"Mom? Zelena?" Regina called through the already opened door. "You two stay out here."
"Regina, stay out here too. Something is wrong, and you shouldn't go in there alone." Emma said, scared from seeing the broken glass on the door.
Regina's phone rang and when she saw it was her sister, she felt a sense of relief. "Zee? What the hell is going on?"
"I'm so sorry, Regina, I just haven't had time to call you. We're at the hospital…Mom wouldn't wake up and I'm sorry about your door but they had to break it down to come in because I wouldn't leave moms side."
Regina turned white. "What do you mean she wouldn't wake up?" Regina asked, closing the door and locking it. She knew it was essentially pointless since the windowpane was knocked out, but she still felt a little better about it.
Emma held Ryleigh, tears already in her eyes as she knew something was wrong with Cora.
"She's resting now, but Regina, it was so scary."
"I don't get it though, what happened?"
"I don't know. She was sleeping and wouldn't wake up and I didn't know what to do, so I called an ambulance. They're running tests now. You should come down here, Regina, all of you."
"We'll be right there." Regina said hanging up her phone. As they drove to the hospital, she told Emma what little she knew.
"I should have been here with her. I'm her caretaker." Emma said, wiping a tear from her eyes. "I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault, Emma. This is your vacation too, and mom told you to have fun."
The rest of the ride was quiet and once at the hospital, they found Zelena. "They haven't come out for a while now." She said, biting her nails.
Regina went up to the desk. "My mother Cora Mills was brought in, and I'd like an update."
"Yes, Regina, the doctor will be out shortly, I promise."
"Which doctor is it?"
The woman looked. "Doctor Blanchard."
"Oh good. Thank you." Regina then went and sat by Zelena and Emma. "She's in good hands. Dr. Blanchard is one of our best. She's been here for about 15 years."
Emma's heart stopped. "Did you say Blanchard?"
"Yes. Why?" Regina asked, seeing Emma's face. "What's wrong?"
"Is…is her first name Mary Margaret?"
"Yes. Do you know her?"
"Regina, you made it. I've been talking to your sister and…" the doctor froze when her eyes met Emma's.
Emma quit breathing for a moment. Picking up Ryleigh, she shook her head. "I can't do this. I'll be in the bathroom." She said, leaving them with her daughter.
"What the hell is going on?" Regina asked, confused and concerned about all of this.
Dr. Blanchard blinked a few times and got back into doctor mode. "Sorry about that. I um…right." She looked at the clipboard. "Your mother is fine. It turns out she took two of her sleeping pills instead of one. She's worn out, but said she's not sleeping well, which is normal for someone who just finished chemo and radiation not that long ago. I want her to stay here for tonight just to rest, and she'll be good to go tomorrow. However, she shouldn't travel back home yet. This trip was, in my opinion, too soon and I'm guessing she didn't ask her own doctor if it was okay."
"I didn't even think of that." Zelena said, feeling bad. "No, she will stay here until you clear her to travel back home."
Regina felt relief but was still worried about Emma's reaction. "Thank you doctor Blanchard, now what the hell was that just about with Emma? She's never been here before, but I swear it was like you two knew each other."
Mary took a few deep breaths. "We did and I did a terrible thing to her, and I have no doubt in my mind that she hates me and is upset to have found me here. I deserve it, mind you, and I will not push her to talk to me, so please don't do that to her."
Finally, it clicked, and Regina gasped. "You're her mother, aren't you?"
Mary sadly shook her head. "No. I'm the monster that gave birth to her and abandoned her with an abusive man because I had no idea what else to do." She swallowed. "I have to go. You can see your mother any time. She's in room 115, but she is sleeping and will be for a while." She left before they could say more and Regina sighed, sitting down. "Okay, mom's okay. That's good. I don't know what to do about Emma though."
"Go talk to her. She'll at least want to know that mom's okay."
"I will. If you want to go see mom, please do."
"She's sleeping, but I'll go see her."
Regina made her way to the bathroom and when she went in, she saw Emma sitting on the floor while Ryleigh was standing, her arms around her mother. "Emma?" She asked quietly.
Emma looked up, tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I just…I couldn't…"
"It's okay." Regina said, sitting next to the woman. "Mom's okay. She took two sleeping pills instead of one, and they're keeping her overnight just for observation." She didn't want to say too much with Ryleigh there. "Emma? It's okay. Everything is going to be okay and we can talk about the doctor later."
Emma looked at Regina and nodded. "I just…I don't want to see her yet. It's too much."
"I understand and honestly, I think she does too. Come on, sweetheart, I'm right here with you."
They joined Zelena in Cora's room and the woman woke up long enough to tell them to go home for the night. Once there, Zelena took Ryleigh to get everyone dinner. Regina brought a beer out to Emma and the two sat on the patio. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Emma sighed and rubbed her face. "In a matter of three weeks, my whole fucking past has come back. First that crap with Killian, then my dad, and now my mom? The woman who left me with him knowing exactly what he was like. What the hell am I supposed to feel?"
"I don't think you're supposed to feel anything, Emma, but you are allowed to feel however you feel. Frustrated, betrayed, sad, angry, whatever."
"She's a fucking doctor and has been for at least 15 years, so at least since I was six and she never came back for me? Why? Ugh and then I think, why do I care? She fucking left me."
"You care because you're human, Emma. Look, she said she wouldn't force you to talk to her, so if you want to leave it, you can. However, if you want to talk to her, I can reach out and see if she's willing."
Emma sighed and drank more beer. "I don't know. I mean, we'll be here for a while now, which is fine, I'm not saying I want to push Cora to go back, I just wonder how often I'll run into her."
Emma's question was answered the next day when she went with to pick up Cora and saw her mother in the hallway. Emma was about to avert her eyes, but instead, locked them on the woman. When Mary didn't even look at her, Emma couldn't stop herself. "Right, just ignore me like you have done since I was born."
Mary stopped and faced Emma. "Emma, I'm…I'm going on break right now and I'd love it if you'd come with me so we can talk."
"Why? You left me with an abusive, drunk, child rapist. Why should I talk to you?"
"You shouldn't, but I'm hoping you will." Mary's voice was so soft that Emma let out her breath and sighed.
"Let me make sure Ry…my daughter is okay first."
"Okay, I'll be right here."
Emma found Regina, who was in Cora's room while Cora had one final test. "She wants to talk to me. Are you okay watching Ryleigh?"
"Yes, of course." Regina stated. "Or Zee can watch her, and I can come with you?"
Emma shook her head. "I need to do this alone. Thank you though." She then came out and wordlessly followed her biological mother into a breakroom.
"Coffee?" Mary asked, filling a cup for herself.
"No thanks." Emma said, sitting down at a table.
Mary sat down and looked at her daughter. "You're so beautiful."
Emma looked at her. "And you're alive."
"Did your father tell you I wasn't?"
Emma shook her head. "No. He told me you hated me so much that you left to make a new life without me. He later told me I had to keep him happy since you left because of me. He told me you didn't love or want me and that all I'd ever be good for was sex. He told me I was worthless, unlovable, disgusting, filthy, and useless. That's what he told me."
Mary blinked tears, and though she wanted to reach out and hug her baby girl, she knew she didn't have that right. "Emma I'm so sorry. I know that doesn't fix it, I know it's not enough, but I am."
"Why?" Emma asked, her voice cracking. "Why didn't you take me with you?"
Mary could see her little girl in the twenty-one-year-old young woman in front of her. "He said he'd come find us and kill us if I took you with me. He said the only way I could leave was on my own."
Emma scoffed. "I have a daughter you know, and there's no fucking way I'd leave her with someone like that. I'd rather die than do that."
"Then not only are you a better mother than me, but you're stronger too. I was desperate Emma, and I know I did wrong. I know that. I never should have left you there and I'm so sorry."
"Do you know what he did to me? While you were apparently living your life, going to school and becoming a successful doctor, he was neglecting me, beating me, starving me, raping me, molesting me, and constantly verbally abusing me. That's what you left behind and never came back for."
"I did come back, Emma. I came back at least ten times, but he told me you were put in foster care. No one would tell me anything, but I knew you weren't in care. I knew they'd have reached out to me for that. I did come back. I called the police, I called CPS, I tried hard to get you back."
Emma wiped at her tears, wanting to believe this woman, but having a hard time. "I prayed for you." She whispered, sounding like a little girl. "I prayed for you to one day love me and save me."
"I'm so sorry, Emma. I'm so sorry. I did love you, even if I didn't show it the right way. I'm worse than him, I know that, and I'm so sorry."
"So, you didn't leave because you hated me?"
"My darling daughter, no. I loved…love you so much, I always have." She took a chance and reached forward, putting her hand over Emma's. When Emma didn't pull away, she gently squeezed her hand. "I came back again when you would have been sixteen, but he said you were gone and actually let me and the police officer in to check."
"I ran away. I couldn't do it anymore, so I ran from one monster to another. I didn't see him until a week ago where he threatened to get custody of my daughter just to rape her. My baby is not even four yet, mom…Mary."
"Please tell me you reported it."
"I did, and he has a permanent restraining order, but you and I both know that doesn't mean shit."
"Is that why you're here? Are you moving here to be safe?"
Emma shook her head and told Mary her story – her full story, not holding anything back. "That's why I'm here now."
Mary couldn't and wouldn't stop herself this time from going to her daughter and holding her. "I'm so sorry, baby girl. I'm so fucking sorry. I don't deserve your forgiveness, but please know that if you want me, I'm here."
Though Emma let her mother hold her and though it felt so good, she had no idea if she could forgive her. "I need time." She admitted.
"I understand." Mary said, kissing her cheek and sitting back down. "I should tell you something though. If you do decide you want me in your life, you should know that you have two half siblings. I have another daughter who is now fourteen. She didn't replace you, Emma, no one could, and she knows about you. Her father and I were happy until he got sick and passed away."
"I see." Emma said, not knowing how to feel about that. "So, you never left her with a monster?"
Mary sighed. "I didn't. Emma, I know it doesn't seem fair, and it isn't fair, but it's not her fault."
"I never said it was." Emma said, her eyes filling. "I just wish I knew what was so wrong with me that you left me, and he abused me."
"It wasn't you, Emma." Mary said, taking her daughters hands. "I swear it wasn't you. I was young, stupid, and desperate and it will always be my biggest regret and the one thing I will never forgive myself for."
Emma thought about how Cora had said the same thing about her girls and how her daughters forgave her. "I want to forgive you, Mary, I want to start a new life with you in it, but I'm scared. I'm scared that the moment you realize I'm not good enough, you'll be gone again."
"I don't know how else to tell you that it was never that you weren't good enough."
"That's what he always said! He always said everything was my fault for just being me and not being enough."
"Emma, he wasn't good enough. He was a terrible person and gods, so was I. This is all on us, not you, Emma. I was so lost and beat down and made the biggest mistake of my life, but it was never because you weren't enough."
"Thank you for saying that, but it'll take a while for me to believe it. I'm not trying to be difficult."
"I know you're not." Mary interrupted. "You're hurt, you've been hurt your whole life. I confess, I talked to Cora about you, and it sounds like your life has been pure hell – not that she gave me details, but still. I hate that you went through that. I hate that I left you there to be abused. I hate that I can't go back in time and change it. I'm so glad you found her when you did, and it sounds like you've been an amazing caretaker to her. I'm so proud of you, Emma. I can't even express how proud of you I am." Mary sighed. "I do have to get back to work, but can I leave you, my number? Take your time, there's no rush, but if you do want to reach out to me, you can."
"Do you want me to?"
"With all my heart, baby girl. I want to force you, but I know that's not right." She wrote her number down and slid it over. "I'm putting the ball in your court, and I deserve it if you never talk to me again, but I'm praying you will."
"I promise I'll think about it." Emma said, taking the number. "I should get back to Cora and them. She is okay, right?"
"She's perfectly fine. I told her not to travel back for at least two weeks and I want to see her before she leaves."
Emma nodded. "Okay, thank you for taking care of her. She means…well so much to me."
"I'm so glad you have her. Emma, I love you. I love you so much."
Emma looked down, the lump in her throat growing. "I believe you, but I'm not ready to say it back and I'm sorry for that."
"Don't be sorry. I completely understand." Mary said, getting up.
"Wait. What's her name? My sister?"
Mary smiled softly. "Lilly. Emma, even if you never want anything to do with me, she would love to meet her big sister. She knows what I did; I've never lied to her, and she keeps hoping that one day you'll find us. I won't tell her you're here because she'd do anything to find you, but if you're ever ready to meet her, please reach out."
Emma nodded. "I'll think about all of it."
The two had an awkward goodbye and Emma went to find the others. They were waiting for her and when she came in, Cora gave her a big hug. "Are you okay?"
"I should be asking you that." Emma said. "I'm sorry I didn't even think of how soon it was to travel. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, sweetness. It was my fault, not yours. Now, are you okay?"
"Honestly, I don't know. I'm emotionally exhausted right now."
"Then let's get out of here." Cora stated. "I'm taking Ryleigh to Zelena's so you and Regina can have your date night."
"Mom, maybe she's not up to…" Regina said, but Emma interrupted.
"I am, Regina." Emma assured her. "I want to nap first, if that's okay, but I'm up for it." She looked at Ryleigh. "Are you okay to go to Zelena's?" She knelt down by her baby. "If you decide you want me, just have Auntie Zee call me."
"I wanna go. I won't get scared, mommy cuz Nana Cora will be there."
"She hasn't been away from either of us yet." Emma explained.
"I get it. If she seems off, I'll call you, Emma." Zelena assured her. "We're just going to hang out at home anyway. Have a popcorn and movie night or something."
An hour later, Zelena left with Cora and Ryleigh from Regina's with packed overnight bags and Emma sighed, laying on the sofa. Regina came in with a glass of water and set it on the table in front of Emma. "How are you?"
"I'm not sure, honestly. I have a lot to think about. But I do know I want to go on this date with you, take my mind off this shit for a while and just enjoy being with you."
That evening, Emma came down the stairs and blushed as Regina watched her. "You look amazing, Emma."
"Thank you. So do you." Emma said, kissing Regina's cheek.
At the restaurant, the two had fun just talking and laughing together. It was nice to think of other things for a while, but as always, it inevitably went back to what happened that day. Emma told Regina everything and Regina couldn't stop her chuckle. "What?"
"Lilly is your sister? That doesn't surprise me at all. She doesn't necessarily look like you as she has dark hair and dark eyes, but I could see you being just like her when you were her age…well, I mean if you'd have had a better father."
"She's a good kid?"
"Yes, and very caring."
"Is it wrong that I'm jealous of her?"
"Not at all. It would be wrong if you treated her badly because of it, but I can't see you doing that at all."
"Regina? I want my mom, but I'm scared."
"I understand, Emma." Regina said, putting her hand over Emma's. "I can only tell you that in the fifteen years I've known her, she's been a good person. We're not besties, I don't know much about her other than as a doctor, but she seems like a good person."
Emma nodded. "Okay, enough of this talk for tonight. This is our date night."
"Have you enjoyed yourself?"
"I have. Have you?"
"You bet."
Once home, the two changed into pajamas and cuddled in Regina's bed. "Regina? I'm not ready to do much more than cuddle. Is that okay?"
"It's more than okay." Regina assured Emma, holding her closer. "Emma? I know it's soon but…I…I'm pretty sure I love you."
Emma looked up at Regina, smiling a little. "I'm pretty sure I love you too." She then kissed Regina, closing her eyes as they sunk into it.
The next morning, Emma couldn't sleep, so she got up and went to make some coffee. She bit her lip as she took out her phone and typed out a message. "I want you in my life. I want my mom back, just please promise me, you won't leave me again."
It didn't take long for a reply. "Emma, I promise. I swear that I will never leave your life again. I will spend as much time as I need in order for you to trust me."
"When is your day off? Can we maybe get together again?"
"Today, actually. I'm only up because I'm used to getting up early. I'd love to have lunch with you, if that's okay."
"That should work. I have to make sure Zelena, or Regina can watch Ryleigh. I'm sorry, but it's too soon for her to meet you yet."
"I understand and agree. We need to be sure we're okay first. I did see her when she was at the hospital though. Emma, she's beautiful. She looks just like you at her age."
Emma smiled. "Thank you. She's my everything."
"And Regina?"
Emma couldn't stop smiling. "We're working on it. It's hard though since the only relationship I had was with a man just as bad as dad."
"Give it time. Regina is wonderful and I think you two are perfect. I can tell that she cares so much about you and you for her. Granny's at 11?"
"Thanks, mom. Granny's at 11, so long as nothing comes up."
Mary smiled. "Mom". She didn't deserve it, but she'd take it. "I love you, baby girl. I know you can't say it back yet, but I want you to hear it."
"Mom…I do love you. I'll see you later."
Emma smiled as she felt Regina's arms around her. "You're up early."
"Well, my cuddle buddy left me, and I got cold." Regina said, smirking. "Babe, it's so early."
"I know. I'm coming back up. I just needed to send my mother a message. Oh, can you watch Ryleigh so I can meet her for lunch today?"
"You bet, but I'm willing to bet she'll still be at Zelena's house, so I'll go there. Come on, let's get a bit more sleep."
"Sounds perfect." Emma said and the two went back up for a bit more sleep.