"Excuse me did I hear you correctly? Did you just say you needed my help?"

"Please don't flatter yourself. You are my last resort." Regina sneered into the phone.

"You couldn't just let me have my moment could you?" Bianca laughed.

"It wouldn't be me if I could. In all seriousness though…I need your help…"

"Yeah, I heard you the first time, what's wrong?"

"I'm drinking again."

"Shit. Regina." Bianca sighed into the phone. "How long?"

"Well a few months now but I had it under control. I would only have a glass of wine here or there…a beer once in awhile…now I haven't stopped since Saturday morning…"

"What happened sis?" Bianca asked with much concern in her voice. The thing with Bianca and Regina was no matter how much time apart, no matter how much they fought, when they needed each other it went without saying that they were there for the other.

"It started with work. I was just so overwhelmed all of the damn time I would have a glass of wine to relax. Then, last week I met someone…"

"Well that's a good thing right?"

"Yeah, she is amazing; we were supposed to be moving in together."

"After a week?"

"Yeah…"

"Regina!"

"Shut up! It was right. We love each other."

"Then what was the problem?"

"We got into a big fight. I think I ruined everything."

"Over one fight?"

"Yes…" Regina's eyes filled with tears and she shoved them back taking another swig.

"Regina, if you are in love as you say you don't ruin it over one fight. Have you talked to her since?"

"No."

"Then how do you know that you have ruined it?"

"She hasn't talked to me."

"Did you tell her not to?"

"I told her I needed time."

"And now you are mad that she isn't talking to you?" Bianca laughed. "Oh dear sister some things never change. You cannot tell someone your wishes and then get upset when they grant them. It sounds to me like you found someone who respects you enough to listen to you. Call her."

"I can't."

"Why not?" Bianca asked growing impatient.

"She doesn't know that I'm an alcoholic.

"What?"

"I never told her."

Bianca sighed into the phone. "Does anyone in your life there know?"

"Afraid not."

"So, let me get this straight, you go out with your friends and do what? You drink with them?"

"No, when we would go to the bars and clubs I would order a drink and just hold it, or sip and spit…"

"Oh, that's refined."

"Yeah well I managed okay…"

"Until now."

"I'm scared Bianca."

"I know. You have to tell her and get help. You know where this is leading."

"Yeah…I know."

…

Emma had just gotten home from the gym. She doesn't know how she managed to make it through a lift session but she powered through somehow. She walked in and greeted Skittles and then collapsed on the couch. She pulled her phone from her gym bag and threw it on the floor after seeing that there weren't any new notifications.

"Looks like it's just you and me tonight princess," she said to the pup who climbed onto her lap.

She reached for the remote and flipped through the channels not able to decide on anything worthy of her attention. She found it hard to remember what she used to do before Regina came into her life. She didn't just miss the woman, she ached for her.

Emma was pulled out of her thoughts when the doorbell rang. She walked to the door, Skittles at her side, and was surprised when she saw a cab in front of the house. She opened the door to see a distraught Regina staring back at her in a hoodie and jeans. Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail and her eyes looked as if she hadn't slept for weeks.

"Emma…can we talk…" her voice was deeper than usual Emma's eyes filled with tears at the sound.

"Of course," Emma stepped aside letting the woman enter stopping herself from pulling her into her arms immediately.

Regina walked in and followed the blonde to the living room where they both sat on the couch. Emma drew in a deep breath as she waited for what the woman had to say and watched as Regina nervously bit her bottom lip.

"I don't even know where to begin…" Regina said and Emma could smell the alcohol on her breath.

"Just start talking…"

"Right…um, Emma, I'm an alcoholic." Regina watched as Emma's eyes went wide. "I didn't tell you because I had been sober for well over six years and I didn't think it was ever going to be a problem again."

Emma sat there giving the woman she loved time to explain.

"I…um…I began drinking wine again a few months ago and I thought that I had it under control. I would only have a glass here and there and it wasn't a big deal. It was just to help me sleep you know? Work and Gold… it was just too much to take so I would use it to relax. Then…Saturday after we fought…I opened a bottle and I drank…and I drank…and I haven't stopped drinking…"

Emma felt a few tears running down her cheeks. She should have reached out to Regina. She should have ignored her wishes for time. She should have trusted her instincts and just called her.

"Regina…I'm so sorry I didn't call you or come over or something…"

Regina sat there in shock. Emma really was too perfect. Here she was telling the blonde this dark secret about herself. This thing that she was sure was going to send her running away from her forever and Emma was blaming herself.

"Emma, baby, no…don't be sorry. You were doing exactly what I asked of you. I wanted time and you gave it to me. Nobody has ever respected me in that way. This is all me. This is my illness that I fell weak to. This has nothing to do with anything you did or didn't do okay?"

Emma shook her head and wiped at the tear on her cheek.

"I have sobered up before and stayed that for six years. I can and I will do it again. I'm just glad that I came to my senses quickly this time and didn't let it continue. You know what pulled me out of the dark place this time? You know what made me want to stop and fix it so quickly?"

Emma looked into the beautiful broken dark eyes, "What?"

"You. I needed you. I needed to see you. I needed to be with you. I needed to feel you around me again. I know I cannot be this," Regina waved her arms over herself; "I cannot be in this state and be with you. So I am going to get this under control again and I am going to be the best that I can be for you because I love you so much Emma Swan."

Emma leaned forward and grabbed the broken woman pulling her into the kiss that they both so desperately desired.

"I love you Regina. I always will. I will do whatever you need me to do to help you through this. If moving in with me is too much right now you don't have to. Whatever you need it's yours. Okay?"

"I want to move in. I need to be with you. I realized that this weekend. I'm not me anymore without you."

Emma smiled and kissed the fragile woman again.

"Then you have me."