Chapter 15 World Of Magic

Emma had been sitting at her desk, knife in hand as she observed its sharp edge. She had been practicing her healing magic all evening since David left. Her arm was sore and wrapped in bandages that covered partially healed wounds. She was getting better and soon she'd be able to heal her cuts completely. Her feet were up on her desk and she was lost in her thoughts and frustration. Regina pissed her off this morning when she had emotionally pushed her away. She wasn't just upset, she was hurt. She thought Regina trusted her enough to not put up her walls and leave her stranded on the other side. She was avoiding going home, hoping that Regina would be asleep if she left the station late enough. It was childish she knew, but she was never one to face confrontation.

Still… No matter how angry she had been this morning, she missed Regina. She stood, deciding better to just go home and talk to her like the adult that she was.

She pulled her jacket from behind her chair and just as she was putting it on, a puff of purple smoke appeared at least a foot off the floor.

"What the hell…" she gasped and before she could even finish that sentence, her girlfriend fell violently to the floor. She screamed out in agony and Emma's heart stopped as she landed on her fractured ribs.

"Oh my god Regina!" she cried, rushing towards her. She dropped down beside her and pulled the gasping woman's head into her lap. She was so pale from the pain. Her eyes were bloodshot and a few tears had escaped and were now slowly sliding down her cheeks. She was trembling and was desperately trying to breathe through the pain.

"It's ok Gina," she tried to soothe her, but all she could do was watch as Regina's brown eyes slipped closed and her body went limp as she fell into unconsciousness.

"What were you thinking?" she whispered as she lifted her into her arms and carried her to one of the beds in the holding cells. She didn't want to have to take her to the hospital again. Regina hated it and she decided to check her wounds before deciding to take her in.

She gently laid her down and lifted her shirt to check her injuries. The bruising seemed to be the same and luckily she didn't pull any stitches. She carefully felt her ribs and they didn't seem to be any worse. She just aggravated her injuries when she fell.

A thought suddenly came to mind and she gently pulled off the bandages adjourning her stiches and fractured ribs. The bruising was still so vivid. A dark purple that marked tan skin. She raised her hands. Hovering inches away from the wounds. She focused just like she practiced and it wasn't long till she felt the familiar warmth of her healing magic.

The bruising was fading slightly and the wounds were healing just a little bit more. She moved her hands to her ribs and the bruising started to go down as well. She tried healing the wound completely but had quickly started to drain. When she was confident she had lessened the pain she stopped, pulling her hands away and observing her work. The bruising had faded to a yellowish green and the wounds on her abdomen were partially healed. Her ribs were still a dark purple. Healing bone was tougher than healing skin and Emma couldn't risk draining herself if she wanted to get Regina back to the loft.

She picked up the former Queen and poofed them both back to the loft. They landed in the living room where a frantic David was already calling her cell. It rung and he and Snow turned to see them. David sighed in relief and hung up his phone as Snow rushed over from their spot in the kitchen.

"Is she ok?" Snow asked, worry lacing her words as Emma gently laid her on the couch. "We were trying to help her up the stairs but the pain was too much and she just poofed. When we saw she wasn't in your room, we panicked."

"She came to the station and materialized a foot into the air. She landed on her ribs," Emma explained, leaving out the part where she tried healing her.

"Shouldn't we take her to the E.R?" Snow asked worriedly, rushing over and checking Regina over herself. She was just about to push up her shirt until Emma gently placed her hand on hers.

"She's fine. Her stiches didn't tear. All she did was aggravate her ribs," she explained, stopping Snow from seeing the partially healed bruises and wound. "I'm just gonna get her to bed and ice her ribs."

"Here let me help," David said, carefully picking up the unconscious former Queen and gently caring her up the stairs.

"I'll get the ice and her pain meds in case she wakes up tonight," Snow offered, heading to the kitchen and opening the freezer. Emma followed David upstairs and watched as he laid Regina down on the bed they had been sharing.

Henry was fast asleep in his own twin bed across the room, unaware of what had happened that night. David spoke in hushed whispers to keep from waking the boy up.

"She got scared," he whispered and Emma looked at him. "She didn't mean to shut you out. I've known her a long time. I know how hard it is for her to open up, and when she gets scared, she shuts herself behind a wall of fear and doubt. She didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know she didn't," Emma's voice shook and she willed herself not to cry. He gave her a closed lip smile and reached out, squeezing her shoulder. The affectionate gesture was so warm and fatherly, she couldn't help but lean into it.

"Hear her out and give her a chance. Let me know if you two need anything," he said, taking his leave just as Snow brought in a glass of water, Regina's pain meds, and an ice pack wrapped in a towel.

"Are you sure she just aggravated her ribs?" Snow asked worriedly, setting everything down on the nightstand and moving towards Regina. Before she could even lift her shirt, Emma once again stopped her. She didn't think this through when she attempted healing Regina back at the station. Snow usually helped change Regina's bandages throughout the day and was bound to notice the change of severity in her injuries.

Snow pulled her hand back.

"Trust me, mom," Emma said softly. "She's fine. I checked her myself. She just needs to sleep."

Snow looked as if she were about to protest, her eyes moving from her daughter to the woman on the bed. Her suspicions that Emma was hiding something grew. She sighed in resignation and looked back up at Emma, looking into pleading green eyes.

"Ok, you're right," she said, obviously still wanting to check Regina's injuries herself. "Your father's offer extends to me too. If anything, let both of us know."

"I will," she said, offering her a small smile and with one more uneasy glance at Regina, Snow finally went downstairs.

Emma closed the door and when she was sure her parents weren't coming back up, she settled in beside Regina, pulling her halfway into her lap so that her head and upper back were leaning against her. She lifted her shirt and carefully placed the icepack on her ribs.

She had no idea how long she sat there, lost in her thoughts with the day's events cluttering her mind. It wasn't until Regina's eyes fluttered open, did she shake herself from her mind.

"Em…" she whispered drowsily, shuffling a bit in her arms as she struggled to figure out where she was.

"Hey… it's ok," Emma whispered, leaning down and kissing her forehead. "We're at home, in bed and I got you. You're ok."

Her hand flew to the cold ice she could feel Emma holding on her ribs. Something was wrong. She should be in more pain after that brutal fall in the station. Her stitches didn't feel so strained. She hardly felt any pain there as if the wound itself was finally almost healed.

She could breathe easier.

"Emma did you… Am I on the meds?" she asked shakily, trying to figure out why she wasn't in as much pain as she should be. Her dark eyes searched for Emma's face and she felt a warm hand on her cheek, the other holding the ice in place on her still aching ribs.

Emma was quiet for a moment, unable to tell her the truth. That she had been practicing healing magic on herself. She contemplated lying but looking at the woman on her lap, thinking of everything they've been through and how much she already loves her, she knew this lie could ultimately ruin them.

"I tried healing you…" It came out as a whisper.

"You did healing magic… but how… Emma…" Regina stumbled on her words, unable to understand how she could have attempted such advanced and complicated magic.

"You were in pain and I didn't want to take you back to the ER. I know you hate it and they were just going to pump a bunch of drugs into you anyway." It came all out in a rush. She swallowed hard. "I just thought about all our lessons and focused on healing you and I managed to bring down the swelling just a bit and the bruises. You're stiches aren't so open anymore." She left out the part where she's been cutting and practicing on herself. She felt like a coward.

Emma's hand was still on her cheek and Regina moved her face slightly to the side, placing a soft kiss on her palm. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice heavy with sleep and guilt. "I didn't mean to shut you out. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Maybe I was a little too harsh, huh?" she asked, taking part of the blame.

"My ribs still hurt…" She was falling back to sleep.

"You were right when you said healing was advanced magic," Emma explained. "The ice will have to do for now."

She fell asleep after that and Emma spent most of the night holding her and when she could no longer fight the pull of sleep, she placed the melted bag of ice on the nightstand and slid out from under the sleeping brunette. She settled beside her, pulling her close and falling into a heavy sleep.

The rest of the week had passed by rather quickly. A little too quickly for both Emma and Regina's liking. It was the day before the trial. One more day and hopefully Carter will finally get his punishment and Regina will have her justice.

They were in Regina's office with Katherine and the lawyer they had hired to help prosecute Carter. They were going over last minute details before tomorrow's trial. When they were done, it was well into the evening and the lawyer let himself out. Regina was helping Katherine out with some last minute paperwork while Emma sat on the couch and waited.

She was in her element, explaining to Katherine what some of these forms meant and how to fill them out. She could just imagine today was like any other day. That Regina wasn't blind and was just simply going over paper work, but then reality bit back when they had finished up, and Regina blindly reached out to Katherine as they said their goodbyes. Emma stood, grabbing Regina's coat and helping her in it.

"Thank you again Regina and good luck tomorrow," Katherine smiled as they walked out together, Regina and Emma hand in hand.

Once they went their separate ways, Emma and Regina walked down the street to Grannies for dinner where their family was waiting.

"You're quiet," Emma observed, her hand squeezing Regina's.

"I guess I'm just a little nervous for tomorrow," she admitted with a sigh.

"He's going to get what he deserves," she said. "That video is all the proof we need to show that judge the crash wasn't your fault. It was his, and being drunk doesn't exactly help his case. He's just wasting his time."

"I'm trying to put a murdering witch behind bars. How is that wasting my time?" That voice sent chills up both of their spines and Emma's eyes flashed in hot rage as they turned, facing Carter. He smelled of booze and of really bad body odor. Emma's grip on Regina's hand tightened. She feel waves of fury radiating from the brunette as well.

"Back off you son of a bitch," she threatened, wishing she had her service gun as Carter's friend started circling them. They seemed to come out of the shadows and she pushed Regina behind her, ignoring the hiss of annoyance that she could take care of herself.

"Maybe it's time we teach her majesty a little lesson," he sneered and his thugs moved at those words, pulling and forcing Emma and Regina into the alley beside them.

They were slammed on opposite walls of the alley. Emma cried out in pain when her back and head made contact with the dirty rough bricks of the building. She looked across to Regina, seeing the pained look on her face as they slammed her against the wall across from her. Her fractured ribs were still so hurt and she could see the agony in her face. However she didn't dare let out a sound. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

"Don't hurt her! Don't hurt her!" Emma screamed as Carter faced the once Evil Queen. He invaded her personal space, his hands on the bricks on each side of her head as he leaned in close. She could smell his foul breath and feel his overwhelming presence of his large body pressing into her.

She was terrified. She didn't know how many of his men surrounded them. Emma had to be restrained somewhere because there was no way the feisty sheriff would let this brute manhandle her the way Carter was doing right now.

However, she did what she did best. She hid her fear. She hid her pain. She wore a mask of fury and her sightless eyes blazed.

"What do you think boys? Did her majesty get off too easy? She deserves to lose more than just her sight. Murdering witch!"

She could hear Emma struggling. She could hear muffled screaming and she realized that they were holding her down and covering her mouth.

"Let her go!" she demanded. "She's done nothing."

"She's on your side," he sneered. "And that's enough."

She heard Emma gasp in pain and her body crumbling to the floor. And then it turned violent. She could hear them beating her. She could hear Emma crying out in agony.

"Emma!" she screamed, lunging forward, ignoring the pain in her ribs, chest and abdomen. Carter violently slammed her back, hard enough to knock the wind from her. She cried out as searing white hot pain enflamed her injured ribs. She crumbled to the floor and she could hear Emma screaming for her.

Her magic was awakened once more just like at the diner when it had compensated for her lost sense. Except only this time, the darkness was gone and her world was a dark purple. She couldn't see clearly but she could see outlines of people and objects.

She was seeing with her magic.

She could see Emma's crumpled form on the ground as several outlines of men kicked her. She looked up, Carter's form hovering above her.

Her sightless eyes glowed purple as she focused her magic. She could feel it in her bloodstream. It was awakening, coming to its full strength since the accident.

"This is what happens to traitors who protect the Evil Queen," Carter declared, suddenly kicking her in the ribs. She cried out in agony once more, the magic from her sight fading and turning dark once more. She was losing focus. She needed to stay in control in order to save Emma.

She took deeps breaths, trying to breathe past the agony and focus on her magic. She managed to get on her hands and knees, her dark world staticing with purple.

Another kick and she was down. She screamed when her fractured ribs made contact with the gravel once more. Carter laughed and she was suddenly being pulled to her knees by her hair. Carter had a fistful of her dark hair in his meaty hand.

Her magic fizzed out, her pain distracting her and she couldn't seem to harness it. She whimpered and was suddenly disgusted at herself that such a sound had come out of her.

She could feel his warm breath on her ear.

"I should have finished you when I had the chance," he snarled. "Now I could finish off your little girlfriend and make you hear every pained filled cry and there will be nothing you could do to stop it. Another death you'll be responsible for."

Cold dread iced Regina's body.

They were going to kill her. Beat her until she no longer drew breath.

"No," she whispered, her breaths suddenly becoming frantic. She needed her magic. She needed to save Emma.

Carter laughed, but all Regina listened for was Emma. She wasn't screaming anymore.

"Emma!" she cried out, and like a switch, her dark world became purple once more. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Emma's still form on the ground surrounded by Carter's thugs as they kicked at her.

She waved her hand and all three thugs went flying. Carter pulled her up frantically, his grip still so tight on her locks of brown hair. He jostled her ribs and once again she felt herself being slammed against the wall. He was trying to weaken her. He punched her stomach and she screamed. She could feel a warm liquid seeping from her stiches, ruining whatever healing Emma had managed.

Tears streamed down her cheeks and she was quickly losing her grasp on her magic. Her mask crumbled and she openly sobbed. Her ribs were on fire and she could feel herself getting dizzy from the blood loss. Her knees buckled, but Carter firmly held her in place by her throat. She gasped, unable to breathe

"Now you'll both die," he sneered.

"R'gina…"

It was weak and so so pained, but Regina heard her. And that was all she needed to get through her pain. He magic flared through her as she reached up, covering Carters hands that were tightening around her throat.

"Get… your… hands… off of me," she gasped, his flesh suddenly burning. He screamed and dropped her to the ground.

"Bitch!"

He tried to kick her again. This time aiming for her head, intent on finishing the job once and for all. She saw it coming. She saw the purple outline above her getting ready to end her and she waved her hand, freezing him in place.

She wanted to kill him. To rip out his heart and crush it to dust, but she refrained herself. She didn't want him to get off so easy. Hopefully now there will be no trial and Carter will immediately be put away.

She'll deal with him later.

"Emma…" she whimpered, the adrenaline wearing off and she could suddenly feel the extent of her injuries. Her ribs felt broken and she felt like she's been stabbed in the gut. Warm blood was trickling from her stiches, her shirt soaked in crimson. She could see the purple outline of Emma, but she couldn't see the extent of her injuries. She couldn't see her face.

She crawled over her to her, and lifted her into her lap.

"Emma… please…" she cried, pressing her head to her chest, looking for a heartbeat. It was faint but it was there and she let out a sob of relief.

"Hold on love," she whispered, holding her close and disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke.