With Robin sat on the edge of her bed, Regina knew there was no escaping what had to be done, and the slight heat she could feel through the sheets near her feet, caused by Robin sat so close served as a reminder of what she had to face up to. She just wished she could've of prepared herself, her own way of self defence was control, and here she had none, making her powerless to the situation.
She cast her mind back to that night at the tavern, and the possibilities that could have occurred if she'd just gone inside, all the pain she would've saved, the revenge stopped, hearts warmed and lives saved and all she could think of were Tinkerbell's words whirling her head, calling her selfish, for not only were her actions stopping her happiness, but his too. He deserved to know the truth, all these years apart that could've been spent together, a life that could've been built and Regina suddenly felt even more emptiness within her, she was mourning the loss of the life she could have lead with Robin. She may have got Henry through revenge but she'd also lost him and she couldn't help but wonder if she'd met Robin and never enacted the curse, that Henry would have been better off without her.
A sudden touch on her hand made Regina raise her gaze slowly to meet Robin's as a single tear escaped her eyes and trickled down her cheek slowly. The pain and regret was laid out on her face, and although Robin hadn't heard any explanation yet he instinctively scooted forward up the bed, being careful not to sit on Regina's outstretched legs, until he was sat just next to her hips, close enough that he barely had to reach out to wipe away the tear. The simple action made Regina flinch from pain as his hand brushed against the bruise forming on her head and suddenly Robin jerked his hand back,his eyes apologising as they gazed into hers. In that moment he forgot why he was there and was taken back to his first night at the castle, where he'd watched over Regina, held her hand and since, had some pretty intense encounters with her. Their eyes remained locked as Regina carefully took hold of Robins arm and began rolling up his sleeve to reveal the tattoo underneath. Their gazes never left one another as each knew exactly what she was doing as she began with "Do you believe in soulmates?" while looking deep into his eyes, wanting his immediate reaction before continuing.
"I suppose, I hadn't really thought about it, why?"
"I do, I also believe in true love and destiny, I believe it because I've experienced it. When I first married the King I was...broken. The kingdom couldn't see it, but I was. My first love was killed in front of my eyes so that I could marry into royalty and live a life I cared nothing for. One night, I was alone on my balcony, this anger was just building up inside, I'd used magic once before but had vowed to stay away from it, but the thing is it runs off emotions. The emotions that were building up inside me gave this strength and...the balcony broke and a I fell. Or jumped. I still haven't quite decided." Regina gave an attempt at the laugh at the last comment, and glared at the same balcony through the corner of her eye. Robin was watching her carefully, he wasn't pushing her but the look on his face said it all. Pity. She tried to carry on but the memory of that night had taken hold of her and rushed her back, taking her breath away as the emotions flooded through her.
It was the lowest she'd ever felt, the breeze serving no help in calming her down as her frustration grew, her mother was gone, cast away yet here she was, a prisoner. The desire to be free was like a slap in the face and a feeling that ran through her to the very core, although tonight she realised, 'why be free when there is no one out there waiting for me?'. The realisation that the woman who was meant to care for her the most, put her happiness first and trust deeply had been the one to do this to her, made her wish her mother was there for one reason. To scream at her. To take all the pain, anger and deceit out on her, to show her just what she'd done to her own daughter. The thought itself made her bang against the balcony rail fiercely over and over, so hard she didn't even notice the slight sparks flowing from her palms with each crashing movement, that coated the balcony rail in a deep crimson colour where she'd hit it. The fall itself was a blur, but the only thing Regina could remember as she was falling to her death, was the sense of relief. She was to be free.
"I wanted to die. I hadn't realised until I fell, but I did. I was saved. A fairy named Tinkerbell used her magic and stopped me before I hit the ground. In that moment I hated her until she explained that she was here to give me a second chance. That I had a soul mate out there waiting" She explained, the feeling of embarrassment growing as she felt her deepest and well hidden emotions finally bubbling to the surface, but considering what she was about to tell Robin, a little emotion was the least she could do. Without giving him time to interrupt, she glanced up to look him in the eyes, his own eyes giving nothing away except patience as her grasp on his arm tightened slightly and she continued. "She used pixie dust to lead me to a tavern and peered through the door. There was a man with his back to the door and he was glowing,it was him. She left me alone to collect my thoughts and I promised her I'd go in, only I didn't. I ran"
"who was it?" Robin murmured so quietly that if he'd been sat any further away Regina wouldn't of heard the words as they left his mouth.
There he was, her soul mate. Tinkerbell had gone and the only thing standing between Regina and her happiness was a door. She tried to get an impression of him through the glass pane but all she could see was his tattoo, shimmering slightly as it caught the lights of the lanterns in the tavern. 'I can't do it'. Regina felt her palms grow sticky with sweat and her heart begin to beat harder than ever in her chest as she grasped the handle in her hand and swung the door open. As the air from inside hit her and the noise surrounded her she felt completely suffocated and trapped as her mother's words 'love is weakness, Regina' grew louder in her head, not allowing her to think. No, she couldn't condemn another person to Daniels fate, and so, she ran. She ran so far her feet ached and her head was spinning, she ran until she felt numb all over and her racing heartbeat was a result of pure exhaustion and as her ears rang and head buzzed, she fell the floor in an alley. She cried. She cried until the sun illuminated the alley she had been hiding in and the gravity of the situation hit her. She had no idea where the tavern was from there and,for once, instead of feeling trapped, she finally felt free and in control. She knew what to do. She had to kill Snow White.
"I didn't know. Like I said his back was to the door. But….He had a tattoo. A very distinct one of a lion, on his arm" She muttered giving his arm a slight squeeze as she gazed at it, not daring to look at him. She'd done it. Robin gasped and relaxed slightly, as if the information itself had physically hit him and constrained him from even moving an inch. They sat frozen, their breathing the only noise being heard between them as Regina gazed at him up and down nervously,her eyes searching desperately for something, anything to tell her how he felt. She released his arm but he didn't seem to register it, it was if he was in a whole other place, with his head spinning, vision blurred and a buzzing in his ears that made all sound around him a muffled tone. He could feel Regina shaking him now, and softly calling his name, but his mind wouldn't allow him back into the present moment, he was trapped in a bubble of confusion. The bubble was broken however, when he felt hot breath merely inches from his face, and he finally saw his vision come back into focus to reveal Regina peering at him, so close their noses almost bumped each other. He eyes were full of concern and tears, and from the corner of his eye he noticed a thin line of scarlet begin trailing down her face,as the cut on her forehead began to bleed slightly .The red brought him down to reality as he finally gazed back at her and met her eyes. He was met by such overwhelming comfort it made his heart warm and him smile slightly at Regina who smiled back. It was the tiniest gesture but it made Robin feel such comfort that emotion took over and he reached out, cupping Regina's cheek that wasn't bleeding in one hand and with the other wrapping it around her waist as best he could, inviting her to edge as close as she could to him until their hips bumped, making Regina gasp. He looked up meet her gaze as their noses hit each other,which only made Regina smile even more as Robin leaned in only an inch, as their lips met softly, causing a shock to run through the couples lips so strong that sparks escaped through the cracks in their lips and made Robin stumble backwards, rubbing his lips tenderly. This caused Regina to laugh softly as he quickly looked up to see what was causing her to laugh. He looked wounded as he thought she was laughing him or mocking him, for daring to kiss the Queen but she simply stared straight into his eyes and stated
"Clearly you haven't played with magic before".
