Damaged Feathers

Chapter 6

Okay. I have a some stuff to say. First and foremost i would like to apologise for the sheer delay in my update. I have had trial HSC exams and that can be super stressful. Also, recently a member of my family who I was quite close to, passed away. Since then i haven't really been capable of finding motivation to do anything. I have sort of fallen into this dark hole and I am currently trying to climb my way out. i won't burden you with further details though. I truly am sorry about the wait. I will do my best to be more regular. This chapter is 19737 words long, so I am hoping that it keep you guys occupied for a while so it gives me a chance to sort my shit out.

Next, I would like to dedicate this chapter to my new friend Brooklyn, (a.k.a  @ TheSwanSavior), as she has been such wonderful and kind and caring human being and I honestly don't know if i would have continued this story if it wasn't for her. Thank you for your kind words Brooke. You have such a beautiful soul.

Okay. Finally I just wanted to mention that I mention three songs in this fic. The first one is 'Im A Believer' by Smash Mouth, second one is 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' by Elton John and Kiki Dee, and lastly 'The Only Exception' by my loves Paramore. It's up to you but you should listen to these songs when I mention them. It's a real mood setter and they are just such awesome songs. If you don't want to then thats cool. Whatever floats your boat.

Okay that's all from me. Hope you enjoy this long af chapter and have a lovely day wherever you are in the world and I hope that you know that you are an awesome person and that if you ever need to reach out to someone then just shoot me a message. OKAY OKAY. Thanks for reading and I love you all.

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As nice as it is to be able to comfort the younger woman, the hard ass, opinionated and bold version was much more preferable, in Regina's opinion. And if getting that woman back meant trying to forget her own feelings to put the focus on Emma's wellbeing...then so be it. It was a sacrifice that she would have to convince herself that she was willing to make.

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Regina wakes, transitioning slowly from a beautiful dream, back into the harsh reality. She lay still for a long while, letting her heavy eyes adjust to the now blaring sun. She felt something pressing into her left arm. Turning slightly, she was met with the top Emma's messy blonde head, her face nestled into Regina's side. The brunette's fingers twitched slightly as the urge to tangle her fingers through golden curls became apparent. Regina stared for a while, not daring to move a muscle in fear of waking the younger woman, who must have gravitated towards warmth during her sleep. A tiny hint of a smile played upon cherry lips. One of those quiet smiles that are barely there, but are completely genuine in its significance. She thought about Emma's 5am surprise appearance and all that followed. Her heart ached slightly upon remembering the way the blonde had reacted upon waking from her nightmare, and how Regina had comforted her through three more after they both went to bed. The younger woman would thrash about in her sleep, waking the brunette. It would give Regina a few seconds to wake properly and prepare for the screams that would tear from Emma's throat when her eyes snapped open, overflowing with tears. Regina would sit up next to the other woman and simply wrap both arms around her pale bicep, pulling her close, even when she would refuse and try to break free from the grip. Regina held on until her breathing slowed and she realised that the dream wasn't real. She would fall back asleep with her head resting on Regina's shoulder, and then the cycle would repeat itself.

The brunette shuddered at the memory, and turned slightly to check the neon numbers on her alarm clock. 11:45am. They had only had about 5 hours of sleep, minus the interruptions. Regina made a mental note to have an early night to catch up on some much-needed sleep. The movement had disrupted the blonde's sleep and Regina heard a small grunt as the blonde shifted her position, unconsciously burying her face further into Regina's arm. The brunette turned her head back around ever so slowly, hoping she hadn't woken the sleeping beauty. Regina's heart swelled and she sucked in a sharp breath when she saw the way Emma had all but invaded her side of the bed and the way her face was scrunched against the tanned arm. She watched Emma's chest rise and fall, slowly and rhythmically, indicating that she was still sound asleep. Regina closed her eyes and sighed, realizing how hard it's going to be to try and forget her feelings for the woman laying next to her.