Mente Sonum

Chapter 6

She walked into the front entrance and gave a small wave to Gertrude, who simply tilted her head in greeting. She knocked on the metal door, waiting for Severe to let her in.

She had laid awake the night before debating what to do about the book. She decided to keep quiet. She was afraid that if she told Severe she'd be taken off the case or they'd immediately start forcing pills down Regina's throat. What would be the point?

And maybe it was selfish but being with Regina made her days exponentially better. The woman made her happy, made her laugh and smile with her snark. She almost didn't care that Regina was telling her these stories from a book. She just wanted the brunette with her. She wanted to play checkers and talk walks around the corridors. She wanted to... she just wanted to be with her all the time.

And she knew that Regina loved her too. The brunette always brightened when she walked into the cell. She looked at Emma like she hung the stars and the moon. It made the blonde want to cry.

So Emma decided to keep the book to herself. She wasn't ready to part from Regina. The scary part was she felt she'd never be ready to part from the woman she was already in love with.

She should've felt, ironically, crazy because she'd only known Regina for such a short time but it just felt right when they were together. It didn't feel like patient and worker or like they were in an asylum. It felt like Emma and Regina.

Emma was ripped from her thoughts by the door swinging open. Severe ushered her in and closed the door. Before she could take off in the direction toward Regina's cell, Severe called out to her.

"Proceed with caution, Swan. She's got a really bad headache. Been cranky all day."

"A headache again? She had one yesterday."

"Probably cause she's been sleeping more than usual."

Emma didn't bother arguing with her boss. She just turned on her heel and made her way through the familiar corridors until she reached the cell. She entered and her eyes quickly landed on Regina's curled up form, a painful look on her beautiful face.

"Regina?" She whispered and the brunette looked up at her, the affection in her gaze muddled by pain.

"Scoot over," Emma watched as Regina did as directed and made space for the blonde. "Whenever Henry had headaches when he was younger, I'd lay with him and rub his temples. Is that where the pain is?"

"It's all over."

"Okay, I'll rub your temples. Maybe it'll help, hm?" The blonde lifted Regina's head and placed it gently on her lap. She smoothed her fingers through the chestnut hair before rubbing small circles on Regina's forehead. The brunette snuggled into the warm lap below her head.

"Emma, tell me about your son?"

"He's a slob," Regina chuckled quietly. "No, seriously, he is. It's like he can't physically pick up after himself."

"Sounds okay to me."

"Yeah," Emma smiled wistfully. "Regina?"

"Hm."

"What's the name of the woman you love?"

"Her name is Emma." The blonde fought to keep her excitement down. Emma was a common name, right?

"What a coincidence, huh? I've haven't met another Emma yet."

"You idiot," Regina's voice held so much amusement that Emma couldn't help but feel some hope. "I only know one Emma and, here's a hint, she's in this cell."

Regina sat up, her eyebrows scrunched with discomfort from her still persistent headache. She lifted her hands to cradle the blondes face, caressing plump cheeks. Emma smiled brightly, wrapping her fingers around Regina's wrist. She didn't want to think about the fact that in Regina's mind, she was the daughter of Snow White with whom she had been separated from. It didn't matter. She'd pretend to be a story book character if it meant kissing those pink lips and holding that fit body close to hers. Because she learned through her years in the foster care system that mental illness can be over come with help. She'd help Regina with those delusions, in whichever way the brunette allowed. All she knew was that knowing the brunette loved her back was making her feel like maybe she was The Savior. Maybe she was pure and good and here to make a home with her Queen.

She'd love this woman no matter what, even if she was certifiable. She'd hold this woman close every day, even if it was in a cell.

"I'm kinda in love with someone too," the brunette bit her lip nervously. "She's in this cell right now."

Regina's smile was almost blinding. Emma licked her lips before leaning forward. The moment their lips connected was magic, figuratively speaking of course. They both moaned on contact, the vibrations adding to the sensuality of the moment. Regina pulled back, dragging Emma's bottom lip with her, scrapping those perfect teeth over the pliant flesh.

The brunette chuckled, "I've been wanting to do that since I first laid eyes on you."

"Ditto." They both leaned in for a chaste kiss. Regina sagged forward and allowed Emma to cradle her body, her forehead leaning against Emma's neck. The blonde's hands traversed Regina back.

"This feels like a strange, out of this world fairytale." Emma murmured.

"Maybe it is, my love."

"Yeah, maybe it truly is."