A/N- Thank you all so much for the kind reviews, it means a lot! This chapter is mainly about setting up the story and plot and I'm looking forward to hearing more feedback about this chapter and the ones to come. Thanks again, Amy xoxo
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters but the plot is completely mine. ;)
Chapter Two
Free, her choice of phrase echoed in Robin's mind. Does this mean he's in the clear? She isn't mad at him? Well, of course she would be mad at him, he's just murdered a man in her house, but a man she despises. Does that make it okay? Robin thinks back to the fairy tales he reads with Roland. The Princes never kill the bad guys. The princes offer them mercy and then put them in a cell, or the bad guys 'conveniently' end up killing themselves in the process of trying to be bad.
Maybe I shouldn't have hit him on the head. Maybe I should've just punched him and asked what the hell he thought he was doing. Maybe if I had done that I wouldn't be in this mess. I would be the Prince and…
But he remembered that he's not a Prince, this isn't a fairy tale. This is the screwed up real world and there isn't any magic to bring back the dead so what's done is done. What's dead is dead. Leopold Blanchard is dead.
"I can't get my head around this." Said Robin to himself trying to make it seem more real. Regina watched him, not knowing what to do. She cleared her throat and stood up, her thighs feeling bruised and her legs shaking. Robin instantly went to her side and helped her get her balance. She looked up gratefully,
"I'm going to take a shower and um,"
Robin stared at her like she had said something insane,
"A shower? You can't wash yourself, you can't wash away the evidence of…"
"Yes I can. I'm certainly not just sitting here feeling like some used toy. I need to have a shower." She said emphasizing on the word need. Robin let Regina limp past him and up the stairs and he watched her until the bathroom door had closed and the running water started. Robin put his hands together and sat down on the sofa, still warm from where Regina had been curled up. He put his hands in his head and started to cry.
Robin was never a tough boy at school, but he had always been clever. He instantly befriended John Little at school who was-unlike his name-the biggest boy in their year. With John's build and emotionless, hard face, and Robin's skills and charms, the two boys made the perfect team for many things: Being late for school; sneaking into places they shouldn't; avoiding bullies; and when they reached 15 years of age they made the perfect pair to rob places. John was the one who convinced Robin to start breaking into houses, both of their families needed the money and they told themselves they were stealing from those who were far wealthier. Both boys hated the rich. They thought they didn't appreciate what they had and they were right. Robin and John never got caught because they stole things they thought the owners wouldn't miss. Which was true. There were never any complaints of a break-in or stolen valuables and the two thieves found themselves the best in the business. They were approached by many, many gang leaders but they turned down all the offers, because Robin saw himself not as a thief, but as a provider for his family. He saw himself with no sins or selfish acts on his shoulders. Until tonight, where Robin had killed a man, and that was a weight he could never push off.
Regina let the shower water run down her face and intertwine with her escaping tears. Inside she was kicking herself for crying. Over the years she had built a wall around her emotions, trying to protect herself from feeling the pain, the sadness, the depression that came in the package of her marriage to Leo. She knew what she was signed up for, then again it wasn't her who signed her up. Why would she have wanted to marry a man twice her age? It was her mother's doing. Cora Mills, a woman who always got what she wanted, and what she wanted was the 'best' for her daughter. Regina had tried to tell her mother she wasn't interested in becoming the mayor's wife, nor was she interested in his money but her response was:
"Regina, darling, you don't know what you want, but I do, and I know best."
"But mother, I don't want to marry Leopold. I don't love him," Regina pleaded, her last attempt before she was due down the aisle, dressed in white (which wasn't her colour) and vow to a man she despised that she was going to spend the rest of her life with him.
"Thank goodness for that. Love is a weakness, child. But money. Money gives you power, and with power you can get everything you've ever dreamed."
"Mother, please. You and I don't dream the same things. I don't want power." Regina could hear herself-she sounded like a desperate child, her mother always brought a different side out of her.
"Silly girl, of course you want power. Now walk down that aisle like a queen and make your vows." Cora said with a tone that had intimidated Regina ever since she was little, a voice that meant 'if you don't do what I say I will punish you.' And as Regina turned the shower handle to the left and bringing the water to a drizzle, she thought to herself at least she had kept her promises. Till death do us part.
She got out of the shower and stared at her reflection. Her cheeks had more colour on them and her eyes were back to being dark brown orbs instead of black with fear. She brushed through her hair and let it stay down to cover the blue bruises on her shoulders. On her breasts were completely different shades, from green, to purple to black, like a paint pallet. Each one reminding her of each time. Regina sighed at what she saw. 4 years ago she would've seen a young, elegant woman with a figure of a model and a smile of an angel. That smile was long gone, thrown away with her happiness and dreams and her youth. But as Regina remembered the previous events the corner of her mouth twitched. The idea of being able to go out again. The prospect of being free almost curved her red lips into a smile. She saw under the bruises where her old, sassy self was hidden and remembered what it was like before. Could she actually have that again?
The stop of the water was in sync with the stop of Robin's tears and he stood up, waiting for Regina to come down the stairs again. As she did, he realised how different she looked. Her hair was in a damp messy bun and the ripped dress had been replaced by leather leggings and a baggy jumper with 'Harvard' written on the front. But the biggest difference was how she looked almost happy. Robin had to blink twice to make sure he wasn't mistaken at the fact that there was a smile on her face. A smile. An elusive smile that could light up the darkest souls. It even brightened the mood in the room they were currently standing in, until Regina broke the silence,
"So, um, what's your plan, thief."
Robin was shocked at what she had just said, but he could tell by her tone that she was trying to sound intimidating, and he saw under the hatred in her voice and heard the sound of a woman trying to regain some dignity.
"Robin." He said in a small whisper, he didn't expect to sound so shy.
"What?"
"My name, its Robin, and I have no clue what to do. Look, all I am is a common thief. I came here to steal some watches." He threw the box of watches out of his rucksack onto the sofa, "I had no idea you would be home, I know you have no reason at all to trust me, just believe me when I say I'm not a murderer."
Regina studied the thief's face. Robin? Was that his name? She couldn't tell, he was talking so fast and stuttering out his words that it was hard to make out what he was saying. She could tell that he didn't plan on murdering a man tonight, and she could tell that he was incredibly nervous. If his eyes weren't so green and persuading Regina would've taken advantage of his worries, but something within her told her not to. This man had comforted her earlier, now it was her turn. Even if he was a common thief.
"I believe you. And you can keep the watches, I'm pretty sure Leo won't be needing them now." She said and then looked down at Leo, whose skin had lightened and a smell was beginning to linger. She scrunched up her nose and turned back to Robin, "But like I said, what's the plan. Because by morning Mary Margaret will be back in this house, and she will defiantly tell the whole town that her father, the mayor, is dead."
Robin had calmed down but his brain was desperately trying to rack up some ideas. Think, Robin, think. You've always been the clever one, think. His mind was empty, especially since Regina had just washed away the majority of evidence supporting domestic abuse. He looked helplessly at Regina. She was brewing her own plan in her mind, even with Leo dead, it still meant Regina was Mayor, she would still have to live a life she never wanted, with too much money, and power. With no love or freedom. But if there was a way to escape that, could it work? She could cut the final string of her retched life that was controlled her mother and start fresh. But there's still the 'Leo's dead body' problem. Regina started to think deeper and as she did the puzzle in her head started to fit together.
This could actually be possible.
A massive grin spread across her face.
But what about the thief? Would he agree?
Robin raised his eyebrows at Regina's thinking and was beginning to get agitated with suspense.
"Have you thought of something?"
Regina looked up into his trancing green eyes,
"Well, I have an idea and it may seem crazy, and I'm not one to do crazy, but if crazy is what it takes to finally be free then so be it."
Robin was listening intensely to Regina's words. There it was again: free. She wants to be free of her whole entire life? Start over on a blank slate? Is that what she's implying? She said her idea was crazy? Wait…
"I'm not killing you too." Robin said and Regina laughed. A laugh that made Robin's stomach tingle.
"Oh, you stupid thief. No of course not. My idea is something a bit more adventurous." She said, teasing him with her words. Robin blushed at his dramatic conclusion,
"So what is it you have in mind, milady. I will do anything, because I know for a fact I don't want to go to prison for a murder that I never intended to commit. I'm not leaving my boy…"
Regina wasn't listening to the thief babbling on, she was thinking how to break her crazy plan to him. She cut him off by sitting down on the couch and hit the leather next to her, beckoning him to join her. He did and Regina took a deep breathe,
"Okay, my idea is we set this up as a robbery gone wrong. We can tip the bookcase over on Leo's body and it would just look like an accident. With the watches gone, the police would suspect a thief had wanted the watches and in the process the bookcase 'accidently' crushed the poor mayor. You only hit him once, it doesn't look deliberate anyway. It will work, trust me."
Robin did trust her, "But they would still be on the chase for a thief, and I'm not spending my life worrying or hiding in the shadows." Regina rolled her eyes.
"Let me finish. If that was the end of my plan then I would still be stuck in my life I'm already trapped in. That's only phase one. Phase two, is me emptying my bank account, and disappearing, making it looked like I was kidnapped…"
This time it was Robin's turn to interrupt.
"Wait, what? You want me to kidnap you? I've already violated 2 laws, breaking and entering and murder. I don't want to add anything else to that list thank you very much."
Regina shook her head, "But no-one would suspect you. I guess you've robbed places before, but Leo's records of this town show no crimes being committed. Your name has never come up. And while the Sheriff Graham runs around knocking on doors trying to find out where I am, we would have used my money and driven somewhere far away from this town and I can live my life."
Robin was trying to take in all that Regina was saying. She really was amazing, coming up with such a plan that could let them both escape this town. She's offering me part of her money? Either this woman is incredibly selfless, crazy, or would do anything to try and escape her life? What about Roland? With the extra cash, sure they could escape town, but with a woman? What would Roland think? That his daddy has a girlfriend? As if Regina would play along with that. Robin stopped thinking, realising he needed to give some sort of answer to the impatient woman standing in front of him.
"Why not just escape by yourself? Why include me. You're giving me half your money, why trust something to valuable to a common thief like me?"
"You can't steal something that's been given to you." Regina said softly, too softly that it annoyed her, so quickly added, "Plus, a common thief is my only option right now." Back in her harsh tone. Robin smiled,
"Looks like you have yourself a partner." Regina couldn't believe her ears. He was agreeing to it. She was actually going to be free. Trying to contain her excitement and cool she replied,
"Just don't get in my way."
Robin smiled again, thinking that 'thank you' must be a really rare phrase for Regina to say. He guessed there wasn't much in her life to be thankful for. Robin decided that Regina's true self is the person she's shown him in the past hour; sassy and smart; brave and bold; and he can tell she likes to be in control. So he toyed with her desire to come across as heartless,
"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it."