Dinner time at Granny's would never be the same. Fates had been changed and lives had been shattered and revived some for the better and some for the worse. The diner was silent and the collective held their breath as Regina moved closer to Emma.
You're just like your mother.
Anger and hurt coursed through Regina's veins. Emma claimed to be her friend and yet she'd ruined her happy ending yet again. Regina had one thought. How satisfying it would be to crush the saviour's heart. It would be over before anyone could stop her. Regina unclenched her fist as she took another step closer to Emma. The crowd grew uneasy as they sensed the Mayor was not thinking about forgiveness.
Henry recognized Regina's angry face. "Mom, please don't do this." His voice cut through everything to reach her.
Regina felt herself falter. Her own heart clenched in her chest, rebelling at the hatred attempting to flow through it. She needed to do what the old Regina would have done without hesitation, but she couldn't. Suddenly she only felt pain radiating throughout her body. She shook her head.
Crush it Regina. Take your revenge.
One more voice reached her. It was Robin. He said her name softly, "Regina."
But she couldn't do it. She'd come too far. She wasn't evil anymore and yet she wasn't good enough; at this moment she didn't know what she was. She couldn't kill Emma; she knew that, so she did the only thing she could. She was out the door and down the street needing to be anywhere but here.
One set of footsteps thundered after her calling her name in anguish; in pain; in desperation and concern.
"Regina!" Robin screamed into the dark night. "Please stop!"
She was shaking when he caught up to her. He almost couldn't cope with the devastated look in her eyes.
"Don't. Just go back to your…" She couldn't quite say the word 'wife'. She kept walking.
"Just… give me a moment. I… I…" He pleaded with her.
"For what?!" She knew this wasn't his fault but still. She couldn't deal with this right now. "Who needs a second chance when your first love returns? However it…"
There were other footsteps echoing down the street and she distinctly heard the word 'monster' on someone's lips. Fear and shame overcame her. She had to get out of there. They were getting closer.
As if sensing what was coming next, Robin grabbed for Regina as she disappeared into a cloud of purple mist. In the blink of an eye, they were both gone.
Suddenly they were in her vault. Regina was pushing him away from her as she turned toward the stone mantle. He watched her taking out her heart. He feared she was she putting it away for forever. It had been wounded again and this time it was because of him.
Robin took a step toward her.
"Leave." She snapped at him. He knew she was unpredictable when she was out of control and she could be capable of anything. Still he trusted that even at her darkest, she would never hurt him.
He wasn't sure if rage was easier to deal with than broken, but he swallowed hard and undeterred took two more steps toward her. He had to make her see that nothing could change the way he felt about her, but he had never seen her like this, at least not on this side of the fairy-tale line. Not to mention he'd never been the focus of her anger as he was about to be. He was honestly unsure if he could deal with it, but he wouldn't give her up without a fight. "Regina…"
"Don't call me that." She turned and unleashed her blind rage on him. It was as if a thousand years of anguish were channelled into this one moment to one point in his chest. It wouldn't take long at this rate. "I'm a monster. Didn't you hear them?" She was angry at the world and even angrier at herself for believing she might find the love and family that had eluded her whole life. She'd been stupid to believe she could ever deserve a happy ending.
Robin cried out as his breath was being squeezed from his body. "Please…" was all he could expel from his narrowing windpipe as he slumped to his knees. His breath was ragged and laboured as he struggled against her wrath. "Regina…"
She flicked her hand and pushed him against the stone wall. He hit the ground with a thud, his face bloodied and his tattooed arm uncovered to further mock her. He took a whimpering breath.
She moved toward him, plunged her hand in and easily extracted his heart. She gritted her teeth until something else washed over as she held it. The colour alone was brilliant like nothing she'd ever seen. Dark and light and in places so red it burned almost white. Sometimes conflicted but loyal and true was the bearer of this heart. Something told her those brilliant bright spots were his true love for her. She looked down at him.
She gasped. He was still.
Oh no what have I done?
She was just like her mother.
His body lying almost lifeless at her feet brought her back to herself. She shook off her despair and knelt over him gently placing the glowing organ back into its rightful place. "Oh no, no, no."
It was true. She was a monster.
I've killed him.
"Robin," She knelt over him, touching him gently. "Robin, I'm sorry. I…" She sniffed back her tears and ran her hand over his cheek healing it. "Say something. Please." She cradled his head and willed him to wake up.
He sputtered suddenly and his eyes fluttered open. He looked up at her with concern. "Regina," he swallowed his pain, "I was," he gulped a breath of much needed air, "so worried about you."
She shook her head in disbelief. She had just choked him within an inch of his life and he was worried about her.
"Here," She bit her lip and helped him sit up. "I'm so sorry. I just…" She choked back a sob full of remorse.
He smiled weakly at her and touched his cheek, "So much for things being less rocky in Storybrooke."
She settled beside him only concern now in her voice. "Are you sure I didn't hurt you?"
"I can take it." He took a deep breath as his ribs popped back to their former places. He looked and saw her heart still perched on the wooden box ready to be put away. "Please don't do that."
"It's probably a good idea." She said. "I can't seem to control my feelings when I have it."
He moved closer to her and said with sincerity, "maybe you could take mine out too, so I won't have to feel anything either."
She smiled sadly, "No yours it exactly where it belongs. I don't need mine anymore." She looked away knowing exactly what she was telling him.
He struggled to hold back his own emotions, churning and spinning as they were. He needed to get some sort of handle on what was happening to him and to her and to Marian, to them all before it was too late. "None of this is your fault Regina." He gently touched her arm.
"There's really nothing to say." She said flatly. "It is what it is."
He didn't want to lose her. He knew that. He wasn't sure what that meant in reality, but he'd deal with everything else once she was okay. It didn't matter why Marian was back, but she was and he couldn't ignore it. But he couldn't let it hurt and destroy the woman he now loved.
He was about to speak, but Regina couldn't help it. She had so many questions. "What happened? Why? I mean. How did she…?" She sounded horrible and selfish. Robin had his wife back and Roland had his mother back. She just wanted some answers, some explanation of why her perfect day, her longed for happiness had been once more ripped away from her.
"Emma…" He started to say taking a deep breath.
She scoffed harshly, "Emma hasn't done one good thing for me except Henry."
Robin forged ahead, "Emma didn't have a choice. Marian was imprisoned and it seems the… the Queen was going to execute her." His memory was cloudy now of that day. His heart told him that the Queen did not take Marian's life. He still wasn't sure what had happened, but that was a question for a later date.
Regina closed her eyes. She was still the villain. Maybe she needed to accept that fact that that was who she was and always would be. "Great. This day just keeps getting better."
He inched closer to her and said softly. "You're not that woman anymore."
"I wish I was. Hate, anger and revenge are so much easier." She scoffed.
"And less complicated." He added.
"Umm hmmm." She agreed.
They sat for a moment in silence.
"You looked so happy." She said quietly, shifting her eyes to look at him and his reaction.
He could only imagine how horrible that was for her to see. "I am happy. For Roland especially, she is his mother and I loved her once upon a time. "Robin paused for a moment. "What if it had been Daniel? Wouldn't you be happy he was alive?"
She didn't know if she could equate the two. She tried to put herself in that place; seeing Daniel again after the last horrific moments they'd been together. She did wish to see him when he wasn't mad and out of his mind. If she was truthful to herself, she'd admit she'd give up almost anything for that, but what she had with Robin was something she knew she didn't want to consider living without.
"Yes of course I would be." She answered knitting her brows in anguish at the memory and his question.
"I'm sorry that was unfair to ask." He frowned knowing he shouldn't have put that question to her. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel worse.
"No. I understand. I'm just tired of feeling like this; tired of losing everything again."
"You haven't lost everything." Robin assured her bumping his shoulder against hers.
She smirked, "Did you miss the part where your dead wife came back?"
Robin considered his next words carefully. "I loved Marian many years ago, but I know what you and I have is real. I can't even say how much I've… I've loved the time we've been together. I wouldn't trade it for anything in any world. You have to believe that."
She bit her lip and nodded. He was always sincere, "I do."
"Good." He winced slightly as his ribs protested again.
They sat in silence for what seemed a long while beside each other. Just thinking and wondering what was to be. Robin sighed and put his head back against the wall.
Regina finally spoke, "I guess I should have warned you. I don't have much luck with these sorts of things."
"You can't be rid of me that easily Milady." He gave her the half smile she liked so much.
"You are a fool thief." For a brief moment things felt like they'd been before. "But it's me Robin. The things I've done. I can't escape that. No matter how much good I do, my heart will always be black."
He looked directly at her. "You're wrong. I've held your heart in my hands. It's anything but dark. I know you struggle every day, but you know yourself how much you've changed and how far you've come."
"I know.' Regina looked at him and couldn't help but laugh, "We're a great pair aren't we thief?"
"We certainly are." He added and then was quiet. He so didn't want to hurt her further.
Their relationship was nothing but questions at the moment and there was only one way to find out the answers. She would have to face things head on and accept whatever outcome was to be. For the most part it was out of her control, she had to deal with that and not run away.
"We need to sort this out, but you know you only have one choice." She laid her hand against his cheek and watched his eyes fill with sadness.
"I just need a… I know I have no right to ask you for anything." He winced as he was at a loss for words. "Just some time to…"
"You know what you need to do. I won't let you tear yourself in two trying to find an answer to an impossible question. She's your wife and nothing will change that." Regina insisted.
He just shook his head as tears stung his eyes.
"You're an honourable man." She said.
"I don't want to be that man." He countered.
"You're too good." She insisted.
"I don't want to be good." He said forlornly.
I want to be with you.
"Well I've done my job then haven't I?" She smiled at him softly and sniffed back her tears. "This is the only choice and you know it."
He knew she was right. He needed to sort out his former wife and life before he could continue what was between them if there ever was to be a "them" again.
Robin stood up ignoring the pain in his back and chest and held out his hand. She took it and he pulled her up. Then he took her heart in his hands. "You'll need this to navigate the road ahead. Don't sell it short so soon. Yes this is complicated, not what we expected, but I have faith we'll get through it somehow."
He moved closer to her and she took his hands in hers and pushed it back inside her chest. She winced and closed her eyes in pain as it tightened in her chest. Robin couldn't help himself and pressed his lips to hers in what he knew might be the last time he kissed her. He burned it into his memory for safe keeping. He knew he would need her strength and passion to help him get through what he needed to do.
She opened her eyes and pulled back from him.
Robin brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. "I guess life is not sweet and perfect. We're not all the Charmings after all. It can be terribly messy sometimes."
She wiped her eyes. "I hate being messy."
"You're beautiful even messy." He brushed a tear from her cheek. "Being human is a messy business."
"So I'm learning." she simply said.
That's when she felt it.
Trust.
She trusted him to do the right thing, which alone gave her comfort. She took his hand and looked at the tattoo on his forearm.
That pesky tattoo.
She bent her head and pressed a kiss to the black ink drawing on his forearm. She took a deep breath and felt some tension ease from her body and soul.
He took her hand in his and placed them over her heart like he had before over his. "No matter what happens, I'm always with you. I'll always be right here and nothing can ever change that or what we mean to each other."
She nodded, but fear as usual surged from her heart. The damn thing was already betraying her. "I honestly don't know if I can do this." She said shakily. "I'm sorry."
Robin nodded at her and bit his lip like he did. "That's okay. Just. Try." His eyes were so sincere, she couldn't deny him whatever bit of hope she might give him.
"Mom," Henry's voice made Robin turn. Regina wiped her face and tucked her hair behind her ear. She must look like awful. No son should know so much about his mother's personal life especially when it was such a mess.
Robin spoke, "We're in here Henry."
Henry's small face peered in the door at the two of them. "Are… are you okay?"
Overcome she couldn't even speak a word, but nodded as her eyes filled with tears. Henry was in her arms and hugging her. "I was so worried."
Robin took a breath and choked back his own tears.
Regina finally said, "I'm sorry about…"
Henry looked up at her. "That's okay."
She ruffled Henry's hair like she always did. It was a simple thing but it made her feel like herself again even so slightly.
"I don't know what I'd do without you two." She looked at both of them knowing they loved her unconditionally. It was a revelation of sorts and she knew she needed to hold on to it; hold on to them to keep herself grounded.
Henry spoke as he clutched her hand, "You never have to worry about that."
Robin smiled softly at her, "We're here for you no matter what." Whether the words would ring hollow in the next weeks and months were ignored for the moment. While running away still seemed like the best option, she didn't doubt their words.
"Let's go home." Henry said. Regina again felt like the child and he was the parent. One day she hoped it would finally shift the other way, but it seemed still to be a long way off. The three of them headed out into the cool night air and walked back to town.
The roads diverged and Robin went back to where he had begun. Robin squeezed tightly before he let go of Regina's hand and headed toward what felt like his past not his future. He tried to quell those thoughts as he crossed the street and walked in the other direction away from his new found family.
Regina didn't want to look back, but she did; just a quick glance at the shadow moving away. She burned the image into her memory and everything good about him, the sweetness of his smile, the kindness in his eyes, the feel of his lips on hers and his soft touch on her body.
She took a deep breath and felt Henry take her hand in his. "We'll be okay mom."
"Thank you Henry." Regina needed more than anything to believe that her son was right. Her very life and soul depended on it.