OMG I am so, so sorry for the late update. I had a lot of things going on and such, but things should be more frequent again now. Also, this is a shorter chapter, but it is the connecting chapter to the beginning of them finding a way back home (but don't worry, it isn't ending when they return to Storybrooke, I promise) so this will give a few answers and some fluff :) Enjoy and please review, my lovelies!

David gave Regina nearly an hour alone after she disappeared before he went to check on her. Knocking on her door, he waited for her to answer. He didn't hear anyone walking to the door, nor could he hear any movement in the room. Dropping his head, he turned around and leaned against the door.

"Regina, please," he whispered. "Please don't shut me out. Can we just talk?" He waited several minutes without a response, so he began to head to his own room, and that was when her door opened. She was in a short, black nightgown and her hair was curling against her neck. David stared, not saying anything, not able to find the words he wanted to say.

"You wanted to talk?" she asked softly.

Nodding, David answered, "May I come in?"

Regina pursed her lips, but waved her arm, motioning for him to enter. "Yes, come right in." She motioned for him to sit by the fireplace. Once she was sitting across from him on a chaise lounge, David took a calming breath and started the conversation he needed to have.

"About the kiss… I'm sorry I upset you."

"I'm fine, David. I can handle it. It was just a kiss."

"I really don't want you to think I'm using you."

"Then… forgive me, but if that's not the reason, then what is? Why did you kiss me?"

"I wanted to," he answered, shrugging. "I've been wanting to. There's all this… tension between us and I wanted to know what it would be like to kiss you."

"You can't just do things because you want to, David! That's a childlike mentality!"

"You think I don't know that?" David growled. "I've never done very much that I wanted!"

"You married Snow."

"Yes! I married for love, and after that, my entire life became about doing everything for Snow. We fought wars, we took a kingdom, even though I never wanted to be royalty… I never wanted to rule people. We had a counsel of people that were loyal to her, we fought you constantly, and even when I just wanted to have a relaxing honeymoon… I didn't get that. Every single part of my life became about doing what she wanted."

"But you love her."

"Yes, I love her. But… I really liked kissing you."

"David—"

"Please, don't tell me I'm being crazy or stupid."

"I… I wasn't going to. Snow is your True Love. I just want to know why that isn't enough to stop you from kissing me."

"You… I don't know, you are incredibly beautiful and the sexual tension I already mentioned and… we were dancing and your laugh and the way you move… you made my head fill with thoughts of kissing you, so I had to."

Regina closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing. "So you kissed me and you tried it. Why… why are you here, now?"

David walked over to where she was sitting. Kneeling to the ground in front of her, he sat on his feet. He took her face into his hands, shaking his head.

"I told you already. I really liked kissing you," he answered, pulling her face down to his. David pressed his mouth against hers, gently kissing her and sliding his tongue out to part her lips. When she responded by moving her tongue against his, David ran his thumb along her jaw and slid his other hand into her hair, pulling her closer. He pulled her down to him so she was straddling his thighs and David wrapped his arms around her back, holding her tightly against him as they kissed.

Regina slowed the kiss, pulling away and looking into David's eyes.

"I'm not sleeping with you," she declared.

Chuckling, David nodded. "What makes you think I want you to?"

"Excuse me?"

"I never asked," he teased.

"I'll have you know, I am excellent."

"I bet you are," David said, his eyes tracing over her form. "And I do hope I can keep kissing you, but I think… sleeping together right now would probably complicate things. So, I understand you not wanting to."

"I'll tell you what… if you promise not to be pushy, I will give you permission to kiss me as much as you want."

With a nod and a smile, David brought his lips back to Regina's in a soft and simple kiss. He knew he should feel guilty. Considering that he was kissing his wife's longtime enemy, instead of searching with more vigor for a way back to her, he should be feeling very guilty. But the feeling of Regina in his lap, and her plump and soft lips against his had any trace of guilt flying from his mind.

At some point in the night, they'd moved to her bed, holding each other and making out like teenagers. And it wasn't until morning, when Regina woke up sprawled across David's body, that she realized that they had shared a bed. Pushing herself up on his body, Regina stopped to let her eyes gaze upon his face, calm and peaceful in his sleep. He must have noticed the shift in pressure on him, because he started waking, and when his blue eyes were open, they landed on Regina instantly.

"Good morning," he whispered with a grin. "I'm sorry I didn't intend to monopolize your entire night. Sitting up, he leaned against the headboard and gave Regina a half smile in apology.

"It's… it was fine. I do have to say that it was kind of enjoyable acting like a teenager."

"Yes. We should do that some more," David answered, reaching to pull Regina toward him.

Raising an eyebrow and smirking, Regina said, "Is that so?"

"Yes, and we could start right now," he told her, his voice husky.

"Oh? Can we?" she asked teasingly.

David nodded, holding her tight to him and flipping them over so she was on her back. "This ok?" he whispered against her lips. When she nodded, he kissed her softly, though he was eager to deepen it. Her body felt so small against his tall and broad frame and he found himself enjoying how easy she was to hold, and how willing she was to hold him. Breaking the gentle kiss for a moment, he pressed his lips to her ear, speaking softly, "You are so delicious."

Regina blushed, her body shivering beneath him at the words he spoke. They made her think things she shouldn't think, like how much she wanted him to really taste her and tell her the same thing. One of his hands moved down her body and cupped the rounded flesh of her ass, squeezing gently and pulling her body close to his. His hardness was pressing against her hip and Regina moved with him.

"How do you make me want you so much?" he asked, his voice throaty.

"David," she moaned, her hips still moving with his as he kissed down her neck. "We can't. Sleeping together is not allowed, remember?"

"I know," David groaned against her collarbone. He stayed there , letting his hips roll against hers for another minute before he pushed away. "This is proving to be more difficult than I thought."

Chuckling, Regina nodded. "I know." She moved up from underneath him, sliding her body up and sitting against the headboard. "Why do you have to be so you?" she growled teasingly.

"So me? How very eloquent of you, my queen." Regina's eyes shot up from his lips to the pretty blue of his eyes, her surprise obvious in chocolate eyes. She knew he was teasing her, but that fact that he'd called her his queen had butterflies flitting through her stomach.

Clearing her throat, she pushed his chest gently, trying to make him give her space. Once she climbed off the bed and earned a confused look from him, Regina smiled softly. "We should probably prepare breakfast and then head to my library. I don't have many of my books here, I brought a good many to Storybrooke, but we can check the ones I have. If we don't find anything, we'll make a trip to the Dark Castle."

"Did I upset you?" David asked, pushing off the bed and walking around to where she was standing.

"No, dear, I'm fine."

"No you're not," he protested, pulling her against him for a hug. "Hey, if it gets to be too much, just tell me to stop."

"It isn't that. I just… I like our friendship. I like kissing you, too, but I really like your friendship. And I don't want to go back to not having it, but what happens when we go home and you see Snow and feel guilty about this? What happens if you feel so guilty that you tell her and she isn't fine with you remaining my friend? I lose too much, David."

Pulling back, he cradled her face in his hands. "Hey, that's not going to happen, alright? You are so incredible, and you're working on getting me home even though you don't have to. That's what made me want to be your friend, not the kissing, and I don't want to stop being friends with you, so it's your choice, either way, but know that I'm not going to disappear on you just because we get back to Storybrooke."

She searched his eyes for a lie, but she didn't find it. Regina was gradually realizing that the prince; he didn't lie often, he seemed to pride himself on his ability to be honest, both with himself and with others. "Do you promise? I just… if Henry isn't happy to see me and the town is out to kill me still, I need someone on my side."

"And I will be there." Regina nodded and gave him a smile.

"Good. Now go dress and I'll meet you in the kitchen."

They searched into the evening, reading book after book on how to direct portals, but nothing came up with the answer they needed. There were only two kinds of portals that allowed the user to choose their location, beans and mirrors. But mirrors would usually only allow one person through at a time unless it was made specifically for more, like how the mirror for Cora shattered after Regina had pushed her through.

It wasn't until Regina came across a how-to book on mirrors that the idea came to her. Standing excitedly and letting the other books she'd been reading fall from her lap to the floor, she ran up to David. "I have it! I know how to get back."

"What?" David answered, surprise and amazement etched in his features. He stood, grabbing her and picking her up to spin her around, the book smashed between their bodies. After a moment, he grinned and placed her back onto her feet. "So, how do we do it?"

"It won't be easy, and we will have to go to Rumple's castle for more research. But if I'm correct, we should be able to make a mirror, mix the ashes into the sand for the glass and it should be able to take us to Storybrooke."

"Ok," he answered, nodding slowly. "I understand why the mirror can get us to Storybrooke, because you explained that, but you told me that mirrors usually can only take one person. Regina, I'm not going without you."

Grinning, she shook her head. "You won't have to. The portal for Emma was designed to carry two to another realm, so if I'm right, the mirror will as well."

This time, David pulled the book from her hands and placed it page side down on a table, and he pulled her close to him, kissing her softly, surprising her. "I always knew you were a genius."

"Damn right I am," she answered easily against his lips, her eyes shifting between his before she rested her head against his shoulder.

"So when do we go to Rumple's, and what for?" he asked, stroking her hair gently and keeping her close to his body, reassuring her again that he would be there for her always.

"We will leave the day after tomorrow if Mulan and Aurora are fine with it, and we'll plan to stay for a few days, that way I can set up wards on the first day."

"Didn't you say he had wards?'

"Yes, and I believe that he would have set some to keep my mother out, but considering he believed her dead, just as I did, I've begun second guessing that assumption, so I'd rather set them anyway."

"So how do we prevent an ambush like at my castle? I mean… to make sure she doesn't get there before we do?"

"I don't like it, but I'll send myself there tomorrow, set the wards and then come back."

"And you'll be exhausted," David sighed unhappily. "Regina… I don't want you to keep wearing yourself out."

"And I won't, I just need to do this, and I'll be fine. I'm not sure why my magic gets so exhausted here, it didn't used to."

"It doesn't seem like there is much magic left in this land anyway. Perhaps that's why."

Pulling away from him and looking at his face, Regina nodded after a moment. "You're brilliant. Why didn't I think of that? I'm drawing on magic that barely exists anymore… so it's tiring me out," she stated, the revelation giving her a strange type of comfort.

"So, let's take care of you, and we'll prepare things here while you're preparing things there."

"Sounds like a plan."

"And what do we need to search his castle for?"

"Books on magic portals. He would have more than I do, and he should have some type of book on creating magic portals. It was his forte for many years."

"Alright. Then why don't we get to bed for the night and rest up? Big day for you tomorrow and a big one to follow for us all."

"Let's go," she agreed, taking his hand and pulling him with her. They shared a bed again that night; only this time they had the intention of doing so. Regina curled half her body on his chest and David held her close, wondering when exactly he'd grown so close to her.