[b] Collaboration between YoshiSkittlez and Tanderbolt[/b]

Robert had a feeling that rescuing Belle would lead to many more difficulties in the future, but he knew it was the right thing to do. In a way, he wanted to thank Regina for the curse, because it had erased his own bargain with Rumpelstiltskin. The past five years had been wasted, but now he could live as his own man, and feel emotions that had been kept from him for so long. Being sheriff was pretty nice too, especially bcause it gave him power that he could put to good use. Robert was driving back to sheriffs office while these thoughts raced through his head, knowing that soon enough he'd have to work on the paperwork involved in bringing down Regina.
 
When he slowed down to pull into the parking lot, he caught a glimpse of the mayor out of the corner of his eye. She was bruised and bloody, and Robert had no idea why. He quickly parked his car and got out before approaching her slowly.
 
Regina had thought she had done a pretty good job taking an obscure route back home that wouldn't put her in the line of sight of anyone she didn't want to have see her like this, however hearing the car door slam not too far from her she looked up weakly to see Robert crossing the street towards her. She wanted to smile, though was unable to from the fatigue that washed over her and also some sort of back-burner thought that her lip would split open again if she tried. She hadn't a clue how she had made it this far from Gold's shop without passing out, let alone how she was going to get home, so she was pleased to see that out of anyone in Storybrooke to see her in her condition, it was him.
 
"Robert." She greeted tiredly, and although she didn't smile, her voice clearly stated that she was glad to see him.
 
This was going to be hard from him, but he believed everyone deserved fair treatment under the law, even Regina. He looked at her and said "What happened? Are you hurt badly, do you need me to get you to the hospital?"
 
"No, no I'm fine." Regina assured him. The last thing she wanted was to draw attention to the already pissed off beast, she didn't doubt that if his little pet wasn't there to tug on his leash there wouldn't be anything of her left. "Just a small mixup. I wouldn't turn down an offer for a ride home though." She took a moment to raise her hand (minding which arm she raised since she didn't want to alarm Robert to her sleeve that was soaked in her own blood) and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, completely unaware that the bruises had begun to really show their brilliant color. There was one bruise in particular that stuck out (as Regina was fully unaware), a single bruise that covered her cheek that was the perfect shape matching the head of Mr. Gold's cane.
 
Robert recognized the shape of Regina's bruise, and his normally stoic expression turned to a horrified one. Regina had been in the absolute least convenient place on earth possible this morning, and his ideal plan was now ruined. "Alright, I can help you over there. You sure you don't want to talk about your "mixup"? This definately looks like someone assaulted you."
 
"Oh no." Regina waved him off with a pathetic amount of effort from her hand before her legs started to shake and gave out on her, forcing her to stumble into Robert with a hiss of pain from her rib that she was sure was either badly bruised or possibly even broken.
 
He drove home with her, not saying much. Without her cooperation, it would be unlikely that he could convict anyone for assault. He tried to make a little bit of small talk to pass the time "So, I get that you don't want to talk about what happened. How're things going around town, have you talked to Gold lately?"
 
Regina's dark eyebrows knitted in confusion at the mention of Gold, wincing slightly as even that subtle facial gesture hurt like no other. As she pulled down the visor of his cruiser to open up the mirror to check the damage done, she spoke.
 
"Gold? No, that imp has other ants to step on today." She said with a bored tone, finally getting the mirror down. She wasn't sure [i]what[/i] she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. She doubted that all the makeup in the world could cover up her injuries, and she was just looking at what he had done to her face. That was when the bruise on her cheek became more apparant as she was trying to decide the best way to cover it up, and noticed the shape. She sighed dejectedly and snapped the mirror back closed and lifted the visor back up, slumping down in the passenger seat of the police car.
 
"Don't go after him Robert, not today." She said to him, knowing exactly where his previous question had now come from. "He'll get what's coming to him, that I promise."
 
Robert took that as a confirmation of his fears, but he still wasn't sure what he would do next. By now they had arrived at Regina's house, and he stopped the car. He didn't answer what Regina said, and tried to change the focus away from Gold. "Whatever happens, stay safe and don't neglect those wounds. A lot of wierd stuff has been happening lately, I wouldn't be surprised if we had another new person running around town."
 
Regina was about to exit the vehicle when his very last words caught her attention. She stopped abruptly and turned her head over to look at him, trying to raise an eyebrow but stopped when she felt the scab over her split brow threatening to tear open again.
 
"Right..." She said, drawing the word out longer than she probably needed to. She popped open the door to the car and with a great amount of effort and hisses of pain, she got out of the cruiser and shut the door. Realizing the window was rolled down, she bent over slightly to look into the vehicle and at Robert at the wheel. 
 
"Robert, how long have we known one another?"
 
Withouth thinking, Robert said "Let's see, five years here and you came to Leopold's like ten-." He stopped himself immediately, and continued on in a much more serious tone of voice "Brain must not be working right this morning, got you confused with someone else. Anyway, I hope you're ok, I'll always remember what you've done for me." He began to pull away, slightly disoriented by his new memories clashing with his old ones.
 
Regina couldn't help but to let her jaw drop at the mention of Leopold. No one here was named Leopold, [i]no one[/i]. She could only watch in horror as the police cruiser rolled off, the pieces suddenly clicking together in her mind. Robert was the only other one in Storybrooke that even had a hint of an idea about the Asylum down in the basement of the hospital...and he-
 
Regina wasn't sure whether she wanted to scream or cry. Her entire world...everything she had worked for was crumbling apart in front of her. She could trust no one, she truly had no one anymore, and her reign of Mayor was coming to an abrupt halt, Gold would definitely see to that. There was a flickering thought of Mason, but in her mindset right now it would only be a matter of time when he betrayed her too. She wouldn't tend to her wounds like Robert had suggested, she instead retreated into her home numbly, shut and locked the door, let her back rest against it and slid down until she was sitting on the floor. Her shredded fingers went into her dark mass of hair and pulled, letting the tears finally flow in what would start the beginning of a very hard cry.