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I felt immeasurably guilty. I only realized what I did to David when my loss hit me like a horrible hangover. My twenty-nine-year-old daughter is in New York with my grandson, living a false life Regina gave them, while I broke off my marriage to my husband to be with the woman who cursed us to twenty eight years of living under fake memories.

I tried apologizing to David, but he brushed me off and hid in some other room in the castle I didn't know how to get to. I talked to Regina about it, but she told me to let him cope with everything he's facing, just as I was doing.

Regina wanted to take it slow. I didn't. She's making sure she retreats into her own bedchambers early so I wouldn't bother her, and she tries to limit our alone time.

"Why," I asked her through the heavy wood door.

"Because you left your husband two weeks ago and I'm not willing to push it, at least without David's sword at my throat."

"He promised me he would stop fighting after making a decision," I pleaded. She scoffed at me lightly.

"You really think he'll just accept that his wife of technically fifty one years that she loves someone else? I doubt that."

"If he has an inch of sanity, which he does, he wouldn't. Not when I have an all knowing sorcerer on my side."

"All knowing?"

"Well, I guess so. You got us through the barrier and into the castle, did you not?"

"Yes, and had an unwanted visit from an asparagus-witch. What's your point."

"My point is that he is respectful enough to give us space, as we do with him." She scoffed once more.

"Please, you've been following him around the castle trying to apologize to him."

"…I'm not following him, I'm trying to make sure he's okay."

"Snow, I assure you he isn't okay. He lost a kid, a grandson, and a wife in less than forty eight hours. I think he'll need more than a while to recuperate. For now, just leave it all be." I huffed defeatedly and left. From behind me, her door unlocked.

"Snow, get in here. And stop pouting." Her mouth was tugging at the corners into a small smile, and I happily followed her in. She shut the door, locked it, and tugged me towards her bed.

"Are you trying to seduce me," I asked jokingly. Her darks eyes turned towards me and looked angry for a moment, then it was gone, only joking. I had to give it to her, she was great at pretending everything was fine.

"I'm always trying to seduce you, princess," she said. I laughed and allowed myself to be pulled to the bed with her.

"So, how has research gone? Find anything yet," I asked as I collapsed onto the bed beside her. She pulled my arms towards her and sat me beside her on the silk bed.

"Nothing yet, no, but I feel myself getting close to getting somewhere. I only wish Rumple was around, he would be a big help."

"Yes, but like I said, all knowing sorcerer," I said in between poorly-hidden laughs. She chuckled along and held me tighter.

"Yes, well I'm not that all knowing." I nodded and crept in closer to her. She kissed my forehead and dug under the covers.

"Goodnight Snow," she said, muffled by the blanket her head was under as she adjusted herself.

"Goodnight Regina," I whispered, tucking a tendril of stray hair from her face after her head poked back up and onto the pillows. After she fell asleep, I crept back into my own bedchambers down the hall.

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David was in the garden, and for the first time, he didn't try to briskly walk away from me as subtly as he could manage. He was stroking the petal of a snowbell flower, her favourite, while making sure not to look back at the sound of my approaching footsteps.

"Hi," I said shyly. He made a grumbling sound of discontent and moved on to the next flowerbed, with tulips, daisies, and violets sprouting up from the soil.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been such an ass about all this. I could've waited until we were back with Emma, when you didn't lose our daughter less than a day when I told you. I told myself I didn't want to hurt you when making my decision, but I told you when we lost Emma, and nothing in the world can make up for that."

"You're right. You should've waited for longer before you told me, but I guess I kinda get it. When David Nolan was with Kathryn, I was a dick to you, all the time. I hurt you, ripped you to pieces, and expected you to forgive me when I didn't tell her about you."

"You couldn't control that, I could."

"I could've easily told her that I was in love with someone else, but I didn't. I did have control over it and I made the wrong choice." I didn't answer him. Something both warm and cold wrapped around my heart and tightened around it.

"I really am sorry. I just hope you could forgive me."

"Maybe. I can't make any promises right now. Now that I'm thinking about it, I'd much rather you tell me as soon as possible, instead of making me wait until we could see Emma." I nodded and swept past him.

"Thank you for being so understanding with me, even if you want to tear me apart."

"Of course," he said quietly. He didn't make any move to leave the garden, instead walking around the garden further, settling on sitting under Regina's apple tree, teeming with dark red fruits, just barely hanging on to the branches stemming from it.

I managed to find Regina in a room that she's claimed to be her research room. When I entered, a horrible stench clouded my nose. Regina was bent over a potion book, skimming a single finger over an aged page of a book. Her other hand had an iron-grip on a small jar labelled something in another language.

Her hair was swept up in a ponytail high on her head, but it was slightly messed up and about to fall out. Her back was hunched in a posture she would never let anyone but me lay eyes on. She was flipping through pages, skimming paragraphs, then moving on to the next. A potion stand was brewing something in front of her. It started steaming, and she pulled a small screw. The liquid that was once steaming was drawing into another liquid below it from a small coiled tube.

"Hey," I said. Even if my voice wasn't loud, it made her jump and clutch her chest.

"My God, Snow, don't do that. I could've broken something."

"But you didn't," I pointed out.

"True, but still. What are you doing here?"

"The kingdom didn't need attention, so I thought you did. How are you doing?"

"Fine," she lied lamely. She turned back to her book.

"Mind if I stay for a bit?" She mumbled something incoherent, then shoved a stool towards me with her foot.

"Thanks." I sat down near her and watched her slightly shaking hands as they measured ingredients, poured, mixed, and fiddled.

"What're you doing," I asked.

"Be quiet. Please." I looked down at my lap. She was clearly stressed by the shake of her voice, but I didn't push her farther. She was already on edge about her very green-looking friend threatening her castle, and piled up on top of Henry, herself, and single-handedly breaking this curse, she was about to break.

She never showed it. She tried not to talk about Henry, she even asked Snow not to, but it's obvious she wants nothing more than to get back to him. She knew the feeling all too well. As long as we didn't talk about either of our children, we would be fine.

It was clear that Regina let's her mind run wild when she's researching, made obvious by her quiet stammering to herself, the stressed look consuming her chocolatey eyes, and how she completely consumes herself with research every aching hour since they kicked out the witch and her monkeys from the castle.

"Can I help?"

"No. I think you should leave. I'm going to be here for a little longer than I expected."

"Regina, you can't keep yourself hidden until you find the answer. You haven't eaten a sufficient meal since before we got here."

"I d-"

"A few sips of soup and a half an apple don't count as a sufficient meal. You've barely slept either, and you're clearly tired."

"I'm not tired," Regina assured.

"You've yawned seven times since I got here."

"It hasn't been seven…"

"It has. Now eight," I said as Regina opened her mouth to yawn, but it was too late. She didn't break eye contact with me as her head tilted back and she yawned fiercely. I wondered how she kept her eyes open.

"I'm fine, but I'm also busy. I'll see you after dinner."

"I'm expecting you to be there."

"If I'm not?"

"I'm locking this door."

"You can't-"

"Don't test me when it comes to your health." I got up from my stool and left her wondering what that meant. I meant everything.

Leroy was telling me dinner was ready in the dining hall, but Regina wasn't there, of course. I wasn't sure how people as stubborn as us would work out, but I knew it would.

"Regina, open the door," I ordered. I got no answer. I held a metal tray topped with food from dinner. "If I have to kick this damn door down, I won't hesitate." Instead of a snarky response, or any words at all, I heard a sniffle. "Regina, so help me I will. I'd back up if I were you." As soon as I drew my foot back, she opened the door with tears leaving wet streaks down her cheeks.

"Oh my God," I whispered. She crumbled into my arms, sobbing and sniffling against my shoulder. I kicked the door shut with my foot and slid down against it, pulling her with me. I didn't have to ask what was wrong. She slowly rested her head against my shoulders and whimpered into the sleeve of my dress.

"Can I help?" She shook her head and kept crying into my sleeve, eventually taking some cheese and bread from the chair and gently chewed on it.

"Do you want me to leave?" She shook her head again.

"Do you need anything?"

"I need Henry."

"I know," I soothed, while gently rubbing her shoulders. "He's happy with Emma right now. Just imagine him being happy."

"He's happy without me."

"He doesn't remember you. If he did, he would fight like hell to get you back." She grabbed my arm and squeezed it against her.

"If I can't have Henry right now, I'll have you." She tried standing back up, but not without stumbling. I helped her up and she held my arm while I led her out into the corridor.

"Regina, people will see us. We haven't actually told anyone about our…circumstances yet."

"Let them see. I don't care right now." I picked up the half-eaten tray of food and led her to her room. Her eyes were leaking tears, her cheeks were bright red, she was shaky with each step she took, and her makeup was smudged under her eyes faintly.

She immediately slumped to the bed, face first, body racked with sobs. I pulled her body up until she was sitting and held onto the bottom of her wobbling chin. I promised her that I wouldn't do too much of this until she was back with Henry, but I hated how sad she was. I leant forward and pressed my lips to hers. She immediately wound her fingers into my curly hair and slid her tongue over my bottom lip. I opened my mouth slightly and felt her tongue brush against mine. She moaned into my mouth and pulled me to lay down on her bed beside her. Whatever she wanted, she would get. She may be spoiled at times, but I will always be willing to give her whatever she asked for. Years ago, she would've told me love like this is weakness. Now, she's pulling my body closer to hers, asking for the comforting warmth I would give her. I would always give it to her.