Hey all! I hope you had a lovely New Year's and a start to 2018! Here I am, back with another update to this fic, and I have to say that I'm a little nervous about it.
First and foremost, I am going to let you know that there is a TRIGGER warning for this specific update due to some mild physical assault (nonsexual) and harsh language. So proceed with caution. This is a bit of a controversial chapter where you're going to see our characters act in ways they haven't before. So feel free to leave me a comment/review as I'm very intrigued to see what you guys think.
So without further ado, Chapter 18.
He hears her clambering around in her vault, slamming books and throwing them aside, rummaging through spells and potions. Robin enters tentatively into the turmoil, warily watching his beloved wife as she works herself into a frenzy until she finds she needs.
"Everything all right?" the thief dares to speak, taking another step closer.
Regina looks up from the miniature scroll in her hands. Without a word, her gaze rests upon his hand. In a swift movement, she's dropping the parchment and approaching him. "Give me your hand," she commands, reaching out towards her husband's left hand.
Wordlessly, Robin does as she says, his eyes widening as he watches her grab his fingers and forcefully slip off his wedding band. "Wh—Regina!" Panic begins to build in his stomach as she takes his ring and stalks back towards where she'd laid the scroll.
"Shh!" the brunette queen harshly commands as she turns back towards the parchment. It is then that she is lifting a second golden band, her wedding ring, and placing both rings into a small treasure box. She latches it closed.
"Regina," Robin takes his chances and speaks lowly. He steps even closer. "What are you doing?"
Regina sighs, placing the treasure box down and meeting his eyes for the first time. She shakes her head. "A clue," the brunette states simply, "So that we can find one another."
The thief frowns, tilting his head. "I'm afraid I'm lost."
"I'm going to make sure that these rings show up someplace significant. They'll be proof in showing our cursed selves that we are indeed cursed. Hopefully then, we will realize and be able to break the curse." Regina turns back to the treasure chest and parchment. With a slow exhale, she extends her hand over the treasure chest and murmurs aloud the ancient tongue scrawled across the minuscule piece of paper. Robin watches in slight fascination as the treasure box begins to shine and shimmer before disappearing completely into thin air without a trace. Regina then drops her hand.
"So you really think true love's kiss will break the curse?" Robin concludes, "Our true love's kiss."
His brunette queen sighs, looking to him once more. She shakes her head. "Perhaps…I'm just hoping that we will be in a much better place with one another cursed than we are now." She closes her eyes. "That is, if we ever do find each other again."
The sky is gray…dull and melancholy. Wind blows gently across her cheeks as she wanders about without a purpose, heart heavy with both dread and despair. Regina walks along Menemsha's docks, distant and removed from those who maneuver around and out of her path. Her head is down, hood pulled up, hands in her pockets. She trudges along, smelling in the potent stench of fish and unwanted clam shells that emit from large commercial fishing boats tied up alongside the docks.
Regina's not exactly sure as to why she is here specifically, meandering about. But she knew she had to get away. The walls of her living room seemed to have been closing in upon her; a place that had once been her sanctuary, now had become something of a prison. Regina needed to get away…away from it all.
The gentle lapping of the harbor's waters against the docks provide a calm distraction, a comfort that she desperately seeks. The smell of fish, though strong, reminds her of times more pleasant. The cool air brushing her cheek is a balm to her heated skin and the stinging tears that prick her eyes.
It's three days until the contest, and Regina is at her wits end. By now, she's just praying for a miracle. Deep down, she yearns to somehow go back in time and change what had happened. Perhaps Reya is right after all; she is stuck in a curse. Though, she's certain that what she feels right now is far worse than anything a curse could possibly have inflicted.
It has been five days, five days since she'd rejected Robin's love there in the lighthouse tower. Five days since she'd last spoken to him. Regina has been trying to forget about it, wanting to ignore the incessant ache in her heart and stomach. But she made her decision, no matter how much pain it had caused her.
"Where the fuck have you been?!"
His words pierce right through Regina's chest, her blood running cold. She looks up into his raging, darkened expression. If looks could kill, Steve's most certainly would have torn her to pieces. Nervously, Regina twists her hands together.
"I…um—"
"Don't lie to me!" Steve booms, taking a menacing step towards her. "It's the middle of the night, you've been gone for an entire fucking hour. Did you think I would not notice?!"
Regina quickly shakes her head. "I—I didn't mean to be gone for that long, I—"
"Where were you?"
She can't bring herself to confess out loud. She closes her eyes instead, allowing him to piece together the inevitable.
"You were with him, weren't you?" Steve growls lowly.
Regina lets out a breath, opening her eyes to meet a slightly more hurt expression upon her boyfriend's features. "I'm sorry…" she whispers, her voice barely coherent.
"How long has this been going on?" Steve demands, crossing his arms over his chest; gaze searing her own.
The brunette looks to him with wide eyes, feeling much like a child caught in the act of doing something she wasn't allowed. Yet even still, she tries to hold on to what shred of dignity she has remaining. "Does it even matter?" she asks, heart thumping wildly in her chest.
"Yes it does! Yes it fucking does, Regina, because you fucking told me you wanted to move in with me! You made it seem like you were willing to take that next step but now look…you played me!"
"You're not the only one I played…" Regina mumbles.
"What?!"
She shakes her head. "Nothing."
Steve lets out a harsh breath. He shakes his head before meeting her eyes once more. Regina shivers slightly at the darkness that they possess. "Did you sleep with him?" he asks lowly.
Regina swallows hard, tearing her gaze from his to stare down at her tightly clasped hands, continuing to twist them anxiously. She bites the inside of her cheek and takes a shuddering breath.
"Regina!" Steve shouts, causing the brunette to jump slightly; her eyes shooting back up to meet his. "Did you sleep with him?!"
Regina squeezes her eyes shut. "Yes…" she whispers. Never in this moment has she felt both ashamed and stripped bare and raw, her walls broken. But she doesn't have time to dwell when suddenly she feels a pair of strong and calloused hands grip her biceps tightly, fingers squeezing hard enough to leave bruises. Regina keeps her eyes closed, her breath held.
"Do you realize what you have done?" Steve snarls. She can feel his breath upon her; he's mere inches from her face. "I would've given you everything. Everything!" He shakes her once, violently. "Look at me!"
Regina's eyes open wide, her own dark orbs looking into the brutish gaze of his eyes clouded with anger.
"You promised me!" Steve hisses through clenched teeth, refusing to give up his grip on the brunette. "You promised you'd never leave me!"
"And you said that you wouldn't stop me if I chose to!" Regina retorts coldly, finding an ounce of her courage once more.
At this, Steve throws back his head and laughs aloud; his cold laugh bitter and sending a shiver down her spine. "Oh, Regina, do you really think I'd let you go so easily? I need you, Regina. I fucking wanted to help you and play along with whatever fucking game you were playing, but you're nothing but a manipulative bitch." He glares down at her, dark eyes flashing as he brings his face close to her once more. "Why did you do this to me, huh?" He shakes her again. "I should've known it all along…"
Regina wanders past the commercial fishing boats and continues down along the dock where begins a row of individually-owned boats of all shapes and sizes. Absentmindedly, she lets herself gaze over each one as she passes by; looking but not seeing. That is, until she comes to one particular boat tied up at the very end of the dock. It's a Grady-White, similar to many of the other boats Regina has seen on her walk here. There's nothing particularly special about it except the name scrawled across the stern of the boat in large golden lettering. The Lioness…with a beautiful thin arrow underlining it. The name strikes a chord within her. And the longer she stares, the more Regina can't help but have a certain memory resurface because of it. The guy with the obscure lion tattoo. Robin. The very thought of him makes her heart painfully clench once more. But the brunette can't seem to bring herself to leave just yet. She simply continues to stare at the boat…at the title.
"Never thought I'd find you here…"
Regina gasps softly. She drops her head, turning around to peek up at the man from underneath the shadow of her hood. Of course…this must be his boat: the boat on which he took Reya right when this journey had just begun.
"What are you doing here?" Regina snaps, possibly a bit too harshly than intended.
Robin sighs, shaking his head. "Just here to fix my boat up," he answers, lifting his two buckets full of supplies.
"This is yours?" Regina asks, gesturing lazily towards The Lioness.
"Uh…yes," Robin answers, shuffling his feet uncomfortably. He frowns, tilting his head at the brunette who stands before him, face covered by the hood of her sweatshirt. There's just something different about her, a melancholic air about her that matches the mood of the sky above. Gone is her usual prideful stance, for now she looks as if she has shrunk inside her sweatshirt. She refuses to meet his gaze. She seems almost…ashamed.
"Regina," Robin asks slowly. He lowers his buckets to the ground before taking a tentative step towards the shriveling brunette. "Are you all right?"
Regina nods curtly. "I'm fine," she states firmly, turning her head from him. She shakes her head. "I need to go."
"Regina," Robin warns, taking another step closer. He shakes his head, all heartbreak from what had happened four days ago suddenly being temporarily replaced with deep concern. "Something's wrong."
Regina ducks her head. "Nothing's wrong."
Robin sighs, stepping up to her. Gently, he reaches out and touches her forearm, slowly turning her to face him. She keeps her head down, her hood pulled up so far that he can only see the end of her nose and her mouth. Robin can almost hear her heartbeat as her unsteady breaths reign loud and clear. She stands completely still. With his own heart in his throat, Robin raises his free hand and slowly lifts her hood, peeling it back gently to reveal her pale, pale face.
And suddenly, he gasps.
"Steve, let me go!" Regina yells, twisting in his arms. But his grip on her tightens even further.
"I can't let you go!" Steve hollers, "I won't let you go. You're mine!"
"No, stop…Steve!" Suddenly, she is able to wrench her hand free. It swings upward and connects with his cheek with a resounding slap. Regina gasps, her eyes wide as Steve recoils, lifting his hand to press against his stinging skin. She watches in horror as the man lets out a frustrated growl. "Steve…I'm sorry—I..." The man snaps his head towards her, eyes flashing even darker.
"You just went way over the line, Regina," Steve threatens. He surges forward, backing the brunette up. "How fucking dare you," he hisses, "Don't you realize how hard I've worked to try and keep you? To try and save you?" He keeps walking. "Over and over and over again I wanted to believe that you were genuinely trying for me, for us. But no. All this time you've been fucking sleeping with another man—"
"If you could just understand!"
"—Oh I understand plenty, Regina." Steve keeps surging forward, leaving Regina no choice but to keep back up…further and further. "I understand that you are everything to me and what am I to you? Nothing. Fuck! I'm sick and tired of it, Regina, and it's time you have a taste of your own medicine!" He lifts his hand to strike but suddenly, having backed up too far, Regina is stumbling backward into her easel, her feet kicking the stand's legs out from underneath; both her displayed masterpiece and a can of paint fly from its holders and come crashing down with her. The lid to the can pops open and paint flies everywhere, showering the painting, easel, carpet, and Regina with red. The brunette gives out a cry in horror, sitting up and twisting far too quickly; a sharp wooden edge of the broken easel slicing her cheek.
"Regina," Steve breathes, his eyes widening, seeming to have come back to his senses after witnessing such a disaster. He shakes his head, dropping his hand before dropping to his knees before her and gathering her sobbing form covered in paint into his arms. "Oh my god, Regina!"
But she can do nothing but cry.
"It's nothing," Regina sighs, shaking her head. Her gaze, despite her hood being taken off, remains lowered in shame.
Robin shakes his head furiously. "It's not nothing, Regina," he states firmly, "What happened?!"
"Just an accident…that's all."
"That's all?!" Robin repeats incredulously as he takes in the angry-looking, scabbed over gash across Regina's perfect olive skin. "This couldn't possibly have been 'just an accident'."
"But it was," Regina insists, "I fell." She turns away, hands swiftly reaching up to pull her hood back on. "Now let it go, okay?"
Robin shakes his head. "No, Regina," he declares, stepping in her path as she tries to brush past him. "I'm not going to let this go. What happened? Tell me."
"Oh why do you care?" Regina asks bitterly.
"I care because I—" he stops himself in fear of repeating what he'd already told her, "—I just care, you insufferable woman," Robin groans exasperatedly. "Now what the hell happened?" He pauses for a moment, eye widening. "Did Steve do this to you?"
Regina's eyes widen. "What? No! No, no, no!" She exclaims with a fervent shake of her head. "No he didn't…" She takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Shaking her head once more, Regina drops her hands to her sides, looking up at Robin with a hopeless look in her dark eyes.
"We were having a fight," she confesses. She closes her eyes. "It got a bit…physical."
At this, Robin begins to feel his blood begin to boil. He steps even closer to Regina, willing himself to calm down at least until he hears the full story. "What do you mean by physical?" he asks lowly, "What did he do to you?"
Regina sighs deeply, keeping her eyes closed. "Steve found out about our affair," she replies, "He got angry…really angry. He grabbed me. And he didn't want to let go." She opens her eyes to look into Robin's anxious sapphire gaze. "I managed to get a hand loose. I slapped him hard." Robin lifts a brow as he catches on to that ghost of a smirk that crosses her lips before fading just as quickly as it came.
"It made him even more angry, though," Regina continues with a shake of her head, "He stepped forward to retaliate—I kept stepping back as he kept stepping forward. I fell back onto the easel." Tears well in her eyes, turning her orbs even glossier. "My masterpiece…" She whispers, closing her eyes. In a moment of weakness, Regina lets out a sob as tears begin to stream down her cheeks.
And Robin can't help but step forward one last time, wrapping his arms around the brunette's shuddering form and drawing her close to his chest as she cries. His heart breaks for her in this moment. But at the same time, it burns heated with anger at Steve. How dare the man grab her in such a way that Regina had to literally fight to get loose? And should she had not fallen on top of her easel, would the man have gone through with his retaliation?
"He felt terrible, though," Regina sniffs, shaking her head against Robin's chest. "He was so…he couldn't stop saying sorry. He cleaned and bandaged the cut on my cheek. He rocked me in his arms…"
"But he also threatened you," Robin replies, unconvinced. "He grabbed you."
"He's a good man," Regina murmurs, "He was just not thinking straight. He was angry. And for the right reason…I mean I played him." She sighs deeply, pulling back from Robin's chest. "I played both of you…"
Her last statement sends a pang of agony straight through Robin's heart, for that is something he cannot deny. In this moment, his heart plummets even further. She hurt him. But then again, unlike Steve, he would never even come close to hurting her. Robin watches with a pained gaze as the brunette gazes down towards the ground once more, ashamed more than ever.
"And this is my punishment," Regina cries, "An ugly fucking scar across my cheek and a ruined painting…three days before the contest."
"Oh, Regina," Robin mutters, drawing her back into his arms and holding her tightly. His heart aches with every beat for her. How he wishes he could do more for her. But she made it clear she didn't want him. So how can he help her if she won't even accept the help that he offers? Robin heaves a large sigh, shaking his head slowly. "Gods, Regina, you're shivering."
"Robin, I don't know what to do…"
The fisherman frowns, pulling back to gaze profoundly into her eyes. "What, about Steve?" he asks.
"No!" Regina shakes her head. "About my painting. It's completely ruined, and it took me days to create that masterpiece. Painting a new one will take just as much time, and I don't have that time…"
Robin sighs, shaking his head again. "Regina," he says gently, "Don't you think you have a more pressing issue than your painting?"
Regina sighs. "You mean Steve," she clarifies.
Robin nods.
"I told you, he apologized…profusely. And he promised he'd never—he's a good guy."
The man's brows furrow even deeper.
"Please, Robin," Regina pleads, "Let this go. What happened won't happen again. Steve was just out of line—we both were." She shakes her head. "I don't want to turn this into a big thing. Please. I don't need your help. This is my issue. And it will pass."
Robin heaves a large sigh, shaking his head slowly. He stares down into her wide chocolate gaze, her eyes begging his. He knows what this is about. She doesn't want any trouble. She doesn't want anything to happen, or Robin to do anything in retaliation, lest Steve react as violently as he did once more. It occurs to Robin that Regina is afraid of the man. He might even go as far as to say that she is afraid to leave Steve for that very reason: his undeniably malicious temper.
Robin shakes his head once again. Maybe he is overreacting. He was never there. And if he is to believe Regina's words, which he really tries to, Steve apologized and even cared for her afterward. Perhaps Robin just has to trust Regina and take her word for it. After all, she made her decision…and he made his. But he knows that deep down, this is his mind talking, wanting to be blinded to the truth due to the hurt he feels in his heart.
"Can I at least get you inside?" Robin asks with another sigh, "You're shivering terribly." He runs his hands up and down Regina's arms.
Wordlessly, Regina hesitates. But upon gazing at Robin's concerned expression once more, she nods, waiting for the man to place his buckets inside the boat before following him silently from the docks and back up to his cabin.
Reya hovers in the living room doorway, clutching her storybook tightly in her hands. She watches her mother sit curled up on the window seat, staring emotionlessly out towards the dismal, gray sky. Ever since Robin had brought Regina in and sat her quietly on the bench, the brunette has been anything but vibrant. She was distant, so far removed from everything around her…lost in her thoughts once more. It hurt Reya's heart to see her mother like this, her barriers stripped down to reveal her broken interior. She doesn't push for details, but the young brunette knows that it has something to do with that ugly gash across her mother's cheek. She took a not-so-wild guess. And now her heart burns with rage.
"Hey," Reya tries, taking a step over the threshold and into the room.
No answer.
"Mom?"
At this, Regina turns her head, a small spark of light in her eyes as she smiles a smile that doesn't quite touch her eyes. "Reya."
Reya smiles thinly, approaching her mother slowly. She heads to take a seat opposite Regina on that small cushioned bench. "Are you all right?" she asks earnestly.
Regina lets out a breath, nodding her reply as she nervously tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah," she murmurs, "I'm fine."
"You don't seem fine," Reya says with a slight frown.
Regina shakes her head, offering the young girl an exasperated look. "I'm really not in the mood for any of your interrogations," she sighs.
"I wasn't going to interrogate you," Reya says, shrugging a shoulder, "I just figured you'd like some company."
In response, Regina's smile turns slightly more genuine as she looks fondly at the young brunette, feeling a warmth begin to grow in her chest. Before she knows what she's doing, she's opening her arms out towards Reya. And the girl wastes no time clambering over to her side and burying herself in Regina's embrace, arms tightly wrapped around her mother's middle. Above her, Regina sighs deeply, resting her chin atop the young brunette's head. She closes her eyes.
"I heard about your painting…" Reya mumbles against Regina's chest.
At her words, Regina's heart clenches in pain as she squeezes her eyes closed as if in agony.
"I'm so sorry…"
"So am I…" Regina takes a shuddering breath.
"Are you sure you can't fix it?"
"Dear, there's nothing to fix."
Reya lifts her head to gaze up at her mother's pained expression. "What about if you paint a new one?"
Regina shakes her head. "I wish I had the time," she says, "That masterpiece took me days to do…"
"But you can do it," Reya insists gently, "You just have to have hope."
The older brunette deflates slightly in exhaust. "Reya," Regina sighs.
"You can do it, mom," Reya persists, "I know you can."
"It'll take a miracle." Regina rolls her eyes.
"Come on! You can't give up, you just can't!"
"Reya, I don't even know what to paint anymore," Regina groans, throwing her hand in the air, "I got nothing left, no motivation."
"You just need a little inspiration then," Reya says, "That's all." She lifts herself from her mother. Her brow furrows as she thinks for a moment, eyes wandering the room for inspiration. It's then that she settles upon the storybook lying on the opposite end of the bench, where she'd left it. "That's it!"
Regina's eyes widen. "What?" She watches in surprise as Reya leans over to snatch the book up and plant it across her lap. "No, no…Reya!"
"I'm serious!" Reya exclaims with newfound optimism, "This is it!" She flips open the cover, beginning to page through all of the book's beautiful illustrations. "This thing has loads of stuff you can copy. Just pick one, you know, and paint it! And nobody will know, this book is like...nonexistent."
Regina shakes her head, watching as Reya flips through each picture. She can't deny that the young girl is on to something that could work. It will be challenging, very challenging. But it's true. The book holds a great deal of inspiration, especially with all that has happened…the special connection she cannot deny she has formed between her inner self and the workings on the page. After all, more than anything, she strives to paint things that are meaningful. This very well could be her second chance.
"I have to go," Regina says quickly, slamming the book shut, almost missing the young girl's fingers as she snatches them back in surprise.
"What?" Reya asks, tilting her head, "So quickly?"
Regina nods. "Yes. I—I just…yeah, I'm gonna go." The brunette stands abruptly and grabs her hoodie, unceremoniously tugging it on before turning back to the window seat. She grabs the storybook, shoving it under her arm as she heads swiftly for the door. "Tell your father I said thanks," Regina calls over her shoulder.
And with that, she's gone.
Reya is left smirking from ear to ear. She shakes her head, feeling slightly better and in high hopes that now, her mother will continue to fight. If anything, this new painting is proof that now matter how battered Regina may seem on the outside, nothing will deter the strong and confident woman/mother that Reya knows on the inside. All's left to do is to prove to her parents that they belong with one another once and for all, with the very last piece of evidence she has. The rings have been burning a hole in her pocket as she waited an agonizing five days to find the right moment.
Skipping through the house, Reya goes in search of her father. Down the hallway, into the kitchen, the bedroom, but Robin is nowhere to be found. With a frown, the young brunette pushes open the door to the office, and there he sits. Her smile drops immediately as she sees the agitation written across his features as he stares at a piece of paper grasped tightly in his fingers.
"Everything okay?" Reya asks slowly, slowly stepping towards him.
Robin startles, his head snapping up before his gaze meets a concerned brunette. "I—um…" he shifts in his chair, "Is Regina all right?"
Reya frowns. "She left in a hurry after I gave her some inspiration for a new painting," Reya reports, "I used the storybook."
Robin nods, a fleeting smile crossing his lips before it disappears as quickly as it came. "That's good," he sighs. He shakes his head, turning back to glance at the page once more.
"Are you okay?" Reya asks again, inching closer. Her hand in her pocket curls tightly around the two small bands of metal.
The fisherman sighs, shaking his head. "I've been offered a job off-island," he announces.
At this, Reya gasps, her heart stopping and blood running cold. "What," she whispers.
Robin looks at her sadly, slowly nodding his head. "A fishery based on the mainland in New Bedford."
"But you can't go!"
"Reya," Robin sighs, shaking his head once more, "I've already decided."
"What about Regina? What about me?"
"I—I'm hoping you'll come with me," Robin murmurs.
"I can't leave!" Reya gasps, "Why? Why take this job?"
"Because I need to get away from here, Reya," Robin answers brokenheartedly, "I can't bear it anymore."
"But—but—you and Regina…"
"Is never going to happen. That much is clear now."
Reya steps back, shaking her head as tears well in her eyes. "So, what? You're just going to abandon her? Leave her? With him?"
Robin closes his eyes, his chest constricting painfully. Deep down, after what had happened, he knows he should stay. But he also knows that she made a choice, and so did he…the day after the night she rejected him.
"Reya, I have to go for a meeting in four days time, the day after the fair and contest." He gestures towards the paper in his hands.
"No!"
Robin shakes his head. "Reya, I have no choice. I already accepted."
"You always have a choice," Reya cries, "You always can say no! You know you want to!"
"Reya…"
"Please don't go." She begs him. "We need you here. I can't believe you're just leaving."
"I—I'm sorry…"
"No you're not. If you were, you'd call them right now and say you changed your mind." Reya steps towards her father once more. "Please," she pleads, "You can't just give up on this…on Regina. You just need to find hope again, like she did!"
"And she's probably, right now, in the arms of her lover because of that," Robin says bitterly, imagining the pathetic man coddling her nonstop as he still is trying to make up for what he'd almost done nights before.
"If you just listen to me. I have something that'll fix everything!" She curls her fingers tightly over the rings and slowly starts to bring them from her pocket.
"Nothing can fix this now."
"It's the final proof!"
"Reya—"
"Everything will be clear!"
"Reya!" Robin yells, his eyes glaring down at the young girl, halting her movements.
Reya looks wide-eyed up at her cursed father, breath shaking. More tears well in her eyes, spilling over her cheeks.
Robin's expression alone is enough to shatter her heart to pieces, and she finally sees what he'd been trying to hide ever since that dreadful night…his broken heart.
And she realizes that it's not just love that makes people do crazy, stupid things, but the loss of love as well…a broken heart possibly even being far more powerful than love itself.
The dark cloud arises from the awakened Nostos. The lake's curse is here, sent to collect the debt not paid. In order to uncover the lake's hidden waters, the waters that restored what was lost, something that was gained had to be lost in return. Robin and Regina's perfect family...their newly gained love and happiness with one another shall be stripped from them. They shall not remember, except the young daughter protected by the magic of her enchanted pendant.
Robin clutches Regina and Reya tightly, his cheeks wet with tears, heart heavy with sorrow as they watch the curse cloud approach. And as it descends upon them, thick tendrils of magic swirling around them, Robin presses his lips to his beloved wife's cheek in a final goodbye.
His last words whispered in her ear, "Please forgive me..."
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
*runs and hides* But I promise, promise, promise it will all work out for the best!
So stick with me folks, we've only got a few chapters left on this bumpy roller coaster ride. Thanks for coming by, stay tuned, more to come very very soon!