Hi guys! Thank you for all your reviews (I love each and every one of them). I haven't answered any, and I apologise for that, but hopefully this chapter makes up for it. I'm incredibly exited about this one -it feels like I've been waiting for ever to finally reach this part of the story. I apologise for any remaining typos, but I can't wait any longer before posting this. Enjoy!
Regina didn't know whether to feel blissfully happy or incredibly angry about the position she was in.
Her proposition had been simple: Mulan and Aurora would give one of their horses to Robin and her, and in exchange she would tell the princess how to save her prince once they had successfully retrieved the magical oak's ashes. The two women had agreed, but only if they could accompany them –obviously, their trust in Regina was slightly lacking. The latter had reluctantly accepted the deal, but only once Robin had told her that it was safer to travel in a large group, especially if ogres were roaming around.
The presence of two unwanted guests was not, however, the reason why Regina felt both frustration and elation in equal measure.
Robin had adamantly refused to let her take the reins of the horse they were sharing, despite her perfectly sound argument that she was the better rider. According to him, she was still too weak and needed her rest. Their argument had taken place in heated whispers, and it had taken all of Regina's willpower not to raise her voice as she gave the patronising man before her a piece of her mind. Her diatribe had been cut short when Robin had looked at her pleadingly and told her that he needed her to get better. After that, she had been unable to do anything except nod numbly in acceptance.
So here she was, sitting behind Robin on the chestnut horse, her arms firmly wrapped around his waist and her head resting between his shoulder blades. She was supposed to rest, sleep a bit if possible, but her body felt so alive she had trouble even closing her eyes. She was aware of the heat of his skin underneath the clothes she had conjured up for him –his only concession in terms of her using magic. Even he could agree that their Storybrooke clothes were inappropriate for what lay ahead of them, and she got the distinct impression he was glad to wear clothes reminiscent of his outlaw days. She herself thought he looked quite dashing in them, and she automatically tightened her arms around him as traitorous images flashed through her mind. Robin turned his head slightly.
"You all right?" he asked softly. Regina nodded mutely, grateful that she managed to contain her blush to the back of her neck and thus save herself from embarrassment.
The whole situation was a landmine. The position they were in was far too intimate, and she dreaded the implication it would have if her mother ever found out. But as Robin had pointed out, her riding in front wouldn't be much better –actually, in would probably be worse: just thinking about his arms wrapped around her waist sent Regina's heart racing. No, their arrangement was the only option, no matter how uncomfortable it was.
Or maybe the problem is that it is far too comfortable, a sardonic voice chimed in her mind, which she shut up immediately. She really needed to sleep.
"Regina?" The voice hesitantly wrapped itself around her name, speaking volumes about the level of uncertainty that clung to their alliance. She twisted around in the saddle so that she could look at the princess, who rode in a position similar to hers behind Mulan.
"Yes?" she answered, trying to keep her tone neutral but friendly –not something she was particularly used to.
"Is your son named Henry?"
Regina's reaction was instantaneous: she leapt off the horse and with a wave of her hand sent Aurora flying from where she sat and tumbling to the ground. Regina covered the distance between them in three short strides and her fingers formed the all too familiar chokehold as she snarled into the redhead's face.
"How do you know about my son?" Blood was rushing in her ears as fear and anger pounded through her veins. How was this possible? Was Henry in danger? She could dimly hear Mulan's shouts but the haze which surrounded her only broke when strong, warm arms wrapped around her body and dragged her away from Aurora, who dropped to the ground wheezing.
"Breathe, Regina, breathe."
She followed Robin's instructions and her heartbeat calmed down slightly, but she still shook under the strain of her barely contained rage and terror. Her eyes fixed upon the princess, she growled:
"Explain yourself. Now."
Leaning on Mulan, Aurora struggled to her feet. Her eyes were wide with both shock and resentment when she spoke.
"I meet a boy in the Netherworld every time I go to sleep. He says his name is Henry, and when he learnt that I lived in the Enchanted Forest, he asked if I had seen his mother, the Evil Queen. And Robin Hood," she added, her gaze flicking to the man in question.
"The Netherworld?" Regina whispered, her anger dying down but her fear increasing tenfold. She had completely forgotten the aftermath of the Sleeping Curse. Guilt threatened to take her breath away as the extent of what she had unwittingly inflicted on her son hit her.
"What happens there, in the Netherworld?" she asked, hating how anguished she sounded. "Does he suffer?"
The hesitation on Aurora's face spoke volumes, and Regina would have sunk to the floor had Robin not held her up.
"No," she moaned, her eyes burning with tears.
"It's not that bad," the princess rushed to say. "We end up in a room where we are surrounded by flames. They can't hurt us there, although the heat is pretty bad. We only face the consequences when we wake up." She rolled up her sleeve to show the angry, blistered burn on her forearm. Mulan gasped before bringing the arm closer to her so that she could examine it more thoroughly.
"Why haven't you told me about this?" she asked.
Aurora shrugged. "We've had other things to worry about."
Regina meanwhile was swallowing back the bile which had risen in her throat as images of Henry's skin, red and cracked open, flashed through her mind. But, surely…
"They're helping him, aren't they?" she croaked. "Miss Swan, Mary Margaret, David? They aren't allowing him to get hurt, right?" They were nauseating goody two-shoes, but she couldn't deny that they loved Henry and would make sure that he was safe and sound.
"I'm not sure who these people are," the redhead answered, "but he said his other mother and his grandparents had got a magical necklace from the Dark One so that he could control his actions in the Netherworld."
Rumpelstiltskin? What kind of deal did they make to secure his help? Regina wondered. Aloud, she said:
"But does he still get burnt?"
Aurora nodded, looking apologetic. Regina shuddered, her chest constricting painfully. Robin tightened his arms around her.
"There are effective ways to treat burns and pain back in Storybrooke, and the boy is well looked after," he whispered in her ear. "You mustn't torture yourself over this."
"He's suffering because of me and I can't even help him," she whispered back. "Why am I even trying to return to him? All I've ever done is cause him pain. I don't deserve to be in his life."
"Don't you dare say that," Robin said hotly. "You heard what Aurora said, he was asking after you. He obviously still cares." Raising his voice, he addressed the princess. "What is it exactly that Henry told you?"
"He wanted to know what you two were up to, and if you were ever going to come back. I told him that we had captured you on your arrival in this world, but that you had escaped after you," she said, pointing at Regina, "fought against the other witch. He was worried that you might have been hurt in the fight, but I'll be able to tell him that you're all right when I see him tonight."
"He really asked about me?" Regina queried, hardly believing her ears.
Aurora smiled. "Repeatedly. He also said that his family has been trying to open a portal using some kind of hat."
Regina looked up at Robin. "They must be really eager to get you back."
He chuckled. "I've been told it's the dimples. No one is immune to their charm." Regina rolled her eyes and smacked his arm, which only made him laugh.
"Don't underestimate the sway your son holds, though," he murmured, serious once more. "That lad of yours can be a real mule, and I can guarantee you that he's campaigning to get you back as we speak." Regina could only nod, too overwhelmed by the possibility that Henry actually wanted her to come back. She clung to the hope that maybe there truly was a way for them to salvage their relationship. Her resolve to leave this world as quickly as humanly possible strengthened.
"When you see him tonight," she said to Aurora, "tell him that we will be home come midday tomorrow, and that we will appear in the well situated on the outskirts of the forest. And tell him," she swallowed painfully, "tell him I love him."
"I would be grateful if he could give the same message to my son," Robin interjected quietly.
"I will," the princess promised gravely.
The group stood still for a few second, the moment broken when Mulan loudly cleared her throat.
"We better get a move on if we want to reach the Summer Palace before dark," she said, putting her foot in the stirrup and jumping up on the saddle.
Robin let go of Regina and copied the warrior. Only then did Regina realise that they had been in an embrace all along. What have we done? she thought as she grasped the hand Robin was holding out to her to pull her up behind him. She sent a prayer up to the gods that word of what had happened didn't reach her mother, as their small group set off again.
"We're here," Robin said as the horses finally crossed the line of trees onto the beach. The Summer Palace lay in front of them, slightly to their right. He heard Regina take a short intake of breath, lifting her head off his back, and he couldn't help but smile. She had fallen asleep a while back and was only now waking up.
"What time is it?" she asked, her voice still raspy with the remnants of sleep. Robin looked up at the sky before answering.
"We have a good hour before night falls."
"Perfect," Regina replied. "That should be enough time for us to go in, get the ashes, and leave again. Stop the horse."
Robin did as she asked and Regina jumped to the sand. She looked at their companions. "If you two set camp on the outskirts of the forest, Robin and I will go into the palace. I trust you'll be able to hunt down something suitable for our supper?" she said, addressing Mulan. The warrior nodded.
"That won't be a problem."
"Wait a minute," Aurora interjected. "Why are we sleeping out here when we could all have proper beds in the palace?"
Robin saw Regina tense up, her face becoming dark as she stared at the princess. Dread filled him as he understood that she had painful memories associated with this place, and he quickly intervened.
"The castle was badly damaged when the Dark Curse was cast, and we have no idea what may have taken up residence there. Moreover, by staying on the beach, we have a better idea of what is going on in the area."
Aurora didn't seem convinced, but to his relief she didn't argue any further. Robin saw the grateful look Regina gave him, but her face was grim when she spoke next.
"Let's do this."
Robin turned to their horse, but she added, "No, I'll transport us there."
He shot her a pointed look. "That's unnecessary."
She rolled her eyes at him, clearly exasperated. "Look," she said, pointing at the causeway leading to the palace. "If we ride, we will be exposed to anyone who's watching. Magic is the only way we can guarantee a minimum of discretion." Her jaw clenched. "And it reduces the amount of time we spend in the vicinity of that building."
Taking in her expression, Robin reluctantly agreed with her. He wrapped his hand around hers, and they disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.
They reappeared in a large, dark room. The furniture was overturned and smashed, making it look as if a tornado had swept through what appeared to have been a bedroom. Robin could make out a rocking chair, a dresser, and a badly destroyed cradle. He suddenly understood where they were exactly. He whirled around to look at Regina, whose face was closed off.
"This was going to be Princess Emma's nursery, wasn't it?"
She nodded stiffly. "This is where Snow, Charming, and I were when the Curse transported us to Storybrooke. He had been injured by one of my guards, and she was weeping over his body for the loss of her daughter." He saw her shudder violently. "I just laughed."
At a loss for words because of the self-loathing he heard in her voice, he slowly approached her and put what he hoped was a comforting hand on her right shoulder. Regina didn't moved her head to look at him, but she lifted her left hand to cover and squeeze his.
Finally, she took a shuddering breath, breaking the spell they had fallen under. "We better set that wardrobe on fire". Following her gaze, Robin found the object in question. He wondered how he hadn't noticed it the moment they appeared in the room: the oak took up the whole wall it leant upon. He stepped closer to get a better look.
"The craftsmanship is stunning," he murmured, admiring the intricate carvings. "You said Gepetto made it?"
"Yes. He always was incredibly talented. You know," Regina said wonderingly, "I think it has grown since the last time I saw it."
"Really? Is that normal with magical oaks?"
He saw Regina smile at him, clearly amused by the, admittedly, badly thought out question. "Due to my limited experience with magical trees, I cannot give you any definite answer."
Robin ignored the red tint of embarrassment that was growing on the back of his neck. "It's a shame we have to destroy it."
"I know. But it's the only means we have to get home and back to our children."
"Well then," Robin took a few steps back. "I believe it's time for you to strike the match."
"Oh, I can do so much better than a match, dear."
Magical fire or not, it still took time for the wardrobe to burn down. Robin and Regina had sat down a while ago, leaning against a wall as no chairs were in a fit enough state to hold their weight. The sun was setting, its pale rays pouring in the room through the windows, competing with the glow of the slowly dying flames. The atmosphere, the situation, it was all otherworldly and Robin felt as if he were suspended in time, moving in a realm beyond any he had previously known. Rationally, he told himself he should be feeling hopeful, maybe even at peace: they were on their way home, Roland would be in his arms tomorrow and he was going to save the life of the woman he loved. But some nagging piece of anxiety resided in the pit of his stomach, and he found it impossible to fully appreciate the serenity of the instant.
He glanced at Regina. She was staring at the flames, which were reflected in her eyes. Her mouth was pressed into a thin line, and he realised her whole body was rigid with badly suppressed tension.
"Regina?" he asked quietly. "What's wrong?"
Her head jerked around to face him, confirming his suspicion that she had been lost in thoughts that had taken her far away from here. She opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it again and turned to look at the fire once more. He studied her intently, and noticed the vein which throbbed at her temple –a sure indicator of her inner turmoil. He was so busy trying to come up with a way to soothe her that he nearly jumped when she started to speak.
"I never spent much time in this place," Regina said in a tightly controlled voice. "This was the palace Leopold and Snow went to every summer, and I was rarely invited to join. I was glad for the reprieve it gave me, but it was also meant as a signal that I had no say in where I lived, or in where I could go." She paused to think. "I believe I left the Winter Palace once in the whole duration of my marriage."
Robin felt the familiar anger and frustration rise in him. He still couldn't wrap his head around the level of neglect Regina had been subjected to, and he wished there was a way he could take away the pain she still felt, even after all these years. He desperately wanted to take her in his arms and offer whatever comfort he could, but the look on her face told him the last thing she wanted was to be touched. So he waited, certain that there was more to the story.
Regina drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, her hands clutching at the fabric of her trousers like claws. As if in a trance, she said mechanically, "The only time I ever spent here was two door down, during my wedding night."
Robin closed his eyes, failing to shield himself against the images that assaulted him. He didn't know what to do to help Regina, to get rid of the pain and the anger and the hate. So much cruelty, he thought bitterly. So much waste. He struggled to breathe calmly, not wanting to attract any attention to the turmoil he was experiencing. A tear escaped from beneath his eyelid and burnt as it slid down cheek. A cool hand wiped it away before it could reach his chin.
"Robin?" Regina murmured worriedly. He opened his eyes and saw that she was on her knees beside him, concern and uncertainty etched upon her face.
"I'm sorry," he said in a voice heavy with suppressed sobs. "I am so, so sorry."
Panic flashed across Regina's features. She quickly grabbed his face between her two hands. "No, gods no, there's no need to be sorry. This place has brought back difficult memories, that is all. I'm all right, Robin. I swear I'm all right."
Her eyes were flitting nervously over his face, and he saw her try to smile at him. It was a small, tentative smile, and it made his chest constrict painfully. He forced himself to breathe in deeply, before slowly letting the air out.
"You, Regina Mills, are the strongest person I know."
Her cheeks were tinted with pink when she let her hands drop. "I'm not the only woman to have ever been trapped in an unhappy marriage."
"No, you aren't," he agreed. He lifted her chin up to make her look at him. "But that does not nullify what I just said."
He could see flecks of gold in her eyes, illuminated by the dying sunshine. He tensed when he felt her swallow underneath his fingers, and he quickly pulled his hand away.
"I think we can collect the ashes now," she said, not looking his way. Robin glanced to his right, and saw that she was correct. He stood up, taking her elbow and hoisting her with him.
"Good. Now let's get out of this hell hole."
Regina had just settled down under the covers. Robin had insisted that she take first watch, emphasising her need for uninterrupted sleep, and she had grudgingly agreed. They had switched a few minutes ago, and she watched him where he sat, on the opposite side of the fire that flickered brightly in the middle of the loose circle their four bodies formed around it. They had argued about the risks involved with building a fire: Regina had wanted to forgo lighting one, but Robin had pointed out that the nights were still cold and that wild beasts would not hesitate to attack them if they didn't set up a deterrent. Regina had acquiesced, but only if she could cast a concealment spell. That had led to another drawn out discussion, which she had eventually won when she promised to wake him up a midnight and go to sleep then.
She couldn't sleep, though. Too many thoughts whirled in her head, and too many emotions fought for her attention. The visit to the palace had been draining, and the memories had taken her by surprise. She bitterly wondered when –if- she would ever be free of the nightmares Leopold had subjected her to.
The guilt she had felt when seeing the destruction of the nursery had also caught her unawares. She was disgusted by the person she had been. The furniture had reminded her of Henry's bedroom when he was a baby, and she could suddenly share the anguish Snow must have felt when the Dark Curse had hit. She wasn't responsible for the separation between the royal couple and their child, yet she felt the urge to apologise for having been a catalyst. Regina certainly didn't like the other woman, but the mad edge to her hate had finally abated, and she was ready to walk away. To be indifferent. It was a relief: that chapter of her life was over, and she could breathe again.
And Robin… she had never met so much empathy in another person. His persistence in shouldering burdens that weren't his to carry astounded her. If she had known he felt her pain so keenly, she never would have shared it with him –something, she knew, he would never agree with. He hated it when she bottled things up, had already told her that is wasn't healthy. In truth, he worried about her far too much and that, in turn, worried her. The care he exuded was so strong she felt it wrap itself around her like a blanket -never stifling, always gentle. The depth of his emotions elated and terrified her in equal measure: she wanted nothing more than to drown herself with him, but there were so many obstacles –too many. Her mother, her son, her past, Storybrooke… there were so many ways in which Robin could get hurt because of her, and she never wanted to see pain in his eyes again.
Regina focused her attention on the man across the fire from her, and realised that he was drawing. She knew he kept his notebook and a pencil tucked in his breast pocket –he had asked her to magic one for him when she had given him his current outfit-, but he hadn't taken them out until now. Regina watched, transfixed. His blue eyes were glued to the paper, his stroke was assured, and never seemed to falter. His brow was furrowed in concentration, his whole body appeared to be involved in the creative process, with his shoulders slightly hunched and his breathing shallow, as if his heartrate had increased in excitement. She thought his hands danced across the page in a choreography that was lost to her, but that meant everything to him.
Robin suddenly stopped and straightened his upper body to get a better look at his drawing. He nodded once in satisfaction, before quickly scribbling something at the bottom of the page –the date, she supposed.
"I never said thank you," she whispered. Robin's head snapped up immediately, his startled gaze meeting hers through the flames.
"Whatever for?" he asked, confused. His face quickly turned stern. "You're supposed to be asleep."
Regina ignored that particular remark. "For your drawings of me."
"Oh." He looked down at the notebook on his lap, slowly closing it. Regina thought he appeared suddenly shy, and she struggled to clarify her feelings.
"They are beautiful, really. You are incredibly talented, but they…they…" How could she explain that they embodied how he felt about her, how she felt about him? The drawings were her, assuredly, however they were her protected and care for by him.
Her, infused with him.
Them.
Robin had lifted his eyes to meet hers again, questions and hopes burning in their depths. She took a shaky breath. "You see me, in all my flaws, but even that you turn into something to be treasured. There's no judgement under you pencil, only ever care and tenderness with which you fill in the cracks that riddle me."
She saw him swallow with difficulty, and his voice was gruff when he spoke. "I only try to represent what I see."
Regina smiled softly. "Exactly, what you see. Every work of art is an interpretation of the world, not reality itself. And the way you interpret me… it's the kindest, most touching gesture anyone has ever done for me."
There were so many words they wanted to say, so many touches they wanted to give. However the circumstances weren't right, the risks were too great. So their eyes spoke in a thousand silent ways, and caressed where they met in the heart of the flames.
"Well, here it is. Lake Nostros."
They had rode all morning, the sun had nearly reached its pinnacle, and they had finally arrived. Regina felt they were so close to getting home that she could almost take it on the tip of her tongue. She glanced at Robin; he was beaming, and heat spread in her chest in response.
"But there's no water!" spluttered Aurora, her eyes wide as she looked at the barren expanse of land spreading before them. It was only due to the fact that the princess had spoken to Henry and faithfully transmitted their message that Regina resisted the urge to snap at her.
"A lake may dry up on the surface, but its waters always remains deep below ground," she explained as patiently as she could. "I'm simply going to summon them." Not seeing the point in any delay, she lifted both her hands. A loud crack echoed around the small group as the earth split open and water gushed out, rapidly spreading to the size of a pond. Regina wanted to jump around in glee. We're one step closer to getting out of here.
She swung her leg over the horse, already reaching into her pocket to retrieve the ashes, but her view of the lake was suddenly cut off by Mulan manoeuvring her own mount in front of her.
"Not so fast," the warrior said, also jumping down to the ground to stand in front of Regina. "You promised to tell us how to save Philip once we reached Lake Nostros. We've upheld our part of the bargain, now it's your turn."
Regina glowered at the woman, her hand automatically lifting to conjure a fireball. She clenched her fist, refusing to give in to her instinct. After all, her reason told her that Mulan had a point. She and the princess had been honest, if slightly annoying. Moreover, no soul deserved to spend more time than necessary –if any- in the company of a wraith. Regina nodded to the warrior, acknowledging her words, but she addressed her instructions to Aurora.
"As I've told you already, there are no guarantees this will work." She nearly smiled at the stubbornness etched upon the princess' face. "Some people have speculated that the restorative powers of Lake Nostros would allow a soul to be saved from a wraith. All you need to do is throw the amulet into the water once you have wetted it with a few drops of your blood. You are linked to Philip because he is your True Love, so his soul will be the one summoned. The waters will have washed off the amulet's imprint on his hand, so he should be safe from any form of retribution by the wraith."
"Thank you," Aurora said quietly. Regina looked at Robin, who nodded once before handing the reins of the horse to Mulan.
"Thank you for the help you have given us," he said. "And good luck." The warrior smiled at him –the first genuine smile Regina had ever seen her give.
"You are welcome," she said. "I hope everything turns out the way you want it to," she added, glancing at Regina.
"Me too," said Robin. When did they have the time to become so friendly? Regina wondered, promising herself to ask Robin about it.
"We'll let you go first," Mulan said, this time addressing Regina. "Just to make sure that the wraith doesn't go after you again." Slightly startled by the thoughtfulness, Regina nodded, stepping towards the water's edge. Her hand trembling with apprehension, she carefully poured the ashes into the lake, projecting pulses of magic to activate the portal.
"It's working!" Robin exclaimed jubilantly. "You brilliant woman," he told Regina, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her up. She laughed aloud with him, relief and joy coursing in equal measure through her veins.
"Yes, Regina. How truly astounding of you."
Regina nearly choked on her own breath. They had been so close to making it. Both Robin and she quickly spun on their heels.
"Hello, mother. And…Hook. What an unpleasant surprise."
Cora and her leather-clad sidekick stood right behind Aurora and Mulan, who had stepped back a few paces to be level with Regina and Robin. The latter and the warrior had already unsheathed their swords.
"You were the blacksmith at the camp!" Aurora said incredulously, pointing at Hook. He sneered.
"Not my primary occupation, believe me."
"Indeed," Cora purred, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Killian has been an invaluable help as a spy. But then, so have you." She pulled out a pulsating red heart from inside her robe and tossed it at Aurora, who nearly let it drop to the ground.
"Wh…what?" she stammered, both her and Mulan's eyes wide with disbelief before both they and their horses vanished, dismissed by a wave of Cora's hand.
"When did you take her heart?" Regina said through clenched teeth.
"Last evening, of course. Really, darling, you should learn to take better care of your minions. It never does pay to split up and leave them unprotected."
So when they were in palace collecting the ashes. Regina struggled to remember everything they had talked about, the information her mother had been privy to.
"No need to puzzle your little head, Regina," Cora said. "I know everything I need to know. How you plan on going back to your world, where you'll end up in Storybrooke if you use that portal, and," she smiled and paused for effect, turning Regina's stomach over in the process, "I know all about Henry."
Regina couldn't think beyond the barely veiled threat made against her son: she started attacking immediately. From the corner of her eye, she saw that Robin had engaged Hook in a furious combat –she instinctively knew he regretted not carrying his bow. He had hung it on the saddle, and it had disappeared with their horse. He had told her he was a good swordsman, but he was unbeatable with a bow and arrow: he would have taken down the pirate in a heartbeat. She dragged her attention away from the worry she felt for Robin, focusing fully on her mother. It had been decades since she had magically fought another witch, and Cora was one of the most powerful around. She hissed in frustration when another one of the fireballs was blocked by her mother.
"I have to say, darling," drawled Cora, "I am impressed you're still capable of resisting me, even if it will only be for a short while. I'm so glad to see you haven't gone completely soft over the years."
Regina didn't bother responding. In all honesty, she was starting to feel the strain: she hadn't recovered all her strength yet, and despite her mother's backhanded compliment, she knew she wasn't at her best. She could feel the traction of the portal behind her, beckoning her to jump. How rotten could their luck be? One minute and her mother could never have followed them. But they couldn't risk using the portal before they had neutralised Cora. If she ever crossed over to Storybrooke, no one would be safe –especially not Henry.
A yelp on her left distracted her, and she instinctively reinforced her shield as she looked at Robin, relieved to see that he was all right, despite a cut across his thigh. To her great satisfaction, he had managed to knock Hook unconscious. Their combat had taken them a good ten yards away from where she stood, and he was making his way to join her side again when she saw her mother disappear in a plume of smoke. Regina immediately cast a shield around Robin, knowing that Cora had transported herself behind him –most likely to steal his heart.
"Nice try, darling, but I'm not that predictable."
Regina was struck on the back of the head, pain slicing through her. Her vision swam and took a few seconds to rectify itself. When did I end up on the floor, she wondered confusedly as her ears rang. A muffled cry captured her attention again, and pulling herself up to her knees, she realised that the pain in her skull was nothing compared to the crushing feeling in her chest.
Robin lay crumpled at Cora's feet. Her mother's left arm hung limply at her side, blood pouring generously out of a wound. Her other hand held up a beating heart.
"No," Regina rasped in agony. Cora winced as she lifted her injured arm, but fascination took over her features as she trailed a finger across the red organ.
"My, my," she whispered in wonder. "I had heard of this phenomenon, but I thought it was only a folktale. I would seem I was wrong." She looked at her daughter appraisingly. "This is going to hurt." And then she squeezed.
Regina screamed as ashes fell from between her mother's fingers. Not knowing what she was doing, she lifted her hands, a bolt of white light shooting forth and sending Cora flying. A loud crack resounded in the air, but Regina didn't pay any attention to her mother's prostrated form. She scrambled to her feet, ignoring the dizziness she felt standing up, and approached Robin –she refused to think of it as 'Robin's body'. She wrapped her arms around his torso, dragged him with difficulty for a few yards, and then let herself fall backwards into the dying portal.
Regina smacked her head again when they landed. She was sitting on some sort of stone, and cold water came up to her chest. The well, she thought confusedly. We're in the well back in Storybrooke. Robin lay across her, his head lolling on her right shoulder. She pressed her cheek to his wet hair and closed her eyes. She couldn't look at his face, terrified of what she would see. Or wouldn't see.
"Regina? Robin?"
"Is that you?"
"Mom?"
Several voices echoed throughout the well but Regina was unable to make out who was speaking. She suddenly felt like she was choking, the walls closing in around her as panic settled in.
"Get us out of here!" she yelled frantically. Time, such precious time, was slipping through her fingers. A tingling of magic she was intimately familiar with surrounded them, and she found herself sprawled upon the forest floor, slightly crushed by Robin's weight on her. She struggled to sit up, still clutching him to her chest. A small congregation was facing her, and her eyes jumped from one person to the next as she searched for the only one who could help her. She met the incredulous gaze of Charming, Snow, Ruby, Emma, whose arms where wrapped around Henry to stop him from moving forward. Regina's heart missed a beat as she stared into her son's frightened eyes. She could barely imagine what she looked like –torn clothed, wet, bloody from the wound on the back of her head- but she couldn't stop to reassure him. The next eyes she met, though, derailed her completely.
"Papa?" Roland said, his small voice uncertain as he looked at Regina. Little John was holding him in his arms, his face a white as a sheet at the sight of his best friend. Regina's throat started to close, but she pushed down her emotions –she needed to focus.
"Take him away. Now." she harshly told the burly man, who with one last fractured look spun on his heels and did as she said. Regina ignored Roland's cries even as they tore through her self-control, her eyes finally finding the man she needed.
"It's Cora," she told Gold. "She crushed his heart. Do something, anything. Please." She would beg, would make any deal, to save the man she held in her arms. "Please," she whispered again when Gold didn't answer immediately.
"Dearie," Gold said in a soft voice which only increased Regina's terror tenfold. The man didn't do compassion, but there was no mistaking his tone or the sad look in his eyes. "You know there is no magic strong enough to bring back the dead."
"Don't say that," she snapped. "He's not dead, he can't be dead."
"Regina," Gold said. "Look at him."
She couldn't. Her body started to shake violently, the tremors rippling through her like waves. Clenching her teeth and closing her eyes, she forced herself to turn her neck. It was stiff, refusing to cooperate. Taking in a shaky breath and ignoring every warning her instincts were yelling at her, she looked at Robin's face. She nearly screamed. His eyes, his beautiful eyes, were no more. Staring sightlessly at a point above her head, they had lost the spark which had twinkled so merrily at her, their brilliance snuffed out like a candle's flame. The fire that had set her alight again was gone forever, the man she loved was dead.
Desperate sobs rose in her chest and were ripped from her throat. Tears started streaming down her cheeks, blurring her vision. She tightened her arms around his chest and buried her face in his neck.
"Robin, Robin, Robin," she crooned. It was only him and she in this moment, nothing else mattered beyond the smell of him or the feel of his skin against hers. She cried for the words she had never said, the moments they had never been able to share, the future she had hardly dared to dream of that they would never build.
"Robin, please, please. I can't go through this again." No, she couldn't. The last time she had lost the man she loved it had very nearly killed her, and somehow this felt worse than when Daniel had died. Maybe because she knew what pain lay in front of her, or maybe because the love she and Robin had shared was more mature than her first love had been. She didn't care. He had turned her life around and given her the strength to choose a path she could be proud of. But she needed, wanted, him to walk it with her.
"Oh, my love," she whispered in his ear, agonised. Her right hand blindly moved to cover the spot where his heart had been. She remembered how wildly it had beat when she had kissed him, or its steady rhythm beneath her head as it rested against his back when they rode. The image of Cora crushing it flashed through her mind and she flinched, moaning because of the pain that sliced through her. She couldn't stand it anymore.
Regina lifted her head and, making sure she held Robin securely, she plunged her hand into her own chest. Ignoring the gasps issued by the watching crowd, she pulled out her heart. The pain didn't lessen, but the sight of what was in her hand surprised her so much she forgot about that troubling fact. Her heart looked nothing like it had the last time she had looked at it. Instead of being mostly black, it shone red. The blackness hadn't entirely disappeared of course, but it no longer dominated and seemed to be receding, like a bruise in the process of healing.
However, it was the other change that held Regina in thrall. A golden band split her heart from top to bottom, separating in into two equal parts. She remembered the fascinated look Cora had had when she had examined Robin's heart, and her talk of a folktale she had never believed was true. Apparently, they shared more than a soul.
Suddenly, Regina knew exactly what she had to do to save him. She looked at Gold and thrust her heart at him.
"Split it," she ordered. She saw his eyes widen as he noticed the changes that her heart had undergone –after all, who better than he knew of its aspect?
"A soulmate's bond," he murmured to himself, taking a step forward to have a better look. "How fascinating, and rare," he added, staring at Regina. She didn't care for his theoretical musings and impatiently waved her hand at him.
"Just do it," she said, nearly growling when he shook his head.
"It's never been done before, and there is no guarantee it will work."
"We'll never know if we don't try."
"Hang on a minute," Emma interrupted. Regina didn't bother to look at her, but she felt like scratching the other woman's eyes out. "What is it that she wants you to do?" she asked Gold.
Gold's face was a mask when he answered the blonde. "Regina wants me to split her heart so that she can share it with Robin." He glanced at the brunette. "There's a very good chance it could kill her."
"I don't care!" Regina erupted, frustrated beyond belief that they were uselessly wasting time. She persisted in only addressing Gold. "Do you think I care about my life right now? Do you actually think it matters if Robin is dead?" Her voice cracked on the last word, but she soldiered on. "I refuse to go through this agony again. Not after Daniel. Not after the madness." She saw a flicker of uncertainty in his dark eyes, and she latched on to it. "You took advantage of me," she accused. "You manipulated me until I became the tool you needed. You owe me." She thrust her heart out to him again. "Split it."
Seconds ticked by. Regina held her breath as she waited, and exhaled in relief when Gold slowly took the beating organ from her. She wrapped her arm around Robin's chest again and buried her face in the crook of his neck.
"This is going to hurt," Gold warned. Nothing can hurt as much as this, Regina thought idly, but she did clench her jaw painfully when the sound of splintering glass reached her ears. She only looked up when she felt someone crouch beside her. Gold was holding up the two half of her heart, one in each hand.
"Push them in at the same time," she told him quietly. He nodded once; both knew this was the part where everything could go wrong if their bodies rejected the transplant.
Gold placed each half above her and Robin's chests, and then pressed them in.