Morning's Golden Light

A/N1: Just to note, this story takes place post curse breaking, post Emma/Snow in FTL and post advent of Cora and Hook. I diverge from canon in a number of ways including having Emma never thinking for a second that Regina had killed Archie and with Snow intending to kill Cora with the candle, but Regina beating her to it, She had no intention of allowing Cora anywhere near her son or allowing her to gain the powers of the Dark One and knew that killing her was the only way to truly protect Henry. Snow throws this action, an action that actually saves Snow's grandson and entire family, in Regina's face several times in the aftermath. (She doesn't know about Regina's father.)

Part Five

Emma and Henry jumped at the sound of the doorbell followed instantly by a barrage of furious knocking. Emma sent Henry to answer it telling him to double check through the window first to make sure it was David and Ruby and not to let anyone else in if it wasn't. A few minutes later Henry was back dragging David by the hand with Ruby bringing up the rear. Emma stood and faced the newcomers eliciting tandem exclamations when they took in her battered and weary appearance.

"Spirits of the wood, Emma what the hell happened to you?" Ruby's query rode rough shod over David's simple exclamation of his daughter's name.

"Let's just say that your hatchet was great against a tree, not so great against what else was waiting for me." Emma addressed Ruby but put her hand out to slow David's concerned advance.

"Don't get freaked David, I'll be fine really. Trust me I've had worse." Although her parents were constantly badgering her to call them Mom and Dad, Emma felt ridiculous addressing people who were now younger than she was by those titles and resolutely stuck to using their names.

David didn't back down, titulary aside, this was his daughter and he was damned if he was going to hide his worry. He reached to cup her damaged cheek, that fatherly concern evident in his gentle touch and in his eyes.

"What happened? What's this about a hatchet?"

"What's with Regina?"

Ruby interrupted before Emma could answer one way or another bringing everyone's attention back to the unconscious woman on the bed beginning to thrash and moan once more. Working on instinct Emma immediately sat down and took Regina's hand holding it firmly with one hand while caressing it with the other, the brunette whimpered pitifully but stilled her movements instantly.

Emma kept hold of Regina's hand and instructed David and Ruby to pull the small chaise and the chair from the vanity over so she could talk to them. Henry sat down at Emma's feet, leaning partly against the bed and partly against his mother's legs, garnering as much comfort from her proximity as his other mother seemed to be doing.

Emma filled David in on the details of her dreams and all the events of the preceding week and more, being quite thorough with the particulars of the dream that had left her considerably worse for wear. Remembering Henry's presence at her feet, she omitted mentioning the demon with his face from the description. She kept hold of Regina's hand the entire time, occasionally moving her stroking from the back of the older woman's hand to her inner wrist and up her lower arm; the actions grounded Emma and helped her concentrate. Her story finally told, she ended with a question for her father.

"Do you think it's a sleeping curse David?" From her experience when Henry was under such a curse and the descriptions in Henry's book Emma thought it was unlikely that it was something as Fairy Tale-mundane as a sleeping curse, but she wanted David's confirmation of her suspicions.

David studied the prone form of his onetime nemesis, the woman so many of the townsfolk, including his wife, hated and despised and still called the Evil Queen. Part of him loathed her and the damage she'd wrought with her curse, to him, his family and so many others, but part of him had always reluctantly credited her with being the catalyst that had actually brought he and Snow together. If Regina hadn't banished Snow and made her a fugitive and outlaw, they would never have met, never have realised their love for each other, as twisted as the logic was, part of David had always been grateful to her for bringing his true love into his orbit.

Added to that long time polarity David had seen first -hand how much Regina had changed since the curse had been broken. He'd seen her save Henry at the stables sacrificing any lasting hope of being reunited with her long lost love. He knew how she'd risked her own life to bring Snow and Emma back through the well, how she'd battled beside Emma against Hook and Cora and their minions saving everyone in Storybrooke by defeating and killing her own mother. Unlike his wife, David had witnessed the event and had seen the genuine anguish and regret on Regina's face when she'd held her mother's lifeless body before she disappeared. Since then he'd been impressed with how she'd been working to keep her promise to Henry and getting along so well with Emma to take care of their son.

'Their son,' the phrase resonated in David's mind with force when he refocused on the tableau in front of him. Regina whimpering slightly but calmed by Emma's touch as the blonde continued her soothing ministrations a look of real pain and concern for the prone woman's condition evident on her battered face. Between them their son sat, one hand around Emma's leg and one reaching up on the bed to touch Regina's hip, hanging on to his family, needing that connection to both his mothers.

"David?"

The man, still fixated on the idea of his daughter forming a family unit with his age old enemy missed Emma's questioning prompt causing her to repeat his name with a little more emphasis.

"Earth to David, a little help here please." Nothing. "Yo Prince Charming!" Still getting no response Emma tried once more to garner his attention.

"Hey Dad!"

The sound of the title he so wished Emma would use all the time finally snapped him out of his reverie.

"What? What did you say Emma?"

"Sleeping curse?" She waved toward Regina and raised her eyebrow.

"Oh right. Um, no I don't think it's a sleeping curse. The victim in that case slips into a death like state, essentially their body is frozen in time, it doesn't age, no movement, no breath or heartbeat."

"Yeah, figures it couldn't be something we already know about and might be able to do something to fix." Emma grumbled dejectedly before trying to adjust her position on the bed. The jostling pulled on her ribs and she hissed in pain before she could stop herself.

"Emma, I think you've maybe cracked or broken some ribs. We need to get you to the hospital and get you checked out."

Emma straightened and anger and frustration made her raise her voice and forget her restraint on her language.

"No! What I need to do is find out what the hell's happened to Regina, like right the fuck now so I can fix it!" She looked down at the brunette and finished off in a quieter voice. "You have no idea how much she's suffering."

Ruby and David met each other's gaze both making the wise choice not to voice their mutual thought that perhaps the former Evil Queen really had that suffering coming to her given her past actions. They watched Emma resume her soothing touches to the whimpering figure on the bed for a few minutes before refocusing her attention back to them.

"We need to find out what kind of curse this is and how we can break it. So, as much as I hate the idea, I guess we need to go and talk to Gold and Blue and see if they know what's going on." Her look turned grimly thoughtful before she growled out.

"Of course it was probably one of them that cast the damned thing so we aren't likely to get a straight answer from them even if we ask." She chuckled darkly. "Mind you, there are ways and ways of asking."

David was a bit taken aback by the sinister turn of her tone and the fact she'd lumped the Blue Fairy and the Dark One together as if they were both as bad as the other.

"Surely you don't think Blue did this? She's a fairy Emma, fairy magic is good magic."

"Yeah? Did she use her good magic to help you find Snow? Did she even once raise a fucking wing to prevent any of the horrible things that happened to you and Snow, or Belle or Regina or anyone else for that matter? Look what she did to Grumpy and Nova!" She paused for a breath. "Did she ever grant a wish that wasn't strung up with as many conditions as any one of Rumpelstiltskin's deals?"

David's immediate reply stalled while he considered what Emma had said, but it was just too much of a world view change for him to deal with, everyone in the Enchanted Forrest knew Fairies practiced good magic. Grasping at that belief he answered Emma's accusations.

"Well Blue has never used her magic to hurt someone."

Emma jumped up from the bed ignoring the pain this caused and glared at her father before grinding out a truth that shot David's claim down in flames.

"Tell that to August."

The room fell into an awkward silence for a few minutes before David slumped and hung his head, forced to acknowledge Emma had a point.

Ruby felt it was time she got them back on track and stepped forward putting her hand on her friend's shoulder. She noted how the blonde stiffened under her touch, she knew Emma was going to object to what she was going to say and jumped in to pre-empt her further protests.

"Look whatever curse she's under and no matter who cast it, you're not going to be any help to Regina in your current state. Besides, it's like four in the morning, way too early to consult or confront Mr Gold or Blue."

She squeezed the blonde's shoulder reassuringly.

"You're not in this alone Emma, we'll help you, you just have to let us."

"Whatever you need from us Emma, you've got it." David moved forward and placed his hand on her other shoulder capturing the blondes gaze, acknowledging he'd taken on board what she'd said. "I may have to rethink a few of my beliefs, but I'm with you in this Emma, whatever needs to be done I'm right behind you. I promise."

Henry, who'd remained on the floor beside the bed got up then and took hold of Emma's hand gaining her attention instantly.

"Let Gramps and Ruby help us Ma."

Emma's eyes watered a little at his continued use of the parental term.

"That's why Mom turned evil, because she didn't have a family who loved and cared for her or would help her."

He pulled Emma forward and placed her hand in Regina's then covered them both with his much smaller one before smiling up at Emma.

"But Mom's gonna be okay this time because now she does have a family who cares, now she's got us."

Emma pulled her son into a tight embrace murmuring her vehement agreement. It took Emma a few more minutes to allow herself to process the fact that for the first time in her own life she had people to help her, and what's more she'd actually reached out and asked for that help. It felt strange and a little scary, but she knew she was out of her depth and if she was going to save Regina than she needed to suck it up and get on with things.

"Alright, I'll go to the hospital, and I'll let them patch me up, but as soon as that's done I'm going to Gold's shop."

Ruby breathed a relieved sigh that her stubborn friend had decided to be reasonable. Now to get things into gear and everyone going where they needed to, knowing both David and Emma, if she left it up to them, they'd still be here in the morning. She mentally chuckled to herself, hearing Granny's voice saying the Charmings probably couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery.

"David you should take Emma to the hospital and I'll stay here and take care of Regina and Henry. When Emma's been taken care of call me and we'll make further plans."

"But I want to go with Ma." Henry piped up in protest over the arrangements.

Emma sat back down on the bed so she could be eye level with her son.

"Henry I need you to stay here and help look after your mother. I think her dreams might get bad again and it looks like the only thing that calms her nightmares is if you, me or both of us is touching her. So you see, if I have to be away for a while, it wouldn't be fair on your Mom not to have some kind of comfort. Do you think you can be in charge of that while I'm gone?"

Henry straightened up smiling at this acknowledgement not just of his importance but at his being trusted to do something important to help his Mom. He moved in and hugged Emma, careful this time to be gentle around her injuries.

"Sure Ma, you can count on me I'll take care of Mom."

He yawned and blushed a little when his jaw cracked immediately in a second yawn, then he glanced behind him.

"I'll pull the couch right beside the bed so I can hold Mom's hand and be near her even if I fall asleep."

David helped Henry move the chaise so that it was right against the bed allowing the boy to scramble up and make himself comfortable before he gently taking Regina's hand his and bringing them to rest on his chest.

Emma smiled down at her son and bent to kiss the top of his head.

"I knew I could count on you Kid."

Moving on instinct Emma bent further down to whisper in Regina's ear.

"Be strong Regina. I will save you, I promise."

Having relayed her message of hope, it seemed the most natural thing in the world for Emma to drop a soft kiss on Regina's temple before she stood up and faced the other two adults in the room. She didn't know if they'd noticed her action or not but decided she didn't care either way. Grabbing up her jacket she headed for the door.

"Come on David, let's go. Rubes we'll call you when we're done and let you know where we're headed next."

With David and Emma gone, Ruby went to the small book case near the wardrobe and chose a book that looked like it might be interesting. She pulled the chair she'd sat in earlier underneath the standing lamp near the window and settled in to watch over Regina and an already sleeping Henry.