19-Nineteen

A/N: Hi there, I know that it's been a long time since I've updated. I apologize for my hiatus. Enjoy this chapter and glad that I'm back. Leave me a review and let me know what you think. -RG

Regina trembled as Robin pulled from her frame, feeling sated and sweaty. Suddenly, she wasn't sure how to respond to what had just happened.

Fear crept in to her as she thought of what her mother could do if she was caught in such a state.

Robin must've picked up on it because he asked, "what is it?" Placing his hand gently against her cheek, her eyes wavered. They'd just given into physical desire and yet, he was gentle with her.

"This was…" Robin's eyes softened and kissed her lips lightly, "amazing," he finished. Seeing the sincerity in his face and the love behind them, she wanted to cry.

"A mistake, Robin." Dropping his hand from her, he frowned. Feeling rejected and inadequate, he suddenly was embarrassed of his naked form.

Regina reached down and picked up her skirt, pulled it over her body and crossed her arms in defense. "It didn't feel like a mistake."

He avoided her eyes and stood to pull his garments back up his body and buttoned his pants. Quickly, adding his shirt and jacket, he shuffled around to grab her clothes and hand them to her.

Regina looked full of guilt as she slipped her panties back on followed by her skirt. Robin handed her the bra that he'd recently discarded with his teeth.

A faint blush crept up his cheeks as he remembered the sound she made upon the clasp opening. Only, now he felt dirty somehow for doing so.

Her shirt was slipped over her shoulders and buttoned, as he adjusted his shoes and tied the laces.

The silence in the room was unbearable but he didn't want to say anything, and Regina was too much of a coward.

Apprehensively, she slipped a glance toward him, but his eyes weren't on her. He looked down at his task and she slipped her heels on.

He stood first, and she followed him toward the door. At first glance, her cheeks were still flushed, hair mussed and neck turning colors from his love bites.

His back was stinging from her nails biting into flesh, only when he looked at her, she looked embarrassed.

"I'm sorry if I pushed you do something you didn't want to do." His words were sincere, and she saw the honesty underneath. The look he gave her now, was one of uncertainty and apologetic.

"Robin, you didn't make me do anything. I just can't do this." Her hands gestured from herself to him before dropping to her side.

"Tell me why, please" His words were pleading but her heart was tugging and tearing. "It's dangerous, I won't put you at risk. You have no idea what my mother is capable of."

"I'm not scared of her, Regina. I'm a big boy, I can handle myself." Regina crossed her arms, "that's what I thought about Graham, he was the sheriff for God's sake. If he couldn't protect himself, what makes you think you can?"

He knew she was right about that, but he couldn't help himself from wanting to prove her wrong. This was the first time she'd let her defenses down and, he was determined not to let herself cower away now.

"So, you expect me to walk out of this door and be done with this? Can you do that? Can you walk about after what's happened between us?"

Regina blushed, but looked away before she could fall prey to his convincing logic. "I never said that it would be easy to do it, but yes."

Robin scoffed, "I can't do that, I don't want to. I feared getting close to you because I know what it's like to lose someone. Only, you're right here and I'm losing you."

Her eyes filled with tears, "you don't really want to be with me." His hand reached for hers, but she slid her hands from his grasp.

"You don't know what I want." It was true, she had no idea what was in his mind or his heart. Things progressing this fast wasn't in her plan nor was it an idea that she could cling to.

Robin said, "if you're mother wasn't in the picture, would you still run away?" Regina's eyes met his, "I'm not running."

Rolling his eyes, he corrected, "fine, would you give up so easily?" Unsure, she shrugged her shoulder, "honestly, I don't know. I suppose not."

He took a tentative step forward, "then, let's pretend that she's not here. I can see you privately. We don't have to be seen together."

Regina bit her lip, "are you talking about an affair? Robin, that's hardly the example I want my son to see."

Shaking his head, he continued, "he doesn't have to know. I wouldn't want Henry to deal with more on his plate."

Heat crept up her neck as she felt anger spilling over, "I can't put him through anything else. I'm trying to shield him from anything that could harm him. This is compromising that. How can you ask me to put him at risk? You at risk?"

Understanding her view point, he sighed, "I understand. I suppose that I may have rushed into something that I wasn't prepared to happen. I apologize."

Regina nodded, as he reached for the door. He looked back at her and behind her to the office that was now tainted for him.

"Can I at least walk you to your car?" Regina looked down, "I don't think that's best." Her eyes darted from his, "we may be seen."

Robin slumped his shoulders in defeat, "then, I bid you farewell, Regina Mills." One last time, he placed his lips on hers just barely.

Then, he turned and walked out the door leaving Regina behind ash she'd asked. The turmoil he felt in his heart filled him as he walked out into the cold air.

When Regina was sure that he'd gone, she covered her mouth with her hands to muffle the sobs that escaped. Tears spilled from her eyes and she collapsed onto the floor in a heap of sorrow.

.~.

As if things weren't hard enough, Robin was faced with Marg the next morning. He'd gotten no more than an hour of sleep, if that. His face was pale, and he hoped a shower would wake him up.

Pouring coffee into a large mug, she turned the corner with a bright smile, "morning, Robin." With an almost grunt, he acknowledged her with no more than a nod.

"Are you alright?" Finally turning toward, her, she gasped at the look on his face. Dark circles under his eyes, deep grooves between his brows, and a permanent frown.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry, I've been rude. How are you?" Marg's eyes continued to gaze at him in surprise, "I'm okay, Robin what happened?"

Unable to speak of it, he shrugged, "just a long night. I'll be fine once this kicks in." Holding his mug, up she nodded.

"Have a good day, Robin. I'll see you at lunch?" "Sure," he quipped and walked out of the room.

Making his way to his office, he avoided eye contact with anyone and dreaded the meeting he was about to have with two catty little girls.

Standing out of the door, they stood facing away from one another with arms crossed. "Ladies, come in."

Setting his bag aside, he gestured toward the chairs and they took their seats. "Now, let's pick up where we left off, shall we?"

Rachel and Suzanne nodded, he sat down as the third party and said, "alright, Rachel we left off with you explaining why you feel the need to write obscenities about Suzanne in the girl's locker room."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "I know that I shouldn't have written them. I'm sorry." Suzanne shrugged and averted her eyes.

Robin directed the conversation, "Suzanne, what is your vocal response that." She scoffed, "I'm not able to accept your apology. You made up rumors about me now the whole school things that I have an STD. How is that okay?"

Rachel looked guilty, "I went overboard. I admit it. I told them I made it up." Suzanne scoffed, "why do they still call me sicky Suzy?"

Rachel giggled, "It was funny." Robin interjected, "let's stop there. Rachel has apologized and Suzanne you can't accept. I can understand that. Now, I want you to grab your notebooks. Write out your apology and Suzanne, I want you to write a polite statement about how that makes you feel."

Taking gulps of coffee, he tried to let the caffeine take hold of his veins, only it wasn't working quite like he'd hoped.

Exhausted mentally, he wrote the girls a note to return to class and instructed them to return a week later. Having to intervene catty behavior wasn't his idea of fun.

Luckily, he decided to slip out of the office for an early lunch. Caring not about how he was standing up Marg. It wasn't in his plans to be chatted up about his appearance and demeanor.

Instead, he walked to Granny's to grab a burger thinking it would make him feel better. The moment he walked into the diner, he wanted to leave.

Regina and Emma were sitting at a table just inside and he made eye contact with her. The guilt and embarrassment touched her eyes and he instantly shifted his gaze away.

Walking up to the counter, he ordered his burger to go and sat at the stool. With as much willpower as he could muster, he kept his back to her.

Every inch of his skin was pleading for him to look in her direction, to go to her and say something.

Flashes of their night together began to take form in his mind. Her mouth open on a sigh, nails digging into his flesh, and the way she clung to him.

Shaking his head, he tried not to let his feelings take him down the worm hole further. His chest felt tight and an ache radiated behind his eyes.

Granny held out the paper bag and he took it, "thank you." Turning around he kept his eyes down to avoid another awkward moment.

He kept his eyes on his shoes and walked out of the diner and toward the trees. He didn't want to have his lunch with Marg or with anyone else.

The clarity of the forest would be a good place to fill his belly and empty his mind.

.~.

Emma saw her reaction to Robin walking into the diner and her quick aversion to his face. "What was that all about?"

Regina shrugged, "what?" Pressing, she said, "I thought you and Robin were on speaking terms?"

The look on her face shown Emma that there was something she wasn't saying. "Tell me."

Regina blushed, "I…" She put a piece of hair behind her ear and absently pressed her fingers to the turtle neck she was wearing.

The marks he'd left weren't easy to hide, that morning she looked in the mirror and instantly was brought to tears.

Now, sitting at the table, she wasn't prepared to discuss it. "It doesn't matter." Regina put another bite in her mouth and chewed slowly.

"Did you sleep with him?" Eyes flashed up in shock, "what?" Emma smirked, "you did. How was it?"

Regina turned a deep shade of red and the tears formed in her eyes, she cleared her throat. "It was a mistake."

Emma furrowed her brows, "what happened?" Regina shook her head in disbelief, "he got a not in the mail, from her."

"Are you kidding me?" Regina sighed, "no, I can't believe that I let it happen. It was stupid, and I let my guard down. If she finds out…"

Emma placed her hand over her shaking one, "it's going to alright. When did he get the note?"

Breathing deeply, she said, "yesterday. It's starting. I told him to go, that I can't see him anymore."

Emma frowned, "I'm sorry. That must've been awful, how did he take it?" Tears slipped down her cheeks, "I hurt him. I know that I did."

"You were doing what you felt was right." Regina dropped her fork, "I did what was easy. I gave into my mother because she has a hold on me. I couldn't let him fall prey to her. It's not fair."

Emma looked at the look on her face. The heartbreak was apparent, and she'd hurt a man that she had feelings for. "You're protecting him. He has to understand that."

Regina scoffed, "that's the worst thing, he's taking it better than I would. I would've been livid and lashed out. He was a perfect gentleman, and I still let him walk out the door."

Silence fell, and she let a few more tears fall before she picked up her fork and willed herself to eat.

Starving herself was only going to add to the ugly pit in her stomach. Robin's face as he walked out of the diner stuck in her mind the rest of the day.

As Regina walked into her office, she looked around the room and frowned. Sitting at her desk, her eyes focused on the very spot that her bare ass had rested when he'd collided with her.

The heat in her core began to pulse as she remembered the feel of his hands as he hoisted her up against him. His strong grip and the smell of forest green aftershave.

Her eyes closed as she remembered his stubble grazing her skin and his lips locked on hers. The knock at the door jarred her form her transitive thoughts.

A man in a black suit stood at the door, "Regina Mills?" Her breath caught in her throat, "yes."

The man strode toward her with a manila envelope and handed it to her, "I have a delivery from inmate 2237. There will be a hearing on Tuesday next week. Your attendance is strongly advised."

Regina's had shaken as she took the envelope and nodded. The man turned and walked out of the room.

Opening the tab, she pulled out the single piece of paper scribbled with her mother's handwriting.

Regina, dear,

I have a hearing coming up and would like your help. They need character witnesses for my upcoming second trial.

I trust that I can count on you if you want to keep the man who has stolen your heart. That thief has no right to you.

However, I'm willing to overlook such things, if you attend and help with my acquittal.

See you soon, darling.

Mother.

Regina threw the folder and its contents in the garbage and felt her throat tighten. There was no way she was going to help her.

Robin and she weren't together, and she was determined to keep him out of any mess that he could get entangled with.

Settling back at her desk, she ignored her thoughts and pushed Robin to the back of her mind. Getting to work, she tried her hardest to forget the request her mother asked for.

Several minutes later, another knock came from the door and she looked up at familiar eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Robin stood with his hands tucked in his jacket pockets. "I saw some strange man walking this way. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

He stood in the doorway unwilling to take a step inside, fearing breaking another boundary limit she undoubtedly had set.

Relaxing, she glanced at the trash where the folder laid in, "I'm fine. It was a delivery from my mother."

Robin tensed, "What is it?" Regina sighed, "A letter and a request." He could tell she was avoiding his eyes and the desk was a barrier between them.

Scratching the back of his neck, he asked, "should I even ask?" Regina stood and walked to the trashcan, pulled the paper up and handed it to him.

Her arms crossed defensively around her, but she desperately wanted him close. He read the words and held the paper back out to her.

"A thief?" She shrugged, "my mother loves her nicknames. Listen, I'm not planning on getting you involved in this."

"I'd say it's about ten steps past that. She knows." She nodded, "I know but I'm not planning on attending this hearing of hers."

Losing his resolve, he said, "if you don't, you're putting me in danger. I thought you wanted to avoid that."

Her eyes met his, "Robin…" He shook his head, "I understand. It's your business. I just wanted to make sure you were safe. I'll keep my promise."

Turning toward the door, she reached out and grabbed his arm, "I'm sorry." He looked at her, "me too."

He grazed her cheek with the thumb of his hand and leaned forward and kissed her forehead. A tear slid down her cheek as he walked out the door.