Chapter 23

JANUARY / 5 MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING.

Robin and Regina were coming back from the cinema.

"This movie was terrible my love, you have to admit it."

"It was not!"

"You're just saying that because Chris Evans was in it."

She blushed and shook her head, raised an eyebrow.

"Well right back at ya, you just hated it because Chris Evans was in it."

He snorted loudly.

"That's not an answer."

"Why would I be jealous of Chris Evans?"

"Why indeed… The blue eyes for starters." she teased.

"I've got blue eyes."

"The blond hair."

"Got 'em."

"The broad shoulders?"

A small silence.

"Well, okay he wins this one." Regina laughed, making Robin chuckled.

"Just this one?" she raised an eyebrow and Robin pouted.

"Well, I would look like that too, if I had all the time he has to work out!"

"Sure, my love."

He muttered something she didn't hear, frowning slightly.

"I've got an accent." he said after a few seconds.

She laughed fondly.

"That you do, my love."

"And I've got dimples." he muttered. And then another silence, before... "So Locklsey 1, Evans 0." and she laughed again at how ridiculous he could be.

They drove in their street, still smiling but suddenly it all stopped.

And Regina's heart stopped.

There was a car parked in front of their house.

A car she knew all too well.

She had not listened to his voicemails, had not taken his calls.

Had hoped somehow, he would understand.

But it would seem that she was wrong.

She looked up at Robin but he had not understood yet.

"A problem?" he asked, frowning slightly at the change of her mood.

"I don't know…"

She pointed at the man getting out of the car and Robin's eyes widened as his fingers tensed on the steering wheel.

"What the fuck…" whispered Robin and Regina looked at him worriedly.

"Robin-"

But Robin wasn't listening anymore, all remnants of playfulness gone from his face.

"What the fuck is he doing here?"

"I don't know." she said again, heart hammering against her chest.

Would they never be alone?

Robin parked the car and got out, Regina hurried to get out as well and walked to Robin but he had eyes only for Daniel.

"What the hell are you doing here?" shouted Robin and Daniel walked towards them.

He had drunk.

That much was obvious.

He tried to stand straight but wavered.

"I came to see Regina." he slurred.

Robin tensed instantly, she could feel it.

She tensed, too.

No.

Not again.

She couldn't go through that again.

"Go home, Daniel." she said. "Leave us alone, please."

"I just need to talk to you. I've tried to call but you didn't answer."

"Please." she said again. "Just go."

"I need someone to talk to. Something happened. Something bad."

"I'm sorry but I can't help." she said sadly. "Not anymore."

"Regina-"

"You heard her." muttered Robin darkly. "Leave her alone."

Daniel took a step closer.

"I did not recall talking to you."

Bad move.

Robin's eyes widened and his jaw tensed.

"Don't push your luck. Not with me. Not again."

Daniel smirked and walked again, so close Regina swallowed.

This wouldn't end well.

She walked closer to Robin, too.

Just in case.

"Or what?"

Robin took a step closer.

"Or you'll see."

"Robin-" tried Regina, taking his hand but he receded from her as Daniel took another step closer.

"I said that I needed to talk to Regina."

"And I said that she told you no."

"Go away, Daniel." she said again but the man only smirked, shaking his head.

And then it went to hell.

Daniel walked to Robin and pushed him quite strongly, making him take a step back.

But that wasn't the worst.

Nope.

What was worst was what came next.

"Well, she told me no at first last year too, and yet we ended up having a great time kiss-"

But Daniel wasn't able to finish his sentence, Robin had punched him.

Hard.

"ROBIN!" screamed Regina but the dark-haired man was now up and ran at Robin, punching his stomach violently. "NO!" panicked Regina," LEAVE HIM ALONE!" she screamed at Daniel this time. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" they started fighting and Regina was panicking. "STOP IT YOU TWO!"

But they didn't stop.

And they didn't listen.

And someone was bound to get hurt-

Regina looked around her, a hand on her forehead and then it clicked.

She knew what she had to do.

She couldn't stop Daniel, but she could stop Robin.

She knew the only thing that would make him stop.

Her safety.

If he thought she could get hurt, he'd stop.

So she took a deep breath,

And put herself right in the middle, trying to separate them.

It worked instantly.

Robin took a step back, and she could breath again.

But he was radiating anger.

He shook his head, glared furiously at Daniel and then left.

She heard the door slamming so loudly she jumped.

She looked at the door and then took a deep breath before looking at Daniel,

"What the fuck?!"

"I have to talk to you." he said stubbornly and it got her mad with anger.

"But I don't want to talk to you! Why can't you understand that?!"

"We're friends."

"For God's sake Daniel, we're not friends. We've not been friends for a very long time, it's time for you to understand that."

And then she glared at him and came back inside to Robin.

Always to Robin.

She came in and he was pacing, looked up when he saw her and he was so so pale.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kick his ass." he said, jaw tensed and livid.

"Robin, please-"

"When will it stop?" he shook his head, breathing heavily. "It has to stop Regina. It has to."

"I know." she tried a step to him but he stopped. "Robin…"

"I can't take it anymore."

Her eyes widened in panic.

"What?"

He shook his head and started pacing again like a mad man.

"I'm warning you. I can't take it anymore."

Her whole world wavered.

How could he talk like that?

Did he not know how awful it was for her?

"Don't talk like that."

He knew what it did to her.

Knew it brought panic on her heart.

His eyes widened when he saw the tears in her eyes and he stopped instantly, looking so apologetic.

"Regina, that's not what I meant."

"Don't talk like that." she said again, raising a trembling finger. "Don't you- Don't-" a tear rolled down her cheek and he took a step to her but she shook her head and hurried to leave.

No.

She wouldn't lose him.

Not again.

Not this time.

"You!" she screamed at Daniel and he turned around but he was so drunk that he fell.

Regina's anger fell instantly.

He was not in his usual state.

She sighed and looked around, helpless.

She didn't know what to do.

"My girlfriend is in a coma." he whispered and she froze. "I don't know what to do."

Regina swallowed.

"I can't help you." her voice broke because it was difficult for her at that moment, "You have to understand that I can't help you."

"Why?"

"Because I'm getting married and we've messed up once before, I can't risk it again."

"Regina-"

"I am sorry about your girlfriend and I do hope she'll get better but you can't come to my place like this, Daniel. You just can't."

He looked down, shaking his head.

"But I need you."

"No. You need support, you need someone there for you and I can't do that."

She looked at the house again, then back at Daniel.

"You need help."

"I need you." he said stubbornly and took a step to her but she took one back.

"I can call you a therapist. I can call a friend for you. I can even call your family! But I can't be the one helping you."

Robin was looking at them by the window, and his heart tightened at the sight of his Regina looking so lost.

He didn't know what to do.

All he knew was that he couldn't leave her like that.

He had been a jerk, had tried to hurt her with his words and had done an incredible work of it.

Now he had to make amends.

He saw Daniel tried to get up but the man fall back right away.

Bloody bastard.

But...

But he had to help him.

For Regina.

Regina didn't know what to do.

She really didn't.

She kept glancing at their house, trying to see Robin but he was gone.

"Regina-"

"Please don't." she breathed. "I do not want to talk to you."

He would not cost her Robin.

Not again.

Not this time.

She took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair.

At this moment, Robin came out of the house and she almost ran to him in relief.

Somehow she had been afraid he would be gone again.

(She was always afraid he would just disappear and leave her behind.)

"Robin!" she exclaimed and something in her must have calmed him because he tried a smile.

"I am sorry about what I said, this was not what I meant." he murmured for her only to hear and her heart started beating again. "I could never be apart from you again, Regina."

A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Neither could I." her voice broke and he smiled sadly.

And then took a deep breath.

"Emma is working tonight, she is covering Mulan's shift." Regina frowned, she didn't get his point. "I'll call her and ask her to come and get him." he looked with disdain at Daniel.

"Why would you call the Police?" asked Regina with wide eyes. "He's in a bad place, his girlfriend is in a coma."

Robin's eyes widened.

"Sorry to hear about that." he said.

Yes, he hated Daniel with all of his being.

But he wished harm on no one.

Their eyes locked again.

"Well, I can't let him leave in this state, but I can't welcome him in my house even for the night." he shook his head like he was having a vision and she knew exactly what it was, she knew he was chasing the image of her kissing Daniel from his mind.

She felt awful and took a step closer.

"Robin-"

He seemed to think about his next words carefully.

"What I can do is ask Emma to take him to a cell to sober up, and then to take him to a psychiatrist for what he is going through."

"Why would you do that?" she murmured but already knew the answer.

Their eyes locked.

"For you." he said, tilting his head. "Only for you."

"Oh Robin."

She ran to him and hugged him tightly against her.

After a few seconds…

He hugged back.

"Did you come back to fight?" asked Daniel, stuttering on his words.

Robin glared at him but Regina was faster,

"There was never a fight to begin with." she said and Robin smiled softly.

Then he kissed her cheek and receded, taking his phone and walking away.

One ring.

Two rings.

"Robin?"

"I need a favor." was all that he said.

"Anything."

Daniel had been talking for the last minute but it didn't make any sense.

"Regina-" he tried again, walking towards her but this time Robin blocked him by walking right in front of his fiancé.

"She told you no."

Daniel scoffed and took a step back.

"I could take you if I wanted to."

Robin tensed and Regina took her chance to link her arm around his, stroking his skin tenderly.

"Don't mind him." she murmured, kissing his shoulder. "Please. What did Emma say?"

Robin sighed,

"She'll take him."

Regina nodded, burying her face in his shoulder.

Emma couldn't arrive soon enough.

Finally, a dozens of minutes later a police car parked in front of them and Emma got out of it, along with a man younger than them.

"Are you alright?" she asked Robin and he nodded, walked to her.

"Can you take him?"

She nodded and turned towards Daniel.

"Sir, you're coming with us."

"No way in hell!"

"You're drunk and you're harassing people, either you come or I'll make you."

Daniel was weighing his options, Regina could see it.

He turned towards her,

"This isn't over. I wanna talk."

And then agreed to follow Emma.

The blond woman threw a worried glance at her friends, and then left.

"Thanks Emma." called out Robin and she waved back.

And then it was only Robin and Regina left.

A tense silence settled.

"Robin…"

But he only scoffed, shook his head and left.

Regina wasn't done though, she walked behind him and slammed the door.

Robin turned around, livid.

"Will it ever stop?"

Regina narrowed her eyes at him.

"What do you mean?"

The man chuckled darkly.

"Do I have to expect things like that to happen for the rest of our life?"

Her heart dropped.

How could he blame her?

"You're not fair. This is hardly my fault, I didn't ask him to come!"

Robin scoffed again,

"Of course." he muttered, turning around to leave.

Oh no.

He wasn't leaving.

She was too angry, now.

"You know at one point you'll have to stop running away every time something is wrong between us!" she shouted.

Robin froze, and turned around slowly.

"Excuse me?"

She stood taller.

"You heard me."

His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Are you seriously blaming me for leaving that time you kissed him?"

She raised her chin.

She wouldn't back down.

"Maybe."

A silence.

"Are you serious?"

"I don't know." she raised her chin higher, "Are you, when you say this is my fault if he's here? Because that's just as stupid."

He shook his head, eyes wide.

"Your ex boyfriend keeps making our life a living hell but somehow that is my fault?"

"And how is it mine?"

They were breathing heavily, cheeks red and eyes frantic.

"And will it always be like this?"

"Like what?"

"Will you always run to his rescue anytime he comes?"

She took a step back, livid.

"Excuse me?! I pushed him away! You saw that!"

He chuckled darkly.

"Are you fucking serious, Robin?"

"I am, actually!" he screamed and she huffed in anger. "And what about when we have kids, then?! Will it be the same?! Oh sorry kids, your mum can't come with you right now, her psycho ex boyfriend is once again drunk proclaming his love for her on our porch!"

But Regina didn't care about his anger.

No.

She didn't even care about hers anymoe.

Her heart had stopped.

Did he just…

She blinked a few times.

Her heart stopped, then started beating so fast.

"What did you just say?" she said, calmer.

Robin stopped and paled, seemingly realizing what he had just said.

"Nothing."

Regina's heart started beating faster as she took a deep breath and took a step to him.

"You've really thought about us having kids?" she murmured, and she couldn't help the smile on her face, saw that it triggered a smile on his own he was desperately trying to stop.

"Yes." he breathed, smiling. "Yes, I have."

Regina bit her lip, trying not to smile too widely.

(They were in the middle of a pretty bad fight, after all.)

"Me too." she admitted quietly and this time she walked to him and took his hand, intertwining their fingers.

He didn't move away.

Robin seemed to think about something for a few seconds but then shook his head, sighing as his other arm found its place around her waist.

They stayed in silence for a bit.

"I don't want anything to do with Daniel." she said and he sighed again but hold her closer. "I just couldn't let him drive in that state, I'd have done it for anyone."

"I know." he admitted after a few seconds, "That's why I helped."

Regina smiled sadly and cupped his cheeks, kissing him.

After a few seconds,

He kissed back.

But this whole thing...

It was far from over, she could feel it.

And that terrified her.