Chapter 5

The image of Robin's tattoo didn't leave Regina's head for days. Everytime she closed her eyes, the lion appeared and not only that. Old memories started hunting her.

The guy with the lion tattoo. This is your chance of love and happiness.

Tinker Bell's words sounded like an echo. That night she brought a very young and naïve Regina to a tavern, Tinker knew she could've changed the future of the Queen. But the last thing Regina wanted was to give up of the anger she felt for Snow White. She couldn't live without it. Every morning she woke up reminding herself that that little girl destroyed her life. Regina couldn't be happy in a world where the person who was responsible for Daniel's death was still breathing.

Pixie dust doesn't lie.

After she ran away, without meeting the man Tinker Bell said she was destined to be with, Regina cried all her way back to the castle. She couldn't help but wondering if she could ever be happy without Daniel. If she could ever be able to love again and to be loved as well. When Tinker Bell went to the castle, she told that caring and kind fairy to fly away, pushing away the only friend she ever had. Since that night, Regina decided to not think about the man with the lion tattoo ever again, trying to forget that she may have lost the only chance she had to be happy again. Until that Saturday.

Regina's mind was full of questions.

What does it mean? And why now? What am I supposed to do? I can't surely run away from Robin, but maybe I could avoid him. And eventually he'll forget about me. Or should I just listen to what that stupid fairy told me and see what will happen next?

'See you later, mum.' Henry says opening the door of her car.

Regina turns to her son and smiles, wondering if he said anything on their way to the bus station, because if he did, she completely ignored him. 'Bye, Henry.' She says as he gets out of the car and closes the door behind him.

Regina, focus! We're no longer in the Enchanted Forest. You're not longer the Queen and he's just a man who owns a tavern in a very normal town.

The cell phone in her bag starts ringing.

'Hello?'

'Madame Mayor. I'm sorry to bother you.'

'It's.. It's okay, Sheriff.' Regina tries to sound as normal as possible. 'Is everything okay?' She patiently waits for an answer from him but she hears another voice instead.

'Hey, Sheriff! I have the right to make the call. Not that you make the call for me!'

Regina's heart stops for a very brief moment, wondering if the voice she heard isn't of the man she thought. She moves the phone even closer to her ear to try and hear better.

'Could you please step by the police station? It's not urgent.' Graham says ignoring the other man.

'IT IS URGENT!'

There it is. Again. She has no doubt now. 'Is.. Is that Robin?'

'Yes.' Graham says harshly.

'I'm on my way.' Regina closes the call and throws her phone on the seat next to hers, before to start the car. Once again her mind is full of questions, but she refuses to jump to unrealistic conclusions too soon. Maybe it's just a misunderstanding.

The brunette parks the car right in front of the police station and walks fast inside. 'Sheriff?' She says loudly walking in the hallway towards his office. 'Graham?'

'Regina?'

She turns on her left and what she thought was just a misunderstanding is even worse. Robin is standing up from the bed in one of the cells. 'Robin!' Walking fast towards him, she leaves her bag on the first desk on her left. 'Are you okay?'

'Madame Mayor. Here you are.' Graham says walking outside the bathroom.

'Can you please explain me what's going on? Why is Robin in here?'

'That's pretty obvious. He's under arrest.' Graham reaches her near the bars.

'Why?'

'Robin was drunk at work.'

Regina turns to Robin. She doesn't know everything of that man, but she knows he's not capable of such a thing.

'It was just a beer.' Robin says in his defense.

'And you arrested him for a beer?' Regina turns back to Graham, wondering what pushed him to arrest Robin for that.

'That's what he says. Maybe they were 3. Or 10. You don't know that and –'

'Neither do you!' She says, preventing him to say anything else. Her blood is boiling all over inside her body.

'I wanted to call you sooner but I couldn't.' Robin says stretching his arm behind the bars and holds her hand.

Instinctively she wants to smile, but it's not the right moment or place of that. 'Wait. How long have you been here?' Regina doesn't know if she really wants an answer.

'Last night.'

The first thing Regina thinks about is the little Roland. Alone in that tavern, without his father to put him to bed.

'And you called me now?'

'I was just doing my job. The Mayor shouldn't be bothered with these things.' Graham says trying to justify his actions.

'I need to know everything that happens in this town.' She needs to control her anger. 'I thought I made it pretty clear.' She's standing his glance. 'Now, let him go.'

'Not until I decide otherwise.' Graham says provoking her.

'Sheriff, a word?'

He nods his head before to walk away and waits for her in the hallway. She doesn't take her eyes off of him until he completely disappears around the corner, then she turns to Robin and, rubbing her thumb on his hand, she whispers: 'I'll fix this.'

'Thank you.' Robin smiles at her. Despite the messy situation, his eyes shine looking at her. Against her will and her desire to kiss him, she lets his hand go and take few steps away. 'And Regina?'

She turns but she doesn't need to hear another word. She already knows what he's going to say. 'Don't worry. I'll make sure Roland is okay.'

Grabbing her bag from the desk, Regina reaches Graham in the hallway. She's furious, something is wrong with him. It looks a complete different person since he met Robin, but why? Why Robin's presence bothers him so much?

'What's wrong with you?' She's standing right in front of him.

'I told you, I'm just doing my job.'

'It was just a beer.'

'And since when you trust a stranger more than me?' Graham says with a judgmental tone, getting closer.

So, that's it. He's jealous.

'If this is because of what happened between us, then get over it.'

Graham laughs at her. 'Do you really think I'm doing it because I screw the precious Madame Mayor?'

Regina doesn't think twice. Raising her right hand, she slaps his face hard. 'Don't you ever dare!' She says out loud. 'Remember than without me, you're nothing.'

'I'm doing it for you.' He says caressing his red cheek.

'I won't ask again. Let Robin go, or you'll have to deal with me.'

'No.' Graham walks away without giving her the chance to say anything else.

Regina lets him walk away, because she knows it wouldn't end up well if she follows him. She would compromise Robin's situation even more. Deep down, they both know Graham is doing it to keep Robin away from her, but she can't tolerate his behavior. Not when Robin's life is in trouble.

Regina knocks at the wooden door of Robin's tavern few times. No response. She needs to see Roland, for Robin. The tavern is closed during the day but she believes that the little boy is in there, so Regina slowly opens the door and walks in.

'Excuse me. Is anyone in here?'

As she thought, the tavern is empty. Looking around she hears someone walking downstairs.

'Oh look who's here. Madame Mayor.' A man says standing few meters from her, right in front of the counter. 'What are you doing here?'

That face looks familiar to Regina. She never met him but she remembers bumping into him the night she met Robin. If her memory serves her well, his name is John. 'I'm here to see Roland. Robin wants to know if he's okay.'

'He's fine.' He replies with a rude tone of voice. 'Anything else?'

'Do you have a problem?'

'If I have to be honest, yes. I have a problem with you.'

'Excuse me?' Regina is shocked. She's already in the wrong mood, it's not the right time to upset her even more.

'My best friend had a good life. He was happy with his son, and then he met you..' He takes few steps towards her, but still keeping distance between them. 'And now he's in jail.'

'It's not my fault if the Sheriff arrested him!'

'Everybody in town knows that the Sheriff does whatever you tell him to. It doesn't surprise me that he's your puppet.'

'How dare you?' Regina raises her voice. 'I came here because I promised Robin that I'd make sure his son was fine. I don't have to explain anything to you, but if you really care about your friend, then you should know that I'm trying to help him.' She says looking at him before to turn around and walk toward the main door.

Coming here was a mistake.

'Regina?'

She stops as soon as she recognizes that voice. It wasn't the man, John, who called her. She turns and sees a little boy running fast to her. Regina lowers and opens her arms, leaving the bag on the ground. Roland wraps his tiny and fragile arms around her neck, holding her very tight. She holds him back, keeping that little boy very close.

'I miss my daddy.' Roland is sobbing to her ear.

'I know Roland, but your dad will come home very soon.' She says rubbing her hand on his back. Her maternal instinct is having the best of her.

'Really?' Roland says pulling back his head to look her in the eyes. 'You promise?'

'I'm gonna do whatever it takes to bring your daddy back home. I promise.'

'Pinky-swear?'

'What?'

Roland raises his right hand and shows Regina his pinkie. 'You can't break the pinky-swear.'

'Oh. Well..' She's surprised to see how determined he is. 'Pinky-swear it is.' She says, wrapping her pinkie around his. A bright smile appears on Roland's face. 'Now. Let's wipe those tears away.' Regina gently caresses his cheeks. 'You're even cuter when you smile.'

'Thank you, Regina.' Roland gets closer and kisses her cheek. She does her best to fight back a tear of joy that is burning in her eye.

Driving her way back home, Regina can't help but to think about Robin and this messy situation. She spent the entire day in her office thinking of a solution, but in vain. There's nothing she wouldn't do to help him but what she can do? Graham's lost his mind, he completely ignored her that morning. She never saw that look in his eyes, full of anger and contempt for Robin.

What if he remembers something from the Enchanted Forest? What if meeting Robin has triggered something in Graham?

Graham believed he and Robin knew each other before she introduced them in her office. That memory could be part of their lives in the Enchanted Forest, which would explain Graham's recent behavior. If he remembers something, then he knows that she's the Evil Queen. In this world she doesn't hold any power over him, that's why he's bold enough to provoke her.

Even if Graham was so stupid to tell everyone the truth about the Enchanted Forest, nobody would believe him. Like with Henry. But who'd believe an eight years old boy and his crazy theory that the Evil Queen cursed everyone from the Enchanted Forest by sending them in a world without magic?

Regina wants to let it go, ignoring the idea that Graham may remember something but his behavior is effecting Robin's life and she can't accept it.

This should be my problem. Not Robin's.

There's only one thing she can do to fix this problem. The same thing she promised herself to never do it again after what happened with two visitors. Kurt and Owen. She's trying so hard to be a better person for Henry but she has no choice. So, instead of driving home, she goes to her vault.

Walking down the stairs, Regina reaches the wall and takes the only thing that can control Graham. His heart is now literally beating in the palm of her hand. It's exactly how she remembered – vivid red mixed with some darkness.

After all these years, it's weird for Regina to hold somebody's heart, without squeezing into ashes.

'Sheriff.' Regina whispers to his heart, hoping it would work again. 'Drop all the charges against Robin and let him go.'

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