Disclaimer: I don't own the right to OUAT or it's characters, I just play in their AU playground.
"Though I must ask that you never call any of the Merry Men thieves. We only take back what is already stolen. Stolen from the needy to make the greedy richer. We are made out to be the bad guys, but we are not." Robin explained. He looked Regina straight in the eyes, even though she was avoiding his gaze. "You're excluded from this, of course. You are clearly different."
"I might not be that different." she muttered.
"You're still here, aren't you?"
Her left lip curled a bit and he smirked at her response.
"I'm not judging, I can't." I've ripped a woman's heart out, definitely not one to judge a thief, and an honorable one at that, she thought to herself.
"I - I -" she didn't want to show this much vulnerability. Her brown eyes finally locked with his blue ones, pleading. "The last man, person, who ever showed me true kindness... was killed because of it and I can't -" Regina couldn't continue.
"Thank you for thinking of me like that. We are very careful and I don't plan on dying anytime soon." Robin tried comforting her.
"No one ever plans to die! Daniel didn't!" she snapped. She fought off the nervous energy within her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." Robin said sympathetically.
Regina didn't even hear him, her mind was too occupied with coming up with something to help her, ease her mind. "I've got it! I can help you!"
"How?" Robin inquired. Little John was just as curious.
"Magic. I know magic." Regina replied manically. "I can keep you safe!"
Robin and Little John looked at each uncomfortably.
"No." Robin firmly stated.
"Why not?" she exclaimed.
"I'm against it. The cost is too high. I'm against it for many reasons." Robin answered as politely as he could. He could tell that she had took this as some sort of insult. She looked like she had been punched in the stomach.
Regina wouldn't let up. "But I can do force fields, well I'm trying to. I can use them to help your men. I can help you! It won't hurt you, I'm trying to help! I'm trying to do good!"
"No!" Robin commanded and she looked at him with shock and anger.
"Little John?" Regina asked.
Little John shifted uncomfortably on his log. "Yes, milady?" he responded.
"I'm feeling very tired and would like to know where I can sleep." Regina focused all of her attention on him, not wanting to look at Robin. She hoped her cold shoulder hurt him as his words had hurt her.
"We made a new bedding for you. I'll take you to it." Little John answered, he looked at Robin. "I'll be back Rob." Robin nodded and sighed.
Later that night Regina crept slowly out of that and slowly and a bit painfully made her way to one of the horses. She calmed the jittery horse as she prepared him for a ride.
"Milady."
Regina nearly jumped. "Little John." She continued packing, turning her back to him.
"Had a feeling you would try this. Is there any way of talking you out of this?"
"What do you think?"
Little John chuckled. "That you're as strong willed as Robin!"
Regina held back a smile, she was still smarting from their fight. "I'm going to the lake by myself. He doesn't like magic so why bother him anymore. I can do this."
Little John just shook his head. Why in all the lands did he get stuck with two of the most hardheaded people he's ever met?
Regina continued. "You know I figured you or Robin would stop me," With her back still turned to him, Little John was not able to see the purple magic coming from Regina's right hand and felt nothing when she quickly turned and hit him with it.
Regina looked down unable to kneel to check on him. "Like I said I knew I would try to be stopped, just like I know Robin is too damn honorable to just let me go, but at least this will give me a head start."
She winced from the pain as she got on her horse, reminding herself that she's been in far more pain than this. "I hope I never meet that damned fairy again. She couldn't have been more wrong if she tried!"
And off in the night she rode.
Not long after Robin woke and found the unconscious Little John. He helped wake him.
"Let me take a wild guess and say our magical guest did this to you?"
Little John nodded, drowsily.
Robin looked over at the horses and groaned. "And she took my horse! Naturally. Come on get up."
With the help of Robin, Little John got up. "You're going after her, aren't you?"
"Of course!"
"She's headed to the lake."
"Of course she is. Why do the reasonable thing and let it heal on it's own?" Robin fumed. He was really hoping he could have talked her out of going to the lake unless she was in unbearable pain.
Little John laughed. "Oh, she's gotten under your skin and good."
Robin sneered in his direction as he prepared a horse. "From now on I'm listening to you and never helping a noble lady again."
"Sure." Little John didn't believe that for a second.
"You'll tell the men?"
Little John nodded and Robin headed off to find the mystery woman who had indeed got under his skin.