Regina could not stand to be around the "true loves" anymore, even if one of them was dying. She had been wielding magic for a long time, as if she could not sense the poison that was over taking the prince's system. Please, what kind of evil queen did these idiots take her for? As for Hook, anyone could tell he had feelings for the Sheriff and Emma did not exactly deny their connection either. Whatever Neal might have had was getting smaller and smaller by day. Don't ever get her started on Tinkerbell, watching it all unfold with unabashed glee. True love, hope, second chances, and all that. Well, not bloody likely. Good god, she was starting to sound like the pirate. She just needed some time away from all of it to focus on what was really important: saving Henry.
She had wondered a ways from camp before she heard muffled sniffling. She gently approached the source, it sounded like a small child but that couldn't be right. The only children here were with Pan and why would any of them cry? She looked around a tree and there at the base was a small child no older than five sitting with his back pressed against the trunk, his tears softened by his green cloak. Regina crouched next to him warily, although she was fairly sure this was not a trap, she had learned not to trust anything on Pan's island. Her weakness really was children, Snow excluded. She did not want to startle him so instead waited for him to notice her; he was wiping his nose on his sleeve when he finally noticed he was not alone.
Taking note of her presence he began to cry all the harder and begged her not to hurt him. "I'm not going to hurt you. Are you alone?" She inquired gently.
The young boy blinked up at her with eyes brimming with tears. He should his head no. "My daddy is coming."
"I'm sure he is sweetheart," Regina said gently, "Can you tell me your name?"
The boy shook his head vehemently and said, "You could be one of the bad guys."
Regina smiled at the irony of that before responding, "I'll tell you what, why don't I go first?" She waited for the boy to nod in response before continuing, "My name is Regina Mills and I am looking for my son."
She waited patiently for the boy to respond. He wiped his nose on his green cloak before replying very softly, "'M Roland Hood, one of the Merry Men and I am waiting for m'dad."
The former evil queen stuck her hand out in front of her, "It's lovely to meet you Roland." Roland looked at her hand a moment before grasping it with one of her own and beaming at her. Her own smile became a little more sincere in response.
"Now Roland, I can't very well leave you here on your own and I don't think your dad would be too happy with that either so why don't you stay with me and my friends until your dad comes to get you?"
The boy swiftly removed his hand from her gentle grip and shook his head again. "But then my da wouldn't be able to find me!"
Regina nodded, as if contemplating his reasoning before a smile lit her face once again. "Can I tell you a secret?"
Roland nodded affirmative and Regina leaned in close and whispered, "I have magic." The boy eyed her with wide-eyed shock.
"I have an idea," Regina announced after a moment's thought. "What if I put a trail on you only your dad can follow? That way you could still come with me and be safe but your dad could also find you. What do you say to that?"
Roland seemed to consider it a bit before grinning wildly in enthusiastic joy. Regina plucked a single hair off his head and whispered a few words, the hair deteriorated and the dust glowed bright green before disappearing entirely. 'Hmm, it was almost the same shade as Tinkerbell's pixie dust from so long ago' but that thought was irrelevant, she needed to focus on the safety of the young boy before her. She reached down to take his hand once again.
"You'll be safe with my friends and I Roland. I promise." As she led him away from the tree she pondered how exactly she was going to explain this to the merry band of heroes. She firmly did not let her mind wonder about that peculiar shade of green.