So this was a One Shot from my Alphabet of OutlawQueen series, but after many requests to continue, I am going to. Enjoy. :)

The Evil Queen paced the hard marble floor of her chambers inside the castle, someone had stolen from her, stolen something important and she was determined to get it back. She picked up her goblet of wine and took a long sip, savouring the feel of the cool liquid running down her throat.

"Your Majesty."

She whipped around to see her mirror watching her, oh how she despised that thing. "What?!" She snapped, dropping to the chaise chair that lay in front of the fire and glaring at the face that blocked her reflection.

"I've found him."

Her eyes lit up as she placed the goblet down and rose one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows, "the thief?"

"Yes, the thief."

A wicked smile came upon her lips, "show him to me." She demanded, standing and walking over to her mirror, grabbing either side of it as she stared at the image inside. There was a man in a hood sat around a fire in the middle of the forest, rolling a gold ring between his fingers. "Where is he?" She growled, scowling at the mirror, "tell me!"

"Sherwood Forest your highness."

"Sherwood," she grated her teeth, "then I suppose I will go there and get it back myself."

"Do you think that wise your…"

"Since when do I care what you think!" She yelled, "I want my ring back and I will get it back, he will suffer for what he has done!" She disappeared in a cloud of smoke, before seconds later appearing in the forest, a distance from where the outlaw was. Daniel had given her that ring and there was no way she was going to let some common thief steal it away from her, it was the only thing she had left of her first love, the only thing to remember him by.

Regina looked down at her appearance and shook her head, it wouldn't do, she wanted him to die a slow and painful death, she wanted to catch him off guard, make him suffer for what he had done to her, what he had taken from her, she wanted to see him bleed. Waving her hands, the dark blue dress she had been wearing disappeared and she turned into a pauper, the chances were, he wouldn't recognise her, so changing her face wouldn't be necessary, the last time she had done that, it went terribly wrong anyway and she ended up without her powers.

She began to walk through the woods, towards the smell of burning and then she could see fire, she knew it was his camp; she positioned herself on the floor, ripping the hem of her dress, before she let out a loud scream, "someone help me! Please help!" She was going to lure him into a false sense of security, whoever this man was, he would have to come to her aid, surely. Unless he was a heathen and didn't care about a woman's dignity.

She heard snapping of twigs and turned to see someone running towards her, so he did have a conscious, clearly not one where he cared about stealing from people. "Milady, are you hurt?" He bent down beside her and she looked up at him, seeing the bluest eyes she had ever seen, that unnerved her slightly. She heard his gasp upon seeing her face and his eyes widened.

"Yes, I think so," she nodded, "thank you."

"What happened?" He asked, moving her hair behind her ear gently, the small amount of contact making her shiver.

"A man, there was a man and he chased me, ripped my dress." She saw the look of compassion on his face.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked, standing and helping her up off the ground.

"No," she shook her head.

"Good," he smiled gently, "the names Robin, Hood." He nodded.

"Robin Hood." So he was the outlaw Robin Hood, he had robbed several of her tax carriages and was rumoured to have been aiding Snow White, she would enjoy killing him, seeing that sparkle drain from his eyes as she took his life from him.

"And you are?"

"Re… Rebecca," she had nearly told him her proper name and that was too obvious now wasn't it, she couldn't have him knowing who she was, not yet.

"Well Rebecca, it's nice to meet you," he grinned, "would you care for some refreshment?"

She offered him a small smile and nodded, she was supposed to be drawing him in after all, "thank you, for saving me."

"No problem milady, I did what any man with honour would do," he chuckled, making his way back towards his camp as she walked in tow.

Man with honour? Did a man with honour steal from his Queen? Did a man with honour aid and abet a traitor? Sure he had saved her from some made up man who was planning to do god knows what for all he knew, but wouldn't anyone with any sort of humanity? Who was she to talk? She'd killed dozens and the majority of them hadn't really done anything to deserve it. She sighed and sat down on the log in front of the fire as he poured her a drink and found some bread.

"I'm afraid this is all I have," he huffed.

She looked at the dry piece of crust he was offering her and shook her head, "I'm not hungry," she whispered, trying to look as vulnerable as possible, so when the time was right she could pounce.

He smiled at her sympathetically and she shook her head, she wished he wouldn't do that. "I'm sorry, I know how traumatic this must have been for you."

"Is it true that you steal from the Queen?" She asked suddenly, not being able to resist.

"The Queen?"

"Yes, the Queen. I mean, the rumour is that you've stolen from her, many times."

"I steal what I need to provide for my village, the Queen has all the riches she could dream of, she doesn't see the poverty of her own people." He snapped, shaking his head as he looked down, "sorry, it's just, I can't stand by and watch my people starve, she isn't going to miss a few measly jewels." He shrugged, taking her ring out of his pocket. "But this," he held it up, "isn't even gold, it's off a horse's saddle and yet, she kept it in her jewel box, I can't help but wonder why."

"Maybe it means something to her, maybe it belonged to someone special." She sighed.

"I doubt it; I don't think the Queen has anyone."

"Well maybe she did," Regina bit, defending herself. He narrowed his eyes at her and she looked away, "I'm just saying that everyone has a story, sometimes people should be willing to listen to what it is before they judge them."

"Are you defending her?" He asked, "she's killed countless people."

"I know, but maybe she's sorry, maybe she didn't want to do it, perhaps the darkness was just too much and she was drowned by it."

Robin shook his head, "I'm not sure, I don't think that woman could ever feel anything for anyone, she is called the Evil Queen after all."

"Think about this then, what made her evil, something had to right, what was it that triggered it? Evil isn't born, it's made!" She snapped standing up.

"Where are you going?" He asked, standing also.

"Home, I'm going home."

"Well let me accompany you."

"No thank you, I'd prefer to journey alone."

"Rebecca, I couldn't allow…"

"I said no!" She growled and headed off into the woods.

"Rebecca wait!"

She looked behind her, of course he was bloody following her, he was a man of honour who couldn't allow a young woman to walk alone in the woods at night. She quickly rounded a tree and used her magic to transport her home, leaving only a purple fog, which he came around the corner just in time to see it. "Rebecca!" He looked around in a daze.

Regina appeared in her chambers, now dressed back in her gown, she picked up a glass and threw it across the room, how dare he judge her like that! How dare he! Who the hell did he think he was? She gritted her teeth, she had been too frustrated to kill him, that insufferable thief! "Mirror!" She screamed, "Mirror, show me Robin Hood, show me him now!"

"As you wish your majesty," the mirror's face disappeared to reveal Robin running through the forest, making Regina feel slightly dizzy.

"Rebecca! Where are you? I'm sorry, please, come on, just let me make sure you're safe!"

Regina looked closely at the image, he looked worried, he sat back down on the log and laid his head in his hands, shaking it. She furrowed her eyebrows; her nose was almost touching the glass of the mirror she was that close to it. He took the ring out of his pocket, her ring and began twirling it again, before his eyes went wide and he stood up, looking around, running his hands through his hair.

She stood back and waved her hand at the mirror, she didn't have time for him, he could keep her ring. Her nostrils flared and she laid down on her bed looking at the ceiling, her eyes flickered shut, she just needed sleep, she needed to rest.

What must have been four or five hours later she was awoken by a rattling at the window and a thud. She slowly moved from her bed, which wasn't visible from the window and hid behind the canopy; whoever was trespassing in her castle wasn't going to know what hit them when she revealed herself. She saw a shadowed figure move over to her dresser and place something down, she jumped out, "what may I ask are you doing?" She asked, in the harshest, yet calmest voice she could muster.

The character turned around and grinned at her, "I knew it was you."

Her face dropped, "what?"

"Hello Rebecca," he chuckled, "but that's not your name is it, Regina?"

"What the hell do you want thief?" she growled.

"I was returning something to you, figured it belonged to someone special."

"It did," she nodded, "you do know that I can kill you with a wave of my hand."

"I do, but you didn't in the forest, why?"

She furrowed her eyebrows, she didn't know how to answer that, why hadn't she killed him like she had planned to, why hadn't she made him pay for taking something so special? She simply narrowed her eyes at him and frowned.

"Who'd it belong to, the ring?"

"It's mine."

"Okay then, let me try again, who gave you the ring? What caused you to be like this? Because Rebecca seemed to think that you had a good reason."

"Someone I love was taken from me," she sighed, not knowing why she was telling him, she owed him nothing, if anything she should be having him killed, not talking to him and especially not opening up to him about Daniel.

"I'm sorry,"

"Me too," she whispered. Then she looked up and scowled at him, "I'm afraid that I'm going to have to kill you now."

"You're not going to kill me."

"What are you talking about?"

"If you were going to kill me, you'd have done it already." He stepped closer to her and she suddenly felt something run through her that she hadn't felt in a long time, desire, he was right, she wasn't going to kill him, but if she wasn't going to do that, maybe she could get something else from him.

"Oh but you have to be punished for your crimes thief," she cast him a wicked smile and bit her bottom lip, pacing around him. He had a good body and was very easy on the eye. "Can you think of any way you might like to make it up to me?"

"I'm sure I can," he stated, a fire burning in his eyes.

"Ooh good," she grabbed his shirt and pulled him close, his hands went to her ass and he pulled her against him, allowing her to feel his erection pressed into her, wow it didn't take much did it. "I like a man who knows what he wants," she breathed, she never did this, ever, she could she was the Queen, she could invite whom she pleased into her bed, but usually she decided against it, she didn't like people to see her vulnerable, but this right now, this was something she did want, the thief, in her bed.

"Oh I know what I want alright," he nodded, "I also know what you want your majesty."

"Is that so?" she chuckled, slipping her hand down his body to palm him through his pants, "what's that then?"

"Someone who cares, I care Regina."

"What?" She stopped what she was doing and pulled back, it hadn't been the answer she was expecting, at all.

"Is it true what you said earlier, that you were sorry for all the pain you caused?"

She looked down at the floor, was she? Was she sorry for all the pain and suffering that she had inflicted on people over the years? Part of her was, whilst part of her wasn't, she didn't know how to respond, maybe she should just demand that he left, he'd given her ring back and she had told him too much already. However, another part of her wanted him to stay, another part knew that he was right and that she wanted someone who cared. How was she supposed to answer this question? "Some days it's easier to live with myself than others, on the others, I just feel swarmed by this guilt, guilt for everything I've done, everything Snow White drove me to do. It's her fault I'm like this, she caused it, she made me the way I am."

"What are you?" He asked, moving closer to her again.

"Evil," she breathed, "I'm evil, you said it yourself, I'm the Evil Queen."

He sighed and shrugged his shoulders, "I don't think you are."

"Oh, I am, I still want to make her suffer, I want to force the air out of her lungs and strangle her until she has no life left in her body! I want to make her hurt the way she made me hurt, I want to take the person she loves away from her, crush his heart in front of her and force her to watch him die, like I had to watch my Daniel die! I just want some justice, I told you I'm evil!"

He looked at her wide eyed and shook his head.

"I just want something, anything, she doesn't even care, doesn't even care that the person I loved, my true love," she pointed at herself, "died because of her, she doesn't give a fuck that I was forced to become her mother, forced to marry her father and become Queen! I didn't want it! I just wanted the man I loved!" She swallowed heavily, that hadn't meant to happen, she hadn't meant to say that.

Robin's expression changed yet again and he reached out to touch her, "I understand," he whispered, pulling her into his arms, "I understand." He crashed his lips against hers and she melted into his embrace, kissing him back as her arms came up to wrap around his neck. His tongue tangled with hers as his hands slipped down across her back to her arse where he squeezed her. She moaned into his mouth as her hands dropped to the collar of his shirt. Breaking the kiss, she pulled on the fabric of his shirt, unintentionally ripping the buttons off and causing it to tear.

Regina chuckled and pulled back, "how do you understand?"

"I just get it, you're being forced to be someone you don't want to be and because of this, you turned out the way you have, love can make people crazy."

"Are you saying I'm crazy?" She asked, casting him one of her crazily psychotic looks.

"Just a little." He laughed, running his hand over her cheek.

"Why aren't you scared of me?" She asked. It was strange, everyone was scared of her, she was the evil queen so of course they were, she knew she was terrifying, but that was the whole point right, to terrify people.

"I don't know, because right now, you look a little psycho, but at the same time, you're this hot, sexy woman; is it wrong that you turn me on when you look at me like that?"

"Probably," she nodded, not being able to stop the small laugh that escaped her lips. "I could kill you with a flick of the wrist."

"All the more reason to show you why you shouldn't, your majesty." He took her by surprise and picked her up, before pinning her against the wall and attaching his lips to hers.

She drowned in the kiss and her legs came up to wrap around his waist, her dress bunching up in the process. She pulled her lips from his, before finding his bottom lip and pulling it between her teeth, biting it. He groaned and pressed her harder against the wall so she could feel him through her dress. "I'm going to show you things you never thought possible thief," she purred, "how do you like pain mixed with your pleasure?"

He laughed and nodded, "perfect."

"Correct answer," she dug her heels into his ass, not too hard, but hard enough to make him recognise that they were there, "now outlaw prove to me that I shouldn't do away with you."

"Of cause your majesty."

He carried her over to the bed and sat her on the edge, before he lay down. "Oh thief it's not time for napping." She quipped, using her magic to undress him; he didn't flinch, not until her hand came to brush over his manhood, "yes, you'll do quite nicely."

"Come here." He demanded.

"Did you just give the Evil Queen an order?"

"Yes." He replied bluntly, no sound of fear present at all in his voice. Regina knew he was cocky, but she also knew he had reason to be, she wasn't going to send him away, no on the contrary, he was the first person in years who had even attempted to match her, go up against her like he was doing and it was making her incredibly wet. "Now come here."

"We'll have less of that," she scoffed, coming to him nevertheless, she was out of her depth here, totally, he was making demands, demands that she shouldn't be following but was, she wanted to, she wanted him to fuck her until she couldn't walk anymore and forgot, not only Snow White's name, but her own. He went to grab her, but she caught his wrists and she could tell that he wasn't trying to pull them away from her, he could easily have done and strangled her; if he wanted to kill her, she was giving him the perfect opportunity, then he could be the one to say that he got rid of the Evil Queen. Something however, told her that he didn't want her dead, like her, he only wanted one thing, sexual pleasure.

She let out an evil laugh, "oh, I don't think so; rule number one," she took his hands and placed them behind his head before pulling his bottom lip down with her teeth, "you don't get to touch me, until I say you can." She used her magic to bind his hands before she rid herself of her clothes and sat on his chest.

He looked at her, his eyes wide as his tongue came out to moisten his lips, he had the perfect view of her breasts, her peaked nipples clearly visible. She rubbed her core against him needing the friction she hadn't received from another in so long.

"I can help you out with that you know," he stated, causing her to stop and look up at him.

"What do you suggest?"

"Come up here and I'll show you."

"How do I know you won't try and kill me?"

"Hands are bound milady; that I don't know about you, but I'm not into that sort of thing, I prefer my women to be alive."

She chuckled and shook her head, "touché." She slid her way up so that she could look directly down at his face.

"Sit on me."

"I am," she rolled her eyes.

"Not properly you're not, come on, I won't bite, unless that's what you're into?"

Her eyes widened as she looked at him in shock, sure she was pretending to be a sexual predator, but she wasn't really that clued up, was he asking her to sit on his face? Or was she mistaken? "What if you can't breathe?"

"Trust me, there's worse ways to die than with your tongue ins…"

"Robin!" She scolded, causing him to smile, that was when she realised for the first time since he had known her as the Evil Queen she had called him by his name, she had slipped up. "I'm a Queen and a little more refined." She scoffed.

"Are you denying intense pleasure?"

"No, I was just saying I was more refined than listening to whatever you were going to finish, you'll corrupt my ears." She smirked.

"Is that so bad?"

"Hmm." No it wasn't actually, but he didn't get to know that. She moved further up, her knees either side of his head as she lowered herself back down again. She could feel him grin against her and knowing he couldn't exactly see her face she smiled a little herself which was a rarity, it was a proper smile, not a taunting one, but one that was genuine. Then she felt his tongue dart out and part her folds, starting at her entrance and working its way up to her clit; this worked to wipe the smile from her face as her mouth formed an o shape and she used her hands to brace herself, pressing them to the headboard.

He flattened his tongue and used it on her clit, drawing circles around it, before working his way back down to her entrance and testing the waters, dipping his tongue inside her. She let out a strangled moan, that she hoped he hadn't heard. He flicked his tongue within her before pulling out and working each part of her. She was so turned on, more than she had ever been, even with Daniel she didn't think she had been this worked up. The he landed back at her clit and his hands began to wriggle, trying to free themselves from their bounds. She was moving against his mouth now, meeting the strokes of his tongue; his stubble was rough against her soft core and it actually felt amazing.

Now his tongue was picking up speed, he was practically waving his hands at her, she knew that if she freed them, her pleasure would be increased, but she still wasn't a hundred percent sure she could trust him. Was it worth risking death for extra friction? Hmm, yes, yes it was, she wasn't living anyway, so she might as well go out writhing in pleasure. She waved her hands freeing his, hoping that he wouldn't simply reach up and strangle her, she didn't know if she'd have it in her to kill him, not now. To her relief he did what he promised, his hands taking hold of her hips and helping her move against him.

She was on the verge, she could feel it, tugging at her, trying to pull her over the edge; then one of his hands dropped from her waist and he slipped two of his fingers inside her soaking wet core. He made sure to lick her clit and press against her g-spot, resulting in her body literally beginning to shake above him. Her legs felt like jelly and she half thought she was going to collapse; but his other hand was holding her strong, his thumb rubbing her hip lovingly, something that surprised her.

Then he twisted his fingers and flicked his tongue in a certain way and she actually let out a loud yell, "oh god! Yes, yes, please please, give it to me, oh…" her orgasm washed over her and she came with another yell, bordering on a scream, no words, just a loud shout of nothing in particular. She convulsed on top of him and he carefully lifted her and laid he on her back, before hovering over her, smiling down at her as he placed his fingers in his mouth and sucked.

"Regina, you taste like a queen."

"I am the Queen," she breathed, her eyes closed as she chuckled.

"Oh yeah," he grinned, dipping down and finding her lips, she wriggled below him, her hands pushing against his chest, not in protest, but just because she wanted to feel his muscles.

Then the door flung open and Robin was literally knocked from on top of her. She sat up and saw one of her black knights about to run him through with a sword and summoned a fireball, "how dare you!" She screamed, her eyes matching the flame alight in her hand. "You remove that sword from him now! Or I swear I will snap your puny neck!"

"Your majesty, we heard a scream." He tried to excuse, "we thought…"

"It was a scream of pleasure you blundering idiot!" She yelled. Robin looked up at her, slightly dazed, but still hard, she had to give him credit for that. "Get out! Get out now! What use are you if you can't tell the difference between your queen's screams? Leave my sight!" The knight quickly scurried out and she flopped back onto the bed, her body was shaking, yet this time it was for a different reason.

"Gina?"

She whipped her head around to look at him and burst into laughter, "are you alright?" She asked, running her hands over him.

"Hmm, I was nearly killed by one of your knights, but apart from that, yeah I'm alright."

"Sorry," she rolled her eyes, "Henderson is a little protective."

"Henderson huh?"

She shoved him playfully, "he's my knight and a blundering fool as you have already seen." What had gotten into her, this wasn't her, this wasn't the Evil Queen, this was Regina and Regina hadn't come out to play in an awfully long time; in fact, Regina had gone into hiding when she had been forced to marry King Leopold against her wish, thus the Evil Queen was born. "Come here." She instructed, reaching out for him.

He moved up off the floor and back onto the bed beside her, "has anyone every told you how breathtakingly beautiful you are?"

"Not in those exact words," she breathed, moving closer to him; she was in dangerous territory, she knew that, but she couldn't help it, why did he have to be so sexy, so kind, so god darn perfect?

His hand came to run over one of her breast as he stimulated her nipple, "well, that's a shame, I think you deserve to be told that every day, because it's the truth." He squeezed her gently and she couldn't help the moan that slipped from her lips. Then she took his hand and moved it lower down her body, allowing him to feel her dripping wet core, he groaned as her stroked her gently, "you're so wet, so ready for me."

"Take me thief," she breathed. No, it wasn't common courtesy for a thief to be allowed into a queen's bed, but this thief was different there was just, something.

"With pleasure," he moved to hover over her, his lips just an inch away from hers, his hands moved down and he found his hard cock, "do you know what you do to me your majesty?"

"Oh, I think I can guess," she purred her arms coming up around his neck, it had been so long since she'd had this, had someone. The grin on his face made her want to kiss him silly and his beautiful dimples, god she loved them.

Then he placed his tip at her entrance and thrust into her, filling her all at once, she moaned loudly and arched her back up into him. He felt amazing inside her, filling her completely; her eyes closed and her hands fell to his upper arms. "Oh god Regina."

She should reprimand him for using her name, but she doesn't want to, it sounds good on his lips, in fact, it sounds amazing. "Robin," she breathed, as he began to establish a movement, beginning slowly, easing out of her before slipping back in again. One of his arms slipped behind her to support her and the other came to her cheek, allowing him to kiss her; her arms came to wrap around his back, her hands grasping his shoulders from behind. She didn't think she'd ever been this close to anyone during sex and it felt ridiculously good, but she was slowly coming to feel that this was more than just sex, whatever it was, she didn't want it to end. As he increased the pace, she pulled her lips from his and moaned in his ear, "oh god, yes, Robin, god yes."

Not only had he increased the speed, he was doing it harder and she loved it, her breasts were pressed against his chest and on every movement he would stimulate them also. He was to the hilt inside her and with every stroke she felt herself growing closer. She rotated her hips in time with him, before her hands slipped down his body and found his arse, she squeezed it, digging her nails in slightly. She felt his breath falter against her neck as he groaned her name and continued to kiss her.

Just as she thought she was going to hit another orgasm, he slowed his pace, becoming more gentle compared to the bordering on rough treatment he had been giving her before. He moved his lips from her neck to her lips as they shared languid kisses; Regina had to admit, this was the most sensual encounter she had ever had, her tongue brushed against his as it entered into her mouth. She was living in a dream, this couldn't be happening, any man she'd had before would simply come, fuck her, gain their own orgasm and leave her to finish herself off; there was no slow or loving moments like she was experiencing now, maybe that was the Evil Queen's fault, she wasn't sure, but something she did know was that her thief was never leaving her.

"Regina, you're so beautiful," he groaned against her mouth and she felt him begin to pick up the pace again. She writhed below him and he brought the hand from her cheek to her leg, bringing it up and entering her at a new angle.

"Oh god! Yes! Yes, don't stop, Robin I'm gonna, I'm gonna…" she was convulsing, her walls tightening around his cock and then he came along with her, still carrying on his movement for a couple more thrusts, filling her with his seed. Her hands moved up from his arse to his lower back, where she drew little patterns. "Wow," she breathed, his forehead rested against hers and he kissed her, despite their lack of breath.

Regina felt him soften inside her and carefully slip out, he rolled off from on top of her and pulled her into his arms, so that she was laid straddling one of his legs. "Stunning." He whispered, his fingertips dancing across her back.

"Robin, I…"

She moved to sit up and he pulled her back down, "don't make me leave," he whispered, rubbing his nose against hers.

"This, what's between us, it's never going to work." She sighed. "I'm the Evil Queen, I'm a monster."

"I see the woman underneath, this beautiful woman, who is just begging for someone to understand her, Regina, I want to be that someone."

"Why? Why would you?"

"Because we all deserve a second chance Regina; you've just got to open your eyes to see it."

"I don't know why you have faith in me, I don't think I have given you any cause for it."

"I guess I'm going off the fact you could have killed me and didn't." he chuckled, brushing her long dark hair behind her ear. "Regina, I want to show you that you can have love again, that you can open your heart and forget about your revenge, I know you feel the need to get justice for your fiancé, but just think, is it worth killing so many more people, making them go through what you had to, to get it? Or would you rather be a Queen that everyone loves?"

She thought about it, she had spilt too much blood, killed too many people and he was right, she needed to stop, it all needed to stop, enough was enough. Regina needed to be strong, she needed to tamper down the Evil Queen and allow herself to take over once more. "yes," she whispered.

"Yes what?"

"I want to be a Queen that everyone loves, but how do I do that? They're scared of me Robin, terrified."

"Regina, make them love you, lower taxes, use your magic for good, make sure that people have enough food to survive the winter."

"Robin, would you…"

"Help you? Of course."

"No, I was going to ask you if you'd stay," she smiled, tracing his jaw with her fingertips.

"Always, Regina I'm not going anywhere." His hand came to the back of her neck and he carefully massaged it.

"I think it's time to say goodbye to the Evil Queen, don't you?"

"Yes, yes I do."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Giving me hope."

"Hope is everything."

Can Robin really make her forget about her revenge, or is the Evil Queen simply too much to control? Hmmm.

I hope you liked the first chapter. :) xxx