Lu and Renee crossed the town border earlier than Lu had anticipated them arriving. Renee's surgery didn't quite take as long as she forecasted and so they were packed and on the road by 9 AM that morning. It was now closing on 1 in the afternoon and they were rolling into the picturesque little town of Storybrooke. "Oh Lu! This place is simply charming!" Renee exclaimed as she took in the cute little homes and quaint storefronts that lined main street.
They of course pulled into Granny's Bed and Breakfast, which was also a diner and the epicenter for the town. Ruby greeted the strangers with a wide smile. Her eyes drop appreciatively over Lu's tall fit body and her smile widens. "Well then, how can I help you?" Ruby drawls. Lu, oblivious to the obvious flirting by the young brunette said, "I'm looking for Emma Swan. She is the sheriff here?"
"She is our dear sheriff, I think she is out of town for a few days though." Ruby replied absently mesmerized by the biker's crystal blue eyes. Ruby reached out and touched Lu's arm and tried to guide her to the counter. "Why don't you have a seat and I'll have the kitchen whip you up one of Granny's famous bacon burgers. You like bacon? You look like you like bacon." Rubes said with a grin.
Renee slipped under Lu's arm, claiming her as taken and spoke up for the suddenly tongue tied biker. "No, she came back here yesterday with Regina. We came up to see how they were doing." Renee smiled smugly at the young brunette's sudden awareness of her.
"Oh you are the biker who found our Qu- Mayor?" Ruby caught herself.
Lu nodded. "Indeed. Where can I find Emma?" what little patience she had was running low and she felt an urgency to see that Erin was indeed alright.
"She should be up at the mansion, let me call her quick." Ruby took out her phone but Renee stopped her. "We've already tried to call, she isn't answering. How do we get to this 'mansion'?"
"Hang on, I'll call um, someone who can help." Ruby dialed Snow who picked up immediately.
"Hey, um, the biker is here at Granny's. Where's Ems?"
"I'll be down. Trouble with the serum, Regina's in the hospital. I'll explain when I get there." Snow said frantically ushering her grandson into the truck.
"Oh shit." Ruby said then looked at the worried look in Lu's face. "Ok see you soon."
"Sn-Mary Margaret will be down in a few minutes to help you two out. Would you like some hot cocoa while you wait?"
"No." Lu grumbled, but Renee wrapped her hands around her girlfriend and said, "Yes thank you… um I'm sorry what was your name?"
"Oh I'm Red." she flashed a smile at the curt little blonde.
"Nice to meet you Red, that is an interesting name. I'm Renee and this is my girlfriend, Lucy." Lu looked down at the spunky little blonde with pleased surprise. Ruby nodded understanding and directed them to a booth and asked if they would like menus.
Once the waitress retreated Lu leaned over and whispered, "Girlfriend huh?"
"Yes." Renee said with a squeeze of Lu's thigh. "Especially when tall beautiful young girls are throwing themselves at you."
Lu scoffed. "She was not!"
Renee chuckled. "Oh honey, you wouldn't know flirting if it bashed you over the head with a mace." Lu snorted and nodded her agreement. "This is true." She placed her hand over Renee's and slid it up higher on her own thigh. "I like the sound of girlfriend. I just may keep it, flirty waitresses or not."
Renee's face grew serious. "I would like that. Very much." Lucy wrapped her arm around Renee's shoulders and pulled her in, kissing her on the temple.
Snow burst into the diner towing a worried Henry behind her. She looked over the diner and headed straight for the booth the strangers were sitting at. "Hi. I'm Mary Margaret. Emma and Regina are at the hospital.." before she could continue Lu lept up from the booth, anger evident on her dark features. "What happened?" she demanded.
Henry stepped out from behind his Gran and shyly approached the biker. "You found and took care of my mom?" he wrapped his arms around her hips and hugged her. "Thank you for helping her." Lu looked down at the small child hugging her and it was as though the anger she felt got sucked out of her through that embrace. She awkwardly patted him on the head as if he were a dog and mumbled, "Yeah no problem." Renee stood up and addressed the child, "Henry is it? I'm Renee. I was your mommy's doctor in Boston. Everything is going to be okay, alright? Don't worry sweetie."
Henry let go of the stiff biker and turned to the soft spoken doctor. "Oh I'm not worried. My mom helped her remember. We are going to be a family. Everything is going to be how it should be."
Lu looked up at Snow surprised, "She remembered?"
"I'm uncertain of the details, but Henry was there when she passed out. You may follow us to the hospital, I'm sure Emma will be happy you came." Snow said and put her hand on Lucy's forearm.
"Come on Gran! Let's go!" Henry called heading for the door of the diner. Ruby rushed over to where Snow was walking out and hugged her. "If you need anything let me know." she said into her friend's embrace. "Can you take off and come with? I called David but he was out on a call and I know Emma is going to need all the support she can get right now." Ruby nodded and took off her apron, tossing it over the counter. She met a knowing gaze of Granny and followed Snow White out the front door.
Emma was pacing in the waiting area anxious about what Dr. Whale was going to say on Regina's condition.
God what if she doesn't wake up? What if this is the catastrophic incident that kills her? I can't lose her! Oh god, Henry! Jesus, Regina you better wake the hell up I don't want to do any of this without you!
Henry had run ahead of the group in search of his blonde mother. He found her and crashed into her with a giant hug. "It'll be okay mom!" he assured her as she started to cry at the sight of her son. "I know kid. I'm just worried."
"Emma?" Snow was next to enter the waiting room with Ruby, Lu and Renee following behind.
"Mom!" Emma exclaimed and embraced the pixie haired woman as she approached, relieved that her mother had made quick work of picking up her son and making it to the hospital.
Lu looked down at Renee and whispered, "Mom?" Renee whispered back to her, "Henry called her 'Gran' at the diner." This information made Lucy scowl.
Emma met the gaze of Lucy and she realized in that moment she was going to need to tell this woman the truth. The entire truth and she took a deep breath and started to approach the tall dark brunette who looked just as angry as she had sounded on the phone yesterday. "I'm glad you came." Emma started.
"Well I knew this was going to happen." Lu spat at her. Renee tried to calm the biker once more but Lucy wasn't having it. "No, I knew! This was reckless and selfish and stupid Emma!"
"If this was what you think it is I would agree with you!" Emma raised her voice back at the biker standing her ground. "But it isn't! You don't know the whole story!"
"What a fucking surprise!" Lucy yelled at the blonde and Renee cringed as the pixie brunette covered Henry's ears and ushered him to the other side of the room. Lucy continued her tirade, "You had no right! You had no right to do this to her! You put her life in jeopardy! You put her in the hospital Emma!"
"She is fine!" Emma insisted angrily.
"She's NOT fine! She is in a coma! Again! Isn't she?!" Lucy bellowed her own anguish filling her with rage at this irritating woman before her.
Emma's features crumpled as she winced at the brunette's hostility. She wiped the tears that started to stream down her face and defended her actions. "Listen! She remembered! It worked just as I knew it would and she is going to wake up and be my Regina again, so back off!" Emma yelled back.
"You don't know that she will wake up Emma!" Worry filled her raised voice for the first time since the argument broke out.
Emma's defensive posturing deflated and she looked sad at that statement. "She has to Lu." She said in a small sad voice and Lucy heard all of the unspoken reasons why Regina needed to be okay and she put a strong hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Alright. Okay." The tall brunette sighed. "What does the doctor say?"
"He hasn't been out yet, but…" just as she was going to explain their unique situation Dr. Whale cleared his throat and called over the sheriff.
Renee followed behind Emma, she wanted a look at the brunette's chart. "Sheriff, she is comfortable but it looks like she is in another coma. Like the one she suffered when she crossed over the town line. The records I got from Dover Memorial seem to be very similar." Renee cleared her throat and asked to see the woman's chart. "I am her doctor in Boston." she explained as a questioning look was directed at Emma. The sheriff nodded permission and Dr. Whale handed over the clipboard he hand in his hand. Renee' hummed as she flipped through the pages, "Uh what is this?" she pointed toward the explanation of what occurred that morning dictated by Emma to the admitting nurse. Emma shifted her stance and sighed, "Alright well have a seat and I'll explain our crazy lives to you guys, but you need to keep an open mind okay?"
Dr. Whale rolled his eyes and said the sheriff could go see the brunette when she was 'done traumatizing the noob's and he strode off in an impatient huff.
Renee sat down next to Lucy who was patiently waiting for the sheriff to tell her what was going on. "Alright look." Emma started as she paced before the couple. "This place isn't like Boston, or anywhere else on earth."
"It is a very cute town Emma, but what does this have to do with what she drank this morning?" Renee interjected feeling Lucy's anxiety grow.
"Just listen. There is magic here. This town is a town full of what you would consider storybook characters, but they are real. My mom," she pointed over towards her mother, "Is Snow White. My dad is Prince Charming. Regina is the Evil Queen and Dr. Whale is Dr. Frankenstein." She laid it out as plain as day for the lawyer who appreciated the facts. Both women looked at Emma as if she were nuts and Henry came over and shook his head. "Mom you can't just tell them like that." He took out his book from his bag and placed it on Renee's lap. "The Evil Queen, my mom, cast the dark curse and everyone was caught in a time loop and no one aged. That is why my Gran is younger than my mom." He pointed at Emma. "They sent her to this world when she was a baby so she could grow up outside of the curse and come back and save everyone." he stated proudly.
Renee patted the boy on the head and smiled that sad pity smile Emma used to give him once upon a time and Lucy scowled and said nothing. Emma rolled her eyes and walked away. She went to the gift shop and purchased a candle, bringing it back to where her son was showing the blonde how Regina had cast the curse.
"Look. There is magic here." she held the candle and focused the way Regina had taught her and the longer she focused the angrier she got. Lucy scoffed breaking her concentration and pushed the blonde over the edge of anger, her anxiety over Regina and their situation spiralled into fury and the candle lit much to the group's collective surprise. "Ha! See?" Emma exclaimed triumphantly. Then she frowned at Henry, "Why do YOU look surprised kid? You know I have magic!"
"Yeah but mom said you didn't take her magic lessons seriously and 'Miss Swan barely has control of herself, I dare not to hope she'll ever control her magic!'" he mimicked his brunette mother. "Sorry mom." he winced at the hurt look that passed over his blonde mother's face.
Lucy's features softened and Emma knew she was a little more receptive to Storybrooke's truth. She blew out the candle and started at the beginning telling the couple everything.
"So wait, how did you go from being the savior and destroying the Evil Queen to being her fianceé?" Renee asked curiously.
"Yeah about that." The blonde looked embarrassed and Lucy found her anger once more.
"You lied about that too?" the biker exclaimed.
"Okay well technically yes, but I am in love with her Lu." she placed a reassuring hand on the biker's knee. Henry piped up with his trademark optimism. "My mom loves her too."
David Nolan rushed into the waiting room and went to his wife's side. Renee gave Lucy a look as they both noticed the blonde man had a sword fixed to his belt. Emma stood and called out to her father. "Dad!" The blonde man came over and embraced his daughter. "How is she?" He asked as he noticed the strangers sitting with his grandson and he stood a little taller and puffed out his chest.
"Well prince Charming certainly lives up to the hype." Lucy mumbled and Henry and Renee giggled.
Red came over and put her arm around Emma and whispered into her ear and Renee leaned over to Henry, "So who is little miss flirty waitress supposed to be?"
"Oh Ruby is little red riding hood, but the story you know isn't exactly the truth. The reality is all a little different than what is told in this realm." he stated factually. "She is actually the wolf."
Lucy scoffed and Henry called over Ruby. "Red, do the wolf eye thing."
"Really Henry?" Ruby complained.
"Come on Ruby do it!" He begged flashing his pleading puppy dog eyes at her.
Red rolled her eyes and focused on her inner wolf and the couple before her gasped as her eyes changed from emerald green to pale yellow then back again. Lucy stared in amazement and asked. "So you're a wolf?"
"All the better to eat you with my dear." she winked and returned to Emma who was talking to her parents. Renee shifted uncomfortably and Lucy put her arm around her girlfriend and chuckled. "Mace, right?" Renee nodded and laughed sinking into the embrace Lu offered. "That girl is all mace."
Emma came back over to the outsiders who were looking over Henry's book with him and she asked if they were okay. Lu stood and asked if she could go in and see Regina. "I was with her the first time and maybe hearing my voice will help her find her way back, or something." Emma nodded her approval and Lu went towards the room the sleeping beauty was resting in. She was anxious and knew that she would feel better once she laid eyes on the woman.
Erin looked as she did the first time Lucy saw her. Her still face peaceful. Unlike her first coma, Lu had gotten to know and really care for the brunette and the unconscious girl lying in the bed before her was now her friend and Lu felt honest sorrow at the woman's state.
She sat down next to Erin and took her hand. "Hey lazy, it's time to wake up." Lu said with a sad crooked pirate smile. "Everyone is waiting for you Erin." Lucy remembered that Emma said Erin remembered who she was so she corrected herself. "I mean, Regina. Emma told me your story Regina. It is much more fantastical than we ever imagined it could be, huh?" She wiped away a tear that escaped and continued. "At least you're not a Yankee's fan." she chuckled into the quiet room. "The Doc asked me to be her girlfriend you know? She is pretty great. I think I fell in love with her the moment I met her. That is pretty sappy huh?" Lu took a deep breath and then kissed the soft hand she held. "You know Emma is crazy and impulsive and ridiculous, but she loves you, beauty. And I met Henry and he is kind of incredible! He is smart and kind and he misses his mom so, nap time needs to be cut short beauty. Okay?" She leaned over and kissed the sleeping brunette on the forehead.
She stood up and turned to walk out of the room, she was surprised to see Emma standing in the doorway, face etched with worry and damp from tears that streaked down her cheeks. Lu stopped dead in her tracks and was uncertain what she should say or do.
"You were right. I did this to her." Emma covered her face in shame and openly wept. Lu scowled and folded her arms across her chest in an attempt to protect herself from the outpour of emotions.
"I was impatient and rash and I could have hurt her."
"Yes you were and yes you could have, but listen…" Lu pointed to the heart monitor. "Do you hear that? She is alive. She is here and she remembers and most importantly she is alive." Emma took a few steps closer to the still form of her queen.
"She is alive." Emma breathed. "She is going to be pissed I picked her up in a gay bar." Emma turned to look at Lu with proper fright in her eyes. "She'll probably be more pissed about the kissing." Emma blushed bright red at Regina waking and remembering being Erin.
"Did you two… um… " Lucy felt increasingly uncomfortable asking such a personal question of the blonde.
"We didn't, no. I would never do that to her without her complete consent. Erin may have been Regina in some ways, but I want Regina in all ways." She turned back to face the woman in question. "The Evil Queen, the bitchy mayor, my son's mother, and just Regina. I love all of her. I messed up big time and I need to make this right."
"May I ask what happened to make her run off?" Lu asked carefully.
"Her mother came through a portal, from the Enchanted Forest. Cora was kind of really horrible as a human being and she had magic which sort of was a disastrous combination really. And uh, well we didn't know she was here and she manipulated me into thinking Regina killed someone in town and I used magic to see it because I didn't believe it was her. I couldn't, but then I did and I accused her of murder and… oh god Lu, she needs to wake up because I need to apologize for everything. I need to tell her how I feel about her. It made me sick to think she would do that and after I found out the truth, she was gone, and my gut was right and she hadn't killed anyone, I… I just had to find her." Emma approached the side of the bed, still listening to the steady beat of Regina's heart, she caressed the side of Regina's cheek.
"I am hopelessly in love with her." The monitor that was connected to the queen paused ever so briefly. Brief enough the blonde thought she imagined it. Emma sat down on the side of the bed and ran her fingers over the brunette's temple brushing back her hair.
"Reginaaaa"
She nuzzled her face into the side of the brunette's neck, thick chocolate curls tickled her nose and cheeks. She smiled so true her dimples dug trenches on either side of her face that marked deep lines around her mouth. She breathed in Regina's scent, that spicy crisp tang that is distinctly Regina Mills. Tears flowed from Emma's poor dehydrated eye sockets once more.
Lucy quietly exited the room to give the blonde some privacy. Emma felt her world crashing down around her and she could do nothing but beg and pray to any higher entity that existed in this world or the next. "Come back to me. Come back to Henry, Gina. We need you. I… need you… Gina… I love you. I am SO sorry."
The monitor keeping track of Regina's heart skipped under no uncertain terms and Emma leaned over and whispered once again to her love. "You hear me don't you Gina? I love you. Come back to me. Please?" the monitor hiccupped once more and Emma Swan bent down and kissed Regina Mills. As their lips touched, an energy force exploded out from within them, true loves kiss. Emma's eyes snapped open in surprise, but her lips didn't separate from the brunette's lips below her, caramel orbs were looking back at her. She was awake. Emma pulled away in astonishment. "Regina?"
"Miss Swan?" Emma laughed through her tears and grabbed the sides of Regina's head, clawing up her jawline and thumbing her perfect cheekbones.
"You're okay. Oh god, you're okay!" the blonde exclaimed excitedly.
Emma's smile faded as the woman in her arms stiffened up uncomfortably. She searched the dark orbs for something, anything that would tell Emma what the brunette was thinking. Emma sat up and untangled herself from Regina's hair. "What do you remember?"
Emma watched as Regina's eyes clouded over at the memories flooding her mind of the last few days she spent with Emma Swan as Erin Doe.
"Henry?" the brunette asked quietly.
"He's here, he's okay. Do you want him? He'll be so happy you're…" Emma headed toward the door and as she did the magical poof of smoke caught her peripheral vision that caused her to turn around to see that the bed was now empty. "Shit." Emma exclaimed loudly.
Emma's half of the conversation got the attention of Lucy who came into the room where her friend had been resting. "Where is she?" Lu asked incredulously.
"She ran." Emma mumbled. "She remembers and she ran."
"Ran where Emma?"
"I don't know."
"I was right outside the door, no one left." The tall brunette said with irritation.
"She poofed. She could be anywhere."
"Poofed?"
"Magic remember?"
"She can do that? Can you do that?"
"No, she hasn't taught me how yet." Emma mumbled distracted. Her mind racing to where the brunette could have gone. "Dammit. Henry?!" She called out for her son who came running over with high hopes that the force he felt was true loves kiss and that his mom was awake and remembered him. "Did it work?" he asked excitedly looking around the empty room.
"Where would she poof to kid? You know, if she was freaked out about stuff?" Emma asked casually glossing over the details.
"I still say her vault. Her dad is there." he reminded the blonde.
"Okay. Listen, get gran to take you back to the manor, I'll check the vault and if either one of us find her text the other. Deal?" She looked up at her mother who entered the conversation mid way through.
"Okay, Henry honey let's go." Snow ushered the slumped shoulders of the boy away from the other adults.
"Lu you guys can get set up at Granny's B&B, Rubes charge the sheriff's office will ya?"
"Got it Sheriff." Ruby saluted the blonde officer who got an eyeroll in return.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Lu asked. "I mean, I will if you think it will help."
"I appreciate it, but I think she and I need to just talk it out. She's freaking out and well I have a ton of experience with panic running so… you know..." Emma shrugged her shoulders as she trailed off.
"Alright. Call me if you need me." Lu put a comforting hand on the blondes shoulder. "Good luck."
Emma laughed, "Thanks! I'm pretty sure I'm going to need it!" she called as she jogged up the hall and out of the hospital.