Happy VE day! I thought I would add the end of the previous chapter here, it seemed to fit better. I hope you enjoy!

Regina glared at her mother as she tried to force her to eat the food in front of her, how many times did she have to say that she wasn't hungry, that she could still barely stomach anything more than a light cracker. Who did her mother even think she was? How did she manage to get so many rations in the first place to hold such a dinner? Everyone knew that there was only limited food available.

She was sick of this day in day out and her mother refused to let her return to her own house as much as she might beg. She just wanted her own bed and things that reminded her of Robin. Her mother had dragged her kicking and screaming from her house, the neighbours staring as she made a scene.

The radio was playing quietly in the background and she tried to tune into what the commentator was saying, it was something about the war, it always was, there had been another plane crash again the night before, London was already blown apart as well as many of the other major cities.

She was sick of this, of the mindless killing, just dropping bombs left right and centre without any consideration as to who they were killing. It just kept on happening, four years of slaughtering and blood lust and for what? What was the purpose of it? She knew it was to stop a vengeful evil, but it didn't make it any less horrific.

Regina caught a little of something being broadcasted, they were talking about nurses being needed overseas and in that moment she knew what she needed to do. Se needed to keep her mind off Robin's death and distract herself with something else. At the minute she was still in denial, she wouldn't believe what they were telling her, she just couldn't, there had to be some explanation for it.

Not only that but soldiers were almost constantly being shipped home from France with the most horrific injuries, she daren't even think what some of them might have been through on the front. The hospitals were always calling out for more help, they were over capacity and didn't have enough staff to deal with that, so why shouldn't she help?

On that thought, she took a spoon full of the stew that was in front of her, if only to appease her mother and stop the constant pestering she endured from her. "I'm going to go and work at the military hospital," she stated casually watching as her mother practically dropped her spoon.

"I don't think so young lady," she cleared her throat, taking a sip of her water from the crystal tumbler, "that isn't a place for you."

"Why ever not? I'm a trained nurse, why shouldn't I want to help people and make them better? What use am I here? I have worked in that environment before mother," she scoffed, watching the reluctance play across her mother's face, not that it was her decision or any of her business for that matter. She had to be strong, try and push past her grief for the greater good, it would be one hell of a struggle but she had a feeling that having something to do would take her mind off the earth-shattering pain she was enduring.

People told her that it would get better in time and that was what they continued to say, but that just didn't seem to be a reality because it most certainly wasn't getting any better, in fact, the ache in her chest was worsening the longer and longer she went without seeing him, even if she knew she most likely never would again. "I want to do this and I think that it might be good for me to get out, this house is suffocating."

Regina caught the eye roll her mother gave her as she shook her head, "I don't approve."

"And I don't need your approval, in fact, I am going back home, so I suppose I didn't even have to inform you did I," she stood from her chair, dropping the napkin onto the table as one of the butlers pulled her chair back for her. "I will pack my things and be gone before nine."

Not giving her mother any more time to argue with her, she headed upstairs to pack her bag, this would be good for her, keeping busy would be good. She knew it would be hard and tiring, but she needed something like that, something challenging, she needed something that wore her out so much that she just passed out when she returned to her bed, something which would make it so that she wouldn't have to stay awake thinking about the other thing that haunted her constantly.

She'd found that people had avoided talking about Robin at all costs, with the excuse that they didn't want to give her false hope, but she knew the truth, her mother had most likely ordered them never to bring him up in front of her. She needed some kind of meaning back in her life, she needed some self-worth and she felt as though this venture would be the thing to provide her with that.

A couple of weeks later Regina had managed to keep more food down and build up her strength, she knew that they most likely wouldn't have accepted her in the condition she had been in previously, she was too frail, too weak. She still hadn't managed to regain all of her weight and was slender, but she felt healthier, even if her eyes had lost the sparkle they once held. She'd sent a letter requesting to be put to work somewhere on the frontline, give her mother something else to worry about.

She wanted to help as many people as she could, but there was also a part of her that was purposely putting her life on the line, she was putting herself in danger, maybe with the hope that someone might do her the honour of reuniting her with her husband and end her suffering. She was too much of a coward to do it herself, she'd wanted to, had so many thoughts about it, but in the end, she couldn't muster the courage to.

She'd just finished breakfast when there was a knock to her door, wiping her hands on a tea towel she opened it, coming face to face with a young boy in military attire, he couldn't have been more than twelve or thirteen. "Morning mam," he greeted, nodding curtly as he handed a piece of paper to her. She was reminded of a month prior when something similar had happened and a slight hope blossomed in her heart, hope tainted by dread.

Regina couldn't help but think maybe they were going to say they got it wrong, that it wasn't him, he wasn't dead and that it had all been one big mistake. She hoped more than anything that would be the case, but she didn't have much hope for it. She took it from him, thanking him quietly as she opened the telegram and read the words.

She was to be posted to the front come morning, there would be transport arranged to Portsmouth that afternoon and from there straight on to France. Caen more specifically. There was a field hospital set up there, treating allied casualties. It was so close, so close to the place Robin had been shipped off to, it made her shudder at the thought. It had to be dangerous, this game she was playing, but she couldn't stop herself from going along with it.

"Please could you tell your commanding officer that I will be there at noon."

"Yes mam," he nodded, going to walk away before stopping and turning to look at her, "Mrs Locksley?"

"Hmm?"

"Please do be careful out there won't you."

"I'll try my best," she smiled softly, closing the door and leaning against it. Her bags were already packed and she was ready to go, she just had to let her mother know that she would be leaving. That was going to be the difficult part, she knew her mother would try and lock her in the house when she found out, but she wouldn't be babied any longer, she was a thirty-year-old woman and she would do as she pleased.

Regina made her way into the bedroom, her eyes falling to Robin's side of the bed as they always did, she swallowed heavily before turning her face away and snatching her bags from where they were resting on the chair in the corner. With one last look at their room, she turned on her heels and straight out of the house, not even bothering to clean up the plates from breakfast.

The walk up the hill to her mother's house was brisk, she made her way through the village before venturing up the country road to the manner house in the distance. When she reached the front door, she stood there for a moment, unease settling inside her as she stared at the building, her childhood home, ancestral home if she were honest. The Mills had owned the property for centuries and this could be the last time she ever laid eyes on it. It could be the last time she ever saw any of this small country town.

Nervously she reached for the knocker before bringing it down and waiting for an answer. It was only a moment before Berkley was opening it, a shocked expression on his face when he noticed who was at the door, "Miss Mills. We weren't expecting your presence."

"It's Mrs Locksley, and I have some news for my mother," she nodded, entering the house and heading past him towards the sitting room where she knew she would find said woman. The older lady was sat in her favourite chair with a set of embroidery work in her hands.

"Regina, you didn't tell me you would be coming by. You look, better," she quipped, raising her eyebrows as she looked at her daughter. "Did you finally come to your senses?"

Regina shook her head; it was just like her mother. She'd never liked Robin and was probably more than happy he was gone, he was never good enough in her eyes, never mind what her daughter felt for him. Well, this would shock the old battle-axe. "Actually, I came to let you know that I have been posted to the front."

"What?"

"I've been called to the front, as a nurse. I leave this afternoon for Caen."

"Not a chance! You are not going to France! Are you out of your mind girl? I think we better call the doctor here to take a look at you. Henrietta," she called, a maid came rushing into the room as though it were the eighteenth century. "Call for Dr Whale, Regina seems to be feeling unwell."

"I'm not unwell mother, but I am going."

"You want to die, don't you! You're determined to get yourself killed. So you can what? Join your precious Robin again?"

"Don't even talk about him," she breathed, "I came to you, to let you know. I didn't want to just disappear without you knowing where I had gone. Now you know and I have to go."

"No! Regina! You can not go, do you hear me? You will not go. It's too dangerous for…"

"For what? For a woman?"

"I wasn't going to say that."

"You were and you know it. I'm a nurse mother, this is what I do, I help save lives and that means something to me. I couldn't save him but I'll be dammed if I don't try and help people who fought alongside him," she hissed, turning for the door and walking briskly towards it. She'd said her piece and so had her mother, she knew that she wouldn't be happy with her decision but she would just have to deal with it because she wouldn't be dissuaded.

"Please. Regina, don't go," Cora whispered, making her stop for a moment. She turned to look at her mother who had now stood from her chair, her needlework placed down. Regina's shoulders fell and she dropped her bag to the ground before hurrying back over to her and wrapping her arms around her, hugging her tight for a moment.

"I have to do this, I'm sorry," she breathed, pulling away from her mother's embrace and grabbing her bag before rushing out of the door and not looking back. She couldn't face seeing her mother cry and she knew that would be what happened.

Within a matter of minutes, she was almost back in town again, her eyes catching sight of the loan oak in the middle of a cornfield. She stopped still, just staring at it, then she was scaling the dry-stone wall, her bag abandoned on the ground as she paced through the crops, heading towards the tree.

"Robin, what are we doing?" she whispered, it was dark out and Robin had decided to just stop in the middle of the road on the way home from her mother's. They'd just had a disastrous dinner, though dinners at her mother's tended to always go that way. Regina had been upset by some of her mother's comments and ever since they'd left the house Robin had been trying to cheer her up.

"You trust me, right?"

"Always but… Robin!" she squealed as he lifted her from the ground and deposited her over a wall into a field, before following after her and taking hold of her hand, tugging it playfully.

"Come on."

"Seriously? What are we doing?"

"Come on, you'll see," he grinned, biting down on his bottom lip as he shone the torch in the direction they would be going. They weaved in and out of the growing corn, Robin threatening to push her in only for her to giggle and swat his arm, shoving him back each time.

When they reached the centre he stopped, gesturing to the large oak. "A tree? I have bits of corn in my shoes and you're showing me a tree."

"Ah, but it's not just any tree."

"Isn't it?" she scoffed, folding her arms as she looked at him. He shook his head, squeezing her hand softly as he led her around the other side and allowed the light from his torch to fall to the trunk where there were letters engraved into the bark. "Oh, so it's a vandalised tree?"

"No, no, it's more than that. Those are the initials of my parents and my mother's parents before them, going back about five generations." Regina nodded, running her tongue over her bottom lip as she looked up at him questioningly. "I think it's about time we add ours, don't you?"

Regina stopped running, catching her breath as she rounded the tree, her eyes falling to the bark, fingers reaching out to trace the carved initials. Tears formed in her eyes thinking about how happy they had been that night; Robin had made theirs a little bigger than the rest and added a heart and arrow for good measure. It made her smile to see the markings, as long as this tree stood, their love would never be forgotten. "I'll love you always," she whispered, her hand laid flat on top of the carving.

She stayed there for as long as she possibly could, just sitting on the ground, staring out at the countryside. When it was time to go, she kissed her fingers before pressing them against the tree and solemnly turning back towards the wall. Her bag was still on the floor where she dropped it, so she flung it over her shoulder and carried on walking into town. She was getting more and more nervous and when a couple of army trucks came into sight in the centre, she felt her stomach swoop. This was it.

Holding her head up high, she strolled towards them, her eyes falling to tall stocky man, with a hat similar to the one her husband used to own. She knew he was a Lieutenant of some sort and squared her shoulders as she approached, he seemed to sense her presence and turned to look at her, "Mrs Locksley?" he asked, taking his hat from his head and holding it in front of him. "I am so sorry for your loss."

She nodded, not really knowing what to say, she didn't know this man, she didn't need his pity, no number of apologies would bring Robin back to her and she was sick of people saying they were sorry as though they were the ones to blame.

"I must say, I'm a little surprised that you signed up."

"I'm a nurse, I want to help."

"Not chasing death, are you?" he asked, chuckling nervously, running a hand over the back of his head before putting his hat back on.

"Maybe, yes," she shrugged.

"Well, I have some military uniforms for you and then we can get going," the man quipped, handing her a paper package with clothes inside.

She took them without a word before tilting her head at him, "I don't think I caught your name?"

"Oh, Lieutenant John Little mam. They asked me to return to escort nurses to the front."

"Did you know my husband?"

"Robin, briefly. Good fellow. Kind, very sensible."

"That's Robin," she smiled before taking a deep breath, "was Robin." She was determined not to allow the tears to fall again, she'd cried so much she wasn't sure how her tear ducts were still managing to work.

"Actually, I…"

"Is this Mrs Locksley?" another man asked, interrupting the Lieutenant, a private this time, she could tell by the lack of hat.

"Scarlett," the higher ranking of the two hissed, "show some respect."

"Sorry sir. Is this Mrs Locksley, Lieutenant?"

Lieutenant John playfully smacked him around the side of the head, causing him to mock hurt and rub it with a fake groan. Regina wasn't impressed as she stared at the pair, they looked more like a comedy act than soldiers, but then again, her husband hadn't looked like a solider either despite his military background. "The lady is a widow boy, manners."

"Ah," Scarlet nodded, turning to look at Regina this time. They really did look rather like Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, though Lieutenant John had significantly more hair than Oliver Hardy. "Sorry for your loss mam. The names Will Scarlett, I knew your old man, he was the best Lieutenant a lad could ask for."

"Wait, you were in his division?" Regina asked, significantly more interested by this development, her eyes frantically trained on him, breaking out of the cool persona she had been trying to put out there, "do you know what happened?

"I…"

"Please! They didn't really tell me anything, they said he was killed in action, that's it. That's I was told, I need to know."

"I'm really sorry mam," the man sighed, his hand slipping into his pocket and pulling something out before offering it to her, she looked at it, seeing the dog tags and chains resting in his grip. She didn't wait a moment before snatching them from him, reading the inscription, her eyes closing as she read the name.

They were Robin's tags, that was the way they identified someone should their body be found. She swallowed, her throat tight as the grief washed over her once again, her hand closed around the metal as she tried to get a handle of her emotions. With a deep breath, she pulled them over her head, tucking them below the collar of her shirt before opening her eyes to look at the concerned men in front of her. "Shall we be going?" she asked, her voice wobbling a little.

"Mam, I'm not sure that you should…"

"I thought we were going now."

"Your husband wouldn't want you out there. God its no place for anyone, less someone grieving as you are," Will sighed, glancing at his superior who was giving him a warning look.

"My husband is dead! Now can we go please."

"Right, yeah," Will murmured, moving off to load some more things into the truck.

"Forgive him mam, he doesn't know any better," the Lieutenant quipped. "Do you require a…" he was about to offer her his hand to help her into the back of the truck but she was already inside before he could even get the words out, finding a seat on one of the benches and flinging her bag down beside her. "Well then, we shall be setting off soon."

She didn't say anything else, her fingers moving to touch the chains around her neck. Was he wearing them when he died? Where was his body? She has so many questions, how did he die, did he suffer? She wanted to know, but she didn't at the same time. It scared her to think that he had been in agony as he died, cold and alone on that beach surrounded by bodies. Did he feel anything? Did he think of her? Was hers the face he saw as he slipped away or had it just been blackness? Had he been there one minute and then just gone the next? In a flash, just like that.

She closed her eyes and tried to stop her mind from going to that dark place, to stop herself from thinking about his death. She'd much rather remember him full of life than how he was now. She would rather remember him as her loving, happy husband.

"Wait! Hey!" Regina looked up, glancing out of the waggon to see Kathryn hurrying over, she had been so fixed on letting her mother know that she hadn't even told her best friend. "What on god's green earth do you think you're doing?" the blonde asked, her eyes murderous as she stared at her friend. "Have you completely lost your mind?!"

"Kat we talked about this, I told you why I'm…"

"Yes, we bloody did talk about it, but that's all I thought it was, just talk! I didn't think you would go through with something so insane! Why am I only hearing this from your mother as well? Did you not think to let me know that you were up and off to have yourself murdered in France?"

"Kathryn, you aren't going to talk me out of this. My mind is made up," she sighed, clinging to Robin's tags extra tight, her fingers clasped around them.

"Getting yourself killed isn't going to bring him back," Kathryn cried, a tear rolling down her cheek as she climbed up into the back of the wagon and dropped herself down beside Regina before wrapping her arms around her. "Please Regina, please don't go, don't put yourself in danger."

"Why does everyone have so little faith, why do you all assume that I'll die out there?" she asked, her fingers playing with her friend's soft curls as she made her look at her, "Kathryn. You know I'm doing this."

"You're actually terrible, you know that right?"

"Oh yes, I'm the worst," she grinned, "shall I send you a postcard from Paris when it's liberated?"

"You mean if it's liberated. Regina this is the craziest thing you have ever done and I remember the time you walked across that fallen tree to cross the river when we were kids and nearly got swept away by the current."

"I don't think you can really compare that to going to war," she chuckled sadly, "look after yourself and the children. If you need it, I have some money hidden away in the loose panels of my wardrobe, you have a key."

"I'm not taking your money Regina."

"Please, I want you to have it, make sure you don't go without because you're too stubborn."

"I hardly think you can call me the stubborn one when you're shipping yourself off to the front line."

Regina sighed and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear before clearing her throat, "I'm really going to miss you."

"Be careful Regina, I beg you, I want to see you back here safe at the end of all this, promise me you won't put yourself at risk of unnecessary harm."

"I'll try my best," she whispered as her friend wrapped her up in one last hug before Lieutenant Little informed her that they were ready to go. She took a deep breath, pressing a light kiss against the side of her friend's head. "I love you Kat."

"I love you too," Kathryn nodded, her bottom lip trembling as she climbed back out of the waggon and watched as the vehicle pulled away, Regina waved until her friend was out of sight before leaning back against the side and closing her eyes. She was really doing this and there was no going back now.

On the way to Portsmouth, they picked up several other nurses who were also making the journey to France. The first woman who joined them attempted to talk to Regina, however, she wasn't in the mood for pleasantries and only mumbled a brief response. By the time there were five other's Regina found that it was much easier for her to meld into the background, allowing them to talk amongst themselves whilst she remained silent.

The sixth and apparent final stop before they reached their destination was Southampton and the back of the wagon was already feeling quite cramped with the women all bundled up on the benches, chittering and giggling away as though they were going away for the weekend and not to serve in the middle of a warzone. As the wagon pulled up Regina, stood from her seat, making sure that her bag was saving her spot before moving out of the vehicle, stepping down and taking in from fresh air, she'd been sat for three whole hours and was beginning to lose feeling in her legs.

She caught sight of the newest recruit heading towards them, she didn't seem all that chipper, her blonde curls bouncing as she stopped to talk to the Captain. "Is it alright if I have a smoke before we go?" she asked and Regina rose an eyebrow at her as she lit up a cigarette before coming to lean against the wall beside her, "want a drag?"

"No thank you," she quipped, clearing her throat as she tried not to breath in the smoke the other woman was puffing out in perfect rings.

"Helps with the nerves you know."

"I don't believe it to be all that good for you," Regina murmured, she couldn't see how drawing smoke into the body could be good for a person, yet over half of the population did it anyway.

"Give me some medical proof of that and I might consider giving it up," she drawled, taking another drag from the cigarette, the smell of tobacco strong in the air. "Fucking need this where we're going. Trust me, give it a few months and I'll have you on em."

"I doubt it," she quipped. The sounds of the other women's laughter floated over from the wagon making her roll her eyes.

"What've they got to be so chipper about? Don't they realise we're going to a fucking war zone?"

"I think they might have confused it with the women's institute outing."

The blonde sniggered as she took one last long inhale from her cigarette before tearing the end off and stubbing it out, putting the rest in her pocket for later. "Mallery Drake, but you can call me Mal" she stated, offering a hand for Regina to shake.

"Regina Locksley."

The woman's eyes fell to their joint hands, taking in the ring on Regina's finger, "married?"

"Yes."

"And your husband is letting you enlist?"

Just like that all the hard work of trying to put it out of her mind tumbled down and she retracted her hand, pulling away slightly, before swallowing and steeling herself up to say the words. Though she didn't think she could, she couldn't get them out, they wouldn't come, "yes. He's rather liberal," she stated instead, an awkward smile playing on her lips. There would have been no chance in hell Robin would have agreed to let her go. Not unless she had been adamant on the matter and even then he wouldn't have been happy about it.

"Good fellow. Right, are we going to get this thing on the way then? Go try mop up the blood of our needlessly slaughtered men?"

"Hmm."

"Great." With that the blonde climbed up into the wagon, swatting away John's hand as he tried to help her up.

He looked at Regina with wide eyes, but she didn't really have much to say.

"She's something else."

"Seems to be," Regina nodded, moving closer to the wagon, knowing they had around thirty minutes left to drive until they were where they needed to be.

"How you holding up mam?"

"Just fine thank you, Lieutenant."

"Please, just call me John."

She cast him a small smile and pulled herself up, spotting the newcomer sat right at the back, perched on some crates she was sure wasn't even a seat. Regina moved over to her own seat which just happened to be right beside her and looked down at her rings, maybe she should have left them at home, they would have been safer there but she hadn't been able to bring herself to take them off, especially her wedding ring. She rubbed her thumb over them and closed her eyes, blocking out any noise from the women around her.

She hadn't really made the effort to even know their names, apart from Mal she couldn't recall a single one of them, not that she cared, she wasn't there to make friends. Though she had a feeling that the blonde would be rather persistent in trying to gain her attention.

The wagon final reached Portsmouth and Regina was a little shocked at just how busy the port was, there were soldiers and nurses everywhere, all going to different stations. Hospital boats were docked in the harbour and injured men were being carried from them, moved into ambulances and then driven off.

"Well, this looks like carnage," Mal quipped as she came up behind her, one hand holding onto her jacket which was tossed over her shoulder and the other in the pocket of her trousers. "Hey, Lieutenant, I hope you know which boat we're travelling on."

"That I do," he nodded, pushing Will to start unloading some of their supplies. "And we shall board shortly, I just need to check if everything is in order, so I will leave you with Scarlett for the time being. Try not to get our lovely ladies into trouble before we even get to France," he groaned before wandering off to seek out their ship.

"Oh my goodness! Look at the American soldiers," one of the other women swooned, brushing her auburn hair behind her ear as one of the soldiers winked when he walked past.

"Well, she's not going to make it past the first week, I bet she'll be crying to come home before the first day is even over," Mal huffed. The cigarette from earlier was now relit as the blonde stood watching everyone with a critical eye. Regina agreed with her to be honest, but she wouldn't say that out loud. "Don't talk much do you."

"I have very little to say on the matter."

"Ooh so formal," she grinned, blowing smoke out of the side of her mouth before taking another draw and repeating the motion, "where are you from?"

"Bath."

"Ah."

"Well, a small town outside Bath I suppose."

Mal nodded, moving over to lean against the wagon, stretching her back out a little as she looked over to Regina again, "so, how long have you been a nurse?"

"Seven years."

"Ooh experienced. I bet some of these kids haven't even gone twenty yet and they think they can call themselves nurses."

Regina was about to offer a comeback of sorts when she heard someone wolf whistle and turned her head to see a couple of American Naval Soldier's eyeing them up, moving towards them and tipping their hat in a greeting. "Afternoon beautiful ladies," one of them smirked.

Mal narrowed her eyes and stood from her position dropping the cigarette butt to the floor and putting it out with her boot, before moving closer to them. They must have thought they were in luck because their smiles only grew, however, the blonde clearly wasn't interested. "Take your flattery somewhere else because we aren't interested boys."

"Aww, come on gorgeous. We only want a good time."

"Ah fuck off," she scoffed, "this one's married and I'm not interested in teenage boys who've only just hit puberty," she snarked. Regina watched as the soldiers looked at one another before scurrying off without another word.

"Hey! Why'd you scare off the boys?" one of the other girls asked, "they were cute."

"They were after one thing. Boys like that fuck you once and leave you alone and pregnant, having to bring up a baby as a single mother whilst they're back home in America playing house up with their supposed childhood sweetheart. Keep your knickers on if you know what's good for you," Mal sneered. She really was a character, wasn't she? Regina couldn't help the small snicker that left her lips and the blonde turned to look at her, offering up a grin in return, "I think that's the first time I've seen you smile since we met."

"Don't get used to it. I doubt there's much to smile about where we are going," Regina quipped, eyeing the Lieutenant as he made his way back over to them with a handful of papers. Regina could tell that this was about to be one of their last moments on English soil for as long as the war dragged on for.

"Well, then ladies. Are you all ready to board?"

They all informed him they were, Regina nodding when he looked at her, prompting Mal to stare at her, her eyes narrowing a little, "you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Don't like boats?"

"Boats are fine," she murmured, picking up her bag and moving to catch up with the Lieutenant, not wanting that conversation to go any further. She didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to address the elephant in the room, she wasn't ready to talk about Robin with a complete stranger.

Regina heard some of the other girls muttering under their breath about her, making comments about her sour mood and suggesting that she was, in unpolite terms, a grumpy bitch. She didn't really care, she knew she was at the moment, it wasn't how she was usually, but she couldn't help it, she didn't understand how they could be anything but despondent.

When they reached the boat which would be taking them over the channel, they stopped at the bottom, John talking to someone, discussing things she couldn't bring herself to be bothered to listen to. Her eyes were trained on the boat, there was a large flag hanging from the side, white with a red cross sewn onto the centre indicating that it was a hospital vessel, a ship used to rally the injured men to and fro.

She wasn't sure, but she thought she could already smell the blood and disinfectant. It reminded her of her days scrubbing in during surgery but intensified by one hundred. She wondered how many people had lost their lives on the boat, how many ghosts did it hold? Did the spirits of dead soldiers haunt the decks, walking aimlessly, trying to return home to their loved ones but never succeeding?

It made her think of Robin, where did his soul go when his body no longer held it inside? Was it trapped, left not knowing where to go, stuck in never-ending torment? She felt a tear leak from her eye and swiped at it, adamant not to show weakness in front of these other women, not when they were already taking a disliking to her.

She steeled herself, turning her head to see Mal watching her again, they'd known one another little over an hour and it seemed the woman was already rather interested in her and Regina couldn't think why. It was odd really why she had taken a liking to her when she said so little, but she had, the soft smile she offered her told her as much. "It's a little scary right?" Mal whispered, keeping her voice down so the others couldn't hear.

"Daunting, certainly."

"We can do this," she grinned, reaching for Regina's hand and squeezing it for a moment before letting go and starting up the wooden plank towards the entrance to the boat. "You coming or not?"

Regina nodded, taking a deep breath before following after her, stepping onto the boat, sealing her destiny and leaving behind all security she might once have had.