Title: Choices Made in The Underworld

Rated: T

A/N:Those who know me know that J'adore tragedy, so, I'm sorry for this. Don't know where it came from, but am grateful that Cora won't (apparently) be a bitch in the Underworld so yay —but, warning, she's a bitch here. Let it be known that I'm just doing some crazy writing because: 1) I'm bored out of my mind, and 2) I'm channeling my inner Adam. So this is basically plotless angst? But inspired by the whole Underworld arc. Hope you enjoy even though it's a bit on the sad side?

Warnings: Major character death :(


She shouldn't have trusted her mother when she arrived here. She shouldn't have fallen for her pretty smile and promising hugs because it all led to this moment. This moment with Regina feelings once again the overwhelming betrayal and manipulation of her mother.

He's blue.

Cora is talking, wide eyed and smirking as she once again thinks, is convinced that what she's doing is the right thing for her daughter. But Regina's pretty sure she's begging her once again, yelling at her, kneels in front of her to make this end, stop this, this is madness.

But he's blue.

He's blue and spit is coming out his mouth, tears rolling down his face as he tries with his all to inhale, to breathe.

Cora is talking in front of her again, murmuring how pathetic she looks begging for a man's life, how idiotic of her to fall in love when they both know all too well that love is weakness. Because where did it get her? Where did it get you Regina? He trampled all over you. He left you alone. He got over you. He fucked your sister and got her pregnant, Regina. Why, just why are you begging for his life when he's the sole reason yours go destroyed? Your happy ending damped with darkness and the presence of a baby your pathetic ass will take care of.

But Regina cannot hear her, refuses to because right this moment the only thing that matters, the only person that matters is Robin.

Robin floating above the ground with an invisible force, hands unmoving by his side, veins in his neck enlarged, being choked by an invisible force and he's staring directly at her, tears running down his eyes at her mother's words, the sting of them filling him with guilt and pain even when he's moments away from his death.

And he's blue.

He's blue and his eyes are closing, and Regina needs to act now. Now, because he has two kids back in Storybooke, two innocents who she refuses to leave fatherless.

So she plunges her hand into her chest and yelps as she pulls out the once black organ.

This is it.

This is the only way she can save him, she can save them from her mother's wrath. Because Regina knows full well that the only reason why her mother is here, in the Underworld, is because of the unfinished business they have. And once she dies, once she leaves she's sure her mother will also vanish from this place, perhaps burn in hell along with her.

"Let him go," Regina warns, her heart glowing brightly in her hand, eyes staring at Robin as her mother loosens her grip on his neck momentarily, enough for him to take a small breath of air.

But it doesn't last, because soon Cora's grip tightens around his neck with more force than before, and he's once again blue.

"Quit being a petulant child, we both know you're not capable of doing this."

And Regina's openly sobbing now, knowing that it's now or never. Her eyes fall from Robin to her hand, heart beating frantically in her grasp as she starts squeezing the organ.

And it hurts.

Everything hurts.

There's a scorching heat around her whole chest and she's gasping for air, looking down at the still beating organ in her hand. She cries harder now, knowing full well that the hardest decision of her entire life is at this moment.

To live and lose Robin and herself in the process.

To die and give Robin the opportunity to see his kids grow. See his kids grow like she did with Henry.

Henry.

Henry who will never forgive her for doing this.

Henry who will suffer for not having his mother around.

Henry, who has Emma and the two idiots.

Henry who will miss her.

Henry who she hopes understand that she's doing this for them, all of them, especially for two little kids who desperately need some semblance of normality in their lives.

And besides, one of the group needed to die if the wanted to bring Hook back? Right? One soul for another. It's what her mother had said, it's what her father had said, and they knew back then, God, they knew that the responsibility would fall on her shoulders.

But she's saving Robin, she's saving Roland and little Rose years of heartache, saving them from being orphans, and if she saves the one-handed pirate in the process then it's a plus.

So it's worth it, right?

And suddenly the tears stop, as do the sobs and she looks at Robin straight in the eyes, and whispers an I love you.

Their first and their last. Because whilst he may try to save her, they both know that it's impossible. Dying in the Underworld has consequences. So no true love's kiss, no sharing hearts, no nothing. Nothing will save her from this. Nothing brings back the death down here.

Because whilst dead may be partial in Storybrooke, down here it's final.

But she's determined, albeit scared.

But her mother squeezes his neck a little harder, and it's now or never, so she sends a quick I'm sorry to Robin and sends up a prayer for Henry before she squeezes her hand hard around the organ.

The pain is blinding, the tears gathering in her eyes quickly, and Robin is blurry, can barely see his silhouette.

He's blurry, but she can hear him gurgle her name, can hear the tears in his voice, almost as if he's begging, but he doesn't understand, will never understand that her sacrifice has just given him his family, his kids, has just cemented the fact that no one will threaten them again, no one from her past or her present will hurt them again.

Regina can hear him take a deep breath, hears him cough but the darkness is pulling her, her glassy eyes no longer seeing, her body swaying forward, her lungs not working as the heart in her hand turns to dust.

..:::..

He feels it.

From the moment that idea loops around her head to the moment she falls to the floor.

He feels everything.

The excruciating pain, the scorching pressure around his heart, the sudden determination in her, and he gurgles her name, trying to get her attention, but God, nothing is happening.

Except it is.

She's whispering her love to him, and he wants to yell it back, wants to scream at the top of his lungs but he can't. He can't, and instead what comes out his mouth is another fucking gurgle.

And then she's whispering how sorry she is and she's crying and no, she cannot do this, she shouldn't do this! But just as he's about to yell at her, she squeezes harder, closing her fist tightly around her heart. The organ in her hand grows in brightness and Robin gurgles again, tries to call her name, tries to do something, anything that will prevent her from doing this to herself.

To them.

But then there's a sharp pain inside him, the invisible force on his neck disappearing almost on cue, and he falls to the floor with a loud thud.

Robin gasps and coughs, takes deep breaths after deep breaths, and it fucking hurts. His heart aches, his lungs hurt like hell, yet none of that matters. None of that matters because he saw her, saw her body leaning forward at the same time his body fell to floor.

He's choking on air now, or sobs? He does not know. All he knows is that he's standing abruptly, a wave of dizziness hitting him and he coughs for the umpteenth time.

He's disoriented, eyes blurry as he calls her name.

But there isn't an answer.

He's only met by the annoying ringing in his ears.

And then his vision clears, and he sees her.

Sprawled over the floor, hand stretched out filled with the dusty remnants of her once red beating heart.

"No," he whispers, breath ragging eyes welling up with tears, and he runs to her, ignoring the pain that stabs through his lungs at the sudden movement. His legs are trembling, his heart is aching and God, this can't be happening. They were supposed to come here to save Hook and then go back home! Not this. Oh definitely not this!

He's pretty sure he's yelling her name, pretty sure that in his desperation he slips and falls before reaching her.

And Gods, she's not moving, she's not breathing, she's she's—

No

He refuses to say the word, and instead kneels beside her much too still form and turns her over at the same time a tear falls from him.

She's pale, her once olive skin holding some gray undertones and it kills him, it stabs through his heart and God, he needs to hear her one last time, needs to see those beautiful eyes gazing at him once again.

"Regina!" Robin yells, desperation written in every movement as he hooks one arm under her back and the other over her torso. He pulls her much too heavy form to his lap in a desperate movement, sobs starting to wrack his body as her head droops with every movement he makes.

He grabs her head then and calls her name again, louder this time, and he places one hand on her cheek, only to sob harder at the coldness that meets his touch.

"Please, don't leave us," he begs, fat tears rolling down his cheek as he shakes her for the umpteenth time. "I love you," he whispers against her forehead. "I love you," he says again more fervently and he presses his forehead to hers, sobbing as his arms pull her body even closer to his.

He breathes in her scent, feeling as something inside of him cracks as he mutters, "I'm sorry," and tucks her head into the crook of his neck.

Grief suffocating him as he starts rocking from side to side.


Well damn.

Signed,

Cruella.