The Heart That Beats For Her

Chapter Fifteen

"Regina."

Regina inhales sharply, gasping hopelessly for a single breath as her eyes spring open to life. She's hyperventilating, that much is obvious, but she hasn't a clue as to where she is or what is happening around her.

"Regina, look at me, I'm right here. It's okay, I have you." And that's when her frightened eyes dart to a set of panicked green orbs hovering above her.

Emma.

"Em-ma," she stammers, her voice refusing to cooperate as her lungs expand and plead for another breath.

"Yeah," and her voice is so delicate, so sweet that it convinces Regina's heart to slow it's frantic pace. "I'm here. It's all over. It was just a bad dream," she reassures her.

That's when Regina feels the warmth of a soft palm gliding down the side of her face. Emma is cupping her jawline with both hands, her thumbs hard at work to sweep away the mess of tears dribbling down Regina's face. Regina shivers violently, an icy chill tormenting her veins and running her blood cold.

"You're soaked in a cold sweat. We need to change you," Emma explains, but everything around Regina is a foggy haze and she swears she's still in some kind of dream.

She can't make out a damn thing beyond Emma's worried face. She still can't remember where she is or why Emma is the one chasing away her nightmares. She simply sees glistening forest green eyes and somewhere in the back of Regina's dazed mind, she is aware that Emma's eyes have never appeared so dark before. They are usually a swirl of blue and green with little dashes of golden hues, but not now, the fear must have drowned out the light that usually shines from them.

"Emma," she rasps out once more, needing more affirmation that this is the real world, no more haunting dreamland.

"I'm here," she vows with a finality Regina hasn't heard from this woman before.

With the relief that washes through her body, also comes every terrifying memory from her dream. Naveen. She remembers seeing him so lifeless, his head battered and gushing blood...

"Oh my god," she chokes, slapping her hand over her mouth and scrambling furiously in the bed.

She doesn't know what she's shuffling away from or why, but that's her body's first instinct, run. Run away from the pain. Run away from the memory.

"Regina, it's all over now. Please calm down," Emma sweetly shushes her, but Regina's body is screaming at herself to run.

Except, she's not running. Her entire body feels as though she is made up of wet concrete, weighing her down as it slugs along through her blood. She backs up until she slams against the headboard, her breathing coming out in short spurts.

Another flash of Naveen, immobile, hanging so helplessly. So much blood. Her stomach doubles over, a queasiness attacking her gut and churning that bitter bile until it's boiling, bubbling up toward her chest. She digs her nails deep around her mouth because she knows what's to come.

Apparently, Emma knows too because she is leaping from the bed, gripping Regina's wrist and yanking her right off the mattress in two seconds flat. Regina doesn't see much of anything until there is a toilet beneath her and she is releasing all her past pain that's been tormenting her for seven long months.