AN: I actually didn't intend to write this as a story... was supposed to be a Oneshot but somehow it became more complicated.
I hope you like it and please let me know if you do.
Set in season 5B... After rescuing Killian. (Future, I know nothing).
Mistakes are mine and for you to keep. Unbetaed.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. No characters or anything.
Summary: There was one more thing he had to do before he could return home.
Chapter 1: The Deal
The small group was walking down Main Street. Or what used to be Main Street or pretended to be Main Street. At least it looked like Main Street. In a way. In an underworld way.
„Finally", Regina said smiling as she was walking between Henry and Robin, „another half an hour and we'll be back home."
Robin sighed next to her.
„What is it?", she asked turning towards him whilst Henry kept on walking alongside his grandparents. The small group that consisted of Snow and David, Emma and Killian and Mr. Gold and Henry took a few more steps before they came to a halt, waiting for Regina and Robin. They were out of earshot giving them some privacy but they all had promised not to let each other out of sight anymore in the underworld. So they waited.
„There's something I need to take care of down here, first", Robin said directly looking at Regina.
„Don't", Regina said as her brain registered his words, „don't leave me."
He saw the tears in her eyes and had to try hard not to give in himself but he had to do this, „Regina, I have to do this. Take everyone home and I'll come as soon as I can. But take them home.
You don't have much time. Henry will explain it to you. I wish I could but you need to go."
„How doe-", she did not understand how or why Henry would know anything about this but she didn't have the chance to ask Robin as he had already crashed his lips down on hers.
The kiss was over too soon for her liking.
„I promise you, I will be back with you and the boys as soon as possible. But you need to go. You need to take care of everyone", he was wiping away her tears and somehow his actions and words seemed to calm her.
She did not know how long Henry had been standing next to her but his, „mom? Mom, we need to go", made her aware of his presence.
„He is right", Robin said giving Regina another quick kiss, before turning to Henry hugging him, „take care of her as you promised me and your grandpa."
„I will", Henry said, „make that quick though."
„I promise", Robin said, to both Henry and Regina who still did not understand the situation fully, „you two, go."
He turned one last time to Regina, „I..",
„I know".
He kissed her again, trying to calm her and at the same time savour the taste of her lips on his for as long as possible.
„They're waiting for you, go, love", was the last thing he told her, before he let go of her.
Henry was slowly forcing Regina to go with him and Robin went in the other direction.
He didn't want to leave her. Ever again but he had to do this.
Everything was so damn messy and complicated but he was doing this for her and for him and their families.
He had made this deal with Hades. He hoped that Regina and him would have a long long time until they eventually would have to die but whenever that would be, he knew one thing. He never ever wanted her to have to be in this place again.
He did not want her to have to go through what her parents and Killian had been through. He did not want her to become one of these souls down here. And no matter how much she had changed in the last years and how much good she had accomplished he feared that maybe it would not be enough.
He hoped it would be but he also knew about the things she had done in her past. And therefore he had to go to Hades and at least try to get her out of this possibilty for good.
He also knew that she had touched the lives and hearts of many, many souls. Not just the few ones they had managed to deal with in the past few hours or days they had been down here.
Telling time down here was somehow not as easy as in the land of the living.
Surprisingly Hades had offered him a deal. Something that he was not really looking forward to do but he agreed to do it in a heartbeat if it helped her.
But he had given the God of the underworld a few conditions which Hades accepted without thinking twice. One of them being that Henry and him got another short meeting with Regina's father.
Regina had mentioned to him that Henry had met him briefly but that was what it was, briefly. Also he himself had wanted to talk to the man at least once.
Now afterwards he was very glad he did that. It was a wonderful moment for the three of them.
His other condition for Hades was, that he let Cora out of her punishment which he only knew about because Hades himself told him what happened to her when he asked about Regina's parents.
So here he was now, making his way back to the graveyard. To Regina's vault.
If he had learned one thing in this underworld it was that the cemetary was the place where you usually did not run into any souls and were safe from harm and he needed to rest a bit. At least a bit before he would take on his quest to find his stepfather.
The man that had made his mother's life a living hell once and whom apparently not even Hades wanted to have near.
He knew he had to send his stepfather to a place far worse than this but he was the only person who was able to do it. Not even Hades could because Robin's business with him was not yet finished. So in a way Hades needed him. And Robin agreed to that.
Quite recently Robin and Regina had discovered that Zelena had tricked them all along. Had played them. That the baby she told them was his was indeed not. The baby's father was Hades and it had left everyone speechless. They had asked so many questions and talked for quite a while but in the end it came down to this;
Hades loved Zelena. For some reason that no one could quite grasp he really did love her. But he was also aware of the reality of the situation that this wasn't the place and he wasn't the man to raise a child. Zelena would spend half of the year with him down here and the other half of the year back in Storybrooke with her daughter.
That also meant they would have to find someone who would watch over and raise her for the other half of the year as Hades and Regina both told Zelena they would do anything to prevent her from raising the girl in hell.
Regina was after all still her aunt and had a soft spot for children anyways. One of the things that Robin had always loved about her.
So that decision was easily made. Grace. Hades and Zelena had named the little one Grace. Grace would live with her aunt Regina and Robin for half of the year, at least.
But for now first of all he had to send his stepfather to hell.
So he made his way down the steps of Regina's vault opened the door to the hidden room and closed it right behind himself before sitting down on the bed.
Images of the last time he was down here (or well in the land of the living version of here) with Regina floading his mind.
He sighed. But nevertheless sat down on the bed leaning his back against the headboard and closing his eyes to rest a bit.
He knew this would not just simply be a piece of cake. And the hardest part would be the first one. After all he had to find him.