(A/N-Special thanks to Bekki for beta reading this and for making this one shot into numerous chapters now lol. And special thanks to those who read, review, follow and fav this story. I appreciate it so much, love hearing what you think of this. On another note, Happy The Walking Dead Day!)
To say Robin was in a state of shock was an understatement. Regina, his Regina was a stripper for some men's club. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, but there she was before him, standing in her bra and underwear for all these other men to see that, showing all those bare curves and skin, which should be for his eyes only! He watched as she walked over to the side of the stage and danced and twisted her body for a group of men who were in complete awe of her.
"Robin...isn't that...I mean...it looks like..." Will mumbled on. He averted his eyes, because he knew it was Robin's Regina. And by the looks of Robin, he had no idea she worked here.
"I'll be right back," Robin said as he stormed over to the side of the stage. A bouncer was there in his way to get to Regina who was still standing still now looking at him.
"Get out of my way," Robin told him. Nothing, and no one was going to stand in his way. Not now.
"Go back to your seat," the bouncer told him as he put an arm out to stop Robin.
"That's my lady there, and I intend on talking to her, now," Robin said as his eyes left the bouncer to look up at Regina.
"It's okay, Lance. I'll send Tara up next, let him pass," Regina said as she turned and exited the stage to a chorus of boos from the crowd, Robin got up on the stage and followed Regina to where she was talking to another woman.
"Please, take my place and I'll take yours later," Regina pleaded with the other woman. She knew her time was up, she could no longer lie to Robin.
"No, she won't," Robin said as his hand went to his wallet and he pulled out a clip of money, "But here is five hundred dollars for taking any of her dances tonight." Robin gave the very happy woman the money. "We're going to talk. Now!"
"This way," Regina said as she pulled on a silk robe and led him into a private dressing room, once they were inside, Robin slammed the door shut behind him.
"Robin, I can explain," Regina began.
"Yes...you...will," Robin's words carried such a bite to them, Regina wasn't afraid for herself, she knew that he would never harm her, but he was trying desperately to control his anger and hurt inside she could tell. "Tell me why, just why I had to find out that the woman I love, the woman I would do anything for is a damned stripper!"
Regina started to say, "I'm not really a stripper, I just-"
"You're on stage in your underwear, where strange men can get their jollies off looking at you. I don't think you're selling girl scout cookies!" Robin roared at the reminder that all those men had looked upon Regina's nakedly clad form. And what else? What else had she done in this club?
"I know you're angry right now, Robin," Regina said.
"Damned right!" Robin said, he wanted to shake some sense into her. How could she do this?
"And I know you're hurt as well," Regina said.
"You're batting a thousand tonight, Regina," Robin said. "Just tell me why you're here! And don't lie to me anymore! Or I swear I'll walk right out of here and never hear you say another word!"
Regina swallowed as she started to explain, "My father."
Robin's brows drew together in confusion, "Your father? What in god's name does your father have to do with you being a damned stripper?"
"After my mother died, my father ran up gambling debts, lots of gambling debts and we had to sell everything and it still wasn't enough," Regina explained.
"So that was a lie to me as well, you told me it was you who had ran up the gambling debts," Robin said.
"I just wanted to protect my father," Regina said.
"Keep going," Robin said.
"I knew my father needed help for his gambling and alcohol addiction, so I have him in a clinic where he is getting help for this," Regina said.
"So why this? Why are you taking your clothes off for men?" Robin asked, his emotions very raw at the moment. He was torn between pulling her into his arms and telling her that everything was going to be alright. And the other, he just wanted to walk away from the lying she had told him.
"I don't get completely naked for them," Regina said.
"We'll get back to that shortly, but why are you here to begin with? You have a good paying job, I've given you a raise and a place where I know you're safe. Why, Regina, just why?" Robin asked.
"At first it was because of the loan shark, I had so much to pay him back and-" Regina began.
"And he started pressuring you to sleep with him," Robin finished for her.
"And then you've gotten him off my back," Regina said.
"Yes, I did. So why keep working here?" Robin asked.
"Because I still felt like I owed you something, some way to pay you back anything," Regina said, her eyes were full of tears at her shame that he had found out. She had just wanted a little more time, then she would never have stepped a foot back in here.
"Regina," Robin said as he advanced towards her, he was only a few inches from her. His anger was still there but nothing that he couldn't somewhat control now. "Don't you know that there is only a few things I needed from you? I just needed your honesty, and your love. Everything else we could work through."
"I'm so sorry about the lying," Regina was very remorseful, he could tell.
"So this is why you would never go out with me on Fridays or Saturdays? You had to come and strip for men?" Robin asked.
"I only go down to my underwear," Regina tried to defend herself.
"And that's all?" Robin asked. "You don't ride the pole or other men?"
"I'm not a whore!" Now it was Regina's turn to become angry. She understood he had a right to be upset, hell pissed at her. But she was not a whore for other men.
"How long have you been working here?" Robin asked.
"Almost eight months," Regina answered.
Robin turned from her and raked his hands through his hair in obvious frustration. Eight months, she had been coming here. Eight months she had been stripping down, at least to what she had now told him down to her underwear for these men. Eight months she had the loan shark over her head, pressuring her to sleep with him. Speaking of...
"Who is he, Regina?" Robin asked.
"Who's what?" Regina asked.
"What's the name of the loan shark? And damnit, don't lie to me. If I ever meant anything to you, anything at all, you'll tell me his name right now!" Robin demanded.
"What difference will it matter now?" Regina asked.
"Damnit! Stop covering for him, Regina!" Robin was clearly getting upset again.
"Leopold, Leopold Blanchard," Regina answered.
"Of the King's castle loans?" Robin asked.
"Yes," Regina whispered her answer.
Robin made a mental note to pay a visit to Mr. Leopold Blanchard very soon. But for now he had other issues to deal with. "Get dressed, you're leaving. Now." Robin said.
Before Regina could say anything further, the door behind them flew open and a sleazy little man walked in. "What the hell, Regina?" He demanded.
"Who the hell are you?" Robin asked the new man.
"Eddie. I own this place, and I want to know why you're not on the stage right now, dancing that pretty ass of yours off, Regina," Eddie said as he started to walk up to her, but Robin put an arm on his chest to stop him going anywhere near Regina
"Not so fast. First of all, Regina no longer works for you. She won't be dancing her ass for you or those men ever again," Robin said.
"And I bet you are the boyfriend?" Eddie asked.
"I'm someone who has her best interest at heart, whether she can see that or not," Robin said as he then turned to Regina, "get your things and I'll take you home."
"Now see here, I own her-" Eddie began.
"She is leaving, tonight was her last night," Robin said, "and you don't own her. Not any piece of her." Robin shoved the other man out of the room.
"You have five minutes, Regina," Robin said, "then I'm leaving. You make a decision." Robin walked out of the room and headed out of the club.
Regina immediately went to get her things, pulling on a pair of pants and t shirt. She said her goodbyes to the few other women she was close with. She walked out of the club and went to Robin's car, he was sitting in the driver's seat, clutching at the steering wheel so tightly.
She opened the door and got into the passengers seat. She was about to say something, when he said, "Not one word, till we get home."
It took less than twenty minutes for him to drive them to his home. He got out and she quickly followed him. He literally stalked into the house, went to his bar and poured himself a stiff drink, which he quickly downed. He took out his phone and sent a text to someone. When he was through, he then poured himself another drink before walking back over to Regina.
"Robin, I know what I've done is horrible," Regina began.
"Did you ever think of what I would feel by you doing this?" Robin asked.
"All the time. I was just going to do this a little longer and then I never was going to again," Regina said.
"What an extraordinary coincidence," Robin drawled sarcastically.
"I know it might sound false, but it's true," Regina said.
"Forgive me, if I don't exactly believe everything you say to me right now," Robin said coldly.
She saw the light that she so loved, go out of his eyes, and something inside of her began to scream with pain. And panic. "It is. Honestly, Robin-"
"Honestly?" His mouth hardened into a look of utter disdain. "How can you stand there and use that word?" he raged. "How can you use it to me? I asked you when we were in Vermont to just be honest with me, to tell me everything. And I wasn't thought of enough to be told that the woman I loved was stripping on the weekends? What kind of fool am I?" The kind of fool who had believed her. Now he wanted to lash out his pain. He wanted to hurt her back, as she had hurt him with her deceit, and to salvage something of his pride, too.
"I know how it must seem-" Regina said.
"Oh, please. All my friends tonight saw the woman I was planning on proposing to very soon in her underwear, why if you hadn't seen me you really could have given us all a show," Robin said.
He knew something was amiss, on why she kept being busy on the weekends. But the understanding fool in him had let it go. He had chosen to ignore when his gut was saying to press her. He had wanted to believe in that she was telling him the truth, that their love was true. Because the alternative was unthinkable.
Regina's heart was breaking as she saw the look of hurt on his face, a look she had put there. She had wanted their relationship to continue, to keep moving forward. She had wanted to be free of her past and be able to have a future with him, but in her hesitation to tell him everything, she was now loosing him. And he was going to propose to her soon?
Her lips trembled, "Won't you please let me explain?"
"What's to explain? That you lied to me?" Robin saw her flinch, but was too hurt right now. "Because no matter how you try to dress it up, that's the truth of it."
"I truthfully didn't want to," Regina said.
"But you did want to take your clothes off for other men?" Robin asked.
"I did not take my clothes off," Regina defended herself.
"Was this before or after you gave them a lap dance?" Robin asked.
"How can you ask me that!" Regina was becoming upset now.
"I'm sure you were too busy on your knees before them," Robin said, his hurt was overpowering him.
Regina didn't think, she just reacted and slapped him across the face."I never did any such a thing! I know I lied to you, but you just called me a whore."
"Well you have been keeping all this a secret from me, you take off your clothes for any man," Robin said,"what am I to think?"
"I see what you truly think of me," Regina said.
"Can you blame me?" Robin asked.
"You're lucky you have money and never have had to struggle," Regina said,"Never having to sacrifice everything you have for someone that you love, never thinking of yourself but putting someone first before you. Never knowing if it was ever going to be enough for them, wishing you could do more, but there was nothing else you can do."
"So you became a stripper for your father," Robin said,"he must be so proud of his little girl."
Regina didn't think, she just acted. She slapped him! Right across his face, his head moved slightly as she did so. She was not a violent person, but his words hurt her!
"I love you, Robin," Regina said, tears were coming out of her eyes now.
"Regina, just stop," Robin said. "Look, you can still work for me, hell you can even live in that apartment, but let's be...real. It's over between us. I need someone who will be truthful with me, no matter how bad it may hurt. Because finding out that you have been lying to me behind my back, it hurts."
Regina was in complete misery, nothing she could say right now was going to make any of this any easier on him. And that is what bothered her the most, not the fact that she had been working in a strip club, it was the fact that Robin was hurting. She looked at him through a blur of tears, utterly heartbroken at what she had done to him.
Robin's doorbell rung and he went to go answer it, Regina turned and saw Emma and Killian walking in. "Regina-" Emma began.
"What...how...what are you doing here?" Regina asked.
"I texted them, so that they could take you home," Robin said.
"Come on, Regina, let's go," Emma said as she started leading Regina out of Robin's house.
Regina turned back around and looked at him, "I'm so sorry."
Robin's body trembled as he watched her walk out, Killian shutting the door behind them. Robin'e eyes filled with tears. He had been unprepared for the dark torrent of pain which swept over him. He took his glass and threw it against the door, shattering it into pieces upon pieces. He walked over to the nearest wall, and let his body slid down it until he was on his butt with his head hung low.
Why, was all he could think of at the moment.
Why?
(A/N-So don't kill me, but it won't last very long I promise. And I have a public twitter where I put up sneaks into stories, do polls, and what projects I'm working on in the future. It's atMyFicsAndMore.)