I'm in the stages of deciding how many chapters are left and trying not to hang on so tightly to my favorite story that I can't finish writing it. Oh, the struggle. About this one, well...sorry. Tonight is milkshake, fries, music, muse and booze, which means wriiiiting. Off to start on that so you guys can have the next chapter before May.

Holiday Spirit

Chapter 27

For the first time in the weeks that Regina and David had been sharing a bed, Regina had allowed herself to fall asleep in David's arms, and it had been wonderful. She'd woken up in his arms every morning anyway, and it had been a relief to finally give into it. It had been safe, warm, and with the lateness of the hour and how right it felt, it was the easiest she'd ever fallen asleep.

She stretched lazily, reveling in the warmth of the blankets before turning over. She frowned when she reached an arm out to find empty air. She rolled over again to squint at the alarm clock and was surprised to see it was already ten. It was no surprise that she'd slept so late after being so tired, but she was curious why no one had woken her; especially if David was already up.

She stood up, stretching and slipping her feet into her slippers. It was as she was pulling on her robe that she realized why something seemed off. It was quiet. Dead quiet. Not even the faint sound of the coffee maker downstairs. The realization created a feeling of dread that slowly curled in the pit of her stomach and she carefully made her way across the hallway to Ben's room. Opening the door, she inhaled sharply when she found a computer desk with a shelf of books to the left of it; her spare office. Gone was the crib, the changing table, the basket of toys. Ben's presence had been completely erased from the room.

With quicker steps, she made her way to the twin's room; storage once more. Isabella's was the empty room it had always been.

Holding a hand up to her mouth as she felt panic set in, she opened Henry's door. The bed was made, a comic book out on the desk as if someone had just been reading it. It was the room of a twelve year old boy, and she took a shaky breath as she turned to make her way downstairs.

"David?" she called out, hoping somehow this was all a dream and that she'd wake up from it any second, but knowing the opposite was true. "David?" She searched the entire first floor, but there was no one. The Christmas decorations, the tree, the food; all of it was gone. The house was empty, the children and David were gone with no proof they'd ever been there.

Letting out a sob, she sunk down against the wall next to the stairs.

She was alone.

Across town, David had woken only an hour earlier. He woke in a fog, something feeling off about the person tucked up against him, and he sat up with a jolt, realizing it was Snow at his side and not Regina.

The abrupt movement woke her, and she looked over at him in confusion before taking in her surroundings. "David?" she asked, and then put a hand to her flat stomach, face falling as she realized, "It's over."

He pulled off the covers, standing and moving quickly around the room, hopping a bit at the cold feel of the floor on his feet; he'd grown accustomed to the soft carpet at Regina's. Snow stared at him as he rifled through the pile of clothes in one of the chairs.

"What are you doing?"

But her question was answered a moment later as he pulled his phone from the pocket of one of his jeans. She watched as he scrolled through his phone frantically and then looked up at her.

"They're gone."

"What?"

"The pictures, the videos, the messages. Everything's gone. It's really done. The spell is over."

Snow pulled the blanket down as she sat up straighter, taking in his lost expression. She was feeling the same, having allowed herself to grow excited about having another child, feeling that child grow within her, and sharing it all with a man she'd grown close to. A man who was now gone. She wanted to say something to comfort David, but she couldn't come up with the words. Instead she sat, mouth hanging open as her jaw worked, but no sound came out. Finally she swallowed. "What do we do?"

He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know." He tapped his thumb against the screen of his phone, the need to call Regina rising within him, but what would he say? Was she awake yet? Why hadn't she called him?

But then those were stupid questions, he knew, because he'd been the one to assure her that nothing between them had to change, that he was willing to go the distance to make them work, but she hadn't believed him. If she was indeed awake, she wouldn't be the one to reach out to him.

"You should call her," Snow urged him. "I'd call Derek, but...I don't know his number," she added softly, sadness growing in her expression.

David brought his hand down to his side, watching his wife. It wouldn't be fair to call Regina in front of her, not when she didn't have the same option. He sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair when he heard thundering footsteps on the stairs above them. He walked out to find Henry stumbling down the steps, a stricken expression on his face and a half-asleep and confused Emma trailing more slowly behind him.

"We're back," Henry told him miserably, throwing himself at David, who wrapped the boy in a tight hug as he started to cry. "I didn't want to come back," he cried. "This isn't fair."

David shook his head sadly at his daughter as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, looking at them with concern. "I know, buddy, it doesn't seem fair does it?" he asked. "But we'll get through it. It doesn't have to stay like this."

"Why did that stupid woman have to do this, though? She said she was helping but she was lying! How are we supposed to fix this?"

David held Henry tighter, shaking his head helplessly. "I'm not sure, Henry." Floundering for the right thing to do in the moment, he glanced at the kitchen behind him. "How about I make us a nice big breakfast and we can work something out together?"

Henry took a step back, wiping his eyes. "You mean like a plan to fix it?"

"Yeah," he encouraged. "Like one of your operations."

Henry looked back at Emma and over at Snow who'd come to join them at the sight of her crying grandson. "All of us?"

They both nodded, Snow giving him a small smile and Emma nudging his shoulder. "Yeah, kid. All of us."

"Okay," he sniffed, fresh tears gone as he wiped the rest of them from his face. "Can we have pancakes?"

Snow chuckled as she moved to stand behind the counter. "I don't see why not."

Just as they were sitting down to their full plates, there was a knock on the door and everyone froze, looking toward it with trepidation. Neal maybe, or Derek, somehow having found his way, or Regina, but none of them seemed likely. Neal would know better than to show up without warning, Derek wouldn't know to find Snow at the apartment, was too gentlemanly to show up at the home she shared with her husband even if he did, and Regina would consider seeking him out to be beneath her; a form of begging. Something she would never do.

Still...there's someone waiting on the other side, and by the sound of the more insistent second knock, they were growing impatient.

David was the one to finally work up the nerve to cross the apartment and pull the door open.

"Gold," he said in surprised confusion. "What are you doing here?"

Mr. Gold stood in the doorway, casually leaning against his cane. "Ever the polite greeting with you Charmings," he said. "I had come as a favor to you, but if it's an inconvenient time, I can always-"

As he turned to go, David huffed in irritation. Of course it wasn't a good time, but a visit from Gold had peaked his curiosity, and while he'd normally be happy to see the man go, he wondered if he might have some useful information for them about what had happened.

"No," he called. "Now's fine. Come in."

Gold raised an eyebrow at the lack of enthusiasm, a small smirk playing at his lips. "The town found themselves in quite the predicament there for a while," he commented, stepping past David and into the small apartment.

David shook his head at the man before shutting the door, rolling his eyes at the constant drama the man felt the need to create. "And?"

"And I thought you might be interested in a trinket I happened across a while ago in my shop. At first, I thought I'd keep it for myself, but after recent events, I've changed my mind."

David looked over at Snow and Emma, but they both shrugged.

"What is it?" he snapped.

Gold reached into his pocket, pulling out a small chain that he let dangle from his fingers. "This look familiar to you?"

David stood silently for a moment, shock overcoming him as he stared at the object. "My mother's necklace!" he exclaimed. Snapping out of it enough to take the necklace from Gold, he held it carefully in the palm of his hand. "Where did you get this?"

"Well, I'd acquired it quite a few years ago in a deal with your mother, but I'd forgotten about it until recently when Belle and I were doing inventory of my shop. I certainly don't have need for it anymore."

David narrowed his eyes on the man, suspicion creeping in. "And you're just going to give this to me now; no strings, no deals?"

"This once, yes."

"Why?"

Gold's features softened slightly in an uncharacteristic move for him. "The few week's experience we had turned out quite well for me, and I wouldn't mind moving the pieces around a bit to keep that future secured. I believe this particular piece," he gestured to the necklace still cradled in David's palm, "plays a significant role in your future."

David swallowed, looking down at the necklace as well. "It does," he nodded.

"And so there you have it; no strings, no deals," Gold told him, turning on his heel. He didn't bother closing the door on his way out, so David moved over slowly, still transfixed on the pendant as he pushed the door closed.

"What is that?" Snow asked, coming over to peer down at what had shocked David.

"My mother's necklace," he told her. "She lost it when I was only a teenager, but it was meant to be given to the woman I married, passed down to our daughter and our daughter's daughter."

"And Regina had it," Snow guessed.

He nodded.

"You should go to her," she told him softly.

He pulled his coat from the coat rack, pulling it on as he glanced over at the breakfast table and his untouched plate of food.

"Can I come with you?" Henry asked hopefully.

"Later, buddy," David told him. "I've got something I need to do first." He turned to Snow. "Thank you," he told her sincerely, and then he was out the door.