They weren't so different after all.

With a yell the man suddenly lunged forward, but his momentum was hindered by the days of his captivity for he lost his footing and power making it easy for Emma to duck under his charge, weave her arms under his and bring him to the ground. She straddled him immediately, raising one of his arms above his head and used her other arm to come down on his larynx. His legs kicked and struggled as he choked against her weight. She didn't account for his free arm as it swung wildly, his closed fist clocking her about the temple. She yelled out at the pain and released his neck to pin both arms down, but he managed to wiggle his lower half free and kick her off with a swift foot to her gut.

They rolled away from each other, and Emma was faintly aware of the voices trying to reason with Spencer, but as far as she was concerned, she was alone in this match. She crouched again, gauging the man's movements. His dark eyes were almost obsidian as they followed every twitch of her body. His hands were down and out, vibrating from the adrenaline pushing him forward.

This time it was Emma's turn to initiate as she lunged forward, catching him around the middle and twisting her body to latch onto him from behind. For once she was grateful for that half-nelson a foster brother had forced her into because it made her learn how to do it properly, and as the man struggled under her, she felt him start to go limp beneath her as she sunk to a knee to bring him to the ground. A sudden pain ripped through her knee as the man used the last of his energy to bring a leg back and kick out her only standing leg. Emma released him falling face first to the ground as he coughed and crawled away.

Through the pain, Emma heard Cabrera's voice, having had enough of the spectacle their superior put on for them. "General, I have to insist that you cease this, and we will deal with the prisoner and Swan's insubordination accordingly."

"Sergeant, it is my duty to make sure our country is represented by the best active soldiers we can produce," Spencer said with an unmatched intensity. "Consider this training for Corporal Swan."

Emma reared up on all fours and coughed out the dirt she had swallowed when another kick came to her ribcage as the lanky man stood above her, kicking as if she were a soccer ball. She cried out and clutched her side, the tears coming unbidden to her eyes as she struggled to roll away.

"General!" Cabrera shouted this time.

"Stand down, Sergeant! That is an order."

Emma bit her lip and growled as the lanky man became confident that she was down and out. He laughed and jumped around her, spitting in the places she was trying to crawl to, cursing her and her squad in Arabic, but the taunting and Spencer's ever-present smirk gave her the strength she needed to suddenly roll onto her back and kick out the man's knees. There was a scramble as he landed on top of her as they both rolled around trying to get the upper hand.

Perhaps it was training or the sheer determination to just end this and get home alive, but Emma straddled him once more, gripping the sides of his face and bashing his head into the hardened ground once, twice. She eased up on him enough to flip him onto his front and used zip ties from her belt to keep him captive, moving quickly to do the same to his feet.

She panted. Her bun was nearly completely pulled out, her cheek was bruised, and her knuckles were red and cut. With every ounce of respect she could muster, Emma stared straight at Spencer and marched up to him until they were chest to chest. "Prisoner is apprehended, sir. For the good of our country, it would be wise to send him to more equipped facilities since the interrogation here has led us nowhere." She returned the steely eyes glared and stood at attention. "Sir."

Spencer's lip twitched in a snarl before he turned back to Cabrera and the three wide-eyed men. "What are you waiting for, Sergeant? Move him out."


February 23, 2005 – Boston, Massachusetts



"We there yet?"

"Not yet."

"How lo-oong?"

"Just a few more minutes, Henry."

"I'm ti-red."

"You can always nap."

"Mo-oommy," the boy continued to whine, stretching out in his car seat enough to kick the back of Regina's chair.

She caught his gaze in the rear view as she pulled off the interstate and into the city. The silent reprimanded had the three-year old pouting and straightening up in his seat, muttering his annoyances to Rexy Jr.

The four-hour drive was taking its toll on both Henry and Regina. The winds were fierce and the roads slushed over, and with driving conditions subpar, the amount of vehicles on the road limited Henry's game of What Colour is that Car? to the only few automobiles brave enough to brace the streets. For any other occasion, Regina wouldn't bother making such a trip, taking the rest of the week off, and pulling Henry out of daycare.

But August was in the hospital, and Regina had to be there for him.

She was sure the soldier would fight her tooth and nail upon seeing her, but Regina had a way of heeding people's wishes while getting her own way, and frankly, August was in the hospital. How much fuss could he really put up? Her need to scold the man for not listening to her sooner evaporated when August had called two days prior saying that those pains in his leg ended up being a lot more than nothing, going so far as to admitting they had been happening for a couple months now. By the time of his phone call, he was already prepped for surgery and was about to have his limb opened and looked. He had mentioned medical jargon Regina was sure even he didn't know, but despite his insistence that he was fine and to stay put, apologizing again for missing their weekly Sunday phone call, Regina had postponed her meetings and told Henry they were going on a road trip to see Uncle August.

Fifteen minutes later, Regina was holding Henry by the hand as they entered the hospital, the boy oohing at the grandiose design of the high ceilings and even the presence of a pizzeria. It was certainly a different world from Storybrooke's own general hospital, and Henry was soaking it in completely. Though the size of Storybrooke could be quite stifling at times, Regina was at least grateful that should she enter into their hospital any nurse could direct her to whomever she wished to see. Here, the Mayor was simply another visitor who needed to be directed by signs and maps to get into the proper section of the hospital where August said he'd be. After a few trials and errors, twice even stumbling into the maternity ward and passing by a gorgeous garden patio encased by tall glass windows where interns sat and ate lunch and slept, or at least they would if it weren't for the snowfall covering the benches and tables. Regina and Henry found the limb reconstruction floor and was thankful that the nurse sitting at the reception desk was able to help her locate Sergeant August Booth's room as Henry jumped from tile to tile without touching the cracks.

Regina held out her hand for Henry to take as the pair traversed through yet another hallway that looked as similar as the last until they reached August's room. The lower volume of a television could be heard from inside the door and a low, deep chuckle that was clearly that of August's laughter. Knocking on the door thrice, a muttered call to enter sounded, and Regina entered the private room.

August lay in the bed wearing a white hospital gown with blue diamonds. A tube ran up his nose and around his neck helping him breathe. His eyes were half-closed due to tiredness or the medication, Regina wasn't sure, but as soon as he got a good look as to who entered his room, he gave a lopsided grin and rolled a shoulder. "About time."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Were you expecting us?"

The man simply smirked and his head lolled to the side leaving Regina to deduce that he was most definitely high. She shook her head and took a step toward the bed to place her purse at the counter opposite August, but when she moved, she felt a tugging on her right pant leg. Henry clung to her, clutching Rexy to his face and hiding behind her thigh.

Worried, Regina crouched to his level where he scurried into her embrace. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Un-ca August sick?" He whispered in his toddler way as he cast a watery side glance to the man in question, his sudden amazement at the big hospital gone seeing his Uncle August strapped to so many machines.

Regina frowned but nodded. "A little bit, but he's getting all better now. Why don't you give him a big hug?"

He nodded and scampered to the hospital bed, climbing up the metal frame to plop haphazardly on his leg before crawling up his torso and hugging him around the chest. "You feel better, Un-ca August?"

"Hey little guy," August beamed as if just recognizing the boy's presence despite his knowing grin upon their entrance. "I know a super cool magic trick," he announced suddenly.

"What?" Henry asked eagerly, clutching Rexy to his chest in excitement. "Show me. I want to see."

"You have to say the magic word."

"Please?"

"Not that magic word," August admonished.

"Bibbity boppity boo!"

August considered it for a moment before shrugging, then suddenly the bed inclined upward and rose two inches. Henry gasped, staring around at the magical moving bed before clambering into August's lap. "How you do that?"

"Magic," he whispered dramatically into the toddler's ear.

Henry reared up on his knees using Rexy as his magic wand. "Bada boom."

August laughed at his choice of spell before covertly pushing the button that activated his bed, making it jostle up and down a moment then recline all the way back.

Regina shook her head as she sat beside the boys – because once those two were together no amount of military training could make August act his age – as they continued to play with the automated bed.

"It's like Aladdin's carpet, Mommy!" Henry nearly shouted in his excitement.

"It's a bed!" August added just as excited.

"Talking to you would be a useless task right now, wouldn't it, August?" Regina noted taking in his drip bag, the IV strapped to his arm.

"Talking to me is swell," he retorted back before showing Henry the secret to his magic trick.

"Debatable," Regina sassed before gaining his attention with a hand on his arm. "The surgery was successful?"

"I'm still alive and kicking," he answered before glancing up to the ceiling in thought then shrugged. "Half-kicking. They keep taking my leg."

Without warning he exposed his stump leg, shorter now that it ended mid-thigh. Fresh incisions and stitches laced through it and a bandage was placed right at the tip. Regina had seen him without his prosthetic before, but having her friend in the hospital for complications with it made her stomach churn. She squeezed his arm again, but before she could voice any concerns, August beat her to it by rapping his knuckles against her chin the same way he did to Emma in that annoyingly big brother fashion despite Regina being older than the Sergeant. "You came."

The comment took Regina by surprise. "Of course I did."

He smiled at her and ruffled her hair, earning him a glare he didn't catch as he and Henry continued to push buttons on his bed to see what they could do.


An hour later when a nurse brought in August's lunch, the sight of jello, soup, and pudding made Henry's little stomach rumble, so Regina dismissed herself, leaving the boys in the room to watch the cartoons Henry had conned August into watching as they snacked on the pudding and jello first. She remembered the food court upon entering, but greasy pizza just wasn't an option for her growing boy. There were a few sandwich and coffee shops she had passed when struggling to find August's ward, but she wondered if getting lost for half an hour would be worth the trip. Passing by a nurse, Regina stopped and held out a finger in a preemptive attempt to draw the nurse's attention, but the sound of her ringing purse drew her away. She frowned as she dug through her purse, finding her cell phone that was strictly for business calls and emergencies regarding Henry, but seeing as they were in Boston, she could only assume her staff back in Storybrooke were already falling apart on her.

Flipping open the Motorola, Regina pressed the phone to her ear and quickly left the patient care to find herself in the more common areas of the hospital. "Regina Mills speaking."