An Impromptu Rescue

No More Hiding

Chapter 18: No More Hiding

A/N: I am back! This chapter took me way longer than I first anticipated as I changed it from what I originally planned. But I am personally very happy with how this chapter has turned out.

I just quickly want to thank you all for the love and support you have continued to show this fic.

So, without another word, here it is! The moment of truth.

Enjoy!

____________________________________________________________

"Wilma?"

An uncomfortable silence settles between the pair causing dread and fear to swirl within the pit of Regina's stomach. She knew this was going to happen, knew he would pull away as soon as he saw a different face claiming to be the woman he fell in love with. And yet there had been a part of her that hoped she would be proven wrong. God, how could I be so naïve?

So, taking a shaky breath, the brunette breaks the heavy silence as she murmurs, "It's Regina actually." She pauses, wanting to gage some sort of reaction from him, but to her dismay, Robin's face has fallen into a mask of stone. Swallowing thickly as the dread tightens the knot within her stomach, Regina attempts to lighten the mood with a faint smile, "Or rather Your Majesty around these parts."

Her heart drops upon noticing how his blue eyes widen at her comment but refuses to provide any other form of response. Why the hell did I say that? the brunette silently berates herself, How the hell was that going to make him feel comfortable?

This is not going at all like she'd hoped. Sure, Regina hadn't expected the thief to welcome her with open arms, willing to accept the fact that she's the evillest woman there is. But nevertheless, there had been a part of her that thought he would at least show some form of understanding, considering everything they'd been through together.

For a while they merely stare at each other and fear tightens its grip on the brunette's throat. She doesn't want to lose him – she couldn't bear it – but as Robin remains frozen, Regina becomes scared at the fact that this could be the last time she'll ever see him. God, she doesn't know what to do! She so desperately wishes she could tell what the man was thinking or just manage to get him to do something – anything.

"I brought your horse with me." Regina says gently whilst gesturing over in the horses' direction and attempting a smile, "I made sure she was well looked after whilst she was here."

She waits for him to mutter some reply or to give a nod of recognition, but when he does neither, the brunette feels a familiar burn at the back of her eyelids.

In an attempt to close more of the distance between them, the brunette takes a step towards Robin before freezing as he immediately takes one back. Her heart stops. This is what she was scared would happen – that he would pull away from her.

Resisting the urge to cry, Regina steps back and fiddles with her fingers as she casts her eyes down towards her feet. Could this really be happening?

Suddenly, the silence has become unbearable for her, so lifting her tear-filled and pleading brown orbs to meet his blue ones, Regina whispers, "Robin, say something, please."

____________________________________________________________

Robin can only stare at the woman in front of him as he has been stunned into silence. Though her voice sounds like Wilma, her appearance claims otherwise: in place of the simple clothes she adorned, the brunette now wears a leather tunic and tan riding pants. Her hair seems thicker than the last time he saw it and her curls have been tamed in order to tie them back into the confines of a simple braid.