Chapter Text
David called Regina the next morning, wanting to know if she knew anything about a pirate who called himself Captain Hook. She rolled her eyes to herself as she explained that she did, and asked why.
“He's in town.”
“How?”
“No clue. Emma searched his ship but she can't search the way you can. With magic, I mean. I was wondering uh, if maybe--”
“Yeah, I'll go take a look,” Regina cut in.
“No! No, I mean yes, but I don't want you to go alone. I was going to ask if I could come get you and take you there,” David rushed.
She knew if she argued, he'd show up at the docks anyway, so Regina sighed and agreed.
She was nervous. There wasn't a reason to be, well… unless she considered she might face the man who'd cheated her and made her believe her mother was dead. But Regina could take him on. How he'd evaded Rumplestiltskin, she'd never understand.
When David arrived, Regina was halfway out the door to walk to his car and noticed he was walking up the sidewalk.
“You didn't have to get out of the car.”
He chuckled. “Always so difficult.”
“And you're too friendly. So Emma talked to Hook?”
“She did,” David answered, opening the passenger door for her and receiving a shake of her head.
“And he didn't say why he was here?”
“No.”
Regina waited until he'd gotten in and started the truck before saying anything else. “Well he's the reason we had to face my mother in the Enchanted Forest.”
Frowning, he looked at her. “What? Why?”
“He was who I sent to kill her before I cast the curse. I knew I didn’t want her coming through with the curse, so I enchanted his hook for one go and taught him how to take out a heart with it.”
“Ah. So you just… well, how did they trick you?”
Regina sighed. “My mother didn’t have her heart in her body, so when he tried, he was obviously unsuccessful. I imagine she offered him something to turn sides and bring her back, while she pretended she was in fact dead. Serves me right for trusting a pirate.”
David reached his hand over after he put the truck in gear. He squeezed her thigh, the touch coming naturally, even though it made her stiffen just slightly. “I’m sorry, Regina. You deserved so much better of a childhood than you got.”
“It’s done and over with. Now we’ll tend to this stupid pirate and see what he wants. I can hazard a guess though.”
“What is your guess?”
“He wants Rumplestiltskin. He wants to kill him. Not that I particularly care, but it is what it is.”
David thought for a moment as they drove together. He needed to get Snow and Emma to be okay with Regina acting as mayor again. Snow had apparently taken over in their absence, and was proving to buckle under the pressure. And it wouldn’t hurt for a powerful sorceress to be the one watching the town and knowing everything that was going on with it.
“You’re thinking hard on something, dear, I can almost see smoke coming out of your ears,” Regina teased, winking at him when he looked over at her.
“Always funny, aren’t you?”
“Hah, now that’s something no one would ever believe.” She looked out her window, finally bringing her own hand to rest atop his on her thigh. Squeezing his fingers, Regina thought a moment on how badly she missed him already. She’d only been alone two nights and she craved him in her bed, craved the quiet of their mornings together and the desire for her that he’d had. Now he had his wife to tend to and make happy. Thinking of which, “Where does Snow think you are?”
He let silence fill the space between them for a moment, then glanced at her. “At the docks.”
“With me?”
“No,” David mumbled, looking slightly guilty. “She thinks I was going alone.”
“Of course. Certainly can’t allow the Evil Queen to corrupt her perfect Prince.”
“Regina…”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“No, you’re right. I should have told her. I just… I don’t know how to talk to her right now.” He sighed, turning toward the water. “I’m happy to be home, and to be with my family. But right now Snow and I are on different pages and we’re having issues meeting in the middle.”
Regina rolled her lips together and nodded. “I’m sorry. I imagine it’s hard to make up for twenty-eight years apart.”
“Yeah, it is. But we don’t need to talk about my problems.” He parked the truck. “Let’s go figure out what we’re dealing with.”
Nodding, Regina got out of the car and walked around to the front to wait for him. Once he was at her side, she led him to the docks, but there was no ship to be seen.
“Are you sure your daughter wasn’t hallucinating?”
“I’m positive. It has to be here.”
Regina turned, looking for any sign, which she got from seagulls who seemed to be resting on empty air. She waved her hand in front of her, clearing away a spell and revealing the Jolly Roger. “Yep, this is Captain Hook’s ship.”
“So other than wanting Gold dead, is he harmless or should we be concerned?”
“Depends.” She led him up the ramp and onto the ship, beginning to look for clues, trying to feel for traces of magic. It was curious that the ship was under a concealing spell when it hadn’t been the day before. “How he got here and who used magic to hide his ship are currently our biggest concerns.”
David’s phone rang, so he picked it up and turned to speak into it. While he was busy, Regina searched the deck to no avail. As soon as he hung up, he moved to her side. “Guess what that was about?”
“Hm?”
“Snow and Emma would like me to invite you to a ‘Welcome Back’ party that Ruby is throwing in honor of our return.”
“Your return, you mean. And why on earth do your wife and daughter want me there?”
He smiled then, the act lighting up his face. “Because, you stubborn woman, your son requested your invite.”
Regina returned his smile and nodded. “Then I’ll be there.”
“Good. It’s tonight at seven.”
She nodded again, then looked around. “We could look below deck, but I think I’d rather see if I can find him first. Maybe get some answers out of him.”
David agreed, leading her from the ship and down the ramp. “We’ll keep an eye out for him. In the meantime, I’ll get you home so you can get back to your life and prepare for the party.”
Regina had spoken to Archie on the phone twice since she’d been back, trying to get help to work through stopping her magic use, and to learn how to handle Emma and Snow when it came to her son. With the knowledge that she’d see them (and the rest of the town that hated her) at the party, she made a stop to his office once David had driven her home.
“Regina,” he greeted, letting her in. “How are you doing today?”
She took a seat on the sofa, sighing and looking straight ahead instead of at him. “I’m… nervous. Henry wanted me invited to the party for David tonight, and I want to see him, so I have to go. But Emma and Snow hardly want me around my own son, and I don’t know how to deal with them.”
Nodding, Archie gave her a faint smile. “Well you know your son wants you there, and that’s the most important thing, right? I suppose your biggest concern next is how to make sure you can remain comfortably civil with them in front of him?”
Regina nodded. “I’m just so angry they think they have more of a right to him than I do. The only reason Henry is still with them is because it is what he wants, otherwise I’d have him back at my house. Emma gave him up! She acts like she can take that back and it isn’t fair.”
He gave her a sympathetic smile. “I know it's hard. I know you wouldn't ever hurt Henry, but they're worried about it, and like you said, right now Henry wants to be there. You should do your best to be civil when you're talking to them, remain calm, and then walk away if you can and find someone else to talk to or to be around.” Archie thought a moment. “You said you and David had become friends in our world?”
“Yes.”
“Perhaps you should use him as a buffer during your interactions. They're his family, I assume it would be reasonable to wait for any important discussions until you have someone - a friend - to be there for support.”
“But still, they’re his family. Not me.”
Archie leaned forward, patting her forearm with one hand. “Sometimes we find that friendships acquire the strongest bonds we can make. Perhaps he’ll still be able to help you. You won't know unless you try.”
Regina nodded, pursing her lips and looking away. She'd allowed too much of herself to David, and he probably didn't care nearly as much about her. But she could try, if it meant earning Henry back. “Thank you for your time.” She stood and left, heading home to get ready for the party.
She walked in late, halfway through the cheers at the end of a toast. David watched her immediately - watched the way she tried to shrink in on herself as she apologized for being late, then watched the way Grumpy shut up at her quick response to his questioning her lasagna. He excused himself from Snow to get a plate. He and Henry had devoured the leftovers she'd sent home with them. It was really one of his favorite meals.
Grabbing a taco first, for good measure, David took a cut of lasagna and turned to stand by her as he ate.
“I wasn't sure you'd come,” he said, his voice low.
“I wasn't either. But I had more stuff for lasagna, and couldn't really turn down another chance to see Henry.”
David looked at her and smiled as he chewed a bite of lasagna. “Well I'm glad you came.”
Regina nodded, looking over at him with a hint of a smile.
“And how does Snow feel about my presence?”
He shrugged, taking another bite of his food and chewing deliberately. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, keeping the friendship he'd promised with Regina while keeping his wife happy, but it was an ongoing battle he was willing to fight. “She doesn't understand why I'm friends with you, but she'll eventually learn to be okay with it.”
“Alright,” she answered hesitantly. “I just don't see how.”
“Because you've changed. I know it's harder being back here, and not having Henry at home, but we’ll get it there. I promise.”
Regina didn't say anything, because Henry came up and she didn't want to discuss it in front of him. He had a mug of hot cocoa in his hand and she bent to smile at him. “Have you gotten your fill of food?”
“Yeah.” Henry grinned, looking between his mother and grandfather. “So you're really friends?”
“We are.” Regina smiled and ran her fingers through his hair, standing back up straight and looking at David for a moment. Once she returned her gaze to her son, she nodded. “David and I went through a lot back in our world.”
“That kind of stuff can make people see each other in a different way. Your mom really did a lot to get us back here,” David added.
Henry nodded and smiled. “Well I'm glad then. I've never really seen you with friends,” he said, looking up at his mom.
She felt touched that he wanted her to have a friend, even if that friend was David. “Thank you, sweetheart,” she murmured, turning to wrap her arm around his shoulder.
Emma called to Henry, they were cutting a cake Archie had brought and the blonde knew he'd want a piece. He hugged her and left, heading toward the other woman.
Regina sighed, leaning back against the wall and looking down for a moment. “I think I'll go,” she told David softly, grabbing her coat from the stool she'd left it on. “Thanks for inviting me.”
He looked down at her and nodded, saddened both by her leaving and the look on her face. David knew it was because she'd come to see Henry and had barely gotten a moment with him before Emma had called him away. The cake could have waited. “Okay. I'll bring him by in a couple days again. Maybe after school Monday?”
“Thank you, David. I'll see you then.” Regina turned and left, pulling her coat on as she walked out the door.
“Regina, wait,” she heard. That voice put her on edge, but she turned halfway down the walk from the diner.
“Yes, Emma?”
“Archie made a cake, you don't wanna stay for a piece?”
“I'm fine, thank you.” She didn't want cake. She wanted her son back in her life more permanently.
“Okay.” Emma nodded, turning back toward the diner.
Regina sighed. “Thank you.”
“You just said that,” the blonde returned, turning back toward Regina with a heavy exhale.
“I mean for… for saying it was okay to invite me.”
“Henry wanted it.”
“Maybe,” she forced an awkward smile, “maybe he could stay over sometime. I have his room just sitting there, with all of his things.”
“I-I’m not sure that would be best.”
Regina was angry then. How dare she think she could parent Henry better. “Because you know so much about parenting in the five minutes you've been with him? He's my son!”
“Right, thanks for coming,” Emma answered, turning back to the restaurant.
“No. Wait. I'm sorry,” Regina said quickly. “I -- Emma, I’m sorry. Snapping at you -- I should have done that.” When the blonde didn't saying anything, Regina sighed. “Will you accept my apology?”
“Okay. You're right. Archie said you were trying to change, and, well, you are.”
Regina frowned, a tight and unsettling feeling filling her stomach. “Dr. Hopper said I was trying?”
Nodding, Emma said, “Yeah, he said you came to see him, that you're trying not to use magic, that you're trying to be a better person. You understand we were hesitant to have David invite you. I asked him, and he thought it was a good idea.”
“Thank you. It was,” Regina answered, though she felt anger at Archie's betrayal building up in her stomach. Emma gave her an awkward smile, and Regina took one step back. “I should be going.”
The next morning, Regina came across Archie on a walk. He greeted her, and she let her anger fuel her conversation with him. He did seem truly apologetic, though, and she didn't have it in her to be cruel -- not really. But the conversation left her upset and Ruby’s interruption made her feel like she'd taken a step backwards in proving she'd changed. With a heavy sigh, she went home and sent a message to David.
Tell your wolf friend to stay out of my business.
David laughed when he got the message, but hoped Ruby wasn't giving Regina too hard of a time. The sound made his wife curious, though, and he heard her clear her throat.
“What's funny?”
Shaking his head, he looked at her. “Not so much funny as the wording.”
Snow waited a moment before saying, “Well what did they say?”
“Oh, just Regina requesting we keep Ruby out of her business. I didn't ask why though.”
“Why don't you find out?”
“I'm sure it's something silly, but I'm not going to push her if she doesn't want to say. You could probably ask Ruby.”
Another message came through from her and David glanced down at it.
Did you know Hopper talk to your daughter about me coming to see him?
He text back that he didn't know that, and he was sorry. She didn't say anything else so he shrugged and put his phone away. Turning his attention to Snow, he found that she looked annoyed.
“What's wrong?” he asked gently, though he assumed it was about Regina.
“When did your loyalties switch from our side to hers?”
David shook his head. “They haven't. But I'm not going to prod if she doesn't want to tell me something. She's my friend, yes, but she's also still a private person.”
Snow eyed him for a moment, but finally nodded. “Okay, just let me know if she says anything else.”
“Sure.”
He tucked his phone away, and that was the last thing he heard from Regina before Emma called in her for questioning about Archie’s death the next morning.