Trigger warning - abuse

In case anyone was following along with the old version, it's still up on Archive of Our Own, under my same user name. It'll be deleted once this rewrite is completed.

Chapter 9 He's My Son Too

The next morning Henry woke up and thought it was strange that his mother didn't wake him up for school or have breakfast on the table waiting for him as she usually did. Then again, he knew something strange was going on last night. He had heard a car pulling up outside his window and looked out to see Sheriff Graham coming in. Maybe he was here to talk to his father about the mines? Maybe he could try and listen outside the door for some information on what could possibly be down there? Unfortunately, he didn't count on his father catching him and sending him to bed.

He finished getting dressed and thought maybe Regina was still asleep. He walked down the hall to the master bedroom and slowly opened the door just a peek. He stared in confusion at the empty bed. It looked as if only his father slept here last night. Regina's side hasn't been touched.

He headed downstairs and towards the study. He opened the door and peered into the dark room that was barely lit by the gray early morning light filtering in through the windows.

Regina was asleep on the couch, cuddled under the green throw blanket that was usually kept on the back of the couch.

"Mom?" he called softly, a bad feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. Something wasn't right. No matter how mean he was towards her, she always made sure to take care of him no matter what. He was about to step inside to wake her when Leopold was suddenly behind him and pulling the door closed.

"She's not feeling good," he said. "Let her rest. Come on, I'll take you to school."

He took one last look at the door and then hesitantly followed his father. He wanted to check on her, but he knew he had no choice but to follow his father's wishes. They got into the car, the silence heavy between them. There was no relationship between the two. Leopold never took a moment to spend time with him or even get to know him. Finding out that he was adopted broke his heart because he couldn't believe Regina would lie to him. When it came to Leopold, there was no love lost between them. He only gained more anger towards the man who could care less about him.

The whole ride was uncomfortably silent, and Henry was itching to get out of the car. He knew that somehow his father had hurt his mother. He didn't know if it was physically like Emma was suspicious of. He's never seen him hurt her that way besides from that hazy memory. All he's seen for as long as he could remember is Leopold yelling at her, criticizing her, and making her cry. He was younger then, but now he started noticing little things like poorly covered bruises at the end of the day. The way her hands shook when Leopold was in the room and how much she was suddenly so terrified of him. It wasn't until Leopold had suddenly stopped at the drop off zone did Henry finally speak up.

"What's wrong with mom?"

"She's just exhausted from last night," he clearly lied and then turned in his seat to face him. "After school I want you to go straight to your session and then wait for me when you're done."

"Why isn't mom picking me up?"

"I just told you she's sick," he said impatiently. "Now, get to class."

"What about my lunch?" he asked. "Mom didn't make me one."

He let out a sigh of irritation and pulled his wallet out from his pants pocket and took out a ten dollar bill.

"Take this and go," he said, handing him the bill. Henry took it and rushed out of the car.

"Oh and Henry?" Leopold called out from the window. He turned to face him. "I better not hear that you've skipped school today."

He just glared at his father and rushed to the school building.

She had been in a deep sleep when Leopold's voice roused her awake. At first Regina couldn't remember why she was sleeping in the study and then she opened her eyes to see her husband standing over her and the events from last night came rushing back to her. She fearfully looked up at him and backed away from him as much as the couch would allow her to.

"Hey, calm down," he scolded her as if she were a child. "I called your work and told them you weren't coming in today."

"Where's Henry?" she asked, her anxiety building for her son's whereabouts as she realized it was a little later in the morning and he should be at school by now.

"He's fine," he said. "I took him to school and gave him lunch money."

He lifted her chin, looking into her eyes and when he was satisfied that her pupils weren't dilated anymore, he started to check her head wound.

"Can you stand?"

"I don't know, the room is spinning," she answered shakily, sitting up and trying to gain her bearings. The spinning became worse, and her head still throbbed.

"Get up," he ordered, not caring at all that she was in pain or that she was dizzy. She slowly started to stand, her hands gripping the couch tightly. She felt like she was going to pass out just from sitting up.

"Hurry up!" he snapped, grabbing her arm and pulling her up on her feet so that she was standing in front of him. Dressed in her bra and slacks, she shivered from the cold morning air. He didn't even light the fireplace last night for her before going up to bed.

"Look at me!" he growled, grabbing her face and forcing her to look at him. "You were out of line last night. Don't you ever question my drinking again."

The audacity of him to say she was the one out of line last night. She was only concerned for his addiction. He was the one out of line with bashing her head against the wall. He was lucky he didn't kill her by accident. She glared at him, her anger rising within her and she couldn't help but foolishly speak up to her abusive husband.

"And bashing my head against the wall wasn't out of line?" she asked.

The look he gave her had her cowering in fear. She looked down in a show of submissiveness, the spark of anger within her dying. He let go of her face and she took a step back.

"I actually didn't mean to go that far," he admitted and Regina looked up at him in surprise. He's never once shown remorse for beating her. Maybe last night he really hadn't meant to lose control over his anger. He was frustrated with the mines after all and the stress from work had him drinking more and more these days. Still, it doesn't excuse him for giving her a concussion.

"Not that you didn't deserve it for running your mouth," he commented, but she had barely even registered it. The spinning was increasingly getting worse and she stumbled a bit, a hand flying to her head. She felt like her head was going to explode. She sank to her knees, her face going pale. She held her head in her hands.

"Leopold, I don't feel good," she whispered. "I'm dizzy." She desperately tried not to be sick. He'll make her clean it herself no matter what state she is in. He came over and picked her up in his arms and laid her back down on the couch and pulled the blanket over her. She let out a small whimper when the back of her head connected with the pillow. She curled in on herself, unable to take the spinning.

"I need to get to the office, but I'll have Graham come over to check on you. Maybe he can give you something. Don't worry about Henry. I'll pick him up after his session and bring him home."

Just as he was about to leave, Regina couldn't help but ask the question that she was always too afraid to ask. Maybe now that she was already so hurt, she felt she had nothing left to lose at this point.

"Leopold?"

He turned to her just as he was about to exit the room.

"When will my debt to you be paid?"

He looked at her and for a moment she could have sworn she saw a flicker of grief in his eyes as they were taken back to the night Mary Margaret was hurt. The grief turned to anger, and Regina shrunk back as he advanced on her. He grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him. He would always blame her for his precious daughter getting hurt. He will always blame her for not being the mother he wanted her to be, and for causing a rift between him and his daughter. She would never be free of him.

"Your debt will never be repaid," he told her in a low threatening tone. She didn't dare say anything else as he finally left her alone.

She must have fallen asleep after he had left, because the next thing she knew, Graham was gently shaking her awake. She opened her eyes and noticed the change in daylight and realized she slept the morning away. It was now the afternoon, and she guessed Henry would be with Dr. Hopper right now.

"I'm just here to check on you," Graham said as she regained her bearings. "Leopold said you were dizzy this morning?"

She nodded as he checked her eyes with his penlight, checking her pupil response. He seemed satisfied after a moment and she guessed they must be normal.

"Still having double vision?" he asked.

"No, I'm just nauseous and dizzy and my head hurts," she answered, curling up tighter with the thin throw blanket. It was freezing. Graham must have noticed because he went over to the fireplace and started to light it.

"Bastard couldn't even light the damn fireplace," she heard him grumbling. She knew he hated what Leopold was doing. He had once admitted to her that he hated himself just as much as he hated his boss. He hated the position he was in. Regina thought he was a coward for even admitting this to her, as if somehow explaining it to her would excuse him watching from the sidelines as her husband beat her. The threat of losing his career and livelihood if he didn't cover it up clearly meant more to him than putting a stop to the abuse. Even as the years had gone by, and the beatings became worse and more consistent, he still stayed silent. Sometimes he couldn't even look her in the eye out of shame as he'd treat her newest injuries.

When the flames were finally roaring, Regina sighed in relief at the warmth of the flames.

"I'll go get you some fresh clothes," he said, excusing himself and leaving the room. He was well familiar with the mansion after years of days like this when Leopold ordered him to check in on Regina after a bad beating. She scoffed in annoyance, her anger rising at the fact that his guilt always made him over compensate in helping her with any little task. He always made sure she had everything she needed before leaving her alone just like he did last night. In the beginning, she fought him. She rejected any kind of help from him because she didn't want him to look at her like a weak helpless victim. His unwillingness to help stop the abuse made her hate him with every fiber of her being. Ever since her failed escape to Atlantic City, she just gave in and took the little help that he offered.

He came back in with a towel and a stack of clothes and set them on the arm of the couch. She sat up, the blanket falling from her shoulders and revealing the dark bruises on her belly and ribs along with the lashes on her back. He averted his gaze as if he didn't want to see the reminder of what he was allowing to happen.

"I thought maybe you'd like to take a shower?" he asked. "I could clean your wound after."

That was a good idea actually. Her hair was caked in blood and she could still smell the remnants of whisky on her. She nodded her consent and he gently helped her up and guided her to the downstairs guest bathroom. The shower was tiny and never used, but became perfect for moments like these when she couldn't make it up the stairs.

"I'll give you some privacy," he said once she made it inside and took a seat on the closed toilet.

"Shout for me if you feel like you're about to pass out or anything."

"Close the door," she said, too angry to even thank him. He left her alone, shutting the door and leaving her to figure out how she was going to stand in the shower stall without passing out. She was still very dizzy. The pain by some miracle seemed to have lessened just a bit to the point that it was somewhat tolerable. She'd probably sit on the floor if she had too.

She slowly stood, holding on to the sink and carefully stepping over to the shower. Thank goodness the space was small and she didn't have to walk across a large room like she would have if she had been in her master bathroom. She turned the water on and adjusted the temperature before stripping and stepping inside.

The minute the water hit her wound, she cried out from the pain it caused. She sank down to her knees, trying to breathe. She could see traces of blood mingling with the water as it swirled down the drain.

She couldn't stop the sobs that erupted from inside her and racked her body. She was so bruised, so broken, and the only thing keeping her going at this point was Henry. Despite his defiant behavior, he was the only thing keeping her from completely giving up.

When she was done and had managed to step out and get dressed without passing out, she stepped out of the bathroom feeling exhausted and drained. She really needed to lie down and sleep.

She made it back to the study because there was no way in hell she was making it up the staircase. Graham was a step ahead of her as he always was because he had put a pile of extra blankets on the couch and was currently cleaning the mess Leopold had made last night. She tried not to look at the splattered blood on the wall.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, setting the broom aside and approaching her. He grabbed his medical kit that he had set on the ground and approached her as she sat on the couch. She was exhausted and didn't even have the energy to snap at him to leave her alone.

"No," she said, her walls going up and not allowing him to see the overwhelming grief she felt inside. The complete brokenness and hopelessness she had felt as she sobbed under the spray of the shower. He didn't say anything as she sat beside her and gently started cleaning her wound.

He worked in silence for a few moments until his cell phone started ringing. He lightly cursed under his breath and answered with one hand so that he could still tend to her.

"Deputy Swan…"

Regina's lip curled at the name. A different kind of anger surged through her, one that was full of fire and not the deep hatred she felt for her husband and his pathetic sheriff.

"Woh, slow down…" he said, suddenly pulling his hand away from her wound and focusing on whatever the deputy was telling him. Regina watched him in concern, a bad feeling suddenly settling in the pit of her stomach.

"Ok, I'll be right there. Emma, don't let anyone else run in after them."

He hung up and looked at Regina with wide terrified eyes.

"Regina…"

"What's wrong?" she asked, her hands suddenly shaking and terror washing over her. Something bad happened and Graham was afraid to tell her. He swallowed nervously.

"Henry ran into the mines… and it caved in further. Dr. Hopper ran in after him."

"What!" She stood so quickly she neary stumbled. Graham steadied her and she tore her arm away from him. "Is he…" Her voice cracked with grief, unable to ask the question that would destroy her. She started to panic, her whole body was shaking and she started to feel light headed.

Graham gently sat her back down before she could faint from the stress and her injuries.

"We don't know," he said. "Emma said he ran off during his session so she and Archie tracked him to the mines. Archie ran in just as the entrance started caving in even more."

"I have to go to him!" She started pulling on the heels she kicked off last night.

"You're in no condition," he protested.

"As if you care!" she snapped, getting back to her feet. "We both know the only reason you're here is because of him!"

Graham bowed his head in shame and Regina knew she hit a nerve.

"You know Leopold will be there and he won't be happy to see you."

"What am I supposed to do?" she asked with a fierce determination she hasn't had in a very long time. Her protective instincts for Henry took precedence over her fear for her husband. "Do you just expect me to stay here, lie on this couch and just hope that Henry will be coming home tonight!"

"I'll tell him I made you come with me," he sighed in defeat and even though he just wanted to save her from Leopold's wrath, those words made her angry.

"I don't need your protection or your cover ups! You already have your hands full covering up for Leopold!" She stumbled away from him and stormed out of the room. She didn't need his help. She'll gladly face whatever Leopold had in store for her once her son was safely back in her arms again.

It was chaos when Regina and Graham arrived at the scene in the patrol car. Firefighters, paramedics, and rescuers were all around the mines. Regina could see her husband by the entrance talking to Deputy Swan. Dread filled her chest as the realization of him being angry for her arrival finally hit her for the first time. She took a breath and pushed back her fear because right now all that mattered was Henry. The car had barely stopped when she had rushed out, ignoring the dizziness and pain in her head. She pushed her concussion to the back of her mind as adrenaline rushed through her. She practically ran over to Emma and Leopold, ignoring Graham shouting after her to slow down.

"Have you heard from him?" she asked, unable to stop her voice from shaking. Emma looked at her in surprise for her arrival. Leopold was suddenly grabbing her arm and pulling her back, away from Emma and forcing her to stand in front of him. He was seething and Regina looked up at him in fear.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice hushed as he tried to cover the anger he felt in front of the deputy.

"I made her come with me. She needs to be here for Henry," Graham lied as he rushed over just in time to see Leopold angrily grabbing her by the arm.

"The rescue team is looking for you," Leopold said evenly, his face stony and Regina could hear the hidden warning in his tone that he so often used with her in public. His grip on her arm was tight and painful but she was too afraid to move. Graham looked at her with worried eyes before walking away without protest.

Emma's green eyes soften with despair and Regina could feel a lump of emotion in her throat.

"He's down in the mines. Archie went after him and it caved in even further. We haven't heard from them," she explained.

"So you don't know if they're…" Her voice broke off into a sob. She couldn't even finish that thought.

"Calm down," Leopold snapped at her, giving her a firm shake and surprising her with how aggressive he was being with her in front of Emma. That meant he was beyond angry and she started shaking in his bruising grip. She saw a look of anger flash in the deputy's green eyes and then she was suddenly stepping towards her and gently taking Regina's hand and leading her away from her husband.

The feeling of Emma's warm hand in hers and squeezing her in reassurance warmed her heart and quenched the fear Leopold had instilled in her. She was quite confused by the foriegn feeling of safety Emma gave her. Leopold glared at them, but didn't do anything to stop Emma from pulling her away. Of course he wouldn't try anything when there were so many people around. It didn't mean that she wouldn't pay for it later though.

"What was he even doing out here?" she asked, ripping her hand from Emma's and taking a step back from both of them. The momentary sense of safety did not change the fact that she was threatened by her. "Don't tell me he was with you when he ran inside!"

"Why is everything always a fight with you!" she snapped, throwing up her arms in frustration and Regina couldn't help but flinch. Emma frowned at the reaction and Regina quickly fired back before she could question her.

"Answer the question, Swan!"

"No, I'm out here trying to help him! You know he was down here because you made him feel like he had something to prove," Emma accused, stepping up to her.

"Why does he have something to prove! You keep encouraging him!" Regina yelled, stepping forward as well and getting into her face.

"Oh, don't put this on me!"

"Enough!" Leopold snapped, grabbing Regina's arm and yanking her back towards him. "You two could keep fighting until his oxygen runs out! Arguing won't accomplish anything."

"No, it won't," Regina whispered, agreeing with her husband for once, because as much as she hated him, he was right about this. Now that she had stopped yelling, the pain that she had shoved to the back of her mind started to throb and she gently brought a hand up to her temple.

"What do you want me to do?" Emma asked seriously, her green eyes, although frustrated with her behavior, were glowing with concern. Leopold answered instead, moving in front of her as if she had no say in this decision.

"We need something big, like explosives to punch through the ground," he said. Emma's eyes hardened until she looked at Regina.

"Regina," she ignored him, her eyes fixated on her as she submissively stood behind him. "What do you want to do?"

She could feel Leopold glaring at her, and her head was pounding, making it so hard to concentrate. She didn't know what else to do. She couldn't think. She was in so much pain and her son was in danger, so to her own surprise, she nodded to Leopold's plan.

Emma frowned, clearly not liking that she had agreed to Leopold's plan, but nonetheless she set the plan into motion. Soon enough, they were ready to execute it and everyone started to stand back and take cover. Regina stood a good distance away from where the explosives were set up. She rolled her eyes when Emma came over to join her.

"Is he always like that?" she asked, glancing to where Leopold was standing closer with Graham.

"Like what?" she grumbled, not in the mood to discuss anything with her that didn't involve saving her son.

"The way he talks to you, and grabs you," Emma frowned as if she were thinking about the way Leopold had yanked her back towards him when they had been arguing in each other's faces.

Regina fell quiet for a moment. She didn't know what to say. Leopold tended to get sloppy in not putting his hands on her in public when his anger got too high. He had been rough with her since she arrived and Emma had clearly noticed.

"He's just worried about Henry," she replied, giving her a fake excuse. She averted her gaze, unable to look at the concerned woman who clearly already knew since the confrontation in her class room. Regina was just too afraid to confirm her suspicions.

"Uh huh," Emma sounded annoyed, obviously not believing her. Regina didn't bother to convince her. She didn't have the energy when her head felt like it was gonna explode from the concussion she still had.

Finally it was time.

Everyone took cover and the mines exploded with a loud boom. They watched in horror as it failed in making an opening. The mines had caved in further, making it worse. Regina immediately cried out, holding her head in severe pain. Her ears started ringing and she was overwhelmed with a sickening vertigo the loud boom and vibration had caused to her already bruised brain.

The world was spinning. She couldn't hear. She couldn't breathe. She felt herself stumbling until a warm hand was suddenly on her back, steadying her. She managed to force her eyes open to meet concerned and frightened green eyes. Emma was afraid for her. She was calling her name but she couldn't hear a word through the ringing in her ears.

She stood up straight, and willed the pain to the back of her mind, trying her best to ignore it. The ringing stopped and she tried to focus through the nausea the vertigo was causing.

"Regina! Are you ok?"

"I… I'm fine," she trembled, trying to gain her balance and not pass out. She pressed a hand to her temple once more, trying to see through the dirt that coated the air. Her head was pounding as she realized with fear that the mines had collapsed even more.

She tore away from Emma, trying not to stumble from the pain and dizziness. She ran up to Leopold, Graham and the rescuers that had fired the explosives. They were by the entrance surveying the damage.

"What the hell was that!" she yelled. "You said you could do it!" The men started fumbling apologies and explanations, but she didn't want to hear it. She just wanted her son out of there. She ignored the threatening glare Leopold was giving her.

"Dr. Mills," Emma was suddenly by her side and gently taking her hand, leading her away from the mines. Leopold came after them.

"They could've killed my son!" she exclaimed, her fear getting the best of her.

"I know," the deputy agreed, trying to calm her. "But this isn't helping."

She held her temple again. The throbbing was increasing and the edges of her vision were blurry. She wondered if she looked as drained as she felt. She felt as if she were running on fumes at this point, and the only thing keeping her from passing out was her fierce protectiveness for her son.

"Hey!" Leopold was furious and Regina froze in fear as he suddenly approached her and before he could even grab her again, Emma was jumping in front of her and facing him.

"Don't you dare put your hands on her again!" she yelled and everyone around them became silent. Leopold froze in shock. His mouth hung open for a quick moment before he shut it and glared. They held each other's gaze as if they were challenging each other to admit what they both already knew. That Leopold was abusing his wife. Of course Leopold would never admit it, and Emma was only suspicious of it. She wouldn't accuse him in front of the town without hard evidence to prove it.

"Hey! Pongo's found something!" One of the rescuers had shouted and everyone's attention shifted to the dalmatian that was barking and digging at something in the ground. Leopold broke the staring match and rushed up to see what Pongo had found. Graham and the rescue team had uncovered what looked like a metal grate.

"Regina…"

"I'm fine," she interrupted before Emma could even ask if she was ok. She couldn't even look at her as she joined the others to see what Pongo had found. Emma was right behind her and for some reason, her close presence made her feel safe.

"What is that?" she asked, hating how much her voice was trembling. Her hands were shaking and she shoved them into her blazer. She could feel Emma watching her.

"It's an air shaft," Graham answered and Regina bristled at the concern in his eyes when he looked at her. "Regina, you need to go sit down."

"Lower me down," she ignored him. Her clipped tone held no room for argument.

"Are you for real!" Emma exclaimed. "You look as pale as a ghost and you're shaking. I don't know what's up with you, but clearly you are in no condition to be going down these mines. I'll go!"

"And you just expect me to trust you?"

"Yes," Emma said, looking her dead in the eye and willing her to believe her. Regina couldn't find a reason not to, because despite their differences they had a common goal, and that was Henry.

"He's my son," Regina protested as the rescuers started gathering ropes and a harness.

Emma looked at her with so much guilt as she hesitated to answer right away.

"He's… my son too," she said slowly and Regina felt like a knife had pierced her heart. "I can do this, Regina. Please, let me save our son."

Regina searched her eyes, once again trying and failing to come up with a reason why she couldn't trust her to save Henry. Maybe this was the only way? She stepped forward, getting a little too close to the deputy's personal space; she could feel her breath on her lips. If she were to lean forward, she'd practically be kissing her. She watched as Emma's chest rose and fell a little too quickly and the way her green eyes fell to her lips. She was reminded of the scar that graced the top one and wondered if Emma was noticing it.

"Just bring him to me," she whispered, brown eyes staring into green and suddenly it was just the two of them worrying about their son.

"Deputy Swan!" Leopold's gruff voice broke the spell and both women were suddenly stepping back from each other. "Put the harness on!"

Emma looked disoriented for a moment as Leopold posessively pulled Regina against him, holding her tightly in his embrace. Regina stood frozen, but her gaze was fixated on Emma as the rescue team strapped the harness on her. To anyone, it might have looked like a comforting embrace, but Regina knew he was beyond angry at their little display.

"Kiss me so that everyone sees that Deputy Swan is wrong for shouting at me the way she did," he threatened into her ear as she watched Emma get lowered into the air shaft. That was the last thing she wanted to do, put on a fake loving gesture in front of everyone so no one is suspicious of him putting his hands on her like Emma had accused him of.

He squeezed her as a warning and she knew she had no choice but to obey. She tilted her head up and kissed his cheek but he quickly moved so that she kissed his lips instead. He brought a hand up, placing it on the back of her head and forcing her to stay still as he deepened the kiss. She wanted to gag as he forced his tongue into her mouth. He pressed against the wound on the back of her head and she gasped from the pain. When he finally pulled away, she couldn't bear to look around at the people watching. She felt her cheeks go red at the public display of affection and kept her eyes fixed on the mine shaft where Emma disappeared. She was relieved that Emma didn't see the forced kiss.

She watched in anticipation until Emma was suddenly talking. Her head was pounding and she had trouble staying focused, but all that mattered was making sure Henry was safe. Leopold was holding her too tight and too close as if he was desperately trying to prove that he loved his wife and Emma was just shouting out nonsense.

She took a step forward, forcefully pulling away from her husband when she suddenly heard a faint voice that wasn't Emma.

"Henry!" she cried out in relief when she recognized the voice as her son.

"Stand back!" Leopold growled at her, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. This time his hand was tight on her wrist and she winced from the pain. She couldn't help but think he was an idiot for grabbing her like this when he was trying to show everyone Emma was wrong.

Suddenly everyone heard Emma screaming and a loud crash. Everyone froze in shock, waiting to hear something that indicated they were still alive.

Fear crept down her spine and made her legs feel weak. Regina couldn't even speak or move. She too was frozen, unable to comprehend that she might have just lost her son.

And then they heard it.

Emma was yelling at them to pull her up and that everyone was ok. Regina finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the symptoms from her concussion that she had been ignoring suddenly started to crash down on her. The adrenaline was fading as Henry was being pulled up with Emma and Archie. Dark spots started clouding her vision. Her head was pounding and the vertigo increased. She stumbled from the dizziness, not even registering Graham putting a hand on her back to steady her. She tried pushing it away. She needed Henry in her arms.

"Henry!" She yanked her wrist away from Leopold and ran to her son when he was finally safe on the ground. She pulled him into her arms, hugging him tightly and then pulling away just to make sure he wasn't injured. She was shaking now, the pain becoming too much at this point. She stood, bringing a hand to her head.

"Mom?"

She stumbled back and Emma was the one to steady her this time.

"Regina?" Emma's voice sounded far away even when she was just standing right behind her. Her world was spinning before her eyes. Her head felt like it was exploding from the inside. She could barely see through the dark spots in her vision that threatened to consume her.

Emma managed to stop her just in time from hitting the ground.