It was late afternoon when she finally awoke, her eyes crusted with dried tears and sleep combined and she just lay there for a moment, staring at the empty space beside her. Her hand lay in a warm patch, telling her that he hadn't long moved from her side and if she had the energy to cry once more she thinks perhaps she would from sheer adoration.
He was such a good man, Robin, so kind and selfless and so very stupid for allowing himself to get caught up in her. He deserved someone with no murderous past, someone actually liked by the town, someone he could link arms with as they walked and press kisses to her cheeks and hold hands with without judgement. He deserved a mother for his child who wouldn't be hissed at as she pushed him on the swings, a woman whose motives wouldn't be questioned just for leaving the house. He deserved someone better than her but she was too weak to push him away.
Love was something that Regina hadn't experienced too much of in her life, she and Daniel had been just on the precipice of it when he'd been taken from her. They'd just toppled over the edge of pure happiness when his life had been stolen and she'd been pulled straight back to Earth. She knew Robin wasn't in love with her, he couldn't be, it was too damn soon but there were strong feelings there. She'd felt it in his kiss the moment her heart had been returned to her, she'd seen it in his eyes when he'd watched the way she'd smiled at his son over ice cream and she'd felt it in the warmth of his body as he'd held her whilst she'd cried.
He was a good man, far too good for her but she wouldn't push him if he wanted to be her, couldn't for she didn't want to. Just another example of her selfishness.
They come just after Regina has managed to pull herself from bed, her boys having brought her a tray laden with hot chicken soup ("it's what Mom always makes for me when I'm sick or sad" Henry had explained when Robin had caught the knowing smile between the two of them"),crackers, a glass of water and a handmade card decorated with a daisy and Roland's adorable writing, backwards 'a's and all.
They'd sat with her on her bed, all three of them. Roland had nestled in beside her on one side whilst Robin had lay on her other and Henry had lain with his head on her lap. All three had worked hard on keeping the conversation light and playful and though there was still the nausea that came with Leopold's presence in the town, she found herself laughing lightly along with them.
She'd followed her boys - she likes the sound of that, her boys - downstairs and into the kitchen where she'd sat on a barstool and watched as they worked around one another to clean her plates and their own. She was foolish to believe that they could have a day to themselves.
Robin answers the door and she follows just in time to hear him telling someone "I don't think that's such a good idea" and her heart clenches with affection for him because he cares so much for her and, again, she doesn't deserve it. She squeezes his elbow both to alert him to her presence and in thanks before telling him that it's okay, they can come in. It's only a few moments later that they've given the boys things to preoccupy themselves with and shut themselves and the Charming's away in the privacy of her dining room that she wishes she'd just allowed Robin to shoo them away.
Henry comes when he hears her cries and though she should, she doesn't tell him to leave.
"How could you even ask that of me?" she sounded breathless even to herself as betrayal lanced through her body, her eyes wide and brow furrowed as she stared open mouthed at the woman opposite her. "How could you…" but there were no more words able to come from her, not as she choked on the sob that threatened to spill forth instead and though Robin's hold was strong on her hand beneath the table, though Henry's presence beside her was as important to her as the very oxygen she breathed, there was nothing that could stop the pain that echoed in both her body and her mind.
Charming was silent beside his wife, not looking at anything other than the table in front of him with her hand held between both of his whilst Snow looked equally as shocked as Regina did. "Technically," Snow began, watching her former step-mother carefully as she spoke, "you are still his wi-"
"Nothing." Robin was the one to interrupt the Princess despite his own thoughts on the matter only that morning when Regina had fallen asleep, his tone firmer than even Regina had ever heard it as he leaned forward and told her "he is nothing to her," because he'd never even deign to describe his love as being 'nothing' to anyone but this King, this monster "and if Regina says that she does not want to meet with him, if she says that she does not want to be anywhere near him," he gritted out, "then you will respect her wishes and do something your father never did."
"Henry," Regina placed her free hand atop her son's, turning to find him looking troubled as he stared down at their joined hands before he looked up at her with sorrowful eyes, "why don't you go on up and check on Roland for us, okay?" and when he hesitated, when he looked as though he was going to ask to remain with her, Regina lifted her hand and pressed her palm to his cheek, lip trembling gently as she asked him "please?"
He studied her for a long moment, eyes as dark as her own tracing her face as the furrow in his brow deepened and he pressed his own hand to hers, leaning into her touch. "Okay," he relented and she could practically hear the battle raging in his mind, his need to stay eating at him even as he rose slowly from his chair, "I'll go but…" and he turned to his Grandmother then, no malice nor anger in his eyes because she was still his family but he needed her to know, needed to tell her, "don't hurt my Mom any more than she has been."
His words had Regina's breath catching and Snow's eyes growing sadder as she nodded gently and told him "I have not come to cause harm Henry," and when he continued staring at her "I have only come in attempts to heal this rift between us, okay?"
He looked at her for a moment longer, as though searching for the lie in her eyes and when he found what he was looking for, he nodded once in her direction before he was looking back to his mother, leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek and whispering to her "I love you Mom," pressing another kiss to her temple when he felt her fingers squeeze at those he had curled around her shoulder before straightening out and making his way out of the room and up the stairs to where Roland was playing in his room.
Regina's eyes remained on the empty doorway for a long moment, absolute pride and affection for her son flooding her system, and allowed the tears that had gathered in her eyes to fall. She sniffled, wiped at her face with her free hand and turned back to face Snow.
"I meant what I said Regina," she implored with round eyes that reminded the older brunette of stone walls and pleas for horse riding lessons, taking her back to the very crux of their reason for this discussion. "I'm not here to hurt you or cause any unnecessary harm."
"Then don't ask me to do this."
"But Regina-"
"No," and this time there was no rage in her tone, no sharp edges, just sheer exhaustion that came from her restless sleep, fresh nightmares taking place of those she'd been plagued with for most of her adult life, "your recollection of our shared time in your father's palace is far different than mine," she looked down to find Robin's other hand coming to join the two they already had joined and she couldn't help but glance up to shoot him a grateful, if sorrowful, smile because he'd held her as she'd told the stories, rocked her through every hysterical fit that had wracked her body and she knew he would continue to until she asked him not to. "I made a promise to myself," she began when she was finally able to look back to Snow with regret colouring her features, "that I would never burden you with the truth of what your father…" her throat constricted as a fresh wave of despair flooded her system and she fought against the images that haunted her once again, "what he d-did to me," she brought a fist up to press against her lips as Robin pulled her into his side, his own lips resting against her dark hair as he held her to him though did not stop her as she swallowed hard against the sobs she would allow to escape.
"Regina…" Snow sighed, the chair scraping against the wood of the dining room floor as she made to move though, thankfully, Charming tugged her back gently, stopping her with a pointed look that had her quieting and looking back to find Regina completely enveloped in Robin's arms, the man having moved to pull her shaking form into his arms.
"Come on Snow," her husband encouraged quietly, standing and stroking a hand down her arm, nodding to her when she turned with tears in her own eyes because, looking at how completely Regina had fallen apart, seeing how the woman was visibly trembling in her lover's grip was chipping away at her faith in her father, he could see that and she didn't need to be here when that happened.
So they left, with hands clasped and tears withheld, they left a broken woman to be tended to by one of the very people they knew able to help pick up the pieces. They left to tend to their own broken beliefs, their own broken view of a world they had once been so sure of.