Regina was walking out of the bathroom, through her bedroom and into the kitchen and dining area. Emma followed her and sat down at the chair Regina was holding out for her by the dining table.

"So, Emma."

Emma could feel it coming. The serious talk they were bound to have at some point. Because hadn't Regina just found her passed out in the bathroom? Hadn't Regina just literally had to help her like you help a child who can't wash on their own? Of course, there would be questions.

Regina headed back to the stove and pulled a pot over and turned on the heat before sitting down on a chair across the table from Emma.

"I don't know how to talk about this in a way that doesn't make you uncomfortable or makes you want to run away, or have me stay out of your life, but something has to change Emma."

Regina folded her hands in front of her and tried to keep her voice as steady as she could.

"I don't want to think about how close you are to actually be dying at this point. The only thing I should do – the only responsible thing to do – would have been to take you to a hospital where they could make sure you didn't."

Regina's voice was getting thick with emotion and Emma felt the urge to get up and away from the table.

"I won't… Yet… I am giving this a chance, but Emma, if you don't show any signs of getting better at all I see no other choice. I couldn't stand it if you… If you were to… If you weren't here anymore," Regina was properly crying at this point. Tears were streaming down her face and Emma's face was burning.

Emma opened her mouth to answer but Regina beat her to it.

"So this is how it is going to go," she wiped her tears from her face and sat up a little straighter.

"I will be by your side at any given time. When and if you feel up for it, we will talk. But the main thing is that I will make sure your body gets the nutrients it needs. And that it stays in your body, ok?" Regina gave her some time to think about what she just said and stood up and walked back to the stove.

Emma rested her head in her hands. She couldn't believe how her acting had failed so miserably. The brilliant plan she had and how this was supposed to last only a couple of days. She figured she would have to rethink that plan for now. Emma felt like pulling her hair out and flinging herself to the floor, rolling around, screaming and crying like little kid throwing a tantrum. Instead she sat completely still as Regina placed a bowl in front of her.

"We're starting now. So please, finish the soup."

Regina gave her a spoon before getting her own serving and sitting down at the table again.

Emma picked up the spoon and looked up at Regina who was already eating her own food. She hesitated for another moment before she started to eat her own soup.

She felt how the soup slowly filled her up. It took maybe four spoons of food before her stomach felt like it couldn't take anymore. After trying to get the fifth into her mouth for what felt like ages she finally gave up and put her spoon down. She could feel Regina look at her at this point and looked up to meet her gaze.

"We'll just sit here until you're finished. There's no need to rush."

Regina probably said this to be reassuring. What she didn't seem to know was that Emma could sit here for the rest of the night. Emma would see this as a challenge to eat as slowly as she possibly could.

Then it hit her… Why? Why couldn't she just try to finish this for once and stop being silly about food. Emma shook her head and picked up the spoon again and forced it to her mouth followed by instant regret.

She felt how this was just going worse with every spoonful she got down. Her stomach was filled to what felt like the point of it bursting when she couldn't bear it anymore. The food was coming back up without her even wanting to. She got to her feet and ran to the bathroom, crouched down in front of the toilet just in time to empty her stomach into the bowl.

Soft hands held her hair as she continued getting rid of the dinner. Regina didn't say anything, just let her finish and made sure she was done before letting go of her hair.

Emma couldn't bear to look at Regina at this point, so she merely got to her feet and started washing her mouth and face. She let out a ragged sigh as she glimpsed her reflection in the mirror. Red, empty eyes were staring back at her.

"I didn't mean to," Emma started as she turned around to face Regina again.

"I swear I didn't mean to. I just couldn't keep it down… I tried to, I really did."

She couldn't look at her face, afraid of the disappointment that was sure to be written all over Regina's face. Hadn't she just said she would ship her off to the hospital if the food didn't stay in her system? And Emma would not set foot inside a hospital ever again. She had sworn to herself that last time was the end of it.

She wrapped her arms around herself to reassure herself perhaps, all whilst looking at the floor. She felt so small and vulnerable in front of Regina. After she had just witnessed her not even being able to keep down a few mouthfuls of soup. She waited for a scolding that didn't seem to come.

Gentle hands made contact with her arms. Emma looked up in surprise and found nothing but concern and warmth in Regina's face.

"Is it okay if I touch you?" she asked, not wanting to make Emma feel uncomfortable.

Emma had stiffened at the touch but gave a small nod. Regina's arms wrapped around her frail body and pulled her into a warm and soft embrace.

They stood there for a moment before Emma finally relaxed into her arms and let out a deep sigh.

"Maybe this was too much too soon. Let's try something else, shall we?"

Emma hadn't noticed how Regina had started stroking her back reassuringly but found she didn't mind. Being in Regina's arms like this made her feel safer than what she had felt like in a very long time.

She nodded in agreement to Regina's question. The moment dragged on for what seemed like an eternity for Emma. She could feel the panic starting to build inside of her again and she pulled away.

Regina gave her a small smile and walked back to the kitchen and gave her a glass of water before starting to look through the fridge. Emma took the glass and sat by the table again. The bowl of soup was still in front of her. Nausea crept up in her only by looking at it. She pushed it away and started sipping the water.

Regina placed a small plate of sliced apples in front of her.

"Try some of these perhaps? You always used to like my apples," Regina said before sitting down with her own plate of apples.

Emma thanked her quietly before starting to nibble on one of the slices. It didn't feel too bad. Her stomach still felt sore from just having emptied it into the toilet, but it was bearable.

They sat in silence for a while before Regina spoke again.

"Do you prefer silence while you're eating? Or do you find it easier if we are talking?"

Emma hesitated before answering.

"Uhm… I don't like talking myself, that will just give me an opportunity to avoid eating," she figured she might as well try to be honest to her best ability.

"But if you could I would like for you to talk so I don't have to focus so much on the food I'm actually eating," she added a bit more hesitant.

"Of course, anything you need," Regina answered before she started with a story of what she had done at work before going away with Emma.

Small, mundane things that would probably seem uninteresting to anyone else, but Emma listened and asked a couple of questions and added some comments here and there, but mostly she sat in silence and focused on what Regina was telling her. The time seemed to fly and when she went to pick up another slice of apple, she realized she had finished what was on the plate.

Regina was in the middle of a story of how one of her employees had caused her to lose some paperwork Emma didn't quite understand the meaning of, but it had of course ended with Regina threatening to fire the employee. Emma knew she wouldn't actually do it but smiled at the thought of angry Regina with her useless minions.

This all felt so normal, and so far, she wasn't freaking out about the apple she had just devoured and Emma thought to herself that this might actually work this time.

They had talked for a good while after they both finished eating. It was mostly Regina who talked but it did exactly what Emma had hoped for. It was distracting her from what she had been eating so that she didn't freak out.

When Emma had started yawning, they eventually turned in for the night and Emma had gone upstairs and Regina into her master bedroom.

Emma was currently turning around in bed. Without Regina to talk there was nothing to take her mind off the usual thoughts that haunted her before bed. What she had eaten that day, or the day before or the entire week. Planning the next day's meals and workout. Her head felt like it was on the point of exploding.

Her bare feet met the cold floor when she decided she couldn't take it anymore. She quickly found her clothes and got dressed and tried her very best to be as quiet as she possibly could when walking down the stairs. So far so good. She made it to the entrance and found her sneakers.

She was just finishing tightening the last shoe and doing the knot when she heard noises behind her.

"What are you doing?"

Regina was standing in her pyjamas looking like she just woke up.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going for a run," Emma couldn't help the sarcastic tone to her voice, but she really didn't need Regina to stop her from going out right now.

"At two in the morning?" Regina had stepped closed and looked like she might try to physically stop Emma from going out the door.

"Yes – at two in the morning. I need to get some fresh air," Emma went to open the door, but Regina beat her to it and held a hand on the door, preventing Emma from opening it.

"You are not going for a run. That is out of the question," Regina's voice was stern as if there was no discussion to be had on the subject.

"You can't force me!" Emma felt anger rising through her body as she mustered all her strength before somehow shoving Regina out of the way and ripping the door open.

She didn't look back when she started running from the cabin into the forest where she had gone earlier. The thought of the conversation that was waiting when she got back sent shivers down her spine. She pushed that to the back of her mind as she picked up her pace and continued in through the dark forest.

There was no lighting around her, but it was a clear night and the moon shone enough to let her at least see where she put her feet. It felt so freeing to run from all her thoughts and feelings. Blood pumping through her body, filling her ears with that drum-like sound. Her breath getting louder and the sound of her feet hitting the forest floor was all she needed in this very moment. She had left all her anxiety back at the cabin. Along with the only person who seemed to care about her. Well – Emma thought – that was a worry for another time, and she continued her flight through the forest, not knowing what waited her when she got back.