A/N: Wow - somehow when I wasn't paying attention, this story developed over 200 followers. Thank you so much for all your feedback and support. I should warn you that the next couple of updates might come a little bit more slowly than normal because I'm trying to handle the characters' grief with appropriate sensitivity but without letting things get excessively dark. It's still supposed to be a hopeful story. :) For those wondering, I foresee this fic having about 20-25 chapters total, so there's still a way to go, but it's not going to be a never-ending saga.

Coming up next chapter, Papa Mills will make an appearance, along with more of Zelena, Gold, Mother Superior, Dr. Hopper, and Little Henry.

I still don't own these characters or Once Upon a Time.

Chapter 15: The Price

"She's gone," Regina whispers, but it sounds like a shout because the street is enveloped in a still, eerie silence, like the entire town of Storybrooke is holding its breath. Emma feels wind rushing in her ears, and the outer edges of her vision blur, and all she can see is Regina kneeling on the cold pavement, her mother's dead body in her arms, her face looking so lost and confused and broken.

And then there's a scream, and it's Zelena. She's yelling at Gold, saying that this is his fault and he knew this would happen, and Emma can't understand a word of it, but Gold looks just as shocked as any of them.

"You manipulated everything," Zelena screams. "You just wanted her dead!"

"But I didn't," Gold whispers.

Regina looks up. Her jaw is set in a hard line, but her eyes say that her soul has been shattered into a million tiny pieces, and Emma doesn't hesitate anymore. In an instant, she's kneeling on the ground beside Regina, pulling the other girl into her arms and whispering unintelligible soothing sounds in her ear, but Regina doesn't seem to notice. She doesn't seem to notice anything except the alarmingly still woman she's clutching to her chest with progressively shakier hands.

Mother Superior flutters to the ground and reassumes her human size. "It's the price," she tells Zelena solemnly. "The price of her dark magic."

"I don't understand," Zelena sobs.

"When her dark heart returned to her body, it had a negative reaction with the purity of the fairy dust," the fairy explains. "The light magic attacked the dark, and it didn't leave enough left over to sustain her life. I'm so sorry."

Emma furrows her brow in confusion. She'll admit to not having absorbed much information from Chemistry class (possibly as a result of taking it at a combination of three different schools and one prison), but she's pretty sure fairy dust isn't supposed to kill people.

"The fairy dust didn't kill her; it killed the dark magic," says Mother Superior. Emma blinks. She didn't realize she'd said that out loud. "The spell that I cast should have preserved what was still pure and good in her, but apparently there was nothing left."

"No," Regina whispers. "No, that can't be true." She frantically peppers her mother's face with kisses like she expects it to wake her up, but of course it doesn't, because since when can kisses raise the dead? "Why isn't it working? True love - it's the most powerful magic. She should be waking up..."

Emma's heart sinks as Mother Superior decides to voice the same thought that crossed her mind but she'd felt was too offensive to share. "Love is only true if it's reciprocated. Someone with a heart as dark as your mother's could never feel true love. She-"

"Shut up!" Zelena screams, raising her arms like she's going to throw a curse at the fairy before realizing at the last second that she's wearing the cuff. Though she still hates Zelena, Emma finds herself agreeing with the sentiment - where the hell was Mother Superior the day they taught grief counseling at the convent?

Suddenly, Emma senses her foster mother at her shoulder, and she almost sighs with relief because she's never felt to grateful to see someone in her life. "We should get her out of here," Mary Margaret says quietly. "She doesn't need to hear this."

Emma nods in agreement, and she takes one side and Mary Margaret takes the other, and they gently pry Regina away from Cora's body and lead her away from the crowd of onlookers. Out of the corner of her eye, Emma sees Dr. Hopper doing a similar thing with Zelena, who's desperately fighting against him to land a punch on Mother Superior. Emma and Mary Margaret, on the other hand, meet shockingly little resistance; Regina's eyes are glassy and unfocused and she looks like she can't even begin to process what's happening.

It appears that Gold is now threatening Mother Superior. The air is once again filled with the crackle of magic, and Emma takes one final look at the scene on Main Street before averting her eyes and following Mary Margaret into the apartment building.

xx

She loses track of time.

They're sitting on the couch, all three of them. Regina is in the middle, and Emma and Mary Margaret are each holding one of her hands. She's staring blankly at the wall and looks as locked in her own mind as she did the night before, but this time Emma knows there's nothing she can say to make it even a tiny bit better.

So she sits. She sits and lets Regina hold her hand so tightly she's afraid she'll never be able to move her fingers again. She sees Mary Margaret shift her weight slightly, and she knows the teacher wants nothing more than to be on her feet, cleaning or otherwise trying to fix something, but she doesn't leave. Neither of them even considers it.

It's the middle of the afternoon and Emma's stomach is starting to growl for want of lunch when Regina finally speaks. Her voice is raspy and she sounds like she's going to cry, but her face remains as expressionless as before. "Miss Blanchard, we missed the math quiz."

"Actually, you didn't. Gold cancelled school today, so I'll give it tomorrow instead."

"Oh, okay." Regina nods slowly, like she's having trouble processing the information. Like she doesn't even want to process all of the information.

"I can give you some practice problems, if you like," Mary Margaret offers. Regina nods again, and Mary Margaret gently leads her to the kitchen table and sets her up with the worksheet she'd probably intended to assign in class the day before. "Let me know if you need any help, sweetheart," she says softly before backing away from the table so Regina can have some space.

"You okay?" she whispers to Emma.

"Sure, are you? You knew the mayor better than I did." She can't help but notice that her foster mother has been on the verge of tears for quite some time.

"Yeah, I'm...I'm not...it's not about Mayor Mills herself. I mean..."

"I'm not sad that she's dead, either," Emma says darkly. "All I care about is Regina."

"Yeah, that. It's always sad when someone dies unnecessarily, of course."

"Of course."

"But, you're right, it's about Regina." Mary Margaret sighs. "I lost my own mother when I was about her age. It was...it was obviously a different situation, but I can imagine how much pain she's in right now, and it's...a lot."

"I didn't know your mom died," Emma says. Come to think of it, she knows next to nothing about Mary Margaret's family.

"She passed away after a long illness," Mary Margaret recites, like it's a speech she's rehearsed numerous times. "It was very hard, and I still miss her, but at least..." the teacher's voice cracks, and she casts a heartbroken glance at Regina, who is intensely focused on her Pre-Calc worksheet. "At least I had a lifetime of her love to draw strength from."

Mary Margaret dissolves in tears, which makes Emma do the same, and as she's being squeezed in her foster mother's arms, she thinks maybe she's lucky she's never really had a family to love because at least she's never had to feel the pain of losing them.

After a few minutes, Emma wipes her eyes and sits down at the table beside her friend with a bowl of cereal, and Mary Margaret places an apple cut into small slices in front of Regina, who stares at the fruit like she doesn't recognize it or understand what she's supposed to do with it.

"How's the math?" she asks awkwardly.

Regina shrugs.

"You know, you could probably take tomorrow off from school," Emma suggests. "I don't think anyone would mind."

"Mother would never allow that," Regina immediately replies, turning back to her math problems.

Emma stares questioningly at Mary Margaret, who gives her a firm look that clearly says, "Don't push it."

xx

Half an hour later, Emma has her own books spread on the table and is absentmindedly trying to complete some history reading when Regina looks up and asks Mary Margaret for more math problems.

The teacher looks pained. "Yeah, just give me a few minutes. Do you need something to eat or drink, or anything else?" she asks desperately, glancing for a second at the uneaten apple on the table.

Regina shakes her head and stares at her hands for a moment before a tremor passes through her body and she suddenly starts blinking. "Miss Blanchard," she mumbles, "I need to call my father. He...he doesn't know..."

Mary Margaret swallows hard before responding, "Do you want me to take care of that for you, sweetheart?"

"No, I can do it myself," Regina insists, pulling her cell phone out of her bag. "I'll just...do it now."

Emma considers pointing out that it's the middle of the night in Shanghai, but she thinks better of it at the last second. She doesn't know Mr. Mills at all, but if he's not the kind of dad who will pick up the phone for his daughter at three in the morning, she's going to have some choice words for him when they finally meet.

Regina stands and tightly clutches the back of the chair as she dials her father. It rings a few times, but eventually he picks up.

"Daddy?" she whispers, and he says something back; Emma can't hear what it is, but it doesn't really matter because it's as if the mere sound of his voice is enough to unravel whatever tiny thread was left holding Regina together. Thankfully, Emma and Mary Margaret's quick reflexes prevent her from collapsing on the floor: Emma hugs Regina's sobbing frame tightly against her chest, while her foster mother gently pries the phone out of her hand.

"Hello, Henry, this is Mary Margaret Blanchard...No, Regina is - this is about Cora. She...she died...I-" Mary Margaret quickly walks to the other side of the room. Emma can still hear her, but she assumes it's so Regina can't see her face.

"No, of course Regina isn't okay. I think you need to get here as soon as possible...I don't care; she needs you. She's needed you for the last two years." Mary Margaret takes the phone out into the hallway, shutting the door firmly behind her, and Regina cries harder into Emma's shoulder.

What am I supposed to do now? Emma thinks desperately. She's getting better at comforting people after a lifetime of inexperience, but this situation is so far over her head. She settles for rubbing Regina's back and saying, "It's okay. I've got you," because it's something she's heard from Mary Margaret before. She whispers it over and over until the expert herself can return and come up with something better.

When Mary Margaret finally comes back, she's wearing a grim expression and holding the phone out. "Regina, your dad wants to talk to you," she says, pressing the phone to Regina's ear for her because she's in no state to hold it herself. Mr. Mills says some things, Regina sobs a bit in reply, then Mary Margaret finally hangs up the phone and nestles herself against Regina's back, wrapping surprisingly long arms around both girls.

"Hey, it's a Regina sandwich," Emma remarks.

The brunette manages a tiny smile through her tears, and Mary Margaret whispers, "Your dad's flight will get in tomorrow night."

Regina inhales deeply and struggles to say something. "He didn't want to come," she finally chokes out.

"But he is coming," Mary Margaret says reassuringly. "And Emma and I won't leave your side for a second. You won't be alone, Regina. You're going to get through this."

xx

The evening passes by in a blur. Regina intermittently cries and completes an entire semester's worth of homework assignments while Mary Margaret bakes about a hundred cookies in seven different varieties. Emma drifts back and forth between her own homework (she seriously can't believe Regina is insisting that they're both going to school tomorrow), holding Regina when she cries, and helping Mary Margaret lick the spoon in between each batch.

She's sampling the snickerdoodle batter when she hears a heavy book slam shut, and Regina announces that she's finished reading her AP Biology textbook.

"Glossary and acknowledgments, too?" Mary Margaret asks.

Regina nods.

"Want to take a break and watch a movie?" Emma asks hopefully. "Since we never actually did that at sleepover number one."

"We're already on sleepover number three," Regina comments. "I think this friendship is moving a little fast for me."

"Was that a joke?"

"I don't know. Was it funny?"

Emma smirks and gently pulls off Regina's glasses. "Come on. Your brain might explode from too much knowledge if you keep this up."

Regina allows Emma to grab her hand and lead her into the living room. "What movie do you want to watch?"

Emma quickly browses Mary Margaret's DVD collection. Nothing with parent issues, she reasons, and nothing including hearts. That pretty much rules out the entire Disney collection and most of the rom-coms. She finally settles on Monty Python and the Holy Grail - which, quite frankly, she's shocked Mary Margaret even owns - thinking that maybe a laugh will be good for everybody.

By the end of the opening credits, Regina is smiling a little and snuggled into Emma's side, so she considers it a win.

Mary Margaret comes in with a huge platter of cookies, which she puts on the coffee table. "Do you two want company, or should I occupy myself elsewhere?"

"This movie is pretty amusing. You should stay and watch," Regina mumbles, her eyes never leaving the TV screen.

Mary Margaret shrugs and settles on the other end of the couch, giving the girls some space. "I've actually never seen this one before," she remarks.

"Yeah, it doesn't really seem like your taste."

"It was a birthday gift, from...somebody."

"Really, Mary Margaret? What secret love life mysteries are you hiding now?"

"Shush; I'm trying to watch the movie," Regina whines. Emma tugs the brunette in closer, wrapping both arms around her. It occurs to her, momentarily, that she's cuddled more with Regina in the last week than she's done with everyone else in her life combined, but she decides not to overanalyze it. She's cozy.

By the time the movie finishes, the cookies have mostly disappeared (thought Emma doesn't recall eating more than two) and all three of them have tears of laughter on their faces. Mary Margaret checks her watch. "Well, I think I'm going to get ready for bed," she yawns. "Got to leave for school bright and early tomorrow."

Emma feels herself beginning to drift off as well - it's been a long day. "Hey, you want to borrow some pajamas again?" she asks. Regina nods and follows Emma into her bedroom, where she puts on the same set she's worn the last few nights.

"Sorry, we haven't gotten a chance to do laundry lately," the blonde says sheepishly.

"It's okay. They're soft," Regina murmurs, stroking the worn flannel. Suddenly, her eyes widen, and her face takes on a greenish tint. She claps a hand over her mouth and sprints into the bathroom.

"Oh man," Emma mutters. She follows the brunette to where she's bent over the toilet and kneels beside her. "Eating twenty cookies in one sitting probably wasn't the greatest move, huh?" Wincing in sympathy, she gently brushes the hair out of Regina's face and strokes her back while she throws up everything in her digestive tract.

"I think I'm finished," Regina eventually croaks. "I'm sorry for-"

"Don't worry about it. Just brush your teeth and let's get some rest."

A few minutes later, Regina returns and lies gingerly on the edge of Emma's bed. "Sorry for being gross," she whispers.

"Whatever, it happens. Are you feeling better?"

"Kind of. I should probably try to exercise more self-control with Miss Blanchard's baked goods in the future - my stomach hurts."

"Do you want me to rub it?" Regina looks confused. "To make it feel better," Emma clarifies. "I think sometimes it helps."

"I...that sounds a little creepy, but yes."

Emma motions for Regina to scoot in closer to her on the bed and tenderly rubs her upset stomach. "Does that feel okay?" she asks. Regina nods, rolling slightly onto her side so she can reach out to caress Emma's cheek with her thumb.

"When you're here, everything feels okay." Emma feels her heart pound, and she almost has to avert her eyes because Regina is gazing at her with so much love it's overwhelming. That is, until she remembers why she's sleeping over in the first place, and her eyes fill with tears. "Emma, my mother..." she says shakily.

"I know," Emma whispers. "I'm so sorry."

"I killed her."

"What? No, Regina, you didn't kill her. It was - well, I don't know if it was an accident, but it definitely wasn't your fault. Gold, or Mother Superior...I don't even understand what happened."

"Emma, I put her heart back in her and she died."

"Yeah, but then there was that fairy dust, and I think that's what did it? You didn't know, Regina," Emma soothes, drawing the other girl's body closer in a protective embrace.

"But I should have known something was wrong. Gold is...I should have known. I just - I wanted her to love me," Regina sniffs.

Emma has no idea what to say, so she just softly hums and lets Regina cry into her shoulder until her breathing slows and deepens, and they both drift off into an uneasy slumber.

xx

"Regina, are you sure you want to do this?" Mary Margaret asks for about the tenth time as both girls finish getting ready for school. "I'm not going to force you to go to school today if you're not ready."

"I'm fine," Regina snaps. "And even if I wasn't, I don't think sitting alone in your apartment all day would make me feel any better."

Emma starts to offer, "I could stay with-"

"No! I'm fine, and I'm going to school. If you two are going to insist on dawdling, I'll just meet you at the car," Regina growls, slinging her backpack over one shoulder and marching out the door.

Emma raises an eyebrow at Mary Margaret "We shouldn't take this personally, right?"

Sighing deeply, the teacher shakes her head. While Regina may have craved comfort the night before, ever since she woke up this morning she's been pushing both of them away with more force than Emma is accustomed to.

"Right, so I'll just give her some space."

"I'm not sure if that's the best idea," Mary Margaret says, cringing as though she's remembering something unpleasant.

"What do you mean?"

"That's what I tried to do the last time Regina was grieving. I thought it was the right thing, but it wasn't. I failed her, and I regret it every single day."

"This is about Dani, right? And how she blames you for getting her killed or something? You said it was your biggest regret."

"Dani's death was my fault, but that's...obviously, I regret what happened. It haunts me every day, but my biggest regret is that I allowed Regina to push me away afterwards."

"Like she's trying to do now?"

"Yes, but a million times worse. She was so angry at the world - not that I blame her - and, of course, I bore the brunt of it, though she closed herself off to most people. And then, anyone she didn't push away, her mother did. Anyone who would have helped her."

"Well, she was pissed at you," Emma reasons. "It's not like she wanted you hovering and taking care of her. You can't blame yourself for that."

"But I do. I was hurt by her rejection, and it was childish. I was one of the few adults she trusted, and I not only betrayed her trust by telling her mother about Dani, I abandoned her when she needed me more than ever, and - well, we won't get into that now. Just...I'm not making the same mistake again, and I don't want you to, either."

With a final shake of her head, Mary Margaret starts to walk out of the apartment, and Emma follows, unsure what to think. She still doesn't completely understand the whole situation with Dani, and maybe it is all Mary Margaret's fault and she should be pissed at her on Regina's behalf, but she can't help but be impressed with her foster mother. She's known very few adults who actually seem to understand their role in children's lives and accept responsibility for their own failings. She wishes the foster system had more Mary Margaret Blanchards.

xx

"Regina, I don't get this crap about the asymptotes," Emma whines. "Can you help me?"

"You live with our teacher," Regina growls. "You should have asked for her help with your homework last night. Why are you bothering me? I'm trying to read." Emma rolls her eyes - Regina has been staring blankly at the same page of Founding Brothers for about ten minutes, and she never reads that slowly. Besides, she's not wearing her reading glasses, and she can barely tell the difference between English and Chinese without them.

"Okay, fine, I just wanted to hear your voice," she admits. "Even if it's angry. You sure you're okay?"

"Of course I'm okay. What would ever give you the idea that I wasn't?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that you picked out the grungiest outfit in my entire closet this morning, or that you're trying to read without your glasses. Among other things."

Regina sighs and buries her hands in the pocket of Emma's giant hoodie. It's obvious that she's playing with her ring under the fabric.

"It's okay, you know. If you 're not okay. No one is going to judge you."

"Mother would."

"Yeah, but-" She wants to say, "But she's not here," but that feels wrong. So, too, does, "She was a terrible person." Instead, she settles for, "Maybe she would have thought - wrongly, I might add - you were acting weak, but I bet she would have been honored to be your weakness."

The words are like a cannonball to whatever walls Regina has been rebuilding; she's instantly sobbing in Emma's arms, practically pinning the blonde to the back of her chair.

"Emma?" she whispers.

"Yeah, what's up?"

The words come out so quietly that at first Emma isn't sure she's heard properly. "I love you."