NOTES: I'm sorry it took me so long to update this story! Life got in the way and I honestly got stuck with this story! But I'm back and I'm trying to update again soon!

With the last hug of goodbye, Emma closed the door behind her. She leaned against it, and let out a deep breath. Her parents finally managed to make Henry want to leave the hospital and go to get some sleep in an actual bed, instead of the lumpy couch Henry had originally insisted upon sleeping on.

Emma knew that Henry would worry for his mother no matter where he was, but at least now he would get a little bit of peace and rest. Her eyes locked on to the figure laying in the bed. Regina was leaning against pillows to support her upper body. She was breathing through a nose tube, with a white bandage wrapped around her head. Dr. Whale had told her, that the hit has been harsh and she had lost a lot of blood and if Emma had found her any later than she did, the damage would have been more severe and permanent. She had been given some extra blood to replace the one she she had lost.

Emma's eyes traveled to the end of the bed, where the white cast was peeking out from under the covers. As Emma had suspected the leg was broken and the doctors had needed to operate. Emma had thought she might be able to heal the leg with her magic, but knowing that she was still very much learning, she had not wanted to cause any more harm by doing it wrong. Zelena had offered too when she had visited with Bella, but Emma had told her to wait for Regina to wake up first. She didn't want to do anything without her consent, especially when it involved magic.

Few long steps took her back right next to Regina. Ever since they brought her into the room, Emma had been reluctant to leave her side even for a second. She sat down on the hard chair right next to the bed and took a limp hand into her own. Closing her eyes, she pressed her forehead against the hand. She wanted Regina to wake up, she needed to talk with her. She needed to finally have this talk that they should have had this morning.

She pressed a quick peck to the hand, and went to turn off some of the lights. Only thing that was now illuminating the room was a soft yellow hue coming from the table light. Emma knew that Regina was little bit uneasy with full darkness, so just in case, she left one light on.

Only in the nearly dark room she realized how tired she actually was. She returned to her seat next to the bed and gently laid her head next to Regina. She looked up to the beautiful face above her, feeling a weird sort of relief wash over her. Regina was still unconscious, but she was alive, she was here and she was gonna be fine.

Emma pressed one more kiss to the hand she was holding. "Goodnight Gina. Please wake up with me in the morning." She rested her head next to Regina and closed her eyes. She drifted off to sleep in no time, so fast in fact that she did not feel the hand in hers squeeze back.

"Emma, darling, would you just calm down?" Regina tried to reason with the irritated blonde, who was now pacing back and forth in front of her, clearly distressed and angry, but trying to work through it before opening her mouth.

It took a few more turns and angry stomps, before Emma gritted through her teeth. "You know I cannot do that."

Regina sighed loudly, but still asked with uncharacteristic calmness. "Why on the earth not?"

Emma still didn't look fully at her, but Regina could see that the anger was slowly seeping into the ground and the real reasons behind Emma's reaction were starting to push through. Emma side eyed her quickly, before responding, more calmly this time. "Because this is a serious matter Regina. I don't want to see you get hurt."

Regina knew that with every pace and turn they were getting closer and closer to the truth of Emma's feelings. They had been together for almost a year, but it was still hard sometimes to read Emma and what she was feeling. She didn't exactly offer her deepest feelings on a silver platter.

"Emma, it was just some stairs. I'm fine." Regina tried to get through to her, but that was what set Emma off completely as she whipped around to look at her with her eyes hard.

"Just some stairs? Just?! With those heels you have on?! You could have tripped and fell down! You could have gotten hurt! What if you had hit your head or twisted your neck? And I could have done nothing! I still don't know how to heal with my magic!" Emma's chest was heaving from all the yelling she was doing, but what made Regina realize the real feeling behind the anger were the tears that freely fell on Emma's cheeks. A loud sob wrecked the blondes body as a pale hand flew to the wobbling lips, trying to stop the cries.

Regina reached to take a hold of Emma's jacket to pull her closer, and into her tight embrace. Emma pressed her face into the brunettes neck, trying to use the scent of Regina's perfume to calm her shaky breathing. Regina brushed her fingers through the blonde locks, knowing it to be something to calm Emma quickly.

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Regina asked just as quietly.

"I'm sorry that I overreacted." Emma whispered again, nuzzling her nose against Regina's neck. Regina hugged her even tighter, trying to message her that she accepted her apology. They clung to each other for a while longer, before Regina asked.

"Please tell me what you are thinking."

Emma took her time, holding on to Regina, slowly calming her breath enough to actually form more than few words at the time. "Ever since your accident, even the idea of losing you scares the shit out of me. I feel so scared when you are not with me. I cannot lose you, I just cannot. And especially now, after-"

"After Dr. Whale told me that I'm expecting our child." Regina finished and hugged Emma even tighter, understand this new fear completely.

Regina woke up with a start, the dream still clearly in her mind. It all felt so real, more like a memory than a dream that it obviously was. Her heart felt warm in a completely new way as she laid her hand on her stomach. It was obviously flat, but the possibility of something growing there, even after her past deeds, was filling her with such hope that it was nearly overwhelming her. Thinking of a possible new addition to the family brought her back to the woman she wanted to share it all with. She turned to look at the woman who was sleeping on her side, her head laying in a weird angle on the bed, with tiny snores emanating from under the blonde hair. Regina smiled fondly and carefully moved the mass of blonde hair off so she could see the face underneath.

Every time she laid her eyes on Emma it was like she saw her for the first time. She was the most beautiful woman Regina had ever seen in her life. Brushing her fingertips slightly across Emma's face, the brunette let out a giggle when Emma's nose crunched up when she was tickled. Regina wanted to wake her more than anything, but she didn't want to disturb the woman sleeping so peacefully on her side. She looked so calm, almost serene compared to the absolutely devastation Regina remembered seeing when Emma had found her injured in the forest.

Remembering the forest made her free hand shoot up to her head and her eyes widened as she felt a huge bandage under her fingers. She carefully moved to the bump in the back of her head but she did not feel any kind of pain. Her eyes drifted down to her leg and a lump rose to her throat as she saw that the most of her leg was in a cast. She had never really injured herself badly enough to seek medical attention. In the Enchanted Forest she had magic she used to heal herself, but she understood why that was not the case this time. She didn't know why it was not hurting, but she assumed that it was due to the pain medication she had been given when entering the hospital.

Her eyes drifted back down to Emma because the blonde had started to move a little, a tell tale sign of her waking up. Regina watched closely as two green eyes fluttered open, trying to find focus. Tiny smacking sound left the pink lips, before tiny yawn was let out. Regina thought Emma looked a lot like a baby Golden Retriever and that made her smile warmly.

Soon the green eyes found the brown ones and for a moment they just stared at each other. Regina thought her heart might burst out from her chest at any second, the silence almost deafening. And then...

"Hi."

It was said in the same shy, small voice as the first time they met and it threw Regina right back in that moment. She had been so confused and hurt by Henry's behavior that evening, but she had not been able to take her eyes off the gorgeous blonde. There had been something about Emma that pulled her in and over their first weeks she had tried actively to fight against the pull. But after the curse broke, everything had changed. And over the years things just kept changing more and more and now they were here.

"Hey." she smiled a little.

Emma gave her quick once over, lingering her eyes on the bandage around her head and the casted leg, but soon she returned her gaze back to the beautiful face in front of her. She lifted her hand to place it on Regina's cheek and the brunette happily leaned against it. Emma's thumb started to brush back and forth a little bit, making Regina let out a small hum.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked in the same quiet tone, like she was afraid to rock the calmness that they were enjoying right now.

"Considering what happened, yes, I'm okay. Are you?" Regina asked, looking Emma over just as carefully as the blonde had done to her. Even though Emma always looked beautiful to Regina, it was obvious that the blonde had gone through her own turmoil. There were bags under her eyes and the normally so green and vibrant eyes looked a bit puffy and red. And her blonde hair was a mess, like it had not seen a brush in days.

"Me? I'm not the one who I found in the woods bleeding and with a broken leg!" Emma seemed puzzled why Regina would even ask.

Now it was Regina who cupped the blondes cheek tenderly. "Because you look like you have cried and you are obviously tired. And I don't believe that you have eaten at all." Regina was growing more and more concerned the longer she kept looking Emma over.

Emma furrowed her brow, because this was not at all like she imagined this conversation to go. She thought she would be the one taking care of Regina and not the other way around. But Regina was looking her over with practiced eyes, and even if Emma had tried so hide something from her, she would have seen right through her.

"'Gina, this is not about me! You are the one laying in a hospital bed!" Emma protested strongly, but didn't pull away from Regina's gentle touch.

"But I need you to take care of yourself! I don't want you to waste away before we have a talk!" Regina protested just as strongly.

That seemed to sober Emma up as she sat up straighter. "I want to talk!"

Regina was sure that the pure adoration she had for the woman was visible on her face. The hand that was previously resting on Emma's cheek was now slowly making its way behind Emma's neck. Without much of a warning, she pulled Emma's lips against her own. She could feel every bit of tension leave her body as their lips molded against each other, softly touching, so effortlessly like that had been doing this for years. Emma's hands made it to Regina's sides and hips as the older woman subtly pulled Emma always closer and closer. Soon Emma was nearly laying on top of Regina as they kept kissing each other deeply.

Emma was the first one to pull back, bringing both of them back to sitting position. She laid her forehead gently against Regina's to keep the contact. Neither of them opened their eyes, both desperately trying to catch their breaths.

"What happens now?" Emma repeated the question from the previous morning. She knew now, more than ever, what she wanted to happen, but today she was not gonna run. She would not lose Regina again.

Regina pulled back enough to look into Emma's eyes as she knew what she was about to say was important for the blonde to hear and understand. It amazed her how much easier it all felt now compared to yesterday. It all just made sense now.

"I know it has been bumpy and difficult road leading us here. There has been curses and villains and ex-boyfriends and horrible misunderstandings. But we are here now, Emma and I would not have it any other way. The way we handled this is so 'us' that it's nearly overwhelming. But please know this and remember that it's always true; I want to keep you. I love you with all my heart and no matter what happens, no matter what obstacles we face, that will always remain true."

Tears were running down Emma's cheeks as she was fighting back emotional overload that Regina's words had caused. She was failing, and soon she was pulled into a strong hug. She was holding onto the back of Regina's hospital gown, as Regina brushed her fingers through the tangled blonde hair. She thought back on the dream she had, hoping this was actually working.

Emma was slowly calming down, still holding onto Regina for her dear life. She pressed her mouth against Regina's ear, letting out few hot puffs of air, before speaking quietly.

"Thank you... Thank you."

She pulled back enough to press her lips against Regina's in a sweet kiss. Regina answered to the kiss with a joyous smile. She had finally managed to put her feelings into words and saying them out loud to Emma was like someone had lifted a huge weight off of her heart. She felt positively giddy.

"I love you too..." was breathed wetly against her lips. Regina's eyes shot open as she pulled back to look at Emma. She knew Emma loved her, but she did not expect her to say it, not yet. She knew how difficult this was for Emma, and she was ready to wait for Emma to feel comfortable saying it out loud. Hearing it now shot a new fire in her soul as she crashed her lips against Emma's in more passionate kiss.