Thank you so much to everyone who read/followed/reviewed the last chapter. Hope you enjoy this one!
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Regina pulled into the driveway after a long day spent at the office. It had been nearly a month since the curse has broken and since then everyone had been trying to get back to normal.
They still had not found Snow White despite the fact that there were search parties sent out daily. The same areas has been searched dozens of times and still they had found nothing. The witch had to have some sort of a vault as Regina had when she'd cast the first curse. Even though there hadn't been magic her vault had still been somewhat magically protected. The witch had to have something similar, but it was beginning to seem that it would be impossible to find.
Regina couldn't help but worry. In their time in the Enchanted Forest she and Snow had grown close again…well as close as Regina would allow anyone to get to her anyway. The truth was that she loved her former step daughter and wanted nothing more then to see her again and know she was safe.
Then there was the witch. No one has seen her since the day she had broken the curse. It was as if she had just vanished along with Snow White. Where they even in Storybrook anymore?
Emma had moved back in with her father and Henry back to the mansion. They planned to visit custody at a later date, when Emma had her own place, but for now this seemed to work out well. There was plenty of room at the mansion. Emma and David spent much of their time looking for Snow so it also seemed safer for Henry to stay with Regina at the moment. He was much better off having someone who could look after him full time. Especially not knowing where the witch was or what her next move may be. He had spent most weekends with Emma and Charming and he seemed to be adjusting fairly well to this schedule.
Roland's nightmares seemed to be getting better. For the first week the curse had broken he'd clung to Regina as if she were a life line. He had been terrified he would lose her somehow. He still didn't want to talk much about his life before. It was as if he was afraid if he admitted he had a life before that he would lose the one he had now. Anytime it was brought up he insisted he didn't want to remember the life where Regina wasn't his Mother.
She and Robin had managed to live together for a month without any issues. Truthfully they rarely saw each other. Regina worked at the office during the day and Robin took second shift at the station. They'd worked out this schedule so that one of them would always be home with the boys. It was working out well and the boys seemed to be happy with it.
Not seeing him that often had made it a bit easier for her. Every time they spent any amount of time together at all it made Regina miss everything about him. When she was with him she just wanted to walk into his arms and be held there forever. She longed for the warmth and safety she felt for all of those months she has spent as his wife.
Every now and then when they were together she would catch him looking at her as if he wanted nothing more then to pull her into his arms. She could see the sadness in eyes, but she always had to remind herself that the sadness wasn't there for her. It was for the woman who she had been under the curse. The person she really was wasn't like that woman.
She suspected that the looks of sadness that she saw in his face was because he was mourning that woman. The woman he really loved. Not her. No one could ever love her that way.
She leaned her head against the car seat and let out a breath. It was time to put her happy face on. Both of them had done their absolute best to make things as normal for Henry and Roland as possible. They wanted more then anything to make sure that the boys felt safe and secure in their home.
She stepped out of the car and walked up the walkway to the door. When she entered she stepped out of her heels and let out a small sigh of relief. She'd been on her feet most of the day.
She walked into the kitchen to set down her things and she heard laughs coming from the basement. She smiled a little when she heard Roland let out a huge belly laugh followed by a shout and another laugh from Henry. That was a sound she didn't hear nearly often enough these days. She made her way down the stairs to see just what it was that was making her boys so happy. She caught sight of them half way down and found Robin holding both boys upside down while each of them were swinging Nerf swords trying to get to him.
None of them had noticed her presence yet so she leaned against the wall with a grin on her face as she watched them play. She watched as he swung Roland out and the younger boy landed on the couch sending him into fits of laughter once again, then he did the same with Henry who immediately bounced up and began to go at Robin with his sword again.
There was a time Regina may have warned them about jumping around on the furniture, but they were having so much fun she couldn't allow herself to interfere. She just watched as they continued their game. She let out a laugh when Roland stood on the couch and jumped onto Robin's back screaming he would never let an ogre win.
At the sound of her laugh Roland turned his head and noticed her standing there for the first time. "Mommy! You can't be here!" He said dramatically. "We're protecting you from the Ogre!"
"Oh so this is the princess you are protecting?" Robin said with a grin and managed to pull Roland off his back and swing him onto the couch again sending the boy back into fits of laughter.
"We won't let you get her you mean Ogre!" Roland shouted. "Me and Sir Henry will protect her."
Henry and Robin began to duel with their swords while Roland cheered on from the couch. Regina watched as her son dueled. He was actually quite good. She suspected this was a game that Robin played with them often. She watched as Henry pivoted and left one side unprotected. Robin took advantage and poked his side with the Nerd blade. She grinned as she watched Henry clutch his side dramatically and fall next to her.
He held up his sword. "Take it, don't allow him to capture you." He had a small smile on his face obviously laying on the dramatics for Roland's sake.
Regina did her best to keep a straight face as well and took the sword from him. She leaned in and placed a kiss to his head. "Thank you for fighting so valiantly Sir Henry."
She turned to Robin with a grin when he raised an eyebrow. "Obviously you have no idea who you are dealing with." She told him. "I am quite skilled with a sword."
"Really?" He asked. "I wouldn't think a princess would know much about swords." He grinned as she circled him.
"I've been taught well." She told him as she took her first swing which he easily blocked. They began to cross blades as Roland cheered from the couch. Henry had sat up from his position of "death" so he could watch the duel as well.
Robin grinned as Regina crossed blades with his. She was amazing. He found himself wondering where she had learned to fight so well. He took advantage of her distraction when she turned to look at Roland. He threw his sword down and snaked out one arm to capture her around the waist. He managed to grab her sword out of her hand. And she yelped when he lifted her off the ground.
He looked at Roland who had yelled out a warning a bit to late and let out a laugh. "It looks as if I have your princess now."
"You cheated!" Regina laughed out even as she held on to his shoulders.
"There are no rules when it comes to fighting for princesses." he grinned at her. "And I got the girl." He pointed out.
She laughed and shook her head. "Idiot."
He continued to smile. "Still got the girl."
It was then as they both stared into each others faces they realized just how close they were. Robin was holding Regina too him with her feet off the ground and Regina had her arms wrapped around his shoulders. Their teasing grins died as they looked into each others eyes.
How long had it been Regina wondered since she had been pressed against him like this? He heart rate increased and she found her self wanting to stay here…wanting to linger. She wanted to lower her mouth and take his lips in a slow kiss as she would have done once before.
She licked her lips then cleared her throat. "I should probably start dinner."
Robin nodded and set her gently on her feet already missing the warmth of her body against his when she stepped away. When turned back to the boys he saw Roland had been distracted by a cartoon, but Henry was studying him carefully.
Robin gave the boy a smile before saying "I have to head to work guys. Keep practicing your sword skills and we will meet up again tomorrow."
He turned to walk up the stairs. When he arrived in the kitchen he found Regina removing contents of the fridge for dinner.
"I'm heading into work." He told her.
She turned to face him and nodded. "I'll save a plate for you."
He nodded. It was something she did every night for him. "Thanks." He cleared his throat and started to speak but then couldn't find the courage to say it.
Regina turned back to begin preparing dinner but could still feel him watching her.
Robin stood absolutely still. He wanted to say something. He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to tell her that the few seconds he'd had her in his arms just now had been the best two seconds of the last month, but she didn't feel the same. She didn't want him in that way.
Regina turned when she still felt him continue to look at her. "What?" She asked.
Robin shook his head slowly. "Nothing." He began to walk out of the kitchen but stopped and turned back to her. "Is there nothing about us that you miss? Nothing about me?"
He watched as Regina's back went stiff, but she didn't turn to him.
"Because I miss everything about you." He told her.
Regina's heart caught at his words and she turned to face him. She looked into his eyes for a moment. "It isn't me that you miss Robin. I'm not that woman."
Robin shook his head. "It's you that I miss Regina."
She could see the pain in his eyes, the longing to pull her into his arms. "Robin, I…"
"Never mind." Robin shook his head. "I shouldn't have said anything." He turned to walk out of the kitchen.
Regina told herself to say something. She told herself to stop him, but she let him walk away. A tear fell down her cheek when she heard the front door close.
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Emma arrived for dinner that night to find a quiet Regina and two very chatty boys. She'd been having dinner at the mansion a couple times a week. It gave her the opportunity to see Henry and also gave she and Regina the chance to talk about strategy in the fight against this wicked witch, but seeing as Regina wasn't really that talkative this evening she instead filled her time with Henry and Roland.
It had been really hard for her to give up living with Henry full time. After being with only each other and a lifetime of memories raising him in her head it made it even harder.
But those were Regina's memories she reminded herself, not hers. Henry had wanted to come back to the home he'd grown up in and now she understood why. Regina and Henry had a great life together before he'd gotten the book. She was his mother and he loved her. Emma had a hard time at first figuring out why Henry's false memories didn't resonate with him as much as they did with her, but she supposed it was because he actually knew the real memories. The ones where it had been Regina to do all those things that she remembered doing.
She'd had a hard time every since she'd come back. Her mother was missing and every day they didn't find her was another day that Emma feared they wouldn't. They'd been looking for a month. They'd searched every where in Storybrook, including the house that the witch had lived in before the curse broke. They'd found nothing. Not even a trace of her mother.
Hook was still around, but now so was Neal and both had made it perfectly clear they wanted more then just friendship from her. Emma couldn't even think about a relationship right now. Not with her mother missing, a wicked witch on the lose and the fact that she had recently had to give up the majority of time with her son. Emma wasn't sure she would ever be ready to give her heart again. Every time she even entertained the thought of trying she ended up losing.
"And then Mommy fought Daddy with the sword, but Daddy cheated and captured Mommy." Roland finished telling her.
Emma grinned and looked at Regina who still looked incredibly distracted. "I had no idea you knew how to use a sword."
Regina snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at Emma. "My father taught me when I was young." She told her and shook her head. "Mother hated it because it wasn't something a lady should do with her time, but I always enjoyed the lessons." She smiled at Roland. "I would have won today if a certain little boy hadn't distracted me."
Roland grinned. "Sorry Mommy. I won't next time I promise."
Regina smiled at him before standing to clear the table. "Then next time I shall prevail."
Emma stood with her and helped to carry plates into the kitchen. Regina turned when she saw her walk in. "Emma I can take care of this. Why don't you go and spend sometime with Henry? I know you miss him." She smiled at her. No one knew better then she did what it was like to be separated from your child.
"I don't mind to help." Emma protested.
"I know you don't, but Henry misses you too. Go spend time with him." she smiled "I'll finish up in here."
Emma smiled at her and turned to leave the room but paused. "Regina?"
Regina turned with an eyebrow raised in question.
"Are you ok?" Emma asked. "You seem a little off tonight."
Regina smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm fine." she told her. "I just have a lot on my mind."
Emma smiled and nodded. "Ok…well, if you need to talk, I'm here." She offered.
"Thank you." Regina smiled back at her. "But this is one I have to work out on my own."
Emma nodded and walked out of the room.
Regina turned back to the dishes wishing that she knew how to work this one out. So far she'd managed to come up with nothing.
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After tucking Roland in to bed Regina walked back down the stairs to find Henry sitting on the couch playing one of his video games.
"Hey Mom." He said when she walked into the room.
"Hi son." She smiled and sat next to him on the couch looking over his shoulder at his game. She was so happy to have him back with her. She'd honestly thought when she'd let him go that she would never see him again. The last month with him had been everything she'd ever wanted and everything that she'd one day hoped she would get back.
When he failed the level he was on he lowered his game and looked up at her.
"Did you have a nice time with Emma tonight?" She asked.
"Yeah." he told her. "It's nice that you guys are kind of friends now." He smiled. "That way I can have both of you."
Regina raised her hand to his hair and pushed it back from his forehead. "I'm sorry I ever made you feel you had to chose." she leaned in and placed a kiss to his head. "I love you so much Henry."
He smiled. "I love you too Mom." He paused for a moment. "Mom?"
"Hmm?" She asked.
"Do you love Robin?" He asked.
Regina blinked for a moment. "I…" she stopped trying to find the right words.
"You don't have to tell me." He said.
"No, Henry I want to tell you, but honestly I don't really have an answer…" She paused and looked at her son. "I care about him, and I miss him."
"I think he loves you." Henry told her.
"He loves the woman he thought I was Henry, but that woman isn't me." She told him.
"But she is you Mom…or you're her." Henry told her. "The way you were when you were cursed was the way you were with me when I was a kid."
Regina shook her head. "Except that the cursed woman hadn't done the things I have done Henry." She raised her hand to touch his face. "It would be impossible for someone to love someone like me."
"I love you." He told her. "Roland loves you, why do you think that Robin couldn't."
She smiled at her little boy who wasn't so little anymore. "You and Roland are young and more forgiving."
"I've seen the way he looks at you Mom. He has feelings for you." Henry told her. "You should tell him how you feel."
"I can't Henry." She shared. "There is enough going on with out complicating everything with my feelings for him."
"But if you could be happy together…" Henry told her and took her hand. "I want you to be happy Mom."
She smiled and squeezed his hand. "I am happy." She told him. "With you and Roland."
Henry rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean Mom…I know your scared, but you will never be happy if you don't take a chance and trust him. He won't hurt you."
"Not on purpose." Regina agreed.
"You should talk to him." He repeated.
Regina smiled and shook her head at her son. "You're growing up to fast."
He grinned back at her. "You should listen to me…my Mom has always told me I'm brilliant."
Regina laughed and pulled him into a hug.
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Robin arrived home after spending half the night looking for Snow. They search everyday until the sun goes down. After he'd returned to the station to work on the paperwork that had been piling up.
He didn't want to say it to David, but he was beginning to lose hope in finding Snow. They had literally looked everywhere several times over. Regina's belief was that wherever she was it was magically hidden as her own vault had been when she cast the curse originally.
He let himself into the house and made his way into the kitchen. He had gotten used to the late night shift. He'd been working it since the curse had broken so that someone would always be home with the boys. Neither he or Regina had been comfortable with leaving them with others, unless it was Emma or John.
He moved to the stove where he found a plate waiting for him. He pulled up the foil to find Chicken Enchilada's. He popped them in the microwave and then pulled up the lid on the Tupperware that was sitting beside his plate. He grinned when he saw a batch of no bake cookies…his absolute favorite. He popped one into his mouth and nearly moaned at the sweet chocolate and peanut butter treat.
When the timer went off he pulled his food from the microwave and sat at the island to eat his meal.
He'd been kicking himself all day for what he'd said to Regina earlier. Leave it to him to mess up a good thing. Up until this point they'd managed to get along and things had been good. After what he'd said this afternoon though he feared that now it would be awkward with her.
He hadn't been able to help himself. He missed her so much that sometimes when he saw her he found it hard to breathe. All he wanted was to hold her, kiss her…make love to her again. He missed the late night talks and her smile. Seeing her smile earlier that day had made his heart soar and holding her close to him, just for a moment it had felt as if nothing had changed, until he realized that everything had changed.
He stood to rinse off his plate then made his way back to the cookies to help himself to a couple more.
He glanced up when he heard footsteps come into the kitchen and his heart leaped when he saw her, just as it always did.
"Hi." she said to him
"Hey." He said back hoping this conversation wouldn't be awkward. "I was just enjoying your cookies."
She smiled. "Your favorite." She walked towards the kitchen island. "I made them for you."
He looked up at her in surprise and raised a brow. "You didn't make them for the boys?"
She shook her head. "No, I made them after they went to bed."
He smiled. "Thank you."
Regina swallowed. It had taken her nearly twenty minutes to work up the nerve to come down here, then she'd stood at the bottom of the stairs for nearly ten trying to talk herself into just forgetting it and going back upstairs. He turned to set the Tupperware back on the counter and that seemed like the best time to speak up. When he wasn't looking at her.
"I miss how you always kept me warm." she told him.
Robin blinked and turned around to face her. "You miss my body heat?" He asked.
Regina looked down and shook her head. She was terrible at this.
Robin watched her. His heart had leaped at her words. She missed something…that was a start. He started to speak but she continued.
"I just miss how safe and warm I always felt…I…" She let out a frustrated breath and decided to just say it. "It's cold tonight."
Robin continued to look at her for a moment. "It is chilly." He said not really sure where she was going with this but he hoped…he hoped…
"I haven't been able to get warm all day. It seems I'm cold a lot these days…without you there." She said and took a step forward but still not looking him in the eye.
"Regina, what are you asking me?" He asked her.
"Nothing." She said quickly. "I'm just telling you that I miss your…" She paused again "I miss having your arms around me." She finally looked up at him.
There were unshed tears shinning in her eyes and he tentatively reached out a hand to brush down the side of her face.
"There's so much I miss about you Robin." She said and one of the tears spilled over.
Robin brought his other hand up to her waist and pulled her into him. She buried her face into his neck and wrapped her arms around him as he brought his around her. Finally here it was. The safety she'd longed to feel since all of this started. The warmth the love, everything. It didn't change that she still didn't believe he could possibly love her. She was still fully convinced that he loved the cursed version of herself, but here for a moment she could feel safe and warm.
She felt him place a kiss against the side of her head as he pulled his arms tighter. "I miss you Regina…so much"
She ran her hand along his back then pulled back so she could look at him. "Will you hold me tonight?"
He smiled at her and pulled her back into him for another moment. "I would like nothing more then to hold you tonight."
She smiled and pulled back to take his hand. They walked upstairs together flipping off the lights as they went. When they got upstairs Robin went to his bedroom to get his pajama pants. When he returned he found Regina already laying in bed waiting for him. He pulled back the covers on his side and slid in beside her. He reached to turn off the bedroom lamp and turned back to her.
She took his hand into hers and rolled on her side with her back to him. He scooted himself so that he was against her back and tightened his arm around her waist.
For the first time in a month Regina felt herself fully relax. She instantly felt herself drifting off to sleep in the safety and warmth of his arms.
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I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please review and tell me what you thought!
So is everyone fangirling over Sunday's show? Because OMG I am! She gave him her heart!
Stop by and see me one tumblr if you want to chat about it! I'm thequeenstolemyheart. You can also find me on twitter. mrsddixon
