By the time Regina finally stopped laughing, Emma was staring with a dumb smile on her face that would have been unmistakable to anyone else, but Regina was oblivious. She didn't notice the flash in the blonde's eyes, and she wrote off the warm color that had risen to Emma's cheeks as the result of her injury.

Finally, though, even though she didn't quite catch the sentiment behind it, she noticed the girl staring, and asked, "What?"

"N-Nothing," Emma muttered, leaning back against the pillows. "You should go."

"No way. I'm not leaving when I know they won't check on you."

"You're not my nurse."

"No, but I'm responsible for your injuries, and therefore, I should be responsible for your recovery."

"That's ridiculous. Like you said, I had it coming."

"Emma, I…"

"No, it's fine. Really. Go home and get some sleep. You've gotta be at school tomorrow."

"Actually, I was thinking of playing hooky."

"What? Seriously? Have you ever even done that in your entire life?"

"No, I haven't."

"Then why?"

"I dunno… I thought… I figured you'd probably want to sleep for most of the day, and if that's the case, someone needs to wake you up and-"

"Regina… Stop it. I'm fine. I'll be fine. Just go home."

"Are you saying that because you really just don't want me here? I mean, I know we don't exactly… click… but…"

"No… It's… It's not that. I just feel bad, you know? I don't want to be anybody's obligation."

"You're not an obligation. I'm choosing to be here, because I'm responsible for hurting you, and I want you to heal well. Not because I have to."

"Are you sure?" Emma asked shyly, looking unsure.

"I'm sure. I'm gonna set my phone alarm for every three hours, and I'll check on you each time I wake. Do you have a spare blanket so I can crash on the floor?"

"No way. I'm sleeping on the floor. You get the bed. You're a guest!"

"Like hell you are! Your head is busted open!"

"You… You could just… I mean… If you're cool with it, you can… I mean…"

"Huh?"

"You could sleep in the bed. I don't kick or anything. I'll stay on my side, I swear."

"Emma, I-"

"I swear. Please. I really don't want you to have to sleep on the floor."

"I don't have to. I want to."

"Yeah, yeah. Just get in the fucking bed, would you?" Emma quipped, scooting over towards the wall before grabbing Regina's wrist and tugging her down onto the bed.

The brunette looked surprised, but didn't move. Instead, she propped her head up with her hand and looked at Emma.

When she noticed that the bandage covering her wounds was red with blood, she said, "I should change your dressing. It's soaked already."

"It's fine. Leave it."

"Emma-"

"Leave it. I'm gonna try to sleep, okay?"

"Alright. I'll be right here if you need me. I'll give you your next dose of medicine when I wake you next."

"Regina…"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. I mean… you're still a fuckin' twatwaffle. But you're really not so bad."

With a wink, Emma rolled over onto her side, facing away from the beautiful brunette beside her, and fell asleep.

Regina, though she'd set her alarms for every three hours, got next to no sleep at all, and kept watch over Emma's fitful sleep the entire night, giving the girl her medication when it was time and changing the dressing of her wound around one in the morning, when the blood started to trickle down her cheek.

In the morning, Emma woke with her head resting on Regina's shoulder. The brunette, too reluctant to move the girl, was frozen in place, and very much awake. When the blonde stirred, though, Regina's heart skipped a beat. Still, she was too anxious to move away.

"Oh, shit," Emma mumbled, reaching up to hold her head. "Sorry. I… I didn't… I didn't mean to…"

"It's fine," Regina said quickly, trying to brush off the awkward moment as quickly as humanly possible. "Just glad you're waking up okay."

"Yeah, I'm fine. You shouldn't worry so much. It's gonna give you gray hair."

"I'm going to look terrible with gray hair," Regina chuckled, looking over into Emma's eyes as the girl sat up.

"You couldn't looked terrible if you tried."

Wide-eyed, Regina began to stare at the blonde, whose expression was serious and without any signs of joking.

Eventually, Emma added, "Anyway, you should get to school soon, or you're gonna be late for class."

"I'm not going. I already texted my parents to let them know, and they're going to call me out."

"Seriously?"

"I told them a friend was in the hospital and that they needed me, and they were fine with it. They trust me."

"You really don't have to-"

"Shut up, idiot. Just let me."

Emma sighed, but made no effort to retort.

Over the next two days, Emma mostly slept, but in between small naps during the day, Regina kept her company, and they took turns talking about themselves. In fact, they found themselves sharing things they hadn't before, to the point where both began to feel vulnerable and slightly exposed.

"Tell me something else about you," Regina requested.

"I, um…" Emma started.

"What?"

"I fancy girls…"

"Noooo," Regina said sarcastically. "Ya think?" Emma's eyes went wide, so the brunette added, "You're a total flirt. You're not exactly subtle about it either."

"I dunno. People usually freak about it when I say it out loud."

"What do your parents think?"

"They think it's disgusting."

There was a long pause where Regina felt her heart ache, but eventually, she managed, "It's not disgusting." When Emma didn't reply to this, she said, "Mine don't know."

Emma stared blankly, obviously shocked by the girl's second statement. She's gay? the blonde was thinking. There's no fucking way. But she'd heard correctly, and Regina looked more than sincere.

"W-Why don't you tell them?"

"They'd skin me alive, I imagine."

"Oh, wow."

"At least they don't treat me the way your parents treat you. It's horrible, really… the way they talk to you. About you."

"Nah," Emma countered with a shrug. "They're right. I'm pretty much scum."

"You're a teenager. Just because you get into trouble doesn't make you scum."

"Sure it does. And they don't even know the half of it. I've never been caught breaking in anywhere. Stealing from stores a few times, but never breaking and entering. They'd probably kill me."

"Then maybe they should pay more attention to you and give you the affection you need."

"Whoa, there, buddy. I don't need 'affection.' I need to win the lottery and get the fuck out of this hell hole."

Not really knowing exactly what to say to this, Regina shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Being rich isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"Maybe so, but at least you're not hungry."

"You're eighteen, right?" Regina asked, knowing that they were both seniors in school.

"Yeah…. So?"

"So why don't you just move out then? I mean, you've got two jobs. You could probably manage it, right?"

"Well, I don't know… I mean…"

"Just a thought."

"Anyway… Let's… not… talk about me… anymore…"

"Alright," Regina agreed. "We can talk about whatever you want to."

"How about we talk about you. Tell me something about you."

"You should probably get some more sleep. You've been awake for a few hours now."

"You trying to shut me up? Am I really that annoying?"

"No," the brunette chuckled. "You just need your rest, and I don't know what to say about me."

"What's your favorite Disney movie?"

"Snow White, hands down. It's the ultimate classic."

"Alright. Fair. But what about Hercules?"

"Do you have any idea how inaccurate that mythology is?"

"Uh… Yeah? So?"

"So, it's ridiculous."

"It's not ridiculous. It's cute and funny."

"Alright, whatever. I mean, I guess the pony is alright."

"His name is Pegasus."

"Oh, my God. Pegasus. Whatever."

Emma laughed as her companion rolled her eyes, then asked, "So what am I actually going to be doing at your place over the summer? Like… mowing the lawn or…?"

"The lawn, the gardens… Whatever my parents need to keep the property tidy and healthy. They're pretty serious about the foliage."

"Geez. Alright."

"So you're coming around about it then?"

"No."

"Well, whatever. You're doing it anyway."

"I don't want to be in debt to you. Just let me come up with the money on my own, okay?"

"I'm not going to accept money that doesn't rightfully belong to you."

"Oh, my God. For Chissakes, Regina. What does it matter where the money comes from?"

"It's not about the money."

"What?"

"If the money was the issue, I wouldn't care where it came from. I don't give a shit about the money."

"Then what is it about?"

"It's about you doing something constructive with your time."

"What are you? My fucking mother?"

"Hey. Relax," Regina said softly, touching the girl's shoulder. "It's not like that. I care, okay? I especially care about you continuing this dangerous behavior and getting hurt as a result of it."

"But why?"

"Because, even though you're a twatwaffle, you're not such a bad kid after all, and I don't believe for a second that you're the 'no-good hood rat' you say you are."

"But I am a-"

"Emma," the brunette sighed. "Please."

"Please what?"

"Please, just give it a rest! You agreed to do this, and now you need to follow through on your word. I didn't tell your parents what happened, and now you have to live up to your side of the deal."

"Fine. Whatever," Emma whined. "Anyway, you should really go. Your parents are going to-"

"My parents are fine, Emma. I'm not worried about them. I'm worried about you. Stop telling me to leave unless you really don't want me around."

"Stop worrying about me! I'm fine!"

"You're not fine. You're in pain."

"I've been sleeping fine, haven't I? So what if I'm in pain?"

"Speaking of that, you should let me ice it for you again. It's been a few hours."

"I'm not a child. I can do it myself."

"Oh, shut up. Just lay down, and I'll be right back."

Once again, Regina left and returned with a packet of ice, which she gently held against the side of Emma's head while the girl whined about how cold it was, until finally, the pain began to numb.

"Better?" Regina asked with a small smile, seeing that Emma had finally relaxed against the pillows. When Emma nodded, she said, "Good," and ruffled the girl's hair very lightly.

"Hey," the blonde whined. "I'm not a dog."

"Nah, but you're cute and cuddly like one."

Emma's face flooded with color as she dropped her gaze to her hands, which were folded in her lap.

"I…" Regina started. "I just meant…"

In a burst of forced courage, Emma looked up and teased, "Uh-huh. Sure. I know exactly what you meant."

"No! I just… I was just…"

"I'm just kidding," the girl laughed, nudging her companion's shoulder with a crooked smile. "I know you were just talking."

"I… Yeah."

"Anyway, you're probably right. I should sleep."

"Your head feels alright? Do you want me to ice it some more?"

"Regina! I'm not a baby!"

"I'm just concerned, okay? I want to be helpful. I feel really bad for hurting you."

"You shouldn't. I broke into your house. I was totally going to steal from you, if you'd been anybody else."

"You wouldn't have broken in if you knew it was my house?"

"Nah," Emma replied with a shrug. "I don't hit houses of people I know. It's just a bad plan."

"The whole thing is a bad plan!"

"Give it a break, Regina! You're not going to magically change me overnight! It's just who I am. It's what I do."

"It doesn't have to be."

"Fuck it. I'm going to sleep."

Grabbing the bag of ice and holding it to her head, Emma rolled over onto her side and shut her eyes. As the brunette sat watching her, she sighed and thought about their conversation. Clearly, Emma was unwilling to change. Regina was even beginning to grow concerned that the girl would go back on her word. Still, she saw something in Emma that intrigued her, and it was difficult to ignore. Something more than guilt was drawing her to the young blonde, and though she couldn't explain what it was, it was undeniable. With another sigh, Regina laid down beside the girl and shut her eyes as well.

"Goodnight, Emma," she said softly.

Emma mumbled an inaudible response and squirmed a little beneath the sheets. All Regina could think was, God, that was cute, before quickly falling asleep herself.

The next morning, Emma felt much better. In fact, she was so tired of lying in bed that she nearly jumped out from under the sheets to get in the shower.

"Are you sure you should-" Regina tried, but Emma was already half-way out the bedroom door.

She returned from her shower in only a towel, walking back into the room casually and thinking nothing of the amount of skin she was revealing. Of course, this was difficult for Regina to ignore, given the girl's toned, muscular figure.

"Um… What?" the blonde asked as she turned around and noticed the other girl staring.

"Huh? Nothing! I…"

After blinking a few times in disbelief, Emma stated, matter-of-factly, "You're staring."

"No, I'm not! I was… Um… I was just…"

Of course, rather than realizing that Regina was unintentionally checking out her increased amount of visible skin, Emma felt as though she was probably being judged for having a less-than-exceptional body (which quite obviously wasn't true).

"It's cool. I know I'm not exactly-"

"Wait, Emma, no! I didn't… I wasn't…"

"It's fine, Regina. I'm sure you've seen plenty of people who are… well… a great deal less hideous than me, half-naked."

"Excuse me?"

"No, I didn't mean like… I just meant… I just meant that I know I'm not the best to look at. I should've gotten dressed in there. I didn't think about it, and I apologize."

"You're being absolutely ridiculous, Emma Swan."

"What do you mean?" the blonde asked, tightening her towel around her body as she looked apprehensively at the girl sitting on her bed.

"You're… You're not… You're…" When Emma simply blinked at her and stared back, Regina finally finished, "You're beautiful, Emma. I don't know why you'd say that."

"I'm… not… Wait… What?"

"Oh, shut up, Emma. Just get ready for school and let's go. I'm going to go take a shower, if that's alright."

"Um… I… Of course…"

But she was still recovering from Regina's previous comment about her physical appearance. As soon as the girl left the room, Emma got dressed and dried her hair, then packed her bag. When it came time to re-bandage her wound, she grew frustrated and threw the bandages down on her desk. The brunette walked in at the exact moment this happened and let out a soft sigh as she stepped up beside the exasperated girl. Her wound did look better – far less swollen and bloody – but it was definitely still noticeable.

"I got it," Regina told her, carefully reaching out and picking up the bandages off the desk.

Emma wanted to protest, but by the time she opened her mouth, Regina was already working to dress her wound.

"I look ridiculous," the girl sighed, looking in the mirror. "People are totally going to laugh at me."

"Remember what you said to me the other day?"

"Uh… no."

"The other guy looks worse, right?"

When Regina offered a small smile, Emma gave her one in return.

"Alright, kid," the brunette said cheerfully. "Let's go."

By the end of the school day, Emma had received more than five text messages from Regina, asking how she was and how her head was feeling. Of course, she felt like shit, and her head hurt like a bitch, but she assured the girl that she was fine.

'If you need to go home, you should go,' Regina told her, but Emma pushed through the rest of the afternoon, until the final school bell rang and the two met by the blonde's locker.

"How ya feelin', champ?" the brunette asked casually, leaning up against the metal locker.

"I'm fine. Got some serious shit from the guys today, but I'm fine."

"Don't listen to them. We both know the truth. The other guy looks worse, right?"

When Regina winked at her, Emma blushed and nearly dropped her books.

"So, anyway…" the dark-eyed girl began. "I guess you're doing a lot better now, then…"

"Yeah," Emma agreed. "It still hurts like a bitch, but I'm not gonna die. No blood on your hands. Well, except the stuff that already got on them the night you nearly killed me. Other than that, you're clean."

It was Emma's turn to wink and Regina's turn to blush.

"I really am sorry…"

"You seem to be alternating between feeling guilt and being pissed that I… well…" The girl stopped and looked around, making sure no one could overhear their conversation, then continued, "That I broke in to your place and was pretty much gonna rob you."

"What were you even looking for, when you came upstairs? I mean, there was plenty of stuff downstairs you could have taken. The silver… The electronics… Anything."

"People keep their most valuable stuff in the bedroom, I've learned. That's probably where you keep your jewelry, yeah?" Regina paused, then nodded her head before Emma added, "There ya go, then. Probably plenty of diamonds in that massive jewelry box of yours."

"Oh, come on, Emma. It's just stuff. It doesn't matter to me. If you really want my jewelry, you can have it. Most of it means nothing to me, except a few small things that belonged to my mother when she was young."

"I… I don't… It's not…"

"I can't say that I get it… I wish I could, but I really just don't. All I can say is that I hope you eventually learn your lesson and that you learn it without getting hurt again."

"Doubtful," the blonde said, suddenly flashing a mischievous grin.

"Ugh," Regina groaned. 'You're impossible."

Emma opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. All she could think to say was, And you're beautiful. It was an odd sort of impulse that she'd never felt before. Thinking those words about Regina Mills, of all people, was especially confusing (and surprising). She wasn't quite sure how to process the thoughts, so she simply said nothing.

"You alright there, champ?" Regina finally asked. "Did I finally hit a nerve?"

"Nah," the girl quickly answered. "I'm fine. You didn't hit anything, except my head."

Regina looked flustered and guilty, at least until Emma began to smile. Then, a smile spread across her own lips in return. Finding herself somewhat staring at the girl, Regina attempted to tear her gaze away, but it landed on the blonde's bandaged wound. There was a small bit of red seeping through the white bandage, and when the more serious girl noticed it, her facial expression fell.

"Emma," she said softly. "You need to change your bandage."

"Huh? Why? Is it gross?"

"No, it's not gross, but it is a little bloody… I can't believe you're still bleeding after all this time…"

"Aw, it's fine. I'm fine. It's just a little bit. Probably just from me rubbing it."

"You did what?"

"It was itchy!"

"Emma!"

"What?"

"You can't mess with it! You need to let it heal!"

"Yes, mom," Emma scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Whatever you say."

"God, woman! I'm never going to understand you!"

Regina was obviously flustered, so Emma stepped closer, mostly without thinking, and put her hand on the girl's shoulder, saying, "I know. But I'm okay. Really. You shouldn't worry so much. I'll take my meds when I get home, and I'll be fine. As you know, they knock me right out."

"You didn't take them today?!"

"Of course not! You think I'd be able to stay awake in class hopped up on that shit?"

"Well, no, but I… I don't want you to be in pain. You should have stayed home."

"I'm fine, Regina. Relax. I'll take them when I get home and pass out for a while. The doc actually said I could take less after a few days anyway, so I'm actually probably going to try that and see how it goes."

"Why don't you just-"

"Regina. Please, just chill. You're stressing me out."

The blonde laughed, but her companion remained serious, scolding her, "This isn't funny. You could-"

"Hush. I'm fine."

"Can I go home with you?"

"Sorry… What?"

"I mean… I just meant… You know… To make sure you're okay. And that-"

"I'm fine, Regina! Jesus Christ! Are you this neurotic with everyone?"

"Only with people I've nearly killed."

"And how many people might that be, exactly?"

"Uh… One? One and a half?"

Again, Emma laughed, shaking her head. As the girl's golden curls bounced around her shoulders and down her back, Regina began to stare again. Sure, she was rough around the edges, but damn was she good-looking. This wasn't a thought Regina wanted to entertain, though. In fact, she pushed it so far from her mind that it came back with a vengeance a few moments later and resulted in the brunette's lips parting as she subtly wet them with her tongue.

"What?" Emma finally asked, blinking a few times.

"Huh? Nothing. I… It's nothing. I just… I'm worried about you is all."

"Can you really stand to spend any more time with me?" the blonde chuckled. "I'm not so sure I can handle another dose of your sass."

"Sass?"

"Oh, yes. You're full of sass. That's exactly the word I'd use."

"Well, that's just ridiculous. I'm merely honest and-"

"At any rate, are you serious?"

"Well, yes. I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't."

"Alright. I'll call my parents."