A/N: I'm 95% back to normal now and eager to keep going with this story. Let's continue our date!

"Ok," Regina agreed. After all, the whole premise under which the two of them were meeting was to talk about Henry. At least that was the reason she had texted Emma in the first place. Now, of course, they were undeniably on a date. "Well, Doctor Hopper wanted to meet with me to discuss Henry before his appointment tomorrow so he could learn as much as possible about him, I think. I gave him a history of his eating habits and a little about our life."

Emma nodded as she listened, finishing off the last of her dish as she did so. Regina's plate was already empty. The blonde couldn't help but be pleased at how well her food had been received.

"Did he ask about anything in particular?"

"He wanted to know about Henry as a kid in general, not just his eating habits. Which was refreshing, I realised. I don't want him to be reduced to a list of food. He's more than that."

"Of course he is," Emma said. "And did Doctor Hopper have any insights?"

"I think we both did," Regina admitted.

Emma frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means that I realised a few things when I was talking to him. There were some events from our past which I hadn't put together before but after talking everything through, I think we've already identified what caused the eating problems. It wasn't something I had put much thought into. I had never considered tracing back to work out exactly when Henry started to be difficult when it came to food."

"Can you share this insight with me?" Emma asked.

Regina reached for her wine but didn't drink from the lifted glass. It was just something to hold, to ground her. "I'm divorced," she said quickly. "Henry's eating changed shortly after my wife left."

"Oh, ok," Emma said. "Um, I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Regina said shortly, before taking sip of her wine. "I guess that was something you were going to find out pretty soon anyway but it's hard to talk about."

"I understand," Emma offered. "We don't have to discuss it. But you and Doctor Hopper talked about the impact the end of that relationship had on Henry?"

Regina nodded. "Yes. His difficult eating began the month afterward she left."

"Well, that makes sense. People who suffer from eating disorders often experience a triggering event. There's this misconception that everyone who is anorexic or bulimic is trying to make themselves thin but often the reason they start controlling what they eat has nothing to do with their body image. It just develops into that over time."

"That was the other thing," Regina went on. "Henry doesn't talk about his body in the way someone with an eating disorder might. Doctor Hopper doesn't think that's what his eating habits are about."

"Did he say what he thought it was about?"

"No," Regina replied. "He said he wanted to wait until he saw Henry tomorrow."

"This 'Doctor', is he a psychiatrist or a psychologist?" Emma asked.

When she had been suffering, Emma had met with any number of experts from a variety of professions. From therapists to nutritionists to psychologists to psychiatrists, every person she met with had offered her a different reason for her anorexia and attempted to help her using different techniques. Some had been successful, others hadn't.

"Psychologist," Regina replied. "He used to be a doctor, hence the title. I don't agree in medicating children unnecessarily and would like to solve this problem without any prescribed drugs if possible."

"Good," Emma said. "I was just asking."

"Were you … I mean, when you were sick … your therapist, did they …?"

"Prescribe me drugs?" Emma offered. Regina nodded, cheeks a little pink. She hadn't meant to pry but she couldn't deny that she was curious about the blonde's own experiences. "Yes but I was much further along than Henry was. I was anorexic and that's not what I'd say about your son. I had to be given medication. I was hospitalised. I had to be put on a much more rigorous treatment schedule than Henry needs. I … I was killing myself with what I was doing."

"And you think Henry isn't doing that?"

Tears had sprung into Regina's eyes suddenly. The thought had been an unexpected and unwelcome one and she had been unable to stop her body reacting. She found herself wishing she and Emma had chosen to meet in a more private place. It felt like everyone in the restaurant was staring at her, even though she knew that wasn't the case. Another sip of wine did nothing to calm her emotions.

"No, I don't think he is," Emma replied. "He's still eating, right? Even if the types of food are limited. He's not anorexic but he does have an eating disorder. That said, he's also young. With the right help, I think he'll be able to start enjoying a normal, healthy diet again."

"I hope so."

The two women went quiet, both taking the opportunity to drink a little more wine. Regina glanced at her watch as well, realising she was going to have to leave soon to drive back to Portland for a meeting with a client that afternoon.

"You can ask me about when I was sick, by the way," Emma said softly. "If you're going to talk to me about Henry, I know you're going to have questions about my own experiences. I want you to know that you can ask me anything you want."

"It's not … triggering?"

Regina had been googling. She knew that some survivors of eating disorders struggled to talk about their past and didn't want to be the cause of any pain or problems for the young blonde. It wasn't that she didn't want to know. She did. She was very curious about the extent of Emma's eating disorder as well as how the woman had gone from starving herself to being one of the state's most well known and respected chefs.

"No and if you ask anything I'm not comfortable talking about, I'll tell you," Emma said. "I've been better for over ten years. It's in my past and I have a very positive relationship with food now. Clearly," she added, her arm sweeping to her left to indicate the restaurant. "I'm not pretending that I went through the same thing Henry is but I can relate. And I think I can relate to what you're going through. I saw what my illness did to my foster parents. At the time I didn't realise how much pain I was causing them. It's one of my biggest regrets."

"You were fostered?"

Emma nodded. "I grew up in the system."

The answer was short and Regina understood not to ask any more. But she couldn't deny that her interest was piqued. A childhood in foster homes can't have been easy. Was it an event which had taken place somewhere in the child protective services system which had caused Emma to develop her own eating disorder? The blonde had invited questions but Regina decided to hold back, sensing it wasn't the right time.

"Henry is meeting Doctor Hopper tomorrow after school," Regina said, changing the subject. "I haven't told him about it yet. Do you think I should?"

"Do I think you should surprise your son with a therapy session? No. Tell him," Emma said. "I've been tricked into attending counselling before and it doesn't go well. He may be young but it's important he doesn't feel blindsided."

That made sense, Regina realised. She hadn't been deliberately keeping the appointment from Henry but she wasn't sure how to broach the subject.

"What should I tell him?"

"Henry must know he eats differently to his friends," Emma reasoned. "Tell him the truth. Tell him you're going to meet someone who is going to help him learn about the importance of eating different types to food."

"Yes, that's a good way of putting it, thank you," Regina agreed.

"Are you going to be in the room for the appointment?"

"Yes," Regina replied. "At first. Maybe after a few weeks it might be good for Henry to have some time on his own with Doctor Hopper so he feels like can talk without me listening. Henry might want to share something he doesn't want me to know."

Emma knew that feeling. Her foster mother had been in the majority of her therapy sessions and it was the few she had been absent from during which the blonde made the most progress. She loved her foster mother but there were things she wasn't willing to talk about in front of her. To this day, Mary Margaret didn't know the main cause of Emma's anorexia. And she never would. Emma vowed not to ever tell; she wouldn't be able to forgive herself for the guilt the woman would inevitably feel if she found out the truth. It was Emma's cross to bear.

"I think that's a good idea. Henry needs to know you're there for him but I can also imagine that there may be some memories he has of your divorce which he doesn't want to talk about in front of you. Things he thinks might upset you. I … can I ask about your ex wife?"

Regina looked at her watch again. "Another time?" she offered. "I'm not avoiding telling you but I do have to get back to the city for a meeting. A conversation about my divorce requires more time than I can spare right now and I don't want to short change you."

"Of course," Emma smiled. "Whenever you're ready."

"Thank you," Regina said, waving over a waiter and asking for the bill, despite Emma's protests. "I told you, I'm not a cheap date and I'm not accepting freebies."

"But I didn't even offer you the chance to choose your meal and I forced a not inexpensive glass of wine on you," Emma pouted.

"Firstly, that dish was divine. I saw it written on the specials board when I walked in and I would have chosen it anyway. Secondly, you paired that wine perfectly. If you ever decide to change careers, you'd make an excellent sommelier. And finally, I asked you to meet with me to talk about Henry and I will pay for the meal to say thank you for your advice and support."

"Ok but next time, it's my turn to pay," Emma replied.

An eyebrow rose upwards. "Is that your way of asking for a second date? The first one hasn't even finished yet and it was made under the pretence of discussing my son."

Emma grinned. "But it went so well. I can't wait to organise the next one. And I'm more than happy to talk about Henry. He's part of your life and he's dealing with something I can relate to. If our second, third and fourth date are all about him too, I'll be happy."

"The fifth date has to just be about us then," Regina teased just as she handed her debit card to the waiter to pay.

The blonde laughed. "Deal. So, second date. Are you game?"

"Yes but how does it work? Dating a chef?"

Emma sobered. It was true. Her schedule meant that dating was difficult. At the times when most people weren't working, Emma was usually in the kitchen. "I have every Monday and every other Wednesday off."

"Shall we say Monday night then?" Regina asked. "I'll leave it to you to choose the restaurant."

Emma beamed at the suggestion. "Perfect. I can't wait."

"Me neither," Regina admitted.

"But if you want to talk about how Henry's sessions went before then, you can call me," Emma offered.

"I may just do that," Regina replied, gathering up her purse and standing up.

Emma stood too. She didn't want the date to end but understood Regina had to get back. The two walked over to the door of the restaurant where they paused. Then, seeing that Ruby was staring at them from behind the bar, Emma pushed the door open and led Regina outside. It was a warm day, the sun beating down and making it feel like mid-summer, not April.

"Well, thank you for coming all the way out here," Emma said. "I had a great time."

"Me too," Regina said as the duo made their way slowly over to her car, the black Mercedes glinting patiently in the parking lot. "And thank you for your support and advice. I don't have anyone else I can talk to about this."

"What about your sister or your friend from the bar on Saturday night?"

Regina shook her head. "I don't want to get them involved at the moment. Maybe one day, but not yet."

"Well, when you need to talk, you know where I am," Emma smiled.

"I do, thank you."

They had reached the vehicle now but neither woman was in any rush to end their date. Reluctantly, however, Regina reached for her keys. If she didn't get going soon, she was going to be late for her meeting.

"I'll call you," Emma said as the woman unlocked her car and placed her handbag inside.

"I look forward to it," Regina replied.

Emma hesitated for a moment before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to Regina's cheek. The tenderness of the act made Regina's heart pound and she felt a smile bloom on her face as the blonde pulled away.

"Goodbye, Regina," Emma said, hand now resting on the open car door.

"Goodbye, Emma. I'll see you on Monday."

"I can't wait," Emma said as Regina slid gracefully into the seat. "Drive safe."

The car door snapped shut and Emma stepped away as the engine purred into life. With a final glance through the window, Regina shifted the car into drive and pulled away. Emma watched her go, not heading back into the restaurant until the vehicle had turned onto the road and driven out of sight.

Regina had decided to tell Henry about his appointment with Doctor Hopper over breakfast that Thursday morning. She hadn't been putting it off, exactly. She and Emma both agreed that the boy should know about it. But she had been a little nervous, not wanting the news to result in a tantrum. It had gone surprisingly well and the boy had accepted that instead of going to Ursula's after school, he would be picked up by his mother to meet with someone to talk about eating.

"Mum, do I have to eat with Doctor Hopper?" Henry asked as she buckled him into his car seat outside his school that afternoon.

"No, my little prince. Doctor Hopper is going to talk to you about eating but you don't have to eat anything."

"Why does Doctor Hopper want to talk about eating with me?"

"Like I told you this morning, he wants to help you learn about different types of food."

"But I don't like different types of food," Henry pouted as they began to drive.

"Maybe Doctor Hopper will help you learn to like different foods."

"No," Henry replied, arms crossed.

Regina didn't say any more. She didn't want to put Henry on the defensive before they had even reached the appointment. Instead she moved the conversation on and began to ask Henry what he had done that day at school. It didn't take long for Henry to forget all about the upcoming meeting and soon he was regaling his mother with tales of what he and Roland had gotten up to that day.

By the time they arrived at Doctor Hopper's office, Henry and Regina were both feeling lighter. The sight of the redbrick house sobered the boy's mother slightly as she parked outside and shut off the engine.

"Is this the doctor's?" Henry asked, peering out of the window. It didn't look much like his paediatrician's, the small boy mused.

"Yes," Regina replied.

Henry said no more. Sitting patiently as his mother unbuckled him, he reached for her hand as soon as he was stood on the sidewalk.

"Come on," Regina said, leading him up the steps and pressing the intercom. Henry scuffed his shoe against a small pebble on the step as Regina announced their arrival and waited for the front door to be released. "Let's go," she announced when the mechanism whirred.

They walked inside and up to the second floor where Doctor Hopper's practice was based. Regina pointed out the small toy box in the corner but Henry shook his head, pressing himself closer to his mother's side. She didn't push and instead kept his hand clasped firmly in hers as she spoke to the receptionist. Once asked to take a seat, Regina did so. She was somewhat surprised when Henry climbed into his lap but allowed it, curling her arm around his back and reaching for a book on the table beside her to keep him entertained. They had barely read two pages when the door to Doctor Hopper's room opened.

Henry's eyes followed the girl who emerged with her mother, the pair heading to the receptionist to pay and make another appointment. She looked about ten, Regina thought, and her long blonde hair was braided down her back. Regina found herself wondering what she was seeing Doctor Hopper for. The girl's mother caught her eye when she turned and Regina blushed. The mother, however, offered a sympathetic smile before guiding her daughter out of the office. Henry's focus turned to the open door of the room from which the girl had emerged.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom?" Regina asked, realising it would be a good idea for Henry to go before the session started. But the boy shook his head, pressing himself closer against Regina as he did so.

Returning her attention to the book she was still holding, Regina began to read but had said less than a sentence when Doctor Hopper emerged from his room.

"Good afternoon, Ms Mills," he smiled. "And you must be Henry."

Regina coaxed Henry from her lap and stood up beside her son. "Yes. Henry, say hello to Doctor Hopper."

"Hello," Henry said quietly.

"You can call me Archie if you like," Doctor Hopper offered. "Please, come on in."

With Henry's hand clasped once more in hers, Regina followed the doctor and led her son into his office. The boy looked around with interest at the colourful room. Regina smiled slightly when she saw his attention was drawn to the large collection of toys in the corner. Already, she could tell he was relaxing.

"Take a seat," Archie began.

Regina did so, half expecting Henry to climb up into her lap again. Instead, however, he took the smaller chair which had been placed next to hers and was obviously meant for him.

"So, Henry, how are you today?" Archie asked once his new patient was settled.

"I'm ok," came the quiet response.

"Great," Archie grinned. "I'm glad to hear that. How was school?"

"Good."

"Yeah? What are you learning about at the moment?"

"I learned maths today."

"Maths? Great! I love maths. What's your favourite subject."

"Reading," Henry replied.

Ever since he had learned to read, Henry had devoured every book which had been placed in his hands. Regina had always read to him before he went to bed and now the boy loved to read his own stories, with the help of his mother only when he came up against a tricky word.

"Reading is lots of fun," Archie said. "I've got lots of books here, see?" He pointed to the bookshelf in the corner. "Maybe later we can find a book to read together."

"Ok," Henry grinned. "I'm a good reader."

"What else are you good at?"

"Playing football," Henry said. "I'm really good at kicking."

"I bet that's lots of fun. Do you play football at school?"

"Not really," Henry said. "I go to the park with Mom. She's not very good at kicking."

"Hey," Regina piped up. "I'm getting better."

"A bit," Henry conceded. "But I'm the best."

"That is true," Regina smiled. Henry beamed with pride at the praise he had received.

"What else do you and your mom do in the park?" Archie asked.

Henry thought for a moment. "We sometimes take a picnic. When it's sunny. We play football and then we eat lunch."

"Yum, I love picnics. What's your favourite thing to eat on a picnic?"

"I like apples."

"Me too. Apples are great. Do you like red apples or green apples?"

"I like red apples better. Green apples aren't so nice."

"What about bananas? Do you like bananas?"

Henry wrinkled his nose. "Yuk. No."

"What other fruit do you like?"

"I like pears and grapes," Henry replied.

"What about oranges?"

"No," Henry said, shaking his head.

"So, aside from apples, what else do you and your mom pack for your picnic?"

"Sandwiches," Henry said.

"Oh I love sandwiches. My favourite sandwich is chicken salad."

"That's the same as Mom," Henry said, turning to his mother. "You like that too, don't you?"

"I do," Regina smiled.

"What do you have in your sandwich, Henry?"

"Strawberry jam," Henry said. "It's my favourite."

"Strawberry jam is great. Do you like strawberries? They're a fruit we didn't mention."

"No, I don't like them."

"Ok," Archie said. "So tell me more about school. Who's your best friend?"

"Roland. He's six. Like me."

"Do you and Roland like to play together?"

"Yeah," Henry enthused. "We play loads of games."

"Do you want to play a game with me?" Archie asked.

"Ok," Henry nodded. "What game do you want to play?"

"I've got lots of toys over here," Archie said, standing up. "Why don't you come and pick one out."

Henry nodded and slid from his chair, following the doctor across his office. Regina stayed where she was. Although Archie hadn't said anything, she understood that it was important for he and Henry to bond and get to know one another before the conversations related to Henry's eating habits began. She watched as her son began rummaging through the box, Archie sat cross legged beside him. Minutes later, the two of them had set up some kind of game which saw Henry's team of dinosaurs take on Doctor Hopper's army of toy soldiers. Regina pulled out her cell phone and began to check her work emails, listening all the while to her son's conversation with his doctor.

The rest of the session sped by and before Regina knew it, Archie was thanking them for coming and asking her to bring Henry at the same time next week.

"Henry, do you think you can go and ask my receptionist, Gretel, if she has a special sticker for you for being so good today?" Archie asked.

"Yeah," Henry nodded. He turned at once and made his way importantly out of the room.

"Well?" Regina asked, knowing Archie had wanted a little time with her without Henry listening.

"He's a great kid but he does have some issues when it comes to food," Archie said. "I never brought up the subject myself. Today was about getting Henry to trust me. But whenever he mentioned meals or food, I asked a few questions. He's very set on what he does and doesn't like and seems to not be willing to change his mind on any of those items you listed last week."

"Yes, he's stubborn," Regina nodded. "Is there anything I can do?"

"It's important Henry feels like he is eating new things because he wants to, not because either of us are forcing him to," Archie said. "These habits started, as I suspected, because he lost control over one area of his life. When your ex wife left, his world was rocked. At such a young age, he wasn't able to understand exactly what had happened to change his living situation. When a child goes through a substantial shift such as losing a parent from their day to day life, they often grasp onto something which they can control. In Henry's case, that was his diet. By controlling what he ate, he was able to ground himself."

"He told you that?" Regina asked, peering out of the office and seeing her son chatting away to Gretel who was holding a large book of stickers for him to choose from. She had been listening to most of the conversation between Henry and the psychologist but at times she had gotten distracted by her emails and missed bits.

"No, he didn't," Archie said. "But from what he did tell me and the way he talked about you, I'm making an educated guess based on years of experience."

"Did he mention Mal?"

"No," Archie replied. "He said it was just the two of you. He mentioned that he was a prince and it was his job to keep you safe though."

Regina felt her eyes burn. Little Prince had been her nickname for her son his entire life. But she had never intended for him to consider himself her protector. She was the adult. She was supposed to protect him. "He's a sweet boy."

"He is," Archie replied. "And I'm confident I can help him. I will talk with him more about food next week but in the meantime, just keep doing what you're doing. He's small for his age but he's not unhealthy. As long as he keeps eating, you have nothing to worry about. If you have the opportunity to offer him something new but without any pressure, feel free to do so. I'd recommend trying strawberries, for example. They're coming into season now and since he likes the jam, he may be willing to try the fruit in its natural form."

"Ok," Regina nodded. "Thank you, Doctor Hopper."

"You're welcome. I'll see you at the same time next week. Any questions before then, please give me a call."

Regina and Archie shook hands before the mother made her way out into the waiting area. The psychologist's next appointment was already there. A sulky-looking teenage boy with sunken cheeks and greasy hair texting furiously. Regina averted her eyes and headed to her son.

"Mom, look. I got a Batman sticker!"

"Very cool," Regina smiled. "It's Gretel, right?"

"Yes," the woman said, standing from where she had been crouched beside the small boy. "Did you want to make another appointment?"

"Same time next week please," Regina nodded. "Can we make this a standing appointment for now?"

"Absolutely," Gretel replied. "Shall I set up a direct debit too?"

Minutes later, Regina and Henry were emerging onto the street. Henry was talking about a Batman comic he had read the last time he was at Roland's house and wondering out loud whether they could stop at the comic store on the way home and buy a new one. His own collection had started at Christmas and was already quite sizeable.

"Since you were so good today, I think you deserve a little treat," Regina smiled as they reached the car. "In you get, my little prince. Let's see if we can get to the store before it closes. And when we get home, maybe you can read it to me while I make you dinner."

"What's for dinner?" Henry asked as he was buckled safely into his seat once more.

"What would you like?"

"Beans on toast?"

"Ok," Regina nodded. "Let's go get you that comic."

It wasn't until later that night, after Henry had read a sizeable amount of his new comic and finally fallen asleep, that Regina picked up her cell phone. She didn't want to tell Emma everything in a text but she did feel some sense of need to fill the blonde in on how her son's first session had gone. Whether it was because the two of them were now dating or because Emma was her only confidant, Regina wasn't sure. All she knew was that she wanted to tell the younger woman about the appointment and she couldn't wait until Monday to do so.

A/N: I hope you've all had a wonderful weekend!