A/N: This is my take on what could happen during season 4.
"Thank you, again, Henry."
Regina glanced down to her son at her side, the son she still couldn't believe had grown so much. It felt like just yesterday when he was at her waist and had to pull up a chair to help her with the dishes.
Henry turned his head and smiled up at her as he dried the plate in his hands. "It was no trouble, Mom."
She smiled back at him fully enjoying this simple moment.
It had been a couple weeks since Emma returned from her impromptu trip to the past and brought along with her Robin's wife. Her newly returned heart had broken just as it was beginning to heal again and the only person who was able to keep some joy in her life was Henry.
Seeing how upset she was, Henry had made it his daily mission to keep a smile on her face and as the days progressed he found that task easier and easier. He would never bring up Robin or anything that would remind her of him but instead focused on activities they liked to do together.
It was almost as if they had returned to their life pre-Emma. Though her presence was a constant reminder that things have changed since then. Henry had taken to living with Regina more so lately just to keep an eye on her and Emma understood given the situation but Henry would spend the occasional evening with her.
Regina was incredibly grateful for her son at times like these. He was a constant source of happiness just by his presence alone.
Her smile widened slightly as Henry leaned into her, pointing at the pan she was scrubbing. "You missed a spot."
She smirked, her brow twitching upwards and she played along. After eleven years of living with Henry and seven or so of him helping her with the dishes, she knew his tricks and judging by his smirk, he knew she knew.
"Did I?"
"Yep!" Henry reached his hand into the soapy water. "Right...there!" On the last word he flicked his hand backwards, sending soapy water flying back at both of them and Regina closed her eyes, bracing herself as some soapy droplets landed on her face and neck.
The sound of his laughter was music to her ears. It wasn't the high-pitched giggle of his childhood but a light-hearted chuckle and still one of her favorite sounds in the world.
She slowly opened her eyes and tried to give him her sternest of looks but the sheepish grin on his face was even too much for a fake glare to resist.
Her lips curled into a mischievous smirk and raised her hands, already coated with suds and flicked her fingers out toward him. The suds went flying and Henry laughed, his eyes slamming shut as the soap hit him.
Then his eyes popped open and he jumped towards the sink, cupping water in the palm of his hand and splashing it towards his mother.
Regina gasped as the water soaked the front of her dress. "Henry!"
Her almost teenaged son let out a roar of laughter and ducked quickly out of her way, taking a large step away from the sink. She whirled around to face him and once again tried to give him a stern look but the wide grin on his face was too much to ignore.
She grabbed the towel he had been using and dabbed at the front of her dress all the while shaking her head, a small, amused smirk on her lips.
She then paused, her smirk growing and without another word, the towel flew from her hand and towards Henry, landing suddenly over the boy's head.
The muffled laughter from under the towel was enough to make her entire life and with a small chuckle of her own she turned back to the sink to continue the job.
"That's just unfair." Henry told her with a laugh as he walked back over to her side and she just turned to him with a smirk, reaching out with her soapy hand to ruffle his hair.
His face scrunched up but allowed her to do so, only wiping the suds out of his now damp hair when she pulled away.
He continued to help her, with the occasional soap flicking and towel swatting, until the door bell rang.
They both looked up from the dishes, turning their heads in the direction of the front door.
"Are you expecting someone?" Henry asked and Regina shook her head, her brow furrowing.
"Not at all."
Henry pressed his lips together and placed the towel down. "I'll get it."
Regina watched him go, wondering who would be visiting her, although having a sinking feeling about who it might be.
The faucet was still on and she turned it off, holding her breath as she waited for Henry to answer the door.
She heard the door open and then a few seconds later heard Henry's voice.
"What are you doing here?'
The ice in Henry's tone sent a chill down her spine and her stomach to plummet as she realized who was at the door. Henry would only have that tone for one person.
She swallowed thickly, wiping her hands dry on the towel and then slowly walking towards the main hallway.
"Henry, please."
Her heart stuttered at the sound of his voice. It had been way too long and she had forgotten the effect he had on her.
Slowly she peered out of the kitchen and could see Henry in the doorway but her son and the door was blocking the full view of him but she could see his shoulder and arm. That damned right arm with the tattoo that mocked her.
"I need to talk to her."
Henry's form was tense, his arm up against the door frame, physically blocking him from entering the house and her heart swelled at the way her little prince protected her.
"She doesn't want to see you." Henry told him coldly.
"I know...I know that but..." Robin sighed and she frowned at the desperation in his voice. "Henry...it's important."
"I don't think..."
"Henry." She spoke up and cursed how vulnerable her voice sounded. At the sound of her voice, Henry dropped his arm and turned around to face her, leaving the door open.
Her breath caught as she laid eyes on him for the first time in about a week. She had been actively trying to avoid him, she'd see him on the streets, or on the opposite side of Granny's but never this close and god had she missed him.
He seemed to be just as taken in by her as the moment their eyes met he froze and his face softened, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
"It's okay." She continued, keeping Robin's gaze for another long moment and then breaking it off quickly by looking at her son who was frowning at her. "You can let him in."
Henry pressed his brow together, eyeing her skeptically and she gave him a small, reassuring smile. Then he stepped aside, pulling the door open and giving Robin a curt nod.
Robin smiled slightly at the boy as he stepped through the door and then his gaze once again found hers. His smile seemed to widen and his eyes brightened and her stomach twisted as she tried to keep a straight face.
He was happy to see her...why? What right did he have coming here, happy to see her when his very presence made her miserable?
"Regina." He said warmly and she inhaled sharply through her nose. Why did he have such an effect on her?
She swallowed past the sudden emotions and tilted her head up. "You wanted to talk?"
He cleared his throat lightly, rubbing his hands together. "Yes...I...I want...I need to tell you something. I was hoping we could talk...in private?" He quickly glanced over to Henry.
Henry glanced from Robin to Regina, his eyes narrowing in silent question and Regina gave him a short, quick nod before looking back to Robin, motioning her head towards the kitchen. "Come in."
Then silently she turned on her heels and walked into the kitchen, letting out a slow breath to calm her nerves. She walked back over to the sink, reaching in to grab whatever object was there and the sponge and scrubbing, busying herself to get her mind off the man. She could hear his footsteps approaching as he walked into the kitchen.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw him walk towards her, pausing just several feet away and her heart raced as he just stood there silently, watching her.
"Regina." He said her name again and it stopped her and she closed her eyes. She couldn't recall a time when someone said her name like that - so full of warmth and care.
She didn't say anything in reply and he was silent for a long moment, letting the tension fill the air around them.
Finally, just as she was about to snap at him for being so silent, he spoke again. "Regina...Marian and I...we've..." He paused again and her breath caught as dread coursed through her. They what? They decided to stay together? That she had already guessed. They were leaving Storybrooke? She wished he would just spit it out already, break her heat and be done with it.
"It's over." He finally concluded and she nearly dropped the cup she was holding. She quickly placed it back down in the sink and turned around to face him, eyes widened and blinking.
"What?" She breathed.
His lips twitched in a small, sad smile as he took another step towards her, letting out a breath. "The truth is it has been over for quite a long while and I was foolish to try to convince myself otherwise."
She shook her head slowly, refusing to allow herself to believe where he was trying to go with this.
"I am not the same man she knew back then." He continued. "I've had time to grieve and mourn and move on. I thought that seeing her again...having her back was all I ever wanted but things have changed. I love her and she will always have a part of my heart but..." He shook his head slowly as he moved towards her, a smile crossing his lips. "My heart now belongs to someone else."
Her heart hammered in her chest at the words he was saying. It was something she had dreamed about but never thought could be a possibility...why would he ever choose her when Marian was around? That doubt still tugged at the back of her mind despite him standing before her now telling her otherwise.
"You." He told her, mistaking her silence for incomprehension and his gaze nearly melted her to the spot, his smile taking her breath away. "Regina...I am falling in love you."
She gasped softly and as he leaned in towards her she quickly spun around, gripping the counter, shutting him out of her view, closing her eyes tightly.
It was too good to be true. She knew that...it had to be. There was no reason in this realm or any other that he would choose her...especially after what she had done. Then her stomach twisted as she realized he probably had no idea of what she had done and he certainly wouldn't be standing there confessing his love if he had.
"You shouldn't." She whispered brokenly.
"A bit too late for that, I'm afraid..." He answered lightly and he reached out for her.
She winced away from him as soon as his hand touched her shoulder as if he had burned her and her hands flew to her chest. "I killed her, Robin."
His hand slid off her shoulder and that was the end, she knew it. He was going to walk out of her life forever now, hating her...perhaps as he should.
"I know." He said, his voice low but holding no malice and she blinked before slowly turning around to face him.
"You know?" She raised her brow and he nodded.
"Yes...Marian told me everything."
She narrowed her eyes skeptically. "And you're still here..."
He nodded again, his lips twitching upwards slightly. She gaped at him for a long moment, shaking her head, in full disbelief. "I don't understand...I killed your wife." It hurt her to say it and there was a flash of pain in his eyes before it melted it away to something else.
"You didn't though...she's still alive."
"That is beside the point...I had every intention..."
"And back then you were out for my head as well...if I had been caught perhaps you would have killed me. You tried on more than one occasion to kill Snow White. I am aware of your past, Regina and what you have done...but that's where it shall stay for the woman I see before me right now is not the same as the one who committed all those wicked acts. If you were... Marian would have been dead as soon as you saw her in that diner...out of pure envy alone. I bet the thought of killing her didn't even cross your mind, did it?"
She had felt heart broken and angry, mostly at Emma, but no...the thought hadn't crossed her mind. In fact, quite the opposite, she had decided to let Robin live his life with the woman he loved and take herself out of the picture. "No..." She muttered and he offered her a small smile.
"Because you've changed, Regina."
She shook her head slowly, letting out a sigh. "It doesn't matter...if it weren't for me you would have still had her...Roland would have had his mother..."
"Yes." He agreed. "But it didn't happen that way and we can't change that. Regina..."
Her eyes widened slightly as he took another step toward her and swallowed thickly as his eyes smoldered into hers.
"Things with her are not the same anymore - we have done nothing but argue since she's returned. Even if I wanted it to...it wouldn't last."
She closed her eyes for a long moment and then shifted her body away from him, walking a few paces and once again turning her back to him. "I don't want to be your second choice, Robin." She told him, firm but quiet. "The one you turn to when it doesn't work out with her."
He was silent for a moment and then he let out a small laugh and she turned to him, eyes flashing in shock and a little bit of rage. Was he laughing at her?
His eyes held only warmth and he smiled at her softly as he approached her slowly. "Don't you see, Regina? You're not my second choice...you're my second chance."
Her breath caught in her throat and she gaped at him a moment before shaking her head. "You don't need a second chance." She told him sadly. "Your first love is still alive."
He continued towards her, pausing just inches from her and she could feel the warmth from his body and she ached to reach out and hold him. Her heart pounded in her chest at the way he was looking down at her.
All the breath left her lungs and her eyes threatened to close as his hand came to brush across her cheek. She leaned into his touch, unable to resist. She had missed it terribly - his warm, rough, calloused hands from years of wielding a bow and arrow yet so incredibly gentle like he was touching the most precious object.
For a moment she allowed herself to give in as he continued to trail his fingers upward to her forehead and then tucking a stand of her hair behind her ear before trailing back down to rest under her chin and tilting her head to look at him.
Her eyes met his and she was so tempted to reach out and kiss him.
"She is my first love and I always remember her as such, I'll always have that fondness for her but...as I said before...it's all about timing."
His eyes flickered down to his wrist and she followed his gaze, her stomach twisting at sight of the tattoo.
"You told me that Tinkerbell told you this meant I was your soul mate. If there is one thing I know about magic is that it never lies. You were supposed to meet me that day, oh so long ago, but you didn't and so we both moved in different paths. I to Marian and you to your path of vengeance and darkness. Somehow, years down the road, you have brought yourself back into the light, away from that path and we were directed back towards each other. Just as your days of being that woman has gone, the days of Marian and I have passed. You ran that day from me, Regina and I am not going to let you run again."
He leaned in toward her and for a second she thought he was going to kiss her but he only rested his forehead against hers, his hand sliding to cup her cheek. "Don't run from me." He whispered, his warm breath tickling her lips and her lips parted, aching for him.
She wanted this more than anything and it would have been so easy to give into him but she had learned the hard way that things were never easy.
She allowed herself a few more blissful moments being so close to him, her hands sliding onto his chest. She could feel his heart beating soundly against her palms and his sweet words echoed in her head, "Use mine for the both of us."
He was willing to give her his heart then and here he was again, claiming his heart was hers. It should have been enough...
Swallowing thickly, she gently pushed at his chest, and pulled back from him. She met his eyes and her heart dropped at the way his brow furrowed.
She let out a deep breath before speaking. "You may feel this way now, Robin...but...things are tense. It can't be easy for you to see your wife come back from the dead and your feelings are all over the place..."
"I know my feelings." He protested his voice certain and she offered him a small, weak smile.
"You need time, Robin." She concluded. "This has all happened so fast."
"I've had time." He countered. "Regina, I had years to mourn her and move on."
"And now she's back. It is one thing to move on from someone who is gone...it is something different when they are still alive and wanting you."
He frowned and she hated to be the one to put that look on his face.
"What happens if down the road you see Marian with Roland and you long for the family that you were?"
"I have already seen Marian with Roland and it warms my heart to see Roland with his mother but we're not the family that we were. I have spent the last couple weeks with them and I thought I'd feel that again but I haven't."
"I just can't..." Her voice broke and she dropped her head, taking a deep breath, calming herself. "I could not handle it if I were to give into this and you end up changing your mind."
"I won't-" He started and she looked up at him sharply, pausing his speech.
"Robin...I want this...I want us...so bad that it hurts but I need to know that you're certain and words are just not enough."
"What can I do? What can I do to prove to you I have made my decision and my decision is you?"
Though she had said words were not enough, those particular words sent a thrill through her and a small smile to her lips.
She tapped her fingers against his chest where they still rested and looked him in the eye. "A month."
His brow furrowed and she elaborated further. "Give yourself a month...and if after that month you decide you still want me...I will believe you."
He eyed her for a long moment and then finally let out a soft sigh but nodded his head. "A month it shall be, m'lady."
His thumb brushed across her cheek and then he leaned in to press a lingering, tender kiss to her forehead.
Her eyes fluttered closed at the feel of his lips against her skin and then he was pulling away. His hand slid from her cheek, to her shoulder, down her arm, to her hand where he lingered for a few seconds.
"Robin...don't be a stranger, alright?"
He smiled back at her and kissed her knuckles softly. "Never."