Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of the characters mentioned. I have used aspects of Lana and Sean's careers in Regina and Robins, this is a) due to the fact that they are amazing and until OUAT underated actors and b) because I am too lazy to actually come up with full original careers. Other references to Lana and Sean may be made this SHOULD NOT indicate any kind of romantic relationship between them. They are both happily married with families.

Oh and unbeta'd. All mistakes are my own.

Right I know you probably just want to read the story so here you go!

Regina Mills was what some might call a diva. She was well aware of the Evil Queen monicker people used behind her back. The name had served her well, it was amazing what people would do or not do out of fear. Of course she wasn't overly fond of it, she had just reached a reluctant acceptance. It was a mask that she could use to hide behind when things became too tough. She did wish though that people would take the time to see the real her, Regina Mills, the person with a huge soul that just wanted to be loved, truly loved. Regina Mills just wanted to belong. Yes she just liked things to be a certain way. She was a meticulous actor. Always researching every aspect of their character from the way they walked to their facial expressions, to their tone of voice. It helped, at least she believed, too add depth and credibility to what were often extremely complex characters. So yes she may get a bit snappy if she hadn't had coffee but she worked long days and often sleepless nights. She woke up with a fierce determination and also trembling nerves. Today marked a new set, a new cast, a new show, a new beginning.

Regina had been on a few shows before, playing everything from a swinger in the seventies - to a newly qualified cop - to a trauma nurse. Trina had taught her how to let loose, how to be fun but also how to be confident in her own body. The show had only lasted a season, ratings were not as good as expected. She had met Leopold on the show- Swingtown, or rather her overbearing mother had set her up. He had been one of the senior writers. They worked at opposite ends of the production. They had had a complicated relationship to say the least, one based on power rather than love. Still it was all over now and she wasn't going to let him ruin her life anymore. Playing Officer Janet Grafton was the first time she felt she really used and manipulated her own experience, growing up in Brooklyn meant she had experience with Law Enforcement, not all of the stories good on either side. Playing an officer made her realise how hard it was to constantly to control the streets, the emotional damage you had to look at every single day. It made you appreciate your life and everyone in it. It was also on NYPD Blue that she had met Emma Swan, a fellow lost soul. They had resented each other at first, there were sarcastic quips, fantastic one liners and near constant eye rolling. If you asked them why they had hated each other, neither could really answer, maybe it was because their stories were eerily similar, a tale of love, loss abandonment and abuse. The night of the one (and only) season finale they had hit a dingy bar, they weren't really ones for the official wrap party where all the big wigs praised them on a show that hadn't lined their pockets enough, and hit the tequila. It had given them the courage to spill their hearts out to each other, and after the initial panic of waking up in the same hotel room, hazy memories of Emma insisting to sleep on the floor and a stinging headache and subsided they had put their differences aside and stuck together ever since. The last show she had been on she had played a trauma doctor- Dr Eva Zambrano, the show was fast paced, and something totally new to her. The medical terms were sometimes a bit of a tongue twister but she loved playing someone so caring even at the most difficult of times. She also loved that Eva was playing someone of an ethnic minority, representation was important to her. It wasn't just that Eva was a specialist female doctor or that she was Latina, of Cuban decent, not it was that the character was so much more than her ethnicity or gender. Eva was an independent, caring and loyal person who happened to be Latina. Again that series had only lasted a series, it couldn't quite compare to the likes of House or Grey's Anatomy. Eva had made Regina strong, stronger than she ever knew she could be. She had made a decision after playing Eva that was not easy but one she had to make, for her to have any chance of being happy again, to provide a proper life for Henry, her adopted son.

So she was about to do the first run through of Whispers in the Dark (This is a wip title!). A show about the complexities of life, of love, of finding a family when you thought you had been abandoned. Finding a home you never knew you were missing. It was about the battles that everyone faces both externally but perhaps more importantly the internal battles that both tear you down and make tomorrow's version that bit stronger, Regina had read the script and been captivated, she had scarcely believed that this had been written, the characters were so human. She did not know whether the pilot would be picked up, whether it would go past a season but it was a risk she had to take. Her agent, the overly optimistic Mary Margaret Blanchard- whose hope speeches were equally amusing and annoying, had been shocked at the lack of would have thought that the Evil Queen had crashed her wedding and declared revenge if you saw the expression on her face. Well, at least that was what crossed Regina's mind. Sometimes she had no idea where her thoughts came from, she knew that wasn't the most traditional story of Snow White but since she heard that fairytale for the first time she always thought there had to be more to it than a poison apple, a sleeping curse, some dwarves and a kiss."

Robin may have played the cheeky chappy on set a few times but in reality he was, sweet and genuine and extremley humble. He learned that you had to appreciate everything you were given because you never knew when it would be taken away. "He was a dedicated actor and put a lot of thought into what he was going to play, but he knew that every member of crew worked just as long as he did and would not see a token of the appreciation, if and once the show aired. Robin didn't really like being on the centre of attention. So, instead of seeking for fame he tried to spotlight those who worked their asses of for the production but whose names were only know to a few fans. He tried to be a gentleman all the time."

Robin had made his acting debut aged 8, in all honesty he couldn't remember much about the role other than the sheer size of the set and being nervous and overwhelmed. His next major role, one of a school kid, at Grange Hill, was one of the ones he was more embarrassed about. Mainly because no one look good in an oversized blazer on your first day of school. As a teenager he had appeared on the Popular British soap- East Enders, he had found the role of Aidan Brosnan interesting, acting out the seamingly headonistic lifestyle of a young adolescent whilst also dealing with the affects of this. It had been hard to film the scenes where his character had been riddled with depression following being disowned by his family but as a young man he came to appreciate the life he had. His exposure in the US had come later in Eve, a show following a young rapper who dreamed, and does make it big. His Character Donovan Brinks had been a friend of eve's and a manager of a club with the dreams of owning his own club. Which are also realised. It had been a fun role to play, although he hadn't really appreciated how hard it was to run a club much less own one. The show had also been a success, and although it didn't win was nominated for 7 awards. Songs for Amy had been a favourite project of his, it combined his love of music (and the fleeting pop career didn't count) and acting. It was to all extent and purposes a cliched musical romance where the struggling musician has a strained relationship and pours his heart into his songs. Which is true but it was a role that required to him to strip bare, no not literally, and allowed him to fully explore his character. It was on playin O'Malley that he had realised that he needed a break. That his relationship with Marian was not what it had been, that he'd been missing out on quality time with Roland.

Whispers in the Dark was his first role after a couple of years hiatus, the concept of the show intrigued him- looking at the intricies of the character and dynamics, it was so refreshing. It seemed like the writers were writing people and not characters, and yes for Robin there was an important difference. Characters, are somewhat two dimensional, they have all the qualities but there is no real depth. If they are written as people they are instantly more likeable, more relatable even if they are a more complex or villainous. Whispers in the Dark was enthralling, it wasn't your typical crime show. It was less about the crimes, that gradually got more outrageous and unbelievable as the show went on, it was a show about the people who worked in the station. It was about how the horrendous crimes they had to deal with affected their lives, their relationships. It was about the idea of a hero complex, about self belief. The show started where many crime shows ended. The scenes after the criminal was caught. It dealt with the emotional effects of the cases rather than the political side. It was a brave concept but one that needed to be produced. "It was a show that would either be a massive success or a huge failure. Robin knew that this could be his chance to get back in the business but he knew just as well that playing in a show that turned into a total flop was not the ideal way of a comeback. It could easily ring in the end of his career. Whispers in the Dark definitely was a risk, but it was a risk worth taking. He just hoped he wouldn't regret this decision in the future."

Thank you for reading. Please tell me whether you would like to read more and any feedback you may have, I need it to improve. :)