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Emma had been moping.
She knew this, because she had been watching the blonde either star blankly at their bedroom wall, curled up in bed, or watching her watch TV like some mindless drone.
The other woman was in some sort of mental flunk, and Regina wanted to put an end to it.
It had been a solid 4 days of this flopping about before she decided to really do anything, though.
She put Ruby on the suicide watch, because she knew that the waitress was just as concerned for Emma as she was. She also knew that the blonde would have thrown a fit should she dare involve her parents or their son, so Ruby was the best possible option.
Ruby ensured they’d do something enriching. Something to actually stimulate Emma’s brain cells.
Which scared Regina a lot, because hers and Ruby’s definitions of ‘stimulate’ and ‘enrich’ were likely worldly opposites. But she decided that as long as it wasn’t her problem, and it got her girlfriend up and about, she didn’t care.
Where was Regina going? Her vault. She was going to fix her girlfriend the only way she knew how – magic. She wasn’t proud of it, but she was at a total loss.
Emma wouldn’t eat, she wouldn’t really talk. She could hardly focus on her work, which Regina had been bringing home for her so that she didn’t fall behind on paperwork despite her absence from the station. She spent her days sleeping, and occasionally picking up her phone to reply to the many, many concerned messages from her mother.
Snow: hey Emma – you missed our dinner tonight! Hope you’re okay!
Snow: hey, Emma, we haven’t heard from you in a few days – are you feeling alright? We’re here if you need us :)
Snow: Emma, we should talk soon. Call me!!
She read them, and then put her phone down, and curled up on her side on the couch again.
She was exhausted. Exhausted of doing nothing, exhausted from trying to do something, but still end up just sitting, and staring.
The hours passed as if time was sped up for no one but her. she could feel herself getting hungry, getting thirsty, and she’d fulfil her needs if she could be bothered, but often she’d just forget.
everything was wrapped up in a big, fluffy blanket, and she couldn’t hear anything over the white noise in her ears.
why was she so depressed? she didn’t have an answer. she just knew that she felt like she was being swallowed alive by a monster of self-destruction. there wasn’t much she could do. she could look at a different wall, maybe. maybe, she could try a different TV show. maybe that would start her back up again. she felt like a wind up doll that was all wound out.
she looked to Ruby, who was painting her finger nails a deep shade of red, not too dissimilar to her red jacket, and a hint of a smile graced her face.
“Rubes.” she hummed, and her voice was stiff and raw. “how come you’re painting my nails?”
Ruby just laughed.
“ Because, Ems, you’re going slowly insane with all the white and cream you’re staring at constantly. at least if you’ve got a little pop of colour on those nails of yours, perhaps you could ground yourself a little to snap yourself out of it, or go and find your girlfriend?” this last part was suggestive. surprisingly though, not suggestive in a typical ‘Ruby’ manner. this was suggestive that Emma had not been following the rules and/or wasn’t following the rules accordingly.
“Regina is worried for you, Emma Swan, and she is only trying to look out for you. Stop pushing her away, and let her help you. please.”
Emma huffed. she knew. she wasn’t stupid. Regina had been leaving her alone for the most part, which she appreciated, but… sometimes she wished she wouldn’t. sometimes, she wished Regina would come and talk to her, and make her feel better. sometimes, she wished her girlfriend would help her feel normal again instead of letting her try and sort herself out. she didn’t say anything, instead just looking over her nails.
Ruby sighed. she was trying, at least. Emma was just stubborn as hell.
When Regina entered her vault, she sighed.
What could she prescribe for what Emma was feeling? What could she give her to make her feel normal again? Could she make her feel normal again?
She looked about her potion making ingredients, all of her equipment. She sighed again, and then got to it. Trying.
Emma was moping. she was sad, and she was moping.
and then Regina was back, and she perked up a little. it was nice having her back in the house, even if she had been sort of avoiding her for a few days.
Regina was holding a vial in her hand. She gave Ruby a small smile, and then a nod - dismissing her from her duties. She could go now, so they could have this conversation in private.
Ruby left quickly. She didn’t want to be a part of whatever was about to go down - not meaning that she wouldn’t ask Emma about it later. She’s noticed that sometimes, some things are better as stories than they are live entertainment.
She ruffled Emma’s hair as she went, as if she was a misbehaving toddler. The other woman protested, of course, but Ruby just laughed, and then she was gone.
Leaving the two women alone. Emma was curled up on one side of the couch, Regina was standing in the doorway. Neither of them really knew how to breach the subject of the matter. How did they talk to each other again? The fact that they had even managed to forget was agonising.
“Hey, Ems.” Eventually, Regina plucked up the courage to sit next to the blonde, crossing the room in as paced strides as she could manage.
“Hi.” she murmured, still huddled in a little ball. She hadn’t noticed the vial in the brunettes hand.
She took a deep breath, and then offered it to the blonde.
“ Here , drink this. You’ll feel better. ”
Emma stared at the vial. And then stared a little more. Then she laughed, and shook her head - she would not be taking any magic potion to be rid of her random depression. That was not how she did things.
“No. I’d rather not.” she huffed, and she sounded like a bratty toddler, but she did what she had to do to get her point across.
Regina paused – no? Why? She was offering her a solution, and she wouldn’t take it? Did she enjoy being depressed? Did she enjoy feeling sad?
She had been expecting at least a bit of rebuttal, maybe a small argument, but not a flat out no.
“No? Why not? This will help you, it boosts serotonin-“
“Regina, I’m not taking any bloody magic potions to deal with my very natural human emotions. I’m in a rough spot - it happens. I don’t need a magic serotonin boost, what I need is you.”
Regina pauses. And then she smiles slightly.
She moves over to sit right beside her girlfriend, and then curls up with her. They are both cuddled into each other, and it feels amazing. They haven’t really had much physical contact since Emma’s low period had started, so this felt like a step in the right direction.
“I’m sorry, darling – I wasn’t thinking straight. You’ve just been worrying me.”
“I know. And I’m sorry too. But I’ll get through this, I always do.”
When Henry got home later that evening, he was met with the sight of his two mothers curled up against each other, fast asleep, and smiled.
This was a step in the right direction.