Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in posting! Really needed to make sure things happened in this chapter to lead into the next. Again thank you to my incredible Beta the wonderful and talented Marphisa! Hope you enjoy!
Snow and Mary Margaret stood between their daughters, both biting their nails as they waited for what Dr. Whale had to say about why Little Snow's nose wasn't clotting.
Both Emmas were staring at the door, completely bored and anxious to know what was going on behind it.
Queen Regina looked around the strange building in wonder. After having heard first hand what curse her other self had used and seeing the world around her more and more, she knew that the curse used had to have been one of the strongest curses ever to create such a place as this out of magic. Way too much energy and magic would have been needed to create all of this. It scared her.
She only knew of one kind of curse that could be so strong, and the idea that she had used it made her tremble, as did the man who was treating Little Snow.
David stood off to the side with Baelfire and Henry. Everyone was waiting to know what exactly was going on.
Of course, everyone jumped the second that Regina swung the door open and yanked Whale into the hall. Closing the door quickly, Regina moved into Whale's personal space and immediately began to stare daggers at him.
"If you're trying to say that she has cancer, you better start talking now; and your answers better include how and what you are going to do to stop it."
"What? Cancer!" Mary Margaret's eyes were wider than Emma or Princess Emma had ever seen. Emma's look of horror only made Princess Emma more frightened.
"What's cancer?" Snow asked looking confused at the word.
"It's NOT cancer! It's not cancer." Whale quickly tried to defuse the situation.
"Then what exactly is it?" David asked with some heat behind his voice. He realized that the child behind the door was his wife and that something had to be serious to get Regina in such an aggressive state, not to mention the fear he heard in her voice.
"It's a hematoma. A collection of blood!" Whale swiveled swiftly to address Regina with this information.
"Is it serious?" Snow asked as the others began to show they were relaxing.
"Not very. As long as we monitor it and make sure that her blood does clot, she'll be fine. I reset her bone so she won't need surgery."
A collective sigh ran through the group.
"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check if everything set in place."
David grabbed Whale before he could enter back in the room.
"Hey! That's my wife and niece in there! Under no circumstances can you let something slip that can hurt either one of them!"
"What exactly does that mean?" Whale asked with a confused brow.
"It means don't answer any questions about me or Regina," Mary Margaret said with an authority that Emma had never heard from her mother before. She watched as Mary Margaret exchanged glances with Regina.
"You mean she doesn't know..." A huge smile breaking across Whales face as he understood what Mary Margaret was implying.
"No she doesn't!" Regina said through grit teeth and a smile. "And you'll make sure to keep it that way!"
Whale grimaced at the underlying threat. And with that, he turned and went back into the room without Regina.
When the door closed Regina spoke words that she hardly ever said to anyone.
"I'm sorry. I heard the word and ..."
"It's ok. I think we all would have thought the same thing."
Regina looked up with shock at David, not expecting to hear those words coming from him. Both shifted their eyes to and away from each other, still not really ready or sure how to interact. Way too much history between them made it difficult to know where to start.
Queen Regina noticed this and furrowed her brow, not really knowing why they would be uncomfortable talking to each other.
Regina was trying to wrap her mind around everything. Why there was a sudden urge to talk to him at all, she was unsure. She wanted answers to questions that she knew he couldn't possibly know the answers to, and still wanted to hear the answers from her own mother's mouth.
"Where did she come from?" Princess Emma asked with a furrowed brow, staring at the closed door.
"I think the correct question is when!" Emma said as she closed her eyes and gave a huge sigh. Thoughts of how it was possible that this was now her life chased each other through her mind.
"Both of you are right. She might be from a different dimension—actually that's more than likely the case. As far as when, I think I have a fairly good idea." Regina said the last words tightly as she reminded herself of exactly when little Snow came from - indicated by her confusion of her marrying King Leopold.
"Well, we can't assume anything. We can't risk altering her future...or ours for that matter. We don't know for certain what would happen if she found out about her future." Snow voiced her thoughts as she looked between her mother and Regina.
Mary Margaret kept glancing between Regina and Queen Regina, trying to comprehend why they were so different and why she still couldn't give up on Regina. As horrible as Regina had been to her, as horrid as losing her daughter because of Regina's curse had been, when Queen Regina had wrapped her up in her arms all she had felt was peace. For the first time, her fears and hopes that Regina was indeed the woman that she had always hoped her to be seemed true. And at the moment, she knew Snow was right. Whatever happened, Little Snow needed to be shielded from anything that could alter her future.
And with this thought her eyes landed on Emma's.
"Are you ok?" Emma asked in concern.
"Are you worried about the doctor telling Sarah something?" Princess Emma asked with a furrowed brow, not really knowing what they were keeping from her Aunt Sarah.
"He's not suicidal," Regina said with a serious face.
"Would you really kill him?"
The questioned shocked everyone into silence, especially because of who asked the question—Queen Regina herself.
For a few seconds, Regina surveyed the faces around her and then turned to look directly into the Queen's eyes.
"Without a second thought."
The shock on Queen Regina's face showed how vastly different the two of them were.
"Don't look so shocked. I don't see Snow's father at your side so I know both of us have shared one kill." Regina smiled evilly, trying to shake the sadness and hurt from the disapproving look Snow gave her.
Emma glanced at Princess Emma as the princess stepped back from Regina with a wounded look. For that second, she felt sorry for her. She probably had never heard her grandmother sound so evil. But the words that came out of Queen Regina's mouth would next so confused her that she shared a confounded look with her double.
"He deserved to die."
"Mom!" Snow instantly stopped her mother with a pleading look.
Regina's eyes had widened at the unexpected venom from the seemingly sweeter, more innocent version of herself before narrowing at the words.
"And why exactly would the good King deserve it?" Regina asked with a smirk.
Regina didn't hear the answer to her question because Mary Margaret suddenly exploded with anger.
"STOP! Under no circumstances do I want either that little girl OR Sarah hearing any of this! Ever! Agreed?"
Everyone stared wide-eyed since Mary Margaret screaming out was so out of character. She was so angry that it shocked everyone else into nodding their heads.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. You're right." Queen Regina lowered her head and fidgeted with her hands.
Mary Margaret fought back tears, wanting to be anywhere in that moment but there. This was bringing way too many bad memories back, and she couldn't afford to break down right now with Sarah just behind the door from them.
When the door opened and Sarah stuck her head out, Mary Margaret forced herself to swallow down the clog in her throat.
"Is everything alright? I heard you yell," Sarah said with concern.
"I upset her. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."
Sarah smiled at Regina's apology. The shocked look on Emma's face was visible from Sarah's vantage point as Reginastood facing Sarah.
"Mom. She's your daughter...it's kind of your right to piss her off and drive her insane. It's kind of the description under the title mom," Sarah said softly with a smile that reminded everyone of Regina's.
Regina raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" A smile spread across Regina's own face.
"Well yeah..." Sarah turned to make sure Little Snow was not listening in to her conversation then turned back to Regina, "plus she' shaving sex with your brother!"
Laughs were muffled by both Princess Emma and Queen Regina as both Snow and Mary Margaret turned a deep shade of red at the words. Emma's eyes, along with her father's, bulged as the words left Sarah's mouth. But the wide-eyed lookRegina had as her daughter said the words caused Sarah to cackle.
"I think that's the main reason you're allowed to give her hell!" With that Sarah quickly closed the door before Regina could slap her with a hand or with magic.
Regina could feel herself about to blush when Queen Regina spoke and nullified the blushing.
"Your lucky! I almost caught this one in the act."
"MOM!" Snow screeched in embarrassment at Queen Regina's quip and groaned to herself as she remembered that moment over again.
Turning slowly Regina gave David a glare which made him instantly put his hands up in the air.
"Now hold on Regina..."
"Mom please don't!" Snow pleaded with Regina.
"NOT. A. WORD." Regina said pointing at David.
David swallowed. One thought showed him the irony of the situation: at least now they were talking.
"What's going on?" Henry asked in a scared voice as he turned the corner and found his mother squaring off against his grandparents.
Regina's anger receded slightly as Henry came back from the vending machine. After having heard his mother worrying about Little Snow fainting, he had gone to retrieve something from the vending machine for her to snack on.
"Nothing," rang out from one too many mouths, making Henry beyond suspicious.
"It doesn't look like nothing," he said, addressing his mom.
"It's nothing, kid. Trust me," Emma said to reassure Henry.
"Mom?" Henry asked with a raised eyebrow.
Regina slowly smiled at her son. "It's nothing, Henry. Nothing I can change anyway."
"You have a son named Henry?" Princess Emma asked with a furrowed brow.
She had not understood who the boy was earlier from the diner. She had been hidden from sight from Henry since walking to the hospital since Regina had led the group to the hospital. Even now she was blocked from seeing him by Emma herself. Leaning around Emma she finally saw him and smiled. "Hello."
Henry's eyes bugged out as he looked from Emma to the obviously much younger version of her.
"Wha…mom! There's two of you!" Henry exclaimed as he looked back and forth between the two.
Princess Emma's face instantly showed her confusion when Emma turned and pulled Henry in front of her with a smirk. Placing her hands on Henry's shoulder's, she smiled at Princess Emma.
"Henry. This apparently is me…from the same dimension as Sarah and Snow." Emma explained.
Henry's eyes grew wide, and a smile just as wide spread across his lips.
Princess Emma was smiling at Henry, still very confused until Emma spoke again.
"Princess Emma. This is my….and Regina's son. Henry."
Princess Emma stilled, and her smile dropped as the words processed.
Henry's smile started to falter as well as the younger version of his mother stared at him unblinkingly.
"Mom?" Henry questioned the woman in front of him, not understanding why she hadn't said anything yet.
The one word caused Emma's heart to flip because she knew he was referring to her. Tears started to fall down her face as she reached out and smoothed back Henry's hair, a smile making it's way onto the princess' face.
Henry started to smile once more as Princess Emma cupped his cheek.
"You look so much like Bae," Princess Emma whispered as she took in her son's appearance.
Suddenly, the door opened and Little Snow and Sarah came out.
"Hey, Henry! What's that in your hand?" Sarah asked with a smile as she saw him.
"Oh…um…I got Snow something to eat and drink. They usually make you drink a lot of fluids after they take blood at the doctor's. So I figured since Snow's nose bled so much, she should eat and drink something," Henry explained as he walked forward and handed Little Snow a can and a bag of chips.
"Oh…thank you, Henry," Little Snow said politely, though when she took the items she looked very confused.
Regina saw the look of confusion and took the can from Little Snow's hand and opened it for her and handed it back. Little Snow smiled as she realized it was a drink, and while she brought the can to her mouth Regina took the bag of chips from her hands.
For one second she turned and raised her eyebrow at Henry, then proceeded to open the bag of chips and place the bag back in Little Snow's other hand.
"Henry you know how I feel about junk food!" Regina reprimanded her son for exposing Little Snow to the items. But as she turned and found Little Snow smiling widely after the taste of the soda, she couldn't help but smile herself.
Emma watched the exchange with extreme interest. Regina smoothed back Little Snow's hair and smiled as she enjoyed the treats that Henry had brought her.
"Are you kidding?! I want Henry to show me everything he can! Including any kind of food!" Sarah exclaimed and she snagged a chip from the open bag Little Snow now held.
Sarah smiled at the crunch from the chips and nodded her head. "Definitely any kind of food!"
"It does taste very good," Little Snow said smiling at Sarah.
Little Snow offered the soda can to Sarah, who took a sip from the can as Little Snow tried one of the chips.
Mary Margaret and Snow smiled as they witnessed how easily Little Snow shared her treat with Sarah. Mary Margaret felt at ease with how she herself had instantly felt about Sarah as she saw just how quickly a younger version of herself slipped into the roll of sister herself.
"That is good. I can't wait to show the others all of the incredible things here. Speaking of…where are the others?" Sarah asked Princess Emma.
Princess Emma blushed as she had completely forgotten to notify her father that she had found her mother and aunt.
"Um…I kind of left them wandering the forest," Princess Emma explained with a blush and a smile.
Sarah tried to stop the laugh and covered her mouth with a fist, but Snow groaned and squeezed her eyes shut as she too realized they had forgotten to find the others.
"Emma!" Queen Regina scolded her granddaughter.
"Well, I was kind of more concerned about you three than being careful," Princess Emma exclaimed with a shrugging of her shoulders.
"Guess that means we have to go looking for them before they kill each other," Sarah quipped in reference to James and David.
Queen Regina and Snow rolled their eyes.
"Well, this one needs to rest right now. And Henry was right. Plenty of liquids. But make sure she eats a more nutritional meal," Whale said from the examination room.
Without turning back Sarah responded. "We will. And you said you needed our blood by when?" she asked as she wrapped her arm around Little Snow with a smile.
Whale controlled his panic, and nodded his head as Sarah constricted him to a timeline without the others knowing.
"If you could get them to me by tomorrow that would be perfect," Whale responded.
Regina turned and gave a suspicious look at Whale.
"Who's blood?" She asked.
"Well, Sarah's; but it would be great if I could get blood samples from the whole family. In case Snow needs surgery, I'd like to have some blood that we can easily have access to. Hopefully, some of you match her blood type so we can refrain from having to drag her back here and taking her blood after how much she's lost already. Really, we're lucky it wasn't more serious. If her injury had been more severe, she could have bled to death or died upon impact." Whale again had said more than he should have and saw how the rage in the Evil Queen's eyes blazed as she heard how a broken nose could have been Little Snow's death.
"From a broken nose?" Queen Regina asked in horror. She watched as Little Snow's eyes widened, and Sarah squeezed her tightly to her after hearing the doctor's words.
"She could have bled to death?" Regina asked with anger lacing her voice.
"If she continues to bleed through her gauze in the next three hours I want you to bring her back in immediately," Whale said seriously.
Regina felt fear grip her for a second. Then slowly, the fear turned to determination.
"Well then why don't you take the blood now? In case you needed it sooner than later," Regina commanded more than asked.
Whale nodded his head.
"That's fine. If you all will just go down the hall to Susan, she'll take some blood quickly and you can all be on your way." Whale pointed to a blonde woman at a desk.
"You want all of us to give blood?" Henry asked.
"Just some test samples. That way we can determine who's a match and who's not. If you are a match we'll call you and have you come in to draw more blood. The more samples we have the more likely we are to find it when we really need it," Whale explained, happy that none was questioning his motives.
Within minutes, all of them had their blood drawn. Both Queen Regina and Regina constantly checked Little Snow's nose as the bandages we're getting redder.
"I'll take Snow and Henry back home while you help find the others," Sarah announced as she smoothed down the band-aid on her arm.
Snow nodded as Little Snow moved toward Sarah along with Henry.
Regina noticed Mary Margaret and David keeping their distance from Little Snow and talking in whispers to each other. Knowing something was going, on she walked closer to them. David stopped talking and looked up at Regina.
"Is there something I should know?" Regina asked as her eyes glanced from David's to Mary Margaret's.
"I was just thinking it would be a good idea if I didn't spend a lot of time around Little Snow. We don't know if her even seeing me could change the future," David voiced his concern to Regina.
Regina furrowed her brow as she considered this. "Didn't you and Mary Margaret take her to the diner together?"
"Yes, but David walked behind us more than with us. I don't think she's intentionally looked at him since she arrived."
Regina considered Mary Margaret's words.
"If these other versions of ourselves are here, then we have to make sure that Little Snow stays away from the other version of me and James." David's concern of possibly ruining his future with his own wife made him cautious.
Regina was about to nod her head when the name James made her look up and stare at David with wide eyes.
"James is alive?" Regina asked. Suddenly the conversation from earlier in the diner between Queen Regina and Ruby made more sense.
David nodded his head. "Apparently our brother is not only alive and well but he's the troublemaker that Sarah seems to have taken after." The last words were said with a smirk.
Regina rolled her eyes and began to rub her forehead with her hand. "That's all I need."
"Nanna!"
Regina turned as a hand touched her from behind.
"Me and Mom…" Princess Emma began.
"Mom and I," Regina correctly instantly. Of course this caused Princess Emma to roll her eyes and smile at Regina.
"Mom and I are going to look for the others and want to leave now. We don't want to lose what light we have left in the day."
Regina nodded. "We'll come with you. Just let me make sure Henry and Little Snow are alright."
But before Regina could move, Princess Emma moved to block her.
"Nanna…thank you."
Out of everything that Regina had been about to say to the princess, she had never expected to hear those words from her.
"What for?" Regina asked, truly befuddled for why the princess was thanking her.
"For…for Henry. I don't know why or how you've been a mother to him, but I know no one else would have taken better care of him." And with that Regina found herself encased in Princess Emma's arms. And before she could react to THAT sensation, Princess Emma pulled back and kissed her on the cheek and hugged her once more.
Regina's eyes locked with Snow's over Princess Emma's shoulder, catching the happy smile on her face as Princess Emma's head tucked against Regina's neck. Maybe that was the reason Regina relaxed enough to return the hug, to allow herself to take comfort in another's hold without any sexual connotation or hidden agenda.
It felt good. It felt like, even though Emma was literally squeezing her, she could finally breathe for the first time in forever.
"Love you, Grandma."
The whispered words caused tears in Regina's eyes because the sincerity behind them could be heard. Regina couldn't speak, but squeezed back at the words.
"Emma! For all that is holy, go find your father before he kills our uncle!" Sarah yelled behind her back as she walked with Henry and Little Snow out of the hospital.
Princess Emma snorted against Regina's neck, and both of them laughed and pulled back from each other.
"She's right! Either they'll kill each other or Grammy's going to kill them both."
The small smile that had been on Regina's face vanished.
"Another version of my mother is here?" Regina asked in a panicked voice.
"Oh no, I completely forgot!" Princess Emma turned towards the doors where Sarah had been walking towards, but found the doors swinging closed.
"Forgot what?" Snow asked as she saw the look of fear on her daughter's face.
"Grammy...something happened before we got here. Something that let us know that the spell on Aunt Sarah is weakening," Princess Emma informed her mother.
"Spell?" Mary Margaret asked finally shaking herself from the latest emotional display from Regina. Every time Regina allowed her humanity to shine through, it confused Mary Margaret. Over and over, her mind would replay things in her head, trying to remember things and trying to reason with herself about what happened in the past.
"It's a very long story. And if what she's saying is true...we really need to find Grandma and get everyone we know with even a twinge of magical power together," Snow informed everyone.
Queen Regina looked at Princess Emma, asking with just a look how bad the situation was. The look she received made her heart constrict tightly.
"Then let's move!" Emma said loudly, causing everyone to jump and stare at her. "Or are we really going to waste more time hugging each other?"
And with that Emma jerked her jacket and began walking towards the door, a scowl lining her face.
Suddenly Emma didn't understand what she was feeling. And she didn't want to analyze it. But if her son was in any way in danger, she needed to push her feelings aside and focus on making sure he was safe.
Clearly, she didn't even suspect the chaos they were about to be thrown into.
Author's note: Ok. I need reviews to help me guys! I might be taking the story to an M rating and more mature themes but I want to know if people are willing to read such a story. I also have a huge idea that I'm toying with for this story and I just want to know what people are thinking about this story. So if you can please review and tell me your thoughts or questions it will help me decide which way I want to take this story.
So….REVIEW! Review if you love it. Review if you want to see something. Review if you think it sucks and why. :D
