AN: I know I said this wouldn't happen again but some things have happened. Apparently I now have an art business and it has taken off. (Seriously, I had no idea I had a 'business') I've had drawing orders come in up to my ears. And then work and acting so, lots of stuff y'all. Anyways I want to give a HUGE thanks to insanemagician for catching my Muse for me after it escaped. I could not have wrote this without her. So, thank you bunny.

Anyways, enough of my blabbering. Y'all please READ, REVIEW and ENJOY!

Emma pushes open the double doors of the school and shuffles inside anxiously. She's heading down the main hallway, eyes downcast, when she stops abruptly. She quiets her breathing, trying to hear the whispered shouts from the closed door to her left.

"No! I will —"

"Emma needs —"

"Why should she —"

At the sound of her name, Emma's eyes widen. She scoots closer to the door, mindful of her footfalls.

"You don't get to decide that!"

"Sir, I really think —"

"Fine. Do whatever you want!"

The door suddenly flies open and Emma lets out a squeal as she quickly backpedals into the hallway.

"Well look who it is." Mr. Gold sneers once he's caught sight of the startled blonde. "Were you eavesdropping, dearie?"

Emma shakes her head in the negative, eyes still wide with shock at being caught. She's saved from whatever biting retort her principal might have made as Archie, the school counselor, steps into the hallway.

"Ah, Miss Swan. We were just talking about you. Will you come into my office please?" The counselor slides his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose before pointing back to the door from which they had come.

"Uh… I really should… I should go to class." The blonde stutters out, looking back and forth between the two men. Mr. Gold rolls his eyes before turning and walking down the hallway towards his office. The two watch the man limp off before Archie meets Emma's eyes with raised brows.

"Okay, just for a minute though. I don't want to be late for class. I already have detention for a month." Emma sighs out before reluctantly following the man into his office.

Regina sighs as the bell rings, signaling the start of her first class. She glances at her students briefly before turning to the whiteboard, unable to hide her overflowing emotions just yet. She writes the days' lesson on auto-pilot, her brain completely elsewhere, before schooling her expression and re-facing the students.

"Alright class, today I want you to write about someone you miss. You have fifteen minutes, starting..." The brunette glances at the clock in order to remember when her students had started before facing them once more. "Now."

Regina watches as every head ducks down and pencils begin moving furiously. She lets a small smirk encase her lips for a moment as she watches her students work, remembering when they had thought this would be an easy class. At least they catch on quick. She muses as she sits down behind her desk.

Five minutes pass, the only sound heard are the pencils scribbling across paper. Regina squeezes her eyes shut, trying to block out the noise. She realizes however, what a bad idea that was when the noise inside her head escalates and the scratching of lead dies down.

What are you doing Regina? The brunette berates herself. She's your student. You were going to kiss her. I was not! Great, now I'm arguing with myself. Regina shakes her head and opens her eyes. She can feel a blush creep up as her eyes meet those of her confused students, who are staring right at her. She shifts her eyes towards the clock and groans, twenty-five minutes had passed while she was trying to quiet her thoughts.

Clearing her throat, Regina pushes the heated blush away and begins addressing the class. Today is going to be a long day.

"So Emma, Dr. Whale called me yesterday and told me what happened." Archie ventures, looking over the top of his glasses.

Emma, who was previously seated on the edge of the small black couch, jumps to her feet in outrage. "He talked to you?! Isn't that, like, against client confidentiality or some shit? He can't do that!" The blonde begins to pace angrily in front of the still seated man.

"Emma, he didn't give any details. He just said that you might need to talk. I only know parts of what happened that night." Archie replies calmly, eyes tracking the blondes furious movements. He begins to write on his clipboard, causing Emma to swing her body around to face him fully.

"What, are you taking notes?! What did you just write, 'Patient is rightfully angry?'" The blonde uses air quotes before rolling her eyes at the man, who remains calm. "God what don't you people understand about privacy?!" She lets out a huff and resumes her pacing.

"Emma, I'm only trying…"

"To help. I get it." Emma sighs, re-taking her seat on the couch. She can feel herself deflating, unable to fight the inevitable. "Everyone says that."

"Have they ever meant it?" Archie questions her, meeting her wide eyes over his glasses.

"What?" The blonde whispers.

"Have they meant it, Emma. When they said they wanted to help you?" The red headed man sets his clipboard on the floor in front of him, bringing his full attention to the blonde.

Emma thinks for a moment before shaking her head sadly. "No."

"Not a single person?"

A blush begins to form across pale cheeks causing Emma to turn away from the man.

"Do you want to talk about this person?"

This time blonde hair whips around as Emma shakes her head rapidly.

"Okay."

Emma snaps her head up, tilting it to the side in question. "Okay? That's it? You're not gonna force me to talk about it?"

"Of course not Emma. I told you I'm only trying to help you. If I force you to tell me things you aren't ready to talk about, what help would I be?" Emma stays silent, though the click of her jaw closing sharply echoes around the room. Archie waits a moment, giving the girl a chance to collect her thoughts before he continues. "I would like you to talk about something though Emma. It doesn't matter what it is but I want you to know that whatever you tell me, will not leave this room and I will try my hardest to help you with whatever you need."

Emma remains silent, mulling the man's words over in her head. Seeming to come to a conclusion, the blonde nods once. "Okay, but I don't really know how this works."

"How about I ask you a question and you can answer if you want to or you can pass on the question. The only rule is that any question you choose to answer, you must be honest about it. Deal?"

"Deal." Emma replies with a nod.

"Okay, we'll start small. Why were you in the hospital that day?"

"I passed out in my car." Emma answers dully.

Archie nods and bends to pick up his clipboard, writing down the blonde's answer once it's fully in his lap again. Emma eyes the thing warily for a moment before focusing her gaze back on the man in front of her.

"Good. Now, why did you pass out in your car?"

Emma sighs and leans back into the couch, sensing that she'll probably be here for a while. "I got angry and punched my steering wheel until I blacked out."

"Why were you angry Emma?"

"Pass." Emma immediately replies, her voice shaky.

The doctor raises his eyebrows momentarily before jotting down the blonde's response. He senses the girls' walls reforming and tries a new tactic, hoping to pull her back from her shell. "Alright, that's fair. How about this: who brought you to the hospital?"

"Pass." This response is even more rapid than the first, causing the redhead to tilt his head curiously. He sticks to his promise though, and after writing down the girls' answer he continues.

"Why did you leave in the first place?"

"I…" Emma squeezes her eyes shut, willing unshed tears to stay in place. She shakes her head, unable to go through with it. "Pass."

Archie removes his glasses with a sigh and wipes his face. He sets the glasses atop his clipboard and stares at the blonde. "Alright Emma. I can see we've hit a wall here. That will be all for today but I do want to see you here twice a week so we can talk. Is that okay?"

The blonde lets out a groan but nods. "Yeah, that's okay, I guess."

"Good. Now Emma, I've talked to Mr. Gold and we have decided that you need to take the rest of the week off. In your current state you won't be getting any work done and it isn't healthy for you to be here while you're still working through these things."

Emma gapes at the man before a smirk slides across her face. "Is that what you guys were yelling about?"

Archie lets out a soft chuckle. "We might have had a difference of opinion but the fact still remains. You have the rest of the week off Emma. I suggest you take that time to find an outlet for yourself. May it be reading, writing or just talking to a friend. Don't think about school, it will still be here for you to worry about when you get back. Now go home, get some rest and enjoy your time off." The man smiles softly at the blonde before motioning for her to leave the room.

Emma stands from the couch and begins walking towards the door before turning and smiling at the red headed man. "Thank you."

"My pleasure Emma. Now go."

The last period bell rings through the halls and Regina lifts her head from her desk to watch her students file out of the room. She had instructed the class to popcorn read again. She wasn't planning on doing it today but when she noticed the lack of a certain blonde in her class her wandering mind made it clear she was in no state to actually teach.

So now, as the last of the students trail out of her room, she lets out a loud groan and slams her head back on her desk. What the hell is happening to me? She replays the scene from her bedroom in her mind for the hundredth time that day, analyzing her actions and reactions. She kept trying to pinpoint the exact moment her focus had changed from caring teacher to… She didn't even know what what happened constituted as. More than it should have been…

"Regina?"

Regina quickly lifts her head from her desk and brown eyes meet green. "Emma…" She whispers, quickly standing from her chair. The brunette strides over to the blonde who is standing anxiously in her doorway.

"Hi." Emma meets the brunette's eyes sheepishly.

"Hey." Regina whispers back with a sad smile.

"I'm sor —"

"Emma I…"

Both women pause before blushing and facing away from each other. Regina collects herself first and turns back to the blonde, taking a step closer. Emma meets her gaze once more and Regina feels her legs go weak. Get ahold of yourself. The brunette scolds herself. She retreats backwards the step she had just taken before forcing herself to speak to the blonde, who now had her head tilted in thought.

"Emma, I'm so sorry. What happened… It shouldn't have. I apologize."

Emma nods sadly, gaze still locked on brown eyes. "I know." She whispers.

"It won't happen again I assure you. I think that… I think that our emotions were on overload and we were just seeking comfort. That's completely rational." Regina knows what she's saying isn't entirely true but she pushes those thoughts aside. It isn't right.

"Yeah…" Emma murmurs, finally peeling her eyes away from the brunettes. "You're right."

Regina smiles, though it doesn't reach her eyes. "Why are you here Emma?"

"Oh, I was… I was just going to apologize. For running, I mean. I don't mean to keep doing that to you it's just… Like you said, emotions were high and all that." She looks to the ground and shuffles her feet uncomfortably. Silence encompasses both women for a few moments before Emma lifts her head back up with a genuine smile. "Oh, and… Archie gave me the rest of the week off of school to, you know, calm my emotions or whatever."

"Oh good, Emma. You really need that. How nice of him."

"Yeah… so… and you can say no but, I was wondering if I could continue staying at your place?" Emma can see that the brunette is about to cut in so she quickly continues before the other woman has a chance. "It's just that, I don't want to spend all this time at… well you know… or in my car. And I promise I won't run away again. And I'll sleep in the guest room so emotions don't get… weird…" The blonde takes a deep breath and glances hopefully at the brunette.

"Of course Emma. I wouldn't want you on your own for that long anyhow. Just… Please, keep that promise. It's very worrisome when you leave. Especially when you don't come to class. And since you have the week off… If you leave… I won't know where you are and I'll be worried sick."

"I know, Regina. I really am sorry. I won't leave this time."

"Very well then," Regina smiles at the blonde. "Let's head home then, shall we?"

Home. Emma smiles. I like the sound of that.