As always thank you so so so much everyone for your reviews it means the absolute world after a difficult week.

I am away from tomorrow, Sunday 22nd, until Saturday the 28th so that's the next time I will aim to get a chapter up by Sunday the 29th but sorry for the wait and I will make that chapter longer as an apology.

Also I just saw that this story has been added to an outlaw queen community for fanfics. I am so happy I can't even describe it.

Thank you all so much for your support.


'I don't have to go,' Henry tried, not for the first time that morning.

'It's school, Henry, of course you have to go.'

'I'm thirteen, one day off won't kill me.'

'Henry,' Regina sighed, passing him the lunch she had made that morning over the kitchen countertop, 'I'm not going to fall apart if you go to school. I will be perfectly fine, and I'll have dinner waiting when you get home; I promise.'

She kissed his forehead ending the argument but Henry still narrowed his eyes, unconvinced.

'Are you feeling okay?' he quizzed. Regina folded her arms across her chest.

'Perfectly well.''

'Did you take the potion?'

'At 8 on the dot. Satisfied?'

Henry grumbled, but said no more and Regina smiled with the gratification of a small victory.

'You're not going to work though,' he ordered her, 'you need to rest, at least for today.'

'No,' admitted Regina, dropping her gaze, 'I'm not.' Henry noticed, but when Regina pointed out the time to him he had to concede defeat; he was already late.

'Ugh, I'll go, just…be okay?' His voice was vulnerable, as if he were on some level pleading with her to be alright, and Regina's heart swelled at his concern.

'I promised didn't I? Now go! I love you'

'Love you too,' he called as he ran to the door.

Once she had the house to herself, Regina could let out the breath she had been holding. She paced for a while, wringing her hands and trying to calm herself down. Tinker Bell had been right - she had to talk to him.

The longer she waited, the more time she would have to wonder and it was the wondering that had kept her awake last night; whether he was sorry, whether he had ever loved her, whether he would be there for their child. Regina had to know. She had to hear it from his lips before she could resign herself to life without him. Part of her still hoped that she wouldn't have to.

She had started the message a thousand times in her head, but as she took her phone from her pocket Regina still didn't know what to say. Taking a deep breath, she bit the bullet and started typing deciding to keep it simple and explain the rest face to face; it was only fair that he should hear it from her.

Robin,

We need to talk. Meet me at Granny's in an hour.

Her thumb hovered over the x but she held back, knowing it would only complicate things. Her heart pounded as she pressed send.

The next minute of her life seemed to drag on for about a week, and although she had been waiting for it the vibration of the phone in her hand caused her to jump and almost drop it. She opened the message and saw the four words it contained.

Okay. See you then.

She didn't know what she had expected, but she was almost disappointed that it gave her no glimpse into what he was thinking. Regina let out a frustrated groan and dropped the phone on the side, as if scolding it for not giving her what she desired.

She rested her elbows on the counter and dropped her head into her hands. An hour. Part of her wished that it was now, tired of waiting and guessing, but part of her would never be completely ready.

She started pacing again.

Xxx

Robin had been sat at a booth in Granny's for twenty minutes, not wanting to be late. Every time the door opened his head shot up expectantly, but so far he had been disappointed. He had left Roland with Marian, claiming to be helping David out at the Sheriff's office for the morning. Although he hated lying, Robin knew that he had to come. She wanted to see him, she wanted to talk, and that made his heart skip a beat.

Despite preparing several speeches in his mind he still didn't know what he was going to say, and when he finally looked up to see Regina walking into the diner everything else melted away. She was breathtaking, her simple black dress showing off every curve of her body and her red lips glowing as though in invitation. Robin swallowed thickly, trying to find a word that wasn't wow to greet her with.

Regina tried to keep an air of confidence as she walked over to the booth where he was waiting for her, but her thoughts were screaming inside her head and she wanted nothing more than to run away. She felt sick, but whether this was from fear or excitement she couldn't say; perhaps it was a combination of the two. Her eyes locked with his as she sat across from him, so kind and warm that she felt as if she were melting into his gaze.

They sat for a moment, surrounded by a silence filled with unspoken feelings.

'Hi,' Robin said eventually, shattering the tension between them.

'Hi.'

Regina felt tears rising, and dropped her gaze to where her hands lay clasped together on the table before her. The effect he had on her was profound, even though he was just sitting across the table. He didn't need to touch her to set her heart racing; a single syllable uttered in his breathy tone was enough.

'How are you feeling?' he asked, concern interlaced in his attempt at a casual tone.

'Better, thank you.' She tried to smile, but couldn't.

'I'm glad. You look better.'

The silence settled again, neither knowing how to begin to start talking again. Regina's eyes flicked up to Robin's face, and she saw that he was watching her as if asking her permission. She went back to staring at her hands, unable to hold his gaze in fear that it would break her apart.

'I'm sorry,' he whispered.

'Robin, I have to-'

'No,' he stopped her gently, 'please…let me say this.' She pursed her lips, a sign he took as one to continue.

'I'm sorry for what happened. I never wanted to hurt you, but I know that I did and it has been killing me ever since. When I saw Marian, I was so shocked that I forgot about everything else. It was selfish of me and I wish I could take it back, do things differently…'

'Your wife came back from the dead,' Regina said quietly, 'it's not something you can ever be prepared for. I understand.'

'You shouldn't have to,' Robin muttered, shaking his head. 'When I turned and you were gone I realised what I had done, what I had said; I should have come after you.'

'Why didn't you?' asked Regina, hating the vulnerability in such a question but needing to know the answer.

'I was a coward,' he admitted. 'I didn't want to face the truth, so I hid from it. I promised Marian that I wouldn't see you, and I thought I could do it…but I can't. I've never felt so empty than I have without you in my life Regina.'

Her lip wobbled, a tear escaping and caressing her cheek.

'I waited,' she breathed through the lump of emotion growing in her chest, 'alone in that big, empty house. I waited for you to come and find me, even just to say goodbye.'

'I'm sorry,' he choked, holding back a sob of his own. 'I wish I could take it back, believe me I do. When I saw you the other day I realised that I had been kidding myself in thinking I could ever even try to forget you. I don't want to.'

'You threw me aside as soon as she came back,' Regina cried. 'I deserved better than that.'

'I know,' Robin admitted solemnly. 'I wish I could make it up to you, but I can't change the past. But I can say this.'

He took Regina's trembling hands, enveloping them in his own and brushing a thumb gently across her knuckles. She lifted her head, her watery eyes meeting his, and her heart stopped. This was it.

'I…'

'What?'

Robin took a deep breath.

'I care about you, Regina.'

Regina closed her eyes, tears spilling down her cheeks. Her world fell apart. She had given him the chance, opened her heart reluctantly and invited him to take it back in spite of everything; he had failed. When push came to shove he couldn't say it. He didn't love her.

It was the oddest feeling, having your heart ripped out. Regina had only ever done it to herself, and although it was incredibly painful it was nothing in comparison to this. Her body shook, as she held back the tidal wave building up inside of her. She wanted to scream. That hope she had dared to hang on to, to cultivate, was gone and without it she felt like an empty shell.

She was aware that he was still holding her hands, still talking to her but she couldn't hear what he was saying through the fog. It didn't matter anyway. She had proven the fairy wrong at least, Regina thought with a dark twist of humour that made her want to both laugh and cry.

'Regina? Regina are you alright?'

She opened her eyes, breathing out deeply to try and steady herself. Removing her hands from his reassuring grip, she wiped away the tears from her eyes and felt eerily calm; she knew what she had to do.

'I'm fine,' she smiled falsely. 'I forgive you. Of course I do, how could I not? It's not your fault that Marian came back. You were only reacting as anyone would; if it were Daniel I would have done the same.'

They both knew that wasn't true.

'I…' he stuttered, confused by her sudden change in demeanour.

'She's your wife, Robin, and she is Roland's mother; this was only ever going to end one way. I'm not going to break up your family.'

'Regina-'

'No,' she interrupted him, 'no I know what you're going to say, and there is no need. The facts are quite simple: we were together, yes, for a brief amount of time. And it was special, it was wonderful, but now Marian is back. I can't compete with your wife, and I won't. You said it yourself - you would have walked through hell to be with her again; now you have that chance. Don't throw it away.'

Regina paused, gathering all of her strength.

'Wh-what…what about you?' Robin asked.

'I'll be alright,' she said, although she was sure it wasn't the truth. 'Not many people get a second chance, dear.'

Regina looked over his face, mapping every feature to memory and taking in his intoxicating forest smell. She knew that this would be the last time they would see each other and she wanted to remember him. She fought the urge to reach out and stroke the stubble of his cheek, wanting so badly to touch him one last time.

'I think we can be civil when called for, but it might be better for both of us if we didn't see each other…at all.'

'Regina please don't do this-'

'Thank you,' Regina said as she stood up, cutting him off, 'for everything; for allowing me to say a proper goodbye.' She turned and started walking, knowing that if she looked back she would be lost. Robin stood clumsily, knocking the table as a tear slipped down his cheek.

'Regina,' he called, but she kept going. He slammed his fist to the table with a frustrated sob. 'REGINA!'

She walked out of the diner and kept on walking. The wind was icy cold against her skin, feeling like a slap in the face. It was over. It was actually over. She had pushed him away, as she had so many others, and now he was gone. It was for the best, she told herself as if that were of any comfort, he didn't love you.

The familiarity of the route rather than her own co-ordination brought her back to her home. Empty. Once the door slammed closed behind her, Regina stood alone in the hallway and everything hit her at once.

She screamed. It was all she could do.


Sorry it wasn't quite a reunion, but we're only just getting started don't lose hope! Starting the next chapter tonight so I can finish it when I get back; no internet for a week, not sure I will survive.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please leave a review, they make my day :)