There is one more chapter which is the epilogue. I'll be posting it next week. Thank you so much for your patience and for sticking with me. I know I've been terrible with the updates and again I'm so sorry. I hope this chapter and the next will make up for it. Enjoy:)

Chapter 17 If It's The Last Thing I'll Do

The week dragged on and Emma had been avoiding Regina. She was finally discharged a week after the attack. Her stiches on her abdomen were healing but were still so painful and raw thanks to Carter kicking her. Her fractured ribs were no better. Her healing process had been set back a great deal, and with firm instructions of bed rest from the doctor, Regina was finally able to go back to the loft upon Snow and David's insistence.

Emma was a nervous wreck. She didn't know if Regina would be angry at her for her absence the entire week during her hospital stay. Her excuse was she had been busy looking for Carter and by Snow's words, Regina didn't seem to believe it.

She walked into the loft that afternoon, an hour after Regina came home. Her anxieties were forgotten for a mere minute as she watched David stomp angrily down the steps.

"You know what, I can't deal with her when she's like this," he snapped in frustration. Snow was in the kitchen starting dinner. She turned to see her daughter by the door and her husband pouting as he joined her in the kitchen, setting down the glass of water and untouched bottle of painkillers.

"Hey, what's going on?" Emma asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking. She was so damn nervous and Regina seemed to be in a scary evil queen mood.

"I don't think Regina wants to take her meds?" Snow asked, raising a brow at David. He rolled his eyes in annoyance for the woman who had thrown nothing but biting remarks at him upstairs.

He looked up at Emma.

"You need to talk to her before she loses her mind! Wait… actually she already has."

"Alright! Alright!" Emma finally relented and rushed upstairs, hearing Snow trying to calm her seething husband.

She reached the top of the stairs and already could sense the tense atmosphere radiating from her room. She pushed open the door to see Regina sitting up quickly from the bed and trying not to wince from her obvious pain.

"I said let me be Shepard!" she snapped angrily, her hand flying to her throbbing ribs.

"Hey!" Emma rushed over to her. "Hey, take it easy." Her words were soft and Regina flinched at her touch as she lowered her back down against the pillows.

"Oh, so now I exist?" she asked rather harshly, a hint of a snarl on her lips.

"Ok, I guess I deserved that," Emma grumbled, sitting beside her. "Look, Regina… I'm sorry."

"What exactly are you sorry for Ms. Swan? For avoiding me for a week? For ignoring my calls! For lying to me about your healing magic!"

"I said I'll stop and I have," she stated.

"Is that why you've been avoiding me?" she growled out. She was livid and Emma knew it was because she had hurt her and she looked down in shame. So maybe she had handled this wrong. She just felt so damn guilty about the lying and being unable to help her. This past week she just didn't know how to face the woman she was falling so deeply for.

"You're just angry because I won't let you slice your goddamn arm!" Regina exclaimed when Emma had remained quiet a second too long.

"Enough Regina, let me explain!"

"No! I don't want to hear it. You could either convince your parents to let me go home or you could sleep on the couch."

"That's it? You're just gonna brush me off?" she asked half annoyed because she really did feel like she deserved it.

"Sure, why not?" Regina sassed right back. "You did it to me!"

"I felt guilty ok!" She snapped right back, finally getting more than just annoyed. Regina always knew exactly what buttons to push. Regina fell silent, her unseeing gaze averted. She didn't know where Emma was. Her pain made her too unfocused to use her magic.

She noticed it by the way Regina kept her gaze down and the way her body was clenched. So Emma lied down on her side, facing her girlfriend. She reach out and tilted Regina's chin slightly upward so that Regina knew where to look. She breathed a shaky sigh of relief when Regina didn't flinch away from her touch. She simply directed her gaze right at her and Emma swallowed the lump in her throat. It was as if she were looking at her.

"I just wanted to help you and I felt so ashamed for lying to you and not being strong enough to heal you. I just want you to see…" she whispered those last words through sudden tears. "I just couldn't face you since I was discharged because I felt like such a failure. I'm sorry. I know I ended up just making everything worse. I hurt you."

Regina's expression softened and she reached out, lightly tracing Emma's features with her fingertips. She frowned when she felt the warm wet tears on her cheeks. She slowly leaned in and kissed her. It was slow and full of so much love and hurt and Emma couldn't help but feel worse. She had been so childish, avoiding Regina because she had been scared.

When the need for air became too much, Regina pulled away and buried her face into her neck and pulled her close. Emma held her and kissed her dark short hair.

"I thought I lost you…" Emma could barely understand the mumbled confession followed by the sweet kiss on her neck. Emma just held her tighter.

"I'm not leaving you," she assured her and Regina remained quiet. Even after she had fallen asleep, Emma didn't let her go. In fact she stayed with the sleeping brunette for the rest of the afternoon. It was the late evening when Snow quietly entered the room to check on them.

"Hey, how is she doing?" she whispered, leaning against the threshold, not wanting to go in and wake the sleeping brunette cuddled against her daughter.

"She was just so angry…" Emma took a shaky breath. "I really messed up."

"She's been a spitfire all week," Snow chuckled softly. "I just managed to calm your father. They've been at each other non-stop."

"I'm sorry," she groaned. "Don't be angry at her. It's my fault."

"We don't blame either of you," Snow said. "We're just glad you two are talking again."

"I stopped…"

Snow didn't have to ask her to elaborate. She already knew.

"If there's another way, we'll figure it out."

"Yeah, so I've heard…"

Snow give her a sad smile.

"Do you need help changing her bandages?" she asked, sparing Emma the awkwardness of the subject and redirecting her focus on Regina.

"No, I got it," she smiled. "Thank you."

Snow wished her goodnight and Emma and Regina were once again left alone. She let Regina sleep for another hour and just as she was starting to feel sleepy herself, she decided to get up and change the dressings on Regina's abdomen. Henry had come in shortly after Snow did and was fast asleep in his bed. She was quiet, trying not wake him as she stood and left the room.

She went downstairs and grabbed the first aid kit along with the pills David had left on the counter. She poured a glass of water and was up the stairs and by Regina's side in a matter of minutes.

She set her supplies on the nightstand and turned on the lamp. Regina was fast asleep and she wished she could do this without waking her. She lowered the blanket and lifted her shirt. The bruising looked just as bad as it did since the day of the accident. Carter had ruined any healing that Emma had done and because of it Regina was still in so much pain. She cursed the bastard under her breath and gently reached up, smoothing Regina's hair out of her face and behind her ear.

"…Emma…" she whispered, practically sleep talking.

"Sorry honey, I need to change your bandages," she said, feeling bad that she had to wake her. Regina groaned as she slowly became aware of her throbbing ribs. It hurt to breathe. Her hand moved to her chest, fisting in her shirt.

"It hurts to breathe…" she whispered, brown eyes finally fluttering open.

"Do you want your pain killers?" she asked.

Regina stayed silent and Emma took that as a no. She took off the dressings and gently dabbed her wound with disinfective solution. Regina winced at the burning sensation but remained silent.

When she was done, she carefully placed a new bandage over her stiches. Regina closed her eyes and settled beneath the covers as Emma put away the medical supplies. When she was finally ready for bed, she grabbed an extra blanket and was heading for the couch.

"Wait…"

Regina's sleepy voice stopped her in her tracks. She turned from her spot at the threshold of the door to see brown eyes fixed unseeingly straight ahead at her, except this time were glowing purple with magic. Regina was using it to see where she was going. This was the first time she's seen Regina use her magic to see. Her pain made her weak and it fizzed out a second later.

"Stay with me, please."

"Thought you wanted me to sleep on the couch," she stated, sounding a little bitter.

"I don't want to fight anymore. I'm… sorry Emma. I'll apologize to your parents too. My behavior towards them was uncalled for."

"No…" Emma sighed, going over and getting under the covers. She pulled Regina close to her and kissed her cheek. "You can apologize to them, but not me. You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one that's sorry. I pushed you away and I hurt you."

Regina answered her with a kiss. It started off slow and sweet and then Emma placed both hands on her cheeks. Regina fingers tangled in her blonde hair and it became heated and passionate.

The blonde slipped a thigh between Regina's legs and she gasped at her sudden arousal. Emma shifted, hovering on top of her and being careful not to hurt her ribs. She pulled away from her lips and started placing kisses on her neck and just below her ear. She moaned and Emma silenced her with a kiss in fear of waking their snoring son.

"Sshh," she whispered into her ear and Regina shivered at the warmness of her breath. She felt warm fingers toying with the hem of her shirt.

"Emma…" It was an unspoken request that only Emma understood. The fingers toying with the hem of her shirt skillfully slid under her shirt, pushing it up until revealing a black lacy bra.

Green eyes full of desire and love met brown. She stared right back at her and just for a moment Emma could pretend that Regina could see her.

She never knew how much she's wanted this until this moment. She slid her hand around Regina's back and when the brunette slightly lifted herself off the bed, her face contorted and she let out an anguished cry of pain. Her hand flew to her severely bruised fractured ribs.

"Oh no… Regina," she said softly, moving off of her and gently lowering her back down. The guilty sheriff pulled down her girlfriend's shirt and settled beside her, gathering her into her arms.

"I'm sorry," the hurt brunette gasped, holding her ribs and tying to breathe through the pain.

"Hey, we have plenty of time after you've healed. We don't need to rush this."

"You'll be here when I wake up?" Regina asked after a moment of silence. The pain wasn't edging away. If anything it seemed to be getting stronger with each raspy breath.

"Of course," Emma answered with a quick kiss to her lips.

"Can you pass me my pills?"

If she was asking for her meds, Emma knew she must really be in pain and was glad that they didn't go any further. Regina was in no shape for such activities.

She reached over and grabbed the pills and water. Once she had taken them, Emma set the glass and bottle of pills back down on the nightstand and settled with Regina in her arms.

"Close your eyes," she whispered to her exhausted girlfriend.

They fell into a comfortable silence and Emma could feel Regina's body growing heavy thanks to the meds. It wasn't long till her ragged pain filled breaths evened out and she finally fell into a drug induced sleep.

She hated seeing her in so much pain. Her surgical wound would be healed in a matter of weeks. Her ribs however would take months.

Emma took Regina's hand that laying protectively on her fractured ribs. The urge to heal away as much she could was strong, but she held back. She had done enough lying and damage the past few weeks.

The urge to heal dissipated and she squeezed Regina's hand.

Emma had gotten the call early the next morning. Ruby had been out on her morning run when she found Carter passed out on the beach. Apparently he's been hiding out at the docks and made the stupid decision to get drunk on the beach last night.

Now he was behind bars. Exactly where he belonged.

Regina had woken up to an empty space beside her where a certain sheriff was supposed to be. Instead she heard her fumbling around the room for some clothes and talking into her cell.

"Emma?"

"Thank you Ruby. Don't leave until I get there. I don't want that bastard alone for a second…" she said and upon hearing Regina's confused voice she stopped her fumbling and sat on the edge of the bed beside her. Regina felt a warm hand caressing her cheek.

"Yes, I'll let David know…" she continued into the phone. "See you soon, bye."

"Who did Ruby find?" she asked shakily, hoping it was the man that Emma has been searching for non-stop. Emma helped her into a sitting position against the pillows.

"Carter," she replied and Regina sighed in relief.

"When will he be sentenced?" she asked, her tone dark and Emma looked at her in concern. She could see the anger residing in those dark sightless eyes.

"Right now," she stated determinedly without even a breath of hesitation. She felt Emma get up from the bed and right away Regina's magic flared up, her eyes glowing purple. She pushed away the comforter and swung her legs over the bed. She ignored the throbbing pains in her ribs.

She saw Emma's outline of her silhouette turn back to her.

"Regina, what are you doing!" she exclaimed in surprise, rushing back and trying to lie her back down. Regina only pushed her away gently.

"I want to go with you. I want to confront the bastard that took away my sight and attacked us in an alley and ran away like a coward!"

Emma sighed, knowing she couldn't force Regina to stay here while they banished the man that hurt them.

"Alright," she groaned, obviously not liking this idea. "But if the pain is too much you're coming right back."

They ended up driving to the line just a few short hours later. Emma was leading in her patrol car with Carter cuffed in the backseat. David followed in his truck with both Regina and Snow. They didn't let Henry come. Regina refused to have her son in the presence of the man that had took her sight. The man that had attacked both her and Emma in an alleyway and ran like the coward that he is.

The atmosphere in the truck was quiet and tense. Regina was nervous but there was no way she would let Carter see. So she sat there trying to build up her mask of confidence. She was trying to bring up the Madame Mayor façade.

Snow must have seen the change in her face because she suddenly felt an arm sliding around her shoulder and pulling her into a half hug. She welcomed the contact and it suddenly grounded her. These people that had become her family had been with her every step of the way and she suddenly felt guilty for her behavior this past week.

"David… Snow… this past week…" she stopped, struggling on her words and she could practically feel David's smug grin. It should have angered her but instead she couldn't help but feel amused. Is this what family was like? Forgiving and letting go no matter how horrible you've been to them?

She took a breath.

"I'm sorry…" she muttered so low she wasn't even sure they caught it.

"Wait… Snow I think her majesty tried to tell us something except I didn't quite get that. Did you?"

Regina rolled her eyes at his playful jab.

"No," Snow played along. "Can you repeat that Regina?"

"I said I'm sorry!" she snapped. "Wipe the smugness from your face Charming. It's unbefitting."

"Yes your majesty," he laughed. "For the record I'm sorry for losing my temper. And wipe the smugness from your face Regina. It's unbefitting."

"You two are worse than Emma and Henry when they bicker," Snow laughed.

Regina looked appalled. "Queens don't bicker."

Snow laughed as the car came to a stop. Regina didn't have to see to know they were at the town line.

"Ready?" David asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," she answered, her voice suddenly serious with no trace of the playful banter from moments before. Her eyes glowed purple as she exited the car. She could see two forms standing at the line. One was wearing cuffs.

Her ribs were throbbing. Her stiches felt like they were on fire. It hurt to breathe but she pushed it all down. He would not see her weak. He had not broken her, and so she walked straight to him. Confidence radiating from her very being. Her heels, which she had fought venomously with Emma, clacked on the wet pavement from an earlier rainfall. She wore a black skirt and blazer with a white top. She looked every bit of the relentless mayor she had been once upon a time.

Her eyes glowed with magic and she wished she can see his pathetic face in order to use his reaction to bring him down a few notches.

"So much as look at her wrong and you won't even make it across the line," she heard Emma growling out as she unlocked his cuffs. David and Snow were right behind her. She could hear their footsteps.

She stopped inches away from him and he let out an obnoxious laugh.

"You royalties brought her here to kill me?" he asked. "What? Can't afford to get your hands dirty so you have the Evil Queen do it for you?"

Regina's hand shot out and gripped his throat in less than a heartbeat. She didn't even miss. He gasped in shock as she got into his personal space, nose to nose.

"Enough out of you!" she growled through clenched teeth. "You are to leave Storybrooke and never come back. You are to go back to your cursed memories and to the cursed drunk buffoon you once were. If I ever see you around here again, whether you remember or not, I will destroy you if it's the last thing I do." And with those words, she pushed him back across the line. He stumbled, yelling out in terror for the unknown world.

They watched as he regained his balance on the other side and look around confused.

"Maybe we should have given him a car?" Emma asked, always the one to break the tension with sarcasm and humor.

"Nah, let him walk," David answered bitterly, watching as Carter started to walk down the road.

"Regina?" Snow's worried voice caused Emma and David to whirl around in time to see her keeping Regina from crumbling to the floor in pain. Her magic had fizzed out, no longer shinning in her eyes. Her hand was on her ribs, and the pain was etched across her face.

"Hurts too much…" she gasped as Emma helped Snow hold her up.

"Let's get you to the truck," David said, taking Snow's place and helping Emma walk her to where he had parked a short distance away.

"I knew those heels were a bad idea even if you were a badass back there," Emma said and Regina managed a small smirk of her lips through the searing pain and heavy breaths.

When they had gotten home Regina had gone straight to bed and was put under with meds. The trip to the town line had took a lot out of her. She was the one to ask for the meds when she usually had to be persuaded.

It was the late evening when she had woken up to the sound of laughter coming from downstairs. Her head was still foggy from the meds and her ribs were still a bit numb. She slid the covers off and slowly got to her feet. She felt too drained to use her magic so she counted her steps to the door and then out into the hall. She counted her steps to the stairs where the easy chatter and laughter grew louder. She descended the steps and heard footsteps approaching her from the kitchen. It had to be Emma because she could hear the only hear Henry, Snow, and David laughing over whatever they were doing.

An arm was suddenly around her waist, and warm lips brushed her cheek.

"Come sit with us," her girlfriend whispered and led her to the couch, cup of hot chocolate in hand. She can smell the warm surgery drink wafting in the air around them.

She set down her hot chocolate and pulled Regina down with her on the couch. David was sitting on the floor beside Henry while Snow sat on the armchair. The coffee table was in the center.

"What's going on?" she asked, her voice still groggy from her drug induced nap.

"We're playing monopoly and so far the kid is creaming us."

"Of course," she stated, hearing Henry relentlessly tease his grandfather when he land on his property. "Who do you think taught him to play?"

"It's true," their son laughed. "Mom never loses at board games."

"How am I not surprised by this?" she asked and Regina tilted her face up, aiming for a kiss that instead landed on the sheriff's nose.

She could hear her loved ones laughing affectionately and she turned red in embarrassment, hiding her face into Emma's shoulder.

"Here, love. Let me help you," Emma whispered, tilting her chin up and looking into unfocused brown eyes.

Regina felt her heart soar and she felt at peace just knowing Emma was the one holding her. She felt Emma meeting her gaze and could feel her breath so close to her lips. A thumb lightly traced her bottom lip.

"Would you two kiss already so we could play? Henry groaned impatiently, not interested in his mom's cuddle fest. "You're next Emma."

Emma laughed and before Regina knew it, Emma softly kissed her. She could feel nothing but love and passion and it made her think of what Emma had told her weeks ago. It was too soon to call it love, but it was heading there.

Well it had definitely headed there and fast. Regina had already fallen hard for the woman that was kissing her. Regina smiled into their kiss when Henry started to protest his annoyance, and they reluctantly pulled away.

"Patience my little prince," she scolded and he sighed out an apology as Emma took her turn. However, Regina knew her girlfriends mind was far from the game.

She snuggled up in to Emma and let the sounds of her family laughing and talking wash over her. Even if she had lost her sight. Even if she would never be able to see her son grow or once again see that infuriating red leather jacket or gaze upon green eyes that were entirely Emma Swan, she was happy.

She found her family.

She found her "too soon but definitely heading there" true love.