Chapter 16: End of the Road
A/N: Here it is folks, Chapter 16!
I just want to say a big thank you to all who have viewed, followed, favourited and reviewed over this past year - yes! It has now been a year since I started this crazy story!
Thank you all so much for your love and support! It means the world to me.
With that said, I hope you like this chapter and please let me know your thoughts on the way out!
Enjoy! :)
"Robin!" shouts the voice of none other than little John before the said man is swiftly engulfed in a bone-crushing bear hug, "Welcome back, my friend."
The thief barely manages to pat the man on his arm as the air is squeezed from his lungs. "It's good to see you too." Robin manages to reply in a strangled whisper once he is released from the bear-like man's grasp. "However, I must enquire as to why my son was left on his own." the thief quips as he turns to face the man with a raised eyebrow.
"You know how the lad is," Little John replies with a tired groan, "he runs all over the place. It's hard to keep up with him!"
"That may be the case," Robin relents with a faint smile before adding, "but despite the fact that I know he is safe here, I don't like the idea of him wandering on his own."
Placing a comforting hand on the blue-eyed man's shoulder, John says, "I understand, Robin. And I promise that he was never far from my sight."
Knowing that his friend is telling the truth, Robin simply nods in response.
Then all of a sudden, the outlaw feels a small weight crash into his legs. Immediately knowing who it is, a smile makes its way onto the thief's lips as he bends down to pick up the boy before tossing him into the air.
Roland's laughter echoes around them, causing Robin's own laughter to burst forth as he spins them around. Just as he lowers his son to rest against his hip, the bowman notices Little John retreat in the direction of the tents silently, silently thanking his friend for some time alone with his son, the outlaw settles his attention on the boy. The blue-eyed man immediately takes notice of the dirt smudges on his son's face and hands, "And what have you been up to little man?"
"I've been making mud pies, Papa!" Roland exclaims proudly with a toothy grin, "Do you wanna see?"
"Of course, I do." the thief replies with a grin of his own.
As soon as his son is placed onto the ground, he grabs Robin's hand and drags him over to the base of a nearby tree where sure enough, there is a reasonably sized area of mud. Roland promptly crouches in front of it and beckons for the outlaw to follow suit. He complies, squatting next to his son and taking note of the three small blobs of mud that have been sprinkled with various assortments of grass and sticks.
"Well, I must say, they look rather tasty." Robin declares. "Can I give one a try?" he asks as he moves to pick one up.
"No. Silly Papa!" Roland declares with a giggle and a vigorous shake of his head before he explains, "They're not for eating. You don't eat mud!"
"Oh, of course my boy," the thief agrees with a nod of his head, "how very silly indeed."
As he continues to giggle, the boy starts to gather more mud into his hands and Robin follows suit.
"So, if these pies aren't to be eaten, what are the for?" the blue-eyed man asks as his gaze falls onto his son once again.
"They're gifts." Roland replies, his face adorably scrunched up in concentration.
Leaning down so that his head is level with the boy's, Robin whispers, "Is one of them for me?"
The boy simply nods in response before getting up and running further into the surrounding forest, though he remains well within the outlaw's line of sight. His son moves from bush to bush for a few moments, collecting various resources that Robin is unable to determine. Though once Roland is seemingly satisfied with his collection, he runs backs to his previous spot next to his father.
As he dumps the various materials into a pile, the blue-eyed man takes note of the cluster of flowers. "And who might these be for, my boy?" he asks out of curiosity.
"Wilma." Roland replies as his focus shifts to placing the flowers atop the newly moulded mud pie.
Not entirely sure how the brunette will feel upon receiving her gift, the outlaw remains quiet and watches the comically precise movements of his son.
After he's seemingly satisfied with the placement of his arrangement, the boy gently picks up the pie before walking back towards camp. Upon noticing that his father isn't following him, he calls, "Come on, papa!"
Chuckling at his son's enthusiasm, Robin gets up to follow him. It isn't long until the father and son spot the brown-eyed woman moving out from the horse stalls. As soon as he catches her eye, Wilma gives him a smile, one doesn't quite seem to reach her eyes but one that the thief returns none the less.
Seemingly having also spotted the woman, Roland calls her name and sprints towards her. Robin takes note of how her attention immediately shifts towards his son, her smile widening as she crouches to the boy's level.
"I made this for you, Miss Wilma." Roland states proudly as he hands the woman the decorated mud pie.
Robin watches as the brunette's gaze falls to the little ball that has been placed in her hands and her mouth forms a soft oh. But a smile soon takes its place as she opens her arms for the boy. He goes almost instantly, wrapping his small arms around her neck and the blue-eyed man feels his heart swell within his chest. "Thank you, Roland. That's very sweet." the brunette says gently upon pulling back.
"You're welcome." the boy mumbles, moving to his father's side.
Giving a small chuckle, the thief gently ruffles the mop of brown hair on his son's head. "So, how have you been settling in, milady?" Robin asks as he faces the standing brunette.
"Pretty good, so far. And everyone's been very friendly." Wilma admits, smiling down at the boy beside the thief's legs.
"I'm very glad to hear that." the thief tells her with a slight nod of his head.
However, just as he's about to ask whether she needs a hand with setting up a tent or would like a tour of the camp, Roland suddenly asks, "Would you like to play with me, Wilma?"
But before Robin can stop her, the woman agrees with a blinding smile and offers her free hand to the boy. He immediately takes it, before pulling her towards the direction of the tents.
"I suppose I'll see you later?" the outlaw calls.
"Yes, I suppose you will." the brunette calls back from over her shoulder as Roland continues to practically drag her behind him.
Smiling at their retreating forms, Robin starts to head in the direction of the centre of camp when suddenly his name is called. Turning, the thief takes note of Alan striding towards him, causing him to exclaim, "Alan! It's good to see you my friend."
"You too, Robin." the Merry Man replies as his hand clasps the blue-eyed man's shoulder. "And as much as I want to hear of your travels," the man continues, "I was tasked with bringing you to a meeting to discuss the distribution of the gold."
"Of course," Robin nods with a gesture of his hand, "lead the way."
Once she had passed through the very familiar bushes that led to the hidden waterfall, Regina admits that she felt more than a little shaken. But when she first entered the Merry Men's camp, her uneasiness was soon replaced with complete and utter amazement. Yes, the brunette had expected to walk in a camp that was somewhat bigger than the temporary one that she had been living in for the past few days, but she had not expected anything of this magnitude.
The sounds of loud boisterous laughter and conversation echo throughout the space as Regina watches men, women and children continue to go about their business. Multiple tents are distributed throughout the camp along with various cottages that have clearly been disguised to camouflage with the surrounding forest. As she continues towards what she hopes is the centre of camp, the brunette takes note of what seems to be a form of barracks with a full-fledged training ground complete with wooden dummies and practice targets. And a little further down, the brown-eyed woman spots what appear to be horse stalls and decides that's where she should be headed.
So, she leads her horse to one of the free stalls before proceeding to remove its tack and give it something to eat. Then, after taking her time in giving the gelding a nice long brush, Regina makes her way out of the stalls to go and explore the rest of the camp.
The brown-eyed woman has barely taken a few steps in the barrack's direction when she spots an all too familiar pair of bright blue eyes. Unable to ignore the fluttering within her stomach, Regina gives him what she hopes is a convincing smile. It seems to do the trick as the thief is soon returning it with one of his own.
Just as she's about to make her way over to them, the brunette hears a sudden shout of her alias, "Wilma!"
Her brown orbs leave the outlaw's to search for the source of the voice, only to discover a mop of brown hair sprinting in her direction. As her smile automatically widens at the smile of the boy, Regina crouches so that she's at his level. Once Roland reaches her, he thrusts a small object into her palms as he proudly exclaims that he had made this for her. At his words, her gaze falls to the little ball of what she assumes to be mud and her mouth forms a small oh. But as she inspects the arrangement of flowers on top of the little ball a smile pulls at her lips.
Genuinely touched by the gesture, Regina opens her arms to receive the boy, all the while making sure the decorated mud ball remains secure within the palm of her hand. Her heart warms as Roland immediately falls into her arms and wraps his arms around her neck. Closing her eyes, the disguised queen squeezes the boy tightly against her chest, revelling in the small comfort that the child seems to bring.
"Thank you, Roland." she tells him with a gentle smile as she pulls away, "That's very sweet."
Once again becoming shy, Roland replies a mumbled You're welcome before moving to his father's side.
As he does so, Robin chuckles and ruffles his son's mop of brown curls. "So, how have you been settling in, milady?" he asks.
Standing whilst continuing to cradle Roland's gift in her palm, Regina claims, "Pretty good, so far." Then smiling down at the boy clinging to his father's legs, she adds, "And everyone's been very friendly."
"I'm very glad to hear that." the thief replies, causing to the disguised level her gaze with his once again. For the briefest of moments, she allows herself to fall into the depths of his warm blue eyes, after all she knows it will be one of the last times she is able to do so.
But then breaking out of her stupor, Regina opens her mouth to ask whether he could give her a tour around the camp, but Roland beats her to it and asks, "Would you like to play with me, Wilma?"
Looking down at the boy and how his eyes have lit up the brunette knows that she cannot refuse him. "Of course, I will." she agrees as she offers her hand to Robin's son.
He doesn't hesitate to take it, through as soon as his hand is placed within hers the boy instantly starts pulling her in the direction tents.
"I suppose I'll see you later?" she hears the outlaw call.
Smiling and looking at the thief over her shoulder whilst Roland continues to pull her along, she calls, "Yes, I suppose you will."
"Come on, Wilma!" he exclaims with a slight tug on her arm, "I want to show you something!"
Turning back to face the direction in which the boy is pulling her, the brown-eyed woman assures with a small chuckle, "Don't worry, I'm right behind you."
It isn't long before Roland has pulled her into one of the tents and is dashing over to a small trunk at the base of what appears to be a cot. Assuming that this is the tent that Robin shares with his son, the brunette allows her gaze to roam its interior. Though the space is small, it is enough to fit two cots with a trunk at the base of each one. In one of the corners, the disguised queen spots a table and as she moves closer to it, she takes note of a sketch of a woman that lays on its surface. As Regina carefully places Roland's gift into one of the pockets of her dress before picking up the piece of parchment to inspect it further.
The woman is very beautiful, her long and tangled hair falling past her broad shoulders and a warm smile gracing her lips. The sketcher has also managed to capture a warmness within the woman's eyes, giving her an almost maternal look.
"That was my mama. She's in heaven now."
Of course, Regina says to herself as she turns to face Robin's son. "She was very pretty." she says as she crouches down to the boy's level.
Roland simply gives a timid nod and mumbles, "I know…at least I think I know."
Her heart breaks at his words, so putting her gift aside Regina instinctively brings the boy in for a hug. "I may not have known your mother Roland," she murmurs as his arms wrap around her neck, "but I know that she loves you very much and that she'll always be watching over you."
She feels Roland nod against her chest which causes the brunette to tighten her hold on him. Regina could hardly imagine losing a parent at such a young age and feeling the confusion of missing that person but not quite knowing why. But Roland is very lucky to have a father like Robin who clearly makes an effort to keep the memory of his late wife alive.
Upon pulling away from the thief's son, the disguised queen notices another piece of paper within the boy's grip. Assuming that this is what he went to grab out of the trunk, the brunette asks, "What's this?"
In response, Roland wordlessly hands her the paper and as soon as her brown orbs fixes onto it, her heart drops to her stomach.
Displayed on the parchment's surface is another sketch, but this one is not like the one of Roland's mother. No, this one is very different. Various holes have been punctured through its form and the edges have started to fray proving that it hasn't been kept in as good condition as the other one. Multiple crude words have been sketched onto the paper, some even adorning the face that's clearly the paper's subject. Her face.
Swallowing on dry, Regina manages to croak, "Where did you get this?"
"One of the others had it, but they would keep pinning it up to throw things at it." Roland replies innocently which only causes the brunette's uneasiness to increase before he continues, "Even though I didn't know who you were, I couldn't let them continue hurting your face. It's too pretty."
Touched by the sentiment, Regina's lips form into a soft smile, "Thank you sweetheart." But then her eyes grow wide as she realises what this truly mean. "Roland, are you sure that this picture looks like me?" she asks in the calmest tone she can manage.
"Silly Wilma!" the boy replies with a giggle, "Of course, it does! It looks exactly like you!"
This is not good, the brown-eyed woman thinks to herself as panic rises within her chest. So, gripping his shoulder, Regina tells him, "Roland, you can't tell anyone about this picture, alright?"
He nods vigorously in response before his brows knit in confusion and he asks, "But why?"
Not sure what she should say, the brunette simply says, "Because it's very important to me that this picture remains a secret, okay?"
"Okay." he replies causing Regina to let out a silent sigh of relief.
Then in an attempt to distract the boy, the disguised queen asks, "Would you like to show me around the rest of the camp?"
Roland's face lights up instantly as he quickly nods his head, "Yeah!"
Chuckling, the brunette stands as she once again offers her hand to the boy who immediately takes it and pulls her through the tent's flaps.
Regina has no idea as to how Roland was able to recognise her when none of the other men clearly haven't. Though if anything, that little incident has proven to her that she'll never be able to escape the truth of who she is. If she hadn't already solidified her decision to return to her castle, she certainly has now. After all she couldn't risk putting, Robin, Roland or any of the other men in any kind of danger.
And if her secret were to be revealed, that's exactly what she would be doing.
"So, then we're all in agreement." Robin states to the few Merry Men who have gathered around the displayed map on the table inside the barracks tent, "In three days' time, we shall ride to Nottingham to distribute the gold."
At his words, the men all nod in agreement.
Nodding, the thief clasps his hands and says, "Then if no one has anything else to add, I believe we are done here."
Then one by one, his men exit through the tent's flaps, Robin following himself soon after.
Suddenly the sound of rich and velvety laughter reaches his ears. Turning to face the direction of its source, the blue-eyed man spots none other than Wilma running around with his son. Smiling, he decides to head over in their direction.
"I'm going to catch you, Roland!" the brunette exclaims with her arms outstretched as she continues to chase down the boy. Robin watches as his son glances over his shoulder before squealing with laughter as he urges his legs to go faster. However, it is in vain as Wilma soon catches up to the boy, scooping him up within her arms.
"You got me, Wilma!" Roland claims through his fit of giggles.
As he approaches the smiling pair, Robin agrees, "That she did my boy."
"Papa!" the boy yells, squirming to be released. Once he is, Roland leaps into his father's awaiting arms.
For a moment, the outlaw tightly hugs his son. "So, what have you two been up to?" he asks upon pulling back.
"Wilma asked me to show her around the camp and I did!" Roland replies with a wide grin.
Slightly disappointed that he was not the one to give the woman a tour of the Merry Men camp, Robin's lips purse into a tight smile, "Well then, I'm sure you did a very good job."
"I did! Didn't I Wilma?" Roland insists as he turns to look at the brown-eyed woman, causing the thief to do the same.
"You did a perfect job." Wilma is quick to assure with a warm smile, though Robin notices that her usual sparkle is absent from her brown orbs.
Wondering what could be troubling her, the archer lowers his son to the ground as he says, "Say, Roland why don't you head over to the campfire. Wilma and I will be right behind you." Giving a firm nod, the boy responds with an okay before running towards the centre of camp.
Once he's sure the boy is out of hearing range, Robin turns to the woman. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asks as he takes her hands within his.
The brunette scrunches her brow as a confused frown forms on her lips. "Nothing's wrong." she replies with a small shake of her head.
Not believing her one bit in the slightest, the thief insists, "You know you can tell me anything, right?"
Her face softens at his words and she lifts one of her hands to cup his cheek. "I know," Wilma murmurs with a soft smile, "and I promise that nothing's wrong."
Still not convinced but nodding his head none the less, Robin leans in to press a quick kiss against her lips.
"Come on," the brunette says as gives his hand a gentle tug, "Roland's waiting for us."
Regina's sits on one of the logs surrounding the campfire as she watches the father and son duo play, smiling as their laughter echoes throughout the space around them. But it soon fades as she can't help but think how this is the life she's always wanted – the quiet and peaceful live full of happiness and love and devoid of bitterness and loneliness. And now that I've had a taste of it, I'll have to leave it all behind, the brunette muses with a bitter chuckle.
"Well, I see you managed to make it here in one piece."
Breaking out of her musings, Regina turns to face the friar who's come to sit beside her as she replies with a slight chuckle, "Yes, I suppose I did."
Tuck gives a slight nod before tilting his head to the side and stating, "You're not your usual self tonight. Is everything alright?"
Slightly taken back by his bluntness, the brunette scoffs, "Of course, why wouldn't it be?"
The friar merely gives a shrug of his shoulders. "If everything's fine, then why are you here instead of over there?" he claims, pointing over to where Roland and Robin are currently playing together.
Biting the inside of her cheek, Regina turns to face the father and son before replying, "I have to leave."
"I see." Tuck murmurs, effectively breaking the silence that had fallen over the pair, "Does Robin know about your decision."
Inhaling sharply, the brown-eyed woman gives a shake of her head. "No." she admits, then turning to face the friar she adds, "And he never can."
"May I ask why?" he inquires in an annoyingly gentle tone.
Breaking away from Tuck's scrutinizing gaze, Regina looks down at the mud ball cradled in her hands as she debates whether she can truly trust this man. Deciding that this man is more than worthy of her trust, the brunette admits, "I've been keeping a secret from all of you. A big one. And because of it, I could be putting all of you in danger. And I can't let that happen." Then leveling her gaze with the friar's, she adds, "To any of you."
Tuck simply gives a small nod in response, causing Regina's to curve into a faint smile.
Though it soon fades as the brown-eyed woman releases a sigh and shifts her brown orbs to once again focus on Robin and Roland as she murmurs, "But especially not to Robin or his son."
"You love him don't you?"
Bringing her widened gaze to the friar's, Regina's first instinct is to deny his words. But as her mouth opens to rebut his implication, her breath catches within her throat. If anyone had told her a week ago that she would grow to feel accepted by none other than a merry band of thieves and grow to have feelings for the very Prince of Thieves himself, the brunette would have laughed, claiming it was a ridiculous notion. But now as Friar Tuck's question floats around the inside her head, she realises that he's merely stating what her heart already knows to be the truth.
"I do." Regina whispers, tears pooling within her brown eyes as she continues, "And it's for that very same reason that I have to leave him."
Tuck simply nods in response, causing them to fall into a heavy silence.
It slowly becomes too much for the disguised queen to handle, so wiping a few stray tears away, she murmurs, "I guess this is goodbye."
When she doesn't receive a reply, the brunette goes to stand though she is quickly stopped by a hand grabbing her wrist. "He'll come looking for you, you know. He won't rest until he's found you." Tuck says to her gently.
Once again facing at the friar Regina replies, "That may be so. But I sincerely hope he doesn't, for his sake." Then with tears in her eyes and trembling voice, she adds, "Promise me you won't tell him any of this."
"But Wilma-"
"Please Tuck." the brunette pleads, clasping his hands within hers, "He can never know about this."
For a moment, he doesn't respond. But then he nods as he releases a sigh, "I promise."
Giving him a faint smile, Regina hugs the man as she whispers, "Thank you."
"You'll be sorely missed." he replies as he gives her a friendly squeeze.
Shutting her eyes tight so as to prevent any further tears from falling, the brunette returns the squeeze. Upon pulling back they exchange watery smiles before she moves to stand. Then, giving one final glance towards the father and son, Regina walks towards the horse stalls, allowing a few stray tears to cascade down her cheeks.
Just as Little John is approaching the campfire, he notices none other than Wilma walking swiftly towards him. But when he goes to call out and greet her, she doesn't stop and instead continues to stride past him.
Confused, John wonders if he should go after her but soon decided against it upon spotting Friar Tuck on one of the nearby logs. "What's up with Wilma?" the bear-like man asks as he points in the direction behind him.
"What do you mean?" the friar returns as his gaze remains fixed ahead of him.
Moving to sit down next to the man, Little John states, "She seemed very distracted. That's not usually like her." Noticing how his friend is seemingly reluctant to respond, John asks, "She told you, didn't she?"
Nodding, Tuck admits, "Yes, she did."
"So, what's wrong?" the bear-like man presses noticing how his gaze is fixed on Robin playing with his son, "Did Robin do something?"
"No, not at all." the friar replies vaguely.
Becoming slightly annoyed with the man's indifference, John insists, "Well then, what is it?"
Letting out a sigh, Tuck murmurs, "What it is I am about to tell you, it can not be repeated to Robin."
"But Tuck, he has a right to-"
"You can't tell him." Tuck firmly replies. Realising that it must be serious, John simply nods in response. Upon taking a deep inhale, the friar states, "Wilma is leaving."
"Wilma is what?!"
At the sound of their leader's voice, both John and Tuck turn to face a very shocked Robin.
Obviously realising his mistake, the friar quickly stands with his hands raised, "No, Robin that's not what I-"
"Where is she?" the thief thunders, cutting Tuck off mid-sentence.
For a moment the man remains silent as he holds Robin's fiery gaze before giving in and revealing, "She went in the direction of the stalls."
Robin doesn't waste another moment as he tells Roland to stay with them before running off in the direction of the horse stalls.
As John exchanges a glance with Tuck, he cannot help but to feel a deep sense of uneasiness as he murmurs, "This isn't going to end well."
"Wilma!"
Regina's hands halt their adjustment of the saddle straps at the sound of Robin shouting her alias, causing her to call back over her shoulder, "Don't try to stop me, thief!"
In a matter of seconds, a pair of strong hands firmly grip her shoulders and turn her to face him. At first, she's taken back by the irritation and anger that have darkened his usually bright blue eyes, but she is quick to mask her surprise as settles a cold glare on the outlaw. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asks in a low and almost sinister tone.
Not appreciating his use of tone, the brunette shrugs out of his grip and straightens her spine. "What does it look like?" she replies with a snarl on her lips, "I'm leaving. And nothing you say or do will change my mind."
With that said, she breaks out of the thief's hold and turns back to her horse's saddle to adjust the final strap.
"And why is that exactly?" he questions, moving to stand within her line of sight but as she continues to remain silent, the outlaw firmly grabs her chin, forcing her to face him once again as he claims brokenly, "You told me you had decided to stay."
The heartbreak she finds within his eyes is almost enough to break her. Almost. But Regina refuses to let her guard down. She cannot risk him getting hurt because of who she used to be – of who she is. She needs to push him away.
"Well, I've changed my mind." the brunette replies, jerking her chin out of his grasp.
Glaring at her with complete and utter disbelief, Robin scoffs, "Changed your mind, huh? Even after everything that's happened these past few days?"
"Especially after everything that's happened," Regina hisses as she straightens her spine and returns his gaze with a glare of her own, "and if I'm being honest, I should have left days ago."
"Are you being serious right now?" he asks, his eyes once again burning with raw anger.
Ignoring how his stare causes an unpleasant chill down her spine, the disguised queen gives an indifferent shrug and utters, "I'm leaving now, aren't I?"
"Not if I can help it." the outlaw growls as one of his hands grasp the nearest saddle strap to give it a firm tug, effectively causing it to loosen within its hold. Apparently satisfied with his handy work, Robin brushes past her to do the same to the next strap.
Feeling genuine annoyance rise within her, Regina thunders, "What the hell do are you doing?"
"Stopping this foolish nonsense." he snaps, all the while refusing to break his gaze from untying the saddle.
Deciding that arguing with him is a waste of time, the disguised queen moves past him and out of the current stall before walking over to racks to grab another saddle.
Seemingly having noticed her movements, Robin grips her shoulders, causing her to drop the new saddle within her grasp. "Stop." he declares once he's forced her gaze to meet the full intensity of his.
"Let go of me!" she yells as she uses her arms to push against his chest in an attempt to have him release her.
"No. Not until you tell me the real reason behind this." the thief replies in a firm tone.
The brunette closes her eyes to prevent the familiar burning behind her brown orbs and shakes her head.
"What is it, Wilma? What's going on?" Robin asks as he gives her a gentle shake.
Feeling her bottom lip begin to tremble, Regina whispers brokenly, "I can't."
"You can't what?" the outlaw presses in a softer tone, "What is it that you're not telling me?"
Continuing to fight against the tears building within her eyes, the disguised queen mutters, "I can't stay here."
Moving his hands to cup both of her cheeks, Robin murmurs, "Look at me, Wilma." Weakening under the tenderness of his touch, Regina complies, slowly opening her tear-filled eyes to meet his. "Why can't you stay?" he asks as his thumbs brush the stray tears that slipped from her eyelids.
Inhaling a shuddery breath to regain her composure, Regina admits, "I need to go home."
"'Home'?" the outlaw repeats with a confused look before he makes a gesture towards the main part of the camp, "But this is your home now."
Tilting her head to the side, the brunette gives a watery smile, "No, it's not. And it never can be."
"Why not?" the blue-eyed man insists with an exasperated tone as his hands move to grasp her shoulders.
Bringing her hands to rest against his chest, Regina confesses, "My name isn't Wilma. It never was." She watches as his face falls in to complete and utter confusion at her words and all of a sudden she hates herself for making him have to go through all of this. but as he opens his mouth to comment, the brown-eyed woman presses a finger to his lips and continues, "But if I were to tell you who I really am, not only would you hate me but I would be putting you and everyone in this camp in danger."
Shifting a hand to brush a stray strand of hair behind her ear before resting it against her cheek, the thief states, "I could never hate you."
Allowing herself to lean into his touch, the brunette admits with a trembling voice, "Robin, I have many enemies, any of which who would not hesitate to hurt any of you just to spite me."
"Well, I won't let them." he replies as his fingers tangle within the strands of her hair.
"And how would you plan on doing that exactly?" Regina asks as she rolls her eyes in exasperation.
Smirking slightly, the outlaw declares, "Why we'd shoot them down one-by-one of course."
Sighing, the disguised queen moves away from his hold and murmurs, "If only it were that simple."
Just as she bends down to pick up the saddle on the ground, Robin prevents her by placing his hands atop of hers. "Stay."
Puffing out an exasperated breath and standing abruptly, the brunette susurrates, "Robin, I just told you why I can't."
"I don't care." comes his reply as he follows suit and lifts a hand to tilt her chin to face him, "I love you."
Regina's heart both swells and breaks within her chest upon hearing his admission. Once again closing her eyes to prevent the oncoming onslaught of tears, the woman shakes her head, "Robin I-"
"Tell me you don't feel the same." the thief states in an annoyingly gentle tone, "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me and I won't ever come looking for you."
Adhering to his words, the brunette opens her teary brown orbs only to meet a gaze full of adoration and – why not admit it – love. As she continues to stare into the depths of the blue eyes she has come to adore so much, the woman knows that she cannot bring herself to lie to this man. So, as she brings her hands to cup both of his cheeks, Regina slowly nods her head and admits, "I love you, Robin, more than I probably should."
A grin immediately plasters itself on the thief's lips before he leans forward to capture her lips with his and she lets him, kissing him back with all of the passion that she possesses.
Upon pulling back when the need for air becomes too much, Regina rests her forehead to his as the outlaw gently brushes his nose against hers.
"Robin, I really do have to leave." she sighs after a few beats.
Shaking his head in response, Robin opens his mouth to protest, but before he is able to do so Regina moves back to level her gaze with his and states, "In four days' time from now, meet me at the small bridge that crosses the stream behind the Queen's castle in Mistfall."
"But, Wilma-"
"If you meet me there once the sun has full set," the disguised queen continues, "I promise I will explain everything."
Though Robin looks defeated, he nods on response before once again bringing his lips to meet hers once more. Kissing him back almost desperately, Regina nibbles onto his bottom lip in a request for entrance into the deeper crevices of his mouth. He complies almost instantly, darting his tongue out to meet hers in a dance that become all too familiar over the course of the past couple of days. And as she kisses him, Regina tries to ingrain everything of this man into her memory from his touch and the way his lips feel against hers to his forest smell and dimpled smile.
It is only when her lungs are burning that she finally tears her lips away from his. The brown-eyed woman's heart breaks within her chest as she firmly presses her forehead against his one last time.
Once she feels she has summoned enough courage to move out of his embrace, Regina whispers goodbye before swiftly turning to walk over to her horse. Upon tightening the loosened straps, the disguised queen mounts the mare and guides her out of the stalls and passed the waterfall, all the while resisting the urge to look back.
A/N: What the hell is going to happen next?
Stay tuned to find out!
Despite the angst, I hope you enjoyed it! I'd love to know what you thought.
I'm hoping I will have the next chapter up in about a month - so please don't hate me!
But anyway, thanks for reading!