A/N: I saw a sp about the S7 Regina and she was wearing a ring necklace… This is my take on where it came from. Thanks to Polly for giving me the idea and Grace for betaing!
It’s been three weeks. Three crazy weeks when you look at all that happened. She split herself, Mr. Hyde came into town, the ship from the Land of Untold Stories crashed down in Storybrooke and her evil half, the Queen, is trying to transform the town into chaos. It’s been three weeks, but this morning, when she went to her closet in order to pull out the beige silk blouse, one of his shirts slips from the hanger. And with it, her emotions.
Regina doesn’t know how long she stares at the dark blue tee before she bends down to pick it up. He didn’t have a wide selection of clothes, justifying it by telling her why buy lots of different things when I like these? She’d tried to argue with him about it, dragged him shopping one time, but they wound up finding more things for her instead of a new wardrobe for him. So with the few shirts, pants and jackets that occupied a rather small space in her closet, it has almost been too easy to forget his clothes were still there. Almost.
Pressing the shirt against her face, she catches a slight whiff of forest and something that is just him. And why? Why? She’s tearing up, stumbling backward until her calves hit the side of the bed and she can finally sit down, the shirt still pressed to her face, soaking up the tears. Why is she still not over it? Why do little things like this, like a simple shirt, make her break down as if his death only happened yesterday?
He died for her. Fuck, he’d thrown himself in the way between her and Hades’ crystal, not thinking at all. The idiot. Regina is still not sure why and at the same time she’s never been more certain. Because he loved her. It’s hard to believe, but he loved her so much that he died to protect her. It’s not fair, none of this is fair and when she looks around, it seems like everyone is able to bring back their dead loved ones, except for her. She’s never been this lucky. The rules of destiny were unfair, seem to make an exception for everyone… but Regina doesn’t get an exception. She’s a villain. No matter how much she’s changed, maybe she still deserves to suffer for the sins of her past.
It’s a good thing Henry isn’t here, because he would tell her the opposite, that she’s changed, that she’s a hero now, but deep down, Regina knows. Even splitting herself and crushing the Evil Queen’s heart didn’t help, just brought more trouble to the town for which she deems herself responsible.
She takes a deep breath, once again catching a hint of him which calms her down immediately as if he wanted to say stop this - you’re wrong. Thinking of it, that’s probably exactly what it is. Slowly, she dries her face with the shirt, smoothing out the wet spots and wonders whether she should wash it. But if she’s honest with herself, there is no point. As much as it hurts to think of it… She has to let go of him and maybe, maybe it is time.
This is how she finds herself later in the afternoon with a moving box, labeled with thick dark letters of his name. She’s alone in the house; Henry is staying with Emma, the pirate and the Uncharmings because it’s safer for him. Whether that’s true or not, she’s not sure, but she hadn’t been in a good place when the decision was made and didn’t have the energy to protest. Maybe Snow had tried to give her space. She doesn’t know.
It’s a simple thing, putting some shirts and pants into a box. Well, it should be a simple thing, but when it’s the last physical remains of your soulmate, it makes it a thousand times more difficult. Where does she start? While she’s telling herself to just get it over with!, her body isn’t moving at all. Why is she so powerless, why does she have no control?
Damn it, Regina. Damn it, damn it, damn it! With every ‘damn’ she reaches into the closet, pulling out one article of his clothing and throws it behind her. She doesn’t care if she doesn’t hit the box, just wants to get his stuff out of the closet. One by one, in a state close to blind rage, she throws the things behind herself until there is nothing left other than his dark green jacket. It somehow seems stuck on the hanger, so she rips and rips, until it comes off and falls to the ground in front of her. One by one.
Out, everything is out. Her bedroom is a complete mess now. He is everywhere. His scent is everywhere and she can’t stand it any longer, sinking down onto the ground, she starts crying. Why? “Why did you have to die, Robin?”
Regina doesn’t know how long she’s been sitting there, sobbing, burying her face in her hands, thinking and overthinking everything that happened. It’s only when she looks up and the sky outside is turning almost dark that she realizes she has to stop. She has to get herself together, knows this is hard. She allowed herself one more breakdown and this was it. Now it’s time. Slowly, Regina wipes her tears away and takes a deep breath before looking at the mess in her bedroom.
The moment she tries to push herself up from the ground, her hand lands on something hard, hidden in one of Robin’s jacket pockets. Carefully, she pulls the jacket open and is surprised when a little black velvet box falls out. Her breath catches in her throat as her shaking fingers pick up the box, tentatively opening it. “Oh, Robin…”
Inside, a bed of white velvet reveals a matte golden ring with three white brilliants. The thought that this ring was most likely meant for her is so overwhelming she cannot help the tears which are once again spilling over. She should wonder when he got it, when he was going to ask her, how he would have staged the proposal, but instead her mind is quiet. So quiet, her mind is blank as she stares in wonder at the engagement ring in her hands.
A sudden warmth fills her heart. It’s something she cannot explain, it just happens, like a caressing touch of Robin’s strong hands. A smile pulls at her lips the moment she feels it and she knows, deep down, that he’s there. In her heart, where he will always stay. It doesn’t matter that Robin’s not physically there to ask her herself, Regina knows what her answer would have been.
“Yes. I do.” she says in a soft whisper and puts the ring on her finger. A perfect fit. Just like her and Robin.
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