Disclaimer: Still don't own the rights, still playing in the AU playground.

*Talks of suicide, more of Tinkerbell thinking she was trying to commit suicide. Still warning just in case.

As Robin raced down the winding road in the early morning hours he saw ahead of him his horse tied to a tree. He slowed down and got off his current horse and tied him up as well. He went to his horse and petted her.

"Where's your rider, huh? Where did she go?"

Robin headed into the forest in search of her. It didn't take long to find her on the ground. She had clearly been crying and was nearly curled up in a ball, her injured leg was bleeding and swollen more than it was before.

All his anger faded as he rushed to side. He could tell she wanted to cry more but was holding back. Robin sat on the ground and gently moved her upper body up on his legs and stared down at her in pity as he slightly caressed her hair and brushed the mud of her wet face.

"Did you fall again?" he asked.

"No. Magic...tried to heal...myself." she gasped through the pain.

He let out a disappointed sigh.

"Yeah, yeah." she muttered, annoyed with the both of them.

"Okay, I'm going to lay you down and get a blanket for you to lay on and then check on your leg."

"I can do it myself." she tried getting up but yelped in pain.

Robin rubbed his face. This lady was a real handful, but he oddly found himself drawn to that. She definitely had a mind of her own.

She looked at him. "Well?"

Robin suppressed his laugh and he gently laid her down and then proceeded to set up a bed for her. After he had finished that he picked her up. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head into his shoulder to hide her tears. She knew she had made her leg worse, far worse. As he laid her down she couldn't help but wonder why he was still kind to her and how long it would last.

He pulled up her dress , that had definitely seen better days, just high enough and he examined her wound and she hissed from the pain.

"I think you broke it." Robin said as he started re-bandaging her wound. Regina groaned. Great, just great.

"Well are you gonna tell me 'I told you so'?" she snapped.

"I'd take no pleasure in saying such a thing to you." Robin replied. "You're in far too much pain for such heartless words."

"I've been in far worse pain than this." Regina sneered through the pain. "Heartless you say -" and in the heat of the moment, fueled with pain and anger she admitted more than she wanted to, " I've seen my mother grab the love of my life's heart out and crumble it in front of me. All because it didn't fit into her plans for me! I know pain! It is my only constant, my only friend!"

Robin looked at her in horror.

"I'm so sorry." Robin apologized. "But why do magic if it's brought you nothing but pain?"

"It brought me to you. That fairy was a complete idiot, we could never work, but your kindness and the possibility of freedom was so delicious I just wanted a taste. A taste before I go back to the castle and go back to being the queen of nothing. People like me don't get happy endings we just watch spoiled brats get them." Regina sobbed bitterly.

Queen? Magic? This was all too much.

"What do you mean? Are you really a queen? What does magic have to do with us meeting? Is this a trap?"

" A fairy thought I was committing suicide, I wasn't, but she wanted to help me. I didn't ask her to. She used fairy dust to find you and she said you were my true love and my chance at being happy. She's clearly a horrible fairy. Her pixie dust failed. True love between a magical queen and a thief who hates magic? What a laugh. A trap? No, at least not by me."

Robin was dumbfounded. This was not remotely what he was expecting. "I don't know much about magic, obviously, and most definitely not fairy magic. But I wouldn't want a woman with me who would follow the advice of others over her own heart. Where's the freedom in that? Why did this fairy think you were suicidal in the first place."

"I was out on the terrace and I hit the railing hard with my fists and it gave way and I fell. Next thing I know I'm being saved by a fairy. We talked and I mentioned how unhappy I was in a marriage I never wanted with a man who idolized his dead wife and paid me no attention. My mother wanted me queen so a queen she made me. Destroying any obstacle in her way."

She looked away with tears in her eyes. He knew by obstacles she meant Daniel.

"I never wanted this life and I'm stuck in it. Rump - he was right. Darkness has tasted me and it's not going to let me go."

"Who said this? The person teaching you this magic? Maybe he wants you to believe that, but I sure as hells don't."

She smiled faintly. "I never went in."

"Huh?"

"Tinkerbell, the fairy, she led me to a tavern and pointed at you, well your tattoo, and pretty much said you were you my happily ever after. She left me at the door and I opened it." She stopped a moment to catch her breath. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't go in. I got scared. I had flashbacks of Daniel dying and I got scared and I was afraid what would be left of me if I let go of all my hate and pain. It's all I have. My hatred of the little girl who ratted me out and the king that adores everybody but me."

He offered his hand in support. Clearly she had been keeping this all locked up inside. "You'd meet the real you. I'd very much like to meet her as well."

She looked at him. He was smiling at her, it was faint but it was there. There was no pity or judgment from him. "I've done things you might not approve of."

"Do you feel remorseful?"

She answered him honestly. "I don't know yet."

"Well at least you're being honest. If going back to the castle will change you back or make you worse, then you shouldn't go back. It's your choice, of course. I can't make it for you. What is it that you want?"

Regina pondered this.

"Freedom."

His smile widened at her answer.

"I hope I can help with that."

"That would be nice." She smiled back and replayed some of his words in her head. "How would I have been a trap?"

"Caught that. I don't know if you'd be interested in that story."

"Seriously?"

Robin laughed. "It's only fair. I trust you - What exactly is your real name?"

"Regina."

"I know the meaning of that name. Your mother really was serious about your - future."

"Yes, but we're talking about you now." Regina insisted.

"Yes, yes we are. Well let's just say I have a life long enemy, the Sheriff of Nottingham. For a minute there I thought maybe he sent you to trick me."

"Oh, really? How?"

"I had a childhood sweetheart, a noble lady. Brunette, like you. Elegant manners, like you. You are both strong willed, but in different ways."

"Basically get inside your head through your heart."

Robin nodded yes.

"Besides your regal bearings, you are very different. Like I said I believed it for a split second."

"I wasn't exactly forthcoming." she sympathized. "I understand. Where is she now?"

"Last I heard helping the poor in her own way. Good heart. We lost touch over the years, especially when I became an outlaw. Life on the lam is not for her. She's been in ill health since she was young. You see the Sheriff sees women as trophies and he has several. He's tried to court her. He sees her 'breeding' as a stepping stone. He sees a lot of the noble women like that. Whatever helps him up the social ladder. He's never worked hard a day in his life, unless it has something to do with me."

"You're kind of too good to be true, you know."

"I've experienced too much. I don't want to be like the Sheriff, so I choose not to be. It's not always easy, but the right path rarely is."

"Helping me will definitely not be easy."

"I'm in too deep. Gods help me, you've gotten under my skin." Robin admitted.

Her cheeks got warm and as hard as she tried she found herself unable to speak. After all she had revealed and he still wanted to help her. She was becoming overwhelmed by it all and pain in her leg was not letting up.

"I'm still going to the lake. Honestly I don't think I can make it back to your camp, let alone the nearest town."

"I know. I don't like it, but I know. I could go back to the camp and get the wagon. You definitely need to keep it stabilized, but I'll respect your wishes. Whether I agree with them or not."

"I still want the lake, but thank you. I'd like to rest a little first."

"Yes. All this has been very overwhelming for me as well. Rest."

She fell asleep very quickly but her nightmares returned. Her body jerked and he laid beside her and held her close to him to keep her as stabilized as possible as not to worsen the injury. As she calmed down in his embrace, he rested his face near hers. While holding her he himself fell asleep and they both had the most peaceful rest they've ever had in both their lives.