Hi there! I've seen a few comments asking for an update on this one and it makes me so happy to see that there are still people keeping up with this one and even reading for the first time. I've spent some time outlining the future chapters in hopes that I can get some updates out more regularly.

I wanted to note that I noticed in chapters 4/5 that I miss-quoted the timeline. I indicated in some dialogue that they'd been married for a little over a decade, but this story follows canon timeline for the past in that Storybrooke was cursed for almost THREE decades before Emma returned to break it. And, Regina and David have been "married" since the curse began, so they've obviously been together longer than a decade. I fixed those chapters and wanted to clear that up in case it had confused anyone. I was writing this one at the same time I was writing my "Leave You Alone" story and I think my timelines got blurred a bit.

My inner angst whore popped out on this one. Please let me know what you think! Happy Sunday x

"Did you say something to him?" David's question escaped his mouth like a shot fired, causing Regina to set the dirty dishes she carried down on the kitchen counter abruptly.

Her eyes darted towards the foyer and she remained silent until she heard Henry's bedroom door shut, "You could barely wait until he left the room to start in on me-" she sneered, "-what a show of restraint, Dear."

"Answer my question," he demanded and pressed his lips into a firm line, clenched jaw twitching with irritation. He knew he wasn't approaching this in the right manner, but he couldn't help himself. Listening to Henry chatter throughout breakfast like they had already decided to stay made him begin to question if she was behind it all.

"I'm afraid I don't understand your question," she snapped, unsettled by David's sudden shift of mood. Things had seemed so normal, like they'd fallen back in time for a moment as they shared a meal with their son at the table. His harshness brought her back to reality like a sudden slap in the face, but the pain landed in her chest and made her heart ache.

"Did you put the idea in Henry's head that he should ask to stay here?" he questioned, staring her down from across the kitchen with his hands on his hips. He'd foolishly let himself slip into the familiarity of it all this morning, but the suspicion that she was playing him again had immediately jerked him back into defense mode.

"What?" she breathed out an indignant laugh and scrambled for a defense to cover how much the accusation bothered her, landing on a sarcastic smile, "Oh no, you caught me and my elaborate plan to con my own child."

"It wouldn't be the first time you manipulated him," David shrugged frankly and felt a pang of guilt when her dark eyes gleamed with hurt. He knew Henry was struggling with how to feel about Regina, but he'd gone from calling her the Evil Queen to asking to move back in with his Mom practically overnight and it made him wonder if she had planted the seed.

"If I was trying to manipulate Henry into asking to stay with me, I certainly wouldn't have told him to include you-" she snapped, voice tight with the emotion she tried to push back down. "I was under the impression he hated me until yesterday. I'm just as surprised as you are that he would ask to stay here."

He crossed his arms as he studied her expression, sensing after a moment that she was being truthful and starting to feel like a heel for attacking. He doubted her honesty in a lot of ways, but he'd realized that it was not necessary when it came to Henry. Her promise to her son was the one thing keeping her on the straight and narrow and he knew she was dedicated to earning Henry's approval.

Still, David's pride would not allow him to admit he believed her so easily or acknowledge that his attitude had been unwarranted, "Yeah, well, he spent the whole of breakfast talking about us working on his tree-fort out back and playing board games and watching movies like we used to. Like we had already moved back in and that stupid storybook never existed."

"He's a child, David," she grit out in annoyance at how daft the man could be, pressing a hand firmly against the counter top in an attempt to ground her anger, "Breaking the curse may have been what he wanted, but the fun part is over now and his life has turned completely upside down. He may be angry with me, but at the end of the day he's just a little boy who wants the comfort of something familiar, like his home and his room and..." she trailed off, motioning between the two of them as she glanced away from his eye contact to hide her pained expression.

"-and his family as he knew it," David finished for her with a slow nod of realization, watching her refuse to look his way as his heart sank in his chest. Her body was rigid with tension and her eyes glistened in the way they often did now at the subject of Henry and he hated that he noticed. Hated the way it made him want to comfort her. He swallowed the urge to round the counter and pull her into his arms like he had so many times before, trying instead to focus on the problem at hand. "So, what are we supposed to do?"

"What should we do? You know I would let him stay with me, but I was not allowed a say in the matter," she snapped, anger hardening dark eyes before they suddenly narrowed, "-or was I right? Am I only allowed unsupervised time with my son when you're busy trying to find your family. Are you afraid of what people might think if they see you treating the Evil Queen with a shred of humanity?"

"Oh, we're back to that now? Do I need to remind you that you lied to me for years? You made me a puppet in your revenge against Snow and separated my family. You lied to Henry and made him feel crazy. You lied to everyone and yet you're the victim?!" he let a bitter laugh escape him and shook his head in disbelief, "You don't get to play that, Regina. Especially when it's not just my life that you ruined. You cursed an entire town! So no, I can't just give Henry back to you and be on my way like nothing has happened. How do I know that you won't keep him from me? That you won't take off with him?!"

"Then why are we having this conversation at all?!" she growled, voice strained with barely contained rage after being reminded that she had no one to blame but herself. She had manipulated him and Henry and proved herself entirely untrustworthy. There was no argument that she could make for herself other than saying she loved them more than anything and just wanted their life back, but that was so clearly out of the question.

"You said it yourself, he wants some semblance of normalcy...I think we owe that much to him," David answered more calmly, hesitating for a moment at how simultaneously absurd and reasonable the idea was of them living together again. He knew the town would not be likely to understand, but his gut told him this was what Henry needed. It was probably the subconscious reason he'd wanted to accuse Regina of giving their son the idea and lash out at her for it in the first place. Even when she hadn't. "Like you mentioned, his world was ripped apart when the curse broke and he wasn't given a chance to process any of this until now. The least we can do is give him some stability while we figure out how to fix all of this."

"You're suggesting that the both of you stay here, with me?" her heart thundered in her chest and she tried desperately to mask her vulnerability with an incredulous stare. She watched David shift on his feet and glance down at the floor as if he were sentencing himself to prison at the thought of living with her again. It twisted like a knife in her gut to see him dread something that she wanted so badly.

"We both love him and want what's best for him," David lifted his head, forcing himself to meet her gaze again with a firm look. He hated the rejection he felt when her brow had arched in disbelief at his suggestion. He shouldn't care if she didn't want him around or if his living there again would be an annoyance. She was the reason they were even in the situation and this idea wasn't for her comfort. "We need to put our own issues aside and make it work for him. I think last night proved he needs both of us right now and I haven't seen him as happy as he is this morning since before the curse was broken."

"...Your wife and daughter wouldn't like it-" Regina replied after a moment of silence, careful to keep the emotion out of her voice as she prodded. She couldn't help but wonder where their family fell on his priority list compared to his family with Snow. Thoughts like those tortured her, kept her up at night, and it would be so much easier if she just knew.

"Right now I don't even know if they'll ever be back-," David shook his head with a defeated expression. His stomach turned at the memory of Spencer burning the magic hat and almost killing the man over it. He'd been so close to having all of the pieces needed to get Snow and Emma back. So close to finding out if this turmoil he felt would lessen once he was reunited with Snow. Now he was stuck in the chaos indefinitely, being torn apart by two lives and failing the people in both of them. "...but my son is here and needs something that I can actually provide for him. I'm not going to let my pride get in the way of that. What about you?"

Regina swallowed at the painful lump in her throat, blinking back the tears that clouded her vision. She hated how weak she was for him. Hated that he had such power over her emotions. Hated how desperate she was for him to be there again and hated that his suggesting it had nothing to do with missing her. She took a shaky breath and hardened her expression to hide how sickeningly vulnerable she felt. "Fine, but just...stay out of my way."

David rolled his eyes at her insolence, "I see we're off to a great start."

"You're back?" Archie looked at her with a hint of surprise in his expression after his office door opened.

Regina hesitated for a moment, not knowing how to explain her presence before she tilted her head in defeat, "I used magic," she admitted shamefully.

"Why don't you come in? Tell me what happened," he immediately stepped aside and pulled the door wider for her and she walked in without hesitation, fueled by her desperation to talk to someone.

She made her way to the couch across from his chair and sat down stiffly, looking around the room as she wrestled with where to begin. Annoyance bubbled within her when he took his seat and simply waited for her to begin, hating that he did not cave or cater to her mood. He expected her to make an effort and so she begrudgingly began, "I promised Henry I wouldn't use magic, but I used magic. That is the problem. You said that you wanted to fix me, so, here I am."

"I'm not trying to fix you, Regina. I want to help you heal from your past so that you can move forward," the man explained in an infuriatingly calm manner. His patient response was a reminder that he seemed to genuinely want to help and her usual routine of needling people until they gave up on her did not work with the cricket.

"Right," she let out a huff of breath through her nose and eventually met his gaze, "So where do we start this time?" she waved an impatient hand between them and frowned. The idea of willingly opening up and sharing those inner most thoughts frayed her tightly wound nerves and left her on edge. It instilled fear that she would be manipulated or betrayed like every other time someone had claimed to want to help her. Coming here went against every self-preserving instinct she possessed. She felt like she could jump out of her skin at any given moment and so she focused on fidgeting with the hem of her pencil skirt instead.

"Why don't you tell me what happened that made you use magic? Is everything okay?"

"Oh, yes, things are perfect," she rolled her eyes, not being able to stifle the snark that came out of her like a reflex. "Why would I be coming here if everything was okay?"

"Regina, I know you use sarcasm to deflect when you're feeling especially out of control-" he replied and her head snapped up, glaring at his accurate but incredibly bold statement while he continued, "-but I can help you more if you cooperate and actually tell me what is going on. This is a safe space."

She didn't realize how tightly she'd been clenching her jaw until it started to ache in that moment, prompting her to release it with a slow exhale as she averted her gaze. Carrying the burden of her pain alone was beginning to cause her physical pain and she needed someone to listen before the darkness consumed her. She knew Archie was the only one in the town willing to hear it and so she let herself start to crumble. "Daniel is gone."

"I'm so sorry," he said quietly, "How did it happen?"

"The dark heart was taking over more often, the potion was becoming less effective," Regina replied, voice gravelly with emotion as a tear slipped over her cheek, "He had an episode where he became violent and I couldn't escape him-" she paused, wincing painfully when her throat threatened to close and her tone wavered, "-he over powered me and escaped my home. I didn't come back to consciousness until much later and he, uhm...he-"

"Take your time," Archie encouraged when Regina's voice choked in and out, watching her struggle to regain control as she stared down at her tightly clenched hands.

She took a shaky breath and continued to avoid the shrink's gaze. She knew if she looked up and saw any hint of pity it would make her shut down entirely so she kept her eyes focused on the fabric of her skirt. "He went to the stables. I-I think he was looking for me, but he found Henry instead. David saved Henry in time, but it..." her voice cracked again and she swiped quickly at the wetness on her cheeks, "-could have been so much worse and I...I hate myself for it."

"Regina, it isn't your fault..."

"Isn't it?" she met him with a hard stare, "I enchanted Daniel's body and brought him here because I couldn't let him go. Then when he showed up at my door tortured by pain, I kept him barely alive with those potions because I still could not let go. Even when I knew he was dangerous and that I wouldn't be able to save him. I selfishly made him keep living until he nearly killed my son," her words dripped with self loathing but she did not break eye contact, "And the worst part? It was Daniel's life that was taken yet again. He may have had the heart of a monster, but I am the monster. If anyone deserved that fate, it was me."

"I think you're being incredibly hard on yourself over how you handled Daniel's return," the cricket replied and Regina gave a mirthless laugh but he still continued, "Seeing him again has undoubtedly triggered overwhelming feelings from your past. Witnessing your mother murder him would have been traumatizing for a fully matured adult, let alone a teenager. And from what I know of your story, you weren't allowed the time to grieve or process that trauma before you were forced into another traumatic experience."

"Traumatic experience?" Regina schooled her expression and calmly asked for clarification, feeling her walls go up at his statement. She was aware of what he insinuated, but wanted to gauge how much he had already picked up on. It was a defense mechanism she had perfected over decades of protecting herself against enemies and it gave her time to decide how to respond. "What is your point here?"

"You'd just lost your stable boy, the one you planned to spend your life with, and made to marry the King soon after," Archie spoke carefully, aware that the topic was like walking through a field of land mines and not knowing which step would set her off. "I don't know the details, but I would imagine a forced marriage between a teenage girl and a man his age would be rather traumatic, especially considering what you'd just gone through."

"I was made Queen," she shrugged with a rueful smile, deflecting his suggestion that her experience with the King was a damaging one. It had been incredibly so, but she was not prepared to face those demons when there were more pertinent ones currently at play. "Isn't being Queen that what every girl dreams of?"

Hopper shook his head knowingly, "But it wasn't what you wanted."

"What I wanted was never important," Regina grit out, "Not to my mother, not to the King, not to anyone."

"Do you think that's why the Evil Queen always took what she wanted by force?" he asked.

She looked up at him with a befuddled frown, searching his expression for the judgment she expected to come with his statement. "What?"

"The Evil Queen was born out of a need to protect yourself from the pain and the people who had caused it. You just said that no one had ever cared what you wanted and that the trajectory of your life was not based on your own choices. Do you think that is part of the reason the Evil Queen was so determined to get what she wanted by any means necessary?"

"I don't know. You're the shrink aren't you?" she squinted at him in a brief display of sarcasm to avoid acknowledging the astute observation.

"Well, we've only had a few sessions so I do not want to make any incorrect assumptions. I'm simply asking what you think," Archie explained, "I witnessed you channel the Evil Queen on the day you stormed town hall and took Henry. You think you are still a monster, but you have expressed your guilt to me over how you handled that. Especially with your treatment of Henry."

"What's your point?" she snipped impatiently, aggravated by the roundabout way he was making his point. Her tolerance for abstract thought was low on a good day and this was not one of them. She preferred facts and absolutes and getting straight to the point, which made the process of therapy all the more challenging.

"My point is that you have changed. You reverted briefly when the curse ended because you wanted Henry back and the Evil Queen made it easier to do that. She has no morality or impulse control to keep her from simply taking him. While you, Regina, had remembered patience and self control and regained your conscious during the curse," he paused and decided to change his approach at her clouded expression, "How did you feel in those years after losing Daniel that lead up to the birth of the Evil Queen?"

She frowned and stifled the urge to tell him this was a waste of time before she forced out her answer, "Helpless. Out of control. Angry. Heartbroken. Weak."

Archie nodded, "And I imagine that the curse breaking and losing Henry made you feel some of those same emotions?"

Regina nodded once, recognizing the parallel he drew for her, "You could say that," she muttered.

"That suggests to me that the Evil Queen's ruthless determination was born partially from your lack of autonomy over your life and your need to never feel that out of control of it again..." he watched her remain silent with a stubborn expression coloring her features. She wasn't entirely sold yet and so he decided to take a step back to explain the foundation of his theory, "I know that you have blamed a sole person for your unhappiness for many years, but I would encourage you to dig deeper into the layers between Regina and the Evil Queen."

"Dig deeper? Why would I need to dig deeper? Snow White told a secret that ruined my life and I went mad. I let the darkness consume me and I used magic for evil. I am my mother's daughter. It is not so complicated as you suggest," she rejected the idea, not feeling she deserved to unpack it. Living with what she'd done was her punishment and acknowledging her deep-seated issues felt like making excuses. She was a villain, end of story.

"I know you believe losing Daniel was what made you to self destruct, and while that's not untrue, I don't believe it's that simple... For example, you stated that you don't believe Cora was abusive, yet you admitted that you would consider it abuse if it were Henry, because he wouldn't deserve it. For you to have considered yourself deserving of her treatment and that it was somehow your fault is a symptom of the low self esteem that abuse instills in a victim. Trauma during those developmental years can also lead to issues with controlling your emotions and heightened anger. Not to mention you lost Daniel when you were still developing mentally, at a young age when your decision making is ruled by emotion rather than rational thought. Adding this up leaves no surprise as to how you ended up on your dark path, in my opinion."

"I..." Regina stared back at him rather blankly as she processed the enormity of what he'd said. She'd gotten so used to living with the shame and guilt of her evil deeds that she'd forgotten she had experienced those feelings even when she was still an innocent child. Her mother's actions made her ashamed of magic and finding out she possessed it herself had made her feel innately corrupt. Then she'd grown up to use her ability for greater devastation than Cora had ever caused, further validating her belief that evil was who she was and all she'd ever be. "I guess I've never considered it in that way...but, the things I did during those years are still unforgivable, no matter what led me to it. I have to live with what I've done. I don't want to make excuses for myself."

"It isn't making excuses to understand how you got to that point, Regina. Redemption isn't just a few good deeds and done. It's understanding where you went wrong and consistently making the choice to become a better person. You need to curb that instinct to continue punishing yourself so that you can begin moving forward for you and your son."

She troubled her bottom lip between her teeth anxiously before she met his gaze again, "I don't know for how much longer he'll be my son. At least not in anyone else's eyes. It's only a matter of time until Emma and Snow find their way back and Henry will forget about me again."

"How is your relationship now? Is David still allowing you to visit him?"

"Hm," she exhaled at the other enormous topic she needed to discuss, but was no longer sure she had the energy to. "Henry has come around to me for the time being. He actually suggested that he and his father stay at our- at the mansion. David believes it's a good idea to provide Henry some stability while everything else is still so chaotic."

"So they've moved back in? That's good news, isn't it?" Hopper gave a hint of an encouraging smile.

"Good? David hates me," Regina rolled her eyes in a vain attempt to hide the way they began to glisten, "I am grateful to have Henry at home again, but I do not know how to act around David anymore, I-" she stopped and shook her head, quickly swiping the tear that rolled down her cheek.

"Have you ever considered telling him how you feel?"

"What?" she snapped and gave him a tired glare, "Okay, now this is a waste of my time. For you to continually insinuate that I would actually have feelings for that man-"

"You don't?"

"Did you not hear the part where I said he hates me?!"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Regina. You were together for a very long time. I'm sure he feels very betrayed and angry, but I don't think it as simple as hating you."

"I'm not listening to this. If you really think there would ever be a chance in hell that David would choose me over his one true love, then you're the one that needs to see a shrink," she snarled hatefully, unable to even entertain the thought. The situation was already too painful and she couldn't allow herself believe anything might go the way she wanted it to.

"I understand it's very complicated. I'm just suggesting that you try expressing to David how you feel. Right now all he knows for certain is that he has been lied to and is likely unaware of your- ...of how you feel. I know you think there is no chance he won't go back to Snow, but if you are not honest with him he may not be aware that he has any other option."

"He doesn't. I have no use for an idiot shepherd," Regina shrugged and stood from the chair abruptly. She'd had all she could take for one day and the thought Archie just presented filled her with anxiety. She needed time alone to think about it, away from the cricket's pesky observational skills.

"I think we made tremendous progress today, Regina. Same time next week?" Archie questioned as she spun on her heels and began her march towards the door, refusing to look back.

"I doubt it."

David sat at Granny's diner, lost in thought as he stared at the empty booth in the corner. It had been a week since he and Henry began staying at the mansion and he'd been taking lunches at the diner to avoid unnecessary run-ins with Regina at home. They'd steered clear of each other for the most part, David using the town as an excuse to leave early in the mornings while she and Henry had breakfast. Dinner he could not avoid as easily, but she'd been oddly passive during those and they hadn't truly argued.

Regina was restless though, that much he could tell. Her job as Mayor kept her days busy for years and she seemed to be lost now that she no longer held the position. He'd caught her at different times appearing to be searching for something to keep her mind and hands busy, looking lost in thought. She'd be especially dismissive of him when he caught her in those moments and he knew it was because she did not like to be unsure of her purpose, let alone for him to be aware she was.

In all the years he'd lived with her she had been driven by an inner desire for their life to be perfect. She strived to be an efficient mayor, to keep up with their home life and to be the best mom to Henry that she could be. Her ability to succeed at all three made her a force to keep up with, but it had made him want to better himself. Everything she did seemed to come naturally and appeared effortless.

The only time he'd witness her struggle with something new was in bonding with Henry after the adoption, but that was only due to the pressure she put on herself to be the perfect mother. Even that hurdle was brief, for she and Henry became inseparable in no time once David convinced her to not be so hard on herself. Watching the care and attention she put into whatever she did was impressive and reminded him to never take her for granted. He felt incredibly lucky, knowing could've had anyone she wanted. It had always made him wonder why she chose him to spend her life with, but the question hadn't occurred due to her poor treatment of him. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

Regina treated him like he'd hung the moon and stars. It made him feel ten feet tall and constantly amazed that he somehow managed to make a woman of her caliber happy. He exhaled bitterly at the thought as he understood the answer to that question all too clearly now. She chose him for her own because he was a key pawn in her revenge. She'd kept him happy and treated him well so that he would not question their lives or feel compelled to look elsewhere for fulfillment. Like to the 'ditzy teacher that gave him doe eyes' or the the 'flirty waitress at the diner' who always seemed to make Regina irrationally jealous. He'd thought back then that her possessive reaction to other women giving him attention was due to her own insecurities, but now he realized it was from fear of her master lie unraveling.

It made him feel stupid to think of how oblivious he'd been, but what disturbed him the most now was that she had seemed so happy. The way she'd treated him felt entirely genuine and he never would've dreamed of questioning her devotion or love for him during those years. He'd known others found her intimidating and unapproachable, and with good reason as she was rather aloof with most. But with he and Henry? She was kind and warm and playful and loving, more so behind closed doors, but even in public she would not hold back her affection for them. She would hold his hand as they entered Granny's and cuddle up to him in their corner booth. She would kiss Henry when she dropped him at school, disregarding his argument that it wasn't cool with a good humored laugh. She always looked for David when entering a crowded room, glancing around with a hint of insecurity until she saw him and then would give that grin. It was filled with relief and excitement and flirtation and he'd only seen her give it to him in all of those years.

That grin had always boosted his ego to a ridiculous level and caused those around them to watch in adoration at the unlikely pairing that worked so well. People relaxed more in her presence when they saw the entirely human way she acted towards him and he always encouraged her to show that side of her, though never more than she was comfortable with. She was a private person and he respected that, but he had always wished others could appreciate her the way he and Henry knew to. So many of those moments when she gave onlookers a glimpse of what he thought had been her true nature had happened in that very booth he avoided sitting in today. The corner booth he'd been unable to quit staring at while memories continued to overwhelm him.

"We have to stop ordering these-" she proclaimed from beside of him in the booth, but did not hesitate to stab another cheese fry with her fork, humming in satisfaction after she took a bite.

He grinned as he grabbed a fry for himself and watched her head snap to look at him when she caught him staring. "What? Why are you watching me eat?"

"I just don't think I've ever seen or heard you enjoy yourself more than when you're shoveling Granny's cheese fries," he teased, letting out a laugh at the way her brows arched in offense.

"I do not 'shovel' anything, thank you very much. I'm a bit more refined," she rolled her eyes towards him with a prissy wave of her hand, but he didn't miss the smirk she tried holding back. "Besides, have you really never witnessed me enjoy myself more?"

"Hmm, come to think of it," he emphasized the word 'come' and bit down on his bottom lip as he playfully raked her with his gaze, "There are other times that I can think of."

"Oh?" she put her fork down and leaned in to him with a seductive smirk, running her hand over his thigh under the table, "You mean like when we chase the cheese fries with apple turnovers?"

"Madam Mayor," David let his lips part in mock surprise at her joke, glancing around as if to make sure no one heard, "Imagine what the good people of Storybrooke would think if they heard you talking dirty like that."

Regina let out a laugh that made his chest warm before she shook her head and schooled her expression to further play along with his innuendo, "If the good people have a problem with me sharing dessert with my husband then they'll just have to find a new town. I don't plan on giving it up any time soon," she gave a frank shrug, mischief sparkling in warm whiskey eyes.

He grinned as a sliver of arousal shot through him, resting his arm on the booth behind her so he could lean in and speak down her ear, "They wouldn't say a word if they'd tasted your apple turnover like I have."

He heard her breath hitch as he lifted his head to look at her again, finding her eyes had darkened and a shamelessly lustful smile painted her lips when she replied, "Too bad I don't share my recipe."

He loved the way she always had a comeback, even when he managed to catch her off guard. She was quick witted and dirty minded and unapologetic for it. His cock twitched against the crotch of his jeans and he groaned a frustrated breath that they were not alone, making her laugh quietly as she understood his sentiment without him having to say a word.

"Hmm, well, the fact that you only share it with me happens to be one of my favorite things about it-" he smirked, keeping his eyes glued to hers as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket to put down cash for the bill, "-knowing no one else gets to hear that little hum of yours makes it taste even sweeter."

Regina seemed to feel the same sense of urgency to get home that he did then, her lips relaxing from their cat like grin as they parted with a breathy exhale. Her eyes dropped from his and she looked at his lips for a long moment, reminding him that he needed to get them out of there before he could no longer walk through the diner without a noticeable bulge in his jeans.

"Get your purse," he suggested but it came out as a demand and her eyes glistened with in response. She knew exactly what his tone meant and it was written all over her expression when she instantly reached behind her for her bag.

"Will that be all or can I get the two of you a slice of somethin' sweet?" Granny's question startled them from their heated moment, their heads snapping up in attention as they gathered themselves.

"No thank you," Regina gave a polite smile as she looked up at Granny and slid her purse straps up her arm, "We'll be having our dessert at home tonight."

"You sure? We've got cherry pie," Granny offered and David barely contained a laugh when he looked at Regina and saw her pointed gaze.

He knew the irony was not lost on her by the way her lips threatened to curl in amusement, but he took her hint that she was desperate to end this encounter with Granny and be on their way. As was he. Still, he couldn't miss the opportunity and felt a pointy-toed kick to his shin before he'd barely finished his sentence, "Maybe next time. I've got a craving for my wife's apple turnover tonight."

David glanced around the diner to make sure no one was looking his way when he felt heat creep up his neck at the memory of what followed getting home that night. Shoes and jackets had been discarded in the foyer as they'd stumbled into the living room in mutual understanding that they did not have the patience to make it upstairs. It had been before Henry, when they still had the freedom to devour each other in any room they wanted. And that night they certainly had.

He'd gotten her naked in record time, her bare back arching from the coffee table where he knelt between her legs with his head tucked between her thighs. He exhaled sharply at the memory of her moans and the way her hips curled up towards his mouth while she tugged at his hair and cursed out loud. She'd tasted so good that he hadn't stopped, pushing her through orgasm after orgasm until finally she came with such force that she'd drenched his chin with her-

David cleared his throat suddenly and scanned the diner once more when he snapped back to reality again. His throat was suddenly parched and he reached for his glass of water, trying to focus on the task instead of the thoughts that had prompted his slightly strained situation under the table.

He found memories of his cursed life everywhere but he knew he had to quit indulging, especially now that he was living in such close proximity of Regina again. So he sat back in the booth and forced himself to think of Snow, letting out a breath of relief when the tension in his jeans slowly subsided. For his sanity he would ignore the fact that he had just used the thought of his real wife as a cold shower for his reaction to his cursed one.