So this is longer than a diary entry, I couldn't get much written in 400 words. I wanted to post this tomorrow but the timings wouldn't work for the idea I had and so I just wrote an extra chapter today. I hope you like the different idea.


January 18th 2017


Emma shut the diary with a grin, glancing at the clock. Though it was 11:45 at night, and Emma had been awake since 5am she was not tired, it seemed she'd been in a perpetual state of alertness since Regina had shown up in her hospital room. She could barely believe it had only been a number of hours since she'd arrived and the woman she believed could be the love of her life was asleep beside her.

The blonde had been distracted, trying to find a way to explain to her parents, let alone her son how she'd managed to get shot while chasing a particularly slippery criminal, when she sensed movement in the doorway. Assuming it was a nurse coming in to check her temperature and blood pressure, again, she'd continued to write, scrunching the paper and ripping another page from her spare notebook.

She hadn't expected Regina to move next to her and pull the pen from her grip, causing the still slightly concussed sheriff to glance up at her in shock. She had expected the mask of anger that was clear on Regina's face, but she didn't anticipate to be wrapped up in a tight hug, courtesy of the mayor.

She had explained the reason she was in hospital, gunshot wound to the abdomen and a mild concussion meant she wasn't able to leave the hospital without someone to assist her at home. Emma had tried to discharge herself after she had woken from surgery, but had ripped her stitches when she tried to get out of bed, and the fact that she had taken a bullet to her spleen meant that the doctor was not allowing her to step foot outside the hospital until she had someone to take her home and stay with her.

As soon as Emma had explained it all to Regina, still reeling from the feeling of her warm arms around her, Regina had gone to sign the papers as Emma had tried to get herself dressed. Her shirt that had been covered in blood had been destroyed and so the blonde struggled to pull on a scrub top she had been given, before attempting to pull on her slacks, hissing when she bent over. She sat on the edge of the bed, embarrassed until Regina returned, who took one look at the miserable blonde and sighed, kneeling down to help. Emma rested her hands on Regina's shoulders as she stood gingerly to allow Regina to button the slacks, before throwing caution to the wind and wrapped her arms around the brunette, thanking her for coming.

The rest of the day was much of the same; Emma pretending she didn't need assistance, Regina sighing when she saw how much pain her friend was in, before insisting that Emma allowed her to help. It was only when Regina had cooked Lasagne for dinner when Emma finally stopped pretending.

"Regina, I can't thank you enough for coming here… I know you have your own life, but when they told me to call someone, you were the first one that came to mind…" Regina smiled shyly and Emma could swear the brunette looked a little self-conscious.

"I'll be honest Miss Swan, I, am a little angry that you didn't call me or your parents straight away. At least one of us would have been straight down here to help you… but I am… honoured, let's say that I was your first choice. I must say I have missed you in Storybrooke. And in the idea of being candid, I will share with you that I was contemplating taking Henry out of school and using it as an excuse to come and see you." Regina looked wide-eyed at the sudden truth-telling that had occurred as Emma blushed. The blonde dropped her fork and reached across the table to take her sons mother's hand.

"I think we have a lot to talk about…"

The couple had then moved to the sofa and talked late into the evening, only stopping when Emma almost admitted her feelings to the brunette. Emma had withdrawn from the conversation and suggested it was bedtime, proposing she too the sofa so Regina could have the bed. That had caused an argument, with Regina reiterating Emma's injury and Emma pointing out Regina was her guest. Eventually they agreed on sharing the bed, platonically of course, much to the irritation of Regina and the slight sadness from Emma.

They moved on to talking about Henry, until Regina began to fall asleep, and without thinking, the mayor had leaned over and kissed the sheriff as if it was a habit, part of her normal routine. Emma had frozen, expecting Regina to get angry or run away, but instead she had blushed and murmured a quiet goodnight before rolling over and quickly falling asleep. Emma had watched her for a few moments, her fingertips touching her lips at the spot that seemed to be tingling from Regina's touch, before she pulled out her diary and began to write. Halfway through a letter to Henry, Regina had rolled over in her sleep and was now facing Emma, a serene smile covering her face.

Sliding that diary under her pillow, Emma leaned over to press a kiss to Regina's temple, hesitating at the idea that she could be invading her personal space, before the urge to kiss her was just too strong. She lay down, facing the brunette, but allowing at least a foot between them, and gingerly took her hand, smiling at the tingling sensation that erupted under her skin. She watched her sleep for a few seconds before muttering quietly, more to herself than the sleeping form.

"I just want to tell you that I am so thankful for you Gina…" Now comfortable, and happier than she had felt in a long time, the blonde fell asleep.


So let me know what you thought of the different type of chapter, if I should do this more often. If you think I should, I'll probably have to do some days of this for it to flow but I find it easier at least a little to write like this than one sided diary entries.