Beautiful Lily

When you fall into a hole

Snow was depleting all around them and people were dispersing from the Elsa's property. At Emma's insistence, Hook and Mary-Margaret ran with her into the ice mansion to confront Elsa. While they left to find out Elsa's exact temperament and safety their town, Robin, Regina and Henry stayed behind. Marian ran up to confront Robin, "So that's it? You love her now?!"

Henry stood close to his mother and hugged her, glad that her curse had been broken. But as much as it was a cause for celebration, the same could not be said in Robin and Marian's case. Robin turned away from Regina and Henry and moved toward Marian giving her his undivided attention. Robin's face had fallen. After being in such a beautiful moment with Regina just earlier before, he then became saddened. His face then became filled with an intense grief.

"Marian," Robin began with a sudden pain in his heart, "you don't understand. So much time has passed for me."

"Yeah, but not for me."

"I know, and that's why this is so hard and unfair."

"It's not my fault that the Evil Queen abducted me with the intent to kill me. Robin, she was going to kill me!" Marian's voice escalated trying to make reason with Robin. Robin retorted back defensively, "But she didn't, did she?!"

Robin combed his fingers through his hair out of stress and lowered his voice to calmly explain himself. "Marian," he spoke somberly, looking down in sorrow and pain. "When you came back, I wanted Roland, you and I to be a family again, but when you chose the mob over your own family to go after and deliberately hurt people... well... it sounds exactly what the Sheriff did to you in Nottingham."

Marian was stunned over Robin's offensive comparison. The prolonged silence only made the situation worse because they both knew where this was going; but neither Robin nor Marian wanted to believe it. Each word stung and rattled their brains like a trapped bee. He gathered up the courage and looked Marian in the eye. He needed to let these thoughts fly away and escape his mind. He had been sitting with them for too long. Tears were watering in his eyes, "I mourned you... for so long. Regretting for years that moment I let you go..."

He took a moment, trying to hide a sniffle through a cough and continued, "'Be grateful for what you've got and make the most of what you have.' That's what I kept telling myself to get by." A tear escaped from the corner of his eye, "I wanted to make us work, for Roland's sake, but... it looks like I'm not the only one who's changed."

Marian, heart-broken and crying, sniveled, "We're over? Is that what you're telling me?!"

A frown claimed his face. Robin's bottom lip trembled as he spoke, "Yes."

Marian fell to her knees and howled out a painful sob. Regina and Henry stood there speechless. Regina saw the pain of the two individuals and felt helpless. Robin turned away from Marian, distancing himself from the group and started walking into the woods alone.

"Robin," called out Regina. Robin halted and turned to face Regina. He could barely look at her face. She saw the confliction as he held up his hands as if to stop her. He shook his head and closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. "Please..." he begged, "I need some time."

"I understand. You know where to find me," was the best Regina could say, sympathetic to his situation. He nodded, acknowledging Regina and turned walking away into the woods. Marian's sobs continued, leaving Henry and Regina feeling... guilty.

"Mom, you've got to do something," said Henry, feeling sympathetic.

"I can't Henry! What would you have me do?"

"Offer to help her."

"What if she doesn't want my help?"

"Mom, she's in pain, of course she's going to refuse, but even if she refuses, offer it to her anyways. No one deserves to be alone. Give her a way out. Give her options."

"Henry..." Regina hesitated, looking at a befallen Marian. "...you're asking a lot."

"I know you've been there..." he said earnestly to his mother, "that place where you feel like all hope and happiness is lost. You managed to get out of it. You managed to find a way out..."

"Henry it took a curse to get out of it-"

"You're missing my point," he said shaking his head fervently. Henry held his mother's face gently, looking honestly into her eyes, "You fall into a hole and you can't escape. Most people walk by the hole, waving and saying, 'sorry, can't help you'... casual friends, neighbors, maybe even family members pass by. But a friend... a true friend, falls into the hole with you. Why? Because that real friend has been there before and knows the way out."

"You're right," Regina sighed admitting reluctantly out loud. Then she looked at him, surprised by such a profound statement, "Where did you learn that?"

"Online," he replied with confidence. "It's a magical place."

She turned facing Marian and took in a deep breath. Regina looked back over at Henry, who gave her an encouraging nod, and walked timidly over to Marian. "Marian..." Regina called out timidly.

"Go away, you evil wretched woman!" hissed Marian.

"You're right," Regina agreed, "I was an evil wretched woman, but that woman is gone."

Marian spat at her in disbelief. Regina, taken back by the disrespect, understood her reaction and anger all too well.

"Marian, you're not going to like what it is I have to say, but here it is..." Regina squatted next to Marian and took a breath before beginning, "I know how angry you are... at me, at the world... and you have every right to be. I know this anger because I had it too, and I allowed my anger to corrupt me. It corrupted my reputation... my magic... my soul.... It corrupted me so much that I had complete disregard to anyone who got in my way. I've hurt many people as a result of this and I had hurt you when I was hurting most, and for that... I am truly sorry."

Regina looked over at Henry who was giving her two encouraging thumbs up. She looked back over at Marian and knelt down beside her, "I'm not expecting you to forgive me, and I suspect you never will. But the one thing you have that I didn't have back then, was my son. He is my world and my reason to do good things now. Henry is my second chance. You still have your second chance because you have Roland."

Regina stood back up and walked slowly back over to Henry. "For what it's worth, if you need anything from me-"

"I don't need anything from you!" Marian shouted at Regina, cutting her off.

"Regardless, I'm offering you anything and everything within my power to help you through this. For the sake of Roland, I owe you at least that much."

Regina wrapped an arm around Henry's, turning and walking away from an angry Marian.

"Oh and by the way," Marian shouted to Regina. Regina paused in her tracks to listen, "I don't want you anywhere near Roland ever again!"

"I promise," Regina said respectfully, "I will not go near your son without the consent of his parents."

It was a start, albeit rocky, but in the right direction.