A/N: Life got pretty busy and I couldn't update last night, which I felt horrible about. Apologies. But, here is the next update which does hold a small SQ moment. :) Now, this is a slow burn, so don't expect them to get together just yet. I promise it'll happen. I hope you like enjoy. Happy reading!
Surprisingly after a good kick like that, Emma hadn't been knocked out for long. Regina was able to get her right up, gently of course, leading her out of the stables and toward the house to have a good look at that injury she had sustained from Rocky's kick.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Regina asked, her arm wrapped around Emma's waist to help her walk.
"I'm fine." Emma motioned toward her face, her hand covering up her eye.
"I am so sorry, Emma. I should have warned you." Regina held on a little together as she felt Emma almost lose her footing.
"Why are you sorry? I'm the idiot who stood up when you advised me not to." Emma grunts a little in pain, but not so much from her face but her head.
This concerns Regina.
"Let's just get you into the house and I'll call a doctor." She said.
"I'm fine." Replied Emma. "You know, I've actually always wondered how much getting kicked in the face by a horse would hurt, so, this day worked out perfectly- my question has been answered."
Despite trying not to laugh, Regina couldn't help but let out a small sound of laughter, followed by a scoff. "This isn't the time for humor, Ms. Swan."
"Emma!" Audrey's eyes are wide as she quickly dismounts her horse and runs toward her girlfriend in concern. "Oh, my God- mom, what happened?" Her hands hovered over Emma's face.
"She fell," Regina simply said, letting go of Emma so that Audrey could take over.
"Oh, baby-" Audrey quickly wraps her arm around her girlfriend's form, leading her toward the house.
"Yeah, then Rocky got a knockout."
"What happened?" Daniel's mouth fell open as he ran up to them.
"A little accident," Regina replied. "Daniel, go inside and get the coldest thing you can find then gather all the horses back to the stables, please."
"On it." He ran as fast as he could toward the house, even if they were already behind him.
As they made their way inside, Regina quickly pulled out a chair from the breakfast table.
"Here, sit her down, Audrey." Regina looked over at Daniel who came near her as she reached for the phone that was plugged in against the kitchen wall. "Raw meat?" She looked back at him, her tone literally asking the question that she couldn't in that moment, 'Really? You couldn't find something better?'
"It was my steak for dinner," he shrugs innocently. "It works. I promise."
Regina nodded, lightly nudging him over to where Emma was sitting as she turned to her call being answered, "Hi- yes. Victor?"
"Here," Daniel holds out the thick raw steak, earning a grossed out look from Audrey.
"Ew, Daniel- really?" She gives him almost the same look as Regina.
He rolls his eyes, "It'll work! Just, here-" Thunk! He pressed it right against Emma's eye, allowing her to hold it.
"Oh!" Audrey jerks back.
"Put some pressure on it." Daniel stands, placing his hands on his hips. "There will still be some bruising but at least that'll keep it from swelling."
"Wonderful. Thank you. We'll see you at home." Regina walks away from the wall and up to the group. "Well I called Victor," her eyes fall on Emma. "He's a great doctor, he'll take a look at your eye. So, we should really start heading back if we want to beat time."
"You really shouldn't have-" Emma is interrupted by a firm and a more adamant voice from Regina..
"Yes, I should have. I know the pain you are enduring, dear. Trust me. It needs tending to."
Emma's eyes- or rather one good eye- locks on Regina's firm stare.
"Audrey, help her to the car, we're leaving." Regina nods at her daughter.
"Yeah. Come on, Em." Audrey helps Emma stand to her feet and heads outside to wait by the car.
"Daniel," Regina holds onto the man's bicep in gratitude, flashing him a small smile. "Thank you for everything. I'm terribly sorry we couldn't stay longer."
"I'm sorry, too. Just promise me you'll come back soon, and I'll believe you."
"That's a promise." The brunette smiles at him and pulls him into a hug, which Daniel is more than happy to give back in return.
"Drive safely." He waves as he accompanies the brunette toward the car. "See ya, Audrey."
"Bye, Daniel." She waves back through a rolled down window as her mother drives off.
"Good God!" Sidney's eyes are wide once he sees Audrey holding onto Emma, followed by Regina who is walking right behind them. "What happened? Is she alright?"
"Sidney, be a dear and bring some ice, please." Said Regina, quickly helping her daughter place Emma on the couch. All while Sidney rushed for the ice.
"How are you feeling, Em?" Audrey asked concerned.
To which, Emma chuckled, "Like I got kicked by a horse."
"At least we made good time before Victor's arrival." Said Regina, taking a strand of blonde hair that had made its way on Emma's hand that was near her face, and brushed it back.
"There really was no need to call a doctor. I'm sure it's fine." If Emma could roll her eyes right now, she would. She hated being the center of attention.
"Well, I'm afraid 'fine' isn't good enough, Ms. Swan." Regina does roll her eyes. "He is already on his way, so I suggest that you stop being stubborn and just let him check up on you."
There was that firm and authoritative tone in Regina's voice again, that Emma just stared. Only this time, she had a say in the matter.
"Last time I checked you were Audrey's mom," she murmured under her breath, avoiding all eye contact, yet out of the corner of her eye, she could clearly see and feel a hard glare coming from Regina.
"Well, don't act like a child and maybe I won't have to play that role around you." Regina scoffs, shaking her head. "Audrey has more sense than you, I can promise you that." Another eye roll.
Suddenly, Regina could feel all this tension around her. She didn't mean to snap at Emma, if that's what she did. She's simply known her fair share of bruises, let alone black eyes, and she felt guilty enough that she was the one who had caused it. She wanted Emma to get the care she never did.
"Mom?" Audrey picked up on the tension level of her mother. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Regina breathed calmly this time.
"Here's the ice." Sidney hands the ice over to Audrey who quickly reaches for it to tend to Emma.
"Thank you, Sidney. Here, let me," the girl trades Emma the bag of ice for the already warm piece of raw steak, handing it over to Sidney with disgust. "Here, dispose of this, would you? Thanks."
Sidney is gone but not before taking the raw meat with the tip of his fingers.
"How does it look?" Emma removes the bag of ice, revealing the bruise that's now covering half of her right eye, and part of her temple. "Does it look bad?" She asked.
"Not at all." Regina's heart stopped, not because of the bruise which wasn't as bad as she expected it to be, but because she caused this. But, in that 'not at all' moment, she did what she did best, put on her best smile for reassurance.
"God," Audrey scrunches up her nose. "People are going to think I beat you."
This time, the daughter does earn a hard glare from Regina followed by a scoff. Once again, she didn't mean it. But, she couldn't understand the joking matter of the situation.
Thankfully, before anything could be said, the doorbell rang.
"That would be Victor. Let him in, Audrey." Said Regina, taking Audrey's seat next to Emma as the girl rushed off to attend to the door.
"That bad, huh?" Emma asked again.
"I've seen worse," Regina murmurs, giving Emma a small automatic smile after. "You'll live."
So, she can joke. "Well, thank you, that definitely makes me feel better, because let me tell you. Rocky can sure throw a punch- or a kick. The name wasn't wrongly given to him."
Regina can't help but breathe out a small laugh as she shakes her head.
"Doctor's here!" Regina quickly stands upon hearing her daughter's voice and seeing her enter the living room with Victor in tow.
"Sorry, I'm a little late." Victor breathes. He is dressed in a pale blue shirt, light brown pants and his lab coat. His stethoscope was still hanging around his neck. Clearly, he had rushed over. "I hope you know I had to close up my practice early today for this, Regina." He gives her a playful glare.
"I know," Regina nods. "I really appreciate you taking your time to come over. I'm sorry for the short notice."
Victor expertly pulls out a blood pressure machine from his bag, taking a seat next to the blonde. "Hi, Emma." He smiles kindly, "I'm Doctor Whale. I'm just going to take your vitals quickly and then I'll have a look at that eye, okay?"
Regina smiles. Even out of his office, he was professional. That's one of the things she loved about him.
"Go for it, doc." Emma shrugs, seeing no choice in the matter.
Victor wraps the cuff of the device around her bicep and begins to pump it on his own. "So, you said over the phone that she was stuck by one of your horses?" He looks over at Regina, then back at Emma before looking down at the meter on his blood pressure device.
"That's right." Regina nods, standing off to the side to give Victor enough room.
"We were out riding for the morning, and my mom was trying to teach her how to mount Rocky." Said Audrey, standing beside her mother.
"Rocky did this?" His brows shot up, looking over at Audrey, then at Regina, then back down at his device. "I'm surprised. He is a very gentle creature."
Once again, if Emma could roll her eyes right now, she would.
"It was my fault." Regina quickly replied with a frown. "I'm afraid I didn't warn Emma ahead of time with more proper instructions of what not to do when you are behind a horse."
Emma's one good eye looks up at Regina, and given the look she can pick up from her right now, she can't understand why but it constricts her heart in that moment. Was she really blaming herself over an accident that could have happened to anyone?
"Mom," Audrey's voice startles both women of their own thoughts. "It wasn't anyone's fault. It was an accident." She gives her mother's shoulder a gentle squeeze- and Regina is thankful it's her good shoulder.
If only Regina could believe that.
"Well, her blood pressure is good. Very normal." Victor tears the velcro from the cuff and quickly puts the blood pressure device back in his bag. "In fact, it's better than mine." He gives the blonde a kind smile. "Her breathing rate is pretty normal."
Next, he reaches for a pair of latex gloves, placing them on one at a time before reaching for a flashlight from his lab coat pocket.
There's a small click before Victor raises a single digit up before Emma's one good eye and flashes the light directly at it. "Alright, Emma, look here for me." He moves his finger from one side to the other slowly, and there's another click that shuts off the flashlight before Victor places it back inside of his pocket. "Good. Remove the bag of ice away now, let's have a quick look."
Emma does as she's told, feeling that part of her face go numb due to the cold of the bag.
Victor gently presses along the edges, seeing for any reaction from the blonde. He feels around her temple and presses as gently as possible. "Does that hurt?" He asks.
"Not really." Emma replies. It was the truth.
His thumb follows along her cheekbone. That part wasn't bruised, but he was looking for any signs of possible broken bones as any good doctor would. And Victor was the best.
"How about here?" He asked Emma.
"No, nothing. I have a bit of a headache, though."
"That's normal. I will give you something for pain and swelling." He smiled as he stood to his feet.
"So, what's the diagnosis, doc? An eye patch? Eye transplant?" Emma asked with a trance of humor, which successfully made Victor chuckle.
"None of the above." Victor smiled, the snapping of his gloves was heard as he pulled them off his hands one at a time. "I would like to run a cat scan, just to make sure that nothing more serious is going on."
"Is that absolutely necessary?" Audrey asked.
"Well, no. It's just for peace of mind." He smiled once more, his eyes moving to Regina. "Other than that, she looks fine. You iced it as soon as the incident happened, which is good. It should be feeling much better tomorrow. However," His attention turns to Emma. "Because you were knocked out, even if it was just for a minute, I would suggest you stay awake until hours of the night. Just in case of a concussion- which I doubt you have, but once again- peace of mind."
"Noted." Said Emma, being joined by Audrey on the couch again, who kissed her bruised side very gently.
"Thank you so much, Victor. It means a lot for you to come all this way." Regina walks away with Victor, until they reach the entrance of the living room. "And again, I apologize for the short notice."
"It's completely fine. You know I'm always available for you and your family whenever you need me." He smiles. "She'll be fine," he looks over at Emma once again. "Her sense of humor is still intact, and that's always a good sign."
Victor was a sweet man. Regina sometimes wondered how he was still single.
"Thank you." The brunette said once again.
"You just make sure you get her into my office for that cat scan, and we'll call it even." The doctor's eyes move over to Emma and Audrey. As does Regina's before Victor is writing down a prescription. "I am going to give you the prescription, I will call it on my way out of here." He rips the paper of his booklet and tucks it inside of his lab coat pocket before handing it to Regina.
"Once again, I sincerely appreciate it, Victor." Regina gave him a smile.
"No problem at all." Victor glances over at Emma and waves. "Emma, it was nice meeting you, whatever the circumstances."
"Thanks, doc. Nice meeting you." Emma waved from the couch.
"If she has on-going headaches, or any fainting spells, call me at home. You have my number." He instructed Regina.
"Of course." Regina sees the doctor to the door, bidding him a farewell before shutting it and coming back into the living room where she is met by Audrey.
"We can head on over to the clinic tomorrow. I can drive her." She tells her mother.
"That would be wise." Regina glances down at the prescription written by Victor. "Well, you stay here with her while I go pick up these prescriptions."
"No, mom, you don't have to do that." Audrey snatches the paper from Regina. "You stay. I'll do it."
"Audrey-" The brunette goes interrupted by her daughter.
"Please? I'd feel a whole lot better to know that you were here with her." She smiles.
There was hesitation, but what harm could it do? Audrey wanted to take care of her girlfriend. She wanted to leave her with someone she fully trusted while she went and fetched her medications.
"Very well, then." Regina openly handed her the prescription note followed by the keys to her Mercedes. "But," she warned. "You know the rules-"
"I'll be careful." Audrey smiles, giving her mother a kiss on the cheek before heading over to Emma, bending down, given that the blonde was now lying down on the couch, to place a kiss right on her lips. "I'll be right back with your medicine, babe."
"Be careful." Said Emma.
Lastly, Audrey waved and was out the front door, leaving Regina to walk over to the couch where Emma was lying down. "Sit up," she tapped lightly against the girl's legs. "You can't be lying down, I'm afraid."
"You like being in control of things, don't you?" Asked Emma as she sat up right.
Regina chuckled at the word 'control.'
"What?" Emma's head tilted quizzically, not understanding the joke.
"This may come as a shock to you, Ms. Swan, but I've never known the meaning of that word." Her brow raised.
"Come on. A woman like you?" The blonde shakes her head in disbelief. "You must have that husband of yours bowing at your feet."
"Bowing?" Regina can't help but laugh a little at the girl's choice of words now.
If anything she was the one slaved to Leopold's feet. The irony. Such an innocent mind to think that she could have any man she wanted at her feet. That would be the day.
Regina didn't have any ounce of control in this damn house. Not while he was around.
Emma, on the other hand, didn't understand the joke. Why wouldn't he bow at the feet of a woman like Regina? Emma certainly would.
"And, I've told you. My name's Emma." The blonde says freely.
"You do realize that I am old enough to be your mother? Don't you?" Asks Regina.
Emma shrugs, "But, you aren't. Are you?" Her brow raises in a challenge as does Regina as she flashes her best smirk toward the blonde girl. "Besides, "Emma continues. "I do have a mother of my own. I don't need another one. And after today, I'd say you owe me that."
"God," Regina scoffs at herself more than anything, shaking her head. "I am so sorry for that-"
Emma's head tilts as she steps in, not allowing Regina to finish whatever she was going to say. "You keep apologizing for something that isn't even your fault."
"Because it was." Regina murmurs, and Emma could see sadness take over the woman's eyes. A sadness she can't look away from.
"Regina." And Regina turns to the sound of her name leaving the blonde girl's lips. She can't help it.
Just like she can't help but stare at that small smile flashed before her eyes. That smile that told her that everything was okay. She wasn't mad at her for getting kicked by a horse today. Because she wasn't blaming her, like Leopold always did over every little thing that went wrong.
Why, dinner could be cooked wrong and Regina would get blamed for it and disciplined. If she wasn't covered up right, or wearing the clothes that he wished her to wear to a party or an event from work, she would have to hear about it. Sometimes, it even earned her a slap across the face. Sometimes worse.
But the thing here was. Emma wasn't him.
"It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have know I was going to choose to stand up at that moment." The blonde smiles sincerely. "If anything it's my fault."
"No." Regina shakes her head at this. Because how was this Emma's fault? "It wasn't." Her tone is adamant now as her eyes lock onto gentle green ones staring back into her own. "It really wasn't."
"Just like it wasn't your fault, either." Says Emma, using the most gentle of voices that Regina has ever heard in her life.
Regina smiles. A smile that Emma can't seem to look away from. Well… Could you blame her? The woman had a gorgeous smile in its entirety.
How could this girl be so sweet and so kind, even after suffering a terrible accident? Regina wondered to herself. In all her years, she had never met anyone to take anything with such a wonderful sense of humor, just like Victor had said. Much less something leading to a tragic event.
"Would you care for a tour of the rest of the house while we wait for Audrey's return? Maybe, followed by a glass of lemonade?" Regina offered with all sincerity.
"All of the above sound pretty good to me." Emma smiles, and sees a flash of the most eye-catching smile she had ever seen in her twenty-four years of life.