A/N Sorry I didn't update yesterday, lovelies. Busy, busy day! Hope you all are having a great weekend! Xoxo Oh and today is the day we find out more about the wicked witch! Can't wait!

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You just can't believe me
When I show you what you mean to me
You just can't believe me
When I show you what you cannot see

New Order-Confusion

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Rumple and Regina stared at each other from across the room, neither willing to break the silence. Rumple was not entirely sure he knew how to go about this. Deals were his thing, not love advice. But if only there had been someone to tell him, someone he would have listened to that is. It would have saved him and Belle so much heart break, so much wasted time. And they were going to need Regina's help. He needed to at least try.

Regina didn't really want to hear what Rumple had to say but she needed a break from Robin, time to think. She could just tune the imp out when he started babbling on about, well whatever he came to babble about. Then she could turn everything over in her mind. Maybe she could strike a deal with him to get her magic back.

Rumple finally broke the silence. "I think" he said with great flourish. "That it is time for you to have some tough love. Ah..." he said suddenly at a loss for words. It had sounded much better in his head.

"Tough love?" Regina questioned, snapping back to the present. "From you?" She sneered.

"Ok, well maybe not love, but certainly tough. You are being stupid, Regina. Very, very stupid. Which I must say surprises me. You are a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them."

"What are you going on about?" Regina sighed impatiently.

"You have a chance at real, true happiness and yo-"

"Oh, not you too!" Regina shrieked exasperated. "Don't tell me that you are going to start spouting hearts and rainbows at me. I think I'm going to be ill." She rolled her eyes.

"Regina, whether you like it or not love is the most powerful thing in all the realms. Much more powerful than magic. Love can do many things that magic can't. When I think of Belle," he paused here as his golden skin gave away to a peachy hue, "I become the man that I once was. The man that has been trapped inside me for so very long. I have felt true love and dare I say it, I have been happy. Happier than I have ever been in my life. You have a chance to feel this kind of happiness, Regina. Don't let it slip through your fingers."

The saucy remark that Regina was planning on launching at him died on her lips when she saw how serious he was. He really meant what he was saying.

"But people like us don't deserve that kind of happiness. We are bad people and always will be." She said sadly.

"Maybe we don't deserve happiness, Regina. Maybe you are right. But Belle and Robin both do. They are good people, in love with bad people. We can only try our very best to be worthy of their love. Belle has never asked me for anything more. She knew I would stumble along this path, as I have and she has always been there to pick me back up, dust me off and set me feet on the right path again. That, Regina is true love."

Regina stared at the floor, her voice barely above a whisper. "Don't you worry that something bad will happen to her? Some universal justice will come and take her away because you don't deserve her?"

Rumple sat silently for so long that Regina thought that maybe he had not heard her. She was just about to ask him again when he answered.

"Yes, I do. I worry about losing her all the time. But not by some skewed universal justice, as she has done nothing but good in her life and has nothing to be punished for. Love and the fear of loss are part of life. To gain happiness there will always be some risk. Regina, you can't let Daniel's death haunt you for the rest of your life. If you do, then your life will not be worth living. Constantly looking for someone to blame, someone to take your vengeance out on. I have seen the other side Regina, and it's very lovely. Beautiful, really."

"But had I not shared love with Daniel he would still be alive today. Probably with a wife and children by now, living happily." She swallowed. "He died because he loved me."

"Regina, he died because your mother is a psychopath. And you must remember that Robin is not some young stable hand. He has had a rough life and knows what he is up against. He knows the risks and he is willing to take them because he has seen something in you that no one else has seen and it has touched him deeply."

"Well, I must say" Regina said trying to recover some of her regal-ness. "You have given me a lot to think about."

"Make sure you do think about it." Rumple said the gold tone covering his skin once again. "We live in times of uncertainty. Death can come swiftly and without warning. Don't waste your time on silly what ifs and drowned yourself in guilt for the past. It will change nothing. You must live for the here and now because that is really all we have." With that he turned and left the cabin.

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Rumple walked up to Tink, not even sparing a glance at Robin. "Let's go."

"Did things not go well?" Tink asked her face wrinkled in concern.

Rumple shrugged. "It can be hard to tell with Regina."

Tink gave Robin a hug. "I'll be back tomorrow. Good luck, Robin."

Robin returned the hug. "Thank you." He turned and entered the cabin.

Tink had just drew up her hand, intending to send herself back to the dark castle when Rumple's hand on her arm stopped her.

"Let's walk back." He said with a far off look on his face. "I need to think."

Tink slowly nodded, loweing her arm. "Ok."

She and Rumple melted into the forest.

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Robin closed the door and stood staring at Regina. She looked so sad, so confused sitting at the table, her face in her hands, elbows resting on the table top. He stood quietly for a few minutes but could no longer take the silence.

"Regina, are you ok?" His voiced reached out and caressed her, pulling her from her deep thoughts.

She sighed. "I don't know." Her voice came out muffled behind her hands. Suddenly she jumped up and began to pace the cabin.

Robin watched her pacing, reminding him of a wolf he once saw caged. He took a deep breath. "Would you like me to leave?" His body tensed awaiting her answer hardly daring to breath.

She stopped her pacing and looked at him in silence for a few moments. Then slowly shaking her head she said "No." barely above a whisper.

"Then I won't." He said simply. He turned from the door and walked over to the fireplace. He slowly built a fire in the fireplace, the whole time he could feel Regina's eyes on him. He was careful to keep his attention on his task and allow her to study him. Once he had a fire roaring, he sat down in front of the fireplace. He finally looked at her.

"Come sit with me." He said softly.

Regina wavered for a moment. But then Rumple's word came back to her. Live for the here and now. She slowly walked to where he sat and lowered herself to the floor. They sat in silence, only the crackling of the flames to disturb it. They sat close together but did not touch, each lost in their thoughts. Regina would stare into the fire then turn to look at Robin before returning her gaze to the fire once more. Finally Robin turned his eyes to Regina. She sat looking at him, lightly nibbling her lower lip. His eyes raked over her sultry red lips and a wave of desire crashed over him. He balled up one hand behind his back as he tried to maintain control of himself. She must make the first move. Indecision flashed in her eyes, her eyes lifting to meet his. It disappeared as desire replaced it. She slowly swayed towards him.

##

Tink and Rumple walked along the forest in silence. Tink could see that Rumple was deep in thought but she was curious as to what was on he was thinking about so hard. Finally her curiosity got the better of her.

"What is on your mind?" She said turning to him.

He stood contemplating whether to answer her or not and finally deiced that he needed someone to talk to, to share his thoughts with.

"You know, I am partially to blame for the way that Regina is. I taught her the black arts that she knows. When she first summoned me she was a young, innocent creature hurting and seeking a salve for her pain. She believe that revenge could ease that pain. Knowing that it wouldn't I taught her anyway."

"Why did you teach her?" Tink asked, no judgment in her voice.

"Because I wanted revenge."

"Revenge on who?" Tink said her burrow furrowed in confusion.

"Cora." He sighed. "Before Cora married she and I were, um close. Very, very close. She chose power over me. I guess I was looking for my own salve for my pain. Teaching Regina would put her on the same power level as her mother, maybe even shift the balance some. As most things I did before Belle, it was selfish and cruel."

Tink looked over at him but said nothing knowing that no words would heal his guilt.

He sighed. "I just hope Regina takes my advice. But most people have to learn things on their own and I doubt that she is any different."

"Belle really changed you, didn't she?" Tink said with a grin.

"I would say yes, but Belle would say that she just helped the man who has always been inside me come out. Either way I am a much better person for knowing her, loving her and her loving me. But between you and me the guilt of my past sometimes makes me present had to swallow. I do understand how Regina feels." He said sadly.

They continued the rest of the way to the castle in a comfortable silence.

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