"Are you ready?" The Queen looked into the bathroom, where Gold, standing in front of the mirror, fastened a pin on his tie. "Rachel just called. They are already waiting for us, with her ... what's-his-name-there."
"Aaron is a good guy." Gold smiled, looking at her reflection. "I like him. And I think that you shouldn't attack him all the time."
"Really? And what do you like about him so much?" Regina raised an eyebrow.
"He is smart, from a good family and he has a good grip." He straightened the knot on his tie.
"Yes, I've already noticed that." The Queen sighed, "When he grabbed hold of Rachel tightly, knowing well that she's your daughter."
"So what? He chose a girl like himself, in contrast to this... what'- his-name-there." He mimicked his wife.
"Oh, just don't start!" Regina grimaced. "He loves Charlotte and he's a really nice guy."
"Penniless." Gold grinned.
"Well, here we go again." The Queen sighed. "At the end of the residency, he will have a completely different salary. And David talks about how talented he is all the time and how will surely make a brilliant career."
"Okay, I don't want to debate with you." her husband dismissed her.
The telephone rang again in the bedroom.
"Now your enterprising favorite is calling to inform you that they replaced us to your favorite table, he made sure of that." Regina said with a laugh, peering into the bathroom again. "Rumple?" The fun immediately flew off her.
Gold stood with his eyes closed, leaning on the sink and head down.
"What's the matter with you?" She suddenly appeared near him.
"I don't know." He raised his hand with difficulty, to loosen the knot on his tie.
"Come on." Regina put his hand on her shoulder and, hugging him, led him into the bedroom. "Lie down… Carefully... I'll call David."
"No, Regina, call 911." Gold breathed out, rubbing his chest. "And give me a blanket." He cringed. "It's very cold."
After hastily covering him with a blanket, the Queen with difficulty, with trembling hands, dialed the desired number.
"David! Please tell me everything will be alright!" The Queen hung on Stern's neck as soon as he came out of the intensive care unit.
"Regina." He hugged her by the shoulders. "We are doing everything we can but it's all useless."
"What?" Regina recoiled from him. "What are you saying?"
"A second heart attack, at his age is almost always incurable." Stern continued. "He doesn't respond to therapy. We can't even stabilize him. His heart is too worn out."
"So he needs a new one!" She grabbed his hand. "After all, you can do it. You transplant hearts."
"No, Regina." He took her by the shoulders again. "Even if I could find him a heart, he would die on the operating table."
"This is some kind of nonsense." the Queen muttered. "David, you've always helped us and now, I'm sure you can do something. I cannot lose him! Do you understand? Do something. Help him!"
"Only you can help him now." David slowly stroked her shoulders. "Go to him. Stay with him. That's all he needs now. To spend the last hours with you. Trust me."
"You've lost your damn mind!" The Queen pushed him away from her. "That's impossible! It shouldn't be like that!"
"Everything has a deadline." Stern said quietly. "Our bodies break, just like everything else. They let us down. And we can't do anything about it."
"Well, maybe you can't." She turned sharply and walked away.
"Well, how are you here?" Bouncing into the ward, the Queen sat at her husband's bed and impulsively took his hand.
"Excellent." He pulled her palm to himself and kissed it. "Opiates are a great thing."
"I'm taking you out of here!" Regina said decisively. "We are returning to Storybrooke."
"No." Gold shook his head. "I don't want to go to Storybrooke."
"I don't care what you want!" the Queen snapped.
"Not true." Her husband smiled softly at her. "You do care. And always did".
"Listen," Regina began fervently, "I was talking to David right now and he's sure that you have no chance here. You will die here! You need magic!"
"No." He held out his hand and touched her cheek. "I need you."
"Do you even listen to me?" She jumped to her feet. "We need to return to the world of magic! This is the only chance to save you!"
"I've already told you this and I will say it again." He held out his hand and she sat down next to him once more, kissing his palm. "I've lived three hundred unhappy years without you and thirty incredibly happy with you. I can no longer live without you. And this is what will happen if we return to any of the magical realms. Immortality is the worst damnation. I've lived for centuries and for the centuries I was alone, I got used to it. But now that I have been so happy with you for so long, I cannot return to my former life. I don't want to outlive neither you nor our children."
"Rumple…" The Queen stroked his cheek. "But what will I do without you? I can't lose you."
"Just like I can't lose you." Gold caught her hand and kissed it. "And if I become immortal again, I will lose you forever. All of you. And I will lose for centuries, generation after generation, children, grandchildren, everyone that I have ever loved."
"I can't let you go." She leaned towards him, her forehead buried in his shoulder. "I don't want to... Please, let's go back to Storybrooke, to the Enchanted Forest - wherever you like."
"Regina…" He gently stroked her hair. "I don't want to leave you but I cannot return to my former life. I'm sorry, baby. I wanted to live a life with you and I've lived it."
"No, Rumple." The Queen spoke through her tears.
"I'm tired, Regina." Her husband ran a hand over her cheek, wiping her tears. "Lie down with me a little. I want to fall asleep next to you."
She lay down beside him and embracing her, he laid his head on her shoulder.
"That's so good." Gold smiled with his eyes closed.
"I love you." Regina whispered, kissing him on his temple. "I will always love you. Only you."
"I love you too." he said with difficulty.
"Good night." She pressed him close to her, without hearing an answer.