I hope all of you enjoyed the holidays! Thank you for all of your reviews! They really make my day!
I loved writing this chapter! Hope you guys enjoy!
Thank you to ladywolf101 for being an awesome beta!
"She has some head trauma and a possible concussion, but nothing too serious. I'm going to keep her overnight just to make sure she's okay," Emma's doctor told Snow and James.
"Thank you, Dr. Whale," James said.
He nodded. "My pleasure." He exited the room, leaving Snow and James alone with an unconscious Emma.
Snow brushed a strand of hair off of Emma's face. "I hope she's okay," she whispered.
James wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him. "She's going to be fine. She's a fighter, just like you."
Snow sighed. "What are we going to do about Henry?"
"Well, now we know that Regina has set up some sort of barrier spell. I don't know much about magic, but we can talk to the fairies tomorrow. Hopefully they can help us come up with a plan."
"I'll stay home tomorrow with Emma. I want her to rest."
James smiled. "I think that's a wonderful idea. But you know, Emma's not the only one who needs rest."
Snow rolled her eyes. "Stop worrying about me. I can take care of myself."
"It's my job to take care of you," he told her as he placed a kiss on her forehead.
She laid her head on his chest. "Do you ever think that we will be able to live our lives in peace?"
"Not until we take care of Regina."
They fell into a silence. They both just stared at Emma, consumed in their own thoughts.
"When do you think we should tell Emma?" Snow slowly asked.
"I don't know. With everything going on with Henry, I don't want to overwhelm her. It's a lot to handle, and I want to ease her into it."
"I don't want to keep secrets. Besides, we won't be able to keep it from her. She is going to figure it out soon enough."
"Why does this have to be so difficult?"
"It's not difficult. It's just complicated. Just like the rest of our lives," she said.
Emma groaned. Her head was killing her, and her whole body ached. She opened her eyes a little, just to find that her vision was blurred. She saw a few shapes move around the room, and heard a familiar voice say her name. She tried to move, but she felt a sharp pain shoot down her back. She groaned again. She could hear her name being said over and over, and she thought that she recognized the speaker. She turned towards one of the shapes, and her vision focused.
"Emma," Snow said.
"Yeah?" the blonde responded, her voice weak.
Snow smiled. She had been waiting at the hospital all night. She had wanted to be there when Emma woke up. Time had pretty much stood still, but her daughter was finally awake. Dr. Whale entered a few minutes later and did a basic check-up. Luckily Emma was responsive and seemed to be just fine. After a few minutes she was able to sit up, and eventually she had returned to her normal self.
"How long do I have to stay here?" she asked.
Dr. Whale looked up from his clipboard. "Well, I think you could go home right now, as long as you have someone to keep an eye on you."
"I'll be with her," Snow stated, earning a nod from the doctor.
"Very well. I'll go fill out the paperwork, and you can get ready to leave."
"Thank you," Emma told him.
He smiled. "My pleasure." He walked out the door, leaving Snow and Emma alone.
"What happened?"
"What do you remember?" Snow inquired.
"Um, I was running, and then I hit something and was thrown through the air. Then I landed on my back and blacked out, but I heard you guys screaming my name."
Snow sighed. "You ran straight into Regina's barrier spell. We're lucky that you only have a minor concussion. You have no idea how terrifying it was. Emma, you can't be reckless like that. You are not going to help Henry if you land yourself in the hospital every five minutes."
"I don't need a lecture from you. I'm a grown woman, and I can make my own decisions, thank you very much," Emma snapped.
"Yes, because almost killing yourself is an AWESOME decision."
"What was I supposed to do? She has my son!"
"Emma, I know that! But your safety is my responsibility as well."
"I don't need you to worry about me! I have been taking care of myself for twenty-eight years!" she yelled. "And Henry's safety is MY responsibility!"
"I know you don't need me to take care of you but I want to! And guess what? Your father and I are just as worried about Henry as you are! Do you know where your father is right now? He is meeting with the fairies to discuss ways to break down Regina's barrier. We want Henry to be safe just as much as you do, and don't you dare suggest that we have no role in his protection. We are a FAMILY Emma, and we take care of each other whether you like it or not."
Emma glared at her mother before standing and walking to the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her. Snow took a deep breath and sat down. She didn't need the stress that came from fighting with Emma.
Emma came out moments later, a scowl on her face. She noticed that there were clean clothes laid out on the bed.
"Your father brought those by." Emma did not feel like talking to her mother right now. She had no idea why, but Snow was just making her angry for no reason. But she was not about to apologize. She wordlessly grabbed the clothes and quickly changed. She looked dreadful, that much was certain, but she didn't really care.
Snow was busy signing some forms that Dr. Whale had just dropped off. She could feel Emma watching her, but she chose not to say anything.
"Where is this meeting with the fairies?" Emma asked.
"You're not going."
"Excuse me?"
"You are going home and getting some rest. You almost killed yourself, and you have a concussion. You are in no state to go out and try to rescue Henry. And don't you dare fight me on this. You're going home and that's final."
Emma clenched her teeth. "You can't tell me what to do. Who do you think you are?"
"Your mother."
Emma glared at Snow the entire time that she was being checked out of the hospital. She slammed her door when her mother refused to let her drive home. She mumbled rude remarks under her breath every few minutes, and made sure to let Snow hear a few of them. She practically had to be dragged into the apartment and she considered bolting, but knew that that was a stupid idea. She immediately went upstairs to her room, making a point of slamming her door so hard that the loft shook a little. Emma was angry at Snow, and she wasn't even sure why. She didn't know if she was mad at her mother, or if she was just taking her anger at Regina out on Snow. Either way, she was angry.
Snow had rolled her eyes every time she caught Emma shooting her a dirty look, every time she heard some rude comment, and every time a door was slammed. She knew that Emma was angry, but she didn't care. Emma needed to stay home right now whether she liked it or not. But Snow knew that that wasn't the only reason Emma was mad. She knew that her daughter was taking her emotions out on her mother simply because she had no one else to take it out on. Snow had lived with Emma for months, and she had seen this act before. She had seen her fair share of broken glasses and toasters. The only difference this time was that Mary Margaret wasn't a passive bystander. Snow had no problem butting heads with Emma. She knew that she was stubborn and said exactly what she thought, making it easy for her to jump into arguments, and it was clear that these traits had been passed down to Emma.
She decided to make some hot chocolate as a peace offering. After all, she was supposed to be taking care of Emma, not causing her more stress. And besides, Snow needed to eliminate as much stress from her own life as was possible.
Just as she was sprinkling the cinnamon on top of their drinks, the doorbell rang. She opened it to find Riley leaning against the doorframe.
"I need to borrow Henry's books," the girl said, completely skipping a greeting.
"Coffee table," Snow stated as she gestured towards the living room. "What do you need them for?"
Riley picked up the books. "There might be something in her that could help us get Henry back."
Snow raised her eyebrows. "How do you know about that?"
"I can sense when things are out of balance."
"Seriously?" Snow asked as she rolled her eyes.
"Fine. Red told me when I went to get breakfast this morning. Oh and by the way, I told my father. He should be stopping by to see Emma soon."
"Thanks for the heads up," Snow told her as she left the apartment.
She grabbed the two drinks and climbed the stairs. She paused at the door and listened for a moment. She could hear the sound of muffled crying. She slowly pushed the door open and tiptoed across the room. She didn't know if she was welcome or not, but she didn't care. Her daughter needed her and she was going to comfort her. She set the mugs down and sat next to Emma's trembling body. She noticed that the blonde was clinging to something, and after a moment she realized that it was Emma's baby blanket. She hesitantly reached towards her daughter and lightly ran her fingers through the blonde curls.
"Leave me alone."
"I'm not going to do that, Emma. You need me."
"No I don't. I'm fine on my own," Emma spat.
"You have been hurt, and I'm here to comfort you. I'm not leaving anytime soon."
"Please just go!"
Snow realized that there was nothing she could do to change Emma's mind. She silently stood and left the room, taking her own mug of cocoa with her. She stood in the kitchen for a few minutes, lost in her own thoughts. She hated fighting with Emma. It made her sick to her stomach. Or maybe it wasn't the fight...
Snow barely made it to the bathroom before she vomited up her entire breakfast.
August knocked on Emma's door. He didn't know what he was going to say to her. All he knew was that he needed to make sure that she was okay.
Snow opened the door and let him in. "She's upstairs. You'll be lucky if she talks to you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that she didn't even want me up there and I'll doubt if she'll let you stay." Snow walked back to the living room and took a seat on the sofa. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
August climbed the stairs, hoping that Emma would talk to him. He truly cared about her, and he wanted her to know that he was here for her. He softly tapped on the door.
"Leave me alone."
"It's August."
He heard movement from behind the door before it was thrown open. "What do you want?"
"I heard about Henry. I wanted to make sure that you're okay."
"My son was taken from me. Do you honestly think that I would be okay?" she asked.
He shook his head. "That's exactly why I'm here. I'm here to support you, Emma."
Her eyes softened. "Thank you. I'm sorry I had to cancel our date."
"Don't even sweat it." He smiled. "Look, Emma, I'm going to help any way that I can. You have my number, call me if you need anything. And I mean anything."
"Actually I need someone to watch the station. Care to be a deputy?"
"I would love to," he answered, flashing her another smile. "Listen, I've got to run. I'm going to go see if I can meet up with your father and work on getting Henry home. I'll see you soon, Emma."
She gave him a small grin. "Thank you for everything August." She retreated back into her bedroom, and he descended down the stairs.
"How did you get her to talk to you?" Snow asked the second her reached the main level.
"I'm just that charming. Plus I know she likes me," he said.
"I've got my eye on you."
"I'm sure you do," he stated as he let himself out of the apartment.
James was tired. He hadn't slept in almost two days. He had been up all night at the hospital, and then had been running around town all day. This whole situation was stressful, and he just wanted his grandson to come home. Luckily the fairies were hard at work and the other kings had offered their services. He had no idea what they would do without all of this extra help.
He unlocked the door and stepped inside. All the lights were turned off except a small lamp in the living room. A plate of food sat on the counter right where Snow had said she would leave it. He walked over and unwrapped it, immediately scarfing down the sandwich. He hadn't realized how hungry he was.
As he headed towards his room, he heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs. He turned to see Emma frozen in place. He could tell that she hadn't known he was down here. She immediately moved to go back to her room.
"Emma," he called out. He quickly ascended the stairs until he was standing next to her. "You okay?"
She was clutching her baby blanket against her chest, and her eyes were puffy and red. She stared at him, and slowly shook her head.
He took a seat on the stairs and patted the space next to him. She joined him and started fiddling with her blanket.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked.
"Henry."
"I'm going to get him back. I promise."
"I know."
They sat in silence for a moment. James didn't know what to say to her. He didn't know how to make her feel better.
"Your mother told me that you two got in a little fight."
"Yeah. It was probably my fault. I was being a jerk."
He shook his head. "What you need to understand is that you and Snow are exactly alike. You two are either going to get along perfectly or not at all. And that's okay, it's natural. What's important is that at the end of the day, she loves you and just wants what is best for you. You just need to be willing to let her be there for you. I know you're stubborn, but she knows when you need her, and you have to learn to let her in. If you push her away you are just going to hurt yourself even more. And no one wants that."
"It's just hard to do that."
"I know it is, but you have to trust us. When we say that we love you we mean it."
She gave him a tiny smile. "I know you do."
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Why we're you coming downstairs?"
She looked down. "I...um..."
"I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me."
"I didn't want to be alone," she whispered.
He reached forward and placed his fingers under her chin, lifting her face up. "You never have to be alone again. I will not let that happen." A small tear ran down her face, and he wiped it away with his thumb. He offered her a smile, which she returned. "Now, go talk to your mother. I know you want to, even if you don't admit it."
She gave a small laugh. "Thank you."
She stood and walked towards the bedroom as he made his way the living room. Suddenly she turned back towards him, and much to his surprise, she threw her arms around him. The hug didn't last very long, but it was all that each of them needed.
He went and lay on the couch, finally remembering how tired he was. But he didn't know if he could sleep. Because he didn't know if he could get this smile off of his face. Because his daughter was finally thinking of him as someone she could come to. And that is all that he had ever wanted.
Snow was awake when she heard Emma tiptoe into the room. She waited for the blonde to make the first move, but when nothing happened after a few moments, she sat up and faced her daughter. Emma was still clutching to her blanket, and she was looking at the ground.
"Emma?"
Emma looked up. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you."
Snow smiled. "You don't need to apologize." She patted the space next to her on the bed. Her daughter took a seat on the edge of the bed. She fiddled with her blanket in her lap, obviously not sure of what to say. "What do you need?"
"I don't know why I'm here. I'm not a baby that goes running to her mommy in the middle of the night."
"But you're my baby, Emma. And if you need my in the middle of the night, or anytime at all, then I expect you to come running to me."
Emma sighed. "I was a jerk today."
Snow shrugged. "It's okay. I know that you're just worried about Henry."
She nodded and bit her lip. "It's just...she took him from me...she took my son," Emma said as she burst into tears. Snow pulled her close and held her as she shook with sobs. "He's my baby and now he's gone. I want him back, Mom. I want my baby back," Emma choked out between her cries.
"I know sweetheart. I know how it feels. I know how much it hurts," Snow whispered. She ran her fingers through Emma's hair as she tried to hold in her own tears. She had to be strong for Emma.
"Can I stay here tonight?" Emma asked as she wiped away some of her tears.
"Of course you can." Emma laid down next to Snow. She moved so she was laying her head on her mother's shoulder. Snow slowly ran her fingers through her daughter's curls. They sat in silence until Emma drifted off to sleep.
Snow finally let her own tears fall. She knew exactly how Emma felt. She wanted her own baby back. She had wanted to be there every time Emma had needed someone to comfort her in the middle of the night, or anytime really. She wanted that beautiful baby girl back. She was so proud of the woman that Emma had become, but she still wished that she could have been a part of her daughter's childhood. She wished that she had had the chance to really be a mother. Emma stirred, and Snow planted a small kiss on her head. She may not have been there for her baby for the past twenty-eight years, but she was here now.
She wanted to tell Emma the truth so badly. She had always hated secrets. But she couldn't say a word. Because James was right. They couldn't overwhelm her right now. This was going to be a big change in their lives, and she knew that it was going to be a lot for Emma to handle. It was best to wait until Henry was safe at home. She just wished that this wasn't going to be so complicated. Just thinking about it made her sick to her stomach. But it wasn't that...
She jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom and vomited. As she hung her head over the rim of the toilet she heard someone come in. She felt a hand gently rub her back.
"You okay?" James asked.
"I hate this part."
"I do too. Can I do anything for you?"
"You lucked out. You don't have to hold my hair back this time."
He laughed. "That's true." He continued to rub her back as she threw up again. "I hate seeing you this sick."
"It will pass. It wasn't that bad last time." She stood and went to the sink where she washed her mouth out. "See? I'm already better."
"For now," he mumbled. He pulled her into a hug. "If I could make it go away I would. I just feel so bad for you."
"You should. After all, you did do this to me," she said with a small smile, earning a laugh.
"You're welcome," he teased.
She chuckled. "I'm going to go try to get some sleep. So should you."
"Sleep well," he said as he pressed his lips against her forehead. "I love you."
"Love you too."
Henry stared out his bedroom window at the clock tower. He wondered if Emma was looking at it too. He wished that he could leave this place, but the Queen had guards patrolling the property to make sure that he stayed put. He hated being a prisoner. He wanted to go home and be with his real family. He missed them so much it hurt. He never should have snuck out. It was his own fault that he was trapped here. He had taken his safety for granted. And now he knew that Emma was going to do anything to get him back. While the idea of having someone care about him that much thrilled him, it also made him worried. He knew that Emma would put his safety above her own, even though she was the savior and the one that needed to be kept safe. He didn't want anyone to get hurt, but now he knew that a fight against the Queen was destined to happen. He wanted it to. Regina wasn't his mother anymore. He knew that she cared for him, but her crimes outweighed anything good inside her. He had already hated her for casting this curse and ripping his family apart, and now she had separated them again. Everyone thought that she wouldn't use magic against him, but she had used it to deceive and trick him. He felt stupid. He should have guessed that she would try something, and yet he had completely fallen for the deception. And now he was stuck her in this room that he had always hated. And he missed his life. He missed his grandparents. He missed his mom.
He laid on his bed and curled into a ball. He cried himself to sleep.
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