A loud thunderclap rolled through the town, shaking buildings and causing anyone who had stuck their heads out for a peek at the storm to quickly duck back inside. It was absolutely pouring, and when Emma looked out the window, she could barely see through the sheets of rain coming down, but she knew she was out there.

She and Regina had argued, and to be fair, it really was all Emma's fault. She had brought Marian back. She had cost Regina her happiness… again. Regina loved Robin; Emma knew that, and she also knew that Robin loved the brunette back, but she had gone and mucked it up for them like the true idiot she was.

So, yeah, Regina was mad at her, and for good reason.

She knew she shouldn't be even the slightest bit happy about the situation, but she couldn't help it. Don't get her wrong, she hated it that she had upset the brunette, but at the same time, knowing that she and that forest-smelling dolt were no longer together brought her… relief? Was that it?

She had never been able to stand seeing the other woman with him. But Emma and Regina were just friends. Just friends, and that was all they'd ever be, but Emma longed to be more, just the same.

Just friends didn't rejoice when one friend's relationship ended.

A flash of lightning snaked its way across the sky, and Emma tried to squint through the torrent to find the small figure, hoping that she had gone home instead of standing out in the rain.

Regina had always seemed bigger than life to Emma. The confidence that radiated off of her, in combination with power suits and tall heels that allowed her to keep stature with the blonde, could make anyone cower in fear before her. But when she was hurting… Gods, Emma felt so guilty. She had been on the receiving end of Regina's wrath more times than she cared to count, but she had only seen the older woman in pain a handful of times.

Tonight she had seen both. And it cut her to the quick to know that she was the cause.

Regina had come to the apartment to eat dinner with Emma and Henry, as they did once a week. Emma had been surprised she showed at all after what had happened, but Regina wasn't just about to pass up a chance to be with Henry. Besides, she couldn't let this take over her life. She'd avoid Emma and Robin when she could, and she'd put up with them when she couldn't.

Dinner had gone by slowly and quietly. Tension was thick between Henry's two mothers, and no one wanted to point it out.

After dinner, Henry had gone straight to bed, claiming he had an important test the following day and wanted to make sure he got enough sleep for it. That left Emma and Regina alone, and that was when things got bad. There was fighting and hushed whisper-screaming so as not to wake their son, and at one point Regina even threw a thick dictionary at Emma's head.

But after all the fighting came the part that hurt Emma most. Regina had stifled a sob and, upon realizing that she was about to break down crying in front of the very last person she wanted to see her like this, she fled the apartment and put a barrier over the door to stop Emma from following her.

She stood out in the dark parking lot for a long time, knowing she should go home but unable to find it in herself to enter the big, empty house. Then it started raining, and she just stood there in it, letting the drops pelt her skin, hoping it would wash away the pain and frustration.

That had been an hour ago, and the storm had considerably worsened since then. Regina had still been standing there when Emma could no longer see through the darkness and the downpour. She still sat at the window, though, trying to make out the spot so that she could know Regina was home and safe.

Another bolt of lightning lit up the night, and Emma caught a glimpse of her, still standing there in the same spot, head tilted back to welcome the raindrops on her skin, hair and clothes drenched, water cascading down her back. So broken and yet still so very beautiful.

She stood unmoving in the face of the storm, just as always. Storms, be they emotional or physical, did not deter her, and Emma thought that if there were one image to describe everything that the other woman was, this would be it.

Emma watched her for a moment more before everything went dark and she lost sight of her again. She got up and went to the door, determined that Regina's barrier spell would not keep her from going out there and making the stubborn brunette come back inside.

It took a few minutes and a good many tries, but the barrier was finally broken. Emma stepped out into the freezing rain and mentally chastised herself for letting Regina stay out so long. The brunette would undoubtedly be sick for days if not weeks after this little escapade. Not that she seemed to care at all for her own well-being at the moment.

As she approached the other woman, Emma could feel the static of the brunette's magic igniting the air. It hung around her like a thick blanket, making it hard for Emma to breathe when she got too close.

"Regina," Emma spoke loudly over the downpour, "please, please come back inside. I'm sorry, all right? I'm so sorry. Please come in."

Regina said nothing and didn't turn to face her, but Emma saw her breathing hitch and watched as her fingers curled into her palms, nails biting into the skin there and leaving little bloody crescents when she relaxed her hands.

They stood there for a few minutes, neither speaking or moving, with the exception of Regina's hands balling into fists and relaxing again over and over. Emma didn't want to push her, but when the soaked brunette started shivering almost imperceptibly, she couldn't stand quietly anymore.

"Regina, please! You're going to get sick; you've been out here too long already. You have to be freezing. Please come inside." She took a step toward the other woman and peeked at her face. Her eyes were closed, tears and rain mingling on her cheeks, and she was biting her lip to mask the pain on her face. All traces of makeup had washed away, and yet Emma couldn't help the thought that she looked absolutely stunning.

Another step closer and suddenly the magic that had charged the air dropped out and Emma could breathe again, but she wished she couldn't when she realized that the reason for it was that Regina wasn't angry anymore, just in pain. She watched the older woman draw in a shuddering breath and then visibly deflate, suddenly seeming so much smaller than Emma had always thought of her as.

Regina finally opened her eyes and swiped her dripping hair out of her face before wrapping her arms around herself and shaking uncontrollably. She was glad for the rain that disguised the fresh tears that poured down her cheeks and lowered her head, refusing to look Emma in the eye. She felt the blonde's warm fingertips against her elbow, gently turning her back toward the apartment. Her feet refused to move, despite Emma's gentle prompting, and when her legs gave out and she expected to hit the cold, hard pavement, she instead found strong arms holding her up.

Regina was weak, freezing, and shaking like a leaf, and the only thing Emma could think to do was gather her into her arms and carry her inside. The older woman didn't fight or argue; she simply turned her face into the crook of Emma's warm neck, and the blonde let out a slight gasp at how cold her nose was against her flesh, but didn't protest or push her away.

She kicked open the door and settled Regina on the couch, and it took a few gentle whispers and promises of towels and blankets to make the brunette stop clinging to her and remove her nose from the warmth of Emma's neck. Instead, she pulled her knees to her chin, curled into a ball, and tried not to shiver.

When she returned, Emma had a mountain of towels, blankets, and a robe. She set them all down on the table beside the couch, grabbed a towel, and began gently drying Regina's hair while the other woman stared blankly ahead, completely spent. Regina's wet clothes were dripping onto the couch and floor, and Emma knew that she had to get her out of them quickly to prevent Regina getting sick, so as soon as she thought that her hair would no longer drip, she coaxed Regina to her feet.

Regina still hadn't said anything and that empty look hadn't left her face, but when she felt Emma's fingers slide under the hem of her sweater, she snapped out of it and slapped the blonde's hand away.

"What do you think you're doing, Miss Swan?" she asked incredulously.

"Please don't call me that," was all Emma mumbled before reaching again for the soaked garment. She received another slap for her troubles before Regina wrapped her arms back around herself, rubbing her hands up and down her arms to create a warming friction.

"You can't stay in those, and you're obviously in no state to undress yourself," Emma tried to reason. "Let me help you."

Regina tried to shoot her a glare, but she was still shaking too much for it to be very effective, and moved her fingers down to her pants button, intent on proving to the blonde that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. It proved harder than she had anticipated, however, with her cold and numb fingers.

Emma let her try for a minute before taking her hands in her own, frowning at how cold they were, and placing them over her head so she could finally pull the sweater over Regina's head. Once it was gone and Regina's bare skin was exposed to the cool air, she began shaking even harder, and Emma moved quickly to discard the other wet items.

When Regina finally stood naked before her, it was all Emma could do to keep her mind on the task at hand. She resumed drying her with another towel, as the first was soaked through from the tangle of dark locks that fell to frame the older woman's face. Emma tried to be gentle but thorough, and at the same time she drank in every detail of the other woman's body, knowing that she would not likely have the opportunity to see her in such a state of undress ever again.

When Regina was finally dry and her trembling had reduced to faint tremors, Emma wrapped her in the robe she had brought down and settled her onto the loveseat under a pile of blankets. Regina immediately burrowed down in them and soon Emma could no longer see her at all. The only indication she was still there was the glimpse of dark curls that spilled out over one of the armrests.

Emma went to change out of her own wet clothes and returned with a cup of tea for Regina and her own favorite cinnamon cocoa. She set both down on the coffee table, pulled the blankets away from Regina's face, and asked if she was still cold.

"It's getting better," came the faint reply, and before Emma knew what she was doing, she was stripping down to her underwear and crawling into Regina's little blanket cocoon while the other woman watched her with wide eyes.

"What on earth are you doing?" Regina's voice held an edge of panic as Emma pulled open the front of her robe just a little and pressed the length of her body against hers.

"You're cold, and the blankets aren't helping enough. I'm warm. Everyone knows it's easier to share heat without too many layers in the way."

"That really isn't necessary-" Regina cut herself off with a happy hum when Emma pressed a wonderfully warm cup of tea into her still-chilled hands, rolled off to the side, and pulled Regina on top of her so that the older woman could snuggle into her chest.

Regina sipped her tea in silence and Emma just held her and stroked her still-slightly-damp hair. Part of Regina never wanted to move from this spot, and part of her wanted to throw another dictionary at the blonde, but she was so exhausted that when she finished her tea, she just dropped her nose back into the crook of the younger woman's neck as she had earlier. Emma took the empty mug from her and set it back on the coffee table beside her own.

"Go to sleep, Regina," Emma murmured into dark locks, and Regina could feel the rumble in her throat as the blonde assured her, "I've got you."

She just hummed in reply and snuggled closer to the warmth provided her, despite the fact that she was upset with its source.

Regina began to drift off with Emma still stroking and playing with her hair. It had been so long since anyone had done that to her, she had forgotten just how relaxing it was. When her breathing had become deep and even and she had gone limp in her arms, Emma placed a gentle kiss atop her head and whispered, "I'm so sorry, Regina. I never meant to hurt you. But I'll take care of you now. I'll always take care of you. I love you."

The woman snuggled into her side struggled to keep her breathing calm when those words worked their way into her groggy, but not yet asleep, mind. Emma, oblivious to the fact that Regina was awake, just kept whispering assurances that she would love and care for the woman melting in her arms.

"I love you, Regina. And I know you don't love me, and that's okay. I'll still be here. I won't leave you. I just want you to be happy, and I'm so-" her breath hitched, and she fought off a few tears before continuing, "so sorry that I messed up your happiness. I'll do whatever I can to fix it."

Regina would never be able to stay angry with her now; she wouldn't even be able to hold a grudge for the pain Emma had caused her, not after she admitted that.

Emma started when she felt a light pressure at the base of her throat, and then Regina was looking up at her from her position on her chest, and Emma panicked internally. Her arms went stiff around the other woman, and Regina tilted her head up to place another kiss just under her jaw.

"Regina, I can explain-"

"It's okay," the dark-haired woman breathed. "I'm not mad. Did you mean it?"

Emma's normally pale skin flushed pink and she ducked her head before nodding almost imperceptibly, refusing to meet Regina's gaze.

"Every word," she whispered.

Regina nodded and curled back into Emma's bare side again. "I can't do this right now," she mumbled.

Emma looked at her in surprise. Did she mean she didn't want to talk about it right now or did she mean she couldn't try it right now?

Regina saw the look and clarified, "I can't be with anyone else yet, Emma. I can't."

"I know. I'd never ask you to."

"I'd like to try it."

"You… What?" She'd like to try it? Emma never thought she'd have a chance with such an angel. She had resigned herself to her feelings being unrequited forever.

"But not yet."

"Of course not."

Regina looked up at the blonde that was still holding her, brows pulled together in thought, and whispered, "You said you knew I didn't love you… And you're right, I don't. But I could, Emma. I could."

Emma shook her head and replied, "It doesn't matter. All that matters is you being happy. I just want you to be happy. More than anything, I want to be the cause of that happiness in you, but if I can't be, then that's okay. If I can't make you happy, then I'll step aside and let someone else do it."

Regina leaned in to place another kiss on her neck and mumbled into her skin, "I think you can. And I hope I can do the same for you. But, now, no more talking. Now, sleep."

Emma couldn't stop herself from beaming and wrapping her arms tighter around the other woman's waist before nuzzling her nose into her hair and closing her eyes. They finally fell asleep together with matching feelings of warmth in their chests that had nothing to do with the pile of blankets they were still under and everything to do with a hope for the future.

The next morning when Henry came downstairs, they were still laying there entwined on the loveseat, sleeping peacefully with soft smiles on their faces.

He had never been so glad to see that they had made up.