Mending Hearts In The Most Unexpected Ways

Disclaimer: I don't own anything here. Sadly.

Summary: Archie's still despondent by the fact that Emma's gone. However, he finds someone to give him comfort and a word of comfort in the most unexpected place. Swan Cricket 'verse. (implied Swan Cricket)

Note: This was written long before "Queen of Hearts" and the return to Storybrooke. Have no fear, I'm the process of writing an Archie and Emma reunion story and that will be going up very soon. I just wanted this one to go up first.

That's right. I couldn't quite turn down the opportunity to write a story about the relationship between Archie and Regina. While I saw comparison between Emma and Rumplestitskin, I realize that there are also similarities between Archie and Regina. Well, also, I find myself loving the possibilities of a Regina/Emma/Archie love triangle. (I dunno if that'll change the progression of my Swan Cricket series, but still).

Regardless, here we go.

Archie turned his mug in his hand. He frowned. Steam curled off of the top of his coffee, but he found that he couldn't bring himself to drink any of it.

A knock on his office door drew him out of his thoughts.

Putting his coffee mug onto his desk, Archie stood up. After crossing to the door, he opened it, to see who had knocked. Who he found there, obviously waiting for him, made him take a step back in surprise.

"Regina," he said, in surprise, "I didn't think we had a session today."

The dark-haired woman twisted her hands. "We didn't," she said, shifting from foot to foot, "but, um, well, I came here because I heard Henry tell David that he was worried about you."

Archie took another step back, letting Regina step into his office.

"Henry's worried?" he asked.

The former queen looked up at him, closing the door behind her. She nodded. "He said that you weren't taking the fact that Emma and Mary Margaret were trapped in our former world very well. He said that you missed Emma so much." That caught Archie by surprise and that must have shown because Regina continued, "It's actually very obvious, you should know. Your face shows how much you miss Emma."

Archie sighed.

"I do miss Emma," he admitted, sitting down on one of the couches in his office, "so much." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm so used to having Emma in my life that, as soon as she disappeared, I don't know how to handle the fact that she's not here."

He didn't know why he was opening up to Regina. All of his instincts, those gut feelings that he knew, for a fact, were from his life as Jiminy Cricket. Archie knew that the old Regina could not be trusted, but he had gotten to know the woman over the last few weeks. He knew the life that she was trying to re-build for herself, trying to win back Henry's trust.

Regina sat down next to him and put a hand on top of his, patting it comfortably.

"I know how hard it is to lose your True Love," she told him. Archie looked up her in surprise. "More than that, I know what it's like to have someone else separate you from your True Love." There was guilt in her voice now. Archie looked up at her in shock and she continued, admitting, "My mother killed the man I love, right in front of me, simply because she didn't think that he was good enough for me." Tears shone in Regina's eyes. "She controlled my life so much back then and, after Daniel died, I broke on the inside. I spent so many years trying to find ways to bring him back." Regina frowned. "I would have been happy and probably not become the person that I was – still am – if not for the fact that my mother controlled me, trapped me, and killed Daniel."

"Your mother . . . wouldn't let you be free?" Archie asked her in a small voice.

Regina nodded. Her eyes were sad and she was lost in memories.

"She always told me that she knew what was best for me, but all I wanted was to live my life on my own terms with the one person who I loved more than anything else." Regina shook her head. "But she wouldn't let me."

"I know how that feels," Archie told her in all honesty. "I – My parents were very demanding of me and they made me steal, when all I wanted to do was find out who I really was."

Their eyes met and, in that moment, Archie knew that Regina understood.

She gave him a sad smile.

"We're not that different, you and I," she told him. Archie returned her smile with a small one of his own. "Yet you're still a better person than I am." Regina sighed heavily and quietly added, "You got free, Archie, and you're lucky for that."

"I know," he said, his tone sad. "But even if I feel lucky, I can't appreciate that right now."

Regina patted his shoulder comfortably.

"Emma is going to come back," Regina told him. There was something in her tone that intrigued Archie. He turned to face her, giving her an arched eyebrow. She gave him a wide, warm smile now. "I promised Henry that Emma and Mary Margaret are going to come home and now I'm going to give you that same promise. They are going to come home, Dr. Hopper. I know that they will because I know Mary Margaret and you can attest to Emma's strength and the love that she has for Henry and for you."

There was steel and ferocity in her voice that he couldn't deny.

Archie had to nod. Briefly, he reflected on her words and his heart surged at the mere thought of Emma. His faith in her increased exponentially.

"My heart tells me that Emma will come back," he said, moments later, giving Regina a set look. "I will see her again."

Regina sat back and studied his face. She gave him an appraising look.

"Now that's the backbone I've seen before," the former dark queen said, in a tone that could almost be called approving.

Archie raised an eyebrow at her.

"What's that?" he asked, his tone light.

Regina laughed.

"I can see why Emma loves you so much," Regina commented, "and why Henry looks up to you. You've got spirit."

Archie shrugged. "Or just a sound conscious."

"That too."

They shared a laughed and something inside of Archie told him that, at least, he could he and Regina weren't that different, deep down.

Well, I hope that everyone liked this! Anyways, please review and let me know what you thought of this story.

And, as I mentioned earlier, I've got another Swan Cricket story that I'm writing at the moment – and it'll be a reunion scene, so expect a whole heck of a lot of Swan Cricket fangirl love there.