A/N: Here's chap 2 dearies! This will now be a three shot so hope you enjoy! Thanks to my bff, co author and beta. Charlotte Ashmore for all her help!

Disclaimer: Once Upon A Time and all character's and familiar dialogue from the show belong to Disney/ABC and the show's brilliant creators and writers. No profit is being made from this just having fun with my favorite show.

2

Can Love Heal My Broken Heart?

"REGINA!" Robin watched in frozen shock as the car zipped around the corner and collided with Regina. It flung her backward with such force that nothing could be done to stop it. He gaped in horror as she was thrown into the air; muscles limp as a rag doll, eyes filled with terror. When she hit the pavement, her body crumpled, lying in the middle of the street with little more life than a dead fawn. The car swerved to a stop, but Robin could care less about whoever it was behind the wheel; he would deal with them later. He rushed over to Regina, bending down and frantically searching for a pulse. Grasping her wrist, he finally found it, very faint, but still there nonetheless. The outlaw nearly sobbed in relief as he cradled her limp form in his strong embrace.

The driver, Mrs. Shoemacher, scrambled out of the car and over to the couple. When she saw her victim, her face paled to the complexion of a ghost and her soft grey eyes moistened behind her thickly rimmed glasses. "Oh Robin…I'm so sorry!" she apologized fretfully. "Is she…?"

Robin glanced up at the poor old woman, who was clearly distraught over what had happened. A part of him was relieved, he could see from the genuine remorse etched deeply into her heart shaped face and large, worried eyes that this had indeed been an accident and not a deliberate attempt to end the life of the former Evil Queen. Lines of distress creased his forehead, but the outlaw did his best to smile, "She's alive, but just barely. Please, will you go into the diner and fetch Dr. Whale and Mr. Gold? She needs help, and they may be the only ones who can save her."

The woman nodded frantically, scurrying as fast as her frail frame would allow, which, Robin had to admit, was pretty fast for a woman her age; perhaps the speed came from trying to keep track of two dozen kids in one tiny house, he mused.

Once he was sure she was inside the diner, Robin turned back to the former Queen, worry and guilt overwhelming him in a incomprehensible wave. He had done this. Their argument; his betrayal of her in favor of Marian had caused her to run recklessly into the street and nearly lose her life. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he needed her to understand. Had the Fates saw fit to do this to her to make him realize it was she he loved? And he did...to the very depths of his soul. She was his beloved, his future. And Marian was his past. Yes, what he'd felt for Marian had been strong and true, but there had been so many years that separated them. He'd learned to moved on, to cope with the grief and remorse until he'd finally been ready to take a chance on love again. Granted, he would never have thought he'd fall in love with the former Evil Queen, but the heart wants what the heart wants...and he desperately wanted Regina. What he felt for her transcended everything and he couldn't bear the thought of losing her...not now that he knew she was his choice.

"Come back to me 'Gina…" he pleaded, "Please." He buried his face in her ebony hair and prayed to the gods they would let her survive this. She had endured too much rejection and hatred she didn't deserve. What she needed now was the same thing she'd longed for her whole life: love. And Robin vowed that if she was allowed to survive this one last hurdle, she would never have to feel unloved again. She was his everything; and he vowed he would try every day, with every fiber of his being until his last breath to show her just how much she really meant to him.

Regina woke up laying in something warm and soft...really soft. Her lashes fluttered open, the events of the past few hours crashing over her like an ocean wave. But she felt no pain. Shouldn't she be in agony after being hit by two tons of metal and steel? She sat up gingerly, testing out her muscles, moving them around in slow intervals. When she was sure nothing was broken, she stood up and, glanced down at herself. Not a mark anywhere to be seen, no blood, no injuries. She brushed the golden straw off her breeches and took in her surroundings, her brow knit in confusion. How could she be here of all places?

She rose unsteadily to her feet, her heart thundering in her chest. She couldn't be back in the Enchanted Forest, back in her childhood home and more specifically she couldn't be in the room that had been Daniel's attached to the stable. How could the fates be so cruel as to send her back to the scene of her ultimate undoing? The one place that had caused her more pain than any one person could endure?

She stumbled forward and wrenched the door open, the hinges creaking in the silence, and stepped out into the stable, the smell of leather and horseflesh permeating the air. At one time in her life, the familiar smells had been a comfort to her. Now they only caused her pain. She pressed the palm of her hand over her heart, feeling as though it were trying to take wing, the hurt unbearable, almost suffocating as memories of that night came flooding back. Daniel's agonizing scream as her mother ruthlessly ripped his heart from his chest and crushed it to dust. The heart wrenching grief that had gripped her heart mercilessly, plunging her into a deep, desolate depression for so many years. And the anger that had overtaken her, toward her mother and Snow, that had slowly twisted her into the lonely soul she was today, forever lost in probing darkness, searching fruitlessly for a way to be happy again. She didn't want to be here, couldn't be here; she had to escape.

Regina went to the nearest stall and caressed the nose of the

mare within. It wasn't her beloved Rocinante, but she would do for her purposes. She just needed to flee, to run, to get away from the painful memories that threatened to break her. Opening the stall and pulling a bridle from the wall, she fastened it over the mare's head and led the docile horse from the stall. It was mere moments before she was mounted on the mare's bare back and racing from the stable, free of the scene of her heartbreak and flying across the open fields, leaving her past behind her. One thought was clear in her mind...she had to find a way home, home to Storybrooke, home to Henry and…

Her horse slowed as she slumped over it's neck in despair. SHe couldn't bear to think of him right now or the anger and pain she felt over his rejection. She needed to keep her wits about her and concentrate on what she must do. Brushing the tears from her dark eyes, she looked off into the distance, trying to set her mind on the path she would take and gasped. In her mad dash to be free of her past, she'd automatically chosen the path that would lead her to their spot on the hill. And standing beneath the lone solitary tree was...Daniel. No, it couldn't be him...he was dead, gone, never to return. But that didn't stop her from digging her heels into the mare's sides and spurring her on in a burst of speed. The mare's hooves thundered across the field in time to Regina's beating heart and hope burst within her breast for the first time since she'd awoken.

She didn't remember reining the horse to a stop or dismounting

and running to her lost love, too consumed with the feeling of his arms around her...his very solid strength enveloping her in his warmth and love. It was something she'd thought never to feel again and the joy that coursed through her left her nearly dizzy.

"Daniel…" she murmured contently into his chest,sinking into his loving embrace as though she were 18 again. Part of her feared that if Daniel was here so was her mother, but she quickly squelched that thought from her mind, instead concentrating on the feeling of his callused hands combing her hair lovingly. A simple gesture, but one she never expected to feel again. It was a miracle that she was here, and she wanted to savor every minute for as long as it would last.

"Hello, my 'Gina." his warm voice sent happy shivers down her spine, and she nuzzled farther into his chest, but turned so they could face one another.

"I thought I would never see you again," she murmured. clasping his hand so tightly her knuckles went didn't want to let him go, afraid that if she did, even for a second, he would disappear.

He smiled tenderly, hazel eyes bright as he kissed her forehead, "All of our dreams come true here 'Gina. This place is made of dreams."

Now Regina was confused, she leaned away from him slightly, studying his sincere features with her own puzzled expression, "What do you mean..this place is made of dreams...where am I?"

Daniel looked at her, clearly more than a little bewildered that she didn't already know, "You're in Limbo 'Gina-"

He moved to continue, but Regina interrupted him. Suddenly frightened, she slipped her hand away from his and stumbled backwards, "L-limbo?" she stuttered, "You mean I'm- we're... dead?" she asked in disbelief. How could she be dead? She certainly didn't feel dead. In fact, she felt better than she had in a long, long time. And if she were dead, she wouldn't have ended up here with Daniel. This was a happy place for her, the place of her most cherished childhood memories. The Fates weren't this kind...she was the damn Evil Queen for crying out loud, no way this is what Hell looked like. This was her Heaven. She wasn't destined for heaven...not after what she'd done. She looked to Daniel for some kind of explanation, and was surprised to find him regarding her with such...sympathy?

"You still don't understand, do you?" he asked.

Regina shook her head mutely.

"You still think you're evil, don't you? You still think this is too good for you...that I'm too good for you?"

"How did you-" Regina started.

"I've been sent to guide you, my darling. I need to make you see that you're wrong...you are not evil any longer. You've done so much to change and you don't deserve to spend an eternity suffering."

Regina's mind whirled. How could she not after what she'd done, after cursing an entire realm...more than one, frankly. It didn't matter that she'd fought to be a better person, a better mother for Henry, she was still regarded as the Evil Queen. That was never going to change and no matter how much her former love tried to force her into believing it, she found that she just couldn't.

"No, Daniel. I've done too much, hurt too many to ever deserve happiness...even in the afterlife... So why am I here?"

"You were hurt," he said, cupping her warm cheek in his hand. His eyes closed, reveling in the touch of her skin. This may be limbo for her, but it was heaven for him. "You are here to make a choice."

"A choice? I don't…" she trailed off, feeling the despair creeping up on her, despair that she wouldn't be allowed to remain there with him.

"You're being given a second chance, my love. You can remain here with me or…" his voice hitched slightly. He desperately wanted her to stay with him, but he knew it was not meant to be. At least, not yet. "Or you can return to your present. You can return to Henry and your friends and family…"

Regina snorted in disgust, feeling the anger rise in her. "Friends? Family? I have no one!"

"You don't believe that," he argued. "Your son loves you very much 'Gina, and look at the bonds you've made recently with Snow and Emma. There is such great potential to strengthen your tentative friendship with them."

"Henry doesn't love me," she retorted sadly. "He chose Emma. He'll always choose her."

"Regina…"

"Don't try to convince me otherwise Daniel. It's true, I know it is. He even told me. She's his mother, not me."

"Regina, Henry's a boy. A teenage boy who's been through much more than anyone his age should have to go through. He still sees the world as black and white. Only you can show him its true colors."

Regina shook her head and blinked rapidly, trying to keep the bitter tears of his betrayal at bay, "Daniel, I've tried. He doesn't want the broken Queen, he wants Emma. Perfect, flawless Emma." She spat the blondes name, her voice Kaiden with misery and disdain, "That's his happy ending," she finished sadly.

"You're letting your bitterness and jealousy overrule what you know in your heart, Regina," he stated with an exasperated sigh. "But I can see nothing will change your mind," he laughed then, the sound like a symphony to Regina's ears, "So much has changed about you," he chucked, "but you're still as stubborn as ever. He brushed the palm of his hand against her cheek, and she cracked a small smile.

"Why thank you, good sir," she mimicked, falling back in an old ritual they had as teenagers while trying to quell the depressing thoughts fighting for supremacy in her mind. She bent down in an exaggerated curtsey and smiled up at Daniel, "May I have this dance my good prince?"

Daniel grinned and bowed back in the same overdone fashion, "But of course, my fair maiden. What kind of prince would I be if I denied a dance with the fairest of them all?"

Regina giggled as he took her hand, skipping and whirling her around the field. She felt freer than she could ever remember; and wished with all her heart that she could stay here forever, never having to return to the emotional rollercoaster that was her life. It was only when Daniel insisted they rest as he was so tired he was panting that the conversation turned somber again.

"So there is really nothing or no one else that would make you want to return?" Daniel asked once they were settled in the sun bathed grass beneath the large oak.

She turned away from him, an angry blush stealing into her cheeks. "No."

But Daniel just smiled. "Its ok to love again, 'Gina. I told you before and I'm

telling you now. You do deserve a happy ending."

"It doesn't matter," she rasped, wiping a stray tear from her eye, "He doesn't love me. Maybe he never did."

"And I think you're letting your fears and insecurities color your thinking."

Regina was silent. She knew Daniel was right, but what else could she do? Every time she let herself feel, it only ended in disaster, "I don't have a choice," she whispered regretfully.

"Everyone has a choice, Regina." His hand gripped her upper arms, turning her back to face him. "Think of what you will be giving up if you choose to stay here. You were not meant for this. You deserve a second chance to find happiness if you will just believe."

"But...what if this is my happiness? What if you are my happy ending?"

He pressed a gentle kiss to her temple and held her for a long moment, content to have her in his arms. "If it could only be so. This is but an illusion, Regina. It's not real. Storybrooke is real, your family is real. Robin is real. If you choose to remain here, you will move on to your eternity, one that I am not certain you're ready for."

"But...you said this was...isn't my eternity with you? That's all I ever wanted. To be with you again, forever."

He smiled sadly. "That was before your heart chose another, my love."

"No, I can't accept that!" she nearly yelled, her world beginning to crumble at the prospect of a possibility of a happy ending without her stable boy. For a long time, he was all she had. She'd spent years trying to get him back only to lose him again. And now, for the third time, he was telling her to move on. She didn't want to believe it, "I don't love him, I l-love you. I've always loved you!"

"But you love him too. Deep down you know I'm right. You can't give up on the chance to love again."

"But he doesn't love me," she said curtly, almost, but not quite, succeeding in keeping the hurt from her voice.

"Are you so sure about that?"

Regina sat still for a moment, mouth slightly agape, as if ready to protest, but the directness of his question stunned her, "Y-Yes...I mean…" she stuttered. Though she didn't want to admit why she was suddenly caught of guard, she suspected Daniel already knew. The pink blush that had begun to creep onto her cheeks once again deepened to a rose red and she felt her face grow warm, though with affection or shame she wasn't sure.

She risked a look at Daniel who simply smiled and waved his hand. A mirror appeared behind him, not unlike the one she used to survey the kingdom during her time as queen. She knew what the mirror was for, and her heart nearly burst in her chest out of sheer fear of what she was about to see. But before she could bolt, Daniel placed a firm hand on her shoulder and pushed her forward, grinning in encouragement. "Look."

Robin, Roland, Rumple, Snow, Emma, and Henry all stood in the waiting room of Storybrooke General Hospital, anxiously eying Viktor Whale's door as they waited for him to reveal his diagnosis of Regina. Roland held his father's hand, looking worried and confused. He kept repeating "Daddy 'Gina sick?" over and over again, while clinging to his stuffed monkey she had given him with his free arm. Henry wrung his hands, absently leafing through his Once Upon A Time book, but not even his favorite stories could hold his interest now. Rumple paced back and forth, slamming his cane on the ground every time the door to the doctor's office opened and it wasn't Viktor who came out of it. Snow had gone with Emma to get another round of hot chocolate and coffee for everyone, growing tired of the endless waiting. They were all on edge. Even if Regina wasn't the most well liked in Storybrooke, they knew she was no longer the Evil Queen she had once been, not after everything she'd done to save Henry and help defeat Zelena. No one wanted to see her die.

"Where is he?" Henry huffed irritably. He slammed his book closed and stalked over to where Gold had stopped in front of the door.

"I don't know lad, but believe me, if someone doesn't come and open their damned mouth about her condition soon I'll-"

"You'll what?" Viktor stepped through the door smirking, "Impale me? I don't think you want to risk that Gold, not when I'm the only one who knows what's wrong with her."

Rumple whirled and narrowed his eyes, gripping his cane so fiercely his knuckles went white. "Don't test me Whale," he seethed through gritted teeth, "How is she?" Rumple would never admit it out loud, but as often as he and Regina were at war with each other, he actually had quite a soft spot for his former apprentice. All she had ever wanted was to reclaim her freedom; to be the person she wanted to be, not the one everyone else saw her as. They were alike in that way. It was because he could relate to her, see that she was trying so hard to be better that he couldn't help his heart going out to her. She'd even gone so far as to apologize to his Belle. He didn't want to see her new life cut short because of something like this.

Whale sighed, trying his best to look cheerful, "She'll survive. She has four broken ribs and a fractured wrist, along with a twisted ankle. That fall also did quite a number to her head too, I'm afraid. We aren't sure exactly how bad the damage is yet, but looks like she has a pretty nasty concussion."

"But she'll be okay?" Henry repeated. He bit his lip nervously, but his gaze was bright with hope.

"She will Henry. Though it may be a few weeks before you can see her. Her body has sort of...shut down. We have her on machines to stabilize her vitals, but that was a pretty serious crash. It will take some time before her body is well enough to wake her.

Henry's eyes widened in fear and Gold placed a reassuring hand on his grandson's shoulder, "Let me see her," he asserted. "Perhaps my magic can help speed the process along."

Viktor smiled sympathetically, but shook his head, "I'm afraid that wouldn't be wise Rumple. After the way Zelena...er..treated you, I'm afraid your magic might be...compromised," he finished tentatively. He winced when he saw the sorcerer's enraged face.

"Dammit all!" he growled, slamming his cane on the floor in emphasis, "That's my grandson's mother in there Whale! And I shan't let him suffer seeing her crippled like this, not when there's something I can do to fix it."

"Rum...er Mr. Gold, I really don't think that's wise. We don't know what she did to you. Your magic could be tainted, you could-"

"Shut your mouth you insolent charlatan," he snarled, "Or the only thing you'll be healing when I'm done with you, is yourself." he lunged forward, preparing to barge through the door and in to see Regina, but Whale blocked him again.

"Please, be reasonable!" Viktor pleaded. "You could hurt her or yourself trying to heal such severe injuries on your own after what you've been through. Do you really want to risk-"

"Hell yes I do. Now move it Whale, before I turn you into one."

"Gramps please don't-" Just when Henry thought his grandfather was going to lose it, Emma and Snow arrived back with the drinks.

"Whoa," Emma said, surveying the scene and quickly inserting herself between the two men, "What's going on here?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at the pawnbroker, "Why do you look like you're on a murder spree, Gold?"

Rumple gnashed his teeth in frustration as Whale calmly explained the situation to Emma. They were wasting his time, but more importantly, time that could be used to help Regina. Finally Emma turned to him, a frown pulling at her brow as she hesitantly asked, "What if...is there…"

"Spit it out, dearie!" he snapped.

"Is there some way I can help?" Emma asked in a rushed breath before hastening to explain, "Regina has been teaching me how to control my magic, to use it the right way. Maybe there's some way the two of us can heal her. If you and I combine our magic, it shouldn't put such a strain on yours and maybe together we can help?"

He nodded curtly, "You heard her Whale, now move your arse!" Gold said, grabbing Emma by the hand and whacking Whale with his cane forcefully in the shin as he passed. A satisfied smirk curled his thin lips at the doctor's yowl of pain, but it faded as he paused just inside the room and took in Regina's limp form lying so still upon the hospital bed.

Emma's eyes went wide, her mouth falling open in stunned incredulity. "Holy hell, Gold, what hit her, a semi?"

Gold ignored her as he moved to Regina's side and placed his hand upon her brow, the thick bandage wrapped about her head blocking the warmth of her skin. "Oh, dearie," he murmured, remorse coiling in his gut to see the resilient queen brought so low. She reminded him of when she'd first called for him, young and innocent and full of hope that he could somehow help her. A large part of her turning evil had been his fault and now, seeing her like this, reminded of what she could have been had he not interfered, made him want to smash something...preferably Whale for keeping him waiting with his science when he could have been in here long ago to heal her.

"Emma, stand on her other side and hold your tongue. This is not a time for talking, but of concentration. Do you understand me?"

Emma gulped, the sound loud in the still room with only the quiet beeping of the machines keeping Regina alive. "Just tell me what to do. It's partly my fault that she's like this," she said, feeling the sting of tears form in her eyes. "If I hadn't…"

"You can feel sorry for yourself later," he scolded, summoning his magic to his hands as he reached for Emma's. He laid his hands atop hers, taking them in his strong grip and placing them on Regina, one on her head and one on her chest over her heart. He was surprised and took a deep breath as he felt the extent of Emma's light magic flowing from her and into him, just as he was sure she could feel the darkness that dwelled within him. "Deep breath, Emma. Focus, will it, do it. Channel it into your hands, draw it into a ball in your mind and see it settling into your palms. Can you feel it, dearie?"

Emma gasped, feeling as though she had quicksilver running through her veins. It burned with light and made her dizzy, but she pushed the weakness away and thought of Henry and of Bae and her parents and her new brother...all the love that she felt for them making her heart swell and a calm focus to overtake her until the magic she sought heeded her command. When she opened her eyes, her hands were enveloped in a bright golden glow, merging and entwining with the purple of Gold's hands. It seemed to made Regina's body warm and pulse with a bright light.

She said not a word, afraid to break her concentration. Gold was breathing hard, nearly panting from the exertion and Emma worried that he would be the next she was called on to heal. If she let anything happen to him, Belle would have her head. When he let go of her hands, she quickly rounded the bed and helped him lower himself into a chair. "Are you alright? Should I get Whale to have a look at you?"

Gold snorted as if the idea were the most absurd he'd heard in centuries. "I think not. I will be fine in a moment."

"Ok," Emma hesitated, "If you're sure…"

Gold rolled his eyes, "I'm sure dearie. But you should rest too. Using that much magic at once will come with one hell of a price tag."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the room spun and the floor swayed under Emma's feet. She plopped down next to Gold and put her head in her hands. After a few minutes, the dizziness passed. Emma chanced lifting her head and glanced back at Regina, still unmoving on the bed, though the monitors around her had beeped to life.

"What now?" she asked, concerned, "Shouldn't it have worked right away?"

"Not necessarily dearie. These things take time. But perhaps you should get Whale, her vitals seem to be coming back," he indicated the blinking machines.

Emma got up, but just as she approached the door, the doctor in question walked in. "How is our patient?" he asked, smiling when he caught sight of the working monitors.

"I…I don't know," Emma admitted tentatively, "I think...I think we did it right, but she still hasn't woke up.

"Well, lets see here, shall we?" Whale moved past her and over to the bed. He checked Regina's heart rate and felt for her pulse, inspected her broken ribs by treading his hands along her abdomen as well as looking under her head bandage, satisfied when he saw the injury was almost completely healed, "All things considered, she looks to be healing well," he said, "Well done you two."

"Then why hasn't she woken up yet?" Emma asked, her brows creased in worry. If she's almost healed and her body works again, why isn't she awake?" Had she done something wrong again? Was she not strong enough to do the spell after all? Emma bit her lip, unsure how she would be able to live with herself if it was somehow an error of hers that ended up costing Regina her life.

"Well," Whale sighed, contemplating the best way to explain, Often, when someone suffers such severe trauma, their body shuts down to protect them from the pain."

"But the pain should be gone now right? I mean, nothing went wrong with the spell, did it?" she glanced frantically between the doctor and the pawnbroker.

It was only then that Gold finally spoke, tiredness evident in his voice, "No Emma, the spell worked perfectly."

"But…?" Emma prodded.

Gold sighed, "But, Regina has quite a past Emma. Comas aren't always just about the body healing, but the mind too."

"I don't…" Emma trailed off, perplexed.

"It means, dearie," Gold hissed, exasperated and tired and just not wanting to have to explain things to her, more concerned about his former apprentice lying in a hospital bed. "That whatever pain she was running from is more than she's willing to deal with at the moment. She has to want to return to us and right now I fear she doesn't want to do that."

"So, you mean...Regina could be choosing to give up on us? She wants to die?"

"She's not going to die Emma," Gold tried to explain, "our healing spell prevented that. If she chooses to stay in the netherworld, it would be more like a...sleeping curse. An eternal one. She would remain as she is now, alive, but not awake, for all time."

"But...how could she...do that? Give up her whole life here? Give up Henry? After all she did to get him back, you really think she would just leave him?"

"I don't know Emma," Rumple admitted. "Sometimes pain of the heart takes precedence over pain of the body. We can't know what is going on in that mind of hers, we can only wait and hope that she chooses to come back to us."