The third and final chapter. As much as I do not want to be done with this story, we all know that the things before everything settles are the best parts of a story. So I am going to leave it here as a small little story to make you cry and smile when you need it. Please leave a review :) I would love to hear your thoughts. And hey, if I'm pushed hard enough I can whip up a little bonus chapter ;)

Every day for two weeks he had ridden up to that ridge for the sunrise. Every day it got easier. Little bit by little bit he regained the ability to function again. He could eat now and most nights he could sleep for more than a couple hours at a time. But he always went up there for the sunrise. It had been hard for the first five or so but he found it incredibly therapeutic. Like he regained a part of her with every one he watched. Sometimes he found Robin there but they rarely spoke. Simply watched the sun and then went their separate ways.

Today was no different. He had watched the sun rise high and while there were clouds blocking most of the colours and light, he remained vigilant and found peace in himself to fight through another day.

Just as he watched the sunrise every morning, he sat in his throne when he got back and listened to the people. Some of those at that disastrous ball had even come to offer him condolences on losing Regina. If he were to say a part of him didn't still wait for her to walk through those doors with a smirk on her mouth, he would be lying. A large part of him still waited for her to come back even though he knew she never would. Every day for two weeks he watched the sun rise and then returned to sit in his throne and wait for her to come back while distracting himself with the words of his people.

Today's routine was no different despite the obscured sunrise. So he found himself walking mindlessly to his throne to sit in it once more. But this morning he was confused to find someone already sitting in it. A woman. With one leather clad leg crossed over the other, black heeled leather boots, a dark purple coat fastened with silver buttons, long dark curls, smirking red lips, and dark eyes he could never forget no matter how hard he tried. She had him stopping dead in his tracks.

"You should really have this cleaned, my love."

It was her voice. It could be no one else's but it was impossible. "This isn't funny," he scorned lowly but there was more than a hint of hope in his tight voice. Something she must have heard for her smirk softened in to a tender smile as she tilted her head.

"It isn't a joke," she promised gently and he drew in and blew out a stressed and shaky breath as he looked away from her but quickly looked back as though he had made grave mistake in looking away and she was gone again. But she didn't go anywhere. Only when he was focused back on her with all his might, did she stand up from his throne and slowly stepped down the few stairs and carefully walked toward him, stopping barely half a stride from him.

She smelled like pine and horses again. It brought tears to his eyes and he shook his head as he looked between those kind and spirited dark eyes. He was terrified to blink, "I felt you die."

Regina gave a pained smile and shook her head once, her heart aching at the sound of such pain and distress in the voice she had only really known to be hard and cold or angry, "my mother is a very powerful sorceress. She made it to me just in time."

"She ripped your heart out of your chest," he stated slowly in confusion and further distress because he didn't understand.

"She stopped what very little life I had left from being lost through the death of my body. She then proceeded to suspend any further change in my body, keeping any more blood from being spilt. After that it was a simple preservation spell to keep my body from deteriorating," she explained and he watched and listened carefully with tears still in his doubtful but oh so hopeful eyes.

"The pearl that I gave Robin was a tracking spell and I knew if it was destroyed she would come for she would believe me to be trying to run away again. She has spent the past two weeks and a half weeks healing my body and calling the life back in to my heart. What I wasn't expecting was to wake up to her looking so distraught and panicked. I have received more care and affection from her in the past eight hours than I have in my entire life," she chuckled lightly and let it slowly fall silent as she looked at him. He was absolutely terrified.

Without breaking eye contact, she reached forward and gently took his hands in hers and squeezed them softly when his brow furrowed with his building emotion. "I am here, David. I will not leave your side again unless you wish me to," she promised and he drew in a shaky breath and detangled one hand from her fingers so he could reach forward and touch her face.

She leaned in to his touch and her skin was warm and soft against his fingertips. He didn't think he would ever see her again, "I missed you so much," he breathed out on a huffed exhale as his first tears finally broke free.

"I'm not going anywhere, my love," she whispered and the most relieved and heart breaking smile lit up his face. Even though it was tainted with pain and suffering, it was the best smile she had seen on him yet. It made her laugh in utter joy before he silenced her with a kiss.

He kissed her with everything he had. He kissed her properly. The fingers touching her face tangled deep in to her silky hair as he swivelled his head and shrugged his shoulders up. He pressed himself to her and let go of her hand so he could spread his over the small of her back to keep her there. Her hands settled on his wrist by her head and his shoulder and he simply couldn't get enough of her. When she opened his mouth to him he tried not to be greedy but just as she always had, she took him in stride and held nothing against him. In fact she simply kissed him back just as fiercely.

She was there. Her lips were warm and her mouth no longer carried the slight tang of iron present in her blood, her breaths were sharp and hot against his lips, and the scent of fresh pine and sweet horses kept his tears rolling down his cheeks and his brow furrowed. He adored this woman like he had no one else. Her silky hair, her full lips, her clever tongue, her beautiful figure, her dark eyes, her scent, her companionship, her feisty temper, her kind smile, her songful laughter, her rich voice, her open heart, everything. He could not find a single flaw in the woman that has awoken his heart and soul.

He was no longer alone.

Teeth collided and nipped, tongues brought out moans, lips suffocated and locked, they were both panting and needy and were trying to take more and more. And he had tears rolling down his cheeks the whole time. With a whimper she rose on her toes and wrapped her arms securely around his neck and he moved his hands over her hips to keep her there. Death's chill was nowhere to be found as her warm body pressed against his with one final series of kisses. Even when they broke it to breathe and smile they stayed just hovering and their grip on one another never loosened.

"Good to know all a girl has to do to get a kiss like that is drop dead," she teased and he laughed.

"That's not funny."

"Oh it's a little funny," she grinned and he laughed but she suspected it to be more from the release of stress than anything else. She laughed with him regardless and bumped her nose against his before he rested his forehead against hers. "So, my dark and twisted king," she spoke quietly and intimately for it was all that was required while in such close proximity, "what way shall you have with me today?"

David laughed a little more as a couple lingering tears rolled down his cheeks and his fingers played with the ends of her soft hair. "I simply wish to hold you and listen to your heart beating," he breathed against her lips and his anxiety over confessing such a thing was soothed when she hummed and kissed him. Softly, slowly, and tenderly so it remained on his lips even after she had parted from him.

"Sounds perfect, my love," she whispered and left her forehead resting against his as her fingers swirled slowly through his short hair.

...

Regina,

As I know you are quite aware, I am not as well spoken about the things residing in my heart as you are. Nor am I particularly giving about what terrors reside in my past. I try to hold faith that you will remain so loyal and accepting but I cannot help but fear that with every piece I give you, it could be the one that sends you away. I know you understand that and as I write this letter to you, Dear One, I cannot help but wonder how you have managed to learn such things. I have yet to fathom why you even began in the first place.

You have invested such effort and patience in to me, such kindness and affection, and I have not been able to return such gifts in the potency that I wish. You terrify me. Everyday you burrow deeper and I fear that if I misstep you will take my heart with you when you leave. I fear it because it is true. I am yours, Dear One, and this is my attempt to express what my voice refuses. With this quill, I promise to tell you what you need to hear and I will not accept your selfless humility, for what I write is true and you deserve every word.

You breathed life in to my soul. You filled my lungs with air so that I was no longer drowning. With every infuriating word that left your perfect mouth you stoked the fire in my heart and with every smile and every glance you added kindling. I was a poor excuse for a man before you came in to my life. I was hollow and I was cruel and you, Dear One, have taught me to be kind. Your name leaving my lips has the power to bring me to tears because, my god, you found me. You saved me. You have chosen to stay with me for reasons I truly cannot understand.

You beautiful soul, have decided to stay with me despite all of the others out there who I am certain would cause you so much less grief and anger. Even with this quill I cannot express to you how much that means to me. How grateful I am and how moved I am that you are here every morning I wake. You are a precious treasure finer than the purest diamond. You have given me a reason to live.

You have taught me to smile by giving me one to mirror, you have taught me to laugh by lending me yours, you have taught me to care by letting me be your shadow, and you have taught me to love by simply being. Your hands have reminded mine that a gentle touch can move someone far better than a harsh one. Your voice has replaced my conscience with reason and faith in the good of mankind. Your kiss...Dear One, your kiss.

With it you have silenced the anger I once held so close. With it you have erased every pain in my heart. I was weighted with so much pain, Dear One. There was one before you, a woman who meant everything to me and her death took a toll on me greater than I had expected. It was a wound that never healed and I was left alone in the dark with no one worth living for. No one until you came like the North Star pointing me home.

You are my home, Regina. You took away my pain, you have made me the man I am today. I will follow you anywhere for I do not want to be anywhere else. I lost you once before I truly had you. I have not felt such pain as when I tried to accept I was never going to see you again. My entire world had fallen apart. I tried to stay strong but it was hard when all I wished to do was die and find you amongst the shadows. But you relieved me of such torture once again.

You dissolved my pain once more and these months with you at my side have been the best months of my entire life. You have made my life mean something when it meant nothing to anyone including myself. You were the only one who saw me. Robin once told me that you could see the good in the worst of us and I must say, Dear One, it is a gift I am most grateful for and one I owe my life to.

And yet after all of this I cannot find the courage to speak to you of the things that haunt me still. So I am asking a favour of you when I have no right to do such a thing after all you have given me with so little in return. I ask you please for more patience for I promise you I am trying my very best despite my temper. I ask you please for more kindness for it gives me strength when I am most upset. Finally I ask you please to keep loving me the way you do now for I do not know what will happen if you stop.

I have no right to ask such things of you, Dear One, and I know that your patience runs thin at times because of me but I swear to you I am doing the best I can. I love you with every fibre in my body. I breathe for you, my heart beats for you, and I cannot imagine my life without you. So please, Dear One, continue your faith in me and I will do everything not to disappoint you.

I do not know when you will receive this letter. Perhaps you will never read it for I will have been able to find the courage to say these things to your beautiful face. I believe that unlikely, however. It took a great deal to write this for you, my love, and I know it will take a great deal more for me to surrender it to you. I am not a brave man which is something you were very quickly able to point out when we first met. So I do hope you do not hold it against me for setting this down for you to find when you are alone without me near. I love you, Dear One, with all of my heart and more.

Your fondly named,

Twisted King.