AN: So. The request from EvilQueensDaughterRapunzel was for painting a nursery, and the color pink. This story breaks away from the previous Colors stories.
1) It takes place in Storybrooke.
2) It's HAPPY.
3) It includes the viewpoint of someone other than Robin and Regina.
4) It's more than twice as long.
I'd say it's an epilogue to my longer piece, What's Been Sundered and Undone, but I can't guarantee everything will play out exactly this way.
Enjoy!
As always, the characters of OUAT are not mine, and I don't do it for the money, I do it for the sweet, sweet gratification of readers.
Rose
"Butter Pecan." Henry grinned.
That does sound good. Regina smiled back at her son.
"Mint." Robin studied the array of options before them.
"Hmm.. here's one. Bubblegum." Henry then shook his head. "Maybe not."
"Key lime pie."
Regina refrained from rolling her eyes. "I sense a theme."
"You can't deny that they're good options." Robin flashed his dimples at her. "Maybe a little of each? We could do that."
"I like blue!" Roland held up a paint swatch. "Sky blue."
"And a lovely shade it is." Robin picked up his young son so he could better see the variety of colors in the paint aisle at the hardware store.
"Why are so many colors named after food?" Henry shuffled several swatches in his hands, putting some of them back on the wall once he had rejected them, some of them even in the right holding slot.
When her son had moved on to another section, Regina made quick work of fixing the improperly placed paint samples.
"Papa, can we get ice cream after this?" Roland stroked one of the swatches, a bright shade of purple that looked close to the same shade her magical smoke had once been.
"What do you think, Regina?" Robin glanced at her.
"Ice cream sounds fantastic." Regina sighed. "I can't believe we've waited this long to pick a nursery color." She rubbed her swollen belly as the infant within her shifted position. "Oof, now now dear, don't be so impatient."
"I can't believe I'm going to have a sister." Henry reached out his hand to touch her bump, before hesitating.
Regina smiled, and guided his hand to where her soon-to-be-born daughter was kicking.
"We're going to have a sister." Roland chimed in.
"Yes, and you will both be excellent big brothers."
Roland beamed and he and Henry shared a complex handshake they had recently devised. Robin claimed to know all the steps of it, but Regina doubted that particular boast. Even now she spotted him making small movements with his hand, trying to practice the steps.
Regina chuckled and continued her perusal of the paint colors, heading toward the section of pinks. I'm just going to look. Just because we're having a daughter doesn't mean the room needs to be pink. Many of the colors had such cutesy names, and even if they were lovely shades, she couldn't imagine selecting them. Razz-a-ma-tazz. Pretty in Pink. Teaberry. Raspberry. There really are a lot of food related paints. Eros Pink... Really? Definitely not for a nursery. She stopped. That's it. That's the color. It was perfect. Regina picked up the swatch while her boys were distracted. "Okay, gentlemen. Final picks."
Henry held up his shade. "It's called Lovely Lilac. I thought it'd be a bit different."
Not bad. "Next?"
Robin grinned. "My selection is…" With a flourish, he turned his swatch to face Henry and her. Roland, still held in one arm, twisted to look and Robin adjusted his grip immediately before the boy fell. "…called Daydream." It was a pleasant green, one that reminded Regina of the grassy meadows she had ridden through as a young woman.
"Roland?"
The young boy once again held up the sky blue swatch.
"All very nice, but…"
"What's yours, Mom?"
Regina smiled and held out her swatch in her cupped hands. It was a pale shade of pink, soft and warm.
"Morning Rose?" Robin smiled.
He understands. She could have kissed him right then.
"So, which color?" Regina looked at each of them.
"I still like my color the best." Henry nodded. "It's close to your smoke color, Mom."
"Henry's color!" Roland shouted.
The two once again exchanged their special handshake.
My sons. Next Roland is going to be naming operations.
"Well, Robin?" Regina raised an eyebrow.
"I'll side with you, milady."
"So it's two against two. Flip a coin?" Henry dug into his pocket, rooting for change.
"No, it's three against two." Regina patted her stomach. "Your sister sides with me."
Henry rolled his eyes, but smiled.
"Now can we get ice cream?" Roland tucked his swatch away.
"Once we buy the paint, yes, we can get ice cream." Regina kissed his hair.
"Why don't you take Roland on to the ice cream parlor, Regina? Henry and I will take care of the ordering and getting it delivered to the house."
Regina nodded as Robin set Roland down.
"Alright, my boy. Go with your mom."
Roland took Regina's hand immediately, and off they went. Sitting down does sound good. And ice cream. With extra peanuts. And strawberry sauce.
Eight Months Ago
With all the years I lived in Neverland, you'd think it'd be easier for me to be quiet in the woods! Every step the fairy woman took in the pre-dawn light snapped a twig. Or jostled a plant. Or startled a bird. And this has got to be the craziest thing I have ever done. The last time I took a risk like this with Regina, I lost my wings.
But Tinkerbelle knew, beyond a shadow of a shadow of a doubt, that Regina would welcome this gift.
If she could get there in time.
That last rain washed away most of the markers I was using. With her hands on her hips, Tinkerbelle stood on one of the paths, looking around at the trees as if her glare alone would get them to point her in the proper direction. She aimed her flashlight along the edge of the path, looking for a tell-tale sign of one of the small cairn of stones she had assembled to guide her way to her secret.
They're going to bloom today, I just know it. I should have used magic to mark the path. Tinkerbelle stamped her foot. "Come on! It's got to be close by.."
"And what would be close by?"
Tinkerbelle spun around so fast that she skidded on damp leaves, landing on her bottom. "Ow!"
A dark-haired, bearded man rushed toward her-not losing his footing once, she noted-and held out a hand. "Are you alright?"
Tinkerbelle glared at him. "You startled me!"
"It was not my intention." He kept his hand steady, still offering it to her.
Tink took it and he helped her up with a smooth pull.
He then rocked back on his heels, a faint smile on a face that did not seem accustomed to the expression. She could see arrows poking out from a quiver at his back, and he had a bow slung at his shoulder by its string.
I thought he looked sort of familiar. "You're one of the Merry Men." She racked her brain for a moment. "Will, right?"
"Indeed. Will Stutely." He nodded. "And you are one of the fairies, Tinkerbelle."
She dusted off her backside, hoping she had not stained the denim too badly. And this pair fits perfectly!
Will averted his eyes so quickly that she thought he would snap his own neck. "What brings you out so deep in these woods at this early hour? I thought your kind kept to the convent."
She studied him and his eyebrows rose at the scrutiny. Trust him, or no? "I'm trying to find a rosebush that I planted around here. And I don't do the convent. I'm more... A free agent."
"...A rosebush." Will closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why not plant it closer to home?"
"Because it's special and it's going to be a surprise, so I didn't want anyone to stumble upon it by accident and ruin it!" Tink resisted the urge to smack him. "It also has magic."
As if she had snuffed out a candle, the amusement that had lit his eyes vanished at the mention of magic. "That was rather feckless of you."
Just because he's sort of right does not mean he gets to be such a prat. "Oh, it's only magical if you eat it. And who would eat a rose?" She rolled her eyes.
"Rosehips make excellent tea."
Urg. "Look. I'll bargain with you, Will Stutely of the Merry Men." She jabbed him in the chest. "You help me find my rosebush, and I'll get it out of your woods."
Will stared at her finger still pressed against his chest.
Tink yanked her hand away. "Do we have a deal?"
He scratched his jaw. "Fine." He looked at the sky, toward the glow of light that was dawning on the eastern horizon. "I believe I saw your bush once before. I did not know it was magic." The last word almost sounded like a curse. He started walking down a branch of the trail, his pace swift enough that she had to half jog to keep up with him.
"What's your problem?" Tink huffed as she avoided a large root that stretched across the path.
"My problem?" He glanced back at her.
"Yeah, you're acting like I set fire to your tent and then drowned your kitten."
"Much of what I have seen of magic has only caused trouble for my homeland. I find it unconsciousable that one would be so casual with it."
Tink paused, thinking back to the brief time the band had returned to the Enchanted Forest. Monsters, that is what the people who remained there spoke of. Monsters more frequently attacking towns. Her own anger faded as his became an understandable thing. "Magic, at its core, is not much different than that bow you carry."
Will slowed his pace until she could walk beside him with ease. "How so?"
"It's a tool. Good or evil can use it. When evil uses it, yeah, it can be very nasty." Tink sighed. "But there's a price to it for them, like all things."
Will remained quiet, but the tension eased in his shoulders and he kept to a pace that Tink found almost pleasant. This is the sort of thing some people do on dates, isn't it? Go for quiet walks together?
They continued in comfortable silence for another few minutes until Tink recognized a tree with a peculiar twist to one of its branches. "Oh, I know that tree."
"Yes. Your rosebush should be just past that rise."
The woods were lighter now, the sun fully past the horizon, and the morning had started to lose the faint chill of the night. Excited, Tink dashed ahead, a grin breaking over her face as she saw the roses, white and pink, unfurling their petals to the sunlight. A sweet, clean scent perfumed the air. Each bloom could fill both of her hands cupped together, and the flowers were as soft as silk. "They'll love it!"
"They? Who is this gift for, anyhow?" Will leaned against a tree, as far from the bush as he could be and remain in the clearing.
"Regina and Robin."
Will frowned. "What will it do to them?" Will studied the roses with narrowed eyes.
"Oh relax. Nothing bad." Tink circled the bush, searching for the best smelling specimens.
"Then why do you not answer my question?" Will moved closer to her, hooking his thumbs into his belt.
Tink crossed her arms, turning to face him squarely. "It's in case they want to have a child. It's their choice, though."
Will's lips quirked up in a half-smile. "Is there something wrong with the natural way?"
Tink cuffed his shoulder. "It's just to help the process along! I know Regina adores children." That one is perfect. She plucked one of the white roses and placed it carefully in a container within her little knapsack.
"Is there something special about the color?"
"White for boys, pink for girls." After another few minutes of looking, she found a pink rose that had the most intoxicating scent she had ever experienced. "So I'm picking one of each, so they can make a decision." She tucked the second rose in its own box and zipped the knapsack closed. "It's a perfect gift for Regina." Tink started back down the path, pausing to glance at him. "Are you coming?"
Will nodded and joined her on the trail. "How did you come to be friends with the Queen?"
The puzzlement on his face was obvious, and Tink wondered why he hadn't asked Robin. Probably because he'd say something overly romantic. "I met her just after she had married the King. She wasn't happy, and well, I tried to help her."
"Tried?"
Tink nodded. "It didn't go well. I ended up losing my wings because I disobeyed the rules. I hated her for a long time after that. All I wanted was my wings back."
"I imagine as a fairy that wings were very important." He pushed aside a low hanging branch, releasing it once they had both passed.
"Yes. But once they got me out of Neverland, I made some decisions. I could either deny my nature and keep being miserable, or I could find my own spark of magic in the ordinary. I still can't do things like I used to, but I get to use dust on occasion, and that's enough. I'm happier than I've been in a long time." She glanced at him, curious. "What about you? How did you become a Merry Man?"
Will rubbed his hands together. "I was sold into apprenticeship when I was a lad, to a blacksmith. It was difficult, but I learned a lot, including the value of hard work." He snorted with a quiet puff of air. "I have to say I find life here too comfortable at times. But, the mayor, the sheriff, that whole lot... I see them try to make the town work for everyone, and that is something I appreciate. We became outlaws because those in charge abused their authority, with no thought as to those who suffered under their rules."
"I bet you all loved it when Robin fell in love with the Evil Queen." Tink grinned.
Will coughed. "We thought he had gotten hit on the head unawares."
Tink laughed, grabbing onto a tree for balance. "I bet!" She sighed, tucking a lock of blond hair behind her ear. "She was meant to meet him a long time ago, you know. But things happen for a reason. I wish I could give them time back, but that would mean no Roland and no Henry."
"Robin would do anything for his son." Will glanced at the fairy woman. "We all would. Most of us did not have families, and he has become an honorary nephew to us all."
"The value of friendship and family is something Regina's finally learned. How much she can count on others, and now, how much she wants to be someone they can count on."
He came to an abrupt stop, so sudden that Tink stumbled into him. "We're here." He gestured to a cluster of trees.
"Where's here?" Tink started at the trees and ground, then spotted a disturbed clump of leaves and a streak of mud along a foot print.
"Where I found you. Do you need a guide any further?" He smiled for a brief moment. "It is no trouble."
Tink studied him for a moment. "Sure. It'd be nice to have a guide."
He paused, then offered his arm.
Tink took it with a smile, and they continued down the trail. "I'll treat you to breakfast at Granny's."
"You needn't repay me." Will shook his head.
"I want to."
Another hour before the boys are home. Regina examined her kitchen with an exacting eye. The mess from a huge pancake and scrambled eggs breakfast was gone, replaced with gleaming countertops and the scent of lemon cleaner. Satisfied with her handiwork, she poured herself the last of the coffee before rinsing the carafe and setting it aside to dry.
Robin had taken the boys on a trip to the pier, as Roland was fascinated by the idea of going on a boat. I imagine he hasn't traveled like that in his life. I hope no one gets seasick. They would probably get some overly salty or greasy snacks for the trip, but Regina had snuck some apples into Henry's bag, along with water bottles.
The day was perfect for the excursion, and Regina had been tempted to join them. But there was business to attend to as mayor, and bills to pay, and she had spotted a book she had been meaning to read at the library. A quiet Sunday alone, with no expected distractions, would give her time to make a dent in her task list.
Therefore, the doorbell caught Regina by surprise. Mary Margaret? Emma? They would have called first. She cracked open the door, stunned to see the blond fairy woman who had somehow, despite Regina's early efforts, become one of her best friends. "Tinkerbelle?"
"Morning, Regina!" Tink held out a purple knapsack. "You're going to want to see this."
A strange flutter of hope stirred in Regina as she opened the door fully, stepping to the side to let Tink in.
Very convenient, this vehicle. Robin steered the car into the driveway, bringing it to a stop and putting the gear into park. He still had to mentally state several steps of operating the automobile, but Regina had insisted he learn how to drive. Storybrooke was small enough that he could walk to any place in town he wanted to visit, but the car allowed him to travel much faster, pick up supplies, and chauffeur Henry and Roland to school with Regina. "Alright. Everyone out. And be mindful of your mother. She might still be working."
"Can we play Mario Kart?" Henry's face was still pink from the bracing wind in the harbor. He grinned at Roland.
As if they had planned it, Roland leaned forward to plead with his father. "Please, Papa? Henry's been teachin' me how to play."
"For an hour only. And I hope you've finished your homework, Henry."
The two boys nodded their agreement, and then raced into the house, leaving the front door open.
Robin shook his head with a faint grin as he followed. "Boys! Close the door next time." He shut the door, reengaging the locks. He made his way to Regina's home office, tapping on the door before opening it. "Regina?"
"Welcome back." Her voice was hushed, and the tone pricked his senses into full alert. He stepped into the room, and inhaled the most heavenly scent in any land. "Is everything all right?" The question seemed silly with such a pleasant aroma in the air.
His queen was seated at the round table in the room, staring at two roses: one a snowy white, the other a pink like the edge of the horizon at dawn. That explains the smell. "What is it?"
Regina looked up at him, tears clinging to her lashes. "Robin?"
He sat down beside her, reaching out to brush the tears away before they could fall. "Regina, what on earth happened?"
"A gift." Regina smiled, happiness shining out from her eyes. She curled her hand over his against her cheek. "I have something to ask you."
Robin looked at her face, then at the roses, then back to her. "What is it, milady?"
"Robin, how would you like to be a father again?"
"Yes." The answer came out before he really thought about the question, really considered the return of midnight feedings, diaper changes, and colic. But. But... a child with Regina. Building their family... making them complete.
"Yes?" Regina swiped at her cheeks. "Yes. A daughter."
"Yes. One with your eyes." He kissed those gorgeous features.
"And your dimples." Regina pressed her forehead against his, staring into his eyes.
"But I thought-" He stopped himself before he finished his statement, recalling in perfect detail the haunted expression in her eyes when she had told him that she could not bear children. We would be complete with just them, just as this new addition will make us complete still. The heart grows to make room for all the love it has.
"That, my dear thief, is where the roses come in."
"I'll bite. How does it work."
"No dear, I'll be the one biting." Regina laughed. "They're Lind roses."
"That means absolutely nothing to me."
"I need to eat the rose petals, pink for a girl, white for a boy."
Robin blinked. "That's it?"
"That's it." Regina cupped her hands around the pink blossom.
"What need I do?"
"Don't let me have the white one. No matter what."
Regina's hands were trembling; she could feel the faint brush of the petals as she held the flower. After all this time, here, in the safety of Storybrooke, she could have a child, something she had longed to do for ages. Why is it so terrifying to have your dreams come true?
"No matter what, Regina, you must only eat one of the roses. Decide, and eat that rose."
"What will happen if I eat both?"
The impish features of the fairy woman turned solemn. "You'll give birth to a monster."
The first petal almost melted on her tongue, the taste of it like a crisp apple, picked fresh from the tree. A hunger awakened in her, and she had devoured three more petals before she was aware she had plucked them from the flower.
Regina could feel Robin's worry, like a cool misty breeze against damp skin. She ignored his stare, and ate two more of the petals, popping them into her mouth together like she was sampling one of the finest chocolates in the world.
With this new taste, she could feel the benevolent weight pressing in her lap, reminding her of holding Henry as an infant. She would lounge in a rocker, one foot pushing against the floor to maintain the smooth glide of the chair, and read to him. Then, she read anything to him-even newspaper articles and town laws-because all he cared about was hearing the sound of her voice, gilded with the overwhelming devotion she felt for him. Can I have that again?
As the memory faded, Regina realized that the rose was half gone. Only fifteen more blissful petals left.
You can only eat one. If you eat both, you will give birth to a monster.
That had been her fear, when she taken the potion to prevent any children. Mother would have controlled that potential child's life just as she had manipulated Regina's. But now, now I have friends. A family. So much good in my life that I feel, at times, I will burst from it all. What is that French phrase when you only see happiness? She tasted love in each petal, and she understood how easy to would be to eat that second rose, to feast and wallow in a sensation that was lighter than air and as warm as springtime sunlight.
There was only one petal left. Regina cast her eyes toward Robin.
He still sat beside her, had been silent while she had eaten the flower. He reached out now, taking that last petal and holding it to her lips. "Last one, darling."
Regina closed her eyes and took it from his fingertips, felt the pads of them against her mouth. She kissed the digits and ate the last petal, letting the softness dissolve. The final taste left her heart fluttering in her chest, the organ skipping a beat because the moment was too much-hope and love and freedom from fear. She swallowed the last of the petal, instantly missing the flavor.
"Regina. Are you well?"
She held her breath for a second, before opening her eyes and soaking up the love she could see in his expression. Everything is still here. In this house. In this town. In my heart. "Yes. Oh, yes."
Now
If the townsfolk could see me now. Regina could feel a streak of paint drying against her cheek. Why Robin insisted on them painting the room themselves was beyond her. She paused, looking around the room, amazed by the progress.
The pale pink looked warm in the fading sunlight in the room. Robin had taken command of the project, directing the boys as they all removed the furniture, laid down tarps, and taped off the edges of the walls. She had been assigned the smallest wall, while Robin worked on another, and Henry and Roland tackled a third. Robin was nearly finished his work, while she had only managed half of her own.
The last wall, the largest one, was still to be completed. There were a few cans of paint sealed off to the side, and she hoped it would be enough. I need a nap. Her feet ached from standing and when she stretched, she felt a pang in her shoulder.
Robin examined the boys' wall. "Good work, men. Only one more wall to go."
Roland beamed up at his father.
Henry grinned. He glanced at Regina, a sly expression crossed his face so quickly that Regina was not entirely certain that she had actually seen it. "Mom, why don't you take a break?"
If I wasn't suspicious before, I am now. "Oh no, I can keep going." Despite her confident words, her body protested, especially her feet.
Henry's eyes went wide, and he stared at Robin.
Robin stepped in front of him, laughing. "Your mom doesn't trust us, boys. You need to give her your solemn promise that we will meet her standards."
Whatever this is, Robin's involved.
"I promise!" Roland raised his hand, as if he was in his classroom.
"I promise." Henry smiled, with a little salute with his paint brush, giving himself a pink streak on his forehead.
Regina rolled her eyes, then smiled. "Fine, fine. I'm going to go put up my feet and take a nap before dinner. Don't get paint on the carpet."
"We wouldn't dream of it." Robin grinned at her.
A small hand patted hers until Regina woke, and she opened her eyes to see Roland leaning over her.
"Mom?" Roland smiled, leaning in to kiss her cheek with sticky lips.
Robin must have let the boys have a snack.
"Papa says that you need to come and see."
"Come and see what?" She rubbed her eyes.
The young boy laughed, and tugged on her hand. "Just come and see." He waited, shifting from foot to foot as she rose, shifting her altered weight around awkwardly to keep her balance.
He guided her toward the nursery, the smell of paint stronger now. Robin and Henry were still inside the room, wearing matching wide grins.
Oh, my boys are very proud of themselves. "Okay, gentlemen. What did you want to show me?"
Wordlessly, Robin gestured to the final wall.
Unlike the rest of the walls, this one was primarily painted the lilac shade Henry had picked. Growing over the wall were roses, painted the pale pink of the rest of the room. The green of the vines was the one Robin had chosen, and Roland's sky blue was the highlight of each bud. Each one of us, together.
"Do you like it, Mom?" Henry's voice was anxious.
"How could I not? It's beautiful." She smiled at the three, feeling tears trickle down her cheeks, the same happiness welling up within her reminding her of when she first ate the magical rose. Of course. The phrase... la vie en rose.
AN: So this story is based on the fairy tale about the Lindworm. In that tale, the queen of the story eats both roses, and gives birth to a handsome son, and a horrible wyrm (dragon like thingie). Regina's a bit too smart for that, so she made sure Robin knew not to let her eat that second rose.
Also, I think I ship Tinkerbelle and Will Stutely. Their couple name could be Wink! -grins-
If you have the time, please let me know what you think! I love reviews.