It seemed like it had been hours until they had arrived near the room furnished with the infamous "round table" of Camelot.
Hook, David, Robin and Regina were now standing outside the room, backs against the cold stone of the outside corridor.
"We need a plan. I'm not going in there without a plan," Robin whispered to the group.
"Well Arthur doesn't have magic so we should be fine, correct? If we see him, Regina can just freeze him in place, then we can find and take the sword," Killian supplied.
"It can't be that easy. There's guards on the clock every hour," David added.
"Yeah. They're doing a great job, David," Regina retorted motioning to the space around them.
Charming rolled his light blue eyes, "We need a real plan. What do we do first? We don't know who's in there, let alone what we're up against."
"Ambush," Robin supplied, "It's worked for my men even in magical circumstances. Have our weapons at the ready and carefully and cautiously work towards the goal," Robin turned to his soulmate," you have your magic, can you freeze anyone that comes near us?" Robin asked, a certain gleam of question in his eyes.
Regina nodded in earnest, "Yes, of course"
"Okay," Robin drew his bow, his hands at the ready if anyone were to come for his friends or his fiancé and their child. He wouldn't let anyone even think about hurting her or their child before they had one of his arrows through their chests.
Robin quickly turned to Regina whispering, "If something is wrong with you or the baby, you tell me the minute you feel even a bit uncomfortable, do you understand?"
A beat of silence.
"Regina I know how stubborn you are, do you understand?" Robin threw Regina a lighthearted look of warning.
A quick intake of breath sounded from the brunette as she shut her eyes tight and opened them quickly; her eyes shining with a thin film of tears.
"Yes," she answered, quickly blinking her tears away.
Robin looked into her watery whiskey brown eyes with concern.
"Regina," Robin's eyes flitted to her abdomen in concern, "Is something wrong?"
"No. No, nothing's wrong. Just..some old memories and thoughts just came to mind. I'm fine," she quickly took her hand off of her abdomen to clench her hand in a fist at her side.
Her brows furrowed in earnest.
"Let's go get that sword"
Robin nodded, "Let's."
Robin turned towards the doorframe, his bow drawn, Regina had her hand at her side forming a fireball, and Hook and Charming had unsheathed their swords quietly, as they were all now facing the wooden door, weapons at the ready.
They advanced cautiously.
The minute they set foot in the room, Robin checked every crevice for danger, his bow and arrows as his weapon, keen eyes sweeping the expanse of the chamber.
Charming was behind Regina, sword in his hands, holding back the rear looking for intruders; anyone that might want to cause harm to their group and ultimately Regina.
It was then that they heard the loud and obnoxious chatter of King Arthur himself. Robin, quickly changed his stance so he was facing the insufferable King, as Killian and David quickly and quietly went in search for the sword.
If Robin were to let his arrow fly, it would bury itself in the King's neck. Unfortunately, the king had armor over his chest so aiming for his heart wasn't anything of an option.
However, one puncture to the jugular and the unbeloved King would bleed out.
Robin smirked.
"Foul witch, you've overpowered the guards!"
"Your guards are incompetent and weren't even standing at their posts. Bad form, mate," Killian retorted, as he advanced towards the monarch slowly.
Arthur unsheathed his sword and ran for Regina.
In a matter of seconds an arrow was flying through the air, colliding with the King's sword, causing it to drop to the ground, with a loud clatter.
It was then that a purple aura of light surrounded the monarch's body; Regina had frozen him to the spot in which he was standing.
Robin strolled towards Arthur, a look of disdain plastered on his face.
Robin laughed in despisement, "Do you want to die, Arthur?"
As quick as lightning, Robin reached for another arrow, nocked it, and drew his bow, aiming at Arthur's neck, only inches away from skin.
Arthur's eyes lit with a fiery anger.
"I'm fairly certain you do. Because if you had any common sense, you wouldn't attempt to murder Regina in front of my face. No, you wouldn't do that. Ever."
"Where's the sword?" Regina asked, fire creeping underneath her tone as she removed the spell from the King's neck up so he had the ability to speak.
"And why would I tell the likes of you?" Arthur threw Regina a look of distaste.
Regina formed a fireball in her hand, "Because if you don't, I only have one choice. To kill you," the brunette smiled; fire in her eyes, and an evil smirk pulling at her lips.
It was then that David - behind Arthur - locked eyes with Regina - blue on brown - moving his eyes to a curtain behind him.
Regina's eyes followed David's to the velvet curtain in confusion.
David seeing the confusion in the brunette's eyes mouthed the word: Excalibur.
Regina extinguished her fireball and nodded to David in acknowledgement.
Killian seeing this eye contact, quickly reacted walking over to David swiftly from the other side of the room, "Mate, don't touch it, it could have protection charms."
Arthur chuckled dryly, his eyes depicting the expression of disdain, "Oh so you've found it. I knew you heroes weren't that incompetent."
Regina let the freezing spell cover Arthur's entire body from head to toe; she was done with his taunting and aggravating remarks.
"Quit worrying. Nothing in this room can hurt us, Arthur doesn't have mag-"
She was quickly cut off by the last voice she wanted to hear.
"Hi guys!"
Zelena.
Robin looked to the voice's owner his eyes carrying a look of intermixed anger, and shock.
Regina's eyes enlarged as she saw who her sister was dragging in tow.
Mary Margaret.
She was gagged; a piece of cloth tied around her neck going over her mouth muffling her speech, and rope tying her wrists together.
"Oh hell no," Regina muttered from her spot at the head of the Round Table near the entrance door.
"Mary Margaret!" David yelled, "If you hurt her!" he threatened Zelena, as he unsheathed his sword.
"David, stop," Regina held him back from charging at the witch with a hand at his upper arm and a hand at his chest. But Charming was fighting against her contact.
"Yes. Listen to my sister, Charming. You don't want to find out what will happen if you continue"
As Robin saw Regina attempting to hold David back, he immediately, put his arrow back into it's quiver, and his bow in his hand, as he walked towards the two.
He threw Regina a look saying: I know you can do this, by not in your condition will I let you, before he traded places with Regina, now two hands on both of David's upper arms holding him back. The labored breaths of the prince could be heard as he was trying to pull out of his friend's grasp.
Zelena's crystal blue flitted to Charming's, depicting a look of pure wickedness before she spoke again.
"Ooh someone's angry," Zelena tsked.
Zelena threw the fair princess into one of the empty seats of the Round Table. A low grunt voicing from Mary Margaret as the witch did so.
Zelena then looked to the monarch in the middle of the room; frozen and mute, "Let's undo this."
A wave of Zelena's hand and the purple aura disappeared around Arthur as he was unfrozen. The king rolled his shoulders and flexed his arms at his sides, "Ah. Much better."
Regina's eyes widened in shock, "How..How did?-"
"How did I just do that?"
Zelena smiled and laughed a laugh filled with pure triumph as she showed Regina her uncuffed wrist, eyes glowing with satisfactory.
"Well, Arthur here was kind enough to remove that constricting piece of jewelry, and now? Now I'm granting you the same courtesy."
A beat of silence before Zelena's statement sunk under the brunette's skin as she realized what her sister had meant.
Robin moved to react but he was too late.
A bright green light shined in Regina's eyes before she felt the tightness of the leather cuff constrict her wrist, the magic running beneath her skin; rushing through her veins, had stopped. Her body immobilized as Zelena froze her to the spot in which she was standing.
Regina let out a guttural scream of frustration as she clenched her fists at her sides.
"Regina!" Robin screamed. His eyes flitted to Zelena's, "What have you done!"
Zelena smiled her wicked smile.
"Nothing too bad," Zelena walked towards her sister, "But now you're defenseless."
"You know if you treated her fairly, maybe she wouldn't turn on you," Arthur voiced to Regina from next to Zelena - he had walked next to her the minute he had become free from Regina's spell.
Before Regina could speak, Killian was already at it.
"Yes. Yes she would," Killian retorted, "You don't know what she's capable of, what she's done to us. So I'd advise you to shut it before I come over there and show you what I can do with this," Killian raised his hook towards the monarch, a smile of disdain plastered on his face, his blue eyes darkening, "I don't think you want to find to find out."
Zelena walked closer towards the Round Table, "See but if I did that, Pirate, it would be less enjoyable, and I don't want that," the witch waved her hands in the air. All of the heroes were now frozen to their spots, no ability to move.
Zelena set her hands on the book that took its place on the large wooden table before rubbing her hands together in contentment.
"Oh here we are, one of Merlin's spell books."
"Is it the correct spell?" Arthur asked from beside Zelena.
"Oh, yes. It's quite an ingenious recipe for a tethering potion"
"Excellent"
After looking over the information in the book, Zelena waved her hand over the broken sword, a green aura quickly covering it, then disappearing.
Zelena faced Arthur then, "There. Now you may have a shorter sword than you would like, however it is still able to control the world's greatest wizard."
Zelena looked to the group of heroes, then.
"This was his plan, but I took a liking to it. Anything to get that bloody cuff off of my wrist. Happy to help."
"Much obliged, milady," Arthur replied picking up the sword weighing it in his hands before he thrust it up in the air.
"Arthur, please. Listen to me. There's a way out you just can't see it. There's always a way out. You can start over," Charming told the monarch.
"Merlin!" Arthur screamed.
"You can be redeemed, you can be better, Arthur! You think Guinevere will forgive you for this?" David yelled, matching Arthur's tone.
"Merlin!" Arthur screamed again, the broken sword thrust up into the air.
"Arthur we've all started over," David motioned to the heroes around him, "We have all been bad, but we found our good selves along the way. We've all made bad choices but we've made up for them, we're making up for them."
"Merlin!" Arthur screamed once more.
"Emma is worth more to you as the Savior than as the Dark One, Arthur. With Excalibur, we can get rid of the darkness for good," Regina added with a fire beneath her tone as she stood immobilized now glancing at Zelena warily.
"Villains have been turned into heroes, mate. If you go through with this, you'll never have the privilege," Robin supplied.
It was then that a large cloud of grey smoke appeared beside the monarch, and quickly dissipated to reveal Merlin - confusion and alarm playing across his features.
Merlin glanced first at the heroes and quickly turned to face Arthur.
"Arthur let them go. They have done nothing wrong!"
"Ah, Merlin. So good of you to come when called," Arthur smiled, "And on the contrary. They brought The Dark One into my kingdom, and have threatened the lives of my people. They've broken my kingdom."
A beat of silence.
"For your first task, would you use your magic to keep these imbeciles from attacking me or threatening my plans in any way?"
Merlin not able to will himself of the control of Excalibur, waved his hand over the group
They quickly disappeared.
Robin's bow and quiver, and both Killian and David's swords clattered to the ground with a crash!
The first things Regina registered were warmth and the weight of something binding her wrists. Something of a hard texture was digging into the her inner forearm and her back.
Regina winced slightly as the bark from a tree nicked her shoulder blade.
Goddamn backless dresses, Regina thought to herself as a growl of frustration left her lips.
Her eyes shot open as grey smoke dissipated around her.
Her eyes first registered the green and brown hues surrounding her.
She was in the forest.
Her eyes quickly flitted to the left to the right and to the left again.
Around her, Snow, David, and Hook were chained to trees, like herself, attempting to pull free of the chains.
She could feel the leather of the cuff on her wrist, containing her magic.
She was defenseless.
She attempted to wriggle out of the chains, a low grunt and a quick intake of breath as the chain dug into her wrists sharply sounding from her mouth.
She heard her name sound in a concerned yell behind her, "Regina!"
Robin.
"Robin!"
"Regina, are you okay?" she could hear the concern and worry in his voice.
Regina let a yes escape her lips in a slow exhale, as the fatigue from wearing velvet in the hot sun finally caught up with her, as she was still tugging at the chains.
"Regina stop. I can see you're tired. Don't over exert yourself," she heard from Snow a few feet away from her, also chained to a tree.
Regina slowly came to a stop, her hands stilling.
"Well what do we do now?" Regina asked, with a huff.
"We have to find a way to get out of these chains," Hook replied from Regina's side.
He was also chained to a tree about six feet away from her left side.
Regina rolled her eyes, "Well obviously, Pirate. You think I'd be standing here chained to a tree if I actually had my magic back?"
"I'm sorry your Majesty, but this is our only option," Killian looked to the chains around Regina's wrist- her hands were shaking.
"Regina. You're hands are shaking. Why?"
Regina payed no attention to Killian.
"Regina? You can't be that stubborn. If something's wrong you tell us," Snow added sternly.
"I'm just," Regina let out a slow exhale, "nauseous, and the baby's magic isn't impotent, so when I feel sick, she'll try to heal me which," Regina's brows furrowed in discomfort, "which then causes me to feel like I'm about to faint. Which is exactly what I'm feeling now."
Regina closed her eyes and continued breathing slowly.
Robin looked to the sun beating down on them, and to Regina's velvet dress.
Robin's eyes widened.
"We have to get that dress off of you before you overheat," Robin struggled with the chains, pulling at the them with his wrists in their tight grip.
Robin let out a scream of frustration as the chains didn't budge.
Regina, fatigue practically sucking the life out of her, let her lips slightly pull back in a smile, "You're going to take this dress off of me in the forest?"
"If the situation calls for it, yes"
"Mate, it's no use. We can't get out of these chains," Hook replied cutting off the someone flirtation going on between the Queen and the Thief, trying to wriggle out of the chains as well.
It was then that Arthur and Merlin appeared in front of them, a puff of grey smoke now dissipating into thin air, as they appeared.
"Hello, everyone. Nice to see you could join us," Arthur bellowed from deep in the forest as he walked towards the group of heroes.
Robin looked to Arthur flames igniting behind his eyes, "Where's Zelena?"
"She had her own matters to attend to," Arthur replied.
"What does that mean?" Regina added.
"You think I give a damn about what you're sister is doing, Witch? The lot of you have betrayed me- my trust, my kingdom, and you are going to suffer the consequences."
It was then that they heard the crackling of leaves and footsteps.
Someone was headed towards them.
It was when Regina caught a glimpse of a white cloak and blonde hair that she silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Emma.
"I have the dagger and the flame now give me my family."
Regina could hear the earnest undertone of her friend's voice as things began to spin in her head.
She winced, shut her eyes tightly, and furrowed her brows as a dull pain pounded in her head.
She felt like she was going to pass out right there, and the velvet of her dress wasn't helping.
She could feel sweat pouring down her back, making her clothes stick to her skin like leather.
"No. You will hand over the flame and the dagger, or I unleash Merlin," Regina could her the monarch say in his agitating accent.
Although he possessed the same accent as Robin, Arthur's accent was more dark and cold whereas Robin's was warm and comforting.
It was then that Merlin spoke up.
"Emma. Please I don't want to fight you"
Arthur stepped closer to Emma, Excalibur in hand, "Oh but I do. You, Dark One, have despised and tortured my kingdom enough with your treachery, and I think it would be great to grant you the same courtesy."
A beat of silence.
"So tell us Dark One, who shall I execute first? Your Mother or the Queen?"
"You can have the flame," Emma told Arthur, handing the gold box over to the monarch.
Arthur took the box in a gloved hand, Excalibur in the other.
"And the dagger?"
"Well you're not getting the dagger unless you give me my family back," Emma retorted.
"Merlin!" Arthur screamed, thrusting the sword in the air.
"Emma please. This is a battle you cannot win," Merlin looked to the blonde.
Emma threw on a mask of determination as she lifted her hands towards Merlin.
White and blue rays of magic met in a blast as The Dark One and The Sorcerer battled.
Emma held her own as the Sorcerer blasted her with his magic. If he threw a blast at her she would block it and come at him stronger.
Regina smiled proudly, thinking of almost a year ago when she had first begun to teach Emma magic.
She was reminded of the time in the forest when she had thought Emma had died as the pieces of the bridge collapsed from underneath the blonde.
She remembered the feeling of her heart dropping to her stomach in that moment.
She remembered the feeling of dread.
Regina looked to Merlin once more. Anyone could tell that he was stronger than her. Regina's just prayed that Emma was strong enough to do this.
To defeat Merlin.
"I wish you could defeat me, Emma. But I've played this game for far too long," Merlin spoke to the younger blonde.
Emma flew onto the autumn leaves scattering themselves around the forest as she let out a groan of pain.
Regina let out a silent but slow exhale of relief as she saw Emma's chest rising and falling.
She was breathing.
It was then that Arthur looked to the blonde, a certain fire glowing beneath his eyes as he spoke to Merlin.
"Merlin. By the sword I command you to take away The Dark One's magic."
A beat of silence, and a whoosh.
"And kill the Queen"
Regina gasped, her eyes going wide.
"Regina! NO!" Robin let out a guttural scream as he tried with all his might to get out of the chains tying him to the tree trunk. He saw the vine slither down the tree trunk and down to Regina's neck and his eyes widened in fear, his heart dropping down in his stomach.
No. No. No. Not Regina. Not their child. No. No. No.
Everyone tried to pull themselves out of the chains, grunts coming from both David and Killian as they tried with all the strength they had to break free of the chains.
Mary Margaret felt her eyes go wide upon hearing Arthur's words. Regina looked to her friend with a pleading expression; her eyes red with the irritation of tears as she attempted to rip free of the chains.
Help me.
It was then that the vine wrapped tighter around Regina's neck cutting off her oxygen, Regina gasped, her face getting more red by the minute.
"They won't budge!" Killian yelled to David who was almost five feet away from him.
"Keep trying!" Mary Margaret screamed.
"Merlin!" Robin screamed to the Sorcerer, "Regina's with child! My child! Please don't do this! Fight the darkness, Merlin! Please!"
Regina's eyes bulged as she felt the vine cutting of her airway. She looked upwards, a few tears escaping her eyes as she looked to the sky- looked to the sun.
Maybe if she stared long enough, this would all be over quickly. She had no magic. She was defenseless.
Her and her child were both going to die.
Regina choked on a sob, as she shut her eyes rimmed with red, her eyebrows furrowing.
Emma spoke up then, screaming to the Sorcerer from the forest floor, "Merlin, you are the greatest sorcerer that has ever lived. If you can't fight off the darkness, no one can!"
Merlin's breaths became labored as he willed his hand to move from in front Regina, with a pained scream and a gasp.
Regina let out quick labored breaths, as the vine somewhat loosened around her neck, her face now returning to it's original tan color.
"St-top," the only word Regina could evoke at the moment. It came out as a exhaled whisper, hoarse and not as forced and earnest as usual.
"Merlin! By the sword I command you! Kill her!" Arthur screamed as he thrust the broken sword towards the Sorcerer even more than before.
"Emma, I can't hold him off much longer," Merlin spoke to the blonde. As he stared at the brunette chained to the tree, willing himself to not let the darkness overtake him.
It was then that Regina saw a glimpse of a silver hook before she could breathe again.
Regina coughed and sputtered taking in large gulps of air, before she felt the chains loosen around her wrists. She fell onto the ground her hands catching her fall, fatigue overtaking her as a veil of brown hair fell in front of her face.
"Not today mate," she heard the Pirate's voice, along with a pained groan from Arthur, "I know someone else who needs that."
Killian grabbed Excalibur in his hand, as Emma used her magic to poof Arthur from the forest.
Regina put a steady hand to her abdomen hoping and praying that her daughter was still alive. The moment she sensed the faint pulse of light magic that was her daughter, underneath her fingertips, Regina sobbed in relief, kneeling on the autumn leaves.
"Regina!" She heard Robin scream in worry and concern. Regina looked up quickly to see the group in front of her.
They were now unchained from the trees - everyone except Robin was walking towards Regina.
Robin was running.
Sprinting.
He kneeled in front of her quickly, rubbing a warm and calloused thumb over her cheekbone.
"Oh god, are you okay?" Robin put a strong and steady hand to Regina's lower abdomen as he looked to Regina's face, "Is she okay?"
Regina nodded profusely but still couldn't seem to breathe.
Robin kneeled beside her, one hand on her lower back rubbing soothing circles, the other in Regina's tight, vice-like grip of which met at her abdomen.
He could tell she was trying to anchor herself to reality. That she couldn't seem to regain her stability in that moment.
He could see it in her eyes. In those dark brown eyes, now filled with fear, anxiety, and pain.
Little did Robin know, muddled painful thoughts and memories of Regina's past were running through her head.
Memories of abusive mothers, and kings that didn't listen to cries and pleas of "Stop!" who gripped a certain young eighteen year old girl at the forearms, as he pushed her towards a large bed.
Memories of the banishing of an innocent child through a magical wardrobe, dark curses, and murder, and evil -
Robin turned her chin gently, so she was facing him.
Regina couldn't seem to completely gain focus, at the moment. Her eyes might've been latching onto Robin's face, but only still did painful glimpses of memories make themselves known in her mind.
"Regina look at me"
Robin's warm accent severed the tie that brought those dark thoughts about and she could now finally see the blue of Robin's eyes, the love that shined through them.
Regina gasped looking around at the forest then as she was brought back to reality.
"Robin"
Her voice was but a hoarse whisper, a stray tear falling down her cheek; the white of her eyes a mild shade of pink from irritation of tears.
"Robin," Regina choked on a sob.
Robin wiped away the stray tear, bringing a calloused hand to skim Regina's cheek.
"We're here now, and this is true. Everything is fine. You are fine. Our daughter is fine. Our daughter is alive, Regina. Everything's okay."
Regina repeated the reassuring words as Robin held her close, her forehead on Robin's shoulder as she stared into the nothingness that was the forest floor.
"Everything's okay."
It was then, minutes later that Regina had finally stood, with the help of Robin; the fatigue still messing with her head.
"Regina," she heard her name come from both Snow and Emma in unison as they walked to their friend as soon as they saw her stand.
She looked up slowly wiping at the tears at her eyes.
Emma was walking towards her- with Killian about a foot behind her as he was walking with David. Mary Margaret was a few feet next to Emma, walking towards the brunette worry and concern clouding her eyes.
Mary Margaret set a gentle hand on Regina's shoulder, "Regina, are you and the baby okay?"
A second later and a pair of red rimmed eyes looked to a pair gentle concerned green ones, "Yes," Regina breathed out in a slow exhale, "Yes I'm fine. Me and the baby are both fine," Regina let a small watery smile slip through her features.
Regina then looked away from Mary Margaret searching for the one person she had to thank for that the most.
Regina's eyes fell on his black leather and silver of his hook before they flitted to the sky blue of his eyes.
"Thanks to Killian," Regina let a small smile escaped her usual annoyed facade she would wear when addressing the one-handed Pirate.
Killian let his lips curve into a small smile.
""Killian" now, huh? Where's 'Captain Guyliner' and-"
Before Killian even had the chance to speak Regina was hugging him. Killian stepped back a bit in surprise, but then let his hand steady at Regina's upper back, angling and eyebrow upwards at Robin as Robin let his lips curve into a smile upon looking at how far both Regina and Killian had come.
Regina pulled back slowly after a few seconds her eyes gleaming with unshed tears.
"Thank you, Killian, for saving my life," Regina then, absentmindedly, put a gentle hand to her lower abdomen, "and my daughter's life."
Killian nodded at Regina his stark blue eyes giving off a look that said of course, my pleasure, accompanied with a small shy smirk.
It was hours afterward that everyone had finally made it back to Granny's' Diner. Emma walked in step with Merlin, Mary Margaret next to David, Robin next to Killian, thanking him for saving his fiancé and child's lives with a quick clap on the shoulder and a grateful smile as he held Regina's hand in his as they walked - the sound of lifeless autumn leaves crunching underfoot sounding throughout the afternoon air.
"Emma, where exactly did you transport Arthur?" Merlin asked the blonde as they walked side by side.
"Somewhere that could buy us some time to reforge Excalibur. Miles away from here, don't worry."
It was then that the lit up sign reading 'Granny's Diner' came into view.
"But you don't have the flame. You gave it to Arthur," Merlin replied.
"That was a fake. He's going to be in for a surprise when he opens that box," Emma chuckled softly.
"You enchanted it," Merlin guessed.
"Indeed," Emma answered nodding
"Smart," Merlin muttered to himself.
Emma had already walked farther towards the lonesome building in the middle of the forest, hand in hand with Killian.
The familiar ring of the bell atop the entrance to Granny's Diner registered in Regina's ears as they all entered.
Robin put a hand to Regina's lower back guiding her towards the first booth on the left with a quick kiss to her temple and an offer to go fetch her some tea to relax her throat and calm down her nerves. Regina nodded slightly, still in a slight state of shock from the incident hours earlier. Robin, pressing a kiss to Regina's lips left her without another word.
It was when Robin was walking towards the bar that Mary Margaret came up to him setting a gentle hand on Robin's, a look of sympathy in her olive colored eyes, "I'll stay with her."
Robin couldn't help but this that it was more than Mary Margaret wanting to keep her friend company, it was as if Mary Margaret needed to have a real talk with her oldest friend.
He left Regina to talk with Snow with a solemn nod towards the booth in which Regina was sitting.
"Papa!" He heard Roland's high pitched voice scream in delight from across the diner.
Robin's head turned to see Roland running over towards him, a large mug of hot cocoa in his hands.
"Let me take that for you, Roland. We don't want you spilling it now do we?" Henry came walking forwards towards the young boy taking the mug out of his two small hands gently.
Roland gladly handed the mug over to Henry as he came barreling towards his father, arms stretched wide.
"Papa!"
Robin after giving Henry a look of thanks quickly grabbed his son at the sides as his son jumped into his waiting arms.
"What have you and Henry been doing today?"
"We played Archer and Thief, then we got some hot cocoa with cin-cin," the young boy looked to Henry in question.
"Cinnamon," Henry smiled, finishing the younger boy's sentence.
"Yeah, cinnamon!" The young boy exclaimed, excitedly, his eyes giving off a certain brightness.
"Was it good, my boy?"
The young boy nodded profusely, a large smile curving his lips.
"How about you two go say hello to Regina, I'm sure she wants to see the two of you," Robin looked to Henry, "I'm going to go fetch your mother some well needed tea. I will be right back," Robin put a strong hand to Henry's shoulder as he walked towards the bar of the diner.
Robin couldn't help but feel this sudden sense of anxiety claw at his insides. Like something was doomed to end terribly. He looked to Regina then. She was smiling, Roland sitting next to her in the booth. Mary Margaret sat across from Regina, her eyes bright for the sake of the young boy before her.
Robin made a mental note to take the young boy elsewhere as soon as he got the tea for Regina, he could tell that Mary Margaret really wanted to speak Regina.
"What can I get for you, Robin?" Granny looked over her glasses, into the blue eyes of the archer before her.
She could sense the hint of anxiety in his eyes, she observed the way his pulse got faster by the second. She presumed it was the wolf senses at it again.
Always detecting everything.
"You okay?"
"Yes. Yes, I'm just fine, Granny. I'm sorry I was just thinking about something for a moment; daydreaming I guess," Robin chuckled softly.
"Just wanted some tea for Regina," Robin smiled politely at the gray-haired woman before him.
"She seems to be ordering that a lot. Her usual is coffee," Granny stated. a look of worry and confusion on her face.
Robin looked to Granny then, eyes squinting in suspicion which then turned to acknowledgment.
"You know," a statement more than a question coming from the archer.
"I've known for weeks. When did she find out?"
"Just today. Do you know how far along she is?" Robin asked, Granny, his eyebrows shooting up in question.
"Just today?" Granny asked surprise dripping from her tone, "I figured she'd know by now, she's already three weeks into her pregnancy. Especially with the magic your baby seems to have.."
"How do you know of her magic?"
"This seems like a conversation to be had in the back," Granny waved Robin over. Robin followed.
As soon as they both occupied the secluded area that was the storage closet, Granny began to speak.
"It's my wolf senses. Although I don't turn anymore, they seemed to stick with me. I can sense emotions and for some reason, I guess pregnant woman. I think it just depends on the magic."
"Please don't speak of this to anyone, I don't need Zelena finding out. God knows what she would do."
"Of course," Granny replied. "Now, that tea," Granny voiced the words in a quick exhale as she walked from the supply closet to the behind the diner's bar.
Robin followed The older woman once more.
Robin's eyes trailed around the room as Granny went to work.
Killian and Emma were next to David, Roland and Henry were sitting next to one another; Roland giggling about something Henry had just said. Robin smiled.
His smile dropped slightly as he couldn't help but feel like something was.. off. Robin's eyes trailed around the diner once more to find that Mary Margaret and Regina were nowhere to be found. A quick feeling of dread sunk deep beneath Robin's skin until his eyes caught onto the dark hair of both Regina and Mary Margaret at the front of the Diner. They were outside; into a deep heart-to-heart conversation, Robin presumed as he saw a slight smile appear on Regina's face, and a single tear fall down her cheek, of which Regina quickly wiped away with the slight wipe of the back of her hand along said cheek.
Robin quickly noticed, that oddly enough, both Belle and Merlin were nowhere to be found.
It was then that Robin heard the quick clink of dish atop dish, breaking him out of his thoughts. Robin looked to the noise.
It was Regina's tea - Granny had just set it atop the diner's bar top.
"Thank you," Robin gave a grateful nod towards the older woman before he grabbed the dish, and the teacup's warm side with his free hand.
It was only just seconds later, as he was walking towards the diner's entrance, that Robin heard the familiar accented voice of Belle at the back of the diner.
"You're safe here"
Robin turned towards the warm voice of one of his oldest friends to see Merlin, Belle, and a person in a tattered brown cloak that made it to the person's calves before rips and holes could be seen towards the bottom.
A cloak that looked all too familiar.
The figure turned.
Although the cloak shielded the person's face entirely, Robin could definitely tell that she was a young woman; maybe Regina's height. The only feature Robin could see of the young woman were the light brown curls that trailed down her shoulders.
Belle put a gentle hand to the young woman's shoulder, nodding to the empty booth to her right, a kindness taking over her features. The book lover led the young woman towards the booth, sitting across from her smiling as she began a conversation with the young woman.
"You can take off your cloak if you'd like," Belle supplied whispering, "You're safe here," Belle threw the woman another kind smile.
Two slender and graceful hands met at the sides of the young woman's hood, as she pulled the hood down so that it was now touching her shoulder blades.
All Robin could see now was the woman's light brown curls and the line of her jaw as her head moved only inches to the right.
Robin couldn't help but walk a few inches forward, as if a certain force was pulling him forward by a thin string. Regina's tea cup and saucer shaking slightly in his calloused hands.
It was then that Belle pointed to the menu above the bar top, showing the young woman the food and beverage options Robin presumed.
"The iced tea is delicious," Belle told the young woman sitting opposite of her.
The young woman's head tilted her head in confusion, "Isn't tea supposed to be cold?" she asked. Robin's head instantly inclined upwards looking towards the young woman who had just spoken, her voice seeming all too familiar… just deeper, more mature.
"Where I come from there a various different flavors of tea, iced, warm, it's all very confusing, but I'm sure you'll get used to it," Belle told the young woman.
The young woman then looked to the menu above the diner's bar top, her head turning to the right, Robin could now get a good look at her face.
The imaginary string pulling Robin forward broke as his eyes scanned the young woman's face.
Her facial features. They seemed… too familiar.
The blue of her eyes, the way her smile caused dimples to appear on the sides of her cheeks, the way her eyes lit up at the prospect of something new and different, much like his did, but they seemed less matured… younger.
Robin's mind brought him back to the cloak the young woman was wearing just minutes earlier - the cloak that was now thrown over the booth, tattered, dirty, small - it was obviously not her correct size, as if she had had the thing in her possession for more than a decade.
Robin froze as he felt the earth shift underneath him. He felt his fingers loosen around the teacup that held Regina's tea collide with the floor of the diner, the teacup shattering into numerous pieces on the floor below.
No, it couldn't be.
She was dead, he was sure of it, Robin reassured himself, claiming to himself that he was seeing things.
But her face told him otherwise.
The familiar icy blueness of her eyes, the dimples on her cheeks, her smile.
Robin remembered that smile - his mind bringing him back to the days more than a decade earlier. He remembered playing hide and seek behind trees, as he had read her bedtime stories before she would fall asleep, under her older brother's watchful and protective eye.
He remembered the way she laughed, the way she hugged, the way she said I love you, in her high pitched, small, six year old voice.
This was Rae Locksley.
This was his sister.
