Hello again.
I think my inspiration is slowly coming back to me, but writing this chapter was like pulling teeth and left me no patience to proof read. So I apologize if this chapter is lackluster and/or full of typos.
I appreciate you all for still reading.
David sat at the kitchen counter and stared blankly into his coffee, praying it kicked in before Regina came down to grace him with whatever mood she woke up in. He hoped her temperament had improved from the night before, or that she'd at least stop trying to kick him out of the house. But he had on occasion known his wife to be an unpredictable little thing and he wasn't certain what to prepare himself for.
His gaze lifted to find Regina eyeing him from the doorway and he slowly sat his coffee down to take in the sight of her. She was still in her silky pajamas and her hair was wavy and disheveled, her feet bare and face makeup free. It gave him a sense of normalcy that he'd missed when they were at odds and she'd been too guarded to let him see her this way. Maybe she was starting to accept that he was there to stay.
He stifled a smile when she tried to play off the fact she'd been caught watching him and quickly made her way to the coffee maker.
"You're still here?" Regina asked contrarily and avoided eye contact with him.
"You still being stubborn?" David matched her tone, watching as she immediately bristled and spun around to glare at him. Just like he knew she would. They'd learned how to press each other's buttons so efficiently during their marriage that it was almost down to a science. That's how he knew that pissing her off was a guaranteed way to get her attention.
Regina had a tendency to become so absorbed by her inner turmoil that she'd distance herself from others when she was in distress. She'd lived such a solitary existence before him that her default reaction was to shut down and he'd learned through experience how to respond. If she was picking a fight because of her insecurities, he'd refuse to take the bait until she cooled down. If she was feeling hurt or insecure, he was patient and gentle until she felt safe enough to open up. And when she was being a stubborn shit like now, he'd push until she was irritated enough to drop that aloof mask and push back.
It still worked, if the cool and contemplative stare he received now was any indication. She studied him from behind the mug she held with both hands and he held her gaze intently, refusing to waver in their battle of wills. He'd blown up his life to be with her and he wouldn't allow her to sabotage their second chance.
So he waited patiently for her to react, thinking briefly what he might duck behind should her next fit of rage include fireballs. Her magic was emotion and he'd witnessed her struggle to stay in control when she was angry and upset… or horny . He smiled faintly at the memory of that morning in her office when she'd accidentally disrobed them with her magic.
Regina set her mug on the counter with force, jarring him from the pleasant memory. He realized by the look on her face that she'd misinterpreted his smile for smugness and braced himself.
"Well I'm not making you breakfast," she shrugged petulantly.
Her brow arched irritably, her arms crossed over her chest and chin tilted up in the prissiest display of defiance he'd ever seen. David swallowed a laugh at her childlike behavior and his own relief. Being denied her cooking wasn't ideal but it was better than finding his suitcases in the yard like he'd imagined. Maybe they were making progress.
His amusement caused her eyes to glimmer with anger, but it wouldn't deter him. "I didn't ask you to cook for me, honey. I know you keep the pantry stocked with mine and Henry's favorite cereal."
"Well that's one less thing on my next grocery list," She smiled sarcastically, "And don't even begin to think I'll continue to do your laundry or resume my other wifely duties ."
"I think we both know you never considered it a duty," He smirked.
That comment seemed to light a fire under her.
"You're only here because it's comfortable," She sneered at him, "Granny's inn is a far cry from sleeping on Egyptian cotton sheets and being served gourmet meals at the mayoral mansion!"
"You know I never expected any of that, Regina. Anytime I fussed at you to relax you'd say that you enjoyed taking care of us," He said, looking at her pointedly, "Because that's who you are. You take care of people. That big heart of yours wants to make sure the people you love never experience not being cared for, because you know what it feels like."
Regina's jaw twitched and her eyes glimmered but she squared her shoulders formidably, "Oh so you're psycho-analyzing me now? Archie must be giving you lessons. Did he give you my file to review as well?"
"What? This is crazy," David's eyes widened in frustration over her bringing that accusation up again. She was grasping at anything to fight over to avoid discussing their situation.
"I believe the word you called me last time was insane, not crazy. Don't demote me dear," Regina gave an embittered smile that made him immediately regret his word choice.
"I meant that this conversation is absurd. I've never talked to Archie about you," He looked her directly in the eyes to emphasize his honesty, "And you know damn well I'm not just here for hot meals and laundry. l'm not saying I don't appreciate that, but it's hardly why I'm sticking around."
"Why then?" Regina snapped and he could see that she was grasping for any explanation other than his as to why he was still around.
"Because this is where I want to be. With you ," He said firmly.
"Reality hasn't set in for you yet, David. Just wait until you go into town next. I'm sure word is spreading that I cursed you and made you break Snow's heart," she rolled her eyes at the thought, "No one will ever believe that you're with me willingly and they'll never accept it."
"We'll see," he said casually as he stood and put his coffee mug in the sink, "I'm headed to speak with Emma."
"Today?" Regina asked a smidge too quickly to hide her anxiety.
"I'm on night shift tonight, so I'm going now to catch her at the station. I plan to explain it all to her, but I'm not apologizing for this. I'm not ashamed of us, Regina."
Wide eyes blinked owlishly at him but she remained silent. He could see her desperately trying to make sense of what he said, but her anger and deeply rooted denial made it impossible. She needed time to believe him.
It wouldn't be easy, but his affection for her wounded heart would give him the patience he needed.
"Coffee?" David held up the peace offering when he walked into the station and found Emma dozing off at her desk, "Looks like you could use it. You doing okay?"
Emma's jaw twitched with irritation when she looked up at him, "Am I okay ? I was up all night with Mary Margaret. She's hysterical," she frowned and begrudgingly took the coffee from him.
"I wanted to talk to you about everything," he sat down at his own desk across from hers, "I know you probably have questions."
"Oh no, I'm pretty clear on the situation," she smiled sarcastically, "My parents, the famous true loves, are splitting up because my dad jumped into bed with the enemy."
"Regina's not my enemy anymore," he frowned, "She's working hard not to be anyone's enemy now."
Emma scoffed and sat up straighter in her chair, "Tell that to your actual wife. God David it's like you're not even ashamed of how quickly you chose the mayor. Mary Margaret fought so hard to get back here to you while you were doing god knows what with the woman who destroyed your lives."
David tried not to look as awkward as he felt to be receiving a lecture of this nature from his own daughter. They'd become friends through working together during the curse and he could tell Emma wasn't ready to acknowledge him as anything else. There hadn't been a chance for them to navigate this new and unusual father-daughter dynamic given the current circumstance.
It was imperative he tread lightly, but Emma deserved an explanation of how things came to be regardless of how uncomfortable it might be.
"You need to know that I fought it, Emma. It wasn't as simple as choosing one over the other. I was a mess when the curse ended and then you and Snow fell through the portal. I was worried sick and trying to figure out how to find you. And at the same time I was trying to keep the town from totally unraveling. I was angry as hell at Regina and confused by memories and feelings from the two very different lives I'd led. I took it out on her. I said terrible things to her and hurt her on purpose. I took Henry and let him reject and disrespect her out of spite."
"But do you realize how it seems?" Emma frowned, "It's hard to believe you agonized over it when you made the choice to be with her before Mary Margaret even returned. You didn't even wait to see if your feelings for her could come back."
"I promise you it wasn't a decision I made lightly. I hate that I've hurt Snow and made things so difficult when you only just found us. I tried to ignore what I felt for Regina and told myself nothing was real. I thought staying loyal to Snow was the right thing to do but in the back of my mind I knew I didn't feel the same about her as I once did."
Emma's expression was troubled as she tried to wrap her head around it, "Even if you don't feel the same way about Mary Margaret, how do you just go back to Regina after everything she's done?"
"Twenty-eight years…" David answered simply, his eyes pleading with her to keep an open mind, "I shared a life with Regina for twenty-eight years. It might've started because of a curse but it became real. It changed me. How could it not after almost three decades?"
"But how do you know what's real?" Emma looked skeptical, but her questions gave him hope that she was trying to understand.
"Twenty-eight years," he answered again and smiled weakly, "You get to know someone better than you know yourself when you've been together that long. Before the curse I would've been just as confused as you are to understand how someone could love the Evil Queen. But I think the curse gave Regina a sense of security and she felt safe enough to be herself for the first time and slowly opened up to me about her past. Obviously she changed some details to fit the narrative of the curse, but once it was broken she told me the full story. And I realized that the important parts, the things that happened to her that left her so broken, were the same in both versions. There's so much more to her than what the book covers."
Emma's expression was contemplative but she continued to play devil's advocate, "So she tells you some sob stories to justify mass murder and you're taking her word for everything?"
David shook his head, "It's not just what she's told me. After the curse broke her walls went up, but during the curse I got to see behind her mask. And when I was denying my feelings and being awful to her, I saw that mask slip more than once. I recognized the emotions she tried to hide because I'd seen them during the curse, when she wasn't hiding her feelings from me."
"But what is it?" Emma's brow furrowed, "What is it about her that lets you overlook all of the pain she's caused?"
"Because I saw her pain," he smiled weakly, "I'm not excusing the things she's done, but I know what she's been through and I understand why she made the choices she did. If the book covered that part, others might see her differently too."
Emma seemed to accept his answer but looked reluctant to respond. "I hear what you're saying but you gotta remember nobody else has seen this version of Regina you're claiming exists. I've only been in this town for five minutes compared to the rest of you and I didn't know you and Mary Margaret together, so I guess I'm looking at this as more of an outsider. I know fairy tales don't exist in the real world. Bad things happen to good people. Couples grow apart. Life is never fair. And I don't have any moral highground because I've made my fair share of fuck-ups. But the people in this town see everything in black or white, good or bad…they won't get it. They only know the version of her that killed the king and terrorized people for fun and cursed a whole ass realm."
"I know. It won't be easy to change people's opinion of her, but she's fought so hard to redeem herself. I want everyone to see that," David nodded and looked at her sincerely, "I appreciate you trying to understand."
"Like I said, I'm a realist," she hesitated, troubling her bottom lip with her teeth, "I know you didn't set out to hurt anyone, but Regina cast this curse to do just that. I know she's trying to be better and seeing Archie, but I can't say that I trust she's changed."
"That's fair. I just hope you can eventually give her a chance," he nodded hesitated for a moment, "About Archie…what all was said and who participated in the conversation about Regina?"
"What do you mean?" Emma frowned in confusion, "I only talked with Archie about letting Henry see Regina and he said he thought it was a good idea, that she's in therapy and working on getting better."
"Nobody else was involved?" David asked and she confirmed with a nod, "Regina thinks all of us and Archie have been discussing her therapy and debating whether or not she can see Henry."
"I don't need to hold a council to know everyone's opinion on the matter," Emma rolled her eyes, "I don't need their two cents anyways. What's best for Henry is between you, me and Regina. Archie's the only one looking at this shit objectively, so I just wanted his advice. It's nobody else's business."
David smiled at Emma's level head, feeling grateful for her insight and the fact she was trying to see his point of view. "Are we okay?"
"I told you I'm not trying to take sides," she shrugged, "Just a heads up though… Mary Margaret thinks Regina's done something to you. Like she's controlling you with a spell or magic somehow. I think once things cool down you should try to talk to her. Explain it to her when she's not hysterical so she understands you're doing this of your own free will so she can get some closure."
"I will. I hope eventually we can all be cordial. I want you and Henry to have the family you deserve," David gave a pained smile, "I'd like to pick him up from school and have him stay the night at home if you don't mind. Regina is missing him."
"I'm not going to keep him from either of you," Emma nodded and averted her gaze, "You all were a family. That's his home. I wouldn't take that away from my own kid."
"Thank you…" David said sincerely as he stood, "I want to do right by everyone involved…I know I've got my work cut out for me."
"Yeah I don't envy you…what a shit show, hm?" Emma agreed dryly.
The hint of humor in her tone lightened the mood and his spirits. His relationship with his daughter was still intact and she was making an effort to understand.
It gave David hope that everything would eventually work out.
"Are you in love with David?"
Regina lifted her gaze quickly and met her son's inquisitive stare. The question came out of nowhere and she wasn't prepared to answer. They were just supposed to be having dinner, not an anxiety inducing conversation. David had surprised her by dropping Henry there before his night shift and they'd been having such a light-hearted evening that she wasn't expecting the sudden inquisition.
She fumbled the whisk she held, splattering sauce on the counter as she scrambled for an appropriate response, "Henry…" she hesitated at the innocent curiosity in his eyes.
He'd grown keenly observant and seemed to see right through her since he'd come to understand her better. He'd probably know if she attempted to lie to him, and she'd vowed to always tell him the truth moving forward. She could see his wheels turning as he watched her stutter and waited for her to respond.
"It's okay…if you do," he attempted to ease her into sharing, his expression so earnest and gentle that she felt her chest grow tight with affection, "I remember…before the curse ended, we were really happy weren't we? It wasn't just the curse right?"
"We were really happy," She agreed and swallowed the knot forming in her throat, forcing a smile, "It wasn't just the curse. Nothing about our family was fake. David and I love you very much."
Henry glanced down sheepishly, looking hesitant as he dug deeper, "I remember how you and dad used to be with each other during the curse. It was like you were really in love. Then when the curse broke, you hated each other...But now he's staying here even though Snow is back. And I heard her tell Emma that you trapped David under a spell."
Regina's expression dropped quickly, immediately fearing he'd believed it.
"I know you didn't," he said quickly at the alarm in her expression, "Don't worry, Mom. You've changed. I know you wouldn't do anything like that now, especially not to Dad."
His belief in her caused a flood of emotion that brought tears to her eyes and made her throat ache with the urge to cry. Even though they'd been getting along, she hadn't expected him to have that much faith in her so soon. It had been a daily struggle to fight the darkness inside since the curse ended, but hearing him express his faith in her made it all worth it.
"So, do you love him?" He asked again softly.
"I have loved David for almost 28 years, Henry," she admitted, voice wobbly as she wiped the tears from her face, "But it's complicated."
"But he ended it with Snow so he could be here with us…"
There was genuine confusion in his expression, as if it were the simplest concept and he couldn't understand what the problem was.
"You mean you…you want David and I to be together?" She looked dumbfounded when he nodded. "But what about Snow? What about your storybook? Prince Charming doesn't end up with the villain, Henry."
"Dad doesn't look at Snow like he looks at you though," Henry pondered, "You look at him the same way when you think nobody's watching. And you got really sad when he was angry with you."
"So you'd be okay with your Dad and I being together?" She questioned in disbelief.
"I know it's my fault, but I liked things better before the curse broke," Henry admitted sheepishly, his gaze dropping towards his lap, "I miss our family and you and dad being happy and nobody was fighting. I'm sorry I messed everything up.."
Regina rounded the kitchen island and bent down to his level, cupping his chin, "Henry you have nothing to apologize for. I'm the one who created this mess. You did the right thing by breaking the curse."
"I did?" It was Henry's turn to look shocked.
"I loved our life, but it wasn't right what I did to you and your Dad. I lied to both of you and I lived with that guilt for so many years," She smiled weakly, "If the curse hadn't ended I never would've had the chance to redeem myself. You did that for me, sweetheart."
He nodded but still looked reluctant to shed his guilt. "I didn't know…I didn't know the storybook left out your story. I'm sorry I was mean to you," he said quietly, his chin wobbling.
"Oh, Henry," She choked out and pulled him into her arms, hugging him tightly, "You had every right to feel the way you did. You challenged me to redeem myself. You gave me hope that I could make things right. Without that I probably would've let the darkness consume me again, but you kept me grounded."
He smiled slightly, looking like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, "Dad loves you too, you know. We're gonna be a family again."
Regina laughed tearfully at his confidence, "Even though it's not how your storybook ends?"
"Yeah, I did some research online," Henry raised an eyebrow and flashed a mischievous grin, "Did you know that most fairy tales have been rewritten over and over again for centuries? Most of them are way different from the originals now."
"Oh?" she couldn't help but return his grin.
"Yep…" He paused, raising a brow when the idea hit him, "Maybe I'll rewrite ours."
"What's this about?" Regina frowned as she entered the station early the next morning. She'd feared that David had been hurt on the job when she got the call to come in, but Emma reassured her that he'd just finished his nightshift and would wait there for her. She had no clue what awaited her and the anxiety made her snappy. "Henry's home alone so this can't take long."
"Emma," David stood from his desk before the savior could speak, "Let me talk to her."
The savior sighed as if they'd had this conversation multiple times. "David we both know you can't be involved with the interrogation. You're too close to this, too biased. If we're going to get to the bottom of it, we can't botch our investigation."
"Investigation?" Regina's brow furrowed, growing more impatient as she glanced between them, "Is anyone going to clue me in as to why I'm here?" she huffed.
"It's about Archie," David stepped closer to her, anxious to explain and let her know he was on her side.
Regina scoffed and rolled her eyes, "What about Archie? Has he been breaking doctor-patient confidentiality again?"
"He's dead, Regina," he said quietly, running his hands up her arms in an attempt to comfort her, "We're trying to figure out what happened."
"Dead?" She stepped back from him in shock before realizing why they'd asked her there, "Am I a suspect?"
"Should you be?" Emma asked, watching her suspiciously.
"Are you serious?" Regina sputtered and looked at David to make sense of it for her.
"Ruby says she saw you going into his office last night," He explained reluctantly, watching her expression fall as she processed the news.
Archie had been a friend to her when she had none and she cared for him though she'd never admit it. David knew that being accused of his murder would be another blow to her fragile self esteem after she'd been working so hard to redeem herself.
"I was home all night last night," She argued, trying to make sense of why Ruby would say such a thing. There were plenty of people in the town that hated her and would be glad to falsely accuse her of a crime, but Ruby had been kind to her recently and it didn't add up. "I had Henry there for god sake! You think I'd just leave him to go casually commit murder?!"
"He's home alone now," Emma shrugged and looked at her intently, her stoic expression not giving away what she really thought. Regina could usually read people like a book, but the savior's mind-game skills challenged her own.
"This is absurd," Regina sneered, "You both know how hard I've worked to change and keep my promise to Henry. Why would I chance doing something that could make me lose my son all over again?"
"We're not saying that you did-" David attempted to diffuse the situation but was cut off by Emma.
"Well you did have a motive," the savior needled further, "He gossiped to me about your therapy and broke your trust. Maybe you thought you'd teach him a lesson but you took it too far. Why don't you head into the interrogation room and we'll have an official chat?"
"Excuse me?" Regina recoiled in disbelief and looked to David for his response. He ached to comfort her but knew he had to calm her down before she'd allow it.
"Hey I know you weren't involved," he met her gaze and watched her exhale in relief. "This is just protocol. We have to question you because an eye witness puts you at the scene-"
His stomach sank when she stepped back from him indignantly, her eyes glinting with betrayal, "You're actually going along with this?"
"Regina, we need to find Archie's killer, and if people are busy falsely accusing you then our investigation gets nowhere," He shifted to keep his gaze locked with hers when she tried to look away, "We just need a quick statement so we can clear your name of this."
He watched her visibly shut down, disappearing behind the wall she created to shield her vulnerability. Whatever trust he'd built with her crumbled in front of his eyes. He knew she was assuming the worst; that he didn't believe her or he was setting her up. She'd been desperate to find a reason to push him away for fear of being hurt and he'd just inadvertently given it to her.
"Fine," Regina squared her shoulders, her eyes growing cold, "We all know it doesn't matter what I say. You're all looking for a reason to lock me up and throw away the key. I guess now you've got one."
"Regina, open up!" David pounded on the front door loudly despite no response, "I just want to talk to you!"
She sat on the stairs facing the front door and listened to him continue to knock. He'd tried using his key to let himself in, but she'd sealed the house with magic to ensure he couldn't get close. He'd been on her stoop for nearly thirty minutes now, yelling that he'd sleep there if she didn't let him in.
Henry was at school and then spending the night with Emma, prompting Regina to seek the familiar comfort of isolation. She needed time alone to think things through and plan what her next steps might be. She couldn't make sense of the accusation against her. Why would Ruby lie? Was she working with the Charmings to frame her? And what actually happened to Archie?
No one could be trusted. She didn't even trust herself to speak to David right now. She felt fragile and gullible and wasn't sure she could decipher the truth from a lie, especially if he started to tell her what she wanted to hear. He said he believed that she was innocent, but how could he mean it?
He should know better than anyone what she was capable of since he'd been on the receiving end of it. Even if he did believe she was innocent, nobody else would. If he sided with her then he'd be going up against an entire town of people who wanted her dead.
Allowing him to be there for her through this would end poorly no matter what. If she found out he was lying to set her up it would break her. If he was truly on her side then it put him in danger. This accusation would stir the town up and remind her enemies of how she'd wronged them, and anyone she loved could be a target for their revenge.
Even if people knew she was innocent there were still those that would like to see her locked up anyway. Even if there was no evidence to prove she was guilty of this crime, she was guilty for a thousand others, and people would consider it justice served. And if she let David defend her then he'd be in danger of the town's wrath as well.
He'd already broken the heart of their beloved Snow White for the Evil Queen. Most already believed she had him under a spell. If he advocated for her they would eventually turn their back on him as well. They would consider him a lost cause and another casualty of her dark magic.
So she sat on the steps and listened, aching to open the door and let him hold her until she was no longer sick from the anxiety.
"Please, honey-"
His tone was gentle and pleading, making her self-loathing skyrocket for putting him through this. Her desire to believe him warred with her desire to protect him. She felt helpless and weak and disgusted with herself for sulking. How could she feel sorry for herself when she'd earned every second of the suffering coming for her?
Isolation, accusations, fear and anxiety. This is what she deserved and how her story would always end. She smiled sadly at Henry's suggestion to simply rewrite that stupid book. If only things were that simple.
"Regina, I know you're in there. I want to be with you. You don't have to go through this alone."
Tears escaped her then and she stood abruptly for fear of caving to his request. She turned to go up the stairs, distracted by swiping furiously at the tears blurring her vision. It wasn't until she reached the top step that she looked up properly and then stopped cold in her tracks.
For years she'd made a habit of imagining the worst that could happen to better prepare herself for when it occured. Her entire life had been spent waiting for the other shoe to drop, as it always did. She should've predicted this twist, but she'd been too consumed by her current misery to anticipate future anguish.
But life always had a cruel way of reminding her that no matter how bad things are, they could always get worse.
"Hello, dear."
"Mother?"