Chapter 5: The Miller's Daughter 2 Episode 16
Cora is dead.
Regina clings onto her mother's body, and wonders time and time again why everyone she cares about ends up dead in her arms. Daniel, both her parents… Who's next? She blinks through burning tears to see horrified shock on Emma's face.
Never again will she allow this to repeat. She had been the one to rip her father's heart out then and the one to slot her mother's cursed heart back in now.
She repeatedly tries to yank free the poisonous organ, but even though her magic allows her to bypass muscle and bone she can't make the stubborn heart budge.
Her hand is burnt when it vacates her mother's chest. The toxin from the curse had corroded through her leather gloves and excoriated the skin of her palms.
Regina is never enough; if she had been, then perhaps her mother would still be here now. Cora never required love, it was a weakness. It was Regina's needy flaw that has cost her mother's life.
If she could've, she would take her mother's place. Give her own functioning heart to pump warmth into Cora's cooling body.
"Regina, if there's anything that you nee-"
"I need my mother!" Regina snaps at Snow, her fury fills the room with a heavy misting fog of tyrian purple. It's deeper than the amethyst that normally comes to her, it's unnaturally dark and it reminds her of the clotting blood that seeps from Cora's lips.
Emma knees down beside her, bringing a hand up to caress Regina's cheek. A cerulean glow mingles with Regina's magic until the cloud around them is a mixture of dioxazine purple and prussian blue. There's no cohesion when the tendrils of magic tangle and glance off one another but there's also no signs of them repelling either.
When Snow tries to approach her daughter the mingling strands of magic swirl around the pair, it cocoons them and Cora in a thick haze and when it fades so do they.
…
They find themselves inside Henry senior's resting place, in the sanctum sanctorum of Regina's remaining land. She's not quite strong enough to physically move Cora so all she can do is cradle her mother in her arms and drench her fine dress with tears.
"Mommy." Regina's voice cracks, broken and hollow as her pleas go unanswered by the dead.
It's heartrending to see Regina so utterly defeated. Emma doesn't know what to say as she watches Regina shatter. All she can do is stroke her hand soothingly down Regina's quaking back.
"Regina..." Emma needs some guidance but the person she normally went to was currently disposed to abject misery.
"I'm not strong enough." Regina struggles on her spot on the ground but isn't able to move Cora's body. "I'm not good enough."
"No, Regina, god." Emma slides her arms under Cora's neck and crook of her knees before carefully lifting. "Where do you want us to place her… With your father?" Emma's voice is a bare whisper, the atmosphere of loss too heavy to disperse.
Regina nods and wipes at her eyes, it doesn't stop the tears and she can hardly walk so she stumbles after Emma as they travel back up the stairs. The top of the stone casket takes some work before finally slamming onto the floor. A plume of dust unsettles and Emma doesn't know what to expect, bones, a desiccated body, but certainly not an empty box. Emma gently places Cora into her final resting place while Regina recites spells to preserve the body in eternal stagnancy.
When Regina dips her head, they both work together to cover the coffin with the slab of stone. With the task done, all Regina can do is weep for the pathetic and never ending tragedy of her life. So many deaths were on her shoulders, if only she had been strong enough, if only she was ever enough.
"Do you want me to drive us… drive you home?" Emma is hesitant, her emotions in equal disarray.
"I have neither mother nor child." Regina's eyes are vacant when they flick up at Emma. "No family or home."
"Regina..." Emma guides them back downstairs to where she had previous caught sight of a downy bed. The stone covering groans into place and shields them from the search parties that have begun to scour the town.
Regina drops into the bedding and drags a pillow into her arms. Her life was so dismal, this spiral of anguish was becoming too familiar to bear.
The room looked meticulously cared for; even the duvet has been carefully folded. With the way Regina was sniveling into the blankets, Emma can guess who had once occupied this room.
Emma takes off Regina's high heels and layers of autumn jackets and scarves. When she reaches to deal with the mangled gloves, Emma is extra careful to be gentle.
Regina weakly shoves Emma's hands away and all but rips the leather from her raw palms. She deserves this pain, so she runs her nails against the clotting wounds until new blood pulses to the surface. She doesn't know how to cease crying since all she can fixate on is wasted opportunities and how utterly useless she has been through it all. It's a boundless pool of regret, the turmoil doesn't appear to have a conclusion and it takes moments for Regina to once again consider ending it all.
Regina clenches a hand over her heart and tries futilely to reach for the blasted organ, but she's too disconcerted to focus her magic. She ends up weakly beating her abraded palm into her blouse, the blood and flesh making a slopping smack each and every time.
Emma attempts to stop Regina's movements but it only exacerbates the condition of the wound. Almost without thought, Regina struggles against Emma's staying hand.
Emma rushes to the adjoining bathroom and runs warm water onto a towel, she returns and wraps Regina's injured limb in the soft heat before coaxing the other women out of the bloody blouse. Emma unbuttons and rids Regina of the prim grey pants and tucks the covers until Regina is bundled in the layers of pallid comfort.
Emma lingers by the side of the bed, unsure of where she was allowed to be. She takes time to grab another towel, wetting and bringing it to Regina's running make up. It takes her a long while to clean the mess since Regina attempts to remove the towel on her palm and Emma thinks it's best to bandage the injury before dealing with cosmetics.
There's no emergency medical kit to be found, why would proficient magic users need it. Emma shreds her tank top and uses it as makeshift bandages. She brings a box of tissues to the bedside and Regina dabs at her eyes before noisily blowing her nose. There's a moment when she's conscientious of her dire appearance but the thought of decorum only brings her mind back to Cora and another tide of limitless tears.
Emma sits at the edge of the bed in her bra and jeans, her shoes already kicked off but she's unable to do more without permission. She starts to get up in the hopes of finding clothing to wrap around her chilly frame when Regina's undamaged hand grips onto her bicep. "Don't."
Emma Freezes. Don't!? Don't what? Don't be the daughter of a murdering fairy tale character? Don't be a bystander to homicide? Don't fail those that rely on you? Don't be in-
"Don't leave me." Regina's voice is impossibly small under the covers, asking for anything was an anathema, but... "Please, if you could stay."
Emma wordlessly molds herself onto Regina's back, her touch seems to ease Regina's choking sobs. They had never cuddled like this… she caresses the bump of Regina's hipbone, and breathes in slow and even until Regina gradually mimics her.
Emma keeps vigil, always ready to murmur reassurances whenever Regina jolted awake.
Emma will stay however long she's allowed.