Alter Ego, an once upon a time fanfic

***Warning*** ***This short story is rated M for a reason! It includes F/F and F/F/M semi to non-consensual sexual situations, major character's death, and torture: The Evil Queen at her worst. Don't read if this is not your thing. My first attempt at EvilCharmingQueen ***

Written for my fantastic beta! Thank you for all the helpful comments on TQID and Forgive me. She is the one who keeps me from making Regina suffer too much… don't forget to thank her. Not sure that's what she had in mind but fluffy and the Queen did not seem to work in my brain.

New York, New York

The Queen walked down the streets of this strange city, wreaking havoc in her wake. This world would submit to her reign if it was the last thing she did! But first, she needed to teach her alter ego a lesson. Regina had dared defy her; she had ripped out her heart and crushed it, hoping to get rid of her better, stronger part. But darkness could not be vanquished so easily. She would find her and make her pay for her insolence.

The Queen walked down the main street, strange vehicles stopping mere inches from her. But she was not afraid. A brave, stupid man got out of his yellow tin box and insulted her, yelling profanities as she walked past him with the poise of the Queen she was. She grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up in the air. Magic was weak in this world and it took all her concentration to accomplish even the simplest of task. "Where can I find an apothecary?"

The man's eyes bulged in fear. "I… I don't know."

In anger, the Queen snapped his neck and let his body fall limply to the ground. She looked around the crowd and repeated her question… three times. Finally, one brave woman -of course, it was the stronger sex- raised a trembling finger in the direction of the nearest shop.

Storybrooke, Maine

Regina was sitting in the furthest booth at Granny's, sipping on her tea. She felt light without her counterpart, freer than she had felt in years. But she was also feeling Robin's death more deeply. She was still trying to control the same anger that had consumed her after Daniel's death. She had come too far to revert to the person she once was.

Regina jumped as Snow sat opposite her. The young woman placed a cup of hot chocolate in front of her. "You shouldn't be alone."

Regina snorted. "More chocolate with rum?"

Snow chuckled but shook her head. "Sorry, just chocolate this time."

Regina cupped the mug with both hands, letting the warm liquid soothe her soul. "Snow, I…"

The mayor was interrupted by the front door banging open against the wall. Granny immediately walked out from the back. "Whoever you are, you better..." She choked on her words as the Evil Queen stepped into the diner, holding her hand out in a chokehold.

The Queen smirked. "Better." She could feel the strong magic flowing in this town. She was invincible.

Regina stood abruptly. "Let her go!" She willed her voice to remain strong and assured, matching her counterpart's.

The Queen smiled at the vague attempt at protection. "Or what, dear? You'll rip out my heart?" She winked. Her voice switched to a low and threatening tone. "Guess what… it did not work the first time around." The Queen released her hold on Granny as she slowly walked toward the pathetic woman in front of her. "Not while yours is still beating in your chest." Without any warnings, the Queen plunged her hand into Regina's chest, pulling her heart out.

Regina gasped in shock when she saw her heart: it was almost completely red and glowing. The Queen squeezed it and Regina cried out in pain, prompting Snow and David into action. Snow pulled Regina away from the Queen while David tried to knock her out with his firearm. He did not wish to kill her without knowing the consequences to Regina herself.

However, the Queen had anticipated their moves. She raised her hand and sent the Prince flying across the diner. David lost consciousness as his back hit the wall. Snow tried to reach for Charming. "David!"

But the Queen was faster as she raised her hand in a chokehold. "Snow White!"

Snow brought her hands around the magical restraint on her neck. Regina was on her feet in an instant, trying to defuse the situation through magic. "Let her go!"

The Queen deflected Regina's spell easily. "As you wish, Madam Mayor."

Regina's eyes widened as she knew what was about to happen. Before she could stop her alter ego, the Queen snapped Snow's neck. The Princess fell to the ground in a loud thud.

Regina hurried to her side. "NO! What have you done?"

The Queen crouched down by Regina's side. "What you've prevented me from doing all these years. Get our revenge!"

Regina turned around toward David, her eyes filled with fear. They were sharing a heart and she had no idea about the consequences of Snow's death. The move did not go unnoticed by the Queen. She smirked as she rose to her feet. "Should we take this reunion somewhere more private?" She flicked her wrist and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke along with Regina and Prince Charming. This was going to be fun!

ECECEC

Storybrooke, Maine - three years later

The man walked on unsteady legs toward what he remembered to be the center of town. He was holding on tightly to the woman in his arms, the woman who had almost died to save both their lives. With a grunt, he collapsed on the ground as a crowd ran toward him. "David!"

He felt hands on his face and neck. A familiar voice was calling his name, his daughter's voice. "David!" But everything went black.

Day 5 of captivity

Regina was pacing the large room she had had her sessions with the Queen in. She recognized the place. It was the main dining hall at her Father's Estate. They were back in the Enchanted Forest. She had no idea why the Queen had brought them back to their land but she knew they needed to get back. David was growing weaker every day.

The Prince had woken up screaming a few hours after Snow had died. He had been holding his chest, trying to breathe in air that did not seem to stay in his lungs. Regina had tried to help him but without her magic, she had only been able to comfort him.

Regina looked down at the cuff on her wrist. She shivered as she remembered what Greg Mendell had done to her the last time she had been wearing the garment. She knew it was nothing in comparison to what the Queen had in store for the Prince and her. She had been talking to her often enough since the Queen had taken them from the diner and without her heart - and Regina's lighter tendency - she was even more cruel and dangerous. Her thoughts were interrupted when the woman made her grand entrance into the room. "Regina, how are you feeling today, dear?"

"Like a caged animal…"

The Queen smirked. "It doesn't have to be this way."

"Are you letting us go?"

The Queen snorted. "I was hoping you'd join me willingly."

"I think I'll pass."

"I could make this stay much more enjoyable to you."

Regina raised her arm and pointed to the cuff. "Care to remove this, then?"

The Queen laughed. "We're not quite ready for that yet."

"That's what I thought. In that case, do you mind if I go back to my cell. I like the company better."

As Regina motioned to leave, the Queen raised her hand, magically stopping Regina in her tracks. She hated the feeling of being restrained in such a manner; memories of Cora were assaulting her mind. As the Queen approached her, Regina tried to keep her features schooled. The Queen smiled. "You don't have to pretend with me, Regina. Actually you can't. You and I both know … feel the fear settling at the pit of your stomach."

Regina did not respond, knowing full well that she was angering the Queen. The Queen was right; she was afraid. "What do you want with us?"

In one swift move, the Queen grabbed Regina's chin with one hand. She crashed her lips to the mayor's; her tongue forcefully asking for entrance. Regina gasped in shock and the Queen thrusted her tongue into Regina's mouth. She deepened the kiss, hitting all the spots that she knew would turn the mayor on. As she felt Regina return the kiss and moan, the Queen stopped abruptly. She smirked at her victim. "That's better."

Regina's eyes were filling with tears of humiliation. She had not been expecting the gesture or the assault on her senses. Nobody had ever kissed her like this before. The Queen had been able to break down all her defenses, making her want more. Regina took a few steadying breaths before answering. "It won't work again."

The Queen smiled. "I like a challenge." She walked to a small cabinet on the opposite side of the room and took out a heart chest from one of the drawers. She opened it and showed the content to Regina. "Your heart."

Regina gasped; not having her heart had helped her deal with their captivity and had allowed her to focus on helping David. The Queen approached her slowly, gently handling her heart. She brushed it with her thumb, sending shivers down Regina's spine. "I think this will help." She plunged her hand into Regina's chest, returning the organ into its rightful place. "Perhaps you'll be more compliant, once you can fully feel."

Regina gasped and bent over in pain; all her emotions rushing as her heart started beating in her chest once more. She felt the loss of Robin, the fear of being held by the Queen, the worry over David's conditions, and far down at the pit of her stomach the physical need to have her alter ego kiss her once again.

Storybrooke, Maine

He could hear voices in the distance.

"How are they doing?" He recognized the voice as Emma's.

There was silence followed by a sigh. "Your father is stable for now. He… He has been tortured... He is also dehydrated and malnourished but I expect him to make a full recovery." Whale answered.

"How about Regina?"

"She has massive internal bleeding. The team is prepping her for surgery now." David tried to talk but his vocal cords did not seem to obey the commands given by his brain. He wanted to know that Regina was fine. He needed to see her.

"Any indications of what might have happened to them?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. Both have lost a lot of muscle mass. It's a miracle he managed to carry Regina in his state." A pause. "And their skin is grey. They haven't seen the sun in a long time… probably ever since they've disappeared."

Emma gasped. "That was three years ago!"

Three years? David had not realized it had been that long. But so much had happened in those three years.

Day 30 of captivity

Regina reached past the bars separating hers and David's cell. The Prince had not moved since the night before. His eyes were glazed over and his breathing fast and superficial. Regina knew he would not last much longer. She had tried to convince the Queen to let him go back to Storybrooke where he could get help from the fairies. "David… David, please." The man ignored her. Regina called him more forcefully. "David. You have to fight! Snow would not have wanted you to give up!"

The mention of his True Love stirred something deep inside him. David whimpered and closed his eyes.

"David. You need to get up and get the water."

His lips were parched and his throat burning but he refused to move. The pain in his chest was excruciating. He just wanted to die there, but death was not coming quickly enough.

Regina scooted over closer to the bars, her extended hand finally reaching his sleeve. "David. Get up!"

"He can't hear you dear."

Regina sat up abruptly and blinked at the unexpected visitor. "You need to let him go."

The Queen pretended to think her next answer. "Ummmh… no." She laughed. "But I have something better for him." She clasped her fingers and a guard brought her a chest. She opened it and showed Regina the glowing heart inside it.

"A heart?" Regina asked, incredulously. "How is a heart going to help him?" Understanding dawned on her as she pronounced the words. She gasped in shock and started shaking her head. She stood on shaky legs and wrapped her hands tightly around the cell's bars. "You can't be serious." She remembered all too well the consequences of placing a heart into a person it did not belong to. Whale had tried and Daniel had suffered the consequences. Surely, the Queen could remember the monster their love had become.

The Queen smirked. "Don't worry, Regina. I'm not as stupid as poor Frankenstein." She opened Regina's cell and stepped inside. "Our trip to the Underworld have taught me a few things. One of them being that a soul can be separated from its container." She showed Regina's the heart. "Leaving the container free to host another soul. I'm not sure it will work but this is your Prince only option."

Regina tried to look for the deception in the Queen's eyes but she could not see any. She tried to reason out the same conclusion based on her experienced in the Underworld. Her eyes narrowed. "How did you remove the soul?"

"That's of no consequences to you." She snapped. "So should I try a heart transplant on the dying Prince over there. You and I both know he doesn't have much longer."

Regina looked at the man on the floor. She was not sure this was the right decision. If the Queen's plan worked, he would wake up to the cruel reality of Snow's death and their captivity. She had not lied to him: she knew that Snow would have wanted him to live. But Regina could not deny the selfish reason behind the decision she was about to make. She did not want to be alone. "Do it."

The Queen smirked as she exited the cell. "You're so predictable, dear!" She walked slowly toward David and plunged her hand inside his chest, removing the half of Snow's heart that had kept him alive since Snow had cast the Dark Curse. David screamed in agony.

Regina ran toward him and pressed herself against the bars of the cell, her hands gripping hard until her knuckles turned white. "David!"

The Queen placed the new heart in his chest and David breathed in deeply, his back arching from the dirt floor he had been lying on.

Storybrooke, Maine

Someone was holding his hand and murmuring to him. He could not discern the words; all David could think about was Regina and the surgery.

Day 130 of captivity

David was pacing the length of his cell. "What does she want with us?"

"I don't know." Regina was sitting on the floor, her back resting on the back wall. The Queen had requested her presence every day - or at least, she thought it was every day. They had talked about everything and nothing in particular. The Queen had wanted to know her feeling about Robin's death. She had wanted to know what it felt like to be in love. But she had never told Regina why she had kidnapped her.

David kicked the dish that had contained his meager meal. "Have you found a way to escape?"

Regina showed him the cuff once more. "I don't have magic."

David puffed in anger. "Have you tried asking her? Maybe you'll get an answer." He shrugged in annoyance. "I mean… she is you. What do you want?"

Regina stood up in anger. "She is NOT me, David! She hasn't been me in a long time! How many times would I have to prove this to you? I've worked so damned hard to redeem myself… I won't let you insinuate that she and I are the same person!"

David deflated. "I'm sorry, Regina. I didn't mean to say it like that."

"Oh, really?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Really. I know you're not her. But she was you… what would you have wanted in her place?"

"Somebody to love me."

Storybrooke, Maine

"Regina made it through the first surgery but she is still critical. If she survives the night, we'll attempt another surgery."

"Thanks, Viktor. Do you mind if I stay here tonight?"

"Of course, I'll get you a folding bed. Your father will be ok."

David wanted to scream.

Day 200 of captivity

Regina and David were lying facing each other on either side of the bars separating their cells, their hands joined. David was gently rubbing the skin between her thumb and forefingers. "Are you feeling any better?"

Regina was shivering. Her session with the Queen had been particularly hard: they had spent the best part of two hours talking about Henry. She sobbed. "I can't do this anymore."

David reached for her face and tucked her hair behind her ear, rubbing her cheek with the back of his fingers. His relationship with Regina had changed over their months of captivity. If they had been living in the real world, he probably would have been asking her on their third of fourth date. Given their current situation, they could only steal a few touches and kisses. "You're strong, Regina. Stronger than she is."

Storybrooke, Maine

"Emma, you need to come quickly!"

A sudden gasp as the pirate jolted his daughter awake. "What? What happened?" Her voice was still heavy with sleep.

"It's … it's Regina. She is in cardiac arrest. Henry…"

David tried to move but his body would not comply.

Day 304 of captivity

Regina had no idea how they ended in this position again, with the Queen's lips hovering over her own. However, she did not have time to ponder the situation further as the Queen captured her mouth into a searing kiss. Regina tried to fight her but it was proving more and more difficult as the Queen pressed her body against the shaking woman. Regina did not want this, yet she could not refuse. Her body craved the attention the Queen was providing. As the Queen deepened the kiss, Regina moaned into her mouth. As she released Regina's mouth, the Queen smiled against her lips. "Should we take this somewhere more private?"

Regina shivered at the suggestion but before she could voice any objections, she found herself inside her old bedchambers. The Queen was leading her toward the adjacent washroom. "I'm sure you would like a bath, dear."

Regina gasped as she entered the room. A warm bath had been drawn and candles lit. The Queen had anticipated her reaction to the kiss. She felt the woman removing her clothing - or at least, the rags her designer suit had become. The Queen caressed Regina's body, her fingers quickly replaced by lips. Regina tightly hugged herself in shame, not because of what was happening to her body but because, deep down, she wanted it. The Queen smirked as she kissed Regina's shoulder from behind. "I know you want this as much as I do." The Queen nibbled at her pulse point and Regina let out a soft moan.

The Queen helped the former mayor into the tub as she retrieved the sponge bath. She washed Regina's body with care, admiring the softness of her skin. "You're mine."

Regina shivered but did not dare to move nor speak. The Queen's hand reached in-between her thighs, parting them gently. She caressed the tender skin until Regina shivered and squirmed in need. The Queen licked Regina's jaw line before capturing her lips into a bruising kiss.

The Queen moved her hands up Regina's thighs and spread her wet folds. She rubbed the mayor's entrance and smiled as her actions were rewarded by a small moan. She would win Regina over; she knew exactly what the woman was craving for.

The Queen applied more pressure to Regina's core, who opened her legs in response. A tear of shame fell down her cheek as her body betrayed her. Regina knew she should not give in to the Queen but there was something so familiar in the way the Queen touched her… the way she had touched herself more than once after years of frustration in Leopold's bed. Regina moaned and whimpered as the Queen started massaging her core. Her head fell back against the edge of the tub, her back arching to increase the contact on her pulsing core. "Please…" Regina bit her lips, trying to gain control over her body.

The Queen smiled and moved her index fingers over Regina's clit. She rubbed her bundle of nerves until Regina was gasping and squirming in the bathtub. "Would you like me to stop, Regina?"

Regina fought to nod but she eventually lost the battle as the Queen inserted two fingers inside her, slowly pumping them. Regina's thoughts were muddled; she was unable to process all the sensory information the Queen was overloading her body with. As the Queen curled her fingers to hit her sweet spot, Regina screamed in release. The Queen slowly brought her down. "I can make feel more pleasure than you have ever experienced at the hands of your lovers." She caressed Regina's cheek. "I can love you unlike anyone else can."

The Queen helped a shaking and exhausted Regina to the bed. She tucked the blankets around her tightly and placed a soft kiss on her temple. Regina's eyes were closing; she was too tired to fight. The Queen caressed her raven hair and whispered in her ear. "Rest now, my sweet Regina. There is so much I want to give you."

Storybrooke, Maine

"Emma, love, you need to go home and get some rest."

David heard ruffling next to his bed. He was vaguely aware that Emma had stayed by his side since he had been admitted to the hospital, however, he had no idea how long ago that was. "No. I want to stay here. I don't want him to wake up alone."

A long sigh. "At least get some proper food. I can get something from Granny's."

He heard a knock on the door. David tried to move and open his eyes but his body did not answer his command. He recognized the newcomer as Whale from the way the doctor walked into the room.

"How is Regina?"

"She made it through the last surgery. Now we have to wait and see if she'll wake up."

"Anything we can do?" David was surprised to hear the concern in the pirate's voice. He and Regina were hardly friends.

"No. All we can do is wait."

Day 310 of captivity

Regina was sitting across the banquet table from the Queen. She looked at all the food and although her stomach was rumbling, she felt guilty about eating any of it. She knew that David was still starving in the dungeon below.

"Something on your mind, dear?" The Queen lifted her glass of wine to her lips.

Regina turned her head toward her alter ego. Her nightly visits with the Queen had left her exhausted and disgusted with herself. She decided to be truthful with the Queen. "David."

The Queen almost choked on her wine. "What about him?"

"I want to see him. I want him out of that stinking cell."

The Queen smiled. "All you have to do is ask."

Storybrooke, Maine

"You need to wake now, Dad." David felt his daughter's fingers on his cheek. "Please…" He heard the desperation in her voice. "Please, I need you."

Day 335 of captivity

The Queen had kept her promise and David had been assigned his own bedchambers in the same wing as Regina's. The Queen had also allowed for daily visits between the two of them.

David and Regina were lying on their sides in front of the fireplace, Regina's back comfortably fitting against David's chest. They were trying to find some comfort in their new situation. David gently kissed her neck. "How are you feeling?"

Regina's eyes were filling with tears. She had just spent the evening with the Queen. "Dirty." Sobs escaped her tight throat.

David gently turned her around so he would face her. "I'm so sorry… I wish …." There was nothing he could say to ease her pain.

"She takes more and more of me everyday… I…" Regina locked eyes with his. "Do you want me?"

David was taken aback by the question. "What?"

"Do you want me, David? Do you want to make love to me?"

David sighed. "Regina, we agreed that we wouldn't."

Regina cried out. "Has she dirtied me enough in your mind that you don't even want to touch me as a lover would?"

David cupped her face. "No. You know that's not true. But we said we would wait… we would wait until we escape to make that decision."

Regina snorted. "How long has it been? A year? Maybe more?" Since they had been moved to their quarters, Regina and David had been able to keep track of the days but they had no idea how long they had stayed in the dungeon. "Tell me the truth, David. Do you want me? Do you want to make love to me after everything I've told you about my daily activities with the Queen?"

David kissed her lips softly. "Yes."

Regina returned his kiss hungrily. "I want you. I don't want to wait… I'm sure, David. I'm sure it has nothing to do with our current situation."

David nodded, rubbing his forehead against hers. He kissed down the side of her face and her jaw before settling on her lips once more. Regina moaned deep inside his mouth. As they broke the kiss for air, David murmured against her lips. "I want you." He attacked her neck, careful not to leave a mark the Queen may notice in the morning.

Regina moved her head back, giving David better access. She rolled on her back, pulling the Prince with her. David smiled against her skin as his hands reached the hem of her nightgown. The garment was soon disregarded, revealing Regina's body to his eyes. "You're gorgeous."

Regina smiled at the compliment. The Queen had told her several times before how beautiful she was, but the words had only made her feel shameful. Coming from David's mouth, the words filled her with joy. Her hands roamed over his naked back toward the hem of his pants. She unlaced them and they soon joined her nightgown on the floor next to him. Her eyes widen in anticipation when she saw his erection. "You're not bad yourself." She bit her lip, a teasing gleam in her eyes.

David chuckled and resumed kissing her neck. Regina moaned and moved her hands up his sides toward his muscled shoulders. She wrapped her arms around him, holding the Prince closer to her. David slowly kissed down toward the valley of her breasts. He took her right breast into his warm mouth, slowly teasing her with slow flicks of his tongue against her hardened nipple. Regina arched her back, begging the Prince to take her more fully into his mouth. David complied a few seconds later, happily suckling on her breast. Regina was in ecstasy; her body responding to every licks. As Regina was panting harder and harder against him, David switched breast, eliciting soft moans from his lover.

Regina let her fingertips fall down David's back. She squeezed his ass cheeks, forcing his erection to press down against the wetness that had pooled in-between her thighs. The Prince's breath hitched as he released his lover. "Oh…."

"David, I …. I need you." Regina moved her right hand over his erection, slowly pumping him until his mind exploded with the sensations. She slowly guided him toward her entrance.

David pushed inside Regina slowly, reveling in the feeling of her walls stretching to accommodate him. They both moaned and groaned as she finally fully engulfed his throbbing member inside her hot, pulsing core. David kissed her deeply, savoring the sensation of her walls clenching hard on him.

David slowly started moving inside her. Each motion was sending waves of pleasure throughout their bodies. David was filling her so completely and hitting that deep spot inside her on every thrust. Lost in an ocean of lust, Regina finally released, screaming his name. David followed over the edge after her, spilling his seeds deep inside her womb.

Storybrooke, Maine

"Regina resumed breathing on her own this morning." A long pause. "It's a good sign, Emma."

"I just don't know what more I can tell Henry. She's still not out of the woods."

"No. But it's a huge step toward recovery."

David groaned.

He felt hands over his body: soft hands over his face and more calloused hands on his wrist. "David, David can you hear us?"

With great difficulty, he opened his eyes. He tried to smile as he saw his daughter's face hovering above him but the gesture came out as a grimace rather than a sign of happiness.

Whale sighed in relief. "Welcome back!"

David locked eyes with his daughter. "Regina?" His voice was so hoarse that he could barely recognize it as his own.

Emma and Whale exchanged a worried look. They had no idea what had happened between the two of them over the past three years and they did not want to upset the Prince.

Day 500 of captivity

"Do you know what today is?" The Queen seemed to be a jovial mood.

"No."

The Queen flicked her wrist and a cake appeared in the middle of the long table. "Happy birthday, dear!"

Regina's stomach sank. They had been prisoners for over a year!

The Queen noticed Regina's sullen expression. "What is it? I thought you would enjoy the celebrations." She laughed. "Oh! Maybe you'd like to spend more time with your Prince tonight?"

Regina's head snapped to attention. They had been careful to hide their relationship to the Queen but she should have known better.

The Queen smirked in response to the panic in Regina's eyes. "Don't worry, dear. You can have your fun…" She approached Regina like a panther descending on its prey. "... as long as at the end of the day, you're all mine."

Storybrooke, Maine

"Please, let me see her."

Whale crossed his arms over his chest. "Regina is still in the ICU. We're keeping her in a coma to let her body heal."

Fresh tears sprang in his eyes. Regina had suffered major internal bleeding and the surgeons had been forced to remove her spleen and part of her liver. She had also suffered from a collapsed lung and a subdural hematoma. Whale had to perform another surgery to release the pressure in her brain. "How is she?"

Whale sighed. He did not want to upset his patient further but Archie and Emma had asked him to tell David the truth about Regina's condition. "She had a seizure this morning."

David looked away. He knew that the longer Regina would stay in this state, the less likely she would fully recover.

Whale placed a comforting hand on his patient forearm. "She is fighting, David. She's doing a lot better than I would expect. She is breathing on her own and she isn't showing signs of liver failure. Her kidneys are also working properly. Her prognosis is improving everyday. Don't lose hope. Don't lose faith in her."

Day 640 of captivity

Regina smiled as she entered her bedchambers from the adjacent washroom. She was wearing a long white gown she had found in the back of her closet, her long raven hair falling in waves over her shoulders and back.

David returned her smile as he stood near the fireplace on the other side of the room. Regina walked toward him slowly, her heart beating wildly in her chest. The gesture would probably be silly to any casual observer but it meant the world to the couple. David reached for her hand and pulled her close to him. "Regina. I choose you. I promise to choose you every day, to love you in word and deed, to do the hard work of making now into always. To stand by your side and sleep in your arms. To learn with you and grow with you, even as time and life change us both. I promise to respect you and cherish you as an individual, a partner, and an equal, knowing that we do not complete, but complement each other. Do you take me as your husband?"

Regina swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yes." She takes one of the makeshift rings and slid it over David's finger. She squeezed his hand. "David. I love you unconditionally and without hesitation. I vow to love you, encourage you, trust you, and respect you. Today, I choose you to be my husband. I accept you as you are, and I offer myself in return. I will care for you, stand beside you, and share with you all of life's adversities and all of its joys from this day forward, and all the days of my life."

David smiled at his bride and slid her ring onto her finger. They laced their fingers before kissing each other. The wedding had no other witnesses than the couple in love but in this perfect moment, the couple sworn to abide by the vows they had just uttered.

The moment was interrupted by the door opening in a crash. Regina jumped and moved closer to her husband. A seething Queen entered the room, her index finger pointed to Regina. "You! How dare you betray me like this?"

She flicked her wrist and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke with Regina, leaving a distraught David standing at the altar.

Storybrooke, Maine

David was looking through the window at the snow falling on the ground. He had not touched his breakfast, lost in his thoughts. It would be Christmas soon but he did not feel like celebrating. David did not move when Archie knocked on the door.

The psychiatrist pushed a wheelchair inside the room. He had spent the past week convincing Dr. Whale that a short visit with Regina was in the interest of both patients. "I thought we could take a stroll outside this room."

David shrugged. Emma, Hook, and Henry had taken him on walks around the hospital grounds. At first, being with his family had helped him deal with Regina's absence. But he had missed so much of their lives that he had soon felt like a stranger intruding on private family moments. Emma had made a point to spend time with him alone and although he appreciated every minute spent with his daughter, his heart was heavy with grief. "I'm ok here."

Archie sighed. "Would you keep me company then?"

David shook his head. "I just want to stay here. I'm tired."

"I wish I could bring Regina to you but we figured it would be easier the other way around." The smile that illuminated the Prince's face warmed the doctor's heart. Archie nodded toward the wheelchair. "Do you need any help?"

David quickly nodded, forcing himself into a seated position. He had started physical therapy a week ago but his heart had not been into the task, impeding any progress. With Archie's help, he lowered himself into the wheelchair.

David fidgeted in his seat during the entire trip to the ICU. Whale met them outside the main area. "David, Regina is still in a coma. I'm not sure how much she can hear." David was not listening, his eyes fixed on the door leading to the woman he loved.

After several sessions with Archie, he had agreed to describe the three years he and Regina had spent with the Queen in the Enchanted Forest. Emma had been surprised to hear about the impromptu wedding ceremony but she had promised her father that as soon as Regina was out of the hospital, she would help them organize an official wedding.

"... her bruising has diminished but her face is still slightly swollen and her head is wrapped in bandages…"

David had kept their most intimate secrets to himself. He had not revealed to anyone what had transpired between Regina and the Queen. No one had to know… All they had needed to know is that Regina had defeated the Queen, at the cost of her own life.

Finally, David was allowed inside Regina's room. David gasped when he saw Regina's small form lying still on the bed, surrounded by dozens of machine beeping in concert. Archie pushed his wheelchair next to bed. He reached for Regina's hand and soothingly rubbed the back of it with hs thumb. "Hi, sweetheart." David could not stop the sob from coming out. He had known that Regina's life was still in danger but seeing it with his own eyes made the precarity of their situation more real.

David leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her hand. "Please, Regina, please don't give up now. You won and now all we have to do is get everything we've ever dreamed of."

Day 641 of captivity

The Queen was pacing furiously the length of her bedchambers. Regina was on the bed, afraid to move a muscle. She, better than anyone, understood the danger of defying the Queen when she was in this state. Suddenly, the Queen turned to face her. "Why? Why did you do it?"

Regina was slightly taken aback by the question since the Queen had given her her blessing to pursue a relationship with David. "You knew… you knew about it."

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. The Queen flicked her wrist and vines surged from the walls and the foot of the bed. They wrapped around Regina's wrists and ankles, spreading her on the bed. Regina was breathing faster, fear mounting from her stomach. She licked her lips. "What… what are you doing?"

"Taking what's mine." With another flick of her wrist, Regina found herself naked. Regina bit her lower lip and closed her eyes tightly, preparing her body and mind for what was about to come. The Queen settled herself in-between Regina's thighs. She dug her fingernails in Regina's tender skin. "Look at me!" Regina opened her eyes and whimpered. The Queen released her with a smile. "That's better. I want you to know who is pleasing you."

The Queen lowered her head to Regina's core and licked her entrance teasingly. Regina tried to school her body to not respond to the teasing. Her mind wandered to the nights she had spent with David, to the sensations his fingers and lips elicited.

Despite her attempt to drown out reality with her imagination, Regina moaned and squirmed as the Queen started applying more and more pressure on her clit. She tried to close her thighs but the vines did not have any slack.

The Queen teasingly caressed Regina's inner thighs as she continued her ministrations. She reveled in the way Regina was twitching above her. Despite Regina's claims of not wanting her, she could not deny that the Queen was turning her on. She was already wet and ready for more. The Queen released Regina's clit in a pop.

Regina was panting hard on the bed, her eyes wide in surprise. She tried to get her body under control, tried to stop the want and need at the pit of her stomach. She took a few deep breaths.

The Queen gleefully watched her alter ego trying to gain some semblance of composure. If Regina thought this would be the end of the night, she was sorely mistaken. The Queen smiled before conjuring a wooden phallus.

Regina's eyes widened in fear. She shook her head. "No… No…." The appendage the Queen was holding was enormous.

The Queen did not listen to any pleas and started rubbing the wooden toy against Regina, coating it with her fluids. She rubbed her clit with no particular pattern or rhythm and was soon rewarded by reluctant moans. Regina was soon moving her hips with the Queen, her eyes opening and closing as waves of pleasure shot through her. The Queen smiled. "Are you ready, dear?"

Before Regina could answer the question, the Queen thrusted the entire length of the phallus inside her. Regina screamed in both pain and need. The appendage was stretching her so wide that she thought she would soon be torn into but it was also applying pressure on all her sensitive spots. Regina had barely had enough time to adjust to the intrusion that the Queen started imposing a punishing pace.

Regina moaned and thrashed on the bed, her thoughts becoming mingled by the pain and pleasure the Queen was inflicted. Her orgasm hit her so hard that her back arched off the bed. She tried to free herself and scoot away from the device but the vines were holding her firmly in place. The Queen kept her punishing pace despite the tiredness in her arm.

The Queen lost count on how many times she made Regina come that night but when she finally removed the phallus from the woman's core and untied the vines, Regina rolled on her side in a fetal position.

Regina cupped her sex, trying to find some relief. She was biting hard on her lower lip, trying to contain her tears of shame and pain as the Queen settled next to her. The Queen tucked Regina's hair behind her ear, softly caressing her cheek. "You love me, Regina."

Regina gasped and opened her eyes in sudden understanding. The Queen was looking for love… her love. Regina had always despised the Queen. She had hated her for ripping her soul apart, for preventing her to grieve for Daniel, for preventing her to love properly. Regina laughed at the irony of their situation. Regina had everything the Queen wanted; she had all the power despite being the Queen's prisoner. She started laughing. "I will never love you. I used to hate you… what you forced me to become, to feel… to do."

Regina remembered all too well the screams of the Queen's victims. The part of her that had split from the Queen when Snow had injected her with Jekyll's serum had wanted to stop the madness, to help all these people but she had never been strong enough. Loving Henry had given her that strength and since then, she had tried to redeem herself. She had fought every day to keep the Queen at bay. "Now I only pity you… You want love? But you don't know what love is. You think that because you can make me come that I'd love you? I know you do. I used to be you." Her voice was still hoarse from screaming. "I thought that by hanging so tightly so someone until they suffocated, then they would eventually love me… I was wrong. I almost lost my son because of it… You think that by forcing me everyday in your bed, I will give up on David? I won't."

The Queen smirked. "We shall see, Regina. You gave up on Daniel. Our Daniel. And you gave up on Robin! If the prince disappears, you'll give up on him too!"

"NO!" Regina screamed. "No… I never gave up on Daniel … or Robin." She placed her hand over her heart. "They still have their place here. So does David… and Henry… and all the people you've taken from me." Tears were streaming down her face. She was tired both physically and mentally. "If you love me, then let us go."

Storybrooke, Maine

David was shifting on the bed, trying to find a comfortable position. His physical therapist had pushed too hard and his heart was not in it anyway. They had tried to raise Regina from her medically induced coma two days ago but the Queen had yet to regain consciousness.

A nurse knocked on the door. She was pushing a wheelchair to take him to his daily visits with Regina. He did not speak to her the entire way to the ICU. David tried to contain his sorrow at the sight of his love linked to more machines that he could count through various tubes and wires. He took his hand and spoke to her softly. He told her about his day: the visit with Henry and Emma in the morning, his physical therapy, and his short session with Archie.

As he was about to leave, David placed a soft kiss on Regina's hands. To his and the nurse's surprise, Regina's hand twitched in response. David gasped, his eyes full of hopes as he looked at the nurse.

The woman walked to the other side of the bed and placed her hand on Regina's shoulder. "Regina?" No response. She turned to the Prince. "Talk to her. Try to call her."

David executed himself. The nurse sighed in relief and smiled at the reading on the monitor: Regina was starting to have brain activity indicating that she was conscious. She encouraged David further. "Keep talking to her. I'll go get Dr. Whale."

David called Regina softly, kissing and rubbing her hand. The nurse and doctor came back a few minutes later. By that time, Regina had started to stir and groan. Her eyes fluttered open and all present cheered her on. David stood from his wheelchair with great effort. He grabbed Regina's bed for support and gently rubbed her cheek. "Regina? Thank you for coming back to me." The pain in his lower back was excruciating but he ignored it, happy to see the familiar brown eyes open and silently questioning him. "We're in Storybrooke! You did it, Regina!"

Regina swallowed, trying to process the avalanche of information. She could hear David's voice in the distance but she mostly felt pain. Her head was throbbing and she felt as if she had been torn from the inside. She moaned and whimpered, trying to move into a more comfortable position. She felt a strong hand on her shoulder.

Whale was trying to keep his patient calm. They needed to assess her condition but first, they had to reassure her and make her as comfortable as possible. "Does your head hurt?"

Regina weakly nodded and placed a hand on her abdomen. She heard ruffling on her side and Whale's voice once more. "I'm giving you more morphine. You should feel better in just a minute."

Regina welcomed the numbness that came with the drug. She relaxed on the bed, her eyes searching for David. The Prince was holding her hand, talking to her soothingly. He had lost his battle with his own body and had been forced to sit back down. "Just take it easy, sweetheart."

Whale waited a few minutes before asking Regina more questions. "Are you still in pain?" Regina tried to talk but her throat was burning. Whale squeezed her shoulder. "Don't try to talk. Just nod, ok?"

Regina nodded and then shook her head, answering Whale's original question. The nurse hurried out of the ICU room to fetch some ice chips.

Whale gave her an encouraging smile. "Can you move your fingers?"

Regina squeezed David's hand and moved the fingers of her free hand.

"Perfect." Whale walked to the foot of the bed and moved the blanket from her feet. He ran his pen along Regina's soles and smiled when she reacted immediately to the stimulus. "You're doing great, Regina. Can you move your toes?" Regina did.

Regina was getting agitated. She wanted to know what had happened to her. David immediately comforted her. "Take it easy, honey. Give yourself some time to wake up."

Whale replaced the cover and walked back toward the front of the bed. "Listen to David. I know you have a lot of questions but first, let's make sure you're doing as good as you seem to be." He opened one of her eyelids fully and shone his pen light directly into her pupil.

Regina felt like her head was about to explode. She tried to move away from the light but Whale held her more firmly as he repeated the process with her other eye. "I know… It'll just be a second."

When he finally released her, Regina shut her eyes tightly, trying to contain the feeling of nausea that had formed at the pit of her stomach. Whale kept checking her vitals while David talked to her reassuringly.

After a few minutes, the exam was over and Whale fed one ice chip to Regina. She took it gratefully, the coldness soothing her burning throat. Once he was sure he had her undivided attention, Whale briefed Regina on her current condition. "When David brought you here, you had massive internal bleeding and a concussion. We performed an emergency surgery to remove your spleen and part of your liver."

Regina squeezed David's hand and whimpered. She tried to fight the tube in her nose. David stopped her from yanking her feeding tube and smiled at her encouragingly. "You're going to be ok, honey. The doctors said your liver would grow back; you just need monitoring until then and a special diet."

Whale resumed his clinical assessment. "We let you rest overnight and performed a second surgery to treat the rest of your injuries." He stopped, locking eyes with David. He had already given the Prince all this information and he was not sure how much Regina needed to know right now.

David hesitated but if the past three years had taught him anything about Regina was that her greatest fear was to be kept in the dark. He cupped her cheek and looked her in the eyes as he continued. "Your heart stopped during the second surgery but they managed to revive you…" Regina's eyes widened in fear. David caressed her pale and cracked lips with his thumb.

Whale continued. "You also suffered from a brain injury. We had to open your skull to release the pressure." Regina closed her eyes. That would explain the blinding headache she was currently living with. "We placed you under a medical coma to let you heal." Whale squeezed her shoulder in comfort. "I know it's a lot to take in. But you're doing great. Your prognosis is excellent."

Regina wetted her lips. "How… how long?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

David swallowed hard. "In Storybrooke… two weeks. We… we spent three years with the Queen."

Regina let out a choked sob. Three years! The Queen had taken another three years from her. The machines started beeping as Regina's vitals changed to the danger zone at the news. David tried to comfort her. "Shhh… it's over, Regina. We're safe. Thanks to you."

Day 680 of captivity

Regina was listening to the Queen distractingly. Over the past three months, she had not been authorized to see David. She had only the Queen's words that he was still alive. That and the feeling in her heart.

"Regina, dear, what would you like to do this evening?"

Her tone was pleasant, the Queen was in a surprisingly good mood. Regina swallowed hard; today was as good a day as ever to put her escape plan in motion. "I'd like to see David."

The Queen's eyes narrowed. After the last incident, Regina had been behaving herself. To encourage her in her behavior, the Queen had allowed Regina more freedom: she had allowed the former mayor to spend some time in the kitchen and the library. She could never understand Regina's newfound love with cooking. "Absolutely not."

Regina had expected the reaction. The Queen felt threatened by the Prince. "We don't have to be alone. I just want to see that he is ok… with my own eyes."

The Queen stood abruptly. "I'll consider it. Go back to your chambers." She left without sparing a glance toward her prisoner.

Regina returned to her chambers and grabbed the small vial she had concealed under the chaise longue facing the fireplace. She looked at the red liquid and silently prayed that she had weighed the ingredients in the right proportion. During her years of living in Storybrooke without magic, Regina had perfected her potion skills. She had used this particular recipe once before to visit Maleficent in the mines. If correct, it would disable the Queen for twelve hours. If incorrect, the potion would be a powerful aphrodisiac. Regina hoped she did not put too much asphodel. She jumped as the Queen entered her chambers unannounced. She was followed by David, who could barely stand on shaky legs.

Regina gasped audibly at the Prince's appearance. David had lost an incredible amount of weight and his shirt had turned red from all the blood he had lost. He collapsed into Regina's chambers. "Regina!"

Regina rushed to him, cradling his head. His back was littered with lashes, some old and already scarring, some new enough to be oozing. Regina looked at the Queen, anger pouring through every pore. "Why? You had me! Why did you have to torture him?" Regina growled.

The Queen laughed. "I needed to have some fun!"

Regina closed her eyes, taking some calming breaths. She repositioned David so he was lying on her laps. His blue eyes looked for any signs of injury. "Are you ok?"

Regina gently caressed his cheek. "I'm ok… shh… just rest."

David coughed and winced immediately as the gesture sent waves of pain to his broken ribs. Regina closed her eyes; she needed to keep her anger under control. There was no point in putting her plan in motion now; David would not be able to escape in his present condition. She looked at the Queen above her. "Please, heal him."

The Queen smirked. "And why would I do that, dear?"

"I'll stay here with you, always. Just you and I. As you wanted. But please heal him and let him go."

The Queen lowered herself to she could face Regina. "Do you think me a fool? The only reason you're on your best behavior is lying in your arms. Why would I give up my only leverage?"

"Just heal him. And…" Regina closed her eyes, trying to find the strength to pronounce the words. "And I'll be yours."

The Queen's eyes narrowed. She grabbed Regina's face and force her tongue inside the reluctant woman. "Prove it, Regina. Then I'll consider healing him."

Regina begged the Queen. "At least stop torturing him… please."

"We shall see, dear. I need to be entertained… it's either you or him." The Queen flicked her wrist and David disappeared.

Storybrooke, Maine

David watched as Henry and Emma were decorating his room to spend Christmas as a family. He had been supposed to go home but standing by Regina's side had set his therapy back. He had not been able to work with his therapist since then. The Prince did not care, being able to see Regina as she had been waking up was more important.

"Gramps, angel or star?"

David's head snapped back to his grandson. He knew Henry was suffering from not seeing Regina as much as he was, if not more. His mother had disappeared from three years and she was currently in the ICU, so close yet out of reach. Whale had only allowed two fifteen-minute visits daily to be shared by all members of the family as long as they visited her once at a time. "What would you like?"

"Mom likes the star."

David smiled softly. "Star it is then."

Emma kept the small talk for her father's and son's benefits. Regina was scheduled for a battery of tests that would decide her final prognosis. David kept glancing at the door, waiting for the doctor to deliver the news. Emma knew he was not listening to her but she kept entertaining him, hoping that he would find some comfort being with his family.

As Henry and Emma were finishing hanging the decorations on the window, Whale knocked at the door. David jumped in his bed, his heart racing in his chest. "How is she?" In the corner of his eyes, he saw Emma rub Henry's back reassuringly. His grandson had grown so much in the past three years that he was much taller than his mother. David suspected he was taller than himself.

Whale smiled at the small family. "See for yourself." He stepped aside as the orderlies pushed Regina's bed inside the room.

David gasped in surprise, ready to jump out of bed. Whale and Emma rushed to his side, preventing him to do so. "No. You are staying in bed." Whale said firmly.

Whale and Emma moved aside so the orderlies could place Regina's bed right alongside his. The doctor continued. "Archie and I agreed that this arrangement will help both of your recoveries."

No one was listening to him as the orderlies reconnected Regina to some machines, including the feeding one that Regina hated so much. David took her hand as Henry climbed into her bed, careful not to hurt her. He nuzzled against his mother's neck; he had missed her so much.

Whale watched the happy reunion. Regina still needed a lot of rest but Archie had finally convinced him that keeping her away from her family was not helping her recover faster. Whale had been reluctant but considering how well Regina was doing, he was ready to take a chance. He smiled once before leaving the family to spend Christmas together. "Merry Christmas!"

Day 740 of captivity

David had finally recovered from his injuries. The Queen had repeatedly refused to heal him but she had let Regina tend to his wounds with ointments. Regina and David both knew that he had suffered from permanent nerve injury from the magical lashes but neither had had the courage to voice their concerns.

David had forced himself to walk in his small cell, trying to rehabilitate his right leg. He would need to be able to walk - or even run - once they finally broke free. According to Regina, they had already spent about two years in the Enchanted Forest; two years away from his family and friend. His heart constricted every time David thought of Emma and Henry.

A guard was present during each nursing session, ensuring that David and Regina did not talk to each other. Although they had never pronounced a single word, plenty had been passed between the two of them. As she was applying the ointment over David back, Regina would trace messages. Over the past few months, she had been able to tell him about her plan, telling him to be ready to act.

As she was finishing up with the bandage wrapping around David's chest, the Queen entered the room. "Regina, I thought you and I could spend the afternoon together." The Queen dismissed the guard, who scampered out of the room.

Regina looked into David's eyes. It was the first time in weeks that they were all in the same room. Regina did not know when another opportunity would present itself. She had hoped that David would have had a little bit more time to regain his strength but this would have to do. Regina abruptly turned around and threw the small vial at the Queen's feet. Red smoke filled the room.

The Queen gasped in shock of the betrayal. "You!" Although she had known all along that Regina was faking her obedience and allegiance, she had never thought that the small mayor would be brave enough to defy her.

Regina closed her eyes as the spell stated to act. Her last lucid thought was that she had definitely used too much asphodel.

Storybrooke, Maine

The nurse smiled as she entered the room. Unsurprisingly, David had made his way to Regina's bed and they were peacefully sleeping in each other's arms. She checked on Regina's vitals as quietly as she could manage.

David stirred in his sleep as the nurse moved Regina's hand away from his arm. He fully woke, reaching for the woman he loved. She had been torn from him too often in the past three years.

The nurse placed a reassuring hand on his bicep. "I just need to check her IVs." She whispered.

David nodded, his sight never leaving the nurse. Once she was finished, she replaced Regina's hand on David's arm. "Get some rest." She had seen the fear in his eyes. "No one is taking her away."

David's eyes were closing on their own. He nuzzled against Regina and fell back asleep almost immediately.

Day 740 of captivity

Before Regina could grab David's hand and attempt to make an escape, the spell had a strong hold on all of them. She could feel the familiar tingling in her abdomen; her legs had turned to jelly as her mind became muddled with thoughts of hands caressing her body, of something filling her. She swallowed, trying to soothe her dry throat.

The Queen chuckled. "Well, Regina… I didn't know you were so deprived… I can help you…"

Before she could think about the words, they were out of her mouth. "I don't want you." The spell was strong and she was wet from the thought of being with David.

The Queen's head slowly turned toward the man sitting on the edge of the bed. He had been standing further away from the vial and the spell did not have such a stronghold on him. She flicked her wrist to send the Prince lying naked on his back, his ankles and wrist bond by vines that sprung from feet of the bed.

The Queen smirked at Regina, using another spell to keep the woman immobilized in her spot. She slowly walked to the bed and sat near the Prince. The Queen ran her fingers over David's torso all the while looking at her alter ego in the eyes. "He used to be magnificent. I'll give you that. But what do you see in him now?" The Queen was delighted by the tears in the other woman's eyes. The Queen wrapped her hand around David's member, pumping him slowly.

David closed his eyes and willed his body to stay slack, to not respond to the Queen's movements. However, he could not find against biology and soon, he was hard, his balls tight and ready to burst. An involuntary moan escaped.

The Queen smiled. "So this is the man who claims to love you… but apparently any woman can get him hard."

Regina tried to keep the jealousy from invading her mind. It was not David's fault; he was reacting in the same way as her own body did every time she had to entertain the Queen. He did not love her. He did not want her but he had no other choice than to react. However, the spell was too strong for her to fight. She wanted him and the Queen's actions only fueled her jealousy.

The Queen flicked her wrist to remove Regina's clothing. She snorted at the sight: Regina's nipples were as hard as rock and she could see moisture glistening in the soft brown curls in-between her thighs. "My… Aren't we ready?" She used magic to remove her own clothing. "Come, Regina." She gestured for the woman to sit on her lap.

The combination of the aphrodisiac spell and the Queen's enticing voice made any resistance futile. Before she knew it, Regina was straddling the Queen's lap. The Queen took one of Regina's breast in her mouth, alternating between sucking on her skin and flicking her tongue against the hardened bud. Regina felt shivers of pleasure running down her spine. She moaned.

Regina locked eyes with David and saw the hurt and confusion reflected in the blue pools. Regina closed her eyes, ashamed at their current situation. It was all her fault. Regina yelped when the Queen switched breast and bit hard on her nipple.

"Open your eyes, dear. Look at your Prince while I pleasure you."

Regina opened her eyes, tears pooling in her eyes. David's expression softened. He was not angry with her and they would need each other's support to make it through the experience.

The Queen nipped at the skin on Regina's neck. "Do you want him inside you, dear?"

Regina nodded in shame, the spell breaking through all her inhibitions.

The Queen caressed her hair as if she was a small child. "Since you've been good lately, I'll let you have him… just this once." The Queen moved both of them in between David's thighs. "But I want you to remember who you belong to. You can have him inside you but you will make love to me."

The Queen lifted Regina's hips to position her over David's erection. She was trembling in fear, shame, and anticipation. David smiled at her; he knew how difficult this must be for her. The Queen gently lowered Regina onto David. They all moaned as Regina's core slowly engulfed David's length.

Regina reached out for David but the Queen prevented her from touching him. "No, Regina. If you need to use your hands, it will be only on me." The Queen moved from behind Regina to straddle David's waist, forcing Regina to look at her.

The Queen placed Regina's hand on her breast. Regina obeyed the silent command and rubbed the Queen as she had been instructed so many times. The Queen's hands wrapped around Regina's hips and lifted her onto David. She repeated the motion until Regina started to move on the Prince on her own.

The Queen lowered Regina's head to her breast. Regina reluctantly started sucking on the Queen's breasts. The woman threw her head back to give her better access.

Regina grinded herself onto David, concentrating on the feeling of him inside her. She needed to feel more of him, to feel his hands on her. She closed her eyes and tried to escape in her mind. She forced herself to believe that it was only she and David in the room.

The Prince gripped the sheet tightly. He was ready to come but he suspected the Queen had used a spell to prevent him from doing so. Every time Regina moved down on him, he would thrust up to meet her, hitting a spot deep inside of her. Regina's walls were clenching hard on him. She was also ready to come but would not be allowed to do so until the Queen allowed it. They moved harder and faster, trying to reach their impossible climax.

The Queen grabbed Regina's hand and moved it to her core. With little further coercion, Regina started rubbing the Queen's clitoris, alternating between slow circles and rapid movements. After months spent as the Queen's bed warmer, she knew exactly what the other woman wanted. Besides, she used to enjoy the same teasing.

Regina pushed two fingers inside the Queen and started pumping them in and out of her wet folds. They all moaned as the pressure inside them increased. The Queen came abruptly on Regina. As she was coming down from her high, the Queen lifted the spell that had prevented her bedmates from coming. Regina released in a scream, David following her over the edge.

Storybrooke, Maine

Whale placed a bowl of Greek yogurt in front of Regina. The feeding tube needed to be removed soon and Regina had to learn to eat enough to sustain herself. She pushed it away from her. "I'm not hungry."

Whale sighted. "That's because we're still feeding you every night, Regina. But your stomach needs to resume processing normal food."

Regina groaned. "How am I supposed to eat anything with that tube going down my throat?"

Whale pushed the bowl toward her. "I know it's uncomfortable but the sooner you start eating on your own again, the sooner I can remove that tube."

Regina hated his condescending tone. She understood he had her best interest at heart but she hated being treated like a child. David took her hand. "Remember how we wished we could eat some of the food of this world."

Regina looked at David, remembering one particular conversation in front of the fireplace. It had been before the Queen had ripped them apart. "Yogurt was not on my list."

David chuckled. "I know. But it's easier on your stomach. When we get out of here, I promise to take you to Granny's for a huge slice of apple pie."

Regina looked at the spoon and finally took it with a sigh. She ate the yogurt slowly, to David's and Whale's satisfaction.

Day 796 of captivity

Regina was curled up in a fetal position in her dark cell. The Queen had punished her and David for her failed escape attempt. She had locked Regina in the dark, visting her only to taunt her. She had not been able to move for what had seemed like days after the incident. Everything had hurt down there. But the worst part was to deal with the shame of what had transpired.

Regina hated herself for it. Because of her, the Queen had used her relationship with David against them. She had taken the pure love that they shared and had transformed it into something ugly. She cried out her pain and frustration.

The Queen smiled when she heard the wails of the woman locked up near her bedchambers. If Regina would not love her on her own, the Queen would break her until she did.

Storybrooke, Maine

"She was looking for love."

David was rubbing Regina's cheek tenderly. Whale had removed her feeding tube earlier today and Regina was able to move around more freely. Although she was set to start physical therapy next week, Whale had encouraged her to sit for an hour each day.

The couple were snuggling in the armchair, Regina feeling safe in David's embrace. "It wasn't your fault. She didn't give you much choice."

"I killed her." The words were barely above a whisper.

"You tried to reason with her. You tried to help her… but if you hadn't fought her, we would both be dead by now." David kissed her forehead. "Do you remember what you told Henry when you agreed to let him come with me?"

"That I didn't know how to love very well."

David nodded. "I didn't understand your statement at the time. Letting go of Henry instead of holding on to him tightly until he suffocated? That is love, Regina." He softly cupped her cheek and wiped the few tears that were escaping from her eyes. "What the Queen did to you had nothing to do with love. You tried to show her… but she couldn't see it."

Regina sobbed, her body trembling as she remembered the hours she had spent with the Queen.

David pecked her lips. "Love… love is what saved us."

Day 850 of captivity

The Queen was bored. Her favorite pet refused to talk to her or even acknowledge her presence when she entered the small room Regina had been confined into. The Queen was not having much fun with the Prince either. No matter, he would soon be dead anyway.

The Queen smirked. She had found a new source of entertainment, one that would break Regina completely.

She walked toward the room where she was holding her alter ego prisoner with a spring in her step. "Good morning, dear! Time to get out of this room!" She stood above the curled up form of Regina. "We have a full agenda today."

"I'm not interested." Regina rolled over, turning her back to the Queen.

The Queen scrunched up her nose. "Oh! …" She pinched her nose and fanned the air in front of air. "First you need a bath." She flicked her wrist and Regina found herself in a warm bathtub.

The former mayor immediately shrunk away from the Queen.

"We don't have time, dear. More interesting activities on my agenda today." The Queen chuckled.

Regina shivered; she did not like seeing the Queen is this mood. Nothing good would come out of it. She was proven right a half hour later when she was marched to the dungeon. Her heart was racing in her chest at the prospect of seeing David. She had no idea how long she had stayed in that room.

However, the Queen turned right in the next corridor. Regina frowned; she did not remember this particular hallway. They arrived a few minutes later in a circular room with a guillotine in its center. Regina gasped and tried to walk away but the Queen magically sealed the room. She approached the frightened woman and magically restrained her against the wall. Regina started to beg the Queen to stop whatever she had planned. She promised her to be good, to obey her.

The Queen's eyes narrowed. "Too late." She spat her answer and flicked her wrist one more time, conjuring David. The Prince appeared, strapped to the guillotine.

"No!" Regina screamed, fighting against her restraints.

David was barely aware of what was happening. The Queen had sent him back to the dungeon to die. She had barely fed him in the past weeks - perhaps months? - and had only been provided with enough water to survive. He could not fight his current predicament. He could not even stand on his own.

Regina started crying. "Please, no… oh no… please." She thrashed against the wall, trying to break free from the binding.

The Queen savored her victory. She flicked her wrist, releasing the sharp blade. She gasped in shock when the metal was replaced by water. She had used that trick before to save David from the same predicament. She slowly turned around toward Regina.

The mayor had freed herself from her bindings and had removed the cuff. The Queen gasped. "How…?"

Regina smiled as she felt the pure magic rushing through her veins. "Love." She extended her arms, white magic pouring from her open palms.

The Queen went flying across the room, falling to the floor in a loud thud. Regina did not dare move for a few minutes, waiting for her nemesis to stand up. She approached the unconscious Queen slowly, using the same magical bounds that had just been used against her. However, hers were stronger. Love was truly the strongest magic.

Regina rushed toward David and helped him sit down on the floor. "David… oh god, what has she done?" Regina's hand were roaming over his body, healing the various cuts and bruises. However, her magic could not fight the effects of dehydration and starvation. It would take time and Regina needed to give it to him. "David, please listen to me. I need you help."

The Prince was barely conscious, fighting the darkness that threatened to pull him under.

Regina kissed his cheek tenderly, trying to keep him with her. "David, you need to tell me of place Snow and you used to hide… one where I never found you."

David locked eyes with Regina and murmured his answer. Regina was fighting to remember whether she had known of the location when the Queen began to stir. She flicked her wrist and poofed them to the safe location in a cloud of lilac smoke.

Storybrooke, Maine - 3 months later

Regina smiled as she sat at the dining table in her mansion with David on her right and Henry on her left. They had both been released from the hospital that morning.

Emma was cooking in the kitchen while Hook finished setting up the table. The couple had agreed to help Regina and David in the first few days, maybe weeks until they could fully readjust to life in Storybrooke.

Regina and David were aware that they had a long fight ahead of them, but in this instance, everything was perfect in their world.

Day 994

Regina and David had managed to stay ahead of the Queen. The cabin in the woods had given David enough time to regain some strength. However, Regina had been betrayed by the villagers when she went to restock their meager supplies. Since then, they had been on the move, trying to stay one step ahead of the Queen. They traveled by night and rested during the day.

However, it appeared that their luck had run out. The Queen was standing five feet away from Regina, pacing like a caged animal. She wanted the mayor to make the first move; she wanted to know how much white magic she was truly capable of.

Regina schooled her features into a confident mask. The five months she had spent free from the cuff had allowed her to practice with the new magic and she knew she was stronger than the Queen. However, Regina had an achilles heel: she did not wish to kill. The Queen, on the other hand, would not show the same restraint.

Regina placed herself between the Queen and David. "In all these years as your prisoner, I have one question. How did you do it?"

The Queen smirked. "Do what dear?"

"Take us back here. How did you open a portal?" The Queen laughed and conjured the dark wand. She had waited a long time to gloat and she was finally happy to tell Regina the news. Regina gasped in shock. "Zelena…"

"... is dead." The Queen flicked the wand tauntingly. "I succeeded where you've failed. I killed our sister for all she has done to us… Evil is apparently stronger than wicked." The Queen pursed her lips. "She put up a good fight, trying to rescue the both of you."

Regina let the tears fall down her face. "She was trying to be good… she and I… we could have been real sisters."

"You're better off without her."

"You don't know what love is. You want me to love you but you're incapable of it. Love… love is pure and beautiful… it is shared, not forced." Regina turned toward David and smiled softly. She felt her magic growing stronger as she let the feeling invade every pore in her body. "Love is strength…" Regina remembered how she broke the curse by giving Henry True Love's Kiss. "Love is sacrifice…" She remembered Robin. "... the sacrifice that Zelena was willing to make to save me from you."

The Queen stepped forward, her body shaking in anger. Her upper lip was quivering and her teeth were bare. "You love me, Regina. And I want you to admit it."

Regina smiled softly at the Queen. "I don't hate you… After everything you've put me through, I don't hate you… but I can't love you… not like this." She stepped closer to the Queen, much to David's despair. "You can change… like I did. Like Zelena did." She extended her hand toward the Queen. "Come with us… let us help you."

The Queen snorted. "You're even more pathetic than the pest that has ruined our life."

Regina shook her head. "Snow was just a child… and if I… if we had opened ourselves to love, things could have been different."

The Queen stepped back. "NEVER!" In her rage, she let her dark magic flow toward Regina. The other woman had anticipated her action and was already counteracting her with her own white magic.

David tried to reach the two women but a magical barrier - that he suspected Regina was keeping in place - prevented him from coming too close to the battle. Regina was holding her ground, the magic flowing effortlessly from her hands. She concentrated on love, on Henry, David, Robin, Zelena, Snow… all the people in her life that had loved her.

The Queen was panting, struggling to beat the mayor with the darkest of magic. Sweat was pearling on her forehead and her magic was slowly losing ground. All of the sudden, her magic disappeared and she screamed her frustration.

Regina's white magic hit the Queen in the chest and despite her best efforts to control it, Regina could not stop the flow of energy. The Queen exploded in front of her, the force of the shockwave sending her flying through the woods. She landed almost five hundred yards away after hitting a tree violently.

David rushed to her side. "Regina!" He checked her pulse and was relieved to find her heart beating, albeit faintly. David turned toward the spot where the Queen had been standing to only find a pile of smoking ashes.

David gasped in shock when a black vortex open on the spot where the Queen had disappeared. Without thinking through the consequences of his actions, he gathered Regina in his arms and stepped through the portal.

Storybrooke, Maine - two years later

Regina was laughing as David led his bride to the dancefloor. Although they had considered themselves married after the ceremony in the Queen's castle, they had wanted to have a wedding in Storybrooke, to renew their woes in front of their family and friend. "You know I'm not a very good dancer."

David chuckled. "I don't think your husband will mind if you step on a few toes." The irony of their current situation was not lost on either of them. David had been the one to teach her how to dance for a ball given in her honor… or at least the Savior's honor.

David and Regina spent the evening dancing and laughing with all gathered at the event, which happened to be half of the town. As the couple was ready to leave for their wedding night, Whale approached them. "I wanted to give you this personally."

Regina frowned as she took the envelope, with David reading over her shoulder. She opened it and looked at Whale in disbelief when she saw the hospital letterhead. She had been tired lately and Whale had insisted on running some blood test to make sure that she was not suffering from any side effects of her life-saving surgeries. Why would Whale give her her test results at her wedding when she had specifically instructed the man not to let David worry until they knew more?

The doctor nodded encouragingly. "Read it."

Still mistrustful, Regina opened the letter. Both she and David gasped as their eyes fell on the highlighted result: PREGNANT. Regina turned toward David with tears of joy in her eyes. She had never thought it possible. She threw herself into his open arms. "We're having a baby."

David laughed against her, lost in his happiness. Regina suddenly pulled away from him. She faced Whale with her hand on her abdomen. "Can I… will the baby be ok?"

Whale placed his hand on her bicep, trying to reassure her. "You're perfectly healthy. There is no reason why you would not carry a healthy, beautiful baby to term."

Storybrooke, Maine - eight and a half months later.

"One last push, Regina!" Whale encouraged her.

Regina fought through the pain to push her baby out of her body. A bright light illuminated the room as Regina and David's baby girl was born. The doctor and nurses quickly placed the screaming infant on her mother's belly.

Regina reached for her little miracle. "Hi, Sarah… hi, sweetheart." The nurses were cleaning the quieting baby.

Whale handed the scissors to David. "Want to do the honor?"

David grabbed the surgical instrument and cut the cord. The nurse placed the baby in Regina's arms. Sarah opened her gorgeous blue eyes that immediately reminded Regina of David's and her sister's. "She is beautiful."

David kissed Regina's cheek before rubbing Sarah's hand. "She is our little princess."