Notes: Set right after the end of ep.1x13.

Inspired by Enrique Iglesias, "Stay Here Tonight" ("Stay here tonight, stay here tonight/'cause when you're around me everything's right, don't go/Oh, don't leave me alone/Stay here tonight, stay here tonight/I wanna hold you in my arms show you what that's like, don't go/I need you, I need you").


The engine purred pleasantly, the monotonous sound as soothing as a lullaby. It was almost a luxury to take a moment of such calm after the turbulent day Regina had had. Her hands rested on the wheel, but the car still stood in place. She was hesitant which direction to take, debating whether she should call it a day and go home, or go to the Nolans' house. Sidney had already given her the update about the very public end of David and Mary Margaret's relationship, but she couldn't wait to see the emotional fallout for herself. It was an opportunity too delicious to pass up, a chance to see her plans coming to fruition, a chance to see him finally free of the grasp that wretched girl had on his heart.

The black Mercedes Benz finally moved forward. She had made up her mind.

"Hi." David looked weary when he opened the door to find Regina standing outside. "Are you looking for Kathryn? I'm afraid she's not here."

"She isn't?" It wasn't a real question, the lack of surprise on her face indicated as much. "Actually, I need to speak to you."

He simply nodded and moved aside to let her in. Regina followed him inside the house and into the kitchen. As her eyes darted about, they accidentally fell on a photo in a plain wooden frame, in which he was holding a small dog. The nametag on its collar read "Ajax". A wisp of a smile ran across her lips, but she quickly turned serious again.

"David, I need to tell you something. I showed Kathryn the pictures." Raising her hands in a defensive gesture, she came to a halt a few inches behind him. "Believe me, I didn't intend to, but she told me about your fight and I assumed she'd found out about Mary Margaret…"

"It's not your fault, Regina." He glanced back at her with a look of indifference at the admission, "Kathryn would have found out one way or another. I just wished I could have spared her feelings."

David's hand was shaky while he poured the alcohol in the two glasses on the table. His head was throbbing as he set down the bottle and slumped into a chair.

"Her things are gone. I guess she's really not coming back."

The words sounded so distant, as if someone else had spoken them and not him. He didn't even know why he had volunteered the information, he just needed to say it out loud. Taking a sip of whisky, he stared down at the table. Regina let out a soft breath as she sat down next to him.

"Oh God, I made such a mess…" He closed his eyes, squeezing them shut as tightly as possible. He involuntarily pictured Kathryn, looking devastated and betrayed. He tried to shake off the uninvited vision, but then Mary Margaret stood in his mind's eye, disappointed and accusing.

"No, David, don't…" Regina squirmed in her chair to get closer to him until she was sitting on the edge of her seat. "Listen to me, David, don't be so harsh on yourself. I know you didn't mean for Kathryn to get hurt."

He shrugged, lifting his eyebrows in a helpless manner. "Yeah, but what difference does it make? I hurt her anyway. I hurt them both, and now neither wants to see me again." He shook his head, then intertwined his fingers behind his neck. "You tried to warn me, I should have listened."

"Yes, you should have." Instead of sounding accusatory, her tone was soft and sympathetic." You made a mistake, you chose the wrong person who broke up your family and then didn't even want you anymore." Regina paused to let the sting of the observation sink in. David remained silent. "But at least that showed you that she is the wrong person and you don't belong together. Maybe you weren't supposed to be with Kathryn either, and it's a good thing that you're going your separate ways. Perhaps fate has something better in mind for both of you."

He turned sideways and blinked at her in disbelief. Was she suggesting that his break-ups had been inevitable?

"Trust me, Kathryn is a strong woman, it may take some time, but she'll heal, she'll get over this."

She'll get over this… The reassurance jogged his memory. "She applied to Law school in Boston and got in." The thought brought him unexpected hope. Perhaps the situation was not as devastating as he'd previously considered it to be. "She told me yesterday. I suppose that there's nothing holding her back any more, so she finally decided to go."

"See? The best thing to do now is to move on." Regina tilted her head to the side and pressed her lips together. "You need a new beginning, too. You deserve a fresh start."

As if his eyes were open for the first time, he was seeing things in a new light. It all seemed to make sense. He had tried so hard to make things right; alas, he could neither fix his marriage, nor find a way to be with the school teacher. What if he had been fighting something predetermined? If it had never been in his power to change the outcome, was he really to blame?

Regina gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze of reassurance. Startled to feel the tender touch, he glanced down to her hand on his flannel shirt, then he gazed back up at her face. Her expression conveyed nothing but sympathy and understanding. He gave her a questioning look, puzzled that she, of all people, was offering words of comfort to him. The seduction of acquittal her response carried was undeniable. The compassion in her eyes brought him a sense of relief and allayed his guilt slowly but surely.

But as the burden of his guilt gradually lifted, something unexpected happened.

He found himself staring back at the woman next to him. For the first time since he'd met her, he noticed the shape of her eyes, the colour of her hair, the fruity fragrance she was wearing, the shade of her lipstick… He tried to take in every detail, every peculiarity. Regina cocked her head to the side, sensing something strange about the way he was looking at her. Her eyes crinkled as she smiled at him in response to the sudden attention.

David's gaze fixed on the small scar above her lip. It was an unusual place to have that tiny mark, and he was baffled how it could have ended up there. Had she survived a terrible accident, escaping death in the nick of time, and getting away with that single scratch as a reminder? Or maybe a jealous lover had marked her to be his only, in a futile attempt to keep her admirers away? What would it feel like to the touch, to the taste, this mysterious little cut?

Before he realized what he was doing, he had cupped her face with both hands. A moment later he was kissing her, running his tongue over her upper lip, smearing her perfectly applied lipstick. Then he pulled back slightly, but he did not let go of her. Instead of speaking, he waited to see her reaction.

Surprise flashing in her eyes.

A long, torturous moment of stillness, of not knowing whether she'll kiss him back or run away outraged.

Too tired of regrets, he wanted only to shut the pain out. And at a time when he had been desolate and guilt-ridden, she had somehow managed to make the world seem better. No, he couldn't let her leave yet, he needed her.

"Please, stay…" he said in a breathy whisper, hoping against all odds that she wasn't appalled by his behaviour.

She appraised him for a time, her chest heaving faster and faster.

All the destructive emotions that had been eating away at her for weeks – anger, fear, sorrow, loneliness – now paled in the bright light of a nearly forgotten rush: feeling wanted again. Having none other than David Nolan beg her to stay the night was the highest of compliments, and also the best remedy for her bruised and battered self-confidence.

A memory invaded her mind, eclipsing all other thoughts; a memory of the night they'd spent together in her palace back in the Enchanted Forest. She recalled the way he had gazed at her in exaltation, much like he was looking at her now, which had made her feel like she was the centre of his universe; the exquisite anguish that he could reject her at any moment, despite the potion's influence, and try to attack her; the excitement in the pit of her stomach when he had finally kissed her; the delicious anticipation when he had pulled her closer; his hot flesh pressed against hers; the touch of his hands all over her, leaving her breathless… Proud as she was, she could never admit it, but that had been one of the most thrilling experiences she'd ever had.

Indeed, it had been a lifetime ago. Yet he still possessed the stout body and steel muscles of a warrior. The rigid posture and commanding presence of a leader. Her pulse was racing, hot need quickly gripping her as she studied his face and his penetrating blue eyes awaiting her decision.

Her lips crushed against his with a sense of urgency. It was all the answer he needed.

The bicepses of his arms flexed beneath her palms, pulling her up into an embrace. Another taste of her lipstick forced him out of breath. When he drew back for long enough to get air, his hands intertwined in her raven tresses.

"You're gorgeous," flowed from his full lips, sounding more like a revelation than a compliment. She responded with a chocolate-eyed look making tantalizing promises.

Her body was pressed up against his chest, while her hands were tugging on his shirt's collar. Delicate fingers struggled to rid him quickly of his blue, grey and brown plaid flannel shirt.

"And I'm defenceless against your charm," she teased playfully, locking her wrists behind his neck.

Her scarf and her ecru jacket soon joined his shirt on the floor. Next, her blouse was tossed somewhere behind her. With one hand, David reached to unzip the matching skirt, but he pulled the zipper down too roughly and impatiently, so it got caught in the surrounding fabric. "It's ssstuck," he roared in discontent. When he felt Regina's hand over his own, he let go of it. A moment later the skirt fell to the floor.

He stepped back to catch his breath and his mouth dried at the sight of her in black lingerie. Pleased with the effect she was having on him, she grabbed his jaw and pulled him closer for another kiss as she leaned back against the edge of the table. Neither of them paid attention to the sound of one nearly empty glass of whisky being knocked over, leaving a wet path on the table before falling with a soft thud on the carpet. His pillowy lips moved along her collarbone, then glided down toward the upper edge of her bra.

She was almost lying on the table when she felt the rim of the other glass pressing against her spine. "Ouch!", the feel of the cold sharp crystal made her squeak in pain. Pushing herself up on one elbow, she tried to shove the fragile object out of the way and get more comfortable on the surface. David had other plans: he slid one hand down her thigh, putting the other around her waist, and lifted her. Suddenly up in the air, she had no choice but to wrap her legs around him as he carried her to the sofa in the other room. He scattered a few of the many cushions to make room before he gently lay her down. Leaving one knee next to her hip, he put the other between her legs.

His steady azure eyes looked down into hers. All she could see in them was the desperate longing to escape reality and a wild need for release to match her own. A realization took her breath away: in this town, he was the closest thing to a kindred spirit she could find. And tonight, his entire being belonged to Madame Mayor.

"David…"

The name rolled off her tongue, leaving a tingling aftertaste. She enjoyed the way it rang in her ears, its simplicity and honesty.

This was the name that she'd call out in rapture in the quiet of the night.