Once Upon A Time ~ Book 1

Chapter 43 - His Missing Heart

Emma and Graham stated into the building.
"It's gotta be in here." said Graham. "Somewhere." he shone his torch into the shelfs, but he could find nothing.
Emma stared at him in fear.
"There's gotta be a hidden door. A lever." he continued searching the room. He took a vase that sat on a shelf and attempted to pull it open. "Something."
Emma held Graham arm. "Graham. Hey, Graham." she looked onto his eyes. "There is nothing in here."
"There has to be. If there isn't, then......."
"It's okay. It's going to be okay." Emma told him calmly.
Then suddenly Regina's voice came from outside the building. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she shouted looking in from outside.
Graham shone the light out at her in the darkness.
Emma stepped outside. "What are you doing here?"
She held up some white tulips. "Bringing flowers to my father's grave like I do every Wednesday."
"Don't blame her." said Graham.
"It's my fault. I wanted to look in there." Graham stepped forward.
"Really? Why? What were you looking for?"
"Nothing. It was nothing."
Emma walked closer to them.
"You don't look well, dear. Let's take you home." she grabbed his arm.
"I don't wanna go home." he pulled away. "Not with you."
"Oh. But you'll go with her?" she glanced at Emma.
"Hey, this is between you two. Leave me out of it." said Emma.
"She's right. It's between us, and things have to change."
"And I wonder why that is, all of a sudden."
"It has nothing to do with her. I've realised that I don't feel anything, Regina. And I know now it's not me, it's you."
"So you're leaving me for her?"
"I'm leaving you for me.
Emma looked at Graham a smile creeping up on her face.
Regina stepped forward. "Graham, you're not thinking straight."
"Actually for the first time, I am. I'd rather have nothing than settle for less. Nothing is better than what we have. I need to feel something, Regina, and the only way to do that is to give myself a chance."
She stepped closer to him and held her arms out. "Graham." her eyes were red and bloodshot now, but she didn't shed a tear.
"I'm sorry. It's over."
Emma looked at him again and he glanced at her.
"I don't know what I ever did to you, Miss Swan, to deserve this." she stared at her, her voice hoarse. "To have you keep coming after everything I hold dear."
"I toldyou it's not her." said Graham.
"None of this happened until she got here."
"I'm sorry. You ever stop to think that maybe the problem isn't with me, but with you?" said Emma.
"Excuse me?"
"Henry came and found me...... Graham kissed me....... Both were miserable..... Maybe, Madam Mayor, you need to take a good, hard look in the mirror and ask youself why that is....... Why is everyone running away from you?"
Regina smiled then threw a punch straight into Emma face.
Emma fell back onto the ground.
"Regina!" Graham shouted as he tryed to help her up but he fell back himself.
Emma got to her feet quickly and threw another punch into Regina's face. Then before she fell Emma pined her up against the wall of the building.
"Stop!"
"Stop! Stop! Stop it!" shouted Graham pulling Emma back as she attempted to beat Regina.
Regina moved ger jaw and held it in her gloved hand and walked away. She bent down and picked up her flowers.
"Not worth it." said Emma and she walked away from them.
Regina looked at Graham. "Graham?" she walked towards him but he just walked after Emma leaving her standing alone with a busted lip.

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Emma and Graham were in the sherifs office. Graham picked up an ice-bag and walked over to Emma who sat on a desk.
"I'm sorry." he said and he held the ice-bag on her eye.
She took it in her own hands and he let go.
"I don't know what came over me. How I lost my mind."
"It's okay." Emma said. "You were tired and feverish. And heartbroken."
"I don't know why I let myself get caught up with her."
"Because it was easy and safe." she took the ice-bag from her face. "Not feeling anything's an attractive option when what you feel sucks."
He took a disinfective tissue and held it above her eye.
She winced and pulled back a little. "Felt that." she chuckled.
He chuckled too.

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Regina walked into the building and closed the door behind her.
She looked at the coffin in the middle the room. On it was written "Henry Mills Beloved Father". She placed the flowers on it and looked around. She then put both of her hands on the stone coffin and pushed it to the side.
Where the coffin once was before stepped lead down below. She slowly walked down them.

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"Did you think you can fool me with the heart of a stag?" said the queen to the huntsman and she threw the heart down. Then she waved her hand and the doors shut behind him. "You're not going anywhere."
"She doesn't deserve to die." said the huntsman.
"That's not up to you." she stepped closer to him. "I wanted a heart, and a heart I shall have."
She thrust her hand into the huntsman chest and he let out a gasp as he fell back against the doors. She stared into his face full of pain and then pulled his heart from inside of him. They both stared at the beating heart in her hand.
"What are you going to do to me?" he gasped.
She stepped forward and pressed her lips against his. She grasped his chin. "You're now mine. My pet." she walked away.
She held the heart up before the small draws. One opened with an empty chest. She opened up the chest. "And this is your cage....." she stared at him. "From this moment forward, you will do everything that I say. And if you ever disobey me, if you ever try to run away, all I have to do is squeeze." she squeezed the heart in her hand and the huntsman fell to the ground, groaning in pain.
"Gaurds!" she shouted.
Two gaurds burst into the room and pulled him to his feet.
"Your life's now in my hands........ Forever." she said to the huntsman.
"Take him to my bed chamber." she said to the gaurds.
The gaurds dragged him away and she placed the heart into the chest.

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Regina came down the steps and walked into an underground chamber. She walked into a space with small draws. She looked up at them and then pulled one of them open. She took from it a chest. She opened it to find a beating heart inside.

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"All better?" Graham asked Emma.
"Yeah." she said.
He turned away and Emma stared at him.
He sighed and looked back at her. "What?"
She smiled briefly and stood up, and walked towards him.
They looked into one anothers eyes for a few moments then Emma leaned forwards and their lips touched. Their eyes were closed. She rested her hands on his shoulder as they kissed. Then suddenly Graham saw a dear being shot by an arrow in the forest and a wolf near by, a huntsman stabbing a man and the evil queen. He then saw the huntsman letting Snow free and his heart in the queens hand. And whisle he saw all this he could hear a distant heart beat.
He fell back against the desk.
"Graham?" said Emma.

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Regina took the heart from the chest and stared at it beating in her hand.

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"Are you okay?" Emma asked.
"I remember." he said a smile on his face.
"Graham?"
He stood up and stared into her eyes.
"I remember."
"You remember what?"
He stepped closer to her.

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Regina still stared at the heart.

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Tears rowled down Grahams cheeks and he held Emma's face in his hands.
"Thank you." he said.
She smiled at him.
He leaned forward again.

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Tears came to Regina's eyes and she squeezed the heart.

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Just before Emma and Graham's lips touched once more he gasped and fell forward against the desk the down onto the floor.
"Graham!" shouted Emma, fearful.
She fell down onto the floor next to him.
"Graham? Graham!" she shook his motionless body on the floor.
"Graham! Graham!" she cryed.

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Regina let the black dust that was once Graham's heart fall to the ground. Her hand shook and another tear rowled down her cheek.

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Emma shook Graham vigorously. "Graham!"
She put her ear next to his chest, but she heard nothing.
"Okay. Okay. Graham! Come on, Graham!" she cryed as she kept shaking him. "Graham!" tears rowled down her cheeks and she sobbed next to his motionless body. "Graham."