Regina clicks off her phone and tucks it into her pocket. She'll have to stop somewhere long enough to charge it because it's only mid-afternoon and the battery's already running low. Her phone's been buzzing so much that she can't even drive her car. Teleporting at least, can't be interrupted by a phone call.

Archie starts talking almost before the purple smoke around her has faded. "Madame Mayor, we're running out of things for the quarantined children to do. Some of them aren't that sick and they're proving fairly difficult to look after while their bored."

She would love to be bored. "Belle can help you, we can bring books from the library, DVDs, see if anyone has a video game system they'd be willing to lend us until the crisis is over."

"Mayor Mills-" Nova starts, jogging up to her in the hospital corridor. "Some of the newer arrivals are resisting their vaccinations. Robin's been trying to help us, and the Princess Aurora but they just don't understand how vaccines work or why this disease is to be avoided. Death by plague was a common thing for them and no one's died of this yet, not that they will-"

Archie catches her eye when she sighs. His little smile is almost enough to make her smile back. "No, you can't just curse them all and get them that way, though it must be tempting."

"Dr. Whale and Reul Ghorm can't convince them?" she asks, stopping at the corner. Where was she going? She'd had the phone call and then-

"They're trying," Nova answers, fidgeting with her hands. "It's not easy."

Regina tilts her head and shuts her eyes for a moment. "I'm aware it's difficult."

"Blue thinks you might be able to help."

That was the part she expected. "Of course," she says. Regina takes out her phone again to check the messages. Why is she here? She left Granny's after arranging that she, Ursula and the other restauranteurs would help feed those quarantined outside the town, and then she'd gone to check that the camp had enough generators for Whale's science projects, then back to her office because the town still needs to be run, somehow.

What was it she needed?

Her phone has two new text messages, one from Whale that can wait, he's always so needy when he's working on something. The other is from Robin.

Remember to eat lunch.

She smiles at that. It's far past lunch time, and she didn't eat because the town's in an uproar. He knew that, and reminded her now. Scrolling through the next few messages, she finds what she needed.

"Nova, is Tinkerbelle still here?"

"She's in intensive care, a few of the patients might need magic." That comes with more handwringing and Regina finds a smile for her.

"Luckily, we have that in abundance, excuse me," she says, "I have to go find her."

Their little intensive care unit only held one patient for twenty-eight years, and now four beds are crammed into that space. Snow flits between them, and she's surprised to see her. Surely she'd be cocooned with little Neal, making sure he's safe. Maybe that surprise is still on her face when Snow looks up.

"He's with David. He worked all night and they needed some time together." Snow smiles indulgently and there's that adoration for each other Regina remembers. She's hated them and loved them so much and for so long that it's comfortable to sink into quiet respect. For all her messy history with them, Snow and Charming are the first people she's known where love has worked.

"Regina!" Tink says, entering the room with her hands full of cold packs. "We need your help." They start piling the cold packs over a little girl that Regina doesn't know, she's a few years younger than Henry. Her tightly braided hair splays over the pillow and her smooth dark skin has a ruddy undertone that's frightening.

"We've been trying to keep their fevers down, but Whale keeps suggesting equipment that this hospital just doesn't have. In normal circumstances, if we were a real small town we could airlift them to a bigger city, but they can't leave, and we don't have-" Snow shrugs and shakes her head. "Tink and Blue have tried magic, but fairy magic is usually good for healing magical ailments and this isn't one."

'No," Regina agrees. She pulls out her phone, smiles again at the message from Robin and types a quick message to Maleficent. Broken bones, concussions, they're much easier than this. "Did Emma try?"

"This morning," Snow says with a sad smile. "Blue thought part of the problem might be that it's not the disease itself that's making them so sick, but the way their bodies are responding. All of their fevers are just too high. Especially Diana's."

That's her name. Her parents must be in the other quarantine group because they're not here and Regina's heart aches for them.

Tink stares at her, too hopeful. "We thought you might have something the fairies didn't."

The air shudders, then breaks and Maleficent appears in a rush of purple smoke. She's in her pajamas, and Regina has to smile at that. She did throw on a robe over her pale pink pajamas.

Snow takes a step back, but Tink watches with interest. It's probably the first time she's seen the dragon up close.

Mal turns her gaze to Regina, ignoring everything else. "You said it was urgent. Lily's with Roland, don't worry."

Regina touches Diana's little shoulder and tries not to wince. Not even Mal's skin is that warm on a bad day. "Can you help these people?"

Tilting her head thoughtfully, Mal studies Regina then the people around her. Her eyes brighten somehow, as if she's reaching out with magic. She opens her hand and her staff, which hasn't been out of the closet in weeks, appears in her hand. That's a good sign. "What do you want me to do?"

"I've seen you absorb fire."

Mal rolls her eyes towards the ceiling, but there's sympathy on her face. She knows this could be Roland. "Fire, yes. She's not on fire."

"Part of her is."

Mal accepts that logic and takes a step closer to the bed. Unlike the patients around her who are too red, she's almost too pale, slightly green and the circles beneath her eyes are heavy and dark. She takes a breath and the air tingles with magic, even Snow feels it. She taps the staff on the floor and something tugs. Fever shouldn't be a tangible thing, yet it rises from all of them, a shimmering pink mist, floating above their beds. Regina steps back, getting out of the way as the mist starts to move. It spins, swirling like a storm before the dragon on Maleficent's staff inhales it.

Shutting her eyes, Mal stands there, still and radiant with power. Then she sighs, the glow fades, and she's soft again, standing there with her hair falling loose over her shoulders. "There."

"What did you do?" Tink asks in wonder.

"It seems Regina was right," Mal says, smug now that it worked. "Inflammation, fever, it's a kind of fire after all." She wavers a little where she stands, and she has to put some of her weight into the staff.

Regina's at her side in a moment. "Are you all right?"

"Fine, dear." Mal's little smile has no real strength behind it and while Tink and Snow check the vitals of their patients, she follows her through the glass into the hallway.

"Are you sure? I could have gotten Lily-"

Touching her shoulder, Mal shakes her head. "That was too difficult for her. She couldn't have, she's still learning. I'm fine. It's fire. I will burn it off. What matters is that they're okay."

Regina strokes her cheek, then brushes back her hair. There's no more color in her face now, if anything she's even more pale. "I shouldn't have asked."

"Regina, no, this is nothing. One mild discomfort added onto a plethora of others. It is fine. I'm fine." Mal kisses her cheek.

In spite of her assurances Regina just wants to send her home, to know she's safe. Mal's fingers brush her chin, cool this time, not fevered, and that almost makes it worse.

"You have to stop worrying that I'll shatter, I survived an entire pregnancy without you, dear, I'll survive this one." Mal realizes what she's said and she stops, now truly miserable. "I shouldn't have said that."

Regina's stomach coils itself into a cold knot. "It's true."

Mal rests her hand on Regina's shoulder. "I didn't give you the chance."

"I wouldn't have listened to you."

Mal kisses her forehead, then kisses her mouth. Her lips are gentle, almost cool. "I wasn't brave enough to try, losing you once was bad enough, if you didn't know, you couldn't push us away."

Regina shakes her head, then takes a step forward, her head's almost on Mal's shoulder but she looks up, trying to banish the guilt screaming inside her stomach. There was an us she never knew about. Maybe if Lily had been in her castle, she would have been safe, she could have- but she hated so much then, loathed everyone and everything, herself most of all. She could have been no one's mother. "I'm sorry."

Mal lifts her chin, holding her face as if she's a precious object. "You worry too much about the past."

"It's my fault," she insists. Mal might be willing to let it go, but she's not. She can't.

Leaning her staff against the glass wall, Mal shakes her head and takes Regina's hand into hers. "There's no fault in this dear, this is a gift. Proof that magic is its own creature, with whims and fancy, not some terrible toll-taker. This is life and it is wild."

Regina stares down at their hands, remembering how many times they've wound their fingers together. She shoves down the cold guilt, trying to be here, now, when life is so much more hopeful. "Robin said you were sick again."

"Oh, I don't enjoy that," Mal says, and she chuckles. "Your fretting is one of your more endearing qualities, but I am fine. I'm sure your copious research has informed you of the myriad discomforts of pregnancy are constantly changing and you'll find something else to fret about when this passes. Regina, I can assure you that I am well and the baby is safe and I love you."

"I love you too," she whispers back, going onto her tiptoes to kiss her. "I'll try and make it home for dinner."

"Wake me up when you do." Mal smiles, so gentle this time,because she knows Regina's attempt to be home will fail, then she vanishes.

Regina stands there, arms around her chest, trying to pull herself together. Her chest's too tight and She checks her phone again, reading through the new messages and all the other little crises she needs to attend to.

Snow takes her arm, and walks her to one of the tables. How long has she been there? What did she hear? Regina's too tired to argue, or even worry what Snow will say. Snow reaches for her phone and sets it aside.

"Here, just sit for a little while."

Someone, and this is Snow's doing, sets a sandwich in front of her. There's another plate with an apple, celery, some carrot sticks, even a cookie. Snow hands the little box of juice to her, tiny plastic straw already in place. "Coffee's coming. Eat, please."

Regina picks up the sandwich, her thoughts drifting to Robin. "Did Robin say something?"

Snow smiles gently, then touches her shoulder. "Robin's not the only one who knows you forget to eat when there's a crisis."

Regina would sat something, but her stomach aches, and this time not with guilt. She flashes Snow a half-smile and then takes a bite. It's an average sandwich, turkey, spinach, a bland kind of cheese, mustard, yet someone assembled it and brought it to her, which she appreciates more than she can say.

"You and Maleficent are so sweet together," Snow says. Sitting across from her, she watches her eat, her face gentle and warm. "I know so little about her, and I'll admit I keep waiting for some new threat of revenge-"

Regina swallows quickly just so she can argue. "She's not like that."

"I know," Snow says, nodding. "It's funny because I deserve it, I took her daughter, and she should hate me."

"She doesn't." She chews, trying to take her time but when she starting eating, she remembered how hungry she was. "I don't know how she does it, because I couldn't. I would have done something awful, but she's moved on."

Snow pushes the plate with the apple closer. "Eat Regina, I won't tell anyone you talked to me with your mouth full." She waits, looking away, her thoughts drifting. Maybe she didn't hear the whole thing.

When Snow looks back, her smile radiates such happiness that she has to know. "You're having a baby."

"Maleficent is, I'm just-"

"Regina!"

Swallowing the last of her sandwich, she reaches for the apple. She shouldn't have eaten so fast but it's better than being hungry. The apple's crisp and cold and she shouldn't still be hungry. Regina wipes juice from the corner of her mouth. "I just meant that she's the one who has all the unpleasant parts of it. I- well I just set it off."

"That's doesn't make it any less your baby," Snow says, and her hand brushes against Regina's free one. "Are you excited?"

She could eat faster if Snow would just stop asking questions, but she's so happy, Regina can't help but be a little swept away in that. She nods, trying to chew her apple.

"When did it happen? Before Robin came back?"

"Knowing my luck the night she came back from the dead," Regina mutters into her apple.

Snow's cheeks flush a little, but her smile remains. "Is that how you got her to trust you?"

"Perhaps," Regina mumbles into the apple. She can't have this conversation with Snow sober.

"Is she all right?"

Regina can't even answer that question for herself, let alone Snow, so she shrugs. "She's exhausted, nauseated, sore in strange places, and her headaches can be fairly awful, apparently all of that comes from the human side, the dragon side just runs a fever sometimes that scares the hell out of me and robin, but she says that's more normal than the other parts of it."

Snow pats her hand again, then grabs one of the carrot sticks and eats it. "It doesn't seem real, does it?"

That she's right about. "It's like she's sick and I can't help her."

"Emma and Neal didn't seem real to David until they moved. I was never sick, not like you're talking about, but he said he never felt like he was part of it, part of them, until he could feel them move." Snow passes the last carrot stick over, so Regina will eat it. "Maybe it'll be like that for you. It's probably still awhile off?"

"Yes."

"Try to be patient."

Regina groans and tilts her head back towards the ceiling "That's kind of Robin and Mal's thing, they're much better at it.""

Snow's smile grows in sympathy. "I know it's hard, but you're helping. I promise that you are, even when it doesn't seem like you are. The way she looks at you, she loves you. Just having you around is a blessing. Robin's like that too, isn't he? All three of you."

Glancing down at her hands, Regina prepares to explain it, to come up with some kind of reasoning. "I know it doesn't make sense."

Snow grabs her shoulder this time, without any judgement in her expression. "Regina, you're happy, all three of you, I've seen you, and your kids: Emma keeps telling me how close they're becoming, Lily, Henry, Roland- none of them thought they had siblings, and now they do, and there's something so wonderful about that, and now they're going to have a baby sister, or brother. I know there's so much on your mind, there always is, but this you should find time to be happy about."

"If I get time without a crisis, I'll work on it." Regina puts her hand out for her phone, but Snow squeezes her fingers.

"I'm happy for you."

Regina gets to her feet, ready to deal with whatever's next on her phone and then Snow hugs her, impulsive, tight, and almost too enthusiastic. For a second she stands there, worrying about all the things she should be doing, and then she gives in, trying to find the right places to put her hands and it's awkward and then isn't.

By the time Snow pulls away, Regina's grateful, even touched.

Then her phone beeps again.