A Shot at Happiness

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters in this story and that is my curse.

NOTE: I just thought that at one point during the curse and before Henry's arrival, Regina might have listened to Mr. Gold's advice and paid a visit to Dr. Hopper. This may be read as a continuation of "His Beloved Constant" but that story also stands on its own so I split it. Sorry for the cheesy title. My creative juices ran a bit dry there. Titles are always so tricky.

I intended it to be a one-shot but it became longer than I expected so perhaps there will be one or two more chapters after this. But this won't be a very long story.

She was supposed to be happy here.

But things were not going according to plan. And though at first she thought she was immune to the effects of the curse, she was beginning to feel like there was another price to pay for her desired happiness.

The queen had not thought it possible but she now hated everyone in that town even more. She hated the way they blindly followed all her orders without fighting back. She hated the way they went about their routine lives without feeling the tedium. She hated how they were blissfully unaware of the curse they were living, how they were free of their past memories, and therefore, free of their past pain. Though every now and then they may feel a dull ache for something they could not understand, they went on with their lives unburdened by all the struggles of their old lives.

But not her. She remembered everything, and seeing the faces of people she loathed every day only made it worse. It wasn't fair. They were supposed to be suffering from the curse but instead they lived in carefree ignorance. And she was the only one in misery. It wasn't fair. This was not how it was supposed to be.

These angry thoughts filled her head as she walked down the street every day, every day just like the day before albeit with very minor alterations. Life followed a steady, reliable pattern that even she seemed incapable of breaking. This was the curse. This was how it was going to be forever. She shuddered at the thought.

"Good morning, Madame Mayor!" called the familiar voice.

Some days she was so irritated by his cheeriness but today, it seemed an almost welcome distraction. She gave him a short glance of acknowledgment and this time, she made sure that she didn't run into Mary Margaret. Regina didn't feel like making contact with that woman today. Instead, the mayor stopped in her tracks and watched as Dr. Hopper and Pongo crossed the street. She watched as he continued to greet everyone else he saw with the same warmth and exuberance.

Regina watched him with growing interest. She had never really thought about him before. He was one of those people she had simply lumped together as "allies of Snow" and she never had any particular grudge against him other than his association with her stepdaughter.

And now, she realized that of all the people in that town, he was the only one who truly smiled at her.

True, no one dared glare or frown at her, but they all regarded her warily. For reasons other than her power and position as mayor, they feared her, as if something deep within them knew she was capable of so much worse. And they would be right, of course.

But he was never afraid to look her in the eye and to greet her everyday. And though the frequency and regularity of his pleasantries often irritated her, she realized that he was always sincere in wishing her a good morning. Nothing in his manner was forced. He never said anything to her out of fear or awe. He did not know who she was but neither did anyone else in town and they all kept their distance.

Everyone but him.

Why?

Trying to decipher the reasons behind Dr. Hopper's friendliness gave Regina a little distraction from her darker thoughts. She pondered over his inexplicable behavior for a few days and even paid more attention to him whenever their paths crossed everyday. Why was he always so eager to greet her? Why did he smile at her even when she only scowled back? Why was his the only friendly face in a town full of strangers?

Once when she complained about her dissatisfaction to Rumpel- Mr. Gold, he suggested that she pay a visit to Dr. Hopper. She had shrugged off that option then but after several months of the maddening tedium of life in Storybrooke, she now considered it. As much as she loathed Mr. Gold, she had to admit that he always knew what he was talking about (even if he didn't always divulge all the information to the people concerned.)

She didn't think it likely that she would find happiness simply by talking to a shrink. But as days passed, in their endless monotony, she decided she would give it a shot. After all, she had nothing better to do.

-0-0-0-

There was an unfamiliar knock on his door. Archie put down the papers he was working on and threw a puzzled glance at Pongo who had raised his head curiously. But since the Dalmatian sensed no danger, Archie didn't worry even if he wasn't expecting anyone at that hour but he didn't

He opened the door and found himself face to face with Mayor Mills.

"Dr. Hopper," she said curtly.

"Madame Mayor!" he cried in surprise and with far more excitement than he had intended. He could not suppress a wide grin as it spread across his face at the sight of her.

She raised an eyebrow at him but not in a hostile way. She was wondering why he seemed so happy to see her.

Archie managed to regain enough composure and dignity to welcome her in properly.

"How may I help you?"