For day 4 of Bisexual Regina Mills Week - free day. I've never written anything like this before, so consider this me stepping out of my comfort zone. For some background, this is in a non-magical Storybrooke, Robyn and Henry are both teenagers and Roland is a little younger. As you will realise, Robyn is also not Robin's daughter.

Thank you Lindsay, Ash and Shay for reading this over, I really appreciate it.


Robyn's nervous for a whole host of reasons. Falling in love is terrifying enough, but when it's a relationship that society has a tendency to condition you to believe isn't normal from a young age, there's a whole extra dimension to it all. Dimensions, plural, she thinks, pushing her blonde braid back behind her shoulder.

She's nursing a hot chocolate (with cinnamon; Henry had been right about how good it is), whilst she waits for Alice to show. She's been busy working on a school project and it takes up most of her afternoons, but they agree to meet for a drink every day. Perfect for the bitterly cold weather in Storybrooke, but also a perfectly innocuous way to spend time together.

With a greeting to some of the departing patrons, Regina enters Granny's Diner, intending on getting her teenage son his favourite burger as takeout. As she places her order, along with a coffee to go she turns and sees Robyn's familiar back. She tells Ruby she'll be right back, approaching her niece's booth with her coffee and a smile.

"Hello, dear," she says, making Robyn jump, so she looks up.

"Aunt Regina, hey," she replies, heart rate starting to return to normal.

Regina took in the expression on the girl's face; although she was calm, she could tell there was quite the storm brewing behind the teen's blue eyes. Robyn invites her to sit and so Regina does, interested in what's on her niece's mind.

"You waiting for someone?" Regina asks and Robyn's jaw drops, wondering how she knows. "You keep checking the time," she smiles, pointing at the watch on her wrist. "I know the signs. So, who is it?"

"No one…" Robyn trails off and that's when Regina knows that it is, indeed, someone . She knows that, so she attempts to change the conversation. "How's Robin? Roland?"

It does distract Regina for a moment, as she talks about the goings on in her domestic life. It makes her smile that Robyn is so close to her husband; she supposed it was sort of written in the stars, when Zelena went into labour suddenly, a month early, and Robin was the only person she could get ahold of on that stuffy Thursday afternoon. He'd been there to deliver the baby, in Zelena's tiny, cramped apartment. The redhead, for once in her life, had been so grateful that she named her only daughter Robyn. She and Regina may have been estranged for a lot of their lives, but Robyn's birth, her Robin's involvement, the father's absence and the responsibility of being a mother brought them all closer together. Zelena still had her offish tendencies, but the sisters were finally at a civil place with one another.

It, unfortunately for Robyn, doesn't distract Regina for long, when she brings up who she's waiting for again.

Robyn sighs, her shoulders slumping, stirring her drink as something to do. She knew her aunt was one of the most accepting, open-minded people she knew, but it didn't make this whole… thing feel any easier, but the sneaking around had been weighing in on her of late, and she desperately needed to relieve some of the tension bubbling away inside her.

"Okay, Aunt Regina, if I tell you something, can you promise to keep it a secret? Don't tell Henry, Roland… even Robin. Please?" she pleads and Regina gives her a soft smile.

"It's entirely between us, sweetheart. What's on your mind?"

Robyn takes a deep breath. "I'm waiting for Alice." The brunette looks at her expectantly. "Alice is… a… my…" her voice lowers to a whisper. "... girlfriend."

Regina's brows raise momentarily, but they settle again, reaching over and giving her niece's hands a squeeze. "Is she nice? Does she treat you well?"

The blonde nods, before her own brows furrow. "You aren't angry? Don't think it's weird?"

Regina shakes her head, squeezing Robyn's hands again. "Not at all. There's very little in this world more natural than love. I know this must be a difficult time, dear, trying to figure what and who you are, along with all the other pressures being a youngster brings, but I promise, be true to yourself and you can't go wrong."

Where her shoulders had been up around her ears, Robyn finally felt herself relax a little. Her aunt was completely in support of her. "But… what about mom? Do you think..?"

"You'd be surprised," Regina tells her. "Your mom is hard to read, but she loves you. But, and promise me this, okay? Don't ever let anyone force you into coming out. Do that in your own time, at your own pace. It's personal."

"Coming out?" Regina isn't really surprised at the somewhat shocked expression on Robyn's face. "Am I… am I gay?" She whispers, eyes darting around.

"That, Robyn, is not my place to say. Go with how you feel. Who says you have to label yourself anyway? If you want to say that, say that. If not, don't. Your sexuality doesn't define you, dear." She pauses. "It's never defined me. Love is love."

When Regina looks back up at her niece, her eyes are wide and her lips parted. "I've had girlfriends in the past," she divulges. "Obviously before Robin."

The blonde nods. "Wow, I had no idea."

"Well, it wasn't really a secret. Robin is fully aware of everything, but you're young, it's not really something to bring up at dinner with the kids," she smiles.

"So… what…"

"Was it like? It depends on the person, just like it does with a man. Mal was… strong," Regina reminisces. "Strong, but soft. Understanding."

"Mal? As in… Mal ?" Robyn knew Mal vaguely, knew she was basically her aunt's best friend but had no idea of the extent of their relationship. "But you're such good friends."

"We are," Regina nods. "Some relationships end and should stay firmly in the past, but sometimes you stay friends with the people you've dated for whatever reason. Mal knows me inside out, and I her, and I treasure our friendship."

Robyn goes to question her more when she hears someone clear their throat beside them. She looks up and her face instantly breaks into a grin.

"Alice!"

Regina observes the two girls, the lights glimmering in both their eyes and knows she's far outstayed her welcome. She stands and moves aside for Alice to sit.

"Aunt Regina, this is Alice."

"Alice. Nice to meet you," she says, holding her hand out to her. She takes it, giving it a firm shake with a smile, echoing her words. "Enjoy your drinks. I better bring Henry his dinner."

With a wave and a hug to Robyn, Regina collects the paper bag from the counter and goes to leave, but not before turning to watch her niece. She's not able to see her expression, but, if the smile on Alice's face is anything to go by, she can edge a guess that she's pretty content.