That evening:
David Nolan went his separate way to the grave of Snow White. He spoke to her as he stood in front of her stone. "Snow-" he took a breath. "I have failed you. I was so close. I almost rescued you but I was too weak to recognize Jefferson's lies. I'm so sorry I couldn't save you." After weeping at his wife's grave, he decided to go back to Granny's to get a drink.
When David never came back to his apartment that day, Henry, Emma, Killian, and the two babies left to go to Emma's house. Regina volunteered to look for Charming that night so she began her search. She knew where he must of been. He had to be at Snow's grave. It was the only explanation; he wouldn't be anywhere else. She decided to see the grave and surprisingly he was no where to be seen. She turned from Snow's stone but found herself turning right back toward it again. "David needs someone right now because you're gone. It's breaking him and I don't know if this family can last any longer." She said leaving, wiping her tears. "You were like the heart of our family, Mary Margaret. I don't know if we can go on without you."
Eventually, she realized it was getting late. Before she returned home, she really felt like having a drink. After everything that happened the last three months, much less the past two years, she needed one. She went into Granny's to get a late night shot before the place closed down for the night. It shocked her though, to see David drinking a beer at a bar stool. She didn't know if she should act like she was searching for him or act like what she came here to do, to have a drink. It distressed her as she saw from a distance, a small woman beside him talking. She heard her laugh loudly and instantly Regina could tell the stranger was flirting with him. She also noticed that David didn't know how to even react to the girl. Regina could tell he made no advancement to her. She had to think of something to get the woman's attention away from him but she couldn't, other than actually confronting the woman about it.
Both Charming and the stranger were surprised when they turned to see Regina on the other side of him, taking a seat. "Lady, you care about backing off? Him and I are going to have some drinks together."
Thank God it's Regina. This woman won't leave me alone. He thought.
"I doubt that he would want to have a drink with you." The lady chuckled in annoyance.
"Excuse me?" Regina stared back in irritation.
Her voice became loud now. "I said I doubt he wants to drink with you, knowing what you put him and his dead wife through." Anger built up inside. They could tell she was about to snap.
David made a obvious sigh. "Actually-" He wrapped his arm around Regina's shoulders and pulled her closer. "I would love to have a drink with her." He turned back to see if Regina was following through.
Now the three saw Granny turn, in an effort to listen in on the conversation. "Oh Charming, sweet of you." This time she looked at him in the eyes, trying her best to fake flirt the best she could to scare the woman away. She continued to lean into him and then put her hand over his. "Maybe you could take me home and we could share some drinks together there." She replied as she smiled with confidence and then made a fake smirk. "If you are up for it, Charming." By now the woman's mouth dropped in realization by what she meant. She suddenly realized she had to leave. She didn't want the Queen on her back out of jealousy.
By now, Granny was standing in front of the two staring strangely at them. "Are y'all- you know Mary Margaret would- uh are you really?"
Regina rolled her eyes.
David ignored Granny's questions replying to Regina as he reached for the beer. "Thanks."
"No problem, David. I could see you needed help."
"You don't think she will mention to anyone about what we said, right?"
"I hope not." She sighed and then both turned to look at Granny.
"Ohhhh, so that was all an act. You got me questioning for a moment there." The old replied.
Then, Regina looked to David. "You are suppose to be at the apartment. Emma sent me to look for you."
"I don't want to go there tonight. I just wanted to have one night to just-"
Regina finished his sentence. "Drink your sorrow away."
"Exactly."
"Well count me in. So how about that drink?"
"Sure. I owe you one anyways." David told her.
"Why?"
"I feel like you are the only one that understands." He then ushered Granny to give her a shot. "Plus you helped me out countless times this week."
"Well aren't you a real prince, Charming? Who would've thought you would buy the Evil Queen a drink?" She taunted him as he grinned for only a moment. It was his first time smiling since Snow had died.
They both took shots together with Granny snooping around watching them closely. As time went on, she noticed both acting odd. It came to the point where she realized Regina was extremely drunk. David was starting to get buzzed. Regina was now really flirting with him and Charming was flirting back. Regina continued to flirt obviously, finding ways to touch him or get closer to him. "Alright, Regina. You've had way too much to drink. You need to go home." Granny said.
Regina looked at David, turned, and tried her best not to fall out of her chair as she climbed out. She almost dropped to the ground but Charming caught her. Granny rolled her eyes as Regina told him. "You are taking me home, Charming?" She touched his face as the man pulled her back up on her feet.
"I guess I'll have to. You can't drive drunk." He told her.
The next thing he knew Granny replied to them both. "This won't end well."
"It's not what you think." David replied.
"I'll take her home." Granny told him.
"No, I'll do it."
Granny sighed. "Just don't do anything you'll regret."
He drove all the way to her house and practically had to carry her to the door. He opened the door for her but noticed she couldn't get up the stairs. He walked to her and helped her up the stairs to her bedroom. He led her on the bed, sitting on it beside her. She leaned over and laid her head on his chest, lazily. "You want to stay, Charming?" Her tone changed into a sassy but slow voice. "I know you want to. I want you to stay. I'm so lonely. I know you are, too." She now leaned out of his chest and looked straight up in his eyes, sympathetically. "You know how loneliness feels. When I get up in the morning everyday I have no one beside me. I have no one to see; no one to touch or feel. Robin is gone and now I have no one to be with. Snow's gone and now we have no one but each other." She then put her arms around his neck and then leaned into him again, ready to press her lips firmly to his.
He never thought she would act that way toward him. Then again, she lost the love of her life just like he had. She had gone through so much.
A part of him wanted to give in to the kiss but he knew Snow would have never wanted that for both of them. He knew he would regret whatever happened in the morning.
It made him worry about his own sanity when even cursed David didn't see Regina as more than a friend. He never saw her as potentially being anything more. That is because he always had Snow but now his wife was gone and Regina was right. In a way, they both were alone.
"Regina, you're drunk." Before she could kiss him, he pushed her away softly as she sighed.
"Yes I admit I am lonely but I'm not staying the night. Not like this and you sober wouldn't want us to disrespect our family or true loves by me staying." He said as he stood. Regina laid back on the bed, unhappily. "You're going to have one massive hangover tomorrow. I'll come back tomorrow."
"Okay." She said lazily but discouraged.
"Good night, Regina."
"Good night, Charming."
The next day:
David could see a patch of purple smoke appear in his kitchen apartment. Regina was there and a second later, she ran to the bathroom. David quickly followed her, noticing her running to the toilet to vomit. She bent her head over as he pushed her hair back from her face. After she vomited, they stayed in the bathroom in silence as she cleaned her mouth. Eventually, he heard her weakly speak. "I can imagine we had a fun night together."
"Tell me about it." He said to her but she quickly catched on by the way he was acting, something happened between them. He wasn't looking her in the eye.
"Do you remember what even happened last night? I can't remember anything."
"I had to take you home yesterday. You were too drunk to drive."
She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I just lost my control over the alcohol. I couldn't stop drinking." She paused. " I found that their were a man's foot prints in my room. Did we do something last night? Gosh, I'm sorry." She started to break down.
"Hey, it's alright. Nothing happened between us. You really think I would use you like that?"
"Oh no, never. You'll never do anything like that. You'll always only love Snow. I'm scared I was the one using you. You weren't drunk too right?" She asked.
"No." David was lost in his head. The previous night was just like the night of The Evil Queen trying to seduce him all over again to get back at Snow. This time Regina tried to seduce him out of the fact they were both lonely and broken hearted. He knew everything that she went through must have really messed her up. Plus, she was drunk and he didn't judge her for it. As much as David didn't want to admit it he longed for someone, even if it was Regina. "Nothing happened."
"Good. I was scared that-"
"Oh, Regina. Don't you trust me?"
"Of course I do. I just don't trust myself." David helped her up from the bathroom floor and into the front room. "Thanks, David. I see Neal is with you." Both of them sat side by side at the diner table.
"Emma stopped by this morning. She allowed him to stay with me."
She nodded her head. "Good." She then responded. "So what did happen last night?"
"I had to take you back to your house and that's when- I know you were drunk but it still caught me off guard."
"What caught you off guard?" She now seemed concerned.
"That you admitted you were lonely. It must of been true."
She sighed as she pressed her hand against her head. "Yes I guess it is. Ever since Robin left, each day I feel a bit more lonely and when I lived at Jefferson's those feelings just kept bottling up inside more and more each day."
"I feel lonely too."
"You are lonely? But you have Emma, Henry, and Neal."
"So do you. I just don't have Snow."
"Well I guess we can be lonely together, Charming." She smiled, taunting him while the man smiled back. He didn't know what was wrong with him but he began to be attracted to the woman that sat beside him. For years they seemed so different, distant and closed off to one another because they were nothing alike. Now they both realized how alike they truly were.