Sorry this chapter is so short! I'm back at uni and finding time to write has been difficult but I didn't want to leave you waiting any longer so here's what I've got so far :) thanks for sticking with me! Warning: this is angsty as with the rest of the story.

Regina's knuckles were bone white as she gripped the edges of her seat, body swaying wildly with every sharp turn of the steering wheel. She prayed a silent prayer to the Gods that the roads remained as clear as they were now with Emma maintaining their speed well over the limit and swerving each corner.

"Emma, please don't kill us. She can't get into Storybrooke anyway." She whispered.

"We need her, Regina, we need her blood if we want a chance to stand up to Gold."

"I know, but quite frankly you're scaring the hell out of me right now. What do you plan on doing once we catch up with her?"

"If she won't listen to me, we'll do what we have to do to get some blood. But if she thinks she's going to spend the rest of her life trying to find a way into Storybrooke to destroy my parents, then she's got another thing coming."

That sentence confirmed Regina's worries and she scowled. "Emma-"

"What would you do, Regina?" Emma snapped.

"I just don't want you to-"

She faced Regina, taking her eyes off the road for a moment to roar in her ear . "To what? Go dark? This is the real world, Regina, there are no heroes or villains, just real people with real problems. So if you're going to try to stop me, you can find your own way back to New York." With that she turned back to the road just in time for another sharp turn, eyes narrowed in anger and determination which unsettled Regina's stomach even more than her driving.

Regina knew better than to think she could argue her case just yet, deciding to stay silent until there was something she could do to calm Emma down somehow. She looked to the road to see Robin's car in front of them, quite some distance ahead but rapidly getting closer as Emma pressed onto the accelerator even harder.

It seemed Robin's car didn't have the capacity for quite as much speed as the one they'd stolen and it wasn't difficult for Emma to weave out and pull up alongside the vehicle.

"She's not going to stop, Emma."

"I'll make her stop." Emma muttered darkly, edging the car closer to Robin's, causing Lily to swerve a little as Emma overtook her.

Lily continued to attempt to drive around them, but Emma was quick with the steering wheel, keeping just ahead of her and gradually slowing down so that Lily had no choice but to lower her speed.

Just when Regina thought they had her, Lily made one last drastic attempt to escape, suddenly revving the car and making a dash for the empty lane next to them before Emma could stop her. Desperately trying to intercept, Emma spun the steering wheel and the tyres below them skidded, filling the car with a terrible screeching sound as Emma frantically tried to regain control.

She didn't have a chance to as the car left the road, rolling straight over rough terrain into the ditch at the side. Neither even had a moment to scream as they came to a sudden stop which sent Emma's head careening into the airbag that opened in front of her and a terrible silence followed as her vision faded in and out in blotches and her ears rang from the collision.

"Regina?" She rasped with a shaky breath, wincing in pain as she lifted her head. The brunette didn't answer her. Emma put a hand at the back of her neck, which throbbed with pain, as she turned to look in the passenger seat.

Regina's head hadn't hit the airbag. It hung limply from her neck against the cracked passenger window. Her eyes were closed.

"Regina!" Emma yelled, ignoring the pain as she reached over to shake her shoulder gently. "Regina, can you hear me?"

No response. Emma's heart began to thump wildly against her chest and for a moment she thought she might be sick. She deftly undid her seatbelt and opened the car door as time stood still, running around to Regina's side and catching the brunette in her arms as she opened the other door. Careful not to move her too much, she lowered her to the ground before thinking in a panic that maybe she shouldn't have moved her at all.

There was a trail of blood smeared on the car window and when Emma felt wetness, she looked at her fingers to find the thick red substance there too. She gently felt Regina's head and found the wound immediately, pressing her hand onto it to slow the bleeding as she reached into her pocket for her phone with the other hand.

"Is she okay?"

Emma startled at the voice and dropped the phone. "Lily?"

Lily picked the phone up for her and Emma heard her punch in three numbers. A moment later she was explaining their location to the operator and asking for an ambulance.

"Her head's cracked open." Emma stuttered when Lily hung up the phone, her voice not sounding like her own.

"Does it feel soft?"

"What?"

"Where you're pressing? Does it feel soft?"

"No?"

"Okay, good. Her skull's intact. She'll probably be fine."

"She's knocked out! She's bleeding!" Emma yelled, angrily.

"I know. Just calm down, okay? The ambulance will-"

"Em…" Regina murmured as she came to, "-ma?"

"Regina," Emma said in a shaky voice, "You're okay, it's alright."

"Wha-?"

"Just stay still, you hit your head."

"Hurts."

"I know. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Are you okay?" Regina asked weakly.

Emma faltered at her words. Regina was bleeding from her head, barely conscious and was asking if she was alright? She let out a tearful chuckle. "I'm fine, it's you we need to worry about."

Thankfully, they didn't have to wait too long before they heard sirens approaching. Emma watched in silence, feeling more helpless than she ever had in her life, as Regina was loaded onto a gurney and secured in the vehicle, answering the paramedics' questions with one word answers in a voice she didn't recognise. One of them was trying to check her for injuries but she slapped their hands away, insisting that she was fine having hit the air bag and promising to stay at the hospital and get checked out afterwards.

Her eyes remained glued to Regina as she climbed in behind them, sitting in the extra seat behind the gurney.

"I'll meet you at the hospital." Lily said.

Emma didn't get a chance to question her decision before she was heading back to Robin's car.

She felt like she was stuck in a nightmare the entire way to the hospital, watching the paramedics hurrying about to stop the bleeding and check Regina for any other injuries. Thankfully, from what Emma could tell, they found none. Not that that made her feel any better. This was all her fault. She was so blinded by fear and anger that she put Regina in danger, put her life at risk. Well, it would never happen again. Screw Lily. Screw everything. Regina had to be okay and she would make sure of it. Then she would destroy Gold if it was the last thing she did.