Emma made it as far as Main Street before pulling the yellow beetle to the side of the road. She gripped the steering wheel tighter as she tried to work through what had just happened. When she went over to the Mills residence last night she surely wasn't expecting this. She wasn't expecting to see Regina completely fall apart. She wasn't expecting to learn about her drinking problem. She wasn't expecting to feel completely broken hearted over this. What did it matter to her that Regina had a drinking problem? As long as Henry was cared for that should be all that mattered. So why did she feel so vested in the situation? Her thoughts were interrupted when her cell phone began to ring.
"Hey David." She sighed as she looked at what time it was. She was an hour late to work and had failed to let her father know.
"Yes, I'm all right. No I don't need you to come and get me." Emma rolled her eyes at her father. He still treated her like a teenaged girl sometimes. Perhaps because he had never been able to raise her himself he was making up for lost time.
"I will explain later but can you cover my shift today? Call me if an emergency comes up." She didn't wait to hear any more after David said yes. She hung up the phone and pulled the bug back onto the road. She was going to get to the bottom of this right now.
How am I the cause of her drinking? Emma kept replaying their previous conversation in her head. Have I done something to upset her so badly? Is she drinking because I'm spending too much time with Henry?
Emma's thoughts finally quieted down when she reached the house she had left not even 15 minutes prior.
Disregarding the doorbell entirely she went to turn the doorknob, hoping that it was still unlocked. She was correct.
"Regina," She called out as she placed her keys on the side table. "I know you're still here." She continued to look around but saw no signs of the brunette anywhere on the first level. She decided to go upstairs.
Once she reached the upper level she went directly towards Regina's bedroom expecting the woman to be there. She was correct. What she hadn't counted on was that Regina would have already fallen asleep and in little more than a thin tank top and underwear.
Emma's breath hitched as she took in the sleeping form. Regina looked so peaceful and delectable. The blonde shook her head of the mental image. She was here to help Regina not to have inappropriate thoughts of her. She had been having more of these images of the brunette lately and it scared her to figure out the reason why.
Deciding there was nothing she could do but wait for the brunette to wake up, and with a nasty hangover for sure, she excused herself from the bedroom and went downstairs to tidy up. A part of her was telling her to leave and that it wasn't her business but a stronger part said to stay and take care of this woman. She went about placing the dishes in the dishwasher and cleaning up her mess from breakfast. She had already called out of work so it was too late to change her mind. She could wait.
XXX
Regina awoke four hours later with a pounding headache. She looked over to see a glass of water and two Motrin on her side table. She didn't remember putting them there but she didn't remember most of last night either. What she did remember was getting into a fight with Emma and telling her to leave her house. The brunette groaned as she accepted the pills readily and gulped down the entire glass of water.
I need to stop drinking. The brunette mentally chastised herself before looking to the clock. It was almost 1:30 in the afternoon and Henry would be getting off the school bus in another two hours. She had to pull herself together before he got home. She had a lot to make up for.
"Regina?" The brunette's head whipped up a little too fast as she looked towards her doorway. She blinked rapidly to make sure that she was seeing things correctly and it wasn't still the alcohol talking.
"Hey." Emma smiled weakly as she made her way towards the bed. "I know you told me to go but I hope this is okay." She sat down on the side of the bed, forgetting momentarily that Regina was still wearing very little clothing.
Regina was confused. Why had Emma come back? Why did she care?
"I…" the brunette began and then trailed off as she looked down to what she was wearing. Her cheeks flushed crimson as she shifted uncomfortably, pulling her bed sheets up further.
Emma noticed the woman's apprehension and immediately sprung up from the bed as if it were made of lava.
"I'm sorry Regina, I should have knocked." Emma's own face mirrored the embarrassment of Regina's. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I can go now if you want."
Regina relaxed at hearing the true concern in the blonde's voice. Emma had come back for her.
"Emma," Regina began, "Please stay." She sighed as she scooted over in her bed to allow the other woman to sit back down. "I assume I have you to thank for the medicine and water?" She looked towards the blonde questioningly. Why had Emma come back?
"Yes." Emma confirmed before taking her seat once again.
There was an awkward silence that passed between the two. Neither knew where to begin exactly. It was Emma who broke the silence first.
"I'm sorry I left earlier. I know that you told me to but I should have stuck around. You needed my help and I folded at the first sign of defiance." The blonde looked down at her clasped hands in shame. Regina had begun to open up to her before and she paid her back by running away.
"You came back." Regina shook her head slightly in disbelief. No one ever came back for her.
"I didn't want you to think that I didn't care Regina, because I do. Admitting you have a drinking problem is the first step and I want to help you through the others." Emma reached out and placed her hand on Regina's. There was a look of understanding and acceptance that passed between the two.
"Why would you help me?" Regina couldn't understand.
Emma shrugged, not sure what to say. "Well you said that I was the reason you drank. I don't know why you said that but if I'm the reason then perhaps I can offer a solution?" The blonde was hopeful.
Regina groaned as she remembered divulging all of her secrets. Of course Emma hadn't forgotten that piece of information.
"Hey." Emma squeezed Regina's hand tighter. "I'm not looking for an explanation right now Regina. I don't care what caused you to drink. I just want to make sure that it doesn't happen again." She offered up a smile that seemed to calm the brunette down. "I do however want to talk about why you didn't say something sooner. Why did you let it get so bad?"
Regina was offended. She always thought she had it under control. Well, until last night that is.
"It started at just one drink and then one led to two." Regina shook her head. "I am so alone Emma." It was out of her lips before she could censor herself. Her eyes expanded as she realized what she had just said.
If Emma was surprised by this admission she didn't show it. She inched closer to Regina on the bed, aware of the heat emanating from her. When she was close enough she wrapped her arm around the brunette and pulled her close.
"We all feel that way sometimes Regina. It's completely normal. But just know this, you are not alone. You have a family here in Storybrooke and we all care for you." The sheriff comforted her.
"It isn't the same and you know it." Regina's head shook. "Having someone love you and having someone in love with you is different."
Emma was a little taken aback by this admission.
"Well have you tried dating?" The blonde offered. "I hear that's a pretty good start." She smiled encouragingly as she continued to hold onto the brunette.
Regina chuckled slightly at how silly and juvenile she was sounding. Of course she had tried dating in the past but nothing ever seemed to work out. Ever since Daniel had passed she hadn't felt a connection on that level with anyone. Well, until Emma had come along. She breathed in the natural perfume of the blonde and relaxed. Somehow Emma had a way of making her feel better without even trying too hard.
"It's not that easy. Especially now that everyone has their memories back and I'm still the evil queen in their minds."
"I see." Emma pursed her lips as she tried to figure out a solution. "Ever do online dating?"
Again Regina chuckled.
"What? What's so funny?" The blonde looked at the amusement on Regina's face, her grip on the brunette lessening slightly.
"This is just an odd conversation. I feel like we are having girl talk and next we will be painting each others nails." She shook her head.
Emma didn't miss a beat. "Only if we can do red. Red is my favorite."
Regina laughed out loud at the serious look on Emma's face. She knew that she was kidding but the humor was still there. It felt good to be in the arms of her crush and to be able to talk so openly. She frowned slightly at the thought of this ending.
"What? What is it?" Emma noticed the shift in her mood.
"It's just…" the brunette trailed off. "I am enjoying our time together and just realized that when you leave I will be left alone. I'm afraid that I'll feel the need to drink. I don't like to be alone." Regina continued to frown. This moment between the two was going to be short lived. Soon the sheriff would have to get back to work and she would go about her mayoral and mom duties. This conversation didn't change anything in the long run.
Emma's face mirrored Regina's. She hadn't thought about it but the mayor was right. She was going to have to leave eventually and she wasn't too keen to do so.
A minute of comfortable silence passed between the two as they both tried to make peace with the situation.
"What if I didn't leave?" Emma broke the silence. Regina looked at her like she was crazy. "Hear me out Regina."
"I'm listening." The brunette spoke. She was more than willing to hear her out.
"I told you that you didn't have to go through this alone. What if I was here to help you out? I could stay in the guest room and at night when you get the urge to drink you can just come and talk to me?" Emma suggested. She tried to gage the brunette's reaction. When she couldn't, she figured she had overstepped her boundaries. "I don't mean to impose though or invite myself into your home. I just thought I'd offer the chance to…"
"Yes." Regina cut her off before she could finish. It was cute how the blonde began to ramble when she was nervous.
"Really?" Emma smiled at the opportunity.
"Yes, really." Regina's smile mirrored her own. "Thank you, Emma."
The blonde continued to smile as she slowly extracted herself from the bed. She hadn't realized that during their conversation she had placed her hand haphazardly on Regina's thigh.
"Well I need to go get some clothes then and pick up some lunch. Your pantry doesn't have nearly enough junk food for me." The blonde smiled as she walked towards the door. She couldn't explain why but she felt giddy inside.
"I really appreciate everything you are doing for me Emma." Regina spoke. "Pick me up a sandwich?" She added with a wink.
Emma couldn't explain why but the wink stirred up a kaleidoscope of butterflies in her stomach. She nodded her head as she made her exit. Taking the stairs two at a time, she was excited to get their cohabitation experience started. She made it quickly to her car and got in.
She was smiling the entire way.
