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Chapter 70

Emma was sitting on the floor with Regina and the brunette was leaning heavily into her, too weak to hold herself up. The effects of the drugs still hadn't worn off, and Regina felt like they were only growing stronger. It was either that or simply that she had been completely drained of her energy. Emma and Snow had carefully helped Regina back into her clothes, and the queen was currently wrapped up in David's coat. David had given it to her when he had come to check on the three of them before he and the others had left to take Whale to the hospital, in order to deal with the gunshot wound prior to his arrest.

Currently, Emma had her arms around Regina and was silently suppressing the urge to just gather Regina up and carry her away from this place. The only reason she did not was because the brunette wasn't ready to leave yet. Regina was holding Sidney's hand, he was quickly fading away and Regina wanted to stay with him until he was gone. The reporter had a nasty knife wound and had been paralyzed by Whale. Emma was aware that she didn't know the whole story, but she just couldn't see past the fact that Sidney had played a major part in what had happened to Regina. He had helped kidnap her, had allowed her to be tortured nearly to death and Emma wasn't sure, but judging by the horrible scene she had burst in on earlier and the amount of time Regina had been gone, Emma thought it was likely that her friend had been raped as well. When Emma had asked why Regina wanted to stay with him all she received in response was a whispered. "He tried to help me."

And so despite the hatred she felt for Sidney right now, Emma agreed to stay and wait for Sidney to pass. Sidney was blinking weakly, unable to say or do anything, but as he continued to bleed into the cloth they had used to bandage him up he was content to simply gaze at Regina, never taking his eyes off of her. Even with her ill feelings towards Sidney right now Emma found it touching that Regina didn't want him to die alone.

However even though she kept holding his hand, Regina had broken eye contact with him a few minutes ago, still hurt by what he had done to her. From the corner of her eye she could see Sidney constantly watching her, but she couldn't bear to look at him again. A big part of her wanted to leave but she knew the right thing to do was to stay with him despite how badly she just wanted to go home. She moaned quietly in distress as she turned more fully into Emma's embrace, willing the pain to go away and for the drugs to wear off. Emma gently ran her hand through Regina's hair, whispering soft words of comfort into her ear. Emma glanced down at Sidney to find that his red-rimmed, teary eyes were still on Regina. Even though Emma knew Sidney couldn't do anything to hurt the brunette anymore, Emma still wrapped her arms more protectively around the other woman. Emma looked away from the reporter and focused on Regina instead.

After a minute more or so had passed, they heard Snow clear her throat. "It's over; he's gone."

Regina gave a soft sigh of relief, and turned to bury herself more deeply into Emma's embrace. She let Sidney's hand drop to the floor as she wrapped both of her arms around the blonde instead.

"Emma?" She whispered.

"Yeah?" Emma responded quietly, still brushing her fingers through Regina's hair.

"Please take me home."

Emma's expression softened. "You got it."

Emma was about to help Regina to stand up when a sound from the doorway made her freeze.

"I'm afraid you're not going anywhere Your Majesty," a cool female voice said from behind them, "except for with me."

Regina stiffened, she felt her blood run cold as Emma's grasp on her tightened.

"Blue," Snow said in a shocked, angry whisper as she saw the fairy she had once trusted and respected aiming her wand towards Emma and Regina. "What are you doing?"

"Stay the hell away from her!" Emma threatened the newcomer.

Regina clutched at Emma's shirt, nails digging into the fabric as she tried to hold on as strongly as she could.

"Emma..." she whispered fearfully.

Emma kept her eyes on Blue, but raised her hand to the back of Regina's head, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "Don't worry she's not taking you anywhere." She said in a low voice, eyes burning with hatred as she watched the fairy.

Regina sniffled, she knew there was nothing Emma or Snow could do if Blue used magic to transport her. She just continued to hold onto Emma, desperate not to be separated again. She wished she could fight, she wished she could be stronger, but she just couldn't.

Emma on the other hand was torn. She needed to get up, she needed to be able to fight Blue with everything she had but at the same time she couldn't find it in her heart to let go of Regina. The poor woman was unable to hold herself up and she was barely even conscious.

"Emma..."

"Just hold on okay, I won't let her do this." Emma assured her, even though her voice practically quivered because in all honesty, she didn't know what to do. She was good in a fight and if Blue didn't have any powers Emma knew she could have taken her on easily, but she didn't know how to fight against magic. All she knew was that she couldn't lose Regina again.

"Regina can you lean back against the bed? I need to stop her." Emma whispered, trying to get the brunette to let go of her. She glanced towards her mother and Blue. Mary Margaret had gone forward already and was trying to talk the other woman down.

"Blue this has to stop." Snow said in a soft, but serious voice as she walked guardedly towards the fairy. "I know you think Regina needs to be punished for casting the curse but she already has. Look at her!" Snow's voice rose emotionally as she waved a hand towards the queen who was huddled in the savior's embrace. "Look at how badly she's been hurt, look at how afraid she is! That's not someone who deserves to be tortured, she deserves to be shown mercy. Her suffering has gone on long enough; if it's penance you're looking for Regina's is way beyond complete. No one deserves this!"

"You of all people should understand Snow," Blue replied. "Don't you remember what this woman has done to you? To your family? What she did to you she has done to everyone in this town."

"I've forgiven her."

"You were wrong to. Once she's better how long do you think it will take her until she reverts to her old ways? The only way to stop her and to save the people of this town is by taking her life."

Regina's eyes fluttered shut. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly and she moved her head slowly back and forth as if she were trying to protest.

"Mary Margaret can't fight her on her own." Emma explained in quiet urgency, still trying to coax Regina into letting go of her. Emma could have very easily disentangled herself from Regina's weak hold on her but Emma could sense how hard the brunette was trying and she didn't have the heart to push her away.

"Tell Henry..." Regina whispered with difficulty. "Tell him I'm sorry."

"What?" Emma asked, her breathing coming somewhat rapidly. They were running out of time.

"Tell him I'm sorry I wasn't a better mother."

"Regina you can tell him yourself," Emma replied in a soft voice, placing a gentle hand on the side of Regina's head. "We're taking you home but first you need to let me stop Blue."

Regina sobbed softly. Emma felt her heart break as she saw a tear slip from the corner of Regina's eye.

"Tell Henry..." Regina swallowed thickly. "I love him and I'm sorry."

"Regina you're going to see him really soon."

"Promise me you'll take care of him. Make sure he..." Regina took in a deep, shaky breath as she fought to keep her emotions under control. "Make sure he knows it wasn't his fault." She whispered.

"Regina," Emma's voice broke as she thought of what the woman was implying. "You're going to be okay. We're getting you out of here."

"Promise me Emma."

Emma blinked back a few tears of her own as she nodded. "Okay... I promise Regina." Her voice quivered as she took the brunette more protectively into her arms. Emma hugged her for a few moments, knowing Regina needed the support, but soon she had to pull away again. "I'm sorry... I need to help Mary Margaret, are you okay if I leave you?"

Regina sniffled, she blinked back a few tears. "The wand." She whispered, as her out-of-focus eyes blinked heavily. "You need to get ..."

"The wand?" Emma glanced at the object in Blue's hand.

Regina gave a single nod, and Emma looked up to check on how her mother was faring against the Blue Fairy. Very quietly she reached for her gun, and with some difficulty due to how close Regina was to her, she managed to pull it from its holster.

Snow was looking at the fairy as if she had never seen her before, it was like she didn't even know her anymore. "What's happened to you?" Snow asked, appalled. "The Blue I know would be willing to show Regina compassion. She would want to give her a second chance. This doesn't sound like you at all."

"What's happened to me is that I've woken up. Evil doesn't deserve a second chance it deserves to be destroyed. Now dear I suggest you get out of my way." Blue said, tightening her grip on the wand.

Snow shook her head, she even stood a little taller. "Never. I won't let you get away with this Blue. You're not worthy of leading the fairies anymore. You're not worthy of calling yourself the Mother Superior!"

Anger flashed in the other woman's eyes. "Well thankfully it's not up to you." Blue retorted. With a wave of her wand Snow was knocked sideways and the princess fell to the floor unconscious.

"Mary Margaret!" Emma called. Her hateful eyes turned on Blue as she trained the gun on her. "I swear to god if you've hurt her I'll kill you."

"Oh Emma we both know that's not true. You're too much of a hero to kill a fairy, let alone a nun." Blue said in an almost daring tone.

"I think I could make an exception." Emma countered.

Emma knew this was it, she had to let go of Regina if she was going to be able to protect her.

She lessened her grasp on the brunette just a tiny bit and Regina immediately panicked, clutching onto her for dear life. The queen didn't want Emma to leave her side, but even more so she didn't want Emma to get herself killed trying to keep her safe.

"Regina please," Emma begged. She wondered if the brunette knew something she didn't. Maybe as long as she and Emma held onto each other Regina couldn't be magically transported anywhere without Emma also being taken along. Or maybe it was just that Regina wasn't thinking clearly enough to realize that Emma wouldn't be able to get the wand if she was stuck sitting on the floor. She thought the latter made more sense, and so she began to mentally prepare herself to leave Regina's side.

"I really don't want to hurt you or Snow White," Blue said, aiming her wand at Emma now. "But I'm afraid you've left me with no other choice. The townspeople already know what has happened to Whale. Naturally they want Her Majesty to pay for what she did to him. Nearly beating him to death... using her magic to strangle him. It's a miracle he was rescued in time. And let's not forget the tragic murder of Sidney Glass, Her Majesty really did a number on him didn't she?" Blue said with a glint in her eye.

"What happened to Whale?!" Emma shouted, appalled at the lies that Blue had apparently already spread around Storybrooke. The blonde heard a soft, shuddering gasp from Regina as she pulled herself from the woman's hold to stand up, she was practically shaking with rage. "What about what he did to Regina?! Oh I suppose you didn't tell them that part!"

Blue had an uncharacteristically dark smile on her face. "They knew Whale was going to kill her." She said, her tone rising.

"But let me guess, they didn't know he was going to torture her to death?"

"All they needed to know was that the Evil Queen was finally going to be stopped, once and for all."

"This is disgusting, and I'm not going to let you get away with it! I will make sure everyone knows what you did. I don't know what the hell happened to you since the curse broke but Mary Margaret was right, you don't deserve to be the Mother Superior anymore."

"I'm protecting the people of this town, I couldn't do it twenty-eight years ago but I now have accepted what needs to be done. It may sound drastic but sometimes an execution is the only way. When it's over you'll see, what I'm doing is for the best."

"If you want her you're going to have to kill me first." Emma threatened darkly.

"I don't want to hurt you Emma, but believe me I will if you try to stop me."

Emma didn't look away from Blue but she moved a few paces to the right where she knew she would be blocking Regina from the woman's view. "I am going to stop you."

Blue twitched her wand and Emma didn't think twice, she pulled the trigger. The gunshot however, was immediately blocked by a wave of Blue's wand. Emma fired again, but once more, the bullet was rendered useless.

Emma's heart was pounding, she needed to get closer to get the wand. She tried to take a few steps forward but it was as if there was an invisible barrier between herself and the fairy to keep her back.

"You can't stop me Emma, but you can still save yourself. She's not the woman you think she is. Just give up, let her go."

Emma shook her head, feeling the emotion building up inside her. "Never," she replied, unknowingly quoting her mother's own response.

"Well then I'm afraid young Henry is about to lose both of his mothers." Blue said unceremoniously.

Emma tried again to lunge for the fairy but couldn't get any closer to the wand. She tried firing the gun a few more times but Blue was quick to disable the bullets. Emma was frustrated; she knew Blue wasn't going to come any nearer, she would simply use her magic from where she currently stood, so close, yet completely untouchable.

"Emma," Regina's quivering, emotional voice suddenly spoke up from behind the blonde. "It's okay..."

Emma knew what Regina meant and she wasn't having it. "I am not leaving you Regina."

"Emma... Henry..."

"He's not going to lose either of us." Emma fired the weapon again but it was just as soon blocked.

"Emma please!"

Emma heard the emotion in Regina's voice and for a brief second, she looked away from Blue to meet Regina's gaze. There was a scared, desperate look in the queen's eyes. She didn't want Henry to lose them both.

"Regina I–"

Suddenly there was a strangled cry from Blue which caused Emma to jump. She quickly turned back to see the woman being tackled to the floor.

"David!" Emma shouted, relief flooding her as she rushed forward to help him.

The wand had been wrestled from Blue's grasp and the fairy, now powerless, was having a hard time fighting the prince. Now able to get close to her Emma had to resist the urge to punch the other woman in the face, and instead she withdrew handcuffs with trembling hands.

"Here, I'll do that." David offered, seeing how shaken his daughter was.

Emma nodded her thanks, wiping away tears that had been caused by a mixture of emotions.

Regina, who was still sitting on her own, blinked tiredly as she watched in a daze as the discarded wand rolled towards her. The others didn't seem to notice, and with how exhausted her body and mind had become it was as if it were happening in slow motion. She was breathing heavily, still leaning against the bed for support as she saw the wand come to a stop about a foot from her. No longer paying attention to what was happening around her, with considerable effort she forced herself to reach a shaky hand for the wand. She had an idea; she may have been unable to use her own magic to heal herself, but perhaps she would be able to make this wand work if she tried hard enough. After a considerable effort, her attempts to reach the wand had been a success. However something quite unexpected happened when she touched the magical object. As soon as her hand closed around it, she was suddenly blinded by a bright white light.

She didn't hear Emma scream her name, in fact she could no longer hear or see anything. In the next second everything had gone black, and the queen fell to the floor unconscious.

A/N: Thank you for reading. Please review, and take care xx