Chapter 1

Regina lay in her white tub centered in the master bathroom of her Mifflin St mansion. Her hands tightly secured along the rim of the white tub. Her fingers white, paler then a cloud. Her grasp was harsh, she used her lungs to take deep breaths and release them slowly. This was unlike any pain she'd felt before. A knock at the bathroom door startled her.

"Mom, are we still having dinner together, cause I'm starving."

Regina held back the urge to scream. She took a breath and answered very calmly.

"I'm actually tired, I think you should ask Emma to pick you up, maybe you can sleep over with her tonight."

Henry hesitated at the door, but wasn't sure what to say. Confusion struck his face before Regina had even finished the sentence.

"Are - re you sure mom?"

"Yes dear, I'm sure... call Emma and make sure, let me know before you leave."

He turned and began to walk out of his mother's bed room. He shock his head in confusion. He walked into his room and picked up the phone to dial Emma.

"Hey ma, I um... I was wondering what you were doing. . Do you want to have dinner."
Emma immediately looked down at the calendar on her desk, it was definitely Monday, which is Regina's day, why would he be calling her she thought.

"Well it's Monday kid, shouldn't you be eating with your mom?"

"Exactly, but she told me to call you, because she's tired, which to be honest is scaring me so much because me and you both know she would never give you one of her days. At least not last minute like this."

The truth was Emma and Regina were co-parenting. Ever since they were stuck In neverland together they kind of learned to live with each other.

"Yea, I'll pick you up in about 15 minutes Henry."

She hung up and began to swivel in circles in her chair. If she was honest with herself she'd have to kill herself she thought. No one knew what had happened in Neverland, and she couldn't bring it up now, it caused to much emotional instability inside of her.

Before she could finish her thought, her eyes slammed shut and the flash back began. As it had everytime Emma tried to avoid the replaying scenario from penetrating her mind. It's as if a force pushed her to remember to live it again.

Soft hands met her own as they walked through the forest.

"Well find him Emma I promise dear even if it's the last thing I do."

Regina had promised they'd find him. They found comfort in eachother they kept eachother alive out there, the same task at hand, fnding Henry. When Regina went missing while the group searched for Tink, Emma retreated and went back to look for the queen.

"Hey"

"Hey" Regina said as she jumped at Emmas voice.

"Why are you here".

"I think it's better if I wait over here, I'll catch up."

"I think the rest of them can handle it on their own, I'll sit with you."

Eyes met in the center and magic sparked. Lips met with such gentle tenderness, that breathing became a mere memory. Both women held on to the other clinging to the life the other still had. They separate to gasp plundering gazes into the others eyes. They don't blink, they don't speak, they only feel.

Both women knew they loved eachother, but this was something they couldn't do, this was wrong. After all she was the evil queen and the other her demise. Without thinking lips pressed into each other this time deeper, with more passion more love. Sparks flew in between them but neither women stopped they both just pulled eachother in tighter. The trees bustled and they stood quickly Snow emerged and they followed her not speaking of this again.

Emma arrived to pick up Henry 20 minutes later, he got in the car and barely even looked at her.

"What's wrong kid? " Emma asked in genuine concern.

"Nothing is wrong with me, something is wrong with my mom. I know her ma, shes...i dont know what it is but something is wrong. We always make dinner together on Mondays. She was locked in her bathroom for hours today, something is wrong but she would never talk to me."

Emma cringed her lip. She knew he was right, this was completely out of character for Regina, she would never miss the chance to be with Henry.

"Ok, will you go stay with Snow and David? I'm going to head back to your mom's to see if I can talk to her. Do you think that's fair?"

Henry nodded quickly a smile forming on his face, relief taking over his grin.

Minutes later Emma watched Henry exit her bug and make his way up to Snows apartment. When the door closed behind him she focused her mind back on the road. She drove back to the mansion, as thoughts hit her mind like bullets. This would be the first time her and Regina were all alone since Neverland. Sure they had hung out with Henry here and there but never been soley alone.

She pulled up to the mansion and rang the bell. She waited about 5 minutes and no one answered. She contemplated her next move with precision. She knew where the spare key was, but the mayor wouldn't be too happy with that. Yet she was out of options, Henry was right, something could be wrong. She grabbed the key from under the rock and let herself in. She went up the stairs and made her way through the corridor arriving at Regina's bedroom door. She knocked and waited, but no repsonse followed. She made her way slowly into the bedroom and walked over to the bathroom door and knocked.

"Regina are you in there?"

Regina jumped at the sound of Emma's voice.

"Ms. Swan how did you get in here?"

"Um... Henry let me in before my parents picked him up, can I come in."

"You may certainly not, how highly inappropriate I'm trying to take a bath here."

"Well from what Henry says it's been a rather long bath, he was worried about you, and to be honest I'm worried too, are you ok."

Regina was about to yelp in pain but before she could speak, she felt a wave of painless pleasure course trough her body. All of sudden the pain was gone and she finally felt normal.

"immm.. I'm fine Ms. Swan I just wanted some time alone."

"Ok.. I'm sorry I bothered you Regina I'll bring Henry by a bit later."

Regina didn't answer her, so Emma began to make her way out of the bedroom door. Before she had reached the staircase a scream stopped her dead in her tracks. Regina was yelling Emma's name from the top of her lungs. Emma ran back to the room and pushed her way inside the bathroom. Regina sat with her arms wrapped around the rim of the tub, fingers white from the grasp she held to it.
"Regina what is it." Emma asked rushing to Regina's side.

"I am... I was in pain, but now it went away, I've been in pain all morning but somehow it just went away."

Regina looked up at Emma in confusion. Emma reached for a towel and held it open. Regina glared at Emma but nonetheless took the invitation and stood up in the tub. Emma wrapped the towel around Regina and helped her out.

"Let's get you into bed." Emma scolded.

Regina nodded and walked to her bed dropping the towel to the floor making her way under the covers.

"I don't know what's been going on, I've been feeling pain in my stomach for days, this is the first time I can breath normally. "

Emma sat on the edge of the bed, she rubbed Regina's knee and smiled. A rush rose up Regina's spine causing her to gasp, her back tingled. Emma looked at her hand in aw, she had obviously felt it too.

"What was that?." Emma asked.

"Im.. I'm not sure it felt like the time we were in neverland and we..."

Regina coughed at the realization of where this story was going. She glared at the wall behind Emma trying to avoid eye contact. Emma grabbed Regina's chin and brought her to meet her gaze.

"I remember that day too it did feel like that, except last time it was... well more powerful." A smile grazed Emmas lips as she continued.

"Why don't you try to get some sleep I'll stay with you, just in case the pain comes back. "

Before Regina could protest her eyes began to water with the tiredness of the last 4 sleepless nights. She dozed off in a matter of minutes. Emma looked down on her for what seemed like hours. The fairytale playing in her head involved the queen as her wife, right there and then was when Emma allowed herself to think it. She loved this women, her love couldn't be contained she loved her.

After hours of watching Regina sleep Emma felt her own belly rumble, she got up slowly and made her way down the corridor, before she could begin her descend down the steps she heard Regina scream in agony. She returned to the room within seconds. Regina looked up at her.

"I woke up with this overwhelming pain, and then you ran in and it disappeared".

The women looked at eachother and couldn't understand what this meant, but they sure as hell were ready to figure it out.