"…but we don't know when or even if she will wake up," Doctor Whale had told them.

The room was drowning in silence. The rain pounded against the window, leaving tear stains that echoed the ones on Henry's sleeve.

But he was no longer crying. Instead he seemed calm. And she was once glad for the fairytales he read, glad they had given him hope.

"No, Henry. We're here for you to see Miss Swan." Regina protested when Emma's room was finally ready for visitors.

"But Mom, she saved my life."

"I know, but I-I just can't-"

"What you can't do is hold on to bitterness. Because it's going to end up hurting you the most."

"But-"

"It'll be okay," Henry promised. "Take my hand."

His little soft fingers wrapped around hers as they walked down the hall.

She used to hold his hand all the time when they walked. Back when he called her Mommy and was afraid of getting lost. Before he decided that he was too old to be treated like a little kid.

Henry held onto her hand as they walked into Emma's room.

Henry liked to talk about how Emma was a savior. He idolized her. He spoke of her like she was a knight in shining armor.

But now she no longer looked like Henry's knight in shining armor. She didn't even look like the Miss Swan that the mayor waged war against.

Emma was just so fragile, so broken. Dressed in a hospital gown with bandages and closed eyes. The room was filled with soft breathing and the rhythmic beating of machines.

"It's like she's in a sleeping curse," Henry whispered.

"I know."

Then Henry started speaking to the sleeping woman, thanking her for her bravery and assuring her that she would be okay, because good always wins.

"You're going to be okay," Henry promised Emma again at the end. "I brought your prince," he whispered to her, not intending for Regina to hear.

Henry placed Regina's hand in Emma's and smiled.

"Your turn," he told Regina before quietly walking out of the room.

She didn't know what to say. The thunder crackled as she stood there in silence, running her fingertips along the soft patches of skin between Emma's fingers.

"You know," she started, "every time it rains really hard, it reminds me of that first time we kissed, back when we were first falling in love and everything was simple." She smiled at Emma. "See? I can dwell on the
past."

Emma said nothing. No retort, no smile, no silly face. Regina could feel her eyes tearing up.

"I spent years hating you," she admitted, "but only because of all those years I spent loving you."

Saying it out loud made it sound more paradoxical than it actually was.

"I missed you so much it felt like I was bleeding internally. All those years spent raising Henry by myself, I was falling apart waiting for you to come back so I could hold you in my arms."

And this was Regina letting go of her anger, her bitterness. This was Regina opening her heart and being candid. No more walls, no more secrets. Because Emma's eyes wouldn't open. And Emma's mouth wouldn't
open. And the only movement came from her chest, rising and falling ever so slightly as she breathed.

"I loved you, and I missed you, and I was so mad at you for leaving. It's like it came from the same part of me, my love and my hate."

Regina brought Emma's hands up to her lips and kissed it.

"Come back to me, Emma."

And maybe Henry was right about true love's kiss and sleeping curses, because somehow, Emma's eyes opened.

"Hey," Emma breathed with a goofy grin on her face. But then she shut her eyes tightly and groaned in pain like she had a migraine.

"Emma," Regina beamed at her princess.

"Who's Emma?" the blonde woman asked, looking at Regina like she was a stranger.