Regina sighed deeply as she strolled through the aisle of the store, picking up cold and flu medicine, energy drinks, ingredients for soup and crackers. She moved to pay for her haul and went back to the loft where Emma was waiting at the door to take a bag from her and deposit it on the counter in the kitchen.

"Regina, there's another reason I asked you here to watch Dad and Neal." Regina lifted an eyebrow and watched the blonde,

"Well out with it Miss Swan." Emma looked sheepish and started wringing her hands,

"I kind of have a date tonight." Regina's eyes widened, she knew getting over Hook's break up had taken a few months, she hadn't been aware the blonde was interested in dating yet. She smiled, happy for her friend,

"Well who's the lucky man?" Emma was looking everywhere but Regina,

"It's actually Robin." Regina's eyes widened further, and her eyebrows shot up almost joining her hair in surprise.

"Really?" Emma nodded, "That's great Emma, I'm happy for you." Emma's eyes became misty and she threw her arms around the brunette for a second time today, this time Regina relaxed and embraced the blonde in return.

"Thanks Regina, it means a lot." Regina smiled. They both turned at a cry from the crib in the corner, Emma made a move towards it only to be held back a hand on her shoulder,

"You go to work, I've got this." Emma smiled again and grabbed her red jacket and car keys before hurrying out of the loft. Regina stood in the middle of the loft and thought about how happy Emma seemed when she mentioned her date. Now she thought about it, Robin and Emma would be well suited to each other. She couldn't wait to tease them about it. She was dragged back to reality by another cry from the corner. She moved over, leaning across the railing and smiling at the crying child in the crib, "Hello Neal, how are we today?" Neal quieted a little but continued to cry. Regina reached into the crib and lifted the child out. Now almost a year and a half, Neal was heavier, but Regina had switched into mom-mode and balanced the toddler on her hip. "Let's go change you and find some breakfast, hmm." Neal who had almost stopped crying smiled a little. After a diaper change and a breakfast of banana slices. Regina lowered the child into the play pen where he happily picked up his toys and chattered in a language Regina couldn't begin to understand. She smiled and watched him for a while, suddenly guilt rose up inside of her, Snow should be sitting here watching her son speak to his toys in a made-up language. A tear slid down her cheek before she wiped it away with the back of her hand.

Regina stood and moved to the kitchen and started to make some soup, knowing David would wake up at some point and would probably be hungry. As she left the soup to simmer, she heard a cough from behind the screen leading to the "master bedroom". The cough grew, and Regina became concerned, she grabbed one of the energy drinks and the medicine and rushed to the closed off 'room'. David was sat up in bed trying to breathe between coughing fits. The floor around the bed was littered with tissues and sheets had been torn from the bed with movement. Regina uncapped the drink and handed it to David to help soothe his throat. She stared concerned until he nodded and began breathing normally. She started moving the cover back over him and encouraged him to sit back against the headboard.

"Regina not that it isn't good to see you, but what are you doing here?" Regina smiled apologetically at the man,

"Unfortunately for you Charming, you have the displeasure of having me for a nurse." David tried to smile wearily,

"I wouldn't call it a displeasure Regina." Regina blushed and put his words up to illness.

"Yes well, your daughter went to work, and will be back to prepare for her date later tonight, Henry went to school and your son is in his play pen-" David stopped her with an arm movement,

"Wait, Emma told you about her date?" Regina frowned,

"Why wouldn't she?"

"No reason, I just thought that Robin was still a sore spot for you." Regina nodded,

"I see, well it's not. Just because I didn't want him doesn't mean someone else wouldn't." David nodded, "Are you hungry? I made soup." Regina asked as she bent over to pick up tissues from the floor, David was a little too distracted by a certain body part wrapped tightly in denim to answer. "David?" He looked to her face, "Soup?" He nodded again,

"Regina you don't have to do all this." as she picked up the clothes on the floor to wash them. She shook her head,

"No, the sooner you're better, the sooner I can leave." David flinched at the harshness of the comment. Regina went to the kitchen and collected his lunch. David looked up and their eyes met. She put the tray of soup on his lap and sat at the end of the bed. She looked sad. "I didn't mean it like that David. It's just earlier when Neal was playing, I thought 'Snow should be here to see this.' This is all my fault." David frowned and put his soup on the bedside table and tried to sit up but settled for slightly more upright than he'd been before.

"Regina none of this is your fault. Snow made the decision to put herself before you. You knew her, almost if not better than I did, she was stubborn. She would've done it even if we did tell her not to." Regina shed a tear.

"I know, I just can't help blaming myself." With that she stood and left the room.

"Regi-" David tried to bring her back but he was too late, she was already gone. Regina stood in the living room, having pulled the curtain on the 'bedroom'. The tears kept coming no matter what she did, she put her hand over her mouth to quell any noises that may come of the tears and sank onto the couch her free hand wrapping itself around her middle. Exhaustion took over once more and she faded off to sleep.

She woke to find Snow standing at the foot of the couch, Regina sat up gasping. This wasn't the snow she knew. This Snow had skin even paler than her namesake, almost translucent, her eyes dark with and murderous look within them. Her posture was hunched, her lips were chapped pulled across her teeth in a snarl, her clothes torn and bloodied.

"Snow?" 'Snow' growled deep in her throat and reached out to clasp her hands around Regina neck, pouncing on top of her.

David stood from his bed to hear whimpering, he assumed it was Neal worrying in his sleep, until he heard a cry of, "Snow!" He moved as quickly as his body was able and found Regina writhing and gasping, still asleep, on the couch. He kneeled beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder shaking her gently.

"Regina? Regina wake up, it's a dream." Regina woke with a gasp and unfocused eyes finally settled on him as she tried to regulate her breathing. David was now holding on to both her arms and stroking them gently. Regina nodded when she had calmed slightly. David moved to sit beside her on the couch. Tears slid down her cheeks, but she wiped them away.

"David I don't want to talk about this." David nodded, "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah." Regina looked at him,

"No, you're not, you're even paler than when I left you."

"Yeah now that you mention. I do feel like I'm going to throw up." Regina had just enough time to lift her legs before David bent forward and expelled the contents of his stomach on the floor beside the couch. Fortunately there was very little of it. "Ugh I'm sorry."

"That's okay Charming, come on let's get you back into bed." She heaved him off the couch and onto the bed and filled him up with medicine once more. She had come to realise that the combination of illness and medication had an interesting effect of the man's brain. She tucked him in and pulled the covers up to his chin. She smiled down at the man who now currently resembled a burrito.