We're Almost Free

Chapter 11

A/N: I know I'm a week late to the party (it was tech/show week for the school production and I live in the UK so I couldn't watch the episode on Monday) but I cannot deal with the OutlawQueen right now!! Lana's acting, and the squeal when he flopped them onto the bed, and the AU picture, made me melt. Like, I'm a puddle on the floor. I love them so much and she's just opening up to him about a time she's never talked about except briefly with Tink (I'm still slightly annoyed she hasn't come back but I digress) and he doesn't get mad at her for running away, just takes it in his stride and does everything he can to make her smile.
If my rants are getting annoying do tell me and I'll stop (or try and shorten them, HA) but this is my only vent!!
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The autumn sun was just beginning to set when the boat finally ground to a halt on the shingle beach. Regina stumbled out, practically crying with relief to be back on land. She was, however, still used to the motion of the sea so she had to take a moment before lifting Roland out of the boat, then helping John. They both fell, exhausted, to the floor, but Regina didn't have the heart to move them.

Instead, she slipped into the woods growing about a hundred metres inland and fashioned a small cross from two twigs, tying them together with a loose thread pulled from the seam of her bag. She found a small nook underneath a bush and stuck the cross in the ground, writing a name in the dirt in front of it with her finger.

"Goodbye, Jerry. Thank you for everything."

She wiped away the tears that threatened to fall before going back out to the others, who were just coming up the shingle.

"Are you all right?" John asked.

"I'm fine."

Roland let go of John's hand and held out his arms to be carried. She happily complied, and started walking along the animal-trodden path.

They walked a little way into the trees, eventually finding a decent spot to camp for the night. If it could even be called camping, sleeping under bushes with only each other for warmth.

Once they'd settled on a clearing, she took a deep breath in order to calm herself. What did she have? She still had her knife; the letter tucked inside her bodice which was now rather redundant but nevertheless, she knew where it was, and therefore no one else knew what was in it; the lighting flints; Roland's berry-sniffing nose.

Right. You can do this, she told herself. You can get to civilisation, reunite John with his family, keep Roland safe. Then you can... Her train of thought derailed. Then she can what? Even if she wanted to, she could never leave Roland. Not now. But she couldn't make Robin leave his Merry Men in order to cross the border to safety from Cora, which had been her original plan that long-ago day.

"Mrs. Mills?"

"Please, Regina's fine," she muttered distractedly. A pregnant silence fell. Even Roland knew she'd said something wrong and hid his face with his hands, peeking out between his fingers.

"What?"

"I though you said your name was Rebecca?"

"Oh. Oh!" She looked round quickly. She couldn't see anyone but stepped closer and dropped her voice just in case. "Yes, I did. I'm so sorry, John, I made that up. You see, I'm... I was... running away, and I knew it would be easier if I had an alias. My real name's Regina."

"It's ok. I get it. Should I even be calling you Mrs. Mills?" He emphasised the Mrs, glancing down at her now empty ring hand and she sighed, knowing she'd have to come out with it sooner or later.

"No. Technically I am engaged unless my fiancé's broken it off since my disappearance, but I'm not married, nor have I ever been. It was an arranged marriage."

"So, Roland...?"

"He's... this is very complicated. He's not mine. Though he may as well be." She looked down at him fondly - he'd found a stick and was forming shapes in the dirt with the end of it.

"Well, we have time for explanations. I'm not judging. My own sister had a child out of wedlock. But I think the most important thing right now is to get shelter and food."

"You're right. But can we keep that alias until I know where we are and who we've got to deal with?"

"Fine by me. Come on, you rascal!" He swept Roland up, making the boy giggle like he used to do back when he was with his father. Maybe it was just the relief of being back where he was comfortable but he was smiling and laughing again. She didn't have the heart to tell him she had no idea where they were.

As Regina no longer had her bow, she sent Roland to find some berries so she and John could track something more substantial. Eventually they found a rabbit on the point of dying - both agreed it would be better to put it out of its misery though Regina almost threw up as she plunged the blade into its heart.

"I hope you know how to cook this. The cook didn't want me anywhere near the galley, claimed I was a pickpocket."
"Considering how easily you got those keys off the guard I'd say his concern wasn't unfounded," she joked. "And I think I do."

It was messy, but eventually she managed to skin and cut the meat up into sizeable portions. She spared a thought for Friar Tuck as she rotated the crude spit over the campfire, grateful that she'd had the foresight to listen to his advice and wondering for the millionth time what had happened to them.

"I'm going to turn in now," John said as soon as they'd finished eating. "Put that fire out, we don't want to roast to death."

"Actually, I'm going to keep it going. It's getting into autumn, and we don't want to be some wild animal's prey." He shrugged and lay down underneath a smaller bush. Regina wrapped up the remaining meat in the few leaves still green, readjusted the rocks around the fire to ensure it didn't spread then wrapped Roland's cloak around him.

"Can I have a bedtime story?" he asked imploringly as they curled up.

She smiled wistfully at the rememberance of that fateful first night in the forest.

"Which one would you like?"