Chapter 2

Regina felt an odd sense of loss as her body was placed into the ambulance. Although everything that made her HER was still perfectly contained in...whatever vessel she was currently in, she had invested quite a bit of time and smoothies into that body and she was loathed to see it go out of her sight. But she had found out in the first few minutes after Emma had stopped trying to revive her that no one knew of her presence. She had called their names, waved her hands in front of their faces, called them all sorts of clever and colorful names, but no one responded. And when she felt that icky slimy feeling when Hook had walked right through her, she knew that she was...well, undetected.

Regina stayed as close to Henry as she could, thinking that maybe he might feel her presence just as he did when she and Emma had been locked in the mirror world. She put her ghostly hand on his shoulder, bore sympathetic eyes into his tear streaked face, tried to reach him mentally, and tried everything else she could think of. Nothing was working. She tried to think only about her son instead of her state, and found herself trailing Henry back to the Jones' abode. All her thoughts were on Henry.

It broke Regina's heart to see him undone, inconsolable even in Emma's arms. Regina sat silently in the corner, watching, as Emma held a sobbing Henry on the couch while Hook drank quietly at the kitchen table. When Regina's tears ran dry, she tried again to reach him. She spoke, yelled, screamed his name to no avail, until her anger turned towards Emma.

"You. You're the Savior," Regina spat, glaring at an unwitting Emma who's own eyes were red and swollen. "Do something. Don't you get it? I'm not dead, you imbecile!" Anger was all she had left at this point. "Something happened...I don't know. Something happened when that fireball hit me...I don't know, but I'm still here! EMMA! For God's sake don't be an idiot like your parents!" She leaned over, screaming right in Emma's face. "MISS SWAN! I'M NOT DEAD! I'M RIGHT HERE!"

The little vein in Regina's forehead popped a bit with the ferocity that she screamed. When Emma seemed to startle a bit, Regina paused. Her eyebrows furrowed as Emma's demeanor changed. She looked almost...alarmed? Regina watched in curiosity as Emma's eyes darted around the room for a brief moment. Could Emma have possibly heard her? Regina only held onto that hope for a moment until Emma stood up with Henry and swiftly walked right through her on her way to tuck their son into bed. Well, there went any hope that Emma sensed her. At least it was a more pleasant feeling than Hook passing through her. That was all cramped and bloated and...greasy. When Emma passed through her it was airy...light...almost...comforting. Regina shook the thought out of her head as she solemnly followed them into Henry's room, and wiped tears away as she watched Emma tuck their nearly grown son into bed, the woman trying her damnedest to comfort him as best she could. Regina was greatful for that. That even in her death, Emma was a true friend and parenting partner, and Regina knew that no matter what happened, Emma would do right by Henry. Regina found herself, despite the circumstances, smiling slightly at the scene. Without realizing it, she was watching Emma now instead of Henry. She had never noticed before how shapely Emma's jawline was. It was perfectly shaped, and Regina admired it for a moment. She cleared her ghostly throat when she realized what she was thinking and smoothed her hands down her non-existent skirt. Emma re-caught her attention when she stood up slowly and looked back down to Henry who was finally asleep. Emma sighed and shook her head, her hands on her hips. Regina watched with bated breath as one hand went up to Emma's forehead as the woman sighed a silent sob, new tears falling down her cheeks. She watched the savior quietly make her way out of the room, looking back at Henry one last time before slowly clicking the door closed behind her as she left. Regina took a deep breath and looked back at her sleeping son. She walked over and took vigil at his bedside, ghostly hand on his rising and falling chest.

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Sleep apparently wasn't needed by ghosts. But Regina didn't mind. She watched Henry for hours. When finally she felt he would sleep soundly through the night, she made her way back through the dark, quiet house. She walked slowly, taking in for the first time the house that Emma had taken up residence with the pirate. They clearly hasn't had time to decorate yet. Hardly any wall coverings. A spackling of unmatching furniture. When Regina passed a framed picture of Hook posing while leaning on the deck of the Jolly Roger alone, grinning like a fool, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. But when she reached the kitchen, her mood returned to sour.

Emma was sitting at the kitchen table alone. Apparently Hook had drank himself to sleep, leaving his new wife to deal with her feelings alone.

Typical.

Regina walked slowly to the table across from Emma. She took in the woman's appearance, furrowing her eyebrows at the tears that had continued to fall. There was a full shot glass and a half empty bottle of Jack Daniels in front of her. Her eyes were fixed as if in thought, softly biting her forefinger absently.

Regina slowly sat down in the chair across from Emma, placing her arms on the table and intertwining her fingers. She just watched Emma. She had never seen the Savior so defeated. She was vacant. Her eyes were dead. For the first time since Regina had met her, it looked like Emma was...lost. And that was saying something.

Emma sighed out. She looked at the bottle of Jack for a moment before grabbing it and pouring herself another shot. Regina mused that it wasn't rum like the damned pirate preferred, and then wondered how much of that bottle Emma had consumed while she had been sitting in there with Henry. She didn't judge. She just wondered why. She sighed in jealousy when Emma threw back the shot and immediately poured herself another. Again her gaze locked curiously on the Savior's face.

Emma chuckled ironically and slammed the shot glass down. She looked all around the room, tears glistening around her eyes and face. Regina watched. "What the hell were you thinking?" Emma asked the room. She shook her head in sorrow, filling up the glass again. Regina knew she was talking to her but remained silent. She sat in curiosity. She watched Emma throw back another shot. Emma pursed her lips and shook her head, tears still silently falling. "Seriously, Regina. What the HELL?" Emma slammed the glass down again and angrily refilled it. She scoffed and threw her hands up before taking down another shot. "What did you think would happen, huh?" She scoffed. Regina is intrigued. Emma shrugged her shoulders. "Did you think this would fix things?" She scoffs again angrily. Regina cocks her head. What?! "Cuz it doesn't. It doesn't fix ANYTHING!" Regina swallowed in regret as Emma regained her composure. "You, Regina...not being here? Doesn't fix anything. It makes it worse." Emma shook her head again as tears fell. Regina figured Emma was thinking about Henry until a short pause led Emma to the next monologue.

Emma twirled the empty shot glass in her hand before filling it and immediately draining it again. She shook her head. "Seriously, Regina?" she said quietly. Regina watched Emma look everywhere except at her, and sat quiet. "How do you expect me-" she sobbed and downed another shot, filling it again as she coughed slightly. She shook her head again as she leaned back on the table. "How do you expect me to do this without you? We had an agreement, you and I."

Regina softened her features...was she hearing this?

Emma sighed. "It's not just that. It's not just him." This caught Regina's attention. Emma shook her head again, ran her hands through her hair. She nodded as she ran her hand down her face. "I-I don't know Regina. I just know..." Emma paused and Regina noticed...what was that look?

"I just-okay maybe I don't know." Emma sniffed and wiped her nose before taking another shot. She stared off before finally nodding her head again. "I just don't know, Regina. I really just don't know what I'm supposed to do now."

Regina had unknowingly become tense as Emma spoke, and suddenly her breath had stopped. It also looked as though Emma looked up and directly at her. Regina froze. She stared right into the Savior's eyes as Emma said "I need you, Regina. I'm not me without you."

The world seemed to ripple around Regina as these words were spoken, and Regina was actually rendered speechless for once in her life. She was motionless as Emma finally pushed herself up and staggered not to the master bedroom as Regina assumed, but to the living room couch and instantly passed out. Regina secretly found comfort at watching Emma finally relax and melt into the pillows. Something about Emma being at peace helped Regina relax as well. She took in another few moments of confusion before she finally retook her vigil at Henry's bed until morning.

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Regina listened as Emma finally relented to David when he asked to take Henry away for the day for a fishing trip. She wasn't happy about it, but knew Henry could probably benefit from a distraction considering the circumstances. It was when Regina attempted to follow Henry on this fishing trip that things started to get...interesting.