I'm back! I had a serious case of writer's block but I'm past it. I am happy(and sad) to announce that this is the last chapter of Inevitable.

I'll save the mushy goodbyes and thank yous till after you guys read.

Enjoy!

He didn't even wait for her response. He just ran. He heard her let out a muffled sound, something like a mix between a sob and a protest for him to stay, for him to not choose her. For him to not choose the woman who for so long, wanted nothing more than his own wife's death. Who lived and breathed with the sole purpose of finding new ways to end Snow's existence. Who actually believed bringing an end to Snow would make her finally feel whole again. But he still chose her. He still ran. Out the door and into his pickup. Everything was starting to blur together and he had to slow down to keep from running straight through the stop sign and plowing into Neal's vehicle, who rolled down the window and let Charming have a few colorful words of choice. He winced and waved at the man in apology, but he couldn't keep the apologetic persona on long. A smile broke out on his face as he picked up speed once again.

He knew what he wanted. For the first time in a very long time, he knew exactly what he had to do. He wanted her. That crazy ass woman who had been hurt so many times that she is terrified of letting anyone find out who she truly is. So damn terrified that maybe, just maybe, someone would finally care enough to find out exactly who Regina Mills is. Because no one ever cared to look past the evil, unhinged mask that she had so carefully constructed. The mask that, because she had worn it for so long, had become a part of her. But David knew better. He saw past the stoic mayoral mask and the perfect facade she was always sure to have in place. When he looked into those beautiful, dark eyes, he saw right through the lies and deception she tried to throw his way. They say that the eyes are windows to the soul. With Regina, that statement couldn't be more accurate.

The mayoral mansion came into view and he rolled to a quick stop in the paved driveway. Yanking the keys out of the ignition, he jumped out of the truck and practically ran to the white front door. It was late, he knew, but he couldn't wait. He had to see her. He just had to tell her.

He pounded on the white door, eager to speak to the woman whom he loved so dearly. A light flicked on in the upstairs window and a pang of guilt swept through him as he realized that he more than likely just woke her from a peaceful slumber. The feeling was quickly replaced when the gravity of the situation hit him. A smile spread across his lips. He was about to confess his love to a woman who was despised by more people than he knew. Who had tortured and murdered and yet she still not felt a pang or regret or sorrow because of it. She had tried to kill his 'true love' a countless amount of times. All of these things were true and yet, he felt no trace of uncertainty when the door swung open, revealing Regina in a nightgown, a worn expression on her face and an even more tired expression in her dark eyes. A look of pain flashed over her face when she saw him.

"David," she whispered, tears pricking her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

It hurt his heart to see her clearly in so much pain. Pain that he had brought upon her. He had to make it up to her somehow. He would make it up to her.

"Can I come in?" he asked, and didn't wait for her reply before sliding past her and into the warm home. He heard the door shut behind him and breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't use magic to physically remove him from the house. He turned around to face her.

"What do you want?" she asked, an exasperated and pained expression on her face.

Without saying a word, he closed the distance between them and brought a hand up to cup her cheek, touching his lips to hers. He felt the way she tensed but it only made him more determined. He wound his other hand around her waste and drew her towards him, smiling against her mouth when he felt her respond to him, tentatively at first, and then more so.

Regina was conflicted. She didn't know what to expect when she opened the door and saw David, but it certainly was not this. She melted into his kiss almost instantly, missing his touch over the past weeks. She realized now just had bad she had craved it. She loved everything about this man. The way he looked at her, with those ocean blue eyes full of hope and life. The way he touched her, with soft hands and a charming smile. She missed how he made her feel alive again, how he taught her to love again. She missed their witty banter, their barbs toward one another, which once were filled with so much hate and anger, were now only another sign of their affection.

But most of all, Regina Mills missed the way that he could make her feel like she belonged. He could make her feel wanted with one touch. One kiss. One look.

And while all of these things swam through her mind as soon as she saw him, she couldn't keep hurting herself. And wasn't that ultimately what she was doing? Kissing him now, falling deeper in love with him, only for him to run back to his pregnant wife at the end of the day.

She brought both hands up to his chest and pushed him away, instantly missing that tingling, warm feeling in her chest, reminding herself that he was her own brand of poison. He could only cause her more pain.

"Don't do this to me, David," she whispered, staring up at him through teary eyes. As soon as her lips left his, the pain came crashing back down and it hit her hard. Her lip trembled as she said the next words. "Don't play with me. Just..Just stop," a tear rolled down her cheek as she stared at the ground.

"Hey, hey, ssshh," he brought a hand up to her cheek to wipe away the tear, and while she cringed at his touch and turned her head slightly, she couldn't bring herself to push his hand away. His touch felt too good.

"No," she said, when he brought his hand down. "Just stop. Please stop." It wasn't one of her finer moments if she was being honest, but she couldn't stop the waver in her voice as she talked him. And maybe it was the pregnancy hormones talking but she couldn't stop herself from saying, "Do you know what I did because of you?"

"What?" his eyes were filled with love as he cocked his head slightly to the side in question.

"I took out my heart," she confessed and his blue eyes widened as she continued. "I ripped it out of my chest because-" she paused, wiping the moisture from under her eye before continuing. "Because I thought that maybe, without it, it wouldn't hurt so bad. Taking it out would mean that I couldn't love you anymore."

"Regina-"

"Well you know what?" she cut him off, raising her voice slightly. Anger and sadness were only two of the many emotions swirling around in her dark eyes. "It didn't work. Because every damn time I think about you, every time I look at you, I feel this pain inside of me that could only come from loving someone. Even when I'm not thinking about you there's this..this emptiness inside of me. I feel cold and I feel empty and I feel alone and it's all because of you!" She practically yelled, tears beginning to stream down her face.

"And I don't know what to do," her voice was filled with so much sadness David cringed. "I don't know how to stop loving you. I know I shouldn't. I don't deserve you. You deserve someone like Snow. Someone who is good. She can give you everything I can't. Years of friendship and happiness and memories and love. And what have I ever given you, huh? Pain. I know you could never love me and yet here I am. And I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this."

"So don't," he said simply, and it was her turn to be confused.

"Excuse me?" she said, taken back by his answer. "Don't you think if I could stop loving you I would?"

"No," he corrected her, taking her hand in one of his own. She tensed but didn't pull away. "Don't try to stop loving me."

"Why? her brow crinkled in confusion, and she tore her hand from his. An inkling of hope rose from somewhere very deep inside of her but she quickly stomped it down. Hope made you vulnerable and she was already exposing more of herself than she wanted to. "So you can say that you officially have the untouchable Evil Queen wrapped around your finger? You enjoy this, don't you? Enjoy toying with my emotions." A twisted smile schooled her features. "You like watching me squirm under your thumb, coming back to me whenever it's convenient for you." She shook her head and snarled. "Well I'm done with you, Charming. Go back to your precious Snow."

She turned around to go back upstairs but he caught her hand and whipped her back around, crashing his lips to hers once more. This time she didn't hesitate before pushing him away.

"I thought I told you-"

"I left her," he cut her off, a small smile on his lips as he watched her emotions range from anger to disbelief and then finally to hope.

"What?" she whispered, searching his blue eyes for a sign to show he may be lying.

"I left Snow," he repeated, bringing his thumb to rub her jawline.

"Why would you do that, Charming?" she asked, not fully believing him. She felt her eyes begin to burn with tears again but she pushed them away.

"Because I love you."

"Not good enough," she whispered.

"Yes, good enough," he countered, more sure of his decision than ever.

"No, it's not! No one has ever done anything for me simply because they loved me. There's always something more, some underlying gain. I don't believe that you left your true love, pregnant might I add, whom you've spent years and years with for someone who you didn't even like until very recently."

He looked at Regina with pity. This poor woman didn't even know what it felt like to be loved. To be truly and unconditionally loved. But how could she? Everyone in her life had used her or manipulated her in some way shape or form, himself included. How could he expect her to trust him completely?

"You want proof? Fine," he tilted her chin up with his hand so she would look into his eyes. "I left her because when I'm with her, all I think about is you. Because even though I was with her for years and years, compared to the short time I spent with you, what I had with her seems to fade away. What I felt for her is completely different from what I feel feel for you. What we have is real. And believe me, I've tried to forget you and move on, but I just can't get you out of my head. You are my world now, Regina. You brought new meaning to my life. And even though you don't believe you deserve to be loved, I have fallen completely and irrevocably in love with you."

Tears were slowly falling from her eyes and a smile, small but there nonetheless, began to curve her lips. She breathed a short laugh.

"Okay," she said finally, and his smile widened.

"Okay?"

"Okay," she repeated, her smile growing to match his. "I- I love you too."

She hesitantly brought her lips up to his, rising on her toes slightly and wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. He smiled against her mouth, winding his arms around her back when she brought one hand to trail through his short hair. It was short, but it was just as sweet. She broke the kiss and hummed through closed lips as she kept her arms wrapped around him and rested her chin on his chest, looking up at him.

"I suppose now would be a good time to tell you then," she said, her brow furrowing slightly.

"Tell me what?" he asked, still holding her tight. She took a deep breath and nuzzled the side of her head into his chest, closing her eyes.

"I…I'm pregnant," she said slowly. His breathing faltered slightly but he didn't say anything. She held him a little tighter as she looked back up at him with nervous eyes. "Are you upset?"

"Upset?" he asked, not believing what he was hearing. "Regina, I've never been happier." A smile spread across her face once more and she rose on her toes to kiss him once more.

"How far along are you?" he asked, resting his head on top of hers with a smile.

"Around 7 weeks," she replied, doing the math in her head. The only time they had slept together was the night of the Christmas party and it was almost March.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, a question that held no malice or anger. It was born simply of curiosity, and this surprised Regina. She assumed he would feel at least a little upset that she was keeping such a big secret from him, but he wasn't. In some way, she reasoned, he probably understood her motives behind keeping the baby a secret. She was relieved he wasn't angry.

"Well, I didn't know if you would want it. It just seemed easier this way," she explained, feeling a little shameful.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" he asked, staring down into her eyes.

"Honestly, I don't know. I would keep it a secret from everyone until I was forced to tell them when the baby started to show. I suppose you would've figured it out eventually," she said, and quirked her head to the side with a small, playful grin. "Well, I don't know. You are a Charming."

"Hey!" he defended with a small laugh, his eyes never leaving hers. Her eyes lit up wonderfully when she smiled. He made a mental note to make her smile more often. "I am not as stupid as you make me sound."

"Debatable," she quipped, but it was harmless. He knew she was joking and couldn't resist the urge to kiss that adorable smirk off her face. And kiss her he did. He brought his lips to hers and she hummed a content sound of approval. She snaked her arms around his neck and rose on her toes, squealing when he picked her up off the ground. She wrapped her legs around her waist and held on to his neck, never breaking the kiss. His hands supported her on her back and he walked them until they were up against the wall opposite to the kitchen. His lips traveled from her lips to her jaw and she cocked her head, giving him more access. She moaned softly when he kissed a trail down her neck, hitting a sweet spot that made her knees go weak. She grabbed his chin and brought his mouth back to hers for a quick kiss.

"Why don't we," she kissed him once more before unwinding her legs from around him and standing on her own, clutching the lapels of his coat, "take this to my bedroom?"

"Whatever Her Majesty wishes," he said lowly, his deep, husky voice shooting straight between her legs. She smiled and kissed him once more before remembering something.

"You go first. I'll meet you up there," she told him, bringing her lips to his once more. "You remember where it is, don't you?" she teased, lifting an eyebrow.

"I can manage," he said as she gave him once last seductive smile and then turned around, walking toward the office. "Don't be long," he called after her, to which she turned her head and let a low laugh escape her throat.

"Eager are we, Charming?" she said with a low hum before disappearing through one of the many doors in the mansion. David shook his head with a quiet laugh before making his way up the stairs toward her room.

Regina waited until she safely heard him ascend the stairs before retrieving a small key from the potted plant inside of her office. She twirled it in her fingers before inserting it into a small keyhole on the top drawer of her desk. Pulling it open, she grabbed what she was looking for and locked the drawer back, replacing the key to its proper location.

She held her dark heart in her hands and cocked her head in thought. For most of her life, she had assumed she would end up alone. Her only goal had been to bring pain to Snow. To rip away her happy ending since she had stolen Regina's from her. It was only fair, right? She never allowed herself to hope for a happy ending. She convinced herself that a happy ending was not in the cards for an Evil Queen, simple as that. She would die alone. Possibly in her sleep, surrounded by darkness, but that was only if she was lucky. Life had never been kind to her. It only seemed fair that she would die a painful death, prolonged by the misery of being completely and utterly alone, having not one soul to hold her hand as she passed from this world.

It seemed fitting that the irrational and powerful Evil Queen would not have her happy ending. She had ripped away so many other peoples' happiness, why should she get the luxury of finding love? The luxury of having someone to hold her and whisper sweet little words in her ear, simply to put a smile on her face.

It didn't seem possible to find happiness, and yet, a rather uncharming Prince was awaiting her presence in her bedroom. Against all odds, he had chosen her. Why? Well, she had no idea. But she was not going to let another chance at happiness slip through her fingers.

Placing the heart over her chest, she gently pushed it in, gasping when everything came back to her. Tears began to fill her eyes and a small smile brightened her features. So this is what it felt like to had forgotten how nice it was.

She made a promise to herself. She promised that she would not let her fears keep her from happiness. Promised that she would stop waiting for the next person to leave her. She promised that she would let her walls down and love this man unconditionally and without boundaries.

And for the first time in a very long time, as Regina Mills walked out of the office, flicking the lights off as she left, she allowed herself to hope.

Because maybe, just maybe, her unhappy ending wasn't so inevitable after all.

*deep sigh* well that's that! I hope you enjoyed this roller coaster that I took you guys on.

And i decided to give this a happy ending because i figured that i put you guys through enough hell already.

A BIG THANK YOU TO MY LOYAL FOLLOWERS WHO HAVE STUCK WITH ME! And the ones who have kicked my ass in gear and told me to update. i don't know what i would've done without you.

I have two new stories posted. One is OQ based and the other, well it would be easier for you to just go read the description haha.

One final review maybe?(:

xoxo- Addie