iii. the world has collapsed

━ ❝ pain takes over ❞

━━━━★✼☆｡━━━━

SLEEP IS A beautiful thing. Sleep is a place where you can rest your mind and not have to worry about what tomorrow will bring. You are at peace even if it doesn't last very long. But nightmares were the one thing that ruined that perfect and beautiful peace. And Isabelle was happy to say she didn't have any that night. This was a surprise since she had seen that dark shadow. That picture would be forever burnt into her mind, not knowing what it was or what it wanted. But sleep can also be ruined if someone awakens you.

Isabelle's eyes fluttered open and Mary Margaret was crouched next to her, smiling softly. Isabelle was reminded of the fight between her and her mother from the previous day and she felt tears brim her eyes. She had come to the teacher's apartment that Emma lived in for the past two weeks late with her eyes red and tears streaming down her cheeks. The brunette stayed for the night and the two older females decided to let her stay as long as she wanted.

"Come on Isabelle, time to get up," Mary Margaret said. 

Isabelle sat up and held her head with a groan. Also, she had been getting terrible headaches. Medicine didn't even help her. The teen felt like nothing was going right for her and it would only get worse from there. Isabelle managed to get up and make her way to the bathroom where she got ready for the day. Once she finished, Isabelle made her way down the small staircase and saw Mary Margaret and Emma sitting at the bar, drinking coffee. Mary Margaret saw her and handed her a mug of hot chocolate. Isabelle took it and thanked her.

"Well, I have to get to the school so I'll see you guys later," Mary Margaret smiled, excusing herself. Isabelle forced a smile through her pain and wished the teach a good day. Mary Margaret smiled back in response and left the apartment. 

Isabelle was glad Emma had accepted her not going to school because of her agonizing headaches. The teen even had a hard time walking because it was that bad. Emma set a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast in front of the brunette and the wonderful scent made the girl dive in. The blonde next to her patiently let her finish and then once Isabelle was about to leave the room, she stopped her.

"Not so fast," she called. Isabelle rolled her eyes and turned back around to face her. "Sit," Emma instructed, pointing to the chair Isabelle was previously sitting in. Isabelle sighed and then went over and sat back down next to Emma. "If you don't mind me asking - what did you and Regina right about?" Emma asked curiously. 

Isabelle felt tears prick her eyes again and she bit her lip. The teen trusted Emma strongly it was just she didn't want Emma to think she was overreacting over she was getting upset over nothing. Isabelle hardly cried in her cursed body so she knew, in her mind, she wasn't overreacting. Isabelle was in a way a closed off person because she never really expressed her emotions if she was upset about something. But, she pushed the thought away and took a deep breath, explaining what she had just been thinking about.

"I don't know if you know this but, I'm a closed off person. I really don't say what's on my mind or how I'm feeling. And my mom doesn't like that. So she tries to get me to open up. But I never do," Isabelle explained. She wiped a tear that fell down her cheek and she rubbed her hands on her knees. "She's never blown up on me before but I should've known it was bound to happen eventually. She just got so angry, saying how I need to talk to someone about my problems and that maybe this was why-" Isabelle stopped herself when she realized what she was going to say out loud. 

Emma knew what she was going to say and was surprised. The blonde knew Regina had a slight temper but for her to say something like that to her own daughter surprised her greatly. Isabelle felt the tears start streaming down her cheeks and she started to sob. Emma got off her seat and held the teen close.

"I don't know what's wrong with me Emma. I've never had this much pain before. It hurts," Isabelle continued as she sobbed. 

Emma pulled her closer and shushed her. "I know it does, kid━trust me. Just always know I'll be here for you. We've been down the same road and I do know what it feels like," Emma told her comfortingly. 

Isabelle stopped sobbing for a moment and pulled back to look at the blonde. "You won't leave me right?" she said in a shaky voice. She couldn't live with herself if someone just walked away on her. Her parents didn't want her so if someone left her, that meant that they didn't want her either. 

Isabelle had never truly felt that sharp pain in her chest and the feeling of the whole world collapsing on top of her. She had never experienced this much sadness and the sobs that made it hard for her to even breathe. The curse was coming to an end and it was affecting her more than anyone else. No one knew this besides for Henry Mills. He knew that the curse was breaking on Isabelle because she was changing back to the broken girl she was back in the Enchanted Forest. 

Emma found her eyes filling with tears as she lightly shook her head. "No Isabelle, I promise." Isabelle nodded gratefully and hugged her tightly. Emma was the older sister figure that Isabelle never got to have and would never have. She was that sister who teased you yet loved you so much she'd travel to the ends of the earth to find you. She was the one who would make you laugh and smile despite your sorrows.

"I love you, Emma," Isabelle confessed as a tear fell onto the blonde's sweater.

"I love you too kid," Emma responded. But Emma just made a promise she couldn't keep. And that would break Isabelle even more.

———

Music was a big part of Isabelle's life. The lyrics had a meaning and the soft melodies in the background added to the emotion. Never until now did she truly realize the meaning behind some of the lyrics. She could feel the sadness and emotion that dripped from each word as the song played softly. Music was her escape from life. The darkness that loomed and got ready to attack us at any moment we show vulnerability.

Perhaps that was why she sat on the couch in Mary Margaret's apartment listening to "Hurts Like Hell" by Fleurie. It may not connect with Isabelle on a personal level, but she could feel the pain the singer had laced into each word. The singer loved someone dearly and then lost them and it was too much. The pain was too much. And then maybe that's why Isabelle felt like she was suffocating when Henry came into the apartment, asking Emma what was wrong, and then Emma announcing she couldn't stay in StoryBrooke. The world had officially collapsed on the thirteen-year-old girl.

"What?" Henry stuttered shocked as he tried to process the information. Isabelle couldn't move from her spot but her dry face and clear eyes and now had tears on them as her eyes became red again. But then once she realized Emma was truly leaving, she broke.

"You liar!" she screamed at Emma, "You lied to me!" Emma looked over at her and tried to form the words. She felt bad for leaving the girl after their moment but the blonde thought it was best. Henry and Isabelle were Regina's kids. Not her's.

"I have to go," she told them sadly.

"No, you don't. You can stay," Isabelle attempted to persuade as her voice started breaking up as she held the sobs in.

"I spoke to Regina, and we made a deal. I'm still going to be able to see you guys, just not... Every day." 

Isabelle scoffed in disbelief. "No! No, you can't trust her! After what I told you what she said, you still trust her?" The teen couldn't believe that Emma would trust Regina. After all, her mother broke another piece of her already broken heart. Just another piece of her happiness was shattered.

"I have to. It's my only choice. It's what's best for the two of you. Every time I fight her, someone else gets hurt," Emma said softly. Henry shook his head and tried to explain that it happens to all heroes before they fight back.

"Henry, that stuff isn't real! Fairytales aren't real!" Isabelle yelled. She was never one to blow up on people and yell at them with hurtful words. But she couldn't take it. The world had collapsed and she was trying to climb back out before she was gone for good. And if Emma left, she wouldn't be able to get back out. 

Henry looked at his sister and frowned. Emma sighed. "Henry! This isn't a story. This is reality. And things have to change. You can't skip school, you can't run away, and... You can't believe in curses." There was a light shimmer of tears in her eyes.

"Y-you really don't believe?" Henry asked as he looked at the two. He thought they did believe. And he thought the curse would be broken. But then hearing that Emma didn't believe only crushed that belief. Isabelle looked down to not meet her brother's eyes.

"I... This is how it has to be right now. I made a deal, and I used my superpower. She's telling the truth. She's going to take really good care of the two of you," Emma said truthfully. Isabelle scoffed again. If Emma left, Regina would only keep on pushing into Isabelle's mind. Trying to get her to open up about her feelings.

"Yeah, but she wants you dead," Henry reminded. Isabelle looked over to see Emma not even fazed by the reminder.

"Come on, Henry!" Emma sighed.

"You're the only one that can stop her," Henry explained with desperation in his eyes. Isabelle hated to see her brother look so crestfallen and desperate. He had been trying so hard to get Emma to believe in the curse that, turns out, she didn't believe in. And it looked like she never would. But maybe this was a way for him to let go of the idea. Even if she was one to not destroy someone's dreams━this could be a good thing for him. Isabelle realized what her brother said and her eyebrows raised in confusion.

"Stop her from what? All she's ever done is fight for you guys. It just... Got out of hand. I'm sorry," Emma apologized. Despite her anger toward the blonde, Isabelle went over to Emma and hugged her. Henry followed his sister's action and hugged Emma as well. Emma hugged the both of them as she let a single tear fall out her eye.

They let go and Henry's eyes traveled over to something on the counter. "Where did you get that?" Henry asked as he looked at the turnover that was untouched.

"Mom gave it to her," Isabelle explained.

"Apple!" he exclaimed. Emma and Isabelle both looked at him confused as Henry went over to the turnover.

"So?" Isabelle questioned as her tears stopped falling, but her eyes were now red.

"You can't eat that. It's poison." 

Isabelle's eyes widened. Was Regina trying to poison Emma? But then the teen shook her head. Regina wouldn't do that. Her mom knew how much Isabelle cared about the blonde even if Emma did barge in and change things.

"What?" Emma repeated in surprise.

Henry spun to them. "Don't you see? The deal... It was all a trick to get you to eat it, to get rid of the savior." Isabelle sighed and then looked over at Emma who now realized the situation was getting too crazy. She didn't believe that Regina would try and poison her. She didn't think the mayor was capable of something like that even after everything she'd done.

"Henry, come on. Why would she do that when I just told her I was going to go?" Emma asked. The blonde was thinking logically even if there was a small part of her that told her Henry could be right. Isabelle, on the other hand, didn't believe it at all.

"Because as long as you're alive, you're a threat to the curse," Henry explained. 

Isabelle sighed and then smiled softly. "Henry, you've got to stop thinking like this. Mom wouldn't do that."

"But it's the truth! And Emma leaving isn't going to change that." 

Emma noticed the situation wasn't going anywhere so she looked at Henry. "I'll prove it to you," she said, going to take the turnover. Henry raced over and shouted "no" at her, grabbing the turnover from her.

"Henry... What are you doing?" Isabelle asked, her nervousness for her brother taking shape.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this. You may not believe in the curse... Or in me. But I believe in you. In the both of you," he confessed. Then he took a bite of the turnover. Everything was silent for a few seconds before Isabelle and Emma sighed in relief.

Emma gave him a soft smile. "See, nothing? Do you want to have some ice cream with that? And then we can go back to talking about-" Emma started. But then she was cut off when Henry collapsed to the ground. Isabelle screamed and Emma ran over to Henry, falling down to his side.

"Henry? Henry? Henry!" Emma repeated, shaking him. Isabelle felt her headache returning and her head started pounding as she fell to her knees and started sobbing. She couldn't believe anything that was happening. How could her mother try and poison Emma? Isabelle didn't think her mother was capable of something like that. However, people can surprise you.

"Isabelle, call the hospital!" Emma yelled urgently. 

Isabelle got up on her feet as her head continued to pound and the tears continued to fall. Her legs felt numb as she slowly made her way over to the phone. But she finally reached the phone, picked it up, and dialed.

"911 what's your emergency?" someone answered. Isabelle struggled to understand what the person on the other line was saying.

"My brother he collapsed. Please, we need an ambulance," Isabelle explained as her head continued to pound. She told the lady the addresses and she told Isabelle that the paramedics were on their way. Isabelle hung up the phone and then fell to the floor while she clutched her head. Then the pain hit her. Isabelle screamed in pain and Emma turned her tear-stained eyes to her to only see the teen girl's eyes flutter closed.

"Isabelle!" Emma screamed as she rushed over to her. By the time the blonde got over to her, Isabelle was passed out.

———

I'm making Melody have a little bit of a more harder time with her feelings in this rewrite because I feel like I didn't express that enough before. But I apologize if it gets really deep at times.

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