I know last chapter wasn't a lot of action, but now I know where I want to go with this story! it's just a matter of finding time to write it.

The days that followed were quite uneventful. Emma and Henry had read almost every book in the library concerning Merlin and Camelot. However, they continued to reach dead end after dead end. They couldn't seem to find a connection between Camelot and the Enchanted Forest, and the Apprentice was still in a coma along with Rumple.

Regina became more and more frustrated as the days went by without any good news. One night, Regina and Robin visited Snow, David, and Emma for a progress report while all the children went to a movie with the Merry Men, and Belle watched the baby. It was more of the same. "No we haven't found anything yet." "We're still looking." "How are you holding up?" "Don't worry it will all be okay."

Regina felt her skin crawl and let out a sarcastic chuckle as she shook her head in disbelief. "Regina, we will fix this," Snow said as she moved toward her. "Snow, stop." Regina warned. She was now hunched over the counter, gripping the edge with white knuckles. Snow continued to place a hand on Regina's shoulder, "Come on, we'll…" before Snow could finish, Regina had grabbed a knife from the block on the counter, spun Snow around, and now had her pinned against the nearest wall with the knife to her neck.

Emma, Robin, and David stood up simultaneously but kept their distance. Who knew silence could be so loud? Regina and Snow were locked against each other both physically and emotionally. Snow's hands were flat up and against the wall in a submissive position. Regina had one arm across Snow's abdomen, effectively pinning her to the wall while the other hand shakily held the knife to her throat.

"Regina!" Emma breathed out, trying to snap Regina back into reality without making things worse. But Regina wasn't listening. She was looking deeply into Snow's eyes. She saw the fear she used to see from Snow in the Enchanted Forest. Fear that she hadn't seen in a very long time. She also saw betrayal and disappointment. They had become friends. They were starting to trust each other. The dark parts of Regina got a kick out of her reaction, but the reformed Regina hated it.

Perhaps the most frightening thing to Regina was what she didn't see. She didn't see hope. She didn't see optimism. She wasn't giving her a hope speech or telling her she had faith that she had changed, that she wouldn't hurt her. On the contrary, Snow seemed certain she would, and that's what scared Regina most.

Snow watched as Regina went from raging murderer to remorseful addict. An addict who had worked so hard to get away from the Evil Queen, and has just relapsed after over a year of being clean. All that could be heard were the ragged breaths of Snow and the Queen. The others weren't breathing. They were frozen in suspense, not sure what to do.

Regina and Snow stayed in place until their breaths were in sync. It was then that Regina's eyes shifted to the ground with heaviness. Her head was now hanging and was super close to snow's face. She didn't know what to do. They had never even been this close in proximity before and suddenly all of the tension of their past was now between them. Snow could feel Regina's whole body droop and lean against her as Regina opened her right hand, and the knife fell to the floor.

Regina slowly backed away and finally looked up to meet Snow's eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered as David ran to Snow and Robin ran to her. Emma stood between them, and no one said a word. Suddenly, Regina became aware that everyone was looking at her. She looked down and started heading toward the door. When Robin started to follow her, she gave him a look hinting she wanted to be alone.

She found a bench right outside of the apartment building. Not to her surprise, she heard footstep behind her, daring to join her after she obviously expressed she wanted to be alone. However, the footsteps didn't belong to Emma or Robin, but to David.

Regina gave him a curious look as he sat down next to her. "I think you and Snow should talk about this," he offered after a bout of silence. She let out a dry chuckle, "I don't think she wants to be anywhere near me after that."

"Oh come on. You know Snow better than that. She didn't give up on you before when you were a raging lunatic, what makes you think she will now?" Regina considered David's comment seriously. "I guess you have a point. But this is different. I'm not supposed to be that person anymore, and I couldn't control it." "But you stopped it and that's what counts."

Regina thought back for a moment. "I don't think she thought I would stop. She thought I was going to kill her." She continued to avoid eye contact with David as she played with her hands in her lap. "And what did you think?"

"I don't know. I was angry. I wanted her to shut up. I liked seeing her scared." Regina's voice was a devoid of emotion and as monotone as she could manage. "But?" David asked. Regina sighed, "But seeing her scared made me sacred." "How come?" "If she, the woman with all the hope in the world, didn't have faith in me, then how could I?"

David nodded his head. He got the answer he was looking for. "And the fact that you cared enough about your redemption to get scared says that you can have faith in yourself." Regina sighed again, "You Charmings with your deep analyzing." This earned a chuckle out of David.

"I could've really hurt her you know?" Regina added. She wasn't really sure why David was being so calm about this. "I know you wouldn't intentional hurt her now Regina." "But the Dark One might." Now David sighed. "Don't get me wrong Regina. I care about you and we're family, but if you do ever really hurt Snow, I will kill you." Regina smirked, "Good."

This could quite possibly be the strangest conversation they've ever had, but it was the most honest. As they stood up to return to the apartment Regina lightly grabbed his arm. "And David… Thanks for never completely forgiving me for the things I've done." He gave her an odd look. "It may piss me off, but it's nice to know someone will put me in my place when I need it." He smiled and grabbed her shoulder in a comforting manner, and they shared a knowing look. If David of all people could trust her. She should be able to trust herself.

When they entered the apartment, Snow was sitting on the couch drinking some hot chocolate that Emma had whipped up and served everyone. "Well I guess I'll go get the boys," Emma excused herself. Robin soon followed with an "I'll go with you". David also used his child as an excuse but was honest enough to add, "So you two can talk."

When the door closed, it was just Regina and Snow. Regina slowly and cautiously lowered herself onto the couch next to Snow. "So…" Regina said uncomfortably. Snow stared at her cup, "I don't even know how to begin this conversation." "Me either," Regina nervously chuckled. She seemed to be doing that a lot these days: laughing at her unbelievable and ironic predicament.

Regina shifted to face Snow more, "Look, I just want you to know I would never intentionally hurt you. Not now anyways, but I couldn't control what just happened and I'm sorry I scared you."

"Do you hate me?" Regina was thrown by Snow's abrupt question. "What?"

Snow set down her cup and turned to face Regina. "Do you still hate me? I'm not asking if you would ever hurt me, I'm asking if you hate me." Regina wasn't sure how to answer, "N…No. why?" Snow's shoulders dropped, "That's not your honest answer is it?" "What are you talking about?" "When you went all crazy on me I saw something in your eyes that I used to see as a little girl. Something that got worse as I got older." Regina shook her head, confused. "I saw resentment and hatred. It was like it came from some place deep inside of you, and it found its way out but it was there!"

Snows eyes started to fill with tears. Regina's mouth hung open. She didn't know what to do with a crying adult Snow. Regina's eyes herself were starting to water because Snow was right. There was hatred in there. "I'm right aren't I?" Snow asked in a sort of whimper. "Snow what's this about. Why do you care?" Snow bite back "Because I love you Regina! You were like my mother and all I wanted was to be like you and for you to love me back, and I guess I thought even after all we've been through it was still possible after these past two years, but now…"

Regina's jaw moved up and down, trying to say something, but she was stunned. She swallowed hard, "Uh…" her eyes darted around the room trying to find someone to help her, but they had all left. Snow shook her head and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I just made this a whole lot more awkward. We don't have to talk anymore if you want." She turned back and faced forward, taking her cup in her hand. Regina just stared at her, unable to comprehend what just happened.

"Snow, it's a really complicated situation. There are things you don't know about and things were really complicated back then. I hated a lot of things about my life and projected them all onto you…" "What about now?" Snow cut her off. "Now, I'm trying to work on bettering myself and all of my relationships including ours." Snow perked up a little when she heard this. "And I think we're doing a pretty good job so far," Regina added. Snow looked up and gave the slightest smile. "Well, with the exception of earlier." The tension between them eased as they laughed and remembered what had taken place there a few moments ago.

Regina checked her phone and saw a text from Robin that they were waiting for her downstairs whenever she was ready. "Well, I'm going to head home, but there is one thing." Regina said as she got up and went to open the door. "Even when I hated you the most, I always hated myself more." Regina looked somber as she utter those words. Snow could tell Regina was speaking the painful truth.