Alright so this chapter jumped ahead to two years later just so I could get things moving again :) Hope you enjoy it!

Two years later...

"Come along dear," she tossed him a different set of clothes as she walked past him while he had his nose buried in a book in the library.

He closed his eyes and shook his head a little as he chuckled through closed lips, never quite the patient one was she, "where are we going again?" He asked and opened his eyes to look at the fabric she tossed at him in her interruption of his reading. He picked up the shirt with one finger and a curious tilt of his head. It was not expensive by any means but was instead the fabric worn by the common people.

"We are going to town," she replied simply and snatched the open book from his hand over his shoulder and placed it on the table behind the chair he sat on before walking around in front of him.

He shrugged at the clothing and looked up at her to find her clothed in a simple dress of ivory and green fabric and a rusty brown bodice laced wonderfully tight around her torso much like the attire she used to wear when she came to see him on the farm. "Well this brings back wonderful memories," he smiled and pulled her closer by her hips to leave a kiss on her stomach that despite their best efforts had remained flat for the past two years.

He did not blame her, it was not her fault but even still her smile ran a little sad when he tried to ease her pain and guilt for not being able to produce a child. He didn't love her any less.

"Yes it does," she replied quietly and lifted a hand to hold the side of his face. A soft hum made it lovingly from her lips as she cocked her head when he leaned in to her touch, "I love you."

"I love you too," he smiled and turned his head to softly kiss the palm of her hand.

...

The pair ran through the town square hand in hand with the widest of smiles as they laughed without a care in the world. Booth to booth, shop to shop staying at one place only until they felt the eyes of the people begin to recognize them before they would disappear in to the crowd once again. It was like a game, both of them pushing the limit, daring the one another to stay longer before running off with a joyous laugh and towing the other behind them.

She had made more appearances outside of her castle as the queen since she had married James so unlike before when she had first met her shepherd the people actually had the face of the queen to match hers to. She rarely ever left the castle as the queen when Leopold was alive so when she ran away to town back then she did not worry about anyone recognizing her as such. "Oh," she laughed and pointed over to a bakery as she swallowed the bite of apple in her mouth, "how long do you think we could last in there? It smells absolutely divine."

James snatched up the apple from her hand and shrugged, "Harold's?" He took a bite and stared at the bakery thoughtfully with a quiet laugh as Regina leaned against his side and knocked his feet with hers as they sat with their legs dangling over the back of a wagon, "I know them, they're great people but I don't think we'd be able to get away if they put the pieces together," he grinned and she leaned in to him a little heavier with a happy laugh, "his wife likes to talk."

"Well if things get out of hand I can always make us disappear," she teased and rested her head on his shoulder and took back the apple, "but I want what ever they're making in there," she grinned up at him and took a bite.

"Then let's go get some," he laughed and rocked his head down to her face until she scrunched her nose in amusement. He jumped off the back of the wagon and tugged her down with his hands on her waist, holding her right against him as she laughed through her smile, a smile that only grew when he dropped his head and kissed her.

She laughed as he pulled away and intertwined her fingers with his, pulling him along behind her as she skipped up to the horse hitched to the wagon and gave it the rest of the apple. She laughed quietly at the feel of large soft lips against her hand and when she lifted her gaze she met the bright green eyes of a young girl hiding behind the thick wooden post the horse was tied to. Regina greeted her with a playful wink and the little girl smiled and shyly came out of hiding, "hello."

"Hello," she smiled nervously and the woman cocked her head and the man behind her smiled down at her, "are you the queen?"

Regina laughed under her breath and lowered herself down so she sat on her heels and balanced on her toes so she was just below the girl's eye level, "I am," she whispered with a playful grin and the girl bounced excitedly, "but the king and I are playing a game so you mustn't tell anyone who we are."

"Okay," she agreed joyously with a nod of her head, "can I play too?"

"Well a girl clever enough to see through our disguises must join us!" She exclaimed immediately and out of the corner of her eye saw James copy her position and sit next to her, the girl's eyes snapping to him.

"Our task is to search Harold's bakery for the source of that delicious smell," he started in a mischievous whisper and the little girl grinned excitedly, "we have to get in and out without anybody recognizing us as the king or queen."

"And of course get whichever pastry you would like," Regina added with a playful roll of her eyes that had the girl laughing quietly, "are you ready?"

"Mhm," she nodded and smiled.

Regina stood up and offered her hand to her and the little girl shrugged her shoulders up in excitement as she grinned at soft manicured fingers and shyly wrapped her small dirtied hand around three of them. "Let's go," she whispered with a grin and the girl that stood at waist height bounced joyously and ran alongside her and James as they crossed the square to the bakery.

"Smells delicious," he inhaled through his nose and smiled at the laughing child clinging to Regina's fingers. He let the two pass before him through the door and his smile grew into a quiet chuckle when the girl immediately tugged Regina to the side to show her a dessert that caught her attention.

"Hey! It's been a long time! I thought something may have happened to you and your mother!"

"No something unexpected came up and we just had to move," he laughed and the baker laughed with him as he came around from behind the counter to pull him in to a hug.

"You look well," he let him go and stepped back with an approving nod, "how have you been? Your mother still alive and kicking?"

"Oh yes, she is having the best time of her life right now I'm sure," he laughed and looked over his shoulder to Regina who was holding the girl's shoulders as small fingers pointed to a pie on the counter. It felt like a punch in the gut. He wanted that, he wanted her to have that, he wanted both of them to have that. A child, "you've been spending he most time with her darling," he smiled and she stood upright and began walking toward him with the little girl in tow, "am I correct in saying she's having the time of her life?"

"Ruth? Oh yes," she laughed and felt the small figure hug her around her leg as she laughed along, "although she does miss the sheep."

"Now who is this?" He looked her up and down and took her hands in his and spread her arms a little to her sides.

"I am his wife," she smiled proudly and the old baker chuckled in delight.

"No! James how did you manage to get such a beautiful woman on your arm?!"

"When you figure it out let me know," James laughed and smiled at Regina and the little girl.

"What is all the fuss about?" She grumbled as she made her way from the back, "James!"

"Hello Maudie," he laughed quietly as the old woman ran up to him excitedly and jumped at him as she wrapped her arms around him.

She couldn't have wiped the smile off her face if she had tried, she loved watching people's interactions with one another and reunions between old friends were beginning to become a favorite of hers. With the three lost in conversation she looked down to the little girl who watched her with bright eyes and the widest of smiles as she clung to her. A soft laugh escaped the both of them and Regina lifted a finger to her lips in a gesture to keep quiet on their true identity and her heart only ached longingly when the girl mirrored the gesture.

"And this is your wife?!" She exclaimed doubtfully with an arm motioned toward the brunette.

"Happily so," Regina switched her attention to the older woman with a smile.

"Well then! Free baked goods all around!"

"Oh, no, Harold we are quite capable of paying," Regina protested with a laugh and a shake of her head only to be denied.

"Doesn't matter!"

"Then I will be leaving a very generous tip," she compromised with a smile and a duck of her chin.

"You will do no such thing!"

"Oh yes I will," she laughed and put a hand up to silence anymore arguments and the old man laughed a hearty laugh and put his hands up in surrender before turning around to tend to the oven. At the tug on the skirt of her dress she looked down to find the young girl biting her bottom lip anxiously and in response Regina looked up to find Maudie studying her carefully. She simply smiled innocently at the older woman and then dropped her eyes to the ground when James moved to whisper something in her ear.

"Tick tock."

Regina simply laughed through her teeth in amusement and pushed the side of her head against his forehead as his quiet laugh met her ear. "I know," she laughed and turned her head to give him a quick kiss, "I know, I know," another quick kiss as they laughed before she turned and dropped down to the girl's eye level. "Go pick out whatever you like dear," she gave her a little push and the little girl skipped off happily to address the large man on the other side of the counter, pointing at various cakes and cookies.

James wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder as she watched the little girl, "patience darling," he whispered and watched Maudie help her husband and talk to the young child, "it'll happen, we'll get it," he comforted quietly and she leaned against him with a quiet hum and a sad nod that had him kissing her temple softly.

...

"What is your name sweetheart?" She asked as she ran her fingers through her hair, subtly using magic to smooth out the tangled blonde strands as she sat on her lap, both of their feet hanging off the back of the wagon they had met at.

"Madeline," she chirped through her mouthful of pastry and then laughed quietly as she swallowed, "oops. Mother keeps reminding me not to speak with my mouth full."

"Good woman," Regina chuckled and began working her hair in to a braid.

"I like to be called Maddy though."

"Well it's nice to finally meet you Maddy," Regina smiled and James chuckled where he sat on the ground in front of them, "how old are you dear?"

"I'm five, almost six. My birthday is in seventeen days!"

"Is that so? What do you want for your birthday?" James questioned

She hummed thoughtfully as she took another large bite and enjoyed the feel of the queen moving her fingers gently in her hair, "I don't really know...I'm having lots of fun right now though."

"Yeah?" Regina laughed and paused her fingers as the girl nodded.

"I never thought I'd get to meet you," she grinned down at the king and shrugged excitedly, "you are both very nice. I like that you like to play games!"

"The queen is always playing games," James rolled his eyes, exaggerating his slow and playfully scolding tone.

"Oh you started it with having me chase your sheep!" She laughed and tied a bow around the end of the blonde braid, "there you are dear. All finished."

"Thank you!" She grinned and giggled as she reached behind and felt her hair before twisting to look in to the queen's dark eyes, "can I play with your hair?"

"Of course," she answered happily and the girl laughed and scampered behind her, taking a seat in the straw piled in the wagon so she was a little higher up and could reach her hair.

"It's so soft," she smiled and buried her small hands in thick dark hair that held a soft curl, "and so pretty."

"Thank you," she chuckled, not expecting the wave of emotions that hit her as she felt little fingers clumsily twist and experiment with her hair as she listened to the young voice ramble aimlessly about how much she enjoyed her life so far. It felt like someone was crushing her heart in her chest. She had been okay before, she had been managing but now that she got a taste of what it was like to have a child glued happily to her side she was so far from okay.

James laughed with Maddy but it slowly faded when he caught his wife's gaze. Brown eyes were brimmed with tears that had yet to fall but when Maddy's small fingers combed through the hair above Regina's ears to pull it all to hang over her back Regina's eyes closed and a tear slid down her cheek. He moved himself closer to her and reached up to take her hands in his and squeezed them tight only to frown a little when he stopped squeezing so tight but her hands remained tense and firmly gripped around his. Maddy's chatter never stopped despite the two of them catching every other word if they were lucky.

"Hey Maddy," he smiled up at her as she ran her fingers through Regina's dark hair, "you want to know a special secret?"

"Oh yes please!"

"One of the queen's most favorite things is getting a big tight hug," he could only smile when after a moment of processing his words the little girl wrapped her arms tightly around Regina's waist. A small laugh made it out of Regina's mouth and she hugged the girl back with one arm and he stood up and wrapped his arms around her as well, frowning when her free hand took a tight hold of the fabric clothing his back.

"You're going to be okay," he whispered softly against her ear that was on the other side of Maddy so the girl wouldn't hear him, "we will have a child my sweet, tender, loving Regina."

She nodded against his shoulder and he kissed the side of her head, holding her tight for a moment longer before pulling away and moving his hands to hold her head. His thumbs wiped away the few fallen tears and he leaned down to give her a firm kiss before pulling away and letting her twist her body to hug the girl with both arms and rest her head on top of hers.

"You give great hugs," she whispered with a small smile and the girl laughed happily and hugged her even tighter.