A/N: My tenth entry for OQ Prompt Month, using Prompt #271 Instead of Robin, Regina is the one who Hades kills with the Olympian Crystal.

Once again, this will have a couple parts, but here's the first part as well. You might want to grab some tissues now.

-Mac


The Hole in Our Hearts

MackenzieW

Chapter 1: Last Rites

Robin never went into any job without an escape plan. It was why he and his men were never caught and they all made it out together.

But Robin had ignored all his instincts this time. As he told Regina, his daughter was in danger. He didn't feel he had the time to properly examine the situation and come up with plans. Robin needed to get inside and get his daughter before Hades or Zelena could hurt her. So he had charged in and winged it with Regina by his side.

And she had paid the price.

When Hades had held up that blue crystal, threatening to obliviate Regina, Robin had pleaded with the god to use it on him. He was not going to let the woman he loved pay the price for his foolishness. Regina deserved to live and to have her happy ending with her son and his as well. He also knew that she would be a wonderful mother to his daughter and would raise her to be a strong woman just like herself. If someone's life had to end, he would rather it be his and he would go knowing his loved ones were safe and taken care of.

Hades, though, was determined to kill Regina. It was clear he believed she was a threat to his relationship with Zelena and Robin could understand that. Something had happened in the Underworld that had brought the sisters together and so if anyone could convince Zelena that Hades was no good, it would be Regina. Robin also believed that Hades knew Regina was likely the only one strong enough to defeat him as well and that's why he aimed the crystal's devastating magic at her.

Robin could still see the terrifying blue light that had emanated around the powerful bolts which had hit Regina whenever he closed his eyes. He could then see her sudden intake of breath as she slowly turned to face him, her brown eyes wide with fear and realization of what was happening. She then collapsed as her soul left her body, hanging in the air before him. The ghost of tears ran down her cheeks and he tried to reach out as she gave him one last smile before her spirit disintegrated in front of him.

Everything that happened after that was a blur. Robin had fallen to his knees and gathered Regina's limp body to himself, cradling her in his arms. She was still warm and he tried kissing her, praying True Love's Kiss would work even though he knew not even it could counter death.

He still had to try.

Zelena had entered shortly after that and all the color in her face had drained when she saw Regina's body. Hades had started to spin a story about Regina storming the office and trying to kill him in order to hurt Zelena. That he had only killed her in self-defense and that he was a good guy.

It made Robin sick.

"Liar," he hissed. "Regina was helping me save my daughter. She wasn't threatening him, she wasn't attacking him. She just stood there and he shot her with that crystal, killing her because he wanted to."

Robin choked up as he looked down at the woman he loved, her beautiful brown eyes closed forever. "She died because she loved me," he sobbed.

He held her close and missed what had happened next. Emma, though, later told him that Zelena had used the crystal on Hades, destroying him. It seemed he had miscalculated how she would react to him killing her sister and paid the ultimate price. The next thing he knew was Zelena trying to take Regina from him. Robin snarled at her to go away, telling her she had done enough damage for one day. Fear filled her eyes and she left the room.

Regina had been right - fear was an effective tool.

"Robin, you need to let go of her," David said softly, pressing his hand to Robin's back.

"No," Robin said, hearing how his voice broke. "I can't leave her. I...I…"

He sobbed, feeling as if his heart was breaking into a million pieces inside his chest. Robin had thought he had known heartbreak when he had lost Marian but it paled in comparison to what he felt now. No wonder Regina had tried first to remove her own heart and then to put herself in an eternal sleep. This pain was too much to bear.

Snow was the one who gently pulled him away and held him as David placed Regina into a black bag. Robin watched as he closed it over her face, his heart breaking even more as he wondered how she would breathe. But then he remembered she didn't need to anymore and it was all because of him.

Crying reminded him of why he had come on this foolhardy quest and he stood on shaky legs, crossing to the carrier. He looked down at his little girl, her face red as she sobbed. She wasn't crying for hunger or to be changed. It seemed she had woken up and just wanted comfort. Robin wasn't sure he could give it to her.

He closed his eyes and he was back in his tent in the Enchanted Forest. Robin had just returned from trying to find his wife, a quest which had ended with him learning about her death. It felt as if his life should be over too and he wondered how he would go on without her. As he contemplated ending it all, Roland cried and reminded him that someone still needed him. He stood and picked up his crying son, rocking him. Robin knew he had to go on for his sake and he felt the darkness start to lift.

Opening his eyes, his tent melted away to Regina's office and Roland became his daughter. His daughter who needed him just like his son had all those years ago. Swallowing, he picked her up and began rocking her. "It's okay, sweetheart. Daddy's got you. Daddy's right here," he told her.

"Come on, Robin," Snow said, placing her hand on his back again. "It's time to go."

She took the carrier and he nodded. They turned away from the table and he saw that Regina's body was gone. Panic filled him and he held his daughter tighter, as if she would disappear too. "Where is she?" he asked.

"They're taking her to the morgue," David replied. "We can figure out next steps after that."

"We're going to the morgue too," Snow assured Robin, her voice cracking as well. "We won't leave her alone."

He nodded, feeling himself moving toward the door. It felt like someone was controlling him and was taking care of all his movements for now. They left the office and headed toward the front door. Opening it, they stepped out into the warm sunshine. It mocked him, reminding him that his world had just become darker and colder without Regina in it. He wished to run away and hide in her vault, block out the sun and the warmth until the pain just stopped. But then he remembered his son and daughter as well as her son. They were going to need him and he was going to need them. Somehow they would get through this.

Somehow.


Little John met them at the morgue. It somehow seemed fitting that his right-hand man was once again by his side as he lost another woman he loved. "Does Roland know?" Robin asked his friend.

"No," John replied. "I figured that news should come from you. How are you doing?"

"Not good," Robin admitted. "I'm barely hanging on. I have to go through this again and I just...I just don't know if I'm strong enough this time."

John gave his shoulder a squeeze. "I know you don't feel right now but you are strong. You will make it through because it's what she would want you to do."

Robin sighed, knowing his friend was right. But at the moment, it seemed impossible. Especially with what he now had to do. He motioned to the door. "I have to go in there and see her just lying there...and I have to see her son find out…"

His voice cracked again as he pictured how heartbroken Henry was going to be. And then Robin was going to look the boy he considered his son in the eyes and tell him that his mother was dead because Robin failed. Because he broke his own rules and took a dangerous risk. Henry was going to hate him.

In trying to protect his daughter, he was going to lose the rest of his family.

But looking down at her as she slept in her carrier, he knew that he would go back in to save her. He just either wouldn't have taken Regina or would've taken a minute to come up with an escape plan so they all left safely.

"Do you want me to watch her?" John asked quietly. "The morgue isn't any place for a baby."

Robin nodded, handing over the carrier. "Guard her with your life."

"I will," John vowed, gently holding the carrier. "We'll be right here when you come out."

Thanking him, Robin took a deep breath before opening the door to the morgue. It was time to face Henry and everyone else who loved Regina.

A blast of cold hit Robin in the face and he shivered. He wrapped his arms around him as he approached the metal table where Regina lay, covered by a thin white blanket. Tears filled his eyes as he reached out, smoothing the cover. "I am so, so sorry, darling," he whispered, kissing her forehead.

"Robin?" His heart sank as he heard Henry behind him. "Robin, why are we here? Where's my mom?"

Closing his eyes, Robin let out a shaky breath before slowly turning. He opened his eyes to find a panicked Henry standing before him, all the color drained from his face and his hazel eyes wide. Swallowing, Robin whispered: "I'm so sorry, Henry."

"Mom?" Henry's voice cracked as he rushed forward. He stood at the edge of the metal table, tears filling his eyes. "What happened?"

Fighting back his own tears, Robin explained everything that had happened in Town Hall. When he finished, silence filled the room as Henry absorbed the story of how his mother had died. Robin took a step back, knowing the boy wouldn't want the man responsible for her death anywhere near him. He braced himself for Henry's anger, knowing he would deserve whatever the boy said to him.

To his surprise, Henry threw himself at Robin and wrapped his arms around him. He sobbed into the man's chest and Robin hugged him close to him. Robin rested his cheek against Henry's head, letting his own tears spill. "I'm sorry," he croaked. "It's all my fault."

"No," Henry said, looking up at him. "No, it's Hades' fault."

"But I charged in without a plan," Robin argued. "If I had taken time to come up with one or insisted that your mother not come…"

Henry shook his head. "We both know Mom would not have sat by and not helped you. That's not who she was. And she'll tell you that herself when we get her back."

Robin's heart sank as he realized that Henry expected them to bring his mother back from the dead. He looked away as he heard Emma speak up. "She's dead, Henry. We can't bring her back."

"Of course we can," Henry said, looking between her and Robin. "We can go to the Underworld again. I'm sure my grandfather will take us if I ask him."

"Henry, we couldn't rescue Hook. We wouldn't be able to rescue your mother either," Emma told him.

Henry grabbed Robin's arm, forcing him to look at the boy. Wide hazel eyes focused on him, a frantic look in them. "You believe we can rescue her, right? You'll come to the Underworld with me, right?"

"I'd go to the farthest corner of the remotest realm if it meant bringing your mother back to us," Robin told him, meaning every word. "But she is not in the Underworld. The crystal...Hades said its power destroys souls. There's nothing left of her to find."

Robin watched Henry's heart break and the light go out of his eyes. He caught the boy as he slumped down, sobbing that he wanted his mother back and that there had to be some way to bring her back. All Robin could do was hold him and try to comfort him as best as he could.

"We should go," Emma said softly. "My parents said we can all stay with them as we figure everything out."

She gently pried her son off Robin and wrapped her arm around him. "Come on, kid."

"Can I say goodbye?" he asked, sounding like a little boy. In many ways, he still was, Robin realized. And he just lost the most important person in his life.

Emma nodded. "Go ahead."

Henry stepped up to the table and placed his hand on his mother's arm. "I love you, Mom," he said, tears rolling down his cheeks. "And I'm so sorry we spent so much time apart. I am going to miss you so much and I promise to make you proud."

Robin met Emma's eyes and saw a similar anguish to the one he felt in them. They wished they could reassure Henry that Regina would always be watching over him but they couldn't even do that.

Damn Hades. Oblivion was too good for him.

After Henry kissed his mother's forehead, Emma led him from the room. Robin stepped up, running his hand over Regina's beautiful black locks. He always loved getting his fingers tangled up in them, something that both annoyed and amused Regina.

"I love you," he said. "I should've told you that every day but I hope you knew it. I love you and I always will."

He kissed her cold forehead before walking away from her body. Robin didn't want to leave her alone and he made a note to ask John to send Merry Men to stand guard. It was the least he could do.

But when he stepped out of the room, Alan was already sitting by the door. He stood and held out his hand to Robin. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Thank you," Robin replied, shaking his friend's hand. "What are you doing here?"

"We're going to keep vigil," Alan replied. "Regina proved that she changed but not to enough people. We don't want anything to happen to her. No one deserves that - especially Regina, even if she is...well...gone."

Robin swallowed past the lump in his throat, nodding. "I appreciate it."

"Are you coming back to camp with us?" John asked, handing Robin the carrier. His daughter slept on, still oblivious to the grief around her.

"No," Robin said. "I think it's best if I stay with Henry for now. Can you bring Roland to the loft for me please?"

John nodded. "I'll go get him now."

They left the morgue together and Robin climbed into Charming's truck as John walked back to the forest. Silence filled their trip back to the loft and once they got there, Robin put his daughter to bed. Once Roland arrived, Robin broke the news to him and held his son as he cried. They then fell asleep together, heartbroken and exhausted.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't be much better in the morning.


It was done.

Regina now lay next to her father in her family's crypt in the cemetery, finally able to be with him once more.

And now the rest of them had to learn to be without her.

Robin sat in a booth at Granny's, his daughter in his arms as he fed her. He much preferred the bottles of this world to the makeshift one he had made for Roland back in the Enchanted Forest. And they certainly were far less messy than that as well. His daughter eagerly sucked down the formula inside the bottle as a pink bib kept any dribble from getting on the black dress Snow had bought for her.

Snow had also bought black suits for him and Roland to wear. Robin had to admit that he liked the clothing of this realm much better than that of the Enchanted Forest and was impressed that almost anyone could own such finely made garments. He also wished that Regina had been able to see him and Roland in their suits - she would've loved them.

By now, he had loosened his tie and had taken off Roland's. His son was subdued, sipping his own milk as he sat next to his father. Robin wished there was something he could say to help his son, to ease his pain, but he found no such words. Instead, they both had an appointment with Dr. Hopper the next day. Hopefully the cricket could provide them with some balm for their hearts.

Henry slid into the booth across from Robin and Roland, looking pale and defeated. Understanding how he felt, Robin asked: "How are you doing? Do you need a break?"

"I don't know," he replied. "I just feel numb."

Robin sighed, wishing he could help the boy he saw as a son. "Well, when the feelings do come, you know you can come to me, right?"

Henry nodded, giving him a small smile. "Thank you, Robin."

"I will always be here for you," Robin assured him. "Your mother being gone isn't going to change that. I promise."

"So you're not going back to the Enchanted Forest?" Henry asked, his eyes wide.

He frowned, wondering where Henry got that idea from. "No, of course not. Why do you ask?"

"I've heard some of the people from Camelot talking," Henry replied. "They've heard about the Apprentice's wand and its abilities to open portals. They want to open one to head home."

"And you thought I would want to go with them?" Robin asked, still confused.

Henry shrugged. "I heard some of the Merry Men talking about going back to the Enchanted Forest and I thought you would go with your men."

"Oh," Robin said, his heart sinking into his stomach. He knew that several members of his men struggled to adjust to their new home and a few had talked about wanting to return to the Enchanted Forest. But he found Storybrooke more appealing, even with Regina gone. In Storybrooke, he was no longer an outlaw and he could potentially go straight. He could give Roland a proper home rather than dragging his son and now his daughter around the forest, constantly running from the law. And his children could go to school and get medical care the likes of which were only dreams in the Enchanted Forest. Storybrooke held the promise of far better lives than they could ever have there.

He would not tell his men they couldn't leave. They were always free to leave the Merry Men though very few did. Most had no reason to do so before now but it seemed Robin had likely found a reason for the Merry Men to possibly end. Part of him always knew it would happen but he didn't think it would be so soon after such another great loss. He did not know how he or Roland would handle losing their only other family after losing Regina.

But he knew he would not leave and selfishly prayed that most of his men chose to stay as well.

The door opened and silence descended upon the diner. Robin looked away from Henry and his blood boiled when he saw Zelena standing there. She had kept her distance since Regina's death - she hadn't even tried to see their daughter, not that he would let her after the danger she put the baby in by staying with Hades. He hadn't sent any word to her about staying away from the funeral but it seemed she had gotten the message.

Maybe she hadn't gotten the entire message, though. Because she also certainly wasn't welcome here.

Roland shrank against his side, as if trying to hide from Zelena. Henry looked over his shoulder before jumping up. "What are you doing here?" he yelled.

"I am here to join the mourning," Zelena replied. "I am…"

"The reason my mom is dead!" Henry shouted, his face growing red. Roland continued to bury himself into Robin's side as Robin's daughter spat out her bottle, crying at the loud noises around her. He tried to comfort her as he wished he could go stand with Henry instead.

Snow, though, flew to her grandson's side and wrapped her arm around him. Glaring at Zelena as well, she said: "You are not welcome here. Leave."

"You can't deny me a chance to mourn my sister," Zelena argued. "Please, just let me stay."

"Mourn the sister you've been trying to kill for years? You succeeded. Shouldn't you be celebrating instead?" Snow asked bitterly.

Zelena pressed her lips together before asking: "Can I at least see my daughter?"

"No," Robin said, firm on that as he tried to soothe his daughter as she continued to cry. He wanted Zelena nowhere around her after what she did.

Granny appeared by his side, holding out his arms. "Let me take her. You deal with the witch and I'll calm the babe."

"Thank you," he replied, placing his daughter into her arms. He then eased Roland from his side. "You go with Granny too, okay?"

Roland hesitated, looking fearful. "What if the witch takes you away too? Like she did Mama and Regina?"

His heart broke as he wondered why Roland's memories from New York had returned. It was a mystery to be solved another day and he kissed the top of his son's head. "She won't. I'll be right here when you come back," he assured Roland.

"Okay, Papa," he said. Robin slid out of the booth and Roland followed, walking away with Granny so Robin could focus on Henry and Zelena.

"Where is she going?" Zelena demanded, trying to follow Granny. Little John and a few other Merry Men held her back as she scowled. "Don't you dare take my daughter from me!"

Robin stalked toward her, feeling as if his blood had been replaced with ice water. He had kept a lot bottled up for Regina's sake but now he believed he needed to be completely honest with Zelena, whether she wanted to hear what he had to say or not.

He placed his hand on Henry's shoulder, gently pulling the boy away from Zelena. "Why don't you go sit with your grandparents? I'll handle this," he said.

"David, can you take him?" Snow asked her husband. "I want to stay here with Robin. I think we both have a lot to say to Zelena."

Nodding, David guided Henry away from them as Snow stepped up and crossed her arms. "Why should we let you anywhere near that baby girl?" she asked.

"Because she's my daughter," Zelena replied, sounding as if she thought Snow had lost her mind. "I have a right to see her."

"She's my daughter too," Robin reminded her. "And right now, I think it's best if you don't see her."

Zelena scowled at him. "Why? Because you also blame me for Regina's death? No one said you two had to go storming into her office to get my daughter. She was perfectly safe."

"The fact that Hades was prepared to use a crystal that utterly destroys a person, including their soul, on the entire town, says otherwise," Robin retorted. "Would you have let him do it?"

"No, of course not," she said, but it seemed like a half-hearted denial. He had no doubt that part of her delighted in his plan and felt it would solve all her problems. With Robin gone, she could have their daughter to herself and with Regina gone, Zelena could finally take her life as her own.

Snow crossed her arms. "Would you like to try that again but more convincingly this time?"

Zelena did not respond. Instead, she crossed her arms around and glared at both Snow and Robin. "I don't know why you're all blaming me. He's the one who took Regina on a suicide mission."

"I own my part in Regina's death," Robin said, the lump forming in his throat. "And I will live with that guilt for the rest of my life. Don't you think you should own your part?"

"I didn't play a part in my sister's death," Zelena replied. "Despite what you all think. You two were the ones who didn't trust me."

Snow let out an indignant sound before exclaiming: "With good reason!"

Zelena looked hurt. "Because I chose to trust the man I loved? Even Regina supported me until she got too jealous that suddenly I was getting the happy ending she wanted so easily."

"Are you kidding me?" Robin snapped. "Can you admit that you trusted the wrong person?"

"Maybe Regina should've trusted me for a change!" Zelena said.

He couldn't believe those words just came from her mouth. "She did! Down in the Underworld. She trusted you to handle things with Hades and she even trusted you enough to convince me to hand over my daughter despite every instinct in my body telling me it was the wrong thing to do. Regina trusted you and when the time came, you couldn't reciprocate. All we asked was for you to stay away from Hades until we could figure out if he was really friend or foe. But no. You rushed off with an innocent and helpless baby and put everyone in danger.

"Look," he continued, "I don't know the entire story of what happened down in the Underworld. But from what Regina did hint at, I take it you two had some memories returned that proved you at least could be close and really act like sisters."

Zelena's eyes started to water and she swallowed, nodding. "Yeah, that's pretty much what happened. We really started to bond."

"And now that's ended," Robin said, holding her gaze and hoping his silence conveyed the rest of his sentence.

Because of your decisions.

"Okay, so now you're keeping my daughter from me as punishment for not trusting Regina?" she asked, her voice trembling a bit.

"No," Robin replied. "This is about what's best for her. And right now, you have not proven you will do that."

"Says the man who left his children behind to go to the Underworld," Zelena told him. She then glared at Snow. "And supported by a woman who did the same with her son."

Her argument did not faze him. "We made sure they were taken care of and did what we believed was best."

"And I find it funny that you now care so much about my son when you tried to use him for a spell, putting his life in danger," Snow retorted.

"You're not going to win this argument," someone called out. "No one in their right mind is going to advocate for you to have custody of a house plant let alone a child."

Zelena seemed to shrink back as she realized she was fighting a lost cause. But then she squared her shoulders as she locked eyes on Robin. "You may have won now but I promise you I will never stop fighting for my daughter," she vowed.

Robin nodded. "I hope one day that you can prove to be a good mother and that we can co-parent together for her sake. But until then, I need to put her safety first."

"Nice words," she replied. "Let's see if you ever back them up."

She turned around and walked back out of Granny's Dinner, the door slamming behind her.

"Good riddance," Leroy muttered. Everyone seemed to murmur in agreement and they went back to their previous conversations.

Robin stood there, staring at the door and wishing Regina was here to help him deal with her sister and to help him raise his daughter. Their daughter. He had every intention of asking Regina to raise her and Roland with him, to be a family.

Now what was he to do?

Someone placed their hand on his arm and he looked down to find it belonged to Snow. "Come on," she said softly. "Let's go get our children."

He nodded and they walked through Granny's to find where she had taken the children. David and Henry were in the same room. As David rocked Neal, Henry sat with Roland on his lap and his arms wrapped around the boy. It made Robin's heart break more and tears pricked his eyes as he thought of the family he had dreamed of with Regina.

"Here you go," Granny said, interrupting his thoughts. She held out his sleeping daughter to him. "She just fell asleep."

"Thank you," he replied, taking his daughter into his arms. He held her close, kissing her forehead. "Daddy's back, sweetheart."

Granny smiled fondly before it faltered. "Are you ever going to name this sweet girl?"

Robin glanced down at the baby, thinking over the question. He had spent time with his daughter, trying to get to know who she was. But as he looked at her, there was one name that came up over and over, one suggested by Regina. Now, there seemed to be no other name that fit her and he made his decision.

"Margot," he said. "Her name is Margot Regina Locksley."

"That is a beautiful name," Granny replied. "But maybe it should be Regina Margot Locksley?"

Henry spoke up. "No. Mom would want her to have her own identity. I think she would prefer for her name to be the middle name."

Snow nodded. "I agree with Henry. I think Regina would be honored just to have her name as a middle name."

"Then it's settled," Robin said, kissing his daughter's head again.

David stepped up, wrapping his arm around Snow as he cradled Neal in his other arm. "Welcome to the family, Margot," he said.

Roland jumped up from Henry's lap and ran over to his father. He pressed himself against Robin, who adjusted his hold on Margot to cup his son's head as Henry also joined them. They hugged each other, celebrating their newest member while grieving the one who should've been there with them. Robin knew there would always be a Regina-shaped hole in their lives and he didn't know how they would go one without her.

But he knew they would because they would carry her strength inside them all and would keep on living, just like she would want them to. They would make her proud.

He was certain of it.