Robin watches mother and son from the door of Henry's bedroom. After today Robin can't bear to let Regina out of his sight, not after he nearly lost her twice, not after he felt her take her last breath in his arms only hours before he watched a force that he was powerless to fight try to pull the light from her soul
Robin had half held Regina up when they walked back to the magic shop. Then she had steadied herself and taken Henry into the back room, and all Robin had heard was Henry's horrified voice repeating the word no. When Regina and Henry had returned to the main room of the shop, Henry's eyes were dry but rimmed with red, and Regina kept a steady hand on his back.
Robin had offered to go back to the Merry Men's camp and give Henry time alone with Regina, but the boy, his mother's son in every way, had looked at Robin and seemed to understand that they both needed to be with her after today.
Henry is sleeping now, finally after curling up in his bed with Regina nearly an hour ago. She had promised him that everything would be all right, that they would save Emma, that she was strong and good and that she could fight the darkness until they could find away to take it from her.
Regina catches Robin's eye then and motions for him to come in. He walks as quietly as possible, careful not to wake Henry. Robin sits down cautiously on the edge of the bed next to Regina. Henry is on her other side, curled into a ball with his head pillowed on her chest, her arm wrapped around him.
Regina reaches out to Robin, takes his hand and pulls him closer until he slides down on the bed to lie beside her, their joined hand resting on her chest. His mind is overcome by the image of his gloved hand on hers, her blood coating her skin. She lifts their joined hands, presses a kiss to the back of his hand.
Robin feels overcome then, his eyes filling with tears. He should be strong for Regina, he should be her rock while she is being Henry's and Snow's, he should be the one to take care of her now. But he can't stop the sobs that choke him as he fights to be quiet. Regina pulls him closer, moving so that his head is on her shoulder and her arm wrapped around him. Robin breathes her in, takes deep breaths as she rubs circles on his back. Regina tilts her head down and Robin inches up to meet her, presses their foreheads together and watches her smile softly at him, but she looks exhausted and so terribly sad.
Robin presses a soft kiss to Regina's lips, his hand moving to her cheek. She sighs and leans into the touch. Her eyes fall closed as she whispers, "this is my fault."
"No," Robin tells her as he presses his mouth against her temple. He needs to touch her, needs to know that she's here, alive and in his arms. "We will find a way to help Emma. I owe her a great debt, and I will not rest until we've ensured her safety." Regina shakes her head wordlessly. "What is it?" Robin asks, nudging her to look at him.
"I just feel so guilty. She never should have done it. It's not worth-"
"No, don't you dare say that your life isn't worth saving. You are worth everything. You have a son who needs you, you have me. There are people who need you more than anything. Emma made a choice. She cares deeply for you. You have obviously become family to each other. You're Henry's mother, and Emma watched him devastated to lose you once already today."
"What if he loses Emma?"
"I think we just need to try out best to have hope." Regina gives a small, half-hearted nod, and Robin knows that hope is difficult to find in this situation. But he also knows that Regina may have trouble finding hope for herself, but if it means keeping Henry going, she won't accept defeat.
"Maybe this makes me a bad person," Robin whispers, his fingers running through the silky strands of Regina's hair, "but I can feel nothing but gratitude. Watching you die today was more pain than I think I could survive. Even not remembering you, I still loved you, and watching you die was like having my soul ripped apart. I was so afraid tonight that I would lose you, and it would be real. I don't know how I would have been able to go on."
"I'm here Robin." His eyes are burning with tears, and Regina squeezes him tighter to her side before reaching up to wipe away the moisture that begins to coat his cheeks. "I'm here, and I'm not leaving you." She pauses for a moment, takes a shaky little breath. "I love you."
Robin can't help but smile, because despite everything, he has Regina in his arms, letting herself hold onto this chance at happiness, finally saying the words that he has always known she felt. "I love you too." He kisses her with a grin.
Regina smiles at him, that real, genuine smile, so full of love that Robin counts himself as so very lucky to see directed at him. Regina leans in and presses a kiss to Robin's lips before nuzzling against his nose and leaning their foreheads together. "We're here now Robin, and we are not letting go of this."
"Never," he promises. He loves her strength and her heart, and every piece of this woman lying in his arms and giving him another chance that he is certain he doesn't deserve. "You're really all right?" Robin asks, his mind suddenly seeing Regina trapped in a cloud of darkness, her face pained and suffering.
"I am, I promise. I'm just tired, but I'll be ok."
"You should sleep."
Regina nods, looks skeptical at whether she will be able to. "We both should." She closes her eyes for a moment, before looking back at Robin. "You make me feel so loved in every world. Even when I was about to die, having you there with me..." Regina shakes her head, struggles to find the words. "You made me feel like I wasn't alone. Even for that moment, having you truly see me and stay with me, it meant so much to me."
"I understand, truly I do. I've never had someone before who I felt could see into my very soul. I am truly the luckiest man in all the realms to have your love. And I will love you in every world, every moment of our lives."
Regina pulls Robin to her, kisses him deeply. He looks at her, so beautiful, and so terribly tired looking. He runs his fingers through her hair. "Sleep love."
Robin tries to stay awake until Regina falls asleep, but his eyes eventually drift closed. The next thing he knows, he's waking up to the sound of Henry screaming. The boy is sitting up in bed, frantically looking around the room.
Regina is beside him. "It's ok, it's ok, just a dream," she tells him as his eyes find hers, and he launches himself into her arms.
Robin smiles at Henry, feels suddenly as though he is intruding, sleeping in Henry's bed and witnessing such a vulnerable moment.
Henry pulls back in Regina's arms, stares at her, his mouth gaping open and tears streaming down his cheeks. Regina lifts her hands to wipe the tears again and smiles softly at him, leaning forward to press their foreheads together. "It's ok Henry." Her thumbs running back and forth on his cheeks and wiping away the tears that are still falling.
Henry wraps his arms around Regina again, pressing his face into her neck and sighing. Regina rubs circles on his back and presses a kiss to his hair. When Henry's crying tapers off a bit, she asks "What was your dream about?"
"Emma killed you."
"Oh Henry. It was just a dream. I'm ok, and Emma will be too."
"You died though. Today, in that other world, I saw you die. You can't leave me Mom."
"I'm right here. I've got you, and we're both just fine. I'm alive because you saved me Henry. You were my hero today, just like you have been from the first moment I held you. And we will find a way to save Emma too."
"You saved me," Henry murmurs into Regina's shoulder, his arms wrapped tightly around her, "even though you didn't know who I was, you jumped in front of Gold's sword to save me."
Regina presses her cheek to her son's hair, lets him keep burrowing closer into her embrace. "My heart knew you, my little prince. You're my son, with or without my memories, in any world, you're mine, and my heart will always remember yours."
"I love you Mom."
"I love you too. So, so much, sweetheart."
"You died," Henry says again, his voice thick with tears. "Mama."
"I'm so sorry for scaring you. I'm right here. I'm ok." Regina presses a kiss to his hair and looks so terribly pained at not being able to fix this for Henry.
She holds him tightly in her arms for a few minutes before asking, "Do you think you can go back to sleep?" Henry responds with a frantic shake of his head. "Ok," Regina reassures him, "How about hot chocolate and late night TV?"
Henry pulls back tentatively and nods at Regina. She smiles and climbs out of the bed, tucking Henry against her side. Robin watches her intently, watches for any signs that she might be unsteady on her feet. Regina catches him of course, smiles at him with a little reprimand, but far more gratitude and love shining in her eyes. She holds out her free hand towards him, motioning him to join her and Henry.
Robin stays where he is, not wanting to intrude, until Henry turns to him. "Come on Robin. You can't miss the hot chocolate."
Robin feels an immense rush of gratitude that Henry seems open to him becoming a part of his family. But still Robin doesn't want to push. "It's ok Henry. Thank you though."
"Come on," Henry says again, and Robin knows that even though Henry is only fourteen, he understands that Robin and Regina are hurting too, that they want to cling to each other just the same way Henry is holding on to his mother.
Regina turns to Henry, a scrutinizing look, making sure he truly is ok. She seems satisfied by Henry's smile and nod. She leans forward to kiss his forehead before turning to Robin. "Come on. I make great hot chocolate."
Robin finds his eyes filling with tears again, because the woman he loves and her amazing son are welcoming him into their lives. He stands and takes Regina's hand with a squeeze, and she leads them all down the stairs to the kitchen. She's exhausted, eyes puffy and shoulders slumped, and Henry is still clinging to her side as she heats the milk. The boy looks terrified to let go of his mother, and she just rubs his back and holds him tightly and offers him a reassuring smile.
Robin watches them, falls more in love with Regina every moment he watches her take care of Henry, watches her here at home, free to be the loving, giving person she truly is. Robin feels so overwhelmed by love and by a fierce desire to protect both of them, to take away the pain they're feeling. He promises himself that he will do everything in his power to do that. He knows in his heart that the promise he can always keep is the one he made to Regina when he didn't remember her - but oh how his heart had. He knows that he will never let her be alone again. This is his family now, and he will always fight for them.