Author's note: y'all remember me right? busy busy girl studying her ass off. Updates will still be coming eventually, this fic is not going to be abandoned and I hope you guys like it and stay on with me on this journey.

Enjoy these chapter! Reviews are great and always welcomed.

"Hm, I see." She grunts, raising her palm to her forehead, trying somewhat to keep the contents of her brain from combusting. "I'll be over shortly. Does he even remember anything?"

Wale answers that, no, not really. He mentions the man has some delusions though, that sometimes he thinks he's in a forest looking for a girl. Regina, of course, knows these not to be products of his imagination at all, in fact she is intensely aware of what it means. it means it's weakening, it means the confused look Emma has on her face will deepen as time ticks by, and it means that she will soon find Regina to be the Queen. It now stings like venom to know so acutely, to be so rudely aware. She sighs as she lowers the phone from her ears.

"Work stuff?" Emma asks, trying to reach back to the friendly atmosphere they've shared these couple of weeks.

"Of sorts." is all Regina offers. "They need me with urgency. Will you mind staying with Henry for me?"

"Not at all"

The darker woman knows there's a conversation to be had here. However, she can't help but be glad this disturbance happened. Even being very disturbing indeed, it does not compare to kissing her former enemy, her son's birth mother, her current... friend.

"I'll be back soon." She offers as she tentatively leaves the kitchen. She has matters to attend.

As she spots the doe eyed Charming, with his overgrown hair and familiar eyes, her headache worsens instantly. He doesn't remember anything, not from this world or the other and she can be certain by the complete blank expression he regards her with. Not the usual one of distaste.

"They said you were the one who found me." David greets her, previously informed of her identity.

"That's correct, you were unconscious on the side of the road." She pauses, scans him for any reactions. "Your wife has been called, she's on her way." This does stir the man.

"I have a wife? that's interesting, are you acquainted with her?" He wonders if it's the long haired brunette he saw, but the doctors told him they didn't know anyone like that.

"You could say so, she's a fine woman."

"Okay. Does she, by any chance, have dark hair?" He is unsure how this lady is going to take his question. "I think I remember someone like that." he amends.

"No. She's quite blonde in fact." She replies, quirking one of her brows up at this awkward situation. Her next step is surprising, a little stupid, but also goes in line with whatever she's been hammering on in her head, madly. "Maybe you're taking about the volunteer, Mary Margaret. She comes to read books for the patients; it's said to jog some fantasy." This is true, but it's also dangerous. She wonders how they'd react to each other in the face of such... abnormalities. she's sure it would be gross. Her thoughts are broken by Katherine's arrival

"David?! You're awake! Oh my! " The blonde rushes for her husband, hugging him, clutching him. David however, looks distant, his eyes meet Regina over Katherine's shoulder, probably wondering about Mary. She takes this as her cue to leave.

"I'll give you two some privacy. Welcome back David." is offered, skillfully, empty. She leaves, not looking back, she has other businesses to attend to right now. After a quick word with Wale, she leaves the hospital.

The familiar grind of stone is heard while the culprit pushes firmly against marble. Regina descends the stairs to her little secret here in Storybroke: her perfectly kept vault, unused but spotless, the gifts of magic not worn out by world travels, at least not for the stone the place is made of.

She sniffs and mules her decision carefully. it's what needs to be done, there's no other way, but she doesn't have the courage to do it without extra help; she needs the push as much as she needs air. Decided, she walks over the tall glass-covered bookcase and removes an old recipe book, placing it on the table. The ingredients, written on the pages but also firmly ingrained in her brain as she has done this before, many times. She grinds everything carefully and flames start combusting the powdery substance, turning it to an opaque black liquid, fuming slightly. This strange substance is placed on several other vials and mixed with other ingredients, the last being a sparkling water that turns it grey and brings it to room temperature.

"You can't quite forget the habits, can you?" Regina says, breathing deeply as she swirls the potion around, knocking it back with no ceremony. Placing her fingers to her lips she waits. After a minute or two she stares back at the vial, scrutinizing it. She remembers the kiss, the blonde's arrival, her plan to fix things the best as possible, yet she does not remember what she wanted to forget, which means: it worked.

"Quit staring at nothing, it's creepy."

Emma eyes dart back to Henry's face, "I'm not staring at nothing, there was a bug in the wall."

"Only one? you've been doing this since mom left." He says flippantly, "Did you guys fight again or something?" He didn't really expect them not to, but he didn't know Emma would be so spooked about it. But then again, his mom wouldn't let her stay and watch him if they had fought.

"No, we didn't, it's nothing, kid." She fixes her position on the couch, squaring her shoulders in a poor attempt to be covincing. Before he says anything else as she sees his mouth open, "Let's watch that documentary you wanted to? About the sharks."

"it's about wales, as I have told you several times, and fine, we can do that." He darts for the controller and sets in up as fast as lightning.

They watch in silence for some time, it's quite interesting, but it's been a tiring day for the kid, his eyes start dropping and he sighs a couple of times. The two were seated on the couch side by side, Henry buried himself further into Emma's frame as he gets increasingly sleepier. Before he finally drifts off, however, he says: "I don't think my mom is evil, otherwise she wouldn't be friends with you, ma." His breathing evens out as Emma stays still, not daring to move an inch.

Wether Henry meant mother or short for Emma she does not know, and doesn't want to find out. She is, however, happy at his sleepy confession. Regina is not what she thought the mayor to be, as a person and as a mother. She's glad Henry is coming off his evil queen drama. It's with contempt musings that she drifts off too, the documentary long forgotten as the credits roll up. They nap peacefully as the sun sets and time passes.

Emma only awakes as she hears the front door open, Regina's form appearing by the doorway after a few seconds, the mayor stops and stares into the scene in front of her, oddly peaceful and domestic, they trade smiles and Emma wonders how exactly does the mayor feel about this. "He was so tired, I didn't want to wake him up."

"That's alright dear."

Emma untangles herself now though, skillfully and quietly, motioning with her hand for them to talk in the kitchen. Regina complies without protest.

"Was everything alright with work?"

"Yes," She knows the other woman to be fishing. "It wasn't quite work, I found a man unconscious on the road many years ago, he has just woken from his comma; he doesn't remember anything from his life, sadly."

"Oh! that's... unexpected and happy." Emma's eyebrows shoot up.

"Yes."

They're back at the same spot of the kitchen they were earlier. Silence hangs between them as they look at each other, knowing exactly what the other is thinking. "We don't need to talk about it." The women say in unison, before chuckling. They trade smiles. Regina feels lighter without those memories swirling around her brain, and Emma feels relieved knowing she's not being pushed away by her newly acquired friend. They don't know what will become of this, at this moment they do not care.

"Thank you for today," Regina says "I had fun."

Emma nods, "Sure, it was my pleasure" she also winks playfully, earning herself an eye roll she knew would come. "I have to go."

"You do