"Mom are you sure you don't need me to stay with you? Miss Blanchard gave me lots of work last week, I still have more I can do at home."

Emma and Regina were standing with Henry at the entrance to the playground on his first day back at school, and he was still worried about Regina staying home by herself that day. It would be the first time she was on her own since the incident. It wasn't that he thought she was a danger to herself, but he was concerned over the accidents she had been having over the weekend; the fainting, the throwing up, the panic attacks... What if something serious happened and no one was there to help her?

Regina smiled affectionately, brushing her fingers through his hair. "I'm sure. I'll be perfectly fine Henry, there's no need to worry about me. I'll pick you up after school okay?"

"Okay."

He stepped forward to give her a goodbye hug and Regina felt herself blush a little. It had been so long since he'd let her hug him goodbye in front of the other children in the schoolyard, and now here he was initiating one. It warmed her heart.

"Have a good day sweetheart, I'll see you in a few hours." Regina said gently.

"And I'll see you tomorrow kid," Emma said as he hugged her too. "I'll try to pick out a good comic to bring back for you."

"Thanks Emma!" Henry grinned excitedly.

"No problem, maybe I'll even bring back a treat from the bakery."

"Yeah!" Henry agreed happily.

"Alrighty then, sounds like a plan." Emma smiled, patting his shoulder.

The bell rang and the other children in the playground began to move towards the building.

"Oh, looks like you gotta get to class. I doubt Mary Margaret would be too thrilled if we made you late on your first day back." Emma teased.

"Prob'ly not, see you later." Henry smiled.

They watched as he headed towards the entrance, when he was halfway there he turned and waved at them. Regina smiled as she and Emma waved back. She was happy that things were returning almost to the way they used to be, even if it was in quite an unexpected way.

She glanced sideways at Emma who was beaming as she waved at the ten year old. Having Emma here was something she certainly hadn't counted on, but it wasn't nearly as bad as she would have expected either. The blonde's hand dropped and she looked to Regina.

"Ready to go?"

Regina smiled, nodding in agreement. The two headed back to the yellow bug so Emma could drive Regina home before leaving for Boston.

Emma climbed into her seat and started the engine, Regina was a few steps behind her in getting to the car and doing up her seatbelt.

"You suuure you don't want to come to Boston with me?" Emma asked. "I know my new plan is to stay overnight, but Henry could stay with Granny and Ruby. We could use the time for some serious 'breaking-the-curse-but-with-precautions' planning."

Regina smiled. "It sounds lovely but... I don't think it's fair to impose on them on such short notice. Also it wouldn't be fair to Henry for me to just leave while he's at school… and to be quite honest I'm not really feeling up for another trip. As you well know, I'm in no great rush to break the curse so don't feel you have to rush. Take your time, we'll figure everything out."

"Alright, no problem." Emma grinned. "Just thought I'd ask. You were the one who said you wanted to get out more after all."

Regina rolled her eyes mockingly. "Why don't you use the drive to think about what we discussed last night."

"Yeah... I will." Emma's face fell a little as she pondered what was soon to come. When the time came she knew it was going to be quite an adjustment, and she also knew that no matter how much time she had in advance to prepare, no amount of time was going to be enough.

Later that afternoon, Mary Margaret was just getting ready to head to the teacher's lounge for the lunch break when she heard a soft knocking at her classroom door.

"Regina!" The young teacher said in surprise.

"Hello Miss Blanchard."

"Mary Margaret, please."

"Mary Margaret." Regina nodded, stepping into the classroom.

"I'm so happy to have Henry back in class," the teacher said. "We've all missed him here."

Regina smiled in response.

"How have you been doing since the hospital?" Mary Margaret asked.

"I'm fine." Regina said simply, but not rudely.

The teacher could see she looked a little nervous.

"Did you come to see Henry? He's outside for recess right now but I can go get him for you if you'd like."

"No that's alright, it was actually you I came to see."

"Oh, what can I do for you?" Mary Margaret asked curiously.

Mary Margaret studied the mayor for a few moments as she waited for Regina to reply. The woman looked exhausted, and Mary Margaret wondered if maybe she was having trouble sleeping. It was understandable if she was, but the teacher had thought Regina had been given sleeping pills, so why did she look so tired? She finally decided it wasn't her business to ask. Mary Margaret had been present for a lot that week, but Regina still deserved some privacy if that was what she desired.

When it was clear that Regina didn't know where to begin, Mary Margaret decided to start the conversation first. "So Emma told me she was going back to Boston today? She's going to get her stuff and talk to her boss about her job?"

"Yes that's right. She decided to stay overnight in the city so there's more time to get everything sorted out. I don't envy her for having to make that trip so often over the past few weeks, but she doesn't seem to mind it too much. She says she enjoys the drive."

"She's much more adventurous than I am. I hardly ever drive outside of Storybrooke." Mary Margaret admitted.

Regina gave a small smile, knowing full well that the teacher never left Storybrooke, but perhaps the younger woman wasn't aware of that detail herself.

"Neither do I." Was Regina's chosen reply.

"And I believe Emma said that she'll be staying with you and Henry for a bit longer right? I guess you're still feeling a bit under the weather huh?" Mary Margaret asked sympathetically.

"Yes she is, Emma's been a tremendous help. There are times when I simply just don't have enough energy to look after everything by myself and she's been wonderful about it. Besides, Henry loves having her around. I think it's made the transition a bit easier for him."

"I can imagine." Mary Margaret nodded her understanding. Henry had been facing so many drastic changes in his life lately that she knew it must be nice for him to have a little bit of consistency. "I'm glad she's been there for you and Henry. But tell her that my door is always open for whenever she wants to move back into the loft. There's absolutely no rush but she's always welcome."

"I will."

"But that's not why you came here is it?" Mary Margaret smiled knowingly.

Regina glanced back towards the hallway, she closed the door to give them a bit of privacy and stepped deeper into the classroom.

"No it's not. I'm here because... because I realized that I never properly thanked you and David for saving my life that day. You didn't have to do all that you did, and so for that I am deeply grateful."

"Oh Regina, you don't have to thank us. It's what anyone would have done. I'm just happy we were able to help."

Regina gave a small nod. "Yes well, even so... I know finding me must have been quite a shock. You shouldn't have had to go through that. I'm sorry. And I'm sorry for... for everything I've ever put you through. You really are a good person."

Mary Margaret's head tilted a little, there was a slightly confused look on her face.

She wasn't sure what 'everything' Regina was referring to. The mayor hadn't always been particularly friendly to her in the past but she'd never done anything really bad. "Well thank you Regina." She finally said. "So are you. You just need to let people see that side of you more often."

Regina folded her arms, smiling a little self consciously as her eyes dropped to the floor briefly.

"You don't need to appear so tough all the time," Mary Margaret continued. "Showing emotions isn't a sign of weakness Regina, it shows that you're human just like everyone else."

"Well..." Regina said softly. "I'll certainly try to work on that in the future. But on that subject, thank you for staying with me in the hospital before Henry arrived. I know I did try to send you away, but it turns out I really did need some company that day."

Her memory drifted back to the way her stepdaughter had held her in the hospital room as she wept. If it had been any time before that, whether in Storybrooke or in the Enchanted Forest, Regina never would have allowed such a thing. But on that terrible day she really just needed comfort from a familiar face.

Even if that person also happened to be her arch-nemesis. And didn't remember that she was Regina's stepdaughter.

"Don't mention it." Mary Margaret waved her hand dismissively. "I knew it would be easier for you if David and I stayed with you, even if at first you couldn't see it. After going through something so traumatic the last thing anyone needs is to be on their own."

Regina gave a soft nod of agreement.

"And just know Regina, if you ever need anything, or if you ever just need someone to talk to, my door is always open. Your secrets are safe with me I promise." Mary Margaret added with a smile.

Regina stared at the floor for a few moments. Her brow was furrowed a little as the words washed over her and the memory of a burning anger began to ebb slowly through her veins. Not wanting to give in, she put all of her energy into burying that anger before it turned to rage. She had seen what their relationship could be like without all the hate and she had to admit, something about it seemed right. Accepting that had been difficult but now that she had, she knew she had to at least try to salvage their relationship because once the curse was broken, it may be too late. She had come here hoping to start mending what had happened between them, not to pour salt on old wounds. Mary Margaret didn't know the dark history behind what she had just said, she didn't know how she'd hurt Regina all those years ago.

She finally met her stepdaughter's gaze. "Thank you, that's very sweet." She said before abruptly turning and hurrying from the room before the pain of the memories could overpower her.

Mary Margaret's eyes saddened, the mayor still wasn't quite herself. She knew the woman had been through a rough few weeks, but it was still hard seeing someone in so much pain.

It was only about an hour after she had left the school and Regina was curled up on the sofa in the living room. Her eyes opened groggily as the knocking at the front door pulled her from sleep.

She glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. Reluctantly she got up from under her blanket and went to see who the surprise visitor was.

"Kathryn!" She said in surprise as she opened the door to reveal the smiling visitor.

"Hi Regina! I just came to see how you were doing. I made you some muffins." Kathryn said, raising the basket in her hands. "I wasn't sure what kind you would like so I brought banana, blueberry oatmeal, carrot-orange, raspberry, and apple-cranberry oatmeal."

Regina looked at her in surprise after examining the large amount of muffins under the cloth in the basket.

"I bake when I'm upset." Kathryn explained.

The brunette smiled gratefully as she took the basket. Perhaps she could have one of the oatmeal ones, but luckily she had Henry and Emma to eat the majority of them. She was supposed to stay away from fatty desserts such as muffins and cake but poor Kathryn couldn't have known that, and Regina was very touched that the woman had been thinking about her.

"Thank you. I'm sure they'll be delicious." Regina said, placing the basket on the table in the dining room.

Once Regina's hands were free, Kathryn stepped forward and pulled her friend into a warm hug. "I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier Regina. Things have been a little hectic, but I'm so happy you were able to come home."

Regina stood rooted to the spot, stunned for a few seconds before returning the unexpected hug a little awkwardly. "It's okay."

Her mind drifted back to one of Kathryn's visits to her in the hospital; all the tears and the hugging and the 'you should have come to me Regina!'. She hoped this wouldn't be another visit like that.

However when Kathryn finally released her, she was relieved to see that the blonde seemed to be maintaining relatively normal levels of calmness.

"Would you like one?" Regina gestured to the basket.

"Oh, no thank you." Kathryn politely declined.

"How are things going with David?" Regina asked, trying to deviate the conversation further away from herself.

"As good as can be expected I guess." Kathryn said a little sadly as she followed her friend into the living room. "We're still in a rough patch but I hope things will get better soon. I suppose he's still adjusting so it's understandable that he needs more time."

Regina felt a slight flash of guilt, knowing she needed to push David further away from his wife in order to break the curse.

Although, the new plan she had discussed with Emma the night before might save some unwanted heartache in that aspect.

"But he did get his memories back?" Regina asked, even though she was well aware of the answer.

"He did, but I'm afraid it didn't make things any easier. It did bring him home to me though." Kathryn gave a small, grateful smile.

Kathryn's smile grew as she noticed the flowers she had brought Regina in the hospital last week. "Those have kept well." She commented.

Regina smiled too, glancing at the vase on a table across the room. "Yes they have. Thank you again Kathryn they're beautiful."

"It was the least I could do."

The blonde's eyes fell on the blanket and pillow that Regina was just clearing out of the way in order to make room for them to sit. She had previously noticed how tired the brunette looked and read between the lines.

"Oh Regina I'm sorry. Did I wake you up?"

Regina waved her hand dismissively. "I was just taking a little nap. It's actually a good think you came because I have to go pick Henry up from school soon. It was his first day back."

"Oh," Kathryn smiled in relief. "I won't stay for too long then. I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay. I've been so worried."

"I'm fine, really." Regina insisted gently. She didn't need to give her friend anything more to worry about.

Feeling a little cold now that she wasn't under the blanket, Regina crossed her arms as Kathryn sat down on the sofa. The brunette looked around the room and her eyes fell on a sweater on the arm of a nearby chair. It was Emma's but she didn't want to go upstairs to get one of her own so she retrieved it and put it on. The hoodie clashed horribly with her dress pants and silk shirt but she honestly didn't care, her only goal was to get warm.

If Kathryn thought Regina's choice of wardrobe was peculiar she didn't say anything.

"So you went to Boston this weekend didn't you?" Kathryn asked as Regina took a seat beside her.

"Yes, to get Henry's things from Emma's apartment."

"How was that? I've never been to Boston, is it nice there?"

"It was," Regina responded. "Although I have to admit, there's something about being in the big city that makes you appreciate the calmness of a small town.

It was late morning the next day when Emma let herself into Regina's house with the key she'd been given.

"Regina?" She called as she closed the front door behind her. "You home?"

She continued up the steps and into the main hallway, looking around for the mayor. She froze when she spotted Regina curled up on the couch in the living room, worried that she might have accidentally woken her.

She treaded lightly towards the room, but it appeared the damage had already been done as the brunette groaned sleepily at the disturbance.

"Hey," Emma greeted as the brunette pulled herself slowly into a sitting position.

"Emma," she smiled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "I didn't expect you back until later this afternoon."

"Yeah, I got everything done yesterday so I was able to leave at a decent hour this morning. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

Regina shook her head. "Don't worry about it, I didn't mean to fall asleep anyways. I only meant to sit down for a moment," she said, looking around a little confused. She covered her mouth to suppress a yawn. "So how was Boston?"

"Uneventful to be honest."

"Did you get everything settled?"

"Yeah, I'm on standby at work in case of emergencies but they shouldn't need me. I'm basically on leave for the foreseeable future. And the apartment's all taken care of. I have the furniture covered since I don't know when I'll be back and I decided to just leave the stuff in Henry's room."

"What for?"

"Oh just in case you know, we end up needing to go back there once the curse breaks."

Regina's gaze dropped to her lap, she crossed her arms as her thoughts drifted to the possibilities.

Emma's head titled a little as she studied the other woman. "Is... that my sweater?"

Regina looked up at her in surprise and then glanced down at herself. "Oh, yes I suppose it is. I'm sorry, I was cold and it was lying right there. It looked warmer than any of mine and I thought you wouldn't mind. I'll take it off." She began to undo the zipper but Emma stopped her.

"Hey, no it's fine really." Emma grinned. "Wear it as long as you want, it looks better on you anyways."

Regina gave her a slightly embarrassed smile, she had meant to wash the sweater yesterday and put it back before Emma returned from Boston. "Thank you."

Emma gestured to the blanket and pillow. "Did you have trouble sleeping last night?"

Regina's brow furrowed. She had slept fine the night before. And she had slept well the night before that as well, but she felt like she hadn't slept in days. "Yes I suppose I did." She replied.

"Did you try taking one of those pills?"

Regina merely nodded, even though it was far from the truth. She decided to change the subject.

"So, what did you bring back for Henry?"

"Ah, I'll show you." Emma said. She went back into the front hall for her bag and then showed Regina the comic she had picked out for the ten year old, along with a little box of assorted cookies and donuts from the bakery.

Regina almost laughed when she saw the white bakery box. "You and Henry are going to have enough treats this week to last you a lifetime. Wait until you see what Kathryn brought by yesterday."

"Oh no," Emma groaned, smiling. "Am I gonna gain five-hundred pounds by the time this week is over?"

"She made enough muffins to feed an army." Regina said, pulling her blanket up over her shoulders. "And lucky for me, I have an excuse. I'm supposed to be watching what I eat so it's all up to you and Henry."

"I think that IS an excuse!" Emma teased. "Would one muffin really make you sick?"

"Well, I'm not taking any chances." Regina smiled softly, keeping the real reason to herself.

"Okay I suppose that's fair." Emma said, taking a seat next to the mayor. "But, I did get something for you in Boston since I guessed right that you wouldn't want any of this." Emma gestured to the bakery box.

Surprised, Regina sat up a little straighter. "You did? What?"

Emma withdrew a paper bag from her overnight bag. She passed it to Regina and the brunette discovered an assortment of loose-leaf teas from a shop in the market.

She sorted through the little bags, reading the contents of each one.

"Emma you didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to. I know how much you like tea so I figured I would get a bunch so you could try them. They are just little bags so they will only make a few pots each, but if there are any that you particularly like we can always order them here. Or if I ever need to go back to Boston I can pick some up for you."

Regina looked at Emma and the blonde was taken aback by the emotion in the brunette's eyes.

"That was really thoughtful of you Emma, thank you."

"You're welcome." Emma smiled, almost amused at how touched Regina was. "Are you okay?" She almost laughed as she saw Regina's eyes glistening slightly.

Regina's gaze fell into her lap again, trying to hide her face so she could compose herself.

"I'm fine, I just wasn't expecting this that's all." She smiled at Emma.

"Hey, it's just tea Regina it was no problem." Emma assured her gently. She had no idea Regina would be so moved. She just didn't want to bring a bunch of things back for Henry and nothing for Regina. "What d'you say? Should we try one of them?"

Regina nodded softly, gazing at Emma fondly.

A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter. Please let me know what you think :)