Prompt: David gets sick for the first time since Snow died (somehow, don't question it ), Emma can't be assed with his whining so she calls Regina.

Regina rolls over in bed, the vibrating of her mobile almost sending it over the edge of the bedside table. A muffled,

"What?" Came from her lips that sounded more like a "wuh", she pulled an unruly curl from near her mouth and repeated her previous sentiment. "What?"

"Regina!" The woman named pulled the device away from her ear with a grimace, "I need your help!" This was sufficient enough to wake Regina from her stupor and she sat up.

"Is it Henry? Is he okay?"

"It's not Henry, it's David."

"Okay Emma! I'll be over in ten, okay?"

"You're a god-send!" With that the blonde on the other side of the line hung-up abruptly.

"Don't I know it." Regina mumbled, pushing herself of her luxuriously comfy bed. 'He better be dying.' She thought. She stroked the satiny covers as she stood, "I'll miss you." She sighed. She stood and walked towards her closet, she caught her reflection in the mirror of her vanity as she passed, and she paused. Her eyes were still puffy, still had dark circles and cheekbones more prominent. It felt as though she hadn't stopped crying since the funeral. Even Snow's family had accepted her passing and moved on appropriately. Even David, who knew Snow wouldn't want him moping around when she was gone.

She was thinner, she had forgotten it was often Snow that reminded her to eat lunch and even invited her to dinner at the loft. She hadn't been to a family dinner since she died. Regina blamed herself for Snow's passing. If she had been faster, or stronger or braver. David and Emma had, on multiple occasions tried to persuade her that it wasn't her fault. That Snow had sacrificed herself for the town, for her people. The only way Snow would ever have been okay with dying. Regina didn't cook much these days or eat anything at all.

Emma had moved back into the loft and Henry had been practically living there since the funeral, she was glad in a way, it meant he didn't see his mother's carelessness with her own health. They helped look after Neal with David, who texted her every week, inviting her to dinner, but every time she declined. She wouldn't insult his intelligence by saying he didn't know why she declined, he had scolded her many a time for blaming herself, eventually he had stopped trying to convince her otherwise but kept hoping she'd accept one of these dinner invitations.

She stroked a hand through her now unkempt curly hair that hadn't seen a straightener in months, she had no time for hair today, the people would just have to get used to their Queen looking a little shabby, she picked up the skinny jeans that lay in the corner of her closet and grabbed a long-sleeved, burgundy top. She dabbed some concealer under her eyes, but even she could see that it wouldn't be enough to hide her lack of sleep and tears. She pulled on the converse Henry had bought her last year in an effort to make her seem less 'mayory'. She grabbed her cell and keys and bolted from her house in case she saw another mirror.

She swallowed one last time before knocking on the distressed wood of the Charming's apartment door. Henry answered the door with a grin and stepped aside to let his mother in,
"Hey Mom, what are you doing here? And what are you wearing?" She looked down at herself and looked a little hurt, "Not that I don't like it, it's just different." She smiled weakly,

"I didn't have time to put together an outfit this morning." She saw him glance up at the curly mess on her head and held up a finger, "Don't even ask about the hair okay?" Henry chuckled and moved to sit behind the breakfast bar. "Emma? Are you still here?" Emma appeared from the 'main' bedroom behind the curtain, looking a little dishevelled herself.

"Woah Regina, trying out a new style?" Regina sighed through her nose displaying irritation,

"You'd do well to remember I had all of five minutes to get ready this morning." Emma had the decency to look guilty, Regina rolled her eyes, "I don't see any magical disasters or monsters. Why did you summon me at-" Regina glanced at the clock on the wall and her eyebrows shot up, "10:30?"

"Regina, are you okay? You weren't asleep, were you?" Regina whipped around to stare at Emma.

"Of course not." Emma looked suspicious,

"Right…" Emma's eyes narrowed further before she continued, "My dad is sick." Regina closed her eyes and sighed, annoyed,

"Miss Swan, I fail to see how this is my problem." Emma gulped at the use of her full title.

"Regina, please. I need to get to work, Ruby and Mulan can only cover so many shifts for me and I can't look after him and Neal forever and Henry has to go to school." Regina opened her mouth to protest, but Henry beat her to it.

"Speaking of, I need to go." Without further ado, the young teen was out the door. Emma turned around again to face Regina with a pout. Regina pursed her lips and tried to deny the pouting adult, but failed to resist the look her son had inherited.

"Ugh fine, but I have to go pick some things up at the store, can you watch him for another ten minutes?" Emma grinned and nodded, the brunette turned to the door and tensed when a pair of arms hugged around her whole body. "Miss Swan, please remove yourself from my person." Emma released the woman and saluted her out the door. Regina rolled her eyes and headed for the store.

Authors note:

I've been writing this for ages let me know if i should continue with this or just give up now. :)