Emma waited, then realized of course Regina wouldn't be coming out. She remembered then that she had not heard the door click.

She walked over to the bathroom, lightly knocked on the door.

"Hey Regina, I'm going to come in… tell me now if that is not ok?" Emma waited a few heartbeats, nothing.

She slowly pushed the door open. Regina was standing in front of her sink, she had clearly been ill.

Regina kept her eyes trained on the sink.

Emma got a cloth, wet it and cleaned Regina's face and hair.

She began talking.

"I had a close call once. I had some bad foster parents and there was this one… She was maybe 30. She wanted someone other than her husband the nights he was away on business, which would have been fine if she wasn't so strung out on drugs when he was gone… I would have to hide from her, hope she wouldn't find me. Some nights she was just angry and violent. I started working out so I could fight her off of me if she ever tried again… I failed a lot of classes because I couldn't sleep at night."

Regina turned, moved into Emma's space then hesitated.

She wrapped her arms around herself.

"Your grandfather was not on drugs…he just didn't care for me." Regina looked a bit more distant.

"I don't wish to talk about it anymore tonight." Regina looked exhausted.

Emma led her back to bed, tucked her in. Regina grabbing her pillow and curling in a ball around it.

Emma lay next to her, and remembered that Regina had played with her hair when she was sick. It might be a small comfort to the woman.

Emma brushed Regina's hair back from her face and started playing with it.

"Can I tell you something?" Emma stayed focused on the silky dark locks in front of her.

A tired sigh, "Of course dear…"

"I think you are really beautiful." Emma's hands stilled when she didn't get a response. Maybe Regina had drifted off to sleep.

She glanced over and Regina's eyes were closed.

Emma sighed. Well that had taken a lot of courage and now Regina didn't even know. Emma tucked her in tighter, kissed her forehead, turned the lights off, and made her way downstairs.

The brunette let out a breath when Emma was gone, Emma felt it too.

…

The next morning Emma made coffee and made her way upstairs when Henry came down and said his mom was usually up by now.

Emma quietly walked in the bedroom.

Regina's hair lay everywhere, the brunette had obviously not had a good night's sleep. Emma walked towards her when a floorboard creaked.

Regina jumping at the sound and pulling her covers up.

Emma held up her hands in surrender, "Hey it's just me."

Regina glared at her, "I know that." Obviously she hadn't.

Emma chuckled, "Someone is grumpy today?"

Regina's hair was a mess, she ran her fingers through it to try and calm it.

"Kid wants to make pancakes, will you be down soon?" Emma put her hands in her back pocks.

Regina looked up in surprise. "Yes, I…I'll need to shower, then I'll be down." Then as an afterthought.

"You can shower too…later! You may use my shower after…" Her cheeks flushed pink.

Emma nodded, "That would be great." She smiled and left the room.

Regina came down in fresh clothes, covered in a robe and slightly wet hair.

Emma placed pancakes with a smiley face in front of her.

"So what do you think about Granny's for lunch? Get you out around town. Show everyone how normal you are." Regina tried hard to put her walls back up.

"Sure dear, whatever you think is best for my image." Regina's face turned to a smirk when she noticed the smile on her food.

"Emma what is this?"

Emma stuttered, "I-I well I thought you could use some cheering up … after our talk last night. I am around if you need to talk more, Regina you didn't scare me away…"

Regina seemed satisfied and started eating with a shake of her head, a smile cast down at her food.

….