Fall 4 - Final chapter in this miniseries

There are six shades of blue in Robin's eyes. How has she never noticed them before? Is it the tears brimming and falling that bring out their hue? They're warm, those tears, as they land on her cheeks, seep into her hair; warm like every part of him. Like his fingers that are shaking against her lips or the ones that tug gently at her hair hoping it will keep her awake a little longer. His breath is warm against her skin as he breathes words of love into her, makes promises he can't keep and begs any deity that will listen for her life. But his eyes, she has to focus on his eyes, can't let herself feel anything else. It's too much, too hard, she's being pulled under too quickly and she can't go yet. Not until she knows her evil half is gone, not until she knows they'll be safe. So she pushes the warmth away, pushes the soothing touches and the desperate words back until all she knows is his eyes and their 6 shades of blue. It's not the tears, she realizes. It's that they've never had this: long minutes just to stare into each other with nothing else in the way. There's always been an urgency, a battle, a grief, an inevitable something that has stolen these moments from them and made their time together a series of rushed encounters and desperate reunions. She wishes she could go back and slow them down, catalog each shade of blue before her vision fades to black.

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Emma understands. Regina senses it the moment the Savior's light magic stops flowing through her ruined body. Emma understands that she has to let her do this. She'll help Henry understand, Robin, Snow, people she never imagined she would have in her life and who she will gladly give her life for. Emma will make them see that this was a choice Regina willingly made, one that she had to make to protect the people that taught her how to accept the love that they gave her.

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Regina feels it the moment the Queen lets go. There's a ripple of satisfaction that runs through her knowing that she was ultimately stronger that her evil half, that if even by a few seconds, she won. She relaxes now: lets everything go but the feel of Robin's thumb against her cheek, his fingers in her hair, Emma's hands cradling her heart. Her eyes slip shut and Regina lets herself fall into the darkness.

Present

Robin doesn't say anything as he makes his way over to the bed. There really aren't any words to describe how grateful he is to see her smiling at him. It's been 5 days since he's carried her up to their room, since Emma healed the wound his arrow had caused, since he'd held her and felt her tremble with an emotion he couldn't name when she was reunited with her darkness, since he'd ran bloodied fingers through her hair, holding her gaze until her eyes slipped shut. He touches her now, cups her face, runs his thumb along her cheek bone before tangling his fingers in her hair. "Hi," he whispers, leaning down to peck at her lips.

"Hi," she reaches up, wraps her arm around his neck and holds him to her forehead. "Thank you for being here." She didn't plan on waking up, and can't express her gratitude at not waking up alone.

"There's nowhere else I would be, Regina." He lingers a moment longer before he feels her lashes fluttering against his skin. "Emma's right, love. You need to sleep."

"I've slept for 5 days," she argues, but it's futile. She can barely keep her eyes open.

"One more won't hurt." He busses her lips again before pulling away. Henry stirs next to her as Robin lifts Roland from her stomach. "I'll be right back." Robin squeezes her shoulder, and then reaches over her to squeeze Henry's, urging him that last bit awake. It's the middle of the night, but Robin knows how much her son needs to see his mother awake and how much she needs to see him before she'll let herself get the rest she needs.

"Mom?" Henry asks sleepily. With Roland no longer holding her down, Regina rolls on her side and pulls Henry against her chest. "You're okay?" he asks, fighting back tears of relief as he clings to her. He hasn't shared his mother's bed since he was afraid monsters lived under his own, but he couldn't bring himself to leave her side.

"I will be," Regina tucks her face into his shoulder, breathing in the smell of her not so little boy.

"There was so much blood," Henry mumbles against her. "I'm sorry. I should never have let her…"

"Stop it right now," Regina scolds. "You did absolutely nothing wrong. Do you hear me, Henry? Nothing." He nods against her, but Regina can tell he's not convinced. "If you hadn't have gotten help I probably wouldn't be here," she tells him as she runs her hands up and down his spine.

"You sent me to Granny's." Henry tries, but he can't keep the annoyance at her action from seeping into his voice. He was angry with her for sending him away, angry that she wouldn't let him help.

"I sent you to Granny's because I thought that old wolf would have enough sense to keep you there," Regina tells him, pulling back just enough to see his tear streaked face.

"I'm glad she didn't stop me," Henry winks at her and just like that Regina knows she is forgiven.

"Me too," she admits, because she probably wouldn't be here if Henry hadn't somehow got Emma to her in time and she knows this. "Now go to bed," she pushes playfully at his shoulder, "its late."

"I'll see you in the morning?" Henry asks as he slowly peals himself off of the bed.

"You will." She glances over to the bedside clock. 4:38 am. "Probably the late morning." They both chuckle at that and he finally feels comfortable enough to leave her room for his own.

Robin lingered in Roland's room after he laid his son in his own bed. He'd completely given up on him staying in there after Regina's third wakeless night and had just let the boy wrap himself around her from the start rather than waiting for him to creep down the hall and clamor into his parent's bed. Maybe he'd stay in here tonight; Robin hoped that even though Roland hadn't woke up when Regina did that the boy would still sense that she was back with them, that she was going to be okay.

There's footsteps in the hall, his signal that Henry is returning to his own room. Robin musses his son's curls one last time before stepping out of the room. He meets Henry in the hall and for a moment the two just stare silently at each other, each noticing the exhaustion and relief in the other's features. They've both finally been allowed to relax and the weight of the last 5 days is finally setting in. Robin moves first, extending an arm and gripping Henry's shoulder, pulling the younger man against his chest. Henry returns the hug fiercely, fisting the fabric of Robin's t-shirt before pulling away and returning Robin's subtle nod. The contact was brief, but it spoke everything that needed to be said between the two.

When Robin returns to his own room the bed is empty. White hot panic washes over him until he sees the light coming from beneath the bathroom door. He scolds himself for his reaction, but still doesn't relax until she emerges from the en suite. "You look like you've seen a ghost," Regina chides as she switches off the light and crosses over to her side of the bed.

"You'll have to forgive me for not wanting to let you out of my site for a while, Mi'lady," he confesses as he crawls in the bed beside her. They both lean against the headboard, faces turned toward each other, eyes meeting in the darkened room.

"I think I'm okay with that," Regina raises her hand to stroke the stubble at his cheek. "Did Henry go to bed?" she asks, always the mother.

"Practically asleep before he made it to the door," Robin threads his fingers through her hair, relishing in the sigh it elicits from deep in her chest. "He's been worried sick," he leans in and presses a kiss to her forehead, letting his lips linger. "So has Roland," he kisses against the tip of her nose. Moving to her cheek he adds "and Emma," to the other "and Snow." He pulls back then to brush her hair back and stare into eyes he feared would never open. He's trembling with need for her, knows she must feel, but doesn't feel a lick of shame.

"And you?" Regina asks, smiling into the scant space between them.

"And me," he whispers seconds before his lips crash into hers. He pours every ounce of fear, hope, worry, and relief into the kiss. She's here, she's alive, she's whole. "I love you," he pants against her when their lips part for breath.

"Thank you," she smiles against his mouth. He stares at her, questioning, but Regina only shakes her head at his unvoiced questions. She means it. She's thankful for him, for his love. "I love you too," she tells him as she pulls him back into another kiss. This one slower, less urgent, but no less passionate; a simple sharing of the love they each give.

It's not long before Robin's hands begin to wander, his weight shifting them so that she's eased down into the pillows, his body hovering over her own as soft touches grow bolder. His lips find the spot behind her ear that makes her melt and she rakes her fingers through his hair, holding him Mmmm's against his ear, but it's another voice that has Robin ceasing his ministrations.

"Gina?" Roland's small voice asks from door way. Robin laughs into her neck before straightening her shirt and rolling off of her.

"This is the last night, my boy," Robin warns, but Roland has already launched himself at the end of the bed and is pulling and crawling his way into Regina's waiting arms.

"I knew you would wake up," Roland says against her neck as he settles himself in her lap. Regina soothes her hands up and down his back, buries her fingers in his messy curls and holds him tight.

"Thank you for keeping me safe while I was sleeping, Sir Roland," Regina whispers into her little knight's ear, watching Robin's smile dimple his cheeks and light up his eyes.

"You're welcome," their son says simply, wiggling in tighter against her waist as Regina turns to her side. Robin kisses the top of his son's head, before he settles in behind Regina, pulling her back flush against his front. Both Locksley men are sound asleep before long, each holding her tightly. Regina remains awake, staring into the darkness of her room, wrapped up in the safety of the people she loves. She still isn't sure exactly what had transpired or how or why she is here, but she'll savor this moment. She'll take every bit of the life she's been granted to live and vows to herself not to waste a single moment.

Thank you so much for the reviews. You all are amazing and so very kind. This one was a little heavy so I'm working on some much needed levity for the next installment (aka drunk snow). Hope to see you there! xoxox Sara