Chapter 14

So many reviews taking my breath away! I was really nervous about the Rumple stuff as I don't know I did him justice, especially the pre curse version. Some people have asked good questions:

Will Snow White be anyhow part of this story? Yes she is. We have to deal with Regina's vengeance.

Are they in love now? I think there are different stages of love so while I think they are falling in love it's not at the level where they are willing to change for the other. (Especially on Regina's side).

Will he drink the potion? Certainly not willingly.

The dart fell harmlessly to the ground as its shooter backed up and disappears. Robin, realizing what just happened pulled a very angry Regina to the side, trying to use the trees to their advantage and hide them.

"Unhand me, I'll take care of him!" she shouted.

"Not until we know how many of them there are!"

Regina shook her head. "It's just one, Merek McKinnon!"

How does she know that? "Who?" He pulled out his bow and quiver. He didn't get a chance to look at the attacker at all.

Regina sighs, "He's a paid assassin. Rowan hired him to take you out."

Robin's mind can hardly process what the queen is saying. Who is Rowan? And why are they coming after him? Before he can ask, he hears a click sound. Both he and Regina glance over, just as a dart lands on his bow. Robin glances in the direction it came, and even though he missed, the shooter had great aim to come so close from such a great distance.

They immediately move. Robin tries to scan the forest where the attacker went but he's very well camouflaged. Behind another bush, Regina explains, "These darts are covered in a very powerful poison. It works so fast, I won't have time to heal you with magic."

"I see, when were you planning on telling me this?"

Regina ignored his question, looking up into the sky, she said words he didn't understand and shot her hands straight up. Purple streaks left her hands and went up to the sky and at once clouds formed, dark and moving. Robin was immediately awestruck - she could control the weather? The raindrops fell, hitting Robin in the face, forcing him to look down. His eyes focused on a figure who wasn't facing him, but Regina. Immediately, Robin jumped towards Regina pushing her down and thus breaking her contact with the spell.

"You fool!" she shouted. "I didn't have a chance to complete that!"

Robin didn't care, he looked behind him and saw the dart that hit the tree, it would have easily hit Regina had he not shoved her. "You can thank me later for saving you." Of course he knew technically he already owed her a debt for saving him.

Getting up, they scrambled again, she was frustrated. Robin made a mental note that when one interrupted the queen's magic, she could get grumpy. "Do you know where he is?"

"No," she whispered. "But now the rain is coming down hard, his darts won't work."

So that's why she did it. "So he's at the disadvantage. Let's go after him!"

"Wait, Robin!" she ordered but he was already off. The idea someone was wanting to kill him was driving him to capture this man, this McKinnon, and find out what the hell was going on. His bow ready, he sprinted through the woods very fast, he guessed Regina wasn't used to duck and cover strategy. He had to find this guy, not just for his sake but for Regina's too.

Unfortunately the rain was also hindering his sight. And the sound it made prevented Robin from hearing the footsteps of the assassin. At the root of a great tree, Robin spied an area where the trees were thick, possibly a place where McKinnon could hide. He waited to see if this man targeting him would emerge. Instead, movement to his right got his attention. It was Regina! She was stepping out directly in the open! What was she doing? He was about to shout to her, to tell her to get back but that's when the blade appeared right in front of his face. His assassin had found him after all. For a split second, Robin's mind shuffled through various memories: his mother, Little John, Marian, Roland, Regina. Robin clenched, waiting.

Except nothing happened. Why hadn't McKinnon killed him? Robin turned to his attacker, discovering the man was frozen in place, he wasn't even blinking. Robin got up slowly, his eyes never leaving the man who remained motionless. He was deathly still. He was about to ask what happened until he saw it. A dart in the attacker's shoulder.

By now Regina was beside him. "I took that last dark out of the tree. I knew you were stupid enough to try to jump him in the woods so I had to act quickly. I saw him right before he was on you and rain can't stop a magical shooting dart."

"No, I guess not," Robin said sadly, ignoring her insult.

"What's wrong?" Regina asked while wrapping her cloak around her in an useless effort to keep dry.

"I don't like to see someone die, Regina," Robin answered honestly.

She scoffed. "He was trying to kill you…us. And he wouldn't stop after you. He's the best murderer in this land."

"How do you know?" Robin asked, his eyes still trained on the dead killer.

"Because I-I've hired him myself."

"Who?" Regina asked. "Who did Rowan hire?"

Rumple giggled. "Who do you think? Merek McKinnon."

Damn! "When?"

Rumple mockingly put his hands to his chin as if was hard to recall. "Hmmmm, I guess it was a week ago."

"A week? He could be here by now."

"He certainly could be. Too bad you led Robin here. I hear it's almost impossible to find the infamous Merry Man camp. He'd have been safest there."

Regina paced trying to think fast. Home for Robin would offer only short term protection, eventually he'd be out on a job or mission and McKinnon would strike. In fact, he was doubtlessly waiting for Robin now. "Let's…let's make that memory potion."

Rumple leaned back, crossing his arms in his usual stance. "If you do value the thief's life, and it seems to me you do, you probably don't want him wandering around the forest unaware he has a target on his back!"

"I know that!" she snapped. "We'll have to take care of McKinnon first."

"We? I think there are better uses of our time then trying to protect a mere outlaw, especially with a former Dark One's student on the way!"

"I don't mean-" she had to stop, arguing with Rumple was even more of a waste of time. "I mean Robin and me. I'll stay with him until McKinnon shows up, kill him and come find you."

Rumple laughed. "Just like that? With or without ROBIN?"

Regina glared at Rumple. "Without. Just make me the memory potion."

"You hired him?" The rain was bearing down so hard, Regina couldn't see his face. It didn't matter, she could picture the look of disgust he probably had. "It's not important, we have to take shelter!" The wind was picking up.

Pulling up his hood, Robin pointed at McKinnon, "What about him?"

She didn't really care. "He'll be swallowed by the animals of the forest soon enough. Let's go."

"Wait, Regina!" When had he started using her name so freely? She knew it didn't matter, soon she would have to use the potion. Of course, telling him about it was a mistake. She had no idea what possessed her.

He was besides her, "Do you know where you are going?"

"Of course not, but it beats standing still and arguing with you." As she was walking, the ground beneath them was now mud and very slippery.

"Just turn off the storm!"

Shaking her head, she leaned up against a tree as she tried to step through some giant puddles. "I can't. When you tackled me, I wasn't able to finish the spell so I can't just stop it. We have to wait for it to run its course."

"Lovely," he stated. Again, she imagined under his hood he was rolling his eyes.

"I may remind you I did it to save your life!" she said, still thinking about the memory potion.

"And I may remind you that I was just trying to save yours!" he shot back.

She almost laughed. He was too irritating. Her thoughts so occupied with thinking of a clever comeback, she lost her footing and slipped. Robin caught her before she landed on the ground. They were face to face now, she was so close could make out the hairs on his beard. "Th-thank you."

He didn't move. "You're welcome."

Just then lightning lit up the sky and a loud clap of thunder jerked them back from each other. Robin looked around, "Look, do you see that?"

Another flash of lightning helped illuminate the area Robin was speaking. A cabin! Without a moment to lose, the pair headed for it. She just hoped they wouldn't find more danger.

Once inside, they shut the door, keeping the storm on the outside. Regina lit a fireball so they could see where they were as well as to help dry them off. Her eyes grew as they went around the cabin. This was where they first met! "How did we…this couldn't be?"

Robin looked just as bewildered as her. "I don't know. I thought this cabin was miles away but I'm not going to question it. Not right now."

Taking off his cloak, he knelt down in front of the fireplace. The wood he had gathered before her was still there. He got the fireplace ready and turned to her. "Would you like to do the honor?"

Immediately the fireplace was lit and he backed up. Regina took off her own cloak and gloves. Grabbing a chair she sat down, rubbing her temples, the day's events getting to her.

"So why did you hire him?" She should have known he wouldn't have let that go. "Who did you have killed?"

"Nobody you know." It was a long time ago. When she first came to power.

He scoffed. "I'm sure. After seeing the horrible way he kills, I would have heard about it. I can't believe you would pay someone to take another's life."

She mockingly laughed. "Oh yes, give me a lecture on morals, thief!" How dare he? "After Leopold died, a few thought a kingdom now ran by a woman would be easy pickings! One particular thug didn't waste any time moving into one of the villages and making it into a new base for smuggling and who knows what else. If any of the citizens got in his way, he would beat them or kill them. So, yes, I did pay to have him taken out."

She watched as Robin kept near the fire, trying to dry his shirt. She did her best not to notice how the white material was practically transparent. "Why didn't just use your magic?"

"Because I wasn't ready for people to know that about me, yet." She leaned back. "Whatever you may think, there was a threat against me and my own people. He had to be eliminated."

"You didn't think sending your guards to arrest him wouldn't have been better?" Robin was staring into the fire. Regina was glad, she didn't want to look at him.

"Would have that been any different? It would have ended the same way, he'd be executed."

He changed positions so his back was to the fire. "Yes but it's still a process and working with the laws. Undercutting that"

Her eyes narrowed, "I know what you are saying and I absolutely agree. That's the way I would deal with it now, but back then, the guards were not the black knights now. Leopold's soldiers were only loyal to him, I couldn't trust them." She could feel the bitterness from how she felt then return like it was merely yesterday. "I couldn't trust anybody."

She glanced over at her satchel she'd been carrying, she had placed it on the table. It held the potion. Why had she told him about it? She shouldn't have.

"Thinking about your potion?" he asked.

How did he do that? "No," she denied too quickly.

"What good would a forgetting spell do me?"

He was facing her now. She forced herself to do the same. "It would only let you forget me…our time. You could return home and live as you did before."

His face softened. He took the other chair and placed it opposite her. "Why would I do that?"

"Why wouldn't you?" His eyes were trained on her. "Why would you want to remember me? I'm the evil queen who-"

"Regina, stop." His voice was husky which did give her pause.

She leaned back in her chair, trying to get some distance. "You're a fool, Robin. I bet your own men would pay to have you forget me."

His expression told her she was right. He shook his head, "I'm not a fool. I know of the great and terrible queen, I've seen what you are capable of." Regina blinked and looked away. Wanting him to say it didn't mean she liked hearing it. But he wasn't finished. "But she isn't here."

"What?" came her confused reply. Then she realized what he meant. "You really are an idiot, then."

"I met the queen the first time here with Roland. That feels like ages ago. Back then, I never would have thought that girl I once saw was still in you."

Now she was truly confused. "Girl? What girl?"

"The girl who was crowned as queen." He leaned back now. "I was there."

She stood up, shocked. "You, you did? But how? Only nobles and royals-"

"I wasn't always a fugitive, Regina." He smiled but it did not reach his eyes. "My mother had died just before and things were strained between my father and me. Before he kicked me out we had to keep up appearances and it was always expected of the Locksleys to attend a coronation!"

She wouldn't have been more shocked had he told her he was the crown prince of Narnia. She tried to think of something to say, anything. "You were actually there?" came her rather obvious statement.

He chuckled, "Oh, we weren't important enough to warrant an introduction! Just one of the lesser noble families up in the mezzanine who got to witness the ceremony. I was so lost in my own grief but seeing you with the crown on your hand, the king at your side, you looked so incredibly sad."

So it was pitiful sight then. A jolt went through Regina and she stood up. "So you felt sorry for me, did you? I hardly think that's enough to explain away the truly sinister things I've done."

Standing up too, Robin realized her fears. "It wasn't like that! For some reason, I felt this connection to you. I don't know what. It was powerful. I never-I admit I never forgot it. Hearing about your terrible acts, and I heard plenty, my mind always wondered what happened to you. Why you gave into this dark nature."

"No, this is dark nature!" Regina pointed through the window at the storm outside. "What's inside me has always been there, it just took…" she stopped. She almost spoke his name.

"What? It just took what?" He got up behind her and placed his hand on her arm. "I want to know."

Damn him. Why couldn't he have just let her stay out in the storm that first time? "No, you don't. And you're the last person I want to tell."

Slowly, he stepped to the side, gently turning her towards him. "I believe that's probably true. But I won't believe you are lost to the darkness. You can still be a good person, Regina. You've shown it before on your own. In your bedroom where that squirrel cone sits. Or in your carriage, you let the tears come after being touched by a poor village's sincere gift."

"It wasn't because I was touched, I simply was eager about having a priceless dinner set I could sell-" she stopped talking as his fingers were under her chin. Gently he raised her head to look him in the eye.

"And Sade?"

"Sade?" She was too engrossed in the blueness of his eyes to even remember her name, much less a merry man.

"The boy you encouraged? Regina, he's been in my camp for months and I did my best to get him to see how useful he was to us. But one conversation from you was all it took. Do you not see the good in you when you're actually helping people?"

She reached for his hand, meaning to push it away from her face but he took it in his. He pulled it close to his chest. It took her a moment to ignore the sensations. "One good deed is not going to undo the misery-"

"No," he stepped closer to her. "But it's a start. The fact you want to undo it at all-"

Their noses were practically touching. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on what she had to say. "Who said I want to undo anything?"

She didn't get a verbal reply. His lips were on hers. She started to jerk away but her hand was still in his and he used his other to pull her closer. Her body essentially molded to his and she forgot everything.

So reviews! Please! I have a feeling though I know where y'all want this story to go, but it always is good to hear it officially.