Shaya

Chapter 19 - A broken heart can never heal

Everything hurt in her body, but she ignored it. Regina was right in front of her, her heart in her hand. It was bright, she was right. Rapunzel could barely keep her eyes opened.
Regina was watching her as if she was the most impossible and beautiful thing in the world. And yet she was feeling nothing. Absolutely nothing.
The former Queen moved her hand closer to her chest, but then stopped. She was sad, now. Conflicted.
" I shouldn't do it. I should keep your heart, and so keep you safe." she said. It was a question.
Rapunzel sighed. Did she want it? She was tempted, she had to admit it. No more love, no more sufferance. She tried to imagine the rest of her life with that sweet emptiness that she was feeling inside her chest. It wasn't bad. It was amazing! All of her pain had disappeared! Her brother, herself, Regina... nothing hurt anymore. But the rage... it was still there. Blood. She wanted blood, she wanted to feel it, hot and liquid on her hands while she pierced her blade into... She furiously blinked, breathless. She couldn't believe what she just thought. She looked at Regina in disbelief. Rapunzel grabbed her hand and pulled it inside her chest, then coughing for the intense sensation. Warmth, pain, love. Shaya closed her eyes and sighed in relief. When she reopened them, Regina was eying her in confusion, frowned.
" What...?"
" I..." Shaya swallowed, trying to find back her voice and her bravery. " I wanted to kill you." she said, sadly gazing at her.
" You probably should. " the brunette bitterly smiled.
A thought, a memory of painful words hit her, crunching her heart, probably literally. Shaya narrowed her eyes, in pain. " But you said that..."
Regina was fast moving: she took her face in her hands and kissed her. Rapunzel closed her eyes. It was too good to manage to think. The pain faded away. She moved and got closer to Regina, clinging to her jacket. The former Queen broke the kiss just for a second, looking at her eyes. " I love you." she said. Rapunzel couldn't help but smile. She said it. She. Said. It. Didn't she?
" Say it again."
Regina slightly smiled, and gave her a soft kiss before murmuring again those three words.

" Emma!" Snow ran to her daughter a second after she fainted. She quickly took her daughter's head, careful not to touch the wound, worried that there could be others, but Emma looked unharmed. She was breathing. She looked asleep, Snow thought.
" Is she fine?" David asked, crouched next to her.
" David she fainted, it's obvious that she's not fine!"
" Magic always comes with a price..." he murmured, making her look at him. Snow felt her cheeks redden for the rage.
" I'm not paying again for her mistakes!" she growled pointing at Regina with a hint of her head.
David leaned a hand on her shoulder. " Snow, Emma is just tired, she shouldn't even get out of bed..."
" Indeed." she answered, gritting teeth, eyes on Regina. The brunette noticed her gaze only when Snow stood up, fists balled with anger, each muscle of her body impossibly tensed. David's hand was still on her shoulder, but, unusually, it didn't have the power to calm her down.
As Regina put her eyes on her, Rapunzel did. Rapunzel. How could she still love that woman? Did she know what love is? Because that looked more like an obsession...
" Snow White, I see rage in your eyes, but..."
" You can't love her. She..."
" Snow!" David moved between her and the two women, giving them his back. He put both his hands on her shoulders and bent to look directly in her eyes. " Snow, calm down! We have to take Emma back to the hospital now..."
" Emma wouldn't need any hospital if it wasn't for her!" Snow pushed with all of her forces against David's chest, and he fell down on his back, took out of guard. She refused to feel sorry, and walked towards Regina, who in the meantime had stood up, pointing at the brunette with a finger. " You almost killed, no, you actually killed Rapunzel and Emma had to pay for your magic again! You..." Her angry words were interrupted by the sudden standing of Rapunzel. Her legs barely held her, but still she was challenging her, protecting Regina with her weak body and her fierce stare.
" Shut up." she just said. Snow felt as if she wasn't able to speak anymore. She goggled at her, opening her mouth to try to speak, but no sound exited from it. Rapunzel tiredly sneered. " I'm tired of your voice. And of all the shit which it gives sound to."
" Shaya..." Regina's voice, for the first time, sounded uncertain. Snow looked at her: she was half behind Rapunzel, a hand on her arm, but she was looking at her with a worried face. Rapunzel grinned, taking back her attention. Her eyes... Snow stopped breathing looking in them. They were dark abysses again, and bright as the sky at the same time.
" Don't worry, love. I would never hurt your step-daughter."
Snow gave a start. That was a paradox! Regina defending her from Rapunzel! Regina actually caring of her... No! Rapunzel must had misunderstood. Regina's gaze, though...
" I know, just... I don't like it when you use magic." Regina muttered, glancing down. Rapunzel gazed at the brunette with such a warm look that Snow, for a moment, forgot what was happening. Such sweetness was way too contrasting with the killer look she just gave her. The warrior then glanced back at her, and the knot Snow was experiencing in her throat suddenly disappeared.
" Sorry." Rapunzel said. Snow thought she was talking to her, until she noticed that she was still looking at Regina. The former Queen nodded once, gazing up at the warrior.
Snow had lost a bit of her anger, but not all of it. She snorted. " You..." she started, but as Rapunzel suddenly turned to watch her as a wolf would look at a rabbit, she just swallowed.
" Me?" she asked, slightly tilting her head. With one eyebrow arched, she pointed at Regina. " Or her, maybe?"
Still. She was still as a damn snake. Snow never felt so in danger. Neither David's presence could calm her heart. Snow gripped to her last hope: she moved her eyes on Regina.
" Stay away from my daughter." she said to her. Her voice sounded trembling even at her ears.
Regina heavily sighed, the shadow of a bitter smile on her lips. " You know that I can't, Snow."
Rage, again. Strong, burning rage. " Then I'll make you do it." she growled, forgetting about the warrior until she completed the threat. And until she heard her laugh.
Snow watched her in disbelief. Rapunzel was actually laughing, leaning on Regina to keep herself standing. She frowned: she knew she wasn't that threatening, but so little to make her laugh even...
" Oh, sorry, Princess, sorry but... Ah ah ah! Do you really think that... Ah ah ah!"
Snow snorted, annoyed. Angry, in truth, and offended. " What?!" she asked in exasperation.
She thought that Rapunzel was her friend! How could have she been so blind? She was nothing more than a mercenary, and mercenaries act only for their interest. She saved her only to have the opportunity to fuck Regina, that was the truth. She was just a killer with an obsession for that woman, just as Regina was a murderer who used revenge as excuse. They were crazy. Maybe made one for another, but dangerous as hell. She had to protect Emma and Henry from them. And David. And Red. And Grumpy, and all of the people. Laugh, Rapunzel, laugh. Underestimate me.
" Do you really think..." the warrior paused to clear her voice. She was smiling, but there was a dangerous light in her eyes. " ...that I'd let you hurt her?"
Snow smiled: she thought that she was invincible, wasn't it? She was about to answer when Regina intervened.
" Shaya, stop it. I played this game for a long time, and it leads to nothing, you know it well. Snow..." Her step-mother watched her. She looked bloody worried. Since when Regina showed her emotions? " David is right, Emma only needs rest: that magic was powerful, almost impossible. She'll sleep for a while, but don't worry, she's fine."
Fine? " Fine?! She fainted! She should be sleeping in her bed, but she's lying in the middle of the forest because you fucking killed the psychopath that loves you!"
" What's a psychocat?"
" Psychopath. A crazy person, and if you dare calling her this way another time, Snow White..."
" You what? You'll kill me? You'll kill David? Or Emma? Or gimme another sleeping curse, Regina? What will you do?" she cried out, almost giving up to the temptation to punch Regina right in the face.
" No, idiot! I will smash your annoying face before you can even realize that I moved!"
Rapunzel suddenly burst into laughter again, contrasting Snow's rage. Snow looked at her shaking her head, barely holding her anger.
" Why the fuck are you laughing?!?"
She shook her head, stifling another laugh, barely glancing at her. She then took Regina's head in her hands and kissed her, making her goggle. The kiss lasted just a few seconds. " You're beautiful!" she said, smiling widely, before letting Regina's face.
The former Queen stifled a laughter in turn, then found her demeanor. " You'd better reevaluate your parent duties and take Emma to the hospital, or I'll do. We shall see her tomorrow. I suggest you to go for a horse ride around nine a.m., so that such inconvenient misunderstandings won't happen again. In the meantime, I suggest you to think. I'm talking to Snow, Charming. You could even be a farmer, but you're a gentleman, too. You're always welcome. " Regina winked at him. Snow's jaw dropped. She looked at her husband. He was blushing! Snow turned to look at Regina with growing fury, but a purple fog had substituted her and Rapunzel's figures. Snow turned back to watch David, hands on her hips.
He quickly glanced down and moved closer to Emma. Snow goggled.
" Better if we hurry up, she'll be cold..." he said, covering her with his jacket and trying to pick her up.
" David...?"
" ... And she surely doesn't need a cold, too, so we should really move on..." he was already walking away with his daughter on his arms. Snow followed him with her mind so full of shit that it seemed empty.