This chapter is quite a bit longer than my other chapters, but I didn't have the heart to split it up. I'm loving all the feedback from everyone and as always thank you so much for all of the favorites, follows, and reviews!
Emma had gotten Killian back to the castle with the help of Regina. Regina had coached her through the healing spell as Emma watched a pale Killian lying before her. She wasn't as skilled as Regina so she wasn't able to fully heal the deep cut in his side that was now just a long superficial cut along his ribs. She could tell by feeling that a few of his ribs were either bruised severely or cracked. She wished Elsa were there to ice his wound a little and help with the swelling. Oh, how she missed modern medicine. She had stayed awake all night watching him, scared he would slip away if she allowed herself to get even a tiny bit of rest.
Emma was now sitting next to his sweating pale body as he lay on their new bed. The sun had risen a few hours before and Emma tried to force herself to close her eyes. Just as her eyes closed Killian groaned loudly, causing Emma to jump up hoping he would finally wake up, but once he stopped, he was still again. Emma slouched back down as she sat on her side of the bed. A soft whimper came from her son's bassinet as she sighed from the stress. Emma climbed off of the bed and scooped her son into her arms. It has hard to believe that he had been stolen from her not long ago and now she had him back. Liam opened his newborn eyes, steel grey and no discernable color. She could see her chin, and the unmistakable dimples of Killian's as his mouth moved. Emma heard the bedroom door open, but didn't look up, too scared to lose this moment.
"How is he?" Snow said, walking over to Emma.
"Same as before." Emma said, "I just hope he wakes up soon, this is killing me."
"Well, you did everything you could, it's just going to take some time." Snow said, gently squeezing Emma's arm. Snow walked over to Johanna's bassinet, looking down at the fair skinned infant. "From what I remember, she looks like you as a baby." A sadness washed over Snow's face, much like the sadness that washed over Emma as she watched her mother caress Johanna's cheek. Snow glanced at Killian then back to Emma.
"He'll wake up." Snow said, "He just needs to heal."
"I just can't handle all of this waiting." Emma said, "It's driving me crazy." Emma looked from her mother back to Killian, feeling antsy as she laid Liam back in his bassinet and walked over to Killian's side. She brought a bowl with water and a cloth over, soaked, and then rung the water out. She dabbed his forehead, and her hand paused as she looked at his eyes, willing them to open. When they didn't she replaced the bowl and cloth where they had been and walked back to stand next to her mother. Snow's eyes widened the way they did when she had an idea.
"I think I know what you can do to get some of the tension out!" Snow said excitedly and with a broad smile on her face. She quickly, but gently laid Johanna back in her bassinet, called for the nanny. As Emma waited, her mother changed out of the long dress she had been wearing and into something similar to what Emma saw her mother wearing in her bandit days in the storybook. Snow grabbed Emma's arm excitedly, smiling back at her and pulled her across the castle and outside until they came to a small shed like building. Snow disappeared inside and then emerged with two bows and two quivers full of arrows.
"I used to practice shooting when I was upset or stressed." Snow said, smiling.
"But I-" Emma said, holding the bow out awkwardly.
"I can teach you." Snow said, smiling, "I didn't always know how to use one. I learned when I wasn't much younger than you are now."
Emma arched an eyebrow, "What, archery wasn't proper for a princess to learn?" Emma playfully mocked and Snow laughed as she looked down at her bow and then back to Emma.
"No," Snow said, putting the bow and quiver over her head, crossing her body, Emma following suit, "A princess was supposed to be thought of as elegant, proper, and polite. Going around shooting arrows didn't exactly scream princess."
Emma and Snow laughed and they began walking to the edge of the forest next to the castle. Snow passed the tree line through a well-beaten path and Emma followed her mother. As they walked about a quarter of a mile, Emma watched the confident way her mother walked with her bow and quiver dancing on her back.
Snow stopped and turned to Emma, Slowing down as they reached a clearing with makeshift targets in different distances away.
"I had this built after we took the kingdom and castle from King George. Before you were born," Snow said, looking back at Emma and taking her bow off, "I used to come here to think a lot."
Emma mirrored her mother's actions and awkwardly pulled an arrow from her quiver. Emma slid the notch of the arrow onto the string of the bow. That much she knew how to do. She looked to her mother for instruction as her mother walked behind her. With a gentle hand Snow guided Emma's hands up, correcting her grip on the string and arrow, helping Emma pull the string with the arrow back.
"Ok, keep it back," Snow said letting go and straightening Emma's shoulders, "I'll teach you the parts of your bow later, when this lesson isn't about stress relief." Snow nudged and corrected Emma's stance here and there until she felt Emma was standing and holding the bow and arrow correctly.
"Ok, now what?" Emma said, too scared to move incase her hand slipped and she sent the arrow flying.
"Look down the shaft of the arrow, aiming almost the same way you would a gun." Snow said, showing Emma what to do in her own motions.
"Ok," Emma said, closing one eye and focusing with the other.
"Then, pick a target." Snow said.
Emma chose the target in the middle, focusing on the center of the target. Her shoulders screamed with the pressure of holding the bow back for so long.
"Now," Snow said, "suck in a breath, slide your fingers back away from the string, and let the bow and string guide the arrow where it needs to hit."
Snow let go of the string in such an elegant motion, sending the arrow to the center of the target Emma was aiming for. Emma sighed at her mother's perfect aim and technique. She sucked in a breath per her mother's instructions, and mimicked her mother's movements. Once the arrow left her hand she squeezed her eyes shut, getting ready to be embarrassed by her horrible first try.
To her amazement her mother began hugging her and jumping up and down laughing and squealing like a teenager. Emma opened her eyes to see her mother's arrow split in two and her arrow right in the center of it. Emma gasped as her mouth hung open. Did this really just happen?
"You're a natural!" Snow said excitedly, "just like your mother." Snow had the biggest grin on her face. Emma looked at her mother in utter shock.
"Uhhh…" Emma said, "Didn't expect that."
"Don't act so surprised, you are the daughter of Snow White the bandit." Snow chuckled.
Emma grabbed another arrow, straightening her body as her mother corrected just a few things and took another shot, this time aiming at the one just a bit farther than the first one she shot. Emma took in another breath and then released the arrow as she did before, the arrow shooting through the air and hitting the target in the center again. Emma's mouth was gaping open again, though not as much as before. She had assumed the first time was beginner's luck, but it seemed her mother was right is saying she was a natural. Emma smiled as she fired off a few more arrows, a little faster at getting the right stature each time, until the bow began to feel like an extension of her arm. Before Emma knew it, she reached back and felt nothing, she had used all of her arrows. It was like she had gone into a trance. She glanced over at her mother who was leaning against a nearby tree, smiling with her arms crossed. Emma smiled and slightly blushed as she walked over to her mother.
"How do you feel?" Snow said, walking over to Emma.
"Much better." Emma said, hugging her mother.
Emma and Snow made their way back to the castle just as Henry was rushing out.
"He's awake!" Henry yelled from across the courtyard.
Emma and Snow picked up their pace until they were sprinting towards the castle and Henry. Once they passed Henry, he followed them into the castle. Emma ran as fast as she could up the stairwell, passing Snow and Henry. She rounded the corner to her room and just as she went through the door, she froze. There he was, propped up with pillows, his face still as pale as paper. Her father walked towards her and hugged her, laughing with happy tears in his eyes for his daughter.
Emma broke the embrace and walked as fast as she could towards him, stopping short a few feet when she got close. She locked eyes with him as he looked at her, smiling through his pain. Emma took the last few steps towards the bed slowly, scared that if she moved too fast it would cause him to go back into his coma. Once she reached the bed, she lifted her hand hesitantly and rested it in his hair, her palm caressing his cheek. She slowly and carefully bent down and kissed him, her lips lightly merging with his. Killian took in a raspy breath, causing Emma to back away. Emma's eyes met Killian's, the blue just a tad bit duller than it's usual vibrant and striking blue color. Seeing Killian this sick hurt Emma to her core.
"I'm ok, love," Killian said, seeing the pain in her eyes.
Emma walked around to the other side of the bed and climbed in, not noticing her mother and Henry walking in. Emma scooted over to Killian, resting her head on his chest and put her hand over his heart feeling the thump of his heartbeat against his chest. Emma couldn't hold the tears back any longer as she began sobbing, his arm wrapping around her as her tears soaked his shirt.
"You can't die, ok?" Emma said between sobs, "You can't."
Killian froze, his body going rigid as he grimaced in pain. Emma moved away fast, Snow pulling Henry into her arms, Henry hid his face in her shoulder. David ran around the bed as Emma put more distance between them, trying to see what the problem was by pulling his bandage away and inspecting his wound. Emma gasped as David craned his neck to see what Emma was looking at. Emma watched as a bright white light in the shape of his wound flashed in front of her eyes, getting smaller with every second. As the wound got smaller, Killian's painful cry got less intense until he gasped with a final brilliant flash of light cascading along his ribs. Killian sat up, the vibrant blue back in his eyes as he ran his hand along the space where his injury was. Killian laughed and looked up at Emma, then back to his side.
"What did you do?" Killian asked dumbfounded. Emma darted at him, kissing him hard. She broke away breathing hard.
"I have no clue, but I'm so glad you're ok." Emma said, pulling away and resting her forehead on his.
"I felt this strange feeling on my chest, then it moved to my side," Killian said, gesturing from his wet shirt to his side, "At first, it bloody hurt, but then it was warm and soothing." Emma looked at his wet shirt, her hand moving up to the tears still on her cheeks.
"How?" Emma said, pulling her hand away and looking at the wetness on her hand.
"I have no clue, Swan, but I'm for once glad that you're full of surprises." Killian said, pulling her back down and crashing his lips to hers.
*** b. loves. books, I almost didn't use the tears thing, but then I was looking at meme's and saw the one with all the correlation with Tangled and I just had to. [=
** I will be posting regularly again after Christmas. Have a happy holiday season!