"Zelena?" Esme shouted, to which Zelena did exactly what Esme wanted her to, albeit unintentionally; she looked Esme directly in the eye. That was all Esme needed.

"Give Hope to Henry. Then go back to your cell. Stay there," Esme compelled. She struggled slightly, she was slightly rusty, but despite being able to feel Zelena's slight resistance, she eventually felt it work. Zelena realised her mistake immediately and clearly wasn't happy about Esme's success, but Esme's compelling forced her body to move independently. Within seconds she was forced to obey. Esme watched as Zelena begrudgingly handed baby Hope to Henry and slowly move towards the direction of the prison. Although she knew that her compelling had worked, she didn't trust Zelena at all, thus the necessity to get someone to accompany her quickly became evident. Henry and Roland were attempting to look after Hope, while Robin was shoving his hands through his hair and pacing along the street. Thankfully, Snow and Belle and had arrived with Regina, and although they looked incredibly uncomfortable, they stayed following Robin's outburst.

"Snow, would you mind escorting Zelena back to her cell," Esme asked as she quickly kicked into leadership mode. Following the slight apprehension that she perceived from Snow, Esme rushed to grab the magic cuff from the floor and firmly secured it to Zelena's wrist. She turned around immediately so that she could deal with Hook but he had gone, something Esme wasn't particularly angered or annoyed about. It was then that she turned to Belle.

"Belle, can you take my brothers and Hope to David?" Esme asked. Both women dutifully nodded and so Esme quickly made her way towards Robin.

"I'm an idiot. I am such an idiot." Robin was pacing from one side of the street to the other, gripping his hair with his shaking hands. Esme let him repeat himself for a while but eventually joined him when he flopped onto the sidewalk.

"Yeah, you kind of are," Esme said as she plonked herself next to him.

"Don't ever become a counsellor, my darling," Robin laughed after he initially looked at Esme with shock.

"To be fair, it's not really you that needs comforting now is it? Dad, how would you have felt if you walked in on Regina telling.. I dunno, Daniel, that she would cancel your wedding if thats what he wanted?" Esme implored. She didn't want to sound harsh, truly she didn't. She wanted him to feel supported, but she also needed him to get out of his own head and try and think like Regina.

"I didn't me-," he began but he stopped himself, realising that attempting to rationalise or what he had done was futile because Esme was right. It must have killed Regina to see what he had done, especially after Zelena looked smug, and there was no way that he could rationalise that.

"I love her, Esme. I love her so much," Robin said with a slight laugh. Although it was peculiar, Esme somehow knew exactly what Robin was feeling. In fact, she had often wondered it herself; surely for two people who loved each other as much as Regina and Robin did, things should be slightly easier.

"I know. And she knows that too. I think you just have to remind her of that," Esme explained as she nudged her fathers shoulder. The despair that had been in his eyes slowly dwindled away and smiled slightly at his daughters gesture.

"Eugh! I promised her this perfect day and I couldn't even give that to her," Robin said as he buried his head in his hands.

"This wasn't your fault. Well this was," Esme said as she moved her hands in a circular motion, attempting to reference the events that had immediately preceded their conversation.

"But the rest of it? That's on Zelena," Esme explained.

"Things shouldn't be this complicated," Robin mumbled into his hands.

"Then un-complicate them," Esme suggested as she linked her arm into her fathers and rested her head on his shoulder.

"An how do you propose do that?" Robin asked as he gently placed a kiss on Esme's head before resting his head on hers and staring into the distance.

"I dunno. I guess you just keep your promise; make her happy," Esme said to which Robin quickly lifted his head. Esme jumped slightly at the haste with which he completed the action and watched as within seconds a smile had spread across his face, Esme's face was in his hands and a firm kiss was planted straight onto Esme's forehead. He then got to his feet and began to run, abandoning his bow and arrow on the pavement with Esme.

"Hey! Shouldn't we go find Mom?!" Regina shouted after him as she stood up, utterly bemused.

"I already know where she is!" Robin called as he sprinted towards the woods. He raced as fast as his legs would carry him, desperate to make this disaster of a day better as soon as possible. This was supposed to be his wedding day. He was supposed to be putting on his best clothes and getting prepared to marry the woman he had loved for as long as he could remember. All he had ever wanted was to call Regina his wife, to crawl up next to her when she was feeling down or stressed and to be the person to calm her down. What was worse was that he already had that. He got to love her, he got to hold her and he got to cherish every second of every day with her; it terrified him that there was a very real possibility that he had thrown that away. Regina knew that he hated Zelena as much as, if not more than she did, but he had to an overwhelming feeling of duty. He felt it was his duty, to his daughter, to feel something other than hate for her. He had to at least try to see some glimpse of good in her because his daughter deserved that; Hope deserved a mother who would love her, protect her and cherish her as much as he did. Thus, even though he was almost certain Zelena wasn't capable of actually feeling love, he had to try. But as he ran towards the spot he knew that Regina would be, he realised what a terrible, horrible thing he had just done. He couldn't change what had happened with Zelena; Hope was here now. What he hated was how he had mishandled the entire situation. He had focussed so much on trying to appease Zelena and trying to give make the mother of his daughter somewhat tolerable that he had completely overlook the one woman who could give Hope that. Regina had been there for Hope. She had helped change Hopes diapers, she had got up in the middle of the night to soothe her and it was Regina who was there with him at Hope's birth. The entire situation was horrendous for her, but she put her feelings aside to protect Robin; he was ashamed that he had failed to do the same. He needed her. He depended on her. Her strength, her courage and her love were all things Robin longed to be worthy of. Her transformation was one that should be admired, but it was foolish to think that Zelena could emulate it. He had finally realised that Zelena's hatred for Regina would always supersede the importance of their daughter; hell, Zelena only had to baby to anger Regina. Robin was immensely grateful that Zelena's plan didn't work, he just had to show Regina that.

"Regina?" Robin asked. She was sitting on the log they had had their first encounter in this land. He didn't even have to see her face to know the pain that was displayed across it. It was a pain he knew that she was going to try and hide the second he sat next to here. It was a pain that he knew he had caused.

"Go. Away." The Queen voice.

"Regina-"

"Please. Robin, just.. Just leave me alone," Regina pleaded as she tilted her head somewhat towards him; just enough to ensure that her face remained hidden by the gentle sweep of her hair.

"Regina, I am so-"

"You're so what Robin?! Sorry? For which part? Hmm? Leaving me here, having a baby with my sister or telling her you will call off the one day that is about us?" Regina said in a horrifyingly soft yet cold voice. She ensured that she continued to face away from him.

"That's not fair-"

"No. No it's not. None of this is fair. You know, i'm not even angry with you. Not really. I'm angry with myself!" Regina said as she stood up from the log and started to laugh.

"What? Regina-"

"How could I possibly think I could have this. You know, I genuinely thought, for one tiny little minute that we would get married. That I would get to be your wife, wear the white dress and we would live happily ever after, loving each other and raising our kids."

As Regina spoke, Robin watched in horror as he saw the woman he loved, the woman he wanted desperately to comfort slowly begin to fall apart.

"Regina of course can have that," he said as he made his way towards her. His heart sank to the bottom of his stomach when he reached his arm out to take her hand but she slowly squirmed at his touch.

"Do you even want that? "

"Of course I want it! Regina I love you! I have loved you for as long as I can remember, and I will love you till the second I go to my grave!"

"Then fight for me!" Regina shouted as she turned to him. It was then that Robin saw the puffy, red eyes and the black eye makeup that had slowly trickled down her face; she had been crying. Yet another thing that crushed Robin's heart for he knew that she rarely cried; the last time Robin remembered was when their son died.

"What?"

"Fight for me, Robin! I have tried okay? I really have but I am tired of being the strong one. I am tired of being the better one. Do you have any idea how close I came to ending my sister? Without her, we would be fine, we would be happy but do you know why I didn't? Henry. And Roland. Our family!" Regina shouted as the tears began to stream down her cheeks and her Evil Queen persona had been displaced. She was shouting so loud that the birds flew from the trees they once found solace in and took to the sky.

"Regina I -" Robin had only ever seen her so lost when baby Henry died and it broke him; he swore he would never allow her to feel so alone or depressed many years ago. Yet here they were.

"I needed you, Robin! I needed you and you weren't there! You were with her! Even worse, you are fighting for her!" Regina screamed. With this, she seemed defeated. Her defiant, strong facade disappeared with one loud yell and as the tears fell form her eyes, her shoulders began to heave. She looked so small and lost as she sat on the tree that had fallen on its side many moons ago. Robin went to her, and wrapped his arms around her. She fought him for a moment or two, trying to use her arms to push herself away from, but his perseverance in his desire to comfort her and the undeniable relief she felt when she was in his arms eventually won. She eventually allowed herself to melt into his chest and breathe in the comforting smell of him.

"Regina listen to me," Robin said as her tears gradually began to lessen and her heart stopped aching.

"I cannot tell you how sorry I am. What I said, what happened- I didn't mean one word of it. I was worried she would leave with Hope - I was never, ever going to go through with it-"

"I'm not asking you to choose. Robin, I have never asked you to choose; not between me and Hope. Our kids come first; that's the way it's always been and thats the way it'll always be-"

"Regina listen to me. It isn't about the kids. This is about you and me, and about me apologising for my being an absolute idiot," Robin said as gesture for the two of them to sit down. Regina agreed and sat slightly tilted so that she was facing Robin and as Robin held her hands tightly in his, he looked at the pain in her eyes.

"You have been.. incredible. These last few weeks.. I couldn't have dealt with it, amy of it, without you. I have let you down, my lady. This whole thing is a shambles but I swear that I will spend every moment from here on in proving that I love you, "

"I don't need you to show me that you love me every moment of every day. I already know that. I just don't know if that's enough any more," Regina said as she looked to the cold, black forrest floor, unable and unwilling to see the sting that she knew would cross Robin's face.

"Wh- Regina what are you-"

"I - I don't know, Robin. I just don't think i'm.. good enough to do this," Regina explained. In her head she knew exactly what she meant, but she wasn't able to articulate that into words.

"Do what? Get married…. or be with me?" Robin asked as his brows began to furrow and an odd concoction of fear and confusion spread across his face.

"I… I just don't know. I love you, so, so much. Which is why it kills me seeing you with her, knowing that she has given you something that I will never be able to have. You two are connected in a way you and I will never be-"

"We have Esme,"

"But we didn't raise her. We didn't get to endure sleepless nights together or sing her to sleep or-"

"Regina I will never do that with Zelena. Don't get that confused. Yes, she is the mother of my daughter, and so yes, I have to see her an awful lot more than I would like. But that is where our connection end. There are no conflicting feelings, there is no confusion. I love you. I will always love you. And I will do whatever you want-" Robin tried to explain, devastated by what he was hearing from the lips of the woman he adored.

"It's not about what I want, Robin. It's about what I need. And what I need is to be the woman you helped me become, the mother that Henry deserves, and I can't be that when I have to constantly have my sister rubbing you and your daughter in my face-" Regina tried to explain. She was gripped Robin's hand, as if she was forcing herself to say these things when every bone in her body willed her not to.

"Then don't," Robin exclaimed. He lent down on his knee and raised her hand to his mouth; literally begging her to listen. The pain in Regina's eyes gave him hope; she didn't mean this. She didn't want to be without him, anymore than he wanted to be without her, but she was determined in her conviction.

"You wont have to deal with her. I can be in charge of drop off's, she can stay in the cell, whatever you want is exactly we will do. I know I have put you in this situation my darling and for that I am immensely sorry. But please, Regina think about what I need," Robin implored as he held her hand just as tightly as she was gripping his.

"You need Hope," Regina said with a whisper.

"I do, just like I need Roland and just like I need Henry. But Regina I need you! We need each other Regina, that's just the way it is," he said as he slowly placed his forehead to hers ad caressed her porcelain face.

"Robin-" Regina said with slight protestation but Robin kept his forehead against hers, and eventually she listened.

"Look at me," he said as he gently held her precious face in his hands and moved back slightly so that he could look her directly in the eye.

"If you can look me in the eye and tell me that you don't love me, I will leave. I swear I will leave you alone and you will never have to see me again. But if you feel for me even an inkling of what I feel for you, even the slightest little bit, marry me. Regina we have been through too much for me to lose you now," Robin said as he felt tears slowly begin to prick his eyes. He hated it; he wanted so desperately to be strong for her when she needed him, yet he simply couldn't. These last few months had been horrendous and he knew all too well that the only reason he was still in one piece was because of Regina and her strength. He couldn't lose her. And in that moment, all of those emotions began to overwhelm him.

"Robin, it's not about how much I love you. That's never been the issue-"

"Regina I don't care about Zelena! I love you. Do you hear me? I. Love. You. Not her. It will always be you. You want me to fight for you? Fine. This is me fighting. I swear to you that as long a there is breath in body I will never give up on this, on us. Not until you tell me. Tell me that you don't love me, and I will leave," Robin said. He searched Regina's eyes for something; some sign that would show him what she wanted. She was right; them loving each other was never the issue. He knew that she felt that the entire world was against them, and his behaviour the last few weeks hadn't helps that. He needed her to know that that didn't matter; that didn't show how he felt.

"I… It's just so complicated-" Regina began to explain. She looked into his eyes, just the way he had hers, and longed to find the answer she was searching for. She couldn't keep going on like this; watching him play with his daughter while her sister taunting her at every possible opportunity. But she also loved him too much to ever be without him.

"Then we shall un-complicate it! Do you love me?" Robin asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"It isn't about that-"
"Regina. Do. You. Love. Me." Robin said as he gently kissed her nose between each word.

"Of course I do," Regina said as she slowly allowed herself to break down the barrier she had put up.

"Then that's all I need to know," Robin said as he longingly kissed Regina's forehead.

"Why do you want to marry me?" Regina asked, as she ran her hands along the top of his; making him tingle at the slightest touch.

"Because I truly believe that I was put on this earth to love you. You deserve an awful lot more than a common thief, my lady, and I am by no means perfect. But I can assure you that no one will ever love you the way I do. I spent so long running, that with you I found a home." Robin explained as he kept his head as close to hers, enjoying the gentle heat of her breath as it gently brushed against his upper lip.

"What about Zelena?"

"It is you, me, Henry, Roland and Hope. That is our family. That is where my heart is. Zelena means nothing. At most, she is a complication. But she's a complication we can deal with. But I can't do this Regina. Not without you," he said. As he studied her eyes he knew that she was finally beginning to soften and so as he tilted his head just a little, he was relieved when his lips very gently brushed hers. As he kissed her softly, he only had to wait a nanosecond before he felt Regina's lips kiss his. Her hands slowly travelled to the back of his head and together the two found solace simply in the comfort of each other. As much as Robin enjoyed the gentle touch of Regina's hand as it ran slowly along the back of his neck, he needed to know if Regina wanted what he wanted. He longed to avoid this question, and had tried desperately to persuade her, but he couldn't make her do something that she didn't want to do, and so he gently pulled away from her tantalising kiss and asked.

"Regina. I cannot apologise enough-"

"Yes," Regina said as a smile began to spread across her face; a smile that was as infectious as it was rare.

"Yes what?" Robin asked. He hoped with every fibre in his body that it was the answer to the question he hadn't yet answered, but he needed to be sure before he allowed himself to be get excited.

"Yes, I want to marry you. If you want me," Regina asked.

"Oh I want you alright," Robin said with a smile and with that he stood up, lifted Regina into his arms and kissed her lips with as much passion and happiness as he could.

"Oh! Robin you're hurting me," Regina giggled as Robin spun her around and loosened the grip on her waist. As she looked down at his face, the smile that had spread across it filled Regina's heart with love and blissful happiness. She would happily wake up to that face every single morning for the rest of her life. She would gladly look into those eyes every night before she slept. There was nothing that she wanted more than to be his wife, for him to be hers and her to be his for the rest of their lives. Now that she knew that he wanted that just as much as she did, her decision was simple.

"Oh, sorry," Robin said as he put her down. He took one moment to stare at her, to stare at how beautiful she was with a smile on her face and eyes that were filled with happiness. In that moment, everything seemed a whole lot less daunting. With her in his arms, it seemed like everything that had happened with Zelena was utterly unimportant. All of the issues, all of the problems and all of the challenges they had faced seemed ridiculous. This was simply because none were truly as horrifying as when he was faced with the possibility of losing the woman he had already lost too many times.