Just a little something I wrote out of boredom in class. I hope you like it. Please let me know what you think:)
Regina had received the phone call a little after 1pm (Robin found cell phones confusing and refused to obtain one). The head teacher had called, asking if Robin or herself could come down to the school as there had been an altercation between Roland and another child.
Of course, the second Regina had hung up with Mrs Kay, the couple had darted straight over to the school. Equally as worried as the other, hoping that Roland was okay and unscathed.
They got to the school and the secretary let them straight through, shaking in her boots with fear, despite Regina being perfectly kind and pleasant towards her.
As they entered Mrs Kay's office, a young boy about the same age as Roland was being escorted out by what Regina could only assume was his mother. The boy had a black eye and a bloodied lip and both Regina and Robin's hearts dropped, praying that Roland was okay.
Mrs Kay smiled weakly as she let the parents into her office. Two sets of eyes frantically scanned the room for the youngster, breathing a sigh of relief when they found him. Regina squeezed Robin's hand before realising it when they took a seat.
Roland was sat in the corner of the room, his cheeks stained with dry tear tracks and his uniform dirtied and crumpled. His tiny legs swung in the air, his feet not touching the floor yet. It was only when Roland turned his head that Regina noticed it.
Roland's cheek had turned an angry shade of purple and was beginning to swell. His eyes were red rimmed from crying and his beautiful curly locks were dishevelled.
"Mayor Mills, Mr. Hood" Mrs Kay finally spoke, bringing Robin and Regina's attention back to her.
"Please, call me Robin" Robin spoke, never in his life being called 'Mr. Hood'.
Regina on the other hand simply crossed her arms over her chest, leaned back in her chair and quirked a brow. Being referred to as Mayor gave her the up in this situation, and judging by the way that the middle aged battleaxe of a woman was staring at her, they needed all the help they could get.
"As you already know, there was an altercation between Roland and another child today" the parents nodded, well, Robin did, Regina just glared at woman, telling her to get to the point. "At lunch time, Roland started a fight"
"What?!" Robin almost choked on his words, not believing this woman's words.
Roland was the sweetest boy ever, he wouldn't hurt a fly.
Regina's glare intensified and Mrs Kay, much to Regina's satisfaction, seemed to visibly shrink in her chair.
"Believe me Mr Hoo- Robin, we were all just as shocked as you were. Roland is usually such a sweet natured boy"
"Roland is still a sweet natured boy" Regina snarled through gritted teeth.
"Yes, right" Mrs Kay coughed nervously, swallowing hard before she spoke again. "As I was saying, Roland started a fight at lunch. Ms. Blanchard managed to separate it but she also said Roland had pushed the boy earlier in the day during her art class"
"Have you asked him why?"Regina said in a condescending tone.
"Several times, Mayor Mills. But the young boy just shut off"
"Well I'm not surprised" Regina said, her tone full of disgust, "Roland is considerably younger than the rest of the children in his class, and he is the only one who had never gone to school when I had... Cursed the town. The young boy is probably terrified, and I have no doubt that you probably didn't give him the time of day, considering his father is a thief and I am well, me"
"Mayor Mills, I assure you-"
"-save it" Regina rolled her eyes, turning to face Roland.
She smiled lovingly at the young boy and motioned for him to come over. Roland scrambled off the chair and made his way over to Robin and Regina, his gaze averted and looking at his tiny feet.
"I'm sorry, papa" he looked up at Robin, his giant chocolate eyes swimming with fresh tears and his bottom lip trembling.
Robin's heart broke as he looked at his son, he wanted to tell the boy that it was okay, that he wasn't mad. But he couldn't, no matter what had gone on, Roland needed to know that violence wasn't the answer. Regina had learnt that the long and excruciatingly painful way, and neither of them wanted that for their son.
"Why don't you tell us all what happened?" Robin suggested, his tone light and reassuring.
Roland looked at Regina, his eyes filled with uncertainty. Regina's heart lept, he was so adorable right now she just wanted to scoop him up in her arms and protect him from all the hurt and bad in the world. She would start by turning that bitch Mrs Kay into a toad.
Instead, she smiled down at the barely 5 year old boy reassuringly, letting him know that it was okay for him to tell.
Roland bit his lip nervously, clambering onto Regina's lap. His fingers immediately went to the gold around her neck and he rolled the chain between his fingers a few times before he finally spoke up.
"We had to draw a picture of our family today in art class" Mrs. Kay nodded along, knowing the curriculum well. Regina and Robin listened intently to every word he uttered. "So I drawed me and Pappa and Gina and Henry," both Regina and Robin's hearts swelled at the boys last comment. He adored Regina and Henry and thought of them as his family. "But then Abby Jones said Henry wasn't my real brother," the three adults in the room felt their heart's get heavy. "I said that it doesn't matter because I love him and then Jack said my picture was stupid and so was I" Roland pouted and Regina's protective and loving grip around him intensified, pulling him closer to her chest. "So I pushed him away and told him to leave me alone"
"And did he?" Robin asked, his blood boiling at the thought of anybody having it in them to be cruel to his son.
"I believe that's when Ms. Blanchard moved Jack to another table" Mrs Kay spoke up and Roland nodded in agreement.
"Then at lunch, I was sitting with Abby eating my lunch and Jack came up to me and told me that I was stupid again" Roland rubbed his eyes with his fists, sniffling. "He said that Henry and Gina weren't my family and they never would be. He said Gina wasn't my Mommy and I was stupid for thinking the Evil Queen loved me. I know hitting is bad but I just wanted him to stop" tears exploded from Roland's eyes as he threw his arms around Regina's neck.
Mrs. Kay swallowed hard as she watched the scene before her fold out. Her heart ached with guilt towards Roland, not only for what he had gone through today, but also the way in which she had wrongfully judged him. What Regina had said was right, and she felt awful for judging the worlds sweetest five year old on his parents' past. She certainly wouldn't be doing that again.
Regina held Roland against her tightly, her embrace warm, loving and supportive, the way only a mother's hug could be. Robin has shifted closer to his family, wrapping his arms around the both of them. Regina kissed Roland's forehead and whispered soothing words of comfort into his ear as he sobbed against her chest.
"You do love me, don't you, Gina?" Roland hiccuped, breathing erratically for breath.
"Oh, Roland" Regina sighed, her voice cracking slightly. "Of course I do, dear. Of course I do!" She kissed his head once again, cupping his chubby face with her hands, wiping his cheeks with her thumbs. The nasty bruise on his cheek vanished as Regina ran her thumb over it gently. "Roland, look at me" she said seriously, waiting for Roland's eyes to meet hers before she spoke again. "I love you with my whole heart, okay? No matter what anybody says, you know the truth. You're gonna hear a lot of bad things about me, okay? And a lot of them are going to be true, but the one thing that you can't believe is that I don't love you. I do, Roland. You and Henry are my boys. Always remember that"
A solitary tear escaped down Regina's cheek as she spoke the most genuine and heartfelt words she had spoken in a long time. Roland's tiny little hand came up and wiped away the tear from her cheek, replacing it with a soft kiss.
Robin kissed Regina's cheek and Roland's forehead before turning back to an extremely guilty and heartbroken looking Mrs. Kay.
The ice woman's exterior changed, her facial features softening as she looked upon the family. Regina was still cradling Roland in her arms, her own face contorted in a heartbroken expression. Regina looked nothing like the woman she had worked so long to become. Most of the townspeople, including Mrs. Kay herself, couldn't look past Regina's past. No matter how many times she saved their lives and risked her own, they couldn't see past the Evil Queen. But there wasn't a hint of that woman left. The woman sat before her wasn't evil, not any more. She was good and full of love. And most importantly, she was a mother. And a pretty phenomenal one at that.
"I'm still going to have to exclude him for a few days" Mrs. Kay said sadly, not wanting to do that in the slightest. But rules were rules, and unfortunately, Roland had broken them.
"Well that's perfectly understandable" Regina spoke, shocking everybody in the room. "Roland needs to understand that he can't go around beating other kids up, even if they do say the cruellest things to him"
This certainly wasn't the Evil Queen sat before her, sticking to the rules and not condoning violence, Mrs. Kay thought to herself.
"Yes. I'm sorry, Roland. I think a three day suspension is more than enough. I'll also ring Jack's parents and inform them of what really happened" Mrs. Kay was now speaking directly to Robin and Regina. "Jack will be punished for what he did. This school has a zero tolerance for bullying, and I will see to it the boy is dealt with correctly and fairly"
"Thank you" both Regina and Robin said simultaneously.
"That's all we ask" Regina smiled slightly and Mrs. Kay nodded.
"Are we free to leave now?" Robin asked and Mrs. Kay nodded once again.
Regina hoisted the tiny boy onto her hip as she stood and followed her love out of the door. Robin's hand found it's way to the small of her back and rested there as he leaned in toward his son.
"Are you okay, buddy?" He asked and Roland nodded animatedly.
"Gina fixed my heart and my cheek" Roland smiled, his eyes fixed on Regina's face. "They don't hurt no more"
Regina kissed Roland on the cheek, quickly wiping away the dark lipstick smudge straight after.
"Can we go see Snow?" Roland asked as Regina and Robin started walking down the corridor. "I didn't get to say bye. Or sorry"
"I don't see why not" Regina shrugged.
Roland grinned excitedly as she put him on the floor, running off in the direction of his classroom. Robin wrapped his arm around Regina's waist, pulling her close as he released a deep, frustrated huff.
"How are you holding up?" Regina asked him as they walked the familiar halls of the school.
"Me? I'm fine" Robin brushed her off. His son was okay and there was no lasting damage so he was fine. "What about you? I mean, it can't be easy hearing those things about yourself"
"Its not" Regina said quietly, biting the inside of her lip. "But I've heard a lot worse and I can deal with it. What random people think of me doesn't bother me. The people who really matter the most know the real me, and that's all that matters. I just hope Roland knows that I love him and I'm no longer that person"
"He does. He knows you and he loves and adores you" Robin said, kissing Regina on the cheek as they turned the corner to Snow's classroom.
Roland was already in there, sitting on the chair next to Snow's desk and chatting happily to the woman. She looked up when she saw Robin and Regina appear in the doorway.
"Hey, Roland, why don't you go and find your picture while I speak you your Papa and Regina" Snow suggested and Roland took off in search of his picture. "How did it go?" She asked, turning her attention to Regina and Robin.
"He got a three day suspension" Robin spoke, sitting down on the table. His first plan had been to sit on the chair, but he suspected that the tiny plastic thing would probably crumble under his weight. Either that or his knees would come up to his ears and he would look like the village idiot.
"That's not so bad" Snow nodded along, "I assumed it would be worse. Mrs. Kay is a right old battleaxe!"
"You don't say" Regina spoke up sarcastcally. "I think she was too quick to judge the situation before she even knew what had happened"
"Which was?" Snow asked. Not only was Roland one of her favourite students, but he was also part of her rather large and disfunctional family now she and Regina had buried the hatchet.
"Jack said some incredibly hurtful things, he said Roland was stupid, that Henry and I weren't his real family and that I could never love him because I was the Evil Queen and Roland just lost it, I think. He lashed out"
"Oh my!" Snow gasped.
"He's okay, though" Robin smiled gratefully, the three of them glancing over at Roland as he searched the pile of papers for his own.
"Good" Snow said sincerely. "And you two?"
"We're okay" Robin nodded, his hand reaching across and his fingers interlocking with Regina's.
"I don't exactly have the best past, and I hurt a lot of people. We're just going to have to get used to people saying things like that to Roland" Regina sighed and Robin squeezed her hand lovingly and supportively. "As long as he knows that I love him and that I've changed, that's all that matters"
Roland came bounding towards the three adults, his picture in his hands and a cheesy grin on his face. He thrust the drawling into his father's hands with a proud smile.
Robin's grip on the paper intensified the second he laid his eyes on it and Snow smiled wryly, already knowing why the man was smiling and stunned speechless. Regina moved to get a better look, her heart stopping as she too laid eyes on the picture.
There were four stick figures in front of what Regina and Robin assumed was the Mayoral Mansion. Two smaller, brown haired stick figures entitled 'Henry' and 'me' and two larger ones entitled 'papa' and 'mommy'.
Mommy.
The boy had only ever called her 'Gina' or 'Regina' before. He had never referred to her as his mother. Sure, she felt like she was and loved him like her own, but Roland had never actually called Regina his mother before.
It was an odd feeling, but one that Regina seemed to welcome with open arms. She had gone from having virtually no family, bar Henry, to finding her true love, gaining a son and having Snow and the rest of the Charming's in her life.
Regina swallowed hard and licked her lips, willing herself not to cry. It took every ounce she had and more to hold back her tears, but she did.
"Will you?" Roland's voice broke the silence, causing all three adults to turn and look at him. "Will you be my Mommy?" He asked again, his face pleading with Regina to say yes.
He already loved her like his mother and thought of her as his mother, so why not call her Mom? Henry did and he wanted to aswell.
Regina looked across at Robin with uncertainty in her eyes. She wanted that more than anything in the world, but at the end of the day, Robin had to be comfortable with it. He was Roland's father and even though they were in a loving and committed relationship, she didn't want to overstep any boundaries or marks.
Robin caught the inner conflict in Regina's eyes and couldn't help but smile. Was she crazy? He nodded, his eyes dancing with happiness and excitement.
"Yes, Roland" Regina turned back to look at the boy, her heart welling with pride and love. "Of course I will, I'd be honoured!"
"Yay!" Roland exclaimed, jumping up and throwing his arms around Regina's neck.
Robin wrapped his arms around the pair once again, squeezing them tightly and kissing them both lovingly on the temple.
Regina lost the battle she was having with her tears, and they escaped from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks for victory.
"Why are you crying, Mommy?" Roland asked, swiping her tears as he looked at her confused. "Don't be sad"
"I'm not sad" Regina said with a laugh, sniffling as Roland wiped her cheeks once more. "I'm happy, incredibly so!" She buried her head inbetween Roland's pudgy cheek and the curve of Robin's shoulders.
Roland looked up at his father, still confused, causing the archer to chuckle.
"They're happy tears, buddy. Regina is just really happy you love her enough to ask her to be your Mom"
"Oh" Roland nodded, sort of understanding his father. They might be happy tears, but Roland didn't like to see his mother crying. "You don't have to cry, Mommy. I love you"
"I love you too, dear" Regina sniffled once more, finally regaining control of her emotions. "How about we go to Granny's to get ice cream?"
Roland's face light up and his eyes started to dance. They didn't have ice cream in the Enchanted Forest, or if they did, he had never had it, and now the boy was obsessed with the stuff. Literally.
"Yay! Bye Snow" he smiled and waved at the older woman. "I'll miss you" he said quite sadly, his bottom lip sticking out in a pout.
"Aw, I'll miss you too, Roland" Snow sighed. "But I'll see you again in class real soon!"
Regina shared a knowing look with Robin before a grin tugged on the corners of her plump, dark lips. If somebody told her three years ago that she and Snow would bury their demons and become trusting and close again, she would probably laugh and rip out their hearts. She certainly would find it highly amusing if somebody told her that she would willingly, out of the good of her own heart, invite Snow and the rest of the Charmings to dinner. Especially when she had no intention of ripping out their hearts and watching them writhe in pain as she crushed it.
"I tell you what" Regina spoke up, "why don't Snow and David meet us at Granny's in an hour or so?" Regina looked between her son and her step-daughter.
Snows eyes shone brightly, happy beyond any words. She nodded, gratefully accepting Regina's offer.
"Bring the rest of the family too, I feel like celebrating"