This is the last chapter I have that takes place before chapter 1 (Because damn there are a lot of these now). And in case anyone missed it before, chapter 9 and beyond are all in chronological order.

Zelena was strutting around and enumerating all the things Regina had that she didn't deserve, while Regina was snapped back at her. Robin wasn't really paying attention to the words, catching a few recurring mentions of Rumpelstiltskin and being abandoned. He was too focused on staying hidden from the sisters' view and making sure to keep his arrow ready to be shot at the witch.

"Oh please I have no patience for your pathetic whining," Regina complained.

That only served to anger Zelena, who conjured up a fire ball and prepared to throw it towards Regina. At the sight of danger, Robin let go of his arrow. It would have been a perfect shot. Both sisters turned their heads at the sound of the arrow leaving the bow, and Regina's eye grew wide at the sight of Robin.

Zelena put up her hand and the arrow fell to the ground. With a flick of her wrist, Robin was thrown against the wall and he slumped to the ground.

"You got a guard dog sis, how precious," Zelena said as though they really were talking about a small dog instead of a man.

"Well I didn't think you should be the only one with a pet. Although at least mine is here willingly," Regina retorted sarcastically.

Zelena snarled and hissed, and Regina lips curled into a sinister smile.

"This isn't over. I'll get you Regina and that baby too," she screamed, disappearing into a cloud of green smoke.

Once she was sure Zelena was gone Regina rushed over to Robin, who was laying on the ground with blood flowing from a wound on his head.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Did you really think your arrows were going to stop her?"

Regina was shouting loud enough to carry through the castle. She was looking at him as murderously as she'd looked at her sister.

"I told you I was not letting you face her alone," he replied with conviction and a slight wince.

When Regina had been notified of Zelena's presence in the castle by the Merry Men, she had expressly told everyone to stay back. But Robin wasn't about to let Regina go up against the Wicked Witch completely alone.

So he had followed her and waited in case she needed help. While he ultimately hadn't harmed Zelena, he still wasn't going to apologize for distracting Zelena from trying to harm Regina. He knew he was no match for the witch's magic. But he was a man in love, willing to do whatever he could to make sure Regina wasn't hurt.

"And I told you that this is my fight and I can handle myself," she shot back, scanning him to see if he had any other injuries.

He moved to get up, but Regina put a hand on his chest to stop him and dropped to the floor.

"Stay down and let me take care of this."

There was still intense anger in her voice, but there was also just a hint of tenderness. She raised her hand to his wound, but he grabbed her hand to stop her.

"No. No magic."

She let out a huff of annoyance and rolled her eyes, but nevertheless didn't heal him. A purple puff of smoke appeared around her hand and when it cleared she was holding a cloth. She pressed it to his forehead where the blood was flowing from.

"Your sheer stupidity is astounding. You could have been killed Robin."

She sounded exasperated and irritated, and her second sentence was tinged with worry. She resisted the temptation to tell him that it served him right, being injured, after completely disregarding her directive. That in fact he deserved more than a little blood for being so thoughtless.

"I'm fine. I didn't realize you would care."

"I don't. Not about you," she bristled before turning sincere, "But I do care about your son. He shouldn't lose his father because of me."

She gave him a soft smile. All the anger had vanished from her voice. Smiling and tending to his wound, it was hard to tell that this was the same woman who had been up against the Wicked Witch minutes ago. He smiled back and for a few seconds time seemed to stop. But Regina broke the moment, turning her gaze to the top of his head to make sure he hadn't bled through the cloth.

"Besides, someone needs to control your men and keep me busy at night," she quipped with a smirk.

It was as close as Regina could get to saying that she didn't want to lose him.

They remained in near silence while she pressed on the wound, muttering the occasional idiot and what were you thinking under her breath. However her eyes held only terror. When she and Zelena had realized his presence, she froze. She hid it well, but knowing he was there and that there was nothing she could do to protect him made her heart sink.

She didn't want, or rather couldn't bring herself, to think about why that was. So she waited until the bleeding stopped, gently wiped away the blood remaining on his face, and tried to focus on anger. That was something she knew how to deal with.

"What were you thinking Robin?"

"I was thinking that you can't do everything alone," he answered, his words loaded with more meaning than the discussion of a simple battle.

"Yes I can. Next time pick someone worth dying for," she replied as they both stood up.

He thought of arguing, but knew it would probably get him nowhere.

"Well thank you Regina."

She nodded curtly in response.

He knew the witch could have easily killed him. And he was thankful that for whatever reason she had spared him. But as he watched Regina walking away, he couldn't help but consider what could have been left unsaid. Could he bear going to his grave never telling Regina what he felt for her, and more importantly never knowing if she might feel something for him in return?

He didn't even have to think about the answer.