sorry for the wait guys. I think you'll enjoy this chapter. Its heavy on the angst

Chapter 14 Sixth Sense

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Emma asked as she drove to the diner the next morning with Regina in the passenger seat of her yellow bug. She surprised her this morning when she had mentioned she wanted to go to breakfast at the diner. Emma had agreed, worried for her still bruised ribs and chest. Not to mention her still healing stiches on her abdomen.

"Emma…" Regina sighed, turning her gaze to the sound of her voice. "We've been through this."

"I know… I'm just…" she trailed off, not exactly knowing how to say this. She was worried. She was afraid Regina might be pushing herself. She might be in pain and was too stubborn to admit it.

"I know you're worried. Don't be, ok."

"Ok, but you have to let me know if the pain becomes too much," Emma relented, still not so sure of this. Of course she wanted to have breakfast with the beautiful woman sitting beside her but not at the cost of Regina being in pain.

Maybe she wanted to prove something.

Regina didn't answer and Emma knew she'll never admit to the true extent of her pain. She just needed to be aware and watch her for any signs. If she saw so much as a wince then she was taking Regina home.

It wasn't until Emma had parked the car and unfasten her seat belt did she notice Regina's rigid posture. She was nervous and Emma could see it. Maybe there really was more to just wanting to have breakfast.

"Hey…" she said softly, reaching out and turning her face so that Regina's sightless gaze was directed at her. She looked into soft brown orbs and in that moment she understood what this was all about.

"You have nothing to prove to them," she said.

"Don't I?" Regina admitted shakily. "I have to show them that he didn't break me. I have to show them I can still be their mayor. That I'm not... I'm not weak."

"You have nothing to prove to them," she repeated more firmly this time. "You don't need to show them that that bastard didn't break you. You don't have to show them that what he took from you didn't make you weak." Emma's voice trembled with emotion. She wanted Regina to see just how strong she really was and it broke her heart that Regina couldn't see that.

"This is something I have to do," she whispered and then she suddenly felt Emma's fingers on her face, tracing her eyes.

"Emma…" she whispered and the blonde sheriff leaned in and pressed her lips to her forehead. She closed her eyes and Emma placed tiny kisses against her eyelids.

"If this is what you have to do then I'll walk in there with you."

They walked in hand in hand and Regina didn't have to see to know everyone was staring at them. She could feel their eyes burning into her as Emma led her to an empty booth.

"I'm feeling like fries and a burger…" Emma said, scanning her menu and Regina gave her an appalled look. "What?"

"It's barely after 8," Regina stated in disbelief and then she wondered why she was so shocked over this. She's witnessed enough of Emma's bad eating habits over the past years.

"So?" Emma shrugged, not seeing the problem here.

"What about breakfast?" Regina asked.

"I did order breakfast."

"You ordered clogged arteries and a heart attack waiting to happen."

"Don't be so dramatic," she laughed and Regina raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, your highness, what are you going to order?"

"Apple pancakes," she had already decided. "And coffee, I need coffee. Between both you and Henry snoring, I might never sleep again."

"I don't snore!" Emma exclaimed just as Ruby approached their table with an order pad in hand.

"I'd have to side with Regina on that one," she laughed. "When you stayed at the bed and breakfast, I had to convince myself not to suffocate you."

"How would you even hear me?" she narrowed her eyes playfully at her friend.

"Wolf hearing, remember? Even when we were our cursed selves, I still had my wolf senses."

"Alright fine I snore," Emma grumbled playfully, glad to distract her from the staring if even just for a moment. She looked up at Ruby.

"I'll take the chocolate chip pancakes and some coffee."

Ruby wrote it down and after Regina ordered her own food, she reached her hand across the table until she felt Emma taking it and wrapping her fingers between her own.

"You ok?"

"You didn't order the burger."

"Pancakes actually sound better right now."

"You were just trying to distract me," she realized.

"Is it working?" Emma smiled sheepishly.

"You know, it kind of is."

They spent the rest of their breakfast playfully bantering with each other. Emma's presence helped chase away the uneasiness she felt from the staring. She was able to ignore it and focus on their breakfast date.

They were just about done when she sensed someone approaching them and could feel the hostility flowing off of Emma in waves.

"Emma…" she whispered but was cut off of by a voice that sent chills up her spine.

"You're majesty, I didn't think you'd ever show your face around here," he sneered, obnoxiously waving his hand in front of Regina's face. Emma saw red. She painfully had to force herself to keep from punching his stupid face in. "Wow, you really are blind, aren't you?"

"Walk away Carter," Emma growled, desperately trying to keep her anger in control. She didn't want to do anything that will alter the events of the upcoming trial. She didn't want to give the jury or the judge any reason to let this son of a bitch off easy. It was bad enough he was released on bail.

"Get your filthy hand away from me," Regina's voice rumbled low with anger, sensing him waving his hand in front of her sightless eyes. Carter had the audacity to laugh. Emma stood, her whole body radiating with hot anger. Regina could sense it radiating off of her in waves. The sheriff stood, throwing in the towel on not doing anything that will cost them a fair trial. Her intent on punching this bastard's face was clear in her movements. She pulled back and before she could even swing, a hand pulled Carter violently away.

David was the one to take the swing and Regina smirked in satisfaction when she heard the crunch of David's fist connecting with his nose. He fell to the floor, slurring out curses and David was grabbing his shirt and shoving him outside. Emma's mouth just hung open in shock as she watched her father throw him out before making his way back to them, his fist bruised upon impact with Carter's face.

Granny came over with some ice and wrapped his hand, scolding him on starting fights in her diner.

"Are you ok? He didn't touch any of you did he?" he asked, worried Carter may have hurt them.

"No," Regina replied, her voice suddenly void of any emotion. Emma couldn't read her face and both she and David looked at her in concern. She stood, moving out of the booth. "I just want to go home."

"Of course, come on," Emma said softly, gently taking her hand. She pulled away as if she had been burned. To Emma it felt like a slap in the face.

"Regina…" David started as he watched the older woman move out of the booth, refusing his daughters help.

"I don't need help. I'm not some useless blind victim," she all but snapped as she attempted to figure out which direction the door was and how far it was.

"Well by all means, go ahead," Emma growled out, too angry to rationalize why Regina was suddenly acting this way. Why she was lashing out.

She hesitated. Not exactly sure where to go, but her pride kept her from apologizing or to even ask for help, so she moved forward.

She knew they were in one of the back booths so she walked forward along the others until she knew she was by the counter and from there she could find the door. She could hear the bell signaling people going in and out.

She felt Emma and David close behind her but she was too stubborn to acknowledge them.

The diner was silent and there was no doubt they were all watching her. She kept moving towards the door and holding her head up. She would not appear weak in front of them.

She pushed open the door, taking a step out and she froze because she had no idea of the distance between her and the steps. One wrong move could send her tumbling to the ground.

"Had enough?" Emma asked, knowing at this point that the former Queen's biggest enemy lately were stairs. "Are you going to let us help you now?"

She closed her eyes, trying to remember the countless times she had gone up and down these steps. She saw them in her mind. She saw the distance and stepped forward, unknowingly using her magic as a sixth sense. It was as if it was compensating for her loss of sight. She opened her eyes and move forward, determination in her step, and Emma watched in shock as she effortlessly moved down the steps and straight towards the car as if she could see.

Emma and David just stood there on the porch with looks of pure shock on their faces. It wasn't until Regina had realized they had to yet to join her and had turned to their direction with a surprised expression herself, did they finally start to move towards her.

"Regina, how did you…" Emma trailed off unable to describe what just happened.

"I don't know…" she answered, all hints of their previous anger gone as she tried to think of an explanation. "It's my magic. I think it's guiding me."

"Like a sixth sense?" David asked and Regina directed her sightless gaze at her hands.

"Exactly like a sixth sense," she whispered in awe.

It was the late evening when Regina was sitting at the kitchen counter, going over the morning's events at the diner. She held a hot cup of tea in both hands, inhaling the apple cinnamon spice steam and letting it ease the tension of her stress induced headache.

Emma had gone to the station after breakfast. Despite what had happened, she was still upset and Regina gave her the space. Right now she was alone. Snow was in the bedroom putting Neal down for the night. David had yet to come home. Henry was with him. She guessed they were at the park practicing his sword fighting.

She couldn't stop thinking about this morning. She and Emma hadn't fought in a while. She hasn't shut her out in so long and the moment she did, she knew Emma was hurt. Carter made her defensive. She didn't want to seem weak and she hadn't realized what she was doing until Emma had snapped right back at her to leave the diner on her own without her help.

She needed to apologize. She knew she had been in the wrong, but she was just too stubborn to admit it earlier. Emma dropped her off without a word, making sure she safely found her way back to the apartment before she and David took off to the station for the day. She spent the day resting her sore fractured ribs and her bruised ego while Snow took care of both her and Neal.

She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there. Snow had yet to emerge. She must have fallen asleep with Neal. Her untouched tea was cold and her ribs were more than sore from sitting too long. It wasn't long till she heard the door open, followed by the voices of David and her son.

"Hey mom," she heard Henry say, his presence suddenly beside her and she melted into his embraced as he hugged her and kissed her cheek.

She smiled, unsure where to look. He must have noticed because he took her hands and placed them on his cheeks. She directed her gaze at him, almost as if she could see him.

"Are you ok? You look kind of pale," he asked, his voice full of concern. Her bruised chest and injured ribs were absolutely killing her at this point from sitting so long. Of course she wasn't about to admit it to him.

"I'm fine honey, it's just been a long day."

David must have heard the exhaustion and pain in her voice because he sent Henry to get ready for bed. He kissed his mom goodnight and went into the bathroom where she could hear the shower going on.

She felt David taking both of her arms gently.

"Come on, I'll help you upstairs," he said, knowing she could barely move on her own right now. He wondered if he could get her to take the pain meds tonight. It was a constant struggle to get her to take them each night. She usually held out until the pain became so bad she could barely take a breath.

She let him gently guide her off the stool and the moment she was standing, a pained gasped escaped her lips. Her knees buckled and David firmly held her up to keep her from falling.

"I got you," he said, keeping her still and giving her a moment to breathe.

"She's still angry at me, isn't she?" she asked, her breaths quick and short as she tried to get a grip on the pain.

"She's more hurt than angry if anything," he said, the sight of his pouting daughter sitting alone in her office flashing in his mind. He had left ten minutes before three to pick up Henry from school and then to take him to the diner and then the park after. Emma stayed behind, ignoring his advice on coming home at a decent hour. She was silent, knowing Emma was hurt and avoiding her. She messed up and she wished Emma would come home so that she could make it right.

"Ready?" David asked, pulling her out from her headspace. It still hurt, but she knew she needed to get upstairs where she could wait for Emma and apologize. She nodded, holding her breath as he guided her to the steps. The pain became worse and she gritted her teeth. David was practically holding her against him at this point.

"You could take my side of the bed," he offered. "Snow's a still sleeper. I could take the couch." He was kind, but she needed to go upstairs and wait for Emma.

"No please," she managed to breathe out through the sharp pains shooting up through her ribs and chest. "You don't have to give up your bed. I could make it up the stairs."

"Ok," he sighed, knowing there was no changing her mind. "Tell me if you need to stop." His voice was stern, hoping she wouldn't hold back.

They moved slowly and Regina was agony each time she had to pull herself up on each step of the steep ladder. Her knuckles held the rail tightly and her breaths were heavy.

They were only half way up when David made her stop. Her color was pale and she could hardly breathe. Her body shook from the pain and he didn't want to risk her passing out.

"Do you need the meds?" Snow's sleepy voice suddenly sounded from behind her. She was a couple steps below them and she could feel her hand on the small of her back. She was so occupied with trying to make it up and not passing out on the way there that she didn't even sense Snow getting up and helping.

"No," her voice trembled, however, it went unheard as she heard David say yes followed by Snow's footsteps heading towards the kitchen.

This would be so much easier if she could just poof to the bedroom. She had been holding back in fear of misaiming and landing somewhere dangerous like in between a wall or something.

The pain was so bad at this point that all those fears had gone out the window. She pulled away from David, dropping to her hand and knees on the steps when she found she didn't have the strength to hold herself up.

"Regina!" David exclaimed, oblivious to what she was trying to do and before he could even reach out to her, purple smoke swirled lightly around her. It hurt too much to focus on her magic. It was weak and she forced whatever strength she had left into it. She focused on her destination, trying to see the bed in her mind and then she thought of Emma holding her in that bed. The feeling of waking up and unable to see her, but she could feel her. Her scent invading her senses and that incredible safe feeling Emma gave her.

She missed her.

Emma was all that was on her mind as she focused on transporting herself to the bed. She closed her eyes, seeing the same darkness that surrounded her each day. She heard David and Snow shouting for her and then the next thing she knew she felt the familiar feeling of magic transporting her.

She expected to land on a soft mattress that smelled like Emma but instead she violently landed on a cold hard floor and she screamed out in agony when she landed hard on her fractured ribs. She had misaimed her landing and materialized at least a foot into the air before dropping to the floor.

"Oh my god Regina!"

Emma's panicked voice was the last thing she heard before the pain became too much. She felt Emma lifting her into her lap and even that small shift was enough to drag her into unconsciousness.