Hi my dear friends,

I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all that you do for me! You guys are amazing and I can't thank you enough ! Thank you for your love, your support and your reviews ! I LOVE YOU ALL 3

I think a lot of you had been waiting for what's happening in this chapter.. ;)

I hope you'll like it ! Let me know ! :)

Chapter 8

2005 :

"Stop fidgeting," he said softly, taking her hand and intertwining their fingers. "My family is going to love you."

She took a deep breath and then worried brown eyes looked up and locked onto soothing blue ones.

"And what if they don't?" she asked lowly, "What are we gonna do if it turns out that your family hates me?"

Robin sighed and then stopped, forcing her to stop with him, he cupped her cheek and smiled tenderly when she leant into his hand.

"For what it's worth," he started, I do believe that my parents and siblings are going to love you." she opened the mouth to speak but he cut her. "But, if it appears that they don't, you have nothing to fear, Regina. I won't leave you. I won't leave you because of what they could say, you are the one that I want and nothing or no one can ever change that." she smiled then, brown eyes full of love and wonder. Robin smiled too, dimples in showing. "Do you trust me?"

She nodded, leaning into him until only inches separated their faces.

"With my life."

Robin smiled and then finally closed the gap between them, kissing her passionately here, in the middle of an English road. The kiss deepened and she moaned, making him bring her closer and closer. They receded, breathless and she smiled while he nuzzled her nose with his.

God. He wanted to tell her that he was so in love with her. He didn't think he could hold back much longer... But he wanted that moment to be perfect..

"Are you feeling better, my love?"

She smiled brightly, nodding.

"Always, when you're with me."

Robin's heart roared with love for the woman in front of him as he pecked her lips once again.

"Then let's take a cab and meet my family."

Regina took a deep breath and nodded,

"I am ready."

-2015-

Madelyn came a few minutes later and found Robin sat on a chair, eyes lost in the empty space and looking so lost she got scared for one second.

"Robin?"

He did not even looked at her.

Something was wrong.

"Robin?" she tried again and then looked around, frowning. "Where is Regina? She was there when I left." Still no answer. "Robin!" this time he seemed to notice she was there, his mouth opened and closed a few times, and finally he said,

"Gone."

And Madelyn froze.

Oh God, she could feel it.

Something was very wrong.

Regina couldn't breathe.

She couldn't breathe.

She couldn't talk.

She couldn't think.

She refused to think.

Because thinking would mean that she would have to try to understand why she had kissed Robin back.

She did not want to.

(Why did she do that?!)

"Regina!" she heard a voice screamed after her and she was relieved to hear Mal's voice and not Robin's.

But then again... Why would he go after her?

(Well, him kissing her might be consider a good reason.)

Shut up, Regina.

"Regina, wait!" screamed the other woman and Regina tried to calm herself but she couldn't. She couldn't shut up the two opposite sides in her, either. Finally, her friend caught back to her, and blue eyes were worried and Regina didn't know how to explain her behaviour. "What happened?"

"Nothing." she said quickly and Madelyn only glared at her.

"Right. So you're in you normal state, right now? And I've seen Robin, he looked pretty shaken." Regina's heart stopped. "I am your bestfriend and I want to know what happened." Regina looked down, shaking her head. "I want to help." said Madelyn again and it was the pleading tone in her voice that got to Regina.

A moment of silence. She gathered her mind and Madelyn was waiting for her, until finally she said...

"Robin kissed me." Madelyn gasped loudly and then the brunette looked up, pale and looking so lost. "And I kissed him back." she admitted in a whisper and her best friend's eyes could not get any wider.

Robin couldn't say how much time he had stayed sat on his kitchen, unable to understand fully what just happened.

He had kissed Regina.

The young man groaned and buried his face in his hands.

Why?

Why did he do that?

He tried to think of a reason but there was really none. He had wanted her to stop talking, plus all the pent-up feelings he had stocked inside of him...

Such a mistake had been bound to happen anyway.

"Why am I so bloody stupid!" exclaimed Robin to himself.

He had ruined everything between them.

And then Robin's heart stopped.

Because a detail came back into his mind suddenly..

"She kissed me back.." he breathed, eyes wide open.

A few hours later had Regina sat on her couch, a glass of red wine in her hands as she kept throwing worried glances at her phone. She knew he woul call her. She knew it was only a matter of time, right now.

She was just afraid of what he would have to tell to her.

Would he apologize?

Would he pretend nothing happened?

Would he tell her he meant that kiss?

She almost dropped her glass of wine and shook her head.

Get a grip, girl.

And then, what she feared ( or was it waited?) the most happened.

Her phone rang.

Robin had hesitated all morning, and a good part of thee afternoon. He didn't know what was best, but he really thought this was the only solution if he wanted to save the strange relationship they had built until now.

So he took a deep breath,

And knocked.

"Hello?" she said, hesitant and right at this moment, someone knocked at her door and she frowned.

"Regina!" came a voice she knew all too well,

"Madelyn?"

"I was calling to make sure you're ok."

Regina frowned, she had truly believed this call to be Robin.

"I am fine."

"Are you sure, cause I can come back if you want to."

Regina was about to answer, but the person at her door knocked with more strenght and she frowned again, getting up and walking towards the door.

"I am fine, Mal."

"Did he call?"

"No." she only said, and then opened the door still on the phone. She nearly dropped it when she saw who was there, shining blue eyes looking shy and unsure as he only shrug slightly in that way of his, dimple smile hesitant.

"Can we talk?" he asked softly and her breath left her.

"Regina?" called Mal, still on the phone but it was too much for the brunette.

She swallowed.

"I'll talk to you later, Mal." she only said, closing the call, eyes lost on Robin's. Then she swallowed again and took a deep breath before opening the door wider, "Come in." she only said and he smiled softly, coming in for what was sure to be a very difficult talk.

They were sat next to each other, and none of them dared to start this conversation.

"Regina..." he finally started and she tensed, before looking at him and she took comfort in the fact that he seemed as lost as she was.

"You shouldn't have kissed me." she said quickly and he smiled sadly, looking down for a few seconds.

"I shouldn't have." he agreed softly and she didn't know why, but she couldn't help the small disapointment at his answer. But then he added, "That doesn't mean I didn't want to, though."

She froze.

"You can't say things like that." her voice broke and she cleared her throat.

He nodded,

"I suppose I lost that right a long time ago."

A small silence settled.

"What you said to me..." he started again and she felt her heart stopped.

"Robin, I-" she didn't want to apologize, but she had not wanted to be that rude. She was ready to say that to him, when he cut her and said in a voice so defeated,

"You were right, Regina." he breathed and she heard him chuckle darkly. "I have been a coward, and a bastard. And everything that you said." blue eyes looked up and locked onto brown, "Everything you said was true."

Oh God.

They were having the conversation.

She wasn't ready.

Seven years later, and she still felt like her heart couldn't take the pain.

Because she knew it couldn't.

"We don't have to talk about it." she tried to say, but he shook his head.

"I think we do. I think you and I will never be able to truly focus on your reunion if we don't get this out of our system for good."

"It was almost ten years ago, Robin." she tried desperately and then he looked at her again, smiling oh so sadly.

"And yet, I think about it every single day."

She froze.

An heavy silence settled.

"You broke up with me." she said, finally and her heart was beating so fast in her chest. "You broke up with me like I meant nothing. We were together for 3 entire years and you dumped me like what we had was nothing at all."

She saw he was pale and realized she couldn't look much better.

"I was a stupid kid, Regina." he finally breathed and she could see his hand rising, perhaps wanting to take her hand, but he let it down.

"That's not an excuse." she breathed, "I've searched for reasons for years. I've searched what had went wrong between us, I've searched what I could possibly have done to make you leave me-"

"It wasn't your fault!" he finally exclaimed and she chuckled bitterly.

"Well, how could I have known that when you didn't even explain things to me?" He looked down, ashamed. She kept going on because now that she was talking about her feelings, she felt as if she couldn't stop. Tears were chocking her, but she needed to do this. She needed to get it out of her system. Now she realized that. Robin looked up again, so she said. "One day I was the happiest woman of all, and then you came and told me you were sorry but it was over." her voice broke but she cleared her throat. "You only said that you couldn't continue, Robin. And then you left. And I've spent years and years thinking about what that could mean, about what I did wrong and asking myself if I could have stopped you, on that day..."

Another silence settled and she tried to control her breathing, while she saw his eyes were glassy.

"I was a coward, Regina." he breathed, his voice broke and he had to swallow. "I loved you so much, I couldn't stay and explain to you why we couldn't be together while I didn't even know why I was letting you go to begin with."

"Then why did you?"

He took a deep breath.

They were doing this.

"You remember at one point, I told you about Marian coming to the USA, right?"

She froze.

Of course she remembered.

Two weeks after that, they were breaking up.

Two years after that he was marrying her.

How could she forget?

"Did I lose you then?" she breathed and this time he couldn't help it as he took her hand and she wanted to remove it from his grasp, but she was so incredibly weak right now. Blue eyes locked onto brown and she saw he looked as bad as she did.

"I know I never said it before, but I am so very sorry, Regina." she closed the eyes and tears rolled down her cheeks. "I should never have let that come between us. I should have been stronger. I should have loved you better. I should have made the right decision. "

She swallowed.

"What that?" she asked, and he swallowed.

Then he closed the eyes and took a deep breath.

"Marian came to me on that week." he said and his voice was so low she almost didn't hear it. "You remember, I told you we had dated for a few years in highschool?"

She nodded, swallowing.

"You told me she had broken your heart."

He swallowed, nodding.

"But we were so young... Regina, you have to know that she left me and then I never saw her again, until that day she came to see me." Regina looked down, "She had some .. surprising news for me."

She looked up and saw Robin looked upset suddenly, another kind of upset.

"What did she tell you?" she asked, worried suddenly.

"It appears that..." he cleared his throat. "Marian was pregnant when she left me at the end of highschool." Regina gasped loudly.

"But..." she tried, but her voice was failing her. She didn't know what to say and her mind was buzzing. When finally, blue eyes looked up and she saw a tear rolling down his cheek as he squeezed her hand as if to give himself some courage.

"She lost the baby." his voice broke and her heart broke for him. "It was a girl, you know?" he said and she let him speak. "A beautiful girl..." this time, a sob took her and Regina couldn't take it anymore, she closed her arms around him and he went willingly. "I am so sorry, Regina..."

She closed her eyes, he clutched at her shirt and she felt tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Oh Robin... "

Such a messy situation they were in.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she breathed again and he removed himself from her arms, blue eyes locking onto brown and they were so close suddenly that Regina had trouble breathing.

"I was so stupid, Regina." and his voice was so broken. "I was stupid, young and lost. I didn't know what to do with that information.. I was heartbroken and so crushed by the loss of that daughter I knew nothing about.. I lost my mind, I think." she swallowed and looked down, but he cupped her cheek tenderly and she gasped, looking up. " I didn't know what to do. On the one hand there was you, and I was so in love with you! But Marian, she told me that ... She told me she still loved me and that we could still have what we lost.." this time a tear rolled down her cheek and he wiped it, "I don't know what came over me. It was just too much." he looked down, "It was too much.." then their eyes met again, "But you have to know that I have regretted that choice every day for the last seven years."

"Robin.."

"I wanted to come back to you so many times, but I knew you would never have taken me back."

She removed herself from his embrace and buried her face in her hands. Then she admitted, in a voice so low he almost didn't hear it.

"I would have, you know." she looked up, "Taken you back, I mean."

His heart stopped in his chest. Tears were shining in his eyes.

"What?" his voice broke.

"If you had come back, I would have taken you back." tears were leaving her eyes, now that the scars in her heart was bleeding again. "I waited for you to come back... God, Robin. I waited so long! And then I heard you had married her and-"

"She asked me to marry her."

Regina shook her head.

"That doesn't change anything."

"I know." he ran a hand through his hair, breathing shakily. "I thought you would never take me back, and Marian... Regina, I can't explain what I did. All I know is that all of these years seemed like a blur and the only positive thing in my life since that day had been Roland." he hesitated and then he whispered, "And finding you again." she froze. "I feel like my world is turning again, now that you're back in it."

She looked down, closing the eyes tightly.

"Robin..."

"I know."

"We can't go back." she finally said, looking up.

"I know." he said again. "I just want you to understand something, Regina. I have had one great love in my life so far," their eyes met and shivers ran through her at the intensity in his blue orbs. "And it was you."

A tear rolled down her cheek.

"I thought we would end up together." she whispered and so sadness fill his eyes as he opened the mouth and then closed it, at a loss for words. "I have been unable to love again after what you did to me.. It ruined me, Robin." her voice broke and he took her hand again, squeezing it.

"I know I ruined everything between us forever, Regina. And believe me when I say this is something I am gonna regret for the rest of my life.." he swallowed. "But please don't let my stupidity ruin your chances at happiness. "

It killed him to say that, but he wanted her to find love again.

"Robin.."

"You deserve love and happiness, Regina."

She chuckled bitterly, shaking her head.

"I don't think you realize, Robin." if right now was the only moment of honnesty they had, she would make the most out of it. "You... You were the true love of my life." she looked down, shy suddenly and all he wanted was to gather in his arms and never let go. "I thought that you and I we would finish our studies together, rent a flat, get married, have children... I thought we would stay together forever. I trusted you with my heart and soul, I gave you everything that I had to give and you threw all back to my face!" she was breathing heavily, and his eyes were so wide and so blue.

"I am so sorry." Robin breathed, "I know I can never make amends for the pain I put you through. I would understand it if... If you'd rather see me out of your life."

It was killing him to say that, even more now that she was back in his life.

She chuckled bitterly again and then looked up so that their eyes met,

"It would be so much easier, wouldn't it?" He swallowed. "But that's the thing, Robin. No matter what you do, it seems that I can't bear the thought of my life without you in it."

A tear escaped his eyes and she chuckled.

"I can't imagine that, either." he admitted, smiling oh so softly and she took a deep breath.

"I am glad we had this talk." she breathed and he nodded, taking her hand again and squeezing it, she squeezed back.

"It was long overdue, but I am, too." then he took a deep breath, "So what do we do, now?"

She shrugged.

"I don't know."

Robin didn't know what to do. He didn't want her to run away now that they were finally in a good place for the first time in years. He could see the softness in those brown eyes he had missed so much.

"What do you want to do, Regina?"

She sighed and then seemed to think for a few seconds,

"Maybe.. Now that we have talked about everything, we could try to be friends ?" she asked shyly. He smiled and nodded,

"I'd like that."

"And..." she took a deep breath. then shook her head,

"Tell me, Regina."

"And about our deal?"

An heavy silence once again.

"I'm still in, if you are."

She let out a deep breath and then smiled at him,

"Thank you, Robin."

He smiled back. He was about to add something but her eyes turned sad suddenly and she said,

"I am truly sorry about your loss." she whispered and he smiled sadly.

"Thank you."

She nodded,

"And I am so sorry about the way I handled the whole situation."

Regina shrugged and then took a deep breath, eyes resolute.

"It's in the past, now. I've always wanted to know what went wrong between us, I do now. Let's keep our focus on the futur."

He couldn't help it, then. He had hold himself back since the beginning of this discussion, but he couldn't anymore.

So he grabbed her arm and took her in his arms. Regina gasped but then she closed her eyes and for the first time, let herself go. She buried her face in his neck and his arms circled her back, bringing her always closer to him. Robin closed his eyes and buried his face in her hair, God, she felt exactly the same. He refused to dwell for too long on the fact that she felt so right in his arms, or the fact that he shivered each time her soft breath hit the skin on her neck.

For the first time in years,

They allowed themselves to just be.

-2005-

Robin felt Regina squeezed his hand as they waited for the door to be opened.

"Everything will be fine, my love." he breathed and she smiled at him, eyes soft suddenly.

"I love when you call me that, you know."

He blushed slightly,

"My love?" she nodded, biting her lip and he smiled. "Well, that's what you are, so..." Robin leant in and kissed her tenderly.

And right then, the door opened.

"Robin!" screamed a voice and they jumped apart, Regina blushing slightly. *

Robin smiled and let go of Regina in order to hug the woman in front of him.

"Mum!" he exclaimed and then kissed her cheek, "I am so happy to see you!"

The older woman smiled and then turned toward Regina, frowning slightly. She was quite tall, blue eyes ( the same as Robin's), blond hair that were tied in an elegant bun and dressed in a blue dress that made her eyes come out even more.

"And you are?" she asked kindly and Regina swallowed, holding her a hand.

"I am Regina Mills, madam. "

Robin then laid his arm around Regina's shoulder,

"Regina is my girlfriend."

She nodded and then shook Regina's hand.

"I am Paige Locksley, Robin's mum. Glad to meet you."

"And I you." smiled Regina.

The woman nodded again and then smiled brightly at Robin,

"Come in, sweetheart, everyone is waiting for you."

Robin smiled at Regina and they both entered the house.

When they came in the living room, she suddenly felt like she couldn't breath. There was a lot of people. Robin was in the middle, being hugged and smiled at while she waited patiently for them to see her, she didn't want to disturb that family reunion. At one point, Robin looked at her and smiled, walking to her and lacing their fingers,

"Guys, this is Regina."

"The Regina?!" asked a woman, blue eyes and blond hair.

Robin smiled again and the young woman ( she couldn't be more than 20) walked to her and hugged her. Regina was surprised but hugged her back, hearing Robin's deep laugh beside her.

"I am Ana," said the young woman. "Robin's little sister and God, I feel like I already know everything about you!" She chuckled,

"I am glad to finally meet you, Robin talks about you a lot."

Ana beamed. Then Robin pointed a young man not too far away,

"This is Will Scarlett, one of my bestfriends." then he added, "Also dating my sister."

"Can ya blame me?" teased the young man, shaking Regina's hand. "You're really with him?" she nodded and then looked at Robin, frowning. "She is too beautiful for ya."

Robin laughed again and glared at the man playfully.

"Be careful, Will, I am not sure yet about how I feel about you dating my little sister..."

"Oh stop the crap!" chuckled Ana, lacing her fingers with Will's. "He is delighted."

Regina laughed and Robin looked at her lovingly before kissing her temple tenderly.

"And I do not get an introduction?" asked a voice and they all turned toward an older man, smiling kindly at them.

"Dad," smiled Robin and then he looked a bit nervous. "This is Regina."

The man smiled and looked at the hand she was holding him, before shaking his head.

"None of that in this house." he whispered and she was worried for a few seconds but then hugged her quickly. "Welcome in the family." he smiled and Regina could see who Robin had inherited his dimples from.

"Thank you, Sir." she said and he chuckled again,

"Please call me Robert."

Regina smiled and leant a bit more into Robin.

"There is still one person I want you to meet..." he looked around, frowning slightly. "Where is Paul?"

Ana shrugged.

"He was in the kitchen earlier, I'll go and fetch him for you."

Robin nodded and then a few seconds later came a slightly older man and his eyes widened when he saw her. Regina couldn't tell why, but she felt slightly wrong and she walked closer to Robin who put his hand at the small of her back.

The man walked to her and smiled,

"And who could you be? Clearly you're too beautiful to be from around, I would have noticed you." he winked and she felt Robin tensed slightly.

"I am Regina Mills," she said voice clear and she felt happy for that, she held out her hand before adding. "Robin's girlfriend." She saw the man's eyes widened and then he smirked, looking at Robin.

"Well done, little bro'."

Robin smiled but Regina could feel the tension coming from him in waves. She knew he had a trouble relationship with his older brother and a good relationship with his little sister. He had warned her that he might try to flirt with her, and she had already assured him that she didn't care. Then she focused her attention on his brother again,

"Paul." he said taking her hand and laying a kiss on it. "Robin's handsome brother."

Regina smiled and hurried to take her hand back. Robin laid an arm around her waist, bringing her even closer to him, and she had never seen him so possessive of her, but she loved it.

She was so his, anyway.

A/N : So, finally you got the talk about what happened ! I hope it lives up to your expectation, did you see it coming? ;) You will have more details in the flashbacks part, but right now, what do you think will happen between Robin and Regina?

And Regina finally meeting Robin's family! Do you think things will go well? And what about his brother?

I hope you liked it, my friend ! I love you all and thank you for everything that you do for me, it means the world ! :)3