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The Dark One's dagger.
Regina's hand shook as she examined it. She saw its silver blade with its jagged edges and dark handle. But what froze her blood the most was still reading the name engraved on the blade.
Robin Hood.
She lowered the blade again, pacing the clearing in the middle of the woods. Regina had left a message on Robin's phone the night before, asking him to meet her there. It was nearing the time for their meeting and she still saw no sign of him. She hoped he would show up on his own and that she wouldn't be forced to use the dagger to make him appear.
"Come on, Robin," she muttered. "Don't make me have to use this."
"I had hoped you would never feel like you had to use that," his familiar voice said from behind her. Regina swallowed before turning around to face Robin, who had a disappointed look on his face. "They're getting to you."
She frowned. "Who?"
He stepped closer to her, his now black eyes flashing a warning. "Don't play dumb, Regina. We both know you're far smarter than that. You know who I mean – the meddlesome so-called heroes you've locked yourself up with."
"They're just trying to help you," she insisted.
"Help me?" he scoffed. "I don't need help."
She shook her head. "That's just the darkness talking."
"Is it?" he asked, stepping closer. "Or maybe it's the truth. I don't need help. And in fact, I am stronger like this."
"That's what the darkness does. It makes you think you're stronger while isolating you. And Robin, you know best how much stronger you are when there are people by your side," she pleaded with him.
He paused and for a moment, she thought she got through to him. She reached out to him, her hand shaking. "Come with me. Let me help you."
Robin studied her hand before taking it. Hope filled her before he pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her. Looking down, he smiled at her. "Come with me. We are so much stronger together, yeah?"
"Well, yes," she replied. "But this isn't the path you want to walk, Robin."
"And why is that?" he asked, now gently caressing her face.
Despite her internal vow to stay strong against him, Regina found herself leaning into his touch. "I know how this road ends, Robin, and it's not good for anyone. For you, for me, for Henry, or for Roland."
"Things will be different," he replied.
She shook her head. "That's the darkness fooling you yet again."
"No," he told her. "I know things will be different because I'm different. Because my motives are different."
Though Regina doubted that and knew that it was just the darkness fooling Robin, she realized that pushing back on that was not working. Her Robin was buried too deep at the moment and she needed to appeal to the Dark One, not to him.
"Why don't you tell me more about them?" she asked, reaching up and taking his hand.
He smiled, clearly pleased. "I would love to. Just some place more…private."
That concerned her and her heart dropped into her stomach. "Where…where's that?"
"Let me show you," he said, pulling her against him again. He raised his hand and a cloud of magic surrounded them. She felt the familiar tug at her navel and she tightened her hold on him as they were whisked away. Hopefully he didn't take her too far away and Emma and David would be able to find her.
The cloud dissipated and Regina steadied herself as she landed on her feet. Robin reached out, helping her. "Are you okay?"
"Just not used to traveling by someone else's magic," she replied. "I usually control that."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I should've given you more of a warning," he said, gently tucking some hair behind her ear.
She gave him a shaky smile as she stepped away. "So, where are we?"
"Don't you recognize it?" he asked, motioning to the room.
Regina slowly turned around, frowning. The walls were painted a dark red color and all the furniture was black, almost like it was made from obsidian. A chandelier hung from the ceiling over the table that was surrounded by four chairs. Two places were set for a meal and she saw a silver platter with a lid sitting between them along with a bottle of wine. While it was clear that they were in a dining room, she still didn't know exactly where it was.
"No," she replied, looking back at him. "Should I?"
He chuckled. "It's your own dining room though I guess I went a little overboard redecorating it."
"Just a little," she said, feeling a bit nervous and annoyed. "Why did you redecorate anyway?"
"I thought this was more fitting for us," he replied, pulling out a chair. "Milady?"
She hesitated, knowing she was getting in deeper the longer she stayed with him. The plan had been for her to convince him to come back with her but for her to otherwise stay in the forest. If she hadn't succeeded in an hour, she was going to be pulled out. Now, though, she had broken all the rules – and staying for dinner certainly wasn't in any of their backup plans.
He frowned, tilting his head. "Is something wrong?"
"Well, it's just…You see…" She stumbled over her words, trying to find the right lie as she doubted he would like the fact she needed to report back to the others soon. But she found a good excuse. "I'm worried about Henry and Roland. I told them I would only be an hour."
He relaxed a bit. "Of course. You do need to go back to our sons. I should've realized that you wouldn't have had all night."
She saw an opening and decided to take it, stepping closer. "Maybe we could have dinner together another night? That way they'll be prepared for me to be away longer."
"Of course," he replied. "Just as long as you promise that I can see you again."
"I do," she said, not caring what the others would think. She could not stay away from Robin – not if she wanted to help him.
His gaze softened and he almost smiled. "Maybe you could also bring the boys?"
She knew that the others would not let her take the boys with her to visit Robin, though she could probably get by with taking Roland. Emma would put her foot down with Henry and Regina knew it was best not to get into a fight with her. Things were already so delicate. She did not want to give Emma and the Charmings a new reason to push her out of Henry's life again.
But she couldn't tell Robin that so she just gave him a coy look instead as she lowered her voice, running her finger down his chest. "I was hoping we could have some…fun…together."
"Oh," he replied in almost a growl. "I would love to have fun with you."
Regina nodded. "So it's probably best if I come alone next time."
"Agreed," he said, nuzzling her. "Maybe another time."
"Maybe," she replied, hoping that she could convince him to come back with her so they could rid him of the darkness after their fun.
He leaned down, closing the gap between their lips. She started to close her eyes, eager to kiss him. Just as his lips started to graze her…
BZZT! BZZT! BZZT!
She groaned, pulling back. "That's them."
"Who?" he asked, frowning. "The boys?"
"No. Probably Emma, checking in with me. They're probably panicking that I'm no longer in the woods," she said, digging through her bag to retrieve her phone. She pulled it out with another sigh. "Yep. Emma."
He covered her hand with his. "Don't answer it."
"Emma's my ride home," she said.
"Use your magic," he replied.
She shook her head. "We have several wards up. No one can use magic around it."
He frowned as anger flashed in his eyes. "And you want to go back there?"
"It's where our boys are," she reminded him. "Everyone just wanted to make sure they are as safe as possible."
"You think I would hurt them?" he asked, pain in his voice. He turned away from her, resting against one of the chairs.
"Not intentionally," she replied, weighing her words carefully. "But I know that even if you try to do everything you can to avoid hurting them, you still can."
BZZT! BZZT! BZZT!
She glanced down, seeing Emma's name appear on the screen. "I really need to get this. They are no doubt worried about me."
"Of course they are," he said. He then glanced at her. "They're just as scared of you as they are of me, you know."
Regina paused, frowning as she ignored Emma's second call. She wondered if he was just trying to play mind games with her. "What do you mean?"
He pushed away from the chair, approaching her again. "Do you think they are really protecting you from me? Are they really scared that I might hurt you…or that being near me might bring back the Evil Queen?"
"I…I…" She was at loss, not knowing how to answer that. The others kept insisting that they were trying to keep her safe but she never once voiced concern that Robin would hurt her, even as the Dark One. And while they all acknowledged that she likely the only one who could get through to him, they all still hesitated every time she wanted to reach out to him. It had taken a lot of arguing to get them to agree to this meeting and since she had broken all the rules, it was likely she would not be able to meet with him again any time soon.
And thinking it over, the fact that she had such strict rules to abide by said a lot more than she realized at the time.
BZZT! BZZT! BZZT!
She glanced down at the screen, knowing Emma was probably desperate now but not really caring. Looking up, Robin was now standing in front of her. He tilted his head. "You're starting to realize it too."
"I don't think they mean it," she protested. It sounded weak to her ears.
He reached out, tucking some hair behind her ear. "I understand. They have you convinced they are your friends and family. You want to believe them."
Robin took her into his arms and she realized she was trembling. She clung to him, placing her ear to his chest and listening to his heartbeat. It still consoled her and assured her that she was not alone as long as he was by her side – good or evil.
BZZT! BZZT! BZZT!
"You should answer that," he told her softly. "Go with them and be with our boys. We'll find a way to be together soon."
She pulled away, nodding. "You're right."
"Here," he said, flicking his wrist and conjuring up a black rose. He held it out to her. "A token of my undying love."
"Thank you," she said, taking it and pressing it to her chest. She rose up on her toes and gave him a kiss, knowing it was going to have to last them until they could see each other again. He held onto her and for a brief moment, she considered just staying with him for good.
But then she remembered Henry and Roland. She couldn't just abandon them. And so she reluctantly broke the kiss. "I'll miss you," she whispered.
"I'll miss you too," he told her, stepping away. "Now go. We'll see each other soon."
Holding onto that thought, she flicked her wrist and transported herself away from him and the house.
"I miss Papa," Roland said as she tucked him in that night. "When can I see him?"
"Soon," she told him, smoothing down some of his curls.
Henry nodded. "Once we can get the darkness out of him."
Roland sighed. "That's gonna be forever."
"No, it's not," she assured him. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Sweet dreams, sweetheart."
He yawned before rolling over, cuddling his monkey. "Love you, Mom."
She smiled. "I love you too, Roland."
Regina and Henry left the room. He sighed, leaning against her. "I miss Robin too."
"I know," she replied, hugging him. "But we'll see him soon. I mean it."
Henry nodded before pulling away. "I'm going to go back to my room to keep researching ways to help defeat the Dark One for good."
"Okay, my little prince," she said, kissing his forehead. "Just don't stay up too late."
"I won't," he promised before walking away. He disappeared around the corner and she sighed, leaning against the wall.
Since returning from her visit with Robin, she had felt conflicted. Emma and David had looked more relieved than angry when she had returned, appearing to be concerned that Robin had tried to lock her up. Regina had convinced them that he did not want to hurt her or the boys like that before they returned home. It made her start to doubt Robin's belief that they were more concerned with keeping the Evil Queen at bay than keeping her safe. Perhaps he had been playing mind games with her and it was best to keep the boys away until he was no longer filled with such a powerful darkness.
Regina headed back downstairs, wanting to grab some dessert before she turned in for the night as well. As she reached the bottom, she heard voices drifting from the living room and frowned. Everyone else had supposedly parted and gone to their rooms for the night, so who was still down there?
She crept closer to the room, recognizing Emma's voice first. "She just disappeared with him and didn't seem to put up a fight to get away with him. What if next time he doesn't let her go?" she asked.
"Or more likely, she doesn't want to leave?" Hook asked, making Regina's blood boil. How dare they all talk about her without inviting her to the conversation!
"We need to protect her from him and her own nature," David agreed. "Being that close to such evil…she's likely to slip. We can't have the Dark One and the Evil Queen running around this town together."
Regina's blood began to boil and she hated that she even gave them the benefit of the doubt. They weren't protecting her so much as they were protecting themselves from her. All they cared about was that she didn't become the Evil Queen again. They didn't care if Robin hurt her or not – just as long as she didn't do something to hurt them.
How could she be so foolish?
"I know in some respects we need Regina's magic but maybe we need to limit it," he continued.
"I don't know if that's necessary," Mary Margaret said. "She hasn't done anything to prove we can't trust her."
"Except disappear with Robin and not answer her phone despite our one rule being that she had to answer the phone," David replied. "Anything could've happened and we wouldn't know. She's compromised when it comes to him as it is."
"Which means we probably shouldn't do anything to push her toward him. And knowing Regina, this is the perfect way to do that," Mary Margaret replied. Regina had to give her some credit – at least someone seemed to be on her side.
For now.
"Then I say Regina no longer deals with Robin," Emma said. "He's just going to have to talk with one of us."
"I could always try. We had something of a friendship before he went all dark and he might consider me still more villain than hero," Hook offered, making Regina roll her eyes. While Robin didn't seem to mind the pirate, she doubted he would even consider talking to Hook once the others cut her off from him.
That would essentially be declaring war against him.
"I think we're all on edge from earlier and we need to take a step back for now," Mary Margaret said. "We're clearly not going to solve the Regina problem tonight."
Regina reeled back as if she had been slapped. Any good will she had given Mary Margaret was gone now. It was clear that they thought she was a problem.
Well, now she was really going to be a problem.
Her sweet tooth forgotten, she returned upstairs and stormed into her room. She started to pack, grabbing everything she could and carefully placing them into her bag. Once she was packed, she tiptoed into Roland's room and packed him up as well. He slept on, unaware that he was about to wake up in a completely different room. She hated moving him around so much but hoped the fact that they would be with his father would make up for it.
She then took a deep breath and knocked on the door to Henry's room. He opened it, looking slightly panicked. "I'm going to bed, Mom, I promise."
"I know," she assured him. "May I come in? It's important."
He frowned, opening the door. "What's wrong?"
She motioned for him to close the door and once he did, she said: "I'm not going too much into it but the others don't trust me. They think I'm a problem."
Regina expected him to be surprised and to probably deny it, to argue that they wanted what was best for her. Instead, something flashed in his eyes and he pressed his lips together. "That's what they always stop discussing in hushed tones whenever I walk by. I've heard your name a few times and they've just brushed me off when I've asked about it," he said, sounding angry.
She blinked a few times, annoyed even more by the fact that she's been a topic of concern for longer than she knew. "Well, they can worry about me all they want and won't have to hide it," she said.
"What do you mean?" he asked. He tilted his head before realization filled his eyes. "You're leaving, aren't you?"
"I am," she replied. "And I'm taking Roland with me."
His eyes widened. "You're going to Robin, aren't you?"
She nodded, feeling slightly guilty – as if she were betraying her son. "Right now, you and he are the only ones who haven't been lying to my face."
"And Mal," he added. "She's never been part of those conversations either."
Regina felt relief to know her friend didn't participate or think she was a problem. "I'm still going to leave, though. I think I can do more good being with him than being kept away from him."
He nodded, hugging her. "Just be careful, okay?"
"Okay," she said, tears filling her eyes. "You're welcome to come with us. Robin wants you there too. He told me to bring our boys."
"Thanks, but I think I'll do more good staying here," he told her. "We can communicate with each other and let each other know what's going on."
Impressed by his wisdom and foresight, she pulled back and kissed his forehead. "I love you, Henry."
"Love you too, Mom," he said, grinning. "And we'll save Robin and be together again soon. I just know it."
"Well, if the Truest Believer says it, it must be so," she told him, feeling more hopeful than she had in a long time.
Though he was almost a teenager, he let her tuck him in like she had when he was Roland's age. She kissed his forehead again before watching him drift off to sleep. Regina then crept from his room and waited for everyone else to go to bed to put her plan into motion.
Robin greeted them as she appeared in the foyer of her house with Roland and their bags. He smiled, taking his son from her and kissing the top of his head. "I didn't expect you to come so soon," he told her.
"Well, they showed their true colors a bit sooner than they probably realize," she said, letting him pull her in for a hug.
He kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry. I was hoping to be wrong."
She sighed. "I was hoping you were wrong too. But I'm glad I know the truth now."
"What about Henry?" he asked. "Why didn't you bring him?"
"He volunteered to stay behind to serve as a liaison, to let us know what's going on over there," she said, leaving out the part where she would be doing the same.
Robin chuckled and she heard it rumble deep in his chest. "Our little spy. I'm so proud."
He then pulled away. "Come. You must be exhausted. Let's get you in bed so you can rest."
"That sounds great," she said, letting him guide her upstairs. As he led her to their new bedroom, she knew she had made the right decision.
Yet she also feared she had set into motion something that would destroy them all.