Hi everyone! Wow. I just realized how long it's been since I've updated this story. I'm so sorry, I just lost inspiration, but I know you guys deserve better than that, so it may have taken months, but I didn't give up, and I powered through it. Thank you so much for always coming back to read these stories of mine. They're my babies :)

Now, the chapter we've all been waiting for! Here is Chapter 16!

Chapter 16

Machines. They were surrounding him. He could hear the small beeps as he fought to stay awake, his eyes closing nonetheless. He had made it. He hadn't died. He hadn't gone to hell.

He was here.

Robin groaned, the pain all over his body, from his head to his toes, making itself aware to him. Robin grimaced at the agonizing pain in his head, but it was nothing compared to the burning fire raging by his abdomen.

He must have been shot there. There was no other explanation.

He didn't remember a lot of what happened before the world went dark. He remembered that he had showed up at the station with John. He remembered talking to him and Mulan, and partially driving in the cop car, but he couldn't recall anything else.

But he just knew he had been shot. And, with the way his body roared in pain with just him breathing, he knew it had to be more than once, and it had to be bad.

Robin opened his eyes with all the might he had as he heard heels clicking against the floor, leading into his room.

By the door stood a woman in a white coat (which looked like a lab coat, he observed), her blonde hair thrown back into a ponytail with a scrunchie. Her glasses were perched on top of her head, and a clipboard was held at her side.

"Hello, Mr. Locksley….. How are you feeling?" Dr. Tink asked with an ecstatic smile, her eyes glowing brighter than he'd ever thought anyone's eyes could shine.

She's probably happy she didn't lose a patient, Robin thought as he tried to smile, but he winced back in pain.

"I, I feel like, like a train, it r-ran over me…..t-three times," Robin explained, his voice quiet, scratchy, raw, and rough from the lack of using it throughout the unbearable week. It was barely a whisper.

Dr. Tink only smiled as she rubbed hand sanitizer through her fingers, bringing herself over towards Robin, standing by his bed with a friendly smile.

"I am Dr. Tink. I'm the one who has been looking over you since your stay here… I must say, you gave us quite the hell of a scare, Mr. Locksley," Tink laughed lightly, lightening the mood with her bright smile and attitude.

Robin let out a shaky breath as he looked down his body, just knowing that underneath the hospital gown were hundreds of scrapes and cuts and bruises, and one, maybe two, severe, painful wounds.

"H-how long was I," Robin coughed, and Tink frowned, hating seeing any of her patients in discomfort and pain, "was I, you know, a-asleep,"

Tink smiled sadly as she looked over Robin's machines, making sure everything was okay. She rested her hands on her knees as she sat up in the chair by his bed.

"You were unconscious for over 216 hours…. A little over nine days…. You are very, very lucky, Mr. Locksley. The incident you suffered from could have lead to fatal consequences…do you remember anything that happened?" Robin racked his brain as he tried to recall what had happened to him, but the initial shock of everything with his body-aching headache didn't help one bit.

Robin shook his head, unable to find words. Tink nodded her head, reaching for her clipboard as she looked over the report. Robin watched her steadily, not sure if he wanted to know what had happened or not.

"Unfortunately, the police force is never an easy or safe career…. You suffered from three gunshots. One to the abdomen, one to the shoulder, and one to the neck…every single bullet just barely passed vital organs and bloodlines….however, you did get a nasty gash to the head, which I can only assume from that and the major blood loss your body went through, is why your coma happened in the first place," The blonde doctor explained, and Robin's eyes widened in shock as memories came flooding back to him one by one.

Him and John in the abandoned building.

The criminals dressed in black with their guns pointed at them.

His sacrifice for John.

Mulan's words of safety, as if any of them knew what would happen.

Tink let Robin relish in his thoughts before the silence grew for too long.

"As for your coma, we were all terrified, Mr. Locksley. You showed no signs of waking up…at all. In fact, the statistics showed you would never wake up from your unconscious state…until a miracle happened," Robin's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to wrap his head around everything. A miracle? What could have happened?

"You are very fortunate to have so many people who love you, Robin. After you were first put here, we allowed visitors...all your friends and family came in to talk to you, but there was only one person, once voice, you ever responded to….." Robin grew even more confused at that moment.

Who would he have responded to if-

Robin's heart stopped. He immediately looked up to the doctor with hopeful eyes, praying to god he hadn't just dreamt up the voice and body of the love of his life.

Without saying anything, Tink nodded her head with a smile, and Robin's heart leaped out of his chest. She's here…she's really here!

"Because you retrieved consciousness just ten minutes ago, the medication we have you on might make you feel nauseous and spacey for about two hours….however, it most definitely will make you drowsy. Just a friendly warning," Robin nodded his head, already feeling his eyelids start to droop, his mind losing focus.

"Can I, can I see her?" Tink smiled sadly, nodding her head. Tink stood from the chair by his bedside as she gathered her clipboard, brushing strands of hair out of her face. Tink walked to the door slowly, thanking god that Robin had survived.

As she was just about to leave the room, she saw Robin fighting as hard as he could for his eyes to stay open, and she sighed, consciously.

"She'll be here when you wake up, I promise," Tink's quiet, welcoming, comforting whisper just reached Robin's ears as his eyes finally closed, anxious for the moment when he would finally get to see her again.

Regina.

…

Regina slowly walked up and down a hallway by the hospital's waiting room, her shaking hands rubbing smoothly across each other, nervously. The nerves in her body were spilling out of her by the second.

He's awake. You got what you came here for. He doesn't need you anymore. Regina kept her head low as she closed her eyes for a split second, a single tear dropping down the side of her face.

She couldn't just leave, could she? Certainly, there had to be some sort of rule, some sort of acknowledgement that she had to at least say goodbye. She couldn't just leave without one last glance at his life-filled body.

"Regina?" Regina turned around and saw Will standing in front of her, almost looking sheepish. Regina wiped her eyes quickly as she lifted her head, smiling at the man she hadn't realized she'd missed so much.

"I'm fine," Regina answered before he could ask, and Will showed a small smile, knowing half of that was true, and half was not.

Robin was alive. The part of her that loved him knew that, and was fine.

The emotional part of her, the one that knew she wouldn't be part of anyone's lives much longer, was not fine.

"You know, you've been through a hell of a lot just this past week…. Wouldn't you feel better if, you know, you, uh, had some company, to help you deal with all of this?" Regina sighed as she shook her head, smiling smally.

Company…..she wouldn't even know how to be comfortable with people around her anymore.

"If this is your way of getting me to stay, you better move on….. Maybe it's just better this way. I've been alone for so long now, I can try to make a fresh start," Will frowned at the sound of that.

He used to know this woman. He used to be one of her closest friends.

"And what about Robin? He woke up because of you, you think that's just gonna go away? You think he's just gonna forget about it and live his life the way it was?" Regina crossed her arms against her chest as she looked down then back up again.

She wasn't strong enough. She wouldn't make it through this conversation another time.

"We are not talking about this," Regina stated strongly and angrily as she tried to walk away, but Will reached for her arm just in time, stopping her in the process.

"Regina, don't run. Not this time….. He needs you," Regina laughed humorlessly as she pulled her arm away from Will, glaring at him.

"I don't know how many times I have to say this, but get this through everyone's head…. I did not wake Robin. He woke up himself with medication and outstanding doctors. He does not need me. He needs to get back on track with his everyday life, which did not involve me. And who knows? Maybe he will forget me, maybe he won't…but I'm not going to be here to find out," Regina breathed heavily as she let her words loose, wishing she could hide the heartbreak in her eyes.

"So you won't even say goodbye? Is that how selfish you are? Because the Regina I know would never run and hide like this." And that, that, made Regina stop.

Selfish….. She was being selfish. She didn't want to get hurt, so she didn't want to go back to see Robin. She didn't want her heart to break all over again. But what about Robin? What if he wanted to see her, even if it was just to thank her?

Thank her? All she's ever done is made his life a living hell…..

"I will say goodbye…..but the Regina you used to know is long gone. I will never be so vulnerable again. I will never put my feelings out into the open again….. I am not her anymore," Regina wiped away a fresh tear as she walked away from Will, lowering her face once again.

How was she going to live knowing she lost the best and worst thing that's ever happened to her?

…

"Look at that….she's pacing again," Robert explained as he and his wife had their eyes on Regina, who was pacing the hallway next to the waiting room. Helen sighed as she rested her head against her husband's shoulder.

"Robin almost died," she whispered, "she doesn't know what to do or how to feel anymore."

They watched as Will went to Regina, and from the looks of it, they were arguing…again. Helen watched as the woman she's grown to call her daughter shed a single tear, wiping it away before most could see. The woman frowned.

"She saved him, Robert…and after everything they've been through, she won't allow herself to believe they will ever have another chance," Robert frowned, hearing his wife's words, knowing they were one hundred percent true.

Regina had her walls up for good this time, and they were ten times higher than they had ever been.

Their little girl…..

"Robin broke her heart when he left, and I can only assume her mother didn't help one bit….. She's like this because of her mother, not because of our boy….. She just doesn't know that."

…..

Regina's heart began beating out of her chest when she saw Tink start to walk over to her. The blonde woman was smiling, ever so cheerful, and Regina only cowared, terrified of seeing Robin one last time.

"He's asleep right now," Tink explained, "but I promised him you would be there when he wakes up….. He wants to see you, Regina…. I really think you guys could have a second chance," Regina smiled sadly as she wiped a tear from her cheek.

A whole other life with Robin…..

Before Tink and Regina started walking down the hallway which would lead to Robin, the brunette looked over her shoulder. Will gave her a knowing smile and nodded his head. His parents eyes glowed with thankfulness and appreciation. His sister just sat in shock.

Regina took a deep breath before starting down the hallway to Robin. Always to Robin.

Her hands shook, her legs were wobbly, her stomach was churning. Many people can't say they have met for the first time twice…but now, she was the exception, not the rule.

This was a new Robin. And this was a new Regina.

"Are you going to be okay?" Tink asked as both women stopped in front of the hospital room, where Regina's soulmate rested. Regina looked into the window, her breath stopping when she saw Robin's chest rise and fall on its own. She looked over at the doctor and nodded her head.

Tink gave her a long, very-needed hug before they broke apart, Tink leaving Regina for the moment she's been waiting for and dreading at the same time.

For a whole minute, Regina's hand rested on the door's handle. He is your soulmate, a tiny voice whispered in her head. She was terrified. She didn't want to go in.

If she walked through that door, everything would change. And she had never been good with change. But if she didn't….. No, you won't run away. Not this time.

Regina slowly opened the door, being careful of not making a sound as the door closed silently behind her. She stood straight and powerless once her eyes finally raked over Robin's body.

Before she had a chance to shed any more tears or turn back, Regina tiptoed towards Robin, sitting down in the chair at his bedside. For a while, she just sat in silence, listening to Robin's breathing as he slept.

She smiled.

He was breathing on his own. He was okay.

Before she could stop herself, Regina's hand made its way to Robin's hair, her gentle, nervous fingers raking through his dirty blonde mess. Her hand trailed down to cup his cheek, then, her thumb ran along his jawline, soothingly.

"Hi," Regina whispered a tearful laughed, a smile painted across her face. Her thumb continued its path down his jawline as she spoke.

"Please, don't ever do that to me again…." Regina breathed as her tear-filled eyes watched his face, his features looking the same despite the horrid he'd been through the last week or so. Regina closed her eyes.

"They said you were gone, Robin… They were going to tell us you would never wake up," A tear fell onto Robin's arm.

"And, and I…. I thought, I thought I lost you, Robin," Regina choked back emotion, trying to hide the tears in her voice, "And I would have died from a broken heart, right then and there, if it weren't for the miracle that happened seconds after…..you woke up, Robin. One second, you were gone, and the next, you were here."

Regina's hand ran down his arm as her fingers intertwined with his.

"I wasn't going to come in here, to say goodbye, but Will said I owe it to you to at least do the right thing… You don't owe me anything, Robin. Despite what everyone believes, all I did was talk to you. I didn't save you."

After long moments of silence, filled with machines beeping and Robin's breathing patterns, Regina's voice trembled.

"I never stopped loving you, you have to know that. Every single time I saw you, every single time we got close, every single time you said my name, the feelings I felt when I was twenty always came rushing back to me…"

"But I'm terrified that if we do try this again, if we try us again, you'll wake up one day and realize I'm not good enough, just like before…."

"And I can't keep holding onto the smallest piece of hope that you will ever fall for me again. It isn't healthy for me, or for you….. I am going to miss you so much. And I'm going to miss your family…hell, they are the only family I've ever had…but please, please don't come after me. Don't waste your time on me."

"Before I leave, I wanted to know why you left in the first place…but it's probably better this way….. Just, just don't forget me, okay? Say you'll remember me…." Say you'll remember me standing in a nice dress staring at the sunset, babe.

Regina watched as Robin's body hadn't changed. He can't hear you. Again. He doesn't know you are talking to him.

"What we had might not have been love, but it was real. Don't forget about all the times you made me smile, or the first time I met your parents, or the classes that drew us together. Don't forget about our first date, or the way we had our first kiss, or the millions of times you told me you loved me…."

"Because to me, it was real….. I don't deserve any of this, but please, all I ask is that you don't forget me…. I love you, and whether you know it or not, you made this world a place where I actually wanted to be…where for the first time when I was nineteen, you made me feel worthy of standing on this planet…like I wasn't the mistake my mother wishes she never had," Regina gained all the courage she had as she rose from her seat, leaning over Robin's hospital bed.

Regina lowered her head as she pressed a loving kiss to her ex-lover's forehead, her lips lingering longer than needed. She took the time to memorize his face, his body. As her hand cupped his cheek she sighed and rested her head against his.

"Don't forget about me," the whisper was almost inaudible, only loud enough for both to hear. Regina slowly put herself back together, backing away from Robin, as she glanced one last time at him.

This was it. This was their long awaited goodbye. The moment that was always bound to happen.

Regina let out a shaky breath as she closed her eyes, wishing she didn't have to do this. Why did it have to be this way? Was there a slight chance that maybe, just maybe, they could be a couple again? Could they be as strong as they were before their terrifically terrible past?

I wanted to marry you.

I didn't want to leave.

I'm just going to break your heart.

You are not a mistake, I am.

Robin's words danced through her pounding head. All the words and phrases Robin's ever said to her jumbled into two silhouettes waltzing across a ballroom floor. She opened her eyes as the fantasies only grew stronger.

As she looked to her left, she saw the ghost of her and Robin sitting at an old wooden table in the library of their college. She stared longingly at her old self, wishing for the innocence to come take her back.

Old Regina didn't have heartbreak hidden beneath her chocolate brown eyes. She smiled, and it wasn't fake. She talked to Robin like she didn't know he would only break her heart…..because she didn't.

At nineteen, she didn't know what she knew now. Maybe that's why she fell for Robin so hard.

In the middle of the room, she watched as their first fight played out in front of her. She had ran out of their apartment, screaming at Robin, saying she was leaving. That she would never come back.

Regina watched with tears in her eyes as her younger self stormed through the parking lot in the pouring rain, searching for her car. And they fell once she saw Robin's younger self capture her in his arms, begging her not to go as she cried in his chest, loud sobs not heard over the pouring rain.

And then, on the other side of the room, was the moment that changed their lives forever…..

Regina sat on the couch, her elbows on her knees, as she stared blankly in front of her. He wasn't there when she woke up. He promised her he would be. He promised her they would work through whatever they had fallen into. That they would get out of the hole they had dug themselves into.

The brunette hugged her knees as she hunched over, sick to her stomach. This is the end, she thought, tears threatening to spill over her eyes. The had just graduated two days ago, and when he kissed her, he put everything he had into their kiss. Regina had too. But now? She woke up to cold sheets and numbness next to her.

Her head snapped up when she heard the front door open. It was slammed shut, and she winced. She watched as Robin walked through the door, completely ignoring her. He walked to their room and Regina's heart stopped when she heard a suitcase being zipped open.

Regina ran into the room, her heart shattering in her chest as she watched the love of her life hurriedly throw his shirts and jeans and anything he could into the suitcase. Regina rushed over to Robin, her hand grabbing his arm, trying to stop him.

"What are you doing? Why are you doing this?" Regina asked quickly, her words stumbling over each other. Robin pushed her hand away as he continued to pack all his personal belongings into the suitcase. Tears ran down Regina's face as she shook her head. This can't be happening.

"Robin, stop! Stop! You said you'd never leave! You said you'd always love me! What happened to that?! Robin, stop, don't leave me!" Regina cries were ignored as he stormed out of the room, all his possessions with him. Regina ran out of the room and to the door, blocking his way in any effort to stop him.

"What happened, Robin? You can't just leave me like this! What did I do wrong, maybe I can fix this!" Robin only chuckled darkly as he glared at her.

"You can't fix this, Regina. No one can. It took me two years, but I finally figured it out," Robin growled, and Regina froze. No more tears, no more words, no more breaths.

"I don't love you, and I never did," tears streamed down both their faces, and Regina had to put a hand over her mouth as she tried to stop her sobs. Robin's angry tears could have been a shade of red. For they burned her, putting a fire to her insides and her flaming heart.

"Did you really believe that I did? Truly? No, you were just a distraction. A distraction that I needed, up until now. We will never have a future together, and there will never be an us….. Maybe your mother was right. Maybe you are worthless," All the breath was knocked out of Regina. She crashed to the floor, curled up in a ball, crying her heart out on the cold, lonesome floor.

Robin made sure to slam the door as he walked out of their apartment and their life, driving away without a simple explanation.

Regina cried for hours non-stop, sure that the neighbors could hear through the paper-thin walls. Her sobs eventually blinded her from any emotion, and after a while, she couldn't hear her own cries any longer.

She would never tell a single soul what really happened…. If anyone were to ask, she would say he drove off before she woke up. She would say they had a big fight the previous night and just couldn't rebound from that.

But what hurt the most was that none of that was true. What was true was that he drove out of her life without warning, and without reason….. And maybe he was right. Maybe she was as worthless and useless as her mother claimed.

Maybe she shouldn't have even moved off that floor at all. Had it not been for a certain blonde and a man who she called guyliner, Regina would have surely rested on that floor forever, never leaving the house, never leaving her spot.

Because it was the last time she would ever see Robin.

And that?

She wasn't ready to let go of.

She never would…..

Regina tore her eyes away from the painful memories as one last flash of light hit her eyes.

To her right, there they were. Her and Robin. They were in his apartment, him ripping off her clothes, whispering to her how much he missed her. The night before she ran into his parents that morning. But just as both their shirts had come off, Regina pushed Robin away, her hands on his chest.

"You remind me of what love feels like," she whispered as she stared into his crystal blue eyes, "but if this is just going to be some mistake in the morning, then tell me right now. Tell me, so I know that it's all in my head,"

"I love you," Robin had whispered back, fiercely, "and us, we will never be a mistake….. I'll be right there next to you tomorrow morning, Regina. I'm not going anywhere…. I'm not going anywhere,"

Regina sighed as she rubbed her shaky hands together, smiling with a sarcastic laugh. She guessed he really did mean it when he said he wasn't going anywhere, for here he was, still breathing on this beautiful Earth.

The brunette began the torturous walk back to the hospital room's door. You still have the memories, Regina. No one will ever be able to take that away from you…. He still has the memories too, he can't make them disappear even if he wanted to….he'll remember you.

Regina's last words to him echoed in her ears, and she felt her heart drop. Don't forget me.

Her hand hadn't even touched the cold exterior of the handle to the end of her world when she was brought to tears, hearing the one sound she thought for sure she'd never hear again….

"I d-doubt…. I'd ever forget…meeting you."

Regina's whole body froze as if she had been struck by lightning. As if the light was playing tricks on her eyes or her mind, as if it was just her head imagining the whole thing, giving her one last fantasy.

But it wasn't.

Regina turned around slowly, her eyes clamped closed, not allowing herself to fall for that kind of disappointment again. She shook her head silently as she heard Robin's bed make noise from a shift in his body.

Oh my god.

"O-open your eyes, Love," Robin's voice flowed to her, his rough and scratchy sound making her knees go weak in disbelief. He sounded like what had just happened….he sounded like he just came back from the dead.

She didn't recognize the low, dangerously scratchy sound of his voice, but she did recognize Robin's demeanor, his word choice.

He was alive.

He was awake.

He was talking to her.

Regina shook her head as her lips trembled, letting out a small cry before she could stop it. She could almost feel Robin's grateful smile, begging her to open her eyes for him. But she just couldn't. She wouldn't let her heart break all over again.

"I'm right here, Regina," Robin croaked, his hand slowly reaching for her. Regina didn't move, a shaky breath escaping her lips.

"If I open my eyes, you won't be…." Robin frowned, hearing Regina's voice so distant and hurt and broken. It was as if she had already given up. I won't let her give up. I won't let anything get in the way of us ever again.

"Please, open your eyes," Regina whole body shook with tense as she let out a low breath, wanting to do this small thing for Robin. It took her several tries, but after the fifth time, Regina's chocolate brown eyes opened, and she finally saw him. His tired smile made its way to her, and she broke down in tears.

"Don't cry, Love. I'm right here…. Come here," Regina tried to take deep breaths as all the emotion she's contained for the last seven years escaped her, thinking of what would have happened if Robin really had died. She would have never been able to live with herself.

Regina made her way to Robin, and before she could do anything, with all his might, Robin reached for her, pulling her down to him. He wrapped his arms around her, her head rested on his chest, as she cried into him, holding onto him like he would disappear if she ever let go.

Robin held her as Regina cried into him, her body shaking from her sobs. Robin laid a kiss to her hair, to her head, to her cheek, trying to help her control her breathing again.

After what seemed like hours, Regina pulled away, resting her forehead against his.

"Were you really here the whole time?" Robin whispered to her, and Regina nodded her head, unable to speak, her eyes still closed from their long embrace. Robin ran his thumb across her jawline, and she couldn't help it. She broke out into a smile, which turned into a strangled sob, remembering she had done the same to him not even a half hour ago.

"There it is. There's that elusive yet satisfying smile I think about every time I close my eyes," Regina blushed as she ducked her head, tears staining her cheeks, and Robin smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, "don't hide from me Regina…and don't run, either,"

Regina looked up into his eyes, surprised he knew her intentions. Robin only sighed and looked down before looking at her again, "You really think I wouldn't know? I know you better than you know yourself," Regina sighed as she thought about what to say.

She could lie to him. She could leave. Or, or, she could stay here in his arms, and tell him the truth….

"It's the only way, Robin...it's the only way," Regina whispered, pulling away from him. She sat down in the chair by his bedside, holding his hand as she spoke.

"To what, Regina?" The brunette let out a low breath as she tucked a few stubborn strands of hair back behind her ear, half of her wishing she had left before he woke up. She didn't know how to have this talk.

"To avoid getting hurt...to move on…for both of us to move on," Robin furrowed his eyebrows, holding her hand in his.

"A-and what if, what if I don't want to move on?" Robin and Regina stared at each other, Regina not believing what she just heard. She wouldn't allow herself to.

Robin frowned, was about to tell her everything, how her evil, deranged mother made him break her heart, how he wanted that picture perfect life with her, how he's never fallen out of love with her once, but the woman who held his heart changed the subject as quickly as she had fallen into his arms.

"How are you feeling?" Regina's small, quiet voice reached his ears with a hushed effect, as she cleared her throat. It was as if she were afraid to speak too loud, or speak at all. Robin tried to smile, but as he shifted once again, a sharp, biting pain greeted his body, and he hissed in quiet agony.

"I could have my legs torn apart. I could've had my limbs blown off. I could have lost my sight, or my hearing, or my mind...and even though it would have hurt like hell, every second of the day, inside and out, it wouldn't matter. Not to me. Because I'd go through all of that and more just to see your face again," Robin explained, and Regina let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"You just went through something tragic, Robin. You sound ridiculous," Regina breathed out with struggle, feeling her heartbeat in her chest ratically. Robin showed an exhausted smile as his eyes drooped the slightest

"Regina, Love, I am grateful that I get to see your face, hear your voice, and hold your hand. I am grateful that you waited for me here, all these days, and I am so grateful that even after all the pain and lies I've put you through, you always come back to me, even when I don't deserve you," Tears fell down the sides of Regina's face as she wiped them away quickly. She loved this man.

She would love him forever, who was she kidding?

"Robin, when the doctor told me… when the doctor told us that, that you were…" Robin wiped away Regina's tears as she tried to hide her head, but Robin wouldn't let her.

He gave her a tired, loving smile, letting her know that he was okay. He was exhausted, but he was okay.

"I thought of a million things, but one of the most important ones? I realized that I would never get the chance to tell you… to tell you that…" Regina struggled for words as she closed her eyes, a defeated gasp escaping her.

"I never stopped loving you, Robin. I am in love with you, and I have been since I was nineteen… And knowing that even if we weren't together, you wouldn't even be here to have the chance of spilling coffee all over me or try to finish what we started? It killed me," Regina admitted, and she saw tears drop from Robin's eyes.

"I'm so, so sorry, Love… You must know I love you. I'm still in love with you, a-and if I had it my way, we would have that house on the hill with the picket white fence by now, with little kids running around." Robin admitted as well, and Regina's heart stopped when he told her this.

"Robin, I almost lost you. It's the scariest thing that has ever happened to me in my life. And then your doctor told me I was your only chance, and… and I really thought I would be the reason you wouldn't wake up," Regina whispered, her voice and heart breaking in the worst parts. Robin squeezed her hand tight as he tilted his head towards her the slightest more, wincing, but coming back to her with a humorless, soft chuckle.

"You are the reason I did wake up, Love. If it weren't for you, if I never heard your voice, I don't think I would have woken up," a single tear fell down Regina's face, and Robin frowned, watching as the love of his life, bit her lip to hide its quivering, the emotion of the night too much.

She wondered if it was a choice. She wondered what went on inside someone's mind when they were in a coma. And she wondered if Robin wanted a second chance.

"You could hear me?" Regina asked fragilely, and Robin smiled a beautiful smile.

"Yes… I could feel the overwhelming sadness surrounding my body, and it didn't take me long to realize that the sadness was indeed your soul… once I heard the bullshit coming from your lips about how my waking up could be a chance to find my soulmate, I knew I was going to live, because I need you to know…" Robin broke off, inhaling softly and closing his eyes before they reopened, bleeding into the brunette's brown orbs.

"I needed to tell you that you are the love of my life," Robin whispered, and Regina's mouth parted in shock and delusion.

"My father once told me something that I've never understood, not until now. If two past lovers can remain friends, either they were never in love, or they still are… the second I saw you again at that coffee shop, I finally understood that I had never gotten over you, and when you told me my crazy idea of being friends wasn't so crazy, I knew there was still a chance, Regina. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"You left me after two years of trying my best to be everything you needed. You, you left as if I were some stranger whose bed you'd woken up in the morning. I know we're not kids anymore, Robin, but how can you say you want to spend the rest of your life with me if I wasn't enough from the start?" Regina cried, letting her tears fall in front of him.

There was no way of holding them back now.

A tear slowly rolled down Robin's cheek as he swallowed audibly, gaining the courage to do what should have been done the moment her mother wrecked their lives.

"I left because if I didn't, Cora would have hurt you," Robin whispered between the space of their bodies, and Regina froze completely, no emotion or movements claiming her.

"What?" Regina asked dumbfounded, as if someone slapped her in the face.

"Cora told me if I didn't leave, I wouldn't have anything to stick around for… I couldn't let her hurt you, Regina. I couldn't let her near you, not again," Robin's voice quivered, and Regina laughed humorlessly, letting go of Robin's hand to run her fingers across her face, in her hair, over her jacket, wherever they would roam.

"My mother threatened my life?" the panic in Regina's voice boomed from her chest, spreading throughout her whole body quickly as dread and shock and despair and agony and fear and irony filled Regina's head.

"My own mother wanted you gone so she could finally have control of me!" Regina exclaimed as she stood from her seat, pacing the room in a hurried, frantic matter, angry tears streaming down her face.

She finally figured it out.

Cora wanted her all to herself. If Robin was in the picture, that could never happen. Cora got rid of Robin. Her mother was the reason Robin left so quickly and unexplainable. Her mother ruined her happiness.

"A mother is supposed to love their child! Why couldn't she just look past all my flaws and love me? Why am I never good enough for her?!" Regina screamed, her fingers threading through her hair at an unhealthy pace, and Robin watched in horror as Regina fell apart right in front of him.

He couldn't do anything trapped in a hospital bed.

"I love you! I've loved you my whole life, and you've loved me, and that deranged, psychotic bitch kept us apart! She's been using me like a rag doll since I was born and she's always had a grip on this hell of a life I have! SHE MADE YOU LEAVE ME! YOU WERE ONLY TRYING TO PROTECT ME, AND I CAN'T EVEN PROTECT MYSELF!" Regina cried and cried as the room started spinning, and she went to Robin, not wanting to let go of him now that she finally got him back.

"Robin, the room is spinning, Robin, I, I can't stand," Regina cried in a rushed panic, gasping for air, her vulnerable side shining through. Robin pulled her to him quickly, and when her head hit his chest, she sobbed the loudest, ugliest cries she's ever heard a human being cry.

Robin held her in his arms as she crawled into the bed, sliding next to him, burying her face into the crook of his neck. Her body shook as the intensity of her sobs racked her body, and tears cascaded down Robin's cheeks.

Robin held onto Regina as he heard her breathing return to normal, and within an hour, she was asleep, safe in his strong, sturdy arms.

Robin looked down to the love of his like and kissed her forehead, staring at the beauty beside him until his own eyes drooped, sleep claiming the tired, exhausted pair.

…..

Helen and Robert stood outside Robin's hospital room, staring into their son's room through the large glass walls. Helen leaned against the window sill and studied Robin's even breaths as Regina slept soundly next to him.

"He's gonna marry her, Robert," Helen sighed, and Robert smiled as he walked next to his wife, rubbing a hand up and down his wife's back.

"You said that the first day we met her, Dear… You've always known it would be her," Helen smiled as she kept her eyes steady on the way Regina's arms held on tight to Robin.

"It wasn't her looks, or her personality, or even the words she said… it was the way Robin looked at her. The way Robin looks at Regina is the way you look at me, and that's the moment I knew," Helen breathed, and Robert grinned knowingly.

"They're still young, you know," Robert whispered after some time, the quietness of the hospital's early morning hours settling between them, "Robin's only 29, and Regina can't be older than 28. They are practically kids, Helen. It shouldn't be this hard. Not for them."

"I just don't understand why Robin ever left her," Helen frowned, the hushed whisper echoing off the walls of the silent corridor.

"I know there's no good or reasonable explanation for this, but I feel it in my soul, Helen. I know that this will be the end of it. Regina will stop running, and Robin will work his ass off to regain her trust… maybe, maybe it's a good thing this happened," Robert sighed, and Helen remained quiet for a few moments, just staring at her children in the room in front of her.

"You think I'm cynical and crazy," Robert whispered, but Helen shook her head.

"I think you're right."

Robert and Helen stood in front of Robin's room silently, watching his chest rise and fall, thanking God they didn't lose their son so soon.

…

"Do you ever wish you never met me?" Robin whispered to Regina once they were both up, sometime around midnight, both their bodies still tangled in each other, both still holding onto each other.

"No," Regina answered back in the same whispery-voice, "I just wish I could've seen my mother's doings all along… I wish I would've realized you wouldn't just leave, and something had to make you drive away."

"You are not to blame, Regina. There is no way you could have known what was happening," Robin ran his fingers through her hair, and Regina dug her face deeper into him, the scent of forest surrounding her.

"I should have known something was wrong, Robin. You wouldn't just leave, I know that now, but back then… back then, it hurt too much to think reasonably," Regina sighed, her fingers resting on his chest. Robin kissed her messy, tangled hair, and she closed her eyes when his touch made her feel better instantly.

"I didn't want to leave. I was ready, Regina, I was ready to start a life with you… I'd hidden the ring in my sock drawer, and I was going to propose to you once we graduated and found a real place of our own… but then Cora showed up two months before and crushed every dream I'd ever had of us being together," Robin explained quietly, and Regina tried on a smile.

"Emma brought over wedding magazines for months, and I even picked out a dress from some catalog. I knew you would propose, I just didn't know when, and when I saw the dress, I just knew it was meant to be mine," Regina bit the inside of her cheek, and Robin rubbed her arms, goosebumps flaring on her skin.

"Will was going to be the best man," Robin grinned, and Regina smiled.

"Emma was going to be the maid of honor, and Paige would've been my bridesmaid," Regina said with such confidence, and she looked up into Robin's eyes, finding him already staring at her, enchanted.

"Do you think it's too late for us?" Robin asked, holding her hand, rubbing comforting circles over her palm. Regina let out a sky breath, biting her lip.

"I don't want it to be," Regina whispered, and Robin's hand moved to cup her face.

Regina was left breathless when Robin's thumb started rubbing her jawline, and she sighed into him, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, Robin was staring at her with enchantment and adoration.

"I want to kiss you," Robin breathed, and Regina held onto him, getting closer.

"So do it," Regina nodded her head, her eyes fluttering shut, and when she felt Robin moving in closer to her, she welcomed him, meeting him halfway.

For a moment or two, Robin didn't move, his air puffing against her lips, and Regina was about to ask what he was waiting for when his lips softly brushed against hers.

Regina was careful of any wires when she wrapped her arms around Robin's neck, drawing him to her, and Robin wrapped his arms around her middle, cradling her body into his.

After multiple heated moments, Regina broke away from the kiss, catching her breath as she leaned her forehead against Robin's, her hands cupping cheeks, running over his stubble.

"I want to marry you," Robin exhaled, and Regina was surprised when she didn't flinch or tighten up of fright. Regina rubbed her nose against Robin's, both their eyes resting closed, both holding onto the feeling of being free.

"We need to start smaller, first," Regina breathed, and Robin nodded his head.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to escort you to a fancy restaurant in quite some time," Robin smiled, and Regina chuckled softly as she ran her fingers through Robin's hair.

"We both know that's not what's important to me," Regina kissed his cheek, and Robin grinned.

"Lunch and a movie tomorrow? I'm sure Tink could pull a few strings," Robin glowed, and Regina grinned as she continued to comb Robin's hair with her delicate fingers.

"Okay… it's a date," Regina nodded her head, and Robin smiled as he brought Regina back to his arms, both falling asleep again quickly.

Things were starting to turn around.