Robin's smile only made Regina feel more nervous, forcing a small smile back she wanted to break the horrible silence between the two. Walking back down the hallway to the main room, Robin was the one to speak. "So Queenie, do I get that story you promised now?" Looking back at him, his self-confident tone started to hit her, making her forget the pang of sadness that had sprung through her as she tucked Roland to sleep. "I didn't promise you a thing."

Robin stopped as they reached the room, sitting down on the large couch, Regina forcing herself to stay standing. "Oh come on, just some little something. You could tell me anything that comes to your mind." Regina turned to him sharply, trying to push past the soft tone his voice carried. "What if I don't want to tell you anything about me? It's not like you need to know who I am anyways. I don't care about you."

Robin easily shook off the words that hinted at some little flame of anger caged inside her. "I'm not asking for anything extreme. What if I start off with a question like you did? Would that make it easier?" Regina knew she would never escape this. "If I say yes will you leave me alone?" Robin chuckled and smirked as her annoyance level grew higher. "Yes, Queenie, I will after you tell me the story."

"Okay, fine. What do you want to ask me?" Robin watched her walk across the room as he tried to think of something that would force her to answer more than just one of his questions. He softly patted the spot next to him on the couch, trying to invite her to sit with him. Rolling her eyes, Regina hesitantly sat down, sitting on the other end as she faced him. "How did you become the Queen?" Robins question was so simple, but yet the story that flashed back through Regina's head held so much that she wouldn't speak of.

"That's what you want to know?" Robin could tell by the look in her eyes that she was trying to stall, he inched himself closer to her. "Yes, that's all I want to know."

Taking a big deep breath Regina's voice came out in one long phrase, "I had an arranged marriage with the king, King Leopold." Her body nearly shuttered at the sound of the man's name coming out of her mouth, she was too distracted by thought to see Robin moving closer. "And? Who made you marry Leopold?" He pressed on wanted to know more. "My mother…" He was beginning to grow worried seeing how her eyes were shinning over with tears, even sad her features seemed to shine in the dim light coming from the window. "Why did your mother make you marry the king?"

The tears that filled her eyes began to grow too heavy to hold back, one tear falling down her cheek, she quickly wiped it away. "She wanted me to be powerful. She wanted me to be the Queen, to rule the land," Robin started to remember what he had heard of the Evil Queen's mother, The Queen of Hearts. The tears Regina had started to shed worried him. What was she hiding? "Could you not have said no to the marriage?"

Regina shook her head slowly. "My mother was gone before I even married him, but I never had the choice." Her voice began to catch in her throat as Daniels image formed in her thoughts. "She wouldn't let me marry anyone else, and once she had said yes to the king for me… I couldn't get away." The tears flooded her eyes, Robin wanting to comfort her, he was now sitting right beside her. "Regina…" Regina's eyes moved to meet his as he said her name, she felt how close he was, but the way her body felt prevented her from moving. Robin couldn't ignore the way she had said anyone else. "Was there someone else you wanted to be with?"

Regina's mind refusing to speak about Daniel, her voice rose. "No!" She got up off the couch, walking to the other side of the room. Robin could tell he was edging at something that bothered her, but spoke softly as he pressed on. "Who was he? ... The man you loved." Regina's eyes burned with furry at the way he pushed her to answer the questions. "I never said I loved anyone."

Letting out a soft chuckle at the way she refused to say anything, Robin continued, "I can tell." Robin slowly stood up off the couch. "You've been hurt before. The way you talk, the way you act," He moved closer to Regina. "You've been though horrible things. What happened to him?"

The way Robins soft voice traveled through the air made Regina feel a strange sense of comfort she couldn't explain. Leaning back against the wall, she looked down, "He… He was killed." Robin understood now… Regina had lost the man she loved when she was younger, then was forced to marry the King. "I understand how you feel."

"You don't have to say that, you don't have to try to pretend to care. I've had enough of that in my life." Regina kept her eyes down, continuously wiping the tears that were still falling. "I'm not pretending." Robin stepped forward until he was in front of her. "I know what it's like to lose the one you love."

Regina looked up, surprised to see his face only inches away from hers. "You do?" Robin nodded as he reached his hand out to gently cup her cheek and wipe away the tears. Regina's mind told her to pull away, but as their eyes locked she couldn't move. "My wife died many years ago." The woman who had given him Roland, Regina realized. "After she was pregnant with Roland, she became very ill. I tried so hard to find something to cure her, but nothing would work. Not even magic. She passed away after Roland was born." His voice trailed off, but his eyes never wavered from Regina's.

"I'm sorry." Regina was stunned by the story, speechless almost. "Don't be sorry. My life has gone on. Everyone has to learn to move on."

"Not everyone can," Regina couldn't understand how he kept himself so composed. "After he was killed I married the king. The king was killed not long after, and I ruled as Queen just like I was expected to. After the curse was broken, he came back. He told me…" As Regina starred into this man's eyes the words Daniel had told her finally made sense. "To love again."

His soft touch, the way his eyes held her gaze, Regina could hardly breathe. She hadn't felt like this since she was a girl. Why? She asked herself over and over again. Why could this man, this bandit, this outlaw… Make her feel like this? "Maybe love is what you need." The words flowed out of him like they had been stored in his mind, Robin felt himself wanting to close the space between Regina and himself. But would she let him?

She wasn't evil, she was broken, but he wanted to fix that. The years he had spent with Marian had been special, his first love. But first love wasn't always true love, he knew that. The beautiful woman in front of him was sparking feeling in him that were more real than anything he had ever felt before.

He was so close. Regina could hear every heartbeat, even though most were her own. What was he going to do? She didn't want to admit she had grown attracted to him, because that would mean showing weakness. He had already pulled so much out of her, she couldn't take anymore. "No one can love someone like me. I'm a villain." He only leaned in closer, "What you've done in the past doesn't affect your future."

He couldn't stop himself, he couldn't hold back any longer. His eyes moved down to her lips then back to her eyes. "Robin… What are you doing?" Regina mumbled, but he wasn't going to pull back. "Something I've wanted to do since the moment I laid my eyes on you." Robin pressed his lips against hers. Regina didn't react at first, but the feel of him so close to her started to get to her. Robin didn't pull away as he felt her kiss back, the tension and hurt that had been released into the room seeming to disappear. Neither of them had kissed anyone else so passionately in years.

Their lips slowly pulling apart, Robin leaned his forehead against her as they both tried to take in what had just happened. Robin knew that he liked Regina. There was something about her that drew him in, something that made her seem dark and hidden. Regina had felt every bit of the passion behind the kiss, Robin was an interesting man, and strong and confident, but was this what she wanted? She had just lost her son, and been sent here for the rest of her life. Villains don't het happy endings, that's what she had been told. No happy endings, no love.

Both of their thoughts were stopped, instantly stepping away from each other as they heard tiny footsteps coming down the hallway. "Daddy? Miss Regina?" Roland's voice was just a whisper as he ran toward them. "Roland? What's wrong buddy?" Robin rubbed Roland's back as the little boy wrapped his arms around the grown man's legs. "Monster. Scary. Monster." Regina bent down to his level. "Did you have a bad dream Roland?" He nodded as he held onto his father's legs tightly. "It's ok, there is no monster here."

"No monster?" Regina nodded in response, Roland seeming to calm down a little. "Me no want to sweep in scary room." Robin bent down to pick him up, Roland burying his sleepy head into Robin's chest. "Do you want to stay out here with me and Miss Regina until you fall asleep?" After Roland nodded, Robin carried him over to the couch where the boy continued to cling to Robin. "Close your eyes, I'm right here Roland, no monster can get to you."

Regina stood where she was until she saw Robin softly pat the spot next to him on the couch. Hesitantly, she sat down, glad that Roland had stopped what could have come after the kiss. "Story?" Roland put his head on Robin's chest. "Hmm… You got any good stories Queenie?" Regina, smiling softly at how the nickname had come back, shook her head. "Not that I can think of."

…

"Wonderand?"Roland's yawned out the word. Robin began telling the story of his time in Wonderland, Regina listening just as intently as Roland. After getting halfway through the story Roland was already asleep. "And that's how you get him to sleep, on an easy night." Robin smiled over at the tired Queen, who smiled back. "I know what you mean." Regina let out a soft yawn, leaning her head back on the couch. "Tired Queenie?" He chuckled softly as Roland shifted in his lap. "Just a little." She grinned as she closed her eyes.

Robin watched her, wondering if she was thinking as much as he was. Their little moment had been cut short, but it didn't leave his mind. He could tell Regina was falling into a deep sleep, her legs curling up toward her body as she got more comfortable. He tried to relax his tightening muscles as her head slid down onto his shoulder. She looked so beautiful… Her features were softened by the light of the moon that glistened down through the window. If she was awake she wouldn't be this close to him. He smirked at the thought, and decided to leave her where she was as he closed his eyes.

…

I'm sorry it took me so long to put up this chapter. I had to decide how I wanted it to be, then I had some troubles. I am working on the next chapter right now so it should be up sometime this weekend! Thanks for all your reviews! If you have any questions or want to give me some helpful advice on my writing write me a review. Thank you to all my readers!