Worth Dying For Chapter 7/7
Title: Worth Dying For 7/7
Author: Edie Zee
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Robin/ Regina, Robin/Marian, Regina/ Dr. Whale
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: spoilers up to “There’s No Place Like Home”
Disclaimers: I don’t own anything.
Summary: After Maid Marian’s appearance in Storybrooke, Regina takes a memory potion to forget her feelings for Robin Hood…or at least, that’s what everyone thinks…
Regina slammed through the door of the convent, calling out for the Blue Fairy. The idea had come to her shortly after Marian had left: where better to be taught the light magic that would be necessary to save them all from the latest threat? When she had faced Zelena and the light magic had coursed through her, she had no idea how it was happening and she still had no idea how to control it. Much like she had taught Emma, she needed someone now to teach her.
Mother Superior came into the entryway, a flash of annoyance hidden by the mask of propriety. Regina immediately launched into an explanation of why she was there, trying to both hide and ignore the fear that the fairy wouldn’t help her. She knew that she had not earned everyone’s trust yet, and providing Regina with even more magic that she could use against others would not be high on a list of good ideas.
Fortunately, Mother Superior immediately agreed, inviting Regina into the convent’s library. Both women knew there was not much time…
* * *
For the next couple of days, neither Regina nor Mother Superior told anyone what they were working on. They didn’t want to raise any hopes, and Regina still secretly doubted whether she could actually succeed. Perhaps winning that last confrontation with Zelena had been purely luck.
A positive side effect of trying to find a solution to their problem was that Regina was tucked away for most of the day in the convent library - and no one knew she was there. Simultaneously, she could avoid the Charmings and their insipid heroism, Robin and all the feelings that came along with him, and Dr. Whale and the fallout of that ill-considered kiss at the hospital. She could instead devote all her time to learning this new magic.
In many ways, learning it was actually pretty similar to learning dark magic: finding the power inside of her and letting it flow out to do her will. With dark magic, finding that power amplified the hate, jealousy and grief she felt. Light magic, however, was like a soft hum, gently calling out feelings of love, generosity, and hope.
While Mother Superior taught her how to tap into that power, they also searched through the history and magic books in the convent, trying to find mention of a spell that could possibly help them. Unfortunately, all they could find about problems with time travel said what they already knew: that the problem had to be set on the right path, or more disastrous consequences would follow. This enraged Regina - how could light magic advocate sending an innocent to her death? When yet another tome offered nothing new, Regina tossed it aside and asked Mother Superior that exact question, the grief and frustration obvious in her voice.
Mother Superior sat quietly for a long time, a look of intense contemplation on her face. “Light magic doesn’t mean that everything can be made perfect. By trying to bend the universe to our will, we’d be doing the exact same thing that practitioners of dark magic do. It doesn’t matter that our motives would be coming from a better place. Light magic means that we strive for good and for balance. We try to help each other, rather than hurt each other.”
Regina looked down at her hands. She felt so helpless. “Then why can’t we help Marian?”
Mother Superior sighed. “Maybe we’re not supposed to.” The pain in her voice was palpable, and Regina looked up at her to see grief twisting the other woman’s face. “Maybe we’re supposed to help Cinderella, Prince Thomas, Leroy and everyone else in Storybrooke. Sometimes…well, sometimes heroes have to die for the greater good.”
* * *
Regina walked down the streets of Storybrooke, lost in the thoughts that Mother Superior’s words had engendered. She was drawn out of herself by the sight of many of the townspeople gathered in the middle of Main Street. She shook her head slightly, thinking not for the first time that it was a good thing this town was not like others in America - many of the residents would have been hit by cars a long time ago…
The brief humor caused by that thought vanished when she got close enough to see the fear and alarm on their faces. Walking up to the crowd, she listened silently - long enough to hear that Geppetto had disappeared - and this time it had not happened when he was alone. Jiminy had actually seen it happen, and he was currently describing the dark cloud that had sucked Geppetto into itself.
Marian screamed, interrupting Jiminy’s story, and the whole crowd turned to face the direction she was looking. Regina’s heart stopped beating when she saw a dark cloud forming above Roland, who was playing a little ways off with a few children she vaguely recognized from the village closest to her castle. The children had not noticed the cloud, but after Marian screamed, they all froze and looked over at the adults as if they were crazy.
Regina didn’t even have to think about it. With all the force she had inside of her, she thrust out her arms and pulled. The dark magic fed by fear and the light magic fed by love clashed for one sickening moment, and then surprisingly worked together. Roland flew through the air, slamming into Regina and causing her to stumble backward a few steps. She wrapped her arms protectively around the boy, and crouched over him, closing her eyes and waiting for the dark cloud to take them both. If she couldn’t prevent him from being sucked up by it, then she was certainly not going to let him be taken alone.
Everything was silent for a while, while Regina’s heart slowly returned to its normal beat. She opened her eyes and lifted her head. The children were still staring at her, and she was relieved to see that the dark cloud seemed to have dissipated. Gingerly standing straight, she loosened her vise-like grip on Roland, who was now sobbing in shock and fear. Guilt that she had made him feel that way tore at her heart, but she knew that she would have made the same choice in a heartbeat, if she had to do it again. Now that the emergency seemed to have passed, Regina instead began to feel a little bit of concern about what the others would think about her actions…she hadn’t acted like someone who had no reason to care about Roland…
She turned to face the others, most of whom still looked as shocked by what happened as Roland was. Marian was crying tears of joy and she reached out for the boy, who ran to her and hugged her tightly, causing a pang of longing in Regina’s heart. Unable to stop herself, Regina took a risk and looked at Robin, fully expecting him to be focused on his son.
Instead he was staring right at her.
Their eyes met for what felt like an eternity, and she almost felt naked under his gaze. She tore her eyes away, wondering if she had finally given herself away. A part of her knew it was for the best if he continued to believe she no longer remembered their love, but an ever-growing part of her was tired of lying. Despite the fact that there were much more important things to worry about right now, she was both hoping and dreading that this was the moment that the truth would finally come out
Fortunately - or unfortunately - that moment was when everyone started talking at once, basically fighting for who got to be the hero leading the charge. Regina slipped away, not realizing that both Marian and Robin were watching her walk away.
* * *
Shortly after Regina left the crowd, Marian, Robin and Roland did the same. Roland had cried himself to sleep and was now dead weight in Robin’s arms. Husband and wife walked in silence, both unsure of what there was left to say. It was only a matter of time before something would have to be done to set the universe right, before horrible decisions would have to be made and devastating goodbyes would have to be said.
Marian finally broke the silence. “I love you, Robin.” She held up a hand to stop him from responding, indicating that she had to get out what she wanted to say while she still had the nerve. “And I know you love me too. As I said before, I am beyond grateful that I had this extra time with you and Roland. I know it has been difficult for you…it’s been difficult for me too. But I still am grateful. I have to do what must be done, and you know that.”
Robin couldn’t help the pained, guttural noise that erupted from his throat. He had never felt so helpless. Marian did not even have to prevent him from talking now; he couldn’t have spoken even if he wanted to.
“I want you to be happy. What we have is true love…but no one ever said that true love only happens once.”
* * *
The next morning, Regina was back at her booth at Granny’s, nursing a mug of hot chocolate and finally admitting to herself that perhaps Mother Superior was right that the only solution was to set things back the way they were supposed to be. She knew that she would have to help with the spell, but she was afraid that people would suspect she wanted to perform the spell.
Even more than that, she was afraid that they would be correct.
At that moment, Dr. Whale sat down across from her, pulling her from her thoughts. An unexpected and uncharacteristic blush rose in her cheeks. He smirked at her, but something in his eyes told her he wasn’t going to make a big deal about the last time they had seen each other. She relaxed, once again feeling comfortable in his presence in a way she would never have anticipated before all of this.
“So, my queen, I think that our ‘relationship’ is doomed. We must be destined to be just friends…”
Regina half-smiled, a thousand sarcastic insults jumping to her lips, but she refrained from saying any of them. It was the least she could do for the man who had seen her when no one else had. But there was something she wanted to say - or more specifically, something she wanted to know.
“What exactly was in it for you, anyway?”
Dr. Whale smiled mysteriously. If she hadn’t been watching his face for any kind of sign, Regina might have missed the quick glance he sent in Ruby’s direction. Regina’s half-smile grew to a full one. “Oh, I see. We were making more than one person jealous…”
Dr. Whale winked, stood, and walked away.
* * *
Off to one side, Regina watched Marian say tearful goodbyes to Emma, Henry and the Charmings. They had only known each other for a short time, but the do-gooders were, of course, acting like they were saying goodbye to a life-long friend. Regina fought the urge to roll her eyes, even as she suspected inwardly that her derisive judgment of their behavior was just a way to mask the guilt she felt that she would be the one responsible for Marian’s death…again.
When the goodbyes were said, Marian and Robin walked toward Regina and Mother Superior. Robin was gripping Marian’s hand tightly. To avoid thinking about that, Regina instead spared a thought for Roland. He was back at the camp with Robin’s men, and Regina was grateful that he wouldn’t be there to see his mother disappear from Storybrooke. She knew that Robin and Marian had tried to explain to their son that his mother was going away again, but she didn’t know how much the boy understood. Nevertheless, her heart ached for him - even more than it ached for Robin or herself.
Taking a deep breath, she finally looked up and met Marian’s eyes. She felt once again that the woman was looking right through her. Before she could say anything, though, Marian stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. Regina’s arms spread out awkwardly, as she had never felt more caught off-guard. Marian whispered a quick “watch out for them” and released Regina, who stumbled a bit and tried to regain her icy dignity. She cleared her throat and avoided looking at anyone - especially Robin.
Mother Superior started explaining. “This spell will not actually be that difficult. The universe wants to set itself right. It will just need Regina and me to guide it.” Mother Superior reached out for Regina’s hand. Regina grabbed it as if it was a lifeline, trying to not let anyone see how nervous she was. What if the light magic didn’t work? What if it read in her heart that a part of her was just a little bit happy that Marian would be gone? Fortunately, Mother Superior - who was much more experienced in using light magic - would be taking the lead with the spell. Regina was just supporting her.
Regina took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She couldn’t bring herself to watch Marian actually disappear.
The warm, comforting surge of light magic spread through Regina to Mother Superior. For a moment, she felt the magic pause, and the guilt and fear of her secret thoughts filled her. The next moment, however, the magic started flowing again, leaving in its wake a feeling of forgiveness and the realization that selfish thoughts are sometimes natural - not necessarily evil. She was glad her eyes were closed, so that the rest couldn’t see the relief in her eyes.
Closed eyes, however, couldn’t block out the heart-wrenching sob that erupted out of Robin’s mouth immediately after the magic reached its peak.
* * *
Two weeks had passed since Marian had been sent to her original fate. Regina had been avoiding Robin since then, and he appeared to be avoiding her in turn. Not that she would blame him if he never wanted to see her again. She was, after all responsible, for him losing his wife not once but twice. Granted, this time, Emma was ultimately responsible, but that didn’t change the fact that Regina had been the one to actually do the spell.
Surprisingly, the others in town didn’t seem to blame Regina. They were doing that annoying hero thing of acting like sacrifice for the greater good was something that was expected of everyone. Cinderella, her prince, Geppetto and Leroy had even thanked her for helping them return to Storybrooke.
So, ultimately, it seemed like the only people who blamed her were Robin and herself…
At the moment, Regina was standing at her office window, a position that was reminiscent of the day she had pretended to take the memory potion. Someone cleared his throat behind her, and she froze as the déjà vu spread over her. Apparently, Robin had decided to stop avoiding her. Regina steeled herself, preparing to hear the words of blame and hatred that would once and for all put an end to any chance of a relationship between them.
Slowly, Regina turned to face him, surprised and confused to see that, instead of vitriol in his eyes, she saw a tenderness that she never thought she would see again. It was her turn to clear her throat nervously and break the eye contact.
“You remember, don’t you?”
Regina reeled back in shock. Of everything he might have said, this was not what she would have guessed it would be. She said nothing for a moment, unwilling to keep lying but afraid to tell the truth.
“I never forgot.”
Robin chuckled wearily. “You have no idea how hard all of this has been for me.”
Regina winced but said nothing. Robin stared at her intently for a moment, an unreadable intensity in his eyes.
“Why have you been avoiding me these last few weeks?”
Regina’s brow furrowed in confusion. “You’ve been avoiding me too. I figured it was what you wanted. I certainly wouldn’t want to see me, if I were you.”
Robin shook his head. “I don’t blame you…for anything. I love you.”
Regina took a step backward, even though there was already plenty of distance between them. “That is no longer an option, Robin.”
Robin took several steps toward her, but the wall behind Regina prevented her from backing up any more. “Why not?”
“Maybe you don’t blame me, but I blame myself.”
“You did what was necessary…You saved the town; you saved Roland.”
A fear that Regina hadn’t even realized was weighing on her burst out of her lips: “How can you love me anymore? I will always be a reminder of what you’ve lost.”
Robin smiled softly and closed the distance remaining between them. He allowed himself the luxury of looking completely at her, something he hadn’t been able to do for so long. Reaching up, he brushed a lock of hair behind Regina’s ear, then kept his hand cupping her face. He moved his thumb slowly back and forth across her cheekbone. His heart skipped a beat when Regina’s breath caught in her throat, and his eyes focused on her lips.
“A very wise person told me that true love doesn’t mean only love,” Robin whispered, his lips moving closer and closer to hers. “And for that I’m grateful. You may not be my first true love, and I am not your first true love, but we do still have true love. I still love you. I will always love you. Marian did what she did because she loved me and Roland. You’re not a reminder of what I’ve lost. You’re a reminder of the fact that I am loved…truly loved…by two amazing women.”
With that, Robin leaned forward and kissed her. And it was even better than she remembered.
The End
Author: Edie Zee
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Robin/ Regina, Robin/Marian, Regina/ Dr. Whale
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: spoilers up to “There’s No Place Like Home”
Disclaimers: I don’t own anything.
Summary: After Maid Marian’s appearance in Storybrooke, Regina takes a memory potion to forget her feelings for Robin Hood…or at least, that’s what everyone thinks…
Regina slammed through the door of the convent, calling out for the Blue Fairy. The idea had come to her shortly after Marian had left: where better to be taught the light magic that would be necessary to save them all from the latest threat? When she had faced Zelena and the light magic had coursed through her, she had no idea how it was happening and she still had no idea how to control it. Much like she had taught Emma, she needed someone now to teach her.
Mother Superior came into the entryway, a flash of annoyance hidden by the mask of propriety. Regina immediately launched into an explanation of why she was there, trying to both hide and ignore the fear that the fairy wouldn’t help her. She knew that she had not earned everyone’s trust yet, and providing Regina with even more magic that she could use against others would not be high on a list of good ideas.
Fortunately, Mother Superior immediately agreed, inviting Regina into the convent’s library. Both women knew there was not much time…
* * *
For the next couple of days, neither Regina nor Mother Superior told anyone what they were working on. They didn’t want to raise any hopes, and Regina still secretly doubted whether she could actually succeed. Perhaps winning that last confrontation with Zelena had been purely luck.
A positive side effect of trying to find a solution to their problem was that Regina was tucked away for most of the day in the convent library - and no one knew she was there. Simultaneously, she could avoid the Charmings and their insipid heroism, Robin and all the feelings that came along with him, and Dr. Whale and the fallout of that ill-considered kiss at the hospital. She could instead devote all her time to learning this new magic.
In many ways, learning it was actually pretty similar to learning dark magic: finding the power inside of her and letting it flow out to do her will. With dark magic, finding that power amplified the hate, jealousy and grief she felt. Light magic, however, was like a soft hum, gently calling out feelings of love, generosity, and hope.
While Mother Superior taught her how to tap into that power, they also searched through the history and magic books in the convent, trying to find mention of a spell that could possibly help them. Unfortunately, all they could find about problems with time travel said what they already knew: that the problem had to be set on the right path, or more disastrous consequences would follow. This enraged Regina - how could light magic advocate sending an innocent to her death? When yet another tome offered nothing new, Regina tossed it aside and asked Mother Superior that exact question, the grief and frustration obvious in her voice.
Mother Superior sat quietly for a long time, a look of intense contemplation on her face. “Light magic doesn’t mean that everything can be made perfect. By trying to bend the universe to our will, we’d be doing the exact same thing that practitioners of dark magic do. It doesn’t matter that our motives would be coming from a better place. Light magic means that we strive for good and for balance. We try to help each other, rather than hurt each other.”
Regina looked down at her hands. She felt so helpless. “Then why can’t we help Marian?”
Mother Superior sighed. “Maybe we’re not supposed to.” The pain in her voice was palpable, and Regina looked up at her to see grief twisting the other woman’s face. “Maybe we’re supposed to help Cinderella, Prince Thomas, Leroy and everyone else in Storybrooke. Sometimes…well, sometimes heroes have to die for the greater good.”
* * *
Regina walked down the streets of Storybrooke, lost in the thoughts that Mother Superior’s words had engendered. She was drawn out of herself by the sight of many of the townspeople gathered in the middle of Main Street. She shook her head slightly, thinking not for the first time that it was a good thing this town was not like others in America - many of the residents would have been hit by cars a long time ago…
The brief humor caused by that thought vanished when she got close enough to see the fear and alarm on their faces. Walking up to the crowd, she listened silently - long enough to hear that Geppetto had disappeared - and this time it had not happened when he was alone. Jiminy had actually seen it happen, and he was currently describing the dark cloud that had sucked Geppetto into itself.
Marian screamed, interrupting Jiminy’s story, and the whole crowd turned to face the direction she was looking. Regina’s heart stopped beating when she saw a dark cloud forming above Roland, who was playing a little ways off with a few children she vaguely recognized from the village closest to her castle. The children had not noticed the cloud, but after Marian screamed, they all froze and looked over at the adults as if they were crazy.
Regina didn’t even have to think about it. With all the force she had inside of her, she thrust out her arms and pulled. The dark magic fed by fear and the light magic fed by love clashed for one sickening moment, and then surprisingly worked together. Roland flew through the air, slamming into Regina and causing her to stumble backward a few steps. She wrapped her arms protectively around the boy, and crouched over him, closing her eyes and waiting for the dark cloud to take them both. If she couldn’t prevent him from being sucked up by it, then she was certainly not going to let him be taken alone.
Everything was silent for a while, while Regina’s heart slowly returned to its normal beat. She opened her eyes and lifted her head. The children were still staring at her, and she was relieved to see that the dark cloud seemed to have dissipated. Gingerly standing straight, she loosened her vise-like grip on Roland, who was now sobbing in shock and fear. Guilt that she had made him feel that way tore at her heart, but she knew that she would have made the same choice in a heartbeat, if she had to do it again. Now that the emergency seemed to have passed, Regina instead began to feel a little bit of concern about what the others would think about her actions…she hadn’t acted like someone who had no reason to care about Roland…
She turned to face the others, most of whom still looked as shocked by what happened as Roland was. Marian was crying tears of joy and she reached out for the boy, who ran to her and hugged her tightly, causing a pang of longing in Regina’s heart. Unable to stop herself, Regina took a risk and looked at Robin, fully expecting him to be focused on his son.
Instead he was staring right at her.
Their eyes met for what felt like an eternity, and she almost felt naked under his gaze. She tore her eyes away, wondering if she had finally given herself away. A part of her knew it was for the best if he continued to believe she no longer remembered their love, but an ever-growing part of her was tired of lying. Despite the fact that there were much more important things to worry about right now, she was both hoping and dreading that this was the moment that the truth would finally come out
Fortunately - or unfortunately - that moment was when everyone started talking at once, basically fighting for who got to be the hero leading the charge. Regina slipped away, not realizing that both Marian and Robin were watching her walk away.
* * *
Shortly after Regina left the crowd, Marian, Robin and Roland did the same. Roland had cried himself to sleep and was now dead weight in Robin’s arms. Husband and wife walked in silence, both unsure of what there was left to say. It was only a matter of time before something would have to be done to set the universe right, before horrible decisions would have to be made and devastating goodbyes would have to be said.
Marian finally broke the silence. “I love you, Robin.” She held up a hand to stop him from responding, indicating that she had to get out what she wanted to say while she still had the nerve. “And I know you love me too. As I said before, I am beyond grateful that I had this extra time with you and Roland. I know it has been difficult for you…it’s been difficult for me too. But I still am grateful. I have to do what must be done, and you know that.”
Robin couldn’t help the pained, guttural noise that erupted from his throat. He had never felt so helpless. Marian did not even have to prevent him from talking now; he couldn’t have spoken even if he wanted to.
“I want you to be happy. What we have is true love…but no one ever said that true love only happens once.”
* * *
The next morning, Regina was back at her booth at Granny’s, nursing a mug of hot chocolate and finally admitting to herself that perhaps Mother Superior was right that the only solution was to set things back the way they were supposed to be. She knew that she would have to help with the spell, but she was afraid that people would suspect she wanted to perform the spell.
Even more than that, she was afraid that they would be correct.
At that moment, Dr. Whale sat down across from her, pulling her from her thoughts. An unexpected and uncharacteristic blush rose in her cheeks. He smirked at her, but something in his eyes told her he wasn’t going to make a big deal about the last time they had seen each other. She relaxed, once again feeling comfortable in his presence in a way she would never have anticipated before all of this.
“So, my queen, I think that our ‘relationship’ is doomed. We must be destined to be just friends…”
Regina half-smiled, a thousand sarcastic insults jumping to her lips, but she refrained from saying any of them. It was the least she could do for the man who had seen her when no one else had. But there was something she wanted to say - or more specifically, something she wanted to know.
“What exactly was in it for you, anyway?”
Dr. Whale smiled mysteriously. If she hadn’t been watching his face for any kind of sign, Regina might have missed the quick glance he sent in Ruby’s direction. Regina’s half-smile grew to a full one. “Oh, I see. We were making more than one person jealous…”
Dr. Whale winked, stood, and walked away.
* * *
Off to one side, Regina watched Marian say tearful goodbyes to Emma, Henry and the Charmings. They had only known each other for a short time, but the do-gooders were, of course, acting like they were saying goodbye to a life-long friend. Regina fought the urge to roll her eyes, even as she suspected inwardly that her derisive judgment of their behavior was just a way to mask the guilt she felt that she would be the one responsible for Marian’s death…again.
When the goodbyes were said, Marian and Robin walked toward Regina and Mother Superior. Robin was gripping Marian’s hand tightly. To avoid thinking about that, Regina instead spared a thought for Roland. He was back at the camp with Robin’s men, and Regina was grateful that he wouldn’t be there to see his mother disappear from Storybrooke. She knew that Robin and Marian had tried to explain to their son that his mother was going away again, but she didn’t know how much the boy understood. Nevertheless, her heart ached for him - even more than it ached for Robin or herself.
Taking a deep breath, she finally looked up and met Marian’s eyes. She felt once again that the woman was looking right through her. Before she could say anything, though, Marian stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. Regina’s arms spread out awkwardly, as she had never felt more caught off-guard. Marian whispered a quick “watch out for them” and released Regina, who stumbled a bit and tried to regain her icy dignity. She cleared her throat and avoided looking at anyone - especially Robin.
Mother Superior started explaining. “This spell will not actually be that difficult. The universe wants to set itself right. It will just need Regina and me to guide it.” Mother Superior reached out for Regina’s hand. Regina grabbed it as if it was a lifeline, trying to not let anyone see how nervous she was. What if the light magic didn’t work? What if it read in her heart that a part of her was just a little bit happy that Marian would be gone? Fortunately, Mother Superior - who was much more experienced in using light magic - would be taking the lead with the spell. Regina was just supporting her.
Regina took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She couldn’t bring herself to watch Marian actually disappear.
The warm, comforting surge of light magic spread through Regina to Mother Superior. For a moment, she felt the magic pause, and the guilt and fear of her secret thoughts filled her. The next moment, however, the magic started flowing again, leaving in its wake a feeling of forgiveness and the realization that selfish thoughts are sometimes natural - not necessarily evil. She was glad her eyes were closed, so that the rest couldn’t see the relief in her eyes.
Closed eyes, however, couldn’t block out the heart-wrenching sob that erupted out of Robin’s mouth immediately after the magic reached its peak.
* * *
Two weeks had passed since Marian had been sent to her original fate. Regina had been avoiding Robin since then, and he appeared to be avoiding her in turn. Not that she would blame him if he never wanted to see her again. She was, after all responsible, for him losing his wife not once but twice. Granted, this time, Emma was ultimately responsible, but that didn’t change the fact that Regina had been the one to actually do the spell.
Surprisingly, the others in town didn’t seem to blame Regina. They were doing that annoying hero thing of acting like sacrifice for the greater good was something that was expected of everyone. Cinderella, her prince, Geppetto and Leroy had even thanked her for helping them return to Storybrooke.
So, ultimately, it seemed like the only people who blamed her were Robin and herself…
At the moment, Regina was standing at her office window, a position that was reminiscent of the day she had pretended to take the memory potion. Someone cleared his throat behind her, and she froze as the déjà vu spread over her. Apparently, Robin had decided to stop avoiding her. Regina steeled herself, preparing to hear the words of blame and hatred that would once and for all put an end to any chance of a relationship between them.
Slowly, Regina turned to face him, surprised and confused to see that, instead of vitriol in his eyes, she saw a tenderness that she never thought she would see again. It was her turn to clear her throat nervously and break the eye contact.
“You remember, don’t you?”
Regina reeled back in shock. Of everything he might have said, this was not what she would have guessed it would be. She said nothing for a moment, unwilling to keep lying but afraid to tell the truth.
“I never forgot.”
Robin chuckled wearily. “You have no idea how hard all of this has been for me.”
Regina winced but said nothing. Robin stared at her intently for a moment, an unreadable intensity in his eyes.
“Why have you been avoiding me these last few weeks?”
Regina’s brow furrowed in confusion. “You’ve been avoiding me too. I figured it was what you wanted. I certainly wouldn’t want to see me, if I were you.”
Robin shook his head. “I don’t blame you…for anything. I love you.”
Regina took a step backward, even though there was already plenty of distance between them. “That is no longer an option, Robin.”
Robin took several steps toward her, but the wall behind Regina prevented her from backing up any more. “Why not?”
“Maybe you don’t blame me, but I blame myself.”
“You did what was necessary…You saved the town; you saved Roland.”
A fear that Regina hadn’t even realized was weighing on her burst out of her lips: “How can you love me anymore? I will always be a reminder of what you’ve lost.”
Robin smiled softly and closed the distance remaining between them. He allowed himself the luxury of looking completely at her, something he hadn’t been able to do for so long. Reaching up, he brushed a lock of hair behind Regina’s ear, then kept his hand cupping her face. He moved his thumb slowly back and forth across her cheekbone. His heart skipped a beat when Regina’s breath caught in her throat, and his eyes focused on her lips.
“A very wise person told me that true love doesn’t mean only love,” Robin whispered, his lips moving closer and closer to hers. “And for that I’m grateful. You may not be my first true love, and I am not your first true love, but we do still have true love. I still love you. I will always love you. Marian did what she did because she loved me and Roland. You’re not a reminder of what I’ve lost. You’re a reminder of the fact that I am loved…truly loved…by two amazing women.”
With that, Robin leaned forward and kissed her. And it was even better than she remembered.
The End