A/N: Guys, I am so sorry for not posting in forever. On a mission to get back on top of this story. I have one word to explain my absence: Divorce.

Henry and Emma parted ways after cleaning the house in silence, Henry with Grace and Emma hospital bound.

Emma steps in the hospital room to find Mary Margaret reading a book and Regina asleep. "Hey, Mom," she says quietly.

Mary Margaret looks up with a smile. She gathers her belongings and steps in front of Emma. "It was hard on her today. She made progress begrudgingly. Didn't seem to have much motivation today."

Emma nods. "She had a rough morning. Thanks for watching over her."

Mary Margaret kisses Emma's cheek and steps past her. "Call me when you need me."

"Thanks, Mom. I love you."

"Love you too, Emma." Mary Margaret leaves the room.

Moving over to the edge of the bed, Emma grips the rail and studies Regina's sleeping form. "I love you so much. I just wish you could love me too; love me like you used to."

Emma jumps as her phone rings in her pocket. She notices Regina stir and quickly silences the ring. She steps into the hallway.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Swan," Gen's voice rings through the phone. "Do you have a moment to speak?"

Emma pulls the phone from her ear to check the caller ID, seeing it is in fact her lawyer. "I guess. What's up?"

"I've been emailing you."

"Oh. Um, I guess I've been ignoring you then."

"Yes, that is apparent. When we are finished on this call, please review them and respond accordingly."

Emma clears her throat and shifts her weight between her feet. "Alright. Regina's asleep, so I guess I can do that until she wakes up."

"How is she?"

"She'll survive."

Gen waits a moment to respond. "We will return to that next time we speak. Progress has been made on your case. You will be receiving back pay for all of your time missed after the incident up until the leave of absence. I also had your supervisor suspended through mediation."

Emma straightens up. "Mediation?"

"Yes, that is the next step in the process."

"Wait, are we suing them?"

"Yes, we are."

Emma runs her hand down her face. "Why does this all have to happening at the same time?"

"If you recall, one would not exist without the other."

Emma rolls her eyes. "Right. What do I need to do?"

"Respond to my emails. One is requesting available dates for mediation. You and I will both need to be in Atlanta during that period of time."

Groaning, Emma asks, "How long is that going to take?"

"If all goes well, we can keep it to a single day; however, there is no guarantee. So far the corporate lawyer has been less than amicable."

"Great." Emma turns and stares at Regina in the bed. "Alright, let me get through these emails before she wakes up. She and I need to talk."

"Do you need me to speak with you as a friend right now?"

Furrowing her brow, Emma pulls her phone away from her ear to stare at it. She shakes her head. "No, let's not go there right now. Maybe another time. This issue isn't exactly going to be resolved anytime soon, so we will have plenty more opportunities."

"Very well. I hope the best for you, Ms. Swan. Please get back to me as soon as possible, and feel free to reach out at any point."

"Right. Later." Emma hangs up the phone and shoves it back in her pocket. She watches Regina through the glass before taking a deep breath and entering the room. She slides a chair next to Regina's bed, pops her feet up on the end, and pulls out her phone to check her emails.

An hour later, Emma rubs her eyes and blinks away the fatigue. "A few emails was a drastic understatement there, Gen."

"Emma?"

Emma's head snaps up. She smiles without realizing it at Regina watching her. Taking in Regina's sullen expression, her smile falls, suddenly remembering everything from that morning.

Regina shifts in bed, rolling a bit on her side to get a better look at Emma. "Are you alright?"

Emma scoffs and looks back down at her phone. "Like you care," she mumbles.

"Excuse me?" Regina's irritation grows when Emma ignores her. "Emma, what did you say?"

Snapping her head up, Emma hisses out, "Like. You. Care."

Regina rolls onto her back and stares up at the ceiling, gritting her teeth. "I still love you, Emma."

"I don't want to hear it."

"Whether you want to hear it or not, that is the truth. I will never stop loving you."

"Maybe I want a bit more than that. Maybe I deserve a bit more than that."

Regina clenches her eyes shut and nods. "You do deserve more than that. I understand if you need to find someone else."

Emma springs to her feet, shoving her chair back. "Oh my god. Are we really going there right now?" She shoves her phone in her pocket. "I've had a whole whopping twelve hours to accept that I completely fucked up your emotions for me, and you're already telling me to run off in the night with the next honey that passes? You have to be joking." She shakes her head and steps toward the door.

Regina sits up carefully. "Where are you going?"

"Do you care?"

"Yes, I do care. More than you realize evidently."

Emma holds Regina's gaze. "I need to breathe. Will you be alright?"

Regina nods slowly. "I have no plans on running around the hospital, Emma. Do whatever you need. I will be here if you return."

"When," Emma corrects. "I'm not leaving. I just need a few." Emma leaves the room. "And maybe a damn whiskey."

Regina sighs as she watches Emma leave. Her phone on the table next to her chirps with a text message. She grabs the phone and smiles when she sees Gen's name across the screen.