Disclaimer: I don't own the Once Upon A Time characters :) ...if I did Zelena would give up that baby so that Regina could be the mother :)

Authors Note: I'm so sorry it has taken me this long to get back to writing. Life has gotten quite busy with work and family and for sometime i lost my muse...but i have found it (you be the judge :) I'm back and hope you'll continue to enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing it. Thank you so much to those who continue to read. Please let me know what you think.

Saving Hope

Chapter 5

Storybrooke Present

Regina's Mansion

Regina fiddled with her keys as she attempted to open her front door, finding it difficult when she could feel him so close behind her. His breath mingled with the winds that caressed her cheeks. She could feel his eyes burning over her as he carried their sleeping daughter...their future daughter, who hasn't been born yet. Regina shook her head trying not to over analyze the thought, or it would truly have her lost in a whirlwind of questions. How do we get there? When will we get there? Will...will we ever get there? No, of course we'd never get there. It was impossible...wasn't it? The key finally slipped into the keyhole breaking her free of her thoughts. She twisted the knob gaining them entrance and held the door open so he could step in carrying a sleeping Hope.

Robin rubbed his daughter's back soothingly as she slept and turned towards Regina, "Where should I lay her down?" Regina looked up the stairs and scrunched her eyebrows, "Good question. Henry is staying with Emma this week so let's put her in his room. I'll grab one of my t-shirts to put on her. It'll fit her like a nightgown until I can get her some things." Regina climbed the steps followed by Robin. They parted ways at the staircase as she went to retrieve the shirt and Robin walked into Henry's bedroom.

He laid their daughter on the heavily blue and plaid adorned bed; her pink puffed coat setting off a large contrast to all the blue. He carefully removed her tennis shoes from her little feet setting them on the ground and slowly slipped off each of her white frilly socks. Regina returned to him looking at Hope's toes in awe. She cleared her throat pulling him from his trance. "Can you give me a moment to change her? I'll get you when I'm through," Robin nodded setting Hope's feet on the bed, "Of course...Regina?" Regina shook her head slowly as he walked to the door where she stood, "I'll just be a minute." With that said, she closed the door taking in a deep breath before looking down at the five year old. She may have been blinded by her own self loathing earlier but now, there was no doubt that this was her child. As she sat on the bed and slowly began to remove Hope's pink coat, Regina recognized the color of her own hair and slight olive skin tone that matched her own. She let her eyes fall over Hope's features seeing so much of Robin in her as well; her dimples shun through with the slight curve of her soft pink lips and beneath her resting eyelids laid his sparkling blue eyes. Regina shook her head and swallowed back the lump in her throat; fate was playing a cruel joke on her by showing her something she'd never truly be able to have, or rather...conceive. Swiping her fingers through Hope's hair, Regina felt a wave of nausea hit her as her womb ached for the life she wouldn't be able to provide.

Taking a deep breath, she released it through pursed lips settling her unease and reaching up to carefully undress the sleeping beauty. She hadn't had to change a child in their sleep since Henry was a little boy but she hadn't lost her skill. In a matter of minutes, Regina had Hope changed into one of her night shirts and her clothes carefully folded on the edge of the bed. She sat there for a moment looking at the little beauty, absentmindedly stroking the raven hair away from her face. Hope was beautiful. Regina breathed a heavy sigh as she stood, slowly walking to the door and letting Robin in. She stroked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Can you pick her up so I can pull back the covers?" Robin nodded with a smile, "Of course m'lady." He walked over gently lifting Hope, who was so exhausted after the day she didn't even stir. He placed her back on the bed once Regina pulled back the covers and tucked her in the large mass of blankets.

Regina sat on the edge of the bed stroking Hope's back as the little one shifted to her side. She was all to aware of Robin's presence over her, could feel his eyes staring at her. "Regina..." Robin started walking to the other side of the bed to sit. Regina shook her head, "Don't...let's not read to much into this." Robin furrowed his brow as he tried to keep his voice down, "Read to much into this? Regina, we have a child...this..." Regina looked at him and took a deep breath, "We will have a child..." She sighed and looked at Hope before swallowing her words and looking at Robin, "Perhaps, some form of ourselves will have a child. Who knows what path our future selves were on, probably a path you and I are no where near...or even capable of recreating." Robin opened his mouth to speak but Regina held up her hand, "Whatever future Hope has come from, it isn't ours Robin. It's an alternate universe of sorts. One that I'm going to work my hardest to return her too when I know she'll be safe. Then, we're going to find a way to save Marian and once we do, things will return to how they were meant to be...you'll honor your code and go back to your wife." Regina stood up and left the room leaving Robin to stare at what would be their little girl, who was a perfect mixture of both her mother and father.

He leaned over pressing his lips on her forehead as she exhaled and turned in her sleep once more, curling up against Henry's pillow. Taking one more glance at his sleeping child, he stood and walked out of the room to find Regina.

Storybrooke Present

Outskirts of the Merry Men's camp site

Marian pressed her face against the cool bark of the tree as she watched little John carry a sleeping Roland into his tent. Her lips quivered with anger as she dragged her fingernails against the old oak. Her fingertips became numb to the feel of splinters embedding themselves beneath calloused skin. The dark embers of her eyes sparked as she watched a man that wasn't her son's father lay him to rest while Robin was in town with that monster and her...her spawn. Her chest filled with rage and new resolve as she pushed herself away from the tree and started walking away from the campsite.

In that moment she knew, it wasn't only her revenge that she sought but that of her son. Roland was thrust into a big messy situation the day Robin chose to chase after that woman and now here he was playing second fiddle to a futuristic daughter. No, that would not do not at all. She walked further into the woods searching for the perfect location to settle her lair in. Out of habit, her legs carried her through the depths of the forest where she could feel a sudden dip in temperature. Her upper lip quivered in disgust, as she walked over to the cave at the top of the hill, the home of her lair but she forgot one little detail. It wasn't empty. She stepped forward only to find it already inhabited and if the slick ice suddenly covering the ground beneath her was any indication, she was all to aware by whom.

Her firm steps carried her to the cave entrance where she came face to face with the ice wall barrier the Ice Queen had erected. Scoffing, Marian raised her hands releasing a surge of energy, dark energy, that shattered the wall into mere ice shavings sprinkled on the ground. Crushing the shavings beneath her step, she walked into the cave only to find herself facing the Ice Queen. "Did anyone ever tell you it was impolite to visit without an invitation?" came a shout from far within the frozen hideaway. Marian walked in and smirked as she was met with Ingrid wearing her hideously white gown topped with the flamboyant collar that she had seen on many dogs once or twice before.

"Cool your temper there blondie," Marian breathed out a laugh as she placed a hand on her chest in response to her own little pun. Ingrid held up her hand prepared to shower Marian in ice making the brunette shake her head, "You may have frozen me once...but do not underestimate my ability to melt you into a puddle of nothing." A fireball appeared as Marian waved her hand over her midsection raising her eyebrows at the confused Ice Queen.

Ingrid put down her hand and breathed a laugh as she sat on her icy throne, "That's right...the maiden and her...dimpled son. I must say, you get along fairly well for an iced down peasant." Marian snarled as she threw the fireball at the ice throne causing Ingrid to scream as she gracelessly plummeted to the puddled ground. Magicking a throne of her own, Marian took a seat all the while smirking as Ingrid slowly recovered from her shock and got to her feet. Tracing her fingers over the intricate carvings of her throne Marian tilted her head eerily towards Ingrid, " It benefits me greatly that that monster chose to send her disgusting spawn here..." Marian breathed out a laugh, "Now, you and I can discuss exactly how you're going to pay for turning me into a popsicle which lead my husband into the arms...or for lack of better words bed of the Evil Queen."

Looking at Marian as though she had grown a spare head, Ingrid scoffed, "Your life really was of little importance to me. You were merely...entertainment...and it seems a great way to keep Regina off my trail. She really is focusing on defrosting you...such a shame." Marian growled and sat back further, "You idiot. Don't you think that freezing someone would lead straight to you...and it won't be long until she climbs the hills to find you..." Marian stood off her throne walking further into the cave where she came face to face with a mirror missing a sliver of glass. Inhaling deeply, Marian bit down on her lower lip as she traced her hands over the edges of the mirror, "Perfect..." Ingrid crossed her arms as she lowered her gaze on Marian, "That...is mine." Marian turned with a conniving smile, "It's incomplete...but I know where you can find the missing piece."

Storybrooke Present

Regina's Mansion

Regina descended down her steps quickly knowing Robin wouldn't be far behind her. Her heart was pounding inside of her chest making her feel the slightest bit light headed. In a matter of a few short hours and one adorable little raven haired beauty later, her world was thrown for a world-wind. Her focus was shifted from finding ways to unfreeze her soulmate/lover's wife so he could continue to follow his code of honor to now somehow finding out how and why exactly her daughter (a daughter she couldn't possibly conceive) was sent to her from the future. Regina placed her hand on her wavering head, scrunching her eyebrows and closing her eyes with a deep sigh...a sigh that immediately caught in the depths of her throat.

She felt his presence before the touch of his hand on her lower back guided her down the last two steps. He turned her against the banister for support. "m'lady?" Regina lowered her hand before opening her eyes and looking into his that were fully etched with concern...and love. Swallowing down the waive of nausea that hit her, she looked at him with a small grateful smile and a nod. Inside, the wall of protection she had been trying to build around her heart was melting. Looking into his eyes, this closely, made it almost impossible for her to push him away again like she had the morning after they had made love in her vault...but she had to. If not for her sake, for his...his honor laid with another and she wouldn't be a part of causing what made him, him...what made him Robin Hood... to crumble into ash.

Robin lifted her chin in attempts to focus her attention on him and lowered his gaze, "Your thoughts seem to be racing at a maddening pace m'lady. I know this is all complicated..." Regina reached for his hand and lowered it from her chin shaking her head slowly, loosening the strands of hair that had been tucked behind her ear. "It isn't complicated." Regina swallowed and lowered her eyes, finding it impossible to look at him. "I will figure out how to unfreeze Marian; however, I need to figure out how to help Hope first."

"Regina, let me help." Robin tried to tuck the loose raven strands of hair behind her ear before she shook her head again, "You can't. Robin, you need to focus on Marian. One way or another, we need to save her and you falling back in love with her may be the only way. I'll focus on Hope." Robin shut his eyes tightly and took in a breath that broadened his nostrils in an annoyance she hadn't seen from him before. "When will you allow me to make the choice of exactly what I am to focus on?" Regina pulled away from the banister with a scoff as she walked over to her home office, "I did and you chose your honor Robin. That belongs to Marian and Roland. Your family. I won't stand in the way of that. It isn't the right thing to do."

Robin could have growled with the frustration building inside of him at this audacious woman who he had declared his love to in all manners of speaking. After he had spent an entire night showing her exactly where his heart and honor stood, she had scattered from his side before dawn had set in with more determination than ever to unfreeze his wife. Now, before them was this child that would be theirs, a sure sign of their destiny, and again, she ran from him.

Instead of taking her exit from the foyer as an end to the conversation as she had hoped, Robin followed her towards her office only his longer legs guided him towards it first. She could have made it easy and wave her hands before her poofing herself to her vault but as she raised her arms to do so, she remembered that upstairs was a little girl that needed her. Sighing, she looked at Robin who placed a hand on her arm and pulled her into the room with him. He placed her against the entry wall before pacing before her and running his hands frustratingly through his hair.

Looking outside of her office and up the staircase before shifting her eyes to him, Regina swallowed as she followed his dizzying pace until her eyes fell shut, her head rested against the wall, and her lips breathed out his name in attempts to shelter herself from the pain. "Robin..." He raised his hands to stop her from proceeding in a manner quite unlike him but in that moment, looking at how hard he was trying to control his emotions, she thought it wise to bring her lower lip between her teeth in silence.

"Listen to me! Just listen to me! You are so hell bent on doing the right thing in this situation ...what is the right thing exactly Regina?! You ignoring me after what we shared together in that vault. Is that how we should continue?!"

Regina's eyes filled with scalding tears that slipped over the brim even as she tilted her head up trying her damnedest to keep them at bay and uphold her stonewalled demeanor. She swallowed back her tears and shook her head, "You said you would walk through hell to be with her again Robin. She's your wife and frozen as she may be...she still exists, Marian is here! She has more right to you than I ever will." Robin walked up to Regina and placed his hands on her cheeks making her focus on him. Wetting his lips, he spoke slowly, "Listen to my words clearly m'lady. I would have walked through hell to be with my Marian again...would have. It has been thirty years. I mourned her for thirty years...I let her go and alone, I raised my son. My heart broke romantic ties to Marian a very long time ago, even before you came into my life. I will always love her; she gave me my son, the only reason i survived all those years."

Regina reached her hands up and wrapped her fingers around hers, trying to pull them off of her. The feel of him on her set fire to her skin, marking her with the essence of him. One stone block after another crashed around her protective barrier as he stood closer and closer to her. She couldn't have that; she had to be strong enough for the both of them to let each other go. "Just stop Robin...please. I'm finally doing what is right. Let me do it."

Robin held her firmer in place, his nose grazing against hers as he watched her intently with passionate anger. "What is the right thing Regina? Who wrote the book on what the right thing to do in this situation is? How do you know we're doing the right thing by staying apart? Every second of every ounce of my day belongs to you...my soulmate!" Regina swallowed a grimace as the sensation of her heartache became palpable, "She's your wife Robin...give her a chance. If I were in her position..."

"Then that kiss would have worked and I would have woken you a long arse time ago! You want my decision Regina. It's been you a million times over. The right decision isn't always the most obvious m'lady. It's messy and we have to work through it! Marian knows where my heart lies...and where it does not. I know what I want and I've tried so hard to do as you've asked but the moment you started escaping me, my heart ached to breathe you in. I know my decision Regina. What is yours? Tell me what it is that you want."

Regina closed her eyes and let her hands fall to the crook of her elbows, giving up on trying to pry his hands from her cheeks. She shook her head slowly, "I just want to do what's right. I'm so tired of being seen as the Evil Queen...a monster. No matter what I do, it's how they all see me still." Robin held her focus with a press of his lips to her forehead, "Don't worry about what they all think Regina. What matters is you, me, Henry, and Roland...Hope. The right decision does not always have to be sacrificial m'lady. You don't always have to sacrifice your happiness in the hopes that everyone will finally see you as good. I am done doing the same. How will I look if I continue my life with Marian without loving her as a spouse...and all the while I continue to watch you with love in my eyes, with longing. That will never change Regina...unless you tell me that being with me made you unhappy. What will make you happy m'lady?"

Regina felt as his thumbs traced over her cheeks, wiping away the stream of tears that drifted from her closed eyes. She shuddered a sob as she opened her eyes, "I just want you. I want Henry and Roland. I want Hope...but Robin...I can't..." Robin released a sigh of relief, cutting her off with an abrupt seal of his lips on hers. For moments that seared into eternity, Robin molded himself against his soul mate taking from her the kiss he'd desired since the morning she ran from him in the vault. Whatever protective barrier Regina struggled to keep up shattered to unrecognizable dust.

They pulled apart when the need for air became patent. Robin traced kisses from the corner of her lips to her forehead before whispering, "I fully intend to fight for what I want m'lady...you, Regina." A relieved laugh breathed past Regina's lips before she scrunched her eyebrows and whispered his name preparing to tell him exactly why Hope would not exist for them. She would never be able to bare him a child due to a mistake that some future form of herself never made.

Robin looked at her as he stroked his fingers through her hair, missing the feel of the silken strands as they floated across his finger tips, 'Yes my love." Regina took a deep breath and lowered her eyes before opening her eyes to confess her secret.

"Mommy!" the cry of their five-year old daughter ripped them from their embrace and set them racing for the steps to where she hopefully remained.