Hi :) I know I'm late with this update and sorry for that. I decided to shorten this chapter because if it stayed as I had thought, I would be very late with the update (since I still haven't finished the second part) and I didn't want to leave you without another chapter for too long.
I'm still looking for a beta, so if you had time and if you're interested, just send me a pm. I'd rather someone who already knows the story, that's why I'm leaving this note here. :)
Thanks for the reading and I hope you like it!
Chapter 10.
The kitchen was a mess. There was a bunch of different ingredients spread across the counter, the sink was filled with dishes and pots, and it was possible to hear a mixture of sounds of the stove, the oven and other machines. Robin walked into the kitchen with the hands full of bags, placing them on the table.
"I brought what you asked me." he addressed Regina, who had been cooking the whole afternoon.
"Thank you." he heard her saying until Roland jump from his seat at the table and run toward him.
"Papa!" he lifted his little arms in signal for Robin to pick him.
"Hey, little man." he greeted, holding him in his arms. "Do you helped Regina, while I was out?"
"Yes" he answered, nodding seriously and with his eyes wide open.
"Really?" Robin asked, widening his eyes too.
"Well, he helped me to clean the dishes." she replied, winking at the little boy.
"Yes, daddy. I ate all the cookie dough that was left" Roland replied, making Robin smile. "and mommy said the plate was really clean." he continued, making them laugh. "Can I go to my room now?"
"Yes, you can." Robin answered, putting him back on the floor. "Are you sure you want to have all this work? Cook for all these people?" he asked, approaching Regina without disturbing her movements.
"It's not so much people. Only the closest." she replied, focused on the stove. "I just invited the Charmings, Emma, Hook, Tink, Belle, and if you want Will and Little John."
"When we become so close to so many people?" he bantered with her, seeing her genuine smile. She really liked to feel loved, and leave her awful past behind. "Wait, go back." she heard him say. "If you invited Belle, that means... Rumple will be here?"
"I can deal with him." she replied, her gaze never leaving her task.
"I know you can, the problem it's not you." Robin riposted. "I simply don't trust him."
"But Belle helped me." she replied. "I won't keep her out because she has a doubtful taste for men. Besides, if she likes him, maybe he has finally changed."
Robin couldn't help but scoff. "Yeah, how many times he had supposedly changed?"
"I don't care. I'm not afraid of him. I want to invite Belle, they're a couple, so." she wouldn't give in. "And, I don't recognize you." she stopped what she was doing to face to him. "Belle's a friend."
"You know I like Belle, I just don't like who's coming with her." he replied, seeing her roll her eyes. They wouldn't argue because of that, so Robin approached her, wrapping his arms around her waist before continuing. "We're a family now, one that is about to grow up, and I won't let anyone hurt you."
"No one's going to hurt us." she replied, placing her hands on his biceps. "It's just a dinner."
They were interrupted by Henry, who got into the kitchen without saying a word, just to steal some snacks.
"Hey." Regina reprimanded him, giving a pat on his hand. "That is for dinner." And then, she eyed him up and down, frowning at what she saw.
"Look at you, so handsome." Robin noticed without getting nothing from the boy.
"What's that for?" Regina inquired him, arching a brow.
"You said it was a party." Henry claimed. He was dressed with a shirt and pants very different from his usual jeans, but wasn't none of these things that caught Regina's attention.
"A bow tie?" she pointed out with a smirk on her lips. "It's a party, not a wedding."
"I thought you would like it." Henry replied, shrugging.
"I like-"
"So, what's the point?" he interrupted her, kissing her forehead while he placed an arm above her shoulders. He was all grown up, he was not her little kid anymore. He was far bigger than her and she couldn't help but lay her head on his shoulder.
"The point is that you're a grown man now, and clearly there is something you're not telling me, but it's okay, I just want you to promise me that I will be the first person you'll talk if you need something."
"Mom, are you really saying these things to me right now?" he frowned at her. "This has to be because of the pregnancy, because I'm not getting."
"Henry," she left his embrace to face him. "I know this is a little embarrassing at your age, but when you have a girlfriend-"
"Aaand I'm gone." he interrupted her, making his way to steal more snacks before he head toward the door.
"Henry" she called him before he could leave the room.
"I love you, mom." he said, without stopping in his tracks.
"Don't steal my food." she sneered, louder so he could listen outside. She glanced at Robin, who was trying to not laugh. "What?"
"Good approach." he teased her.
"Funny. I know who will have this conversation with him, then." she replied, approaching the oven, that has beeped. "Saved by the beep." she bantered, while she checked the food in it and turned the buttom of the time to add more 10 minutes.
#
The doorbell rang in their house, again. Robin hesitated before bring his hand to turn the key and open the door. Only were missing two more people, and Robin knew exactly who they were.
"Belle, hi." he greeted her with a hug. He really liked Belle, it wasn't her who he didn't wanted to see in their house. "Gold." he said, shaking hands with the man in front of him. He promised that he would be respectful, but he wouldn't be fake and pretend he liked him. He closed the door behind them, leading them to the living room where everybody was. He watched Regina greet them, always with an eye on Rumple, and he knew that, later, Regina would scold him, she was already glancing at him, but he didn't care. It was his family. She reached him, wrapping an arm around his waist to show him that everything was okay, and he instinctively put an arm around her shoulders. A protective gesture. Emma approached them, with Hook in a hand and Regina and Robin's expressions changed for a smile.
"A dinner, hm?" the blonde woman couldn't help but raise a brow for them. "Can I ask why?"
Regina looked at Robin and they knew, at the same time, that the couple in front of them would be the first to know, so Regina just answered Emma's question in a simple and clear way.
"I'm pregnant."
Emma's jaw dropped open and she couldn't help but pull Regina into a hug.
"Congratulations!" they drew some attention, but nothing that could spoil the surprise for the others. "Sorry." Emma said when she saw other eyes looking at them.
"Congratulations, mate." Killian said, shaking hands with Robin.
"Now that I'm looking at you... you couldn't hide it for much longer." Emma noticed, looking at Regina's belly. "Henry knows?"
"Yes, he was the first to know." Regina answered with a smile, remembering when the boy burst into her hospital room. "We can't hide anything from him."
"True." Emma replied, giggling. "I'm really happy for you." she said. "Maybe, from now on, my mother will let Neal with you and not with me." the blonde played with them.
"Why I would do that?" they heard Snow's voice, approaching with David, who was carrying the baby. Emma smiled at Regina, waiting for her to say something, but Snow was faster. "Oh my god, are you..." she started, looking at Regina's stomach. "Are you pregnant?"
"I am." she confirmed, with a smile on her lips.
"David, what have I told you?" Snow said to her husband, making Regina lift her eyebrows. "When I came to see you," she continued, now, looking at Regina. "I saw the way you looked at Neal. I just knew it."
"Congratulations." David said.
"Thank you." Regina said, genuinely. "And you two?" she addressed Emma and Hook. "No chance to give Henry another brother or sister?"
She saw Hook react at her question. He was scratching his neck like he was uncomfortable.
"Me and kids...I'm not their favorite person." he said, when he saw Regina staring at him.
"That's a lie. They love you." Emma replied, turning to him. "When you taught Henry to navigate, he talked about nothing but you."
"It looks like Emma is looking forward to it." Robin teased them.
"Oh no, no." the blonde giggled. "At least, not for now."
"By the way, where's Henry?" Regina asked, looking at Robin, who shrugged in response.
"Upstairs?"
"Can you get him for dinner? Please." she asked him as he left them to go upstairs.
#
"I love your room." the girl complimented, sitting on the bed and looking around. "So many books."
"Thanks." Henry said, stopping in front of one of the shelves to grab his fairy tales book. "Let me show you the most important one of my collection."
"Wow." Paige said, when he handed her the brown book. "Once upon a time."
"Do you know what that is?" he asked, seating beside her. "Is the book with everyone's story."
"I remember seeing you with this at school." she said, opening the book.
"Yeah, look here." Henry said, leafing through it, until he finds Jefferson's story.
"It's my dad." she points out. "Wait," she said when he turned the page. "It's you with him?"
Henry frowned, staring at the page. "Yes, but... how... that wasn't supposed to be here."
"You never saw this?" Paige asked, looking at him.
"No. It wasn't there the last time I checked." he said, turning to face her. " This is your stories, not mine."
She read that last pages of their story, that included Henry's conversation with Jefferson.
"You brought my father to me?" she asked, once she finished the read.
"No, I just-"
"It's what's said here." she interrupted him with a smile.
"No, he was scared to talk to you." he explained before she could interrupt him again. "I just gave him a hand."
She stared at him with a shy smile on her face, "Thank you." receiving other from him, and before he could say something, she brought her lips closer, to place a kiss on the corner of his mouth. Henry just held his breath, until they heard the room door open and a voice addressing them.
"Hey, let's din-" Robin interrupted his words when he saw the young girl standing up quickly, keeping her back to him. For brief seconds, the room was silent, Robin looking at them from the open door whilst Henry's gaze switched between Robin and Paige. "The dinner is ready." Robin finally broke the silence, trying to not make the situation more awkward.
"I'm gonna wash my hands." Paige said, leaving the room without look to none of the boys. Robin was still at the door, waiting for Henry so they could go downstairs to eat.
"What happened?" he asked, not sure of what he had seen, when the boy approached him.
"Nothing." Henry answered, passing by him.
"Are you sure? Because you two look flushed." Robin replied, seeing the boy stop on his tracks and take a deep breath, turning to face him.
"She just kissed me, okay?"
"Okay." Robin replied.
"Okay? Aren't you going to say something else?" Henry asked, frowning.
"What do you want me to say?" Robin asked, staring at him. He didn't want to push him.
"I don't know." the boy answered, shrugging and sighing in defeat. "What do I do?" he asked, looking for help. "I don't want things to be awkward."
"Don't need to be." Robin replied, placing a hand on his shoulder. "If you like her, tell her." he shrugged, like it was the most simple thing in the world. "Just be honest."
"Thanks." Henry said before they were interrupted by a voice down the hall.
"Everybody's waiting for you." Regina said, approaching them and seeing Henry leave for the dining room without saying a word. "What happened?" she asked Robin.
"I think you have a daughter-in-law." he said, placing an arm around her shoulders.
"What?"
Since I shortened this chapter and I have the chance to write a second part, I want to ask you if you guys want to read Henry's conversation with Paige and if you want me to write the reaction, to Regina's pregnancy, of a specific character. Just ask :). So I will leave here these two questions.
See you at the next chapter ;) (I hope it won't be long before I can update)