A/N: Thankyou to all who are following this story, I thought I would update quickly as I'm super excited to write it! Enjoy!


"I'm not saying it's permanent." Whale quickly responds. "But at the moment, she has absolutely no recollection of the past."


No recollection of the past.

No recollection of the past.

The room span and Emma felt her heart plunging to her stomach. She could hear the faint murmurs of David talking with the doctor but couldn't make out what was being said. She felt sick. This couldn't be happening. Not to her. Not to Regina. Not to their family. A hand on her shoulder startles the blonde from her daze.

"Hey, I'm going to give Mary Margaret a call. I know she'll be waiting anxiously for the news." David informs her, voice soft. "I'll be right back."

"Okay." Emma breathes, barely managing a smile. She takes the seat at Regina's bedside, eyes raking over her wife's sound features. Even now, though she had gotten thinner and dark circles were painted beneath her eyes and her usually olive skin was a touch paler, Emma couldn't help but think she was the most beautiful sight.

The door opens again and Emma half expected David but instead a nurse walks in with a tray carrying two small cups. She confers with Whale for a moment before he makes his exit and the young woman offers Emma a quick hello.

"Miss? Miss, it's time for your pills."

Emma's pulse quickens as she witnesses Regina beginning to stir.

Charcoal eyes flutter open and a horsey voice leaves the patient's lips. "Already? How long was I asleep?"

The nurse smiles at her and nods in Emma's direction. "You have a guest."

Regina tilts her head and their eyes meet. That's when Emma knew. There was a frightening glimmer in those usually loving chocolate orbs. Regina's gaze had lost it's warmth and her stare was bland.

Just like it was to all strangers. There's a moment of silence, until the brunette breaks it.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Regina asks, puzzled brows knitting and that familiar stone mask fixed in place.

And there it was. The words which the blonde was not prepared to hear. They took her by surprise, despite waiting for them to come. She could almost hear her world crashing down around her. She needed to get out, get some air, throw up, anything.

Regina raised an expectant brow while Emma attempted forming speech of some sort.

"I- uh-"

"Regina, hey." David steps up beside the bed, a friendly smile directed towards the brunette. "How are you feeling?"

Regina turns her attention to the fair haired man, looking him up and down while taking note of the ring on his finger. "I gather you're the husband. Perhaps you would like to tell me how on earth I know the pair of you?"

And David realises this wasn't one of the cases Dr Whale had told them about. He glances to Emma who had forgotten how to breathe regularly. The blonde quickly excuses herself before bolting out of the room and down the corridor before exiting the hospital completely. She needed to get away from that ward, and away from her wife who couldn't even remember their wedding day, or their first date, or their son.

David, who had followed quickly behind the blonde grabs at Emma's arm.

"I'm so sorry." He whispers, and Emma breaks down in his arms; shaking as she clings to him, sobbing uncontrollably.

It takes a few minutes of tears until Emma pulls herself together. All cried out. She decides she has to be strong. For Henry.

"She doesn't remember me." The blonde states, voice cracking.

"Whale said it might not be permanent. This is Regina we're talking about, she's bound to remember." David attempts reassuring.

"And if she doesn't? That's my wife in there. My world. My whole life. And she just looked through me like I was-" Emma cuts herself off, swallowing another sob "like I was nothing."

"You need to tell her who you are. Who she is."

"Why? What's the point? She doesn't love me. She doesn't even recognise me."

"Of course she loves you, Emma. She just doesn't remember. You're married. With a son, might I remind you? Nothing changes that."

Emma hangs her head at the mention of their son. Their beautiful five year old Henry, who had asked for his mother back every day since she had walked out.

Once the blonde finally regulates her breathing and wipes away the damp beneath her eyes, David asks. "So what are you going to do?"

"Take her home."

"Well are you going to tell her right away? The doctor said that introducing the patient to new relationships needs to happen gradually."

"I'm not telling her we're married."

"Emma, that's crazy talk. You're not thinking straight right now. How do you plan on keeping that from her? And what about Henry? Are you not gonna' tell her she's a mother either?"

"I don't know!" The blonde snaps. "What do you expect me to do, David? Jog her memories with true loves kiss? Force her to love me? I can't do that."

"You're not forcing her to do anything." David's voice rose to match Emma's. "You're reminding her who the hell she is."

"And what if this is permanent, huh? What if she feels obliged to say with me for Henry." The blonde can feel the tears beginning to well. "Can you imagine it? Because I can. The strained I love you's and the feigned kisses. Her waking up to some stranger in her bed. Despising me. I don't want that!"

"Emma, you're being silly." David calms himself.

"Yeah? Well then you tell me how this works. How do I make someone feel a lifetime of love by telling them 'we're married' or 'we have a son'." Emma demands but gets no response from her friend.

"Alright." David gives in, exasperated. "Then what's the plan?"

"I take her home. We don't mention the marriage. I'll tell her we're roommates. If she regains her memory, then she does."

"And Henry?"

"He's hers."

"Emma no, you can't do th-"

"She adopted him alone."

"Are you hearing yourself?" David begins shouting again. "What if she decides to move out and takes him with her?"

Emma freezes. This was all a nightmare. A very bad, frightening nightmare. Barely a month ago, her life was perfect and now she was contemplating losing both her wife and her son.

"I haven't thought that far ahead."

David sighs, taking Emma's hand and squeezing lightly. "Are you going to be okay?"

"No. But I have to be."


"Are you ready?" David asks, standing in front of the door to Regina's room. Emma inhales a deep breath, pausing for a moment as she looks down to her hand. She presses a kiss to her wedding band before swiftly removing it and zipping it away inside her pocket.

"Ah. And so the mysterious visitors return." Regina drawls from the hospital bed, watching as Emma and David re-enter the room.

"Yeah." David chuckles, padding up to where the brunette sat up. "We apologise about earlier. It was just a... shock to the system - seeing you alive and not remembering who we are."

"Yes. And dare I ask, who exactly are you? Or will that send you both sprinting for the door again?"

Emma refrains from answering, deciding she'd let David do the talking for now; not wanting to risk another break down.

"Old friends." The man answers, taking a seat.

"I do find it hard to believe that I would allow any friend of mine to walk around wearing something quite that hideous."

She's looking at Emma now. Referring to the red leather. There's a teasing smirk on her lips and the blonde knows she's joking. Just like she used to back before they started dating. And for the first time in almost a month, a genuine smile forms on Emma's lips.

"If I remember correctly, this is what won y-" Quickly cutting off mid-sentence, Emma inwardly scolds herself. Five seconds in Regina's company and she's already messing up.

"You used to like this jacket." Emma finishes and Regina hums, ignoring the slip.

David quickly changes the subject. "So is there anything that you do remember?"

"Very little. My name." Regina chuckles humourlessly. "My parents are both dead. And I work for the Ann Taylor company, time square."

"Actually, you manage it now." Emma corrects, voice betraying her as it almost cracks.

Regina smiles brilliantly at the newfound information and the blonde swears she hears her heart crack in two. She thinks back to the time Regina first snagged the manager job; how happy the brunette was and how smug she felt that her arrogant colleague Sandra missed out. And oh how they celebrated that night. All night and into the early hours of the morning.

"Where am I living?" The voice shakes Emma from her thoughts. David had been filling Regina in about her work.

"With me." Emma croaked, and the two turned to face her. The words to follow were difficult to get out. She wanted to run out again. This was too much. Too difficult. "We're roommates." Just saying it made her stomach churn. Emma wanted to shake her, to scream at her to remember, tell her to snap out of it. Regina's face fell.

"Don't I have any family?" Regina asks, half disheartened half hopeful.

It took everything Emma had not to break down right then. David turns to her, nodding encouragingly. "You have a son. Henry."

"Henry..." Regina repeats in a whisper, and for a second the blonde thinks she might remember something. Anything. "Where is he?"

"My wife is currently watching over him. She wanted to be here, but we didn't want to inconvenience the boy." David explains softly and Regina nods.

"How old?" The brunette asks.

"He's five." Emma responds, and the thought of the boy brings a sad smile to her lips. "He's amazing."

Regina's eyes become teary as she registers the information, lips adopting a watery smile. "And his father?"

Emma and David share a glance, and the man knows it's her place to answer.

"He's adopted." The blonde states and Regina's expression is unreadable.

"I see." Is all that leaves her lips, before she pipes up once again after a beat. "I want to see him."

"Of course." David nods, standing from the cushioned seat. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go and give my wife a call."

Regina nods and David exits the room. "His wife?" The woman repeats with a perfect brow elevating, as if hearing it for the first time. "So you're not-"

"No. No, we're just friends. He's more like a brother to me. To us." Emma cuts her wife off before giving her time to finish. Regina cocks her head.

"His wife - Mary Margaret and I, we met at college. And David, well you guys grew up together."

"I grew up with that man?" Regina quizzes skeptically, a short lived laugh fleeing her lips.

"Yea'." Emma confirms, unsure of how much longer she could keep the act up. Regina stays silent, studying the blonde for what felt like a lifetime.

"And what about us?"

"Us?"

"When did we meet?"

"Oh." Emma mentally prays her disappointment wasn't too obvious.

"We met at their wedding."

A silence fills the room, and Regina just stares at the blonde. Emma clears her throat.

"Well, I'm sure this has been a lot for you to take in. You should probably get some rest." The blonde tells the older woman, rising from her seat. "I'll bring Henry in the morning?"

"I'd like that." Regina nods and Emma offer a hint of smile before turning to leave.

It killed her that she couldn't stay. That she couldn't watch over her wife incase she woke up from a nightmare. That she couldn't kiss her goodbye or tell her how much she loved her. Or let her know how sorry she was for making her leave that night. She couldn't do anything. Because now she was the roommate, and nothing more.

"Wait."

The voice stops Emma in her tracks, causing her to spin on her heels and face the brunette.

"You never told me your name."

"Emma Swan M-" The name dies on the blonde's tongue. "Emma Swan."
She repeats.

A tight lipped smile forms on Regina's lips. "Goodnight, Miss Swan."

"Night." Emma whispers, turning toward the door. She barely makes it out of the room before the tears begin pouring from her eyes, falling to her knees once again as the pain in her chest only grows more and more excruciating.


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