The Fragility of Losing Someone – Chapter 8
A/N: Apologies for the wait for this chapter. Exams are finally over! So now I can just concentrate my life on reading books and writing fanfiction! So yeah, expect a lot more updates from me! This is the penultimate chapter, and I must admit I am sad for this story to end. Yet I feel it has run it's course, and I never meant for it to be a long story. So, this chapter ties up the story arc and leaves you with the epilogue, which will be up soon. Please enjoy!
Please check out my other SwanQueen story, Paint You Wings!
Emma felt harsh light invading her consciousness, forcing its way through the happy blackness. She knew something important was happening right now, something disastrous, but the darkness was so much more inviting, so peaceful.
Yet the light won. Emma slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the harsh sunlight that was blaring down on her. She felt a warm, sticky substance against her head, yet she dared not to touch it because she knew what it probably meant.
Where's Henry? Emma felt the fogginess leave her mind. Her eyes were searching, frantically moving trying to find her son.
Then she remembered. He was safe.
She heard harsh words coming from somewhere, like threatening whispers. She rose her head slightly, wincing as her wall separated from her throbbing head. She really needed to get herself checked out.
She heard a cry of joy, causing her head to snap forward, searching for the noise. Her eyes fell on the pair, like she'd seen when she came to help Regina.
Regina.
She searched for her sword, knowing it had fallen next to her when she was pushed aside by Cora's magic. Her hand clasped around cool metal, feeling courage shoot through her as she gripped her father's sword.
She watched grimly as Cora hovered over Regina, only just then noticing the hand wrapping the thin throat she'd admired so many times. Watching Regina so helpless scared Emma, scared her beyond belief. She'd always thought of Regina as a strong person, someone who faced so much hatred in her life that she had no choice but to be strong and battle against the tide of trouble. But Emma had seen the cracks, the deep open crevices that showed all of Regina's emotions. She was terrified.
One crack was opened right up to Emma now, seeing the brunette so helplessly on the floor. This crack in Regina's usually harsh façade was filled with terror, with a emotion shining in her eyes that Emma knew meant she didn't think she was going to live. Yet under all that was a strong resolve showing that she knew she had saved her son, and probably the rest of the town. She took it as comeuppance, deserved because of the darkness in her heart.
The blonde knew what it was like to be scared, and all on your own with little way out. She remembered the harsh Boston streets after running away from her foster home, where you either were strong and survived, or committed yourself to the fact you were unlike to survive on the streets.
Those memories haunted the Sheriff, knowing that she could never let someone else be in that situation again – giving themselves up because the world just seemed to reject them.
She stood up warily, knowing that her concussion would probably make thins sluggish. The sword felt heavy in her hand. The last time she'd used it, she killed a giant dragon hiding in the depths of Storybrooke. How was this any different?
Emma felt almost weightless as she ran towards the pair, knowing she had to save Regina from the grips of her mother. She briefly noted how her arm raised the sword, now gripping it with both hands. Her target seemingly dodged effortlessly out the way.
Instead of hitting Cora, hoping to end Regina's suffering, instead she felt herself fall to the ground again. This seemed like child's play to the older woman, some sort of game.
"Here comes the loyal Sheriff to come save the day," Emma heard Cora say over her. The older brunette came into her vision. She was wobbling slightly, but Emma knew that it was probably her head injury doing that.
"I seem to not be very good at it," Emma joked, knowing that she had to diffuse the tension. Maybe if she could distract Cora for long enough, Regina could slip away unharmed.
"You're a Charming, of course you're not very good at it," Cora laughed.
Cora stepped over Emma, looking down at the battered blonde. She really did look a sorry sight. Blood matted her usual blonde hair, with it running down her forehead. Even though there were dark rings around her eyes and blood in her hair, the blonde's eyes still shone bright with ferocity.
The older woman noticed the woman below her was not going to respond; instead she gritted her teeth against the derogatory remark, so she continued, "And you seem to have a very strange connection to my daughter…"
Emma's eyes flicked over to Regina, now lying motionless on the ground.
She wasn't breathing.
Emma knew she couldn't do anything just yet. Cora was still too alert from Emma's previous attack, and any attempt to get to Regina would just be futile. Her eyes flicked again, feeling her emotions bash against her like waves, threatening tears to fall. She willed herself not to seem weak against the older woman, not to let those tears filled with so much emotion to fall.
"What connection?" Emma murmured through gritted teeth.
The older brunette smiled, eyes twinkling with the knowledge that Emma knew nothing, "So Regina never told you?"
A doubtful shake of the head was all that replied. Cora revelled at Emma's ignorance.
"Those visions," Cora questioned, "they aren't just silly little links to your pathetic son."
Emma's eyes swam with confusion, wondering where this conversation was going. She just thought they were because of their love for Henry and the magic between them caused that connection.
Or at least that was what Regina had told her.
"What are they then?" Emma asked.
"This is just too precious…" Cora's voice trailed off into a silent chuckle that caused the older woman to bob slightly.
Emma bit her lip, knowing that Regina's mother was just trying to make her angry, to make her be reckless and fight against her. Maybe it was the older woman's way of fairness, to make it more self defence than outright murder.
"I'm not going anywhere," Emma couldn't help but be sarcastic, "so you might as well tell me."
Cora smiled, "Those little visions are true love, dear. You have so much love for each other that these visions are a way of siphoning off that love to the one thing you both hold so dear."
"Henry," Emma stated.
"Yes. You're positively over-flowing with that sickening love for my daughter. You Charmings don't know what love is. It is a weakness, a stupid emotion that does nothing but damages your life and makes you humiliating. But you, you're even worse - product of true love and part of true love. "
"Get over with this true love malarkey," Emma said nonchalantly. She felt herself panic internally when she was suddenly faced with the truth, the truth she tried to deny.
"The visions are its proof," Cora retorted, "You can't deny it now."
The older woman laughed as she saw Emma's eyes flash worriedly over to the motionless body of her daughter. The brunette was better off dead. She wouldn't let her fall in love again. Love would make her a weak, fearful Queen, scared of everything that could hurt her beloved. That was not the way of the Mills women.
"Why kidnap Henry then?" Emma asked, knowing that she had to change the subject if she wanted to keep her cool.
"He was clearly the one to lure Regina out. If it was you, she would have been too proud to let herself show any emotions. So Henry it was. Although he really is a weak little boy," Cora answered, "Miss Swan, my daughter has become far to attached to this silly little place. She needs to return to the Enchanted Forest to retain her position on the Throne."
Emma growled slightly at her comment about her son, but her continued glances towards Regina slowly made her angry. The brunette had done some bad things, of course. But no-one deserved such an evil and controlling mother as Cora was. It was clear to Emma now that Regina's life wasn't her own for a long time, instead she was merely a puppet on strings, pulled and squeezed into being Queen. Storybrooke was the only escape she could have, even though she outwardly had harsher reasons for it.
"Instead you killed her!" Emma shouted, knowing that she was letting her emotions show.
"She's merely under a very powerful curse. Yes, it is killing her slowly, but that can be stopped once she's safely back on the throne."
"You'd kill your own daughter? Just to enforce your stupid extremist views?" Emma screamed.
Cora smiled, seeing Emma's anger was glorious. It was just like Daniel all over again. And it would end the same way.
The blonde struggled to get up, pushing against the magic that held her trapped to the floor.
"There's no point, dear. You can't get past my magic. There's no point even trying."
"There's always a point!" Emma cried out, feeling the energy drain her body as she pushed even harder.
"What?" Cora asked, "So you can save your beloved and live happily ever after? I did not fight my way up to the top to just let my daughter fall because of pathetic true love."
Emma felt the magic flow through her as she realised she couldn't let Cora do this to Regina. She'd seen Regina's pain, and although it was masked by anger, she saw pain so similar to hers. It was the pain of abandonment and no-one loving you.
It suddenly occurred to her that that was the reason she fell in love Regina so readily. She saw a worth in the brunette. She was someone worth love because she'd tried to make herself happy. Emma had heard enough times from her parents that the Queen was pure evil, and she only cast the curse to finally get her revenge on the Charmings. But the blonde saw it in a completely different way. The curse was just the final attempt for Regina trying to find happiness, a last chance at escaping her mother. And that was why she loved Regina.
This revelation seemed to push energy through all her body, from her fingertips to her toes. A weight felt like it was lifted off her shoulders, allowing her to bask into the knowledge.
This basking came to an abrupt halt when she suddenly felt the barrier of magic holding her down. An expression of shock came over the older woman, not quite believing that the blonde had either the strength or the magic to overthrow her.
Emma was glad the sword was still nearby, feeling once again the cold metal in her fingers. She felt a small sense of déjà vu, facing the older woman again, although this time much closer.
The blonde however wasn't expecting the woman to thrust a hand at her chest, then into her chest. It was an odd sensation, like her heart was being squeezed by a big large hand. She then realised that that was actually happening.
Since when did her chest suddenly become like water that the older woman could just thrust her hand through? She was certain it was fine this morning.
Emma watched as a confused expression came over Cora's face. Her arm moved backwards, expecting the heart to come out swiftly. Yet it stayed firmly in place, like it was holding on for dear life, onto the blood that kept it beating.
The blonde just stood horrified, looking down at the wrist sticking out of her chest. The confused expression made her realise that this was certainly not meant to be all that happened, that something had gone wrong.
Emma laughed, "Are you having a problem?"
Cora looked up, seething as fire blazed in her eyes, "Stupid true love. You're sickeningly sweet."
"Try this for sweet," Emma growled as she thrust the sword sharply forward. She was surprised she had the strength, but she felt the smooth metal push through skin and muscle. She probably should have been shocked at her actions, yet it was like the world had been rid of an evil, or more so Regina herself.
Her eyes flew to the young brunette, still lying on the floor. Her eyes blanked out the groans of Cora as she fell to the ground, hand now safely removed from the blonde's chest.
She knew she was running on pure adrenalin. She'd felt like it before, when she'd been threatened while she was on the streets of Boston. Yet her mind was solely focused on the unconscious, possibly dead woman on the ground, looking so broken.
She ran quickly over, jumping over the cracks in the street and fallen rubble to reach the brunette. The blonde's eyes filled quickly with tears as she saw the angry red marks on Regina's wrist. The cut marks looked rough, but clear and deep, with blood pooling out of them slowly.
They spelt one word.
Weak.
She fretted over the woman, hovering over her as she watched her already slow breathes become slower and slower. Regina looked so peaceful lying there, her face showing no sign of pain.
Emma's mind cast back to Cora's words, scathingly saying Regina had been cursed. When had she ever deserved this treatment from someone who should have loved her?
"Regina, please," Emma cried, feeling the tears spill over her eyes and down her cheeks.
She sat staring as the breaths all together stopped, like it was so normal for this to happen. The world slowed around her, slowing to the loud beat of her own heart. It seemed to beat twice as loud, like it was compensate for Regina.
Emma's eyes sprung open, startled as she looked expectantly at Regina. Surely true love wouldn't let her die. Emma was there, wasn't she? Shouldn't that wake her up?
Yet the hand she cradled lightly to her mouth still was dormant, still slightly warm even though Regina's life was draining.
"Regina," Emma cried, "I love you… You can't leave me after all of this. I realise I've been idiotic trying to deny my feelings for you. But you didn't make it easy. Life won't be the same without your snarky remarks and curt 'Miss Swan'. But I know you love me, 'Gina, and therefore you can't leave me. You deserve your happiness, which certainly isn't in the hands of your mother!"
Emma's words failed into murmurs under her breath, not having the energy to carry on her rant. Instead she quickly lowered her head, pressing her lips lightly to the brunettes. They were still warm.
She felt a rush of warmth as magic ran through the pair. The blonde felt Regina gasp into her mouth, the sure sign that Regina was once again alive. Emma tried to contain her grin under the Mayor's lips.
A strong set of fingers pushed against Emma's stomach, pushing her away from Regina. Her eyes fluttered open, feeling heavy from the tears leaking still.
"Do you mind telling me why I woke up kissing you, Miss Swan?" Regina said, eyes sparkling. Emma laughed, pulling the brunette in for another kiss.
"You'll never change…" the blonde murmured, glad to feel the Regina sit up next to her, pushing them both into a sitting position next to each other.
Regina tensed as she heard the Sheriff's words. She thought she was happy with whom she was with and although it was dire circumstances, they never would have admitted their feelings otherwise.
Emma smiled as she felt the woman beside her tense, a fleeting sense of worry flashing over her face.
"You're so silly. I love that you'll never change. I'd want you no other way," Emma sighed, pulling the now relieved woman into a hug.
"What is it with this family and kissing to wake people up?" Regina asked, smiling at the warm embrace.
"Clearly it's a Charming thing."
"Clearly so."