Chapter 70

"Don't you think he's embarrassed by us hanging around here?" Emma asked, looking up at Regina, who was standing next to her with her arms propped up on the fence that surrounded the schoolyard.

Regina returned her gaze and raised a brow. "Let him dare to complain," she retorted.

Emma smirked slightly before her expression turned sad.

"What's wrong?" Regina didn't miss her girlfriend's sudden change of mood, so she crouched down in front of her and took her hands, which rested in her lap. Lovingly, her brown eyes scrutinized Emma's green ones.

Hesitantly, Emma shrugged and then stared over at the school, beyond whose windows the children and teenagers of Storybrooke were brooding over their books. "I don't know if it's so good for everyone to see me like this. For Henry, I mean. I don't care, but then he has to deal with the questions they ask him."

"Is that what you were thinking when I suggested we could pick him up?"

"No!" Emma replied quickly, looking back at Regina. "It just occurred to me."

Regina sighed and put a hand on the back of Emma's neck before pulling her close and kissing her. "They ask questions like that no matter what, I'm afraid. You're too well known in town for it to be any different. We'll wait for him now and then make a day of it, like we used to. Unless you're absolutely against it, then... we'll just leave."

Emma hesitated for a moment, but then shook her head. "No, you're right. We'll stay." She had slept unexpectedly well the previous night, and after an additional extensive nap, she finally felt a little better. She had even worked up a bit of an appetite when Regina had made her apple pancakes with cinnamon and had managed more than half of them. So it would be a waste to let a day like this go by unused.

"Should we go to Granny's or get ice cream instead?", Regina pondered aloud.

"That's up to Henry to decide, I don't care," she returned immediately, tilting her head back with her eyes closed as the rays of the spring sun broke through the clouds and played across her face. The fabric of her anorak warmed up instantly, leaving her with a comforting feeling. "That's nice," she whispered, smiling.

Regina watched Emma and couldn't help but smile at the sight as well.

When the bell in the building announced the end of class, Emma opened her eyes again and lifted her gaze to Regina. "Can you help me up?" she asked. From the look on Regina's face, she knew perfectly well that she didn't think that was a very good idea, but a short time later she felt her arm around her waist and she wrapped one around her neck in response.

With some momentum, Regina pulled Emma to her feet and took a small step up to the fence so that she could lean against it.

Emma took a deep breath and reached for the fence while continuing to lean on Regina's arm with her other hand. Standing upright was much more strenuous than she would have expected, but it still felt good to see Henry's expression change from surprised confusion to joy when he saw his two mothers waiting for him at the fence.

"Hey, moms! What are you guys doing here?" he asked, looking from Emma to Regina and back again.

"Sunny weather and 68 degrees... Even I don't stay inside," Emma quipped, wrapping the arm she had been holding onto the fence with around her son.

Regina eyed them both with a gentle smile before she too pulled Henry into a brief one-handed hug.

"So you're feeling better today?", Henry immediately wanted to know, letting his gaze slide over Emma, who stood in front of him in jeans, her thick anorak and a beanie. If her blonde hair had fallen down her back and if she had put her hands on her hips instead of leaning on Regina, he could almost have imagined that she was back to her old self, but so he carefully grabbed her free arm and, together with Regina, helped her sit back in the wheelchair she hated so much.

"Absolutely," she answered his question, smiling weakly as her heartbeat slowly began to calm down again. "We want to go out having something to eat. Ice cream or Granny's? You decide."

Henry pretended to have to think before he grinned. "Even if she did try to kill us all, the Snow Queen's ice cream was the very best. Since the ice cream parlor has been run by someone else, it just hasn't been the same. So Granny's," he decided, gripping the handles of Emma's wheelchair with a naturalness that scared himself.

Emma felt the stares of the other students on her as they walked past the schoolyard and on to the main street, so she kept her head down. It wouldn't have made any difference if Regina had pushed her, and since she didn't want her girlfriend to overexert herself on the walk, she was in a way quite glad that it was Henry who was pushing the wheelchair. Still, the many pairs of staring eyes reminded her why, among other things, she had preferred to stay indoors or in the garden lately. Regina seemed to know exactly how she felt, as she felt her reassuring hand on her shoulder a moment later.

"How was school, Henry?", Regina finally wanted to know.

"It was okay," her son mumbled, shrugging his shoulders briefly. When he felt his mother's piercing gaze on him, he looked over at her and stopped. "I wasn't very focused, if that's what you wanted to know."

Regina swallowed past the lump in her throat and moved on after a few seconds, which Henry followed suit. She had already thought about taking him out of school for the next few weeks, but didn't know if that was what he wanted, and knew even less how to broach the subject. She was glad how he had reacted to her and Emma's presence in front of the school, but that didn't change the fact that he was far from resigned to Emma dropping out of therapy.

"I bet everyone's thinking about summer vacation now anyway, right?", Emma tried to break the awkward silence. "Not that I wasn't thinking about summer vacation all year when I was your age, but by spring at the latest, there was no other topic."

"Hmm," was all Henry made, pausing outside the diner. "Steps," he sighed before he frowned and furrowed his brows angrily. "Why do there have to be steps everywhere, anyway?" he almost shouted.

Worried, Emma looked up at Regina and then at her son, whose hands, clenched into fists, she took in hers. "Hey, it's okay. We'll tell Regina what we want and she'll get it for us, okay? It's not that bad."

Henry stood frozen, allowing Emma's touch but not releasing the tension in his fists. "I'm not hungry," he muttered.

"I'd like a grilled cheese toast," was all Emma said in response, who nodded slightly at Regina to let her know that she could leave them both alone.

Somewhat hesitantly, the brunette nodded as well. "Alright, I'll see you in a bit."

"Somehow I don't believe you're not hungry," Emma stated slowly a while after Regina had disappeared inside the diner. She sighed when she got no response and Henry just continued to stare stubbornly at the floor. "I know you can't understand my decision. And I'm incredibly sorry that it had to come to this. I just hope that someday you can forgive me."

"You said you'd fight," Henry whispered.

Emma swallowed and closed her eyes before looking at her son again. "And I have. I fought as long as I could. But you also have to know when you've lost. I told you back then that I couldn't and wouldn't promise you that I wouldn't wake up one day and not want to go on. Henry... Leaving you and your mom alone is the last thing I want to do. But I don't have a choice. I'm sick and I'm not going to get better, so we have to deal with that somehow. And even though it's a lot to ask, I would like my last weeks not to be full of frustration and sadness. I want to have you both around and be happy, just as we were before."

"How can that be, Ma, I've only just found you." His eyes swam with tears as Emma pulled him down to her and he wrapped his arms around her neck. "You can't die."

Emma took a deep breath and stroked his back. "I know," she just whispered, not knowing what else to say. It was unfair and awful and there were just no words to make it any better. "Do they ask you questions about me at school?"

"Not anymore," Henry replied quietly, settling down on the steps. "They used to ask about you a lot at first, but by now it's probably not news anymore and everyone's lost interest," he added bitterly. While it was a hard reality for him on a daily basis that Emma's strength was fading, news of her illness had spread like wildfire at first, but since no one obviously needed the Savior at the moment, it had also been forgotten just as quickly.

"Henry... I think it might not be a bad idea if you had a word with Archie."

He looked up at her questioningly. "And what for? That won't make you better either."

"No, it won't. But maybe he can help you deal with the situation better," Emma said in a concerned voice. "You're so angry... That's not like you. But I understand it very well. I'm angry too, believe me. Only... I know that with me it's fear and helplessness that then bursts out of me as anger, and I'm pretty sure it's the same with you." Gently, she stroked his shaggy brown hair. "If I can't do anything else, at least I want to help you."

"I don't want to go to Archie, Emma," Henry countered, taking a deep breath before looking her in the eye. "I understand what you mean, but all I want is to not hold back my feelings."

"Archie would never..."

"No, I get it," he interrupted her, "but right now I just want to be myself without having to talk to someone about it all the time. Mom told me about your kidneys when she was in the hospital. I was so scared for her and then this. Give me a little time to sort it all out for myself."

With a sad smile, she looked at her son and nodded. "Okay, that sounds reasonable. But you can always come to me if you want to talk."

"I know," he nodded, jumping up from the steps to hold the door open for his mom as she rejoined them loaded down with bags.

"I brought you a hamburger and fries," Regina said when she saw that Henry seemed a little more relaxed again.

In response, Henry even gave her a smile and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Thanks, Mom."

"Not for this," Regina replied gently, coming back out onto the small patio. "Do you want to go home for the meal?"

"It's nice weather," Emma remarked in response, letting her gaze wander across the blue sky from eyes narrowed slightly against the sun. "I wouldn't mind eating outside."

"Then I know the perfect place," Henry nodded, once again reaching for the handles of the wheelchair.

Glad that he had regained his composure a bit, Emma just let him take the lead without comment, while Regina also followed them without question.

"The lake... A really nice idea, Henry," Regina noted when they reached the bench from which one could look out over the calm water on both sides.

A family of ducks was already making their way towards them, probably assuming that they would be fed shortly, whereupon Emma grabbed the bag intended for her and started tearing crumb after crumb from her toast and throwing it to the animals.

Regina watched her do this for a while before taking a seat on the bench and placing a hand over Emma's. "Your love for animals in all honor, but leave some for yourself." Although she smirked at her words, she was quite serious. She could imagine less and less that Emma was capable of losing any more weight, but whenever they put her on the scale at doctor's appointments, she had lost even more.

"Don't worry, I'll get my share," Emma just waved it off with a grin, however, and lowered the bag into her lap before continuing to tear small pieces off the bread, but then popping it into her own mouth.

Henry was already biting heartily into his hamburger and letting his gaze wander over the lake. The glittering water, reflecting the sun's rays and shining like thousands of diamonds, should have been a beautiful sight, but to him these days everything seemed duller and grayer than it actually was. He didn't know why he had chosen the bench where Emma had told him that his father had died. Maybe his subconscious wanted to take him back to that place, since he was about to lose his mother now, too. The thought was both painful and comforting.

Digging into her salad, Regina kept casting sidelong glances at Emma and Henry, between whom she sat, taking only a bite now and then.

"I know, I eat like a child," Emma said after a while, a smirk flitting across her lips.

Regina raised her head questioningly. "What makes you think that now?"

"Come on... I know that side-eye. You always used to complain when I took my sandwiches apart like I was a toddler," she countered, amused.

"I see," Regina nodded, still slightly confused, before shaking her head. "Actually, I was just thinking that I'm glad you like it and seem to have an appetite," she admitted.

"Oh," Emma only stated slightly wittily, who had gone back to sharing her meal with the ducks.

"The ducks seem to have a thing for grilled cheese," Henry noted, also handing them off the bun of his hamburger.

"They're absolute gourmets, I guarantee," Emma commented dryly. "People get food at Granny's, then come here to enjoy it in a nice place, but then they pop out of nowhere, give you a sweet look, and you'll be lost. They know how to do it. It's the duck mafia, I'll bet."

Regina raised a brow as Henry laughed and a few fries fell out of the bag, which the ducks immediately fell upon as well.

"There, you see!" Emma exclaimed in a feigned sternness, who pointed at the birds with an outstretched index finger. "What did I tell you?"

Shaking her head, but with a smirk on her lips, Regina ate the last few bites from her bowl and then tossed it into the trash can a few steps away before turning back to Henry and Emma, who seemed to be surrounded by ducks. "There you have it, now they're getting aggressive because you fed them."

"Well, they certainly wouldn't have wanted your greens," Emma replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"Ducks are primarily herbivores, Miss Swan," Regina snorted, crossing her arms in front of her chest, "and what you're feeding them will only shorten their lives and nothing more."

"Yes, that may be," Emma nodded, looking up at Regina. "But these ducks here," she explained, arms outstretched, "are super intelligent animals that only eat the best of the best. And that doesn't include your salad, as sorry as I am."

"Really?" Regina retorted in a low, throaty voice as she held the gaze from Emma's mischievous flashing eyes and slowly stepped closer to her again. When she was directly in front of her, she put her arms around her neck and leaned her forehead against her girlfriend's.

Henry cleared his throat and furrowed his brow. "Um, moms? I'm still here." It made a grotesque picture anyway, the way both of his mothers seemed to have forgotten everything around them and their legs and wheelchair were surrounded by ducks.

"You're disturbing our son," Emma whispered loud enough for both Regina and Henry to hear.

"Me? And what about you?" Regina retorted in response.

"I'm a poor, sick woman in a wheelchair who can't fight back while being attacked by ducks and her girlfriend," Emma grinned, but couldn't resist stealing a kiss before Regina could pull away from her again.

"And now you think attack is the best form of defense?", Regina wanted to know and kissed her back before sitting back down on the bench.

"Are you guys done now?" Henry asked, but had to grin.

Emma nodded and then leaned her head against Regina's shoulder. "I could sit here with you like this forever," she noted quietly as she did so, gazing after a dragonfly making its circles above the surface of the water.

"As much as I'd like that, it would probably be too cold for all of us in the long run," Regina replied, taking Emma's hand in hers.

Again, Emma nodded a little, even though she was sure that neither Regina nor Henry would freeze. Her own hands, on the other hand, were permanently cold, which even the thickest jacket, gloves, or Regina's warming fingers could not change. "Do you have homework, Henry?" she finally inquired of her son, who had now also finished eating and disposed of the paper bag.

"Some. Why?"

"Because I was wondering if you'd have time for hot chocolate with cinnamon when we get home," she returned.

Tilting his head, Henry looked at her. "Ma... you do know that even with all the homework in the world, I wouldn't miss out on that, right?"

"Yeah, I know," she grinned, looking at Regina, "What about you?"

"I'll be happy to prepare it for you, but I'll probably resort to tea myself," she replied, rising. "And I take it that was the official proposal for departure."

"You're right about that," Emma nodded, taking a deep breath. She wanted to enjoy every moment she could spend outside, and by now she even managed to block out the stares of passersby as much as possible. After all, she shouldn't care what others thought. This was about her and her family, and she wouldn't hide in the house on her last days just to spare others the sight of her.

"Well, we could have the hot chocolate in the garden," Henry suggested as he pushed Emma again, Regina walking beside them.

Emma hesitated, but then shook her head. "As much as I'd like to, I think it's time I put my feet up for a bit," she reluctantly admitted, slumping her shoulders. She still felt fine, but she knew from experience that eventually the moment would come when that changed abruptly, and she wasn't about to ruin the afternoon that way.

"Okay, no problem," Henry returned immediately, glancing briefly at his other mother as she wordlessly put her arm gently around his shoulders.

Regina was deep in thought as she walked the streets with her son and girlfriend. It could all be so perfect and seeing her two loved ones like this, she couldn't believe Emma was about to get worse. Not only did it feel wrong, but it was beyond her imagination.

"Are you okay?", Emma wanted to know after a while, wrapping her fingers around Regina's hand as she looked up at her. It hadn't escaped her notice that she had gone quiet.

"Yes, of course," Regina nodded and took a deep breath. She knew Emma was worried that the walk was too much for her battered heart, but the truth was that it was rather Emma's condition that made her heart race with panic. "I'm all right," she assured her additionally, as Emma continued to look at her doubtfully. "Besides, we'll be right there." In fact, at that very moment they turned onto Mifflin Street and could already see the house in the distance.

"You two can make yourselves comfortable together and I'll prepare the drinks," Henry offered.

"Who could refuse that offer?" Emma said quickly, before Regina could contradict him. She preferred her girlfriend to get some rest before she had to help her wash and change again in the evening.

For a brief moment, Regina looked at Emma before shifting her gaze to Henry and nodding. "Thank you, Henry."

With a bit of a run, the teen pushed the wheelchair up the ramps when they arrived and slipped his shoes off his feet. While he hung up his jacket and brought his backpack upstairs, Regina helped Emma out of her street clothes.

"You sure you weren't too cold?" she wanted to know with concern, handing Emma a thinner fabric beanie she'd been wearing around the house lately instead of the knitted one.

"Yes, I wasn't," Emma assured her, already making her way to the living room while Regina was still taking off her jacket and shoes. However, being weakened from sitting upright for so long, she was already caught halfway by her girlfriend, who pushed her the last few meters to the sofa and then transferred her onto it. Emma couldn't hold back the sigh of relief when she was able to lean back and put her legs up.

While Regina was slipping her wool socks on, she abruptly stopped and stroked over her lower legs. "Your ankles are swollen," she stated with her brows drawn together in concern.

"I know," Emma whispered, earning her a surprised look from Regina. "My kidneys already can't manage to process the excess fluid."

"And you weren't going to tell me?" Regina asked accusingly.

"It's not particularly bad yet. If I lie down for a while, the oedemas will go away. Besides, it wouldn't have changed anything, what are you going to do about it?" She paused and finally held out her arms to her. "Now, come on over here. Let's enjoy the day. I'm fine."

Sighing, Regina lay down with Emma so that her head came to rest in her lap. She enjoyed the way her girlfriend immediately began stroking her hair in response and closed her eyes. They had often sat here like this in the past; Emma with her legs outstretched and elevated while she lay at an angle against the back of the sofa and herself lying next to her, her head in her lap. While Emma had watched her action movies, she had just enjoyed the touch of her caressing fingers and had eventually fallen asleep.

Emma thought back to those times, too, wishing she could somehow turn everything back to square one. "I love you," she whispered after a while, lowering her gaze to the shock of dark hair and Regina's relaxed face. The lack of response told her that she must have fallen asleep this time, too.

"Careful, hot!" Henry said, balancing in a tray on which three cups were steaming away.

"Shh," Emma made, putting her index finger to her lips before nodding to Regina.

The latter, however, stirred only a little and then just went back to sleep.

Henry understood immediately and put the tray down as quietly as he could before handing Emma her cup and settling into the armchair with his own. "Is she all right?" he wanted to know in a whisper.

Emma nodded and gently stroked Regina's shoulder with her free hand. "She's just exhausted." By that, she probably meant not so much her physical condition as her mental one. She understood how grueling and exhausting it was to have to constantly worry about someone while knowing that all hope was gone.

Calming down a bit, Henry sipped his drink before looking back up at Emma. "Thank you for that great afternoon."

"There's no need to thank for that, Henry."

He hesitated for a while before continuing quietly so as not to wake his mother. "I know what you've been through, and I understand that you can't take it anymore, but... I just can't imagine those afternoons just being over. That you're not around anymore." He swallowed, but didn't allow tears. "I don't want you to suffer, but I don't want to have to give you up either."

Emma took a deep breath and nodded. "I know. I mean, that's normal. I don't want to have to give up on that either, but unfortunately I have no choice. Some fights you can't win."

Henry hesitated and blew thoughtfully into his hot chocolate. "In fairy tales, when all seems lost, often everything turns out for the better after all."

"But this isn't a fairy tale, Henry," Emma replied dejectedly, looking apologetically at her son.

"In a way, it is. I'm going to be a firm believer that everything will be all right."