Hiiiii guyyssss :-) I am so so sorry it has been that long since my last update but between my uni classes and my extra curricula activities I didn't have much time for anything else and I didnt want to write anything in haste nor be sloppy in my updates so... The good news is that the 6th Chapter won't take neerly as much time for its upload! it's almost finished and ready to ,enough of that! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! it was really nice to write,I can tell you that! As always, reviews are so very very welcome and appreciated! I'll leave you to it ;-)

Chapter 5

Smooth mattress, warm velvety sheets covering him up to the middle of his sternum, revealing a strong but beaten figure, crisp breath of air refreshing the fragrance lingering from the candles burning for far too long in a corner of the room.

Where was he actually?

Slowly opening his eyes, the realization hit him that he was not in the forest any more, but instead his sight met the safety of his champers.

Casting any remnants of sleep away, he scanned the room only to find Little John (who was little no longer) soundly asleep ,though in a seemingly much uncomfortable position, on a nearby armchair, filling the otherwise empty of sounds room with his heavy breathing and light snore.

He should wake him up, Robin thought, for the longer he remained positioned in such a way (head resting on his left shoulder hands fold on top of his ever growing stomach and long legs stretched in the space in front of him) the worst his body will treat him come morning. And yet, he did no such thing , no awakening took place as memories of the last time he was on the outside of the castles walls and into the woods were accompanied by the everlasting sensation of Regina's warm breath caressing his cheek like a transparent touch, sweat , arrows and a strong , apparently very painful , impact with a fallen log, judging from the strain that overtook the bruised muscles of his lower stomach and his left upper ribs , as he attempted to slightly lift his body in order to get more comfortable – his back touching the beadhead ,his lower body still lying on the bed.

Wait… if he was here, where exactly was Regina?

And how did he end up here in the first place?!

Not thinking of his friend's slumbering state he called for his name only to be met with incoherent mumbling. Apparently, Little John's odd resting place didn't seem to prevent him from sleeping deeply and…quite enjoyably, if the lightness of his brow and the easiness of his breaths were any indications. Robin knew that living restrained inside the castle didn't come easy to his mate, nor to the rest of their party, as a matter of fact. Sleeping underneath the starry midnight sky wasn't easily forgotten even at the exchange of soft beds and warm meals.

Rest was hard to come by for them all as the significance of their confinement was floating above their heads, heavier with each passing day, and Robin was all too aware of that. Regretfully, Little John's calmness would have to wait for now.

With a much louder tone John's name left his lips ,more effectively this time, for John awoke with a jolt ,his hand grabbing his knife, his eyes frantically scanning the room for intruders till his gaze found Robin's. Lowering the hand that was positioned for a fight, and with a heavy exhale and a smile starting to form John replied to his friend's raised in a questioning manner eyebrow, while approaching the bed "You gave us quite a scare ,my friend, " he said, while sitting on the bed –the mattress bulking under the added heaviness ," The Queen ordered for someone to watch over you till you graced us with your awakened presence " , came Little John' sarcastic , but filled with emotions and prominent worry, comment causing Robin to smirk playfully. "Honestly mate," he continued, " she was really upset. She yelled at the poor healer and then took it upon herself to mend you. You seemed quite bad…," he added after his fit of laughter from his previous comment had ceased, only to carry on with a full description of his bruised stomach, the bones broken in abnormal positions, blood gashing from his wounds on his forearms, his upper cheekbone scratched and his temple now downing a very distinctive scar.

"She only left when Granny scolded her off and Snow White practically begged her to check herself and clean up . Let me tell you mate , you weren't the only one looking like sack of potatoes! I don't know what did the two of you face in the forest but she did not come unscathed. She was bewildered…" he offered to Robin who hadn't uttered a word up to that point.

"She is okay, then?" ,was his question , met with a raised brow coming from Little John this time.

"What happened in the woods Robin?" he replied with a question of his own, only to be dismissed with a "no matter, is she alright?" . Robin's exasperation now evident .

"Aye, that she is. Bad tempered as ever, but fine. Haven't seen her for days though."

"Days?" Robin asked in shock and the affirmation his was given made him wonder exactly how much effort and energy did Regina waste on him. She was exhausted ,that much he remembers and with all the magic she gave away she must had been in a very weak state.

Not giving voice to his concern of the Queen's well being that was now harassing his mind he elaborated with a worrisome "How did we end up here?", for ,amongst everything else, he could also recall them being lost and in quite an ill disposition.

"From what I heard, Tuck was told by Will, who was told by Belle, who was told by Ruby , who was told by Granny wh-"

"okay okay , got it!" Robin interrupted what seemed like a progressive monologue of endless listing, uninterested of athe who-told-whom rant.

"ugh…," came Little John's answer," right…from what I heard (accompanied by am appreciative nod on Robin's behalf) after those winged freaks attacked you, she transferred you both here. The princess and the prince were very upset. They had been on the search for you for hours –we all were, he added carefully- (and what exactly did he think, Robin wondered, that they did it on purpose?) .They had just gotten back, to plan where they should go next on their search when the Queen landed out of nowhere in the middle of the Great Hall with you lying unconscious and her covered in blood"

"Everyone thought it was her own bleeding but then she started screaming that they should take you to your chamber…"

"She wouldn't leave your sight mate. When Granny tried to take her on the side ,at first, to tend to her injuries she almost took her head off. She said she was okay and then came here and ….you know the rest…"Little John finished with his tale, that wasn't at all his to be honest, and at the worried and contemplating sight of Robin he added "she is okay mate, that much I know."

He didn't feel very well even after having his skin soothed and cleansed with oils, his bandages renewed Even though his stomach's lacerations were causing him a little less pain than before. His cut skin was itching, pulling whenever he moved to sit or , God forbid, walk , several curses being released under his breath more than once.

Even in the sanctuary of his privacy his fears were not assuaged , fears concerning a Queen resting some floors above where he currently resided, on the eastern tower of her castle.

He wasn't sure of the ground upon which their relationship stood after all that transpired under the shadows of the pine trees. Thoughts slopping around his veins , thoughts of a well hidden side of her that she so freely allowed him to witness made his heart flatter. He had been falling for her for quite some time now and though he couldn't deny that there was a certain tension between them from the start , he had merely thought that she just disliked him, having oh so many times expressed her disapproval of his presence.

Never had he thought that all that could have been nothing but a shield protecting a broken heart from being abused once more.

He wished she knew she needn't carry a fear of that ever happening. Not because of him at least ,for he would rather cut his own heart out and crash it himself than break hers. And that was a truth so manifestly, so poignantly true that even in his own declaration he felt his breath hatch. When had this woman begun to mean so much to him?!

Her heart….

How he had cared for that precious, delicate organ of hers, how he cared not only for every single one of her body parts but for her as a whole as well.

Pain and strain be damned, his mind was set , decisions made, intentions clear…

Carefully he lifted the warm blankets from his body, the chill of the afternoon air hitting him, making his every nerve even more aware of how definitely correct what he was intend on doing felt. Carefully he exited his room and made his way for the staircase…

He had a place he needed to be…