(A/N-Special thanks to Bekki boo for beta reading this. And to those who read, review, follow, fav.)
Caleb and Brad arrived early the next morning, Regina met them at the police station. Robin had to give his sworn statement in writing in what happened with Leopold Blanchard.
"He threatened Regina, and myself," Robin explained to his brothers. "Regina's father had gambling debts awhile back, and Regina took them upon herself. Leopold paid the debt and then she was to pay him back. After awhile he started pressuring her to have sex with him, when she refused his advances he bruised her shoulders. I saw them first hand. When all this didn't work, he threatened my life if she didn't leave with him for a 'vacation'."
"He sounds like a real creep," Caleb said.
"What did you do to him?" Brad asked.
"When I found all this out, I paid her debt off first," Robin explained, "then I was so upset of what he was doing to her. I went to his office and confronted him."
"Not good, Robin," Caleb said.
"I know!" Robin said, "I couldn't stand to see her hurting because of that monster. I couldn't just stand by while he hurt the woman I loved."
Caleb and Brad exchanged looks, "Never thought I would live to see the day." Brad said as Caleb nodded.
"What?" Robin asked.
"Just that we never thought we would see the day you would find the one," Brad answered.
"I'm going to marry her, Brad," Robin said.
"I knew that," Caleb said.
"How?" Brad asked.
"He called me last weekend, telling me about a few of the wedding plans," Caleb answered.
"And where was I at?" Brad asked.
"You're never around, Brad," Caleb commented.
"I am not! Just last week, I-" Brad began only to be cut off by Robin.
"Guys! Let's focus on this mess I'm in," Robin said.
"Right," Caleb and Brad said together as they got back onto the problem at hand.
"What about a plea deal?" Brad asked gently.
"No way! I'm not going to go before a judge and admit I did anything wrong to that bastard," Robin declared.
"Okay, do you think Regina would testify against him? That he pressured her into having sexual advances towards her?" Caleb asked.
"I think she would," Robin asked.
Brad could see on his brother's face the uncertainty, "You're not wanting to bring her into this are you?"
"I hate the fact she has to relieve him pressuring her," Robin said.
"You're seeing it only through one way, you have to look at it through the way of a lawyer," Brad said, "you have to stop looking at it through the way of a lover."
"I can't help it, I've never had to be on this side before," Robin admitted.
"You're going to have to toughen up, and Regina really needs to make her own statement on what happened," Brad said.
"Is she still outside in the lobby?" Robin asked.
"Yes, she seems very distracted though," Caleb answered.
"Bring her in to me," Robin said.
"Just don't forget to make sure she makes her own complaint about Blanchard, or you might be facing some jail time," Brad said as Robin's two older brothers left.
Robin knew his chances of completely getting off on this were very slim, his chances were better if Regina would file charges against Blanchard, and possibly make him drop the whole thing in the process.
His future might very well be in her hands, their futures.
The door opened and in walked Regina, she paused as she looked at him. His hands were cuffed and he was sitting down in a chair.
"Regina," Robin said as he stood up and motioned for her to come to him.
Instead she sat down across from the table from him. She placed her purse down on the table and looked at him. She put her hands on the table and entwined them.
"What's wrong, Regina?" Robin asked. He had wanted to hold her in his arms, to feel her warmth and love there.
"I'm sorry, all this is taking a toll on me, on my nerves," Regina answered as she looked across the table at Robin. The man she loved, the father of her unborn baby. She felt a tear forming and tried to blink it away.
"Regina, I'm going to need your help in this," Robin said as he put his hands on top of hers, he felt her flinch under his touch and he had to admit he was growing more concerned that this was more than just her nerves on edge.
"What do you need me to do?" Regina asked.
"I need you to file a complaint against Blanchard," Robin explained, "I need you to tell them how he pressured you to have sex with him in exchange for him paying the debt."
"Is that necessary?" Regina asked. She didn't want to relive that hell, but she wasn't going to let Robin take the fall anymore for her past mistakes.
"It is," Robin said as he squeezed her hands under his, "Regina, I need you."
"I'll do it. Will one of your brothers be able to help me?" Regina asked.
"Of course. Just get with either Caleb or Brad and they will help you write up a formal complaint and this might be enough to make Blanchard drop the charges," Robin said.
"I will. How...how are you doing in here?" Regina asked.
"I'll be alright, as long as I know you'll be there for me once I get out of here," Robin said as he felt her hands slide out from under his own. "Regina? What is it? And don't tell me it's your nerves."
„It's just horrible how much misery I have brought into your life," Regina said, her lower lip quivering, "You wouldn't be here right now, in handcuffs if not for me."
"Regina, I wouldn't change a thing of us, you didn't bring this into my life. And even if somehow you did, I would rather have you in my life, than not," Robin assured her.
"You can't mean that," Regina said, "Look at you, if not for me you would be home right now, possibly enjoying a glass of wine."
Regina moved from her seat and started for the door, "I promise you, I'll make a statement with your brothers."
"Regina, wait!" Robin called out as he stood up. "Have you ever been in a real relationship with a man? I'm not just going to let you walk out of my life, or disappear. I'm not going away, and no matter how much you try to push me away, you can't. I love you Regina Mills, and I intend to make you my wife one day. I need you to see how much I love you."
Regina was torn, almost in two pieces of herself. A part wanted to rush to him and confirm to him that his love was not in vain, that his love was returned ten times over. And the other part, that felt the overwhelming guilt of how his life had changed so much because of her.
She took a deep breath and knew what she needed to do.
She walked over to him, and took his handcuffed hands into hers, and brought one to her face, letting it hold her cheek in his hands, his fingertips lightly grazing her skin, and finally into her hair slightly, "I love you Robin Locksley. I am so sorry for feeling like I needed to leave, it just shook me so much to see you handcuffed and knowing that in some way, I was responsible for it."
"You're not though, Blanchard is," Robin assured her.
"We're in this together," Regina assured him back. Her resolve would not be shattered again. "I'm going to go and talk with Brad and Caleb now, about making a report against Blanchard."
Robin smiled and leaned down and lightly caressed her lips with his own, "Heaven help anyone who tries to come between us."
"And then some," Regina said as she left the room.
After she filed her report, Blanchard folded like a deck of cards and slunk away like the slimy bastard that he was. The charges against Robin were dropped and he was set free.
As they were walking out of the police station, Brad and Caleb following behind them. Emma and Killian had shown up to offer what support they could and were all now leaving. As they hit the last step, Robin turned to Regina and told her, "I want to marry you."
"I thought I had already accepted," Regina said.
"I'm serious, I don't want to waste anymore time without you as my wife," Robin said as he turned to Caleb who handed him something.
"You are perfect. I only care what you do for me, what you can give me, what is love. I care that when I'm with you, I'm a better man. I have been closed off for years. You make me...feel. You made me find something in myself that's...real. To be more than a shell. I can't go back, I don't want to go back."
"Robin," Regina whispered as a tear slid down her cheek, than another.
"You are everything," he said, his voice rough.
"He's whipped," Killian whispered to Robin's brothers who smiled.
"Shh!" Emma said as she said to Killian, "and so will you be if you don't know what's good for you."
"Kinky, I like it," Killian said with a smirk.
"You have given me everything. I didn't want love. Because I was so afraid of it, so afraid of the pain it could cause. I just went through life without love, not caring, going through the motions. But not now. Not since I met you."
"I just can't hire a wife, the way I'd hire an assistant. I need a woman who will challenge me, who will push me to be better, to do better. I know you are that woman. Most of all, I need the woman I love by my side, as I will be at her side forever," Robin said.
"Regina, there are holes in me, things I need to work on," he said, pressing his hand flat to his chest, "I am not perfect, but I believe you're the one who can help me fill the holes. The one who can make me stronger. Certainly the one who brings me joy."
"You make me strong, Regina," Robin said as he went to one knee before her, as he took her left hand in his. He took the ring he had purchased awhile back in his hand and placed it at the beginning of her third finger of her left hand.
"I love you with all my being, please marry me, Regina," Robin said as he proposed.
Every word, every line in his face, spoke of his sincerity. And if she thought back to their time, to the moment they'd first met, she knew it had started then. That every look, every touch, every kiss, every emotion, had brought them to this point.
She knew then that everything they had gone through, had made them strong enough to stand here. Made them strong enough to make marriage work. To have love that lasted.
"Yes..." her heart lifted, happiness, true happiness, filling her, flooding her. Every place inside her that had felt empty, incomplete, was filled with love.
Robin smiled as he slid the ring onto her finger, kissing it as he then raised up. He put his hands on the side of her face and kissed her, pouring all of his love into the kiss. Now that he had Regina, he didn't feel like he was missing anything.
"You fill all those places inside me that used to feel empty," she whispered.
He stroked her hair, his touch so warm and perfect. Even more perfect now that she knew she would have him forever. "As you do for me. I think you were always my missing piece," Robin whispered back to her.
She closed her eyes and leaned into him, "I love you, Robin Locksley."
"As I love you," Robin said.
Behind them, the group that had been watching all this, started clapping.
"Bloody hell, even I'm getting teary eyed," Killian said.
Robin and Regina turned to them, Robin called out, "So what are you all doing this weekend?"
Caleb and Brad turned to look at Emma and Killian, who had the same confused look on their faces as they did, and then finally Caleb asked, "Why?"
"For a wedding," Robin said.