Written for OQ Prompt Party Week 2019, Day 3 (Wednesday).

Prompts: 105. Regina and Robin are surprised to find that Roland has magic. and 110. Roland is secretly Regina's biological child.

TRIGGER WARNING for emotional abuse and deception.

Robin is talking with Little John when all of a sudden a terrified scream echoes through the camp. The heart stops beating in Robin's chest as he quickly turns towards the source of the sound, his legs taking him there while his brain still try to catch up with what he's just heard.

It is Roland who's screaming.

The sound is frightening, not one that he lets out when Will beats him to his games or when he falls down from the tree. It's a scream full of fear, of fear that has Robin's mind filling with horrible images.

"Let go of him!" Robin yells when he finally sees Roland. The Dark One is with him, the man who Regina calls her worst enemy, but close friend, is holding Roland tied to the tree by some magic force and Robin is taking his bow, aiming his arrow to the beast immediately.

The Dark One lets that maniacal giggle that makes goose bumps appear on his arms, and then Roland is screaming again, this time his voice pained and faltering.

"What do you need from my son? Let him go!" Robin repeats, holding the arrow and bow in his now trembling hands.

"I just found out our dearest Regina has been keeping secrets from us," Rumpelstiltskin hisses, making his way towards Roland, completely ignoring the arrow aimed at him. "Your precious boy is the result of not only soulmates connection, but he's the mix of the darkest magic and the purest heart. You have no idea what a person like me can do with this power."

The Dark One's words make no sense to Robin, but he doesn't have enough time to overthink that because then the beast is touching Roland's face, gripping his chin tightly and forcing the boy to look at him. Robin releases the arrow, aiming it to the Dark One's heart, but the arrow stops right before touching him.

"Did you really think that is going to kill me?" He giggles, not even glancing at Robin. A simple wave of his hands and the arrow is turned around and flying towards Robin, the sharp point of it piercing through Robin's chest, it all happening in a blink of an eye.

It has Robin falling to his knees immediately, the pain making his mind dizzy, the screams of Roland turning louder and louder. All he can think about is his precious boy, and despite the arrow in his chest he tries to turn, to reach for his bow that's fallen on the grass beside him.

All of a sudden the screams stop and there's a purple smoke beside him that makes Robin sigh in relief. Regina's here, she'll save Roland, she's make sure he's fine, she-

When the magic disappears, Roland collapses beside Robin and there's no one beside him, Regina is not there. His tiny palms are shaking as he grabs the arrow protruding from his father's chest and closes his eyes tightly.

He's crying, his sweet boy is crying, but his eyes are shining purple and the arrow is slowly pulled out of Robin's chest, no pain, not a drop of blood following its exit. Those tiny palms are placed over his heart then and Roland is shaking, this whole body is trembling violently when Robin feels the tingling sensation in his chest, the one he feels when Regina mends all of his wounds.

As soon as the pain is gone completely and Robin doesn't feel dizzy anymore, Roland collapses on the grass beside his father, his teary eyes still shining of that magical shade of purple. Robin sits up immediately and pulls Roland into his arms, whispering sweet nothings into his ear as he fights his shock.

Did it really just happen or was all of it a dream?

"Did he just… use magic?"

Robin blinks his eyes and looks up to find John standing a few feet away from them, his mouth opened in surprise as he stares at Roland who's now quietly crying in Robin's arms.

"I don't… I," Robin stands up on shaky legs; the adrenaline and fear still are coursing through his veins. "I have to see Regina," he finally says and then he's running out of the woods towards town, all the while clutching Roland's trembling body tightly to himself.

His son has magic.

(…)

"Tell me again what happened," Regina asks as she sets the glass of whiskey in front of Robin.

He empties it in one gulp, his hands still trembling from all the shock.

Regina's managed to calm Roland down with a sedative potion, coaxing him to stop crying and rest. He's been adamant to let go of Robin, the fear of losing his father still evident in his fearful eyes, and Robin has laid down with him on the couch in Regina's office, stroked his curly hair until the boy finally calmed down and fell asleep.

"Roland has magic," Robin says probably for the umpteenth time, his voice still full of surprise. "He escaped the Dark One and … saved me."

Regina glances at the sleeping Roland, then turns back to Robin, running her hands through her hair. "Why would Rumple threaten Roland? How did he even know that he has magic?" she asks herself confused before she refills Robin's glass and sits down beside him on the armchair.

Robin shrugs, taking a sip of the whiskey. He then turns to Regina and says, "The Dark One was saying something about Roland being the result not only of soul mate's connection, but also of dark magic and pure soul. " He stops for a moment, still not being able to understand the ridiculous words. "Marian had a pure soul, true, but I'm not evil. No matter how dark my intentions or actions got, it never was… that. His words make no sense."

When he looks up to Regina, she's looking at him with teary eyes, the glass in her hands shaking. Robin frowns at her, but stretches his hand out to take hers in a comforting manner. Marian is still a sore spot for both of them with the revelation that the Evil Queen was indeed the one to kill her and then all that Zelena fiasco, but it has never made her so emotional.

"Are you okay?" he asks confused.

Regina stands up, but she's shaking, her hands trembling, her legs too, to the point that she has to grip the table to keep herself upright. Her breathing has turned into a labored one, and she's gasping for air, so Robin gets up quickly and rushes to her side.

"Regina, breathe," he wraps his arms around her and slowly turns her, leads her a few steps until she sits down on the chair again. "Breathe with me," he asks her, kneeling in front of her, holding her hands tightly in his, inhaling slowly, counting to ten and then exhaling. She doesn't follow his instructions, but after a few moments she manages to slow her gasps and slowly tries to breathe with Robin, her hands twitching in his.

When she finally is able to talk again, she shakes her head, looks away from Robin. The tears start rolling down her cheeks as she whispers a quiet, "I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about. We all panic sometimes, yeah? It's alright."

"No, Robin, I-" she stops, grimaces and then inhales deeply and continues, "I did something terrible years ago. I never thought somebody would find out about it, but it seems that Rumple did. And he will tell you, of course he will, so I have to do it first."

"I don't follow."

She closes her eyes, sighs and tells him, "I killed Marian, but not when you think I did. These memories are not real, that Marian is not real."

"What?"

"When we were back in the Enchanted Forest and Snow was still on the run, there were rumors that she was hiding in your camp, so of course, I had to investigate. Using glamor I showed up to you as a little boy, as an outlaw, then as an injured woman, but you never took me to your camp. So I stepped up my game and decided to kill someone from your band and pretend to be her."

"Regina, I-"

"I killed Marian not long after your wedding."

Her words have Robin releasing her hands as if she was poisonous and standing up, taking a step back while his mind is exploding. He has memories of Marian, so many memories after their wedding, and Roland, and her being pregnant of Roland. She was not dead, Regina is lying, she's-

"With the help of magic, I made myself look like her." Regina admits, tears falling down her cheeks. Robin can't understand, he's shaking his head, tears in his own eyes as he stares at her in disbelief. She must be lying. "Of course, I didn't want anyone to suspect that something was off, so I pretended to be your wife and outlaw and-"

"You did to me the same that Zelena did," He manages to say, feeling the bile raising up his throat. He's going to be sick.

Regina swallows hard, but nods her head. "To my surprise, I got pregnant. I knew Snow White wasn't in your camp, but there was this child now, and, well, as horrible as I was, I didn't want to kill it. I also didn't want to raise it, so I kept pretending to be Marian and as soon as Roland was born, I left. I found a girl who agreed to poise as Marian for the time until it looked the right time to end Marian's existence."

"You're lying."

"I'm not." Regina shakes her head, her voice breaking. "I'm so ashamed of what I did. And when Zelena did the same to you, I realized that she knew about my crimes. I threatened her to keep her mouth shut and never tell anyone a thing. Seems like my sister doesn't know how to keep a secret."

"You're a monster!" Robin takes a step back, barely being able not to fall down. All of it was a lie. His whole life was a lie. He's been used by Regina the same way he's been used by Zelena. What is worse, though, Regina would've never told him the truth, she would have kept this secret forever if not the Dark One.

All this time she acted as if she hasn't ruined his life.

"Roland didn't have magic when he was born, so I thought nobody would be interested in him, but it turns out I was wrong. His magic is powerful, Robin, and strong, and Rumple will do whatever it takes to ruin my life by making Roland suffer."

"He's not your son," Robin says, shaking his head. It seems that it's all he can do at this point. "He's mine and Marian's. You're not his mother."

"I wish that was true, Robin, but it's not. He's my son," she tells him, slowly standing up from the chair and making her way towards him.

He takes a step back and then another until his back hits the wall. He's not afraid of Regina, he's not, but the revelation has him disgusted, even the sight of her makes him want to throw up. She's a monster, a true monster who's ruined countless of lives, including his.

"Don't touch me," he asks when she puts her hands on his shoulder. "Please, don't touch me."

But she doesn't listen, instead her grip on his shoulders tightens and she starts shaking him.

"Robin, wake up!"

Regina's voice is shaking and suddenly they're not in her office anymore, but in some dark and cold place. Robin opens his eyes and finds Regina looking at him, her eyes full of tears as she continues to shake him. When their gazes meet, she sighs in relief and starts sobbing immediately.

"Oh my God, you're alive!" she exclaims, wrapping her arms around him, pressing her lips against his, but Robin's whole body is aching, it feels like he's been torn apart, like the bones in his body has been broken, and then there's that disgust he feels when she touches him, the disgust that's brought by the realization that she's used and abused him.

"Let go of me," he tries to push her away, but everything hurts so much. He yelps a few times in pain until she finally releases him and once he's free, he tries to move away from her. It's then that he sees the chains around his wrists and ankles, metal holding him to the wall.

He looks at Regina, then at the chains, then back at Regina, and finally, when the mess in his head gets to be too much, when he realizes that he's trapped somewhere with this monster, he starts screaming, the world around him breaking into pieces along with his heart.