A/N: Guys, you're the best! I still can't believe so many people are following this story and your reviews literally make my day!

Thank you for sticking with the story. I'm sorry for not being able to update more often, I wish I could, but I'm in the middle of my finals and the situation is a little hectic.

I just wanted to thank JustMe-Liz, for being such a great friend to me and asking me to join the Dream Team. She is amazing and she's an outstanding writer. So, if you haven't yet, go check out her stories right now!

Enjoy this chapter :)

x

Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time, its characters nor any scene you might recognize from the show.


Chapter 7

Regina tried to speak but, no matter how hard she tried, the words just wouldn't come out. Her head was spinning and all color drained from her face. Robin must've noticed how pale she was, because, just as her knees started to give out, he caught her in his arms, preventing her from hitting the floor.

"Regina, what's wrong?"

His voice sounded so distant to her. She felt sort of numb at first, then she started shaking so violently it scared both her and Robin. She couldn't move, so the man lifted her up into his arms and carried her to her bedroom and laid her down on the bed gently.

"Regina, talk to me! Please, say something!"

But how could she talk when she couldn't even breathe properly? Her eyes couldn't seem able to concentrate on anything as they wondered from his forearm to his face just to end up staring into space. She couldn't quite make out what Robin was saying, all she heard was the ringing in her ears, as if she were going to faint, combined with a strong wave of nausea.

Robin helped Regina reach her bedroom then took his cell phone out of the pocket and started dialing the hospital's number as fast as he could. Regina couldn't focus on what he was saying, though, too worried about what was happening to her to pay attention to the call. She felt a tingling sensation in her fingers and toes, which added to the chills that made her shiver even more.

She couldn't understand what was happening to her body. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest and she was hyperventilating. She felt Robin cupping her cheeks to force her to look at him, but her eyes just couldn't focus on his. For a moment she felt as if she was even detaching from her own body. Fear gripped her heart and didn't seem willing to let go. She felt as if she were going to die and just couldn't bring herself to believe otherwise.

Robin ran down the stairs when the doorbell rang, not at all happy about leaving the woman alone in that state even for a second. He led Dr Whale upstairs to Regina's room and forced himself to wait on the doorway, giving the doctor the space he needed to examine her. It didn't take him long to find out what was wrong with the woman.

"Regina, you're having a panic attack." His voice was calm but she didn't seem to listen to a word he was saying "You must try and calm down, this isn't good for the baby, Regina"

Robin couldn't stand there doing nothing any longer. He flashed to her side and sat next to her, taking her shivering hands in his.

"Regina, it's okay, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. Regina, look at me!" he knew he probably sounded a little harsh but at least he got her to look at him. He hadn't noticed how puffy and red her eyes were, due to the tears she couldn't hold back. Her eyes locked with his, Robin turned just for a second seeking Whale's permission to try calming her down "Regina, I need you to take deep breaths, okay? Can you do that for me?"

He started breathing slowly until her breathing was synchronized with his. In through the nose and out through the mouth, again and again until Regina started to relax a little. Her eyes were still glued to his. The shivering eventually stopped and she relaxed enough to lie back on the bed.

Robin moved next to her on the other side of the bed so Whale could move freely to examine her.

After a few minutes, he put his things back into his bag "You're going to be okay, Regina, but a panic attack is not to be taken lightly. It's not good, neither for you nor your baby." Her free hand flew immediately to her belly and Robin was quick to cover it with his own "Panic attacks are usually caused by a stressful situation but I know it varies from one person to the other. I'm not a psychiatrist, so I advise you to talk about this with Dr Hopper."

"Thank you.." she whispered. Her voice was weak and hoarse "But I.. I know what caused this.."

Robin left her side reluctantly to escort Dr Whale out. When he came back into the room, Regina was curled up on her side. He helped her get under the covers, then closed the windows.

"He said you should try and get some rest" He kissed her forehead lovingly and she took his hand before he could leave her side.

"Stay with me.. please" her voice almost broke at her own words.

Robin didn't say a word, he just took his shoes off and slipped into the bed next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist, resting his hand with hers on her bump.

Regina knew what had caused the panic attack but she didn't know how to tell him. She would have to find a way to do it, though, it was the only way to protect him.


The baby's kicks woke Regina up. She must've turned during her sleep, for she was now facing Robin, who was still sleeping soundly. She reached up to run her fingers through his hair before resting her hand on his cheek, gently stroking it with her thumb.

He started stirring and slowly opened his eyes. Regina had left the lamp on the bedside table on, so there was enough light for her to look into his deep blue eyes. She saw so much love in them, so much devotion and so much worry that she couldn't keep herself from slowly closing the distance between them to kiss his perfect lips, tracing his lower lip with her thumb once she had pulled away.

"Regina, what happened earlier?"

"It's a long story" she whispered, averting her eyes, but he lifted her chin gently to look back into them.

"Please, tell me. You scared me, Regina.."

"I'm sorry. I truly am.." A tear dropped from the corner of her eye and fell on the pillow without her realizing it.

"You can tell me everything, you know that"

Regina took a deep breath before starting to speak. How do you tell someone he's your soulmate? She didn't want him to freak out. After all, she still couldn't wrap her head around the idea that he loved her, the Evil Queen, what would keep him from running away once she told him he was her supposedly true love?

"I.. Many years ago I met a fairy, Tinker Bell. I was in a very dark place at the time. I had just lost the man I loved and had been forced by my mother to marry the king, who was thrice my age. I blamed Snow White for all of that, that's the reason I cast the curse. Darkness and hate had started eating me alive and this fairy wanted to help me. She said she could help me find my happy ending. She said I needed love and used pixie dust to help me find my soulmate. But I was too afraid and I just ran. I could've been happy but I threw it all away.."

"I don't understand" Robin said, frowning "How does this have to do with your panic attack?"

"When Tinker Bell used the pixie dust to lead me to my true love, I ran before I could even see his face. But there was something I did see. A tattoo, inked on his wrist.." Regina took his right hand in hers and held it up a little so she could trace the tattoo "This tattoo.."

She looked up at him, trying to read his expression, not really knowing which reaction to expect from him.

He took her by surprise by drawing a breath of relief before smiling at her.

"Thank God, I was ready to fight this 'true love' of yours if it actually came down to it" he placed a tender kiss on her forehead, then pulled away to look into her dark eyes once more.

Regina couldn't hide the relief she felt, knowing he accepted her as his soulmate, and snuggled closer to him. His strong arms wrapped around her instantly and he buried his face in her hair, taking in her sweet smell. She smelled like flowers and cinnamon. It was intoxicating.

"Why did you panic?" he asked.

"Because I thought about Zelena.." she hesitated before letting the next few words escape her mouth. It was an important step in their relationship, it shouldn't have been rushed due to a psychopathic bitch who was trying to destroy her "I want you and Roland to move here. If something did happen between us in the Enchanted Forest, Zelena might know and she could come after you and Roland to get to me. I can't take that risk."

"Don't you think that, if she knew, she would've come after us already?" He shared her concern about Roland's safety, though. He wouldn't risk his life for anything in the world.

"There's no way of knowing for sure right now.."

They both started getting out of bed.

"Okay, I'll go pack our things and I'll bring him here right away, then"

"And in the meantime, I'll put a protection spell around the house to keep that witch out.."

"Can't Emma do it?" he asked, earning a frown and a questioning look from Regina.

"You don't think I'm not capable enough to do it myself?" She couldn't believe he didn't trust her magical abilities to the point of asking such a thing, considering Emma was technically her student.

Robin circled the bed and sat on his knees in front of the woman.

"That's not it.. I just don't know if it's wise for you to use magic while you're pregnant. One thing I know about magic is that it always comes with a price."

It still surprised her how much worry he showed about her well-being. She could feel he truly cared about her, which made her wonder if perhaps she should listen to him. She didn't want any harm to come to her baby so, for once, she would put her pride aside and do as he asked.

"All right, I'll call her.."

"Thank you" He whispered, leaning in to press a kiss on her bump before standing up to capture her lips in a kiss that showed her just how much he loved her.


They didn't have much, just a couple of bags full of clothes, which made things easy when they moved to Regina's house.

"Are we really going to live here?" The boy asked looking at his surrounding, awestruck. He had lived in the forest most of his life, Regina's house was like a castle to his young eyes.

"Yes, you are" he heard Regina's voice as she emerged from the living room. Roland's eyes lit up when he saw her walking towards them and started squirming in his father's arms in an attempt to reach her.

She stopped in front of them to kiss the boy's cheek as he threw his arms around her neck. Robin didn't let go of him, though, knowing that Regina's back wouldn't be able to bear such weight.

"You'll even have your own bedroom!" Regina tried to mask her pain with a smile. It was enough for the offspring but not for Robin, who gave her a questioning look. They hadn't discussed the sleeping arrangements but he knew there were no more empty rooms in the house. Except for Henry's. He broke a little at the sudden realization and knew she was struggling to keep herself together, for she was deliberately avoiding his eyes.

"Really?" Roland's eyes widened even more at the statement.

"Regina, you don't need to.."

"It's okay" she interrupted him, not taking her eyes off the child's smile and his dimples.

After dinner, Robin did the dishes while Regina went upstairs to tuck Roland into bed. When she set foot into Henry's room, her heart started beating wildly in her chest. She looked around while Roland changed into his pyjamas. There were 11 years of memories hanging on the wall, sitting on his desk and on the shelves. It was all exactly the way he had left it.

She picked up a photo that sat on the nightstand and traced Henry's face with her fingers. The picture had been taken when he was one year old. It was the first time he saw snow and there was plenty. She had taken his outside so he could play in it. He had been walking for a month or so and, as soon as she had set him down on the snow-covered grass, he had started slowly walking around, then going faster, which had resulted in him falling and being completely covered in snow in no time. Never once had he cried for the fall, though. Way too amazed by the white flakes falling all around him, he had simply started giggling.

Regina's heart shattered a little bit more as her mind went back to those days. So carefree and filled with happiness instead of worry. She only hoped it would be possible for them to create memories like that again.

She put the picture back in its place and waited for Roland to slip under the covers before pulling them up and patting the blankets snuggly around him.

"'Gina?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Why did we come to live here?"

His voice was so innocent and full of curiosity, she gathered his father hadn't told him about the witch "Well, there's a bad lady in town that we are looking for. We don't know what she's up to, yet, and I figured it would be safer for you two to stay here. I protected the house so she can't hurt you" she smiled at him reassuringly and poked his nose with her index finger.

"Okay" he frowned a little at her words and his mind started filling with images of a woman hiding in the dark outside the house just waiting for him to fall asleep before doing whatever she pleased with him.

"Goodnight, Roland" Regina pressed a kiss to his forehead and turned off the light on the nightstand.

"Goodnight, 'Gina"

Regina felt exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Hormones only seemed to amplify her emotions, as if she didn't feel sad enough. She just wanted Henry back in her arms. She tried to push the thought out of her mind, it was too painful. She changed into a nightgown and finally got into bed, breathing in relief. Her back ached and lying in bed seemed to be the only thing able to ease the pain.

She wondered why Robin was taking so long to come to bed and decided to leave the light on and just close her eyes for a second while she waited for him.

The woman was awakened almost half an hour later when she heard Roland call her name quietly. She opened her eyes to see him standing by the door, looking terrified.

"Roland, what is it?"

"I'm scared"

Why did I tell him about Zelena just before going to bed?, she wondered as she lifted the covers on the other side of the bed, motioning for him to join her, only then realizing that Robin still wasn't there.

The 5-year-old climbed into bed and snuggled up against her.

"Roland, she can't hurt you, I won't let her" she rubbed his back in slow, gentle movements, trying to comfort him.

"But it's so dark in there, what if she's hiding somewhere?"

Then it hit her "Roland, is it the first time you sleep alone?"

He nodded, looking up at her with his big brown eyes. She should've guessed as much. Maybe he hadn't shared his father's bed every single night, but surely they had always been in the same room. It was perfectly understandable. Roland was all that was left of Robin's wife and he was very protective. Plus, the woods were no place for a child, it only made sense Robin had always kept him as close to him as possible.

"I see.. Well, how about I tell you a story? Maybe that way it'll be easier for you to fall asleep"

Roland agreed and she took a minute to decide which story to tell him. She didn't want to tell him something too scary, but it was hard to find a story that didn't contain some evil characters. Then she recalled a movie she had seen with Henry, called Frozen. It was a sad story but it had an happy ending and it was the only one she could think of that wouldn't scare Roland even more.

"Once upon a time, there was a land, far away from here, called Arendelle. The king and the queen of Arendelle had two daughters, princess Elsa and princess Anna. Elsa was the older one and she was born with a special power. She could create and control ice and snow. The princesses started growing up and everything was fine until, one night, Elsa accidentally hurt her sister. The king and the queen sought the help of the troll king, who healed Anna. Elsa felt responsible and, worried she couldn't control her powers, locked herself away in her room.."

Roland fell asleep in a matter of minutes. Regina's voice was warm and calming, and he relaxed completely listening to its sound. Regina was about to fall asleep as well, when she saw Robin walking down the hallway only to stop in his tracks when he noticed the two of them lying in the same bed.

Regina's head propped up a little and she motioned for him to come next to her so they wouldn't wake Roland up by talking too loud. He headed over to her side of the bed and sat on the edge, her hand finding his almost immediately.

"What were you doing?" she asked in a whisper.

"I was just looking for an extra blanket, it gets rather chilly downstairs at night" the sentence earned him a confused frown from her.

"Why do you need one?"

"I thought I was going to sleep on the couch.."

"Why would you think that?" she smiled and pulled him down towards her so she could kiss him "I want you here with me"

"What about Roland? He doesn't know about us.."

"Then we'll tell him.. if you're okay with that, of course" there was an edge of uncertainty to her voice. Perhaps he was backing out of the whole thing and just didn't want to tell her, which would explain why he was apparently trying to find an excuse not to sleep there next to her.

He saw the doubt in her eyes and reassured her "Why wouldn't I want that? I already told you, Regina. I love you and I want to be with you. We'll tell him tomorrow."

The man started lifting the covers to take the little boy to his bed, but she stopped him "Let him stay here.. Just for tonight"

He couldn't deny her that, not when she was looking at his with pleading eyes as she wrapped her arms just a little tighter around Roland's small body. So he just slipped into bed and Regina turned off the light. Their hands rested together on Regina's belly, feeling the small movements inside of it. Everything was perfect, neither of them could ask for more because they finally felt like they had everything they always wanted. A real family.

Little did they know that there was someone lurking in the dark outside their house, watching their every move, only waiting for the right moment to start destroying their happy ending.


A/N: I hope you loved this chapter as much as I loved writing it! Let me know what you thought about it :) x