Heidi is about 18 months old now.

Regina was startled awake by loud crying coming from the crib in the sitting room, she shot up on the sofa and glanced towards the cot where she had put Heidi down a couple of hours ago before accidentally drifting off on the couch. "Hey baby, you're awake," she cooed, moving to scoop her daughter up in her arms and rest her on her lap as she leant her back against the sofa. Heidi was still screaming and fussing in her arms and immediately Regina had a sinking feeling that something was wrong with her little girl. Heidi never cried like that, not since she'd gotten older.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Regina frowned as she pressed her palm gently over her daughter's forehead, she was burning up. Panic coursed through her veins as she rocked Heidi trying to get her to stop crying. "Its alright baby," she hummed, quickly scrambling for her phone, once she found it, she dialled Robin's number, she knew that he was in a class but hopefully he would be able to answer. "Come on Robin," she sighed, still worrying as her daughter screamed in her arms. The call kicked into his voicemail and she stared at her phone in disbelief, she had no idea what to do, Heidi had never really been sick before.

She scrolled through her contacts and landed at her mother's name, it was a weekday and she knew that her mother would be at the school, but it was worth a shot. She dialled the number and almost immediately her mother answered, "Regina, I'm at work, is everything okay?"

"I don't know what to do," Regina panicked, hearing her mother's voice just made her panic even more than she had been doing before. "She won't stop crying and she has a fever, I don't know what's wrong with her."

"Calm down sweetheart," Cora sighed, "call Caroline, it's her day off today." In her worry Regina had completely forgotten the reason she was home in the first place, the bakery wasn't open on Mondays, which meant that Robin's mother would be at home.

"Okay, yes, sorry for bothering you at work."

"Don't apologise, Regina, now call Caroline and keep me posted."

Once she was off the phone, she called her mother in law and Caroline said that she would come right over straight away. Now she had to just sit and wait, she watched as Heidi cried and wriggled in her arms. She was getting really hot so Regina decided to undo one of the buttons on her onesie, that was when she noticed the small rash on her chest, red spots freckled her skin. At that moment the door opened and she heard Caroline calling her name from the hallway.

"Look," Regina carried Heidi over to the older woman and showed her the marks, "I hadn't noticed them, they weren't there this morning when I changed her ."

"Oh, I know what this is, seems like somebody has the chicken pox don't they sweetheart," Caroline cooed, stroking her fingers through her granddaughter's hair. Regina watched on and tried to remain calm as she watched her mother in law, she was always so chilled out and never panicked about anything, she just took it all in her stride. "Let's get her in a cool bath, it should soothe the itching a little, do you have any ice lollies?"

"Ice lollies?"

"Hmm, they are good to keep her hydrated."

"Yes, I think we have some."

"I'll go get the bath running then, come on little one, grandma is here."

Regina moved into the kitchen and found a lemonade flavoured ice lolly, she knew that one was Heidi's favourite. She could still her daughter crying upstairs and had to take a minute to ground herself, she hated that sound and knowing that it was because her baby was sick made her hate it even more. She quickly sent a text to Robin to let him know what was going on before heading up to find Caroline and her daughter. "I got the lolly," she quipped as she moved into the bathroom and saw the older woman placing Heidi into the shallow water, her hands holding onto her gently.

Heidi's sobs had lessened somewhat when she grabbed the rubber duckie from the side of the bath and it began bobbing in the water. Regina sighed in relief when she heard a tearful laugh, she moved over to the side of the bath and ran her fingers through Heidi's hair, causing the little girl to look up at her, "moma," she sniffled, her hand reaching for Regina's and holding it close, "warm."

"I know, you are warm," Regina sighed as she unwrapped the lolly with one hand, it was a skill she had learnt a while ago whilst trying to juggle her daughter in one arm and give her something with the other, "how about this ice lolly?" she grinned, holding out the cool treat and making Heidi's blue eyes widen.

"Lemon!"

"Of course! Lemonade is your favourite," she chuckled as she handed her the lolly and Heidi took it from her.

"Thank you moma."

"You're welcome sweetheart," Regina sighed as her fingers went back to running through her daughter's dark hair. "Thank you for coming over Caroline, I was really worried."

"As would any mother have been," the blonde smiled kindly as she shuffled closer and placed a hand on Regina's arm, "so what if you had a little wobble and panicked, it doesn't make you any less wonderful."

"Sometimes I just think that because I'm so young I don't know things that I should, what if Heidi suffers because of me? I should have noticed the symptoms earlier." Regina felt tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at her baby girl as she happily ate her ice lolly, it was a complete contrast to how she had been a few minutes ago.

"Regina, don't beat yourself up about this, everyone is human, and you said yourself she didn't have any of the spots this morning, sometimes they just appear without you noticing."

"I just thought she was developing a cold because she'd been a little clingier than usual the past couple of days. How has she even caught this?"

"I'm not sure, she must have caught it from another child."

Regina looked at her daughter and tried to think when she might have come into contact with anyone else, she was still too young for nursery. Realisation flooded through her as she remembered taking Heidi to the park the week before, she had played in the sandpit with some other children her age and Regina hadn't thought anything of it, obviously, that had been how she caught the chicken pox. "Well, let's just focus on her getting better."

"Will you be alright if I pop to the pharmacy and pick up some cream for the rash?"

"Yes, of course," Regina nodded, "thank you, Caroline."

"Anything for my favourite girls," the older woman nodded as she stood up from the floor, "Grandma will be back soon sweetie," she cooed to Heidi before leaving them alone in the bathroom.

Regina continued to play with Heidi's dark curls, twirling them around her fingers as she hummed a soft tune, "you'll be just fine," she breathed, closing her eyes for a moment and listening as the door downstairs opened and closed again.

"Regina?!"

She turned to the bathroom door and saw Robin appear in the doorway before coming into the bathroom, "what's happening with Heidi?" he asked, coming to kneel beside Regina in the space where his mother had been before she left. "Hey baby girl, are you feeling poorly?"

"Dada! Lemon!" she squealed, holding up the lolly that seemed to be distracting her from the itchy spots covering her body.

"Ooh is that yummy?"

"Yummmy," she nodded eagerly as she carried on eating the melting lolly.

"What's wrong with her then? You said she was sick in the message."

"She has the chicken pox."

"Really, I didn't think that they caught it this young."

"Well, I think she must have caught it from one of the children playing in the sandbox at the park," Regina sighed. "Didn't have you a lecture this afternoon?"

"I told my lecturer that my daughter was sick and he told me not to worry about it, so its fine, I wanted to be at home with the two of you," she shook his head as he looked at Heidi and then to Regina, "hey, what is it?"

"Nothing," she whispered, her eyes were burning from the tears that were threatening to fall down her cheeks, "it was just scary that's all." She took a deep breath and swiped at her eyes. Robin pulled her into his arms, hugging her tight.

"Don't worry, she's going to be fine, its okay Gina," he breathed, his fingers stroking across her back as he pressed a kiss to the side of her head.

"Moma crying?"

Regina chuckled and pulled back before looking at the little girl who was staring up at her from the tub. Regina could tell that her crying had worried her daughter.

"Moma sad?"

"No darling," Regina shook her head, deciding that it was time for Heidi to come out of the bath, "I just love you very much that's all," she stated, scooping her up before wrapping her in a towel and hugging her. "I don't like it when you're poorly because its mommy's job to keep you safe."

"Hug moma."

"Thank you, baby," she chuckled, pressing a kiss to her daughter's head as she pulled away from her a little, "how about we get you changed and have a family pyjama day?" Regina asked, glancing up at Robin.

"I think that sounds like a brilliant idea, how about I take her and get her changed?" Robin suggested, holding his arms out to take their daughter from her.

"Okay, I'll head downstairs and pick a movie. How about Despicable Me?"

"Minionsss!" Heidi squealed, clearly, the bath had made her feel a little better and Regina just hoped that she got better soon.