Thief of Hearts

(Chapter One: A Love Like Ours)

The idea was absurd, Regina thought, remembering back to that night so long ago when she stood in the cobblestone street peering through the window of a local tavern. Tinkerbell must have gotten something wrong. There was no way that this hairy beast of a man with a lion tattoo could possibly be her true love. Was it even possible to have a second true love?

She blinked her dark eyes as she stared up at the ceiling above their bed and smiled. Raising up she looked over her shoulder at him sleeping soundly beside her. He was indeed, everything she had ever wanted. Everything she had ever wished for. And together their lives seemed so complete.

Regina reached out to trace over the tattoo on his forearm with her fingertip and she smiled once more. This man, this love, their love, was almost too good to be true.

It had been just over a year since Robin had popped the question and the unlikely couple had become man and wife. Looking back now, she couldn't imagine things any other way. He brought out the good in her in a way that only true love could.

She had made amends with Emma and the Charming's. They now shared a custody agreement so that Henry could be around all of his family and this seemed to be working out really well. And for the first time in a very, very long time, Regina knew how it felt to be loved.

Regina was truly happy. And everything in her life was perfect. Only to be made more perfect, by the miracle now growing inside her womb.

Her eyes widened as she smoothed her hand over the swollen bulge of pregnant belly. It wouldn't be long now, just a few more short months and they would finally get to meet their new son or daughter.

"She kicking again?" he asked with a slight grin without even opening his eyes.

"He is," she laughed placing his hand over the place where a tiny little foot pressed against her skin. "Kicking up a storm."

"He….she? Why don't you just go in and find out once and for all? The doctor said it was clear and they could tell us the sex of the baby weeks ago."

"I know. I guess I just kind of like the mystery. It's part of the magic, you know?"

"Nice choice of words," he laughed sitting up to kiss his wife.

"Well it is magic, in it's own wondrous way. I was told I would never be able to have a baby of my own. Yet, here we are."

"And your 'special powers' had nothing to do with that?"

"I swear," she replied shaking her head.

He smiled and growled a little as he kissed her playfully.

"I guess this baby really is a miracle, then."

Robin kissed her forehead as he climbed from the bed.

"You hungry?"

"Always," Regina replied.

"Feel like some banana pancakes? I'd be glad to make breakfast for you before I leave for work."

"Umm, grilled cheese and tomato soup from Granny's," she replied with a yawn.

"For breakfast?" he asked pulling on his shirt.

"Oh, and an order of fried pickles. I love those!"

Robin smiled.

"Granny's it is!"

Regina laughed as he helped her from the bed. She stepped into the bathroom and started water for a shower. Pulling her black and silver satin gown over her head she tossed it onto the counter and stepped behind the steamy curtain. Pregnancy seemed to suit her quite well. She was in the best mood she had ever been in, in her entire life and her skin had a wonderful glow to it. Of course most of that was also effected by the fact that she was living her happily ever after with her true love.

She exhaled and stretched, allowing the hot water to pour over the sore muscles in her back and legs. Stepping out, she slipped her black satin bathrobe around her and wiped the steam from the glass of the mirror, but it was not her own reflection she saw.

Regina gasped and stumbled back against the wall.

"What are you doing in my bathroom?" she asked as her dark eyes widened and her heart pounded.

"You didn't think you'd gotten rid of me for good?" The genie asked from the other side of the glass. "Oh, you did."

"I had that mirror destroyed," Regina snarled before catching herself and forcing a smile.

He laughed then stared at her.

"The mirror, yes. Not as easy to get rid of me. I am a reflection now, no thanks to you. And you know, reflections are not restricted to just one mirror. I can find you anywhere."

"Anywhere? So you're not just spying on me in my bathroom?"

He laughed an obnoxious laugh and shook his head.

"Anywhere," he repeated. "From the depths of the river to the black of your coffee. I can go anywhere your own reflection can appear."

He paused for a moment and stared at her then a wicked smile crossed his lips.

"For a moment there I think I saw a bit of your true self."

"This is my true self."

"No, no. The true Regina, is the woman who fooled me into thinking she loved me so that I would kill for her. The woman who then trapped me in the mirror in the first place!"

"I am not that person anymore! I have changed!"

She paused for a moment, then raised her eyes to look at him in shame.

"I am sorry for all of the terrible things that I have done to you. I am sorry I hurt you. I would take it all back if I could."

"You can't change who you truly are. You can act all nice and pretend that you don't have those terrible urges that drove you to do all of the evil things that you once did. But deep inside, you will always be the Evil Queen Regina. You can't run from the truth and you can't hide from yourself."

"I can change! I already have! I don't do those awful things anymore. I don't use magic anymore and I am happy now."

"That isn't possible! You are lying to yourself. You silly fool."

"It is possible, with love. True love can make even the coldest heart warm again. I found true love, with Robin. His love changed me. It saved me."

"So love overcomes everything?"

"Indeed."

"Tell me, is his love for you strong enough to make him over look all of the evil things that you have done in the past?"

"He knows of my past. He knows I once was an Evil Queen. But he also knows that I am not like that anymore. His love is strong enough to look past what I used to be and see me for who I have become."

She turned to leave the room.

"But is his love strong enough to forgive you for killing his precious Marian?"

Regina stopped in her tracks as her bottom lip quivered. She turned and looked back to the mirror with tears streaming down her face.

"That was an accident!"

"Her death was your fault. Her blood is on your hands. And she died with his unborn son inside of her."

"That arrow wasn't meant for her! I was shooting at Snow!"

"Aw, your poison tainted arrow hit the wrong target? And Robin spent the last few days holding the love of his life in his arms while she died a slow and painful death. He was with her, you know? When she drew her last breath. Not the tears he shed for her or true love's kiss could bring her back. He was heartbroken. And it was all your fault. But I am sure you have already told him all about that. You could never keep a secret from your true love."

Regina stared at the mirror with sorrow filled eyes.

"I never told him," she whispered.

"But he loves you. Surely he'd forgive you. It was after all, an accident."

"It was," she repeated.

"True love is strong enough to withstand anything. Evil, deceit, lies…"

Regina gasped as she wiped a tear from her cheek.

"I have to tell him the truth," she whispered. "We can't live a lie. I won't live a lie. This new life, this is our fresh start. And you can't build a life on lies."

"I am sure he will forgive you. After all TRUE LOVE can forgive anything."

"Yes," she agreed.

"Assuming his love for you is true," the genie snarled then cackled an evil laugh.

Regina pondered the thought for a moment.

"It is," she insisted.

"But how do you know for sure?"

"He has told me it is."

"I'm sure the same words were shared with Marian. And you believed that Daniel was your true love."

"He was. But this love is also true."

"Ah, see? Now there lies a problem. In life we are each promised one true love. Only one. It's in the rules. So if Daniel was yours….well then, Robin must just be a happy distraction."

"No. I must have been mistaken with Daniel. But I know in my heart that what I feel for Robin is true love. Robin is my true love."

"But are you his?"

She thought about it for a moment.

"It is true that true love can survive anything. But if Marian was Robin's one true love and you tell him that her death was at your hands….accident or not, I am not sure any old every day romance can survive a blow like that."

"But true love never lies. I have to tell him the truth about what happened. I have to. The lying and tricking and causing people pain, that is not who I am anymore."

"Huh," the genie laughed. "Seems you've got yourself in quite the predicament. You want to tell him the truth because you don't want to lie to your true love. But if you tell him the truth and you are not his true love, you could lose him forever. This should be interesting to watch."

"Leave me alone," Regina replied, opening the medicine cabinet so the mirror faced the wall.

She exhaled nervously then stepped back into the bedroom.

"Everything alright?" Robin asked stepping back into their bedroom.

"Fine," she replied with a smile as he kissed her strawberry lips.

"I thought I heard you talking to someone."

"Oh, I was just telling the baby that it is almost time for breakfast."

He laughed a little, then kissed her forehead.

"We can't go until you get dressed," he reminded her stepping into the bathroom as she laid out her clothes across their bed. "You left the medicine cabinet open," he called out from the next room.

"Wait, no!"

Regina rushed into the bathroom as he closed the cabinet and stared at himself in the mirror.

"What's wrong?" he asked turning to look at her.

"Nothing…I just…" she looked confused at herself in the mirror.

"You just…?"

"I saw something I didn't like."

"Regina, sweetheart," he said turning her around to look into the cool blue of his eyes, "we have had this talk."

She watched as he smiled at her.

"I know you feel self-conscious about the weight you have gained being pregnant, but your doctor has assured you that you are right on track with a healthy pregnancy. And I think you are absolutely beautiful," he replied kissing her tenderly. "I love you so much."

"You do?" she whispered.

"Yes, I do," he answered without hesitation.

Regina smiled.

"I don't think you are getting enough rest," he replied kissing her once more as he walked back into the bedroom. "I'm gonna go get the paper. I'll call Henry and see if he wants to meet us at Granny's for breakfast. You'd better get dressed or we're not gonna make it before the lunch rush," he joked.

"Don't," she said as he turned to leave the room.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you with a joke. But we really should get going or we are both going to be late for work."

"No, I mean don't call Henry."

He turned to look at her.

Regina smiled.

"We will have dinner together tonight as a family. This morning I was hoping to spend a little quality time with my husband."

"Of course," he replied stepping in to kiss her once more. "But you are still going to need clothes," he whispered and she laughed.

After breakfast Robin kissed his wife and headed off to work as usual. Regina, however, had something more important on her mind. She walked down the street, smiling and waving to the residents of Storybrooke as she passed them on her way. At the farthest end of the block sat a little pawn shop.

"Mr. Gold," she said as she stepped inside closing the door behind her, "I need your help."