"Hello?" Belle answered her phone.
"Belle, it's Robin Locksley. Do you remember me?" Robin asked.
"Robin, yes I remember you. How are you?" Belle asked. She hoped Regina had opened up to Robin and that they were seeing each other now.
"I've been better. Listen I need your help with something," Robin said.
"Of course, how can I help?" Belle asked.
"Have you spoken with Regina lately?" Robin asked. "Yes, I know that everything that happened with Regina."
"Not in a few days. Is everything alright with you two?" Belle asked.
"We were, we even had a great date this morning and had made plans to go out for dinner tonight. And then she calls me and tells me that all this was a way to get back at Zelena and to not call her anymore." Robin explained.
"That doesn't make any sense, she was almost giddy about everything that had happened with you two." Belle said. "But how can I help?"
"I went over to her house to try to talk to her, but Jonathan refused to let me see her. Why does she stay with her parents still by the way?" Robin asked, it wasn't completely unusual but still.
"Well, her mother had a bad health scare and Regina moved in to help her. I've never liked Jonathan Mills, since the moment I met him." Belle said.
"Will you go see her and ask her what is going on? I'm trying not to ask you to spy on her for me, but I'm at a loss right now Belle. I need your help, please," Robin said.
"I'll be glad to, let me get changed and I'll be on my way over and I'll call you as soon as I leave her house," Belle said.
"Thank you, Belle," Robin said as they ended the phone call.
Belle changed her clothes and quickly made her way over to Regina's, all the way over thinking what could have made her change her mind like this. If she was getting nervous over her relationship with Robin, that was one thing but for her to tell Robin it was to get back at Zelena, that did not make any sense to Belle. Ten minutes later, Belle was pulling up in front of Regina's house. She parked her car and headed to the door, where she rung the doorbell.
"Can I help you?" the maid asked.
"I'm Belle Gold. I'm a friend of Regina's, I'm here to see her," Belle said as she saw the nervous look on the maid's face. What was going on here?
"I'm sorry but Regina is not seeing visitors at this time," the maid said exactly what she had been told to tell anyone who came to see Regina by Jonathan Mills.
"Is she sick?" Belle asked.
"I'm sorry but she is not seeing visitors right now," the maid again repeated to Belle.
"Please, it's very important that I see her. If only for a few minutes, I promise not to keep her," Belle said as she watched the maid look around and then put her hand against her lips to make her be silent as she waved her own to follow her. The maid took her to Regina's room and told her to be as quiet as possible. Belle opened the door to find Regina laying on her bed, she turned when she heard the door opening.
"Belle? What are you doing here?" Regina asked as she got off the bed.
"I'm here to see you. OH MY GOD, REGINA! What happened to your face?" Belle said as she moved a hand to Regina's face to see the ugly purple bruise already on the side of Regina's face.
"I was going down the stairs and missed a step and fell, its not as bad as it looks I promise," Regina said as she tried to hide her face from the bruise being shown.
"Regina, that's not what happened. Tell me, please," Belle said.
"I fell, that's all," Regina said as she moved to stand in front of her bedroom windows.
"Regina, what happened with Robin?" Belle asked as Regina turned around to Belle.
"How do you know about that?" Regina asked.
"Robin called me, very upset over what you said to him.
"It was not going to work between us," Regina said. She hated to hear how upset Robin was with her phone call, but she had, had no choice.
"Regina, Robin wanted to talk to you. He even came here and Jonathan refused to let him see you," Belle said.
"He needs to stay away," Regina said. She knew Jonathan would stop Robin from seeing her, it did touch her heart that Robin had come to see her.
"Regina, did Jonathan do something to your face?" Belle asked thinking Jonathan was behind all this.
"What? No, I told you what happened Belle," Regina said.
"I know what you told me, Regina, but something else is going on and you have to let me help you. Let Robin help you, Regina." Belle said as she walked over to Regina. She watched the turmoil swirl around on Regina's face and eyes. "Please, Regina!" Belle said rather loudly as she grabbed Regina's arms, she pulled her hands away upon seeing Regina wince in pain.
"What's wrong?" Belle asked.
"Nothing," Regina said as Belle moved quickly and pushed her sleeve back to see the bruises on Regina's arms.
"Regina!" Belle said as she was stunned to see the bruises. "Who did that, Regina? And don't tell me you fell, those are hand prints on your arms, Regina."
"Belle, I need you to leave. Please, Belle," Regina pleaded with her to leave.
"Regina, you can't stay here. Not when you're being abused like this," Belle said.
"Belle, I can't. Look every thing will be alright now, please leave." Regina said.
"Regina, what's keeping you here?" Belle said as she thought of why she might stay here and take the abuse from Jonathan, suddenly it hit her. "Is it your mother? Regina, you can get her out of the house as well. Your mother would not want you to stay here and be treated like this. Tell your mom, Regina!"
"Belle...Don't tell Robin what you saw, please. Things will get worse if you do, once things die down, all will be right again," Regina said.
"Regina," Belle said.
"Please, Belle," Regina said as Belle was about to speak they heard someone calling her name.
"Regina! Come downstairs now!" Jonathan Mills hollered from far away.
"I have to go, Belle. When I've got him distracted you need to get out of the house," Regina said as she walked around Belle and headed downstairs where her step-father awaited her. Zelena was standing beside her father with her arms crossed and a devious smile on her face.
"You bellowed?" Regina asked sarcastically.
"Regina, tell your sister how sorry you are about messing with her date that night at the ball," Jonathan said.
"I'm sorry I messed with your plans for that night, Zelena," Regina said.
"Much better, Regina," Jonathan said.
"Now may I go?" Regina asked.
"You haven't spoken with Robin now have you?" Zelena asked.
"No, not one word," Regina said.
"Good girl, now get back upstairs and check on your mother," Jonathan said as Regina nodded and went upstairs. She went straight to her mother's room.
"Regina, it's so good to see you," Cora said as she saw her daughter.
"Hello mother, how are you doing today?" Regina asked as she sat on the bed by her mom.
"Better today than yesterday. Regina what's wrong?" Cora asked as she saw tears in her daughter's eyes.
"Nothing, I'm just glad you're feeling better," Regina said. She was glad her mother was doing better. Some days in the past, things had not looked good for her mom.
"Regina, I'm your mother. I know when things are not right with you, now tell me what happened to upset you?" Cora asked as Regina lowered her head. "Is it a man?"
"How, how did you know?" Regina asked.
"I told you, I'm your mother. We know these things, now tell me what happened?" Cora asked.
"It was just not going to work with us, I had to end things between us," Regina said.
"What was his name?" Cora asked.
"Robin, Robin Locksley. Mom don't tell Jonathan about any of this," Regina said.
"I won't darling, the Robin Locksley?" Cora asked.
"The very one, I met him a few days ago and things were good between us. Really good, but then things changed between us and I had no choice but to end things," Regina said.
"I'm so sorry Regina, I know how much you have had to deal with in the past few years, and I know you think things might be down for you right now, but don't give up on love. Trust me." Cora said as she took her daughter's hands in hers and kissed them. Regina hugged her mom, letting the tears flow down her cheeks.
"Regina, its obvious you have feelings for this man. If you think he's worth fighting for, and might can work things out, then don't give up." Cora said.
"I love you mother," Regina said.
"I love you too, Regina," Cora said as Regina left and went to her room. She was ready to go back to work on Monday to get away from this awful feeling, she wanted her mind on something else, instead of being so saddened over Robin.
Meanwhile, Robin was pacing at the restaurant where Belle had told him to meet her at in a quick text message. He couldn't sit down right now, he was so anxious for Belle to get here to find out what she knew.
"Robin," Belle said as she ran up to him.
"Belle, what did you find out?" Robin asked.
"Let's go outside to the patio first." Belle said as they quickly went out and shut the doors behind them. "She's in trouble, Robin."
"What kind of trouble?" Robin asked, already alarmed.
"When I got there, the maid told me she wasn't seeing visitors. I finally convinced her to let me see her." Belle said. "Oh, Robin she being abused there."
"Abused? What do you mean?" Robin asked, now he was angry.
"She has this ugly bruise to the side of her face, she told me she fell." Belle said as she saw the worry and anger on Robin's face. "She's lying, Robin. I think Jonathan hit her. She also has these finger tip looking bruises on her arms."
"I'll kill him!" Robin said as he made a move to leave, but was stopped in his tracks by Belle who placed a hand on his arm.
"Robin, wait! I think he's blackmailing her with something, I think he's using her mom against her." Belle said.
"I'll get them both of them out of the house then," Robin said as his fury was building since hearing about Regina being hurt by Jonathan. No man had a right to abuse a woman like that, especially not one who meant a lot to him. By God, he would never put his hands on Regina again, not if he had any say in it.
"Robin, she looks very afraid of him. There's more to it though, she won't tell me what it is," Belle said.
"I'm going to see her now," Robin said. "Thank you Belle."
"Robin, Jonathan is not going to let you into the house," Belle said.
"What do you suggest I do? Just let him keep abusing the woman that I-" Robin stopped talking as he realized what he had been about to say.
"The woman that you love," Belle said quietly.
"Yes, and Jonathan Mills is not going to hurt her again," Robin promised.
"Robin, don't go to the house. Instead tomorrow is Sunday, go to the stables. Regina goes riding on Sunday afternoons," Belle told him.
"Alright, but if she doesn't appear tomorrow at the stables, I'm going to the house and get her and her mother out," Robin said as Belle nodded. For a split second, she was so happy that her friend had a man who was in love with her and was fighting for her. But given the situation she was so frightened for her friend as well.
That night Robin lay in his bed, his thoughts were consumed by worry for Regina. Was she alright? Had she been abused again? She had better be alright, because the world was not long for Jonathan Mills if Robin find out otherwise. He finally went to sleep but dreamed of Regina the whole night.
The next morning he ate a quick breakfast before heading to the stables, he was there early but he didn't care. He was not going to take a chance of missing her just in case. An hour passed, then two. He was sitting in the stall, his legs bouncing as he was nervous she was not going to appear. He stood up as he heard the sound of footsteps, he looked and saw a brunette walking towards another stall. It was her! He quickly left the stall he was in and walked up behind her, she was putting the harness on the horse in front of her.
"Hello, Regina," Robin spoke gently.