Emma let out an elongated sigh as she stirred in her sleep. One arm draped over the brunette's waist, Emma found comfort in the warmth of the body beside her. They fit together seamlessly, Emma and Regina; Regina's back curved into Emma's chest, just as Emma's chin nestled easily against Regina's neck. It was only when Emma fell victim to the sharp streams of light from the window that she came to consciousness. Her sharp cringing, in turn, woke Regina.

Slowly, the women came to life. Regina rolled onto her side and came nose-to-nose with Emma. Her eyes still closed, Regina sensed the presence next to her and smiled dreamily. Regina's smile quickly faded, however, once she opened her eyes and saw Emma's alert expression.

Emma's arm still hung over Regina torso, though she'd gone rather tense. Regina searched Emma's features and she listened to the woman's steady breathing. Regina was just about to say something, when suddenly, Emma pulled her hand away. In one graceful maneuver, she rolled out of bed and landed on her feet like a cat. "I- I should check on Henry," she sputtered. And just like that, Emma vanished, leaving Regina just a bit colder than she was two minutes ago.


Henry's legs dangled over the linoleum floor as he sat patiently on the edge of a hospital bed. Connected to a heart monitor once again, the young boy watched the the rhythmic spike in the neon line. Although he'd been there just two days ago, Henry felt as if it had been years since his last visit. The sights and the smells were familiar, and yet, they seemed brand new; the powder-blue walls didn't seem so intimidating, and the stench of hand sanitizer didn't make him cringe as badly.

Emma and Regina stood at opposite ends of the room, though they couldn't have been further from one another if they were at opposite ends of the earth. Henry had noticed the rift between them as soon as he'd woken up. They seemed fine at the zoo. But now, they barely said a word to each other, let alone made eye contact.

"All right, Henry. Let's see what's going on," Dr. Whale began as she walked through the door. Flipping through his chart, she read the latest results of his labs carefully, mindful to keep an even expression. She'd learned very quickly that the slightest twitch could send parents into a downward spiral. "How are you feeling today?" she asked as she tossed the metal board onto the chair.

"Good," Henry piped. "Kinda tired, but good."

Dr. Whale nodded approvingly as she pressed the end of her stethoscope against his chest. "Deep breath for me." Henry obliged. "Again," she said. "One more time." She could feel the intense staring from both Emma and Regina, and though she tried to ignore it, Dr. Whale suddenly found herself a bit nervous. When she took Henry's blood pressure, she was sure that Emma and Regina were about to spontaneously combust. "Do you mind if I talk to your mom and Emma really quick?" Dr. Whale asked. When Henry shook his head, Dr. Whale snatched his file and gestured for both of the women to join her in the hallway; Emma and Regina still kept their distance.

"How is he?" Regina wanted to know.

"For a kid who just came out of a coma, he's doing pretty incredible," Dr. Whale said. "How did you spend his day off?"

"The zoo," Emma piped. "We went to the zoo."

"And how did he do? Any weakness or fatigue?" Both Emma and Regina shook their heads. "Well, his blood pressure looks good and his heart sounds great."

Shifting her weight from one leg to the other, Emma folded her arms. "There's a 'but' coming,'" she guessed.

Dr. Whale turned and looked at Henry through the glass window. In their absence, he'd found the remote control and had turned to an episode of Teen Titans. "Actually, there isn't." When she noticed the puzzled looks on their faces, Dr. Whale held out the clipboard. "You see this number?" she pointed to one column. "This was Henry's white blood cell count when you first brought him. The one below it was just a month ago. And now, you see this number? That's the number from today."

"I don't understand," Regina said. "What does that mean?"

"It means that the treatments have been working."

"How's that possible? You guys barely touched him while he was out," Emma scoffed.

Unable to hide her own astonishment, Dr. Whale shook her head. "Results don't always appear right away," she informed. "Still, even in the best of circumstances, this kind of progress is incredibly rare."

Her eyes stinging with tears she refused to release, Regina struggled to find her voice "So, what happens now?"

"Now, we continue where we left off," Dr. Whale informed. "Henry's doing much better, but there's still a long way to go. I've scheduled him to resume radiation therapy, starting this afternoon. If we can get him below this number and keep him there until the end of the year, you might be the luckiest family I've ever met."

"He needs to stay here, then?" Regina asked. In the back of her mind, she'd made a mental note of Dr. Whale referring to them as a family.

"I'd like to keep him for a little while longer, just to be safe," Dr. Whale said, much to Regina's disappointment. "But, if everything keeps going the way it has been—"

"We can take him home?" Emma deduced. The word had spilled from her with such ease; the idea of Regina's apartment being where all three of them belonged. She couldn't help but imagine Regina, Henry, and herself at the breakfast table once again.

"I can't make any promises," said the doctor. "For now, why don't you two take a breather, and I'll go ask a nurse to get Henry prepped?" With a kind smile, she said, "You know, I've been here for almost 15 years and I have never seen anyone take to treatment like that, especially considering everything that's happened. You guys must have some kind of magic."

As Dr. Whale walked away, Emma and Regina stood shoulder to shoulder. Their elbows brushed against one another as they marveled at their son. It wasn't long before a man in blue scrubs appeared in front of Henry with a wheelchair. Neither Emma or Regina heard what the boy said, but they both watched as he stood up and shook his head. With a gentle nod, the nurse turned and started back towards the door, followed by Henry.

"We'll bring him back in about an hour," the older man informed.

Bending forward at the waist, Regina gave Henry a gentle hug. "We'll be right here when you get back."

Emma winked at Henry and ruffled his hair affectionally. "Who knows, there might even be a doughnut or two waiting for you."

Leaning against the window of his room, Emma folded her arms over her chest and watched as Henry disappeared around the corner. One leg crossed over the other, she peered down at her shoes; blonde curls fell over her face and hid her eyes.

"We'll need some overnight things," Regina murmured, her hands folded in front of her.

"I can stop by your place and then mine," Emma offered. Her head hanging slightly, she peeked through her thick mane and noted Regina's frozen stance. The brunette stood as still as a statue, her feet planted firmly on the ground. Henry was long gone, but Regina remained. Her shoulders rose and fell slowly and her even breathing was all Emma could focus on.

Emma wanted to reach out to Regina, to tell her how it had felt to wake up next to her; to see the glow of the sun bouncing off her brown hair, to hear the contented sigh Regina let out as she rolled over. But, before she could even say Regina's name, Emma's phone buzzed in her pocket.

"Ms. Swan," a steely voice greeted.

"Gold?" Regina spun around swiftly and frowned sharply at Emma.

"How is Henry doing?"

"Henry's fine," Emma replied hesitantly. "He's actually awake now."

There was a brief pause on the other end and for a moment, Emma though Gold had hung up. "I'd like to see him."

"You- you want to see him?" Emma repeated for Regina to hear. She shot a panicked expression at Regina and ran a nervous hand through her hair. "Um, OK. I mean, it's only been a few days and we—"

Quickly, Regina snatched the phone from Emma's grip and swooped in to save the day. "Mr. Gold? This is Regina, Henry's… other mother," Regina said calmly. She could feel Emma staring at her in shock, but there was no time to explain. "I apologize that we didn't contact you sooner. I'm sure you can understand that it's been a bit hectic." When Emma gestured something to Regina, the brunette waved her off and started pacing down the hall.

In an effort to read Regina's lips, Emma squinted furiously and waited anxiously. Orderlies with food carts and empty wheelchairs passed Emma by as Regina negotiated with Gold. All Emma could see was Regina nodding every now and then.

Finally, Regina hung up the phone. When she returned, the blonde asked, "So?"


Emma and Regina waited in Henry's room for almost 45-minutes before Mr. Gold arrived. They'd sat together in complete silence, neither one uttered a word to the other. It was only when Gold appeared at the door with a visitor's badge that the tension cracked just a bit.

"Gold," Emma nodded.

"Ms. Swan, Ms. Mills." It had been several weeks since Emma had last seen him, and in that time, it would appear that his limp had only worsened. His hair was a bit grayer and a quarter of an inch longer. Soft shadows formed under his eyes and he'd allowed his stubble to grow. And yet, his suit was as plain as ever; black shirt, black vest, and a maroon pocket square. A leather back draped over his shoulder added a certain, youthful air to him.

"Please, have a seat. Henry will be back soon," Regina informed.

As Gold fell back against a chair, Regina sat beside him, while Emma stayed standing. "The boy is alright, then?"

Regina nodded. "Henry's great. He's up and walking. He's doing better than the doctor expected."

"He's still ill, though?"

"He's getting there," was all the brunette could say.

Gold's dark eyes wandered about the room and landed on Emma. Her hands shoved in her back pockets, her gaze was glued to her shoes. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt as he sat across from her. "Ms. Lucas has continued to manage your caseload," Gold said curtly. "When you wish to return, your job will be waiting."

"Th- thanks," Emma stuttered.

Suddenly, the churning of screws sent goosebumps down Emma's back, and before long, Henry was wheeled back into the room. His eyes drooped slightly as he let out a big yawn. The same nurse as before half-lifted Henry onto the bed and Regina quickly took over.

"Welcome back," she smiled at her son. Tucking the covers around him, she asked "How are you feeling?"

"Ok," Henry mumbled. "Are there any doughnuts?" he said hopefully.

Reaching for the paper bag she'd left on his table, Emma opened it up to reveal a chocolate glazed doughnut and a custard-filled eclair. Henry reached for the chocolate treat, but before he could take a bite, Regina cleared her throat. "Henry, there's someone here who would like to say 'hi.'" She stepped aside to reveal Mr. Gold hobbling out of his chair.

"Henry," Gold greeted. When he smiled, his silver-capped tooth caught the reflection of the light. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm—"

"Mr. Gold," Henry said. Although he hadn't noticed the man when he first came in, as he shook Mr. Gold's hand, something about him seemed familiar. "You're Emma's boss."

Looking to the women as if to confer with them, Gold turned to Henry and nodded. "That's correct."

"Is Emma in trouble?"

For the first time since Emma had known him, Gold chuckled. "No, dearie. Emma's not in trouble. I just came to see how you were doing. You're quite the topic at the office."

"Did you tell embarrassing stories about me?" Henry whined.

"Only about your favorite blankie," Emma teased.

"She's lying. I never had a favorite blankie," the boy defended.

There was a twinkle in Gold's eye as he looked down at Henry, for the first time really seeing him. There was a lot of Neal in Henry's features; the same curious expression and the same round nose. "I hear you're a fan of comic books," Gold said.

"The Avengers are my favorite!"

"Well, my boy, I've brought along a few I thought you would like." Reaching in his messenger bag, Gold revealed a wide variety for Henry to pick from. "They were my son's," he murmured.

"He doesn't want them anymore?"

Emma and Gold exchanged a pained look before Gold said, "No, not anymore."

"That's very kind of you," Regina said in a kind voice. "Henry, what do you say to Mr. Gold?"

"Thank you!"

As Henry set aside his doughnut and started flipping through his new stories, Emma looked over at Gold and gave him a gracious nod.

"Ms. Mills?" Standing in the doorway, a short, balding man in a tweed jacket poked his head in. "Pardon the intrusion. I'm William. I work here in the insurance department. May I speak to you for a moment?"

Glancing over at Henry, Regina locked eyes with Emma— the first time in hours— before stepping outside. Once again, Emma was left to exercise her lip-reading skills. All she could see was William handing Regina a stack of papers. By the end of their brief meeting, the vein in Regina's forehead was throbbing.

"Can you watch him for a second?" Emma asked Gold; he replied with a single nod. Before slipping out into the hallway, Emma pulled the privacy curtain in front of the window. Making sure to close the door behind her, she found Regina furiously scanning the documents William had given her. "What is it?"

Shoving the stapled files towards Emma, Regina growled, "Our insurance is giving out on us. Apparently, we've exceeded our maximum limit."

"What?" Emma squawked. "Can they do that?"

One hand rubbing the back of her neck, Regina closed her eyes and flared her nostrils. "Dammit!" she hissed. "Of course, Mother left all of her money to the DAR."

With every quadruple-digit she saw, Emma felt her brain overworking itself. "Ok, well, I've got about three thousand saved up," she sighed. "Maybe… I can see if my parents have anything."

"It gets better," Regina sneered. "This," she turned to the last page, "is the total estimated cost by the end of the year."

Emma's eyes widened at the ginormous bill. She struggled to remember the last time she'd ever seen a number so large. "What do we do?"

"Perhaps, I could be of assistance." Emma and Regina turned to find Mr. Gold standing beside the door, leaning carefully on his cane. "The boy is fine," he promised. "He's reading." Gesturing towards the packet in Emma's grip, Gold asked, "May I?"

"Oh, uh, it's nothing," Emma dismissed. "Just a list of medications for Henry."

"In that case, you wouldn't mind if I took a look?"

At Regina's silent concession, Emma passed the bill to Mr. Gold and held her breath. He flipped through the pages without flinching or blinking; without showing any type of emotion or reaction really. When he got to the last page, all he did was turn his gaze to the women. "I have a proposition for you two."


A/N - Two updates in the same month? Really? Yes, really! Reminder, I have very little medical knowledge. I try and do research, but I'm sure there's a lot that I don't understand. I apologize if some of this seems a bit unrealistic. Although I've tried to make it feel as real as possible, I also wanted to keep a sense of that S1 OUAT magic so many of us came to love. So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I still see this story coming to an end pretty soon- the hard part is just putting all the ideas I have onto paper. Until next time!