It Starts With A Break

"I just need a break." Snow said over the phone. She paced their bedroom as she spoke to David on the phone.

"From me?" He said in a voice, a mixture of pain and frustration.

"Well when you put it that way…" She trailed off as he sighed.

"Fine, fine. But can I at least see you sometimes?" His voice pleaded.

"I don't think you understand the purpose of 'a break'." She said. She could almost sense him roll his eyes, even from his small room at Granny's, far from her.

"I just can't stand to be away from you though…" He said sadly.

"I know, but… remember that you did this to yourself." And with those words, Snow hung up quickly. She sighed in frustration as she lay back against the bed, putting her hands on her head, rubbing her temples in attempt to calm her growing migraine. Hearing his angst-filled voice moments ago only made it worse. Snow missed him, but she couldn't allow herself to give in. She wanted to see him and be near him. She wanted his arms around her, comforting her. She wanted to hear his low whisper as he placed a kiss on her cheek, telling her that everything would be alright. But it wasn't going to be alright. He had murdered Regina…

And there was no going back from murder.

He groaned with anger as he almost threw his phone across the small inn room. His wife was a complicated woman. Very, very complicated…

He wanted to see her more than anything, but she kept pushing him away. Did she really want him gone? He hated this. He could almost picture her fragileness- her regular state when in depression. But he envied her. She was stronger than he was right now.

He had to see her. He couldn't take it any longer.

Snow opened her eyes as she heard the bedroom door creak open.

"Hey." Emma smiled at her mother's tired eyes. Snow realized she must have fallen asleep. That usually happens when she's in a fit of frustration, anger, sadness, and heartbrokenness- she would just fall asleep from the strong emotions exhausting her.

"Sorry for… waking you up." Emma said as she sat at the foot of the bed.

"It's alright…" She mumbled as she sat up, straightening her ruffled hair.

"I just thought that you'd like to know that the asshole called. Begging to see you." Emma rolled her eyes, making Snow shudder- Emma was just like David. But Snow couldn't help but chuckle at Emma's name for him.

"I told him to leave you alone, though." Emma tried to reassure Snow as she chuckled.

"You didn't have to do that." She said as she wrapped her arms around herself, as if she was cold. But Emma sighed because she knew it was because she missed David.

"You know, you don't have to push him away. You can still see him. Just beat his sorry ass until he understands the concept of 'Don't kill people'." Emma laughed as she laid back against the bed, Snow laughing with her.

"Well it wouldn't be the first time that I hurt him." She grinned as her laughing ceased. Emma tilted her head in curiosity.

"You've hurt him before?" Emma asked as Snow grinned proudly.

"I shot him with an arrow once… punched him… slapped him more than a few times…" Snow trailed off as Emma started to laugh.

"Damn!" Emma laughed as Snow looked down at her ring in silence. Emma grew quiet as she saw Snow's painful expression. Emma stood up as her mother looked at her.

"I'll go. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" Emma looked down at Snow's ring.

"No, it's alright. I just miss him…" Snow twisted the ring around her finger anxiously as Emma walked out of the bedroom.

David hesitantly knocked on her door. Well, it technically wasn't hers since they shared the house… sort of. Not exactly both of theirs anymore since she had kicked him out. She opened the door cautiously, and sighed as she saw him.

"I thought I told you to stay away?" She said in frustration. Although her expression was that of strength and stability, but he could see in her eyes that she longed to be in his arms.

"I had to see you. And I know you miss me, Snow. I know you too well." Her heart sank as he said this. He did know her too well. He knew his wife too well.

"But what you did… it hurt me." She looked down and crossed her arms.

"I didn't want to hurt you, though." He said softly as she looked back up at him.

"I know you didn't. But you did and it's too late now…" She backed up and attempted to close the door, but David reached up and stopped the swinging door with his hand.

"Leave!" She said, becoming angry, as she tried to move his hand away from the door.

"I'm not going anywhere, Snow." His stern tone caught her off guard as she looked at him. Her attempts to push him away from her stopped as he stepped towards her.

"I won't leave you here like this." She took a step back as tears formed in her eyes. He stepped into the house and closed the door behind him.

"No. No. I can't see you. Leave!" Tears ran down her face as he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly as she sobbed against his chest. She gave in and hugged him back as he brought his hand to her cheek, wiping away her tears.

"Don't go…" She whispered as she looked up at him, his hand caressing her cheek gently.

"I won't. I told you I'm not going anywhere." She cried again as he said this, and he found himself choking back tears. He leaned back against the door as he ran his hand through her hair; now at least halfway down her back. He smiled- he had missed the old Snow. The woman who needed him. The woman who he needed. He slid down to the floor, sitting down with her in his lap as she quietly sobbed. She closed her eyes as he rubbed her back. She had finally been broken. The trauma of the events of the past few months poured out of her eyes as liquid. She was freeing herself of them and the weight finally lifted from her heart as she sat quietly in his arms. She looked back up at him and saw his smile. Her lips reflected his smile as she was comforted.

"How do you do that?" He asked.

"Do what?" She said in a broken, confused voice. His question caught her off guard. What was he talking about?

"Even when you cry, you're beautiful." He smiled as he wiped away the last stray tears as she smiled wider. He put a single finger under her chin and slowly brought her lips to his. Her body had been tensed up, and he felt every muscle in her body relax as their lips met. He deepened the kiss, letting his tongue slip into her mouth as she graciously gave him access. She moaned softly as she let her worries fade away. His hand slowly glided down her hip to her thigh as they continued to kiss. She pulled back and eyed his hand.

"Not yet." She said, holding back a smirk. She knew she was teasing him as she pushed his hand away. He wanted her. He wanted to reclaim her as his wife, but of course she rejected.

"Alright." He said with a sigh as he stood up with her.

"Maybe tomorrow." She said, finally letting the smirk spread across her face. He kissed her again as she smirked.

Maybe he'd "have" her the next day.

And maybe he would get to sleep in his own bed tonight.

Message from the author

I'll just warn you guys ahead of time... smut in the next chapter! David is going to have his Snow... with detail. I don't know why I felt like doing this, but I did. You can skip the next chapter if you want, nothing important will happen. Well, unless you count... yeah. I hope you enjoyed. Chapter 26 soon!