A/N: Thank you for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing! Reviews are awesome, so if you'd like leave one to let me know what you think about this story.

Some events from this chapter were mentioned in another story of mine, "Changing Worlds" Chapter 2. You don't have to read it to understand this chapter, but give it a try if you haven't read it and you're curious.

To Chris, a reader who left a guest review for the previous chapter: I'm wondering about the same things. Who will Roland grow up to be if he keeps living with the Merry Men in the Enchanted Forest? What will happen if he meets Regina again months, maybe years later? I will answer some of these questions in this story, but I don't want to reveal any spoilers now. Let's just say that I love Dimples Queen a little too much to let them be separated forever.

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Keros

(Greek) From Ancient Greek καιρός (the perfect, delicate, crucial moment; the fleeting rightness of time and place that creates the opportune atmosphere for action, words or movement; also weather)

Roland walked towards Little John's room again. He couldn't hear Regina's voice anymore, there was only silence. He felt a strange discomfort at the thought of entering uninvited, so he decided to knock on the door this time. Despite the uncomfortable sensation, he also felt giddy in the prospect of seeing Regina again, his heart beating faster every time his knuckles hit the wood.

Little John opened the door and let him in.

Roland looked around after the door closed behind him. The room seemed to be empty.

"Was anyone here?" Roland asked.

"Apart from me? No. No one," Little John answered.

Roland searched Little John's face for any sign of uncertainty. But he didn't find any; his words sounded truthful and the expression on his face was as gentle as ever.

Disappointment crept into Roland's heart. He had imagined it. He had imagined Regina's voice like he had so many times before. This time, though, it had sounded so real.

"Who did you think you heard?" Little John asked.

Roland looked down skeptically. He wondered if he should reveal the offsprings of his imagination and his wildest dreams that apparently could never become true.

"No one," he finally replied.

Little John nodded and released a long sigh. "I heard Tripp's voice earlier. Did he do anything to you?" he asked with voice full of concern.

Roland sat at the edge of the bed and Little John followed to sit beside him. Roland hesitated again, but decided to tell the truth about Tripp and his mother. Maybe Little John could help.

"Why did he talk to his mama that way?" Roland asked. "I don't understand."

Little John put his arm around Roland's shoulders and pulled him close.

"Some families aren't the way we're used to. Tripp and his parents… When Tripp was younger he was sick. His parents thought he wouldn't make it, so they did everything Tripp wanted. They treated him like a king. Now Tripp is healthy and his parents love him as much as before, but the boy misses all the attention he used to get and becomes upset when his parents give equal attention to his sister."

Roland blinked a few times, his eyes fixed on a random spot in front of him, while he tried to understand.

"So, Tripp thinks his parents don't love him enough?" Roland asked.

"He knows that they do, but I suppose sometimes he can't help but feel like they don't," Little John replied.

"But his mama loves him a lot! I saw how sad she was!" Roland said incredulously.

Little John was silent for a moment.

After Roland pulled away a little to look at him he said softly, "You could be Tripp's friend and help him understand."

"But he's mean to me," Roland complained.

"I know," Little John said as he run a hand through Roland's curls. "Maybe later then. When the time is right."

Roland frowned. "Even Lang has a new friend. When will I get one?"

Little John smiled at him and released a sigh. "When the time is right."

The time was right sooner than Roland thought. Only two days later some of the Merry Men returned from their trip to the nearest town. They had gone for supplies and apart from food they brought a girl with them.

"She was following us everywhere for an entire day," Much said. "She says she has no parents. We thought it would be safer for her in the castle."

As Little John's anger dissipated, he shook his head and muttered something about "good men" and "honor". Roland had observed the scene from afar. The girl kept her head down and didn't move from her place near the main doors of the castle. Little John had been angry with Much about having brought someone new in without talking about it first, but the look he gave the girl was filled with worry and good will.

Roland heard footsteps behind him, the other children approaching the main hall, and then Little John's voice calling for him. Roland stepped down the stairs that led to the doors and felt the other children following him.

"Roland, I want you to meet Lizzie," Little John said.

The girl finally looked up at the sound of her name. Her eyes locked with Roland's and twin gasps left their lips. Roland's heart skipped a beat in the sight of the familiar face and his smile made the corners of his eyes cringle.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," Lizzie said back, her lips curving into a hesitant smile of her own.

Another life flashed before Roland's eyes and he could see that she remembered, too. Endless days in the streets of a cruel world, motionless nights in the stuffy and stingy hole they had to call 'home'. But also sweet comfort that only they could give each other when everyone else seemed to have forgotten them. Roland had been homeless in that other reality, the one that had been too real before he woke up in Storybrooke's forest again. It had been real for as long as he'd been in it, and Lizzie had been there with him.

The other children looked at Lizzie with curiosity and mumbled forced 'hello's. Roland took Lizzie's hand and together they followed Little John and Much to the dining hall.