You were missed

Missing scenes in the enchanted forest takes place immediately after Regina announces to Robin she has someone to destroy. This is just a one shot. Thank you to Beta: Slynn6776

"You didn't go through with it!" Robin exclaimed, surprised at how happy he was to see the evil queen had changed her mind. She released his feet from the magical spell she cast, rooting him in place. Robin could never get over how impressive her ability to cast powerful spells at a mere wave of her hand.

"You were right!" she said as she put the potion away. "The sleeping curse wasn't the answer. As you said, I just needed to find something to live for!"

She was radiating with a newfound enthusiasm and Robin couldn't help but smile at her. "And you found it? What?"

"Something I haven't had in a very long time," she uttered, her eyes dancing. "Someone to destroy!'

Robin felt his gut clench. "I guess you decided you cared about the wicked witch after all."

Regina rounded on Robin, her head high. "Apparently it's personal. She thinks she knows me…nobody knows me." Regina had stopped to look Robin straight in his eyes and his heart quickened.

Before he could stop himself, Robin wondered, "I bet your son does."

Being this close to her, he could read her expressions more clearly and for a brief, very brief, moment, she flinched at what he said. But before he could analyze it, she recovered and snapped. "Bring him up again, and I'll practice on you."

She began walking away but Robin wasn't done. Since she left him in her chambers, he had thought long and hard on everything she had said, and he needed to let her know she was wrong. On instinct, he reached to grab her hand, "Your Majesty, I w-"

"How dare you touch me, thief!" She jerked her hand away and she started to choke him again. She was the evil queen, killing him would be nothing to her. And while he had never met her until she returned, he had come across enough evil people in the forest, enough disturbed and twisted monsters, to know that their eyes were dead. But hers weren't. Even now, when he had overstepped his bounds, her eyes reflected the pain inside her. He never thought much of nobles experiencing the tragedies of life, but tonight showed him differently.

She let him go and he gasped for enough air to tell her what he wanted to say. "You were missed!"

By the time he got it out though, she was already to the door but his words stopped her. She turned to him. "What?"

"You said earlier that you were to use the curse on someone I wouldn't miss…" Robin began walking towards her, then thought better of it, stopping at only a few steps. "You were missed, your Majesty."

She didn't immediately answer, it was like she was taking in what he said, almost absorbing it. She retorted, "Why are you lying?"

"I'm not," Robin said, he shifted uncomfortably. His feet were aching after standing for so long. He walked to a nearby wall and leaned up against it. "Turns out we needed the evil queen after all."

He was surprised when she laughed. It wasn't a happy one, more like a snort. The look on her face told Robin she didn't believe him at all. Stepping towards him, she crossed her arms, "Who is we? Your band of beardy men?"

She was taunting him and he felt a thrill go through him. "Merry men."

"Their beards were so thick how can you even tell when they were smiling?"

He leaned on the other foot now, and it brought him closer to her. She didn't like the gap closing between them so she stepped back. He said, "The kingdom missed you, m'lady."

"You're seriously going to stand there and tell me my subjects gave a damn about me?" She narrowed her eyes. "I bet the kingdom had a giant celebration the second I was out of town."

She was almost smirking at him, but again her eyes revealed how she really felt. "Yes, when you left, there was a celebration, people were glad the evil queen was gone." Her smirk disappeared. She was about to retort but he kept going, "But then they realized…everyone realized…how a kingdom needs a ruler."

Confusion on her face, she whispered, "Not an evil one though."

"That evil, which defined you was directed mainly at Snow White and whoever got in your way." He paused when he saw her visibly shudder. Snow was right, she wasn't the same person she was. "To the common peasant, that really didn't affect them. But once you left…once there was no one to rule or guard or protect…"

"Protect?" she asked surprised.

"Yes, your Highness, protect. A queen protects her kingdom from threats not just outside but inside too. There are all kinds of people out there. And they need the boundaries that a queen and her guards can provide, that the law can provide. Without them, there can be chaos." Robin felt shivers as he remembered stopping some of those men, those predators. "And truly good people, just trying to scratch out a living and have a family are such easy targets from such…people."

"What kind of people?"

Robin didn't know what to call them. There were too many. "All types. Murderers and robbers-"

"Oh please," she turned away, "Robin Hood of all people is going to give me a lecture on criminal statistics of my-"

He jumped in front of her, surprising her, surprising both of them. "This isn't the same as regular banditry. And these years since you left, I wasn't robbing from the rich to give to the poor, I was just trying to protect the poor from a class of people that preyed on them."

She remained silent for what seemed like a long time. Finally she said, "Better the devil you know than the one you don't."

If he wasn't so close he wouldn't have heard her. As if his hand had a mind of its own, it started to reach out to take her hand, but her eyes snapped up and he mentally rebuked himself. Why in the world was he unable to control himself around her?

"Regina!" Snow White yelled right before entering the queen's chambers. "Oh thank god there you are! We saw the shield go down but we also saw the witch! She really is green!"

Robin's eyes focused on the princess as she came in, when they returned to Regina she walked past him like he wasn't there. Regina nodded, "Yes, well that isn't all. She and I had a very interesting meeting."

Worry gripped Snow, and she instinctively put her hands around her waist to her unborn child. Glancing at Robin, she could sense something else was going on. "Is everything alright?"

The queen snapped, "The shield is down isn't it?"

Snow walked over to Robin. "Did you see the wicked witch too?"

"No," Robin said, "I waited here."

"Why? You let Regina go by herself!"

"I made him stay here!" Regina said. Robin could tell it was now occurring to Regina that Robin could let Snow know her earlier plan and she obviously was nervous about it. "I didn't want him getting in my way."

Snow turned to Robin, "Is that true?"

He stared at Regina. He really should tell Snow White what happened. Destroying the wicked witch aside, the queen's bout of depression could still rear up, and she might take that potion. But he knew Snow White's involvement might actually make things worse. He had a better idea.

"Yes, it's true. She thought I would blunder in and distract her from her goal." Snow seemed to take the lie easily, such a trusting person, so different than the other woman in the room who was now looking at him differently. It didn't last long, merely a glance but he felt his insides flutter.

Out the door the women went and Robin followed. Right now they were going to find out exactly what the queen found out from the witch. But he wasn't about to forget the sleeping potion.

Robin inched his way down the hallway, knowing he could very well be making a huge mistake. Her highness insisted on keeping boundaries between herself and them, especially him. Knocking on her door this late would not be acceptable to her. But he couldn't stop now.

The meeting with everyone over what the wicked witch was doing here was shocking to say the least. She was the long lost sister to their queen, though obviously Regina knew nothing of her. Regina. It was so odd to hear Snow White and Charming talk to her so informally. And what was even more amazing was how accepting she was in return. Not accepting as true friendship but she didn't insist on titles with them and she at least accepted they cared about her and worried over her. And in spite of her attempt at indifference, she cared a good deal for them too. Snow's major concern was Zelena going after her stepmother. The queen's reaction to that was an eye roll.

But right now Robin was more worried about that sleeping potion. He might have kept its existence a secret from Snow White but he had to be sure the queen really meant it when she said she wasn't going to use it. Standing before her door, he took a breath and knocked.

He could tell she was still up, there was light under the door and he heard movement. "Who is it?" came her annoyed voice. The timber of her voice always struck him, he wasn't sure why. It was the voice of a woman who was used to be in charge and authoritative. But sometimes he could hear sadness in it too.

"Robin…of Locksley" He flinched as he heard himself. Robin would have been enough. Hell, he could have probably have just said "Thief." That's how she saw him.

Her door opened and Robin lost all train of thought. She had changed out of her fancy dress. While she was certainly decent, she was wearing a robe and her hair was down. He could see the curves of her body and all he could think was how much softer she looked. So vulnerable.

"What could you possibly want?" she eyed him.

"I think we need to talk, may I come in?"

"No! You think I want servants to gossip having a thief in my chambers?"

There was that word again. He hated how she would say it. And immediately his reaction was defensive, "What servants? And if you had any, do you really think they'd be anywhere near your chambers?"

And there it was. The mask had disappeared and he could see the hurt and pain across her face. He almost took it back but she recovered as she was so used to doing. "Fine, but leave the door open."

She walked away and he followed. Again, watching her retreating form he momentarily forgot why he was there. When he didn't speak, Regina demanded, "Well, what is it?"

"It's about the sleeping curse."

She stiffened at that. "What about it?"

"I didn't tell Snow about it…"

"Yes, oh is that what you want? A thank you? Fine, thank you for not telling her." Her voice was hardly sincere and her hand gestures were practically obscene towards him.

Again, she got to him. "I'm surprised you know how to offer any kind of gratitude but that isn't why I'm here."

"Then why are you here?"

"I want you to give me the potion."

She misunderstood him, "Wait, why? I thought you abhorred magic."

He walked towards her nightstand where it was before. "I don't want to use it, I want to destroy it."

She cut off his path. "Why?"

Now it was his turn to be annoyed, "Isn't it obvious? I want to keep you from using it."

"I have no intention of using it on anyone-"

"Except maybe on yourself."

She stiffened at his accusation. She considered him for a moment. "If you're worried I will use it before Zelena is defeated, I promise you I won't."

He nodded, "I do worry about you taking it. And I guess I admit I know having you on our side makes the likelihood of defeating the wicked witch a safe bet, but even if she was gone, I'd still want you to give it to me."

Regina stepped back while crossing her arms in front of her. With her evening clothes and hair down, she looked defenseless but he knew better. She asked, "Why do you care?"

"I don't know." He truly didn't. "I just do. Please Reg-" he stopped at the look on her face. Snow and Charming may be able to call her by name but not him. "Your Majesty, please let me have it."

Now her face changed completely. It was like she was telling herself to breathe and the mask was entirely forgotten. He could see he was getting through to her. He thought maybe he could be even more convincing. "Otherwise I will have to tell Snow White."

Instantly she reacted with a sneer. "Get out. If you ever step into my chambers again, I will use the curse on you!"

He started to argue but he felt himself being lifted up and shoved to the door. The velocity of the throw was enough to knock him on his feet when he landed. She was about to slam the door but Robin knew she was bluffing. "You wouldn't do that."

She paused, but the anger was radiating off her face. "What?"

"Use the curse on me."

She smiled at that, not a kind smile. "Really thief? Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you are too good of a mother to do that to my son." The intensity of the door slam told Robin his words registered with her, but he wondered if it would be enough.

A couple of days had passed. Robin hadn't forgotten his vow that he would tell Snow and Charming, but he wanted to give the queen enough time. Meanwhile he and the merry men had settled into the castle. It was strange living in a solid structure, especially a castle. However, Rolund was loving it, and frequently paraded up and down the hallways pretending to be a guard. Robin could never get enough of his son's endless imagination.

The night before had been a strong storm so Robin was helping clean up one of the many courtyards. He was so engrossed in what he was doing, he didn't hear Regina approach. When she cleared her throat he jumped.

"I wouldn't think you would let your guard down so easily here in my castle?" She was dressed eloquently as always, but his mind went back to what she was wearing the last time they spoke.

Giving her his complete attention, Robin straightened. "Your castle has a nice homey feel to it."

He now noticed she was carrying, of all things, a quiver of arrows. "Your majesty, is that…"

"Yes, just as it looks. They are for you."

Robin wouldn't have been more shocked had she paraded in an army of purple elephants. "For me?"

Her voice sounded quite nonchalant, "For your help in getting me into my castle. Please take them."

They were the nicest arrows he'd seen in his entire life and he didn't dare reach out to touch them. Unfortunately, Regina took his hesitation that he distrusted her, like everyone else in the enchanted forest. "I assure you, they are not cursed."

"What? No, it's just I've never had such nice arrows before. Is that…?"

"Yes," she said with an indifferent tone, "they are gold tipped."

He touched his finger to the sharp end. Gold tipped arrows? Why put something so valuable on something he would be just be shooting away? "I honestly don't know what to say!"

"I suppose there is a first time for everything," she quipped.

His eyes shot to her and for just a moment he saw her vulnerability. But as usual, she recovered. Robin studied her, what was she really doing? "M'lady, if these are to buy my silence-"

"They are to buy your departure. You've done your job, now you can leave."

"Leave?"

Her face turned dark, a complete sneer. "With these arrows, you can sell them, and take the money and use it to go somewhere that will keep you and your son safe."

Anger stirred inside him, more like annoyance. "I don't run away."

She rolled her eyes and turned to walk away, "You've been running for years, thief. Now you can just stay away permanently."

"Your Majesty," he said following her. He reached out to grab her arm again but as if she sensed it, she turned to give him a haughty look. "I know I'm many things: archer, outlaw, thief, leader, widower." At the last word his voice hesitated and she noticed. "But above that I am a father. Not only is his safety the utmost importance, but so is his upbringing, so I'm not going to teach him to abandon a fight."

Her eyes flickered and she looked on the verge of saying something, but after a moment she changed her mind. "Fine, just stay out of my way."

"Do you want these back?" He really couldn't keep them.

With her back to him, she replied. "No, keep them. You-you will see why."

With that she was gone. Robin put the bag down, the center was stuffed so full of arrows there wasn't room for anything else. But then he noticed a side pocket with something just big enough…

Releasing a breathe he hadn't realized he held, Robin reached into the side compartment and saw the vial. Pulling it out, he recognized it as the sleeping potion. Relief flooded him and he glanced back to where Regina had exited the courtyard. Without wasting anytime, he poured its contents out to the ground.

Thank you for reading!