'Do you have everything you need?' Regina wrote and showed Emma the message.
"Yep, I think so," Emma confirmed with a smile.
Excellent. Regina gestured vaguely towards the door to indicate that they should get moving.
"Yeah, let's get going," Emma agreed. "We wouldn't wanna miss our train."
Regina was just about to mouth something about how unfortunate that would be, but she did not get the chance to do so before someone else beat her to it.
"That would really suck!" Henry said as he came into the hotel room and looked between them. "Are you guys ready?"
"Yep, kid. We're ready," Emma confirmed and smiled beamingly at Henry.
"Awesome!" Henry said cheerfully, grinning at them both. "I can't wait for the train ride. It's gonna be so much fun, right mom?"
Yes. Of course. It was going to be very fun. Regina nodded. But deep down, she felt very tired. And cranky. Not a good combination on a normal day, but an even worse combination on a travel day.
"You could have done with a few more hours in bed."
Regina fully agreed with Emma's clever observation, but she settled for a light shrug as she grabbed her suitcase. She couldn't have a few more hours in bed. Wallowing in it wasn't gonna help anything.
Henry was out of the door just as quickly as he had popped up. Regina and Emma followed him down the hallway. Whilst walking, Regina reached out and took Emma's hand. Gave it a little squeeze and then interlaced their fingers more properly. She had a feeling that she had been a little short with Emma, and she wanted to make up for that.
Henry was now punching the elevator button and doing a little dance of impatience while waiting. The sight made Regina smile. She was happy to see him act like a typical ten year old. She could tell that he wasn't pretending anymore. He was genuinely feeling better, thank god. Their week here in Toronto had opened up for many more conversations between her and her son. Honest conversations. He had told her about how he had felt while Regina was in the hospital. And the time afterwards. How nervous he had been when she came home because she had been so fragile and still looked so sick. He had also admitted to having been afraid when Regina started seeing Emma romantically. He had been afraid that Emma was going to be 'like him'. 'But you're not', he had said to Emma. 'And I'm sorry for thinking that you were.'
Both Regina and Emma had hugged him tightly, and Emma had told him that he had nothing to feel sorry about. And that she was proud of him for the way he looked after Regina.
Regina was proud of her son too. Very, very proud. But she was also aware that Henry was a child while she was the adult. It was not his job to take care of her. But it was very much her job to take care of him. And she was going to. Together, she and Henry had found a very good child psychologist in Vancouver. Doctor Sophie Castle had many years of experience, and what's more, Doctor Kristine knew her and knew of her. Regina had heard her mention her name many times, but just to be sure, she had sent an email to her therapist to get it confirmed. The email had arrived the next morning. Doctor Kristine confirmed that yes, she did indeed know Sophie Castle, and yes, she was a very good therapist. She had offered to reach out to the child psychologist and probe for available slots that were 'sooner rather than later'.
Regina had of course said yes to that right off the bat. She hoped that Doctor Castle would be available soon. She was sure that Henry would benefit enormously from seeing a therapist and talk to a professional.
"The elevator is here!" Henry announced, pulling Regina out of her musings. "Hurry up, guys!"
Regina made a point of speed-walking over to her son. Mainly because she hoped it would make him laugh (and it did) but also because she was impatient to leave this hotel. She was looking forward to sitting down in the train and doing absolutely nothing except eating. Preferably something sweet.
She shifted. Scratched lightly on top of the bandage. Her throat was itchy as hell. Another thing adding to her irritation.
"No scratching," came Emma and Henry's voices in unison.
And there's another thing. Being reprimanded was definitely not on Regina's wish list today. She scowled and raised an eyebrow at both of them.
"I know it's itchy," Emma said softly as she squeezed Regina's hand. "But you can't scratch it. You'll mess up the stiches."
Did her ears deceive her, or did Emma sound the littlest bit condescending? Like she was talking to a child? Regina's temper flared, but she refused to let it get the best of her. She took a deep breath and tried to get her irrational anger under control.
"You good?" Emma asked with the slightest tilt of her head.
Regina gave a quick nod in answer. She was fine. As long as she didn't think of the dull pain in her abdomen. And as long as people stopped asking her if she was fine. Then she would be absolutely great. Regina silently counted to ten. She supposed that she should be grateful that her period was here. She was supposed to have it last week, but for some reason, it hadn't shown up. Maybe because she had been in emotional distress or whatever. But now it was here. In full force. Her breasts were sore. Her abdomen was cramping. And it didn't take much to tick her off today. She was in an absolutely dreadful mood. All she wanted to do was to sit down.
The elevator dinged, and all three of them stepped out. Henry once again went ahead. He was in high spirits this morning. Lucky him.
Emma wrestled her duffel bag onto her shoulder, and Regina lifted her suitcase. Then they went down the hallway towards the lobby where Zelena was waiting for them.
"Want me to grab that for you?" Emma offered, nodding towards her suitcase.
Regina shook her head no.
"You sure? I don't want you strain your-"
Regina looked poignantly at Emma and felt a muscle clench in her jaw. She really needed for her to stop offering to help her out all the time.
"I'm sorry," Emma back pedaled. "I'm being annoying."
No. No, of course not. She reached out and touched Emma's hand in a silent apology. Emma was not annoying. Never. She was the one being overly touchy and testy this morning. And she wished that she could snap out of it. She wished that there wasn't a part of her that wasn't annoyed at Emma.
Zelena was indeed waiting for them in the lobby. She had her own suitcase in hand. All four of them headed outside where a taxi would take them to the station so Regina, Emma and Henry could get on the train back to Vancouver. Afterwards, the taxi would take Zelena to the airport so she could catch her flight. She wasn't much for train rides. And she was probably eager to get home quickly. She had something important to talk to Chad about, after all.
"Are you ready to go home, little sis?" Zelena asked as all four of them piled into the taxi. Henry had just asked if he could sit in the passengers seat next to the driver. Regina was relieved that he had accepted her headshake. Had he started to press the issue, she feared that her temper would flare up again. And she did not want that.
Now she nodded her yes to Zelena's question. She was very much ready to go home.
"We're looking forward to the train ride, aren't we, babe?" Emma grasped her hand and gave it a soft squeeze.
Regina's body had just chosen to work against her and 'reward' her with a pretty severe cramping fit, so she gave a quick nod and mustered a tiny little smile. Good god, that hurt.
"Convincing," Zelena singsong'ed.
The teasing in her voice was enough to make Regina silently snap. She lifted her hands and began to sign aggressively: 'are you saying that I'm not looking forward to spending time with Emma? You should not say that! It doesn't make sense and it's not true either!'
"I wasn't suggesting that you weren't looking forward to spend time with Emma," Zelena said, clearly surprised at Regina's verbal 'attack'. "I was just teasing."
'It wasn't funny, okay? Stop teasing me, I'm not in the mood!'
"Okay, okay." Zelena lifted her hands in clear surrender. "It wasn't funny. I get it."
Was that genuine, or was that more teasing? Regina narrowed her eyes and glared at her sister as she tried to determine whether she was being teased or not. If that was the case, she definitely didn't appreciate it!
"Mom, are you sure you're okay?" Henry asked, forehead creasing with worry. "Does your throat hurt?"
No. Definitely not. Regina made a point of shaking her head firmly before reaching out and patting her son's cheek. God forbid that he should think that she was unwell.
The taxi driver kept talking and talking, and Regina would lie if she claimed that she wasn't trying to come up with ways to murder him. Not that she was planning on going through with any of the attempts, but by all the gods, he was testing her right now. He was testing her big time.
Her abdomen cramped painfully again. God, why was day one always so terrible? Why did it always have to be this bad? Regina silently cussed the rotten luck that had provided her with painful periods. And along with the bleeding came the intense headaches. And the even more intense craving after anything chocolate-y. She needed chocolate right now. Any kind of chocolate. In a cup. In pudding form. She was fine with either. If she could have that right now, she would feel better.
Yes. Some chocolate and the taxi driver shutting his mouth.
"Do you guys live in Vancouver?" He chatted.
Regina gnashed her teeth. Then bit the inside of her cheek. What's it to you, pal? Why's that any of your business? Can't you just do us all a favor and be quiet and drive?
"Yeah, we do," Henry said cheerfully.
"Oh, nice. I was in Vancouver once. Back in the days when I worked as a-"
Bla. Bla. Bla. Seriously, how hard could it be for someone to just shut up? Was he afraid of silence or what? She silently counted to ten and tried to focus on her breathing rather than thinking about how utterly annoyed she was at this man. It was not his fault that she was in a crappy mood. It was not his fault that her uterus was trying to kill her. Okay, maybe not kill her, there was no reason to be that dramatic, but the pain was definitely intense. How did she live through this every single month? And why was the taxi driver still talking? Oh, god. Now he was even laughing. If there was something Regina was not in the mood for, it was laughing.
She tipped her head back and closed her eyes. That typical heavy feeling that always accompanied her period, settled over her. Maybe she would just end up taking a little nap right here in the taxi. Could she actually manage to fall asleep?
No, probably not, but it sure was nice to rest her eyes for five minutes. Even the driver was less annoying when her eyes were closed…
They made it to the train station in good time. Henry was excited and couldn't wait to board the train, and honestly, Regina saw no reason to wait. The train was right there. Better to just climb inside and make themselves comfortable.
"I'll see you in three days," Zelena said as she hugged Regina.
Regina returned the hug and felt quite guilty for how she had snapped at her sister earlier. She shouldn't have done that.
'Take care of yourself,' she signed when Zelena released her.
"I'll take care of myself," Zelena assured her and flashed her a little smile.
"See you in three days, aunt Z!" Henry said as he threw his arms around Zelena and hugged her tightly.
Regina was tempted to tell Henry to be careful with his aunt and not to hug her too tightly. But it wasn't her business to give anything away. It was up to Zelena to announce the big news. When she was ready.
"See you, poppet. You be a good boy for your mom and Emma, alright?"
"I'm always a good boy." Henry made a point of puffing out his chest.
"Of course you are," Zelena said and fondly ruffled her nephew's hair while laughing softly.
"Have a good flight home," Emma said and smiled at Zelena.
"Thank you, miss Swan."
After a few more goodbyes and wishes of a good trip, Regina, Henry and Emma hopped aboard the train. The hallway was full of people who stumbled about, trying to find their compartments. It grated on Regina's nerves. Especially the man who nearly bumped into her because he was busy looking at his goddamn phone. Regina glared at him. Nobody else was going to teach him to watch where he was going instead of looking at his phone. It was up to her.
"I'm so sorry," the man said, taking a step back and looking at her. "I wasn't watching where I was going."
Evidently not. Regina glared at him. She was not about to forgive and forget that easily.
The man went about his way. Perhaps he was actually speed walking a bit. Regina, Emma and Henry continued down the little hallway. Soon they found their compartment. Emma was in charge of the key to the door, and Regina silently counted to ten as Emma struggled with the key. Reminded herself that she could not get annoyed with Emma for not being able to unlock the door immediately. It was probably an old door. Or an old key. Or a rusty old lock. Whatever was going on, it wasn't Emma's fault. She didn't deserve Regina's annoyance.
But it was possible that a muscle in her jaw twitched while she waited.
At last Emma managed to unlock the door. Henry was the first person inside the little compartment. He quickly rolled down the window so he could yell more goodbyes to Zelena.
Regina dumped her suitcase on the floor, unbuttoned her coat and dumped herself on the seat. At long last she could sit down. Without having to get up. Her stomach was thanking her. And so was her stomach. She rubbed her face tiredly. But when the train began moving, she willingly participated in waving goodbye to Zelena along with Emma and Henry.
The train took them away from the station in a gentle rhythm. It was nearly rocking back and forward, and Regina felt like she was being lulled to sleep. At least she did until Henry announced that he needed the bathroom. Perhaps he had been a bit nervous because they were traveling.
"I saw the bathroom on the way," Emma said to him. "It's the third door on the left, kid."
"Thanks, I'll be back soon!"
With that, he dashed off, slamming the door shut behind him so loudly, the sound echoed in Regina's head. She curled her hands into fists and was on the verge of growling in annoyance as she turned her gaze to the ceiling. One of these days she had to remind him not to slam the door behind him.
"Babe?"
Regina turned her head.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
Regina narrowed her eyes. She was getting really, really tired of that question.
"I'm sorry," Emma said hastily, looking like she slowly was approaching a snarling animal. "You just seem a bit... irritated."
Irritated. That was definitely to put it lightly, wasn't it? Regina deflated completely and felt nothing but embarrassed about her previous behavior. She reached within the pocket of her blazer and found her phone. Typed a message on it and decided that she might as well just confess and be honest about what was going on. There was nothing embarrassing about her having her period. 'I'm having my monthly things and it seems to turn me into a murderous old hag. But obviously, that is not an excuse. I know I've been lashing out at you and I'm very sorry about that.' But there was something embarrassing about letting it turn her into a horrible bitch. It wasn't anyone's fault that her uterus was trying to kill her. She felt excessively guilty as she turned the screen towards Emma so she could read the message.
Emma seemed to squint a bit behind her glasses. Then went 'ohhh!' as though everything suddenly made sense again. Then she looked up and acknowledged: "That's ridiculously bad timing."
Regina nodded and felt a bit warm all the sudden.
Emma lifted an eyebrow. "Are you embarrassed about being on your period?"
Regina gave a halfhearted shrug in response. She knew that she shouldn't be, but she was. At least a little bit. This was just another thing Killian Jones had disapproved of. He had forbidden her to leave her boxes of tampons and pads on the shelf in the bathroom. He didn't want to look at them. Claimed that it was 'disgusting'. At least that had been his first opinion about it. At the tail end of their miserable excuse for a relationship, Killian had scowled when she got her period, because he had decided that they should have a baby. Of course he had blamed her for their 'trouble with conceiving'. He had loudly told her that it was her fault.
What he didn't know was that it was one of the few times where he actually had been correct. Regina had absolutely been to blame for their inability to conceive. Because she had taken birth control in secret. And her period had reminded her that she was playing a dangerous game and that the punishment for it would be most severe if Killian found out about it.
But that was a risk she willingly had taken.
Rather play with fire than ending up pregnant and tied to Killian Jones forever.
"Babe," Emma said, leaning in and gently squeezing her hand. "There's nothing embarrassing about it. It's the most natural thing in the world."
She knew that. Of course she knew. But it was still difficult to get used to when all of Killian's degrading comments always echoed a little bit in her mind whenever she was on her period. Regina's mouth twisted a little.
"I'm getting to see all the different sides of you," Emma said, now grinning sweetly at her. "I'm pretty lucky."
Regina scoffed. She wasn't so sure there was anything lucky about witnessing her acting like a complete and utter bitch.
"I'm sorry you're feeling bad. Is there anything I can do?"
Regina shook her head gravely. Unfortunately, there was absolutely nothing Emma could do about this.
Emma of course wasn't one for giving up, though. She looked at Regina's tight pencil skirt. "You know, it might be more comfortable if you changed into something a bit... looser?"
Regina pursed her lips. She had actually considered that when getting dressed this morning, but then she had remembered that she was traveling and therefore should look presentable and all that.
Which maybe was complete and utter bullshit when you thought about it.
Maybe she didn't have to look 'presentable' and dressed up today. Maybe she was listening too much to Killian Jones' mocking voice in her head rather than listening to her own wishes. Which definitely wasn't right.
She made a snap decision and reached underneath the seat. Grabbed her suitcase and flipped it open. She found the soft, grey sweatpants she had been living in in the hospital. Then tugged the blinds down so the window in the door was covered. She wanted privacy when changing her clothes.
When that was done, she undid the side zipper in her skirt, and when it loosened around her waist, she used a moment and fumbled with the garter belt she for some ridiculous reason had put on this morning. Why had she strained to appear sexy? Why had she kept listening to all the shit Killian once had said to her?
Never again.
"Are you wearing a garter belt?"
The question had Regina quirking an eyebrow in amusement as she slowly nodded.
"May the lord have mercy." Emma groaned. "What color is it?"
Rather than wasting time with signing the color, Regina smirked slightly as she unclipped the garter belt, slipped it off and then waved said red garter belt at Emma.
"I might die," Emma casually announced.
Let's hope not. Regina rolled her eyes as she stepped out of the skirt and rolled the sheer stockings down her legs in a quick, fluid motion. She reached for the grey sweatpants and put them on. Tied them loosely around her waist. Frown deepening as she put a flat hand on her abdomen. Applying any sort of pressure to her belly hurt. She wasn't going to do that. Regina turned so she could look at herself from a sideway position. She glanced down at her belly. It was sticking out. But was it sticking out more than usually?
It did. She was bloated, wasn't she?
"I can't see any bloating."
Emma sounded very soft and convincing. But Regina wasn't so sure. She lifted an eyebrow.
"I mean it," Emma said firmly. "You look beautiful."
Still unconvinced, Regina scowled as she opened the lines of buttons in the cream colored blouse she had put on this morning. Now she wasn't completely sure why. The blouse was so tight. So uncomfortable. She slid the blouse down her shoulders and felt sort of relieved now that she wasn't wearing it anymore.
"I think I might need to lie down."
The casual remark did not alarm Regina. Emma sounded quite joking, but she wasn't entirely sure what the joke was. Regina turned to face her.
"And now I need a heart starter."
A heart starter? What? Regina was very confused. Until she followed Emma's gaze and realized exactly what Emma was looking at. Her breasts. Oh. Ohhh. Yes, they always became a bit bigger when she was on her period. And sore too. Very sore, actually. Even if they hadn't been victims to the 'no sex for six weeks' rule, Regina doubted that she would have had any interest in Emma getting anywhere near her breasts today.
"Could you please do me a favor and pack those away?" Emma was joking again, and Regina had finally reached a place where she was capable of appreciating the joke. She smiled as she reached within her suitcase a second time and found a plain, grey t-shirt that was made of the same, soft material as her sweatpants. She pulled the t-shirt over her head and winced a bit when it accidentally brushed against her bandaged throat.
"Do you need some help with that?" No more joking. Emma's voice was all softness and concern now.
Regina shook her head in negative, though. She could do this without compromising her throat. She pulled the t-shirt down, so it covered her stomach. Smoothened it. And at the same time searched for signs of bloating. Which she shouldn't. It wasn't right. Or healthy. There was nothing wrong with being bloated. It was completely normal to be bloated when on her period.
She was glad that her ridiculous little search was interrupted when Henry came back. "There was a super long line to the bathroom," he complained.
He sounded petulant, Regina couldn't help being amused.
"And I got lost too!" Henry huffed, clearly feeling mighty sorry for himself as he plopped down next to Emma on the seat. "I ended up in the eating area instead!"
"Maybe you didn't listen properly to my directions?" Emma suggested. Her voice was all innocence, but Regina could hear the teasing bubbling just beneath the surface.
And Henry clearly could too. "I did!" He firmly claimed. "Maybe you gave me the wrong directions?"
"Impossible," Emma snickered.
How wonderfully stubborn they both were, Regina thought to herself and smiled.
Henry scowled at Emma. But only for a moment. Then his face lit up in a smile as he said: "but guess what we're having for dessert tonight?"
"What are we having?" Emma asked, and Regina smiled again. She could tell that the excitement wasn't feigned. It was completely genuine. Fewer things made Emma happier than dessert, Regina knew that. And she adored Emma for it. Found it to be ridiculously charming.
"Chocolate pudding!"
"No way! Really?"
God, yes. Emma wasn't the only one who was excited now. Chocolate pudding. It was almost too good to be true. They were having chocolate pudding on the night where Regina craved chocolate. And the chocolate would come to her in a texture, that made it possible for her to actually eat it. Pudding was on her list over things she could eat. Things that wouldn't make her throat hurt.
Maybe it was her lucky day after all. Regina felt like she had just won the lottery, and maybe she looked like it too. Either way, Emma chuckled softly and gave her elbow a little squeeze.
"Doesn't that sound awesome?" Henry asked. His eyes were shining. Clearly, this was the best possible start of their little train ride adventure.
Regina completely agreed with that.
"That sounds very good, kid," Emma smilingly agreed.
"And mom can have it too," Henry continued and turned his head to look at Regina.
Hell yes she could. Regina smiled at her son. Tonight she was going to stuff her face with chocolate pudding, and she wasn't gonna feel one bit guilty about it.
"So?" Henry asked, shifting slightly in his seat. "What are we supposed to do on a three day long train ride?"
"Read?" was Emma's first suggestion.
'That's a great suggestion,' Regina backed up her girlfriend through Sign Language. 'Perhaps you could read more of that book you're supposed to read for school.'
"I don't wanna do that. That's boring," Henry said and sounded exactly like the ten year old kid he was.
Emma laughed but Regina frowned a bit. What a cheeky little comeback Henry had just delivered.
"What did you guys do on the first train ride?"
Well…. Regina discreetly bit her lip as the memories of what they had done on the way to Toronto, filled her mind. Those wonderful three day they had spent in bed.
"Err... we looked at the view."
The view. Right. Yes. The view. And what a glorious view that had been. All those delicious warm feelings filled Regina. It was impossible to not think about those three amazing days where they had enjoyed each other in a bed that was just a little bit too small for such activities. It hadn't mattered. They had made it work. And from now on, Regina would always consider making love in a train to be one of the most romantic things in the world.
"Mom? Mom!"
A hand being waved in front of her face, quickly had Regina snapping out of her fantasies. She immediately remembered where she was, and more importantly, who she was with. Now was definitely not the time to think about what she and Emma had been up to the last time they traveled by train. She shot Emma a warning glance when she snickered.
Emma quickly got her facial features under control.
"You guys are being weird again," Henry flatly informed them.
"And you're rude," Emma nonchalantly shot back.
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are."
"Am not."
"Are too."
Good god. Regina rolled her eyes and found her phone. Felt compelled to comment on their ridiculousness. 'I wasn't aware that I had two children.', she wrote and placed her phone on the table so both Emma and Henry could see the message.
Henry found it funny and laughed, but Emma mock sneered at her and dramatically announced: "you break my heart, babe."
They really couldn't have that. Regina leaned forward a bit so she could give Emma's cheek a gentle caress.
"And I think you've just mended it," Emma quipped, green eyes sparkling behind her glasses. "Just like that. It's a miracle."
Pretending to be haughty was rather fun. Regina made a point of scoffing. But deep down, she was melting. Over Emma's behavior. And over how good Emma looked in her glasses.
Meanwhile, Henry had leaned back in his seat and was now looking at them while grinning from ear to ear.
"Why are you grinning like The Joker, kid?" Emma asked him. While grinning herself. And (in Regina's mind) doing a rather phenomenal impression of The Joker herself.
"You and mom are being dopey," Henry declared, grin still etched onto his face.
"Did you hear that, babe?" Cheeky grin equally adorning Emma's face as she looked at Regina. "We're being dopey."
Indeed? 'That's nice', Regina wrote on her phone and added a little winking emoji before placing the phone back on the little table.
"Did you just wink at me?" Emma asked. And failed utterly at sounding surprised.
Why yes, she did. And she had no problem with doing it again. To prove that, Regina winked. In real life.
Emma smiled at her. But after a moment, the look in her eyes became ever so slightly distant. In a way that had Regina believing that Emma was thinking deeply about something. Regina wondered what Emma was thinking about. She hoped that it wasn't something bad. In fact she wanted to make sure that it wasn't something bad. She patted Emma's hand softly. And when Emma looked up at her, Regina tilted her head, silently asking if everything was okay.
"I was just zoning out for a moment," Emma, cute grin adorning her face once more. "Maybe I need a nap or something like that. We were up pretty early."
That was true. Regina reached for her phone, was about to write a new message, but she was interrupted when her stomach started growling loudly. Oh dear.
"What on earth was that?" Emma asked innocently. In a way that more than suggested that she knew exactly what 'that' was.
"That was mom's stomach," Henry said casually.
"Really?" Emma looked at her. Amusement was tugging at the corners of her lips.
Regina shook her head and tried her best to deny all allegations.
But her body completely and utterly betrayed her when it growled again. Louder than the previous time.
"Someone is hungry," Emma smiled. "Want me to grab you a snack or something?"
Regina shook her head. It hadn't been that long since they had breakfast. She shouldn't be eating anything now. That would only ruin her appetite for lunch.
"You're sure? You didn't have that much for breakfast," Emma pointed out.
That was true. She hadn't had much of an appetite earlier this morning. Her stomach had been killing her. Which it still was.
"How about some cocoa?" Henry helpfully suggested.
Good suggestion. Regina could do with some cocoa. She was in the mood for something that was sweet and warm and had lots of sugar in it.
"Oooh, I like the way your mind works, kid," Emma said to Henry. "Cocoa it is. Wanna help me on this quest, kid?"
"Yup!" on quick feet, Henry stood from the seat. Ready to go immediately.
"We'll be right back, babe." Emma too was quick as she got up. "Stay put."
Absolutely. Regina was more than fine with 'staying put'. As Emma and Henry disappeared out of the compartment in fits of giggles over some unknown joke, Regina closed her eyes and tipped her head back. Comfortable tiredness washed over her. Yes, her stomach hurt, but apart from that, she was okay. Her throat wasn't hurting much. She was on her way back to Vancouver with her son and girlfriend beside her. Soon she would be moving in with Emma. The road that eventually would lead to Henry's recovery had been paved. Henry was feeling better. Smiling came easier to him. The haunted look in his eyes was gone. He had gradually started to find his way back to the happy, carefree kid he once was. Regina would be there every step of the way. And she was optimistic that her son's childhood hadn't been ruined.
Life was pretty good…
"Babe?" A warm hand on her arm.
Regina stirred in her sleep and opened her eyes. Oh dear. She had clearly fallen asleep. Oops. That hadn't been the intention.
"We brought you cocoa," Emma said gently. "And it would be a shame if it got cold."
"And you were snoring."
What?! Regina stared at Emma. Was she snoring? Was that a thing? Had she been snoring all along and Emma hadn't told her?
"You weren't," Emma said quickly. "Your son is just a trickster. You weren't snoring. Don't worry."
Oh. Thank god. What a relief. Regina relaxed once more.
"You're no fun," Henry said, voice flat but growing softer when he added: "Ma."
Ma? Regina tilted her head.
"Henry's brilliant new nickname for me," Emma explained with a chuckle.
No…. No, there was more to it than that. This was more than a fun little nickname. Regina could put two and two together. 'Ma' wasn't just a nickname. It was title. A shorter, funnier way of saying 'mom'. Henry saw Emma as his mom.
Nothing, literally nothing could have made Regina happier. Henry had so often said that they were a family, and he was absolutely right. They were a family. And Emma Swan was so much more than just Regina's girlfriend. She was a steady rock in their life. She was the person Henry finally had told his grim secret to. She had been the first person to console him. And she had given him the strength to finally come to Regina with the secret.
If Emma wasn't worthy to be Henry's 'Ma', Regina didn't know who was.
She realized that Henry was looking at her. He looked a bit concerned. As though he feared that Regina for whatever reason wouldn't approve of the special nickname he had given Emma.
Eager to show him that that wasn't the case at all, Regina leaned forward and patted his cheek softly. Then she turned her head and kissed Emma on the cheek. She was incredibly happy that Henry was seeing Emma as his mom. That meant so much to her.
Henry had nothing to add. He didn't call them out on being 'gross' or pull any faces. He just sat there and smiled beamingly at both of them, full well knowing that Regina had understood exactly what 'Ma' meant.
Of course Emma had figured it out too. "Hey, kid?" she said lightly.
"Yeah?" Henry said around a mouthful of hot cocoa he hastily swallowed.
"I love you," Emma said just as lightly.
Regina's heart swelled, and she thought to herself that it was mighty unfair of them to make her this emotional today of all days. She was vulnerable, god damnit!
Henry grinned at Emma. "I love you too. Ma."
Okay, they nearly got her there. Regina had to discreetly wipe her eyes, but when Emma looked at her, she hastily snatched her own cup of cocoa. She took a sip and could have swooned right then and there. It. Tasted. So. Good. It didn't even matter that it was from a box and probably couldn't be considered to be 'good'. Nor did it matter that Emma was laughing softly and cheekily at her. Right now, this cocoa was exactly what Regina needed…
Morning, midday and early afternoon blended together as the train took them farther and farther away from Toronto. They spend the time doing nice things. Such as playing cards. Regina won. Much to the disdain of Emma and Henry. Either of them weren't very good at loosing.
"You're cheating," Emma claimed.
"Yeah, what Ma said!" Henry added. "You're cheating, mom!"
Regina scoffed, unimpressed. 'Or perhaps the two of you simply can't handle that I'm better at cards than you are.', she signed and felt every bit superior.
"Played a lot of poker, have you, Mills?" Emma joked.
Was she implying that Regina was hiding behind a pokerface? Damn cheek.
"Yeah, she and auntie Mal used to play poker a lot," Henry absentmindedly said whilst scowling at the cards laying on the table.
"Really?"
Oh yes. Regina nodded. That was entirely correct. She and Mal did indeed use to play poker. A long time ago.
"Did you win?"
Regina flashed Emma a slow, lazy smile. Of course she'd won.
"Auntie Mal called her a dirty little cheater."
Unfortunately that was true too. Regina scowled. Malena hadn't been very good at loosing either.
"Well then, poker player," Emma chuckled she grabbed the cards from the table. "Why don't you shuffle then?"
Fine. Regina took the cards from her girlfriend and easily shuffled the cards.
"Impressive," Emma complimented her.
Why, thank you. She could tell that Emma was impressed. Good. She liked when Emma was impressed. It made her feel all sorts of good. She flashed her girlfriend a little smile. Noticed that Emma had a particular look in her eyes. Was there a chance that Emma found her card-shuffling skills to be sexy?
Regina certainly hoped so.
After their game of cards (Regina won again!) it was time for lunch. They headed into the dining area to have something to eat. Regina used her motherly influence to coax Henry into getting something healthy. Avocado sandwich was the choice. Not French fries. Regina suspected that he would have that at some point during these three days.
Emma chose a chicken salad, and Regina was every bit envious as she got served the mushroom soup she had been forced to choose. It looked bland. But tasting it properly wasn't really on top of her list. Swallowing hurt.
"Do you need a painkiller, beautiful?" Emma asked thoughtfully. "You can totally have one now if you need one."
Regina shook her head and mouthed that she was fine. She wasn't, not really, but she didn't want to make a scene. She preferred to wait until later. When it was time for bed.
Fortunately enough, Henry claimed Emma's attention by raising his glass and toasting. To the train ride. And…
"To moving in together soon!" He said loudly.
Both Regina and Emma were more than willing to toast to that…
Later that night, Regina's wish was granted. Chocolate pudding. First onion soup (which wasn't bad, but it wasn't roast and potatoes either) and then chocolate pudding.
Regina gobbled it down. Literally. The first bite brought her imminent joy and she immediately craved more.
"Is that better than jello, beautiful?" Emma asked her.
Regina nodded eagerly, swallowing another mouthful of the delicious chocolate-y stuff. Then another. Pain flared up in her throat, and she winced the littlest bit. She pushed it back, though. Nothing, not even throat pain should keep her from eating this delicious chocolate pudding.
"Slow down," Emma said gently.
What? Regina lifted her head and lowered the spoon. She squinted slightly as she looked at Emma. She did understand that Regina had been looking forward to this all night, right?
"I don't want you to hurt yourself," Emma said softly. "I'm not trying to come between you and the pudding."
She sounded so apologetic, Regina felt bad. As her cheeks heated up, she reminded herself that it was not Emma's fault that she was hungry and cranky. 'Sorry', she mouthed and felt like she might have deserved it when her abdomen cramped.
"Don't apologize," Emma said lightly. "I'm just glad to see that your appetite has come back."
That it had. Regina smiled at her girlfriend. Then took Emma's advise and slowed down some. It was actually nicer like this. Savoring the pudding was always a good idea. She delicately licked the spoon. Then noticed that Emma appeared to be looking at her. Regina made eye contact with her and smirked. Did her eyes deceive her, or did Emma enjoy the sight of her eating pudding?
It certainly looked like it.
"You guys are being weird again," Henry said flatly.
Emma snickered. "Apparently, we're being weird again."
Indeed? Regina blinked innocently. Was glad that Henry hadn't noticed them flirting shamelessly.
Emma suddenly got very busy eating her slice of cheesecake, and Regina was silently amused as she concentrated on the chocolate pudding. It tasted absolutely fantastic. Held Regina's attention completely. And that was a good thing. She had been so focused on getting chocolate pudding that she had forgotten to put on a scarf tonight. She had only realized it once she was already sitting at the table. But she quickly decided not to make a big deal out of it. So she was wearing a bandage on her throat? So what? Why should she care if people looked at her? It should not bother her. The bandage on her throat was her business. Not theirs.
And she doubted that anyone would be bold enough to come and ask her about it. Henry had stared down two people who looked quite rudely at the bandage on her throat. That had quite quickly made them avert their eyes.
Emma had given him a high five, and Regina hadn't scolded him for being rude. Mainly because she didn't find him to be rude. He was protecting his mother. There was nothing bad about that, was there?
No. Henry was a proper little gentleman, and Regina was immensely proud of him. Perhaps his method was a bit influenced by his youth, but essentially, he was right. People had no business staring at her. Staring was rude. It would never be right to stare at someone. Especially not if that someone had some kind of injury.
Regina leaned forward slightly and made eye contact with her son. Flashed him a little smile Just because she could.
Henry of course returned the smile. He looked a bit confused, but Regina did nothing to bring him any clarification. She didn't have to make a big scene out of this either. It was enough to be silently proud of her son.
And be silently proud of herself too. Because here she was, dining with her family. In public. With no scarf. That was a big deal.
The more she ate, the more fatigued she felt. This was the first day she had been up and about without taking a proper nap, and she was starting to feel it. Though the fact that she was on her period heightened her exhaustion too.
"Do you want to go to bed after we've finished dessert?" Emma asked softly.
Regina nodded and admitted in a note: 'I feel quite tired now.'
"Bedtime it is then," Emma decided, turning her head to look at Henry. "You don't mind that do you, kid?"
"No," Henry said and shrugged. "I think it's pretty cool, actually. I've never slept in a train. At least not in a bed."
That was actually true. He hadn't. Regina smiled at her son.
"I'm down for an early night too," Emma said. "I actually can't wait!"
'That's sweet, but you two don't have to go to bed just because I do. You could stay here,' Regina suggested, briefly putting her spoon down so she could sign.
"No!"
"Nope. We're going to bed too. I'm afraid you're stuck with us, Mills."
"Sorry not sorry," Henry added with a grin.
Those two. Regina shook her head and smiled. She didn't mind being stuck with them at all. In fact she could not imagine being 'stuck' with better company than these two..
Their sleep cabin was nice. Very nice. Exactly like the other sleep cabin. It was also very similar to the previous sleep cabin. The only difference was that this was a tiny bit bigger. And had an extra bed. Henry quickly announced that he loved it, and while he and Emma made themselves at home, Regina took a quick shower. The hot water gave only temporary relief to her cramping back muscles. She was looking forward to laying down and getting some rest.
When she was done in the shower, it was Emma's turn. She too was quick. Almost too quick. Henry was a bit reluctant to shower, but Regina managed to convince him, and off he went.
Regina was sitting on the bed and waiting. It was time to change her bandage, and she was trying to find a comfortable sitting position. It was a bit tricky today. She shifted. Winced and rubbed her lower back.
"Cramps?"
Regina nodded. Not only that. Bad cramps. Why couldn't her period just consist of mild cramping and light spotting? Why did it have to be so goddamn painful every single time?
"I'm sorry babe," Emma said affectionately, fiddling a bit as she slipped on a pair of latex gloves. "I'll give you a backrub when we're in bed."
Oh? Regina stopped wincing. That was definitely more than she had hoped for. She would definitely not say no to a backrub.
"Are you ready to have your bandage changed?"
She nodded, tipped her head back slightly.
"Okay. Here we go." With gentle hands, Emma peeled the tape away from her throat.
It didn't hurt. The only reason why Regina was shifting, was because her lower back hurt and she couldn't get comfortable. Damn back. It felt like it was trying to kill her. And her abdomen wasn't much better. The cramps were… intense. Regina bitterly thought to herself that it probably would have been more comfortable to have her uterus squeezed right now.
"There we go," Emma said just as Regina felt the last bit of the tape slip off her skin. The bandage followed suit. It didn't hurt. Easy breezy.
But having the large plaster removed was still not comfortable. It pulled at her skin, pulled at the wound. She swallowed. Tried not to wince too much, but might have ended up doing so anyway.
"I'll be as quick as I can," Emma soothed.
Regina gave a nod and closed her eyes. Now was the time to focus on her breathing rather than what was going on around her. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Nice and slowly. Emma didn't say anything. Didn't smalltalk. Regina appreciated that. She appreciated that Emma didn't find it necessary to talk during this.
She felt the plaster being pulled away from her throat and knew that the wound on her throat was quite visible. It did not bother her. She was okay with Emma looking at her throat. It was important that the wound was being looked after. And Emma was so, so good at looking after it.
"Little swollen, but nothing too bad," Emma told her and squinted slightly behind the glasses. "The stitches looks fine. As I've said, you are a gold star patient, darling." She took off the pair of latex gloves, threw them in the bin and then slipped on a new pair. Soon she was rubbing ointment into Regina's skin, and Regina exhaled softly.
"That feels good?"
Regina nodded in confirmation. It felt very nice. Very soothing.
"Less itchy?"
Definitely less itchy. Regina nodded again.
"Good," Emma said, now with a dash of humor in her voice. "And am I still your favorite nurse?"
Of course! She smiled widely at Emma. Obviously, Emma was her favorite nurse. The best nurse in the whole wide world.
"I'll seriously have to buy that nurse uniform."
Goodness. Regina didn't know what was 'worse'. The casual way Emma said it, or the delightful images popping up in Regina's head. She had absolutely no problem with picturing Emma in a sexy nurses' uniform.
Emma concluded the little ointment-moment, and while she put the tube away and changed gloves, Regina rolled her head from side to side. Then used her hand to fan her throat. She always got so warm and sticky under the bandage. She appreciated the little moments where she was not wearing a plaster or a bandage.
Emma knew that, and she was sweet enough to give Regina a few minutes without the bandage before asking: "ready?"
That Regina was. She tipped her head back again and focused on her breathing while Emma placed a new plaster on her throat. She was so gentle as she patted the edges to assure they didn't crinkle or fold in any way that could irritate Regina's skin. Next was the bandage. And then finally, the medical tape.
Sensing that Emma was done, Regina moved her head forward again.
"There we go. All done," Emma said with a smile. "Does it feel okay?"
Checking, Regina moved her head from side to side. Tipped her chin towards her chest. Nothing was pulling or snagging at her skin. Emma had done it again. She smiled broadly and gave Emma a thumbs-up.
"Awesome," Emma was grinning now. "Nurse Swan does it again."
Absolutely. Once again, that delightful image of Emma in a scandalously short and skimpy nurses uniform popped up in Regina's mind. She smirked.
But Henry chose this exact moment to come back from the bathroom. "All good?" He asked.
"Yup," Emma briskly confirmed. "Your mom is an awesome patient."
Henry grinned and Regina feared for his jaw when he let out a massive yawn.
'Someone is tired,' she signed and smiled softly at her son.
"I'm not tired," Henry claimed, causing all three of them to laugh because that definitely wasn't true.
"Well, while the two of you discuss that, I think I'll go to bed," Emma announced as she slipped into bed and stretched out like a cat in the sun. Her golden hair fanned out on the pillow. She looked so beautiful like that.
Regina downed her nightly pill with lots of water. Then she tucked her son in and kissed his forehead and cheek. Henry gave her a big hug, and Regina switched off the light and slipped into bed next to Emma with the feeling that it would be a good night.
As soon as she was in bed, Emma started to gently rub her lower back in slow circles. Now Regina was the one who felt like a cat in the sun. A very comfortable, very lucky cat, that was. God, that felt good!
"Cramps very bad?" Emma kissed the top of her head.
Regina smiled and shook her head. Not so bad now. Lying down helped a lot.
"And how about the throat? On a scale on one to ten?"
Honesty really was the best way to go about this. Regina made a point of smiling softly as she held up seven fingers.
Emma reacted exactly as expected. "Seven? I'm not so sure I like that, babe. But that painkiller is gonna work pretty soon, yeah?"
'And knock me out completely,' Regina signed with an agreeing nod.
"And make you sleepy," Emma said with a grin. "Yeah, I know. You'll probably conk out in ten seconds."
Regina answered by giving her arm the gentlest of whaps. Then she reached back so she could give Emma's hand an impatient pat. Somewhere along the way, Emma had stopped rubbing her back, and they really couldn't have that.
"Yes, ma'am," Emma said with faux seriousness as she quickly resumed rubbing Regina's back.
Regina exhaled and blinked slowly. She could already feel her eyelids drooping.
"Goodnight, mom!" Henry called from his bed in the corner of the room. "Goodnight, Ma!"
"Goodnight, kiddo!"
Regina settled for tapping the bedside table lightly.
"Sleep well," Emma continued. "And wake us if you have nightmares, okay? You don't have to try and go back to sleep on your own. It's better to talk about it."
"Okay," Henry replied. "I don't think I'll have nightmares tonight, though, but thanks, Ma."
"Your welcome, kiddo."
It felt like Regina's heart was going to burst. There was so much meaning in that little interaction between Emma and Henry. Her boy had gone quiet. Perhaps he was already asleep. But Regina wasn't quite ready to go to sleep yet. When Emma turned her head, Regina made eye contact with her and prompted Emma to ask: "what?"
She reached for her phone and squinted when the bright light irritated her eyes. She should have thought of lowering that. But right now she was too busy typing a reply for Emma. 'I just love that you're so good with him. I love how much you love him.', she wrote and then showed Emma the message.
"Well..." Emma plucked the phone out of her hand and dumped it on the bedside table. She then hugged Regina closer. "I love how much you love that I love him."
The complicated sentence made Regina smile.
"And I love how much I love you," Emma continued. "And I love how much you love that I love you."
Regina cupped her cheek. If she wasn't so gods damned tired, she would have kissed Emma.
"It's gonna be good to come home," Emma said and smiled at her. "One step closer to moving in together, right?"
Right. Regina couldn't wait for that. She turned around in Emma's arms, so they were chest-to-back once more.
"Now then... Let's do something about those cramps, eh?"
It was one very happy Regina who drifted off to sleep with Emma hands rubbing her back and her hair tickling her cheek. And she certainly wouldn't have it any other way!
To Be Continued….