"Regina, I'm waiting on an answer," Robin said as he leaned up against her desk with his arms folded on his chest.
"Can i get you a drink?" Regina asked as she walked by him intending to get herself a drink.
"Regina," Robin said as he stopped her. He pulled her near him, putting his hands behind her back to keep her in place.
"Now tell me why my tattoo causes you to act like this,"Robin said wanting to know desperately.
"One night I was so miserable. I had lost my first love and my mother had forced me to marry a man I didn't love. There was absoutely no light in my life at that point, but luckily Tinkerbell helped me. We talked and she told me how I needed love in my life to make me happy. I thought she was crazy that there was no way she could help me find another soul mate,"Regina said confessing everything.
"Go on,"Robin said encouraging her to keep telling her story. Not sure where this was going but glad she was telling him.
"She stole some fairy dust that she swore would lead me to my soul mate when we got to where the fairy dust was ending we arrived at a tavern. And Tinkerbelle pointed out one man in particular she said he was my soul mate,"Regina said.
"And was he?" Robin asked looking directly in her eyes and starting to feel slightly jealous of this other man.
"I never went in. I had opened the door intending to go in and meet him but I was to afraid.I was afraid to love again and to open myself up like that," Regina said.
"So this man never knew he was your soul mate,"Robin said as Regina looked him dead in the eyes as she prepared herself to answer.
"No, he didn't know until this moment," Regina said as she saw the confusion in Robin's eyes.
"What are you saying?" Robin asked as hope began to start to fill his heart that he was that man.
"When Tinkerbell told me who he was she pointed out that the man had a lion tattoo. I saw it as well on his right arm," Regina said as Robin looked down to his arm where that same tattoo was and back into her eyes a question in his eyes.
"This tattoo?" Robin asked.
"Yes, the very same," Regina answered.
"I'm your soul mate?" Robin asked.
"Yes. I didn't know it was you again until that day in the witch's house when you poured me a drink and I saw it on your arm. That's why I ran out as I was so surprised and scared that fate had brought you back into my life again," Regina said.
"I knew something had upset you that day. I never believed the story about your finding a 'clue trail'. I wished you had come in and met me back then before all this had happened. But I do understand your fear I had that same fear of ever being able to feel something for someone again. Until recently," Robin confessed causing Regina to smile.
"So you're not angry with me for not meeting you back then?" Regina asked.
"No like I said I do understand why, but I have to ask you something and I need you to be 100% honest with me," Robin said needing to know more.
"Okay. I will," Regina said having nothing left to hide from him.
"Did you come to the woods tonight and kiss me because of my tattoo and the soul mate thing or did you come to me because of any feelings you had?" Robin asked staring into her eyes wanting to see the answer there.
"I came of my own free will. Snow had told me that I felt everything with my soul and my feelings for you have started to develop slowly. I didn't want to loose any more time with you. I already flirted with you in the witch's house before I even knew who you were," Regina said being honest with her feelings for him.
"That you did milady," Robin said with a smirk on his face clearly remembering that day.
"And you did back as well," Regina said.
"Hmm perhaps I did," Robin said with a smile causing Regina to smile as well.
"So," Regina said feeling a little awkward at this moment.
"So,"Robin said enjoying her obvious feeling right now.
"Where do we go from here?" Regina asked as Robin smiled and pulled her closer.
"Well I say we get to know one another more. You could come to my camp for dinner as Friar Tuck is an great cook and I know a little boy who I bet would like to meet you again," Robin said.
"I would like that a lot," Regina said.
"Me too," Robin said as he pulled Regina in for a kiss as his lips slowly moving on her lips when suddenly Robin stopped kissing her.
"What's wrong?" Regina asked wondering why he stopped, missing the feel of his lips against hers.
"I just realized if I'm your soul mate, that makes you mine as well," Robin said.
"You okay with that?" Regina asked feeling slightly worried. She was the Evil Queen.
"Oh I'm more than okay with that," Robin said kissing her again. Regina rested her hands on his shoulders as they kissed.
"Mm as much as I would like to continue this. I better go before I don't have the will to leave," Robin confessed before nibbling at her neck.
"Will I see you tomorrow?" Regina said.
"Mm you better. I'm going to patrol the forest some more on the north end, but after that I'm free," Robin said.
"Sounds good to me. I've got to meet with the charmings in the morning," Regina said as they started walking out of the study towards her front door holding hands.
"You have a good night sleep and I will see you tomorrow and I just want to tell you once more that I will get your heart back," Robin swore once more. Regina reached up and kissed him one more time on the lips.
"Good night milady," Robin said as he left her leaned up against her front door. It felt good to finally have this off her shoulders. Now she had to look in her books about finding something about stopping the curse on Hook and look for something about stopping the curse her sister was trying to accomplish. Later that night after she had researched about curses she was laying in bed. Thinking about a certain thief with the smell of forest still on her, causing her to smile as she drifted off to sleep. Not knowing that a few miles away in the Forrest a certain man, a thief was in his bed also thinking and smiling thinking of her as well.
The next morning, Robin woke up to his son's laughter. Robin quickly got up and dressed and came out of his tent to see his son running from Friar Tuck.
"Daddy,help!" Roland said as he ran to hide behind his father's legs.
"Have no fear my boy, I will save you from Friar Tuck,"Robin said as Friar Tuck came running after Roland.
"Now my boy, go see if Edward is needing any help over there," Robin said as he saw a look in Friar Tuck's eyes and Roland nodded as he went running to Edward.
"Something on your mind Tuck?"Robin asked.
"I was on patrol last night and I thought I saw the Evil Queen leaving our camp," Tuck started to say.
"Regina," Robin said.
"What?" Tuck asked, confused.
"Her name is Regina. She was the Evil Queen once but no more. She is simply Regina," Robin said.
"She is getting to you, isn't she?" Tuck questioned.
"No. I'm well aware of what she has done in the past, but she is trying to change that. None of us have ever been perfect, certainly not me," Robin said, trying to defend Regina.
"Robin, nothing you have ever done, can compare to what she did. Remember all those days of running from her dark Knights?" Tuck asked.
"Yes, I have not so fond memories of those days," Robin said as he remembered all the running they had done, barely escaping many a day from them.
"Why was she here last night?" Tuck asked.
"She wanted to talk to me," Robin said.
"About what?" Tuck asked.
"Tuck, I'm going to be honest with you, since I think of you like a brother to me. Regina is very important to me, she is the first woman since I lost Marian that I have wanted to get close to and let get close to me," Robin said.
"I trust you. I trust your instincts. I always have Robin, and if you think you can trust her, then I will put my faith in you," Tuck said.
"Thank you Tuck, I know it sounds crazy for me and her to be like this, but I have gotten to know her in the short time we have been here. There is a lot of hurt and pain in her past that helped forged her to become what she once was but is no longer," Robin said.
"Then I'm willing to give her a chance, but only one Robin. If she goes back to her old ways then I can't trust her," Tuck said.
"Fair enough, speaking of Regina I was going to talk to her today after we patrol this morning to see about her coming to dinner here tonight. I would like for her to meet all of you and Roland again," Robin said, knowing that anyone meeting Roland like this was a huge step on his part.
"And you would like me to cook," Tuck said with a smile.
"Well we all know how my cooking is," Robin said as the two men started to laugh. At that moment Roland came back to where they were standing.
"Daddy I helped Edward gather firewood," Roland said.
"Thank you my boy, Roland, before I go on patrol with Friar Tuck I would like to talk to you, man to man," Robin said as he scooped his little boy up in his arms.
"Okay Daddy," Roland said as Robin started to walk away from the camp. A few minutes later they arrived at a clearing with a dead tree on the ground, Robin sat Roland on it and kneeled in front of his son.
"Roland you met Regina last night, what do you think of her so far?" Robin asked as he looked at his little boy's face.
"She seems like a nice lady, and she's beautiful," Roland said.
"She is a nice lady, and yes she is very beautiful. Now you know how important you are to me right?" Robin asked.
"Gosh yes, you got the bad man away yesterday and you love me tons," Roland said.
"That's right and I wanted to see what you would think if Regina was to come around here more often and us to spend time with her?" Robin asked.
"I think that would be fun," Roland said.
"That's good my boy," Robin said, relieved his son seemed to be receptive of Regina.
"Daddy is Regina the Evil Queen?" Roland asked.
"Where did you hear that Roland?" Robin asked.
"I heard some of the men last night talking," Roland said.
"I'm going to be honest with you Roland, Regina was the Evil Queen," Robin said as he saw his boy's eyes widen.
"But Roland she is no longer the Evil Queen, she is trying to be good," Robin said.
"Good like us?" Roland asked with a child's innocence.
"Yes my boy, good like us. Are you okay with giving her a chance around us, to be good," Robin said.
"Yes Daddy, does Regina have a castle?" Roland asked.
"Well she did in another time, but no longer," Robin said.
"Oh that's too bad. I would have liked to have seen her castle, "Roland said.
"Well maybe one day she might have another one," Robin said.
"So I'm going to go on patrol with Friar Tuck, then I''ll be back and me and you can spend some time together then I'm going to go see Regina and ask her to come back for dinner tonight. Can you help Friar Tuck while I'm gone to see Regina?" Robin asked.
"I sure can daddy," Roland said as Robin hugged his son. Glad his son was young and didn't hold any grudges against Regina.
Robin left Roland with his men and went on patrol with Friar Tuck and they saw one flying monkey but it disappeared as quickly as they had seen it. Once they returned to camp Robin gathered all the men together and explained that he didn't want anyone going out alone because of the flying spent time with his son while Friar Tuck began to prepare to cook for tonight,Robin also had told his men that he was going to be asking Regina to dinner tonight,there was some looks from his men,but on the whole they were okay with the idea,they had heard from the town folk that Regina had stood up to the Wicked Witch to protect the town. Robin cleaned up and started to head to town,he was almost to Regina's when he saw a flower shop open and bought one perfect red rose to give to Regina. He walked up Regina's walkway heading to her door,he knocked on her door,as he took a deep breath,his nerves getting the best of him the door opened and there stood Regina,she was in black jeans and a sweater,she looked different in these clothes than in her normal dress and heels.
"Hello milady, wow you look wonderful," Robin said, glad to see this side of her.
"Thank you. I thought this would be better than going through the woods in heels," Regina said.
"So I gather you are willing to come to dinner tonight?" Robin asked.
"Well I'm not going to a ball like this," Regina said as Robin brought the rose he had been holding behind his back to Regina.
"For you," Robin said with a smile.
"Red, how appropriate. Thank you let me put it in a vase, would you like to come in?" Regina asked.
"Hmm dare I enter the lair of the evil queen," Robin said smiling the whole time.
"Enter at your own risk," Regina said as she turned and walked into her house with Robin following her. He looked around her house, looking at the décor and at the pictures she had around, mostly of her and Henry.
"He's a good looking boy, looks a lot like Baelfire," Robin said.
"He is a good boy, very smart and smarter than he should be," Regina said as she came back with the rose in a vase. She put it down on the table, as she turned she almost bumped into Robin. She had not heard him come up behind her.
"You have me hypnotized," Robin said as he leaned in for a kiss.
"It's all part of my master plan," Regina said,as Robin started kissing her lips gently at first then with more passion, Regina returned his kiss equally loving being in his arms. It felt natural and it felt like she had been there for years, Robin reluctantly stopped the kiss before it got out of hand.
"Mmm that was nice. So shall we go?" Robin asked.
"Yes we shall." Regina said as they started out of her house. They started down the walkway hand in hand, stealing looks at each other as they walked.
"Oh isn't this sweet, my little sister and her cute little boyfriend," Zelena said with a wicked smile.