A/N-It's a short one, but it's lighter than the past couple! Hope you guys like it, I was having real issues getting this one down, which is why it's short. But I did something a little different. Each "* hours earlier" is talking about from the time Regina's in the bed with Emma, hopefully that's not confusing. Let me know what you think! Pretty Please :)

It was almost midnight on Monday night, 11:58 to be exact, and Regina was laying in the hospital bed next to Emma and she was smiling bigger than she had since the night David and Snow had kept Henry so she and Emma could have alone time, a week and a half ago. She had many reasons to smile that night and her thoughts of those reasons kept jumping into her mind while she was trying to complete some overdue paperwork. Their baby was ok. Emma had eaten, only a few fries, but she still chose to eat food, solid food. Regina had made love to Emma. She didn't care that it was in the hospital, in a hospital bed, or that it had worn Emma down so much that it was one-sided, Emma had fallen asleep not sad. And for that Regina couldn't be happier.

14 hours earlier

9:58, Emma's ultrasound was scheduled for 10 and the two women were sitting on the hospital bed anxiously waiting for Dr. Whale to wheel in the machine and check on their baby. When he pulled the cart in, Regina slid off the bed and sat in a chair next to Emma, keeping hold of her hand for comfort. Dr. Whale squirted the gel onto her rounded stomach and pushed several keys to measure the baby.

"He's 12 ¾ inches, ladies!" Dr. Whale announced.

"Is that good?" Emma asked sullenly.

"It's great, Emma. He's still small for you being almost 29 weeks along. But he grew between 1.5 and 2 inches in less than a week, that's very uncommon at this stage, it's early in your pregnancy for the baby to grow so quickly. But, I think all the nutrients he's getting from you being on that feeding tube must have given him a little bit of a growth spurt."

"But he's still small?" Emma whispered it, still sounding unimpressed.

"Emma, yes, he is still small, but if he continues at this rate until next Wednesday, we should be able to take him out without a question of his survival, or yours. It's really good, Emma. Enjoy the good news, ok?"

"Victor," Regina started.

"I know, Regina. It's my pleasure."

"How did you know what I was going to say?"

"Because you as you are now…that was the Regina I knew before the curse, and it's good to see you back." He offered a small smile, which she reciprocated before turning to Emma as he left the room.

"Did you hear that sweetheart? He's doing great! He's going to be fine, that's good. You're doing so good, Emma." She was standing next to her girlfriend now, brushing strands of hair away from her face. "Emma, I'm so proud of you."

"For what? Being force fed?"

"No, for carrying this baby. I wanted them to take him out, regardless of the danger to his size, because all I wanted was to make sure you survived. But you're making him healthy again, and I'm so proud of you." Emma started crying, but recovered quickly and Regina ordered the two of them lunch from Granny's, Ruby offered to drop it by.

12 hours earlier

Ruby arrived with their lunches and Regina ate her salad quickly, picking at some of Emma's fries between bites of her greens. She ripped open several ketchup packets, though she personally didn't like the stuff, she knew Emma loved it. She noticed Emma eyeing her as she pushed a fry between her teeth, so she doused one in the red condiment and held it to small pink lips. For a moment, Emma hesitated, but eventually she took a bite. And moaned.

"It tastes different."

"I read that taste buds change a lot when you're pregnant."

"Oh. Ok."

"Do you want some more?" Emma nodded, so Regina fed her a few more fries. That was all she ate, leaving her hamburger untouched, but Regina was elated.

3 hours earlier

Regina walked out with Ruby when the younger brunette came to pick up Henry and thanked her for all the help she had been giving them.

"It's really no problem, Regina. I love Emma, so I care about you, too. I want her to be ok."

"Me too." Henry walked ahead a little, so Ruby took the opportunity to ask a personal question.

"Have you guys had sex lately?"

"Ruby, that's none of your business."

"No, I know, I totally get you not wanting to tell me that. I'm just saying, sex, or orgasms actually, are really good for depression. Like, endorphins or something. Maybe it would help." Ruby shrugged and said goodbye, and then turned to leave. Regina thought a moment about what she said before going back to Emma's room. The blonde was laying down flat, all elevation gone from the bed, and absent-mindedly watched the TV.

Regina sat at the end of the bed, lifting Emma's legs into her lap and began massaging the pale feet, then calves, then worked her way up the muscular thighs, slowly and sensually. Emma moaned when Regina's fingertips slid dangerously close to the apex of her thighs.

"Mmm. R'gina, what are you doing?"

"Do you want to make out?"

"I don't feel like kissing."

"That's ok, I have enough kisses for both of us," Regina teased. She stood off the bed, kicked off her shoes and pulled off her blazer and button-down shirt, leaving her in her slacks and a silk camisole. She then slid onto the bed, her body next to Emma's, their bodies touching at almost every possible point. Regina leaned over the blonde's face, cradling it in her hands while leaning on one elbow. She gently kissed Emma's entire face, slowly, until her mouth reached pink lips. She sweetly pressed her own lips to her girlfriend's and kissed her at an achingly relaxed pace, freeing one hand from Emma's cheek to cup one breast. She softly kneaded it until Emma moaned.

"Regina…" Emma whispered.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No," came a weak reply.

"Ok, then just try to relax and enjoy." Unlike the other nights, Emma had finished her hot cocoa, so all Regina could taste was the sweet mixture of the chocolate and cinnamon. Emma had allowed her to deepen the kiss, though Regina vowed to keep the pace gentle and slow. She ran her hand down Emma's stomach and down past her hips, over her thigh until she reached the hem of the hospital gown. She slid her hand under the cheap fabric and up until she was touching cotton underwear. She pushed the thin article to the side and ran two fingers over the length of Emma's slit. She was surprised at the warmth and wetness her fingers met.

Regina rubbed her thumb slowly over Emma's clit, not removing it when she inserted her two fingers into her girlfriend's core, once again surprised, only this time it was at how swollen Emma's insides were. Every movement she made garnered weak and low moans from the blonde. When Emma started to buck against her hand, Regina quickened her pace just slightly and she never stopped their kisses.

"Oh…ohhh, god. Oh, please don't stop." Emma whimpered those things over and over until her body finally went limp and Regina slowly pulled her fingers out and wiped them on her pants. The blonde cried herself to sleep in Regina's arms, but the brunette knew it wasn't a sad cry. No, it was a relieved cry. Regina had done the same thing the first time she and Graham had been together again after her bout of depression years previous. They were tears of relief, relief at still being able to feel pleasure while feeling broken. It was a sign that things would get better, because if she could still feel physical pleasure, she knew she would be able to feel emotional pleasure again.

As the clock changed to midnight, Regina realized that she didn't feel like doing any more paperwork for the night and she tossed her things to the chair next to the bed and curled herself around her girlfriend. And in that moment, she knew that things could be better, that they would be better. All they needed was a little more time.