A/N: So I'm really starting to like the idea of Regina and Robin Hood together but at the same time, I can't see them meeting, falling in love at first sight (though I can see sparkles) and living happily ever after. I mean Robin is a good guy and what good guy wants to fall in love with the Evil Queen? Well with that premise I started to write this story, I have some ideas for it so it will be multi-chaptered. This chapter is basically an intro, hope you enjoy!

Breathe Into Me

Her feet seemed to move on their own accord as she ran into the forest. She ran barefoot and aimlessly, moving without a real sense of direction as the unmerciful breeze of the night filled her lungs with frost.

It was dark; the thick foliage was preventing the pale light of the moon to illuminate the path ahead as she advanced so it was as if she was guided by pure instinct. Branches hit her face, pebbles of rocks incrusted themselves into the delicate skin of her feet and inhaling into the cold air was creating a dull ache in her chest; but even though she was in great discomfort she knew that she needed to keep going or she was going to lose him for good.

"Henry!"

Her notion of time and space were distorted in her head… she was lost, her legs were on fire and her clothes were sticking to her body due to perspiration. She didn't know where she was, all she knew was that she has been running like this for a long time. Maybe it has been ages since she began to move in such a frenzy, but even with exhaustion making her breathing come out in short puffs and even with a nagging pain taking residence at her side, Regina couldn't just stop running.

No, she needed to get to Henry and she had a strong feeling in her gut that she was getting nearer and nearer to her son and that any delay could become fatal.

"Henry!"

She called out for what felt like the hundredth time; her voice echoing loud and clear. He was close, she could feel him and that only meant that she was about find him and save him from Peter Pan. But while she waited for a response from the boy, she took a wrong step that made her stumble and before she could react, she fell on her hand and knees.

Gasping at the impact, the dark-haired woman closed her eyes and tried to catch her breath and gather the strength to get up on her feet to keep on with her search… but she couldn't, her body wasn't cooperating and even though her determination hadn't faltered, she just couldn't get up.

"I can't…"She panted and the impotence to will her body into moving made her sob. She has never felt so weak, so powerless.

"You never try hard enough at anything."

Henry… she recognized the familiar voice and her head shoot up, her brown eyes scanning her surroundings until she saw him, sitting over a rock with his back to her.

"Henry." Relieved, Regina smiled and closed her eyes to try and gain some composure but still, she couldn't get up. Her body felt heavy as stones and the only thing she was able to do was to sit down on the grass. "Are you okay? God, you don't know how long I've been searching for you."

"Liar."

"What?" Her smiled died on her lips and her hand tried to reach out for him. "I'm not-" What was he talking about, why was he calling her a liar…

"All you ever say to me are lies; you lied to me when you said you were my mom, you lied when you said that you were going to change for me and you lied when you said that you loved me."

His words stunned her and she meant to say something… anything to refute such a harsh statement, but whatever there was to say got stuck in her throat and she couldn't spit it out.

"You can't love anyone because you have no heart."

Again, words were failing her so she reached for her chest and took out her heart; her intentions had been to show him that even though black, she still had a heart and that it belonged only to him. But when she lifted the enchanted organ up, all she saw in her hand was putrefaction and worms.

She yelped in repulsion, throwing away the handful of worms as confusion clouded her mind.

"See," The boy said in a flat voice while turning around to revealing a pair of empty sockets where his eyes used to be. "You have no heart and now you can't save me because darkness can't drive out darkness!" With that said, the boy got up and stomped his foot over what was left of her heart.

XxXxXxX

Regina woke up startled and with the menace of a sob trying to break out from her lips. She covered her mouth in case it escaped, but even though the effort to keep in down took all the strength she seemed to possess, she couldn't help but to muffle a gasp against the palm of her hand.

Frightened that someone might have heard her, she sat frozen and silent; barely aware that when her body reacted to waking up from the nightmare it moved with a violent jerk that sprung her forward and that was how she ended up sitting in the middle of the campfire. That was how she remained, a trembling hand pressing to her lips, her brown eyes wide and staring blankly ahead and her breathing struggling to get back to normal.

'It was just a dream.' She tried to comfort herself, but the truth was that the memory of the dream left her shaking and disconcerted.

Oh but her pride was stronger than any other feeling she could have so rushing to her feet she walked into the forest and away from the others. She did it automatically, knowing that it wouldn't do for the Charming fools and even less Emma and Hook to see her in such a weaken state.

She didn't want them to know that she was having constant nightmares and she didn't want them to know how much they really affected her. No, she would hate for them to know as the last thing she wanted was to appear weak or unstable.

Walking blindly as she has done in her dream, Regina got swallowed by the darkness of the night. It didn't frighten her though; since she has been in Neverland for some time now looking for her son she knew where she was headed and she knew the way.

Once she reached the stream, the dark-haired woman crouched down and gathered some of the cold crystal water with her hands to splash it into her face

"Henry." The name escaped her lips in a daze, her hand automatically finding its way to her chest to press her palm against the rapid beating of her heart. Yes, the heart was there and judging by the constant thud against her ribcage, functioning perfectly well.

'It was just a nightmare.' She repeated in her mind, but as her eyes closed and more water was splashed against her face she heard something move in the woods behind her and her breathing halted, her trained ears were on full alert now.

For a second an image of her nightmare flashed behind her closed eyelids… but then it was gone and a clearer idea of what was moving took over her mind.

More aware of her surroundings and the situation at hand, Regina kept her eyes closed. Whatever, or better yet, whoever was behind her wasn't trying to be subtle, but at the same time not too loud either.

He or she was just standing out there, watching her.

"Tinker Bell…"

Yeah, she couldn't see the fairy but she could feel her lurking around… the hesitance to approach, the need to do it… the inner battle of doing the right thing versus doing what her gut was telling her to do consuming her.

It couldn't be anybody else.

Blinking her eyes open as if it was the most natural thing for her, she asked calmly. "Came to finish the job, didn't you?"

For a moment there was no response, the somewhat eerie sounds of the night echoing all around them. But then she heard the fairy approaching and her hands flexed in reflex, ready to strike if necessary.

Now she hadn't been expecting Tinker Bell to still feel it in her to kill her, but she could understand it. Not that she was going to let it happen… the fairy had her chance and didn't take it so Regina wasn't going to make the same offer twice.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance, now it's not going to happen."

"You should talk to somebody about those nightmares."

Snorting bitterly, Regina shook her head and then clenched her jaw. "I don't know what you are talking about." She tried to make her voice as neutral as she could and she succeeded.

"You can talk to me; you were always a lonely woman and with that bitterness consuming you I don't think you have many friends to talk to."

Getting to her feet and turning around so that she could face the disheveled blonde, Regina's expressions turned somber and if it wasn't because of the angry spark in her warm chocolate eyes, one would think that the subject bored her. "I don't need friends and I don't need you to turn into another Archie."

"Of course you don't… what you need is to find your true love. Regina, listen to me. It's not too late for you or for him… I've been turning this in my head since I saw you so I went to the Oracle and she let me see it all in my head. It was clear as water so I'm going to give you another chance, it will not be an easy road but it can happen if you let it happen."

"You know…" Regina snorted, looking up to the skies and shaking her head. "I don't know what's with you and your obsession to play Dr. Love with me but drop it already. I mean no wonder you failed the fairy training, it was Cupid you should have applied to." Lowering her eyes back to the woman, Regina clenched her jaw. "I don't need love, so if you really want to help me go find my son and bring him back to me."

With that said Regina made a grimace and throwing her hands in the air, she made to walk away.

But before she could take a step, she saw out of the corner of her eye that Tinker Bell threw something to the water and then she was being shoved hard.

"I won't fail in this one, Regina, I won't."

Caught off guard, she stumbled on her feet and fell into the water. But there was no water, what she felt all around her was the feeling of dropping into emptiness; it was as if she was falling into a deep void and no matter how hard she tried to use magic to get back on her feet, she just couldn't.

It took her a few seconds to realize that she was falling through a portal.

'How?' She meant to ask Tinker Bell, but the image of the fairy looking down on her as she unwillingly descended slowly disappeared and then a slashing sound made her close her eyes.

And that's when she hit the water and hard.

Opening her mouth to protest the pain it caused her to fall into the water and being only able to swallow a mouthful of it, Regina opened her eyes and swirled around.

She didn't like the way the water was embracing her whole as it engulfed her into its mysterious darkness and she liked even less the fact that no matter how hard she tried to swim to the surface, she was stuck in the same place.

She was using her hands and legs but she was going nowhere. She tried for what felt like minutes, and when her lungs started screaming in pain and eventually sending a bolt of discomfort right into her chest, she opened her mouth to scream.

It was the most distressing feeling she ever felt, not being able to breathe, losing control… it was the ultimate vengeance on Tinker Bell's part and if it wasn't because she was desperate and scared to the bone, she would have laughed at the fact that in the end, a fairy was going to be the one to kill her.

But she wasn't going to go without a fight so she tried to use magic. It didn't work so she kicked and kicked as icy fingers of black water tightening around her throat

But then, when all hope was gone and her hold on life was disintegrating through her fingers, she felt something grab her and guide her upward. She didn't know what it was, but when she broke into the surface and took that first breath of air there was nothing but relief. Sure, she took that breath between a fit of coughing, but it was a very welcomed breath.

"That's it; breathe through your nose, slowly." The voice that whispered the words into Regina's ears was kind and almost soothing, but it made her tense nonetheless.

With her breathing somehow stable, she blinked her stinging eyes rapidly while becoming suddenly aware that what got her out of the water has been a man, a man that was now holding her. One hand was wrapped around her waist and resting on her stomach and the other one he was using to swim to what she assumed was the shore.

Her back was to him so she couldn't see him, but as soon as she was able to she pushed his hand away and tried to use magic to send him far. "Get your hands away from me." She snapped in typical Regina fashion and even though she just had a close encounter with death and he saved her, her voice didn't even tremble.

Her attempt of magic was in vain though and her effort of getting away from his grip was killed when he grabbed her in place once more.

"Easy there or we will both end right in the bottom."

She gasped in frustration and clenched her teeth so hard that a dull ache started to form in her jaw. But she let him take her to the shore and when her feet could touch the ground, she pulled away

Turning around and lifting a hand to send him flying away from her, she bared her teeth. She was on the defensive, she was aware of that and she wanted him to know too, but much as it happened before, her attempt of magic came short.

It disconcerted her some and she blinked a couple of times as she tried to figure out what was going on.

"Are you okay there? That was an awful fall… and out of nowhere." The man said, brushing his hair out of his face and wiping water out of his eyes. "You are lucky me and the boy were passing by…"

His voice made her eyes really turn to him and then first thing she noticed was his eyes. In the darkness she couldn't see what color they were exactly, but they seemed sparkling along with the moonlight. It was almost an amicable gaze, which made her level of defenses go higher.

She also noticed that he was dressed in what suspiciously seemed like 'Enchanted Forest' clothes and at the thought of that, her stomach tied in a knot.

"No need to thank me though." The man was studying her unashamedly; his eyes scanning her face and clothes and even frowning a little. "You are not from around here, I mean I haven't seen you before so where did you come from?"

"I don't have to tell you anything." But yet, she remained there, her eyes on his and her head held up high. Yes, she was dripping wet, yes she was cold and she was even trembling in the chilly night, but she needed to maintain some control over the situation.

Her fingers flexed and she hoped something would come out of that movement, anything… but nothing happened.

Chuckling, the man reached for a long hooded coat that was in the ground and after dusting it off, he offered it to her. "I'm Robin Hood."

Regina didn't take the offering; she just arched an eyebrow as everything clicked. Yes, the man, the clothes, the name… of course she has heard of him, a long time ago when she was Queen and reports of the man and his band of thieves were send to her from her guards.

She would have dealt with him, but she has been so busy with Snow…

"You are a thief." Regina said as a matter of fact and Robin smiled, using his fingers to scratch his beard.

"So you heard of me?" With a shrug, he reached forward and threw his coat over Regina's shoulders, creating a sense of warm that she was unable to refute. "And yet you are still not telling me who you are."

Pursing her lips, she tilted her head to the side. Their eyes were glued together and for some reason she couldn't look away. "You really don't know who I am?"

He smiled. "I don't… but I'm very curious. It's not every day that it rains fair ladies for me to save."

Regina would have laughed, she a fair lady? He really didn't know who she was. But before she could react to his words she heard footsteps approaching and a woman's voice calling for Robin.

"Robin, Roland told me that…."

All of a sudden the woman stopped in her tracks as she stared at the new comer and Regina had no choice but to hold her head even higher while pushing the inside of her teeth with her tongue.

She had an idea of what was running through the woman's mind and her suspicious were corroborated when she drew a sword and pointed it her way.

"Don't move or I will not hesitate on using this."

"Mulan? What are you doing?" Robin's voice came out in shock and Regina smirked.

No… he didn't know who she was but the woman did. "Are you sure you want to use that, little girl?" Her eyes moved to Mulan, and even though she was aware that magic wasn't working for her, she made a motion with her hand as if she was throwing something at her.

Mulan cringed and stepped back, but as soon as she realized nothing happened, she did a quick maneuver and hit Regina at the back of her legs with the flat of the sword.

"Mulan!

Regina fell on her knees and in a matter of nothing the edge of the sword was resting against her throat. It would be a better death than drowning so she smirked. "Do it."

"Enough of this nonsense." Robin said grabbed Mulan by the arm and dragged her away from Regina. "What the bloody hell do you think you are doing?"

"What am I doing? Have you gone mad? This woman will kill us all and you don't want me to do something about it?"

Robin frowned, looking at Regina and then at Mulan. "Do you know who she is?"

Mulan did a double take, Regina saw the exchange from her place on the ground. In that moment she tried once again for magic to come to her, but nothing was happening.

"You don't know who she is. This woman is the Queen, the Evil Queen. She is the witch that casted the curse that destroyed this land and swept everyone else into another world."

Robin's expression turned to somber and he ran both his hands through his still wet hair. Then he turned around and looked up to the dark skies. "Are you certain?"

"Of course I am; so should I kill her now?" Mulan asked, grabbing the sword with both her hands as if to strike her.

Regina just watched, holding her breath but smirking all the same. She wasn't going to say a word, not unless she was sure she could get an upper hand and right now the odds were against her.

"No. Tie her up and let's bring her to camp."

Snorting, Mulan shook her head. "So she could kill us all? Robin…"

The man turned back and Regina saw that his eyes were not sparkling anymore, but they still fixed deep into her warm brown stare. She would look away if she if her pride would let her, but at the same time she knew that she couldn't look away because there was something about those eyes that made her unable to move, or breathe… or anything.

She couldn't quite get it…

"If she could kill us, she would have done it already. Tie her up and bring her."

"Fine, but I'm still not taking any chances. With that said, Mulan went again to hit her the Queen with the flat of her sword, only that this time she hit the back of her head so that Regina's world went black….

TBC?