Chapter 10

Deep in the forest, a party raged on. Marian's miraculous return from the dead had been met with stunned disbelief then overflowing delight from the merry men, and an impromptu celebration was held to welcome her back to the camp. Roland was safely tucked away asleep, and Marian was swept away by the festivities, a welcome distraction from the events of the past few days (or decades) which had left her completely overwhelmed. Robin sat next to a tree trunk, slightly away from the party, pleading exhaustion when his men asked him to join in, although Marian's keen eye on him told him that she at least didn't believe him.

The events of the previous night played over and over again in Robin's mind. He never thought he would ever see Marian again, never thought Roland would ever get a chance to know his mother. And yet, it wasn't the image of an alive and breathing Marian in the diner that was seared into his mind. No, the image that was burned into his retinas was the agonized expression on Regina's crying face as she stepped away from him and disappeared from the diner.

Guilt gnawed at Robin, because while it was his wife that was back, it seemed as though his merry men were even more overjoyed than him. He knew Marian saw his reticence and he felt even worse. It was difficult for him to even muster up a smile, though, because all he felt was heartbreak, as he thought back to the last time he saw Regina – in the hallway of her house as they had one of the most difficult conversations of his life. He remembered the strained way in which Regina held herself, the tears she fought to keep at bay, and he wanted nothing more than to tug her into his arms and never let her go again. But Marian slept on in the room at Granny's, chest rising and falling with each breath, and that was his wife, his first love and the mother of his child, and she was lost and alone in this strange new time and realm. He would not, could not, abandon her.

Even if walking away from Regina felt like part of his soul was being ripped away from him, and maybe it was, as his sleeve rode up and the lion tattoo on his wrist was revealed. They were destined to be together, Regina had said, and in that moment he had felt joy as he had never known before, seeing that as confirmation that this pull they felt from each other was real. Now that same tattoo mocked him, reminding him of a future he had scarcely began imagining for himself before it was taken away by the fates.

As the party wound down and his men finally succumbed to sleep, he finally made his way over to Marian. She had always been perceptive, and tonight, even overwhelmed and confused, was no exception. She had seen Regina's extreme reaction to her return and Robin's own distance, and had connected the dots herself. She asked him about the exact nature of his relationship with Regina. It was then when Robin had the second most difficult conversation in his life, as he told Marian of his life without her. His guilt and grief over losing her and how Roland had filled the gaping hole in his heart, and then how in Regina he had begun to find happiness again.

Marian sat in silence through his long confession, shock on her features as he spoke of the happiness he had found with Regina, her captor and would-be executioner. After the tale he begged for her forgiveness and understanding, hating to see the tears on her face and knowing he put them there. She stumbled away, into the tent where their son slept, and Robin spent his first of many nights outside the tents, watching over the camp as everyone else slept.

Days passed, and with the threat of Zelena gone, the daily grind of life resumed. Several of Robin's men voiced concerns to him about their continued survival in this new realm. This forest was unfamiliar to them, the reliance of technology in this realm completely incomprehensible to them. Temperatures had dropped further as the days progressed, and unprepared as they were, they had no stores of food and dry wood to endure the cold nights further. Things grew worse when thieves started raiding their stores, despite how heavily guarded the camp was, and try as they might they could never catch the culprits, and every night their supplies dwindled even further.

In this time of change, his men looked to him for guidance and leadership, and Robin knew he had to find a solution to their problems, and soon. The smartest thing to do would be to seek out Regina for help, but he hesitated, mindful of her words to leave her alone, and unwilling to breach the limits she had set for their interaction.

It turned out he needn't have worried. Regina had anticipated their troubles, and not before long, help came in the form of Regina's subordinate Evelyn. She came to them in their camp, bringing with her detailed plans on how the town was going to help them settle in. Accommodations were being arranged, in the form of spare rooms from town folks that volunteered to be hosts, and would be finalized soon. Jobs would be created for all newcomers. Before that happened though, education about this realm was paramount, and Evelyn spent many hours in the camp, teaching them about everything this new world had to offer.

Robin hoped his men were paying more attention than him, because throughout all the lessons, all he could think of was how much he would have preferred it if it was Regina sitting here around the fire instead, telling him everything about this realm that was her creation. He was jolted out of his daydream by a pointed remark from Evelyn, and he snapped his focus back to the group, feeling Marian's eyes on him.

Things had been strained between him and Marian ever since her return. Marian had asked nothing more about his feelings for Regina, just as how even now he had asking nothing of her imprisonment, because neither of them wanted to hear the answers. Marian spent most of her time bonding with Roland, and her conversations with Robin were stilted, both of them not knowing how to breach the distance between them, not knowing if they even could.

Robin felt wretched, knowing how much this must hurt for Marian, who had come directly from a past when they were still madly in love, to this future where he could not even bring himself to kiss her lips. He swore to her that he would remain by her side, that he would uphold their marriage vows and that things would go back to the way they always were.

"Is this out of duty or love," Marian had asked, and he had told her that he still loved her, would always love her. They both knew what was left unspoken though, even if neither of them would mention it. Robin would always love Marian, yes, but there was another woman in his heart now, too, and even with their current separation her place in his heart only grew.

Over on the other side of Storybrooke, in the park, a dozen pairs of imploring eyes stared up at Regina. It was Saturday, and this entire week, Henry and his friends had been planning for a picnic, with increasingly elaborate details for food and games. The picnic was however in danger of being canceled, because contrary to expectations of warmer weather with spring coming, temperatures had dropped instead, and it was becoming increasingly cold, making a day at the park impractical.

The children were all disappointed, as they had looked forward to the picnic all week. Also, Henry was leaving for New York tomorrow, to pack up the rest of his belongings there, and this outing was the last time his friends here in Storybrooke would see him before he leaves. Unable to bear a dozen disappointed faces, and wanting Henry's last day to be memorable, Regina gathered her magic together, focusing all her power, and conjured a dome around their entire group of children, parents and friends. Within their magical enclosure, Regina raised the temperatures to something more tolerable.

As one group the children surged forward to hug her, nearly bowling her off her feet with the force of their enthusiasm and gratitude. Joy and awe were on their faces, so unlike the suspicion and fear that would have greeted her even a year ago. Her heart swelled for one brief moment, then it clenched tightly and pain radiated from her chest. Regina stumbled slightly, but thankfully the children didn't notice the lapse as they scrambled off to play, shedding their coats as they went.

Henry lingered, and at first she was afraid he had noticed her stumble – the pain in her heart had gotten more pronounced over the week and many of the episodes were around Henry, but fortunately she was able to keep it from him. She didn't want him to find out now and worry about her while in New York.

It wasn't about that, though. As she groped blindly behind her until she found a lawn chair, lowering herself into it, Henry said excitedly in a voice full of awe, "That was awesome, Mom!"

She managed to smile for Henry. "Magic can do much, sweetheart. It's nothing."

"You created an entire microclimate, Mom! That's not nothing, it's the most amazing thing I've ever seen." He leaned forward to hug her tightly in her chair. "Thank you, Mom." Regina returned the hug, even as the pain in her chest made her want to double over instead.

Henry remained in the hug instead of pulling away as she had expected, and his next words were muffled against her shoulder. "Are you sure you're fine with me leaving, Mom? I don't have to go. Emma can pack up my stuff for me."

It was a tempting offer, but Regina had learnt how to let go. "You should go. I know you love New York. And you want to say goodbye to the friends that you made there too. I'll be fine, Henry."

"You're sure?"

"Positive," Regina reaffirmed, even though she really couldn't bear the thought of Henry going again so soon after they were reunited.

He pulled away from the hug. "I'll be back before you know it. Love you, Mom!" Then he was off running towards the people playing games, yelling at them not to start without him, and Regina wondered why she already started missing Henry when he was still here.

Before she could get too melancholic, Tinkerbell sat down next to her, handing her a chilled can of soda. "That was a pretty impressive display of magic."

Despite what Regina told Henry just now, it was indeed very advanced magic she had conjured just now, difficult to cast and even more difficult to wield. It was possible only because it was just for a limited area, and she was pleased that Tinkerbell noticed and commented on it.

Inviting Tinkerbell to the picnic was a bit of an impulsive decision for Regina. A few days ago Tinkerbell had showed up at her office, contrite at the way she had behaved the last time they had met, and she had been a lot more subdued the second time, even if she was still clearly upset for Regina's sake. The conversation was still painful, full of words such as destiny and soulmates and timing, but it didn't annoy and grate at her quite at much, and they had gone out for coffee together.

It had occurred to Regina then that Tinkerbell was lonely. She had never fit in with the fairies, and her long exile on Neverland had only lengthened the distance between her and the rest of them. In the year in the Enchanted Forest, they had been busy rebuilding and dealing with Zelena, but now that there was no threat, the cracks in the sisterhood were showing, and Tinkerbell was left adrift. So in a moment of empathy, Regina had invited Tinkerbell, and the way the fairy had lit up told her it was the right decision.

She glanced over at Tinkerbell and did a double take at the monstrosity that the fairy was wearing. "Do you not have any better clothes than this?"

Tinkerbell looked at her clothes, trying and failing to see what's wrong with them. "They're hand-me-downs from my sisters, I haven't had much opportunity to get clothing, since technically I've only been in this world for a few weeks. Where do you get all your clothes from? We could go shopping together!"

Snorting, Regina said, "No wonder these clothes look like they belong in a nunnery. Trust me, there's much better fashion in this world than whatever you're wearing now. Although the boutiques where I get my clothes are just a little out of your price range, fairy."

There was hope in Tinkerbell's eyes though, and Regina allowed herself to consider. Perhaps it might be a fun day out. "But," she continued, "I might know some good thrift stores that actually do sell decent clothes that might be suitable for you." The excited squeal and fingers digging into her side were decidedly unwelcome, but the offer had already been made and couldn't be rescinded, and Regina hoped fervently that she wouldn't regret this.

Tinkerbell sat with Regina for a while longer, making plans for their shopping date, and her excitement was a distraction from the ache in Regina's chest, which was thankfully fading. The children eventually called Tinkerbell away, begging her to show some tricks with her magic. "See you tomorrow!" Tinkerbell said to Regina before skipping away with a bright smile.

Regina wasn't left alone for long, though, because not before long Archie sat down on the warm chair Tinkerbell had just vacated.

Henry had been the one to invite Archie, telling him that he was his friend too when Archie hesitated, protesting that the picnic was for family and friends. And so Archie had arrived with bacon-wrapped asparagus and Pongo – both of which were smashing hits with the young ones. Archie was winded, having run around with a bunch of kids playing with Pongo, and he smiled at her while trying to catch his breath. "I thought I was reasonably fit since most days I could keep up with Pongo, but clearly not when he is with a bunch of enthusiastic children."

She nodded distractedly, at a loss on how best to proceed. She had resumed therapy sessions with Archie, who took his job very seriously. Each meeting, though helpful to her, had been emotionally fraught, and Regina was now unsure how to interact in a social setting with the person who had dug out more of her secrets than anyone else had before.

Archie had no problems swapping professional interaction to a more informal one though, and he broke the ice. Nudging her, he winked at her. "You planned quite the successful picnic, I would say."

"It's certainly a success. But the children planned it, not me."

"Ah, yes. I'm sure there was no Madame Mayor behind the scenes, making sure everything goes smoothly and calling all the parents to double-check the plans about food. Not to mention enclosing us all in a dome of warm temperatures since the weather was being disagreeable."

She smiled. "Don't tell the children that."

They sat companionably, Archie regaling her with stories of Pongo and his many antics. According to Archie, Pongo might have found his Perdita, and as he recounted in a scandalized tone, got her pregnant on just the first date. Regina laughed, musing on the actual possibility of there being 101 Dalmatians, much to Archie's horror. He and Perdita's owner would be giving away the puppies when they were born, and here Archie asked Regina if she would like one for Henry, for Perdita was expected to give birth right around Henry's birthday.

It was a fantastic suggestion, and Regina could already imagine Henry's delight at a puppy that he could call his own and bond with. The pain flared up again before she could respond though, and she massaged her chest while trying to keep a neutral expression on her face.

Archie noticed her discomfort. "Regina? Is everything alright?"

She brushed off his concern. "I'm fine, creating and maintaining this dome is just somewhat draining. The puppy is a fantastic idea, thank you. Henry will be over the moon." Archie narrowed his eyes at her, still troubled, but annoyed shouts and excited barking distracted him, and he yelped and scrambled to his feet at the sight of an over-enthusiastic Pongo threatening to make off with the food at the barbeque grill.

Jefferson took Archie's place, handing her a plate of food, and Regina started to suspect that her friends had conspired to make sure that she would not be left alone to her thoughts at the picnic. She said as much to Jefferson, and he raised his brow at her, mock-hurt. "Not even a thank you for the plate of food I got you before you start accusing me of a conspiracy?"

Regina countered, "You're dreaming if you think I'll ever thank you for anything you do, Jefferson. What are you doing here then? I have no time to engage in small talk with you. Better things to do and all that, you know."

"Right, better things to do. That's why you're sitting here all alone at the edge of the picnic you organized. I can see why you think it a conspiracy though. Because it's certainly not your sunny personality that has us all falling over ourselves to hang out with you. There definitely must be an ulterior motive. You're very self aware."

His lips twitched though, giving away the teasing nature of his barbed remarks. He bumped his shoulder against hers. Ever since his visit with Henry's friends, the two of them had started spending time together again, either when facilitating outings for the children, or just meeting for a drink at The Rabbit Hole (Regina's suggestion – Jefferson hadn't been amused, but he ended up actually liking the atmosphere in the bar). It hadn't taken them long to fall back into their familiar pattern of banter and one-upmanship, though part of Regina was still surprised at how quickly they had become friends again.

She stayed silent, opting to watch Henry play with his friends while eating the food Jefferson gave her, which she was actually grateful for (though he would never know it) because she didn't think she has the energy to get up of the chair yet. Jefferson piped up again after a few minutes. "Huh. No biting insults? Not even an eye roll? Never thought I'll see this day." He grew more serious, studying her closely. "You seemed subdued today. Is it because Henry's leaving?"

That, and also because the ache in her chest refused to go away. "How did you do it? Let Grace go back to Carl and Ellie every other week, when all you want to do is to just keep her by your side all the time?"

He smiled at her, and it was a gentle smile, so unlike any of the others he had ever given her that she was almost stunned by it. He reached out to grab her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "Because I know that Grace loves me, and so she'll always come back to me. Although that year in Arendelle was pretty hopeless, when it seemed like there was no way back to Grace at all."

"Arendelle," Regina repeated the unfamiliar word. "That's your realm of eternal winter?"

"Yeah. Glad to be away from that crazy place. Although right now, the weather here isn't much better. Out of the raging blizzard, into the avalanche. When you casted the curse, couldn't you have sent us to somewhere better? California, perhaps? At least thanks to your warm air bubble, the afternoon isn't spoiled."

"Excuse me, a bubble? I would not have you insulting my magic this way." They slipped back into their old bickering behavior again, and Regina had missed this, her friendship with Jefferson and how he always has a knack to distract her from what's bothering her. The rest of the picnic passed pleasantly, an endless rotation of people coming to sit beside her and talk with her, and Regina had never felt more accepted.

The next morning came far too quickly, and Emma stood awkwardly at Regina's doorstep, as Henry ran around the entire house, having overslept and now rushing to get ready. That might have been Regina's fault, for she had neglected waking him up on time this morning, but she couldn't bear to, knowing that Henry waking up meant the start of his absence in her life again, even if it was just for a short period this time.

What Regina didn't anticipate was that she would be left to entertain Emma as they wait for their son. This was the first time they'd come face to face since the diner – even though Regina knew Henry had eaten lunch with Emma on a few occasions during the week. Emma shuffled her feet, eyes darting everywhere but at Regina and a kicked-puppy expression on her face – the same expression that Henry often had when he felt guilty as well. At least Regina's heart wasn't hurting right now, because Emma would definitely see through her lie with that blasted superpower of hers.

Just as Regina was about to invent an excuse, any excuse, to escape and leave Emma to her own devices, the blasted woman began her apology in a rambling rush. Regina tuned most of it out, only half-listening to Emma's long-winded speech, which could be summarized as such:

Emma was sorry. Deeply sorry. She would grovel and beg at Regina's feet for her forgiveness (which thankfully, she did not literally attempt to do). She would have come earlier to apologize, but she figured that the best apology would probably be to get out of Regina's sight, which Regina inwardly agreed with. She didn't mean to hurt Regina. She didn't know it was Robin's wife! To which Regina had coolly interrupted to ask what Emma would have done if she had known, and watched with a sort of detached amusement as Emma fumbled with her speech, her brain frantically attempting mental gymnastics as she struggled with what her reply should be. Eventually, she gave up and her apology sputtered to a stop, and Emma looked mournfully at Regina. "I am sorry. Really sorry. Please, Regina, you have to believe me."

Right now, all Regina wanted to do was to slam the door in Emma's face. But it would gain her nothing, just the satisfaction of Emma's dejected face, and Henry would be upset. So in the end Regina sighed and offered an olive branch, because Henry loved the woman in front of her, and Regina would do anything to make sure Henry stayed happy. "You're the Savior. It's in your nature to save. You're always going to save Marian whether you knew she was Robin's wife or not. Maybe it was always meant to be this way."

Emma's face lit up with cautious hope. "Does that mean you forgive me?"

"No. But at least I'm not going to slam you against another wall." She paused for a moment, letting Emma think that she's off the hook for a moment, before continuing. "Not for this, anyway."

"What?"

"You owe me another apology, Ms. Swan. Or did you think I forgot about your little stunt, planning to permanently take Henry away from Storybrooke?"

Emma cringed. "About that…"

"Mark my words, Ms. Swan. Against my better judgment, I am letting you take Henry back to New York. But only for these couple of days, to get everything in order. Henry wants to come back here to Storybrooke, to me, to the rest of his family. If you keep him away from us, a simple town barrier isn't going to stop me from coming after you, and this time, I'll do more damage than a tiny wall toss."

Emma nodded fervently. "I know. And I'm sorry for that too, to both you and Henry. I... I just lost my way for a moment. I know Storybrooke is home now, for both me and Henry. I will bring Henry back, I promise. And while we're on the topic of New York, I don't think I ever thanked you. For giving me and Henry such perfect memories, for letting me experience what it would be like if I had kept Henry and raised him. Henry told me much of our fake memories were modified from the real ones you shared with him. So thank you, for sharing your memories with me. Although was he really such a bratty toddler? I thought the 'terrible twos' was a myth."

"Oh he definitely was a brat during that age." Animosity forgotten for a moment, they smiled at each other as they remembered their son's antics through their shared memories.

After Henry and Emma left, Tinkerbell dragged Regina out for lunch and then shopping. True to her word, Regina brought her to all the thrift stores around Storybrooke that still sold good quality clothes. Tinkerbell pretty much went wild choosing outfits, and despite missing Henry Regina had been swept along with her enthusiasm, purchasing some outfits that caught her eye too.

Henry called her when he reached New York, and he chatted excitedly to her about all the awesome photos he took on the way that he was going to show her when he got back, and how he was definitely enjoying the respite from the low temperatures in Storybrooke. The voice of her son chipped away at the numbness that had gathered in Regina's chest, but also made her miss him all the more, and her heart ached while talking to him.

Evening came, and Regina stepped inside the Charmings' home, apple pie in hand, for she had been invited over for dinner tonight. She was immediately barred from entering the kitchen by a determined David, who insisted that he was going to cook – for the woman who gave birth to his wonderful baby son and the woman who risked everything to protect said baby son.

Snow and Regina settled on the living room couch, Neal sleeping peacefully in his crib. "I wasn't aware your husband knew how to cook."

Snow smiled, a conspiratorial look in her eyes. "He doesn't. Maybe instant ramen, but that's probably the extent of his cooking skills."

"Oh? Then why is he in there then…" Regina trailed off to the sound of oil splatters from the kitchen, and a quickly smothered yelp of pain. A smell that does not distinctly smell aromatic drifted to them from the kitchen.

"Have you ever tried dissuading him from doing something he is absolutely insistent that he wants to do? He refuses to listen to me! Don't worry," Snow nudged her and whispered, "I have a backup."

Later, after Regina used her magic to clean up the mess in the kitchen, and Snow banned David from ever entering the kitchen again, Ruby arrived, dropping off takeout from Granny's with a wink at Snow, and dinner was at last served.

When dinner was finished, they gathered once more at the living room in front of the televison, where an action movie Regina couldn't remember the name of was playing. Regina sat back on the couch with the Charmings, holding Neal in her arms. David made some comment about the premise of the movie and they were all quickly drawn into a debate, and through it all the baby slept, content and safe in Regina's arms.

It was a picture perfect moment, and Regina wondered why even with the fire crackling in the hearth and the warmth of family and love surrounding her, she still couldn't bring herself to feel happy, and her chest felt so cold, like a thousand ice needles piercing into her heart.

End Chapter 10

Author's note: I haven't actually done a thorough edit of this chapter yet – have to dash out the door now and doubt I'll have the time to update later. Hope there are no glaring errors! Anyway, this chapter is like bite-sized chunks of all the people who care for Regina. I really like writing everyone's interactions with Regina, especially the Regina/Emma talk which was a long time coming, and it was so satisfying to write. Which part did people like most?

In the next chapter, our heroes finally find out about the latest newcomer to Storybrooke. Oh and Robin finds out that Regina has been spending time with a certain Hatter. Depending on where I cut the chapter, we might even see Robin and Jefferson's first meeting! Although I probably won't be updating next week – too many other deadlines at the end of this month. The next chapter will hopefully be up sometime in the first/second week of July!

Anon review responses:

A Reader: I haven't planned any flashbacks for now. But yes, Robin will find out what Regina tried to do for Jefferson, and he's so not going to like what that implies.

Guest: I know it's been going slow... I myself can't believe it took me three chapters to cover one day! Things are definitely going to speed up after this chapter though. About the scenes that we can't see on TV, er well... No promises, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. ;)