Robin can't believe it. Twice. Twice now, Marian has come back from the dead and twice now she is far from the woman he remembers. The first time, she wasn't herself entirely and he still feels that betrayal down to his bones. But the second time she is Marian, except she… isn't. The Marian he remembers is loving and kind and brave and selfless- a far cry from the Marian he sees before him now, a pale and bitter imitation of the woman he once loved. But that seems to be the trend with these returning souls- they are indeed themselves, but something is not quite right about them. Something is terribly off. He can see it in her eyes- they are lifeless, joyless, darker than he remembers. She seems sunken, empty, hollow and once again his memory of her mocks him.

He hates himself for feeling so defensive and tense around her, but to be fair, she did appear out of nowhere in front of him in the sheriff's station. Shimmered into being before his eyes just as he was about to turn into the hallway. It takes him a moment to realize who he's looking at, but when he does he feels a coil of dread twisting in his stomach. He had been hoping that Marian might not make a reappearance in Storybrooke with the rest of the undead. Memories of her have become too painful as of late and after seeing the rest of the released souls, he knew not encountering her at all would probably be most beneficial to his mental state.

So of course, here she is.

"Hello, Robin," she purrs, voice smooth and low. Her face is empty, blank and it seems like every part of her is some varying shade of grey. Where is his glowing wife who was so vibrant and full of life? Dead, apparently.

"Marian," he swallows, grip tightening on the bow in his hand. His lungs have evidently forgotten how to do their job. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," she replies as if the answer should be obvious. "Since you haven't come to see me."

"I didn't want to see you," he admits, eyes lowering in guilt. "I thought… I thought it'd be too painful."

"Too painful? To see your wife again?" Marian asks, voice only raising a hair in inflection. She didn't always speak in such a monotone, did she? No, he can remember her laughter, her playful tones when she teased him. This isn't Marian… but it is.

"I don't have the best track records with wives coming back from the dead," Robin answers, managing to keep most of the spite out of his voice. Not anger toward her, but toward another woman so vile he doesn't dare let her enter his thoughts. "I'm sorry," he apologizes, deflating slightly.

"For what?"

"For not knowing it wasn't you."

Marian smirks, but it's not her smile. This one is transparent and cold. Hers had been quite the opposite. "I was a little insulted at first, but I understand. The time that has gone by. Though I suppose I should be flattered that you were willing to give up everything you have here to keep me alive," Marian says, eyes leaving his face for the first time. She looks around the room. "Even if you would much rather be here. With your men, your friends. With her."

Robin takes a sharp inhale of breath at the thought of Regina and all the pain she had gone through because of him. All the pain he had put himself through. All the pain they're now going through together.

"Where is the queen now?" Marian inquires, looking up at Robin again.

"Waiting for me," he answers, unnerved by the question for some reason he can't place. The answer is true, though, Regina is waiting for him and he really should be going…

Marian hums, a sound that Robin can't decide if it's approval or the opposite. She turns and walks past him, further into the sheriff's station until she's near David's desk. "I'm sorry for what happened to you. And to Roland," she states plainly before turning back to face him. "Where is our son?"

"With the fairies and Neal." He pauses. "And Morgan," he adds warily, completely unsure as to how Marian feels about the whole situation.

"Your daughter," she comments evenly, eyebrows only quirking upwards a millimeter.

"Yes."

She smiles again, sadder than before. "Although I know it's not how you wanted things to happen, I'm glad you have her. I always wanted a daughter."

"I remember," Robin concurs with a wistful smile, thinking back to the nights of Marian's pregnancy when they would bet on the gender of their child. Robin always said a boy. Locksley men only have strapping young sons for their first children, he informed her. Marian had, of course, told him he was full of it. She wanted a girl for their first child, partially due to only having sisters growing up. She joked she wouldn't know what to do with a little boy.

"And this little girl, you're going to be raising her with the queen?"

"I hope so."

"You don't know?"

"Haven't really had time to talk about it."

Marian lifts her chin slightly. "No, I'm sure you haven't. Chasing authors and Dark Ones about."

Robin nods and takes a deep breath. He suddenly feels incredibly tired and Regina is still waiting for him. "Marian, what do you want?"

She shakes her head as if to admonish him for not knowing. "I wanted to see you, Robin," she states plainly, obviously. "I wanted to check on you. Things have been rather difficult for you lately."

He hears movement in the hallway just then and looks to see Regina coming toward them. She seems flustered, but exhales noticeably when she sees him. "There you are," she exclaims, half scolding, half relieved. "What is taking you so-" She stops with a hand on his arm, freezing when she notices Marian. Regina swallows and glances up at Robin, a silent question of his well-being, his state of mind. He nods minutely, sending a message of reassurance.

"Marian," Regina says tentatively. "I… didn't expect to see you."

"Your Majesty," the other woman replies, voice as smooth and cool as ever. "I believe this is the first time we are officially meeting." She pauses and takes a moment to look Regina up and down. "Unless you count what happened between us back home."

Robin feels Regina's fingers tighten around his forearm. "No, I wouldn't say that exactly counts," Regina murmurs and he can practically feel the tension radiating off her.

"Yes, well, I suppose I shouldn't expect an apology?" Marian goades and Robin takes a step forward, Regina's hand falling from his arm. They are not going there. Not now.

"She doesn't need to apologize, Marian," he defends and if he could feel the tension in Regina before, he's practically suffocating from it now.

"She doesn't?" Marian repeats with a hint of disbelief. "She is the reason I was separated from you in the first place, Robin."

"No, she isn't. We both know I am to blame for that," Robin insists and he feels Regina's hand return to his arm, a slight squeeze to let him know she's there.

Marian looks down and away. "Well. Agree to disagree, then."

"I am sorry, Marian," Regina interjects after a moment, stepping forward next to Robin.

"Regina-" Robin starts.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you," Regina interrupts, squeezing his arm again. "I'm sorry that you died because of me. Because of my sister and her hatred of me. It shouldn't have happened like that." She takes a breath. "It shouldn't have happened at all."

Marian's face changes imperceptibly. If she was herself, Robin suspects her expression would have reflected how moved she felt at Regina's words. Instead, though, it's a slight relaxation of her features that gives her away. "Well," she begins, obviously at a loss. "I accept your apology."

Robin feels Regina relax minutely and he sends a glance her way. Evidently, he's not the only one unnerved by Marian's appearance. "We need to go," Regina murmurs, dropping her hand from his arm.

"Wait," Marian rasps, her voice suddenly hoarse.

Robin looks back at her and is caught off-guard by her sudden change in demeanor. She looks weaker, strained as if standing is a challenge. "Marian, what's wrong?" he asks, taking a step toward her.

Marian answers by taking a step back. She shakes her head. "It's harder… for those of us without magic… to appear in your world," she explains, breaths coming in strangled gasps. "I can't stay… much longer." She stumbles back another step and steadies herself by holding onto the back of a chair.

"If it's hurting you to be here, then go, please," Robin pleads, feeling panicked at the sight of his wife in pain. Despite all the years and the recent heartaches, he still feels a fierce protectiveness toward her.

Marian shakes her head, a transparent shimmer rippling through her body as she does so. All her shades of grey seem to be fading and she's shaking, trembling terribly despite her grip on the chair and still, she stays. "I need… to tell you…" she manages, voice no louder than a choked whisper now.

"Marian, please," Robin begs again.

"I want you… to be happy… together," she continues as another transparent shimmer courses through her. She looks to Regina. "Take care of… my son… Don't let him… forget me."

"I won't," Regina whispers and Robin doesn't have to look at her to know she's just as affected by Marian's struggle as he is.

"You found… each other… don't forget… how rare it is… to find… true love," Marian breathes, her body becoming more flickering shimmers than solid flesh. She's practically doubled over from the effort now and Robin can't stand it anymore. He crosses the distance between them and reaches out support her, but she shakes her head and holds a hand up to stop him.

"Don't… it'll just hurt… more…" she rasps, looking into his eyes and Robin swears for a moment, he can see the real Marian behind the hellish facade and his heart nearly breaks at the flash of warmth in her eyes.

She manages something like a smile and takes a step toward him. She's fading terribly now. Robin can practically see straight through her and yet still, she smiles. "Be happy… with her… and don't forget… that I love you…"

"Marian," Robin whispers, reaching for her just as she fades from view, leaving nothing but a moved chair as evidence that she was ever there. He blinks and stares and tries to wrap his mind around everything, but his thoughts won't clear and his eyes won't move from the spot where she stood.

He's expecting to feel a heavy weight on his chest, a suffocating pain that threatens to consume him similar to what he's felt every other time he's lost her. What he doesn't expect to feel is a sense of weightlessness, a lightness surrounding his heart despite the painful struggle he's just witnessed. It makes him feel better knowing Marian wishes him to be happy, that she isn't angry with him for all that has transpired in the last year. And in the face of all that's been done, both willingly and unwillingly, to besmirch her memory, she still loves him. Robin thinks not for the first time that he doesn't deserve her. He wonders if he ever did.

"Robin," Regina murmurs tentatively. He realizes she's come to stand beside him when she touches his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

He takes a deep breath and nods, turning away from where Marian had stood. He offers her a smile. "She… still loves me. Despite everything, she still does," he marvels, shaking his head. "And she wants us to be happy. I just… I never imagined…"

Regina smiles and reaches to lace her fingers with his own. "She's an incredible woman."

Robin nods. "She was," he agrees. "Of that, I've never had a doubt." He brings their joined hands to his lips and kisses Regina's knuckles. "Now, my love, I do believe we have a town to save."

"Right. We need to go," Regina replies, turning and pulling him with her out of the sheriff's station. He takes one more glance back at the spot Marian had stood and for the first time in months, doesn't feel a sense of shame and self-hatred at the thought of his late wife. She gave him her blessing to be happy and he realizes that was the final piece he needed to embrace the happy ending waiting at his fingertips.

Reviews make me happy!