Regina's Queen - OUAT Fanfic

CHAPTER ELEVEN

  "Emma..." Regina started to say hoarsely, her throat dry and painful.

  "Shh," Emma quieted her softly. "You're okay. Gold saved you."

Regina's gaze flickered to the Dark One, standing statuesque at the end of the bed, still watching her fixedly.

  "Actually," Gold corrected, redirecting the credit appropriately, "Emma did. I only brought the boat. If Emma hadn't protected you as she did, I doubt there'd be anything left of you to save by the time I got there. And you certainly wouldn't have had need of any potion afterwards."

  "Well... there's a cheerful thought," Regina breathed, closing her eyes as she leaned back into the pillows.

She turned back to Emma, squeezing her hand weakly.

  "Thank you," she whispered.

Emma nodded with a strained smile, a small tear escaping her as she met the fragile gaze of the Evil Queen.

  "Come, dearie," Gold directed his words to Emma, his usual penchant for lack of emotion evident in his voice. "Leave the Queen to rest. You and I have business to attend to."

Emma's expression became stormy as she recalled the Dark One's opening words upon his arrival. She certainly did have business with this Red Queen he had found.

  "Take me to her," she hissed, rising to her feet like a thundercloud.

  "Wait... please..." Regina interrupted breathlessly, grasping weakly at Emma's hand before she could pull away. Her voice had paled to almost nothing as her strength faded. She regarded them with something akin to panic etched into her features, and Emma paused to reassure her despite itching to meet their foe.

  "We won't be gone long," Emma said softly, squeezing her hand. "Don't worry, Regina, we'll take care of it."

  "Wait..." Regina repeated, trying with all her might to force power back into her voice. She attempted to sit up, and Emma's concern for her well-being outweighed her need to leave at once. The Red Queen could wait a few moments more. She exchanged a glance with Gold, silently imploring him to check his impatience, and then turned her full attention to Regina.

  "What is it?" Emma asked softly, rearranging her pillows as she helped prop her up in the bed. Realistically, she thought it was far too early for her to attempt to rise, but it was very difficult to refuse the Evil Queen, even in her current state. She seemed adamant, and Emma knew she would push herself to achieve it alone if she refused to help her.

  "Tell me... what happened," Regina urged softly. Her breath flowed a little more easily once she was sitting upright. "I need to know, Emma – don't leave anything out."

Emma looked at her intently, noting the subtle flush of colour washing back into her cheeks. She knew that Regina was resilient, but the rate at which she was forcing herself to recover was hardcore, even for the Evil Queen. Impressed, she raised her eyebrows and obligingly started at the beginning, at the moment that the first bolt of black lightning had struck Regina squarely between her shoulder blades.

She described the shadow-beast in excruciating detail, and Regina's face hardened impassively when she mentioned the sighting of the Red Queen in the background. She replayed through each second of the encounter, ending with Gold's last-minute arrival, the Red Queen's flight, and their own escape to safety in the little boat as the beast followed its mistress into the woods.

  "You're lucky that the bolt hit you in the back," Gold cut in as Emma was wrapping up her tale. "If it had hit your heart, you'd be dead."

Regina managed to scowl at him. Emma gently squeezed her hand again, drawing her attention back to her instead.