A/N: after writing for work for ten hours the momentum carried me forwards and I was able to create this for you all. Sorry about the delay after the cliffhanger. But .. well, sometimes life has to come before fan fiction sadly!

The music dimmed, the shout of fellow patrons faded away, the bustling bar before them no longer existed. All that mattered in that moment was the small, sheltered booth in which the two women were sat. Regina's eyes closed just as Emma's lips brushed against her own. Heart racing, the brunette let out a soft moan at the tender kiss, her body aching at once for more. As if reading her mind, Emma's hands landed on Regina's slender waist, pulling their bodies closer just as their lips parted. The plump flesh of Regina's slid between Emma's thinner pair, melding perfectly together as if they were made for one another. Regina allowed her fingers to trail up Emma's arms, feeling the smooth leather until the material was replaced by blonde curls and the warmth of Emma's neck.

At the skin on skin contact, Emma reeled backwards, suddenly aghast. She jumped to her feet, her thighs colliding with the edge of the table and sending their half-empty drinks flying. She didn't seem to notice the tinkle of shattering glass, however, and before Regina could even comprehend what was happening, the blonde had disappeared into the crowd. Regina stared after her, mouth open in shock. What had just happened? Everyone in the vicinity of the booth was now staring at Regina whose cheeks were hotter than ever. She stood up and then stooped to help a waiter who had appeared to begin cleaning up the shards, any effects of the alcohol suddenly dissipating from her system.

Muttering her apologies, she pressed a £20 into his hand to cover their last round of drinks and as a tip for the mess she was leaving him with. Unable to stand the judgemental stares any longer, Regina grabbed her coat and Emma's, which had been left on the seat where the blonde had been just moments before, and left.

The rain had stopped when she reached the street and the orange light from the street lamp illuminated a damp, busy road, filled with people enjoying their Saturday night out. Huffing in annoyance and wishing she was a little bit taller, Regina craned her neck and scanned the crowd. She couldn't see Emma, however and began to walk up the slight hill to get a better vantage point. She huddled up against the cold night air, Emma's coat draped over her arm as she went, slapping lightly against her thigh and reminding her with every step that Emma had just run out of a bar and left her in the middle of a city she didn't know with nowhere to go. She couldn't help but feel a little bitter.

The crowd were all heading the other way and Regina side-stepped a particularly rowdy group of university aged students by stepping into an alleyway to avoid being knocked over. As she waited for them to pass, movement from behind her made her turn around sharply.

"Who's there?" she asked, a hard London accent in place. She had been living in the capital city for too long to not know how to defend herself if necessary.

There was no response however, but a sliver of light from the streetlamp hit a figure slumped against the wall a few metres away. Her suspicion as to who was there made her tone soften suddenly.

"Emma?"

The red jacket glinted as the blonde moved, craning her head to the side and realising that it was indeed Regina who had found her. Not that she had wanted to abandon the brunette, of course, she was just hoping for a little more time to collect her thoughts.

"Hey," Emma said, voice rough.

Wordlessly, Regina handed over Emma's coat and the blonde gratefully shrugged it on. She hadn't realised she was cold until that moment. Once that task was done, Emma averted her eyes from the doctor, not wanting to yet see the hurt look she knew would be reflected in those beautiful brown eyes.

"Let's get a cab," Regina said after a long pause, any semblance of anger she felt towards the young woman melting away as she took in Emma's dejected stance. She knew Emma wasn't going to want to talk in the alleyway and she had no desire to continue their night out. The desire she was currently experiencing, it seemed, she was going to have to tamp down. Because despite the abrupt end and the way Emma had deserted her, the feelings their kiss had ignited within Regina still burned strong.

She led the way back to the street and wasn't surprised to hear Emma plodding along behind her. The street was filled with cabs already and she hailed one quickly, climbing in first and waiting for Emma to do the same. She did but as soon as the door was closed and the address was given, the blonde pressed herself up against the door, as far away from Regina as physically possible. Regina tried to ignore the twisting feeling in her gut but by the time they had arrived at Emma's parent's house, her whole body felt consumed by the pain of rejection.

Emma tossed some money at the cabbie and climbed out without another word. Before Regina had even closed the door, the blonde had disappeared inside the house. With a sigh, Regina followed, shut the open door and bolted it. Footsteps on the landing above told her Emma was heading towards the bedroom in which she had put her bag in earlier. Fetching two glasses of water from the kitchen, Regina waited for a moment before ascending the stairs as well.

The door to the bedroom was closed so Regina knocked lightly on the wood, both waters balanced in one hand. There was no answer; Regina knocked again. This time, she heard something muffled from within but couldn't decipher the words. She decided to assume they were consent. Although the room was dark, Regina could make out the shape of Emma huddled beneath the blankets on the bed. She crossed the near pitch-black room carefully and placed the glasses on the desk before sitting down on the computer chair beside it.

"Emma, are you ok?" Regina asked quietly.

"No," came a childlike voice.

"What's wrong?" Regina said, needing the blonde to vocalise what exactly has spooked her in the bar.

There was a pause before Emma answered. "I'm shouldn't have kissed you."

Regina had been expecting the answer, she supposed. After all, she herself knew she shouldn't have kissed Emma. But her reasons were fairly obvious: her work forbade relationships between patents. She was unsure, however, exactly what it was that Emma thought was 'wrong' about what had occurred between us. So she asked.

"Why not?"

Emma shuffled around in her bed, her face tilting curiously towards the brunette at the question.

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you think you shouldn't have kissed me?" Regina repeated.

"Um, because you're my son's doctor?" Emma replied.

"I was Henry's doctor," Regina corrected. "But yes, I think the hospital wouldn't exactly be thrilled to learn about any semblance of a relationship between us."

"Exactly my point," Emma said.

Regina nodded slowly. "But …" Regina tailed off, not sure whether she should push Emma any further. After all, they still had a road trip mission to complete and she didn't want to make tomorrow any more awkward than it was already going to be.

"But what?" Emma asked after a long silence.

Regina took a deep breath. She never had been good at holding her tongue. "But I wanted you to kiss me."

There was a pause and then movement as Emma pushed herself into a sitting position and reached for the bedside lamp. The light threw the room into harsh relief and both women blinked at the sudden brightness. When their eyes had adjusted, green finally gazed into brown.

"You did?" Emma asked.

"You know I did," Regina said softly. "And if you hadn't initiated something, I think I would have by the end of the night."

"Even though the hospital forbids it?"

"I don't think there's a specific rule preventing former doctors to get involved with the mother of patients," Regina smirked. "But yes, even if there was I would have defied it. I don't allow my place of work to tell me who I can and can't date."

"Date?"

"Kiss," Regina corrected hurriedly.

Emma's eyes narrowed. "You said date."

Regina bit her lip. "Yeah, I did," she admitted. "Sorry."

"Why are you apologising?" Emma asked.

Regina shrugged. "Because I know that's not what you want nor what you're ready for and now I've made things awkward."

"I think they were already a little awkward," Emma pointed out. "Did I leave a proper mess in that bar?"

"A few broken glasses and my pride," Regina chuckled.

"Sorry," Emma said. "I shouldn't have run off like that."

"Why did you?" Regina asked.

Emma glanced around the room which the two of them now sat. It was strange being back in her old bedroom, even stranger having Regina with her. Lily had been to Bristol a few times but no other lover had over seen inside the four pale blue walls which had been the first bedroom she hadn't had to share with another foster child.

"I was scared," Emma admitted at last.

"Scared of what?" Regina said, her voice little more than a whisper.

"Of my feelings," Emma replied. "I … it's been a while since … you know. And I wasn't quite ready for my body to … react like that."

"Like what?" Regina asked, her heart beating a little faster.

Emma's eyes met Regina's once more. "I wanted you, Regina. More than I've wanted anyone in a long time. And I freaked out. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to leave you alone."

"You wanted me?" Regina asked, ignoring the apology.

"Oh yeah," Emma scoffed. "You're sexier than anyone else I've ever met."

Regina blushed at the brash compliment. "Thanks."

Emma's cheeks pinked too as she registered what she had said. It was true, of course, but she thought Regina deserved to be told in a slightly more eloquent way.

"You're sexy too."

The words reached Emma's ears and made her look up, catching the shy smile on Regina's lips. She couldn't help but return it. They sat there, Emma in her bed and Regina on the old desk chair, grinning stupidly at one another. It was several minutes before either of them spoke.

"So, what now?" Regina asked.

"I don't know," Emma admitted, sobering once more. "What do you want?"

"I think you know what I want," Regina said, her voice soft and reassuring. "I like you Emma. I really like you. And, given the chance, I'd like to see what there is between us. Because from where I'm sitting, I think we could be really great together."

"But your work -."

"Is my concern," Regina interrupted. "And frankly it's none of the hospital's business. I'll date whomever I wish. That is, if … I mean … what do you want?"

Regina had gotten so caught up in her own fantasy of Emma and the revelation that both women were attracted to one another that she had forgotten she hadn't yet asked the blonde what she wanted.

"I don't know," Emma admitted, eyes wide and sorrowful. "I like you, Regina. Loads, actually. I'm interested in you in a way I haven't been in anyone since Lily. But what with everything going on with Henry and your connection to the hospital, I'm not sure either of us are in the best position to be starting something right now. I mean, my focus has to be Henry, one hundred per cent. I can't start a relationship now, not when he's so sick."

Regina nodded her understanding. Of course Emma couldn't start anything. Her son was suffering a rare genetic disease. Hell, the two of them were currently driving around the south of England trying to track down a man who was her son's best chance of surviving the illness, chasing a long-forgotten one night stand. It was hardly the right time to begin anything.

"You're right," Regina said. "This can't happen. Both of us need to be focusing on Henry at the moment."

Emma nodded sadly. "I'm sorry," she offered. "For what it's worth. I do really like you and I appreciate everything you've done for Henry and the fact that you're accompanying me on this crazy unplanned adventure. Really, Regina, thank you."

"You're welcome," Regina said. "But this adventure is far from over so," she got to her feet, "I guess I'll see you in the morning. Good night, Emma."

Emma bid the brunette tonight too and watched as she walked from the room. At the door, Regina paused for a moment, hand hovering over the handle. Emma's heart thumped wildly against her ribcage, knowing she'd be powerless to say no if the stunning woman turned back towards her with lust-filled eyes. And then she was gone, the door closing behind her with a quiet click. A breath Emma didn't know she was holding escaped parted lips.

Ten minutes later, as Regina lay on her back staring at the ceiling in the guest bedroom, her mind was whirring as it retraced the events of the night. The feel of Emma's lips on hers. The heat radiating from the blonde's hands through her thin blouse. The look in Emma's eyes when they had admitted their attraction to one another. The despondent tone of her voice when Emma had told Regina nothing could happen between them.

She had had to force herself to leave the room, her feet refusing to move for a moment as she headed towards the corridor. She had wanted to stay, wanted to turn around and fight for whatever was between them. It had barely started; a spark, a flurry of emotions, a flicker of hope and happiness. And she had wanted more. She had wanted to persuade Emma that they were good together, that it would work if they began a relationship. But she hadn't.

Henry's pale face swam into her mind, his tiny body lying beneath the standard-issue blue blanket, dwarfed by the familiar hospital bed. Emma's son was the priority, he had to be. And right now, that meant everyone's attention had to be on saving him. It wasn't appropriate for Emma to start a new relationship, even with someone unconnected to the hospital. And Regina was most certainly off limits. It was too messy, too complicated, too much. And yet …

The floorboard outside Regina's room creaked and she lifted her head off the pillow. The hall light was on and seconds later she heard a door close and the tap start to run in the bathroom. Emma must be doing her teeth, she mused as she laid her head back down.

With the blonde mere metres away it was even harder for Regina to try and sleep so she just lay there, waiting to hear Emma return to her room. Finally the toilet flushed and the door was unlocked. The now familiar floorboard creek sounded again but this time it wasn't followed by footsteps. Regina's breath hitched. She knew what that meant. Outside her room, in the pale landing light, stood Emma Swan. Why? Regina waited, nervously, for the blonde to make the next move.

A/N: ok, so what should Emma's move be? I may or may not take your suggestions (I have my own idea for what happens next but would appreciate your input if you feel so inclined …)