Fight For Me

by SoulHeartShipper

This story sets after season 4 in an attempt to fix this mess about Zelena's pregnancy. Will Regina accept the situation so easily? Will Robin try to prove his love for her? Will he fight for her or choose his honor above her again? Prepare yourself for some anguish, drama and lots of fluff. This is an OutlawQueen Endgame fanfic.

8. Chapter 8

I know it's been a long time since my last update. As I said before, my life is complicated, but right now I have things under control and the next update won't take so long. So thanks for the ones who are still with me and still waiting for this chapter.

This is the longest chapter I've ever written (it's my way to say sorry for the delay! Hehehehe).

I'm posting the chapter right now but it's partially betaed (sorry for my mistakes). When it's done, I'll repost it.

Before you read the chapter, I wanted to remember that, as I told you in the first chapter, the Darkness is still surrounding the town and it didn't try to catch Regina as in the show, but now it making its appearance.

For the first time, I wrote about the Missing Year and I really hope you enjoy it. Ahhh, I don't know on the show, but here, there's a dance. Add, I wrote something in this chapter that I think every OQ fan always wanted and I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Thank you very much for my betas, Mon and Gabi, you rock!

For some friends: Leticia Rozendo (you're really special to me), Reinette (Polypocket, your words of affection and encouragement inspires me), Gabi (I love your audios freaking out about this story), Tuane (This time I remembered you, so stop complaining! hahaha), Arancha (Thank you for been my GA) and for those who have always encouraged my writing. Thank you very much.

Just a notice: all flashbacks are real. Well, at least on this story, they really happened. When you read it, you understand what I'm talking about.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter and thanks for your support.

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CHAPTER 8

"What am I doing here?" Merlin widened his eyes as he tried to stand on his feet, seeing the bars around him. He rubbed his eyes, taking in his surroundings and noticed a woman figure staring at him from outside of his "cage".

"Don't be so thankless. I rescued you." Zelena said as she approached him, with a smirk on her face.

"I really doubt that." He replied and stepped back as he sensed the woman's magic, and it was not the good kind of magic, he could tell.

"You were laying down on the forest and unconscious." She pointed that out and raised a finger at him.

"And you rescued me and put me on a cell?" He scoffed sarcastically.

"Just for precaution, judging by who you are." She grabbed the bars with both hands and stared at him curiously.

"You know me." He breathed out and closed his eyes. He had already heard about her but didn't have the displeasure to meet her in person… well, until right now.

"Actually, I'm looking for you since I had heard the news that people from Camelot were here." Zelena started to walk around the cage, like a predator around its prey.

"Can you imagine my surprise when I found you?" She glanced at him from head to toe with disdain.

"I thought you couldn't use magic anymore." Merlin had known about Zelena's condition. He knew about what she had done and that the "good guys" had put on her wrista magical artifactto prevent her from use magic, but apparently, she had found a way to get rid of it.

"Oh, so I'm not the only one doing some researches." She looked at him in the eyes, leaned her head between the bars.

"I found a way, I had always found a way." She laughed defiantly.

"Let's say the old Dark One helped me. Of course, I had to ask him politely…" She had paid a visit to Rumple, who was really weak now, in a bed and without his magic.

She could say it was really easy to get what she wanted, since she had Belle's heart in her hand and threatened him to squeeze it if he didn't tell her how to get away from the bracelet. So he did tell her and she made Belle give her the dagger. She erased Belle's memories, and since then, she was pretending to not been able to perform magic, because she was just waiting for the right moment. Of course, as always, she had a wicked plan in mind.

"Anyway, this is none of your business." She barked out.

"I need something from you." She pointed a finger at the magician.

"What do you want from me?" The old man asked but he already knew what the answer would be.

"Oh, it's simple!" She gave a little scoff and started to walk around his cell again.

"I want to be the next Dark One!" She concluded. Besides Rumple's kindness about the bracelet, she was using his cabin in the woods. She had planned everything and her intention was clear since the beginning: she would catch Merlin and make him her prisoner until she could get what she wanted from him.

"It's not possible." The magician nodded his head negatively.

"Don't play with me, old man." Zelena raised her hands and, magically, suspended the man from the ground, throwing him against the bars.

"I know you're the only one able to perform that." She faced him angry, faces only inches apart, and squeezed his neck more and more.

"In this case…I can't." He tried to say those words between the lacks of oxygen. He was convinced the woman would kill him if he didn't do what she wanted, but even if he wanted to do what she was asking, he couldn't, because even the darkness had its rules. What the woman was asking for was almost impossible.

"You're weak and your magic is fading away." She squeezed his neck even tight, if that was even possible.

"I could kill you in a blink of my eyes." She huffed, demandingly.

"I really doubt that!" Merlin managed to sound insolent to her, despite his situation. He wouldn't show his fear towards the woman and he knew Zelena needed him. Maybe she'd kill him but he was sure she wasn't doing it right now, she needed him to accomplish her wishes first.

"If you kill me… you wouldn't be able to become… what you want!" He tried to sound firmly, despite his voice was fading away and he couldn't breathe properly anymore.

"You're clever." She scoffed, reeling her hand out of the grasp on his neck, but looked at him with angry and devil eyes.

"Of course I wouldn't kill you before you do what I want you to do for me." She sharply turned away from him, pacing back and forth; as she was wondering about what kind of torture she was supposed to do with him.

"As I told you, it's impossible!" He noticed her impatience and tried to explain the truth to her; he wasn't lying when he said he couldn't do what she was asking him to do.

"Don't make me lose my patience with you. You'll do exactly what I want even if I have to take your heart out and control you." Angry was growing fast inside her; if she didn't need the idiot old man, she would be pleased to kill him right now, but make him suffer a lot first, of course.

"You see..." She lost her temper and sanity, if she even had that before, and let her hand inside the cell, taking his heart out of his chest and making him gasp hard.

"See?" She hold his heart in her hands, with a look of disgusting.

"You don't have a choice!" A bitterness showing in her voice when she spoke those words.

"Try that…" He said, pointing at his heart, now with his weak feet, trying to support his trembling body on the ground.

"I wouldn't be able to perform that magic for you, not while you're on this condition." He didn't lie to her. He wouldn't be able to perform his magic, not while she was pregnant, despite the fact that he knew if he did that, everything would be lost, Regina's baby would be in danger as never before and maybe, his replacement wouldn't been born.

"What do you mean?" Only said the woman in front of him, grabbing the bars of the cell even harder and staring at him with a deathly look.

"Even the darkness has its rules." Merlin was being sincere with her.

"You're pregnant. The darkness would never possess you and even if it does, it'd possess the baby first, an innocent soul. And I'm sure any baby wouldn't survive on that." He told her the truth and could sense her muscles tensed up.

"You're lying!" Zelena felt her blood boil beneath her skin.

She couldn't believe this was happening. She, intentionally, got pregnant because she wanted to hurt her sister, to make her suffer, but she had never wanted it, she had never wanted to be a mother, to have a baby. Her plan was fading away… her sister was apparently happy with another man and here she was: carrying a baby that she had never wanted, a baby conceived by revenge, with a man she barely knew, but hated. She knew he was the soulmate of her naïve sister and that's why she got pregnant in the first place… to hurt her sister and she knew what a product of soulmates was capable of.

"You have my heart! You'd know if I was lying to you." He replied and she knew he was telling the truth.

"Arghhhh! Damnit!" She croaked out in a loud and frustrated tone. The baby, who was supposed to be her revenge, was now disturbing her plans.

"I'll find a way! I have to be the Dark One." She couldn't care less about the life growing inside her. She had a mother before, not a real one, but she had had it anyway. Her fake mother was a good and honest woman, who took her from misery and raised her as her own daughter, but Zelena would never forgive what her real mother had done to her. When she figured out who her real mother was and that that damn woman had kept another girl instead of her, well…. she couldn't forgive Cora and she wouldn't forgive her damn sister. In her mind, her sister had it all while she had been abandoned in the middle of the forest.

"While you're pregnant, you can't." He said and continued.

"The darkness would possess the baby, not you, that if the baby would survive." Merlin responded, folding his hands in front of him and taking Zelena away from her thoughts.

"I can't believe it! This baby is useless!" She complained.

"A life is a life, always important. Don't do anything you can regret later because if you try to..." He tried to warn her but she interrupted him.

"Like I care about that…" She said, pointing at her stomach, keeping her voice indifferent.

"I'd thank you for the wise words… but I won't!" She stated, gritting her teeth and squaring her shoulders.

"My only concern right now is become powerful, become the new Dark One and destroy my sister and make her suffer!" She stated firmly, making her intentions and priorities pretty clear for him.

"Apparently, despite what I have done, my little sister can be happy without her soulmate and now I can't become the Dark One because of it!" She pointed to her stomach reproachfully again.

"Why are you laughing?" She said, a look of irritation taking residence in her eyes, as she saw the old man smiling at her.

"Destiny!" He simple answered, with a knowing look towards her.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You had done a lot of things to hurt your sister and I'm not only talking about this child…"

"I know what you did to your sister!" He stated strongly.

"Maybe you could have threatened the author and I'm sure you had counted on the old Dark One's help. Maybe you could have come back in the past and tried to change everything, but you can't change what is prophesied." Merlin said and a bit of guilty washed him. He should have told Regina the truth, but he hesitated. He had always been a man who had never tried to change faith. He knew how dangerous that could be, and he had always believed that the destiny would always find a way to keep its course.

"I changed my destiny!" She exclaimed angrily.

"Are you sure?" He narrowed his eyes and looked at her.

"She can be happy, but she isn't with him anymore…" She scoffed and shook her head.

"And even if she was, she wouldn't be able to have children with him!" She glared at Merlin with a victorious face.

"So, I changed everything and you will make me the Dark One!" She pointed a finger at him and laughed.

"Even if it was possible, I don't have my wand, without it, I can't do anything." He replied.

"I can arrange that. I'm sure Rumpelstiltskin know where it is."

"As I said, I'll find a way to become the Dark One; I had always found a way." She barked out as she was leaving the room, closing the door as she left and leaving a worried but smiling Merlin behind her.

If only she knew the truth. He thought with himself.

---

*** FLASHBACK ON ***

Enchanted Forest, many years ago…

"There, he's your soulmate." Tinkerbell pointed her finger at a man who was sitting on a chair, inside an old tavern, with his backs turned to the door.

"The guy with the lion tattoo." The fairy emphasized.

Regina breathed deeply and rubbed her trembling and sweaty palms on her dress, staring at the green magic glowing on the man's tattoo.

What if he was a drunk and a horrible man?

Her life with the king was horrible enough and she would never be happy with that old man. In fact, she was practically a prisoner, but meeting this guy could be even worse.

"I can't do this!" She stepped back and gulped, her whole body was shaking in panic.

"Of course you can. This is your chance at love and happiness!" Tinker was trying to convince her and take Regina from that miserable life she had been forced in to.

"Go get him." She gave a little push on Regina's back, blinking at her hopefully.

Regina could have her freedom and that fairy was giving her this option right now. All the pain in her past would be just that… past. But it wasn't easy; she had no idea how she was supposed to approach her soulmate. She was scare and confused, but a possibility to find love again and maybe build a family, as she has always dreamed, made her heart pound faster inside her chest.

"Okay, I can do this. I can be happy." She took a breath and a shiny smile appeared on her face.

"Pixie dust doesn't lie, Regina. Trust me, inside here lies the beginning of your happiness." The fairy assured her, pointing at the man inside the tavern.

"Now, go!" She completed, with a radiant smile towards the queen and started to walk away from her.

"Wait!" Regina exclaimed as she saw that Tinkerbell wouldn't wait for her.

"Aren't you staying here?" She asked, widening her eyes in fear.

"This is your fate and I've never seen pixie dust fail. You'd do it well by yourself." Those were the last words the fairy said before disappear into the dark street.

Regina closed her eyes, freezing on her tracks. She looked at the man and turned her head to the street in confusion a few times. She should run, let the hesitation consume her or she could ignore all her fears and step inside. It was her choice to change her future and maybe find happiness. She sighed deeply, looking at the starry sky, asking to whatever God to help her, before she decided to open the door and enter the place.

There he was, her soulmate, drinking with his buddies and apparently happy.

So what now?

She didn't know how to approach him. Did she have to introduce herself?

Hello, nice to meet you, I'm Regina, your soulmate!

She shook her head at the ridiculous of the situation. She had never approached a man before and she didn't know how she was supposed to do that; despite been a married woman, she didn't have that experience. She dated Daniel, just him, and happened by chance, she didn't have to flirt with him. And the king… well, she rather not to think about that right now.

She looked around as she stepped forward. The tavern was grungy, old and dimly lit by a few tallow candles, the smoke rose to linger around the wooden beams in a choking grey miasma hanging over the head of the tavern's occupants. The soft murmuring of the place had become much louder since she had entered, and the sound of an unknown music began to play in the background.

There was a few of interesting women there, wearing different outfits with extravagant necklines. The guy would never look at her, she thought with herself. Deep inside, she was still a shy and naïve girl, but since she was there, she would take her chances… if there was even one.

She sat on the bar, ordered a cup of wine, trying to act normal, despite her shaking hands and confused thoughts. She listened to the babble of talk around her and the suspicious glances that some men were throwing at her. Trying to not been catch on the act, she slowly turned her head, searching for him, because she didn't even had a chance to see his face yet. In the corner, she saw a group of drunks arguing over a woman, on the side there was a mercenary deal going down, in the other corner a couple was dancing, but where was he?

She suddenly despaired, turning her head to the table he was not just one minute ago and not finding him there anymore. She was there because of him and now he was in nowhere to been found. She should leave the place and come back to the horrible life she was fated. Maybe happiness wasn't meant for her, maybe it had die along with Daniel. Coming inside the place was definitely been a horrible idea! Tears started to form on her eyes and before she fell apart in front of these men, she had to get out of there!

With unshed tears in her eyes, that she didn't know if were from sadness or angry, she stood up, turning around abruptly and trying to leave the tavern as fast as she could. But something in her way, maybe her own gangling feet, made her lose her balance. She was feeling more ridiculous now than never because she would fall with her face on the floor, in the middle of a tavern with a lot of strange people and…

"Milady?" Came a voice with a notable accent, as she felt strong arms holding her by the waist.

"Are you alright?" The mysterious man leaned his head, staring at her, as she tried to compose herself.

"It's…" She would say "Your Majesty" but she gulped her own words; it was for the best if she kept her identity just for herself.

"I'm fine!" She shouted angrily. She just wanted to get away from there, as her lovely soulmate didn't give a shit for her and disappeared out of blue. Now, this insufferable man was hindering her way out and holding her close to him.

Wait? Was he still touching her? Why wasn't she avoiding him?

She looked at his blue eyes for the first time, then to his hands on her waist, then into his eyes again, which were deeply staring at hers, studying her. She did that movement a few times, until she was getting dizzy. She was trying to figure out what was happening to her, since she didn't take his hands away from her immediately and, to be honest, she didn't have the intention of doing it. Maybe it was because she was feeling warm, protected and a wave of electricity was running through her entire body. Or maybe because she was feeling fragile, in need for some kind of human contact, or maybe because they were only a few inches from each other's mouth and a crazy idea of kissing him crossed her mind.

No! That was unacceptable!

She was there to meet her soulmate and not to feel strange things towards a random strange man. She shook her head and saw the man opening his mouth to speak something, and when he did, she frowned.

"A simple "thank you" would suffice." He teased, before she could complain about anything else.

"I didn't ask for your help." She straightened her posture and stepped back from his touch, missing his warmth immediately, but she wouldn't allow herself to admit it.

"Now if you excuse me…" She waved for him to move away from her front.

"Oh, of course, Your Majesty!" He moved his body to her left, allowing its passage, but all the time he kept smirking at her. She didn't dare to look at him, but she could see from the corner of her eyes, his adorable dimples at display.

She lifted her chin, walking fast and regally, because she was a Queen and she wouldn't show the apparent effect the man was causing on her.

Wait? Your Majesty?

She stopped in her tracks, widening her eyes in shock.

"You know who I am." She threw over her shoulder.

"Of course. I could catch a glimpse of you inside a carriage in one of my duties." He said, approaching her again.

Robin didn't know why, but since he saw this woman walking inside the tavern, his eyes glued on her an inexplicable way; she was breathtaking. He kept observing every single move she had done since then: the lovely way she put her hair behind her ear, the way she turned her head around, maybe in a search for someone, the way she bite her lower lips... He knew she wasn't the kind of woman who frequented taverns, judging by her clothes and her behavior, and when he came close to her, he noticed the truth: she was the Queen.

Even knowing that, and maybe knowing his acts would cost his head, he was brave, or fool enough, to approach her. He couldn't help, he felt this need to tease her, and if he was honest, to flirt with her. That woman was intriguing and amusing him. Apparently she was looking for someone, but inside a tavern? What was a Queen with sad eyes, if he could tell, doing in a tavern? He had to know and he wanted to know her. He didn't know why, he just had this need consuming him.

"What kind of duties?" She didn't want to speak anything more with him but it seemed her mouth was speaking for itself.

He cleared his throat and rubbed a hand on his neck, looking down and showing insecurity, and maybe, shame. She eyed him, studying his reaction, raising an eyebrow and thinking about what kind of awkward job he could make to live that was bringing shame on his face.

"You're a thief!" She answered her own question.

"Robin of Locksley, at your service." He shyly extended a hand for her to shake.

She kept eyeing him, trying to read the man's thoughts and studying his attitudes. He was a really interesting man, but he was an outlaw and she wasn't there for it, she was there to meet her ungrateful soulmate. So she should greet this man, be polite and leave the place and leaving her hopes behind her once more in the process. She imitated his action and extended her own hand for him to shake.

When she glared at his waiting arm, she froze.

No! The man with the lion tattoo was a thief! And he was her soulmate!

She chuckled sarcastically. The situation couldn't have been worst. That damn fairy was messing even more with her already messy life. She shouldn't have agreed with that craziness in the first place. She shouldn't have been there. She shouldn't have met this guy.

"I'm sorry." She apologized before she turned around, running outside the tavern and leaving a confused Robin behind her.

Once out of the tavern, she kept running and running. That couldn't be right; the pixie dust had failed for the very first time. The fairy was a liar! There was no way the man of her life would be a thief!

She finally stopped when she reached the forest, taking a long breath and sitting on a log. The cold weather was touching her face, making her chill, as the branches's trees were dancing according to the wind. Her dress was a mess, due to the dirty and dusty floor of the wood, but she couldn't care less.

She couldn't stop thinking about her damage life. She had been forced into a loveless marriage by her mother to a man three times older than her, her Daniel was dead and her soulmate gained his life by robbing people.

Maybe she had been hasty, running away from him. He could be a good man, despite his "job", but she didn't even give her a chance to know him. Right now, she wouldn't come back to the tavern, she had made her decision and that included to run away from her soulmate and come back to her miserable life.

She was so screwed!

What she had done to deserve that?

She was still a girl with dreams but her dreams were dying little by little every single day. Once, her father told her that a person who doesn't dream, can't have happiness in its life, because the dreams are like a portal to your imagination and make you to have hope, and you can't live a life without hope. She thought of her father's words and a single tear dropped from her eyes; all her dreams couldn't come true. She was starting to stop dreaming and in the process, stopping to have hope.

"You run fast for a Queen!" He stopped right in front of her, breathless, and supported his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

There was a pause, a brief moment where the two were doing nothing but staring one another. She couldn't believe he had followed her, but at the same time, she was relieved he was there. The reason she was feeling like that, she didn't know. His presence warmed her heart in a way she couldn't explain.

"What are you doing here?" She looked at him, narrowing her eyes.

"Honestly? I don't know!" He admitted softly and chuckled.

"May I?" He motioned towards the log.

"I'm not stopping you!" She said, trying to put a little of disdain in her voice, but somehow she could sense the man was a good person. He had come after her, didn't he? Maybe he was forced to step into the life of robbing as she was forced into a loveless marriage. They could have more in common than she knew, maybe she should give him a chance, and talk to him wouldn't kill her, would it?

"As long as you don't try to steal anything from me…" She sensed the need of teasing him and judging by the smirk that appeared on his face, he was enjoying that as well, showing his beautiful and charming dimples to her.

Jesus! What the hell are you doing, Regina?

"Did I scare you?" He asked, seeming really concerned as he sat on the log, beside her.

"Honestly?" She leaned her head and glare at him.

"Yes." She admitted.

"It wasn't my intention. I'm so sorry, milady."

Milady?

For some reason, Regina felt her muscles tensed up. Nobody had ever called her using that term, but she decided she like it. Actually she liked a lot and couldn't control a shy smirk on her face.

"I just didn't want to lie to you." He stated.

Regina looked into his eyes and saw nothing more than honesty there. Despite this man didn't know almost anything about her, only her useless title, he didn't lie to her, he didn't pretend to be somebody he wasn't.

"May I ask you something?" He interrupted her thoughts.

"You can ask me anything, but depending on the question, I wouldn't answer." She said, folding her arms across her chest. He frowned, seemingly surprised for her boldness and audacity, and this time, she smirked.

"I think I'll take my chances…"

"What was a Queen doing in a tavern?" He asked and Regina seemed taken aback by the question and her eyes opened wide, her throat went dry for a moment.

"You wouldn't believe me." She shifted uneasily in front of him.

How was she supposed to tell him the truth? I was there because of you, because you are my happy ending…

"Try me." He challenged her, touching his shoulder playfully against hers.

"I can't…" Regina tensed and took a deep breath, before shrugging.

"It's embarrassing!" For her luck, it was dark there and he couldn't see her red cheeks.

"Alright, I'm not forcing you into anything." He was feeling a desire to have her trustiness, to have her opening herself to him, but he wouldn't force her.

Regina thought hard about his answer. If he knew what kind of things she had been forced into for her entire life…. but she was grateful for his kindness; he really seemed to be an honorable and respected man. Maybe Tinkerbell was right and maybe the man sitting right beside her right now could be her soulmate. At least, she was feeling free and protected with him, she was feeling brave and sensing that nothing could hurt her while he was by her side.

"I was looking for happiness!" She admitted, despite his silence.

"Happiness?" He asked, frowning, and she confirmed.

"Well, milady…. if you find it, please, show me the way." He showed a bit of sadness in his face when he said that and she noticed it.

"Aren't you happy?" She asked, really curious about the man's story.

"No." He muttered it under his breath and stared at his boots.

"If you want to tell me your story, I can assure you I'm a good listener." She encouraged him.

He smiled again at her and she smiled back. They kept eyeing each other's face for a while, trying to memorize their features and discover the signals of struggles and sadness of their lives, until he decided to open himself to her.

"I had to leave my family, my home, my forest, because of an abusive father… Since then I'm here, trying to survive as better as I can." He leaned his head to the left and smiled sadly at her.

"But as you can see, not as good as I thought." He shook his head in defeat and gave a defeated laugh.

"I'm sure you're trying your best." She was understanding every word he was saying to her and instinctively, she let her left hand squeeze his thigh, trying to show some comfort to him.

"Still, I didn't find my way to happiness." He breathed out.

"Why did you leave?" She said and paused for a beat.

"I mean, your home." She concluded.

Before take a long breathe, he started to tell his story to that strange woman. He didn't know why he was trusting his story to her. Since he had run away from his previous life, he had never told anyone about his past, about who he really was, but with her, he was feeling that he could trust his true self.

"My father wanted me to become someone who I didn't want to be. He wanted me to be the King of Sherwood, his successor, but I didn't want to be trapped into a loveless marriage with a woman that I didn't love, just to be a respected and exemplar king that he wanted me to be." Robin sighed, clenched his jaw a little.

He paused for a moment and looked at her. He noticed she was holding tears in her eyes and he was grateful for it. Maybe this woman had a story of suffering in her life just like his.

"I could see the sadness in my mother's eyes. I didn't want to be that man my father was to her to any other woman. I didn't deserve that as any woman didn't deserve that too. I didn't want to be that kind of man!" He whirled around, avoiding Regina's eyes, but she could sense that anger was seeping through him.

"I just…couldn't!" His eyes drifted close.

"So, I ran away!" He concluded and couldn't control a single tear that dropped on his cheek. Regina tilted her head slightly, raising her eyebrows as she regarded him, noticing the man was carrying a heavy burden like hers. However, he had made something she wanted but because of her mother, she couldn't: running away.

"Last week, I heard my mother was found dead!" Said that, a wave of sadness washed over both of them.

Regina's mind was in full speed with all sorts of scenarios going through it. Her head was aching and her heart started speeding fast. She let a hand on her mouth, trying to control a sob from there. She had to be strong for him, he had just lost his mother and she felt a need to comfort this broken man, but she couldn't fall apart in front of him.

"I know it's because of me!" He had left his home and his mother in the process, who was dead now, and he was feeling guilty because of it.

"I'm so sorry…" She said after a moment, breaking the silence that had befallen them, finally founding her voice back.

She was feeling like her heart is about to burst from her chest. She leaned forward, cupping his face with her hands, as she wiped his tears away with her thumbs. He softened at her touch, closing his eyes, letting his head rest on her hands and she smiled, despite the circumstances.

"I'm sure she didn't die because of you. She loved you, right?" She asked and he nodded, still with his eyes closed and resting his face on her palms. She could feel his scratch beard rubbing against the skin of her palms as he was nodding, and felt a suddenly and indescribable happiness because of that simple feeling.

"You know, we have a lot in common." She leaned his face straight to her, making him look directly at her eyes.

"How's that?" He asked.

She took a breath and told him everything. Everything about her mother, about Daniel… until she told him about the king.

"I'm going to kill him!" Robin suddenly stood on his feet, with a furious look.

"No! You can't!" She yelled desperately, standing on her feet as well and grabbing his forearm, noticing that for the first time she was touching the symbol of their connection. She jerked her head up to see Robin standing there, closing his fists tight and snorting.

"He is the most powerful man in the kingdom and you're an outlaw… what is done, it's done! Please…" She begged him, her heart hammering in her chest.

Actually, she didn't know why he was reacting that way, he had met her only hours ago, but she was feeling that he was already caring for her. The only person who had showed that kind of protection and indignation towards her since Daniel. And maybe not even Daniel. But she couldn't let him getting hurt because of her. She didn't know that man well but already feared for his life.

"Robin…" She squeezed his forearm and he looked at her.

"I'm sorry." Instinctively, he wasn't sure what kind of force took him; he pulled her into his chest, cupping the back of her head with his hands and burying his nose in her hair.

She was startled at first, because that man was still a stranger for her, but then relaxed against his warm, protective and, somehow, familiar body.

"It's not your fault." She whispered, hiding her face on the crock of his neck and taking in his smell into her nostrils, closing her eyes and enjoying his closeness.

"You smell like forest." She whispered against his neck.

"Excuse me?" He held her face with both hands and looked at her, pretending to be offended. She smiled joyfully at the look she saw on his face.

He couldn't take his eyes away from her. Watching her was the most fascinating thing he had already done in his life. This beautiful and broken woman was awakening in him feelings he had thought it was impossible to feel.

"I have to go. It's late and I don't want the guards missing my absence." She said and he shook his head, trying to focus in her words.

"Can I follow you?" He blinked his eyes and she nodded.

The hours they had spent together just flew by. Regina had never opened herself like that before, but with him, it has been so easy and normal.

They made their path back to the castle, stealing glances of each other and unintentionally, or not, brushing their hands a few times, until he got the courage and took her hand on his, entwining their fingers together. She couldn't avoid the smile on her blushing face at his act and she could notice the corners of his lips rising too.

"I think I should go alone from this point." She warned him as they came to a point near to the castle.

"Are you going to be alright?" He squeezed her hand, a worried look crossing his face.

There was the fear niggling at him that she might push him away at some point if he kept insisting on touch her. He really had to hold himself back, but somehow, he wasn't able to restrain himself by her side.

He wanted to spend the rest of his life just looking at her, admiring that woman. He wanted to taste her lips on his, to feel his hands on her hair, to feel the warmth of her body against his. He couldn't explain… he just wanted her like he had never wanted anything in his life.

What was happening to him?

"Don't worry, the King is not here and I know a secret passage. The guards won't see me." She assured him and a suddensadness sprouted in her heart. He had to go and maybe she would never see him again.

"Thank you for listening to me." She nodded her head in gratitude and bit her lips nervously. She definitely didn't want him to go.

"My pleasure." He said and she nodded, turning slowly and walking towards her "secret passage".

With each step she was taking, he was feeling his heart hurting more and more into his chest. He couldn't let her go. He had to see her again. He had to save her, take away the sadness from her life, and he was sensing she could save him and make him happy as well.

"Your Majesty!" He suddenly said and ran at her direction, his eyes shining with fear of her reaction.

"Can I see you again?" He took his chances and asked with begging eyes, but seeing the smile on her face, his heart calmed down and he released his breath.

"If you are lucky, maybe I'm going to be at the same place on the forest tomorrow night." She joked, narrowing her eyebrow and thanking the Gods he had come after her again. She was sure that after their time together, she wouldn't be able to forget about him easily.

"Hm… I think I have to check my luck tomorrow." He narrowed his eyes and played along with her.

Smiling and with her heart pounding fast in her chest, she nodded and started to walk away again.

"Regina, I prefer Regina!" She said, over her shoulder, before she enter the darkness of the castle, and could swear she heard him chuckle.

"Good night, Regina." He almost whispered her name, like he was tasting it and trying to memorize the sound of it leaving his mouth.

Hearing him saying her name was like a sweet melody to her ears. Maybe the fairy was right: pixie dust have never failed, anyway.

While the two made their way back home, with a silly smile on their faces that they couldn't control not even for a second, a wicked green shadow was observing every move of them from her mirror on Oz and grinding her teeth of irritation.

*** FLASHBACK OFF ***

---

Regina had thought several times on how she was supposed to say to Robin about the truth; she had known about their little miracle for 2 weeks now. At first, she had decided to wait until things become less complicated, but then she had decided to tell him as soon as possible, because their situation wouldn't resolve not now and maybe not ever.

She went to the hospital and Dr. Whale warned her about the importance of the prenatal. He said she had to run an ultrasound, to make her sure her baby was fine and growing normally, but she had been hesitant about it. She wanted Robin by her side, squeezing her hand, mumbling sweet nonsenses in her ear as the doctor was dubbing the machine around her yet flat stomach. So she was waiting until she would gain courage enough and tell him the truth.

A lot of times, she went to the camp and stare there, hiding herself behind a tree and watching his interaction with his son and his Merry Men. He had born to be a father, a leader, she knew that, and she was sure he'd love to know about their new baby. If that had happened in another moment, she had no doubt about how they'd be glad right now, celebrating their blessing, this beautiful new life, their daughter. But of course things would never be that easy for them. Right now he was already waiting for a new baby and, worse, a baby with her sister.

Their babies would be cousins or brothers? What would they're supposed to tell them?

God!

Regina felt sick and a familiar dizziness started to take her body. She leaned herself against the three, supporting her forehead on one arm, while she kept another hand rubbing circles on her stomach.

Now Regina was thinking clearly about this mess and maybe she shouldn't tell him or tell anyone. She should leave the town, raise her daughter away from everything, but that wouldn't be fair to him or to her girl. Her daughter deserved to have a father and he deserved to be her father. She would tell him, maybe not right now because she wasn't ready, she needed time to get herself together. She hadn't even the idea about how to start this talk to him "Hey Robin, I'm pregnant! Congratulations! You'll have another new baby!"

No!

She'd tell him but she'd wait for the right moment, or at least, until when she'd know exactly how she would supposed to say it without scaring him even more or putting him in a hardest position than he already was right now. So she had always left without anybody noticing her presence. She was still confused, scared and really conflicted. She was supposed to be barren, for God sakes! And she had no right to throw everything on him. However, she knew she had to tell him the truth, she had to…

"Regina! Hey!" Emma sharply interrupted Regina from her deep thoughts.

"Hm?" Regina shook her head and tried to understand Emma's words.

"Are you alright? You seemed off all night." Emma questioned.

"I'm fine." Regina replied, despite her head was aching and her heart was speeding fast as she remembered about her situation.

"What were you saying?" She tried to sound natural, but she could sense Emma staring at her with suspicious eyes.

"We were talking about Merlin again and a way to find…" Emma began to explain but the former queen cut her.

"I met him." Regina stated.

"What?" Emma asked with a disbelieved look.

"Why didn't you say it before?" Emma questioned.

"I'm saying it right now." She inhales deeply, wondering why she feels the need to explain herself. Of course she should have tell them, but tell that to them, implied tell them why Merlin had met her, and she couldn't tell the truth to anyone.

"How do you know it was him?" Snow interjected.

"It was him, I'm sure." Regina said firmly.

"What did he say?" This time was Arthur questioning her.

"Did he tell you why are we here?" He completed.

"I…" She cleared her throat and tried to say something convincing.

"He's not a problem." She concluded and avoided everybody's eyes.

"That was not what he asked you." Emma said and Regina frowned, seemingly annoyed. She had no desire to discuss this topic and she didn't even knew how to explain it without saying about her daughter.

"As you said before, Merlin is weak." She said towards Arthur.

"Apparently, some force dragged your people here, he included. It wasn't his done."

"What force? The darkness of the dagger?" Snow remarked.

"Probably." Regina lied.

"How do you know he's here in peace? As I well remember, you were the one saying you couldn't trust his intentions!" Emma asked, folding her hands in front of her and kept observing Regina with attention and distrust.

Regina paused for a moment, searching in her mind for the appropriate words. She knew Emma was testing her, trying to make her contradict her words, and she couldn't let that happen.

"I can judge a person for a character, Emma." She threw a serious look at Emma, a "Leave me alone" look like.

"Thanks God! So Merlin is not a problem!" Snow stepped in and Regina couldn't be more grateful for it.

"He is not." Regina ensured, and noticing that Emma wouldn't argue with her anymore, she left out a breath.

"Our only problem now is to find a way to send your people back to your land." Regina said and Arthur nodded.

"And the darkness." Snow remembered her.

"Yes." Regina affirmed.

"Speaking about my people, there's a couple, they're engaged and they had set up their marriage for this week. Do you think it's possible for them to get married here?" Arthur asked and Regina pressed her lips. She wasn't in a mood for a party, but she couldn't deny the right of those people.

"It's sounds amazing!" Snow said with glad and exciting eyes, interrupting Regina's chance to answer.

"Of course." Regina said to Arthur who was still waiting for her confirmation.

"We can arrange the party. It has been a long time this town doesn't have a festival and we can…"

"It's a marriage, not a carnival, Snow!" Regina interrupted her.

"I have to disagree…" Arthur cleared his throat and tried to not contradict Regina, as he continued speaking.

"In our land, marriages have big celebrations." He concluded trying to prevent a smile and Regina rolled her eyes, already knowing her step-daughter excitement.

"See?" Snow widened her eyes enthusiastically.

"We're organizing a big marriage in a "Camelot style" here. It'll be amazing!" She couldn't control her happiness and Regina almost laughed at the sign in front of her.

"Is that alright for you?" Arthur asked in a low tone to Regina.

"Of course." She gave him a sincere smile.

"Alright. I think the meeting is over." Regina said, standing from her seat and the others followed her.

"Wait until you see the costume I have in mind for you, Regina!" Snow threw over her shoulder as she was walking towards the door.

"What?" Regina widened her eyes in confusion as she saw the younger girl smiling at her playfully and leaving the room.

"Would you give me the honor to be your companion on the wedding?" Arthur approached her and made his invitation.

"I…" She said and cleared her throat.

"I don't think it's a good idea." She didn't want to sound rude but there was a lot going on in her life right now.

"Why?" He asked, really concerned.

"Arthur…" She began to explain to him.

"We can't keep going on this, whatever this is. I don't want to hurt you." She wasn't ready for another relationship and she couldn't hurt that man right in front of her.

"I understand." He nodded.

"I'm sorry. Maybe I would be falling for you if things were different. Right now, I can't give my heart to another man because my heart didn't belong to me anymore." She couldn't lie to Arthur, he was a great man and didn't deserve that.

"I know…" He still had a bit of hope about her but deep inside he knew they couldn't be in a relationship, not in a romantic way.

"And maybe I'm not ready too. I gave my heart to Guinevere a long time ago and since then, it's not mine anymore too." He finally assumed his feelings. He was hoping he could fall in love again, but his heart still belonged to his true love.

"I just wanted a chance to be happy and love again." He chuckled sadly.

"You can." Regina took his hands on hers and squeezed, trying to encourage him, despite her own disbelieve in hope right now.

"And you can too. He loves you, you know?" He squeezed her hands back and said the obvious. He wasn't fool or blind; of course he had seen Robin's behavior and his attempts to prove his love for Regina and he really admired that.

"But we can still be friends, right?" He almost begged her because her company made him feel better and forget about his damage life.

"Of course. I'd appreciate it. You're a really good friend." She wanted to keep this friendship with him too. She trusted him and knew he could help her and her baby if they needed some help.

"And Regina, I really care for you…as a good friend." He smiled truly and she smiled back. She needed to do that: clarify about where they'd stand and she was glad he was taking this naturally.

"I know it, thank you." She gladly answered.

"We have a lot in common and it'd be a shame if wouldn't remained as friends." He said playfully, trying to lighten the mood and seeing the smirk on her face, he had accomplished that.

"The baby?" Arthur asked, with an implied concern etched in his voice.

"Oh… she's fine." She led her hand to her stomach and rubbed it softly.

"Good. I hope she's beautiful and brave like her mother…" He paused for a moment.

"And persistent and passionate like her father." He smirked and Regina smiled timidly.

"I hope that too but I'm afraid…" She admitted, but couldn't tell him the whole truth.

"Afraid about what? Is your baby in danger?" He worried.

"Maybe. Merlin told me she'll really be powerful and…" She was afraid to tell anybody about her daughter, maybe it was the best if she kept Merlin's revelations to herself.

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you anything else." She looked down and hoped he'd understand.

"It's fine, but whatever you need, you can count on me. I can assure you I'd anything to protect you and your baby."

"Thank you, Arthur. It means a lot to me." She was really grateful about his reaction towards the awkward, but necessary, conversation.

"My pleasure. Take care of yourself and your baby and don't hesitate to call for my help, if you need it." He squeezed her hands once more and left the room.

Before Regina could sit on her mayor's chair, to fulfill her duties as a mayor, a voice interrupted her actions.

"Ok, now you're gonna tell me truth." Emma entered the room and locked the door behind her.

Regina just rolled her eyes and seemed to not care, seating down on her chair, grabbing some papers and pretending she was reading them.

"What's Merlin really doing here?" Emma seat down in front of her desk and threw a warning look towards her.

"I told you what…" She was saying but Emma interrupted her.

"You said that to the others and I'm sure you were lying. Now, tell me the truth."

"That was the truth!" Regina shouted, a little bit of anger in her tone.

"The hell it was, Regina!" Emma shouted back.

"Did you forget what I had done to live? I can smell a lie for miles away." Emma said and Regina pretended to not care about it.

"I'm sure you know exactly what Merlin is doing here and why he did meet you." Emma stated firmly.

"It's personal." Regina finally answered shortly.

"Personal? So you're admitting you know why!" Emma leaned towards Regina, making the former queen widen her eyes.

"Stop distorting my words, Emma!" She tried to avoid the answer.

"Regina, whatever it is, maybe I can help." Emma assured her.

"I really doubt that!" Regina scoffed.

"You can't do it all by yourself, I know you're capable of, but I can see how tensed you are lately and I know there's something serious going on with you. Right now, there is definitely something important you're not telling me." Emma looked at her with friendly eyes.

Regina paused for a moment, searching in her mind for the appropriate words. Maybe Emma could help, she had magic, she could help to protect her baby, and for her baby she was able to do anything, even tell Emma the whole truth.

She glanced down at her desk and back to Emma a lot of times and finally decided to risk her chances and tell her the truth.

"I'm not lying…" She said with a weak voice.

"Merlin was dragged to here by a strong force." She said and Emma nodded.

"What kind of force? My mom was right? It was because of the darkness?"

"No!" Regina emphasized.

"So what is it?" Emma asked, making Regina stiffen at the question.

"Regina, please…" She insisted.

"You have to promise me to not tell anyone about this. Don't let your mother's genes speak for you." Regina straightened her posture and gave a serious look toward her.

"I promise you." Emma said, an implied concern etched in her voice.

"I'm just telling you because maybe I'll need your help since I can't control my magic like before and I'd anything for..." Regina completed.

"Anyway, Merlin is here to protect his replacement, its magic dragged him here, but he is weak to accomplish his task and then he asked for my help."

"Who is his replacement and why did he come to you?" Emma was confused with Regina's words.

Regina paused for a moment and breathed deep. It was really difficult to admit the truth. The only one who knew about her situation was Arthur, and she just told him in a moment of weakness. Her throat was dry and when she opened her mouth, no words appeared. But she had to protect her girl and Emma had magic and could help her.

"Because I'm her mother…" Regina blurted.

"Her what?" Emma widened her eyes in confusion.

"My daughter… she is his replacement." The former queen admitted but it seemed that Emma wasn't following her, she was with open mouth and widen eyes and for a moment, she just stared at Regina in shock.

"Regina…" Emma shook her head and tried to focus again, but she had no idea what she was supposed to tell with this revelation.

"I don't know what to say." Listening Emma's words, Regina nodded, wordlessly.

An awkward silence hovered in the air, as they remained staring at each other for what appeared to be an entire life.

"How did Robin react about that?" Finally, Emma recovered herself and decided to break the silence.

"He doesn't know yet." She answered, her heart hammering in her chest. She had tried to tell him that the whole truth but she couldn't find the right words or the right way.

"You have to tell him." Emma stated.

"It's not easy like that! I just can't appear on his camp and say I'm pregnant!" Regina's voice was showing her despair and she kept rubbing her hands together and looking at them.

"I completely understand. You two are not together anymore and…" Emma started to say something but suddenly a wave of shock crossed her face.

"Holy shit!" Emma exclaimed in a loud tone.

"What?" Regina seemed taken aback by her new friend reaction and her eyes opened wide.

"You and your sister are having babies with the same man!" Emma pointed the obvious.

"Thank you, Miss Swan. Your words are really reassuring." Regina responded, folding her hands in front of her.

"I haven't thought about my sister and me having baby with Robin." Regina said with bit of sarcastic showing in her voice. She tried her best to snarl out her words but they ended up sounding more vulnerable than she had hoped.

"I'm sorry…" Emma almost whispered.

"Why your baby?" The savior asked.

"Apparently, my daughter has the same kind of magic of Merlin's, she is a product of soulmates, just like him."

"Wow!" Emma exclaimed.

"That's why you can't control your magic anymore?" Emma asked, an implied concern etched in her voice.

"Yes." Regina admitted.

"Somehow, she is performing her magic without even knowing what she's really doing… she has the strongest magic of all!"

"Fuck!" Emma couldn't help, but exclaim again out loud, widening even more her eyes.

"Do you have any useful words to help me or…?" Regina narrowed her eyes, glancing at Emma.

"Sorry, it's too much information." Emma shook her head, trying to assimilate the new information.

"But it's a good thing, isn't it?" After a time, she could speak again and try to comfort her new friend.

"I mean, despite this mess, you're pregnant." Emma tried to put a smile on her face. She could see the hesitation on Regina's eyes but she knew that deep inside, the former Queen has always wanted to have a child, that's why she adopted Henry at the first place.

"Yes, it is." Regina admitted, releasing a breath she didn't remember she was holding, and a shy smile appeared on her face.

She was going to be a mother of a special baby girl!

"You have to tell Robin and Henry. Soon or later, people will know. You can hide it forever." Emma tried to warn her and continue her speaking.

"I mean, you're going to get big, huge, with an expansive belly, eating weird and disgusting foods, you'll change your mood as never before, you're going to get really swollen and…"

"Emma!" Regina interrupted her.

"I'm sorry!" Emma couldn't help but laugh a little, imagining how the mayor would look like carrying a child on her own.

I'm just saying people will notice it." She told as soon as she could control herself.

"Really?" Regina joked, raising an eyebrow.

"Anyway, I'll help you to protect your daughter with my magic. You can count on me, Regina." Emma promised that to Regina.

"Thank you. I appreciate that." Regina said sincerely.

"What about Zelena? I mean, she won't be happy knowing she is about to be the aunt of the year!"

"Do you think she's going to try hurting my baby?" Regina asked, but it was like a rhetorical question, of course she knew Zelena would try to do something against her and her baby.

"I don't know. She can't use her magic but she's been too much quiet… I don't like it!"

"I know… but for now, nobody needs to know." Regina implicitly asked Emma to not to anyone and Emma nodded in confirmation.

"Where's Merlin?" Emma, silent until this moment, asked.

"I have no idea. He talked to me and disappeared before I could help him."

"We have to find him. Now you know his face and maybe he'll contact you again. If he does that, try to convince him to come at us, maybe we can help him." Emma concluded and Regina nodded.

"Anyway, I have to go." Emma stood and made her way to the door.

"Emma!" Before Emma left the room, Regina stood up and exclaimed, making her stop and turn around.

"I'm so sorry." The mayor said, with a weak voice and her head down.

"You're sorry…" Emma frowned and approached her, curious about her actions and mentioned to her continue.

"Sorry about what I did in the past, you had to grow up without your family." Regina began to apologize.

"It's my fault and I know I can't do anything to change that, just admit I was wrong and apologize for my mistakes." She knew she couldn't change the past, but at least, she could say she was sorry.

"At that time, I had no idea about the consequences of my actions, I was a really bad person and I only wanted to hurt your mother…" She was saying about her past and Emma remembered that she saw that for herself, when she came back through time.

"She had to give up on you because of me and now I can imagine how hard it was for her to do that." Instinctively, she led her hand to where her daughter was resting quietly.

"I don't even meet my daughter yet but I already love her with my whole heart and if someone tries to take her away from me or hurt her, I have no idea what I would do!" She gasped just at the thought of Zelena or anyone trying to hurt her little girl.

Meanwhile, Emma remained in silence, paying attention at every single word the former Queen was saying, until she spoke for the first time about that delicate issue.

"You have to apologize with my mom about that."

"I know…" Regina hold tears in her eyes and she knew Snow didn't deserve that suffer she had put into the younger woman's life.

"I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry, if I could change that, I would." Regina emphasized.

"I know." Emma muttered under her breath. Despite everything Regina had done to her family, she just could feel sympathy towards her. Maybe on the beginning she thought about revenge or even put an end on the mayor's life, but the more and more Emma knew her and knew about her damage life, she understood the Queen's frustrations.

"I'm not saying you were right and you didn't hurt my family and me but you're trying to redeem yourself for a time now, that's a big step." Emma continued and silently Regina was thankful for her words.

"You're helping us. Along with other things, you saved my father's life, splitting my mother's heart in two; you sent Henry with me to New York and gave us new memories… and most important, you raised my son, giving him a good life and loving him, while I gave up on him." Emma was been sincere, she had never doubted about Regina's feelings towards Henry; she was sure the mayor was capable to do everything to protect her boy.

"So I guess we are even." Emma smiled and extended her hand for Regina to shake.

"Friends?" She said as Regina was shaking her hand.

"Of course. Thank you." Regina was really grateful for her "new friend" understanding. They nodded at each other and Emma started to walk towards the door.

"And Regina…" Emma turned around before leave the room.

"Congratulations!" She smiled honestly, motioning with her head to Regina's flat stomach.

Regina couldn't help but smile back, because she had finally got the courage to ask for Emma's apologizes. She has avoided the subject for so long but one day she knew she had to face that. Now she was feeling lighter, knowing that she couldn't undo the damage she had caused for Charming's Family on the past, but that didn't mean she couldn't help to build a better future for them.

Regina smirked because at the end of this day she had made two friends, two real friends.

"What are you doing here again?" Rumpel tried to stand to a sitting position with a lot of effort.

"Where are your manners?" Zelena showed a fake indignation in her voice.

"I'm here to see if I have to wear black today…" She sat down on the bed and crossed her legs.

"For your funeral!" She shouted loud and gave a wicked laugh.

"What do you want this time, dear?" He breathed deeply, closing his eyes and trying to get rid of that woman as fast as he could. He couldn't fight against her, he didn't have magic anymore and his body was succumbing with the absence of it.

"It's simple…" She leaned her body even closed to him.

"I need one particular item of your shop." She requested.

"Say it!" The old Dark One asked, but he had the sense he already knew what she was looking for.

"A wand." She said, as if that was the most obvious answer.

"You don't have the charm for a fairy." He tried to be sarcastic.

"I'm glad to see you still keep your sense of humor." She gave him a little pat on the shoulder.

"Where's the Melin's wand?" Suddenly, she changed her face expression into a defiant one.

"I'm sure you have it!" She remarked smugly.

"And what do you have to offer to me if I give you the wand?"

"Your life!" She gritted her teeth.

"I'm already dying, so…"

"Yes, but it doesn't mean you can't suffer even more before your death." She took the pulsing organ from her pocket and showed it to him, making him gasp.

"You know….it didn't have to be this way if you were a good friend!" She was saying and squeezing Belle's heart little by little.

"Stop!" He yelled at her.

"I have it!" He admitted and she put back the heart in her coat's pocket.

"Good. I knew we could get along on it." She smiled sarcastically.

"But before I tell you where it is, you have to give Belle's heart back." He was without his power, he couldn't do anything to protect his love against the witch. He was thinking about telling the others that Zelena was constantly threatening him, but he knew if she figure out he had done that, she'd definitely kill Belle, without any hesitation.

"Don't worry, if you collaborate with me, I don't have any interesting on keeping it for me." She said, disgusting showing on her face.

"You have my word." She promised and widened her eyes, seeing the distrust on his features.

"I can see you're trying to become the new Dark One, as you have always wanted." He had always distrusted her intention since the beginning but he also knew about a very old prophecy, maybe the only way to stop her, if she really became the new him.

"But dear, conjuring the darkness it's not an easy task! Merlin is the only one who knows how! " He said, not knowing Zelena had already thought about everything.

"Oh, I have Merlin and he'll teach me." She confessed and he widened his eyes.

"And of course I know I can conjure the darkness since I'm a bad person, can you believe that?" She faked to be offended about that.

"You see? I don't lose!" She completed, with a victorious look on her face.

"Maybe… but there's still the prophecy!" He remembered her, playing his last cards.

"Oh, about that… there's no prophecy anymore!" She raised her finger, making him pay even more attention to her next revelations.

"My sister is barren; she can't have children with her soulmate…" She stood up, with her chin up and a devilish grin on her face.

"I bet you didn't know that, did you?" She turned around and saw him in shock.

"That idiot!" She mocked.

"She did that to herself by drinking an unfertile potion. So, unless there's another child of soulmate around, which I really doubt, nobody would be able to stop the Dark One!" She scoffed.

"Am I right?" She blinked her eyes towards him and Rumpel stiffened.

"It's impossible! A prophecy is a prophecy! It has to happen!" He said, totally annoyed and scared. Zelena took him by surprise saying that things to him. If he knew in the past that this could happen, he'd never had helped her, but at that time, he was still the Dark One and he needed Regina to cast the curse, so he did it. If only he knew…

"This time, I can assure you're wrong!" The defiant timbre of her voice echoed throughout the room.

"You know for invoke the darkness, you'd have to use a lot of power." Rumpel tried to warn her.

"I'm aware about that but I have my magic back, thanks to you, and I'll have the wand in my possession. And of course, I'll force Merlin to put my name on the dagger, using his wand."

"Don't worry, everything is planned!" She mocked him.

"You're pregnant." He pointed a finger to her, knowing about the darkness rules.

"Do you want to be the baby's Godfather?" If anything, she appears to revel in a sick pleasure from it.

"This is the darkest kind of magic! If you conjured the darkness using the wand, you could lose your child." He emphasized.

"Oh, stop babbling! I know about that but nothing is stopping my plans!' She reiterated.

"Stop pretending you care because I'm sure you're only afraid about it. Now, you are the old and coward Rumpel again."

"I shouldn't ever have helped you!" He shook his head incredulously.

"Oh, dear…" She said, mimicking his own words, standing up and taking two small strides towards him, her hand reaching out and grasping his chin.

"But you did!" She seemed to be amused by the fear on Rumple's face, judging by the smirk that jabbed over her lips.

---

*** FLASHBACK ON ***

Enchanted Forest, many years ago…

Rumpel was working on his loom when he felt a wave of magic invading his castle. He didn't even have to look around to know who was paying a visit to him, and not a lovely or wanted one.

"Did you miss me?" Came a known voice behind him.

"I can't tell I did, dear." He kept his work, not paying attention on the visitor.

"I need something from you." She said, with a clear and anxious sensation washing over her.

"Everybody does!" He said sarcastically.

"I want a forgetting potion. The strongest one you have!" She demanded, with a strong tone in her voice.

"Every magic comes with a price!" He stood up and pointed a finger at her.

"Yeah, yeah! Cut the crap! I don't have time!" She scoffed and shook her head.

"Why the rush, dear?" He was teasing her, enjoying the irritation she was carrying on her face.

"I need it…"She was getting impatient.

"And I needed it now!" She yelled, gritting her teeth.

"It's not that simple…" He said and paused for a moment.

"And who do you think you are…" He started to approach her.

"Coming to my castle, pointing a finger at me and speaking in that way?" Rumpel gripped her neck tightly using his magic.

"Be careful, dear!" He advised her as she was struggling to escape his grip, but he was firm and she felt like he efforts didn't help at all as he squeezed her neck tighter.

"Regina met her soulmate!" She managed to say that between the efforts to breathe properly.

"What?" There was a pause, a brief moment where the two we were doing nothing but staring one another down, until Zelena groaned.

"Her soulmate…" She continues, roughly pushing at her head as he let go of her, turning away and going to sit on his chair again.

"She found him!" She completed, now released from his grip and rubbing her hands on her neck.

"If you were not so smitten by your love bird, you'd know it!" She was still rubbing her hands around her neck as she shouted.

"I'm warning you for a second time! Don't tease me!" He made an attempt to stand up again but she was still trying to catch her breath.

"Fine!" She gave up, also because she needed his knowledge.

"Why should I be worried about that?" He questioned her, with his usual disdain and narrowing his eyebrow.

"Well, since you had chosen her instead of me to cast your curse, you should!" Zelena pointed that out.

"If that thief and her fall in love, I don't think she'd cast your curse!" She continued, trying to get his help.

"And I can tell, judging by the look I had seen on their faces, they are already in love!" She teased him.

"Why do you care about my curse?" He said, shrugging.

"I don't!" She scoffed.

"I just care about my sister's unhappiness!" She admitted.

"There's a prophecy, the one that says a product of soulmates could defeat the Dark One!" She was still trying to convince him to help her, and she knew that prophecy was strong enough to defeat him, so she was playing her cards.

"I'm aware about that prophecy." He sounded more serious this time.

"Still, I'm the Dark One, so I should be the one worrying about that, not you!" He pointed a finger at himself as he talked.

"For now… Who knows if one day I became the Dark One?" She teased him.

"I really doubt it!" He teased back.

"Anyway… If Regina and her soulmate carry on with their disgusting display of love, soon or later, they'd make a baby…" She said and made a little pause, approaching the imp, as she continued.

"Your opponent!" Her eyes narrowed and her voice was deep.

"Do you really want that happening?" She argued and Rumpel, silent until this moment, grumbled.

"How do you know they're soulmates?" He asked, an implied concern etched in his voice.

"That damn fairy used pixie dust to find him, and you know that pixie dust…" She started to explain but he cut her conclusion.

"Never lies." Rumpel completed, looking down and lost in his on thoughts, really worried about the situation. How did he miss that happening? He should have been more careful and vigilant.

"So, are you helping me now or what? This is your business too, as you can see!" Zelena was impatient and she needed his final decision.

"I'm helping you but I don't have the ingredients to make a forgetting potion right now." He finally accepted and she couldn't contain a victorious smile on her face.

"I can arrange that." The witch stated.

"Or… You and me could just kill him!" This option crossed her mind but she didn't know what could make her sister suffer most: her soulmate's death or living without her real memories.

"That's not an option." He scoffed and shook his head.

"Are you becoming soft, Rumpel?" Zelena barely heard the reprimand and smiled sarcastically.

"I may need him on the future." He said, giving his back to her and she frowned, thinking about the real reason he was sparing the thief's life.

"The old and selfish Rumpelstiltskin! Why am I not surprised?" She derided, as she concluded he wasn't killing Robin because of his own egotistic reasons.

"Anyway, you're not killing him!" He didn't have to threaten her, judging by the tone of his voice, she could understand the message.

"What about the author? You know he's writing our stories, right?" He remembered her about this fact.

"It's not a problem! If you make the potion, I'll use it on him too. Of course, I'm doing that after he rewrites Regina's story with the thief. Then, he'd not remember he wrote the original one." Apparently Zelena already had everything planned.

"Clever!" Rumple gave his characteristic laugh and blinked at her. He knew she had a great potential, she could use her abilities and her brain cleverly.

"How are you convincing him to rewrite her story?" He really wanted to know if she had everything scheduled and if it'd work correctly.

"He's a disgusting drunk and I'll offer to him what everybody wants: a happy ending! But of course, after he drinks the potion, he'd not even remember me." She concluded her plan, telling him about every detail.

"I can make that potion, but a curse can be broken with a true love's kiss!" He pointed that out.

"Then make a strong one!" She complained.

"The ingredients are very rare."

"I don't care, name them and I'll get them!" She shrugged nonchalantly, decided to put the plan on motion, no matter the costs.

"You're persistent." The imp motioned his finger towards her.

"However, even it's really difficult to break this curse, it's not impossible!" He was pacing back and forth, trying to calculate their next move. Despite his issues with Zelena, he knew, because of her senseless jealousy about her sister, she could be useful for him. She had come at him, didn't she? So he'd use her and use her angry to assure he'd continue to be the Dark One.

"How's that?" She was curious and concerned about the curse to not be permanent.

"If one day they met and fall in love again, and they are able to conceive a baby, when the baby is born, the curse is broken. In other words: we're trying to change faith, but if their faith finds a way to the original path, they'd remember everything." He explained.

"Then, I'll make sure their path doesn't cross again, and if it crossed, I'll find a way to ruin it!"

"Alright. I'm giving you the list with the necessary ingredients." He smiled wickedly and made his way to his library, motioning for her to follow him.

*** FLASHBACK OFF ***

---

Regina was looking herself in the mirror, enjoying the image she was seeing on it. She used to wear that kind of dress a long time ago, the time when she was still a dreaming girl and her life was less complicated, at least at the time, she didn't have the discernment for judging her mother's doings.

The dress was of light pink color and sleeveless, with some discreet and delicate ornaments and an expensive cleavage, accentuating her swollen breasts. It was beautiful, she had to admit it, and she was really surprised for Snow's good taste, but she'd never say that to her. She pinned her fringe in a coke as her now longer locks were loose and curled, touching her shoulders.

She turned to the side and let one hand rub her still flat stomach, wondering how she'd look like when her belly started to show. She smiled brightly. She was sure she was around two months now, judging by her period and the memories of the first month Robin had returned to Storybrooke. Of course only an ultrasound would confirm that correctly but she would wait a little more until run themedical procedure. She wasn't hesitant about her body's changes, quite the opposite; she couldn't wait to see the physicals signs of her pregnancy. Then she remembered her daughter may be in danger and at least until now, only few people knew about her pregnancy, but when she started to show it up, there was no way on hiding it anymore.

"Mom?" Henry entered the master room, looking at her with suspicious eyes. She immediately led her hands fall to her sides.

"Hey! You look handsome." She approached him and cupped his cheeks.

"And you look stunning." He observed.

Stunning in every way.

She sighed deeply, as she remembered those words.

"What's wrong?" Henry questioned her.

"Nothing." She lied and tried to put a smile on her face.

"Are you ready to the party?" She tried to change the subject but he sat on her bed and kept staring at her.

"What?" She inquired.

"You look different." He stated.

"Different how? I'm exactly the same person, there's nothing different. Come on, Henry. You were excited about that party, remember?" She smiled at him and was making her way to the door.

"You're pregnant!" His words made her stop dead on her tracks.

"What?" She turned around and faced him; with widen eyes and a shock face.

"I'm not a child anymore, mom. I can see things!"

"Things?" She was still in shock.

How the hell does he know?

"Your mood, your attitudes, your secret and frequent visits to the doctor, your different preferences for foods, you're vomiting a lot… should I continue?" He narrowed an eyebrow as he finished his question.

Gods, help me!

She thought to herself. She was feeling like a student being questioned by her teacher about an undone homework, and she got caught lying about it.

"Henry…" After a moment of silence was everything she managed to speak.

"No, mom. Tell me truth, please!" He shook his head and led a hand in front of him, in a signal to prevent her to keep hiding this important subject from him.

He was noticing her behavior for a while now, but he was waiting for her to tell him. Well, since he knew it'd not be an easy task for her, he had to ask. He didn't want to pressure her, but he needed to know the true to help her.

"Yes!" She waved her hand through the air.

"I'm pregnant." She finally admitted with a low tone, but he heard her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He couldn't say he was surprise because he was not. He just wanted her confirmation.

"I'm sorry… sometimes I think you're still my little boy and things are really complicated for me right now and…" Before she could finished, he stood up and embraced her in an warm hug, surprising her.

"I'm so happy for you, mom." He breathed these words in her neck, still holding her tight.

"Are you?" She gave a step back and held him by the shoulders, looking directly at his eyes.

"Of course I am. Why shouldn't I be?" He smiled honestly.

"I don't know!" She shook her head and let out a laugh.

"The question is: Are you happy?" Her not anymore little boy questioned her.

"I am…" She held tears in her eyes as she spoke.

"What's that?" He saw the apprehension she carried on her face and he knew there was something else, despite her situation with Robin.

"The baby… she's powerful! Powerful as no one and maybe she's the only one able to defeat the Dark One!" Regina decided to tell him the whole truth. He was her son, she loved him and knew, at this point, she couldn't omit anything from him.

"Wow!" He exclaimed.

"Her?" Suddenly she was taken aback by his question and the proud smile on his face.

"Yes. I'm sure it's a girl."

"Cool!" He didn't hide his enthusiasm.

"Can I feel her?" He asked for permission to touch her stomach.

"Of course you can, but she's not moving yet." She caught his hands on hers and put on her stomach, feeling immediately warm as his thumbs started to trace patterns on her skin.

"Amazing!" Even not feeling his sister's movements, he was excited to share this special moment with his mother.

"Does Robin know?" He asked, as he took his hands away from Regina's stomach.

"No." She admitted sadly.

"I understand." Henry could image how hard it was for his mother to tell Robin about that and he respect her decision to keep the secret with her for now.

"It's not easy, Henry." She looked down, thinking about the thousands time she had tried to tell Robin the truth.

"I know. But I'll be by your side, mom. Whatever you decide, you can count on me."

"Thank you, Henry. I just think we should keep this little secret to ourselves for now, especially because I'm afraid she's in dangerous." She was really concerned about the Merlin's words.

"Alright." He nodded, knowing the seriousness this situation was dragging them into.

"I trust you and I know you'll do your best." He was already a grown boy and he understood her fears.

"I love you, Henry." She kissed his cheeks and hugged him again.

"I love you, mom…" He hugged her back.

"And I love my sister." He said and Regina couldn't restrain the tears in her eyes anymore, so she let them fall freely.

"Can I have the honor to be your companion at the party?" He armed his eyes as a real gentleman to her. She wiped her tears from her face and made a reverence, as she was used to do when she was young.

"Of course, sir." She said, with a funny tone.

"Do you give me this honor, little princess?" He spoke directly to her stomach and Regina couldn't be happier as she saw the love of her life showing his feeling towards her little and already loved miracle.

"I think she does." She put her arms on his and, together, they made their way out of the room.

"She better!" He warned her sister, pointing a finger at where she was still growing.

"I think I'll be a really boring and protective big brother because I'm sure she'll be the most beautiful one!" He said proudly, as they left the room, making Regina laugh hard and squeeze the arm of her little prince… well, not so little anymore.

---

The Storybrooke main street was beautiful and she kept in mind to compliment Snow for that too. She still had to talk to her, in the way she had talked to Emma and she'd do it, she promised that to herself. Maybe just an excuse wouldn't change anything, she was aware about that, but she still owned a lot of apologies to her step daughter.

"Regina, you look beautiful!" Thinking of Snow, she made her appearance and Regina smiled at the sincerity on her face.

"Thanks to you, Snow. I have to admit that I'm surprised! Nice work." She admitted, looking to her dress.

It was not a difficult thing to do, was it?

"Thank you." She smiled proudly of herself and Regina's heart warmed. If she could unmake everything she had done to this woman, she would, because now she knew Snow never deserved it. But right now, it was a time to celebration, not to touch in delicate issues.

"You can sit with us." Snow motioned towards the Charming's table, which was occupied with Snow's family, Hook – who already was a part of family – and Arthur. She had never thought she'd be welcome to their table, their life, but she was happy that now, she could enjoy their company and especially, because they trust her, despite her past.

"Of course." She answered and Henry leaded the way towards the table.

"You look beautiful, Regina." Arthur said as she sat on the chair.

"I'm feeling like a teenager, to be fair." She chuckled and he smiled back.

She straightened on the chair and immediately started to look around. It had been two weeks since she hadn't properly spoke with him. She had seen him, as she hided herself a few times on the forest, trying to approach him and tell him the truth.

As usual, he was keeping some distance, maybe because the incident in her house when he went there and found Arthur was there with her. However, she knew the real reason: their kiss. After their broke up, they didn't have had that kind of affection towards each other, but at that moment, after he sang that music to her and went after her, she couldn't control her actions anymore, so she kissed him and kissed him as never before.

Now, she had to see him… just see him. But where was he? She was becoming desperate, she needed to see him and relieve the pain in her chest.

"Do you honor me a dance?" Arthur stood up, dragging her from deep thoughts and waved a hand towards her, as an invitation.

"Come on, mom!" Henry interfered, noticing the desperation on his mother's face, and maybe as if an attempt to make her feel better.

"My honor." She stood up as well, forced a smile at him, and they approached the dance floor, trying to catch their pace.

What she didn't know was that a bored and jealous thief was following all her movements, not even attempting to hide his frustrations.

---

** FLASHBACK ON **

Missing Year…

The first image he saw when he entered into the ballroom was a glimpse of the Queen. She was stunning, he had to admitted that, despite her apprehension towards him. In fact, he didn't know why she hated him so much. Maybe it was because he was always pushing her buttons or taking her away from the limits. He was doing that on purpose, of course, but he didn't know why he was doing such a thing. Little John had warned him that despites her changes, she was still the Evil Queen and could change him into crisps, but he didn't care. He was enjoying to see her furious with him, actually he thought she was kind of cute in these moments.

Wait? Cute?

Robin shook his head, trying to compose himself. He couldn't think she was cute. That was unacceptable. He couldn't think that about this infuriating queen. Fast, he tried to glance at the people around him, avoiding looking at her figure. But she was so beautiful in that dress…

Wake up, Robin!

He approached some of his men and tried to catch up with them but why he couldn't even listen to them? He didn't like her hair up like that, it was fine but he preferred if they were falling freely to her back and shoulders.

Did he already have seen her with loose hair?

He definitely wanted to see that. Her raven locks scattered on the pillow as he was making love with her senseless and…

Shit!

Robin didn't know what was happening to him. She was drawing his attention and thoughts on a way he thought it were not possible. That woman was driving him crazy!

"Why are you staring at me?" Suddenly, a female voice, her voice, came to his ears.

Oh no!

It was her; she was right in front of him, staring at him with a furious and questionable look.

God! She was pretty! So damn pretty…

He could only opened his mouth and look at her beauty, without words. Somehow she made him nervous and shy but of course it was only his assumptions. That woman definitively couldn't affect him in any way.

"Don't you have anything better to do than that?" She waved her hands nervously and something else came out from her mouth again but he couldn't understand what she was talking about. Her figure was distracting him a lot lately and especially now that he could smell her sweet perfume. He looked at her mouth, then at her inviting and beautiful cleavage and at the tempting path until the curves of her breasts, which was covered by that damn corset.

"I'm sorry?" He couldn't distract himself anymore by looking at her perfect body because she was narrowing her brows at him and waiting for an answer.

What did she have to ask him anyway?

"Don't do that anymore." She did shoot at him, pointing a finger right to his chest.

She didn't touch him, but still, he could feel the warmth of her body mixing with his and that was the most enjoyable feeling he ever had experimented in his life. Instinctively, he took her finger and let to his mouth, kissing it.

Robin, what the hell are you doing?

She stepped back immediately, widening her eyes, as she had been burnt.

He didn't know what to say to her. An awkward silence befallen them and he knew he had to say or do something but his actions had betrayed him. He had to improve. He had to be sarcastic and turn her attention at another direction.

"I was not staring at you. Don't be so convinced." He said after gulped hard, thinking that maybe a bit of sassiness could win their internal battle.

"Your gaze was saying quite the opposite." She said and narrowed her left brow and approached him more, and her mouth almost touched his cheek.

Damnit! She wouldn't give up! Was she trying to drive him crazy?

If that was her intention, mission accomplished! His trousers couldn't carry the bulk of his erection and if she dared to touch him, this could be his end. However, he knew what she was doing, she was trying to seduce him and then let him miserable after that, and he wouldn't let her take that. Since their first day in the Enchanted Forest, that damn woman was chasing his dreams and thoughts but he wouldn't give her that satisfaction. He was dying to get to know more of her, to be honest, but he'd never show her that.

"There are a lot of beautiful women here." He insinuated to her, pretending to look around the ballroom.

"Point taken." She looked around and took a sign of the people there but kept her closeness, not stepping back even a little.

"Still, you're staring at me and I don't like that." She smirked at him and bit her lower lips.

Jesus Christ! His erection was about to burst above his pants!

He took a deep breath, trying to calm down his nerves and erection and trying to think about something else but her. He tried to smirk back at her and he didn't know if he had successful on that but he had to carry on with her game.

"Why would I stare at you?" The conscious part of his brain spoke to him.

"That's my question." She smiled at him. The allusive smile that could break him apart and for a moment, he let himself to follow her gaze. Tension was growing faster inside him.

Oh no!

She was definitely playing with him but he couldn't allow such a thing.

"You're infuriating!" He shot at her and she scoffed.

"You didn't answer my question, thief." She tilted her head in a flirtations manner, and said in her most alluring voice.

"You know what? Fine, maybe… just maybe, I was staring at you but not because I'm interested on you." He blatantly lied to her, contradicting his pounding heart and the reaction of his body towards her.

"Good for you because I'd never have any kind of interest on you either." She lied back because she couldn't allow herself to be so attracted at this annoying outlaw.

"Why not?" He said, with a bit of indignation on his face.

"You can't be serious!" Regina's eyes narrowed but she really was enjoying that.

"Oh, but I am." He said with his gorgeous and dimpled smile.

Shit, Regina! Don't be weak right now!

"Why are you doing this?" She tried her best to snarl out her words but they ended up sounding more vulnerable than she had hoped.

"You're despicable!" She said that as she saw that his smirk didn't fade away.

"Maybe because I enjoy rattling your bones." He extended his hand, inviting her and she blinked at his action.

"Would you honor me with a dance?" He leaned himself as a compliment because he was dying to feel her close to him. Maybe he could call himself as a loser but who'd care about his proud right now?

"Excuse me?" She widened her eyes in shock.

"Can you dance?" He reiterated in a firm tone, looking right into her eyes and trying to reach her hand.

"No!" She withdrew the palm of her hand which was almost touching his.

"No, you don't you want to dance? Or no, you can't dance?" She said and her heart was in her throat.

Don't do it, Regina!

"Of course I can dance, I'm the Queen!" Despites her confusion, she could be sassy. She would never let that thief climb her walls.

"Then prove it to me!" Robin challenged her.

"I don't have to prove anything to you." She muttered.

"So, you're scared…" He replied, defiantly.

"I am not!" She pointed that out and her body came closer to his, making him to take a deep breathe.

She could feel the hardening of him underneath, making her pulse quicken. She had to stay as far away as she could from him. This man was dangerous!

"Alright! But you own me a dance." He kissed her right cheek and she froze instantly. The feeling of his warm lips against her skin made her wondering dirt and wrong things. She couldn't allow herself of that… she only had to find a way back to Henry and this thief was taking her away to the main goal.

"I don't own you anything!" She barked out.

"Of course you do!" He was teasing her as much as he could.

"Stay away from me or else I…" She teased him, eyes suspicious.

"You'd do what?" He almost whispered these words in her mouth. She knew he was challenging her again and she couldn't surrender herself but suddenly he grabbed her by the waist, bringing her body to his.

"I could kill you with a blink of my eyes." She said and put her hands on his chest.

"So, do it!" He fisted his fingers into her hair and was bringing her even closer to him. They stood closer, mouth to mouth, breathing the air of each other's mouth for a moment.

Regina didn't know what possessed her but she couldn't - and didn't want to, to be honest - let him free her. She wanted to feel his body pressed on hers, his tongue working in a wonderful way against her body and pleasure her as she had never been before.

No!

That infuriating man was smirking at her, teasing her in a way that no other man had done before. She couldn't let him win her. But before she stepped back, she touched his evident arousal with her own body, making him groan in frustration.

"This is never going to happen!" She remarked, saying these words close to his ear, and of course, making his whole and needing body shiver. She smirked, thinking she had won their internal battle but she didn't know what he had in mind next.

"You want me as much as I want you!" He looked deeply into her eyes and she became speechless. All her sassy comments were stuck in her throat and the wetness between her thighs was getting unbearable. She had to get away from him and she had to do it now!

"I hate you!" She said, reeling her hand out of his grip, once for all.

"Right back at you, Your Majesty!" He smirked proudly, as if he was winning a battle, and in fact, he was, at least this time. Regina looked over her shoulder, no mattering if other people was watching her, and seeing his proud face, she groaned, and she swear to herself that one day, she'd take that off.

** FLASHBACK OFF **

---

Regina was sitting again after only one dance with Arthur. Her body wasn't the same anymore, her pregnancy was making her feel always tired. She was observing people dancing around and a few Camelot people in ecstasy, since they seemed to find Arthur's sword ingrown in some place at the forest. Arthur was thrilled about that and immediately went to the place to take his precious item. She was glad for him.

"You still own me that dance." A voice came behind her with a polite curtsey. Hearing that voice, made Regina's whole body shiver in anticipation.

"Excuse me?" She inquired, turning around to face the person and knowing exactly what he was talking about.

She couldn't control a radiant smile spreading on her face as she saw him and remembered their talk on her castle. He was gorgeous as always, maybe even more with that costumers. She should decline his invitation, it was the best thing to do, but she was tired of fighting. So she extended her arms and reached his already waiting hands.

She was beautiful. Robin had always admired her beauty but tonight she was breathtaking, glowing, perfect, stunning in every way.

Neither of them dared to speak one word as they reached for the dance floor. They didn't need it. Their feelings and the electricity emanating from the join of their bodies could speak for themselves.

They stood up in the middle of the dance floor. His hand holding her by the waist and caressing the satin of her ball gown, enjoying the feel of it beneath his fingertips. He moved his other and held her own hand. He couldn't help but notice the contrast in their skin tones as his larger hands held her smaller, more delicate hands.

Slowly they began to dance, nowhere in sync with the music. This dance tonight was merely a physical play out of the symbolic dance they had been engaging in all along.

They were standing quite close, after he pulled her up, her chest just inches from his, their noses almost brushing. He could feel her breath on his lips and her characteristic and infamous smell.

Robin twirled her, spinning her around. Regina's lips lifted, ever so slightly and he spun her again and again. She finally left out a contagious laugh, making his heart constrict and his stomach leap. He let her twirl him as well, something which activated more giggles from her part, and a smile from his lips too.

He twisted her behind him and she leaned in, winking, her lips quirking up. He pulled her to him again after that, clasping her hand tightly, his other hand moving to her waist. His gaze grew intense and she stared at him back, brown eyes wide, realizing their faces were only inches apart.

"I miss you." He admitted, softly and really close to her ear.

I miss you too.

She wanted to say it but the words were stuck in her throat and her cheeks actually colored at his words. His eyes were intense as they watched her, amused at her blushing.

Why was she embarrassed?

They stood there, staring at each other, seeming to forget their purpose was to dance.

Regina sucked in her breath when he bent his head down; touching her cheek lightly, beard tickling along her jaw. Her stomach was doing summersaults at the contact, and this time, she was sure it was not her daughter…. their daughter.

Her skin was supersensitive to the touch and it felt so wonderfully good.

They rested their foreheads together, just enjoying their close proximity, matching silly grins plastered across their faces. Their brief physical closeness seemed to bring them emotionally closer for the moment as well. His arm was still around her and his other hand was still joined with hers.

Their eyes were closed, enjoying the moment as long as they could. They missed that, being together, exchanging their warmth.

Tell him the truth, Regina!

Maybe this was the perfect moment. She knew she had to say to him, she was still conflicted but it was necessary. She couldn't hide it away from him anymore, he deserved to know the truth.

"Robin…" She looked into his eyes and finally started to say something she had managed to say a lot of times before.

"There's something I need to tell you…" She was about to explain to him when suddenly something cut her words.

"The darkness!" A desperate voice came, making them jump and everybody rapidly turned their attention and saw that inconvenient dwarf running at them.

"The darkness! It's coming again!" He screamed, making everybody panic.

People started to run around, looking for a shelter, Emma was trying to calm down the Camelot's residents, but she wasn't having lucky at that, while David was trying to command a plan and lead the people at Grannys. The chaos was settled between them, as Regina stood still, in the middle of the dance floor, staring at nowhere.

"Come on, Regina. We have to find a safe place." Robin was desperate, but he was trying to not show it.

"Regina." He held her by the shoulders, in an attempt to bring her back to reality.

"Henry…" She whispered.

"I'm sure he's fine." Robin turned around, looking for any sign of the boy but didn't see him. However, he was near the Charming's family the last time Robin had seen him, so he deduced David had took care of him. Immediately his heart ached because of his son, he had left the boy at the camp, sleeping, but he was sure his friends would do anything to protect his boy as well. Right now, the only thing he could do was trying to protect Regina.

"Let's go." Robin almost begged and trailed her across the street, trying to head them at Granny's.

The cold winter hit their faces as a knife. He held her hand tight as they walked fast. He could notice Emma and David were still trying to accommodate and calm down the people's nerves.

"Robin!" Emma yelled at him and he looked at her, seeing the desperate look on her face and her finger pointing at something behind them, on the sky, and running at their direction. When he looked up over his shoulders, his knees became weak, his breath was caught, his heart stopped.

"Robin…" It was the only thing Regina could say before being dragged through the air by the powerful and dark magic, throwing Robin away on the ground.

"NO!" He screamed as the image in front of him.

Regina was struggling against the darkness with all her forces but it seemed she couldn't get free from it. Robin and Emma tried to approach her, but the strong shield of magic threw them way again.

Regina was desperate, that couldn't be happening, not right now. Of course she was afraid for her life; she'd lying if she said she was not, but her only concern right now was her daughter. Her heart was beating fast as never before, her whole body was shaking, and tears were dropping from her eyes freely and non-stopping.

No, please! No!

She was praying, begging, screaming at any God to help her little girl right now. She fought with all her last strength and let her hand to her stomach, rubbing softly and trying to feel her little girl, even if it was for the last time.

I'm sorry…

I love you…

Suddenly, a blue blast of magic started to emerge from her whole body, making Regina tremble and gasp. She just closed her eyes, feeling the power that she was sure from where was emerging, and especially, from who. She hadn't learned how to deal with its powers but she remembered Merlin's words saying that only her was able to control. Now she understood: she didn't have to control it, it was stronger than her, she had to let it control her, and she had to trust in her daughter. So she did, and let the magic explode freely and without fear from her body.

The light was becoming stronger, blinding everybody around, and forcing them to protect their eyes with their forearms.

After a moment, the strong light started to dissipate and they were able to see through it.

"Regina!" Robin screamed her name desperately and he ran as fast as he could towards her. His heart was beating fast and his breath was caught in his throat.

He kneeled on the ground and tried to turn her head around carefully to his lap because he didn't know how badly she was injured.

"Robin!" She widened her eyes and whispered with difficult, as soon as he put her head on his lap.

He touched every inch of her body, trying to see if she had any injury as she tried to open her mouth to say something to him.

"Save her… Please!" She managed to say between her sobs and cries of pain.

His eyes widened as a sense of devaju invaded his mind. He had been through it before, but at that time he was just having a bad dream or in an alternative universe. Right now, the woman he loved was in pain and he couldn't see what was wrong with her. He was desperate. He didn't know what to do.

"Is she hurt?" Emma kneeled on the ground as well and started to look at Regina carefully.

"I don't know!" The panic seeped back into him. His mind was in full speed with all sorts of scenarios going through it.

"She's in pain!" The urge to cry and let the desperation take him over was tremendous but he had to stand strong for her.

"I'm calling the ambulance. We don't know what's wrong, so it's better if we don't move her." Emma lied. Despite the attempt of the darkness to invade Regina's body, she knew exactly why Regina was so concerned and why the new kind of magic had appeared from her. Maybe if they move her or did any wrong movement, she could lose her child.

"You're going to be alright!" He tried to say despite his desperate.

No matter if they were together or not, he'd always love her. She was a part of him and if he lost her, he would lose himself. He cared her face softly, in an attempt to calm her. He traced patterns with his thumbs on her whole body, to bring her comfort and assurance, but suddenly, he stopped, felling as if a knife was had been tucked into his chest. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move as he saw a bloodstain start to emerge from her skirt dress.

"Emma!" Robin screamed at her, who was already on her cell phone.

"There's blood!" Robin managed to say this between the tears that kept running down his eyes and wetting Regina's face.

The last thing Regina could register was the image of the man in panic, the man she loved, the father of her daughter, before everything went dark.

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So, what do you think? Sorry for always end the chapters that way, but I can't control myself! Hehehehe

Let me know your thoughts!

See you soon!