Here is day 7 of #ECweek (David visits Regina after her execution) and the last chapter of this fic. Hope you like it!

I'm working on a new fic that I hope I'll post for Christmas and I'll update the ties that bind shortly.

Chapter 5: Execution

David was holding Regina against him, rocking them gently as the morning sun illuminated her cell. She had fallen asleep only about an hour ago after the curse that took away her magic had run its course. David had spent the night with her, murmuring comforting nonsense into her ear.

Being with Regina had also diminished his resolve and it took all of his self-control not to run into his office and sign the order to pardon her. David kissed her forehead before repositioning her against him.

Regina felt warm and protected in David's arms and she didn't dare move, afraid to break the spell, pretending to be able to halt time and spend eternity with David here. She didn't remember much after taking the potion but her fragmented memories all involved David holding her and repeating that she would be alright.

"Morning." The King said after a long time. They had so much to say to each other and so little time. In less than an hour, Regina would be marched to the scaffold.

Regina took a deep breath before straightening up to face David. "Morning."

David placed his forehead on hers, trying to hold his tears. "How are you feeling?" He caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers.

"I'm ok." Regina answered, leaning into his touch. She didn't want to lose him but she also understood the position he was in. "Why are you here?" She asked him. She hadn't wanted to see him. She knew that being with him would only make her heart break.

David snorted. "My captain of the guards told me you were dying. I… I couldn't."

"What? Let me die?" Regina pulled away from him and pulled the blanket tighter around her. "What do you think is gonna happen when your guards fire arrows at me in the morning? That I will live?"

"Regina…"

"Save it, David. You were mad and you decided that executing me was justice." She stood up and walked to the middle of her cell, grabbing the dress Granny had untied from her hands a few hours earlier. She let go of the blanket, not paying attention to David. She had lost her modesty a long time ago when another King had used her.

"I…" David started but he couldn't find the words. Regina was right: he had been mad at her and instead of keeping the fact that she remembered who she was a secret, he had called a council meeting and organized her trial. Of course, she had been found guilty and sentenced to death. If only he had kept her secret, he could have the woman he loved. "I'm sorry."

Regina chuckled darkly and shook her head as she put on the grey prisoner dress she had been forced to wear. "A little too late… I thought you were different. I told you my secret because I trusted you! I should have known better..." Regina turned around to face David. "Did you at least care about me?"

David's jaw dropped open. "Yes! Of course, I cared about you! I care about you!" He amended.

"So why David? Why did you betray me?" Regina's brown eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "Why couldn't you see past the Queen? Am I so unlovable?"

"I…" David's throat tightened from his conflicting emotions. "I was mad…" was all he could answer.

"Your anger will cost me my life. Do you think you're better than the Queen ever was?"

"Regina, my hands are tied… I can't … I can't pardon you."

"I know." She stated flatly. "You'd have a civil war on your hands. One that would devastate the Kingdom and kill a lot of innocent people. I know you can't have that blood on your conscience." She sat down on the chair. "But you'll be living with my blood on your conscience. And it will haunt you. Trust me… you won't be able to look at yourself in the mirror. I'd know."

"I guess you got your revenge after all."

Regina snorted. "No. I don't find any pleasure in knowing that you will torture yourself over this for the rest of your life. You may not believe it, David, but I've changed. Thanks to you and Granny and Red, I found the girl I used to be. And you know what? This is the greatest gift you could have given me. I may have lived as the Queen but I'll die as Regina."

David gasped as the reason why Regina drank the potion dawned on him. "This is why you got rid of your magic!"

Regina nodded. "Magic gave me power and power led me to a path of darkness. I don't want the magic anymore. The price I had to pay was too heavy."

They were interrupted when Granny brought Regina her last breakfast. "I thought you'd like some croissant…"

Regina smiled at her friend softly. "Thank you. It's very kind of you." She turned her attention back to David. "Could I please see my father before you have me executed?" She asked in a detached tone that sent shivers down David's spine.

The King nodded, unable to say anything else, unable to tell Regina how he really felt about her. "Of course." He blurted out before leaving her cell precipitately.

EC

David was pacing his bedchambers furiously. He heard the crowd cheer outside his window at what he suspected would be Regina's entrance into the courtyard. David grabbed his bed's post with all his strength. After a couple of minutes, the crowd felt silent and he heard Regina's voice. "I know I've wronged many of you. And for this, I am sorry. I am sorry to have caused so much pain and destruction. I hope that my death will bring you the peace you're looking for."

A choked sob escaped David's tight lips and he bit his lower lip to prevent himself from screaming. He shut his eyes tightly and tightened his grip around the bedpost. "Arrows… Take your aim… Fire!" David's screams of agony were swallowed by the eruption of cheers from the crowd. "The Evil Queen is dead!"

David collapsed on his bedroom floor. He fell sick to his stomach and disoriented. His ears were ringing and he could no longer make out the voices from outside his window. Regina was dead. He had killed her.

David scrambled up to his feet and dashed through the corridors of his castle like a madman. He needed air. Once he was outside, he ran towards the lake, away from the festivities. He ran until his legs could no longer support him. As he fell down into the mud, his last conscious thoughts floated towards Regina.

"David, I remember. I know who I was. I know I destroyed all those villages."

David cupped Regina's cheek. "It doesn't matter. You're not the same woman anymore." He kissed her deeply. "I will protect you. I will always protect you."

Regina's white blouse turned blood red. "But you didn't, David." Her complexion turned ashen. "And because of you, I'm dead. You've killed an innocent woman."

David screamed as he woke from his nightmare. He sat up and looked around him. Night had fallen over the Enchanted Forest, casting a deathly silence. "I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry." He sobbed into his hands.

David didn't know how long he stayed on the cold ground. Once he had no more tears to shed, he slowly rose to his feet and started his journey back to the castle. Upon his arrival, he was greeted by Granny in the large foyer. "David..."

The King raised his hand. "Save the lecture! I know I've killed an innocent woman today. There is nothing you can say that will change this." He walked past a dumbfounded Granny.

"David!" She called out with more force.

"What?" He bit back as he spun around on his heels.

"There is something I need to show you." She walked toward him. "It's important."

David took a shaky breath. "Can't it wait until morning?" He was bone tired and just wanted to retire to his bedchambers. He already knew that sleep wouldn't come but he needed to be alone.

"No." Granny's tone didn't leave any room for further arguments.

"Fine!" David said, dejected. The faster he would play through the old wolf's game, the faster he would be able to nurse a glass of bourbon. "What is it?"

"Follow me." Granny walked toward the west wing of the palace, which had been heavily damaged in the war and abandoned in order to preserve resources. As they walked towards the farthest recesseses of the wing, David looked around at the decrepit walls. A broken castle was only fitting for a broken King, David mused.

The King came to a stop when he saw his captain of the guards standing outside what he knew was a guest chamber. Before he could asked any questions, Granny pushed open the door to reveal a scene David would have never dreamed of. He gasped in shock as he looked at a very alive Regina sitting cross-legged on the bed across Red, who had her back to the door.

As soon as she saw him, Regina gave David a soft smile. The King's feet were cemented to the floor. "How?" He whispered, hoping that he wasn't still dreaming.

"A little bit of acting and a lot of tomato sauce." Granny answered. "Only the people in this room and Regina's father know she's alive." David slowly approached the bed. He needed to touch her to reassure himself that she was real. Red scooted away from Regina to give her spot to David. The King sat across from Regina and cupped her cheek. Regina placed her hand over his and smiled at him again. David sobbed in relief. "Tomorrow, Henry, Red, and I will take Regina far away from here, where she can be safe." David understood the implication: he would never see Regina again. "But tonight belongs to the two of you." She said before ushering her granddaughter towards the exit.

"Regina, I'm so sorry…" David began as soon as he heard the door shut behind Granny.

"No!" Regina placed two fingers on his lips. "I'm sorry. I put you in an impossible situation." She took a deep breath. "I know better than anyone the abyss you were in after Snow's death. I know the hell you went through and the need to blame someone. I'm not blameless in her death and I know how much it hurt you not to be able to get your revenge." She caressed his cheek. "You're a better man than I was, David. You fought against those instincts to give me a second chance.

I know Snow didn't know she was indirectly responsible for Daniel's death. Much like I couldn't remember being responsible for Snow's death. But if she had told me that she knew. If Snow had told me she understood the implication of babbling my secret to my mother, I'd have killed her on the spot.

I'm sorry about this morning. Instead of spending our precious moments together, I pulled away. I don't know how to love very well. It's been a long time but I want to learn how to live as Regina again. I want to be better. I owe it to the girl who never had a chance. Taking my magic away was the first step, but I know I have to fight against my darkest tendencies."

David took her hand. "You were right. I was angry…"

"And anger can trigger a series of events that spin out of control." She continued. "I know. I've been there." She gave his hand a light squeeze. "And one day you wake up unable to recognize the person in the mirror." Regina took a deep breath before continuing. "A few months before you captured me, my father tried to help me find love again by looking for Cupid's arrow. He tricked me into it but instead of seizing my chance, I used a reverse spell on it to find the person I hated the most, thinking it would lead me to Snow White. I shot the arrow and it smashed into a cabinet mirror in my castle because the person I hated the most was the person I became."

David smiled at her. "I don't like the man staring at me in the mirror most mornings." David confessed. "Regina, I'm so sorry about what I've put you through. I should have been King enough to sign this pardon."

Regina shook her head. "You put your people first. That's what good rulers do." She brushed his lips with her thumb. "We both have done terrible things and we're going to have to learn to live with them. We're both going to have to learn to love the person staring back in the mirror." She took a deep breath. "I want you to know that I forgive you. And I want you to forgive yourself."

"You could have died because of me." David argued back.

"But I didn't. Because we have people who love us and have decided to protect us."

"I may never see you again."

Regina nodded. "This is the price we have to pay for our second chance." She leaned over and captured David's lips into a tender kiss.

ECECEC

A year later

David directed his mare toward Firefly Hill on the edge of his Kingdom and the land that had been run by outlaws after he had lost the war to take control over Regina's former Kingdom. Not that he had fought valiantly. He knew that Regina, Granny, Red, and Henry would be safe there, away from the politics of the Kingdom.

A year had passed since he had last seen Regina. And he was missing her everyday. He had tried to forgive himself and most days he could live with the emptiness inside his heart, taking small comfort in the knowledge that she was still alive despite his actions. He often wondered what had happened to her but he knew that attempting to make contact with Granny or Red would only raise his court's suspicions.

Once he reached the top of the hill, he dismounted and approached the old grave. Before she had left, Regina had made David promise to take care of Daniel's tomb. Since then, the King had made his monthly pilgrimage to the stable boy's stone, removing the weeds and placing flowers at the base.

David tensed when he felt a presence behind him. He placed his hand on the pommel of his sword and issued a warning. "Show yourself." He spun around on his heels, unsheathing his sword half-way.

A woman wearing a red cloak stepped from behind the bushes.

"Red!" David exclaimed.

"Hello, David." The brunette pulled her hood off.

David re-sheathed his sword and ran toward his friend. "What are you doing here? Is Regina ok?"

Red gave him a soft smile. "Come." Before the King could argue, she walked down a sinuous path leading toward outlaw territory. David followed her at a distance, mindful of the thieves he knew were lurking in the woods.

Red led them to a small clearing with an encampment. He found Granny near the fire, preparing what he assumed was the mid-day meal. "Granny!" He greeted.

"Hello, David."

"Where is Regina?" David looked around, hoping to see the brunette.

The old wolf pointed toward a nearby tent. "She's waiting for you."

With a spring in his step, David rushed toward the tent and stepped inside. "Regina…" He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the woman he loved sitting on a cot, holding a small baby in her arms.

"Hello, David." She smiled. "David, meet Henry." She introduced. "Henry, meet your father."

David came to sit next to Regina in a daze. He looked at the gorgeous baby boy in Regina's arms. Henry was smiling at him and David could have sworn that he was looking into a mirror. And for the first time, he liked the reflection. "Hi, Henry." Regina transferred the infant into his father's waiting arms.

"He is our second chance." Regina rested her forehead against David's temple. She savored the precious moment, knowing that come morning David would have to go back to his Kingdom and she would return to the farm where she had been hiding for the past year.

ECECEC

Three weeks later

Granny was devastated. Her weekly excursion to the nearby village for supplies had brought the shattering news from David's Kingdom. "Regina!" She called out as she placed the groceries on the dining table.

The brunette walked inside the main room, holding Henry in her arms. "Granny, what is it?" She frowned at the older woman's expression.

"Come on, child, sit." She directed Regina to the nearby chair before taking the one across for herself. She placed her hand on Regina's knee before delivering the news. "David was attacked on his way back from Firefly Hill."

Regina gasped in horror. "Is he ok?"

Granny shook her head, tears escaping from her eyes. "No, honey. He's dead."

Regina wailed in pain and collapsed in Granny's arms. "No…" She murmured. "That can't be."

Granny rubbed Regina's back. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"What...what happened?" Regina pulled away from Granny, holding Henry tighter against her. She had already lost her father to pneumonia three months before her son's birth. She wasn't ready to lose another of her loved ones.

"His horse came back to the castle by herself, with only David's cape and his bloodied sword."

"So he could be alive?" Regina exclaimed.

"They searched the woods for him. They never found his body but the doctor doesn't believe he could have survived considering the amount of blood on the sword and the horse. I'm sorry, child. I know how much he meant to you."

Regina stood up without another word and climbed the stairs to her bedroom. She needed to be alone.

EC

The only noise in the small home was that of spoons hitting the bowls as the three women ate their soup without much appetite. Granny had convinced Regina to eat as much as she could for Henry.

Red and Granny had spent the afternoon collecting wood and flowers for David's funeral in the morning. Regina needed the closure. And frankly so did they.

Their gloomy dinner was interrupted by a knock on the door. The three women looked at each other, getting ready to meet the intruder. Regina took Henry to hide in the backroom while Granny fetched for her crossbow.

Once Regina was out of sight, Red approached the door. "Who is there?"

"A traveller in need of food and shelter for the night." The voice was strangely familiar but in her current sullen mood, Red brushed it off.

"We have nothing to offer." Granny barked. "Go away."

"I have gold." The traveller insisted.

Granny and Red exchanged a quick look. They needed the money until the next harvest. Granny slowly nodded at her granddaughter to open the door. The man standing on the other side was tall and mostly hidden by a black coat. He stepped inside and once Red closed the door behind him, he pulled off his hood and flashed a bright smile toward the shocked brunette.

"How?" Red asked while Granny went to get Regina. The old woman took Henry from his mother's arms and directed a suspicious Regina to the main room.

The brunette's jaw dropped open when she saw their visitor. She ran towards him and David only had enough time to open his arms as Regina threw herself in them. They kissed hungrily, Regina's tears of joy falling down David's cheeks.

When she released him, David hugged Red and Granny before taking Henry into his arms. "I took a page from your book." He answered Red's original question. "I faked my death. I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier but I needed to be careful while travelling." He wrapped one arm around Regina's waist, holding his son with the other.

"Why?" Regina asked him.

David gave her a soft smile. "Because sometimes, the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many." He looked at the sleepy baby in his arm. "I chose the Kingdom over you once and it tore me apart. Today, I choose my family. And it feels right." He kissed Regina's forehead. "That is, if you'd have me."

Regina slapped his chest playfully. "Of course, I'll have you."

"I may not have been a good King but I promise to you that I'll be a good husband and father." He kissed Regina deeply.

"And hopefully, you remember how to be a good shepherd." Granny grumbled, sending a wave of laughters through their home.