oOoOo
It's Christmas time in New York City.
The busy streets are filled with powdery white snow that will later turn to gray and brown looking slush in the days to come. The air is crisp, often times bone chilling. New York has always been a place of magic, but there is something special about this time of year. The lights are brighter; the streets are filled with more tourists, and the usually mean looking New Yorkers can be seen wearing a smile here and there. Christmas has a way of making even the busiest city in the world seem merry and bright.
The elevator dings, singling his arrival to the 22nd floor of Blanchard and Company, one of New York's most successful architecture businesses. Robin Locksley smiles as he exits the elevator where he finds a party in full swing. The air is a bit warmer than he'd like, but the atmosphere is friendly and inviting. Michael Buble's smooth voice can be heard floating throughout the office speakers. The crowd is large, filled with various people who work for the firm. Robin is excited to be back after spending the last 4 months in Miami working on yet another club-the Forbidden Fruit.
"Robin, it's good to see you," David Nolan's voice is cheery when he greets Robin. The they've worked on a contract or two together and are on fairly decent terms.
"David, how are you? How's Mary Margret doing?" Robin doesn't miss the way the other man's face breaks out into a grin at the mention of his pregnant wife, who just so happens to be the boss's daughter.
"She's doing great, getting bigger every day," Robin nods as he continues to engage in small talk with David for a few more moments before heading towards the bar for a drink.
"Well, if my eyes don't deceive me; Robin Locksley has returned from the dead," Ursula Showers works on the 9th floor in HR but is one killer bartender.
"Ursula, good to see you," Robin leans forward a bit to give her a peck on the cheek.
"I didn't think you were coming back after Leopold sent you to Miami," Robin grins before ordering a drink, scotch on the rocks. He relishes in the feel of the amber liquid as it coasts down his throat.
"I was always going to come back; New York is home," Ursula gives him a smirk.
"I thought England was your home?"
"Well, it is, but since I moved stateside there's nowhere else I'd rather be than New York. There's something about the hustle and bustle of this place you know?" Ursula can't help but nod; she was born and raised in New York and understands the fascination tourists and newcomers have with the city.
"You plan on seeing your boy for Christmas?" Ursula always asks about his son.
"I do, though I'd better do some Christmas shopping before I see him, otherwise I'll be even worse of a parent than I already am," Robin is very open about the fact that he isn't exactly father of the year material.
He got married young to Marian Lozada, a mixed race woman (born to an Afro Latino father and a White mother) from the Bronx. She aspired to be a great fashion designer and he wanted to be something other than the head of Locksley Law Firm or the next Circuit Court Judge like his father. Robin wanted to build; he'd always been fascinated with architecture since he was a young boy. So he decided to piss off his father by not only going to school for architecture, but he got married as well. He and Marian were…incompatible to say the least. They barely lasted 2 years, but not without Robin getting her pregnant. It's not that Robin doesn't love his son because he does. It's just that having Roland really slowed his and Marian's careers down.
"Yeah you'd better, Christmas is in what-"
"8 days," Robin turns around at the sound of his best friend and business partner August Booth's voice. The two men embrace one another with ease.
"August, good to see you,"
"Likewise; looks like Miami was very good to you," August gives Robin a smirk, as if to say that whatever debauchery Robin got into while he was away will be spilled at a later date.
"So, we're all set to go to Tokyo for New Year's right?" Robin quickly ignores August's comment, though he narrows his eyes when he sees August cringe.
"August, we are still going to Tokyo, aren't we?" August winces and with that Robin knows that things are seriously about to change.
"...Leopold gave Tokyo to Nottingham," Robin's eyes widen in rage; if there's one person he hates in the entire world, its Keith fucking Nottingham. His hatred for the sodding bastard only grew after he'd taken Marian out on a date after their divorce was final.
"Bloody hell August!" The room goes quiet at Robin's shout, which causes August to pull Robin into a nearby corner.
"Hear me out Rob; let Keith take Tokyo," August reasons.
"Are you out of your mind, why the hell would I want to do that?!"
"Because from what I hear, Leopold just inked a deal in Vegas to open a new club that's set to have a sweet payday, three times more than what Nottingham will be getting in Tokyo. Plus, rumor has it that the company in Tokyo is known for its businesses going under." Robin's mood slowly begins to change; the concept of more money and knowing that Nottingham was about to walk into a failing deal was definitely enough to make him feel better.
"So…we're going to Vegas?" There's a grin on Robin's face as August begins to laugh, giving him a pat on the back.
"That we are my friend; but at least try to act disappointed when Leopold mentions it to you. Speak of the devil…" Both men turn to find their boss Leopold Blanchard walking towards them. Leopold is tall man who's aging quite badly, but he's one tough son of a bitch when it comes to architecture.
"Robin, I see you've finally made it in from Miami," Leopold extends a hand for Robin to shake, which he does of course.
"I did sir; I left things in Will Scarlet's more than capable hands." Leopold nods slowly before clearing his throat.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news Robin, and especially so close to Christmas but…Keith is taking the Tokyo gig," Robin glances back at August before putting on his best shocked face.
"No, you're kidding?"
Boulder City, Nevada
The air was hot and thick as she looked at the 'sold' sign that now stood in the front yard of her childhood home. She thought that moving back to Nevada and living in her childhood home would be a good thing, but it only brought back painful memories. She didn't live here very long; 3 years at best. But those 3 years were some of the most happiest moments of her life. Its shame that her father died, forcing her to go back to Maine with her unbearable mother and her annoying older sister. Regina couldn't shake the pang of sadness she felt as she watched the young couple stare at their new home.
"Ms. Mills, we can't thank you enough for selling us this home; I know our asking price was low but-" Regina stops the young woman, Anna,from rambling any further.
"Don't mention it; it's a lovely home. I lived here with my father for a few years before he passed away," Anna's husband Kristoff, nods solemnly.
"I'm so sorry for your loss," Regina smiles at him for a moment before presenting the pair with keys to the house.
"Like I said, don't mention it; I loved growing up here and I have fond memories. I had no intentions of selling but, I couldn't stay here without thinking of my father. I'm sure you and your wife will love it here; it's a great place to raise a family," Kristoff and Anna thank her one last time before she heads down the driveway and gets into her car.
Maine- 2 Years Ago
Her head was pounding and her mouth felt like it had been filled with cotton. There was a funny smell in the air; she was shivering for some unknown reason. The world was still a bit hazy as she tried to force her eyes into focus. Nothing seemed right; something had happened, she could feel it. She was cold, oh so cold, why did she feel like she was freezing? Her body seemed to have a mind of its own at she felt something pulling at her limbs, lifting her into the air.
"You're okay miss, we've got you," there was a man's voice in her ear but it wasn't Daniel's.
"Daniel?" Her voice was but a murmur; the paramedic carrying her looked down and saw that she couldn't remember anything. He glanced back over at his partner who shook his head grimly. The man she'd been riding with hadn't survived, but he didn't have the heart to tell her so. So when she called out for Daniel again, he simply replied,
"I'm right here," and with that, the woman drifted off into unconsciousness once more.
When she opened her eyes again, she was met by a blinding light. It took a moment for her eyes to focus but, she knew almost instantly that she wasn't in her car anymore.
"Daniel?" Regina croaked as a nurse came towards her.
"Just relax sweetie," The woman's voice was smooth as she handed Regina a cup of water to drink from.
The world seemed to right itself after she'd had some water. The room slowly came into focus, revealing a large hospital room. How had she gotten there she thought to herself.
"What happened, where's Daniel?" Regina asked; the nursed looked at her sadly before slowly taking a deep breath.
"What's the last thing you remember, Regina?"
"I…Daniel and I, we were headed to our rehearsal dinner; my friend Kathryn put it together for us. Where's Daniel?" Regina asked; her heart began to beat uncontrollably. She knew what was coming; she just didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to believe her world had been shattered just days before she was set to say 'I do'.
But it was; she and Daniel had been in an accident with a drunk driver. Daniel never even made it to the hospital.
oOo
The drive to his parent's house isn't one he wants to make, but he has to. His ex wife and son are there waiting for him. Robin smiles at the thought of Roland and how big he'll have gotten since he's been gone. He really does hate being away from his little boy, but he doesn't know how to be a good parent. It's hard to be a good parent when you grew up with pretty shitty parents yourself. It was why he never wanted kids in the first place; but apparently fate had other plans for him. His parents live in upstate New York amongst the super elite. His father is a well known lawyer-turned-judge who ruled with an iron fist and didn't withstand nonsense in his courtroom. Richard Locksley was an elitist through and through, having grown up rubbing elbows with the rich and famous of London.
The car comes to a stop and he's greeted by the family caregiver Mrs. Lucas; Robin has always liked Mrs. Lucas, affectionately known as Granny.
"Robin Locksley, I was starting to think I'd have to hunt you down to get you to come home," Granny's bark is far worse than her bite, but Robin loves her immensely.
"Granny, it's good to see you; I didn't think I could survive another day without your home cooked meals." Granny chuckles before ushering Robin inside where his family is waiting.
"Daddy!" It's the sound that he's longed for since he left for Miami; Roland's voice.
"My boy! Look at you, you must've grown a foot taller since the last time I saw you!" Of course Robin is exaggerating, but he wants to make Roland feel special as much as possible.
"Mama didn't think you would come, but I knew you would!" Roland is almost the spitting image of his mother minus the dimples, those are all Robin.
"Did you bring me something from…from?" Roland always gets confused whenever he tries to think of where his father's been, because he's been to so many places.
"Miami, your daddy went to Miami sweetie," Robin's looks up to see Marian standing there. She's beautiful, a petite but curvy woman. Marian is a designer and looks the part. Today she's more casual than Robin's ever seen her; dressed in a pair of jeans with a simple shirt and sweater topped off with a pair of pumps.
"Marian, it's good to see you," Marian nods, giving Robin the once over; they're still friendly for the most part. Robin loved her once upon a time but, things happen for a reason.
"Likewise; what are you feeding this one?" Robin grabs Roland and playfully turns him upside down, loving the shrieks of laughter that fall from the boy's lips. He doesn't miss the smile that comes across Marian's face as she watches them.
"He really is growing like a weed," Marian says quietly as Robin nods. He turns Roland right side up, hoisting him onto his hip before the three of them head into the great room where his parents are waiting.
oOoOo
The great room of the Locksley estate looks like something out of a movie. The walls are a rich creamy color with exquisite crown molding on the floors and ceilings, which are 12 feet high. There's a grand chandelier in the middle of the room that illuminates the space. The fireplace is roaring, the heat from the flames wrapping the room up into a coziness that makes Robin long for normalcy. The atmosphere is warm and inviting; the smell of cinnamon filling the air as Nat King Cole bellows on about chestnuts roaring on an open fire float through the house speakers.
Sitting near one of the large bay windows is the 10 foot pine Christmas tree which he's sure Granny and Roland spent all day decorating. Underneath the trees are what appear to be hundreds of presents, most of them for Roland, ranging in shape, size and wrapping paper color. Sitting on the large sectional are his parents, Richard and Eleanor, who share a quiet laugh as they clink their coffee mugs together. They're probably drinking spiked cider, or eggnog; it's mostly eggnog Robin deduces. It's a tad bit too early for his father to break out the rum and brandy.
"Mum, Pop, I'm here," Robin's parents turn, though only Robin's mother greets him with a smile.
"Robin darling, it's so nice to have you home," His mother has always been the loving one, thank God for that.
"It's good to be home mum…pop," Robin's father stands to greet him, though he pays more attention to Roland before giving Robin a cordial head nod.
"It's about time you flew home; at least if you worked for the firm you could-"
"Pop please, not tonight," Robin's voice is weary; he's only been here for 10 minutes and he's already ready to leave again.
"Fine; so tell me son, where's your job dragging you off to next?" Richard has moved towards the bar, trading his coffee mug for a Brandy glass, filling it with the amber liquid.
"Well, I was all set to head to Tokyo for the New Year but, I got reassigned." Robin has taken a seat on one of the barstools; Roland is still clinging to his neck for dear life. He's always more clingy after Robin returns from a business trip.
"Where are they sending you to this time Robin?" His mother, bless her, knows that while Richard has agreed not to discuss Robin's job, it doesn't mean that he won't throw in a few snide comments.
"Apparently, we inked a deal to build a new club and casino out in Las Vegas," Marian's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
"You, in Vegas? I thought you hated the place?" Marian has joined them at the bar, quietly sipping on a glass of wine.
"I do hate it but, the pay is better and the deal in Tokyo is set to fall through anyway…its Nottingham's loss really." Marian doesn't miss the glint in Robin's eyes at the mention of the man who tried, but failed miserably, to date her after their divorce.
"How long will you be in Vegas?" Eleanor asks.
"I don't know mum, it depends on how the meeting with the owners go. It could be a few months, maybe longer." Roland sighs heavily against him while absently toying with the lapels on his jacket.
"Hey, no being sad; I promise when I get settled I'll have your mum fly you out to visit me." Robin presses a kiss into his son's hair. While he loves his job, he hates that he has to leave as often as he does.
"At least when you were a lad I was around," Robin's eyes flare with anger at his father's comment. He always does that, always makes Robin feel bad for pursing his dreams.
"You may have been around but I sure as hell couldn't tell, seeing as you spent all of your bloody time locked up in that office,"
Thankfully his mother clears her throat and changes the subject before any more nasty words are thrown.
Henderson, Nevada:
"Your place is small," Regina tells her best friend Tori Belle Naiad as she carries a box into the apartment.
"Hey, you're the one who sold your father's house and practically begged to move in with me!" Tori Belle is a petite woman with bright blue eyes and a bit of an accent. Her parents are from Auckland and moved stateside when she was 11, so her accent's still pretty thick. She and Regina met when they were 13, just after Regina moved to Nevada following her parents' nasty split the year before.
"I told you, living in Daddy's house was just…it brought back too many memories," Regina places the box onto the bar in the kitchen and sighs.
Her father died just a few weeks before her 17th birthday; he had a massive heart attack. Her father dying was the worst thing that could've happened to her because it forced her to move back to her hometown of Maine with her mother and her sister Zelena.
"Hey, you're here again; your mother's back in Storybrooke, thousands of miles away. She can't hurt you Regina," This is why she loves Tori; she always knows how to soothe her anxieties about her mother.
"C'mon, we've done enough work for now. I want you to meet some of our neighbors!" Tori drags her out of the apartment and down the hall to where a young boy is bouncing a basketball.
"Henry, this is my new roommate Regina Mills. Regina, this is Henry Cassidy, the smartest 13 year old boy I know. He's gonna be the next Hemmingway," Henry gives Regina a smile, blushing a bit at Tori's words.
"C'mon Tori, I'm not that good…it's nice to meet you Regina. She talks about you a lot. Where are you from?" Henry seems to be a polite young boy, extending a hand for Regina to shake.
"It's nice to meet you Henry; I hope Tori hasn't told any embarrassing stories of me. I lived here in Nevada for a few years when I was a teen. I'm originally from this small town in Maine called Storybrooke,"
"Storybrooke? Sounds kinda cool." Henry says with a shrug as Regina smiles.
"It's a small town that's stuck in time, there's nothing cool about it," Regina tells him just as a blonde haired woman emerges from the apartment nearby.
"Henry…oh, hey Tori; this the new roommate-slash-best friend?" The woman grins at Tori Belle before turning her attention to Regina.
"Emma Swan, Henry's my son. You're...Regina right? This one hasn't shut up about you. Welcome to Enchanted Towers," Emma smiles at Regina; she seems pretty friendly.
"It's nice to meet you, Emma; like I told Henry, I have no idea what kind of insane stories Tori has told you all, but I can assure you, none of them are true." Emma laughs a bit before replying,
"The stories about you were nothing but good; she did mention that you were a painter though. She's got this painting hanging in her living room of-"
"Horses? I painted that one for her a few years ago." Emma's eyebrows rise in approval before letting out a low whistle.
"Wow. You're talented, you ever think about selling your work to an art gallery?" Regina shakes her head, though Tori Belle interrupts them with a squeal of excitement.
"I've been trying to get her to do that for years! Do you know she's got hundreds of paintings and sculptures that she's going to put in storage?" Emma looks at Regina as if she's grown a third head, though it's Henry whose interest seems to be piqued.
"You're a painter? That's pretty awesome, I'd love to see some of your work sometime," He tells her.
"I'd be more than happy to show you some of my work…do you paint?" Henry shrugs sheepishly.
"I sketch a lot, but I'm pretty bad at it." Regina smiles at him before wrapping an arm around him.
"Why don't you let me be the judge of that; where's your sketchpad?"
oOoOo
Robin hates Las Vegas, always has, always will.
The place is like a bloody ghost town! The only attraction it has it the strip and once you leave the strip it's like a desert island. The air is thick enough to cut through and it's only the beginning of the year. Why did he let August convince him to take this job? Right, because just the other day he found out that the Tokyo deal fell through. He can't help the smug smile on his face when he thinks of how humiliated Keith must feel right now. Though August tried to convince him to get a penthouse on the strip, Robin declined. Instead, he rented a siesta style house in a quiet caul-de-sac with a nice amount of backyard space, just in case Roland got a break from school and wanted to visit. Living in New York, Roland didn't know very much about backyards. Robin's parent's house had a backyard, though it was moreso for adult entertainment. The only bright spot about his parents' house was their pool, though Roland was never allowed near it because he couldn't swim.
The temperature today is scorching at 102, with a heat index of 120. It's hot enough for Robin to have rolled up the sleeves on his dress shirt. How people manage to live out here, he doesn't know. August however, loves the place; mostly because he spends every damn night in one of the casinos on the strip. Robin won't lie and say he isn't fond of the strip, but a man gets tired of waking up in a hotel room he doesn't remember going to next to a stripper or prostitute he's sure he overpaid for mediocre sex. So for the most part, Robin works at the construction site; he occasionally ventures into town for food, and whenever August annoys him enough, he hits the strip, but he spends most of his time in his new house.
"Hello, earth to Robin!" He blinks, having forgotten that August was talking to him.
"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" August rolls his eyes at Robin before continuing his story about his night out.
"I was telling you about this waitress I met last night; her name's Emma Swan. She's hot, but I think she's with somebody," August sighs wistfully just as their contractor Leroy approaches them.
"Leroy, how's it going?" Leroy is a rather small man with a beard that always looks to be in desperate need of shave, and he's always wearing a scowl. It's what earned him the nickname Grumpy. Though no one can deny the fact that the man is a genius when it comes down to buildings and designs.
"I've got some of my guys working on the sign for this place but it's going to take more electricity than we thought," Robin groans. The woman responsible for opening this club was a bit over the top. Cruella De la Crux is an eccentric woman who gave Robin the creeps when he first met her, but she's spared no expense when it comes down to building her club.
"I guess August can set up another meeting with Mrs. De la Crux," Robin tells Leroy who grunts out his frustrations at this woman who seemed to be going above and beyond for a club that had a Dalmatian theme.
"It's late; I'm heading to grab a bite to eat. You coming or are you going to go back to the casino to look for that waitress?" August rolls his eyes.
"Haha very funny; I've got a few calls to make, I'll catch you tomorrow," With that, Robin hops into his car and heads for the Mexican restaurant near his place that he's grown rather fond of.
oOo
Tori was a genius, Regina had to give her that; she'd convinced her to sell one of her paintings to an art gallery nearby. The owner of the gallery, Mallory Wyvern, was so impressed with Regina's work that she offered her a job. The only downside to her job is that there isn't a rest stop for miles. The only place she can stop to pee is this run down little Mexican restaurant called Viva Avalor.
Unfortunately, the place is full and the line for the bathroom is even longer, which causes her to let out a groan of frustration.
"Something wrong?" Regina turns around to find a rather attractive looking man smiling at her. He's got an accent; he's terribly cute with his sandy brown hair and those eyes, god those bright blue eyes.
"Nothing I just…I really have to pee," Regina cringes at how crass that sounds, but her job is over an hour away from her house without traffic. Why oh why had she decided to stop at the vending machine and grab a soda before leaving work?
"Ah. Well allow me to be of some assistance then," Robin casually steps back, making room for Regina to squeeze in front of him.
"That line looks long; are you sure people won't-"
"I'd be a terrible gentleman if I let you stand there and wet yourself; it's fine." Regina breathes a sigh of relief before squeezing in front of Robin.
"Thank you so much…ya know, I didn't even get your name," She glances back at him and oh, that smile of his is to die for, especially those dimples.
"Robin, Robin Locksley; and you are?"
"Regina, Regina Mills," Robin nods as a silence falls between them.
"You're out of place," Robin raises an eyebrow at Regina's statement.
"Come again?"
"Here, in this Mexican restaurant; you look like you're out of place." Robin chuckles a bit before responding,
"I happen to like it here; their Albondigas are the absolute best," Regina glances back at Robin with a smirk.
"Ah, so you've got a thing for Mexican food then?"
"That I do," Robin smirks just as the door to the bathroom opens.
"Thank you for this; I swear, I'll be really quick." Regina tells him before rushing into the bathroom; Robin chuckles.
By the time Robin comes out of the bathroom after waiting in the extremely long line, he finds Regina sitting at a table nearby.
"I'm surprised you stayed; you seemed to be in quite a rush," Robin says before pulling up a chair to sit across from her.
"I got hungry," Regina says with a shrug before signaling the waitress over to take her drink order.
"I assume that because you've taken a seat you're joining me for dinner?" Regina asks as Robin grins at her.
"I'd be honored to,"
Chapter 2 to follow…
Hello everyone!
So this fic is based on one of my all time favorite movies, "Fools Rush In" starring Salma Hayek and Matthew Perry. I've had this sitting in my files for the better part of two years and I feel like posting it. It's completely AU and I really do hope you all enjoy it; I broke this chapter up into multiple parts, seeing as it was originally over 9,000 words-including this author's note. I hope you all enjoy reading this story; I look forward to your reviews!
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