Notes: Heads up: This really will make a bit more sense if you've read at least the previous installment of the series.
Regina jabs absently and the old 80's intercom next to her keyboard and frowns in irritation when she doesn't get the "Yes, Miss Mills?" she's expecting. As she jabs at the button again, harder this time because certainly that will help, she glances at the clock and her frown immediately escalates to a full out grimace. At almost 9 o'clock at night, no amount of force on the intercom button will raise her assistant. She, unlike Regina, had the good sense to go home.
Dropping her pen to the blotter in front of her with a huff, intent on at least seeing her son before morning, Regina pushes to her feet, focused on grabbing her coat and purse and getting the hell home and into Emma's arms where she belongs.
But she only makes it halfway through the motion when the dizziness steals her breath and her balance. It occurs to her then, much too late to be helpful of course, that's she's missed lunch and diner due to her inattention and skipped breakfast willingly in favor of getting a jump on her workday. Yesterday was much of the same which means she's running on stale coffee and too little sleep and Emma would be so disappointed in her.
Before she collapses fully, darkness falling over her sight, she has just enough time to wonder how she can possibly expect Emma to forgive her.
"Where's Mom?"
Henry looks disinterestedly at the Twinkie sitting by his place setting and Emma can almost hear the "Where's desert?" that Henry's implying. Slightly miffed but unwilling to let it show, because honestly she can't deny she's a startlingly bad cook and even worse baker, Emma just shrugs.
Henry meets her shrug with an eyeroll of his own, clearly displaying his genetics in one quick mannerism, and pulls up a chair for himself. "She left early this morning too, didn't she? Again?"
"Yeah kid. That last Hell Beast thing did a lot of damage. Apparently, in your Mom's world, that means a lot of paperwork and… stuff." The lack of understanding that Emma has for Regina's duties is embarrassingly evident in her reply and she at least has the good form to duck her head in chagrin.
"What time?"
"Not sure. I was up pretty early though and she was already gone. So… early."
Resigned to his fate, Henry shoves a bite of Twinkie in his mouth and then continues around it, speaking with his mouth full only because Regina isn't there to scold him against it. "I was already asleep last night when she got home."
At that, Emma finally looks up from the comics she'd been reading from the morning newspaper and pins her son with a look. "You worried about your Mom kid?"
Chewing thoughtfully for a beat Henry finally nods decisively. "Yeah, I think I am. That last monster tagged her pretty good. She needs to rest, not kill herself with work."
"She looked ok the next day, right? After she healed herself, I mean." She feels like a moron telling her kid what he already knows, but he's clearly worried, and that worries Emma. And the only thing Emma hates more than worrying, is worrying about Regina.
"I don't really think being healed is the same thing as healing. Especially when she has to do it herself." Henry rebutts philosophically, shaking his head and looking absurdly wise in the moment. Emma's suddenly filled with gratefulness that one of them is and she tilts her head questionly, prompting Henry to continue being insightful.
"I mean, sure, the wounds are gone, but I think her body still had to do the same amount of work, just really fast. Plus, whatever toll the healing magic takes. I don't think that's free. When she fixed my broken leg last year we both slept for 10 hours a night for at least a week. And she fed me like 6 times a day." Henry pauses as a smile ghosts across his features. "It was actually kind of awesome."
There's pride showing in Emma's fond gaze that she can't quite hide. "When'd you get so smart?"
Henry's blush is adorable, making him look at least five years younger instantly, and Emma soaks it in hungrily, well aware that her son is growing up fast. But then Henry shakes his head and it's gone, and he's back to looking wiser than his years and worried about his Mom.
Regina never takes well to being 'checked up on', Emma knows that better than most, but Henry's worried eyes are too much for her to handle and Emma find herself caving, not unexpectedly, to his roundabout plea. "Ok, how about this? If she doesn't make it home soon," a quick glance at her watch, then, "I'll go down to Town Hall-"
The rest of her brilliant plan is cut off by the distinctive buzzing of Regina's ringtone in her pocket. She smiles at Henry as she fishes it out, even though she isn't feeling the relief that she expected when the phone first rang. Instead, her spidey sense is tingling and she wonders briefly if it's just her overactive protective streak fucking with her, or their connection making itself known a couple of minutes too late to really be helpful.
"Hey, time for you to be heading home," Emma offers in lieu of a real greeting.
The silence from the other end of the line is not what she wants to hear though, and she gives it only a second or two before she queries, "Regina?"
"Do you think you could come pick me up? I'm back at the office." Emma is finely tuned to just about every nuance there is to Regina and nothing about her voice sounds even remotely right; that has Emma rising immediately.
"Of course I can. I'll be there in five." Emma pauses, then adds hesitantly, "You ok?"
Regina's doesn't answer immediately and that's answer enough. Emma cuts in with a hasty, "Nevermind, I'll be there in three."
Hanging up the phone quickly and telling Henry to sit tight, she'll be back with his Mom soon, Emma's out the door in a rush. She pauses only long enough to swear that she'll take care of Regina when Henry makes her promise.
Emma pushes into the Mayor's office briskly and the frown she's been wearing since talking with Regina two and a half minutes earlier deepens when she's met with an empty desk. It's not until she enters further and glances towards the sofa that she catches sight of what she's come for.
It's both better and worse than she feared it would be, as is often the case with her overly pessimistic and strangely vivid imagination. There's no blood anywhere that Emma can see and Regina appears unharmed; that's definitely good. But she's laying on the couch in her office, something Emma has never, ever, seen her do, and one arm is flung across her eyes while the other lays limply at her side. Laying there as she is, looking smaller than Emma has ever seen her, Regina is the epitome of exhaustion and it steals Emma's breath, leaving her empty.
"Regina," Emma whispers breathlessly, at her side after a bare moment of indecision.
Of all the responses she's expecting, the sorrowful "I'm sorry" isn't even on the list and it takes Emma completely by surprise. Kneeling down, she tugs gently at the arm still covering Regina's eyes, suspiciously wet, and smiles reassuringly when they track to her own.
"Hey now, none of that. Just tell me what happened."
"There was just so much to get done - and I tried so hard. But..."
She trails off dejectedly and turns her head more fully towards Emma, who sucks in a quick breath when she sees the nasty bruise forming across Regina's temple. Her hand lifts towards it automatically then stills when her brain interjects that touching the swollen and likely painful knot isn't really on the list of things she should be doing. Instead, she wipes a tear from beneath Regina's eyes.
"Did you pass out?" Emma manages calmly, proud of herself for not sounding like she's freaking out, even though she's seriously considering freaking out.
Regina's eyes slide shut and that's answer enough. "I forgot to eat." Regina's eyes squeeze shut tighter and she continues, voice edging towards hysterical. "I'm sorry Emma. I tried to be better. I swore to you I would and I couldn't even go a week without failing you. I'm just... I'm so sorry."
"Regina," Emma soothes softly. "It never occurred to me that you would get any better at taking care of yourself over your town. That's not what I was asking. All I ever wanted was for you to tell me when you need me, and then let me help you."
A gentle hand on Regina's shoulder entices her love to meet her eyes, and Emma continues when she knows she has Regina's full attention. "And, despite some suspect timing that we will totally work on, you did that."
A sniffle from her companion is the only response she gets so she continues, still miraculously maintaining a calm tone. "Regina, I'm not angry with you. I'm the opposite. I'm so, so proud of you for calling me."
"Really?" Regina's doubtful but hopeful tone gets to Emma and she pulls the prone woman up and against her into an all encompassing hug meant to be healing to both of them. And, while she can't be sure it works for Regina, Emma feels herself calm when she has her love flush against her, safe for the moment with the exception of dangerously low blood sugar.
"Yes, really," Emma breathes into the now conveniently located ear. "I'm proud, but worried. You need to eat something, and rest - you're exhausted. Henry told me about when you healed his leg... I don't think we're handling your recovery properly and that's on me."
"Emma, no. None of this is your fault."
Emma picks up on an edge of panic swirling through Regina's tone and she quickly backtracks, a little annoyed with herself that she's managed to somehow say the wrong thing despite being so careful to be nothing but reassuring.
"That's really not important now," Emma tries to begin again. "All I know is that the only job I care about, my true purpose on this earth, is keeping my family safe. And here in Storybrooke, that means understanding magic. And until about ten minutes ago, when our son told me no less, I didn't have a damn clue that when you start healing yourself I need to start tucking you into bed early and feeding you like a teenage boy during a growth spurt."
"I didn't tell you," Regina whispers, leaning her head against Emma's.
"I never asked," Emma replies just as softly.
There's a minute of silence between them as they embrace desperately, neither willing to relinquish the comfort of being held. But finally, just as Emma's wondering if she's fallen asleep on her shoulder, Regina speaks. "Please don't give up on me Emma. Your belief in me is all I have some days, even when I haven't earned it."
"Never, my love. Never. I promise."
Notes: I'm still kind of in a slump... writing this was like pulling teeth. Not sure how I feel about the end result, honestly, as "passing out in her office" seems a bit cliched (although not overly OOC for Regina) but I am pleased it's written. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it!