Sorry for such a long wait. Most people have free time during this shelter in place situation however, I work at a UPS Store and no locations are allowed to be closed because Amazon returns are apparently life or death emergencies so we must be there for the people who refuse to stay at home as advised. That was my rant. Moving on.

I don't have as much free time as I'd like but oh well. I know this probably isn't most people's favorite fic but I promised myself I'd finish it. So, hopefully an update will brighten your day anyway.


Regina woke up on account of a disgruntled sound that emanated from the body in front of her. She lifted her head from her pillow, removing her arm from around Emma. The other woman shifted from her side onto her back, making another sound.

"Emma?" Regina touched her waist careful not to aggravate her arm. Emma's forehead was creased in discomfort, but she didn't hear Regina call for her. "Emma?"

She still didn't wake from the sound of her name, but a pained moan escaped her throat. Regina turned over and squinted at the bright red numbers on her alarm clock. It was a little bit after three. Just as she saw the time her phone lit up with an alarm – Emma's medication.

Regina tossed the sheets away and quickly got up. She forgot about her robe and hurried out the room. "I'll be right back, Emma."

Regina was frantic since in the few days Emma had been home, her arm had never bothered her in her sleep to this extent. She shuffled through the four orange bottles and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator in record time. Emma let out another moan right as Regina walked back into the room.

She sat down, laying the medication and the water down between them.

"Emma," Regina said. She shook her leg and Emma only stirred slightly. "Wake up, honey."

Emma groaned but her eyes fluttered open. Regina was very aware of her need for sleep, especially judging by the redness in her eyes. And surely fighting the pain was draining enough. Regina reached out and brushed away some hair that was sticking to the side of her face.

"Ow," Emma murmured, forehead crumbling again.

"I know." Regina grabbed the pill bottle and removed two from it. Emma was sluggish and winced when Regina helped her sit up, but she was still eager to down the two pills in hopes to quickly eliminate her dream interrupting pain.

"You don't want anymore?" Emma shook her head and Regina put the bottle down on the nightstand. She was gentle in moving Emma closer to her, supporting her left arm and letting Emma's head rest against her chest.

"Thank you," Emma said.

"Is it working yet?" Regina asked.

"It's starting. This is harder than I thought."

Regina rested her hand at Emma's hairline, pressing her lips to the other woman's temple. Emma was growing sleepy again from the medication and the soft strokes of Regina's fingers in her hair. She was too tired to remind the woman not to cause herself unnecessary pain. Her eyes slipped closed as she continued drifting off. Regina finally relaxed once Emma's breathing evened out.

She couldn't help but think of getting satisfying payback for this. Regina was flawed in a way. She'd hold less against Zelena for harming her but causing harm to Emma or Henry was unforgivable. For the first time in a long while, Regina fell asleep with her last thoughts lingering on revenge.


David frowned as Regina snatched a screwdriver from him. Emma had planned to help her parents put together baby stuff days ago but with her arm in a sling causing inconvenience, Regina was helping – reluctantly.

"Take screws E with washers D, through bar C using…" Emma bit her lip and muttered.

"Well?" Regina waved the screws impatiently.

"Using wrench F which is not provided," Snow finished, shaking her head. She knew this had been a bad idea from the start. David wanted to get the crib put together the traditional way – without magic. And now the combination of scary David and frustrated Regina trying to put it together was a mess.

Regina wiped her hand across her face. She let the screws fall from her other hand and they started to roll away. And then her fist clenched strongly as she took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly. She raked her hands through her hair and looked at Emma sitting in the chair across from them on the floor.

"2 hours," she said. David shrunk away from her.

"I know," Emma said, tossing the instructions to the floor.

"2 hours, Emma."

"Maybe I should just call Marco," Snow said, "Obviously he's good at this kind of thing."

David seemed to pout at the idea but knew he wasn't going to accomplish his goal of trying to traditionally build a crib.

"Or we could wait for Henry and Neal to come back to see if they can figure it out," Emma said.

"No!" Regina stood up, brushing her hands against her pants. She stepped over the mess of parts on the floor. She waved her left hand and the crib started to come together, pieces pulling away from David's hands until a small completed crib was settled in the middle of the living room. "You're welcome. This is what magic is for."

Snow nodded her head slightly. It took forever just to find the English version of the instructions. The magic was faster than them cutting the box open.

"Sorry," Emma said. Regina was about to walk by her chair but slowed only to touch her shoulder and kissed the top of her head before she went for a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Thank you, Regina. And not that I don't appreciate it, but should we even be doing this?" Snow asked. That got the attention of the other three present in the apartment. One of which was daring her to be ungrateful for using magic to put together that convoluted crib. "I mean there hasn't been sign of Zelena or Gold since Main Street. Shouldn't we be focusing on what she's planning?"

"We are focused on that," Emma said. "Just not us right this moment. Besides we can't continue to not live our lives. The Zelena problem could go on for another year but you're still going to have the baby any moment now. We can't just act like Zelena is the only thing going on in our lives."

"I put protection up that can't be broken by blood magic," Regina said. "You and the baby are fine. The rest of us are the free for all."

"Any ideas on why she needs the baby?" Emma asked.

"You'd be surprised how many spells and curses require baby parts."

"And please tell me you've never used any of them."

"Of course not. But I was a student of Rumple, I had to learn."

"So, any chance you have an idea of what Zelena needs? Baby parts or whatever seems like it would stand out."

"It's a lot harder to cross reference hundreds of spell books in three different languages than it seems." Regina glanced at the clock. "Well, since you mentioned it maybe now would be a good time for me to pay Belle a visit. I'd rather be researching than playing handyman with you three."

"We appreciate your assistance anyway. Right, David?" Snow said. David nodded, running his hands over the finished wood of the crib.

The door opened and Neal and Henry walked in with groceries. Henry dropped the bags onto the dining table and Neal put the remaining ones on the counter.

"Hi, moms." Henry hugged Emma around the shoulders and moved over to hug Regina's middle. But he was quick to pull away from her, scrunching his nose up at the kiss she planted on his forehead. "Mom."

"Sorry, sorry. You're too much of a grownup now," Regina said, rolling her eyes affectionately. "I'll see you later, my prince."

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"More research at the library."

"Do you need help?"

"I don't but thank you. Maybe it's best you stay here. Your mother and grandfather can't seem to figure out building instructions." Regina looked up from him to Neal putting away cold items. "Hopefully, you're handy with a hammer, Mr. Cassidy."

"Uh…" Neal glanced at Emma. "Henry is our only hope, then."

"I'll try. Bye, mom," Henry said.

Regina stopped her path to the door at Emma's hesitant hand hovering over her arm. She didn't say anything, but stood up from her chair and led Regina out of the apartment. She closed the door behind them, causing Regina slight concern.

"What's wrong?" Regina asked.

"Nothing. We're fine." Emma shrugged, shaking her head. "I just keep think about Zelena…I feel like I should've done more."

"Emma, you did more than enough."

"My magic didn't work. And if it had maybe that would've changed the outcome of what happened that night," Emma said, "All this could've been over."

"Emma-"

"I think I need some more lessons from you. Magic lessons."

"Your arm…"

"I can't sit around, Regina. Recovery time is 6 weeks, but we don't have that long. Surely in a few days Zelena is going to have another game plan and we all need to be ready."

Regina's face was hardened, firm on the idea that Emma was to be kept in a glass case until this was over. But they both knew – everyone knew – it might take everyone they can get to stop Zelena with Rumple at her command. Maybe it was only fair Regina wanted her out of harms way when Emma was the one trying to handle her with kid gloves about her heart and their physical relationship.

Emma sighed.

"Listen we have to meet in the middle here. I refuse to let you go into battle without me and I will…"

She couldn't keep her mind off what kind of pain Regina was in when they touched. For the sake of compromise, she'd have to trust that Regina would tell her when it was pain she couldn't handle. Emma lifted her hand and reached out for Regina's hand. The woman didn't think anything of it except for the fact that Emma never was the one to initiate anything since she found about the poison.

"I can meet you in the middle. As long as you promise me you will tell me when the pain is too much. I love you but you're your own woman. And I am, too. So no matter how protective we are of each other, we're still a team – partners."

And in complete Emma Swan fashion, Regina was given the pleasure of being the target of puppy eyes for the fifth time since the day had begun. And it was so hard to say no to those eyes.

"Okay." Regina sighed. "Okay. Magic lessons. Defensive only."

"I can live with that," Emma said. She leaned forward and kissed Regina on the forehead and then on the lips. She looked at Regina, unable to spot a flinch or wince at the contact. Instead of dissecting that, Emma reveled in the softness of Regina's gaze and smiled. "I love you."

"I love you more." Regina winked, purple smoke surrounding her for a moment and fading away once she vanished.


"Are you sure about this?" Regina questioned. She was slow to sit down in the chair as Ruby instructed.

"I don't know. Belle found it," Ruby said with a shrug. She took the vial filled to the brim with a maroon potion inside and handed it to Regina. "She knows what she's talking about…most of the time."

"All of the time." Belle corrected, sliding a book back into its place on the shelf.

Regina raised an eyebrow at the three women scattered across the room. Tinkerbell just shrugged as she came to sit down next to her with a heavy tome in her hands. She stared into the vial unsure of just doing as they said.

Belle noticed her hesitation. "If it works, it works."

"And what if it doesn't?" Regina questioned. "I turn into a frog…a stool? I die?"

"How are you with…" Ruby leaned over a book opened up on one of the tables. "Intense abdominal pains?"

"More intense than-"

"I'll bet money it is more painful. Less painful than childbirth, though."

"That's helpful," Regina muttered.

"It's only a small possibility. Otherwise, your pee will be slightly blue for a week."

Regina sighed and downed the potion. They all waited for several moments in anticipated silence. Regina hesitantly removed her glamour and the green tendrils spreading across her skin lessened but did not disappear. That was signal enough to her that it hadn't worked as she'd hoped, yet she wasn't feeling any abdominal pains. But the only real way of knowing was for her to have contact with Emma.

"I'll take that as a no," Ruby said. "Damn. Hey, but at least no side pain, right?"

"Wolfie," Tinkerbell said in warning and immediately turned red at Belle and Regina's looks. Ruby looked sheepish.

"Wolfie?" Regina asked.

"Sorry, habit. It's just a pet name."

"Cute." Belle chuckled. Regina smirked and Ruby rolled her eyes. "Neverland just made all of Storybrooke's finest fall head over heels with each other."

"Whatever," Ruby scoffed. It was playful but anything to get away from the pet name she liked but knew her friends would be relentless about.

Tinkerbell cleared her throat and said, "Anyway, I know there's no way to really find out but I do think we need more context."

"For what?" Regina asked, handing the vial back to Ruby.

"Something. Everything?" She sighed. "More about why Zelena is doing this? What she's going to get out of it? Hell, maybe even how she exists since you've believed all this time you were an only child."

"Unfortunately, those are questions that can't be answered. Zelena wants to kill me obviously. And my mother is the only person to answer the question of her birth. She's dead."

"Well…" Belle inhaled with a grimace. "There may be one way. But…you're probably not going to like it."


Emma could live with being babied a little here and there by Regina. Although, she wasn't expecting that being out an elbow meant she'd need so much assistance. It wasn't like she could get away with sneaking things if she was asking her girlfriend or her son to get things off shelves and open them for her. She already had to give up her chocolate stash hidden in a cookbook about pizza.

"Oh, come on." Her groan of frustration echoed through the house as Henry was out with David and Neal. It was mostly for Neal's benefit since he was in a rough spot with his father was being held captive and Killian was missing.

She had a jar of pickles pressed into the counter with her hip, supported by her thigh lifted against the bottom. Her arm hurt like hell, she was hungry, and, unfortunately, her hip and the counter didn't have the same combined strength as her left arm. The lid was practically hammered onto the jar.

The front door opened and closed swiftly. Emma figured it was possibly Henry and she expected to hear him run up the stairs as he was instructed not to do. Instead, she heard the click of heels and sighed. Making this sandwich unassisted was going to prove she could figure her shit out with Regina worrying so much.

"Look, Regina, I know I should-"

The other woman walked into the kitchen sitting something down on the counter but not halting her movements for anything. She rounded the counter, something akin to fire in her eyes. It startled Emma, the jar slipping away from her and shattering against the floor, as she took a step backward.

"Gin-"

Regina stepped over the broken glass and took Emma's face in her hands. Their lips locked together, Emma settling quickly – forgetting her urge to take precautions for Regina's condition. Her lower back pressed into the counter as the kiss deepened and her uninjured hand found its place on Regina's hip.

There was a moment that their lips separated, and Emma managed a weak, "Regina-"

The marble dug a little deeper into her back and a tiny flame ignited in her stomach. That was a dangerous flame after a little too long forcing herself to sleep on the very edge of her side of the bed just to avoid brushing against Regina for fear of causing her pain. And despite the kiss not having the same intensity she expected with how Regina entered the room, a moan did get passed her.

Only then did Regina pull away, quite abruptly. She closed eyes against the severe jolt that traveled down her spine and it left Emma stunned as she turned away. Even though she couldn't see, Regina could feel the green of the poison tearing at the nerves around her jaw before the pain receded.

"R-Regina." Emma cleared her throat. "I, uh…not that it wasn't great and all but, um, what was that for?"

Regina grinned at the jumbled mess of rambling and said, "It's nothing. Could you invite your mother over? I need a favor."

"Whoa, no. We're not going to skip over that thing that just happened," Emma said. "I mean that intense. Did you figure out something? Was that a victory kiss or...?"

Duchess scampered into the kitchen, ignoring the obvious tension, and sat down at Regina's feet. She avoided the glass, uninterested in the pickles making a soggy puddle on the tile. As usual, she looked up for Regina's attention.

"Hello, darling," Regina greeted, turning her back to Emma to face the opposite counter. Duchess whined, looking to Emma to get Regina to give her attention.

"Now I know something is going on. You always pretend to dislike the dog when people are looking," Emma said.

"Emma, can you just call your mother?"

"Not until you give me something, anything. What's wrong?"

"Belle, Tinkerbell, and Ruby tried a potion to see if it would remove the poison. Obviously, it didn't work."

"I'm sorry." Emma reached for Regina's shoulder but thought against it. Although, the restraint wasn't what Regina wanted or needed. She sighed and placed her hand against the middle of Regina's back. "I am really sorry that it didn't work. What...what do you need from me?"

"Nothing. I need answers and a cure. And I'm getting farther and farther away from them both." Regina exhaled, curling her fist tightly on the counter. Emma glanced over to the object she'd discarded when she first entered.

"What's the candle for?"

"So, I can talk to my mother. It's a small ritual and all I need is that candle and the person who killed her," Regina said. Emma's concern grew. "Can you call your mother? Please?"

Emma nodded and let her lips gently press against her cheek before she started to leave the kitchen to get her phone. She stepped over the broken glass and whistled to Duchess, who followed after her.

Regina watched them go, dropping her eyes to the counter. She sighed at the sight of a messily made sandwich on a plate. And a little guilt and a little anger settled in her stomach, solid like a rock and unmoving.


"Emma doesn't need to know about this. Understood?"

Duchess looked up at Regina with something akin to a smile and bright eyes. Her tail was wagging vigorously.

Regina shook her head at the puppy. She'd take what she could get from the small creature. She was helplessly needy, always willing to do whatever it took for Regina – and Regina alone – to give her undivided attention. But at the very least the not wanting to touch the ground thing had been forgotten after the first week of Emma and Henry's return.

This was the first time they'd gone for a walk. Regina needed air and a clear headspace. And as easy as the state was to achieve with Emma around, now that their physical contact came with limitations, it was just frustrating to be around her in her reach and never close enough.

A tired sigh left her lips as she walked with Duchess up the path to the front door. But as they got closer, Duchess started to drag her paws and let out low growls that Regina could barely hear at first. Then just when Regina put her key in the lock, she began to outright bark with an unintimidating ferociousness. Her cuteness didn't prevent Regina from worrying that Duchess had never reacted that way to anything before.

Regina gripped the leash a bit tighter as she raised her hand to the door. Not a single one of her wards seemed to be present and she opened the door in alarm.

Just there in the foyer was a basket of green apples. Duchess stayed at the edge of the doorway, refusing to enter as she continued to bark. Regina dropped her end of the leash onto the doorknob and slid the basket away with the toe of her boot.

"Everything is fine," she said down to Duchess who only calmed momentarily.

"Do you like my gift?" Her eyes slipped closed for a beat before she stepped further inside, following the voice to the entrance of the living room. Zelena had made herself all too comfortable on her couch. "From sister to sister."

"What are you doing here? In my house?" Regina asked.

"Just having a chat. Why don't you join us, please?" Zelena gestured to the opposite couch.

Regina walked closer to the doorframe, eyes instantly widening at the sight at her piano.

Emma was restrained and gagged with that looked to be her best cloth napkins. She was panting deeply, eyes bloodshot and exhausted. Green eyes met hers and muted sounds came from under the cloth. Regina moved instinctively only halted by Zelena's hand raised in a threat.

"Don't," she warned. "She's fine right where she is. Sit."

An aggravated clench worked her jaw as she sat down across from Zelena, a clear view of Emma over her left shoulder. The woman was clearly in pain, having been bound by the arms and causing further agony to her painful injury. The only way Regina make it up to her at that point would be to do her homework on knitting torn cartilage and ligaments back together.

"What do you want?" Regina asked.

"You didn't say anything about my gift. I figured you could use something better. Red apples are so sickly sweet…kind of like your pet over there," Zelena said dismissively waving her hand in Emma's direction. It seemed the younger woman had enough tolerance of her pain to toss a threatening glare at the back of Zelena's head.

"Well, I hope better wasn't referring to those green apples. Too bitter for my taste." Regina followed Zelena with a deathly gaze as her hands glided over things that weren't any of her business. She stopped at a picture frame of Emma and Henry and scoffed quietly.

"It'd be in your best interest to put that down," Regina said, "Or next time my lightning bolt won't miss."

"Are you really in position to threaten me, Regina?" Zelena questioned, again gesturing to Emma trapped at the piano. She was engulfed in green smoke for a blink before she appeared on the couch opposite Regina, in Zelena's place. She let out a groan, too muffled to be deciphered as pain or frustration. "I was just stopping by out of sisterly concern wanted to make sure you were all right after our little showdown."

"I'm fine. Are you?" Regina leaned back into the couch keeping a regal posture to match her insincere words – even though she was concerned with Emma.

"You think too highly of yourself, really." Zelena sniffed. She walked around the back of the other couch, hand moving across the top of the cushions until she reached Emma's shoulder.

"Everything here is so…luxurious," Zelena said before moving her hands to the sides of Emma's face. She leaned close so her words grinded into Emma's ears first before getting to Regina. "So pretty. You really don't appreciate what you have, do you?"

Regina tried to hide how much it bothered her. She closed a fist in her lap and sneered at the other woman. "This again? I got everything and you got nothing. Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?"

"No. But you'll learn to fear me. You have such nice things and you did nothing to deserve them. I worked hard and you? You cast a curse to get everything you wanted. Isn't that right, Savior?" Zelena grinned keeping her hands firm as Emma attempted to shake her off. "Life of luxury and a nice ready made family fell right into your lap, hm?"

"Why are you here?"

"I'm appraising things. It's not like you'll have them long anyway. I might keep this one," Zelena said as Emma jerked out of her grasp. "Such precious things…"

"Get out of my house." Regina leaned forward, an almost dark energy emanating off of her. "Or I'll show you the hard way not to touch things that aren't yours."

Zelena's smirk faltered as the lights flicker, electricity humming around them. But then it returned, and she said, "You're almost ripe for the picking, Regina. And when the time comes, you'll regret so many things. And I'll remind you of that for the rest of your life, however short it may be."

Zelena vanished.

Duchess scurried into house, her ease signaling that Zelena was really gone.

"Emma," Regina shot up from the couch and removed the cloth over Emma's mouth. The other woman was shaking with visible anger and pain – as Regina saw clearly. She was careful to remove the restraints on her arms, cradling her injured elbow with light fingers. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Maybe." Her voice cracked with fatigue. The faraway look in her eyes vanished and she reached out for Regina. She tucked strands of dark hair behind her ear. "I think we've crossed a line. She was in the house."

"I know. And I will fix this. Fix this problem," Regina said.

"Don't lose yourself…not without me."

Regina rested her forehead against Emma's, both women breathing out a sigh of relief. But the tension and intrusion still lingered in the air. There was a mutual agreement that something had to be done. About Zelena. About the circumstances. And quite quickly.