A/N: This is just a little something I couldn't get out of my head since the winter finale, so I decided to write it- I haven't quite decided whether I want to make this a two-shot and add a chapter of Regina's POV yet or if I'm going to leave it at as one-shot. Leave a review, and let me know what you think, xox.

I own nothing; all characters belong to Adam, Eddy & ABC.

.

Robin looks down at her and can't help but smirk as she withers beneath him, her body shivering with every stroke of his thumb against her skin, every brush of his lips on her knuckles. He's taking his time, wants to remember this forever, wants to feel this forever.

This is right.

Never in his life did he imagine being with someone would feel this way, never expected that the woman who would make him feel whole would be someone other than Marian, and yet, here he is, his body pressed on top of hers, their legs tangled together, and he's never felt more whole. She's panting as quiet moans escape from the back of her throat, his name spilling from her lips in the most glorious, guttural sound he's ever heard. She's close, he can tell so he leans in to kiss her but suddenly her eyes are no longer filled with love and need, now they're filled with pain.

They're no longer wrapped together in the plush bed she created with magic, now they're standing at the town line; their fingers are entwined as he walks backwards, his eyes locked on hers. He can feel the tears welling in his own eyes but he doesn't care, this wasn't supposed to happen, he had chosen her, they were supposed to be together and she would finally be happy. He continues to walk backwards, doomed to a world without his soulmate.

He feels the barrier against his back and he wants to run, run toward her but he knows he can't. So instead he crosses over, holds her hand until he feels them be pulled apart, by something too strong to fight, magic. He looks up and her face is gone, replaced by an open road and finally, he lets the tears fall freely down his face.

He feels himself being pulled from his state of sleep and he shuts his eyes tightly hoping for five more minutes, five more minutes of dreaming, five more minutes of hope and of love. But his body works against him and his eyes open slowly and he curses under his breath when he realizes that she's not with him.

Even when his dreams are plagued with the memory of her face looking broken, tears threatening to fall, he doesn't want to wake, doesn't want to lose the memory of her face, of her touch, and he doesn't want to lose her. The early morning sun is barely peeking through his window but it's there nonetheless and he needs to get up, start his day and provide for his family.

He throws his legs over his bed; can he even call it a bed he wonders? It's a merely a couch that pulls out into a bed, nothing like the bed he dreams he is in, large and plush and engulfed in silk. Marian has the main bedroom and Roland the next. His son hadn't known life with two parents before so their sleeping arrangements were never questioned, he doesn't realize that most married couples share a bed.

Their house is cozy, a small two bedroom apartment, but it's not home. Home hasn't existed for Robin since he walked across the town line, since they said goodbye.

"I…"

"I know."

That was it, the last words they spoke to each other and every day he's wondered what she knew; there was so much he wanted to say to her, so much he wished he did. She knew he loved her, that much was clear to him, but he regretted never saying those words, directly. It was always I'm in love with you or I'm still in love with you but, it was never I love you, and every day he wished he spoke those words, wished he could still speak those words. He chose her and this wasn't fair.

"Villains don't get happy endings, Robin," her words rang out in his head and he hates that she probably still believed that to be true. Hates that he's likely the reason she still believes that.

He looked over at the telephone on the table beside him, he wanted to call her, wanted to hear her voice but that wouldn't be fair. Wouldn't be fair to Marian and definitely wouldn't be fair to her, so instead he gets up and starts his day. Its routine and he's grown comfortable with it, but still he longs for more.

He showers and shaves, wakes Roland and then Marian, and then, he's off.

Refusing to leave rural Maine in hopes that one day the curse will be lifted and he'll be able to return to Storybrooke and to Regina, Robin found work as a greens keeper in a local park, he helped ensure the parks are were clean and the grass was trimmed, he didn't consider it to be hard work but it paid their bills. Marian too found work, four days a week she delivered food to children at the local hospital.

Marian always had a way with children and she was always a fast learner, she had picked up on the ways of this land much faster than Robin had and he couldn't help but feel slight resentment towards Marian for that reason. He had left Storybrooke because he didn't think it would be fair to leave Marian to tend for herself in an unknown world but yet, she had done a far better job at coping with the new world than he had. Much like Roland, she loved the convenience of this world and had grown used to it rather quickly.

.

Robin walked through the front door of their small apartment and the aroma of food quickly fills his nostrils, he smiles at Marian as he says hello then greets a happy Roland with a 'hello my boy' and a kiss to the head,

"Momma's making lasagna" he says enthusiastically, "just like Regina did!"

That's all it takes, just the mention of her name has Robin's heart aching, his body suddenly overcome with overwhelming grief for the love he lost. He thought grieving Marian was hard, but nothing could have prepared him for the pain of losing his soul mate.

"Is she?" he finally asks, hoping his son doesn't hear the sorrow in his voice and hoping Marian doesn't hear the disappointment, but he knows she does and he feels ashamed.

"Uh huh!" His shaggy brown hair shaking with each fierce nod of head, his smile brightening the room and as much as the mention of Regina hurts, seeing that smile on his son's face is the only thing in the world that make the days go by. He smiles at Roland, and he knows that the smile doesn't reach his eyes the way it should and he hates himself for it, hates that even though he has his son with him he feels a part of himself is missing and hates that he feels that way every day that he walks to the edge of town and sees nothing but open road.

Robin is so caught up in his own thoughts, of Regina, or Roland of the family they could've had that he doesn't realize that Roland is still talking to him, it isn't until he feels a slight tug at the hem of his shirt that he realizes that Roland is trying to get his attention, thankfully Marian interrupts and asks Roland for some help in the kitchen, do you want to help momma put the cheese on the lasagna?, she asks and Roland excitedly says yes and runs toward the kitchen.

Their eyes meet briefly and Robin can't help but feel a twang of guilt when he sees the hurt in her eyes, still, he mouths a thank you to her before heading to the bathroom for a shower.

.

After dinner Robin tucks Roland into bed and heads to the small balcony in their apartment. It's become routine for him, standing on the balcony, staring into the forest, hoping that one day he'll see a town in the distance, a way back home.

His thoughts are interrupted when he hears the balcony door slide open behind him, he moves down a little so she would have space, "you'll find a way back to her, Robin"

Robin turns to meet the sad expression on Marian's face and he can't help the guilt that washes over him, he's caused her this pain, he's here with her but his heart is with someone else, "Marian, I crossed the town line to be with you. I knew when I crossed that there would be no way back…"

"I returned from death," she chuckles as her eyes light up a little, "never doubt that one day you'll find your way back to Regina. You deserve to be happy." She places a hand on his shoulder and smiles at him sweetly, "it's a little cold out here, how about we go inside and I'll make us some tea?"

Robin follows Marian inside and takes a seat at the kitchen table while Marian makes her way around the kitchen. He gladly accepts the warm cup when it's handed to him and says a gracious thank you before taking his first sip bracing himself for the conversation he knows is coming. They haven't spoken of his relationship with Regina in depth, he told her that he tried to keep away for a while but it didn't work, told her of the lengths Regina went to in order to make her survive and how that only made him fall harder. He told her of the night in the vault, apologized for being unfaithful to his vows, but there was still so much that she didn't know and he knew she had questions.

"When we moved here I thought maybe that you and I had a chance at a life again, that we could be a family for Roland…" Robin's eyes shot up to meet Marian's, and he watched as her expression changed from pain to understanding. "But I've realized that it'll never happen. It's in the way you looked at her, the way you look when you think of her, the look of both love and turmoil that spreads across your face when she's mentioned- you never looked at me that way," she smiles sadly, "she's special to you and it's more than you're letting on, isn't it?"

"Yes." His words are quiet, almost if he's afraid to speak, afraid of the emotions that he knows will overtake his body but he goes on anyways, tells her of Tinkerbell and of his tattoo, the lost night at the pub, of the storybook, of page 23. "She's more than just my true love, she's my soul mate, and I've lost her, again."

"Oh, Robin." Marian's words are quiet and there are tears in her eyes and he realizes he can't read her expression, can't tell if the tears are from his admission that another woman was his soul mate or if they're because she's sorry for his pain. She reaches out and places her hand on top of his, gently. It's comforting, it's familiar, and that's when it dawns on him, this was the first real conversation he and Marian have had since leaving Storybrooke, he had been so caught up in his own sorrow that he didn't take Marian into account, her feelings, her emotions, her pain. She too had lost someone she loved, she lost her husband and yet, she was comforting him, "you'll find each other, Robin. Don't give up."

.

Months passed, seasons changed and before he knows it, it's nearing winter again but still, nothing has changed. He walks to the edge of town daily and there's still no proof, other than his constant heartache, that Storybrooke ever existed. Roland has started school and is getting along quite well, but still, he misses Will and Little John, and often asks about Henry.

Robin is never sure how to answer his son, tries to shield him from the pain of losing people he loves as much as possible, but it's harder than he anticipated, Roland's memories of Storybrooke are vivid, and there's only so much Robin can do.

He gets ready for work, there's far less to do now that the weather is cooler, not many people visit the park but still, he finds work, mostly patrolling the camping grounds now, ensuring that all fires are done safely and that everyone is okay.

He returns home from work surprised to see the apartment empty, Marian and Roland usually home by the time he gets in and when they aren't, she often leaves him a note but today, there's nothing. He doesn't read too much into it, instead he grabs a beer out of the fridge and turns on the basketball game. He watches the game until his attention is pulled to a folded piece of paper on the coffee table, maybe Marian had left a note after all. He reached over and unfolded it and he felt all the air leave his lungs. It wasn't a note from Marian.

There in his hands he held page 23 of Henry's storybook, the same page that he had last seen when he handed it to Regina, when he had chosen hope and love over obligation.

He ran to the balcony, hoping that in the distance he would see more than trees and he couldn't help the tears that fell from his face when he looked out and saw it; in the distance there was a town, a town that wasn't there this morning. He's found her; he can finally get back to her.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard his cell phone ringing, he saw Marian's name flash across the screen and he quickly answered, "Marian…"

"Robin, you need to come to the edge of town, now." Marian's voice was laced with joy, excitement and optimism.

A smile spreads across his face as he grabs his jacket from the back of the sofa, "I'm on my way."

.

He made his way toward the edge of town; smiled when he saw Roland running toward him, his little hands tugging at his Robin's the moment he got near enough, "c'mon daddy, We can go back! Storybrooke is there!"

Robin stopped when he saw the green sign that read Welcome to Storybrooke, it was real. It was there, she was now within his reach and he wanted nothing more than to run across the border and straight to her house, but he stops and looks at Marian who is smiling widely at him, nodding at him, telling him to go.

"Marian…"

"Robin, go. I'll stay here, take Roland to see Little John, Friar Tuck and Will, then go find her."

"But Roland just got you back, I can't possibly take him away from you now, or take you away from him, it's not fair…"

"Robin, I'm sure you can find a way to cure me, and if not, we can figure something out, but Robin?" He looks up at her and her smile widens, "I want a divorce."

He shakes his head in amusement as his own smile spreads across his face, he leans in hugs Marian, placing a soft kiss on her cheek as he whispers "thank you," she nods at him, and with tears in her eyes takes a step back from Robin and leans to Roland, "I love you, Roland, go with papa and be good. I'll see you soon, okay?"

Robin watches the interaction between mother and son and he prays that he can find a way to bring her back to Storybrooke, that there is a way she can survive there even with the remnants of the Snow Queen's inside of her.

He takes his son's hand after he says goodbye to his mother, Robin promises to have Roland call her as soon as possible and then they're stepping across the town line, but this time, there's no magic between the towns, he turns back and smiles at Marian once more who is grinning, "go," she says happily and that's all it takes.

.

The next thing he knows he's running, running from the forest where he left his son with his Merry Men at camp, running past Granny's and the clock tower, he hears his name being called but he doesn't stop to talk to anyone. He's already lost enough time with her and he spent longer at the camp than he intended to and he refuses to wait another minute. He stops running only when he reaches the gates of the large white house, he takes a few deep breaths and tries to regain his composure but he knows there's no use, he's anxious and suddenly, it dawns on him, it's been a year since he's been gone. What if she's moved on, what if she's happy without him. This isn't the time for what if's, he tells himself, it's the time for the here and now and he breathes in deeply before making his way to her door. She's near, he can feel it, he can feel her presence and this is the most alive he's felt since he crossed the town line. Suddenly all his fears and doubts were gone and he's banging on her door, waiting for an answer.

It feels like he's been waiting forever, but it's only been a minute before her door opens and his breath hitches at the sight of her, she's dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a sweater, her makeup is done lightly but still, she takes his breath away.

"R-Robin?" her voice is shaky, as she reaches out and cups his face within her hands as if to check if he's really there. There are tears in her eyes but she smiles, and it's the most incredible thing he's ever seen, "what are you doing here?"

He looks at her, his own smile widening as tears well in his eyes, his voice is as unstable as Regina's but manages to answer "coming home," before he steps closer to her, pulling her into his arms as their lips finally meet. Their kiss is both tender and hungry, his hands find their way into her hair as hers drape around his waist, pulling him closer to her. They don't break their kiss until they're both panting for air, but their foreheads stay touching, "I'm home" he says, smiling.

"Home," she whispers as their lips meet again.