It's been a while, but have got a lot of free time on my hands at the moment and am hoping to get back into writing again. Especially after our beloved pairing making a come back of sorts in the finale - found some inspiration again. Enjoy and please review!

Chapter 9

The days had got colder, it had been a while since Roland turned 2. In fact the lead up to christmas was upon them and that led to two very excitable little boy's and cosy days in. It had been a tough few months of adjustment and Robin was still struggling with the fact that Marian had abandoned their little boy. He had lots unanswered questions that were getting in the middle of his relationship with both Regina and Roland. He just wanted to know why. He wanted to be able to have answers for Roland. He wanted to be able to move forward with Regina but he was struggling with the responsibility he feared he had forced on on her. Had he forced her to be a mother again? Was history repeating itself? Of course, Regina had been as supportive as ever. She understood that this was tough but she'd meant what she'd said, this didn't change them. She wanted to be there, she wanted their family. It was because of this Roland was spending the day at Regina's building forts with Henry and herself whilst Robin had some time to alone. Regina knew how hard it was to be a single parent and Regina wasn't going to let Robin feel like that, he had her. They may not live together, a step they'd considered in passing but both too afraid to make the step. There had been so much change already, they didn't want to unsettle the boys more than they had to.

"Ro you can have my special Hulk pillow" Regina blissfully smiled to herself as she finished tying up the last blanket focusing on the structure whilst the boys took the interior. She took a moment to admire what they'd created, not the fort but this. A family.

"Mommmyyyyyyyyyyy come sit with us!"

"I'm coming" She scrawled in to the sight of her two favourite boys cheeky faces.

"Lie down" Regina attempted to position herself amongst a fort that was really only large enough for the boys.

"Lie down!" Henry whined

"Can you stop being so bossy" Regina reprimanded Henry before giving him a sweet smile, seeing so much of herself in that little boy of hers.

Roland began to get up wanting to be close to Regina.

"Ro you have to lie down in the fort, it's the rules" Henry shouted causing Roland to get very upset.

"Enough Henry, there aren't any rules for the fort. It isn't yours its for both of you." Henry could be very particular when he wanted to. Roland snuggled in to Regina's side, resting his head on her chest whilst fiddling with the buttons of her purple blouse, his thumb in his mouth as he comforted himself.

"He might break it!"

"Henry it's fine, he's not doing any harm. I think this may be our best fort yet"

"And Rownd helped" Roland perked up,

"You did! You're both very clever! Daddy would be very proud of you both!"

"I want to show daddy!" Henry got very excited at the mention of Robin.

"Well we can show him later, he's seeing Uncle Will at the moment"

"I like Uncle Will" Roland sat up eyes sparkling,

"He's fwunny"

"I thought I was funnier" Regina teased beginning to tickle Roland, it quickly escalated into Roland rolling around, Henry joining in until they were a pile of happy tears, giggles and wriggles.

"Mummy I think you may be funnier than Uncle Will" Henry concluded, which Regina couldn't help but stroke his cheek in response and kiss his forehead.

"I have an idea, we can show daddy your fort before he picks up Roland. Shall we take a photo?"

Henry's face lit up with excitement, his chest puffed out with pride.

"Daddy seeee" Roland squealed.

"Yes daddy will be able to see, you going to sit with Henry?" Henry encouraged his little brother to settle next to him. Regina got out her phone as Henry wrapped his arm around his little brother.

"Ready you two, say cheese"

Henry beamed his response but Roland had a cheeky glint in his eye and used all his concentration to stick his tongue out. Regina hadn't noticed till after she'd taken the photo.

"Were you being a little monkey?" Regina tickled him making the little boy laugh.

"Roland was making a funny face" Regina explained to Henry.

"I want to make a funny face!" Regina sighed, of course that would have been her son's response.

"Ok one more, you ready?" Regina giggled as Henry pulled his cheeks apart with his fingers whilst Roland returned to his signature pose. Regina laughed to herself as she began to tap out the caption and send to Robin.

What a pair of monkey's we have! But you'll never guess who the instigator was this time!

"So whose thirsty?"

As Regina scrambled out of the fort to make refreshments for her little prince and knight the doorbell rang.

"You two stay here. Henry don't even think about smuggling in snacks i'll know about it" She called through just as she opened the door. Her voice became lost at the sight of the visitor at the door. Her palms were sweaty, her heart began to beat faster and she could have sworn she felt the onset of bile trickle up her throat.

"Mother?" She found herself resided back to that little girl whenever she was in her mother's presence.

"Well are you going to invite me in or will I catch pneumonia before that happens?"

Cora strode in

"Why are you here?" Regina began to follow her mother into the lounge.

"Well I came to see you of course" Regina practically rolled her eyes at her own stupid question.

Henry and Roland had stopped what they were doing at the sound of a new voice. Henry looked to his mother for reassurance, he rarely saw his grandmother and when he did it usually ended with abruptly leaving and his mother fighting back tears. He would never understand why his grandma made his mummy so sad. She gave her little prince a reassuring smile, noting his hug of assurance around Roland who had withdrawn from his cheeky antics previously.

"I seem to have interrupted Henry's play date with his friend" Cora commented, her words hitting Regina like a brick wall. Roland. She hadn't told her mother about Robin, that they were together again. That there was a them. She knew her mother's thoughts on the matter, she was also old enough to make her own decisions. She didn't want her mother coming in and analysing something that was already very fragile, their family was rather delicate at the moment and her mother most certainly lacked a mother's nurturing touch.

"No Grandma, Roland's my little brother" before Regina could even prepare for the explanation with her mother, her little prince had dropped the bombshell. Her eyes shot up, the two boys beaming smiles and sparkling eyes melted her heart, but the whole moment was undercut by her mother's piercing glare.

"Mother this is Roland, Robin's little boy"

"Robin" Cora's head snapped round. Regina was taken back to that moment all those years ago where she told her parents she was pregnant. The judgement from her mother that she was to do this alone, even if that had been out of choice. Regina hated that her mother even dared to judge Robin, especially as a parent. He excelled in ways Cora could never even attempt to. He'd always been there for Henry, he'd always gone above and beyond for his little boy. Both of his boys. Roland had wriggled from Henry over to Regina in search of some maternal reassurance

"Gina"

children could pick up on unsettling dynamics. Regina instinctively scooped him up into her arms and cradled him against her chest.

"Regina I feel a catch up is overdue" Her mother signalled to the kitchen. Why did it suddenly feel as though her entire world was being flipped on it's head. Why did this one woman who was meant to always be there trigger long past anxieties. Why did her mother lack any trace of motherhood?

Henry looked towards her with an apologetic face, feeling responsible for causing his grandmother's anger. He knew her ability to belittle and hurt his mother. He sunk into himself and Regina's heart broke. She placed Roland down and settled him back into his fort. She reassured his grizzles at her leaving him, before she turned to her little prince and whispered.

"It's ok, you look after Roland for me"

"Grandma's making you sad" he hushed back. Regina cupped his cheek before placing a kiss on his forehead. She didn't know how to address that, because yes her mother made her sad. She couldn't reassure her little boy of that but she also didn't want him to worry about her. That was her job.

"I'll make us some hot chocolate" Henry beamed before kissing her cheek.

She held onto the feeling of Henry's unconditional love before her mother began to take her entire being apart and everything she held dear. As she left the room she heard her little boy reassure Roland with the thought of hot chocolate, not that he'd be able to have much. But it did make her feel better, she'd made that little boy, Robin and her. She would protect them with everything she had.

She walked into the kitchen with the strong intention of making hot chocolate for her boys. She needed a distraction from the force that her mother was about to hit her with.

"So were you going to tell me?" Well Cora wasn't going to beat around the bush, but then again when has she not.

"I don't know" Mistake. Honesty wasn't always the best route to go down with her mother.

"What?"

"What difference does it make"

"My daughter is suddenly back together with the guy that knocked her up and left her high and dry"

"Robin didn't abandon me! I chose to do it on my own. I pushed him away" Regina's insecurities were rising. Her 'd taken so much from Robin, that was her not him.

"Where was he when you gave birth? Scans? He wasn't there"

"But not because he didn't want to be. I was the one that stopped him. You know that?"

"What sort of man bows down to what a woman wants"

"A considerate one" Regina bit back

"Well he was to be a father, if it meant so much to him, he'd have been there"

"He was doing what I wanted him to do. He knew I wasn't ready, he didn't want to push me"

"That was always your problem Regina, you were always so naive."

Henry sat cocooned in his fort, the blanket buried up to his and Roland's chin. He held on to his little brother tighter than he ever had before. He could hear the shouting. He didn't like fighting. He felt powerless. If he went in to the kitchen he knew things would get worse for his mother. He needed his daddy, his mummy needed his daddy. But he wasn't there…

"He hasn't just walked back in! He's always been there for Henry"

"And that's why you just let him jump straight back into your bed"

"He didn't jump… It doesn't matter what you think or say"

"Of course not, because when have you ever listened to what I've had to say"

"We've taken this slowly, it wasn't something we jumped into"

"That little boy in there's attachment to his 'Gina' suggests otherwise."

Regina turned back to making the hot chocolate, she couldn't stand facing her mother for another moment.

"Mother why are you here? Because it clearly wasn't to see me or Henry"

"It was! I even brought that grandson of mine a gift"

Regina had to laugh as she choked back tears that had begun to surface.

Regina carried on with the hot chocolate, collecting the squirty cream from the fridge and marshmallows.

"You spoil him. That's Robin's doing that is!" That was the final straw. Regina had to get out of there. She couldn't be in the presence of her mother. She felt useless, inadequate. Maybe her mother was right, maybe she was no good for them all. Maybe she just papered over the cracks with treats. Maybe they didn't have a future? Was this a good idea?

She strode out of the room slamming the kitchen door before escaping to her bedroom. She needed a moment, she didn't want the boys to see herself as a broken shell. They didn't need her right now. How wrong could Regina be.

Back in the lounge, Henry continued to reassure Roland who did just want his Gina. He still struggled without Robin or Regina's presence, the effects of everything they were all coping through showing it's head in Roland.

"It's ok, daddy will fix this"

As if on queue the front door opened and a rather out of breathe Robin raced through it. He chucked his spare key down on the entrance table with his bag and quickly surveyed what was going on. He happened upon the lounge first of all findings his boys all huddled back. At the sight of daddy, the blanket got thrown back and both boy's raced towards his arms.

"Where's mummy?" Robin asked as calmly as possible, he knew what that woman put Regina through. He couldn't bare to have not been here to defend her.

"She's upstairs. Daddy, Grandma was really shouting" Henry's concern, the lack of sparkle in his eyes broke Robin.

"Hny look after me" Roland whispered sweetly

"Did he little man, aren't you lucky to have such a sweet big brother"

"Daddy, I told grandma that Roland was my brother" Robin hated that Henry knew why his grandma had got so angry.

"I'm sorry"

"Hey bud, this isn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong"

"But grandma was so angry with mummy. She made her sad"

"You looked after Roland, you did what all the best big brother's do"

"Will you look after mummy?" Henry's words held so much power, he just wanted to know that Daddy would fix this.

"I will, always. Now will you two stay in here for me. Whatever Grandma says you two stay in here, got it"

"We've got it daddy, don't we Ro?" Roland nodded sweetly, holding tightly to his elephant, the soft fluffy material comforting to him as he sucked his thumb. Robin got up to go find Regina, but he couldn't not praise his boys before he left

"Oh I got your photo, it's even better in person" He ruffled both his boys hair before he left them, taking a double take to reassure them it would all be ok before he raced up to Regina's bedroom, not even a second thought for Cora at that moment. He reached her door, he took a deep breathe. This brought back so many memories, memories of the day his whole world changed forever but for the better. He knocked gently, he didn't wait to hear her answer. Her body was curled up, facing away from the door, the rise and fall of her shoulders told him she'd been crying. He gently sat down on the bed and caressed her thigh reassuringly.

"Regina?" She lifted her head, sitting up embarrassed frantically trying to wipe her tear stained face away but at the sight of his concerned eyes she couldn't hold it together. She collapsed into his arms. He didn't say a word he just held her reassuringly allowing her to catch her breathe before she realised.

"Why are you back already?"

"Henry" Robin whispered "You left your phone in the lounge, he called me when your mother's shouting became too much"

She buried her head in his chest.

"Are the boys ok? I left them in the lounge, I was making them hot chocolate"

"They are fine, Henry's looked after Roland"

"She's right" Robin pulled away from Regina at that comment, catching her attention

"What's she right about?"

"I'm naive"

"Regina what did she say to you?" Robin could feel the anger bubbling.

"I'm naive to think that I could do this, that I was enough. Henry didn't always have his daddy because of me. You missed out because of me"

"Regina stop. Listen to me. You never stopped me from being the father I wanted to be"

"I did. You didn't get to see him being born, missed his first steps"

"None of that matters because I have him. I have you. You were so brave. You took on motherhood on your own, I can barely handle fatherhood on my own and I've done it before"

"You're an amazing father"

"But look at me, I needed a break. You do this day in day out, you've become the mother figure to Roland"

"Hey, this is completely different. You need time to yourself to get your head around everything that's not because of Roland or Henry. That doesn't mean you aren't good enough. You're doing this for them. But you don't have to, you have me. You'll always have me" Regina was taking strength from Robin.

"Your mother will never understand. But don't let her make you doubt yourself. Doubt this or us. Are you happy, because that's all that matters. That this is what you want"

Regina looks deep into his eyes as he caresses her cheek, his gentle strokes reminding of everything she's ever wanted, all she ever needed.

"I couldn't be happier" She whispered back tentatively.

"Then we can get through this. You, me, Henry and Roland. I won't let her tear us apart, she has no right to continue to manipulate your feelings like she always did. You're in control. I will always support you but you get to make the decision" Regina took his face into her palms before she gave him a searing kiss and wrapped her arms around his middle and rested her head against his chest.

"Come on, let's go find those boy's of ours. I'll fix the hot chocolate"

"What about my mother?"

"I'll sort that too"

"Robin?"

"Don't worry, I've got this" he kissed her once more before they made their way back downstairs.

Regina found the boys in the lounge whilst Robin headed for the kitchen.

"Mommy!"

"Gina!"

She scooped the boys up, Henry's worried little face stared strongly towards her.

"I'm ok I promise"

"Did daddy look after you?"

"He did"

"I asked him to" Henry proudly puffed out his chest.

"That reminds me, do we need a conversation about using mummy's phone?" Henry bowed his head.

"I know why you did Henry, you did the right thing. I'm proud of you. But you don't need to worry about me"

"But you were sad"

"Sometimes adults get sad just like you two do"

"I don't like it when you're sad"

"Me neither" Robin re-entered the room, hot chocolates with the full works on a tray for them all. The boy's eyes bounced out their sockets, Roland's was considerably smaller though with him only being two. He placed the hot drinks down and nestled down between his family.

Regina helped Roland to take a sip of his drink, encouraging him to blow on it first, Henry too.

"What about mother?" she whispered to Robin

"I highly encouraged her to leave"

"And she just left?"

"I didn't exactly give her a choice"

"I love you" Regina kissed Robin.

"And I you"

She nestled her head against Robin's shoulder before they both turned their attention back to their boy's, squirty cream beards and all.

Regina was exactly where she was meant to be. Whatever her mother said, Robin was who she needed and this family meant everything to her.