A/N: Happy Wednesday. I hope everyone's have an excellent week so far!

Regina woke early on Saturday morning, as she always did. Spring was delivering brighter mornings every day and pale sunlight seeped around the edges of her blinds. She rolled over and reached for her phone, noting that she had at least thirty minutes before she expected Henry to wake. Her mind began to wander.

After Emma Swan left her office the previous afternoon, she had been entirely unproductive. She couldn't stop going over the conversation in her head and picking it apart, word by word. Yet it wasn't meaning she was searching for, it was reason. Why? Why had she opened up like that? Why had she told Emma those things? Why had she confessed so much to a complete stranger? She hadn't spoken to anyone in her life about Henry's eating issues, at least not to that extent. Her closest friend, Kathryn, had tried to bring it up once, soon after the problem started and Regina had lashed out. It was never mentioned again.

Even her own sister didn't broach the subject of her nephew's eating habits. Regina was sure Zelena was aware that Henry wasn't 'normal' when it came to food even if the woman herself claimed to be obtuse when it came to raising children. As far as Zelena was concerned, if Henry was still breathing at the end of her babysitting stint, she'd done a good job. The fiery redhead spent enough time around the boy to know something was amiss but she never mentioned it; not once.

Whatever was going on with her son, Regina didn't talk to anyone about it. Which was why the display of vulnerability in the presence of Emma the previous day had thrown her so far off her axis that she was still struggling to right herself.

In the wake of that unexpectedly frank conversation, Regina was unable to focus on making any decisions for her projects that Friday afternoon. This led her to pick Henry up from his child minder on time, for once. He had chatted the whole way home and the conversation about what he and his best friend Roland had done at school continued as Regina prepared their dinner. She liked Henry to be in the room when she made his food, hoping he might become interested in that aspect of meals which may lead to a better appetite. She had also, daringly, chopped up some capsicum and added it to the tomato sauce for their pasta.

"What's that?" Henry has said as soon as the bowl landed in front of him.

"Capsicum," Regina replied as she took her seat, not wanting to lie to her son. "You had it last night at the restaurant."

She didn't say any more however and instead tucked into her own bowl, hoping that the lack of pressure and scrutiny might work as it had atHook, Line and Sinker. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she watched as Henry poked at the small pieces of vegetable with a fork. Still, she held her tongue. It was several minutes later when Henry finally took his first mouthful, small and tentative. A win, Regina decided. The conversation recommenced and Henry filled his mother in on the epic block tower he and Roland had built.

"It was taller than me!" he exclaimed. "But Roland was taller than it still," he finished a little despondently.

Regina praised her son, forcing herself not to compare her son's stature to that of his friend and the others in his class. It was a constant challenge on the afternoons when she collected her son from the school gates or attended parent days. She knew every kid was different and developed at their own rate but she was also painfully aware there was a clear reason for Henry's diminutive frame.

Their usual Friday night tradition to watch a movie on the couch saw them enjoying Finding Dory after dinner. Henry fell asleep before the fish family were reunited but Regina let it play on, engrossed in the storyline more than her sleeping son. When she lifted him into her arms and carried him through to his bed, she tried not to think about how light he was. She went to bed herself not long after that but sleep had taken a long time to wrap its blissful darkness around her racing mind.

And now, hours later, her morning thoughts were once again consumed. They alternated between her son and a pair of bright green eyes. But her thoughts of Emma all related back to Henry anyway. What did Emma know? Or suspect? And what was it about Emma that had broken through Regina's defensive walls quite so spectacularly and, it seemed, effortlessly?

"Mom?"

Her door was pushed open and a sleepy head poked around the frame.

"Hello my little prince. You're awake early," Regina said, smiling at her son and beckoning him into the room.

He padded across the carpet and pulled himself up into her bed. Regina rolled back the duvet and he snuggled underneath at once, rolling himself against his mother's body.

"What are we doing today?" Henry asked, wriggling to get comfortable and landing a bony elbow in Regina's ribs as he did so.

"Whatever you like," Regina replied. "But I have to go out tonight, remember?"

"Is Aunty Kat looking after me?"

"No, Aunty Kat is coming with me," Regina said. "I've asked Ella to come. She's going to bring Alex and you're going to have a sleepover. Won't that be fun?"

Henry pouted. "Alex is a baby. Can't I come with you and Aunty Kat?"

"No, sweetheart. The place we're going isn't for children. But Alex isn't a baby any more. I know it's been a long time since Ella has come here to look after you in the evening and you probably only remember Alex when she was a baby. She's four now, so I'm sure she'd like to play some games before you both go to bed. Ella and Alex are going to sleep in the spare room so they can have breakfast with us tomorrow too."

"Four is still a baby," he argued. "I'm nearly seven."

"You'll be seven in five months," Regina chuckled. "And we only use the word 'baby' up until children start to walk around. Then we say toddlers and that's usually when they're about one. So Alex is definitely not a baby any more."

Not entirely convinced, Henry knew better than to argue with his mother and set about deciding how the duo were going to spend their Saturday together.

Weekend lunches at Hook, Line and Sinkerwere always packed and Emma was relieved when the final order came through and the end was in sight. She was eager to get out of the kitchen and take her bike to her mechanic. Something had sounded off on her drive back from Portland the day before and she wanted to get it checked out. Her bike was her pride and joy, so she hoped it was nothing serious.

"Rubes, I'll be back before service starts again," Emma said, popping her head around the doorframe to her friend's office. Ruby's workspace was even smaller than Emma's and the lanky brunette usually sat with her legs poking out into the corridor. More than one preoccupied waiter had gone flying since she had become the front of house manager.

"Fine," came the distracted reply. Ruby was notorious for leaving everything until the last minute and then almost drowning in paperwork towards the end of the month.

"Need anything?" Emma asked.

"A night out."

Emma laughed. "Coming right up."

She was surprised to realise she too was looking forward to the evening ahead. She wasn't always in the mood to hang out with Ruby and Belle. The pair had been together for two years but were still besotted with one another. Sometimes it just served to remind Emma that she was alone. While she loved her job and had a great apartment and enjoyed her free time, she couldn't help but miss having someone to share it with on occasion. Often those occasions were when she witnessed Ruby and Belle locked in a fierce embrace.

Maybe I just need to get laid, Emma mused, as she swung her leg over the motorbike and grabbed her helmet from where it rested on the handlebars. In fact, the opening of a new bar may be the perfect remedy to her solitude; at least for a few hours.

Kicking the bike into gear, the engine hummed to life. Listening closely, she noted that it sounded normal. But when she lifted up the kickstand, tapped the bike into gear and set off, she she heard the mysterious grinding once more. Grimacing, she wondered how much the repair was going to set her back as she drove, slower than usual, out of the parking lot.

Her mechanic wasn't far away and she took the road gently, not wanting to do any more damage to her troubled bike. As she rode, her mind replayed the conversation with Regina the previous day. She had been thinking about it a lot since she left the brunette's office. For the first time in months, she had burnt a dish, so distracted was she by the memories of that all too short conversation. August had looked at her curiously after the mishap but she had just shaken her head and got fresh ingredients from the fridge.

She hadn't voiced her suspicions to Regina. It wasn't her place. And yet, the woman had been surprisingly open with her about what was going on with her son. Regina didn't seem like a sharer, Emma mused, yet their conversation had become personal rather fast. Why? Did Regina know? Had the beautiful brunette guessed why Emma was so outspoken? Was it obvious that Emma was speaking from a place of personal experience? It had been over a decade. It was in her past. And yet, seeing Henry, it felt like yesterday.

Her arrival at the bike shop interrupted her musings. Sean Herman came out to greet the blonde as she pulled in, shaking her hand and transferring grease onto once her clean palm. She tried to describe the noise but after several attempts to re-enact it, Sean just asked for the keys and climbed on the bike himself. He was barely gone for two minutes before he was back, announcing that the sprocket had moved out of alignment. Assuring her that it was a relatively easy job and that he wouldn't charge her, Sean wheeled her machine further into his shop to get started.

As the mechanic began to work on her bike, Emma perched herself on his messy desk and continued her chain of thought from the ride. Putting herself aside for a moment, she focused instead on the boy. He looked healthy enough, she decided. Bright eyes, clean, shiny hair and a complexion identical to Regina's. He wasn't starving, exactly, but she doubted he was getting the nutrition he needed nonetheless. Emma knew how vital nutrition was for children and teenagers in particular. It was one of the reasons she had become a chef; her fascination with the fact that humans needed a variety of different food types to survive and be healthy. Was Henry healthy? From the glimpse into his diet she had gleaned, she feared not. And she was starting to think Regina shared the same concerns.

But what could she do? Emma thought to herself. It wasn't like she and Regina were friends. Their paths weren't going to cross again, were they? They lived and worked in different cities. They had no mutual friends and no doubt ran in different social circles. The only way Emma was going to see Regina again was if she turned up at the offices of Mills Marketing. Something told her that would be an unwelcome visit, despite their conversation yesterday. She had a sneaking suspicion that while the woman might have felt some initial relief to confide in someone as she did Emma, today would be a different matter. That Regina was suffering with a vulnerability hangover was a bet Emma was willing to take.

"Done," Sean announced not long after he began his task. "Told you it was easy."

"I should have been watching so I could do it myself in the future," Emma said, hopping off the desk and walking over to her bike.

"Nah, it'll be fine now. Sprocket was just a little loose. Anyway, you know I'm always happy to help you out," he grinned.

Emma wasn't sure whether it was because the man liked blondes or because there were so few female bikers but she always got preferential treatment at Sean's. She wasn't complaining, to be fair, and at least he didn't hit on her. The man knew she was gay because she and Elsa had been to the bike shop several times over the years they were together. The man's head had practically exploded when they turned up for the first time on that hot summer day. Again, Emma still wasn't sure if it was because they were girls on bikes or blonde girls on bikes. Or a blonde girl with the legs of another blonde girl pinned tight against her leather-clad hips. To be honest, Emma realised, whatever the reason, she really couldn't blame the man.

Thanking Sean once more, Emma set off towards her apartment, hoping to get a brief nap in before she had to return to work. If she was going to keep up with Ruby on their night out, she was going to need it.

The beat vibrated through every particle of her body as soon as she stepped over the threshold, tugged straight into the bustling crowd by Kat. Powerless to help, she followed her friend through the throng until they reached the bar. Kat squeezed herself between two other patrons, ignored their grumbles of protest and waved at the woman currently shaking a cocktail maker to whoops and cheers from the customers she was performing for. Turning around, she leaned against the bar and smiled at Regina.

"Good to be out again?"

Regina looked around and wrinkled her nose. Nights out had never been her style and the bar was packed. She knew that was a good sign and she was happy that the opening night was going so well. But she would rather be in a quiet wine bar where she could hear herself think and actually have a conversation with her best friend. Or at home with her son watching whatever trash was on television. And then Regina remembered that she was thirty-two, not seventy-two, and pulled herself together.

"I suppose," she replied, knowing Kat didn't want to hear her complaining and that she should try to enjoy herself.

"We're going to have so much fun," Kat squealed, half excited about the night itself and half about the fact that she had managed to get Regina out of the house and to a function without Henry for the first time since … since it happened. She sobered for a moment, wondering if Regina recognised the significance of the night and her son's absence. But then she gave herself a little shake and decided to make sure Regina's first night out in over two years was a celebratory experience and one neither of them would forget.

A tap on Kat's shoulder made her turn around. Two drinks had been placed on the bar and a tall redhead now stood before them, grinning widely.

"Hey you two," she shouted over the music. "Thanks for coming."

"Awesome turnout, Zelena," Kat called back, picking up the drinks and handing the apple martini to Regina before sipping her own cosmopolitan. "These are on the house, right?"

Zelena laughed and nodded.

"Thanks sis," Regina mouthed before Zelena turned away to serve the next customer who was complaining that Kat and Regina had jumped the line. Which they had but neither cared. It was one of the perks of knowing the owner, after all.

Drinks in hand, the pair made their way across the bar and found an empty booth. People were already dancing despite it being early, so the newly renovated seating areas weren't getting much use. Regina suspected there'd be couples draped all over them before the night was over. She and Kat settled in and began people watching; one of their favourite activities.

"Rubes, I need to go home and shower, seriously," Emma moaned.

"We're already late," Ruby argued, pulling off her shirt as she spoke and unbuttoning her slacks.

The pair were in Emma's office and both were supposed to be getting ready for their night out. But due to an unfortunate kitchen incident involving an inexperienced pot-washer and a clumsy chef, Emma now smelt rather strongly of prawns.

"I stink," Emma protested, arms flapping by her sides as she too stood in just her underwear. She had hoped that shedding her chef whites would do the job. It hadn't and the smell of fish clung to her skin.

"The bar will stink of sweat and beer by the time we get there," Ruby reasoned. "No one will notice unless you get lucky."

Emma didn't answer her. She just huffed and reached up to unhook the dress shirt she had hung on the back of the door.

"Hold up, you didn't tell me to shut up or insult me in some other way," Ruby said, her own inappropriately short dress now in place. "Are you planning to get laid tonight?"

"Not exactly," Emma shrugged.

"But you're not planning to not get laid."

Emma scrunched her face up in confusion. "Let's just say I have an itch that needs scratching."

Ruby squealed and jumped up and down. While the woman was deeply in love with her girlfriend, she missed the gossip which came with being free and single. She had been living vicariously through Emma but had to admit that the past few months had been rather quiet. The wild Emma which had emerged after her breakup with Elsa was running out of steam and the blonde was no longer bringing home a different woman every few weeks before moving on to the next one without a backwards glance.

"Oh we're so getting you a hook-up tonight," Ruby grinned. "Ok, we can stop off at the apartment for 5 minutes so you can rinse off. You're right, by the way, you do smell."

Emma punched her friend lightly in the arm and reached for a spare set of chef whites, not wanting to transfer even a hint of fishiness onto her evening outfit before she had a chance to shower.

Three appletinis, although Regina refused to call them that, in and the brunette was pleasantly buzzed. She and Kat had already fended off several men who had approached their table. Politely telling them that they were both happily married to men who had just gone next door to watch the game, the two best friends were considering calling it a night. Despite Kat's initial enthusiasm, she was now flagging. Her photoshoot that morning had begun at six and she was thinking longingly of her bed. Regina was also keen to get home. She had come to support her sister and now she could go home satisfied that she had done so. Perhaps thirty-two was the new seventy-two.

"Ready?" Regina asked, glancing at her watch and noticing that it was close to midnight. Not bad for an old lady, she thought to herself.

"Yeah," Kat said. "I'll get us an Uber."

She whipped out her cell and tapped the screen for a few seconds before announcing that their ride was four minutes away. They stood, reached for their jackets and made their way back across the club towards the door.

It was busier than ever, hot bodies pressed tightly together as thumping music filled the air. Kat's fingers curled around hers and tugged Regina forwards, keeping the duo on track and together as they fought their way to freedom. As they neared the door, Regina noted that still more people were making their way inside, even though there was barely any room. Zelena's liquor license must be pushed to breaking point, Regina mused as the crowd finally thinned right by the entrance.

"You good?" Kat asked, turning to Regina and making sure her friend had survived the scrum they had just passed through.

"Fine," Regina said, shrugging on her jacket. "Let's get out of here."

Kat turned towards the door and then stepped back to let a little crowd of people enter. Regina waited too, checking her cell to see if Ella had sent another text. She had only heard from her babysitter once, letting her know Henry had gone to bed without any fuss. There was no news. Which was good, she was sure. Pocketing her cell, she looked up, prepared to leave the building before a pair of bright green eyes had her rooted to the spot.

A/N: You didn't think I'd go too long before my beloved cliffhangers made an appearance did you?