You Could Let Her Go

Storybrooke- Several Months Ago

He welcomed the smooth burning sensation that spread through his body, starting in his throat and branching out. It was the only warmth he ever felt in the past months, and even though it was empty, it was something. Robin looked up from his glass as he pushed it away from him and rasped, "Another."

The bar tender looked up and gave the archer a look of pity. "Are you sure Robin? You've been hitting the Fireball pretty hard." He asked but he already knew the broken man's answer, so he took the glass and poured more of the amber liquid into it.

"Fireball." Robin chuckled but the low laugh sounded damaged. "It seems only fitting that I as you say 'hit the fireball'… after all, I deserve to be hit with one. You know, she really liked fireballs, the first time I ever met her she had just thrown one at one of those flying monkeys." He slurred and took a swig of the whiskey in front of him. "And not only is it called Fireball, but it's a whiskey too! Don't you just love the irony in that?"

The bar tender listened to the man and sighed, "Robin, maybe you should just go home."Just like everyone else in town, it pained him to see the once proud and noble thief crumbling away into a heartbroken drunk.

Robin took the glass and tipped it backwards as if he were inhaling the liquid in order to live. He slammed the glass back down and gave the bar tender a lopsided smile, "Or I could have another."

The bar tender looked at Robin uncertainly as he cleaned a glass. "Robin, I think it might be time for you to call it quits." Leroy said calmly as he approached Robin from behind and put a semi-comforting hand on the archers shoulder. "Believe me, that whiskey ain't mother's milk to nobody." The dwarf insisted.

Robin shrugged the hand off his shoulder and growled, "I'm perfectly capable of knowing my own limits."

Leroy didn't back down though, he stood there and somehow managed to keep his calm as he said, "So says every alcoholic in this world and every other." Pausing for a moment he added a bit light heartedly but still with a stern bite, "Come on Robin, you've had enough. Besides there's only enough room for one hopeless drunk in this town and I reserved that title long ago."

Turning to face the dwarf Robin's jaw tightened, "I will leave when I wish to leave." He growled. "And no sooner. Now be on your way and leave me be." He turned back to the counter and pushed his empty glass towards the bar tender again, clearly not giving up on his desire to drown his sorrows in his own form of liquid irony.

The bar tender took the glass and put it behind the bar, but did not reach for the bottle to fill it. He looked sternly at Robin and said, "Robin listen to Leroy."

Robin slammed his fist down on the counter and roared, "What is the meaning of this!? Can a man not enjoy a drink in peace anymore!?" Deep down under the drunken haze Robin knew that the drink was not something he enjoyed, but had become something he needed in order to dull the unyielding pain in his chest. It had become his own form of morphine in order to forget for a few blissful hours, in order to hopefully become numb. It never worked though, but still he drank in order to feel the burn inside of him, the fireball that spread through his limbs, the drink that was the color of her eyes and tasted like her flaming and beautiful spirit.

"You have had enough." The bar tender answered.

Robin felt a hand on his shoulder again and heard Leroy's voice, "Come on Robin, let's get you home." The dwarf said as he tried to lead Robin out of the bar.

Robin whirled around and shoved Leroy away, fury sparked in his eyes. "Get your hands off of me!" He bellowed and grabbed his coat off the chair before walking away. Turning around he yelled, "I don't want your pity! I don't want your help! I don't want your thoughts or words! I want Regina back! You all can save your breath! YOU ALL ACT LIKE I AM STILL SOME SORT OF HERO WHO HAS STUMBBLED! I'M NOT! I AM A MONSTER WHO RIPPED A SON'S MOTHER AWAY FROM HIM! I AM A CRIMINAL WHO STOLE A HEART AND BROKE IT WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT! I AM A MURDERER! AND YOU THINK I WANT YOUR PATHETIC PITY!" He roared in a drunken rage. He then shut his mouth and took several deep and heavy breaths, his eyes narrowed and he hissed, "I don't!" And with that he stormed out of the bar.

After several minutes of yelling and kicking trash cans and mailboxes Robin finally sat down on the street corner. He leaned against a pole and let salty tears sting his eyes, he wiped them away and tried to keep them gone, but it was pointless. Tears ran down his cheeks as he drifted off to sleep, his head leaning against the wooden pole and his legs sprawled out at the edge of the road. He woke up slightly when he felt someone pulling him to his feet. His mind was still very clouded with sleep and alcohol but he managed to make out the voices of David and Emma. He attempted to speak but it only came out in a senseless drunken moan. And then he was passed out again, the darkness claiming him in its sweet embrace.

Whenever Robin drank the Fireball Whiskey he was reminded of two things that merged as one in his head, Regina, and a story that his father told him when he was a boy. The story of The Last Phoenix, a beautiful bird made of the purest and warmest flames, a strong creature that was reborn from its own ashes with tears that could heal even the most grave of wounds. His father had told him about how rare the bird was and how many men tried to seek it out in order to capture it and use the birds power to achieve glory. The phoenix however was also a clever creature and would always evade capture, but it was a compassionate creature as well and often took pity on those in need. One day the phoenix had seen a small boy crying in the woods, the boy was alone and was hurt. Taking pity on the boy the phoenix swooped down and cared for the young lad, with its tears the bird healed his wounds and with its strength the phoenix carried him home. When the boy returned home his father saw him being carried by the phoenix, the man thanked the creature and told it that he would forever be in its debt. The phoenix's fondness for the boy often brought it back to the house of the man and his son and soon the bird grew to trust the man as well. However the day came that the man had become so poor that he could no longer take care of his son, but he did not wish to send him away. The king offered a bounty for the capture of the phoenix, just as all kings before him had and the man knew what he had to do. That night when the phoenix came to check on the boy and his father the great bird flew into a trap. The man raced over to the trap and stopped, he had expected to see the great bird of ledged struggle and attempt to fight capture. But it did not, it simply sat in the trap and looked at him, knowing that it had trusted once in its life and the trust had been broken. The man covered the phoenix in order to avert its gaze and carried it to the castle; he was rewarded by the king and lived the life of a noble. But one day the man's son went missing in the woods again, the boy was alone, lost, and injured. The man went to the king and asked that the phoenix be released in order to save his son. The king informed the man that the phoenix had died, it had burst into flames soon after arriving in the castle and it had not emerged from the ashes again. The man returned home that night and cried, he cried that night and many nights after until his last, he cried for the loss of his son and for the death of the last phoenix.

Robin had realized months ago that the story of The Last Phoenix was more than just a tale to tell children now, for him it had become his tale. He was the man and Regina had been the phoenix, the last phoenix. Robin had betrayed her and hurt her and by doing that he killed the strongest and most beautiful creature he had ever known, the last of her kind, he had killed his phoenix, Regina had not arisen from the ashes. This was the thought that raced through Robins mind as he awoke with a sharp pain in his head that only grew as he opened his eyes. The world around him spun and his head pounded, he felt his stomach turn and groaned loudly.

"Looks like someone's awake." A tired and familiar voice said and Robin groaned again.

Once the world stopped spinning he looked around and took in his surroundings. He sighed as he took in the bars of the holding cell in the sheriff's station. "I wish I weren't." He groaned and sat up, looking through the bars at Emma.

Emma looked at him and crossed her arms as she approached the cell, "Are you trying to break Leroy's record or something?" She asked.

Robin leaned back against the wall and shook his head, immediately regretting the action. "No… I assure you I am not." He said and closed his eyes, trying to collect his thoughts.

"Robin." Emma said with a sternness that indicated that she wanted his full attention. Robin looked up at her and almost flinched when he saw the scowl on her face. "You can't keep doing this." The blonde said firmly as if he had no choice in the matter. "This isn't good for you, and it certainly isn't good for Roland. Your son really looks up to you Robin; you need to make sure that he's seeing his dad and not some drunk. I know things have been hard but you need to pick yourself up now, because you keep shoving away anyone who tries to help."

Robin's eyes sparked with anger as she finished. "And whose fault is it that I'm in this situation?" He growled.

Emma looked him in the eyes and answered coolly, "Yours." Robin's eyes widened at her response, he knew it was the truth, he knew he couldn't blame Emma for his own actions. Emma stared into his wide blue eyes and continued, "Robin, I don't regret saving Marians life. If you are going to blame me for that then you are more screwed up than I thought. Marian deserved a life just as much as anyone. Yes I hurt every day knowing that I ruined Regina's second chance at happiness, that I'm part of the reason she isn't here today! I hear my son crying at night because he wants his mom back! Henry still blames me and barely talks to me! And guess what, Tink still comes up to me and yells at me in the middle of the diner about how I ruined everything! My mom still looks at me with disappointment in her eyes when she thinks I'm not looking! It tears me apart living with the fact that in order to save a life I had to ruin one, but I don't regret it!" Emma said firmly, her emerald eyes blazing.

"I- I know Emma. Forgive me, please." Robin said and looked down in shame. "I just…" He started then stopped and took a deep breath. "For so long I wanted Marian back, I dreamed about holding her in my arms again. It took me years to acknowledge the fact that she was truly gone, but I did. And then I met Regina and she gave me hell and she was so complicated and stunning and frustrating and… and I fell in love with her in a way I had never fallen in love before. I wanted to be with her for eternity, I wanted to have a family with her and be with her for all my days. But- but then Marian just suddenly appeared and all the old wounds were reopened and I just… I knew that it had been the miracle I had spent so many years praying for. I felt it was my duty to be with her again. After all she was my wife and I loved her, but not in the same way. It took me too long to realize that I had made a mistake, I still love Marian, but Regina… she was my true love. And because of me… because of my idiocy, she left, because I broke her heart." He looked at Emma and said, "I do not wish Marian gone, I would never wish her to still be dead. You did the right thing… it was I who failed. I failed my heart and I failed Regina's."

Emma looked at him and exhaled loudly, "Look Robin, I know you feel like you failed. And I guess in a way you did." She bit her tongue as she realized what she had just said. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is… Robin you screwed up! I screwed up! But what you and the rest of the god damn fairytale crew don't seem to understand is that PEOPLE SCREW UP! It's what makes us human!" Emma leaned forward and looked at Robin. "But the thing that makes us stand out, the thing that will define us, is how we choose fix it and if you will stand up and brush the dirt off and keep going. Some people don't and then they never know what would have happened if they had just looked past that one failure, but there are others who keep pushing forward. What you need to think about Robin is what kind of human you are." She gazed at him with intense green eyes. "Are you the kind of human that is going to let one screw up continue to kick you in the side as you lay there in the dirt? Or are you gonna get the hell up and fight back?"

Robin looked at her and was truly surprised by her words. "I-I don't know." He admitted and looked away. "What do you think I should do?" He asked.

"First I think you should get up off your ass and haul yourself out of whatever bottle you've managed to crawl into." Emma said firmly. "And then you should pull yourself together and find a way to fix the problem, not avoid it." She paused for a moment and took a breath before continuing. "Robin, I know what kind of man I think you are. But the real question is, do you?"

The archer thought for several moments, his brow furrowing as he processed the blondes words. His mind raced as he forced himself to go through all the scenarios and relive all the moments since that night. He felt shamed by what he knew he had become, he felt shamed for not being the good man he once was. With all the strength he could muster he forced himself to think of Roland and about how his boy needed his Papa. He thought about Marian and how it was unfair of him to hold onto her if he did not truly love her the way she wanted him to. He thought of Henry and how the boy used to smile and laugh, and how Robin wanted to bring that back to the boy that Regina had loved so much. Robin thought of Snow who mourned the loss of the woman she just got back, the Regina she had lost once and fought long and hard to uncover again only to lose her once more. He thought of Emma and how the blonde whose life had been turned upside down more than once still managed to stay strong for those she loves, and how even now when so many are against her she still manages to choose to try and help him. And lastly Robin thought about Regina, his beautiful phoenix, he thought about how he owed it to her to never let her go, he had hurt her once and he would spend every day of his life making it up to her, but first he would find her, he would bring her home, he would bring her back to life. Robin knew what kind of man he wanted to be, he wanted to be the man who mended what he broke and fought for what he loved, he wanted to be a good man who was strong for everyone including himself. Looking up at Emma, he stood up even though his hangover almost prevented him from doing so, and he nodded. "Yes, I believe I do." He said.

Emma looked at him and smiled slightly, "Good." She said and began to unlock the cell door. "Now if I catch you passed out drunk on a street corner again then I'm not only going arrest you, but I'm gonna kick your ass too, and I'm gonna enjoy it." She threatened and something in her tone told Robin that she was only half joking.

Robin looked at her as she opened the door and gave her a nod. "Of course." He said and stepped out of the cell. Turning back to the blonde he looked at her with a smile on his otherwise serious face and said, "Thank you Emma."

Courtsville- Present Day

Robin looked up as he heard a banging of doors opening, he heard shouting and saw several officers jump to their feet and rush towards the noise. Standing up in the cell he looked through the bars and was shocked to see several officers working with all their strength to hold back Sheriff Grayson. The sheriff struggled against the men and Robin could hear him yelling, "Get your hands off of me! That bastard hurt Diana!"

Robin flinched and felt like he had been hit in the chest by a very angry Little John. Hurt!? No! Please god no! How could I have hurt her! I… I didn't… I couldn't… oh no! He thought to himself as alarm flared inside of him and he stumbled backwards a bit. He knew what everyone thought he had been trying to do to Diana, he knew what she thought he had been trying to do, what it had looked like. Robin closed his eyes and was tempted by the idea of slamming his head repeatedly into the bars, he hadn't meant to do such a thing, he would never ever do such a thing, especially not to Diana because she was Regina too. He had only wanted Regina back and he had let his desperation take hold, now he had ruined everything. She thinks me to be a monster now. He thought and his jaw tightened.

"Dean! You can't hurt him! It's against the law!" One of the officers shouted at the sheriff.

"Well it's a good thing I'm sheriff then! Who here would arrest me?" Dean growled and continued to struggle.

The officers held him back and looked at each other. For a moment none of them spoke, then the silence was broken. "I would!" A brunette officer said firmly, her blue eyes staring at Dean. She took a step forward and several officers moved aside so that she could get face to face with the sheriff. "You may be sheriff Dean, but that doesn't make you above the law. None of us are above the law." She nodded towards Robin and continued, "If you go after that man in any way, then I will arrest your ass and put you behind bars. And I would hope that I wouldn't be the only one to do so because I know that this is not how Dean Grayson acts, and it would horrify Diana to see him act this way."

Dean stared at the officer in front of him and took a deep breath before pulling himself free of the other officers and standing up straight. He looked at the woman and his jaw tightened before he growled, "Fine Terra, I won't touch him." He sighed and his shoulders drooped a bit. "You're right, Diana wouldn't approve… she is good like that… always believing in second chances. And I know I'm not above the law."

Terra looked at the sheriff with understanding in her eyes. "He's already made his phone call; the sheriff from his town is coming to get him. Don't worry Dean, he'll be gone soon." She reported hoping that the change in subject would allow the sheriff to ease up a bit more.

"How soon until he's out of my town?" Dean asked and glared at Robin. Robin could see the fury burning in his eyes and looked away in shame.

Terra also looked at Robin, her blue eyes filled with disgust for the man who had attacked the elementary school teacher. "She's coming from Maine and is on her way right now, so… some time tomorrow she should be getting here." The brunette said.

Dean scowled and nodded, "Good. The sooner he's gone the better." He then turned back to Terra and said, "I'm going back to check on Diana, make sure someone is watching him. I'll be back tomorrow to watch him myself." He turned and began to exit the station.

"Alright Sheriff, good night." Terra said and watched him go.

Dean looked back at her and said, "Good night."

The Next Day

Robin sighed in annoyance, he still felt awful about hurting Diana, he hadn't been able to sleep due to the guilt constantly surging inside of him like a relentless torrent continuously crashing into his stomach, heart, and mind. Part of him wished that the sheriff had beaten him up, that the officers hadn't held him back. Especially now Robin would have taken being beaten unconscious rather than having to sit in the cell thinking about what Diana must think of him and being pelted with M&M's.

Like he had said the day before Dean had returned in the morning, giving Robin a blood chilling glare before disappearing into his office. Around two hours after Dean disappeared into his office, he came out with a red cup in one hand and a colorful bag in the other. Robin had watched the sheriff set the cup up on a stool in front of the holding cell, then grab a chair and sit a few feet away. Dean smiled at Robin which made Robin feel even more uneasy than he had been. The grin was not one that was friendly or comforting towards the archer, but instead made it clear that Robin was not in for a good day. Now for the past hour Robin had been sitting in the cell, occasionally getting hit by the colorful candies known as M&M's.

A blue candy hit Robin in the head and Robin looked at Dean with a frown. "Oh, sorry bud. I just have the worst aim. I think so far I've only gotten like what? 14 M&M's into the cup?" Dean apologized and Robin knew the man was lying through his teeth. He could see into the sheriff's office from his cell and had noticed the marksmanship awards hanging on the wall hours ago.

Robin only nodded and said, "Perhaps if you arched it more." He would play along just to pass the time.

Dean raised an eyebrow and threw a red M he acted like he was aiming for the cup, but this one hit Robin right in the face. Dean shrugged and said innocently, "I guess today is just not my day."

Robin's jaw tightened as he held back a biting remark, his blue eyes staring into Dean's green ones, both giving the other an intense glare. One day he wants to bash my skull in and the next he is being a child and throwing things at me!? Robin thought angrily.

Suddenly the sound of the front door's opening snapped both men out of their glaring contest, Dean stood up and put the bag of M&M's on a desk, then walked to the front doors of the station. The man paused as he saw a tired and very aggravated looking blonde standing just inside the front doors. Walking over he nodded to the stranger and gave her a smile, "Hello?" He said.

"Hi." She nodded and stuck her hand out. "I'm Emma Swan." She said as Dean shook her hand. "I'm here to retrieve Robin." She added.

Dean's friendly smile faded and he fought the scowl that wanted to settle on his lips. "Ahh, I'm glad you're here." He said formally and indicated for her to follow him. "He's back in the holding cells."

Emma nodded and followed Dean, she looked at the other sheriff and said, "One of your officers told me what he did over the phone. I want to apologize personally for any damage he might have done, Robin hasn't been the most stable since an incident about a little over a year ago."

Dean looked at the blonde and scowled, "I know that you're trying to be professional Sheriff Swan, but that man is insane and he attacked my fiancée. So I apologize if I sound harsh but I don't need your apology, I need that man out of my town. And I recommend you check him in to the nearest mental hospital."

Emma glanced at Dean and held her tongue, taking a moment she formulated a sensible reply. "I understand, I'll take Robin and we'll leave. But keep your opinions of him to yourself Sheriff, you have no idea what that man has been through."

Dean turned to Emma and said firmly, "You're right, I don't know what he's been through. But you wanna know what I do know? I know that he attacked my fiancée, her name is Diana, she teaches kindergarten, she tutors my brother's kid, she spends time helping to rehabilitate abused horses, she helped save his life, and he attacked her! So forgive me if I'm a little vocal about my opinion of him."

Emma stared at him and simply said, "Where is he?"

Dean turned and said in an irritated tone, "He's back here." Dean led the way back to the holding cell and took out the key to the door.

Once the door was unlocked Dean opened it and Emma looked at Robin, "Come on Robin, let's go." She said and it sounded like a tired order. Emma's eyebrows rose in curiosity as she saw the M&M's littering the cell floor. Robin stood and walked towards Emma, once he was out of the cell she grabbed onto his sleeve firmly and yanked him along. Robin looked back at Dean who was glaring at him as Emma led Robin away. "Walk faster Robin." Emma growled. "I'm tired and I'm pissed. I just drove 15 hours to get your ass out of jail." She hissed at him.

"I'm sorry." Robin said simply as they exited the station. Emma and Robin walked over to the yellow bug and they both got in.

Once they were buckled Emma pulled out of the parking space and glanced at Robin. "What the hell Robin? Why did you attack someone?" She demanded.

Robin looked at her and rubbed his face. "I didn't! I mean… I didn't mean to! No! I didn't attack her! It just looked that way!" He said and groaned. "I just needed her to remember!"

Emma looked at him and her eyes widened, "Regina!?" She questioned. "You attacked Regina!?"

Robin slouched in the passenger seat and looked out the window. "Her name is Diana now." He said softly. "She has no idea who she really is… or who I am." He looked at Emma with sincerity in his blue eyes. "I just want her to remember, I didn't mean to make her think that I was attacking her."

Emma looked at the road ahead and sighed, "What happened?"

Robin hesitated for a moment before answering. "I… I told her everything… then I kissed her." He said. "I thought true loves kiss might work… but it didn't." He looked away. "She ran and I followed, I was trying to apologize. Then she started to fall and I reached out to catch her… only to fall on top of her." He explained.

Emma groaned as she listened. "I should have never let you try and find her on your own! You fairytale guys have no clue how the real world works! If a woman is running away from you, you don't chase after her! I mean god! What the hell do they teach you in the Enchanted Forest?"

Robin continued to stare out the window as Emma talked. His eyes watching the streets and the buildings as they passed. Suddenly he saw a raven haired woman with a German Shepherd on the side walk, "Emma! There she is!" He gasped.

Emma looked around and followed where Robin was pointing, her jaw dropped when she saw the figure walking the dog. "That… that's Regina?" She asked. The woman looked so different yet so similar to the former mayor. The raven hair was slightly longer and she was dressed much more casually. Emma pulled over to the curb on the other side of the street and watched Regina wave and smile and chat with people that she passed.

"That's Diana." Robin said and sounded defeated.

"What's the difference? I mean other than the smiling more often and the dog." Emma asked and looked at Robin, then back at the woman.

Robin sighed and said, "Diana is much more open than Regina, she is still clever and feisty but also she seems much more innocent and hopeful. She seems to see the world differently and… I don't know… she is nice… but she is different. She's not Regina." He looked at Emma. "I was hoping that I could somehow reach Regina by getting to know Diana. I just want Regina back."

Emma continued to watch Diana and a small smile crept across her lips as she watched the woman kneel down and pet the German Shepherd and kiss the dog's head. "She seems happier." Emma said softly.

Robin nodded and looked at Emma. "But it's not real." He said.

Emma turned and looked at Robin. "Well to her it is, and so is the past year of her life." Emma said and Robin knew the blonde was thinking back to her year in New York.

"I couldn't live with myself if I knew that Regina was living a lie. She has every right to know who she truly is. She should know that there are people morning her, missing her, there are people who want her back." Robin insisted.

Emma looked at Robin and frowned, "Robin, look at her. She is happy, she doesn't have all the memories of the horrible things she did and the horrible things done to her. She isn't pulled back by her past here, people love her for her. Can you really take that away from her? Would you really make her remember all of her pain and suffering?" Emma asked.

Robin's blood ran cold as he looked form Diana to Emma. "Emma, what are you saying?" He asked worriedly.

Emma looked at Robin with sad emerald eyes and said, "I'm saying, you could let her go. You could let her be happy and be loved here. You could let her be free and innocent and hopeful. You could let her have the life she never got the chance to have."

PLEASE DON'T KILL ME OR EMMA! WE ARE JUST TRYING TO ADD DRAMA! Lol! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'm gonna try to update before Sunday because Sunday I am disappearing completely for a week and won't have a computer. Please let me know what you think and review. Thank you to all who reviewed and commented, you gave me a major boost and that's why I wrote such a long chapter. Cheers to you! Love you all!