A/N: Hey lovelies! I hope you've all had a wonderful weekend. Apologies about the cliffhanger on Friday - it wasn't exactly intentional but I had to go out for dinner and thought it was a pretty good (annoying) way to end the chapter. I loved your reactions though. Let's find out what happens next!

Emma paced up and down the hospital corridor, hands balled into fists by her side. She was cursing under her breath, berating herself for not holding her tongue. The police officer had asked her to leave Regina's hospital room after her third outburst about August, requesting that he and his partner be allowed to take the brunette's statement about what happened in peace. That had been ten minutes ago and Emma was having to practice all her self-restraint to not burst back into the overly white room and gather her injured girlfriend into her arms.

By the time the police had arrived at the hospital, presumably directed towards them by Belle Gold, Regina's head wound had already been stitched up. The gash at the base of her skull was about two inches long, the skin split from where it had struck the table edge. The doctor had assured the two women that there would be no lasting damage but that Belle's diagnosis had been correct; to leave the wound to heal on its own would be unwise. Emma had sat beside Regina, holding her hand as she endured the painful procedure. Once sewn up, Regina barely had time to begin telling Emma what had happened when the police arrived. And then she'd been banished.

So she cried out with relief when the door to Regina's private room (which Emma had insisted on paying for) opened and the two police officers stepped out into the corridor.

"Did you get what you need?" Emma asked at once. "Is he going to get what he deserves?"

"Not unless you can persuade Miss Mills to press charges," the shorter officer said, folding his arms. "She said she doesn't want to pursue the assault allegation."

"What?" Emma frowned. "But you've seen what he did to her."

"Yes and she's given us her testimony which is corroborated by the witnesses at the cafe. But if she's not prepared to stand up in court, I'm not sure how far the case will get."

Emma frowned but nodded her understanding. Thanking the officers, she made her way back into Regina's room. The brunette was sitting up in bed, staring blankly out of the window. She turned, however, when Emma entered and offered her a weak smile. Emma returned it, or tried to.

"The police say you don't want to press charges," Emma said as she crossed the room and perched on the edge of Regina's bed. "Is that true?"

Regina nodded, biting her lip. "August's your friend, Emma. I don't want to create trouble for him."

"He split your head open," Emma replied tersely. "I think it's safe to assume any semblance of friendship which remained between us after last night is over now."

"It wasn't his fault," Regina said. "I shouldn't have stopped to talk to him. If I hadn't gone there, none of this would have happened."

"You didn't make him push you," Emma replied.

Regina sighed and laid back against the pillow, wincing slightly as her bandaged wound hit the pillow. Emma's face contorted in pain at the knowledge that Regina was hurting. Anger towards August bubbled inside her, knowing he was the cause.

"But I did. I provoked him," Regina replied. "I didn't mean to, and I sure as hell didn't think he would push me. But I still taunted him in a way that I knew would get to him. I knew he loved you and I was insensitive."

"Stop trying to justify it," Emma said flatly. "He was in the wrong, Regina. Not you. Are you really not going to press charges?"

"I can't," Regina replied. "I've already hurt him enough."

At that, Emma frowned in confusion. "How have you hurt him?"

"I got you," Regina said with a soft smile. "I came here and met you and then we fell in love. If I hadn't come to find you, maybe you and he would have gotten together in the end, just like he always wanted."

"No," Emma said firmly. "That would never have happened. Despite what August thinks, what was between us was never more than sex for me. He might have felt something but I didn't. Relationships can't be one-sided like that. You, my love," Emma said, reaching for Regina's hands, "are not the reason August and I aren't together."

Regina pulled her hands from Emma's and turned away, her eyes burning. Emma shuffled closer and touched Regina's arm, waiting for the brunette to look at her again. She didn't. Emma sighed and climbed off the bed, placing herself in Regina's line of sight. She was alarmed to see the beautiful brown eyes filled with tears and she reached to brush a fallen one from Regina's cheek.

"What is it?" she asked softly. "What did he say to you?"

Regina took a deep, shuddering breath before voicing the words which had been eating away at her since the cafe.

"He said I was only with you for the money and that once I've had the operation I'll leave you," Regina said in a rush.

Emma's eyes darkened, her anger at her friend welling inside her.

"But you know that's not true," she said, cupping Regina's tear-streaked cheeks. "Regina, honey, you know that's a lie. You know he said that to wind you up. Why are you even listening to the words of that bitter man?"

"I know it's not true but do you?" Regina whispered.

"What?" Emma frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not with you for the money, Emma," Regina said. "I love you for you, not what you've offered to do for me. And if there's any doubt in your mind that that's not the truth, I won't take the money for the operation, I'll find another way. Anything to prove that -."

"Woah," Emma interrupted. "Regina, you don't need to prove anything to me. I know you're not with me for the money. I know you love me. But you sure as hell don't have to demonstrate that by not having an operation you've been waiting for most of your life."

"You believe me?" Regina whispered.

"I never doubted you," Emma said earnestly, bending down to kiss Regina's lips.

Regina sighed into the contact, her heart feeling a little lighter for the first time since she had stopped at the cafe. She hated herself for listening to August but she couldn't stop the small voice inside her head. If Emma's best friend thought she was a money-grabbing whore, what was to stop Emma wondering the same thing? But then she looked up into Emma's earnest green eyes and remembered that she had nothing to fear: that this woman loved her with her all her heart, more fiercely and more loyally than anyone else in her entire life. She smiled, the first genuine smile since she had left Emma's house that afternoon.

"Take me home?" Regina asked quietly. "I don't want to go back to Chicago tonight."

Emma nodded at once and helped Regina from the bed. The brunette's head throbbed slightly but she wrapped her arm around Emma's waist and the two of them walked from the room. When she was in the car, Regina called her mother to give her a brief overview of what had happened and explain she wouldn't be returning home for a couple of days. She then phoned Kathryn to say she wouldn't be able to come to work. Both women were worried but understanding, stating separately that they hoped Emma would take good care of her. Regina wasn't concerned; Emma always had her back.

Once at the manor house, Emma deposited Regina in her bed and went to make a cup of tea. Ten minutes later, the two women were curled up under the duvet, despite it being only eight in the evening. Neither of them spoke. They didn't need to. Regina had recounted every detail of the encounter in the car on the way back from the hospital. All they needed now was to be with each other. Regina fell asleep quickly but it took Emma much longer, her mind churning thoughts about her former friend over and over again. She understood why Regina might have felt what happened was prompted by her decision to go and talk to August. But in no way did that validate what the man had done. He had goaded Regina. He had pushed Regina. He had hurt Regina. And for that, Emma knew she could never forgive him.

When Regina woke the next day, the first thing she saw was a mass of blonde hair. Emma's head was tucked in the crook of her neck, the yellow strands tickling Regina's nose. She smiled and pressed a kiss to the scalp hidden beneath them, breathing in Emma's familiar, comforting scent. The blonde stirred against her body, mumbled incoherence vibrating against her collarbone.

"Good morning," Regina whispered as green eyes blinked open at last.

"Gina," came the groggy reply. "How's your head?"

"Better," Regina smiled, her hand reaching beneath her hair to lightly stroke over the bandage.

Already she could tell the cut was healing. There was a dull ache emanating from the surrounding area but her head felt surprisingly clear. She would probably even be ok to drive back to Chicago that afternoon, although the thought of leaving Emma was not a pleasant one.

"Did you sleep ok?" Emma asked.

"Wonderfully," she smiled. "I always do when I'm with you."

Emma grinned dopily at the sentiment, knowing that she too slept more soundly when she was in the arms of her girlfriend. Well, usually. It had taken her a long time to fall asleep the previous night, emotions swirling through her and refusing to allow her to rest. When she had at last succumbed, she'd slipped into the strangest dream, one she wasn't entirely sure she understood or knew what to do about.

"What are you thinking?" Regina asked, seeing the confusion pass over Emma's face.

"Nothing," she said quickly. "Do you want to shower whilst I make some coffee?"

Regina hesitated, wanting to challenge the blonde's abrupt dismissal but decided against it. She figured Emma would tell her when she was ready. So she agreed to the suggestion and kissed Emma lightly before heading into the ensuite. Showering without wetting her bandage and indeed her entire head was awkward, thanks to Emma's ceiling-mounted shower head, but she managed it and soon found herself sipping a delicious mug of coffee staring out of the living room window at Emma's garden. The sky was dark with ominous grey clouds, the hot weather they had enjoyed for weeks finally breaking and a storm brewing on the horizon. Emma came up behind her, freshly showered herself, and wrapped her arms around Regina's waist, kissing the delicate line of her neck.

"What shall we do today?" Emma asked quietly.

"Well I hadn't planned to be here, so don't you have work?"

Emma shrugged. "It's going to rain. I don't want to get my camera wet. Plus, it's not like I actually need the money now."

Regina raised her eyebrows. "Are you considering stopping your photography?"

"No," Emma said at once. "I love what I do. But I'm saying that you don't need to feel guilty for being here and, theoretically, distracting me from taking photos."

"Distracting you?" Regina asked, turning in Emma's arms and kissing her lips softly.

"Oh you always distract me," Emma grinned. "You're very distracting."

"And you're easily distracted," Regina chuckled.

"We've said the word distract too many times," Emma observed. "It sounds weird."

Regina laughed and Emma beamed. It seemed the brunette wasn't dwelling too much on the events of yesterday, at least, not to the point where she couldn't enjoy herself. There were still things to be discussed regarding August, Emma knew, but she didn't want to bring it up. She wanted to enjoy the extra time she had been given with her girlfriend, not dwell on why the extended stay had transpired.

"Kathryn called when you were in the shower," Regina said. "She wanted to check on me but also make sure I was going to be back for her birthday party this weekend."

"And will you be?"

"I think I'd be fine to leave today, to be honest," Regina said. "But I'd rather stay until tomorrow."

"You're welcome here as long as you like," Emma said.

"Thanks but some of us do actually have to work for a living," she grinned. "I said I'd be at the store on Wednesday on one condition."

"And what's that?" Emma asked.

"That I'm allowed to bring you to Kathryn's birthday meal on Saturday."

Emma balked. Meeting Regina's best friend? The woman who had stuck beside Regina through everything? She hadn't even thought about how it would feel to meet such an important person in Regina's life. Her mother was one thing, but because they had met before the two women were an item, it had seemed somehow less scary. Kathryn, on the other hand, terrified her.

"You … you want me to meet Kathryn?"

"Of course," Regina frowned. "I want you to meet everyone who's important to me and, to be honest, Kathryn's the last person on that list."

"What if she hates me?"

Regina laughed. "How could anyone hate you, Emma? You're literally the most adorable woman in the world."

"Second only to you," Emma countered, kissing Regina's nose. "Seriously though, what if she doesn't like me?"

"Firstly, she will," Regina stated. "And secondly, as important as Kathryn is to me, my love for you is … stronger. Much as I want her approval of you, if I don't get it, nothing will change between us."

Emma let the words sink in, wondering how she and Regina had grown so close that their brief relationship was eclipsing decade-old friendships. Was that how it was supposed to happen? Were August and Kathryn becoming casualties of their love? No, Emma said to herself firmly. August made his own bed when he physically assaulted Regina and refused to accept their relationship. And Kathryn, from everything Regina had told her, wasn't like that and wouldn't be going anywhere when it came to being a part of Regina's life.

"I had a dream last night," Emma blurted out.

"A dream?" Regina frowned.

"About us."

"Ok …" Regina prompted. "And?"

Emma reached for Regina's hand and, fingers tangled, led her over to the couch and they both sat down.

"On Friday, when you said you were ready to move in together, did you mean that?" Emma asked.

Eyebrows raised, Regina nodded slowly. "Of course. Why?"

"I can't stay here," Emma said simply. "I can't stay in Storybrooke, not if August's here and going unpunished for what he did to you. And this house, I …," she hesitated, not wanting to say his name, "there are too many memories. I think I need a fresh start. I think we need a fresh start."

Regina inhaled sharply. "What do you mean?"

"I want to move away from here," Emma said. "I don't know where and I don't really care. All I know is I want you to come with me. We can start again. Somewhere different, somewhere new. Together."

"Together?"

"Together," Emma repeated. "Me and you. Our own house. Our own lives. Let's leave everything behind us and move on."

Regina allowed Emma's words to sink in. Three days ago she had dreamed of having this conversation. She had hoped the blonde was ready to take the next step with her, regardless of how early on in their relationship it was. But now … now it seemed like Emma was doing this to avoid dealing with August. She was running away from her problems, not facing them. And Regina knew from experience that running never led to anything good.

"I thought we decided it was too soon," she said gently. "I thought we decided to wait."

"I don't want to wait any more," Emma said simply.

"Because of August?"

"Because I love you," Emma said firmly.

"You can love me here," Regina pointed out.

Emma frowned at the response. "I thought you wanted this," she said. "This was your idea."

"I want us to move in together because we're ready, not because you don't want to see your friend."

"Former friend," Emma spat.

"Ok," Regina placated. "But that's still not a reason to uproot your entire life. I mean, your work is here."

"Birds fly, Regina," Emma stated. "I can work anywhere."

Regina sighed and covered Emma's hands with her own, stilling the suddenly fidgeting fingers.

"Emma, what was that dream about?"

The blonde looked away, not wanting to verbalise the images still vivid in her mind. She and Regina strolling through Storybrooke's streets hand in hand, smiling and laughing until a figure stepped out in front of them. Her dream had left the man faceless but she knew who he represented. She had fought valiantly to protect Regina in the dream but she couldn't, her brain refusing to allow her consciousness a happy ending. She had awoken, covered in sweat and panting, her heart thundering in her chest. Regina had been sleeping peacefully beside her, the painkillers dulling her senses and making her oblivious to Emma's anguish. Reassured that August's attack hadn't ripped Regina from her, Emma had curled herself around her girlfriend and waited to return to sleep.

"I'm scared," Emma whispered, her eyes sparkling. "Please, Regina, we can't stay here. We need to leave."

Regina gathered the woman into her arms, stroking up and down the trembling back, wondering what on earth Emma could possibly be so petrified of. Yes, the two of them had been shocked by August's actions the day before but Regina didn't think the man was stupid enough to do anything else to her. Even so, she admitted she wasn't relishing the idea of seeing him again or knowing that Emma would most likely bump into him around Storybrooke.

"Where would we go?" Regina asked, her curiosity about Emma's plans getting the better of her.

"Anywhere," Emma replied. "Near Chicago if you want to stay close to your family."

"And my doctor," Regina pointed out.

"Right," Emma nodded, remembering that the woman before her did have plans for surgery coming up and moving across the country wouldn't exactly be well-timed.

"You're serious?" Regina asked. "You'd really be willing to leave your life here and move to be with me?"

"I'd do anything to be with you," Emma said simply.

"What about Ruby? And your other friends here?"

"Ruby can visit," Emma shrugged. "But I need to get out of here. And soon."

"Before the surgery?"

"Before the weekend if possible," Emma shrugged. "I don't want to be here any more, Regina. Storybrooke has been my home most of my life but now it feels like an alien town to me. Everything changed yesterday and it's not your fault, but I don't feel comfortable here any more. I don't feel safe."

"August's not going to hurt me again," Regina said.

"You don't know that," Emma whispered. "And if you're not going to press charges, I can't risk us being here."

"And if I did press charges?"

Emma shrugged. "He'd possibly get a few years in prison at best. Once he was out we'd have to move anyway. Might as well doing it now, right? Plus you don't want to press charges, remember? I'm not going to force you do to that if I can solve all our problems by moving to Wisconsin."

"Wisconsin?"

Emma shrugged. "Lots of trees and lakes. It's good bird country."

"Wisconsin," Regina repeated, testing the name on her tongue. Did it feel like home? Perhaps. With Emma by her side she thought anywhere would feel like a home. Maybe it had nothing to do with the place itself and more the blonde now looking intently at her.

"Three days ago you said it was too soon," Regina reminded her. "Don't let August's actions push you into something you're not ready for."

"I said I didn't think I could bear to live in a constant state of sexual frustration," Emma amended. "And if memory serves, Friday night obliterated those concerns." Regina couldn't help but laugh. "So perhaps August has spurred me into moving up this decision date but I think we both knew this was where we were heading. And anyway, I want to be living with you before you have surgery."

"Why?" Regina frowned.

"Because I want you to leave the hospital afterwards and come to our home. I'd always planned that, I think. I'd always imagined you walking over the threshold in the body you truly belong, entering the home we've built together and being ready to start the next phase of our lives."

Regina pulled Emma into a tight hug, the emotions the blonde had sparked in her filling her heart to the brim. How had she found such a kind, thoughtful, caring woman who loved her so utterly completely? Emma burrowed her face in Regina's neck, holding her tightly, never wanting to let her go.

"Ok."

Emma pulled away at the whisper, cupping Regina's cheeks with her soft hands. "Ok?"

"Ok," Regina nodded. "Let's do it."

The two women spent the rest of their extra time together making plans for their upcoming move. Emma, in her eagerness, phoned an estate agent and made an appointment for later in the week to put the manor on the market. They researched different areas, Regina for amenities, Emma for wildlife density, and tried to narrow down their search parameters. Once they had settled on the countryside to the south-east of Madison, preferably close to a lake, Emma eagerly began to scour the Internet. Although initially uncomfortable at the vast sums of money each property cost, Regina soon became distracted by the lure of swimming pools and stables and vast country estates.

"You can get a horse," Emma said enthusiastically, pointing to a particular property overlooking a lake with paddocks and stables in the rear.

"And your ducks could live on the lake," Regina replied. "Or would they fly off?"

"They're pretty loyal," Emma shrugged. "But if they did leave, I'd understand. Ooh look, this one has an indoor pool too."

"Emma, it's seven million dollars," Regina exclaimed as she glanced over the listing for the extravagant villa-style mansion.

"So?" Emma replied. "I can afford it."

Regina wrinkled her nose. "No, I'm not comfortable with you paying for everything when it comes to such a huge sum of money. It's … it's weird."

"But you said you were ok with me spending this money on us," Emma said.

"I did but I wasn't expecting you to buy us a house. And look, it's got eleven bedrooms. Who on earth needs eleven bedrooms?"

"Hang on," Emma frowned. "You'd be ok to move into this house with me which the estate agent estimated at being worth over two million dollars but you're not ok with me buying us a new house?"

"Worth three times that," Regina pointed out. "Emma, we don't need that much space."

"Ok, ok," Emma agreed, clicking back to the website and perusing other, more modestly sized houses.

When Regina at last left to drive back to Chicago on Tuesday evening, Emma had already set up three house viewings for the two of them the following Sunday, after Kathryn's birthday event. She admitted they might be rushing things a little but Emma knew she needed to leave Storybrooke as fast as possible. When they had walked into town to collect Regina's abandoned car on Tuesday, she had been conscious of people looking at them. It seemed word had got out regarding what August had been referring to when he had denounced Regina as a not being a woman in the cafe. She couldn't deal with small-town mindedness. She didn't need to deal with it. All she needed to do was whisk Regina away somewhere the two of them could just live happily, without being judged.

"What?" Ruby gasped when Emma had finally filled her in on everything which had happened since they had last seen each other. It was Thursday evening and Ruby had come over to the manor house to have a long-overdue catch up with her friend. She wasn't prepared for just quite how much had changed in Emma's life, however.

"I know it's come out of the blue but I really need you to support me, Rubes," Emma said, reaching across the kitchen table and squeezing her friend's arm.

"You're really leaving?"

Emma nodded. "As soon as possible. I can't stay here, Ruby. And I don't want Regina to have to come back either."

"But you love it here," Ruby frowned. "Storybrooke is my home."

"I loved it here," Emma amended. "And yes, it was. But it stopped being remotely homely when I felt like Regina was in danger. You should have seen some of the looks we got when we walked through on on Tuesday, Ruby. I was so ashamed to have been living with these people. I don't want Regina to have to face them every time she comes down. Not to mention August."

"Have you spoken to him?" Ruby asked.

"No," Emma replied. "And I don't want to. I thought we could get past this, I thought we could all be friends but there's no way I can ever forgive him for what happened to Regina."

Ruby nodded her understanding, proud in a way of Emma's fierce devotion to Regina. She knew how Emma felt about the brunette, knew her friend had never been so besotted in her life. And if the two of them weren't going to be able to find happiness in Storybrooke, she couldn't be angry at the decision to leave, even if she would miss her friend terribly.

"When are you going?" Ruby asked.

"Soon," Emma admitted. "We've viewing houses this weekend."

"Guess it's easy when there's money in the bank," Ruby remarked.

Emma winced at the tone. Ruby blushed. She hadn't meant it to come out quite so biting. But before she could apologise, Emma spoke.

"I'd have moved away regardless," she said. "We could have lived in Regina's house with her mother for all I care. I just don't want to be here."

This time Emma's words hurt the redhead but she knew they weren't intended to do so. She knew Emma would miss her just as much as she'd miss the blonde. The two of them had been inseparable since they had met over ten years before. In fact, the two of them and August had been a trio for most of their lives. But now everything was changing.

"I spoke to him," Ruby admitted, not sure if Emma had expected her to ignore the fact that August remained a mutual friend.

The green eyes darkened almost imperceptibly before Emma answered. "What did he say?"

Ruby shrugged, thinking that repeating the crass words to the blonde would not help anyone in the slightest. She hated what August had done, of course. But he was still her friend and she could see how much his heart was breaking, even if he had handled the situation appallingly. She hoped Emma understood her divided loyalty.

"I'll come up and visit you all the time," Ruby said, changing the subject. "And we can meet in Chicago too. Billy's been talking about taking a trip there for months."

"Sounds great," Emma grinned. "Thanks Ruby."

"I just want you to be happy," Ruby said with a smile.

"I am," Emma replied. "Or at least, I will be."

To Regina's surprise, her mother was much more accepting of then news than she had anticipated. Cora had hugged her daughter tightly when she had confessed Emma's sudden plan for the pair of them. If the older Mills was surprised as to the speed of the decision, she didn't say anything. And when Regina brought up the subject of their current living arrangements, Cora smirked.

"I suppose it's time you found out that I'm not the only one loved up," she said.

"What?" Regina gasped. "You've been dating someone? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well if you weren't so infatuated with Emma, perhaps you would have noticed that I've been going out for dinner several times a week for the past four months," Cora teased.

"Oh shut up!" Regina laughed. "Who is he? Tell me everything?"

And so Cora told her daughter all about the landscape gardener she had met at an art gallery a few months previously. They had been standing side by side staring at a Monet for several minutes before Jonathan plucked up the courage to speak to her. They'd gone for coffee, which had turned into dinner, and then drinks. Regina had been away at Emma's that weekend and hadn't been there to witness her mother creeping home after one in the morning. And from there the two of them had begun a tentative romance. Both divorcees, they had been cautious at first but within a few weeks it was obvious there was something special between them.

"And he doesn't mind that you're the worst gardener in the world?" Regina laughed, looking around the kitchen where two wilting plants decorated the room.

"I'm learning, actually," Cora said. "Did you see that new pot in the back garden?"

"A present from your lover?" Regina teased.

Cora laughed. "Perhaps. He said the place looked sad without flowers."

"He's been here?"

"Thanks to the fact that you disappear off to see Miss Swan all the time, yes, my dear. Jonathan has been over quite a few times."

"Can I meet him?" Regina asked.

"Can you behave?" Cora countered.

Regina laughed. "Of course! But …hang on, what does this have to do with the fact that I won't be paying rent on this place any more?"

Cora bit her lip, a habit her daughter had inherited from her. "Jon's asked me to move in with him," she admitted. "And I've accepted."

Wide-eyed with surprise, it took Regina a moment to react. But then she squealed in delight and threw herself into her mother's arms, hugging her tightly.

"I'm so happy for you, Ma," she murmured. "You deserve it."

"I'm happy for us," Cora said. "We both deserve it."

A/N: next up, Emma meets Kathryn …