David watched as Michelle's face fell at her mother's words and he longed to hold her. She turned from her chair and left the room, practically running out of the house. He stood from his chair and as he left the room under the glare of Rose and the skepticism of Silas, he muttered a quick "Pardon me" as he went after her.

Michelle didn't bother pausing to take off her boots, although the heels were killing her to run in, as her usual heels were shorter, and much thicker, than these. She used the back door to head into the gardens, stopping only when she reached a bench deep in the gardens that she used to go to as a child when she was angry. She dropped herself onto it and started taking off the boots. Her feet were red from the pain and she knew she'd have blisters in the morning. There's something to be said for sensible clothing. Letting the shoes drop to the ground, she put her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. She felt small, like she was still a child who hadn't eaten her vegetables. Tonight was supposed to have been the night when she showed to her parents that she was a grown up, someone who could make their own decisions. But here she was, sulking in the darkness.

David finally reached the bench and saw Michelle crumpled in on herself. He stared down at her, though she made no move to signal that she knew he was there. He kneeled before her and placed his hands on her knees. "Michelle, I don't know-"

"Take me home, David." She looked down at him, her shoulders slumped, her eyes tired, and he'd never wanted her more.

"You want me to walk you to your room?"

"No. Take me home, with you." She wasn't insinuating anything. The simple statement sent shocks through David thinking of what they could do -unsupervised- at his apartment, but he knew better than to push. His mother would probably kill him if he did.

He stood and held his hand out to her, which she accepted, and she grabbed her boots as they walked out of the gardens and towards the area where David would have parked. It was a cool night out which made Michelle shiver, prompting David to slip his coat on her shoulders. He watched as she settled into it and saw that her dress just barely reached below the hem of his jacket. He tried to think of anything else. Of not running his hands up her legs, not feeling the soft fabric as he pulled her to him, not doing anything he would kill to do, but the only time these thoughts ceased happened when Michelle layed her head on his shoulder and he realized how nice it felt there.

No one stopped them from going to the car, and even leaving the palace boasted less of a debacle than dinner was. No one questioned the princess leaving, and no one seemed to care that she was leaving without a body guard. She hadn't had a cell phone with her, and his was left at the apartment. He still wasn't used to having something so seemingly unimportant around, so it was often left behind.

Michelle didn't speak for the ride to David's apartment, so he didn't try to rouse her from whatever she was thinking. He was far too busy trying to not stare at how her dress would inch higher each time she shifted in her seat.

When they reached his apartment she entered first, knowing that the door would be unlocked. He closed the door behind them both, switching the locks into place. He paused for a moment before turning around, trying to figure out what to say to her. He couldn't think of anything that he knew would make her feel any better so he turned around praying to God that something would pop out of his mouth when they faced each other. However, he didn't need to worry, as she was there when he turned around standing only a few inches from him, staring at the ground. He placed his hand on her shoulder, not wanting to rush what she had to say. She looked up at him then and he almost staggered back, the force of what was in her eyes was so startling. Her eyes were a deep brown already but the emotion behind them made their depths heated, endless circles. He placed his hand on her face, forcing himself to not put it anywhere else on her person. She looked to the floor and spoke to him.

"David, I'm not used to wanting people like this. I've never had the problem of wanting to be with someone and break my vows, but I can't stop thinking about you. I can't stop dreaming about you -of things that we could do if we ever found some time to be together." She took a deep breath to steady herself and moved closer to David, filing in the little space that was left between them. He found the air very quickly getting thinner and he had to steady himself in order to stay upright. She looked up at him and spoke again, "I meant everything I said at dinner tonight. I love you, and I do believe God has sent you to me as a man for me to love. Not as some test. I want to feel you next to me, I want you with me..." She blushed and had to look away for her last statement. "I want to feel you inside of me, as I've never wanted before."

David couldn't find enough air to function properly, let alone do anything besides gape at her words. She looked up at him and he brought his hand to her cheek, unable to form many thoughts. "I love you, Michelle." And he closed the remaining distance between their lips with his own.

The heat the emanated from the two sent sparks through their respective selves, and Michelle couldn't handle the distance that their clothing seemed to put between the two of them. She worked on his many buttons as he worked on his belt. The jacket and shirt fell to the floor as his pants joined them, leaving Michelle still fully clothed. He grinned at her and she blushed as she moved a little closer to the bed, sitting on the edge and waiting for David to join her. He kneeled before her once more, the perfect picture of a sovereign and her people, although a little less dressed than one would think normal.

"What in the world is taking you so long, David?" She smiled at him, but he could tell there was an edge to her question. A bit of nerves.

"Am I not allowed to admire the woman I'm going to spend the rest of my life with?" He ran his hands from her calves to her thighs, playing with the fabric that he'd been thinking about since dinner. Michelle closed her eyes, her head falling back in pleasure at not only his hands, but also his words. He placed his hands on the tops of her thighs, spreading them slightly as he watched her face. He followed the curve of her hips, up her sides, moving her dress along the way until it finally was completely removed. He stared at her for a moment, as she wasn't wearing very much under that dress, just as he'd hoped. He was there when she opened her eyes, and he moved inside her.

-----

A few hours later the pain had subsided and Michelle was curled up within David's grasp. He absentmindedly stroked her hair back from her face and smiled. "David..." Her voice was raspy and tired, it was barely above a whisper. "Things will be okay, won't they?"

He paused his actions, looking at her. "What do you mean, of course it will be."

"It's just that-well you're the hero, and I'm the princess. It works just fine in fairy tales, but there's not usually so much objection from the Queen. Unless she's the stepmother, that is."

"Michelle, there is nothing that would stop me from being with you. If we have to run away just to be together, then so be it. God would not be so cruel as to keep us apart after bringing us together." He pulled her closer to him, ensconcing her within his grasp and silencing any worry she had about his love for her. They fell asleep like that, no worries plaguing them other than what to have for breakfast, and who would be the one to find proper clothing in the morning.

Author's Note: And there you have it! It has only taken me (too) close to a year to finish it, but I figured I should before I start something else (I'm working on a few different things on the Syfy's version of Alice). Thank you for staying on this fic for so long, and if you'd like to come see where I spend most of my time, you can head to hyperionave on tumblr :)

Thank you once again for reading!