"Just don't get in my way".
"I wouldn't dream of it".
"Have we meet before?"
"I doubt I would ever forget meeting you".
Two years passed since that day in front of Zelena's house, two years since she ran away from that man. A dashing and charming man with dimples on his cheeks and blue eyes like the sky, light blue like a storming sea. It seemed like he was able to read into her soul with a simple gaze. Two years have gone by since she met him: the guy with the lion tattoo. However, she ran away that day. She tried to build a wall, to desist from him. In others words, she tried to run away from her destiny. But it had a different plan for her. Who would have ever said that the Evil Queen has weak spot for thieves?
She smiled while she looked in the mirror. A thin figure, a perfect face framed by her ebony hair. A pale dress wrapped her figure, and a smoke grey band underlined her shape. One of her hands was on her stomach where a little smelling started to be visible, probably not easily seen by others, but she knew: her little prince or princess was in there. He or she was growing, waiting to see the world. When Regina turned around, she saw two tearful blue eyes smiling to her, the woman who would be giving him such a beautiful present. Robin put his hand above Regina's, the wedding rings bright under the sunlight that came through the window.
"I love you," said Robin "both of you" he added later, before giving her a sweet kiss.
Six month later
"Push Regina, this is the last one" said Dr. Whale. "The last one? You´ve been saying the same the last hour! Ah Ah!" screamed Regina, pushing and crushing Robin's hand. Room's light blinking since turn it off. A baby´s cry filled the O.R. when her little princess was finally born. Light came back and she saw her baby girl for the first time. Whale had already cut the umbilical cordon and one of the nurses cleaned up the baby with a cloth, before wrapping her in the blanket that Robin and Regina brought for the occasion. Then the nurse put the baby in her daddy´s arms. "She's so beautiful" said Regina crying, she just wanted to hold the bundle and never let it go. "Yes she is" affirmed Robin. Even he was crying while he opened that little and perfect baby hand to leave in the middle of it a sweet kiss. "May I?" asked Regina, now it was her turn hold her baby in her arms. Robin deposited the baby among her maternal arms with attention, with a smile he gave them a look full of love and pride. "Hello honey, I'm your mom!" Whispered Regina, leaving a kiss in her tiny forehead. "Uhm, Uhm" Dr. Whale cleaned his throat trying to bring attention to himself. When Robin and Regina turned towards him, he continued, "I know that this moment is very important to you but we need to stitch Regina up and check the baby" he said, motioning for one of the nurses to take the child from Regina´s arms. "See you soon my darling" murmured Regina and the baby girl stared to whine. "Shh, shh, your daddy will be with you" said Regina finally looking at Robin, who immediately nodded. "Yes, my little princess, I will always be with you" said Robin, and so Regina settled the little girl in her father's arms while the nurse glanced to Whale and responded quietly "That's ok". "One last thing" said the nurse before conducting Robin and the baby girl out of the room. "What's her name?" Regina and Robin looked at each other and together said "Meredith Rose Locksley Mills".
Regina woke up later in a different room, the voices of Henry, Roland and Robin all around her. "Behave, guys, otherwise you're going to wake up Regina" said Robin to the boys while he's keeping the baby in his arms. The baby girl was awake, she opened her eyes and watched the world around her. "Daddy, so she's my little sister? How did she get out from Regina's belly? Now she's going to take my monkey? Because, if she wants it I'm a big boy; I'm going to school now!" Began little Roland and soon kept going with his barrage of questions. "Can she speak? She's always sleep? She's so small! Why is she so small? I've never been as small as her! If she is so small, she can't play with me! I want to play with swords!". "How about playing with swords with me?" asked Henry, almost laughing because of the speed at which Roland was able to churn out questions. "Yesss!" screamed a jumping Roland. "And then we play video games" Henry added. "Just one hour!" Intervened Regina, pulling herself on her elbows and almost sitting in bed. "Mom" said Henry. "Regina" shouted together the two boys approaching her. Roland would have loved to jump on Regina, just like every Sunday morning, but Robin told him that Regina needed to rest, so he just approached her. "How do you fell?" asked Henry. "Just A little bit tired" answered her, but she looked at Roland and noticed something wrong. "Hey, my little knight, what's up? Asked Regina, ruffling his hair "Maybe you don't like your sister?" asked her, feeling a little bit down. "Noo, my little sister is beautiful, even if she's so little and she can't talk and play with me" answered him. "What's up then? You seems happy just a few minutes ago…" asked Regina, looking him in the eye. "Daddy told me that I've to pay attention and I can't stay in bed with you…" answered Roland, a little bit sad. Regina glanced at Robin, with the baby still in his arms, now he had half a guilty expression on his face. The same expression Roland had when he was hiding some mischief. Regina wanted to laugh, but she was afraid to hurt Roland´s feelings, therefore asked Henry to take the baby and, making space, placed him gently on the bed. Roland immediately embraced her and rested his head in the crook of her neck. "I love you so much, Regina" whispered the child. "I love you too, Roland" said Regina, smiling, "And I love you too, Henry, even if you think you are too old to let your mom hug you" continued Regina, an angry expression on her face, while Henry and Robin giggled. Little Meredith decided to let them feel her presence and started to cry, filling the room. Robin tried to calm her but Meredith only cried stronger. "Come, come, come to your mom, little one, come here" said Regina, whilst Robin put the child in her arms. "Our little princess is hungry, isn't she?" murmured Regina while the newborn started to calm down hearing the sound of the maternal voice. "Guys, let's go" said Robin, "let´s leave the ladies their privacy. How about a chocolate?". "Yesss!" said Roland, then kissed his little sister´s forehead, jumped out of bed and joined his father. Henry approached his mother, gave her a kiss, and then whispered to his little sister "It is a pleasure to meet you, princess. I just wanted to tell you you're just born but already loved by everybody. You're a little heartbreaker. Just so you know that I will always be there and I will protect you". He gave a small kiss on his little sister´s forehead and reached Robin and Roland. Robin threw a last look to his wife and walked with their children out of the room.
.-.-.-.-.-.
"Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear princess, happy birthday to you!"
"Now blow the candles and make a wish" said Regina to her little Meredith. The child frowned, curled her lips and started to think about what to ask for. She was a copy of her mother, except for the blue eyes and dimples.
"Yes, now I know what I want!" she exclaimed happily, smiling. She leaned on the cake, closed her eyes and blew. The five candles went out, but not without difficulty, the last candle just didn´t want to go out!
"Bravo!" applause echoed throughout the hall.
"What did you want?" asked Roland, now an 11-year old. "The new game for the PlayStation, right?"
"No... I'm not gonna tell you!" replied the little girl, and showing him her tongue, jumped down from the chair and started running, chased by her brother.
"Meredith, Roland, if you want the cake you have to come back here!"
The two children stopped simultaneously and the two "But Mom!" "But the Regina!" mingled in the air.
"There are no but my young gentlemen!" Regina continued, she would laugh but she had to maintain the facade for her two children.
"Phew!" They exclaimed in unison back at the table.
"It is time to open the presents now" exclaimed Henry, all a man now.
"From where would you start?"
"Mine, mine, mine" said Neal, who turned 7 years old the past month.
"Okay" Meredith agreed and took the packet from Neal's hands.
Inside there was a bracelet and a note written by Neal.
"I did everything I! Mom helped me just to write the note and to pack it!" said Neal proudly.
"For Meredith, my best friend forever" read Regina and Meredith squeezed Neal strongly.
"It's beautiful!" and gave the bracelet to her mother so she can put it to her.
Subsequently she opened gifts from the Charmings, Emma and Hook, and Tinkerbell, her Godmother. This one gave her a necklace with a pendant shaped like a lion.
"How nice! Now I have my lion! Just like my dad!" exclaimed Meredith, jumping on the poor fairy.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"You're welcome, honey" exclaimed the fairy, laughing.
"Now open mine!" Exclaimed Roland impatiently.
"Uh, uh, you mean ours" Henry corrected him laughing.
"Yeah, okay, ours".
Meredith opened the package and found some clothes. However, not simple clothes, but equestrian dresses.
"Um, thanks" said the little girl, not understanding.
"Meredith, why don´t you look into the pants pockets? Maybe there is something else" suggested Robin.
"Okay, Dad!" and just as her father suggested, there was something in there! Meredith found a folded sheet of paper that she carefully opened. A photo of a horse filled the page.
"And this is our gift, princess" exclaimed the father.
"A horse is waiting for you in the stables of Storybrooke!"
"Every day we're going to find, clean and cuddle him, and meanwhile you will learn to ride on a pony. As soon as you're good enough, you can ride, too" Regina continued.
"Aaaaaaah! Thank you, thank you" said Meredith, jumping from her mother´s to her father's arms, then over Henry and finally on little Roland.
"You knew and you did not say anything!" Meredith accused him laughing.
"I know they wanted to keep the secret" replied Roland. "And then, if I had said anything, it would no longer have been a surprise!"
"Thank you!" she said, leaving him a kiss on the cheek
"So now will you tell me what you want?"
"If I tell you it must remain a secret, ok?"
"Deal".
Meredith brought Roland into the kitchen, she approached her brother's ear and whispered "Another brother or sister".
And that same night, between the silk sheets of the master bedroom located in the house number 108 on Mifflin Street, a new life was about to be conceived.