A single rose, as simple as it may seem, is by far one of nature's most intricate designs. With its swirling pattern of perfect petals that all interlock seamlessly with each other, and its raw beauty that all people whatever their origin can understand and appreciate, it has become a universal symbol of love, of passion.

But what people fail to mention is the harsh thorns that line the delicate stem, small daggers that try to pierce through the love you have worked so hard on, the pain that love creates.

Now, as I look down at that single rose entwined around the flightless arrow, I feel the wound that the thorns of my life have made, slowly bleeding out every last bit of happiness and the life I had come to cherish.

Because he was gone.

Robin Hood was gone, and this rose in my hand twisted the knife in my gut. To bury him, to eulogise him...would be to admit that he was gone. And I wasn't ready for that. Too many times had I been told to 'let go'. It took me over 30 years to move on from Daniel, but even now the visions of his heart being torn from his body and crushed to dust tortured my every living moment. And now the vision of Robin being destroyed, the gasp of pain as the power of the Olympian Crystal struck him, and his body collapsed at my feet...gone. I replayed his final smile in my mind every minute, his gentle eyes glowing as his hand reached out to me. And then he just disappeared, lost to me forever.

Before me, Roland lay his arrow on his father's coffin, the debris of his broken world littered around him. Robin had touched so many lives, and now the lack of his caring hand stung like salt in a wound.

The arrow shook in my trembling hands as I approached his coffin, where I knew his lifeless body lay. With blurred vision, I set it down beside the rest, and placed a desperate hand on the smooth wooden surface. A hand that was desperate to pull him back, or to open the coffin lid and place a tender kiss on his lips as breath suddenly flowed through his lungs again. Bitterness plagued my heart, easily spreading through the blackness inside me. It had all been so simple for the heroes. When Snow was lying in her coffin, all it took was one kiss and she was restored. When Charming's heart was crushed, the love between them allowed them to share one heart, and when Hook was lost to the darkness at least Emma could have a chance to truly say goodbye, to travel to the underworld in an attempt to save him. But for Robin, there was no 'moving on'. There was only death, and suffering.

I sniffed quietly as more silent tears washed over my cheeks. My voice was barely a croak as I whispered, "You were the only thing that made my life beautiful. Before you, I was a prisoner of darkness, but you showed me I didn't have to be. You opened my heart to the light. I only wish we'd had more time, wish I'd given in to love the moment I lay eyes on you, that night at the Tavern." The last words were blurted out suddenly, strangled by the choking lump that settled in my throat. "I love you, Robin Hood."

I felt the eyes of everyone at his graveside on me, felt their sorrow and pity clamouring the air around me. But it didn't meant anything. No amount of 'sorries' would bring him back. With a gloved hand, I attempted to wipe away the tears, but they were falling too fast.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, turning away and walking away from the graveside, away from any proof that he was truly gone.

"Regina!" Snow called, her sympathy evident.

I walked faster. I didn't want a 'hope chat' now. It wouldn't help. Nothing would.

I walked until I reached the far corner of the graveyard, reached my father's grave, my vault. Closing the door behind me I turned and placed a protection spell around the building, before descending the stairs and sinking onto the sofa that was pushed against the wall.

The air barely entered my chest as I struggled to breathe slowly, breathe calmly. But I could feel my heart burning, screaming out against the pain that demanded to be felt, screaming against the tear that had been ripped through it when Robin jumped in front of me.

Angrily, I thought of all the suffering I had had to endure in my life. The only time it ever lessened...was after I lost Henry. When I tried to bury my heart in the woods. Without it beating inside me, the hurt wasn't so consuming. The only way to fix a broken heart was to get rid of it. Snow had told me that with time, the only thing that would heal me would be my heart, but how could I ever heal when the only thing my heart had worth beating inside me for was Robin?

"I'm sorry, Robin." I murmured, clenching my fists on my lap. "I know you wouldn't agree with this, but what else can I do without you here?"

Squeezing my eyes shut, I stretched out my hand towards my chest, ready to rip my heart out and numb the pain. But no sooner had my fingertips made contact with the fabric of my black blazer, than an immense force surged up from within me, bursting from my chest, exploding out across the vault. The extent of it knocked me to the floor, where I could do nothing but lie there, gasping for breath as my racing heart hammered against my ribs, taunting me that it was still there.

Regaining control of myself, I slowly raised my head from the floor. And was greeted with nothing. Confused, I staggered to my feet, my eyes still swollen from the tears. I was surrounded by white. There was no floor, no walls, no ceilings. I looked down at myself, holding my hand to my chest. What had just happened?

My confusion turned to anger. The plan was so simple, so easy. The suffering still lived on in my heart, even now, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I began to claw at my breast, desperately trying to reach my heart, trying to cut out the endless feeling of loss that was being pumped through my veins.

"Regina...stop." A voice said behind me. "Please."

"No!" I cried. "Don't you understand? I can't!"

Out of nowhere, a strong pair of hands gripped my wrists, pulling my hands away from my chest, shaking me gently until I stopped.

"I can't!" I screamed, looking up into the face of the person that had stopped me.

The breath caught in my throat. All the old memories, all of the hurt came flowing back.

I reached out slowly, barely believing it was true. My hand came to rest on that familiar face, my fingers gently stroking his smooth cheek.

"Daniel?"

"It's me Regina." He smiled, pulling me into him.

"But..how?" I breathed. "Where are we?"

I rested my head against his strong chest, breathing in his familiar scent, enjoying the feeling of his arms around me again. It was almost perfect...except-

"This isn't right." I pulled away, looking up into those familiar, bright eyes. "This isn't real. This has to be a dream...you're, you're dead. I saw your stone in the Underworld, you moved on. How are you here?"

He simply smiled again, interlacing his fingers with mine. "Of course it's not a dream, Regina. How else would I be able to do this?"

He leant towards me, placing a kiss on my lips. It was over before I even realised it was happening. It was gone too fast. Like him. Like Robin.

"I can't let you go through with this Regina." He said, squeezing my hands. "I can't let you just toss your heart away. Your heart is what made me fall in love with you. Your goodness, your strength. Regina, I am so proud of you. You moved on. You let me go because I asked. I've seen how hard this has been for you. I'm just as thankful of Robin as you are."

I managed to pull a watery smile through the tears that had begun falling again.

"I couldn't have asked for someone better to have your love. I've watched over you every day since I left. I've watched you grow, and I've been there every minute of every day, right beside you. In here."

He pressed my hand against my heart, and I felt its steady beat against my palm.

"Without it, how can I stay with you? You need your heart Regina, because I need you to be okay. I need you to be more than okay. I need you to feel pain, to feel sorrow and happiness, loneliness and friendship, hatred and compassion. Because that's what makes you you, and I don't know what I would do if I lost you."

I opened my mouth to speak, yet not a single word escaped my lips.

"So yes, grieve for Robin, but don't let it consume you, because I'm always right there with you. And I know that he is too."

"I love you Daniel." I said softly. "I never stopped loving you."

He smiled. "I know. I felt it. And my love for you still grows with each passing day."

Once again, he leant down to kiss me. This time I was ready, I wasn't going to waste this precious time with him. My hands went to his cheeks, holding him as close to me as I could. And that's when they suddenly collapsed together, and my head fell forward.

I opened my eyes, to see Daniel fading, no longer palpable to me.

"No...please, don't go." I begged. I wasn't ready to let him go again. Not yet.

His eyes were full of sadness, yet he still wore that beautiful smile on his face. "Just remember, I'm never far away."

He patted his own chest and winked at me, before he vanished completely and my eyes flew open to see the floor of my vault an inch away from my face.

I pushed myself up to my knees, feeling emptier than I had ever felt before. Too many times had I been told to 'let go'. But now I knew, I never truly had to. I smiled as I placed a hand over my chest, and felt the subtlety of two more heartbeats, beating beside mine, strengthening with every pulse. The pain was still there. I doubted it would ever truly go, but at least now I knew I wouldn't have to fight it alone. I never would.