"Regina. Regina. Regina." The voice was becoming more insistent.
Her eyes were heavy. She didn't want to open them. The earth was shaking. What was going on? Where was she? Wait. It wasn't the earth shaking. Someone was shaking her. Manhandling her more like it. Who would dare? She forced her eyes open and flinched as the light hit. Her head was pounding.
"Oh, thank God." Robin said relieved. He tried to pull her into a sitting position. She didn't think that was such a great idea. She felt her stomach turn over and tried to breath through it, but it wasn't working this time. She was going to be sick.
Robin recognized the queasy look on her face and quickly pulled her upright and turned her to face the bushes. Holding her up with one arm wrapped tightly around her, he took his free hand and quickly scooped up her hair keeping it out of her face as she vomited into the bushes. She collapsed back against him. Her skin was still a sickly color and she wasn't making any move to get away from him.
"Your majesty, are you alright?" Robin asked after they'd been sitting there not moving for at least ten minutes. Regina was just resting against him breathing heavily.
She'd heard him. She just wasn't sure she could answer. She had never felt this tired before. This was not good. The pain in her head was an intense pounding and having her eyes open to the light was only making it worse. She still felt sick to her stomach and she was barely able to maintain a sitting position with Robin's help. There was no way she was up for moving. Not to mention they didn't really have a plan anyway.
"I…think…we're going to…have to rest…here…for a while." She managed to get out.
Robin was immediately on alert. She definitely was not alright if she was asking to rest. Robin gently moved her back to a laying position and hurried to the car. He managed to climb in and retrieve the bag of supplies Snow sent which was shockingly still there completely intact. He found the first aid kit and pulled out a water bottle and an apple. The Queen liked apples. Maybe that would lift her spirits a little.
"Your majesty, I'm going to sit you up again. I think you'll feel better if you eat and drink something." He heard her mumble something incoherently and took that as a yes. Pulling her into a sitting position again he propped her against a tree. He pulled out his hunting knife and sliced the apple up. He handed her a slice, but she let it sit in her hand, making no move to bring it to her mouth. Her eyes were drooping again.
"I know you want to sleep, but I think you need some food first." He held the apple to her lips and she parted her lips and bit off half the slice. Something was definitely wrong. She never gave in so easily. He fed her another slice of the apple. He stared at her lips. She was infuriating and rude, but she was beautiful. He blinked quickly to change his line of thinking. He grabbed the water bottle and forced her to take a drink. After a few more slices, her eyes remained open and she took the water bottle from him finishing it and the apple. He noted her face had regained it's normal coloring. That was a relief. She also seemed a little more alert.
"Are there any more apples?" She asked.
He reached into the bag and found another. He handed it to her. She stared at it for a moment.
"Slice it."
"Can you say please?"
"I'm not your son. I don't need lessons on manners from you, thief."
"Clearly you do, or you would have said it on your own."
"I am the Queen. You will do as I command." She said glaring at him.
"I thought there were no Queens in Storybrooke. Isn't that what you said, your majesty?"
"We're not in Storybrooke anymore."
Robin let the words hang in the air as he sliced the apple and handed it to her. Unpleasant as she was being, it did at least mean she was feeling better. He flipped open the first aid kit.
"That's not going to help. We're going to have to find some water and wash out the cuts. We can't just pour antiseptic all over our bodies." She said.
He looked up. He hadn't realized she was paying attention. She had finished the apple. That was fast. She must have been starving. She was fumbling in the bag herself. She pulled out a second bottle of water.
"Snow should have packed more water. Though I suppose she didn't know we'd be traveling by car and water is quite heavy." She took the lid off the water. "Have you had any?"
Robin shook his head. She held out her hand with the water in it. "No. You go ahead. I'm sure you can magic us some more if we get your strength back."
"At least take a drink. You can't very well protect me if you're falling over from dehydration."
Robin took the bottle of water and took a long drink before handing it back. She quickly finished off the bottle and moved to stand.
"Whoah, there. I thought you needed to rest." Robin said.
"We also need to clean out these cuts, so we need to find water before it gets dark." She stood. The pounding in her head was leaving her with a slight feeling of dizziness, but she was overall feeling much better. Though still completely exhausted. "You're the one who spends all his time in the forest. Which way to water?"
Robin frowned and took in their surroundings. Surveying the scene he quickly picked the direction he thought would lead them to water and she followed in silence.
After walking only five minutes they found a small lake. Regina dipped her hand in testing the water. She couldn't sense anything magical about it. It seemed safe.
"You go first. I'll look away. And then you can go back to the car and try to set us up a camp while I clean up." She said.
"I'm not leaving you here alone." Robin said.
"And I'm not washing up with you gawking at me." Regina said.
"I would n-"
"It's not up for discussion." She turned away from Robin and the water.
Regina's mansion was silent. The power had gone out with the storm, but Rumple had lit the candles and now the house was flickering with candlelight everywhere. Roland and Henry had gone to bed and most of the others had moved to their sleeping quarters as well.
Snow was halfway sitting up in Regina's bed. Her back ached. Being pregnant was uncomfortable. She moved another one of Regina's silk covered pillows behind her back.
"Do you really think Emma will take Henry and leave again?" she asked softly. "I don't want to lose her again."
"I know, but she's an adult now. And we want her to be happy." David said.
"I know. Do you think Regina will let her leave?" Snow asked.
"I think Regina's given up. She wants us out of her house Snow. I wouldn't be surprised if she plans to die with the witch."
Snow gasped. "No! David, we can't let her."
"If it's what she wants, don't you think it would just make things easier?" David said.
Snow turned and stared hard at her husband. "David. I know Regina has hurt us both a lot, but I still love her. No matter how hard I try I can't ever forget that woman who saved me from the horse. And finally, I can see that woman again. The real Regina is coming through again. You've seen her with Henry. And with Roland. I know I'm Emma's mother and I'm supposed to be on her side, but I just don't think it's right that she wants to take Henry away. If he remembered he wouldn't want that."
David sighed. "Alright. We won't let Regina die. I promise."
Snow rested her head on his shoulder and he kissed the top of her head as she shut her eyes.
Henry stared at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep. No one would tell him what was going on. His mom had lied to him. About his father. And she was lying about whatever she was here for. He needed to know what was going on. He'd tried asking Hook, but he'd just told Henry he had to talk to his mother. But she wouldn't tell him anything. He was restless. Maybe he'd get a glass of water. He walked out into the hall and paused when he heard Snow say his name.
"…Henry away. If he remembered he wouldn't want that." Snow was saying.
Remembered what? What didn't he remember? He had read the book. He knew they were all fairy tale characters. What else didn't he know? Well, if his mom wasn't going to tell him, he'd just have to find someone who would help him.
The fairies were here now. He'd go to them. The Blue Fairy was supposed to help people. Surely she'd help him.
Regina's damp hair was already starting to curl slightly when she walked back to the car. Robin had built a fire. She frowned. They needed something to sleep on besides the dirt. Maybe she had something in the car. She headed straight for the car and popped the trunk. Ah yes, her emergency kit. Boots, a blanket, water…Water! She grabbed the blanket and the water and carried them to the fire. She spread the blanket a safe distance from the fire and sat down. She held her arm out offering Robin a bottle of water.
"Water?"
He'd been discreetly watching her since she arrived back at the camp, but hadn't said anything. He took the water and sat down next to her on the blanket. "Thank you."
"We'll head to the Emerald City first thing in the morning. Hopefully, we should be able to find someone there who knew my sister and get the information we need." Regina stated.
"So you just went off and made a plan on your own?" Robin said.
"Listen. Let's get something straight. This is my mission. You are here because Snow decided I needed a babysitter but-"
"And you did." He interrupted. "You'd still be laying on the ground passed out if it weren't for me."
"And you wouldn't be here at all if it weren't for me." Regina answered. "You're the one who decided hanging out a car door in the middle of a tornado was a better alternative to accepting help from the Evil Queen. And you're the one who was so anxious to get away from me you couldn't listen to me and just sit tight in the car. No you had to go open the door and cause the stupid thing to dump us out from the top of a tree and then come crashing after us nearly crushing you." She yelled.
Robin was silent. She was right. He'd done all those things. They were reckless. Why hadn't he accepted her help in the tornado? Because he was afraid? Because he didn't trust her? He wasn't sure. He did know she made him feel something that he couldn't explain or understand every time she was near him. He wanted to hate her, but what he felt was not hate. "You're right, m'lady. I was reckless and put us both in danger. I apologize."
Regina's mouth dropped. No one apologized to her. Ever. She wasn't sure what to do with that. "I…It's alright. Just see that it doesn't happen again. Now. I'm tired. I'm going to sleep." She turned her back to him and shut her eyes leaving him to figure out what he was supposed to do.