So I just wanted to thank everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed this story. I have decided to make it a longer story and to write more about Emma's past and more in the present as well. I hope you all like this new chapter.
My eyes fluttered open to only snap shut once more after being burned by blinding light. Tentatively I open my eyes once more slowly letting them adjust. When I finally regain my vision, I take stock of my surroundings.
I find I am currently lying in what appears to be a hospital bed clothed in white, in an utterly white room. The sound of someone clearing their throat has me looking in the direction of it. I blanche when I see the person lounging in the corner of my room, because it's not just any person. Oh no, this person is my old FBI partner, Graham, who just so happens to be dead. The word dead rattles around in my head until it all clicks and I realize that I must be dead too.
I am out of the bed and scrambling away from him until my back thuds harshly against the wall stopping me cold. Graham watches me from a few feet away, and finally he speaks, shattering the eerie silence of the room.
"Emma is that any way to greet an old friend?"
"I don't know what to think or do here Graham, I mean hello, I'm dead! You're dead! "
His warm eyes meet my own and the next words out of his mouth have me freezing cold.
"Yes Emma we are both dead, but whereas I am supposed to be dead you are not. You should have lived many more years, fallen in love, gotten married, and grown old yet here you are."
I feel the tears begin to fall as his words reverberate in my head. I clench my hands into tight fists at my sides fighting the rise of crushing anguish and rage. My words come out so broken.
"Then if all of that is true why am I here? Why am I dead?"
He smiles sympathetically, "Simply because you were in the wrong place, and because you are the hero you always were."
I can't help but scoff through the tears still falling down my face, "You really thought that I would just stand by and let a kid get hurt, not to mention Regina."
Graham nods his head, "Ah yes Regina, the woman who you fell in love with years ago and have never been able to get over."
The mere thought of the raven haired beauty has my throat tightening.
"She told me she loved me Graham, and she kissed me. She kissed me." Overwhelming sobs wrack my body and I slide down the wall curling in on myself.
Slowly the sobs abate and I look up at Graham who now stands by my side. "What am I supposed to do now?"
This time Graham smiles, a full-fledged teeth flashing smile. "That is entirely up to you Emma. You can choose to accept that you are dead or you can be sent back to your life." At that I immediately go to speak but he raises a hand and continues speaking.
"If you choose to return to your life I cannot guarantee an easy road. There will be hardships and trials that you will face whereas if you stay you will finally be at peace. Ultimately the choice is yours to make."
The very moment he stops speaking my answer leaves my lips.
"I choose my life because a chance at happiness with Regina is better than having never known. I know what I am asking for but you know me Graham and you know my live. So if this is my shot at happiness I'm going to take it."
Graham looks at me his eyes warm and shinning with happiness.
"Well then Emma I figure that this is goodbye for now."
He reaches out and touches my arm and from that touch shooting pain sears through my entire being. I lose my grip on consciousness and fall into the black.
It seems as if I am struggling through molasses trying to regain consciousness. From far away I hear someone calling to me and by some miracle I find the will to open my eyes.
This time however my eyes are not seared by blinding light, instead the room is lit only with a soft muted glow. I blink a couple of times to clear my vision when I hear my name being called and my hand being squeezed.
I glance over to find Regina sitting by my bedside her eyes shining with unshed tears. I squeeze her hand and manage to croak out, "I love you too."
At those words Regina's fine rein on her control breaks and the tears begin to fall. Struggling against the pain in my shoulder I sit up gripping her hand firmly in my own. She looks up meeting my eyes and in a moment she is out of her seat and wrapping her arms around me, burying her head in the crook of my neck.
Her lips are warm against my skin and I can't help but shiver when she speaks. "I thought I had lost you."
I run my hands softly along her back as I answer, trying to capture this moment, and every detail. "You won't lose me, my choice will always be you. I loved you all those years ago and I never stopped loving you."
I can feel her smile against my neck and then she places a kiss reverently against my pulse point. I try to bite back the moan it causes and tighten my arms around her.
"Regina as much as I want to continue this I think we need to talk and I don't want our firs time to be in a hospital bed."
She pulls back from me, chocolate eyes meeting green. "You are right we do need to talk and I'd rather our first time together to be in the comfort of my bed."
I can't help but blush at that but she saves me from my thoughts.
"Before we go any further I would like to introduce you to someone."
Startled I look at her. She smiles and directs my attention to a chair in the far corner of the room, where a child is currently resting. Upon further inspection I realize that it is the boy from the bank and I turn back to meet Regina's gaze.
"He's yours?"
She nods, "Yes Henry is mine, I adopted him when he was a baby."
My shoulders sag in relief, and I smile softly at Regina. "He's a very handsome young boy."
"He is, and I owe you my gratitude for keeping him safe, for keeping us safe in that bank."
Her eyes tear up once more and she drops her head to rest once more on my shoulder, and I try my best to comfort her.
"Regina it's alright, I'm here, you are alright, Henry is fine, and nothing is going to happen. I promise you."
"I know Emma, but I can't help worry. You mean the world to me."
"And you mean the world to me as well."
She snuggles into me and lays her head on my chest, being careful of my wound. I run my hand through her raven locks and the two of us don't say anything more, because we don't have to. We are both content in this moment and words can wait for another day.
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