help her realize that her magic made her special, and that she shouldn't conceal or repress it."

"I could have done that," Regina says, her voice strained.

"You could have," Elsa confirms, "But where were you, Regina? Where were you when Emma needed you?"

"You don't know what you're talking about," Regina finds herself shouting as she suddenly on her feet.

"You know I'm right," Elsa says just as angrily. Regina lets out a growl, but then catches herself and closes her eyes. She slowly counts to ten, taking deep breaths. When she reaches the end, she opens her eyes, and faces the blonde once more.

"I…I may have gotten caught up in my own quest for happiness," Regina concedes. "But I care about, Emma."

"Look," Elsa says as she sits down next to Regina. "I'm not doubting that. And believe me when I say that I understand how easy it is to get caught up in yourself. But…if you ever want to pursue a relationship with Emma, you need to understand that it's a cooperative effort. You need to be there for eachother. And…after this, she's going to need you."

"Damn," Regina says with a laugh, a moment later. "I wanted to hate you, so much, when I thought that you were taking her away from me, but I get what it is that she sees in you. I really do. You're a good person."

"Regina, I promise you…I'm not trying to keep you from Emma!" Elsa promises a moment later, her face flushed in sympathy. "I...I'm trying to tell you that I care about Emma like a sister," Elsa huffs, "A sister. Not anything more, and not anything less."

"A sister," Regina repeats hollowly. "But you already have one."

"And I love Anna more than anything," Elsa offers, "But I love Emma too." Then. "Regina," she says truthfully. "I promise I have no intention of keeping her from you." The expression on Regina's face must betray her feelings of skepticism, because Elsa takes a shuddering breath. "Okay…so I might have intended to before," she admits, "But that was when I thought you broke her heart, and before I realized that you love her."

"I don't love…" Regina started to argue, but then chokes back the rest of her words. They both knew it was a lie, and there was no point in denying it anymore.

"I think it would be foolish of either of us to claim we did not love her," Elsa says softly. "We both want what's best for her. We're both willing to do just about anything to make her happy." Regina nods, happy that they're able to agree on one thing.

"Regina," Elsa says after a building silence, "I think that you should take her home, where she'll be safe."

"Hah!" Regina bursts out, laughs suddenly bubbling up in her throat. "Do you honestly think that Storybrooke is safe? We deal with more villains and magic than the entirety of your whole kingdom."

"And yet, look at what happened to Emma, while she was here." Elsa says sadly.

"Yeah, well," Regina says in reply, "Emma has a knack for attracting trouble. And this time, it might have just done her in."

"What are you talking about?" Elsa asks as Regina stands up and approaches Emma's lifeless form.

"The poison should have been purged from her system by now," Regina says in explanation, as she starts unbundling Emma's shoulder to examine the wound. What she finds has her sinking down. "Damnit," Regina hisses as hot tears sting her eyes. "It didn't work."

"What?" Elsa says as she hovers over Regina's shoulder, taking in the sight before her. "Oh, no."

"You're right. I…I need to take her home, to Storybrooke," Regina says finally. "Maybe there's something in my things there that can help her. And Henry needs to be near his mother."

"Are you sure that it's safe to move her?" Elsa asks as Regina starts gently rearranging Emma's posture, as she tries to make the blonde more comfortable.

"Well," Regina says with a resigned sigh, "It's not as if things can get much worse."

"I'll get a box to put her heart in," Elsa says quietly, "And have Anna gather the rest of your things." Regina sighs as she sits down next to Emma. Her hand, once again reaches out to Emma. She leans forwards, her forehead brushing against Emma's. Her nose brushes Emma's and Regina thinks of how easy it would be to close the last inch or so, and brush her lips to Emma's.

"You're not allowed to leave," Regina whispers. "Henry needs you." I need you.

A/N: I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. When I first hashed out this chapter, I wrote Regina as being a bit more hostile. But it just didn't feel right. Then, I went back and wrote it again. In the end, I was quite pleased with the Regina's heartfelt conversation with Elsa, and hopefully you are too!

Please let me know what you think? Reviews are always appreciated!

Thanks for reading!