… with no other light or guide
than the One that burned in my heart.
"What is this?" Regina demanded.
"A child?" Robin set a squirming Roland down who ran to greet the other men.
"I know it's a child," Regina snapped. "I want to know what the he..." she caught herself, a wary eye on the boy. "What is a child doing out here?"
Robin shrugged, "He's my son. We travel together as a group."
"Your…do you… do you know how dangerous that is?"
"Not as bad as it used to be." Regina scoffed. His voice rose, "Do you really think I would for one second put my son in danger?"
"I really don't know what you would or wouldn't do," Regina matched his volume.
"Well, now you know!" he shot back.
"Don't shout! You're scaring him."
"I am not shouting!" Robin glanced behind to see his son frowning, "I have a strong voice. It projects."
"Oh, right," Regina retorted, then exhaled, her attention on the little boy who was now giggling as he was tossed about like a football between the Merry Men.
Robin lowered his voice, "Perhaps if you had a child …."
"I do have a child, ass-h&^%!" Regina's eyes snapped fire. "That's the only damn reason I'm still here with you."
Robin blinked, "I don't understand."
"Of course you don't." She took a step toward him, looking up with gritted teeth, "I promised him I wouldn't use magic anymore to solve my problems. Otherwise I wouldn't have stayed one second with this pathetic little band."
Robin met her gaze and said slowly, "I see."
"Surprised?" She laughed rather bitterly.
"Yes, I must admit."
Regina stepped around him, seeing Roland frolicking and smiling, then looking at her.
And she saw Henry. Saw him asking one day if she had kept her promise. Could she lie to him? Her Henry?
She turned back to Robin, "Well, I think there's a little boy who needs to get back to a stable environment. So let's quit talking, and get the hell to Rumplestiltskin's castle."
"Actually it's mine now," Robin informed her, "squatters' rights."
"Congratulations, let's move!" She moved toward the boy, and an arm shot out, stopping her.
"Not one more step," Robin warned.
"Really?" She gestured to his arm pointedly, "Really?"
"Yes." His visage did not invite contradiction.
Regina's jaw clenched, "I would never hurt a child!"
"Well, I have only your word for that, don't I?" Robin stated.
Regina began to respond, thought better of it, and pivoted, walking forward again.
The next hours she was stewing so hard, her lips so pressed into a thin line, that she thought her jaw might crack. Robin had during that time offered a quiet apology for assuming she didn't have a child. Regina ignored him, strutting on, but always keeping an eye on the little boy. Making sure he was alright, not too tired, and staying clear of anything that could appear perilous.
Mother's instincts.
These heightened when their path took them along a river. She was tense, like a hawk, and finally called a warning to keep the child to the right, farthest away from the river's edge when he drifted too close.
The responses were silent glares, and a firm, "he's fine," from Robin Hood.
But she was still tingling all over, not liking where they were.
"Just keep him..." Regina started.
"He's fin—" Robin didn't get the last out when a shadow swarmed above them. There were shouts of warning, people ducked, and Regina turned just in time to see the confused boy stumble.
And fall right into the river.
Before she had time to think, Regina jumped in after him.