Emma lay still on the hospital bed, the world around her was a blur. She could hear the muffled beeping of the heart monitor attached to her finger and the far away, distorted talking of Neal making the doctor explain again just what was wrong with her. With their baby.

Emma was in a trance like state, and only partly because of the drugs she was on. She had been subdued since the doctor had told them there was something wrong. She hadn't said anything since then. She wasn't even sure she had moved, aside from turning on her side. Facing away from Neal and the slew of doctors. Facing away from the harsh reality of her problems.

Why them? Why her? What had she ever done to deserve this? Hell, what had the fucking innocent life growing inside her ever done?!

A part of her wanted to cry. To scream at the top of her lungs. But she just didn't have the energy. Mentally or physically. Her throat burnt from her agonising screaming earlier, but no pain could, or would ever come close to the one in her chest right now.

She felt Neal's presence beside her but she kept her back to him, couldn't bare to look at him. Much less look him in the eye. She flinched, tensing her whole body as she felt his hand rest upon the curve of her hip. His touch burnt her skin, and not in the good way. She shifted slightly and Neal withdrew his hand, his heart breaking as he did.

"We don't need to make a decision now, Em" he spoke, his voice was thick and heavy and layered with emotion: anger, confusion, denial, pain. She could tell he was trying to be strong, to hold it all together. But she knew that beneath his strong exterior, he was just as broken inside as she was. "But we do need to make one. The doctor said the sooner the better"

Emma heard what Neal was saying but she wasn't listening. He was just white noise. Background static. She knew that she, well, they, had to make a decision. And she knew the sooner they made it, the better. But making said decision would make the whole thing real. Make the fact one of their babies wasn't getting the blood it needs thanks to a non existent vein in its heart. That if she chose to carry to term then the risks of the baby carrying to term we're slim to non. IF she even carried to term. The other option was she was induced now so the doctors could operate. But the odds of the baby surviving so prematurely, let alone surviving surgery, were still slim.

It was a lose/lose situation. It was more than likely they'd lose the baby. Their little girl. The doctor had let that slip in the heat of the moment. That they were having a boy and a girl. Their little boy was perfectly healthy in every way shape and form conceivable, but the chances of their little girl dying were a lot higher than her odds of surviving.

And it wasn't just their unborn daughters life at stake either. Her condition wasn't good for Emma. And if something happened to Emma, then it would affect both of the twins.

But Emma had bonded with them. The girl she had now found out was the quiet baby. The one that didn't kick or punch her insides.

She didn't want to deal with this. She couldn't. It was an impossible decision to make. And as long as she kept putting it off, the longer she could pretend it wasn't real. That life wasn't this cruel.

She heard Neal exhale deeply behind her. Felt his hand come up to touch her, only to waver in thin air before it returned back to his side.

"Please say something, Em" he swallowed thickly, trying to push the pain out of his voice. "Say something, anything... At least acknowledge that you can hear me. That you're thinking about it"

She wanted to slap him in the face and scream. Of course she was fucking thinking about it! That's all she could think of! But she was too numb to do so and instead curled her body tighter, hugging her bump closer.

It seemed like a good enough sign for Neal. Or maybe not good enough. Who knows.

The chair scraped against the lineioum floor, the sound scratching at her ears. More muffled shuffling as Neal stood, smoothing down his jeans as he did.

"I need some air"

She could hear Neal's voice break as he quickly excused himself. Almost the instant Neal left the room, Emma broke down again. Sobbing for her life as she clutched her stomach, refusing to ever let go of her babies.

(-)

Neal blindly ran out of the hospital, tears clouding his eyes and blurring his vision. His lungs burnt and his head spun, and he knew that if he didn't get some fresh air that he would pass out. Either that or his chest would explode.

He pushed past the doctors in the hallway. He needed fresh air and he needed it now.

The instant the cool, crisp air hit him Neal began gulping for breath. He felt like he was drowning. The air stung his lungs as it filled them, but it felt good. It was only when he saw his fancy dinner shoes his father forced him to wear that he realised he was hunched over, one hand clutching his chest as he gasped and sputtered for air. The world felt like it was spinning, spinning and spiralling out of his control.

He took another deep breath and his fist suddenly collided with the brick outer wall of the hospital. Something inside him seemed to snap and before Neal knew it, he was pummelling the wall with every ounce of strength and emotion he had. He only realised what he was doing when he was being pulled away by somebody.

His father.

That's right. Gold had dragged the doctor away by his tie and threatened to beat him senseless with his cane if he didn't tell him exactly what was going on. Truth was, Gold was trying to find a way to fix it with magic. Although that didn't sound possible from what the doctor had told him.

Sure, he had healed wounds with magic before but nothing like this.

Especially when, besides the stupid bloody nun fairies, he was the only one with magic in town right now!

He was on his way home to get his spell books when he saw his son beating the wall, his fist a bloodied and broken mess.

Seriously, Neal's knuckles were a mess and there was blood all down his arm. Not to mention paint and other bits of wall embedded in the open wounds. He couldn't fix Emma or the baby, but he could fix Neal, and with the flick of his wrist, Neal's knuckles healed.

Neal fought against his grip, breathing heavily and tears spilling down his face before he finally gave in and broke down, sobbing like a little boy against his fathers chest. Gold felt Neal's knees buckle and quickly poofed them onto the sofa in the waiting room before Neal's emotions got the better of both of them.

(-)

Henry had snuck out almost instantly after his parents and Grandfather disappeared whilst Belle was distracted with Ella.

His first instinct was to run. Just run until he ran out of road. But that was over as soon as it had started and Henry suddenly found himself pounding against the door to the Mayoral Mansion.

Robin had been the one to answer the door and Henry simply pushed past the man and ran off to his mothers study. Robin shut the door and quickly followed, Regina coming out of the kitchen wondering what the hell was going on.

"Henry?" She asked as she entered her study. Henry was throwing books all around, shaking and mumbling something to himself as she did.

A book flew at Regina's head and she quickly dodged it, and Robin took the opportunity to approach the teen. Robin grabbed him by the tops of the arms and turned so Henry was facing him. He tried to fight against the older mans grip but failed.

"Henry, dear, what on Earth is going on?!" Regina asked, concerned and confused.

"I need to find your spell book!"

"My spell book? Why?" The boy didn't even have magic, and couldn't even understand the ancient language they were written in, so why did he want the book?

"Because!" Henry cried, finally breaking from Robin's grip. "You need to help my Mom!"

"I-"

Before anybody could say anything, Gold magically poofed in the large hallway and started shouting for Regina. He seemed to find them as he stuck his head into the study.

There was a look on Gold's face that Regina had never seen before, but it broke her heart. And whatever it was, she knew it was bad.

Her heart sank as he asked, begged, for her help. He was clutching several books and potion bottles as Regina led him to the kitchen, listening as Henry seemed to sob to Robin over something.

"I know you don't have your magic right now, Regina. But I need your help. Emma... She's in hospital-"

"-what?! Why? I mean... Is she okay?"

No wonder Henry was in the middle of a breakdown. The last thing he needed was for one of them to end up in the hospital. Again.

"One of the babies has a heart defect, according to the doctor. She doubled over in pain over dinner. It's not looking good. There has to be something, anything, we can do to help!"

"Okay, okay just... calm down. Breathe. We just need to... think" Regina sighed, her heart sinking. Couldn't one thing just go right in this godforsaken town?!

I know this chapter was short, long over due and not exactaly a happy one but this is what I have had planned from the beginning. I have been working 10 hours a day more or less 6 days a week since Christmas which leaves very little time to actually write, so updates are going to be hella sporadic:-( Anyway, please let me know what you think. You might not right now, but all I can say is trust me?