A/N: Happy Sunday peeps!

The cool morning air revived her tired mind as she walked, in no particular hurry, along the streets which led from the shelter to the apartment. A smile graced her lips as she recalled the previous evening. Regina's lips. Her body. The little moan which escaped each time Emma's fingers stroked the delicate lobes of her ears. Her eyes, half open and filled with desire. The feel of her breasts pressed against her own.

Emma turned the corner into her street, trying to tamp down the heat which her memories had inspired. She understood why Regina wanted to wait. She wanted to wait too. She certainly didn't want their first time to be uncomfortable or in a place which wasn't intended for sex. Emma had never had sex outside of a bedroom. Why would you? Beds were for sex. She had never understood why Ruby and her various partners seemed to find the kitchen erotic. Emma had scrubbed every inch of that room three times over after walking in on her flatmate intertwined with someone whose name was long forgotten. She feared it wasn't the only time that had happened.

No, Emma Swan didn't have sex in weird places. And until a few weeks ago, she would have considered her office at the shelter a weird place to have sex. But the night before, with Regina in her arms, their lips fused together, Emma certainly would have waved aside any preconceptions if it meant she could be with Regina, finally. Except, they had stopped. And rightly so. She understood Regina's reasoning and she was happy to wait until the right time.

It was new for her, however. To be with someone where logic and rationality, two mental states Emma held in high esteem, went out the window. Regina made her feel more, think less. It was almost, Emma scoffed to herself, the sort of love movies and books were made of.

She stopped dead in her tracks, the pedestrian behind her having to redirect their feet quickly to avoid colliding with her back, muttering something about carelessness as they passed. Emma ignored them, too focused on the revelation she had experienced. Love? Is that what this was? She'd loved Lily. And Becky. She'd loved both of her past girlfriends, she was sure of it. But this … it was different.

Resuming her steps, Emma found herself lost in thought as she entered her apartment building and crossed to the elevator. Was this true love? Like the kind which you read about in fairy tales and see in Hollywood movies? It was certainly different to what she'd experienced before. It was more, bigger, deeper, special. An uncontrollable smile spread over Emma's face and by the time she stepped off the elevator she was grinning from ear to ear.

Unlocking the apartment, she tossed her keys into the side dish and then turned back to the door. She slid across the deadbolt. Then returned it to its open position. Locked again. Open. For a moment, her palm rested against the cool wood before she pushed away and turned towards the apartment. It was only when she took in the bundle of blankets on the couch that the smile finally slid from her lips.

"Ruby?" she asked, dumping her handbag on the armchair and crossing to her best friend whose head peeked out from beneath a mound of soft furnishings, tearstained and blotchy. "What happened?"

"She …," Ruby choked, tears flooding down her cheeks. "Granny, she … she died, Emma."

Instinct took over in light of such overwhelming emotions and Emma wrapped her arms around Ruby's trembling form, the woman burying her face in Emma's neck and sobbing even harder. Emma whispered how sorry she was and promised her friend everything was going to be ok. Because that's what people in the movies did. That's what Regina would do, she was sure.

The two friends stayed like that, curled up, for over an hour. Ruby just cried, occasionally mumbling incoherent words which Emma asked her to repeat and then gave up when she still couldn't understand. She stroked up and down Ruby's back, trying to soothe her. She got cramp in her arm, against which most of Ruby's weight was leaning. But she ignored it, understanding that her physical discomfort was less important than the emotions her friend was feeling.

Because emotions hurt too. She knew that. Words hurt, feelings ached, just as much as that time when she was eleven and she'd fallen off the jungle gym and broken her arm. Ruby had the sort of pain which couldn't be seen but which spread to every part of your body. Emma had felt that pain a lot. Loss, abandonment, loneliness. She understood. Her arms tightened around Ruby, holding her closer, silently telling her friend she was there and that she was going to be ok.

"She's gone, Emma," Ruby said at last, the first words the blonde had been able to recognise since she had been told what had happened.

"I know," Emma replied. "I'm so sorry."

"She just … died. One minute she was lying there, asleep. She was sick but she was alive. I was holding her hand. And then … I don't even know what happened." Ruby sat up a little and wiped her face on the blanket closest to her, the remains of mascara now smeared across her cheeks. "The machine she was hooked up to started flashing. Then it beeped more. Before I knew it, a doctor had arrived. And then another. They pushed me out of the way, started CPR.

"I was trying to find out what had happened, what they were doing to her. They didn't say anything, just ignored me and then I felt someone trying to pull me out of the room. A nurse, I think. I was made to go into the corridor and this woman couldn't tell me anything, just said we had to wait for the doctors to do their jobs. I asked her what was happening but she didn't reply. I tried to look in through the window but there were so many bodies between me and Granny I couldn't see anything. I guess it was a good thing, in hindsight. Anyway, the doctors all came out a few minutes later. Most of them just walked off down the corridor without even looking at me but one stayed and said … she told me she was sorry but that they'd been unable to restart her heart."

"I'm sorry, Ruby. That sounds awful."

"I was allowed back in the room them. She was just lying in the middle of the bed, her sheets were all messy and they'd torn her robe before trying to put it back on. It was so … undignified. She'd have hated it. I tried to make her look better. Brushed her hair a bit. You know how curly it was; I don't think I helped, to be honest. And then I just sat there. With a dead body."

Emma couldn't help but wrinkle her nose at that. Death was not something she thought much about but the idea of being in the same space as a corpse sent chills down her spine.

"Then some orderlies came and wheeled her to the morgue and I had to sign a load of papers. I don't even know what they were, what I was signing. No one told me and I wasn't in a state to read them. And then I just walked outside, got in a cab and came here."

Ruby looked up from the blanket where she had been picking at a loose thread and scanned the apartment, as if suddenly remembering where she was.

"Can I do anything to help?" Emma asked. "Do you want some tea?"

"I want to sleep," Ruby replied. "I'm so tired."

"Ok," Emma said. "I'm going to sleep too."

"Can we sleep here?" Ruby asked, sounding just like a small child. "I don't want to be on my own."

Emma hadn't slept on the couch in years. Beds were for sleeping. And sex. Ignoring the inappropriate and unhelpful memory her brain supplied, Emma quickly counted to five, paused, and nodded. Sleeping on the couch was ok, if it was what Ruby needed.

Her friend offered her a weak smile before her eyes slid closed. Within moments, she was asleep, emotion and exhaustion overwhelming her body and mind. Emma watched her for a while, wondering how she was going to support Ruby through this bereavement. What would she need? How could Emma help? She'd have to ask Regina, she decided as she adjusted her seat slightly and tried to shift her arm into a more comfortable position without waking the redhead. Eventually, she settled down and closed her eyes. Sleep came eventually, but it was fitful, uncomfortable, and occasionally interrupted with sobs from the woman beside her.

"So, I have a favour to ask you," Regina said as she walked up to the school with Marian later that afternoon.

"Go ahead."

"Would you be able to watch Henry for me one evening this week or next week?"

"Sure, when?"

"What day would work for you? I'm flexible depending on your shifts. I just … need some time to be an adult, not a mom, you know?"

Marian nodded. "I understand. Work isn't exactly fascinating but at least I'm not the person who has to wipe runny noses or tie shoelaces or make dinner. Don't get me wrong, I love Roland more than anything in the world but …"

"You need a break," Regina replied.

"Yeah," Marian nodded. "So yes, I can definitely watch Henry for you for an evening. Have you got anything specific you want to do with your child-free time?"

Regina shook her head. There was no way she was going to tell Marian that she planned to see if Emma was available for a proper date which may or may not end in sex. The blonde didn't want anyone in the shelter knowing and Regina respected that. Plus, she and Marian were becoming closer and Regina didn't want to change that dynamic by revealing that she was in a relationship with a woman.

As soon as that thought came into her head, she scolded herself. She had no reason to believe that Marian would react negatively to the news. It was Regina herself who was projecting anticipated stigmas onto those in her life. She sighed, silently berating herself for the lack of acceptance.

And yet, in many ways, she had accepted how she felt about Emma. Their time together thrilled her and she certainly wanted to organise an evening when it would just be the two of them, away from the shelter. The idea of taking their relationship to the next level didn't scare her the way the idea of lesbian sex once did, unless she was stupefyingly drunk. But, at times, lingering doubts still remained.

"Well, I'm sure you'll have a lovely evening, however you choose to spend it," Marian said, pulling Regina back to the present. "Let me check my shifts and get back to you."

"Thank you," Regina said. "I really appreciate it."

"It's the least I can do for the number of times that you've been looking after Roland recently. The fact that our two boys get on so well has been a real blessing. Roland hasn't asked about his father for days."

"Henry neither," Regina remarked, realising that Leo hadn't come up in any conversation recently. Was that a good thing? Was Henry accepting that his new life didn't involve his father? It had only been a few weeks and the boy was almost seven. Surely he hadn't forgotten that quickly about their life in Maine.

Her musings were interrupted by the appearance of both boys, sprinting across the playground together, rucksacks bouncing off their backs.

"Mom, look what I drew," Henry bellowed, waving a piece of paper wildly in the air.

Regina was about to answer when time seemed to slow down. She could see it happened, see what was about to occur and yet was powerless to stop it. She'd heard of such a cliché spoken about by other mothers but never believed it. Yet as Henry's right foot caught on his left calf and his body flew forwards, arms splayed, artwork drifting from his fingers, she realised it was true. As Henry hurtled towards the ground, Regina stood rooted to the spot as she watched her son collide hard with the playground.

There was a deafening silence. And then, "MOM!"

Jumping into action, both Regina and Marian hurried forwards as Henry tried to push himself to his feet. Regina lifted him up as the boy wrapped his arms around his mother's neck, screaming in pain.

"It's ok, Henry," Regina soothed, trembling hands cradling her son as other parents and children gawked at the spectacle. "It's ok. I've got you."

"MOM!" Henry cried out again, promoting Regina to pull him tighter.

Over her son's shoulder, Regina caught Marian's eye who was checking over Henry for injuries. "His knees look pretty banged up. Open wounds, grit. They need cleaning to avoid infection. There's a hospital not far away if you want me to get you an Uber." Marian held out her new phone which she had purchased using her first pay check.

"No," Regina said. "We can't go to hospital."

Marian nodded her understanding. Regina didn't need to say why. She knew the woman was unable to give her real name to a hospital and risk her husband tracking her down using their health insurance. But equally Regina didn't have any money to pay for treatment.

"The shelter have funds for this sort of thing," Marian said quietly as she took Roland's hand. "Do you want me to call and ask if someone can meet us there?"

"Is it that bad? Do we really need a hospital?" Regina asked, unable to see her son's injuries herself since the boy was still clinging to her like a limpet, his sobs now muffled in her hair.

Marian shrugged. "You could maybe do it yourself, if he'll let you. I know they've got a great first aid kit at the shelter. And I'm pretty sure all of the staff are first aid trained."

"We'll try that first then," Regina said. "Um, could you -" She pointed to Henry's artwork which had landed several feet from where he had faceplanted the asphalt. Marian sent Roland to pick it up and the foursome made their way out of the playground, multiple sets of eyes still on the little group.

The walk back to the shelter had never felt longer. Regina's arms ached by the time they got to the bottom of the hill. Marian took over trying to soothe a still crying Henry when she saw how out of breath Regina was getting as she walked and talked. Roland said nothing but stayed obediently beside his mother, eyes fixated on the dark red liquid snaking its way down his friend's calf.

"What happened?" Ursula asked, jumping to her feet as soon as the women entered the shelter.

"He fell in the playground," Marian explained as Regina deposited her crying son, as carefully as she could manage, onto one of the chairs in the reception area. The boy wouldn't let go of his mother, however, so when she went to pull away, she had to redirect herself to sit beside him.

"It's ok, Henry," she soothed. "It's going to be ok. Can you just let me take a look?"

"It's hurts," Henry screamed once more, making Roland hide behind Marian's leg. His friend was really loud.

Regina placed a kiss to her son's sweaty forehead and pried his hands from around her neck. The boy cried harder but allowed her to lean back enough to get a look at his knees. She grimaced. Marian was right; they were badly battered and she could see numerous pieces of dark grit embedded within the wounds.

"How about your hands?" Regina asked, noting that if his face was ok, her son must have put his palms down to break his fall. As predicted, they were bleeding and dirty. She only got to examine them for a moment however before Henry too caught sight of them and screamed in fear, throwing his arms around Regina's neck again.

"Do you want to go to hospital?" Ursula asked. "Or will I do, with this." She held up a huge first aid kit. "Or would you like to do it?"

"You, please," Regina said, tears sparkling in her eyes now that she was back in the shelter and faced with the ordeal of cleaning her son's wounds. "I don't think he'll let me."

Ursula nodded and knelt down in front of Henry before opening the bag and getting out what she'd need.

"Henry, Ursula is going to clean your legs and make them feel better again, ok?"

"They hurt," Henry cried. "Don't touch them."

"We have to, my little prince," Regina cooed. "Your knees and hands are dirty and we don't want the dirt to make you sick."

"But it hurts," Henry repeated.

"I'll be very gentle," Ursula assured him. "Marian, could you please get some warm water?"

Marian nodded and disappeared with her son to complete the task. Roland looked over his shoulder the whole time, still fascinated and horrified by the injuries his friend had sustained.

Five minutes later, the time crawling by as far as Regina and Henry were both concerned, Ursula began to wipe away some of the blood and dirt on the unbroken skin around Henry's knee. The touch, although gentle and pain-free, made the boy flinch and pull away. Ursula glanced up at Regina and silently communicated how important it was for Henry to endure this. Regina nodded.

"Henry, sweetheart, I know it hurts but I'm going to need you to be a big brave boy and let Ursula clean your legs and hands, ok? Hold onto me, alright? Hold on really tight and it'll all be over soon. What do you want for dinner? Do you want pizza? Or maybe hotdogs?"

"Chocolate," Henry replied, face still pressed into his mother's neck.

"Ok, we can have chocolate for dinner," Regina replied, anything to placate her son. "And ice cream for dessert?"

Henry nodded and then flinched again as Ursula recommenced her task. But he didn't pull away and allowed her to begin cleaning up the first of four wounds.

"I think we should get chocolate ice cream," Regina continue. "With strawberry sauce. And sprinkles."

"And whipped cream," Roland added, climbing up onto the seat beside Henry. "Can I have ice cream for dinner too, Mom?"

Regina shot a sympathetic look to her friend but saw Marian smile. "Sure, how about I go and get us some ice creams right now? Henry, what ice cream do you want?"

"Chocolate," came the mumbled reply.

Regina mouthed 'thank you' to Marian who promised Henry she'd be back very soon and that he could have the biggest ice cream ever as soon as his knees and hands were all better. The small boy said nothing but continued to sit still, even if his body was shaking as the adrenaline caused by the pain thrummed through his veins. Regina held him closer, stroking up and down his back as slowly, carefully, Ursula cleaned the dirt from his wounds.

The cell's ringtone roused her. Ruby blinked open her puffy eyes and looked around. Why am I on the couch? She wondered before the events of the previous evening came back to her and grief slammed itself into her heart. "Granny," she whispered, the memory of the old woman lying in the hospital bed seared into her retinas, an image she'd never be able to forget. "Emma?"

"I'm here," the blonde called in response to the shout of her name. "Are you ok?"

"Your cell's ringing," Ruby said before rolling onto her side and snuggling deeper into the blankets.

Emma appeared in the doorway, beads of sweat dripping down her chest and into the sports bra. She had been doing her usual workout, judging by the way her torso was heaving gently, skin shimmering with exertion. "Thanks," Emma said, crossing the room and rummaging through her handbag. "It's the shelter," she frowned as she saw the screen. Her staff only called her when she wasn't on shift in the case of an emergency. "Hello?"

"Hey, sorry to bother you."

"Ursula, what's wrong?" she asked at once.

"It's fine, we're fine. I just, well, Regina asked me to call you. She insisted on it."

In the background, Emma could hear the brunette say somewhat indignantly; "I didn't insist. I asked."

"Is Regina ok?"

"She's fine but Henry took a bad fall in the playground. I've cleaned him up and he's sleeping now but she asked me to let you know."

There was something unfamiliar in her employee's voice. Was it suspicion? Emma wouldn't blame her if it was. This wasn't the sort of event which usually warranted a phone call to the boss outside of her work hours. But in that moment Emma didn't care. She just wanted to make sure Henry and Regina were ok.

"Can you put Regina on the phone, please?" Emma asked. There was silence and then she heard the woman's voice saying her name, the words filled with relief. "Are you alright? Is Henry?"

"He's fine. He's asleep. I'm sure he'll be fine but it was so horrible. He was just crying and I couldn't do anything to stop the pain. I wished you …" She stopped. Emma assumed it was because the brunette had been about to say something which Ursula should not have overheard. "Are you working tonight?"

"No, I've been on for 24 hours so I need a break. And Ruby's grandmother died last night."

"Shit, I'm sorry to hear that. Can you pass on my condolences to her?"

"Regina offers her condolences," Emma said turning to her friend and relaying the massage at once. The redhead grunted but did no more to acknowledge the gesture of sympathy. "Um, do you need me to come in?"

"No," Regina said at once. "It's fine. We'll be fine. Are you working tomorrow?"

"Yes," Emma replied. "I'll come and find you as soon as I can."

"Ok, thank you. Henry will be off school. His knees are all bandaged up and his hands. He can't really walk properly because of the bruises and he won't be able to hold a pencil for a while. I think he needs bedrest and iPads for at least a few days."

"Poor thing. Give him a kiss from me."

"I will."

"Ok, look, I've got to go." Emma could feel the sweat drying on her cooling skin. She hated that feeling and the urge to shower suddenly overcame her. "But I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes, see you tomorrow."

The line went dead and Emma tossed the cell back into her handbag. "Henry fell in the playground," she informed Ruby. The information got even less of a response than Regina's sympathies. "Do you need me to get you anything before I take a shower?"

Ruby shook her head. After a moment's hesitation, when Emma tried to work out whether her friend was telling the truth or not, she gave up trying to read the facial expression of someone who was grieving the loss of her last relative and made her way towards the bathroom. By the time she returned to the living room, dressed and brushing her wet hair, Ruby was sat up, a vodka bottle cradled in her hands as she stared at the blank tv before her. Emma said nothing and instead sat down beside the woman and switched on the screen, selecting the first mind-numbing show she could find on Netflix and settling back to watch. Ruby stared ahead, unseeing, swigging from the vodka bottle periodically until, at last, she passed out once more.

A/N: watch this space … these threads will all intertwine sooner than you perhaps think.