Chapter 2: Questions

A/N-There will be some flashbacks. I will be noting them with italics. Thanks again for reading and trust me, Regina will be in the story. I'm getting there.

Chapter 2: Questions

"She's coming home" Emma said out loud. Hoping that saying it out loud would get rid of the butterflies or at least calm them down. She felt like she could be sick. Why on earth would she call Katherine and not her? What in the hell did I do to deserve to not hear her voice? She thought as she pushed herself up off the bed. "Well, there's no going back to sleep now." Coffee, she would make coffee she thought. Coffee is always a good idea.

"Mornin' Ma! Did you actually sleep?" Henry said with a chuckle as he threw open the fridge in search of some breakfast.

"Yes, yes I did, just not well." She was not ready to tell him. Not yet. He would drill her for information. Information she did not have. Information she needed to get. He was her son, but Henry was so much like...her.

After getting him off to school she quickly got dressed in her gym clothes and decided she would make a stop at Katherine's house on the way to her morning class. She needed to know why. Why Katherine got the call and she didn't. It had been 12 months...8 months without contact and she needed, hell, she deserved to know why she didn't get that call. After what was said. After...well, after everything she needed to know.

"Emma, before I go I need to tell you something. Come sit on the porch with me." Emma took her hand and they walked out the front of Regina's house and she sat down on one of the patio chairs she had out front. She looked up to see that Regina had paused, still holding her hand.

"Emma," Regina said softy as she let her hand come undone from the blondes. "This is harder than I thought it would be." She slowly lowered herself down and took the seat next to Emma. "I don't want to leave again knowing that you do not know how I feel...about Henry...about...you." Emma held in her breath and looked down. Her hands were starting to shake. "Emma, Look at me." Regina placed her index finger just under Emma's chin and ever so gently lifted so that their eyes met. "Emma, I'm..."

"EMMA? EMMA!"

Emma quickly became aware as to where she was. She glanced to her left and found Katherine staring at her.

"What are you doing here Emma?" Katherine said as she stepped toward Emma's yellow bug.

Groaning silently to herself, Emma climbed out and shook her head.

"Why? Why did she call you?" she said as she stepped a little closer to her nemesis, as she liked to call her. "Why, after all these years, did she call you?" She could feel her anger swelling up inside her, like a soda can that has been left in the heat and ready to explode.

"Emma, listen" Katherine said as she took a step back. "I don't know what's going on." She said coolly. Slowly placing her hands up as if she was stating her surrender, Katherine said "I didn't hear from Regina herself, but from someone in her command. I don't remember who he said he was."

Emma was pacing now. Confused, what in the hell was going on? She has never done this. Someone from the command called? But why not call her? "Since when did you become Regina's point of contact?" Emma spat out stopping inches from Katherine's face.

"Emma, please. Please just stop and listen to me for a moment." She pleaded taking in a deep breath, Katherine looked at Emma and continued. "After Graham died Regina asked me to be her number one contact." Emma's eyes darted up. Katherine winced. "She only did it because she was afraid that you would not fare well if you were to be the first to hear that she was injured or worse while she was on a mission." She paused to try and make eye contact. "Emma, she did it to keep you safe." Katherine reached and placed a hand on Emma's shoulder, and as soon as she did she was greeted by a strong right hook.

Stunned at what just took placed. What did she just do? Emma backed up against her bug and started to reach for the door handle.

"Fucking Christ Emma!" Katherine yelled as she placed a hand over her left cheek. "What in the hell is wrong with you?! You just don't go around hitting people because you are pissed off. You are not a toddler Emma! Grow up!" Katherine is mumbling as she turns to walk back to her house, "I will never understand what she sees in you!"

"Katherine" Emma struggles to find her words, "damn, I'm sorry. I..."

"You what, Emma?" Katherine spins around and storms back to face Emma. "What? You are sorry? Sorry for having a tantrum? Sorry that Regina placed me as her number one instead of you? I'm the one who has kept her house and her affairs in order here after Cora passed. NOT you! Do you have any idea as to what hell she puts up with on a daily basis in her line of work Emma? No, no you do not. I do Emma. I may not have been as high ranking as Regina, but I did my time. I know how things work so it would be wise for you to gather yourself and your thoughts, and pull yourself together." Katherine takes a step back from Emma and her eyes go soft as she notices the tears that have fallen out of Emma's eyes. "I know you care for her more than you have let on, for a long while now. Don't screw this up Emma. I don't know why she has not called you or I for that matter, but we both know Regina and for her not to keep contact means that she needed her space. Trust her, but for the love of God, make sure you go punch the shit out of a bag or something before she gets home. Because between you and me she could still kick your ass no matter how long you have been teaching those fitness classes." Katherine winked. Katherine winced as she placed her hand on her cheek.

"I'm sorry, again." Emma said with a small smile and a shake of her head. "Katherine? When is she coming home?" She hesitated with that last part.

"Next week. She's flying from a base in Virginia. She has a debriefing and then I'm to pick her up in Boston."

Emma slowly nods her head and starts to get back in her bug.

"Will you come with me?" Katherine yells in hopes of catching Emma's attention.

Without even thinking Emma replies "Yes."

She got in her bug and shut the door. "ARE YOU INSANE?!" she cried out. With her head on the steering wheel she thought, Christ Emma, beating up Katherine and then deciding to go on a road trip? She hasn't spoken to you in 8 months, and you're going to show up at the airport and be like 'hi'..."what the fuck" she mumbles as she lifts her head up.

She digs through her bag to find her phone. She sends a quick text to Mulan asking if there was any way she could cover her class. There was no way she would be able to teach today. She had too much to do. She needed to prepare.

Got ya covered! Hope you are ok!

Yup all good! Thanks! I owe ya one!

After getting home and letting MM in on everything that has happened in the last 24 hours, she felt like she was going to be able to do this. MM was giving her full support. She always gave her whatever she needed. Mary Margaret's boyfriend, David, had even offered to take Henry to the movies that day to help keep the young boy's anxiety down. She had not planned on telling him, but he was an extremely nosey boy. When he overheard "Boston" and "Regina," he barreled down the hall and begged to go along.

"Please Ma! I'm 10! I want to go. I have been to her homecomings before! Why can't I go?" Henry was trying his hardest to plead his case.

"Because kid, this time is different I think. I really don't know. I just know that you can't come this time. But I promise as soon as we get back into town I will let you know ok?' Emma said as she ran her hand through his hair. Regina will have a fit about his hair. Regina...she smiled.

Henry must have been exhausted because Emma didn't have to tell him twice to go to bed. She found him curled up in his bed with a book. Gently, she took the book out from under his arm and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "Goodnight Hen."

She heard her phone ringing from her bedroom as she quickly looked back at her son, flipped off the light and closed the door. Jogging to her nightstand she picked up her phone.

UNAVAILABLE showed up on the caller id. Seriously, at this hour? Who would be calling her? It was probably someone trying to sell her something, she thought as she placed her phone back on the night stand.

Emma walked into the bathroom and started the shower. There's nothing like a nice hot shower before bed to clear her thoughts. She heard her phone again in the back ground. She grabbed a towel and threw it around her body.

UNAVAILABLE showed up again on the caller id. "Man, they sure are persistent" she breathed out as she hung up. She'd barley had stepped into the shower before her phone rang once more.

"Ok, ok" Emma growls as she picks up her phone. Once again UNAVAILABLE displayed on the front screen of her phone. "Unbelievable" she huffed!

Answering the phone, Emma snarled "what can I possibly help you with this ridiculously late in the evening, you incredibly rude individual?" into the phone.

She heard a gasp on the other end of the line. "Emma, It's me. Ummm...It's Regina."

If there was ever a time in Emma's life that she wanted to swallow her tongue it was now. Well ten seconds ago before she snapped at Regina on the line.

Silence, there was nothing but silence. Emma could hear breathing on the other end, OR was that her breathing? Because she was pretty damn sure that her heart had jumped out of her chest.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I called so late. I know it's late. Service is sketchy but... Ummm...I should go." Regina said quietly.

"No!" Emma yelled, maybe a little too loudly into the phone. Hearing her voice was like a dream. That voice. It haunted her dreams every night and here it was that beautiful soft husky voice. "I mean, no. please don't hang up. It's ok. Are you...are you ok?" Emma didn't know if she was rambling. She had so much she wanted to ask, but she didn't want to scare the other woman off.

"I needed to hear your voice. I messed up Emma." Regina choked out. "I...I can't talk much. I have to catch a plane soon. I just needed to hear your voice." She sniffed. If the blonde only knew how much she needed to hear her voice. She needed someone to drown out the ghosts before they drowned her.

"Regina...I" Emma didn't know what to say.

"I have to go Emma. Please, Emma..."

Silence. Nothing but silence. Did she hang up? What? Dropped Call. It had to be.

"Regina? Regina! GAHHH" Emma cried as she threw her phone on the bed. Damn crappy long distance service. Emma flopped back onto the bed. Regina had called her. Regina needed her. In all the years that they have been friends, never once has she said she needed her. Emma let out a heavy sigh. "Am I ready for this?" she questioned out loud as she covered herself up. She closed her eyes as piercing dark brown ones began to take over her dreams yet again.