"I think I should tell Belle how we met, Regina," Emma said to her lover the next day after school. "I feel like I'm keeping things from her. I mean, I am keeping things from her. It feels wrong."

"I don't know, Emma," Regina said hesitantly. "I'm not so sure she'd react well. I'm not so sure anyone would react well."

"She deserves to know the truth, don't you think?"

"And what if she brings it to the board? Then I'd really be fucked."

"Regina," Emma pleaded. "Please give me your blessing to tell her. This feels so messed up. We're so close, but I'm keeping secrets."

"Alright, Emma," the doctor sighed. "If that's really what you think is right."

"It is," the girl said quickly. "I'm tired of keeping things from her when I care about her so much."

With a nod, Regina said nothing else.

"Belle," Emma said into the phone when the beep of the answering machine signaled her to speak, "I have to tell you something important. Call me back when you get this."

The call was never returned, and Emma was forced to wait to talk to the girl when she came home that night.

"I have to tell you something."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"So tell me." Emma hesitated, so Belle asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay, but I... There's something you need to know."

"Just tell me, Emma. You can tell me anything."

After more hesitation, Emma finally said, "I need to tell you how Regina and I met."

"Okay..."

They looked at each other, until Emma finally gathered the bravery to speak again.

"She was my therapist."

Belle's jaw dropped as she stared at her friend, until at last, she said, "That's sick, Emma. That's fucking sick."

"Belle, please don't say that... I..."

"No," the brunette said, backing away from Emma as she spoke. "That's fucking wrong. That's a complete violation of every ethics code that exists."

"I love her, Belle! Why does it matter how it started?"

"Because she's taking advantage of your weakness!"

"My weakness?" Emma hissed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you're fucking depressed, Emma, and she obviously used her knowledge of human psychology to manipulate you into a sexual relationship!"

"You never thought that before!"

"I never knew how your warped and fucked up relationship started!"

"Why does it matter?"

"I just told you. Because it's sick."

"Belle, please try to understand... I fell in love with her. I couldn't help it!"

"But she shouldn't have fallen in love with you. You can't help how you feel, but she can control how she acts," Belle asserted angrily. Even when the girl saw tears forming in Emma's eyes, she didn't let up, instead following her statement with, "It's gross, Emma. It's fucked up. It's wrong."

"It's not wrong," Emma snapped. "Love is love."

"That's not love. That's disgusting manipulation."

"She's not manipulating me!"

"Bullshit, Emma! Bullshit!"

"It's not bullshit!" the blonde shouted, "and fuck you for saying that!"

"Fuck me? Really?"

"Really."

"Fuck you too then. I cared about you and tried to help you and all you have to say is 'Fuck you?'"

"You know what?" Emma said. "Yeah. Fuck. You. I love her, and if you can't be cool with that, then fuck you."

"Okay. Great. I'm out, then."

When Belle grabbed her bag off the floor and turned to pack her clothes, Emma grabbed her arm.

"Belle, wait," the blonde tried. "Don't leave. I'll go. I want you to be safe."

"Oh, now you suddenly care about me?" Belle spat. "I'm fucking out of here."

The rest of the words Emma wanted to speak stuck in her throat as Belle packed her bag. As Emma watched the girl leave, she started to cry. Before she could stop herself, she was in the bathroom holding a razor to her wrist, slicing it open and watching as the blood poured onto the linoleum floor.

I'm such an idiot, was all Emma's mind could manage. I hate myself.

Over and over, the blade dug into her wrists, until, on the seventh swipe, the girl's hand slipped and cut deeper than she'd intended. The blood, at this point, had completely soaked her jeans and made a large splotch of color on the bottom of her shirt. When she realized what she'd done, her tears flowed faster. Part of her wanted to fill the tub, lay back in it, and allow the blood loss to end her life, but the other part of her knew she had to make the phone call she was instantly dreading.

A blood trail leading to her bedroom formed as she ran down the hallway, and she grabbed her phone with her right hand and dialed the number she knew by heart.

"Regina," she sobbed. "I fucked up."

The blood loss had exhausted Emma to the point of losing consciousness. As she lay in the hospital bed, Regina sat beside her with tears pouring down her cheeks.

"Emma," she whimpered into the girl's ear. "Wake up, baby. Wake up." When the doctor came back in, Regina immediately stood and asked, "Will she be okay?"

"She will be okay, but we can't let her leave the hospital until we're sure she's psychologically stable."

"I know that!" the therapist snapped. "Just tell me if she'll be alright."

"She'll be just fine within the next twenty-four hours, once she is properly medicated."

With a weak nod, Regina sat back down in the chair and took the girl's hand, saying, "When will she wake up?"

"She's very tired, ma'am. It could be hours."

Regina sighed and nodded again, squeezing Emma's hand tighter as the doctor left the room.

When the girl finally did wake, her eyes instantly filled with tears.

"What happened?" Regina asked anxiously, standing up again and rushing to her side.

"I told Belle," Emma sobbed. "We got into a huge fight and she left."

"Emma," the therapist whimpered, hugging the girl tightly. "Oh, Emma. My sweet darling."

By the time Emma was finally discharged two days later, she'd said hardly anything else to Regina, and the woman hadn't pressed for more details or answers.

In the car, on the way back to Regina's, the woman said, "You missed a few days of school you'll have to make up. I know it's going to suck to go back, but it's important. You're so close to graduation. Don't let this hold you back, okay?"

"I can't see Belle," Emma asserted fiercely.

"You're not skipping school to avoid her. I won't let you."

"Since when are you my mother?" the girl snapped.

"I'm not. I'm someone who cares for you deeply and doesn't want you to throw away your future over a fight with a friend that will blow over soon."

"It's not going to blow over. You should have heard the things she said..."

Regina sighed.

"I'm sorry, honey. I'm not trying to be insensitive. Please just hang in there. Don't give up, okay?"

"Yeah. I guess so."

"Just tell me you'll try."

"I'll try."

"That's all I can ask for."