Snow's Apartment

The next morning, David and Snow woke up next to each other when the alarm clock sounded. "What time is it?" David groaned.

"Its only 7 am."

"Plenty of time to sleep-in some more."

Snow took her fingers and made light circles on David's chest. "Or…we could use our time more productively," Snow hinted.

David turned to face towards the wall and readjusted himself into a more comfortable position. "I'm kind of tired, not right now." David's voice was cold and sounded disinterested in her. That hurt Snow a lot.

David and Snow remained in bed for another hour or so…thinking but not doing much else. They then got up and ate some breakfast that Snow made.

Breakfast was awkward with neither saying anything.

Snow, tired of the tension, asked David. "Are we going to talk about last night, or just avoid it?"

David sighed. "I'm sorry Snow, I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have led you on." Snow was expecting this response, so it didn't hurt her that much.

"David, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What is your end goal? What do you want?"

"I don't know Snow…" David sighed.

"David, I think you do know what you want. You just need to admit it to yourself."

After several moments of thinking, David responded, "I want Regina. I want to marry her and to raise our child together. I want to trust her and love her and receive all of that in return." David felt better after finally admitting that to Snow. 'Unfortunately, though, I don't know if that will ever be possible."

Suddenly, David got a call from Emma.

-"We have Gold, he is dying. Can you help me protect him against Regina and Cora?"

-"Of course. We'll meet you at the pawn shop ASAP."

Gold's Pawn Shop

"What's that?" Emma questioned. There was a loud ruckus coming from downstairs.

"That's Regina and Cora." David exclaimed. "They're here." David held out his sword, bracing himself.

"Come on, Regina," he thought. "Show us that you can change."

"Are you ready dear?" Cora asked.

Regina nodded her head yes, and then in unison they conjured a massive fireball that instantly destroyed the barrier spell. They walked as a united force into the pawn shop, but were met with Snow, David, Emma, and Neal.

"Regina, think about what you're doing," Emma said.

"Don't talk to me." Regina replied.

Regina conjured a fireball and directed it at Neal. Unfortunately, David got in the way, and deflected it.

Regina was surprised that David had made such a move. She didn't want him to get hurt in this magical battle, and she knew that even the 4 of them together wouldn't be able to stand a fighting chance against them. She took David and magically pushed him out the door.

As the battle ensured, Cora threw Emma and Neal to opposite corners of the room, shattering objects close to where they landed.

David, worried about Regina and the baby, entered the pawn shop again. Regina turned around briefly to look at David, when Emma grabbed her from behind and held a knife to her throat.

"Emma! Stop! Let her go." David commanded.

Emma shoved Regina across the room which ended up pushing both her and Cora into a glass case, shattering it.

David used this opportunity to place a magical wristband on each of their wrists, to prevent them from accessing their magic. He then helped Regina get up, and noticed that she had several large cuts from the shattered glass.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she replied.

She looked down at her wrist, at the magical cuff, clawing at it. "What is this, David?"

"Gold gave it to me. It's a wristband…that blocks magic."

"David, why are you doing this to me?"

"Regina, seriously? Do you even have to ask? You and your mother come storming in here ready to kill Mr. Gold, and you're asking me why I am binding your magic?" Obviously, he and Regina had different ideas of what was a reasonable expectation of a person.

"No matter, I don't need magic. I can kill him myself." She went to walk past him, but David put an arm out in front of her.

"I can't let you do that."

"You can't stop me."

"Yes, I can." David said in an exasperated tone. David handcuffed her, careful not to make her wrists too tight.

"Where are you taking me?"

"I think that you need to be alone for a while, to calm down."

"So you're taking me to jail? I haven't done anything wrong." Once again, David stared at her with disbelief in his eyes. He didn't know how she could justify herself.

"I am not taking you to jail per se." David continued, "I am taking you to the hospital, where you will be comfortable, and they can help you look at your injuries." David motioned to the cut on her hand.

However, Regina knew he meant the hospital basement. "No! I am not going there. I won't let you take me."

Regina used her elbows to punch David in the gut, which stunned him momentarily. She escaped through the front door.

She ran down the main street as fast as she could, with David chasing after her several moments later. Finally, David caught up to her and tried to grab her, causing Regina to stumble and fall. David got caught up in Regina's legs, which caused him too to fall on top of her.

They both stayed like that for some time staring intensely at each other, out of breath, and panting.

Eventually, David got up and Regina followed. "Regina, nothing is going to happen to you. I just want to make sure that you are safe…and away from your mother for a while. She is not good for you."

"What are you going to do to her?" Regina cried.

"Nothing. But, I can't let her wander around Storybrooke trying to become the Dark One and kill people. Surely, you can understand that." David wished that Regina could see reason, but her version of fairness and reason was so out of touch.

"So, you're just going to keep us locked up?" Regina sneered.

"Temporarily. Until we can find a better solution."

"Who is we?" Regina asked.

"Me…Snow, and the blue fairy." Regina smirked in disgust.

Hospital Basement

David and Granny treated Regina's wounds from the shattered glass, and then Granny left Regina and David alone, to talk.

"How is my mother?" Regina asked.

"She is doing fine. She is down the hall."

"I want to see her." Regina insisted.

"I don't think that is a good idea." David's answer was a no, but he tried to soften the blow.

"Regina, you have hated your mother for so long, why the change now?"

Regina stayed quiet for a long time, as it was hard to explain. "She loves me. It was hard for me to see that as a child, but I understand now that everything she did was for me." She continued several minutes later. "She came back, and she told me she loved me. She was so excited about the baby when I told her, and all that we were trying to do was protect it."

David had sympathy for Regina and expected that she was probably telling the truth. However, Cora he doubted.

"I wanted to have it all. You, the baby, and my mother. All I have ever wanted was a family, David. I thought that I could have everything." She started crying as she went on. "Now though, I have nothing."

David embraced her and explained to her that she still had an opportunity to have all of those things. "Here is what is going to happen. I am going to have Archie come in for sessions, everyday for a while."

"David…" Regina protested.

"Listen, I don't think that you are unstable, or crazy. However, it is obvious that you need to talk to someone and work through these issues that you have."

"I don't have issues." Regina said angrily.

"Regina, you were trying to kill a man… today. And on top of that, I think that you are in despair. I have never seen you cry as much as you have in the past 3 months. I just think that it would be helpful if you talked to someone about it. Someone that you can trust…which I know is not me at the moment." David's voice was gentle at the end.

David looked around the room, where he noticed a strong draft. He didn't want to keep Regina in here, but there was really no other place he could keep her besides the jail cell, which was understandably worse. He left the cell and returned with a few extra blankets. Regina refused them, though.

After several weeks, Regina had refused to talk to Archie and was now refusing to eat. She just would lie on her cot for hours all day.

David had had enough of this irresponsible and selfish behavior. They had a child to think about, and she needed to get it together. He knew what she was doing, trying to use his concern for the baby to manipulate him. He wasn't going to give in.

He called Dr. Christopher and told him that Regina was ill and had not eaten the last few days. Dr. Christopher didn't seem that concerned about it, and explained that it wouldn't hurt the baby if she was able to eat again soon.

David knocked on Regina's door and opened it.

"Regina, I brought you lunch from Granny's." he said gently. He brought her her favorite sandwich and salad, in an attempt to coerce her into eating.

"I'm not hungry," Regina said.

Frustrated, David made her turn around and look at him. "Regina, you will eat something. This childish behavior needs to stop. You have a baby to think about."

Still, Regina refused to eat anything.

He didn't know how she managed it, but she managed to go on without eating a single morsel for the next two days.

Gold's Pawn Shop

"Well, look who we have here," Mr. Gold said as David and Snow walked in.

"What can I do for you today?"

"It's Regina…she has refused to eat anything for nearly 3 days and I am really concerned about our baby. Can you help us?

"Afraid not, Charming. There are no spells for what you seek. If you want Regina to eat, perhaps you should force her to do so."

"Please, there has to be something. You owe me. I saved your life."

Mr. Gold knew that he was right. He was indebted to the prince.

"Okay, okay. I do have one idea. If the baby's health is what you seek, than why don't you just take it?"

"That's not possible. Regina is only 4-5 months pregnant. She still has months to go." Snow chimed in.

Rumple handed David some yellow dust. "This dust has the power to make things grow. Sprinkle a list on Regina, and soon you will have a beautiful baby…that you can snatch away." Gold smirked at that last part.

"You can't be serious? That would destroy any and all trust between me and Regina. She would hate me."

"Your choice. You can have a furious Evil Queen or a soon-to-be dead baby. What's more important to you?"

When David and Snow left, Rumple smiled. He knew Regina too well. There was no way that she would risk her baby's life that way…not after how long she had wanted a child, and had made desperate attempts for years to secure one. He had known her for too long. She must have done something to prevent that, although he wasn't sure what.

Hospital Basement

Regina was thinking about how much she wanted to leave the cell room. The more time she spent there, the guiltier she felt about keeping Belle in this prison for nearly 30 years. She was lonely, and bored all the time. David wouldn't let her see or talk to her mother, either. However, she looked forward to when David visited her the past few weeks, which he would do on a regular basis, even though she would never let him know it.

For several weeks, she stored bits of non-perishable food items from her trays of food and hid them in her pillowcase. She wanted David to let her out of the cell, and if she had to manipulate him into doing it, than so be it. Regina was not about to let David control her. Of course, she wasn't going to risk her baby's life just to make a point. However, David didn't know that.

Snow's Apartment

David and Snow had returned to Snow's apartment, and were sitting at the kitchen table contemplating on what to do about Regina and the baby.

"I can't do it, Snow. Regina, she would hate me. You were right, I do want to be with her. I just don't know how to get through to her. She needs guidance, and she needs someone that will stand up to her. Her mother has manipulated her into doing all of this, I am sure of it."

"David, I understand. I know Regina and her mother better than anyone. Stop making excuses for her. You need to consider what she is doing to that poor baby. You are its father, and you have a responsibility to protect it."

"What am I going to do with the baby once its here? Just take it from Regina? Just like that?" David sounded exasperated. No option seemed like a good one.

"David, you can't leave the baby with her. Who knows what will happen. I know you want to believe that Regina would never hurt a baby, especially her own, but you don't know that. Look at what she has done in the past."

"So, I'll bring the baby back here. We can take care of it, and Regina will just have to accept our help. Once I can get her to agree to some ground rules, then she can have the baby back."

David stood up, and got his keys. "Where are you going?" Snow asked.

"To do what needs to be done."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Snow asked.

"No. I don't want to put Regina through anymore unnecessary pain than what it will already be. If you're there, it will just upset her more. Besides, this apartment is no where near ready for a baby. Can you help get it ready?"

Snow smiled. It was a bittersweet moment. She hated knowing that they were about to put Regina through what would surely be a traumatic experience. However, she knew that Regina had brought all of this upon herself. It would be nice to have a baby to take care of, too. Snow never got to spend time with Emma as a baby…because of Regina. She had always wanted a baby to take care of. In a small, remote part of Snow's soul, she even hoped having a baby in the house with Charming would repair their relationship. Even if it wasn't their child together, Charming might be able to see what a better option it would be to have a stable relationship rather than a turbulent and explosive relationship with Regina.