I'm sorry this took so long guys :/ I've been writing Unfolding a Plan like a mad woman lol! I can't put that story down and unfortunately this one has sort of suffered for it. This chapter should have been up awhile ago! I didn't mean for UAP and this one to correlate hahaha oh well! I hope you enjoy it :)


This was one of his favorite things and no one but him got to do it which made it all the more treasured. Waking up before Regina. She was a beautiful creature and he never got tired of looking at her. He had over three years to make up for. Everyday more and more of the Regina he knew came to stay and every day less and less of the evil queen was there. Of course she had her moments where she would retreat behind her walls or lash out viciously but they were becoming fewer and fewer and she was getting better at catching herself and getting better at smoothing things over after.

He would get so lost when he stared at her, she was stunning. Slowly and without saying a word he slipped his arms around her waist to pull her close to him. She woke up at the contact but kept her eyes closed as she took her first deep breath of the morning air before nuzzling her face in to his chest and letting the air out her nose. She was warm against him and her sleepy self brought a smile to his face and he rested his head on top of hers.

He could feel her start to doze off again as he played with her silky hair. Her breathing slowed in to peaceful slumber and he found himself wanting to follow her, the warmth she provided was making him drowsy and he allowed his eyes to fall shut while he continued to play with her hair. She fit just right in his arms, she was just the right size, much smaller than she seemed to be.

He was almost asleep again when he felt her wake up, "what is it?" He whispered tiredly in to her hair as he adjusted his arms around her so he held her closer.

"I forgot about someone in my tower," she laid there with him a moment longer as she gathered her thoughts before she sat up quickly and hurried off the bed, instantly missing the comfortable place in his arms, "damn it."

James moaned into the warm spot on the bed that she had left, missing her warm body up against him already, "what are you talking about?"

"I'll be right back."

"Regina," he grumbled tiredly and lifted his head, "where are-" she was no where to be found. With a soft laugh he dropped limply back in to the bed and took a deep breath of the sweet smell she left behind.

...

"Rise and shine!" She called and the sleeping brunette startled awake.

"Wha-?"

"Come on dear we don't have all day, get up," she motioned with her hand and the girl slowly got to her feet, "that's it, a little faster."

She looked over the queen through drowsy eyes, she stood in bare feet and her hair was left to hang in soft dark curls while she wore nothing but a black silk night gown. If she was not mistaken she would have to say the woman had just woken up herself and why she was asking for her she hadn't the slightest clue. Why she wasn't cold and taunting she didn't know either.

Regina looked her up and down and took a deep breath as she shook her head, "so much to do in so little time...better get started. I am afraid to tell you that over the past month I have forgotten you have been up here. Sorry about that. Better late than never," she shrugged and took her wrist in her hand, explaining nothing to the confused girl before they disappeared in a cloud of purple.

They reappeared in her bedchambers and James was still on the bed where she had left him, "back," she smiled and he laughed quietly in to the bed. Dragging the former prisoner behind her, Regina walked to the bath in the smaller room off to the side and waved her hand over the deep porcelain tub so it filled with water. She let go of the girl's wrist and quickly skimmed her fingers through the warm water with an approving smile, "perfect every time."

She looked around the room in awe, white marble, a large mirror across the entire wall above the counter, the large bath with gold feet lifting it off the white floor. It was an impressive room, quite unexpectedly bright for a woman known to be so dark.

"Soap is there," she pointed to the side of the tub, "scrub yourself clean, wash your hair, so on and so forth. Do it quickly but not so quickly that miss spots. You may eat while your hair is drying when you get out and I will give you something to wear," she walked from the room without further explanation and closed the door behind her leaving the poor thing in the room to gather her thoughts on her own.

"Who is that?"

"Rumplestiltskin's girl," she walked to the side of the bed and sat down on the edge as he began to sit up, "her name is Belle."

James looked at her quizzically, trying to understand if she meant what he thought she meant, "like...?"

Regina laughed under her breath and shrugged her shoulders, "don't ask me how it happened but yes those two do love one another."

"Huh," he stated simply as he mulled it over. He supposed if a shepherd could love a dark and broken woman, a simple woman could love a dark and twisted man...

He was brought from his thoughts when she leaned her head against his chest and he smiled down at her, "you know," his fingers slowly trailed up her arm and to her shoulder as he lowered his head so his mouth was closer to her ear, "black is a wonderful colour on you," he teased and pushed the strap from her shoulder.

She turned her head toward his voice with a grin and a chuckle, "there is a person on the other side of that door."

"Doesn't mean I can't look," he whispered through a smile and moved his fingers lightly up her thigh from her knee, taking the hem of the black silk up in his travels, "or touch," she sighed contently and sank in to him as his hands wandered over her body. He let the silk go and it fell back down a couple inches but left the majority of her thigh uncovered for his eyes as his fingers moved up her side and to her shoulder as she laughed happily under her breath.

He rested his head against hers and slid both his hands down her arms to her hands and smiled when she left them relaxed for him to move them as he pleased. He found himself paying extra mind to her left hand and moving over the finger that should hold a ring. Perhaps if everything went well today he would finally ask her. His heart skipped at the very thought and he dropped his head down a little further so his chin rested on her shoulder, the side of his head still resting against hers.

She didn't seem to clue in to the extra attention her one finger got and it made him smile all the more. She held no expectations of him besides him always being there for her so he didn't believe that she had thought any deeper in to the possibilities of that expectation. With a happy hum he intertwined their fingers together, left hand with left hand and right with right and hugged her close around her middle.

She looked down at their tangled arms and fingers with a smile and moved so her legs were tucked up beside her and she leaned against him heavier only to have him wrap both of their arms around her tighter. This was the place where she found peace and the place she felt the safest and the place where she hadn't a worry in the world. Right next to him, right in his arms was her special place. A place she could go to no matter what was on her mind be it the nagging desire to strangle an irritating being or the simple want to be there because she could.

"I like you," she smiled and tilted her head a little so it pushed affectionately further into his.

He laughed softly, "I had hope that you felt a little more than just 'like' toward me."

"That's not what I meant," she smiled and kept her voice gentle and happy as she melted into him, "I love you dearly and I also like you. The two words don't always go hand in hand. For instance I love my mother but I certainly do not like her. I like you though."

"Well in that case I like you very very much," he smiled and she laughed amusedly under her breath and through her teeth as she smiled and he kissed the soft skin of her bare shoulder before resting his chin back down. He took a deep breath and smiled at the sweet scent that filled his nose, "you smell good," he grinned playfully and turned his head in to her neck and nuzzled his face in, her throat vibrating against his skin as she laughed and tried to get away from the rough stubble on his jaw that tickled and scratched her neck.

She squirmed and tried shrugging her shoulders up to keep him off as she laughed and tilted away from him. She moved her legs up in front of her, bare toes on the edge of the bed and her knees tight up against his chest, curling herself in to a ball as James arms and hands remained wrapped around her effectively taking away the use of her own arms as she laughed, "James!"

"Yes Regina?" He chuckled and she cringed happily through her laughter at the sensation of rough stubble moving against soft skin. She continued to try and get away but he easily held her firmly in place despite her squirming.

...

"Close your eyes dear," she directed quietly and when her blue eyes fell shut she brought the tip of her pencil above her lashes, making a perfect thin line to accentuate her lashes.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Had a change in heart," she answered simply and continued painting her face to gently exaggerate her natural beauty.

Belle couldn't help but smile and the pencil moved to her other eye, "anything to do with that man I saw this morning?" She was pleasantly surprised by the sound of soft and friendly laughter come quietly from the queen.

"Everything has been because of that man you saw this morning," she answered with a smile and put the pencil down only to pick up a large brush and smoothed a softly coloured powder over her cheeks, the corners of her eyes creasing in a friendly smile when bright blue eyes fluttered back open.

She couldn't help but smile in return. She found great joy in seeing a broken soul fixed, "you know, you are much more beautiful when you're sane."

Regina laughed quietly, the girl's accent making the words sound just that much more endearing, "thank you dear."

"Mother? What exactly am I looking for for her in here?" Snow poked her head from Regina's vast wardrobe with a quizzical expression and thrummed her fingers over the door.

"Something fit for travel dear," she replied, joy flowing trough her even still at the way the words came so harmlessly and easily, rewarding even. "She's got quite an adventure ahead of her."

"Where am I going exactly?" She questioned skeptically and the princess smiled and laughed quietly before disappearing once again, "I don't particularly want to go on an adventure. What I want is-"

"Hush hush dear," Regina turned back to face her and cut her off with a smile and a wave of her hand, "I can assure you," she bent at the waist and moved her attention to the girl's mouth as she gave her lips a soft shade of pink, "you won't want to go anywhere else."

...

"As I'm sure you are aware, this tree has the ability to transport two people," she lifted her hand and showed two fingers the imp.

"Yes yes I am well aware!" He hissed impatiently.

"I need you to take someone with you."

Now he was entertained. His posture straightened and he laughed, "and what makes you think I'm going to do such a thing dearie?"

"Oh I'm sure you'll agree with me when you see who it is," she smiled and cocked her head, much to his clear agitation, "come on out now dear," she called and never removed her eyes from Rumplestiltskin, "quite a nice girl don't you think?" She nodded and scrunched her nose just as Belle rounded the corner behind her.

His heart all but stopped beating as he laid eyes on the woman over Regina's shoulder, "Belle?"

She laughed happily and ran to him, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly and causing him to step backward to catch his balance from the force she collided in to him with. She had managed to go the whole day without finding out what the queen's plans were for her. What a welcome surprise. She had never been so thrilled to see another person.

He was stunned at first, unsure of what to do so his arms laid awkwardly over her but as he gathered his thoughts his arms wound tighter and he closed his eyes as he turned his head in to her hair, "Belle."

"I've missed you," she laughed happily into him and hugged him tighter as tears of joy threatened to fall from her eyes.

"I've missed you too," he whispered and held her close. A special anger for Regina bubbled deep inside him but he would address it later, in a moment or two, after he grasped the concept of Belle back at his side.

...

"Are they coming?" Snow whispered and Ruth peaked around the corner once more.

"No," she whispered back and then leaned against the wall, "do you smell them Red?"

"Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?" Red retorted and when she received waiting stares from both of them she shook her head and laughed before she smelled the air, "they're close, just around the-whoa!" She pushed them all back in to hiding when Regina and James rounded the corner down the hall.

"I can't see anything!"

"Move out of the way!"

"Shut up!" Red snapped in a whisper at the two who were bickering quietly, "they'll hear us!"

...

"A world without Rumplestiltskin," he smiled and she hummed softly, "and without an Evil Queen. It's going to be really quiet around the Enchanted Forest."

"Oh don't be so sure," she laughed and shook her head, "there are a plethora of things and people that I have kept from you. George for one is quite insistent on killing the both of us or at the very least you."

"He certainly isn't one to let things go is he..."

"No he certainly isn't."

"I've got something for you," he smiled and looked down at her and she looked up at him with an excited and curious expression.

"Do you now?"

"Mhm," he smiled and stopped walking only to move in front of her as he lifted the ring from his pocket and held it just below her eye level. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion and she cocked her head as she stared at it.

"That's Ruth's ring," she didn't understand. Why would he be giving her his mother's ring?

Her obliviousness touched his heart and his smile grew with her confusion, "yes it is," he nodded and reached down and took her left hand in his right, the ring in his left, "and she wants you to have it instead of me finding another one," she still didn't understand and he absolutely loved her for it. It was only when he began to slide the ring on to her finger that the confusion on her face morphed in to shock and she backed away from him with her free hand over her mouth to muffle the gasp but kept her left in his hold.

"Regina, my dearest dearest friend," he smiled at her as her wide eyes flashed up to meet his and leave the ring, her hand still over her open mouth and tears shining in her eyes, "the queen who took the time to chase sheep with a poor and simple shepherd, will you do me the true honor of becoming my wife?"

Her eyes fell back down to the ring with the small green jewel set in the gold. No it wasn't spectacular, no it wasn't a diamond, no it wasn't expensive, no it wasn't impressive but what it was was precious and and more valuable than anything in her entire castle, entire kingdom for that matter. "Yes," she whispered and he smiled which only caused her to laugh happily and say it a little louder, "yes! Yes of course!" Still laughing excitedly, she jumped in to him and he caught her with his arms hugging her waist as hers hugged his neck and he spun them around once, their foreheads resting against each other's and their smiles and laughter only growing.

"I would love to be your wife, my shepherd," her voice bounced lightly through joy and excitement and adoration for him. She kept waiting for things to turn around and fall apart but they only kept getting better. She was getting her happy ending and she couldn't believe it. Not even when he closed the distance between them with a kiss that muffled their excited laughter. Oh but she was so happy.

She was his, all his and no one could dispute that. He put her back down slowly but kept her close, not that he really had to fight her to do so. She stayed pressed right up against him, smiling and laughing beautifully before him, "I love you," he shook his head slowly as he laughed and took in everything that was her.

"I love you too," she laughed and stared in to his bright blue eyes before looking down at her left hand to see the simple ring with the green gem before lifting her hand and turning it so he could see it as she wiggled her fingers a little, "look!" She laughed happily and her eyes suddenly brimmed with tears, tears that fell over her smile when both his hands took her left between them and he kissed her knuckles

...

"Damn it," she whispered, her voice shaky as she wiped the tears from her eyes, "I promised myself I wasn't going to cry."

Ruth shook her head and laughed quietly, "I didn't," she sniffed back her tears and shook her head, only laughing quietly when more fell from her eyes. She didn't think she had seen anything else that would hold a more precious space in her memory.

"You guys are soft."

Both Ruth and Snow turned their attention to the third woman's questionably thick voice and they both laughed at her quietly as she avoided eye contact, "if I didn't know any better I'd say you were crying too," Snow teased and Ruth laughed a little more.

"...no..." The other two only laughed quietly and turned their attention back to the couple around the corner while she continued to avoid eye contact. Perhaps it was that Regina's story hit a little too close to home or perhaps it was that she got to see that even though things way seem irreversibly damaged there was still a chance for happiness. If a once so evil queen could find love again then why couldn't she find it again herself.

"We should get out of here before they see us."