Chapter 2: Pixie Dust Never Lies

"Is, is everything alright, Milady? Did Nottingham hurt you?" He asked with genuine concern. Regina shook her head, in shock,

"No, I'm fine. Why, why did you help me?"

"Nottingham is a bastard, thinks he's better than everyone else and can get his own way around here. You see, I have a code and I intend to keep that code for as long as I live." He said with a cheeky smile that made Regina blush.

She stopped looking at her feet in embarrassment and looked up into the eyes of her saviour. He stared back. For a while she forgot everything, it was just her and him, in the moonlight. Robin smiled and as did Regina.

"Milady, I never caught your name," he asked.

"It's Regina. Regina Mills." She said. Robin looked shocked. Shit, she thought, He didn't know I am Queen.

"Well, who knew the Queen was about to enter my tavern for the first time?" He replied and Regina was flooded in relief that he didn't bow down or treat her differently.

"Actually I was here earlier looking for someone, but I was too scared to confront him." Regina replied looking at the floor again, once again embarrassed.

"Why don't you tell me everything over a bottle of rum, Milady? That is if you're willing to actually enter my tavern this time," Robin said and Regina laughed. The first laugh in a long time. Robin held out his hand and Regina instantly took it, like some kind of reaction. She smiled as their fingers interlocked: a perfect fit.


Robin took Regina to the back of the tavern, where no one else could see them and sat down,

"So, what were you afraid of?" He asked and Regina didn't know where to begin, instead words that she had been fearing to say just came flying out of her mouth,

"I was afraid of happiness." Robin frowned,

"Happiness. You're the Queen, surely you have plenty of happiness," he said.

"Not when my husband is still not over his dead wife, and I'm still not over my dead fiancé." Regina said, her eyelids closed, acting like flood barriers, for if they were to open she would burst into tears.

"I was told by this stupid fairy, Tinkerbell, that I could be happy again if I just followed her pixie dust, and I did. It showed me this man, but I couldn't go in. I'm such a coward. Who is scared to be happy?" Regina said and opened her eyes. A single tear rolled down her cheek and Robin wiped his shirtsleeve under her eyes.

"Regina," he said, the first time he had said her name, "This man, if you are truly destined to be with him by Pixie Dust, you will find him. And as for being a coward, your actions weren't cowardly, they were sensible. You don't want to feel the same way you felt when your fiancé died. You're just protecting yourself." Regina took in his words of wisdom and realised how right he was. She grabbed his hand on the table,

"What if I didn't see his face, but saw his, um, Lion Tattoo…" she said slowly and her cheeks redden. Robin smiled and she could tell he was filled with content.

"I would say, Pixie Dust never lies," he said and leant in. Regina retaliated and their lips touched, softly. Slowly Robin added in more passion and hunger and Regina felt her stomach tingle. After a few minutes of kissing, Regina pulled away, her lips in an instant smile,

"Robin, I have to go…" she began but Robin interrupted with a kiss,

"Please, Regina, stay with me. I too have been scared of my destiny, been tempted by dark paths, but can't you feel it. This connection we have made in the past hour feels, it feels special, like it was meant to be."

"That stupid fairy was right." Regina said in a whisper. "Look, Robin, I have to go home, to the Summer Palace. I am the Queen after all." Robin nodded and stood up still holding Regina's hand. He kissed her gently on each cheek.

"Find me tomorrow morning, at this table, please just find me," he said. Regina winked at him,

"I will always find you."