Chapter 3

The following morning Robin woke up, went back to the Merry Men camp, had breakfast and tried to explain to Roland that he couldn't see Regina just yet. The little man had his misgivings about the reasons but was easily distracted by Little John. He reported back to Leroy in order to pick up the tools he needed. He was working hard when he all of sudden felt her presence behind him.

'Why did you camp in my garden'

Robin turned around and sucked in his breath. Regina's left eye and a big part of her face were now supporting all the colors of the rainbow and from what he could tell she could no longer see from her left eye.

'Oh, god' He wanted to touch her so badly. 'Can I ' He was about to touch her when Regina quickly stepped back.

'No, it hurts bad enough as it is so I don't need anyone touching it, least of all the one that caused it'

Robin's arm fell. 'I am so sorry'

'please, spare me that sentence. I have heard it so many time during my life that it has lost all meaning. I don't want you in my garden, you have a son, you should be with him'

Robin smiled. She was looking out for Roland, even now. 'Like I said, he is well taking care off. How is your back'

'Better, according to Dr. Whale if everything goes well, the stiches will go out by next week'

'How many'

'What do you mean, how many'

'Stiches'

'Oh…31 I believe, does it matter'

'To me it does' Robin said softly. 'Why not heal it'

'That which I cannot see I cannot heal' Regina pointed out. 'and besides healing with magic was never my strong suit'

Regina hadn't even thought about the eventual scaring. 'So Snow has you given a job to do' Regina was looking around. Robin nodded but then he realized she couldn't see him, so he opted for the spoken version.

'Yes, she did and after I am done she wants me to report back or at least I think that is what she said, I cannot really recall everything after she slapped me'

'She slapped you ?' Regina smiled.

'She most certainly did' it did Robin good to see her smile again. He would take a hundred more slaps if that meant he would see that smile again.

'Well, I must be going now. I don't want to keep you from doing your work' Regina turned, waved her hands and disappeared in her signature purple cloud.

Robin spend the rest of the day working on the clock tower and now he had finished the last of the repair work. He brought back the tools and after that he reported back to Snow, who he could tell by her movements was still rather angry with him. He couldn't blame her. She send him on his next job, mapping out the exact contours of the newly erected ice wall around the town.

He was about half way when he saw Regina standing next the ice wall with Henry right next to her.

'Hello'

Henry moved in front his mother in a very protective way. 'Don't you dare coming any closer'

Robin raised his hands in none threating manor and remained at a distance.

'Henry' Regina softly moved Henry to her side. 'I can fight my own battles'

'Mom, look at what he did to you'

'Henry, leave…now' Henry sighed. He knew he wasn't going to win this, so he stomped off. He 'accidently' bumped into Robin when he moved passed him and hissed. 'You touch, you die'

'HENRY!, get back here this instance' Henry turned around. 'What ?'

'Apologize'

'You've got to be kidding me' Henry crossed his arms in front of his chest.

'Now' Regina's voice had become very calm and collected. Henry and Regina were in the midst of staring contest when Emma joined the party.

'He, I heard that you….investigating…Ok, shutting up' She mumbled. Emma knew this wasn't a good moment to be asserting her motherhood.

'What is going on' Emma whispered to Robin.

'Not my place' Robin whispered back.

'Look at what he did to you' Henry all of sudden yelled. 'and you want me to apologize to him, No, I am not doing that'

'What he did was out of grieve, what you just did was out of pure anger, apologize' Regina countered.

'No, not doing it'

'Grounded for one week'

'What'

'Two'

'You've got to be kidding me'

'Three'

'Fine'

'A month'

Henry turned around and walked off. Regina disappeared and reappeared in front of Henry.

'You do not walk away from me when I am talking to you'

'Mom, I am not apologizing to him, you can ground me for a year, not doing it'

'Go to your room'

'Fine'

Regina watched Henry's retreating back.

'Sorry about that' She murmured to no one in particular.

'You've got nothing to be sorry about, he is right'

Regina's one good eye was looking at Robin and that is when she noticed Emma standing there.

'What do you want Swan'

'I heard from Snow you were checking out the ice wall, wanted to see how you were doing and if you have anything to say about it'

'Well, Elsa is right, it's not her that's doing this. I compared her magic to this wall here and it feels different'

'It would seem you brought something else back other than Robin's dead wife' Regina exclaimed. She turned around and stomped off.

Emma looked rather guilty when she faced Robin. 'I am so sorry. I didn't know….that Marian would..I am sorry'

Robin raised his hands. 'Regina is right, you should have thought about the consequences. Marian was destined to die and yes you saved her from the Evil Queen but apparently you cannot cheat dead and this time Roland had to watch it as well'

Emma thought about Marian, she had died only a few weeks after she was brought back by Emma and Hook, it had send Robin on a drinking binge that had lasted several days. He had attacked Regina in his drunken stage not even knowing that it was her that he attacked. Emma felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. Marian dead, Regina had gotten a pretty bad beating and to top it off there was Roland. She sighed, yes she had indeed made a mess of it all.

'The most important thing for me is to have Regina trust me again. What I did was inexcusable and I will make up for it for the rest of my life even if she doesn't forgive me' Robin said while both of them started to follow the same path Regina had taken when she had stomped off.

Emma and Robin stood still when they saw Regina standing not too far from them facing an incredible huge ICE monster complete with shield and sword.

Robin quickly ran towards Regina trying desperately to help her. Emma tried accessing her magic but only succeeded in pissing off the Ice monster even more. Regina bit through the pain in her shoulder and lifted both her arms and destroyed the magical ice monster. She sank to her knees, doubling over in pain due to the wound in her shoulder.

'Get your hands off me' she said through clenched teeth when Robin carefully tried to touch her. He immediately recoiled hurt by her words but recovered quickly and despite her protest gently helped her up. She swayed a little but still stepped out of Robin's arms.

'I am fine'

'You're not, let me get you to a doctor'

'I think you did enough' Regina sneered.

Robin nodded and respected her space, he turned towards Emma with pleading eyes.

'Regina, why don't I get you to hospital. It would seem that some of your stiches came lose'

Regina sighed. She had felt the blood trickling down her bra. 'Fine. Let's go. Have some of your men patrol the area, who knows what else she has brought back'

Robin nodded. 'I will take care of it'

TBC..