Chapter 1

Regina Mills shivered in the midnight frosty air. She tightened her wool sweater around her tiny frame as she made her way down the deserted streets of Storybrooke. Her favorite time of the day, or night, was in the dead of night when everyone was asleep and she could finally hear herself think without the towns folk bothering her. Especially the insufferable Un-Charmings. But over the years, her step-daughter and her husband had somehow managed to worm their way into the Queen's heart, despite how much they still annoy her. She thought of Henry and how much he enjoyed spending time with his Grandpa David. So for his sake, she made the effort.

Henry was with Emma tonight. The two mothers had finally come to an agreement and they shared custody of their son. Henry spent the week with Regina and the weekend with Emma. As Regina pointed out, Henry is legally her son and nothing can change that. To her surprise, Archie backed her up, arguing that indeed Emma has no legal ties to Henry as she agreed to a close adoption at the time of his birth. It was Regina who raised him, loved him, protected him and took care of the boy for the first 10 years of his life. But she knew she would lose him forever if she didn't allow Emma some sort of contact. So the arrangement was made and still stands to this day. Regina was happy for the two nights a week to herself.

She looked up at the full moon and smiled to herself as she remembered watching the moon from the roof of the stables with her first love Daniel back in the Enchanted Forest. She would sneak out in the middle of the night and meet him there. Together they would watch the stars and make plans of their future. They could talk about everything and nothing. She missed him terribly but time has healed her heart and with the love of her son, she learned that love wasn't a weakness. It made her stronger every day. Every day she fought the darkness inside her and won. It made her resilient.

She loves her son and her extended family of the Charmings, but she still longed to fall in love again. But she would never admit it to anyone. Often, she thought of the man with the lion tattoo. So many years ago, her best friend Tinkerbell had shown her she had a soulmate out there. A man in a tavern with a lion tattoo on the inside of his wrist. But she just couldn't bring herself to go inside and meet him. Being happy just didn't seem like an option to her at the time. Her anger at her mother and Snow White consumed her and she didn't have room in her life for the happiness of true love. Or so she thought. Regina shivered in the cold as she thought of the love she missed out on. 'How fitting for the Evil Queen.' She thought bitterly.

She turned the corner and paused as she made out a dark figure making its way in the shadows of the night. She frowned as she tried to make out who it was. She watched silently as the hooded figure made his way to Gold's shop and knelt to pick the lock. Smirking to herself she recognized him as the infamous Robin Hood, Robin of Locksley or whatever the thief called himself these days. Even though it's been years since Regina and Gold buried the hatchet and decided to live together in Storybrooke in peace, she couldn't help but admit that she still liked to see the imp struggle. So she'll allow the thief to break into his shop. She quietly made her way to peep in the window. She saw the silhouette of the hooded thief as he pilfered through the contents of Gold's shop.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" a quiet voice in the shop made the thief stop in his tracks. Regina craned her neck to see Gold in his suit and tie, leaning on his cane. 'Does the man sleep in his suit?' Regina mused. She made a mental note to ask Belle later. She held her breath as she watched Hood slowly turn to face Mr. Gold.

"Please," he croaked. "My son is so ill, I need something to help him." Hood pleaded with the store keeper. Regina felt her heart constrict. She knew how scary it was to have an ill child and not knowing how to cure him. "I thought you would have something in your shop. I would have waited till morning to come to you but I was afraid Roland wouldn't make it till then. I fully intended to pay you." He said as he pulled out a roll of bills. "I was just going to leave this here in exchange for whatever I took." Hood confessed.

'An honorable thief.' Regina smiled to herself. She knew she had to do something. Clearing her throat, she made her way into the store before Gold had a chance to turn Hood into a toad or something.

"Ah, you made it! What's taking so long?" she demanded in her best bossy Queen voice. She turned to Hood, hoping he would catch on and play along. "I told you, Roland doesn't have much time. We need the Book of Enchantments right away! Gold, why are you hindering this man? I told him to come here, I need the Book if I am to heal his son." She turned to Gold.

"You told him to break into my shop?" Gold frowned. He knew and trusted Regina to an extent. If she was willing to vouch for the thief there must be a good reason.

"Yes! Did you not hear me though? We need the Book." She told Gold, trying her hardest to mask the truth from her former teacher. He was the only one able to tell if she was lying. Gold looked back and forth from Hood to Regina. He knew she was lying but he could tell the thief wasn't lying. His sick child needed help. He turned slowly and pulled the Book of Enchantments from the shelf, handing it to Regina. "Be careful, Dearie. As you know all magic comes with a price." He reminded her. As if she needed reminding…

"I'll be the one doing the magic, I'll pay the price." She told him, a silent battle raged in her eyes as she stared down her old friend. She took the Book and motioned to Hood to follow. Like an obedient puppy, he followed on her heels. Closing the door behind them, the two made their way back up the street, hurrying to get away from Gold's shop.

"Milady, you didn't have to…" Robin Hood was extremely confused by Regina's behavior. He had never met the former Evil Queen but he had of course heard the tales of her great and powerful evils. He knew she was responsible not only for the first curse but all the violence in the Enchanted Forest in her quest to seek revenge on Snow White. But certainly no one told him of her stunning beauty…

She turned to him with a gentle smile on her lips. Robin's breath caught in his throat. "I have a son, I know how scary it can be to have a sick child. Besides, I'm pretty sure Gold was about to turn you into a toad or something worse." She told him.

"That would have been unfortunate." He smiled at her. Regina tried hard not to notice the way his blue eyes twinkled at her, his dimples making an appearance. She blushed under his gaze.

Clearing his throat he turned serious. "Did you mean what you said? You can heal him?" Robin asked hopefully. Regina nodded.

"I can try. Healing magic isn't my strong suit but I've done it before. Lead me to him."

Robin nodded and motioned to her. The two made their way to the edge of the forest. "I hope you're not too frightened to walk the forest at night." He asked politely.

Regina resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I was once considered the Evil Queen. Not much frightens me." She told him.

"What does frighten you, Milady?" Robin asked quietly. He had to admit, this beautiful woman was a complete mystery to him.

Regina turned to him, her dark whiskey brown eyes meeting his ocean blue eyes. "A cage." She whispered before brushing past him and into the darkness of the forest. Robin watched her petite form walk away from him and he felt his heart flutter. Whatever this woman's past, he knew she had suffered and her fear of being imprisoned again confirmed his suspicions. He wanted nothing more than to take her pain away.

"Are you coming, thief?" he heard her call to him. He hurried to catch up with her.

"Robin." He said simply. Regina turned to him.

"What?"

"Robin." He smiled at her. "You can call me by my name, you know." The sides of his mouth turned up at the corners. Regina felt her heart beat faster at his gentle smile. She wasn't sure what it was about his man whom she barely knew, but he gave her a warm, safe feeling. Maybe it was his smile…

"Here we are, Milady." He said as he hurried to open the front gate for her. Regina stopped in wonder at the small home in the middle of the forest. It was a simple, cottage home but she had never felt more at home anywhere. Not in her castle in the Enchanted Forest or her big mansion in Storybrooke. The front was overgrown with plants and surrounded by trees. There was a large front lawn and she spotted a ball and a bicycle deposited in the grass, evidence of the small child who lived here with his father. A small patch of rich soil was well placed in front of the front porch and surrounded by rocks.

"Roland and I have tried to start our own garden, but as you can see, we don't have much luck." Robin said quietly to her as he watched her take in his forest home. He couldn't help but be enchanted by her. The way she took in the world around her. She was impressed by his small but humble home.

"Did you build this house? I don't remember making anything so beautiful in my curse." She smiled. Robin puffed out his chest, proudly.

"Yes, I had some help from Marco and my Merry Men of course. It's not much but it's prefect for my son and I."

Regina smiled fondly. "It's wonderful." She told him as she walked through the open gate. Robin led the Queen up the front steps on the front porch and into his home.

"Please excuse the mess, I have to admit I wasn't expecting visitors." He apologized, but Regina shook her head.

"I'm here to heal your son, if I can. I don't care if your home is messy or not. Besides, I live with a preteen boy. I am no stranger to mess." She assured him. Robin smiled and led her down the hallway, turning on the hall light for her to see.

They entered the little boy's room and Regina could immediately feel the sickness in the room. He had pneumonia.

"What happened?" Regina whispered as she knelt by Roland's bed. Robin knelt down next to her.

"Last week when it snowed, I had gone out to the forest to chop more wood for the fireplace. I told Roland to stay inside but he was too excited to make snow angels. I came back to find him outside without a jacket, buried in the snow." Robin said sadly. "I was my fault, I shouldn't have left him alone."

Regina didn't know what made her do it, but she took Robin by the hand and gently rubbed her thumb over his knuckles.

"It wasn't your fault. Roland is a little boy. He just wanted to play in the snow." She said gently. Robin tore his eyes from his son to look at the woman next to him.

"Thank you, Regina. You've been nothing but kind to a common thief. I don't even deserve your compassion." He mumbled. Regina smiled at him.

"You didn't break into Gold's shop to steal for your own merriment. Your son was ill and you did what any desperate parent would have done for their child. And you were going to leave him money for whatever you took. An honorable thief…" she mused. Robin blushed at her praise. "You can thank me when your son is healed and feeling better." She said as she stood. Robin smiled at her.

"Deal."

Regina turned back to Roland and held her hands over the little boy. She watched as he tucked himself deeper into the pillows. She concentrated all her strength on him. She thought of Henry and her love for her own son. She heard Robin gasp as a white light fell from her hands to his son. She felt the familiar warmth of magic as it flowed through her. Robin and Regina watched as the pigment slowly returned to Roland's face. She smiled but felt the immediate effects of the price of her magic. She didn't want Robin to know what her price was. But she knew it was worth it, for him and for Roland. Just to see Robin smile at her again, made it all worth it.

Her heart clenched as Roland's sickness seeped into her own body. But seeing Roland slowly open his eyes made her push away the sick feeling and she smiled at him.

Robin laughed and gathered his son in his arms. "Roland! My boy! You're better." He whispered into his son's hair as he hugged him.

"Papa! I am feeling better!" Roland hugged his father tighter, but his bright eyes never left Regina. "Majesty, did you heal me?"

Regina was massaging her palms, the lingering magic resided there.

Robin took her hands in his. "Yes, Roland. She healed you, what do you say?" Before Regina could say anything, she felt a small body hurl itself into her arms, nearly knocking her over.

"Thank you, Majesty." Roland whispered in her ear before leaving a kiss on her cheek. Regina laughed and hugged the little boy back.

"You are most welcome, Roland." She pushed his soft hair out of his eyes. "Next time, mind your papa and put a jacket on if you go out in the snow." She smiled at him.

"Yes, Majesty. I promise I will." Roland gave her a cheeky grin. Robin watched the scene unfold in front of him. 'Who knew the Evil Queen has a soft spot for children?'

Robin helped Regina to her feet. He intended to let go of her hand as soon as she was on her feet but he found himself holding on to her. Her soft petite hand fit perfectly in his big, strong hands. Their eyes met and for a moment everything around them faded away. It was just the two of them.

"Milady, thank you." He whispered to her. She felt his thank you in her heart and felt the warmth again. He was safety to her. "Please let me repay you." He begged her but Regina shook her head.

"I'm happy to help. Roland's hug and kiss was all the payment I need." She smiled down at the little boy who was watching his Papa and Majesty with curious eyes. At the mention of his name, his face broke out into a huge grin.

"Please Regina, let me make you dinner one night at the very least?" he begged again, he knew he had to see this gorgeous woman in his home again. Roland began jumping up and down.

"Please, Majesty! Papa makes yummy food!" Roland began begging too. Regina laughed at the two boys. Robin was giving her the saddest puppy eyes he could muster.

"Okay." She finally relented. The thought of seeing Robin and Roland again gave her butterflies she couldn't quite explain. Robin and Roland's matching dimples made her weak in the knees. She crouched down and pulled Roland in a hug. "But only on one condition: You can call me Regina instead of Majesty." She tickled the little boy's sides till he screamed with laughter.

"Okay, Gina!" the toddler agreed. Regina stood up and felt a bit faint. She knew the price of her magic was going to soon take a toll on her body and she didn't want Robin or Roland to know about it. But Robin's hawk like gaze saw her tremble.

"Are you alright, Regina?" he immediately put a hand on her waist to steady her. Regina nodded. "I just must be tired. It is still the middle of the night." She realized. Robin nodded, buying her excuse. "I should be heading home." She told them.

"Can we walk you home?" Robin asked her, but Regina shook her head.

"Roland needs his sleep. I can make it home safely." She knew she needed to get out of their home soon if she wanted to keep her secret. Roland hugged her legs again and Regina gave him her best hug back. "When will you come for dinner, Gina?" he asked. Regina looked up at Robin who smiled.

"Friday night works good for you?" he made a mental note that as Mayor and a mother to Henry, she was probably busy during the week. Regina nodded.

"Sounds perfect." She whispered. The two boys walked her to the front door. Robin reached out and gently pulled her body into his arms. "Thank you." He whispered into her silky chestnut hair. Regina hugged the man back. She barely knew this man but she felt safer and more at home with him and his son in their humble home in the forest than she had ever felt.

"You are more than welcome. Good night." She pulled back to look up in his eyes. "I look forward to Friday." She turned to smile down at Roland.

"Good night, Regina." Robin said as he watched the beautiful Queen leave his arms and his home. Tonight, she has vanquished all the doubts he ever had of the Evil Queen. She had covered for him with Mr. Gold, she healed his son of his pneumonia and now they had plans to meet again for dinner next week.

He couldn't wait to get to know more about the beautiful woman who had just unknowingly stole his heart. 'And they call me a thief…" he thought with a smile as he watched her graceful form make her way back to the town. The honorable gentleman in him was uncomfortable letting her walk herself home but as she pointed out, it was still the middle of the night and his son needed some much needed sleep. And he couldn't leave him alone again. That's how they got into this mess in the first place. Besides, he was sure Regina was more than capable of taking care of herself.

The next morning at Granny's diner Robin and Roland were sitting in their booth, enjoying breakfast together when he overheard some news that made him freeze in his seat.

Regina had fallen ill with pneumonia.