A week later and Regina's first radiation appointment was getting nearer. Robin wanted to get the painting done before then to give Regina a little happiness and that was precisely why he was standing in the middle of a cluttered room, wanting to pull out his hair. Regina would be downstairs at any moment and the house looked as if a tornado had flown right through it. There was plastic littering the floor and protecting the furniture. Paint cans and paint brushes scattered about and not to mention Roland's toy cars that Robin had already asked him three times to pick up. He sighed.

"What's this?"

Regina was standing at the bottom of the stairs, she had just gotten out of the shower and was dressed in a blue dress for the day. Her hair was still damp and hung loosely past her shoulders.

"Paint," he smiled hopefully, "I figured that your first appointment is Monday and I wanted to have the painting finished by then. I figured we could make it a family affair."

Regina smiled, "where are the boys?"

"They should be back from Snow's at any time. I sent them over for some painter's tape. Seems to be the only thing I forgot."

Regina finished the last few steps and made her way to middle of the room where Robin was standing. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "You didn't have to do all of this."

"I wanted to."

Regina smiled on the outside but if she was being honest, she was upset. If Robin wanted to help her finish her list then it meant that he didn't believe she could beat the cancer again. It meant that he was making her happy before she would die. She didn't want to think about it…

Robin felt the tension that suddenly formed in his wife's shoulders and kissed her delicately on the temple. "What is it, love?"

She shook her head, still hanging onto the hug he offered. Maybe if she stayed in his arms then nothing bad would happen. Maybe if she didn't move then the cancer wouldn't grow and she wouldn't have to worry about it. "Nothing."

"Well," Robin said, "I'd like to think I know you and I definitely know that that means something is wrong. Tell me."

"I know I was the one who mentioned the list but… I feel like because you're already starting it- forget it. It's silly."

"Regina, please."

Regina looked him in the eyes and it's like she was under his spell. She wanted to be honest with him. "You don't think I can beat it, do you?" The words came out so small and so scared, Robin almost thought he was dreaming.

"Where did you get that idea from? If anyone can beat this a second time around, it's you." He reached his hand to her cheek and cupped it gently. "I just want to make you happy."

"You are," Regina promised, "just by being you and being here."

They were just about to share an intimate moment when the boys came barging into the house, ranting about how Snow and Charming wouldn't listen to them when the told them it was for family only.

"That's alright," Regina said as pulled away from Robin, "Mary Margaret and David are family."

Henry stopped dead in his tracks and just stared at his mom. She really had come a long way since all those years ago when the curse was first broken. She went through tough times but she still stood tall and her strength and will to fight gave Henry hope that he hadn't experienced before. It was a different type of hope than he was used to.

"Everybody grab a paintbrush," Regina instructed as Mary Margaret and David entered the living room. The more hands the merrier."

"Don't forget about us." Regina looked up to see Emma and Hook in the foyer, taking their coats off. "I hope you didn't think you could get rid of me that easily."

"Of course not, dear," Regina teased, "grab a paint brush."

As the early morning turned into afternoon, the painting was coming along nicely. The largest wall was now covered in a soft pale blue and it accented the white furniture in a beautiful way.

"I think you guys have worked long enough to deserve a lunch break," Regina teased as she sat her paint brush down in one of the paint containers. She had a smile on her face but she was trying to get them to leave the room so she could have a moment alone with Robin. He could read right through her like she was an open book so he politely added that everyone could help themselves in the kitchen. Just as Regina had hoped, Henry and Emma never turned down an offer to eat and everyone else followed suit.

"What's wrong?" Robin questioned once they were alone.

Regina looked to the ground, afraid to admit that she wasn't feeling as well as she should. She had noticed sometime during the painting that her chest was starting to cause her pain and that usually wasn't a good sign.

"You can tell me."

Regina sighed. She knew she could tell him anything and she was thankful for that. It wasn't that she didn't want him to know. It was that admitting that she was hurting out loud would make this real again, and she wanted to hold off on the cancer talk for as long as she could. "My chest is bothering me," she whispered. "Sort of how it was before my appointment…"

It was just after two in the morning and Regina was sitting up in bed, clutching her chest in pain. She wished that Robin was awake because she would be lying if she said she wasn't worried. This was exactly how she felt before her first diagnosis. She was about to try and let sleep overtake her body again when she swallowed her pride and gently shook Robin awake.

"What is it?" He had waken immediately because he knew that Regina wouldn't bother him unless it was serious. He sat up and threw the covers off of his body when he saw a tear slowly trail down her cheek.

"My chest is hurting," she whispered brokenly, "just like before…."

Robin sighed and pulled her close to him. "Should we go to the emergency room?"

"No! No, just… hold me."

Robin wouldn't argue with that. He wrapped his arms around her and snuggled his front into her backside, leaving tender kisses into her hairline. "It will pass," he said hopefully.

Regina didn't say anything. Instead she focused on Robin breathing into her ear and the scent of his aftershave, trying to focus on anything except the pain radiating in her chest.

"If it keeps bothering you we can go to the emergency room after dinner, alright? No arguments."

Regina nodded reluctantly. "Please don't tell them. I don't want them worrying about me."

"Too late." Regina and Robin both turned to see Mary Margaret in the doorway. "I didn't mean to intrude but Roland wants apple pie and- Regina you're crazy if you think I'm not going to ask you how you're feeling everytime I see you. That's what friends do; that's what family does."

"I just don't want-"

"I'm going to worry," Mary Margaret argued, "so please be honest with me. Let me be here for you this time."

Regina didn't know what to say. She knew that Mary Margaret would worry whether Regina assured her she was fine or not. She knew how persistent she was. However, Regina wasn't ready for people to dote over yet. She wasn't ready to admit defeat yet.

Robin saw the conflicting emotions course through Regina and he knew that this conversation would either end on a good note or a bad note. He braced himself for impact.