So... for some reason I could not get the idea of Evil Charming out of my head. So I decided to write this to get it out of my system... It starts off after "The Doctor" where Regina kills Daniel. :( I have watched that scene a million times and I am convinced that I have an enormous girl crush on Lana Parrilla. She is perfection.

I know that the concept has been done before, but I am going to try my best to make it original... So here goes. Hope you enjoy.

I don't own anything. The majority of this chapter is taken directly from Once Upon a Time 2x05

Chapter 1

David had run to his truck as fast as humanly possible, not saying a word when Regina jumped in next to him. Luckily the drive to the stables was too short to be awkward and he ran inside the second they arrived, Regina following him with surprising speed if one took her shoes into account. It was Regina who saw him first. Daniel. But he was holding her son up in the air, hands clamped around Henry's neck. For a second, David was surprised at the desperation in her voice.

"Daniel, let him go!"

Henry fell to the floor and David rushed forward, ushering the boy away from the stables urgently.

"Get out of here! Go!"

Regina seemed to be frozen in front of the open door and David shoved her out of the way unceremoniously, throwing his body against the door just as the man – no, monster – started moving forward. He could feel the strength of the creature at the other side of the door and looked at Regina, who was at his side once more.

"It won't hold for long. Can you cast a spell to subdue him?"

She sounded truly offended at his question.

"No, I won't use magic on him."

Irritated by her stubbornness, David reached for his gun – only to have his arm caught in her steel grip. A hysterical note had slipped into her voice as her eyes travelled from his face to the gun.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Unfortunately, there was no time for hysterics. They simply could not let this… Daniel… escape.

"He's a monster, Regina! If you won't put him down, I will!"

His voice sounded harsher than he had intended it too and Regina grabbed onto his arm desperately, moving closer to him.

"David, please! Just let me talk to him!"

He shook his head swiftly, trying to ignore the obvious emotion in her expressive eyes.

"It's too big of a risk! There's no telling what he'll do!"

Any other sane person, would have let go of the angry man with the gun. Not Regina. She continued her pleading, eyes searching his face.

"Out of the way, Regina, now!"

He shoved her away once more, ignoring the pang of guilt he felt when her back crashed against the wall with a loud thud. She was back next to him within seconds, hitting him with ineffectual fists. She kept shoving, slapping, punching without the necessary strength to hurt him. If there was a trace of hysteria in her voice, it was in full force now.

"No! I won't let you hurt him! He'll listen to me! Please!"

She finally stopped hitting at him, but her hands remained on his arm in a pleading gesture and the hysteria slipped from her voice, making room for only defeat.

"Let me talk to my fiancé."

If he was being honest, he could not say that he was concerned about Regina's safety – rather the repercussions would be for the town if this monster escaped. David nodded hesitantly, unable to deny her pleading any longer. He started moving away, convincing himself that Henry was now his only priority. He stopped when he noticed the crouched figure in the doorway and against his better judgement moved to kneel next to Henry, his eyes fixated on Regina. For some reason, he was suddenly unwilling to leave her alone with the ominous danger. Regina had opened the door and now seemed to be frozen, as she stared at the man in front of her. David suppressed a gasp when bloodied hands closed around Regina's throat and he made a grab for Henry when the boy attempted to storm forward. He winced when Regina was thrown against the wall violently, watching helplessly as she struggled for air. David motioned for Henry to stay and his hand clasped around his gun. He moved forward slowly, carefully and froze when he heard her strained voice.

"Daniel… please stop. It's me… I love you."

Her last words were drowned and David lifted his gun, prepared to take the other man down. Before he could shoot, however, something seemed to register in the other man's mind and he let go of Regina, watching dazedly as she gasped for breath. David hesitated. Now was the perfect time to make his move, but for some reason he couldn't.

"Regina?"

Never before had David heard that particular name whispered with so much adoration and love, and a small pang stabbed his heart when she moved into the man's arms, sobbing.

"Daniel… I can't believe it's really you!"

The sweet reunion did not last long before Daniel backed away and groaned in pain, bending over as though a thousand knives were stabbing through him.

"Stop. Just stop the pain."

In that moment it was apparent that Regina would do whatever she could to help this man and as he looked at the emotions playing on her face, David could not help but feel like an intruder.

"How?"

Daniel's hands moved to Regina's throat again and David held onto his gun tighter. Instead of hurting her again, however, Daniel caressed her face gently his eyes gazing into hers.

"Let me go."

David did not expect Regina to be satisfied with his answer for a second and her reply did not shock him.

"No. No, I won't lose you again."

She hesitated and her voice dropped in volume. More emotion than he had ever expected from her was present when she reached to touch Daniel's face.

"Without you I'm lost."

Daniel groaned in pain again and Regina grabbed onto him as though she could take his pain away with sheer will.

"Daniel… Daniel, come back to me."

Even David felt a hint of disappointment at the man's answer.

"I can't."

"But I love you." It was a tortured whisper that escaped Regina's lips and Daniel touched her face again.

"Then love again."

His words were barely cold before the true Daniel disappeared, reverting back into the monster David had first seen. He moved away from her hesitantly before storming forward with outstretched hands. A pain filled gasp left Regina's lips and she lifted her hands, freezing him in place. For a minute everything was frozen and quiet except for Regina's soft sobs. David could see the conflicting emotions in her eyes before she waved over the man's body with her free hand, disintegrating him to nothing more than dust. David waited, unsure of what he was expecting. All he knew, was that he certainly did not expect the anguished sob to leave her lips.

"Goodbye Daniel."

David reacted on instinct, storming forward when he saw her sinking to the ground. His arms wrapped around her, catching her before she could fall and she slumped back limply. Henry shot out of his hiding spot too, grabbing on to Regina's hand desperately.

"Mom?"

He looked at David fearfully when she did not respond and in that instant David recognized the terrible guilt the young boy felt. Guilt for seeing his mother as nothing more than the Evil Queen, sympathy for what she had lost and fear for almost losing her. David shifted her in his arms – she was still slumped back, her head hanging forward limply and he moved to sit down on the sand.

"Regina? Regina, come on… talk to me."

There was still no response and he returned Henry's worried look. He could not image having to go through what she had just gone through – seeing the one you love die and then having them return only to kill them yourself? It had to be beyond painful and as he looked at the usually cold queen, he feared that this could have been enough to break her.

"Mom, please… look at me."

Either she did not want to or she was not able to, for her head remained bent over gazing into nothingness. David moved his arms slightly to lift her up as one would a baby. Ice filled his veins as her head rolled to her shoulder – as if she had no control over her muscles.

"Gramps…"

Henry's voice was laced with fear and David shook his head gently. He mustered as much confidence as he possibly could into his voice.

"Henry, I think she's just in shock… Let's take her home."

Henry nodded and walked next to David as they returned to the truck, his hand firmly clasped around his mother's.