I apologize for the overwhelming fluffiness and sad lack of plot in the preceding chapters. I shall attempt to remedy this… now.

Warning: Potentially headed towards 'M' territory. Changing rating.

[Regina]

She had just returned to the Winter Palace. It had been a long ride, made longer by those ungrateful peasants with their sour faces in every tiny little village. Didn't they realize that she was their rightful queen and far stronger than that pathetic father of Snow's? Ugh, Snow. Nothing ruined her day more than that horrible child. She ripped her heavy traveling cloak from her shoulders and flung it at a passing servant as she swept towards her quarters. A hot bath would soothe her…

She flicked a wrist towards her room doors and they opened before her. To her surprise, silhouetted before the fireplace was a lean figure, a wide brandy snifter in hand, his curly hair in a disarray against a wide collar. The Queen felt a rush of warmth run through her, and she couldn't help the blush that rose to her cheeks. He was wearing those tight leather pants she loved so dearly.

"Why, hello," she said, her mood changing in a flash. He turned to her, his glittering face unusually pensive. Her eyes narrowed for a moment, but as he came towards her, she tried to put aside her suspicious nature and remember him as she knew him: handsome under that cursed skin, incredibly powerful with magic, and entirely wicked in bed.

He stopped to pick up another glass from the side table and poured a bit for her before handing her the glass. She took it and slid her arm around his neck, her eyes locked on his as she took a slow sip. "I didn't expect to see you tonight." Her fingers wove into the tangled hair at the nape of his neck and she smiled as she leaned in to kiss him.

…and was stunned when he turned his head away, his eyes closed.

The Queen felt the cold gather around her and drew back slowly, pulling on her magic quietly as her suspicion returned. She lifted her chin defensively as she calculated their change in circumstances. How dare he, she thought, shoving her fury down as far away as she could. Her anger was like lightning, but he was a formidable sorcerer and a reckless fight with him was not a good idea. No, she needed more information first…

"Hmm," she said, as she walked towards the bath. She slipped out of her black silk dress, her back to him. She could see him in the mirror opposite her and he was staring down into his glass, his face impassive. She slowly unlaced her black corset as she formulated her next words, and pulling it off along with her grey satin shift, she stepped into the bath and sank down into the soapy foam with a small sigh.

She waited a moment before speaking . "Would you like to talk about it?" Her voice was deceptively mild.

Rumplestiltskin turned around, the surprised look on his face quickly replaced with a flash of lust for her near nakedness, and just as quickly followed by that confounding look of stony stoicism. The Queen fought the urge to grind her teeth in frustration as she forced herself to smile invitingly instead.

"Or would you just care to join me… again?"

His reptilian eyes met hers hungrily, and he glowered just a quick as he recognized her deviousness. "Ah, a tempting proposition, my Queen, but perhaps not tonight…" There was a passing cloud of something more serious across his features before he grinned at her. "In fact, I came by to tell you that you no longer need to pretend to be interested in any…" he hummed a little, "extra services."

The Queen scowled at him. "We had a deal," she said sharply, coyness forgotten.

"Of course, of course," Rumplestiltskin said quickly, rubbing his hands together. "Our deal still stands. I simply… owe you a favor."

A favor from Rumplestiltskin? She relaxed a little, settling back in the water. "Of my choosing," she bargained, as she kept her eyes on the devious little imp. "With no argument or loopholes." She waved a hand in the air, sprinkling little drops of water across the stone floor.

He dipped his head in acknowledgement and bowed low quite floridly.

The Queen smiled. It was incredibly nice to have this powerful little magician in her power. The warm bath felt incredible and she amended the thought to include, and in my bed… She frowned at the unexpected change in that arena. Of course, he was mildly repulsive with that unnatural skin and those disgusting teeth, but he was reasonably skilled at pleasuring a woman and those long, nimble fingers… She shivered in the warm water.

"So why no extra… favors," she asked nonchalantly, as she lifted an arm from the water to smooth a soft washcloth over it.

Rumplestiltskin looked away for a moment before walking up to the bath and taking a seat on the stool before her. He took a swig of the brandy in his hand, and then toyed with his glass before setting it down next to hers on the side table.

"I'm no longer… interested," he said carefully, matching her falsely nonchalant tone. He gave her a long, serious look and then stared at the empty glass again.

The Queen dropped her eyes, carefully controlling her rage as she ran her fingers through the bath foam. No longer interested? She was the Queen! There was no one more powerful, more beautiful than her. They had an agreement, an alliance. A powerful alliance, damn it. The Queen clenched her jaw. Together, they were unstoppable. Separate…

She eased back further in the tub and resisted the urge to sweep the glass between them to the floor. Separate, she would crush him. She let the silence settle for so long that he slowly stood up and turned towards the door.

"So, who is she," she asked, her voice deceptively quiet.

He didn't turn around, but paused mid-step, his head tilted towards her. "She's no one."

"Is it that new girl I heard you took in?" She bit her lip, but she couldn't help herself.

But he had frozen and was quiet, and the Queen smiled bitterly to herself. Of course, it would be some girl.

"Well, really, Rumple," she continued, as if unconcerned. "We were never mutually exclusive." She tossed the washcloth aside and stood up. "Could you hand me that towel," she asked, feigning innocence. "Please."

He turned and looked at her and she caught his gaze that he knew exactly what she was doing. He pulled the towel from the shelf and tossed it at her.

The Queen caught it and gave him a chilly smile, and slowly stepped from the bath as she wrapped herself in it. She pondered her next move briefly and then stepped up to him, her wet feet leaving traces on the warm stone floor.

They were a good match in height for each other, she thought, as they stood eye to eye. She could feel the slight tingle of magic coming from him and felt a tinge of sadness that he was on guard around her suddenly. They hadn't been this way for months and it had been a nice, unexpected truce. It was a pity, really. He was the first in a long time that had felt like almost her equal. Almost.

She instinctively reached up to finger a curl of his grey brown hair. He looked down at her with those strange eyes and she swallowed hard, feeling her chest tighten. How could he do this to her… Her fingers trembled and suddenly he had caught her hand in his, thin and calloused, but warm and strong. That contact was all it took. The tears welled up in her eyes and suddenly she was falling into his arms, the silk of his shirt clinging to her wet skin and she shook silently against the smooth leather of his vest, fighting the choking sobs. His arms came up around her and for a frozen moment in time, she felt safe. Sad and alone again, but safe. She knew him, knew that he understood this moment of weakness, this particular weakness of love, and love lost. She felt his long fingers slowly caressing her damp hair and she gathered herself together. This was done. It was time to move on.

The queen pulled back and Rumplestiltskin's hands fell to his sides. They stood there, mere inches apart, silent.

It felt so surreal, she thought. "We used to know each other so well." She almost said this to herself rather than him.

He cleared his throat before replying. "Things change." He paused. "Your Majesty."

She closed her eyes and bit the inside of her cheek. Amazing, really, how it only took two words from his lips to drive home just how over they really were.

"Go. Now." She pulled the towel tighter against her naked body and turned her back on him.

She waited for the click of the door closing before she collapsed in tears on the hard floor.

"We used to know each other so well, Mr. Gold. Has it really come down to this?" Regina gazed at him through the bars of the jail.

"It seems that it has, yeah." How he could still be mocking her after all this time...

Regina felt the tingle of magic in the cup and suppressed it hard before handing it over.

"Such a sentimental little keepsake," she said, teasing him with it between the bars.

"Thank you," he replied. "Your Majesty," he added, bitingly. He snatched the damn thing like it was life itself, and she fumed inside that such a trite object could be so precious to him. She wished she had broken it first and handed him it in little shards of porcelain instead.

"So now that we're being honest with each other," he said, turning the chipped cup around in his hands, "let's remember how things used to be, shall we?" He fixed her with a scathing look. "And don't let these bars fool you, dear. I'm the one with the power around here. I'm going to be out of here in no time," he said. His eyes locked on hers. "And nothing between us will change." Each word was a veiled promise and threat tangled together and she stifled the memory of when that tone was filled with lust and desire in the darkness…

She leaned in close to the bars, her desire for revenge still her last warm comfort. "We shall see," she said slowly, threateningly. As she walked out, she closed her eyes for a moment as she reveled in her triumph. The trap was set, the pit baited…

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