Chapter 6: Celebrations

Thanksgiving started off with a chase.

Despite having the day off, Regina still woke Roland up and told him he needed a bath after his swim the night before. Roland decided he didn't and took off running throughout the house. Emma joined in on the chase as they pursued the boy throughout the three floors of the mansion.

It ended when Robin caught his son, holding him tight as he delivered Roland to Regina. "Don't give Regina a hard time," he said. "Or else you'll have to explain to your grandparents why you're having a timeout on Thanksgiving."

"Yes, Papa." Roland took Emma's hand, looking at her with puppy eyes. "Will you help Regina give me my bath?"

Emma smiled down at him. "I'd love to."

She walked with Roland to the bathroom as Regina hung back, arms crossed. Leaning toward Robin, she said: "I think he has a crush."

"I think so too." Robin sighed. "My little boy is growing up."

"Don't worry. I don't think he's going to run off with Emma any time soon. But I should go chaperone those two." She winked at him and he laughed in response.

Regina walked into the bathroom, finding Emma kneeling by the tub as Roland played with his toys. She smiled as she knelt next to her friend. "So, did you shampoo his hair?"

"He was waiting for you," Emma replied. "We were just playing together."

"Why didn't you let Emma wash your hair?" Regina asked Roland.

He looked up at her with earnest eyes. "You do it a lot better. Even better than Papa."

"Of course she does. That's why she went to nanny school," Emma replied.

Roland nodded, well acquainted by now with her fictional nanny school, and smiled. "She does a lot of things better than Papa. But don't tell him. I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings."

"Your secret is safe with us," Emma said as Regina bit the inside of her lip to keep from laughing.

Robin appeared in the doorway. "You better hurry up, Roland. Pop-pop and Nana called and will be here shortly."

"Yay!" Roland jumped up, excited to see his grandparents. Water splashed on Emma, who recoiled, as he bounced all around.

Regina struggled to wrap him in a towel. "Roland, I need you to hold still so we can get you into your clothes. You can't see your grandparents while you're naked."

He held still long enough for her to put his clothes on—brown corduroys paired with a white button down shirt under a brown sweater. Once she ran a comb through his curls, she opened his door. "Go. Now you can run around to your heart's content."

"Thank you, Regina." He gave her a quick hug before racing from the room. She laughed as she returned to her room, sitting on her bed.

Emma wandered in shortly after, now in a dry shirt. "Your father is downstairs all settled in the den. He and Robin are deep in discussion about business and I have to say, Henry's looking a lot like his old self."

"That's good," Regina said. "I'm glad he was able to come out to meet Robin and Roland."

"I think he's glad as well. Anyway, you coming down? Will insists he's got everything under control but no one believes him."

Regina smiled but hesitated. "I think I'll hang out up here for a bit longer. Straighten up."

"Straighten up what?" Emma raised an eyebrow as she glanced around Regina's neat room. She sat down next to her friend. "What's really going on?"

"Nothing."

"You know I can always tell when you're lying." Emma leaned closer. "You're lying."

Regina sighed. "Fine. I'm nervous about meeting Roland's grandparents. They're Marian's parents."

"So? I'm sure they know Robin's hired a nanny. Besides, I'm sure they'll love you because Roland does."

"But how understanding will they be when they see my father and best friend have come to dinner?" She stood, pacing the room. "I can't risk any appearance of impropriety."

Emma sighed. "Robin's not your normal rich guy. Will told us that the first day we met him and time after time, Robin's proven him right. He treats you and Will like family, he lets us use the limo to go to your father's appointments, he sends his personal driver to pick you up at the ass crack of dawn, he invites your family to Thanksgiving dinner and then he lets us swim in his pool while drinking his alcohol. I think Marian was married to him long enough for her parents to realize that. I doubt they are going to blink an eye."

"You think so?" Regina wrung her hands as she stared at her friend. "You think I'm just being paranoid?"

"I know why you're paranoid. But just keep reminding yourself that Robin isn't Leopold. Okay?" Emma hugged Regina.

Regina pressed her head against her friend's shoulder. "Thank you, Emma. What would I do without you?"

"That's too scary to think about. Now, you ready to come downstairs?"

"Yes, I am." Regina pulled away and linked her arm with Emma's, leaving the room with her friend.

Before heading into the kitchen to help Will, Regina first checked on her father. He was still in the den, a blanket wrapped around his legs. Robin was no longer there but Roland was sitting next to him. Her father had somehow found a deck of cards and was entertaining her charge with some tricks.

"Is this your card?" Henry held up the two of hearts.

"It is!" Roland's eyes widened and he turned to Regina. "Your Papa is magic!"

Regina chuckled. "He sure is. Maybe, if you're lucky, he'll be able to find a quarter behind your ear."

"Nuh uh. You cleaned behind there and you never miss," Roland said.

Henry checked behind the boys ears and sighed. "I'm afraid he's right, Regina. You did too good a job."

Regina chuckled, coming over to sit next to Roland. "I'm sorry. But you know what, maybe later he can try again. You might've picked up something by then."

"Okay." He leaned against her as he turned back to Henry. "Can you do another card trick for me?"

"I'm afraid you don't have time. Pop-pop and Nana will be arriving any minute now." Robin walked into the room, holding out his hand to his son. "Let's go greet them."

Roland hesitated. "Do we have to go outside?"

"No. We can wait for them at the door. Can you do that?"

"Yes, I can do that." Roland hopped off the couch and took his father's hand. He glanced back at Henry. "I'll be right back."

Henry smiled. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."

Roland and Robin left the room as Regina sat down next to her father. "You really are getting along with him."

"He's easy to get along with," Henry replied. "So's Robin."

She nodded. "I know. Will calls it the Locksley charm."

Henry laughed, patting her hand. "So, are you going out to meet the grandparents?"

"No. I'll let Roland spend time with them. I'm going to go help Emma and Will in the kitchen."

"Well, before you leave, can you turn on the football game? Please?"

She chuckled, turning on the TV. "Try not to get too loud when yelling at the referees. We aren't at home."

"Of course," he replied absently, waving her off. Regina rolled her eyes as she headed into the kitchen.

Emma was preparing the sweet potatoes, looking up as Regina entered the kitchen. "Good. Will's struggling with the mashed potatoes. Take pity on him."

"I'm doing fine," he insisted, grunting as he tried to mash the potatoes.

Regina sighed. "Give that to me. You go focus on the turkey."

"You know, I have managed Thanksgiving dinner without you two beforehand," Will replied, handing the masher over to Regina.

"Those poor souls then," Emma retorted.

Regina hid her laugh as she began mashing the potatoes, adding butter and milk as needed. The door swung open and she heard familiar feet running toward her. "This is my nanny, Regina," Roland said from behind her.

She glanced up to see an older couple standing in the kitchen. Both had dark hair that was slowly turning gray with brown eyes surrounded by laugh lines. The woman Regina knew was Vivienne looked the most like Marian though she could see some of the woman in Paul as well. Wiping her hands on a towel, Regina held out one. "Nice to meet you two."

"It's nice to meet you." Vivienne shook her hand. "Roland insisted we had to meet you right away."

"You've made quite an impression on our grandson," Paul added.

Regina glanced down to find Roland smiling up at her as he leaned against her. She ran her hands through his curls. "Well, he's made an impression on me as well."

She looked back up to find Vivienne and Paul watching her with odd expressions on their faces. It took her a few seconds to realize that this was probably something Marian and Roland used to do—he would lean against his mother while she played with his hair.

"Well," she said, pulling away from Roland. "I have to finish helping Will with dinner. Why don't you go catch up with your grandparents? I'm sure you have lots to tell them about."

Roland nodded, pulling Paul and Vivienne away from the kitchen. "You have to meet Mr. Henry, Regina's papa. He can do magic!"

They left and Regina turned to Emma. "I don't think that went well."

"What do you mean? Roland adores you and you adore him. What more could they want?"

"For someone not to be taking their daughter's place?"

Emma sighed. "You're not doing that. Will, tell her she's being neurotic."

Will didn't respond right away and both women looked at him—Emma with annoyed expectation and Regina with fear. He sighed. "I think you're both right."

"How is that possible?" Emma asked.

"I think that right now, Roland is making things a bit bad for Regina without meaning to. He is probably making it seem like Regina is replacing his mother for him," Will said. "But once he calms down, they'll see she's not replacing Marian, that he still loves his mother and that Regina is really good for him."

"So I have to sit and wait?" Regina sighed. "Maybe I should've gone out and met them before Roland had a chance to sing my praises."

Will shrugged. "He would've done it anyway. Look, just give them time. They'll like you. You'll see."

"I hope so," Regina sighed.

Robin frowned as he studied Regina. She seemed to be nervous and on edge. Had something happened? Did someone say something? And why did he worry more about her than his in-laws, who also seemed to be less than jovial?

"Robin? Is something wrong?" Will asked.

"Something's troubling Regina."

Will nodded. "She doesn't think she got off on the right foot with Paul and Vivienne."

"What?" Robin sighed. "Why?"

"Roland might be a tad too enthusiastic about her for their tastes."

Robin closed his eyes, rubbing his face. "I'll talk with Vivienne. She's always been honest with me."

"You don't have to fix this," Will replied. "I'm sure they can sort it out. And if they don't like the nanny, so what? We like her."

"You know me. I like to make sure everyone is getting along."

"Bull," Will replied, careful not to have to contribute to the swear jar. "You just don't like that Regina is unhappy."

Robin glared at his friend. "Will, we've talked about this."

"I know. You don't feel like you're ready but your actions keep saying otherwise. Regina is more important to you than you want to admit."

Unable to answer, Robin excused himself to follow Vivienne into the kitchen. She looked over some of the dishes and he held out his hands. "Can I help with anything?"

"No, I think I have everything covered," Vivienne replied, not meeting his eyes.

"Is something wrong? You seem…off."

"My daughter is dead," Vivienne snapped. "She should be here but she's not and I can't help but focus on that."

Robin sighed, wrapping his arms around his mother-in-law. "I know. I miss her too. She should be out there, teasing Will and getting all of us to say what we're grateful for."

"It's not fair." Tears wetted his shirt and he rubbed her back. "You're not supposed to bury your own child and then go living on without her."

He let her cry on his shoulder, just like she had let him cry after they had buried Marian. She and Paul had been so strong for him and Roland, he should've known they would've needed to breakdown as well. "If you're upset that I invited Regina and her family at a time that should just be us, I'm sorry."

"Oh, no. It's just in your nature. And to be honest, Paul seems to be in his glory to have someone to talk football with in Henry." Vivienne dabbed her eyes with a tissue.

Robin let out a soft chuckle. His father-in-law had tried for years to convert Robin to American football but Robin stayed firm in his support of "real" football. He tilted his head as he asked Vivienne: "And you're okay with Regina? I know Roland might have been…too excited?"

She chuckled. "It's okay. He likes her, which is good. But I'll admit that when I imagined this nanny, I thought she would be someone closer to my age. I was a bit thrown off to see a woman about the same age as Marian."

"Regina isn't trying to replace her," Robin assured his mother-in-law. "Nor are Roland and I trying to replace Marian with her. He and I still talk about Marian all the time."

"Of course. But why do you ask about Regina? She's your nanny. We have no say in who you hire."

"Well, you might have a bit more sway than you think. But I ask because well…" He paused, rubbing the back of his neck. "Regina seemed off and Will said she thought you didn't like her."

Vivienne tilted her head, brown eyes boring into him. Like Will, she had an ability to see right through him. He squirmed as she sighed. "Since Marian wasn't living at home, it's sometimes easy to pretend that she's still alive. That she's here with you and Roland instead of…Well, when I walked and saw a beautiful woman with dark hair, for a moment I thought Marian was still with us. I'm sorry if she thought I was displeased. I just…I just had a moment."

"It's understandable." Robin held out his arm. "Come. I'll escort you back to the table."

"Thank you. I'll talk with Regina, let her know I have no issues with her. Especially since she's so important to Roland…and you."

"She's done a lot to help us." He ducked her piercing gaze, picking up the bowl of sweet corn. A pang of sadness went through him; it had been Marian's favorite dish.

Vivienne patted his arm. "Uh huh. If that's what you need to tell yourself for now, go ahead. But Marian would want you to move on."

Robin cleared his throat. "I'm not ready yet."

"I know," Vivienne replied. "But you will be one day. I just want you to be open to it and not spurn it because you think it's what's proper. Got it?"

He saluted her. "Yes, ma'am."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on. It's time for dinner."

It did not escape Regina's notice that Robin had followed Vivienne into the kitchen. She also noticed that they had been in there a long time. Marching over to Will, she pulled him aside. "Did you say something to Robin?"

Will held up his hands. "He asked and I answered."

"I don't want to cause any trouble."

"You're not." Vivienne's voice came from behind her. Regina turned slowly, somewhat relieved to find the woman smiling.

She took a deep breath. "I hope I haven't created any tension between you and Robin."

"No, you haven't. And I'm sorry if we got off on the wrong foot." Vivienne held out her hand. "I'm Vivienne. Nice to meet you."

Regina smiled, shaking the woman's hand. "It's nice to meet you too. Can I get you anything?"

"I'm good. Why don't we take our seats? I don't think I can wait another moment longer to eat," she replied.

"Sounds like a plan." Robin clapped his hands. "Everyone, have a seat and let's dig in before it gets cold."

Regina settled into a seat between her father and Emma, across from Roland. They passed around the dishes and she encouraged her father to eat. He sighed. "I'm afraid my appetite still isn't so great."

"That's okay, Daddy. You eat what you can." She patted his hand. Then she turned to Roland, who was pushing the greens on his plate around. "But you need to eat that."

Roland made a face. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, you do," Henry replied. "Do you want to be as smart as your Papa and Regina?"

"Yes," Roland answered quickly. He began to shovel the greens in his mouth.

As Robin warned his son to slow down, he met Regina's eyes. He gave her a wink before he turned to plate again. She did the same, praying her cheeks weren't as red as she feared they were.

Henry and Emma stayed through the weekend to celebrate Roland's birthday with them. Regina was grateful as his party was a small one. A few of his friends from when he still went to school came but most stayed away. It was probably difficult to relate to someone who had lost his mother, she figured. She watched as he ran around the playroom with his guests, his smile bright.

"Roland needs to socialize more," Robin said, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "It's just been so difficult."

She nodded. "I'm sure there are friends of his who wouldn't mind coming here. And I'm going to work with Dr. Hopper to help get him out of the house."

"That'll be a start." Robin crouched down as Roland ran up to him. "Are you having fun, my boy?"

"Yes, but can Mr. Henry do some of his magic tricks? Tommy, Sara and Eddie want to see them too," Roland said.

From behind them, Henry chuckled. "Bring your friends over, Roland, and I'll show them some tricks. Regina, could you go get my deck of cards?"

Regina returned shortly with his deck of cards as the children sat around him in a semicircle. Henry entertained them with several tricks as Will snuck the cake in with Vivienne. The woman smiled, leaning close to Regina. "Your father is a natural with children."

"He is," Regina agreed. "And he really likes Roland."

She nodded. "Roland really likes him as well. And you."

"Roland is a great boy. It's clear Marian was a great mother. I just try to continue what she started and hope I'm doing it as great as her."

Vivienne patted her arm. "Don't worry about that. Be the best nanny you can be and Roland will be fine."

Regina smiled. "Thank you. It means a lot that you're supportive of me."

"And thank you," she replied. "Robin chose well."

There seemed to be a deeper meaning to her words, Regina felt. But she filed it in the back of her mind, not ready to examine what Vivienne really meant. Instead, the two women went to corral the children so they could sing happy birthday and watch Roland blow out the seven candles (one for each year of his life and one for good luck).

Paul and Vivienne left after lunch on Sunday. Everyone made themselves scarce to let Roland have some private time with his grandparents. So Regina wasn't sure what had happened when she had a tearful young boy come barreling into her arms as soon as she heard the car pull down the driveway.

She knelt down, wiping his eyes. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"I wish Pop-pop and Nana didn't have to go," he said. "I miss them. And…when they were here, I didn't miss Mama so much."

"Oh, Roland." She held him close rubbing her back, unsure of what to say next.

Robin, though, did. He came in and knelt down next to the two of them. "Don't worry, Roland. Pop-pop and Nana will be back before you know it."

"You promise?" Roland sniffed.

His father nodded before gathering him into his arms. "I miss Mama too. So when you miss her, you can come to me. Together, we can miss her a little less. How's that?"

Roland nodded, cuddling closer to his father. Feeling like an intruder, Regina stood and excused herself. Robin looked up and mouthed "thank you" to her. She smiled before closing the door behind her.

She headed down the hall to the guest room Henry had been staying in. He sat in a comfortable chair by the window, watching the scenery around them. "Robin has a beautiful property," her father said.

"He does," Regina agreed. "I feel like I'm living in a fairy tale."

Henry chuckled. "Robin certainly seems like he would be Prince Charming."

"Marian certainly was lucky."

"And what about you?" Henry asked.

Regina sighed, closing the door so she could sit by him on the bed. "You've been talking with Emma, haven't you?"

"Of course we talk. We live together," he replied, cheekily. "But anyone could see you and Robin have a connection, Regina."

"He's a great guy. But he's not ready to move on yet. And I cannot get involved with my employer. You remember what happened last time."

"Robin is not Leopold," Henry told her, echoing Emma yet again.

Regina sighed. "I know you just want me to be happy, Daddy. And I am. Just being Roland's nanny and Robin's friend. Okay?"

"Okay." Henry patted her hand. "Just…Just don't close yourself off to any possibility. Happiness can be anywhere, my dear."

She nodded before hugging Henry. "I'm so glad you spent the weekend here."

"Me too." He kissed her head. "Maybe Robin will invite us for Christmas as well."

"Knowing Robin, that's a very good possibility." She smiled as someone knocked on the door.

Regina opened it to find Roland on the other side. He looked up at her with pleading eyes. "Can I say goodbye to Mr. Henry?"

"Of course, Roland. Come on in." She stepped aside and the boy ran over to her father, who leaned forward to hug him.

"Will you visit me again, Mr. Henry?" Roland asked.

Henry smiled. "If my health allows me, I'd love to visit with you again, Roland. Now, you take care of Regina for me, okay?"

Roland nodded, solemn. "I will."

"Okay, Roland," Regina said. "My father needs to get ready to go. Why don't you go play?"

After one hug, Roland walked away from Henry and took Regina's hand. "Will you play with me? Please?"

"In a little bit, okay?" She hugged him before sending him on his way. Turning back to her father, she sighed. "Let's get you downstairs and in the car."

Regina watched as the limo carrying her father and Emma drove away. Behind her, she could feel Robin watching her and she ignored how her stomach twisted at the thought.

"You okay?" he asked.

She took a deep breath and gave him a half-truth. "Just missing them already."

"You'll see them soon enough." He rubbed her arm. "I hate to say it, but Christmas will be here before we know it."

Regina nodded, trying not to focus on the feel of his hand on her arm. She tried to find some reason to excuse herself when Roland came barreling into the kitchen. "Can we play now?" he asked, exasperated.

The laughed and they each took his hand. Robin smiled down at his son. "Lead the way, Roland."

As he dragged them to his playroom, Regina tried not to think how much they looked and felt like a real family. It was too dangerous.

A/N: Surprise! I finished this and was like, "I can get it up." And I did!

Looks like Robin's and Regina's attraction to each other is obvious to everyone…but them. How long will they keep fighting it?

The Winter Masquerade will be in the next chapter, which I promise to get out before Christmas. Will it be a fairy tale or a nightmare for Regina?

Find out!

-Mac