When Robin woke up it was still dark out. He was alone in Regina's bed, where she had transported them last night from her crypt. Robin got up and gathered his clothes from where they were scattered around the floor and dressed himself before heading downstairs.

A flickering light attracted him to the living room. Regina sat on the floor in front of the lit fireplace leaning against the couch. It was where they had sat the last time he had been at her house, before Marian had come back. Before everything had gone horribly wrong. When things were simple between them, and good.

She didn't react as he walked around the couch and sat next to her. She must have been expecting him - two glasses of whisky stood on the table, one full and one half-empty. He stared at her, waiting for her to return his gaze. When she finally did, he couldn't read her expression, and that concerned him. He used to be able to tell exactly what she was thinking. He didn't know if it was because of how well he knew her, or because she simply let herself lower her guard in front of him. Either way, the fact that he couldn't read her thoughts now did not bode well.

Whatever she had been thinking, Robin knew exactly what he wanted her to think about him. He couldn't let her doubt his feelings. He had put her through enough.

Before he could say anything, Regina looked away. She leaned forward grabbed the glasses off the table, handed the full one to him. Then she raised hers toward him. Robin still couldn't read her, but he figured as long as she wasn't kicking him out, he'd let it be. As he clinked his glass with hers, he tried to think of the words he could use to convince her that he wouldn't leave her again. He didn't break eye contact as they each took a sip of whiskey. Robin swallowed, ignoring the bitter taste, and set the glass back on the table before turning back to her.

"Regina," he started. "I realize we have a lot to talk about, but I need you to know, I have no regrets about last night." At that, Regina lowered her gaze to her lap. Robin reached out and took her hand. "I love you, Regina. I know you know that. But you need to understand what you mean to me. I realize now that I can't be without you, and I'm tired of trying. There are complications, of course, but it's nothing that we can't figure out."

At some point during his speech, Regina had started shaking her head. "Your wife is more than a complication, Robin. You are married. Neither one of us can pretend that that isn't important." Regina tried to control the quiver in her voice. "And right now Marian's life is in danger, unless you can fall back in love with her."

"Regina, I can't." Robin frowned. "She is Roland's mother, and a part of my past, so she will always be important to me. But any chance of me loving her as I once did disappeared when I met you." Regina looked back up at him, eyes watery, and Robin lifted his hand to cup her cheek. "I told you once you were my second chance, Regina. But you're not my second choice."

Regina smiled at that, causing Robin's heart to soar. He finally seemed to be getting through to her. Regina placed her hand over his on her cheek. "Robin, last night was so special to me. I want you to know that." Robin smiled, but was not reassured. She sounded like she was preparing for a goodbye. "But you can't tell me you feel good about the way it happened. With you still married and Marian in a coma. This isn't the way it's supposed to be."

Robin nodded. "I know. I know, this whole thing is complicated…"

Regina cut him off again, "It's a mess. This is wrong. Robin, you're a good man. The best man I know. When you came to me last night, you said you weren't doing the noble thing. I fell in love with you for everything that you are. And you are an honorable man. You shouldn't have to abandon that to be with me. I don't want you to. I can't be the reason you give up on your honor."

Robin felt his heart breaking. This woman, who had been called the Evil Queen, who had believed herself undeserving of a happy ending, was willing to sacrifice her own happiness for him. She was fighting for the good in him, in both of them, even though he knew she had to have been in as much pain as he was when they were apart.

"Regina, nothing I have done is your fault. I chose to come to you. I choose to be with you. Even if I wanted to leave you again, I couldn't simply return to my old life. Not now that I know what it is to love you." Regina was crying now, silent tears spilling down her cheeks as she held his hand tighter.

"If you have to stop being the person I fell in love with to be with me, then this will never be right." In as steady a voice as she could manage, Regina said, "you have to do this, Robin. Forgetting me is the only way to save Marian. I've looked. Nothing else will work."

Robin pulled her closer, and pressed his forehead against hers. "I will not let you go again. I've struggled since Marian's return, and I still don't have any answers. But the one thing I know for sure is that we cannot stay apart. I've tried, but my heart keeps bringing me back to you. I know what it is to lose the person you love. As long as we're both alive, and as long as you love me, I will fight to be with you."

Regina closed her eyes. Her hand was shaking as she removed his from her face and pushed him gently away. Opening her eyes again she said, "Robin, do you remember the last time we were sitting here?"

Robin took in his surroundings. The crackling of the fire, the warmth from the fireplace and the woman at his side, and the scent of apples and cinnamon were all comfortingly familiar. He smiled at her and nodded.

Regina continued, "You said to me that maybe, it's all about timing. Well, right now," she sighed, "the timing couldn't be worse for us." Robin started to say something again, but she put her hand over his mouth to silence him. "Maybe one day, we'll find our way back to each other. We've done it once," she said, lowering her gaze to the tattoo on his forearm. "Maybe it can happen again." Regina took a deep breath and looked back up at him. "You need to do this Robin. For both of us. For all of us. Forget about me, and go back to her."

Robin brought his hand back up to her cheek. "I told you, Regina, I can't forget you."

"Maybe not on your own," she said. "But I can help you." Robin pulled back, confused. "There's a potion," Regina explained before he could ask. "It makes you forget the person you love."

Robin's eyes widened, horrified. "You want to make me a memory potion?"

Regina continued. "It won't hurt you. And you'll just forget me, nothing else."

"So what, I won't remember anything between us? I won't remember meeting you, spending time with you…" All their moments together seemed to blend together in an incoherent mess, and Robin found it impossible to focus on just one. "Will I even recognize you?"

"Not exactly. All your memories of having met me, of the time we spent together, will be gone. But if you remember, when we first met, you did recognize me. You already knew of the Evil Queen. When you see me, that's all you'll remember. You won't remember our relationship, you won't remember this conversation. And you won't have any feelings for me." Regina swallowed as she said the last sentence.

Robin's eyes turned hard. "No," he said, determined. "That's too high a price to pay."

Regina wasn't giving up so easily. That was one of the things he loved most about her - she could meet him head-on in any matter. "Robin, you have to. Neither of us can go on like this. We both need for you to save Marian. And if you can't forget me on your own, you'll have to use magic to do it."

"Regina, this is crazy! I don't care how hard it's been, I won't forget you. I don't care how bad things have gotten, I would never want to erase what he had. What he have. This is too important."

Regina's heart ached at his words. "I know, Robin. I feel the same way. But you have to trust me - this is the only way. If it's really meant to be, we will find our way back to each other." Regina grabbed his hands and held them in hers. "I want to be with you, too, more than anything. But not like this. Our past is not too high a price to pay, not for Marian's life."

Robin remained unconvinced. "No. I won't do it. You'll just have to think of another plan, because I will never take that potion."

Regina's shoulders slumped and her eyes started to water. "Oh, Robin. You already have."

Understanding dawned on him slowly. He looked from Regina to the glass of whiskey on the table. He had been too distracted when he came downstairs to notice the strange taste. Suddenly his inability to focus on specific memories of their time together made sense. He looked at her, horrified. "Regina, what have you done?"

The look of betrayal in his eyes broke her heart once more, and Regina found herself crying again. She knew she'd have to get used to the feeling once the potion took its full effect, which could be any second. "I hope one day you remember this, and know that everything I did, I did for you."

Robin was close to tears himself. He pushed his hand through her hair and pulled her closer, looking into her eyes. "Regina," he said, "I don't want to lose you."

"I don't want to lose you either. That's why I'm doing this. To save you." Regina raised one hand to rest on his cheek. He leaned into it, closing his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Robin," she whispered. "But this is for the best. I love you." Regina pulled away from him, lifted her hands and transported him back to the forest in a puff of purple smoke.

Once he was gone, she collapsed in tears, no longer needing to hold back everything she was feeling. She had truly lost him now. Despite her words to him, she knew they would never be together again. It was too much to expect an honorable man to fall in love with an Evil Queen twice, especially when he already had a wife and family whom he loved.

So she was alone, once again. But she knew she had done right. Henry would be proud. She had her son, and she had acted like a hero. And tomorrow, she would pull herself together. She would make arrangements to ensure that Robin's transition to his lack of memories went seamlessly, and that Marian was saved. But tonight she would let herself cry.

...

A/N: This is my first story. It's one that's been bouncing around in my head and needed to be told. I'd love to read your reviews!