Regina leaned back against the back of the sofa, her hand still clutching the plate while the other softly stroked Stella's hair. She was grateful that the girl was still sitting in her lap as she ate, for she was not sure she could part with her just yet. Her eyes was watching every move Stella made; she watched her mouth moving as it chewed before swallowing; she watched her small fingers fidgeting with the hem of her nightgown; she watched her eyes look around the room, a small smile tugging at her lips at the awe she saw in them. Her eyes wandered off to the gash on her temple, the blood was gone now and she had the chance to observe it more closely. It wasn't that deep thankfully, but she knew that it would probably leave a scar. She couldn't take her eyes off her daughter, her little girl, her baby. She didn't know whether it was the fear or the longing, or maybe a mixture of both, but she both couldn't, and didn't want to look elsewhere. She was terrified that when she looks back, this will all turn out to be nothing more than just a dream. Not to mention that she still hadn't had enough of her, she hadn't seen her child in five years, and now she was back in her arms, and she was not going to let her slip again, and she wasn't going to look away from the sight anytime soon.

Once the last bit of food was in Stella's mouth, she put the plate next to her on the sofa and reached for the towel that she was using to dry her hair and gently wiped the crumbs from her lips. Warmth shot from her hand and straight to her aching heart when Stella placed both small hands onto her own, images of small, chubby fists closing around her index flashing before her eyes.

"Do you want more?" she asked softly, and the girl shook her head as she swallowed.

"Are you sure?" she pressed, smiling softly when Stella nodded, before her eyebrows furrowed at the look Stella had in her eyes.

"What is it sweetheart?" she inquired gently, as she turned the girl in her lap so they were now facing each other.

Stella averted her gaze, and looked intently at her fidgeting fingers, "can you show me where the kitchen is?" her voice was barely a tad over a whisper, and the hint of fear and trepidation was not lost on Regina.

"Of course I can, I will show you all around the castle in the morning, but you are exhausted now and it is nighttime, you need to get some rest" Regina assured her gently, her confusion deepening when Stella sighed, almost as if there was a reason behind her question that Regina did not understand.

"Stella, why do you want to know where the kitchen is?" she decided to ask.

She wasn't sure what she said that made the fidgeting worsen, and her confusion deepened even further when Stella seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Sweetheart, you can tell me anything, and you can ask me for anything" she pressed, her voice firm yet soft and loving.

"I wanted to know where it was so I can wash the plate" she murmured carefully, and Regina's heart sank. She tried to deny the meaning behind her words, and deiced to hold on to whatever shred of hope that her five year old was not the one responsible for washing dirty plates.

"Honey, you don't have to do that. Johanna will take it down and Mrs. Kingsley will wash it in the morning" she informed.

"But I was the one who used it, it is only fair that I wash it" she argued, and Regina was finding very difficult not to sob at the prospect of a slaved life that her daughter seemed to lead. But before she could get another word out, Stella's eyes looked at something behind Regina's back, just as Johanna cleared her throat loudly to inform them of her presence.

"How as the food?" she asked gently, a warm smile plastered on her lips.

"It was great, thank you" Stella complimented, and Johanna nodded affirmingly at her, "I am very glad to hear that" she said, before she looked at Regina, a more serious expression now taking over her features, "the physician is here, your majesty" she declared.

"Let him in" Regina stated, and Johanna bowed before she headed for the door.

Stella had no idea what physician meant, and her curiosity made her follow Johanna as she walked to the door, and stretched out her neck in an effort to peer through the door and see who she was talking to. She heard the distinct voices of men, and that made her entire body go rigid. Regina was expecting her to tense up when she sees the older man, but nothing prepared her for Stella's reaction once the physician fully entered the room and made his way towards them.

The blood drained from her face, her eyes became the size of the sun, and she was sure she had never seen so much fear and panic in anybody's eyes before, let alone those of a child.

She cowered away into her arms, buried her face into her neck and shoulder, and clamped her arms around her neck, "Mamma please don't give me to him" she sobbed pleadingly.

Regina immediately enveloped the small frame with her own arms, and pressed her mouth into her hair, "baby, I will never give you to anyone. I am right here and I will not let anyone hurt you" she murmured.

"Your majesty, may I examine her?" the physician inquired, as he bowed. His words seemed to trigger a hysterical reaction from the terrified five year old.

"NO" she screamed, her legs scramming away from him, and knocking down the empty plate in the process, which landed onto the floor with a loud crashing noise. Her arms had gone chokingly tight around Regina's neck, and her entire body was now shaking like a leaf as she sobbed in her mother's arms.

"Shhhhhh, baby, it's okay" Regina soothed, "he is here because I asked him to see if those bruises on your body are serious" she explained gently.

"They don't hurt" Stella pointed out frantically, "I don't want him to hurt me" she hiccupped.

"Baby, no one is going to hurt you, I won't let them, I promise" she vowed, as she rested her cheek against the damp cheek of her terrified five year old, effectively burying the child's face in her neck, her arms now wrapped tightly around the girl's body with one hand stroking her hair soothingly, though it seemed to be in vain seeing as how the hysterical and terrified sobbing did not quiet down, on the contrary, it seemed to get worse once the physician started his examination.

After what seemed like hours, but was probably just one, he stood up straight once more and stepped back from the worried mother, and frantic child, signaling that he now had all that he needed. Once he let go of her legs, Stella immediately balled up against her mother's body, and Regina wordlessly covered her with a blanket in an effort to calm her a little.

"Thank you very much for coming on such short notice" Regina said gratefully, "but could you please speak with the King, and he will let me know of it all"

"Your majesty" he said, bowing graciously before he took his leave, without even waiting for Johanna to show him out.

"Your majesty, why don't you move to the bed so I can clear the broken glass?" Johanna suggested softly.

"I'm sorry" Stella sobbed.

"Shhhhhh, you have nothing to be sorry for" Regina soothed, "it's just a plate" she added, as she got off the sofa and headed for the bed. She pulled the covers back, and placed the pillows against the headboard, before climbing into it with the now quivering Stella in her arms, and pulled the covers back up around them both.

She spent nearly an hour trying to calm down the hysterical child, and was grateful when no one interrupted them again. Johanna cleared the broken glass, and took her leave silently, and she smiled at her thoughtfulness when she heard her tell the guard not to let anyone disturb them. She had finally managed to calm Stella down, she was still curled up in her arms, with her head resting right under her chin and her small fists tightly clutching her dress, but she was neither sobbing nor quivering any longer, just the occasional sniffle.

"Mamma?" she called weakly.

"Yes baby."

"Is he going to tell Daddy where I am?" she inquired.

"Is who going to tell him?"

"The man who was here."

"No, baby. No one will tell him that you are here, he won't be able to find you and he will not take you back" she assured her firmly, a small and sad smile tugging at her lips when the girl sighed in relief.

"Why don't you try and get some sleep?" she suggested, looking down at her in time to see her eyes fall shut, and it didn't take long before her breathing deepened.

She knew that she fell asleep easily because of how tiring the day was, and how much she had been crying and that on any other day, she won't sleep so easily, and she knew that she won't sleep peacefully. She had no idea what her baby went through, but if her freak outs were any indication, it was not something that you get over easily.