Ok, well thank you for bearing with me on this. I am honestly trying to update quicker :)
Anyway, please review or whatever to let me know what you think :D And thank you for reading
Also, I'm trying to practise fanart so if you've got a favourite scene from this fic let me know and I'll try it out (not promising on how good it'll be though hehe)

xXx

With each of his hands encased in larger ones, a small frown on his face and a rumbling stomach, a despondent little Roland made his way to breakfast with his feet dragging along the polished floor. This was a vastly different routine from his usual enthusiastic bounding through the halls, with whomever had been selected as his escort following behind him. Will Stutely and Friar Tuck shared worried glances as their friend's son appeared to slow down and his gaze dropped to the floor.

The next second, Roland's hands fell from the adults' grasp and he stopped completely.

Will knelt down before the child, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Roland?"

"What is it, my boy?" Friar Tuck asked, as he also bent down.

Roland's gaze flickered up to the two men before him and then focussed on a point behind them. "Majesty," said Roland excitedly.

"What?" asked the men simultaneously.

"Majesty!" Roland shot off, running down the corridor toward what Will and Friar Tuck had now noticed to be the Queen, making her way ahead of them.

Regina hadn't had a chance to turn around before Roland had run past her and come to a stop directly in front of her path, bringing the Queen to a grinding halt.

"Roland?"

The little boy pressed his lips together and looked everywhere but at the Queen, interlocking his hands behind his back in a sudden display of nervousness.

Regina tilted her head. "Roland?" she tried again, bending to her knees when he still refused to look at her.

"Daddy got hurt," Roland confessed after a moment, his voice quivering as his gaze remained on the floor.

"What?" asked Regina in surprise. Robin got hurt?What had the idiot done now?

Friar Tuck and Will walked over to them. As soon as Regina knew the two were in earshot, she asked, "What happened?"

Will was the one to answer her. "There was a fight in the early hours of the morning, your majesty," he explained. "Robin played hero and got a few injuries in return."

I am going to kill him, Regina thought as her fists clenched in the skirts that billowed around her knees. I'll heal him until he's in perfect physical condition…and then kill him.

"Is he okay?" asked Regina, putting every ounce of her energy into appearing unconcerned, hoping to make the two men think she was asking out of mere regal duty. And whilst Friar Tuck bought the act and rolled his eyes, Will regarded the Queen with a pensive glance.

"He's fine. A sprained wrist and a few cuts and bruises here and there, but he'll live," assured Will, watching the Queen let out a small sigh of relief—well hidden from Friar Tuck, but not from him.

Will saw. He saw Regina release her relieved exhale and unclench her fists and he even saw a small smile tug at her lips. He saw how she actually cared, at least somewhat, even if she pretended not to.

A tugging on her sleeve brought Regina's attention to the little boy in front of her. "Can you make daddy's hurts go away, majesty?" pleaded Roland.

Regina heard a disapproving sigh from behind her, but she didn't need to turn around to see who it was; Friar Tuck's voice soon reached her ears. "Your father's injuries will heal perfectly well in time, Roland. We don't need the Evil Queen to help us."

A flash of hurt crossed Regina's face as her eyes flickered away from the boy and toward the ground, her rigid posture faltering in a way that Will would have missed, had he not been observing her every reaction, trying to put some puzzle pieces into place. The pained look wasn't there for long, however, and by the time she had looked back up to meet Roland's eyes she had plastered a reassuring smile on her face, her mask firmly in place. "Friar Tuck is right. Your father will be just fine without me."

When Regina lifted her hand and lightly tickled under Roland's chin, bringing a smile and a giggle from the boy as he twisted and tucked his head down to prevent further attack, Will felt a small smile tugging at his lips. He couldn't help it; it was well known the little lad's laughter was contagious. And from the way the Queen's face lit up, she had just learned it too.

Seeing the Queen rock back onto her heels and prepare to stand, Will stepped forward and offered her his hand. With her gaze flicking warily from the proffered hand to its owner's face, it took Regina a few seconds before she allowed the older man help her to her feet, and her reluctance faded somewhat at the warm smile upon his weathered features.

Friar Tuck glanced between Will and the Evil Queen, consternation on his face upon seeing his friend's display of kindness toward Regina, and likewise everything the Merry Men stood against.

"Thank you," Regina said as she brushed away creases in her deep purple dress, the dark fabric swishing around her feet as she righted herself.

"Thank you, your majesty," said Will, "I'll let Robin know you offered to help."

"There's no need," assured the Queen.

"Yes there is," Will protested. "You offered to help. I shall let Robin and the rest of his men know; it's the honourable thing to do."

With a small smile, Regina stepped to the side and walked past Roland, her hand ruffling his hair for a second before she continued her path down the hallway. She was soon stopped by Roland, running to stand in front of her again—despite Friar Tuck's huff of displeasure.

"Can you sit with us for breakfast?" asked Roland. Regina immediately opened her mouth to refuse, but Roland stared up at her with wide, innocent eyes that reminded her too much of Henry when he was her little boy. "Please?" he added, politely.

Friar Tuck moved to step forward but Will stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Will, she's—"

Will silenced him, "Just…give them a moment."

They both watched as the Queen gracefully bent down to her knees once more, placing both her hands in her lap. Quieting her voice and soothing her tone, she informed Roland that she "had some business she had discuss with the knights". Roland's expression fell and his gaze dropped to the floor, but Regina reached out and lifted his chin so that he was looking at her again, unable to let the little lad remain upset. "But, if it's alright with your father, I might, perhaps come and see you some other time?"

Roland's features brightened and he practically bounced on the balls of his feet. "Really?" he asked excitedly.

"Really," she promised with a smile. Regina tilted her head. "Is that okay?"

His answer was an enthusiastic shout of "yes" before he lunged forward and wrapped his arms around the Queen's neck, forcing her to outstretch a hand behind her on the floor for balance. Chuckling, Regina wrapped her other arm around the boy and pushed herself upright.

Friar Tuck frowned, obviously displeased at the little boy's affection towards the Evil Queen.

Will Stutely, however, watched the scene with a smile.

This was not the Evil Queen he had heard stories about. That Evil Queen would not be seen dead kneeling before another. That Evil Queen would not be seen as being anything other than hostile towards thieves and outlaws. And that Evil Queen would never be seen wrapping up a little boy—whom was not even her own—in her arms with a joyous laugh.

Will didn't see the Evil Queen before him. He saw what Robin did; he saw Regina. And now he could see a part of her worth fighting for.

Two hours passed before Regina finally left her knights in the war council chamber. Their new guarding duties were laid before them with rigid structure, once they had been given the choice to either obey or leave; a short incident concerning loyalty and betrayal forced a few strong changes to be made. Surprisingly, a majority of the knights had stayed; for Queen Regina or the Charmings—though the latter was most likely—they were prepared to follow all orders from royalty, and protect those in the castle by any means necessary.

Of course now they had seven fewer guards than they had started with and their numbers were already much smaller than the army the Evil Queen had originally built. Many of those who had served under the Queen disappeared in fear that the old methods that had been employed to keep them in line might continue under the new reign.

With her gaze on the floor, Regina was distracted and did not see the person turning the corner until it was too late and she had collided with them, the force knocking her back several steps.

"Watch where you're going!" she snapped before she even looked up.

But when she did raise her eyes toward the other person and she saw Robin grimacing, his breath caught in his throat and his eyes scrunched closed, she regretted her outburst.

"I didn't see you," Regina said softly. That was as close to an apology as she would give him.

Regina reached out and trailed the tips of her fingers along the hardened bandages that were wrapped around his arm. The pitiful extent of the Enchanted Forest's medical supplies meant that the thief's left arm was encased in poultice from mid-forearm to the palm of his hand. The cut above his eyebrow had gauze over it, but the other smaller ones had just been cleaned and left to the air.

Slowly shaking her head, the Queen raised her hand to his cheek, careful not to touch any open cuts. Regina stroked her thumb along Robin's bruised cheekbone before trailing it down to his busted lip.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asked.

His reply was the general, "I'm fine."

But Regina had used those words enough times in her life to know that they were a lie meant to placate others. And "fine" wasn't a feeling.

Regina leaned up and gently pressed her lips to his. Despite Friar Tuck's-and probably the rest of the Merry Men's—reluctance in letting her heal Robin, she could not refuse at least a bit of magic flowing to him to ease his injuries.

When they parted, the wound on his lip was gone. And as Robin took a deep breath in and released it as a sigh, he realised that most of his pain had disappeared along with it.

"Thank you," the thief groaned.

"I would do more, but…" Regina trailed off.

"My men," Robin finished for her. He knew that they were not ecstatic at the idea of Regina helping, and he knew that they would have said something to her. But they had no right to refuse her assistance on his behalf.

"They're just concerned," Regina calmly explained. "And they have every right to be; I did try to kill them."

Robin put his right hand on Regina's cheek and gave her a warm smile that softened all his features. When Regina returned his smile, he slid his hand to the back of her neck and lowered his mouth down to hers, closing his eyes at the very last second.

Tilting his head, Robin licked along Regina's bottom lip before taking it between his teeth. Hands grasped at Robin's shirt as the Queen took a step even closer to the thief. The arm Robin had injured moved to rest at the small of Regina's back, despite his desperate need to have both his hands tangled in her hair. As it was, he had to settle for just the one, although Regina didn't seem to mind in the slightest, if the moan she released was anything to go by.

When voices trailed up the corridor, Robin broke away, opening his eyes to see Regina looking up at him with her brows furrowed in confusion. Though when she heard a faint conversation—that was between two of the Merry Men and probably not intended for female ears—her eyes hardened and she looked behind her. She pulled Robin behind her and down a hallway, taking several lefts and rights before turning back to him.

"Regina—" Robin tried to speak, but she shushed him with her lips on his.

"There are very few reasons for people to come down here," she explained as she gently pushed him back into the wall.

Regina leaned forward, intending to kiss him again, but just as her lips were about to reach their destination, the voices from a few seconds prior reappeared and suddenly seemed much louder.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Regina grabbed the cuff of Robin's shirt and pulled him into the next room. As the Queen closed the door behind her, the thief looked around to take in his surroundings. The sunlight shone through the slits between the curtains, drawn as if in a hurry, dust floated in the rays of light managing to break through the gaps in the fabric—not quite thick enough to prevent the room from being cast in a warm glow. Robin noted the shelves, the chairs, the table...

And he chuckled when he recognised them.

"Well, this brings back fond memories," said Robin mischievously, leaning against the wall and nodding towards the table towards the centre of the room.

Regina's cheeks flushed as she recalled the last time they had been there. She had needed to focus on research, but of course the damned thief had distracted her; he had all of her attention redirected onto him as his lips and hands had trailed all over her, swept the table clear and he had buried his fingers inside of her.

"Well, how about we make new ones?" Regina suggested as she pulled him away from the wall and back toward what she would now and forever refer to as "their table".

Biting her lower lip, Regina grasped the edge of the table and lifted herself up onto it, smiling as Robin parted her thighs and stepped between them. Now impossibly close, Robin leaned in so his lips were hovering over Regina's, his breath mingling with hers, his right hand trailing up her thigh as he raised his bandaged arm so he could trail the back of his fingers over her cheek.

"No protests from me," he whispered, fingers tracing patterns on her thigh.

Regina grinned and went to press her lips to the outlaw's, tired of waiting for him to make his move.

Then the door flung open.

For God's sake, Regina thought. She and Robin separated and put a requisite three steps between them. The Queen turned her glare to the door and noted two guards standing there, their eyes widened in alarm.

"You—your majesty," one stuttered as he bowed his head.

The other, taller guard also bowed his head in acknowledgment "Apologies, your majesty. We hadn't known that this library was occupied."

Regina scoffed, because it obviously was occupied and, much to her dismay, their timing was less than spectacular. "Who sent you?" she asked.

"Snow White, your majesty," the guard on the right answered, looking to his partner and then back again, worried by the flash of anger that crossed the Queen's features.

"Oh, of course!" said Regina bitterly. Even while absent, the woman had still managed, somehow, to interrupt them. "What does she want?"

"She's asked for us to collect a book for her," the shorter one explained.

"Well, I hope you find it," spat the Queen. And hit her over the head with it, she continued in her mind.

Robin watched as Regina stormed away from him and out the door, paying no attention to the guards who flinched and quickly moved out her way to avoid angering her further. The thief just let out a wry chuckle and followed, clapping his right hand on the shoulder of one man in some sense of understanding, having been on the receiving end of the Queen's wrath more than once.

When Robin caught up with her down the hallway, he reached out for her hand and pulled her to him, "Wait, Regina…are you alright?"

Regina spun around to face him. "Why does she keep doing this?" she asked exasperatedly.

"What?" asked Robin, taking a step back.

"Snow," stated the Queen. "This must be some sort of payback for all those years that I tried to kill her; some grand scheme to get back at me."

"Regina—" he warned.

"I bet she sits and waits until she knows that I don't want to be interrupted," Regina started, completely engrossed in her rant. "And then there she goes, finding any way within her power to bother us."

"Regina…" Robin chuckled.

The Queen huffed indignantly, "I swear Robin, one of these days I will try to kill her and I will succeed."

"Regina!" The thief's chuckle grew into a laugh.

"What," she snapped, pulled out of her tirade.

Robin's hands moved up to rest on her shoulders. "I doubt Snow sits and waits for the opportune moment to interrupt us," he consoled. "These things happen sometimes."

"Yes, but it's all the time, Robin," Regina insisted, sounding less regal and far more melodramatic than she had intended.

Robin laughed again and smoothed his hand over Regina's hair, "Is there anything I can do to aid you, your majesty?" he asked lowly.

The frown upon the Queen's face faded into a smirk. "You can meet me in my chambers, thief," she suggested, lifting her chin and locking her regal demeanour back into place.

"And if I'm busy?" Robin teased.

Regina grinned slyly, "Well, I wouldn't leave me waiting for too long, outlaw."

"Why ever not?" asked Robin as he moved his hand to splay over her shoulder, his thumb tracing collarbone.

"The orders are to be in my chambers," stated Regina. "Said orders are from your Queen. You would do well to obey them with haste."

"Well, I'd hate to disappoint her majesty," he said with a fake sympathetic expression, "but I've never truly been one to abide by royalty's laws."

Regina hummed in acknowledgement. "Tell me something I didn't know."

He considered for a moment. "I really, really want you right now," Robin whispered, his breath ghosting over her lips.

"I know that," said Regina as she grinded her hips forwards into his. "I can feel that," she amended with a sly grin.

Robin moved his left arm to her back as his right hand grasped her ass and kept her pressed to him, a soft groan making its way past his lips at the contact. Regina's fingers trailed up his torso, past his shoulders and into the hair at the back of his neck as she pulled closer to him still.

"Regina, if you don't stop that," he hissed, "I'll take you right here and I don't care who sees us."

The grip Regina had on Robin's hair tightened as she exhaled shakily. If he didn't stop talking like that, she'd be the one taking him. Damn thief.

"Robin," she moaned as he pulled her closer still.

Attempting to capture her lips with his, Robin was mildly offended when the Queen leaned back and avoided his kiss. "My chambers. Soon as you'd like."

With that, she disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke and left the thief grasping thin air.

Damn Queen.

When Regina materialised in her room, it took her a few moments to even out her breathing. These several short minutes in her room would give her enough time to compose herself and keep her mind somewhat in control, at least before the thief arrived. Then she'd probably have difficulty thinking straight, much less breathing right.

Taking her pins out her hair, Regina let her long tresses flow down her back, combing a hand through to calm any loose strands. Moving to put the pins on her bedside table, the Queen came to a sudden stop when she saw a beautiful bouquet of flowers. With a frown, Regina took a few steps forward, placing the pins down and then putting her hands either side of the small table.

The bouquet was beautiful, with white lilies and peach roses and blue forget-me-nots, green leaves filling all the spaces where petals could not. Regina spotted a small parchment partially hidden between two flowers. Carefully removing it, Regina read the words that were scrawled in fairly unruly handwriting.

"Thank you for your offered assistance, your majesty," it read.

And that was it. No name, no initial, nothing. Robin, perhaps?

It had to have been the thief; who else could it have been? No one else had any reason to send her flowers. Although, Regina didn't think the thief had much reason to, either, but she wouldn't complain if he wanted to offer her nice gestures every so often.

Gently, Regina lifted a rose out of the bouquet and brought it to her nose, smiling at the sweet scent. Twirling the stem between her fingers, Regina's gaze took another glance at the whole arrangement. The thief certainly had good taste when it came to flowers.

A knock on the door startled the Queen out of her reverie. Placing the rose back into the vase, Regina made her way toward the door. She had only taken four steps before it swung open.

Only Robin would have let himself into her chambers. Only Robin was brave enough.

Sure enough, the thief came into view. But before he could take two steps, Regina had nudged the door behind him with her foot and pressed forward, using Robin's body to push the door closed. He let out a grimace as the bruises on his back hit the wood, but then Regina bit at the pulse point on his neck and started unfastening his shirt, then he forgot everything but the feeling of her touch.

"Regina," Robin moaned, grabbing a fistful of long, black hair as his words were smothered by Regina's lips.

It was when Regina lowered herself onto her knees that Robin glanced up and noticed the flowers by her bedside. "Who are they from?" he asked, astonished.

"What?" asked Regina distractedly as she tucked her fingers into his waistband.

"The flowers," Robin said, pointing toward the bouquet.

Regina paused in her actions, looking up at him. "I thought they were from you," she replied.

"No," he admitted.

"No?" Regina stood back up, trying to think of someone else that might have given her flowers, and came up with nothing. "Well, thief, it appears that I have a secret admirer."

Regina grinned, taking hold of the collar of his shirt and leaning forward to kiss him, but Robin grasped her hands and removed them. He refastened his shirt as he pushed them both backward, away from the doorway a few steps.

"I'll be back," he said, pressing a firm kiss to her lips before he left, closing the door behind him.

Regina let out a deep sigh and she put her hands on her hips, staring at the now empty room. "I'll just wait here, then," she irritably shouted after him.

Damn thief.

Robin spent the entire journey back down to the Merry Men's hallway getting more and more frustrated. The knowledge that he had no valid reason to be so wound up didn't make any difference. Reaching Will Stutely's chambers—which had become somewhat of a common room for him and his men—and opening the door, Robin was greeted by the tail end of an animated discussion followed by raucous laughter. Robin's eyes scoured the room, flitting from man to man until he found the one he was looking for.

"George," Robin called. "May I speak with you?"

"Of course," George turned and remained in his seat with his palms on his knees, fully prepared to have a discussion with his leader from exactly where he was. Robin appeared to disapprove and motioned for the man to follow him out the door he had just come through.

Turning to see the rest of the Merry Men with confused expressions that matched his own, George got up from his seat and made to follow his leader out of the room.

The door had barely shut when Robin turned to George and asked, "What do you want from Regina?"

Taken slightly aback at his friend's question, George stuttered out, "Excuse me?"

"The flirting, the flowers…what are you hoping to achieve?" asked Robin again.

From where George stood, it appeared that Robin was confused, as if he could not understand why he would be giving the Queen any attention.

"Why are you asking?" George asked, buying himself some time to think of an answer. "Is somebody jealous?" he teased.

Robin huffed. "Just answer the question, George."

"Well, Robin, not that it's any of your business, but I want to get to know her," George started. "She's nothing like the image I had of the Evil Queen and I thought that if I was kind to her, perhaps…"

"Perhaps what?" Robin asked, after his friend's words had trailed away.

"Then perhaps she'd like to get to know me, too," he supplied.

George looked sincere. He really did. But Robin could not prevent the wave of an emotion that he could not quite put a name to from sweeping through him.

"Are you certain she has the time?" Robin asked.

George's brows furrowed. "You're implying that she's not interested?" he countered.

"I'm implying that she has a lot to think about," said Robin with a shrug. "It's possible that she's a bit preoccupied and too busy to entertain you."

"Well, perhaps she'd appreciate some help," George's grin turned slightly mischievous, "or some company."

"She doesn't need another distraction." Robin said. His jaw clenched involuntarily; he was her distraction.

"She hasn't told me that she's not interested. And, unless she does, I don't see a reason not to continue," said George. He put his hands in his pockets and stood a bit straighter. "Regina's a beautiful woman, Robin, I'm surprised that no one else seems to have noticed."

"Perhaps someone has," mumbled Robin, evidently just loud enough for his friend to hear.

"Am I treading on any toes here, Robin?" George asked suspiciously.

Robin was sorely tempted to say "yes", and to tell him that Regina was not like the other women that George pursued for the sole intention of bedding and then abandoning them. But obviously, Regina would not appreciate that.

"I just don't want you getting in somebody's way." Robin settled for. He hadn't meant for it to sound threatening in the slightest, though for the way George lifted his chin and stared down at Robin, it appeared he was unsuccessful.

"Oh, well you know me, Robin; I'd hate to get in your—I mean, I'd hate to get in someone's way." It was clear that George's slip-up was deliberate, letting Robin know that he had overstepped.

This was not going the way the thief had intended. He hadn't come for an argument; he had only wanted to ensure that George wouldn't hurt Regina.

"I don't want anyone to get hurt, George," he said with a sigh.

George huffed indignantly. "I can handle myself."

"It's not you that I'm worried about," Robin stated, keeping his voice low and even. Of course George would misunderstand; it was the lad's constant thinking of himself that could end up upsetting Regina. "I think it would be best if you eased off."

George's glare hardened. "I think it would be best if Regina told me herself, if she is not interested. I'm not asking her to fall in love with me, Robin. I'm asking if she'd mind us having a little fun."

"She is not a game to be played with George," said Robin through gritted teeth. "She is a human being. You'd do well to treat her as such."

George placed his hands on his hips and broadened his shoulders, delivering his response with genuine honesty. "I shall treat her as the Queen she is; with the upmost respect."

After a short moment, somewhat satisfied with George's response, Robin backed away. "Be careful," he said warningly.

George let out a wry laugh and made his way to go back into Will's room, but Robin grabbed his arm before he could reach the handle of the door.

"If she gets hurt, you'll answer to me," Robin warned. "Understood?"

George nodded his head once. "Understood."

The moment Robin's hand released George's wrist, the younger Merry Man walked back into the room once again, the air still filled with laughter. George shut the door behind him, leaving Robin standing in the hallway with a clenched jaw and high pulse rate.

As Robin slowly relaxed, he realised that he desperately needed to get a handle on this situation. He did not usually behave this way; he was not one to get involved in his mens' lives. Whoever they wanted to spend their time with was their own business. But there was something about Regina that made him want to protect her, even if that meant butting heads with his own men.

Because he would not let anyone hurt her.

Ever.