So I was worried because I got a good response from the first chapter and I knew that I wanted to go in this direction if I continued it but I just didn't want it to be 'not as good' as the first chapter but perhaps this can be something more :) Please forgive any misplaced words *tell me though because I might not see them lol* And He who is without comma, cast the first semi-colon! *Big thanks to stuckinreversemode & inlovewithlanaparilla*-There would be no posting of this chapter without them and their reassurance ;) & thatonechickwiththeface who made my day with her encouragement 3 Love this fandom 3

-iiwasalwaysthequeen

The dining room table was long. This is what she noticed as she sat at one end feeling as though he was an ocean away. The dining room table was long, almost like an instigator in their relationship, used to separate and divide them. The room was a hollowing quiet, the only sounds being the tapping of a nail against a white coffee mug, filled with a steaming tea. They had hit many roadblocks before but none compared to what they currently faced, and though it was not insurmountable, it placed a difficulty to get around.

He was in deep contemplation, she could tell this by the way his hands clasped together in front of his mouth and his shoulders sunk into his neck, taking on a posture of defeat. She was torn, wanting nothing more than to explode at his silence, to scold him for his insolence and to throw a tantrum for his indifference...But it made no difference. No matter how much she wanted to act out, the greater scale of reason tipped in the latter and she just took a sip from her mug, flinching lightly when the clock struck 12.

Tick

Tock

Thirty minutes had passed and they remained in the same position, neither having anything to say for lack of knowing how to say them. She didn't have a plan this time, no diabolical scheme-There was no shortcut in the maze or subterfuge to hide behind. Had she not known the man before her, she might've been wracked with worry over what was to come but...She knew the man before her. The man that had told her time and time again that when the flood waters rise, they shall not fall; When the winds pick up, they shall not sway.

But he never accounted for this either.

"We have to leave." The words were mumbles that barely made it across the table that separated them. He cleared his throat, looking at his shoe that stuck out to the side of the table; his actions of indifference only angered her, boiled her blood. She was being calm because she trusted him, because she knew him-because she loved him. But he gave her silence, he gave her indifference, he gave her...worry.

"Killian-"

"We have...to leave." His voice had risen but he still refused to meet her eyes, refused to see the confusion reflecting back at him. "That's just it...we have to leave." With a deep inhale, his shoulders rose and fell, hands rising to cover his face as he processed his thoughts.

"No." Her voice was so low, so guttural, he had to peek past his hands to make sure that it was her. He watched as she opened her mouth briefly, her finger pointing in his direction as the other hand gripped tightly to her mug, keeping her grounded to the table. To think, it takes her a second, mind twirling at the prospect of leaving Storyrbooke, leaving everything, leaving everyone. "I am not leaving Henry."

It was declarative in that, she couldn't be forced to choose. She wasn't going to abandon the child that she raised-even if he didn't want her. If she left, it was almost equivalent to giving up on him, giving up fighting for him. And if she gave up-then he truly wouldn't be hers and she would be left with a void in her heart-as if she had cast the curse all over again.

Her movements were dramatic, the screeching of the chair sudden as she got up from the table, her glare lingering with his stare, begging for her compliance. As soon as his mouth was open, her mug jutted out in his direction and he was halted, her red-rimmed eyes widening. "I said no."

He raked his hands through his hair, blowing out a harsh breath before his hands suddenly slammed against the oak that separated them, his temper escaping him and the wood vibrating in response. "We don't have any other options!"

She shrunk back at his actions but he failed to notice, missing the fear that passed through her-if only for a millisecond; he missed it. "We have plenty...of options..." She refused to raise her voice as he had, startled by his sudden show of anger. Her eyes hardened in his direction and he sighed immediately, biting his lip as a shaky hand moved through his hair once again.

"Regina love, I-"

And she was gone.

"So.." Archie peeked over his bifocals, lifting a brow at the couple before him. Something had changed dramatically, similar to a ripple affect from person to person. The unity that he bared witness to near days before when they were separated left no remnants when they were together, seated on opposites of a love seat like children. "Obviously there's some tension here."

Her eyes closed upon the mention, body leaning towards the armrest in any attempt to avoid the Captain that sat next to her, closest to the makeshift therapist. The sullen pirate huffed once more, eyes glancing in the direction of his estranged love. His eye caught a silent tear slipping down her face, and his hand flew to her leg, offering a comfort that he couldn't give.

She winced at his touch, curling herself closer to the armrest that he slowly began to hate. An armrest that, as ridiculous as it seemed, was able to provide her more than he could at that point. "Regina.." His hand dared to touch her again and she flinched as if his touch had caused her a pain that she never thought he would inflict.

Without warning she removed herself from the couch and sat down on the red chair that pivoted in a similar manner to Archie's, leaving the Captain to brood on the couch by himself. "She's been like this for two days. " He announced openly, giving the cricket a surprise in it's own right. Instead of hiding behind his fist, though he refused to make eye contact, he was opening himself up as opposed to his better half who was shutting down.

They were out of sync.

Archie glanced up at Regina briefly before turning his attention back to the Captain, seeing her staring off at the wall and occasionally wiping the assumed tear from her cheek. With a sigh Killian finally met Archie's eyes, hesitant in his words-unsure of how to handle anything. For the first time in his life-He didn't have a plan either. "I can't touch her..." He flexed his fingers against his thigh, short nails grating as the material in frustration. "She won't talk to me..." He dared to look at her, eyes immediately refocusing when he saw how she was seemingly ignoring him. "She-" He stopped, slapping his hands on his legs in thought as he remembered something. "Just this morning-She made me walk here and when I asked why she didn't answer me-She just disappeared."

"She-she.." Archie fumbled with his words, dipping his head in question. "She used magic?" Without reply, the Captain looked at the Queen once more, anything he could have said being halted by Archie's speech. "Regina-is that true?"

She heard them but she didn't; at this point she was shutting everyone out, wanting to be alone with her thoughts. Yes, she had slipped that morning, yes she had used magic and the minute she did it she regretted it. But there in lied a bigger problem-Her giving up magic was for Henry, to show him that she was capable, to show herself that she was capable. Lately, all she could think about was giving up the fight-letting him go, leaving him be with his ...family. But the minute she began to give up, she began to regress and back into the shell she went.

"Oh.." Her mouth simulated a small 'o' and she adjusted herself in the seat,turning a bit so that she saw Killian more so than Archie. "Am I allowed to speak now?" The nerve in her voice struck a cord with the cricket, hearing a cold chill that she had long parted with begin to makes it's way back to her heart.

Dr. Hopper watched as the front between the couple chilled even the more, noting the way the Captain continually ran a hand threw his hair and the Queen avoided his eyes, both wet with emotion. "Okay..." He sighed, putting aside his yellow notepad. "...okay...Someone tell me what happened here." He eyed the both of them, edging on his seat. "Obviously something has transpired that I don't know about...So tell me."

What was the oak table between them?

Neither party moved, both acting as though the words had passed through their ears without registering. Archie, seeing the stagnant nature of the session moved to face Regina, hoping to coax her from the walls she now stood behind. However, before he could utter a word, her body was already turned to the only person in the room that she wanted to address, the only person that was supposed to truly understand her.

"You..." Her voice wrought with a betrayal, wavering under the low tone. Killian looked up to see her shining eyes as she pointed a finger at him directly but not accusingly. "...will not talk to me like that again." She shook her head at him, battling between the simple act that it seemed to be and the volumes that it actually spoke to her. She didn't like to feel threatened, when she did-She used magic. And her dilemma lied in the fact that when he slammed his hand down, she could feel the magenta sparks crackle at her fingertips. Why was she gripping her cup so hard that morning? Because she saw her biggest demon in the love of her life and had she let go-words lacked the appropriation to describe what she might have done.

"That's what this is about?" He whispered, his voice tapering lightly over the memory that played in his mind.

Her jaw set and she leaned back, not willing to cave for his sad eyes. "Part of it."

He covered his mouth unconsciously, huffing a heat against his palm. For the first time he looked at her and she at him: a true acknowledgment of each other. Dr. Hopper sat back in his chair, feeling as though any interference would disrupt the process that they seemed to be taking themselves on without a need for him.

She watched curiously, eyes set on him as the realization played on his face and he identified the root of the issue. He understood why she shrunk from his touch and flinched at his nearing-

The King.

"I love you." She breathed out hastily, an exhale catching her off guard. A hand raked through her hair gently, lips forming a tight line after her declaration. The Captain longed to take her shaking hands with his but knew that the sting of rejection awaited him if he did. She was practically trembling but she couldn't accept his touch-not then. He couldn't fix a crack not of his own making.

"I do." She admitted in a mumble, meeting his eyes once more. "But you need to understand that the last man...Who shut me down.." Her hands flexed at her thigh, another thing that the Dr. Hopper noted in similarity, watching as she ran her nails lightly against her skirt. "Who shut me down...Who-" The words stopped, crestfallen down her throat as the simultaneous memories of door slamming, vases breaking and bitter tones replayed in her mind, bringing a haunting glass to her eyes. "The last man that did that died."

"Regina your default can't be violence-"

"I never said that I was going to hurt him." She challenged directly, putting a meek cricket back in his place. Dr. Hopper's mouth clamped shut and he decided to sit the conversation out a bit longer, watching as Regina turned back to Killian who stared at his hands, cupped in his lap. "But if he pushes me-I will walk away." The chill begins to thaw in her tone and the smallest quiver in her lip gives her emotions away. An ache knocked within her heart at the thought of hurting him or losing control over herself or her emotions. She had control-but to an extent and that was something that she'd rather not test.

Her head shook involuntarily as the sobs that built within her were unsuccessfully suppressed. "I will walk away from you..." She sighed shakily, the memories of her previous victims and enemies leaving her bereft of control for her emotions. All she could see were the bodies she left in her wake, the hearts she had taken in her fury, the lives she had stolen in her anger. It was hard to believe in your own redemption when it seemed as though only two people saw it, and the more she dwelled on it-the more she doubted it. "I will walk away before I-"

The Captain looked up to see the Queen crumble under her sobs, under her past. She covered her eyes with a hand as the weeping left her gasping for breath, needing breath...needing him. She grit her teeth against the emotions that wracked her, turning to face a Captain that wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms. "I don't want to hurt you." The whisper was barely audible to the cricket straining to hear past her cries but the pirate heard, he heard her and his heart broke.

Because when she broke-he broke.

When she hurt-he hurt.

When tears fell from her eyes-they welled up in his own.

Dr. Hopper watched curiously with baited breath, waiting for the Captain to embrace his better half but no such moment came. He began to wonder and soon realized that the pirate did wish to comfort her, he did wish to hold her-But she needed to be set free from her fears-by herself.

She wasn't the crutch type-And the demons faced alone back in FTL had to be dealt with alone in Storybrooke. He hated it though, watching as the memories broke her, as they opened old wounds and when unbeknownst to himself-he opened old wounds as well.

"Excuse me." Regina rose from her seat, giving neither of them a moment to object her departure before the door swung closed and she was gone-again. Killian had risen as well but fell back down when she closed the door, leaving him to stir as she collected herself. The same hand stretched out against his thigh and he fought himself not to go after her-Not to do what she didn't need, what he wanted-but what she didn't need even if she might've wanted it herself.

Seeing the turmoil, Archie rejoined the session, pushing his glasses up once more before leaning forward. "Captain do you know the story of Humpty Dumpty."

Hook's eyes flickered up with annoyance, eyes barely rolling. "My love just ran out of this room-a place where she is supposed to get help-practically drowning in her own tears and you want to talk about the dumb lad that fell off of King George's wall?"

Archie ignored his brash nature and continued, cupping his hands together. "Humpty Dumpty isn't of our world, he is of this world and the lad is portrayed as an egg."

"What's your point?" Killian questioned quickly, eyes batting between the cricket and the door that his Queen had stormed out of.

"My point is that Humpty Dumpty." Archie began in all seriousness, cupping his hands to portray an egg once more. "Fell-tremendously and he was broken or in Humphert's case, badly injured." Archie noted the man's Storybrooke alias as a way for the pirate to connect the dots.. "Guards stormed the wall, wanting to help this young lovable eg-boy who had just taken a fall that no one-no one is expected to survive-Do you know what happened next?"

Killian shrugged, not yet noting a connection. "He broke both of his arms and I believe he hurt his ankle-And despite all of the trained knights and guards there-Who was able to wrap his wounds?" Killian shrugged again and Archie's eyes lit up as if to relive the moment right then and there. "He-He was the only one that was able to figure out that if he ripped his shirt, he could make a sling for one arm and if he used his tarp, he could make a sling for his other arm. The other guards, all dressed in metal armor had thought that if they just picked him up he would be fine but he was just in more pain." Archie leaned closer, urging the pirate to look up at him. "All the king's horses and all the kings men...They couldn't put Humphert together again-Humphert had to help himself-No one else could have done it because it only caused him more pain...He had to figure it out for himself."

"So you're saying that I need to let her be?"

"What do you think I'm saying?" The Captain pondered his question and for a moment he was left without a thought in his head. All he saw was an egg-Regina was a fragile...egg. She was hard on the outside but oh so delicate on the inside. And if she fell and he tried to help her without her helping herself...

Only a mess would be made.

"How about we take a break?" Archie removed himself from the chair and Killian nodded silently, half of him processing the cricket's analysis and the other half wondering what the Queen would say-when this was all over-about being compared to a man named Humpty Dumpty.

Next chapter: The second part of this session and find out what the fight was actually about, why CH wanted to leave and what else do they have to hash out?

-iiwasalwaysthequeen