Hope

Chapter 3

One year later...

"Robin!" Regina shouted.

Robin ran down the steps of the mansion. Henry and Roland followed a few seconds later.

"Regina." Robin said when he saw her in the living room. Regina was watching their daughter walking towards the couch.

"She's walking." Robin smiled.

Regina was beaming. "Her first steps."

Henry leaned against a wall and smiled too.

Hope walked up to her mom and sat down and started giggling.

Henry and Roland walked to school together a half hour later.

"Pretty cool seeing our sister take her first steps this morning, huh?" Henry said.

"I guess. When will she be old enough to do other stuff, like play with us?" Roland asked.

"Not for a while," Henry said.

Roland sighed. "I don't really remember my mother."

Henry looked at him.

"I remember when Regina saved me from a flying monkey..."

Henry looked concerned.

"I remember you had another mother."

Henry nodded, remembering Emma Swan. "She uh...she disappeared."

"So she'll come back?"

"Yeah..."

Henry and Roland went to their separate schools. Henry walked up to Gretel who greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. They met up with Hansel, Grace, and Pippi before the warning bell rang. Roland spent recess with James (from the giant peach). Storybrooke schools now have electives that related back to their land. There is an archery class now. Marco teaches a wood shop class now. A guy named Remmy teaches a cooking class. Half of the geography class is about our world and the other half is about other lands. History class is similar to that as well.

While school was in session, Regina, Robin and Hope went to the park. Regina sat on a swing and Robin gently pushed her forward. He had on hand on the stroller with Hope inside, and the other hand was pushing Regina on the swing. The birds chirping in the distance added to the peacefulness.

Henry and Roland walked home from school again and got a snack from the kitchen, then went up to their rooms.
Later that day, the HoodMills family had spaghetti for dinner, Roland's favorite. Hope was in a high chair between Regina and Roland.
Regina and Robin were the last ones to go to sleep at night. In their bed, Robin wrapped his arm around Regina as they fell asleep.

A few weeks later was Miner's day.

Regina and Robin set up a little competition between David and Mary Margaret to sell more candles. The pressure got to Regina a bit when she went over to a shop to buy supplies and got a little aggressive. Robin was with her and he had to carry her over his shoulder out of the store.

Outside of the church, the town gathered and set up or shopped around. Leroy and Astrid were selling pies together. Ruby was selling Cruella's furs (the ones she didn't want). Belle sold books with Rumple. Jefferson sold hats with his daughter, Grace. August sold journals and cool pens. Maleficent sold small reptiles with Lily. Pippi sold tickets to ride on Strawberry for a few minutes over Storybrooke.

Navine was in charge of the new small rides at this event. There was a small Ferris wheel, tilt a whirl, swings, a fun house, the big slide, the carousel, and a shouting fountain that got the kids wet. Aurora, Thomas (Ashley's husband), and Marco helped out.

Unlike in the past, the money raised at this event goes towards the schools.

Henry was pushing a stroller with Hope inside to the event and Roland was walked beside him.
Henry met up with Hansel and Gretel while Roland got in line to ride Strawberry. They three teens and the baby went down an isle of stands looking around. Henry bought a leather bound journal from August.

Maleficent and Lily tried to sell a gecko to Henry. "My mom would not be happy with me if I got one," Henry said. Hansel on the other hand bought a bearded dragon.
Henry bought Gretel a hat from Jefferson. He also bought a few books from his grandparents. He bought The Maze Runner trilogy and Paper Towns.
Henry got a peach pie and shared it with Hansel and Gretel. Roland was going on all the rides during this time.

Regina and Robin and David and Mary Margaret were at a back and forth for selling more candles during the whole event. In the end, Regina and Robin sold 3 more candles than David and Mary Margaret.

Late that night, Regina went to check on the children upstairs. Henry was reading on his bed. Hope was sleeping in her crib. Roland was...not in his room. "Roland?" She called quietly. The den was empty. The bathrooms were empty and the lights were off. "Roland?" She went into her bedroom and saw the receipt from their sales on the bed.

At the second, a small hand reached out from under the bed and grabbed Regina's ankle. "Rawwr" Roland said, cutely.
Regina smiled and knelt down to meet Roland's eyes. "You got me."

He beamed and then Regina and Roland did Eskimo kisses.

Regina stood and took his hand. As they walked out of her and Robin's room, she said. "It's past your bedtime."

A few hours later, the whole town was quiet. All the shops were closed. All the lights in the loft and the Diner were off. The HoodMills mansion was just as quiet. Not one downstairs. As everyone in the mansion was sleeping, a gust a wind entered Hope's nursery. The window was open!

Hope woke up and started kicking her legs. She clutched her stuffed fox in her crib.

A figure in black swooshed around her crib and looked at her. Hope started fussing and the figure sprinkled sleeping powder on her. The figure picked up Hope carefully and went out the window.

Then the window slammed shut.