Storybrooke

There was a loud banging on her front door, and she was pissed that someone would dare ruin her dinner, especially when it wasn't every day Henry was willing to share a meal with her.

"I don't recall us expecting any company," she said before moving to the foyer and opening the door, and as she opened it to reveal Emma, she grunted. "Sheriff Swan. What are you doing here?"

The blonde got dangerously close to the brunette's face as she stepped into the house. The blue of Emma's eyes suddenly turned purple, and Regina couldn't help but turn her face away. It reminded her too much of herself and the magic that once coursed through her body.

"I came for you," Emma said, and suddenly, many others were behind her. Mary Margaret, Granny, Ruby, and David.

"We all did." It was David's turn to speak. She looked up at him, a fear she couldn't comprehend threatening to consume her. Why was she suddenly so weak? Why wasn't she able to fight back?

"Henry." she only managed to call before being dragged away from her house and towards her Apple tree.

As Ruby and Granny were tying her up to the tree rather forcefully, she couldn't help but wonder how she got here in the first place. She barely fought the ropes that bound her, her voice a mere whisper as she begged them to stop, her son watching her in disdain. It all seemed all too real.

"You took our love and ripped it apart!" yelled Snow White. That little brat. She was lucky Regina didn't have her magic in Storybrooke.

"And now you're gonna pay," she heard Charming as he approached her, a sword in his hand. Was he about to end her? Because she would rather die at the hands of the shepherd than Snow's.

Regina would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't hurt by the hate in his eyes. It was ridiculous.

Trying to kiss him may have been a mistake, but now, as she watched him prepare to swing his sword, she kind of regretted she didn't get further with her plan. At least that would've left a lasting mark on his and his true love's relationship long after she was gone.

"You destroyed everything! And you could've had it all!" Charming yelled as much as his vocal cords could allow him. He swung his sword at her, and suddenly she was in her bedroom, covered in sweat. It was just a bad dream.

Just that.

Enchanted Forest

The Evil Queen was gloating as she looked into her mirror. Trapping the not-so-charming shepherd proved to be quite a useful tool in getting Snow White to come out of her hiding and agree to meet her.

On the other hand, having him in her castle gave her all sorts of devious ideas. He could prove to be a useful pet after she destroyed his little flake of snow. There was no denying that the shepherd was a handsome man and to have him warm her bed at night sent shivers down her spine.

She decided it would be best to see him one last time before meeting with Snow, and let him in on what was about to happen. Today was a celebration after all and he deserved to be invited to the after party.

A cloud of purple smoke appeared before him, and suddenly, the Queen was before him. She looked particularly smug, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Charming," she laughed as she called him by his nickname.

"What do you want?" David barked at her as he rose from the log he was sitting on, and if he was afraid, she couldn't see it.

David wasn't as concerned with his life as he was with Snow's. He knew he was just a pawn in the Queen's game and nothing more. She didn't care about him; he was just a shepherd who fell in love with her mortal enemy, and from what he gathered from Snow's stories, she had a particular soft spot for "the help."

David noticed the Queen's proximity only when her hand touched his chest. It was a soft touch, but still, he slapped her arm away. She may spare his life, but if she takes his heart, it's a whole different kind of torture.

He heard many stories of what goes on in the Queen's bed chambers, how she would take men's hearts so she could have her way with them, how she would seduce them to the point where they would start coming to her willingly, begging for more.

Even before he met Snow, he wondered what it felt like to be caught in the Evil Queen's embrace. Was she that good of a lover to lose your heart over? Was she so generous in bed to make even the most honorable men foolish enough to abandon their families?

His mind was racing with thoughts of the Queen's escapades instead of being focused on how to escape her. He was glued to the spot, a strange sensation washing over him. Was she doing magic on him?

"Hmm. I suppose I see the allure." The Queen purred into his neck as she circled him, her hand never leaving his upper body.

"I wonder just how useful you'll be to me after Snow White is gone from both our lives, forever"

"Whatever she did to you, leave her alone and take me instead," he said, confident that he heard her hum a bit.

"Oh, trust me, Charming, I intend to take you," she laughed when he turned to look at her, glaring in her direction.

"But first, I will make sure the little flake of snow you call your true love is gone. I can't have you running back to her, can I?"

The tension between the two was unbearable. He wanted to choke the life out of her, but he also had a particular desire hidden below layers of chivalry and morality. So he just watched as she backed away from him, opening the cell with her magic and pulling something out of thin air.

It wasn't until she laughed maliciously that he realized it was an apple she was holding and he guessed it wasn't just a fruit offering.

Just like Regina, that apple was a poisonous thing.