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Chapter 20

The doorbell made Regina look up as she was setting the last place on the table for the upcoming coffee. "Henry, will you open, please?" she called to her son, rearranging a flower bouquet in the center of the table. A moment later, she heard her son come running down the stairs and open the door for his grandma.

"You're here too, Henry! How nice!" it sounded enthusiastically from the doorway.

"Sure, where would I be? Give me those," Henry's response was heard.

"Thanks." Clothes rustled and footsteps then moved toward the dining room. "I thought you might be spending your Sunday with friends. Hello, Regina."

Regina raised her head again and nodded to Snow as she and her son entered the room. "Hello, Snow. Glad you could come." Regina ignored Henry's tilted head, which said he didn't 100 percent believe she was happy about it, and accepted the cake from Snow, who held it out to her. "Didn't you bring your husband and son?" she then inquired in surprise, placing Snow's cherry pie next to the apple strudel she had baked.

"David has to work and I left Neal with Ruby. I thought maybe I could give you guys a hand around the house while I'm here," Snow then explained.

As Henry disappeared back upstairs to his room, Regina cleared her throat and raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, that... I'll let you know if you can help." She didn't want to outright reject everything she suggested, but over her dead body would she let this woman clean her house.

"Where's Emma?", Snow finally wanted to know, looking around.

Regina wondered from the way she turned her head back and forth if she expected her to pop out from under the dining room table at any moment, but refrained from commenting. "She's upstairs. She's not feeling so well today." Actually, that was probably the understatement of the century, because up until now Emma had always insisted on getting out of her bed, no matter how much Regina had tried to tell her she'd rather stay and rest. Until today. Regina had been in the bathroom with her that morning, but even the few steps there had left her short of breath, and on the way back to the bedroom she had leaned on her without grumbling. Since then, she had slept every time she had checked on her.

"Oh, she's coming down for the meal, though?"

Regina blinked a few times and looked at her stepdaughter uncomprehendingly. "Weren't you listening? She's not feeling well."

"But that's no reason to stay in bed all day. You know, that kind of thing only fosters depression and nothing else," she explained to her.

"You should know," Regina muttered inaudibly to Snow as she made her way to the kitchen.

As was to be expected, Snow followed her there. "You know, when you're not feeling well and then you don't even have company and you're just staring lonely at the bedroom ceiling, that's when you really don't feel better," she continued, unperturbed.

Regina turned from the kitchen counter to her with sparkling eyes, the sharp knife in her hand that she was going to get to cut the cake with.

Wide-eyed, Snow stared at it as Regina slowly approached her, boring her gaze into hers.

"Now you're going to listen to me: Emma doesn't have depression, she has leukemia. And she's not lying in bed staring at the ceiling, she's sleeping. We can have coffee together now as planned, and maybe she'll join us later, or maybe you'll go back home. But stop fucking talking about things you don't know anything about!" With that, she walked past her and back into the dining room.

Snow watched her go with her mouth open for a moment before hurrying after her. "Regina, what has gotten into you? I'm only trying to help you! I think you're forgetting that I care about her too! She's my daughter, damn it!" she huffed.

Regina took a deep breath and slumped down, defeated, on one of the chairs that were around the table.

"After all, I'm trying to give you your space and not stand in front of your door all the time. I've really held back in the last few weeks, and that really wasn't easy. Maybe it's time for telling me how Emma is actually doing, so I don't have to keep guessing, because this uncertainty isn't nice either, believe me," Snow continued more calmly and sat down next to Regina, whose hands she took.

Seriously, Regina stared at her hands, which were suddenly in Snow's. "What's this going to be?" She eluded her and instead crossed her arms in front of her chest, then looked away from her for a while. "I can see your point," she finally said quietly. "But whenever you've seen each other, you've almost bubbled over with positive energy."

"Why do you make it sound like an accusation?"

"It doesn't sound like an accusation, it is one!" Regina looked at her, hoping Snow finally understood what she was trying to explain to her. "Of course we have to be positive. But not all the time, and especially not so forced. You know what Emma really needs? She needs someone who recognizes the gravity of the situation and tells her that they're there for her, no matter how she's doing. That it's okay if she feels bad and that it's normal. What she doesn't need are sayings like 'You're going to be okay!' or 'It's not that bad!' It just isn't. It's serious."

Snow was silent and her eyes glistened suspiciously wet.

"Snow, your daughter is a fighter through and through. She would never burden you with her illness if there was any way to avoid it. She tries not to let on and to keep fit. If Emma stays in bed, it's for a reason, I can assure you." Regina took a deep breath and propped her head in her hand.

"I know you're taking good care of her," Snow whispered. "Thank you for that."

Regina shook her head and looked at her again. "You don't have to thank me for that. I love her, Snow. I'd do anything to make her feel better."

"Yes, I know you would," Snow nodded. "Emma has never been happier than with you." During the uncomfortable silence that followed, she looked gratefully into her former stepmother's eyes.

After a brief clearing of her throat, Regina stood back up and smoothed out her tight skirt. "I'll check on her again now, and then we can eat if you want." With that, she climbed the stairs and opened the bedroom door as quietly as she could. Her eyes took a moment before they adjusted to the twilight and Regina stepped up to the double bed she shared with Emma.

Emma lay half dozing on her side, a crumpled, bloody handkerchief in her hand. Regina's presence made her open her eyes and smile weakly. "Hi."

"Hey." Regina took a seat on the edge of the bed and stroked her hair.

Emma's hand moved to her forehead and she took a deep breath. "What time is it?"

"Almost three-thirty," Regina informed her.

"What, so late already? Is my mom here yet?"

Regina nodded and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "But no big deal," she added quickly to keep Emma from jumping up immediately, "you can stay here if you want and I'll have coffee with her and Henry. It's okay."

But Emma shook her head and sat up in bed. Again, she closed her eyes for a moment and then came to sit beside her girlfriend on the edge of the bed.

"Did you have another nosebleed?", Regina finally wanted to know and gently put a hand on her back, clearly feeling her shoulder blades.

Emma nodded. "Stopped quickly, though." She turned her head toward her and eyed her lips before leaning in and pressing a kiss to them. "What mood is my mom in?" she then wanted to know.

Vaguely, Regina lifted a shoulder. "We had a little talk and I think she understands my request now."

Emma raised an eyebrow and stifled a smirk. "I'd better not know."

"No, you don't." Slowly, she escorted her girlfriend to the bathroom again and had her sit down on the edge of the tub there. "Do you want me to help you?"

"I'll be fine." Emma looked her girlfriend in the eye and stroked her forearm briefly. Her outfit was just screaming at her not to lose control, and inevitably she wondered if her condition that morning or Snow's visit that afternoon was responsible for the skirt and tight-fitting blouse. "When I'm done, I'll call you."

So Regina nodded, gave her another kiss on her hair, and almost reluctantly went back to Snow. "Congratulations, you get your way. She just got up," she said, taking a seat at the table with her.

"Is she better?" Snow immediately wanted to know.

Regina eyed her for a moment. Apparently, her words had made a difference after all. "I don't think so. But she wants to eat with us. So, you see, you have absolutely no need to worry about her crawling in her bed." She couldn't help a hint of irony mixing into her tone.

"Are you still mad?"

"I'm not mad. Never have been. I guess I just can't understand how you, as her mother, can turn a blind eye to her condition so much," she explained, and even though it sounded harsh, she wanted to be honest with her.

"Did Emma say that too?", Snow surprisingly wanted to know.

Regina shook her head. "No. She says that's how you deal with bad news," she said, looking at her. "And I think she's right about that. It's just that that's what I can't handle."

For a moment, a smile crept onto Snow's lips. "She just knows us both very well."

"Better than I'd like sometimes," Emma said, who at that moment slowly entered the room. "Henry walked me down," she then added immediately when she saw Regina's look. "Hi, Mom."

Snow stood up and pulled Emma into her arms. "It's good to see you, baby."

Rolling her eyes, Regina went to get the coffee pot from the kitchen and set it on the table. "What do you want to drink, Emma?" she then inquired, only now registering in the full lighting how eerily pale and sickly Emma looked.

She considered for a moment. "Tea. Something unobtrusive."

Regina nodded and disappeared back into the kitchen.

"Your dad has to work today, unfortunately, but he sends his love and says he'd love to come visit you sometime in the next few days if you'd like," Snow explained to her daughter, beaming as she stroked her upper arms and eyed her.

"Yes, that would be very nice," Emma nodded.

"Thin you've gotten. Are you eating enough?" Snow then asked, stroking her cheek.

"I'm doing the best I can," was Emma's only reply. "Sorry, but I have to sit down," she then quickly added, and with trembling knees lowered herself onto the chair closest to her.

With that, Snow took her seat again as well and eyed her daughter. "Regina says you're not feeling well today," she slowly said, "Is there anything I can do?"

Surprised that she didn't immediately bombard her with good advice as usual, she shook her head. Regina really did seem to have her all fired up. "I don't know what," she said honestly, "I'll just have to get through it now."

"Was that speech of Henry's yesterday actually arranged with the both of you?", Snow then wanted to know curiously.

Emma gave a short laugh. "Absolutely not! He can thank Regina for me not locking him in the basement," she jokingly stated.

"I can hear you!" Henry shouted from the living room.

"I don't mind! After all, the whole town could hear you yesterday too!" she shouted back, then turned back to her mother. "No, actually I'm glad he's standing behind us like this and defends us. I'd just rather not know what's being whispered about us right now."

"Well, certainly nothing that's worse than what Henry's been hearing," she admitted.

"I'm surprised I've only gotten two calls so far. I do suspect Ruby a lot. I'm sure she's heating up the people at the diner who are talking about me now, telling them to leave me alone." But then Emma tilted her head. "And you, Mom, don't have to act all sanctimonious. You also said at the beginning that I should be careful, too, in case Regina does try to kill me, and this is her new scam for that." A smirk lit up her exhausted face.

Regina, who had just brought in Emma's tea and Henry's cocoa, wore a petrified expression.

"Regina, that was..." Snow began.

But she was interrupted by the woman who was addressing her, "...water under the bridge. I didn't like you very much either."

"Good!" Emma said, clapping her hands together before the situation could escalate. "Now that we've cleared that up: The cake smells good, can we eat now?"

Immediately Henry was with them and put his arms around Emma from behind. "Did you just say something about cake?"

"I knew you'd be there when there was food," she teased him. "Your mom and grandma baked."

"No surprise, right? If Emma had done it, the house wouldn't be standing anymore," Regina stated dryly.

"That's right," Henry nodded and pressed a kiss to Emma's cheek, then took his seat.

"Just put me in my place, as long as I can't fight back," Emma grumbled, crossing her arms in front of her chest in mock offense.

With a shocked face, Snow looked back and forth between the three. "Well, that wasn't very nice, Regina."

"Since when am I nice?" the latter asked back. "Apple or cherry?" she then turned to everyone.

"But..."

"Mom, I was just kidding," Emma said softly, putting a hand on Snow's arm. "What do you want to eat?"

"I just, okay... Well, then, I'll taste your apple strudel, Regina." Absentmindedly, she held out her plate to her and let her put a piece on it.

"Anyone else? You're lucky, there aren't even any poisonous apples today," she touted her pie.

Snow paused with her fork on the way to her mouth and stared in horror at the piece of pie on it.

"That sounds wonderful, Mom. I'll have one, too, then," Henry grinned, holding the plate out to his mother as well. "Grandma, she wasn't serious," he then laughed when he noticed Snow's still completely indignant face. "You should come over more often and you'll get used to our jokes."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Snow muttered, not starting to eat until Regina also put a piece of the apple strudel on her plate.

"Emma, what can I get you?", Regina then quietly wanted to know from her girlfriend who was staring perplexed at the food, gently placing a hand on her arm.

Emma shrugged her shoulders and ran a hand over her forehead.

That was all it took to let Regina know she had a headache and her circulation was going crazy. "You can lie down on the sofa."

Emma searched her gaze, then shook her head slightly. "I'll be fine. I'll taste Mom's cherry pie," she then said, trying hard to smile.

Snow looked thoughtfully back and forth between the two women, not missing the small affectionate gestures they exchanged.

In no time, Henry had polished off his apple strudel and had also eaten every last crumb of Snow's slice of cherry pie. "You guys did a great job baking," he enthused, rubbing his belly with relish.

Regina raised a brow and shook her head. "If you keep eating like that, I'm going to need a ladder to hug you soon. You're already bigger than me!" she complained.

"He can't stay your little baby forever, can you, Henry?" Snow smiled at her grandson.

The latter screwed up his face. "Yeah, I can do without that. I'm done, can I go to my room?"

"You wait until everyone's done!" Regina immediately responded. "I thought I made that perfectly clear to you over the past 15 years."

"It's okay." Emma looked back and forth between mother and son. She was aware that everyone was just waiting for her and she didn't want it to end with three people counting the bites in her mouth. "You have my permission to go upstairs," she then said turning to Henry.

The teen stood up and pressed a kiss to both of his mothers' cheeks before leaving the room.

Under other circumstances, Regina would have been upset when Emma stabbed her in the back, but at that moment she knew exactly what was going through her friend's mind. "Listen, you don't have to finish that. I'm glad you ate that much."

Tilting her head, Emma looked at her girlfriend. There weren't even four forks missing from the piece of cake. "You don't have to say that. I'm not a little kid," she said, but gave her hand a quick squeeze.

Snow looked at the cake and then at her daughter. "Don't you like it, Emma? You always liked it before."

"It's not that. It tastes great, Mom," Emma assured Snow, looking wanly into her eyes. "I just can't eat that much. It... wears me out and I still feel nauseous a lot of the time," she described the situation to her mother. "I'd actually like to lie down again," she then admitted quietly, which made Regina get up immediately.

"I'll take you to the sofa," she nodded, sliding her arm around Emma to get her to her feet.

As she stood and rested her hands on the tabletop, however, the blonde shook her head. "I'd rather go back to bed," she admitted.

"Can I tuck you in?" Snow softly responded.

Both women looked at her.

"I... Well, I'd like to do something. I want to help you, after all, I'm your mother."

Regina looked to Emma, wanting to let her decide for herself, to which she nodded.

"Okay, thank you mom."

Snow joined the two and it was clear to see how uncomfortable she felt as Regina gave Emma to her arm and she immediately leaned against her. Gently, she pulled her daughter close and stroked her back.

"I'll do the dishes in the meantime," Regina stated absent-mindedly; she was more concerned with keeping a close eye on the two of them. "You guys come get me if you need anything, please."

Emma gave her a curt nod with assurance in her gaze that all was well, then walked slowly with Snow into the entrance hall. One hand on the banister, the other on her mother's arm, she finally dragged herself up the stairs, step by step, to the top floor. They didn't exchange a word the entire way, and it wasn't until Emma let herself sink into her bed that a whispered, "Damn it." escaped her. Weakly, she pulled the covers over her body and sighed as the darkened room immediately eased her headache slightly.

"Sweetie, is there anything I can do for you?" Snow asked, who was more than uncomfortable and stood indecisively beside the bed.

Emma shook her head slightly and stroked the edge of her bed with her hand. "You can stay here for a moment if you want," she then said softly.

Snow took a seat and then reached for Emma's hand, stroking it gently.

"Your decorations at the town fair were really nice, Mom." Emma managed a tired, exhausted smile as she returned her mother's gentle caress.

Snow, however, just gave her a pained look and shook her head slightly. "I had no idea," she whispered chokingly, sounding as if she was about to burst into tears. "I didn't think you'd be this bad."

"Don't cry, Mom. I don't always feel this way. You just came in on a bit of an inconvenient day today," Emma said quietly, squeezing her hands.

"No, Emma. Regina has told me many times and you've done the same in your own way and I'm not talking about today, I'm talking about all the last few days. I guess I just didn't want to hear the truth and admit to myself that you...my little baby..." A sob escaped her and she pressed a hand to her mouth.

"Hey, Mom." Emma sat back up regardless of her exhaustion and put her arms around Snow to hold her in a tight hug. "It's going to be okay."

"Promise?" In the half-light, the tears in Snow's eyes shimmered silvery as she sought her daughter's gaze hopefully.

Emma hesitated, but if she were to die, she wouldn't be able to reproach her for what she had once said to her anyway. "I promise," she therefore nodded, burying her face against Snow's shoulder.