Hey guys! Wow, you guys are awesome! I was so worried you wouldn't like the last chapter! Thank you all for reading, reviewing, following, and favouriting! Hope you like this one :)

Alas, I do not own OUAT.

"She's…?" Snow dropped the plate she was holding onto her lap, her eyes pooling with tears as she drank in what Whale had said. "She's awake? She's really awake?" Saying it out loud was so surreal; it was what she had desperately yearned for since the moment she was told about Emma's condition and yet now, as she heard it, she didn't feel like it was real. Too many things had happened, too many obstacles flung in their way for her to truly grasp the truth.

She needed to hear it again. Just one more time. "Yes. She's awake."

As if they had planned it, both Snow and Charming tossed the blankets off them in one swift movement and jumped to their feet to stand before the doctor. Well for David it was more like a wince than a jump but the intent was there.

"Can we see her?" Charming posed, his eyes alight with expectation. He gently took Snow's hands and rubbed circles around her knuckles. He didn't look at her, but the brunette could feel the relief and hope radiating off him.

Snow whipped her gaze to Whale's eyes and waited.

"Yes you can but," he raised a finger so to silence them before they had the chance to form an interrogation, "I have to warn you that she is still very groggy and the medication she is on is quite strong so she'll be very confused for a while. I ask that you don't push her or ask her too many questions; let her guide you in her recovery."

"Of course," Snow asserted breathlessly, running her hand up and down her husband's arm.

Whale pursed his lips. "As her doctor I also have to mention that patients who suffer from comas or near-death experiences tend to deal with a certain amount of trauma in the aftermath of such events. I urge you both to be patient with Emma if she displays any unusual behaviour. I'm not saying that she will," he defended as Snow's eyes grew slightly wider than normal, "but as her parents I would expect you to respect the situation she's in – whatever that may be - and support her as she gets back to full health."

David straightened his stance: chin high, shoulders back. "We'll do anything to help Emma," he assured with such intense sincerity that it was impossible to question it. Snow always admired how royal and honourable her husband was. Even now, she found herself utterly enamoured by his love for their child and his willingness to do whatever it would take to nurse Emma back to her strength.

"Whatever she needs, we'll give it to her. We just want her to get better," Snow reiterated.

"I know," Whale smiled before checking his watch.

"Can we please see her now?" the brunette requested. She was pretty sure her skeleton was going to jolt out of her skin if she didn't get the chance to say hello to her daughter soon.

The doctor nodded. "Yes, you can. But only for a short while."

Charming brushed Snow's cheek with the back of his hand and leaned in to her a quick yet sweet kiss on the lips. "You ready?"

"Definitely." She weaved her hand through his and gave a reassuring squeeze. Noticing, out of the corner of her eye, that Whale was halfway out of the room, Snow cleared her throat to grab his attention. The man stopped mid-step and turned just enough to look back at them. "Thank you," she said with a watery smile.

He didn't respond but the understanding in his eyes as he departed made her smile.

"Let's go."

A thousand thoughts hurtled through David's mind as they made the short walk down to Emma's room. He couldn't believe that she was finally awake; not even twenty-four hours ago did her life hang in the balance and yet, somehow, by some miracle, she was back with them. It was official: Emma was absolutely a Charming to the core.

And with that overflowing elation came a bout of timidity. He was afraid to see her. Afraid because he didn't know what to say to her. When she was asleep, he could let his emotions and feelings pour out of him and tell her everything he had ever wanted to say to her but now that she was awake, he knew he couldn't do the same. Saying anything like that would only frighten her and push her away – that was the way she was. Yes they were getting to know one another but they still hadn't had the chance to really talk it out and bond the way he dreamed of, but he was aware that this 'event' had provided them with the opportunity to change all that.

So as they reached the door, David held his breath and silently thanked the gods, the universe, fate – whatever it was that saved his little girl.

Her head hurt.

Actually, everything hurt. She was pretty sure even her ears were throbbing.

There felt like there was some lead weight resting just over her chest, electrifying the slight air in between and making her lungs constrict – like she couldn't get enough air to traverse in and out. Dr. Whale had mentioned something about having to be revived, but Emma didn't want to spend any time thinking of that. Making herself feel worse was not part of the 'getting better' agenda.

Emma hated being bedridden. There was nothing worse than being confined to one space and being forbidden to move. Not that she could move much. The bandages that covered her supposed burns on her hands and legs were wrapped so tight – so much so, she felt ensnared by them and any attempt at moving even the slightest was monumental. But her back ached from the lack of varied position and gazing up at the cracked grey ceiling tiles was doing little for her morale; she had to at least try to switch it up. Sticking her tongue out in concentration, she gradually raised her arms over her head and tried to arch her back just enough so that she could shift onto her side to face the door but after several extremely non-graceful failed attempts, she gave up with a regretful sigh.

If only she could remember why she was in hospital. The medication the nurses pumped into her veins every few hours was doing wonders for her pain management…but not so well with her alertness. Everything was just a blur. One big million-piece jigsaw blur of images and thoughts. The first time she opened her eyes to meet the accusing glare of an overhead spotlight stirred panic in her and her heart, perhaps reminding her it was still there, thumped frantically as the fear took over. Unable to do much else she ravaged her brain for even the tiniest hint of reasonable logic – just some indication that shed light on her predicament.

But the only thing that veered to the forefront of her muddled view on life was Henry. The initial shock dissipated and moulded into a searing worry for Henry and his safety. He was her number one priority; the only thing that she could focus her energy on. And yet, her head was spinning and her vision clouded; the grogginess was in motion. Every time she opened her mouth to say something to the nurses that tended to her, nothing but hollow whispers emerged. They always replied with, "It's okay", which wasn't anything close to what Emma was asking but it still made her feel a little better.

And then there was Mary Margaret. And David.

Her parents.

She wasn't sure she was ready to face them yet.

She'd never told anyone this, but hospitals made her nervous and the fact that she couldn't put her thoughts and memories in any kind of coherent fashion only contributed to her rising unease. All around her were beeping monitors and screens that flashed numbers and made sounds whenever a certain level had been reached – not something she ever wanted to get used to. It was like they were constant reminders that she wasn't completely out of the woods yet; that her life still teetered on a cliff-edge. Not exactly the most cheering machines.

It was all too much. Waking up and finding out there was an accident and that she was burned and then in a coma and then died and revived…it was just too much. Way too much.

Closing her eyes, she examined the extent of her injuries by tentatively shaking each leg individually until a hot pain sparked up to her thigh. She pressed hard on her forehead with the heel of her hand at how quickly it took to breach her pain threshold. She really thought she was quite steely….

Clearly that wasn't the case.

She sucked in air through her teeth and knitted her eyebrows together as she dropped her arm to her side and muttered a list of profanities under her breath as a means of scolding herself for being so careless with her limbs. Just as she was about to throw caution to the wind and attempt her most daring move yet to fling her body to the side, the sound of breath hitching caught her attention and she looked over to see Mary Margaret and David standing agape by the door as if unsure to move closer or not.

There she was.

Emma

Her daughter.

Awake and breathing.

That simple fact wasn't something Snow had ever given a second thought to, but now, as she looked at Emma, it was almost miraculous. No, it was miraculous.

She brought up her hands to cover her heart as she let a few tears escape at the sight.

"Hi," Emma smiled weakly.

That was all it took – one word and Snow was over to the blonde and wrapping her in her arms. "You're awake," was all she could say. Every other word in the English language deserted her. "You're awake."

"Sort of," she replied with less kick than she usually did.

Snow reluctantly pulled away and David quickly resumed her position by pulling Emma in close to him, seemingly forgetting his healing ribs for a time. Snow could have held her all day. Actually, if she had her way, she'd never let her go again. Though, Emma wouldn't be too pleased with that plan no matter how close they had gotten.

"We were so worried about you," Charming said into her hair, the strength in his voice faltering.

"Sorry," Emma apologised timidly as he broke away to beam at her.

"Don't be; we're just…we're just…so happy to see you," Snow replied, unable to hide the emotion welling up and spilling out of her pores.

Emma slowly readjusted herself to that she was half-sitting up and half-lying down. It didn't look terribly comfortable but she didn't complain so Snow kept her mouth shut. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been hit by a bus. Or a truck. Or some horrible combination of both."

"Is there anything we can do to make you more comfortable? Anything we can get you…?" Charming asked, itching to be helpful. He moved to the end of the blonde's bed to look the blonde straight in the eye; his ocean eyes liquid as they met.

"No, that's okay. You…you guys don't have to worry about me," Emma answered, blinking uncomfortably under the scrutiny. Snow was vaguely aware that their staring was borderline creepy but she was just so lost in wonder that she couldn't tear her gaze away. She was trying to memorize all of the lines on Emma's face and read and decipher her expressions, making sure that she locked them in her mind for the rest of time; she never wanted to lose the awe that captivated her whenever she looked at her daughter.

"I think I can safely say that ship has sailed," the brunette laughed incredulously, taking Emma's hand and feeling the warmth exuding from its centre. The heat that signified her recovery. Snow squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip deciding whether she should continue or not. Taking the persistent silence as encouragement, she opened them again and watched Emma as she spoke. "You scared us," she stated sadly, "you scared us so much, Emma. I didn't know fear could be experienced at this level until I saw you in here." She could feel the tears push their way to the front but she refused to let them spill just yet. "I thought my own heart was on the brink of stopping; I just can't…there's no other words to describe it other than utter terror. We thought we'd lose you again…" she trailed off as Emma dropped her gaze to the bed and let her hand go limp.

Realizing she was placing too much emotional strain on her, Snow backpedalled. "Sorry, Emma. I didn't mean to come on so strong - we're just so relieved you're awake." She let go of the blonde's hand and took a step back. Emma was obviously groggy and Snow had to be respectful of that. The last thing she wanted was to tire her daughter out more than what she already was.

"No, I'm…sorry, I didn't mean…" the blonde said sheepishly, looking down at her now empty hand.

"It's okay," Snow waved off, crossing her arms across her chest while secretly hoping that the slight sting of her daughter's rejection didn't reach her eyes. Her body could remain as nonchalant as it wanted but if her eyes showed even the smallest bit of vulnerability, her whole façade came crashing down spectacularly. But by the way Charming eyed her with a snip of amusement written on his face, she wasn't doing so well.

Emma sighed, her forehead creasing. "Where's Henry? Is he okay?"

"Yeah of course he is," David replied, encircling the bed to stand opposite Snow. "Dr. Whale called Regina; he'll be here soon."

Emma's rather subdued voice rose an octave higher, her heart rate spiking on the monitor beside her bed. "He's with Regina?"

Snow and David's bodies tensed at the sudden noise of the machine; the drone of the flatline still embedded in their memory from the night before. Although this time, the new noise signified that her heart was in fact still beating, if not more rapidly than it should be.

"Yes but he's okay," Snow soothed. "Regina has been taking good care of him; she's brought him up to visit every day and let him stay until the visiting hours were over. She's kind of been a lifesaver."

"But why is he with her? Shouldn't we be keeping him away from her? I mean, she's not exactly a saint." The blonde's voice was gravelly but her bite was back along with her maternal instincts careening into overdrive.

"We know that Regina is not exactly the most trustworthy person in Storybrooke but she is his mother and he needed to be with someone who would look after him while we couldn't. But like your mother said, she's been nothing but helpful, really – which is shocking, I know," he chuckled, bending over a little to catch his breath as a dart of pain pierced just below his healing wounds.

"She saved his life, too," Snow contributed, examining her husband for the extent of his discomfort. To her relief, he stood upright quickly and shot her one of his grateful, goofy grins. God, she loved those.

"She did?" Emma closed her eyes and methodically rubbed her face with her hands. "What actually happened?" she asked, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. Snow's heart lurched at the tone she had only ever heard on rare occasions.

"You don't remember." It wasn't a question. "To be honest, neither do we," the brunette said, trying to put her daughter at ease, "but we were told that you and Regina got into a…heated discussion and I guess you…you used magic." Snow braced herself for Emma's reaction. She knew the blonde was already worried about her magical ability and she was smart enough to know that this would only serve to solidify that fear. "But Regina cast a spell and she saved Henry. We're okay, too; just a little banged up but nothing we can't handle," she added with a wide smile, hoping to quell Emma's insecurities.

What she really wanted to do was hug her and just tell her how much she loved her, but this was not the time to do it no matter how loud her head and heart were screaming at her to go for it.

Emma didn't look worried though; she looked…completely baffled? Like someone had just spoken to her in some foreign language. Lying back down on her bed – noticeably tired, she took a moment to collect herself and her parents stayed silent, adhering to the doctor's orders by giving her time to process and not jumping in with all sorts of thoughts. "I used…magic? Is that what you said?" Her words were low and rushed, aimed toward the ceiling.

Snow tucked stray hair behind her ear at Emma's panic-stricken face. "Yes, but don't worry. We're all here and everything's okay." Choosing to find the most comfortable way to offer comfort, the brunette touched the blonde's wrist and gave it a small reassuring tug. It was little things like that that made her happy; the knowledge that Emma didn't shy away from the contact anymore was something she was so grateful for. The first time she had ever hugged Emma was when they had reunited with her and it was easily one of the most special moments she had ever experienced in her life – in any of her lives; everything after that had just been added bonuses and even as she thought of the simplicity of it all, tears pricked the back of her eyes.

As easy as it was to label the trip back to the Enchanted Forest as truly terrifying and an ultimate test of character, underneath all of the obstacles they had to overcome lay the truth that without it, Emma and Snow probably wouldn't be as close as they were. Sure getting 'arrested' by Mulan and Aurora, escaping ogre attacks and barely getting out of their encounters with Cora alive were major setbacks and moments that highlighted just how lucky they were in the safe haven that was Storybrooke, but if it were not for those experiences, who knew what kind of relationship she would have with her daughter? In a weird, twisted way, Snow looked back on their time there with sheer fondness. She was certain she would never forget the moment they shared in her nursery, or when she heard the blonde call her 'mom' for the first time, or when Emma used magic to defeat Cora in the dungeon or to send them back home through the mirror. Or when Emma told her that she loved her. Those times meant everything to the woman and she was sure they did for Emma, too…underneath her groggy haze.

David's voice snapped her back into reality. "Well," he drawled, "not everything's okay." Emma's eyes darted to him but he was quick to raise his hands in defence. "It's nothing serious, promise. But we do have to find a new place to live."

"The apartment's…gone?"

"Yes, but like Snow said, it's okay. As soon as we're allowed leave the hospital, we're gonna get right on it and find a new place. A bigger one with preferably more than two bedrooms."

"And a big yard," Snow chimed in with a grin.

"Definitely. We definitely need a big yard."

"Oh, I've got to start picking out colour schemes and we'll have to look for some new furniture…"

"A house would be the first step, honey. We work out the details after we actually get a place," he laughed lightly.

"There's no harm in being extra-prepared," she teased, smiling wistfully.

"Wait, so the apartment is actually gone?" Charming and Snow directed their attention to their daughter who was becoming visibly upset over this piece of news. "What is going on?" she whispered so quietly that Snow was sure they weren't supposed to hear it.

Snow leaned over and pushed hair off Emma's face, her hand lingering on the woman's crown. "Are you okay?"

Emma bit her lip, her chin quivering as she drew invisible circles on her covers. She appeared so much younger in that pose. "No. No, I don't think I am. I don't think I can do this right now."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm…I'm just really tired and in a lot of pain and my mind is one big jumble and I just need…I just need some space, I think. Everything is so confusing right now and I don't think I'm awake enough to deal with all. It's too…too overwhelming right now."

Instinctively, Snow removed her hand and looked at Emma, pained at her daughter's anguish. It was clear as day that she was suffering.

"Of course," David said, gently brushing her hand and smiling understandably. "We'll get out of your hair."

"Yeah, we'll swing by later to see you." As much as it hurt to leave her – Snow never wanted to leave her side ever again - she knew it was the right thing to do. About to plant a kiss on her forehead, she scrunched her face and clenched her fist to stop herself from doing something Emma wouldn't want her doing. "Rest up," she settled on, heading toward the door.

David leaned over his daughter, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Don't worry; I'll distract her with furniture magazines so she doesn't disturb you for at least an hour," he conspired with a wink.

"I heard that!" Snow called back, opening the door and leaving the room with a smug David following behind.

"Mom!"

Emma's eyes flung open to see her son rushing toward her in pure joy, his arms open wide. She couldn't sit all the way up, but she tried her best to ignore the pain and prop herself up on her elbows. The boy practically crashed into her and if Emma wasn't so unbelievably happy to see him, she probably would have taken heed to the searing, agonizing fire that plagued her, but for that moment, she basked in the knowledge that her son was alright. He wrung his arms around her neck and squeezed tight. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Yeah, me too," she laughed back, kissing him just above his ear. Pulling away, he flashed a toothy grin and plopped himself down on her bed. She fell back into a lying position, her head spinning from the collision. "You're okay?" she inquired, unable to stop her maternal side creeping to the fore.

"Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because well…you were in the hospital." Emma squinted in thought.

"What do you mean? I got a check-up after you were brought in but I was fine. My mom saved me." He gazed at her with some expression she couldn't read.

"Oh, yeah. Right."

"Are you okay?"

No. "Yeah, I'm just sore."

Henry raised an eyebrow. "I know when you're lying you know."

She sighed. "I don't remember the accident."

"Neither do Mary Margaret and David but that's just because the blast knocked you guys out," he shrugged as if it were no big deal.

"Mary Margaret said I used magic…?"

"Yeah? Look, you're new to it so it's just going to take some getting used to. Eventually you'll get the hang of it."

Emma shook her head. "Henry I don't remember having magic." In fact, the idea was both ridiculous and blood-curdling terrifying. How could that even be? Mary Margaret and David didn't have magic…she thought. She wasn't really sure. Everything was just so confusing!

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I don't remember being able to wield magic."

"But you've known for a while now," he stated, his eyebrows knitted in concentration.

"I have?" None of this made any sense.

Henry scooted closer to her. "What's the last thing you remember?" He looked deep into her eyes like he was trying to find the answer there.

Emma scoured her brain, really trying hard to pinpoint the moment as images flashed through and snippets of conversations fluttered around. "I remember…" she paused to make herself absolutely sure, "I remember breaking the curse and being engulfed in a…purple fog? I think."

"That's the last thing you can remember?"

Emma panicked at the way the boy looked at her. His eyes were as wide as saucers and his mouth dropped open as she gave a single nod in answer to his question. "Yeah."

Yes, I am leaving it there! Ha still so much angst; I'm going to have to do something about that soon! Okay so I had this idea a little while ago to give Emma some kind of memory loss issues but I wasn't sure if I was going to do it because the show decided to subject poor Belle to it - and yet here I am running with it anyway! I did it in a way where Emma remembers the curse breaking but nothing after that – including the time spent in FTL with Snow…which could be interesting! If you guys don't like this idea, I'm sure I could do something to have her remember shortly! Anyway, I really do hope you enjoyed the chapter and if you have time, please review and let me know what you thought! :)