DOUBLE FEATURE! :)

I'm so happy. I posted more than I said I was going to. This will make the 6th chapter and the one immediately following this, the 7th 3

Resolutions do come true, LOL.

Thanks for being understanding and patient with this story. I appreciate you guys so much!

As always, please enjoy!

-FantasyWriterFoSho

Summary of the Previous Chapter: Before the Snow Queen popped in on Gold and Killian, the latter realized what the former was planning and tried to attack him; however, Gold ends up turning the tables on a surprised Snow Queen by trying to use the Sorcerer's Hat on her.

...

Chapter Fourteen: Crucial Moments (Part One)

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"Come on," Regina urged, placing one hand on Mary Margaret's and Emma's shoulders. "There's a couple of seats over here." Leading them to the wall, opposite of David's hospital room, she guided them over to a couple of chairs and made them sit down. Tossing her bag, Emma's jacket and keys onto an empty seat, she remained standing, her concerned gaze scanning over the pair.

Mary Margaret, still clinging to Emma, pulled back a bit to look at her face. "Where did you go? Were you with Regina this entire time?"

Emma shook her head. "I left super early to get some work done at the station. I was almost done but then the Snow Queen showed up and told me that she planned on doing something to the town, so...I went over to Regina's house to see what we could do about it."

"That was very brave of you," Mary Margaret said, trying to lighten the mood with some levity. "Are you two okay now?"

Regina and Emma both nodded, their thoughts on other matters, which made Mary Margaret remember her recent circumstances.

Her face then fell.

Finally releasing her grip on Emma, but leaving one of her hands on her arm, for support, she slumped against the back of the seat. Wiping away her tears with trembling fingers, a ragged breath pushed past her lips."I'm just glad that you're okay..."

Emma swallowed hard then nodded before clasping her other hand on top of her mom's. Caressing Mary Margaret's cold fingers with gentle sweeping motions, she found the strength to speak. "How's dad? Is he…?" she trailed.

"Yes, he's still in a coma."

"What exactly happened?" Regina asked, kneeling down to look into Snow's sad eyes.

"I don't k-know," Mary Margaret began, slightly hiccuping. "When he came back yesterday, he was groggy but I wouldn't call that alarming. We went home, he slept for a couple of hours, we then got some food at Granny's then came back home again where we tried to get Neal settled before going to bed together. After that...I-I-I f-found him..." she stuttered, her eyes welling up when the memory of seeing him lying motionless at the bottom of the stairs popped into her head.

Regina patted her gently on the knee. "What did the doctor say?"

"The diagnosis doesn't look good," Mary Margaret sniffed loudly before continuing on. "Nobody knows what's happening to him...and I don't know what to do...it doesn't seem to be magical," she said, addressing Regina with a head nod. "Not even a True Love's Kiss broke it...and I tried..he's just sick with something horrible..."

Regina watched as Emma leaned over to pull her distraught mother back into a tight embrace. Biting at the inside of her cheek, she then stood up and turned to look at the door David was lying behind. "I'll be right back. I'm going to check on him myself," she volunteered, not waiting for an approval when she walked away.

After turning the knob and stepping inside, she closed the door behind her and stared at the pale man lying in white sheets.

Moving closer, she stood beside David and evaluated his features before lifting a hand up and brandishing it over his forehead. A dark purple puff hovered over his face, bobbing and weaving as it tried to determine if he was under anybody's magical influence. Regina watched carefully, waiting for it to light up with a hidden indication, but it never did. Instead, it stopped moving then dissipated into thin air.

No magic was involved then, she thought. Or none that mine can register, so...magic isn't necessarily ruled out, which is good news. The bad news is, if that's the case, then whoever did this to him...is a powerful practitioner. Leaning in, she observed his sour coloring with a frown. What were you doing that caused this to happen to you?

Exhaling, she then straightened back up and moved to the foot of his bed with a tormented expression.

Guilt was chewing her up.

To find out what really happened, they needed to brainstorm every little detail, including the secret she was keeping. If Emma, Hook and David weren't out on a mission together, searching for a flower that may or may not exist, then what? Emma already told her what she knew. She had been held captive by Gold because he believed that Hook kidnapped his wife. The two men then went out and somehow...found Belle?

That's the missing piece, she reasoned, wisdom lighting her eyes when she backed up then turned to leave the room. They needed to find out where they went and who kidnapped Belle...there's no way a healthy man would just fall into a coma without a cause—magical or otherwise.

Hand on the knob, she hesitated. You have to do it, she silently chastised herself. You have to give up the deal and tell them the truth. It's the right thing to do and you're trying to become a better person. You've been decent so far, with a few selfish moments, but you can't let your needs tear apart a family: Robin's or Snow's...

Stiffening her posture with determination, Regina opened then closed the door before stepping into the hallway, the sound of her footsteps drawing the eyes of Emma and Mary Margaret.

"I need to tell you both something," she began, making the other two stand up in urgency.

"Do you know what he's suffering from?" Emma asked, hopefully.

Regina shook her head. "No, I don't, but I need to confess something." Noticing the confusion overtaking the pair, she opened her mouth to tell her side but, once again, she found herself unable to. Not now, she thought, feeling their eyes on her as they waited. Looking at the clean floor, she tried to calm her nerves with a quick, steady breath.

I don't want the deal, she heard herself think. I. Don't. Want. It.

Feeling something inside of her snap, Regina lifted her gaze and opened her mouth, relieved when the following words finally spilled out of her: "It goes back to when I went to the Pawn Shop yesterday…"

Plunging in, she told them about the flower and the deal she made with Gold, her weighty shoulders mollifying with every passing minute.

Mary Margaret and Emma were silent throughout the entire thing, but the latter's eyes were not. She scanned Regina's body language, her tone and her facial features for any sign of deception, but when she was nearing the end of her story, Regina could see them lose that distrusting edge.

"...He fooled me," she concluded softly, although her tone was tinged with anger and shame. "And I was so desperate to believe in it. I'm so sorry..."

"So," Mary Margaret began, crossing her arms over her chest, her eyes filled with disappointment. "When you called me afterwards and told me that you found nothing, you were lying because of what you promised Gold? Regina..."

"I know, I know," she responded. "It was stupid."

"No," Mary Margaret began, after a moment, giving her a small smile. "You're human and it's natural to make mistakes when you're in love."

Emma just continued to stare at Regina, not really knowing what to say. She was a royal mix of confusion, understanding and irritation. On one hand, she related to the misery she was feeling and how wonderful it would be to have any kind of hope that would fix it, but on the other hand, she couldn't believe that she hadn't said anything to her when they were alone.

She couldn't because of that deal with Gold, she argued silently, her irritability disappearing the more she digested the situation. Besides, you haven't confessed anything to your parents, so there is that...

Then, something struck her.

She remembered it...or at least part of it.

"I was there," Emma whispered, making Regina and Mary Margaret look at her. "When Regina came into the shop, I was tied up in the back room..."

Both of their mouths dropped open.

"What do you mean you were in—"

"WHAT?!" Mary Margaret boomed, cutting of Regina before moving to face her daughter. Shooting her arms back down to her sides, all traces of sadness and sympathy gone, she demanded to know more. "Gold did what?!"

"Long story short," Emma said, clearing her throat, hoping nobody else in the hospital was in immediate earshot. "I was being used as leverage against Killian in order for Gold to use him to bring back Belle, which he succeeded in doing." Looking at her mom's shocked expression, she reached out and grabbed her shoulders. "I should've told you, I know. I'm sorry, but I wasn't in the mood because…" she sucked in a breath. "...Killian broke up with me afterwards…"

"Oh, Emma…"

"I'll deal with it, but for right now, we have bigger things to worry about." Releasing her hold on her mom, she looked at Regina. "Hey, thanks for telling us…and don't worry about it. I understand where you're coming from. Like mom said, we've all done crazy things for the ones we love."

Regina gave her a relieved smile. "Thanks."

"So," Emma continued. "We basically need to figure out these things: One, what happened to my dad? Two, what is Gold up to? And three, what are the Snow Queen's plans?"

"Exactly," Regina agreed, her brows knit together in reflection. An idea then popped into her head. "I think I know the person we have to contact…"

"Who?" Emma and Mary Margaret asked in unison.

Regina winced. "Hook."

"No," Emma immediately said, her stomach twisting in knots.

"Yes," she responded, but sympathetically. "I'm sorry but he's honestly our best option. He was there with David when he rescued Belle and let's not get started on his relationship with Rumple. Plus, we all know that he doesn't like the Snow Queen because of..." she paused, phrasing the following carefully. "...of you…"

Emma nervously combed her hands through her hair twice before leaving them at her temples. She was right and that's what hurt the most. He was their best choice to getting answers from, but would he give them to her?

He didn't even give me a real reason when he dumped me...

"Do you want me to call him?" Regina quietly asked, taking a step towards the chair she had thrown her purse on.

Emma shook her head. "No," she rasped out. "If I'm going to see him face-to-face, I may as well be the one to ask him...but if he doesn't agree or tell me anything," she began, moving over to her jacket to pull out her cellphone. "Feel free to cuss him out afterwards."

Fingers slightly trembling, Emma went into her contacts and when she found his name, she selected it. Putting it to her ear, she heard it ring once, the long dragging sound making her temperature jump from hot to cold within seconds. Her heart began pounding holes through her chest as she waited for him to respond...

It rang twice before sending her to voicemail.

"He didn't pick up?" Regina asked.

Throat itchy, Emma shook her head. Now, I know how my mom feels, except I wasn't intentionally ignoring her…

"Should I call him?" Mary Margaret suggested, going into her cardigan's pocket.

Emma was about to answer when her gut suddenly turned to stone. Why do I have a bad feeling all of a sudden? She asked herself as she blankly stared at her phone; Killian's information still on the screen. Queasy butterflies began crashing around in her stomach, almost buckling her to her knees with the force of its blows.

Killian?

Killian...

Something's wrong...

Blinking down her emotions, she made eye contact with a worried Regina. "Can you teleport us to the forest?"

"Why?"

She shook her head absentmindedly. "Just a feeling."

"You two go," Mary Margaret said when Regina beckoned her to take a step closer. "I can't leave David. I'll watch after your stuff and call one of you if there are any updates."

The other two women nodded before Regina waved both of her hands, circling them over herself and Emma, who was still trying to decipher where that sudden inkling came from.

"Follow that feeling," Regina advised. "Let it guide us to where we need to go..."

Emma waited for a second before closing her eyes, desperately clawing at her subconscious to hold on to that once strong sensation. Not wasting any time, Regina allowed a dark purple cloud to enclose around them, letting it twirl and twist about till it was time to let it go. Dissolving downward, they soon found themselves surrounded by green foliage and darkly colored bark; the hospital a distant memory.

"Where to?" Regina asked, minding her surroundings suspiciously.

Emma took a step forward, still following her gut. "This way..."

Leading them out from a clearing, they both picked up the pace and quickly found themselves twisting and turning through the tangled branches of gnarled trees and thick bushes. Hunkering down to avoid a low scooping branch, they both paused when they heard loud voices nearby.

"Bingo," Regina whispered when they neared a outskirting, broad tree trunk.

Sinking down lower, they hid, their eyes taking in the scene before them: Killian was slightly standing behind a poised Snow Queen, who was preparing to attack a confident looking Gold, but what surprised them the most was the pointy hat the latter was holding.

Its black opening was beginning to glow.

…

"Without me, you wouldn't have what you needed!" The Snow Queen screeched, the tips of her fingers sparking with light blue. A mist began to spread around her but it was swept away by a dismissive Gold. Catching her off guard, he then fully paralyzed her, his eyes merciless when he noted her surprise.

Killian reached down to try and grab his knife but felt his hand betray him. Twisting unnaturally, he cried out when his entire arm jerked backwards, making him lurch to his left side, his hook digging into the dirt beside him.

"I'll do whatever it takes to succeed," Gold then said to them both, lifting the hat higher. The light suddenly grew and began to reach the brim, its rays of golden energy floating and shimmering at them.

"Hey!" came a cry, making Gold's attention snap up. Looking behind the contorted pirate, he spied the running figure of Emma, who subsequently flung a hand in his direction. Involuntarily jolted backwards, a disjointed groan slipped from Gold when he landed hard into a nearby tree, causing his grip to release the hat a few feet in front of him.

His hold over the Snow Queen and Killian was also lost. As soon as the spell died, they both collapsed to the ground, their lungs spent.

"Consider it no longer overdue," Regina joked when she caught up to the charging Emma, recalling their previous conversation about attacking Gold.

"I wasn't lying," she replied, her eyes falling onto the hunched form of Killian when she was close enough.

While Regina surged forward, she stopped and fell to her knees beside him and grabbed part of his back and right shoulder, his subsequent groan of agony making her heart race. Looking him over, she gasped when she saw that the shoulder she had just touched was horribly displaced. Breathing harshly, she summoned her magic into her hand and pressed down on it, seeping her healing powers into him.

"Swan," she heard him say, followed by a sharp hiss.

"You'll be okay," she replied softly, butterflies swarming inside of her. "I got you."

"How did you find me?"

"I had a feeling."

"That's...new," he acknowledged with a nervous chuckle. Groaning, he then slowly sat up, the once hot burning tension in his bones and muscles gradually morphing into a bitter soreness. Lifting his head in her direction, his blue eyes met her hazel ones and his heart immediately skipped. He tried not to stare at her, but he couldn't look away. Heart hammering, he fought against the urge to close the distance between them, but he only partially succeeded. Moving unintentionally, he soon found his nose centimeters away from hers, their breaths mingling.

A blush swept across her face and he knew that if he didn't distract himself, he would be a goner. "I need to tell you something," he rasped, finding the willpower to pull away and lean back on to heels.

"A lot of that has been going around," she remarked, removing her hands from him.

Killian evaluated her face, sadly. "It's about Rumple," he began, trying to push away his feelings. "He was planning on using that hat to remove the Snow Queen's magic then your own for his selfish needs. He wants to separate himself from the dagger but not from the Dark One's power."

Emma's eyes widened with shock and confusion. "He told you that? But then...why are you helping him?"

"Yes, he told me, but no...," he said, stopping to push himself to his feet. Once up, he immediately offered her his hand, which she graciously accepted. Caressing his thumb over her knuckles, neither one of them pulled away. "I'm not helping him, at least not willingly. I had to fulfill that deal I made with him over my other hand..."

Their previous conversation instantly played in her memory.

He got his hand back because he wanted to impress her.

"You told me that you just had leverage over him," she whispered, looking down at their connection. Licking her dry lips, she slipped her hand out of his, ignoring the tingling warmth his touch had created. "You never mentioned that you made a deal…that explains why I felt like you were leaving something out..."

"Partly," he explained, his eyes memorizing the curvatures of her face. Noting the sadness and the pain she was holding back, the hollowness in his chest became more pronounced. "Emma," he then said, the tenderness in his tone making her look at him with uncertainty. "I—"

Suddenly a burst of palpable energy hit them, causing their bodies to spiral once through the air before they struck the ground with a loud thud. Tumbling close to one another, they fought to get to their feet, both of them gasping for air.

"It would pay for you to remember, Killian," the Snow Queen said, her animalistic eyes focused on the heaving couple. "That we made a deal..."

…

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