When David arrived home from the shelter, he saw Mary Margaret curled up on the couch. Her eyes were puffy and red, and the quietest of sniffling could be heard behind the blanket she'd cocooned herself in.

Immediately anticipating the worst, her prince dashed to her side.

"What happened? Is Emma okay?"

"She's resting upstairs."

"Henry?"

"He's fine… he's at Regina's."

David frowned in concern, "What do you mean, Henry's at Regina's? What is he doing there?"

A fresh flow of tears rolled down Mary Margaret's cheek.

"She's dying, David."

Shocked, David sputtered out, "What?"

"She has cancer!"

"Well… that's a good thing right?"

A loud sob was his only answer.

"It isn't?"

"David, she's… she's my mother."

The dullest of the Charmings finally understood. He slowly wrapped himself around his wife, and held her close so she could hear his heartbeat. He soothed his hand over her hair and whispered promises that they would always have one another, that they would always have a family. And, after this only produced another sob, he swore that they would make up for their much too complicated past by helping raise Henry for Regina.

Tinkerbell and Kathryn sat next to one another at a booth at Granny's. They had never spent much time with one another before now, but they had both received phone calls from Regina the night before, insisting they should meet with her for lunch. While neither had completely forgiven Regina for her actions in the past, neither had been able to shake the feeling that something was off in her voice.

If that hadn't gotten their attention, this should: Regina was late. Regina was never late. After fifteen minutes of waiting, the fairy and the princess were deeply unnerved. The coffee Kathryn had ordered for her friend had long since gone cold.

Both women looked up when the bell above the door rang. Regina hurried in, looking pale. She rushed straight over to the table with her friends.

"I apologize for my horrible lateness. It was terribly rude of me. I had an important matter to attend to and it ran somewhat overtime." The former Mayor was speaking rapidly, shoving her hands into her pockets and making a show of sounding polite. Her voice was almost perfectly stable, but it quivered at the very last moment.

Kathryn was the first to speak. "It's alright, Regina. Please just tell us why we're here."

The former Queen took a deep breath and laid her hands flat on the table.

"I… I don't quite know what to say here. I know we've had our differences in the past. I know you have no reason to care-" Her voice broke and Tinkerbell rushed to fill the gaps.

"Regina, we came here because you asked us. Whatever we've been through in the past, this is obviously important, so just tell us."

For a moment the table is silent, and that silence unnerves Regina's maybe-friends more than anything else so far.

"I have cancer." The words come out sounding sure and even. They hardly even trip up on her tongue now that she's nearly come to terms with it. "I… well, it's fatal."

Kathryn has tears rolling slowly down her cheek before she can even process what has been said. Tinkerbell is staring at Regina as though she'd just admitted to being a part-time dinosaur and grown a third eye.

Regina continues, "I don't have many friends, and I know you may not think of yourselves as such, but… I understand if you refuse, but I hoped that perhaps you would… speak at my funeral. I think it would be good for Henry to not feel he has to grieve alone."

Tinkerbell had her arms wrapped around Regina's waist in an instant. A second later, before the former queen could respond, Kathryn was holding her as well. Both women spoke over the other to reassure her that of course they would speak for her. And anything Henry needed, they would be there. And had she told anyone else? Wasn't there anything they could do?

The scene drew some attention to their group from the other occupants of the diner, but thankfully, the women kept their voices somewhat hushed. Regina allowed herself to shed just one more tear before pulling herself out of the tight embrace. She grasped the hands of her friends, and in a quiet voice told them, "I will answer all of your questions, but perhaps not right this moment," she fervently glanced around the room. All eyes were now on the three of them.

"I would love to have you both over for dinner tonight. Six o'clock. Henry will be happy to see you both, I'm sure."

Kathryn nodded and Tinkerbell pulled Regina in for another quick hug, surprising the brunette for the second time in as many minutes.

Kathryn offered to order Regina a fresh cup of coffee, but she begged off, citing the mountains of work that needed to be done in preparation for her leaving the mayor's office. She agreed to take one to go, and when Ruby handed her the cup, both she and Granny wore similar expressions of grim stillness.

"Emma shared, did she?" Regina tried not to feel hurt.

Ruby spoke, her voice lower than the mayor had ever heard it. "No, no… wolf ears."

"Oh."

Regina reached out and grabbed her cup, but Ruby's calloused hand caught hers in the air. Awkward, she stumbled out an apology.

"I-I'm sorry. I just… I know we were never… If you need anything," she finished lamely.

Granny was somewhat more eloquent.

"Henry will be looked after, like you looked after Storybrooke."

Regina dabbed at her eye slightly, smiling a watery smile.

"Thank you. I know you'll keep him well nourished. As a favour to me, I must insist that you refuse him coffee until he is twenty-one. I wouldn't want it to stunt his growth."

The women all chuckled at that.

"You got it, Your Majesty," the younger Lucas responded without an inkling of sarcasm.

Regina left Granny's Diner with a smile on her face, content in the knowledge that her son would always have a safe and loving home.

The End

Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed Sick! I really appreciate everyone's patience with my updates! I promise next story will update much faster! You are all wonderful people! XD
Come on over to my tumblr (beetfreek) and chat with me!