A/N: This is my first time writing this kind of thing so hopefully it's not too tragic. Regina can't seem to catch a break on OUAT so I'm gonna help her out here a little bit. I apologize there is not a lot of dialogue in this chapter, however, I promise subsequent chapters will have dialogue and additional character development. I haven't seen Frozen so there will be no Elsa, however, I am going to introduce my own new character...Will Scarlet. I also apologize for this first chapter in particular as it a lot of background information that you already know but I feel like it is important and so I wrote it. If anyone ends up reading this and people seem to be interested I will really try and update it as often as possible, but between a job and school, updates might not come as often as I would like, but I will do my best. I have a feeling this may end up being a pretty lengthy story, and I'm not exactly sure how I'm gonna get from on point to the next but I think it will be a fun ride. I hope you all enjoy! :)
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. If I did I would be living in a fat mansion sipping on delicious fruity beverage out by my pool partying with my friends.
Chapter 1
She almost couldn't believe that it was happening again. There was no way, for the second time, she was being robbed of her chance of true happiness, but as she glanced toward the man she had come to love, embracing the wife he had long believed dead and their precious young son, it became all too real.
In a split second though all her hurt turned into rage as she snapped her head toward Emma Swan, "you did this?" she said with the slightest crack in her voice.
The blonde woman shifted her eyes away from Regina's hateful gaze, "I'm sorry I just wanted to save her life," she muttered guiltily.
"You're just like your mother, never thinking of the consequences. You just better hope to hell you didn't bring anything else back with you," Regina's every word dripped with loathing.
For a moment Regina could feel the anger boiling inside of her and her old habits wanting to take hold. She wanted to set Granny's ablaze and with a flick of her wrist she could have, but as she gazed around the room her rage dissipated back into deep hurt. Her brown eyes searched for and eventually met the eyes of the only person at that moment she could find it within herself to look at, her sweet son Henry. There he was, sitting with the Charming's, the people she once considered her archenemies, turned not quiet friends, but moving in that direction. She could see in Henry's eyes a look of deep sorrow as he realized what was happening to his mother. She had finally found someone she was happy with and it was being torn from her grasp. She was a hero now and she deserved her happy ending like everyone else. He held her gaze as if to tell her it was going to be okay and she could feel her eyes beginning to fill with tears, but she would not let these people see her cry and she directed her stare towards the floor.
She loved her son so much, and she was looking forward to making up for lost time with him. He had been the only person for so long that she had ever allowed herself to feel anything for. For so long he had believed that she hadn't loved him, but he couldn't have been more mistaken. She would have laid down her life for that boy and had been prepared to do so on several occasions throughout his life. She never thought the love that she bore him could be matched, but she had been proven wrong.
For some reason from the moment she had first spoken to him here in Storybrooke, when he'd mistakenly shot an arrow at her she'd been unexplainably drawn to him, and when she regained all of her memories after breaking the curse she knew even in the Enchanted Forest this man seemed to know how to push her buttons. Over the years Regina had become very good at keeping people out. She had a tongue that could draw blood and a look that could quiet literally kill. Her mother had told her once that love was a weakness, and so being aloof had become her defense mechanism against that feeling.
Upon meeting the man called Robin Hood she had tried to use her "Evil Queen" persona upon him, but it was just as if he never bought into it. He was not intimidated by her like everyone else was. He didn't shy away when she was curt with him. In fact, on many occasions he would just give her a mischievous lopsided grin and step aside, letting her take the lead while he was more than happy to be in the supporting role. In the beginning it frustrated her that he didn't give her the reaction she wanted, but as time went on it intrigued her.
When she found herself back in Storybrooke, in a war with her own sister, Zelena the Wicked Witch, with no memory of the previous year in the Enchanted Forest, it was one of the first occasions they had worked together and it was a moment that would alter the course of Regina's life. For some reason she couldn't explain, she had agreed to allow Robin to accompany her on a little fact finding mission to the farmhouse that Zelena was occupying at the time.
She would never forget that while they were investigating the home he had questioned her evil moniker as she seemed to not be evil at all but instead "bold and audacious". Her back had been turned to him when he said that and she found herself smiling, practically giddy at his description of her. For so long she saw nothing in herself other than ugliness and cruelty and she lashed out so everyone else would identify her with those attributes. However, here was this man, practically a stranger, a stranger who knew she had been the "Evil Queen" in the Enchanted Forest. He knew she had done unspeakable, horrible things and he had still called her "bold and audacious". He was a mystery to her and she intended to figure him out.
After getting her emotions under control she turned to face him displaying a poker face so he wouldn't know that she had been more than pleased at the words he had used to characterize her. He began asking her questions about magic and potions and she answered each question slowly and articulately. Suddenly he swiftly walked towards her and stopped with his face just inches from hers. When her dark chocolate eyes met his deep blue stare she felt as if he was looking right through her and it terrified her while at the same time thrilling her. He was so close she could feel his breath. She was afraid he was going to try and kiss her, but then he simply reached around her towards the shelf she was leaning against. He grabbed a bottle of liquid and questioned her as to whether or not it was magic potion, his face still inches from hers and his gaze heavy. She explained that in a way it was, but it wasn't magic in the truest sense, it was just whiskey or the layman's liquid courage. With that explanation he raised his eyebrows and pushed himself back towards the dining room table and began pouring them both a glass of the dark amber beverage.
When Robin moved to pour the drinks the strange sensation of disappointment washed over Regina. She couldn't believe it, but she knew she was disappointed he hadn't tried to kiss her. Then it happened. As Robin pushed up his sleeve she saw it…the lion tattoo. It was the exact same tattoo that she had seen many years ago when Tinkerbell had used fairy dust to lead her to her one true love. She had not gone into the tavern that night overtaken by fear, but she had seen very clearly the lion tattoo upon the man's wrist, the very tattoo she was looking at now. Once again, she let the feeling of fear overtake her and she had run out of the farmhouse with no explanation. Robin, she found though, was undeterred, and wherever Regina was Robin was right by her side. He became her constant companion, her shadow anytime they went on a mission.
She realized at some point that she had begun to depend upon this man. She had never known what it was like for someone to have her back, to unconditionally support her, and she hated to admit it, but she liked it. She especially liked that it was Robin.
It was when she gave her heart to Robin that she knew she had completely fallen. For her, that moment had a double meaning. Yes, she was giving him her heart for safe keeping until after Zelena was defeated, but in a sense she knew she was literally giving it to him because she had accepted that her heart belonged to him, and she felt that her heart would be in good hands with him.
It was strange that after he had essentially lost it she wasn't even mad, in fact she felt a strong sense of compassion for him, and compassion was a feeling she was not prone to feel. She knew he had done it to keep his son safe and that made her heart, now in the hands of Zelena, swell for him even more. She assured him that it was okay, and the safety of little Roland was more important, but she could tell that he was deeply troubled at the thought that he had let her down.
After a long talk with Snow that evening she made up her mind to let him know how she felt. As she marched into the woods where he and his Merry Men were residing she was practicing the speech she had planned out in her head. She found him stoking the fire and when he saw her walking towards him with what appeared to be a strong purpose he assumed she was there to scold him for being careless with her heart. He immediately began to try and explain himself.
This man never ceased to amaze her and she could not comprehend how someone so good would even think of putting up with someone like her. Suddenly her primal instinct took over and her carefully crafted speech went out the window as he continued to earnestly vow to get her heart back. When he was done speaking she tightly grabbed him by the collar of his coat and yanked him towards her, firmly pushing her lips against his. She became scared as she felt him immediately stiffen and abruptly pulled back expecting to see pity, or even worse, revulsion in his eyes. However, her greatest fears were put to rest as he met her gaze with fire and passion. He pulled her close to him and held her tight as their lips met once more, and that was what she thought would be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
From that moment forward he had made her so happy she could barely believe this was her life. When she had been heartbroken that Henry couldn't remember her due to the curse that had been placed upon them he had been able to make her smile. He had lifted her up and believed in her during the whole ordeal with Zelena, never leaving her side. She had bared her soul to him within her house mere hours before this moment. She revealed to him how Tinkerbell had led her to him once before and she'd been too afraid to approach him. In front of the warm fireplace, with her heart beating strongly in her chest, beating for Robin Hood she had given him the last part of herself that there was to give. She had cried tears of joy when he looked into her eyes and said he loved her in that moment, and she had looked directly in his eyes and without fear replied in kind because it was true. She had fallen hopelessly in love with this man and she was far beyond of the point of no return. Even minutes before she had entered Granny's she and Robin had been walking down the street on either side of Roland, each of them holding one of his tiny little hands, and it felt like she finally had a place where she belonged…a family, a real family. It seemed as though after decades of unhappiness everything was falling into place.
The evolution of Robin Hood in her life was almost funny to her. Somehow he had gone from an annoyance, to her friend and companion, to someone she loved deeply and couldn't imagine being without. It was more than some pixie dust and a tattoo that convinced her that this was the real thing. It was the way he looked at her with his bright blue eyes like he she was the only woman in the world and like he could see right down into her soul. It was the way he always protected her and made it a point to see if she was alright. It was the way he ran his fingers through her hair when they had first kissed and every time after that. It was the way he never judged her for her past and assured her that who she was then was not who she was now. And finally, it was the way he had persisted, had never given up on her, and had, little by little chipped away at the fortress that she had built around her heart. He made her feel safe, wanted and loved, feelings she had forgotten she could feel, feelings she foolishly believed would last.
Suddenly she was brought back to reality when she looked back up and saw that most of the patrons in the diner were looking in her direction, no doubt, afraid of what she was going to do. Her eyes once again were brought back to the touching scene of a family reunited. Her eyes were not just watering anymore as the tears began to roll down her cheeks and she knew she had to get out of the diner as quickly as she could. She whirled around and roughly shoved Emma out of her way as she made her way to the exit.
When she stepped outside the cool air felt good against her face and gave her a very tiny bit of relief. Before she realized what was happening she was running as fast as her legs would carry her in no particular direction. Her vision had become blurred as the stream of tears intensified. Suddenly, she could faintly hear a familiar voice desperately calling her name, "Regina! Regina stop! Regina wait!" Then a chorus of other voices, "Mom wait!" "Regina!"
She knew the first voice was Robin and the other voices belonged to Henry, Snow, and Tinkerbell. She just couldn't face them right now. As she ran she began to hear the steady footfalls and knew that Robin was close on her heels and would eventually catch up with her if she kept running, so she resorted to her specialty and in a puff of purple smoke she disappeared before all their eyes.