Lost in Neverland - Outlawqueen

15) The skull rock

Regina, Emma, Will and Charming decided to enter the skull rock, while the other ones promised to kept watch in front of it. 

"Regina, wait" Robin grabbed her wrist. "In case, this won't turn out well, I want to claim my wish."
His ocean blue eyes pierced into her brown ones. She got lost into them for what felt like an eternity. Your soul mate. He's your soul mate.
"Inappropriate moment" she mumbled and tried to step backwards. But he was too strong. His warm hand held her tight, his facial expression was almost desperate. It broke her heart to see him like this. He was afraid. Afraid that he would never see his son again.
"You promised."
The thief took a step forward. Their faces inches away from each other. His hot breath touched her skin, she felt the heat his body radiated. Felt her cheeks burning. Her heart fluttered, intoxicated by his near. The scent of forest reached her nostrils. More intensely than ever. He smelled like grass and wood. Like berries and oranges. Never had she imagined that this scent would be so familiar to her one day.
Since she had met Robin Hood, she always refused falling in love with him. She had tried to convince herself that she was not ready. That he was not worth her love. But her heart told a different story. During their time together, they became friends. He was already too important to her, even though she hated to admit it.
"Kiss me" he whispered with a husky voice. His head moved lower until their lips almost touched. "Kiss me, Regina."
And she did. She bridged the space between them and pressed her mouth on his. It was the most irrational decision she had probably ever made. Especially because everyone was able to watch them. But she had reached the point when she did not care anymore. Not about their looks and not about what they were thinking.
She needed this. She needed to feel his broad shoulders, his muscular biceps. She needed to feel the heat and how his touch singed her skin.
Automatically, she opened her lips for him. Tasted his aroma and inhaled his scent once again. Every cell inside her screamed for more. Ached for more than just one kiss. Her fingers clawed into his hair, pulling him closer. The dark blond strands were as soft as she had imagined.
She let her walls collapse. Opened herself for him. He knew parts of her past. He understood her. And she wanted to show him how much she appreciated him as a friend. That she was ready to let him in her heart. Into her life. Accepted him as her soul mate.
His hands caressed her back. Wandered to her hips and left a fervent line on her body.
After a while, which felt like an eternity, they separated.
Robin's eyes reflected her own desire. He grabbed her hand and bent his head down until his lips touched Regina's ear.
"Take care. You'll defeat Pan and then you'll come back to me" he whispered. His voice low and throaty.
Shivers ran down her back. He wanted her. She did not know why she had not noticed it before, but the only thing that mattered now was that he was as desperate as her. That he wanted her to be with him, no matter how awful she had been when she had been known as the Evil Queen.
How do you think this going to end, huh? Storybrooke is your home. Henry's home. When this is over, he'll go back to the Enchanted Forest and your life goes on. Without him.
The reality hit her like a punch in the gut. Her heart sank and black despair encased her. She needed to let him go. Even if they managed to save the children, this was farewell.
She leant in for a last time. Kissing his lips gently and cupping his face with her hands. Touching his rough beard stubbles and the smooth skin of his cheeks. She wanted everything. The opportunity of having a future without mistakes and pain. A future with him. But she knew that, in the end, she would get nothing. That fate was not as kind as she wished it was.
"We'll get Henry and Roland" she promised with a slight smile on her face. Nevertheless she did not promise to come back for him. The whole situation was more than complicated and she would do everything to save their sons. Including risking her life for them.
Regina turned around to accompany Emma, Will and Charming. Her lips still burned from the kiss she had shared with the thief. Tears burned in her eyes. She swallowed in the hope that the lump in her throat would disappear. But it remained.
Surrounded by stones and darkness, it was difficult to find the right way. Their footsteps resounded in the cave which looked like a skull. Therefore it probably got the name Skull Rock.
Very creative, Regina thought and repressed an annoyed sigh.
The musty smell was quite different than the natural smell of Robin Hood. She still felt a little dizzy. Still felt his hands on her waist and her cheeks. His warm lips on hers. He had held her like he was drowning and she was able to rescue him.
"Regina, Emma? Is it possible to make some more light?" Snow's husband asked.
"Sure" the blonde answered and a fireball appeared on her palm.
"You practiced" the black-haired woman assessed.
"A little" she smiled.
She hated it, but she was proud of her. It meant, she was no hopeless case and their lessons in magic control were not for nothing.
A parting of the ways prevented them from walking on by.
"Left or right?" Will wanted to know.
"Let me figure this out" Regina responded and crouched. She lay her hand on the cold ground and concentrated on her magic. A thin line traversed the right path. "There."
The followed the line. Regina's hands were shaking. She needed to convince Henry that Pan was not to be trusted. That he was one of the most awful villains imaginable.
"So, you and Rob-"
"I'm not going to talk about it" she interrupted Snow.
"Oh, I don't blame you" the younger one replied. "He's cute."
"He smells like forest" was the only argument that came to her mind. A weak one, to be honest. "It doesn't matter anyway. As soon as we have the kids, I won't see him again. End of the story."
Her stepdaughter frowned. "What makes you think that?"
"He lives elsewhere. And now I would really appreciate, if you would stop talking about Robin Hood."
She opened her mouth to comment her statement but then they heard voices talking. They were close.
"What do you need?" Henry asked.
"What I need is a great sacrifice" Pan answered. "You have the heart of the truest believer. That's only one of the ingredients that are necessary."
Regina pressed her lips together. They hid into the shadows, watching the three boys.
"What else do you need?" a higher voice began to speak. It was Roland. She remembered the picture of him and his mother. He looked a bit older now, but it were the same messy curls and the big brown eyes. God, he was so young.
Pan turned is head to look at him. "Listen, the decision isn't easy, I know that. You have to give me your blood."
"My blood?" he mumbled. It was obvious that he was afraid.
"How much blood?" Henry wanted to know.
"A lot. I wouldn't beg you if it wasn't important. You can save the magic. You can save whole Neverland."
And that was the moment, when the former Evil Queen had heard enough. Anger let her blood boil. She would not let anything happen to her son and Roland. Pan played with the words. Tried to convince them to be heroes. That their sacrifice would never be forgotten. It was completely nonsense. He was just keen on saving his own life. No matter the cost.
"This insanity has to stop" she demanded and stepped out of the darkness. Candlelight surrounded them. She looked at the hour glass. The sand was almost on the other side.
"Now" Emma added.
"Regina, Emma! How nice of you to join our little company. And you brought your friends with you" Peter Pan grinned and clapped his hands.
"Shut up" the black-haired woman spit. "And let them go."
"Mom, it's okay" Henry said. "I know you don't want me to help him, but that's what I have to do. I want to save this place. It's magical."
"That's ridiculous" was her deadpan answer. "Pan doesn't want to save his precious Neverland, he want to save his own life."
"You die, he lives" Emma declared the obvious.
"I don't want to die" Roland whispered and looked at the group. It broke Regina's heart to see him like this. To see the tears in his eyes and the shock on his young face.
"Don't listen to them" Pan began to speak again. "You can trust me."
"You can't." Charming shook his head.
"I have to" the teenager replied and faced Pan. "Do it, I'm ready."
"No! I won't let this happen!" the former queen shouted. A fireball appeared in her palm. She did not even think about it, just followed her instincts. And they screamed at her to kill this kid. To cause unbearable pain. The fireball hit its aim.
The ruler of Neverland flew through the air, his hand on his shoulder. She hurt him. Good.
Without magic he was easy prey. Another fireball hit him. This was her fight. Until the bitter end.
She looked asquint at the Charmings. Snow took care of Robin's son, while Emma talked insistently to Henry.
"A woman with fire" Pan joked. " I like temperament."
He stood up from the ground and avoided another product of the major's magic. His hand reached out for her wrist. The strength of his grasp surprised her.
"Regina! Be careful!" David called her.
The child pressed her against the cold wall. His other hand on her throat.
Her lungs screamed for air. She was not able to breathe. Her head was spinning. Silver lights danced in front of her.
With a slow movement she touched his chest. Grabbed his heart and squeezed. The pain was enough for him to let go of her.
Weak in her knees she collapsed on the ground, yearning for fresh air. She looked up at his smiling face. The loss of energy she had needed to use magic and the attack debilitated her.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty" he grinned.
What he had not noticed was that David stood right behind him. The blade of his sword flashed in the faint light.
"Indeed" the former queen answered with a sharp twinge in her throat. For the moment she should really stop talking.
It was quite satisfying to watch Charming thrust his sword inside Pan's body. Blood ran out of the wound, dropping on the floor. His eyes widened, his muscles twitched.
"It's not over..." He clenched his teeth. Hate flared up in his eyes as he finally collapsed next to her.
"Believe me, it is" she replied with a wide smile upon her face. Death had never been sweeter.
"Mom" Henry murmured and helped her to get up. When she managed to stay on her own, she embraced him as firmly as she could. She literally inhaled his scent and buried her head into his dark hair.
"Are you okay?" she muttered and stroked his back.
"Yes. I don't know what got me to do this. I'm sorry if I hurt you. I just wanted-"
"I know" she interrupted him, hugging him tighter. The last days occasionally had felt like hell. All she had thought about was how Peter Pan would kill him. Now that her son was here, unharmed and healthy, it was a weight off her mind. "I missed you so much."
"I can feel that" he chuckled and took a step back. "I missed you too."
She caressed his cheeks. Smiled at him like an idiot. Kissed his forehead.
"I'm sorry, but we should definitely get out of here" Emma suggested. "Tinkerbell told us that Pan is the essence of this place. He's dead and I'm sure, Neverland will fall apart soon."
Regina nodded. "Let's go."