Once Upon a Supernatural

Chapter XXV: True Love's Kiss

The trio raced to the hospital in Dean's Impala, illegally parked at the front entrance, and stormed into the hospital. Dean took the lead up the stairs followed by Emma then Regina. Dean had in this hospital once, but he knew the way to the room his brother was staying in. the room his brother and Henry were dying in.

As they approached the glass doors, Dr. Whale and some woman who looked like a nun walked out towards them. Both of them looked deeply saddened.

"We did everything we could," Dr. Whale whispered, barely able to look any of them in the eye.

The nun was doing her best to hold back her tears, "I'm sorry. You're too late."

Dean head the words, but he didn't understand them. Too late? It wasn't possible. He couldn't be too late. He and Sam had been through this before; they'd always recovered. Nothing was ever an end for them. Sam couldn't be gone; it wasn't possible.

Emma was the first to push forward and open the doors. To Dean, everything seemed like it was moving in slow motion. He watched as a nurse began to turn off Henry's monitor. He looked at Henry's small, lifeless form laying on the bed. Gone. Dean felt a tear fall down as he thought about all the empty promises he'd broken; how this young man only wanted help. And Dean failed him.

Finally, Dean looked over at Sam. He looked just like Henry as he laid in his bed; hands resting on his stomach. He looked so peaceful; like he was sleeping. Dean walked over to the edge of the bed and felt more tears start to fall from his eyes as the pain in his chest only increased. His heart was breaking all over again as he stood there over his brother's body. When he looked at Sam's face, he only saw Sammy. His pain in the ass little brother. Just like everything else, this was Dean's fault. He wasn't there for him; he couldn't protect him. He'd failed everyone.

Emma couldn't take her eyes off of the small form that was laying on the bed. He didn't even look like Henry with all the wires connected to him and the breathing mask on. As the nurse began to turn off the monitor and remove the mask from his face, she knew that all hope was lost. This small creature who had once lived inside of her was gone. She'd failed him.

Flashes of the first time Emma held his small, delicate form in her hands after hours of labor entered her mind as she slowly walked over to his bed. Of how she cried herself to sleep that night because it felt like a huge chunk of heart had been ripped out and taken away. Of how she felt when he showed up at her apartment in Boston just a few short months ago. Less than a year; it wasn't long enough. it wasn't fair! She wasn't just starting to become a mother. How could he be taken away from her now? How could she lose him, again?

She thought she heard the faint sound of Regina crying behind her, but her mind wasn't thinking straight. It was only consumed with thoughts of Henry.

Emma walked over to the side of his bed; though her feet felt heavy with each step she took. She reached out for Henry's small arm and clung to him, desperate to not let him go just yet. The tears that she'd been holding back all day finally began to pour down her cheeks. She wanted to say something, but her jaw was quivering too much for anything to come out. All the air felt like it had been ripped away from her chest as she inched closer to her child's side.

There was only one thing she could do; one last goodbye. Emma began to move the hair away from Henry's forehead though her fingers were trembling. She bent down over his form. An inch away from his forehead she said her goodbye in the words she felt were appropriate. She whispered in a broken voice as she closed her eyes.

"I love you, Henry" Emma said as she kissed her son's forehead.

A blast of energy serge from their bond in a wave of power that blew Emma away from Henry. She looked around found Dean's eyes first, who looked just as confused as she was.

The sound of Henry gasping and rising from his bed caused Emma to jump back. He was alive!

The smile on Emma's face only grew as she reached out and stroked her son's hair as he looked up at her and smiled. "I love you, too. You saved me."

"You did it," Regina said behind them.

Mother Superior walked up to Emma as everyone around them began to look around as if they had no idea where they were.

"Henry," Emma said, "What's going on?"

Emma watched as Regina began to back up, carefully watching everyone around her.

"The curse," Henry answered. "I think you broke it."

"That was True Love's kiss," Mother Superior replied, answering that both Emma and Henry were thinking.

"No. No," Regina said in protest.

Mother Superior turned around to face the mayor and Emma began to wonder who her counterpart was, "If I were you, your majesty, I'd find a place to hide."

Regina, avoiding the nun's words, swiftly made her way to end of Henry's bed and clutched his leg. "Henry," she began as Emma noticed tears pooling in the woman's eyes, "No matter what you think; no matter what anyone tells you. I do love you." And with that Regina quickly made her exit from the hospital.

Emma looked back towards Henry, who was smiling gleefully at her. He was... proud. Proud of her.

Dean watched as the entire scene took place in front of him. What had he just witnessed? The nun said it was True Love's kiss. So that meant, "Magic," he whispered only to himself.

He looked down at Sam, who still laid lifeless on his bed.

"What about Sam?" he finally spoke up after Regina had abandoned the scene. Obviously the person responsible for bringing the curse upon everyone wasn't going to stick around to play catch up.

Dr. Whale and the nun looked over at Dean. "He needs True Love's kiss," the nun spoke up. Dean began to wonder who exactly this chick was. "Sam is under the same curse that Henry was put under. The turnovers; they come from the same poisoned apple. The kiss is the only thing powerful enough to break it."

"Great," Dean groaned. He looked around and noticed that Ruby was sitting outside the room, looking just as confused as everyone else. "Ruby!" he yelled, gaining her attention. Ruby walked in and stood by Dean's side, looking over Sam. "Do you think you can do it?"

"Are you asking me if I love your brother, Dean?" Ruby asked, her eyes pleading. "I only just discovered who I am. I don't- I'm not sure if I can."

"Can you try?" Dean begged. Ruby only nodded as she walked on the other side of the bed. Dean could tell she was nervous as she bent down and placed her lips to Sam's.

Nothing.

When she rose up there were tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered, refusing to make eye contact with Dean.

"You're not suggesting-"

"You said so yourself," she said as she reached out for Dean's hand. "You would risk anything for your brother. You went to Hell for him. What's more powerful than a bond between brothers?"

Dean shook his head; she couldn't be serious. He looked over at Sam; his Sammy. Sometimes when he looked at Sam all he could see was his naïve, helpless baby brother. Dean felt Emma squeeze his hand at an attempt to encourage him.

Dean rose up and walked over to the side of the bed. He mimicked Emma's motions with Henry by moving away Sam's bangs from his forehead. Dean looked back at Emma, who now held an up-and-about Henry in her arms as they watched.

"This had better work," Dean groaned.

He leaned down and placed his lips on his brother's forehead, I love you, Sammy.

A wave of magic, similar to the one produced by Emma, poured from the pair as Dean rose up. His heart rate was beating like crazy as the anticipation took over.

Sam gasped and sprung up from the bed, just as Henry had. Ruby, who was still sitting at his side, squealed quietly as she jumped up to her feet.

Dean felt his entire body exhale as he watched his brother open his eyes and begin to look around, catching his breath. He finally looked over at Dean, "Hey, Sammy."

Sam, confused, looked around at his surroundings. "Dude," Sam began, still slightly out of breath, "Did you just kiss me?"