A/N: Hey ya'll! I'm so happy you've come back for another chapter. It's not as fluff-filled as others, but it's still alright, I think. It's setting things up for later; a filler chapter of sorts. I hope you all enjoy it, though, and I promise to have that conversation between the ladies in the next chapter. It was too long to stick in this one, so I found a good splitting point and ran with it. Read, love, review.

Special thank you to all who wished me luck on the test. You all rock.

I also want to give a huge shoutout to Piecesofyourheart for noticing the doctor in the last chapter was a previous Lana Parrilla character off of another show. Lana vs. Lana. Hot and intense staring contest ensues. Gah.

ONWARDS, Shippers!
~R.

Regina scrunched up her face against the outside force that was currently torturing it. She groaned in displeasure and shrunk away from whatever it was.

"Moooooommmmmaaaa," a little voice whispered very loudly, a giggle accompanying the words as another finger landed to the side of her face. "My tummy is rumblin, Momma."

Regina shot to a sitting position, letting out a small cry of pain as her big toe collided with Emma's lime green cast. Beneath her, she heard a groan of pain that sounded a lot like a word she never wanted her son repeating.

"Henry?" the brunette asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Momma," the boy answered, raising both eyebrows and looking at the two women. "Why you sitting on Emma?" He asked curiously.

The brunette looked down to see that she was, in fact, sitting on the blonde. Actually she was straddling Emma; a position she hoped her son would never see them in again. She quickly slid off the woman and stood in the middle of the room.

"Did you say your tummy was rumbling, baby?" she asked, changing the subject to something far more comfortable. She picked up her son as he nodded his head in a grandiose gesture. "Well let's get that taken care of, then!"

Regina carried Henry down the stairs, pausing to set him down when they entered the kitchen. "What does Prince Henry want tonight?" She asked, bending down to his level.

"Ummmm…" Henry contemplated his choices, though his mother already knew what he was going to pick. "Dinos and taters!" He shouted with a smile.

"Dinos and taters?" Regina looked surprised at his suggestion. "You haven't asked for them in a whole two days! I thought you didn't like them anymore!"

"Nope. I want dinos and taters! I love em."

"Dinos and taters?" another voice asked from the doorway. "Kid, I don't know if I'm hungry enough to eat a t-rex. Those things are really big!"

"Not weal dinos, Emma! Chicken dinos!"

"Ohhhh… Duh. Silly me." Emma clucked her tongue and shook her head at her own fake stupidity.

The blonde looked past the little boy as he shook with his laughter. She connected eyes with the other brunette in the room, and shivered at the look in the mocha orbs. Was it anger? Fear? She couldn't tell as it seemed more like a mixture of more than one emotion.

"Henry," Regina addressed once the boy settled, "how about you go play dinos in your playroom while Momma makes supper?"

"Can Emma come too?" They boy almost begged.

"Not this time, bud," Emma answered, patting him on the head and wobbling further into the room. "Maybe next?"

"Otay."

Henry walked out of the room with his head hung low, his hair falling slightly into his eyes. Regina watched until he rounded the corner into his room before looking at the blonde.

"What the hell are you thinking?" She asked, setting her jaw as she waited for an answer.

Anger. Emma decided. It's definitely anger.

The blonde reached up and rubbed her temples, "Babe, I honestly don't know why you're upset right now. I just know I have a killer headache and I can't remember anything between taking those painkillers and when I woke up a few minutes ago."

"You don't know why I'm angry?" The woman asked, incredulous. "You honestly don't know why I'm upset right now?"

"I would guess that it's because I just called you babe, but that happened after the anger, so no. I honestly don't know." Emma saw the anger rise to fury in the brunette's eyes, and continued, hoping to make up for whatever she did in the time she couldn't remember, "I would like to know, though, so I can fix it."

"You're such an idiot!" Regina scathed.

Emma hobbled over to the woman, careful not to put too much pressure on her foot. She wrapped the brunette up in her arms and held tightly as the woman tried to squirm loose.

"I'm not going to lie, Regina," Emma started. "I've heard those words way too many times in my life, and I don't ever want to hear you say them again because they hurt. They honestly hurt." The woman in her arms squirmed again, causing Emma to lean down and kiss the top of her head. "I know you don't mean them that way, and I know you're just upset, but I'm not letting go until you tell me what I've done and how we're going to fix it."

Regina huffed and a tear rolled from her eyes, "I'm sorry. You're not an idiot."

"That's not the point, Regina. That's not really what I care about in this moment," the blonde commented, loosening her grip now that Regina stopped fighting. "What happened?"

"What happened?" Regina looked up into hazel eyes. "Emma my sister attacked you today. You totally left me when I came in to console you and I have yet to figure out where you went."

"I was right here the whole time," Emma argued, not wanting to have that conversation right then.

"Not physically, Emma," Regina almost whined out her words. "Mentally. Though both are just as painful in my book."

"I'm sorry, Regina," Emma apologized. "You know I didn't do that on purpose."

"I'm not upset about that Emma." The woman sighed. "I'm upset that I care so goddamn much about you and you don't seem to care even a fraction of that amount for yourself!"

A tear slid down the brunette's cheek as she turned her back to the blonde and started putting the chicken nuggets on a pan. She reached across the stovetop and preheated the oven.

"Regina," Emma whispered, wrapping her arms around the woman from behind. "I'm sorry."

"No, Emma. I don't know that you are," Regina stated, "because even as we stand here talking about this, you continue to endanger yourself by not using the damn crutches the doctor sent home."

"Is that what this is?" Emma's eyebrows shot up to her hairline as she giggled slightly. She knew she shouldn't. She didn't want to upset the woman any more than she already was. "Reggie, I came down here to ask where you put them."

"And what a dumb thing it was to do. You risked your life with every step you took down those stairs without them, even though they were right next to the bed."

"First," Emma started, "they aren't anywhere near the bed. Second, I only have a broken foot, Regina… and I'm kinda waddling like a penguin because of it, but beyond that I'm fine. I'm not going to die."

"Yeah." Regina scoffed. "You say that now."

In that moment, it hit Emma. She was worried. Regina was genuinely so worried about everything that Emma that day; physically, mentally, and emotionally. What Regina had said about leaving mentally or physically made sense, even though the blonde knew there were missing pieces. They all made so much sense now.

Emma spun the woman around and pulled her in for a kiss. She held the brunette to her, pressing as much of their bodies together as possible. If Regina was scared of her leaving, she was going to make sure the woman knew there was nothing to be afraid of.

She pulled away from the brunette, looked straight into her eyes and said, "Regina Mills, I am not leaving you. Ever. I know people would call me crazy for saying this, and I know it's so soon, but you're stuck with me forever. I will do everything in my power to stick around for as long as I can. I'll even stop-" the blonde paused took a deep breath, closed her eyes to collect herself, and finished, "I'll even stop eating burgers and fries if you think they're going to take me away from you… and I really love burgers and fries, Reggie."

A chuckle broke from the woman in her arms, "You would?"

"If I had to."

"You don't have to."

"PRAISE JESUS!" Emms shouted at the top of her lungs, beckoning Henry to run into the room.

"Whassup, Momma? Emma sounds realwy happy. Are the dinos done quick?"

Both women burst into laughter at the boy, as he just stood there. It took a minute, but they realized he was serious about the dinosaur nuggets.

"No, sweet boy," his mother answered. "The dinos aren't quite done yet."

"But Emma was realwy happy and I get realwy happy when my dinos are done quick," He reasoned.

"You're right, bud. I am really happy. So incredibly happy," the blonde answered, pecking Regina on the lips and watching her blush. "So incredibly happy."

The rest of the night passed with the makeshift family gathered around the table. They ate, talked, laughed, and when the yawns started to tear from their throats, Regina carried Henry upstairs and settled him in his bed before coming back down and gently sitting in Emma's lap.

The blonde winced, but held Regina in her spot when she tried to move, "You're not going anywhere, Professor."

"But if I'm hurting you right now-"

"It's a good pain."

"Emma, we really need to talk about what happened this morning," Regina said, cupping her cheeks. "You need to understand why Kat did what she did, and I need to understand why you reacted the way you did. I'm trying not to force you…" The unspoken 'but' lingered in the air.

"But it's only right that you know. You deserve to know, Regina, and I'll tell you," Emma promised. "Can we lie down first? I really am super sore, and I don't want to take a painkiller until after we talk. I honestly don't know what I'll say with those things."

"I know, mi amor. Trust me." Regina leaned in and planted a kiss on Emma's lips.

"What do you mean?"

The blonde looked up with her brows furrowed and damn it if she didn't look so impossibly adorable in that moment. Regina reached out a finger and smoothed it over Emma's brows, relaxing her features.

"Let's just say you said a few very cute, and very thought-provoking words earlier today," Regina smiled and laughed, standing from Emma's lap. She pushed down on the blonde's shoulders when she stood to move as well. "Nuh-uh, mi amour. You're staying here while I go fetch those crutches."

"I promise you, you won't find them upstairs," Emma told the woman as she turned her back.

"Emma, I know I put them there. I remember grabbing them right after you…" the brunette trailed off. She didn't remember grabbing them at all. She remembered was Emma grabbing her and her trying to break free so she could finish bringing things in from the car and start cooking them supper. "I remember wanting to grab them until you pulled me on top of you and demanded I be your teddy bear as you slept. They're still in the car," As much as it pained the brunette to admit it, she did.

"I don't want to say I told you, but-" the blonde paused and took a deep breath before sing-songing, "I tolllllld youuuuu."

"I may love you, but that doesn't mean I won't beat you with those crutches once I get them inside," Regina responded, trying to tamper the smile that was struggling to burst from her lips. Instead, she settled on a devious smirk that send Emma's heart pounding.

"Is that a promise, Professor?" The blonde winked and chuckled as she watched the brunette spin on her heels and all but run to the front door. "I still got it," she told herself with a smile and a fistpump.

Minutes later, Regina came walking back into the kitchen with two crutches and an embarrassed smile. She handed the crutches to Emma and helped her up the stairs and into her bedroom.

"Would you like me to grab you some pajamas? I already spoke to Ruby. She'll bring some clothing by tomorrow, but until then you'll have to borrow mine," Regina looked at the blonde on her bed. When she didn't answer, the brunette dug through her dresser drawers and pulled out a silk pajama set and walked over to the woman.

"Here," The brunette tried handing the clothes to Emma, but gasped when she grabbed them out of her hands and threw them to the floor. "If you didn't want them, Emma, you could've said you didn't-" Another gasp escaped the woman, this one louder and for a much different reason.

Emma grabbed the brunette woman around the waist and tossed her into the bed before straddling her. She stared down at Regina, never saying a word before she claimed her lips. When she pulled back for air, she spoke.

"You've been a naughty girl, Professor Mills."

The professor shivered at the sentence. It brought up more than a few fantasies she had about the blonde.

"How so?" She whispered, her voice not able to do anything more.

"You broke rule 17: No lying. The class to the teacher or the teacher to the class," Emma whispered before latching onto Regina's neck.

The brunette reached up and dragged the woman off of her neck, "Pray tell, Miss Swan, what did I lie about."

"You said all your formal pajama sets were in the wash, making it so you had to wear the wonderful lingerie last night," the blonde smirked at the woman before bending to the floor and picking up the pair Regina had given her. "Oh, but here is a clean pair… and you knew just where to find it without any hesitation."

"I may have misspoken last night. Most of my pajamas are in the wash," Regina covered.

"So if I walked over there and looked right now I wouldn't find any pajama sets?" Emma cocked an eyebrow, knowing she caught the brunette in a lie.

"Why would you want to leave this position?" Regina shifted her thigh between Emma's legs and pressed up just slightly.

"Ummm.." Emma hummed in Regina's ear. "That's a good question, especially when I have a professor to punish."

Emma slid her mouth over Regina's jaw line and to her neck. She nipped and sucked at her pulse. She lapped over a bruising love bite with her tongue, soothing the mark, as her hands slid down the brunette's clothing and grabbed the hem of her shirt.

"Emma," the brunette moaned her name and wrapped her fingers in golden locks, tugging gently to get the blonde's attention. The blonde hummed in response. "We need to talk at some point."

"Later," Emma growled the word as if she were angry she had to detach her lips from the skin beneath them. She yanked Regina's blouse over her head and hummed her appreciation as she heard a small seam ripping. "Whoops," she mumbled, latching back on to Regina's skin.

The blonde's body was aching. It had taken quite the beating that morning, and now it wanted nothing more than to make love to this precious woman under it. Hell, her body deserved to make love to the woman under it.

Her muscles clenched under Regina's soft touch. The brunette ran her arm down Emma's body and fisted in her shirt. Somehow, she managed to gasp out "Shirt. Off."

Emma leaned up and grabbed the hem of her shirt, wanting so desperately to remove it. She got it halfway over her head before she gasped out and pain and dropped her arms. She fell onto the bed and clutched her ribcage.

Regina jumped up and slid the shirt over the woman's head, trying to get a look at her face so she could gauge her pain.

"Emma, baby, what's wrong?" she asked, terrified. "What hurts, Emma?"

All she got was a groan and a choice word the brunette wasn't going to repeat.

"Emma, you need to tell me what is hurting you. Can you do that for me?"

"My ribs, Reggie. Fuck, it's my ribs," the blonde took another sharp intake of air before letting it out slowly, trying to power through the pain.

"Do I need to take you back to the hospital?" Regina asked, tears starting to form in her eyes. "I can call Kat or my mother to come stay with Henry."

"Shh.." Emma hushed. Her breathing was starting to hurt a little less, but her heart still held pain for the fear she saw in the brunette's eyes. "You don't need to call anyone. I'm fine." The brunette stared at her for a moment, she didn't believe a word of it. "Seriously, Reggie. The doctor said I just bruised my ribs pretty bad. That's all. I'm fine, I just can't do what we were doing, I guess."

"I'm so sorry, Emma. I never meant to hurt you."

"Come here," Emma made a small waving gesture, indicating she wanted the brunette to come lay with her.

"I don't think it's a wise idea to hold me right now, Emma," Regina countered, the worry in her eyes still not fading. "I don't want to hurt you again."

"It's good pain, remember?" Emma grinned. "Any pain is good pain if I have my girl. Now comere."

The brunette did as she was told, gently lying in Emma's arms.

"I'm fine, Reggie. I just think it's been awhile since I took one of the pils, and I might have to do that again soon," Emma explained, calming as the woman in her arms relaxed. "I'm not going to, though, until after we have this talk."

"I'm too tired right now," Regina answered. "I just want to hide out tonight and pretend that there's nothing wrong in the world. I just want to sleep in your arms. Is that alright?"

"Always," Emma kissed the top of her head before reaching above her own towards the night table that held her pills. She popped one into her mouth, swallowed and looked at the woman in her arms. "You are always okay to sleep in my arms, Regina Mills."