Reset

Archie nodded, "I have noticed that she is not her usual self."

Regina nodded with satisfaction, "well, what do you intend to do about it?"

"There's nothing I can do about it, unless she wishes to speak with me about what is bothering her.." Archie admitted.

"We're to sit and wait while she destroys herself?" Regina rolled her eyes, "and I thought you took an oath to do no harm!"

"Maybe you and I should speak about why this.." Archie tried but Regina shook her head.

"No, this isn't about me, this is about the Sheriff. I want information on what is happening with her," Regina said firmly, "and you are going to tell me."

"I've not spoken to her and even if I had.." Archie began.

"Then we'll figure it out together," Regina announced, "admittedly I think the situation with Henry was the catalyst for this but I'm not sure why. Miss Swan has always wanted Henry for herself and after the curse broke he was in her fulltime custody anyway so I don't see why the legal change would have been an issue to her."

Archie nodded as he considered this, "unless it wasn't an issue to her, she was perceiving it to be an issue to Henry?"

"Henry didn't want anything to do with me," Regina said darkly.

Archie held up his hands in defence, "we're talking about how Emma saw things, maybe Emma was worried about Henry's feelings towards the change."

Regina shrugged, "I don't see why it would have affected him, he'd made his choice."

"Maybe," Archie allowed, "but consider this from Emma's position and her history. She has experienced being replaced by a new baby when she was in foster care."

"I was not aware of that," Regina admitted and considered the matter before adding, "do you think she may have transferred her own feelings to Henry?"

"It's very possible," Archie said with a nod.

"Her behaviour became more erratic following her move," Regina commented, more to herself than Archie, "and she was very shocked to hear about Snow's baby. Maybe the Charming's pushed her to get her own apartment and she felt she was being.. pushed aside somehow?"

"Theoretically a person with Emma's history could suffer from serious abandonment issues," Archie agreed, "she displayed some signs of this when she first arrived in Storybrooke but after the curse broke and she discovered her family she seemed to calm down a lot."

"But then I gave her custody of Henry," Regina continued thoughtfully.

"Maybe causing those old feelings to resurface," Archie nodded.

"And then the two idiots suggested she move out, which she agreed to in order to protect herself," Regina filled in the gaps, "and now they have a baby on the way and they are.. in effect.. replacing her, in her mind."

"That is a likelihood," Archie agreed with a sad smile.

"Abandonment is a strong emotion?" Regina half questioned.

"Certainly," Archie nodded, "as children we are hardwired to form deep emotional bonds with our carers, if that trust is broken then it can cause devastating repercussions later in life. Lack of a support network at a young age can create strong issues with trust later in life."

"Sounds like Miss Swan," Regina commented, though not unkindly, "how would the symptoms of this kind of abandonment manifest themselves in an adult?"

"Theoretically," Archie began, "chronic feelings of insecurity, anxiety, chronic depression, low self-esteem, feelings of isolation. Often there is a perceived lack of control of one's life which couples itself with obsessive behaviour."

Regina lowered a now sleeping Grace into her carry chair and nodded, "all that sounds familiar."

Archie sighed, "unfortunately, there are other behavioural symptoms. There could be heightened emotional responses, especially related to abandonment triggers.."

"Explain?" Regina questioned.

"Abandonment triggers such as feeling criticised or excluded," Archie added, "and then there's an added feeling of vulnerability, especially in social settings, possibly hyper-vigilance, flashbacks, addictions, panic attacks.."

Regina held her up her hand, "I get the picture, what's the cure?"

Archie smiled at Regina's no nonsense attitude, "there's not a cure as such. A start is for the sufferer to acknowledge the issue, identify their own symptoms and then take action, usually therapy."

"And if the sufferer is unlikely to acknowledge the issue?" Regina pushed, "what can those around her do to help?"

"Counteracting the feelings of abandonment is a good place to start," Archie suggested, "help the person feel wanted, needed, loved and cared for. Safe. It.. it's not an easy thing to overcome, Regina."

Regina sighed in annoyance, "that may very well be true, but it's a very easy thing to notice but I seem to be the only one paying any attention!"

With that she stood up and picked up Grace's carrier and looked at Archie, "you will bring up the excessive working hours with her, the town needs a Sheriff that is not on the edge of collapse. And then you will bring up your concern with Snow and Charming, don't mention my involvement."