Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to OUAT.

A/N: This has not been proofread. If you are a Beta and would consider betaing this story, I'd be grateful to you.

Prologue

Regina opened the tavern door at first excited and hopeful to meet this stranger with the lion tattoo. Memories of Daniel flashed through her head. His death played over in her head. Cora's sadistic smile. His failed resurrection. Rumpelstiltskin's words of darkness liking her. Panic set in and she just couldn't go in the door. Afraid for various reasons that she wouldn't even admit to herself, she ran away from meeting him.

As she fled she was sure she was doing this stranger a favor. She was showing this man a kindness. Her last gift of kindness. She loved Daniel, she was sure without a doubt he was her true love. Her fate was set and it did not involve second chances. She had pulled the heart of a woman. Surely no man in his right man, besides that imp Rumple, would be happy about that. No, there was no second chances for her. Avenging Daniel's death in some way, shape, or form was her destiny.

As she was accepting her fate she didn't watch where she was going and tripped over broken rubble, hurting her left kneecap the most. She cursed as pain shot up her knee as she tried standing. All of a sudden she felt someone touch her shoulder and out of panic and a bit of anger at herself and what made her fall, she pulled him down to the ground, wary and not caring if he was there to help or harm her. She heard him grunt as he hit the ground. He hit the ground on his stomach.

The man, dazed and shocked, turned himself over to look at Regina. "I saw you fall and thought you needed help. Clearly I was wrong. I don't whether to pissed or impressed." he said in a lighthearted manner, in hopes of calming her down. "Please let me help you up, well once I get myself up." the man grunted as he got up. He rolled up his sleeves and offered her his right hand. As she was about to take it her eyes focused on on his wrist. On his wrist was a lion tattoo. Her breathing got erratic as she started hyperventilating. No way this was happening, she had chosen to run but it had followed her.

He noticed her nervous reaction and tried calming her down. "Milady, I promise I'm not here to hurt you. You're hurt, I just want help."

"Maybe I'll end up hurting you." she warned in a soft voice.

"There are worse fates, milady." he responded.

"I'm fine, really." she said and pushed away his, even though her hyperventilating was getting worse. As she tried to get up her whole world went dark.

The man caught Regina before she hit the ground.

"Robin!" a heavy set man yelled to the man holding Regina in his arms. "We are heading back to camp. You are not bringing her are you?"

" Little John, she's injured and unconscious, I'm not leaving her here."

"Take her to the tavern then." Little John suggested.

"Take her to a bunch of drunks and leave her with and injured leg that would make it hard for her to run away. I was trying to help her and she overacted. I'm not going to do that to her," Robin winced as his shoulder started to hurt. "or them. Let's take her back to camp and tend to her wound. When she wakes, she leaves."

Little John huffed in disagreement as they headed off to their camp.

At the camp site Robin gently laid Regina down on his blanket and tended to her scraped and bruised knee.

She stayed in a restless sleep. He sat not far from her as she had nightmares. Little John sat beside him as Regina thrashed around. Robin rushed to her side and cradled her in his arms as she begged. "Mother, I'll be good, please don't!" in her sleep. A few tears ran down her cheek, which Robin gently wiped away. He looked at her with concern and pity.

Little John did not like this one bit. "Robin, no. She's trouble and she's a highborn. Look at her dress. She's too classy for these parts. She'd be a burden, a heavy burden."

"There's something about her. I can't put my finger on it." Robin looked at the sleeping Regina who had calmed down in his arms. " I want to help her, if I can. Ladies of her breeding would only come down her for a reason and that reason is to run. The least we could do is offer her a horse." Robin looked up at Little John and grinned. "Besides I have strong arms."