A/N: Thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited and reviewed this story. It means so much to me. Hopefully it's living up to your expectations. There are some familiar faces in this chapter too ;) so enjoy!

It's been a relatively quiet week since Regina had hired Robin. There's been no notes, no flowers, nothing at all from her admirer and she knows Robin has had a large part in that. Regina is aware that he's been screening her mail, though he hasn't said anything to her about it, and she is infinitely grateful for it. It's a relief to have someone else to share the burden with, to not have the stress of the situation solely on her shoulders anymore. And though she hasn't seen anything she knows they haven't stopped. Not only is it wishful thinking and improbable but Robin also has this way of looking at her that is pitifully easy to see through and when he does she knows there's been another one. But it's his job to worry about it now, not hers.

So she's done her best to put it out of her mind. To enjoy the last week with her son before she starts shooting and her schedule goes from relaxed to sixteen hour days on set and hardly any time with him. Regina wonders downstairs looking for him and finds him huddled with Robin at the kitchen table, there's a board game laid out in front of them and it's quite clear that Henry has roped him into playing with him. Her heart stutters a beat at the sight of them. Robin's been great with Henry, sweet and caring, and it's nice to see her son have that type of male interaction he's had very little of in his life.

But it does things to her and Regina's hormones take a hit at the sight. Having Robin underfoot constantly would be fine, a touch annoying, but fine if it weren't for the fact that she is wildly attracted to him and has no idea how to handle that. She's been jumpy and jittery around him for a week now and it's not getting any better, driving her mad in fact. How is she suppose to resist her attraction to him when he goes and eases her mind and plays silly games with her son?

"Ha! I win!" Henry exclaims all of a sudden, jumping up from his chair to do a little happy dance, Robin grinning at him. His smile makes her weak in the knees and Regina takes a deep breath to calm the butterflies dancing around in her stomach.

"What do we have here?" she asks from the doorway, chuckling as both of them shift their focus to her with identical expressions of merriment.

Henry runs over to her, grabbing her hand and dragging her across the kitchen to the table to show her. "I kicked Robin's butt in Sorry!" he declares happily, gesturing toward the board where all four of his blue tokens are gathered together in the home bubble while Robin's green ones have only managed to get one there, several of them still at the start.

Her eyes meet his over Henry's head and she smiles at him and tisks, "Trounced by a ten-year-old at a children's board game. How does it feel, Locksley?" Regina unashamedly enjoys the way his eyes light up in challenge at her use of his last name. Over the last week she's discovered his reaction to it, the way his jaw tenses and he's forced to breath slowly through his nose once before he can respond, has thoroughly delighted in tormenting him with it at every opportunity. It's not helping their current predicament in the slightest but Regina can't quite resist the temptation, relishes knowing he's at least halfway affected by her as she is by him. They simply just have to keep ignoring the feelings bubbling up within them, that doesn't mean she can't have a little fun agonizing him as well.

"The boy put up quite a fight. He deserves his win." Robin grins at her. She looks lovely this morning, dressed to go to set in those form fitted slacks that hug her figure in tantalizing ways and a casual sweater. Stunning in every way, Robin thinks, and it's entirely unfair. This woman is off limits and yet the more he gets to know her, the more of her he learns, the more Robin wants her. It's driving him absolutely mad. "You look lovely this morning."

Regina blushes slightly at the compliment, hopes neither he nor Henry notice. "Thank you. We need to be leaving. Gold will murder me if I'm late for my call time and I'd rather avoid his wrath on the first day. It'll make the whole shoot a horrid experience." she laughs, moving to pour coffee into a to-go cup from the cupboard. "And you, young man, have school. Mary Margaret will be here any minute to take you. Go up and grab your things so you're ready when she gets here."

Henry scampers off to retrieve his backpack, leaving Regina and Robin alone. A heavy silence fills the kitchen and as she hears Robin begin to put their game away she turns around to face him. "You don't have to play with him you know." Regina blurts out. "Board games with my son wasn't exactly in the job description and I know you have more important things on your plate. If he's bothering you just let me know and I can have a talk with him."

Abandoning his task Robin walks over to where Regina stands next to the counter and studies her with a puzzled expression for a minute before shaking his head. "Have I given any indication that Henry is a bother?" he asks. "I enjoy spending time with him. It's refreshing." She still looks doubtful though and all Robin can do is shake his head at her. "He's a great kid, Regina. You've raised a wonderful child who is pleasant to be around." Robin pauses, sucking in a breath before he reveals his own vulnerability to her. "And being around him makes not having Roland with me just a little bit easier to bear." he confesses.

Before she realizes she's done it Regina's hand has covered Robin's on the counter, her thumb rubbing along the outside of his in short, absent strokes and their eyes meet. Her heart aches at his confession. They've yet to discuss his son in more depth than what she'd learned at his apartment the week before but his words are laced with pain and Regina has this pressing need to ease his hurts. "I'm sorry." Is all she whispers though, taking a small step closer to him, drawn in by his steady gaze on hers.

Their breaths mingle in the miniscule space between them now. "Thank you." he whispers and for one exhilarating moment Regina thinks he's about to kiss her, is too curious as to what his lips against hers would feel like to attempt to stop him. Robin's face leans closer to, their mouths a hairs breath from each other just as the doorbell rings loudly, echoing around them and Henry shouts that Mary Margaret has arrived.

The pair quickly pull away as they hear Henry's heavy footsteps getting closer, running back into the kitchen, backpack in hand, to give his mother a kiss goodbye before darting off again and meeting his babysitter at the door so she can escort him to school.

Regina smiles embarrassingly at Robin, both disappointed and grateful at the untimely interruption. Mary Margaret has saved them from making what would surely have been a terrible, awkward mistake. Clearing her throat she says, "Well. We should probably be leaving. My call times in an hour and with traffic we'll be lucky we even make it in that."

"Right. Of course." Robin readily agrees. He's not sure what would have happened if they hadn't been interrupted, if he actually had given in and kissed her. But he knows he wanted to, still wants to, desperately and his hormones are a bit on edge at the moment. But he gestures for Regina to lead the way, "After you, milady." and follows her out to the waiting car.

. . .

It's a whirlwind once they finally make it to the studio after their battle through traffic and it seems every single person on the lot knows Regina, makes a point to stop and talk with her, even for just a second. Robin had known she was an extremely popular actress, had a reputation for being one of the more open actors on set, when she wanted to be, but he hadn't quite expected that response to her presence when he'd prepared for her security. They've mostly spent the last week at her home and she hasn't gone out all that much save for a few meetings and taking Henry to the park. This is the first time Robin has been in a crowded area with her really. And her charming demeanor only makes his job that much harder. Her stalker could be any one of these people, is actually likely it is someone she comes in contact with on a daily basis if they are to go by statistics. And her coming into contact with hoards of people just on the walk to her trailer is going to make keeping her safe and figuring out who this person is all the more difficult.

So he says nothing as they continue to weave their way through people milling about, Regina waving to those who call out her name and stopping to chat with a few crew members, remains as close to her as he can, a hand on the small of her back the entire way through the lot toward where the stars trailers are kept. As soon as they are inside though he's on her. "Must you be so damn friendly with everyone?"

Regina turns from where she has dumped her bag on the couch along the wall and gives him a puzzled and annoyed glare. "Excuse me?" She has no idea what his problem is but one look at Robin and she can tell something has him worked up, though Regina hasn't a clue what it could be. Aside from their near miss moment in the kitchen this morning nothing out the the ordinary has happened up till now.

"You have a man who is stalking you, whom I am here to protect you from, and I can't do that if you're going to flit around here cozying up with every other person who walks up to you." Robin responds. And it's a bit of an exaggeration, perhaps a touch irrational for him to be picking a fight over this but he's on edge and their encounter earlier hasn't helped with his nerves a bit, has no one to take it out on but her. There's more to it though. Another letter had arrived just that morning, the tone of it just a tad more desperate than some of the others, had mentioned her starting filming today and wishing he could be there with her. It has Robin worried. So he is being precautious today, even if it means pissing Regina off.

She stares at him befuddled for several long seconds, blinks while trying to process the words, his tone and the reasoning behind it but all it does is set her back up. She's done nothing to warrant that kind of reaction, will not let this deranged man change how she acts. How dare Robin even suggest the notion she's being overly friendly, as if she asks for the attention people bestow upon her. Regina's mind reels at the indication that he might think that of her. "I highly doubt my stopping for thirty seconds to speak with people I've worked with for years is going to put me in any serious danger, Robin." she spats angrily.

The back of Robin's neck is prickling, making him uneasy. "You need to be more cautious, Regina. This man could be anyone, including someone who works here, someone you've worked with before. And you're the one who hired me, remember?" he points out. "Perhaps you should listen to me so I can keep you safe instead of being chummy with everyone on this set."

"I'm late for hair and makeup." Is all Regina says in response as she storms out of the trailer, incensed that Robin has the nerve to question her habits like that. Yes, she's hired him to protect her but he is being entirely unreasonable in this, she won't stay here and listen to it. Not giving a damn whether Robin catches up or not Regina moves across the lot in long strides, steam practically rolling off her in waves. She vaguely hears Robin shouting after her but doesn't slow down, doesn't stop till she's made it to the makeup trailer where she takes a deep calming breath before entering. The last thing she needs is to cause a scene the first day.

As she steps into the dim room compared to the bright California sun it takes a minute for Regina's eyes to adjust. But as they do she is smiling and stepping further into the room, greeting the familiar faces around her. Ruby Lucas and Belle French are the it girls when it comes to hair and makeup in Hollywood at the moment, have worked on the last four movies she's been on and Regina's come to grow rather fond of them, cherishing the time she spends with them each day. "Good morning, ladies." she smiles, attempts to keep her tone pleasant even when she still wants to strangle Robin.

Speak of the devil, the man plaguing her life swings the trailer door open no more than twenty seconds after her greeting, obviously still as annoyed as she feels. "Regina…" he starts, trailing off when he realizes they are not alone. All three women turn to stare at him and Robin briefly takes note of the two brunette women surrounded by brushes and powders looking at him curiously but he only has eyes for Regina. Tries to reprimand her for running off without him through his gaze rather than words and he knows she knows exactly what he means but she just smirks and turns away from him, plopping herself down in one of the chairs facing a vanity mirror.

"What sort of trouble have you beauties been getting into since our last film?" she asks of Belle and Ruby. When neither of them say anything for another minute, eyes darting over to where Robin stands awkwardly in the doorway Regina sighs. "Belle, Ruby, this is Robin Locksley. He's my new bodyguard. He'll be hoovering for the foreseeable future." she informs them, her ire evident and Robin rolls his eyes at the tone. He's just trying to keep the infuriating woman safe. That's what she'd hired him to do. "Don't give him a second thought. You guys have to make me gorgeous or we'll all have to listen to Gold complain."

The two laugh and nod, moving to begin preparing Regina. Belle shoots Robin a friendly smile while she gets to work applying foundation to Regina's skin whereas Ruby gives him an obvious once-over and a sultry smile of approval as she moves to grab the curlers. Annoyance flairs through Regina again, though it shouldn't bother her. Robin's quite attractive, of course Ruby is going to notice, and she sure as hell has no claim over him. Doesn't want one, she repeats to herself, perhaps a few more times than should be necessary to believe it. And she's still annoyed with him all the same.

Robin isn't quite sure what to do with himself. Clearly this is not an area he is comfortable in and the trailer is small and tight, chairs and mirrors and people crammed in as it is. He feels out of place and awkward and a part of him still wants to ring Regina's neck for walking out in the middle of their disagreement. If she refuses to listen to what he has to say how the hell is he going to be able to protect her from this man? That feeling of unease is still plaguing him. The trio chatter away while Robin considers what his best course of action is from here. He really should do a sweep of the sound stage and the surrounding areas before Regina makes her way over there. He needs to swing through the studio security office as well to snag a list of all the people with access to the lots so he can run a check on them, see if anything suspicious comes up.

Deciding that's probably a much more productive use of his time than standing here watching her be primped and primed, as lovely as she looks, Robin walks over to the chair Regina is occupying. "Excuse me for a second." he says to Belle who has to take a step backward as Robin leans down into Regina's space to whisper in her ear. "Since you're too damn stubborn for your own good we'll finish discussing this later. I have some things I need to check on." His breath is warm as it coasts over her ear, making Regina shiver. His scent surrounds her, overwhelms her senses, something that reminds her of the forest, and it's a heady smell that clouds her brain. "Do try to stay out of trouble while I'm gone. I'll meet you over on the sound stage." he finishes and is out the door before Regina has a chance to recover from the way he's turned her brain to mush at his closeness.

No one says anything for a full minute and ultimately it is Ruby who breaks the silence. "Well, damn. Where did you find him and where can I get me one?" And Regina laughs along with the other two women at Ruby's comment but can't deny she's a touch concerned over Robin's effect on her.

She has to put it out of her mind though through the rest of prep and as she ventures over to Stage 7, where they will be filming the majority of the movie, has to focus on her character. Robin's quite the distraction she discovers and Regina has a harder time shutting him out of her head than she would like. She smiles when she gets to the sound stage though. There's no feeling like the first day of production, the buzz of creating something new and exciting before the endless hours start to take their toll on the crew and the actors. Regina lives for that first day and wants to enjoy every minute of it, despite her troublesome bodyguard.

Finding her way over to her chair Regina spots her costar, Graham Hunt, already set up next to her own looking over the script. They haven't worked together before but they've both been in the business for years, each having gotten their break around the same time. He'd been pleasant enough and charming when they had read together for the parts and he is very good at what he does, an excellent actor even if he does have a reputation for getting rather close to his co stars. There had been rumors flying around about him and Emma Swan several months ago when they'd been filming together.

Though Regina doesn't truly have an interest in finding out if those rumors are true or not she won't deny how attractive he is which will make him playing her love interest all the more enjoyable. Slipping into her seat next to him she leans over and flashes him a flirty smile, "Hello, handsome."

Graham grins at her in response, leaning toward her himself, a twinkle of flirtation in his eye as he greets her, "Hello, gorgeous. How are we this fine day? Ready to make a hit?" She grins back, places a hand on his forearm and nods.

That's how Robin sees them when he walks onto the soundstage, huddled up together, matching grins on their faces and the sight irks him. It shouldn't and he can't really allow himself to give into those emotions but he's bothered by the image just the same. So he wastes no time walking over to where the pair sit, placing a hand lightly between Regina's shoulder blades to let her know he's there and she turns her head quickly to look up at him. Instantly, the playful gleam in her eyes blinks out and regret washes over him. He never wants to be responsible for that light leaving her eyes and perhaps he had been a bit hard on her earlier.

"All clear." he tells her and Regina nods, turning her attention back to Graham who studies them with mild curiosity. Quickly making introductions the two shake hands and Robin does his best not to crush the man's hand when his appreciative gaze swings back to Regina before their palms have even broken apart. He does not like the way the man looks at her, not in the least.

Luckily, Robin is saved from having to make small talk with the man for long as Gold calls them both over to begin shooting. And so he spends the next several hours watching Regina work, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious, and making several phone calls to his various contacts to begin running searches on all of the people on the list he'd retrieved.

Eventually Gold calls cut and Regina is free to leave for the day. Robin walks back over to where she is standing and he can see she is tired, not surprising after she's spent hours doing take after take. He desperately wants to help her relax, to ease some of the strain he notices around her eyes, instead he simply asks if she's ready to leave. At her assent they make their way back to her trailer to retrieve her belongings before heading home.

There are flowers waiting for her when they arrive. Hundreds of them, every type one could possibly imagine strewn over every available surface and Regina's stomach drops at the sight before her, halted in the doorway with Robin behind her. She can't move. Her blood feels like ice and she knows without a doubt they are from him. It's entirely like him to invade her space this way, to destroy the excited buzz she always feels on the first day of a new production, though she knows he doesn't see it that way. No, in his eyes this is affection and for a moment Regina fears it will never end. That she will be forced to live in this reality forever. She hears Robin's concerned murmur of her name as she hasn't moved since opening the door but can't speak beyond the lump in her throat.

After another thirty seconds of numb silence on her part Robin doesn't wait for her response. Simply steps up behind her until his hands are braced on her arms and his chest comes in contact with her back. His eyes go wide at the sight before him but immediately his mind starts spinning a million miles an hour. Whether out of reflex or his protective instinct over her Robin tightens his hold on her, bringing her even closer to him as he moves them a few steps into the trailer, out of the doorway so it slams closed behind them. Immediately he steps away to sweep the tiny area, swiftly checking the small room off the back to ensure no one has lingered and then he searches for a note, positive there is one somewhere. He finds it hidden within one of the bunches of flowers on the table and scans it quickly, his fingers tightening and eyes narrowing at the words on the page before he folds it again and slides it into the back pocket of his jeans. So this is why he has had such a bad feeling since they'd arrived.

Robin's eyes lift to Regina's and fear is still etched all over her features. It's unprofessional but he can't stop himself as he crosses the three steps to her and wraps his arms around her. Regina is a strong woman but she shakes in his embrace and only hesitates for a few seconds before her own come up around him, her head finding the crook of his neck and burying her face in it. The feel of Robin's hand stroking up and down her back as the other one holds her head to him and it soothes her. It shouldn't, she should not be seeking comfort from him when she already feels so defenseless but she's shaken up and doesn't have the strength to resist at this particular moment.

Neither one of them know how long they stand there before the steady beat of Robin's heart calms her enough to have Regina taking a step back, pulling out of his embrace. Her eyes lift to his and the weary resignation in her gaze causes Robin's heart clench in his chest. "Will this never end?" she asks quietly.

And Robin has no answer for her, wishes he could assure her that she is not going to have to deal with it any longer but until he discovers who this man is all he can provide is a small bit of what he hopes is reassurance, "Not if I have any say over it. I will find him, Regina. I promise you that."

Giving him a watery smile she nods, "I suppose I should have listened to you earlier after all." she jokes, though there's very little teasing in the words. So Robin breaks, can't stand to see that look on her face. He slides his hand down the length of her arm until his fingers are tangled with hers and he leads her over to the leather sofa and pulls her down onto it with her facing him. Robin's hands move up to Regina's shoulders and he steadily begins to knead the tension away, his thumbs pressing along her bunched muscles until they start to relax under his attention.

It feels glorious, Regina thinks, eyelids fluttering shut as Robin massages the stress away. His hands are like magic, working out all of the kinks that have been building up within her. And as she relaxes Regina wonders what it would be like to feel those hands running over other parts of her body. Wonders how amazing it would feel to be stroked and petted by this man. It's a risky train of thought but Regina's head falls back to rest on Robin's shoulder anyway, turns it toward his neck until that forest scent fills her nostrils and his stubble tickles her forehead.

Robin sucks in his breath at her movement, the way her body melts against his chest, but continues rubbing her shoulders. Her hair smells like apples and her skin is soft as her nose rubs against his throat. Attempting to keep this from progressing further than is wise Robin swallows heavily, "Feel a bit better?" he asks softly.

And Regina nods, taking one more second to revel in how nice this feels before she opens her eyes and sits up, turning on the couch to face him. "Thank you. And I know you're only trying to protect me, I shouldn't give you such a hard time. I'm just so lost. I have no idea how to deal with this anymore." she confesses.

His hand comes up and brushes a stray lock of hair behind her ear, cupping her cheek, a habit of his he's picked up rather quickly she contemplates. Everything between them has been so easy, he seems to understand her better than anyone she's ever met. And that frightens her almost as much as her stalker.

"Well, milady, luckily for you you don't have to do it alone anymore. I'm here."

A startling thought for someone who has only had herself to rely on for more years than she can recall. But as Robin's thumb strokes over the apple of her cheek Regina believes him, thinks it's a feeling she would like to hold on to as long as she can.