OQ Fix It Week - Day 4 – The events after 4A never happened - Regina and Robin discover that they met and fell in love in the EF before.. til Cora found them, separated them, and put a memory curse on them

A/N: The events of the present are written in italics and the events of the past will be written in normal text

I know Regina sent Cora to Wonderland before her wedding to Leopold but for the sake of this story, let's pretend it was after

She stood outside the tavern, her heart pounding and her hands shaking as she reached to open the door. She took a deep breath and forced herself to go inside. She was terrified, but whatever could potentially lay ahead had to be better than what she was leaving behind.

She walked across to the tavern to the man with the lion tattoo, the one that Tinkerbell had led her to. Here goes nothing, she thought. She pulled out the empty chair that was sat next to him and sat down. God this was awkward!

The man looked up from his tankard of ale and sent a not so subtle smirk her way and she couldn't deny how attractive he was. From his beautiful blue eyes to those gorgeous dimples, maybe Tinkerbell did know what she was talking about.

"Good evening Milady," he acknowledged her with a nod. "What brings you out to this establishment at this time of night? Robin," he held out his hand to her.

Regina looked at his hand and then back up into those eyes, a slightly confused expression on her face, "I'm sorry?"

"Robin. My name is Robin," he smiled.

"Oh," she felt her cheeks flush slightly in embarrassment. "Regina," she replied, taking his outstretched hand in her own.

Neither of them could help the gasp that escaped both their lips as their hands joined, it was though a spark had ignited somewhere deep inside them both.

Robin coughed and tried to regain his composure, "you, erm, never answered my question."

Regina had to think for a moment before she remembered that he'd asked what had brought her to the tavern, "you wouldn't believe me if I told you," she laughed, nervously.

"Is that so? Try me," Robin smirked back.

Regina took a deep breath before looking down at her hands, it would be even more awkward to look at him when she was about to tell him they were soulmates.

"Well, a fairy came to visit me in my bedchambers a couple of nights ago, we got talking and I ended up telling her about my past, and about my life now and how empty I feel," she shuffled uncomfortably in her seat at her admission. "She told me that I needed love and she explained to me about the use of pixie dust to connect you to your soulmate."

She looked briefly up at Robin to see if he was following where she was going with this, he was looking back at her with rapt attention, hanging on her every word.

"She used the pixie dust on me earlier on tonight, it led me here, to you." She finished, casting Robin a somewhat awkward and slightly embarrassed smile, she couldn't believe she'd admitted that so freely and so quickly!

"Me?" Robin questioned, a huge grin adorning his face, full dimples on display.

"Yes," she whispered in reply.

"Well, Milady, perhaps we could take a stroll in the moonlight, maybe get to know one another better?"

A bright smile lit up Regina's whole face as she nodded in agreement. Robin stood and held out his hand to her as she stood, her eyes never leaving his the entire time.

As they walked together hand in hand, Robin couldn't help but be enchanted by her beauty. Her chocolate coloured eyes, her beautiful smile, even the small scar adorning her top lip. She was stunning in every way.

Meanwhile, back in King Leopold's castle, Cora was awoken by a knight who informed her of the visitor she had received, waiting for her in the castle entrance.

"This better be important Nottingham," she greeted sharply, as she stared the man down.

"Indeed." He replied, with a sinister smirk. "It would seem that you daughter has taken an interest in a certain Robin of Locksley, in fact she is walking through the forest with him as we speak."

Cora chucked darkly in response, "oh I think not. My daughter is currently sleeping in her chambers, she wouldn't be so foolish as to even think of running away."

"Are you so sure of that your majesty?"

A little while later, Regina and Robin were still strolling around the forest, hand in hand. "So, you never mentioned what happened to cause you to run,"

Regina stiffened slightly, not sure whether or not she should tell him everything, how could she put all that on his shoulders?

Robin noticed her discomfort and stopped, turning her to face him, "it's alright if you don't want to tell me. Maybe another time when we've gotten to know each other better?"

She smiled up at him gratefully and nodded.

They were about to continue walking when a swirl of purple appeared right before them, and Cora materialised out of nowhere.

"Oh, I don't think that's an option dear," she smiled wickedly, and Regina gasped in shock.

"Mother! What are you doing?"

"Regina, what's going on? What's happening?" Robin asked, concerned by the expression on her face. It could only be described as fear, no one should ever have that expression when being in the presence of their parent.

"What's going on, dear is that Regina should know better. She is married to the King after all, and you, thief, have committed treason by taking her from him. I will have no choice but to lock you in the dungeons to await your execution."

Regina's eyes widened as she heard what her mother was planning to do. "No mother please! He didn't know I swear! It was all me, please don't hurt him! Please!"

Cora didn't even give her daughter the courtesy of giving her an answer, instead she waved her hand and she and Regina were transported back to the castle, right back into Regina's bedchamber.

"What have you done?!" Regina exclaimed, "where's Robin? What did you do to him?!"

"Relax dear, in a few moments you won't have any recollection of your thief at all and he will have none of you."

"Mother please, don't do this!" Regina begged, tears flowing down her cheeks as she pleaded with her mother to consider.

"It must be done dear," she walked forwards and waved her hand in front of Regina's face before retreating back to her previous position.

Regina looked up at her mother in confusion, "mother, what are you doing in here?"

Cora smiled and walked over to place a hand on her daughter's cheek, "oh my dear, I heard you call out in your sleep and thought I'd come to check on you," she smiled.

"Oh, well thank you mother, but I'm fine now, I think I'll try and get back to sleep."

Cora nodded as she turned to leave the room, "goodnight dear,"

"Goodnight mother."

Years later in Storybrooke, Regina was sat in the forest, thinking of a way to make Henry remember who she was when she heard a crunching of leaves behind her. She whipped her head round to see who'd disturbed her thinking and was met with the most beautiful pair of blue eyes she'd ever seen.

"Apologies Milady, I didn't mean to startle you," he smiled at her, revealing dimples that could melt her heart.

"You didn't," she replied, expecting the stranger to walk away and leave her sat there alone, however, he sat down right next to her.

"I don't recall asking you to join me," she turned to him with her eyebrows raised.

"I didn't realise I needed a formal invitation," he smirked back.

"Robin of Locksley," he said, holding out his hand to her, which revealed, under his sleeve, a tattoo of a lion on his wrist. Regina didn't know why, but she had a feeling that she'd seen the very same one somewhere before.

"The thief," she replied with a smirk.

"Well, aren't you technically known as the Evil Queen?" he smirked right back, there was something about this woman that was vaguely familiar, like their paths had crossed somewhere before.

"I prefer Regina. Have we met before?" she questioned, curious as to understand why he seemed so familiar to her.

He smiled at her before replying, "I doubt I'd ever forget meeting you."