As Regina steps from the tent she feels more cornered in the open clearing than she did surrounded by tent walls. The men's eyes travel to her immediately and she nervously combs her fingers through her snarled hair. She had found some trousers, surprisingly not too large for her, in the bag Robin had indicated, along with a belt and flowing cotton tunic. She chose to wear all of the clothing over her dress. Leaving items from the future behind in the past seemed like an impossibly bad choice, and she also figured the more protective clothing she wore the better once she escapes into the woods. She hates that the looks Robin's men give her can leave her feeling so vulnerable. They no longer glare at her with anger alone, now there is something else. They seem perplexed. She definitely is not the evil queen they had expected. Saving Roland was not something she would have done, not before Henry.
Looking around, she forces her mask in place, attempting to look unaffected. Regina spots Robin and his son near the fire, each holding a bowl, seemingly enjoying the meal greatly if the grins on their faces are any indication. She closes the space between them without chancing another look at any of the other men.
Robin greets readily greets her with a smile. "Ah, how are you feeling then milady? I trust the pain has subsided?" Robin asks with a happy gleam in his eye, a gleam she has found is reserved for when Roland is in his presence. He can't help it.
"Much better thank you," Regina responds tersely. Robin is about to say something else. He opens his mouth, but snaps it shut quickly when his boy hops off the log, takes the few steps it requires to reach Regina and says, "HI," before lifting his arms upward saying, "UP."
Regina looks at the boy and feels a natural tug to pull him into her arms, but instead she looks toward Robin for permission. He gives her a nod and a smile so she tentatively lifts the boy, taking his previous seat on the log and allowing him to sit on her lap. Regina takes a moment to look up and sees the shock and bewilderment on the faces of each man watching.
Robin interrupts her thoughts, "Roland, my boy, why don't you sit next to the queen so she can eat," he says while handing her a bowl full of warm broth, potatoes, and little bits of meat.
"Regina," she says, having grown unaccustomed to being called a queen, she never wanted the title anyway. She allows Roland to slide from her lap and sit between her and Robin while she forces mouthful after mouthful of the bland concoction down her throat. She needs her strength, and food, even bad food, is a welcome distraction from the suspicious glances being sent her way.
"Regina it is," Robin softly states. She doesn't like the way her name rolls off his tongue. The sound painfully familiar to her, yet completely unfamiliar to him, and she needs to fight her feelings just a little bit longer, just long enough to get away, to escape . The sun has set, but there is an ethereal glow to the sky that has a calming effect on her soul, allowing her to observe the camp. She notices most of the men have finished eating and have cleaned, laid out bedrolls and blankets, seemingly content to get some rest. The sooner they sleep, the sooner morning comes, and the sooner they can be rid of her, she presumes.
Roland is still next to her, surprisingly content sitting rather than running to and fro expelling all the energy a toddler possesses. She looks down at him as she finishes the last of the stew, and he turns his face up to her with a disarming smile featuring his deep dimples. She cannot help but smile in return, and if her adoration for the boy shows in her eyes, no matter, it is dark enough no one will be able to tell. He starts babbling things to her, some words, some not so much, and she listens attentively for a few minutes before lifting her gaze to his father.
Regina instantly regrets her decision. Robin is looking at her differently than ever before. Well, truthfully, he had looked at her like this once before, when she had saved Roland from that hideous flying monkey, when he had accompanied her to her castle. He looked at her then like he saw her, really saw her. He suddenly realized she was no longer the evil queen who had cursed the land, but rather, just a woman, just Regina. That is how he looks at her now, surprised, bewildered, but with the clarity that a woman sits before him, only human, and not the monster he assumed. Unease settles into the pit of her stomach as she tries to avoid this man's intimate gaze. Just as she is about to remove herself from her seat, remove herself from the heat of his scrutiny and the comfort of Roland's presence, he speaks her name. He says her name in that achingly familiar tone and she turns her eyes to meet his once more.
"Regina, are...are you a mother?" He questions and the fire crackles throwing ash into the sky, but she can't draw her eyes away from his. She blinks rapidly, her jaw opens slightly and her lips part. He can see her. This Robin can see through her as well as 'her' Robin. Now that he has opened his eyes, he can see into her very soul, and it terrifies her because this shouldn't be happening. None of this can be happening. He needs to hate her, he needs to despise the evil queen just as everyone else, because that is what is supposed to happen, at least until they meet in the future, but not now.
She doesn't answer his question. None of this matters anyway she tells herself. Once she escapes she will be sure to remove any memories these men have of her, and then she will return home, home to 'her' Robin, where she won't have to feel so conflicted. Abruptly cutting off their eye contact, Regina rises from the log as she had initially intended.
"Where will I sleep?" she asks brushing dirt, that isn't there, off of her clothing.
He looks like he didn't hear her, like her words went straight through him without ever making contact with his brain as he opens then closes his mouth.
"Did I stutter? Where should I sleep?" She says harshly bothered by the way this man makes her feel like she is drowning.
Now Robin smirks at her. That arrogant half grin she is so used to, and she waits for his retort because her Robin would not let her show this kind of attitude without responding in similar fashion. However, this man surprises her. He stands while lifting his son in his arms. The picture in front of her makes her ovaries burst from sheer adorableness.
"There is a bedroll and plenty of blankets in the supply tent. I assume you'll be more comfortable with some privacy so you may sleep in there, unless of course you'd rather share the company of my men," he says gesturing toward Little John, who is already fast asleep, snoring loudly and apparently drooling as he makes a slurping sound.
"The tent will be fine," Regina says turning to make haste back to the tent and away from this horrible mess she has found herself in.
She only takes one step before she is halted by Roland's perfect little voice. "Go'nigh," he says and she can't help the wide smile that forms on her face, but she makes a considerable effort to hide it as she spins to face them once more.
"Good night Roland," she states, and the smile she had managed to dampen grows wide again at his waving hand and sleepy smile. Looking back to Robin, she nods, and finishes with a terse, "Good night," before once again turning and heading to the tent.
Her brisk pace doesn't keep her from hearing his response, and the, "Good night, Regina," she hears is like a whisper on the wind blending with the melody of rustling trees and the crackling fire. Finding the safety and cover of the tent, she falls to her knees on the blankets still on the ground, and tries to calm her frantic mind. She will make for the woods in a few hours once all the men are fast asleep. She saw two men guarding the perimeter, and knows from experience these men will rotate through the night. She will wait until the final rotation of guards, a good hour past, then make her escape. They will be calm, not as alert as when they first start their perimeter check. It should be easy enough to slip past them, and then, then she will head for Rumplestiltskin's castle, then she will find everything she needs to repair any damage she has caused, and to get home.
Home, she scoffs at the word, and settles more comfortably onto the blanket. Never before has it been so clear that home for her, home is where Henry is, where her family is, and she will return to them. Regina cringes as she realizes just how much her thoughts remind her of another person she knows so well. Someone she never ever thought she would have anything in common with, but now as she thinks of her loved ones she refuses to feel anything, but hope, even if that reminds her of Snow White and her everlasting optimism.
Time passes slowly while Regina sits anxiously awaiting the final rotation of men. She knows Robin's men rotate twice, and the first passed without incident only a few minutes ago. She risks a peek through the tent flap and can see that the men are all resting peacefully by a fire kept bright and burning by the men watching the perimeter. She pulls a blanket snug around her neck as the cold of the night seeps through her skin into her bones. The blanket tickles the skin beneath her chin while providing comfort from the chill in the air, and just then she spots Roland snug with several blankets, near enough to the fire to feel the heat emanating, with a man, presumably Robin, snug behind him. He looks so peaceful. That is how she spends the next couple hours, watching Roland, smiling as she looks upon his dreaming face, and hoping those dreams are filled with joy.
She didn't think it would be so difficult to follow her plan, but patience never was one of her virtues. As she sits here in the tent, at the ready with a bag she has packed full of supplies and food she is sure they won't miss, she is finding it quite difficult to wait. The final rotation took place mere minutes ago, and she knows, she knows it is stupid to try and leave now. She will be patient, but she is starting to question just how much longer she should wait. She knows Robin is an early riser as are many of his men, who also went to sleep quite early. She just hopes that when she steps from the tent the men are not already stirring even without the rising of the sun to pull them from their slumber.
Regina waits a few more minutes, deciding this is the time, now or never, and never doesn't seem like an option. She slips her broken heels back on her feet, such a shame she thinks eyeing her very expensive shoes that are vastly inappropriate for this place, this situation. She lifts the cloak over her body and raises the hood. Pulling the tent flap open just enough to allow her to slip through, she moves as quietly as possible along the side of the tent. Each foot she places to the ground softer than the previous step, and she quickly makes her way past the sleeping men, away from the light of the fire to the other side of the tent, hoping the darkness will provide her with more cover when crossing the perimeter.
One man is stationed to the east of camp and the other to the west. From her vantage point, in the shade of the tent, she can see both men clearly enough. Regina intends to head north. She honestly is ashamed to say she has very little idea where they are in the forest, and thus, does not know which way the dark castle resides. All she needs is to escape and elude capture long enough for the leola root to leave her system. Then she will be able to use her magic again, and travel much more easily. Both men are looking away from her and her destination, so she takes a deep breath of air before moving in a near run to the northern perimeter. She moves as quickly and quietly as possible once she reaches the edge of the clearing, knowing that it is impossible to go unseen and unheard. If she moves too slowly they will see her before she can make it to the thick cover of the trees, but if she moves too quickly the rustling of the undergrowth and weeds will alert them to her presence.
She moves quickly hoping any noise they hear will be mistaken for an animal. Blood is pumping fast through her veins, her heart pounding in her ears, but she has made it. She is in the treeline and cannot hear anyone shouting or following, she has made it, and she breathes a sigh of relief as adrenaline continues to course through her body.
Lowering her gaze to the ground she watches carefully for tree roots and uneven ground as she settles into a steady pace. She realizes quickly her mistake of looking only toward the ground just in front of her as she hits a hard solid object and falls backward on her rear.
"Ah! What the hell?" she looks up, and blinks rapidly to clear her vision because she must be seeing things, this can't be happening. A hooded figure looks down at her, with at least three others standing near.
A gasp escapes her mouth as the lone figure in front of her removes his hood, and her mind reels because of course she couldn't just escape, of course things couldn't go smoothly. She stands slowly, cautiously before pulling her own hood down feigning a look of strength and regality because she can't let this man see her weak.
"Charming," she greets with a tense grin. He looks shocked and immediately unsheathes his sword once he realizes who stands before him. The air around them is thick with tension, and she thinks any movement, even a twitch could mean a sword sliding straight through her heart so she freezes, stares at the man until someone comes up beside him. A smaller figure with a lighter cloak, but even with a hood Regina knows who this is, she can read it in the way the smaller figure touches Charming's arm, steps close to him, and the figure drops her hood as well.
"Snow White."