Sooooo sorry for the delay... but I'll be posting three chapters this weekend so, y'know... I guess that's okay.

This is the morning after the last chapter so the burritos are a little down in the dumps this chapter. - x


"Regina, have you seen my white cashmere sweater anywhere?" Cora asks, flustered and clearly in a rush on Thursday morning. "I can't be late, the court case starts in under two hours and I need to get to the office and prep."

Regina stands from her slouched position at the kitchen counter and rolls her eyes, turning to see Cora shoving files into her purse in the hallway. "Is that the one that was in the pile just brought back from the dry cleaners?" She asks irritably, walking past her mother to get to the staircase.

"I think so," Cora replies, "can you check for me?"

"On it," Regina calls back, already halfway up the stairs when she spots Mary Margaret exiting her room in her uniform. "Have you seen my mothers cashmere sweater?"

"I think I saw it in the pile that Johanna picked up from the dry cleaners yesterday," the other girls shrugs, pointing to the laundry room.

Regina nods a thank you to her step sister and walks to the laundry room, skimming her hands over the piles of clothes before finding her mothers pile and sorting through it.

She's been trying. Since last night... since getting what she needed to hear from him, she's been trying not to cry. She promised herself she wouldn't. And she hasn't. She's been trying to distract herself.

She completed all of her homework before bed last night, actually listened to Mary Margaret yesterday at dinner, tidied her room after waking up this morning and now she's searching for mothers sweater. It's not like she wouldn't do it anyway if mother had asked, but she's basically volunteered to do it and that in itself if out of character.

Regina is trying. She's trying and she's doing well, she thinks. She hopes.

Its hard enough that she has a class with him today. She'll live up to her promise of never mentioning them again. He'll avoid her like he has been. Soon enough they'll fall into a bitter routine of attitude and longing and she doesn't know what's worse. That one day she'll come to loathe him, or that right now she still loves him.

It's ridiculous, and- ah! She's found mothers sweater. At least one person will be pleased with today's outcome. She's not looking forward to anything that may happen after she leaves this house. She has no reason to.

Regina leaves the laundry room and almost runs into Leo at the top of the staircase. "Regina," he acknowledges gruffly, stepping out of her way disdainfully like it's the hardest thing he's ever had to do.

"Sorry," she mutters back, scooting past him and walking down the stairs to where her mother is looking at her hopefully. "Found it."

She holds out the sweater to her mother and Cora receives it with a thanks and then kisses Regina on the cheek. "Thank you dear," she nods, before turning to look at Leo. "Good morning."

He leans down to kiss Cora and Regina takes that as her cue to leave. She walks away from the disgusting display of affection between her mother and her stepfather and wanders into a kitchen of even more affection. David has arrived, his face attached to Mary Margaret's.

It's everywhere. Love is everywhere. Happy people are everywhere and it's grating on her. Like some big joke that the universe and her life are having together at her expense.

"Mary Margaret your father is downstairs," she mutters, not knowing if it's because she wants them to stop being gross in front of her or if she's trying to save David from Leopolds wrath.

She'd go with the first option, because she's not growing soft and is not trying to save David and Mary from her step father telling them to stay away from each other. She couldn't care less whether Mary Margaret gets her teenage puppy love ripped away.

Could she?

The pair pull apart instantly and Mary Margaret offers Regina a grateful look which she can't help but smile shortly at. "Whoops," she swallows as her boyfriend (very attractive, mr dreamy, David Nolan) takes a bashful step away from her.

"Whatever," Regina shrugs it off, because she isn't bothered. She doesn't like either of these people. She doesn't. "I'm gonna get going," she announces pointlessly, glancing up at the clock to see it's still a little early to be leaving.

As she walks out of the room she hears Davids poorly whispered 'what's wrong with her?' and can't help but break her promise not to cry as a tear falls down her cheek. It's not fair that she's hurting this bad.


His eyes are sandpaper and he's barely watching the road. There's a dull throb at the back of his head and on his temple. His throat is dry, his eyes are scratchy, his palms are sweaty on his leather steering wheel.

He's probably still drunk, he thinks.

It's early morning, he has work today and yet he's still drunk from last night.

Robin has never been this irresponsible.

Well, apart from the time he quit his last job carelessly when Marian broke up with him. And that other time when he almost let Marians dog (which has since died) eat chocolate from the fridge. Oh and how could he forget that other time when he was dating and fucking a student for weeks on end.

And then got drunk over their break up on a school night and was still not quite sober in the morning.

Oh wait, that's right now.

His belly is all sloshy and loud, his mouth tastes like toothpaste and liquor and has he mentioned just how scratchy his eyes are?

He needs to pull himself together. He can't keep being self destructive, especially not over a girl.

But she's not just a girl. She's Regina. And she's beautiful and passionate and smart and stupid and a liar and gorgeous and a freaking liar and irresistible and oh wait, a liar!

But he's not supposed to be angry about that anymore. He's supposed to be over the little miss-information about her student status. And he is. Until moments like this when he just wants her kisses and cuddles and her pretty face and he can't because they can't.

He parks up in the teachers car park and takes a moment to just sit in his car. He's a little fuzzy, probably won't be much use in his first lesson of the sodding morning (aka the lesson Regina is in goddamnit) and he feels like he's probably going to throw up.

He finds the car sweets he has stashed somewhere on the back seat and shoves at least four into his mouth, letting the flavour of orange, strawberry and is that... lime? dance on his tongue and calm his stomach. He should've just taken the day off. Should've called in sick to avoid this atrocity of a morning that will probably follow to be an atrocity of a whole day.

But everyone knows that you cannot take a sick day in your first semester at a new teaching job. It's not a rule, it just looks bad.

After a few more moments he decides to man up and get out of the car, grateful when he's hit with a whoosh of fresh air. Today will be fine. All he has to do is not die and he's done alright in the grand scheme of things.

He reaches his classroom at least ten minutes before his first lesson. He takes this time to sort out the (thankfully) pre prepared classwork and prep the video, which is over 5 minutes long, on his computer. He'd forgotten to have coffee this morning, and there isn't enough time to run to the canteen for that shit in a cup but he thinks he has a water bottle from yesterday in his drawer somewhere.

It's grim and warm when he finds it and takes a gulp. Grim and warm but somewhat refreshing compared to the state he's in now. And he stays slightly refreshed until the bell blares out its high pitched squeal, making him jump as well as grimace at the sound.

After a long moment of it still ringing, he realises that is isn't the normal bell. It's the fire bell.

He's instantly on his feet, cursing this day for being so shit to begin with, and for his divorce being finalised last night and for Regina coming over and making him tell her that he loves her and for this crappy morning and for this stupid fire alarm which will not stop blaring.

He pushes the chair over before he realises he's done it. It tumbles to the floor in a loud clatter just as the alarm stops ringing in his ears. Huh. That worked.

He still needs to get outside, though. He knows he has to find his class and bring them back once all of the registers are taken. Where did Katherine say that the fire drill place was on his tour? Near the stables? On the-

"Robin? What are you still doing in here?" John asks out of breath as he throws open the door. "They need to register students and teachers."

Robin swallows hard and shakes his head, trying to collect his bearings before looking back at John. "Right," he nods, putting one foot in front of the other and walking after John as he leaves the room.

"It's just a drill, but they take it very seriously," John adds distantly as they make their way through the corridors and out to the back of the school.

He'd never figured that there were this many students. When they get outside to the field there are literally tonnes of them all standing in straight lines, different grades noticeable by the height difference.

"Thank you John. Was he the only one in there when you checked?" He hears Gold say from somewhere, but he's not even paying attention to Gold. He just needs to find his class so he can take them inside and get this crappy day over and done with.

He finds them at the end of the field. All 23 of them stood silently. This school does teach some great traits in these children.

Children.

Every time he thinks of that word he's reminded that Regina is one of those children and it makes his stomach churn a little. Makes him all irate and a little snappy and so when he actually goes to address his class and ends up laying eyes on her, all he can do is look away disgusted.

He doesn't mean to, but he does so anyway.

"Uhm... do you guys need to be registered?" He asks the young man stood at the front of the line, who he knows is one of her friends. Graham, was it?

"No sir," he shakes his head, before indicating somewhere in the distance. "The head of our grade already registered us. All present."

Robin takes his word for it and nods. "Okay. Do you know if I can take you guys in yet?"

Graham shrugs. "I think we have to wait until-"

"Okay, well done guys. You can get back to your first class now," Katherine's soft voice calls out across the field, and instantly the students begin to walk forward.

The walk back isn't as neat as standing in the lines had been. Students are rushing, pushing past each other, walking at a snails pace or standing around waiting on their friends and it's ridiculous. They're barely even off the field when he hears Regina's voice.

"Quit shoving you idiot," she mutters from somewhere behind him, and he can't help but turn around.

Jefferson is walking next to her in the crowd.

"Well move your big ass out of the way then," Hatter snaps back, sniggering when Regina growls.

Robin grits his teeth and waits until they're a little closer. "Jefferson can you please be a gentlemen and move out of Regina's space," he sighs casually enough to seem like he's just 'teachering'.

It's Regina who's next to open her mouth. "I don't need you to stick up for me," she spits, not even looking in his direction as they continue to follow the crowed.

"See what I mean, sir," Jefferson scoffs, "I'm not the one who needs to be spoken to. She was in my way."

"Okay enough of that please Jefferson," he grumbles, because this is a lose, lose situation. He can't stand Jefferson and he loves Regina but from a normal, unbiased, teachers perspective they're both being as immature as each other. He can't continue being unfair. "Just grow up, the pair of you."


She doesn't need him treating her special. She doesn't need him to fight her battles or jump in whenever she has an argument.

She doesn't need him at all.

It was ridiculous to think they could just act normal after everything they've been through. She'd never expected things to be normal and casual around them, she just doesn't want to be around him at all.

Not under these circumstances.

It doesn't help that she's sat in his lesson right now. He's talking to the class calmly (looking a bit rough around the edges, if she's honest) and she's ignoring everything he's saying. She's been like this since the incident on the field and she's not ready to dig herself out of this shitty mood she's in.

Daddy used to tell her that she could drag an hour into a whole week if she tried hard enough. She could stretch a centimetre into a mile and could continue any mood as long as she saw fit. He'd say it in a way that made it sound adorable. Like he wouldn't change her for the world or the moon or all the stars in the sky.

Robin sometimes speaks to her like that.

Like she's made out of fine china and stardust. He'll chuckle through her moody phases and snappy attitude, will give her this look when she's being stubborn and he will dote on her hand and foot when she's sad and she knows why now.

But it's not his place anymore.

He can't try to protect her or fight her battles or feel her moods radiating off of him like sunshine on his skin. They'd promised this to one another just last night.

"Regina?" Emma whispers from beside her, blue eyes intense and focused.

"Yes?"

"My mother said yes. You can stay over tomorrow night after the party."

The party.

The party, the perfect fix for her bad mood, the place where she can get wrecked and forget about everything crappy in her life. It's tomorrow and suddenly she's a little excited.

"Thanks, Emma," she smiles, fiddling with her pen and finally listening to 'Mr Locksley's' lesson.


"Rough night was it?"

Robin turns around to the sound and Katherine's voice when he's on the way to the car park at the end of this car crash of a day.

"How could you tell?" He scoffs as she falls into step with him.

She shrugs dumbly, looking at the floor. "You looked a little tired out on the field this morning. And look a little glum now."

He isn't offended by her blunt comment. It makes him chuckle actually. Reminds him a little of-

"So what was it? Bad nights sleep? Your wife in a bad mood? Kids being loud?"

She isn't being very subtle in trying to find out his marital status, is she?

"I'm divorced," he sighs, sucking in a deep breath and shaking his head. It's not as hard to say as it used to be. "Last night... my divorce was finalised, actually. So I'm a little..."

"Say no more," Katherine says, putting a hand on his shoulder. It's not exactly a lie, about his divorce, but he certainly couldn't care less about it.

Well, he does care about it, but it's numbed in the grand scheme of things. A divorce compared to his shambles of a relationship with Regina seems like child's play to him right now.

"How long were you married?" Is her next question, and Robin thinks that if he was anyone else he'd find the question insensitive.

"Three years. We were together for five," and because he's a little of kilter right now, he pointlessly keeps on talking. "I proposed on our second anniversary, actually. Dinner reservations at The Ivy. The ring was a little too big, but she didn't seem to care. Asked me if I'd stolen it at least twice."

He can picture her face now. When he'd asked Marian to marry him. Big, shocked, brown, pretty eyes locked with the glistening jewel on her dinner plate, and then seemingly reluctant eyes when he got down on one knee. And then her delicate, red lips smiling when he slipped the ring onto her slim finger and kissed her for what seemed like forever.

The memory is sweet but it doesn't make his heart flutter like it used to. It's dull to him now, and distant. She is distant. When was the last time he even thought about Marian?

He doesn't realize they've reached his car until they almost walk past it. He stops dead and blubbers over his words. "This is me," he announces, holding up his keys like she wouldn't realize he was talking about the car.

"Oh I... nice wheels," she indicates to his shiny, black Volvo. Yes, his car is nice if he says so himself.

"I'll let you get going. Hopefully you feel better tomorrow."

Robin gives her his first genuine smile of the day and nods his head. "Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow?"

She returns his smile and nods. "Of course."


She's feeling better in the evening. Just after dinner she draws herself a nice bubble bath and let's her muscles relax in the smoking water, soft music playing in the background and candles illuminating the room.

She takes time to breathe in the sweet air and unwind from all of her stress. She mentally lists things she's actually stressed about, has them all set in front of her so she can sort through them.

It's therapeutic.

Exams

Robin.

Being alone forever.

Robin.

Her relationship with Robin.

Lily Page not getting revenge for slapping her yet.

One by one, she ticks them off. Tells herself things she needs to hear;

You don't need to be worried about exams, Regina. You're smart and you have time.

Lily Page is a problematic bitch who will try and fail at whatever revenge she has planned for you.

Robin. Robin Robin Robin. You just need to forget about him. Once school is finished you never have to look at him again. You can move on. It's only gonna hurt for now.

You're not gonna be alone forever.

And then, she lists things she has to look forward to.

Leaving school.

Summer break.

Tinks surprise party tomorrow.

Yes. These are the things she should be thinking about. Letting loose and being free. And tomorrow will be where the good things start.

Right?