Send me prompts! Its really helping my muse and I don't do this often :)

Title - More Than Just A Story

Setting – 3b/Missing Year

It didn't matter that she missed her son. Even though it hurt to the point she could hardly breathe, she couldn't resist being around the young child.

It didn't even matter who his father was.

Somehow the littlest of the Merry Men wormed his way into her broken heart.

"Gina!" Roland ran up to her as she stood under her apple tree that night. She turned to face him, shocked to see him alone. He wrapped his arms around her legs, hugging her tightly.

"Roland, where's your father?" she asked, her voice full of concern as she looked up, expecting Robin to walk through those doors.

"Can you tell me a bed time story? Please?" he asked, looking up at her, his arms still wrapped around her. "Papa's on patrol. Friar Tuck is lousy at bedtime stories."

"So you ran away?" she asked, eyebrow raised and Roland pulled away and looked down at the ground.

"Papa tells me a story of his 'ventures every night, but he's not here. Friar Tuck's boring," he explained, suddenly ashamed of his actions.

"Roland," she sighed, sitting on the concrete bench surrounding the tree. "Do you know why your father is out there patrolling the castle borders?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "It's not safe."

"That's right," she said. "And do you think it's a good idea to run off when it isn't safe out there?"

"No," he admitted shamefully, not looking at the Queen that he had grown so attached to. She reached out, lifting his chin so he would look at her.

"You really want that story?" she asked softly, a side of her she only let Roland see. She was soft, with a mothers touch, and even though Roland reminded her so much of Henry at this age, she had grown fond of the boy.

"Yes!" he exclaimed excitedly, his eyes sparkling and she pulled him up on her lap. It's been so long since she held a child. She felt sick to her stomach, nostalgic with memories of Henry running rapid through her mind. She put on a mask though. One that hid the aching of her heart and the longing to be with her son.

"What would you like to hear?"

"When papa saved you from the monkey, just like how you saved me."

Regina was speechless. Of all stories…

"Papa was gonna tell it to me tonight."

"Well then," she said, her voice suddenly rising at the mention of the thief. The man that tested her every dam day since they crossed paths. "I see no reason not to tell it."

Roland's whole face lit up and her heart warmed at his happiness. The smallest things could make a child happy. She wondered at what age did it stop being so simple for her to enjoy the smallest pleasures of childhood.

So she told him of the rescue, except she managed to tone it down a bit. No, in this version, she was the one saving Robin and as she told Roland how she had saved his father from being carried off into the sky by the winged monkey's claws, she didn't notice a certain thief leaning by the doorway and listening with a smirk on his face.

"That's not exactly how I remember it," he said when she was done and she snapped her gaze to him, clearly shocked to see him walking towards them. She quickly hid her surprise and put on a face of indifference as Roland got up from her lap and ran to his father.

"Papa, you're back!" he cried out excitedly, running into Robin's arms. He picked him up, the smug smile still on his face.

"I did promise you a story," he laughed.

"Regina told me about how you couldn't shoot the flying monkey with your arrows so she had to save you from being carried away," Roland explained and Robin realized she flipped the whole story, the arrows being her fireballs. He looked at her and she stood, glaring at him. He put Roland down.

"Listen, Friar Tuck was pretty flustered when I found him. You know you're not supposed to run off," he said more seriously, kneeling down to Roland's level.

"I know Papa," he sighed. "Regina told me the same thing."

"Then I suggest you listen to her. Now, say goodnight and go back to Friar Tuck and apologize."

"Ok, papa," he said, once again feeling bad for his actions. He went up to Regina and the joy shinned in his eyes again at the sight of her. Her mask of indifference melted away and Robin watched curiously as she interacted with his young son. He hugged her, wrapping his arms around her legs and looked up at her.

"G'night Gina. Thanks for your story even if you half made it up," he said and Regina's mouth hung open in shock.

"You knew?" she asked.

"Yup, papa told me that one a hundred times. It's my favorite 'cause he saved you even when you're kind of mean to him."

"Mean?" she scrunched up her face in disgust and shot the smug thief a glare. Roland laughed and the glare disappeared as she looked down at the giggling child.

"Goodnight honey," she whispered, kissing his forehead and holding him close. When he was gone Robin sauntered up to her.

"Wipe the smug smile off your face before I slap it off," she threatened.

"Why, because I caught you changing how I saved you?"

"You did not save me. I had it under control and besides you distracted me."

"You were already in the air," his voice full of amused disbelief.

"Like I said, I had it under control," ever so stubborn. She was being cold, preventing him from climbing the walls around her heart like his son had. Except, he didn't seem to notice. He didn't treat her like everyone else did. He wasn't afraid of her… wasn't afraid to push her buttons and annoy her with their banter.

"Ok so the next time a flying monkey attacks, I'll let it carry you off then."

"It wasn't carrying me off! I would have burnt that beast to a crisp if you hadn't gotten in the way!" she yelled and he chuckled in response. The look on her face went from annoyed to anger in a split second.

"What," she growled.

"How many times are we going to keep having this argument?" he asked because ever since that day they first met, all their arguments somehow led back to this.

"Until you admit I didn't need your help."

"But you did!"

"No. I. Didn't!"

"Well then let's just agree not to agree," he tried compromising and Regina scoffed in disbelief because of course she wasn't going to back down. Everything between them seemed like a competition.

"Fine," she practically growled, getting into his personal space. He could practically feel her breath on his lips and for some strange reason he found himself wondering what it be like to kiss her. "Believe whatever you want to believe, but we both know that I didn't need saving." Her voice was low and hostile and he knew it was the end of the argument at least for tonight. She stepped away from him, shooting him one last glare before leaving him alone in the garden. He watched her go and then he looked up at her apple tree.

"Of course you don't," he sighed, almost sadly because he knew deep down she was hurting and not just because of her son. He understood her in way others did not. He saw the deep kind of hurt in her that he himself felt when he had lost himself to darkness years ago. She had been on her own for so long and accepting his help was something she just couldn't do. That story she told Roland meant more than what it seemed.