at SamanthaFreita3: I think... I'll give you one more chapter right now :)

at shikasgirl10: Glad you think that way.

at Casey: I hope despite the different approach you'll still enjoy the rest of the story. Thanks for your continued support.

at TheRebirthofPain: Thank you so much. No, no only the two of them, all of the Merry Men were present. You take care as well.

at Thornspike: Glad I could help. That is such a great movie!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed.

I don't own anything.

It ends here

Storybrooke – Present time

"Robin really, you need to go home," Snow said sternly but it went ignored by the man.

It's been two days and Robin hadn't moved from his spot next to Regina's bed expect to pace to room from time to time, but never straying too far. He held her hand and his eyes were always drained on her form. The Merry Men had brought Roland over because the boy had insisted on visiting Regina, his wild flowers stood on the bedside table. He had spent almost the whole day yesterday here and sat on Robin's lap. The little boy had tried to read to her from one of his books, because Regina had started to teach him in the Enchanted Forest and according to Roland it had always made her smile. He had been heartbroken when it didn't work.

Emma had taken Henry home for the night, she had told him he couldn't do anything here and that he needed to sleep in a bed for a night. Henry had kicked and protested, had even yelled at Emma, had told her she wasn't his mum and that she couldn't decide anything for him, it had been terrible. Only when Robin said he wouldn't leave Regina's side, had Henry finally gone home begrudgingly.

Regina had not woken and Robin hadn't left her side since.

"Robin, I promise I'll stay here tonight, but you need to sleep. You look like you're about to drop from exhaustion."

"No," his voice was hoarse and still he didn't look at Snow but rather at her step-mother.

Storybrooke – 2 days ago

The silence hung heavy in the waiting room and the atmosphere was stifling. Emma and Hook had joined them at some point, Robin couldn't tell when. They've been waiting for hours without information and Robin's nerves were strung to the breaking point.

Emma held a distraught Henry in her arms who hadn't stopped crying since he'd seen his mother unconscious in Robin's arms. Snow didn't look much better and David held her close to him. Surprisingly enough the prince himself looked a bit haggard.

Tink had come as soon as she heard and despite her growing friendship with Regina had taken the news best. She took it upon herself to care for everyone in the waiting room and so Snow found herself nursing a tea, courtesy of Tinkerbell. The fairy had been delighted to hear about the developing relationship between Robin and Regina.

Her gaze wandered to Robin and she was filled with pity for the man. His head was hidden in his hands and he looked like a picture of misery. Robin felt numb and not a single coherent thought went through his head but one chant, one word: Please!

Tink tried to give him a cuppa but he didn't react at all – not when she asked him and not even when she shook his shoulder lightly. She didn't know what it felt like to have a soulmate, much less how it was fearing to lose him, and when she looked at Robin she thought maybe not having one wasn't all that bad.

Hook saw Whale's figure approach first and everyone hasted towards the doctor. He looked more than just uncomfortable.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you much."

"What's that supposed to mean? How is Regina?" Robin asked angrily.

Whale turned to him, "I can't tell you about Regina's condition because none of you is a family member. I can't disclose her medical inform…"

The protest that followed was deafening. Everyone was talking at the same time.

"She's my mother!" Henry yelled and the noise went down.

"I know Henry, but you're not yet of age. I'm sorry," Whale looked truly remorseful.

Robin looked murderous and Henry absolutely devastated.

"I'm still technically her step-daughter. That has to count for something," Snow begged. "We're the only family she has."

Whale hesitated, "Fine it's not like I can tell you much anyway. Medically spoken, I have no idea what's happened to her. She was in great pain, without a doubt, but there doesn't seem to be a physiologic reason for it. I'm sorry. Anyway she's still asleep. We don't know when she'll wake but there shouldn't be anything keeping her from waking, at least nothing I can explain."

"Can I see my mum?" Henry asked, his earlier anger forgotten. He only wanted to see Regina.

The doctor smiled and nodded, "Sure she isn't awake, but there's no reason she can't have visitors. However maybe not…" around him everyone rushed past him into the room, "…all at once," Whale sighed.

Regina lied on the bed unmoving, the movement of her chest and the steady peeping of the machine registering her heart beat, were the only proves of her being alive. Despite her paleness Regina seemed younger and Snow White recognised the woman who once saved her life. Her hard lines and the elegant, perfect stature with which she carried her dresses and gowns, they deceived everyone about the petite figure of Regina. In the white sheets of the hospital bed Regina appeared almost fragile

Robin and Henry reached the bed at the same time and each took one hand. Henry's lip trembled and he sniffled, carefully he leaned over and kissed his mother's forehead. Emma hugged him and Henry turned to cry into her shoulder.

The constant peeping was the most beautiful sound to Robin. A sound that most likely would have driven him out of his mind was now the sound that kept his heart beating. His thumb stroke patterns on the back of her hand, over and over again, unrelenting. His whole attention was on the woman.

His eyes drank in her appearance; he really wished she wouldn't look like the bed was swallowing her any moment. He was used to a confident Regina, one that was brave and fearless, even intimidating to some. And Robin couldn't help but wonder if maybe that was part of a ruse to hide how small she really was. If she wasn't wearing her heels she was only just reaching the tip of his nose.

He let himself fall in the chair next to her bed, without letting go of her hand. His thumb kept caressing her hand and the peeping roared in his ears. It smelled like hospital and of disinfectant but Robin didn't smell it after bringing her hand up to his lips and took a deep breath. She smelled so incredibly good. Robin pressed his lips to her hand and clung to her with every last of his senses.

Storybrooke – Present time

"Are you still here?" Whale sighed as he entered Regina's hospital room. "Robin, have you gone home at all? Anyway, maybe it's good you're here, Snow. I've been thinking… There's no medical reason for her condition, maybe there's a magical one. I do believe it's time to ask for help."

"Mr. Gold?" Snow asked.

Whale shrugged, "I'd say he's your best bet."

Snow nodded and pulled out her phone. She called Emma as well, in case she could help with her white magic. Robin wasn't sure how to feel about Rumpelstiltskin looking Regina over, but he was willing to try anything. The past two days had been a nightmare and only light moments were when his son was with him.

Gold arrived around the same time Emma did.

"What exactly happened?" the Dark One asked and looked down at his sleeping former student.

Robin didn't react at first and it was only when Emma cleared her throat loudly that he started to explain with quavering voice what occurred two days ago.

Gold nodded thoughtfully, "Well, I'm not sure yet, but there's only a handful of possibilities." He threw Emma a withering gaze before focusing on Regina again.

Emma straightened up at the gaze, "That's… You don't think this is my fault, do you?"

Rumpelstilstkin stayed silent for a while, "That would be one possibility. I can't tell you much about the consequences of incredible stupidity. That is not my area of expertise, I' afraid."

"What's that supposed to mean! I didn't do anything wrong," Emma defended.

Gold's hard eyes cut through her, "Bringing someone, who was supposed to die in the past into the future isn't exactly proof of high intellect I'm afraid, dearie." Gold shrugged, "Did you think death would simply allow you to take a life from it?"

Emma closed her mouth in shock and Robin's grip tightened, but he stood up so that he was able to look down on Rumpelstiltskin, "So Regina has to die because Marian is back?"

"Maybe," Gold replied, "there's no way to tell for sure."

Emma shrank back at Robin's gaze. She wanted to tell him that he should be grateful, that she brought his wife back, that… Her eyes fell on their joined hands and she forgot what she had wanted to say.

It was panic that flooded Robin's system, his eyes fell on Regina's pale face and his heart constricted – strangled his reason. Please don't let it be her.

"Can we do something?" Emma asked with a choked voice.

"Not that I know of. Fate will take a life," at least Gold suspected it was like that. "Magic always comes at a price. A life was saved, another one has to end."

"Not Regina!" Robin's voice got louder. "Why her? Not her!" his grip was painful on her hand.

Gold raised a single eyebrow, "Would you prefer if fate got your wife's life back?"

Robin opened his mouth, but no tone made it past her lips. When he closed it again, there was a shocked expression in his eyes.

"Didn't think so," Gold mumbled. "It's just a theory anyway. I'll take a closer look at her. If you may."

"Never!" Robin glared at him. Nothing would make him leave Regina's side especially not to leave her defenceless in the presence of the Dark One. Robin didn't trust him, even if Belle had his dagger.

"Robin, please," Snow piqued up. "He won't hurt her. She's Henry's mother. He wouldn't do that to his grandson." There was a warning in her tone at which Gold rolled his eyes.

Everything in Robin baulked at the idea of leaving her alone, he didn't want to leave her side, had come to rely on the steady beeping noise that assured him she was alive.

"If you want me to help her, I'd suggest you leave," Gold said with boredom in his voice and Robin gritted his teeth.

"If you do anything to her…" Robin hissed at him, "I swear to god I'll hunt you down and kill you. With or without your dagger."

Storybrooke – Yesterday

"Papa!" Robin looked up from Regina's face. Both his hands were gripping one of her smal ones, he brought it up to his face so he could breathe her in.

At his son's voice he turned, released one hand and waved at Roland. He tried a pitiful excuse for a smile for his son. Roland ran over to him and climbed in his lap, he waved at Henry who sat on the other side of the bed. "Hello Henry!"

"Hello Roland."

"Roland what are you doing here?" Robin hugged his five year old close.

"I wanted to see R'gina. She's sick," Roland explained solemnly. "What's wrong with R'gina, papa?"

Tears filled Robin's eyes and he barely heard Samuel's apology. "I'm sorry, Robin. He wanted hot chocolate, so we went back and he overheard Ruby say something about the Queen being in the hospital. He insisted on visiting her. I couldn't calm him down."

"It's fine," Robin said tiredly. Roland snuggled up to his father and Robin had to admit having his son here was soothing his nerves.

"How's the Queen?" Sam asked and had Robin had the energy, he would have wondered, when exactly the Merry Men had started to care.

"She collapsed from pain. No one seems to know what's wrong with her," Robin's voice was laced with bitterness.

Samuel remembered Maria… Morgana and the way she had screamed when the loss of her magic hit her. So Regina's guess about the Queen losing her magic was right. It was weird thinking of them as two different persons, Sam mused.

"Robin, I'm truly sorry. But I'm sure she'll be fine. She's a strong woman," compassionately he squeezed Robin's shoulder.

Robin nodded and prayed his man was right.

"Stay as long as you need to. We'll take care of Roland, don't worry about a thing."

Robin thanked him with a tired voice.

"Roland, let's go back into camp!" Sam reached his hand out to the boy.

Roland clutched at his father and refused to leave. He wanted to stay, because R'gina was sick and she needed someone to care for her. "I even bringed a book! R'gina teached me to read and she's always happy when I readed to her."

Robin allowed him to stay, he needed his son close and he would provide some kind of distraction to both him and Henry. The boy hadn't gone home either and Robin worried for him. Besides Roland loved Regina dearly and Robin knew Regina did as well. Maybe she'd really wake sooner.

"Roland, you are allowed to stay, but only if you go home later and go to sleep without complaining."

So when Sam reached the camp, he was alone.

"How is the Queen?" a middle aged man named Alan asked.

"She's not yet conscious. It's like we thought, if – when she wakes her magic most likely is lost," Sam answered.

"Men!" Little John raised his voice, "You know what this means. The Queen will be exposed without her magic. She's protected all of us, now it's our turn to protect her!"

"What did you tell Robin about Marian?" Tuck asked after the commotion had died down.

Sam met his eyes, "He didn't ask. I believe he can't think about anything other than Regina. She did say they were soulmates. I think he might be feeling her struggle. We do need to think how we'll play this, however. Robin must never know the truth, it was Regina's last wish."

Storybrooke – Present time

"You can stop pretending to be asleep," bored Gold fell down on the chair Robin formerly occupied. "How long have you been awake?"

"Only a few minutes before you came in. What happened to me, Rumpelstiltskin?" Regina asked with gritted teeth. The unspeakable pain had disappeared but she felt oddly weak.

With a sign the man stood and moved his green glowing hands along her body without actually touching her. He frowned and repeated the process and then again. When he made attempts to try a fourth time, Regina had enough.

"What is it?"

Gold sat back down, "Your magic. It's gone."

"What are you talking about? What do you mean 'gone'?" cold fear gripped Regina.

"It's gone, dearie. There's not a trace of magic in you anymore."

"Temporarily?" Regina snapped for air and she fought the dread down.

"It doesn't look that way. It seems it's gone forever."

"How? How is this possible? How can this happen?" her voice was quieter, defeat creeping into it.

Gold raised an eyebrow; the effects must be more extreme than he guessed. The Queen never gave in without a fight. He shrugged to indicate his guess was as good as hers.

"Do you really think this is the price? For the time travel? For the life that was saved? Is this it?"

Her happiness and her magic, couldn't that be enough? She was the villain of the story, her ending was pain and punishment but the heroes, all of them including Robin, would have their happy end. Robin who had his beloved wife back, his family whole again, he was one of them. Her happiness and her magic… it was a low price to pay, Regina thought cynically.

Gold was more sceptical, "I don't think your magic is quite enough to repay death for a stolen life."

"If the price really is a life, is there a way to find out who it's going to be?"

Gold understood the unasked question. Is there a way to ensure it's me? But they had reached the point where even the Dark One had to work with educated guesses.

"I don't know."

Regina nodded, "Is there a way for me to get my magic back?"

"That, dearie I can tell you. There isn't. It's been ripped from you, which would explain the pain and it'll take some time for your body to get used to it. You're feeling weaker than before, don't you? That's not going away anytime soon, I'm afraid… maybe never. Who knows," he giggled.

She closed her eyes and refused to show how hard that knowledge hit her. She was tired and weak and just so very tired. Gold turned to leave but before his hand touched the door knob Regina's voice stopped him.

"Keep it to yourself – please."

"The loss of your magic, dearie?" Gold enquired.

Her exhaustion was too great to stop the words from tumbling from her lips, "Please, I… My magic was my protection, my only protection. I did… everything that I've done – there are so many people who want to kill me. People who wouldn't hesitate a second and the only reason they don't is because they fear me. They want to hurt me but also the people I care about. My magic… that's what they fear and they don't dare to lay a finger on someone they know I care about. If… if they find out I lost it…"

Gold turned and stalked back to her, a strange gleam in his eyes, but oddly different from what Regina seen so far.

"You won't be able to keep it a secret for long, dearie."

"I know. But I just… I just need some time," Regina gulped. "I have to… think of something. I'll find a way to defend myself, I just need some time."

"Surely the thief will be able to provide you with sufficient protection."

Regina laughed with painful bitterness, "He has his wife returned to him. What would he want with me?"

"Well, he did spent two entire days at your bedside," Gold pointed out.

"He feels guilty. He's a good man. But it's his wife he truly loves," not that she could fault him for that. After all, who would ever pick her? And if her knowledge of his honour and feelings wasn't enough, there was still the conversation from before. "Besides you've heard what he said, when you asked him to choose between us."

"As far as I remember he didn't answer that question."

"It was rhetorical anyway and silence is enough of an answer to me."

Rumpelstiltskin looked at the woman in the white hospital bed. The woman he had manipulated and used for his own purposes. The woman he had made sure didn't trust anyone. The woman he had taught magic. The women he shared an odd bond with. And the words fell from his lips.

"The dagger I gave Belle was a fake."

Regina's eyes went wide, "You did what? Rumple, you have to know she'll find out eventually."

The man laughed humourlessly, "Of course I know that."

"Why are you telling me this?" Regina asked with a frown.

"I keep your secret, you keep mine." In reality the guilt was eating at him and sometimes he thought he was going crazy. Belle looked at him with all the love and trust in the world and it was killing him. He didn't have anyone to talk to, who would understand, but Regina… she would.

"Why? Why would you do such a thing? Belle would never use the dagger against you."

"I know. That's not the problem," Gold explained and looked older than before. "Being the Dark One, it's a curse. It gives me power and strength."

"True love breaks any curse," Regina whispered in realisation.

Gold nodded darkly, "She almost broke it once – in the Enchanted Forest. I could feel it, feel the magic leaving me. I couldn't let that happen. Ever since I made sure that it would never come to that."

"You're holding back," Regina said and he agreed.

"If I give her the dagger… It would break the curse. It would be proof of my love and my trust and it would be over."

"Why hold on to it? Belle loves you with or without it."

"Who was I before I became the Dark One?" Rumpelstiltskin asked aggressively. "A weakling, a weak coward who was always running away. I couldn't protect my family, my wife left me because of who I was. When I became the Dark One it all changed. The power, the magic – it makes me strong. What am I without it? I won't be able to protect Belle, not even myself."

And Regina understood, understood because she was having the same thoughts, the same doubts.

"I killed Zelena," he admitted as well.

Regina opened her mouth to reply. She wanted to be angry, wanted to be mad but she was just so very tired.

"She killed, Bae. I couldn't let it go."

"Doesn't matter anymore anyway," Regina said exhausted. She thought about that bizarre feeling of happiness she had had at thinking she had found a family member.

Rumpelstiltskin stood and Regina had one last request, "I don't want to see anyone. No one!"

"Henry?"

"No one," Regina repeated. "Please let Whale know, I don't want anyone to enter my room."

He snickered, "As you wish, Your Majesty."

Her voice stopped him at the door for the second time, "You should tell her. Even if you don't give her the dagger. You should tell her. We both know the truth will be revealed sooner or later. She should hear it from you."

Gold left the room without looking back.

Regina was left alone in the room. She didn't know what would happen next or how she would cope with the loss of her magic. She thought about Henry and Roland, about Robin and his not-so-dead wife and one thought was most prominent.

It ends here.

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