"Hello, Miss Swan. This is the Storybrook Hospital, and I am calling in regards to Regina Mills." Emma froze as she heard Regina's name, causing the glass of water in her hands to crash to the floor. Emma hardly noticed as the glass shattered into thousands of pieces.
Emma hadn't heard that name in ten years. She felt her whole world come to a stop as she stood there in shock, not quite sure what to do next.
"Is she alright?" Emma asked, still in a haze as she tried to comprehend what was going on.
"She has gotten into a severe car accident about three weeks ago. We tried her mother and her father's phone numbers but neither of them answered. She is mostly healed physically and but mentally she isn't doing well. She has completely lost all memory. She remembers how to do basic things but as far as personal memories go she can't remember. She only remembers her name because we told her what it was." The nurse explained as Emma held onto every word she spoke.
"Why are you telling me this? Isn't there anyone else in her life? I haven't even seen the woman in ten years." Emma asked in concern. She still felt guilty for leaving Regina even after all these years.
"I'm sorry but she had no one else listed. I am telling you this because she is ready to be released but she still needs someone to care for her." Emma filled with happiness at the thought of getting to see Regina again but suddenly realized that Regina wouldn't even remember her. She closed her eyes as she decided what she was going to do. It only took her a few seconds to decide.
"When should I pick her up?" Emma asked as she took a deep breath.
"You may pick her up tomorrow between the hours of nine to five." The nurse told her as Henry walked into the room.
"Okay, thank you. Goodbye." Emma said as she gave a slight smile to Henry.
"Have a nice day Miss Swan. Goodbye." The nurse said as Henry walked up to Emma. Emma quickly hung up the phone and placed all of her attention on her son in an attempt to not think of Regina.
"Who was that?" Henry asked her as he sat down on the couch.
"That was the hospital. They were calling about an old… friend of mine. She has lost all her memory and needs someone to take care of her. How would you feel about having a guest for a while?" Emma asked him with a hopeful smile.
"Yeah, that would be fun!" Henry excitedly exclaimed.
It had been just the two of them ever since Henry's father, Neal, had passed away when Henry was two. Henry had been born one year after Emma left Regina. Regina had been Emma's one true love but Emma's parents weren't thrilled about it. They didn't like that Regina came from a troubled background and they didn't want that influence around their daughter. Regina never talked about her troubled past to anyone, not even Emma.
Emma had always regretted her decision to leave Regina. The only good thing that had come out of it was Henry. Emma never forgot about Regina and she had thought about going back to her many times of the past few years.
"I'm Emma Swan. I'm here to pick up Regina Mills." Emma told the lady at the front desk as she nervously bit her lip.
"Thank you, Miss Swan. The doctor would like to meet with you before she is released. You may have a seat in the lobby while you wait if you'd like." The lady told her with a smile. Emma gave a slight smile back but could feel the nerves inside her swell as she thought of her lost love.
She walked to a seat across the room as she anxiously waited for the doctor. She took a moment to try to calm herself down but was interrupted as the doctor entered the room. They greeted each other before heading back to his office.
"Miss Swan, there are some things I feel you should know before you see Regina. Do you know if she had any trauma from her past?" The doctor asked her in a professional manner.
"Well, she told me she had a troubled past but would never go into details. Why is this important?" Emma asked as she adjusted herself in her seat.
"She is in a very fragile state. She is terrified of everyone and doesn't trust anyone. This is most likely due to the trauma in her past. We are not completely sure if she remembers anything due to the fact that she won't tell us. So if she tells you anything we would like for you to tell us so we can monitor her memory loss." The doctor told her as she nervously played with the sleeve of her long-sleeve shirt.
"I can do that. Is there anything specific I should do to avoid scaring her?" Emma asked him.
"Be gentle and don't raise your voice. I would advise no physical contact. She becomes very fearfully at even the slightest touch. Any other questions?" The doctor asked as he leaned forward.
"No. Thank you Dr. Whale." Emma told him as they stood up to go see Regina.
_
As they arrived outside the door to Regina's room Emma took a deep breath and tried to stop her hand from trembling before she stepped inside Regina's room.
Emma gasped as she looked at her former love. She looked absolutely stunning, even in a hospital gown. Her eyes widened in complete fear as she saw Emma causing Emma to feel the need to protect her from anything and everything. She looked completely helpless as she scrunched up with her arms around her legs, visibly trembling as she stared at Emma. Emma felt a pang of sadness as she saw no sign that Regina remembered her. She knew this from the beginning but knowing it and experiencing it are two very different things. She could feel the tears gather in her eyes but refused to let them fall.
Upon seeing how fearful Regina was Emma decided not to walk any further. She took in how gorgeous the brunette looked as she stared in awe. She stood in total silence before she finally spoke up.
"Hello, Regina. I'm Emma, and I'm going to be taking care of you for the next few months." Emma softly told her as she did her best not to startle her. She could hear her heart pounding excitedly in her chest as she waited to hear the voice she had once loved so much.
"How- how do you know my name?" Regina asked as her trembling intensified. She tried to move back towards the wall in an attempt to put distance between herself and Emma.
"We used to be good… friends." Emma told her, trying not to overwhelm her with the truth.
Emma tried to take a step forward but immediately stopped when she saw Regina flinch. "It's okay; I'm not going to hurt you." Emma told her, trying to keep her voice from breaking as she did. She hated seeing Regina like this. The Regina she knew was fun-loving and sweet not fearful and distant. Emma could feel the tears return to her eyes. She had never realized how badly Regina was affected by her past.
She had never shown any signs of fear before. Or maybe she was just better at covering them up.
Regina just stared at Emma as she moved closer. She waited for Emma to give her any signs of danger but found none.
"Where will I be staying?" Regina asked as she wrapped her arms tighter around herself.
"You will be staying at my house with my son and me." Emma told her as she slowly took a seat in a chair next to Regina's hospital bed.
Emma watched with curiosity as Regina's expression softened.
Regina looked down for a moment before responding. "When do we leave?"
"Whenever you want." Emma told her with a soft smile.
_
The car ride home was dead silent with Regina watching Emma's every move and Emma uncomfortably shifting under Regina's gaze. They were almost to Emma's house before Regina finally spoke up.
"What is his name?" Regina quietly asked from the passenger's seat.
"Who's name?" Emma asked with a confused expression. She had no clue who Regina could possibly be talking about.
"Your son." Regina simply answered. She had been thinking about him for a majority of the drive home.
"His name is Henry." Emma told her as she hid her smile. Regina had always had a soft spot for children. It gave Emma a sign that the Regina she knew was still there.
They arrived in front of Emma's house and got out of the car. Regina chose to walk behind Emma as they approached the front door.
"So this is where you will be staying until your memory returns." Emma told her as she motioned to her house. "If you follow me I will show you the room you will be staying in." Emma told her as she headed towards the bedroom. Regina offered a small nod in response.
As Regina entered the room she scanned the room.
"So I'll leave you to get settled and I have to go pick up some clothes for you. I'll be back in about twenty minutes so if you need anything you can ask Henry. His room is the second door on the right." Emma told her with a slight smile.
_
Henry walked up to his mom as she was getting ready to leave.
"Oh, Henry! I have to go pick up some clothes for my friend Regina. She is in the guest bedroom so please don't disturb her." Emma told him with a stern look.
"Okay, I won't." Henry told her as she grabbed her keys and purse.
Emma gave him another stern look as she responded. "Henry, I'm serious. Don't bother her while I'm gone."
"I know!" Henry told her as she smiled back at him.
"Okay, I'll be home in twenty minutes so be good! Bye!" She told him as she headed out to door.
"Okay, bye!" He shouted as she left.
The second the door closed Henry took off running full speed to the guest bedroom. He stopped as he approached the door. It was cracked open and Henry peaked in to find a mysterious woman looking at a picture on the wall. As he leaned in closer the door creaked open causing the brunette to spin around in shock.
"Hi, I'm Henry. Your friends with my mom." He told her with a wide smile. He took a step closer as her eyes widen in fear. She studied him for a moment before relaxing a little. "What's your name?"
Regina looked at the floor a moment before replying to the young boy. "I'm Regina." She told him as she nervously looked back up at him.
"That's a cool name." Henry said causing her to slightly smile. She took a step closer to him as he smiled back at her. She felt comfortable around him. They seemed to have a natural connection.
"Do you want to come with me to my room?" Henry excitedly asked her while jumping up and down causing her to startle before she calmed down enough to look back at him.
"I'd love to Henry." Regina told him as he grabbed her hand. She jumped back in fear as he touched her but a part of her wanted to be near him. "Sorry, I just…" Regina trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.
"That's okay." Henry told her with a smile as he held his hand out gentler this time and decided to let her hold his hand. Regina looked at his hand in fear for a moment before realizing he wasn't going to hurt her. She hesitantly moved her hand closer before lightly putting her hand around his. He looked back up at her and smiled brightly causing her to smile real smile for the first time in months.
He slowly guided her out of the guest room and down the hall to Henry's room. Henry sensed that she was a bit fearful so he looked back to check on her frequently as they walked down the hallway. If she looked too fearful he would stop and wait for her to get comfortable.
They finally made it to Henry's room after about five minutes even though it usually took less than a minute. Henry watched her as she studied his room. She looked at all the little details as she gazed around the room.
"You have a lovely room." Regina quietly told him as she monitored his reaction. She was pleased with his gave her a smile in return.
"Thanks!" He excitedly shouted.
Henry continued to watch her or the next several minutes as she observed different things in his room. She seemed to like the drawings in his room the most.
Henry finally broke the silence after a few minutes. "My mom said you lost your memory. So you don't remember anything?" Henry asked as he tilted his head in curiosity.
Regina looked at him for a second before quickly looking down to the floor. "I remember some things." Regina softly whispered.
"Like what?" Henry asked as he took a seat on the bed.
Regina looked at him for moment before replying. She tried to decide the best way to describe what she remembered without scaring him. She took a seat on the bed next to him before replying. "I remember my mother." She told him as she sadly looked down, something that didn't go unnoticed by Henry.
"Were they good memories?" Henry asked as he sadly watched her.
Regina swallowed the lump in her throat before replying. "No." She managed to say without crying.
"Is that why you're so scared?" Henry innocently asked her.
She closed her eyes as she tried to prevent herself from crying. She tried to speak but nothing came out as she choked back her tears. She shut her eyes tighter as she tried to push her tears away but as she was about to respond something amazing happened.
Henry wrapped his arms around her causing her to tremble in fear but in only made Henry hold her tighter. She took a shaky hand and slowly placed it around Henry. She finally relaxed as she enjoyed her first hug since the car accident. She smiled as she fully embraced the love of the child. She was no longer fearful of him.
"I'll protect you." He whispered into her ear causing the tears to fall delicately down Regina's face.
A/N: Hope you liked this story! Please tell me what you think and if I should continue!