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-FantasyWriterFoSho

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Summary of the Previous Chapter: After observing the room, Regina and Killian infiltrate but things quickly take a turn for the worse.

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Chapter Seventeen: Anguish

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The more he watched Emma writhe in Killian's arms, the more conflicted Gold became; however he didn't intervene, he allowed it to continue though his chest tightened over his bad nature.

It was what he had originally planned, minus a few details, but judging by her reaction, she didn't look as if she was going to survive the potion which totally went against what he had previously considered with her True Love status and willfulness. On one hand, the town's Savior was going to die, but on the other, he was going to get what he wanted—magical freedom from the slavery of the dagger not to mention the ability to have it beyond the townline.

He would also have to do some major apologizing to Belle and to Henry but he was sure that he would be able to get them back, especially since they were all going to be dependent on each other when they left Storybrooke behind.

Staring at the couple and at a glaring Regina, Gold raised a brow. Knowing that the blade would notify him when the deed was done, he lifted a hand up, which instantly made Regina's magic spark more. Good luck, Emma, he wished silently, the tone in his head apathetic. Waving a wrist, he then disappeared in a thick cloud of red smoke, leaving behind the other occupants in the room.

Not taking any chances, Regina turned her attention over to the crying Snow Queen and easily paralyzed her—the other woman didn't resist or even glance in her direction. Looking back at Killian and Emma, she softly touched the latter's shoulder, tugging her away from the man holding her in order to assess the damage.

When Regina could see her properly, she bit her lip in concentration before travelling her eyes down to the protruding hilt. Noticing that there was some type of thick liquid coating the space between the handle and the blade, instead of blood, she hesitated before touching it. Testing her theory, she then softly pulled it upward. Immediately, Emma winced then groaned in pain, causing a now vigilant Killian to smack Regina's hand away from the dagger.

"Don't! You're hurting her and possibly making the situation worse!"

Giving him a look, Regina lifted her hands up, defensively. "Even if I wanted to pull it out, which I wasn't planning on doing, I can't..."

"What does that mean?" he asked, his voice cracking.

"Other than common medical procedures telling me not to," she began, looking into Emma's ashen face. Possibly passed out from shock, her eyes were squeezed closed and her hands were gripping around the injury while her entire body began to tremble from the added trauma. "One, it appears as if the dagger was smeared in some type of potion, which two, leads me to believe that it has a purpose. Meaning that it probably won't be relieved of its duty until it's fulfilled and three...even if I could pull it out, the wound can't be healed with magic..."

Killian's eyes widened. "Then, how...how are we going to help her?"

Regina opened her mouth but was interrupted before she could get a word out.

"Do...it..."

They both looked down and saw a now alert Emma, though her eyes were still droopy and glassy.

Throat thick with bile, Emma tried to breathe. "Pull...it...out..."

Instantly, they both shook their heads at her; however, when she asked them to do it again, but in a firmer voice, they found themselves hesitating.

"Well," Regina began, looking back at the inserted dagger. "Maybe I could just try..."

"No," Killian countered, reaffirming their previous stance. Staring deep into Emma's hooded eyes, he leaned forward so she could see him better. "You were right before, Regina. Even if you were able to, you wouldn't be able to heal her. The safest thing to do would be to keep it in and figure out what the bloody hell happened..."

Emma lethargically shook her head. "Pull...it..."

"Emma," he rasped, his breathing hitched. "We can't. It's too—"

"If it's what she wants," Regina softly interjected. "We owe it to her to at least try..."

"Are you seriously going to—"

Relenting over Killian's objections and curious to see if Emma knew something that they didn't, Regina grabbed at the hilt again and tried to pull it out, the pressure harder then the last time. Emma gasped out in sheer pain and arched her back, making Killian respond by hugging her tighter.

It didn't budge. Not even an inch.

"Regina, stop!" he yelled, Emma's unbearable cries filling his ears.

Not knowing what else to do, Regina heeded by dropping her hand, her eyes welling up with tears. Breathing deeply, she looked from the dagger to Killian and to what little she could see of Emma at the moment. Deciding that it would be best if they left their current location—she had the feeling that Gold would return sooner rather than later—Regina raised one of her hands up and summoned a cloud. Silently choosing to take her back to the hospital, she was seconds away from teleporting them, when Emma suddenly released a blood-curdling scream, her fingers tightly clutching at her injury.

Scaring both her and Killian, the former stopped the action and dismissed her magic with a wave of her wrist.

"What happened?" Killian asked, rocking a whimpering Emma in his arms. "What was that?"

"I guess...we're stuck here," Regina said, releasing the gravity of the situation. "Or that she's stuck here...It seems that any magical influence will just enhance her agony. At this point, the hospital can't help her now." If I don't get real assistance for her, she then thought, staring at the ailing blonde's profile. She's a goner.

"I can carry her," Killian stated determinedly. "We can make it."

"No," Regina said, shaking her head. Knowing that some research had to be done and that they were on a tight schedule, she quickly clambered to her feet. "No, stay here. I'll go by myself. This needs to be looked into, but don't worry, I'll hurry and immediately come back for you guys. Also," she paused, tossing the Snow Queen's form a look. "I'll find the ice witch a place to stay until this is all dealt with..."

Not knowing what to say, Killian's mouth just dropped open before he settled on giving her a nod. Watching as Regina took a couple of steps back, so her magic wouldn't be too close to Emma, Killian was soon left alone with the woman he loved, while remaining swirls of purple tendrils marked the spots where Regina and the Snow Queen had once stood.

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Emma could literally feel her magic disappearing from her throbbing body, which surprisingly frightened her. Granted, she didn't want them anymore but she didn't want to lose them like this.

Gasping in pain, she groped around for the hilt of the dagger, her fingers numbly looping themselves around it when she had located the tip. Even though she heard what they said, felt their unsuccessful attempts and was completely aware of the fact that doing so would be dangerous, she didn't want it inside of her anymore.

She didn't want to feel herself being drained to death...

Holding her breath so she could brace herself, Emma put everything she had into pulling it up and out, but her movement wasn't subtle and Killian instantly caught on to what she was doing. Placing his hand atop hers, he stilled her action, his eyes bleak.

"Swan..."

Shaking her head at him, Emma gave him a pleading look, one that silently told him that she had to. When she looked at it, either scenario wasn't going to be good for her. If she removed it, there was a good chance that she would die from whatever it was that was doing this to her, but if she kept it in, her magic would be gone forever and she would most likely still die...

A thought that greatly bothered her.

Swallowing hard, Emma shakily lifted a hand up to his face and cupped his cheek, her touch distracting and pulling his focus towards her eyes. Holding his gaze, she gripped firmly at the hilt, her fingers re-curling around it, one at a time, for a better grasp. Experiencing slow motion for the second time today, she once again braced herself before she pulled at it.

Wheezing at the burst of pinching, piercing and sharp pain, which was unlike the other attempts, she miraculously managed to wiggle it out of her with a stifled grunt before tossing the glowing object away from her, the clattering sound loud in the wide room.

Gasping and inhaling spastimatically at the new sensation racking her body, Emma closed her eyes and gripped at both her stomach and Killian, her hand sliding from his face to the crook of his neck.

"Emma!" Killian exclaimed, knowing what she had done seconds before she threw the dagger away. Briefly glancing at her injury, he again folded his hand atop hers then pulled her in close, his eyes shining with both marvel, fear and anger. Hunched over her body, he rested his chin against the side of her face and breathed her in, his heart punching holes in his chest at the thoughts he was now having:

I can't lose her.

If she dies, what am I going to do? How will her family be able to get through this?

She can't leave...I won't let her!

"You're going to be fine," Killian whispered into her ear before pulling back to look at her hazy eyes. "I'm going to make..." he paused, trailing off when he unexpectedly felt some moisture absorbing into a piece of his exposed shirt. Fear quivered up his spine when he then leaned back, the action making her shudder beneath him, and looked down to examine her wound.

Blood…

Lots of blood...

For the first time since she was stabbed, Emma was now bleeding.

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