Hope you're all still enjoying, some more Regina and Emma for you, Emma is feeling more and more comfortable around Regina.
"Emma…" Mary Margaret sighed, pulling gently at Emma's arm as the determined young woman pulled on her jacket. "24 hours ago you were in the Hospital…"
Emma had told Mary Margaret she was going to see Ruby, which worried the brunette as she knew alcohol will be involved.
"And now I'm not." Emma grunted back, pushing off the smaller woman's arm.
"Please, Emma, is this what's best for you?" Emma shrugged her shoulder, at this moment in time she didn't care what was good or bad for her, she just wanted some time out of Mary Maragret's presence.
As loving and amazingly understanding the woman was she somehow seemed to reach a limit and start to annoy Emma to no end.
"I know you're just looking out for me, but Ruby will be there." Emma smiled half-heartedly at Mary Margaret, who nodded, conceding that Emma was leaving, with or without her blessing.
"Be careful, baby, get Ruby to phone if you need us ok?" Mary Margaret stood on her tiptoes and kissed Emma's cheek. "Be safe." Mary Margaret repeated as Emma slammed the door.
The walk to Granny's was quick, Emma checking she had her phone and money in her pocket before entering the diner.
"Emma…" A familiar voice that wasn't Ruby's met her ears. Emma looked over at the bar stool, Regina was sat there. "I'll go…"
She hesitated, Emma shook her head.
"I'm sorry I scared you." Emma sighed, slumping onto the seat next to older woman. "I get freaked out sometimes, I just…"
"It's alright dear, it's me who should be apologizing." Regina, let her hand rest on Emma's back, rubbing soothing circles on the small of her back.
"I have more bad days that the average person, I don't think I can fault you for one bad day." Emma joked, Regina chuckling.
"Shots?" Emma asked, calling over Ruby, who had been watching the intimate interaction between the two women.
"Ok." Regina pulled the small glass into her hands, clinking it with Emma's before pouring it down in one.
"Are you ok Emma?" Ruby asked quietly, Regina flashing a look of concern at the blonde. "David said you had to go to the Hospital yesterday."
Ruby continued, Regina letting out a gasp and clutching onto Emma's hand.
"Emma?" Regina questioned, feeling Emma lace her hands within hers.
"I'm fine, I just couldn't calm my breathing down." Emma explained.
"It was me wasn't it? It was my fault?" Regina stuttered, not believing how much her words had hurt Emma.
"It's not your fault I have anxiety and depression Regina… It's not your fault, now, more shots?" Emma asked, wanting to move away from the sensitive subject as soon as possible.
Regina sat quietly for a few minutes, before pulling their conjoined hands to her lips and kissing Emma's cool hand.
Emma blushed, smiling happily as Regina returned the sentiment.
"You guys are gross." Ruby threw the comment across the table, Emma scrambling to pull her hand away from Regina, but the brunette held on tightly.
"More shots?" Regina asked, Emma nodded, knowing she shouldn't really, but she wanted to be with Regina, not wanting the woman to think she was a lightweight.
A few rounds later and Regina was pulling Emma from her seat, twirling her around the floor, like she was a Princess.
Emma could feel her head spinning, her vision was blurring and she was losing control of her breathing.
She clamped her eyes shut and her feet stopped moving, Regina realising Emma wasn't ok.
"Ruby?" Regina called, wrapping her arms around Emma, who leant heavily against Regina.
"Oh crap…" Ruby dashed behind the counter and pulled out the blanket she kept there for these exact reasons. She passed it to Regina, who had lowered herself to the floor, wrapping the thick blanket around Emma's shoulders. "I'll phone David." Ruby informed Regina, who nodded agreeably.
"Hello, my dear." Regina stroked Emma's face as she felt the blonde pressing her head into the crook of Regina's neck. "You're ok, you're safe here."
Regina started to rock her body against Emma's gently, kissing Emma's forehead.
"I just felt dizzy, I don't like not being in control." Emma pushed her head closer to Regina's warms lips.
"I'm sorry, dear, next time we'll have a quiet night in, no alcohol, one of your funny hot chocolates." Regina promised, her lips moving comfortingly against Emma's head.
"Next time?" Emma asked, there was an adorable mixture of hope and innocence in Emma's voice that cracked Regina's heart.
"Yes, dear, next time." Regina reassured her, hearing the diner door open.
"Emma…" David dropped next to Regina, Emma's head turning slightly to see David. "You look ok, are you alright?" David asked, placing a nervous hand on Emma's back.
"She just didn't like feeling dizzy, I was just suggesting a safer activity for out next encounter." Regina joked sarcastically, Emma smiling lightly against Regina's skin.
Regina still had her arms wrapped delicately around Emma, making Emma feel as safe as humanly possible.
"Can we go to the docks?" Emma asked, looking at David who nodded his head. "Regina?" She looked up at the brunette, for the first time pulling back to look up at the worried woman.
"You want Regina to come?" David asked, shocked to say the least, the docks had always been his and Emma's place, not even Mary Margaret accompanied them when they went to their bench.
"Yeah." Emma nodded, still looking at Regina who hadn't replied.
"Of course, dear." Regina smiled, rubbing Emma's back.
"It's where I go to talk things out." Emma explained, Regina smiling in understanding.
Regina, David and Emma bid Ruby a goodbye a few minutes later, David having brought Emma's coat and hat once again, wrapping the woman up warmly.
But this time Emma stuck close to Regina, the two women's fingers melded with the other, blissful in the knowledge that they both wanted to be there.
When they arrived Emma pulled Regina onto her bench, David sitting on the other.
"I want to tell you everything." Emma breathed out.
David smiled, realising Emma had wanted him here in case things got too tough, but she was ready to open up to Regina.
"About me, about why I'm like this."
"You don't have to…" Regina cupped Emma's cheek gently.
"I want to." Emma smiled, pulling Regina's other hand into her own and crossing her legs, resting their hands on her lap.
"Take your time, dear, I've got all evening." Regina said sincerely, not wanting Emma to freak out again.
"Nothing made me depressed, nothing triggered my anxiety, it's just something that happened. I woke up one morning, so scared as I couldn't breathe. David and Mary Margaret took me to the Hospital, but they said they couldn't find anything wrong with me."
Emma breathed deeply, Regina using the pads of her thumbs to rub Emma's hands gently.
"It took another 5 panic attacks before they referred me to a psychiatrist. The first woman I saw was horrible, she made me feel like everything that was happening was my fault and that I should be doing more to stop them from happening. But they were so random, one day I would wake up and feel fine, then for no reason later that day, or the next day I wouldn't be able to leave my bed." Emma's voice had sped up, Regina seeing the tears flowing down her cheeks.
"Take a breath Emma, I'm not going anywhere…" Regina didn't pressure Emma into anything, patiently waiting for Emma to gather herself and gather her thoughts.
"It got worse, I started to hurt myself, finally they moved me to a different psychiatrist, then another, but nobody seemed to be able to help." Emma was crying fully now. "Nothing seemed to make me feel better, apart from when I was cutting myself."
Regina could feel her own tears building up, annoyed that anyone would let Emma become so upset with herself that she would resort to hurting herself.
"One day, Archie... Doctor Hopper was visiting Boston and he took an interest in my case… He seemed to help and he mentioned there were a few job opening up down here. So we moved." Emma smiled, through her tears she smiled.
"I'm not better, I still get sad and I still get panic attacks, but my medication helps me to control it." Emma told Regina, who once again reached up to cup Emma's cheek. "I don't hurt myself anymore, and things are getting better."
"I'm so glad you felt like you could tell me all this. Emma, you are a wonderful person and what you just told me doesn't affect how I feel about you at all." Emma let out a sob, feeling Regina pull her arms. "You're freezing." Regina commented after a few minutes of holding one another. "Let me walk you home…" Regina offered, Emma nodding onto Regina's shoulder and allowing the brunette to pull her up.
David had sat behind the two women.
His heart was swelling and was close to bursting.
Emma had never told anyone all of that before, and never had he expected someone to be as understanding as Regina was.
Of course, David and Mary Margaret knew, but only because they had lived through it with Emma.
David wanted to run home and tell Mary Margaret what had just happened, so glad that Emma had finally found someone who understood her.
Only about 3 chapters until Emma and Regina's first official 'date'!