I need a huge favor, My Doves! Apparently, it is not acceptable to my partner to mess with my sleep schedule as much as I have in the past week to stay up writing, which is exactly what I did today even though I told you I wasn't and knew I'd get the stink eye. Can you leave me some love and tell me what your favorite part is so far? I plan on showing them to her and hopefully getting a kiss soon. ;)

That said, thank you for all the wonderful reviews and the follows! Enjoy, Lovelies!

Songs: Mz. Hyde by Halestorm, Snuff by Slipknot


Regina returned to find Emma staring into her empty coffee cup and sighed at the food left on Emma's plate. She'd managed to upset her again, and again the sheriff hadn't eaten a proper meal. Emma glanced up at the sound, startled. Regina had donned full-blown mayor regalia, black dress that stopped just above her knees, black nylons and at least 5 inch black stilettos. Her hair blow dried and styled, and any trace of her earlier exhaustion covered by carefully applied makeup.

"Shall we journey to Snow's hovel so that you may shower and change before the meeting? You won't inspire much confidence if you look and smell like a kitten in a dumpster," Regina instructed her in the ways of leadership.

Emma acquiesced silently and walked towards the front door behind the mayor. Her hands clenched tightly at her sides as she tried to control her painful limp, but she said nothing. She'd most definitely injured herself last night. They'd deal with it later. Right now, Regina needed to feel in control, and submitting to the care she needed would have stripped that away from her.

They both remained silent. Regina gracefully sank to the bench at the table, but the relief of being off her legs was clearly visible in the softening of her face. Emma ignored it and thumped up the stairs. Her preparation hadn't required nearly as much time as Regina's, and within 30 minutes, she slipped her gun into its holster at her hip. She'd chosen a black button-up shirt and a light denim pair of jeans. She fingered her red jacket, deciding whether Regina would approve, and then slipped into it.

She dabbed her hair one more time with the damp towel and jerked her fingers through the knots and tangles. It would have to do. She had no luxury to look her best, like Regina. She didn't know jack about being a leader, but she knew that she needed to be comfortable and in clothing that would allow her to move freely if need be. She sighed and returned downstairs. They only had 20 minutes to get to Town Hall, and Emma certainly didn't want to make a late appearance, not for this.

They slipped in the back entrance to avoid the crowd and bumped directly into Stacy and Ruby in hushed conversation.

"Ruby?" Emma blurted. It was the first time she'd spoken since Regina touched her this morning, and her voice scratched against the lack of use and high coffee consumption.

"Hey, Emma, Regina," she nodded at the two women. "We decided to stay at the library last night. I hope that's okay. Belle was excited to see her new apartment," she grinned as red crept up her neck. "Don't worry. Henry is fine. Granny called me after Stacy announced the emergency meeting and asked me to come. Henry and Belle are with her at the diner. He's fine," she reassured the two mothers anxiously.

"It's okay, Rubes. I'm actually glad you're here. I need a deputy right now because this might just turn into a gigantic shit sandwich if things go sideways." Emma clapped her on the shoulder as Regina wrinkled her nose at Emma's lack of grace with words.

"Eloquent rhetoric, Dear," she muttered. "Please do better when you address your people. Are you ready, Miss Cochran?" Regina turned her attention to the silent and slightly ashen redhead. The girl was terrified about what was going to happen in a few minutes.

"Do you really think I can do this, Queen Regina?" The title slipped out naturally, but instead of anger, Regina offered her a small smile and took her shaking shoulders in her hands.

"Indeed, I do, but first, we need to inform you of some events," Regina glanced at Emma who nodded. "Snow White and her idi… her prince were sucked into another realm by the portal we sent the wraith into. Emma and I have been working to find a way to open another one to get them back but have been unsuccessful as of yet. People will start asking questions about their absence before long, so we decided that perhaps you should be the one to tell them, to save yourself the hassle of word getting out. You need them to trust you, and honesty is the best way to achieve that." Regina calmly instructed the girl who clung to her every word. Emma felt a smile tugging at her lips; Regina hadn't been all bad.

"I'll do my best, Queen Regina," Stacy straightened her spine and squared her shoulders, and Regina's face fell at the girl's youthful innocence.

"Regina will do just fine, Miss Cochran. Just Regina. I'll guide you when you get stuck. I'm only a phone call away for advice." The dark woman smiled lovingly at her former servant, and Emma thought for a moment that she might even hug her. Archie broke the moment when he poked his head around the corner.

"Everyone ready?" He asked, eyes furrowed as he studied the women, no doubt feeling out their moods and reading their body language.

With one last look to Regina, Stacy nodded. "We're ready, Archie." She smiled shyly at the man and took his offered arm, accepting his escort to the stage happily. Red and Emma exchanged an amused look at the obvious connection between the psychologist and the new mayor and then followed behind Regina.

The crowd turned out to be much more massive than either Regina or Emma anticipated. More than half the town must have packed into the small meeting hall, and all of the cots and supplies were shoved against the walls to make room. The cacophonous sound echoed off the walls and assaulted their ears when they reached the wing of the stage. It hushed almost immediately, however, when Regina entered, back straight and head held high. Emma knew it was merely an act.

Archie and Stacy crossed to the left side of the podium, Ruby stood slightly in front of Regina on the right. They all looked expectantly at Emma, except Ruby who diligently scanned the crowd for any sign of a threat. Ruby most definitely wasn't deputy material, but perhaps Red was, Emma thought as she stepped up to the microphone.

"Hi everyone," Emma started awkwardly. "Thank you for coming on such short notice, but there are things that need to be addressed. First, thank you to Marco and all of the volunteers for agreeing to help with the repairs to the town. The City of Storybrooke will assist with the costs of supplies, so please don't fret." Regina cleared her throat and glared at the sheriff who shrugged sheepishly at her generous offer.

"Secondly, Regina has offered to resign her post as mayor with the stipulation that the town charter be followed. For those of you who don't know, if the mayor resigns for any reason, he or she may appoint their replacement until the next election."

Whispers spread through the crowd, and Emma glanced at Regina unsure of her next move. Regina nodded for her to continue.

"That said, we… I decided that her replacement should be someone who understands the inner workings of the position and also someone who cares deeply for the citizens of Storybrooke and who doesn't mind getting her hands dirty. So, it is my great pleasure to present the new acting mayor of Storybrooke, Stacy Cochran." Emma finished, and Regina nodded in satisfaction. Emma had a certain gruffness, but with some guidance, she could certainly learn quickly how to be a sovereign.

"We want Snow White!" Someone yelled from the back, and Emma recognized the voice as Leroy's. A few other folks voiced their approval of his choice, and Emma could have slapped the angry man.

"People, please!" Stacy implored as she stepped up to the mic. "I understand your hesitance to Regina's choice. I do, but there is something that you don't know. Prince Charming and Snow White have disappeared." Shocked gasps tore through the crowd.

"The Evil Queen killed them!" Someone shouted. "Yeah!" "Kill the queen!"

"No!" Stacy ordered forcefully, and Regina raise her eyebrows in surprise. She'd always known the girl had fire in her.

"Snow and James fell through a portal to another realm while fighting the wraith that ripped apart our town, a wraith that was summoned here by Rumpelstiltskin, not Que… not Regina," Stacy stuttered but recovered quickly.

"Sheriff Swan and Regina have been trying to find a way to bring them back. People please!" Stacy held her hands up as a barrage of question flew in her direction.

"I don't know if the Enchanted Forest still exists. It is something Sheriff Swan is trying to determine. We aren't even certain that was where they were sent. Even if it does, there is no guarantee that we would all be able to return. Please be patient while they try and figure it out." The crowd quieted once more, and Regina smiled at her apprentice. After watching her run this town for 28 years, Stacy had become quite the orator.

"She should be locked up!" A man shouted about three rows back, and Emma recognized him as Gaston, Belle's betrothed… err, ex-betrothed as of yesterday. "How do we know she hasn't taken the savior's heart and is controlling her?" The people rallied again, and Emma rolled her eyes. They'd almost made it out and now were forced to start all over again.

"Why would she let us go home when she cursed us to this land in the first place?" He continued, and the crowd burst again with an outraged cry. Emma finally understood Regina's annoyance with peasants. They'd follow the loudest voice laced with conviction.

"I say we kill The Evil Queen!" Another cheer.

Ruby tensed when Regina stepped around her to glare at the man, a snarl in her throat. She'd never cared much for Regina, but after witnessing the changes in her since the curse broke, she realized that she'd been wrong about her. She'd defend her as she would Snow White if she needed to now that her supernatural wolf strength had returned.

Emma saw the glint of black steel in the man's hands and pulled Ruby back from the edge of the stage. Taking advantage of her surprise, she forced her to the floor behind the podium. Her eyes locked with Regina's as the former mayor realized what was happening. Horror flashed through brown eyes as Emma inserted herself between Regina and the bullet that tore through the air from Gaston's pistol.

"Emma no!" Regina's scream mingled with the blast of gun powder. It echoed off the stone walls, confiding to everyone in the room her depth of emotion for the savior that had just been cut down.

Everyone froze, including Gaston, gun lowered a few inches as the weight of his actions settled onto his shoulders.

Emma glanced around the crowd, not having felt the pain she expected. Archie held Stacy in his arms, shielding her from the crowd with his body, and she clung tightly to his jacket. Ruby's mouth hung open, eyes wide, chest heaving. She turned finally to check Regina, maybe she hadn't been quick enough. Had she been shot? Regina's eyes, too, were wide with shock, but she was unharmed. Had he missed completely? Finally, a burn in Emma's stomach caught her attention, but she hadn't time to look as she fell forward into Regina's arms.

Regina broke Emma's fall as best she could but struggled beneath her weight. Ruby was at her side in an instant, helping the older woman to lower the sheriff to the ground. Her gaze quickly jerked to Gaston, eyes glowing wolf yellow with rage.

"Emma, no, no no. Emma, please," Regina pleaded as Emma's eyes slipped shut and the color drained from her face.

She knew that look. It was the look of death. She broke. Her eyes followed Ruby's to the man who had injured the vibrant sheriff, violet eyes full of rage.

Before she blinked, those in the front row of the crowd flew backwards as Regina's hand flew out towards Gaston. She made a gripping motion with her hand, and the man grabbed at his thick neck in an effort to remove the non corporeal threat squeezing the breath from him. She stood and aimed her other hand at a few brave souls rushing the stage, sneering as they flew back into the waiting arms of their terrified friends and family.

"Gold!" She called when she reached the edge of the stage. "Rumpelstiltskin, where are you, you bastard!"

Gaston choked and sputtered. Gold raised an eyebrow at him as he stepped forward but said nothing.

"Heal her," Regina ordered, and Gold leaned on his cane clearly not moved by her demands.

"Please," Regina faltered. "Please, I'll give you anything, just… don't let her die." Regina knew she was begging, but she only cared about saving Emma. She'd never learned how to heal people, only hurt them.

Gold grinned up at her, enjoying her grief. Bastard. "No," he said simply and then turned, walking calmly through the parting crowd towards the door.

"Gold!" Regina screamed, but he never even paused. "Rumpelstiltskin! You bastard!" Her voice broke, hollowed in her rage, and the crowd shied away from the stage as it echoed in the silence, save Gaston's sputtering.

Regina spread the fingers of her free hand, and more people flew away from the stage. She made a fist, and the doors banged shut. Leroy pushed against them, but he was no match for Regina's magic. People screamed when flames ignited above their heads. Regina would burn this town to the ground and then take her son and leave forever.

"Regina," a quiet strangled voice called behind her, and the flames halted their descent into the crowd. "Stop," Emma's small, ragged voice pleaded with her. "Don't let them," Emma wheezed with the effort of speaking, "make you a monster again." She finished valiantly and then collapsed back against the cool floor.

Regina whipped around to find green eyes pleading with her, fighting to remain open. Gaston fell to the floor gasping as she lost her focus, but the flames continued to crackle and burn hotly. Slowly, Regina fell to her knees beside Emma. Ruby's bloody hands grasped hers quickly and shoved them against Emma's stomach. Regina understood what the wolf was asking. Ruby glanced at the flames warily and then leapt from the stage, charging Gaston with righteous fury.

He almost made it to his feet before a backhand landed across his cheek with the full force of a pissed off werewolf. He fell back to the cold floor, unconscious. Ruby glared at him for a moment and then turned yellow eyes to the rest of the crowd.

"Regina, poof her, magic her to the hospital. I've got this!" Ruby's arms floated dangerously at her sides, daring someone else to challenge her.

The blood of their savior dripped from her hands.

"I hope you're all satisfied," she threatened coldly. "He may have just killed the only person who could control The Evil Queen." She glanced back at Regina.

Her eyes told the older woman that she didn't actually believe she was evil anymore; she only wanted to scare people. She held the gaze until Emma and Regina disappeared in a puff of purple smoke and then faced the crowd. The flames turned to smoke, and the doors fell open when Regina departed.

"Lock him up, Deputy," Stacy's hardened voice blared through the speakers attached to the microphone. Ruby glanced over her shoulder to witness the impressive sight of sweet and innocent Stacy Cochran glaring angrily at the citizens of Storybrooke.

"In this land, he may have just murdered a law enforcement officer," Stacy continued. "But in our home land, he just attempted to assassinate the daughter of Snow White and Prince James, the daughter of our king and queen, our savior, our princess! She just sacrificed herself to save the woman you all presume to be The Evil Queen. I think it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. Her wish should be honored. Any further attempts against Regina's life will be considered an act of treason until either the savior recovers to declare otherwise or Snow and James return. Now go home, and pray the savior lives long enough to keep Regina's magic in check. Deputy," Stacy dismissed Ruby with a pointed look towards Gaston.

Ruby's anger flared as she grabbed the back of the big man's shirt and dragged him through the parting crowd. Guess she'd be postponing her camping trip with Belle and Henry a little longer. She only hoped Emma hung on; otherwise Regina would rip this town apart.


Across town, people gasped and squealed when Regina appeared in the emergency room in a puff of violet smoke. She glanced around at the nurses holding their hands to their chests and glared.

"She's been shot. Help her!" She demanded, but they pressed away from her. "If I take my hands off her stomach, she will bleed to death. Now go get Whale and get me a gurney!"

One of the younger nurses scampered off, presumably to find the doctor, and an older woman with an abundance of bosom stepped forward tentatively. She was a patient, not a nurse, but she grabbed some gloves from the box hanging on the wall and a few gauze pads from a cart and knelt beside Emma's ashen form. Regina's face softened at the kindness she displayed. A few of the nurses watched the interaction curiously, and then stepped into action once they realized that Regina wasn't going to harm them.

A whirl of activity suddenly surrounded her as hands grabbed at Emma's shoulders, lifting her onto a gurney and checking her pulse and other life signs. They shouted out numbers at Whale as he arrived with flushed cheeks, but Regina hadn't a clue what they possibly meant. A brazen nurse pushed her away from Emma's side and replaced her hands on the sheriff's stomach. She said nothing to the woman.

Then they were gone to an operating room per Whale's instruction, and Regina stood alone, covered in Emma's blood, with every eye in the room watching her with fear or pity. A nurse behind the reception desk stepped forward, one hand outstretched in a placating gesture.

"Madame Mayor, do you need any help? Are you hurt?" She asked nervously, stopping a good 10 feet from her.

"Regina," she corrected as she looked up towards the anxious woman and then returned her eyes to her hands. "Or Ms. Mills please. I'm not the mayor anymore," she explained absently and stared at her hands. A few people whispered at the new information, but no one addressed her outright about it.

"Okay, Ms. Mills, are you hurt? Is any of this blood yours?" The nurse tried again.

"No," she answered quietly. The blood fascinated her; she couldn't stop staring at it. Of all the hearts she'd taken, she'd never felt this amount of blood on her hands, and now when she tried behaving, she became covered in the sticky liquid. Emma's blood.

"What about that on your leg?" The nurse pointed, considerably closer now that she was fairly certain Regina wasn't going to fly into a murderous rage. Regina glanced behind her needlessly.

"That might be mine," she admitted as reality slowly reasserted itself in her mind. The ache on the back of her thigh crashed into her, and she falter. The nurse touched her shoulder to steady her and then jerked her hand back as if she'd been burned. Regina offered her soft eyes as reassurance that the touch was perfectly fine.

"Come on. Let's get you cleaned up and take a look at that leg," she held her hand out towards a room, and no one in the waiting room even thought about protesting Regina's cut to the front of the line. They only breathed easier when The Evil Queen was out of sight.

Regina washed her hands at the sink in the small room before dutifully donning the flimsy and exposing hospital gown. The nurse patiently waited for her to finish cleaning her hands and then held her elbow as she hobbled to the bed. She snagged the blanket from the bed and folded it, using it to cover Regina's exposed backside when she laid down. Regina tried to smile up at her gratefully, but it never reached her eyes so she dropped her head to the pillow.

"It's been well-taken care of. You've just pulled four or five of the stitches out. I can see where it's starting to heal pretty good, but this is really deep. It's taking so long to heal because it probably should have had a few on the inside as well," the nurse explained what she saw, but Regina only half listened.

She never even registered the nurse leaving, but then suddenly there were four more people standing in the room. How long had she been staring at the blank white wall?

"Mom?" Henry's scared voice cut through her haze.

"Henry," she breathed and hungrily accepted him into her arms as best she could manage while on her stomach.

"He insisted on seeing you, but now I really must insist that he be taken to the waiting room," said a short, thin woman. "One of you can stay if you want."

"I've got him," Belle's accented voice floated through the air, and then small hands were pulling on Henry's shoulders.

"I'll be out soon, Sweetheart," Regina assured the boy and kissed his forehead. He nodded silently and allowed Belle to pull him against her side and escort him from the room.

Ruby slid the ugly orange plastic chair into Regina's sight line and then plopped into it. The young wolf looked ragged with deep lines on her concerned face and unshed tears in her eyes. The young doctor also moved into her vision. She was petite with black hair cropped above her ears and a kind smile, wide smile and soulful brown eyes. Beautiful.

"I'm Dr. Zambrano. I'm sorry that you had to wait so long, but I wasn't here today. I was at Town Hall with everyone else and figured I'd see if I was needed after you disappeared," the woman's soft and kind voice flowed through the room as she moved about, fetching the equipment she'd need.

"Why would you think you were needed?" Ruby asked naively, and Regina rolled her eyes.

"In the event that I went on a murderous rampage, Miss Lucas," Regina explained for the doctor, and Ruby's mouth formed a silent 'O' in response.

"Plus, I'm the only doctor on staff willing to treat you. Trust me when I say that they called everyone. So don't make me regret it," she warned. "Little pinch and some burning," she muttered just before she stuck the needle filled with anesthetic into Regina leg.

Regina hissed, and Ruby fidgeted, hands jumping from her lap like she wanted to touch Regina and then thought better of it. Dr. Zambrano hummed to herself as she worked, commenting here and there, whether to herself or them, Regina didn't know.

"Have you heard anything about Emma yet?" Ruby asked suddenly. Her tears returned full force, and this time she failed to stop them.

They tumbled down her cheeks and dripped off her chin. Regina wiped them away before she realized what she was doing. They both froze, awkwardly staring at each other at the sudden compassionate gesture. Even Dr. Zambrano stopped her work and watched the interaction. Regina moved first, cupping the girl's cheek in a way only a mother could and brushing her thumb under Ruby's wet eye. A collective sigh whooshed through the room as they all started breathing and moving again.

"Regina, what are you going to do if she dies?" Ruby asked quietly and pulled Regina's hand into her own, holding them in her lap. Her eyes flicked to the doctor pretending not to eavesdrop on the conversation and then back to Regina's.

"Do my best to honor her final wish," Regina confessed quietly.

"To not let them…us," Ruby admitted in sudden realization, "make you a monster again?"

"Yes," Regina confirmed with a quiet conviction that surprised even her. She intended to redeem herself for Henry and for Emma, or at least Emma's memory. They fell into silence as they all thought about what Regina was attempting to do.

"You love her, don't you?" Ruby asked after studying Regina's face for a long moment.

"You're more observant than I ever credited you for, Miss Lucas," Regina sniffed, uncomfortable with the emotional evasion Ruby inflicted.

"When did you know?" Ruby pressed on, determined to get the answers she sought, and Regina had to wonder if it was only about her and Emma's relationship. Regina sighed.

"I didn't realize it until I put her into that elevator in the library and sent her to fight a very pissed off Maleficent in dragon form, but I think I loved her the day she mutilated my apple tree with that ridiculous chainsaw." Regina smiled at the memory, tears burning the back of her throat.

"But that was her first week in Storybrooke!" Ruby exclaimed, and Dr. Zambrano flinched at the sudden loudness of her voice. Regina glared behind her, and the doctor shrugged sheepishly.

"Does she love you back?" Ruby pulled her attention back to the conversation, and Regina's chin quivered as tears spilled onto her cheeks and nose.

"I thought she might." Her voice was tight and raspy with the tears. "But that's not possible anymore, now that she knows what I'm capable of. The things I've done, they go far beyond the corruption of dark magic, and I'm not sure Emma will ever accept that part of me."

"Regina, you're not that person anymore. Henry's changed you. You've changed yourself. I'm beginning to wonder if you were ever as evil as everyone thought you were. I mean, just look at this place, it's pretty damn wonderful as far as punishments go. It's safe and quiet and peaceful, and not everyone realizes this, but it's a reflection of what you desired most, isn't it? I don't know much about magic, but I know that it follows the desires of the person wielding it. This town, Storybrooke, was designed in the image you most desired, wasn't it?" Ruby searched Regina's face, watching the impact of her words. Regina remained silent, letting the question hang in the air.

"Done," Dr. Zambrano announced quietly, breaking the moment as gently as she could. "I'll get you some scrubs to change into." She moved to Regina's vision again. "Madame… Regi… Ms. Mills, if you ever require medical attention again and they refuse you treatment, tell them to call me. I'll come." With that she was out the door before Regina responded.

"Look at you, making friends already," Ruby ribbed her, and Regina rolled her eyes in a huff. She enjoyed Ruby's quiet strength and unwavering loyalty, but she knew it was a temporary companionship. When Belle opened up about what Regina had done to her, Ruby would greet her with cold eyes and jumpy gestures for the rest of her life, just like Emma had that morning.

A nurse scurried into the room and tossed the scrubs at Ruby and then disappeared around the corner. Yes, The Evil Queen might attack her with her ass hanging out of a cheap hospital gown. Regina sat up, enjoying the anesthetic while it lasted, and pulled on the pink scrubs with a wrinkled nose and a bitten tongue. They were punishing her, she was certain of it. Ruby bit her lip, but her eyes sang with amusement.

"You may laugh, Miss Lucas," the dark woman permitted, and Ruby guffawed.

"I can't believe they gave you an entirely pretty pink outfit. I mean they do want you to not kill them, right?" Regina glared at the girl, which only made her laugh harder.

It took her a moment to realize that Regina's gaze had turned towards the door and sobered when she followed it to find a slightly distraught Dr. Whale wringing his hands. Ruby pressed herself close to Regina, there if she needed her but far enough not to make either woman uncomfortable. His face told them that the surgery had not gone well before he ever spoke.

"Regina, I'm sorry. She wasn't strong enough to handle the surgery, so we had to stop. The bullet tore through her stomach and then glanced off the left side of her rib cage and collapsed the left lung, which is where we found it. She's in a medically induced coma. We managed to remove the bullet, but there is still a lot of damage to repair. We managed to mend her stomach and put a temporary patch on her lung. A ventilator is helping her breathe; she probably wouldn't be able to do it on her own just yet. She needs a bowel resection, so she's on a dialysis machine. If she survives the next 48 hours, we'll go in and attempt to repair the lung and bowel. All of the bleeding is stopped for now, but Sheriff Swan is quite anemic and will probably require several transfusions over the next few days. I'm sorry, but it's all we can do until she is strong enough to go back into surgery. Now, we just wait and see."

Whale recited the information clinically, but something in his eyes begged Regina to accept the limitations of science. Ruby made note but silently awaited Regina's reaction.

"'Wait and see?' That's all you can offer me is wait and see! Tell me, is there anything that your science can guarantee? I've seen nothing but failure. With Daniel, with Henry and now Emma. Do you intend to allow every person I love to die?" Regina bit coldly, and Whale hung his head and shoved his hands into the pockets of his dark blue scrubs.

"Regina," Ruby touched her bicep hesitantly. She may have wolf strength, but Regina's magic would knock her on her ass in a second. "Don't," she pleaded.

"Would you like to see her? As I said, she is unconscious, but…" he shrugged and allowed the sentence to hang.

"No. I won't watch her die, too, because of your failure." Regina brushed past him in a flash of pink fury.

Ruby's brow furrowed in apology and sympathy for the doctor. She gathered Regina's ruined clothes and shoes and followed the distraught woman. She touched Whale's arm as she passed and offered him a smile that couldn't quite reach her eyes. Whatever history he had with Regina, she knew he was a good surgeon, and if he believed that nothing else could be done right now, she took his word at face value.

When she reached the waiting room, the first thing she noticed was Regina clinging to Henry as the boy cried into her chest. Belle stood on the opposite side of the now nearly empty waiting room, arms wrapped tightly around herself as her own tears silently slid down her cheeks. Her blue eyes turned to Ruby. They rushed to each other and met in the middle of the room. Belle tucked her head beneath Ruby's chin, face flush against her chest, and clutched the back of her shirt with both hands.

"Let's go home," Ruby whispered into Belle's hair, and the woman nodded against her collarbone before releasing the death grip on her shirt.

"Regina, Henry, let's get you home," Ruby held out one hand to them and held Belle against her side with the other.

"Miss Lucas, I don't need you to hold my hand," Regina sniped, her voice deep and dangerous.

"No, you don't, but Emma and Stacy made me deputy today, which means with Emma out of service, it's my job to make sure you stay safe. Gaston is at the station, and I'd really like to avoid a blood bath, so I suppose that means we are going to your house. I already have Emma's cell phone, badge and car keys. Her cruiser is outside. Now go put your ass in it, and stop being so damn difficult."

Ruby ordered the fussy former royal as she brought her free hand to her hip. She was just as tired and worried and scared and heartbroken as Regina, and she hadn't the patience or the emotional fortitude to fight Regina every step of this process. She may not have loved Emma in the same way, but the sheriff had quickly become one of her closest and most trusted friends.

The few people in the waiting room and at the reception desk tensed as witch and wolf stared each other down. Finally, Regina huffed and pulled Henry towards to door. Someone should really have stayed with Emma, but there was nothing anyone could do. Right now, they needed to take care of themselves and Henry so that when Emma woke up, she'd have a strong support system. Ruby hadn't wanted to see the strong and proud woman held together with tubes and tape anyway, so she led Belle behind Regina and Henry.

As they exited into the cool evening air, she sent a silent prayer to anyone listening that she was strong enough to fill Emma's shoes.