The Gift of a Prince and a Thief
Chapter 26
A/N - So I have had most of this chapter written for a long time, it means a lot to me and to my perception of Regina's character development in this story - and the canon world actually - because she needed this closure before she could move on. Anyway, I really hope you all enjoy reading it.
The world turned to black. There was nothing, there was no-one. Regina was awake, or at least she sensed she was awake. She was neither cold nor warm, and whatever had come before was a mystery. She simply felt utterly content with her current state.
But that wasn't how the world worked. She had never felt so at peace, and her environment had never been so calm. There must be something wrong. The only conclusion she could reach was that she had died. She didn't know how or why, but she this was not the life she had known.
It was then that she realised why she had been plunged into the darkness. Her eyes were closed. Her eyelids were heavy as she pried them open, and in an instant, the black turned to white. The floor beneath her where she was lying was a soft white carpet, but there were no walls around her, just an unmeasurable amount of white fog or cloud in all directions. It had to be the next life, this was the light she had watched her parents go towards in the underworld, and now it was her turn.
Regina stood up slowly and waited for some direction. She looked down and found she was in one of her work outfits: a tailored black pantsuit with a blue blouse. Then she suddenly understood what was wrong about her image. This was not the body of the woman she had been for the past few months. Her frame was smaller and the bump that had been protruding from her abdomen was gone. She was no longer pregnant.
Every memory leading up to that moment came rushing back to her immediately. The baby shower, the premature labour, Zelena's failed attempt to stop her from giving birth, and the terrified look on her son's face was the last image she had of reality before slipping into the darkness and arriving wherever she was.
Whatever happened to her she just hoped the baby survived. She should have known that she wouldn't get her happy ending and it was foolish to believe that she could. It hurt to think that her child would grow up never knowing her parents, but Regina knew that Emma, Snow and Zelena would care for that baby as if it were their own.
A single tear trickled down her face when the blurred shape of a figure walking towards her appeared through the fog. Regina wiped away her hurt and straightened up, preparing herself to face whatever fate she had to meet. There was nothing identifiable about her companion until they were a mere few feet from her. It was then that she noticed how they walked: confidently with a slight spring in their step. She could see the clothes they wore: a green shirt with a brown leather jacket hugging every muscular inch of their torso, with dark jeans and practical lace-up boots. And finally, the details of their face came into focus. Their dark blonde hair with no attempt to style it and the same colour could be seen on the trimmed stubble covering their cheeks and neck, the goofy smile that was covering their face, the love in their deep blue eyes, and their large, strong hands which were reaching out to hold her.
"Robin?" She barely found the breath to speak she was in such a state of shock. Her brain could not communicate with her body and she simply stood cemented to the spot as he took great strides to reach her quickly. No words were spoken as he wrapped his arms around her, taking in the sight, the smell and the touch of her once more.
When he loosened his embrace, Robin was quick to notice that she had not made any attempt to reciprocate his actions. He cupped her face in his hands and smiled at her, attempting to reassure the worried look in her eyes.
"It's really me, Regina," he whispered softly, tilting her chin to capture her lips in a kiss which he hoped would convey all the love he had for the woman before him.
That softened her resolve and doubt, and she melted into him. Regina immediately started kissing him back just as passionately, threading her fingers through his hair. This was her Robin, not that wish realm carbon copy. He was all hers and that love was still real.
As they pressed their foreheads together gently, Regina sighed. "I don't understand, have I... died?"
Voicing her fears made her insides tighten as she spoke. As overjoyed as she was that she was in her soulmate's arms, a feeling she never thought she would experience again, the faces of her children kept popping into her mind. Especially the face of the child she had never met. Somewhere out there in the world was her baby and they would have to grow up an orphan, and she wasn't ready to accept that.
Robin chuckled, brushing a stray piece of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear just like he always used to, causing her heart to hammer against her chest excitedly. "I'm pleased to tell you that you're still very much alive, milady. You're currently in a coma after having lost a lot of blood during the operation to deliver our daughter."
Regina's eyes filled with tears and gasped at the news. "We have a daughter?" she asked with a slight giddy laugh.
He smiled at her joy and kissed the tip of her nose lightly. "Yes we do, and I couldn't be happier."
Robin wrapped his arm around her, his hand slotting perfectly into the curve of her waist. She had forgotten how he held her with such strength and a need to protect. She had never wished to consider herself weak but with him by her side, she had always felt safe. "I never thought I'd get to share this with you. But if I haven't died, how is this happening? What is this place?"
"From what I gathered we're in some form of limbo where souls can communicate with one another," explained Robin as the meandered leisurely through the fog.
Regina suddenly stopped and looked deep into his eyes. "But Hades said your soul was obliterated..." The last word was practically choked out, every time she had thought about the destruction of his soul, everything hurt all over again. That was the part that always broke her, the thought that he hadn't been given the chance to go to that better place. Hades had robbed him of that, or so she thought.
"That's what he believed, but even that crystal didn't hold the power capable of destroying a soul." He let his hand leave her waist and run down her arm before lacing his fingers through hers. "Now, come on let's sit and talk."
Regina was amazed that when she turned she found he was leading her towards a picnic blanket which had appeared out of nowhere. Her life had always been magical, she didn't know why she was surprised by this experience. She had, after all, seen her father again after he had been dead for over thirty years.
Robin casually poured two glasses of red wine after they sat together, as close as they possibly could, just enjoying the warmth of each other's body and catching their scents every once in a while. It only dawned on Regina as she put the glass to her lips that this was the first drink she had consumed in such a long while. This was not the post-pregnancy experience she had been expecting.
"So, you know how life has been progressing without you?" she asked, turning to study her soulmate once more, still hardly believing he was really there next to her.
"I've been keeping an eye on things, especially after finding out you were pregnant," he smiled, playing with her fingers with his free hand. "You split yourself, a scoundrel version of me came to Storybrooke, you all fought in the final battle and won, and you put our family back together again by bringing Roland to live with you."
Regina dropped her gazed, ashamed once more that she had abandoned Roland for so long. She assumed Robin was aware of the danger his son had been in during her absence and how if she had left it just a few days later, she may never have seen him again. "I'm so sorry he went away, I wasn't there I couldn't stop the Merry Men from leaving town-"
"-My love, I understand." His words were enough to stop Regina mid-sentence and look back at her soulmate. There was only love and true understanding in his eyes, not one ounce of disappointment or anger. "John sensed danger and wanted to get Roland somewhere safe, I'm just glad he's found his way home to be with you and his sister, I haven't seen him so happy in a long while."
Another kiss was shared between them, Regina simply could not help but savour every touch, every taste, every word. She knew it couldn't last forever. "You would love little Robyn, and Zelena is actually a really great Mom, especially now she's learnt to live without magic."
"I'm just glad she has you too, and all my children will be under the same roof, knowing each other and being loved and raised by you. There's no one I trust more to bring them up right," added Robin, running his thumb over the back of her hand affectionately. No words had ever been so true, he wholly trusted the woman sat beside him, he had for a very long time. He knew from the very moment Regina interacted with Roland that she was meant to be his mother, that boy loved her with every fibre in his body. It had been hard to see him so upset after he had died, his son had lost his father and then the first mother figure he had known in a long time. The last few months back in Storybrooke had changed him back into the happy boy he had known.
As much as Regina was loving the time she was spending with Robin, she could not help thinking about her newborn daughter lying in the hospital without her. "So, if you can see the world, is our daughter healthy? She's two months premature, she must be so small."
"She is fighting, but she's strong like her mother," answered Robin honestly. "She just needs you."
Regina nodded, though never having a child herself, she was well aware of the important bond between a baby and their mother. It was truly magical. It was as she pondered this that another thought came to the forefront of her mind.
"You never had the chance to name baby Robyn. I want you to name our daughter."
Robin cupped her cheek and shook his head gently. "Regina, this may be your only chance to have a child of your own. We'll name her together."
Regina shrugged, she could live with that compromise. "Alright then, you tell me your suggestions, and I'll give you mine," she proposed, knowing that she did not have many ideas of her own. She had hoped that Robin may be better at naming their daughter that she had been.
"Okay..." Robin paused for a moment and furrowed his brow in thought. This simple action caused Regina to admire him once again, it was just another reminder of how much she loved him and all his little habits. "Well, my mother's name was Rosanna, I've always been fond of that. You can always call her Rose or Rosie for short."
"Rosanna..." The story of how Robin's mother had died suddenly came back to her as she spoke the name. The tragic tale that John had told of how they were too late to save her and how their lives took a less legal path as a result. Regina didn't know if Robin was aware that she knew that story, but she grasped his hand tightly regardless, conveying a need to cure any hurt that he still had over the situation. "I like that. We do seem to have a theme of names beginning with 'R' in our family," she added with a light laugh.
"What were your names?"
Suddenly it hit her. She knew exactly who she would name her daughter after. It wasn't her mother and it wasn't her sister, but someone who had been in her life for a long time and had been continually shaping it ever since she first rode by.
"I thought I would have months to think but I want to honour the person I have wronged the most, and the person I know will protect our daughter if something happens to me," admitted Regina quietly.
"Snow White. Rosanna Snow... it is beautiful, it will suit her perfectly."
"Rosanna Snow Locksley," Regina corrected him. "She is going to have her father's name."
Robin pressed another kiss upon her lips, he knew that time was short and he wanted to show her just how much he loved her while he still could. "I wish we could've had a little longer so you could have my name too."
Tears began prickling Regina's eyes as they broke apart, their foreheads still touching and Robin's hands cupping her cheeks. "I'm so scared..." she admitted to him quietly, "I don't know if I can do this without you."
"Regina, darling, think of everything you've already achieved. You have brought peace to your town and have had it running smoothly and without danger for months. You have done that all while bringing my son home and given him all the love he deserves and more, he is loving his schooling and he is a happy boy once more. And you have been leading my daughter to the light and aiding Zelena so you teach her magic safely. I believe in you to raise our daughter, Rosanna will be so loved and so cared for under your protection. You don't need me, you are strong enough to do this all by yourself."
Regina nestled her head into his neck as he pulled her closer to him. Her makeup was probably smearing all over him, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to be as close to him as possible. "But I want you to be there, I want you to meet her and to see her grow."
Robin sighed and held her as tight as he could and kissed the top of her soft brown hair, inhaling the familiar sweet scent of her shampoo. "As do I, but alas, I must watch from a distance. Just let her know that her Papa loves her very much, just as he loves Roland and Robyn."
In the distance, a white light shone brightly through the fog. It was a warning; their time together was coming to an end. Panic soared through Regina's body, and out of instinct, she grasped Robin's arm tightly as her eyes filled with tears.
"You can't... not again..."
Robin kept his arms around her as silent tears fell onto his chest. It was unfair that to experience happiness and love once again, old wounds had to be reopened and the rush of grief would pour over Regina as it had done so many times before in her life.
"For us to be together, you must give up the will to live and I can't be that selfish. You need to go back and raise our children," he told her, gently bringing her back up to look deep into her teary eyes, causing his own to become watery. "I'll always be with you, Regina, I promise."
As they broke apart he reached into his pocket and pulled out a large green vial. "And to make life a little easier, I've been given a gift for you to take back with you."
Regina took the vial into her hands and frowned. She could feel the power it possessed, it was like a magnet, it called for her to hold it. She had no idea why someone would want her to have it.
"It's magic."
"It's for Zelena," Robin explained, taking the vial and placing it in Regina's pocket so he could hold soft, delicate hands once more. "She has completely changed and dedicated her life to my daughter and for that reason, she deserves a reward."
Regina tilted her head a little sceptically at Robin's words, she couldn't understand how her sister had attracted the attention of whoever ran this afterlife. She was just doing good. "The higher powers deemed it so, I'm not that influential and I certainly didn't steal it!"
The light then began to shine aggressively behind them. Their time together had come to an end, both of them knew it, they just couldn't accept it.
"I can't say goodbye… Not again."
Robin of Locksley stood up, taking his soulmate with him and looked back towards the light. There were a few moments where he held her at arms-length before giving her the most passionate kiss he had ever given anyone as he knew it would be their last until they were reunited again.
"Then don't say it," he whispered just inches away from her face, his breath was warm and comforting as her heart hammered anxiously against her chest. "Just hold me."
"I love you, Robin."
As the words left her mouth, her eyelids began to feel heavy again. She was drifting off as suddenly as if she had been given heavy sedation. Her limbs felt limp as the stayed balanced on Robin's shoulders. The sound of his breathing echoed in her ears and his distinct odour of forest filled her nostrils as she could no longer keep her eyes open, and she never saw the deep blue shimmer of her soulmate again.
"And I love you, Regina, so much..."