April 22nd 2013
David kept talking into the phone until Emma screeched to a halt in front of the white mansion. They jumped out of the car and ran inside. "Regina?" The Prince and sheriff searched the downstairs room in vain. His panic was rising with each passing minute. She had sounded so weak over the phone and he was afraid her health deteriorated further over the five agonizing minutes it took them to get to her house. He met Emma back in front of the main staircase. "Upstairs." Without waiting for an answer, he ran up the stairs, climbing them four at a time. "Regina?"
Emma tried to keep pace with her father. "David, wait!" She didn't know what they were going to find and if his outburst earlier in Gold's shop was any indication, she knew that the man would not be able to deal with any life-threatening situation with a clear head. In her haste, she noticed that her father seemed to know where he was going. He didn't hesitate and walked directly into Regina's bedroom. Her childhood memories of the Disney version of Snow White didn't exactly include Prince Charming worrying about the Evil Queen nor knowing the way to her bedchambers. But as she had discovered in the months spent in the Enchanted Forest, these fairy tale characters were first and foremost people with the same issues she had faced her entire life.
David stopped in the doorway leading to the master bathroom and had to turn away at the sight before him. He brought his arm to his mouth and tried to stop the bile from rising. Regina was lying in a puddle of her own blood and vomit, deathly pale. As soon as his stomach decided to settle, he slowly made her way to her, careful not to slip and hurt her further. "Regina?"
Emma recovered a few seconds later and watched as her father kneeled behind the mayor, checking her pulse. "Is she still alive?" She couldn't hide the fear in her voice. Despite everything that had happened between them, Regina had raised her bright and kind son and she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she died from absorbing the death spell.
David sighed in relief. "Yes. But her pulse is weak."
While Emma called for an ambulance, David gently moved Regina's head away from her own vomit and rubbed her cheek. She was shivering from shock and David wrapped his leather jacket around her, softly calling her name. She whimpered when he tried to move her. "Shhh… you're ok. We're going to get you to a hospital."
The pain was back. But she could also feel the soft caresses on her cheek and the warmth surrounding her. She slowly opened her eyes. David smiled, relief spreading through him like wildfire. He kept stroking her hair soothingly. "Hey. We're going to take care of you. I'm going to move you out of here, ok?"
Regina tried to relax in his touch. The pain was unbearable but she took some comfort in the knowledge that she wasn't alone. "You came?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.
David's stomach sank. She had thought she would die alone here. She hadn't even tried to call for help because she thought nobody would come. She would be unfortunately proven right a few moments later. "I was worried about you."
Emma motioned for her father to step out of the bathroom. David frowned and squeezed Regina's shoulder lightly. "I'll be right back." She didn't want him to leave her but she was in no condition to argue. Instead, she nodded slowly. David reluctantly stood and met his daughter in the bedroom. "What's wrong?"
Emma whispered the dreaded words. "The ambulance won't come to help the Evil Queen. No one at the hospital is willing to take care of her."
David tried to contain his anger. He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Call Whale. Remind him that he owes her. We'll get her there ourselves."
Emma was about to argue but decided against it. They had no time to waste and his father seemed sure that Whale would help the Evil Queen. She dialed the phone while David walked back to Regina. "Hey, we need to get you to the hospital now. No time to wait for the ambulance, you've lost too much blood."
Regina knew he was lying to her but she was too weak to care. He gently tried to lift her up. She screamed as the pain flooded her body once again. David laid her back down gently. "I'm sorry." He rubbed her back soothingly.
Emma winced when she heard the pained screams of the mayor. She was talking with Whale, trying to understand his questions. To her surprise, he was more than willing to help. "What more do you need to know? She needs a hospital!"
"It would help us prepare on this end if we knew what's wrong with Regina."
Emma snorted but walked to the bathroom. "She's lost a lot of blood. She threw up before we got here. She is in a lot of pain but she is conscious and responding to us." Regina looked up toward the blonde woman. "Henry said she absorbed a death spell."
Regina sobbed from pain and fear. Emma kneeled by her feet and laid a comforting hand on her ankle. She addressed the mayor directly. "Regina, what did the spell do to you?"
Regina sobbed more. Telling the truth would cost her David's friendship and probably any future relationship with her son. But she was in so much pain and she knew the truth would come out sooner or later. She locked eyes with Emma before answering. "I'm miscarrying." The hand that had been soothingly rubbing her back stopped. Regina tensed in fear; she was going to lose him too. She had lied to him and he would leave her.
Emma relayed the information to the doctor on the other side of the line before hanging up. She had noticed the change in her dad's demeanor and a sinking feeling formed at the pit of her stomach. The reason he knew his way around the mayor's mansion was because he had spent time here before. More precisely, he had spent time in Regina's bedroom. She had just found her family and they were already being yanked apart. She was trying to contain her sorrow and fear. Despite her feelings toward the nature of her dad's relationship with her son's other mother, she needed to keep a clear head. Besides, she wasn't sure what her own feelings on the subject were.
David swallowed hard. He didn't have to ask Regina whether she had been carrying their child. The expression of fear and shame on her face was all he needed. Strangely, he wasn't angry. Maybe the anger would come later. All he could think about right now was to help the woman he had learned to care for. She needed to be reassured that he wouldn't leave her to her fate. He resumed rubbing her back and watched as she relaxed against his touch. "I need to carry you. I know it hurts. I'll try to be as gentle as possible."
She nodded, relieved that he had decided to stay and help her. She clenched her teeth and merely whimpered as he lifted her up. Emma gently placed her head on his chest. The motion sent her head spinning and a new wave of nausea hit her. Emma noticed the change in Regina's expression and helped the mayor turned her head just in time for her to empty her stomach's content on the bathroom floor. Regina cried tears of shame and pain as Emma helped her settle on David's chest one more time. David kissed her forehead. "We're getting you help." Regina settled in his arms and nodded quickly. He could feel her blood soaking his shirt and he knew they didn't have much time. He carefully walked out of the bathroom toward the parked truck. On her way out, Emma grabbed the bed throw. Regina was shivering from shock and they needed to make the ride as comfortable as possible.
Regina screamed as they tried to get her into the car. No position would be comfortable and they just needed to get her to Whale as fast as possible. David tried to contain his anger at the townspeople. She should be taken by ambulance and not in his uncomfortable truck. But despite her efforts in the past few months to redeem herself in their eyes, they weren't ready to forgive her yet. They would rather let her die. He knew that her screams had been heard throughout the neighborhood, yet no one had come to help them.
Emma was driving to the hospital as fast as she possibly could safely. Regina was settled in David's arms and he was still soothingly rubbing her back and talking to her. Emma had wrapped the blankets tightly around her body and the warmth it provided slowly lulled her to sleep. Her body was numb again and she didn't want to fight the feeling of nothingness that sleep would provide. She closed her eyes but David shook her gently. "Regina, stay with us. We're almost there."
"Sleepy…" She whispered weakly.
"I promise you'll get all the rest you'll need soon. I'll even let you yell at me when I'm going to force you to take it easy. But for right now, stay with me."
His words were not lost on either women. Regina smiled and felt comforted by the knowledge that he would stay with her. For the first time, she wouldn't have to go through this alone. She was too weak to articulate a response but she nuzzled into his chest, deeply inhaling his scent. He represented safety and for once, she felt something that resembled hope. For some unexplained reason, she believed that everything would work out for her.
Emma wasn't sure about her own feelings about her dad's promise to stay with Regina. She didn't exactly hate the mayor but there was no lost love between the two women. Emma mostly felt pity for the other woman. She wondered many times what had driven Regina to be so spiteful. Mary Margaret had been evasive on the subject. She had talked about being hunted down by the Evil Queen but when Emma had tried to probe further into what Regina had been like before she became the Evil Queen, Mary Margaret had shrugged and avoided the subject. Emma had seen the same reaction on the guilty felons who had jumped bail. She had considered to ask the mayor herself but she hadn't expected an answer. She didn't know of anyone who defended her privacy with more determination than Regina. But Regina had let her dad in and she vowed to support the relationship between the two of them if it helped Regina stay good. Emma had seen Henry's reaction when the crowd had threatened his mother before her trip to the Enchanted Forest and again earlier today when Gold had all but called her a villain. Henry loved her deeply and he wanted to believe that Regina could be redeemed. If David could bring out this side of her, then she would support their relationship, for her son's sake.
Emma glanced toward the pair sitting next to her. David was losing the battle to keep Regina awake. She rubbed the mayor's shoulders soothingly. "I wanted to thank you." The unexpected contact and the words jolted Regina awake. Emma felt the brunette's reaction and smiled. "For saving us at the well. Henry was so proud of you."
Regina smiled in David's arms. Her son was proud of her. David locked eyes with Emma and mouthed a 'Thank you'. She nodded once as she was about to take the last curve leading to the hospital.
Whale was waiting for them outside with a gurney. He was flanked on both side by two nurses. The youngest one, a blonde woman who openly showed her annoyance at being called upon to help the Evil Queen, glanced at her watch, noting their time of arrival. But both Emma and David were astounded by the look of concern on the older nurse's face. She was probably in her mid- to late-sixties, with grey strands slowly replacing her dark raven hair. Her face was lined with worry and she never broke eye contact with the form of the mayor settled against the former prince. As soon as Emma came to a stop in front of the trio, she was the first one into the truck, gently rubbing Regina's arm.
Regina locked eyes with the nurse and she sobbed in relief when she recognized the woman. "Sarah?"
ECECEC
April 13th 2013
Regina had been looking forward to the weekend. She was meeting with her son and David for a barbecue in the park. It had been David's idea but Henry had been thrilled about the prospect of spending the afternoon playing with his new kite. And she had been overjoyed to get to spend more time with him. Their relationship had slowly been mending over the past two months. Her promise to not use magic had been very hard to keep but for her son, it was all worth it. They had spent more time together either alone or with the prince, almost like a normal family. At first, she had resented David's presence and interpreted it as a sign that he didn't trust her with her son. David never openly admitted to it but she suspected it had been the case at the beginning. But soon she realized she actually enjoyed his company as well. They even had started spending time with each other without Henry.
She placed the apple turnovers in the oven and ran upstairs to find clothes more appropriate for their outing. She had discovered quite early on that her regular outfits didn't survive any of her outings with the prince so she had settled on wearing jeans and tank tops, to his utter delight. A smile graced her face when she remembered the first time he had seen her in tight jeans and a black, figure-hugging tank top. She thought she would have to provide him with a bucket to contain the drool. But somehow he hadn't made her feel uncomfortable. She knew he would never stray while Snow was gone and she was too focused on earning her son's forgiveness to let anything else in her life right now. She was finishing touching up her make-up when her oven beeped. With one last look in the mirror, she rushed back downstairs to remove the pastries from the oven.
She was wrapping them tightly in tin foil when her doorbell rang. She smiled and went to open her door. Henry jumped up to her and hugged her tightly. "Mom!"
She hugged him back, nuzzling in his hair. She noticed she didn't have to bend down anymore. He was growing up so fast! "Hi my little prince."
Henry broke from her embrace and smiled. "Apple turnovers?"
Regina nodded. "I know they are your favorites." She was happy that she hadn't permanently scarred him after she placed him under the sleeping curse by mistake. He had never resented her for any of the consequences but she couldn't stop blaming herself, especially with the nightmares that were plaguing him every night.
Henry turned toward his grandfather and smiled. "I told you she would make dessert."
Regina and David smiled at him in amusement. She wrapped one arm over her son's shoulder. "They are sitting on the kitchen island. Why don't you put them in a tupperware while I finish getting ready?"
Henry didn't need to be told twice. "Sweet!" He ran to the kitchen, sliding on the hardwood floor.
Regina called to him. "Henry, be careful!"
He yelled back a 'Yes, Mom!' that had David chuckling next to her. He leaned over her and kissed her cheek in greeting. "You look fabulous!"
Regina smirked. "I'm wearing jeans and a tank top because I know that any of the childish activities you have planned for today would ruin any of my outfits."
He laughed. "But you enjoy those childish activities!"
If she were honest with herself, she had loved spending time with David. He had shown her a carefree life that she hadn't been able to enjoy in a long time. Actually, she couldn't remember a time when she had been this free. Mercifully, she didn't have to reply back to the prince as Henry ran back to them carrying the turnovers. He was bouncing in excitement, urging the adults along. David offered her his arm. She accepted it with a bright smile and they made their way toward his truck.
The light banter in the car kept her distracted from having to face the town's judgemental glares. Although they were not openly hateful to her any longer, many had started questioning her relationship with David and whether she had seduced him to keep herself out of jail. And deep inside, it saddened her. Not because they all but called her a whore - after all, she had cultivated that belief herself - but because they could think so lowly of their prince. David was as honest as they came and she couldn't stand the thought of him having to deal with the town's contempt because of her.
David parked the car in a spot near a picnic table and a barbecue. He turned around and smiled. "You're about to try my famous barbecued ribs."
Henry laughed. Regina looked at him, trying to contain her laughter. "David, have you actually used a barbecue before?"
He smiled teasingly. "No. But David Nolan has. Well, at least he thinks he has. So hopefully, Your Majesty, your cursed memories are good enough that I remember how to cook the meat."
Regina blushed at the mention of the curse. The entire town hated her for it and he was just teasing her with it. She had ruined his life and yet, he was trying to make her feel at ease. "David, I…"
He placed a hand on her arm to stop her train of thoughts. "Henry and I watched YouTube videos last night. And if all else fail, we have your apple turnovers."
She smiled and murmured a thank you. Henry shifted impatiently next to her. "Let's go!" Without waiting for an answer he jumped out of the car. Regina and David soon followed suit. Regina handed Henry his kite, while David started moving the food to the table.
Henry ran off to play, leaving the adults tending to lunch. David had assembled the perfect traditional picnic: potato and pasta salads, veggie and cheese skewers, a fruit salad, and of course, the marinated rib. She set the table while David fired up the barbecue. "David, thank you."
He turned toward her. "For what?"
He looked genuinely surprised. She hesitated before clarifying her statement. "For giving me a second chance."
David slowly walked toward her and took her hands in his. "You gave yourself a second chance."
She nodded, holding back the tears. "But I wouldn't have succeeded alone."
He rubbed the back of her hands with his thumb. "You're not alone." He pulled her gently into a hug.
The park fell silent at the sight of their prince hugging the Evil Queen. How could David betray his wife like this? Although they all had a few chosen words for their prince, they held their tongue. David had made it very clear that Regina was not to be harmed. And he represented their only hope to get their legitimate ruler back. Once Snow was back, they could finally get justice.
The food was delicious. Apparently the cursed memories or the YouTube videos had made David into a more than decent cook, even by her high standards. David watched Regina intensely. "So what do you think?"
She smirked. "I think the cursed memories I gave you turned you into a somewhat decent cook."
David and Henry laughed. The kid patted his grandfather on the back. "This is high praise coming from mom."
"I know, kid."
"But nothing can replace mom's cooking."
Regina's heart skipped a beat. This was the first compliment he had given her for as long as she could remember since she had told him he had been adopted. David watched her reaction and smiled genuinely. She was trying unsuccessfully to hide the tears forming in her eyes and he knew she didn't want to appear weak in front of them, particularly in front of Henry. So David was going to give her the time she needed to compose herself. "Henry, why don't you get the kite? I'll come help you as soon as we put the picnic away."
Henry smiled brightly. "YAY!" He ran off to get everything ready for his grandfather.
Regina looked at David and murmured a thank you. David took her joint hands in comfort and rubbed his thumb across her clenched fingers. "He loves you."
The tears she had been holding back fell down her cheeks. "But he doesn't want to come home."
David's heart broke at the sight of the woman in front of him. He had had a similar conversation with Henry in the morning. Henry was homesick and he wanted to go home. But he didn't know how to ask his mother. He was afraid she would get mad and reject him. David had tried to comfort him but he knew that Henry would only believe the words coming out of Regina's mouth. But he also knew that the woman sitting across from him was far too broken to make the first step. She was also afraid of rejection, perhaps even more than her own son. David needed to make sure they spent more time alone with each other. "I have to work late tomorrow night. Why don't you stay at the loft with Henry?"
If she didn't believe his lie, Regina didn't show it. "I'd love too. Thank you."
"Mom, Gramps! Come on!" Henry yelled from across the field.
David smiled and waved at Henry. He squeezed Regina's hands. "Come on, let's get this kite flying."
Regina wiped her tears and followed David. Henry was bouncing up and down in excitement. David ruffled his hair before taking the kite Henry was holding out for him. "I'll show you how to do it and then it's your turn."
Henry smiled. David gave the kite to Regina. "Hold this right there for me."
She did as asked and laughed when she watched him run backwards almost tripping a few times. "David, be careful."
Once he was at a respectful distance, David yelled for her to let go. The kite soared in the air to the delight of the two spectators. Henry couldn't contain his joy. "You did it!". He hugged his mother tightly. Regina winced at the pain in her lower abdomen but chose to ignore it. Her son was hugging her on his own accord. No pain would take this moment away from her.
The gesture wasn't lost on David who smiled at the both of them before tumbling backwards on the ground. Regina was the first to run toward the fallen prince. "David, are you ok?" She kneeled by his side, concern written all over her face. However, his goofy smile soon changed her expression to a smirk. "I see you didn't hit your head too hard. No permanent brain damage. Not that I could tell the difference anyway."
He laughed at the insult. After spending so much time with her, he understood that she was using sarcasm as a defense mechanism, a way to keep people at arm's' length. He stood up, handing the kite back to Henry. "Your turn."
The adults had been watching Henry play with his kite for an hour, sitting comfortably side by side on the grass. After the few fumbling steps that had sparked waves after waves of laughter, Henry had been able to fly his kite properly. Regina was the first to break the silence that had settled between them. "You're great with kids."
David smiled back at her. "After my father died, I promised myself that if I ever had the chance to have a family, I'd do right by them… spend as much time with them as possible. Teach them everything I knew."
Regina looked away from him. She had taken this promise from him. Because of her, he had to put his daughter into a tree trunk. He had missed almost three decades of his daughter's life. It was only fair that he took her son. She felt his fingers lacing with hers. "Snow and I chose to send Emma in the tree."
She couldn't look at him. "I didn't give you much choice."
"But it was still our choice." He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb and tried to change the subject. "How about you?"
"Me?"
"Well, you adopted Henry so you obviously wanted kids. Did you ever talked about it with…"
She didn't let him finish. "I did with Daniel." David squeezed her hand. He knew the subject was painful to her. Daniel's death marked the beginning of his own relationship with Regina, the first time he had seen her truly vulnerable. She took a deep breath before continuing. "Leopold... " She swallowed hard. "Leopold wanted a male heir so Snow could marry for love." She felt the fear rising within her and she squeezed David's hand hard for support. David didn't dare to move. The subject of Leopold had come up only a few times but every time it had sent Regina in a panic. "But after I miscarried several times, the doctor told him it would be too dangerous for me to try again."
Tears were streaming down her face. David leaned in and held her tightly against his chest. He gently stroke her hair. "I'm sorry."
Regina sobbed softly against the prince's heart. She wanted to tell him. She needed to tell him she was pregnant with his child. But she was afraid. Afraid he would get mad and take her child away from her. Despite the evolution of their relationship, she still couldn't trust him completely. But right now, she would let him hold her. Today, she would allow herself to take the comfort she desperately craved.
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