You Are Not Your Yesterday: Epilogue
Title: You Are Not Your Yesterday
by Jesterlady
Pairing: Robin/Regina
Summary: At the end of S5, Robin has died and his soul is saved from destruction by the Greek god Zeus, but he is presumed gone forever. Regina is devastated with grief and struggling with her own darkness. After she removes her evil half, the Evil Queen doppelganger begins to wreak havoc on everyone in Storybrooke, finally making a wish that creates a whole new realm and provides a way for Zeus to send Robin’s soul into an alternate self. But this Robin doesn’t know who he is, having an alternate set of villainous memories. When he and Regina meet again, they must struggle with the disconnect and longing they both feel. Can he reclaim his heroic self? Can Regina accept her own dark past and defeat the Evil Queen? And can their true love win through the trials that would reunite them?
Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT. Some lines are from the show. The title is from Ann Voskamp
I really thought the show missed the mark with the return of Robin Hood on the show. So I wanted to take this opportunity to write the story in the way that made sense to me.
I wanted to focus on Zelena and Regina’s relationship here as well, making it a lot more intentional than canon. I think Zelena provides a great foil for Regina’s growth, and I think Zelena’s character deserves better. It provided a way for me to delve into Regina’s growth, her understanding and acceptance of redemption, and how she will continue to be strong and fight. In allowing Robin to go through his own villainous redemption, it gave them an equal ground they hadn’t been able to share before.
I have strong feelings about the Wish Realm. Apart from the its creation, I hated how it was used (so illogical)! So just to be clear, in this story the Wish Realm is not real. Only Robin (with a real soul inside him) can come through to the other side; it collapses as soon as Emma (the point of it) leaves. We see this as Wish Rumple tries to leave and wasn’t able to. This also explains why Robin (and characters connected to him) were young when everyone else had aged.
You definitely need to be familiar with S6 to read this fic. I do ignore a lot of S6 ie Gideon and Black Fairy. You can assume those things are happening alongside of the main events, but I’m ignoring it and deliberately changing where it intersects, because the story needed to focus on Robin and Regina and have a resolved ending that didn’t immediately jump into the next problem.
Robin watched Regina hug Henry tightly and whisper in his ear. He adored them both, and he was glad their relationship was so strong. He was thrilled he had the opportunity to be in Henry’s life, someone to help guide him in the absence of his father, just as Killian was doing. But just like Henry wasn’t his, he had children that weren’t Regina’s.
He’d been able to spend time-precious hours-doting on his daughter, wondering at how much she’d grown in the short time he’d been gone. Zelena was doing a wonderful job, and their awkward custody arrangements were slowly being arranged, though sometimes it was like handling a dangerous weapon. He could manage that; anything was worth the time spent with his baby Robin. And Zelena herself slowly, grudgingly, was growing on him, especially because he could see the wonderful impact having a sister was having on Regina. The two were becoming close in a way that was both uncomfortable and amazing.
There was only one thing he needed to complete his journey back home. He needed his own son, the one who had been too young to lose both his parents. Roland was surely well-loved and cared for by his dearest friends, but Robin ached to put right the wrong he’d done in leaving his son behind. He needed to fix that, to be the kind of parent who didn’t leave, who prioritized his children, and who was a strong, stalwart support.
Regina walked toward him and Robin returned Henry’s wave as they left. They crunched their way through the leaves of the forest, handfast, for he never wanted to be away from touching her if he could help it. She held the precious packet of beans in her hands-nurtured and grown by their resident giant-and she carefully handed one to him.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“Oh, more than,” he said, kissing her briefly.
Robin closed his eyes and thought of Roland’s sweet brown ones, and lips so like Marian’s. He was Robin’s dearest heart desire. Robin threw the bean and opened his eyes at the swirling green vortex in front of him. Regina stood beside him, the best partner a man could wish for, holding on tightly to his hand, ready to follow him into the unknown.
They jumped without words, landing heavily in a forest so like the one they had just left.
Robin knew these trees intimately, his home for many years, his safe haven against his foes. The smell of familiar cooking wafted to his ears and he grinned, tugging Regina toward the left. Small tents comprised the simple camp, but they were a luxurious home in his mind. He could see all his friends lounging, cleaning weapons, eating, talking, then lunging to their feet in surprise when they saw him.
But Robin had eyes for only one small figure, leaning against the ample legs of Little John. Robin whistled, their own secret, unique whistle. Roland’s head whipped around and he stared, clearly afraid to hope, before a huge smile spread over his little face.
Regina’s eyes were wet, but so were his own.
Roland leapt to his feet, rushing forward, and Robin ran to meet him.
“Papa!”
Then arms, legs, and a little body were tucked into his and Robin needed nothing more. Well, perhaps one thing. He reached behind him, and felt Regina’s hand slide in to his, then her arms embrace the body between them. And then he knew he was finally back.
by Jesterlady
Pairing: Robin/Regina
Summary: At the end of S5, Robin has died and his soul is saved from destruction by the Greek god Zeus, but he is presumed gone forever. Regina is devastated with grief and struggling with her own darkness. After she removes her evil half, the Evil Queen doppelganger begins to wreak havoc on everyone in Storybrooke, finally making a wish that creates a whole new realm and provides a way for Zeus to send Robin’s soul into an alternate self. But this Robin doesn’t know who he is, having an alternate set of villainous memories. When he and Regina meet again, they must struggle with the disconnect and longing they both feel. Can he reclaim his heroic self? Can Regina accept her own dark past and defeat the Evil Queen? And can their true love win through the trials that would reunite them?
Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT. Some lines are from the show. The title is from Ann Voskamp
I really thought the show missed the mark with the return of Robin Hood on the show. So I wanted to take this opportunity to write the story in the way that made sense to me.
I wanted to focus on Zelena and Regina’s relationship here as well, making it a lot more intentional than canon. I think Zelena provides a great foil for Regina’s growth, and I think Zelena’s character deserves better. It provided a way for me to delve into Regina’s growth, her understanding and acceptance of redemption, and how she will continue to be strong and fight. In allowing Robin to go through his own villainous redemption, it gave them an equal ground they hadn’t been able to share before.
I have strong feelings about the Wish Realm. Apart from the its creation, I hated how it was used (so illogical)! So just to be clear, in this story the Wish Realm is not real. Only Robin (with a real soul inside him) can come through to the other side; it collapses as soon as Emma (the point of it) leaves. We see this as Wish Rumple tries to leave and wasn’t able to. This also explains why Robin (and characters connected to him) were young when everyone else had aged.
You definitely need to be familiar with S6 to read this fic. I do ignore a lot of S6 ie Gideon and Black Fairy. You can assume those things are happening alongside of the main events, but I’m ignoring it and deliberately changing where it intersects, because the story needed to focus on Robin and Regina and have a resolved ending that didn’t immediately jump into the next problem.
Robin watched Regina hug Henry tightly and whisper in his ear. He adored them both, and he was glad their relationship was so strong. He was thrilled he had the opportunity to be in Henry’s life, someone to help guide him in the absence of his father, just as Killian was doing. But just like Henry wasn’t his, he had children that weren’t Regina’s.
He’d been able to spend time-precious hours-doting on his daughter, wondering at how much she’d grown in the short time he’d been gone. Zelena was doing a wonderful job, and their awkward custody arrangements were slowly being arranged, though sometimes it was like handling a dangerous weapon. He could manage that; anything was worth the time spent with his baby Robin. And Zelena herself slowly, grudgingly, was growing on him, especially because he could see the wonderful impact having a sister was having on Regina. The two were becoming close in a way that was both uncomfortable and amazing.
There was only one thing he needed to complete his journey back home. He needed his own son, the one who had been too young to lose both his parents. Roland was surely well-loved and cared for by his dearest friends, but Robin ached to put right the wrong he’d done in leaving his son behind. He needed to fix that, to be the kind of parent who didn’t leave, who prioritized his children, and who was a strong, stalwart support.
Regina walked toward him and Robin returned Henry’s wave as they left. They crunched their way through the leaves of the forest, handfast, for he never wanted to be away from touching her if he could help it. She held the precious packet of beans in her hands-nurtured and grown by their resident giant-and she carefully handed one to him.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“Oh, more than,” he said, kissing her briefly.
Robin closed his eyes and thought of Roland’s sweet brown ones, and lips so like Marian’s. He was Robin’s dearest heart desire. Robin threw the bean and opened his eyes at the swirling green vortex in front of him. Regina stood beside him, the best partner a man could wish for, holding on tightly to his hand, ready to follow him into the unknown.
They jumped without words, landing heavily in a forest so like the one they had just left.
Robin knew these trees intimately, his home for many years, his safe haven against his foes. The smell of familiar cooking wafted to his ears and he grinned, tugging Regina toward the left. Small tents comprised the simple camp, but they were a luxurious home in his mind. He could see all his friends lounging, cleaning weapons, eating, talking, then lunging to their feet in surprise when they saw him.
But Robin had eyes for only one small figure, leaning against the ample legs of Little John. Robin whistled, their own secret, unique whistle. Roland’s head whipped around and he stared, clearly afraid to hope, before a huge smile spread over his little face.
Regina’s eyes were wet, but so were his own.
Roland leapt to his feet, rushing forward, and Robin ran to meet him.
“Papa!”
Then arms, legs, and a little body were tucked into his and Robin needed nothing more. Well, perhaps one thing. He reached behind him, and felt Regina’s hand slide in to his, then her arms embrace the body between them. And then he knew he was finally back.