Tumblr Prompt: Here's an oq prompt - when Regina gave Roland his monkey she enchanted it (after he has a nightmare) to protect him from danger/threats. it keeps creating a magical shield whenever Marian comes near him. Robin investigates why and finds something disturbing about Marian. idk what, up to you ;)

I started this intending for it to be a quick one shot prompt, but then it got away from me as usual lol. There will be one more chapter to this one.

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The Enchanted Forest

It was his cries that woke her.

She'd placed an enchantment on his room so she would hear if he woke. It wasn't that she didn't trust the women of Robin's group to take care of him. She had no doubt that any one of the Merry Men or their wives would die protecting Roland, but they had other children to look after and she was concerned he may fall through the cracks at some point. Perhaps if the other mothers in the group were preoccupied with their own children they may not hear him if he needed someone.

She'd become quite protective of him in the time he'd spent in the castle with her. Every since their first meeting when she'd pulled him from harms way the boy had been drawn to her. At first she'd been reluctant to be around him. The memories of loosing her son were to fresh, but after several "accidental" meetings she'd come to enjoy his company. His imagination and funny antics often gave her something else to focus on besides the pain that often felt as if it would swallow her whole.

His father had gone on a mission with Charming and some other men from the castle. They were out talking with villagers in neighboring kingdoms to attempt to gain more insight on her sister.

So she'd enchanted his room so she would hear him in the night, just in case he needed something. After all it wasn't as if she had anyone she was currently looking after. It would be quite simple for her to check in on him every now and then.

After a small debate in her head she apparated into the hallway outside of his bedroom. She found it empty which confirmed that indeed, no one had heard his cries in the night. She pushed the door open slowly so as not to startle him.

"Papa?" She heard a small voice call from the bed.

"No Sweetheart, your Papa had to go away for a few days, remember?" She said as she walked into the room.

The boy squinted in the darkness as she came closer. "Gina?" he said as she moved towards the bed.

"Yes dear, it's me." She sat down gently then saw his lip quiver before she found her lap full of a four year old boy and tiny arms wrapped around her neck.

"I'm so glad you comed." he cried into her neck and Regina couldn't help but wrap her arms tightly around him.

She pressed one hand to the back of his head as he cried against her.

"I was so scared Gina." He whimpered again.

"What was it that scared you?" she asked as she rocked him gently back and forth.

"I dreamed the monkey came back to get me, then when I woke up I saw him in my room!" He told her.

Regina stiffened just a bit. It was most likely a child's imagination but it wasn't beyond the realm of possibilities one of those retched creatures had made their way back in to the castle. Most likely if that were the case it would have attacked right away, but just in case it wouldn't hurt to illuminate the room to be safe. She waved her hand gently and a fire roared up in the fire place. She glanced around the room finding nothing as she expected then pulled him back so he could see for himself.

"See" She gestured. "There's no one here but you and me."

Roland blinked and one fat tear rolled down his little cheek. "I thought I saw him."

Regina raised her hand to wipe the tear away. "Sometimes at night when the moon is out like it is now, it can cast shadows on the walls and it plays tricks on us. We think something is there when it isn't."

He poked out his lip and shook his head. "I'm sorry I cried."

She ran a hand through his hair. "Why would you be sorry you cried?"

"Because I'm supposed to be brave." He told her. "I'm a Merry Man and your knight. I'm supposed to not be scared of anything."

She smiled gently and ran a hand down his face. "Roland you can still be part of the Merry Men and my knight even if you are afraid. I bet all the Merry Men and knights in the kingdom are scared sometimes."

"Even my Papa?" he asked.

She thought back to the day she'd saved him from the flying monkey and the terror she'd seen on Robin's face. "Even your Papa."

"Are you ever afraid Gina?" He asked her.

Regina nodded and ran her hand through his hair again. "Sometimes." She tickled his belly and he giggled. "You can still be afraid and be brave. Being brave means standing against something even if you are afraid and it's not just when there is something dangerous."

"What do you mean?" He wanted to know.

"A few days ago I saw you playing with some of the boys in the courtyard. A little girl came over and wanted to play too. Do you remember what happened?" She asked him.

Roland nodded. "The boys said she couldn't play because she was a girl and girls weren't allowed."

She smiled softly at him. "And do you remember what you did?"

"I told them they were being mean and she should play with us." He told her.

Regina nodded. "And they didn't agree with you did they?" She asked and he shook his head. "I was very proud of you when you left the group and walked over to play with her."

"She was crying." He told her. "I didn't want her to be sad."

"That was a brave thing you did Roland, standing up to a group of friends like that is very very brave and that is the reason there is none other in this entire kingdom that I would choose to be my knight." She tapped him on the nose and he grinned. "You are the bravest in the land."

He smiled at that and puffed up his chest a bit. "I will always protect you Gina."

"I know." She answered. "And I will always protect you too."

He glanced around the room a little uneasy. "I'm still a little scared." He admitted.

Regina nodded and glanced over to the stuffed monkey he had in bed with him. It was the same one she'd given him and she often saw him carrying it around the castle. She picked up and showed it to him.

"How about I make it so your monkey can always protect you, even if I'm not around." She asked him.

His eyes widened. "You can do that?!" He asked.

"I can." she smiled and held her hand over the monkey. Roland watched wide eyed as her magic went into it and suddenly the monkey glowed a bright purple before turning back to it's normal color. She handed the monkey back to him. "Now if there is ever any danger to you your monkey will create a barrier around you so no harm will come to you."

"Really?" He asked turning the monkey over in his hands.

"Really." she told him smiling.

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Storybrook

It had all happened so quickly. Marian's return, Regina running from the diner, him following. The look in her eyes had been pure pain and all he'd wanted in that moment was to take her in his arms and promise he would fix all this somehow. He would make it better. Then Marian had followed. The announcement that Regina had been the one to kill her, the screams that she was a monster, Marian storming off with Roland's hand in hers, Regina looking at him with shock and pain mixed in her eyes before quietly telling him to go after his wife and turning to go.

He'd stood there like a fool, looking between both women, not knowing who to follow or what to do with this overwhelming flood of emotion that was making it hard to breathe.

There was his wife…his love, the woman he'd thought dead for so long.

And his soul mate, who even at this very moment he could feel every bit of her pain as if it were his own.

When they'd arrived back at camp Marian had been furious and rightly so he thought. She'd yelled at him. How could he be with her of all people? How could he be with the woman who killed her?

Except, she hadn't at least not that Robin remembered. He'd watched her die. She'd died in his arms…how could she suddenly be alive again? Could it have been some sort of spell that caused her to seem dead? Could she later have awoken afraid and alone and somehow landed herself in the Queen's dungeon?

None of it made sense and in her anger Marian wasn't exactly forthcoming with information.

Then there was the monkey. When they'd returned Roland had gone to pick it up as he often did. When he had the shield had immediately gone up around him.

Telling Marian the story of how the monkey had came to be, had sent her into yet another rage. She'd done something! She'd yelled at him, the witch had done something to keep her away from her own son!

Roland had cried as she raged at Robin and he'd finally had to send him to Little John to quiet him. He'd tried to calmly explain to her that of course Regina hadn't enchanted it to keep her away…she hadn't even known Marian still existed until a few hours ago. Marian hadn't been convinced though and she'd stormed out of the tent and away from him. He sat on the cot as confused as ever.

It was a protection spell Regina had placed on the monkey, he'd seen it work many times. Every attack the witch had made on the castle the spell had created a shield around Roland keeping him safe and unharmed.

He'd seen it.

So what was happening now? Why was it going up around him when in the presence of his mother? How had he watched his wife die in his arms only to find that she'd died again later at the hands of the Queen? Why was Marian raging at him so uncharacteristically? It wasn't like her. Marian was kind and gentle and while he thought she certainly would be angry at the situation she currently found herself in she wouldn't act like this…she wouldn't scare Roland the way she had.

None of it made sense. Unless…

Robin shuttered at the thought, unless she wasn't Marian at all.

He shook himself and stood to walk from the tent. He needed to know the truth. He found her sitting by the fire and walked to her. She looked up at him and he gestured to the spot next to her on the log asking for permission to sit.

She nodded her head and turned back to the fire staring into it.

"I'm sorry." he told her. "I can't imagine what it must be like to find yourself in the situation you are in right now."

"No you can't." She answered.

He nodded. "Despite everything Marian I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am to see you again. I've missed you for so long."

"And I you." She told him but didn't look away from the fire.

"I'm sorry about the confusion with Roland and his monkey. I could talk to Regina in the morning…find out what may have gone wrong with the spell. I'm sure it's just a mistake." He told her.

"No." she answered and looked at him. "I don't want you anywhere near that woman. I want Roland to get rid of that wretched thing tomorrow."

"Marian…I know it may seem like just a toy, but Roland is quite attached to it. It's seen him through some scary things. It would be better I think to figure out what is going wrong with it then to take it from him when so much has changed. He would be devastated."

"We can get him a new toy." She answered flatly. "I want it gone."

He sighed, no this wasn't like his Marian. "I will talk to him in the morning."

"Good." She answered.

"I was thinking just now about the night he was born." He chuckled. "You were ready to run me through with my own arrow, because I kept telling you to breathe."

"You were insufferable." she answered.

"Do you remember how bright the moon was? The way it shone through the curtains after he was born and you thought he looked like an angel?" He asked watching her closely.

"Of course I remember." she told him. "As if I could forget the birth of my own son."

Robin smiled softly, his body on full alert but his face giving nothing away. "You should get some rest." He told her. "I'm sure you're exhausted."

"I am." She told him and then smiled at him. "Are you going to join me?"

He smiled again. "Perhaps in a bit, I'm going to sit here by the fire for a while."

"And sulk over her?" She asked.

"Marian I need time." he told her.

She huffed out a breath. "Fine." She turned and headed towards the tent. "You know where I will be when you come to your senses."

He watched her walk into the tent. He wanted to run to John's tent the moment she disappeared but he gave it time. After waiting for several moments to make sure she didn't come back out he stood and quietly made his way to John's tent.

"Robin?" John asked when he pulled the flap back and made his way to Roland. "What are you doing? Where's Marian?"

"John I need you to keep watch over the camp for a bit. I need to get Roland out of here." He told him.

"What? Why?" The man asked looking around as if afraid that flying monkeys could pop out at any moment. He was still a bit traumatized from his experience.

"I'm not quite sure what is going on yet, but something is very wrong." He pressed the cell phone Regina had given him a couple of days before into the man's hand. "If Marian comes out of the tent I want you to call Regina."

"Call?" The man looked at the phone in his hand as if it might burn him.

"Yes her number is programmed into it. You press this, then this." He held up the phone to him. "Talk into this and listen here." he pointed out quickly. "I have to go." He lifted Roland into his arms then picked up the monkey as well. "I will be back as soon as I can."

"Are you going to tell me what is going on?" He asked.

"I will as soon as I know." Robin promised and made his way out of the tent.

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The pounding on her door made Regina roll her eyes. Likely the Charming's back to make her life even more miserable. She took another drink of the cider she'd been nursing and cursed as the pounding continued.

You would think they would get a damn clue.

She sighed. Snow and Emma had come to her trying to "help" but the only person she'd permitted into her home that evening was Henry who was currently asleep in his bed.

She ground her teeth together, but he wouldn't be asleep much longer if this pounding on her door didn't stop. She sighed and made her way to the door. She would give whatever do gooder that was there a good ass ripping then get back to the task of drinking away her sorrows.

She pulled the door open then stared in shock to see Robin standing there holding a sleeping Roland in his arms.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She hissed even in her pain careful not to wake the sleeping boy in his arms.

"Something's wrong Regina and Roland is in danger." Her eyes changed as she looked at the boy sleeping in his arms. He knew that would get her to listen. "Please, I need to talk to you."

She looked at Roland sleeping soundly in his arms and her shoulders slumped a bit. She couldn't ignore the words "Roland is in danger." She stepped back and allowed him entry into her house and closed the door lightly behind her.

"Is there someplace I can lay him down?" He asked.

She gestured to the couch in the living room. She watched as he laid him down then gently tucked his monkey in beside him. "Where can we talk?" he asked.

She looked at him and pain filled her entire being. She wanted to run to him, to wrap her arms around him and beg him to come back to her…but that would never do and it wasn't as if he could ever love the woman who had killed his beloved wife. "The kitchen." she said shortly and walked out of the room. He followed behind her quickly and as soon as they entered the kitchen she turned to him. "What is it?" She asked.

"She isn't Marian Regina." He told her.

Regina raised her eye brow at that. "Robin you've been through a lot tonight and it's natural that you are trying to make sence of it but…"

"No, Regina, I'm telling you that woman is not my wife." He told her. "She's done nothing but yell and rage since we got back to camp…she scared Roland." He told her. "That is not like Marian."

Her eyes changed when he said Roland had been scared but she shook her head. "It makes sense that she would be angry Robin…probably angrier then she's ever been."

Robin shook his head. "The shield of protection you enchanted the monkey with is going up around Roland when she is near."

She blinked at that and furrowed her brow.

"At first I thought it was a malfunction of some kind, but it sent her on another rage. She insisted you did it to keep her from her son."

Regina shook her head. "That's ridiculous. I didn't even know she existed."

"She wanted me to make him get rid of it instead of asking you about how to fix it, despite the fact that Roland is so attached to it. Marian would never want to hurt him, even if it meant him keeping a gift from you."

She shook her head. "Robin, it does make sense…perhaps she doesn't want to be reminded…"

"No." He shook his head. "After I began to suspect something was going on, I talked to her about the night he was born, how the moon was so bright and shined in through the curtains and she'd said Roland looked like an angel and she just smiled and said of course she remembered"

Regina shook her head. "So?"

"It's a shit story Regina!" He told her. "Roland was born in the afternoon on a day hot enough to melt the skin off your bones!"

Regina's mouth fell open a bit. "I…"

"I don't know who that woman is Regina, but it isn't my wife." he told her.

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As always I would love for you to review and tell me what you think so far!