A/N: I know I haven't gotten round to updating An Impromptu Rescue yet, but I have to admit I'm at a bit of a stalemate there.

In the meantime, here's a little story I have been chipping away at for some time. It's based off of something I saw on instagram, so it's a little on the short side, but I hope you'll all enjoy it just the same.

Happy reading :)

Fading Away

"I can't believe you forgot your own son's game!" Regina exclaims exasperatedly, storming through the front door of her home and into the foyer, her husband trailing behind just as infuriated.

"That was never my intention," Robin replies with a frustrated growl.

"Of course it wasn't," the brunette scoffs loudly, picking up her pace as she barrels into the kitchen, practically tossing the bags of groceries down onto the counter-top before furiously rubbing at both her temples. Once he joins her, Robin follows suit, slamming the bags down in a similar fashion.

"Regina, it's just a game." the former thief declares and his surprisingly calm tone causes the blood within her veins to boil.

The former Evil Queen whirls on her husband with eyes narrowing into slits. "'Just a game'," she repeats mockingly as her hands fall to her sides. She pauses, shaking her head from side to side in complete and utter disbelief as to what she had just heard. "Are you serious?" Regina asks, her fury seeping into her biting tone.

"What? That's what it was wasn't it?" he retorts, his features contorted with something nearing confusion mixed with slight exasperation.

His expression is the final trigger that leads Regina to fly right off the handle, yelling, "For God sakes Robin, it was the state finals!"

For a moment the house remains dead silent, her words having somehow managed to morph her husband into a stuffed mullet before his expression slowly falls into that of realization and his lips form a small oh. The brunette slowly shakes her head, having heard enough and murmurs, "I don't believe this," She swiftly moves past the man, leaving him standing, dumbfounded as she mutters, "Any other game is just as important."

After a good minute Robin must regain his wits as he calls after her, "Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"Oh no you don't," the brown-eyed woman shouts back, "you're not placing the blame on me. Not when I've told you each week prior to the every game," Unable to currently stand the man's presence, she marches up the stairs before pushing the doors to their bedroom open – and rather harshly at that. It's only then that she realises she's still wearing her coat and scarf, so with an exasperated groan she quickly takes them off and chucks them onto the bed before making her way into the walk-in wardrobe, pausing for a moment as she runs her fingers through her hair in a vain attempt to calm herself down. She's well aware their argument is far from over – is aware that it's practically been a ticking time-bomb – but that only serves to give her all the more reason to try and remain cool, calm and collected.

Boy, am I glad the kids aren't around for this she thinks to herself. It just so happens that their three children, Henry, Roland and Sabrina are currently preoccupied with celebrating Roland's latest victory at the small party that was being thrown at Granny's. The only reason Regina had even come home in the first place was because she had literally been pushed out the door by Mary-Margaret an hour after the said party had started, insisting that she needed to go home and rest. Naturally Regina had protested at first, not wanting to risk upsetting her son further, but Regina had soon realised that the woman was right – as well as the fact that she also needed to stop by the local store to grab a few things – so after making sure her children were okay if she came back later, Regina left to make a quick stop at the grocery store before heading home and – much to her shock horror – her husband had been standing outside the front door.

So, once the brunette feels as though she's managed to regain some semblance of self-control, she picks out some more comfortable clothes to change into for the rest of the day. When the bedroom door opens, permitting her husband to walk in, Regina doesn't bother giving him a glance, instead she simply walks past him and straight to the bed in order to dumb her clothes upon it.

Refusing to be the one who breaks the deafening silence that has formed between them, the former evil queen proceeds to shed the jeans she had adorned for that morning's soccer match before stepping into the pair of sweatpants she'd picked out for herself.

Finally breaking the long drawn-out silence, the woman hears Robin murmur from behind her, "Regina, I'm sorry."

As a form of distraction, the said-woman fiddles with the shirt sleeve of the shirt laying on the bed in front of her. "It's not me you should be apologizing to," Regina mutters continuing to face away from the former thief.

She hears him sigh, and that action alone irritates her; not only because he's apparently denying the consequences of his actions, but because of how this circumstance they've found themselves in seems almost like a burden to him. "I know," Robin utters after a moment and Regina can hear the shuffling of his feet as they move towards her, "and believe me, when I next see Roland, I will be begging for his forgiveness."

"Yeah, well," the brunette scoffs, giving a slight shake of her head, "good luck getting him to accept it."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Robin thunders, moving to firmly grasp her wrist.

Not appreciating his tone of voice or his actions, Regina quickly snatches her hand away. "It means Robin," she hisses upon finally turning around, levelling her husband with an icy glare, "that you've pulled this act far too many times."

"Act? You think this is an act?" the former thief returns incredulously, "You think I want to forget my own son's soccer game?"

Upon hearing his words, the brunette realises he must genuinely feel bad; however, that doesn't mean she's willing to let this slide. Raising her hands in mock surrender, Regina sighs, "All I'm saying is that this isn't the first time this has happened," Letting her words sink in, she closes her eyes and lowers her hands before adding, "And I'm sure it most certainly won't be the last."

Almost instantly, the brunette feels his hands clasp her own, causing her eyes to snap back to meet his. "Look," he sighs, "I'm really sorry. But work was just–"

"That's always your excuse," Regina snaps, once again pulling away from his grasp and turning to quickly shed her shirt before adorning the clean one laying on the bed, "Work was this and work was that–"

Clearly becoming irritated, Robin exclaims, "Well, my job happens to be vey time consuming, but I sure as hell wouldn't mind if you wanted to give it a go!"

"Sure! Why not? Being a cop certainly seems easier than running an entire town!" Regina counters, turning sharply to face her husband, his words causing anger to swell within her chest.

"Is it now?" Robin sneers, taking a step forward so that he almost towers over her.

Refusing to feel intimidated and back down, Regina allows her lips to curl into a snarl, "Surprising isn't it? Considering how I oversee every single aspect to keep this town afloat and yet I still manage to spend some decent time with our kids!"

After seemingly letting the reality of her words sink in, the former thief opens his mouth to retort only for it to close just as quickly, leading the pair to fall into a thick and uncomfortable silence.

Incredulous that Robin now appears to be completely dumbfounded, Regina brushes past him to move out of the bedroom, muttering, "You are so caught up in your own little world."

Upon beginning her descent of the stairs, her husband seems to somewhat come back to his senses as he calls, "You know I try, Regina, but it's just–"

"No, Robin! No more excuses!" Regina exclaims, continuing to storm down the stairwell with a fire burning in her eyes, "Ever since you landed that promotion at the station you've never been home."

"Of course, I have!" he replies as his footsteps race to follow after hers.

"Let's just face it, you haven't." the brunette snaps, whirling around at the base of the stairs, effectively causing Robin to halt in his tracks. Feeling her anger flare within her chest, Regina moves closer so that her face is only a few inches from her husband's and asks, "When was the last time you saw the kids for more than five minutes? Hell, when was the last time you actually sat down to a family meal?"

The former queen scans the blue eyes she knew so well, but now seem so foreign to her as nothing but confusion swirls within them. "Regina–"

"And did you ever think about me Robin?" the former evil queen thunders before her husband can get a word in edge-wise, "Yes, I encouraged you to apply for deputy sheriff, but it was only because I knew the job was something you'd enjoy and I've tried to be supportive ever since," Releasing a bitter chuckle to ignore the tell-tale sign of tears burning behind her eyelids, Regina runs an agitated hand through her hair and takes a step back from the blue-eyed man, "And yes, I knew that with the both us having a job, managing a household of five would become tricky, but I compromised, Robin! To allow you time to settle in, I took on the kids more, making sure they got to school, to day-care and all their other activities on time. For God's sake," the brunette declares wobblily, her brown orbs pooling with broken tears as she throws her hands up before them letting flop at her sides, "I even shortened my own hours at work so I could be home for them and make sure this house didn't turn into a pigsty! But Robin, it's not fair that I'm having to hold down the fort twenty-four seven, especially now that you've been deputy for almost four months. But even then, that isn't–" her voice breaks as a result of the lump that's formed within her throat though Regina attempts to steady her voice whilst traitorous tears roll down her cheeks, "When was the last time I actually received a touch or even a kiss from you? Or the last time I saw my husband's blue eyes as the very first and last thing each day before they were replaced with his cold and empty sheets?" Feeling the control over her emotions slipping, the brunette lifts a hand to cover her mouth in an attempt to prevent the sob that wants to escape her lips, her tear-filled brown orbs gazing into his remorseful blue ones as she brokenly admits, "Sometimes I feel I don't even know who you are anymore."

Having the decency to look ashamed, Robin opens his mouth as though to make a reply before snapping it shut upon seemingly being at a loss for words.

"So that's it, huh?" Regina scoffs, shaking her head in what she can only describe as pure disbelief, "I pour my heart out to you and you're suddenly stunned into silence?"

Lifting his hand as though to cup her cheek, the blue-eyed man starts, "I–"

The brunette lifts a hand of her own, effectively stopping the man before he gets the chance to finish his sentence. "Save it," the brunette mutters darkly as she turns in an attempt to walk back into the kitchen, "I don't want to hear it."

However, she doesn't get very far as Robin swiftly grabs a secure hold of her arm, "Regina wait–"

Knowing she won't be able to face him without her heart feeling as though it's being ripped from her chest, Regina shakes her head in a silent plea for an end to this conversation, "Please let me go, Robin."

"No, I'm not just letting you walk out," he states, firmly gripping her shoulders as he forces her to look at him, "I can fix this! Look, I'll shift some of my hours around and–"

"Like this is the first time you've promised that," Regina counters with a bitter chuckle.

"I mean it Regina," Robin declares, shifting his hands so that they're now framing her face, "I know I can fix this! That I can fix us."

Closing her eyes briefly, the former evil queen lifts her own hands to loosely grasp onto his wrists. Taking a shuddery breath, she opens her sombre brown orbs to meet his hopeful blue ones as she defeatedly admits, "I don't think you can."

"What are you saying?" Robin asks with widened eyes.

Lowering her gaze, Regina drops her hands before backing away from his hold, "I'm saying that maybe this marriage is no longer working between us and that we should spend some time apart."

"What? No!" the former thief exclaims, moving to take a step towards her.

But the brunette is quicker and takes one back, levelling her tear-filled gaze to meet his, "Just go, Robin."

Shaking his head, the blue-eyed man pleads, "No, please Regina, we don't have to do this–"

Straightening her posture and forcing herself to appear stronger than she currently feels, the brunette shakily states, "Take whatever is yours and leave."

Upon falling into silence, Regina swallows thickly as Robin merely stares at her, the full intensity of his gaze boring into hers. "Is that what you really want?" he asks, coolly.

Nodding, the brunette quickly shifts her gaze to tiled floor as a traitorous tear trails down her cheek.

"Fine," the blue-eyed man replies coldly, "I'll leave. But you, Mrs. Locksley, are coming with me."

And before Regina can fully register the true meaning of his words or what it is he's doing, Robin is throwing her over his shoulder and marching straight out the front door.

A/N: Should I continue? Let me know what you think by dropping a review on your way out! (But for the record I do intend to write a second chapter for this story eventually)

For those of you waiting for chapter 19 of AIR, I'm aiming to have it up within the next two weeks or so. So, all I ask is that you remain patient and trust that I will not leave you all hanging.

And if you have any suggestions for what you want to see happen next in this story or An Impromptu Rescue feel free to drop me a PM.

Thanks for reading! :)