"Robin!"
Robin laughs at the children's enthusiasm, moves on the bench just in time to receive Hansel and Gretel in his arms, huffing out when the shock triggers a wave of pain. Eleanor scolds her twins immediately, but Robin dismisses her concern, reassuring her. He's missed these kids more than he expected. He agreed with Amelia's suggestion to wait until he was feeling better and his face wouldn't be bruised anymore, but he was impatient to see them again.
"Hey buddies!" He pulls back, faces two toothy and wide grins that make his heart melt. "Did you miss me?"
The twins eagerly nod in concert. "You have new draw?" Gretel asks, eyes shining with hope.
"I'm afraid I don't, Gretel." He carefully lifts her and sits her on his lap, pushing his plate away so she won't knock it over, while Hansel climbs on the bench next to him. "Do you still have the ones I gave you?"
"Yes! It's in my room!" she answers happily, making Robin chuckle at her enthusiasm and cuteness.
"Kids, maybe you should let Robin, Amelia, Friar Tuck and Maleficent finish their lunch, and then I'm sure Robin will spend some time with you." Eleanor suggests, lifting an eyebrow but smiling at her children.
"But-"
"No buts." She cuts her daughter off softly. "Come here!"
The little boy runs to her, while Gretel pouts and lifts puppy eyes at Robin. He nods at her, whispering to listen to her mother, that he won't go anywhere. She leans forward to plant a noisy kiss on his cheek, Robin answering by ruffling her hair tenderly.
Eleanor gives them the toys that she's brought, asking them to be quiet for a moment, but by then Hansel and Gretel are already engrossed in their world, focused on the game.
"I'm sorry for the trouble." she apologizes when she joins the group at the small table. "I didn't know you hadn't eaten yet."
Amelia shakes her head. "Don't worry, Ellie. It's fine."
"Do you want some water?" Friar Tuck offers.
"I'm good, thank you. So, how are you feeling, Robin? You certainly look better than last week."
"I do. Amelia and Friar Tuck are doing an excellent job."
"You still need rest." Tuck reminds. "You haven't fully recovered yet."
"There are some injuries that need a bit more healing." Amelia confirms.
Robin swallows a spoonful of broth, humming and holding back a roll of his eyes while bending towards Gretel, the little girl asking for his attention. "Yes, Gretel?"
"I can sit on you?" she begs him, Hansel asking the same to Amelia.
"Kids, I asked you to play quietly-"
"Let them, Ellie." Robin waves a hand at her, helping Gretel on his lap, securing the little girl with a hand around her waist. "They're no trouble."
Maleficent watches her brother intensely, glancing between him and the toddler on his lap. Her heart warms at the sight, eyes watering because it reminds her that her baby brother is going to be a dad in a few months. Despite a messy, complicated and dangerous situation, she knows that whatever Regina decides about her relationship with Robin, she will let him be in their child's life. The young brunette has confessed her relief at the knowledge that she won't be alone, that her baby will have its two parents, and Maleficent couldn't be happier. Despite Robin's past, the lack of parenthood they both suffered, despite his fears of blowing everything up and be a horrible father that Robin's secretly admitted to her, she's confident that he will be amazing. He will love his child with his entire being, already does, if the sparkle dancing in his eyes whenever they're talking about it is any indication.
It also reminds her of what she's been robbed of, of what she's lost, who she's lost. She's told Robin that she doesn't want to mention it again, that she doesn't want things to change, but the more time passes, the more she gets to know her, the more she begins to think of everything she's missed, the more her resolve to keep her mouth shut dissolves. Except that's not really a subject that she can mention in the middle of a dinner, and once Robin will have recovered, they'll probably leave, and it will be too late.
Maleficent startles as the door slams open, effectively interrupting her line of thoughts and a conversation she wasn't paying attention to.
John is standing in the entrance, breathless, sweating, hair messy as if he'd just ridden at fast speed.
"We have a problem."
Eleanor gets up immediately. "What's going on?"
"The King's men. They're barely half a day riding from here. They're searching every single house on their way. We need to leave. Now!"
Robin holds Gretel close as the little girl fearfully snuggles in his arms, his heart sinking. For a few days, he hoped that the King had forgotten about them, that his search of a needle in a haystack would've kept them safe. He was wrong.
"Okay, let me- humph!" He fails to get up, dizziness taking him and forcing him to sit back down. Eleanor gathers her daughter immediately while Amelia and Tuck surround him, Maleficent helping him lean against her.
"He's not ready, John." Amelia argues.
"I'm fine." Robin counteracts, holding his breath and wincing as he brings a hand to his abdomen, where the pain feels like a dagger piercing through him.
"Save your crap for someone else. I treat you, remember?"
"Amelia is right," Friar Tuck adds, looking at John. "He's in no condition to travel, let alone at the speed we'll have to go if we want to outrun the King's men, even in a carriage."
"Maybe we can use Regina's magic?" John suggests. "She said it's coming back."
Maleficent shakes her head. "Slowly. She also said it's not much yet, it barely started coming back two days ago. She better keep it in case we need protection."
"We'll need it soon if we stay here and they find us! I say we should-"
He stops when hooves and neighing are heard, everyone freezing until John reassures them. "It must be Regina. She told me to go ahead and that she'd join us-"
He doesn't have time to finish his sentence, because the door opens to reveal Regina and Henry, both looking pale and as if they'd just seen the devil itself.
"Did you tell them?"
"I did. But Robin isn't in any state to travel."
Regina crosses eyes with Robin, worry and concern passing between them.
"And my magic isn't strong enough yet to transport us all home."
"Regina, you should go." Robin says honestly, keeping his voice as steady as possible, hiding the residual pain that makes every sudden movement hurt. "You, Henry, Mal and your friends, go back home! I'll find a way to hide so they can't find me. I won't let you risk your life for me again."
"Are you kidding me?" Regina snaps, furious eyes staring at him, her tone so strong she startles everyone around, Hansel and Gretel hiding behind Eleanor's legs. Even Robin doesn't dare answer when she takes a step towards him. "Haven't you learned anything about the last months? I've risked my life, your sister's, my friends' to save you. Ellie, Michael and Amelia have put themselves in danger the second they let us in. Our baby is connected to you as much as it is to me. It needs you! And I do! Despite what you did, I need you to stay alive. So don't you dare play hero and offer to sacrifice yourself again, Robin! Or I swear you'll lose me for good, soulmates or not."
Silence falls over the room, people looking at each other uncomfortably, while Regina doesn't look away from Robin.
"You better listen to her," Maleficent says, drawing everyone's attention. "It's about time someone other than me knocks some sense into your pretty head."
"Aren't you supposed to be on my side?"
Maleficent stands, shaking her head. "Not when you're being stupid. I almost lost you once, pardon me for not being keen to experience the same thing twice. So, how do we do this?"
Regina furrows her brow, thinking deeply.
"Someone needs to warn my husband and Alan first. Whatever we decide, they need to come back first!"
John immediately heads for the door. "I know where they're working today, it's not far. I'm going."
Ideas start to fuse then, options that they have, using the carriage to transport Robin, Maleficent's protection spell, directly fight the soldiers, the invisibility ring. But none of these options can work in the long run, and they would leave fresh traces that Robin's old friends could track. When they're back to square one, Regina suddenly remembers one little detail that could maybe be their salvation.
"How much time do you need to make a drawing?" Regina bursts out suddenly, looking at Robin.
His eyes widen in confusion, gaze alternating between her and Maleficent, but his sister already understood what Regina is referring to.
"He needs to know the place in order to draw it, Regina."
"Or the person. You told me you found me thanks to a drawing, so a person would work too, right?"
Maleficent slowly nods. "Yes, but who-"
Regina turns towards Robin, asks hopefully. "Can you draw Tinkerbell?"
Robin's confusion hasn't left him, he didn't expect Regina to know about that aspect of him. "I- Yes, but how-"
"I told her about your magic." Maleficent confirms, sweeping away his last doubts.
Everyone else around stare at him in shock.
"Wait!" Eleanor frowns. "You have magic too?"
"He does." Amelia confirms, "I could feel it the moment I started healing him, the same way I've felt Regina's magic months ago."
"What can you do with it?" Tuck asks.
Robin looks between everyone, taken aback for a moment. His magic isn't something he likes to talk about. He doesn't use it actually, except when he wants to go back to his sister's castle without crossing entire lands by foot. Drawing, yes. That's a hobby he enjoys, that helps him relax and keep memories of some lands or people alive. But unless he purposely uses it, a regular drawing doesn't require any magic.
"I can create portals between different locations thanks to a drawing. Without leaving any clue of our destination behind."
"My opinion stays the same, Robin." Amelia intervenes. "I'm not sure you're strong enough right now."
"Maybe Mal could do it?" Regina suggests. "That's what you did when you used his drawing to find me in Nottingham."
But the blonde woman sadly shakes her head. "I used the remnant of magic Robin left in his drawing in order to do that. But as this isn't my magic, it only works for myself. I cannot open a portal for so many people, only Robin can."
"It usually doesn't require much energy. I can do it. I have enough memories of Tinkerbell to draw her." Robin assures.
Eleanor frowns, holding her children against her. "Excuse me, it may not be much relevant but... who is this Tinkerbell?"
"Short story, she's a former fairy that was banished for helping Robin and I. She's human now, and the one I went to when I left Robin months ago. She's waiting for us at Nottingham." Regina's eyes find Robin's again. "If I understood your magic correctly, if you draw her, you can take us directly to her."
He nods, following her line of thoughts. He may not like his magic, but right now it could save their lives. And he's tired of feeling like a useless invalid. "I need a pen and a paper."
xxx
"Ellie, I don't think it's safe for us to stay here." Michael says lowly, tugging on his wife's hands as they walk a bit away from the group. "You heard John, they're searching every house. If they have even the slightest doubt, we could all end up in the King's dungeon. And that's the better option."
"But it's our home, Mike! Our first home, where the twins were born. Do you really want to abandon all of our memories?" Eleanor argues, glancing at their children listening to Henry, the old man telling them a story that has them captivated and staring at him with wide eyes and mouths, completely mesmerized, thankfully oblivious of the agitation around them.
"What I want is for us to be safe. If it means leaving everything behind, for a few months or even more, the choice is easy. You've seen what this man is capable to do to people who help Regina. Do you really want to risk our lives or our children's?"
Eleanor blows out a shaky breath, relenting. "You're right. As long as we're together, nothing else matters."
He kisses his wife's hands. "Come on! We need to go pack everything."
Regina watches them leave, guilt washing over her, because if she hadn't decided to come here, they'd have been safe. None of them would be forced to abandon their home, their lives behind them. She watches Amelia, busy gathering her things, because they convinced her to come too, not so much for Robin but mostly because she risks her life as much as the woodcutters by staying behind.
Regina sighs as she realizes that wherever she goes, she messes everything.
Her hand instinctively falls over her stomach. Well, not exactly everything.
She inhales deeply, closing her eyes as she forces her trembling hand to still, her racing heart to slow down, her anxiety to fade. She needs to stay calm, for her friends, for her child.
"Are you okay?"
Maleficent's hand is on her shoulder, concerned eyes upon her. Regina covers the woman's hand with hers, manages a small smile. "I'll be once we'll be safe."
Their eyes both land on Robin, who's oblivious of everything around him as he draws, and draws, and draws, at a speed Regina's never seen, with a concentration that has him furrowing his brow and clenching his jaw, pearls of sweat dripping from his forehead. She can feel his magic radiate from him as he probably uses it to speed up his pace. She watches, in awe, as Tinkerbell takes form in front of her, as Robin's drawing is the most faithful she's ever seen. Despite the stress and the precipitation due to the situation, she's glad to go back to Nottingham, because she misses her friend. She can't wait to hug her, to see them all again, Eric, Hannah, Larry and Emily.
By the time they're all gathered in front of Amelia's house, two good hours later, their stuff packed in the carriage, Robin is done, his hand and wrist twisting painfully, but he dismisses it by shaking his hand.
The group is facing him expectantly, and the pressure makes his heartbeat rise, a rush of heat invading him as he takes in the group. He locks eyes with his sister, who smiles reassuringly. She'll always have his back, has been the only consistency in his life over the last years, and that thought alone is bringing him the necessary solace to handle this situation calmly.
John and Alan are staring at him with skeptic eyes. Robin knows they aren't very fond of him, but just like Friar Tuck, they're slowly coming around, accepting him, because Regina wants him in her life and they respect her choice.
Amelia's sadness is obvious, as this is the house where she grew up, where she healed and helped so many people, villagers that will find her door closed without an explanation as they can't risk them spilling out information or being arrested by the King for knowing about their situation.
Hansel has fallen asleep in his father's arms, but Gretel is crying, snuggled in Ellie's arms, the little girl confused about the reason she has to abandon her home, which breaks Robin's heart. It's all on him. If he hadn't mess up to begin with, if he had been honest, none of this would've happened.
But then, Henry wouldn't be free. The old man's eyes are full of confidence as they look at him, placing his life between his hands without hesitation, and despite the suffering he's been through, he is the very reason Robin doesn't regret what happened. He's gained the friendship of a deeply good man who has be freed from a dungeon, and that alone is worth all the tortures.
His heart misses a beat when his gaze lands on Regina. She's as beautiful as in his dreams, even more radiant now that she's pregnant. This is all for her, to keep her and their baby safe, because she deserves it, deserves to be happy, to be granted with the life she's always wanted but was robbed of.
"So..." Michael begins. "How does it work?"
Robin takes a step forward, places himself in front of the group and turns his back on them, his drawing in a hand, the other held in front of him. He closes his eyes, his free hand creating small circles. It's like riding a horse, that's something that's not easily forgotten, and it takes a handful of seconds before the familiar pull of magic invades him, and a circle appears in front of them.
He opens his eyes and smiles, because she's here, Tinkerbell, dressed as a human, discussing with a woman he doesn't know, feeding pigs from what he can see. He increases the magic then, which has the portal growing until it's large enough to let them go through, catching the attention of the former fairy and whoever is with her on the other side. At his nod, Maleficent informs the group that it's time to go, and Alan and John go first, leading the horses and carriage with them. Henry follows, along with Friar Tuck. It takes a moment for Eleanor, Michael and Amelia to step forward, to leave everything behind, their lives, their memories, their homes. But when Robin's magic begins to falter, his forehead glistening with sweat, his hand trembling under the effort, Maleficent urges them to go, because time is running out before the portal will close.
Robin finds himself facing his sister and the woman he loves, Maleficent and Regina both looking at him in concern.
"Go!" he says through gritted teeth. "I'll be right behind you."
Maleficent nods at him, disappearing through the portal, but Regina doesn't.
"Together."
She closes her fingers around his wrist, the contact between their skins making them both jolt, something they've been used to since they've found each other again. With each new talk, each new step towards a patched-up relationship, they've felt their bodies connecting with one another, strengthening the bond between them.
Regina begins to walk backward in direction of the portal, and one step after the other, she drags Robin with her.
His hand falls the moment they've crossed the portal, and he blinks against the bright light, turning his head away from the sun hitting him right in the face.
"Regina!"
Tinkerbell crashes against Regina, laughing as she squeezes her friend against her tightly, making the moment linger. When Regina pulls back, Tinkerbell is grinning at her.
"We didn't expect you to-"
A loud thud behind them has them turn around, and Regina crouches immediately next to Robin, who's on his hands and knees, head down.
"Robin!"
Maleficent, Tuck and Amelia are by his side in a second, Amelia placing one hand on his back, the other on his chest, her fingers glowing with magic.
Maleficent carefully helps Tuck and Amelia put her brother on his side on the ground. "I don't understand. It's never done that to him before."
"I told you he was too weak. His wounds may have been closed but he was still sore and recovering from months of starvation." Amelia replies with a slightly harsh tone. "I don't find any new physical wounds. Opening the portal must have drained him. He needs to lie down."
"Let's take him to my house!" Friar Tuck answers.
John helps him put Robin on his feet, but Robin barely reacts as he's on the verge on consciousness.
Regina and Maleficent begin to move in with them, but Amelia stops them with a hand raised. "Let Tuck and I take care of him. I'll call you when he's awake."
Regina's eyes follow them until they're out of sight, and it's only then that she looks around. They've arrived right in the center of the village, so everyone is staring at them curiously, Alan already deep in explanations, reassuring the villagers.
That's when she notices someone who's looking at her intensely patiently. Regina smiles widely at Hannah, walking to her and wrapping her arms around her.
Finally, it's good to be home.
xxx
After introducing the woodcutters' family and her father to the village, Regina and her friends reunited around one of the large outside tables, and she, John, Alan and Maleficent explained what they went through during their mission. Including the part where Regina got robbed of her magic for several days.
"It's still not fully back, but it's there." she assures, flexing her fingers, feeling her magic course through her. "But when Anton threw that powder at me, it completely neutralized my magic."
"What you describe sounds like fairy powder." Tinkerbell points out.
Maleficent clasps her hands together. "That's what I've told them! The only magical creature who possesses such powder is a fairy."
The former fairy's eyes cloud with something that looks very much like realization and astonishment.
"Not a fairy." she whispers, her gaze slowly lifting from the table to meet Regina's eyes. "One fairy: Blue."
"The one who banished you?"
Tinkerbell nods. "She's the only one who has access to specific powders like this. The other fairies are not allowed to use them, even less give them to a human."
"We know who to thanks for siding with the Mad King then!"
Regina places a hand on Maleficent's arm, silently asking her to stop. "Anton's family has been threatened by the King. Perhaps that's what he told her to get her help. We don't know the whole story."
"Blue probably didn't either." Hannah suggests.
Tinkerbell frowns, fidgeting with her sleeve, acknowledges Eric's kind hand on her shoulder with a small and sad smile. "Which would only make what she did worse. She banished me for breaking the rules. But she did too. She helped the wrong person without knowing what was going on, and it could've gotten you killed."
Regina reaches for her friend from across the table, slipping her fingers around hers and squeezing gently. "I'm here, Tink. It failed, and I'm safe. That's the only thing that matters now."
xxx
Robin spends three full days sleeping and recovering from the exhaustion following the use of his powers. During that time, after helping everyone settle comfortably, Regina falls back into her routine, although she agreed with Anya that she'd take a few days before going back helping her at work. She checks on Robin at least twice a day, even stays a moment by his side when he's asleep. But most of the time, they talk. About the village, its inhabitants, the life she's built herself here without him, the life they hope they can have together, their child to come. It's soothing, helping, bringing them closer, yet it's not close enough to what she really needs, to the relationship she so deeply wants, but can't have right now.
She also had a long talk with Tinkerbell and Eric, explained to them Robin's sacrifice, the state he was in when they found him, the fact that he was ready to give his life to protect her. If Tinkerbell's last bits of resentment towards Robin vanished at her tale, she can tell that Eric is still more than wary of Robin, despite Alan and John's insurance that the man has made amend and behaved. The way he tenses whenever Robin's name pops in a conversation make her wonder if somehow, there isn't a slight bit of jealousy from his part.
"He cares about you a lot." Tinkerbell explains when Regina mentions her suspicion. "He was worried to see you risk your life for a man who betrayed you."
Regina puts more effort removing a lingering stain on her dress, rubbing the fabric directly with soap, then between her hands.
"Robin is also the reason why my husband didn't follow me here, Tink. He knew where I wanted to go, that Nottingham was my goal. If he didn't care, he could've told him. That would've spared him a lot of suffering, and he wouldn't have almost died."
The former fairy shrugs. "I believe you. I still think he was an idiot, but if you're ready to forgive him, I trust your judgement. Do you want me to talk to Eric?"
Regina shakes her head, checks the stain and smiles victoriously when she realizes that it's gone, begins to rinse the dress with the well's water.
"Don't worry Tink, I'll handle him."
"And Robin?"
"What about him?"
"What will you do? Do you think you two can make it work again?"
Regina sighs deeply, frowning as she grabs another clothe from the basket and plunges it in the water. "I don't really know. I hope so, I truly do. But he needs to recover first. Then, I guess we'll take things slow. My feelings are here, they never disappeared but it's my trust that he needs to win again. I mean, I know what he did for me, and that should be enough, I want it to be enough, but for some reason that I can't explain, it's not, not yet. When I look at him, I still see the man who betrayed me. Yet, every moment we spend together makes me want to throw my arms around his neck, kiss him and forget all about the last months." She shakes her head as she blows out an annoyed breath. "It doesn't even make any sense."
Tinkerbell nudges her shoulder. "You secretly want to be properly wooed, admit it!"
Regina chuckles. "Maybe. Anyway, he's in no state to spend time with me like I'd like to right now. Even when I visit him, we don't have much privacy, not enough at least to... well... mend our relationship properly."
Tinkerbell's face falls as she readies herself to ask what's been on her mind since Regina went to look for Robin. It has forbidden her to find sleep, has made her discuss it with Hannah several times, the woman's attempts at reassuring her failing each time.
"And once it will be mended, do you think... Are you..." she catches Regina's confusion, the way she stops cleaning her clothes and looks at her expectantly, a frown barring her forehead. "Does your offer to live together, you and I, still stands? I'd understand if you want to live with Robin, I mean, he's your soulmate and you're going to have a child together. I don't want to get in the middle of that." she quickly explains, avoiding Regina's eyes before shyly looking her up again, shrugging. "It's just that, I've gotten used to the idea. But I don't want to pressure you or-"
"Tinkerbell, don't!" Regina cuts her off, wiping her hands on the skirt of her dress and gathering her friend's hands between hers. "You are my friend. Of course, my offer still stands! Robin might be back in my life, but I don't even know where he and I stand yet. It's not because fate has made us soulmates that it will guide my choices. The house Eric is building is ours! Don't doubt that, please!"
A smile lights up Tinkerbell's face at her words, reassurance settling in them as she squeezes Regina's fingers. "Very well. What do you say we take a look at the construction progress later today?"
"Definitely!"
They're on their way there when Tinkerbell suddenly remembers an event that she had almost forgotten. She stops Regina with a hand on her forearm.
"There's something I forgot to tell you."
Regina gets a better hold on the basket full of wet clothes. "What it is?"
"Not long after you left to save Robin, someone came to the village. Someone who was looking for you."
Regina steps back involuntarily, blood freezing in her veins as she gulps with difficulty. "Who?"
"I don't know who she was." Regina startles at the mention of a woman. Could it be...? "She said she was looking for you, wanted to make sure that you were safe and well. I said I didn't know any Regina, and then she left. I never saw her again."
"What was she like?" Regina urges, growing nervous.
"She was older than Hannah. Brown hair tied up in a bun. A long deep purple velvety dress, not like the ones we wear. She didn't look like a peasant, more like someone from royalty."
"My mother..." Regina breathes out.
"Your- How?"
"The wave of magic Maleficent mentioned, that occurred when I had the dream. The one that told her where I and Robin were. My mother must have felt it too. I know she went to my husband's castle as well that exact night."
Tinkerbell's eyes widen. "Regina, do you think she could be working with him?"
"I don't know. I don't think so, otherwise I'd already be at his mercy. I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary before coming back here, but I was mostly focused on Robin. I have no idea of what she wants. Which means that we have to stay on our guards."
xxx
"He'll need a few more days to be back in shape."
"I shouldn't have allowed him to use his magic." Maleficent sighs as she closes the door of the room where Robin is exercising with Friar Tuck.
Amelia brings a hand to her shoulder in an awkward attempt to comfort her. "Then we would probably be all dead. Robin saved our lives, Maleficent."
"I know. I just wish I could take his suffering. He's had enough."
"You're here. You support him. That's already a lot."
Maleficent smiles at the woman answer. Her reassurance is helping a little, but she won't feel fully relaxed until Robin has completely recovered. Physically, he's almost completely healed, but his body is still suffering from the starvation he's endured, and that's something Amelia's magic can't fix. She knows his life is out of danger though, forces herself to wipe away the fear of losing him, to erase the knot in the pit of her stomach. But it's not easy. He's her only family, her only blood relative, and she doesn't know what she'd do without him.
Well...
He's not her only blood relative. But it's not really as if the other one knows that she exists.
Except if she tells the truth. She didn't want to at first, didn't want to be reminded of that part of her life, wanted to keep her past in the past, but the more time passes, the more she gets to her, the more she figures that maybe now is time to break the circle of solitude that has been built around her.
She and Amelia take place around the small table in Friar Tuck's home, Amelia pouring them a glass of water. Their relationship hasn't been the one of friends, as Maleficent challenged and questioned Amelia's powers since day one, doubted it too, for the sole reason that she knows this magic, she's met it once, decades ago. However, Maleficent's defiance has faded as she discovered a wit and thoughtful young woman, whose magic was harmless and in fact, the very reason why her brother was still alive. Time spent together on a daily basis has helped them come around, relax towards one another, reuniting around their deep interest in saving Robin and helping him recover, becoming, if not friends yet, at least friendly.
Today though, after she's almost lost her brother a second time, Maleficent decides that it's time to open up fully, to explain Amelia her initial distance and defiance, to be honest the way she begged her brother to be with Regina, because the last thing she wants is to suffer the same consequences. Robin was right. She can't keep ignoring and running away from the past, she can't keep looking away from the truth that's before her eyes, she can't keep hiding the reality to someone who's never asked to be kept in the dark. She can't keep depriving herself of the chance to live her life fully.
So she inhales deeply, resolute to reveal what she's kept to herself since they've met.
"Amelia?"
The blonde woman lifts an eyebrow, placing her glass on the table.
"Yes?"
"Stop me if I'm being intrusive, but... Can I ask where you got your powers? That's not any typical magic that you have here. Someone must have taught you."
Amelia nods. "Yes. It comes from my father. He had the same powers, taught me how to use them since I was a child."
Maleficent ignores the twist in her stomach, swallowing her saliva to fight the dryness of her mouth. "And... where is he now?"
The answer is written in the sadness of Amelia's eyes, and Maleficent knows the answer before she voices it. "He's dead. One day I came back home and found him unconscious. Well..." Her voice fills with sobs, but she continues, blinking back her tears. "It was too late already. I can heal any wound, but I can't bring people back from the dead. No one can."
It's instinctive, Maleficent fingers cover the young woman's hand, a watery smile echoing Amelia's at the realization that her fear was real.
"I'm sorry. And... Your mother?"
There's a veil clouding Amelia's eyes, making her remove her hand and shut up. But as Maleficent is about to apologize for being intrusive, and take back her question, Amelia lets a breath out, a look she can't quite identify fixed upon the table.
"I've never met her. I don't know if she's alive or dead. I don't know if she's abandoned me or was forced away. I don't know if she loved me or simply didn't care." Amelia pauses, takes a long, slow, deep breath. "I've asked my father many times about her. His only answer was that she was the love of his life, and that all I needed to know what that I was born out of love. I guess... I've always believed that his heart was broken somehow, although he never told me so. Only, he had this look in his eyes whenever I brought the subject up. And I knew my father. He was sad. And he missed her. Well, I guess I'll never know." She shrugs, plunging a hand in her cleavage and fidgeting to pull something out, a necklace that her father has given her years ago, allows herself to smile while looking at it. "That's the only thing I have of her. He told me that through this, I'd always be connected to my mother. That it was all he could tell me." She looks up then, eyes landing on Maleficent for the first time since mentioning her mother, and she freezes at the sight.
Maleficent's eyes are full of tears, one falling on her cheeks as she stares in shock at the pendant in Amelia's hand. The small thing in plain metal in the shape of half a heart.
Amelia is confused about her reaction, especially given the reserve she's showed towards her since the beginning. She's about to ask if she's alright when Maleficent plunges her hand in her own neckline, and Amelia stares at her in dread and anticipation as her heartbeat quickens, her stomach twisting, until what she sees knocks the breath out of her lungs.
Maleficent is holding a necklace… the other half on her own.
She glances up incredulously, brow furrowed, a question on the tip of her tongue but no sound coming out.
"I remember the first time I saw him." Maleficent reveals, unable to fight a thoughtful smile as she's plunged into memories. "His hair was as dark as coal, his eyes of a piercing blue. His smile wide and bright." She tilts her chin towards Amelia, dares widening her watery smile. "Just like yours." She clears her throat when Amelia looks down with what resembles embarrassment. "He was a good person, the only person that was kind to me aside from my brother. I think… I believe that he fell in love with me just as quickly as I fell in love with him. He offered me this necklace when I told him I was pregnant, as a proof of his engagement to me."
Just bringing the memories back to the surface is making her tremble, and that's without counting the fear of Amelia's reaction. She doesn't know what's going on in the woman's -her daughter's, she can say it now- mind, as her eyes are wide and bright, her mouth agape.
"But… how?" Amelia frowns. "Why?" She shakes her head. "Where were you all these years? Why did you stay away? Did you at least look for us?"
"I-" Maleficent gaze falls to the ground in shame. She did look for them. Years later, after the shock has passed, after her wounds were less raw, she sent her ravens, found them again. But after what happened, what she did, she was too wounded, certain that he would reject her, and that was something she wouldn't have survived. "I was mourning the loss of my child and of the man I loved." she admits brokenly.
"Did you know we were alive?" Amelia questions, her tone slightly accusative, but Maleficent isn't thrown away. Amelia's interrogations are valid. She can't even begin to imagine what went into the woman's mind all these years.
"I did." she admits. "My birds found you, and through their eyes, I could observe you from afar."
Amelia's eyes are wide with shock, the anger in her voice perceptible. "And you never came for us? You stayed in your big castle, mourning the family that was right under your nose, without caring about the fact that they wanted you back, and you never tried to come back?"
Maleficent sighs. "The situation was complicated."
"Then enlighten me!" Amelia challenges. "Because I don't understand how you could do that to us if you truly loved us!" The door opens, Robin and Friar Tuck standing in the entrance, confused, but Amelia doesn't pay attention to them as she gets up swiftly. "We needed you! We would have welcomed you with open arms!"
"You don't know that. What I've done... I wasn't sure your father would be able to forgive me."
"So you were a coward."
Maleficent's heart halts its beating. She was.
"And the fact that it took you weeks to be able to tell me the truth shows that you still are one." She glances in the direction of the two men for the first time, eyes set on Robin. "Apparently, it runs in the family."
Before any of them can react, she's gone, slamming the door behind her.
Robin forgets about his weakened state, he forgets about his painful body, as he stumbles across the small room, about to go after Amelia but Maleficent rises a hand, stopping him with a strong voice that sounds like sorrow and emptiness, her gaze lost on the floor ahead of her.
"Don't. She needs time to process everything."
Robin scowls. "Does she know the whole truth?"
Maleficent shakes her head mechanically, still not meeting his eyes. "Only that I'm her mother. And that I've abandoned her."
"That's not the truth and you know it as much as I do! She can't judge you without knowing all the facts! Let me-"
"No!" Maleficent thunders, this time looking up, wind raising in the room, knocking a chair and a bench down, startling both Robin and Tuck, the two hurrying towards her when she falters, the tip of her horns shining like fire, as if she was just hit by the spell that slipped from her. "She'll only learn the truth if she wants to."
Robin kneels in front of her, holding her hands, while Tuck supports her. "If that's what you really want, I'll respect your decision. But promise me to stop using your powers this way, alright?" He begs, tugging at her hands to force her to look at him. "I don't know what she will decide, but you're my sister, and I need you to stop sacrificing your life. Please?"
Before she falls asleep, exhausted by the backfiring spell, she answers. "I promise."
xxx
The rumor of the kinship between Maleficent and Amelia has spread around the village in no time. Regina was astonished by that truth, but she didn't take side. She was close to both of them, and tried to understand the two women. However, what jumped to her eyes was that all the truth hadn't been unveiled, but now was too soon for Amelia to learn about that truth. The situation led to a lot of tension since, because of Robin, the two women could hardly avoid each other. Amelia didn't stop treating him though, and in a week, his progress was remarkable.
He's now allowed to go out every day, has been ordered to get his strength back, to build up his muscles and exercise every day while remaining cautious, which means that for the time being he needs to be constantly accompanied by someone. That someone is more than often Maleficent, sometimes Henry, who never refuses spending time with Robin, but also, herself.
Regina takes advantage of these, this time, private moments to try reconnect with Robin, to rekindle the broken bond. They both know that an unborn child and an ineluctable love are not enough to rebuild a healthy relationship, so they try, day after day, and even if the road is long to reach forgiveness and trust, each new moment spent together allows them to rediscover themselves, to find a scrap of this lost complicity, this time without lies, all the cards on the table in front of them. In barely a week, Regina already feels the change inside of her, lifting part of the weight on her chest caused by anger and resentment. In a week, she's felt lighter, happier, and she knows where this comes from.
"Careful!" She warns as she helps him step over a hole in the ground, her hands gripping his arm and back to stabilize him.
"Thank you." he answers gratefully. "No news about your mother?"
Regina shakes her head. "No. I admit that since we came back, I sometimes feels spied on, like someone is watching me, but when I look around, I'm alone, or surrounded by people I know. It must be my mind playing with me."
"You have a right to be scared, Regina. She's a powerful sorceress, and she's hurt you in the past."
"Yes, but I've talked about it with my father. He said that whatever my mother did, it was always out of love for me."
"Did that include killing your first love and forcing you into marrying a violent man?"
She sighs. "She didn't know who my husband was. She only saw the fact that she made me Queen."
"And miserable."
"Yes." she agrees, before looking up at him. "I guess we all have our own way to show people that we love them."
"Right."
"If she truly wanted to hurt me, it'd already be done."
"You certainly know her better than I do. But if you need help or protection, promise me that you'll come to me."
Regina smiles, quirks an eyebrow, teasing. "In your current state, you wouldn't be a challenge."
Robin laughs in replies, lifting a hand to his chest, playing falsely hurt. "Touché."
"Amelia and Friar Tuck told me your recovery was almost over though." Regina resumes more seriously as they continue to walk through the village.
"Yes." Robin breathes in relief. "I can't wait. I'm tired of feeling like a burden for everyone."
Regina sternly looks at him. "You're not a burden!"
Robin scoffs. "I can't even go for a walk without a chaperon to make sure I won't fall or faint. I'm pretty much sure that's the definition of being a burden, Regina."
She glances at him and smirks. "Did you hear me complaining?"
Robin allows himself to smile and relax. Their relationship is still messy, complicated, and whenever he lays eyes on her growing stomach, he can't help but hope that she will take him back. But he's still walking on eggs, doesn't want to overstep, yet his whole body is attracted to her. Not taking her hand is a struggle, requires all his self-control. It hurts. Being so close, yet facing the gap that he's responsible of separating them, is a torture. But he will endure it. He will give her the time she needs, take everything she offers, because every single second spent in her company is a blessing he didn't hope he'd be granted with again one day, and he has a feeling, a tiny one, that these precious seconds are helping her growing more comfortable around him.
"You're too good to me. When I was locked up, my strongest wish was to see you again. Just see you, nothing more. Never did I imagine that you'd be putting your life in danger to rescue me. Even less that you'd be involved in my recovery."
Regina's eyes are back on the ground as she takes place on a bench carved out of stone, inviting him to sit next to her. "Robin, stop beating yourself up for what happened, please."
She searches into her satchel, drawing Robin's attention, facing his confusion when she pulls out a tiny rolled paper. "You've made a mistake, I won't deny it. You've betrayed my trust, yes. But you were also about to come forward about your secrets." she says, his eyes lighting up as he realizes what she's holding. "I know that you almost did the right thing, that fate kicked in before you could."
"When did she give you this?" Robin questions with a raspy voice, his mouth suddenly dry.
"On the first night we left to save you." Regina's gaze falls over the paper between her fingers. "She told me to keep it, so I would remember that you had finally made the right call, to help me forgive you."
"Your husband's timing was perfect. When I asked you if you wanted to settle down, I had decided that if your answer was yes, I'd tell you the truth. I had finally realized that I didn't want our potential future to be built on lies and secrets."
"Next time you'll know better."
"That's a mistake I won't forget."
Regina inhales deeply, places a hand on his arm, shivers at the touch despite the layer of clothing between them, and locks eyes with him. "Then learn from it! I am trying to move on, and you need to do the same if we ever want to be together again! Trust me! If not for me, then do it for our baby."
She pauses then, holds her breath as her hand slides from his arm to his hand. She shakes at the physical contact, but doesn't pull away, forces through the wave of love invading her and urging her to grab this man by the neck and kiss his breath away, and slowly, inch by inch, she lowers his hand, until it reaches the curve of her stomach.
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The cries of a newborn baby
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A discreet nose, a round and full mouth.
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A tiny baby in a pouch of liquid.
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"Mommy, Daddy!"
A child's voice.
A little girl's voice.
Regina opens her eyes wide, her hand gripping Robin's wrist tightly. When she looks up, she faces Robin, just as stunned as she is.
"What-" he begins, clearing his throat. "What was that?"
Regina releases his wrist, the child's voice and pounding of a heart resonating in her head stopping immediately at the loss of contact.
"I-" Regina blinks repeatedly before looking up at him. "I think... I think that we're having a daughter."
Her belly tightens with excitement, with love for this growing unborn child that becomes stronger every day, that floods her with a renewed strength and a power so intense it sometimes makes her dizzy. She meets Robin's eyes, his shining blue eyes full of hope and love, his smile widening as realization dawns upon him.
"A daughter?" He lets out a chuckle, biting on his lower lip. "Our baby is a little girl?"
Regina nods happily, breathing out in relief. "Who seems to have quite a temper already."
"She takes after her parents."
"That she does."
Regina allows herself to smile to him fully, and to grab his hand, squeezing it gently as her eyes plunge deep into his eyes, letting go and losing herself in them the way she used to during their short time together.
"Regina?"
They startle at the call of her name, the moment effectively interrupted when Eric, followed by Tinkerbell, walk in their direction. She notices the way Eric's eyes flicker to her and Robin's linked hands, how his face turns into a scowl, so she gets up, feeling the loss of physical contact immediately as she steps between the two, shielding Robin from Eric's sight. Her friend hasn't really changed his mind about Robin, is still wary about his intention, and that's his right. As long as it doesn't become a problem between them.
"Did we interrupt something?" Tinkerbell glances at Robin and smiles kindly. "Hi, Robin."
"Hi, Tinkerbell." he greets back.
When he arrived at the village, Robin has sensed Tinkerbell's disapproval. But he didn't have to ask. She came to see him on her own, and they had a long talk. He had learned about her banishment, her adaptation to this new life, her friendship with Regina. She had asked his reasons for betraying Regina, for ruining the sacrifice she had made for them. She had also apologized, admitted that after Regina fled the clearing and left him behind months ago, she was the one who had stopped her from going back and save him. That maybe, all of this could've been avoided if she hadn't let her anger and resentment take the lead. He had assuage her guilt, reminded her that he had started it all, explained to her his reasons, whether they were valid or not, assured that he was nothing but honest with Regina now, that he certainly wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Since that day, the former fairy has been kind to him, and he got to discover a joyful and energetic person that he really got to appreciate.
But the man next to her... He's one of Regina's closest friends, and this one clearly has something against him, and fiercely refuses to let it go, whatever it is. The way Regina is standing between them is clearly proof of that.
Regina looks between Robin and her friends, mouth opening as she hesitates. "I- hum... yes, perhaps." Before Tinkerbell apologizes, Regina resumes. "What's going on?"
"I'm almost done with your house, but I need your opinion about something. Do you have a moment?" Eric asks.
Regina's face brightens immediately at the mention of her future house, and she nods eagerly, begins to follow them before... She pauses, turns around slowly, apologetically looking at Robin.
"I-"
"Go!" he cuts her off with a wave of his hand. "I'll go back to Friar Tuck's on my own."
Regina hesitates, glances between him and her friends again. "But-"
"Robin!"
"Gina!"
They are interrupted by two little storms running in their direction, one hitting Regina's legs, the other crashing against Robin. The two adults smile at Hansel and Gretel's matching toothy grins, Regina hoisting the little boy on her hip while Robin places Gretel on his lap.
"Hey you!" Robin greets, poking the little girl's nose. "What are you doing here?"
"Kindergarten is over for the day." Eleanor announces, strolling closer and smiling at the group. "I just took them out."
"Did you like it?" Regina asks Hansel, balancing him on her hip playfully, earning a giggle in answer.
"Yesss! I make friend!" he declares proudly.
Eleanor rubs her son's back gently. "I admit that it's a real blessing. They love it, and not having them around all day allows me to do so much more than what I used to."
Robin looks up from Gretel. "I guess you and Michael are adjusting to the situation quite well."
The woman sighs heavily, but smiles in answer. "We are. It was complicated at first, but the family who's hosting us is adorable, and Michael has found a job already, he's even considering the possibility of building a house for us in addition to the ones he has to build in the village."
Regina grins at the news. "That's great! Does that mean..." she bites her lower lip, dares asking. "Does that mean that you'd be willing to stay here and live with us?"
Eleanor shrugs, smirking. "I don't want to make any promise. We left so many memories behind. But so far, we love it here." Her gaze moves behind Regina, to Eric and Tinkerbell waiting, and she straightens. "I'm sorry, am I keeping you?"
Regina and Robin glance at each other, smiling coyly. The privacy of the moment is clearly ruined, but not the complicity it has created between them and their child, their daughter, this connection they will never be able to experience with anyone else. She smiles at him, and he nods.
Regina plants a kiss on top of Hansel's head, putting him on the ground as she looks back at Eleanor. "I need to help Eric about my future house. Do you mind staying with Robin?"
Robin rolls his eyes, sighing. "I told you I can go back to Friar Tuck's house on my own, Regina!"
"And he told me you'd say that and not to listen to you."
"Don't worry!" Eleanor intervenes, taking her son's hand. "Go take care of your house. I'll keep him company."
They watch the group leave, and Eleanor sits next to Robin, hoisting her son on her lap, smiling at Gretel dozing off in Robin's arms.
"So... how are things going with Regina?"
Robin lets out a long breath. It's... good, to say the least. Less bad than he anticipated. And he truly hopes that the connection they've felt earlier with their child will strengthen their relationship. But he needs to work on his guilt, and she needs to find a way to trust him again. Which will take time, and it's fine by him. What he has today is more than what he thought he'd have, meaning nothing.
But he misses her. Seeing her is one thing, it's soothing his bleeding heart, but it only increases the loss, reminds him of the gap between them that will take a long time to heal. Whenever they're close, he has to restrain himself from reaching out to her. From holding her. Kissing her. It's painful, keeps him awake at night. People's defiance towards him isn't helping one bit. Feeling like an invalid makes it worse.
"Slow." he summarizes. "She's kind, kinder than I deserve."
"But?"
Robin glances down, fingers brushing Gretel's forehead absentmindedly, lulling the little girl to a much-needed nap.
"I know that I have no right to say, or even think that way, but... I can't wait to have her back. If that ever happens."
Eleanor places her hand on Robin's. "If you don't give her any more reason to doubt you –and from what I've seen, you haven't, it will happen. As for how much time it will take... No one knows the answer to that, no even her."
"I know..."
She squeezes his hand. "You've survived hell. You'll go through this. Just be patient."
Coming next: As the relationship between Regina and Robin improves, Amelia learns the real truth about her origins, and Regina finally gets some answers about what her mother really wants.
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