AN:: Forgot to mention "Lance" (Ruby's boyfriend) is Lancelot. It might be mindless fan service or... maybe they might balance each other out? Call it a fever dream (or just drunk ideas that I add into fan fic).
Sorry I kept you waiting so long. Can't promise it won't happen again. But it makes me feel bad, so... take that for what you will.

Regardless, you're loved. I appreciate your readership.


The day Mary Margret's life changed was a Tuesday. There was nothing spectacular about it at all.

She finished school and she wasn't on the volunteer schedule at the hospital, so she went downtown to get herself new walking shoes.

She could have never worked retail for so many reasons, but mostly because she could never be as friendly or as excited to tell a stranger about shoes as the young lady was who helped her pick them out. Her ponytail bounced as she talked. In the end, she convinced her to buy a pair of bright, neon pink jogging shoes - the expensive kind with the large brand logo facing out, because they would last longer and support whatever needed to be supported when exercising.

Once a night walks turned into power walks. Then she would go out in the morning with her coffee before she got ready for school as well. A week later, she went out and bought active wear to match her shoes.

The following Wednesday she realized she needed a lighter jacket, so she got a fuchsia wind breaker and finger-less gloves in a navy color the same young woman who helped her with her shoes told her would complement the rest of her work-out wardrobe.

Her morning walks turned into jogs. She ditched the coffee for a water bottle filled with cucumber and lemon slices like she saw online.

Weight started melting off. Come mid-January, she was running for an hour around town in the morning. She got to see the sunrise as she made the return journey every morning. Her bi-weekly trip to the bookstore allowed her to pick up a self help book with swear words in it.

Without even really trying, Mary Margret made herself happy again. Suddenly there were more possibilities than she realized she had. Her life was her own, it stopped just happening to her day by day, because she decided to fill her time with what she loved to do - being outside and teaching the kids. Seeing David around town with his wife and his daughter that looked so terribly like Emma wasn't as painful as it was before. Her time in the nursery at the hospital wasn't so tiring. At the beginning of February, she took Mayor Mills up on her offer and put in her resume and application for school board. There was no word if Tom was actually stepping down just yet, but it didn't matter. She was in the running. She was trying.

Her nose turned red that Saturday morning as she jogged to the hospital as it all floated through her head again. What she could try next to fill extra time. Maybe she'd get a puppy.

"Hiya, Pam!"

She waved to one of the women behind the desk, but all she got in return was a flat line of a smile as the woman spoke with a quiet intensity into the phone.

Mary Margret frowned, but kept on to the volunteer board. Her weekend shifts usually meant reading to the elderly patients before taking over for Terry in the NICU. But today it was just the NICU. Terry was written in on the board next to it for emergency surgery instead and a pit fell into her stomach. She went back over to ask about the emergency surgery – who it was for and what happened in the first place when the unusually full waiting room came into view.

Emma was holding Regina's son, who was blinking at his mother skeptically. Regina herself was stone faced, staring into a corner with red eyes.

Everyone else looked generally helpless. Ashley Herman, with her newborn strapped to her front, and her daughter speaking quietly at the toy table, Ruby Lucas was hugging herself in the corner, ignoring her boyfriend who was in his work clothes from the garage. Beside them sat Katherine and David, holding hands but determinedly silent. Sean Herman was in the hallway off the left of the entrance with Dr. Whale and Michael Tillman, and his daughter at his side.

But Ava was wearing a neck brace. There were several scratches over the bridge of her nose and a large bruise on her forehead.

In an instant, Michael dropped to his knees with an agonizing wail. Ava started to cry as well but turned to face the wall and cover her eyes.

Sean's eyes looked to be watering as he held a clip board firmly in his hands. He came right up to Emma and Regina and shook his head. Mary Margret could only make out a whisper of, "Nick just passed.." before the collective shock reverberated around the room. Ruby and Ashley both covered their mouths, Emma put her head down behind Emmet's back and started crying. Regina immediately got up and walked out the way the school teacher had entered from and sat on the curb in the grey light of the morning.

Ms. Blanchard found her way back to the front desk, and Pam leaned over and started whispering before she could ask.

"The Tillman twins and Henry Mills were in an accident this morning." She said. The nurse's usually warm smile was entirely absent, and the very corners of her eyes were tinged red as well. "We were about to call you, there's an issue of-"

"Buddy, one second." She heard Emma say behind her.

She turned around in time to see a distraught Emma handing over Regina's younger son to Katherine, who kissed his head before frowning at Emma.

Katherine cleared her throat first. "Maybe you should just give her a minute."

Emma shook her head. "I need to see-"

Dr. Whale left Michael and Ava Tillman in the hallway, embracing and sobbing. Every stride he took was wide and rushed. "Where's Regina?" He asked quickly.

"I can-"

Sean cut Emma off and was already on his way out the door before she could try. So the sheriff just stood wringing her hands until Regina came back, but when she did, she stood apart from everyone else, arms crossed and seeming focused, and very tired. There was no way she could run this with the ease and organization she ran her town, and Mary Margret imagined that might be taking it's toll along with the awful fear.

Dr. Whale addressed her, stepping closer and effectively cutting anyone else out of his attention.

"Henry's stable for now. Nick was in a lot worse shape, we had to focus on him first."

She just nodded.

"But in the process of we used all of our O negative supply trying to save him."

"Henry ha-"

Dr. Whale nodded and put a hand on her arm as she hung both of her hands on the back of her own neck, her lip starting to shake. "I know. We have a couple of options you have to choose from before we can make that call."

Emma didn't move, but she faced them, all of her attention honed in on the conversation, as was everyone else.

Regina nodded. "Is he awake yet? Can I speak to him?"

"No, we're holding him under an induced coma so he doesn't go into shock."

Mary Margret's mind was reeling as he spelled it all out for her; something about an internal break in his right leg and the building of pressure, but surgery being risky because of blood loss and Henry having their aforementioned empty blood type. They could wait for an emergency delivery, have Henry carted over to a bigger hospital, which would all take time or,

"We can operate now, call in our list of donors and have the blood come in while we're operating."

Regina let out a slow breath. "What's most likely to get him.. healthy the fastest?"

"Everything involves risk, Regina, that's why we have to have you make the decision."

Emma stepped forward quickly. "Take him to surgery. Call the donors. I have O negative, you can drain me dry if you want to."

"What happens if we wait to transport him?" Regina ignored her.

Dr. Whale frowned. "Pressure could build up in his leg and he could go into shock anyway, his organs could start failing. There's risk of infection or blood clot-"

Regina gave in and started to cry.

Immediately Emma made the few final steps over to her, but the brunette shook off her touch as soon as it landed at her shoulder blade. Then Emmet jumped from Katherine's arms and reached for his mother.

"Regina…" Emma said as the other woman picked up her son.

But she just shook her head. "I can't do this." She said through tears. "I don't know how to be your girlfriend and be worried for Henry at the same time." With a dismissive, half-hearted shake of her hand she turned away.

She saw the way it hit Emma, even from across the room.

"I need an answer." The doctor said.

Regina held Emmet close and nodded to Dr. Whale. "Do the surgery."

He nodded and ushered her over to the receptionist's desk to sign the necessary papers.

And Mary Margret just stared.

All of the information washed over her over and over again, one wave after another without a moment to come up for air. Yet, no matter how far removed, helping was the only thing she could do; in any minute way.

Mary Margret stepped forward, chest puffed out, ready to volunteer when he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Good you-" He looked around him and changed his tone. "I'll need you to go to the blood bank right away."

A younger nurse she wasn't quite familiar with nodded for her and swept both her and Emma away.

And then she went on autopilot.

It wasn't too long before she was in a chair next to Emma, both of them stuck with needles and watching their blood fill up bags. After ten minutes they drank apple juice and ate some crackers while they recouped and stared at the door. A few more people filed in, were hooked up, and drained a reasonable amount and did the same routine.

After the nurses left with the bags and they sat there, potentially for the next four hours, because when it came to saving a boy's life, the twenty-four hour rule didn't really apply. Especially not when the boy's parents are the Sheriff and Mayor of the town.

A silence crept over the room like a predator just beginning the stalk.

Then Emma started to cry. Bent over at the waist, the blonde sobbed outright.

This time, Mary Margret couldn't hold herself back. The role she didn't understand and wished for a second chance at pulled her toward the younger woman like she had no control over her limbs. As soon as she was close enough to hug her, though, Emma shrugged out of it and shook her head.

"God, it's all my fault." She wailed.

"It's not." Mary Margret crouched beside her in a desperate attempt to comfort her. A hand found it's way to Emma's arm and this time she didn't brush it off.

So a bit more – a gentle squeeze, then Emma's head popped up, her face hidden behind one hand.

"Regina wasn't going to let him go. I told her to trust him… God, he'd be at home in bed right now if I just kept my mouth shut." Her voice was so hoarse it didn't even sound like her.

"You can't blame yourse-"

There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that she was listening.

Emma's head fell and she grabbed a fist full of her own hair. Tears dripped from her nose between sobs and gasps.

The older woman just nodded. "Say it."

Her eyes caught Mary Margret's then and the small town school teacher's world spun in place.

Suddenly she was the woman she always wished she would have been, a stolen lifetime's worth of moments laid out in front of her. Emma was three and hugging her leg in the middle of a thunderstorm, or had just fallen off of her bicycle after her training wheels came off. She was crying because someone made fun of her in her first day of middle school, or her first crush broke her heart, or she was too emotional for words on her graduation day.

In reality, Emma frowned at her and said, "What?"

She reclined just a bit and sat on the floor, grasping Emma's knee with both hands. "Just get it out. Everything you're scared of."

Excruciating moments passed with Emma's gaze blankly traveling around the walls. Until, at last her chin wrinkled, fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. "I just…" A shuddering breath seemed to rip out of her. "I can't lose them." She shook her head, then covered her mouth.

Mary Margret waited, not moving an inch.

Both of Emma's palms pressed into her temples. "I've never loved this much in my life, ya know? It's taken me so long to get here… to find my home. And what if I lose it?" Her breathing started to get wheezy. "W-what if Henry-"

An awful guttural sound pushed out of Emma's throat before she doubled over again, her head pressed firmly into her knees.

Mary Margret started threading her fingers through the golden blonde she imagined was only much more golden as a child – the curls tighter, and her tears not quite so devastated. She put her forehead against the sandy beige color sprouting at her roots and closed her eyes.

"Emma," she whispered. "Nothing in life is ever fair, and I think you know that."

The blonde didn't move.

"Terrible things happen every day and the Earth keeps spinning."

Emma whimpered a little more.

"And if the worse happens today, it'll be hard." Mary Margret nodded. "It's going to be so hard you'll wake up some days and wonder why anything is worth living through at all. But life keeps happening anyway."

It was like she felt it already – the loss of Henry and the toll it would take, both weighing on her shoulders together heavily, and a knot tied itself in the teacher's throat at the sight.

"Do you know what I think?- Look at me, Emma." She said, gently. "Look."

She did, though through her sniffling.

"Even if the worst happens, Regina will still want you by her side to cry with, and put the pieces back together." She nodded. "Your family won't be gone. Family is what you feel, and you've found that."

"Wh-What if she hates me?"

"No." Mary Margret reached forward and dried Emma's tears. "You're going to be her family forever. Trust me."


There wasn't a word of what was going on for hours.

The sun was shining much too brightly, unsympathetic to the situation at hand – to how much loss could happen, and had already happened.

Katherine had taken Emmet to her house an hour ago. Ashley had to leave to put her children down for a nap not long after that, and Ruby had taken her boyfriend down to the kitchen just after Emma left to give blood.

Regina glared out the window, at the frost untouched over the grass. It kept shining at her like it was taunting her. That the same thing that had covered her front lawn when she brought Henry home might have taken his life.

She closed her eyes to the thought. There was no word that had happened. In the same respect, there hadn't been any details at all, on Henry's progress or what caused the accident.

It wasn't until half past noon, Whale took solid strides toward her.

Regina could see the tertiary relief on his face, but his words still came through her mind like they had to reverberate through an aquarium to get to her.

Henry had made it.

Then he sighed, far more deeply than Regina felt comfortable with, but her head kept nodding anyway.

His mouth moved and his words followed too many moments later.

They'd done all they could.

They didn't have the right equipment.

Their work had been cut out for them.

When the sound caught up to reality everything dug into her gut.

Henry's leg had been shattered in the impact, not just broken as they had assumed, and letting out the pressure wasn't even half of the problem. More logistics and medical terminology, Whale finally said it.

They had to take the leg.

Just below his right knee would be gone the next time she saw him. Something about bone being shattered and saving the remaining healthy tissue.

Her hand covered her mouth as tears washed over her, both in relief and in guilt.

Dr. Whale's words floated in and out again, straddling the line between reality and the nightmare she'd lived for almost twelve hours, but he agreed to lead her back into recovery.

When her eyes landed on her son, that's when everything fell silent. All she could see was the oxygen mask over his nose and mouth, and the paleness of his skin, and the brace holding his head unnaturally high off of his shoulders. The blackened purple around the right side of his nose and his eye would have been cause for worry enough on a normal day, but the bruise yellowed all the way up around his temple and his cheek bone. There were thin cuts on his upper lip and brow from what Regina imagined must have been broken glass.

But he was alive.

The yammering started again – about complications and wound healing, but Regina sat down like her legs couldn't hold her anymore and shook her head.

"How long are you keeping him?" She asked.

Whale's gulp was audible. "Tonight and tomorrow at the very least. We need to wait until he's conscious to make sure nothing else is hurting him. Monitor other possible internal injuries, but he looks stable."

Regina nodded, but didn't reach out for Henry just yet. It still seemed like a dream. Like if she touched him she would wake up in Emma's arms and noises from downstairs that said he was rummaging through cabinets looking for food.

When she looked back at the surgeon she nodded, slow enough as to not make her head spin any more than it already was. "Thank you."

His eyes shut when he nodded.

Regina knew it was more than Henry weighing on him. But she pushed it from her mind as soon as it peeked up over the horizon of her thoughts.

She turned back to face her son and heard footsteps losing their power down the hall.

It wasn't until the room was solely the sounds of machines whirring and beeping that she actually took Henry's hand in her own.

Regina didn't wake up from any dream. The reality of the situation was staring her right in the face.

"Hey."

She almost stood up, but turning around as fast as she did was enough.

Emma stood in the doorway, red eyed and uncertain.

Regina stared at her for a minute, but didn't know the words to offer to make things less painful for either of them. There was nowhere to start or end at the moment, so she just pulled up the spare chair a little closer to her own.

Emma took it right away, arms crossed in her lap, hunched over – as though her posture was the only thing keeping her being together.

They stared at Henry for a long time, more so trying to ignore the depression in the blankets where the rest of his leg should have been than looking at him. Staring at his face and the trauma so easily visible there didn't do either of them any good. The only thing that came close to comforting Regina now was the steady beeping that said his heart was still strong and steady.

But at some point – Regina couldn't tell if it had been minutes or hours – she reached for Emma's hand.

And the blonde's fingers wrapped around her own instinctively.

"I'm sorry." Regina whispered.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Emma's head turn to look at her.

"For how I acted earlier." Her eyes didn't move from Henry but her grip tightened. "I was so overwhelmed… I know it doesn't excuse what I said, but-"

"It's okay."

Regina shook her head. "None of this is okay."

It didn't take long for her to dissolve into tears once again, only this time she had Emma to pull her closer and just hold her. She thought she felt the blonde's shoulder's shaking as well, but she didn't want to open her eyes yet. She knew when she did things would still be awful. The light at the end of the tunnel still looked dim and too far away to enjoy, because when Henry woke up, there would be a whole new battle to face.

Emma sniffled, but didn't let go. "I shouldn't have-" Her head jerked away in time to cough and Regina looked at her. "You weren't going to let him go." She shook her head. "I'm the one… I said it would be fine and it wasn't. I'm so sorry."

"Emma, no." Regina grabbed at her cheeks. "Don't blame yourself for this. God, I didn't think that for a second, I promise! You can't-"

"But if I let you say no, maybe the twins wouldn't have even gone."

Regina kissed her cheek and held onto her bicep with both hands, resting her cheek on her shoulder. "We have bigger things to deal with. What happened already happened. We can't change it now and it wasn't anyone's fault." Her words were wet and strained, but she held to Emma as close as the metal armrests on the chairs would allow.

One of Emma's hands went to Regina's knee, and the other to one of Regina's hands.

Henry took a shuddering breath and they broke apart, on the edge of their chairs in an instant.

But nothing happened.

Regina ran to the nurse's station. All the way back and into the room, the nurse told her it was probably just a cough trying to come out because he was still under anesthesia and not to worry. But even after everything was checked and double checked, and it was only the three of them left in the room, Regina didn't sit down.

She paced for a while, and smoothed Henry's hair back from his face, and adjusted blankets that were already laid perfectly across his middle.

When she did finally stop running around, Regina just perched on the side of the bed. Her hand swept over the cheek that wasn't so badly bruised, and brushed his hair aside in turns.

Behind her, Emma had her hand on his calf, unable to think anything but the one he had left.

"I have to tell my little boy his leg is gone." Regina warbled. "He's not going to be able to play baseball for… God knows how long. I have to tell him that his best friend-"

Her chin fell to her chest.

Emma stood up and forced her way over to have Regina face her.

Then she kissed her.

It wasn't long or passionate. It was like a lifeline – some form of unforeseen comfort neither of them had expected sharing with anyone. But it worked.

They hugged for a while, letting the other cry on their shoulder about everything that had happened, and everything that would happen. The nerves of how hard their lives were about to become bled into their tears. But it felt good to be held.

"Together." Emma said. Just like the years ago Regina grabbed her when she was pregnant and scared, she thought – when Graham came into her house unexpected and she didn't know what would happen. "We're gonna get through this."

Regina just nodded on her shoulder.


"My brother used to say that maybe people had a quota of good deeds they needed to fill out before they got into heaven... like it paid their way or something. That's what he told me when our mom died."

Ava took a breath, staring down at the notebook paper on the podium in front of her. The long, springy blonde that usually sat so heavily around her ears was pinned back and away from her face. Her cheeks were pink all the way up to her eyes and back, nostrils flaring - though her appearance didn't show even half of how hard it was to do what she was doing.

The casket laid closed behind her, and the sea of people filling up every pew in the chapel in front.

"I don't know where he came up with it. We were ten." She said. Her eyes searched the ceiling for more words instead of her paper, giving up on the formality of it all. "He always did things like that. He figured out how to get to school on time without her. And came up with the idea of staying in those... old broken down houses by the docks. He did everything. Nick was always the strong one." She threw a very wet cough over her shoulder before she took a moment facing away from the crowd.

Henry sat still, his head in his hands and his elbows both rested on his good knee.

Emma and Regina knew better than to touch him, but still looked on with red eyes and a confused Emmet looking at his older brother.

Ava wiped her nose and faced ahead again. "I don't know what to do now. I don't know what to say here. All I know is that he didn't deserve to go." She gave a hapless shrug. "I miss him a lot."

Michael stood up and reached for her, and that turned out to be the end of the eulogy.

A pastor took center stage and said something generic and everyone remained quiet with their flowers poised in their hands to rest on Nick's tombstone later.

Emmet lunged over Regina's lap and hugged Henry.

Only then did the teenager react at all. He hugged his younger brother to his chest.

Both Emma and Regina tried to hold back tears as Emmet patted his brother's shaking shoulders and whispered disjointed bedtime stories to him.

Henry didn't say anything.