Hello! As promised, here's the first chapter of my new story. I hope you like it and thank you so much for reading!

Chapter 1.

- Friday -

October 13, 2017

Regina is exhausted.

Her legs hurt, her head is sore, making the commotion typical of an emergency room seem ten times worse than already is every single day of work at the New York hospital.

There are paramedics rushing in and out from every door that leads to the main entrance, people with broken limbs, cuts, and several bruises, holding onto their relatives for support as they wait for some sort of assistance. She can clearly hear their whimpers and groans, and in the worst of times, someone throwing up in a garbage bin. God, she is so tired - on a normal day she would be able of ignoring all of this, the smell of the antiseptic wouldn't be this nauseating, and Ashley's voice every time she calls someone to be admitted at the front desk wouldn't make Regina's head throb.

But today she has been working a double shift, and so she has been there for twelve hours - twelve hours of trying to save people's lives, twelve hours of (what she hopes being) comforting talks for the patient's friends and family.

So she is exhausted. Weary, and nauseous, and with another four hours ahead of her before she can return home to her caring fiancé.

Robin had spent his free day at home with his three-year-old son, busying themselves with some housework and a few games, just killing time before Robin had to drive his son to his mother's house to spend the weekend - Regina had managed to find some time to call him during her breaks, to know how their men's day was going, or just to check if her house was still undamaged (she knows how Roland loves to run around the house, urging his father to chase him until they would tire themselves or some of the decoration would fall into pieces on the floor).

She had learned to dismiss every time she comes home to find Robin picking up the pieces of some expensive trinket off the ground, assuring that everything is fine as long as both he and Roland are unharmed and safe, because, what is the harm if she has one less sculpture taking up space on her shelves?

'Don't worry about that,' she would say every time Robin apologizes for his son's (and his) behavior, promising her there will be no repeat of the situation (who is he kidding? Of course, there will be, but Regina finds she doesn't care in the slightest about that, not anymore.)

She makes her way towards the staff room with a tired smile on her face, a breath of relief leaving her lungs when she closes the door behind her, muffling the jumble of sounds coming from the busy hallways of the hospital. It is blessedly empty, not a co-worker to be seen, not a thing out of place – it seems nobody had really the time to spend their breaks just sitting and relaxing between the patients they have to attend to, but Regina is decided to take some time to herself before she has to return to her duties. And so she carries herself to the nearest chair, collapsing in the seat and closing her eyes for a moment.

...

"Regina."

She hears a familiar voice, too far away and shallow to be even considered real, something closer to a dream than to reality.

"Regina, are you alright?"

The brunette sighs in her sleep, shifts to seek a more comfortable position. She has been sleeping for God knows how long on that metal chair, causing a discomfort in her neck and all the way down to her lower back with every move she makes.

It's not the first time she falls asleep out of the blue. It's not even a surprise that she is feeling extremely tired after a twelve-hour shift, but it never happened to her falling asleep in the middle of her job, especially during a fifteen-minute break.

"Regina, come on, wake up."

There is a brief silence, and then her eyes finally blink open, a messy blonde bun filling Regina's blurry vision. She runs her hands over her eyes in an effort to clear her sight from the remains of sleep, glances at the clock on the wall to confirm her break should have ended almost half an hour ago. Great, she thinks as she rises from her seat, her eyes finally shifting to take in the sight right there in front of her.

Her friend's eyes are avoiding hers at any cost, and she thinks she spots a slight tremor in Tink's hands, even though she is clearly trying to remain calm in front of her, "God, you scared me, I need you to come with me."

"What's wrong?" Regina asks with a frown, her voice hoarse from the sleep.

Something happened.

Something happened, and it's definitely not something good, therefore the reason for Tink being so concerned about dragging her out of that room.

And then Tink starts telling her something about Robin, and an accident, and something about her fiancé arriving at the E.R…

Everything is a blur.

Regina runs out of that staff room, her exhaustion long forgotten as she rushes through the hospital corridors. She doesn't even bother to wait for the lift, heads straight towards the stairs she knows will lead her towards the main entrance.

The great lobby is more crowded than when she had left it an hour ago. There are people standing in her way, and everything seems to be working against all her attempts to find Robin.

She needs to see him, it can't be him, he didn't deserve it.

But everything becomes a cruel reality when she does see him.

Across the room, lying on a hospital bed, there he is, her Robin, blood flowing from the nasty cut on his head, his blue eyes devoid of any color.

He is unresponsive, unconscious.

Regina runs in his direction without thinking twice, pushes her way among the paramedics until she can reach her fiancé, "Robin, Robin!" she breathes frantically, holding tightly onto the crowbar of his bed as the several paramedics try to drag him out of the entrance, "Please, somebody tell me what happened, please!"

…

Everything happened too fast.

It's a cloudy memory, something playing in his mind that he's not even sure happened for real.

He had just left their house. Had placed his son in his car seat, right before he had glanced at the clock on the dashboard to confirm that he was indeed late to drop Roland at his mother's house. Almost six in the afternoon, and he could hear Marian's voice in his head, protesting about their delay, telling him about trivial things such as bath and dinner. However, his son had pleaded to finish watching his cartoons, and who could blame Robin for granting him that simple little wish? He could easily put up with another one of Marian's speeches about routines and how that is important for a three-year-old child. Roland needs time to be with his father, even if Marian believes that shouldn't be one of the boy's priorities.

But just for that night, Robin would ignore whatever Marian would throw his way, would focus on his weekend with Regina, on the dinner he had planned to cook for her so she could get home from her job and have a delicious meal waiting for her at the dining room table.

This was why he got distracted for a moment, had reached for his phone for the time he was stopped at a red light, causing him to miss the blur of white and red lights right ahead of him. It was the worst moment of his life. Knowing it would be impossible to avoid the vehicle approaching him at high-speed.

Again, everything happened too fast.

He knows he should have just tried to do something about it, but he barely had time to react before the other car crashed into his. He remembers the sound of the music coming from the radio disappearing under the high-pitched sound of breaks as the other vehicle swerved in a failed attempt to avoid his car, the airbags knocking Robin's body back and leaving several marks and bruises on his skin. He felt so powerless in that moment, unable to do something to protect his son. He remembers Roland's cries, his pleas of 'Daddy, help!'

He needs to see him, apologize for this nightmare, make sure he is alright. He's such a terrible father, Marian is right, she was always right. But he has to see him-

"Sir! Sir, please, don't move."

He feels two hands pressed against his chest, keeping him from standing up, but he has to move, he has to see Roland… His whole body hurts, and Robin can feel the metallic taste of his blood in his mouth, but-

"Sir, we will help you, but you have to stay still."

He can hear the infuriating sound of a siren, followed by a sharp pain in his head, his vision blurred as the whole world turns black.

…

She thinks about what happened as she allows her friend to guide her through the hospital halls. Keeps thinking about it while Tink occupies a seat beside her in the waiting room, or when she disappears for a few minutes to get Regina a tea in a failed attempt to help to settle her coworker's nerves - nothing really seems to do the trick. She feels empty, useless, because she knows she is in no shape to help her fiancé, even if she really wants to.

She had felt sick just to see Robin in such a state, his clothes stained with his blood, his life draining from every pore on his body. She couldn't stand the sight, even if she is a doctor, even if she has already witnessed every worst-case scenario she can possibly imagine...

Right now, the best help she can provide is to wait. Wait, and don't let the worst thoughts consume her mind, she tells herself.

Instead, she thinks about what her friend had told her, the words 'car accident' hitting her like a ton of bricks. It definitely doesn't contribute to ease her mind in the slightest. Not when a certain pair of dimples comes to her mind. Robin had told her why he was driving today, and the reason involves a young and adorable little boy.

She feels sick at the thought. At the chance of something bad happening to his son.

She hopes he was already safe and sound in his mother's house when this whole nightmare happened, hopes that, at least, there were no other victims of this accident.

But she recalls some information Tink had given her, something about Robin being the only one arriving at the E.R – no other victims, just him, and… a report of an obit at the crash site.

It can't be.

She feels Tink's grip around her tightening slightly, and she realizes she is crying more forcefully all over again. She should ask, just question her friend about the boy and she would know… Does she want to know?

She doesn't think she would be able to handle it. She wouldn't. She loves that boy as her own, she would protect him with her life-

"Gina!"

The voice echoing in her ears is strangely familiar, has her pulling away from her friend's embrace, wondering if this is her mind playing tricks on her - she could almost swear she heard Roland's sweet voice calling her the adorable way he uses to say her name, but it's highly unlikely that the scream had come from Robin's son – somebody would have told her about the boy the minute he set foot in that hospital, right?

"Gina!"

She stands, and she does see those adorable brown eyes staring right at her as he runs in her direction, his dark curls bouncing with every step he takes, his arms stretched in a silent plea for Regina to scoop him up in her arms.

She does just that. Wraps her arms around his torso and holds him close to her chest, their hearts beating frantically in unison as they cling desperately to each other, "Roland! Roland, are you alright?"

"I'm scared," he buries his face in the crook of her neck, seeking comfort, she thinks, and that's exactly what she plans to give him right now – she cannot imagine what the boy must have witnessed and lived during those five dreadful minutes of his life – and so she doesn't think of releasing him anytime soon, not even if she feels his little tears damping the skin of her neck, tears she yearns to wipe away, but which are not so important as her little boy's comfort. She finds his presence just as soothing for her as it is for him, and so she buries her nose in the boy's hair, moves her hand up and down his back, making sure that he's really there with her, that this is not a dream. She was so worried that something would take him away from her.

"It's okay, Roland, I'm here," she feels him wincing at her touch, and the action has her putting a little more distance between them, enough for her to examine him up close, finding some smaller cuts on his perfect baby skin. The most disturbing is the one just above his eyebrow – it looks deep, and the dried blood won't let her get a better look, but she has to make sure he won't need a severe medical treatment, "Roland… can you show me where it hurts? I promise I can make it better."

But the boy shakes his heads, cries a "Noo," that makes Regina sigh in despair.

"He wouldn't let me do it," a feminine voice comes from behind the brunette, from a nurse she didn't even notice was there for this whole time, someone who had known for who knows how long that her boy was there in the hospital and hadn't told her right away.

Regina sees red. Everyone in that department knows Robin, everyone knows him and Roland are her family, why didn't she tell her?

"How long has he been here?" the brunette asks in response, apparently more sharply than she had anticipated, because Tink is interrupting her before the woman has the opportunity to respond, her voice soft as she tries to make Regina see their point.

"We thought Rose would be the perfect person to look after Roland for a while," her friend explains, placing her hand on Regina's back and giving her a look, "After what happened, we wanted to give you some time, so we asked Rose to stay with Roland and check for any injury that would need treatment."

That… makes sense, Regina thinks as she tightens her grip on the boy - it doesn't make her feel better about the whole situation, but it makes her anger towards the other woman decrease almost immediately. She doesn't really need time. She needs to be with her family and it's pretty obvious Roland needs to be with her as well.

Nevertheless, she gives the nurse an apologetic look, one the woman is quick to dismiss, assuring that it's only natural that she would want to know about the boy as soon as possible, "Most of his injuries appear to be scrapes and cuts, but you may want to be sure he doesn't have any foreign objects stuck in the wounds."

"I will," she tells her, shifting her hold on the boy and preparing to walk back the direction she came, "Thank you, Rose."

…

It takes an ice cream and half an hour for Regina to succeed to convince Roland to let her tend to his wounds. The boy hadn't been willing to let go of her, and she was glad when Tink had come up with the idea of the sugary treat. It's middle of October, and the air is cold already, but Roland never refused an offer of ice cream. Today was no different.

So when the blonde arrived with a scoop of chocolate in a waffle cone, a few napkins in her left hand, Roland had offered her the first dimpled smile since the whole nightmare a few hours ago. Something that made Regina's lips tilt up as well. His wounds were not as bad as it could have been, causing a sense of relief to settle over the brunette.

Her hand moves up and down his back, careful to not touch any of his injuries. It's scary to think about what she could have lost, her family. The bandage over his eyebrow still causes tears gathering in her eyes, but at least she knows he will be alright, he's safe. The same can't be said about his father.

Pushing away those thoughts, Regina focuses solely on the boy on her lap. A white blanket is laid over both of them while Roland finishes eating what's left of the cone. Maybe when Marian arrives to pick up Roland she will talk to Tink about Robin.

She leans back against the back of the chair, closes her eyes for a moment. She's tired, the whole thing is tearing her down. She wants to be strong for the boy, needs to be strong for herself, for Robin, but right now, she fears she can't do it-

"Gina, do you want some?" her thoughts are interrupted by a sweet voice, as Roland holds the ice cream out for her, "It will make you happy, it makes me happy."

She offers the boy a genuine smile, brushes away the single tear she hadn't been able to secure, "That's great, sweetheart, that's why I want you to have it all-"

"Roland!"

Regina barely has time to finish her words before another brunette comes barging in, startling the little boy on her lap.

"Roland, my baby," Marian crouches in front of her son, slightly out of breath. She had been in a rush to get there, Regina notices, as the mother cups Roland's cheeks in her hands, her eyes moving to study every inch of the boy's skin, "Are you alright? Come here," Marian immediately scoops him up in her arms, drops a lingering kiss to his temple.

It's only natural that she's been worried – she's his mother, after all - but Regina can't help but feel a bit sad when the boy is suddenly removed from her arms. She sees him as her own as well, and knowing she's about to face the remainder of the evening all alone causes a sick feeling in Regina's stomach. Roland is always able to make her feel better, is definitely a welcome distraction.

"He's going to be alright, has a few cuts and bruises, but he was very strong to let me take care of him," Regina stands from her seat, offering a small smile when she addresses the last words to Marian's son. It was hard to convince him to let her do it, but she doesn't think that's worth mention.

To her surprise, Marian reaches out and grips one of her hands, giving it a light squeeze in response, "Thank you," she whispers through her tears, a genuine look on her face. She never really had a relationship with Marian – Robin does all the talk when it comes to Roland – but she can't say they hate each other either. It's just… awkward. She always hears Robin's side, protesting that he doesn't get enough time with his son, but it's not like she has something against the other woman, personally.

"Gina, can we see papa now?" Roland's voice saves her from answering to his mother, his eyes pleading for an affirmative response. Something she can't give him right now.

"Not today, baby-"

"Why?" he cries, clearly unaware of what has really happened. Of course, if he is alright, how do you explain a three-year-old that his papa had not escaped unscathed from the accident? There's no way to do it, and so that's why Regina tries to come up with another excuse, runs a hand over the boy's back as she thinks… and thinks.

"Daddy is tired, we should let him rest, and you will spend the weekend with your mama, that's fun, right?" Everything to see him smile, even if it pains her to lie to the boy. But Roland doesn't have to know the truth, not right now, and then Robin will recover from this nightmare, and offer them his dimpled smile she so much adores.

"How is he?" Marian mouths the words, inaudible for little ears.

"I don't really know much, I…"

"Do you need something?"

The question takes her by surprise, not really expecting all the support she's receiving from her fiancé's ex-wife. Or maybe pity. Whatever it is, Regina is thankful that Marian is trying to make the situation easier. Maybe they don't talk too much, maybe they will never be friends, but right now… right now all the attention makes her heart swell. So Regina offers her a grateful smile, shakes her head and assures, "I'm fine, Tink is making sure of that."

"If you have any news..."

"I will let you know," Regina promises, walking the other brunette back to the main entrance.

- Saturday –

October 14, 2017

She is not in her room. That's the first thing that comes to her mind when she slowly returns to the land of the living. There's a nagging pain all over her body, getting more intense every time she tries to move a muscle. She feels a cold breeze hitting her back, but Regina just cuddles further into her blanket. She's still exhausted, just needs a bit more time before her friend comes barging in to wake her up - she hadn't really been able to sleep, but no one had accomplished to convince her to go home the night before.

She sighs, shifts in her seat, immediately followed by a hiss of pain. Damn chairs, it should be more comfortable considering they work overnight, sometimes pulling double shifts.

Regina blinks her eyes open, her vision blurred from the remains of sleep - the staff room is dark, apart from a small lamp placed over a table near the furthest wall. Her thoughts shift towards Robin, and the reason behind her sleepover at the hospital. She remembers him lying on that bed, a lot of blood, paramedics working fast in an attempt to help her fiancé… and then Roland. Frightened. Terrified. Clinging to her with every fiber of his existence. She hadn't even been able to comfort him properly. She failed him, and that is breaking her heart.

She wanted to be there for him, hold him in her arms. But she had ended up here by herself, and the prospect of losing her family is too real in Regina's mind: if something bad happens to Robin, then… she will probably lose Roland too, because Marian won't let her be a part of the little boy's life.

And now it's not just about her anymore.

She moves her hand over her flat belly, for a split second, before the door to the room opens behind her. She turns around to see Tink standing a few feet away from her, a steaming mug and a pack of biscuits clutched in her hands. She's wearing the same outfit under the white gown, Regina notices, wondering if she had spent the whole night there working.

Tink walks the few steps that separate them, placing the mug and the cookies in front of her on the table.

"I made you some tea. Are you feeling better?" her friend asks with a small smile on her lips, Regina's silence telling her everything she needs to know, "You should go home, Regina, get some rest."

"I can't," the brunette shakes her head, as she had done so many times before - when Tink tried to convince her last night, telling her Robin was stable for now. But Regina knows better, knows that he is still unconscious, that his situation is still delicate. She wouldn't just leave. She reaches carefully for the tea in front of her, taking a sip of the beverage before muttering, "Let me see him."

"You know you shouldn't," the blonde doctor tells her, making Regina let out a muffled sob. She doesn't understand. She has so much to talk to him, he doesn't know about the baby currently growing in her belly, she didn't even have time to tell him. She needs to encourage him to keep fighting for their family. She just needs to see him and make sure he is still alive, see with her own eyes. Placing a hand on Regina's back, Tink reconsiders, "If I let you see him… will you go home and rest for the day?"

Regina doesn't answer, not right away. She has no desire to return to her empty house, not without Robin, anyway. But she knows she needs to rest for the baby's sake, and it would allow her to have a few minutes with Robin…

She considers the offer for a moment, eyes wet with her tears. She really needs to see him…

"I promise," she rises from her seat when her friend gives her a small smile in return, following her towards the lift.

…

As she follows Tink through the halls in the hospital, Regina tries to prepare herself for what she is about to face - Robin won't respond her, will probably not even hear her. This is not how she had planned to tell him about their baby. All thoughts about surprising him, and planning a night for them to celebrate it are quickly vanishing from her mind with each step she takes. She had wanted to wait because she knows the risks of losing the baby are higher during the first weeks of the pregnancy, but she won't wait to tell him anymore, not even if he will not really hear it. The events of the previous night had opened her eyes, and who knows how much time left they have together. She wants him to enjoy every minute of this new chapter with her, hopefully gather some strengths from it to recover from this nightmare.

It should be a joyful time, not a living hell. They had talked about the possibility to bring a new member to their family and grant Roland's wish of being a big brother, but right now… she just wished her family wasn't falling apart.

She opens the door to Robin's room, closing her eyes before she could really catch a glimpse of him. She is anxious to see him, but she dreads he will look worse than what she thought. She knows he has a broken arm and had suffered a concussion, but she doesn't know how bad it is.

When she does open her eyes to see it for herself, Regina is at a loss for words. Robin's head and arm are bandaged, and he has some smaller cuts on his face (his torso is hidden from view, but she can imagine it has a few bruises as well). He's lucky to be alive, she tries to tell herself, walking towards the bed. This is not the worst case scenario, not even close. She will have Robin back.

She stops herself before she runs her hand cautiously over his face, careful to not touch any bruised skin - her fingers are barreling touching him, afraid to hurt him even more. For a moment, she feels extremely thankful that his son hadn't suffered more than a few cuts and bruises, which, judging by the sight in front of her, had been more than a stroke of luck.

"Robin…" she whispers almost hopeful that he will open his eyes for her. When he doesn't, her gaze shifts to the bandage on his head, stained with blood, his chest moving slightly with his breathing, "I thought I had lost you."

She takes his good hand in hers, bringing it to her belly and holding it in place for him, "I need you to wake up and get better, there's so much happening right now."

She doesn't really know what to say, she just wished he would be able to feel it, like she did when she found out she was pregnant two days ago. She had felt something was different on her body, and since she and Robin had been trying to conceive, she had run a few tests on her own, finding out she is three weeks pregnant. She has been feeling extremely exhausted, her breasts are tender and she had run to the bathroom more times than she can count on one day. She had been over the moon, excited to tell Robin.

"It's not noticeable yet, but we'll have another tiny Locksley relying on us and I can't do it without you."

She refuses to do it without him.

"I want to see you holding our baby, teach him to ride a bike, take us camping," she chuckles when she hears her own words – she hates camping, but she would do everything to see him smile again. She never told him how much she loves his dimples, she never told him how much she loves him…

"Regina," she jumps on her spot when she hears the door to the room opening, not once taking her eyes off the man lying on the bed in front of her. He seems so peaceful, yet she can't imagine what he must have felt the moment he realized his life was on the line.

She feels Tink's hand stopping on her arm, silently letting her know her time with Robin has come to an end, "I'm sorry, we have to let him rest, but you have someone downstairs waiting for you," the blonde doctor tells her, actually drawing Regina's attention with that.

The brunette nods, glances a last time at her fiancé, and follows her friend towards the main entrance.

The sight which she's welcome with is not one Regina was expecting. Standing a few feet away from her are Emma and her ten-year-old son, and an old man Regina recognizes all too well.

"Daddy," she calls under her breath, stepping into his open arms when she reaches him, his hands immediately moving up and down the brunette's back, "What are you doing here?"

Henry doesn't answer right away, but Regina knows the real reason. She knows Tink must have called, maybe in an effort to make her go home and rest – it's the last thing she wants to do right now, both abandon Robin and sleep, but she promised she would do it if her friend would let her see her fiancé.

"Mom told us what happened," it's Emma's son who answers her question, causing Regina to shift her gaze towards her precious godson.

"Henry," she smiles, stretching her arms, "Come here."

"Can we see Robin?" the little boy asks, unaware of how Regina shifts uncomfortably in their embrace, tightening the grip around his little body. He clearly is too young to fully understand the consequences of the accident, but Regina won't tell him either. She didn't even want Henry in the middle of this mess, knowing how important Robin is for him as well. He's like the father her godson never had, being raised by his mother with Regina's help, since they were both eighteen years old.

She runs her hand through his brown hair, mentally preparing herself to disappoint her godson with the same excuse with she disappointed Robin's son, "We can't, Henry, we should let him rest, he…" He's not even allowed to have visits, she would say, but that would make the situation appear so much worse. The last thing she wants is to worry a child, definitely not when she can't promise him everything will be alright.

"Hey, kid, why don't you tell Regina why are we here," Emma intervenes.

The boy nods, takes a step back, the tip of his lips tilting up in a smile when he tells her, "Mom thought we could have lunch together."

"And your mother and I would love to have you home tonight."

Her father's offer it's what takes her by surprise. She never really had a good relationship with her mother, and Cora had made pretty clear that she didn't want anything to do with her own daughter when Regina announced her engagement with Robin. She had ruined any chances of Cora arranging a wealthy marriage to her daughter. Her mother never liked Robin. Would argue he doesn't have a job (apparently working in a bar is not enough), and that he is just a drunk who wants to marry her because of her money. That was it. The final straw that made Regina chose to cut ties with her own mother.

And so Regina asks the only thing that comes to her mind, already knowing the answer will be a complete lie, "Mother wants me there?"

"Of course, she wants, sweetheart, she's your mother and she loves you no matter what," he sounds convincing enough, if Regina didn't know her mother like the back of her hand.

So she shakes her head, already expecting those words. Her mother doesn't love her, she doesn't love anybody. She's selfish, greedy, and Regina knows she's probably happy to know what happened to her fiancé. Pursing her lips to keep those words from leaving her mouth, Regina takes a step closer to her father, giving his forearms a light squeeze, "You don't have to lie to me, daddy, I know mother, but I wouldn't refuse an offer to spend the night at our house with you. Not because of her."

"Good," he smiles proudly, the look in his eyes so much different than the scowl she always receives from her mother, "You were always this determined."

When her father pulls her for a second embrace, Regina allows herself to relax in his arms, as if she was a little girl all over again, "I love you, daddy."

"I love you too."

Regina's whole expression shifts when she feels her father's lips pressed against her temple, leaving a kiss before she takes a step back and shifts her attention to mother and son beside them. She envies their relationship, in a healthy way. Emma would do everything to see Henry happy, and it's pretty clear she is proud of the young man he became. She could have given him up – she was too young and alone when she found out she was pregnant – but she didn't. She fought for them, something her mother never had to do. She doesn't know what is like to work to support a family, maybe she would treasure what she has if she knew.

You can have a comfortable life, Regina, you can have anything you want if you choose the right person. You don't need love, love is weakness.

She still can hear her words, talking her into a marriage with someone she didn't even know, as long as he had a healthy bank account. It feels so wrong to just think about it, and thankful Regina had taken after her father, his caring nature.

"So, lunch at Granny's?" Emma's voice interrupts her thoughts, leading the group out of the hospital before she could even focus another minute of her time on her worthless mother.

…

She steps onto the porch of her childhood home with a nauseating feeling deep inside in Regina's stomach. The light in the foyer is on, she can see through the small glasses framing the front door, but she is not expecting to be welcomed with open arms, is not even expecting her mother to be waiting for her, standing on the other side of the door, her expression strict as she had always seen in her mother's cold face.

Regina waits patiently beside her father. She is not really looking forward to see her mother, and so the time it takes for him to fetch his keys and open the door it's not really something that bothers Regina. Quite the contrary. Perhaps she will be able to avoid Cora tonight, and then tomorrow she will wake up early and leave to the hospital first thing in the morning.

So much for that to be true.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs is her mother, waiting for her, with an unusual smile on her lips that make Regina cringe internally. She takes a few steps to meet her daughter halfway, her high-heeled shoes clicking loudly on the hardwood floor.

"Regina, my sweet little girl," her mother's voice is followed by a pair of arms wrapping around Regina's torso, taking both the brunette and even her father by surprise with the embrace. Cora is not a loving person, not really one for close contact, and so it takes some time for Regina to return the gesture, placing her hands on her mother's back while her eyes can't seem to help but study her surroundings.

The inside of the house is just like Regina remembers. Her mother's style: hardwood floors, white walls, much like Regina's own house, but this one feels so much… colder. She believes people make the house too, and with Robin and Roland, her house is definitely not the same anymore. Where she previously had a neat hallway, with her coat and purse hung on the hooks beside the door, she now has muddy shoes left on the rug, and little jackets lying on the floor because Roland is still too small to reach the hangers.

In the living room, the toys replaced the expensive decorations, and the shelf placed in one of the corners is now definitely more attractive with all the colors of the children's book mixed with her boring black ones. She thinks it's perfect. She finally feels at home with them, and she wonders why her mother can't seem to understand that. She should want to see her happy. As a mother herself, that is the only thing Regina wishes for Roland and even for the baby currently growing in her belly.

"Mother," Regina acknowledges under her breath, taking in the stern look Cora insists on keeping even inside her own house – the black pantsuit, the heavy makeup, the high-heeled shoes that give her look a dash of authority. Her hair is straight and falling over her shoulders, only a few untamed curls decorating the ends, "Thank you… for allowing me to stay here."

The woman shakes her head as if dismissing Regina's gratitude, moving her hands to remove the hair away from the brunette's face. What a pretty good act, considering the last words her mother told her were to get the hell out of her house.

"Nonsense, darling, you're always welcome here."

Regina could laugh. 'She's welcome there?' How is she supposed to feel welcome when her mother made it pretty clear she wanted to cut ties with her own daughter?

"I asked Johanna to get your old room ready, in case you wanted to retreat early."

The mention of the maid and Regina's old room has the brunette perking up slightly.

She misses Johanna and her surprises every time Regina would come home from school, which always ended up being some kind of sugary treat that her mother would never allow Regina to enjoy. The maid had been a second mother to her for more than fifteen years, always making sure to comfort her when Cora didn't, or just spoiling her with small, but significant, gestures. She never believed she still worked for her mother.

"Thank you… do you know where I can find her?"

"If she's doing her job, I would imagine in your bedroom." Regina walks towards the stairs before she could even think about an answer to give to her mother, knowing the old maid had never given her any reason to doubt about her job.

When no one stops her, Regina breathes a sigh of relief, not in the mood to deal with Cora. After everything that happened she just needs a good night of sleep, something she is not sure she will be able to have, knowing in the morning she will face her mother one more time. She had always been an early riser, much to Regina's misfortune to have Cora dragging her out of the bed as well.

Her bedroom is a few doors away from her parents', at the end of the hall, and she's curious to see if it remains just as she had left it. She imagines her mother had wanted to get rid of all her things, maybe even turn the whole space into another guest room.

To Regina's surprise, that's definitely not the case. Her bedroom is untouched.

Johanna is nowhere to be seen, but the room is neat and clean, the bed made with white silk sheets just waiting for her to turn in for the night. The big black chandelier, as well as two table lamps, illuminate the room, as Regina closes the door behind her.

Everything is the same, but at the same time, it feels so different.

She slowly walks towards the black wood vanity, running her hand over the expensive cologne bottles identical to the ones she had left behind when she first moved to college. She remembers telling herself she didn't need any of those things, that she would live a life with her own extravagance and not her mother's. After she met Robin, she finally understood what is really important – and it's definitely not some luxurious colognes.

When she shifts her gaze towards the mirror hanging on the wall, her vision is blurry, the tears gathering in her eyes and falling down her cheeks. She's scared. Afraid that something bad will happen to one of the most important people in her life.

A knock on the door, fortunately, pushes her away from her own overwhelming thoughts, a soft "Regina," following it almost immediately. Kind blue eyes light up when she sees her, as the old woman pushes the door open quietly.

"Johanna," Regina takes a tentative step towards her old maid, waits until the woman closes the door behind her. It feels so good to be reunited with her again, her strong arms enveloping her in a much-needed embrace, "I never thought I would see you again."

She relishes in the feeling of being hugged by someone closer to a mother figure than really Cora, clutches tightly at the woman's vest as if she could vanish at any moment. She's still frightened by what the next few days have reserved for her and Robin, but she feels so much safe in her maid's arms. She smells like home, makes Regina feel like she is fourteen years old all over again, when she would come to her maid to talk about the normal problems of a teenage girl. It would always be Johanna to comfort her, to help her to come up with a solution for said problems, promising her everything would be alright. Being here, in her maid's arms, is just what Regina needed right now, some light in the darkness that were her last two days.

"Let me look at you," Johanna takes a step back and takes in the sight of Regina right there in front of her, her hand running over the brunette's hair, "You are not the stubborn teenage girl anymore."

Regina offers her a watery chuckle, inviting the old woman to sit beside her on the edge of the bed. No, she's not. So much has happened since the last time she saw her maid. She went to college to study medicine, where she met Daniel, her first boyfriend and the only one her mother had ever approved of. Once they both graduated, they talked about move in together, start a family, something Regina was sure she wanted with Daniel until the day she found him between another woman's legs. Everything fell apart in that moment. Every memory they shared, every plan they had, even Regina's hopes to find a love like theirs again. From that point on, Regina had had other relationships, but nothing as serious as she thought she had with Daniel. Until the day she met Robin. He taught her to love again, to keep her heart open to the possibility of trust somebody again. It had been two amazing years, full of memories and precious family moments… that had fallen apart with the events of two days ago.

For the last ten years, she never set foot in her mother's house again, her relationship with Cora getting worse day after day.

"It is so pretty," she hears Johanna whisper, her thumb moving carefully over the engagement ring on Regina's finger, "Robin knows you too well."

What? The brunette frowns at those words, confused to hear how Johanna seems to know about her fiancé. There was never a moment when she had the opportunity to meet Robin, nor was Regina who had told her about him. If there was a person who could have talked about this with Johanna, that person would be her father. Regina doesn't really believe Cora would share something about their personal life with their maid.

"How…"

"Don't tell your mother, but I couldn't stop myself from overhearing some of her conversations if it would allow me to know how my Regina was doing."

Regina gives her a genuine smile, shifting her gaze towards the white gold band. She doesn't want to imagine what her mother must have said about Robin, doesn't even suspect why her mother would talk about her fiancé in the first place… maybe he was a subject for conversation over her tea time with her friends.

"Your secret is safe with me," Regina tells her, her smile faltering when her gaze shifts to the old maid, "So you know-"

"I know what happened, yes."

On one hand, Regina is glad she doesn't have to explain to her maid what brings her back to her mother's house after all this time, but this just means her private life is not as private as she had thought. She doesn't like the thought of her mother sharing things about her relationship with Robin with women like her, doesn't like to imagine other people weighing in on something that is none of their business. She knows how Cora is against her relationship with Robin, but she has no right to slander her fiancé.

"We don't have to talk about that if you don't want to."

"Can we… talk about him? I think it will help… if you don't mind?" Regina asks, and at Johanna's nod, she tells her, "I met him two years ago, one day. It was several years after my breakup with Daniel, but my mother still bugged me about how wrong it had been to leave a man like him. I felt alone. And confused… I distanced myself from everyone for a while... Robin helped me. He was just the sort of friend I needed. He didn't know Daniel like most of my friends did… He was someone new, a fresh start. I fell in love too quickly."

Regina gives her a sad smile, her hands fidgeting with the ring on her finger. She remembers the day she first met Robin as if it was yesterday, the way he had made her forget about everything for those few hours, or how she had laughed genuinely at the things he said.

"He seems a fine young man," Johanna offers.

"My mother wouldn't agree. The day I told her about Robin's proposal, she was awful. She told me if I married him, she didn't want anything to do with me… or with any children that could come from our relationship," she purses her lips after she says those words, her thoughts immediately shifting to the baby currently growing in her belly, "Robin has a son… Roland, he's three. She never made the effort to get to know him, but it's fine, I don't think I want her near him either… I'm scared for him. Of course, I can't stand the thought of losing Robin, but if something happens, Roland will be devastated."

They are so close. Thick as thieves. Just like Regina and her father.

"I love him as my own, they are my family."

"You will be such a good mother," Johanna smiles, taking Regina by surprise with her certainty… there is no way she knows about her pregnancy too, "And I tell you this because I know Robin will get better, and you will make such beautiful babies."

Regina's lips tilt up in a smile, as she fights the urge to place her hand over her stomach. Oh, if she only knew…

Without another word, she wraps her arms around her maid for a second time that evening, her eyes filling with unexpected tears. She doesn't want to cry anymore, she wants to believe. Robin didn't die in that accident, he's still alive, fighting for his life and he's one of the most persistent persons she ever met.

"Thank you," Regina whispers, pulling back, "Would you like to meet him?"

"Of course," Johanna says, making Regina laugh at her enthusiasm, "You will let me know when it's right."

"It's a deal then," the brunette tells her before she's interrupted by a sleepy yawn. It had been two long days without a proper night of sleep, and with a baby consuming all her energy, she hopes she will be able to get some sleep tonight, "Please, tell my mother I won't be down for dinner, I think I will turn in for the night earlier today."

Thoughts? Would you be happy if I continue it?