A/N: This story started with the prompt for the seventh day of the third Outlaw Queen Week on Tumblr and it has now taken a life of its own!
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A sweet, but unrecognizable scent invades Robin's nostrils as he patrols the dark corridors of the castle, and he follows it with curiosity. He has been living in the Queen's castle for a few days, along with his son, his Merry Men and the people they have found in the forest, and almost every meal has been a surprise for him. Granny Lucas has taken on cooking duties and Robin can tell that the food they've been eating has been inspired by the life the dark curse had created for his new allies in another realm. Roland is impressed by the variety of flavors and Robin can't help but wonder what is being cooked somewhere in the castle right now. Making Roland happy is Robin's number one priority and if another delicious meal makes his son grin and squeal with joy, then Robin has to find it and take it to the little boy.
It's late at night and the castle is silent. Robin's boots on the stone floor echo in the deserted corridors and his shadow on the walls looks much larger than the actual size of his body. He clutches his arrow, prepared to deal with any threat that might come his way. No one has gotten into any kind of danger since the Wicked Witch left after her confrontation with the Queen, but everyone has been on high alert in case the green witch, or one of her minions, decides to reappear.
Robin reaches a wooden door where the intoxicating aroma is apparently coming from. The door is half open and when he looks inside, he realizes that it's another kitchen, much smaller than the one he has seen Granny use. Robin assumes that it was probably the servants' kitchen, back when the Queen lived permanently in the castle. He slips into the room, looking around for a sign from the person who has just used it.
No one is there. A pie sits on one of the counters and the way it looks reminds Robin of the delicious blueberry pie he had for breakfast a couple of days ago. There's a basket full of apples in a corner of the room and it's not difficult for Robin to imagine that the pie is filled with apples instead of berries and the Queen herself has baked it.
Everyone inside the castle's walls has avoided eating apples. People talk about the Queen a lot. It's said that she sits under an old apple tree, always sad and pensive, and no one but Snow White approaches her. A lot of surprised gasps were out of the Merry Men's mouths when they heard that. They are aware of the story of the poisoned apple the Queen had given to Snow White and that makes them worry about the Princess.
Robin, on the other hand, is not worried about the younger woman. He's worried about the Queen instead. He hasn't seen her at all since the rest of their people have joined them in the castle, but her state that night, and their brief conversations, were enough to give him a glimpse of the woman hiding behind the Queen's mask.
There are some ingredients that have been used on the other counter of the kitchen and it's obvious to Robin that the Queen was preparing a second apple pie. He wonders what made her leave the kitchen in a hurry. He believes there's no danger in the castle's grounds; there are guards everywhere and if there was an attack, he's certain the night wouldn't be as silent as it is now. Besides, from what he's seen and heard from her, he knows that the Queen could be the first to try to stop a possible attack at her home.
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Robin finds the Queen close to the small kitchen, in the middle of another empty corridor. She jumps when she hears his steps on the staircase that leads to the corridor, gasping audibly, seemingly in surprise that another person is there during the night. Robin can't make out her face in the darkness, her body being slightly turned away from him. He notices that she's breathing quickly and looking down. Her posture reminds Robin of that night when they were the only ones in the castle – that's what they had thought, because it turned out that the Wicket Witch was there as well – and Regina was about to use a sleeping curse on herself. Robin notices his mental switch, from using the impersonal "Queen" moniker to using her name in his mind, and it feels right, because as he approaches her a little more, the expression he sees on her face is one of a broken woman. The Queen is not there anymore. The Evil Queen hasn't been there at all since he has met her, Robin knows that. Regina, the woman who is grieving her son, and helps to protect everyone in the castle even if the only reason she has been doing that so far is to destroy the Wicked Witch, is the one turning her head to face him.
Regina looks at him with eyes full of rage and Robin sees tears brimming from their edges, making the image before him sorrowful rather than scary. A frown appears on Regina's face when she realizes who has approached her, and she asks, "What are you doing here, thief?"
Her voice sounds strong, but there's a slight tremble that Robin doesn't miss. Taking a step closer he's about to ask her about the pie, when he notices her hands holding something. She makes a quick move to hide it, but Robin doesn't fail to see the red shine that comes from the strange object. He thinks it's another spell; some kind of potion Regina was about to use now that she was alone in the calmness of the night.
"Regina," Robin begins, and in the next moment she turns her whole body towards him and she's glaring at him, her eyes fierce and her hand holding what it now appears to be a human heart. Robin's eyes widen in shock. He has never seen one before, but he has heard about them and has seen illustrations in some of the books he had found in the Dark One's castle.
"That's right, thief. That's a heart. A human heart," Regina says, furious, bringing the heart in front of Robin's face. "What are you going to do about it? Are you going to try to find out who it belongs to? Who I took it from? Are you going to tell everyone how evil I still am? Go ahead."
Robin is taken aback by her outburst and he instinctively leans back, away from the beating organ. Regina rolls her eyes and Robin realizes that what she just said was what she expects people to believe about her. What she expects him to believe about her. But Robin has seen another side of her and, although it's easy to suspect her – it wouldn't be the first time – he knows that since she has returned to this world, she hasn't hurt anyone apart from herself.
He wonders why he has such faith in this bold and audacious woman, since he doesn't really know her. In a way, he sees a part of himself in her. He remembers his own sins, the darkness pulling him down until he found a fraction of hope that made him believe in himself again. Losing that tiny, almost non-existent, piece of hope repeatedly can be devastating, he can imagine that, and from what Regina has told him, he assumes that that's what has happened to her.
"Is that your heart?" he asks quietly. It's a question he already knows the answer to. The heart is covered by a lot of black, but there's some unmistakable red that shines through the darkness. Robin guesses the red represents her love for her son and the good Snow White has mentioned that Regina has already done.
Regina stares into Robin's eyes without blinking. Her fingers appear to be clutching the heart tightly and Robin's own heart is hammering in his chest at the thought that she might be about to hurt herself in a way much worse than the sleeping curse would.
Regina finally looks down, her hand that's holding the heart falling limply to her side. "It's not the first time I'm taking it out," she says. Robin waits for her to continue. "I take it out every night. Each night it stays out longer, making me feel the need to bury it in the forest," she says, looking at the vital organ in her hands like she's offended by it. "Or crush it."
"Regina, put your heart back in your chest," Robin says as calmly as he can manage. Helping someone in need is second nature to him and Regina looks like she needs it even more than she did during their first night in the castle.
Regina shakes her head. "No," she says, her voice breaking.
Robin isn't sure if her reluctance comes from her will to hurt herself or from a place deep in her heart that doesn't exist in her now that her heart isn't inside her body.
"Do you feel less pain without it?" he asks hesitantly. If he wants to help her, he has to find a way to do so; he has to find the appropriate words to say to her.
"It feels slightly less intense now. But as the time passes... You get numb," Regina says, not taking her eyes away from her heart.
"So, you won't feel pain," Robin starts.
"That's the point," Regina interrupts him.
"But you won't feel anything else either," Robin completes his thought.
Regina scoffs. "That's what Snow said."
"Snow was right," Robin concludes, wondering how many times the Princess has found Regina in this condition.
"Snow had better care only about her Prince Charming and leave me alone. And you'd better do the same," Regina says, and Robin is about to tell her that he's not going to go away leaving her like that, when a loud swish of wings is heard from the top of the staircase.
It all happens in a few seconds. Robin turns around, grabbing an arrow from the bag that's hanging from his shoulder, and prepares his bow for an attack. He hears Regina gasp from behind him and he panics for a moment, thinking there's an attack from the other side of the corridor as well, before realizing that she must have put her heart back in her chest in a hurry, and that's why she released that pained breath. He keeps looking ahead while Regina is coming to stand beside him. Robin feels a familiar warmth and from the corner of his eye he can see the fireball she has created.
They're standing side by side, both ready to not only defend themselves, but also attack the enemy, while the wings that move through the air sound like they're coming closer and closer.
The flying beast finally comes into sight.
After seeing the threat, Robin is too stunned to move and judging from her body that remains still beside him, he knows Regina feels the same way. He lowers his bow only after the two owls fly over their heads and disappear in the darkness behind them.
"It's funny what something that small and harmless sounds like in the silence of the night," Robin says, turning to look at Regina. She has lowered her weapon as well; no fire is coming out of her palm anymore. Her brows are drawn together in a frown and a single tear has fallen on her left cheek. Robin tries to imagine the intensity of emotions she must have felt once her heart was back in its right place, followed by the adrenaline of the supposable attack and the surprising relief.
"I didn't know my castle had turned into Hogwarts while I was gone," Regina says with a sigh, her expression relaxing a little. She looks at Robin who is confused. He doesn't say anything; he only lifts a questioning brow and Regina's eyes widen, before she vanishes in a cloud of purple smoke.
"Unbelievable," Robin mutters. He begins walking back to the kitchen to see if that's where Regina has gone. If she is not there, he might take a few pieces of apple pie anyway.
Robin finds the door open, as he had left it, and Regina inside the kitchen. She's leaning above one of the counters, shaping a ball of dough that had been apparently left untouched for quite some time.
"Beware; it's an apple pie," she says, probably sensing his presence at the doorway, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Is that why it smells so good?" Robin asks and earns a bewildered look from Regina instead of a verbal reply. He enters the room and takes a few steps in order to face her.
"You're obviously aware that most people here don't find the idea of eating apples that enjoyable. Why are you making apple pies then? Just for you?" Robin asks, hoping to get an actual answer this time.
"I find cooking quite relaxing," Regina says, her tone friendlier than before. "And like you said, most people wouldn't eat these pies. But Snow always liked them. Maybe she will want to taste them," she adds in a hushed tone, keeping her eyes on the dough.
"Ahh, I see. I have something to confess, your Majesty," Robin says, attempting to give a lighter tone to the conversation. He watches Regina's face take an unreadable expression after hearing the formal title coming from his mouth.
"Go on," she says indifferently.
"I was determined to steal some of your apple pie if I hadn't found you here."
"Of course you were. You are a thief. Sleeping under a real roof and thinking you're helping Snow White and the Un-Charming can't change that," Regina retorts and Robin finds himself unable to hide his smirk. Regina insulting him is a thousand times better than her satisfying her suicidal urges.
"Do you think that's funny?" she asks, her voice revealing the weariness she must be feeling.
"Not at all," Robin answers in a serious tone. "I'd better get going then," he says and starts walking towards the door.
"Wait, Robin," Regina calls him by his real name for the first time and Robin had definitely not expected that. "You can take some pie with you," she says. "For Roland," she adds when she sees Robin's sincere smile.
She wipes her hands with a towel and goes around the counter, close to the fireplace, where the already baked apple pie is. She cuts two generous slices of the baked good and places them in a small plate. She hands Robin the plate without looking into his eyes and he understands that she has already given him a lot of what's going on inside her head. He has caught her in a vulnerable moment and the Queen is not willing to give anything else of herself tonight.
Robin takes the apple pie, thanks her and leaves the kitchen. He tastes the pie, and if he waits in the darkness at the end of the corridor to see her walking away from the door with her hands full of the rest of the pie an hour later, it's because he wants to make sure her heart remains where it should be for another night.