Her first thought had been to get as far away from him as fast as possible. She ran blindly from the farmhouse, not thinking of the Wicked Witch or bothering to notice where she was going. She knew the forest well, so she just let instinct guide her.

Regina had heard Robin calling behind her, but she didn't let it slow her. She couldn't look him in the eye. She didn't want to see the questions there. Her face burned and mortified tears stung her eyes.

Eventually, she'd stopped running and that's how she'd found herself here. After running until she couldn't run anymore and sitting on a log until her butt was numb, Regina had slowly headed back towards town.

While trying to decide what to tell Emma and the rest of the idiots she'd been forced to work with, Regina had paused as she heard voices. They traveled to her through the trees. Men's voices. A lot of men's voices. And one child.

Curious, she moved closer, wondering what a group of men was doing in the forest. When she caught her first glimpse of them, she immediately understood. Where would Robin Hood and his Merry Men be but in a forest?

Her gaze rested on the man she'd met at the farmhouse. He was tall and undeniably handsome. His smile had a mocking quirk to it that showed he appreciated sarcasm and could match scathing wit with wit of his own. Regina liked that in a man. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed having someone to banter playfully with until she'd spoken to him.

Her mind went back to the few moments they'd verbally sparred before they lightly flirted. She'd been enjoying herself for the first time in longer than she could remember. And then it had all been ruined.

She could still see the light dancing in his eyes; she could still smell the enticing scent of forest and sweat and the man underneath; she could still feel the lurch in her stomach as he leaned in close until their bodies almost touched. All of it was overshadowed by the image burned into her mind of his tattoo.

Regina watched as he briefly hammed it up for a small boy before bringing the child up into his arms. She had heard rumours of a wife who had died, but none of them mentioned a son.

She liked Robin. She could admit this to herself now that the fear had calmed. Just their brief interaction was enough to tell her that.

Her eyes went back to his face, and she drank it in as the memory of how his closeness had made her feel washed over her once more.

Had they known each other in the Enchanted Forest? Had she known who he was? Had that frightened her? Had they loved? Had her body known him when her mind had not? The questions tumbled over and over in her head as she watched him get further and further away from her.

As he walked away, the knowledge of all she'd lost came to her suddenly. Sadness filled her as she realized that this might have been what happiness meant. Waking up to his smile in the morning. Walking side by side with a child between them. Looking into his twinkling blue eyes and seeing a love for her alone.

There was a part of Regina that wanted to call out to him. It wanted to see him turn and smile at her. She'd run to catch up, and she'd feel that sense of fun and laughter that she'd felt at the farmhouse. More than that, she'd feel the acceptance, the willingness to look beneath the Evil Queen at...well, yes, her ass, but also at her as a flesh and blood person.

The rational part of her knew that would probably be a mistake, and her fear agreed. Reluctantly, Regina turned away. She wished that she hadn't seen that stupid tattoo. It would color everything now. A little flirtation could be fun, but love...love was pain.

She'd just have to forget how great he smelled and that he had the kindest eyes she'd ever seen. It didn't matter that her stomach had fluttered or that genuine warmth had surrounded her while she was with him. Regina had done without those things before, and she'd do without them again. Besides, finding the Wicked Witch was the most important thing right now. She had to protect Henry and the people he loved; she owed it to him.

As she left the clearing, Regina couldn't resist the urge to look back. It was just a glance to see what happiness looked like before she once more faced the hardest fact.

She didn't deserve a happy ending.