"Emma?" Regina's voice rang out as she knocked softly on the door to the bathroom. "Are you okay?"

"I'm... I'm fine," the girl lied, rubbing the tears from her eyes.

"I heard crying..."

"I..."

"Em... I'm really sorry. I was a complete ass tonight. Please, let me in."

"I can't. I'm..."

"Oh, my God... Emma, did you-"

"No! I mean... I..."

"Emma, open the door! I need to make sure you're okay!"

"Regina, I'm-"

"Open the door."

With a sigh, Emma reached out and turned the doorknob to let her in.

The woman instantly fell to her knees in front of her lover and took her hands, relieved by the sight of only a tiny amount of dried blood on the girl's wrist.

"Jesus Christ, Emma... You scared the shit out of me."

"I'm sorry... I..."

"Honey, you don't have to apologize. This is my fault. I'm the one who upset you."

"You can't take responsibility for my behavior and depression, Regina. You should know better than that. And I shouldn't push it on you."

"You're not pushing it on me!"

"Look, I... I'm..."

As she felt her chest tighten and her breathing begin to constrict again, her face began to redden.

"Shit... Emma, I'm sorry... Oh, shit..."

"No... No, I'm good... I'm..."

Purposefully taking slow, heavy breaths in and out, Emma went silent as she calmed herself.

"I'm good," she repeated, wiping the sweat from her brow as her breathing returned to normal.

Dazed by her lover's exertion of control, Regina said, "Wow, Emma... That was... That was incredible. You did really great."

"I talked to Danielle." When Regina looked a little confused, she quickly added, "She said I could call her any time, if I felt like I wanted to cut, so... I did."

"And... And did it help?"

"It did. She made me feel less stupid about it. Like less of a freak."

"You are definitely not a freak, Emma Swan."

After a long pause, the girl said, "This wasn't your fault. I felt guilty about the way I treated you tonight, and I wanted to take it out on myself. It wasn't anything you did or said, okay?"

Not really believing this but trusting her lover, Regina slipped her arms around Emma's torso and squeezed gently, saying, "Thank you for stopping, Emma. I need you to take care of yourself, okay?"

With a nod, Emma let her head fall to the woman's shoulder as she continued to take slow, steady breaths. After a while, Regina pressed her lips to the girl's cheek and held her a little tighter. The blonde responded by kissing her lover's cheek in return and offering a small smile.

"You got through that," the woman told her. "You did a great job."

"Eh... It's not a big deal. I'm just glad you didn't have to walk in on me passed out in a pool of my own blood... That would kind of suck for everyone involved."

When Emma forced a light chuckle, Regina frowned, saying, "That's not funny, Em. You... You mean the world to me... There's nothing I treasure more than you..."

The two stared at each other for a long moment before Emma finally gathered the bravery to lean in and kiss the woman's lips.

"I love you, Regina Mills." When the doctor just smiled and stayed quiet, Emma added, "You're my everything." It was only after a long pause that the blonde spoke up again, saying suddenly, "What went through your head when our hands touched for the first time?"

Regina looked slightly startled, but a small smile crept over her lips as she replied thoughtfully, "At the bowling alley. Yeah. I was scared. It totally electrified me. I felt... dirty and guilty for feeling so attracted to you. So connected with you. It felt wrong then. But it was so intense. I thought about it constantly from then on. I... I shouldn't have touched your shoulder the way I did that night. I really... I don't know why I let myself do it, really. I've never touched a patient that way. I let a little eight-year-old boy hug me when he discharged once. That's the only time I've done anything other than a handshake, except for with you. I know I shouldn't have touched you like that, but... I just... You were being so funny and adorable and sweet, and I couldn't help myself. I just wanted to make you smile..."

By the end of the confession, the doctor's own smile had faded, and her lover picked up on this quickly.

"Are you sure you don't regret this? It seems like you're feeling a lot of guilt about it..."

"I don't regret it! It was wrong, and I feel guilt about it, but I don't regret it. It got us where we are now, and I wouldn't give that up for the world."

"Alright..."

"Emma... I fell so hard for you. I was falling before that, but that night... the way you looked at me... the way you smiled when you got a good score... You were just so... bright. Even in the face of everything that was going on with you."

"We should go again soon."

"What, bowling? Yeah. I'd like that," the brunette replied with a smile, kissing her lover's cheek. "I'm not afraid to clean house and whoop your ass this time."

"Hey, shut up, before I slap that grin off your face!" Emma warned with a laugh, rolling over until she was on top of Regina, pinning her down against the mattress.

"Maybe I want to be slapped," Regina joked, continuing to grin.

"Oh, yeah, right. Like you're into that."

"Maybe I am."

"You're not."

"How the hell would you know, smarty pants?"

"Because I've seen your rather extensive sex toy collection, and it didn't include any whips or chains or nipple clamps."

"Maybe I keep that stuff somewhere else."

Emma paused for a moment, her smile fading, and stared down at Regina, suddenly unsure as to whether or not the woman was serious. Her face was stony and firm.

"Bull," Emma finally said, and her lover burst out laughing.

"No, I'm not into that stuff," she confessed, grinning again. Then, her smile dropped too, and she asked, "Are you?"

"What? No."

"I was just... I was just checking. I mean... if you wanted to try it... I'm not closed-minded. I'd try anything that made you feel good."

"Honestly, Regina, I think that would just intensify the flashbacks. I'm sure that even though I'd be trying to have fun, it would stimulate things I don't want to feel again."

"Yeah... That's... That's sort of my thinking too."

"So, um..."

Emma looked down at her lover and bit her lip.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm... I'm good. Just a rough night. We should, uh... sleep..."

With a nod, Regina settled into the pillows and gently pulled the girl down on top of her. After a while, though, she broke the silence.

"I can't sleep. I'm thinking about the bowling alley."

"What about it?"

"How horny I was when I got home."

"What?"

"When I got home, all I could think about was your beautiful smile, and your laugh, and how soft your skin was. All I could picture was taking you in the back seat of my car like a couple of drunk teenagers."

"And that's what you're thinking about now?"

"I..."

"Regina, it's okay. Whatever you're thinking, it's okay."

"I want you. I don't tell you that enough. I don't show you enough."

"Yes, you do," Emma said quickly. "You absolutely do." When Regina made no further comment, she slid her hands up and down the woman's sides, then pressed her thumbs against her hip bones.

"You're warm..."

"So are you."

"Do you want to make love to me?"

Regina nodded slowly, placing her own hands on Emma's waist and saying, "Please."

"I want to go down on you first."

"What?"

"I want to go down on you."

"Okay," the woman conceded, blushing at her lover's bluntness as she repositioned herself between her legs.

A/N: Alright, guys. I'm a little stuck now. Where do think the story should go from here? I'd like to gentle input, if anyone wants to offer it. This is all I've got right now. I'm not really sure where I want to take it from here.