So, it seems you liked the first chapter, thank you to all those people who read, left a comment and added this story to their lists!

Here's chapter number 2. I hope you enjoy it as well. :)

It was a new dawn of a new day in New York City. The sun was rising and the city was fully awake. Henry was still in the land of dreams but Regina had been up for a while and was in the shower getting ready for a new day at work. While she was showering, she had many thoughts about her job, but above all, all she could think about were her patients. This was the reason she couldn't stop thinking she loved what she did and this was a fortune. Being focused on her thoughts saved her from a very dark period of her life. When her shower was over, she ran into her room, she opened the big wardrobe in front of her bed and chose the clothes for the day. She wore the little necklace she'd been wearing for years. It was something precious, she could never get rid of it.

Before going downstairs, she entered Henry's room, still dark. Her little prince was still asleep so she slowly went closer to him leaving a kiss on his cheek and then a caress.

"Have a nice day little prince, I love you" she whispered smiling before closing the door. She quickly ate a snack in the kitchen and then grabbing her bag, she left the house ready to reach the hospital.

Despite always leaving her home earlier than expected, Regina couldn't help getting stuck in New York's terrible traffic and this caused her being late. Again.
She entered the hospital running to her ward.

"….you're always in a hurry, right Mills? " doctor Jones provoked as he saw her arriving.

"you've nothing better to do than spying on me, right Jones?" Regina replied upset while she kept on running towards the doctors' lounge.

Doctor Killian Jones was a plastic surgeon, one of the best in the whole area. He was very nice and helpful with all of his patients, He'd been working there for three years and his relationship with his collegues was truly professional, especially with Robin. This was probably the reason why he wasn't one of Regina's best confidents.

"Will there ever be a day I won't see you running late?" asked Mary Margareth showing up.

"Now i'm getting it from you too? Heck, you know what New York's like with all its traffic, I even woke up earlier. Plus, it's not like five minutes is that much of a deal."

"For common people like us it's not…but you know how Gold gets when.."

"Is he already here?"

"He's here and he's waiting for you in our lounge to show you the new working shifts…I'm going to say one last thing before leaving you to your destiny…Good luck!"

"Thanks for being so supportive Mary Margareth…as always!" Regina replied with a fake smile.

"Goodmorning Dr. Gold! Sorry for being late but…"

She entered the room trying to apologize but he immediately stopped her. He was in front of his desk looking at the shifts' papers.

"What is it Mills? Was it some drivers' fault who decided to have a fight in the middle of New York, this time? Or did the alarm clock forget to ring?"

Dr, Gold, the Presbyterian's director, was a really finicky man. According to his troupe, he was particulary a 'bastard'. The thing he loved most was his hospital and this is why he wanted the best from those who worked there. Even if he appreciated them, he never showed it. He only did it to strut about his job and his choices. If someone tried to contradict him, he or she would have his or her name written on his black list, and being on the black list meant taking the first step towards redundance. His attitude was useful to help them to not lose their temper, Regina in particular. After being welcomed like that, she took a deep breath, trying not to fall in his provocation.

"Dr. Gold I'm really sorry…I did my best..."

"Oh no Dr. Mills, here in my hospital the best is not enough…" he said approaching her with a firm tone. "I want the impossible, from you and from all the doctors who work here. You know it well, but it seems you suffer from amnesia"

Resisting Gold's provocations was a really tough challenge. She'd been fighting with the instinct of punching his face since the very first day, or at least that was what she used to tell Mary Margareth.

"I'll take some phosphorus dr. Gold…And I'll hope for a miracle..." she played along with him. It was the only way of getting out

"We're really nice this morning, aren't we? I hope you feel like this once you've read your new schedule. As you know, I care a lot about having a competent and willing team"

"Of course…and since I love my job, i'll ensure my presence at all the emergencies. As always". She was proud of everything she did in the hospital so she gave him a fierce smile.

"That's how i like you dr. Mills. Now, I best be going, I won't keep you from your work" he said approaching the door.

Keep calm and breathe. Keep calm and breathe.

"Have a nice day Dr. Gold.."

She knew how not give into him and pretend like nothing happened. When she saw him walking away and disappearing in the ward's corridor, she closed the room's door and she leaned her back in it, sighing.

Thank God. That bastard is gone.

While she tried to calm down, her eyes drifted down to the papers on the desk. After Mary Margareth's encouragement and that crosstalk with Gold, she realized they weren't the best ones so she reached the papers and she started reading them.

She had just read the first when she widened her eyes. She loved her job but those hours were too long for anyone. She noticed that Gold had the same treatment with all her other collegues too.

It can't be possible. He's not human.

The door to the room slowly opened but Regina still had her back turned, devastated by that unthinkable timetable.

"I think your "goodluck" won't help me…I already know i'll have another hellish week." She spoke to the person she thought entered the lounge. "Now please, give me just a reason why I shouldn't strangle him next time i see him…"

"…it seems that during this beautiful hellish week as you just called it, we will be spending a fair amount of time together…Working" a male voice said behind her.

No! Please no…

Regina twirled round and realized that the one who had just entered wasn't her head nurse friend, but dr. Locksley.

"Isn't this amazing Mills?" he asked with a provocative and amused tone.

"…so amazing I could die Locksley" she answered ironically.

I hate him!

"Oh come on….you know, i'm a nice guy! It will be great spending some time together during our breaks. Maybe having breakfast together will help us discover some interesting stuff about each other"

"Yes, I think you just helped me find a reason for me to love these working shifts...i'll work so hard that I won't have time to have a break with you!" Suddenly the work schedule seemed the only salvation. She didn't want to deal with dr. Locksley's merits. She addmitted he was an excellent doctor but she really couldn't stand his damn attitude.

"I'm going to ask you this one more time, what's a neurosurgeon like you got to do with a simple pediatrician like me?"

"I think that any man worthy of calling himself a man, would stop to admire such a great beauty…and someone like me can be very dangerous when he likes a stubborn woman like you…" he said approaching Regina and looking through her eyes.

"Come on Locksley, give me a break!" she said pulling him away with her arm "I know men like you far too well and I also know that I have to stay away from them. But i'd say the same thing, you see…" she said in defiance. "…A simple pediatrician can be difficult to deal with too, this is why i'm telling you not to challenge me…it would be a losing battle!"

"What if I said I love challenges?" They were face to face and this left Regina speechless.

You, challenging me? Who do you think you are? What do you want from me?

"Regina are you here?". All of a sudden, the door opened and Mary Margareth entered the room too.

"Oh sorry! Dr. Locksley i didn't know you were here…i came to ask Regina something but…" She apologized trying to hide her embarrassment

"No no don't worry, come in. I was just leaving" he said walking towards the door and still looking at Regina. "Have a nice day, Mills."

"Did i interrupt something important?" asked a curious Mary Margareth.

"Cut it out! You just saved his life…I was about to kick him in the…Well, you can guess where. I swear i can't stand him anymore! I didn't need him to make my day even worse"

"Why do you hate him so much?!"

"Because he's presumptuous, arrogant and a male chauvinist….I swear next time I see him i'll say it to his face, even if he has all his patients looking at him" she yelled almost breathless.

"Calm down Regina, relax…if i didn't know you better, I'd think that deep down dr. Locksley has an effect on you.."

"Did you hear what I just said?" Regina asked, shocked at her friend's statement.

"Clearly. And I'll let you in on a little secret…You only tease the ones you love"

"I'd rather become a nun!" she answered sitting down on a chair and sighing. "…by the way, let's talk about some really tragic stuff…Do you think that these working shifts are fit for human beings? What does Gold want from us? One of these days he'll have to deal with me, i don't care about his 'black list'"

"I feel you Regina.,.It will be a terrible week for all of us, I heard the others talking about this situation too. The one thing I can tell you is to hang on to the love you have for this job and for your little patients. One of them just asked me about you…"

"Grace?" Regina turned with a smile.

"Exactly, I was calling you because of her. You know she won't let anyone touch her if you're not there with her"

"Okay, let's go then. Her smile is what I need right now".

The two collegues were walking through the ward's corridor where all Regina's little patients were staying and from the outside, she waved her hand at them, adding a soft smile to cheer them up.

Those smiles she obtained in return, were really something precious for her. It was the strength she needed to face the day with them even when she noticed they were sadder than ever. If they were there, surely it wasn't for fun, their illnesses were quite important. Regina was like a mum to them, she gave all those children her love and she tried to relieve their sufferings in the best way she could. She loved all of them but it was with one in particular that she had the greatest bond.

It was that five year old little girl she was staring at, Grace. She had a special place in the woman's heart. None of her collegues knew the real reason of this bond and Regina always tried to avoid talking about it.

"There's something in her eyes"…This is what she used to tell them, she was the only one who knew the truth.

"Are you going to enter the room or not?" Mary Margareth asked.

"Yes sure but i wanted to look at her from here a little bit, before the "evil monster" enters and tortures her" she said sadly.

"Evil monster what? You're a great strenght to her and to all the others, don't you see all those smiles they give you?"

"Believe me, If you only knew what's behind those smiles, …i just want to be their savior, i'd like them to leave this place smiling, not just with their mouth but also with their heart…and i don't know if i'll ever be able to do that..."

"I know it's difficult, but you have to understand that Grace and the other little ones are always asking about you..there must be a reason they do that, don't you think?"

Regins smiled at her friend's thought. Even if she knew their sufferings, she always tried to make herself stronger by thinking about those small gestures and those smiles they reserved to her.

"This time I'll stop that damn brain cancer. I must do it." she said before entering the room.

"What do you mean with 'this time'?" but she didn't get any answer because Regina was already in Grace's room.

"So, who asked for my presence here?" she asked trying to regain her smile.

"Regina! You're finally here" Grace said while Regina caressed her pale face.

"You know that the first thing I think about everytime i get here is you" Regina answered bumping her little nose with a finger. "What happened?"

"Tonight I had a bad dream.." Grace confessed hugging Regina who was now sitting next to her.

"Oh darling i'm so sorry, but don't worry, it was just a nightmare!" she said caressing her.

"You were there too, i was running to you and you were running to me, we were about to hug but something was holding us and then we started getting apart"

There were some little tears streaming down the little girl's face. "Regina you won't abandon me, will you? You will always be near me, right?" asked Grace with her eyes full of fragility and suffering.

"Of cours dear, I'm here and I'll never leave you" said Regina hugging her tight.

While she hugged her, Regina looked at that bald little head and letting one single teardrop fall from her eye. She was lost in her darkest inner thoughts.

"…When I leave this place, i want you to always visit me…Do you promise Regina?" Grace asked the doctor as if it were her most beautiful wish.

Regina didn't answer right away. She kissed Grace's head and she looked straight in her eyes.

"…I promise you Grace. When you leave, we'll play a lot together. It's a promise!"

Keeping a promise was the hardest thing to do there but Regina believed from the bottom of her heart in what she said. She wanted to believe it. That little girl was really important to her and she would have done anything possible to save her, even if her health conditions were kinda critical. When Grace entered the hospital, her cancer was already in an advanced stage and this was due to some other doctors who told her parents she had very poor chances of surviving, but now, after some more health controls, they found a new little possibility to save her life. Grace's parents were ready to do whatever was necessary, and so was Regina.

That day at work was pretty tough and exhausting. Many appointments and urgencies. As soon as Regina entered her bedroom, she let herself fall on her bed with her clothes still on. She started thinking about her day, especially about the shifts. She wasn't sure she could survive them and this was the reason why she was still fighting with the impulse of hitting Gold in the face, but she had to resist for the love of her job. She closed her eyes for a while when her telephone started ringing.

It was a message. From an unknown number.

- You're tired, aren't you?

Regina couldn't understand who he…or…she was

- Sorry i don't know who you are, i don't have your number

A few seconds later, this mysterious someone answered again.

- I'm someone who enjoys challenges.

Someone who likes challeneges? What kind of joke is this?

- Listen to me, you've got the wrong number, i don't know you! Goodbye

- Oh you know who I am, trust me

Regina stopped replying.

He'll realize he texted the wrong person and he'll leave me alone. I don't feel like doing anything. I just wanna sleep.

A few minutes later, her telephone started ringing again, but this time it was a call and it was the same unknown number.

Oh my god, he really doesn't give up...now i'll answer him and make him stop!

"Listen to me, how do I have to tell you you've got the wrong number? I don't know who you are…i'm really tired and i'd like to take my clothes off and rest!" she yelled. She was about to close the call when she heard the owner's telephone's voice.

"This is a very good idea Mills! A bit hasty but if you insist…"

"No...i can't believe it!"

It's him.

"See? It wasn't difficult finding out who I was. You remember my voice quite well" Doctor Locksley joked, he sounded really amused.

"How did you get my telephone number? Who gave it to you?" Regina asked annoyed.

"It was easy to find it in our lounge...You know, all our numbers are there"

"I'm going to sue you. You've invaded my privacy!"

"Sure…anyway, we still have a pending issue, haven't we? And this time we've a lot of time to spend together…what about breakfast together?

"You and me have nothing to do and you know something? This insolence of yours will never make me like you! I'm not going to have breakfast with you..."

"If you want we can do something quicker…like a coffee?" Robin insisted amused.

What an idiot!

"You never give up, do you?"

"Never, especially if this is about someone as beautiful as you…Come on, what's a coffee? Are you afraid I could conquer your "simple pediatrician" heart, as you love calling yourself?"

He was trying everything to catch her attention.

You conquering my heart? Poor dreamer.

"I'm not afraid doctor Locksley and you know what? I'm so tired of you and of this day that i'm going to accept your invitation...so you'll stop haunting me once and for all!"

"We'll see about that, see you tomorrow my dear Mills and try to get some rest...You need it!"

"Sure, see you tomorrow!"
She rolled her eyes and she finally closed the call allowing herself to relax.