A/N: Hello again lovely readers! As I said last chapter, things are gearing up a bit now. I know I've tried to throw in fluffy bits where I can before, but sadly they're going to be few and far between for at least the next few chapters. Just keep in mind that I'm a sucker for happy endings as this continues to unfold ;)

Thanks again for all your support - enjoy!

And to see you going through this

Was the hardest thing I've done

To feel so powerless to help you

Once your mind was too far gone

And you were putting so much in

For nothing in return

-Stornoway, The Ones We Hurt the Most

Following almost the exact same schedule as they'd followed the day before, both Emma and Regina rose fairly early and began to get ready, as Regina prepared for another session with Archie and Emma for a morning at the station.

"So, last night was good, wasn't it?" The two women had gone to bed not long after Henry left, and hadn't had the proper chance to discuss the night. Emma decided to broach the subject now while the event was still fresh.

"Yes, it was. Henry really is a very sweet boy. We're lucky."

"You raised him well." Emma smiled at Regina as she pulled on her leather jacket. "You did really great."

"With dinner, or.."

"Both." Now it was Regina's turn to smile, accepting the compliment even if she felt as though she couldn't accept credit for the way she had brought Henry up.

"Ready to go?" Emma grabbed her gun and badge, patting her pockets to make sure she had all of her other essentials.

"I believe so."

"In that case, your carriage awaits." Emma held out her arm to Regina, who took it, for once, without protestation.

"So in this situation, your arm is a carriage?"

"Yeah well, it's not a flawless metaphor, I'll give you that."

"You're right about that."

Emma and Regina once again continued to bicker as they made the journey to Archie's office, and Regina was secretly flattered by the door to door service she received from her 'carriage'. Emma went bounding off to work with the bizarrely placed enthusiasm of a puppy, and threw Regina a relaxed wave over her shoulder as she walked away.

Archie and Regina's appointment today lasted just under two hours, with Archie mainly trying to delve deeper into the emotions Regina had expressed the day before and try to help her with ways to control them. At the end of the session, as Regina prepared to go, Archie stopped her with an awkward hand on the forearm.

"Regina, I hope you don't mind me asking. I was just wondering how yourself and Emma were doing."

"We're both fine." Regina seemed confused by the question.

"I'm sorry, that was misleading. I mean, together. How are you finding it living together?"

"Oh. Well, that's fine too. Better than fine." Regina smiled to herself, almost childishly, startling Archie. "Emma explained that we were friends before the accident, but truthfully I find that hard to believe. When I first met her, I thought… well I'm not entirely sure what I thought. Would a friend really do all of this for me? Would I have been happy with Emma as my friend?"

"Your relationship was always a little… tempestuous. But I think you -were- happy, as friends. Of course, that may very well have changed now. You were very guarded with your emotions, and reluctant to let anyone, least of all Emma, in. I don't mean to offend, but perhaps that's some good that has came from the accident. You and Emma were very well matched personality-wise and you had similar reactions to your life experiences, I feel, but there was never much of a chance for you both to realise. You're a lot more open now, and here's hoping that will help you progress in the future."

Regina considered this for a long moment. "You may be right. Thank you Dr Hopper. Same time tomorrow?"

"I'll look forward to it."

Emma and Regina met up again at the diner after they were both finished, and spent a couple of hours relaxing in loose conversation there before deciding to return home. Emma by this time was beginning to find days in the mansion monotonous, and was quick to express this to Regina.

"Want to play a game?" Emma pestered Regina as they entered the front room wearily.

"I'm not sure I'm in the mood.." Regina sighed, wandering the room as a bout of restlessness overcame her.

"Come on, it'll be fun." Emma could be very childish at times, and she'd found that sans-memory Regina seemed to like it.

Regina exhaled loudly, irritated but yet content. "Very well. What would you like to play?"

"I spy? Basically you choose something that you can see around the room and the other person has to guess what it is."

"Sounds thrilling." Regina, understandably, didn't seem too impressed.

"I'll start." Emma childishly ignored the woman. "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with… S."

"Stairs."

"Nope."

"Shoes."

"Nope."

"Sun."

"Nope."

"Stain on your shirt."

"Damnit. But nope."

"Ok, I give up."

"Smile." Emma winked at Regina, and the woman's face lit up hesitantly, a pure smile spreading to her eyes. "See, it worked."

"Your talent knows no bounds."

"I like this, you know." Emma and Regina were now curled up carefully on opposite ends of the sofa, their legs tucked beside them with their feet inches from touching. "I like spending time with you."

"You haven't really had much other option, have you" Regina smiled slightly, looking down to hide her face from the other woman.

"No, I had a choice." Emma reassured her, a brief frown creasing between her eyebrows. Amazingly, it hadn't before fully occurred to Regina that Emma was here for any other reason than an obligation.

"And you're still here.." Regina didn't pose it as a question, instead pulling herself carefully onto her knees facing Emma. Emma looked at her confused for a long moment, before tilting her head to the side and offering the woman the smile for which she had become famous in Regina's heart.

"What are you thinking?" Emma asked with her smile, searching Regina's eyes. The woman didn't reply in words, instead leaning up from her legs and moving over Emma. Emma turned herself fully, and leant back on the arm of the chair while Regina hovered over her.

Emma grabbed the back of Regina's neck, and pulled her face in closer, their foreheads touching. This is it, Emma thought. The moment of truth. If they kiss, and nothing happens, this… whatever it is, isn't true love. If Regina does get her memories back, however, she may not be this Regina. And their relationship would get a whole lot more complicated.

"Well?" Regina whispered nervously over Emma's face.

"Just a second." Emma continued to debate the situation in her mind, eventually deciding to go for it, just as Regina sighed an exasperated "for heaven's sake" and pressed her lips against Emma's.

At first, there was nothing Emma had expected. There weren't fireworks. There wasn't heat, or passion, or much intensity. Regina was tired, and Emma was hungry. Regina had a headache and Emma had a crick in her neck. But undeniably, as Regina pulled her hand up to rest in Emma's hair, there was something.

And as they continued, with Emma biting at Regina's lower lip and Regina slowly allowing her tongue to enter Emma's mouth, it began.

Memories. All of them, in quick succession. Her father. Her mother. Daniel. Snow White. Leopold. Rumplestiltskin. A promise. A curse. A wish. Henry. Graham. Emma. Her mother again. Emma. Zelena. Emma.

Regina allowed herself a few more seconds of happiness, before coming hurtling back to reality and opening her dark eyes sharply. Emma felt the flutter of eyelashes, and she too opened her eyes so that they were staring at each other, lips still barely touching.

Emma considered asking Regina if anything had happened, but she soon got her answer anyway. Regina leapt up abruptly, and almost fell to the ground with the dizziness caused by her overly-swift movement.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked, clearing her throat, embarrassed.

"Quite fine, Miss Swan." The name gave it away.

"You… you remember." Emma stared at Regina taking a second to regain her balance, before the woman attempted to exit into the kitchen.

"It appears so." Regina purposefully kept her body facing away from Emma, running her hands through her hair in an attempt to regain some sense of control. "Would you like some tea?"

"Regina - what the fuck…"

"Tea?" Regina almost insisted the question.

"No, Regina, I would not like some fucking tea. You understand what just happened right? We kissed, and you remembered."

"A coincidence if ever there was one. Coffee, then?" Regina grabbed two cups from a cupboard, still looking anywhere but Emma's face.

"No, stop, I don't want a drink." Emma began to get exasperated, and hearing the shake in Regina's voice wasn't helping. "Are we seriously not going to talk about this? Regina, you just remembered. Like, just then. And you're just suddenly back to normal?"

"Very well." Regina cleared her throat. "You were here to help me while I was incapacitated. Now all has been restored, please don't feel obligated to stay any longer."

"Regina…"

"Don't test me on this. I don't want you to be here." Regina interrupted insistently.

"You still aren't 100%…"

"If you will allow Henry to stay with me for the foreseeable, I'm sure he could provide me help should I desperately need it."

Emma tries desperately to meet Regina's eye, but the woman seems intent on avoiding that at all costs. "And if I want to stay?"

"That will be all. Goodbye, Miss Swan." Regina crossed over to the sink, gripping onto the sides of it for dear life as if she were about to throw up. Emma approached her, and went to place a hand onto the woman's shoulder. "Miss Swan." Regina repeated, a tone of harsh venom over-riding what was undeniably a crack in her voice.

"This isn't fair, Regina. You remembering like this. You were just..."

"I'm not sure what you're trying to achieve with this conversation, but I would advise you to stop it before we both say something we'll regret."

Emma backed up quickly, as if burned. But if this is how Regina was going to be, there was nothing she could do. She wished that this hadn't happened so soon, just as Regina was starting to make real, meaningful progress with herself. She wished she'd handled things better. She wished she had anything to say.

"I'll send Henry over." Emma offered in a controlled, emotionless tone, and exited the mansion for good as Regina crumpled to the floor.

A/N: I sort of hate myself for making this happen now. But it was a necessary evil I think. Don't forget to review!