Love? Maybe.

Recovery.

It was late, probably about Eleven pm on a Tuesday night, the clouds hung high in the sky and the night just seemed to drag on. It had been a week since Regina had seen Emma...since Emma had told her to 'call her when Henry was better' what an awful way to put it...Regina rocked back and forth in the chair beside Henry's bed, watching him closely while he slept, making sure he was okay. That's what she had always done, she was Henry's mother, she needed to deal with this...alone or not, Henry was hers. She took Henry's hand and smiled, his hair now had little stubbles where the hair was beginning to grow back. Regina leaned forward and gently kisses Henry's forehead, running her fingers over his cheek.

"Regina..." She heard a whisper from behind her. She bit her lip hard and stood up, slowly taking her eyes away from Henry.

"Dr. Whale..hi." She nodded her head and beckoned him closer with a small smile, "he's asleep...you won't wake him, what is it?" She asked softly.

"The cancer in his brain is gone...he is able to go home within the next few days, we just need to make sure that Henry's cancer doesn't show up somewhere new..he will need check ups twice a year because he's not fully.. 'Cancer free' for three years." He put air quotes up at the end.

Tears rushed down Regina's face and she smiled brightly, nodding. "Oh thank you! Thank you so so much!" Regina hugged him gently and let out a shaky breath..

"I should call Em-" the words died in her mouth. Emma? She didn't have Emma anymore. Emma made that pretty clear...if she did still have her, she would be here. "Thank you." Regina whispered, wiping her tears and she sat down beside Henry, taking his hand without waking him.
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Emma sighed and sat on her front porch, staring up at the sky. She tapped her foot against the wood and closed her eyes gently. She knew she made a mistake...she knew it was so stupid, so wrong of her to just leave Regina like that, the women she loved, the women who was going through a hard time as it was...she knew it was to late now! How would Regina ever take her back...? She missed every important thing that happened this week, it was all her fault. She could have been there...Emma sighed and ran her fingers through her golden locks, closing her eyes and leaning her head backward.

"Maybe...if I just called..?" Emma asked herself but honestly, she felt if she heard Regina's voice, the sadness and the disappointment, the shame..it might break her. Putting Regina aside for a moment...how could she do that to poor little Henry! Not only was she punishing Regina, but she would be hurting Henry as well. "Shit I'm awful..." Emma whimpered and leaned her elbows on her knees, laying her head in her hands.

Emma wasn't stupid...she knew she could have handled that better, she knew leaving the women she loved was a mistake..she knew Regina would probably not forgive her at all easily and it would take so much convincing..
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-Thursday afternoon-

Regina smiled at Henry as they walked around the halls a little bit, he had to gain his strength back and so Dr. Whale thought it was best to let him walk around for a little bit. After one loop around the hall he was already panting. Regina looked down at him and bit her lip, bending down to his size. She cupped his cheek and wiped a bead of sweat away from his forehead. "Are you tired?" she whispered gently and ran her thumb over his cheek bone.

"One more!" He exclaimed, "I can do one more.." His voice was raspy and his cough was harsh and sharp from all the work his recovery had taken his body, but he pushed through it. Making one more entire loop around the floor. His breath was heavy and wheezy. "Tired now..." He whimpered and coughed into his elbow. Regina sighed and picked him up, laying him over her shoulder and tapping his back. "Okay...time to lay down..." She whispered and got him on the bed, pulling the covers up to his neck.