A/N: With the new season launched and Lana's amazing double act, this idea of how the Queen and Regina could work together to bring back Robin started to grow and took over my muse, so here I give you the prologue. Tell me if you're interested in more :) A big thanks to my darling Manon for the beta work (also I can be found on twitter at thisisamadhous3 if you want to come and say hi)

Prologue

She should have known it couldn't be that simple, she should have known that even after going through the agony of literally splitting herself in two and crushing the heart of her darker self, it couldn't just be the end of it. Things never worked out that way for her, she should know better by now. What kind of hope was she clinging to when she had just lost her soulmate, the love of her life, killed in front of her, for her, for the second time, and the only thing that came of his sacrifice was Hook's return?

She was delusional to believe she would manage to rid herself of that darkness which scared her so much, that part of her she feared would come out in her grief. Her corrupted, heartless, evil half was currently standing right in front of her, casting dark spells after dark spells, and Regina was trying to give her as good as she got, but her light magic was still shaky, her spirit hadn't been in it lately to train, and she could feel her energy depleting rapidly. She feared she would have to revert to old techniques, but the Evil Queen solved that dilemma for her and sent an unexpectedly strong wave of magic that knocked the breath out of her.

Regina lost sight of the Queen for a second and it was all it took the other woman to reappear behind her. She encircled Regina's waist with one arm, effectively trapping both her arms by her sides, and she grabbed her throat with her other hand.

"Stop fighting me, you foolish girl," the Queen growled in Regina's ear. "Don't you understand I only want to help?"

Regina froze, stopping her struggle against the Queen's hold. "What on Earth are you talking about?"

"You don't get it, do you? The reason I'm here, why you couldn't destroy me? There is a purpose to all that," the Queen trailed off, letting it hang in the air between them, enjoying the obvious confusion emanating from Regina, who stayed silent, wracking her brain for an explanation.

"I'm here to bring him back," the Queen revealed in a whisper, her lips pressed against Regina's ear, and all fight left the struggling brunette as she went slack in the Queen's hold.

"That's impossible," Regina objected, her voice broken, her eyes closed trying to keep at bay the memories of sleepless nights spent going through every book in her possession for a way to revive a lost soulmate. "He's gone, destroyed into nothingness. I tried…"

"Not hard enough," the Queen cut her off, suddenly angry, all her perverse playfulness gone. "It is so obvious you can't see it," she spat, curling her lips in disappointment, and though Regina couldn't see her the tone was all too familiar, sending her back to childhood memories and never feeling good enough.

"His body is still there, I know you preserved it," the Queen continued, oblivious or all too knowing, Regina couldn't say. "And his soul, well his soul is right there, with us, in us. What more could we possibly need?"

"Bringing people back from the dead goes against every law of magic. Look at what happened to Daniel!" Regina exclaimed, finally managing to break free and turning towards the Queen. "I would never want something like that for Robin. As much as his absence hurt I couldn't do that to him."

"That wasn't magic," the Queen brushed off with a gesture of her hand. "That was the desperate attempt of a mad scientist. The laws of magic have been flung out the window a long time ago when it comes to some people remaining dead. Look at Rumple, and Charming, and Hook," the third name was pronounced with all the contempt and bitterness that she was capable of mustering.

"And look where that led us," Regina replied.

"That's my point exactly," the Queen argued. "Robin should never have died and we can make it right. Don't tell me you think it's fair that Hook got a free pass from Zeus when Robin didn't even get the chance to name his daughter! By the way, were you high when you let Zelena choose? What were you thinking?"

It seemed unreal to Regina to have to justify herself to what was essentially a part of herself given form. "It wasn't exactly the easiest time for me," she settled on saying.

The Queen simply rolled her eyes before continuing. "I just want you to imagine what we could do together. Your light and my darkness united, we would be invincible, unstoppable. The laws of magic would mean nothing to us. My very presence here is contrary to the laws, a magical essence as powerful as yours divided? Oh my, the elders would have a fit, if they weren't all dead and buried of course," she added as an afterthought.

"This is why I couldn't destroy you? Because you are a part of my magical essence?" Regina realised.

"Wherever you are, so am I. Did you really think it was going to be that easy to get rid of me? Please, dear, this plan was launched by Snow White and her pretend Savior daughter, when have that ever be known to work?" The Queen smirked. "Think about what I said, we could do great things together." And she disappeared in a cloud of deep purple smoke, leaving Regina behind, her mind swirling with possibilities.