A/N: As always reviews are greatly appreciated.
David stirred and woke up. He looked around, trying to remember what had happened before he fell asleep. He was in the loft, in Storybrooke, while his wife and daughter were trapped in the Enchanted Forest with no way home. He sighed and rested his head against the back of the chair he had fallen asleep in.
He tilted his head to look at the bed where Henry was sleeping. His grandson looked peaceful, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. Apparently the nightmares hadn't plagued him yet.
His gaze then landed on Regina who, much like himself, had fallen asleep in the chair she was sitting in. She too looked calm. Calmer than he'd ever seen her. He told himself that he should stop staring at her sleeping form like a creep but that was his chance to see the woman behind the theatrics. She looked young and innocent, much like a child, without a fireball in her hand and sharp words on the tip of her tongue. He would never believe she was a cold-blooded murderess if he hadn't seen her crush hearts with the same hands that tucked Henry in bed.
Regina stirred, startling him, and he looked away. The last thing he needed was for her to catch him staring. She did not wake though. She just murmured something that David couldn't hear. It was none of his business anyway.
Still, his eyes found her face again and his breath caught in his throat. The peaceful expression was gone, chased away from her features that were now contorted in something best described as fear. He found himself swallowing hard.
Regina spoke in her sleep again and this time loud enough for him to make out the words. "No, mother." It was a desperate plea that made his heart clench in his chest.
David leaned forward as if that would help him find out what she was dreaming about. He didn't know much about Regina's mother. Snow had only told him that as evil as the queen was, she wasn't even half as bad as her mother. But seeing Regina tremble finally gave him a clear idea of what kind of person her mother was.
"Please," Regina's terrified whisper pulled him out of his thoughts. "I'll be good." A tear fell from her eye.
The words stabbed David in the chest. She would never be good again but she was doing her best for Henry. Apparently her mother had not done the same for her if she was still trembling and crying at the memory of it. And apparently he had to do something because he couldn't stand it any longer.
David stood up and walked over to her, contemplating his approach to the situation. Shaking her awake could prove to be suicidal. He wasn't certain that she wouldn't attack him while still disoriented and afraid.
While he was weighing his options, Regina woke up, alerted by his proximity. "What are you doing?" she hissed, retreating as much as possible in the chair like a cornered animal.
David took a step back and raised his hands where she could see them. "You were having a nightmare," he said in a hushed voice as if not to scare her. "I wanted to check if you're alright."
"I'm fine," she snapped, forcing her tense muscles to relax in support of her words. With a quick angry swipe of her hand she wiped away the tear from her cheek, not wanting to leave any evidence of her moment of vulnerability.
David looked away, giving her some privacy. "I could light a candle if you want," he offered because the silence was unbearable and he knew it helped.
"I'm not a child scared of the dark," Regina scoffed.
David's eyes found hers and he held her gaze, hoping she would understand his worry was genuine. "I thought you might like having some fire around and now that you've promised Henry not to use magic you can't-"
"I'm fine," Regina repeated but this time it came out a lot softer, even uncertain. She was clearly confused by his sudden show of concern. She opened her mouth to say something else but hesitated. "Thank you," she said finally. It was whispered and he strained to hear it but it was said nonetheless.
He nodded and walked over to the kitchen island. He opened a cupboard and took out a candle and a box of matches.
"David, I told you there was no need," Regina protested when she saw him set the candle on the countertop.
He walked back to her and handed her the box of matches. "In case you change your mind."
She slowly took it from his hand, looking surprised that he'd trust her with matches. She had set his whole world on fire more than once.
He gave her a small smile and returned to the chair in which he had been sleeping. "She can't find you here," he said right before he closed his eyes, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
His words must have had the desired effect because he soon heard her get up from her chair and walk over to the counter. He heard the rasp of a match against the box and the candlewick lighting up. A faint smell of smoke reached his nose. He drifted back to sleep, knowing that the light and warmth of the candle would keep the nightmare away.
They all slept soundly after that but the next day Henry spoke to Aurora and the nightmare became real.
Regina's face froze in an unreadable mask when Henry mentioned her mother. "I'll go get Gold." She jumped out of her chair, grabbed her trench coat and her scarf and flew out the door.
David decided to go after her despite his better judgement. He had been far from her but not far enough to miss the heat radiating from her body. He knew very well that that anger needed just a little push to turn into a fireball that even her love for Henry couldn't extinguish but he had to follow her because otherwise the feeling of guilt in his stomach would burn him alive.
He put a hand on his grandson's shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "Henry, stay here."
The boy opened his mouth to object but the look in David's eyes gave him pause. He decided to listen to his grandfather and nodded.
That was all David needed to dash after Regina. He ran down the stairs and out of the building before he spotted her.
"Regina, wait," David called after her, startling her. Apparently, she had not expected him to follow her.
She exhaled slowly in an attempt to relieve the tension from her body and turned around to face him. She forced herself to look him in the eyes. "David, I don't have time for more empty hope." Her eyes were pleading with him to let her go, let her deal with the situation her way.
"They'll stop her," David held her gaze despite her silent begging not to try to encourage her.
Regina licked her lower lip. For the first time she was the one who wanted to escape from him and not vice versa. "How can you be so sure?"
"Because I know Snow. She will always find me." And it was a cruel thing to say to her because she had dedicated so many years of her life to finding a way to tear them apart. It was a cruel thing to want from her to pray that they'd find each other once again. It was cruel hope but it was hope nonetheless. And it was better than fear. Better than despair.
"But you don't know my mother," Regina said even though she wanted to believe him. She knew his words were true but she also knew her mother's ambition. Ambition that had taken many lives. Ambition at the memory of which the fragile hope inside her perished. "She will always find me," her voice almost broke and she almost broke down with it because she wanted to believe but she couldn't take another leap of faith. Not when everything she loved was threatened.
She turned her back to David and left him standing at the sidewalk just as scared and confused as she was. Because for once the Evil Queen wanted Prince Charming and Snow White to find each other. And for once Prince Charming hoped that the Evil Queen would succeed.