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Capture and Release	By : TaylorKing Category: M through R > Once Upon A Time Views: 9636 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I own nothing Once Upon a Time related, or its characters, and make no money from it

Chapter List
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Charming hated watching Regina say goodbye to her father. She clung to him like she would never see him again. He hated seeing that kind of grief in her. But this time, Charming had to admit he understood her fear. She was worried about his safety. He couldn’t fault her for that.
            “It’s going to be all right.” Prince Henry reassured her. “I have security. You have nothing to worry about.”
            “I’m allowed to worry.” Regina smiled, squeezing his hands.
            “Just not too much.” Her father kissed her forehead before stepping away.
            “Ready?” Charming asked, rubbing the back of her arm. Regina looked back at him and nodded.
            “As I’ll ever be.” Charming gave her arm a reassuring pat. Reaching over, he offered his hand to Prince Henry.
            “We’ll see you soon?”
            “Absolutely.” Henry agreed, shaking the King’s hand.
            “Then we are going to be on our way. Until then.” Charming helped Regina into the carriage before giving Henry a reassuring nod. The old man gave him a quick wave in return.
            He wasn’t entirely sure how the carriage ride would go. Regina could be sulky and moody, snippy or she could be fully silent. He wasn’t expecting pleasantries.
            For the most part, he got what he was expecting. Regina stared out the window in silence. However, he wasn’t picking up the hostile vibes he usually got from her.
            They’d been riding for some time when she turned from the window to look at him.
            “I have a question for you.” She crossed her legs calmly under her wine red velvet gown.
            “What’s that?” He was both surprised and pleased she was actually acknowledging him enough to make conversation.
            “If you’re keeping me as queen-officially-what exactly am I supposed to do?”
            That was a good question. And it was one he’d hoped she had the answer to-because he didn’t know. He’d never had a queen, or been around one. So he’d assumed that since she’d been one, she actually knew what to do.
            On the other hand, it made sense that she didn’t. He thought she might have picked something up under Leopold. When she’d reigned as sole queen she’d spent more time torturing and murdering than anything else.
            “Well, that’s a good question.” Charming considered the best answer. “What did you do under Leopold?”
            Regina snorted, an amused look forming on her face.
            “You really think Leopold trusted his beloved late wife’s kingdom to me?”
            Another good point. He hadn’t thought about that either.
            “Point taken.” Charming nodded thoughtfully. “Ok, well, we obviously can’t have you doing anything outside the castle.”
            “Or inside,” Regina reminded him. Charming raised his hand, shaking his head.
            “We don’t have to worry about that now.”
            “We may not, but do you think the staff is going to embrace orders from the Evil Queen?”
            “They don’t have much choice.”
            “Sure they do: don’t take the orders, or kill the Queen. And they’ve already tried one.” Charming let out a heavy sigh. He had to remind himself that this was good conversation for Regina.
            “Ok, so let’s clarify: you take charge of the house, and the staff. Rose will listen to you, the others will listen to her. So that’s that. You will win that battle.”
            “There’s one other thing I’m curious about.”
            “What’s that?” Charming wasn’t sure what she could possibly be thinking of now.
            “How, exactly, are you planning to keep me as Queen? We’re not married, and the entire kingdom knows it.”
And, he suspected she was leaving out, she was not interested in entertaining the idea.
Interestingly enough, he’d thought about this. At length. It wasn’t something he could ignore when he was working out this plan. Without forcing Regina to marry him (which had not been an option), he needed something to keep her legitimately as queen.
“I’ve thought about that,” he told her and watched the look of surprise rise on her face. “There are really a couple of ways that this could have happened when I took over your kingdom.   You and I need to decide on what our story will be. So the first is that I could have taken you as my prisoner, and kept you on as my servant.”
“I’m sorry, isn’t that what you did?”
“Would you let me make my point?”
“Please do.” Regina folded her arms over her chest, her typical look of annoyance on her face.
“The second option,” Charming continued, “is that after I took over, I forced you to marry me in secret.”
Now that she apparently hadn’t thought of, because Regina looked at him wide-eyed. He wondered what kind of answer she’d been expecting. Had she been thinking he hadn’t thought this through? Or did she think she was dealing with the dumb Prince Charming again? He didn’t want to know the answer.
“The third option,” Charming looked at her, “is that because I took over your kingdom, everything in it became my property-including you. So therefore, if I want to keep you as Queen, I have every right to do it because you belong to me.”
The look of horrified anger magnified on her pretty face. Charming wasn’t sure which of these options she found most enticing.
“So it’s your choice,” he shrugged, “which would you prefer? Now I suspect the first one is out. That leaves us with the last two. Do you want to tell the kingdom you married me in secret?”
“Not particularly,” Regina muttered.
“If you’d prefer marrying me for real, that’s on the table too.”
“Absolutely not.”
            “All right, I just thought I’d try.” He laughed a little at her reaction to that one. “So that leaves you with the third one. So that’s what we’re doing? We’re telling everyone you belong to me and I’m giving you the courtesy that we won’t get married until you’ve agreed to it? I mean, before I force you into it?”
            “Ok, let’s clarify: there is no marriage between us.”
            “My apologies, darling, but the people need to think there’s at least a possibility of it.” It was the truth. If the kingdom didn’t think that the King and Queen were going to marry in the near future, no one would ever take Regina seriously-regardless of marriage or not. For that matter, no one would ever take him seriously.
            “Regina, I’m not saying we have to get married at all. But we have to make the kingdom think we will.”
            “So you want them to think we’re engaged?”
            “No, I want them to think I’m keeping you in line by making a subtle threat that you have two choices: submit to me or be forced. What type of a statement does that make about their feared Evil Queen?”
            Regina’s pout stated that his point was made. Sitting up, he leaned forward. He reached out and took her hands.
            “Regina, I’m not going to force you into anything. You know that. This is just part of what we have to do to put on a good front for the kingdom.”
            “How long before the kingdom has waited long enough?” Regina asked him without looking from the window. “How long before we have to get married to save face?”
            “Then we claim we got married privately, wear some new rings and hold a festival for the kingdom to celebrate our supposed wedding. That’s all.” He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “Regina, I don’t want to scare you.”
            “Marriage….” Regina kept her gaze out of the window. “Marriage is a terrifying subject regardless.”
            “No one needs to know that there isn’t a possibility of us getting married. Because there isn’t one. Regina, I mean it. I won’t do that to you.”
            She finally looked at him. Her eyes searched his face for signs of truth. She apparently got what she wanted, because she gave him a quick nod and settled back into her seat.
            Charming watched her. He was never sure how to react to her for fear of making her angry. Anger was a secondary emotion…so his question was always…what did she feel before it?
***Scene****
                                    When the carriage rolled up to the castle’s main gate, Charming immediately noticed the four guards standing near it. He didn’t recognize them, so there was only one possibility who they could be….
            He stepped out of the carriage, and turned to help Regina down. As soon as she emerged, he saw the men snap to attention.
            “Your Majesty!” One of the men bowed low, the other three immediately following suit. Regina’s slow smile took over her face.
            “It’s been too long.” She strolled calmly in front of the men. “But given that you all were the only ones I could trust, you were the ones I needed.”
            For the first time, Charming became slightly suspicious of this plan. He wondered momentarily if this was a bad idea giving Regina four of her most trusted guards at full access. In his attempt at winning her trust, had he just made a very big mistake?
****Scene****
                                                In an attempt to trust Regina, Charming left her alone for the rest of the afternoon. He wanted to see exactly what it was that she found to do with herself.
That and he needed to think.
It bothered him that he didn’t trust her. How could he be in love with her, yet trust her so little?
            He didn’t want to be admitting this-not even to himself. He was glad they had not breached the conversation of her magic again. Just the thought of it was enough to fill him with fear. He didn’t know how to explain it to her without telling…well…the truth. Which he said he would do from now on…but….
            Charming shook his head, looking back down at the letter he’d been writing. Maybe it would work out. Maybe Regina would decide on her own she didn’t want, or need, her magic. He’d always hoped that would be the best case scenario. Maybe he had no reason to be suspicious of her today.
            He had to get passed this, or things were going to get a lot worse-just when they’d been looking up.
            He’d been alone for several hours, alternating between working and thinking when the door opened. Regina breezed in, looking her usual combination of deadly beauty.
            She dropped languidly on to the sofa in front of him. The smile on her face mixed pleasantries and sensuality. Charming wondered what to make of this. Was she here for sex again? Not that he minded. He just couldn’t figure when she had decided she couldn’t keep her hands off of him. Apparently saving someone’s life was a power aphrodisiac.
            “Well,” he put the book and the paperwork down, “there you are. So, what’s kept you busy today?”
            “Well,” Regina leaned back on the sofa, “I decided to take your advice.”
            “And?”
            “And things probably went better with the staff then I thought they would.” Regina crossed her legs and let her fingers wander along the back of her hair. Charming shook his head as he stared at her. Being with her was like being in a wet dream. He wanted her almost instantly.
            “Good. I’m glad.” Charming studied her features, searching for any sign of suspicious behavior.
He had to stop this. This was ridiculous.
            “That being said,” Regina stretched like a cat, “dinner is at 8.”
            “Look at you.” Charming got up. “You’re beating me for head of the household.”
            “No, they definitely still like you better.” Regina swept to her feet to stand in front of him. Her arms folded over her chest like a barrier between them. “That won’t be changing.”
            “Maybe I have a bit more faith than you.” Charming reached out to gently run his fingers down her cheek.
He loved her. There was no doubt of that. He wanted to let his insecurities go. He wanted to trust her, and love her. “As much as I love your company,” he caressed her cheek again, “I have to finish a few more things before dinner.”
            Regina nodded. Her face was once again unreadable.
            “You take this very seriously. Which is respectable.” Charming shrugged, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
            “In truth, I’m being selfish. If I finish now, I can give you my undivided attention for the rest of the night.”
            Regina chuckled softly as she turned for the door.
            “Then I’ll see you at dinner,” she paused with one hand on the door, “your Majesty.”
            When she was gone, he took a deep breath. She was intoxicating-and finally beginning to respond to him. He had known trusting her wouldn’t be easy. He couldn’t let those trust issues damage what they might be starting to have.
****Scene****
                                    The castle had a formal dining room that could have held fifty people. Charming had never used it. He and Regina ate in the smaller, more intimately closed off dining room connected to the kitchen. He suspected it was originally meant to be used by children who weren’t allowed in the main room. This one was more intimate, and it allowed for better conversation.
            The table was neatly laid out. Charming wondered if it was partially Regina’s doing. Would she finally embrace something? Had she? He didn’t know.
            Regina entered the room. She cast a sideways glance at him as she went to her pace across the table from him.
          “Sit.” She smiled, motioning to the place setting. Charming sat. He studied the table as the maid brought in the platters of food.
            “I take it you gave Rose all the direction for this?” He smiled over the candlesticks at her. Regina nodded.
            “And they listened to her. I think I may be developing allies.”
            They made small talk as they ate. When they weren’t talking, Charming found the silence actually comfortable. He was pleased.
            He just hoped this was because she wanted to do it, not for some underlying reason.
            “So, everything seems to have gone well today.” He waited to see what her reaction was to his question.
            “What exactly were you expecting, Charming?” Typical Regina. Answer a question with a question.
            “You know,” Charming rested his chin in his hand, “you don’t have to keep calling me Charming.”
            “Why?” Regina put down her fork, gave him a sly smile. “Aren’t you charming anymore?”
            “Of course I am. But I do have a real name. You could try calling me David.”
            “Maybe I should start calling you James for your brother.” Again, he felt like she was enjoying this too much. But not in her typical angry ways-this was a bit different. Was this…bantering?
            “I forget that you know about that.” Charming thought back to that time period. Was that when his fascination with Regina had first begun? Yes, he thought it was.
            “I know everything.” Regina sipped her water. “You forget that.”
            “I forget how much time you spent researching me.” Charming watched her, thinking of the early days of his thoughts. She’d swum in his mind constantly. He’d blamed it on infatuation, never really considering he might have a chance. Oh how times change. “When you thought it would get you somewhere with Snow.”
            Regina shrugged. She made a point of pushing her dishes into the center of the table before she spoke again.
            “Regardless, I think I’ll keep calling you Prince Charming. It just feels more natural-and I like the way it sounds much better.” She glanced up, winking as she met his eye.
            Charming realized something, and he laughed at it.
            “Are you mocking me? Because I feel like you are.” Regina laughed, but didn’t say no. “You are mocking me! So that’s my payback for saving your life? You mock me?”
            Regina finally stopped laughing, looking over at him.
            “Don’t get so offended, Charming. It’s good spirited mocking.”
            “You are terrible.” He told her, picking up his glass of water. “Terrible.”
            “And you’re being overdramatic,” she shot him an amused look. “I like calling you Charming. Because you’re my Prince Charming.”
            If she was deciding to call him hers, he might have to go with this.
            “I guess I’ll take it.” He pretended to grumble as he collected his own dishes.
            Regina traced her finger over the rim of her own glass.
            “What are you doing now?” Curious question.
            “I…had no real plans. Why do you ask?”
            Regina was silent. Her finger kept moving on the water glass. She ran her tongue over her lips. She was clearly thinking something.
            “I need to talk to you. Can we talk?”
            Those words made his stomach cold. They were words he did and did not want to hear from her. What on earth could have happened that they needed to talk about? Especially when things seemed to have been going so well before?
            Was this the magic conversation he’d been dreading?
            “Of course we can.” Regina got to her feet. She motioned him to follow her.
            They walked outside to the patio adjoining the downstairs sitting room. Above them, the summer sky was dotted with stars. It was early enough in the season that there was still a faint stripe of daylight on the horizon. Regina leaned against the low wall, resting her arms on it as she stared off towards that stripe of light.
            Charming moved to lean beside her. He watched her features, trying to determine what she wanted. She was holding herself like she was nervous. He saw it in the way she fidgeted her fingers against each other, her sleeves, anything they could touch. Nervous? Regina nervous?
            “What do you want to talk about?” He traced his finger along her upper arm lightly. Regina turned to face him. She looked stunning in moonlight.
            “It’s not as bad as you think.” Regina studied his face. “Well, I hope it isn’t…at least.”
            “Tell me what it is.” He asked her patiently. “Whatever it is, I want to hear it.”
            Regina looked down at the wall for a moment, took a deep breath, and finally looked back up at him.
            “Since I woke up, I…..” She paused. “I’ve been trying to sort out how things are between us.”
            How things were between them? Charming’s anticipation grew.
            “How are things between us?” Regina nodded, and he watched her fingers twist into her velvet gown.
            “Charming…” Regina closed her eyes. Finally, she looked back at him. “You saved my life. You didn’t have to do that.”
            “No, I didn’t.” Charming admitted. “But you know why I did.”
            “And that’s….that’s part of the issue.” Regina was struggling for words. Charming had never seen her like this. It was both remarkable and frightening.
            “Regina, you know why I did.” He reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. Regina pulled back from him, taking a step away to create more distance.
            “That’s the thing, Charming. That’s what this is about. I’ve thought…I’ve thought long and hard about this and I…. I don’t hate you.” She took a deep breath, let it out. “But I don’t love you either. I’ve thought about it. And it’s the only conclusion that I come to.”
            Was that remorse on her face? Yes, it was. She actually looked sad about what she was saying to him. Regina actually cared. Charming was shocked.
            Regina stared at him, apparently waiting for an answer. Charming felt relief flooding through him. She didn’t hate him! That was a step in the direction he’d wanted to go. So she didn’t love him. He could work on that.
            “That’s it?” He asked, smiling. Regina apparently hadn’t been expecting that answer.
            “That’s what you have to say to me? ‘That’s it’?!”
            “Regina, what were you expecting me to say?” Charming laughed a little in relief. “You don’t love me. I knew that. That’s not a big change.”
            Regina stared out over the gardens again. Her eyes scanned over the dark grounds.
            “But you don’t hate me, either?” He asked carefully. Regina didn’t look at him, but she shook her head no.
            “I don’t hate you.” She told the gardens. “I might actually like you…a bit.”
            That hadn’t been easy to admit. He could see that in her reaction. Charming took a chance. He raised his hand, stroking it lightly down her back.
            “Ok then.” He nodded. “I can handle that. If you like me even a little, we can make this work.”
            He moved his hand from her back and leaned on the wall beside her.
            “I think you and I can be friends.”
            “Friends.” Regina repeated. “I’m not sure I’m any better with that than I am with romance.”
            “You can’t be bad at both.”
            “Charming,” Regina gave him a pained look, “please. This is hard enough for me as it is.”
            “Ok,” he held up his hands apologetically. “I’m sorry. I know it’s hard. So…are you willing to give it a try? Friendship?” He couldn’t keep the smile off of his face. He’d been trying for this for so long now. And they were so close to….something.
            “Yes.” Regina nodded slowly. “I am. I think. There’s just one thing.”
            “What’s that?”
            “The sex.”
            She wanted to put a stop to the sex? That surprised him.
            “I like the sex.” Regina still wasn’t looking at him. “I don’t want to give that up.”
            “Neither do I.” Charming agreed. Giving up the sex sounded like a terrible idea. “Can we have sex and just be friends?”
            “I don’t know.” Regina had a faint tone of amusement in her voice. “Is there a term for friends who have sex with one another?”
            “I don’t know that either.” Charming laughed fully this time. “Maybe we can create one.”
            Regina finally looked at him. There was a sweet, genuine smile on her face. Charming smiled back at her. Hesitantly, he raised one hand.
            “May I?” He reached out for her. Regina nodded.
            Slowly, he pulled her into his arms. It felt almost surreal. This couldn’t be happening. She was actually in his arms. He could actually hold her. And while there wasn’t full emotion from her, there was less resistance. He pressed her lightly against the wall, nuzzling her forehead as he held her tightly in his arms.
            “You’re like some sort of toxin.” She whispered against his lips. “Something that’s seeped into my body that I can’t get enough of. What have you done to me?”
            “I don’t know.” Charming whispered back. “But I can tell you-the feeling is mutual. Maybe someone’s bewitching both of us.”
            Regina’s lips curved into a smile against his. Charming took advantage of that to seal his lips over them. He kissed her tenderly. Slowly, Regina’s arms wound around his neck. He kissed her harder. His hands were sliding up and over her face.
            “I don’t want to hurt you.” Regina stared at him as he pulled back.
            “You won’t.”
            “You’re taking a huge risk getting close to me.” Regina told him. But her arms were tight around his neck. He liked how she was holding onto him.
            “I know what I’m doing. I’ve known what I’ve been doing ever since I started. I’m not afraid of you, Regina.”
            His insecurities of earlier dropped. It was her first real attempt at reaching out for him. She meant this. She wanted something with him. Maybe not a full relationship, but something.
            In truth, Regina had as much challenge as he did. She was afraid. He could see how much struggle this conversation had been for her. He could only imagine the emotional turmoil she was putting herself through.
            They were kissing again. Charming didn’t want his lips leaving hers. He kissed her, and kissed her, revealing in the feel of her beautiful mouth. Her tongue slid against his. Charming sought her harder. The passion was rising quickly.
            The collar of her gown came up too high to give him access to her throat. That disappointed him. His hands roamed over her body. No corset, another gown with a tight bodice. He could feel her breasts through the fabric, see the swell of them over the hem. Her chest heaved against him as his hands explored her chest.
            Charming broke the kiss softly. He lowered his forehead to hers.
            “Bedroom?” Regina nodded. Passion as written all over her face. She let him take her hand, guiding her back through the house.
            At the staircase, he stopped. His fingers played lightly over her face before he leaned in for another gentle kiss. Slowly, they made their way up the stairs. When Regina stopped to pull him towards the doorway to her room, he shook his head. Reaching down, he lifted her into his arms.
            “My room tonight.” He whispered against her lips. Regina appeared to hesitate but one more kiss stopped her.
            “Yes.”
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Capture and Release