She had meant to sneak up on Daniel as he finished with the last horse of the day. Her steps were soft on the straw-covered floor but her favorite horse wasn't so quiet. Sensing his human nearby, Arrow dropped his head over the stall door next to Daniel and called out to her. She froze. There was no way Daniel couldn't know now. She couldn't find it in herself to be disappointed when he turned to look at her over his shoulder though. A familiar smile tilted his lips and her own quickly grew to match. The feeling was as natural as it had been back on the Forest with him; the forty previous years forgotten now that they were together again.

Light as the air filled with love and happiness, she made her way closer. He turned to face her, the now-empty bucket in hand. "Don't tell me Madame Mayor would like to go for a ride just as I finished my rounds?" He shook his head. "Typical timing, ma'am."

Her eyes lit up with his teasing and she shook her head, playing along. "Don't worry about little ol' me after your long day of hard work."

"Your humble stable hand thanks you." He bent at the waist in a bow toward her.

They were both grinning like fools now as he turned to take the bucket and brushes back to the tack room. Regina followed, her eyes never leaving him. She still was amazed to find him returned to her.

"What brings you here?" He set the bucket in the stack against the wall. "Miss ordering me around?"

Huffing as it the idea were ludicrous, which it was but for very different reasons, she crossed her arms. "I happen to miss my dear horse." After a pause she added, "You being here was just an added bonus."

Daniel feigned offense. "Second to a horse..." he muttered under his breath, exaggerating it for show. "Don't let me stop you." Tossing her an apple from a nearby sack, he stuffed his hands in his pocket and strolled past her.

She caught the apple and let him head toward the exit as she returned to Arrow's stall, offering him the apple. Daniel was about halfway down the main aisle, taking his time in his walk to give her time to catch up as he thought she would, before she conjured another apple and tossed it at the back of his head. She had to stifle a laugh when he ducked at the contact of apple and head.

"What the..." He rubbed the back of his head just as his eyes landed on the rolling apple. Surprised but not, he shook his head in amusement. When he turned to face her, she was tossing another apple between her hands. "Are you sure you want to try that again?"

She didn't answer. He lifted a hand, a crooked finger beckoning her closer. She stilled the apple in her grasp. "Come here, Regina."

Biting her lip, she shook her head.

"Regina…" He gave her a look and finally she conceded with a cautious step forward. His smile grew subtly, prompting another stop forward. He knew he had won. Which was what she had been waiting for.

He ducked quickly when the apple came flying at him. By the time he stood straight again, the stall door was open and Regina was throwing herself onto Arrow's back, laughter filling the barn.

"You little…" His exclamation faded into a laugh as he quickly crossed to the nearest stall and jumped onto the back of Ash.

Regina had already started down the long aisle on the back of Arrow by the time she heard hoofbeats pounding behind her. She looked under her arm at the chasing duo and the determination in Daniel's grin encouraged another fit of laughter.

As the barn roof gave way to a starry sky, she lowered herself over Arrow's neck again for the chase. The horse beneath her stretched out and they raced along until the dirt path led to the pasture, the tall grass brushing the underside of her boots.

The hoofbeats drew closer but still she didn't slow. A glance under her arm again showed him to be right on her tail. It didn't take much longer for him to draw even with her. His hand reached out and latched onto her wrist, tugging in an attempt to bring her onto his ride.

"No!" she laughed, managing to rip her arm away. He only grinned in response and tried again. "It's not that easy, Daniel!" she told him, still laughing at his failed attempts. The wind created by the speeding horses ripped the sound away but that didn't stop the look in their eyes and the clear amusement on their faces. She leaned away from him and the horse followed the shift, veering to the right away from Daniel.

Grin growing, he dropped his hold on Ash's mane and gathered himself. Before Regina was able to get too far, he had thrown himself from the back of his horse and tackled Regina off of hers. Squealing in surprise, she clung to her love as they both went tumbling to the ground.

Daniel wrapped her in his arms and turned so that he landed on his back on the ground and Regina landed safely on him. Her eyes were wide as she lifted her head and stared down at him before laughter once again came tumbling from her lips, burying her face back in his chest again. "Daniel!"

"It's not that easy, Regina," he mocked her, rolling over again so that she was on the ground beneath him and unable to get away again. "Try throwing an apple at me now, why don't you?" he prompted, smirking in his victory.

"Oh, you mean like this?" Wiggling an arm free, she pointed it at a spot above his head and an apple appeared to fall in the same spot as before. He yelped in surprise. Regina took her chance to make her escape, but not before pressing up to steal a quick kiss.

"Regina!" Daniel called after her, trying to sound mad but failing miserably when all he managed was mirth. She giggled from her hiding place, kneeling down in the tall grass not too far away. But as she crawled forward, the stalks moved. "I wonder where she could possibly be," he drawled. The stalks went still. But he already had her location. He made his way slowly toward the spot and just when he thought he had her, he was knocked forward onto the ground with another sound of surprise.

He quickly spun over but that was all that he could manage with Regina straddling him and holding his shoulders down. "Pinned ya," she purred, leaning down to brush their noses together.

In a quick move, he rolled them over again so he was hovering over Regina. "Now what?" he countered. When her hands twitched, he quickly grabbed them and laced their fingers, placing their now-joined hands by her head. "Ah ah," he grinned. "No magic this time."

Regina pouted and wiggled under him. He pressed down into her to still her and her pout changed quickly to a smirk. A leg wrapped around him pulled him closer. "How about a different kind of magic?" she asked softly, her breath ghosting across his lips.

Unable to stop himself, his lips met hers in a crushing kiss that she met with equal passion. "My love, I thought you'd never ask," he whispered against her lips.