Hey all! Thank you for all your follows, favourites and reviews – they're such good motivation! I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

Alas, I do not own OUAT.

She had faced Regina on countless occasions, each one more dangerous than the last, but never had Snow looked upon the woman with such confliction before. Usually everything was so clear-cut, black and white, but as she held her grandson close to her heart, all Snow could feel was gratitude. Grateful that Henry, her grandson, an extension of Emma, was unharmed and that Regina was the one to protect him. "You saved him?" she breathed, matting down the boy's hair as he gripped tighter.

Regina pulled at the lapels of her navy blazer and looked the brunette straight in the eye. "Yes, I did. I am his mother and therefore that is my job – to protect him." But Regina was not the type to leave things short and sweet. "But what I don't understand is how none of you felt that Miss Swan's apparent magical ability was important enough to mention before she took it on herself to destroy everything around her. If it wasn't for my sensing that something was wrong, who knows what would have happened?" she drawled, strolling into the room with her arms crossed.

Snow didn't want to admit it, but maybe withholding that particular piece of information was a misjudgement on their part. Emma didn't want anyone to know about her ability to perform magic and so, as a family, they decided to keep mute about the whole issue although Snow was adamant that the only reason Emma chose to ignore the issue was because she wanted desperately to believe that it didn't exist. That it was something conjured up in that wild imagination of hers. But now it would appear that the decision wasn't their smartest move.

As Henry released his hold on her to take up position next to his mother, all Snow could think about was Emma lying in some hospital bed, with all sorts of tubes attached to her, her body not responding to…anything. It took all her strength not to buckle under the sorrow that purged her heart. Her baby girl was helpless and alone and here she was bed-stricken and unable to comfort her, to run her hand through her long blonde curls and tell her how much she loved her, how much she needed her. They were just starting to really become a family…

"What happened, Regina?" a strained David asked, exhaling sharply and using his elbows to prop himself up.

Regina rolled her eyes as if his question was the most absurd thing she had ever heard in her life. Flicking her hair of her face, she narrowed her eyes and sighed. "What happened was that your dear daughter nearly killed us all."

Her superior tone made Snow's blood boil. How dare she have the audacity to sneer at her daughter! She who was the Evil Queen; who had destroyed the lives of so many. "Oh don't be so callous! I can't even count how many times you've tried to kill me or Charming! Not to mention the fact that you tried to put Emma under a sleeping curse just so you wouldn't have to deal with her," the brunette spat with added venom, jabbing the air with her pointer finger and jolting from her bed just so she could stand up to her. Her dizziness was a forgotten matter at this point; all of her focus was on Emma.

"Snow," David warned only to be cut off by the woman.

"No, David," she snapped, not even bothering to turn to look at him. A single hand gesture to the air sufficed. "She doesn't get to talk like that. She doesn't get to pass judgement on others, not after everything she's done."

"Okay, Snow White, that's fine. Say whatever you want to say; let it all out, but don't forget the simple fact that if it weren't for me, all of us could be in a similar position as Emma – if not worse. Now's not the time to be taking trips down memory lane and passing blame."

Seeing a window of opportunity as Snow rocked back on her heels with Regina's words, David jumped into the conversation again. "What happened, Regina?" he repeated more forcefully this time, catching her attention.

"I sensed something was out-of-place," she shrugged. "Emma was becoming angrier with each second and while I would normally ignore her incessant badgering, there was a certain edge to her that I hadn't seen before. She kept clenching and unclenching her fists – something I used to do when I first started magic because I was…nervous about using it. She reached the end of her tether and I just knew something was about to happen so I cast a protection spell over me and Henry and perhaps even you, Snow." It was obvious she wasn't too keen on that last part. "There was a bright light and then the apartment was on fire. I got Henry to safety and called the fire department."

"She saved all of us," Henry said, speaking for the first time, though his voice was devoid of his usual brightness.

"It would appear so," David agreed with a nod. That was his way of saying 'thank you' and Regina knew as much, clamping her lips together in acknowledgement.

There was that confliction again. Regina had saved her life – again, as well as everyone else's. Swallowing her pride and softening her posture, Snow knew what she had to do. "Thank you, Regina," she said with genuine sincerity.

Breaking their stare, Snow turned her attention to her grandson who had remained, for the most part of the conversation, very quiet. He just stood next to his mother, facing the ground, with his shoulders slumped and his head bowed. Snow crouched down to his level and, using her maternal instincts, raised his chin so she could meet his gaze. But what she found in that young boy's eyes broke her heart. His chin quivering, holding back the tears that were accumulating in his eyes, he was trying so hard to be strong but he didn't have to be. Snow opened her arms and allowed Henry to fold into them, releasing his tears silently against her chest. Her arms wrapped around him tight and she closed her eyes, fighting the urge to join him, knowing that she needed to be strong for everyone. But it was just getting so hard.

Regina even appeared moved by the scene. Perhaps the Regina Snow once knew still existed under that cold, hard shell of hatred and resentment. David stay quiet, too, lost in thought. A million miles away.

The sound of footsteps echoing from down the hall pulled all of them back into reality and each of them looked to the door and saw the figure of Dr. Whale approaching. Snow held her breath as he came closer. She tried to read his expression to gain a better understanding of how this conversation was going to go but his face was a blank canvass.

"Come on, Henry," Regina said, clearing her throat and recognising the need to keep the boy busy. "Dr. Whale needs to check up on Snow and David. Why don't we go get some ice cream?" Tired from his ordeal or perhaps his emotional outpour, Henry replied with a nod and gathered his things. As they left the room, Snow flashed Regina a thankful smile…that was reciprocated.

Seeing Dr. Whale enter the room with such caution and purpose frightened Snow to the point where she rushed over to her husband and took his hands in hers. She needed to feel his security, his warmth, his control. She had to know that she wasn't alone; that no matter what the doctor said, she'd have someone to lean on for support. She quickly sneaked a peek at his expression and found him to be calm and collected – which was just what she needed considering she was the exact opposite. She thought her heart was about to burst while she waited for Whale to speak.

"How are you both feeling?" he finally asked in that doctorial, detached manner he embodied oh so well.

"Well considering you saw us not too long ago, pretty much the same," David answered much to the delight of Snow who felt that she would break if having to speak. "But I have a feeling that's not why you're here," he finished.

"No, it's not."

"How is she?"

Whale ran his hand through his hair. Never a good sign. "It would seem that our fears about Emma were confirmed. Her body wasn't responding to anything we were giving her and so that mixed with her injuries put her in precarious situation. She appears to have slipped into a coma."

Coma. That was the only word Snow heard over the pounding of her heart in her ears. Emma, her precious daughter, was in a coma. In. A. Coma.

"But she'll come out of it though, right? People awake from comas all the time," Snow pressed as she centred all of her strength into her hands that held David's.

"Yes, they do and there's no saying that Emma won't wake up in a few hours but because she has been so unresponsive since she's come in, we don't really have any idea what will happen. She could wake up at any time or…well…you know. I'm sorry." He sounded pained as he spoke; like he was scared, too.

"Can we see her?" David inquired, his voice cracking.

"Yes, but only one at a time. Right now the nurse is just doing a check-up but when she's finished, one of you can sit with her."

He smiled ruefully and then turned on his heel and left the room; the news he brought stinging the air. The silence left in his wake was eerily shrieking. Snow could feel her husband's eyes boring into the side of her head but she couldn't face him. It was like the walls were closing in on her, sucking all of the air out of the room.

She had to breathe. Had to escape this moment. Wordlessly, she untangled her fingers from David's and stalked out of the room to the restroom. Closing and locking the door, she planted her two hands against the door, throwing all her weight to her upper body, and drew in long, shaky breaths. Dr. Whale didn't sound hopeful of Emma's prospects, and without hope, Snow found it extremely difficult to stay optimistic. Emma was lying in a coma that her doctors weren't sure she'd ever come out of. They had just gotten her back; had just survived having their family separated again only to have that taken away in a breath.

It was just too much, too overwhelming. Slapping her hand across her mouth, Snow finally released the sobs she had been holding back for Henry and David and surrendered to her demons. The sobs emanated from her deepest core and erupted into her hand that muffled the screams. She had to let go; needed to release the pent up emotion that was eating her inside.

And though the tears were still forming, her vent was imperative to clearing her mind of all the horrible things she was envisioning. Now, she was determined to be there for Emma and hold her hand and wait for her to wake up. She. Was. Going. To. Wake. Up. No matter the odds, no matter what people were saying, no matter the doubts, Emma was a fighter and she was going to fight.

That was one thing Snow could count on.

David, still in a great deal of pain, had to get his burns redressed and insisted that Snow take the first opportunity to see their daughter. She couldn't quite describe the feeling walking into the room for the first time; it was a mixture of intense anxiety but also innate relief that she could finally lay eyes on her. Snow tentatively took a seat beside Emma's bed, her fingers trembling ever so slightly as she reached out to touch the blonde's hand. Emma looked so peaceful, like she was undeterred by anything in the world. In fact, it was probably the first time Snow had ever seen her so content. It was comforting to know that she wasn't suffering.

But she was pale. So pale and so lifeless. As if for her own knowledge, Snow extended her reach and placed her hand over Emma's heart just to make sure that it was still beating and, feeling its soft rhythm under her palm, a sea of relief washed over her. She closed her eyes and sighed - unsure of what to say…which was a first. Dr. Whale had informed her that Emma may be able to hear everything people were saying and so, it was important to let her know that she was there for her.

And then she had a thought: this could be the only time when she could tell Emma everything she had been feeling and not have the blonde brush it off or try to revert back to her guarded self. She could be completely honest.

Removing her hand from Emma's heart, she moved it up to her forehead and pushed back a stray curl that had fallen down into her closed eyes. There was no way Emma would ever let her do that if she was awake, which, funnily enough, made Snow feel somewhat guilty over the simple gesture.

"Emma," she breathed, gazing at her daughter's face, "it's me, Snow." She paused for a minute, a little unsure of what she was about to say. "It's me, Mom. I know we haven't really reached that stage yet where you're comfortable to call me that, and that's completely understandable, but I think it's important for you to know that I'm here. I'm here for you. You're not alone and you never will be again." She stopped to squeeze her hand tighter, clinging to a shred of unrealistic hope that it may just cause her to stir but unsurprisingly, nothing happened. With a sad smirk, Snow continued. "And don't you think that I've forgotten that you called me 'Mom' before; I know you thought otherwise, but I heard it. I actually think it's what kept me going when I was sure that I was going to…well, you know. And now it's my turn to help you. I wish you'd let me help you, Emma. You're an adult now with a child of your own and I know you think that you don't need my help or Charming's, but that doesn't mean that we won't help you – because we will. Us interfering in your life is just bound to happen so…get used to it," she laughed heavily, recalling what she said to her back in the nursery. "Do you know what really makes the curse such a horrible thing to have befallen us? It's not just that we missed out seeing you walk for the first time, or go to school, or go on your first date and all those things that come with being parents; it's seeing how broken you are. That's what makes my heart break the most. Knowing all that you've suffered and how protective you are of yourself truly shows how evil this curse was – and you weren't even under it. I wish I could just take away all of that pain and anger and hurt you possess and make everything better and it frustrates me knowing that it may never go away. But believe me when I say this, Emma: I will always be there for you and will always try my best to be the best mother and friend that you will ever have and I'll do everything in my power to make you feel wanted and loved and safe so that you'll never have to question those things ever again. Do you hear me, Emma Swan? You're not going anywhere; you're going to wake up and get better because we've got to figure out this whole family situation and how this is all going to work, okay?" She pulled in a breath and let her tears finally tumble down her cheeks as she studied the blonde's hand that she held in hers, making sure that she etched every line and scar into her brain.

She turned her gaze back to Emma's face. "Please wake up, Emma. Please, just open those beautiful green eyes so that I can breathe again and we can get back to working out what it means to be a family," she whispered, kissing her forehead. "Please wake up because I love you, my amazing, stubborn, beautiful, complicated, magical miracle."

David watched Snow with extreme care as she departed Emma's room. From the puffy red-rimmed eyes, it was obvious she had been crying, but she looked more…hopeful than before she went in. He didn't want to say anything that would take away from that and so, he did the only thing he could think of at a time like this – he opened his arms and embraced Snow in a comforting hug. Despite the discomfort of his cracked ribs, the steady rhythm of his wife's heartbeat against his chest reminded him of how much he missed her when she was gone.

"She's going to be okay," the brunette whispered against his hospital gown. "I believe it with all my heart."

"So do I."

He didn't know what to expect walking into that room and beholding his daughter lying helpless in a hospital bed. Of all the scenarios he created in his head about parenting, this was definitely not on it. He winced as he took seat next to her. He didn't really know what to say or even if it mattered because they didn't know if she could hear them or not but this was his chance to have a one-on-one moment with his adult daughter.

"Hey, Emma," he said with a smile, deciding that it was better to keep upbeat then to spiral down the emotional black hole of sorrow. That, and he knew that Snow would have said everything he wanted to. "It's David. I don't really know what to say or what I'm supposed to say. To be honest this whole parenting thing is still relatively new to me; I'm still ironing out the kinks. It's funny; sometimes I feel like I'm just assuming the role of a father because everything happened so quickly. Much like when I was a simple shepherd and then all of a sudden I was a prince slaying dragons – you know what that part is like," he noted with pride. "But I am trying and I know we're still in that awkward phase where we don't know what to talk about or whether to hug or high-five and then we end up getting stuck in the middle somewhere, but with some time I know we'll figure all that out and we'll easily slip into our roles as father and daughter. Who knows, maybe we can even double up as a sheriff tag-team? You know, taking down bad guys together and ridding Storybrooke of evil, one villain at a time. That is, of course, if you'll have me," he chuckled softly, fighting the urge to shed a tear. "That's what I'd like and I hope that you want that, too."

He readjusted himself on the seat so that he was leaning forward but in such a way as not to aggravate his injuries. "But you know in order for any of that to happen, you have to wake up, Emma. And trust me, I know it's hard to wake up from a coma – I was in one for twenty-eight years -but once you do, you can't imagine the lease on life you have and how appreciative you are for everything – big and small. I'll even help you with your rehabilitation; sometimes it can be a bit tricky to get the muscles in your back going again but I'll be there to help you every step of the way." He lowered his voice, realizing how shaky it had become. "I need you to wake up, Emma. We all do. I want to be the father I've always wanted to be and the father you've always needed. I want to get to know you. I can't…I can't even begin to describe how much I care about you and how much I need you to come back into our lives. Without you, Emma, Snow and I would lose everything because nothing else matters to us as much as you do. You just need to wake up, sweetheart." He stood slowly and placed a hand on top of her head. "I love you, Emma," he murmured before kissing her forehead.

Under Dr. Whale's orders, Snow and David were told to get back into bed and try to get some sleep but that was practically impossible for them. Both of their minds were racing with a million thoughts swirling around their heads and there was no chance of them slowing to a stop any time soon. Not until they got word of Emma's condition.

"David?" Snow whispered in the dark.

"Yes, Snow?"

"I'm still scared."

David shut his eyes and inhaled powerfully. "I know; me too. But everything is going to be okay. Emma is a Charming – being strong in the face of opposition is in her blood."

Well that was a heavy chapter! I was actually physically tired when I finished it! Haha It took me ages to figure out what I wanted Snow and David to say separately to Emma so I hope that it worked and that you all thought it was believable and that I didn't just ruin the whole story. As always, I really hope that you all enjoyed it and please review and let me know what you thought of it :)

(Oh and just as a side-note, I'm not quite sure what the rules are for true love's kiss and comas so I decided that, even though both Snow and David kiss Emma's forehead, she doesn't wake up because of it)