Next chapter is in progress, but so are finals and a fifty hour work week. Hopefully this'll tide you over until next week when I'm able to regain a little of my sanity. :) Thanks for sticking with it and for the reviews, favorites and follows! They are the fuel.

Holiday Spirit

Chapter 12

David had just put the last clean plate from lunch in the cupboard when Regina appeared in the doorway. She didn't say anything, just stood there watching him. Her silk shirt was wrinkled, hair was slightly mussed and her eyes were still puffy from sleep, but she looked much better than she had the last time he had seen her.

He cleared his throat, pushing himself off the counter, but didn't know how to start. She only blinked at him.

"I'm sorry," he finally said. "I shouldn't have left like that. And I didn't mean for it to take so long…I just…" He sighed heavily, searching for words. Regina's lack of reaction wasn't helping him out at all.

"When did you get here?" she asked quietly, her expression unchanging.

"About an hour ago. You were asleep and I didn't want to wake you, so I moved Benjamin up to the nursery. Henry's been keeping the others occupied."

She nodded, but didn't say anything more and it was throwing him off. He'd expected anger or frustration, not this. Unlike this morning, she wasn't giving him a fight.

After another minute of silence and her gaze lingering on him making him shift uncomfortably, he took a step forward. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know…tell me off for leaving, yell at me, ask me what Snow and I talked about? Throw things maybe?"

Regina rubbed an eye lightly, clearing the sleep. "I'm tired, David. Too tired to fight."

There was a pause and then suddenly, David chuckled. That got a reaction from Regina.

"You find something about this funny?" she nearly growled.

David stopped laughing, but his smile remained. "It's just that, for a second, we actually sounded like a married couple."

Regina looked horrified for a brief second, but then a small smile appeared as she tilted her head. "I suppose we did." Her face twisting in confusion, she asked, "But shouldn't that terrify us, not make us laugh?"

"Probably," he agreed, "but with the day we've had, I think we're allowed to find it funny."

Regina smiled genuinely and then padded into the kitchen, pulling herself up onto a stool across the counter from him. "While I am tired, I suppose we should talk about your conversation with Snow; at least, the parts relevant to our situation."

He nodded, leaning back against the counter behind him. "She's understandably freaked out. Apparently the man she's married to in this time isn't even from the Enchanted Forest. He was a guy on a road trip who got lost and slipped past the town line when the barrier was down."

"That's not possible," Regina said. "And even if it was, outsiders don't stay in Storybrooke. Doesn't he have a home? A family?"

"I don't know what to tell you. He's here. We don't know a whole lot about him, but he came into the diner a little after you'd left and Snow and I went down to talk. The only memories he has of this town are of coming into it."

"He doesn't know about magic or who any of us are," she said, fear and fascination warring across her features. "But he would have noticed waking up to a complete stranger in a house that probably has pictures of the two of them together. Not to mention that he's surrounded by a whole town of amnesiacs."

"He's not taking it too badly, considering. It could have gone much worse. But he doesn't know the whole story yet. People were surprised he hasn't taken off, but it seems his curiosity is winning out."

"Is he going to be a problem?" Regina asked.

"I didn't spend a whole lot of time with him, but honestly? No. He seems like a nice guy and I don't think he'll cause trouble."

"Soo…" Regina tapped the counter as she studied him.

"What?"

"You're stalling," she told him. "While interesting, I didn't need to know any of what you just told me. So what is it?"

He grimaced. "I know that you've been handling this mostly on your own so far and it's my fault. I'm going to start helping you out, I promise, but...Snow wants a little normalcy tonight."

Regina laughed bitterly. "As if there's anything normal going on right now." She put her face in her hands, shaking her head a bit before looking back up at him. "So she wants you back home tonight?"

David shrugged a shoulder. "As close as we can get to home, yes. She wants to rent a room at Granny's for now. Obviously we won't be going to her house and Emma and Neal are in the apartment."

"They're not going to like it," she told him, pointing a finger at the ceiling above them. They both knew she was referring to the children.

"I know," David sighed. "I promise I'll talk to them before I go. And I'll stick around for the rest of the day. I told Snow that I'll be splitting my time for now and that I will need to be available if anything comes up. You still have my cell number?"

She nodded. "I checked this morning. Apparently you're in my favorites now."

"I'm honored," he said dramatically, placing a hand to his chest. "And you're under wifey."

At the glare she gave him, he pulled out his cellphone, laughing. "I'm kidding. You're still just Regina, but apparently I've called you fifty seven times this month." He scrolled through something on his phone. "And there are some very interesting texts on here."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Do I want to know?"

Shaking his head, David laughed. "No, probably not. We were disgustingly domestic." His eyes widened as he continued scrolling and his face turned a shade of pink. "Among…other things."

She sat up a bit straighter at that and her eyes narrowed.

"But there are some great pictures on here of the kids," he said, trying to change the subject.

"Really?" Regina stretched forward to try and catch a glimpse of the screen, so he came around to her side of the counter, leaning next to her.

He began scrolling through the various photos; Benjamin laughing, the twins covered in marker, Isabella playing dress up. There were a few with David making silly faces alongside them, Regina kissing the top of Ben's head, smiling as she braided Isabella's hair, hugging both the twins as they all grinned for the camera. It was surreal. They both let out a laugh at a picture where the twins were playing in bubbles overflowing from the tub – apparently so eager to get in that they were both still wearing their clothes. Ellie was in the tub while Oliver had one leg in, still in the process of climbing over the edge.

David swiped his thumb once more and a picture of Regina smiled brightly back at him. What sobered them both was that David's arm was just visible in the frame, wrapped around the front of her shoulders and he was pressing a kiss to the side of her head. It was obvious he'd taken the picture himself with his free hand and they were both laughing.

Regina pulled back and David stood up straight, clearing his throat and clicking his phone off. They were saved from the awkward moment when the twins came skidding around the corner, yelling, "Mommy, mommy!"

Regina had just enough time to slip from the stool before the two toddlers barreled into her, hugging her tightly around the legs.

"You awake!" Ellie laughed.

"We maded you a present!" Oliver told her proudly, neither of them giving her a chance to speak.

"It's pretty!" Ellie said proudly.

"And we worked really, really hard, mommy!"

"Izzy!" Ellie yelled. "Mommy's awake!"

"I'm here," Izzy said, appearing in the doorway with her hands behind her back, a piece of paper peeking out.

"Did you bring it?" Oliver whispered, slipping his hand into Ellie's as they both giggled.

Regina laughed at their adorable attempt at secrecy and looked toward Izzy expectantly. "I heard you have something for me?"

Izzy grinned, waving Henry in from behind her. "Well," she started, "We knew you were sad, and Henry thought this might make you feel better." With that, she pulled the large card from behind her back and walked close enough to hand it to Regina. "We all worked on it," she added.

Regina gasped as she studied the card, taking in all of the drawings her children had covered every inch with. There were scribbles, stick figures, their house, hearts and stars; all bright, colorful and filling her with warmth. "It's beautiful," she told them, carefully opening it up to read the words Izzy had carefully spelled out: 'We Love Mommy'. There was glitter spread across the page, and this time when Regina looked down at her children, she noticed the evidence of their afternoon art project. All of them had glitter on their hands and there were smudges of it on the twins' cheeks. Their hands were also covered in marker, and even Henry had a little on him from helping the twins.

"Daddy was gonna help, too," Izzy explained. "But he said you'd like it more if it was just from us."

She looked up then, catching David's eye, and he blushed slightly.

"Thank you," she said more quietly, and she saw his head tilt the slightest bit in acknowledgement. He knew she was thanking him for allowing her to have this. She bent down then, gathering her children in a giant hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she told them, kissing each of their cheeks as they giggled and squirmed. "Look at all of you. You're a mess!" She licked her thumb and swiped it across Oliver's cheek. "I think it's bath time."

"No!" the twins cried together. "No, mommy!"

"Oh, yes. But I'll make you a deal. If you're good, we'll have a pajama day. Movies and games and dinner all in our pajamas. How does that sound?"

"Really?" Izzy yelled excitedly. "Promise?!"

"I promise."

"Yay! Me first!" she called out, racing for the stairs, the twins hot on her heels.

"Careful, my darlings!" Regina called. "And no running the water until I'm up there." She walked up to Henry, kissing his cheek. "Thank you, baby. You've been a wonderful help."

He smiled before also turning toward the stairs.

Regina looked over at David, hesitating for a moment before asking, "Would you mind running the water and keeping an eye on them while I change?"

He blinked at her in confusion.

"Well, I'm not very well going to give them a bath wearing silk," she told him, gesturing at her blouse. She was amazed she had managed to keep it clean this long.

"No, it's just…" he trailed off. "You want me to help?"

She'd known that's what he'd meant; it was why she'd hesitated to ask, but… "You expect me to bathe two rambunctious toddlers on my own?"

"I guess not. But I…I've never done this before," he told her, and she noticed the concern in his expression. He hadn't, she realized. He'd never had the chance to raise his child because of her, and she swallowed heavily.

All sarcasm gone from her voice, she said, "You'll be fine. Just make sure the water's a good temperature – not too warm – and they'll probably want bubble bath. You'll only need a cap-full, and you'll most likely find it under the sink. I'll be there soon."

"Okay." He was surprised by the softness in her tone as she told him what to do. He couldn't help but look back at her over his shoulder as he walked away, and when she gave him the most tentative of smiles, he was surprised to find himself returning it.