Notes: Continuation of "The Friend You Need" - Didn't mean to write it... it just sort of happened.

Please note - there's mention of marital rape in later chapters. Please steer clear of that's difficult for you to read about.

Regina paused over her paperwork, long absent smile ghosting across her face as she felt the presence of a certain werewolf striding towards her office door. A werewolf at her door meant food and Regina suddenly realized she well past being hungry.

Her small smile faded as quickly as it had appeared because a werewolf with food meant that she'd missed lunch with Emma. They weren't set lunch dates, of course - Regina simply did not miss appointments - but it was a standing noontime invitation to join the blonde at the diner if she was available, and she had grown quite fond of having companionship over lunch.

Blonde companionship.

Regina looked at the mounds of paperwork spread across her desk in various states of completion and frowned. She had not been available today. She'd been slowed by lack of sleep the entire week and just couldn't seem to get caught up, no matter how many lunches she skipped or late evenings she passed in her study.

With a sigh and a conscious effort to remove her revealing frown, Regina magiced her door open just ahead of the knock. The open door revealed a scowling Ruby and the Mayor was forced to school her features again, this time biting back a wry smile.

"How do you DO that? I'm a wolf for Christ's sake!"

Regina looked at her steadily and replied with little emotion. "And I'm a witch, Miss Lucas. You'll have to do better than that."

"Can you hear Granny coming?" Ruby inquired somewhat boldly, remembering that Emma had pleaded with her recently to make an effort with the fairly isolated Mayor and totally banking on the hope that she wouldn't fireball her only lunch source.

In truth, Ruby had nothing to worry about - Regina was pleased at having company, even if was only to be briefly. So she finally allowed herself that small smile and was immediately rewarded for her efforts when Ruby visibly relaxed. Regina had decided recently to make a more concerted effort where Emma's best friend was concerned and steadfastly refused to think too deeply about why.

"You'll have to take that up with Eugenia. Now," Regina continued, "dare I ask what Miss Swan ordered for me this time?"

Feeling more and more in her element every second, Ruby practically skipped from the door to the desk, looking as unlike a werewolf as humanly possible. "She wanted to send over a burger but I talked her out of it. Egg salad sandwich." Ruby nodded towards the bag being passed between them. "There may or may not be french fries in there."

"Well done Miss Lucas," Regina praised while handing her a folded up twenty, as she did every time her lunch arrived. "Please keep the change dear."

Ruby rolled her eyes as she glanced at the bill. "You know, you give me like a 150% tip every time. I was cool with it at first because, you know, money. But I'm starting to feel like I'm robbing ya here."

"Nonsense Miss Lucas. Very few people would brave my office to deliver my lunch and at this point I would surely starve without your efforts."

Regina looked up from the papers she'd returned to marking briefly and captured the young woman's eyes with her powerful gaze. "Please do not underestimate how much I value your efforts. Crass as it is, a generous tip is the most acceptable way for me to express my gratitude."

Regina saw the young woman blush, maybe for the first time ever, and looked back down at her paperwork to give Ruby a chance to compose herself. When she heard an "Uhm, thanks" after an only slightly awkward delay, Regina took it as her cue to return her gaze to her guest, consciously lowering its intensity. She even smiled slightly to relieve any tension that might be hanging in the air after their overly familiar (for them) exchange.

"Of course. I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow Miss Lucas. Please have a good day."

Mostly recovered and faking the rest Ruby skipped out with an imperious wave over her shoulder, leaving Regina to sit pensively in her empty office with paperwork that seemed suddenly much less engrossing than before.

Back from her one and only delivery, because honestly Granny's didn't even offer delivery service, Ruby leaned on the counter in front of Emma and wasn't a bit surprised when the official department issue cell phone, which happened to be littered with stickers of swans, buzzed next to her plate.

"Thank you for the lunch Miss Swan. I'm sorry I couldn't join you this afternoon."

Emma frowned at her phone slightly as she typed in her reply, all under Ruby's watchful gaze. "No worries. We still on for breakfast tomorrow?"

As Emma stared at her phone, waiting for a reply, Ruby nudged her arm to get her attention.

"What's wrong Em?"

Emma glanced up quickly, confused. "What? Nothing. Why?"

"You're frowning at you phone like it stole your last cookie."

"She called me Miss Swan."

"So, she called me Miss Lucas. That's, you know, her thing." Ruby hesitated. "Right?"

"I don't know. I guess but… I've been Emma for months now. She really only calls me Miss Swan when something's wrong." Emma mused, mostly to herself.

Suddenly concerned and not really even knowing why, Emma began to pepper Ruby with rapid fire questions. "You were just there. Did she seem ok? Was she angry? Sad? Distracted?"

Ruby held up her hands in front of her against the sudden barrage and scowled. "Whoa there. How the Hell would I know? She just sat there in front of mounds of paperwork and handed me her customary massive tip. I guess she looked kinda tired. Maybe?"

Ruby shook her head and then repeated quizzically, "How the Hell would I know?"

The agitated blonde was just about to throw more questions across the counter when her phone buzzed and she snatched at it quickly.

"Of course. I'm looking forward to it."

Emma read it to Ruby like a schoolgirl and the wolf grinned at her. "See, there you go. Nothing to worry about. And you'll see her yourself tomorrow." When Emma seemed less than reassured she added, "Early."

Ruby picked absently at her apron and waited a bit for her friend to even out, and when she didn't, decided to throw her a bone. "You know, she was really nice to me today."

That got a smile out of Emma and Ruby was instantly glad she'd shared. "Of course she was; she likes you. You're ballsy - you know she respects that."

"She said that?" Ruby barely got the response out as a squeak and Emma's smile turned indulgent. There weren't many people that could fluster Ruby, but Regina certainly could, and Emma could sympathize with that so she immediately took pity.

"Of course not. She used an SAT word - I think she picked 'audacious'." Ruby gave her a bit of a blank stare and Emma grinned. "I asked Henry. It means ballsy."

They hovered there for a while, comfortable in the silence, until Emma asked randomly, "You didn't tell her about the burger, did you?"

Ruby smirked and Emma threw a wadded up napkin in her direction mouthing, "Asshole", so the whole diner wouldn't hear. Emma briefly considered escalating with her final napkin, but it was getting about that time so she shoved herself from the stool instead and started over to the register.

Ruby followed, throwing out another question as they walked - one that had bugging her for a while but she'd kept to herself. "You know, Regina managed to feed herself just fine before you rolled in to town. What's up with that?"

Emma's expression turned thoughtful as she responded and settled her bill. "Her life's really changed - she's allowing herself to care about a hell of a lot more people than before and she really only knows how to do that one hundred percent, twenty-four seven. I don't think there's much left when it comes to taking care of herself. I'm just picking up the slack."

Emma shrugged like it was no big deal to sell her half truth. Regina's circle was growing, and she often cared for others to her own detriment. And it absolutely did take it's toll on her, as Emma and the town had witnessed on more than one occasion. But none of that was the reason Emma had taken such a keen interest in Regina's well being. The truth was the Regina was struggling, and had been for a while, for longer than any of them had even known her, and Emma was done letting her struggle alone.

She'd been given the title of Savior against her will but she was damn well going to decide herself who it was she saved.

Note: Hint: Caretaking!Emma is one of my new favorite Emmas.