Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time or its characters.

Author Notes: Wow, almost 6k words. This is the longest chapter to date. We finally hear Regan's story. Will Emma forgive him? Read and find out.

Emma regretted not letting Regan drive her home.

Not only did her feet hurt from walking all the way from the beach in brand new shoes, but now that some of the adrenaline had worn off, she was feeling strangely guilty.

She wouldn't go as far as saying she overreacted, but she certainly could have handled it better.

Nights in Storybrooke were usually calm and quiet, but on Valentine's day, it was anything but. Granny's was bursting with couples on dates, the Rabbit Hole filled with single people having a good time instead of staying at home and the streets were bathed in light as several businesses were still open to cater to the gaggle of people celebrating love.

It made her feel even worse, because despite everything, Regan took her on the best date of her life. He was planning to tell her the truth all along, so he could have just taken her to Granny's for a burger and be done with it. But no, he went all out, probably afraid of what would happen after his confession. Given the current state of affairs, his fears were not unfounded.

Thinking it might be the only chance he got, he treated her like a queen. She chuckled bitterly at the irony of that statement.

Luckily, no one spotted her on her way home. She didn't feel like being asked what was wrong. When she arrived at the loft, she found a note on the kitchen table, saying Mary Margaret went out with Ruby and some other single ladies on a girl's night out.

She was thankful for that. She was in no state to deal with the fact that her mousy roommate was her mother, or that she was a few years older than her.

She went directly to her room and collapsed on her bed, shoes and all. She looked at the ceiling and willed herself to sleep. She was tired, emotionally spent and still buzzed from the wine. But try as she might, she couldn't relax enough to sleep.

She kept thinking back to Regan's confession, the anguish in his face as he spoke and the desperation in his eyes for her to stay, to forgive him.

She just couldn't relate the man she read about in that infernal book with the one that took her out tonight. The book speaks of a cruel, unfeeling tyrant hellbent on ruining everyone's lives, especially poor innocent Snow White, unable to feel joy or love in his heart.

Yet the Regan she knew was warm and considerate. He loved their son with an intensity that left her awed. He was there for her during the hardest moments of her life and he welcomed her into their little family unit with open arms.

She had to believe there was something else there. That there had to be a reason for his evil deeds. No one becomes dark overnight; it takes a lot to break a person to that point. The book only says that he was power hungry and wanted to keep the throne for himself, that's why he hunted the princess.

But she felt that was not the real reason. Even with her minimal knowledge of the inner workings of monarchies, that didn't make sense. There are always lines of succession. Regan was the King, and until he was ready to step down, Snow couldn't ascend to the throne. Even if there was some sort of time limit, Regan could have just gotten remarried and have children of his own, then Snow's right to the throne would have been null and void since his heirs would be next in line.

No, it had to be something else. The Evil King's story was not in the book, and she noticed the same pattern with some other villains mentioned in other tales. Their stories are not told and the motives for their evil doing seem pretty stupid and shallow.

Regan mentioned he lost someone dear to him and that was most likely the catalyst of his descent into madness, but what does Snow White has to do with that?

She really should have let him explain.

She sighed and turn to look at the clock. It read eleven pm, though she knew Regan went to bed late most of the time. She debated in her head for a few minutes before huffing.

"Fuck this, I need to know" she said to herself. She got out of bed and changed back into her regular clothes. She took her car keys and quickly left the loft. She wanted answers.

She needed reassurance that the man she loved was not an unfeeling monster.

On the other side of town, the mayor was also wallowing. He sat in the living room, still in his clothes from the date minus the jacket, which he removed, and clutching a glass of hard cider. It was his fourth…or was it fifth?

He didn't care either way. The night that had such a promising start had turned into a disaster. Why did he think he was entitled to happiness after causing so much pain? He wished he hadn't opened his mouth at all.

Actually, that was a lie. He knew he did the right thing; he just didn't think it would hurt this much. Maybe that's why it's so hard to be good, it's easier to just not care and do what whatever he wants.

But he didn't want to be that person, not anymore. He wanted to be a good role model for his son, for him grow up and be a good man, much better than he was. Better than a bitter villain, who failed his own father, who would have disappointed his beautiful Danielle had she witnessed what he became after her death.

Emma was right to leave him tonight. He would only hurt her in the end. He didn't deserve good things, but he was selfish and wanted them anyway.

He sighed and finished his last drink, feeling a bit woozy. He wanted nothing more than to get blind out drunk and sleep for a week, but he still had a son to take care of and his baby boy deserved better than that.

He was just contemplating calling it a night when he heard a knock. He frowned and wondered who could be at his door so late at night. He grunted as he stood up and walked to the door, opening it sharply and ready to verbally tear down whoever dared to bother him.

The words stuck in his throat when he saw who his late-night visitor was.

"Emma?" he asked, wondering if he was drunker than he thought.

The blonde stood there, taking in his rumpled appearance and glassy eyes, signs that he had been drinking. Great, now she felt more guilty.

"Hi" she greeted, amazed that after everything he could still make her heart race "I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about everything you told me and trying to understand. But I don't understand, and I realized that I needed to hear your side. Will you tell me your story?" she requested.

Regan swallowed but nodded, stepping up to the side "Come on in and make yourself at home. I'll go put on some coffee" he offered. He needed to sober up somewhat if he was going to make it through this. He had one shot to hopefully make her understand his motives.

While the coffee was brewing, he sipped several glasses of water. It was a good thing he had a decent tolerance for alcohol, so he wasn't too under the influence.

He carried a tray with two steaming cups of his favorite Colombian roast, sugar and some cookies he had baked for Henry the day before.

They sat in tense silence, sipping their drinks and munching on cookies. After they were done, Regan was feeling a lot better and he gathered the courage to speak.

"I never wanted to be a king, but when you descend from royalty, your life is not really yours. I was born in the Summerlands, which was a small but prosperous kingdom in the southern region of the Enchanted Forest. My father, Prince Henry, was third in line for the throne and my mother, Cora, was a miller's daughter than won my father's hand after publicly spinning straw into gold for my grandfather, King Xavier, thus making the kingdom richer.

I had two uncles who were older than my father, with families of their own, so it was almost impossible for my father to ascend to the throne. So, shortly after my birth, my parents decided to live outside the Palace.

Our home state was built almost at the outskirts of the country, near the Northern Kingdom, which was the largest in all the Enchanted forest. The state was very large and luxurious and for some people, that might have been enough. But my mother who had been poor most of her life and had been humiliated by royals a few times before marrying my father, wanted so much more.

She was a very powerful sorceress, calculating and cruel. She thought love was weakness, a lesson she drilled on me from a very young age. She wanted me to be king at all costs and did everything in her power to achieve that. From the very beginning, she groomed me. She hired tutors to educate me in politics, economics, etiquette, fencing, dancing. She herself taught me to scheme, manipulate and twist words to get what I wanted. My only reprieve was riding, it was the only moment I felt free of the burden her expectations placed upon me.

My father, bless his heart, wanted me to be better than most stuck up royals, so he taught me to be humble, to respect people, specially women and be a gentleman. Of course, he couldn't resist teaching me to charm the ladies like only a southerner could. He encouraged my passion for riding and gave me my own horse when I was ten. Rocinante was my faithful companion until the very end" He said, smiling sadly as he remembered his prized steed, another casualty of his darkness. He cleared his throat and continued his story.

"My mother knew that my best bet was to marry into a royal line. So, aside from my lessons, I attended balls and parties, where I was introduced to potential brides. To my relief, nothing ever came from it. Though I do have to admit, I had some passion filled escapades with some ladies of the court. I was very proud of the effect I had on women. But It wasn't until I turned 18 that I truly fell in love.

Her name was Danielle, and she was the newest stable girl. She didn't make it easy for me. My fancy words didn't impress her in the least. I had to learn how to be genuine, to be honest and open with her, and little by little I earned her love until she was as crazy about me as I was for her. For two years we snuck around, all stolen moments and secret dates. When my mother was away, I spend my nights in her cabin, fooling around like the horny teenagers we were. I guess we felt we had all the time in the world, when in reality we were always on borrowed time" He paused, gathering strength for what came next.

"During one of our dates, a picnic on a hill, a girl on a runaway horse sped past us. I jumped on my own horse and caught up to her and saved her before she could get killed. From that moment on, she looked at me like I was the sun. It was amusing and a little flattering, but I figured it was just a harmless crush. She used to visit me and spend time with me and Danielle, thinking we were just friends.

To my surprise, a few weeks later, my family got an invitation to visit and meet the Queen, and that's when I found out that the girl I had saved was Snow White, the crowned Princess. Queen Eva wanted to meet me and thank me for saving her daughter. By the end of our visit, she told me she was impressed by my bravery and character, and as a reward for my good deed, she offered her hand in marriage. I was so stunned that I couldn't speak and my mother, seizing the chance, accepted on my behalf.

As soon as I got back home, I told Danielle what had happened. She suggested we talked to my mother; she would understand, she said. But I knew better, and instead proposed to her and convinced her to run away with me. She said yes and I was so happy I kissed her without caring where we were. To my horror, Snow was visiting, and she caught us at that very moment.

She ran away crying and I followed her. She was upset, asking why I would kiss Danielle if I was marrying her mother. I explained that love doesn't work like that, that I cared for Eva and for her, but I was in love with Danielle and she was the one I wanted to spend my life with. I told her true love was magic and happiness, and that one should always fight for it.

She seemed to understand that I needed to be with my true love, and said she would keep our secret. But on the night we were supposed to escape, my mother showed up and I knew, that Snow had broken her promise. I pleaded for her, to please let me go. At first, I thought I had gotten through her, she hugged me and wished me luck. After that, she gestured for Danielle to come forward and hugged her as well, thanking her for caring so much about me. Then she ripped out her heart and squeezed it until it turned to dust".

He closed his eyes, still haunted by the lifeless blue eyes staring back at him as he stood frozen, unable to process what had just happened. He remembers rushing to her, kissing her and willing her to come back to life.

Emma was crying silently, having no words for what she had just heard. She had shitty parents all her childhood, with the exception of Ingrid, but Regan's mother really took the cake.

"How?" was all she could ask.

"Magic, dark magic, to be exact. Later on, I learned that she had been taught by Rumplestiltskin, known as the Dark one. The most powerful dark wizard in existence. Everyone knew of him and feared him. He started by teaching her to spin straw into gold but by the time they went their separate ways, she was very powerful.

I was an obedient child most of the time, but the few times I rebelled, she punished me with magic, and I grew to hate it. The only time she hurt me physically, was when I talked back to her and asked her why she looked down at people when she herself was of humble birth. She backhanded me and the stone in her ring scratched me. You can't see it because of the stubble, but I have a small scar above my upper lip" He said, gesturing to his mouth. Emma hesitantly reached up and touched the spot, feeling a faint elevation where the scar was.

"A week after Danielle's death, I married Eva and was crowned King. Before the ceremony Snow talked to me and told me my mother's concern for me had touched her and she didn't want me to fight with her and lose her. She had lost her father a few years back, so it was a touchy subject. During the ceremony she smiled at me and it gave me the impression that she felt incredibly pleased with herself. I figured I was projecting; my emotions were still over the place.

I probably would have let it go and just go with it, had I not learned the truth. Eva was very sick, every day she got weaker and she feared she didn't have much time left. Snow was not of age to be queen, so If she died and there was no king, it would leave the kingdom open for a hostile takeover by another monarch.

The council urged her to get married as soon as possible. Snow was practically a young woman and didn't really need a stepfather. Instead, she would be the ward of the King, until she was of legal age, at which point she would marry him and become his Queen.

Everyone won, Snow got her birthright, the kingdom was secure, and the royal bloodline would be continued. Snow knew all that, so after I saved her and she became infatuated with me, she convinced her mother to get to know me and take me as her husband, all the while knowing that, eventually, I would be her own husband.

That's when I knew she had betrayed me on purpose. My mother's words might have had some effect, but she wasn't a child and more importantly, she was a royal, she should have known better. The mother of a Prince, no matter how removed from the throne, would have never encouraged her son to be with a servant. She used that as an excuse, but what she really wanted was Danielle out of the way for her plans. Perhaps she didn't intend for her to die, but we know that the road to hell is paved with good intentions" he growled, still angry after all those years.

"From that moment on I hated her. For Eva's sake, I faked it. The Queen was a remarkable lady and a good ruler. I grew to care for her, despite the loveless state of our marriage. But as soon as she passed, I resolved to get rid of Snow. I would never marry that brat and give her the satisfaction of getting what she wanted. She ruined my life and in return, I would end hers.

Rumple wasted no time in meddling, offering his services to achieve my goal. He helped me get rid of my mother. I couldn't kill her, so I banished her to Wonderland. Then I became his apprentice and learned everything I could, which was easy since I had dormant magic as the child of a magic user. By the time of Eva's passing, I was more powerful than my mother ever was.

It was around that time I befriended Maleficent. I helped her out of the funk she had fallen into and as a reward, she shared her magic wisdom with me. She was a very powerful witch and her dragon magic was as breathtaking as it was lethal" He chuckled, reminded of their lessons. Nothing ever happened between them, but their flirty banter was what made them such good friends.

Emma raised an eyebrow but decided not to comment. Not now anyway "So, do you still have magic?" she asked, curiously.

Regan shook his head "Not now. I can do potions and maybe small-scale stuff with some things I have in my vault. Like everyone else here, I'm cursed, I just retained my memories. I suppose that if the curse is broken, I would have my magic back" he mused. He shook his head and kept the story going.

"Snow was just shy of her 18th birthday when I decided to strike. She loved to stroll through the woods. So, I replaced her usual knightly escort with a trusted agent of my own, a huntsman I had met earlier and whose loyalty I earned by banning wolf hunting in the kingdom. He had grown amongst them; he was more wolf than man and his skills were impressive.

But Snow was not entirely without her own talents, she was a gifted archer and could hold her own with a sword. She managed to escape. After that I hunted her, as much as I could while also running the kingdom. To avoid suspicions, I branded her as a conspirator and accused her of treason, which was helped by the fact that she was friendly with an old friend of her father's, a genie from the kingdom of Agrabah. Like in this world, people were distrustful of foreigners. Her helpers were branders as enablers of a criminal and were punished. Some I executed, others had their hearts ripped and tortured at my leisure" He paused, unable to meet her eyes.

Emma took a deep breath. This is what she had dreaded the most, the confirmation that he had killed innocent people in his quest for revenge "Did you gave back the hearts?" she asked, daring him to lie.

He huffed, but shook his head, still not looking at her "No, I kept them. I had a vault in the palace, where I kept them all and where I had my lab for potion making. Here in Storybrooke, it's located in underneath my family's mausoleum at the cemetery" he reluctantly admitted. He kept talking before Emma could ask any more questions.

"In her time as a fugitive, she had allies. People that helped her in her time of need, which made it difficult for me to catch her. Lancelot, the annoying dwarves, Red Riding Hood and her Granny, the bothersome Cricket, she even had the help of her fairy godmother, the Blue Fairy. And of course, she met her charming prince, David.

After they officially got together, they decided to overthrow King George, David's step father, and took his Kingdom. He wasn't very liked, so that made it easy for them. That gave them more resources to fight back, though their army was nothing compared to mine. Still, I believed them foolish enough to attack.

So, to prevent an all-out war, that would devastate the land, I proposed a meeting, just me and her. We met in the Stables in my old home state and there I showed her Danielle's grave, a visual statement of what her big mouth had cost me. The grave was empty, I had preserved Danielle's body and placed it in an ornate coffin, which I kept in my vault. All those years, Snow had thought Danielle had just ran away and I had come to my senses before marrying Eva.

When she finally found out what had truly happened, she was overcome with guilt and I offered a poisoned apple. I told her that if she was truly remorseful, to bite into it. She wouldn't die but she would sleep forever, tormented in her mind. In return, I promised her I would leave her friends and her Prince alone.

She accepted and after biting the apple, she fell. I left, thinking I was finally victorious. But to my consternation, she was awoken shortly after by true love's kiss. And not only that, somehow, that was enough to give her a backbone and she decided she wanted her throne, the one I had been forced into and had my life ruined for. She told everyone her version of the truth, that I had tried to kill her and that the charges against her were false, made up by the Evil King to discredit her so he could be the sole ruler.

I couldn't believe the gall of that brat. Her words worked, though not as she expected. The kingdoms, both mine and hers, were divided and most of the support was aimed to me.

Despite my thirst for revenge, I wanted to be a good king and take care of my people. They weren't at fault for Snow's selfishness, so I worked hard to make the land prosperous. I gave fair taxes, crime was low, I made sexual assault and abuse punishable, I made trade agreements and alliances with other kingdoms for mutual benefit. I even gave women as many rights as I could without making an enemy of my council. I could have easily disposed of them all and make the decisions on my own, but I didn't want to be a tyrant.

King George was one of my allies, our trade agreements did wonders for both kingdoms, so while he wasn't liked, I was.

Desperate since her ploy had not worked fully, she and David captured Rumplestiltskin and locked him up in a magical prison, demanding his help. From there, the imp played both sides. He gave me the curse and he gave them to key to break it. I was hesitant to use it, even Maleficent warned me not do it, that it would darken my heart completely and leave a hole in it I wouldn't be able to fill.

Then came the announcement. Snow was pregnant, a child conceived in true love. I think that's the moment that did it for me. Everything sort of clicked. Snow had her happy ending, in the end, she ruined my life for nothing. I was angry and alone save from my father. I had a kingdom yes, but that was the result of people using me my whole life. My mother, Snow, Rumple. Even my father, who loved me, had never been on my side, too afraid of my mother to act against her. He told me I could be happy again, but it was a lie. As long as Snow White was happy, I never would be.

So, I decide to enact the curse. I would separate Snow from her loved ones. I knew her baby was prophesied to be the savior, so I would just place the child with a random family. Frozen in time, never growing, so the curse would never break. But they were able to send you through the wardrobe before I could get you. Still, I figured that if the savior ever arrived, I would just take care of him or her before they could act.

The first years of the curse were fun. I was able to torment Snow White, seeing her alone and meek was a dream come true. In my free time I read and educated myself about this new world. I learned to cook and tended to my apple tree, eventually learning how to make cider. I dedicated myself to the town like I had done my kingdom, though I did leave town a few times to explore. But with time it became monotonous, boring. Something was missing, I was still broken.

It wasn't until I received that call for Jason Tanner that my life changed for the better. Henry gave my life meaning. I felt love again, a love so intense it left me breathless. And you, Emma Swan, you make my heart sing, darkness and all. You're the last piece of the puzzle, to make it whole," He finished, exhaling heavily but feeling strangely relieved, now that everything was out in the open.

Emma bit her lip, taking a few minutes to process. Then she looked at Regan "Do you regret it, any of it?" she asked.

Regan pondered the question and did his best to answer "I feel remorse for my deeds. Though Snow was the target of my rage, a lot of other people suffered for it. I destroyed a lot of lives; I killed the people that helped her, hunted her allies and did my best to punish anyone that dared to take her side. Out of everything, that's what I would change, if I could. But I don't feel bad for her nor do I regret the curse, I can't. Even though the price was high, it brought me to Henry, and it brought me to you. Perhaps it's selfish, but that's how I feel" he declared truthfully.

Emma wanted to agree with his final statement, perhaps it was true, but if he was selfish, so was she. Henry was her world; worth every bit of pain she had ever endured. And Regan was her dream come true, the man she was crazy about. A man she couldn't be together with if she had grown up with her parents. Maybe it was for the best.

She still glared at him "I'll give you that one. Despite everything, I can't fault you for feeling like that, because I feel the same. But that doesn't mean you're off the hook, mister. I won't say I hate you or that I don't want you, that would be a lie. But I need time to trust you again and if this is going to work at all, you have to show me you really have changed. Starting by fixing some of your wrong doings" she informed in a firm tone.

His heart filled with hope at her words. He still had a chance "Yes! Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it" he said eagerly.

"First of all, you will help me reunite my parents, ok? We will find a way to wake up my dad and push him and my mother together. I know you hate her, and I don't expect that to change anytime soon, nor do I expect you to forget years of hurt and anger. But please try to be civil. She's my mother and Henry's grandmother. He doesn't need his family at each other's throats" she said, giving him pleading eyes.

Regan sighed but nodded. It was the least he could do "All right, I'll do my best. But if she starts, I won't back down" he warned "Now, what else?"

"You will return those hearts you took, no exceptions" she said sternly. He just nodded meekly, giving her big, sorrowful eyes.

Damn him for looking so cute, she thought.

"Third, and this one is not about amends, more like necessity. It's time for Storybrooke to catch up to the 21st century. You have kept them trapped long enough. Not to mention, people will be less angry at you once the curse breaks, if they can see the many wonders and opportunities this world can offer" She assumed and he nodded, seeing the merit in her argument.

"Done, though I might have to do some research. At present, no one can cross the townline, since Storybrooke doesn't really exists. You could because you're the savior and I can too, because I'm the caster. We might have to talk to Gold about it" He said darkly, not liking the idea of involving the imp.

"Mr. Gold?"

"Rumplestiltskin" he amended. She just rolled her eyes. What had her life turned into?

"Why do we need to talk to him?" she asked, curiously.

"He designed the curse, it's basically his child. He might be able to tell us how to put Storybrooke on the map and connect it to the rest of the world".

"Wait, if no one can cross, then how did you send and received my letter?" Emma asked.

"Magic?" he said unsurely, shrugging his shoulders "I was the only one that got any mail anyway, so I guess the magic of the curse took care of that. I'm not really sure".

"Isn't that a contradiction? You said it yourself, this is the land without magic" she argued, though she remembered what happened that time during her case with Larry.

"Not quite, the name is a bit misleading. True, magic cannot be harnessed or used the way we did back in the Forest, but all the worlds possess natural magic, some places are just more saturated than others and each place possess its own magic laws. Some of those laws are universal, like you cannot create love, bring people back from the death or change the past. I suppose that other factors might influence one's ability to use magic in this world as well" he mused, thinking that might be something to look into.

Emma bit her lip "What factors?" she asked curiously. Regan frowned as he thought about it.

"Well, these are just theories based on my studies, but I suppose that whether you were born with magic or not might be a factor. Someone like my mother, whose magic was learned, needs to train hard, body and mind, to be able to harness the magical energy around them. In Rumple's case, he was born an ordinary man, then he absorbed the powers of the dark one after killing the previous one, ancient dark magic tethered to our realm. Storybrooke is part of that realm, so he might be able to use his powers here, but not in the outside world, which is a whole new realm where that ancient magic does not exist.

Fairy magic requires wands and fairy dust to harness magical energy, so I doubt they could use it this world. I, on the other hand, have my own natural magic I was born with, which in turn uses the magical energy around me as an accelerant of sorts, fueling it. Like, dousing a fire with gasoline. Still with me?" He checked and got a nod in return.

"Hypothetically speaking, I could use magic out of Storybrooke, I would just not be as powerful as I used to be and something big, like enacting a curse, would be impossible." He finished, noticing the faraway look Emma was sporting "What are you thinking about?"

"I think used magic once" she confessed, meeting his eyes, which widened in shock.

"What? How? When?" he sputtered.

"It was my first big bounty with Larry. The guy ran and I chased him. He was too fast, and I was angry because he was getting away. I remember extending my arm and willing him to stop. To my surprise he did, he froze for a second and fell, and I was able to catch up" she murmured.

Regan was in awe, not only because she proved his theories, but also because she was naturally magical, like himself "You have magic, but neither of your parents do. That might be something to ask Gold about as well" he realized.

Emma suddenly thought of something "Does this mean that Henry has magic too? As the child of two magic users, his potential would be…" she trailed off.

"Unprecedented" He finished. He had never heard of someone with two magical parents.

They silently contemplated the ramifications of that possibility.

Regan broke the silence "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, we have more immediate goals to achieve. However, the big question is-" He paused, looking at her.

"Do I get a second date?" He asked with a hopeful look.

Supple lips meeting his own were his only response, but he didn't mind in the least.

To be continued.

Told you I wouldn't keep them apart for long. Now things are back on track. Next chapter, we will see Regan start to make amends and regain Emma's trust. For those that are curious about the kiss, no, is not true love's kiss.

Though the air is cleared, Emma still doesn't trust him like she used to. She still needs to reconcile his past with his present. Regan feels relieved after telling her everything, but he is still burdened by his guilt and feeling like he's doesn't deserve her. They need to work both separately and together until they get to the point of True Love.

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