Hi everyone! This chapter (and the next 4 chapters) are entries for prompt party. The lovely RegallyWickedThirteen helped me write this chapter, prompts we used are in the notes at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

Regina woke with a pounding headache. The events of the night before were a blur, but she was sure that when she recalled what was said and done, she would immediately regret her reckless decisions from the previous night- namely, consuming so much alcohol that she felt miserable the following morning. Why had she been so careless?

Then she caught sight of her balcony, and it all came rushing back to her: drinks with Will, the dreaded- and feared- lion tattoo that Robin bore, and the resulting conversation with Tinkerbell, so unlike the last conversation they had had on that balcony decades before.

Why did Zelena have to choose the man with the lion tattoo to give that love potion to- whether it was intentional or not? How unlucky was she that she would happen to stumble on the man who she was "destined" to be with now, when the last person she loved with her whole heart was lost to her forever?

Henry. The mere thought of his name made her heart lurch. How heartless was she that she had completely forgotten about her beloved son?

Not heartless, just busy, a voice that sounded remarkably like Snow's reminded her. Yes, her little prince was somewhere far away and didn't remember the many years he had spent as her baby boy, but that didn't mean that she should mourn him and not pay any attention to anything else around her.

The truth of how chaotic life in the Enchanted Forest was at the moment hit her like a ton of bricks, and she fell back into her pillows, overwhelmed all over again. She refused to deal with everything the way she had the previous night. Her little prince would be so disappointed in her if he found out that she had left everyone, especially Roland, to fend for themselves against Zelena and wallowed in self-pity. Maybe she would take a swim instead.

Speaking of that curly-haired little hobbit, she needed to go check on him. If her blood had worked to cure him- and that was a big if- they needed to know as soon as possible so they could administer the cure for corona to everyone. If they would take it, that is. She didn't blame them for not trusting her, she really didn't, not after everything she had done. However, at the same time, if the un-Charmings believed her, she would have thought that more people would be inclined to trust her a little more.

First things first, though: she needed to check on Roland to see if the cure had even healed him.

Putting on her mask and dressing in one of her many black gowns, Regina hurried to where the Merry Men were staying, hoping that she would easily be able to figure out where Roland and Friar Tuck were once she was there. As she walked, she tried not to get her hopes up. Yes, she thought she had found a cure for corona, but whether it would work or not… she still wasn't sure. The idea that she could be both light and dark at once was so far-fetched that she honestly doubted that the cure would work.

What she saw when she entered the area the Merry Men had claimed as their own stopped her in her tracks. Roland, the brave little knight who had helped her get through these long days without Henry, was running toward her, his grin as wide as his open arms. "Mama!"

"Roland," she breathed, the truth of his recovery still too miraculous for her to believe. "What are you doing out of bed? We need to make sure you're all better before you're running around like a little monkey."

"But I'm all better, Mama!" he insisted. "Now I wanna play with you and Papa and Uncle John!"

Just like that, her spirits plummeted once more. How was she supposed to tell this bright-eyed child who had gone through so much this past week that his father was under a sleeping curse that everyone expected her to break… and she knew she couldn't do it?

She pulled back and knelt, looking into those chocolate orbs that so closely resembled her own. "Roland, honey, I have to tell you something. Your papa… he's asleep, but it's a magical sleep that he can't wake up from."

He frowned. "Why can't he wake up? I want him to play with us."

She sighed. "Everyone says that only I can wake him up, but I don't think I can."

His brow furrowed. "Why not? I know you can do it, Mama. You have to so we can all be together again."

A rush of affection for her little knight overwhelmed her. Impulsively, she kissed his forehead. "I love you, Roland. Thank you for believing in me. Not many people do. Don't worry, your father will be all right. I promise." She knew it wouldn't be her doing, but somehow, she would find a way to reunite this sweet child with his father.

Then she realized what exactly she had said to him. Despite the fact that she had been acting as his mother for awhile now, since she had been pretending to date his father, she hadn't spoken those three little words to him before that moment. Her heart ached at the thought- Roland had gone without a mother's love for his entire life. While she hoped she had made it clear how she felt, she berated herself for depriving him of even that small part of what it meant to have a mother.

"I love you too, Mama," he said.

Her heart swelled at his response, the purity and love of this child that she would never deserve. It eased her aching soul to know that in that moment, Henry would be proud of her.

Snow loved Robin. He was charming, kind and loyal. He loved with his whole heart and fought for everything and everyone he loved. He had a sense of honour that she admired and was undeniably a gentleman. He was also a thief, she knew there was no debate about that. After all, there had once been a time when their faces both graced wanted posters: a bandit and an outlaw on the run from an Evil Queen.

So much had changed since then. They'd all changed for the better. She was just nervous because she could see what's happening, even if they didn't have a clue, and she was scared it would end badly.

She knew Regina would hate her meddling. She also knew that Regina would never admit anything on her own, so she went to seek out someone who would help her: Tink.

Tink had so far more or less resisted teasing Regina and saying, "I told you so" in regards to the handsome hulk of an outlaw she's ridiculously in love with. She'd resisted because Regina was fragile and she's tried to force Regina to believe in soulmates before- and, well, everyone knew how that turned out. So much of Regina's life has been the product of other people's choices. If her childhood was a game of chess, then Regina would be a pawn, moved tactically in order to advance someone else's agenda. Regina needed to make the decision on her own. She needed to allow herself to feel, to be open to the possibility of love, for this to work. Tink was a strong believer in things working out when they're meant to. Maybe, just maybe, this could be the right time, if Robin ever got out of the sleeping curse.

She saw Snow grinning as she walked over and she had to force herself not to sigh. She knew what Snow wanted, knew it was only coming out of a place of love, but meddling now was only going to cause heartbreak.

"Do you think Regina loves Robin?" Snow asked once she was in earshot.

"Straight to the point I see," Tink laughed. "I think she could love Robin."

"What does that mean?" Snow questioned, her tone accusatory.

Tink sighed. "Snow, you know Regina, probably better than I do. She feels things with her whole heart, always has and always will. She also associates unconditional love with loss: her father, Daniel, Henry... It's not a question of whether or not she loves Robin, because I think we all know the answer to that. It's whether or not she is brave enough to act on it."

Snow paused. She hadn't thought of that, she assumed that love was always worth fighting for. She still believed that Regina deserved to be loved more than anyone, but she knew that she hadn't truly considered how much pain Regina was in until now.

"You're right, and I know that. I maybe didn't fully understand until now, but I just don't want her to avoid trying because she's scared."

Tink nodded. "I agree, but we need to be careful. Regina needs to make this decision on her own."

Snow wanted to argue, but after a pointed look from Tink, she didn't. "Do you think Robin feels the same way?"

Tink smiled. "I know he does."

"How?" Snow asked, leaning in.

"Robin is a man of simple pleasures. He enjoys the bare necessities of life- home, love, family (and food) are all Robin really needs or wants. He's happiest when he's with Roland, strolling around the forest or telling him a story. He loved Marian, more than I think he knew before he lost her. He blames himself for her death, thinks he should have done more, and there's been an emptiness ever since. It's different when he's with Regina; his eyes are brighter, he listens, he wants to help her. He needs her as much as she needs him, even if they don't realise it yet." Tink said knowingly.

Snow nodded slowly. It was obvious to her that she needed to give Regina a little push in the right direction. What she needed was a way to convince Regina to kiss Robin, and she thought she had a plan to accomplish just that.

"Misery hates company" was an old adage that Regina was far too familiar with. She wasn't Snow, she couldn't reel off a hope speech whenever she felt like it. She wasn't Charming either, she didn't have his courage. She wasn't Robin, with his easy charm and his forgiving nature. She wasn't Will with his humour. She's Regina, ex-queen and ex-mayor, whose only achievement in life, Henry, now had no memory of her. She knew how to fake it. Her mother didn't teach her much, but she taught her how to hide behind a mask. Sometimes though, it was all too much - that's when she drank. Which, judging by her pounding headache that morning, she clearly did too much of the night before.

She didn't really know why she was here, she had just needed to get out of the castle, away from Roland, with his constant questions about his father. Away from Robin himself. After that and giving people the corona cure and enduring so many refusals to take it, she needed to be alone. She'd wandered down through the gardens, taking a moment to appreciate their beauty in the glimmering moonlight before she'd arrived at the shore of the lake. As a child this had been her favourite place, aside from the stables. There was a stillness to the place, a true beauty. It also had the added benefit of having a boat, which meant Cora couldn't reach her.

She kicked off her shoes and walked along the small jetty. She sat and dipped her toes into the water, feeling the water lapping against her ankles. She knew this was dangerous - it's late, and the current within the lake was unpredictable. Snow would scold her if she found out.

With a small smile, her mind now made up, Regina removed her robe and lowered herself into the water. There was a moment of silent surrender, when the words in her head stopped, her breathing adjusted to the temperature, nothing mattered, and she could just be still. She wouldn't go too far- she didn't have a death wish- but she forgot how good this felt. To be alone with nature, to swim as the moonlight shimmered on the water and the wind whistled quietly through the trees. After a few minutes, she was surprised that she'd found her rhythm. She'd expected to find the weight of trying to look after Roland and Robin while trying to find a way to defeat Zelena overwhelming, but for the first time in forever, she didn't. She wasn't sure whether it was the stars (stargazing had been a ritual with everyone important in her life) or the fact that she was truly alone for the first time in weeks or if she was succumbing to the first effects of pneumonia, but somehow she felt like everything would be okay. Oh God, she really had been around Snow too long.

Lazily, she turned on her back and did a few strokes. She really needed to make an effort to do this more often. Hours spent with her father in this very lake had cemented its position as one of her favorite places- and therefore, one of the few places she could find peace.

Suddenly, she heard rustling in the trees at the far side of the lake, where a path led to the castle. She attempted to ignore it, trying to regain that sense of tranquility that she had managed to capture previously. She wasn't going to let anyone ruin this. Not even-

"Regina!"

Of course. Of course it had to be her.

She adjusted so everything but her head and shoulders was submerged and glared at the unwelcome intruder. "What, Snow? What could possibly be so important that you needed to interrupt me now?"

"I'm glad I did!" Snow said indignantly. "It's a good thing I was the one who came, I can't even imagine what would've happened if anyone else had interrupted you! What would they think, Regina? Come back over here and put on some clothes! You do realize that you could have drowned, right?"

Regina sighed. She supposed she meant well, but at the same time, "Snow, did it ever occur to you that I might have done this on purpose?"

Snow blinked. "You- you did this on purpose? But why? It's so dangerous, Regina!"

She let out an exasperated breath. She was trying to control her temper, she really was, but Snow just made it so difficult. "Did it ever occur to you that sometimes, I just need a break from my life, especially everyone at the castle?"

The expression she saw on Snow's face almost made her feel guilty for her words- almost. "Is that really how you feel?"

Sighing, Regina started swimming to shore. "Snow, I… that's not what I meant. That castle… it may have once been where we both lived, but can you understand why it may not hold the best memories for me?"

"I guess so," Snow answered slowly. Regina could see from her face that she was remembering the conversation they had had decades ago about what really happened to Daniel. Then to her surprise, her face brightened, and Regina dreaded what would come out of her mouth next. "But don't you see, Regina? Now you have a chance to make new memories here, happy ones."

Regina wanted to explode. Did Snow know her at all? "How am I supposed to make those without Henry? He's my whole world, Snow, just like Emma, Henry and David are yours."

"I know you want to be back in Storybrooke with him," Snow acknowledged. "But you've been spending a lot of time with Roland lately too. Doesn't that help at all?"

"Roland isn't Henry," Regina replied sourly.

"I know, I know," Snow said soothingly. "Maybe if you kissed Robin and woke him up, you'd feel like you have something closer to a family?"

Regina glared at her. How dare she? Her true motives behind this little late night chat were now crystal clear, and Regina wasn't falling for it. Not in a million years.

Snow seemed to have realized her mistake, because she hurriedly added, "I know that neither of them can replace Henry. But if you kissed, maybe-"

Regina laughed. "Is that all you got? I'm not kissing Robin, so you can get that little fantasy of yours out of your head right now, Snow."

Her stepdaughter's smile widened, taking on a more conniving undertone. "No, it's not. I dare you to kiss Robin. Maybe when he wakes, you'll finally realize you two were made for each other."

Did she just-? Regina couldn't believe it. Snow knew better than anyone how she couldn't resist a dare, had spent more hours than Regina cared to recall playing truth or dare with her in their early days at the castle. Naturally, Regina had always chosen for Snow to give her a dare, given that there were no truths she could divulge to the young princess, so she had been forced to perform all manner of outlandish tasks. No matter what the dare was, she hadn't been able to turn down the challenge, and the fact that Snow was using that knowledge now left Regina fuming.

"Fine," she spat. "I'll do it. But I can guarantee that it won't work, and you're not coming with me."

"If you say so," Snow shrugged. "But you have to do it now."

"Fine."

With that, Regina found herself trudging back to the castle, an all-too-eager Snow on her heels. Maybe she would kill that spoiled brat after all.

Little John was a man who was easy to please because he enjoyed the simple things in life. He loved swimming in the river on a hot summer's day, drinking and telling tales around a campfire, and spending time with his friends. Right now, he was contentedly eating every morsel he could find of that decadent sweet that everyone who had lived in Storybrooke called chocolate. He had discovered it at the first of the many balls that the prince and princess had held at the castle, and it had rocked his world. There were just so many different varieties of it and so many ways it could be combined with other food that he doubted that there was anything else like it in all the realms.

Just as he was about to put a spoonful of what they called chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream to his mouth, he heard footsteps in the hallway outside. They were purposeful, deliberate, but then they suddenly stopped.

"What are you doing?" an amused voice asked.

Suddenly inexplicably guilty, John looked up from his spoonful of ice cream to find Regina standing in the doorway. This is ridiculous, he thought. You're a grown man, you can eat whatever you like. Even if she is the queen, Regina isn't your mother, she can't tell you what you can or can't do, not when it comes to this.

Despite his internal pep talk, he still felt like he was five years old again, about to face no dessert for the rest of the week because he had had some without permission. He waited with bated breath, but all Regina said was, "I may have said some cruel things once, but we're past that, aren't we? You can eat the whole gallon for all I care."

"Of- of course," he stammered, ashamed that his voice was still that of a nervous schoolboy.

Then he took a closer look at her. She was impeccably dressed for two in the morning, but sometime during all this mess with Roland and Robin, he had come to know her, and thus was able to read the determination in her eyes, which was mixed with nervousness, and… was that fear? "What's wrong, Regina?"

She sighed. "Snow dared me to do something, and… I don't know if I can do it."

The surprised laugh he let out was long, the best he had had in a long time. The number of times he and his brothers had managed to get into trouble from a dare gone wrong were too many to count. They had always given Will the worst ones, laughing uproariously as they watched him streak stark naked into Nottingham's kitchens to steal a loaf of bread, one of many daring tasks they had made him do since he joined their ranks. The idea of the once-Evil Queen being subjected to such a game was so out of the ordinary that he had to wonder how it had happened.

"I'm sorry," he apologized as he caught sight of her offended expression once he had wiped the tears from his eyes. "You mentioning dares just brings back memories, that's all. What did she dare you to do?"

Thankfully, she seemed to be mollified, though the annoyance was still there. However, he now suspected that her ire was directed at Snow. She still seemed reluctant to talk though, so he decided it was important to remind her that, "You can tell me anything, you know. I may not be Robin or Tuck, but I've been told I'm a good listener."

Her laugh was harsh, but he waited, knowing that with this woman who was so closed-off to most of the world, patience was everything. "Snow dared me to kiss Robin. Her mind's so deluded by her sickly-sweet romance with Charming that she forgets that unlike her, happy endings have never worked out for me. Even if they did, her plan won't work. She's so convinced that it's true love between me and Robin that she hasn't even considered the possibility that true love's kiss will most likely fail. It has to be true love between both parties for that strategy to work, and unfortunately for her, I can guarantee that he doesn't love me, and I most certainly don't love him."

It was extremely difficult to resist the urge to slap his palm against his forehead, but somehow, he managed. If Regina had had a different past, Snow's plan might have worked. However, from what he had gathered, Regina's past was fraught with sadness at every turn, the catalyst to her evil deeds during her reign. He decided to try a different approach to nudge her in the direction that he knew was right for everyone he cared about. "Isn't it worth trying, for Roland's sake if nothing else?"

He could see that his words had had an effect on her. Not sure exactly how much he should push her toward saving his best friend, he said, "If it helps at all, I believe in you."

"But… I don't have light magic," she revealed, sinking into a nearby chair. "True love's kiss is light magic- which I'm incapable of doing."

"How do you know you can't?" he asked. "The Evil Queen might not've possessed light magic, but I don't buy into the idea that Regina, the kind woman I know who has done everything she can to take care of my best friend and his son, doesn't possess any goodness in her heart at all. It takes a benevolent heart to perform true love's kiss, right?"

"It does…" she mused. "However, that doesn't change the fact that I don't have any faith at all that it'll work."

He reached out tentatively, not one hundred percent sure that his actions would be received favorably. He took her hands in his, and to his relief, she didn't pull away. "I believe in you," he repeated softly but adamantly. "I know you can do this, even if you don't think you can." It was his last desperate attempt. He had been trying to get one or both of them to acknowledge that there was something more between them for months now, and though they had their differences, they shared the same steadfast stubbornness. Neither would admit that there was a connection between them, and he and Snow had been determined to change that. It seemed that Snow's efforts had finally gotten them somewhere. However reluctant she may be at the moment, only positive things could come from her finally kissing the man who was a brother to him in all but blood.

"I…" she began, but before she could finish her sentence, he saw the determination return to her eyes. "All right. I'll do it."

He brought her in for a hug, trying to pour all of his faith in her into the gesture with a gentle squeeze. "You can do this, I promise."

With those last words of reassurance, she backed away, turned, and left the room. John returned to his neglected (now slightly melted) ice cream, eagerly awaiting what was to come.

Each step Regina took toward where Robin was being kept was resolute. Was she really doing this? Granted, Roland had been asking about his papa nonstop now that he was well, and it had pained Regina to remember that they hadn't seen each other in weeks. As John had pointed out, she had to try this, for Roland's sake if nothing else. The little boys in her life deserved to have both of their parent figures with them, and while she had no hope of going back to her little prince, she could at least try to make that a reality for her little knight, right?

She supposed she had to admit that she had to be thankful for the small miracle that Snow wasn't dogging her every step, gleefully watching as she completed the dare. The princess who had once ruined her happiness was far too chatty for a moment like this.

She walked into the room, and to her relief, the only occupant was Robin in the glass coffin, which was so similar to the one the munchkins had once used for Snow. The Merry Men must've all been sleeping soundly in their beds (except Little John, of course), and she was extremely grateful for it. No matter if true love's kiss failed or worked perfectly, she didn't want an audience for this.

She hated that John had given her hope. Hope was for princesses and fairies. She hated that somehow she had even a little faith that this could all work out. Faith was for good people. She absolutely hated that Tink was right when it came to the pixie dust all those years ago.

She hated that she'd spent her whole life learning to live without. She'd learned how to keep calm, when all she wanted to do was scream. She'd learned how to smile, even though her heart was breaking. She'd learned how to be the queen she never wanted to be. Partly due to the corona cure working, she'd learned how to love, or at least accept, that darkness was a part of her. She'd even learned how to love the incessant doubt that niggled her every decision. She'd learned to live without Henry, every hour without unprompted tears a secret success.

She'd learned to live without, but screw it. She wanted to learn to live. Live for the moment. Live for Roland's smile. Live for Tink and her gossip. Live for Snow and her hopefulness. Live for even the slightest chance that she could have her happiness.

She didn't think her happiness depended on a man. It didn't, and if it did, that man would always be Henry. Part of finding her happiness meant finding out if all these feelings flying around in her head actually meant anything, if there was a possibility that in some way, Robin was part of that jigsaw of happiness she was desperately trying to piece together.

She was nervous, which was ridiculous. She'd sealed the room, there was no way Snow or Tink were spying on this. Thanks to her dear sister, Robin was asleep, so he definitely wouldn't remember it. She had no reason to be nervous, she'd been told on good authority that she was a good kisser, yet she was. She was nervous because she wanted this to mean something, and she was scared it wouldn't.

Suddenly remembering something, with a wave of her hand a small vial of the corona cure appeared in the palm of her hand. Robin might not be awake, and that probably wouldn't change as a result of her actions tonight, but she had to make sure that when he did, there were no adverse side effects like him catching the same disease his son had suffered from.

She removed the glass coffin keeping him safe from the outside world and approached slowly, cure in hand. She reached out a hand, feeling his prickly stubble under her fingertips as she tilted his head back so she could get the corona cure down his throat.

Confident that he was safe from the disease now, she inched closer, took off her mask, sat on the edge of the bed, and looked down at his face. She had to admit that in this moment of solitude, when he was lying serene and silent before her, he was much less infuriating. No verbal sparring, no maddening remarks- it made him much more likeable. In these moments, it was much easier to remember the kindness he had shown her while he was under the witch's spell- or whatever she had done to him. She didn't know if her kiss would be enough to heal him from both afflictions, but it was worth a shot, for Roland's sake if nothing else. His father may look peaceful in his magical slumber, but he also looked pale as death, the natural coloring that the emotions of daily life would bring drained from his face.

Leaning even closer, she whispered in his ear a secret that she hardly dared admit to herself, let alone anyone else, "I love you. And that is why I must do this." With that, she cupped his cheek in her hand, feeling his rough stubble under her fingertips as she leaned forward and hesitantly kissed him.

She leaned back and watched closely. It was barely perceptible at first, but his breathing picked up speed until it came in a gasp that was almost deafening in the silence around them and ever so slowly, his eyes opened.

Prompts we used in this chapter: 12 Missing Year- late night swim, 15 OQ as parents, 22 work on any WIP/the next chapter of a fic you started, 24 back from the death, 26 fake dating, 52 Regina kisses Robin on a dare, 59 Roland gets sick, 87 Regina and Little John bonding, 88 Outlaw Queen's relationship written from the perspective of the Merry Men, 131 Robin comes back to life, 151) Regina says I love you first, 157 Mary Margaret and Robin friendship, 160 "Is that all you got?", 170 a kiss to heal, 171 a kiss for comfort, 180 accidental love potion, 163) waking up at 2 AM, 187 Tinkerbell and Snow White discussing Outlaw Queen, 214 Missing Year- anything with Little John, 215 late night snacks, 217 first time Regina says "I love you" to Roland, 240 Little John keeps trying to get Regina and Robin to acknowledge their feelings, next chapter, Regina kisses Robin, 252 deathbed confession, 263 a secret getting revealed, 277 "I love you. And that is why I must do this.", 281 unlucky, 282 potion(s). Let us know what you think!