A/N: So, I thought I was supposed to update this week, so I hurried to edit this chapter and got everything ready, before realizing it was supposed to be posted next week. I guess you're lucky, the update rotation got a week ahead of the schedule ;-). You're finally going to find out who the group is heading to!
Thank you to everyone who sticks with me and reviews, and a special thanks to the guest whose review for the previous chapter made my day ❤
Knock Knock.
She bites her lip, half-excited, half-worried, hearing steps coming closer, until finally...
"Regina?"
Eleanor's surprise breaks into a grin as she opens her arms and hugs the brunette. Excited calls of her name resonate in the house as two toddlers come rushing towards them, colliding with Regina's legs the second she pulls back from Eleanor.
Regina crouches and warmly squeezes the twins against her, pressing kisses on their cheeks, grinning when she recedes, accepting another hug from Hansel, caving in and hoisting the little boy to her hip.
"What are you doing here?" Eleanor asks excitingly. "I thought I would never see you again." In front of her silence, noticing the group and the carriage behind her, her excitement switches to concern. "Who are these people?" It must hit her, because she suddenly turns pale. "Regina... Where is Robin?"
xxx
"That's insane." Eleanor whispers, barely realizing all the revelations she just heard. "I could tell that something was on his mind, Michael even mentioned it to me once, but I never thought... And your husband..." She shakes her head. "You're the Queen! Wow, I never saw this one coming. I never saw any of this coming."
"Neither did I." Regina replies, a hand covering Eleanor's. "I'm sorry I kept this from you."
"I understand why you did it. It would've put your life at risk. And now that I know what the King is capable of..." Her gaze wanders to Robin, who's been laid down on a makeshift bed identical to the one he'd slept on for weeks, and sighs. "We need to get Amelia."
"That's why we're here." Regina admits. "Friar Tuck is doing everything he can, but given the extent of Robin's injuries, he could use a little hand."
Maleficent gets up, on her guard, glancing at the mug of tea on the table that she knows is meant to be hers, but she has refused to take it yet, her defiance back, walls high.
"Who's this Amelia?"
Regina lifts her hands in reassurance. "She's a friend. She saved my life last time Robin and I were here. I trust her fully." In front of the woman's suspicious look, she adds. "I swear. After everything, do you really believe I'd put his life at risk again?" With this last argument, Maleficent softens, finally accepts the mug Regina hands her, nodding her acceptance before kneeling by her brother's side again.
Eleanor lifts a questioning eyebrow at Regina, who shrugs. "She's a bit wild, understandably so from the little I know of her story. Where does Amelia live? I have to go ask her if she can come."
"After everything you've told me, I won't let you wander around and risk getting caught. Stay here with your friends, get some well-deserved rest. I'll go." Eleanor glances at the twins showing their toys to Alan and Little John. "Meanwhile, do you mind keeping an eye on those two?"
xxx
"This a swo'd?"
Little John glances at his belt, following Hansel's curious gaze, and pats the hilt of his sword.
"Yes, it is, little man. It's my sword." He corrects. Catching Regina's raised eyebrow as she looks up from the game she and Alan are playing with Gretel, he adds quickly, clearing his throat. "But it's only for grownups. And it's certainly not a tool to play with."
"Oh..."
The little boy doesn't look away, hypnotized by the object, so after another look from Regina, Little John crouches to be at eye-level with Hansel, therefore removing the sword from his sight.
"What's your favorite toy, Hansel?"
The toddler is so easily distracted that he forgets about the sword immediately, frowning deeply, a finger over his mouth, before he exclaims happily. "My Bear!"
"Your Bear?" Little John asks with wide eyes, willingly overplaying his surprise. "I'd love to see it! Can you show it to me?"
Without a second thought, Hansel rushes into his bedroom, John on his heels after he left his sword resting above the fireplace, out of reach for the children.
"I hope this Amelia is a very good healer, Regina." Friar Tuck says once the room has become quiet again, bandaging one of Robin's injuries after cleaning it. "His body is so weak that even with my medication, it can't heal."
Regina places a kiss on top of Gretel's head, leaves her to play with Alan while she gets up and moves closer to Friar Tuck, Robin and Maleficent. Her eyes land on Robin, this man who broke her heart in thousand pieces, but to whom this same heart will belong forever. She sends her hand forward, hovering over his fingers without daring to touch them. She wants to. The closer she gets, the more she needs the physical contact. But since the last time she's touched him, she realized that it only increased the connection between them, the force pushing her towards him, and she doesn't want that, not yet.
She loves Robin.
And she hates him.
Recovery, forgiveness, and most of all trust, are out of her reach for now, and she'll need a lot of time before getting there, she can tell.
But the child growing inside her, the product of their love, of their connection, needs its father. It is it, who pushes her towards him. Who would she be if she denied its wishes when their baby is the reason why she went to save Robin in the first place?
So she gives in, closes her fingers over Robin's, and gasps as her entire body is flooded by a rush of love so intense there are stars dancing before her eyes.
"Are you alright?"
She barely hears Friar Tuck's voice, barely feels Maleficent's hand on her back, as she's invaded with the premises of a connection between her child and its father, of the beginning of her acceptance of the situation, the place that Robin will have in their lives now that he's back.
"She is." Regina replies once the daze has faded and she's recovered, although her eyes are still set on her hand wrapped around Robin's.
"I'm sorry?"
She looks up, meets Friar Tuck's confusion, then Maleficent's glistening eyes as she glances at the hand Regina instinctively placed on her belly –the satisfaction Regina can read in her eyes is enough to tell her that Robin's sister understood exactly what just happened.
"Amelia. She's an exceptional healer. I know she'll save him." And then, because she doesn't want the friar to take it the wrong way, because he is helping so much and she'll never thank him enough for everything he's done since the beginning, she adds. "No offence."
"None taken." he replies immediately. "You asked me to keep him alive until now, and that's what I did, didn't I?"
He smiles warmly at her, and she smiles back.
"Are you sure that you're alright?" he asks though, his smile turning into a frown.
"I am." she assures. "The baby and I are perfectly fine."
The door opens then, and Regina beams as she gets up and walks to Amelia, the woman answering her hug without hesitation.
"Last time we saw each other, I was hoping we wouldn't find ourselves in this situation again." she says when she pulls back, quickly glancing at Robin and frowning immediately at the sight of his pale and battered body. "What happened to him?"
Regina walks her by Robin's side, and Amelia politely nods at everyone in the room, before crouching in front of him.
"We don't know exactly." Regina replies. "He was tortured, that much is clear. My father is resting for now, but maybe he'll be able to give you more details when he wakes up." In front of Amelia's confusion and wide eyes, she adds, whispering. "Long story."
"If I may," Friar Tuck begins. "I'm Friar Tuck. I started treating Robin when we found him three days ago. I've already made an assessment of his injuries."
Amelia gratefully smiles. "Please, tell me."
Regina tugs on Maleficent's arm, catching on the woman's shocked state but not picking on it, instead forcing her to get up and let Amelia work with Friar Tuck.
"Stop staring." she murmurs in Robin's sister's ear, after she's noticed the way she didn't look away from Amelia. "You look as if you just saw a ghost."
"I'm sorry." Maleficent replies on the same hushed tone. "She reminds me of someone."
"Who?"
Maleficent seems deep in thoughts, a bit shaken by the sight of Amelia, but she shakes her head. "It doesn't matter. It was a long time ago; I must be mistaken."
"Regina?"
Regina turns around to face Amelia, who's getting up and walking closer.
"He's in a worse state than the one you were in when I healed you. I'll need to treat him several times a day and monitor his state closely for a few days, and I can't do that if he's here." Regina is about to ask about their options, but Amelia doesn't give her time to reply as she explains. "I have two beds available in my home for similar situations. It'd be best if he stayed there. Friar Tuck could come too." she offers, waving towards the man who's getting up to his feet. "That way we could work together more easily."
"I'm not very comfortable with the idea of being away from my brother." Maleficent intervenes, catching Amelia's attention, the two women staring at each other silently for a moment, as if Amelia was only now realizing her presence.
"Robin's your brother?"
"He is."
"You could visit him anytime I'm not providing cares for him." she offers. "Given his state, I really believe he'll have more chances to survive if I'm near."
Maleficent narrows her eyes. "What kind of cares are we talking about exactly?"
Amelia doesn't let her coldness get at her, straightens her spine and answers in a calm but sturdy voice. "I do whatever is necessary for my patients to recover. If you refuse, then you're free to leave with him. But you will be the only one to blame for his death."
The silence that falls upon the room is only disturbed by Hansel exiting his bedroom with Little John and running to his mother, who picks him up quietly, not looking away from the two women facing each other in her house, none of them backing down.
Regina waits, hoping that Maleficent will be reasonable, that she will let Amelia do her job and save Robin's life, that she will start to trust people, to have faith in her, but after an entire minute waiting for this hell to end, she sighs, and wraps her fingers around Maleficent's arm, turning her towards her.
"Do you trust me?"
After a second, Maleficent replies, her tense features slightly relaxing as she nods. "I do."
"Then let Amelia save his life." Maleficent glances at the blonde woman, hesitant, so Regina tugs at her arm, insists. "Please!"
Regina forces herself not to look away from the two piercing blue eyes staring at her and searching for the strength necessary to accept the situation, and she nods at her friend, attempts a small reassuring smile, until Maleficent looks down.
"Alright." She looks behind her at Amelia, who hasn't moved an inch and is waiting for her answer. "Do everything you can."
With a firm nod, Amelia replies. "I will."
xxx
"I can't believe everything that happened since you left." Eleanor admits as Regina finishes telling her story to Michael. "I had a feeling that Robin and you would end up together, but I never thought that he was..." She exchanges a look with her husband.
"I understand his behavior better." Michael adds, looking back at Regina. "When I first saw him, bent over you in the forest, I thought that he had attacked you."
"Why did you lead him here then?" Regina questions.
"Because the distress in his eyes when he looked at me... I had never seen someone in such pain." He shrugs. "Of course, you'd have to ask him, but if his mission was indeed to kill you, I believe I interrupted him when he was trying his best not to. The talk he and I had a few days later follows that theory."
"What talk?" Maleficent asks, curious about that part of her brother's life he didn't share with her.
"Robin told me that he was facing a dilemma: Either keep living his life, doing what he knew how to do, without any surprise. Or, face the unknown, take a bet and abandon everything behind."
"We all know which option he chose." Maleficent smirks.
"Indeed." Michael confirms, his eyes landing on Regina. "He chose you."
"And he never regretted it for one second." Henry adds, speaking for the first time tonight.
"Did he really?" Little John asks, slightly defensive, purposely avoiding Maleficent's stare.
But Henry doesn't let the young man's bitterness and protective behavior deter him. "Do you really believe he'd have suffered months of torture if he didn't? A torture that most people wouldn't have survived."
"It could've been guilt." Alan suggests.
"Or love." Henry offers. "A love so strong that it fueled his resolve to keep his mouth shut, no matter what the King put him through, while guilt would have made him cave in." Little John is about to speak again, but Henry cuts him off with a strength that Regina didn't know her father possessed. "I know what you must think: He got what he deserved for hurting my little girl. Although I appreciate how much you care for my daughter, even if she's my most precious treasure, you couldn't be more wrong."
He locks eyes with Regina, nothing but tenderness and care in his old and tired eyes. She smiles at him tenderly, grabs his hand and squeezes it gently, a silent way for her to tell him she won't resent him for taking the defense of the man who broke her heart.
"Meeting you, Regina, was the best thing that ever happened to him. You gave a new purpose to his life, and betraying you was his biggest regret. That's why he accepted the torture as a penitence, saw it as a way to make up for his mistake, to finally protect you the way he always should have. His only hope, during the weeks that we spent together in the dungeons, was for you to find the life you were looking for, and be happy. Even if he wasn't a part of that life."
Henry tears his gaze away from his daughter's glistening one, locking with Little John and Alan's.
"We all make mistakes, young men. I love my daughter with everything I have, I am her father, yet I wasn't able to protect her when she needed me to. We all live with regrets, but not all of us try to be better. Robin did, and he almost paid the ultimate price. I don't say forgiving him will be an easy thing," he exchanges a glance with his daughter, who knows that these words are mostly meant for her. "But I believe he deserves for you to try."
xxx
It took four days. Four days of exhausting magical cares that left Amelia drained each time, on the verge of passing out more than once according to Friar Tuck, for Robin to wake up. To avoid raising questions, the secret of her healing abilities was revealed to the group, against the solemn promise that none of them would ever speak a word about it to anyone, something they all agreed to.
However, ever since this news was revealed, Regina has noticed a change in Maleficent's behavior, pain flashing in her eyes every time she looks at Amelia now. She remembers the shock written on her face as Amelia explained her powers. She's tried to get the woman to talk, but she stubbornly refused, so Regina let it go. They may be friends, but Maleficent is still wild and secretive, it won't do anyone any good if she pushes about something that's obviously a private matter. Hopefully, finally seeing her brother awake and out of danger will cheer her up.
It's only Regina and Maleficent, Amelia warned them that Robin is still extremely weak and won't have the strength to face many people. Regina can't help but feeling anxious, tense, and right now she's staring at the door, fidgeting with her cloak, her breathing shallow.
She's been waiting for this moment for what seems like forever. Yet, she's struggling to put one foot in front of the other. There is so much to say. She's not certain yet of how she will react, if she will fully close herself to him and push him away, or will give him a chance to explain himself. Her anger and betrayal are still here, but her wounds are less raw, her heart slowly healing, and despite all the unsolved issues between them, she truly carries the hope to be able to, at some point, let him in again.
Maleficent must sense her turmoil, because she places a hand on her forearm, catching her attention and searching for her gaze, smiling gently, reassuring.
"Are you okay?"
Regina takes a deep breath in, and out. "I'm not sure how to react. You know what I feel for him," Maleficent's lips curve slightly in agreement. "But the anger hasn't faded yet. I still haven't forgiven him."
"Give it time, Regina." Maleficent reassures her. "I know my brother, I'm pretty sure that he won't expect you to jump at his neck and kiss him right away." Regina blushes at the mention of the intimate gesture. "Do you want me to go first? To explain the situation to him, so he'll know what to expect when you're ready to come in?"
Regina rises hopeful eyes at her. "Would you mind?"
"Of course not!" Maleficent tilts her chin up and winks at her. "Take your time. He'll be ready for you."
Regina lets Maleficent enter, and looks up at the sky. It's the beginning of summer, the weather is slowly improving but stays chilly, so she gladly welcomes the few sunrays that warms her face. She paces, hugging herself, fighting the knot of anxiety that has formed in her stomach, the dryness of her mouth, the fast beating of her heart.
It will be okay.
Stop panicking.
Robin will understand.
She shuts her eyes and shakes her hands, removing the pins and needles that have invaded her, resolute to act like a grownup and face him without trembling like a leaf. She's going to be a mother, of his child on top of everything, she put her life and the one of her friends at risk to save him. Surely, she can be mature enough to sit in front of him and talk.
"Alright." she mutters. "You can do this."
She holds her breath, and opens the door. Amelia and Friar Tuck are chatting in what Regina supposes to be Amelia's main room, sat at a table, a steaming mug in hands. They both smile at her when she enters, and she shyly joins them, unsure of what to say.
"Maleficent's with him." Amelia says gently, glancing at the door that leads to the room where Robin is. "They're waiting for you."
"How is he?" Regina asks.
"Weak." Amelia concedes. "But awake, and healing. His life no longer is in danger."
She sighs in relief. "Good. Do you think he's ready to deal with..." she's not certain of what to say, so she vaguely waves towards herself, sheepishly adding. "Me?"
Amelia gets up from her seat and takes both of Regina's hands. "I believe that he's been waiting for you for months. Don't worry, Regina. No matter how difficult your conversation will be, Robin can handle it."
"Okay." she replies in a whisper, frowning as she glances down, readying herself because it's time. Finally.
She nods, squeezes her hands before releasing her, and heads for the door. Her hand is on the handle, and she forces herself to apply pressure and open the door.
He's here. She didn't find the strength to come visit him since Amelia's been taking care of him, so she didn't see before how much he's changed. He's been closely shaved, washed, the bruises on his face are only a pale yellow now. His skin-color is back to its normal self, his eyes back to the piercing blue that had made her shiver and want to lose herself in them.
However, she doesn't miss the several bandages covering his chest, his face strained with exhaustion, his extremely thin figure as he hasn't yet gained back all the weight he's lost due to starvation, and Regina shudders at the thought of everything he must have gone through.
But a movement catches her eyes, and she notices Maleficent, the corner of her lips tipping up as their gaze meet. She bends towards her brother, pressing a kiss to his forehead, her hand slowly slipping from his grip as she gets up and walks in Regina's direction. Regina doesn't look away from her, doesn't dare meet Robin's eyes yet, and she glances down when Maleficent wraps her fingers around hers, and squeezes as she murmurs low enough so only she will hear. "Be honest. He has no illusion about how you feel."
She breaks contact, nods at her once, and soon Regina finds herself alone, facing the man who turned her entire life upside down.
She gathers her courage, and finally looks at him in the eyes. She shivers, forces herself to keep her arms alongside her body, not to show Robin how much she wants to kiss him and slap him at the same time.
"Hello, Regina."
His voice is weak, raspy, broken and full of the knowledge that this isn't going to be an easy conversation, that they are both going to suffer, but it is the only way out of a situation that needs to be fixed, for both their sakes.
"Hello, Robin."
Coming next: Now that Robin is awake, he can finally have that much necessary talk with Regina, but also finally meet Henry, and reconnect with his sister.
Don't hit me please XD I promise THE scene will be in the next chapter, that will be posted in about a month, after WIRM's update. In the meantime, what did you think of this one?