A/N: Hi all. I am so sorry for taking such a long hiatus from this story. It really wasn't my intention to be gone so long, but real life got in the way. Crazy semester, but you don't need the details. Just wanted to let you know that I am back and will do my best not to disappear for so long again.

Enjoy Chapter 30

The Enchanted Forest: Many Years Earlier

"I don't think this is wise," she said, watching hesitantly as her husband continued to pack his small satchel. "Robin, he is still looking for us and it was you who said that we all must remain in hiding until we were sure it was safe. And I can tell for certain that it isn't."

Robin glanced over at his anxious wife, her eyes filled with sadness and worry. "I must go," he replied simply. "Since we've been gone, Nottingham has been falling apart. I can't bear to be selfish anymore, Marian. I cannot hide while they remain suffering. I must do something. I gave them my word."

Marian understood how Robin was with his word. She couldn't argue with him on that. But she couldn't deny that this was also a fool's errand. The Sheriff was out there looking and she couldn't bear to think what might happen if he happened upon them.

"Just…" She hesitated and glanced at their two-year-old son in her arms. Staring back up, meeting with his vibrant blue-gray eyes, she continued, "Just be careful."

"I will," the man nodded with a loving grin as he caressed her cheek softly. He was thankful that she understood.

He leaned forward, placing his hand gently on the top of his son's head. Kissing him lovingly and then kissing his wife, Robin bid them farewell and assured him that he would be gone no more than a day or two.

0-0-0

Storybrooke: Present Day

"For some reason, I can still remember it all." Robin shook his head, amazed by what he was saying. This was the first time he had said anything, really heard it out loud, and it sounded as crazy as it made him feel. "Both instances. Even the moments that no longer exist still linger in my mind. It did happen, but I am the only one who can remember that reality."

He finally lifted his head to look at the attentive friend sitting across from him. He hadn't made any eye contact with her since he had started talking. But there she was, still looking straight at him, listening to every word, trying to think of some sort of response that could somehow help him.

Belle spoke after a long pause of thought, "Why do you think that keeping this from Regina might protect her?"

"I don't know," Robin replied, shaking his head with a soft sigh.

She could see that this was weighing on him. Never, in all of the time she knew Robin, did he ever break down like this. She remembered when he was held captive by Rumple. Even then, his bravery wouldn't falter. Now he seemed truly vulnerable and scared.

He continued, "All I do know is that I can't see her afraid like that again." He could recall those nights in the Enchanted Forest: her screaming in the middle of the night, the crying, and the shaking. He couldn't have imagined what she was feeling then, but he knew in his heart that he could never allow her to feel that way again. Never. "I can't bear watching her suffer through that." His voice grew softer as he sighed, "I can't watch her die again."

"You don't know that that would happen," Belle replied. She placed her hand over his, trying to give him what comfort she could.

Robin looked back up at her. He understood that she was just trying to help, but he feared that no one could. Even he couldn't prevent it if it was what fate desired, and that was what scared him most of all. "It happened once," he replied. "It can happen again and this time I wouldn't be able to stop it." Again, he shook his head, remembering the fateful events that took place so long ago. "It happened to Marian," he whispered, the image in his head so clear, as if it had happened yesterday. "I can't," he stuttered, "I know that I won't be able to live if I have to lose her to the Sheriff like I did Marian. Not again."

She squeezed his hand a little tighter as she responded, "I understand what you fear right now, but maybe the fact that you are not telling her about this is only putting her in more danger. You're leaving her in the dark. And I know from experience, Robin. It will only make her more afraid for herself, for your children, and especially for you. It won't protect her." Belle stared into his worried eyes. With a single nod of her head and a small reassuring grin appearing on her face, she said, "Tell her."

0-0-0

The Enchanted Forest: Many Years Earlier

Two days had felt like a lifetime for her. Each and every hour she worried about what might have happened when he left, praying that her worst fears wouldn't come true. But she also knew Robin well; he'd be alright. She just needed to stop worrying.

After setting Roland down for a nap, Marian decided to keep herself busy by washing dishes; anything to stop her from worrying about her husband. Minutes passed and, finally, that fateful moment came when she heard the front door open. A wide smile formed on her face as she set down the dish she had be cleaning, wiped her hands on her apron and turned around.

However, Marian's smile quickly faded, for the man who she found standing there was not her husband. She was speechless, unable to move, unable to scream. Several men had come in with him, though her eyes focused solely on him.

She felt a set of hands grab her and secure her arms behind her back. She couldn't even see who it was. The only thing she could focus on was his disgusting, snide smile. Of course he was enjoying this.

One of the men emerged from Roland's nursery, the boy in his arms. He handed the child over to the Sheriff. Somewhere inside of her she was grateful that he was sleeping, but her worry took much greater precedent.

"I swear," she finally managed to retrieve her voice, "if you remove a single hair on his head–."

He quickly cut her off by shushing her. Rocking Roland gently in his arms, he smiled and whispered, "Wouldn't want to wake the little one. Now would we?" Marian glared at the dark-haired man in front of her. The look made him chuckle, her sense of bravery rather amusing.

"You know that you are not going to get away with this," she said to him fiercely.

"Oh, love," he chuckled again. "I already have. Your sweet Robin Hood is too honorable for his own good. Man can't even spot a trap when he sees one."

The woman's eyes widened. "What did you do to him?"

He smiled. "What any noble sheriff would do to a thief." The Sheriff watched Marian struggle with the man holding her arms behind her. It was truly delightful. "You'll learn to love me, darling."

"Never," she scoffed.

"I'd think again," he replied, grabbing her jaw with his hand. He drew closer to her and whispered, "Because if I can't have you, dear Marian, then no one can."

0-0-0

Storybrooke: Present Day

Though she could hear him enter the bedroom, she wouldn't turn, wouldn't acknowledge his presence. She remained standing there, facing the closet doors, buttoning up her pajama top. Her frustration with him was getting the better of her.

There was complete silence between them. He was unsure of how to begin, knowing and sensing that she was angry with him; she simply couldn't turn around and look him in the eye.

"Regina?" she heard him softly ask. He said nothing else; he couldn't until she turned around and looked at him.

Finally, she did with a frustrated glare. Her tone of voice was deep: a mixture of exasperation and anger. "Where the hell have you been?" Crossing her arms over her chest, she continued, "I expected you would need a bit of time. That is fine. But I didn't think you would just disappear without any word."

Robin raised his brow and shook his head as he replied, "I needed to gather my thoughts."

"While you were doing that," she responded forcefully, taking a few more steps towards him but remaining distant, "I was the one trying to explain to your five-year-old son why you weren't home for dinner, or to tuck him in, or say goodnight to him for the past two nights." Her voice was growing louder, though she remained aware of the children sleeping down the hall. Robin remained guiltily silent as she continued, "Where have you been, Robin? And I mean the real you because the Robin I know would never do this. He wouldn't keep secrets from me, avoid his family, push me aside and not trust my judgment." By now her voice was well above normal volume. "What is the matter with you?"

"I was afraid!" Robin finally burst out at her. Tears were welling in his eyes as he saw the confusion in hers.

"Of what?" she yelled back.

Finally the tears fell as he replied, "Of losing you again! Of watching you lying there in fear every waking moment of every waking hour, knowing that there was nothing that I could do! Of having to watch you die again!" Instantly, the expression on Regina's face changed. She grew even more confused, but he just continued, "Having to hold you, lifeless, in my arms, knowing that you didn't get the chance to even see, to even look at, our daughter! I lost you!"

He had finally looked up at her, and, though it didn't make any sense to her, she could see in his eyes that he was genuinely afraid, that he was in fact telling the truth somehow. She didn't know how it was possible, but it had to be if it had shaken him up that much.

Robin took two steps closer as he cried and yelled. "I was able to go through time, to save you, but… the image… it's still there! It haunts me daily, reminding me that it was real, that it could happen again! And I couldn't tell you because it only made it more real!"

She stayed silent, speechless. How could she respond to that? Her eyes were wide with shock and a hint of fear. She just needed a moment to process all of that, though realistically there was no way she could ever fully make sense of it.

After a long pause, the couple heard a small voice. "Mommy?" They both turned. There in the doorway stood Roland, with Henry right behind him.

Henry spoke out, "I tried to get him to go back to bed, but he wouldn't." Henry, though he didn't understand why they were yelling, knew that interfering on it could only cause more problems. But Roland was always curious and persistent about finding out why. Like Henry when he was younger, there was no stopping him if he was determined to find something out.

"Why are you fighting?" Roland asked.

Regina, without any hesitation, went and crouched to the floor in front of the child. Brushing her fingers through his hair, she replied, "I'm sorry for waking you up, sweetheart," avoiding his question. "We didn't mean to scare you. Come on." She took his hand and stood once more. "Let's get you back to bed." As they exited the room, Regina glanced back at her distraught husband and then kept walking.

0-0-0

When she returned, he had grown much calmer. He sat on the side of the bed facing the door. He was silent, his head bowed down as he breathed deeply.

Regina approached him slowly and quietly. She remained standing straight, her head bowed down like his, as she looked at him sympathetically. Her fingers weaved through his hair ever so gently as she stepped closer towards him.

He placed his hands on her waist and his forehead against her stomach as he let out another sigh. "I'm so sorry," he whispered while wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her. Again, he started to cry. He could feel the way her hands moved from his hair to the back of his head, holding him close to her, trying to comfort him. "I am so sorry," he repeated as he continued to cry.