A/N : Hi, guys! Here a new multichapters story!

I'm really anxious about it, I hope you'll like it as much as I do. I'm not using a scene from the show here, I'm created my own universe. A lot of people from Once will be in this fic, but beware, I will change their ages and the connections between them.

As usual, there will be angst. I won't change! XD It will happen in time.

This story will be from Robin's POV. You will follow him through his quest to discover who Regina is. I hope you will stick with him until the end.

You'll notice a title to the chapter. It's the first time I do that. At the end of each chapter, I'll give you the next one, so you can start wondering what it will be about.

About the updates... It will depend on the betareading, and my two betas have a life, and so do I. We're also still working on my other fic, Journey to freedom, which is taking a lot more time than this one. So even if we'll try to keep the updates for this fic to once a week for now, please be understanding. I won't post sooner because you ask for it ;-)

If you have questions or want to discuss the fic or something else, you can contact me through this website or twitter (username on my profile).

Disclaimer : I don't own Once upon a time nor its characters, only this story's idea.

A huge thanks to my betas who -especially one who will recognize herself ;-P- are fangirling like crazy about this story and are doing a really good job at correcting my mistakes.

Please, do not hesitate to tell me what you think! Reviews are gold for an author.

The girl

He sees her immediately.

He's been in this new school for what? Three weeks? And all he can see is her.

Everywhere.

At the cafeteria, eating her usual chicken salad and low fat yogurt.

In class, carefully listening to every teacher and taking notes about pretty much everything.

And on the outside area, sitting on her usual bench, reading a book, more specifically, a novel. Victoria Hislop's The Island.

Just as intriguing as her...

She's been deeply plunged into it ever since the first time he saw her, and that's why he noticed her.

Well, not exactly.

That's how he noticed her. The only girl already taken by a book at the beginning of a new year in school. Alone. Always reading. Not once raising her eyes from the pages to look at someone else, and she seems perfectly content like that. Not a shadow of friends around her, only polite smiles or small talks during team projects in class. She's the top of the class, he's already sure of that. A very good student, always eager to learn, and yet a loner, intriguing, and just so mysterious.

He's been entranced by her since the moment his eyes caught sight of her long ebony hair, falling in waves over her shoulders all the way down to her lower back. Most of the times down, but sometimes tangled in a beautiful braid. On rare occasions he's noticed her hair up in a ponytail (when the day's especially windy and her hair keeps getting in her eyes). But the point is that her silky soft hair is almost always cascading down her back, and Robin cannot help but wonder just how perfect it would feel like to run his fingers down the length of it.

She's simply a vision. Her lips captivating, red, thin but generous, always covered with shining gloss. Often parted as she frowns in concentration, her tongue sticking out in the most adorable way as she tries against all mighty to concentrate on the task at hand. Robin noticed that scar just above her upper lip, a question already filling his mind as he wonders just what story hides behind that barely noticeable scar. He doesn't dare to ask, heck, he's never succeeded in talking to her, yet he cannot help but wonder, imagine what really happened.

Her eyes tell a different story, or perhaps they tell it all. As dark as coal, but shining as the sun. There's something in them, something he can't quite place when she looks absentmindedly at the sky, lost in her thoughts, eyes clouding over as her thoughts lead her memories and memories away.

Robin loves when he finds her like that, can observe her for long minutes without her realizing it. Not that she ever does, after all, she just looks right through him most of the time, all the time if he's being honest, but then again, she seems to do that with everyone.

It's almost as if she walks around alone in her own little world.

Walks in a way that makes her look like a princess. Or more exactly, someone with a high education. Regal and straightened up. She never acts superior in any way, not at all, she just moves with grace, her every movement captivating him. The delicacy of her hands while doing nothing more than holding a door open. The straight spine when she stands in front of her locker, getting ready for the next class. The perfectly cut skirts and form-fitting shirts. She's not too fancy, not applying tons of make-up, but not too casual either. She reveals just enough to make you want to know more, know and explore what's underneath. And honestly? What's hidden under her clothes appear to be just as promising as the glimpses he's already seen, keeps admiring every day, every time he can get a good look at her.

Robin has spend all his days during these past few weeks like this, eyeing her from afar, studying her, just so deeply entranced by her.

But today? Today he's determined. Today he knows that he cannot keep doing this.

Today Robin will talk to her, will try to coax the simplest of sentences from her.

From Regina.

Regina Mills.

The most beautiful girl in the whole school.

He only arrived here three weeks ago (in the country merely a month ago). He has no friends, only a few acquaintances he made in class, but nothing serious. The truth is that since the beginning, the very first day, he'd been too mesmerized by her to pay attention to anyone else.

He wants her. Her friendship. His name on her lips, and the thought alone scares and comforts him at the same time.

To be the reason of the small smile he sometimes catches (it's not often, but it's beautiful, and it's lights up his day). He wants to turn that smile into a laugh. Yes, he wants to hear her laugh.

It's crazy. Absolutely insane.

He doesn't know her, only heard the crystal-like sound of her voice a couple of times in class. But all he can think of, days and nights, is discovering who is hiding behind the name, the mask, the nice clothing.

Who is she?

Who is Regina Mills?

He's not asking for a romantic relationship! Surely not! Well, he wouldn't say no, but they don't know each other, and he doesn't want to make her run away from him forever.

Even if he only has her friendship for the rest of the year, he'll be fine with that.

So he tightens his grip on his books, takes a deep breath, and walks to her in a slow, but determined pace. He doesn't want to scare her, nor make it appear as if he's played this scene a thousand times in his mind already -he has. So he joins her with as much contentment as he can muster, and stops a few feet from her, hesitates, moves his foot forward, then back, tries to read in her eyes, which are still focused on her book, if she's noticed him or not.

But she doesn't move, so he walks the few steps separating them, never once lowering his gaze.

It's not until he's standing right in front of her, feet rooted to the ground, that she seems to notice, if not him, at least his shadow blocking the sun from her. She raises two questioning eyes at him and -alright, you know that french song about a girl able to kill a man with just one look? It was definitely written for the one in front of him right now- cocking her head to the side in a way that makes his heart beat faster in his chest. And...

Yes!

She smiles! She smiles at him!

Alright, if he's being honest, it's more of a polite, puzzled one, but he will take everything she'll give him right now. He's that desperate to know her.

He's that desperate and he doesn't realize he's been standing in front of her, looking at her right in the eyes, and she's looking back, but he hasn't uttered a word yet.

"Can I help you?"

She's talking to him!

Talking! To him!

Alright, this is heaven! And he definitely needs to pull himself together if he doesn't want to be taken for a fool.

So he forces himself out of his stupor, shaking his head, twisting his fingers, hating himself for looking like the perfect idiot right now.

"Hi."

He mentally kicks himself. Is that all he can come up with? Seriously? Hi? And he expects her to find him interesting with that? What kind of idiot is he? She's too good for him anyway, too refined.

"Hi."

Alright, she answered, didn't ask him to leave her alone already, so that's a start.

"I… Hmm… I'm… I'm new here. Robin!" He hurries, holding out his hand in a fast movement, almost startling her, cursing himself for it, but she's quick to recover, takes it after only one second staring at it in surprise. "Robin Locksley."

Her skin is even softer than he imagined. He prays that she won't realize his hands are shaking, and well, it's embarrassing, but sweating too. That girl is making him so nervous with just one look, how is that even possible? Is she even human?

"Oh, the British guy? I heard you speak in english class on your first day. London, right?"

She remembers him! She remem… Okay, don't get lost now, mate! Calm down!

"Yes! My parents and I moved a month ago. My dad's work transferred him here."

"Quite a change, I bet. A small town like Storybrooke must be very different from the energetic London."

He can't look away. Can't. She's… Oh God, from afar she already was a marvel, but from this angle… A goddess? Yes, it must be that.

He's trying with everything he has to stay focused on the conversation, to give coherent answers, and, at the right moment, to lead her where he wants, to change the subject subtlety and ask what he desperately wants -needs- to know.

"It is. But the tranquility is good. It's… Refreshing? Does that make any sense?" He says, frowning slightly. She shrugs, a small light appearing in her eyes.

"I guess... I've never known anything else, lived here for as long as I can remember."

Perfect! The perfect transition to help him change the subject.

"That's actually why I wanted to talk to you!"

Her brow shoots up immediately, then furrows, confusion settling on her wonderful face, and he can't help the butterflies that rise in his stomach. There is no way that this girl comes from this planet!

"You wanted to talk to... me?" Regina asks, showing genuine surprise.

"Yes." He says slowly, warily. "Why do you look so surprised?"

Another shrug, and that oh so soft hand is tucking a wild strand of hair behind her ear sheepishly.

"I'm not the most…" She looks around, tilting her chin towards a group of girls, more half-naked than half-dressed if you ask him, and then a boy band-looking group, the softball team he recognizes, full of testosterone and attitude, and then his gaze is back on her. "…popular, or interesting person around."

She seems untouched by the statement.

Seems.

That's the keyword.

Because he knows, he's sure, that behind that facade, there is something else. Want, maybe. Need? Hope? The desire for another life, a more entertaining one for sure. For friends, perhaps? That's something he can give her, at least the last part, so he assures, with all the honestly he possesses. "I don't stick to etiquettes. I don't care about the next Justin Bieber or Kim Kardashian."

She gives him the most stunned look he's ever seen, as if he's totally dumb, as if she never knew anything else than labels and appearances, but she wipes it away quickly, her mask back on.

"I don't really know anyone, and I hoped that maybe," he chooses his words carefully, praying they're good ones, "since you seem to know the area, you could show me around? At least, start with the school," he adds when the puzzled look is back. "I'm kind of lost, missed the first month. I met some people, but no one of real interest. I mean," he corrects himself, "no one I really bonded with."

"And you think I would fit your standards better than those people?" She asks with an inch of suspicion, leaning back a little.

"Yes." He answers with a certainty and reassurance that surprises him.

"Why?"

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" Robin offers with the best smile he can muster. The most charming one, but more importantly, the most sincere one.

He's not here for sex. Not here for a romantic relationship. Not here to convince her into something she doesn't want.

He's here to try to get to know her, to learn who she is. To see beyond the mask she seems to hide behind, and if she lets him, to be her friend.

He doesn't know why. Has no idea why he's so attracted to her. Why she seems to have this power over him, this ability to catch his gaze wherever she is, no matter what he was doing before.

There's a layer, thick for sure, protecting her from the outside world. And somehow, he feels the need to break it. But, he can also feel the inability to do so, as if restrained by a bigger force. By her? By someone else? By labels and appearances? A world in which you feel like you don't fit in, like you don't exist besides that flat and boring life you keep living, hoping it will lead you to something better in the end.

He wants to help. He wants to join his hands with hers and pull with all his strength to get rid of that wall stopping her from breathing, from flourishing and revealing to the world her potential, what he feels she has inside and is hiding deep down. Protecting fiercely a strong heart, a resilient one. Asking for nothing more than to be able to be open again, but the fear being too strong, forcing it close immediately.

So he waits. Waits for her to consider the idea, the prospect of giving someone else a chance, her trust, her help. Help to be helped. Which one of them is taking the lead and pulling the other with him, it doesn't matter.

He watches her drop her head to her book, settling the bookmark between the pages where he interrupted her, closing it, and raising her eyes towards him.

Robin thinks he sees something that looks like hope, but he can't be certain. As sure as he is that she's hiding a secret, this person, this girl named Regina Mills, is definitely really hard to read.

"Alright, I'll be your guide." She offers, getting up from her spot. "I figure you already know, but I'm Regina."

"Nice to finally meet you, Regina." He answers with his best smile, victorious, but not stupid enough to show it.

"Come on," she says, taking a step forward. "I'll show you around. They give you a quick tour when you're new, but there are some parts of this place you can't know unless you've discovered them yourself."

He lets her take the lead, walks a few steps behind, before catching up with her, attentively looking at her face.

If she's annoyed, she's very good at hiding it.

If she's amused, she doesn't show.

If she's interested, or should he say intrigued, she keeps the mask on.

So he wonders again… Who are you, Regina Mills?

Who are you?

So, what do you think?

Title of the next chapter : The car