A/N-Hey guys! This one is long, like 2000+ words more than the longest of the first three chapters. This is about how long I intend to have the chapters be, though I am making no promises, I will do my best. I hope you all like this. It's still a little slow burn, but you'll get to see some flirting ;) which I hope is satisfactory. I do hope those who read this will be interested in reviewing. Reviews are the best motivation to keep writing and my favorite way to find out people like my story! Anyway, I'll let you get to reading!

When they arrived at Regina's castle, David was shocked to see that it was in perfect condition. Sure, she had told him she protected it, but still it was strange to see something in pristine condition when everything they passed on their journey, except the stable land, was destroyed.

"So this is your castle?" David asked.

"No, I just thought I would stop into someone else's abandoned castle for a free tour," she smarmed.

"And she's back ladies and gentlemen," David said dryly, causing Regina to roll her eyes. She led the group through the castle, showing a bedchamber to the group and offering it to one of the women, not specifying which.

"I promised Prince Philip I would keep Aurora safe," Mulan began. "Therefore I will not sleep in a separate bedchamber than her."

"Very well," Regina replied, waving her hand and conjuring another bed into the room. There is a bath in the far corner, should either of you desire one, you can find me down the hall and I can create a warm bath for you. Just let me know. Aurora," she started, turning her attention to the princess. "This was Snow's chamber when she was young, you should be able to find some suitable riding clothes or a less torn dress in the wardrobe. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you helped yourself to her things. You're a bit taller than her, I think, and a bit narrower, but they may be more comfortable to travel in. As for you, Mulan, most of my warriors were large men, but I may be able to create another guard for you if you would like, otherwise, you may try Snow's clothing as well." Both women nodded to her and thanked her.

Regina led David to Graham's bedchamber. It was next door to hers, it had been convenient for her to have him near for whenever she would feel her need for him grow. She walked in, followed closely by David. She dug through the shelves in his wardrobe, on the right side until she found a tan leather satchel. She held it up and pulled it close to her chest.

"I'll be taking this, but feel free to help yourself to any of his clothing. He had many furs; they may be useful for warmth. There should be another bag around here… somewhere. You can use it to pack a few days worth of clothing. I will tell you the same as I told Mulan and Aurora, should you require a bath, do let me know, I will draw one for you."

"With magic?"

"Yes, with magic. I will say that the convenience of not requiring help was amazing when you were evil and couldn't trust many." David nodded, not saying anything. "Anyway, my bedchamber is next door, feel free to come find me if you need anything. I'm going to go hunt in a little while for dinner. Hopefully I can find something worth eating."

"Would you like a companion? I wouldn't mind going with you. I'm a little worried about your mother being out there… she could hurt you." David waved his hand to let her know it was ok for her to continue walking to her bedchamber. He chose to walk her to her door while they continued speaking.

"She could, but you wouldn't be able to stop her anyway," Regina stated with a shrug. "But if you desire to come with me, I won't tell you that you can't. I'll come find you momentarily after I have found more comfortable clothing."

"Yeah, I could probably use a change of clothes myself." Regina waved her hand toward him and his clothing was clean. "Why would I need multiple outfits if you can just do that?"

"We are currently under the protection of a very strong spell on this castle. Out there, we will not be and I will have to be weary about what magic I use. If I use anything too powerful, or too much magic then it will be easier for my mother to find us."

"Why is that?"

"Because though I have protected myself so that she can't track me, she can still track my magic."

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure I understand."

"I mean… ok, when I poof away, you remember seeing that, yes?" He nodded. "Ok, well I have to think of my destination, so if I think about how I want to be in the kitchen, I can just poof myself there. Tracking is when you follow a particular person. For example, if I poofed myself while thinking of Mulan, I would show up in their room. I have a protection spell on myself so my mother can't do that to me, and I will have to put one on each of you three before we leave. But you can't put the protection on anything immaterial, so my magic can't be protected. My mother could think of my magic and poof herself to where it was last used. So, if we are going to use magic out there, during our travels, it either needs to be extremely minimal or immediately before we leave the area, and I would still rather not even do it that way, because she could still find us on foot if we were nearby recently enough. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, thanks for explaining it to me. I don't really get the whole magic thing… it's not familiar territory for me."

"I understand, but now if you will excuse me, I'd prefer not to have a shepherd watch me while I change." David shook his head and left. He didn't understand why, every time she was nice or let her guard down, she turned right back around and said something insulting or sarcastic. Sometimes a biting tongue could be an attractive trait, wit can be well appreciated, but sometimes it was just… annoying.

Regina looked around her bedchamber, now alone. She actually didn't want to be alone. Seeing the stables was exhausting, even if she knew beforehand that she would have to come across them. The pain of losing Daniel never seemed to get easier for her, perhaps because she never had closure, or because she had never given herself the chance to fall in love again. She had concentrated her efforts on revenge and then enacting the curse. After that came Storybrooke, full of the people she had cursed and she hadn't particularly wanted to fall in love with any of them. Then the idea of a child had come across her and she received Henry.

She felt a pang in her heart at the thought of her son. She still wasn't sure that she wanted to go home. She didn't want him to think she was abandoning him, which was one reason to go home, aside from the fact that it would kill her to not see him everyday. But the list to not go back was so long. Emma was there now, she was his birth mother, she broke the curse, he had his savior, and he had his grandparents, Snow White and Prince Charming. He wouldn't need her nor want her regardless of raising him by herself for the first ten years of his life. After the curse broke, she got her memories back, too. No, she hadn't lost memories from her previous life, but she remembered making herself a potion to forget that Henry was the savior's son. She remembered that her son was the grandson of Prince Charming and Snow White. He would never believe that she loved him so much, after just days of having him, that she used a memory potion on herself to take away her fears so she could keep him and love him fully. Regina sighed and walked over to her wardrobe, opening the doors.

She was pleased that of all the people in City Hall that day fighting the wraith it was David who fell through with her. She wouldn't be able to tolerate having to walk around and search for a way back to Storybrooke with Snow; she would probably end up trying to kill her and being more frustrated at her literal inability to do so. And as much as she didn't want Emma around, after the blonde had broken the curse and saved their son with True Love's Kiss, she knew that the other woman loved Henry and she knew she could count on her to protect him. If it had been just the Charmings left to care for him, she was certain that she could find her way back with Emma and Henry would never again want to see her and the belief that her hatred for Snow was based on appearances would be drilled further into Henry's thoughts. At least in this case she could hope that Emma would, with her past, prevent Henry from being exposed to too much negativity about the woman who raised him. She shook her head and searched through her wardrobe.

She found a pair of tan riding pants and dark brown leather riding boots. Pulling both on, she laced the boots all the way up to her knees and searched for a shirt to wear. She decided against an ordinary shirt and, after shedding her blazer, vest and blouse, she pulled on a dark brown leather vest, buttoning the front. It was low cut, but not any worse than the clothes she wore in Storybrooke. She knew it would be the least messy thing to wear to hunt. She pulled on a deep purple riding coat and wrapped a belt around her ribs that matched the vest, buckling it in front of her to keep the riding coat in place. The front of the purple material started at the tops of her thighs, angling down so the back came at a wide point at the backs of her knees. She put on the satchel she had taken from Graham's room, crossing it over her chest, and then she added the quiver strap across her chest and hung her bow on her arm. She transported a bowl from the kitchen and left her room, heading to Graham's former room to find David.

Regina knocked on the door, waiting for him to open it. She didn't wait long before he came out in black riding pants and a white shirt with sleeves that would have been loose on Graham but hugged David's muscles. He had a tan leather vest buttoned over the white shirt, she didn't recall Graham ever wearing it, but it seemed to fit David well enough. He had his own work boots from Storybrooke on and a belt around his hips that held his sword sheath, his sword hanging against his hip.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Yes. Do you have another bow I can use? Or do you intend to be the only one hunting?"

"I'll be the only one hunting, dear. I've seen you with your sword, you're sub-par at best, how you killed a dragon I will never understand. I don't trust you with flying weapons."

"Oh, Regina," he started in a sickly sweet tone. "You're so sweet. I don't understand why you don't have people constantly attached at your side." Regina rolled her eyes at him and shoved the bowl she was holding into his hands.

"You can collect berries or herbs that we find."

"That's extremely… humbling."

"Well, I apologize if it isn't a manly enough task for you, dear. Feel free to scratch yourself and grunt while doing it, just don't touch the food with whichever hand you use to scratch." David sighed and ignored her, figuring that any response he gave would just fuel her further. Regina didn't want to disturb the other women, so she used a mirror to check in on them, and they were both sleeping. She waved the image away and led the way out of the castle. David wasn't the worst companion for the hunt either. He was silent, light-footed, which she would never have expected from him. She was hoping that she could find a deer to kill, it would give them enough meat to use for the next couple of days, but if she had to kill smaller game, she would have to get more than one.

They came across a small clearing after twenty minutes of walking. The pair rested against a thick tree, Regina facing straight across the clearing and David facing the far left corner of it. Neither of them said anything for a while, not until David spotted a doe coming from the left side of the clearing, walking slowly. He nudged Regina and pointed, her eyes following his finger. She stepped away from the tree and slowly pulled an arrow from her quiver and set it against the bow, drawing it back to prepare for the kill. David noticed her pull was slightly off and her aim would be compromised. He didn't want to verbalize it in case the deer would hear, so he leaned his left arm over, grasping her left hand, which was holding the bow and pushing it just a fraction of an inch to the right. He then reached his right arm up so his hand rested on her right elbow and he pulled it back just slightly.

He whispered against her ear, "Now shoot." Regina released the arrow and watched it soar through the air and strike the deer straight through the heart, likely slicing through its lungs on the way through. She decided that was good, she had wanted to make it painless for the animal. Slinging her bow back over her shoulder, she began to cross the clearing. David kept pace with her and they soon were at the deer's side. Regina knelt onto the ground and pulled the arrow out, flinching slightly at the squishing sound it made.

"I never took you for the queasy type."

"I'm not," she snapped before she could compose herself. When she spoke again her tone was softer. "I just am weird with sounds is all. How… how did you know my aim was off? You weren't even at my angle and you barely moved my shot."

"Who do you think helped Snow perfect her aim? A bow and arrow set was my first weapon. Do you have any rope in that bag?" She nodded, pulling some out. She had placed it in there earlier, assuming she would want it even for a small animal. She watched as David tied the rope around the deer's neck and he continued telling his story. "I lived on a farm and we didn't have much money. You know I was a shepherd. Anyway, my father died long before he could teach me much, but I traded one of our sheep for my first bow and arrow. I trained myself to kill game because mostly we lived off bread, fruits and vegetables. We didn't want to kill our sheep to trade for food because we needed them for wool to sell. Anyway, I got to be really good at it and I grew to love it. It gave me some time to get out on my own into the woods. And it gave me time to think."

Regina didn't know how to respond to the open and easy story he told. It wasn't flattering, but it didn't make her think any less of him either. Actually, if she was completely honest with herself, she would have to admit that it made her think a little better of him. His story made him more of a person to her and less Snow White's Prince Charming. He finished tying the rope and he dragged the deer behind him. David offered her the bowl with a smug smile on his face.

"Your majesty, it looks like you'll be picking the berries and herbs. That is… unless you would like to drag the deer."

"Better hold your tongue Prince Charming before I capture it and you can't talk at all." She snatched the bowl from his hand before he could respond and she stalked off ahead of him in a slight tantrum, causing him to chuckle at her, shaking his head as he followed behind and watched her gather.

When they got back to the castle they heard chatter coming from one of the parlor rooms. They walked by the open door and peered in to see Mulan and Aurora sitting and talking in the chairs by the bare fireplace. Regina stepped into the room and summoned wood to the fireplace and conjured a fireball to toss at the wood. Once the fire was burning she gave a small smile to the other women.

"We killed a deer," Regina stated, waving her hand toward the doorway where David was still standing. They could see a small part of the deer from where they were in the room and both women smiled back at Regina.

"You will have to skin and quarter it, I would be willing to do it for you," Mulan said.

"That's quite alright, dear. I will be able to do it with magic quickly and easily. I just wanted to check that you were comfortable before we headed to the kitchen. I see you both found different clothing." Aurora was wearing a pale blue riding coat with tan riding pants and a white blouse underneath, boots adorning her feet and Mulan was in an entirely black ensemble, made up of the same articles Aurora was wearing.

"Indeed we have. Snow's boots are a bit large for my feet, but they should work," Aurora smiled.

"My feet are slightly smaller than hers, after the meat is taken care of, I will get you a pair to try on."

"Thank you." Regina nodded and headed back out of the room to lead David to the kitchen. The walk was long, as the bedchambers were on the third floor of the castle, though the entrance they used led directly to that floor. The kitchen and other service rooms were on the first floor, with the dining hall being on the second. When they came to the staircase, David lifted the deer and slung it over his shoulders for an easier method of transporting it down the steps.

An uninvited thought ran across Regina's mind as she watched him lift the deer that had to easily be 150 pounds or more. She imagined the things he could do with a woman using his strength. She immediately stomped the thought out, reminding herself that he was Snow's and he was annoying. Though, he had not annoyed her much this day, much being the key word. She thought of how much she missed Graham being around, he was a mostly good companion, and he wasn't bad in bed… and it had been far too long since she had slept with someone. Her body ached at the thought and she once again shook it off, continuing to lead David to the kitchen. He set the deer on a long table in the center of the kitchen. She skinned the deer and separated the parts, wrapping them in parchment and setting their cooling room back to cool before leaving the extra meat in there. Magic was very convenient, and she couldn't recall what the servants had done when Leopold was around and her magic was not known.

Regina dug out a pot and a skillet, putting the meat into the latter and using some of the deer fat to act as grease for the pan. She filled the pot with water and added the herbs she picked to it. Setting the fires, she began browning the venison and boiling the water. Once the venison was completely browned, she poured the contents of the skillet into the pot, holding back some grease, and left the venison to finish cooking in the water while creating a broth. She looked in cabinets for ingredients to make a loaf of bread.

"What are you searching for?"

"Yeast and flour."

"Would it still be good?"

"Well… essentially the curse froze time here, too, so yes, it would only be a few days old."

"That curse was really strong, huh?"

"Yes. Though, I didn't create it, so I don't really know as much about it as I thought I did."

"You didn't create it?"

"No. I just cast it," she answered, pulling her hand out of a cupboard, holding a bag of yeast and a bag of flour. "This bread won't be great, it won't have enough time to properly rise, but at least we will have a heavy carb." She warmed some water, pouring it in a bowl and added yeast and flour to it, tossing in a pinch of salt. Kneading it only for a moment, Regina then set it to the side on the counter to rise.

"So who created the curse?"

"Who do you think, David? I know you and Snow have matching wits, but I would at least hope you could be a little more intelligent than her, having had to take care of yourself for a longer period of time and not having lived a coddled and sheltered childhood."

David rolled his eyes and scrunched his face at her insult. "Rumplestiltskin?" he asked.

"Indeed. He used me to cast it, I don't know why, so don't ask. He set a series of events to happen that he needed to make sure occurred and he destroyed many more lives than I did, he just wasn't questioned the way I was."

"Why do you think that is?"

"He's a man, nobody ever questions men on their intentions. And… he's the Dark One; bad things are just expected from him. But you take a decently attractive woman and give her power and authority, people are automatically afraid of her, even before she has the chance to prove they should be scared."

"You're talking about yourself?"

"Gee, David, how could you tell?"

"It wasn't clear… you have to know you're more than decently attractive," he answered in a soft voice. His eyes were searching her face for a reaction. He shook his head. He had only been away from his wife for three days… no, really he had been away from his wife for 28 years, but it still wasn't right of him to discuss another woman's beauty with said woman. Still, he felt slightly estranged from Snow, since they had been separated so long and therefore felt slightly less guilty.

Regina narrowed her eyes at him, not fiercely, more questioningly. "Thank you," she said in a slow voice.

"No need to sound so suspicious of me, it's not like anyone, married or not, would deny it. I mean… the outfits you traipsed around in as the Evil Queen, and the equally attention drawing clothing you wore as mayor never really left much to make someone wonder about the assets you used to your advantage."

"Trust me, Charming, you've seen nothing of my assets." She leaned in toward his face, her voice seductive and low. Her eyes shifted between his bright blue ones until she realized that, out of habit, she was flirting. She pulled back and mentally scolded herself. You cannot flirt with him, he's taken and you don't want him. She smirked at the voice inside her head, her voice of reason. How much fun it would be, though, to have Snow's prince and ruin their relationship. Her darker and more dangerous thoughts amused her more, but she moved further away from David and finished preparing their meal.

They sat in silence at the table while Regina let the contents in the pot simmer and she checked the dough frequently to see how it was rising. It was slow, but she let it rise for half an hour before grabbing the skillet she had browned the venison in and she pressed the dough into it. She put it in the oven to let it cook and sat down again at the table, this time closer to David, immediately next to him to be exact. She sighed, not wanting to talk about Storybrooke because it was too much, and they had actually had a fairly enjoyable day, but she knew he was anxious to get back.

"What's wrong?" he asked, noticing her heavy exhale.

"I'm not sure how we're going to get you back to Storybrooke."

"Again with the idea that you aren't going back."

"Well… David, you can't very well make me go back."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm my own person and I make my own choices!" she snapped. She hated when people tried making decisions for her, too many people had done it for far too long in her life, and if they hadn't been making her choices it was because they were too busy manipulating her into making the choices they wanted her to make.

David raised his hands, palms facing her in surrender with an apologetic look on his face. "I didn't mean for it to sound like I was actually going to make you… more like I would try to convince you."

"I'm sorry… for snapping at you."

"It's fine. Really." He paused, contemplating how to bring up Henry again. "Regina… I know that the past… well I don't actually know how much time it was because my memory of time during the curse is skewed, but your time with Henry lately has been hard, I get that. And I could tell, when you made me dinner that night, that Henry not being around often was truly hurting you. So… how can you truly consider not going back?"

"This is not a story for this moment, David."

"You've been saying that a lot… and I will tell you that I remember things really well. And I'm going to bring up all of the things that you've told me are stories for a different time again, and again until you tell me them."

"Why? Why do you care?" she asked exasperated.

"Because I kind of think of you as a friend."

She raised her eyebrow. "You consider me a friend?"

"Well, David Nolan did, even if it was fake on your end. And… you're not so bad some of the time, you know, when you're not yelling at me or calling me stupid in various ways."

"It wasn't."

"Wasn't what?" he asked, his eyebrow raising and his eyes curious.

"My friendship with your Storybrooke alter ego… it wasn't fake. Maybe at first it was because I was trying to push you with Kathryn so you would stay away from Mary Margaret, but when you came over that night for dinner, I really did enjoy your company. And… that rejection really did hurt me. Not because I was really interested, but because if David Nolan couldn't be attracted to me…" she let her sentence trail off, not finishing because she didn't want to lead his thinking one way or the other.

"I probably shouldn't say this…I—it might be inappropriate, but you're making me a little sad right now, so I'm going to. As David Nolan… I was very attracted to you. If I hadn't had so much going on… the separating from my fake wife and pissing off Mary Margaret to the point that she wanted nothing to do with me…I probably would have slept with you."

Regina looked taken aback, her mouth dropping open momentarily before she snapped it shut and her eyes widened. She thought over many different responses she could give, including scratching an itch that badly needed to be scratched, but she couldn't. David told her that because he wanted to make her feel better, and she felt pleased that someone cared enough to worry about her being sad. And now she felt obligated. Obligated to behave herself and not seduce him to hurt Snow, because in the end it would hurt him, too. And maybe having a friend wouldn't be so bad.

"Well… thank you. For the compliment."

David nodded and gave her a closed-mouth smile. "Yeah."