Regina heard the doorbell ring but chose to ignore it. Nothing anybody could want of her was more important than this. She returned her attention to the heavy tome in front of her and skimmed the ancient language for what felt like the hundredth time. She just needed to look harder and then she'd surely find something that could help. She was one of the most powerful magic practitioners in history; that had to count for something. It had to. She wasn't giving up until she'd found a way to help Emma.
"Regina."
Despite her surprise, the brunette's eyes never lifted from the book she was studying. "Go away Snow. I'm busy."
Regina turned the page dramatically to emphasise her point but Snow chose to ignore the gesture and took a seat in front of Regina's desk.
"I know you're working hard but you still have to eat. I bought some food for you," Snow said as she carefully set down a takeout bag beside the stacks of scrolls and books.
"I ate with Henry earlier," Regina replied curtly, trying to keep her temper under control. She was trying to save Snow White's daughter and all the idiot could think about was feeding her greasy food. Didn't she realise how important this was?
"Regina, Henry has been with us since yesterday afternoon. If you haven't eaten since he was here…" Snow trailed off awkwardly. "We're worried about you okay? Will you please eat something?"
"It's not me you should be worried about!" Regina slammed the book shut and pushed it aside while simultaneously reaching for the next scroll she needed to translate.
Snow grabbed the outstretched hand before it made contact with the crumbling paper and gave it a gentle squeeze. "We're worried about her too, but she wouldn't want you to kill yourself trying to save her. That would defeat the point of the sacrifice she made for you."
"She didn't sacrifice herself for me," Regina snatched her hand back and wrapped her hands tightly around her abdomen, "she did it for everyone. She would have saved anyone, that's just what she does. She always has to be the hero." Regina's voice wavered on the last word, despite her attempts to sound indifferent. The tears she had been holding back since the moment Emma had disappeared began to bubble up behind her eyelids. She was normally so much better at hiding her feelings but if Snow was right, then it had been at least 36 hours since she'd eaten and even longer since she'd slept. That must be why this was affecting her so much. Now certainly wasn't the time to consider the other obvious reason that all of this was so damn painful.
Snow reached across the desk and took the older woman's hand once more. She let out a small sigh of relief when this time it was not immediately snatched away. "You're right, the Savior would have saved anyone in that position. But we both know that wasn't the Savior. That was Emma. That was her refusing to let you lose your happy ending yet again, not because it was her job or her destiny, but because she cares about you."
A quiet sob escaped Regina as the tears finally began to fall. "She shouldn't have... I need to make this right. I… I have to help her."
"And we will," Snow reassured, "but you need to look after yourself too."
"But-"
"No buts," Snow pushed the bag of food closer to the other woman, "I'm not asking you to give up and stop searching, that's the last thing I want because I know you're her best chance of coming back from this, but I'm not letting you lose yourself in the process. So eat and maybe take a nap? Everything will make so much more sense once you have."
Regina reached into the bag for the container of soup and the small plastic spoon and with an encouraging nod from her former nemesis, she finally began to eat.