Rumplestiltskin returns, the tables are turned, and a broken ship sails once more.
"Regina? What's wrong?"
Drug addled or not, Emma was immediately aware that something was not right, and the crease of concern between her brows would have been endearing if Regina weren't too distracted to notice it. Somewhat dazedly, she stepped into the room and let the door fall shut behind her, her feet automatically taking her to the side of Emma's bed. The blonde reached for her and she complied, perching on the edge and letting Emma's arms encircle her.
"Regina? Hey-" It took her a moment, but her green eyes refocused and zeroed in on the fingerprint-shaped bruises marking Regina's throat. The brunette made to pull away.
"Emma-"
"Who did this to you?" Her voice, only moments ago light and airy, turned low and furious as she gripped the brunette's shoulders and pulled her closer, refusing to let her retreat. "Regina, who did this to you?"
"It's okay," Regina whispered, running her hands soothingly along Emma's tense arms. "I'm okay. Relax, Emma. You need to rest…"
"I'm not resting! Who put their hands on you? Tell me who did this."
"Emma, please…" Regina leaned forward, shoulders sagging. The blonde pulled her closer so that Regina's face was tucked in against her neck, one hand cradling the back of her dark hair while the other gently ran up and down her spine. They simply sat like that for a long few minutes, soaking in the comfort of each other's embrace, Regina's fingers tangled into Emma's shirt with a death-grip as if it would reassure her that the other woman wasn't going anywhere. Snow and David stood quietly by the end of the bed, waiting.
"The demon wants Rumplestiltskin brought back into Storybrooke," Regina finally said, drawing back out of Emma's embrace and straightening her posture again. This was no time to be weak or emotional - she needed to stay focused.
"She was here?" Emma asked, eyes darkening with anger. 'Did she leave those bruises?' was the unsaid question. Regina averted her gaze.
"Regardless of what it wants," she said instead, refusing to give the demon a gender simply because of the appearance it stole, "I think it may be… beneficial, to contact Rumplestiltskin. The demons were originally sent to him, perhaps he will know of a way to defeat it permanently."
"Not that I particularly care for his wellbeing," Snow began, frowning, "but if the demon wants him, it can't be for anything good. We can't just hand him over."
"Besides, we don't even know where he is," David added. "Belle hasn't heard from him since she sent him over the town line weeks ago. For all we know he could be anywhere in the world by now."
"I'm not suggesting we give him over to the demon, but we do need his help. If anyone might know how to defeat the demon, it's him." Regina shrugged a shoulder in defeat. She hated resorting to the imp just as much as everyone else did, but they were truly struggling to defeat the demon and she refused to risk another injury like Emma's.
"Then let's contact Gold," Emma finally said, looking far more exhausted than she did a minute ago, her eyes sunken and her skin paling. The excitement of the day was hitting her hard. "You guys should probably talk to Belle. She should have an idea of how to find him. I think I need to shut my eyes for a bit."
"We'll step out and let you sleep in peace," Snow offered with a small smile.
"No," Regina immediately stressed, the mere thought of leaving Emma alone in the room striking panic in her chest. "We need people staying in here at all times. The demon can appear anywhere."
David's hand settled onto the sword at his hip, already shifting into protective mode. Emma's eyes slowly narrowed on Regina.
"What else did the demon say?"
"It doesn't matter, Emma-"
"What else did she say?"
The brunette's jaw worked back and forth for a moment, the demon's words resounding in her mind and catching in her throat. Inhaling a deep breath, she forced them out between gritted teeth. "That if I didn't give her Rumplestiltskin, she would rip out your heart and crush it in front of me."
"Over my dead body," David growled, a sentiment Snow echoed with equal amounts of fierce determination. Regina felt a dull ache in her neck where the demon's fingers had left deep bruises and resisted the urge to cover them with her hand, lest she draw Emma's attention to them again.
"Well in that case, we've got time," Emma said after a moment, seeming far less concerned than everyone else. "She's going to be watching and waiting for us to locate Gold first. Until then I'm not in danger."
"Regardless, we're not leaving you alone for even a moment. We'll get some of the others in here to watch over you while we search for Gold."
"Fine," Emma muttered with a shrug, knowing this was not an argument she'd win, no matter how much she didn't want to be watched while she slept. Her brain was getting fuzzy and her body ached with exhaustion, so she carefully reclined back into her pillow with a soft grunt of discomfort, a twinge of pain shooting through her ribcage and reminding her not to move around too much. "I'm gonna sleep for a bit. I feel like crap."
"Okay," Regina murmured, gently clasping Emma's hand within hers. Brown eyes met green ones, a moment's hesitation passing between them.
"Hey, I'm not going anywhere," Emma said softly, squeezing the brunette's fingers.
"Tell me that again when you're not laying in a hospital bed."
"I'll tell you that every day for the rest of our lives." Emma gave a crooked grin. Regina scoffed, pink tinging her cheeks at the blonde's implications.
"You're high, dear. Get some sleep." She leaned over and pressed a kiss to the blonde's forehead, but Emma grumbled and hooked a finger into the neckline of Regina's shirt, refusing to release her until she got a proper kiss to the lips. Snow and David averted their eyes at the public display of affection but otherwise gave Regina a reassuring smile as the brunette stood once more.
"We'll watch over her. You just let us know if you need anything."
"Thank you." With a final nod, Regina left the room, hurrying back to the guest lounge that their group had commandeered a few hours prior. The others were all spread out on the couches or benches, eating or napping. To her mild surprise, Grayson was in the room keeping Ruby company. He was wrapped up in a warm hospital robe and sitting in a wheelchair, leaning heavily to one side, but looked otherwise alert and recovering.
"Your Majesty," he greeted with a crooked grin and a nod of his head. He didn't say it aloud, but there was a look of gratitude in his eyes knowing that she'd saved his life. She just smiled and nodded in return before stepping over to where Belle sat with Tink and Nova.
"There's been a… new development," she began, somewhat hesitantly. The younger brunette had never really discussed the details of Rumple's banishment those many weeks ago, but for her to have finally given up on the man, it was clearly going to be a touchy subject. Regina tried to break the news gently, but she never was one for tact when it came to situations like these.
'What's going on? Is Emma alright?" the librarian asked, brows scrunching together. The room went quiet, all eyes and ears on the mayor. Regina gave a wry smile.
"She's fine. Recovering. We have another problem, however. The demon was here earlier-"
"Where?!" Leroy half shouted, his pickaxe already clutched in his big hands. Multiple sets of eyes rolled in their sockets. Nova seemed to swoon a little at his 'protective' outburst.
"Contain yourself, munchkin," Regina huffed.
"It's dwarf, sister…"
"The demon threatened to kill Emma if we didn't bring Rumplestiltskin back into town."
Ruby growled low in her throat. The others shifted with obvious surprise and unease, all eyes flickering to where Belle sat with her hands clasped tightly together on her lap.
"Why does it want Rumple?" the younger brunette finally asked, weary. Regina shook her head.
"It didn't say. I'm not suggesting we just hand him over, but the box the demons were trapped in had been sent to Gold's address. Perhaps he may have some idea as to how we can defeat it permanently." When Belle only pursed her lips, she continued, "I was hoping you would know how to locate him."
"I do," she finally admitted, sighing. "He emailed me a few times. I never responded, of course, but I can contact him that way if I must."
"And I still have Ingrid's scroll. It will give him the ability to step back through the town line into Storybrooke." Regina nodded in contemplation. "Can you ask him to return immediately?"
"I can," the younger brunette said carefully, her voice unhappy. Leroy sent her a sympathetic look to which she managed a half smile in reply. "I suppose I can use the dagger to keep him in line once he returns."
"I wouldn't ask this of you if there was any other way," Regina said honestly.
"I know." Belle smiled and shrugged it off, her eyes dull but determined nonetheless as she retrieved her cellphone and opened up her email. "I'll contact him now. Should I tell him the truth, or simply pretend that I want to give him another chance?"
Eyebrows rose throughout the room. Regina looked mildly impressed.
"Bookworm's got teeth," she murmured approvingly.
"Uh, lie, of course," Ruby interjected. "Come on, we all know Gold. He won't come back if he knows his life's in danger."
Belle just nodded and ducked her head, tapping away at her phone. Nova put a supportive hand on the woman's shoulder as she sent the email to Rumplestiltskin.
They didn't have to wait long. Gold had responded within the hour and was immediately on his way, giving them a time estimate of seven hours based on his departure from New York. Belle didn't say much else about his email reply, though from the pinched look on her face it was obvious that she didn't look forward to his arrival. She, Regina, August, and Tinkerbell eventually made their way to the town line once his arrival time neared. It was late into the night by this point and they were all hopped up on caffeine, wanting to be awake and alert just in case anything happened.
"She'll be fine," Tink murmured when she noticed Regina's restless foot tapping from where she stood leaning against the Benz. Everyone who hadn't gone with them to deal with Gold had ended up moving into Emma's room despite Whale's protests. "They'll all protect her with their lives."
"I would prefer it if no one's life was in danger," Regina muttered, checking her watch for the tenth time. Louder she growled, "What's taking him so long?"
"He'll be here," Belle said, hunkering down a little more in her double breasted coat, shivering against the night air. The others silently braced themselves against the cold as well.
It was another fifteen minutes before they finally saw headlights in the distance, a taxi approaching at a quick speed. It eventually slowed to a stop just a few yards from the town line, idling as an arm reached between the headrests of the front seat to pay the driver with a wad of cash. As the backdoor popped open, Regina heard Belle suck in a breath next to her.
"We can send him back over the line as soon as the demon is defeated," Regina murmured under her breath. Belle stood rigid but didn't respond, eyes glued to Gold as the man eased out of the taxi and shut the door, leaning heavily on his cane as if stiff from the long ride. He stepped aside and stood by the edge of the road as the vehicle turned itself around and headed back the way it came, watching it rumble off into the distance. When it was far enough away, he turned towards the town line and peered anxiously in their direction, unable to see them through the town's barrier.
Regina had to admit, he looked sad and desperate.
"Belle?" he called out tentatively, shuffling closer, one hand clutching his cane so tightly that his knuckles were white, while the other hand fiddled anxiously with the wedding band on his finger. Belle still wore hers - she'd never taken it off. "Are you there, Belle?"
Regina stepped forward, Ingrid's scroll in her hand. She turned her head towards Belle, waiting for the younger woman's nod before tossing the scroll across the line. It rolled to a stop by Gold's shoe, startling him slightly, as if he'd had doubts as to whether or not he would actually be granted access back into town. With a sharp intake of breath, he scooped the scroll up, clutched it to his chest, and limped his way over the line.
The powers of the Dark One returned to him in a rush that left him lightheaded and breathless, almost giddy with the sheer power filling his body. He hadn't realized he'd closed his eyes until he reopened them, blinking in the small group of people now revealed to him.
The first person he saw was Regina, the distaste clear in her cold eyes despite the bored look she'd plastered to her face. Next to her stood Tinkerbell and August, the former clutching her wand and the latter equipped with what looked to be the Sheriff's handgun. Finally - just a few paces behind them and leaning heavily against Regina's Benz - was his wife.
"Belle," he said again, his voice full of yearning as he took a step towards her on strong legs that no longer required a cane to walk. Regina and her temporary henchmen didn't make a move to stop him, but he froze in place nonetheless at Belle's sharp "Stop," limbs quivering against an invisible force.
Slowly, Belle took her hand out from within her jacket. Gold's face tightened at the sight of his dagger clutched against her chest.
"Belle, please-"
"Don't speak," she commanded, expression pained but determined. "You're not here because I forgive you. You're here because we need your help."
His face twisted into one of betrayed confusion, mouth moving without actual sound, wishing desperately to embrace his wife after many long weeks of lonely despair. He'd managed to track down Ursula and take refuge in her little apartment in New York, but the woman refused to entertain his notions of sneaking back into Storybrooke and basically delegated him to sitting in the corner armchair living off of ramen and looking miserable. She'd been relieved, to say the least, when Gold received the email and left New York immediately.
Ignoring his wounded look, Regina took the small box from the backseat of the car and brought it forward. It was useless to them now, but she'd retrieved it from the woods nonetheless, hoping Gold would recognize it and know what to do about it.
"This," she said, shoving it into his hands, "was unleashed in Storybrooke. The seven demons have become one, somehow, and they've stolen my form too. What do you know?"
When he glared at her, Belle clutched the dagger a little harder and commanded, "Tell her."
Reluctantly, Gold examined the box in his hand, rubbing the soot away to reveal the scratched out symbols that had once adorned the wooden surface. There was instant recognition in his eyes, but he hesitated a long moment before sighing heavily.
"The seven sins. I trapped them in this box myself."
Regina frowned. "Why?"
"Why not?" Gold shrugged dismissively. "I perceived their growing power as a threat, so I trapped them away. It was many years ago and in another realm."
"If you put them in the box then you can do it again."
"I'm afraid not, dearie." Gold gave a patronizing smile at that point. He didn't enjoy disappointing Belle, but agitating Regina was always a joy. "This box is special - much like Pandora's. Now that it's broken, there's nothing I can do. If what you say is true and they've grown strong enough to join and become one, well… I hate to admit it, but I'm no match for the demon."
"There has to be something you can do," Regina growled, frustration bubbling up within her. Emma's life was in danger and she wasn't going to take no for an answer. Of course, her other choice was to hand over Rumplestiltskin to the demon and hope that it kept its promise and left them alone, but Regina knew better than to trust the word of a demon.
Gold seemed to consider something for a moment before sniffing. "Hope."
Regina wanted to strangle him. "If I wanted to hear some bullshit speech about hope, I would have gone to the Charmings-"
"No, your Majesty. Hope. The eighth spirit that had been in the box. Where there are the seven sins, there is also Hope. The Light to balance the Darkness."
Regina glanced sideways, catching Belle's eye. The younger brunette's brow was furrowed in thought.
"We haven't seen any other being around other than the demons. Are you sure Hope was in the box with them?"
"As I said, Hope goes wherever the demons are. I imagine she's somewhere." Gold readjusted his grip on his cane, clutching it for comfort and familiarity despite his limp being nonexistent in the presence of magic. "If you have no further need of me…"
He turned towards Belle, who immediately stiffened up and wielded the dagger as if to keep him away. With his hands held out placatingly, he lowered his voice, speaking only to her. "Belle, I don't expect you to forgive me, but please believe me when I say you're in danger. You need to leave Storybrooke."
"I'm not leaving my friends, Rumple." She sidestepped to place herself closer to Regina and the others, distrust clear in her expression.
"He's hiding something," Tink said after a moment, scowling in realization. Both brunette women turned accusing eyes on Gold.
"Tell us," Belle demanded. Gold breathed out heavily, shoulders sagging ever so slightly.
"The demons want revenge. They want power." He made a weak gesture towards himself. "They want to steal the power of the Dark One. That's why I trapped them and sent them away."
"Can they?" Regina stiffened, wondering if the demon knew they were here with Gold right now. "Are they able to do that?"
"If it's grown powerful enough, yes, I imagine it can."
"You wouldn't be the Dark One anymore?" The question came from Belle, her voice almost hesitantly curious. Tink regarded the brunette with a weary look.
"As much as I hate Rumplestiltskin, I think the demon possessing the powers of a Dark One would be far more dangerous to us all."
"Agreed. We can't let it take his power," Regina muttered, her glare deepening when August visibly stiffened beside her.
"Are you forgetting the part where the demon kills Emma if we don't hand over the imp?"
"Yes, lecture me when my soulmate's life is on the line, as if I weren't painfully aware," Regina snapped, leaning threateningly in his direction so that he instinctively took a step back. "Be thankful that I am no longer the person I used to be or I would take Emma and Henry out of Storybrooke and leave you all to deal with this mess yourselves."
She wouldn't, of course. Not anymore. But she knows it's what she would have done once upon a time and a small part of her relishes the thought. If only she were still that selfish, that heartless. It would have been the easier path.
"So what do we do?" Tinkerbell asked, fiddling nervously with her wand. She was antsy, rightly so, but it was Regina who first noticed the slight drop in temperature. Her hairs stood on end and she immediately looked to Gold, who stared back at her in apprehension.
"Go! Run!" She gestured for him to cross the line while whipping back around to face August and Tinkerbell. "Get back to the hospital and protect Emma at all costs!" Tinkerbell grabbed the man and teleported them away without hesitation as Gold rushed to cross the town line, intent on passing through the barrier that would safely keep him out of the demon's reach. He had a foot over the line when he heard Regina and Belle shout out in alarm.
"Go ahead, flee," the Evil Queen's voice purred. He turned slowly on his heel, narrowed eyes taking in the sight before him. Regina lay a few yards away, wincing and picking herself up off the ground where she'd been thrown. Belle stood frozen as the Evil Queen embraced her from behind, one arm wrapped securely around her waist, the other hand holding her by her throat.
"Belle," he breathed out, fingers twitching. The demon clucked its tongue and dug its fingers a little tighter into Belle's neck.
"No sudden moves, Rumplestiltskin. I'd hate to have to snap her pretty little neck."
He straightened himself, pulling his foot away from the line and resting his hands on his cane with feigned nonchalance. The tense look of worry gave him away. "What do you want?"
"Don't play stupid now. It doesn't suit you." The demon plucked the dagger from Belle's hand and magicked it away, safely out of sight. "You know exactly what I want, just like I know exactly what you want. The question is, what are you willing to sacrifice for it?"
Gold said nothing, his teeth gritting together as the demon experimentally dug in its fingers and coaxed a strangled whimper from Belle. From the corner of his eye, he saw Regina inching closer.
"Let's make a deal, Rumplestiltskin," the demon purred.
"Gold, don't," Regina warned.
"I believe you lost the right to tell me what to do when you decided to trick me into returning without considering the consequences, your Majesty," he snarled back, not even sparing her a glance as he waved his hand and magically froze her body in place. "Your offer, demon?"
The demon laughed, its borrowed voice deep and wicked. It reminded him of the Evil Queen he'd once been so proud to call his student, the bitter and broken woman he'd so carefully raised. Now it only made him feel a twinge of regret. "Your precious Belle," it mockingly pouted her name, "for your powers. I even promise you'll survive."
"Rumple-" Belle began, but the rest of her words were choked off with another squeeze of the demon's hand. Gold gave her a somber look, his eyes dull and resigned. He'd made his choice the moment her large, terrified eyes looked to him for help, but he forced the words through his teeth nonetheless before his selfish side had the chance to reconsider, knowing full well that if given too long to decide, he would have somehow managed to talk himself into choosing power once more.
"Deal," he said.
"Gold!" Regina shouted, but she was trapped and helpless, unable to do anything but watch as the demon threw Belle aside and lunged, slamming bodily into Gold with a jerk of its arm. She saw the gleam of the Dark One's dagger only moments before it plunged into the man's shoulder, buried to the hilt. Gold hissed through his teeth, the sound quickly turning into a wheezing gasp as the dagger pulsed black and unleashed a swirl of darkness that spun violently around them, hiding them from view in a miniature tornado of shadows.
The moment Regina's body unfroze, she knew it was over.
The demon was gone in a swirl of black smoke, and Gold collapsed to the ground.
"Rumple!" Belle scrambled across the asphalt to where he lay on his back, his eyes squeezed shut and his face contorted in pain. Regina had no sympathy for the man - at least he was alive, which was more than they could say for every other ex Dark One.
"Belle," he gasped, wincing as she pressed her hands down on his shoulder wound to stem the bleeding. His rough hands fumbled to land on top of hers, clinging to her as if she might leave him otherwise. "Belle, I'm sorry-"
"You gave up your powers for me," she whispered, unable to keep the disbelief from her voice. He smiled grimly up at her, eyes glazed - though from pain or from emotion, she wasn't yet sure.
"I almost didn't," he admitted, his voice trembling. "I'm sorry. You were right, I hadn't changed. You deserve so much better, Belle."
"But you did change. Maybe not by a lot, but you did the right thing this time. You didn't choose power over me. That's all I ever wanted, Rumple. I just wanted you to choose love over power."
He blinked up at her, pale and clammy but with eyes full of desperate hope.
"Do you forgive me?"
"I forgive you," she whispered, a soft promise. She brushed the damp hair from his forehead with her free hand, her lips pulling into a sad smile. "We have a lot we need to talk about soon… but I forgive you."
He nodded shakily, eyes fluttering shut with exhaustion. His wound wasn't gushing but he'd lost a fair amount of blood, the chest of his black dress coat soaked to the touch. Belle turned to find Regina staring at them with an unreadable expression.
"Regina, please," she called out. She didn't need to specify anything. The older brunette simply gave a quick, curt nod of her head and - with a flick of her wrist - they were all transported back to the hospital.
Belle and Gold landed on a gurney in the middle of the emergency wing where they would get immediate assistance, while Regina herself reappeared in Emma's recovery room. To her relief, the room was packed with familiar faces, everyone armed and on guard while Emma still lay asleep in the bed, blissfully unaware of what was happening around her.
"What happened?" Tink asked, she and August jumping to their feet and glancing Regina over for any signs of a fight. She waved off their concern with brooding irritation.
"Belle is fine, but Gold is getting medical attention as we speak. The bastard gave up his powers to protect her."
"So he's…" Tink trailed off, eyes widening. Snow stood up from where she'd been sitting in a chair next to Emma's bed, her expression one of growing apprehension.
"Are you saying that-"
"The demon is now also the Dark One," Regina finished, her tone hard. The feeling of disbelief - of utter failure - settled over the room like a heavy blanket, weighing them down and smothering the air. Nova seemed to shrink in Leroy's arms while Snow reached back to clasp David's hand for support.
"The one time he decides to not be a coward," August muttered, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms. Regina crossed her arms tightly across her stomach and glared at a spot on the floor, silent. After a few minutes of quiet tension, David finally spoke up.
"So what do we do?"
"Gold said something about an eighth spirit - Hope - having been trapped in the box with the demons. It's apparently our only option at this point."
"Do we know where it is? Or how to use it against the demons?"
"I have no clue, Charming." She growled under her breath, fingers twitching as frustration bubbled beneath the surface, a bitter and helpless feeling that made her want to smash something and scream out her anger. Instead, she said, "Everyone out."
Most of the others stood and left for the lounge again in silence, grudgingly understanding Regina's desire to have some privacy with her wounded soulmate. Snow and David hesitated, not wanting to leave their daughter's side. The demon may no longer have reason to come after Emma, but it was also now in possession of the Dark One's powers.
"Go. I'll put up protection spells and stay by her side," she muttered, gently perching herself on the edge of the hospital bed. "I need you to go back to the house and bring Henry here. I'd rather have him close. I don't know what the demon will do now, and the barrier on the house may not withstand its new powers."
"Are you sure this is the best place for him and Neal?" Snow asked softly, not trying to question the older brunette but simply worrying for their children. Regina sighed.
"At this point, the safest place for him is to be surrounded by us." She shook her head a little. "Besides, it doesn't look like the demon's influence has been affecting any new people. Most of the hospital staff are here and the building is under control. I'd feel better if Henry and Neal were with us where we can protect them best."
After a moment's hesitation, Snow nodded in support, giving Regina's arm a quick squeeze on her way out. David leaned over to plant a soft kiss atop Regina's head, meeting her wide eyes and giving her a soft twitch of a smile before shutting the door behind him. Staring after him a moment, somewhat surprised that her following thought was that of missing her own father, she shook her head and stood, moving about the room to put up her protection spells.
"Hey," a faint voice murmured from the bed, rough and scratchy from sleep. Regina turned to see Emma's head tilted in her direction, tired green eyes crinkled with a lazy smile.
"Hey." The brunette returned to the edge of the bed, gently clasping the blonde's limp hand within hers and giving the slightly calloused fingers a squeeze. "How are you feeling?"
"Water?" Emma croaked, somewhat apologetically. Regina grabbed the cup of water and held it as Emma sucked down a few mouthfuls through the straw. When she spoke next, her voice was considerably less shredded. "I'm okay. A bit fluffy in the head. I think they put more painkiller in my IV."
"I imagine you need it," Regina murmured, smiling faintly as she brushed blonde strands of damp hair off Emma's forehead. "If I never see you in a hospital bed again, it'll be too soon."
Emma chuckled, wincing at the movement. "Agreed. How did it go? Did you guys find Gold?"
"We did."
"And?"
"It's… complicated. I'll tell you later. Right now, I'd like to try mending you up a little bit with magic before Henry gets here."
"Henry's coming?" Emma's expression brightened up a little, but her smile immediately dropped. "Wait, why? Is it safe to take him out of the mansion?"
"I'd prefer to have him here with us." Regina tugged the blanket down and gently lifted Emma's scrubs up to her chest to reveal the bandaging on her stomach. "Hold still. This might be uncomfortable."
She gently rested her hands flat over the covered wounds, a faintly purple glow lighting up her palms as she set to work. Emma sighed and let her head slump back into the pillow, eyes fluttering shut as the magic began mending her stitches, warmth seeping into her flesh and tingling across her skin. Her wound was being healed from the outside in, and though it couldn't quite reach the internal damage, it considerably lessened her pain.
"Thank you," she breathed out when Regina had done all she could. The brunette magicked her gauze and bandages away to reveal smooth, undamaged flesh, marred only by a reddish, purplish bruise where her stab wound originally was.
"You're welcome, dear. You should try to fit in another nap until Henry gets here. You need all the rest you can get."
Emma wiggled on the bed to make room, gently patting the spot beside her. "I'd rest easier if I had you to cuddle with."
Regina had no complaints, just climbed in next to her and opened her arms to her suddenly very snuggly soulmate. The blonde was naturally taller and more broad shoulder than she was, but at that moment, Emma curled up into a small form and fit into Regina's embrace with her head tucked in against her neck and her arms coiled around her waist.
"You'll tell me everything later? After Henry gets here?"
"I will, I promise."
"Okay." Emma nestled her face in a little closer, breathing deeply of the brunette's natural scent and warmth, already drowsy again from the IV drip and ready to nod off. She mumbled something into Regina's neck, her words muffled, but it sounded vaguely like a declaration of love. Regina stroked her blonde hair until the younger woman was snoring softly.
"As do I, Emma," she whispered, eyes closing as she sighed into the quiet of the room, punctuated only by the soft beeps and hums of the machines around them. "I wish I knew how to find Hope. I wish I knew how to protect you and Henry."