A/N-Thanks to all who read, review, message, fav, follow. I appreciate it all so much!
Regina turned around to see Robin standing there behind her. "Robin, what are you doing here?" He looked so good, she just looked at him. She had not seen him since yesterday, when they were happy together.
"I told you I wasn't going to give up on you, on us. Now tell me what happened to cause you to change your mind about us?" Robin said as he walked up to her slowly, even though he wanted to run up to her, but he knew she would bolt like a new colt he had.
"Robin, it's not going to work. I've told you this, now please leave me alone," Regina said. It was taking every thing she had to try to push him away from her. Her heart was breaking having to say this to him, but she had to protect her mother.
"Regina, I'll leave you be if you'll tell me who hit your face," Robin said as he saw her move her head as if to hide it from him. It angered him that she was protecting the bastard who had done this to her. "It was Jonathan, wasn't it?"
"What? No, I fell that's all," Regina said as she tried to move past him, but Robin was not going to let this go. It was too important, she was too important to him.
"Regina, don't lie to me. We were having a good time yesterday, you were letting that guard of yours down to me finally. You were looking forward to spending more time with me last night, until you went into your home." Robin said as he kept her eyes on his. "Now tell me the truth, don't protect that bastard."
"Robin," Regina was saying but stopped upon Robin putting his hands on her arms causing her to wince lightly.
"Your arms, I'm so sorry Regina I forgot," Robin said as he moved her shirt up to see her arms for himself, his anger intensified at seeing the harm she had suffered from his neglect. He knew he was not responsible for what had happened, but he couldn't let it go that if he had brought her home with him instead she wouldn't have the bruises she does now.
"How did you know about that?" Regina asked as she knew as soon as she said the words who had told him. "Belle, of course."
"Don't blame her, I'm not ashamed to admit I asked her to check on you for me," Robin said.
"Robin, you have to leave," Regina said.
"I'm not going to leave you alone so you can go back into that house and be hit again," Robin said. "What kind of man do you think I am? That I can just let you leave and be hit by that monster again?"
"You're not my husband and you can't tell me what to do!" Regina yelled at him.
"No, I'm not. Not yet, but I can do this," Robin said as he bent at the waist and hoisted her fireman carry over his shoulder, to her kicking and screaming antics. He was careful of where he knew her bruises were.
"Put me down this instant!" Regina screamed at him as she pummeled his back to be put back down.
"Regina, stop it! I'm not going to let you get hurt anymore, what can you not understand about that?" Robin screamed back at her as he started walking towards a huge pile of hay and gently lowered her onto it. Once he had her on the hay, he straddled her hips with his legs to keep her from running from him, again.
"Regina, you have to listen to me. Calm down for a second," Robin said as she was hitting him with her hands, he let her do it without restraining her wrists.
"You have to let me go!" Regina yelled at him.
"After you listen to me!" Robin said loudly, she had to listen to him. He had to find a way to get through to her.
"And why should I do something like that?" Regina asked.
"Because I love you damnit!" Robin yelled at her. His words caused her to stop her from hitting at him instantly.
"You what?" Regina asked.
"I'm in love with you, Regina," Robin confessed. "And I think you have feelings for me as well."
"You can't be in love with me," Regina said. There was no way Robin was in love with her.
"Regina, it took me to think of someone hurting you, of someone putting their hands on you in anger to cause you pain to make me realize how I much I loved you." Robin said. "That's the truth."
"Robin," Regina whispered. She could see the truth in his eyes.
"How do you feel about me, Regina. Please answer me," Robin said.
"I...I'm in love-" Regina was saying when she heard her name being called.
"Regina! Where are you?" Zelena called out as Robin turned his head and was about to speak, when Regina put a hand over his mouth to silence him. He saw the pleading look in her face to not let Zelena know he was there.
"Regina!" Zelena called again. Regina moved so that Robin was forced to sit back on his feet. She quickly moved before Zelena could find them together. She straightened her clothes before running out of the stall to where Zelena was.
"Zelena, what are you doing here?" Regina asked. Zelena never came riding, she hated getting dirty.
"Daddy wants you back at the house, so he sent me to come after you. Why is there hay in your hair?" Zelena asked as she pulled a few strands out. "Are you having a roll in the hay with a stable boy again?" Zelena's phrase of using her pet name for Daniel brought back pain, along with worry about Robin being found out. She prayed he would stay hidden away from Zelena's prying eyes.
"No, I was just brushing the horse," Regina said.
"Oh. Well good, because I better not find out you're rolling around in the hay with Robin Locksley. He warned you to stay away from him. Or daddy won't be too happy with you, now will he?" Zelena asked. Just then there was the sound of a bang against the stall door.
"What was that?" Zelena asked as she started walking towards the stall where Robin was hidden.
"It was just the horse, he gets anxious to be ridden sometimes." Regina said.
"Ugly beasts," Zelena said. "Well, hurry up. Daddy wants you home as soon as possible," Zelena said as she left the barn and headed towards her car.
"So Jonathan warned you to stay away from me?" Robin asked as Regina turned around to look at him.
"It doesn't matter," Regina said.
"It matters a whole lot. What is he using against you to stay there?" Robin asked as he was now only inches from her. "Your mother?" He saw the way her eyes cut at him that he had guessed correctly. "Regina, you have to let me help you."
"I can't, not now. If I do he's going to hurt my mother," Regina said as Robin pulled her into his arms.
"I won't let that happen. We can go to your house and remove her from the house right now," Robin said.
"If we do that he'll ruin her, I can't let my mother loose everything she has worked so hard for," Regina said.
"When?" Robin asked.
"Give me a few days, and I'll be back in touch with you. But please don't call me," Regina said as she hugged him back, it felt so good to be held in his arms.
"I'm letting you go on one promise, Regina," Robin said as he pulled back to look into her face. "You have to promise me, that if Jonathan threatens you or hurts you, you'll call me or the police." Regina looked at him and he knew she was torn, but she nodded instead.
"I will," Regina said.
"You never did tell me how you felt about me," Robin said.
"I'm in love with you too," Regina said. Robin lowered his mouth and kissed her lips gently.
"I'm afraid for you love. Be careful love, I couldn't bare if it anything was to happen to you," Robin said. His worry for her had not decreased not by the slightest.
"I will be careful," Regina said. "I have to go." She pulled away from him and was walking out of the stables when she heard Robin speak again.
"Oh, and just for the record, your stallion does get anxious to be ridden by a certain lady," Robin said as he winked at her before she left.
Regina hurried to her car and drove back to her house, her mood was somewhat lightened over Robin's appearance in the stables. And how he said he was afraid for her. But the biggest thing was him telling her how he was in love with her, and she had told him how she was feeling. For the first time since Daniel, she was in love with another man. She had true feelings about Robin, they had come out of nowhere but they were here now. And she knew after seeing him today they were not going anywhere.
She arrived at her home a few minutes later, she parked her car and took a deep breath before she went inside the house. She immediately started heading to her mother's room.
"It's about time you came home," Jonathan said from behind her causing Regina to jump slightly.
"I see you sent your flying monkey after me. What was so important that I had to leave the stables?" Regina asked.
"What your tone missy, watch it. I don't think you should be going out, not now when your mother is just getting on the mend," Jonathan said.
"Like you care," Regina said.
"I'm the one in control here, don't you ever forget that, Regina," Jonathan said as he then turned and made way for his study. Regina just rolled her eyes and headed towards her mother's room.
"Mother, how are you feeling today?" Regina asked as she came into her mother's room.
"Today is a better day," Cora said as she saw her daughter smile. It wasn't just a smile of happiness over her having a good day, there was more there. "What is making you happy right now?"
"I'm just happy that you are feeling good today," Regina said. She was, she was glad her mother was having a better day than some of the others in recent history.
"Regina, I'm your mother. I know when some thing is wrong and when something is right, now tell me," Cora said.
"When did you become so bossy?" Regina asked.
"The day you were born," Cora said as Regina just smiled.
"You remember me telling you about Robin?" Regina asked as Cora nodded and smiled, she had hoped that this man was going to fix whatever had gone wrong between him and her daughter. And from the look on her daughter's face, he had.
"Well things are getting better between us. But mother, please don't speak of this to anyone, especially Zelena and Jonathan," Regina said.
"Regina, is Jonathan doing something I should know of?" Cora asked as Regina's expression changed and she slowly shook her head, that was when Cora saw the dark bruise on the side of her daughter's face. "Regina, oh my god, what happened to your face?"
Regina moved her hand to her face immediately as if to hide it, but it was too late, she had seen it. "It's nothing, I was going up the stairs too quickly and missed a step. Clumsy me."
"Regina, are you sure?" Cora asked. Something was not right here, her daughter was not clumsy.
"I'm fine mother, now I need to go make some phone calls. Is there anything I can do for you?" Regina asked.
"I was hoping to go out into the back patio later, to enjoy watching the sun set. Do you think you could help me?" Cora asked.
"I would love to. I'll see you later," Regina said as she kissed the side of her mother's face before leaving her room. She made her way to her room, where she saw she had several missed texts from Robin.
Are you alright?
I worry for you
If you can, please call me or at least text me to give me a sign
I love you Regina
If you need me, call me
Regina smiled at his concern and his last text was the one who made her heart go all a flutter. He had admitted he was in love with her, the words she never thought she would hear again. Just the day before she would have been overjoyed at his words, and the love she felt for him. She had to figure out a way to get out of this mess, once her mother was strong enough, they would both get out of this house. And going by her mother's recent days, it wouldn't be too much longer. She sent Robin a quick text to try to stop his worry.
Robin was in his living room, pacing the floor as he waited for any reply from Regina to his texts. He was half tempted to just go over there and get Regina and her mother out of that house now. He could handle Jonathan Mills, he had no doubt. His phone dinged signaling he had a text, he quickly looked and smiled at the text Regina had sent him.
DITTO
Robin's relief was short lived as he remembered the dangerous environment she was in, he made a promise to himself that if Jonathan put his hands on her again, he would pummel the man and make sure the woman he loved was not in danger anymore. He made a quick phone call to his lawyer, to ask him a few legal questions.
In his study, Jonathan was putting the baby monitor down as he had just listened to the conversation between his wife and Regina. So, Regina was seeing Locksley again. Well, he was going to have to put a stop to that, and he knew just how to do it. He picked up the phone and made a phone call.
"Victor Whale, it's Jonathan Mills. We have business to do," Jonathan said with a devious smile on his face.