Regina felt a hand resting on her stomach as she awoke from her deep sleep. She had no idea where she was, what time it was or what happened moments before her falling unconscious; all she knew was that she was tired, sore and stiff from apparently sleeping on the floor. For a moment in time all of the past day's events felt like they were a dream; that she would wake up, walk down the stairs and go make Henry breakfast before going to work. Instead of looking around she closed her eyes again, forgetting her surroundings and trying to allow herself to accept everything that she has just faced. It wasn't a dream, this was her life now and she needed to start picking up the pieces. Of course, the first thing she thought of again was Henry. Did he celebrate his birthday last night or today or whatever time it was? What did he wish for when he blew out his candles? Was there even a chance that any of them remembered even just a piece of her? She didn't feel heat rise before her eyes this time and there was no urge to cry. Her expression was almost that of a stone instead of a broken woman. The skin around her eyes felt like they were on fire from all of the tears that had been shed hours ago and there was a dull throbbing in her head.

The hand on top of her belly button didn't move and continued to put a layer of warmth on her core, reminding her that wherever she was she was not alone. She turned over slowly and moved closer to Maleficent, the woman who was holding her close. It gave her peace of mind to know who was comforting her in her time of need and protecting her from herself. She noticed how exhausted Mal looked and wondered what she went through to care for her and get her here. Her hand was tight on Regina's skin but her eyes were still closed and she was still peacefully asleep. Regina stared for a moment at her face, letting her anxiety diminish while watching Mal's chest rise and fall with her deep breaths. She stared at her long eyelashes, pink-tinted cheeks and her long blonde hair that was now down and lying on top of her shoulders. She had retired from her uptight attire and now only wore a black tank top and matching lace panties and it was in this state that Regina found her the most beautiful, so natural and vulnerable. Everything she loved about her. She couldn't believe that she deserved Maleficent after everything she's done wrong in her life, not even counting the times she's betrayed her.

Looking up, Regina immediately recognized the dark room she was in by the decor. The rug they were sleeping on was only feet away from a flickering fireplace and the room was large with walls of stone. 'I didn't know she even still had this place.', Regina thought to herself. 'How did she even manage to find it?' Knowing that she was in Maleficent's home made her feel even more at ease; if anything it was definitely better than trekking through the forest for weeks. It gave her flashbacks of the countless times Mal has taken her on that very rug and gave her nights full of pleasure and lust. The fur from the rug beneath her back felt just as soft as it did before and hadn't lost a touch. She was right back to where she belonged. Reminiscing on her younger years, she stayed quiet and tried to be as still as possible to make sure that she didn't wake Mal; the woman deserved to sleep after dealing with her and all of her shenanigans. As she stared at a familiar painting on the wall it immediately made her think of Gold. Did he manage to escape the spell because of his unknown whereabouts or was he finally cast away with the rest of them? Would anyone even exist in the Enchanted Forest now that the citizens of Storybooke are gone? Surely there are still a few lost souls out there that they forgot about. There were so many questions floating around in her mind but she was still way too tired to think about it.

The hand that was still on Regina's body stirred as Mal opened her eyes. She noticed Regina staring up at the ceiling without even blinking and the worry that she felt for her came back all at once. No matter her expression, she still breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that she was conscious.

"You're awake. Are you feeling any better? You scared me to death last night Regina."

"I'm fine.", she said with a little too much haste. She didn't want to sound rude to the woman that helped her but everything was still just too much. "What time is it?"

"Noon apparently.", Mal answered while putting her cell phone back down. She was surprised that it even still had life left in it's battery. Hell, she was even more surprised that she was getting a signal from somewhere. "Are you cold?" She noticed Regina shivering and held her tighter in an attempt to give off more heat.

"I'm alright." She nuzzled her face into Mal's neck and tried to drift back off into sleep. As hard as she tried there were too many things on her conscience that were keeping her awake.

"Where are Ursula and Cruella?"

"They took up one of the guest rooms down the hallway. Seem to have been getting a little closer in contact if you ask me. A dog and a squid, how charming.", she said with a laugh. "It was late by the time we got here, everyone was exhausted."

"How'd you find your way back home? How did you get me here?"

"We sacrificed your soul and jumped into a fourth dimension." She laughed again as Regina looked up at her in sheer horror.

"Come on dear you know magic better than that. This GPS thing on my phone somehow knew where to take me. Bit strange if you ask me but I'm glad I decided to listen to Cruella. I'd like to know why a thing called Google can find a well-hidden lair though. And I carried you here of course. You are light my dear, although maybe a little too light. Are you not eating enough?"

"Ugh, I'm eating just fine, that doesn't even pertain to this conversation. Still, glad you found it."

"So am I…you have no idea how much I've missed home…" She kissed Regina on the lips for a few passionate seconds and pulled away, looking into her eyes and melting her heart by doing so. "This is your home too now Regina…this will always be your home."

Her words found a way to make Regina feel both grateful and sad. It's only been a day and she was already tired of the thoughts of her family wreaking havoc on her. She was lying in the arms of a woman that she loved, being comforted and even taken in by her and her guilt still wouldn't allow her to relax. Would it ever? Every single time she closed her eyes she seen Henry, Emma and the Charmings' and they were always smiling or doing something together as a family. It should make her feel better to have thoughts about him being safe and secure but she doesn't trust her own judgment; her visions have been wrong before. Knowing very well that everything that happened was caused by her actions she knew she had to keep it together and find a way to move on. But what was the correct time frame in which someone can just abandon their son and ride away happily in the sunset without having a second thought? 'You need to quit being so hard on yourself Regina.', she ordered at herself. No soul in their right mind could go through this tragic affair and come out of it clean in under twenty-four hours. This would hurt for years.

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?", Mal asked. She received silence from her last statement but she didn't take it personally. She's known Regina long enough to see that she was completely quiet when she was upset. Up until two days ago she was never one to show her emotions or let her guard down at all. The fact that she was acting more human in front of other people was both beautiful and tragic when looking at her from that point of view. The beauty in her eyes when she cried was breathtaking but the tears contained decades full of pent-up devastation; just another example of what emotional bottling can do to you over time. The sound of Regina crying the night before would be something Mal could never forget. It was a moment in time where they connected in both body and soul and bonded over a heart's broken pieces. She couldn't tell if it was one of her best or worst memories.

"No.", was all Regina said in response. She put her head on the blonde's chest and took deep breaths while listening to her heart beat. The sound of human life other than her own had never sounded so soothing. All she could think about was 'what next?' What were these women going to be looking for and what did they want their happy endings to be exactly? What problems will she face tomorrow and who will try to stand in their way? Who else is out there? Her relaxation was hindered by the repetitive thoughts and twinges of pain coming from different places in her body.

"I can tell you're pained dear. Do you want anything?"

"No."

"Well maybe if you would let me in and tell me what's bothering you I could help a little more." This made Regina angry for what felt like no reason at all. There was so much bothering her that it could't be pinpointed down to just one pain or emotion. She bit her tongue through the internal irritation, after all Mal was just trying to help her. She knew she was going through a tough time and wanted to reach out. Why couldn't she stop feeling so hateful and let people love her for once? "….Regina?"

"No. I'm fine. Just have a headache and I really have to pee." Everything that was keeping her from sleeping and shutting the world out was doing nothing but frustrating her at this point.

"I have some of those aspirin things I found in town last week, I think they're helpful if you'd like some. Bathroom's upstairs on the right if you've forgotten, I know it's been a while since you've been here to visit me.", she gave off a small wink with the last part of her statement. As Regina stood up she looked at her reflection in the mirror in the corner. Her clothes were disheveled, her hair all over the place and her eye makeup all over her cheeks in a not-so-chic like fashion. She stared at herself for a moment and took the time to emotionally beat herself down for her appearance. She was never proud of her looks even when she was well-kempt.

"You look beautiful dear, always.", she felt Mal's hands around her hips, both of them now looking into the mirror. Her finger's ran up and down Regina's sides and trailed over her breasts in a wandering fashion, making her breathing become a little more unsteady. She felt the older woman's breath on her ear as she whispered to her in a seductive and low growl.

'Why don't you go take a hot shower dear, it'll help. And maybe you'd like some company.'

—

"But Mom I don't want to stay with your friends while you go out on another date. I'm old enough I can stay here by myself."

"Absolutely not Henry.", Emma retorted. "I don't want you burning down my house. And besides you know how much Mary-Margaret and David love you, technically you're doing them a favor. Even Neal likes you. He never cries for you so you must have a magic touch." She looked out of the window of their home and could see all of the lights from the city in the distance; even at night it was the most beautiful place to be. Her mind wandered to one of the lights towards the west side, the one where she will be at in just an hour or so.

"Please do this for me Henry. Killian and I - well we really like each other. This is so important to me."

"Okay mom.", Henry gave in with a sigh, grabbing his backpack and walking out to the car. "But when you get home I'm kicking your butt at Mario Kart."

"I think that can be arranged, only it will be you getting your butt kicked." She slammed the driver's side door and started the car as they headed towards their friends' apartment, the warm breeze of the night moving through the open windows.

"Mom?"

"Yeah kid?"

"I love you."