I'm so sorry that this took forever to get up! But I spent ages working on it, because I know everyone had high expectations for it and I wanted to do it justice, and only hope that I did! Because you guys deserve it, especially since you waited such a long time for it and I gave you all an evil cliffhanger. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and stuck with this story, I love you all! This chapter was the hardest to write, and I shed quite a lot of tears over it, but finally it's up! Enjoy! :-)

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time

XVI: Broken

Emma cast an anxious glance at her watch and swore under her breath, 11:00pm stared back at her from the screen: she was an hour late. Unfortunately her car had broken down earlier so she was forced to wait up to forty minutes for the tow truck to come and another half an hour for her car to be repaired. Emma cringed as she hurried up the stony steps, already imagining Regina's malicious glare and fierce stance. She just prayed that her kid was all right.

Too worried to knock Emma swung the door open and was greeted by a flood of darkness and an eerie silence. All day Emma had tried to focus on her work, but an endless mountain of possibilities continued to build and pester her mind, all of them concerning Henry and each worst than the next. Emma feared that Henry had injured himself and, (Emma's stomach quenched painfully at the thought) was in hospital with a fatal illness. Emma shook her head, immediately squashing the thought. She couldn't jump to conclusions, but what else could it be? No matter what she did nothing would ease her mind and she only wished that she had arranged to meet Regina earlier.

Emma's eyebrows knitted into a frown as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, peering down the hall. Where was she? Emma knew that she was late but was still expecting Regina to be waiting for her, after all Henry was obviously in trouble.

"Regina?" Emma called out, flicking on the lights and making her way down the hall.

Emma switched on the lights as she made her way into the kitchen to investigate. Her frown deepened when she noticed the stained, crumbed benches and mountain of dishes: it was odd that Regina's kitchen was messy. Emma began her way towards the other side when her foot hit something solid. A horrified, heaving gasp escaped her lips when her eyes fell on the limp body. She had to look twice to make sure that her eyes hadn't deceived her. There was David, lying lifeless on the marble flooring, his chest barely rising and falling with his small breaths.

"Oh my god," Emma breathed, kneeling down to his level to check his pulse. Fortunately he was still breathing, but barely. "Regina?" she yelled, looking up desperately, hoping that she would come down.

What the hell happened? The thought raced through her mind as reached for her phone, her fingers fumbling as she quickly called for an ambulance. She found herself yelling at the woman on the other end as she heard Regina's footsteps padding down the stairs.

Regina groggily walked into the kitchen with sleepy steps, wincing at the blinding light. Her eyes widened when she spotted Emma standing near the bench, pale and horrified.

"Ms. Swan, what the hell are you-" Regina's voice cut off when she spotted David, lying frozen on the ground.

A paralyzing scream rose in her throat like bubbling lava in a volcanic eruption as she fell to David's side, taking his hands in hers. "What happened?" she cried. She rested her ear against his chest, her eyes closing with relief when she felt a steady heartbeat, but not a strong one.

"You tell me," she exclaimed, her eyes widening demandingly. "I came to see you as planned and when you weren't here I found him unconscious," she cast another worried glance at David. "The ambulance is on the way."

Emma's voice was droning out as Regina's surroundings swirled together in a foggy blur, and the small humming of the fridge and the gentle night breeze died down to a deafening silence. Regina's heart pounded like persistent waves crashing against the towering rocks, jumping against her chest and resounding in her ears. Yet she struggled to take another breath. Her fingers shook as they traced the sides of his face, his icy-cold skin tingling against her fingertips as tears moistened her eyes into glassy pools.

"No…no…" she whispered, her voice shaking between her heaving gasps.

Regina's eyes travelled down before they fell on the source of his predicament, her eyes widening at the apple turnover, just inches away from his fingers. Her face paled a ghostly white, her heart stopping as the realisation plummeted on her.

"Oh God, I did this" she breathed, a sob cracking in her throat. "No…no, you promised," she cried desperately, the tears tracking down her cheeks and spilling onto his skin. She suddenly forgot that Emma was there, watching her breakdown, or that she was supposed to have eaten the turnover, or that the curse was weakening. It was just Regina there alone, watching the man she loved slowly fade away. "David, you promised me that you would always be there for me by my side. Stay with me, just…just keep fighting…please, don't leave me…"

Regina's voice cracked as she rested her head on his chest, listening to the steady thumps of his heart.

Thump…Thump…Thump

She knew more than anyone the result of a bite from her forbidden fruit, yet she couldn't help the flickering flame, igniting her with hope. Hope that he would somehow fight through this, because she refused to believe his inevitable death.

Thump…Thump…Thump

And he was going to die…because of her.

Thump…Thump…Thump…All…Her…Fault…Going…To…Die…All…Her…Fault

"I'm sorry."

…

The tedious beeps from the life-support machine permeated the quiet room, adding to the somber atmosphere. Regina's hands rested on the sides of the bed as she lent over, her teary eyes taking in his frozen form. She felt Emma's reassuring hand on her shoulder, Mary Margaret's soft sobbing and Henry Mill's shallow breathing and bitterly wished that everyone, even Henry, would leave and let her be with him. Regina brushed a strand of her tear-soaked hair from her eyes to get a better view of the man she loved, her lips releasing another long, expecting sob.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, the words seemed stale and dry on her lips, yet she found the words rolling off her tongue once more.

She felt Doctor Whale's comforting hand on hers, his kind mummer meeting deaf ears as the nurses disconnected the many cords. And slowly, one by one everyone shuffled out. They were alone: no…she was alone.

He was gone, it was pointless to remain behind but she couldn't will herself to leave his side. She was relieved to have another few minutes with him and thankful that they were alone. She took his cold hand in hers, and immediately the memories of the past months flooded back. When she first fell in love with him at the park, when they danced at the ball, when they first admitted their hidden feelings, their secret kisses, their midnight rendezvous and their nightly love affairs…

"Oh god, David come back to me," she breathed, tears raining onto his skin. "Without you I'm lost." A shaky breath escaped her lips as she lowered her lips onto his. "I love you."

A strange sensation rushed through Regina during their kiss; a cool breeze passing through her, running under her skin and tingling her fingertips, sweeping over her hair, blowing it back and brushing along her skin. It was a rainbow of blended colours and a majestic current, sailing throughout the hospital and smothering Storybrook.

"Regina?"

Regina gasped, her eyes flinging open to meet David, alive and well. A happy laugh itched behind her lips, her smile lighting her features up with a radiant glow.

"You did it," she whispered ecstatically, brushing a strand of hair away from his eye. He woke up.

Yet a small frown furrowed his eyebrows as he blinked blankly back up at her before returning his attention to his surroundings. Confused mummers and words soon awoke Regina to the realisation of what she had done. Her blood froze.

"No…," she whispered, turning around. People were slowly walking inside, exchanging puzzled than excited and happy glances, hugging, laughing and smiling. "No," Regina said, this time it was firmer, as if she refused to believe it.

"That was…true love's kiss," Mother Superior said suddenly, uncertainty etched in her voice. A small frown crossed her eyebrows as she looked confusedly to David then to Regina, as if asking them to confirm that this was all a dream. "The curse is broken."

Regina turned back to David and opened her mouth to say something to him, anything. That she loved him, that no matter what she did in the past or what he thought of her now, nothing changed that. But when she noticed his eyes, lit with pure and utter joy and on Mary Margaret, she stopped herself. The raven-haired beauty was running towards him, beaming and laughing as they shared their small whisper.

"You found me."

Regina froze, paralyzed like one of her cursed statues and no matter how hard she wanted to run, she couldn't will herself to move. So she watched the scene play out before her eyes. And as their lips met and their prolonged declarations of love were made, Regina felt her heart bleed and shatter like broken glass, piercing shards tearing at her soul.

She was running, running out of the room, crashing into somebody, toppling over, stumbling up again and running…running…running. Hot tears blinded her vision and she was on the floor again, oblivious to the nurse she had crashed into. She was back up again and furiously wiping away the tears, she kept on running.

…

It wasn't long before Regina's legs gave in and she collapsed onto the bed, and in the safe confinements of her room, away from preying eyes and mocking laughs, she crumbled. She clutched onto her pillow like a child holding their teddy on a stormy night and buried her head into the soft material, drenching the case with her salty tears. Shallow gasps, a running nose, trembling sides and spilling tears: Regina Mills couldn't stop herself from breaking.

Regina tried to gain control over herself again, to wipe away her tears, compose herself and plan what she would do next. Yet as soon as she would stop crying Snow and Charming's kiss would burn into her mind again like melted wax, stamped into her brain, and she would break all over again.

Perhaps this was why she couldn't hear the booming knocks coming from below, the ferocious roars coming from the livid mob or the smash and clatter of her door being kicked down, but she couldn't miss the pounding footsteps that were heading for her room.

Regina looked up towards the door and wiped away her tears with the back of her hands, preparing herself for the raging mob, wanting her blood. A bitter laugh pushed through her lips. She wasn't fearful of them or death, but exhausted. In her current state Regina felt that she could embrace death with opened arms and a broken heart.

A wisp of smoke caught the corner of her eye and she stood up and walked towards her window, her eyes rounding at the sight. Lavender smoke was flowing like a running river, waves and layers of the enchanting fluff smothered the lands and engulfed the buildings as it made its way towards her. Regina cast another glance at the door, her eyes narrowing vindictively as she heard the mob near. They wanted their Queen, so be it.

"Regina!"

Doctor Whale burst through the door, the mass behind him, yelling and waving their fists in the air. Regina stifled an amusing laugh, the foolish idiots came unarmed, and she half expected them to be clutching torches and pitchforks.

Regina glanced at the enraged crowd before her eyes flickered back to Whale, an amused smirk dancing on her lips. "Can I help you?"

"That smirk, isn't going to last forever Regina. You took away everything from us and now you're going to suffer."

Regina repressed an eye roll as she advanced towards him like a wolf hunting its prey. "Listening to you has been suffering for all of us," she snapped, shoving him towards the door. "That's right," she turned to the crowd, the smirk back on her lips. "You wanted your Queen, well my dears. Here. She. Is!"

Something was wrong. Regina blinked back at her fingers, her face falling with horror as she stared at her powerless hands. Her magic wasn't working.

Regina gasped as she felt Whale jerk her towards two meaty ready men and she struggled against their grip.

"Unhand me!" she commanded, venom dripping from her voice.

Whale chuckled at her fruitless attempts and clenched her chin, tilting her head up so his dark eyes locked onto hers. "Now, where were we?" He turned to the other man and tilted his head towards the door. "Take her outside."

Regina felt the crowd cheer and holler as she was dragged downstairs and out to the front of her house, Doctor Whale leading the mob. Regina fought viciously against their clutches, watching fearfully at the people who cheered for her death. Then Regina stopped struggling when she remembered today's events. She didn't care about death or whatever Whale and these people had planned for her. She had lost the only people she still cared for, Henry and David, and found no reason to continue her existence. Regina stood up to her full height and drew her shoulders back, meeting their gaze with piercing, stormy eyes. Her gaze locked onto Doctor Whale's, ferocious flames lit in her eyes when his lips curled into a smug smirk.

"Wait!"

Regina's eyes shot up and saw Mary Margaret, David and Emma running breathlessly towards her. David violently pulled Whale away from her as Mary Margaret pushed her way through the crowd.

"Stop! No matter what Regina did, it does not justify this," she cried, a hint of disgust in her voice as she stared at the crowd with horror. "We are not murderers."

Regina's lips curled at Snow White and Prince Charming's predictable heroic actions. She glanced at David and Whale, both men seething as they shot venomous words at each other. Regina's chest tightened painfully and she quickly averted her gaze. Mary Margaret was at the top of the steps, her eyes falling to the turmoil that had broken out.

"Regina's death won'tprovide any answers."

"Why should we spare her?" A chubby, stout man shouted from the crowd. "We shouldn't be doing her any favours, not after everything she's done to us."

"Because I'm still Sheriff," Emma spoke up, her eyes narrowed, challenging the man to question her. "And I made a promise to my son, which I will keep."

Regina gaped at Emma, certain that she had misheard. Emma sensed Regina's shock and turned to her, a small smile touching her lips. "He wanted me to protect you, and I gave him my word."

Regina's faced softened and a small smile graced her lips as she lowered her eyes to hide her secret happiness. Somewhere deep inside, he still cared for her. Mary Margaret's face softened in admiration for her daughter when the man spoke again.

"So we're just going to let her go?"

Mary Margaret glanced at Regina before she replied. "She needs to be locked up, for her safety and ours."

Regina could feel his eyes burning into her skin, and though she couldn't see his face she could feel the pity, guilt and absolute loathing darken his eyes.

"No."

Everyone searched for the voice, pairs of stunned eyes landing on David. Regina felt the burning glare of his scrutiny and met his hardened gaze.

"What?" Mary Margret asked.

"I need to speak to her."

Mary Margaret's eyes widened. "Speak to-"

Her sentence was never finished. David grabbed Regina's arms and dragged her into the house, slamming the door behind him. Regina fought against his clutches, but his hold only tightened.

"Charming, release me this instant!"

David slammed her against the wall and pinned her arms to the sides, his heavy, furious breaths brushing her face.

"Why did you do this?" he bellowed, his sides shaking with rage.

Regina's eyes flashed angrily, an enraged scowl crossing her face as she violently shoved him off her. "Perhaps you should ask your wife and more importantly, what your precious Snow did to me."

David shook his head incredulously at her, too angry to acknowledge her reply. "Everything!" he shouted, his face darkening. "You took everything away from me, from us" he paused, trying to calm down his heavy breaths. His eyes shut as David's past memories drifted back to him, tightening his heart.

Confusion consumed Charming's mind. He remembered Regina telling David about her loss Fiancé, her struggle to mend her relationship with her son and the sacrifices she made for him. He had always known the Evil Queen to be filled with cruelty, loathing and a blackened heart, yet the Regina David Nolan knew was strong, resolved and would do anything for him or her son. The Regina David Nolan knew loved him unconditionally. He swallowed the sticky lump that had formed in his throat, his mouth drying as if filled with cobwebs.

"Did you mean it?"

Regina's eyes rounded at the question, confusion passing her eyes. "What?"

Anger pulsed through him again and he pushed her back against the wall. "Did you mean it?"

Regina struggled against his grasp and fiercely glaring at him she refused to answer.

David slowly released her, his eyes widening when he realised the reality, because in the end he always knew the answer. "No…of course you didn't," he whispered, staring at her with disbelief. "Everything you did with David Nolan, everything you said to him…you were acting on your revenge against Snow. You were trying to hurt her."

Regina's face slowly fell when she realised what he meant. She sensed the hurt in his voice, not only when he mentioned his hurt wife but also when he realised that this whole time, David Nolan had been a pawn in Regina's ploy for revenge. That she never really loved him. "David-"

David shook his head before his fist collided angrily into the wall, centimetres from Regina's head. Regina winced. "And he succumbed to your charms and hurt the woman I love. And I betrayed her, because of you."

She should leave, agree with him and let Mary Margaret take her to her cell. It didn't matter anyway. Yet deep inside Regina couldn't bear that he didn't know the truth, that the unconditional and irrevocable love Regina held for him was not a lie.

"That's not true."

David turned to face her, a furrow creasing his eyebrows.

Regina lowered her eyes and walked past him, rubbing her thighs with her hands as she took a deep breath. "Yes," she whispered, meeting his gaze. "I admit, initially my actions were done in attempts to seduce you so you would leave Mary Margaret. Then later on I felt myself…"Regina paused, struggling to collect her thoughts together and choose the correct words. Finally she sighed and met his eyes again. "During the past few months, I meant every word I said to you."

David's frown deepened as he stared at her, certain that he had misheard her. "What?"

Regina shook her head and folded her arms together, deeply regretting that she said anything. "I truly did."

The door swung open and Mary Margaret hurried in and stepped past Regina to her husband.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly, reading her concerned expression.

"We should go soon, their restless out there and still call for Regina's death. Nothing I say will change their minds." Mary Margaret paused, a small smile touching her lips when she met Charming's warm, kind eyes.

James breathed a chuckle at her foolish smile, a sparkle in his eye. "What is it?"

"I'm just so happy to have you back," she said softly, brushing her lips against his.

Yet as she kissed him David found himself frowning, a strange feeling churning inside him. He loved Snow White with all his heart, yet something at the back of his mind was urging him to leave. He didn't feel the rush of heat, the thunder of his heart or the tingling sensation that he always experienced with one of Snow's kiss. It was the same at the hospital too: he felt nothing.

"Oh spare me," Regina spat, repressing an eye roll as she stepped passed them. "If you're both done I suggest we leave before they break down my door."

Regina hoped that her current demeanour would mask her pain, the stab in her broken heart, and thankfully it worked.

David studied her. If what she said was true then surely she still didn't hold feelings for him, she may have loved David Nolan but certainly she didn't feel the same for James Charming. David shook his head, for all he knew he had been right and she could be lying in attempts to weaken her consequences. Yet she had sounded so sincere and almost looked embarrassed at herself for confessing the truth to him. David met her eyes; her sharp, cold eyes and knew for sure that no matter what she said, she still loathed him. Yet he couldn't let it slide, he had to be sure.

"Regina, earlier-" he began.

"We should get going," Regina said hurriedly, cutting him off as she reached the door.

Mary Margaret stared curiously at the both of them, wondering what they had talked about earlier but knew it wasn't the time to ask.

David stared closely at Regina, and though she was struggling to maintain her aloof, controlled stature, he saw her lower her eyes, and when her eyes saddened he felt a wave of sympathy wash over him and a strange, cold pang run through his heart. Perhaps it was his genuine, compassionate nature that drove his next actions, because he suddenly hurried forward and spoke just before she opened the door.

"Wait, is it really necessary for Regina to be locked up? Can't we just put her on house arrest?"

David received astonished looks from both Snow and Regina.

"What?" Snow asked, confusion creasing her features.

David shrugged sheepishly. "Does it really matter where she's locked up? It's easier this way, we won't have to move her anywhere or worry about supplying her with necessities whilst she stays there, but focus on finding Gold. She has no magic to protect herself so she won't risk leaving the house."

David mentally scolded himself, why was he trying to help her after everything she did to them? Yet he couldn't erase the past memories they had together when he was David and it opened up a completely different side of Regina nobody else knew.

"Fine," Snow replied slowly, peering at David with uncertainty. "We should leave then and find Gold."

David paused at the doorway and turned to Regina, opening his mouth to speak before he stopped himself.

"David," Regina quickly called, meeting his gaze. "Just…look after my son."

Regina hadn't seen him since he stood by her side during David's death and was deeply concerned about him, but was sure that (even though he wanted Emma to protect her), he would be accompanying Emma, Mary Margaret and David for a while. David nodded in reply before he left with Mary Margaret.

Regina watched them leave; still in shock that they let her stay but more importantly, that David suggested it. He knew she had been telling the truth, she could see it in his eyes and his previous actions proved it. He knew she still cared for him…yet he walked away, because he loved Mary Margaret.

Regina's teeth dug into her lower lip as she fell back against the wall, surrendering to her tears. Perhaps this was fitting, Snow kills her true love and she kills her father, she curses them to this new world and Snow ensures that she will live a loveless life there, she breaks the curse and David breaks her heart… And yet, after everything he'd done to her now, the absolute control he seemed to have over her mind, she still loved him.

Regina was suddenly drawn to the mirror facing her, half expecting Sidney's face to emerge in its luminous depths with the breaking of the curse. Her reflection seemed to rise towards her, hot tears bled from her eyes and splattered her gown, mascara and makeup smudged and bruised her skin and her dark curls were dishevelled as if she was roughly woken up from a nightmare.

The mirror had always shown her nothing but beauty, had titled her to be the fairest of them all, had served as a constant reminder of her enduring power. Yet now Regina barely had self-control over herself, now the mirror only mocked her, laughing at her tears, her weakness and her pathetic love for a man who in all likelihood wished she were never born.

A penetrating, bloodcurdling scream hurtled from her mouth and her fist collided into the mirror, shattering her reflection. The glass cracked and fractured, raining down in chunky shards with a crashing tinkle. Regina collapsed onto her knees and cried.

Instinctively she reached for the locket that hung around her neck and stroked the cool heart fondly for a few moments before she opened it and examined the photo. David smiling lovingly, her eyes lost in his as he brushes his lips against her hand, his eyes confessing his love to her. She remembered when he had given her this jewel in the forest, where he formally declared his undying love for her and promised to always be there for her…to never love another. But that was David Nolan, not James Charming.

The tears ceased as she allowed her eyes to linger over the photo, letting herself live in that moment for one more minute. Regina snapped the locket shut, breaking out of the memory. She brought the crimson heart to her lips and breathed into the cold jewel as she closed her eyes in remembrance once more.

She couldn't deny it: the mirror as always, simply showed her the truth. She was not the Evil Queen, nor was she Storybrook's strong, resolved Mayor. She was a heavy, rotting heart, filled with years of self-hatred, anguish and pain that were suddenly released in one scream, destroying her reflection. So how could David Nolan, no…how could Prince Charming ever love her?

Regina stood on shaky legs and ignored the cries her knuckles made from the stinging, bloody cuts. She went to clean up the glass and the winking shard caught her eye, mirroring the damaged woman, and as she examined the mess she couldn't help but laugh bitterly. She was just like the glass; ruined, damaged, beyond repair and broken. Yes, Regina thought as she glanced at the shattered remains once more. She was broken.

Phew that was a lot, so please tell me what you think. I really struggled with this, trying to show David's conflicting feelings and emotions for Regina and Snow, Regina's deep, painful emotions and her struggle to mask it and I know I only briefly mentioned Henry, but I promise they'll be more of him next chapter. As you can tell I am altering this fic slightly from the show, adding my own twist to the aftermath of the curse, which I hope will work out nicely. And I'm trying to create parallels between David and Daniel, if anyone's picked up on the one in here. And adding dialogue and other bits in the show into my fic, but in different scenarios. Enough rambling, please tell me what you think, as this chapter took me nights to write to get it to that perfect stage! And I have a vague idea of what I'm going to have in the next update but it's not fully planned out like this one was, so bare with me while I'll try to get it up. Thanks again!

Lydia :-)