A/N: A little oneshot about Regina's nightmares. Mostly unedited, so any mistakes are mine.

The first few times it happens, she pushes him away. It's not his problem, she says, she doesn't need his help, he doesn't need to help her. Her issues aren't his problem, she insists.

He tries to convince her that he wants to help, to comfort her, that his commitment to her includes all of her, even the parts that are damaged and hurting. She resists, but when he finally manages to convince her, then she accepts his comfort willingly. Greedily even, burrowing her face into his chest as he holds her close.

It happens at least once a week. She wakes in his arms, upset, shaking or in tears. He strokes her hair, comforting.

He learns how to tell what she's been dreaming about, from her reaction. He learns what she needs from him each night.

She dreams about Daniel, her first love, least often. When she does, she wakes crying. There's nothing he can say, he knows, but he holds her close, rubbing her back, stroking her tears away.

This is the only time she really lets herself cry in front of him. Sobbing into his chest, hands fisting in his shirt. "I'm sorry…" she whispers between sobs, "I shouldn't… I love… I love you, I just…"

She feels guilty, crying over Daniel in Robin's arms. He doesn't mind, though, does everything he can to reassure her. She's never had a chance to deal with this, and he knows she needs this.

"Shhh… I know, I know," he whispers, "It's alright, my love. A part of you will always love him. He's a part of you. I understand."

She dreams about her mother more frequently. When she wakes from those dreams, she's shaking with anger or with tears.

There is very little he can say to her those nights either, nothing he could say to sooth the conflicting feelings of love and anger she holds for her mother, so he just pulls her into his arms and cradles her body against him, comforting, soothing. Reassuring her of his presence and his love until she calms enough to fall asleep again.

These are the only dreams she can fall asleep after, the only ones that he can chase away completely. Still, he stays awake, holding her protectively, waking her at the slightest sign of distress.

When she dreams about the king, her husband, she jerks away from him in her sleep, but when she wakes, pulls him close, desperate for a loving touch.

When he holds her on these nights, he does so carefully, keeping each touch light and gentle. He moves his hands over her cheeks, and brushes gentle kisses over her forehead.

"Robin…" she gasps, "I… he… I never wanted…" she looks at him, eyes wide and frightened, no trace of her usual composure.

His blood boils at the merest idea of what that thoughtless man did to her, that he could reduce his beautiful, passionate, Regina to this incoherent mess. But he managed to curb his anger, to focus on comforting the woman in his arms.

"Shush, Regina, shush… No one will hurt you again, Regina. I won't let you be hurt."

"Robin… I…" she pulls him closer for a searing, desperate kiss, needing to feel him, to feel loved.

"Regina…" he pulls her closer, carefully, his hands gentle on her back, "I love you, Regina, darling." He murmurs endearments into her hair in between kisses. He treats her with special reverence and care on these nights. Nothing he can do can erase her pain, or make up for it, but, always, he assures her he loves her, that she is safe with him.

"My love, my darling," he whispers, "No one will hurt you. No matter what, I will protect you, Regina. I promise."

When she dreams about her time as the Evil Queen, she pulls away, she won't let him hold her. Reminded of her misdeeds, she doesn't feel she deserves him, his love.

She rolls away from him on the bed, and he reaches for her gently, stroking her hair, as she presses her face into the pillow, away from him.

He moves closer, reaching for her shoulder.

"Regina," he whispers. "Regina, honey, look at me."

She pulls away again, trying to shake his hand off her shoulder, but he holds on. He pulls at her, gently insisting. Finally, she turns to face him, eyes wide and wet with tears.

"Regina, that's not you anymore. That hasn't been you for ages. You are a good person, my love. You've proven that time and time again."

"I— I don't want to be her again, Robin. I don't… All those people, people that I hurt…"

He leans forward, kisses her forehead. "You're not, Regina. You've come so far. You're a wonderful person, my love. A hero." He pulls her closer, kisses her nose. "I love you, Regina. You deserve to be happy. And I promise you, one day you will believe that too."

The nights when she dreams of death, she wakes screaming. Her death, or his, or her son's, her mind chooses one of her many experiences with death and torture to torment her with.

Those nights, he talks her down, grounds her in his presence, reassure her that he is here, healthy, with her, and there is no imminent threat.

"Regina, hey," he cups her cheek in his hand. "Regina, it's ok. I'm here, my love, I'm here."

These nights, she pulls off his pajamas, desperate, seeking confirmation that she is alive, that he is here, with her.

He obliges, takes her, hard and fast, but always careful to make it about her. To make her feel alive and wonderful, banish the images left by her dream.

He holds her afterward, pressing kisses to her face, giving comfort, reassuring her.

Most often, she dreams about losing him. Her greatest fear, that he will leave her, return to Marian, or find someone else, or simply realize he can no longer be with the Evil Queen. Those nights, she burrows into his chest, clings to him, losing her composure completely, begging him to stay, not to leave her, and he pulls her close, pressing kisses to her forehead.

These nights hurt him the most, the thought that even a small part of her doubts his devotion, much as he knows it's nothing to do with him and everything to do with what the universe has thrown at them. Still, it's as much for his comfort as hers as he holds her close and whispers endless reassurances in her ear.

"Regina, oh, my love, you have to know how much I love you. I love you like a bird loves the sky, like a fish loves the sea. You, you are the sun. You are the light of my life. You are my world, the only world I want to live in. You are my everything. You are joy, and laughter, and sunshine, and hope, and I love you like I have never loved anything before in my life. You mean the world to me, Regina, and I swear, there is no power in this world or any other that could keep me from staying by your side. I will never leave you, my love, never."

"I know, Robin," she whispers. "I know, I love you, too, so much, I'm sorry…"

"Shhh… You have nothing to apologize for. It's not your fault, after all the universe has thrown at you. You're allowed to be afraid, my love. It's my job to protect you, to prevent your fears from coming true. To protect you until you stop being afraid, and continue to protect you even then."

"You promise?" she asks weakly, desperate for his comfort.

He pulls her impossibly closer, whispers, "I swear," brushes gentle, loving kisses over her nose, her cheeks, her forehead.

"I swear to you, Regina, you will always be safe with me. And one day, you will stop being afraid. You will stop having nightmares. And until that day arrives, I will continue to comfort you, protect you, and hold you close, whenever you need it, my love. Because I love you more than life itself, and I could not live with myself if I let you continue hurting when there was something I could do to help."

Robin takes comfort in comforting her, immensely grateful to be the one to share her life. That he is the one she lets in and allows to hold her, to see her like this, is the greatest gift she could ever give him.

As time passes, her nightmares slow. Though they never fade entirely, she learns to accept, even expect his comfort. She learns to trust in his love for her and believe that he loves every part of her.