A/N: Amazingly, I was able to write out and finish another chapter and post it before going to bed. Work tomorrow. But I will update on this story again soon. For now, enjoy what's to come. :) It's emotional and it had me tearing up as well as grinning. I hope it brings you the same emotions it brought me. Stay tuned for more! Happy reading!
I'm giving you all a chance to review while I'm at work lol so let's drop those comments.
Emma ran through the automatic glass doors of the hospital, not four, but three hours later. She hurried over to the elevators, pressed the button for the third floor and ran toward the first reception desk she spotted. "Excuse me!"
"Can I help you?" A nurse with Daffy Duck scrubs stood up from behind her desk, her eyes alarmingly huge.
"Henry Mills. What room is he in?"
"I'm afraid visiting hours are over. Only family is allowed. Are you family?"
Emma blinked, "Yes, ma'am. I have, uh-" she reached into her breast pocket, pulling out Regina's driver's license. "His mother's driver's license. That's her. I brought it from home."
She hadn't realized she had used the word home until the nurse flashed her a bright smile, "Oh, then you must be the boy's other mother. I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding. It was no wonder, when we asked your wife about the boy's father, she said there wasn't one. Go right ahead, please. He's in room 314."
Emma was about to argue about that one. Because as much as Henry branded her family, that didn't give her the right to assume a role that she hadn't even earned yet. But just as Emma was about to correct the misunderstanding, she felt a hand land along her shoulder.
"You made it," Regina said with a soft smile.
And by God, did that stop Emma's heart on the spot. "I made it," she echoed, holding up her driver's license. "So did your driver's license." She handed it over, feeling Regina's fingers brush along with her own for a moment that she wished would be eternal.
"I'll show her the way, thank you." Regina told the nurse.
"Go right ahead." The nurse gave a friendly smile.
Emma walked calmly alongside Regina, watching her carefully. Her eyes looked desperately tired, but otherwise still beautiful as always. "What's with the bear?" She asked, nodding toward the bear that Regina now hugged in her arms. She never thought she would feel jealousy over a stuffed animal before.
Regina needed someone to hug her. And she wished she could. More than anything, Emma wanted to hold her and never let her go.
"Oh," Regina slightly frowned. "It belonged to August when he was little. Henry wanted something near and dear to him, so Whale brought it over with him. I didn't even realize I had forgotten my license until after he arrived."
"So, that's the infamous Teddy?" Emma grinned slightly.
"You know about that?" Regina grinned.
"August talked a lot in his sleep. I think we all do." Emma took in her surroundings, the lime green walls and white tiled flooring. "Listen, I think you should know that the nurse thinks-"
"That you and I are married?" Regina finished. "I heard. Don't worry, she's not going to force adoption papers on you or anything. I left all the father information blank because only over my dead body were they going to contact Robin in case of an emergency. He's never so much cared for Henry."
Robin. So the asshole had a name. Emma nodded, "I wish I could say that I don't understand how someone can do that, but it happens all too often where I'm from."
Regina paused just outside of Henry's room. His name written out on a label along the wall. H. Mills. "And where is that?"
Emma drew in a breath, "I grew up in foster care. My mother abandoned me near a park here in New York when I was just four years old. Syracuse to be exact. The last time I saw her was when she had her rights terminated in court a year later. I've seen some horrible parents in my life, but also some great ones." She points to Regina. "And if your ex is so pathetic that he's never seen his son, then he didn't deserve him. Or you."
An ache burned at Regina's chest. Emma could see a million questions lingering behind those eyes of hers, but she was saved by the bell when Henry's voice called out through the ajar door of his room.
"Mom?"
Regina immediately opened the door, and Emma was quick to follow close behind, closing it in place. As she walked further inside, there was Henry's little body, lying in the middle of a bed that looked too big for him. With cables strapped to his bare chest that monitored his vitals along a monitor screen. An oxygen hose strapped along his nostrils.
"Henry," Regina gave him a sad smile as she perched herself along the edge of the hospital bed. Her hand combing his hair smoothly. "What are you doing up, sweetheart? You're supposed to be resting. You got a big day tomorrow."
"I'm not sleepy." Henry's eyes were suddenly a little more alert as he spotted a familiar face. "Emma!" He grinned. His little body fighting to sit up.
"Henry, calm down." Regina held him down in a gentle manner.
"Hey, bud." Emma moved to the other side of the bed, standing by. "How are you feeling? I heard you gave your mom quite a scare."
"Yeah," Henry frowned. "But I'm okay. I get a new heart tomorrow. Right, mom?"
Emma's eyes flicker to Regina's worried ones.
"That's right," Regina smiled, biting down on her lip to fight the tears from overpowering her. August would have the same gesture when he worried too much. Her eyes look to Emma's.
Henry cranks his neck to the side, his eyes searching along Emma's feet. "Where's Nala?" He asked her.
"Nala's staying with Ruby, back in Storybrooke. I didn't think she would like hospitals very much. They tend to make her nervous."
"Mom was going to put on Captain America. Want to watch with us, Emma?" Henry asked.
"We are not going to watch Captain America. You need to rest, Henry." Said Regina with a stern nod to her.
"But I can't sleep," Henry looked to his mother. "I'm nervous."
If Emma's heart wasn't hurting already, it was screaming now. How can a nine-year-old child, or any child for that matter suffer like this? What kind of sick twisted joke did the universe- life- or God think it is deserved for a child? It just wasn't fair. If Emma could be the one in that bed, strapped to all those machines, simply to give Henry his health back and Regina her smile back- she would volunteer to take his place without a second thought.
"I'm nervous, too, sweetheart," Regina combed his hair again, softer this time. "How about this. How about we start the movie, and I'll hold you all night until you fall asleep. Deal?"
"Deal." Henry nodded, flashing another smile that warmed Emma's heart.
While Regina queued up the film, Emma slowly moved toward the door. "I don't want to be in the way, so, I'll just wait outside."
"No, Emma! Stay!" Henry's eyes were wide and the monitors went crazy. His little chest puffed in and out like an inflatable balloon.
That look in Henry's eyes? Yeah, Emma never wanted to be the cause of it again.
She turned to Regina, "Regina?"
Regina looked from Emma, to Henry, and then Emma again. "Henry, Ms. Swan drove a long way. She must be tired. I'm sure she much rather have a big bed-"
"But there's a bed here, mom."
Regina sighed, closing her eyes for a moment as she pinched the bridge of her nose. What was a mother to do when she battled all of her attempts, and yet nothing compared to her son who awaited a heart transplant surgery tomorrow. As if the day hadn't turned stressful enough. Victor was fighting all he could to secure a heart for Henry. The surgery was scheduled for tomorrow, but if there wasn't a heart available that they could transport here in time- no surgery. And if Emma left, Henry would grow very upset.
"Emma…" Henry called to Emma, and Emma- like puddy in his hands- walked over to the side of his bed, crouching down. "Please. You have to stay. Please."
"Why, Henry?" Emma whispered, keeping their conversation strictly between them. "Give me one good reason why I should stay. And I give you my word I will."
Henry's eyes look to his mother, who has turned her attention back to playing the film, before he looks back at Emma. "Because I don't want my mom to be alone. Because you're family."
That did it. Henry could tell Emma to jump off a bridge because it would please Regina and she would do it with her eyes closed. Regina could ask her to rip out her own heart and hand it to her on a silver platter and she would do it. No questions asked.
"Okay. I'll stay." Emma flashed him a little smile.
"Promise?" Henry's hand gripped so tight onto Emma's hand.
And Emma gave it a gentle squeeze. "I promise."
"Even tomorrow? Will you keep her company tomorrow?"
Emma nods.
"All day?"
"All day. I promise." Emma stood and walked over to Regina. "He's adamant that I stay."
"I've never seen him get so upset like this. So demanding about something." Her eyes flicker over to Emma's. "What are you going to do?"
Emma shrugged, "I can sleep pretty much anywhere, so I'm good to stay if you need me to."
Regina took in the sleeping options inside the hospital room. "There's just a couch and the one bed." She bit her lower lip again.
"I've slept in far worse conditions, trust me. It's not a problem. What do you want me to do, Regina?" Emma would do whatever Regina wanted. And by God, she wished she wanted her to stay. Any part of her.
Regina sighed, watching her son already engraved in the film, too busy to listen in on their conversation. Her eyes meet, locking into Emma's. "Stay. I want you to stay."
Emma couldn't breathe. Her lungs found it impossible as she drew in a hardened breath. "Then I'll stay." She said, removing her jacket from her body and allowing it to drop along the couch.
The morning came, and Emma observed Regina as she slept soundly, cuddling her nine-year-old son lovingly in her arms. Regina had gone through so much, Emma couldn't even begin to imagine it. She didn't want to. She just knew she wanted to make everything better. For her and for Henry.
There's a knock at the door, and that is the cause for Regina's eyes to open and stand gently off of the bed.
"Regina," Victor nods and flashes a small smile toward Emma, who nods back.
"Victor," Regina breathes, her eyes filled with concern again. "What happened? Did you get it? Will there be a surgery?"
Victor's frown is slowly replaced by a hopeful smile. "Yes. We got it. We had to fly it over in a helicopter, but it's arrived. We already ran tests. It should be a match."
As if on queue, a group of nurses came in and immediately began to prepare Henry. Disconnecting him, and carrying him onto a different gurney.
"I'm really sorry, but we have to move fast. Now, unfortunately I won't be performing the operation but doctor Flemming is very good. He's the best heart surgeon. He will take care of Henry."
"Are- are you sure he's trustworthy?" There's panic in Regina's voice.
"Yes," Victor reaches for Regina's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I promise you, he's going to be fine. I promise."
"Mom," Henry called out, and Regina was at his side in one quick movement. "I'm scared." He whispers.
"Everything's going to go great, Henry. You'll see. You'll be in and out of there before you know it." Regina attempted to smile, but Emma could see it was a fake smile, masking over her fear. "I'll be right here when you wake up. I promise." She pressed her lips along his forehead.
"Ready?" Victor smiled at Henry, giving a single as the nurses began to wheel him away.
"Wait!" Henry's eyes flickered over to Emma, and Emma was at his side, leaning down. "Remember your promise." He whispered.
Emma stuck out her pinky finger and wrapped it along Henry's. "I promise."
"I'm glad you're here."
"Me, too." Emma whispered, sharing a little smile with Henry.
The waiting room was quiet. The entire hospital was quiet, except for a few ringing phones and a couple of whispers. Henry's surgery could take about three hours, but Regina knew that the most difficult ones could take up to nine hours, tops. It had been four hours already.
And seeing her body hunched over like it was, with her head in her hands being Regina's only comfort. It ached Emma's heart. But she was here and she made a promise to Henry that she would not leave her alone.
"Regina."
Regina's eyes fluttered open, shining with unshed tears as she looked up at Emma.
"It's going to be a long day. Let's get you some food and some coffee." If Emma couldn't care for her heart, at least she could sustain her body.
"I'm okay," Regina shook her head. Her eyes looked to the direction of the double doors at the end of the hall. Huge bold letters labeled the top of it: Surgery. "I've been waiting anxiously for this moment, you know…" She looks up at Emma. "The day my son finally got a new heart, and hoping that maybe… he would be able to live a productive life. A life that he has been limited to since the day he was born. And now that it's here, I don't know what to do."
"Hey," Emma kneeled in front of Regina, dropping right to her knees. Her hands- without second guessing it- cradled Regina's face. "You've done everything you can. And what you've accomplished, how far you've brought him is astounding. You've done your job, Regina. Now you have to let the doctors do theirs."
As Regina's stubborn, glossy eyes met with Emma's, Emma felt Regina's torture in the pit of her stomach. Like a knife gutting her from inside/out. "I don't know how to give that control to someone else. He's my son, Emma. My little boy."
"I know. But the hard part is already over. You signed the papers, no matter how difficult it was, and all we can do now is wait. Now, please. Let me feed you."
As Regina stood, pushing herself up off that seat in the waiting area, so did Emma. Taking a reasonable step back, putting a reasonable amount of space between them. "You don't have to stay. The doctors said it could take hours and not just a few."
"I'm aware. Docs said some heart surgeries could take up three to four hours, but the most complex ones could take about nine. Maybe an extra hour, depending on how delicate the surgery is. I was listening at the door when they prepped you this morning."
A sad smile took over Regina's lips. "You do that a lot. Listen. You pay attention."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"No. But it is surprising."
"I don't care how many hours it takes, Regina. I'm here. I'm not leaving you. Or Henry." Said Emma with that promise in her voice that Regina believed beyond words.
"Okay." Regina nods. "Then we're most certainly going to need some coffee."
Emma allowed a little smile to emerge along her lips as she nodded and followed right next to Regina toward the cafeteria.
A cup of coffee turned into two, which then turned into three as Emma sat them down along their table before joining her in a seat once again.
"Thank you." Regina took a delicate sip, careful not to burn herself again.
"You're welcome." Emma cradled her cup along her hands, watching Regina carefully.
"So you grew up in foster homes?" Regina asked, meeting Emma's gaze from across the small round table.
"I did." Emma nods.
"How many?"
"I honestly can't remember. I got moved around a lot. Probably because I was a horrible kid. I fought everyone who tried to help, pushed every rule, and did my best to get kicked out of my placement, hoping that would somehow make my mom come back."
A sadness took over Regina, "Did you have a foster home that you felt… comfortable in?"
Emma ponders that question for a moment, "Yeah…" She took a small sip of her coffee. "Loraine. That was her name. She was so nice, I remember she gave me my own bed. It was pink with one of the Disney princesses, I can't remember which." Regina smiled at that as Emma chuckled. "But I remember loving it because it was the first real bed I ever had. I wanted to stay with her so badly. She was actually considering adopting me, because she could never have children of her own, but that went South."
"What happened? Why couldn't she adopt you?"
"She died."
Regina paused, and Emma was pretty sure she had stopped breathing all together.
"What?"
"I'm so sorry," she said, her voice soft and filled with compassion. Sympathy. "To finally find someone and just lose them…"
"Yeah," Emma breathed. "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy."
"Come on," Regina nods. "Let's wear out the floor along the hallways." She stood and walked out of the cafeteria with her coffee in hand. Emma followed.
"Henry's a great kid. He's exactly like you described him in your letters." Emma smiled.
Regina dared to smile a little, "I've tried… to be a good mother. To be enough."
Emma halts their walk to turn and face Regina. Meeting her eyes. "You are. You are a wonderful mother. And you are more than enough."
Regina blinks, focusing on the beautiful emerald green color of her eyes. "Thanks." She said, although Emma didn't think she believed her. "What on earth is taking them so long?" She looked down at her watch, pacing impatiently just outside of the double doors to the surgery area.
"They'll update us soon, Regina. Don't worry." Emma promised, watching her closely.
"Not soon enough!" Regina buried her face in her hands. "God, I am going out of my mind. It's my son in there, I have a right to know that he's alright!"
Emma hated seeing her like this. Worried. Anxious. Frightened. So without second guessing again, she caught Regina in her arms, allowing her to slam right into her chest, and held her. She held her so close, Emma was sure she could feel her aching heart beating right against her. And when Regina's arms suddenly wrapped along her back, her fingers gripping tightly along the leather of her jacket, Emma just about died. And Regina couldn't have felt more at home in that moment.
"Don't let go," Emma heard Regina whisper. And the moment, Emma was sure Regina would pull away, she only felt her lean into her just a little more. Her arms tightening around her. "I'd forgotten what this felt like." Her eyes closed.
"Being hugged?" Emma's throat bobbed as her voice wasn't all there.
"Being held together."
Emma's eyes closed, her chin resting at the top of Regina's head. And she stayed. Never had a phrase brought Emma to her emotional knees before. "I've got you." She dared to tighten her hold along Regina's body, cupping the back of her head and one hand along her back. As if she were a wall that could keep the woman she loved from all harm. And she would be. She would be anything for Regina.
"Ms. Mills?" The surgeon, dressed in blue scrubs announced his presence, watching both women suddenly part. "I'm sorry to interrupt but we're all finished. Henry's in recovery."
"Recovery?" Regina's eyes glossed over, even more as she noticed a small smile stretch along the doctor's lips. "So… he's…?"
"He's alright." He nodded, his smile growing. "He has a new beating heart, and he did very well. You have yourself a fighter."
Regina released a laugh that sounded like music to Emma's ears. She hugged the doctor, so tight, she almost dropped to her knees. "Thank you! Thank you!" Her voice broke.
"You're welcome." Said the surgeon, smiling again and obviously exhausted and sweaty. "It's best you let him wake up on his own. I'll make my rounds and let you know when he's awake so you can see him."
"Y-yes. Thank you, doctor." Regina shook the man's hand firmly, squeezing it with both. "Thank you so much. Thank you." Once he left, she turned to Emma with the biggest smile she had ever seen on her since they've met. "He's okay." Her eyes closed.
"He's okay." Emma echoes, smiling along.
"He's… he's really okay," Regina repeated. "My son's going to be okay, Emma." Then as if someone had broken that imaginary brick wall, Regina launched herself into Emma's arms, hanging onto her embrace once again. Holding her tighter than before.
Emma's arms were quick to envelope Regina in, never letting go. Her own chest ached, and it was the best feeling in the whole fucking galaxy. To have this woman, to have Regina wrapped up in her embrace, happy that Henry was going to be okay. That was everything for her.
It was home.
It was enough.