Alrighty! I meant to have this posted before the new episode started, but I didn't have enough time to edit it after I got home from work. I'm finally leaving you with something other than a cliff-hanger. YAY! I have tomorrow off, so I can try to have another chapter up tomorrow night. As always, many, many, many, many thanks to Chelseadaggz, Secrets4theunderground, Anny Rodrigues, onlywithlove, charmingfamily94, freedomqueen, darlingsweetiedarling, t3ars0fglass, VampirePrincess86, and the two guests. I think I'll go start on that next chapter now! ;)

Regina crossed her arms in front of her. "Welcome back," she said coldly.

Graham looked from her to David and a dawning recognition came over his features. "I know you…" He studied David, finally placing him – Snow's prince. Of course, all of his Storybrooke memories were still intact and he also knew about the relationship between David and the mayor. "You shouldn't be with her," Graham warned him. "She's not who you think she is."

Rather than the confusion expected after such a statement, David's facial expression didn't change; he didn't even blink. "I know who she is," he said plainly.

"I don't think you do. You only think so because of a curse – a curse that she put on you and everyone else in this town."

"The Dark Curse."

Graham tilted his head back, narrowing his eyes at David after the initial surprise. "It's not just a story in young Henry's book," he explained, still hoping that perhaps that's what the man thought.

"I know."

"You mean you remember?"

"I do."

Regina watched the exchange mutely, eyes flicking back and forth between the two, waiting for the inevitable explosion.

"I don't understand. If you know who she is, then why are you here?"

"I live here."

"And how long have you known you were playing house with the Evil Queen?" Graham didn't miss the flash of hurt in Regina's eyes at the statement. He'd hit a nerve, apparently.

"I'm not playing anything."

"You've known for a while now..." he realized. His expression morphed into anger. "How can you be so unaffected by it? Surely you of all people know what this woman has done; what she's capable of?"

Again, Regina's eyes betrayed her emotion as she glanced at the floor, turning her head slightly from David. Graham watched her curiously, not removing his stare even when she looked back up at him.

"Enough!" she screeched, her vocal chords throbbing painfully at the effort. She felt exposed and vulnerable – not something she ever allowed in front of anyone – and this was her time to be asking questions. "How did you learn about the curse?"

Graham's expression changed from an enraging amusement to one of blank indifference as he slid his gaze up to her. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"You will tell me, huntsman," she sneered.

"Or what? There's no magic in this world, Your Majesty," he taunted back.

He jumped when she suddenly lashed out, placing a hand on his chest as she leaned down so that he felt the breath of her words. "That may be, but I have your heart, and I don't need magic to crush it into dust."

"Regina—" David stepped forward, keeping his hands at his sides, but reaching out to her with his soft, warning tone.

It was a reminder. A reminder of the promise she'd made to her son to not be the Evil Queen anymore. She'd been working hard to put that part of her life behind her – to keep it safely in her past – but with Graham sitting in front of her threatening her future, it wasn't easy.

She withdrew her hand and stood up. David grew concerned when her demeanor changed dramatically, her expression saddening. Surprising both David and Graham, she said, "Untie him."

"What?" David looked at her incredulously.

"Untie him. Let him go."

"But why?"

She turned to face him and her voice softened. "This is why you told me the truth, isn't it?"

He shook his head, not understanding. "What do you mean?"

"When you told me that you remembered everything – that you knew who I was – it was because you wanted the curse to break. So maybe now…maybe now it will happen." Her voice shook a bit at the end and she swallowed heavily before continuing. "It won't matter if he tells everyone the truth, because this is what we talked about. It's unavoidable. There's no point in delaying it any further."

Graham was shocked. He'd heard the rumors that Regina had changed since dating David, but he'd expected that all to change once he'd confronted her. He'd expected the Evil Queen she'd shown him a moment ago, but not this.

David and Regina seemed to completely forget his existence as David closed the distance between them, taking her hands in his. "You're wrong. I told you the truth because I love you and I wanted you to know that the curse breaking wouldn't change that. I told you in the hope that maybe we could stop it from changing us; because I still want to be with you."

The way that Regina reacted to the statement – her eyes lighting with warmth, her lips pulling into a small smile – fascinated Graham. He'd been with her for a few years before the curse had broken, and a great many since it had been cast, and never had he seen this particular expression on her face.

Just as with all of her other expressions, however, it was fleeting. "If that's true, then why does it matter if we let him go?"

David looked over at Graham. "Because he tried to kill you."

"Yes, but be honest, dear; if you were in his place, would you have done any differently?"

No.

He didn't want to recall a time when he'd been just as willing – if not more so – to kill the queen. He'd very nearly succeeded on a few occasions. It was a disturbing thought and it made him start to think about just what kind of life Regina had led. But now was not the time for questions and he didn't want to answer Graham's. He didn't have, too, it seemed.

"I thought not," she said calmly, understanding the silence for what it was. "Then how can we blame Graham for acting in the same manner you would have?"

Hearing his name from her lips rather than the generic title of huntsman caught him off guard, as did her willingness to let him go. He was beginning to wonder if it were some sort of trap; an elaborate ruse to trick him into feeling safe before she made her move.

"How can we trust that he won't come after you again?" David asked. "I'm not willing to risk your safety."

"I believe we can come to some sort of deal," Regina stated, looking back down at Graham. "What do you say?"

"I won't make any more deals with you," he spat.

"The deal I have in mind might surprise you. Are you sure you wouldn't like to hear my offer?" She clasped her hands, calmly waiting for an answer. At least, she was trying her best to appear calm. David noticed the whiteness of her knuckles as she gripped her hands together tightly.

Graham tilted his head. "What is it you think you can give me that would be worth more to me than killing you?"

"Your heart."

The room fell silent, and everyone felt the weight of it.

"You would do that?" he asked skeptically. "After this many years, you would just give it back if I gave you my word not to kill you?"

"And if you'd agree to help protect me when the curse breaks."

"When, not if?" He was still having a hard time coming around to the idea that she wanted anything other than to keep her tight grasp on everyone she'd cursed and to make their lives miserable.

"You heard me earlier. I have no illusions about the curse breaking, nor do I have any plans to stop it. However, I will need protection once it has happened. The town will, no doubt, be after me, and there is no guarantee that I will have my magic to protect me."

"If you don't have your magic, how do you expect to give me my heart back?" he asked her, the anger back in his voice. This was the kind of deception he'd been expecting.

"I don't need magic for that."

"You don't?" It was David's question, and he stepped forward again, looking at her in confusion. He'd been standing quietly at the sidelines, watching Regina with an almost undetectable smile. Hearing how willing she was to return Graham's his heart, and how accepting she sounded of the end of the curse proved just how much she'd changed.

"No." She smiled lightly at David. "The hearts themselves are enchanted. While magic is required to remove one, replacing one is an entirely different process. Anyone could put a heart back." Looking back at Graham, she told him, "If you promise to let me be and to guard me when the time comes, I will put your heart back tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow."

Graham, still looking slightly suspicious, nodded his head slowly. "Alright. If those are your only stipulations, I will agree to your offer."

"They are."

"Then it is done."

With a nod from Regina, David went to work on the ropes binding Graham. In a few minutes he was shaking the feeling back into his arms, rubbing at the soreness of his wrists. When he stood up, he didn't fail to notice Regina take a small step back, and David was quick to move slightly in front of her.

"You should go now," David said coldly.

Graham nodded his head, moving for the door. Just on the other side of it, he turned back. "Snow White may be with another man now, but when the curse breaks, don't you think she will feel your betrayal just as soundly as she would have otherwise?"

He didn't give David a chance to answer before he disappeared.

Both David and Regina remained frozen until they heard the door closing downstairs. David moved to the window, looking to make sure Graham had exited. When he saw the Sheriff moving down the path, he turned around. "He's gone. Stay here, I'm going to go lock up."

He made quick work of checking every single door and window in the house. When he felt confident that they were all fully closed and locked, he returned to the bedroom to find that Regina had replaced her nightgown with her silk pajama set and was sitting up in bed with the covers pulled up to her waist.

"The house is secure, though I'm sure we won't be having any more unexpected visitors," he told her, trying to reassure her. He shifted awkwardly. "Well…goodnight. You know where I am if you need me."

"David, wait…" she twisted her fingers together nervously. "Could you maybe…could you stay in here tonight?"

His face relaxed as his expression softened. "Of course." He stepped inside the room, kicking off his boots and carrying them to the closet. Most of his clothing was still put away there and he put on a pair of plaid pajama pants and a grey t-shirt. Leaving the closet, he headed straight for the chair by the window, but Regina stopped him.

"What are you doing?"

"You wanted me to stay."

"You don't have to sleep in the chair." She made her point by reaching over and opening the covers on his side of the bed. She waited quietly and it was in that moment that he saw how truly terrified she still was. She'd covered it well during the whole conversation with Graham, but now, with him gone, it was back.

He would have asked if she was sure, but he saw the fear in her eyes and understood that she was trying to ask him to stay without begging. Without any more discussion, he flicked off the bedroom light and climbed in, pulling the covers up. He turned on his side and found Regina facing him, her features nearly unreadable in the darkness.

"Thank you," she said again quietly.

"Always."

She shifted slightly toward him and without needing words, David moved onto his back as he opened an arm to her. She slid the rest of the way over and once she was settled against him, he put his arm back down, holding her tightly against him. Her arm snaked around his waist and she moved her head onto his shoulder.

"You don't have to stay when the curse breaks," she told him. "I know what Graham said at the end bothered you – about betraying Snow White."

He moved his hand, rubbing soothing lines up and down her back. "It bothered me, but not as much as the thought of leaving you. We'll deal with that when the time comes, but I'm not going to leave you."

She tilted her head to look up at him. "Even if we're still fighting?"

"Even if we're still fighting."

She sighed into his neck. "Are we still going to be fighting?" she wondered aloud.

"Are we still fighting now?" he asked her seriously.

"I don't know," she admitted. "But I'm tired. We knew what we were getting into at the beginning, it just happened a little faster than either of us had planned."

"We just need to tell each other the truth; about everything. If we're a team, it'll be easier for us to get through all of this."

"Agreed. Starting now, we tell each other the truth." She took a deep, shaky breath. "I thought I was going to die tonight."

"And I was terrified that I was going to lose you." He hugged her more tightly against him and she moved her hand up to rest over his heart until she suddenly drew it back.

Knowing what she was thinking, he reached for her hand and pulled it back up, holding it against his chest. "If I ask you a question, will you tell me the truth?"

"I told you I would." She looked up at him nervously.

"As the Evil Queen, you were always ripping out people's hearts and collecting them. That was one of the things the people in the kingdom were always whispering about; something they were terrified of. It's why I was terrified when we started dating. Every time you put your hand on my heart, all I could think of was you reaching your hand in and ripping it out. But it didn't take me long to realize that it's something entirely different. It's a tell of yours; whenever you're nervous or afraid or when you're feeling more affectionate, you put your hand on my heart. It means something more to you, doesn't it?"

She was silent a moment. It was exactly the question she'd expected him to ask, but she still didn't know how to answer it. Of course hearts meant something more to her, but the story behind it was a painful one, and she could count on one hand the number of people who knew it. "Did Snow ever tell you about Daniel?" she asked quietly. She supposed it was as good a place as any to start.

"Daniel…" he said it quietly, digging into his memories for the name. He couldn't recall Snow ever mentioning a Daniel, but while the name was unfamiliar, he had a feeling he knew the circumstances surrounding it. "Was that the name of your fiancé? Snow told me of him, but I never knew his name."

Regina nodded. "And I assume she told you of his death?" she whispered.

"Only that he died and she blamed herself for it. And it wasn't until after the sleeping curse that she mentioned it. Apparently it was something she hadn't known about before?"

"No, I never told her. At first it was to spare her feelings, but after I started learning magic, my heart darkened and my reasons for silence became motivated by long-planned revenge. I wanted her to suffer, and if she'd seen it coming, it would have taken all the fun out of it." Despite her words, Regina didn't sound as if it was something that gave her any pleasure now to think about. "I'm not surprised she didn't tell you how he died." She closed her eyes, trying to keep fresh tears from falling as she once again relived that horrible night.

David heard her silence, but didn't push her. He understood that she needed a moment to gather her thoughts.

"It was my mother. She was always pushing me to be my best – to excel in life any way I could. You can imagine her displeasure when I fell in love with our stable boy."

"Daniel was your stable boy?" He'd always imagined the man Regina had fallen in love with to be someone of high standing – he supposed because he'd never been able to imagine a Regina that didn't strive for perfection in life. She had never seemed like the type to put love above social class. Those had been the thoughts of Prince Charming, however, and now with David Nolan came a new understanding of the vastness of Regina's love. The thought of a young, innocent Regina running off to meet the stable boy in secret made him smile lightly. He wished he could have seen her then – to know what she looked like, how she was before her life was tainted by darkness. He imagined it was a wonderful sight. According to Snow, she'd been the most beautiful person – both inside and out – that she'd ever known. He would have liked to have seen that.

"Yes. We were madly in love, but we had to keep it a secret. Mother suspected of course, but we managed to hide how serious things were between us. After I saved Snow from the runaway horse and the king proposed to me, we made plans to runaway together and to be married immediately. Snow overheard us talking. She was upset at first, but I explained to her about true love and she seemed to understand."

David nodded when she paused again. "She said you were the one that taught her that love was magic in its purest form."

Regina hummed softly. "Yes, I suppose I was."

"So what happened?" David asked hesitantly, already guessing where this story was going.

"I made Snow promise not to tell my mother, but she broke that promise. The night Daniel and I planned to run away, my mother intervened. She was angry with me for going behind her back, especially since the king had proposed and she'd already accepted on my behalf. But then, she acted as if she was going to let me go. She was…" she swallowed heavily. "She was asking Daniel if he would do anything for me if it was what was best and when Daniel said he would, she…she…"

"She ripped out his heart," David said quietly, finishing the sentence for her.

Regina nodded, reaching up a hand to wipe away her tears. "It was so long ago, but it was what started the chain of events that led to my becoming who I am today. Over time, it was I who learned to rip out the hearts of others. But then – when I'm feeling lost – I'll remember Daniel's heart, and I suppose the reason I always seek them out is to reassure myself that they're still there. "

David rubbed her hand a few times before pressing it down. "I can assure you mine is still in there."

"It is," she agreed. "And for whatever reason, it always calms me down." She freed her thumb from underneath his hand and stroked his fingers with it. "I'm sorry that I scared you," she told him sincerely. "I didn't know you remembered and so I wasn't even thinking about it."

"It doesn't matter; it's not something I think about anymore, either. Maybe it scared me then, but it's different now – I love you, and I trust you."

She nestled her head into his neck, relaxing fully against him. "I wish it was always this easy. I wish we could wake up tomorrow and all of our problems would be gone and we didn't have anything to fight about anymore."

"So do I." He kept one hand over hers on his heart while the other went back to running up and down her back. "Thank you for telling me your story."

"I've never told anyone the whole thing before."

He heard both meanings behind the statement. "I won't tell anyone," he promised.

"What are we going to do tomorrow?" she asked quietly after a few moments.

"Well…I imagine Graham will go into the station in the morning and we'll be hearing from Emma – whether or not he decides to tell her the truth. I'll call off the search party, and shadow you for the day – at least, until we know for sure that Graham has decided to go along with the deal."

"He's a man of his word."

"Even so, I don't want to risk it."

She smiled into his shoulder. "And us?"

"We'll keep going," he said simply.

They left it there, both exhausted from the evening's events. Before she drifted off completely, Regina managed a mumbled, "Goodnight, David."

He kissed the top of her head. "Goodnight."