AN: This wasn't as long as I'd hoped but I didn't want to drag it out with unnecessary scenes! This chapter is where the timeline gets a bit messed up, you'll notice scenes from the show that I've mixed in, mostly because they're key to the plot moving forward and I just love some of the original lines (disclaimer- I don't own them) but I hope it isn't too confusing, enjoy and please leave a review! Thank you! :)
"Regina? I know you're in there I can see the lights on" Emma called through the brunettes bedroom door, twisting the handle in her grasp, feeling resistance when she pushed, indicating the Regina was sat against the other side. "I know this is all complicated, but you can have happiness, I know it doesn't seem like it but you just have to fight". The blonde was only met by an annoying silence from the door separating them, and sighing turned to walk away, pausing when she saw Mary Margaret standing at the top of the stairs. The pregnant woman pointed towards the door, raising her eyebrows in a silent question to which Emma shrugged her shoulders, spinning on the spot back to the door, giving one last attempt.
"Okay well if you won't I will, Henry brought me to Storybrooke to bring back the happy endings, my jobs not done until I do that for everyone...including you" Emma finished, running her hand over the wood one more time before pulling away, padding back down the stairs to join her mother in the kitchen, who was trying to look busy by putting stray dishes away, glancing up with a weary smile when her daughter approached and took the remaining from her.
"How's she doing?" Snow asked tentatively, easing herself onto a seat at the counter and stroking her rounded belly softly.
"She still won't open the door, so honestly...I don't know" Emma replied, finishing putting the dishes away and sitting across from Snow, clasping her hands tightly and stealing a glance at the ceiling, picturing the brunette sat on the floor above the, alone and heartbroken. "How did...how did Robin seem when you saw him?"
It was the end of the school day and Mary Margaret was rushing through the corridor as she herd the bell ring, after another visit to her old students she wanted to give Roland an envelope to pass onto Regina, an invitation to her baby shower. The idea wasn't hers, more formed by Emma and Ruby and spurred on by Regina until the blonde turned around and teased "don't get cocky, you're next!" making the brunette huff and shut up. Holding the card close to her chest the former teacher shuffled her way past eager students, reaching Roland's class in time to see him shrugging his coat on and leaving. Catching up as best she could to the boy the woman sighed in relief when saw him stop, talking eagerly to his father who was crouched at his eye level, a stern look marking his face.
"Robin!" she announced, pacing up to the pair and switching her gaze between them, trying to determine the cause of Robin's scowl.
"Good afternoon" he replied, still focusing his attention on his son, taking the boys small backpack from him and standing, holding a hand for Roland to take.
"I was wondering if you could give Regina this? Its an invitation to my-"
"I'm sorry, I can't" Robin huffed apologetically, shifting on the spot uncomfortably.
"Why?" Snow asked, brow furrowed and hand still outstretched with the envelope dangling from her fingertips.
"Because I won't be seeing her,ever again" Robin mumbled, cutting the conversation short and tugging at his son's hand, pulling a reluctant Roland in the direction of grannies while the little boy glanced back at the pregnant woman who stood there, confused and suddenly worried for the former Queen.
"He seemed, distracted" Snow answered Emma truthfully,frowning as if trying to figure out what had happened herself. The pair shared a joint look, Snow reaching across to take her daughters hand, rubbing her thumb over the back of it in a soothing motion, easing some of the tension. "You're trying, thats all we can do, this isn't your fault"
"I brought them together, and now her pain, her hurting, is on me"
"Emma you can't think like that, but this doesn't seem like Robin at all, its like-"
"He's a different person" Emma finished, sitting up straighter in her seat, eyes widening. Snow barely breathed out the question behind Emma's realisation before the Blonde was on her feet and jogging up the stairs, and the pounding on Regina's door began before Snow could even ease herself from the seat. Catching up she saw her daughter resting her head on the door, eyes tightly shut, one hand splayed across the wood and the other on the door handle, the was beginning the glow. Snow was going to question the magic being used, but the knowing click the handle gave after a few moments told her Emma was unlocking it, taking matters into her own hands. "Regina! Get away from the door, because whether you like it or not I'm coming in, and I'd rather not injure a pregnant lady" the blonde huffed, taking her hands off the door and listening, hearing shuffling from behind the wood. After a few moments the noise stopped and without any hesitation Emma surged forward, swinging it open.
Regina had moved positions to her bed, and was sat on top of the sheets, knees drawn up to her chest , hair shielding her tear stained face. The position she was sat in clearly sent Emma the message that didn't want to be consoled, and although her head was tilted downwards, staring at an uninteresting piece of carpet, the glazed look in her eyes told the Blonde her mind was far away. So far away, that when she approached and placed a hand gently on Regina's shoulder, the woman twitched and head sprung up as if in shock, glaring at Emma.
"About Robin" Emma began, keeping her hand in place and moving her head forward, trying to catch the other woman's eyes with a warm smile.
"He's gone" Regina replied, voice dry and broken.
"But I have an idea"
"Not now swan" Regina hissed out, batting the blondes hand away from her as she shuffled on the spot, glancing up when she heard Snow enter the room tentatively. "Just...let me deal with this on my own, I don't need the optimism that runs in your family"
"Our family" Emma bit back angrily, "hear me out...Robin doesn't have his heart, is it possible that-"
"That what?" Regina sighed, wiping her cheeks with the back of her palms, finally moving her knees from their tight position to reveal one of Robin's white shirts paired with some grey sweatpants as her outfit of choice, moving sideways and bumping her hips with Emma's to make room for Snow. The other woman took the seat offered to her gratefully, so that Regina was sat between the two Charming women, letting them each place theirs hands on her shoulders.
"Could Zelena be controlling him" Emma let out quickly, praying that she might have a small chance of being right, that Regina could have some hope. Regina noticeably tensed on the spot, hands gripping the sheets in fists under her and eyes darting around the room.
"Yes" she breathed out, the smallest smirk appearing in the corner of her mouth. "When we went to the farmhouse, we were fine. I was er...in the kitchen and he went to kiss me, but he stopped. I didn't notice then but he dropped the jar he was holding and clutched his chest, I was so focused on the broken glass..."
"Wait, you think I could be right?" Emma questioned, brushing a stray strand behind her ears and turning her hips a little to face to woman better.
"I do, it would explain a lot..." Regina was now fully smiling, a smirk that wasn't one of pure joy, more of smug satisfaction, rubbing a hand over her little bump.
"So how do we find out?" Emma asked enthusiastically, "I mean is it like a curse?"
"If you mean can true loves kiss stop it, then no. Besides, Robin isn't my soul mate so it wouldn't work, the only way is to get his heart back, if he knows he's being controlled he could maybe fight it, but it wouldn't stop completely until its back in his body"
"So we tell him"
"Its not that simple Emma. He might no believe us, Zelena controls every part of him, including his own thoughts, his emotions won't be true any more, he'll think we're playing him" Regina sighed, Reassured but still doubtful.
"Its had to be worth a try though, right?" Snow chimed in, smiling at Regina and taking her hand, continuing softly "I know him, and he feels things deeply. With or without his heart he feels things with whole his soul, he won't let anything hold him back"
Finishing the last of her cocoa, Emma let out a content sigh, leaning into the plush leather of the booth while she studied Robin, who was situated on a corner table, gazing out of the window, despite it being dark already making the view limited. Now she'd discovered a theory she found more and more things to support it, the glassy look Robin held at all hours, the way his body rarely relaxed and at the brief times she spoke to him, she would notice his eyes soften before retaining their usual harshness. Despite Regina warning her not to tell Robin about his heart, she couldn't help but admit she was a little tempted, after all, if he believed her he could fight it, but there was higher chance of Zelena finding out, and drawing him further away. Glancing down at the table when she noticed Robin staring back at her, Emma fumbled in her pocket, tugging her phone out and scrolling endlessly through the apps, jumping when its began ringing her hand, displaying Belle's number.
"Hey Belle, everything okay?"
"Emma! I've been doing some research about the symbol on Neal's' hand"
"What'd you find?" Emma asked, rising from her seat and shrugging her jacket on, reaching into her wallet with her free hand to dig out a few dollars, waving to Ruby and giving Robin a small smile which wasn't returned as she left the diner.
"Its from an ancient talisman, a key that opens the vault to the dark one. I think he may of used it to resurrect Rumple back when we were in the Enchanted forest"
"Wait so he brought Gold back?" Emma questioned, stopping on the steps leading away from Grannies, leaning an arm on the cool stone next to her and huffing, her breath fogging in front of her.
"Thats where its gets unclear. The vault will only restore the dark one, in exchange for another life"
"Woah, hang on, what?!" Emma stumbled now, glancing around the empty streets and debating which way to go, her heart pulling her to the hospital where she'd last seen Neal, but her instincts pulling her towards the forest, where Rumple had last been seen running around.
"Its a one for one trade, if Neal used that key, he should be dead right now" Belle finished, waiting for Emma's response but hearing nothing, not even her breathing, until suddenly the line went dead.
One week later
"You okay?" Regina offered, sliding into the booth opposite Emma, her hand cradling her ever growing stomach as she traced patterns across it in a soothing motion.
"I'm fine" Emma answered, fidgeting with the black and white cardigan her mother had leant her, she hadn't brought much black clothing with her,she didn't think she'd need it. With her other hand Regina reached out, taking the Blonde's in hers and squeezing it in a comforting way, her reassuring smile dropping when her eyes scanned past the table and founds Robins, who was sat in the same seat in the corner, staring blankly at the pair. It was more than obvious to Regina that Emma wasn't fine, Neal was dead and here she was mourning for the love of her life, while her son watched on feeling helpless. Robin was still ignoring her, but she couldn't help but notice how his eyes switched when she entered the room, the mask slipping every now and again to show that loving gaze she once knew. Releasing her hand from Emma's she opened her mouth to offer a few kind words when the door flung open, making the brunette flinch in her seat and shift her hands down hold her stomach, turning her gaze up to meets Zelena's as she strided into the diner. The blonde acted on instinct shooting from her seat and heading straight for the witch, and Regina was grateful that both Henry had gone upstairs and David had to common sense to grab his daughter, holding her back a good distance from the woman who'd just entered.
"My condolences. So sorry I missed the funeral but I could never pass up a wake" Zelena announced, holding Rumple's dagger in her hand proudly as she continued to pace slowly deeper into the diner, Regina's eyes switching between hers and Robin's.
"Zelena..." Regina murmured wearily as she slid out the booth to join the blonde, who was struggling against her father who held her back firmly. "Emma no, too many people will get hurt"
"You know she's right" Zelena cackled, edging closer to the group, twisting the knife so that it caught the light and glimmered threateningly, "anyone who tries to interfere with my plan will have to deal with the dark one"
"Don't come any closer" Regina warned, one hand poised ready for attack, the other hovering over her stomach, trying to be protective and at the same time not draw any attention to it, but the tight fitting black and blue dress she wore made her situation more than obvious, the act was useless.
"Don't worry...I'm not here for your baby, not today anyway. Now that my covers blown I can finally pay a visit to my little sister"
"Who the hell are you talking about?" Regina countered, her hands dropping as genuine interest took over, eyes flickering behind Zelena to see Robin rise from his seat, eyes softer than before and never straying from watching her.
"Why you of course Regina" Zelena laughed, finally closing the gap and stepping into Regina's personal space, reaching forward and placing a hand lightly on her sisters stomach "now lets see if this was all worth it, yes...this child will do quite nicely, shame you aren't as far along as I'd hoped"
"I'm an only child" Regina stammered, stepping back and bumping into the Emma, who steadied herself before resting a hand on Regina's back.
"Cora lied to you Regina, I'm your sister, half if you want to get technical..you know sis...you really don't appreciate what you have, or should I say, had?" Zelena chucked, throwing a glance over her shoulder at Robin, who was slowly making his way around the diner towards the group, stopping when Zelena looked at him, the glassy look taking over once more.
"So it was you" Regina confirmed, smirking now even if Robin looked on with a hateful glare, "Why should I believe anything you say?"
"Oh well you shouldn't, which is why you should use this time wisely...dig into our past, Regina. You have no idea what really happened, and that is exactly what's going to hurt you, see you soon sis" Zelena finished, backing away from the other woman and turning to walk the way she came, trailing the dagger purposely across Robin's torso as she went, making Regina clench her fists as Robin tensed and clutched his chest painfully, leaning on a chair to steady himself. "I'll be back for your happy day, and what's yours, will be mine" Zelena murmured as the door slammed behind her, leaving the group to let out shaky breaths, muscles relaxing as Regina collapsed onto the nearest chair, eyes blank and face pale.
It was late, and although Regina knew she should be asleep by now, she realised she really had nothing to get up early for, and so she remained on the couch skimming through channels whilst steadily eating her way through a box of chocolates she'd found leftover from Christmas. After the incident in the diner Regina had been left feeling a mixture of emotions, devastation, confusion but also a glimmer of excitement. He might still love me, I have a sister. Throwing another wrapper at the bin across the room, and missing terribly so that it tumbled to the floor, she sighed and leaned into the cushions, missing the weight of Robin sat behind her, the heat she could lean into as his arms wrapped her. She'd cancelled her ultrasound last week, not being able to face going alone, and after what happened with Neal she didn't dare ask Emma to go with her, but she missed seeing her baby. Laying back fully Regina set a sleep timer on the TV just in case she dozed off and lazily pulled a throw over herself, tucking herself in and cradling her stomach just as Robin did with an arm, eyes fluttering shut, but just as sleep began to take over, her cell rang. Groaning Regina rolled over and sat up reluctantly, rubbing at her neck that had already begun to go slightly stiff, looking around for the source of the noise. Spotting her cell in her handbag on the table she leaned over, grabbing the blanket that had shifted to avoid it falling to the floor and grasped her bag by the strap, tugging it towards her. Moving her bare feet under her Regina changed position so she was sat crossed legged against the cushions, pulling her phone out despite having missed the call, the screen displaying 1 missed call: Robin. Taking a sharp intake of breath, Regina hesitantly unlocked the screen, finger shaky and hovering over the call back button, before ignoring her sweaty palms and pounding heart and hitting the button, the answer was almost immediate.
"H-hello?"
"Roland?" Regina questioned, all grogginess leaving her at the sound of the little boys voice down the line, tucking stray strands of hair behind her ears and muting the TV so she could hear him better, a glance at the clock showing 1:20am. "Sweetie are you okay?"
"I miss you mama" the little boy, making it clearly obvious that his father was asleep and he was trying desperately for both Regina to hear him and not wake Robin up.
"I miss you too honey, but it has to be like this for a little while, how did you ring me?"
"Whenever papa ring you, he just press one and you are there". Regina laughed at the boys broken and tired speech, knowing he was referring to Robin's speed dial but not attempting to explain it to Roland.
"Roland, its late, you need to get some sleep"
"I wanna sleep with you" the boy protested, voice sounding a little louder know, making Regina wince at the thought of Robin waking and discovering the pair talking.
"Shhh sweetheart I know, how about I visit tomorrow?"
"No mama now! Papa doesn't like me any more..."
"Of course he does, he just-"
"Please mama!" Roland protested, not giving up on his argument, making Regina sigh down the phone to him.
"Give me 5 minutes Roland, stay in your bed and do not wake your father, understand?" she asked, not used to adopting such a harsh tone with the boy but knew she had to get the message across.
"Yes!" Roland squealed quietly, and before Regina could tell him to hush one more time, the line went dead.
She didn't bother to change clothes, knowing that the amount of people she'd see at this time would be extremely limited, so instead she rose in her oversized t-shirt and grey joggers, keeping hold of her bag and heading for the hall, taking out a black coat and plain pumps before pushing the door open and walking over to her car. The chill made her breath fog in front of her as she paced, unlocking the door quickly and sliding into the cool leather seat, starting the engine and pulling out without hesitation. It was only when she reached the back of the diner, the door to the B+B, that her confidence wavered. She knew she had no real reason to be there, Roland wasn't her son and as far as Robin knew, their past relationship meant nothing, and each step she took had more doubting thoughts entering her mind, but still she powered forward.
The main door was unlocked, the little bell making Regina jump as she entered, glancing around in surprise at the entrance that was still lit up, holding her breath when she heard footsteps near. Ruby suddenly came into view, still donning her waitress outfit and holding a pencil between her teeth, a tray in one hand and a set of keys in the other. At the sight of the other woman in such casual clothes, Ruby headed for the main desk, putting the try down and taking the pencil from her mouth so she could speak.
"Madam Mayor, can I help you?" she asked softly, the wild look in Regina's eyes scaring her a little.
"I'm fine, thank you. Why are you open so late?" Regina asked finally shutting the door behind her and taking a few steps forward, adjusting her bag on her shoulder so that it was more comfortable.
"Its Saturday, the diner stays open till 1 and the stragglers usually stay for another ten minutes or so, I was just locking up" Ruby answered, motioning the keys in her hand to the door behind Regina, raising her eyebrows at the other woman as if to question her presence.
"Oh I er...got a call from Roland, he sounded a little shaken up so I came to check on him" Regina explained clumsily, scooting around Ruby and heading for the stairs, smiling at the younger woman who seemed unsure about the explanation, but let the former Queen go anyway.
"Its room 5, next to the one Emma was in" she called softly just before Regina could round the corner, "I would give you a key but I doubt you'll need one" she added, not intending for Regina to hear, but was sure she did all the same.
Climbing the stairs softly she soon reached the wooden door, flashbacks of the first morning Emma had been in Storybrooke returning to her, and the basket of red apple she'd bestowed upon her, a threat that now made her clutch her stomach in regret, grimacing at her past actions. Gently reaching out she grasped the handle, turning it in surprise to find it unlocked, pushing it slowly to avoid waking Robin up, and entering as quietly as she could. It took her a minute to adjust to her surroundings, having only ever been in the B+B with Graham, and is wasn't as if they'd needed a family room. The size of the room shocked her first, it was large and spaced out, 2 double beds opposite each other, the nearest to her holding a sleeping Robin, and upon glancing into the darker side of the room, she could see Roland tucked under the sheets, but wide awake. He sat up at the sight of her, smiling widely and patting gently at the sheets next to him ,beckoning her to come closer, to which she complied, closing the door as silently as possible and padding over to the bed, throwing a glance at the boys sleeping father. Robin looked restless, it was clear he was deeply asleep, the deep breaths and twitching hand evidence of it, but the contorted and almost pained look on his face told her that whilst he was asleep, it was anything but peaceful. She placed her bag onto the ground next to Roland's bed and climbed up next to the boy, taking a second to slip off her pumps so they didn't dirty the covers, before allowing the boy to envelope her in a hug around her neck, his dark mass of curls tickling her neck as he burrowed deeper against her. They didn't speak, they didn't need to, and when Regina finally got Roland to soften his vice like grip on her she held him at arms length, cupping his tiny cheeks with her palms and planting a gentle kiss to his forehead, pulling the covers around the both of them and urging him to settle down.
"You came back for me mama" he whispered against her chest as the pair leant back against the pillows, Regina having the intent to allow the boy to fall asleep before slipping out of the room again, her features softening at his confession.
"I never left, sweetheart, and I never will" She reassured, holding him close and smiling when one of his hands tangled in her hair, the other trailing until he could pat her stomach, as if greeting her bump.
"You promise?" he asked, voice heavy now with sleep, and with a glance down she could see his eyelids fluttering shut, the warmth dragging her into the unconscious too as she fought to stay awake.
"I promise" she breathed out, each of them falling asleep against the other, Regina fighting the boys comfort, knowing she had to leave, but not having the strength to once he planted a good night kiss to her temple, and she fell into the blissful unconscious.
The first thing Regina noticed when awaking, was that her alarm hadn't gone off next to her bed. Groaning softly she rolled over and buried her face further into the pillow, stretching her toes under the sheets. She inched her eyes open with the intention of check the clock next to her bed, gasping and retreating back when she spotted no clock, and instead gaunt pink wallpaper. Where the hell am I? Realisation dawned on her when she shifted back a little further, bumping into the soft mass that was Roland, who as a result of Regina's weight colliding with his, made him wriggle under the sheets, wrapping am arm around her leg and resting his head on her hip. Slowly more of her surrounding came back to her, and as she reached for her cell on the bedside table she hesitantly glanced across the room, praying for Robin to be asleep, but before she could gaze that far she heard the shower, and winced in realisation that Robin must know she was there. He let me sleep, he didn't kick me out. Checking the time her cell read 8:20am, and sighing she leaned back into the mattress, hoping to relax a little longer with Roland before shifting out of the bed and out of the room without Robin coming back into the room. Her arms embraced the boy, who was now rousing from sleep, brushing her fingers through his soft tangled hair as he shuffled higher on the pillow until they were lay face to face, noses pressed against each other, Roland laughing gently when Regina bumped hers into his.
"Good morning" she whispered, smiling at the way he looked at her with wide admiring eyes, letting her eyes droop shut in an attempt to cherish the moment, her eyes shooting back open when she heard the water in the bathroom stop. Roland opened his mouth but Regina pressed a finger to his lips and a kiss to his forehead to hush the boy. She knew she had a few options, leave now, pretend to be asleep or let Robin know she was awake. Resting back into the pillows she ran through her choices, the sound of shuffling from behind the bathroom door hurrying her along, and reluctantly she sat up, swinging her legs to the side so she was sat up on the edge of the bed, feet dangling just above the ground. Roland soon crawled next the her, eyes big with question as she reassured him "I have to go sweetheart, but I'll visit later?"
"No mama, breakfast?" the boy pleaded, small hands tugging at her sleeve and rubbing at his drowsy eyes.
It was then she felt it. A dull fluttering from her stomach that had her clutching at it, rolling up her t-shirt to check for bruises or marks that could be causing pain. There was nothing there, the skin was smooth and unmoving but from inside she could feel it growing stronger, like her muscles twitching or even butterflies, making Regina grimace in horror. Placing both her hands there Regina zoned out, completely freaked out that something was wrong and attempting to use her magic to find out, not feeling Roland as he yanked her, or hearing the bathroom door open and a shut as Robin entered. Spotting Regina awake he opened his mouth to make some distant comment, when he noticed the pained look on her face, her hands placed on her bare curved stomach and the glassy look in her eyes.
"Regina!" he shouted,a little louder than anticipated, dropping the hand towel and jogging over with still damp hair, crouching in front of her, attempting to catch her eye.
"Robin.." she breathed heavily, eyes closing and body swaying a little.
"What is it, speak to me?!" he asked desperately, fighting through the pain in his chest and the twitch in his muscles to get through to the woman in front of him, his features softening when his hands fell on top of hers.
"Feels strange, like butterflies...the baby" Regina groaned, not actually in pain but the sensation unhinging her, it was nothing like she'd ever felt before.
"Wait, you can feel that?" he whispered edging closer, his hair dripping droplets onto Regina's grey pants, a small smiling painting his face, his normal face, her Robin's face.
"What?" she questioned, the word barely escaping as a whisper as she glanced upwards to him, then back down to where both their hands lay together.
"Don't worry, its normal...it her" he smiled, letting go of one of her hands to tilt her chin up, his smile growing even wider. The look of genuine emotion on Robin's face overtook Regina, and soon the tears began to flow, letting Roland crawl up next to her and pat her stomach, the fluttering now subsiding and she immediately missed the presence and comfort of feeling her baby move. Taking a leap of faith Regina leaned forward slightly, staring directly into Robin's eyes as she closed the distance, pressing her lips softly to his. At first there was no reaction, Regina's eye drifting shut out of pure instinct, embarrassment beginning to take over until Robin cupped her cheek with his hand, holding her in place as he responded to the kiss with the same tender passion, Regina not being able to hide the grin that spread across her face. The pair heard Roland grumble at the lack of attention he was receiving, his tiny finger dropping from her stomach as they heard him head for the bathroom with his teddy, Robin standing and moving once his son was out of the room, nudging gently Regina until she fell backwards, her back hitting the mattress softly, her giggle filling the room as Robin moved to straddle her thighs. I missed this she thought, reaching for his damp hair to pull him forward again and capture his lips heatedly, not intending for it to go anywhere but taking what she could get.
"I know what happened" Robin breathed out against her mouth, parting their lips to brush stray strands of hair from her face, noticing her brow furrow in confusion until he continued "my heart, she's controlling it isn't she? And I know I'm only to able to feel again, now, because she's letting me, so I guess I'll take what I can for the moment?" he asked softly, stealing another kiss and earning a silky groan from Regina, his hands moving to grip her sides and push her hips back down onto the mattress where they were beginning to buck against his touch.
"Don't mind me, I was just enjoying the show" Zelena's voice cut through the room, the pairs bodies stiffening at the sound of it and turning to see the witch sat in a chair in the corner of the room, holding Robin's heart and smiling wickedly. They separated quickly as if their touch was burning, Regina drawing her knees up to her chest and Robin rising, heading bravely for Zelena despite her holding his heart right in front of him, it glow and constant glow almost mesmerising.
"What do you want?" he demanded, stopping just short of her but close enough to block the view of Regina curled up on the bed.
"Right now, nothing" the witch laughed, raising an eyebrow as she added "Just wanted to give you both a little reminder of who's in control, its seems when things get a little steamy between you two my orders aren't as easily followed" she hissed out, smirking at the couple before disappearing in a cloud of green smoke.
It was Regina who broke the silence, muttering "I should go" as she climbed down off the bed, leaning her head around the bathroom door the say goodbye to Roland, not getting a response as the boy was brushing his teeth before returning back to slip on her pumps and coat, grabbing her cell and bag from where she'd left them.
"What did she mean? Her orders aren't easily as followed?"
"I..don't know..."
"Regina, where are you going?"
"To talk to my mother" Regina sighed, leaning to peck Robin on the cheek, yelping in surprise as he grasped at her wrist and pulled her back for a chaste kiss, a silent promise as he uttered "Be careful".
"It was a seance, how do you think it went?" Emma commented to Ruby as she sat down at the bar of the diner, hugging the mug of cocoa with her hands.
"But did you guys get through to her?" Ruby questioned, biting the edge of the pencil she was holding and leaning against the counter, more than a little intrigued by the concept of talking to the dead.
"Nope, it worked but Regina said her mother didn't want to speak. She seemed pretty upset so Snow stayed behind-" Emma was cut ff by the ringing of her cell, and she sighed as he retrieved it from her pocket.
"Hey dad" Emma greeted, raising her eyebrows when Ruby laughed at the blonde use of family titles, "Whats- is she okay? I'll be right there" she finished, hanging up almost as quickly as answering, apologising for wasting the drink Ruby had just made and tossing a handful of bills her way, jumping from her seat and heading for the door when Robin caught her arm.
"Was that about Regina?" he questioned, eyes softer than she'd seen over the past couple of weeks, the concern on his face more than clear.
"Yeah she, well she was kind of attacked, something to do with her mother" Emma mumbled out, reluctant to give too much away when knew the witch held control over him.
"I'm coming with you" he confirmed, asking Ruby if she could watch Roland and grabbing his coat, ignoring the pleads from Emma and simply stating "I know the witch has my heart, Emma, but I also know when she's not controlling it and how to fight it, I'm coming whether you like it or not".
Emma didn't have a counter argument, holding the door open for the former thief as they left the diner together, smirking slightly at the possibility that hope wasn't lost, and sent a silent prayer that it wouldn't be too late before they got to Regina's, she had to know he still believed, he still loved her.