The blonde offloads the Mayor gently onto her bed, trying to ignore a cramp in her arm. Massaging her bicep, she admonishes the darker woman with a grimace, muttering playfully
"If you have plans of becoming a regular alcoholic, I'm going to have to insist you invest in a chair-lift."
"Shut up."
Regina grumbles miserably. Shaking her head, Emma pulls at the brunette's shoulder to position her on her side as the latter's fingers find her wrist weakly and take hold. Sighing, she pushes the Mayor's hand away and turns for the door.
"Emma..."
Dark eyes find her own uneasily and the Sheriff moves swiftly back over to the bed, bending low so that her face is level with Regina's.
"I'm just going downstairs for a second, ok? I need to get you some water or you'll be spending tomorrow on your back with the blinds drawn. I'll be right back."
She smiles shyly at the unmistakable wave of relief that touches the darker woman's features, before hurrying out of the room and down the hallway.
When she reaches the top of the stairs, she glances over at the door on the far side of the hall with a frown. Nibbling her lip, she moves quietly in that direction and knocks softly on the solid wood. She receives no reply, but slowly pushes the door open; peeking into the darkness of her son's bedroom.
Henry lies on top of his covers, still dressed in his clothes, with his back to her. She wants more than anything to walk over and pull the boy into her, but she can't. Not just because of Regina's current state, or the fact that she's in the Mayor's house - the latter having made her thoughts on Emma and Henry spending time together perfectly clear - but because she's just not built that way. She's unsure what emotion will be released if she goes and comforts the boy, and this stops her from entering the room any further. Instead, she clears her throat and speaks quietly.
"Henry?... I'm sorry I yelled at you... I shouldn't have... I-... Your mom is sick... She was drinking, you're right, but I think she's upset about something and I didn't want what you said to make it worse, and I guess I didn't go about it in the best way... I-... I didn't mean to snap at you, kid... I'm sorry?"
She holds her breath as she waits for an answer but Henry remains silent. With a sigh, the blonde pads defeatedly out of the room, closing the door softly behind her, oblivious to the fact that her son lies fast asleep; a victim of the stress of the evening.
Hurrying down the stairs, she makes her way into the kitchen; opening various cabinets and cupboards until she finds where the Mayor keeps her glasses. She recalls the brunette's apparent preference for bottled water from the previous evening - shit, I'm becoming a fucking regular here - but a brief check of the fridge comes up empty.
Well, fuck it. Tap water isn't going to kill her.
She pours the water carefully; not filling the glass too high as she doubts Regina's motor skills will be up to their usual standard. Spying a neat pile of laundry in the conjoined utility room, she selects a soft, blue washcloth and holds it under cold water to soak before wringing it out.
When she reenters the Mayor's bedroom, she finds her once more lying on her back with her eyes closed. Creeping quietly closer, she places her hand gently on the brunette's shoulder so as not to startle her when she perches on the edge of the bed. Regina's eyes flicker open, and Emma is pleased to see that the delirious quality of intoxication has now been replaced by a hazy, delayed exhaustion with which she is all too familiar herself.
"Drink."
She orders. The brunette shakes her head weakly and the Sheriff mimics her with greater conviction; sliding an arm beneath the darker woman's shoulders and propping her up with no concern for the latter's protest.
"Uh uh, I wasn't asking. Drink."
Regina rolls her eyes and takes a few sips before shaking her head once more. This time, the blonde shows her some mercy and lowers her back down onto the bed. The Mayor looks up at the younger woman pensively; holding her pleasant, green gaze silently. Emma eventually lowers her eyes to her lap and sighs.
"So... Are you going to tell me what happened?"
"I had a little too much to drink, just as Henry so graciously informed you..."
"Uhuh, I'd sussed that much for myself... Why?"
"Miss Swan, demand for an explanation as to one's drinking habits seems fairly rich coming from you."
Emma glances back up at the Mayor, but instead of a snarl, her lips form a weak smile as she notes to herself that Regina's all too familiar prim way of bitching is probably a good sign that the darker woman is sobering up.
"You had more than just a little too much to drink, Regina... Now... Either something's happened since I left here this morning, or I did something... If I did, if you hadn't wanted me to stay, or-"
"-Don't."
"-I'm just saying-"
"-Miss Swan... Emma... Don't. I made it very clear I wanted you to stay, did I not?"
"Well, yeah, but-"
"-You did nothing wrong, dear. Nothing! It's not you that should be fretting, I-... I-..."
But the brunette's eyes clamp shut as her voice cracks shakily, and for a moment, the Sheriff wonders if her stomach has given up storing the copious amount of whisky forced upon it, but then she realises with greater alarm that the Mayor is on the verge of tears. Leaning down over the darker woman nervously, she tries to adopt a soothing tone as she pats her awkwardly on the shoulder.
"Hey! Regina... Come on... Please don't be upset... Just tell me what's wrong."
"I'm so-... S-sorry."
"What? Why!?... Regina?"
"I-... Emma, I tried to hurt you..."
The darker woman chokes out wretchedly, and the blonde blinks in surprise before offering the Mayor a small nod of her head.
"Well, no shit. I know that."
"Y-... You do?"
"Of course. I'm not an idiot, in spite of your claims to the contrary. I guess I haven't always been blameless either. But... I kind of get it... Some of it."
The Mayor frowns in confusion, before realising that the Sheriff refers to the many weeks spent at each other's throats following her arrival. Shaking her head, she places a hand over her eyes in an attempt to protect her dignity; aware that neither of them is particularly well equipped with emotion of the salted variety.
"No..."
"Regina, it's okay."
"It's not! What I did is not okay!"
"Look, we-"
"-Emma I tried to hurt you! Really tried to hurt you! And it's not-... It's not okay!"
"I don't-... Do you mean the brakes on the cruiser?"
"No, I-..."
Oh God, the fucking brakes!... She wouldn't have been badly hurt. Surely?... I mean, the car was supposed to crash... And it was Sydney's idea... But-
"I know about the brakes, and it was a pretty low move, but-"
"-I don't mean the brakes... I-... I tried to-...Oh god-"
"-I don't want to know."
Emma's tone is low as she interrupts the Mayor's distress, and the brunette removes her hand cautiously from her eyes to regard her guest warily. The softness in the Sheriff's expression unsettles her greatly and she opens her mouth to protest before slender fingers find her hair and stroke it away from her face.
The blonde chews at the inside of her cheek, feeling exceptionally awkward as she runs her fingers through the Mayor's hair in such an uncharacteristically caring fashion, but when dark eyes slip closed and some of the anguish disappears from the brunette's brow she decides it's worth it.
Finally, Regina murmurs quietly
"... You don't want to know?"
"Nope."
"Emma..."
"Regina, I'm happy. It's kind of crazy and totally weird, but I am... And, I get the feeling that if you tell me what you're about to tell me, I won't be anymore... There's not a lot of times before that I've been happy... Whatever you did... Well. You said yourself you were sorry."
"I am, more than you could ever know, but this isn't something that can just be let go, dear!"
"It is. You said you tried to hurt me - really hurt me - and I'm fine, which would suggest whatever you had planned to say or do, you didn't. Or you fixed it... If you need me to tell you that I forgive you, or whatever the fuck will make you feel better, then I do. Whatever it is, just... It's ok."
The brunette looks up at the Sheriff with something akin to disbelief, but the younger woman simply shrugs. Regina sighs, knowing that the blonde declaring her forgiveness should mean nothing. Knowing that if Emma only knew what she was forgiving, she may feel less inclined to do so. But there's something about what the Sheriff has said that stops her from crying out to the blonde to stop with her stupidity.
I'm happy... There's not a lot of times before that I've been happy.
And, isn't that something she should understand? Can understand?
Better than most, dear.
Sighing, the brunette reaches for the Sheriff and rests her hand on the latter's knee. She jerks slightly as Emma places the chilled flannel across her forehead, but keeps her hand in place. Glancing up at the blonde with a sense of miserable half-closure, she studies her appreciatively.
"You should get yourself home, dear, it's getting late."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"But... What about Henry?"
"I'll cross that bridge tomorrow. I don't think it's all too crazy that I'd stay to make sure you were ok... After all, that's exactly what I'm doing."
"I'll be fine."
"Yup, you probably will."
"Emma, you don't have to hang around just because I did something stupid..."
"Actually, I do. Sorry!"
The blonde smiles as she swings her legs up onto the bed so that she rests next to the Mayor comfortably.
"I'm not having it on my conscience if your drunk ass goes rolling onto her back in the night and chokes on her own vomit. Rock star death; not your style."
"I would not!"
"You might! Sorry, Madame Mayor, but arrogance and class do not exempt you from such dangers."
Emma teases, fully aware of Regina's displeasure in the face of her insinuation, but pleased to have roused this more familiar side of the Mayor. She shuffles down the bed so that she lies flush beside the brunette, but when the darker woman rolls over tipsily to brush at her lips, she moves away with a grin.
"Oh no you don't, you need to get some sleep. Doctor's orders."
"Miss Swan, I have a suspicion that you would be hard put to place a band-aid on the right way round..."
The Sheriff ignores the Mayor's muttering as the brunette's eyes begin to close for progressively longer periods of time. She begins to think the darker woman has fallen asleep when Regina lets out a low sob. Moving up onto her elbow, Emma regards her worriedly, watching as a delicate droplet seeps from the corner of sooty lashes. Lying back down, she pulls the brunette closer to her firmly, moving so that she lies on her side; holding the Mayor as the latter curls up against her.
"Listen, Regina... Whatever it is, it's ok. If you want to tell me, then you can. Of course, you can... But not tonight. Not when you're drunk... Understand?"
"But you're h-happy..."
"I am. And, you're sorry... Please. Just try to get some rest."
"...Thank you."
"You're welcome."
The blonde replies genuinely, and Regina wraps her arms tightly around the blonde's waist - vaguely aware of the fact that Emma still wears her jacket - and buries her face into the comfort of the Sheriff's chest; unmindful of the salted tears that dampen golden curls as her breathing becomes more regular and shallow as sleep engulfs her mercifully.
Gold raises a brow curiously as he makes his way back from his business in the woods. Passing the Mayor's mansion, he spies something that stops him in his tracks and creeps a little closer to the gate to investigate.
"And, what might you be doing here at this hour, dearie?"
Of course, the object of his curiosity offers him no response, but his mind is already racing as he thinks back to his conversation with Regina in her office. Turning around, he proceeds silently down the path, stopping only once to peer back at the old yellow bug parked outside the Mayor's house.