Author's Notes:
Special Thanks to ale_nena for all her encouragement and helping make this chapter a little funnier.
Setting: Misthaven non-magical modern AU. The society and political system will be based on a combination of modern countries, with a probable bias toward the American system as I am an American. However, all characters are fictional and resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidence.
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It was a bright sunny Friday morning when her parents departed for Misthaven Federal District for the Unity Day festivities. No doubt her mother was very much looking forward to being back in the capital, and feeling out old colleagues to see whom she'd still consider allies….or not.
Regina saw their limo off with a wave as it went down the drive and then made her way back inside the mansion.
It was almost eerily quiet with most the staff having already departed for their holidays.
Thinking to herself that a cup of tea might be nice, she made her way down to the kitchen. As she stepped in, she nearly collided mid-stride with Robin.
"Whoa!" he exclaimed, "Sorry."
"It's alright," she answered, mildly irritated, but not enough to make a big thing out of it. Glancing at the can of soda and granola bar in his hand, she asked, "Are you heading out?"
"Yeah," he nodded, "I was just grabbing some snacks for the train."
"You're leaving town then?"
"Yes, going home."
"Ah, well I hope you have a good weekend."
"You too," he said, shoving his snack into the outside pocket of his overnight bag, "Are you leaving soon?"
"Me?" she responded, "Oh no, I'm not going anywhere this weekend."
He paused, "You aren't going to the capital with your parents?"
"No," Regina said as she picked up the kettle and took it over to the water dispenser to fill up, "I'm just going to spend a quiet weekend at home. Hopefully get some work done."
Robin stared at her before saying, "Are you sure? It's a holiday."
She shrugged as she put the kettle on the stand and turned it on, "Some people have to work on holidays."
"Yeah but…" he trailed off.
She turned to him, asking, "What? What were you going to say?"
"You don't," he completed his sentence.
"True," she acknowledged, "But I don't have anything better to do, so I might as well."
With that she turned to the cabinet to get out a coffee cup and then walked over to get a tea bag from the pantry.
All the while she could feel him watching her from where he was standing in the middle of the room. Glancing back at him, she saw that he had a pensive expression on his face.
With a sigh, she turned back to him and asked, "Something on your mind?"
He seemed to think for a moment before shifting on his feet and asking, "Do you want to get out of town for the holiday?"
"I already told you, I don't have any travel plans."
"But if you could, would you want to?"
She looked at him and asked, "Why?"
"A buddy of mine is visiting his in-laws this weekend and he offered to let me stay at his place. His house is fairly out of the way. It'd be a safe place to stay if you wanted to come along and just...relax."
Her lips dropped open, "Come with you? To Sherwood?"
He shook his head, "Nevermind, forget it."
"Wait! I didn't say 'no'!" she protested, stopping him on his way to the door.
"It's just...not somewhere I ever wanted to visit," she said. A dark look flashed across his face at the words, "No! I…that came out wrong!"
He crossed his arms, but he waited patiently for her to explain.
"I appreciate the offer. Really I do, but I'm not sure my mother, or Drake, would approve of us going on vacation together. It's a little too intimate...I mean professionally speaking!"
He cleared his throat uncomfortably, "You're right. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"No," she shook her head, "Robin, you didn't. I know you're just trying to be nice and it's very sweet of you. Honestly, it would be kind of nice to get away, but it's just...optics."
He thought for a moment, "What if, as far as anyone knew, it was your idea?"
She looked at him questioningly, "To visit your friend's house?"
"Well I'd suggest leaving out that detail," he said with a good natured eyeroll, "However, if you decided you wanted to get away after all, you'd need to request someone from security accompany you."
"If I asked Drake to assign someone how would we know it'd be you?"
"It'll be me," he assured her, "Half the guys have already left, and I'm still the newest member of the team, so I get all the worst assignments."
She raised her eyebrows, "Oh, is that so?"
"No!" he corrected himself quickly, "I didn't...I meant because it'd mean working on a holiday weekend."
"Uh huh," she answered skeptically. The timer on the kettle dinged, signaling that her water was boiling, "Just for that, Locksley, maybe I will make you work this weekend!"
He smirked, "Ah, so I see you're embracing the concept of it having been your idea?
She returned the smirk before nodding in agreement and instructing, "I'll text the request to Drake, so just...hang around somewhere he can find you, I guess."
"As you wish, Your Majesty," he laughed, using the nickname he'd taken to calling her as he turned out of the kitchen.
She shook her head, chuckling to herself as she opened the cabinet to get out a to-go mug for her tea. She had just finished pouring in the water and begun steeping the tea bag when a voice from the inner part of the kitchen said, "So when the cats' away the mice will play, huh?"
"Gah!" she jumped, whirling around pressing her hand to her heart, "Gods' Mrs. Fa, you scared me!"
"Hm um," the old woman nodded crossing her arms.
"I thought you'd already left for the weekend?" Regina asked, her heart still racing, "That your granddaughter was on furlough for the holiday, so you were going visit your son and daughter-in-law?"
"Oh, I'm going," she said, "Later. I was actually sticking around around to make you things to leave in the fridge so you'd have meals ready since you were going to be here alone. Little did I know they'd have gone to waste since you've gotten sneaky!"
She frowned, "Mrs. Fa about what you heard...it's not what you're thinking."
"Oh? And what exactly am I thinking?"
"Locksley and I are just friends," Regina sighed, "He was only trying to be nice to me."
"If that's what you think men are like, I'd say you're way too naive to be left alone for a weekend!"
"Mrs. Fa!" she protested.
The older woman waved her off, "Go on! I won't tell your mother."
"You won't?" she asked in surprise.
"Robin's a good boy. So long as you don't mention I knew anything, as far as I'm concerned, I didn't."
Regina quirked her lips, "Well that's nice of you, but, really, it's not like that."
"Whatever you say, honey," she scoffed, "I already made you some sandwiches. Want me to pack them for the road?"
"You really didn't have to go to the trouble-"
"No trouble," the other woman waved her off, making her way through the door into the cooking area. Picking up an insulated grocery sack from a hanger on the wall, the tiny cook picked up three wrapped sandwiches she had lined up on the counter.
"Here you go," she said as she zipped the bag closed, and held it out to Regina.
"Thank you, Mrs. Fa," Regina smiled, touched. As she took the bag she subtly checked the time on her phone, "Well I'd better be going…"
"Yeah, go on. Don't do anything I wouldn't!"
As Regina turned out the door to head up to her room to call in her security request to Drake and begin packing, she couldn't help but wonder, knowing the woman as she did, if the amusing implications of that admonition were an accident…or entirely intentional.
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An hour later the two were travelling south-bound down the highway in one of the cars from the garage.
Shifting in the passenger's seat, Regina spoke up to fill the silence, "You know I was going to thank you, but maybe you should really be thanking me for going on this trip."
He looked at her in confusion.
"Now you get a car rather than having to take the train," she explained.
He laughed, "Well, we'll see about that based on whether or not we hit traffic!"
She smirked, looking out the window as they drove along.
"Robin," she said gently, "I um...I want you to know I do appreciate you inviting me along on your holiday. You didn't have to do that."
"It's nothing," he answered as he tried to focus on the road.
"Oh!" she changed the subject in an attempt to break the tension, "I forgot to tell you, Mrs. Fa was still around so I managed to get something for lunch with more substance than that little granola bar of yours!"
Reaching into her overnight bag, she unzipped the grocery sack and pulled out two parchment wrapped sandwiches.
He look glanced over, wrinkling his nose slightly as she held out one of the sandwiches to him, "Do they have those alfalfa sprouts you like on them?"
She rolled her eyes, "You know, Locksley, expanding your palette never killed anyone."
"Sure," he said, "Though, you could save a lot of grocery money by just going out the gardening shed and eating grass clippings."
She sighed, tossing the sandwich back into the bag and muttering, "Stubborn."
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It turned out they did hit some traffic just before Sherwood, but managed to sit through it in companionable silence.
Finally, they made it to an off ramp where Robin merged out of traffic. Glancing around as they began to drive into a more populated area, Regina asked, "Are we here?"
"Yes. This isn't the downtown area, but we're in Sherwood."
She nodded.
"Why?" he asked.
Looking over at him, she answered, "Well, honestly, I could use a bathroom stop."
"Oh, sure," he said, continuing on until they came upon a service station. He turned the car in and parked at a pump, "There should be one inside. I'll fill up the car in the meantime."
Regina nodded as she opened the car door, stretching her legs as she stood up. The weather outside was hot and humid. Significantly warmer even than Unity City had been.
Standing up straight, she made her way inside the station. A bell chimed as she walked inside.
"Afternoon!" a voice called, leading her to glance over to the counter where a man in a polo shirt with the station's name on the pocket stood, "Need some help?"
"Um, no, actually just looking for your washroom."
"Aye," the man nodded, "It's in the back."
"Thank you," she answered, ducking her head as she walked in that direction. The man's exuberant manner made her feel slightly off kilter. It seemed just so much more...friendly, than someone in Unity City would be.
Shaking off the odd discomfort, she simply pushed the ladies' room door open, planning to just take care of her business and get out of there as quickly as possible.
Outside, Robin filled up the gas tank, replaced the pump, and leaned against the car to wait for Regina. His eyes slid shut, taking in the sunshine when he heard his phone ringing.
Not bothering to check the number, he pressed the button to answer, "Hello?"
"Rob! What's shaking, mate?"
"Alan?" he asked, "Hey! What's going on?"
"Heard you were coming to town this weekend?" Alan A'Dale answered.
"Uh...yeah," Robin confirmed, shifting on his feet.
"So what the fuck? Were you planning on visiting your friends or are you too good for us now after living in the big city?"
"Don't be daft," he said, "Of course I want to see you guys, it's just...well it's a long story."
"Right," Alan said skeptically, "You certainly look like you've gone native."
Robin froze, "What?"
The phone was silent.
"Alan?" he asked, "Are you there?"
Abruptly someone ran up next to him, shouting in his ear, and thumping him across the back.
"Gods!" he jumped, lowering his phone as Alan laughed.
"This how you do your new job Mr. Celebrity Bodyguard?"
"Very funny," Robin grumbled as he hung up the phone.
Alan laughed harder as he asked, "Seriously, mate, what's with the suit?"
"Well..." he started, not sure how to explain that he'd had to pretend to be working that morning. He was saved from having to decide, however, by the sound of Regina's heels clicking behind him, and, he could tell from the look on Alan's face, that he'd seen her.
Robin turned just in time to see Regina catch sight of them too. She stopped in her tracks by the car, blinking in surprise.
Alan stared open mouthed. With an eyeroll Robin stepped forward to make introductions.
"Ah, yes, Regina this is an old friend of mine, Alan A'Dale. Alan...Regina Mills."
Regina brushed aside a lock of hair that the wind had blown into her face, and said to Alan, "Hello."
Alan seemed to recover himself, and stepped forward to shake her hand, saying boisterously, "Pleased to meet you!"
Piosed as always, she accepted the handshake.
"What brings you to Sherwood?"
"Well the foundation I work for has a regional office nearby and I had some...work I needed to do there," she said, telling the same cover story she'd given to Drake, "I knew that Locksley...Robin...was coming down this weekend so it seemed like a happy coincidence."
"Aye, happy coincidence at that," Alan said, giving Robin side-eye as he did.
He pretended not to notice, however, saying, "Well we should be going. We need to get along."
"Right, where are you staying now?" Alan asked, "John said you were at Donald's."
"Yeah, that's right," Robin muttered.
"Oh aye?" Alan asked, glancing back and forth between them, "Well that's great. Say! Some of the fellas are getting together at the Jolly Roger tonight. See you there?"
It wasn't clear whether the question was aimed at just him or both of them, and he wasn't sure how to answer it as he and Regina hadn't really discussed any plans for once they arrived in Sherwood.
Regina, however, stepped in before he had to decide and answered, "Yes, thank you. That sounds lovely."
Alan perked up at the words, "Great! Killian will be thrilled, I'm sure. I'll be sure to let everyone know."
"I'm sure you will," Robin answered dryly.
Grinning, Alan slowly backed away from the car giving Regina a friendly wave before continuing down the sidewalk. Robin sighed as he watched the other man's retreating form.
Glancing back to Regina, he said, "I'm sorry about that."
"It's fine," she said opening the passenger's side door and getting in. He followed suit, shoving the keys into the ignition. As he did so Regina caught his attention, "Robin?"
"Yeah?"
"What's the Jolly Roger?"
"Oh, it's a pub. A mate of mine owns it."
"Ah," she nodded, tapping the heel of her hand against her knee. She was silent as he started up the engine and pulled out of the gas station. A few miles down the road, he turned off onto a road with fewer buildings, mostly surrounded by tall, evergreen trees. As he turned the corner onto another road, she saw a fairly small building with a sign that was nearly as large above it in the shape of a ship surrounded in neon piping and flashing the name 'Jolly Roger.'
"I suppose that's it," she stated.
"Yeah," Robin nodded, "The house is just up the road here. We should be there in just a minute."
"Good...," she nodded, wetting her lips before speaking again, "Listen, Robin, if you want to just drop me off there..."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Well, just that I'm sure you want to spend time with your friends."
"I can't just leave you there."
"I thought you said it was out of the way and safe?" she asked.
He sighed, "Look if you don't want to go out tonight, we don't have to. I'll just call and cancel."
"No!" she protested, "Robin...I don't want you to have to cancel your plans for me."
"Regina, I can't leave you alone in the middle of nowhere!" he insisted, "Even if this isn't an actual work trip I am supposed to be protecting you."
She sighed.
"I know the Jolly Roger probably isn't your type of place, which is why it's really alright-"
"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, "Not my type of place? What you don't think I can handle going to a bar?"
"I didn't say that," he answered
"Well I can!" she insisted, "I just don't want to be an imposition."
He drove for a few seconds before saying softly, "You wouldn't be."
She glanced over at him, causing him to sigh, "I wouldn't have invited you with me if I didn't want you here."
Her lips parted, but she quickly recovered, pursing her lips together, "As long as you're sure."
He didn't respond, but she was perfectly alright with that. Instead he turned off the road onto a gravel driveway. She frowned, feeling suddenly apprehensive about just what kind of place they might be going to. The house that they reached, however, was small but well maintained.
Stepping out of the car, she carefully made her way around to the trunk where Robin was taking their luggage out. She held out her hand for her overnight bag, hoping he wasn't going to make some sort of issue about who should carry it. Luckily, he wordlessly handed it over and lead the way up the porch.
Stopping at the front door, he reached up to the top of the door frame and retrieved a key.
Regina's eyebrows shot up, "I can already see how safe this place is."
Robin glared good naturedly at her as he unlocked the door, assuring her, "They don't usually leave a key out. Donald texted me this morning and told me where they'd put the spare so that I could get in when I arrived."
She laughed, stepping inside as he motioned for her to go ahead of him. The inside of the house was tastefully decorated in whites and pastel colors. Definitely not the designer work she was used to, but it had a homey appeal that was very welcoming.
"The guest room is at the top of the stairs on the left. There should be a bathroom next to it...unless you want the master bedroom?"
"No," she shook her head, "The guest room is just fine."
"Alright," he nodded, "If you give me a few minutes to get changed, I can drive us to the Jolly Roger."
"Okay," Regina agreed turning toward the staircase, pausing as she prepared to step up, "Robin!"
He stopped on his way around to the master bedroom, looking back at her.
"Is there...anything in particular I should wear?" she asked, feeling a little silly even as she said it.
He chuckled slightly, but didn't directly laugh at her, "Just something comfortable."
"Right, of course," she nodded.
Looking at her he said, "You know you don't need to impress anyone here? As I said, you can just relax."
She laughed darkly, "I'm not familiar with that concept."
Robin's brow wrinkled as he looked at her a little sadly.
Turning away from that look, she said "Nevermind. I'll try to be ready in 20 minutes or so."
"Okay," he agreed, watching her as she made her way up the stairs.
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After giving it some thought, she settled on the same boots she'd worn with her dress earlier that day, but changed into a pair of dark jeans and a red top.
Satisfied, she made her way downstairs, seeing through the circular window on the front door that Robin was waiting for her outside. He'd also changed into jeans and light brown henley that suited him very well.
Pushing away the thought, she opened the door to join him outside.
They exchanged some forgettable conversation as they got back into the car and drove the short distance down the road. When they arrived the sun was just starting to set behind the bar's giant nautical sign, casting pink and purple hues across the horizon.
The two made their way inside, Robin pulling the door open and gently guiding her inside ahead of him with a light touch at the small of her back.
The inside of the bar was dark and relatively quiet, with only a few tables filled.
"It livens up more after dark," Robin assured her.
Regina nodded absently, not particularly worried about the bar's popularity.
"Want to get table?"
"Sure," she answered, stepping over to one with him. She pulled out one of the chairs and sat down.
Robin was just pulling out one of the other chairs when a booming voice echoed around the room, "Who let the crook in here?!"
Smiling, Robin turned around, "Killian."
Glancing behind him, Regina spotted a slender man in a tight black shirt standing next to the bar. The man grinned widely, striding over them and glomping onto Robin.
She blinked in surprise at both the obvious affection in the man's actions and his odd appearance. He had several tattoos and piercings. One of which was an anchor on a chain dangling from the side of his ear. However, he was also wearing leather pants and eyeliner! His most noticeable feature, though, was a hooked prosthetic in place of one hand.
Realizing that she was staring, Regina glanced away.
"Killian Jones, he owns the Jolly Roger," Robin introduced her, "Killian, this is Regina Mills. My employer."
He grinned, holding out his non-prosthetic hand for her to shake. She did so politely.
Turning back to Robin, he asked, "So I assume I can start you a tab for that swill you drink?"
"Uh huh," he muttered sarcastically, ignoring the other man and saying to Regina, "Look I'm going to visit the bathroom, just order whatever you'd like."
"That any way to treat mate, mate?" Killian joked as Robin walked away. Turning back to Regina he asked, "What can I get you?"
"Um," she thought it over, "An Appletini, please."
"Only have have beer and rum here, Darling," he answered harshly, "I serve real drinks."
"Oh," she blushed, "Well maybe I'd better just take a look at the menu first."
His lips quirked as he answered, "Suit yourself."
With that he walked back to the bar, chuckling to himself along the way. She frowned, wondering what that was about.
Glancing around, she took in the various band posters on the walls. Some of them looked very old...as if the walls hadn't been cleaned in years.
She was distracted for a moment by the door clattering open and large group coming in. She glanced back toward the bar wondering how long Robin was going to be, and she was surprised to see a green cocktail in a martini glass being set down on the table.
Looking up, she found herself face to face with a small, blond woman in short denim shorts and a tight green tank top.
"You ordered an Appletini, right?" she asked in a heavily accented voice.
"Um...yes, but the bartender said-"
"Don't listen to Killian's 'we don't serve that 'round these parts' bullshit," she answered sliding down into the chair across from Regina, "He just does that to trick out-of-towners. His favorite drink is a Fuzzy Navel."
"Oi!" Jones yelled from behind the bar, "I heard that you salty wench!"
"I'm just kidding!" the blond called, "I know you worry about your figure too much to drink anything with that much sugar!"
The one-handed man made a rude gesture in response, but the young waitress simply laughed it off.
Regina watched the exchange bemusedly. As the blonde continued to laugh at her own prank, Robin reappeared at the table.
Looking up at him, she said, "Well hello, stranger. I see you remembered your friends, finally?"
He rolled his eyes, "Yes, Tink, and I see you've met Regina?"
She laughed, turning back to the other woman, "Trina Bell, everyone calls me 'Tink.'"
"Regina Mills."
"Oh, I know," she laughed, "Of course."
Being recognized in public was something that had happened to Regina nearly her whole life, but this time she wasn't certain how to respond to it.
She was saved from having to decide, though, as part of the crowd that came in the door appeared beside Robin. One of the men she recognized as the person they'd run into at the gas station earlier, Alan.
Robin did a double-take at realizing he was suddenly surrounded, but then laughed greeting each person with hugs and handshakes. Among the group were two other men, one large man with long curly hair, and a very handsome dark haired man with a heavy accent and a cocky swagger.
As the men separated, the large curly-haired on stepped over to the waitress...Tink, and squeezed her shoulder affectionately. Smiling she stood up to allow him to sit down in her chair, falling back into his lap and planting a kiss on his lips.
"That what I'm paying you for?" Killian asked, as he appeared at the table to hand Robin a bottle of beer.
"You don't pay me enough," she shot back, not looking at him.
The eccentric man rolled his eyes, asking the rest of the group if they wanted beers. They all answered in the affirmative.
"Right, I'll just go get them since apparently none of my waitresses work around here," he said pointedly to Tink, who continued to ignore him in favor of making eyes with the curly-haired man.
"Maybe we learn from our boss's example?" a smooth voice said from behind him. The voice seemed to draw everyone's attention.
The woman who had made the suggestion smiled as she caught Locksley's eye, "Hello, Robin."
He smiled stepping forward to hug her, "Marian, it's so good to see you. It's been a long time."
"It's good to see you too," she said, returning the embrace warmly. As they did so Regina observed her. She was dressed in the same shorts and top as Tink, displaying an impressive expanse of dark-toned legs.
As they broke apart, a semi-awkward silence fell over the group as half stared at Robin and the woman, and the other half at Regina herself.
Clearing his throat, Robin stepped over to the back of her chair, "Everyone this is Regina. Regina this is John...Will...you met Alan and Tink already...and Marian."
The men nodded casually as each was introduced, Tink, having already introduced herself, didn't react from her perch on John's lap, and Marian offered a small smile.
"Everyone, Regina Mills."
"Hello," she said politely.
"Yeah, Alan mentioned you brought along a guest," Will said.
Robin sighed, sitting down in his chair.
Jumping in, she explained, "I had some work I needed to take care of at my family's foundation...they have a regional office in Sherwood. I know that Robin was going for the weekend, so I told him I didn't want him have to completely cancel his plans."
"Oh," John commented, "Your foundation does business over holidays?"
"Ahh..well, they were open today," she trailed off, wincing to herself at the lame explanation.
Another awkward silence fell over the table before Robin's boisterous young friend Will broke it, "So first trip to Sherwood then? How are you liking it so far?"
Regina smiled, perfectly happy to move on to standard small talk.
* 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 *
It turned out Robin's prediction was true. The bar did slowly pick up as the evening went on, until the entire room was packed full, making it noisy and hot.
"Right so my little sister wakes up in the middle of the night from a nightmare. I go downstairs to get her a glass of water, and I find this one in the backyard shooting arrows at the tire swing!"
The group laughed. Regina, who had been enjoying the warm glow that slowly came over her as the evening went on, and as moved on to her second and third Appletini, chuckled too, her attention suddenly triggered as the dark-haired man's words set in.
"Wait! What?"
"This was when we were kids," he shrugged, "When Robin was babysat me and my sister."
"You shot a bow and arrow?" she asked, looking at him through bleary eyes.
"I was captain of the Archery Club at school," he explained.
"Geek!" Alan coughed into his hand.
"Sorry, should I have done choir instead like you?" Robin jabed.
She studied him for a moment before commenting, "You babysat?"
Robin looked slightly embarrassed this time. Before he could speak, though, Will jumped in, "If you can call it that when he spent half the time shooting holes in my tire swing, and the other half making out on my parents' couch."
"What now?" Regina asked.
"Ask her yourself if you don't believe me!" Will said, motioning over to the bar where the dark-haired woman they'd met earlier was loading drinks onto a tray. She and Robin dated? That certainly explained some of the tension earlier.
"Oh, by the Gods', Will, that was years ago! Marian and I broke up when we were 19!" he protested, feeling slightly self-conscious.
Tearing her attention away from the tall waitress, Regina looked back at Robin again.
"What?"
"You babysat?" she repeated, causing a couple of the men to snicker.
"Why is that a big deal?" he asked, meeting her eyes.
"Nothing," she shook her head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and playing with the end thoughtfully.
"Well you're clearly thinking of something."
Thinking for a second, she cracked as smile as she answered, "Well actually...I was thinking that I dare you to make a comparison to what you do for me and my family."
The table erupted in laughter, as Robin smirked. Smiling to herself, Regina finished off the last sip of her drink as she rose from the table, "I need to use the restroom."
"Oh," he rose with her, pointing through the crowd, "It's over there in the left corner. Think you can find it okay?"
"Uh huh," she hummed, waving absently over her shoulder as she tried to concentrate on making her way through the crowd when her legs felt a little bit wobbly.
As he watched Regina leave, Robin heard Will rise from the table, "Another round?"
"Yeah!" all the men answered enthusiastically.
"I'll help you carry," Robin said, turning to follow Will to the bar.
"Yeah, me too," John said, leaving Alan at the table in the middle of a text message conversation on his phone. He was focused so intently on it Robin could only assume it was with a woman.
"Killian! Another round!" Will yelled when the got to the bar.
Down the bar, Killian motioned in the affirmative as he finished pouring a glass of beer for another order.
Robin leaned up against the rail relaxing, only to find his two friends staring at him with mischievous looks.
"What?" he asked.
Will laughed, "What? Come on, mate, you can't expect us to not say anything about this!"
"About what?"
"About you, who literally robbed the rich to give to the poor, coming back with someone who's the closest thing we still have to royalty?"
"Well what was I supposed to do? It was either this or cancel the weekend entirely!"
Will and John shared a laugh that he suspected was entirely at his expense.
"You really think we're that thick?" Will challenged.
"What do you mean?" Robin sighed.
"How do I put this…" Will thought it over, "...none of the old legends have the princess falling for the coachman."
"Coachman?" he asked doubtfully.
"Oh, fuck off! You know what I mean!"
"Unfortunately, I do see what you're getting at and it's ridiculous!"
"Yeah right," John scoffed, "I've known you for years, Robin. I know what you get like when you're into a woman...and you are way into that one! You practically grin like an idiot every time you look at her!"
"I do no such thing! Besides, she's my boss's daughter," he argued.
"Yeah and you might want to remind yourself of that!" John said pointedly, "Seriously, you think Henry and Cora Mills couldn't do something about it if you mess with their daughter? I don't want to see you back in prison!"
He rolled his eyes, turning to step down the bar to yell to Jones, "Killian, we going to get those drinks any time soon?"
"Yeah, in a minute!" the other man called back.
As he leaned against the bar, Marian stepped up and nudged his arm with her elbow, "Don't listen to them. They're just idiots. I know you don't go for those silver spoon socialite types! You never have."
He hummed, "Thanks, although...I don't know if I'd call Regina that."
Marian looked at him skeptically, "Come on, Robin! Will was right about one thing, that family is basically royalty. Even though Misthaven doesn't officially have royal families anymore...anyone that rich is going to be out of touch with the rest of the world!"
"Well, yeah, somewhat but…it's not entirely her fault..." he said, struggling to explain, "...I think she's had a pretty sheltered life."
"Cora Mills' daughter?" she asked, "You're telling me one of Misthaven's toughest politicians raised a delicate flower? She didn't seem that way to me."
"No, I wasn't saying that," he argued, "Just that she isn't a bad person."
He looked up to meet Marian's eyes, sighing at the look she was giving him, "What are you going to join guys' gossiping now?"
"Don't be daft," she answered, squeezing his arm playfully, "Like I said, I know you better than that!"
* 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 *
After using the bathroom, Regina dodged people as she weaved her way through the hallway back out into the main area. If it was possible, the room seemed even more crowded than when she left.
Finally, she managed to push her way back to the bar where she plopped down on a stool.
"Another Appletini, Love?" a voice asked. She blinked in surprise at Killian Jones' boyish face from across the bar.
"Um...yes, please," she answered slowly.
He stepped away for a moment, returning with a fresh cocktail which he placed down in front of her.
"Thank you," she said. He winked at her before moving down the other side of the bar to another customer.
Regina stared in shock for a moment before snorting out a laugh and picking up the Appletini to take a large sip. Her head was swimming pleasantly as she swallowed the tart liquid, allowing herself to languidly slide off the barstool.
She drifted around the room, sticking to the edges to avoid having to shove her way through the crowd again. As she took another sip of her Appletini, she stopped in front of the brightly lit jukebox on the wall.
She knew what it was, of course, but had never actually seen one up close, and this one seemed to be a more modern variety.
Glancing around, she moved her drink to her other hand and reached over to tap the shoulder of the nearest person to her. It was a girl in a tube top sitting on the lap of a long-limbed man with scraggly hair.
When the girl turned around, Regina asked, "How does this thing work?"
The younger woman, and the guy whose lap she was sitting on, gave her a weird looks but answered, "Put your coin in and pick a song."
Regina nodded as the girl turned away, shaking her head. She didn't notice, however, as she was busy digging around in her handbag to see if she actually had any coins. Finally, she encountered one at the bottom. She shoved it into the coin slot and the screen lit up displaying a playlist. Experimentally, she reached up to it, finding that it was a touch screen that allowed her to scroll through like a tablet.
She toggled through the playlist before finally pressing down on a song title. It was a bit old school, but the crowd seemed to approve of the choice. Those gathered in the free-standing areas picked up activity, dancing along to the beat.
Smiling, Regina, let herself sway a little before realizing that she probably looked a bit strange dancing by herself. Gulping down the last sip of Appletini, she pushed through the crowd back toward where she'd last seen Robin. He'd invited her to this place, he could at least dance with her.
She laughed to herself, thinking that she'd make it an order if he resisted.
As she stumbled through the crowd, she arrived at the bar but stopped in her tracks as she caught sight of him.
He was leaning over the bar, head to head with that tall dark-haired woman he'd introduced her to earlier. His secondary school girlfriend. What had her name been?
The other woman laughed loudly, tossing her head back and squeezing his arm as he gazed at her affectionately-
Letting out a huff, Regina deposited her empty glass on the bar and turned away.
Great! Looked like had...plans...for this weekend. Why had he invited her along if that was what he was going to spend the weekend doing?
Did he think she'd just be okay with being a third wheel? Or that she was just that desperate for friends?
She glanced over again, and that Robin was still gazing at the woman.
She rolled her eyes. She wasn't about to just sit around some sweaty dive bar while he flirted with his ex-girlfriend. She didn't need him. She could do just fine on her own as she'd originally planned to this weekend.
With that she pushed her way back through the crowd and out the front door.
* 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 *
Marian sighed, her laughter trailing off with a groan, "Oh, I gotta go, that table in the front is waving to me again. Duty calls!"
As she picked up her tray and walked off, Robin glanced toward the back left corner of the bar toward the entrance to the restrooms. Checking his watch, he noticed that it had been a while since Regina left for them. Had she still not come back out?
Stepping back down the bar, he nudged John's shoulder as he was taking a sip of his next beer, "Hey, did you see Regina come back out?"
"No, I haven't seen her."
He looked over at Will who also shook his head 'no.'
Killian, who'd been clearing glasses off the bar nearby, jumped in, "Looking for your princess? She ran off mate."
Will snickered at hearing the other man use the same term to describe Regina he had earlier, but Robin ignored it instead asking, "What do you mean she ran off?"
"I gave her another drink earlier, after that I lost her in the crowd for a while." Killian said "then I saw her bolting out the door a few minutes ago."
"What?!" he demanded, "Where did she go?"
"Don't ask me! I have no idea," he answered.
Pushing himself away from the bar, Robin shoved his way through the crowd to the front door. As he stumbled out into the parking lot, he glanced around frantically but saw no sign of her. Gods' what was she doing?!
He reached into his pocket to grab the car keys, but stopped. He wasn't exactly sober, and if he ended up getting arrested for drunk driving, who knows how long she'd be alone?
Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he glanced down the road toward Donald's house where they'd driven earlier. It was the only direction she knew in the area, so hopefully that was the way she'd go, he thought to himself as he got to the parking lot edge and began jogging in that direction.
It turned out he was right. The effects of the beers he'd had made it feel like much longer, but he finally caught up with Regina 10 minutes down the road.
"Regina!" he called, slowing his pace to try to catch his breath, "What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm going back to the house," she answered shortly.
"Now?" he asked, in between breaths, "I thought you were having fun?"
She scoffed, "I have better things to do than sit in some bar in the middle of nowhere watching you hookup with your ex!"
"What? What are you talking about?" he asked, reaching out to grab her arm, "Hold on-"
"Don't touch me!" she yelled ripping her arm out of his grasp, the sudden shift in weight caused her to stumble and twisting her ankle as she lost her balance and tumbled down onto the asphalt. As she landed she cried out from the impact, and the pain that shot up from her ankle.
Robin swore, stooping to help her up.
"Get off me! I'm fine!" she protested as he lifted her to her feet. As soon as he let of of her, however, and she tried to put weight on her ankle, pain tore through her again and her leg gave out. Robin caught her as she stumbled, keeping her from hitting the ground a second time.
"You're not fine," Robin muttered, reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone.
"Yes, I am. I just need a moment-"
"You need a doctor," he corrected as opened the Flyt app to search for rides in the area. Luckily there was one less than three minutes away. Probably parked near the Jolly Roger knowing people would be ordering rides from there later.
"Oh would you quit being dramatic?" she complained.
He looked at her incredulously, "I'm being dramatic? You're the one who decided to walk down a mile of country road at night those shoes!"
"Yeah, well, if you'd just dropped me off at the house earlier like I suggested-"
Her rant was cut off, however, by a van pulling up next to them.
"Mr. Locksley?" the driver asked, "You ordered a Flyt to Sherwood Hospital?"
"Yes," he nodded opening the backdoor to help Regina inside. She balked, so he sighed and said, "It's either this or an ambulance."
Glaring at him, she pulled herself into the car, leaning heavily on hims as she did so to avoid putting weight on her ankle. Once she was in the seat, she grabbed the handle and pulled the back door closed.
Holding down growing aggravation at that subtle hint, Robin made his way around to get in the front seat.
* 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 *
The wait time at the local hospital was mercifully short. They took Regina back to have her ankle looked at within 10 minutes of checking in.
Robin spent another 15 to 20 in the lobby waiting. During that time he managed to sober up a little, though not as much as he might have hoped.
He'd really thought she'd been enjoying herself at the Jolly Roger, but apparently not. Instead this entire night was looking to be a disaster!
His recriminations were interrupted when a nurse pushed Regina out into the lobby in a wheelchair.
Jumping up he asked, "What happened?"
"Calm down!" Regina glared, "It's just a sprain."
"This is your husband?" the nurse asked.
"No!" the two of them answered simultaneously.
"We're not a couple!" Regina barked, causing the nurse to flinch in surprise.
"We're just friends," he explained, ignoring the sarcastic noise Regina made in her throat.
"Alright, well you're going to need to take it easy, Ms. Mills," the nurse explained, "Rest, ice, and elevation for the next 48 hours. Anti-inflammatories if the pain gets to be too much. Now I assume you have a ride home?"
Regina looked at him expectantly.
"I'll order us another Flyt," he answered. After ordering the ride, he walked next to the nurse who pushed Regina's wheelchair out to the pickup lane.
The two helped her into the back of the car when it arrived, and they spent the ride back to Donald's house in silence save for a few moments of short conversation with the driver.
After pulling up at the house, Robin helped her out of the car and held onto her carefully as he guided her across the gravel walk and up the porch.
Inside the house, she pulled away from him again, bracing herself against a wall for balance.
"Okay, we're back now! You can go back to the bar or...wherever."
He sighed tiredly, "I'm not leaving you here alone while you're injured!"
"How noble of you," she muttered under her breath.
"What is wrong?" Robin asked, "You seemed to be having fun earlier, why are you all upset now?"
"I'm not upset!" she argued.
"Oh, sorry, my mistake!" he said sarcastically.
She glared at him, turning toward the stairs, "Look I don't need help, alright? Just go back to the bar. Your tall, leggy, super-sweet ex is waiting for you!"
Robin nearly flinched in shock at hearing her repeat the sentiment she'd expressed earlier on the road. Not to mention that wording had him pursing his lips together to keep from laughing. Before he could think better of it he found himself asking dryly, "Are you sure you don't want me to bring her here for you?"
Regina turned to look at him in shock.
"You're the one who keeps bringing her up," he shrugged.
"Oh!" she groaned in disgust, "Shut up, you pervert!"
"Hey, I'm just saying…" he joked.
"Well don't!" she yelled, "Gods', what is wrong with you?"
"I'm not sure what else you expect me to think? Other than maybe that you're jealous?" he'd meant that to be a joke, but he knew the words were a mistake the moment he said them.
"Excuse me?!" she asked, "Jealous? You wish!"
He only just managed to ignore the part of his mind immediately shouting that of course he did!
Instead he stepped forward to support her weight again and began guiding her up the stairs, "You're not staying here alone. So, if I were you, I'd go ahead and get changed because you're going to be laid up the rest of the night."
She shook him off as they reached the door of the guest room, "Fine!"
He watched her as she slowly made her way through the door, and simply said, "I'll get you some ice."
She didn't look back at him as she closed the door behind her. When she heard his footsteps on the stairs she let out a sigh of relief.
Gods' how had this night gone so horribly wrong?
Letting out a deep breath, she hobbled her way over to the bed where she let herself flop down, glad to get off her feet.
Digging out a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top she managed to get her shirt and bra off just fine, and change into the tank top. Her boots posed a bigger problem, though. They'd taken them off to examine her at the hospital, but, when the nurse put them back on her, it had hurt so much she'd nearly cried. She suspected that getting them off a second time would be similarly bad.
Bracing herself, she lifted her right ankle and began pulling the boot off. It was much more difficult that usual, sliding at a glacial pace before finally giving away. She bit down hard on her lip to keep from crying out from the pain. As it slowly subsided, she tossed the boot aside and gingerly lowered her right foot. Getting the other boot off was less of an ordeal, and, with care, she managed lay back on the bed and ease her jeans off. Getting the shorts up was a little more difficult. She only just managed to pull them past her hips when Robin knocked at the door.
Sitting back down on the bed, she called, "Come in!"
Robin opened the door, stepping inside holding an ice pack and a throw pillow.
"Go ahead and lay back," he instructed.
She wasn't exactly happy about being ordered around, but did so since she knew she'd probably be going to bed soon anyway.
He lowered himself down onto the foot of the bed, gently lifting her foot to slide the pillow underneath and put the ice on it. She winced as the cold hit her skin even through the plastic bag.
"Sorry," he lifted it up a little, and slowly lowered it back down to let her get used to the temperature.
She chuckled to herself, sliding her arm behind her head, "You're gentler than that ER doctor was."
He looked up at her for a moment and murmured, "Thanks."
"Where you'd learn that?" she wondered aloud.
"I was an EMT before I got arrested," he answered.
"Right," she nodded, "I knew that. It was in your personnel file."
The two stared at each other for a few more moments before Robin broke the contact. Standing, he told her, "You should get some sleep."
Regina watched him close the door behind him, torn between feeling annoying at the fact that he was still kind of ordering her around, and...some other feeling that she didn't quite understand.
Shaking her head, she dismissed that thought, pulled the blanket over her, and let herself sink down into her pillow to drift off.
TBC...;-)