The Impossible

She pushed the door open with a heavy thud and sighed exhaustedly as she sat down and kicked off her heels. Regina Mills had had enough. The past few weeks had been awful for everyone, Mr. Hyde had brought a fresh wave of hell with him to Storybrooke, but no one felt more pained than Regina. When she had bravely seperated herself from the Evil Queen and crushed her heart, she honestly thought that was it. That she was finally free. But much to everyone's horror, the Evil Queen had shown up in town last night, and she was determined to destroy Regina and everyone she cares about. After a tireless battle at nightfall the Evil Queen had fled, much to everyone's surprise. Regina and Zelena may have successfully managed to outsmart the Queen for now, but Regina knew that it wouldn't last. She knew the Evil Queen better than anybody, and she knew how powerful she was and that she was clearly holding back and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. It was only a matter of time.

Feeling deflated and seeking comfort, Regina had taken herself to her vault in search of an item she knew would give her some hope. There, locked away safely in a little red box, she found it. The feather. Her expression softened and her eyes filled with tears as she lifted the delicate object out of it's home and stroked it in her hand. She brought it to her face and inhaled, her face beaming when she smelt the familiar and distinctive scent of forest. She sat back down on the edge of a leather case, and let the memories of him consume her. If he were here, he would know how to calm her down, how to reassure her that everything will be ok. He would give her strength, give her meaning, give her courage to fight and win this battle. But without him, Regina was struggling and failing to even find the energy or motivation to face the Evil Queen again. Her heart sank as she thought about how she was letting everyone down. Right now, the whole town was out searching for the Queen, but Regina had run away to her vault to be alone. Such a coward. What have you become? Regina heard the Queen's words echo in her mind. The guilt continued to loom over her and Regina cried silently, her tears falling onto the feather that was once attached to one of Robin's arrows. Each tear was filled with heartbreak, pain, longing and desperation. Suddenly, and almost in synchronisation, the feather in her hand illuminated brightly and there was loud repetitive bang on the vault door. The sound took Regina by surprise and made her jump up to her feet and drop the feather. It slowly floated down towards the ground but Regina managed to catch it in the palm of her hand just before it touched the concrete. She barely had any time to wonder about the light she had just witnessed before she heard the noise from outside.

"Regina! Open up! Regina! Now!" Charming's voice sounded desperate.

"What! What is it now?" Regina hissed back, as she carefully placed the feather back in the box, still curious about it's ability to illuminate.

"Open the door! You have to come, NOW!" Charming replied, still banging heavily on the door.

"Ok, ok, I'm coming. Calm down before you injure your hand." Regina sighed, as she pulled her heels back on and grabbed her jacket, checking her appearance in the mirror.

"It's the Evil Queen, she's back. I have to go help, hurry up." Charming informed her, before ceasing the banging and sprinting off towards the town.

Regina froze. Her hands that were busy wiping away the evidence of her tears now fell to her side and clenched into tight fists. She felt the rage burning through her entire body. Why was the Evil Queen doing this? If she was here to destroy me, then why doesn't she just come and face me. Why is it necessary to torture and abuse everyone else in Storybrooke? Regina asked herself these questions although she already knew the answers. She knew the Queen's plan, it was one she had used many times before, and with much success. Her intentions were to weaken Regina as much as possible, make her watch those close to her suffer and then she would have no choice but to surrender. The Queen knew Regina was already in pain, still broken from the loss of her soulmate, and that she was vulnerable. With this playing to her advantage, the Queen hoped it wouldn't take too long until Regina came crawling on her hands and knees, begging for her life. But that wasn't going to happen. Regina wasn't going down without a fight. She seems to forget that we were once the same person. Her schemes and manipulation wont work on me. I know her game.

With a new sense of determination, Regina stormed out of the vault, her heels clicking ferociously, and one hand ready at any time to launch a fireball. Her mind was so overwhelmed with anger and emotion that she failed to see the open box she had left on the table. Making her way into town, Regina was too far away to see the vault suddenly glow a bright blue light.

Once she reached the town centre, it was deserted. Silence filled the streets, the only sound to be heard was Regina's heels clicking on the sidewalk as she searched frantically for human life. Turning the corner sharply, Regina crashed into Charming with an almighty thud and tumbled over, her ankle twisting as she fell.

"Regina! Sorry! Are you ok?!" Hooking one arm under Regina and pulling her to her feet, Charming apologised sincerely.

"I'm fine." Regina lied. She could feel the searing pain in her ankle. Wincing slightly, but keeping composed, she began to walk with Charming towards Granny's diner.

"I think I managed to get everyone in here. Some people insisted on staying in their homes, but almost everyone is safely inside there." Charming announced, gesturing towards the Diner.

"Wait, where are you going?" Regina grabbed Charming's arm as he began to turn away.

"I'm going to double check everyone is safe. I'll be fine. Go inside, Henry is waiting for you." Charming tried to reassure Regina, but she wasn't about to let him walk to his death.

"No. I'm coming with you. She could be anywhere. And trust me, she won't take well to seeing you. And that thing won't save you." Regina pointed to the handgun that was sat in the case around Charming's jeans. "You wouldn't stand a chance."

Reluctantly, Charming nodded and agreed. The pair headed off on their search for the Evil Queen, completely clueless to her location and on constant guard at all times. After nearly an hour had passed, and with no sign anywhere of the Queen, Regina stopped and sat down on the kerb, pulling at her skirt and carefully positioning herself so to maintain her modesty. She hissed as she rubbed her ankle, which had now swollen up to the size of a tennis ball.

"Ouch. How did you do that?" Charming asked.

Pausing for a moment to make sure she had heard him correctly, Regina shot Charming a terrifying glare before mumbling "idiot" under her breath. He's not worth it Regina, save it for the Evil Queen.

"Oh right, when we crashed into each other. Sorry about that. Maybe if you wore sensible shoes you wouldn't be in this situation. I mean, they can't be comfortable or practical. Can you go home and change them? How have you even been walking around in them all-"

"ENOUGH!" Regina interrupted, her voice fiery but lacking sincerity as her whole body ached with exhaustion.

"This was a waste of time." she continued. "How do you even know she's here?"

Charming offered his hand to Regina as she began to pull herself back to her feet, but she ignored it stubbornly and began walking away from him as he explained that "Snow saw her. And Emma. She was stood outside the Town Hall and then she just poofed herself away."

Regina laughed and stopped in the middle of the road, turning to face Charming. "They probably imagined it. If she were here she would have shown up by now. Or at least there would be some damage or something. Either way, she would let us know that she was around." Narrowing her eyes at Charming, Regina shrugged and informed him that she was going back to her vault. "If she actually shows up, then come and get me. Other wise, don't disturb me for the next hour or so. I need some time to breath."

Charming opened his mouth to call after her but decided to let her go, reluctantly admitting to himself that she was right.

Making her way back towards her vault, Regina took the longer route through the forest, making sure to pace slowly, allowing herself to take deep breaths of the cool, fresh air. She blinked and then kept her eyes closed, just briefly as thoughts of tranquillity and peace played on her mind. Regina imagined herself back in his arms, where she was her happiest. She imagined and tried so hard to remember his touch, how it felt to be held by him, to be loved by him. As her heartbeat started to slow and her breathing became steady again, Regina opened her eyes. Meditation was not something Regina had been willing to learn, but after much persistence from Snow about it's benefits and how effective it can be to calm nerves, she had secretly tried it one night. And when she came back into her own feeling relaxed, present and brand new, Regina had sighed at the realisation that Snow was correct.

Feeling much more calm and collected, Regina took the last few steps up to her vault and entered. Immediately, she stopped dead in her tracks, a wave of dread swam through her veins. Someone is here. Regina could feel it, she was indefinitely certain of it. The Evil Queen. How dare she. Regina thought, as a fireball lit in the palm of her hand and she picked up her pace, sprinting down the stairs to face what was waiting for her. As she entered the first room, everything was exactly as she had left it, the candles still lit and the red box still on the table. Regina gasped as she walked closer and realised that the feather was missing. Gone. No. She dropped to her knees and searched the floors. Nothing. She pulled herself up and searched every single crevice, every crack, every area in that room. But I left in in here? I'm sure I did.

"No! No! Come on, where are you?" Regina asked desperately, as she began searching the next room. Her back was turned away from the door when she heard footsteps approaching.

She turned around quicker than a bolt of lightning, her voice shouting "You bitch! Where is-" before her eyes met his and her voice broke, finishing the question with an almost silent "it."

Was she really seeing this? Regina couldn't believe it. Neither of them spoke a word, just looked at each other, taking everything in. Regina found herself lifting her arm out as if she was going to touch him, but he was still stood in the doorway, too far for her to reach.

"Robin?" Regina eventually asked.

Robin grinned then, overjoyed to hear her voice again, his body finding the ability to now move as he stepped quickly towards her. But as he got closer, Regina took three steps back. She was nervous, confused. He understood.

"Regina. It's me. I'm back!" Still beaming, Robin offered his hand to Regina to hold, but she remained still. Her eyes studied every inch of his being, making sure he was real, that he was all there, that he was as perfect as she remembered. And he was.

"Regina?" Robin waited for her to speak.

"I...I don't understand?" she asked. "How? How are you here? This makes no sense?"

"I don't know, but that doesn't matter. I'm here now, and this is true."

As Robin spoke, Regina felt an almighty sense of deja vu and she was reminded of a dream she once had where Robin had spoke those exact words. It was a dream that had occurred whilst Robin was in New York with Roland and Zelena, and Regina thought she would never see him again. And then suddenly, he had shown up in the forest. The next part of the dream terrified Regina and as she recalled what happened, the expression on her face turned to fury. Her eyebrows narrowed together and her lips pursed tightly.

"You!" she spat. "How dare you!"

Robin looked confused and he threw his hands up, surrendering as Regina began to move closer to him. He didn't know what to say.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Regina repeated, her voice now bellowing. "You think that I wouldn't figure it out? You forget how smart I am, dear. That foolery isn't going to work on me. I know it's you."

"Regina..." Robin managed to utter before her hand was around his throat, her nails digging into the skin of his neck.

"DON'T. YOU. DARE." she replied, her face now inches away from his, so close that he could see the anger burning in her eyes.

"Come on, Queenie. I know it's you. Games over. Come and face me properly." Regina snarled, her teeth bared.

"Regina...it's...me...please" Robin gasped, the grip around his throat tight enough now that he could feel himself getting light headed.

"Seriously? You're sticking with that? He's dead! He's not coming back. I KNOW IT'S YOU." Regina was screaming now, she was infuriated and pissed off to the max. Why won't she just admit that it's her! Why isn't she fighting me back?

The realisation hit her suddenly, as she stared into his eyes and saw the life start to leave them. She released her hold and both of her hands flew up to her mouth, covering it as she gasped in shock.

Robin fell slightly, crouching down as he breathed heavily, panting and trying to get all of the oxygen back into his lungs.

"Oh my God." Regina's voice wobbled. "Oh my God."

Robin stood back up then, and laughed softly, still rubbing his neck where a bruise had already started to form. "That's one way to say hello."

"Robin? It's really you?" a tear escaped and rolled down Regina's cheek. Moving her hands away from her face she reached out again, this time close enough to touch him. As she ran a hand over his cheek and then down to his mouth, her fingers traced over his beard and his lips. The feeling confirmed his identity. She knew now that he was truly here.

"It's really me. I'm really here." Robin smiled as he took Regina's hands in his and laced their fingers together.

"But...how?" This still made no sense to Regina, and her mind was swimming with all of the possibilities and still a flicker of doubt.

"I don't know. I don't remember anything. I really did cease to exist. My last memory is of your face as I left this world. And that only came back to me as I found myself here in your vault. It doesn't make any sense, but that doesn't matter. I'm here now. We can be happy again." Robin was crying now too, as he wiped away Regina's tears.

He leaned in towards her face and let her lips come to his, doing so slowly and softly at first but then deeper and passionately as Regina revelled in the taste of him. She couldn't believe that she was kissing him again, that her arms were around him again, but somehow they were. He was here. It felt like coming home. As their lips crashed together, and their bodies pressed closer, Regina could feel Robin's heartbeat against her chest and she broke the kiss, nuzzling her nose into his and whispering "you're alive."

"I am." Robin replied, both of them smiling as they kissed again, happiness and love filling their hearts.

And in that moment, as she reunited with her soulmate, Regina forgot about the Evil Queen. The thoughts of her and of Mr. Hyde were gone, even if just briefly, but they ceased to exist. Regina Mills was happy again. The problem of course remained, but with her true love now by her side, Regina would feel like herself again, like a whole person. Her heart was healed and she could think straight. Robin would provide her with so much help and encouragement and wisdom. Together, they would defeat the Queen. Regina knew now that it was possible. Anything was possible.