Wow! Thank you for all the love for this story and the reviews (and correction. This is unbeta'ed so unfortunately mistakes will most likely happen). I'll write Henry and Cora in; just probably not in the next few chapters.
It IS EvilCharming endgame... just will take a while to get there. David still loves his wife and they just had a child together.
Please let me know if you'd like to see certain characters or themes.

Breakfast

David watched as Regina started stirring on the bed. She had woken up twice during the night, the first time to take some pain medication and the second when Snow had called him in the early morning to let him know that she and Emma would be going to the loft to collect some of their belongings. David had been up since this second phone call, wondering how he was going to protect Regina while taking care of his own family. Except Regina was part of his family. He kept reminding himself.

David had never gotten to know Regina White. She had been but a mere presence in the back of the room during their family gathering, never speaking until spoken to. David chastised himself again for having missed the signs of the abusive relationship Regina had suffered through. Worse still… he had seen the signs but had decided to ignore them. And he couldn't forgive himself. All he could do now was to make sure that Regina was safe and healing.

When the brunette moaned on the bed, David got up from the armchair and kneeled by her side on the floor. Regina was laying on her uninjured side, her face mostly hidden by a mane of soft black hair. "Morning sleeping beauty!" The sheriff greeted cheerfully.

"Morning." Regina replied still half asleep.

"How are you feeling?" David reached for Regina slowly to tuck her hair behind her ear. Regina tensed as soon as she saw the hand approaching her. David steeled himself for an instant, waiting for Regina to relax. Once she did, he gently moved her hair away, softly caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers. She would have to learn to trust others again. It would take time but Regina was proving to David that she was willing to try.

"Hurts." She replied in a small voice, her hand cradling over her broken ribs.

David looked at his watch. Her last dose of painkillers was about eight hours ago. "I'll get you something." David stood up and reached for the bag of medication he had left on the dresser. He took two pills and reached for the water pitcher Granny had placed on the desk. He filled up a glass and sat down on the bed next to Regina. He placed the pills and glass on the nightstand and turned toward the woman visibly in a lot of pain. "I'm going to help you sit up, ok? I'll be gentle."

Regina nodded and David first helped her roll on her back and then into a sitting position. The movements sent waves of pain through Regina's body but she bit her lip and didn't make a sound. She was not allowed to show her pain. David rubbed her arm in comfort before handing her the glass and pills.

"What time is it?" Regina asked David as she handed him the half-empty glass back.

"A little after 11am." David informed her while setting the glass back on the nightstand.

Regina's eyes widened in shock. She had never slept this late before. She had never been allowed to sleep this late before. She was to wake up at 5am to prepare Leopold his breakfast and make herself presentable. "I'm… I'm sorry." She mumbled.

"You don't have to apologize. You need the rest, Regina."

"I'm keeping you away from your family."

"Of which you're a part of." David gently took her hand. "You're not alone. I won't let anything happen to you."

Regina nodded quickly, holding back her tears. She squeezed David's hand, the only tangible proof that this was not all a dream, that she wasn't in fact back at the mansion on Mifflin Street about to start another grueling day. She leaned toward David unconsciously, needing him to hold her but afraid - and also not knowing how - to ask. The sheriff repositioned himself next to Regina in response, pulling her close to him in a comforting hug. He kissed her temple before he could think about the act. "This is all you have to do for now. Rest and heal."

Regina nodded, burying her face into the crook of his neck. "I don't want to go back."

"You don't have to. You can stay here as long as you want. We can find you your own place in town once you start feeling better."

"I don't want to impose on you or Granny. I'm sorry."

"You're not the one who should be apologizing. I am. I'm sorry I didn't help you before. All the signs were there… I …"

"Just couldn't believe it?" Regina finished for him. "It's hard to believe when your own family is involved." She whispered.

David nodded. "Mary-Margaret worshipped her father."

Regina frowned at the choice of tense. "What happened?"

"She confronted her father… he admitted to…" David left the sentence hung in the air, unwilling to pronounce the words.

"Beat me? Rape me?" She sighed. "I used to forbid myself from using these words. I used to think that it was my fault. That if I were a good girl, I wouldn't be punished."

"It wasn't your fault."

"I know. But it took me a long time to admit that to myself."

"Why didn't you try to leave?" David finally asked her.

"And where would I have gone? No one here would have been brave or foolish enough to help me. I have no money to buy a bus ticket, let alone move to another town. And I don't think anybody would have given me a ride to the nearest town. Besides, Leopold would have eventually found me and brought me back here. It wasn't a risk I was willing to take."

David swallowed hard, trying not to imagine what would Leopold have done to Regina for her betrayal. "What about your parents?"

Regina stayed silent and David decided to drop the conversation altogether. Regina needed to talk but he wasn't planning on interrogating her. She was the victim. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really." Regina confessed. "I've never had a big appetite."

Hopefully, this would change too. "You need to eat something. Doctor's orders." Regina smiled despite herself. It felt good to have someone who cared for her well-being. "What would you like? I can get you something from the diner and I'm sure Granny wouldn't mind making a special order for his very special guest."

"I don't know."

"You don't know what you'd like to eat? I can get you a menu if you'd like."

"No. I don't know what I like. Leopold decided on the menus. I just cooked them."

She didn't have to tell him that she despised the food he loved. "Well, I can tell you what I like. Pancakes… with lots of syrup."

Regina couldn't remember having pancakes in her life. Although it had been a favorite of Mary-Margaret's, Leopold had not allowed her to eat them in fear that she would lose her figure. "I've never had pancakes."

"Then we need to introduce you to this sugary decadence with no nutritional value!" Regina laughed softly but almost immediately hissed when the gesture hurt her broken ribs. "You're ok?" David asked her in concern.

"Yeah… just don't make me laugh."

"I'll see what I can do." He rubbed her back softly. "Anything else to go with the pancakes? Coffee? Tea?"

"Can I get some coffee?" Her tone was hesitant, asking for permission.

"Black? Milk?" He asked her.

"Just a little bit of milk, please."

"I'll be right back." He promised her as he slipped off the bed as carefully as he could manage as to not hurt her ribs. Regina immediately missed the contact.

"Thank you." She said sincerely. "And please thank Granny."

"You don't have to thank me, Regina." He grabbed his wallet and cell phone from the desk and slipped his shoes on, not bothering with the laces.

The Sheriff came back with the food twenty minutes later. "Sorry it took so long." He announced as he entered the room. "Granny had just closed the kitchen for breakfast and was starting on lunch but she made …" David's heart beat faster when he saw the empty bed. He turned his head toward the small window and was relieved to see Regina standing there. He placed the food on the desk and walked toward her. "You should be in bed."

Regina smiled softly. "The painkillers kicked in… I just wanted to be out of bed."

David nodded his understanding. "Your pancakes have arrived. She made you apple pancakes… you said you liked apples."

Regina nodded. "Since I was a kid…" She didn't have many memories of her childhood but she remembered the orchard. Her father took her there every Saturday.

David helped Regina sit at the desk. She cupped the mug of coffee with both hands, reveling in the smell. She had always wanted to try it but Leopold had never put it on the grocery list. She took a sip and moaned. She loved the bold taste of the drink.

David smiled at her. "I guess we can add coffee to the list of what you like."

Regina nodded. "I know it's stupid. I'm a grown woman in her mid-thirties who's never had coffee or pancakes."

David was surprised by her age. He knew she was young. Just not that young. "It's not stupid."

Regina cut the pancakes with her fork and carefully took a bite. David hadn't lied to her: this was definitely a sugary decadence she was planning on having more often.