Chapter 30

Everyone...just breathe.

It wasn't like Regina completely understood her actions just then…while she was known to have a temper and usually spoke without thinking, she was very careful when it came to matters of the heart and the last thing she would have thought possible was for her to display those internal feelings for everyone to see and comprehend. It was just that even though Robin had regained his memories and knew her betrayal of taking them in the first place, he was more concerned about her, those around him, and their future. While going through such an excruciating death, he was actually consoling blubbering John that it was okay, he had no complaints even though the noble outlaw deserved far better than this. When he turned to Regina, trying to encourage her to love again when it was his own infuriating yet endearing company that unlocked her heart in the first place...she couldn't think of anything else to do. She had to kiss him.

Yes, she could have said "I love you" and it would have been true but words to a man on his deathbed seem hollow even if they are coming from the great and terrible, evil queen. What do words cost anyone when you get right down to it? Declarations of love to the dying are that much cheaper because there is no expectation of commitment. So saying that to Robin, no matter how true it was, didn't seem enough. Just as death wasn't enough for Robin, he was asking them to kill him so he wouldn't murder them later. Finally, given Regina's own history of death and destruction, she didn't feel like she had the right to utter them out loud like that.

Robin didn't even look like himself any longer. His once handsome features were marred now, dark shadows appearing and the skin tone turning quite pale. Those brilliant, blue eyes that would twinkle, actually twinkle at her, were quite dull and nearly all white, in the night sky the blueness all but disappeared. The red in his lips were also starting to change to something between black and purple. But it didn't matter because his voice was coming through loud and clear. "Hopefully you can find a man who is more deserving of a queen's love than a thieving outlaw like-"

"Oh Robin," she choked out before covering his lips with hers. She waited too long for this, he could be at an infectious stage, but she didn't care. She couldn't let him die and not know his death was killing her too. She may be the most powerful woman in all the realm but she'd give it up in an instant if it could save him.

She was concentrating so hard on making it clear how she felt that she didn't notice the way he shook. She shook too but that always happened when she kissed him. When he pushed her away, Regina felt rejection and disappointment and she kept her eyes cast downward afraid to look at him.

Except she heard Rumple behind her. "I don't believe it." She looked back up and saw exactly what her mentor was talking about. Robin's complexion had cleared and his eyes, those beautiful eyes, returned to their rich blueness. He slowly sat up, his expression showing complete shock. She almost thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, perhaps the poison was in her system now and for some reason it was altering Robin's image in her mind?

Little John eased her mind when he stepped forward. "Robin? What…are you…what does it mean…Robin?" Very well put, Regina thought.

His eyes hadn't left Regina's until John spoke and Robin broke eye contact to look at everyone else. Everyone who was staring at him with newfound surprise. He couldn't tell what he looked like on the outside but on the inside he felt perfectly normal. "What happened? The pain is completely gone."

Regina started to say something but found herself speechless. Did her kiss just cure him? That seemed preposterous. She never believed in true love's kiss. Besides, it required light magic which was only why it worked with Roland, right? She was the very opposite of light magic but looking at Robin now…

Alan stepped forward, his arm had been healed earlier. If Rumple couldn't heal Robin, Belle insisted Rumple heal Alan and the dark one had begrudgingly did so, finding more proof of why he didn't want her coming along in the first place. Now the young man used that arm to reach out and pat Robin's own, the one just above the place he was originally scratched. Robin was hesitant at first but reached out and took Alan's hand. They shook for a few minutes and eventually they started laughing. Robin jumped up and hugged his friend who happily returned it.

John didn't like to be left out and before anyone could stop him, he barreled into the two men, hugging them both tightly. If Robin did have any lingering pains, he'd have felt them then but instead laughed even louder. Regina stood up now, seemingly forgotten by everyone but at the moment that was fine with her, she still couldn't allow herself to truly accept the situation for what it was. Things like this didn't happen for her. She stepped back a bit as the merry men all gathered around.

But Robin wasn't willing to let her go. Though each merry man approached to encircle him in a giant hug, he kept darting his eyes back over to her. Eventually he disentangled himself from the men, faced her directly and smiled, she would have described it as a stupid grin, except she was pretty sure her own matched his. He began walking towards her and she took a step too but then she heard, "Papa!"

How could she forget Roland? Tuck had heard the cheers from the group and with no place to leave the lad, he'd brought him along. At the sight of Roland, Robin momentarily forgot about Regina, and rushed to the boy as he made his way to his father. Robin was kneeling down to pick his son up but Roland wasn't having that, leaping at him as soon as he was in arm's length, so Robin got a face full of Roland's stomach. But that was okay because he caught him anyway and you could hear both of them laughing loudly.

Regina watched the two of them, she blinked back tears. Since finding out that Roland had been missing, she'd been longing for this sight since Roland had been kidnapped and in the last few hours had believed it lost forever. Now she was proven wrong. The rest of the men were embracing Tuck, who had tears streaming from his eyes. Belle was so overcome with happiness she was hugging Rumple who looked just as shell-shocked as Regina. Johnson was still tied up in the corner, the only person to truly be upset at the change in circumstances.

At this stage Regina found herself standing close to Snow White of all people. She'd honestly forgotten about her in the last few hours. She could have escaped anytime yet she remained. "Why are you still here?"

Snow had tears in her eyes too and Regina was sure it because of the happy reunion of Robin and Roland. She wondered if there was any other reason. Snow answered her. "We still have some unfinished business, don't we?"

Regina was about to answer when she heard Roland call for her. She turned to see him pointing. Robin started to put him down but the child shook his head. He wanted his father to carry him over there and Robin laughed, doing as his son ordered. Snow backed away when Robin got to them. Being this close to the healthy and happy father and son, Regina got over any bout of nervousness at displaying affection. Robin kissed her gently while Roland hugged her. When they pulled back, Regina felt herself flush.

Zane stood up, "I don't know about you but I'm ready to head back home!" Many agreed though that did present an interesting situation for the queen. As much as she wanted to stay with Robin and didn't even mind his band of merry men surrounding them, she really needed to get back to her own castle.

Before she could respond, Rumple had other ideas in mind. "Wait a minute. What about our deal?"

Regina's heart stopped briefly until she realized the real truth. "There is no deal, Rumple. You were to help me with your magic which you did not."

His eyes narrowed, realizing she was right. Still not to accept defeat, he looked around at everyone. "So what happens now, you and Robin live happily ever after?"

"Rumple," Belle said, not liking where this was going. Regina was surprised she was on her side at all, given their own history.

"Belle, you have suffered the most at this woman's hand! How do you feel about the fact she gets everything she wanted." He gestured to Robin who was still holding Roland, the archer looking quite angry.

Robin responded before Belle could, "I think the same could be said of you."

Rumple shook his head, "Not even close, I assure you."

"Enough of this!" Regina said, she could speak for herself. The last thing she wanted was for Rumple and Robin to get angry with each other. "I know what this is about, you're just angry because you were looking forward to…to our deal."

"And why shouldn't I? If you recall, you said it would help undo the damage you made earlier by imprisoning this innocent woman!" He pointed at Belle who waited to see how Regina responded.

Robin responded instead. "What deal? What pact did you make?"

Regina kept glaring at Rumple, she knew there was no way he had held up his end of the bargain so there was no real use getting into it, but that was probably why Rumple was doing all of this. At least he could humiliate her to some extent. "I agreed that if Rumple could help us defeating the Nachzehrer magic, I'd…I would be the one cursed."

"Cursed how? By forgetting me?" Robin asked, putting Roland down and looking like he was going to start for Rumple. Roland wasn't ready to let go of his father just yet, grabbing his hand.

Regina glanced around the group ,all eyes were on her. "No, I'd be cursed so I could never see you again."

Confused, Robin shook his head. "So forgetting me?"

"No, just not…" she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I would never see or hear you again. If we crossed paths, you could be right in front of me, I'd not know it." She glanced down at the ground, then finally added. "Roland too."

Anger flew through Robin as he started again towards Rumple. Roland held on tight, he sensed the gold colored imp was not someone his father should get close to and tried to hold him back. It took the rest of the merry men to realize they should help.

Robin was very red-faced. "You son of a-"

"Oh please! It's the least she deserves!" Rumple walked around while still pointing at her. "No matter how she may be in bed with you, thief, I assure you she earned her evil reputation. And the rest of the men here can't be happy that this means she will be a permanent part of your life!"

Regina flinched, expecting to hear the rest of the men to join in on how right Rumple is. But she didn't hear it. Her eyes scanned the crowd and everyone looked angry, but not with her, only Rumple. When the dark one realized that he turned looking for the one person he thought would have concurred, but didn't find her. "I see Snow White has fled. Pity, I'm sure she would agree with me. How many people have died so that Regina could imprison her?"

"I…at one time I would have defended my actions against Snow even if it cost me my own life," Regina answered honestly, not wishing to ever see the princess again. "And I can't pretend I have forgiven her for…" she was not going to get into that. Not here and certainly not in front of Rumple. "But I'm not walking away from…" again she paused. That wasn't entirely true. She was the evil queen and just because Robin's life was spared with true love's kiss did not mean all was forgiven. She dared to look at Robin who was staring at her. "You know, Rumple is right. I don't deserve this…I don't deserve any of you."

She stepped back but Roland, who had just gotten his father back, didn't want Regina going anywhere. Leaving his father's side, he ran to her, throwing his arms around her. "No, you're not leaving are you?"

"No, she's not!" Robin said definitely right at Rumple.

Rumple scoffed, looking at Belle for support. She wasn't happy either. "You were really going to just make them invisible to her?"

"Belle, you were imprisoned for how long? Just because you loved me?" he asked.

Never one to catch on to the obvious, John asked. "Wait, you love him? Like as in true love?" At everyone's look at his crazy question. He shrugged. "I just thought, she was like your sister or niece. I mean, he's the dark one, yeah?"

"I think if the dark one can find love, why can't the evil queen?" Tuck said smiling big now. On cue, Robin turned to the friar but the older man held up his hands. "Only saying that to serve a point, Robin. I can answer just for myself but I'm surprisingly fine with her majesty. She's certainly proven she'd never do anything to hurt your or Roland!"

"Right!" came everyone's answers. Regina didn't know what to say. She knew they hated the sight of her before but how were sticking up for her rights to Rumplestiltskin of all people. Roland hugged her tighter and she was forced to smile.

Belle took Rumple's hand. "I think everything has worked out. Remember, Regina did give you back your dagger and returned me to you without asking any else afterwards. I think it's only fair we leave them now."

Rumple looked like he had a hundred arguments against that, but he had grown tired of the lot of them. "Fine!" With that, he took her hand and gestured, in a poof he and Belle were gone.

"Well, that's something," someone said, Regina didn't pay attention. Her eyes were focusing on Robin. Was it really over? She was about to call to him when a shadow arose from behind her. As she turned, a blade went to her throat. Johnson's other hand grasped her shoulder. With Roland right next to her she was unable to defend herself. She had just enough time to see his eyes before he slashed her throat.

Robin didn't know how Johnson got a hold of the dagger, probably when everyone was distracted by trying to heal him. Everyone was scrambling and doing everything they could and nobody was paying much attention to their dangerous prisoner. How long he had sat there, faking at being tied, no one would ever know. But now he had his chance especially now that the dark one was gone. He picked the perfect time too, there was no way to save Regina, not by him or his men, but they could bring him down before he got Roland.

But for some reason, Johnson paused. He did not slash her throat. He just stood there. After a few beats, Regina took a step back, making sure she was still between the ex commander and Roland. Johnson's face was frozen in what looked like pain. Then he collapsed forward, falling down dead. An arrow to his back. Everyone, including Robin, looked at the direction the arrow came from and there stood Snow White with his bow.

LOL, I almost ended 2 paragraphs earlier. But I gave y'all a little bit of a break with the cliffhanger. I hope it was fluffy enough. Again, your words of encouragement are so flattering. I hope this chapter measures up to your expectations. Please review! (Please!)