Author's Note: I want to give a big thank you to the huge amount of people who have favorited, reviewed, or simply just read this story. I'm normally not a very good first person writer, so I'm taking a bit of a risk here with this sort of narrative, but I'm liking it so far. Don't be afraid to leave any constructive criticism if you have any. We can always learn more, right? That being said, please enjoy the next chapter of Seeds of the Pomegranate!

TWO DAYS LATER

She has blonde hair. Who knows if it'll stay that way. Apparently, it's known to run in our family- I had blonde hair when I was born, though I'm not quite sure how that worked out. It makes sense. Both of her parents have light hair... She could have been born with red hair. That thought makes me cringe, and then I feel guilty, because she still might have it one day. If she was mine, she'd probably have darker locks, like Henry and Roland. If she was mine. Speaking of Roland, she shares her older brother's deep dimples set in soft, cherubic cheeks. It's hard to tell, because her reddened face is often scrunched up and angry at this stage, but she's rather... well, beautiful. How could one of Robin's children be anything but?

I didn't want to love her, but I think I already do. It's a dangerous game I'm playing here, and it's going to end with someone's heart broken, and I'm pretty certain that it'll probably be mine. (If mine even healed from having him leave, from finding out that it was all a trick engineered by Zelena... from finding out about this child. It hadn't yet. Not really.) I wanted to stroke her little face, to bond with her, but I was more afraid of that than anything. I would bond, I would fall for her, and then she would be taken from me, and I couldn't bear that.

Which was why I'd so easily left after she'd been born. Someone had to save my bitch of a sister, and I knew it wasn't going to be anyone else. Part of me was greatly tempted to just let Emma have her, but I knew that whatever Emma had in store for her wouldn't hurt only her. I know the way Dark Ones work, and I know how seductive all that power is. It tells you to do things, to justify little things like torture or murder, because you can spend the time making it right after you've achieved what you need, right? After you have the power you so valiantly fought for, you can use it doing good, and spreading glitter hugs and fuzzy feelings.

Yeah. And the world is full of love and good people who can only ever help, not hurt.

But I had been there myself, and I knew that if anyone could help Emma right now, it would probably be me. I owed her, and Regina Mills doesn't do debt very well. Not to mention that I owed it to Henry to save his mother. So, I gathered Snow and marched my happy ass down to Emma's little house, where we met her on the front lawn. It was all very wild west-like. During this showdown, she revealed her plan to me, and I must say, I was highly tempted to just let her go through with it. If it hadn't been for the fact that Emma's soul would be darkened by it, I think I would have let her. A chance to get my idiot sister out of the way for good? For her to pay for all the horrible things she'd done to me?

But I remembered that it wasn't about vengeance. I'm a hero now, and I looked at Snow, and even though she was telling me how she couldn't lose Emma, I knew I had to do something. I knew I had to try to save Zelena. For the sake of my sister... for the sake of her new child. Henry had been my second -or four hundredth- chance, and even though I didn't think she deserved it, I had to give it to her. I had to let it play out and see what she would do. Maybe if someone wasn't treated like a villain, they wouldn't act like one, or... something.

The actual battle hadn't been a battle, but had taken hours, and had ended up in sort of a stalemate that didn't even matter in the long run. Hook and Zelena had gotten free, and that idiot pirate had taken the cuff off her wrist. I swear, how that idiot is still breathing is beyond me. I'd ended up stuck by some odd magic, an unfamiliar spell that I think originated from Emma, and left my skin smelling lightly of burned ozone after it finally wore off. I came home sometime before dawn and went right to the shower to wash off the day's grime. I made sure to be extra quiet when I entered my bedroom, because I didn't want to wake the baby up.

Only, the baby wasn't there, and neither was Robin. Worry turned to panic, and I half-ran to Roland's room. Not even he was here, and then it all made sense. I felt defeated. I was halfway down the hall to make sure at least Henry was in his bed, but I remembered he was with David at the Charmings' loft tonight, and it hit me how, after everything I'd been through today, I was alone. Once sunlight hit, I called Granny, and sure enough, Robin, Roland, and the new baby had rented a room. 'Just temporary,' he told me, she said over the phone. I'm sure he just wanted to give you space, considering. Don't put much stock into it, girl.

Space. Right. The day I had to take consoling from Granny...

I didn't get to properly see her until she was over 48 hours old, and by then, I knew that keeping my distance was probably best. It seemed to be what everyone wanted- what Robin wanted, apparently. Why else would he have moved out without even saying anything to me? I don't get it- even now, but I'm trying to... for the sake of any relationship that may be forged in the future, because I don't think we really even have one now.

"Robin, she's gorgeous," Snow coos, her finger squeezed tightly in a little hand as bright blue eyes blink up into Snow's brown ones, and I think of her words days before, about meeting the newest member of my family. What a riot. "Have you thought of a name yet?"

"Not yet," the thief replies, but it's so obvious that he's only half listening; he's so wrapped up in her, in his baby. And it's so compelling, so beautiful seeing them together that it breaks my heart. I could have had that with him, but it's more than obvious I never will. Zelena hadn't been wrong- I am green with envy. No one hears me slip out of the door into the hallway, silent tears stinging my eyes. I walk enough steps away where my magic wouldn't be noticeable, and spirit myself away. I can take no more cruelly answered what ifs today.