A/N: Charming's fairytale name in this story is going to be James to make everything easier to separate out later on and it always annoyed me it doesn't get a second name like everyone else does in Once.

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Enjoy this one!

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Regina was feeling a lot better about how things were shaping up now she had taken care of Charming and he was safely back in the David Nolan box Regina had given him. David Nolan was weak and a coward and his curse was always making the wrong choices, in short, he was everything Charming prided himself on not being. That's why Regina allowed herself to feel a sense of glee at ridding herself of any trace of the noble prince from her happily ever after.

Then there was Emma, another trouble that Regina had tended to. Emma was here for Henry and Regina would wager she wouldn't remain in town long now that she could longer have access to him.

It did feel good to live up to the evil in her name.

Regina had crafted this world, she had taken the time and made the sacrifice and she wasn't going to stand for anyone or anything getting in the way of that. Her father died to give her this life and she wasn't going to let that death be in vain.

He'd be proud of her, she hoped.

A better mother than her own had been even if Henry couldn't see that yet.

Emma was new and exciting but she wasn't his mother. She didn't comfort him when he had nightmares or look after him when he felt sick.

No, Miss Swan was simply playing a role that she had no idea on how to fill.

A role that wasn't hers anymore.

After dropping Henry off at school she made her way to Granny's for a cup of coffee before heading to her office. There wasn't much to do, the town had been frozen for years after all so nothing really changed but it was a pretence and a routine Regina had grown quite fond of.

A Queen surveying her Kingdom.

What she wasn't expecting when she pulled up against the sidewalk was the sight that greeted her. Mary and David were outside Granny's, each with a take-away cup in their hands and they looked happy.

Regina grimaced as she watched her step-daughter laugh at something her prince said before David reached down to tangle her fingers with his own.

The sight was sickening and it simply wouldn't do.

David leaned down to kiss Mary before they parted, clearly heading off to work. Regina watched on, realising that it wouldn't be enough to simply deal with David Nolan, he was nothing more than a sheep here and it seemed Mary was quite taken to him.

It looked like Regina would have to redraw a few boundaries there, make sure Mary knew that David Nolan was not the right path for her to take.

Regina climbed out of the car easily, hands in her pockets as she made her way across the street to where Mary was still standing outside the diner. Just the look on her step-daughter's face was enough to have Regina's blood boiling and all notions of subtly thrown out the window.

Regina was fairly certain her happiness was linked to Snow's unhappiness and she looked far too happy for her liking.

"Miss Blanchard." Regina called out causing Mary to face her.

She looked startled but that was hardly surprising, the pair never really spoke much, "Mayor Mills." She greeted politely.

"I couldn't help but notice you and Mr Nolan seem very close."

Mary smiled and that only fuelled Regina's hatred, "Yes, he's a good man."

"Too good for you, wouldn't you say?" Regina asked coldly.

"What?" Mary's brow furrowed at her words.

Regina smiled, "I simply meant you come from two different worlds, dear. He is the deputy sheriff and you're a borderline alcoholic bartender with an interesting criminal record. It just doesn't work."

Mary squared her shoulders, "What did you just call me?"

"I think you heard." Regina replied acidly, "And you'd do well to stay away from David Nolan, he doesn't need someone like you ruining his good nature."

"I would never…"

Regina cut her off, "Who are you trying to kid? We both know this isn't going to end well so do both of you a favour and end it before he gets hurt."

Mary shook her head, "Maybe it won't end at all."

Well, that glimpse of fire was certainly new. And Regina didn't like it one bit.

"You honestly think you're good enough for him? What do you have to offer?" Regina demanded, her words like venom despite her low tone.

Mary paused for a moment and Regina could practically see the doubt in her mind, "I don't…"

Regina smiled, "It's okay Miss Blanchard, some people simply don't get happy endings. You aren't the kind of girl someone like David Nolan is going to marry and you know it."

"You think he can do better?" Mary asked, her tone meek.

"You're the one that asked the question. You tell me?" Regina replied.

Mary's eyes hit the floor, "I have to go." She said as she took a few steps up the street.

Regina nodded, "Of course. Sorry to have kept you, have a good day Miss Blanchard."

Mary didn't respond but Regina could tell by the way she carried herself as she walked away the conversation had done the trick. Mary was back to being that insecure woman Regina had cursed her to be.

Hers and David Nolan's relationship wouldn't be a problem anymore.

…

In a list of all the bad ideas Emma had ever had this one had to be near the top.

But the same thought had been turning over in her mind since her conversation with David and she knew the only way she even stood a fighting chance of getting her son was if she had help.

The kind of help only someone like Gold could provide.

It was a risk, Emma knew it. That's why she didn't tell anyone about her plan to ask for his help but she also knew it was a risk she needed to take. Regina wouldn't just hand Henry over and Emma didn't think for one second that she was going to fight fair which meant the only chance Emma had is if she met Regina's fire with her own.

She thought back to David and his promise that they would fight this together and at the time it had comforted her and she felt like she could do it but then she got home and was alone again and that gave her time to think.

David was a good man and he was great to her and she almost wished she had a father like him growing up. She thought briefly about Henry's theory and found herself laughing at the idea of David actually being her father and a real life Prince Charming. She could see where Henry got that idea from.

The problem was in the world Emma knew there wasn't much need of Prince Charming's or knights in shining armour. This would be a battle, Regina would see to it but Emma knew there was nothing she could do for herself except make sure as few people got involved as possible. Henry was her son and her responsible not David's.

She had never fought for something before.

She always ran before she grew any kind of attachments and she supposed there was something noble about fighting for her son now.

Her biggest mistake was giving him up and she was going to put it right.

Anyway she can.

Gold was standing at the counter, which has been repaired from the break-in, with a smirk on his face like he knew she was coming. Emma couldn't help the chill down her back at her walked over to him and her mind thought back to David's protectiveness towards her where Gold was concerned.

She squared her shoulders.

She didn't need David to fight her battles. She didn't need anyone.

"I need your help, Gold." She said bluntly, all business as she crossed her hands over her chest.

He let out a light laugh, "Curious. You and Mr Nolan seem to have the same notion towards tact."

Emma shook the statement away, "I'm here about Henry."

"You want him back from Regina." Gold nodded.

Emma frowned, "How did you know…"

"I see a lot, Miss Swan." Gold smiled, "More than you, for sure."

Emma didn't like his riddles at the best of times and she definitely wasn't in the mood for them today. She unfolded her arms and placed her hands on the counter. "Will you help me?"

"You want legal counsel?" Gold asked before leaning in a bit close, the next bit coming about as a whisper, "Or maybe you want to ensure you win, whatever the cost?"

Emma's eyes narrowed, "Regina is going to play dirty and she has most of this town in her pocket. I can't fight against that. Unless I have your help, you know how she works. You're a match for her."

Gold smirked, "And if I choose a course of action you don't approve of?"

"I just want Henry safe. We do this properly, legally." Emma replied, looking him dead in the eyes.

"A noble battle it is then." Gold nodded, "It's strange, isn't it?"

Emma frowned, removing her hands from the counter, "What is?"

"How similar you and Mr Nolan are." Gold explained, "I could have sworn you sounded just like him then."

"We work together, I guess we pick things up from each other." Emma shrugged.

She didn't understand what the big deal was or why Gold seemed so amused by it and it irked her more than she liked to admit.

Gold's smirk turned into a grin, "Perhaps but you share an awful lot of similarities. Haven't you noticed? Your tact, that sense of justice, that protective nature…"

Emma cut him off, "A lot of people have those qualities."

"And what about everything else? The way you cross your arms over your chest when you're angry. The way you tilt your head to one side when you're in thought. I'd even say you have his nose, Miss Swan. How odd."

Emma frowned, Gold had clearly lost it. She couldn't share that stuff with David because they weren't related. That's something inherited, not something you pick up. She had never noticed it before, how similar they were but know that Gold pointed it out Emma was surprised she didn't realise it sooner.

"That's not possible."

Gold laughed, "Of course not." He replied, "Unless it is. How does that old saying go? Whatever explanation that remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."

Emma frowned, taking a few steps back out towards the door, "I don't…"

"It's okay, Miss Swan. I'm sure you'll find the answer simply charming if you find it." He smiled.

Emma felt the air getting thinner and she needed to be anywhere but in that room with him. She couldn't think, she could barely breathe. Gold was crazy, that was the simply probable answer. He had spent too much time alone in his store.

Yet there was something niggling in the back of her mind that she refused to acknowledge.

"Oh, Miss Swan." Gold called, "I'll expect something in return for my help with your boy."

Emma sighed, "What do you want, Gold?"

"A favour."

"What kind of favour?" Emma asked sceptically.

His mouth curved into a smile again, "I haven't decided yet but when I call it in you aren't allow to refuse."

It was a dangerous move. To owe Gold a favour. It wouldn't end well.

But then she thought of Henry.

"Deal." She said firmly.

The look of glee on Gold's face did nothing to help her feel better about the situation.

…

"This is crazy. We should just go over there and storm the place. Payback for what she did the night of the curse." Graham bit out angrily from his seat at the kitchen table. James was sitting across from him on the opposite side. Both their mugs of coffee had been abandoned to one side as they when over the various ways to get Graham's heart back.

James sighed, "I don't have to remind you we both gave our lives that night and even then we didn't stop her. It's too risky."

"I don't think she has any magic here." Graham mused, "If she did she would have used it by now instead of using me to try and get Emma. She is probably as vulnerable here as we are."

"I still don't want to take that risk." James replied, rubbing a hand over his jaw, "If she knows we are awake it won't be us she goes after."

"It will be Emma and Snow." Graham sighed with defeat. He knew James was right, the Prince had never led him wrong before and Graham wasn't going to start doubting him now. He'd follow James to end of the world if he needed him to and he'd know it was the damn right decision.

James' brow furrowed slightly, "It has to be in her house. That's for sure, she'd keep it close so what we need is a way to get her out of the house so we can go and look for it. It will buy us time if she doesn't realise it's missing right away."

"I can distract her." Graham offered although he barely supressed a shudder at the thought.

James shook his head, "Not a chance. You have feelings for my daughter, it would hurt Emma if she knew."

"Thank you." Graham replied, knowing that while it was taking James a while to come round to the idea of him and Emma he wasn't completely against it either. Graham wasn't sure if he was looking out for Emma or himself at his refusal but Graham was grateful nonetheless.

"We need it to be a distraction that won't arouse suspicion." James explained, trailing off, "Henry. We can ask him to get her out of the house, they can go for dinner."

"You sure you want to involve Henry in this?" Graham asked.

James sighed because honestly he would rather not have his grandson anywhere near this but he was already involved and James' knew Henry would appreciate being included, "She won't hurt him and we wouldn't even know your heart was missing if it wasn't for him."

Graham nodded, "Okay so Henry can distract her and we'll break into her house and search the place."

"I wish Snow had taught me how to pick a lock." James sighed, "It would be less obvious then smashing a window."

"I never knew having a bandit wife would come in handy." Graham laughed.

A soft knock at the door broke the men out of there reminiscing and James rose to answer the door. He wasn't expecting anyone and a quick glance at Graham showed the Sheriff was confused as well. He briefly wondered if Henry had managed to slip out of the house again before the thought was quickly dropped when he opened the door to see Mary standing on the other side, she looked sad with glassy eyes and a watery smile.

"Mary, what's wrong?" James asked, hands going to cup her cheeks as he frantically looked her over. She shook her head and stepped out of his reach. James followed, letting the door close behind him as his eyes searched hers. "What's going on?"

"We can't do this anymore." She whispered brokenly and James could only blink at her words, "It's going to end in tears, David. We have no future together."

"Yes, we do." James nodded, his hands gripping hers because he couldn't lose her again, "I want this. I want you. I know you do to."

Mary shook her head, "I'm not good enough for you."

"That's the craziest thing I've ever heard." James replied, "You're everything to me."

She stopped at those words and James found himself holding in a breath. He knew the last time those words were spoken between them, even if she didn't.

She found him sitting on a log a little way from the party with his hands on his knees and his eyes staring at the dirt.

"You're missing Leroy's speech." She mused as she took a seat next to him, one look at him told her something was wrong, "What is it?"

"Are you sure you want this?" James asked her and Snow was taken back by how lost his voice sounded, "Me."

She searched his eyes, "I love you, why would I want anything else?"

"Because I can't give you anything, Snow. I'm not good enough for you. You're a Princess and I'm a Shepherd and I can't give you anything." James exclaimed and Snow thought she could feel the pain at the statement rolling off him in waves.

"You're an idiot." She remarked as she stood up, too angry at his words to stay still, "You're everything to me."

"Snow, listen to me…"

She cut him off, "No, you listen. I love you. You say you can't give me anything but you already have. You've given me love, James. You've given me you. That's all I could want. I don't care what we are, just who we are. I want a life with you, I want to wake up in your arms every morning for the rest of our lives. I want your children and to be your wife. I want to fight with you and love with you every single day we have together." She was short of breath from her speech and they both had a tear slipping down their cheeks.

"Snow…" He whispered brokenly as she fell into the dirt on her knees between his legs. Her hands on his knees as his came to brush her stray tear away from her face, "I love you. I'll love you until my last breath and probably even after it."

"Then how can you think you're not good enough for me?"

He dropped a kiss to her forehead, "Because I'm an idiot."

She laughed, "I don't want anything but you."

"Then I'll give you forever." He vowed as he captured her lips with his own.

Mary's shoulders were shaking with her effort to keep her tears at bay and James wanted nothing more than to hug her, hold her and shower her with love until she realised how wrong she was.

"I'm not going to change my mind," She whispered, "Its better this way, you can find someone you can spend the rest of your life with. Someone who makes you happy."

James wanted to laugh and cry in equal measure. She had no idea, this is what Regina had done to them. Snow was so unsure, she didn't believe she deserved love or happiness and his heart broke because she deserved them more than anyone he'd ever met.

They had them.

She didn't even understand what this was doing to him. What she was throwing away.

There were tears slipping down his face now and James didn't even care.

"You make me happy." He said with a thick voice, "You don't understand how much."

She was crying, "Please don't make this harder. I'm trying to do the right thing?"

"The right thing?" He asked, his voice growing angry, "For who? Not for me and clearly not for you because you don't seem to want this anymore than I do."

"David…"

"No," He cut her off, "Whatever this is, you feel it. You might not understand it but I know you feel this connection like I do. Tell me I'm wrong? Tell me you feel nothing for me and I'll let you go."

She wasn't speaking and James wondered if she was going to be able to lie to his face. He didn't give her the chance. His lips were on hers with a passion that he didn't even try to contain, the kiss all but bruised as he walked her backwards until her back hit the wall. Mary was kissing him back and that's all the answer he needed to know that she felt it.

He didn't ask permission before his tongue ran along the seam of her lips and met her own. He wasn't thinking, he was feeling. He was making her feel it because he wasn't losing her again damn it. Not ever. Mary let out a moan into his mouth and he swallowed it, his kiss never relenting as his hands gripped her waist and his body pressed hers against the wall.

Mary's hands were gripping his neck, one moving to his hair as he took her bottom lip between his teeth. She was giving as good as she got and it reminded him so much of Snow he could barely breathe. She tried to pull back, needing air or space he wasn't sure but James didn't plan on giving her either. His lips followed hers as he pressed ever closer to her and practically growled deep in his chest.

He finally pulled back before he was feeling light-headed and knew air was a requirement rather than a luxury at that point. They were both breathing rapidly and Mary's eyes were wide. She looked shocked at the passion between them and James wanted to smile because she always joked that he and Snow could burn down the kingdom with their passion for each other most days.

"You really want me to let you go after that?" He said, voice rough.

Mary sighed, "You should, Regina's right. We're not good for each other."

"Regina?" James asked, "That's where this came from?"

"She didn't tell me anything that wasn't true."

James was seething. "She doesn't know us. All that matters is you and me and I'll fight for this. I'm fighting for you."

"Why?"

"I believe some things are meant to be." He shrugged, "And a kiss like that wasn't nothing."

Mary bit her lip, "I have no idea where that came from."

"I do." He smiled.

In his mind he was already thinking about ways to stop Regina but she wasn't going to get away with this. Her days of ruling were over, they'd taken a kingdom from her before and James would happily do it again.

/

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Next chapter includes: Regina finds out who Emma is and someone overhears James, Graham and Henry talking and demands answers.