Once Upon a Time 1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Regina wakes up like she's been asleep forever. Her eyes open wide as she begins to realize her surroundings.

She's in quite an elegant home. The furnishings are plush. Everything is crisp and white. She is obviously someone who can afford the best.

She springs out of bed and looks out her large bedroom window. She sees it. Her town, her curse…it worked!

"I won" she says to herself triumphantly. She goes back to gazing out her window when a rather large, almost vulgar piece of jewelry catches her eye. It is dancing in the abundant sunlight.

It is an enormous ruby as red as blood surrounded by diamonds paired with another, more simple band of diamonds on "that finger" of "that hand."

"What the" she mumbles to herself. "Married"? "Who could I possibly be married to"?

She begins to look around her bedroom for clues. Nothing in the immediate area, so she moves to the adjoining bathroom. She spots 2 toothbrushes on the counter. She looks further and spots a bottle of men's cologne. She holds it up to her to nose and takes a whiff. It is a very masculine, almost intoxicating scent.

She moves her search to the large walk in closet. She admires her fashionable wardrobe. Beautiful clothes indeed. She turns to the other side of the closet. There they are, men's clothes. Suits to be exact. Whoever she is married to in this land is obviously someone of status. Each suit was more elaborate than the next. Beautiful design and impeccable tailoring. Now Regina was intrigued, who was this man? She was actually excited to meet him. She found her way down the rather grand staircase quickly and walked into the kitchen.

"Good Morning Dearie, I was beginning to think you'd never wake."

Regina's heart almost came to a complete stop. While he looked different in this land, there was no mistaking that voice. It was Rumpelstiltskin! Rumpelstiltskin was standing at her kitchen counter drinking a cup of coffee. Regina's eyes immediately noticed the band of gold on his ring finger.

"What the hell are you doing here"? Regina asked in a very annoyed tone. "Isn't is obvious Dear"? Rumpelstiltskin replied "It appears we are husband and wife."

"What"? Regina shouted back angrily

"I must admit dear, I don't know whether to be flattered or angered."

"You twisted little imp, what did you do"? Regina asked

"I did nothing, this curse is your design, your revenge, remember"? Rumple replied

"I assure you, Regina, I have not been dying of love for you all these years" he continued

"In what realm is being bound to you for the rest of my life a happy ending"? Regina replied back

"Oh, there there your majesty, I'm not all that bad and lucky for you there's plenty of time for you to discover that" Rumple replied smugly

"I can't believe this" Regina shouted "How could this happen"? Regina was truly flabbergasted. She began pacing around the kitchen.

"Well, I hate to say I told you so, but magic always comes with a price" Rumple said amused

"Come to think of it, I'm the one who should be angry, you promised me a good life, how is having you as my wife a good life"? He continued

"Look at this house, this furniture, and our clothes. Obviously we're quite comfortable." "It appears we do have a good life" Regina replied

"Yes, it also appears magic has a sense of humor. I guess you're never too old to learn something new" Rumple shot back

"Well, I'm glad you think this is funny" Regina lamented "How the hell are we supposed to live like this"?

Rumple came in close to Regina. His eyes were locked with hers. She could feel the warmth of his breath as he replied "We've got all the time in the world, I suppose we'll figure it out."

"Whether this is by mistake or design, you are all mine" he growled

Regina was fearless by nature, but this man, Rumpelstiltskin, could always evoke fear in her. She put on her best poker face and said in a very dismissive tone "I'm going to take a shower, then I'm going to work."

Regina would not let Rumpelstiltskin, of all people, destroy her victory.

"Suit yourself my dear, I'm sure I have things that need tending to as well" Rumple replied in his normal cool as a cucumber tone.

Regina went upstairs and took her shower. Her mind raced the whole time. It was a most bizarre feeling. She could still remember her old life, her "real" life back in the Enchanted Forest, but her head was also full of thoughts and memories from this new life. It was a lot to take in.

She got herself together and got dressed. As she made her way out of the house, she noticed some framed photos above the fireplace. There they were, wedding pictures of her and Rumple looking as happy as ever. If she didn't know any better, she'd say they were really in love.

"Bastard" she mumbled to herself as she found her way to her black sedan. It was amazing how she knew exactly where to go and what to do in this new life.

She pulled up to her office and made her way inside. As soon as she walked in, there it was, staring her right in the face, "Mayor Mills-Gold" emblazoned on the door. "Bastard" she mumbled to herself again. Regina was positive that Rumple had tampered with the curse.

Meanwhile across town Rumpelstiltskin now known as Mr. Gold found his way to his pawn shop. It was a quaint little shop filled with rare and priceless antiquities. He found he recognized many of the items in his shop from past deals.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Later that night Regina got home to find the town sheriff, Graham, in her driveway when she arrived. She, of course, knew him as the huntsman from the Enchanted Forest.

"You're late" he said nervously "We must hurry before Mr. Gold returns for the evening."

It was amazing, thanks to the curse Regina's brain immediately knew why Graham was there. They both hurried inside and made their way upstairs into the bedroom. The bedroom that Regina now shared with her husband.

They made love quickly, not wasting any time. They both knew if Mr. Gold found out what they were doing there'd be hell to pay.

Graham made his exit just in time to pass Mr. Gold's large black sedan as he was leaving.

Now Rumpelstiltskin / Mr. Gold was many things, but stupid certainly wasn't one of them. He knew of Regina's "fondness" for Graham, it didn't take much to figure this out.

For his own amusement, he played dumb and walked into his palatial home as if he'd seen nothing. "Honey, I'm home" he couldn't resist annoying Regina. Silence. Regina was nowhere to be found. He made his way upstairs and into "their" bedroom. Regina was in bed pretending to be asleep. Mr. Gold was curious to see just what tale Regina would tell so he played along. Regina didn't bother saying anything. She just went on pretending to be asleep. She listened for what Mr. Gold was doing. He undressed, took a shower, brushed his teeth and crawled into bed with her. Regina wanted to jump out of her skin, but she was too tired to fight with him again. They both fell asleep. Their bodies were in the same bed, but their minds were worlds apart.

Mr. Gold played along for the next week. Every night he and Graham's cars would pass and every night Mr. Gold would walk into he and Regina's bedroom "blissfully unaware" of his wife's misdeeds.

After a week of playing blind and stupid Mr. Gold, had reached his limit. He couldn't play dumb anymore! This night he burst into the bedroom and slammed the door so hard that the floors shook.

"What the hell are you doing"? Regina asked both startled and annoyed

"I don't know my dear, why don't you tell me" Mr. Gold replied defiantly

"Please don't speak in riddles, I'm tired and I'm not in the mood for games" Regina replied

"That's right, I forgot, you've already done your playing for the night" Mr. Gold replied

"What"? Regina replied doing her best to play dumb and tired

"Did anybody ever tell you you're a dreadful liar"? Asked Mr. Gold

"Somebody's been sleeping in my bed" he continued "My money is on our noble sheriff."

Regina's face turned white as a ghost. "Who told you that"? She asked.

"Nobody had to tell me Dearie, his car leaving just as I come home every night was enough of a clue" Replied Mr. Gold

"What do you care"? Regina asked.

"I care because curse or no curse, I will not be made a fool of"! Mr. Gold replied angrily. "Like it or not you are my lawfully wedded wife and damn it you're going to act like it"! He demanded

"What exactly are you saying, DEAR"? Regina asked rather annoyed

"I'm saying that no wife of mine is going to behave like a common tramp" Mr. Gold replied seething with anger "Marriage in many ways is like a deal" he continued "A nauseatingly romantic deal, but a deal just the same and in case you've forgotten, NOBODY breaks deals with me"!

"How dare you"? Regina began to say, but Mr. Gold interrupted her "Save it" he said. "Now I realize that getting rid of someone isn't nearly as easy in this land, but I promise you, Regina, if I see Graham around here ever again when I'm not home, he'll never be heard from again."

Regina sat stone faced for a moment. "What do you want me to do"? She asked defeated

"Call our beloved sheriff and tell him that you've made a horrible mistake and that you need to devote yourself to your husband, PLEASE." There it was. The loophole of all loopholes. Please. As soon as the word left his lips Regina felt like a puppet on a string. She was taken back for a moment to Rumple's dark, damp cell where the deal had been struck. Without an ounce of hesitation, she called Graham at the station and called things off. Graham was surprised and relieved. He never was comfortable deceiving Mr. Gold. He knew just how treacherous Mr. Gold could be.

"Well, now that that's over with, let's rekindle our romance, shall we"? Mr. Gold asked Regina

"Romance"? "You're just as crazy as ever" Regina sarcastically replied "You don't honestly think I'm going to play house with you"?

"Tomorrow night, we'll both come home by seven and we'll have a lovely dinner, just the two of us…PLEASE." There it was again. Shivers traveled up Regina's spine.

"Fine, I'll make lasagna." Regina agreed.

"I look forward to it my dear" Mr. Gold said smugly "Now, let's get some sleep" he continued and before Regina could form a response Mr. Gold turned and planted a kiss on her the likes of which she'd never experienced. She actually saw sparks for a moment. She placed her head on her pillow completely perplexed. What was that?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The next morning Regina awoke with memories of Mr. Gold's kiss still in her head. She'd never had a kiss evoke such feelings before, not even with her beloved Daniel. She did her best to shake it off and go about her day. As she walked out the door to head to her office, Mr. Gold yelled out to her, "See you at dinner."

"Right" she replied blandly. A romantic dinner with Mr. Gold, something Regina never imagined she'd have to endure.

The time went by very quickly, almost as if the clock were taunting her. "Snap out of it Regina" "Surely you can handle one dinner with the imp" she kept saying to herself.

As she was driving home, she could feel the dread building in the pit of her stomach. Regina was still under the assumption that Mr. Gold played with curse, but she couldn't figure out why. She promised him a good life, why would he want to be married to her? What could he possibly stand to gain?

She prepared dinner in an almost robotic state. Her body was going through the motions, but her mind was all over the place.

Just as the oven timer dinged, Mr. Gold walked through the front door. "Something smells good my dear" he complimented Regina

"Thanks" she replied "Have a seat, I'll be right out."

Mr. Gold sat down at the head of their large dining room table. Regina had it all set with their classically elegant china.

Regina entered the dining room carrying a lasagna. She placed it on the table and cut Mr. Gold a slice. She then cut herself a slice and made her way to the opposite end of the table.

"No dear, that won't do" "Come sit by me, PLEASE" Mr. Gold requested. His please left Regina with no choice so she sat down beside him. She poured them each a glass of red wine.

"There's whiskey in the other room if you'd like something stronger" Regina offered

"We're both adults, I'm sure we can share a dinner without the need for drunkenness" Mr. Gold replied

"Yes, I suppose" Regina agreed

"I've got to commend you, Regina, the curse turned out rather well" "Did you know that I own the whole town"? Mr. Gold gloated

"It is rather fitting, don't you think"? Asked Regina "You own the town and I run it" "You've got to admit that sounds magnificent" Regina rejoiced

"Indeed" Mr. Gold said agreeably "I must tell you, your beauty is even more radiant in this land" "Apparently, ridding yourself of homicidal rage does wonders for the skin" Mr. Gold said playfully.

"You look much better here too, far less reptilian" Regina replied sarcastically while taking a sip of her wine "So tell me, why did you do this"? "What's in it for you"? Regina asked Mr. Gold

"Whatever do you mean"? Mr. Gold responded

"Why are we married to each other"? Regina replied back. "I've known you a long time and you don't do anything unless there's something in it for you" she continued

"I assure you this is not my doing" "I'm as surprised as you are Madame Mayor" replied Mr. Gold

"So I'm to believe that this just happened naturally"? Asked Regina

"Afraid so" "We're just going to have to take each other's word for it, aren't we dear"? Mr. Gold replied starting to get angry

Regina took another large gulp of her wine, emptying the glass. Mr. Gold promptly began refilling it for her.

"I thought we weren't going to get drunk"? Regina asked

"Well, I'm not, but your sobriety, I'm afraid is already compromised" Mr. Gold replied laughing

"Dessert"? Regina asked "I made apple turnovers."

"You'll forgive me if I pass on any of your apple creations, Dear" Mr. Gold replied ironically

"Suit yourself" Regina replied as she continued drinking her wine

"What seems to be the problem"? Mr. Gold asked "Is having dinner with me really so horrific"?

Regina put her head down and began to twirl her wedding rings around her finger.

"I'm just not that fond of marriage" she stated "My last husband was more interested in his brat of a daughter and the ghost of his dead wife than me" she continued with a dejected tone

"My last marriage was certainly no dream come true either" Mr. Gold jumped in "My last wife confessed that she never loved me right before she abandoned my son and I for a pirate" he continued

"I could have been happy" Regina snarled "Snow White took that from me" "She took my love and she took my hope" "She took everything when she revealed my precious secret and got Daniel killed."

"We shouldn't dwell on such things" Mr. Gold interrupted "Snow White no longer has any power over you" "We have all the power here" he continued with a devilish smile.

"I like the sound of that" Regina replied with a flicker of light in eyes.

At that moment, Mr. Gold smiled, caressed Regina's cheek with his hand and kissed her. This kiss was different than the last one. This kiss was slow and tender. Regina suddenly felt like she was suffocating and pushed Mr. Gold away abruptly.

"I don't feel well" she lied "I'm going upstairs to relax in the bath."

Regina quickly abandoned the dining room for the comfort of her bathtub. She soaked in the tub and resumed playing with her cumbersome wedding rings.

Back in the Enchanted Forest Rumpelstiltskin had been Regina's teacher, best friend and worst enemy. She couldn't comprehend why now he would want to be married her, live with her and most of all kiss her.

Just as Regina began to relax a little she heard a knock at the door.

"Everything OK in there, Dearie"? Mr. Gold asked from behind the door

"I'm fine" she replied as she got out of the tub and reached for her plush grey towel. Regina wrapped herself up in the towel and stared at herself in the mirror.

"You won" she said to her mirror image "Nothing can ever hurt you again…not even him" she continued

Moments later Mr. Gold let himself into the bathroom and asked Regina who she was talking to.

"Mirrors don't talk back in this land Dearie" he teased

"Ever hear of knocking" she replied completely annoyed

"You had so much to drink, I felt it was my duty as your husband to make sure you hadn't drowned" he replied smugly

"I'm alive" she replied "You can leave now" she continued

"Why would I leave when you look so tantalizing"? Mr. Gold asked in a very seductive voice

Regina found herself at a loss for words as Mr. Gold walked towards her, gently pushing her against the bathroom counter.

"My beautiful wife" he said softly as he held her face in his hands

Regina pushed his hands away.

"What exactly do you want from me"? She asked furiously

"Isn't it obvious Dear"? Mr. Gold asked as he began running his hand up Regina's thigh and under her towel.

Regina found herself pressed against the counter again. Her mind didn't want Mr. Gold's hands anywhere near her, but her body was begging for more.

"I want you to come for me" Mr. Gold said in a voice that positively reeked of sex

"I hate you" Regina shot back trying to make him stop.

Mr. Gold's hand found its way to Regina's womanhood. He immediately felt her wantonness.

"Do you always get this excited for men you hate"? He asked self-assuredly

Before Regina could answer, Mr. Gold began to kiss her. She tried not to kiss back, but her efforts were wasted. His kisses contained more passion than she'd ever experienced. He moved his lips down to her neck as he began to slide his fingers inside of her. Regina moaned immediately from the pleasure. Mr. Gold knew exactly how to touch her and how to kiss her. He moved his lips back up to hers as she gently pushed herself into his fingers.

"That's it dear" Mr. Gold whispered into Regina's ear as he stopped kissing her for a moment.

"Give in to your desires, let me please you" he continued before he started kissing her neck again

Regina disliked not being in control, but for these few moments she didn't care. She had Mr. Gold's undivided attention and he was pleasing her. She felt like a woman. She felt alive.

Mr. Gold began sliding his fingers in and out of Regina faster and faster. She could barely breathe. As Mr. Gold's fingers quickened he kissed her harder and harder. He could tell from Regina's breathing that she was about to reach her climax. He slowed his fingers down, stopped kissing her and once again began whispering lustfully in her ear.

"Come for me…PLEASE" he commanded sensually

As soon as the words left Mr. Gold's lips, Regina dug her nails into his shoulders and achieved her climax. Mr. Gold went in for one more passionate kiss, this time Regina didn't fight him.

"I trust you'll sleep well tonight" he said as he backed away from Regina heading towards the bedroom.

Regina was still a little out of breath.

"Good night" she replied softly

"Indeed" Mr. Gold replied with a satisfied look on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The next morning Regina awoke to the sounds of Mr. Gold taking his morning shower. She immediately felt guilty about what happened the night before. She sat up in bed and waited patiently for Mr. Gold to come back into the bedroom. Regina never did know with him, was this all a game or could it be that he truly desired her? They had a long history together, but lust certainly had never existed in their relationship before.

"You're awake" Mr. Gold said as he came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and headed for the large closet in their bedroom. The intoxicating scent of his cologne followed him, bringing Regina right back to their encounter from the night before.

"Yes, I'm awake" she replied blandly.

"Where are you off to so early"? She asked

"I've got some debts to collect" Mr. Gold replied as he reentered the bedroom fiddling with his tie.

"Do you mind helping me"? he asked

Regina got out of bed and made her way towards Mr. Gold to help him with tie.

"So powerful and yet a simple neck tie is troubling you"? She asked mockingly

"No magic in this land Dearie" he replied "My loving wife may have to offer me some assistance from time to time" he continued.

Regina looked into Mr. Gold's eyes as she finished tying his tie.

"There" she said "I've done my good deed for the day" she smirked.

"Thank you, your majesty" "So kind of you" Mr. Gold replied as he headed out of the bedroom.

Regina went about her normal morning routine trying not to think too much about anything. She drove herself crazy for years thinking about Snow White, she wasn't going to replicate that behavior here in her new world.

She decided to have breakfast at Granny's Diner this morning for a change of pace.

She walked in and sat at the counter. Granny came up to her almost immediately and asked, "What can I get for you this morning Madame Mayor"?

"I'd like a bowl of fruit and a cup of coffee, please" Regina replied

"Coming right up" Granny declared

As Regina was sitting at the counter waiting for her breakfast, Mr. Gold walked in the diner.

"Good morning, my love" he said in a most jolly voice that Regina just knew was meant to annoy her

"What are you doing here"? She asked "I thought you had debts to collect"

"I'm all done and I thought I'd have a little breakfast" he replied "A man has got to keep up his strength" he said winking at Regina

Right at that moment Granny put Regina's order on the counter.

"Hello, Mr. Gold" Granny said "Will you be staying for breakfast"? She asked

"Yes, I believe I will" he replied "I'll have what my wife is having" he continued as he grabbed Regina's food and headed to an empty booth behind them.

"You can bring it here" he yelled to Granny from the booth.

Regina got up and casually joined Mr. Gold in the booth.

"Please tell me that we're not going to be one of those annoying couples that does everything together" she pleaded , trying not to let on to onlookers how irritated she was.

"Calm down Dear" Mr. Gold replied "I just felt it would look odd for the most powerful couple in Storybrooke to eat breakfast at opposite ends of the counter, don't you agree"? He asked

"I guess you're right" Regina agreed.

Granny came to the booth with Mr. Gold's breakfast. "Enjoy" she said as she walked away.

Regina and Mr. Gold ate in silence for a few moments. Realizing it was beginning to look awkward, Regina decided to break the ice with what she figured would be a pretty interesting question to ask her new husband.

"Have you ever been in love"? She asked

"Besides you"? Mr. Gold replied jokingly

Regina laughed and asked him again clarifying the question. "Have you ever really been in love"?

"Yes, I have" he replied "It was long ago and sadly short lived" he continued.

"Who"? Regina asked

"I think you know exactly who I'm talking about" Mr. Gold replied with a trace of anger in his voice.

"That servant that I met on the road"? Regina asked

"Belle" Mr. Gold said obviously distressed "Her name was Belle" "She was the second, and I vow, the last person that I will lose to darkness" he continued.

"You really loved her, didn't you"? Regina asked slightly surprised. Regina was under the impression that Mr. Gold's heart was so dark, he could never be capable of genuine love.

"I did" he replied "For a long time I blamed you for losing her" he continued "I now accept that it was the same selfishness that cost me my son so long ago , that cost me Belle"

"Your face is going pale, my dear" Mr. Gold said observantly to Regina "Are you getting ill"? He asked.

Hearing Mr. Gold lament over his lost love sent an instant wave of guilt over Regina. She had been keeping a secret from him for many years. Belle didn't die like she professed to him in his castle. Regina captured Belle and locked her away. At the time it was a power play, but now it just felt wrong. Belle was very much alive. She was alive and in a mental hospital right there in Storybrooke. Regina began to have trouble looking her husband in the eye.

"I must have had too much wine last night" Regina quickly replied.

"How did you lose your son"? Regina asked "You never did elaborate" she quickly changed the subject.

"Baelfire hated that I became the Dark One" Mr. Gold replied "He just wanted his papa and I let him down" "Not a day goes by that I don't regret losing my boy" he finished.

"Regret is an agonizing emotion" Regina said to Mr. Gold "It chips away at you slowly until there's nothing left".

"Indeed" concurred Mr. Gold.

"I don't mean to leave so abruptly, but I really have to get to the office" Regina said apologetically.

"It's alright dear, I'll see you at home" Mr. Gold responded.

Regina left the diner and headed to her office. The whole ride there she felt guilt-ridden. Back in the Enchanted Forest she and Rumpelstiltskin were always battling. Belle was unfortunate enough to get caught in the crossfire. Now this secret was following Regina to her new land and she didn't like it.

Later that evening Mr. Gold came home to find his wife sitting in the den, drinking once again by the flickering light of the fireplace.

Regina's mind was racing. This curse was supposed to make her life perfect. Having a secret like this from Rumpelstiltskin was far from perfect. She began to miss her father. He was her most trusted confidant and always knew the right thing to say. Regina feared that Rumpelstiltskin was right that night in his cell when he warned her that the curse would leave a hole in her heart. She was beginning to feel an emptiness that only her father could fill. Sadly, he, more specifically his heart, was the price of the curse.

"What seems to be troubling you"? Mr. Gold asked as he stared at Regina

"You were right" Regina declared "This curse is pleasing in many ways, but my heart still craves love"

Mr. Gold was taken back. He never imagined Regina would become unhappy so quickly. He began to think about the first time he visited her in her room so many years ago. She was a stunning young woman who was full of hope. He was immediately captivated by her although he never told her.

"Cheer up Dearie" Mr. Gold said to Regina as he sat beside her "I'm going to tell you something that I told you a long time ago" "We're back together, where we belong" he said as he looked at her.

She looked particularly lovely with the light of the fire shimmering off of her face.

"Do you remember what you were like the first time we met"? He asked

"Not really" Regina replied.

"You wanted so badly to be good" "You insisted that you didn't want to hurt anyone" Mr. Gold said to Regina as he began to touch her face "You were a lot like Belle, you had kindness in your heart" "It really is a tragedy that you let your hatred for Snow White take that from you" he lamented.

Being compared to Belle was all it took to snap Regina out of her sorrow and bring her right back to her rage!

"Here we go again"! Regina screamed "I get to live with another ghost"! She continued screaming

"Stay the hell away from me"! Regina yelled as she jumped off the couch and away from Mr. Gold

"This is a big house" "Why don't you sleep in another room from now on"? She asked infuriated "You can dream about your dearly departed Belle all you want in there"!

"There she is" Mr. Gold roared "I was wondering when she'd show up" he continued as he got right in Regina's face and said , "Long live the Evil Queen".

Regina instantly slapped him across the face as hard as she could. Blood began to trickle down his chin. Regina didn't look back as she headed for the staircase.

Mr. Gold pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his face as he followed Regina to the staircase. Just as she was starting to take her first step he reached and grabbed her by the throat. Their eyes locked as he maintained his grip.

"Take your hands off of me you malevolent little imp" Regina said boldly

Mr. Gold didn't say a word as he pushed Regina against the wall and kissed her with a hunger that could only mean one thing. She could taste the blood on his lips which strangely excited her. Regina began to lift up her leg as their kissing intensified and Mr. Gold's hand found its way to the small of her back.

Was this really happening? Had all their battles merely been foreplay?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Regina and Mr. Gold continued kissing passionately against the wall at the bottom of the stairs for what seemed like forever. His hands explored every inch of her body as his lips began to move down her neck. Regina couldn't hold herself back. She began softly moaning as she ran her fingers through Mr. Gold's silky hair.

Mr. Gold could no longer hold himself back either. He slid his hands under Regina's dress and ripped off her panties in one violent tug. Regina gasped with excitement as he gently rubbed her bare bottom.

She could feel his arousal pressing against her, so she slid her hand down his pants and began rubbing his manhood. This particularly stimulated Mr. Gold, prompting him to bring his lips back up from Regina's neck and whisper in her ear, "Come to bed with me, Pl….."

Before he could finish saying please, Regina placed her finger across his lips and kissed him hard.

"No need for coercion my dear, let's go upstairs" she said seductively

Regina took Mr. Gold's hand and they walked up the stairs. When they got into the bedroom, he immediately unzipped her dress and removed it. All that was left was her bra which he took off ferociously. He promptly began licking and sucking her nipples. Regina moaned with pleasure as she grasped his hair. As Mr. Gold made his way back up to Regina's lips, she began untying his tie and ripping his shirt off. His skin was oh so soft in this land. She couldn't resist kissing and licking his neck. He grunted with pleasure as Regina removed his pants and underwear, freeing his large erection.

"I've been waiting a long time for this my dear" Mr. Gold said lustfully as he pushed Regina on to the bed. His subtle roughness excited her. He was now on top of her, slowly kissing his way down her fervent body. He paused for a moment when he reached her thighs. He lifted his head up slightly and flashed her a devilish smile before he began teasingly kissing the inside of her thighs. He kept kissing upwards until he found her womanhood. He slowly parted her delicate folds with his warm tongue, immediately sending a rush of pleasure through Regina's body. He completely submerged his tongue inside of her and licked passionately, tasting her nectar.

Regina's body felt like it was on fire! She moaned in ecstasy as she once again found her fingers tangled in Mr. Gold's hair. He knew she was about to reach her climax, so he began gently sucking on her love button, bringing her to a most-satisfying orgasm.

As Regina's body still trembled from pleasure, Mr. Gold slowly began kissing his way back up to her neck. She began to dig her nails into his back and wrap one leg around him to let him know that she wanted him. She wanted all of him.

Mr. Gold looked at Regina with his dark, expressive eyes and began tracing her lips with his index finger. Regina took the liberty of sucking on it as she still stared into his eyes. He removed his finger from her mouth and placed both his hands behind her knees as he entered her. Regina gulped with desire as she felt Mr. Gold inside of her. She tilted her pelvis to allow him to get as deep as possible. Regina was feeling greedy, she wanted as much as she could get!

He grabbed both of her hands and lightly held her down as his thrusts got harder and deeper. He began kissing her again with more desire than she'd ever experienced.

As Regina reached her second climax of the evening, she broke free of Mr. Gold's grasp and dug her nails so hard into his back that she scored his flesh. He flinched a bit from the pain, but he was wildly turned on.

Mr. Gold once again took possession of Regina's hands and held her down tightly this time as he thrust his way to his own orgasm. He kissed her as he lingered inside of her.

They laid in bed out of breath for a few minutes. Both were far too proud to ever admit it, but this was the best either of them had ever had. They had met their matches and it was electrifying.

Later on Mr. Gold spooned Regina and whispered in her ear, "You were well worth the wait" as Regina smiled contently

"It seems being Mrs. Gold will have its perks after all" Regina said promisingly as she took Mr. Gold's hand and closed her eyes to go to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The next morning, after a very peaceful night's sleep, Regina awoke before Mr. Gold. She laid there beside him, staring at him as he slept. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she'd ever be lying next to this man.

After a few moments of gazing at his strong profile, Mr. Gold awoke.

"Hope you're not thinking of smothering me with a pillow, Dearie" he joked

"I'm a hard man to kill no matter what land I'm in" he continued playfully

"Not at all" Regina replied with a smile in her voice "I was just trying to figure out why we were so horrible to each other all the time" she pondered "It would have been so much more pleasurable to be allies rather than enemies" she continued

"The Evil Queen and The Dark One joining forces"? "I can't even comprehend the power we could have had" she reveled

"We still have all the power in Storybrooke" Mr. Gold replied "Everyone in this town is at our mercy" he continued with a voice that reminded Regina of the few good times she and Rumpelstiltskin had before the curse.

"I don't mean to rub salt in your wounds my dear, but if you could have just let go of your grief for the stable boy…."

"Don't bring Daniel into this" Regina interrupted

"Fine" Mr. Gold replied "If you could have just gotten past your need for revenge over Snow White, things could have gone differently" he finished

"Are you forgetting what a twisted little maniac you were in our land"? Regina asked snappishly

"No" Mr. Gold replied

"OK, it wasn't all me" Regina continued calmly

"None of that matters anymore" Mr. Gold replied "This is where we are now and we're unstoppable" he celebrated

"We really are perfect for each other" Regina said to Mr. Gold as she looked into his eyes "How could two such exceptional people be so blind"? She asked

"We got so consumed with other things that we lost sight of what was truly important" Mr. Gold replied "Lucky for us, we're here now".

"Yes, we're here now" Regina responded "Now Snow White can look on in misery while I get my happy ending"! Regina continued completely euphoric

Seeing Regina so happy sent feelings of guilt all through Mr. Gold's body. He too had a secret. He knew that Snow White and Prince Charming's baby girl could break the curse. He warned Regina back in the Enchanted Forest, but he had the feeling that she didn't believe him. Mr. Gold had a very specific reason for wanting the curse to eventually be broken. He was now in a land without magic and that's where his long lost son was. He needed Regina's curse to take him to this land so that he could finally find his boy. It was nothing personal against Regina, it was just a means to an end.

"We need breakfast" Mr. Gold announced trying to mask his awkwardness "We had quite the evening last night" he continued "Let me make you some breakfast"

Regina laughed at the thought of Mr. Gold cooking.

"I'll make us breakfast" she said "I don't want to have to call the fire department before I've had my coffee" she joked

"Suit yourself, my dear" Mr. Gold replied "I'll be down to join you in a moment"

As Regina went downstairs, Mr. Gold felt something brewing in his gut. It was fear! Fear that selfishness and deception might cost him yet another chance at happiness. He never imagined the curse would make Regina his wife and he certainly never even entertained the thought that he and Regina could be happy together…until now.

Meanwhile Regina was in the kitchen thinking about her own secret as she prepared breakfast. This might really be happening. Rumpelstiltskin could be her second chance at love. She couldn't bear the thought of losing yet another man that she loved.

"Just forget about Belle" Regina mumbled to herself

Mr. Gold had no reason to ever doubt that Belle was dead. If Regina and Mr. Gold could be happy together, they could both finally move on. They could be happy. After all, that was the purpose of this curse, to give Regina her happy ending.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

For the next eighteen years Mr. Gold and Regina lived together as husband and wife. They managed to let each other in and be happy. Sure they had their little spats, but this was the happiest either of them had ever been. They had even managed to tuck the guilt of their secrets away and forget about them. The only problem remaining was the nagging hole in Regina's heart. The hole that Rumpelstiltskin warned her about back in the Enchanted Forest. No matter how content Regina was, every now and then the pain in her heart would become palpable.

One night while they were lying in bed, Regina turned to Mr. Gold and asked, "Do you ever think about having another child"?

"I do" Mr. Gold replied "I just fear that I will disappoint a second child the way I disappointed Baelfire".

"This time you wouldn't have to do it alone" Regina replied reassuringly "We could start our own family" she continued

"Are you saying what I think you are"? Mr. Gold asked stunned

"Always the perceptive one" Regina smiled "I want to have a baby"

"The Evil Queen and The Dark One bringing a child into the world"? Mr. Gold asked jokingly

"We're not those people anymore" Regina replied while prodding Mr. Gold's shoulder

"Not on the outside dearie, but on the inside that is who we will always be" He replied disappointing Regina

"I don't believe that" Regina replied "I think a child could bring out the good in us"

"The love of a child is the most precious thing one can experience" Mr. Gold proclaimed

"I want that" Regina declared "I want a child"

"Well, my dear, I suggest we get started on making one" Mr. Gold replied friskily

Regina leaned in and began kissing him. Mr. Gold slid his hands down her back as they slowly began slithering down the bed. He got on top of her and tenderly kissed her neck as he removed her silky blue nightgown. Regina did her best to concentrate on removing Mr. Gold's pajamas as he playfully nibbled on her nipples. He started working his way up to her neck and lips as Regina wrapped her arms around his body letting him know that she wanted him inside of her. Mr. Gold slowly plunged his manhood into Regina causing her to gasp with pleasure. He kissed her hard as he thrusted slowly. They took their time, enjoying every sensation. As Regina grew closer to orgasm, she pulled Mr. Gold as close as she could and held on to him tightly as the waves of her climax washed over her. The pleasure of watching Regina experience her orgasm soon led to him achieving his own. They kissed each other good night one more time before drifting off to sleep, each dreaming of the prospect of a new family.

Over the next few months Regina and Mr. Gold made love almost every night trying to conceive a child. Regina didn't want to say it out loud, but the more time went on, she grew increasingly worried as to why she wasn't getting pregnant. She decided it was time to see Dr. Whale, so she made an appointment.

The morning of her appointment she was nervous. Regina had a sinking feeling that something was wrong. Dr. Whale ran a series of tests and told her that he'd call her as soon as he had the results.

Regina spent the next two days unable to focus on anything else. Finally, the call she had been waiting for arrived. It was Dr. Whale. Sadly, Regina's test results were nothing to celebrate.

"I'm sorry Madame Mayor, the tests were conclusive". "You can't have children" Dr. Whale said in a very somber voice

"I see, thank you for calling" Regina said holding back her tears.

As soon as she hung up the phone, Regina began sobbing uncontrollably. In one phone call all of her dreams were shattered. There would be no baby for Regina, no family for her and Mr. Gold.

She couldn't wait until Mr. Gold got home so she wiped her tears and drove to his shop.

"This is a lovely surprise" Mr. Gold said smiling "What brings my beautiful wife here in the middle of the day"? He asked

As soon as Regina looked into his eyes she began sobbing again. Mr. Gold quickly came from behind the counter and took Regina into his arms to console her.

"What's wrong"? He asked as he held her tight

Regina tried to regain her composure so she could answer her husband.

"I can't have children" she replied right before she started crying again

"What are you talking about"? Mr. Gold asked puzzled

"I got worried when I wasn't getting pregnant" she sniffled "So I went to see Dr. Whale"

"I never trusted that man" Mr. Gold interrupted "He's far too peculiar for my liking" he continued

"He ran some tests" Regina interjected "The tests say that I can't have children"

"I don't know why I'm surprised" Regina moaned "I should have known that I would never be completely happy"

"Yes you will" Mr. Gold proclaimed "You will have everything you want" he said as he took her tear stained face in his hands.

"I love you, Regina" he confessed "I love you and I will get you anything you desire".

Regina was in shock. In their eighteen years of marriage Mr. Gold had never once said the words. He never told her that he loved her. Regina was overjoyed. She loved Mr. Gold as well, she just never said it.

"I love you too" she said "Why has it taken us eighteen years to say this to each other"? She asked finally cracking a smile

"We're two stubborn old souls" Mr. Gold laughed "I mean it my love, you will have a baby" he said filled with conviction

"How"? Regina asked

"We'll adopt" he answered

"Won't that take years"? She asked discouraged

"Not for me" Mr. Gold replied confidently "I know how to cut through red tape"

Regina looked into his eyes and embraced him once again.

"Thank you" she whispered as she took comfort in his arms.

As Regina drove home Mr. Gold got on the phone and began the search for a child. He wouldn't rest until Regina was holding a baby in her arms.

Two weeks went by and one day when she least expected it, Mr. Gold called Regina at her office and said, "Be ready in twenty minutes, we're going to Boston".

"Boston"? Regina asked "What's in Boston"?

"Our son" he answered delightedly.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

When Mr. Gold got home Regina had a million questions for him. She started with the most important one, "Will the curse allow us to leave Storybrooke"?

"Yes" he replied "I created the curse and you cast it, we are safe from its harmful side effects."

"How did all of this happen"? Regina asked still in shock

"It appears fate is on our side my dear" "This morning I spoke with an agency who placed a baby boy from Phoenix with a family nearby in Boston" Mr. Gold replied

"The baby has a family, how is that fate"? Regina asked confused

"At the last minute the adoption fell through" Mr. Gold replied "The baby still needs a home."

"Fate is on our side" Regina squealed with delight

"Indeed" Mr. Gold replied "Now let's get going"! He said as he playfully slapped Regina's bottom.

The whole ride to Boston Regina went back and forth between bliss and disbelief. Was this really happening? Were she and Mr. Gold actually getting their family?

"He needs a name"! Regina shouted out, startling Mr. Gold

"That he does" Mr. Gold agreed "What do people in this world name their children"?

"I'm not sure, but I'd love it if we named him after my father" Regina answered

"Henry"? Mr. Gold questioned "Yes, that's a good strong name for our boy" he boasted

"Henry Mills-Gold" Regina agreed with a big smile on her face "I love it" she said getting a little sentimental about her father.

They arrived at the adoption agency and were greeted by a very friendly man named Mr. Greene, who took them into his office and went over the paper work. He commended the couple for having impeccable references and asked them about Storybrooke. Obviously, he had never heard of Storybrooke, Maine.

"It's a hidden gem" Regina replied

"Perfect for children" Mr. Gold bragged

Mr. Greene then went on to explain the legal technicalities of a closed adoption to Regina and Mr. Gold.

"I'm concerned with my son's future, not his past" Regina responded

With all the paperwork taken care of, Mr. Greene had the baby brought into his office. The lady carrying the baby placed him right in Regina's arms. Regina fell in love with the adorable baby boy as soon as she laid eyes on him.

"Hello Henry" she gushed

"Henry"? Mr. Greene asked "Not too many Henrys around these days, very old world."

"It was my father's name" Regina replied still mesmerized by the baby "He passed some time ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that" Mr. Greene replied with sympathy

"Nice to meet you Henry" Mr. Gold joined in as he held Henry's tiny hand "You are a handsome little devil, just like your old dad" he joked

"Come on Henry, let's go home" Regina said softly as she cuddled him

"One more thing before you go" Mr. Greene interrupted "Kind of a tradition here, we always take a family photo."

Regina stood up with Henry in her arms and Mr. Gold put his arm around them both as Mr. Greene proceeded to take their first real picture.

"We'll send you a copy in the mail" Mr. Greene said as he sent the new family on their way back to Storybrooke.

The ride back home went by in a flash. Regina was completely captivated by baby Henry.

"We're a family" Mr. Gold said as he walked his wife and son into their home

"I can't believe it" Regina replied trying to hold back happy tears

Right at that moment, Henry began to cry. Regina tried her best to soothe him, but he wasn't having it. His cries began to escalate into screaming!

"Oh No" Regina gasped "Do you think he's sick"?

"No worries, my love" Mr. Gold reassured her "Henry is simply being a baby" "Here, let me hold him" he said taking Henry from Regina. Henry immediately stopped crying. Mr. Gold turned to mush as he held Henry in his arms.

"Welcome home my boy" he said as he kissed Henry's cheek

Regina loved looking at her husband holding their new son. She was at peace. There was no way life could get any better.

Unfortunately, Regina's peace was short lived. Henry cried loudly and often. He never seemed to be content around her. However, he was happy as a clam when Mr. Gold held him. Regina didn't want to be jealous of Henry and Mr. Gold's relationship, but she couldn't help feeling bad. She wanted this baby so badly, why didn't he love her?

It was 3 AM and Regina woke up to a crying Henry. She went into his nursery, took him out of his crib and rubbed his back as she tried to soothe him. He still cried. She changed his diaper. He still cried. She gave him a bottle. He still cried. Regina had never felt so defeated in her life. She began to cry right along with Henry.

Hearing Regina in distress, Mr. Gold came into the nursery and took over.

"Go back to bed" he said softly "I've got this."

Regina went back to their bedroom in tears.

"Come on my boy, you've got to give your mom a chance" he said tenderly to Henry "She truly is wonderful once you get to know her."

Regina could hear Mr. Gold talking to Henry over the baby monitor. Hearing them together made her heart happy.

As Mr. Gold held Henry and looked into his eyes he felt a very real connection. He loved this little boy just as he loved Baelfire.

"I love you Henry" he said as he gazed adoringly at the baby "I promise, I will always put you first" "I promise, I will never let you down" he finished as his eyes welled up with tears. Holding Henry was a sad reminder of the son he lost. The son he abandoned so selfishly.

Mr. Gold vowed to himself and to Henry that he would do things right this time. He would be the father that Henry deserved. The father he should have been to Baelfire.

Mr. Gold put Henry back in his crib and went back to bed with Regina.

"You're going to do it this time" Regina said assuring him as he got into bed "I believe in you" she said as she kissed him tenderly

"You heard me"? Mr. Gold asked

"Baby monitor" Regina laughed as she waved it in his face lightheartedly

"I meant every word of it" Mr. Gold said sincerely "You and Henry are all that matter to me."

"I feel the same way" Regina agreed as she kissed Mr. Gold again "Its 4 AM" she said wearily "Let's go back to sleep."

"Good idea" Mr. Gold replied as he got comfortable

Only he could not fall back to sleep. Guilt had crept into his mind once again. He designated Snow White and Prince Charming's baby girl to be the savior. The person who could break the curse so that he could be reunited with Baelfire. All of a sudden that didn't seem like such a noble idea anymore. If the curse got broken, would he have to trade one son for another? Would the curse being broken cost him another family?


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

As the days went on, Regina still struggled to build a relationship with baby Henry. No matter how hard she tried or how sweet she was to him, all he did was cry.

Mr. Gold tried his best to be supportive of his wife, but the strain of having Henry scream with displeasure every time he was in Regina's arms was even too much for him.

One morning Regina found herself all alone with a crying Henry as Mr. Gold was off collecting his debts.

"Let's go for a ride" she said in her most maternal voice "Would you like that, Henry"? She asked

Regina settled Henry into his car seat and drove to Granny's for some breakfast. Henry calmed down during the drive but started crying immediately upon entering the diner. Regina found a booth in the back and ordered pancakes and coffee. She tried to quiet Henry down, but nothing was working.

"Who's this little bundle of joy"? Granny asked

"Do you have a problem with my son's crying"? Regina asked defensively

"No, of course not" Granny replied

Regina went back to trying to calm Henry as Granny hovered.

"What"? Regina asked crossly

"Here's some advice" said Granny "Try a story" "It will soothe him and get him used to your voice" she continued

"Thanks" Regina replied

Once Granny left, Regina took Henry out of his carrier and began telling him a story. All she could get out was, "Once upon a time," before Henry spit up all over her.

Regina cleaned herself up, left some money on the table and exited the diner in tears. At that moment, she was convinced that she was a complete failure as a mother.

Later that evening, Mr. Gold returned home from his shop. As usual Henry stopped crying the second Mr. Gold picked him up. Regina was crushed.

"It's official, our son hates me" she wept "I should have known that I could never be a mother" she continued despondently

"Don't be silly" Mr. Gold replied "Babies aren't capable of hate" "You'll see, just give it some more time" he said trying to reassure Regina.

"You really think so"? She asked doubtingly

"Indeed" Mr. Gold answered

Pretty soon it was time for Henry's usual 3 AM feeding. Regina was more determined than ever to be what her son needed.

"I'll get him" she said to Mr. Gold as she stopped him from getting out of bed

"I'll be right here if you need me" Mr. Gold assured her

Regina went into Henry's nursery and picked him up out of his crib. She kissed him and rubbed his back trying to get him to stop crying. Naturally, he did not stop.

"Please Henry" she begged "I'll do anything for you" "Please just give me a chance" she said with tears rolling down her face.

Then something extraordinary happened, Henry stopped crying! Regina kissed his cheeks and held him close.

"Thank you" she whispered appreciatively into his ears.

Regina sat down in the rocking chair in Henry's nursery and once again tried to tell him a story as she gave him his bottle.

"Once upon a time, in an enchanted land, there lived a lonely queen" she said softly as Henry snuggled against her

"Then one day a handsome young prince named Henry appeared and she was no longer lonely" Regina continued as Henry drifted off to sleep while drinking his bottle.

Mr. Gold happily listened from he and Regina's bedroom via the baby monitor. He was elated that Henry finally seemed to be taking to Regina.

"I love you, Henry" Regina muttered as she began to fall asleep with a now slumbering baby on her shoulder.

The next morning Mr. Gold woke up to any empty bed. Regina wasn't in the shower so he went down to the kitchen to find her. She wasn't there either. He went back upstairs and discovered that Regina had spent the rest of the night sleeping in the rocking chair with Henry. He stood in the doorway staring at his new family. Mr. Gold had never been so completely in love. He not once imagined that the curse could bring him happiness. The now all too familiar feeling of guilt came over him again. Mr. Gold hung his head in disgrace as his wife and son slept peacefully.

That very same day the family photo that Mr. Greene took at the adoption agency arrived in the mail. Mr. Greene sent two copies and a note that read, "One for each of you, hope all is well."

Regina proudly framed her copy and put it above the fireplace right next to her and Mr. Gold's wedding pictures. Mr. Gold put his inside the safe in his shop right next to Baelfire's shawl and some stacks of cash. This picture was his newest precious possession.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

The years with Henry went by quickly. He went from night feedings to temper tantrums to preschool in the blink of an eye.

Henry's fifth birthday was approaching and the only thing he wanted was the one thing he'd been talking about for weeks, a "big boy bike."

The night before Henry's birthday, Mr. Gold secretly brought the bicycle home and put it deep in the basement where Henry wouldn't find it. When Henry woke up the next morning, his parents greeted him with a joyous rendition of "Happy Birthday."

"After breakfast you can have your present" Regina gushed

Henry ate his breakfast as fast as he could so he could get to his present.

"I'm all done" "Can I have my present now"? Henry asked impatiently

"Its outside" Mr. Gold replied "Follow me."

Mr. Gold and Regina took Henry outside and revealed his brand new bicycle to him. Henry was so thrilled he didn't know what to do with himself.

"Wow" he kept saying over and over as he practically ran circles around the bike.

"Go upstairs and get dressed and I'll show you how to ride it" Mr. Gold said to Henry

Henry got dressed quickly and was eager for his lesson. Regina was standing by with her camera, ready to capture this monumental event in Henry's life.

"OK, my boy" "Get on and put your feet on the pedals" Mr. Gold instructed while holding the bike steady

"Got it" Henry replied proudly

"Now, I'm going to walk along side of you as you hold onto the handlebars and pedal" Mr. Gold instructed

"You'll hold the bike, right Dad"? Henry asked starting to get a little uneasy

"I won't let go unless you tell me to" "I promise" Mr. Gold vowed

As Mr. Gold held the bicycle steady, Henry began to pedal. Henry was having the time of his life while Regina took picture after picture.

"OK, Dad" "Let go" Henry instructed in his bravest voice

Mr. Gold let go and Henry rode his bike all by himself for a few good moments until, SMACK, he fell off! Regina immediately ran to him to make sure that he wasn't hurt. Henry tried to be valiant, but he couldn't resist taking comfort in his mother's arms and crying.

"It's OK, Henry" "It was only your first try, you'll get the hang of it" Regina said trying her best to comfort him

"My knee" Henry sniffled

"I'll go inside and get you a bandage" Regina said calmly

After Regina cleaned off Henry's knee and applied the bandage, Mr. Gold encouraged him to give the bicycle another try.

"Come on Henry" "Show that old bike whose boss" he jested

"OK" Henry replied reluctantly "Just don't let go this time."

"I won't let you fall again" "I promise" Mr. Gold assured his son

Henry slowly got back on the bike and began to pedal. He kept making sure that his father was holding on to him.

"I've got you" Mr. Gold said reassuring Henry

Regina looked on and began to bite her lip with anxiety. This was her sweet baby boy. He was growing up so fast. Today was bittersweet indeed.

"I think I can do it" Henry proclaimed "Let go."

Mr. Gold let the bicycle go and Henry was off. This time he didn't fall, he was riding like a pro! Regina tried to snap pictures as happy tears rolled down her face.

"That's my boy"! Mr. Gold cheered proudly

"Yay Henry"! Regina cheered

"I'm doing it"! Henry shouted

All Henry wanted to do for the rest of the day was ride his new bicycle. His parents practically had to beg him to come inside for dinner and birthday cake! After Henry blew out his enormous number five candle, he looked at Regina and Mr. Gold and said, "This was the best day ever"!

"Happy Birthday, Henry" Regina said affectionately "I love you."

"There are many more wonderful days in your future, Henry" Mr. Gold added "Just you wait."

After Henry had his obligatory slice of birthday cake, Regina took him upstairs for his nightly bath and got him into his pajamas. Mr. Gold joined them in Henry's bedroom where he and Regina tucked Henry in and kissed him goodnight.

Henry fell asleep almost immediately. He had quite the day. Regina and Mr. Gold held hands and watched Henry as he slept for a few minutes. They were an honest to goodness family and they couldn't ask for more.

A week later, Regina's favorite photo of Henry's birthday bike lesson joined the growing collection of pictures above the fireplace.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Five more years came and went. Henry's tenth birthday was fast-approaching and Regina was doing her best this particular evening to find out what Henry wanted for his present. Dinnertime chats were always a family favorite.

"I want a little brother" Henry announced

Regina and Mr. Gold looked at each other in shock. They had no idea this prospect was on Henry's mind. They still hadn't told him that he was adopted. They certainly had never discussed Regina's medical problems with him either.

"Oh honey. I'm afraid that's not possible" Regina answered sympathetically

"Why not?" Henry asked

"I can't have babies" Regina answered carefully

"Sure you can" Henry argued "You had me."

Regina and Mr. Gold looked at each other again. The discussion they'd been putting off for almost ten years was now ready to be had. Neither one of them was prepared, but it was time.

"Henry, you have what's called a birth mother" said Mr. Gold "Your birth mother carried you before you came to live with us" he continued

"What does that mean"? Henry asked starting to get a little upset

"It means that my body wasn't able to carry a baby, so I had to find a different way to become a mother" Regina responded

"Why can't you have babies"? Henry asked Regina with concern

"I'm not sure exactly why" Regina answered "My body is broken" she laughed trying to lighten the mood.

Henry sat quietly for a minute. Regina and Mr. Gold could tell that he wasn't pleased with their news.

"Your birth parents were unable to care for you when you were born" Mr. Gold began to explain to Henry

"You're not my real dad"? Henry asked completely dismayed

"No, but I am your father in every way that matters my boy "Mr. Gold replied trying to assure Henry that there was nothing to worry about.

"Henry, your father and I adopted you when you were three weeks old" Regina joined in "Adoption is permanent, we will always be your parents" Mr. Gold guaranteed

Henry grew silent again. His eyes were welling up with tears.

"Why didn't my real parents want me"? He asked sadly

"It's not that they didn't want you, they just couldn't take care of you" Regina replied

"They wanted to give you your best chance, son" Mr. Gold added

Henry threw his napkin across the table and ran upstairs to his bedroom. Regina and Mr. Gold sat at the dining room table in disbelief. In one short conversation, their family was in an uproar.

A week went by and Henry was still shattered by the news of his adoption. He didn't even care to celebrate his birthday. This was the first year that he didn't have a slice of his birthday cake.

As Regina and Mr. Gold grew more worried about Henry's well-being, Regina suggested that they send him to go see Dr. Hopper, the town psychiatrist. Back in the Enchanted Forest, he was known as Jiminy Cricket.

After Henry's first appointment with Dr. Hopper, he assured Regina and Mr. Gold that what Henry was going through was normal. Every adopted child has trouble dealing with the fact that someone gave them away. He advised the nervous parents not worry and assured them that with time, Henry would return back to his old self.

Later that night Regina and Mr. Gold were lying in bed and talking. Even though Dr. Hopper had told them not to worry, Regina couldn't do anything else but worry about her son.

"He'll be fine my love" Mr. Gold said tenderly to Regina "We've raised him well, he just needs time to adjust."

"I just love him so much" Regina replied

"We both do" Mr. Gold responded as he began to spoon Regina and softly kiss her neck.

"I'm not in the mood" Regina said to Mr. Gold stopping him for a moment

"I gathered that my dear" "Allow me to get you in the mood" he said seductively as he resumed kissing her neck and rubbing the length of her legs.

As worried as Regina was about Henry, she couldn't resist her husband's advances. Even after twenty-eight years of marriage, they still craved each other.

Mr. Gold began pulling the straps of Regina's silky grey nightgown down while he still kissed her neck. He then began rubbing her nipples. This made Regina start to moan. Mr. Gold's touches were still unlike anything else she's ever experienced. Sensing that Regina was now excited, Mr. Gold proceeded to remove her nightgown. He moved his hand down between her legs and was delighted to feel that she was excited for him. He began delicately rubbing her womanhood. Regina's moans grew louder. This encounter with her husband turned out to be exactly what she desired.

"I need you inside of me" Regina groaned as she turned her head back to kiss Mr. Gold's lips. Still spooning her, Mr. Gold freed his erection from his pajamas and entered Regina. His thrusts were slow and tender, while he massaged her love button with his hand. Regina's panting let Mr. Gold know that she was in ecstasy.

"Does that feel good, your majesty"? He whispered in her ear lustfully.

Regina was too enraptured to respond. Little beads of sweat began forming on her forehead as Mr. Gold started nibbling his way down her neck and shoulders.

"Come for me" he commanded as his thrusts slowly grew more powerful.

The mere sound of Mr. Gold's sultry voice brought Regina to orgasm. She turned her head back once again and kissed her husband passionately. Mr. Gold quickened his thrusts and held Regina tightly as he achieved his own climax. They both fell asleep completely satisfied.

The next day at school, Henry's teacher, Miss Blanchard, noticed that he was troubled. Miss Blanchard's identity back in the Enchanted Forest was Snow White. The woman that Regina spent practically a lifetime hating was now teaching her son. After class Miss Blanchard asked Henry if everything was OK. He explained to her that his parents recently told him that he was adopted. Miss Blanchard told Henry that being adopted was nothing to be unhappy about. He was a lucky little boy who had a great life and two parents that loved him. Henry still seemed disheartened.

That night, before she went to bed, Miss Blanchard came across an elaborate storybook that she had never seen before in her bedroom closet. After glancing through the book for a few minutes, she knew that this book would be perfect for Henry. All of the stories in the book had one common element…hope.

The next day, during lunch, Miss Blanchard gave the storybook to Henry and suggested that he read it. Henry wasn't sold on the idea that a book of fairy tales was the answer to his problems. Miss Blanchard explained to him that all of these stories were about hope. Hope was what he needed right now. He also needed to believe in his parents, because they loved him very much.

"Why didn't my birth mother love me"? Henry asked distraughtly

"She did love you Henry" Miss Blanchard replied "That's why she gave away, so you could have the best life possible."

Henry took the book home with him. He ran up to his room immediately after school and began reading it page by page. He instantly felt a connection to the stories and the characters. He analyzed the book every day for about a week, when suddenly he created a notion in his head that these stories were real and so were all of the characters in them. Henry convinced himself that the residents of Storybrooke were cursed fairy tale characters who didn't know who they really were. Worst of all, Henry was certain that his mother was the Evil Queen, the woman who cast the curse!

One afternoon, Henry went through Miss Blanchard's purse after class and stole her credit card. He took the credit card home with him so that he could find out who his birth mother was on a website. Henry gasped when he saw his birth mother's first name, Emma. That was the name of the savior in his book! The savior could break the curse in Storybrooke.

Henry wrote down all of Emma's information on a piece of notebook paper and snuck out of his house. He headed to the bus station with that piece of paper and Miss Blanchard's credit card.

As the sun began to set in Storybrooke, Henry was on a bus headed to Boston. He was on a mission to find his real mom and break the curse!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

While Henry was on a bus half way to Boston, Regina was frantically searching the house for him! She scoped out every inch of both the upstairs and the downstairs levels. She even searched the yard hoping to find her son.

Coming to the frightening realization that Henry was nowhere to be found, she called Mr. Gold and asked if he'd seen or spoken to Henry. He had not.

"Henry is missing"! She panicked "Please come home"! Regina pleaded as her hands shook.

"I'm on my way" Mr. Gold replied trying to stay calm "I'll keep my eyes peeled for him on the drive home."

Not being the type of woman who could just sit around and wait, Regina called the only other person she could think of to help in a situation like this, Sheriff Graham. Sheriff Graham assured Regina that he would comb the streets looking for Henry. He also asked Regina to get a recent photo of Henry ready so that he could show it to people.

The Sheriff arrived at the Mills-Gold residence quickly. Regina handed him the picture of Henry and started breaking down. The idea that something bad could have happened to her son was more than she could take. Graham embraced Regina and tried to convince her that Henry would be located safe and sound.

Just as Regina found comfort in Graham's arms, Mr. Gold walked in the door.

"Shouldn't you be out looking for my son, Sheriff"? Mr. Gold asked heatedly

"I'm on my way, Mr. Gold, I was just trying to calm Mrs. Gold down" Graham replied nervously

"I'm her husband that's my job" Mr. Gold retorted "Now go do yours"! He ordered

That being said, Sheriff Graham took Henry's picture and ventured back into town to find Henry.

"My my my Regina, it seems old habits die hard" Mr. Gold snarled

"What the hell are talking about"? Regina asked puzzled

"Well, it took some time but I see you've found your way back into our noble sheriff's arms" Mr. Gold replied irritably

"Our son is missing"! Regina shouted "Henry is the only thing on my mind right now."

"I hope so" Mr. Gold said to Regina as he walked towards her and grabbed her left hand

"It would pain me to think that you've forgotten who you belong to" he continued as he shoved the wedding rings on her finger in her face.

Regina's face turned pale. She had not seen this side of Mr. Gold since the beginning of the curse. She'd forgotten how terrifying he could be when he was angry!

"I haven't forgotten anything" she said precariously "I just want to find Henry."

"As do I" Mr. Gold agreed "I'll forgive this one mistake, but as I told you many years ago, Sheriff Graham is not to be in this house when I am not"

"You don't have to worry about Graham" Regina interjected

"Indeed I don't" Mr. Gold agreed "He should be worried about me however" he continued with a look in his eyes that Regina hadn't seen in twenty-eight years.

Meanwhile, back in Boston, Henry was in a taxi cab headed to Emma's apartment. When he arrived, he paid the driver with Miss Blanchard's credit card. Henry made his way into the building and knocked on Emma's door. She was shocked when she opened her door and saw a ten year old boy!

"Are you Emma Swan"? Henry asked

"Yeah, who are you"? Emma asked guardedly

"I'm your son" Henry replied merrily

Once Emma let Henry in, he began telling her that he was the baby boy she gave up for adoption ten years ago. He then pleaded with her to come home with him to Storybrooke, Maine. Emma reluctantly agreed and they got in her car and began the four-hour drive back to Storybrooke. Shortly into the trip back, Henry began to show Emma his book. He explained to her that all the people in the book were real and all the stories in the book actually happened. Emma couldn't believe what she was hearing and couldn't wait to get Henry back home.

When they finally arrived in Storybrooke, Henry refused to give Emma his home address. Emma got out of the car and slammed the door. While Henry and Emma were standing in the street talking, Dr. Hopper spotted Henry and asked him why he missed his therapy session. Henry lied and said he was on a field trip. Dr. Hopper proceeded to caution Henry about lying and gave Emma Henry's address. Emma was even more stunned when Dr. Hopper told her that Henry's mother was the mayor! Emma immediately ordered Henry to get back in the car and she drove him home.

Emma's eyes grew large when she pulled up to the impressive white mansion. She got out of the car and escorted Henry up the long walkway. Before they could get to the front door, Regina came running out of the house calling Henry's name!

"Are you OK"? "Where have you been"? Regina asked frantically as she hugged Henry

"I found my real mom" Henry replied belligerently as he ran past Regina and Mr. Gold, who was standing in the doorway.

"You're Henry's birth mother"? Regina asked perplexed

"Hi" Emma responded not sure what else to say.

Mr. Gold went upstairs to talk to Henry while Regina invited Emma into their home. Regina offered Emma a glass of apple cider but Emma wanted something a little stronger. As Regina and Emma headed into the study with their drinks, Mr. Gold came downstairs to introduce himself and join the conversation.

"So nice to meet you Miss…" Mr. Gold began

"Emma" Emma replied "Emma Swan."

As soon as Emma spoke her name Mr. Gold knew exactly who she was. He had built her name into the curse to be a trigger for him so that he would know exactly who she was. Emma was the savior. Henry managed to bring the savior to Storybrooke so that she could break the curse! Mr. Gold felt dizzy. One part of him was happy because a broken curse meant finding Baelfire, but another part of him was worried because a broken curse could mean another shattered family.

"I'm so sorry Henry dragged you out of your life" Regina apologized to Emma

"He's been having such a rough time with the fact that he's adopted" Mr. Gold added

"It happens" Emma replied frankly "That's probably why he's so fascinated with that storybook."

"What book"? Regina asked

"You the know the book with all the fairy tales, he thinks everyone is a character from the book" Emma laughed

"What"? Mr. Gold asked in disbelief

"Tonight he told me his shrink was Jiminy Cricket" Emma elaborated

"I really have no idea what you're talking about" Regina replied

"Don't worry about it" Emma replied nonchalantly "He's your kid and I really should be going."

"Of course" Mr. Gold responded as he got up to show Emma the way out

"Thank you for getting Henry home safely" Regina said appreciatively to Emma as they made their way down the long walkway

"No problem" Emma replied "You what's kind of crazy"? She asked "Today is my birthday and right after I blew out the candle on this cupcake I bought myself, Henry showed up."

"Why is that crazy"? Mr. Gold asked not seeing the point

"I actually made a wish" Emma answered "I wished that I didn't have to be alone on my birthday."

"I always knew Henry was special" Mr. Gold responded with a smile on his face "Happy Birthday."

"How old are you"? Regina asked jokingly "The records were sealed so we really don't know anything about you."

"I'm twenty-eight" Emma answered

When Regina heard how old Emma was her blood turned cold. There was no way that a strange woman coming to Storybrooke on her twenty-eighth birthday was a coincidence. Contrary to what Mr. Gold thought, Regina did remember his warnings that Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter could break the curse. Regina was starting to feel sick with worry. All she wanted was for Emma to be gone.

"Happy Birthday, Miss Swan" Regina said to Emma trying to smile and maintain her composure "Please drive safely."

Henry watched from his bedroom window as Emma drove off in her car. As Emma's car approached the town line, she noticed that Henry left his book on her passenger seat.

"Sneaky bastard" she mumbled to herself as she looked up and saw a wolf in the road. Emma swerved to avoid hitting the wolf but instead smashed into the "Welcome to Storybrooke" sign. Emma hit her head during the crash. She ended up on the side of the road, slumped over the steering wheel unconscious.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

The next morning Emma woke up with a terrible headache in a cell at the police station. She was greeted by Sheriff Graham, who joked with her that Regina's drinks are stronger than most. Emma defended herself by explaining she wasn't drunk, there was a wolf in the road. Sheriff Graham didn't buy it and laughed at her.

Just as Emma began to elaborate about the wolf, Regina stormed in the police station hysterical because Henry was once again missing. Regina was surprised to see Emma. She assumed that Emma went back to Boston.

"Do you know where Henry is"? Regina asked Emma

"Lady, I've been in here all night" Emma replied "Finding people is what I do" "Let me out of here and I'll help you find Henry" she offered

Sheriff Graham agreed to let Emma out of the cell and he, Emma and Regina went back to the Gold residence. Emma used a hard disk recovery tool to go through Henry's computer. She pulled up a receipt from the website that helped Henry find her.

"Who's Mary Margaret Blanchard"? Emma asked Regina

"Henry's teacher" Regina replied with a disgusted look on her face

"Well, we need to talk to her because Henry used her credit card" Emma retorted

"Regina, you stay here in case Henry comes home" Sheriff Graham instructed "Miss Swan and I will go speak with Miss Blanchard."

Graham and Emma headed to Henry's school to talk to Miss Blanchard. When they arrived Miss Blanchard had no idea what was going on. It was only after she checked her wallet that she realized her credit card was gone.

"I should never have given him that book" Miss Blanchard said regretfully

"What book"? Graham asked confused

"Just some old stories" Miss Blanchard replied

"Henry seems to think they are more than just stories" Emma enlightened Miss Blanchard

Graham decided to get back to looking for Henry and left the school. Emma stood to chat with Miss Blanchard. Miss Blanchard explained to Emma that Henry was a special boy who was having a hard time right now. Henry was struggling with the same question that every adopted child inevitably struggles with, "Why would anybody give me away"?

Emma put her head down. Miss Blanchard explained to Emma that she shouldn't feel bad. Henry had a great life and he would be fine.

"You should probably go check his castle" Miss Blanchard suggested to Emma

Miss Blanchard informed Emma where the castle was and sent her on her way.

When Emma arrived, she spotted Henry sitting atop his castle at the playground. Emma climbed up and sat beside Henry. They talked for a little bit and then Emma suggested that she take him home.

"I'm not crazy, I swear"! Henry shouted "Please just stay in Storybrooke for a week."

"I don't need to stay here" Emma argued

"You're the savior" Henry proclaimed "This is your destiny"!

"I'm a real person" Emma explained to Henry "I'm not in any book and I'm certainly not a savior."

Emma then went on to tell Henry how lucky he was to have been adopted when he was just a baby. She was not so lucky. She ended up in the foster system for her whole childhood. Emma would have loved to have been adopted by two people who really loved her and wanted her.

"They may not be your biological parents, but they are trying their best" Emma professed "They love you and that's all that matters."

"Snow White and Prince Charming loved you too" Henry replied "That's why they sent you away, to save you from the curse."

"Sure they did" Emma disagreed with tears in her eyes "Time to go home."

When Emma arrived with Henry, Regina once again came hurrying to the door. Henry ran past her like she wasn't even there and went up to his bedroom.

"Thanks" Regina said appreciatively to Emma "He seems to have taken quite a shine to you."

"No problem" Emma replied

"Let me make something perfectly clear, Miss Swan" Regina began to say in an almost threatening tone "For the last ten years, my husband and I have changed every diaper" "We've soothed every fever and we've endured every tantrum" "We are his parents."

"You see that street"? Regina asked pointing behind Emma "That's where Henry's father taught him to ride a bike."

"I'm not trying to…" Emma began to say

"You don't get to speak"! Regina roared "You asked for a closed adoption and you got one."

"You have no legal right to Henry, so I suggest you get in your car and go home."

Emma just stood there. She couldn't believe the way Regina was speaking to her.

"Go home Miss Swan" Regina repeated "If you don't, I will destroy you if it is the last thing I do"!

With that, Regina turned her back and walked away until Emma presented her with one last question, "Do you love him"?

"Of course, I love him" Regina answered as she turned around to look at Emma "I love Henry more than anything" "Unlike you, I wanted him" Regina shot back as she slammed the door.

Regina's harsh words left Emma with a bad taste in her mouth. She decided to take Henry's advice and stay in Storybrooke for a week. She drove to "Granny's Bed and Breakfast" and rented a room. She couldn't leave without making sure that Henry was in good hands.

Later that evening, after a silent family dinner with Henry, Regina filled Mr. Gold in on the day's events.

"Henry is our son" Mr. Gold assured Regina "He's just curious about his biological mother."

"What if he doesn't love us"? Regina asked Mr. Gold holding back tears

"Don't be silly" "We are his family" Mr. Gold declared to Regina as he took her into his arms

"That's what I told her" Regina proclaimed "I warned her to go home and stay away from our son"!

"What did you do"? Mr. Gold asked maddened as he undid his embrace

"I simply reminded her that we are Henry's parents and if she tries to cause any problems for our family that I will destroy her" Regina replied proudly

"You foolish woman"! Mr. Gold yelled "You can't just go around threatening strangers in this land."

"What do you want me to do"? Regina asked exasperated "Just let Emma Swan waltz into town and take our son"?

"You're not the queen anymore Dearie" Mr. Gold reminded Regina "You've got to use a far more gentle form of persuasion."

"What are you suggesting"? Regina asked frustrated

"Leave her alone" Mr. Gold replied "Don't give Emma Swan any reasons to stay and she'll go home" he continued.

The question was, who was Mr. Gold really trying to convince? He knew exactly who Emma was. He also knew that Regina did herself no favors by intimidating Emma. The odds were almost certain that she wasn't going anywhere. At least not until the curse was broken.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Emma Swan ended up staying in town far longer than her originally intended one week. She was now approaching one month in Storybrooke. In that month, to the naked eye, it seemed she was doing everything in her power to infuriate Regina. Only Emma wasn't doing anything on purpose. People in town were just naturally drawn to her. She became fast friends with Mary Margaret Blanchard and she quickly began winning over Sheriff Graham. Graham liked Emma so much that he appointed her Deputy Sheriff. Graham wanted her to feel like a real member of the community. That wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was that Henry snuck around trying to spend time with Emma anyway he could. Regina was reaching her breaking point. Something had to be done about the new darling of Storybrooke!

One morning while Regina and Mr. Gold were getting dressed, Regina started her now customary daily ranting about everything Emma. Regina had almost forgotten what it was like to feel threatened. Nobody had even come close to being a threat to her in twenty-eight years. This morning was slightly different, however, Regina was particularly angry that Emma Swan's presence didn't seem at all disturbing to her husband.

"Why isn't any of this bothering you"? Regina asked Mr. Gold bewildered

"I've got my eye on Miss Swan" "Please just stop worrying" Mr. Gold requested

"Something is wrong" "It's not like you to just let someone come in and usurp your territory like this" Regina pointed out

"I simply pick my battles dear" Mr. Gold replied

"I'm not buying it" Regina responded unconvinced "Do you know something"?

"What exactly are you implying"? Mr. Gold asked irritated

"Who is Emma Swan"? Regina continued questioning her husband "Something tells me you know more about her than you're letting on."

Mr. Gold paused for a second. This was it, truth time. He could risk everything and be honest with Regina or he could maintain his secret by lying to her. He decided to venture somewhere in the middle.

"I'll put it simply my love" Mr. Gold said in a somewhat condescending tone "I would say you think you know exactly who Miss Swan is."

Regina's eyes grew large as her breathing got heavier. She always feared this day would come. She was aware that the curse could be broken, the problem was that over the past twenty-eight years she had let her happiness cloud her judgment. Perhaps her emotionless mother was right about one thing. Had love become Regina's weakness?

"Did you want her to come to town"? Regina asked as she grew more and more livid "Your finding Henry wasn't fate was it"?

"I really must get to my shop" Mr. Gold answered trying to evade the question

"Tell me what you know about this woman"! Regina demanded

"You're far too emotional for any kind of conversation" Mr. Gold pointed out to Regina "I suggest you calm down and let me get to my shop…PLEASE"

Mr. Gold hadn't used a please since the beginning of the curse. To Regina this was a red flag. He knew far more than he was admitting to! Mr. Gold's elusiveness made Regina even more desperate to rid her town of Emma Swan.

When Regina got to her office, she placed a phone call to Sidney Glass. Sidney was a reporter for the town newspaper "The Daily Mirror." Sidney could dig up anything on anyone. He was the perfect person to expose any of Emma's misdeeds.

Shortly before Regina went home, Sidney called her to inform her that a fax was on its way. The papers could not come out of the fax machine fast enough for Regina. She eagerly snatched up each page. As Regina began to read through all of the information, she grew still. Her brain couldn't grasp what her eyes were reading. Regina's hands began to shake. This was more than just a startling coincidence.

"You lying bastard"! Regina screamed as she grabbed her things and stormed out of her office.

When Regina entered her home, she was surprised to see that Henry was actually there. This was the first night in a while that he hadn't managed to sneak away with Emma.

"Hey Sweetie" Regina greeted Henry trying to mask her tension

"I'm starving" "What's for dinner"? Henry asked

"Oh Henry, I was so swamped at the office today that I totally forgot about dinner" Regina lied "I'm sorry."

What Regina had to do next nearly killed her. She needed to be able to speak freely with Mr. Gold when he got home, so she did the only thing she could do. Regina called Emma and asked her to take Henry to dinner. Emma happily accepted although she was rather surprised. Nonetheless, Emma and Henry went to dinner not knowing that they were leaving the Gold residence clear for a battle.

As soon as Mr. Gold walked in the house, Regina pounced on him!

"You son of a bitch" "You knew, didn't you"? Regina asked hysterically

"Knew what"? Mr. Gold asked baffled

"Emma Swan was found abandoned in the woods, outside of Storybrooke twenty-eight years ago" Regina announced

"What an amazing coincidence" Mr. Gold replied blandly

"Play dumb all you want" Regina yelled at Mr. Gold "I know you did this"!

"Did what"? Mr. Gold asked trying to seem unaware

"She's important isn't she"? Regina asked shakily

"Well, she did give birth to our son" Mr. Gold replied sarcastically

"You built this into the curse, didn't you"? Regina asked even more exasperated "You made this happen"!

"What are you suggesting"? Mr. Gold asked Regina still trying to appear guiltless

"Do you want this to end"? Regina asked irately "Do you want to destroy everything I've built"?

Mr. Gold quickly realized that Regina wasn't going to let up. It was time to be honest with his wife and hope that she loved him enough to understand his reasons for wanting the curse broken.

"I want to find my son" Mr. Gold answered bluntly

"Don't bring Henry into this" Regina retorted "He's having dinner with Miss Swan."

"Not Henry, Baelfire" Mr. Gold clarified

"What"? Regina asked in shock

"Baelfire is here in this land" Mr. Gold elaborated "If the curse gets broken, I can bring magic here" "If I bring magic here I can locate exactly where my boy is."

"You bastard"! Regina roared "You puppet mastered me all those years so that I could cast this curse for you"!

"Nobody had to twist your arm Dearie" Mr. Gold made clear "If I recall, you ripped out your own father's heart in order to cast this curse."

Regina slapped Mr. Gold right across the face. How dare he bring that up?

"Our being married wasn't an accident, was it"? Regina asked starting to feel sick "You warned me that I'd come to you with a hole in my heart" Regina recalled to Mr. Gold "Did you also design it so that I couldn't have children"? Regina asked as she started to cry

"Of course not"! Mr. Gold defended himself "I had nothing to do with us being married and even I am not so cruel as to prevent you from having a child."

"Oh please" Regina shouted through her tears "You'll do anything to get what you want"

"I just want to find my son" "I need to tell him how sorry I am for letting him go" Mr. Gold said sincerely

"Do you even love us"? Regina asked pitifully "Do Henry and I mean anything at all to you or were we just toys for you to play with"?

Mr. Gold grabbed Regina by the shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes.

"I love both of you with everything that I am" he said genuinely "My life with you and Henry is more than I ever imagined I could have."

Regina was silent. Her heart was telling her that Mr. Gold was being truthful, but her brain was reminding her not to forget how evil he really was.

"If you love us then why do you want to destroy our family"? Regina asked

"Our family doesn't have to be destroyed" Mr. Gold replied adamantly "Nothing has to change for us if the curse gets broken."

"How is that possible"? Regina asked doubtingly

"Our love" "Our family is real" Mr. Gold explained "We don't need the curse to be happy."

"What about Snow White"? Regina asked angrily

"Who cares about her"? Mr. Gold asked indifferently "Give up this obsession with vengeance."

"Never" Regina said while shaking her head

"You can't have everything" Mr. Gold explained to Regina "Can't you just be satisfied with our family"? He asked

"As long as this curse stays intact, I can have everything" Regina proclaimed "Now the only question is, are you with me or against me"?

Regina stormed out of the house as Mr. Gold stood there in disbelief. He couldn't believe Regina was still so fixated on revenge. She did present him with an interesting question. Was he going to stand by his wife or would he have to go up against her?


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Regina was in a state of shock. She didn't know where to go or what to do with herself. Mr. Gold and Henry were her whole world. When it came down to it, they were all she had. Regina's pursuit for comfort led her to the only other person she could turn to in her time of need, Graham. He was at the station and luckily for Regina, he was alone.

"Regina, what are you doing here"? Graham asked surprised to see her

Without saying a word, Regina fell into his arms and cried on his shoulder.

"Everything in my life is a mess" she sobbed

"What's wrong"? Graham asked "Is Henry OK"?

Regina confessed to Graham that nothing had been the same since she and Mr. Gold told Henry that he was adopted. Her relationships with both her husband and her son were seriously in jeopardy. Graham tried his best to assure Regina that it would all pass, but she knew more than she could say. She couldn't tell Graham about the curse and that Emma was in Storybrooke to break it.

"I know her intentions were good, but I don't think Miss Blanchard should have given Henry that book" Graham declared

"Miss Blanchard is responsible for this"? Regina asked as she lifted her head off of Graham

"She was just trying to help" Graham said in defense of Miss Blanchard

"That woman still hasn't learned to mind her own business, has she"? Regina asked furiously

"What are you talking about"? Graham asked starting to get confused

Realizing she'd said too much, Regina resumed crying on Graham's shoulder.

"That book has put horrible, crazy ideas in my son's head" she carried on

Graham began comforting Regina once again. He reminded her what a good mother she was and what a special kid Henry was. Things would get better in time.

Regina was something she hadn't been in a long time. She was vulnerable. Her vulnerability was impairing her ability to think straight.

"Oh Graham, I can always count on you" she said gratefully as she took his face in her hands and kissed him.

It took Regina a moment to realize what she was doing, but once she did she pulled back immediately in horror!

"I'm so sorry" she apologized "I never should have done that" she explained as she left the station abruptly.

Regina sat in her car shaken by what she had done. She betrayed her husband. Sure it was just one kiss born of momentary weakness, but that's not how Mr. Gold would see it. He would surely see it as infidelity and there would be hell to pay. She decided it would be best for everyone involved if she never spoke of it.

As she pulled into the driveway, Regina could feel her guilt clawing away at her. She was scared of what Mr. Gold would do if he found out. She was also scared of what the news would do to him. His history with women wasn't great, this might push him right over the edge!

Regina walked into a dark, empty house. It appeared that Henry and Mr. Gold were asleep. She breathed a sigh of relief and went upstairs. She opened Henry's door and checked on him. He was sound asleep. She walked into her bedroom expecting to find Mr. Gold also sleeping. Regina was not so lucky. Mr. Gold was sitting on the chaise lounge wide awake in the darkness.

"Nice of you to come back home, Dearie" he said sarcastically

"Oh, you frightened me"! Regina gasped as she jumped back a little

"Wherever have you been"? Mr. Gold asked "I was beginning to worry."

Regina tried to tell Mr. Gold that she went for a drive to clear her head and lost track of time. Mr. Gold wasn't buying it. He knew Regina's history. When she was upset, she sought attention, usually attention from men. Tonight was no different.

"Still a dreadful liar" He said mockingly "Try telling me the truth…PLEASE"

Regina had no choice but to tell her husband everything. She couldn't lie.

"You insufferable harlot"! Mr. Gold raged "How dare you betray our marriage like that"! He continued shouting as he began backing Regina up against the wall.

"Keep your voice down, we can't wake Henry" Regina pleaded trying to deter Mr. Gold for a moment.

"No, we wouldn't want Henry to know what a selfish little tart his mother is" Mr. Gold replied hatefully

Regina stood there with her back against the wall. Mr. Gold was right up against her. She could feel just how much she'd hurt him. She could see the wrath in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry" Regina said sincerely trying to take Mr. Gold's hand

"Are you sorry that you did it or are you sorry because you got caught"? He asked refusing her touch

"I'm sorry that I tarnished what we have" Regina confessed as she began to cry "I've just been hanging by a thread since Emma Swan came into town."

"Don't blame her" Mr. Gold requested "Take responsibility for your actions just this once."

"I planned on living out this curse forever" Regina explained "Now I don't know what's going to happen."

"I told you our family would be fine" Mr. Gold reminded her "You just can't allow yourself to see past your hatred for Snow White."

"How will we be fine"? Regina asked "How do you think the people in this town are going to react if the curse gets broken"?

"I assume they'll be out for blood" Mr. Gold replied bluntly "Sadly for them, they'll have to go through me to get it."

"What do you mean"? Regina asked starting to get confused

"You're my wife, Dearie" He explained "Nobody harms my family."

Regina once again began begging Mr. Gold for forgiveness. She reiterated that she truly was sorry and that she loved him with all her heart.

"Those are lovely words" he responded "Unfortunately, you and I both know that words are meaningless."

Regina looked her husband dead in the eyes and wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could.

"Please forgive me" she cried "From this moment on, you are the only man that will ever have my heart" she promised

Mr. Gold stood there coldly. Regina wasn't sure if he was going to kiss her or kill her.

"Please say something" she pleaded

"Words are irrelevant" Mr. Gold replied "Don't tell me how you feel, show me" he demanded

Regina took his face in her hands and kissed him as tenderly as she ever had. She thought for sure she could make Mr. Gold feel her love for him.

"A little kiss, that's all I'm worth to you after twenty-eight years"? He asked unimpressed

Regina kissed him once again, trying to be more passionate. Mr. Gold still wasn't convinced. He turned her around and whispered into her ear, "This is how you prove your love to me" as he began unzipping her dress. Regina's dress fell to the ground and Mr. Gold started kissing his way down her back. He slid Regina's panties down around her ankles and instructed her to step out of them. Mr. Gold then turned her around again so she was facing him. He grabbed Regina by the throat and started kissing her passionately. He moved his kisses down her neck as he removed her bra. Mr. Gold roughly cupped her breasts with his hands as he began hungrily kissing her again. He had an important question for Regina, so he stopped kissing her and asked, "Are you sure you love me"?

"I've never been so sure of anything in my life" she panted

Mr. Gold once again clutched Regina's throat and warned her, "This is your last chance" "Next time you betray me, I won't be nearly as kind."

"It will never happen again" Regina promised as she leaned in to resume kissing her husband

Mr. Gold threw Regina onto the bed and instructed her to remain still. He proceeded to remove his purple silk necktie and tie Regina's hands above her head with it. She laid there titillated as Mr. Gold slowly undressed in front of her. Her womanhood ached as his large erection made its way out of his trousers. He climbed on top of Regina and kissed her vigorously.

"Do you like it when I'm in control"? Mr. Gold asked seductively

"Yes" Regina replied beguiled

"If you want me to take you, you'll have to say please" he informed Regina lustfully

"Please take me" Regina moaned

With that request, Mr. Gold plunged his manhood into Regina. He raised her right leg over his shoulder as he pushed himself deep inside of her. Regina cried with ecstasy as her husband took possession of her body. On this night he wasn't just making love to her, he was claiming her. Regina had never felt so desired in all her life.

"Would you like me to let you come"? Mr. Gold whispered in her ear

"Yes" Regina muttered

"Say please" Mr. Gold commanded sensuously

"Please" Regina said out of breath

Mr. Gold held her still tied hands, quickened his thrusts and brought Regina to orgasm. Her cheeks were bright pink and she was still trying to catch her breath when Mr. Gold asked Regina one more time, "Do you love me"?

"Yes" she replied lovingly as Mr. Gold reached his own climax

He untied her hands and kissed her passionately once again before they attempted to go to sleep.

The problem was, every time Mr. Gold closed his eyes all he could see was Regina kissing Graham. He grew angrier as he began thinking about Graham's lips on his wife's. He rolled over and stared at Regina while she slept. Mr. Gold loved this woman. He finally found a home with Regina. As the glow of the moonlight illuminated Regina's face, Mr. Gold was making himself sick thinking about Graham's hands all over her body. This wouldn't do. Graham was a problem that had to be eliminated once and for all.

Mr. Gold slowly crept out of bed, got dressed and went downstairs. He paused for a moment before he walked out the door. Did he really want to do this? Mr. Gold saw no other option.

He drove to the cemetery and made his way to the tomb where Regina's father was. To anyone else, it looked like a regular grave, but Mr. Gold knew better. Regina didn't leave everything behind in the Enchanted Forest. She took her most-precious possessions with her to Storybrooke and kept them in a secret vault under her father's tomb. Among her most-treasured objects was Graham's heart. Regina collected hearts. She took Graham's as punishment after he failed to kill Snow White and lied to her about it. Mr. Gold was the only person besides Regina who knew about her collection of hearts in Storybrooke. He entered the tomb and pushed Regina's father's coffin aside to reveal a staircase. Once down the stairs Mr. Gold found himself staring at Regina's large collection of hearts. They were arranged in drawers like a card catalog. Mr. Gold examined the writing on each drawer until he finally came to Graham's heart. He opened the drawer and revealed a box inside. That box contained the heart. He opened the box and stared at Graham's beating heart. Without flinching, Mr. Gold took Graham's heart out of the box and crushed it with his bare hands. He wiped his hands clean and exited the tomb. Mr. Gold went home and got back into bed without waking Regina. He fell asleep feeling relieved that Graham would no longer be a threat to his marriage. Mr. Gold had no remorse. It had to be done.

Early the next morning, Regina was woken up by a phone call from Emma.

"What could you possibly want this early, Miss Swan"? Regina asked both groggy and annoyed

Emma informed Regina that she got to the station and found Graham unconscious on the floor. The paramedics came and pronounced him dead. Regina dropped the phone in anguish.

"Who was that"? Mr. Gold turned over and asked Regina

"It was Miss Swan" Regina replied obviously in distress "Graham died."

"Sheriff Graham"? Mr. Gold asked trying to give the illusion of being shocked "What a tragedy" he continued as he went into the bathroom and shut the door.

Regina remained in bed. This felt like a bad dream. How could a healthy young man just die?

"No" she muttered to herself as she stared at the bathroom door.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

A few days later, the entire town of Storybrooke gathered at the cemetery for Graham's funeral. It was a crisp, sunny day darkened by sadness. Sheriff Graham was a beloved member of the community and the devastation of his loss could be felt all around.

After Graham's funeral, Regina decided to visit her father. Paying her respects wasn't her only motive. However, she wanted to check her secret vault. Regina sensed that something wasn't right about Graham's death. She suspected Mr. Gold's evil tendencies may have gotten the best of him. Regina's suspicions were confirmed as soon as she got into her vault. Graham's heart was gone and the box that once contained it was on the ground. Mr. Gold's jealousy had driven him to murder. Regina was sick with guilt. Her moment of weakness cost Graham his life.

Two weeks later, Mr. Gold placed a phone call to Emma Swan asking her to come by his shop at her earliest convenience. When Emma came into the shop, Mr. Gold offered her a large box filled with Graham's belongings. Graham rented an apartment that Mr. Gold owned and since Graham had no family, Mr. Gold was responsible for handling the things that were left behind.

"I don't want anything" Emma responded obviously still mourning the sheriff

"Please take them" Mr. Gold pleaded "I fear they will all end up in the trash."

Emma watched sadly as Mr. Gold opened the box and took out Graham's jacket.

"Such a shame he is gone" Mr. Gold lamented "The sheriff was a good man"

"He was" Emma agreed

As Mr. Gold spoke with Emma, he noticed that she was still wearing the deputy's badge. He took the liberty of informing her that since she'd been acting as sheriff for two weeks, the job was now officially hers. The idea of becoming sheriff for real made Emma slightly uncomfortable. She told Mr. Gold that she'd think about it as she took the box of Graham's things and left his shop. Mr. Gold was a good enough judge of character to know that Emma would indeed assume the role of sheriff in Storybrooke.

As predicted, Emma went straight from Mr. Gold's shop to the station. She was pinning the sheriff's badge onto her jacket when Regina walked in.

"That's not yours" Regina snapped

"It's been two weeks, the promotion is automatic" Emma explained

"Automatic unless the Mayor appoints someone else in the time period" Regina disputed

"Who are you going to appoint"? Emma asked

"Sidney Glass" Regina answered confidently

"Newspaper Sidney"? Emma asked surprised "That's cute, I'm sure he'll enjoy being your minion" she added

"I don't owe you any explanations, Miss Swan" Regina responded defiantly "In fact, I don't owe you anything" "You're fired"! Regina snarled as she snatched away Emma's badge.

Emma left the station feeling defeated. Regina was such a nasty, controlling bitch, someone needed to stand up to her and teach her a lesson. Emma just needed to figure out how.

Still upset, Emma decided to go back to Mr. Gold's shop. She walked in, threw Graham's jacket on the counter and said, "Your wife fired me, give this to Sidney" "I'm sure her minion will make better use out of it than me."

"What are you talking about"? Mr. Gold asked

"Regina decided to appoint Sidney as sheriff and fire me" Emma replied angrily

"What an injustice, I'm so sorry" Mr. Gold said apologetically

"Well, Regina is the mayor" Emma rationalized "I'm just a nobody who's new in town."

"Hang on just a second" Mr. Gold requested as he went into the back room of his shop.

He came out carrying the town charter. He then explained to Emma that Regina only had the power to appoint a candidate. The town was entitled to an election. They were entitled to select their own sheriff.

"Why do you have the town charter"? Emma asked Mr. Gold

"Well, I do own the town" He replied modestly

Emma suddenly felt empowered. She left Mr. Gold's shop with a new sense of purpose. She was going to run for sheriff.

Emma decided to go to Regina's office and give her the good news. She ended up getting there just in time to stop Regina from officially making Sidney the sheriff.

"This is not appropriate, Miss Swan" Regina said as Emma barged in

"You denying Storybrooke their right to elect their own sheriff is not appropriate either, Madame Mayor" Emma replied boldly

Regina cleared her office so that she and Emma could talk privately.

"What the hell has gotten into you"? Regina asked Emma infuriated

"Mr. Gold" Emma replied proudly "It seems your husband is more aware of the town rules than you are."

"Why exactly were you talking to my husband"? Regina asked suspiciously

"He asked me to come by his shop and pickup Graham's things" Emma replied

"First you come after my son, now you're going after my husband"? Regina questioned "Do I need to be worried about you, Miss Swan"? Regina asked feeling threatened

"Calm down lady" Emma answered Regina holding back laughter "Mr. Gold isn't my type."

"My husband is rich, powerful and distinguished" "He's everybody's type" Regina replied offended

"Whatever" Emma answered not wanting to argue anymore "Prepare yourself for an election because I'm running for sheriff."

"Fine" "So is Sidney" Regina countered

After Emma had left, Regina was fuming. How dare Mr. Gold tell Emma about what was in the town charter? She immediately went to his shop to talk to him.

"Hello, my love, should I move some things to make a bit of space for your rage"? Mr. Gold joked as Regina came into his shop and flipped the sign on the door from open to closed.

"You found that loophole in the town charter" Regina answered obviously irritated

"Contracts always have been my specialty" Mr. Gold replied smugly

"Yes, it was so thoughtful of you to fill Miss Swan in" Regina answered getting even more irritated "When exactly did you develop such an affinity for her"? She asked curiously

"Oh no need to be jealous my dear, I'm just invested in the common good" Mr. Gold responded self-righteously

"Are you really going up against your wife"? Regina inquired

"Of course not" Mr. Gold clarified "Not directly anyway."

"It's not like you to pick a loser" Regina pointed out

"Miss Swan hasn't lost yet" Mr. Gold made clear

"She will" Regina replied boastfully as she started walking out of the shop

"We'll see about that Dearie" Mr. Gold replied before Regina slammed the door

The next day Regina had Sidney print up a full blown expose about Emma in the newspaper. He aired out her whole checkered past, her thievery, her arrest and even the fact that Henry was born in a Phoenix prison. Emma was so angry that she could have spit fire!

"How could you"! Emma yelled as she burst into Regina's office "Those records were supposed to be sealed"!

"I believe in full disclosure, Miss Swan" Regina answered coolly

"What about Henry"? Emma asked genuinely worried

"I like my son to know the truth" Regina replied "I'm sorry your truth is so shameful."

"Aren't you afraid you're setting a bad example"? Emma asked "His adoptive mother unleashing a smear campaign against his birth mother"!

"It's not a smear campaign if it's all true, Miss Swan" Regina responded "See you at the debate."

"Debate"? Emma asked confused

"Tomorrow night you and Sidney will have a debate" Regina answered as she walked out of her office "Good night."

Emma stood up most of the night worrying about the debate and about what she would say. Would the people of Storybrooke turn on her because of her less than perfect past? Emma decided to simply be honest and hope for the best.

The next night at the debate, she was completely honest and owned up to her troubled past. She explained that Henry was the reason she came to Storybrooke and the reason why she was staying there. Emma planned on proving that she was a good person. She vowed to be strong, honest and to keep Storybrooke safe.

Much to Regina's dismay, Emma won. It was a very close vote, but the people of Storybrooke chose Emma Swan as their new sheriff.

"Congratulations, Miss Swan" Regina said half-heartedly as she pinned the sheriff's badge on Emma "The people really respected your honesty."

"Are you serious"? Emma asked completely surprised

"I'm serious" Regina replied "Hopefully now that you're sheriff, you won't have as much free time to spend with my son…or my husband" She continued before faking a smile and walking away.

Later that night, Regina once again fought with Mr. Gold as they laid in bed.

"You just won't let her go"? She asked frustrated

"I simply filled Miss Swan in on her options" Mr. Gold indicated "She made the decision to stay here all by herself."

"I know you killed Graham" Regina accused Mr. Gold

"I believe the autopsy showed that our noble sheriff died of a heart attack" Mr. Gold contradicted

"You're the only person here who knows about my vault" Regina elaborated "Graham's heart is gone."

"Poor thing" Mr. Gold said patronizingly "I think your grief is getting the best of you" he continued as he kissed Regina on the forehead and rolled over to go to sleep.

Regina continued laying there furious. She was angry at her husband, she was angry at Emma and most of all she was angry at Miss Blanchard for giving Henry the storybook and starting all of this mess. Before falling asleep, Regina vowed to herself that she would get rid of Emma and she would make Miss Blanchard pay for all the trouble she'd once again caused.

The next day, Emma reported to the station for her first day as sheriff. She was surprised to find Graham's jacket with a note from Mr. Gold attached to it. The note read, "I guess you'll be needing this after all. Congratulations and best of luck. Mr. Gold"

Emma smiled as she took off her own leather jacket and put Graham's on.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

A month had gone by since the election. It was now Valentine's Day in Storybrooke and tensions were still high in the Gold household.

Fearing that their marriage was going down a dangerous path, Mr. Gold made the romantic gesture of showing up at Regina's office with two dozen red roses.

"Please accept my peace offering" Mr. Gold said as he placed the roses on Regina's desk and went over to kiss her

"They're beautiful" Regina gushed as she happily accepted her husband's kiss

"I felt you needed a reminder of my feelings for you" Mr. Gold explained

"This is a decent start" Regina joked "I'm not sure you can be let out of the dog house just yet, however."

Mr. Gold went on to tell Regina that the roses were indeed just the beginning of their Valentine's Day celebration. He'd arranged for them to have Granny's Diner all to themselves that evening for a romantic dinner.

"How on earth did you manage that"? Regina asked

"I simply asked Granny how much money she makes in a night" He replied "I then told her I'd triple that."

"Wow" Regina laughed

"It's good to be rich" Mr. Gold jested

Regina spent the rest of her work day staring at her lovely roses. She got home to an even more wonderful surprise from Henry. He presented her with a handmade card and a photo of the two of them in a heart shaped frame. It was the last photo they'd taken before the Emma Swan explosion.

"Thank you, Henry" Regina said as she hugged him

"I love you, Mom" Henry replied "I'm sorry if I've been hurting your feelings" He apologized

"It's OK" Regina answered "I've arranged for you to spend the night with Emma so that your Dad and I can celebrate Valentine's Day" She continued

"Cool" Henry replied excitedly as he ran up to his room to pack a bag

About an hour later Emma arrived to pick up Henry. Mr. Gold pulled into the driveway just as Emma and Henry were pulling out. Henry waved goodbye to his Dad and was on his way.

As Mr. Gold entered the house, Regina came down the stairs looking stunning in an elegant red dress that hugged her in all the right places.

"Wow"! Mr. Gold exclaimed as he stared adoringly at Regina "You look good enough to eat."

"I know" Regina laughed as she took his hand to leave

When they arrived at Granny's, it looked almost unrecognizable. It had been transformed into a romantic wonderland. There were candles and red roses everywhere.

"Impressive" Regina complimented Mr. Gold "Keep this up and you might just get lucky tonight" She teased

"I told you it was good to be rich" Mr. Gold reiterated

The happy couple sat down and Granny proceeded to pour them each a glass of champagne. Mr. Gold couldn't help but stare at Regina as they sipped their champagne. He was reminded of the first time he came to her in her bedroom, which now seemed like a lifetime ago.

"I've loved you from the first moment I laid eyes on you" Mr. Gold confessed to Regina

"I thought I was a baby the first time you saw me"? Regina asked slightly disgusted

"Allow me to clarify" Mr. Gold corrected himself "I've loved since the second time I laid eyes on you."

"You could have fooled me" Regina responded surprised "I was pretty certain that you hated me."

"I was just protecting myself" Mr. Gold explained "I never thought someone as beautiful as you would love someone like me."

"Do you really think that I'm that superficial"? Regina asked offended "What you may have lacked in the looks department, you certainly made up for in charm."

"I am a charming little devil, aren't I"? Mr. Gold asked lightheartedly

"It takes a special man to keep me on my toes" Regina winked

Granny arrived with their dinners as they laughed. This was the first time they'd been at ease in months. Regina and Mr. Gold were on cloud nine. They exchanged amorous smiles as they ate.

While waiting for dessert, Mr. Gold decided to give Regina her real Valentine's Day present. It was a beautiful necklace with a heart made completely out of diamonds.

"I hope this will serve as a constant reminder that you will always have my heart" He said sincerely as he got up to put the necklace around Regina's neck

"I'm speechless" Regina proclaimed as her eyes starting to fill up with happy tears

"No matter what happens, I will always love you" Mr. Gold professed to Regina "Curse or no curse, it's always going to be you and me."

Regina still wasn't sure that she was ready to give up on the curse, but she chose to let it go for the night.

Once Mr. Gold sat down, Regina decided to give him his present. It was an antique pocket watch.

"I thought of you as soon as I saw it" She declared

"I love it" Mr. Gold said as he examined the pocket watch "I will carry it with me all the time."

Once back at home, Regina had one more present for Mr. Gold. She instructed him to get into bed while she changed into something more comfortable. Regina reentered the bedroom wearing a sexy, red lace teddy. Mr. Gold stared at her as she got into bed with him. As soon as Regina leaned in to kiss him, he began devouring her. Mr. Gold was intoxicated by the smell of Regina's perfume and the softness of her skin. They tenderly made love all night long.

The next morning, Mr. Gold had to leave earlier than usual to collect an overdue debt from Moe French. Moe French was Belle's father back in the Enchanted Forest.

"I'll have your money next week" Moe said to Mr. Gold obviously frightened by the mere sight of him

"That won't do" Mr. Gold explained "The terms of the loan were very specific."

Mr. Gold then instructed his rather large assistant to take Moe's delivery van. Moe begged the goon to stop to no avail. He drove away with the van.

"You are the lowest"! Moe screamed as Mr. Gold turned his back and walked away

Mr. Gold arrived at his shop the following morning to find a busted door and Sheriff Swan. The shop had been ransacked. Someone broke in and took as much as they could.

"Any idea who could have done this"? Emma asked

Mr. Gold told Emma that it had to be Moe French. He filled Emma in on the disagreement they'd had the day before and about Moe defaulting on his loan. Emma made some notes and left to go find Mr. French. Mr. Gold wasn't the type of man to just sit back and wait for Emma. He was going to find Moe himself!

Emma started off by going to Moe's house. He wasn't home but armed with a search warrant she managed to gain entry into his house. It didn't take her long to find the pile of stolen goods from Mr. Gold's shop. Emma collected all the items and took them back to the station. She tried calling Mr. Gold at home and at his shop. She couldn't get ahold of him.

The reason Emma couldn't reach Mr. Gold was because he had gotten to Mr. French first! He was driving a bound and gagged Moe French out to he and Regina's vacation cabin deep in the woods. Once at the cabin, Mr. Gold hustled Moe out of the back of the delivery van and into the cabin. Mr. Gold threw Moe down on the ground began violently beating him to a pulp.

This wasn't just about a few stolen goods, this was about Belle. Back in the Enchanted Forest, Regina told Rumpelstiltskin that Belle threw herself out of a tower because her father shunned her. In his mind, Mr. Gold was avenging Belle's death.

Anxious to find Mr. Gold, Emma called Regina. Regina wasn't sure where her husband was, but she told Emma to try the cabin.

Luckily for Moe, Emma got to the cabin before Mr. Gold managed to break any more of his bones. Emma stopped Mr. Gold from beating on Moe and had no choice but to arrest him for assault. Mr. Gold couldn't charm his way out of this one, Emma saw the beating with her own eyes. When she got back to the station with Mr. Gold, Emma called Regina to ask her if she'd like to come down and bail her husband out. Regina was furious!

"Well, I guess we know what tomorrow's headline will be in The Daily Mirror" Regina said sarcastically as she walked into the station and stared embarrassedly at Mr. Gold

Regina paid Mr. Gold's bail and asked Emma to give them a few moments alone. Emma was about to let Mr. Gold out of his cell, but Regina stopped her. Emma handed Regina the keys and told her to let Mr. Gold out and leave the keys on her desk when she was done talking to him.

"Really, with all that Henry is going through" Regina scolded Mr. Gold "Do I really have to tell him that his father got arrested"?

"Moe French stole from me" Mr. Gold replied trying to rationalize what he'd done "Look behind you."

Regina turned around and looked at the massive pile of goods on the desk.

"Looks like a bunch of junk to me" She said hastily until something interesting caught her eye. It was a chipped tea cup. That tea cup was all Rumpelstiltskin had left of Belle and Regina knew it.

"Is this the reason why you almost beat a man to death"? Regina asked as she picked the cup off of the desk

Mr. Gold sat silently. He kept the cup in his shop and looked at it from time to time in remembrance of Belle. He never told Regina about it.

"Such a sentimental little keepsake" Regina continued taunting Mr. Gold "So much for having your heart" She said as she touched the heart necklace he'd given her for Valentine's Day

"You don't know what you're talking about, Regina" Mr. Gold said defiantly

"Oh, I think I know exactly what I'm talking about" Regina shot back angrily "After twenty-eight years of marriage, you're still pining away for Belle."

"Stop this nonsense and let me out"! Mr. Gold demanded angrily

"Tell me, do you sit in your shop all teary eyed staring at it"? Regina asked bitterly as she dangled the cup in front of the cell bars

"Don't let these bars fool you, dear" Mr. Gold warned Regina "It really isn't wise for you to make me angry."

"I'll release you as soon as you answer the same question that you asked me not very long ago" Regina updated Mr. Gold "Answer it simply" She instructed

"What"? Mr. Gold asked browbeaten

"Do you love me"? Regina asked straightforwardly

"You know I do" Mr. Gold answered quickly

"That's not a proper response" Regina informed Mr. Gold "I'll ask you again" "Do you love me"?

"Yes" Mr. Gold answered humbly

"Good, then you won't needing this anymore" Regina announced as she smashed the tea cup to the ground

Mr. Gold was horrified, but he was far too proud to show Regina.

"Let's go home" Regina said sharply as she unlocked the cell "Hopefully, you'll be able to stay out of trouble" She continued contemptuously

Mr. Gold looked back once more at the shattered tea cup as he and Regina left the station. That was all that he had left of Belle and it was destroyed. Regina smiled victoriously as they walked to the car.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Thanks to their recent power plays, things were rapidly declining between Regina and Mr. Gold. With each passing day, they were beginning to once again resemble The Evil Queen and Rumpelstiltskin rather than Mr. and Mrs. Gold.

Desperate to be reunited with his long lost son, Mr. Gold needed the curse to be broken. Determined to have vengeance on Snow White, Regina needed the curse to stay intact.

All the animosity in their household was bringing back an old affliction that Mr. Gold hadn't had since he was back in the Enchanted Forest. He was having nightmares about Baelfire. It was the same dream every night. Baelfire was dangling in a swirling green vortex, screaming for Rumpelstiltskin. Every night the dream would have the same tragic ending. Too selfish to go with his son to a land without magic, Rumpelstiltskin lets him go. He sends his son to another realm all alone.

On this night, the dream seemed more real than ever. On this night, Mr. Gold jumped up screaming, "Bae"! "Bae"!

Regina woke up and grabbed Mr. Gold. He was drenched with perspiration. He was so disturbed by the dream, he didn't even feel her touch.

"It's OK" Regina said soothingly as she rubbed Mr. Gold's back "Come here" She continued trying to pull him closer. This was the first physical contact they'd had in days.

"He's gone" Mr. Gold cried "I let him go" He sobbed as his body shivered

"Who's gone"? Regina asked as she rubbed Mr. Gold's shoulder

"Baelfire" He answered heartbreakingly "I should have gone with him."

Regina kissed Mr. Gold's forehead and embraced him as she gently rocked him. She had never seen her husband like this…EVER! He held on to Regina and took comfort in her arms for a while. Mr. Gold was broken and only one thing could fix him, a reunion with his son.

"Let me get you a glass of water" Regina offered

"I don't need water" Mr. Gold replied

"Do you want to talk about it"? Regina asked concerned

Normally, Mr. Gold was very guarded and kept details to himself, but tonight he needed to get this burden off of his chest. He told Regina the whole heart-wrenching tale of how becoming the Dark One drove a wedge between him and his son. Baelfire didn't like what being the Dark One did to his father, so he asked the Blue Fairy for help. The Blue Fairy gave Baelfire a magic bean so that he could open a portal to another realm, a land without magic. Rumpelstiltskin struck a deal with Baelfire and agreed to go with him to this new land. Always the coward, when they opened the portal, Rumpelstiltskin went back on their deal and Baelfire was sent through the portal alone. Ever since that night, Rumpelstiltskin devoted his life to reuniting with his son.

This was the first time Regina had heard the entire story. She sympathized with Mr. Gold, but she also couldn't help being saddened that he would betray his own flesh and blood. It gave her even more reason to doubt whether or not she and Henry really mattered to him. Neither one of them was able to go back to sleep that night.

The next day, still shaken by his nightmare, Mr. Gold decided to surprise Henry and meet him at his bus stop. He knew all too well how precious time with your children was. As Mr. Gold pulled up, he spotted Henry getting into Emma's car. Furious, he followed them. They went to Granny's Diner. Mr. Gold waited a few minutes and then went inside the diner.

"Hello, Miss Swan" Mr. Gold said obviously irritated as he approached Emma and Henry's booth

"Hi" Emma replied surprised to see him "What are you doing here"? She asked

"The better question is why are you here with my son"? Mr. Gold grilled Emma

"It was slow at the station so I thought I'd take Henry for a hot chocolate" She explained

"You didn't feel the need to run that by either of his parents, Miss Swan" Mr. Gold asked getting even more heated

Emma didn't answer. Mr. Gold had always been friendly to her, she wasn't used to him treating her this way.

"Henry, could you go sit at the counter please" Mr. Gold asked politely

Once Henry was at the counter, Mr. Gold laid into Emma.

"I think my wife and I have been quite generous with our son" He stated "It seems that you're mistaking our generosity for weakness" He continued

"I'm not mistaking anything" Emma replied dumbfounded

"You have no right at all to Henry" Mr. Gold clarified "You can see him if and when we allow it" "Taking him any time you feel like it will not be tolerated" He said strongly

"I didn't think you'd mind" Emma answered still stunned

"Henry is my son, Miss Swan" "I very much mind someone denying me time with him" Mr. Gold replied sharply

"I didn't know" Emma stuttered "I'm sorry."

"Well, now you do" Mr. Gold said condescendingly "Next time I decide to surprise my son, I trust you won't be an obstacle."

"I'm going to go" Emma said sheepishly as she got up from the booth. She apologized to Mr. Gold one more time before she said goodbye to Henry at the counter and sent him over to his father.

Henry sat down with Mr. Gold and they ordered hot chocolate and hot fudge sundaes. It was a bizarre combination that they'd been enjoying together since Henry was little. They affectionately referred to it as their super-secret snack. Mr. Gold relished his time with Henry. Henry was his second chance at fatherhood and so far he hadn't screwed it up. All that was missing was Baelfire. Mr. Gold often fantasized about what it would be like to spend time with both of his sons. He would never be complete without Baelfire. Just like Regina, Mr. Gold had a hole in his heart. Only Baelfire could fill it.

Later that evening, Mr. Gold got to thinking about the curse. In order to find Baelfire, it had to be broken, but Mr. Gold knew Regina. He knew she wasn't going to go down without a fight. Mr. Gold had to devise a plan that would be mutually beneficial. If Mr. Gold could come up with a way to hurt Mary Margaret Blanchard aka Snow White, break the curse and keep his family intact, there would be no stopping him. Being the wicked genius that he was, Mr. Gold cooked a proper scheme in no time.

"Word around town is that Mary Margaret Blanchard and David Nolan are getting awfully cozy" Mr. Gold enlightened Regina as she sat up in bed reading "Not even the curse can prevent Mary Margaret and her charming friend from being together" He continued baiting her.

David Nolan was known as Prince Charming back in the Enchanted Forest. Prince Charming was Snow White's true love. Regina cast the curse specifically to keep them apart and destroy their happiness. The last thing Regina wanted to hear was that the two lovers had managed to find each other in the midst of a curse.

"Where did you hear that"? Regina asked intrigued

"People talk" Mr. Gold answered vaguely

"David Nolan is married to Katherine Nolan" Regina replied "Why is he spending time with Mary Margaret"? She asked getting upset

"Perhaps true love is indeed stronger than your curse" Mr. Gold mocked Regina

He went on to tell her that Mary Margaret and David have been spotted numerous time around Storybrooke. They even had a special meeting place, the toll bridge.

"That little slut"! Regina snarled "What do I have to do to make her suffer"? She asked furiously

"If you want to inflict pain, then you must inflict pain" Mr. Gold replied nefariously

"What are you suggesting"? Regina smirked

"Imagine how horrible it would be if the entire town were to find out that Mary Margaret Blanchard and David Nolan were having an affair" Mr. Gold offered up for thought

"She'd be ruined" Regina said with a smile "From sweet little school teacher to the town tramp."

"Quite a dishonorable distinction, don't you think"? Mr. Gold asked "You'd have your victory at last" He continued

"I love it" Regina grinned "Mary Margaret the home wrecker."

"If played right, something so scandalous could drive Miss Blanchard right out of Storybrooke" Mr. Gold plotted as he took Regina's hand and kissed it "We all know what happens to people who attempt to leave town" He grinned

Regina knew exactly what her husband was getting at. Anyone under the curse who tried to leave town would be stripped of their real life memories forever! If Mary Margaret Blanchard left Storybrooke, her Snow White identity would be erased from her memory eternally. Nothing could bring it back, not even if the curse were broken. Snow White would be gone for good.

"Why the sudden interest in Mary Margaret"? Regina asked suspiciously

"Destroying Mary Margaret will make you happy and finding my son will make me happy" Mr. Gold replied "Everyone gets what they want" He boasted

"I know the perfect person to unleash the devil on Miss Blanchard" Regina said deep in thought "Sidney."

"Yes, public slander always has been a talent of his" Mr. Gold said agreeing as he leaned in to kiss Regina. She hesitated. Regina was still unsure if Mr. Gold's intentions were true until he reminded her of the heart around her neck.

"You make me angrier than anybody in any realm, but I still love you" Mr. Gold professed "You will get your vengeance and I will get my son back" He vowed before he kissed her again. This time Regina didn't hesitate, she missed her husband's kiss. She missed his touch. Deep down Regina would always be that insecure young woman longing to be loved.

The next day Regina called Sidney as soon as she got into her office. He came by that afternoon and they spent the rest of the day feverishly conspiring to destroy Mary Margaret Blanchard's good name. A hurricane was coming for Mary Margaret. That hurricane was Regina!


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

From the very moment Snow White came into Regina's life, she was a wrecking ball. Their meeting started with honorable intentions, but it ended in a horrible tragedy.

Regina bravely rescued a young Snow White from a runaway horse. King Leopold, Snow White's father, was so grateful that he asked for Regina's hand in marriage.

While becoming royalty might have sounded wonderful to other girls, Regina was not interested in marrying King Leopold. She was madly in love with Daniel, the stable boy. Sadly, the thought of her only daughter marrying a mere stable boy did not satisfy Regina's mother, Cora. She wanted a superior life for Regina. Cora wanted Regina to be queen.

One fateful night, Snow White found Regina and Daniel kissing in the stable. Upset that Regina was betraying her father, she ran off in tears. Regina went after her to explain. She confessed her love for Daniel and begged Snow White to keep it a secret. Snow White agreed, but a few days later revealed the secret to Cora.

Cora was not going to let Regina throw away her chance at becoming queen. A few days later, she discovered Regina and Daniel in the stable, plotting to run away together and get married. Determined to put a stop to things, Cora ripped out Daniel's heart and crushed it right in front of Regina. Daniel was dead. All because of Snow White. All because she couldn't keep a secret.

That was the moment Regina's hatred was born. That was the moment she vowed to herself and to Daniel's memory that she would destroy Snow White!

It was a beautiful day in Storybrooke. Regina woke up on top of the world. This was the day that she would begin her mission to destroy Mary Margaret Blanchard's life. "Operation Scarlet Letter" as she and Sidney cleverly coined it.

Sidney started the day following Mary Margaret Blanchard and David Nolan. They met for a morning stroll through the woods. The talked, laughed and held hands. The curse had not managed to break the magical bond between the two of them. No matter where they were or who they were, they always found each other.

Sidney snapped pictures of the love birds as they went about their morning, unaware that they were being monitored.

Meanwhile, across town at Granny's Diner, Regina decided to strike up a conversation with Katherine Nolan. Katherine was the unsuspecting wife of David Nolan.

This was no chance meeting, Regina knew Katherine went to Granny's every morning. Regina went to Granny's purposely to start planting seeds of suspicion in Katherine's mind.

"Such a beautiful day" Regina said with a smile as she took a seat at the counter next to Katherine

"Good morning, Madame Mayor" Katherine replied

The two women exchanged friendly chatter as they ate breakfast. Regina was at her friendliest. Katherine had no idea how malicious Regina's intents truly were.

"I'm really sorry about David" Regina said to Katherine in her most sympathetic voice

"What"? Katherine asked not knowing what Regina was talking about

"You don't know"? Regina asked "I hate being the one to tell you, but rumor has it that David and Mary Margaret Blanchard are having an affair."

"Oh my God"! Katherine shouted

"It's women like Mary Margaret that give other women a bad name" Regina said twisting the emotional knife into Katherine

"I've got to go" Katherine said teary eyed and visibly shaken

Katherine paid for her food and left in a hurry. Once she was gone, Regina smiled as she sipped her coffee. The ball was rolling and there was no stopping it! "Operation Scarlet Letter" was in full effect.

Regina's bliss lasted throughout the day. Sidney proudly reported back to her that he'd gotten many incriminating photos of David and Mary Margaret. It would only be a matter of time before Storybrooke developed a whole new opinion of Mary Margaret Blanchard.

Once at home, The Gold family had their first peaceful family dinner in what seemed like forever. Everyone talked and smiled over pot roast. Henry even asked for seconds! Things were starting to resemble life before Emma Swan burst into town.

Regina decided to treat herself to a relaxing bubble bath after saying goodnight to Henry. She let out a satisfied sigh as she immersed herself into the warm, sudsy water.

A few minutes into her bath, there was a knock at the bathroom door. It was Mr. Gold. He let himself in and sat at the edge of the tub.

"You look happy, my love" He said observantly to Regina

"It's been a good day" She boasted "Pretty soon Mary Margaret Blanchard is going to wish she was never born."

"I'm not sure what looks more inviting, you or the bubbles" Mr. Gold joked "Mind if I join you"? He asked

"Come on in" Regina said invitingly

Mr. Gold removed his robe and got into the tub with Regina. She rested her feet on his stomach as they soaked. The intimacy of this moment should have made Regina feel good, but it didn't. She still hadn't forgotten about Belle's chipped tea cup. Her husband nearly beat a man to death because of it. Why was Belle's memory still lingering?

"If you had to choose me or Belle, who would you choose"? Regina asked out of the blue

"What"? Mr. Gold asked confused "That's not even an option, Belle is dead" He answered

"You kept that cup" Regina replied "Obviously, you still think about her."

"The cup that you obliterated was simply a memento" Mr. Gold responded "We're a family" He continued

"We're a family because of the curse" Regina pointed out to Mr. Gold "I'm afraid you'll have a change of heart once the curse gets broken" She confessed

"I'm not cursed" Mr. Gold assured Regina "I know where my heart lies."

"How can you go from a woman who is so pure and kind to, well, to someone like me"? Regina asked

"Our love is very different than what I shared with Belle" Mr. Gold explained "We understand what it's like to be broken. We know what makes each other tick."

"So you're settling for me"? Regina asked disheartened

"Have you ever known Rumpelstiltskin to settle"? Mr. Gold asked while beginning to rub Regina's calves

"No" She replied with a smile

Mr. Gold moved Regina's legs and made his way across the tub. He caressed her face and told her that he loved her. Regina pushed back his damp hair and told Mr. Gold that she loved him too. They kissed more amorously than they had in weeks. They made love for the first time since Valentine's Day.

This wasn't the curse, this was love. It wasn't always perfect, but neither were Regina and Mr. Gold. They were beautifully broken and it suited them just fine.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Mary Margaret Blanchard's simple life as a school teacher rapidly began spiraling out of control. Thanks to "Operation Scarlet Letter" rumors were running rampantly through Storybrooke about her and David having an illicit affair. "The Daily Mirror" went so far as to publish incriminating photos of them kissing and hugging. There was no escaping the chatter, Mary Margaret Blanchard and David Nolan were the talk of the town!

One morning Mary Margaret got to her car and found that someone had spray painted the word "TRAMP" on it in bright red paint. She was horrified. She got into her car and sobbed. Mary Margaret couldn't understand why anybody would be so cruel to her, she'd always been a good person with no known enemies. She was completely oblivious to what Regina had unleashed upon her. Mary Margaret tried her best to go on with her life normally, but she cried herself to sleep every night.

The next day, David Nolan came by before work and offered to clean up her car. She gratefully accepted but told David that they probably shouldn't be seen together anymore. Scandal wasn't good for either of their reputations. Alas, it was too late to cool things down, Katherine Nolan was already well aware of how her husband was spending his free time. She was tired of being quiet and playing the good wife, she wanted to speak with Mary Margaret!

Katherine showed up unannounced at Mary Margaret's school and confronted her in the hallway. Mary Margaret didn't bother trying to deny anything, she knew the evidence was already plastered all over Storybrooke. Steadfast in her honesty, Mary Margaret owned up to everything. She and David were falling in love. Mary Margaret apologized to Katherine, but Katherine didn't want to hear it. She slapped Mary Margaret hard across the face, right in the middle of the school hallway. Mary Margaret was mortified.

She went home and laid in bed silently all night. Emma, who was living with her, offered her support by lying next to her. Even though they didn't say a word, Mary Margaret knew that Emma was there for her.

Despite all of Regina's efforts to run Mary Margaret out of town, she still kept her head up and carried on. Mary Margaret thought about leaving town, but Emma and David quickly talked her out of it. Falling in love was no reason to abandon your life and forsake everyone that you hold dear.

Regina was at a loss. Getting Mary Margaret to leave Storybrooke was the only way she could still get her revenge if the curse were to be broken. Regina went to go sit under her beloved apple tree and think. She'd taken it with her from the Enchanted Forest. The tree gave her solace, it was a piece of home. She would pick the apples to clear her head. There were bowls of the beautiful red apples all over her office and home. On this day, she noticed something was different about her tree. It was dying! It had been flourishing for the past twenty-eight years. Why was it suddenly dying? The only reason Regina could come up with was Emma. Emma's presence was weakening the curse. Something had to give!

As if her tree dying wasn't bad enough, what happened that night at dinner was the last straw for Regina. In the middle of their family dinner, Henry announced that he wanted to start spending more time with Emma. He really liked her and enjoyed getting to know her. Henry thought it'd be "awesome" if he could maybe sleep over Emma's place a few nights a week.

"Emma lives with Mary Margaret" Regina pointed out to Henry "Don't you think that will be a little crowded"? She asked trying to remain calm.

"It would only be a few times a week" Henry reasoned "I'm sure we could make it work."

"I'll invite Emma over for lunch this week" Regina promised Henry "Let's see what we can come up with."

"Cool" Henry said excitedly as he left the table.

Regina was crushed. Henry was already stealing away with Emma whenever her could. Now he wanted to stay with her. This was all too much. Regina left the table in tears. Mr. Gold ran after her. Regina was lying in their bed crying. Mr. Gold walked in and shut the door.

"This is all your fault" Regina screamed "You made this happen" she continued as she got more and more enraged.

"Stop blowing everything out of proportion" Mr. Gold pleaded with Regina "Henry just wants to get to know Miss Swan a little better" He said trying to calm Regina down.

"You don't think I know about all the time they spend together"? Regina asked angrily "That woman is not going to take my son"! Regina vowed.

"No. She isn't going to take OUR son" Mr. Gold agreed "Miss Swan is lucky we let her see Henry at all. She has no right to him. If things get out of hand we'll simply take her to court" He assured Regina.

"Court"? Regina asked

"Yes. To anyone who doesn't know better, we are the perfect family. Two loving parents, a beautiful home and a happy, healthy young boy. No judge in going to rule in favor of Emma Swan" Mr. Gold said confidently.

"We shouldn't have to go through all that" Regina lamented "Henry should be ours and ours alone."

"What do you suggest"? Mr. Gold asked annoyed.

"I suggest we get rid of Emma Swan permanently" Regina replied deviously.

"Careful there, Dearie" Mr. Gold warned Regina "You know what would happen if Emma Swan were to die" He continued trying to jog Regina's memory.

"The curse would be broken" Regina muttered.

"Are you prepared for that"? Mr. Gold asked her

"No" Regina answered with absolute certainty "Not until I can be guaranteed that Snow White will still suffer."

"You may want to ask yourself what is more important, revenge or our son" Mr. Gold said to Regina with great seriousness.

"Henry will always be the most important thing in the world to me" Regina answered boldly.

"I'm happy to hear that" Mr. Gold said to Regina as he embraced her "Please don't forget how badly I want to be reunited with Baelfire" He reminded her.

"I know" Regina said softly.

Regina spent the rest of the evening conflicted. Whose wishes were more important? She loved her husband and wanted him to find his son. She also loved Henry and didn't want to share him with Emma. Regina wasn't willing to give up her son in order for Mr. Gold to find his. She'd have to think of another way for him to find Baelfire so that the curse could stay intact. More importantly, the curse needed to endure so that Snow White and Prince Charming's suffering could continue. Regina needed a solution and she needed one fast.

As she laid in bed tossing and turning, it came to her. A good old reliable answer to all of her problems. Now she just had to figure out how to obtain it and how to keep it from her husband.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

Regina had three very important tasks at hand. She had to protect the curse that she'd sacrificed everything to cast, help her husband find his long lost son and most importantly, she had to make sure Henry only had one mother! Oh yeah, and there was a catch, none of these things could interfere with the other. There was only one conceivable solution. A solution that Regina had called upon countless times before, magic. Sadly, magic was in short supply in Storybrooke. The little trinkets that Regina had taken with her wouldn't do, she needed more. The only way to obtain more magic would be to somehow get back to the Enchanted Forest, not permanently, just long enough to collect a few precious ingredients. There was one man who could help, Jefferson, but would he want to?

Regina and Jefferson had a complicated past. Regina had lied to him and tricked him to get what she wanted. She never kept her end of any bargain she'd made with Jefferson. Thanks to Regina, Jefferson was now known as the Mad Hatter. Thanks to Regina, Jefferson was now separated from his only daughter. His curse in Storybrooke was to not be cursed at all. He was well aware of who he was. He was well aware that his daughter was living in Storybrooke under the curse and had no idea who he was.

Alas, desperate times called for desperate measures, so Regina gave it shot. She summoned Jefferson to her office in order to strike a deal with him. If he could make the magical hat that she'd saved for rainy day work as a portal to their land, she'd reunite him with his daughter and give them each a fresh set of good memories. Jefferson was understandably skeptical, but his longing to be reunited with his daughter won out. He agreed to help Regina.

Regina brought Jefferson to her secret vault. The tiny bit of magic that was in Storybrooke, lived there. Jefferson dropped the hat on the ground and he and Regina waited for it to open a portal. Nothing happened.

"Why isn't it working"? Regina asked nervously

"It needs to absorb whatever magic is here" Jefferson replied.

Regina got impatient, so she poured her remaining trinkets into the hat, in hopes that it would start spinning and open a portal. Once again, nothing happened.

"You got anything else"? Jefferson asked Regina

Regina did have one last item, but she didn't want to part with it. She too had kept a remembrance of a past love. She kept the ring that Daniel proposed to her with. When Regina held it in her vault, his face would appear inside of it. Regina stood there looking at the ring mournfully.

"That still has magical properties" Jefferson pointed out "Drop it in the hat and let's see what it can do" He requested.

Regina just clutched the ring. It was all she had left of Daniel, she couldn't bear to let it go. Jefferson looked at Regina anxiously and asked her, "So why do you want to go back to our land anyway"?

"I have a very delicate problem" She replied "A very delicate family problem" She elaborated.

When Jefferson heard Regina say family, he got nervous. He knew who her husband really was. He knew Mr. Gold was really the Dark One. Jefferson had no interest in tangling with him.

"You do remember who you're married to"? Jefferson asked Regina fearfully "I don't think it would be wise to piss him off" He warned her.

"I have no intention of angering my husband. I want to help him find something he's lost" Regina assured Jefferson.

"Well, your only hope is that ring. Throw it in" He urged her.

Regina gave the ring one last kiss goodbye and threw it in the hat. The hat began to twirl, but no portal was opened.

"Why isn't it working"? Regina asked completely frustrated

"There's still not enough magic to go anywhere" Jefferson replied disappointedly.

"You've failed me" Regina fumed.

"Maybe not. Let me think" Jefferson shot back.

He hovered over the hat wracking his brain. How could he help Regina? How could he get back to his daughter? Suddenly, it came to him. While there wasn't enough magic to actually go anywhere, there was enough magic to reach through and retrieve something. It would have to be something very small.

Regina was faced with another dilemma. There was no one item that could solve all of her problems. She planned on going back and getting her case of potions. Regina needed to concoct something to take care of Emma Swan and she needed to concoct something to help locate Baelfire. It would've been quite simple, if she could have gotten access to her potions. Regina was just about to give up, then it hit her. She could take care of Emma the same way she tried to take care of Snow White, with a poisoned apple! This time there was no pesky true love to come along and kiss her victim awake. Emma would be put to sleep forever. But what about her husband? What about finding his son? The apple would be useless for that problem and if the curse remained, Mr. Gold would undoubtedly never be reunited with Baelfire. Could Regina really be that selfish? Could she really be that stupid as to betray the Dark One so viciously?

Unfortunately, on this day Regina was so blinded by her hate for both Snow White and Emma, that she didn't use her best judgment. She greedily guided the hat to the exact moment in time when Snow White took a bite of the poisoned apple and instructed Jefferson to retrieve it.

The minute the words left Regina's mouth, she regretted it. When the apple appeared in Jefferson's hand, a familiar wave of guilt washed over her.

Nevertheless, no amount of guilt could keep Regina from her revenge or from having her son all to herself. She'd made her choice, now she just had to hope that her husband never found out. No matter how much Mr. Gold loved Regina, if he ever found out that she deliberately lied to him and prevented him from finding his son, he'd surely kill her!

Regina thanked Jefferson for his help and promised him that she'd be in contact with him soon to make good on their deal. She stashed the toxic apple in her purse and went home.

Regina was delighted to come home to an empty house. She hid the apple where nobody would ever find it and decided to give Emma a call. She had, after all, promised Henry that she'd talk to Emma about him spending more time with her. Regina cordially invited Emma over to lunch at her house the following day so the two could talk. However, this was Regina, this would be no ordinary lunch. Regina's plans were far more nefarious!

* * *

_**Author's Note: I just want to thank everyone for all the reviews, favorites, follows and messages. It means the world to me that people are reading and enjoying my story.**_


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

The next morning Regina woke up and laid in bed wide-eyed as soon as the light from the morning sun illuminated her bedroom. Mr. Gold felt her shifting and decided to lean over and say, "Good morning my love. You're up early."

"Good morning. I think the sun woke me up" Regina lied.

Regina knew what woke her up, the guilt that was festering inside of her. She kept telling herself that she was doing this for Henry, but deep down, she knew she was just succumbing to her own selfishness.

While Regina was wrestling with her demons, Mr. Gold opted to roll over and begin kissing her. Her mind was all over the place, but his kisses grounded her for the time being. Nobody could make her feel the way he did. Mr. Gold was delighted to feel the familiar wetness that always welcomed him whenever he put his hands between Regina's legs. He slowly slid his fingers inside of her, teasing her womanhood with every stroke. Regina writhed beneath him as she moaned from the sudden pleasure.

"That's it, lay back and enjoy" Mr. Gold whispered in Regina's ear as he started pressing circles against her love button. Regina grabbed him and kissed him hungrily. Mr. Gold quickened his fingers as Regina whimpered softly and shook beneath his touch. She dug her nails into his back as she reached her orgasm.

"That was just the beginning" Mr. Gold said lustfully as he inserted his throbbing manhood inside of Regina. She bit her lip and rolled her hips to meet his strokes. Regina attempted to pick up the pace, but Mr. Gold stopped her.

"Let's do this nice and slow" He purred "I want to take your breath away"

Mr. Gold's words made Regina pant with excitement. He moved in and out of her gently, almost agonizingly. He kissed her deeply as he used one hand to play with her nipple. Regina moaned breathlessly as Mr. Gold's hardness pleasured her. She could feel the orgasm building inside of her. It was almost as if Mr. Gold was tormenting her with pleasure. He buried his face in Regina's neck and began sucking on it as his thrusts accelerated. She let out a cry and once again dug her nails into his back as she reached the most intense orgasm she'd ever had. As Regina pulled his lips to hers, Mr. Gold drove himself as deep as he could inside of her and achieved his own climax.

Afterwards, they laid together in each other's arms. Regina felt something come over her, something she couldn't explain, as she said, "I love you" to Mr. Gold and kissed him.

"I love you too" He said adoringly as he took Regina's hand "What's wrong"? He asked, noticing that Regina looked troubled.

Regina held Mr. Gold tightly and told him that nothing was wrong. She was lying again. Regina was terrified. She was about to risk everything that they had, all for the sake of vengeance. Regina knew it was wrong, but there was a sick compulsion inside of her that wouldn't let her stop.

"What have you got planned for today"? Mr. Gold asked Regina as he headed for the bathroom.

"I'm having Miss Swan over for lunch" She replied.

"Do try not to kill her" He joked as he closed the door.

After Mr. Gold and Henry left for the day, Regina nervously tried to figure out how to get Emma to eat the poisoned apple. She couldn't just hand it to her and tell her to take a bite like she did with Snow White. Regina would have to be creative. She decided on making apple turnovers. It was perfect. She could make a few turnovers so that Emma wouldn't suspect a thing. Regina started with the forbidden fruit. She cut it up and mixed it with sugar and cinnamon and few other tasty ingredients and filled the first turnover. She cleverly made two scores on the turnover made with the poisoned apple so that she could easily tell it apart from the others. Regina went on to make a few more family-friendly pastries, so that Henry and Mr. Gold could enjoy them later. For the entrée, Regina settled on serving Cobb salad.

Regina went upstairs and got ready for her lunch with Emma. She picked out her most hospitable outfit and practiced friendly looks in the mirror. Regina didn't want to do anything to make Emma feel uncomfortable. She had to be on her best behavior!

When Emma arrived, Regina greeted her warmly and invited her in. Regina told Emma to have a seat at the dining room table and to make herself comfortable.

As Emma settled in, Regina brought out the two enormous salads she'd prepared.

"What would you like to drink"? Regina asked Emma cheerfully

"Do you have sparkling water"? Emma asked Regina

"Coming right up" Regina responded.

Regina returned to the table with two bottles of sparkling water. The women started out making small talk as they ate their salads, but soon got down to the real reason why they were having lunch together, Henry.

"It seems my son would like to spend more time with you" Regina announced.

"Wow. That's really great. I would love to spend more time with Henry" Emma replied happily "But how do you feel about Henry spending more time with me"? She asked apprehensively.

"Anything that makes my son happy is fine with me" Regina answered deceitfully.

"Fantastic. Did you have anything specific in mind"? Emma asked trying to pick Regina's brain

Just as Regina started to answer her, Emma's pager from the police station went off.

"May I use your phone"? Emma asked

"Of course" Regina replied courteously.

Regina tapped her fingers on the table as she waited for Emma to come back. She had no desire to drag this lunch out. She just wanted to feed Emma the lethal turnover and be done with it!

"Something is going on down at the docks. I gotta go. I'm sorry" Emma declared apologetically as she emerged from the kitchen.

"Oh what a shame" Regina said feigning regret, "Please take one of the apple turnovers that I baked with you for later" She requested.

"Thanks. They smell delicious" Emma marveled.

"It's an old family recipe" Regina replied as she placed the conveniently marked turnover in a plastic container and handed it to an unsuspecting Emma.

Once Emma left, Regina breathed a sigh of relief. It was almost over. Now all Emma had to do was take a single bite of the apple creation, and she would enter into an eternal sleep. Regina saw it as an added bonus that Emma wouldn't be eating the turnover in her home.

Later that night, just as Emma was about to sit down with a hot cup of tea and eat Regina's turnover, there was an unexpected knock at her door. It was Henry. He was anxious to find out what his two moms had discussed over their lunch. As Emma began giving him the details, something caught Henry's eye. He spotted the apple turnover on Emma's plate.

"Where did you get that"? Henry asked fearfully

"Your mom gave it to me" Emma replied.

"Don't eat it. My mom uses apples as weapons"! Henry exclaimed as he sniffed the pastry

"Henry you've got to stop this"! Emma shouted "This is not a story. This is real life" She insisted.

"As long as you're alive, you're a threat to her curse. My mom wants you dead" Henry replied, begging Emma to believe him.

"All Regina has ever done is fight for you. She loves you. She is not some evil queen from a fairy tale"! Emma yelled, commanding Henry to listen to her "Your mom doesn't want to murder anyone. I'll prove it to you" She continued as she lifted the apple turnover up to her lips.

Henry snatched it out of Emma's hand before she could take a bite.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this" Henry said as he brought the poisonous pastry up to his mouth "You may not believe in me, but I believe in you" He affirmed before he took a bite of it.

Emma gave Henry an understanding smile and asked him if he wanted to sit down and have some ice cream with his turnover right before he collapsed to the ground!

"Henry! Henry"! Emma called out hysterically as he laid there unconscious.

She frantically grabbed her telephone and dialed 911!

Meanwhile, across town at the Gold residence, Henry's parents were sitting at the dinner table concerned by the fact that their son had not come home yet.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Stay with me, Henry"! Emma shouted as a parade of doctors and nurses wheeled his lifeless body into the hospital. Dr. Whale examined Henry and hooked him up to a vital signs monitor. There was no medical reason for Henry to be in this condition, he asked Emma a series of questions, hoping to figure out what the problem could be. Emma started to get angry. Her son was dying and she wanted answers!

"For the hundredth time, Henry came over, we talked and then he took a bite of this"! She fumed as she waved the apple turnover that she had placed in a plastic bag in front of Dr. Whale.

Meanwhile, Mr. Gold and Regina were racing to get to Henry. As Emma tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together, she could hear their footsteps getting closer.

"Oh my God! Henry"! Regina cried as she rushed to his bedside

Mr. Gold stood silently at the foot of Henry's bed, his eyes welling up with tears. He couldn't bear the thought of losing another son. It killed him to be helpless at a time like this. He was the Dark One, he should have been able to help his boy.

While Dr. Whale brought Henry's parents up to speed, Emma was still going over the day's events in her mind. Was Henry right all along? Was Regina an evil queen trying to kill her? As irrational as it all sounded, it was also beginning to make sense. Henry was perfectly fine until he took a bite of the apple turnover. Could it actually have been poisoned? Emma couldn't take it anymore, she needed the truth! She grabbed Regina and pulled her into a nearby supply closet.

"You did this"! Emma shouted as she pinned Regina against the wall

"What the hell are you talking about"? Regina asked furiously "My son is sick, I need to be with him"!

"Henry is sick because of you"! Emma yelled accusingly "He ate that apple turnover you sent me home with"!

Regina's heart sank. "What"? She asked incredulity

"It's all true isn't it"? Emma asked irately "Are you some kind of witch that cursed everyone"?

Regina put her head down and cried. It was all over. Nothing mattered without Henry.

"Answer me"! Emma screamed as she shook Regina

"Yes" Regina sobbed "That turnover was supposed to put you to sleep, not Henry" She clarified.

Emma stared at Regina in disbelief. Everything Henry had been trying to tell her for the past few months was true. She began to feel remorseful for not believing him.

"You better fix this"! Emma demanded "You better do whatever hocus pocus crap you have to do to wake Henry up"!

"I can't" Regina wept "There is no more magic left".

"What's going to happen to Henry"? Emma asked petrified

"I honestly don't know" Regina replied bluntly.

"So Henry could die"? Emma cried

Regina just shook her head. She had gone too far and she knew it. She suddenly became overrun with fear. Fear that Henry would die and fear of what her husband would do to her. There was no way of keeping this from him, Regina was going to have to face the consequences.

"There's got to be something somebody can do" Emma insisted.

"There is one other person in Storybrooke who knows about this. Knows about magic" Regina confessed.

"Mr. Gold" Emma stammered.

"Actually, I go by Rumpelstiltskin" Mr. Gold hissed as he walked into the closet. He quickly pushed Emma out of the way and grabbed Regina by the throat.

"You did this to Henry"? He asked furiously "You deceitful shrew, if anything happens to my son I'll kill you"! He proclaimed as he tightened his grip on Regina's throat.

"I had no intention of harming Henry. I just wanted her gone so that he could be ours" Regina tearfully explained to Mr. Gold.

"All magic comes with a price. You should know that better than anyone"! He reprimanded Regina.

"Henry shouldn't have to pay it" Regina said, as she looked despondently into her husband's eyes.

"No. You should, but alas, we are where we are" Mr. Gold stated as he let Regina go.

"Can you help Henry"? Emma asked desperately

"Yes. Luckily, before my shortsighted wife cast the dark curse, I created the most powerful potion in all of the realms" Mr. Gold enlightened Emma.

"You did"? Regina interrupted

"Just a little safety valve for a rainy day" Mr. Gold smirked.

"Well, it's storming like a bitch! Where is this potion"? Emma asked anxiously

"I'm afraid that's the tricky part" Mr. Gold replied before he went on to explain to Emma that this magical potion was created by using strands of her parents' hair. It was priceless and needed to be protected at all costs. He couldn't just put it in a closet or in a safe, he needed to hide it where nobody would ever find it.

Back in the Enchanted Forest, shortly before the curse was cast, Rumpelstiltskin had worked out a deal for Prince Charming to put the potion inside of Regina's only friend, Maleficent. Maleficent was no ordinary woman. When she got angry, she transformed into a fire breathing dragon! Prince Charming bravely went to battle with the beast and implanted a golden egg that contained Rumpelstiltskin's potion into it. After he had completed his task, Prince Charming narrowly escaped death by jumping out of a castle window and into the water. In return for his heroic efforts, Rumpelstiltskin gave Prince Charming a ring the led him back to Snow White. When he found her, he kissed her and woke her from the poisoned apple induced slumber.

"Tell me, your majesty, is our friend still in the basement"? Mr. Gold asked Regina spitefully

"You're such a twisted little bastard" Regina replied disparagingly.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist bringing her here" Mr. Gold retorted.

Emma got between the quarreling couple and shouted, "Can you two please stop arguing and tell me exactly how I can save Henry"!

The answer that Emma received from Mr. Gold was something she couldn't even wrap her mind around. He was going to take her back to his shop, so that they could pick up her father's sword. From there, they would have to go to the library. Once in the library, Emma would have to venture into the basement, alone, and slay a fire breathing dragon!

Emma felt like she was in a bad dream. None of this seemed real. A few months ago, she was living a normal life in Boston, now she was about to go slaughter a dragon in order to wake her son up from a sleeping curse! Nevertheless, that is what had to be done and she was the person that had to do it.

Regina stayed at the hospital with Henry while Emma and Mr. Gold started the quest for the potion.

"If for some reason, Henry wakes up before I get back, you tell him that I love him and I'm on my way" Mr. Gold instructed Regina.

Emma held Henry's hand and promised him that she wouldn't let him down again. Regina sat next to his bed and cried. She had never been so sorry for anything she had ever done.

While she waited and hoped that Emma would retrieve the potion in time, Regina thought back to the day that she and Mr. Gold adopted Henry. She remembered the exciting ride to Boston. She recalled the moment when Henry was placed in her arms. He was her baby and now he might die because of her self-centeredness.

As Regina sat vigil at Henry's bedside, Jefferson lurked in a corner. Regina still had not made good on her promise to reunite him with his daughter. He was there to collect.

"Now is really not a good time" Regina chastised Jefferson.

"I think it's the perfect time, where's my daughter"? He asked pitilessly

Regina informed Jefferson that since Emma didn't fall victim to the apple, their deal was null and void. Jefferson disagreed. He did what Regina asked him to do and he wanted what he was promised! Regina refused to give in and sent Jefferson away.

Jefferson was far from done with Regina. If she wasn't going to reconcile his family, he was going to sabotage hers!

Meanwhile, over at the library, Mr. Gold was giving Emma her final instructions on how to conquer the dragon and collect the potion. Emma was nervous, but the thought of Henry dying gave her all the strength she needed to go on. Mr. Gold lowered the elevator and Emma was on her way. At first, she didn't see anything, just emptiness. Then she stumbled upon what appeared to be a glass coffin. Emma stood there and looked at it unbelievingly. She made her way through the darkness with her heart in her throat.

"Where the hell is this dragon"? She mumbled to herself, as she leaned against what she thought was a rock. It was no rock, it was Maleficent! The dragon wasted no time spewing fire from its mouth. Emma ran skillfully away from the flames. For a moment, she thought she would be able to do better if she just stuck to what she knew best. Emma pulled out her gun and began firing at the dragon. Her efforts were futile, this beast was too powerful for a gun. As Emma ran from the dragon and dodged flames, she knew she had to use every ounce of courage that was inside of her. Henry's life depended on it! Emma looked directly at the monster, screamed and hurled her father's sword right into its gut. The dragon turned into a smoking pile of ashes and exposed an intricate golden egg. Emma grabbed it and quickly got back onto the elevator. Mr. Gold was patiently waiting for her when she returned.

"You go and be with Henry and I'll activate this potion. Once I've succeeded, I'll meet you and Regina at the hospital" Mr. Gold commanded.

Sadly, Henry's body couldn't hang on any longer. Regina watched in horror as he flat lined! The doctors did everything they could, but Henry was gone. Regina sobbed hysterically as she clung to his lifeless body.

"I'm so sorry, Henry" She wept as she held Henry's hand and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. As soon as Regina's lips touched Henry, he let out a loud gasp and opened his eyes!

"Mom" He said confusedly as he took notice of his surroundings.

"You're awake"! Regina rejoiced as she kissed him once again.

"True love's kiss breaks any curse. You really do love me" Henry beamed "I'm sorry I doubted you" He apologized.

Regina was speechless. She was overjoyed that her son was going to be OK, but she immediately began worrying about what was going to happen to her if the curse was now broken. Regina's mind quickly got put at ease when Dr. Whale walked into the room still in his cursed state.

"This is a miracle"! Dr. Whale marveled

"My mom saved me" Henry smiled.

Dr. Whale examined Henry and determined that he was fine. He went off to get discharge papers, so that Henry could go home.

While Regina and Henry were waiting for Dr. Whale, Emma returned. She was elated to see Henry up and talking.

"Emma, my mom woke me up"! He said excitedly

Emma smiled at Henry, hugged him and said, "I was so scared. I love you, Henry" right before she kissed him on the forehead. The moment Emma's lips touched Henry, a flash of white light and a surge of energy washed through Storybrooke. The curse was broken!

"What was that"? Emma asked stunned

Before anyone could answer Emma, Mother Superior, who was known as the Blue Fairy back in the Enchanted Forest, came into the room and said to Regina, "If I were you your majesty, I'd find a place to hide"!

Regina tried to take Henry with her, but Emma wouldn't allow it.

"Do you honestly think that I'm going to let some insane sorceress have my son"? Emma snapped

"He's my son"! Regina argued as angry people began to file into the room.

"Not anymore, your majesty" Emma declared.

"We'll see about that, Miss Swan" Regina vowed as she fled the hospital.

"Where's my dad"? Henry asked as he looked around

"I don't know kid" Emma replied "But he wanted you to know that he loves you" She continued.

Where was Mr. Gold? That was the question of the hour. He had a very distinct plan. Trigger the potion, bring magic to Storybrooke and then get back to Henry as soon as possible. What could have interrupted him?


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

Before Mr. Gold could activate the potion and bring magic to Storybrooke, he needed the key back at his shop to unlock the egg that contained it. He got there as quickly as he could, knowing that Henry's life depended on it. As he was locking the now empty egg up in a cabinet, Mr. Gold heard someone enter his shop.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Gold"? Asked a small female voice

"Yes I am, but I'm afraid the shop is closed" He replied hastily, before he turned around and saw a vision he never thought he'd see again. It was Belle, she was alive and standing right in front of him!

"A man named Jefferson told me to find you and tell you that Regina locked me up" She continued "Does that mean anything to you"? She asked, slightly confused

Mr. Gold walked towards Belle in astonishment. He put his hand on her shoulder and muttered, "You're real. You're alive."

"Jefferson said that you'd protect me" Belle informed Mr. Gold.

He started crying and pulled her into an embrace. "Yes. Yes, I'll protect you" He vowed "Regina did this to you"? He asked, completely appalled

"Yes. Who's Regina"? Belle inquired

"My wife" Mr. Gold answered with utter disgust.

"I'm sorry, do I know you"? Belle asked bewildered

"No. But you will" Mr. Gold replied tearfully.

Belle's appearance had taken Mr. Gold off course, but he swiftly snapped back to reality. He took Belle with him to a well deep inside the woods of Storybrooke. The waters that ran below the well were said to have the power to return that which one had lost. Just as Mr. Gold was about to drop the potion into the well, the curse broke and Belle remembered who she was. More importantly, she remembered that Mr. Gold was Rumpelstiltskin.

"Wait"! She called out

"I'm sorry, Belle, I have to save my son. I'll be with you in a moment" Mr. Gold promised.

"Rumpelstiltskin"! She exclaimed "I remember" She proclaimed happily "I love you," She said tenderly as she hugged Mr. Gold.

"I love you too" He replied affectionately as he held Belle tightly.

"You said you had to save your son. You finally found Baelfire"? Belle asked gladly

"No. Sadly I still have not found Bae. I've had another son since we last saw one another" Mr. Gold replied, filling Belle in.

"Oh," Belle said taken aback, "You said Regina was your wife. Is she also your son's mother"? She asked

"Yes and my son is in the hospital right now because of her stupidity. I have to throw this potion in the well to save his life" Mr. Gold responded as he walked towards the well and tossed in the small glass bottle. As soon as the potion hit the water, a purple cloud started billowing out of the well and into the atmosphere. Magic was coming!

With the curse broken and magic returning, Mr. Gold was confident that Henry would be ok, so he asked Belle to tell him everything that had happened to her. Belle told him that back in the Enchanted Forest, Regina abducted her and locked her away until she cast her curse. Ever since then she'd been in an asylum. Mr. Gold was infuriated. For the past twenty-eight years Belle had been alive and in Storybrooke, right under his nose! All he could think about was killing Regina. She had been playing him for a fool for far too long and she deserved to die!

"How long have you and Regina been married"? Belle asked

"Twenty-eight years. We're only married because of the curse" Mr. Gold replied seething with anger.

"But you've shared a life with her. You have a son together" Belle pointed out.

"It's all a lie, Belle" Mr. Gold professed "Everything that woman has ever said to me is a lie" He continued.

"So we can finally be together"? Belle asked hopefully

"Yes. I'll never leave your side ever again" Mr. Gold promised.

Meanwhile, the entire town of Storybrooke was in an uproar now that the curse was broken. People were angry and the target of their anger was Regina. A mass of people were on their way to her house, so that they could make her pay for what she'd done to them.

Emma and Henry feverishly looked for Mr. Gold, they knew he was the only person in town that could protect Regina. They finally ran into him on Main Street as he and Belle were going back into his shop.

"Dad"! Henry yelled

"Henry! Thank heavens you're alive"! Mr. Gold rejoiced as he ran to Henry and embraced him

"Mom kissed me and woke me up" Henry beamed "Everyone is after her. You've got to protect her" He begged.

"Regina broke the curse"? Mr. Gold asked perplexed

"Regina broke Henry's sleeping curse and I broke the curse curse…apparently" Emma answered Mr. Gold still amazed by the day's events.

"Please" Henry pleaded "You've got to go help Mom."

"I will. I promise" Mr. Gold assured Henry "I'm so happy you're ok, I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you" He cried.

With all the commotion going on, nobody noticed Belle. She made it into the shop before Henry and Emma got to Mr. Gold. After he had promised Henry that he'd save the very person that he wanted to murder, Mr. Gold went inside of his shop and told Belle to stay there until he returned.

"Where are you going"? Belle asked

"I've got some loose ends to tie up with my wife" Mr. Gold snarled.

"Promise me that you won't hurt her" Belle requested.

"Oh Belle, always so kind, even to a woman who imprisoned you for twenty-eight years. I don't deserve you" Mr. Gold responded.

"Just promise me" Belle requested again.

"I promise" Mr. Gold replied.

In a matter of minutes, Mr. Gold had promised Henry that he'd protect Regina and promised Belle that he wouldn't hurt her. Mr. Gold now had to fight his desire for vengeance with every fiber of his being.

Back at the Gold residence, Regina was watching out of her bedroom window as a swarm of angry townspeople gathered in her front yard. She couldn't help but wonder where her husband was. Henry was alive and she saw the purple fog wash over Storybrooke, why hadn't he at least tried to contact her yet? Finally, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Mr. Gold approach the angry mob.

"Leave my home at once"! He commanded

The crowd screamed that they deserved revenge on the woman who took everything from them, but Mr. Gold wasn't having it!

"Have you all forgotten who I am"? He asked nastily "I trust nobody here wants to tangle with the Dark One" Mr. Gold continued.

The mass of people once again tried to voice their reasons for retaliation, but Mr. Gold let them know that nobody was going to harm his family and like it or not, Regina was his family. Fearing that the Dark One would kill them all, everyone decided to leave.

Once the coast was clear, Mr. Gold went into the house and looked for Regina. He finally found her in their bedroom.

"Where the hell have you been"? Regina barked "Emma Swan thinks she's going to take our son away from us" She informed her husband.

"What"? Mr. Gold asked "Nobody is taking our boy. I'll take care of her" He promised.

That being said, Mr. Gold walked up to Regina and ripped the heart necklace that he'd given her on Valentine's Day, right off of her neck.

"You selfish evil soul"! Mr. Gold roared "You lied right to my face for twenty-eight years"!

"What are you talking about"? Regina asked as she stood in front of Mr. Gold shaking with fear

"I know she's alive, Regina"! He fumed

"Who's alive"? Regina asked nervously

"Belle" Mr. Gold hissed.

Regina felt a surge of terror take over her body. This was the moment she'd been dreading since the curse began, the moment her husband found out that his true love was still alive!

"I'm sorry that I lied to you," Regina said remorsefully "I just…I knew how you felt about Belle. I knew that I could never compete with that" She confessed.

"Oh, poor little Regina, never good enough for anyone. Are we onto that again"? Mr. Gold asked in an irked tone

"I love you, Rumple. I really do. I didn't want you to leave me" Regina divulged.

"Well, I'm sorry to break it to you Dearie, but that's exactly what I'm going to do" Mr. Gold replied wickedly.

"Please don't leave me" Regina sobbed "Don't the last twenty-eight years mean anything to you"? She asked

"They did until I found out that you've been lying to me and that you almost killed my son, all in the same day" Mr. Gold replied "I loved you with all of my heart, but I loved the person that I was foolish enough to believe you had become. I apologize for my ignorance, it won't happen again" He elaborated as he used his newly restored magic to summon his belongings.

"Where are you going"? Regina asked dejectedly

"Thanks to you, I own this town. I'm going to live in one of my many properties" Mr. Gold replied "You're free to live here, all alone, in this house of lies. We'll figure out an arrangement for Henry" He dictated.

"Please don't do this" Regina wept.

"Oh, come now, begging is beneath you, your majesty" Mr. Gold said scornfully to Regina as he patted her on the shoulder and left their bedroom to go downstairs.

Regina frantically followed him down the stairs, hoping that she could change his mind. She grabbed Mr. Gold and embraced him while she rubbed the back of his head.

"I love you so much. What am I going to do without you, without our family"? Regina asked panic-stricken

"I really don't care. If I had it my way, you'd be dead by now. But I made a promise to two very important people that I'd let you live" Mr. Gold informed Regina.

"Who could elicit such a promise from you"? Regina asked curiously

"Henry and Belle" Mr. Gold responded "Even though you kept her prisoner, Belle still doesn't want you dead" He continued.

"I could have killed her, but I didn't," Regina said, trying to redeem herself.

"No. You did much worse" Mr. Gold retorted "You're very lucky that Henry loves you because nobody else does" He clued Regina in as he reached into her chest and ripped out her heart and squeezed it in his hand!

Regina clutched her chest and gasped. At that moment, she wanted Mr. Gold to just crush her heart and kill her. It would have hurt less than what she was being made to endure. Mr. Gold squeezed her heart a little harder as Regina fell to the floor and sobbed. Her life as she knew it was all over. She couldn't blame Snow White or anyone else for that matter, she only had herself to blame!

As Regina watched her husband magically bring his suitcases downstairs, she cried out, "How can you be so cruel? You never loved me"!

"Oh, but I did love you, Regina. That's what makes this all so terribly tragic" Mr. Gold replied coldly as he tossed her heart to the ground and slammed the front door.

Regina laid right where her husband had left her for hours, drowning in her tears.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

In the days following the curse being broken, the residents of Storybrooke found their lives changing rapidly. Snow White and Prince Charming were finally reunited with their daughter, Emma and their grandson, Henry. Mr. Gold, who was now going by his more colorful moniker, Rumpelstiltskin, moved out of his home with Regina and moved into a large Queen Anne Revival-style mansion with Belle. Emma made the decision to have full custody of Henry, not allowing Rumpelstiltskin or Regina to see him, and Regina now lived all alone, in the same house that she once shared with her husband and son. You could say that Regina was the only resident of Storybrooke who didn't get anything good out of the curse being broken. On the contrary, her life was destroyed! Rumpelstiltskin left her and their marriage without batting an eye. He was overjoyed to be reunited with his true love, Belle. It was as if no time had passed at all for the couple. They were as in love as ever. Rumpelstiltskin did find that Regina crept into his thoughts for a moment here and there, but they disappeared just as quickly as they came. Rumpelstiltskin found himself now focused on one crucial matter, Emma Swan letting him see Henry. Rumpelstiltskin bided his time and let Emma cool down, but his patience was wearing thin. While Emma Swan did give birth to Henry, Regina and Rumpelstiltskin were his parents and Rumple didn't take kindly to being told that he couldn't have any contact with his son. After exactly a week, Rumpelstiltskin had reached his boiling point and decided to pay Emma a visit at the station.

"Hard at work as always I see, Miss Swan," Rumple said as he walked into the station.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Gold"? Emma asked

"Well for starters you can let me see my son" Rumpelstiltskin answered.

"Not happening. I'm not letting my kid anywhere near you or Regina" Emma replied defiantly.

"Is that so"? Rumpelstiltskin retorted

"Yes" Emma replied sternly.

"I do admire the fact that you've never been afraid of me, Miss Swan. But don't let Regina fool you, I'm the one with the power around here" Rumpelstiltskin responded self-assuredly.

"You're right. I'm not scared of you and I'm not letting my son live with an evil queen and a dark one. Whatever the hell that is" Emma affirmed.

"Maybe you're misunderstanding me, Miss Swan, I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. You will let Regina and I see our son"! Rumpelstiltskin demanded

"Not a chance. I'll take you two to court if I have to" Emma threatened.

"Oh, I'd really like to see you do that. Are you going to tell the judge that the evil queen and the dark one adopted your son"? Rumpelstiltskin asked smugly "It sounds like a one way ticket to a mental institution to me" He continued.

Emma stood there silently. While she didn't want to admit it, Rumple was right. Nobody would buy that Henry's adoptive parents were fairy tale characters. To anybody who didn't know any better, Rumpelstiltskin and Regina looked like two normal, upper-class people. If Emma thought about it logically, she actually would be the one who would come out of it looking bad. Henry was born in jail and given up for adoption.

"I'll take Henry and I'll leave Storybrooke" Emma warned Rumple.

"You'll never get past me, Dearie" Rumpelstiltskin gloated "The curse is broken. I no longer have to be nice to you. Don't make me show you just how dark I can be" Rumple threatened.

"He's my son" Emma blurted out.

"No. He's our son" Rumpelstiltskin corrected Emma "My estranged wife may have many faults, but being a bad mother isn't one of them" He pointed out.

"Estranged? You and Regina broke up"? Emma asked confusedly

Rumpelstiltskin had no choice but to fill Emma in on his ruined marriage. He kept it simple and said that Regina lied to him and that he decided to leave her. The point was that Regina loved Henry and Henry loved Regina. Rumple didn't want his family to be broken any more than what it already was.

"I just don't want Henry to get any more confused" Emma lamented.

"Let him see his parents. I'm sure if you were to ask Henry, he'd tell you that he misses us" Rumpelstiltskin replied sincerely.

"He does miss you" Emma admitted "I'll drop him off at Regina's after school tomorrow. You two can work something out from there. I just better not hear that you guys are fighting in front of him" She continued.

"Regina and I may have our differences, but the one thing we've always agreed on is Henry" Rumpelstiltskin assured Emma as he walked towards her to give her a hug.

"Thank you for looking out for my boy," Rumple said appreciatively.

"I will always look out for Henry" Emma replied.

Over at Regina's house, her life was in a total upheaval! Her husband left her and Emma was keeping Henry from her. After the initial shock and pain of Rumple leaving her died down, Regina found that she was mostly angry at him. In a flash, he had tossed her aside and acted as if she had meant nothing to him. Regina was by no means blameless and she was well aware of that, but in her heart, she felt that she deserved more than being instantly replaced by Belle. Of course, through her anger, Regina still missed Rumpelstiltskin. She missed his morning kisses, she missed the way he loved Henry and most of all she missed the way he loved her. The curse may have brought Rumpelstiltskin and Regina together, but love had kept their marriage going for the last twenty-eight years. Knowing that it was over, broke Regina's heart.

She was also desperately trying to recover her magic, the one thing that had always given her a sense of comfort and purpose. Something that once came so naturally to her was now feeling impossible. She started off simply, by trying to light a candle, but nothing was happening. Regina was growing increasingly frustrated and needed some assistance. Back in the Enchanted Forest, Rumpelstiltskin had been her teacher, but that was no longer an option. In the midst of her frustration, Regina remembered her mother's spell book. In that book, was anything and everything she would need to get her magic back. She scoured the house looking for it, but it wasn't there. She went to her secret vault and the book wasn't there either. The only other location that Regina could think of was Rumple's shop. That was the last place she wanted to go right now, but Regina saw no other alternative.

Regina pulled up to Rumple's shop and entered cautiously with a knot in her stomach. She was angered immediately when she saw Belle standing behind the counter!

"Well, if it isn't the happy home wrecker" Regina snapped.

"What do you want, Regina"? Belle asked

"I'm here to see my husband. He is still my husband, you know" Regina replied bitingly.

"He's not here right now" Belle answered.

Regina made her way behind the counter and began frantically looking for her mother's spell book. She tore everything apart trying to find it.

"Stop! What are you doing"? Belle shouted

"I'm looking for something that belongs to me" Regina replied.

"Nothing here belongs to you. Get out"! Belle demanded

"Listen little girl, just because you're living in sin with my husband does not give you the right to tell me what to do"! Regina fumed

"Rumple and I love each other. We would never have been apart if it weren't for you" Belle insisted "Thank heavens Jefferson let me out and put a stop to your sham of a marriage"!

"Oh, I have Jefferson to thank for this. Noted" Regina said shrewdly.

"Even without Jefferson, Rumple would have found me eventually. Our love is stronger than your evil" Belle replied defiantly.

"Oh please, you think you know Rumple but you don't. You could never understand him the way that I do" Regina barked.

"I love him. I see the good in him" Belle replied defensively as Regina finally found the book that she was looking for.

"That's all very sweet, but I love him for who he really is. I've known Rumple for a very long time and his dark heart always wins out in the end. I can accept that. Can you"? Regina asked Belle smugly, trying to plant a seed of doubt in her head.

"I refuse to believe that, Regina. There is kindness in Rumple" Belle argued.

"Enjoy it while it lasts" Regina smirked "Your novelty will wear off and Rumple will remember what we had. When it's all said and done, you'll wish I had killed you" Regina said contemptuously as she walked out of the shop with her book and slammed the door so hard that she broke the little bell that hung above it.

Regina drove straight home and studied the spell book for hours. She managed to finally get a candle to light, but she couldn't do much else. Still frustrated, Regina started crying. Feelings of loneliness and defeat were starting to sink in. Everything she held dear to her was gone and there was nothing that she could do about it.

Tired of sitting in her big empty house all alone, Regina decided to go to "The Rabbit Hole" and drink her troubles away. When she walked in, she was surprised to see Albert Spencer, who was known as King George back in the Enchanted Forest, sitting at the bar. King George was Prince Charming's father and shared Regina's distain for Snow White and Prince Charming. They made small talk all evening as they drank and even flirted a little. Regina had no interest in King George, but she enjoyed the attention so she humored him.

When the bar closed, George started making unwanted advances towards Regina in the parking lot. He sloppily kissed her and grabbed at her body. Regina pushed him away and tried to get into her car, but George just kept getting more aggressive.

"Come on Regina, you were married to a monster for the last twenty-eight years, you must be dying for a real man," George said drunkenly.

"The only monster around here is you. Get your filthy hands off of me"! Regina shouted angrily as she tried to get away.

George pushed Regina up against the side of "The Rabbit Hole" and began jamming his tongue down her throat and lifting up her dress. He yanked at her panties with one hand as he restrained Regina with the other hand. Regina was terrified, but she knew she couldn't give in to her fear. She conjured up every emotion she had inside of her, just like Rumpelstiltskin had taught her so long ago, and was finally able to use her magic! Regina let out a powerful force of energy that sent George clear across the parking lot and rendered him unconscious. She got into her car, locked her doors and started weeping. She felt pathetic, she felt violated and most of all she felt angry. The object of her anger at this particular moment was Jefferson. He set Belle free and destroyed Regina's marriage. Regina decided that Jefferson needed to pay for what he had done.

Regina drove to Jefferson's enormous mansion and once again used her magic to let herself in.

"Regina, what are you doing here"? Jefferson asked fearfully as Regina walked towards him with rage in her eyes.

"Oh, I think you know exactly why I'm here, my dear Jefferson. You destroyed my family, so now I have to destroy you" Regina sneered as she plunged her hand into Jefferson's chest and ripped his heart out, crushing it right in front of him and killing him.

Before she left, Regina turned Jefferson's corpse into another one of the many hats already in his home. There could be no murder without a body.

When Regina got back home, she took a hot shower and crawled into bed and sobbed. She had been fighting for love for so long and she was exhausted. Regina vowed that she was done with love. She just wanted Henry back. She just wanted peace.

That night, Regina removed her heart and put it under her pillow so that she could finally get some sleep.

* * *

_**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in updating this story. I've had a difficult week plagued by health problems. I hope to stay on track from now on. Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing. If you're looking for something to read in between updates, feel free to check out my other stories.**_


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

Still shaken up from what had transpired the night before, Regina spent most of the following day in bed. Regina was tough by nature, but even she couldn't handle all the anguish that life was throwing at her. The curse that she had sacrificed everything to cast had been broken and so had her family. Regina no longer had Rumpelstiltskin, who had served as a source of strength for her over the last twenty-eight years and she no longer had Henry, who could brighten her day simply by smiling. For the first time in a long time, Regina was truly alone. Fearing that it would be too painful, she decided not to put her heart back into her body.

Regina found herself reliving her entire relationship with Rumpelstiltskin over in her mind, not just their time in Storybrooke, but their time in the Enchanted Forest as well. Regina took herself back to the first time Rumpelstiltskin ever appeared in her bedroom, he first peaked her interest in magic with his tender touch and gentle persuasion. She recalled the looking glass that he gave her in order to send her mother away and she remembered how she had almost gotten free, but Rumpelstiltskin talked her into staying with King Leopold, which ultimately led to her utter desolation. The more Regina reminisced, the clearer it became to her. Rumpelstiltskin had been manipulating her ever since their first encounter. He may have appeared to be looking out for her, but he wasn't. He was just looking for someone miserable enough to cast his curse. Rumpelstiltskin had a hand in almost everything Regina had done since they met. Suddenly, Regina felt like nothing more than a pawn in Rumpelstiltskin's game, and now that she had served her purpose, he no longer needed her.

Was their marriage really a sham like Belle had said? As Regina recounted her time in Storybrooke with Rumpelstiltskin, in didn't feel that way to her. She loved him wholeheartedly and believed that he felt the same. When he looked into her eyes or held her hand and when he made love to her, it was just that, it was love. It wasn't a scheme or a farce, Rumpelstiltskin had let Regina into his heart and when they adopted Henry, they became a complete family. Regina now had to come to grips with the fact that she was the one who had the biggest hand in tearing them apart. She knew that Belle was alive, but she chose the easy road and lied about it. Regina knew that Rumpelstiltskin wanted the curse broken so that he could find his son, but she made the selfish choice and chose vengeance instead. This is what Regina got for trying to run from the past. It didn't just catch up to her, it overtook her life.

While Regina picked apart every aspect of her life, the telephone rang persistently. She didn't know nor did she care who it was. By noon, the answering machine was full.

In between her thoughts, Regina drifted in and out of sleep, until she was finally awoken by her doorbell. Regina was stunned to see that it was three in the afternoon when she looked over at her clock. Her first instinct was to not answer the door, but by the third ring of the bell, she wanted to find out exactly who was being so persistent. Regina was amazed when she opened the door and discovered that it was Henry. Emma was letting him come home! Overjoyed, Regina swooped Henry up into her arms and hugged him as tightly as she could. She held back tears as she kissed his forehead.

"Henry, I've missed you so much," Regina said softly.

"Didn't you get any of my messages"? Emma asked Regina, slightly irked

"No. I've been a little out of sorts today" Regina admitted.

"You look horrible," Emma said bluntly.

"How kind of you to point that out, Miss Swan. Things have been a little rough. Thanks to you…and a few others" Regina snapped.

"Can we talk"? Emma asked seriously

"Come on in" Regina replied "Henry, why don't you go upstairs while Emma and I talk" Regina requested.

Once Henry was upstairs, Regina and Emma went into the kitchen. Emma wasted no time asking Regina about her marital woes.

"I see you've been talking to my husband," Regina said perceptively.

"Yeah. He came by to see me yesterday. That's why I brought Henry over. Gold told me that you two are separated" Emma revealed.

"Now that you've broken the curse, feel free to call him Rumpelstiltskin" Regina said sarcastically.

"No thanks," Emma responded quickly "What the hell did you do to piss Gold off so badly? I know that you two argued a lot, but I didn't think you guys would split up" Emma admitted.

"I didn't either" Regina responded as tears started rolling down her face. Hearing the words out loud that her marriage was over, was like a kick in the stomach.

"I made the mistake of lying to my husband, Miss Swan, and sadly for me, an old flame was right there to pick up the pieces for him" Regina confessed as she snapped herself out of her tears.

It was clear to Emma that Regina was devastated. This was the first time since she'd arrived in Storybrooke that she'd seen Regina so broken down. While she did feel sorry for Regina, Emma didn't allow herself to forget who she was dealing with. This was a woman who wanted her dead and out of Henry's life for good!

"I'm sorry, Regina. How are you planning on breaking this to Henry"? Emma asked, "My main concern is him" She continued.

"I honestly don't know" Regina responded despondently "I haven't spoken with Rumple since the curse was broken" She admitted.

"You guys need to tell Henry together" Emma insisted "You've got to let him know that he still has two parents that love him."

"Are you trying to give me parenting advice, Miss Swan"? Regina asked mildly insulted

"I think you need it, Regina. Do you even realize how hard this is going to be for Henry"? Emma asked intensely

"I do" Regina replied, starting to cry yet again "Henry deserves so much better than this" She sobbed.

"You've got to be strong for Henry," Emma said to Regina as she put her hand on her shoulder "Things are already so crazy right now. He needs to know that he can count on you."

"I've got to call Rumple," Regina said with dread in her voice "Henry needs to hear the truth and he needs to hear it from both of us."

"Do you want me to stay here while you call him"? Emma asked trying to be supportive

"No. This is something I need to do on my own" Regina responded miserably.

Emma left in order to give Regina her privacy, but all Regina did was stare at the telephone. She didn't want to call Rumpelstiltskin. Not only was Regina not ready to speak to him, she was not ready for her marriage to really be over. In Regina's mind, by saying it out loud, especially to Henry, that would truly be the end. Even with her heart outside of her body, it was still continuing to break.

As Regina stared at the telephone, Henry came downstairs and poured himself a glass of grape juice. Henry knew his mother well enough to know that something was bothering her, so he asked her, "What's wrong mom? Are you mad at me because Emma broke your curse"?

"Oh Henry, I could never be mad at you. I love you too much" She replied as she pulled him in for a hug.

"When's dad coming home? I miss him" Henry asked innocently, instantly bringing Regina to tears.

"He's at his shop. Why don't you go back up to your room while I call him" Regina answered Henry through her tears.

"Why are you crying"? Henry asked out of concern

"I'll tell you later. Go upstairs, OK" Regina answered somberly.

Henry hugged Regina once more before he went to his room. Regina knew what had to be done, she just didn't know if she could actually bring herself to do it. She picked up the telephone with shaking hands and a racing heart. There was a lump at the base of her throat and tears in her eyes. With every ring her heart pounded louder, when Rumpelstiltskin finally answered the phone, Regina felt like she was drowning. His voice literally took her breath away.

"Rumple" She muttered.

"What do you want, Regina"? Rumpelstiltskin asked belligerently

"I know you don't want to see me, but we have to tell Henry about us. He's already asking for you" Regina replied.

"Let me guess, you painted yourself to be a victim and me to be a villain, right Dearie"? Rumpelstiltskin asked contemptuously

"I didn't tell him anything. I thought it would be best if we sat Henry down and told him together" Regina responded.

"You can actually manage to bring yourself to do the right thing. Imagine that" Rumpelstiltskin said scornfully.

"Can you come over"? Regina asked

"Yes. I'll come by now, but only to talk to Henry. I have no interest in any of your useless drabbles, Regina" Rumpelstiltskin replied before he hung up the phone abruptly.

Rumpelstiltskin arrived much faster than Regina had anticipated. She took slow deep breaths to calm herself. Regina didn't want to reveal her sadness to Rumple, she was too proud for that.

When he opened the door to the house that he'd lived in for the last twenty-eight years, it was Rumpelstiltskin who began to feel strange. The first thing that hit him was the aroma, the house still smelled like fresh honey crisp apples, it took him back to a happier time for both him and Regina. Rumpelstiltskin thought about the night that they brought Henry home from Boston. He recalled opening the door and ushering his new family into their home, it was still one of the happiest nights of his life. Rumple's eyes kept fixating on the many pictures scattered throughout the house. Each photo contained a different memory, a different smile. Lastly, Rumpelstiltskin made eye contact with Regina. He was shocked by her haggard appearance. Ever since he'd known her, she'd always been the epitome of style and beauty, now she just looked defeated. For a moment, Rumple actually felt sorry for Regina, but then he thought about poor Belle being held prisoner for so long. In his mind, that was intolerable cruelty.

"I'd say you look well, Regina, but you and I both know that I'd be lying" Rumpelstiltskin teased.

"I'm glad to see you haven't turned back into a sparkly crocodile, Rumple" Regina shot back.

"Where's Henry? I want to get this over with" Rumpelstiltskin demanded.

"I'll go get him in a second, but first, I want to know if you plan on telling him about Belle yet"? Regina asked nastily

"Belle is living with me, so yes, I intend on telling our son about her" Rumpelstiltskin replied honestly.

"Such a fine example you're setting for Henry" Regina retorted.

"You have no room to talk, Dearie. Shall I remind you that you cast a curse that devastated an entire population"? Rumple responded bitingly

"I'm getting Henry" Regina snapped as she made her way to the staircase.

As soon as Henry saw his father, his eyes lit up and he started running towards him.

"Dad! I missed you so much"! He shouted

"I've missed you too son. I promise that we'll never go this long without seeing each other ever again" Rumpelstiltskin assured Henry.

"Henry, why don't we all have a seat in the living room"? Regina suggested

"OK," Henry replied.

Rumpelstiltskin, Regina and Henry all gathered in the living room to have a talk that no family ever wants to have. There was no real way to break this to Henry gently, so Regina decided to just come out and say it, "Henry, your father and I are separated."

"What"? Henry stammered

"Your mother and I are longer going to be living together" Rumple replied gently.

"What? Why"? Henry asked heartbroken "We're a family. We're supposed to be together" He insisted.

"I angered your father, Henry. If you want to blame someone, blame me" Regina said nobly.

"No. If you're mad about the apple, don't be. Mom saved me" Henry pleaded "I ate that turnover. Nobody made me. Be mad at me, not mom. Please"! Henry begged Rumpelstiltskin

"I'm sorry son, but it is far more complicated than that" Rumple replied softly.

"Where is everyone going to live"? Henry asked, visibly shaken

"You and I will still live here and your father will have his own house now" Regina responded.

Henry sought refuge in Regina's arms as he burst into tears. Everything he'd known was crumbling and he was scared. Henry just wanted his family to be as it always was.

"Henry, there's something else that I need to tell you," Rumpelstiltskin said sensitively "Someone that I loved long ago has returned and she's living with me now. Her name is Belle and I just know that you're going to love her as much as I do" He continued.

"You should love my mom"! Henry screamed "I hate this and I hate you"! He cried as he ran back up to his room

"You're on a roll, Imp. That's two hearts that you've broken in this house" Regina sneered.

"Don't play innocent, Regina. We wouldn't be here right now if you weren't so unimaginably selfish" Rumpelstiltskin fumed.

"I'm well aware that I'm not innocent, but neither are you" Regina replied, defending herself "You and I are exactly the same. You're every bit as malicious as I am and don't pretend like you're not."

"I'm quite conscious of who I am, Regina. I always have been" Rumple replied frankly "Unfortunately for you, who I am has nothing to do with your incessant lying."

"Yes. I lied" Regina admitted "I lied because I loved you and I didn't want to lose you" Regina explained, her voice escalating "I can see that my fears were not without merit. You left me the second Belle reappeared."

"Belle was the love of my life" Rumpelstiltskin barked "You led me to believe that she was dead while you held her hostage. Did you expect me to thank you, your majesty"?

"I didn't hurt or kill her. Belle found her way back to you in one piece" Regina mumbled as she walked away from Rumple and towards the mantle that showcased so many precious memories of the life that they shared.

"Oh, so that makes it all OK"? Rumple asked angrily "Belle, you remember the woman who locked you up for twenty-eight years? Since she was kind enough not to kill you, let's all go to Granny's" He shot back sarcastically.

"I will never regret my decision for one second. Do you know why"? Regina asked

"Do tell" Rumple replied flippantly.

"My lies gave me twenty-eight wonderful years with you" Regina poured her heart out as Rumpelstiltskin looked on silently "My lies led us to Henry" Regina managed to choke out, voice cracking, before she was overtaken by her tears. Watching Regina mourn the loss of their life together was a distressing experience for Rumpelstiltskin. The love that he had for her still lived deep inside of him, it was just buried under his anger.

"Regina," He said quietly as he walked towards her.

"It's OK" Regina trembled as she walked away from Rumpelstiltskin "I've accepted that I'm going to have to live with just my memories for the rest of my life. But I wouldn't trade our time together for anything in the world" She acknowledged "I'm just sorry that you don't feel the same way. I'm sorry that I meant so little to you. Now get out" Regina commanded with agony in her eyes.

"What about Henry"? Rumple asked

"I won't have you upsetting him" Regina replied aloofly.

"He's my son, Regina. I wouldn't allow Emma to keep him from me and I won't allow you to keep him from me either" Rumpelstiltskin replied sharply.

"It's not up to me. It's up to Henry" Regina responded "If he wants to see you, he can. If he doesn't, I'm not forcing him to."

"I will be back for my son"! Rumple thundered as he stormed out of the house.

On his way to the car, he started getting piercing pains in his heart that left him breathless. Rumple clutched his chest as he fumbled with his keys. Once the pain subsided, he desperately tried to figure out what could have been wrong with him.

Gutted by the fact that Henry was hurting, Regina went into his bedroom. He was lying on his bed crying into his pillow.

"Henry," Regina said soothingly as she rubbed his back "Talk to me."

"Why is dad doing this to us"? He asked tearfully

"Don't be angry at your father. This is my fault" Regina confessed "I cast a curse out of vengeance and then I lied to the man that I loved."

"He should be with us" Henry replied sadly.

"I don't know how to love very well, Henry. I wasn't capable of it for a very long time" Regina explained "But I do know, I remember, that if you hold on to someone too hard, it doesn't make them love you."

"I'll always love you, mom," Henry said as he got up to hug Regina.

"I love you too, Henry" Regina replied, grateful that she still had her son.

Later on that night, tired of running from her feelings, Regina got into bed and put her heart back into her body. She let out a loud gasp before she buried her face into her pillow and cried herself to sleep.


End file.

Once Upon a Time, Drama, Romance