Hello everyone! I apologize for the long hiatus! I was honestly intending a chapter every month, but then I started taking a TEFL course online and that took up a majority of the time I usually put aside for writing. That's nearly done now so I should be able to update more frequently. I have a few other fics in mind as well that may get put up this summer as well.

Not going to lie, I was very angry at Robin's death on the show and wasn't really up to writing fic for a bit because of that as well, which is why it has taken me even longer to get this chapter up. But I've found a new determination as I've come to terms with the fact that from here on out, fanfiction is all Outlaw Queen fans really have now.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Robin followed the path back towards where he and Regina had first separated from their friends. He travelled for awhile, recognizing some distinctive trees and rocks as he went further along, but it was soon dark enough that it was hard to tell. He was half hoping he'd run into one of their friends on the way, but was actually relieved not to run into anyone. The only trouble they ran into was Celia spooking at a few animals that ran past them. Once she was back under control, Robin urged her to move on.

"How far did we actually go?" He asked himself out loud. Celia snorted. "Yeah, well, you don't know either," he scolded her, holding his lantern out in front of him to see better.

After some more time passed, he figured he had to be getting closer, as he and Regina couldn't have been moving for more than a few hours.

"Must be getting closer," he muttered to himself. And then, when he held the lantern up a bit, he saw the rocks they'd been hiding behind days before. He stopped Celia and hopped off her back to walk over. It was quiet, and there seemed to be no one in sight. As he saw no signs of anyone having ever been there, he started to doubt his memory until his eye caught something in the distance.

He held his lantern up and squinted. He saw a green ribbon, dark enough to not be too noticeable even in daylight, tied to a high branch of a tree on the right side of the hill. On a hunch, Robin led Celia slowly down the rocky terrain towards that tree at the bottom. He passed the tree and kept following the new path. He saw an arrow stuck in another tree further down and had no doubt that was a sign to follow.

Robin followed some more of these little clues, which led him off the path and deeper into the forest. Eventually, he saw a flickering light looked like it was coming from a campfire. As he moved further towards it, he came into a well hid clearing where the tents had been put up. Through the trees, Robin saw Will sitting at the campfire, poking it with a stick. As Robin led Celia closer, Will looked up at the sound of something coming and drew his weapon.

"Show yourself!" Will demanded.

"It's alright Will!" Robin said, putting his hands up. "It's just me."

"Robin?" his friend said, his voice sounding relieved.

"It's me," Robin said, moving towards his friend, relieved to be back.

They embraced each other and then heard other movement as the others came out of tents, since they had heard the noise. John, Tinkerbell, Tuck, and Alan came out of tents, looking confused and then overjoyed to see their friend back. At first, their voices got loud in both the excitement of reunion and concern for where Regina was, but the howling of wolves made them quiet down.

"Regina's alright," Robin said, as they all sat down around the dying fire. "She's had the baby. We have a son," he explained happily to their gasps of delight. He continued explaining whom they had met and where Regina and Henry had stayed.

"Regina and Henry should be fine to travel in a week or so, and I'll go back for them then," he finished explaining. "But what's happened here? You've had to move quite a ways."

"Well, we managed to get some meat and other food, but when we came back they had found where we were staying before, so we had to run," John said.

"The Sheriff followed us for a bit," Tink said, gesturing to her and Tuck. "But eventually we lost them and got far enough into the woods that their horses couldn't move as quickly."

"Once we all found each other again, we decided we'd better move on to somewhere else quickly," Will said.

"And when you and Regina didn't come back, we worried you may have been captured, but we decided to put markers out so you could follow us later," Alan ended the story.

"I'm glad you did," Robin said. "I don't think I would have found you for days otherwise, and I'm fairly good at tracking."

"That's what we thought," Will said. "It's as good a place to hide as any for now."

And it was. Over the next few days they were able to hunt and gather undisturbed. Robin set up his own tent, trying to add to it so there would be room for him, Regina, and Henry. Unfortunately they only had so much fabric to make tents with, so right now he was stuck with a small one, but they were still able to come up with more of a settlement than before.

Will came back one day with some chickens and a goat, with a "please don't ask" look on his face. Robin narrowed his eyes, and asked anyway.

"Where did you get them Will?" he asked, suspiciously.

"A farm nearby," Will said. "Robin, we need some meat we won't have to chase after," he continued defensively after his friend glared at him.

"I'm sure those farmers have need of their animals," Robin said, although he knew Will was right. Winter was slowly approaching, and while hunting wouldn't be impossible, eggs and milk were needed in case they couldn't get meat. Not to mention they could kill these ones if need be.

"Do you want to risk Regina and your son starving?" Will asked, exasperated.

"Of course not, but…"

"Next time we rob a carriage, we'll go and leave that farm some gold," Little John intervened. "Okay, Robin?"

Robin could think of no better solution at this point, so he nodded in agreement. Will took the animals over towards a tree and tied up the goat. The chickens didn't go far when he threw some seed down for them, and started making a make-shift pen for them.

Robin turned back toward the woods, hoping Regina and Henry were still okay, even though his heart told him they were. He shivered as he felt the wind pick up, and was even gladder they were indoors, and that Marian and her family had been so generous.

Tuck suddenly came into the clearing, carrying a deer he'd shot. He set it down to start skinning it when he got closer to the campfire. Robin sat down to join him.

"We'll need to cook this up," Tuck said. "It'll keep awhile though."

"Yes, we should do fine. Will brought us some chickens and a goat that he procured from a farm."

Tuck sighed.

"Normally I'd be against it, but we're going to need food. God forgive me," he said, crossing himself. "There's a storm coming," he continued. "I can feel it in the air."

"I know, I can feel it too. I just hoped I'd never have to go back to stealing."

"It's just for now," Tuck said, continuing to skin the deer.

The rest of the day was spent preparing for the storm they could tell was coming with the way the wind was picking up. First they had to find a better shelter for them and the animals. Tinkerbell had found an abandoned barn that wasn't too far away, so they had a place to wait out the actual storm together.

They sat there through the night, listening to the howling of the wind and huddling together to stay warm. Part of Robin really wished Regina and Henry were here in his arms, and another part of him was glad to know they had better shelter elsewhere. Now that they had a baby, he was going to have to figure out how they could hide out long term. They had gotten lucky this time, but after this there would have to be a better plan.

When the storm abated and the weather calmed down, Robin quickly prepared to make his way back to the farm to find her. He wasn't going to leave them alone any longer than he needed to.

Regina sat on her temporary bed, holding Henry as he suckled at her breast. She sighed as she looked at the snow falling harshly outside.

"I hope Papa and the others found shelter," she said to her baby, sadly. "God I hope so."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Marian said as she came into the room carrying a bowl of stew. She sat down next to Regina and put the bowl on the bedside table. If he lived in the woods before, I'm sure he knows how to handle a blizzard."

"I know," Regina said, shifting Henry to her shoulder now that he was done eating. "I just hate that it happened right when I could have started riding back with him."

"It's the way of the world it seems," Marian said. "Do you want me to hold him so you can eat?" she asked, reaching for Henry.

"Thank you," Regina said, handing Henry to her after he'd burped. She ate the lamb stew slowly, savoring it. "This is delicious."

"There's more if you want. My parents will be stranded at my aunt's farm until the storm is over, so it's just us sharing it."

"Well I'm glad they weren't caught out in it at least," Regina said, between bites.

"I know," she said. "You know, there's no need to eat so royally when sitting on the bed you know."

Regina looked over at her, confused and nervous. Why had she said 'royally?'

Marian giggled a bit at her expression.

"It's just, my father keeps saying you always manage to carry yourself like a queen."

She looked away suddenly very nervous. She was able to recover herself quickly, but not fast enough to escape Marian's notice. Regina saw her new friend looking at her strangely, with a rather contemplative expression.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned. "It was only a joke."

"Oh, I know," Regina said hurriedly, putting her nearly empty bowl aside and reaching over to take her baby back. Henry quickly snuggled into his mother's breast while Regina looked away from Marian.

When she finally looked back, Regina saw Marian's eyes had widened and were staring at her.

"Oh my god," she said. "I can't believe I was actually right. Wasn't I?"

"Right?" Regina asked, still more nervous.

"Um, I had this fleeting thought, after the Sheriff came. When you and Robin were explaining what happened and why he was after you. You were so insistent that he hadn't assassinated King Leopold's Queen. For a moment, I thought that the only way you could really know that is if, well, you were her. But then I thought I must be crazy, that there was no way something like that could be pulled off."

Regina didn't speak at first, biting her lip nervously. She could only look Marian, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.

She could deny it. It WAS a ridiculous notion, or would have been in it weren't true. But the woman's eyes were caring, and Regina found herself sighing and simply saying,

"No one can know. Ever."

Her voice shook as she said it. Marian seemed like she could be trusted, but then again, so had Snow.

"But yes. I was the Queen," she continued, emphasizing the 'was.'

Marian nodded slowly, as though she still hadn't been completely sure until now.

"Of course," she said.

"No, really," Regina said, her voice less shaky now that she had resigned herself to honesty. "No one can every know who I was. For any reason, no matter how good it might seem, you can never tell anyone."

"I won't," Marian said, more firmly. "I promise, I won't even tell my parents."

"Thank you," Regina breathed, clutching her baby tighter. I'm sorry, it' just, I trusted someone else with a life or death secret once. And they betrayed me."

"Oh," Marian said, surprised. "I'm sorry, that's terrible."

"I just…I can't bear to lose someone else I love," she said.

"Can I ask?" Marian said, looking sympathetic but confused.

"Yes," Regina said, and simply began telling the story, feeling relieved to finally be letting it out. She told Marian about Daniel, Snow telling Cora, his subsequent murder, and her forced marriage. She even confessed to dabbling in a bit of dark magic before Tinkerbell took her to the tavern that night.

"Wow," Marian said, looking shocked when Regina reached the end of her story. After a pause, she shook her head and said, "I am sorry you went through all that," she continued sincerely. "It sounds dreadful."

"It was," Regina agreed. But it's been better since we've been together. That's why it's been so hard with the weather separating us. He's been my light when I was almost consumed by darkness. I didn't think I'd ever be able to love again. I can't lose him."

"Well, I promise, your secret is safe with me," Marian said, reaching out to take her hand.

"Thank you," Regina said, squeezing her hand back.

"And once the weather eases up, we'll get you two back together."

It was a few more days before it was mild enough out to travel by horse again, and Regina was never more grateful when it did. Too impatient to wait for Robin to come get her, she got Rocinante ready and wrapped Henry in a sling Marian had made for her.

"Take some bread and cheese with you too," Marian insisted, handing her a bag to attach to the saddle.

"No, I can't take any more from you. You're family has done more than enough for mine," Regina said, feeling guilty.

"I'm not going to let you leave with no food," Marian said. Especially not in winter. Plus, Mother would never forgive me if I didn't send you with something."

Regina took the satchel from her and tied it to her saddle, and made sure Henry was securely wrapped.

"You're sure you'll be able to find him, right?" Marian asked.

"I will," Regina said. "If not, he'll find me. He probably left me signs," she continued, finally ready to mount up as she fastened Henry to her body.

To Regina's surprise, Marian hugged her and kissed Henry's head.

"All of you be safe, okay," she said.

"We'll try," Regina promised. "Hopefully, the Sheriff and the King will abandon their crusade eventually."

With that, she mounted Rocinante, did a last check to make sure Henry was comfortable against her, and set off back into Sherwood Forest. The woods were quiet as she made her way back on the path she remembered her and Robin riding down. She soon found the snow was too deep for Rocinante to trek in, and began to simply let him move to where it was easier for him, hoping to avoid him slipping on any ice. The horse eventually moved towards a road that seemed clearer, and Regina was pretty sure she could probably follow it back to Nottingham at least, which might give her a way of finding Robin and the others.

The road was quiet and empty as she made her way down it towards Nottingham. She followed it for awhile, keeping to the side. At one point, Henry woke up and was hungry, so she stopped and got off Rocinante to let her son nurse. Then she was hungry herself so she ate some of the bread and cheese Marian had given her while her horse foraged in the snow.

When she was finished eating and had changed Henry, Regina saw a carriage coming around a bend down the road, with two riders acting as guards. Her fist instinct was to bolt and hide, but that was somewhat difficult with both a squirmy baby who was now awake and a horse. She also realized, especially with her horse, it would just draw attention to her. It was better to act like nothing was unusual, so she simply lowered the hood of her cloak and tried to move inconspicuously down the road, bouncing Henry to try to get him back to sleep. She was thankful he wasn't crying.

As the hooves and wheel sounds moved closer, Regina just kept looking ahead, leading Rocinante by his reins. She was hoping they would just drive on past her.

They didn't, they pulled up next to her and slowed down. Regina kept looking forward, but it didn't stop the man in the carriage from speaking to her.

"Where are you headed in the snow, lassie?" an accented voice that sounded slightly familiar asked. Regina controlled her curiosity, knowing a familiar voice could be even more dangerous. This man could recall Robin of Locksley's wife. Or worse, King Leopold's.

"The Prince asked you a question miss!" A different voice snapped.

'Oh god, it's Prince John,' she thought to herself. This was worse than she thought. She hadn't thought it was a royal carriage, as there were no guards, which was quite unusual.

Prince John was King Richard's younger brother, and had flirted with her obnoxiously at a ball the previous year. Whether or not he would recognize her, she couldn't be sure.

She stared defiantly ahead, not wanting to risk it, before remembering that she couldn't get away with that as a peasant. But it was too late. The driver turned his horses so they blocked Rocinante's path. The two guards in front slowed and turned their horses towards her. Rocinante started, but quickly righted himself. Still the sudden movement scared Henry, who started wailing in his sling.

"Again," the Prince said harshly, "where are you going?"

"Home," she spat out as she stopped Rocinante so she could cradle and calm Henry easier. "Is that a problem? Was it necessary to frighten both my baby and my horse over?" she asked, looking over at him. She held her breath, and her confidence grew as she saw no look of recognition on his face. He was simply irritated by her, and by Henry's wailing.

"Have you forgotten your place, peasant?" A man sitting in the carriage with Prince John asked, with a low and dangerous voice. "You dare speak to your Prince in such a manner?"

"If he is frightening my child, yes," she said, trying to move Rocinante back to get away from them. Henry was still crying and she just wanted to get away from these men to soothe him and find Robin.

"Why are you out here alone with an infant in the first place," the Prince asked, more forcefully, and the man with him (whom Regina suspected was his valet) opened the door to the carriage and made to step out.

"I was visiting friends when the storm hit and now I'm just trying to go back to Nottingham," she explained. "Please, just let me pass."

"Not until you answer some questions," the valet said, moving towards her, looking like he was going to grab Rocinante's reins.

"About what?" she asked.

"We've heard rumors of outlaws around these parts," the Prince said, still sitting in the parts. "Some of them women."

Regina tried to keep a straight face and pretend she didn't know whom they were talking about.

"So, you'll understand why we don't believe you right off," the valet said.

"How old does that baby look?" The Prince asked his valet suspiciously, no longer bothering to speak to Regina directly. "One of the women was supposedly heavy with child when they found them a few weeks ago."

Regina tried to keep her face looking confused and clutched Henry tighter. The valet reached up as if to take her son from her and she instinctively brought up one of her hands and hit him away.

As the valet fell to the ground, the guards reacted, and started moving towards her. Regina started to try to move Rocinante again, but found that when he managed to turn himself around the guards were already there and she was backed into a corner.

"You're not going anywhere, lassie," one of them said, and she noticed the Prince getting out from the corner of her eye.

"You can tell us where the others are," the other said, moving towards her, but suddenly he fell off his horse with a yell as something hit him.

Regina started as she saw the arrow puncturing the man's arm as he lay on the ground in pain. The arrow had managed to precisely hit one of the few spots not protected by armor. Before Regina had a chance to really react, the same thing happened to the second guard. She and the Prince looked over their shoulders and her heart leapt as she saw Robin riding toward them. She and Rocinante were no longer blocked as the guards' horses had bolted in fear, so she urged him forward.

As she turned around the back of the carriage, she noticed the bags of gold at the back and impulsively grabbed one before allowing her horse to gallop down the road. She could hear Robin's horse catching up with them and slowed Rocinante slightly.

"How did you know where we were?" She called out to him as he rode up next to her.

"I didn't, I was just coming to find you," he said back. "It was pure luck."

They galloped a bit further on until they came to a path into the woods that didn't look too bad for the horses to turn onto. Since the guards' horses had bolted, they wouldn't be coming right after them, and the carriage certainly couldn't go that way, even to determinedly follow tracks.

"How is Henry?" Robin asked, worried. He wasn't crying as hard anymore but he still was fussy.

"I'm not sure," Regina admitted. "Once we're far enough from the road we'll have to stop. He was mostly just scared I think though."

"His crying was how I found you. I mean, I would have anyway, I was on that road, but I heard a baby crying and knew it had to be you two there somehow."

They rode a bit farther along until they were far enough away from the road that they felt they could stop and let the horses rest. There was plenty of tree coverage at least. Robin laid out his cloak for them to sit on and Regina sat up against the tree, holding Henry against her shoulder to soothe him. Robin sat down next to her and rubbed his son's back.

"He's grown a lot," he commented, a hint of sadness in his voice that he hadn't been there to see it.

"Yes," Regina said. "He's definitely gotten bigger."

With Henry finally calming down and the fright from being ambushed by Prince John fading, she turned to kiss the man she had been missing for what felt like months, even though it had only been a few weeks.

"I missed you," she said. "That's why I couldn't wait. As soon as it was safe to ride, I knew I had to find you."

"I missed you too. We all found each other and started building more of a camp and then the snow hit. They're all putting it back together but I couldn't wait to come get you."

"Are they alright?" Regina asked, worried for their family.

"We all survived the storm in an abandoned barn, so for now everyone's okay. We'll have to build something sturdier than tents to keep us safe in winter until this business with the Sheriff blows over. If it ever does," Robin said.

They rested awhile, Henry falling asleep and Regina and Robin continuing to fill each other in on what had gone on while they were separated. The woods stayed quiet, so they decided to move on. They walked back to the horses, who were foraging in the grass. Regina noticed she wasn't the only one who had grabbed a sack from the back of the carriage.

"You grabbed some gold too?" Regina asked, smiling.

"Yes," he admitted. "I know I've said I wouldn't go back to thievery, but in that moment…well, it just felt like it was more right than wrong. Especially if…"

"What?" Regina asked, unsure why he paused.

"Well, since I have to back to Marian, Rebecca, and Richard's farm to give Celia back, I'll bring them some of the gold. To keep them on their feet so they don't have to deal with the damn Sheriff anymore."

"I agree," Regina said with no hesitation. "After all the help they gave us, it's the least we can do."

"Honestly, I'm willing to give it all to them, we can live without it," Robin said as they mounted up and started riding again.

"We can't go into a village or market without risking getting caught anyway," Regina said in agreement. "If they don't want to take all of it, I'm sure there will be other people who need gold."

They rode through the woods for awhile in silence before Robin spoke again.

"Do you know, this feels kind of good?"

"What does?"

"Stealing for others. I used to just do it for myself, to get by. But this, this feels different. Like, there's a purpose to it."

He smiled at her, and she returned it. She knew he had been hoping for a new type of life after they escaped from King Leopold, and didn't want to go back to his old life. But here was a way of making it seem worth it, giving them a reason for this life to be just as good.

"So," she asked coyly, "you want to be a thief again?"

"Only an honorable one milady," he said, using his (and her) favorite nickname for her. "Only and honorable one."

With that, they continued through the woods back to Marian's farm, where they would leave the bags of gold in their barn with the returned horse. Then they would take their son back to their friends, and embrace their new lives as outlaws officially.