Chapter 15 — The Calm and The Storm

The soft knocked on the door startled Tink. Who didn't know that Regina has a doorbell? She was still in Regina's living room while the brunette sought privacy in her study. She considered for a second before she stood up and walked toward the front door to open it.

Opening the door, she saw a little baby on David's arms and took in Mary Margaret's disheveled appearance.

"Tink?" Mary Margaret's tears-laden voice graced the room.

"Hey, uh… uhm. Regina is in the study, Henry was trying to call you. Do you want to come in?"

Regina would kill me if this is not a dire emergency situation, Tink thought.

"May I talk to her alone?" Mary Margaret asked Tink.

"I don't know. You could try," Tink shrugged and turned her attention to the sleeping baby boy and David. "So this is your newborn?"

"Yeah, meet James," David grinned.

Mary Margaret just shuffled past them and walked towards the study before knocking the door softly. When she didn't hear any response, she turned the knob and strolled inside. "Regina."

"Snow," Regina acknowledged the intruder.

"You will wake Emma up." Snow sat opposite of Regina. Her voice as regal as one who was brought up by a queen.

"Do you think I will?"

"Yes."

"I don't even know if she loves me."

"She does."

"My heart is the darkest of them all, Snow."

"No, it isn't. I saw your heart and it was trying to heal itself. It was full of love."

"And you— of all people, wouldn't mind that I love your daughter, your baby girl, your princess?"

"You of all people should know Regina, I wanted you to be happy, I still do. I'm sorry that simple predicament complicates matters we didn't foresee. I— I'm sorry Regina, for killing your mother." Mary Margaret's tried to wipe the tears that fell down. "I think about that everyday."

"We already had this conversation, dear. In your castle, nonetheless, while the ghost of my mother roaming around."

"I still am sorry."

"So do I. Our family's tie is… complicated."

"Yes, but it's simple. The most beautiful thing always is. I want you to be happy, I want Emma to be happy. It's not helping that she's on the verge of dying, but I won't stand in the way of your happiness anymore Regina. It was a mistake for me to be such an egotistical child who wants everything in her life to be perfect. I'm trying to redeem myself for that very mistake."

Regina huffed. "We need to focus on our future, don't we?"

Mary Margaret smiled. "Yes, we do. Now, could you please move your ass and wake my daughter?"

"What if I failed?"

"Do you love her, Regina?"

"I— yes."

"Then you won't fail."

Regina sighed audibly as she looked at the envelope in front of her. It was addressed to her, but when she turned the envelope there's another writing. It was a simple request.

Regina, open this if I'm dead or if I woke up. No in between. Please? Emma.

"Would you forgive me if I failed?"

"You won't fail."

"Snow, be realistic."

"I'm optimistic."

Their phones chose that very moment to ring so loud it startled them all. The call were both from the hospital. Regina and Mary Margaret looked at each other with dread before picking up their respective phones. They received pretty much the same information. Emma's internal organs has started to fail rapidly and she didn't have much time.

Mary Margaret almost started crying before she noticed Regina sitting on her chair with a defeated look on her face. That was a look that she has never seen before, wait, no, wrong. She's seen it before, when Regina stood over her after she crushed David's heart. Mary Margaret stood up from her chair, circled the table and grabbed Regina's shoulder.

"Regina. Come on, let's get your happy ending."

Regina tilted her head because of the odd way Snow was phrasing her sentence. "Hmm. What do you know dear?"

"Enough. Emma told me. Come on. We need to move before it's too late."

Regina tried to form her lips into a smile but couldn't. Everything was pounding. She is losing Emma, and rapidly at that. She is losing her happy ending because of the masochist way Emma tried to protect her family. She is losing her happy ending because her sister is, or was, powerful enough to think about a spell that was so paradoxical to reverse. She already vowed to wake Emma up. This is about time she gets her happy ending.

She stood up and took the unopened letter with her. "I'm going to go upstairs and explained everything to Henry for a moment."

"We will wait for you." Mary Margaret stated.

Regina took long steps and almost went upstairs to Henry's room before noticing him chatting and playing with the baby in the living room. "Henry, dear. Could we talk for a moment, please?"

David gave Regina a solemn look before turning his head to his wife. He too got a call just a few minutes before regarding Emma's condition. For a little while they said in the living room, waiting for Henry and Regina to return. When they did, the proverbial collective sigh can be heard. They all were anxious.

Regina chose to drive in her Benz with her son and Tink, while the Charmings drove David's truck. They walked on the hospital corridor's in a hurry and as if there were unseen force, everyone suddenly stayed still by the time they stood outside Emma's room. They all looked at each other with so much worries in their eyes. Eventually, Regina broke the silence.

"Snow, David, you could go first. Then Henry. I will be the last. Tink can take care of James for a little while." They nodded solemnly. David handed James to Tink before leading Mary Margaret into Emma's room.

The room was eerie. Machines were beeping softly, and the rise of Emma's chest indicated she was still alive. Although Emma's pale complexion didn't help at all, because she looked like a body without soul. Tubes were everywhere. Putting his arm around his wife shoulder, David squeezed the lithe woman softly. "It's not a goodbye," he whispered. "Regina will wake her up."

"She has to. I don't know what to do if she fails, David." Mary Margaret burrowed a little bit deeper, trying desperately to hold onto the warmth that is her husband.

"Then it will be out of our hands."

Mary Margaret brushed her fingers on Emma's cheek and she leaned down. "I'm sorry Emma. I will try to be a better mother everyday. I love you so much, baby girl," she whispered fervently as she put her lips near Emma's ears. "Please… please wake up." She pressed a soft kiss on Emma's forehead before she changed her position with David so David could say his goodbye as well.

"I love you Princess, come back to us," David said softly and mirrored Mary Margaret's kiss on Emma's forehead before they walked out together.

Looking up at his grandparents, Henry pulled her mum's hand, subtly asking her to accompany him while he tried to say goodbye to his other mother. Regina complied and stood up as well before she and Henry walked to Emma's room. She patted the letter inside her jacket solemnly and stood by Henry's side when he approached Emma's bed.

Even a blind person could see that Emma was struggling. The only indicator that the blonde was alive was the soft beeping from the heart machine, and the soft yet subtle rise and fall of her chest. Regina nudged Henry's shoulder, encouraging him to go on and say his goodbye, in case they will fall into the worst case scenario.

"Ma. I stand by what I said. I'm not ready to say goodbye to you. I love you, please come back. I know you love my Mum too. So please… wake up. We can be a family. No, scratch that. We already are a family. I love you," he bent down to kiss Emma's cheek softly. Then he stood straight up and wiped a bit of tears that were in his eyes before wrapping his arms around Regina's waist. "I believe in you," Henry mumbled to Regina's middle.

The brunette smiled and ran her hands up and down Henry's back in a soothing motion. "I hope you're right Henry."

"I am always right Mum. I'm your son." Henry deadpanned before he walked out the door and left his mothers alone.

Once the door was clicked behind her, Regina turned to Emma. "Emma, you obtuse fool. Couldn't you see? We are stronger together, and your ignorance is causing all of this drama. I am the drama queen, Emma, not you. You don't get to take my role, not now, not ever. No more lying, Emma Swan."

She used her right hand to brush her fingers on Emma's hair, and down to her cheekbone. "You're my happy ending, Emma. You don't get to quit. Yes, I am bossy, but that's why you didn't run away from me. Can't you see it? Can't you see that I've fallen in love with you? Didn't you remember how hard it was for us, that day when we have to let go of your memories?"

Hovering her left hand directly on top of Emma's heart. She concentrated. She felt a very powerful magic inside the heart, and she doubted herself for a second.

The kid has infinite capacity to love. And that's because you raised him up.

She remembered Emma's handwriting. She felt the press of papers inside her pocket jacket that is Emma's unopened letter. She felt the coldish skin that is Emma's face on the back of her hand, and she felt the warmth of Zelena's magic spell inside Emma's heart. She doesn't have much time. No, they don't have much time.

Regina took a deep breath and steadied herself. "I need you," she whispered softly as one drop of tears fell down from her eyes onto the bedsheet. "I love you, Emma." She cupped Emma's beautiful face, bent down to reach Emma's cold lips with her own, and simultaneously reached out her magic to pull out the piece of magic that was lingering on Emma's heart.

When a rush of white magic spread outward with Regina and Emma in the centre, the small splinter of some kind of wood needle went out from Emma's chest onto Regina's hand. Regina gasped when she felt the rush, and she almost shrieked when she saw the strange looking object on her left hand.

All of the sudden, the machines near Emma's bedside made a very loud and fast beeping noise. Nurses and doctors scurried inside the room while yelling orders to one another. Regina unconsciously tried to stay but someone manhandled her, quite roughly, she might add, and she ended up waiting outside the room and looking through the glass that separated her and her True Love. She heard Henry, Mary Margaret and David shuffling towards her and watched the scene unfold with horror.

After what seems like eternity, Whale and the rest of his nurses suddenly stopped working and they spread away from the room looking very gloom. Regina's chest dropped.

Whale walked towards them. "Sheriff, I did everything I could but, Emma's heart, it stopped working and I couldn't do anything."

"What do you mean you can't do anything?! You can tried to do a CPR! Something, ANYTHING!" David yelled at the doctor.

"It's— not legally possible. Emma signed out a form that stated once her heart stopped working, we are to do nothing." Whale explained quickly. He certainly didn't feel the need to get on the royal bloodlines bad side, but with the queen lurking as well, he is very certain he doesn't want to get on their bad side.

"No!" Mary Margaret clasped her hands on her gaping mouth. "No. You have to do something!"

"I can't." Whale stated. "She's dead. I'm sorry."

A/N: Thank you guys very very muchhh for your support! I'm sorry to stop here but this is a story with happy ending :) I hope you like it, Cheers!