Emma was pacing while Henry sat on a chair – both waiting for word on Regina. Ruby had called her as soon as she had called for an ambulance and Emma had broken every traffic law in the book getting to the diner first to pick up Henry and then to the hospital. Now they were waiting for Dr. Whale to emerge and give them information – any information on what happened to Regina.
Still, Emma couldn't help but feel responsible regardless of what had happened to her. The fact that Ruby said it seemed like Regina was grasping at her chest like she was having a heart attack made her flashback to their earlier conversation when she asked Regina if the Home Office could control or hurt her since she had part of her heart.
Regina had said they couldn't control her, but she hadn't said anything about if they could hurt her. And now Emma feared they knew the answer to that.
She needed to find a way to get through to Regina, to get her to see she wasn't the enemy. She had gotten there once with Regina but it all collapsed. She felt it was even more important now because she needed Regina to open up to her so they could work together.
From the moment she had read the letter that Regina had left her, she had wondered what would have happened if Regina hadn't left. What if she had stayed and they had at least had the chance to talk about things? But if there was one thing Emma understood about Regina's actions it was the instinct to run – after all Emma had done that most of her life before Storybrooke.
Emma just felt this residual anger over the whole thing – not anger at Regina, anger at herself and she felt like no matter what she did, she was losing.
The doors to the waiting room opened but Emma was surprised when it wasn't Dr. Whale walking out but instead Regina.
"Mom!" Henry said as he ran up to her, slamming into her with a hug. Emma watched as Regina gave their son a generous hug back. If nothing else, Emma thought, Henry is still Regina's soft spot despite what she said in Florida.
Emma gave the two a moment before walking over. "Are you ok?"
"Yes, it's nothing to be concerned about."
"Nothing to be concerned about? Are you joking? They took you away in an ambulance. What are you even doing out here? You should be back there in a hospital bed," Emma said. "Did Whale pull some bullshit because of how he feels about you because if he did, I will go back there and explain to him what his job is?"
"Dr. Whale was fine," Regina said. "Like I said, I'm fine. There is no reason for me to be in the hospital."
"What happened to you?" Henry asked. "I thought you were having a heart attack."
"I'm sorry if I scared you," Regina said. "I … maybe it's best if we have this conversation elsewhere."
Fine, Emma thought, but we are going to talk about it. "I can give you a ride home," Emma said. "Only if you are sure, you are ok." Emma looked directly into Regina's eyes when she said this last part, as she had no intention of leaving there if she sensed Regina was lying to her.
"I don't need to be here," Regina said. "What happened was magical, not physical."
"Did it happen because the Home Office has the other part of your heart?"
Regina looked at Henry and then back to Emma. "As I said, maybe we can take this elsewhere."
Emma realized nothing else was going to be said right now, so she let Regina and Henry move forward and she followed them. As they walked out of the hospital, Emma wondered if Regina was being hesitant to just say what happened because of Henry's presence there, or because of her.
Once they were in the car and Emma started driving, Henry started it off. "What happened?"
Regina was in the passenger seat and she looked back at Henry and paused. Emma glanced over at her and figured the pause was Regina trying to figure out just what she should tell their son.
"It wasn't as bad as it appeared," Regina said. "More than anything it was unexpected, although maybe I should have expected it. If I hadn't have been caught off guard I probably wouldn't have lost consciousness."
"Ok, but what happened?" Henry persisted.
"It was the Home Office, specifically Wendy I'm sure, sending me a message."
"What was the message?" Emma asked.
"If I had to guess, she wants to talk," Regina said. "I will head to the border tomorrow to meet with her."
"Mom should go with you," Henry said.
"I didn't figure she would let me go solo," Regina responded.
"That's correct," Emma said. "But why tomorrow, why not now?"
"Because Wendy doesn't get to dictate the terms of when I show up," she responded.
"But what if she decides to send you another message?"
"I will take precautions against it."
"What kind of precautions? How was she able to affect you from outside of Storybrooke?"
"She has the other half of my heart," Regina said. "So the answer to keeping her from being able to affect me further is to remove the rest of my heart."
"No! The half you have is keeping you good," Henry said, and then immediately realized he said that out loud.
"What do you mean by that?" Emma asked.
Regina didn't say anything, and Henry shrugged when Regina looked at him.
"What did he mean by that?" Emma asked when they both remained silent.
"Nothing."
Emma gave her a look that said she wasn't about to stop asking until she got an answer.
"I think he just meant that he is concerned about what will happen when I remove my heart."
"Try again."
Regina sighed. "My heart isn't entirely black."
"You mean when you split it, you kept some of the red parts?"
Silence.
"Regina?"
"No," Regina said. "I didn't."
"You didn't what?
"When I split it, I didn't keep some of the red parts," Regina said. "The half I kept was entirely black at the time."
"At the time? So now it's what exactly?"
"It's red again."
"How?" Emma said, trying to process this information and keep her eyes on the road.
"I don't know. I don't. It just is."
"So, when I was down in Florida to bring you back and you were being extra mean to me, that was just you, not because of your heart?" Emma said, her features hardening.
"I don't know that I would call it me being extra mean," Regina said.
"Then what would you call it?"
"Me trying to get you to leave me alone," Regina said.
"By being extra mean," Emma said.
"Could you both not fight," Henry said from the back. "I don't understand why you always have to fight. Why can't you talk to each other like adults?"
"Sorry," Emma said looking in the mirror at Henry. "You're right, we shouldn't fight."
"Sorry," Regina said to Henry.
"Maybe you should apologize to each other," Henry said.
Emma glanced over at Regina who glanced over at her, but neither woman said anything – clearly waiting for the other to say it first.
"I'm sorry," Regina said finally.
"I'm sorry too," Emma replied.
"See that wasn't so hard," Henry said. "Now pull over so I can walk the rest of the way."
"What?" Regina and Emma said at the same time.
"I will be fine walking," Henry said. "You two need to talk to each other – really talk to each other. And if I have to use parental guilt against you to get you two talk I will. You wouldn't want to make your only son upset by refusing this one thing, would you?"
"I am an expert at manipulation," Regina said. "If you think you are going to be able to manipulate me then …" She stopped as Emma pulled the car over. "What are you doing?"
"He's right, you and I need to talk," Emma said. "Really talk this time."
Henry stepped out of the car and shut the door. Regina unrolled her window as Henry tapped on it. "You two play nice, ok?"
"Of course, dear," Regina said.
Henry nodded and began to walk. Regina rolled her window up and turned to Emma.
"If we're going to do this, I'm going to need a drink."
"I know just the place."
…
Regina looked around the room – "Not what I was expecting when I said I was going to need a drink."
Emma finished pouring some whiskey into a glass and handed it to her, while she kept another glass for herself.
"Well, I assumed we would need some privacy," Emma said. "And your place is occupied, so my place it is. I mean would you rather go to the Rabbit Hole?"
"I suppose this will have to do then," Regina said taking a drink.
"Do you want to sit?" Emma asked. Regina hadn't stopped moving since she stepped in there and she wondered if Regina was nervous.
"I'm ok," Regina said.
Emma took a seat, figuring Regina would sit when she wanted.
"Removing the other half of your heart isn't an option," Emma said before any other subject could be broached.
"Afraid of the Evil Queen, are you?" Regina said.
"I never have been," Emma responded. "Besides you aren't her. But you can't just remove your other half, not when it's red again."
"I don't wish to be vulnerable," Regina said, and then quickly clarified, "The Home Office can't be given any advantage."
"Could they do worse to you than what happened?" Emma said. "Could they hurt you worse?"
Regina's mind flashbacked for a moment to when the Home Office held her captive.
"I may be able to magically protect my heart," Regina said.
"You didn't answer the question," Emma said. "We came here to talk, so talk."
Silence stretched on as both women appeared to concentrate on their drinks as it stretched on or else kept their eyes on anything but each other. Regina walked over to one of the windows and looked outside.
"I was angry when you showed up in Florida," Regina said, not turning around. "I thought I had escaped you – made a clean break as it were and then suddenly there you were and I felt anger like I hadn't felt in a long time. Do you know what it's like for someone like me to get that kind of freedom and then to have it ripped away?"
"For once in my life, I wasn't be controlled or manipulated by someone," Regina said. "There was no curse, no destiny, no Evil Queen. I could make my own decisions and be someone I chose to be. And you took that from me."
Regina was still not looking at her so she didn't see Emma shaking her head.
"You are unbelievable," Emma said, putting her drink down on the end table and getting up. "Like do you listen to yourself when you talk? Let's stop pretending that Florida was anything more than you running away – running away from your home, your son, from me. Let's not pretend that you were happy there playing the big crime syndicate boss as a way to pay some sort of weird homage to Robin. I'm sorry he is dead. I'm sorry that Killian and I kissed by his grave. But don't think for a minute that I believe this narrative you are trying to create that you could live in a world where you didn't ever get to see your son again. Florida was just a persona you put on – something to protect yourself from dealing with reality and as crazy as it may be your reality is right here in Storybrooke."
Regina turned to her when Emma first started talking, drank down her whiskey, and then placed it on the windowsill.
"And there is the self-righteous attitude I've come to expect from the Savior," Regina said. "The woman who can do no wrong. Whose life always seems to go her way and who gets everything she wants."
"Is that really what you think of me?" Emma said, getting closer to her. "Or is that just your bitterness speaking?"
"Bitterness? You think I'm bitter," Regina said. "Maybe I am a little, but that doesn't make me less right about you. You who stands in judgment above all others."
"That is bullshit," Emma said. "If I wanted to judge you, it would be easy enough."
Regina laughed. "You have done nothing but judge me from the moment you came into my life."
"Stop deflecting," Emma shot back. "Why can't you just talk to me?"
"Because you don't want to listen," Regina said getting in her face. "You never hear me."
Emma didn't know why she did it – maybe it was the heightened emotions or the heated moment – but she kissed Regina.
And Regina kissed back.
….
Emma laid in bed next to Regina – both of them still naked.
Neither had said anything for a while.
Emma turned to Regina. "We still need to talk."