Two months later, Regina and Emma took Roland to the park while Odette was in labor. Emma regretted the decision the moment she saw Henry there with his family. The young man made his way over to Regina.

"Henry, what's wrong?"

"Seriously?"

"You're the one who hurt me by not showing up."

"You have repeatedly hurt my daughter by canceling every time she was supposed to see you."

"Henry, I can explain."

"You have always done what you could to protect me from getting hurt!" Henry yelled.

"Of course I have because you're my son and I love you."

"That's what I'm doing for Lucy and Celia."

"Henry, please let me explain."

"Explain why you have ignored my family? Why you have made Lucy cry nearly every night because she misses you? Why you stopped speaking to me when you've only ever wanted me for yourself?"

"Henry, I know that I have...made mistakes." Regina barely got the last part out, "please, let...me...," the woman began to panic, "Em...ma!"

"Mom, what's wrong?" Henry asked.

Emma ran to her wife and caught her as she fell, "honey, what's wrong? Regina, can you hear me? Squeeze my hand." She did and Emma looked up at her son. Ella was standing there holding Celia. Lucy was hugging Roland as Henry put his arm around them. "Henry, I need you to call the paramedics. Tell them your mother is having a stroke." Emma never took her eyes off of her wife, "I've got you," she whispered. She could tell that Regina couldn't speak and was having trouble thinking. It had been so long since her other stroke that everyone had stopped worrying about her having another one.

Regina couldn't speak. She couldn't move her legs and could barely move her arms. The woman was in far worse shape this time around.

"Honey, I'm trying to come up with a way for you to communicate with us," Emma said. Robin, Odette, and Emma decided to not tell Regina that the baby had arrived. They decided to wait. Faline and Graham had decided to go their separate ways fearing their relationship contributed to Regina's current condition. The boys and Stella returned to their grandparents' castle. Henry and his family kept their distance for a reason similar to Faline's. They feared that the fight in the park was the cause of Regina's health crisis. Regina was depressed and her wife knew it. Regina spent a month being unable to communicate. She had to nod or shake her head while everyone basically played twenty questions. Emma stayed at the hospital every day. There was a private bathroom and a cot set up. Emma was sitting on the couch one day, looking at her phone.

"Em...ma," Regina croaked out.

Emma's head shot up, "what? I mean, yeah, what?"

"Hewe," Regina said.

"You want me to come over there?"

"Yeth," Regina was having trouble with 's' and 'r'."

Emma stood and walked over to the bed. She sat on the side and took one of Regina's hands, "how long have you been working on that?"

"While," she answered.

"You sound great."

"No, tupid," Regina frowned.

"You are recovering after a bad stroke. So, yes, you sound great."

"You good wife."

"So are you."

"Mith them."

"I know you do. Let's focus on getting you home and then I'll talk to our idiot children."

Regina smiled for the first time since her stroke. Emma loved her wife's smile and was thrilled to see it once again. The sheriff really wanted to smack their kids, but she decided to focus more on her wife for the time being. Regina was going to need all the help and love Emma had to give.

Three months after her stroke, Regina was finally released. She could get around relatively well with her walker and was making progress with her speech. The kids were still keeping their distance and Emma was really close to clonking their heads together. Cora and Henry Sr. decided to stay with them to help with Regina.

"Regina, I know you're depressed, but you have to eat, darling," Cora said at lunch one day.

"What did I do wrrrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"My kids," Regina answered.

"Sweetheart, they're just scared. Your father, Emma, Snow, David, and I have been talking to them. They feel terrible about before. Faline and Henry feel responsible for your stroke, but I think they're feeling a bit better after talking to us. The others know how self-conscious you get and no one wants to make you uncomfortable."

"Thank you," Regina said.

"For what?"

"Helping and talking to them."

"That's what mothers and grandmothers do, dear."