May 12th 2013
David smiled as he watched Henry carrying the food platter toward the barbecue area. It was mother's day and the men had decided they would treat Emma and Regina to a day of pampering. They would take care of everything while the two women enjoyed some relaxation time. David watched the two most important women in his life as they sat on the grass, letting the wind play with their hair.
Henry had insisted they go to the park but Regina had been hesitant until David had finally coerced the truth out of her. She had been afraid of the town's judgmental glares that would surely accompany their first outing together. David had then spent an hour convincing her that the town could judge all they wanted but it would not change the way he felt about her or the way their family supported the burgeoning relationship. She had eventually agreed, remembering the happy time they had shared the last time they had come to the park.
David smiled at her before blowing her a kiss. Regina blushed, uncertain about public display of affection. She eventually returned the kiss, trying to ignore the cynical looks on everyone's faces. Emma laughed softly in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Please tell me you've brought some food…. you know in case of a disaster." Emma pointed toward the two manning the barbecue.
"No, Miss Swan, I have not…."
"Emma."
Regina blushed. "Emma." This would take some getting used to. Despite David's, Archie's, and Henry's reassurances that Henry would always consider her as his mother, she still felt a pang of jealousy toward the woman who had given birth to her son. "David is actually a half-decent cook."
Emma smirked. "Coming from you, that's high praise." Regina was shocked by Emma's bluntness but the blonde laughed it off. "But I suspected as much already."
"Why?" Regina was genuinely confused. Because of her, David had not spent as much time with Emma as they should have. Although they had both told her that they had plenty of time to get to know each other once she felt better, Regina felt guilty about separating the two of them again.
Emma laughed. "Unlike David, Neal is hopeless in the kitchen… and so am I. But Henry is used to perfectly prepared meals and can't stop complaining. He said that even David could manage to make an omelette."
Regina feared the worst. "What has he been eating?"
"At Granny's"
Regina sighed. "Any chance for fruits and vegetables?"
"Yeah…. you raised him well. He tends to choose some of the healthier menu items." Regina groaned. Considering the menu, 'healthy' did not mean much.
After the events at the diner, Henry had stayed with Emma and Neal. He had mopped around, asking about his adoptive mother, about when she would be coming to get him. Although Emma could relate to his feelings of abandonment, she had to remind herself that Henry had brought the situation on himself. Instead of coddling him further, she had confronted him with the issue. If he wanted to spend time with Regina, he had to take the first step and apologize. Henry had waited another two days before gathering his courage and knocking on Regina's door. As Archie had predicted, she had welcomed her son back with open arms.
Neal flipped the burgers as David sipped on his beer watching Regina and Emma like a hawk. "How is she doing?"
The question brought David out of his reverie. He sighed. There was no easy way to answer. "According to Archie, good. She is finally dealing with her past."
"But?"
David made sure that Henry was out of earshot before answering. "Her nightmares are getting worst. She is hardly able to sleep at night."
Neal nodded. He had noticed that Regina's makeup barely concealed the bags under her eyes. "Anything Archie can do?"
David shook his head. "Whale prescribed her some sedatives to help her sleep… but they only made the whole thing worst. They don't stop her from dreaming but keep her asleep. She almost clawed her skin out a few nights ago before I finally woke her up."
Neal let his eyes wander over the bandage on Regina's arm. He had never known the Evil Queen but regardless of her past, no one deserved what was happening to her. "Listen, if… if you need a break… I can stay with her."
David was taken aback by the offer. The people ready to help Regina could be counted on one hand. He smiled before shaking his head. "That's… that's really nice of you… but I can't… She needs me right now."
Neal admired the man's willingness to stay by Regina's side. "If you ever need help, the offer stands."
"Thank you… but… I'm not sure how anyone can help her… including me." David inhaled deeply. "She is seeing Archie everyday. Either alone or with me or Henry." Neal nodded. Emma had strongly suggested to Henry that he set up the twice-a-week session between him, Regina, and Archie. "But… I'm not sure whether it's helping. After every session with me or alone, she can barely breathe. At first, we were able to calm her… but…" David's eyes filled with tears.
"You're ok?" Neal gave the man some time to recompose himself. When Henry had suggested the family get-together, Emma had seen the opportunity to give David some support. Her father tried to stay strong for Regina but no one was helping him deal with his own emotions. After the 'incident' on Friday, Emma had convinced Neal to be a sounding board for her father. She could not do it herself since the man would not show his weakness in front of his daughter. Since it had meant so much to her, Neal had eventually agreed.
David nodded slowly. "She doesn't deserve this."
Neal flipped the burgers once more. "What happened on Friday?"
David inhaled sharply. "Archie encouraged her to talk about her nightmare. She refused. She had refused to talk about it with me after it happened as well." Regina had confided in him several times. Talking about the nightmares seemed to help her deal with them. "He pushed until… until she screamed her story." David shivered at the memory. "She started hyperventilating... but we couldn't get her to focus her breathing. After twenty minutes, we took her to the hospital. Whale sedated her for the night. You know the rest."
Neal slowly nodded. After receiving David's panic call, Emma had rushed to the hospital. Her father had been sitting in a chair watching helplessly as the woman he loved had been restrained for her own safety. Emma had stayed at the hospital that night, leaving Neal in charge of Henry. "David, you don't have to be doing this alone."
David was watching Regina and Emma laugh. He was happy she could get some respite. "I'm not alone." He smiled. "I have her."
EC
After their meal, the adults watched Henry try to fly his kite. Regina was settled in-between David's thighs, his arm wrapped securely around her waist while Emma and Neal sat side-by-side. The blonde had confided that she was willing to give Neal a second chance but she wanted to make sure he would stick around first. Regina had simply told her that she should not wait too long to get her happy ending.
Regina smiled at her son's failed attempts to get the kite into the air. Henry was getting frustrated so Neal went to help him. Apparently, the father was no more skilled with a kite than the son. Henry finally pointed toward his grandfather. "David could get it to fly."
Regina smirked. "That's because I was helping him."
David feigned the shock and hurt from her words. "I'd let you know I'm an expert at flying a kite."
Emma frowned. "You had kites in the Enchanted Forest?"
David blushed. "No… not exactly."
Emma looked at him confused. "So where did you learn? You were in a coma for twenty-eight years."
Regina smiled. "As I said, he had help."
They all laughed when they realized that Regina had cursed him with the memories of flying a kite. David blushed in embarrassment.
Emma was the first to recover. "Any other skills you got from the curse?"
Regina tried to contain her laughter. "Plenty."
It felt good to hear her laugh. David lowered his head on her shoulder and spoke directly in her ear. "There are some secrets I want to keep from my daughter."
Regina smiled smugly. "It's only fair your daughter knows some secrets about you."
David smiled mischievously. "Then it's only fair your son knows some secrets about you."
Regina searched his eyes, trying to guess the secret he was about to spill. Henry already knew everything about her, at least everything a eleven-year-old boy could know about. David smiled before moving his hand down to tickle her side. Regina giggled uncontrollably at his touch. When he stopped, she bit her lip apprehensively. But the damage had already been done. Emma gasped. "You're ticklish?"
David chuckled. "Extremely."
Henry's face lit up as he thought of all the opportunities this knowledge represented. "Cool!" He kneeled down and started tickling his mother. Regina laughed and squirmed against David, trying to get away from her son's fingers. But David was holding her firmly in place.
The park had fallen quiet, mesmerized by the sight of the Evil Queen caught in a fit of laughter. No one would have guessed that the powerful sorceress could be brought to her knees by a few tickles. Somehow, it made her more human in their eyes and for the first time, the inhabitants of Storybrooke considered the possibility of Regina as their neighbor.
Emma was laughing hard at the sight of the powerful, no-nonsense woman reduced to squirming her way out of her current predicament. She placed a hand on Henry's back. "You need to let your mother catch her breath…"
Henry stopped his assault long enough for his mother to start breathing evenly. She turned her face up to look directly into David's deep blue eyes. "You'll pay for this, Shepherd!"
David laughed. "Oh yeah?" And he started tickling her again, soon to be joined by Henry.
EC
The mansion was filled with the delicious aroma of an apple pie. As soon as they got home from the park, Regina and Henry had gotten to work. They used to bake every Sunday afternoon until she had told him he had been adopted. After that day, he had refused to do anything with her although he had still devoured the apple pies she had prepared for him.
David served a glass of Regina's apple cider to his daughter and Neal. Emma grabbed the glass carefully, as if the liquid was pure poison. David laughed. "I see you had some experience with the cider."
"You could say that." Emma remembered the wave of dizziness that had gripped her on her way out of Storybrooke.
David chuckled. "Don't worry. Regina has several batches. This is mild."
Emma sipped on it unconvincingly. Neal laughed. "You used to hold your liquor better." He stopped laughing immediately when he noticed David's expression. He had forgotten than the young man standing next to him was not his buddy but Emma's father. He shook his head and mumbled an explanation. "Not that I wanted her drunk… just relaxed… no, no, no… this is not what you think… not relaxed in that way.. Oh God… Emma, help me."
The blonde woman smirked. "I think you're digging your own grave just fine by yourself here."
David kept his stern expression, trying hard not to laugh as the poor man was mumbling his way out of his misstep. Not able to hold back any longer, he burst out in laughter. Emma followed suit and soon all three were laughing at the awkwardness of the situation.
Henry and Regina came out of the kitchen. Regina placed the pie on the table while Henry started to set the silverware. He looked at the three adults incredulously. "What's so funny?"
Emma answered her son in-between bursts of laughter. "Just acknowledging our family tree, kid."
Regina tensed. She did not need to be reminded of the homework that had sent her life on a downward spiral. David noticed the change in her demeanor and walked to her side, slowly wrapping one arm around her and pulling her in for a kiss.
Henry looked between the people he now called family and started laughing. Although Regina was more relaxed in David's arms, she did not find the situation particularly laughable. David smiled at her. "I'm now in a relationship with my stepmother-in-law." Regina blushed.
Emma continued. "I'm older than my own father."
Henry kept laughing. "My stepdad is also my grandfather."
Neal bear-hugged Henry. "Your father is over two hundred years old and the son of the Dark One."
Regina growled. "Please, don't remind me of that."
Henry continued. "My stepgrandmother is younger than both of my mothers."
Regina's heart skipped a beat. She looked at David to make sure she had heard Henry correctly. The Prince leaned down and whispered in her ear. "It may not be the most traditional family but we love each other. And at the end of the day, that's what matters." He kissed her cheek. "Although I'm not sure how I feel about Neal yet."
Regina chuckled. "I think you're getting the hang of being a dad." She kissed his cheek. "Here is some motherly advice for you, my dear son-in-law. The more you try to keep your daughter away from him, the more appealing you're making him. Besides, she could do a lot worst."
David laughed softly. "I don't see how. The man made her into a thief, got her pregnant, abandoned her, and let her take the fault for his crimes."
Regina bit down on his earlobe. "But he did it so she could save all of you from my curse. That concept sounds familiar… but I can't quite put my finger on it."
David blushed. "Point taken." He had done the same to Emma. He had put his baby girl into a magical tree trunk so she could return and save all of them.
Henry continued babbling about his tree line when it suddenly hit him. "Mom, you're also my step-great-grandmother and mom, you're also my stepsister." The adults tried to keep track of the tree and shook their heads.
Emma wrapped one arm around her son. "Kid, I think you need to stop here…. I'm starting to get a headache."
Henry was too excited. "But mom you're a Queen."
Regina tried to stop him. "...was a Queen."
"And David, you're also a King." The Prince nodded. "Which means that mom and I are a Princess and a Prince."
Regina smiled. "That's why I called you 'my little Prince'."
Henry smiled. "I'm hungry."
The adults laughed at Henry's ability to jump from one subject to the next. They sat around the table as Regina served each a slice of her apple pie. The next five minutes were spent in silence, absorbed by the succulent desert Regina and Henry had baked for them.
Suddenly, Henry jumped out of his chair and ran around the table to Emma. "I forgot something in the car. I need it…. now. It's very important."
Emma placed a hand on her son's shoulder, trying to calm him down. "Henry, can you wait until we're done?"
Henry shook his head, jumping from one foot to the other. "No… no. It can't. Please… can I get your car keys?" Emma eventually relented and gave Henry the keys to her bug. "Thanks, mom!" He kissed her on her cheek before running out of the mansion.
Henry came back a few minutes later with two wrapped gifts that he offered to his mothers. Regina gasped in surprise. Given the current state of their relationship, she had not expected a gift. Regina had been hurt by his lack of trust at the diner but she had soon resigned herself to be a second choice for her son. Not matter what she did, he would always mistrust her and deep down, she acknowledged she had given him plenty of reasons to do so. When he had come knocking on her door, Regina had let herself hope and when he had offered to go talk to Archie with her, she had truly believed they could work on restoring their relationship. Archie had seemed to agree, especially since they now both had something to atone for. Regina was not the only one who had to prove herself in the eyes of her son; Henry needed to show his mother that he had forgiven her completely. It would take time but Regina was determined to mend her family.
Lost in her thoughts, Regina did not notice the pair of eyes following her every gesture. Henry had put a lot of time and effort into the gift and he hoped his mother would accept it. "Are you… are you gonna open it?" Henry was nervous about his mother's potential rejection. After everything he had said to her, she may not like his gift.
Regina's attention snapped back to the present and her son. "Of course, Henry. I'm… I'm sorry. I… I was just surprised."
Henry nodded. "I know I missed your birthday… and Christmas."
Regina leaned in and kissed his cheek. "It's ok, sweetheart… it's in the past. We both did things that we regret." She looked him directly in the eyes. Henry simply nodded and hugged his mother tightly.
Emma smiled. Their family may not be traditional but for the first time in her life, she felt as if she belonged. And in a lot of ways, she needed to thank Regina for it. Emma could not have hoped for a better mother for Henry. "How about we open them at the same time?"
Regina nodded at the blonde. "Sounds good to me."
Henry sat on Regina's lap as she was opening her present. Regina gasped as she saw the gorgeous wooden box. She ran her fingertips over the carved 'Tree of Life' on the top. Henry smiled at her reaction. "David helped me draw it and Geppetto showed me how to carve it. Do you like it?"
Regina kissed her son's cheek. "I love it, Henry. It's beautiful. Thank you."
Henry shifted excitedly. "Open it."
Regina gasped at the rows of small parchments lined inside the box. Each was rolled up carefully with a ribbon around it. Henry smiled as he explained the gift. "Each of the parchment had a memory of you and I together." Regina's tears welled up in her eyes. This was the most beautiful mother's day gift. "Blue enchanted the box so it's bottomless." Henry looked toward David for confirmation. When the Prince nodded, he continued. "Which means we can add more memories to it."
Regina smiled, her tears finally running down her cheeks. Thankfully, Henry was too excited about the box to notice. She discreetly wiped her tears while Henry selected one of the little parchments at random and handed it to her. She smiled and tried to keep her voice steady. "It's a wonderful idea."
Henry turned toward David. "It was David's idea. He said I needed a place to keep the happy memories safe. So he gave me a jar and told me to start filling it up."
Regina chuckled. "You didn't think of getting him a journal?"
David smirked. "I'm sorry but a jar and a notebook were the only items at my disposal at the time."
Regina smiled. "I love it!"
Henry turned around to look at her. "Open it! Read it!"
Regina unscrolled the note and started reading Henry's memory. She had felt the magic and she suspected that Blue had also enchanted the paper so it would automatically turn the page, allowing Henry to write a lot of text on the small piece of paper. Regina was proven right in the next minute when she started reading a memory of her and Henry at Granny's after school. However, she was not prepared for the surge of emotions that came with reading the text. She could feel Henry's emotions, or at least the emotions that Henry had felt while remembering the event. A warmth spread from her belly to her heart and she gasped at the sensation.
Henry wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. "Blue said you knew the spell." Regina simply nodded at her son. She had used the spell on her own journals, the ones that Leopold had burnt. She had poured all of her rage and fears into the writing and after a day of reading, the King had turned into the monster she would eventually become. Regina had paid the price dearly. Leopold had never cared for her comfort during their nightly routine but he had never been violent until that night. She had not been able to leave her bed for a week after that night. Regina had never used the spell again. She closed her eyes and tried to keep the memory at bay. Last time she had recalled that particular evening, she had been sedated and restrained at the hospital. Instead, she concentrated on the warm feeling at the pit of her stomach.
When she finally reopened her eyes, she was met by two concerned blue orbs. She mouthed 'I'm ok' to David while holding her son tighter. She kissed his cheek. "I love my gift, Henry."
Henry shifted in her arms, afraid to let go. "I love you, mom."
Regina was taken aback by the words but she recovered quickly. "I love you too, baby."
EC
David climbed the stairs as silently as possible, hoping that Regina had fallen asleep while he was driving to the loft to get Henry's backpack. After the party, Henry had asked to stay at the mansion. David felt uncomfortable with the idea given Regina's tumultuous nights but Regina also needed to spend time with her son. David just hoped that she would not wake up screaming in the middle of the night. Although Henry was aware his mother was having nightmares, he had no idea how bad they could get.
As he reached Henry's room, he frowned at the boy's absence. It was already late and Regina was very strict on bedtime. Or so he had been told numerous times over the weeks Henry had spent with him. He placed the backpack near Henry's desk and made his way toward the master bedroom. A smile graced his lips when he saw mother and child on the bed. Henry was snuggling into his mother, his arm wrapped around her waist. The wooden box full of memories was next to them with some disregarded scrolls lying on the side. The boy was sound asleep while his mother was running her fingers through his hair. "Hey."
Regina jumped, surprised to see David standing in the doorway. "Hey."
David walked besides the bed. "Do you want me to get him into his own bed?"
Regina shook her head. "No… I told him he could stay the night."
David frowned. "Are you sure…?"
Regina sighed. "No… but I can't let my past take away my present… or my future. Not anymore."
David nodded once. "I'll be right with you." He leaned down and kissed her cheek softly. He pointed to the scrolls next to her. "Light bedtime reading?"
Regina smiled. "Yes…" She closed her eyes, remembering the peaceful, loving feelings that came with each of the memories they had been reading. David smiled as he watched her. He had not seen her this calm and settled in a long time and he let himself hope that she might be able to get some rest tonight. He rubbed her cheek before heading to the bathroom for his night routine.
David came back a few minutes later, wearing only pajama bottoms and laid down on the bed, spooning Regina in the process. She moaned at the feeling of the two people she loved the most pressed against her. David kissed her cheek. "Happy?"
"Extremely." She shuffled the parchments to find the one she was looking for and handed it to David.
He smiled as he started reading the memory. "The day we spent at the park." David's smile widened when he read the part about his cooking skills. "Apparently I'm an excellent chef."
Regina grumbled. "Don't flatter yourself too much, dear." David chuckled but continued reading. He had to read the end twice. When he was finished, he was met by two expecting brown orbs. Her voice was on the verge of breaking when she finally spoke. "He wanted you to ask me out… he'd have been ok with us… he is ok with us."
David kissed her cheek, sensing her relief. Henry's possible rejection of their relationship had been weighted heavily on Regina and he was glad this burden had finally been lifted. "Would you have said yes?"
"What?" She looked genuinely confused.
"If I had asked you that day, would you have said yes?"
Regina breathed out heavily. "I don't know… Because I couldn't have known if you had chosen me for me… or just because you were missing Snow… or even if you were serious about me, always wondering whether you would go back to Snow once she'd be back… I don't want to be a second choice." She had turned away from him, tears welling in her eyes.
David kissed her shoulder. "You're not my second choice."
"I know." Regina took a shaky breath. "Now, I do… she came back… and you chose me."
David smiled against her skin. "Always." He wrapped his arm around her and Henry, lacing his fingers with hers. "You need to get some rest."
Regina nodded and turned off the light. After a few minutes of silence, she spoke again. "David?"
The Prince was fighting to stay awake. "Mhhh?"
"I want to go to mausoleum tomorrow…" She squeezed his hand. "I want to light a candle for… for our child."
David's eyes shot opened. She had avoided the subject of her miscarriage until now. He had refused to push her but he was relieved she was finally allowing herself to grieve for their loss. "I think it's a great idea."
Safe in-between her son and lover, Regina soon fell asleep. For the first time in months, she finally got the rest she desperately needed.
ECECEC
March 9th 2013
Henry was sipping on the hot chocolate Granny had prepared him, waiting for David to pick him up. He had stayed at the bed and breakfast last night and had not gotten a chance to talk to his grandfather about his mother yet. He was worried about her. Whoever the man who attacked him at the stables was, his mother had deeply cared for him. Although David, Granny, and Red had avoided answering his questions directly, he knew the man was gone and he also understood that somehow his mother was responsible for it. However, Henry could not reconcile the image of the broken woman last night with that of the Evil Queen in his book.
Henry looked at the clock one more time, hoping for David's return. Red had accompanied him to school this morning, promising him that David would pick him up. However, his grandfather had been called at the Johnson's and Red had been the one waiting for him as school let out. Henry had tried to hide his disappointment but the young woman could feel his pain. Although she hated the Queen, a son should not see his mother as utterly destroyed as Regina had been last night. Red had brought Henry back to the diner and had catered to his every whim.
After finishing his homework, Henry had taken his notebook out and had started to write about the happy memories he had shared with his adoptive mother. Since David had given him this project, Henry had felt happier and although he was not ready to admit it, especially to other people, he missed his mother dearly. He had enjoyed their lunch together tremendously and he could not wait to do it again. Tears fell down his cheek as he remembered how his mother had flinched away from him last night. Perhaps he would never get a second chance with her, no matter how desperately he wanted it.
Henry jumped when Red sat next to him on the booth and pulled him into a hug. "Your mother will be ok."
"She didn't want me to touch her." Henry sobbed quietly into Red's embrace.
"Oh, Henry! Your mother was in a lot of pain last night." Red closed her eyes. Snow had told her about Daniel and the role she had played in his untimely death. Although Red could not fathom why Regina had persecuted Snow all these years for the mistake of a child, she understood the pain of losing a first love. "I don't think she wanted you to see her like this."
Henry cried out. "And that's all my fault. I pushed her away!"
All of the patrons stopped their meal, watching the boy incredulously: Henry had been rescued from the claws of the Evil Queen, why was he crying after her? After a few minutes, most went back to their meal and their own discussion. However, Blue and Gepetto could not sit and do nothing. They approached the booth and hesitantly sat across from Red and Henry. The waitress did not dare to make the first move. Henry loved Regina in a way that nobody could understand, including herself. For most of the inhabitants in the town, Regina should have been executed the minute the curse broke. But the Charmings had protected her because the boy had wished it. Red had to remind herself that the Evil Queen had raised Henry and to him, she would always be mom. She ran her fingertips through his hair. "Your mom loves you very much, Henry." Or at least, she hoped that Regina was actually capable of the feeling. She turned toward the other two, silently begging them for help.
After a few minutes, Blue took Henry's hand. "Have you told your mom how you feel?" Henry shook his head. Blue squeezed his hand. "I'm sure she'd love to hear it."
Henry shrugged. "I pushed her away."
Gepetto intervened. "She is your mother, boy. She'll always love you. Not matter what you say or do."
Henry shrugged. "I was horrible to her."
"And she'll forgive you…" He frowned. "... like you've forgiven her. The only thing you have to tell her is how you feel about her."
Henry sobbed. "That's what David said…" Henry looked down at his notebook and the memory he had started writing down. "He told me to keep the good memories."
Blue smiled. "Seems like great advice."
Henry nodded. "I started writing them down… and put them into a jar but…"
The adults frowned. Since Henry was not more forthcoming, Red pressed him further. "But?" She was rubbing his back soothingly.
"But the jar is too small…. so I kept them in the notebook." Henry sighed. "I want … I want to give it to her."
Blue smiled and rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand. "It's a wonderful gift, Henry."
Gepetto smiled at the boy. "I can help you get a bigger jar so you can put those memories in it too."
Henry shrugged. "I want to give her something more… unique than a jar."
The old man smiled. "And I know just how to help you get that."
Blue smiled at the boy. "And I can help you make your mom feel the way you do about her." The trio had Henry's full attention as they explained to him how to transform his project into the most wonderful gift he had hoped for.