I am so sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. I spent my morning at the doctor's office to find out I have bronchitis :( so I've been exhausted all day, and then when I did sit down to write my wifi cut out-so sorry in advance for typos since this is on my tablet. Today has not been my day-but here's a new chapter that I hope you guys like! :) I'm hoping I'll have a chance to write tomorrow while I'm nannying-we'll see if the kids cooperate ;)
You guys and your comments make my heart so happy it hurts in the best way-I wish I could hug each and everyone of you for reading this story!
A/N: I believe (if the internet isn't lying) the show has mentioned the Roland is 5, but there are more holes in this show's plot than in Swiss cheese-so just roll with it ;)
Enjoy :)
The walk back to the mansion is silent. Henry doesn't know what to say, so he silently looks between his mother and Zelena. Regina doesn't look at them as she walks between them; she looks straight ahead as Roland rests his head on her shoulder. Zelena is on Regina's right and is lost in her own thoughts about what's happening. I'm going back to Regina's mansion. I'm going to be living at the mansion. She does want me to live there, yes? What if she doesn't want me to live there? What if this is just a temporary thing? No. No-don't think like that. Take this one day at a time. We knew each other as kids and we hit it off right away. Granted I wasn't trying to kill her, but maybe we can get back to a place like that. I want that. I want to have the sister I never had. I want my daughter to have an aunt that cares more than anything. The most resilient heart-that's what Regina has-she'll get through this. We both will get through this. Immediately, her thoughts turn dark as she thinks of Hades-her true love. I wasn't enough. She thinks as her eyes fill with tears. She blinks them away before they can fall. She feels a hand on her arm and turns her head to look at her sister, who doesn't look back, but she squeezes Zelena's arm again before letting her arm move back to support Roland. Zelena smiles a small smile and looks down at her daughter who's grasping at the lapels of her coat.
They arrive at the mansion gates and Regina shifts Roland's weight to wave a hand at the door, unlocking it and allowing it to fall open.
"Show off," Henry mutters with an eye roll.
This causes Regina to smirk, the first that Henry has seen grace her face since that fateful day.
"Gina?" Roland whispers as he lifts his head from her shoulder.
"Yes Roland?" she asks as she glances down at his face.
"Magic?" he asks as he looks into her eyes.
Regina searches his face for signs of fear like she saw in the diner, but all she sees is honest curiosity. "Yes Roland. I have magic just like Zelena."
He stares at her face and Regina shifts under the scrutiny. Who knew the Evil Queen-the same women who stared down assassins who tried to kill her, faced off with misogynistic kings that thought they could do better than some "weak woman", stole hundreds of hearts to continue her mother's "collection", and killed countless of people-would only lose her calm, cool, composed façade when being studied by a four-year-old. And suddenly, he's no longer looking into her soul and merely shrugs before shimmying his legs to be let down. "Can I have sumtin to drink?" he asks.
Henry chuckles at his mom's shocked expression and says, "Sure thing, Ro. Let's go put this Tupperware on the counter and I'll get you something to drink."
Roland nods and follows Henry into the house.
Regina is still frozen in place when Zelena lightly calls, "Regina?" from halfway up the path.
Regina shakes herself from her stupor and walks up next to her sister "I apologize. It seems I have forgotten how quickly a child's mind will change from one topic to the next."
This causes Zelena to chuckle, "Well perhaps it's time you remembered?"
"Yes. I suppose you're right," Regina murmurs as she walks into her house.
Zelena smiles again and follows her sister. She's still stunned at the immaculate mansion. Yes, she's been in here before, but it wasn't for a social visit. Now, she really takes the time to appreciate her sister's taste. It's classic, with a modern sense to it; very minimalistic, but still looks sharp and imposing.
"I can give you a tour if you'd like," Regina murmurs from behind Zelena.
Zelena turns to see her sister hanging up her cloak and placing her gloves in a bin in the coat closet. "I'd like that," Zelena says with a small smile.
Regina tries to return it, but it comes out flat. She turns and walks up the four stairs into the foyer. "Right through here is the living room, the dining room you've already seen," she attempts to snark. Zelena smiles at the attempt but turns back to study the rest of the house. "There's a patio through there that leads into the garden."
"You garden?" Zelena asks in shock.
Regina lets out a dry chuckle and muses, "Yes. It was one of my father's favorite pastimes. He was the one to give me my apple tree; helped me cultivate it into what it is today."
"I had no idea," Zelena murmurs.
Regina gives a one-shouldered shrug, "I guess it was something I never gave much thought to. It was from my childhood. I had a small garden while I was wife to the king, but it was not nearly as satisfying to cultivate whilst in dresses fit for a queen." There is a small pause where Zelena watches a dark shadow pass over Regina's face. It's gone immediately and Regina continues, "Once I became the Evil Queen I did not have the time to sit in a garden. I suppose after the curse was cast it was easy to pick up a hobby. There certainly wasn't anything else to do in this godforsaken town. I relived the same day for 18 years before Henry came along and switched things up for me. I needed something to pass the time."
There's a beat of silence before Zelena says, "Then you must have become a very good gardener."
This causes a laugh to escape Regina's lips and she smiles at her sister, "Yes, I suppose I did learn a thing or two in that time. However, I firmly stand by the fact that my father taught me everything I needed to know." Zelena nods and they move into the next room. "Here is my study," she says motioning to a room that overlooks the front garden. They continue their walk and end up in the kitchen, "Here we have the kitchen."
"Very impressive," Zelena murmurs.
Regina lets out a proud smile. If anything, she will always have an immaculate home. "Through here is an eating area, and there's another way to go to the backyard in there." Zelena hums in appreciation as she looks again into the gorgeous backyard. Regina starts moving back to the front of the house and starts moving up the staircase. She stops at the second level and motions to the first door on the right, "This is Henry's room." She points to the door on the left, "Here is the bathroom. Right over there," she motions to the next door on the left, "is the biggest of the spare rooms. There should be plenty of room for you and Robin, but if feel like you need more there is more room upstairs as well as in the basement that I can change to fit your needs."
Zelena smiles at the effort and peeks into the spare room, "plenty of room" is an understatement. The room is big enough to house an entire family with room to spare. "I think we can manage," she replies with a smirk.
"If you're sure," Regina says absentmindedly as she looks at the second door on the right.
"Is that your room?" Zelena asks quietly. When Regina nods she asks, "Robin?" She asks, thinking Regina was thinking about the last time he had been in her room.
Regina immediately snaps her head to look at her sister. She slowly shakes her head and says, "A lost future. We never had the chance to live the domestic life. First it was the second curse, and then his dead wife came back. Well, you as a Marian-incarnate." Zelena makes to speak but Regina continues on, "It's alright. I have already forgiven you for that. The Snow Queen came after that, then he left, then we got you all back, then the baby was thrown into the mix, and finally we started this new adventure after Emma took on the dark curse. That kind of schedule doesn't really leave time to move in together."
"It would have been a bit sudden," Zelena says quietly as she stands next to Regina, looking at the closed door in front of them.
Regina lets out a mirthless chuckle, "We were Soulmates, destined to be together from our days back in the Enchanted Forest. I think we could have moved in together."
Zelena lets out a noncommittal hum, "Perhaps. Or perhaps you needed time to learn about one another."
"And how did that work out for you, Marian?" Regina asks. She attempts to bite out the question, but it ends up just sounding tired.
"I was not in it for the long hall. I was trying to hurt you," Zelena answers honestly.
Regina pauses to stare at Zelena's face. When she sees nothing but honesty reflecting back at her she turns back to stare at the door. "I suppose it was different, but I think we would have been all right."
"Did he want to live in this house? I can only imagine Robin wanting to live in a tree."
Regina lets out another chuckle, this one thick with unshed tears, "He did love the forest."
"He always smelled like the forest," Zelena says with disdain. Regina lets out another chuckle that quickly turns into sobs. "Oh Regina," Zelena says as she quickly procures a basinet to place Robin in and wraps both arms around Regina's shaking frame, pulling her close and tucking Regina's head under her chin. "I'm so sorry. That was insensitive."
"It. Was. True." Regina gasps out between sobs. She turns her body to fully face Zelena and wraps her arms around her back, clutching tightly at the back of Zelena's clothes. She lays her head on Zelena's shoulder and stares down at little Robin, trying to catch her breath. Little Robin is focused entirely on grabbing her left fist with her left, making Regina show a small smile at how innocent she is. Zelena holds Regina tightly as she calms herself, never once loosening her tight grip around Regina's back. A few moments and several deep breaths later, Regina feels composed enough to say, "He always smelled of the forest. At first I found it despicable and terribly common, but then it came to be relaxing. It calmed me, made me feel at home; one with nature and all that."
Zelena chuckles as she rests her cheek on the top of Regina's head, "I don't really see you as the kind of person to find her inner self out in the woods."
"I would never live in the forest," Regina says with a shudder, causing Zelena to chuckle again. They stand like this in the middle of the hall-with Robin playing with her hands-for a few more moments before Regina squeezes Zelena one last time and steps away. She brushes her fingertips across her cheeks to wipe away the tears and looks up to Zelena, giving her a small smile. There are no thank you's said. In fact, there is nothing else said on the subject. Regina looks down at her niece once more before taking a deep breath and continuing the tour. "This last room over here next to mine is where Roland can sleep for tonight."
"Just tonight?" Zelena asks with a raised eyebrow. If Regina didn't want to talk about what just happened, she wouldn't make her, not now anyways.
Regina rolls her eyes at her sister and says, "I will not make assumptions as to how long Roland will stay. Perhaps he will want to go back to the Merry Men in the morning." Zelena scoffs and Regina adds quietly, "I can't handle any more heartbreak Zelena, so I will assume this is only for tonight."
Zelena reaches for Regina's hand and gives a squeeze before Regina pulls away again and says, "Shall we continue the tour?"
"There's more?!" Zelena asks in disbelief.
Regina chuckles and says, "Upstairs is a full rec room with a half-kitchen, half bathroom, and a storage room. In the basement there's a media room plus more storage."
Zelena lets out a disbelieving chuckle, so much room, she thinks but before she can comment, the doorbell rings.
I know I didn't put Granny in this chapter-I had plans to but I wanted to get this up before it got too late here (and before my wifi decides to take a dump again) so here's some Mills sister bonding along with their kids being adorable as usual ;) Hope you all enjoyed this chapter.
Quick question: should I change the spelling of Baby Robin's name to Robyn or keep it the way it is? Let me know what your thinking
Much love,
-IrishBella