The other day, I was thinking about what would have happened if Regina had gotten stuck in the ice wall with Elsa instead of Emma in season 4a, and I realized that fits perfectly for this prompt!
Update: I just had to change the title, because all of the others have the word first and this one had the ship first and it was really bothering me
Requested by @GraceJohansson
~
Cold. That's all Regina could think about. How freaking cold it was in the stupid ice cave. Too cold to use magic, and even if it wasn't, Elsa's magic prevented Regina from using hers to get out.
Regina had managed to summon a blanket, which was now wrapped tightly around her, but it didn't do much against the cold. Elsa was pacing back and forth, walkie-talkie in hand so she could talk with David, Emma, and Hook. But the only way to tear down the ice wall was for Elsa to get control of her magic. Unfortunately, no one with light magic in Storybrooke knew how to use it.
Elsa sat down next to Regina. "They said try asking you about magic."
"I-I already t-told you, dark m-magic is d-different from light m-mag-gic."
"But you used light magic, Regina!" Emma's voice came through the walkie-talkie.
"I-I d-don't know h-how."
"Think!" Emma persisted.
"H-Have you ev-ver tried th-think-king while y-you're a hum-man popsicle?" Regina shot back. Emma just groaned.
~
"She's getting worse!" the walkie-talkie made Elsa's voice crackly, but it was still clear what she was saying. "You need to do something!"
"What are we supposed to bloody do?" Hook muttered.
Emma turned and glared at him. "We're going to figure out a way to save her." Emma thought for a moment before something occurred to her. "We need to give her something to live for! A reason to not give into the cold!"
"Like what?" David asked. "I could go get Henry and he can talk--"
"No," Emma shook her head as she cut David off. "Right now, the person she wants most is Robin Hood. I'm going to go find him and convince him to help."
"He has Marian now, love," Hook argued.
"That doesn't mean he's not still in love with Regina!" Emma lowered her voice. "Look, it doesn't matter if he chooses Marian or not; Regina is going to freeze to death if we don't do something fast, and I assure you Robin doesn't want her dead. So I am going to go find Robin and the merry men and neither of you," Emma shot a pointed look at her dad before her eyes once again met Hook's, "are going to stop me."
~
"Robin!" Emma called the moment she could see him. She stopped across from him, out of breath from running. "Regina...stuck...ice wall..."
"Slow down." Robin put a hand on the blonde's shoulder, his eyes full of concern, "What's wrong with Regina?"
"She stuck in an ice wall...cave...thing with Elsa, and she's freezing to death. Elsa can't get control of her magic, and Regina's going to die if we can't get her to fight against the cold."
"I highly doubt I'll be any help," Robin frowned. He wanted nothing more to drop everything to save Regina, but he doubted she would even want to see him.
"Please," Emma practically begged. "We just need her to hear your voice so she can fight against the cold. You're her only chance!"
Robin broke. "Okay, I'll help. But what do I tell--?"
"Just go. I've got it covered. Regina needs you."
~
Regina's eyes fluttered shut, but shot back open when David's voice crackled through the walkie-talkie. "Is Regina still okay?"
"Depends what you mean by 'okay'," Elsa glanced warily over at Regina. "Please tell me you've figured something out."
"Give the walkie-talkie to Regina," David ordered. Elsa did as she was told and Regina's shaking hand grabbed onto the device.
After a few moments of silence, a new voice came from the walkie-talkie. "Regina?"
"R-Robin!" Regina smiled and her shivering became less violent. Her grip on the walkie-talkie tightened, "Why-y...?"
"Emma told me you were stuck and convinced me that you would want to hear my voice."
"Of c-course I w-want t-t-to hear y-your v-voice."
"I'm not too sure what to say..." Robin's voice trailed off.
"A-Anyth-thing is f-fine. "
"Uh...gods, Regina...I don't know... How about this? I'm sorry about last night at Granny's. That was supposed to be a happy night for you, and then Marian came in...I just hadn't expected to ever see her again. But Regina, I've realized now that it is far easier to live without Marian than it is to live without you, even for one night. ...I want to be with you, Regina, if you can forgive me."
"R-Really?" Regina was hesitant to believe Robin's words. What if he just wanted her to not freeze to death, so he was saying whatever he could think of to say?
"Yes. I need you to keep fighting the cold, Regina. I know it's hard, but I need you to survive this for me. For us. For yourself. You're stronger than you let yourself think. Now...can you think back to when you used light magic against Zelena?"
"Y-Yeah." Regina wasn't sure if she was stuttering because of the cold or shock at what Robin had just said.
"Right before you used the light magic, what were you feeling? Maybe that will help Elsa tear the wall down."
Regina thought for a moment. Zelena had been holding her up, and Regina had looked out and she had seen...
"Love," Regina said to Elsa, her voice barely audible. "Y-You need t-to think ab-bout someone y-you l-love. Pic-cture them stand-ding across from y-you. F-Fight-ting for y-you."
Elsa nodded, stood up, and closed her eyes. She focused on Anna and suddenly, magic began swirling around her hands. She turned and blasted magic towards the wall, and the cave began shaking. She turned back to Regina and extended her arm. "It's going to collapse, we need to get out of here."
Regina took Elsa's hand, and the Ice Queen pulled her up. The two stumbled towards the exit. As soon as the daylight was touching them, Regina felt Robin's arms come around her, supporting her weight. He pulled her into a hug, knowing that his body heat would help warm her up.
"Robin." Regina wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes, letting herself forger about Marian for the moment and just breathing in Robin's scent.
"You did it," Robin whispered in Regina's ear. "I knew you could." Robin used one if his arms to lift Regina's feet off of the ground and adjust her so he was carrying her bridal style. Regina curled into him, trying to absorb more of his heat.
David motioned to his truck. "I can take you two to Regina's house so she can take a hot shower or something to get warm."
Regina nodded, the idea of anything warm immediately sounding appealing. Robin carried her to David's truck and helped her inside. Elsa and Hook piled into Emma's bug, which she would take back to the Charming's apartment.
David turned up the heat before speeding away towards Regina's house. The former Queen snuggled against Robin and slowly extended her hands towards the air vents, where warm air was rushing out.
~
When Regina emerged from the bathroom wearing fuzzy pajama pants and a thick sweater, Robin was still in her house. She walked up to him wordlessly and pulled him into a hug. Robin ran a hand through her wet hair and placed a kiss on the top of her head.
"I'm proud of you, Regina," he muttered.
"What for?"
"You fought against the cold. You could have easily given in and frozen to death, but you fought and I am so very happy that you did." Robin smiled and kissed her cheek. "I don't think I want to live in a world without Regina Mills."
Regina laughed quietly. "I don't want to live in a world without you either."
Robin pulled away from Regina and sat down on the couch, pulling her down on top if him. He brushed the hair out of Regina's eyes and kissed her quickly. "You won't ever have to."
Regina grinned and kissed Robin again.