Snow's return had David Nolan feeling more like Prince James than ever. He walked differently; he spoke differently; he could even see in the mirror that he wore a different look in his eyes. For the first time in ages, he was happy, and he knew exactly who he was.

Of course, that self-assurance brought with it his old vices, too. Prince James had a temper. He could be gentle, but he could also be tough, and plenty of situations in the Enchanted Forest had forced him to bring that hardness to the surface.

Mary Margaret's party wasn't that kind of situation—until Regina walked in. As soon as he saw her face, he felt the old anger rising to the surface of his consciousness, threatening to choke his good humor and change the color of the evening entirely. It was only by supreme effort that he kept from doing something he'd have regretted for a long time.

He was unutterably glad he'd exerted that effort when he looked over and saw his grandson interacting with the wicked queen. The little boy smiled, laughed, even held her hand. He treated her like she was a valuable person.

That threw the prince for a loop. If anyone had cause to hate Regina, it was Henry. She might not have physically abused him, but she had certainly terrorized his childhood and given him more bad memories than anyone deserves to have in a lifetime. Everyone in Storybrooke knew what she could do, but Henry was the only one who'd been raised as her son.

Feeling like David Nolan again, the prince blinked back tears. He didn't want to forgive Regina, and he didn't want to give her another chance. But if Henry could do it, then surely he could start trying.