A/N: Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed on the last chapter. I really appreciated receiving your comments and they even nudged me to ignore my responsibilities this week in order to finish up this next chapter for you! Luckily this was already half written, otherwise there definitely wouldn't have been an update this week. I hope you like it, please review after reading! xx

It had been a little over an hour since lunch, and Regina had already gone back up to continue resting. David had just left for town and Emma was going to join him soon, but she was staying behind for a bit just in case Regina got sick after eating like she had been the day before.

Emma knew that if she left, Mary Margaret would still be there to look after Regina, but Emma also knew that Regina was having another rough day, and so she wanted to be able to be there for her in the chance that she did get sick. Currently however, Emma was downstairs. In fact she had gone back down almost immediately after helping Regina to her room.

The mayor knew she had badly surprised the blonde by showing her the legal forms, and she got the sense that Emma was avoiding her so she wouldn't have to discuss the documents further.

From where she was lying in bed, Regina turned over as she tried to find a comfortable position. She had previously considered staying downstairs for a bit longer, and was now beginning to regret her decision to come back up because even despite her exhaustion, she felt a little restless.

Even so, she couldn't find enough energy to convince herself to get back out of bed. She closed her eyes instead, willing herself to go to sleep so she would finally be able to stop thinking about everything.

After a few minutes she began to feel herself drifting, that was until a small voice snapped her back to attention.

"Mom?"

Regina made a sleepy noise in response as she blinked her eyes open to see Henry standing a few feet away.

"Sorry..." Henry said, sitting down in front of her on the other side of the bed. "Were you asleep?"

"No, don't worry Henry I wasn't." She replied, smiling at him softly.

The ten-year-old sat there silently. He had an apprehensive look in his eyes as if he wanted to say something, but wasn't sure about it. His gaze dropped away from his mother's as he nervously played with his hands.

"Sweetheart, is everything okay?" Regina asked, adjusting the pillows so she could sit up against them.

"Well... you know how we're not... I mean... even though it wasn't you that... umm–" Henry stammered.

Regina's expression grew concerned as she listened to him trying to get out whatever it was he was trying to say.

"Henry, what is it?" She asked gently. "You know you can tell me anything."

Henry nodded. "I know..."

"Tell me what's on your mind." She encouraged softly.

"Well, I kind of read a bit about what you have... The kidney disease I mean."

Regina's brow furrowed, but she simply nodded, allowing him to continue.

"...you know... online." Henry continued.

"When was this?" She asked kindly.

"Today."

"And what specifically were you reading about?"

"I wanted to know more about how you could get better."

Regina gave him a small, warm smile, but saw that he had more to say, and so she didn't interrupt.

"I saw that people can be saved if someone else gives them one of their own kidneys, because... everyone has two and you can still live with only one of them."

Regina's expression changed, she could guess where this was headed. "Oh, Henry–"

"And I know you didn't... I mean, I know we're not really related by blood, but I was wondering if when we go to Boston I could get tested to see if we're a match? 'Cause if we are, you can have one of mine Mom."

There was a saddened, but emotional look in her eyes as she stared at him with a tiny, soft smile on her face.

"Henry... you're very sweet, and it means the world to me that you would be willing to do that for me, but darling you're far too young to have an operation like that."

"I'm not! Kids have donated before."

"You're still growing, you need both of yours to keep you healthy."

"But I read that in some circumstances a kid can be allowed to help. If they know you're my mom and that I really want to help you, wouldn't they let me?"

"Henry those are very special circumstances. We would need to get courts and judges involved. I couldn't put you through something like that."

"But... I want to." Henry said, on the verge of tears. "Isn't this a special circumstance? I'm not afraid of a judge. You're my mom, I don't want to lose you. Please can't we just check?"

Regina breathed a soft sigh as she gazed at him affectionately."Henry, I think this is a beautiful, extremely brave thing that you want to do for me, but I don't think you quite understand how serious an operation like that is."

"I do understand," Henry protested. "But if it means you'll be okay it's worth it!"

Regina gave him a sad smile before gently reaching a hand out to take his. "Sweetheart you're just too young to have an operation like this unnecessarily. It could cause health problems for you later on in your life and I don't want you to have to go through anything even close to what I'm facing right now."

"But Mom–"

"You've saved me enough times already Henry. It's not your responsibility to do this."

"I don't see it as a responsibility," Henry argued tearfully, "I just want you to live. I know that even with the treatment thing you'll be getting in Boston you still might not live as long as you would if you got the operation. Please Mom can't we just see if we're a match?"

Regina placed a gentle hand on his cheek. "I can still get the transplant, but from someone else. I'll just have to go on the waiting list for a donor that's all. There are a lot of other people who have been sick for a lot longer than I have and they need to be looked after first, but don't worry I'll get one someday."

"But how long will that take?"

"Maybe a few years, it's impossible to say. In the mean time however, the dialysis will keep me healthy."

"A few years?" Henry asked in dismay.

Regina nodded.

"But Mom..." Henry's voice broke.

"What?" She asked gently.

"I read today that..." Henry sniffled as he could feel himself beginning to cry. "I read that every year a lot of people die while they're waiting for a new kidney. We shouldn't wait. A few years is forever."

Regina gave him a sad smile. "It's not quite as long as it may seem Henry. And as for those people who passed away before they could get a transplant... it's a tragedy yes, but they may have been waiting a lot longer than a few years. And every case is different, their health could have been very very poor."

"But yours is really bad. Most of the other people with kidney damage are on dialysis. You haven't been."

"No I haven't..."

"Which means your health is probably worse than the other people's."

"Maybe," Regina said softly.

"So you should be able to get one now, it's not your fault you haven't been able to get to the hospital."

"But Henry even if my health is worse than theirs I can't just cut in line like that, that's not how it works. It's not fair to those who have been waiting. Their lives are important too, and they have families who love them just like I do. Some of them I'm sure have children around your age, or are even children themselves."

Henry sniffled again as a tear fell from the corner of his eye. "I just don't want you to die."

"I know Henry," she whispered as he crawled towards her and buried himself into the safety of her embrace.

Regina blinked back a few tears of her own as she wrapped her arms protectively around him.

"Don't worry sweetheart, Massachusetts General is one of the best hospitals in the entire country. I'll be well looked after there."

He could feel her inch forwards a little so she could lie back against the pillows, and he moved into a more comfortable position once she was settled. She pulled the blankets up over him so they were more securely fixed around the pair of them.

Henry clung to his mother as he finally let his tears fall freely. She didn't know this, but Henry knew she was afraid to leave town that night. He had overheard both of his mothers talking before lunch, and he had heard his adoptive mother crying. He had scurried away when he had heard Emma ask Regina if she wanted to go downstairs for lunch, but since they had taken a little longer to come down he knew he must have missed something else.

From where he was nestled against her he could hear her heartbeat and could feel her breathing, and from the unsteadiness of her breaths he could tell that she was crying again too. Careful not to hug her too hard, he burrowed deeper into the safety of her embrace.

Henry closed his eyes as he appreciated the warmth of his mother's comforting touch, and allowed it to calm him down just as it always did. He could smell the reassuring scent of her perfume, and could feel the familiar way she pressed her lips to the top of his head as she held him closely.

"Mom I love you." Henry said in a quiet, broken voice.

Regina rubbed his back softly as she closed her eyes as well. "I love you too sweetheart. I will always love you."

She could feel a few tears escape her lashes but couldn't bring herself to let go of Henry, even just for a second, to wipe them away.

Henry turned further into her embrace, so much so that if he opened his eyes all he would likely be able to see was the fabric of her shirt. Beyond this afternoon, he didn't know how many more opportunities he would get to sit with his mother like this. He didn't believe there would be a problem crossing the town line, but his mother did––or at least she believed there was a chance she could take a bad turn during their four hour trip––and she did have a lot more experience with the curse. Henry knew enough not to bring up that particular subject however, because Emma had mentioned that the stress was bad for Regina today. And so the ten-year-old simply had to hope that his mother would be able to safely leave the town, and would be fine throughout their trip to Boston.

"Mom?" Henry asked again.

"Mhmm?"

He didn't respond, he hadn't really thought about what he wanted to say. In truth he just wanted to hear her voice, but he needed to say something. However all he could seem to think of at the moment was I love you.

"Henry?"

"Never mind." Henry said quietly.

"Are you sure?" Regina asked softly.

Henry sighed grievously as he felt more tears streaming down his face. As he sniffled he could feel her move to get a better look at him.

"Henry?" She asked in concern.

"Mom..."

Her eyes were filled with sadness as she looked down at him. "What is it Henry?" She whispered.

"Mom please don't leave me," he sobbed.

Regina gave a quiet, anguish-filled sigh. "Believe me Henry, that's the very last thing I want to do." She whispered as another tear fell from the corner of her eye. "But right now all we can do is hope that everything will run smoothly for us today; because once we get to the hospital everything will look a lot brighter, I promise."

Regina's heart broke as she heard Henry crying quietly and could feel him clutching at the fabric of her shirt. She closed her eyes as yet more tears streamed down her face, and she held Henry desperately close in order to give them both some comfort. She truly hoped this was not going to be the last day they would ever get to spend together.