"No! No, don't hurt him! Stop!" Regina's throat stings with the pain of screaming, her voice turning harsh and rough from her strained vocal chords. "Leopold, stop! He didn't do anything! Just leave him alone!" She starts forward as Leopold lifts his hand in the air again, a leather whip waving lazily in the breeze. Robin's blood drips from the end and stains the grass.

"This is your fault Regina! You should have just stayed in the castle and this wouldn't be happening!" Leopold pulls his eyes away from Robins bleeding form, slouched on the ground, to scream into Regina's pleading face. His eyes are cold, dreadfully cold. There is no emotion, only a maddening happiness that is so monstrous Regina finds herself looking away. She yanks her body forward, tries desperately to reach Robin, block the blows meant for him with her own body. But a guard clasp tightly to her wrist, his metal gloves sinking into her skin. She can feel warm blood running down her hands, but she doesn't care, her screeching continues, piercing the cold night air.

"Kill me!" She closes her eyes as another sob wracks her entire body, sending her to her knees in the soft grass. "Kill me, instead! Just let him go!" But Leopold raises his hand, the whip following like some horrible extension to his arm, an extension that snaps through the air with an aching whistle that has Regina cringing and crying. She hears the deafening crack as the cold leather tip slashes Robins skin open once more. He cries out in pain, doubling over in the grass until his face is inches from the ground. His breathing is heavy and uneven as his shoulders fall and rise, blood oozing down his neck.

"You did this to him. You're the monster, Regina." The guard lets go of her wrist, sending her sprawling out in the grass. Robin's blood has created a thick sheet of sticky warmth over the once smooth grass, his body lying inches from her. "Robin! Robin no! Please! Please, come back to me!" She struggled to her knees, her hand clasped gently around Robin's blood covered face. She pulls his head gently into her lap, shaking him slightly. "Please, Robin. Please. Please don't leave me. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Robin." Her voice is barely a whisper, a sob shaking her body every few seconds. "You didn't deserve this. I'm so sorry." She presses her forehead gently to his. A day ago if she had done this, he would have kissed her, teasingly called her "your majesty". She would've elbowed him in the ribs, smiled and said "It's Regina to you!" But now he is quiet, cold under her touch. He will never kiss her again. She will never hear his voice again. She swears to herself then and there. I will kill Leopold.

Regina's eyes fly open, a horrible screech of terror escaping her lips. Sweat slips down her face and lands on her pillow, her whole body shakes and she's curled into a tight ball. It was just a nightmare. She tries to let out a long breath to calm herself, but it's caught in her throat. It is now swollen from screaming, and she finds herself coughing until she feels like her lungs will explode.

"It's ok. Robin's ok. It was just a dream." She whispers encouragingly to herself as she sits upright in her bed, now soaked with sweat. Her arms shake angrily and she collapses back into a tight ball. She can hear distant footsteps running towards her and she shakes her head, trying to bring herself back to reality, but all she can see is Robin lying there, bleeding to death and she can't do a thing about it.

"Regina! Regina! Are you alright? Hey, look at me. What's wrong?" Warm hands settle on her sweaty cheeks and turn her head gently. Everything is blurry. She tries blinking her eyes, once, twice, and the tears that had settled on her lashes drip away, leaving salty trails down her face. She finally sees him, not covered in blood, but a sharp look of worry covering his face instead. "Robin!" she finds her strength and pushes up off of the sweat soaked mattress, her arms fly around her neck, pulling him closer. "You're okay! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry." He sits down gently on the side of the bed and it sinks in slightly where he settles, but it only pushes her closer to him. He pulls her forward gently, wrapping his arms around her until she buries her tear stained face in the crook of his neck.

"Hey, it's alright. It's alright. I'm right here. What happened?" His fingers draw lazy patterns on her back, and she relaxes at the contact.

"Yo- you were- no Leopold. Leopold wa- was killing you." She stutters around her words, gasping as the memories of the nightmare bring another blistering wave of pain. "And I couldn't do anything an- and he-" Regina's head fell back to his shoulder as a sob shook her, her face cringed up in pain and her fingers tighten their vice grip on the collar of his shirt. "He killed you, Robin!" It seemed like her entire body gave away at the words, she sank into his arms, crying as if it had all happened, as if Robin was really dead. Robin ran the pad of his thumb across her cheekbone gently, wiping away a tear that slipped from her eye. She pushes him away shaking her head violently.

"I can't stay here anymore. I have to leave." She disentangles their entwined fingers and stands from the bed, her legs shaking slightly from the sudden movement, but she continues making her way towards the ladder. If I stay, he get's hurt.

"Regina! Wait!" Robin's warm, calloused fingers settle on her shoulder, stopping her just as she opened the door. "Please don't leave!" She yanks her shoulder from his grasp and turns her mouth into a twisted scowl. One of the few things she had learned from her wretched mother was how to push people away.

"And what happens if I stay? Terror, Robin. Everywhere I go, terror, and pain, and conflict follows!" Her hands clasped around the tightly knit rope that held the door closed, but Robin is speaking again, and his words have her letting go of the rope and turning to face him.

"And what happens if you go? Have you ever thought about that? Leopold is horrible, Reg-" She doesn't let him finish.

"You think I don't know that?" Her voice has changed from a kind tone to a harsh laughter, but he doesn't plan on backing down.

"Exactly Regina! I know that you are fully aware of how wretched he is, but what you may not know is how much everyone here needs you!" His voice is angry now, louder than he would like it to be. "Every person in this camp needs you! You are brave, but you know the difference between bravery and stupidity. You are kind, but you know when anger is necessary. This camp, these people! They need that! I need that!" He is out of breath by the time he is finished, his shoulders rising and falling in uneven time. Her eyes meet his.

"Nobody's ever needed me before…" Robin reaches forward and gently clasp her hand in his own, pulling her closer until their foreheads meet. He can smell her soft pine scent, and theirnoses are only inches apart.

"I do. I need you." She almost smiles, but it falters and disappears before it's even fully reached her face.

"If I stay, you'll get hurt. Leopold will find us, and he will not hesitate to kill us."

"I won't let that happen." His accented voice is full of confidence.

"It's not like you have much of a choice in the matter. Leopold has an army, all we have is a few well trained thieves." Any hope that she may have had hidden in her heart faded. Of course this couldn't last.

"Well my dear, we have something Leopold does not." Her eyebrows perked up in interest causing a warm smile to spread across Robin's dimpled face. "Leopold may have an army, but they work for the money he has to offer them. They are not family, they have no love for one another. The Merry Men are family. We fight to the death for one another. You won't find a stronger bond than the one here. Please, Regina, just give it a chance." His blue eyes were pleading as he squeezed her hand gently.

"So help me, Robin, if you get yourself killed, I- I don't know what I'll do! But it won't be good!" Her voice was stern, like a mother scolding a young child for playing with a snake, but a warm smile turned up the corners of her mouth. Robin wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her tightly.

"I love you. I know you may not believe me, but it's true." He pulls back from the embrace and settles his hand in her own. "I understand if you won't say it back. You've been through a lot in your life. I just wanted you to know." A tear slips from her eyes and she ducks her head quickly, pulling her free hand to her face to wipe it away. "I'll let you get changed. I want you to come meet someone." A final squeeze to her hand, it was still a habit of his, and he's descending the rope ladder, allowing her privacy.

Regina turned and scanned the large room for the trunk of clothes she had seen yesterday. She had been so tired she hadn't been able to properly examine the contents, but now she sauntered over to it. Her hands found the cool brass latch and she ran her hands over the smooth surface. It's just like the door latch to the tavern. She smiles and tugs at the latch with force until she hears a sharp "click!" and the lid flies open. Regina's eyes widen at the vast amount of clothes that lie before her. Shirts, pants, and the occasional boot spill over the edges of the crate. Not a single dress. She sighs in relief. Running her hands through the clothes she finds a brown leather vest and white cotton shirt. Slipping the two on and discarding the uncomfortable white dress, she exams her new outfit. The vest ties tightly at the stomach, the collar that adorns the top covering her neck. Good, nobody will ask any questions this way. She runs her hand over the back of her neck, sighing as she feels the long scars that run over her skin. No! Don't live in the past! You get to start over here. Pulling her hands away, she reaches into the trunk and pulls out a pair of dark forest green pants and knee high brown leather boots. She slips them on with ease. Perfect fit. Then she's heading for the ladder Robin has descended no more than ten minutes before. The rungs of rope are still warm where his hands had held onto them. She descends the ladder quickly, her feet moving from step to step with ease. She jumps the last few steps, landing with a soft thud on her feet.

"Stunning, in every way." Robin's hand comes gently around her waist, his face resting by her ear. Regina sighs and leans back into his touch, nuzzling her nose gently against his cheek.

"You aren't so bad yourself." She laughs. Robin places a gentle kiss to her cheek before he turns her around so she's facing him, a smile lighting up his pale eyes.

"C'mon, there's someone I want you to meet." He loops his arm in the crook of her elbow and leads her forward, his trek leading them towards the edge of the clearing where the large, curly haired man Regina had seen just yesterday stood, his back to them.

"Little John!" Robin calls out to the man who turns on his heel, his mouth widening into a toothy grin at the sight of Robin. Strange name. He certainly isn't little.

"Robin! And…" John trails off, his eyes falling to Regina.

"I won't need to be telling you off again today, will I?" Regina tried to hold in the laughter that began bubbling to the surface, causing her lips to turn into an off smile. She had only been joking, but the man's eyes widened in fear and he looked to Robin for support. She couldn't fight the laughter anymore.

"I'm only kidding!" She laughed, extending her hand for John to shake. "I'm Regina. And you must be John." The man's worried expression faded and was replaced with a warm smile and jolly laugh that was so contagious, even Regina found herself laughing as well. John took her hand in a quick, firm shake, his hands proving to be quite larger than her own.

"You would be correct! Pardon me for asking m'lady but, how did you come across a man such as Robin?" He raised an eyebrow in curiosity, one of the curls that fell to his face bouncing from the sudden change in facial expression.

"Well, I was just going to the tavern and I met him! He invited me to come here, escape from the palace a-" She froze, her whole body going stiff. "I mean, not the palace! I don't live in a palace!" She was rambling now, trying to think off an excuse the curly haired man would believe. "I mean I just… I don't know what I mean." Her mouth twitched into a defeated frown, her eyes traveling down to the toes of her boots. You idiot!

"Regina, I may be a thief but I'm not dumb." She looked up, John was laughing. "I knew you were the queen the moment I saw you! I mean you are very well known, being the queen and all."

"Well, John, I'm not the queen anymore. I left that life behind an-" A voice piped up behind Regina.

"Oh, so now we have royalty in the camp! How delightful!" The voice dripped with sarcasm that had Regina's blood boiling in anger, her hands turning to tight fist. The owner of the voice came around, settling beside John. It was the woman who had been glaring at Regina yesterday. Of course it's her.

"Regina, this is Marian." Robin spoke up, gesturing to the women. Regina didn't try to hide the scowl that twisted her features as she glared at Marian. The woman returned the glare with one of her own.

"I am not royalty. I left that life behind." Regina's voice was nothing less than a snarl, her eyes squinted slightly in an angry stare. She felt Robin's fingers leave her arm, only to return seconds later, entwined with her own fingers, as if to comfort her. She couldn't help but notice the look that crossed Marian's face, one full of anger, shock. Jealousy. She loves Robin. Regina tightened her grip around Robin's fingers, pulling him closer until there was no space between them, their shoulders bumping into one another at the closeness. Marian scowled. Apparently, John sensed the sharp tension. He spoke up, his voice bringing Regina out of her angry haze.

"Why don't we go down to the river?" His question was directed towards Robin and Regina, but Marian was the first to pipe up, her voice annoyingly excited.

"Sure! I'll go. Robin, are you coming?" She batted her eyelashes flirtatiously, but Robin ignored it. Instead he turned and focused his attention on Regina.

"Do you want to go?" Regina smiled at him, ignoring the anger radiating from where Marian stood a few feet away.

"Of course I want to go." Robin smiled, leaning down and giving her lips a quick kiss before looking to John. "Lead the way!"

Regina jumped, her feet landing with ease on the fallen log. She turned to Robin, who was just behind her. "C'mon, slowpoke!"

"Oh, just be quiet." Robin laughed, jumping with equal ease onto the log.

"So how much farther is this river?" She questioned. She would never admit it, but on the journey she had tripped on a root, rolling her ankle slightly. The pain was bearable, but she could feel the muscles swelling, heat radiating from the wound.

Robin looked down the path ahead of them, where John and Marian were pushing a fallen limb out of the way. "Just up this hill, then we take a right past the fallen tree, and we'll be at the river."

"Alright, seems easy eno-" Regina leaped from the log, her feet hit the ground with a thud. She doubles over, the pain searing her entire leg until she can no longer stand.

"Regina!" Robin leaped from the log, rushing to her side, his calloused hands came to her shoulders, supporting her as she leaned forward, her legs no longer able to support her collapsing form, her head spinning and her mind fuzzy from pain."What's wrong? What happened?" His eyes scan her frantically for injury. When he finds nothing he ask her again, his voice laced with worry. "Regina! What happened?"

"My ankle!" She gasped as another wave of white-hot pain shot up her leg. Robin gathered her into his arms, settling her so that her back was leaning against the rough bark of a tree. She leaned her head back against the rough surface, gritting her teeth as Robin gently extracted the boot from her foot.

"Regina, there is no possible way this could have just happened from jumping off of a log! Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?" Robin spoke as he examined the ankle. The skin around it was purple and black, except for the skin that was covered in a fine layer of blood where her skin was broken.

Regina shook her head, trying to block out the pain. "I didn't want you to think I was weak and couldn't handle myself." Her voice hitched as Robin prodded her ankle, searching for the worst of the damage. His hand froze at her words, his blue eyes traveling to meet hers.

"Everyone gets hurt sometimes." His voice was almost a plea. "That doesn't make you weak."

"My mother always told me that no matter what, you put on a pretty face, impress everybody else, then suffer your pain when no one could see it." She let her shoulders slump against the bark. "She always told me she wanted what was best for me. She only wanted what was best for her."

Robin picked up her hand and laced their fingers together. It seemed like whenever she was upset, he held onto her hand, as if the world couldn't hurt her if he did. Regina looked into his eyes. He wore a sad smile on his usually happy face. "If I could take all your pain away, I would."

"My pain made me who I am." Regina closed her eyes, letting out a deep sigh before she opened them again.

"You are an amazing, talented, smart, beautiful woman, Regina. You do not deserve the terrible things you are put through."

"Robin… I- I" Just say it Regina! "I um- I lo-" Regina jerks as a loud voice sounds from the trail a few yards off. Her sentence is cut short as another stabbing pain shoots through her ankle. She sucks in a sharp breath through her teeth.

"Robin, what's going on? We turned around and you weren't b- what happened?!" John steps closer when he see's the black and purple mess of Regina's ankle.

"I can't tell if it's just sprained or if it's broken." Robin admits, his fingers tightening around Regina's.

"Well, maybe you should make her stand and find out." This time, Marian's shrill voice broke the silence. Robin looked up at the woman, his eyes and mouth forming an angry frown.

"Are you trying to get her hurt even more?" Robin's voice was harsh. If Regina wasn't in so much pain she might have laughed, but new waves of agony were forcing her face into a twisted look of horror. "The camp is too far, she needs a splint now." Robin gathered her into his arms again, one arm under her knee while the other supported her shoulders. She gently leaned her head against his chest, breathing in his fresh forest scent.

"The best place to find wood sturdy and flat enough for a splint would be the river." John gestured down the path with his thumb.

"Alright, lets go." Robin took a few shaky steps forward, adjusting to the new addition of weight. Regina let her eyes close for a moment, relishing in the safety she felt in his arms, in his warm scent that surrounded her.

"Robin?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm glad I left the castle."

"So am I."

"How does it feel?" Robin's voice was soft and kind as he stroked his fingers through her hair gently. They sat on a large flat rock that protruded into the river, water sloshed violently at the edges, threatening to spill from its steady course and soak them. Regina sat in front of Robin, one leg extended out in front of her, a heavy splint weighing down her ankle. Robin's fingers worked through her dark hair, twisting and weaving the long strands.

"It still hurts a little, but not nearly as bad as it did." Regina leaned back slightly, supporting her weight with her hands.

"There! Done!" Robin clapped his hands together.

"What did you do?" Regina laughed. She reached behind her head. Her fingers curled around a braid that was perfectly tied off at the bottom. "You know how to braid?"

"Well considering I grew up with a sister who insisted I braid her hair every morning, I'd say so." He laughed again. Robin has a sister?

"I didn't know you had a sister." Regina turned slightly so that she could see his face. His warm smile had disappeared, a sad look of regret replacing it.

"Yes, well, I don't anymore." He looked down, his eyes filling with unshed tears.

"Robin… What happened?" Regina scooted closer to him, trying her hardest to bring him some comfort, but his eyes stayed focused on the hard rock they sat on, his once beautiful blue eyes glassy, as if he was living in some horrid memory.

"It was my fault." His voice cracked. "Four years ago we were going to rob the castle of a young woman. She was twelfth in line for the throne but she had riches galore. My sister, Anna Belle, insisted on coming. I tried to tell her no, but she wouldn't have it. I let her come. We made it in and out of the castle, we had stolen three bags full of gold. The guards saw us though. They came chasing after us. Anna was a year older than me, she thought it was her duty to protect me. The guard shot an arrow at me and-" A tear slipped down his cheek. "Anna jumped in front of me. She died as soon as the arrow hit her. It was all my fault. I should have told her not to come." Robin shook his head, a heavy sigh slipping past his teeth. "All my fault."

Regina reached towards him, gripping his hand tightly with her own. Anger welled up inside her. She wanted to hurt the person who had caused him so much pain. Calm down. Conceal it. If you don't they'll all know. She took a deep breath, feeling the magic that had been bubbling at her fingertips not but a few seconds ago, go back into hiding. "Robin it isn't your fault, you couldn't have done anything to stop her from going, even if you had tried."

"I could have! If I had tried harder, she wouldn't be dead."

"Hey! Look at me!" Regina lifted her fingers to his chin, forcing his eyes to meet hers. She hated seeing him in so much pain. "This is NOT your fault. I have seen so many people deliberately put their family in danger Robin. My own mother put me in danger to get what she wanted! You are not one of those people! I know you! And I know you would protect your family with everything you had. Don't think for one second that it's your fault, because deep down you know it isn't."

'Regin-" Regina put her hand over his mouth, she smiled, trying to cheer him up.

"Ah, ah, ah! Don't question your queen!" He laughed at her, the sound muffled by her hand. She pulled her hand away and Robin smiled lovingly at her.

"I thought you hated being queen?"

"It has its benefits… sometimes."

"Are you sure about that?" Robin's eyes brightened as he teased her. She let out a sigh of a relief at his returned happiness. She hated the sadness that clouded his eyes and the way his head fell when he was upset.

"Not at all." Regina laughed, the collar of her leather riding vest falling flat as her shoulders rose and fell.

"What's this?" Robin's eyes had left her face and now examined the back of her neck, where moments before her collar had done a good job of concealing. Her laughter died down.

"It's nothing." Regina ran her hand over the scars that adorned the back of her skin as if they would disappear from her skin and Robin's memory with the simple motion. But it wasn't that easy.

"I think it's more than nothing. How did you get these?" Robin reached for her hand, gently shifting it out of the way as he ran his finger over a deep, nasty scar.

"I just fell off a horse when I was younger..." Her voice was muffled, she had every intention of not letting him hear her answer.

"Hmm?" Robin looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"I said it was a horse!" She could feel the guilt building inside her as she sat in front of the man she loved and lied to his face. She had always been able to lie well, another nasty trick she learned from her horrible mother, but it just felt so wrong lying to the man who trusted her like nobody else had.

"Regina? I can tell you're lying. What happened?"

"It doesn't matter, it's in the past." Regina averted her gaze to the roaring water, trying her hardest not to meet Robin's eyes.

"It does matter! Regina I care about you, what happened?"

"What happened is none of your concern!" Her voice is icy, Robin flinches slightly at her anger.

"It is my concern Regina! All I want is for you to be safe and happy!" Robin paused, taking a deep breath. His tone calmed. "Please, tell me."

"It- it was just." You can trust him Regina. "It's just, some people can't control their anger." She could feel Robin's questioning gaze still trained on her face. "That's all there is to it."

"Regin-"

"I said thats all there is to it!" She turned her gaze to look Robin in the eyes, her own gaze cold and unmoving. He didn't need to worry about her. She felt her heart ache as his face fell, his gaze dropping quickly to the ground.

"I'm sorry. I'll just- just stay here. I saw a black berry bush not far up the path, I'll go get some." His voice was muffled as he stood and turned towards the path. Sadness welled up in Regina, she took a deep breath, ready to call him back. But she had never been good at expressing her feelings.

"It's not like I can go anywhere!" She snapped at his retreating form. Angry at herself for being so cruel to him, she slammed her enclosed fist onto the rough rock underneath her, gritting her teeth as her knuckles met the surface, breaking the skin there.

"Why don't you just go crawling back to that little king of yours, your majesty?Maybe this time he'll actually kill you." Marian stands a few feet away from her, her lips twisted in a disgusting smirk. What I wouldn't give to just rip your hair right off of your stupid little head.

"Get over yourself Marian." It is all she can say without going into a full rant so loud that she knows the entire forest would here.

"What's the matter Regina? Are you worried that your precious little Robin will leave you just like everyone else?" Regina lets a heavy breath out of her nose. Conceal it. "Oh! Maybe you're afraid he'll treat you like your precious mommy did! So cruel!" Her fist clench at her sides. Don't feel it. "Maybe you're scared he'll betray you just like sweet little Snow?" She can practically feel the magic trying to force it's way from her fingers, her anger encouraging it to reveal itself to the world with a brutal introduction. Don't let it- "Oh I know! You're afraid someone will kill him because of you! Just like that precious dead fiancé of yours!" And she can't contain it anymore. The magic radiates off of her in waves, sending Marian skidding across the rough surface of the rock. No.

"You're a witch!"