The Way

Chapter Nine

Snow White always knew when something was off with her family, and Emma was no exception. Her daughter had returned home to the loft not ten minutes ago, and already her dark haired mother was fretting.

"You're moving funny Emma."

From her place at the island, the blonde woman stiffened, but she didn't turn to look at her mother. Solving that problem on her own, Snow came around to the opposite side and pressed both palms against the surface, raising her eyebrows and waiting until Emma did finally look up. She heard her daughter sigh, and tilted her head.

"It's nothing, just a few sore muscles from training today." Emma's voice lacked the bored honesty it usually harbored when she spoke of training, and Snow saw right through it. She frowned.

"You never wear loose-fitting shirts on training days."

For another moment, Emma and Snow's eyes stayed connected. Then, with another great, heaving sigh, the princess stood and lifted her shirt. Snow gasped and covered her mouth, then rushed around the island to fuss.

"What the hell happened Emma?!" she cried, poking at the blisters and earning a reactive shove from her daughter. Stumbling back a step, her eyes darted from the injury to Emma's face and back again. "Did you spill hot oil on you or something? This needs to be treated at the hospital!"

"Let's go with that theory," Emma responded, sitting back down and sounding tired. "It'll be fine. My magic will heal it quickly enough."

"Emma, you don't know how to use magic yet! It doesn't just work that way. Besides, burns are the one thing magic has a hard time healing, since magic comes from within and burns typically happen to the outermost areas of the body. Doctor Whale needs to see this!" Snow White was nearly in a panic state, but Emma only shook her head.

"No, Mary Margaret. I've been burned worse than this in the past and always healed. I know how to treat burns—I took classes when I became Sheriff, remember? This is nothing."

Snapping her mouth shut and pursing her lips, Snow didn't respond right away. When she finally did, her voice was strained, but resigned.

"Just...promise me you'll keep an eye on it Emma. If it's not looking any better tomorrow..."

"I'm going to bandage it now, I just didn't have time before work this morning."

The blonde seemed to have realized her slip before Snow did, but when Snow saw her expression, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"This...happened before work, Emma?"

Gritting her teeth so loudly that her mother could hear it, Emma nodded.

"You weren't here last night. Wait...what were you doing last night? You said you were going to..." The dark haired woman's mouth fell agape, but Emma had already fled up the stairs. Snow White's hands clenched into fists.

She'd known Regina had been...displeased...at the breakfast, but this...this was inexcusable.

Regina frowned and closed the ribbon between the pages of her novel at the rather insistent knock which came from the direction of her front door. Everything in her body ached, emanating from the area around her heart. She stood up gingerly, annoyed that she was forced to move from the one comfortable position she had found thus far, and strode stiffly toward the entry. Not bothering to look through the peep hole, she flung it open and scowled at whomever dared stand on the other side. When she saw who it was, she crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe.

"This better not be another invitation."

Snow White was upon her in an instant, forcing her way into the house and backing Regina up against the wall at the back of the entry, her forearm crossing the taller woman's throat. Regina, quite shocked at such a display of physical violence from the so-called pure one gasped and lifted her chin in an effort to maintain the ability to breathe.