Author's Note: Hi everyone. Sorry it's been so long. I lost my mom a couple of months back, and that really is taking up a good deal of my time. Anyways, here is the latest chapter, sorry it's so short. Longer one next time I promise!

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Emma came around to the frantic sound of someone calling her name. She shrank away when she recognized the voice. It both drew her and repelled her at the same time. She had heard the voice every night in her sleep since that fateful day in Regina's study. She longed to hear the tone that Regina was now using to call her name, but at the same time she was terrified of it on some level. Regina touched a place in her that she had buried deeply. It was not only a pace of desire, but of regret and terror.

Regina's brows furrowed as Emma cringed from her. Something had spooked the Savior, and Regina wondered what it could be. She pulled back a little and watched Emma's hazel eyes open.

When Emma saw Regina kneeling beside her, she took a slow deep breath, trying to remind herself that this was not the Regina in her dreams. That this was the real one, and the real Regina had no clue what was going on. Emma figured she probably wouldn't care to know. After all, she had made that very clear. Other than amicable associates, there was nothing else there; as least from the side of the former queen.

"Are you alright, Dear?" Regina said. She spoke in a soothing tone, as if Emma were a wild horse that might bolt any minute. Up close Regina realized that Emma did look thinner, she also marked the dark bruises under the other woman's eyes and that Emma lips were raw from where she had been chewing on them.

"Yeah I'm fine," Emma said surprised that Regina even bothered to ask her.

"You don't look fine. Is something the matter?" Regina asked her tone coaxing.

"I'm just not feeling too hot, I may go over and have Doc check me out," Emma lied.

Regina's eyes narrowed at Emma. If Emma wanted to go about things the hard way then that's what they would do.

"Fine. Let's go," Regina said.

Emma looked at her.

"I'm good to go actually. I'll just pick myself up and go make an appointment," Emma said eyeing Regina warily.

"Nonsense you just hit your head and may have a concussion. I need to go with you, should you fall again."

"No really, I'm good." Emma said slowly rising to her feet. She closed her eyes briefly as the room spun dangerously around her.

"Well it's all well and good that you think that Ms. Swan, but I'm still going to have to insist," she said, and then said something she knew would get Emma right where she wanted her, "After all Henry would never forgive me if I let something happen to you. He's worried enough about you already."

Emma winced as she heard that, she really thought she had been doing a good job of hiding stuff from the kid, but apparently she wasn't as good of a faker as she once was, or the kid was getting smarter. She figured it was a combination of both.

"Look, how about we skip Doc's ok? He's a nice guy and all but he lectures way too much, and I'm so not in the mood for that."

Regina looked at Emma for a long time, her gaze reading not only Emma's physical appearance, but also the emotions she saw darting around in the Savior's eye as she tried desperately to avoid looking at Regina and Emma's over all body language as well. She decided they were both done with this nonsense.

She nodded to Emma, and stepped beside the blonde, before Emma could back away or question her as to why, Regina waved her hand. Instantly they were standing in the foyer to the mayor's home. As Regina expected the brief magical journey left Emma unsteady on her feet; Regina reached out and caught Emma before she fell.

"Emma," Regina said stepping in front of the younger woman," Will you come with me into my study? We can dine together and talk."

Emma shook her head, and felt the world tilt dangerously. Regina sighed.

"When was the last time you ate? I mean really ate, not just nibbled."

'Don't tell her! She will use it against you! She's trying to trap you!' the voices inside her head screamed.

"Um...,"Emma mumbled try hard to figure out when.

"Emma, listen to me," Regina said her voice soft but commanding. She captured Emma's wild eyes with her own. Emma felt herself grow calm as she looked into the sable depths.

"I am not going to hurt you," Regina said, and Emma whimpered trying to pull away.

"I will not. As much as I loathe admitting it, you are Henry's mother as well. If I hurt you, it would destroy him. Emma you may not believe I wouldn't hurt you, but do you think I would do anything to hurt Henry?" Regina asked.

Even in her foggiest most sleep and food deprived state Emma knew Regina would rather rip her own heart out and crush it than do anything to hurt their son.

"You wouldn't," She mumbled.

"Very well, then walk with into the study and allow me to attend to you," Regina said again," You will be perfectly safe if there, Dear, and you will not have to do anything you do not wish to do."

Emma looked down and looked back at Regina. She gave a small nod, and the other woman helped her make her way into the study.