A/N: Thank you all for your kind reviews! I had some downtime at work so I finished this chapter up for you! Enjoy!
The shadow touched down on Neverland soil, a squirming four year old in its grip and then it tossed the boy to the ground.
Roland stopped moving as he hit the ground and his eyes welled up with tears as he looked around at the unfamiliar setting. He looked back up at his captor and a few squeaky whimpers escaped his lips as tears rolled down his cheeks.
The shadow stared back at him for a moment and then disappeared into the forests with a flash leaving Roland momentarily alone.
Roland looked around and then only cried harder, sinking to all fours as he called out in a whimper, "Daddy?" When he got no response he tried again, louder, "Daddy?"
A short gasp escaped his lips as he heard a rustling in the woods and then fell back onto his behind, his eyes widening in fear as a group of hooded figures came out.
"No Daddies here..." Peter Pan taunted with a smirk as he slowly approached the child.
Roland's eyes flickered to every figure surrounding him with widened eyes, his small body quivering in fear.
"We don't need them here, Roland."
Roland froze at the sound of his name, gazing curiously at the strange boy in front of him.
Peter Pan's smirk widened as he continued to approach the young boy. "That's right, I know your name. It's because we are all family here, Roland."
He extended his hand out toward Roland. "Come with us." He cooed.
Roland looked down at Peter's hand and then back up at his face and Peter gave an encouraging nod and accompanying smile. "It's alright."
Roland shakily took the older boy's hand and Peter easily helped him to his feet, smiling in triumph.
"That's a good boy."
A frown suddenly pulled at Roland's lips and he glared at Peter, shouting, "No!" at the top of his lungs and then with all the effort his little body could muster kicked Peter's shin and took off into the woods.
Peter let out a grunt of pain as he doubled over for a moment and the lost boys jumped into action, immediately going to run after the boy.
"Stop!" Peter commanded them, straightening up, his eyes narrowing as the lost boys looked back at him.
"If the little brat wants to die out there we'll let him...we have more important things to deal with." Peter huffed and glared after where Roland had disappeared and then turned and marched in the other direction.
The lost boys also looked through the woods where Roland had ran and then obediently followed their leader.
"I swear we've passed this tree before..." Emma mused as they broke through the brush and the others looked around, frowning as they realized the same thing.
Regina turned to their newest guest with a scowl. "Where are you taking us?"
The former fairy glared back at her. "I know what I am doing. You should learn to trust me."
Regina scoffed. "You've given me no reason to."
"She agreed to help us." Emma spoke with a shrug. "Shouldn't that be enough?"
Regina turned an exasperated look to the blonde. "You trust her then?"
"Yeah." Emma replied fiercely, meeting Regina's stare head on. "I do."
Regina rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she looked away from them. Then with a heavy sigh she collapsed her arms against her sides. "Alright then - why exactly are we going in circles?"
"I am trying to throw him off." Tinkerbell responded. "You don't think he has way of tracking our movements? If we can make him think we are lost then it will distract him long enough that we can sneak in without being noticed."
"That's actually pretty clever." Charming said, clearly impressed and Tinkerbell smirked.
"I told you I knew what I was doing." She focused her attention on Regina, raising her brow pointedly and Regina rolled her eyes.
"Fine." She relented in aggravation. "You were right...happy?"
"Getting there."
The two women stared tensely at each other, their eyes narrowed slightly and Emma rolled her eyes. "Can we just keep moving? The longer we wait the longer Henry's with that Psycho."
Regina's lips twitched in a mocking smile as she moved aside, her eyes still on Tinkerbell. "After you."
Tinkerbell huffed at her and strutted past her continuing to lead them through the woods.
Emma shot Regina a look as she started past her and Regina sighed, resisting another eye roll as she followed after.
It was another half an hour before Charming insisted they take a little rest. Regina tried to insist that it would be a waste of time but when Hook agreed with the prince, Snow insisted they rest now eyeing her husband in concern.
She led him over to rest on a nearby rock, curling into his side as she asked if he was alright.
Regina rolled her eyes as she leaned against a tree across from them, muttering something under her breath as she looked out into the woods.
After a few minutes of a quiet lull the faint sounds of whimpering filled the air and Regina turned her attention back to the group who were also all looking around in quiet wonder.
"You all hear that too, right?" Snow asked after a moment.
Emma raised her brow. "Wait you guys can hear that?"
"It sounds like a child." Snow frowned in concern.
"This is the home of the lost boys." Regina commented.
"It could be one of Pan's tricks." Emma offered. "That's how he lured me out to give me the map...the sound of crying children."
"I don't think so..." Snow murmured as she stood up leaving her weakening husband's side and started to walk toward the sound of the voice.
"What are you doing?" Emma asked her mother in alarm, lifting herself off the tree she was leaning on.
"Snow..." Charming warned from his place on the rock and she held up her hand, smiling back at them.
"It's fine...I think its a real child...its so close..." She started into the woods and Emma groaned, quickly following after her.
"Don't go in there!"
Charming pushed himself off the rock, following after his wife and daughter and Hook curiously followed behind him leaving Regina and Tinkerbell.
"Oh for God's sake." Regina threw her hands up in exasperation. "Bunch of idiots..." She muttered as she trudged after them and Tinkerbell followed seconds after.
"Look!" Snow cried as they pushed through a thick bush and pointed at a small child curled up on the forest floor, whimpering to himself.
She started toward him when Emma reached out to grab her arm to stop her. "Wait...it still could be a trap..."
Snow looked back at her daughter with a frown. "Look at him, Emma...he's lost and he's scared..."
Emma sighed and reluctantly released her mother and Snow continued on, approaching the little boy quietly and kneeling beside him. "Hello there..." She called out to him gently.
The boy gasped and sprang out of the ball he curled himself into, his wide eyes landing on Snow and he instantly pushed himself back a few feet.
Snow held out her hands innocently, taking a step back herself to give him the space he wanted. "It's okay...we're not here to hurt you..."
The boy whimpered and curled his knees up to his chest keeping a wary eye on Snow.
Snow gave him a warm smile and hesitantly tried to reach out to him but he recoiled further with a small cry.
Regina watched from the back of the group and the longer she stared at the young boy the more she felt her heart sinking.
His unruly brown hair and wide brown eyes reminded her too much of Henry and the soft whimpers emitting from him tugged at her heart strings.
She remembered countless times when she'd wake up to the sound of Henry's cries in the next room when he woke up with a nightmare.
She hated to admit it but Snow was right - there was nothing fake about this boy and his fear.
Slowly Regina stepped up to the front of the group. "Here, let me try."
Snow looked over her shoulder, her eyes narrowing in skepticism. "What makes you think you'll be able to help?"
Regina narrowed her eyes right back in a slight glower. "Because unlike any of you I have actually raised a child."
Snow's face instantly dropped, a flicker of pain in her eyes and she looked behind Regina to her own daughter who held the same pained expression.
Then she nodded in silent agreement and rose to her feet backing slowly away from the frightened child.
He watched as Snow went back to the group but didn't relax, only curled into himself further.
Regina focused her attention back on the small boy, her expression instantly softening. She eyed him taking in every movement he made, the shaking of his shoulders, the quivering in his lips, the way his tiny fingers gripped onto his clothes.
Then her eyes flickered to his and they made eye contact and when his eyes widened slightly, a small, comforting smile crossed her lips.
She walked a few steps toward him and he froze, preparing himself to back up further.
She paused just a few feet in front of him and then slowly lowered herself to the ground, the soft smile never leaving her lips. "Hello." She greeted sweetly.
He didn't respond except to bury his face further against his knees, keeping his eyes locked on hers.
She turned her head, blinking curiously. "What's your name, sweetheart?"
He remained in silence and after a few moments, her smile widened slightly. "My name is Regina. These are my friends," She motioned calmly behind her to the group standing at a safe distance, "We're not going to harm you. We are looking for a little boy just like you because he's lost. Are you lost?"
Instantly those wide brown eyes flooded with tears and he nodded quietly. "Daddy..." He whimpered.
Regina frowned and leaned in toward him, hesitantly reaching out toward him. When he didn't recoil she continued, gently placing her hand over his. "You lost your Daddy?" She asked softly and he just whimpered the name again.
"Oh, its alright honey..." She inched that much closer to him and made sure to keep her gaze on his, softening her face and warming her gaze as much as possible. "We are going to find him, we will find Daddy."
At that he slowly lifted his head away from his knees, staring back into Regina's eyes and she smiled at him reassuringly and she tried asking again.
"What's your name?"
He hesitated for a second and then sniffled before murmuring, "Roland."
Regina's smile widened and she moved her hand comfortingly from his hand to his arm and rubbed her thumb in small gently circles. "Roland, I promise you I will find your Daddy."
Roland's lips quivered, his eyes growing hopeful. "Really?" He whispered.
"Really." She nodded with a smile.
He eyed her for a few more seconds and then his lips twitched in a small smile as he propelled himself off the ground and into Regina's unsuspecting arms.
Regina's brow shot up as the little body crashed into her, his arms circling around her neck as he buried his face into her chest.
It took her only a moment to recover from the shock and then her arms surrounded him gently, a smile crossing her lips and she closed her eyes, pulling him in tighter.
She started to rub her fingers up and down his back comfortingly as he shook quietly. "There, there, its alright Roland. You're alright."
Even just for a moment she allowed herself to imagine that it was Henry she was holding and she pressed a soft kiss to the side of his head.
At the small but affectionate gesture, Roland tightened his grip around her gripping onto her clothing to hold himself to her.
"She did it." She heard Emma remark in awe behind her and Regina was brought out of the tender moment. Still holding onto Roland she slowly rose to her feet, shifting the boy's weight in her arms and his head fell onto her shoulder.
She turned back to the group all watching her with awed expressions and her lips twitched in a slightly smug smirk. "Despite what you all think..." She cradled Roland closer as she walked over to them slowly. "I am actually a good mother."
She met Emma's eyes first, the woman she had to prove her love for her son over and over again to, and Emma's eyes widened and then her expression softened in realization.
Then her eyes flickered to Snow and then away just as quickly. She could not take it when Snow looked at her like that - understanding and compassionate. She knew Snow was remembering the woman who rescued her off that horse and was her step mother for years. The little naive Snow had no idea of Regina's hostility toward her and so if there was anyone there who knew of Regina's mothering abilities, even if they were half hearted at the time, it would be Snow.
She met the other group members' eyes. Charming, who looked like he gained a little ounce of respect for her that he did not have before. Hook, whose expression was unreadable but soft and finally Tinkerbell who had a very odd expression on her face. She looked surprised but also contemplative as if she were trying to figure something out, her gaze focused more on the boy in Regina's arms than on Regina.
"Well what do we do now?" Snow asked. "We can't exactly march into Pan's camp with a child...we'll be live bait."
Regina frowned as she glanced down at Roland. "I think we should find a place to rest for the night."
"It's still light out - it will be wasted time." Emma retorted.
Regina looked back up at them. "I want to save Henry just as much as anyone else but he's not helpless...this little one is." She nodded down toward Roland. "We'd probably be just spending the next few hours going around in circles anyway. We need to rest and try to come up with a plan."
"A plan for what? Are we going to start looking for his father? We're here to save Henry. I don't want to see him lost either but we don't even know who his father is or if he's even..." She stopped herself and just raised her brow pointedly.
Regina frowned and tightened her grip around Roland. "We will be saving Henry, that is our first priority but I will not be abandoning this one."
"I'm not saying you should." Emma sighed quietly.
"Then what are you saying Miss Swan?" Regina raised her brow pointedly. "You are right - we don't know who his father is and that is why we need to come up with a plan to keep him out of danger until we do."
Emma stared back at her for a moment and then nodded her agreement. "Yeah, alright...that sounds good."
Regina nodded and then all their attention was drawn to Roland as he spoke up quietly from Regina's shoulder. "Robin."
"What was that, Roland?" Regina asked softly, turning her head.
He lifted his head, sniffling quietly as he looked up at her. "Robin." He repeated. "Daddy is Robin."
Regina lifted her brow and looked back at the group meeting their equally surprised looks. "He knows his name."
"Smart kid." Emma remarked.
Regina lips twitched slightly as she looked back down at Roland who was watching her intently. "Alright...so we have a name." She smiled reassuringly at Roland who smiled weakly in return. "We're going to find him, Roland." She gently caressed her hand across his back.
"We're going to find Robin."