~Robin~

I turned around to gather my surroundings, but was shrouded in darkness, making it difficult for me to know anything about my whereabouts. Living in the forest, however, had sharpened my other senses. The air hung thick around me and the place smelled of a scent I knew much too well—forest. I walked a few steps ahead to verify my suspicions when the snap of a twig brought me to a halt. A silhouette appeared in my periphery but when I turned to look, it was gone.

I was not alone in this place, I was sure of it now. Wherever I was, there were others here with me. Now all I had to do was find out if they were likely allies or enemies. But where was I? I tried to think back to when I got here—no how did I get here? I could not recall anything since I had run into Regina at Granny's. Regina. Even after an entire year, just saying her name still had an effect on me. She was the one I saw every time I closed my eyes. Her hair, the color of the midnight sky, her lips, full and red as the apples on her tree, her smile, radiant as the sun; the smile that had disappeared the day I crushed her heart. That heart that I had promised her I would never break. How could I still be thinking about her after I had made my decision to stay with Marian? My head said it was the right choice, but my heart didn't accept that. Stop it. You have no right thinking about her anymore. The only way to let her move on is if you let her go forever. The rustling of the bushes behind me brought me back to my surroundings.

As I approached the bushes, I could make out a shadow that became more solid the closer I got, until there was no doubt that the figure was of a small child.

"Hello," I said, but got no response. "My name is Robin. What's yours?"

"Help me," the child replied in a shaky voice.

"Alright, I will help you but can you first tell me where we are?"

"Ple-plea-please he-help me. H-he will t-take me."

"Who will take you? I won't let him but you have to help me stop him. Can you do that?"

"Y-yes."

"Good. Now, let's start with an easy question. What is your name?"

"R-Ro-Roland."

I stood rooted to the ground as I realized I was talking to my own son.

"Daddy, help!" yelled Roland, bringing me out of my state of shock.

I reached out to grab him, only to feel thin air where my boy had been standing moments ago.

"Roland!" I shouted, jumping off my bed.

I pulled off my covers and rushed to the room across the hall, acutely aware of Marian sleeping. I pulled the door open, and there he was, my boy, sound asleep. I breathed a sigh of relief and ran my hand across my face to wipe the off sweat. I walked to Roland's bed and planted a light kiss on his forehead. He was real. It was just a dream. Roland is right here in front of my eyes. Never again would I let him out of my sight, I vowed. I hauled the rocking chair in the corner of his room over by his bed and took a seat. Keeping watch over my son would assist in calming my nerves.

Sitting there however, brought me back to memories of Regina. The day we had met was still fresh in my memories, as if it had just been yesterday. I had heard the rumors of all the terrible things the Evil Queen had done, but when I laid eyes on her, she was the only thing I saw. That instant connection between us had been undeniable, no matter how hard she had tried to ignore it. We had saved each other from the beginning. The time I had the honor of saving her from the flying monkey to the time she had protected Roland in the forest. Even with no memories of each other from our time in the Enchanted Forest, fate had brought us back together here, in Storybrooke. She had asked, "Have we met before?" To which I replied, "I doubt I'd ever forget meeting you." My response was honest. How could I ever forget that day? That was our first meeting in this town, when we had become a team. The first thing I noticed was her audacity to never back down from a fight. She had a mischievous glint in her eyes that intrigued me to get to know more about her.

Then, it happened. The initial spark had been ignited when she entrusted me with her heart. That was when I knew that she too felt the connection between us. She saw more than a common thief in me. It had been a long time since anybody had seen more in me. Even when I had given up her most prized possession to the Dark One in exchange for Roland's life, she understood. "Nothing's worth the loss of a child," I remembered her words. She was worried for MY child, whom she barely knew at the time! I had not forgiven myself for letting her down, but she had. The day of our first kiss was the day I knew I was in trouble. Even with a missing heart, she had felt something real. Our connection was deeper than simple attraction—it was pure magic. True love. The words popped into my head before I could stop them, and I knew it was true. I had never experienced such intense passion for anyone before—not even Marian.

This was the last thought I had as my eyes gave in to sleep. The face I saw as my eyes snapped shut was hers, my Regina, just as I had been seeing since the moment I fell for her.