Regina was sitting impatiently in one of the uncomfortable plastic hospital chairs as she waited for her oncologist. Her hand was tangled into Robin's as she tried to focus her thoughts on something positive.

"Calm down, love," Robin whispered as he caressed her hand with his thumb.

"Can't we just go home and crawl back into bed?"

Robin smiled sadly, "if I could make that happen, I would."

She opened her mouth to say something when Annie became visible in the doorway and called for Regina to follow her back. She never let go of Robin's hand. They followed Annie into her office and sat down in front of her desk, both hoping for good news.

"So how are you feeling today?"

"Nervous," Regina admitted, "I know I did it before but…"

"That's alright," Annie said, "it can still be nerveracking. I heard you were having some pain in your chest the other day?"

Regina sighed and cursed Mary Margaret under her breath. If this friendship was going to work then she needed to learn to keep her mouth shut. "It was nothing. Just a little tightness is all."

Annie nodded, knowing that Regina was a very stubborn woman. "After the radiation today, you shouldn't feel any side effects. Those shouldn't start until the third or fourth dose. However, if you experience anymore tightness you have to call me right away. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Good. If you'll follow me."

Robin squeezed Regina's hand one more time before she left. He kissed her gently and promised her that he would be waiting in the waiting room for when she was finished. She nodded and reluctantly let him go.

In the waiting room, Robin was greeted by Mary Margaret and Belle along with Henry and Roland. "We're here for support," Mary Margaret smiled, "I figured she wouldn't mind us all here the first time."

"She'll be thrilled," Robin grinned.

In the procedure room, Regina was lying uncomfortably on the procedure table, cursing the person who invented hospital gowns. She felt like her whole body was on display for the world to see. Annie could see the tension in her patient so she squeezed her shoulder gently. "I'm going to go in the other room for this but if you need anything just press that button." She pointed to a small button that was in arm's length of the machine. "Try to think of something to take your mind off of it and remember to breathe… and stay still."

Regina nodded, remembering the first time she had gone through this. She had been so nervous that she couldn't keep still and the procedure took longer than usual. She pushed the negative thoughts away as Annie left the room and tried to focus on something more positive.

"Regina! Could you come here for a minute?"

Regina was upstairs, having just finished giving Roland a bath and putting him to bed. He had been sick for the past few days and she had been the one to calm him when he was upset and to soothe the fevers that often consumed his tiny body. When he was sick he wanted nobody near him except Regina. She had the magic touch.

As she made her way downstairs she was mentally preparing a speech in her head. Didn't Robin understand that getting a sick child to sleep was not a simple task? When she rounded the corner and into the kitchen, all thoughts left her mind.

The table was set up with a gorgeous dinner that Robin couldn't possibly have made on his own. There were two candles casting shadows on the walls of the dimly lit room and Robin was standing in the middle of it all.

"Regina," he began as he walked closer to her, grabbing her hand and getting down on one knee.

"Robin," she whispered, tears coating her throat. She knew what was coming and she couldn't believe it. All of these years and she was finally getting her happy ending… She nearly sobbed at the thought that her life was finally changed.

"Regina," he repeated, "for the past few years I have watched you change into something so powerful… something that I love very much. I watched you change into something good. A hero. I have wanted nothing more in my life than to find someone to spend my time with. After seeing you with Roland these past few weeks, I realized that that person was you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny black box, opening it to reveal the gold band with a huge silver diamond. "I never want to be apart from you and I would love it if you would agree to become my wife."

Regina was at a loss for words. She had nothing to say. Tears were steadily pouring down her cheeks as she stared into Robin's eyes, not even seeing the expensive jewelry. She pulled him up from his position and threw herself around him. "Yes," she whispered, "yes."

Robin hugged her tightly, smiling to himself and letting his own tears fall. He had waited some time for the perfect moment to propose and his nerves had gotten the better of him more than once. This moment, however, had turned out more perfect than he had hoped.

When Regina finally pulled away, Robin took the ring out of the box. "You forgot to look."

Regina chuckled before holding her hand out and letting Robin slide the ring onto her finger. "It's beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you."

Regina grinned. She vowed to never take the ring off, no matter what. That ring was to stay on her finger at all times.

"You're all finished."

Regina was brought back to reality as Annie entered the room. She mentally noted that she didn't have her ring on, wanting to feel the reminder that her life really had changed and that she wasn't just dreaming. "Can I put my jewelry back on now?"

"Of course," Annie nodded as she handed Regina the small plastic bag containing her wedding ring. "Eager to put it back on?"

"I never take it off," Regina said, "it's a reminder to me… that I'm not who I once was."

Annie smiled sadly. She had known Regina for quite sometime now but she had never known her as the Evil Queen. She only knew the Regina who would do anything to protect her son and who had saved the town more times than one. She couldn't imagine Regina ever being a person such as the Evil Queen. "If you feel any discomfort I want you to call me," Annie informed, "I'm serious."

Regina nodded, "I'll call," she assured, "you have my word." Regina left the claustrophobic room and found her way back to the waiting room, wanting to kiss Robin as soon as possible. She was caught off guard when she saw her friends waiting with him. "What are you guys doing her?" She reached for Robin's hand as she spoke, needing the contact.

"For support," Henry answered, "to remind you that you aren't in this alone."

"And I figured you would be hungry so lunch is on me," Belle added.

"I'm here as your friend," Mary Margaret chimed in, "because it's just what friends do."

Regina smiled before turning to Belle, "I am starved… lunch at Granny's?"

"Of course."

The group of friends walked out of the hospital together and something about that gave Regina a sense of power; a sense of hope. Maybe this was just another hard path in her way or maybe it was the end… whatever it was, it didn't matter. Regina wasn't alone anymore and that was all she wanted in life.