Regina got home still trying to understand Emma's reaction to Whale asking her out. She hadn't actually accepted a dinner invite from him. While was his patient it wouldn't be proper to do so, and even afterward, well while she appreciated that he too had a past to overcome Emma's strong reaction to it made no sense. She couldn't help but think that Emma's outburst was almost like jealousy, but that was a ridiculous notion.

"How did it go at the hospital?" Henry asked her.

"Good. Dr. Whale is going to have some new pain medication sent over later. Hopefully it helps better than the last batch. Emma was there."

"She was?"

"Yes. Apparently the sheriff doesn't trust me to handle my medical condition on my own."

"She's probably trying to make up for how she was when you were in the hospital."

"Henry. Your mom's job isn't to watch over me, even if I was in the hospital. Her job was to keep you safe, which she did by keeping you away from that place. You have to stop trying to find fault in her actions."

"I know but you weren't there. You are both my moms and when something happens to one of you, the other should be concerned. She never even checked on you that first day, she was only concerned that she was the one who caused this."

"I can't say how I would have reacted if our positions were reversed." Regina said. "And Emma and I do seem to be getting along better since I woke up in the hospital oddly enough. Maybe this little scare was the push we needed to get moving in the right direction, and that direction is one where we can both be in your life on amicable terms. Isn't that what you want?"

"Yes. I want us to be family."

"And we are, in our own weird way. Now let's figure out what your one-armed mom can make for dinner." She put her good arm around him and led him to the kitchen.

She was actually saved from the effort when Tink came over and the three of them (with Tink driving) went to Granny's to eat. They were done with their meal and Henry was at another table talking with another boy from school, which left Tink and Regina to talk.

"He asked you out?"

"Yes. He sat down on his couch beside me and started talking about how since the curse lifted and people knew he was Dr. Frankenstein that he has to deal with certain prejudices. He said it has given him insight into what it must be like for me. He said he would like to talk more about it in private setting and then he just asked me to go dinner with him. I paused and he pointed out that it couldn't happen right now since he is still treating me, but once that was complete he would like it if we could get together. Until then he said he hopes in addition to being doctor-patient we could maybe start to become friends."

Regina looked down at her coffee cup, where she had been unconsciously stirring it for the last couple of minutes. She took the spoon out and took a drink while Tink processed this new information.

"You know I have been giving this whole fairy dust, soul mate thing some thought along with this whole curse thing," Tink said. Regina had kept her in the loop as promised. "And I've come to a conclusion. Now this may sound a little far-fetched."

"My entire life is far-fetched," Regina joked. "All of our lives are far-fetched. Could you imagine what this would like if it was a TV show? The writers wouldn't be able to keep it all straight."

Not for the first time since Regina woke in the hospital, Tink considered how the other woman seemed to be changing. Like the remark she just made was not something she would expect of Regina. If anything Regina seemed more patient, less prone to anger, and yes more relaxed than before.

"I haven't watched much TV since being here. It's sort of confusing and way too much to choose from. I do enjoy the cartoons though," Tink replied. "Anyway, let's say that Rumple put a curse on you that change your destiny and that was done on you as a kid so from that moment on you were on a different path than the one you were originally supposed to be on. Then you and I meet and I do the whole soul ate fair dust routine and it leads you to Robin. But what if it only led you to Robin because he was your soul mate in that destiny?"

"I'm not following you because as much as I like Robin. I really did like him, I don't feel like he is my soul mate."

"Exactly," Tink said excitedly.

"I am still confused."

Tink picked up a salt shaker. "Let's say that this is your original destiny, ok? And this," she said picking up the pepper shaker. "This is your destiny after the curse. So when I used the fairy dust it picked out a soul mate from your pepper destiny. But what if you are no longer on that destiny, which means the whole fairy dust would be moot. What if you are back on your salt destiny and in that destiny Robin isn't your soul mate? What if there is someone different now?"

"If I am understanding this right," Regina said picking up the salt. "And this is now my destiny again, how would that be possible unless the curse broke?"

"It wouldn't be. And salt may not be your destiny any more," she said picking up the sugar. "It may have changed to something completely different at this point because of the life you have led. Either way, the curse would have had to have broken."

"But how would that have happened after all of these years?"

"True love's kiss," Tink shrugged. "Which also means who you are really supposed to be with is here in this town."

Regina looked at the sugar container. "Emma said before she found me that I called out to someone, I said something like 'please don't leave,' maybe someone was in the stable with me before she found me. She never saw anyone and she admitted she wasn't really paying attention if there was someone else there."

Tink clapped her hands in enthusiasm, "which means your true love could have been there."

"But if they were there, why would they leave and why wouldn't they say something now?"

"I don't know. Maybe they are waiting for the right time."

"You don't think it could be Dr. Whale?"

"No," Tink said. "Definitely not."

"Why not? He's the only one who has shown any interest."

"He was also unconscious at the hospital with the rest of the adults, and ugh the idea that he is, you'd be better off skipping the true love thing."

"You and Emma should get together. She was also not part of the Whale fan club."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, she practically yelled at me for even thinking about going out with him."

"Interesting."

"Henry and I better get back home. I don't want to miss the messenger."

Tink drove them home and dropped them off. About an hour and half later a courier showed up. "Thank you," Regina said giving him a tip.

"Is that your new pain medication?" Henry asked.

"Yes." Regina said, trying to open it and failing with one arm. She had Henry get the scissors out and he cut through the packaging for her. She sat down and read the directions. It was Vicodin and as long as she didn't plan on running any heavy equipment she figured she would be fine. Henry brought her a bottle of water and she took one of the pills.

…

Emma was lying on her couch being totally uninterested in the TV show that was on when there was a knock at the door. She got up and opened it.

"Tink, what are you doing here?"

"We need to talk about Regina."

"Is she alright?" Emma asked, the concern evident in her voice which only made Tink smile.

"There wasn't anyone else in the stable that night when you found her, was there?"

"What, um, no not that I saw. There could have been someone though; I didn't check."

"I am betting there wasn't," Tink said. "Otherwise they may have seen you two share true love's kiss."

Emma pulled her into the apartment and shut the door.

"I knew it!" Tink said jumping up and down while clapping.