Chapter 59

"You found me." The Savior's grumbly voice brought the Queen out of her daze. "I think that officially makes you a Charming." A white smile shown through chapped lips and Regina snapped, "Take that back right this instant."

Emma chuckled weakly and coughed for the effort. Regina grabbed a cup of water next to the Sheriff and helped her take a drink to soothe the fit. Cool fingertips grab hold of the Queen's hand, and the Savior said, "I'm sorry for running off. You were right I'm..."

"None of that matters now," the older woman said and took up the blonde's hand in hers.

"No, I need you to know you can trust me…"

"I do! It was me. I was being irrational and said things I didn't mean. I didn't mean them. Not one word of it." Regina pressed her lips to the back of the Savior's hand and felt the tears fall down over her cheeks. "No matter what mind-numbingly stupid thing you get yourself wrapped up in.

You have my heart, now and always, do you understand me?"

A gruff voice startled the women, "You missed your appointment this afternoon, Madam Mayor."

"I was busy. I'll reschedule," Regina said without taking her eyes off of Emma.

"Hey, that's for your MRI? You need to make sure you're okay," Emma said weakly. Her worry over the Queen's health took precedence over even her own state, and that fact was evident in her large green eyes.

"I'm better than okay Miss Swan, and I'll reschedule after I sleep for a month," the Queen lazily smirked.

"Come here," the blonde said and made room for the Queen to curl up next to her in her hospital bed.

"Hey you can't-"

"Shut up Whale," both women said in unison and settled down in the comfort of one another's arms.

"Fine, well Emma you have visitors."

Regina sighed and made a motion to get up, but the Savior held onto her and kissed her head and said, "Stay." The Mayor gratefully succumbed to her exhaustion and curled back into the Savior's strong arms. She was far too tired to think about how she appeared to her son, the two idiots or any of the townsfolk.

Gabrielle was the first to enter the room to greet the couple followed by a pensive warrior princess.

"Hey guys, you got here fast," Emma said smiling up at their friends.

"We were already here. Gabby signed up for an internship to start off her medical career, and we were just signing up for orientation." Tentative cool fingers slid down the Savior's arm and explored the fluid-giving needle taped to the back of her hand. Recognition chimed in, and the bard asked, "This is the IV, isn't it? And this? What's in this?" Curious green eyes looked over the apparatus.

"Saline solution," Emma responded and said, "It's all pretty similar to what the Amazon's had. I'm sure you'll pick everything up real quick."

"What is that beeping?" the bard asked then amended, "The heart monitor, right?"

Emma gasped and attempted to ask, "How-?"

Regina curled closer to her Sheriff and mumbled into her collar, "I cursed them with memories weeks ago."

"Days," Gabrielle corrected then looked with a worried scowl toward Xena.

"For you maybe," the Queen yawned and closed her eyes.

Before any of the women could ask, Henry Mills rushed the couple and wrapped his arms around both of his mothers and exclaimed, "Moms! What happened?!"

The Charmings followed suit and Emma cried out, "Damaged goods people!"

Snow cried, "Oh sweetheart, we're sorry! What happened to you?"

Emma recounted her part of the day and a half she remembered and reassured her parents that Regina had taken care of Ares.

"Ares? Was here?!" The warrior princess looked properly angry, and Regina finally spoke up. "I sent him back to your realm Princess, don't worry, he's gone."

"You did? Alone? How?" Xena asked with extreme skepticism.

"I used Miss Lucas' magic bean to create a portal back to your realm. He's gone."

The wolf accused, "You stole my bean?"

"To save the town, but no, Snow gave it to me," Regina explained and tightened her arms around the Savior.

Snow fish gaped and exclaimed, "I did no such thing!"

"How else would I know of it?" The Mayor snapped then pooled her patience and said, "Thank you by the way, because that was the only thing that worked. Every other time he killed me."

Emma felt the weight of the Mayor's ordeal and spoke up, "We can talk about this later, I'm kind of tired. Henry, go home with Snow and David. Mom and I will pick you up when they release us." The bulk of the crowd left the room and Emma placed a firm kiss to the Mayor's forehead and whispered, "You're going to need to explain to me what happened."

"I will Sheriff. I just need a light two-week coma to recoup. I don't think I've slept in a month."

Emma chuckled and said, "No more comas for you my Queen, remember?"

"I do not recall agreeing to that, Savior."

"Trust me you did," Emma chuckled then stroked the dark chocolate strands away from the Queen's face and asked, "So can you give me a cliff's notes version of what happened?"

Regina sniffed and explained, "Groundhog day from hell."

"Is that it?" Emma asked expectantly.

"Believe me, that's plenty. You're the one who wanted the condensed version. Be careful what you ask for," Regina huffed then laid a gentle kiss to the blonde's jaw.

"You'll never make anything easy will you my Queen?"

"Not in this life, my Sheriff," Regina replied and then drifted off to sleep in the safety of her true love's arms.

Ares, god of war, dropped to his father's feet in the great hall of Mount Olympus. Zeus picked up the little dagger that skidded to a halt by his side and asked, "Is this the Hind's Blood Dagger?"

Rage in the immortal's eyes exploded when realization struck him. "Did you kill my daughter!? You spoiled little brat!"

As Ares recovered from his fall and stood to his feet, he felt his godhood return to him and spat, "You're not fit to be the ruler of gods!"

"Not fit!? How am I not fit!?" Zeus demanded opening his arms wide and looked around at the other gods that littered the great hall, daring any of them to speak up.

"You make poor decisions! You grant life to people who are undeserving! You cause chaos with your pettiness and your lust for power!" The god of war roared.

Zeus in his rage plunged the dagger into his son and spat, "You are unworthy of being a god! By me, you will be undone."

The surprised look in the younger god was quickly replaced with pain and fear as the Hind's Blood dagger sapped not only his godhood but also his life force. Zeus dropped the dried out husk of his son to the ground and raged at the sky hyped up on his newly acquired power.

The annoying ringtone of her phone goes off next to her head and startled brown eyes pop open. "No!" the Queen cried when her worst fears crashed over her. A warm hand wrapped itself around her midsection, and a dry voice mumbled, "Tell whoever it is to go away."

In her joy, Regina turned and kissed the grumpy little Sheriff who complained, "Babe, my burns are still burnie!"

"I'm sorry Emma! I didn't mean to hurt you." She kissed the side of the blonde's head gently, just grateful the woman was there in her bed.

"Sokay, can you shut off the ringer? That has to be the most annoying ringer on the planet, where the hell did you get that anyway? Obnoxious Ringers R Us?" Emma grumbled with her eyes still closed, and her brow pinched in annoyance.

"Tell me about it." Regina chuckled then looked at the incoming call. Declining it, she returned to more pressing matters. As she ran her fingers over the sleepy Sheriff, she could feel the cool barbs of her magic rush up under her skin. She waved her hand over the Sheriff's abdomen and healed what was left of the wounds making sure not even a scar was left as a reminder.

"Hey, what happened?"

"My magic is back!" Regina cooed with an excitedly wide smile.

"Cool. Thanks." The blonde snuggled into her and grumbled, "More sleep."

Regina held the woman for a moment before her fidgeting fingers explored down the Savior's body. "I can think of much better things to do with our time Miss Swan," her low voice whispered into the space between them. The blonde let out a sleepy grunt and snuggled closer.

The Queen's hand slid over the thin teeshirt that hid perfect breasts, and when she rolled her thumb over the peak, it stiffened in her hand. When it did, the Sheriff let loose a high pitched whine that forced a wicked smile out of the Queen. Warm hands abandoned their exploration and slid down over the Sheriff's cotton covered mound.

"What are you doing?" the blonde asked with a hint of a whine.

"I don't believe I'm being subtle dear," she replied then pushed the blonde back and pinned her down with the weight of her body. Green eyes opened and looked up at her. She felt the weight of the woman's truest feelings for her, and she was helpless against her desire to kiss her. Leaning in, the Mayor planted a kiss on the Savior's lips and groaned for the effort.

When her lungs burned, she broke their embrace and spoke from her heart, "I love you so much it physically hurts, and I can't imagine ever waking up without you in my bed ever again. You are my everything, Emma Swan. You are my best friend, my world, my savior. You have healed my soul, something I never thought possible. Your love, I feel it all around me. I…"

A warm golden glow of magic gradually increased in its intensity between them interrupting the Queen's love-soaked rambling and both women sat in awe as the glow enveloped them. "Look Emma!"

"I can see it, what is it?" Emma asked with nervous apprehension.

"It's my magic, it's… light!" The surprise was clearly written on the darker woman's face, and Emma smiled with satisfaction.

"See? Good can come from broken! I told you, beautiful, you are worth redemption."

"You are my savior, Emma," the Queen whispered.

Emma wrapped her fingers up in the dark hair of the Mayor and pulled her down into another passionate kiss and then whispered back, "And you are mine, my Queen."

The End

Thank you for checking out this little fic, it's been almost 3 years in the making and I'm pretty proud at how it turned out so thanks for sticking with it! xx

~Lu