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Bath time with the Queen

God she hated it here. Regina sinks deeper in the warmth the bathing water provides her. She hates the memories that haunt her in these old walls, hates the way everyone looks at her. Her heavy gowns are protection as much as they are burden, they are dense and weighty, pulling her down constantly but they keep everyone away, scare them because they are reminded of who she once was… who she'll always be. No one dares to cross her way… well no one but Snow and Charming… and for some reason that irksome thief.

Regina tries not to think of him… them, she means all of them.

She closes her eyes, her hands rest on the on the cold ceramic of the tub. Since she got her castle back from her sister Regina allows her body to soak in the hot bubble bath, scented with cinnamon and lavender once a week, every Saturday and those few hours belong to her and her alone. Her tense muscle (because she's always tense around those people, what reason does she have not to be?) relax and Regina sighs deeply. It was almost a meditative feeling, the foam prickling on her skin.

It was the one single luxury she allowed herself to have in this damned land and even this small indulgence was only possible because she used magic. Running water was a distant dream in the Enchanted Forest. Apart from Saturday her week was filled to the brim with problems and her attempts to avoid Snow and of course those futile council meetings, in which she only had to throw out brainless ideas made by people who were useless anyway. In the end everyone would rely on her and her magic anyway. Really, the ideas some of those people have.

Especially the thief. He is a constant reason for annoyance. With his stupid grin and his cheeky patter. He really should watch his tongue. If he didn't have such a sweet boy Regina would have turned him to a toad.

But he has Roland… Regina smiles. The boy is the only light in this bloody land. She doesn't spend a lot of time with him, is afraid his father will catch on and forbid the child to talk to her (she doesn't trust the thief, at least that what she tells herself). She misses Henry every single second of every day and the pain doesn't subside. She still cries herself to sleep every night. But she'd rather die than let her weakness show. She won't let them know how bad she's faring.

So Regina spends most of her time in the library. There she sits for hours, surrounded by heavy and thick books, written in languages that are long forgotten. She browses through some of the books, always hoping to find something to beat her sister… secretly hoping (because she doesn't allow herself to hope, has given up all hope) to find a way back to her son.

Sometimes Roland finds her like that – bent over the books or lost in her thoughts. Then she picks him up, picks out a book that is easy to read and reads to him, sometimes she even teaches him to how to read. Sometimes she conjures a little toy for Roland and her heart warms at his untainted happiness and the way his eyes light up.

Regina sighs and lets one hand slip into the warm water. She doesn't open her eyes, for as long as they remain closed, she can imagine that she is in her tub, in her house in Storybrooke, can imagine she hears Henry's little feet foot in over the tiles. Henry who is sneaking up to her to scare her (it's been years since he's done it, but Regina imagines it's been yesterday). Imagines she's in Storybrooke, where there isn't a castle, no Snow, no annoying council meetings with irksome thieves. Thieves that exist just to make her day a bit more unpleasant, with those smiles and comments and looks with those blue orbs and with those dimples. She hates those most of all.

The water splashes, spills over the edges and Regina's eyes fly open when she feels the weight in her legs. Shocked she stares at the figure that joined her in the tub uninvited. He must have snuck in when she was lost in thoughts, Regina thinks hazily. Surely but slowly her brain does catch up to the situation at hand.

A cheeky grin and two deep dimples meet her gaze and finally she finds the words.

"Roland!?"

The small boy smiles brightly at her. His eyes are wide and he looks baffled.

"It's hot!"

Of course! The boy grew up in the forest, he's used to wash himself in cold waters of rivers and seas.

Regina supresses her laughter, Roland looks adorable, all puzzled. He didn't even strip his clothes, clearly not aware that there was water in the tub. His hands reach for the bubbles and his mouth forms an 'oh' at their texture. This time the laughter leaves her mouth unrestrained.

She explains to him how this is her way of washing herself, that he has to take of his clothes to get clean. He tries and fails to take his soaking clothes off and Regina waves her hand once for him. His clothes appear, dry and meticulously folded on a chair. Roland laughs happily and claps his hands, the foam flies through the air.

"Roland, will you tell me how you got in here?" Regina asked interested.

"You didn't come to dinner. You never come to dinner on Saturdays." The boy mumbles into the water. "I wanted to see where you are. I knocked!" he's quick to defend. "But you didn't hear and then I wanted to know what was in the big tub."

"This is the way civilised people wash themselves," Regina explains. She ignores of course that running water isn't part of the Enchanted Forest and that she had to heat up the water with her magic and conjured the bubbles. "They don't bathe in the dirty river like the cave men you're forced to be around."

Roland giggles, he has seen enough discussions between his papa and the Queen to know how his father reacts to Regina's insults (even though Roland doesn't understand everything yet) and it makes him laugh every single time.

Regina smiles at that.

"It's so warm and it smells really good," to prove his point Roland takes a deep breath.

Regina's smile widens and fades slowly. The boy has grown on her and she wants to make him happy, wishes to spend more time with him, but his father would most likely not agree with that. So she doesn't say anything, doesn't offer him to use her bath tub more often. She stays silent.

"Look, Regina! The bubbles stay on my head!" his cheerfulness is infectious and so Regina takes some bubbles in her own hand and smears it across her chin.

"You have a beard!" Roland cheers happily and Regina laughs with him.

R&R

She hasn't planned it, swears she didn't encourage him, but it becomes their ritual. Every Saturday evening Regina lays in the bath tub and it isn't long until she hears the patter of small feet and soon a naked little boy lets himself flop into the water and plays with the bubbles. Regina doesn't know if his father knows where his son is or what he's doing and that makes her feel torn. On one side she doesn't want to risk what little time she has with Roland, on the other hand there is the diligent mother who can't stand the thought that a barely five year old little boy isn't missed for several hours in which no one knows where he is. The again, as long as he's with her, Roland is safe. They play in the bath tub and sometimes she reads to him… or he reads to her. Regina teaches him letters and words and Roland is such a smart boy. It's just like in the library only somehow… better.

He's clean after the bath (because really it's the only time in the week he's clean, because really how clean can he get amidst all those barbarians?) and after that he's tired and almost asleep. Despite that he insists on a bed-time-story or on Regina singing to him. As soon as he is asleep Regina worked her magic and the boy appeared neatly tucked in his bed. No one seems to wonder how the boy gets in bed and Regina keeps her opinion about that wisely to herself. Roland isn't her son and the thief can raise him however way he wants…

Then again… maybe the Outlaw knows because Roland tells him everything. He's a five year old after all.

But that would entail that the thief trusts her enough to allow the Evil Queen some time with his son – not something Regina finds very likely. She doesn't meet the thief often, avoids him as much as possible. He gives her a weird feeling. His look isn't filled with hatred and he doesn't seem to fear her either, Regina doesn't know what to do with that. And sometimes she swears she can feel his eyes on her and she refuses to think about the small shudder that runs over her back at this. And then there's his way to always snub her and grin his cheeky grin… the one that shows his dimples, the one he shares with his son. Yes, Regina avoids him as much as she can.

Still she wonders if he knows about her and Roland's little meetings and catches herself giving him a glance or two or her thoughts drift to him at inappropriate times and even though she tries to tell herself it's only because of Roland, she can quite convince herself.

In the end she finds out a rather unexpected way.

R&R

Dinner is a big deal for the Charmings. Every evening (every evening save Saturdays that is, Saturdays belong to Regina… and Roland) they insist that the whole castle eats together for supper. Regina sits next to Snow and Ruby is on her left side. Usually she spends supper push her food from one side of the plate to the other with her fork. Aside from that she avoids eye contact and doesn't participate in the friendly chatter.

"How was it in your land?"

The question is asked by one of the thief's men. The one who can't restrain himself at the buffet.

"It was… more advanced in a lot of ways. More technical devises and the likes," Snow tries to explain. Regina rolls her eyes, Snow might as well dry to explain gravity to a monkey.

"You miss it very much?" the thief inquires.

"Oh, there definitely were some perks. A lot of things that made life easier" Belle adds from the side.

"What do you miss the most?"

"Tampons!" Ruby says without thinking.

A lot of women seem to share her opinion because the murmur that follows that statement is assertive.

David fidgets on his chair, clearly feeling a bit at odd with the topic.

The conversation shift to all the wonderful achievements of modern technology. And for the first time during dinner Regina finds the debate quite entertaining. Well, not the debate itself but rather the confused and clueless face of Robin Hood.

"But you know in the end, it's the simple things you miss the most," Snow sighs dreamily. "You know what I miss the most? Bubble baths! Warm running water and then just soak in the tub for hours."

"Like me and Regina!"

One could hear a pin drop. That is how deadly silent the room gets.

"Excuse me? What?" Robin looks at his son with an expression of utter shock on his face.

"Oops!" Roland giggles and looks a bit like he got caught red-handed.

Regina's spoon stays still in mid-air. The soup drops down and Regina doesn't make a move. Robin's head turns to her, his mouth stays open. With all the dignity she can muster, Regina puts her spoon down and raises an eyebrow.

"What… Roland, what do you mean?" Snow asks finally, when Robin makes no moves to do so. His eyes stay on the Queen.

Roland shifts on the chair nervously. His eyes dart to Regina who gives him an exclusive reassuring smile before her expression harden again when she turns back to his father.

"Regina has this huge tub with bubbles. And there are bubbles everywhere and we make funny hair with it, oh and beards. And I told papa I was with Uncle John and I told Uncle John I was with papa"

That would explain that then, Regina thinks dryly.

"And I didn't know there was water in the tub. And then I went again but then I knew about the water. And Regina said that I have to be clean at least one time in a week."

Robin's head whips around to his son again. His head is spinning and he stares at his son, his own flesh and blood with a still open mouth. If he understood that correctly, then apparently his son spends a few hours every week in the Queen's room… in her bath tub to be precise. And again if he understood correctly she was using it to wash herself with warm water and something that was called bubbles. So his son was spending time in a bath tub filled with warm water, bubbles and a Queen… a naked Queen… a naked and wet Queen.

Robin swallows dryly. Here he is, jealous of his own son. For weeks he's awoken at night plagued by dreams of red lips and black hair. For weeks he's haunted by her smell, feels this pull towards her and goes crazy with desire – and his son is bathing with the naked Queen.

"How… how the… How did this happen?" he finally asked, his gaze wandering between Roland and the Queen.

Regina picks up her spoon again and starts eating her soup, she ignores his questions and the looks that are thrown her way, the fewest of them friendly.

Roland shrugs and has to swallow the big bite in his mouth before he can answer. "I just climbed in."

"You simply climbed into the tub with the Queen in it?!" John isn't sure whether to be indignant or proud. The boy is starting early, that much he must give him.

"Son, I didn't raise you to climb into the tub with naked women!" Robin exclaims scandalized and his cry causes amusement in the crowd.

"Wait a second!" Snow sounds upset. "Are you telling me, that you go around having a hot bubble bath once a week, while I have to endure the ice-cold water of the river? Pregnant, I might add!"

Regina had the good grace to look a little bit ashamed.

"I am so going to come to your room and I expect a hot bubble bath waiting for me!" Snow demanded. Regina rolled her eyes but made no move to refute.

"I'll have my turn after you," Ruby adds.

"Well, if that is the case. I want a hot bath as well," Belle frowns.

"Oh, yes of course. Why doesn't everyone come by and take a bath?" Regina asked and she actually meant it sarcastic. Only the room does not understand her intention. Instead everyone is discussing schedules and who gets to bathe when. – Even the ones who have no idea what a bubble bath is in the first place.

Regina isn't the salvation army! She seethes with anger and is about to voice her opinion loudly when she feels something tucking at her skirt.

"Regina? Can I still come and bathe with you?" Roland asks and his big brown eyes look at her full of insecurities. Her anger is gone instantly.

"Of course we can, Sweetie." Then she hesitates. She doesn't know what his father thinks, is acutely aware of the power he holds over her. He could forbid Roland from spending time with the Evil Queen, so she adds disgruntledly that Roland needs his father's permission.

Roland nods eagerly and hastes away to ask his papa. Regina has enough. The door closes loudly behind her.

She doesn't see Roland for the next two days but to her pleasant surprise does the boy knock on her door on Saturday at their usual time. He's sporting a big grin and her hearts beats wildly from happiness. She thanks the Thief secretly, unable to ever admit out loud how much this means to her.

"Regina?"

Regina gives Roland an encouraging look over the masses of foam.

"Papa asked, if he can bathe with you next?"

Her mouth falls open and she almost chokes on the water.

This damned Thief!