Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Queenie. What a ridiculous nickname."

She yawns at those words and slowly sits up as the realization that she's not in her castle with her husband and their children hits hard.

"If you don't like it, dear, you don't need to use it," she snarls, then opens her eyes to take in her surroundings.

And her heart practically stops dead in her chest.

Standing before her is a woman of timeless beauty and power beyond mention. Long, glossy ringlets the color of a raven's wing that she's jealously coveted for longer than she can remember frame a patrician face showing the faintest hints of age at the corners of eyes and mouth. The pristine white of her chiton enhances the honeyed tone of her skin, as well as the very feminine curves of her form.

"Enjoying the view, dear?"

The sudden rush of her heart starting up again accompanies the heat burning her cheeks at being caught gawking. Mother would be so displeased if she ever found out. The deviancy of her bisexuality was never something that Mother approved of, and she and Regina bore the emotional and physical scars of the punishment to prove it.

"My apologies, Your Majesty," she murmurs, eyes dropping respectfully as she slips from the comfortable bed to her knees in obeisance to the power of the woman -- the goddess -- before her. "My disorientation has overridden my manners and better judgment."

The rich, full laughter wraps itself around her until she's not sure if she should feel relieved or turned on by the sound. A gentle hand rests on her head briefly. "Apology accepted, dear, but you are also a queen and shouldn't be on your knees like this. Come, stand and join me at the table. We have important matters to discuss."

It takes a moment for her body to move to her mind's will, but she gets to her feet and joins the goddess at the table. It's then she notices she's wearing a chiton in a deep purple color, her hair hanging in loose waves arounds her shoulders, and a sense of shame floods her at the thought of wearing such a royal color in the presence of this woman before her. She longs for the clothes she normally wears, the armor that protects her.

"You're safe here, dear, but if you'd prefer your own clothes…"

"It's not that, I just…" She takes a deep breath and meets those fathomless eyes. "What am I doing here? How did I get here?"

"I have a bit of a proposition for you, Regina."

"Quinn." The word is past her lips and hanging in the air between them before she realizes it. "I go by Quinn now."

"But your name is Regina."

She smiles softly at that. "Regina was always my twin's name. She had it long before I was ever truly a seed sown in her psyche and her soul. I was the embodiment of the Evil Queen. She gave me the nickname of Queenie." She frowns. "Maybe it was someone else among the heroes and their friends, but she used it often enough. It's a nickname more than anything and, while I still answer to Regina out of habit, I prefer to be called Quinn, just as my husband prefers to be called Rob to distinguish himself from my twin's soulmate."

"So in the aftermath of the split with Regina, you've truly chosen to take on an entirely separate life of your own, including your own name, and your husband has chosen to do the same?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, though Rob was never combined with Robin and split off like Regina and I were."

There's a twinkle in those dark eyes that has snared Quinn's attention. "Yes and no. And please, dear, there is no need to stand on formalities here. Call me Hera."

"Of course, Your M-- Hera." Her cheeks burn with embarrassment again at the slip. "Rob chose his name because of our son mostly. Roland has always known he isn't his papa, but has called him Uncle Papa practically from the day they met. The shift in nickname also helped with the Merry Men, so it worked for all parties involved." She blinks when Hera pushes a goblet of wine toward her, but gratefully picks it up and takes a long swallow.

"Your husband is your soulmate, is he not?"

"He is," she replies, setting the goblet down. "Even now, after all these years, it still pains Regina from time to time to see him, to know that I have what she doesn't and can never have."

That mysterious smile curls up Hera's lips again. "That's actually why I brought you here…"

Chapter Text

"Quinn, how long are we going to be gone?"

Her smile grows wider at Regina's question. "You're not fighting me on this? Seriously? I'm impressed, Regina."

There's an odd look on Regina's face that Quinn can't quite place. Before she can question her twin on the oddity that is her expression, Regina licks her lips and takes a deep breath to speak. "I didn't say I wouldn't fight you on it, Quinn. I am in high demand as Queen of the United Realms, and I'll have to work with the rest of the Royal Council to rearrange my schedule. Knowing what kind of timeframe we're talking about here will help with that process."

"You are so pedantic, Regina!" She wants to roll her eyes until they fall out of her head, but she knows it won't faze Regina in the slightest. "How can you possibly be considering against this quest? Need I remind you that it came from Queen Hera herself? Or that it will give you the greatest gift in the world when we complete it?" She watches Regina study the scroll of parchment on the table, can practically hear the gears turning in her twin's head. "Look, I know you're scared. This is a big deal and--"

"Why now?" Regina asks softly, still not looking up from the parchment, a distinct quaver in her voice that makes Quinn want to hold her until the tears dry up again. "It's been like twenty years since he died. Do these Greek gods think the lives of mere mortals are just a game?"

"Hera said--"

"And don't sugarcoat anything, Quinn. I know your infatuation with the Great Queen very well, remember?"

Quinn can't help the smirk curling up her lips at the snarky response. That's a good sign. "Oh, the Great Queen knows it, too," she admits wryly. "Used it on me quite effectively to ensure I'd be willing to even listen to the particulars of her quest in the first place." She clears her throat and reaches across the table to squeeze Regina's hand. "She told me that there was some deal struck between Hades and Zeus regarding the Olympian crystal and leaving the Underworld. Hades lied, to no one's surprise, but Zeus was bound by His honor to keep His end of the deal. It took time, even with Hades' death, for Hera to be able to work around that and get Zeus to admit to what all went down. Then She spent more time researching the spell and the components She'd need."

Now Regina chooses to look up, meet her gaze curiously, and Quinn feels her heartbeat speed up at the hope that this will happen. "Why you? Why not me?"

"Well, the obvious reason is because of my crush." Quinn tries to make it sound nonchalant, but knows just how much she fails when both Regina and Rob snort in agreement. "Yes, I know. Rob already got quite the spank bank memory out of it."

"Eww." Regina's face screws up in distaste and turns to stare at the man, who is frozen in his place, wine goblet halfway to his mouth. "If you include me in that fantasy, you'll be more handless than either of the Hooks."

"U-Understood, Regina," Rob replies, stumbling a bit over his words before clearing his throat. "You'll not participate in that fantasy."

Quinn doesn't even need to look at her husband to know the twinkle is firmly in his eyes as he says it, despite the gravity of his tone. The very slight emphasis on the word that is clear to her, but might not be to her twin. Then again, as Regina narrows her eyes at him, she might have caught it, too. Her husband is a big boy and can take any punishment for his own thoughts and actions.

"Back to the topic at hand," Quinn says, pulling both their attentions to her once again. "Hera wanted to speak with me, thought it might be easier to explain it all to me as my emotions might not be as highly caught up as yours would be at the thought of Robin returning after all this time. Not that it didn't affect me at all, of course, but I have my Rob, dear, and Robin is entirely yours."

Regina nods, eyes dropping to the parchment again for a long moment. Quinn glances over to Rob, who quirks a curious eyebrow at her, but all she can do is shrug helplessly. She knows there's something Hera wasn't sharing at the time, but still cannot figure out what it was. Maybe it'll reveal itself in time as they work together to gather the spell components. In the end, all that matters is the chance to give Regina back her soulmate and the love and happiness she has always deserved.

"What if he's angry about the split?" Regina finally asks, voice so soft that Quinn almost wonders if she's imagined her twin saying them. "What if I've just changed too much without your influence within me and Robin no longer w--"

"Don't finish that thought!"

Quinn blinks at Rob's words and glances up to see her husband standing to stalk over to where she and Regina are sitting. He crouches down next to Regina's chair, turning it slightly to face him before cupping her cheek in one hand. When Regina finally meets his gaze, the gentlest smile lights up his face as he stares up at her.

"I know I'm not him, and never tried to be, but I think I've finally understood enough about him from you, Quinn, all the kids, and the Merry Men to know that he will still love and want you, Regina. You are his soulmate and he is yours. Nothing and no one can tear that asunder, not even death itself, save the two of you, and even that is questionable. I'm sure he'll understand once everything is explained to him, certainly once he sees how we've all fared in these intervening years. If he feels for you anything like I feel for Quinn, all he wants is for you to be your best self and know that you're not alone in the world, yeah?"

Those words, and the resulting shy smile on Regina's face, are all Quinn needs to feel her world right itself again. Even now, even with Rob in her life, Robin's death still sits hard in her chest sometimes. But Rob has been such a tremendous help over the years when it's hit her hard. That he's done what he can for Regina -- not that she's always been willing to let him, of course -- has been a godsend, as well.

"You're right," Regina whispers. "I'm being stupid about this."

"Not stupid, milady, just cautious."

There's a faint blush darkening her cheeks, but Quinn wisely says nothing about it. It takes a moment or so before Regina smiles again and leans in to press a chaste kiss to Rob's cheek, then he repeats the gesture and stands to return to his seat. It's only once he's seated again that Regina meets Quinn's gaze with what looks like hope and determination in her eyes.

"Do you have a plan of attack for getting through all of these realms, Quinn?"

"What exactly are we looking for here?" Regina asks as they all get out of her Mercedes Benz. They're parked out near the start of the path leading into the forest to the old well and further still the magical wardrobe. Quinn picks up the scroll and her phone, studies both for a moment.

"Hera said it was somewhere between the well and the wardrobe tree. I know you two came back through the wardrobe portal from the Wish Realm. Did either of you maybe drop something when you came back?"

Regina throws her a withering glance as Rob coughs and shakes his head, saying, "Love, that was nearly twenty years ago. I was an angry git who tagged along with two beautiful women as a means to escape from my misdeeds and perhaps find new ways to line my pockets with more gold. I thought if I was lucky enough to seduce Regina in the process, I'd consider it a successful campaign."

Quinn chuckles softly as both Rob and Regina blush furiously at that. They've long since gotten past the worst of that whole situation, but it still rears its ugly head from time to time. "All right. Let's just fan out along the path and keep our eyes open for any signs of magical signatures. Rob, since I know you're not as sensitive to magic as we are, I want you to look for anything that looks out of the ordinary. Hera said we would know it when we saw it in each realm, particularly those where She didn't give me the actual item we're searching for here."

"She's not exactly making this easy," Regina mutters, staring at the ground as she makes her way along the path.

"When do the gods ever make things easy for us, dear?"

Regina just grunts softly and continues on her way. Quinn follows suit, glancing up occasionally to check on her twin and her husband. Regina is methodically following the path, scanning the ground in front of her. By contrast, Rob is wandering through the woods in a seemingly random manner, but she knows better than to think he's that disorganized.

"Found it!" he calls out, just as she can see the well coming into view. "At least I think I did. It feels… Listen, if this isn't what we're looking for, we may have other problems on our hands."

Racing to his side, Quinn gets there just seconds after Regina. She gingerly picks up the item to inspect it. It's a small feather carved out of goldstone, impossibly detailed and glowing with magic, just as Hera said each item would be. The feel of it in her palm brings a sense of calm and a smile to her lips. "This is it. I can tell by the magical glow and that feeling of rightness." She deposits it in the pouch at her waist, given to her by Hera for the containment of the spell components, and presses a kiss to Rob's lips. "Thank you for finding it, my love. That's two down, including the miniature peacock feather that Hera gave me with this pouch and the beans for easier transportation to some of the further out realms."

"Only twenty-nine more to go," Regina replies drily. "This'll be a walk in the park."

"I thought we were in the forest," Rob says, attempting to give them both a straight face, but the way his lips twitch in the need to grin gives him away immediately.

"You're an ass, Rob." The chuckle that accompanies the words cuts the sting of Regina's words. It also gives Quinn hope that this whole process will go quickly and end well for all involved. But it's Regina's next words that give her even more hope. "Where do we go next?"

"I believe Quinn mentioned my former home was next on the list," Rob says with a quirked brow at the two women, "since we're so close to where the wardrobe's portal spat us out."

Regina's smile turns sad and she shakes her head. "I hope you both don't mind, but I won't be joining you on this particular leg of the journey. There are still memories that are too fresh and painful for me in that realm."

Without thought, Quinn moves to wrap her twin in a tight embrace. "It's all right, Regina. You don't have to go if you don't feel up to it. Rob and I can take this one." They both let out soft laughs when Rob envelops them in a loose hug and presses kisses to each of their temples. "We all want the same outcome from this quest."

"I hate that this place causes her so much pain," Rob says as they step through the portal. "This is, was my home. It's where I lived my whole life, where I loved and lost Marian, where Regina and I first met…" His eyes meet hers with a softness that makes her heart clench with love that she never thought she'd feel again until Regina and Henry gave her a second chance. "And it's where you came to see if we could make a go of things." Those blue eyes that she loses herself in so easily are glassy with unshed tears. "I will never be able to thank her enough for that, you know."

"I know." A part of her hates how emotional she sounds. "And that's why I accepted Hera's quest without talking to you or Regina first. I knew you'd agree with me and, even if Regina didn't want to do it, you would. This is the least we can do for her and her soulmate, since she's the one who brought us together."

His gentle smile and gentler kiss fill her with more emotion than she thought possible. Her hand settles over his heart, the steady beat grounding her in the moment, and she sighs contentedly. "Let's go find the arrowhead Hera said is here, my love."

"The sooner we find all the pieces and get them to Hera, the sooner we can reunite Regina with her soulmate and all will be right within the realms again."

Quinn nods. "And maybe when this is all over, we can come back here for a little visit? Just the two of us?"

"I thought you'd never ask, milady."

"It's so strange to be back here," Regina says a couple of days later, stepping out of the portal into the woods outside of the castle where she and Quinn once ruled as the Evil Queen.

Quinn chuckles wryly and smooths down the front of her long riding jacket. "You say that every time you come to visit, dear. You'd think by now the novelty would have worn off."

Regina shoots her a withering look that has absolutely no bite to it. "You know damned well that we both thought this place was destroyed when we cast the Dark Curse." The look turns sheepish when she adds, "The first one."

"You cast more than one?" Rob asks curiously, coming up behind them.

"Don't play dumb, Rob, we've had this conversation before."

Rob just shrugs, making Quinn chuckle. "You always do know how to break the tension, my love."

Regina turns in a slow circle, and Quinn sees it the moment her twin registers where they are. "Wait. Why are we here? I thought we were going to our castle? I, uh, I mean your castle."

Quinn smirks and shrugs. "You really are having issues with remembering what we're doing in each realm, aren't you, dear?" She pulls out the scroll and studies it, then feels her cheeks warm. "Or I forgot to add that particular note for this one. There's a particular piece of obsidian added to Mal's hoard that we need."

Rob stops dead in his tracks from where he's moved past them and turns to face the two women. "Are you telling me that we're going to steal from a Dragon's hoard? Have you lost your bloody mind, Quinn?"

"Of course not! First off, it's Mal. Second, Hera added it to her hoard, She didn't use something from Mal's hoard. Even She isn't that stupid. And third, I already spoke with Mal about it. We're fine. Come on, you two. The sooner we get this, the sooner we can get to our castle and Regina can see Roland and her goddaughter again."

The dark purple smoke no more than begins to clear when a pair of voices excitedly start calling out.

"Auntie Regina!"

"Gina!"

Regina's face lights up in instant recognition. Quinn and Rob stay back as she races forward to hug the two children close. Not that they're children any longer, of course. Roland is twenty-six and already has a wife and a child on the way. His cheeks lost their babyish chubbiness when he hit his teenage growth spurt, but those dimples that are so like his father's and uncle's are still out in full force, as is the mop of riotous curls atop his head.

"Roland, how are you, handsome? And how is that lovely wife of yours?"

"We're doing okay. The baby's been giving her some issues, or she'd be here to say hello." The thought of Penny in any kind of unnecessary pain sends a jolt of fear through Quinn, and Roland's next words calm her greatly. "Hey, Quinn, don't think what I know you're thinking. Penny's fine. She's just really tired and her back's killing her. Tuck said she needs bedrest right now. We're just six weeks out now, and she's huge, so Tuck said this is best."

Quinn nods and smiles, doing her best to push her anxiety about this newest grandchild aside to continue with this reunion and their quest. Rob's gentle kiss to her temple and his warm embrace help to calm her even more, and she misses a bit of the conversation.

"Heike, I swear you grow prettier every single time I see you!"

"You say that every time, Auntie Regina!"

Her daughter has grown into a beautiful young woman with a preternatural grasp on magic that stunned the whole family. The next generation of Mills witches is secured between Heike, Margot (thank the gods she chose to keep that name after the curse broke!), and even Lucy's budding magic.

"Oh! I was told to give you this."

That gets Quinn's attention, and she watches Heike reach into her pocket to pull out a small golden brooch of the apple tree design that has always been Regina and Quinn's standard once they came into power, what became the symbol of Storybrooke in the curse. Quinn can see the magical glow to it.

"The lady who gave it to me was very nice and had the most gorgeous dark curly hair! She said her name was Hera and that if Mama and Papa agreed, she would like to talk to them after your quest is over to discuss more of my magical training. I'm not quite sure what that means, but she seemed very nice and like I could trust her." She turns those big, beautiful green eyes on Quinn and Rob, looking suddenly like the small shy girl she once was. "That's okay, right, Mama, Papa?"

Rob reaches out a hand toward her, prompting Heike to come closer into a hug with her parents. "That's perfectly all right, sweetheart. We'll talk about this after this is all over with, yeah?"

"Are you sure this place is safe, Quinn?" Rob asks as they step out of the portal a few days later.

Quinn nods, attempting to regulate her breathing against the humidity of the jungle atmosphere of Neverland. "Ever since Rumpel killed Pan and the connection to Pan's shadow was severed, the worst of the magical hold on this place was lessened." She shudders at the memories of the one and only time she'd been here before. "That said, I'd rather we get what we need and get out as quickly as possible. This place gives me the creeps."

"Agreed."

They look around for a moment, trying to get their bearings. Quinn catches a flash of light from the corner of her eye and points toward it for Rob's benefit. He grabs her hand and they begin walking, her body moving on autopilot along the path she once trod with Rumpel, Hook, and the Charming clan in an attempt to save Henry. She takes comfort in her husband's solid presence at her side. They've been married for over twenty years now, and every day still feels like the first year of their marriage.

Regina deserves the same with her soulmate. No matter how painful it will be for the three of them to visit some of these realms, she knows that they need to face the issues in each one if they're going to have any kind of chance to get Robin back in Regina's life.

Oz feels eerily dead without Zelena's flying monkeys. Quinn's not sure what to do about that. Not that she has issues with her sister any longer. They've dealt with all that, but it still feels odd, just as Neverland had still felt creepy to her.

"Have you been here before, milady?" Rob asks curiously as he gazes around.

"No, not that I can remember, though we wanted to at one point."

The memory comes upon her suddenly, and she stops in her tracks as it washes over her.

"What if we run away to Oz?"

They're snuggled together up in the hayloft with a small picnic lunch, their afternoon ride cancelled due to a sudden downpour, but Regina doesn't mind. Any time spent alone with Daniel is time well spent in her mind. Plus, Mama and Daddy are off visiting with some royal or another for another two days, likely brokering a marriage proposal that she emphatically does not want to think about right now. They have time to just be Regina and Daniel without worrying about Mama finding them.

"Why Oz?" he asks softly, offering her a piece of apple, which she takes happily. "It's so far away from everyone and everything we know."

"That's the point, Daniel. It's so far away that Mama won't be able to find us. It'll be a new beginning for us, a whole new life together away from her." And then it hits her. "And from Daddy and Rocinante."

Daniel's arms wrap around her, lips pressing sweetly to hers. "We have time to choose where we'll go, Regina. It's going to be okay. But we won't rule out Oz, or anywhere else we've discussed already. We have options."

She blinks and sways in place, grateful for the solid strength of her husband's chest behind her as tears burn in her eyes. There are words washing past her, but she has no idea what he's saying. The slow, gentle cadence of his voice is soothing as she struggles to ease the tightness in her lungs, the racing of her heart. For several moments, all that exists is the pain and Rob's love slowly easing that pain back into the box it's meant to be stay in.

"That's it, love," he says when she can finally register his words. "You're all right now. I've got you."

She blinks rapidly to clear the tears, intending to turn to thank him, but something glitters on the ground before her and catches her attention. Without thought, she leans to down to pick it up as her other hand brushes away the tears. Now turning to face her husband, she shows him the emerald teardrop wrapped in gold filaments and glowing with Hera's magic.

"Was that--"

"I don't know," she murmurs huskily, dropping it into the pouch at her waist. A part of her wonders if it isn't one of her own tears shed in memory of what might have been. "We got what we came for, Rob. Let's get out of here."

Travelling from the green-tinged climes of Oz to the overly sunny realm of Agrabah is enough to induce a headache on a good day. That Quinn is doing it immediately after such an emotional moment is not helping matters at all. But she doesn't want to stretch out this process any longer than absolutely necessary for Regina's sake. A quick spell gives her a pair of stylish sunglasses to allow her to more easily consult the scroll while Rob wanders to a vendor's booth to get them something to eat.

By the time he comes back, she has a plan in mind for getting what they need and getting out of here. Even with the magically enhanced sunglasses, her headache is getting worse, and it's now being joined by memories of the first man she was married to, something she never likes to remember under any circumstances.

They move quickly and quietly through the open air market toward a particular little ramshackle stall that looks like a sudden sneeze could take it down. The small man hawking his wares smiles at them with beady eyes filled with recognition, and Quinn prays that there won't be trouble. She truly just wants to get the bauble and get out.

Surprisingly enough, the vendor works quickly to close up his stall and beckons them to the back. Rob follows immediately without hesitation. Quinn sighs and chooses to trust her husband's instincts in this matter, knowing her magic will be there if they need it. The vendor quickly leads them into a tent that is surprisingly sumptuous on the inside and offers them a small golden scarab beetle inlaid with precious gems to look like a peacock's feather, glowing just as all of the other items have so far.

Without thought, Quinn hands him several gold coins for his troubles and they part ways to head home. The next destination will have to wait until this headache is gone.

The headache turned into a migraine and ended up costing them a week over all, including the time that Rob had to sit it on the Royal Council in Quinn's stead to convene over a border dispute trial that had him gnashing his teeth by the end of it.

"Jury duty?" he asks, as the three of them step up to the portal to head to their next destination. "Felt more like I'd be happier in the stockade with hot poker stuffed up my arse."

Regina splutters out a laugh at that, and the sound travels with them through the portal until they step out on the darkened street in front of Dr. Jekyll's house. The second she registers where they are, her laughter dies out. "Okay, can we just finish up here and go wherever else it is we're going today? I don't feel comfortable here at all."

Without thought, Rob settles a hand on the small of Regina's back, a movement he usually reserves for Quinn, but she notes that neither Rob nor Regina seem to realize how out of place it is that they relax into it. The fact that they both need the source of comfort is further testament to Quinn that this needs to be one of their shorter trips through the portal. Quinn can't even be jealous of her twin's reaction, knowing just how rattled Regina is to accept such an intimate touch from Rob without a word.

They step into the house through a door that mysteriously opens as if expecting them. Quinn catches the faintest hint of Hera's magical glow on the lock and sends a silent prayer of thanks to the Great Queen for helping to speed this along. She may not make this too easy for them, but Hera wouldn't cause unnecessary harm to any of the three of them either.

Before either Regina or Rob move too far into the house, Quinn spots the telltale glow of Hera's magic through an open doorway to their left. She offers a reassuring smile to spouse and twin before stepping into the room, which looks to be a cramped kitchen that Jekyll turned into a makeshift lab. Or maybe that was Hyde's influence. She's not sure anymore, and she shudders at the thought of having teamed up with that man all those years ago. Both of them were levels of insanity and cruelty that even she never felt she could aspire to.

Shaking her head, Quinn picks up the vial and quickly drops it in the pouch with the other spell components. She has no idea how these items will work in a spell, but the workings of the gods of Mount Olympus are beyond her comprehension.

"Can we just make this quick?" Regina asks, and Quinn can hear the shudder in her voice. "I'm not sure which I'd rather do less: be in this realm or see Leopold again."

The stab of regret and self-loathing that radiates from Quinn's chest nearly drops her to her knees. She remembers all too clearly what she did to Regina and Emma in this realm. "You don't have to go with me, dear. I can go alone." She licks her lips in a desperate bid to get her own heartrate to slow at the memories creeping up. "In fact, it might be better to keep the two magic users separated in case there's an issue in this particular retrieval."

"What? Quinn…"

"No, hear me out. I banished you here as a punishment, forced the Dragon to try to kill you. I was still hell bent on revenge with you as my main target. I can see you're uncomfortable to go back. You stay here and keep the portal open while Rob and I go find what we're looking for." She touches Regina's cheek gently. "You're looking a little peaked, dear, and I wouldn't want to contribute to you becoming ill."

Regina's lips part as if to argue, a move Quinn knows very well, but then her twin's eyes flutter shut and she leans into the touch with a small sigh. "All right," she finally whispers before clearing her throat and straightening again. "But don't you dare dawdle while you're in this realm. The lack of magic is… disconcerting at best. And with your recent migraine, we can't have you getting worse either."

Quinn smiles and presses a kiss to her cheek. "I promise we'll be quick. I already know what we need here. Hera felt badly that we had to even come to this particular realm, but She needs the mirror shard for Her spell." She turns to her husband and holds out a hand to him. "Come on, my love, let's go."

"Hurry back," Regina calls out as they step into the portal.

Quinn can't help the chill that runs down her spine at the hint of fear in her twin's voice. The second they're through the portal, she goes to cast out with her magic to find the shard… Until she remembers that she can't use her magic here. She's reminded of their time during the curse when magic couldn't be used at all. She hated it at first, but then she grew to be comfortable without it. That was different, that was her choice. Then again, so is this quest the three of them are on.

"I found it, love. This is it, right?"

She glances down at the shard in Rob's other hand and smiles. "You're getting good at this whole magical detection thing, my love." She leans up to press a kiss to his lips as she unties the pouch to let him slip the shard inside. His hand then travels first to her hip, then to her ass in a move that is both comforting and arousing. It soothes her anxiety until she sighs softly. "Let's get back to a more comfortable realm, shall we?"

"Why did we come here in the middle of winter again?" Rob asks, as they step out of the portal. "I swear my bloody lads have crawled up into my throat for warmth!" Quinn's surprised laughter echoes around them and he scowls, even as she sees the corners of his mouth twitching to quirk into a smile. "Oh sure, just laugh your arse off, Quinn, but you'll be crying when you get no more loving from me."

She rolls her eyes and tugs at his arm, letting tendrils of her magic wrap around his body to keep him toasty warm. "Come on, you big baby. Your lads are going to be just fine." She quirks a brow at him. "And I expect to be loved quite well when we're at home in our bed tonight, too."

That gets a smirk from him, of course. "Whatever Her Majesty wishes." And then he pulls her into a tight embrace to kiss her deeply.

They're still caught up in each other when Elsa comes upon them a few moments later, politely clearing her throat to get their attention. Quinn can feel her cheeks burning in embarrassment at being caught making out with her husband, but the understanding in Elsa's eyes eases some of that almost instantly. "Merida wishes she could have come with me to greet you both, but she's laid up in bed with a horrid cough at the moment. Do you have any idea of where your magical item might be?"

There's something in the way Elsa studies them that rubs Quinn oddly, like Elsa might be in on more of this quest's background than expected. "I just know that it's related to your magic and will have a very specific golden glow that is the Great Queen's magical signature. It looks like these." She opens the pouch to show Elsa the other items they have.

Elsa studies the items for a moment or two, then smiles up at Quinn and Rob. "I know exactly what you're looking for. Come with me. It's just a short walk to my castle."

"I'll do you one better," Quinn says, holding out her free hand to Elsa. "I've been there once before, so I can poof us there now. My husband isn't used to these temperatures at all."

Elsa chuckle sand takes her hand, enabling them to poof to the castle, where she leads them inside and right into the throne room. "I think I last saw it in here. Come on."

Quinn and Rob follow behind her, enjoying the beauty that is the royal throne room of Arendelle. They watch her move up to the dais and start touching everything on both thrones and the small table between them. Rob shifts to stand behind her, and a small part of her is grateful for his solid warmth. And then she feels the telltale sign of his arousal pressing into the small of her back.

"Rob!" she hisses. "We're in a throne room that is not our own."

His arms tighten around her waist as he leans in to murmur, stubble rasping against the sensitive skin behind her ear, "I cannot help myself. The sheer amount of jewels encrusted in those thrones has my fingers itching and my blood racing with the chance to lift several of them for other purposes. And I know you enjoy the benefits of how thievery affects me, milady."

"Here you go, Your Majesty," Elsa says, coming closer.

"Thank you," Quinn replies, voice cracking slightly as Rob lightly nips her earlobe before straightening again. She feels her cheeks heat up again and vows revenge on her husband. "I appreciate your cooperation in our quest."

Elsa quirks a brow at them and chuckles as she hands off the glowing snowflake made of diamonds and silver. "I'm sorry Regina couldn't join you and that this couldn't be a longer visit for all of us to spend some time together. I know Merida was looking forward to an archery contest with your husband."

Rob perks up at that, and Quinn grins at just how predictable her husband is. "Once we've completed our quest, perhaps we can all work out an appropriate time when that can happen. I bet we can even get Snow and our niece, Margot, to join in? Make an event of it?"

"That sounds like an excellent plan! I'll have Merida start working out the details. She can confer with Snow White. They've become rather close since the realms were united."

Chapter Text

Hera sits on Her throne, watching Quinn and Rob return from Arendelle, discussing their meeting with Regina the next morning to plan their next set of realms to visit. Time means nothing to an immortal being, but She knows that it has levels of importance to the mortals that She'll never understand. She's followed their progress over the past two weeks, pleased to see how far they've come in such a short time. But She also knows that there is something that Regina in particular is missing in all of this.

"My queen, you look pensive."

Hera looks up to see Aphrodite coming into the throne room, and offers a sad smile.

"My little quest is hitting a bit of a snag, I suppose."

Aphrodite takes a seat on the padded bench next to Hera and gazes into the mirror that Hera is watching. Her lips curl upward at the sight of Quinn and Rob kissing and touching in the way of lovers long acquainted with each other. "How so?"

"They're missing part of the point, and I'm not sure how to get them to where they need to be without being too controlling. I don't want to be like my husband or brothers in that respect." They both laugh knowingly at that. "Quinn and Rob are easy to convince in what needs to be done, as they have each other already, their soulmate bond is complete. Regina's is incomplete, has been for far too long. She's cagey about this quest, has been from the beginning. She fears getting her hopes up, only to have them dashed to the ground in the end."

"But that's not going to happen, is it?"

"If they get me the spell ingredients, no."

Hera turns to study Aphrodite's face when she hums noncommittally. She can see the wheels turning in the other goddess' mind, wonders what could possibly be considered.

"What do you need them to do? Let me visit Rob in a dream, plant the seed of what needs to be done. I've done it before, and have always enjoyed the experience before."

"Where are we going exactly?" Rob asks as he follows his wife and Regina toward the portal.

"Cruella's realm," Quinn says, offering the bean to Regina, "though I think we should try to reach Glinda's little door in the woods."

Rob stops dead in his tracks and stares at his wife's back. "What did you just say?"

The two brunettes stop and turn to face him as one, matching looks of confusion on their faces. "I said we should try to reach Glinda through that door in the woods. Regina and I tried that once before--"

"And we couldn't get through it, Quinn, or have you forgotten that?" Rob can see that this has Regina rather agitated, and his hands itch to sooth away the distress from his wife's twin. "Let's just hold off on that one for a while until we can figure out what we're going to do about that. I'm not sure any of us has a pure enough heart to get through that damned door."

Quinn sighs as Regina turns to toss the bean and activate the portal. Rob takes her proffered hand as they step up behind Regina, squeezing it in silent support of the changes his wife and her twin have made over the years. Just before they step through the portal, he leans over to whisper, "I dreamed of some version of me telling myself to go visit this Glinda last night. In hindsight, it must've been me projecting Robin telling myself."

"You'd better not be fucking with me, Rob," Quinn says once they step out of the portal on the other side. Regina turns to face them curiously, but he just nods. "I dreamt something similar, but it was definitely Robin telling me to go there."

"What the hell?" Regina asks, a distinct growl to her tone that Rob knows better than to go up against. "You've already got Rob, Quinn, and now you're dreaming about my Robin?"

"Regina, it's not like that."

Regina turns on her heel and stalks off toward the large house in front of them. "I don't care. Let's just get what we need here and move on." She says something else, but Rob can't quite make it out as she moves out of their range quickly.

"Quinn…"

"We'll talk about it later, Rob. For now, let's just go get the whisker and get the hell out of here before Regina decides to darken her heart again over something that's not worth it."

"Whisker?" he asks as they quicken their pace to catch up with Regina. "What exactly is this place?"

"Cruella's childhood home. Her mother trained guard dogs, vicious things that always terrified me when Cruella would control them herself."

Before she can say anything more, they see Regina coming toward them, one fist held out in front of her at an odd angle, a conflicted look on her face. She points toward the pouch at Quinn's waist with her free hand, which gets his wife to open it quickly. As soon as Regina's close enough, she drops the glowing whisker into the pouch and roughly wipes her hand on her pant legs.

"Can we get the hell out of here now? This place gives me the creeps."

By the time, they step out of the portal again, Rob grabs Regina's arm to stop her from stalking off away from them again. This will give his wife time to get their bearings for where they need to go in this land they're currently in, since Regina didn't give them the chance to consult the scroll before stepping into the portal from the De Vil mansion.

"Let me go, Rob," she says in a low voice that would sound menacing if he couldn't hear the pain lacing each word spoken.

"No, love, I'm not going to do that, not until you let us explain." He glances over at Quinn, who's staring intently at the scroll, but has her head cocked toward them. "There was something about my dream last night that didn't feel natural. I think… I think it might have been a sign somehow."

"But--"

"No buts, Regina. You know that I have no ties to the man. I never met him, and only know about him through what all of you have told me over the years. I know he's come to your dreams, but never to mine. And to suddenly come to me while we're in the middle of this whole quest from the Great Queen Herself? That has to mean something, don't you think?"

Regina's eyes are glassy with unshed tears, and Rob can feel her starting to tremble. Without thought, he pulls her into a warm embrace and glances back to Quinn for assistance. She looks torn over wanting to help her twin and wanting to get the spell component they need. He motions to the scroll and mouths Just go get it. I've got this. When she nods, he smiles and blows her a kiss, then returns his attention to the crying woman in his arms, murmuring soft words of comfort and encouragement until she finally calms enough to speak again.

"Robin hasn't visited my dreams since the night younger Henry had me in that jail cell awaiting my death. Why you? Why Quinn?"

"Who knows why anything happens, Regina? Not everything is set in stone. You were told that his soul was obliterated and there was nothing left of him, but Hera Herself said that wasn't so. Perhaps he visited my dreams because it means we're on the right track to getting him back. We've collected more than a third of the spell components already."

"But Quinn?" she asks, pulling back to look at him. Even with tear tracks and reddened cheeks, she still looks beautiful, just like his wife.

"She's a part of you, Regina, always has been," he says, gently wiping at the tears still slipping down her cheeks. "Before you separated, she was his soulmate, too."

"But--"

"No, let me finish." When Regina nods, he smiles and presses a kiss to her forehead. "Yes, Quinn has me now, but I didn't exist when he was taken from the two of you. Nor did Quinn exist as she does now. It makes sense that with the realms all united now, he could more easily access her in dreams, right?"

She nods slowly and sighs, leaning into his palm cupping her cheek. "I'm sorry," she whispers. "I shouldn't have snapped at the two of you like that."

Before either of them can say anything more, Quinn comes back with her hand on the pouch at her waist. She quirks a brow at the two of them, but doesn't come too close until Regina extends a hand toward her.

"Regina…"

Regina shakes her head. "Don't, Quinn. I'm the one that needs to apologize. I'm so scared to believe that I could really get Robin back after all this time, but I can't not believe it at the same time. I haven't seen him in my dreams since that night in the cell when he gave me the feather. I-I was jealous of you and Rob. I'm sorry."

Quinn pulls her into a hug, and Rob shifts to accommodate both of them in his embrace.

"I look absolutely horrid in black and white," Quinn announces the second they step out of the portal two days later. The sneer on her face would be comical if Rob didn't feel utterly disconcerted by the fact that he can see no signs of any color anywhere. "Where are my beautiful colors and flashes of sparkle?"

"More to the point, where the bloody hell are we and when can we leave this place?"

Regina shakes her head and heads toward the door at the far end of the hall they're in. Quinn touches his arm. "I know you've met Victor Whale, Rob. Before Storybrooke, he was known as Dr. Frankenstein. This was his realm. In fact, this was his home. Regina's gone down to his lab to get one of his medical tools, since that's the spell component here."

Rob nods slowly and looks around a bit more. "What a strange place to live in. I'm not sure I could handle it." He starts to say something else, but stops when Quinn squeezes his arm. The pained look on her face stops the air in his lungs. "Quinn? Love, what's wrong?"

"I need you to be prepared for Regina to be a bit unnerved when she comes back," she says softly, glancing down the hall toward the door through which Regina disappeared. "Much of the issues have been dealt with over in the convening years, particularly since we'd gotten together with Robin, but you need to know that Victor was instrumental in me making a more blatant appearance in Regina's life."

"How so?"

The words wash over him as Quinn explains the situation with the faked attempt to resurrect Daniel that became the final turning point to darken Regina's heart and psyche all those years ago, setting her on the path to the darkness that became the Evil Queen and the woman he loves and is married to now. They've discussed the event in the abstract in the past, but being here, knowing more about another of the men behind the situation, he feels the distinct desire to help Whale and Jefferson both join Rumpelstiltskin in the Underworld permanently. But he won't do that. It's too late now, and will only open up the emotional scars that both Regina and Quinn have in ways that he doesn't want to happen.

"Whatever she and you need, my love, you know you need only ask and I'll do it if it's in my power."

"What exactly is a Kansas?" Rob asks, staring at the utterly flat and boring landscape around him. A shudder passes through him. "Everything is so open here. Where is one to hide if they need it?"

Quinn chuckles, which always makes him feel better, but it's only when Regina joins her that he truly feels a little less disconcerted. "Well, there are actually two places called Kansas. One in the Land Without Magic and this one. This is where Ruby's wife Dorothy came from, remember?"

Rob blinks at the thought of two, then a smirk curls up his lips. "Two places named Kansas? Do they look identical like you and Regina, too?" For good measure, he waggles his brows to get them to laugh again. It works like a charm.

"Just for that, we should make you go by yourself for the next few," Regina quips.

Quinn quirks a brow. "We could do that. You've got royal duties to attend to for the next few days. I'm sure there's something that I could do to assist you so that Rob has to do this by himself for a bit."

"Hey! Standing right here," he replies, then turns in a slow circle. "In the middle of a cornfield that feels like I'm being watched. What is it we're looking for here again?" A flash of color catches his eye and he crouches down to pick up a kernel of corn that has an otherworldly glow. Passing it off to his wife, he stands and wipes his hands on his trousers with a grimace. "I may never eat corn again, thanks to this place."

"Why are we dressing up differently for this realm?" Rob asks, tugging at the color of his tunic.

Quinn slaps his hand away and fixes his clothes again. "Because this is actually for the next realm we're going to. I know exactly where we need to go in this realm to get the item, and I'm far more worried about the next realm. It's… I've been to a different version and I never trust anything in any realm with the same name."

Rob quirks a brow at that and studies his wife, curious at the nervous tension rolling off her in waves. "Quinn? Love, what aren't you telling me?"

She shakes her head and offers him a small smile. "Let's just get these two done and then we'll take a few days to decompress. I know what we have left to visit yet, and we're going to need our strength to help bolster Regina. They're not going to be easy for her at all."

"Did we misjudge our plan of attack?"

"A bit, but as long as you and I present a strong, united force for her, I think we'll be okay. We know the goal." She takes a deep breath, smooths down the front of her dress, then takes his hand and activates the portal.

They step through and end up in a land that reminds him a bit of the Land Without Color, only this one has color and doesn't feel quite so disconcerting. They make their way down the street, past people who seem not to notice their presence at all. This has to be something of the Great Queen's doing, possibly his wife's. He's not sure, but he doesn't care really, just as long as they can get their work done. Quinn enters a garden gate and makes her way to the table on the veranda that contains a tea set. Rob follows her curiously, watching as she scoops up a gilded teaspoon from the table and drops it in the pouch. The smile she turns on him is bright, even as he can see hints of fear lurking in her dark eyes. He keeps her there for the time it takes to press a gentle, reassuring kiss to her lips.

Regina is not the only one who needs comfort and strength in this quest.

As soon as they step out of the portal, Rob feels a sense of vertigo that is disconcerting. After dealing with the greenness of Oz, he thought he'd seen it all, but this is proving him wrong. He's heard about how strange both of the Wonderlands are, but he's not sure which one this is.

"Quinn, where are we?"

"This isn't Mother's Wonderland, if that's what you're wondering," she says, offering him a brief glance. He can see the tension in the crow's-feet bracketing her eyes and settles a hand in the small of her back to rub gently. The movement helps her relax minutely, and she smiles at him. "Thank you, my love. For now, let's go get this damned mushroom for Hera and get the hell out of here."

"Lead the way, love."

They move quickly, practically jogging along the strange pathway until Quinn stops in front of a large mushroom with a Dodo bird perched on it, back facing them. "Shit," she mutters. "At least it's not the damned Caterpillar. Okay, do you see the smaller mushrooms beneath that big one?"

"I can see the one we need to get, love. It's glowing brightly enough to light our entire keep on the darkest night of the new moon."

"But we cannot let the Dodo catch us. He'll raise the alarm."

Rob's face lights up in a grin. "Leave it to the thief, love. Stay here and be ready to go."

"Be careful, Rob," she says, pressing a kiss to his lips.

He nods and makes his way carefully over to the mushroom, eyes focused on the Dodo bird's back. Once under the enormous mushroom, he crouches to carefully pluck up the glowing fungus. He stares at it for a few seconds before returning his gaze to the Dodo bird's back as he slowly gets back up and starts back toward his wife, moving sideways in an odd half-walk, half-dance away from the Dodo bird's proximity. When he's about ten feet away from Quinn, they hear a loud and indignant squawk from behind him. Quinn throws the bean to open the portal as he takes off at a dead run to take her hand and leap in with it to escape to safety, praying no one follows them.

Another two days pass before he's feeling up to continuing with their quest. Regina's finally got the chance to step away from her royal duties again, feeling less melancholy after that trip to Victor Whale's home realm, but Quinn must attend to her own duties, having promised to help the rest of the Royal Council in running the United Realms to let Regina have time away for this quest. Rob still doesn't get how that makes any sense, when they need Quinn, as well, but his wife and her twin have assured him that it's perfectly fine.

Regina has the pouch settled around her waist, and it looks odd against the black jeans and blazer she's chosen to wear. He rather fancies the deep burgundy top underneath that is as tight as some of Quinn's corsets, but clearly of a softer, more comfortable material, and showing off her décolletage just as nicely.

"My eyes did not relocate to my chest, Locksley," she says drily as they make their way out of the council chambers and the castle itself to open the portal for their destination.

"Yeah, sorry about that. You just look really good in that outfit and I was picturing your twin--"

"Lying bastard."

He lets out a startled bark of laughter and lifts a hand in acquiescence. "Guilty as charged, milady. My apologies. Shall we get on with this then?"

Regina shakes her head and tosses the bean to open the portal, then reaches for his hand. "Behave and maybe I'll give Quinn her own version of this outfit just for your benefit."

"Yes, Your Majesty," he quips, winking as they step into the portal.

The second they step out, he can feel it. There's a sensation of danger skittering along his spine, pulsing through his veins until he wants to shout with the intensity of it. His hand tightens around Regina's briefly when she goes to release hers.

"Rob…"

A part of him doesn't want to, but he lets go of her hand. His eyes rake up and down her form, once again noting just how identical Regina and Quinn are, and he hates himself for not having had the chance to bed Regina back when he had it. The things he'd love to do to her right now, starting with removing the clothing she wears like armor, even if it's only in theory. He could have his own harem of beautiful, powerful sorceresses to service him and rule all the lands together, letting him plunder and pillage as he wishes.

And then, like a bucket of ice water to the face, he remembers that this is his wife's twin, the woman he loves like a sister, the woman whose soulmate they're hoping to retrieve from a fate worse than death. He sucks in a shaky breath and rakes a hand over his face.

"Find whatever it is we need, Regina. We need to get out of here."

"Rob?"

"Just do it!" he shouts at her. Guilt floods him when she flinches at his tone. He'll be lucky if he survives this realm. Even if Regina lets him live, forgives him for this, Quinn certainly won't. He knows how vulnerable this quest has made Regina, even made Quinn, and here he is falling prey to his baser, darker impulses. "I'm sorry, Regina."

She doesn't answer him, won't even look at him. They separate to find the damned spell component, and he wants nothing more than to be able to leave this place and never return again. It feels like an eternity before Regina lifts her hand to show that she has the glowing wand in her hand. It disappears into the pouch, and she pulls out a bean to open the portal to take them home, barely taking his hand to go through with him.

Once they arrive back in the castle garden, she drops his hand as if it burns her. "Regina, I--" But she disappears in a cloud of purple smoke before he can get the apology out. His wife is going to kill him for this, and he deserves it. He raises his eyes to the sky. "Great Queen, if You can hear me, please tell me how to fix this. I didn't mean to hurt her like that."

When an answer doesn't immediately come, he drops down to the grass, head in his hands, elbows on his knees, and considers just finding a horse to head back to his and Quinn's castle to pack up his belongings and leave. But he doesn't leave, just sits there and lets the scene in the Dark Realm play on repeat in his head as tears slip down his face until he has no idea if he'll ever be able to fix this.

"What in the hell did you do, Rob?"

Her voice startles him and he looks up with bleary, tear-filled eyes to see the dark expression on his wife's face. He closes his eyes and drops his head again as he haltingly explains what happened, leaving nothing out. He won't lie to his wife, not now, not ever.

"You're a fucking idiot, Robin Locksley," she finally says when he stops speaking. He feels her hands on his face, her lips touching his forehead. "You should have gone after her."

That just pisses him off. "How? I didn't know where she went, Quinn! She poofed away the second we were back here."

"Shh," she soothes, softly stroking his cheek. "She came to me, explained what she understood of what happened, and requested that I come to find you and make sure you were okay, then she went to have a drink or several."

"She-- What?" It makes no sense to him. Regina should hate him, not worry about his wellbeing.

"There's a good reason she went with you to the Dark Realm instead of me, my love, and not just the royal schedule. Your reaction to that realm proved it. She and I talked about it earlier and we both feared that it could trigger my darker impulses, too, that it would be bad if you and I both went there. Turns out we were right. What we didn't consider was that it also made her more timid than normal, like when we were married to Leopold, before we had magic."

"She must hate me."

"She doesn't hate you, Rob. She loves you. But right now, things are a bit raw for both of you, so she's requesting a little time alone to get her equilibrium back. I think we all need it, so we're going to take a few days off from the quest to rest and recuperate. Then we'll better plan our remaining realms and spell components together."

"You're sure she doesn't hate me?" he asks softly. "And you don't either?"

"Neither of us hates you, my love, I swear it on my love for you and our children and grandchildren."

"I really didn't mean--"

"I know, Rob, and so does Regina." She kisses his forehead again. "Come on, my love, let's get you inside and into a nice warm bath, then we'll have a good meal and some wine before a lazy night in bed."

"What about Regina?"

"Mal is with her. She's promised she'll come find me if need be. We've made a promise to all have breakfast together tomorrow morning and talk."

Chapter Text

Hera steps into the throne room to see Aphrodite sitting before the mirror, a strange expression on her niece's face. The younger goddess toys with a golden curl as frown pulls her brows down, pouting at whatever it is playing out on the surface of the mirror.

"What troubles you, niece?"

Aphrodite jumps and looks up a bit sheepishly, gesturing at the mirror. "They're being obtuse. Why do the mortals do this? I thought the dreams I sent to Rob and Quinn would be enough to help them with their quest, but they're ignoring it."

Hera laughs softly and joins Aphrodite before the mirror to watch Rob and Quinn sleeping in their bed in the castle Regina now calls home part of the time. "They've managed to collect more than half of the spell components in just over three weeks, and that's with Regina and Quinn keeping up with their royal duties."

"But--"

"Remember what I said before, my dear. Regina is the one who needs to take the leap of faith more than Quinn and Rob. She's been hurt so many times, and she's quite stubborn when she wants to be." Hera chuckles at that. "She reminds me of myself in that respect. She needs time to come around to this. There's no time limit on this quest, at least none that I placed upon them. They work at their own pace." She pats Aphrodite's hand. "But if we should wish to offer a little encouragement, even enticement, I'm sure that would help."

Aphrodite perks up, eyes sparkling with the prospect of just how they could encourage the trio toward the end goal of this quest. "Their daughter-in-law is due with a new grandchild in just a few more weeks…"

In the space between one moment and the next, Regina goes from being curled up into Mal's side, listening to the comforting sounds of Rob and Little John telling yet another story about their exploits that is likely more lie than truth to suddenly finding herself surrounded by the flames of the Red Room. The heat is unbearable; her contacts feel glued to her eyeballs and swallowing is an exercise in rubbing glass against sandpaper. Any tears she tries to produce instantly dry up in a hiss of steam. Her screams are lost, swallowed by the roar of the flames threatening to engulf her at every turn.

Fear turns to despair because she knows the one person who can bring her back from this realm is dead, and then she sees a brilliant flash in the corner of her eye. Mincing around the flames to the best of her ability, she crouches down to find a small golden labyrinth pendant on the floor. Without thought, she picks it up… and screams as pain lances through her, the design searing itself into her palm. She feels herself falling into unconsciousness from the intensity of the pain and wonders if this is how she'll die.

The next thing Regina knows, she's sitting in The Tavern, hand still closed in a tight fist around the pendant, palm a fiery inferno that may never abate. She sucks in a breath and wills herself to stare at the fire in the hearth before her, heart racing in her chest at the thought of what she's doing here. Anything to take her mind off the pain, both physical and emotional.

It's been nearly a year since she last was here, since that fateful night when Robin visited her in her dreams to give her the red feather and the hope that they would be reunited one day when it was meant to be.

"Hello, love."

Just those two simple words in that beloved voice bring on a new flood of tears, emotions overwhelming every sense until she fears passing out again. "No," she whimpers raggedly, eyes clamping tightly shut. "This isn't real. This is the Red Room torturing me."

She hears movement from behind her, but refuses to open her eyes. Instead, she tightens her grip on the pendant in her fist, the waves of pain a kind of focus against the emotional maelstrom battering at her psyche.

"Open your eyes, love."

"You're not real." When he repeats the words, she chokes on a sob. "You won't be here when I do."

"You won't know until you open your eyes, Regina, and I've never known you to be a coward."

Despite her fear, she can't let the dare slide. Taking a deep breath, she cracks one eye open to see familiar scruff attempting to disguise the dimples she loves. Opening the other eye, she blinks back new tears at the comforting sight of his face before her, the twinkle in those blue eyes she's dreamed of every night for the last twenty years and more.

"Is it really you?"

He picks up her free hand and settles it over his heart, an echo of the movement shared a year ago in another dream in this very place. "Do you feel that?" When she nods, he echoes the gesture. "Then I suppose that means it's really me."

"How-- Why-- I don't understand."

"Let me take a look at this," he says, stroking her injured fist, "then we'll talk more, milady."

She sucks in a painful breath as he carefully peels back each finger to reveal the pendant surrounded by an angry, red burn. Reaching behind her to the table, he brings back a small pot that smells of peppermint, lavender, and beeswax. Pointing to the pouch at her waist -- How in the hell did that get there? -- he waits for her to open it before dropping the pendant inside, then carefully slathers a thick layer of the salve over her burn.

"Why did you visit Rob and Quinn, but not me?"

"Am I not visiting you now, Regina?" he asks, the tip of his tongue peeking out from between cheekily upturned lips that she wants to kiss more than anything.

"Robin…"

"All things in their due time, love." He wraps her hand with a bandage, then leans in to press a gentle kiss to her covered palm. "You've got to listen to me and trust that what I say is true. Continue with your quest and know you're nearing your goal. You must go to the Winter Garden, to the Witch of the South. She will help you with what you seek."

"But--"

"I already promised you that we will meet again when the time is right. This is something you must do, Regina. Please trust me, trust our love."

"I do," she whispers. "I miss you."

"And I you. Now rest, my love. You've an arduous journey ahead of you before you reach the end."

Very much against her will, she can feel herself waking. "I don't want to leave you, Robin."

"Take this for your collection. It will heal your wound and stand as your marker for this place." He presses something into her wounded hand, wrapping her fingers around it, just as he did the last time. "And remember that I love you, Regina."

"I love you, too, Robin, so very much."

"I know." He presses a sweet kiss to her lips.

And everything goes black.

She doesn't know how to explain her visit from Robin to Quinn and Rob, or the burn on her hand, beyond a barely choked out Red Room. She's not even sure where Mal and Little John went, but can't find the words to ask. Quinn, of course, understands the reference immediately and moves to take the pouch from her, as well as the red feather that she swears is a twin to the one Robin gave her in that first dream a year ago. Regina isn't surprised that, after stowing away the feather in the pouch, Quinn unwraps and inspects the wound herself. The motif of the burn isn't lost on her, judging by her pained expression.

"Fucking Wraiths…" she mutters as she bandages it again. "Do you want me to heal it?"

Regina shakes her head. "The salve feels like it's healing it already. It looks better than it did." She takes a deep breath. "I owe you both an apology for the way I acted when you had your dreams with Robin. I should've known he wouldn't intentionally ignore me. I just…" She shrugs helplessly, doesn't fight it when Quinn pulls her into a tight embrace.

"It's all right, dear, we understand." She presses a kiss to Regina's cheek. "How about a cup of valerian tea and an early night of it? We can get an early start on our next realm in the morning. This leaves us only" -- she cocks her head to the side in that way that she always uses when going over her larger plans -- "eleven realms left, if my calculations are right. And you're not needed for royal duties for another two weeks. If we work hard enough, we can get everything done before Penny's due date and maybe Hera can perform Her spell and have Robin back with us before the baby's born."

That thought warms Regina's heart, despite her wariness over this whole process. He missed seeing Roland and Margot grow up, missed Henry's wedding to Ella, missed Lucy's birth and childhood. So many moments he can never get back.

"Uh, loves? I think the tea may need to wait a bit," Rob says in an odd tone that gets them both to look at him.

Regina stares at the blonde woman standing in the room with a blinking older Henry and Lucy next to her. "You-- Who are you and how did you get past my protection wards without alerting me?"

The blonde chuckles and nonchalantly waves a hand. "You have good wards, Regina, don't get me wrong. The addition of Dragon magic was a good plan. But your magic is nothing to a goddess of Mount Olympus. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Aphrodite." She makes a grand flourish with both arms that ends in a deep genuflection toward them.

"What are you doing with our son and granddaughter?" Quinn is on the protective defensive first, and Regina realizes just how drained she is from that encounter in the Red Room and with Robin.

"Moms, it's okay," Henry says, answering first. "Aphrodite explained it to me already. You need to go to Isaac's book realm. He's not here and his book no longer exists, since he's not the Author anymore, so that's where I come in."

"And I get to come because I've got the potential to be the next Author," Lucy says with a bright grin that reminds Regina far too much of Henry at her age. "Isn't this exciting, abuelitas? We get to help in your operation!"

That shakes off the worst of the tension for both Regina and Quinn, even gets Rob to join in on the laughter. Once Aphrodite explains the process of where they must go and what they must do, Regina realizes that if they can get to these realms that should defy access, there might actually be a chance to get through that damned door to Glinda's little hidden realm. But is her heart pure enough?

Shaking off that thought, she turns her attention back to the task at hand. Glinda and her damned door can wait until later. For now, there is a glove from Isaac's realm that they need to find and a granddaughter to show around.

And what will they do if Lucy actually is destined to be the next Author?

"Follow me, everyone, and don't let your thoughts stray from the image I've given you to focus on," Aphrodite says in a solemn voice. "This is strange and tricky magic, even for a goddess like me."

Regina closes her eyes and pictures the square in front of the church on that fateful day when they were in Isaac's Heroes and Villains Realm, the day she sacrificed herself to save Henry's life. Her belly swoops sickeningly for a moment and, when she opens her eyes, she's no longer in her castle, but standing in that exact spot where she'd been struck down. Everyone else has fanned out to search for the glove, but she's rooted in place. After everything else that's happened so far today, this is proving to be more than her poor heart can handle, and a soft sob escapes her.

"You're going to be all right, Regina." Aphrodite's voice is soft, soothing. "You are so much stronger than you ever give yourself credit for."

"I can't do this," she whispers. "It's too much. Do you gods even understand the hell you've put me through to return to some of these realms in the pursuit of this quest of yours? There are demons I should never have to face again, but I have for the chance that maybe the Great Queen will be able to perform a spell to maybe bring my soulmate back from the oblivion that Hades sent him to. Quinn has Rob for solace when her traumas come up from these places. Who do I have? And what if this spell doesn't work? It was all for nothing? I was traumatized again, given hope for nothing?"

There are tears in the goddess's eyes as she moves to take Regina's hand in one hand, cup her cheek with the other. "Nothing we do in life is ever truly for nothing, Regina. You and I both know that, but I am sorry that you've had to deal with the ordeals of your past. Please don't give up on this quest. Neither Hera nor I would deliberately cause you harm for sport. That's never been our intention in this."

Regina parts her lips to speak, but it's Lucy's voice that rings across the square. "I found it! Oh, abuelita, it glows such a pretty color! This is it, right?"

Once again, she shoves her own issues back behind a closed door and a bright smile for her granddaughter, offering a short nod to the goddess before moving to join the rest of her family. She can see the Great Queen's magical glow on the glove, recognizes it as one of the ones she'd worn when they'd been cursed here by Isaac, then glances at Quinn for further confirmation. When both she and Quinn nod, Lucy's smile could light up the darkest night, and Regina's pain eases a bit.

"I knew you could do it, kid," Henry says, the epitome of a proud papa. "Your magic is better than I thought. We may need to have your grandmothers start your training earlier than we planned." He glances up at Regina and Quinn, curiosity and uncertainty erasing years from his appearance. "That's okay, right, Moms?"

"Of course, it is, dear," Regina replies. The sensation of Quinn's hand on the small of her back is comforting. "Once we've finished our quest and had a bit of time to recuperate, we'll all sit down and discuss how we want to proceed. And we'll have to see what happens with your cousin being born, too, Lucita."

Instead of going back to her castle, Aphrodite returns them to the home Henry and Lucy share with Ella in the New Enchanted Forest. Regina hasn't seen Ella since this whole quest started, so happily takes the opportunity to spend a night with her oldest son and his family.

"Hey, mami!" Ella says as they appear in the courtyard of the manor where Henry and his family live. She wraps her arms around Lucy, who runs up to hug her tightly and rambles excitedly about the adventure they just went on.

Regina just stands there with her eyes closed, quietly soaking in the calming atmosphere of Henry's home. She only jumps slightly when arms wrap around her from behind, recognizing her son's presence seconds later.

"You okay, Mom?" he asks softly as he rests his chin on her shoulder. "You've been really quiet."

"I'll be fine, sweetheart. And don't slouch."

His soft, knowing chuckle is a balm to her frazzled nerves, and he kisses her cheek before straightening. "You know I'm a dad now, right?"

"You'll always be my little prince, Henry," Regina replies, watching as Aphrodite steps away from Quinn and Rob to walk toward her.

"I just wanted to make sure you were doing all right before I take my leave."

She's touched by the way the goddess seems so interested in her and her twin's wellbeing. "I will be, but thank you for asking. Will we see you again, Aphrodite?"

"I'm sure our paths will cross again at some point, Regina. Hera and I have taken a special interest in you and your family ever since Hades pulled his underhanded tricks on you and yours." She reaches into an unknown pocket in her chiton to offer Regina an amulet of a dove. "Wear this when you traverse to the Dark One's Vault. It will protect you and keep you from succumbing--"

"I don't want that dark magic," she hisses.

"I know you don't, but you remember what your former master once told you. The Darkness likes how you taste, you and Quinn both. She and Rob also have these amulets. Wear them for that realm. Afterward, you can keep them or toss them up in the air as if releasing a dove to return them to me. Safe journey, Regina." And with a soft smile, she disappears in a cloud of palest lavender smoke.

"Come on, Mom, I think Ella has dinner ready for us."

Regina follows her son and their family into the mansion, worrying at the dove pendant as she mulls over the goddess's parting words. Ella leads them into the kitchen, which Regina is grateful for, not wanting to stand on any kind of ceremony tonight. They all find their places around the table and settle in easily, passing around the dishes that Ella, Henry, and Lucy set out. The meal is simple and comforting, foods that Ella had learned to cook while they were cursed in Hyperion Heights. And then she remembers that they have to make a trip back there, reminds herself to ask if there's anything Ella or Henry might need.

When the meal winds down and Henry brings out dishes of sherbet for dessert, Ella smiles and declines, which raises the hairs on the back of Regina's neck. In all the years she's known her daughter-in-law, she's never known Ella to decline sherbet.

"Before any of you freak out about me saying no," Ella says as she holds up a hand, "let me explain. My stomach's been a little wonky lately, so I did something on a whim. And I'm kinda glad Aphrodite brought you all back here tonight." Pulling her other hand out from under the table, Regina sees the flash of gold before registering what is in Ella's hand. "I'm pregnant."

Of course, the pregnancy test is the talisman for this realm.

But how did Hera know…

They spend an extra day with Henry and Ella, celebrating the new grandchild to come, and Regina realizes that Quinn had missed out on a lot of Ella's pregnancy with Lucy, so is grateful that she'll get this chance to bond more with Ella over this pregnancy.

The trip to the Dark One's Vault is quiet, and feels like it takes forever, even though they use a portal to get to the woods just outside the vault's entrance. Rob is disturbingly quiet and repeatedly fingers the dove pendant from Aphrodite. Before they move to step inside the cave that will lead into the Dark One's Vault, Regina touches both Quinn's and Rob's arms.

"Is everything all right?" she asks softly. "You seem a little off, Rob."

He licks his lips and doesn't meet her gaze, still fingering the dove with his free hand. "I don't think I should go in there, not after what I did to you in the Dark Realm."

Oh.

"Rob, we talked about this. It's okay, I forgave you, remember?" She reaches up to touch his hand on the pendant. "And Aphrodite gave us these pendants to keep us safe."

"I'd still rather stay out here, keep watch, if that's all right with you both."

Regina and Quinn share a long, silent conversation in a glance, then nod and lean up to each press a kiss to one of his cheeks. Regina steps back as Quinn murmurs something to Rob and kisses him sweetly for a moment. When they part, he looks slightly less disquieted, but Quinn seems a bit more on edge.

"Let's make this quick, shall we?" she says as she joins Regina.

"You don't have to ask me twice."

They press the symbols in the right sequence and enter the vault. It smells musty in a dead bodies kind of way that makes Regina's skin crawl. Thankfully, the small crystal they need is easily found within feet of their position, and they can exit within a handful of minutes.

The air outside of the Dark One's Vault is sweeter than Regina has ever breathed, and she accepts the hug that Rob pulls her and Quinn into. She lets Quinn poof them to Camelot, already feeling the tightness in her chest at the thought of returning to the place where she felt so much love and happiness with her soulmate. And fear. She remembers almost losing him because of that idiot Percival, not that she begrudges him his need for revenge. After all, she and Quinn are experts in the revenge game, aren't they?

"Your Majesties, it is an honor to have you grace Camelot."

She glances up to see Guinevere standing there with a bright smile on her face. She always did find the young queen to be personable, particularly when not under Arthur's influence. In fact, she's become an influential member of the Royal Council and a good friend to Tiana and Ella, among others.

"Guinevere, you know you can call us Regina and Quinn," Quinn says with a chuckle. "There is no need to stand on ceremony, as this is not an official visit."

Guinevere nods and beckons them to follow her. "I believe I have the item you're looking for, but I hope you'll have time for a cup of tea with me. If I understand correctly, you've just come from the Dark One's Vault, and that can't have been an easy time of it."

Regina follows behind them quietly, grateful when Rob falls in step next to her, a hand settling in the small of her back. He's not her soulmate, not romantically tied to her, but he knows how to calm her in many of the same ways that Robin used to. Despite their early clashes, she has come to cherish Rob's place in her life. She flashes him a grateful smile, relieved to see the calm has returned to his eyes again.

As they near the table where Quinn and Guinevere are already sitting down, she notices her twin quickly stuffing something into the pouch. The flash of purple amid the golden glow alerts her to exactly what the spell component in this realm is, and she sighs softly. Of course, it's that damned necklace. Well, good riddance. Hera can have it, and if it can bring Robin back to her, she'll take the karmic justice of that.

They take a couple of days off after their return from Camelot to relax in Quinn and Rob's castle. It allows them the chance to check in with Heike and Roland and Penny. Regina takes the opportunity to practice a little of her healing magic to help Penny's back pain, much to both Penny's and Tuck's appreciation.

Once they feel rested enough, and Heike has asked enough questions to last a few months, Quinn uses a bean to deposit them in the alley behind the bar where Regina had lived and worked during the last curse. She shivers slightly, feeling odd being here without the rest of the extended family she created here while cursed as Roni Manzana.

"So what exactly was it like to be one of the cursed people?" Quinn asks softly as they step into the bar.

"Well, at the time I had no clue, but when Drizella gave me the potion to remember, I wanted to kill her."

"Why didn't you?" Rob asks curiously. "Was it the lack of magic?"

Regina shakes her head, feeling the sting of tears. "No." Her voice sounds so husky, so she clears her throat. "It was because of Henry. I needed her alive, controlling the curse, so I could try to find a cure for Henry. I couldn't let him die."

They move further into the bar, but find nothing and head up to the loft. If it's not here, like the scroll says it will be, she's not sure what they'll do. She rubs at the dove pendant, needing the calming presence it gives her. As they make their way toward the stairs, she sees even more reminders of Robin in this bar. Oh, Drizella was clever and cruel as hell.

"I can't believe that little bitch basically turned you into Robin for your cursed persona," Quinn says finally.

"He wouldn't have gotten a tramp stamp, Quinn."

"No, but I might've."

Regina can practically hear the gears grind to a halt in Rob's mind and hates herself for even mentioning it. "What's a tramp stamp?"

"It's a tattoo placed in the small of the back or at the rise of the ass," Quinn supplies for her with a chuckle, a wolfish grin on her lips. "As Roni, Regina's was for a rock band, right, dear?"

"Yes, unfortunately, and no, Rob, you can't see it. It no longer exists."

"Wait!" he says and she can feel his eyes on her ass. "The small of your back? So I've had my hand where that tattoo was?"

This just makes Quinn laugh even louder and Regina flush a dark red. "I swear to god, Rob, if I find out you get your rocks off to this mental image, I'll remove your ability to do so permanently."

His face goes deathly white and Quinn's laughter splutters to a stop. "Hey, no threatening my husband's manhood! I happen to enjoy that a great deal!"

Regina just rolls her eyes and reaches for the dart glowing on the dartboard. "Whatever, you two. Let's get out of here. I think we're going to the Big Apple next, right?"

She knows the apartment is still uninhabited, given that she pays the monthly rent and utilities, so makes sure the portal opens up in the middle of the main room. It feels weird to be here again. The last time she was here, it was when…

"I know," Quinn says softly. "I'm sorry."

Regina attempts a nonchalant shrug and fails miserably. "It doesn't matter. Let's just find what we need here and get on to our next realm. I'm anxious to catch up with Ursula." The sensation of Quinn and Rob's eyes on her back is telling that they can read the lie in her words. She doesn't care. She just wants this over with.

After nearly an hour of searching, Rob finally says, "As much as I know this apartment means to you, I don't think it's here, Regina. Where else could it be?"

Before she can formulate an answer, Quinn takes the opportunity from her. "I think I know where it is. I was hoping it was here, but I think I always knew where it would be. This one's on me."

"Quinn?"

She shakes her head and poofs them without warning into the backroom of an herbal shop that Regina immediately recognizes. Without thought, Regina turns to Rob and literally pushes him toward Quinn. "Go make sure your wife is all right. I'll look for the spell component."

"What?"

"Remember how there have been several locations that are painful for me?" When he nods, she does the same and pointedly looks at her twin.

"Oh! Okay, let me know when you find it."

He doesn't wait for her reply, moving to pull his wife into his arms. Regina watches them for a few seconds before she turns to search the shop for their quarry. It only takes fifteen minutes tops before she finds a small and clearly unripe dragonfruit glowing like every other spell component they've found. She wants to laugh at the obvious joke, but chooses to just go retrieve her twin and Rob instead.

"Okay, I know I haven't had anything to drink today, so how the hell am I seeing double?"

Quinn laughs softly at that and accepts the hug from Ursula, which makes Regina feel a bit less worried about her twin. Rob, on the other hand, is still freaking out a bit about being underwater, holding his breath instead of just breathing. She slaps his back hard enough to make him gasp and realize that he can just breathe, rolling her eyes in amusement at both Quinn and Ursula.

"Oh, look at that!" Ursula says with a wry grin, dark eyes sparkling with mischief. "You both brought me something to snack on!" Her eyes rake up and down Rob's form hungrily in a move reminiscent of Cruella. "I take that back. He's a whole meal and a half."

"Q-Quinn?" The fact that Rob's voice cracks on his wife's name is enough for the three women to nearly fall over from laughing so hard.

"Urs, you may want to ease up before you give my husband a heart attack," Quinn says, motioning him over. "Come here, my love, and meet one of my oldest friends."

Rob moves to her side, and Regina hangs back to watch the introductions, happy to see him start to relax a bit when Ursula starts to turn on her charm. She's always had a way of doing that sort of thing that Regina's envied. Quinn's always had it, too, and Mal and Cruella. She was always the odd woman out in that sense.

"Are you just going to stand over there and stare off into space, Regina, or are you gonna come over here and get a damned hug?"

Ursula's question pulls her out of her thoughts with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Urs. Just got caught up." She crosses over to accept the hug she's missed. "I've missed you." The words are out before she realizes she wants to say them.

"Same here. Now that you're a big queen, you're just too busy to see your old friend all the time, is that it?"

She knows Ursula's teasing, but it still hurts. "It's not that.."

"Hey," comes the soft reply, a hand cupping her chin until she meets those compassionate eyes. "I was teasing. I'm just as busy down here as you are up there. It's a two way street." When Regina smiles, Ursula also does, then inclines her head. "Come on, I have the item you need. I'd love for you to stay, but I know you have things you need to do to get your man back."

"Urs--" she says, as they head further into the underwater castle.

"Nope, don't say it. It's okay. Once you get him back and you've gotten tired of making doe eyes at each other and fucking like there's no tomorrow, you let me know and we'll arrange a nice visit. All four of you, me, and Mal. Make sure Mal comes, so I have someone to talk to while you two couples go off to do couple-y things." She waggles her brows and makes kissing noises.

Regina rolls her eyes as Quinn and Rob laugh loudly. "You're as bad as Mal is sometimes."

"Cru was worse and you know it." And then Ursula goes quiet for a moment. "I know you're going to the Underworld. Can you do me a favor and take a message to Cru for me? I'm okay if you don't bring one back from her, but I just want to get one to her if you can do it."

It's Quinn that replies first. "You know you don't even have to ask, Ursula."

The relieved smile on their friend's face is palpable. She stops to pick up a small shell box from a table. Opening it, she reveals a smaller glowing shell that looks like the one that once held her voice captive. "Don't worry, it's not the one that holds my singing voice, but it's similar." As Quinn puts it in the pouch, she pulls a folded piece of parchment from her pocket. "This is for Cru. If you can't get it to her for whatever reason, I want you to promise me you'll just burn it, okay? I don't need this falling into the wrong hands."

"You have our word, Urs."

Regina squints as they step out of the portal, shuddering as she swears she feels the cold fingers of death sliding down her spine. "Okay, I don't care what either of you think. We find Cru--"

"Right here, darling," Cruella says, interrupting her. Regina watches Quinn tighten her grip on Rob's arm as Cruella hungrily eyes him before pouting and rolling her eyes. "Oh please! Like I'd steal a living man like th--" She blinks owlishly. "Darling, are there two of you or am I suffering from a distinct lack of gin?"

"There are two of us, dear," Quinn says with a vicious grin, and Regina sighs. "Clearly the news doesn't travel fast enough down here for you to know about our split."

"Are there two of him?"

"No!"

Before Cruella can drag Quinn into something that could get them trapped here, Regina takes matters into her own hands. "Cruella, we don't have a lot of time here. You have something we need, and we have something for you."

"Tell me it's more gin!"

Now Regina rolls her eyes at the woman's predictability. "No, it's a letter from Ursula."

Cruella's eyes grow round at that, jaw dropping. "My Ursula? Give it to me now!"

"You forget, Cruella, that Regina and I know you quite well," Quinn cuts in smoothly before Regina can respond, and holds out her hand. "Give us what we want first."

Cruella pouts and reaches into the pocket of her hideous fur coat and pulls out what looks like a small piece of the Olympian crystal. Regina won't touch it, shudders at the sight of it, and notes that Quinn won't touch it either. In fact, she just opens the pouch and holds it out for Cruella to drop the crystal in. As soon as that's done, Regina hands over the letter.

"We're going to the precipice to retrieve the next piece. You have until we get back here to pen a letter to take back to Ursula."

She feels bad for being curt, but this place and its eerie red landscape is giving her one hell of a migraine again.

"The last time we were here," Regina hears Quinn whisper to Rob, "we were with Zelena, watching Mother go to the Elysian Fields." The sound carries surprisingly well as she makes her way out toward the very end of the precipice. "Do be careful, dear."

"Trust me, Quinn, I don't want to be stuck here anymore than you do."

She stops right at the end and holds out her hand, just like Hera and Aphrodite instructed her to do. She closes her eyes and pictures Robin in front of her: whole, healthy, happy, and in love. In the next instant, she feels the palm of her hand grow warm. Opening her eyes again, she sees a small golden flame dancing in her hand. It glows exactly as the rest of the spell components do. She quickly grabs the glass vial that Hera provided for her and slips the flame inside and stoppers it before backing away as quickly as possible.

"Got it. Let's go get Cru's letter and get the hell out of here."

"Weren't we already here?" Rob asks as they step out of the portal two days later. All three of them needed to recover from the migraines brought about by the time spent in the Underworld. When neither Regina nor Quinn answer him right away, she watches him turn to look at them curiously. "Are you both all right?"

They both shake their heads, mutely staring around them. Regina always knew this would be one of the hardest places to come to again, but didn't realize it would be difficult for Quinn, too. She holds out a hand to her twin and squeezes tightly when their fingers interlace. "We can do this, Quinn. We're stronger when we're together, right? Isn't that what you always used to say when I was afraid and you'd take over?"

Quinn's smile is tentative, but growing stronger. It feels so strange to Regina to be the strong one. The only other time she was blatantly this strong without prompting was that day in her office when she chose love over hate. She will not fail her twin, not now, not ever. Quinn has always been her strength, always put her first. Now it's her turn to do the same for Quinn again.

"Come on, Quinn. Let's go find what we're looking for and get the hell out of here. The Queen of Hearts is no longer here and that side of Mama is long dead and gone. She can't hurt us anymore."

Quinn takes a deep breath and straightens up, just like Mama taught them when they were a young girl, like Quinn made sure they did as a queen. "We're so close to our goal. Just two more items and we can get your soulmate back." She even sounds strong like she always has.

"That's right."

Regina won't let on that, once they get this spell component, they have one realm left and it's the one that actually terrifies her the most. She can't afford to think about that now. She takes her own deep breath and smiles as Rob takes Quinn's other hand, bolstering his wife as he should. She wishes Robin was here now to bolster her in the same way, then remembers he's the reason they're here.

Wonderland can't hurt them now. Everything that once terrified them in this land is dead and gone.

It takes three more days before Quinn and Rob can talk Regina into going to the Winter Garden. Three days of constant fights and slamming doors and Regina angrily poofing away when she can't take it anymore.

"Regina, why are you fighting this?"

"Do you not remember what happened the last time we tried to step through that fucking door, Quinn?"

"No, I guess I wasn't the one in charge that day," she replies snidely. "And I haven't been here the last three days fighting with you over it either. Care to fill me in?"

"Fuck you, Quinn. You know why this won't work."

"No, fuck you, Regina, if you're too fucking scared to actually do something to prove you're ready to be reunited with your soulmate."

"Miladies, I don't think--"

"One more word, thief, and I'll rip out your throat."

Rob's eyes grow comically wide and, if Regina wasn't so homicidally and suicidally angry right now, she'd find his reaction absolutely hilarious. Unfortunately, all it does is make her angrier that he's being so solicitous and kind like her own Robin would be. All of this work over the past five weeks and she's not going to get her soulmate back anyway.

"Look, I don't want to fight with you, Regina," Quinn finally says after a long moment of silence, her tone softer this time. The change is giving Regina the emotional equivalent of whiplash and one hell of a migraine. "Hera wouldn't give us this quest if She thought we would fail. She and Aphrodite both assured us that wasn't the case."

"The gods lie, Quinn. Hades is a prime fucking example."

Regina starts to tremble with the effort to stay here. They've ambushed her in her own bedroom, her personal sanctuary, which makes it difficult to poof away to find privacy to lick her wounds and wallow in her failure. Before she realizes it, there are familiar arms wrapped around her, and she struggles against her twin's embrace as hot tears spill down her cheeks unabated.

"Shh, just stop, Regina," Quinn murmurs, not letting go of her. "We can do this. We've more than proved that we've changed over the years, both of us."

"But what if--"

"If for some reason, we try and still can't get through that stupid fucking door, then we storm Mount Olympus and demand that Hera explain why we were lied to, force Her to do the spell anyway."

She wants to say something, but the addition of Rob's solid warmth against her back breaks down the last of her stubborn resolve. They hold her as she sobs, letting out all of her pent up rage and fear at the thought of coming so far and losing anyway, like she has so many times in the past.

When she can cry no more, she leans back enough to meet Quinn's sympathetic gaze, head resting against Rob's strong shoulder. "I-If we're going to do this, then let's go now."

"You should rest first, Regina."

"Are you fucking kidding me, Quinn?" she asks with a sharp bark of laughter. "You've been fighting me for three days to go and now that I say I'm ready, you want me to wait?"

"You're exhausted physically and emotionally."

"And probably the most honest I'll ever be for that fucking door."

She smiles wearily when Quinn has no good argument. They change into clothing appropriate for the temperatures of the Winter Garden and Quinn opens a portal. The three of them step in while holding hands, this time with Regina supported in the middle. Once in front of that door that has been the subject of a few nightmares over the years, she takes a few deep breaths and stares at it.

"Do you want to go first or should one of us?" Rob asks softly, rubbing her back.

"Robin came to all three of us, telling us to come here," she finally says. "We all need to go through that door, but we have to do it one at a time." She stares at the door for another moment and then makes her decision. "He's my soulmate. I'll go first. If my heart isn't pure enough to get into Glinda's re--"

Before she can finish that word, the Witch of the South appears before them. "What are you doing here?"

Regina narrows her eyes, wanting to retort sharply like Quinn normally would, but she forces herself to take a deep breath. "You know why we're here, Glinda. Hera tasked us with a quest. We need to retrieve a spell component within your hidden realm."

"What makes you think your heart is any purer than it was before?"

Gods, but she hates this haughty bitch! Another deep breath pushes that anger away. "Because I have worked hard to change for the better, and because my soulmate deserves better than the lot he was given by Hades' deceit."

Glinda stares her down for a long moment, then steps aside and gestures to the door. "Each of you must step through the door to determine your heart's worth. If worthy enough, you'll enter my realm. If not, you'll remain here."

Regina looks at her, then back at Quinn and Rob with a tentative smile, accepting the tight, encouraging hugs they give her. When she turns around again, Glinda is gone and the door is slightly ajar. Of course, Glinda returned to her hidden realm. She takes a deep breath and says, "Wish me luck."

"You can do this, Regina."

"We'll be right behind you, love."

One more deep breath and Regina steps forward, opening the door to cross the threshold. She stares forward, overwhelmed by what she sees before her, and feels herself start to sway as her vision darkens. Just before everything goes pitch black, she hears a familiar voice calling out Regina!

Chapter Text

Aphrodite lets out a soft cry of delight, clapping her hands before covering her mouth as she stares into the surface of the mirror. "Oh, she did it!"

"They all did it, dear," Hera says, unable to hide the pride in her own voice as she watches the scene unfold. "This was about so much more than simply Regina's journey, as you well know."

The younger goddess turns to offer a sheepish smile. "You're right, of course. What do we do now?"

"We go to retrieve the spell components, of course, and offer our congratulations on successfully completing the quest."

"And then?"

"Patience, dear. I know that's never been your strong suit."

He has the sense to lunge for Regina as she falls, cradling her close before she crumples to the ground, uncaring as he lands hard on his knees on the frozen ground. There are other voices around them, a cacophony of sounds distorting into overwhelming white noise that he forces to the background. All that matters is the unconscious woman in his arms. His hand trembles as it ghosts over her face and hair, tears blurring his vision, no matter how many times he tries to blink them away.

"Regina? Love, come back to me." His voice cracks on her name, emotions overwhelming until he wants to scream for just a moment of peace. "Let me see those beautiful eyes of yours again."

"Give her a moment to recover from the shock."

He recognizes that voice dimly, and it compels him to tear his gaze away from Regina's serene face to meet the dark, knowing gaze of the goddess that has helped him all this time, both of the goddesses that helped him. A few seconds' time pass before he recognizes the couple still standing just inside the doorway, stunned looks on their faces that are so familiar to him, he might as well be looking in a mirror.

"I don't understand--"

Before he can finish the thought, not that he fully knows how he intended to finish it in the first place, a soft moan from the woman in his arms tears his attention away from everyone else. Her brow furrows briefly as she shifts uncomfortably, hands grasping for something. Her eyes flutter briefly before opening to focus on him, and all he can do is offer her a gently encouraging smile.

"R-Robin?" she whispers raggedly, tears filling her eyes. "Have I died?"

"No, love," he replies with a chuckle. "You are very much alive and still as beautiful as the day I met you."

"How-- I don't understand."

She struggles to sit up, and he shifts to help her settle more comfortably in his lap, uncaring that the snow has leeched into his clothing and unwilling to let her out of his sight or his grasp. Tears slip down her cheeks unheeded as she traces the contours of his face with delicate fingers, as if unwilling to touch too firmly for fear he'll disappear.

"I'm here, love, and I'm not going anywhere without you again."

Those words are apparently all it takes for her to break down completely, burying her face in the crook of his neck and clinging tightly to him. He simply wraps his arms around her, murmuring soothingly of his love for her, and lets her cry. He can hear the goddesses explaining things to his and Regina's doppelgangers, knows it will need to be repeated at some later point for Regina's benefit, not to mention some proper introductions, but for now he's content just to hold his love once again and comfort her.

The next day, they find themselves in the castle from which Quinn and Rob rule, the castle he very clearly remembers breaking into with Regina during their first days of knowing each other. It's still disconcerting to see a duplicate of himself, but he's slowly warming to it, especially as he watches how Rob interacts with Quinn and, more importantly, with Regina.

Regina hasn't left his side since she came to in his arms, save for the obligatory bodily functions that required it, and both have fallen prey to tears on several occasions already. Neither can stop touching each other either, more than they used to do, if only for the reassurance that this isn't all some dream they'll awaken from.

"Robin, are you sure you don't need anything?"

Robin looks up from watching Regina trace the pattern of his tattoo with her finger to smile at Quinn. "I'm fine, Quinn. You and Rob have done a fine job of making sure we're well cared for." His eyes travel to his soulmate once more, not surprised when she glances up to meet his gaze with a soft smile. "I can never thank the two of you enough for all you've done for Regina while I was gone."

Quinn's cheeks darken slightly as she looks down briefly. "I'd sooner die than let anything happen to her, Robin, I hope you know that."

"I do, and as I explained to you all last night, I have seen some things over the years that I was…" He feels Regina tense against him, and he struggles to come up with a word he can use. "When I was away. I never saw everything, and time moved differently for me then, but I had some knowledge of the split between the two of you. I should have liked to have words with Snow White and Emma about encouraging that at the time, but I see now that it was for the best for both of you, so I am at peace with it."

Before he can say anything else, there's a knock at the door, and he tenses when he sees the smile lighting up Quinn's face. The children are here. He didn't lie when he said he's been able to catch glimpses of his family over the years, so he knows that Henry is married and has a daughter, that Roland is now married, that his beautiful baby girl is grown and married, as well. He even has caught glimpses of the daughter that Quinn and Rob adopted. But to actually interact with them now is terrifying him.

"You know they're going to be thrilled to see you again, Robin," Regina murmurs, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "They've missed you so much over the years. We all made sure Margot knew everything about you, and that meant that Heike also learned everything about you. She's always considered you her uncle, like Roland sees Rob as his Uncle Papa."

"I know, but…"

"No buts, Robin. Just relax and enjoy this, okay?"

The door opens to reveal the whole lot of them coming in at once, and he stands up to greet them. Henry comes up to him first, a broad smile lighting up his face as he pulls Robin into a tight hug, just as he had as a boy, and Robin can't help but return it, feeling tears prick in his eyes.

"I can't believe you're really here, Robin," he says, and Robin can hear the boy in the man's voice. "I've missed you so much and tried to live by your code as the Author."

"That means more than you can ever know, my boy," Robin replies, a lump in his throat. "I am so proud of the man you've become. And I hear you've given me my first grandchild. Is this true?"

Henry laughs and turns as a woman walks up to him, but it's the young girl that barrels right over to hug him without hesitation and a Grandpa! that makes him laugh. "Okay, so this is your granddaughter, Lucy. Kid, this is--"

"I know, Dad," she replies with a cocky grin that reminds Robin of her father. "Hi, Grandpa. I'm so glad you came back for Abuelita. She's missed you so much."

"And I've missed her, too. But now she and I get to have the family we'd talked about back then, and that includes grandchildren, so I am very happy to meet you finally."

Lucy laughs and hugs him again as Henry introduces Robin to Ella and explains that there will be another grandchild coming in about seven months, which thrills him beyond measure. He's missed so much already, and doesn't want to miss anything else. Robin has to promise Lucy some archery lessons to get her to step aside to greet her other grandparents so he can meet the younger Henry. This one looks more like the stepson he remembers, but he can see the differences between them. The meeting feels stilted, which is understandable, but he's got a feeling the lad will come around with time.

Rob stands and brings over a beautiful young woman next, and Robin can't help the disappointment that neither of his children steps up next. But he does his best to cover it up, grateful when Regina laces her fingers with his for support.

"Robin, I'd like you to meet my and Quinn's daughter, Heike Rose. Heike, this is your uncle Robin."

She holds out her hand politely, and Robin can't help but take it and brush his lips to her knuckles with a polite bow. Her girlish giggle makes him grin, but it's Quinn's exaggerated groan that makes him chuckle.

"Quit hitting on your niece, Robin!"

"Wasn't my intention at all, milady," he retorts as he stands and winks at Heike. "I was merely offering her the proper greeting of a princess of the realm."

"Smooth bastard."

"Mama!" Heike exclaims with a giggle before offering Robin a brief hug. "Welcome home, Uncle Robin. I'm glad you can be reunited with Auntie Regina."

"Thank you, Heike."

When she moves to settle on the bench next to her mother, Robin glances over by the door and is startled to see Henry talking to Roland briefly before literally pushing the younger man toward him with a laugh. Roland rolls his eyes, but continues toward his father, hand-in-hand with a beautiful young woman who is quite heavily pregnant. Robin wants to go to him, but can't move from his spot. He can see so much of Marian in Roland now, even more than when he was little, and it eases something in his heart.

"Papa?" He may be an adult now, but he sounds like that five-year-old boy again, and it tugs at Robin's heart in ways that are both wonderful and painful as hell.

"Roland, my boy," he says as he pulls his son into a bone-crushing hug that is easily returned. Both of them are crying now and just holding each other tightly. He can hear Roland whispering about how much he's been missed and loved over the years, and all he can do is whisper back the same and that he's back now, just as he had with Regina the day before. When they can finally release their death grip on each other, he leans back to cup Roland's face in his hands. "Look at you, my boy. You've grown into such an incredible young man. Everything I could have wished for you has come true, and now I get to be here to see you become a papa yourself." He smiles and presses a kiss to Roland's forehead, just as he had when his son was little. "Introduce me to your lovely wife?"

"Oh yeah!" Roland says with a wet laugh and scrubs at his face before bringing her closer. "Papa, this is my wife, Penny. She's a lot like Mama, which is why I fell so head over heels for her. Penny, this is my papa."

Robin reaches for her hand, but Penny apparently has other plans and pulls him into a hug that is awkward due to her extended belly. "It's so good to finally meet the man that Roland has told me and the baby all about. We've be--" She's cut off by a hard kick that even Robin feels, grunting at the intensity. "And apparently your grandchild is anxious to say hello."

Robin laughs and crouches down to place his hands on her belly. "Hello in there. This is your grandpa. I realize that you're excited to meet me, and that you're likely cramped, but you need to be nicer to your mama for a bit longer, yeah? When it's time and you're out here with the rest of us, you and I will have a long chat about what it means to be a Locksley, all right?" He gets another, gentler kick and smiles, pressing a kiss to that spot before standing again. "You take care as you near your delivery date, Penny, and make sure my son pampers you and caters to your every need, or he'll answer to his grownups."

That gets everyone laughing, especially when Roland whines Papa! at him. He waits until Roland and Penny step aside to find a spot to sit before he looks back toward the door. He's seen his daughter a few times here and there over the years, mostly when she was with Regina, considering he still has issues with Zelena. He's actually a bit stunned Zelena's not here, given that even Mal's puttering around the castle grounds, though she's chosen to stay away for this reunion.

"So you're the famous Robin Hood, huh?"

He blinks at the question, as well as the smattering of laughter from everyone else around him. And then Henry calls out, "Come on, Alice, give the man a break! He hasn't even met you yet!"

She shrugs and grins. "Isn't that what we're doing now?" She sticks out her hand toward him. "I'm Alice, though sometimes I forget and call myself Tilly. That curse that took us to Hyperion Heights kinda messed with my head a bit worse than everyone else, so I get messed up sometimes and forget. But I know you're Nobin's papa because you look like Rob over there, but kinda older and lighter haired."

What in the hell is a Nobin? He doesn't want to ask the question, but he is so confused.

"Oh my god, Alice, stop!"

Robin doesn't recognize that voice, but when he sees the young blonde come up to Alice's side, he realizes…

"M-My daughter?"

She glances up at him shyly, tucking her hair behind her ear in a move just like Regina, and it endears her to him even more. "Hi," she says softly. "I'm Robyn, but I'd rather you call me Margot to avoid the confusion of three Robins."

He just stares at her, unable to move or speak. He's not even sure he's breathing until she steps closer and offers him a shy smile, a dimple peeking out, and he gasps at the sight. "My god, you're so beautiful," he finally blurts out. "I'm…"

"Papa," she whispers, launching herself into his arms, much as Roland had.

Robin just holds her close, stumbling a bit as he feels her legs wrap around his waist. But then he feels the tingle of Regina's magic to bolster him in place and he forgets about balance, focusing instead on his grown up baby girl in his arms. If he thought he cried when he held Roland again, it was nothing to now. All of his fears of this being awkward, of her not wanting anything to do with him, are washed away with each progressive second that they hold each other and cry.

"I'm so sorry I missed out on your entire life," he finally whispers, feeling the stab of regret deep in his heart, "but I couldn't--"

"I know," she replies just as emotionally and leans back finally to look at him. "Aunt Regina explained it all to me so many times, and Aunt Quinn and Mom, too. You wouldn't be you if you'd let anything else happen." She hugs him again. "All that matters is that you're here now."

He lets out a sobbing laugh and kisses her temple, rubbing her back gently as they sway in place for a moment longer before he helps her to her feet again. A part of him doesn't want to let go of her, but she's a grown woman now. He hates that he missed raising her, but he knows that Regina and Quinn made sure she was raised well. "I hear you're quite the archer. I look forward to challenging you one day and putting you through your paces."

Margot laughs at that. "I promise I'll go easy on you."

His laughter is surprised and loud. "I'd rather lose fairly if I'm going to."

"Fair enough, Papa. I'm glad you're back," she says, hugging him again.

"As am I, Margot." He kisses the top of her head and closes his eyes against the overwhelming emotions.

"So is this where we tell your papa that we're having a baby, too?"

He hates the idea of parting from his family, but then he remembers that he can see them anytime he wishes. This isn't goodbye forever, it's just for a short time. Plus, he and Regina haven't truly begun to reconnect and decompress from all that's happened, and she's beginning to show signs of stress more clearly again.

So they say their goodbyes to their family and climb onto Mal's back once she's transformed into her Dragon form. He's just doing all sorts of new things in this day since coming back to life: meeting Regina's twin, meeting his twin, reuniting with his children, meeting the extended members of his family, and now riding on a Dragon's back as he takes his soulmate to his childhood home for a time alone.

"You're sure this is safe?" he asks as he shifts to settle on Mal's back. Her rumble vibrates beneath him, and it's both disconcerting and a bit of a turn-on at the same time.

"It's fine," Regina assures him, reaching back to pat his thigh. "I used to ride Mal all the time." He doesn't have to see her face to know she's blushing fiercely or recognize that this new rumble of Mal's is laughter. "Wait! That came out wrong."

"No, I think it came out exactly right," he replies with a chuckle, grateful to feel less tense, and leans in to murmur in her ear, "And I hope you'll get to ride me at some point when we're alone in Sherwood, too, milady."

"Robin!"

She says nothing else as Mal takes a running start to lift off into the air. The trip is quick and fascinating to him, though a bit disorienting, and he's grateful when she lands and he can set foot on solid ground again. Mal shifts briefly to give them both hugs.

"You'll contact me via mirror when you're ready to come home again, right, Little One?" she says, quirking a brow at the two of them.

"Yes, Mal."

"Good." Now she turns to face Robin, an unreadable expression on her face that terrifies him, if he's honest. "If I find out you try to talk her into abdicating her throne for a life of thievery, I'll add your balls to my hoard of treasures. Are we clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," he replies, swallowing audibly. And why is his cock hard all of a sudden when he should be pissing himself?

She nods curtly, lips curled up in a smirk, then turns to shift and fly off again. He stands there with Regina for a moment or two, watching until Mal disappears from sight. Taking Regina's hand, they turn as one to regard the manor where he'd grown up.

"So this is your childhood home?"

"It is. Hopefully it's still decently kept up after all this time," he says as they start to walk toward the front door.

"Quinn told me that she and Rob made sure to get it cleaned up and looking good for Roland and Penny, since it is his birthright."

That stops Robin in his tracks. "We're not kicking them out of their home, are we? That was not my intention."

Regina just laughs and opens the door with magic. "We're not. Roland and Penny didn't want to stray too far from Tuck while Penny's pregnant, and Tuck's quite comfortable living with the castle keep with the rest of the Merry Men. This is ours for as long as we want to stay here now."

Robin follows her into the house, assaulted by memories of a lifetime ago. Part of him expects to see his parents there, but knows that would never happen. "Why don't I build up a fire for us then we can see if there's anything to eat?"

"That's what I have magic for, my love," she says with a grin that does something to him. "Besides I believe you said something about a ride before?"

He splutters out a laugh at her failed attempt to wink at him, pulling her close to kiss her sweetly and slowly. Just a gentle meeting of lips like every other kiss they've shared since reuniting, but it conveys every ounce of love he has for this woman. His hand moves up to cup the back of her head, fingers threading through her hair to scratch at her scalp, and he smiles as she relaxes further against him. His other hand rests in the small of her back, fingers splayed so that his pinky just grazes the rise of her ass. Having thought he'd never have this chance again, he wants to cherish this moment for the gift it is.

"How about we skip the fire and the food for now and just head up to bed?" she murmurs huskily when they part, biting her bottom lip in that adorably sexy way of hers.

"Lead the way, love."

She laces their fingers together and heads upstairs, and he follows her willingly. He would follow her to the bowels of Hell itself if it meant never being parted from his soulmate again. Once in the bedroom, she grows shy again, and he pulls her into a gentle embrace as they stand next to the bed. He shifts to rest their still-entwined hands over her heart and leans in to rest his forehead against hers, nuzzling his nose against hers. Regina sighs softly and relaxes into his touch.

"I love you, Robin."

"And I you, Regina. Thank you for facing your fears and inner demons to visit all of those realms for Hera's quest to come to me."

Regina frowns then, tears filling her eyes. "If I'd just gone to Glinda's damned Winter Garden sooner, we wouldn't have been separated as long as we were. I kept putting it off because…"

The hand on the back of her head scratches a bit more, and he presses another kiss to her lips. "You needed to realize that you were ready. That was the quest, my love, not the items retrieval. Not even Quinn and Rob understood that part of it. I was forbidden to say it directly in any of your dreams, but I did my best to hint about it to all three of you. And in the end, you still came and faced your fears of inadequacy and here we are."

"Here we are." She leans up on her toes to press another kiss to his lips, and he can feel the shift in her mood. "I know we joked about me riding you and all the sex we're going to have, but--"

He shifts to press a gentle finger to her lips. "We have the rest of our lives for that, love. How about we crawl into bed, curl up together like we used to, and just sleep? It's been an intense five weeks for you, and you've faced countless traumatic situations, culminating in our reunion. I remember Rob telling me about you and Quinn both being felled by migraines on different occasions during this whole ordeal. Let's just worry about restoring our health, emotional and physical, and relearning how we fit together, and when the time is right, we'll celebrate in that most intimate and carnal of ways, yeah?"

Her smile is beautiful and heartbreaking, eyes brimming with unshed tears. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"You simply existed, my love." He punctuates his statement with a tender kiss, pulling her closer when she lets a sob escape into it, then picks her up to settle her in the bed. "Use magic if you must to change into something comfortable, but this is the time for rest. I'll be right back."

When she tentatively nods, he offers an encouraging smile and turns to find the garderobe. Once inside, he attends to his bodily needs and releases a few tears of his own. This has turned out differently than he intended, but he doesn't care. They don't have to follow any set expectations for anything other than living an honest life filled with love and trust.

And that is exactly what he intends to do with this second chance with his soulmate, this ability to start over and do things the way they both thought they would.

When he returns to the bedroom, Regina is curled up under the covers, a merry fire in the fireplace. He strips down to t-shirt and boxer briefs before climbing in behind her, molding his front to her back. Regina hums drowsily as they get settled and pulls his hand to rest over her heart.

"Rest now, love," he murmurs, dropping kisses to her shoulder. "You're safe, you're loved, and you're not alone. I'm here and I'm not going to leave you again."

"Love you, Robin," she mumbles, and he feels it when she drifts off to sleep, body relaxing completely against him.

"I never stopped and never will," are the last words he utters before he joins her in the deepest, and best sleep he's ever had.