Snow is in her garden under her special apple tree holding Charming's heart in her hand. She could crush it at any moment she tells herself. He is no more special to her than any of her other knights. Sure, he is the only knight that looks identical to James but he is nothing like him so the resemblance is irrelevant. He does everything she asks of him all day every day. He does everything she asks at night too. And when she orders him out of her bedroom at the end of what she calls a "bedroom session" he looks down and walks away. He never questions any of her orders. The first time she asked him to cut someone's tongue out he had hesitated but just for a brief second. Just one time. He is a perfect knight, he has good instincts and he is pretty clever. That is exactly why she appreciates him, she tells herself. He's easy on the eyes and not bad in bed. She could replace him if she wanted to but why would she? A smart queen surrounds herself with capable people and he is capable. At this point she won't go anywhere without him. She insists that he accompanies her everywhere. She has one hundred dark knights, she owns all their hearts but it is always his heart that she is talking to or yelling at. Sometimes late at night when she is alone in her room she pulls out his heart just to look at it. She likes how red it is and how bright it glows against the darkness.

She doesn't love him. She is used to him being around, definitely comfortable in his presence. That is all, she tells herself. Then why, why did true love's kiss work? How do you explain that? She cannot explain that away. When she saw him laying there shivering about to die she felt actual physical pain. Her whole body ached at the thought of loosing him. She still feels pain just by remembering what almost happened to him. How does one explain that away? And why does he love her back? She has done nothing but been cruel and mean to him. She has bent his will to her every whim with complete disregard to his needs and feelings. No one in their right mind would love that. She has to know. She has to know for sure what exactly is happening between them.

He is still laying in her bed, he hasn't moved since she walked out of the room. He doesn't love her, he tells himself. Not having a heart and being at someone's beck and call doesn't give one a lot of time for introspection but he does remember what love is and this isn't it. He does love someone. He has this recurring dream of a woman with long hair and white skin who walks up to him and says "You would die for me? No one has been willing to die for me before." And in that moment he feels so much love for her, that if his heart was still in his chest it would probably burst. Deep inside he knows that woman and Queen Snow White are the same person. In a different life, maybe in a different land there's a different version of her, untouched by evil and he loves, loves, loves that version of her. But she's not real. Not real. Except the kiss they shared says otherwise. What if she is real? What if the woman from the dream and Queen Snow are actually the same person?

Sometimes late at night when he is laying alone in his room he can feel her fingers gripping his heart, moving it around, playing with it. Why does she do that? She could just as easily control him if his heart was in her secret vault. Why does she always carry it around? She seems obsessed with his heart. He used to think that it was a show of strength, a way to tell him that she was in complete control of him at all times. But maybe it's something more. Maybe she carries his heart around because she can't bear to part with. Maybe deep down she loves him and doesn't even know it. Does she love him? He has to know.

Snow White walks in her bedroom quietly. There's something different about her. She doesn't have her usual air of confident arrogance. His first instinct is to get off her bed and get out of her room before she can get a a chance to snap her fingers and order him out. Out of all the incredibly arrogant things she does this is the one that bothers him the most. He fights his instinct and sits up instead. She sits right next to him. She seems about to say something but she hesitates. He doesn't give her another chance to talk. He wraps his arms around her and kisses her again and again. He pulls her softly on the bed next to him as she moans and doesn't offer any resistance.

Snow is laying in her bed next to Charming. The way he made love to her again and again has left her completely overwhelmed and in tears. How did he know how to make love to her like that, she wonders. After everything she put him through why does he even love her?

"How did you know how to do that?" She doesn't mean to yell but her voice seems loud compared to the silence of the bedroom.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No, you did everything just perfect with amazing precision ..." her voice is still too loud.
"Did I hurt you?"
"No"
"Could you please refrain from yelling at me for doing things right when I'm trying to sleep?" he says his eyes still closed half a smirk on his face.
"But how did you know I would like that?"
"Lucky guess.
"A lot of lucky guesses. Try again.
"We've made love before."
"Never. Not like that."
"In a different life," he mumbles.
"What?"
"Come here."
Charming grabs her and pulls her closer to him without even opening his eyes."We are sleeping now, close your eyes". He kisses the back of her neck and says "I love you Snow."
Snow remains quiet.
"That's when you say I love you Charming."
"I never say that."
"Yes, you do you, you say it all the time," he mumbles.
He is breathing heavily now. Charming is asleep.
Snow is laying in his arms wide awake now more confused than ever.