So, I started this chapter with the intent of progressing the story significantly, but I ended up writing more than planned. It worked out, I think, and will make the following chapters flow more organically.

Because of the extra part and length of everything I wanted to cover in this chapter's original outline, this chapter was turned into two. I'm almost through writing the second part, but wanted to go ahead and post this one to see what you guys think.

This is the furthest I think I've ever managed to maintain a "slow burn" story. It's hard for me to write Regina as holding back because she is so impulsive and emotional by nature. Even canonically-speaking (did I just make that word up?) her desperation for love and intimacy had her acting first and thinking later. For example, the vault scene with he who shall not be named.

So in other stories, I wrote her that way - acting on impulse physically, but still very guarded and cautious mentally and emotionally. That's my headcanon for her, at least.

Anyways, that was my long winded way of saying the slow burn aspect of this story will evaporate soon, in some ways, so hang in there. But don't be alarmed, the angst will remain.

Thoughts, feedback, or simply a comment letting me know you're still interested is much appreciated! Happy reading!

"I'm glad you came again this week."

Hopper gave a genuine smile from his seat across from hers and Regina had to stifle the urge to roll her eyes. It wasn't because she didn't think she needed to come, or that she didn't appreciate the cricket trying to help her, but deflecting kindness with sarcasm was practically a reflex to her and proved a hard habit to break.

She took a deep breath to muster patience for the session and nodded once, "Yes, well, you seem to think we are getting somewhere with this, so," she shrugged in explanation, feeling awkward and unsure of where to start. For years she'd been used to having the upper hand and controlling any situation she found herself in, making the concept of therapy entirely foreign to her.

Luckily, Archie seemed to sense this, as he always did, and began the conversation, "I was thinking, given David and Henry are back under your roof, you might want to discuss that today."

"What about it?" she asked more sharply than intended.

"About how you're progressing in healing your relationship with Henry and...well, how you feel about things between you and David."

"Henry and I are making progress," Regina nodded and avoided his gaze, eyes settling on the window behind his desk, "He seems to be realizing that there is more to my story than what the book allows. Though, I know not to get my hopes up. As soon as his grandmother and birth mother are back, I'll be the villain in his eyes instead of his mother again."

"You can't know that for certain. Henry is a very bright boy," Hopper encouraged, "You'll find that children are able to process change and adapt to new circumstances much easier than adults can. I think as long as you continue to answer any questions he has honestly, and keep your promise to him, that you will gain his trust back. You can't forget that you're the only mother he knew for ten years of his life. That kind of bond doesn't just go away."

"That hasn't exactly been my experience since Miss Swan came into his life," she scoffed and tilted her head down to hide her bitter snarl at the thought, "And his grandmother, she's such a hypocrite," she tilted her chin back up with a sour expression, "It won't take long once they've returned for Henry to lose his faith in me all over again."

"Has something new developed? Do you think they'll be returning soon?"

"The hat portal was destroyed and, as far as I know, David is at a stand still in his search for them," she replied coolly, jaw twitching with a hint of anxiety, "But you know how disgustingly determined the heroes are. He'll find a way sooner or later, and they'll leave me in the dust."

"Have you considered what we talked about last time? That maybe you should talk to David...to tell him how you really feel about your marriage?"

Regina's eyes darted to Hopper and noted the cautious expression he wore. She clenched her teeth as anger rushed through her at his idiotic suggestion and tried to remind herself that this is what she was here for. She needed someone to ask her the questions she would otherwise ignore and force her to face reality. She needed to be held accountable, to be kept on track, so she wouldn't risk backsliding into darkness and break her promise to Henry.

"Talking to David about that is...out of the question," she muttered dismissively. It was clear from the way Archie had mentioned David multiple times now that he knew she loved David and it seemed pointless to continue to deny it.

"How so?"

"Because I'm not going to grovel at David's feet and beg him to choose me," she bit back indignantly and frowned, "When we both know he's going to go back to Snow the moment she returns. She's his true love and there's just no way he'd turn his back on her."

"So you don't think that he has any true feelings for you?" Archie asked and Regina hated the way he looked at her like he already knew her answer.

"It's...it doesn't matter," she said firmly, almost to herself more than the cricket, "Even if he does have...some residual feelings left from the curse, they weren't real. He hates me and he would never...I'm not," she shook her head in frustration as her words failed her.

"You're not what, Regina?"

"I'm not good enough for someone like him," Regina replied, tone harsh with self-loathing as she gave him an incredulous glare to match it. Anger bubbled in her chest at his persistence, not understanding how Archie couldn't grasp such an obvious concept. A hero doesn't end up with a villain. "He's kind and decent and...why would he care about the Evil Queen when that insufferable brat is out there with her heart as pure as snow?" she spat out in disdain.

"What makes you think that you are not worthy?" the therapist asked and Regina let out a cold, humorless laugh.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the countless lives I've taken? The fact that I've cursed an entire realm? The evil, disturbingly black heart in my chest?" she tilted her head and squinted in irritation, "I don't deserve love, especially not from someone like him with his good heart and noble intentions. I lied to him for decades. I took him away from his wife and made him miss his daughter growing up. There is no reality in which he'd choose me and he shouldn't."

"I think you're ignoring a large part of this…" Archie suggested carefully.

"What's that?"

"What David wants," he replied and she remained silent as she studied his expression intently for his meaning, "You've already made your mind up for the both of you based on your own level of self-esteem and guilt. Do you think it's fair that you made his decision for him, without even giving him the full truth?"

"Because I already know it's the decision he'll make!" she snapped, her anger threatening to claw its way out. Her emotions were beginning to beckon her dark magic and she curled her fingers into fists on her lap, digging nails into her palms to center herself.

"Again, you can't know that for sure. David is his own person with his own feelings about all of this," Archie nodded, "I think if any part of the marriage felt real to you, then you should at least let him know. You may be surprised by his response, and even if it is not the response you want, you'll know you've done the right thing. It may help him let go of some anger to know how you feel. Being honest can help you both move forward."

"So I should come clean to him for the sheer fact that he may not be as mad at me in the future? So that he can move on with Snow and Emma when they get back? So he can tell Snow that I confessed my love to him and they can laugh over how pathetic I am?" she questioned the foolish idea, barely containing her resentment.

"I understand your hesitancy, Regina, I really do. But this won't simply go away, even if he does return to Snow," he smiled weakly before elaborating, "You were together for a very long time during the curse. You've basically already lived a lifetime together. Being with someone for that many years changes a person, and life before them may be seen in a different light afterwards. Before the curse, you were hellbent on revenge and fed into the darkness. But because of your experiences since then, with marriage and motherhood, you've changed and desire something different for your life. That could also be true for David."

Regina gulped down the emotion rising in her throat as her heart ached with hope she'd tried stifling. She thought about the night a week prior when David woke her from a nightmare and held her on the sofa until she'd fallen asleep again. She'd woken the next day alone in her own bed, realizing he'd carried her upstairs and tucked her in. But he'd already left for work by the time she came down to make breakfast and by evening they were back to the same routine of barely looking at or speaking to one another.

The constant fluctuation in the nature of their interactions proved exhausting and she felt the urge to voice her uncertainty and weariness.

"I never know where we stand. Just when I think we argue and hate each other as much as two people can, he looks at me like...like he feels the same things I do," she swallowed thickly to regain control of her unsteady voice, "When Daniel was still missing, David said that if any of it had been real, then he couldn't allow me in harm's way. There have been a few moments, like that one, when it feels like he truly cares, and I don't know if I'm only seeing what I want to, or if it's real."

"How do you respond? Have you ever given him any indication in return?"

Regina troubled her bottom lip before nodding once, "There was another time where I...I apologized for what I'd done to him, but admitted that I'd been happy. Then he asked me if I was happy with him or happy because I'd gotten my revenge on Snow. But I didn't—I couldn't…" she trailed off, shoulders sagging in defeat.

Archie nodded, appearing to process the information for a moment before he replied, "It would be hard for someone like David to have conflicting feelings between you and Snow. He's driven by loyalty and honor and always doing what's right, which could make it especially difficult for him to accept things aren't as black or white as he'd like them to be. It's likely he'd lash out in an attempt to put distance between the two of you as a result."

"He's certainly lashed out, but I have a hard time believing it's for any other reason than hating me," she replied quietly, eyes fixed on the chair arm that she thumbed mindlessly. "Aside from those brief moments, the way he looks at me now...it's so different than before. He's so angry."

"Anyone would be after finding out the person they spent their life with had lied to them," Archie nodded and she shot him a glare, assuming he'd been scolding her until she saw his gentle expression and kept her mouth shut to let him continue. "That is why I think that he would respect and appreciate the truth. Even if it did not end with him choosing you, maybe he would understand you better. It upsets you how the heroes view you so one-dimensionally, accusing you of not having a heart or feelings, and showing your humanness may help them realize you aren't the Evil Queen anymore."

"And if not, I'll just be the laughing stock. The pathetic Evil Queen who thought she could have a happy ending. I'm not sure which is worse," she mumbled and exhaled slowly, blinking back tears threatening to spill.

"I know being vulnerable is what you fear most, but it's also the very thing that will help guide your path to redemption. If you look at the way you changed during the curse, from loving and being loved in return, it was because you allowed yourself to be vulnerable enough to fall for David. That couldn't have been easy after so many years of hardening your heart to keep people away."

"It wasn't," she admitted with an empty smile, "But David was...persistent."

"In what way do you mean?" Archie asked and she looked blankly at him in hesitation.

There'd been no one that she'd been able to explain her relationship with David to. When her feelings for him evolved she'd had to keep it to herself, as the curse had started under the pretense that they were already happily married. She wasn't able to gush to a friend about falling in love with him in the way she imagined friends do, and not that she'd really had any at the time even if she could. Now that the curse was over and her truth so humiliatingly revealed, she felt herself caving further, letting her heart spill to the one person in this town who would listen.

"Before the curse, I...I hadn't felt love in so long, not since Daniel. I spent years alone as the Evil Queen. Everyone despised me, almost as much as I despised myself. I only found hatred and fear in the eyes of those brave enough to meet my gaze. That is until the first morning of the curse, when I woke to find him beside me...and then his eyes opened and I—I held my breath because, even though I knew the curse worked, I still expected him to recoil or jump up in rage over who he found himself in bed with. But then he just...smiled," she averted her gaze as the memory caused tears to blur her vision, "...and his expression was so warm and kind and loving."

"That reaction must've felt very different than what you were used to," Archie suggested softly.

"It was unnerving, to say the least. When I was the Evil Queen, I knew how people would react to me, what to expect. She was powerful, unforgiving, brave," she swiped at a tear that slipped over her cheek, "But when I woke up as Regina again I felt...seen. Weak. Exposed. So, I...I became the Mayor."

"That's understandable, Regina. The Evil Queen was your protector. It seems the reaction she provoked in others was safe for you because you controlled it. Her persona was formulated to keep people at arm's length, to protect yourself. I'm guessing that rejection hurt less when it was directed at her instead of Regina…"

She felt raw at his statement, working her jaw to open up her throat that had grown tight, "I was too scared to return to just being Regina. I didn't know how. I didn't even know if that part of me still existed after everything I'd done. It was easier being the Mayor. She was a...diluted version of the Evil Queen, and that helped me feel more...in control. It worked for a while, but.."

Archie's brow raised when she trailed off and he watched her closely, "But David changed that?"

"I tried to resist it. I fought my feelings every day," she gave a pained smile, trying to convey her sincerity, "But my time with Daniel had been so fleeting that I...well, I guess I'd never experienced what sharing a life with someone could be like. And then David was there, showing me everything I'd missed out on, and it was too hard to resist. Despite telling myself love was weakness, a part of me still wanted it, and I just...caved. I let myself pretend I was worthy of a loving marriage. I let myself pretend it was real and then it...was. For me, at least."

"In the way your marriage to Leopold never was?" the cricket prodded gently.

Regina willed away her urge to shut down at the mention of the King, but couldn't bring herself to meet Archie's gaze. It was obvious he'd picked up on the nature of her first marriage and she pondered the use in continuing to avoid it as she'd done before. Each admission left her feeling somewhat lighter thus far, and she was growing excruciatingly weary from harboring the pain.

"My marriage to Leopold was a glorified prison," she spoke quietly, feeling the cold dread that twisted her stomach at the thought of him, "I was merely a surrogate mother for Snow and a warm body in his bed. I was his possession — someone who could not deny him without severe consequence. I was there for him to use when he wanted to pretend Ava was still alive, and I was the whipping post for his grief when he remembered that she was dead."

"I am sorry, Regina," Archie replied solemnly and she was relieved when he paused and didn't push the topic, seeming to understand she wasn't ready. "No one should go through what you have, but hearing your story makes me in awe of your strength and resilience."

Regina raised her brow and studied his expression for meaning. She found his statement hard to believe, squinting slightly as she searched his eyes for any hint of dishonesty or hidden sarcasm, yet finding none. No one had praised her for surviving. She was something people survived. Her reaction to what she'd been through had been so vast and devastating that it'd left people no room to ask why. Not that she deserved that in the end, anyway.

And now to be praised for her strength and resilience? She wasn't sure how to accept it, so she deflected with a scoff and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I didn't exactly handle things with grace, Cricket. If you've forgotten, I went insane and devastated countless lives."

"I meant the fact you went through that much trauma, but survived it and learned to live again during the curse. You allowed yourself to open up to David and Henry, essentially on your own. Because of the curse, you couldn't speak to anyone truthfully about your past, not even your husband. Yet you were strong enough to burden those fears and insecurities alone. You relearned empathy and patience and love."

"It's not so hard to do when you're on the receiving end of it," she murmured and her heart ached with the memory of David's warmth. "Even though I knew it was the curse, he just...believed in me. He only saw good in me and I couldn't fathom it at first, but he's...very convincing, to say the least," she said as a small, wobbly smile curled her lips.

It felt like a weight off her shoulders to have admitted her feelings for David out loud to someone, and that surprised her. She'd expected by the end of this conversation to have the urge to shut down and storm out of the cricket's office, never to return. She'd expected to feel humiliated and desperate to take it all back, but that didn't come. Maybe she was, as the cricket said, making progress.

David sprawled on the guest bed and stared blankly at the ceiling, mind running through the endless list of problems he needed to address, in the town and his own life. He'd worked late at the station in an attempt to tackle some of what stressed him and it was late by the time he'd come home. Henry's room was dark and he'd seen a soft lamp light shining underneath Regina's closed bedroom door when he topped the stairs, indicating they were both in bed for the night.

He had hoped he'd be able to sleep after a long shower, and while it did help relieve the tension in his neck, his mind had still been spinning when he came back into his room to dress for bed. However, the spinning kicked into overdrive when he opened his closet to find a freshly folded tank and boxers on the shelf, evidence that Regina had done his laundry again. It caused his heart to twinge with a mixture of guilt and affection, but he told himself she'd done it out of boredom instead of care. She was used to working a full time job as mayor and, now that she was home, she needed things to keep her busy. That was all.

He rolled his eyes at his own half-assed analysis and tried to ignore the feelings, irritated that something as simple as laundry could have him pining for the woman down the hall. It was frustrating, his desire to crawl into bed with her and share the details of his day, yet he could not seem to shake it. That had been his routine for years and getting into bed without his cold little wife cuddling up to him for warmth felt wrong.

His chest ached with missing Regina, especially after holding her and putting her to bed a few nights prior. She'd clung to him in her sleep after he'd carried her up to her room and tried laying her down. It'd taken every ounce of willpower he had to untangle her arms from him instead of crawling into bed with her. Being that close to her, feeling her body against his, had him desperately craving the emotional and physical intimacy they once shared.

It was wrong, he knew that, but he couldn't control the longing that pounded in his chest for her. The guilt always followed when his mind forced him back to reality, reminding him he should be focused on finding Snow and Emma instead of his feelings for the woman who tore their family apart. This vicious cycle tortured him daily and kept him up each night. It was an endless war that waged within him, tiresome and unrelenting, especially when made worse by things as foolish as clean laundry.

"Dad?" Henry's voice was a welcomed interruption, causing David to look towards the door where the boy stood with his head peeking into the room.

"What's wrong? Did you have another dream?" he asked with a frown and sat up quickly at the thought.

"No," the boy reassured and he relaxed at that, leaning back against the headboard.

He watched him curiously and noted the troubled expression Henry wore, reaching to pat the bed beside him, "Something on your mind?"

"Maybe," Henry mumbled, shutting the door behind him before he hung his head slightly and padded towards the bed.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked as Henry climbed up beside him and avoided his gaze.

"It's about Mom - Regina," Henry corrected and David could sense it wasn't about his reluctance to address Regina as his mother, but rather to clarify which mother he meant. "I begged her to take me to the diner after school and, well, something happened, and I feel bad."

David's brows furrowed in concern at the boy's guilty expression and prodded for more information, "What do you mean something happened? Is she okay?"

"Yeah, I mean, maybe a little upset. I don't know," Henry met his gaze and found it clear that the boy felt responsible for whatever had transpired, "I could tell she didn't want to go, but it had been so long since her and I had been there for dinner, like we did sometimes did before when you had to work late. But she agreed and we went there and...people were mean to her."

He took a deep breath, forcing himself not to ask too many questions at once, "What happened?"

"Everyone looked at her like they hated her or like they were scared of her," Henry frowned deeply, "Ruby wouldn't even look at her when she took our order. People were whispering and glaring our way and I could tell Mom was on edge. Grumpy and Dr. Whale were sitting at the bar near our table and they started talking kind of loud about her, but she still didn't say anything, even though I know she wanted to," he swallowed thickly with a renewed look of guilt, "But when she didn't react, they started calling her bad names and saying she put a spell on me and you. Grumpy said he'd never understood why you'd go for a b-word like her until the curse broke and then it all made sense. Then Dr. Whale agreed and said there was no way you'd still be here willingly unless…"

David's jaw clenched, "Unless what?"

"Well, he said something dirty about Mom - I think - I didn't really understand it, but I knew it was bad because her face turned red and she told me to go outside," he gulped with pink cheeks, clearly not wanting to repeat whatever it was, "So I did and watched through the window."

"And?" he asked, trying to rein in his anger at the thought of her being harassed, and in front of their son, no less.

"It looked like she was still ignoring them. She didn't look at them or anything and got a box for our food, because we didn't get to finish it," Henry looked down at his lap and nervously fidgeted with a button on his pajama top, "But when she went to the counter to pay I could see Whale saying something to her and she said something back. Then he got louder and grabbed her by the arm and she dropped the boxes of food everywhere. I think he scared her because she made a fireball in her hand when he wouldn't let go, but then she looked out the window at me and the fireball went out."

"Did she leave at that point?" David felt his stomach turn, knowing the humiliation Regina must've felt to have backed down from a bully like Whale in front of the whole diner because she wanted to keep her promise to Henry.

"Yeah, she came outside and she was upset. She apologized to me because she thought I would be mad at her for using magic," Henry's eyes became glossy and he drew his bottom lip between his teeth, trying not to cry, "When I was the one who made her go in the first place! And I didn't do anything to protect her when Whale grabbed her. Nobody did! Nobody stood up for her when he could've hurt her!"

"Oh, Henry," David cooed and pulled Henry in, wrapping his arms around him securely and pressing a kiss to his hair, "What happened wasn't your fault."

"But it is," he insisted, pained, "I made her go. I knew she'd say yes because she wanted to make me happy. And I just...I didn't think about how people would treat her after everything."

"Hey, it's okay to mess up and it's good that you realized you should've thought about how she'd feel. But Henry? You're a kid and you shouldn't have to be dealing with stuff like this," David reassured and ran a hand over Henry's dark hair, "You probably didn't consider it because you've come a long way with your Mom since the curse ended. You realized there's more to her than the storybook and you think of her as your mom, not an evil queen anymore. But the people in this town have a long history with her and they never knew her like you and I did."

"So you don't...you don't hate her?" Henry asked shakily and swiped at the tears on his face when he looked up at David.

The question nearly broke him. His son looked so sincere in his question and David kicked himself for not being more transparent with Henry about all of this. It was a complicated situation and the boy would benefit from knowing what he felt was valid and that David felt those things, too.

"No, Henry, I don't hate Regina," David said intently and realized that he meant it. He'd been trying to convince himself otherwise for weeks now, though it hadn't worked. He was angry and betrayed and hurt by her, but he didn't hate her. He couldn't.

"So, y-you won't let anyone hurt her, right?" Henry's brows furrowed with worry, effectively crushing the rest of David's fragile emotional state.

"God, no," he choked out and pressed his chin to the top of Henry's head, hugging him tight, "You don't have to worry about that, okay? I won't let anything happen to her."

"I heard somebody say something in the diner about her going on trial and an execution," Henry's voice shook.

"No - things aren't like they were in the Enchanted Forest, Henry. Nothing like that is going to happen. Right now we just need to get this town back together," he answered firmly, "And I promise I won't let anything happen to your Mom that will take her from you. Okay?"

"O-okay," Henry seemed to feel better at that and his breathing slowed as he leaned more into David's side. "I'm sorry, Dad."

"What are you apologizing to me for?"

"Before the curse, you always said it was our job to take care of Mom," he reminded him quietly and David's chest grew tight. "You know, like when you'd tease her because she couldn't reach something in the cabinet, but you'd get it for her and say that's what you were there for. And how raking leaves was our job because you said she was too pretty to do yard work," they both laughed softly at that and it eased the heaviness of the conversation for a moment, "Or how you'd always lift heavy stuff for her even though she rolled her eyes and said she wasn't helpless. And when you'd check the oil and tires on her car to make sure it was safe for her to drive. You said we should always make sure she's safe, that it's what good men do," he added with a defeated tone.

David blinked away glossy vision, grateful Henry kept his head tucked into his side and didn't see him struggling to keep control. Memories of their life before the curse ended flooded him, making his throat burn with raw emotion and his eyes threaten to spill. He'd taught Henry all of those things and they had taken care of Regina, even when she'd playfully scoff and call him old fashioned for it.

"We haven't done any of that stuff lately," Henry whispered after a moment of silence and David's stomach sank.

His son was right. Even though the reason had been obvious, they had turned their back on Regina in all ways. From the little, everyday acts Henry mentioned, to their complete and total abandonment. Despite his anger towards her, it wasn't fair how they treated her now because of who she used to be. Especially not after years of benefiting from the loving wife and mother she had been to them.

Even if their marriage hadn't been real, Henry's relationship with Regina was. David had gone against everything he'd taught his son in his treatment of Regina since the curse ended and Henry had been watching. How could he preach to his son, to anyone, about doing the right thing, while acting like he had? He needed to do better.

"We have let things go around here, haven't we?" he sighed and pulled the covers up over them, channeling his feelings of failure into a game plan, "Tell you what - we'll get up early in the morning, grab breakfast, and then get to work. You can rake the yard while I clean the gutters. We may even need to shape the hedges up a little. Then we'll check the oil in her car. That sound like a plan to you?"

"Yeah," Henry's voice sounded lighter as he snuggled into him, "Don't forget taking out the trash, too."

"Ah, yes. She hates it when we forget that, doesn't she?" he smiled faintly to himself.

"Yep."