sorry guys! Got stuck rearranging a few things to make the chapters flow more smoothly. Hope you enjoy the update! The next should be finished and posted soon! Please leave a review :)

"You are marrying...David," she started after she had given the boy time to walk away from the door and Regina had thanked and dismissed the small band.

"I am."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wasn't engaged the last time we spoke," she answered simply and Snow clenched her jaw in frustration.

"I didn't realize I had to be so literal in my questions," she snapped irritably and Regina watched her without a word. "Why didn't you bother telling me it was David who you loved? And you had better give me a better answer than 'you didn't ask'."

"It was unimportant and entirely unrelated to what I was asking of you. You didn't need to know. Besides," she shrugged one shoulder and turned her back to her for a moment so she could take a seat at the table, "it is my life. Not yours. You needn't know every detail of it."

"I am entitled to some details, Regina, when your personal life crosses in to mine," she argued sharply and the danger in Regina's returned.

"He is not yours," Regina warned lowly.

"That is abundantly clear," she hissed with a few tight nods of her head and then dropped herself in to the chair on the other side of the table.

Regina watched her with her head high as the girl scowled and picked at the surface of the table, "stop pouting like a child."

Snow dropped her shoulders and rolled her eyes as she looked incredulously back at the brunette, "I am not pouting!"

"You are," Regina nodded and Snow seethed, "I am not one of your hand maidens, Snow. I will not bend to your every request just because you throw a tantrum."

"I am not throwing a tantrum, Regina! You are not my mother! You are not my friend! I love David! I have been waiting for him to leave this place for nearly half a year! No one informed me that he had fallen head over heels for you! No one told me that you two were smitten! No one thought to perhaps let me know you two were engaged! I have been waiting in the forest alone for six months for nothing! I have a right to be angry!"

"Fair enough," Regina answered simply and Snow nodded once.

"Thank you," she stated irritably and took a deep breath as she looked at the door. She was absolutely furious and heartbroken. As she spoke her voice was at its normal volume but it was firm and held a threatening edge, "he loves you. You do know that."

"I do."

"Do you really?"

"You doubt me?"

"You have a tendency to use people and then toss them aside when you are bored with them. So yes I do doubt you."

"I love him," she snarled as she leaned forward in her seat and pointed to her chest, "I have loved him longer than he is aware. You know nothing, you forest brat! Do not speak to me as though you know me or who I value! I would not have agreed to his proposal if I did not wish to spend the rest of my life with him. I will never subject myself to the likes of my marriage to your father again."

"Was life here really that miserable?!" She spat angrily, insulted, but backed down a little at the tortured and defensive tone of Regina's voice.

"You don't know anything, you foolish girl."

Silence filled the space between them. Snow wasn't yet convinced she wanted to know what led down that path and she knew Regina wouldn't speak a word about it unless she were to ask. So she didn't ask yet and she wouldn't until their tempers stopped boiling. "Where did you find that boy?"

"In the middle of the road."

"Why did you bring him here?"

"Because he wanted to be in my company."

"Why did you let him stay?"

"Because I wanted to be in his company."

"Just like that?"

"Snow when you are lonely and are feared and hated by everyone and you stumble upon a single soul whose first instinct is to fall in to your arms in search of comfort, it catches you by surprise. I am not often caught by surprise. I brought him here to humour myself and him. He later earned his permanent place here in this home."

"And how did he do that?" Her voice was calmer now but it still held an edge to it. Probably due to the burning jealousy and anger she still felt toward that boy.

"He pointed out my every flaw and ill habit. And then forced me to fix them."

"I find that very hard to believe."

"Well believe it."

"No one forces you to do anything. No one speaks anything ill of you and lives to speak of it."

"Henry isn't just anyone. When you meet him you will see. He is very manipulative, quite cunning, incredibly clever, and quite possibly the most stubborn person I have ever met. However these attributes of his...he uses them for good. He uses them to better people. It is a fascinating balance he has acquired. Most people with such characteristics are known for mischief, darkness, or conning. But Henry is different," she nodded a little and never looked away from Snow.

"Before I knew it I was laughing again. I was sleeping through the night. The urge to tear you limb from limb slowly faded and became less frequent. I was content. A couple conversations and half a day spent in Henry's company had Rumplestiltskin travelling to an entirely different world with his true love in search of his son. A couple months in his company had David changing his mind from wanting to drain every drop of blood from my lifeless body to loving me with all his being regardless of what evils I had performed. Even Maleficent. She hasn't been here more than two weeks and every time I turn around she is smiling or laughing because Henry is near. Quite frankly, dear, I am curious to see what he will bring out in you."

...

David turned at the waist curiously when he heard someone enter the room. It was Regina. She looked upset, tired, and simply done as she walked toward him. "You and Snow finished already?" He questioned curiously with a small frown of concern.

"Nowhere near it. She requested to stop and pick it up tomorrow after she has a chance to let some things sink in," she answered plainly and watched as he nodded and pulled his shirt over his head. She'd be lying if she said her mood didn't perk up at the sight of him.

David couldn't help but grin at the pleased hum that left her throat as her shameless eyes looked over his body. He knew her love for him ran much deeper than her appreciation of his body but damn if he didn't love the way she looked at him. It made him feel good. Confident. As if he was the sexiest man in the world.

He had never felt quite like that with Snow. There was just this way the queen looked at him that made him feel...flawless. Perhaps it was the darkness of her eyes. Or the hunger on her mouth. He didn't particularly care. He loved it all the same. "And what does her majesty wish to do with her free time?" He smirked and she shrugged one shoulder as she stopped in front of him, her eyes still following every line on his abdomen.

"Oh I have a few things in mind," she purred as she lifted her hands so her fingertips could trace every rise and fall of his muscled stomach and chest down to the waist of his pants.

David hummed in mock thought as he placed his hands on her hips and drew her closer so her pelvis was against his, "and do any of those ideas involve this beautiful gown of yours?"

Regina smirked as she leaned in closer, "they do not," she answered innocently and then began leaving trails of soft slow kisses over his chest and his neck while her hands explored his lower back.

Just like that his breaths were heavy and just like that his heart was racing, "I suppose I should get it out of the way then," his voice was already lower and his hands roamed her thin but curvy figure beneath the dark red gown and her fingertips teased the waist of his pants.

"That would be best," she breathed against his throat before she gently scraped her teeth down it and finished with a wet kiss at the ridge of his collarbone while her hand slipped in to his pants and slowly started making use of his soft length and he moaned softly and began ridding them of the troublesome fabric on her body.

-Storybrooke-

"So like what did you do to David?" Emma questioned as she grabbed an apple and a chair from the table in Regina's office and plopped herself down in front of Regina's desk as the woman leafed through paperwork.

"What do you mean?" Regina asked distractedly as she read.

"David. He's been all mopey and broody the past couple days. What'd you do to him," she nodded at her and took a bite of the apple.

"I have done nothing to him, Miss Swan."

"Alright, word freak. What did you say to David?"

"I told him to go home and not come back."

"Wait seriously?" She frowned as she furrowed her brow and sat up straight, "why?"

"My reasons are my own, Miss Swan. Why are you even here?"

"I'm here because I feel like being here. But what the hell I thought you and David were like best pals! Thick as thieves! What happened?!"

"Nothing happened."

"Yeah right like I'm supposed to believe that."

"Nothing happened, Miss Swan, and that is all that matters now will you drop it," she snapped tiredly and didn't bother glancing up from the papers in front of her.

"Oh..." She said quietly as the pieces fell together and Regina crossed her jaw, "shit..." But Regina didn't give any sort of reply aside from a shake of her head that could mean so many different things, "I'm sorry..."

"What on earth is there for you to be sorry for?"

"Well you know...it's hard to make friends when you have a reputation like yours and you and David were really close..."

"Too close it would seem."

Emma frowned and shrugged a little and spoke quietly, "I don't know...you two made each other happy. He was so much more relaxed around you and always came home happy and content and you weren't such a royal murderous bitch. Until Snow accused you two of having an affair anyway."

"Is this you giving me your permission to sleep with your father," Regina bit out with the beginnings of a snarl as she looked up at the blonde.

"What? No. I just...I just wouldn't be at all surprised if I found out you were. And I don't think I would be nearly as angry about it as I probably should be," she answered plainly with a small shrug and a frown at her bitten apple in her hands, "I don't know. You two just sort of...fit...I get what it's like to be lonely and it's hard to say no to someone offering companionship..."

"Well rest assured, Miss Swan, I still have the decency to refrain from sleeping with the town," she hissed viciously and Emma clenched her jaw.

"That is not what I meant, Regina."

"Well then what did you mean?!"

"You're screwed up, Regina. You've been alone for who knows how long and you haven't exactly had many potential love interests but when one finally comes around you still had the strength to turn him away because of the situation. It is admirable, Regina. Take a fucking compliment," she grumbled as she stood and began walking away, leaving the chair and taking the apple.

Regina let out a silent sigh and dropped her shoulders as she stared at the paper on her desk. Then she stopped her quietly, "Emma."

At the call of her first name, Emma paused and pivoted so she was looking back at the troubled brunette.

"I'm sorry...this is...hard for me."

"I know," Emma nodded and Regina's shoulders relaxed a little, "I get it. Just...I'm on your side. Every word out of my mouth isn't an insult."

"I know."

"We are all missing Henry, we are all lonely. It sucks that you drew the short stick again but try to stop taking it out on everyone," she requested gently and Regina's eyes remained down but she did nod in response, "I'll see you around."

Regina nodded again but she wasn't sure if Emma saw it for she was already walking away. She didn't think hurting the blonde's emotional state would leave herself feeling like a kicked puppy. Dropping her pen on the desk, she brought her hands up to run over her face with a long sigh. And then she inexplicably burst in to tears.

Quiet sobs filled her office as her shoulders shook and her hands held up her head with her elbows braced on the desk. Everything hurt. Every muscle in her body was exhausted and she just wanted to go home and go to bed and cry herself to sleep. How had things gotten so out of hand. She wasn't supposed to fall for David, she wasn't supposed to want David, she wasn't supposed to miss him. Her heart hadn't hurt this much in decades. It was overwhelming.

Every quiet cry brought her pain but she couldn't bring herself to stop just yet. Not until she let enough out so that she could close the bottle again. She couldn't live like this. She was trying to do better, she was trying to be good, Henry would be devastated to come home to find she had ruined everything again. Things would settle back down anyway when he returned. She just had to hold out until then. However long that may be.

She didn't think her heart would ever stop yearning for David though. But he would stop. Everything would go back to normal when Henry returned. David would be with Snow, Emma would go back to her family and stop spending evenings at her home, and she herself would continue living in silence and heartache as she had always done. Perhaps it was time she moved from this wretched town.

"Tinkerbell I swear I will kill you if you take one step closer," she threatened but her thick and sob filled voice was nowhere near as commanding as she wished it to be as the quiet fairy took a seat in the chair Emma had left. She did her best to stop crying but the tears still fell as they pleased and her breaths still came shaky and pained while her hands quivered.

"You should go talk to David."

"Go away."

"I'm not going anywhere," Tinkerbell shook her head with her quiet but strong voice and Regina choked on another sob before she sucked in a good breath of air to hopelessly try and calm herself, "not this time."