"You're going to have a baby?"

Taking in a deep breath as her eyes fixed intently in the inquiring brown orbs of the boy sitting next to her, Regina lifted a hand to her face so that she could run the ball of her pinky finger along her eyebrow.

She did that as a way to win a little bit of more time, and as that happened she couldn't help but to notice how her son has lowered his head the slightest bit while keeping his stare on her, his mouth partly open as he apparently waited for an answer.

Now, she couldn't exactly decipher what was the expression on his face and the truth was that not knowing for sure made her feel kind of anxious. Was he surprised or was he upset? She didn't know, but whatever it was it made her consider her words carefully before letting them roll out of her tongue.

"Yes, I am." She said tentatively as Henry blinked slowly, the new information she just provided settling into his brain as he shifted his eyes back to the ultrasound picture in his hand.

For a while Regina held her breath, waiting, the only thing preventing her from freaking out with uncertainty the firm hold Robin reassuringly had on her other hand.

"Are you sure…? Because it doesn't look like a baby." Henry said at last, but still, his expression remained unreadable to her.

"Let me see, let me see!"

Jumping to his feet, Roland, who has been sitting on his father's lap as they broke the news of her pregnancy to both boys snatched the image out of Henry's hold and gasped a bit dramatically.

"Whoa." He breathed out, his eyes shinning and his brows knitting. "Okay where is it? I can't see no baby either."

Despite the fact that she was still trying to gauge her son's reaction, Regina snorted at the little boy's tone. In a way he and Henry were right because the image of the ultrasound she got earlier that day didn't exactly resemble a baby.

At seven weeks it looked more like a large peanut than an actual living creature so she knew what they meant; after all if it wasn't because she has been able to hear the heartbeat of the new life growing inside of her she would still be a bit incredulous herself.

"That's because it's still a tiny little thing." Robin said as the youngest of their boys kept his eyes fixed on the sonogram. "But as time goes by it will grow big enough for you to see it clearly."

"Can I see it even if it's inside Regina's tummy?"

"Sure, but only through these." The man said while touching the picture. "Until he or she is born that is."

Putting the ultrasound down, Roland got closer to Regina and placed one of his little hands on her stomach, his face curious and full of wonder. "Will it be a boy? I Want a boy."

Wrinkling her nose and giving him room so that he could feel around, Regina reached for the boy's forehead and brushed his hair off his face. He looked ecstatic, while Henry just sat by her side, arms across his chest and his lips pursed. He didn't look happy like at all. "We don't know yet."

"Because you are just a little pregnant but when the baby gets bigger you will know and you will tell me, right?"

Leaning forward so she could talk into the kid's ear, she smiled. "How about if I tell you first of all people?"

"Yes!" Giggling, Roland took his hands away so that he start jumping around. But then as if he just remembered something he stopped. That way he pouted his lips and swirled around on his feet. "How did you put the baby there, papa?"

Regina heard rather than saw how Robin chocked up at the unexpected question and her own eyes widened as she drew in a breath. As for the boys, Henry literally slapped his face with the palm of his hand as Roland stared at his father questioningly.

Letting go of the hold he had on her so that he could run a hand down his face, Robin chuckled almost nervously. "How did I… what?"

Sighing loudly in a way that was probably way ahead his age, Roland threw his hands in the air. "I said, how did you put the baby in her tummy?"

"Wow, well… that's quite an interesting question you got there, you know for such a little guy."

"Did you swallow it?" Turning to Regina, Roland asked. It made her do a double take and scoffing, she tilted her head towards Robin as if searching for answers.

"Oh my God. I'm going to get some air." Getting to his feet, Henry groaned and left. It made Regina follow him with her eyes until he was out the door.

As background noise she heard Robin say something back to his son and yes, part of her was telling her that the man was probably in some serious need of help regarding the question he has been asked and that having had the experience already of explaining the whole deal, that she should step in. But at the same time she couldn't focus on anything that wasn't Henry and his unusual sullen mood.

"I think I'm going to get some fresh air as well." With that said, she patted Robin's knee and got up from the sofa as well.

Following Henry, she stepped out of the house and found the boy sitting on the steps that lead to the entrance, his head down and his arms folded to his chest.

He was slouched over and judging by the look on his face, he was not in a good mood. That right there definitely let her know that he hadn't been exactly alright with the news of her pregnancy.

"Are you alright?" She asked sitting by his side. Upon listening to her he straightened his posture while taking a furtive glance her way.

"Are you going to send me to live with Emma now?"

Surprised by the question, Regina blinked rapidly while shaking her head. "Why would I do that?"

Henry shrugged, focusing his eyes forward while sucking his lips into his mouth. "If you are going to have your own baby then why would you want me for?"

The words made her gasp in surprise because they were definitely not what she had expected to hear. "Henry Daniel Mills, look at me."

He did, and when she looked into his eyes she noticed that they were full of unshed tears. That got to her and instead of the lecture she was about to give she reached for him and hugged him.

Kissing the top of his head as he sniffed, Regina closed her eyes and breathed in. Part of her was upset that he would think that she would want to get rid of him just because she was pregnant and the other was feeling for him. After all he was just a boy, one that has lived his whole life used to just being the two of them and who now had to adjust and live with so many changes.

So there was that, but there was also the fact that in a way she could understand his insecurities because she had felt them too. When Emma came into the picture she has been terrified of loosing him to her so she knew how he was feeling.

It was awful the kind of thoughts that would invade her mind whenever he came talking about what he did with Emma and how much fun they had together that she didn't even want to think back to those times. But her own experience could help him make him see what was going on so she was going to use them.

"When Emma came into your life, did you feel like packing your things and moving out with her?"

"No."

"Why not? She is after all your biological mother and if you found her, why would you need me for? She was this new an exciting mom who would let you stay up until late and who wasn't chewing your behind about homework and keeping your room tidy so why not just… you know, leave?"

Scoffing as only a child she has raised would do, Henry shrugged. "Because you are my forever mom, even if she was there… and because I wanted to be with you."

Grabbing his head and making him face her, the brunette smiled softly. She was glad he was telling her that because as stated before, Emma brought out a lot of insecurities about her relationship with Henry and the subject was always gnawing at the back of her brain.

"If it was like that with you then why would it be any different with me. Henry, nothing in this world and nobody will change the fact that you are my son. Do you understand that?"

He nodded, blinking rapidly as she smoothed his cheeks with her thumbs.

"And this baby will not be replacing you, just as Emma didn't replace me. It's just… that our family is growing."

Chewing on the inside of her lips as the notion of what she just said kept settling in her own brain, Regina breathed out.

Earlier that day when she had been finally able to confirm through a doctor that she was indeed with child and that everything seemed to be just fine, she has at last allowed herself to finally believe it; but still, she was struggling to internalize it.

She was really going to have a baby.

"You'll be a big brother now."

With his lips curving into a smile, Henry tilted his head to the right. "I guess I will be twice over. You know, with you being Robin's girlfriend or whatever… like you refused to admit the other day, we also have to count Roland in."

Letting a chuckle escape her, Regina ran her fingers through her hair. With everything that has been going on, her relationship with Robin wasn't something she has been able to talk with Henry and he was bringing it up.

Now, she didn't know if girlfriend was the right word, but it would be awkward to point that out to her son. Especially since he was now aware that they were having a baby and yes, since he knew they have been sleeping in the same room for the last couple of days.

"Are you okay with that, with me and Robin being together?"

Shrugging, the boy lifted his chin up and grinned. "Sure. I like him, first because he's cool and second because he takes care of you."

Laughing, she kissed his cheek hard. "What do you mean? I think I can take care of myself pretty good."

"I know." He rolled his eyes. "But it's not the same. I don't know how to explain it, but when I was told your plane disappeared I knew you were not dead. I just knew it, but I was so afraid thinking you were somewhere all alone, so when I found you were not I felt so much better. That's why I wanted to know him at first, to make sure you have been well taken cared off and you were, he's awesome. He helped you there and here with the Cora thing but more than any of that, I like him because he makes you smile like you mean it."

Touched by his words, she kissed him again, this time first on his forehead and then a few times on top of his head, then when he rolled his eyes and burst out a laugh she kissed his cheek one last time. "When did you became so wise?"

He shrugged, leaning into her when she wrapped an arm around him.

"I know we are going through a lot of changes as of late but we'll go through them together, like we always have."

"Okay."

"You know what won't change?"

"What?"

"Your bedtime hour on a school night so let's get moving so that you can prepare for sleep."

"Actually… I was thinking that I could skip school tomorrow and help around in our house. I mean they are going to fix the kitchen so don't you think I should be around making sure everything is done right?"

Arching an eyebrow, she snorted. "That's not going to happen. We can however grab a quick snack before bed because I'm kind of hungry."

Snickering, Henry got to his feet and then helped her up to, saying she couldn't be making too much efforts while pregnant. It made her laugh that he did that because yes, her son was growing and it showed.

By the time they were done and she finally made it into the bedroom, she did it with a big smile on her face. Robin was there already, sitting by the corner of the bed and apparently out of a shower. She knew because his hair looked damp while carelessly going everywhere and the fresh scent of soap was swirling in the air.

He didn't see her come in though, he was engrossed reading something out of some papers so she had several seconds to study him over.

Now, seeing him like that sent a flashback of their days on the Island into her mind and her smile got a bit bigger. He only needed to be shirtless and sunburnt to look as he has done back there.

The memory made her remember how much she has tried to fight whatever it was that started brewing between them while stranded and yes, it also came into her mind that they sure had come through a lot along the way, more than what most people could handle in a lifetime.

From the crash to being stuck in a deserted Island and then everything that came after.

Looking back at it all, she could only say that never in a million years she would have imagined that they would end up like this. That in such a short amount of time he was going to sweep her off her feet and challenge every single view she had on life.

At least was something that didn't cross her mind back on the day when she saw him walk into her office that first time, with his patented dimple smile and that shine in his eye.

But here they were now and yes, despite anything she could have ever believed in, it was all good.

"How was your talk with Roland?"

Tilting his head up so that he could look her way, Robin snorted, putting the papers over his nightstand and drawing in a deep breath. "Scarring… mostly for me of course. He was such a hungry little rascal, the more answers I fed him the more he wanted to know. It was bloody traumatic in every possible way."

Biting her lips into her mouth, Regina locked the door and walked towards the bed. Once there she climbed on top of it and kneeling behind him she placed her hands on his shoulders, her fingers putting a bit of pressure on his flesh and then kneading a path up his neck and then down to his back.

"At that age I was being tricked into eating mud pies by a pesky girl that lived by our house and here's this kid asking about making babies and whatnots."

Unable to help it, she smiled. She knew how awkward those talks could turn into so she could relate. "Sorry I was of no help."

Throwing his head back as she kept her fingers working, Robin sighed. "It's okay. I noticed you had your hands busy with Henry. Is he alright?"

"He is now; but he had this idea that because I'll be having a baby that I was going to send him away to live with Emma and he was upset about it."

"Really, and why would he think that?"

Humming, Regina shrugged. "He is sometimes like that, he tends to overreact and think things ahead of time."

Robin scoffed. "You mean like you?"

Stopping her ministrations and letting her hands rest over his shoulders, Regina twisted her lips. "What do you mean like me?"

"I think it has been proven that you are a bit of a pessimist yourself. You always assume the worse is going to happen and even tend to overreact so that your kid is the same way is not surprising at all."

Opening her mouth to protest what he just said, Regina furrowed her brows. She said nothing though, first because he was not wrong and second because she was in an extremely good mood and she didn't want to ruin it.

"Shut up." She said at last, reaching for the edge of his shirt to take it off and then reassuming the movements of her hands of massaging his shoulders and back, this time enjoying the feeling of his warm skin under her fingertips.

Humming low in his throat, Robin tilted his head to the right and she went ahead and leaned forward so that she could brush her lips to his neck, placing a kiss there and then dragging her mouth to the spot right below his ear.

"Hmm, seems like someone's feeling a tad frisky tonight."

Keeping her lips on him while her teeth lightly worried the special place where his pulse beat against his skin, Regina slid her hands to his chest, down his stomach and straight towards the bulge between his legs. Once he was at her reach she stroked him through the fabric of his pants while her frame molded to his back.

"Seems like this someone isn't the only one feeling frisky."

Letting a raspy laugh escape through his lips, Robin looked down to see what she was doing with her hands. "That one is entirely on you. Can't blame me for reacting to you getting all touchy friendly."

His hips shoot up a little as he said that and his interest made her want to go further, that's how she allowed her hands to fumble underneath his clothes so that the contact could be flesh to flesh.

"So if that's on me, does it mean I can do with it whatever I want?"

She kept the movement firm but methodical, her palm closing around him as it slid from base to the very tip.

"It's all yours." His tone was meant to come off as amused, but Regina couldn't miss the dark undertone of it and that made her smirk.

"Good."

Taking her hand away and moving over the mattress so that she could have easier access to him, she took the invitation and did exactly what she wanted and how she wanted, making him take off his pants and underwear before grabbing his erection to firmly to run her tongue against the length of him.

"Jesus, Regina…" He growled when she closed her mouth around him.

Loving the timbre of his voice as he said her name in such a throaty way, the brunette continue doing what she was doing, which was taking all of what she could of him into her mouth until he was hissing under his breath and tangling his hand in her hair, not exactly guiding her movements but just encouraging to go on.

She thrived on his reaction on for a while she kept on treating him, the taste of him invading all her senses. It made her own desire pick up so when he grabbed her face and forced himself out of her mouth she didn't protest.

"Come here."

Pulling from him and raising to her knees, she went ahead and took off her own clothes before helping herself onto his lap, straddling him. Once there she wrapped her arms around his neck and smirked slyly. "Hi."

He was right when he has said that she was in a playful mood because she really was and since the boys were put to bed, why not make the best of it?

Her days in that house were coming to an end since the damage done to her own home with the fire was being repaired and as soon as Saturday, she and Henry could be heading back. Meaning that she better use her time right because she still wasn't sure how this new development in hers and Robin's relationship was going to work.

"Hi." His eyes, a shade darker than the usual silvery blue she loved so much shone into hers as he replied back and Regina took that as a hint to grab his face to guide it to hers; when he was close enough she pressed her mouth to his.

She didn't push it farther than that and just lingered, but then he moved his thumb to her jaw and pulled it down, creating a gap so that he could deepen the kiss.

Sighing at the way his tongue melted against her own, Regina kissed him back. She couldn't put it into a coherent sentence, but the truth that no matter how many times they would dance this dance, he was always capable of clouding her judgement so that she could focus on sensation only.

It was simple, with his kiss and the way his fingers would roam all along her skin, there was no thought of how messed up her life was, there was no sadness or anger, there was only him.

Rotating her hips so that her groin could grind against his own arousal, Regina felt both his hands move to the same spot. They went right to her ass cheeks and once there he grabbed her, his hands full as he pulled her even more into him. The movement made her hum against him, and when their privates made full contact, she moaned.

But just as she was starting to really get in the mood, he pulled from the kiss and patted her ass playfully. "We may want to keep it down, don't want to wake up the boys and go on and give even more awkward explanations."

Parting her mouth while her tongue pressed to the corner of her lips, Regina blinked slowly. Then, without even replying she pushed him back so that he could lay down while she remained sitting over him.

"I'll try."

Chuckling and moving his hands to her hips and then down between their bodies, Robin made her lift a little and then he used one of his fingers to run it down her slit. He did it lightly, and not even as she spread her legs a bit more did he went further.

She wanted him to get further and judging by how his erection pushed insistently against her, she was going to guess he wanted it too.

"I want you." Craving to feel more, she leaned forward and kissed him until she was breathless and until his hands ran along every inch of her skin; and when he finally slid into her and they started to move with a sweet urgency as one, she was kissing him too…

As he pointed out they should, they did things as quietly as they could, but that didn't stop the occasional moan to escape them or their ragged breathing and low growls to take over the silence.

She tried though, and he helped by swallowing her moans into his kiss as the friction of her body moving against his overwhelmed her. Then there was the way he was grabbing the flesh of her behind to grind her against him and how it felt to have him as deep as he could go and that was it for her.

She came undone first, going into a sweet oblivion and then back, as it almost always happened and as his time was close too, he told her about it.

"Yeah?" Feeling her skin tingling all over with the force of her release, she asked in a strangled breath against his mouth. She was still on top of him, his rhythm had picked up and she could sense how close he was. "I want to feel it."

Yes, feeling him finish inside of her was something she liked a little too much. It was definitely the reason why she ended up pregnant but since that was already done why not enjoy it?

The warmness of it, the knowledge that it was something so his only for her and how in some way the essence of him inside of her marked her as his. Then there was the way he would suck in a breath as he let go and how he would clung to her as his thrusts became harder and somehow erratic. She just loved all of it.

Hissing, he let his hips dart forward so he could slam into her and that was it, with another growl and with his face flushing, his mouth searched hungrily for hers.

Closing her eyes and receiving into her body all he had to give, she kissed him until they were both spent and satiated.

They went to sleep that night in a tangle of limbs, and when morning came she woke up yet again in an extremely good mood.

There was no morning sickness and even though she has learnt that she could be hit with it at any given hour, she went to work hoping she would be spared of it that day.

"Good morning." She said in a somehow cheerful tone when she walked into the office and saw Belle already there putting some papers in her already cleaned up desk.

"Good morning, Madame Mayor."

Picking the somehow tentative tone of the other woman, Regina frowned. She has worked with Belle for too long to know when she was either itching to tell her something or quite the contrary, when she wanted to keep something from her.

That right there made her sigh because it was typical that whenever she was in a good mood something would come up to ruin it.

"What is it?" She asked, her tone coming up a little harsh.

Taking in a deep breath, the secretary ran a hand through her hair. "As you know, today is the deadline for the nominations for the upcoming election."

Rolling her eyes and taking a seat, Regina pursed her lips. "Yes, and?" She has already told the woman she was not going to run so she didn't know why she thought she cared about the deadline.

"Well… since you are not running for office and well, since there is really no competition Gold has been going all over town saying how he will be the next Mayor and the changes he will be making. People are not exactly happy."

Taking in a deep breath, the current Mayor blinked a couple of times. "I can't do much about that." If he won he won, and people needed to deal with it.

"He's talking about privatizing school and shutting down the community park to make a parking lot. And that's just him starting."

Letting out an incredulous snort, Regina leaned forward. "That greedy little… imp." The truth was that she didn't like what she just heard because she has gone out of her way to make the town's school one of the best of the district just so he could make a profit out of it… and the garden…

She has done that, that has been one of the first projects she worked on when she became Mayor and she has done it for Henry, so that he could have a safe recreational space within town.

If Gold took it down Roland wouldn't be able to enjoy and same with her baby.

"If you would just run he would have no chance of winning." Now Belle said that as fast as she could, almost as if saying it any slower would make her point invalid.

Regina just watched her. Like stated before, she has worked with her long enough to admit that she has been a very resourceful employee. She could count on her more than she could on Sidney and that was why she decided not to snap at her words.

In fact, probably for the first time ever she decided to talk to her not as Mayor to secretary, but as Regina to Belle.

"I'm pregnant with whom used to be my auditor's baby so I don't think I'll have a chance against Gold even if I wanted to run, which I don't." The man would just tear her a new one because she was simply a PR disaster. And that would only be with the baby, her mommy issues were another source for him to exploit and knowing Gold like she did, she was well aware that he would not be afraid to use the information to soil her image.

"You're pregnant? Wow, that's amazing so um, congratulations." Belle said with a small laugh and Regina dismissed her with a motion of her hand.

She has never liked people nosing into her private matters and if she confessed it was because she wanted to make the woman see why was it that she shouldn't run.

"Now… not that my opinion is that important but I don't think you being pregnant would be a problem for the election. Quite the contrary."

Regina scoffed, not sure where was it that Belle got lost in the narrative. But before she could remind her of the situation of how Robin got her pregnant while he was still auditor, the secretary cleared her throat and went on.

"I hope you don't mind me saying this…" Belle sat in one of the chairs and drew in a deep breath. "You've always won elections because you are good at what you are and people know you are effective. But… the truth is that they have never felt like they could relate with… well you know, you."

Arching an eyebrow but not really surprised by the words, Regina hummed.

"It's like you've always been way up high and they down low. But with all of this, going back to the plane accident and then the thing with Robin is like they are finally seeing you as more than just Madame Mayor and more like a real person. You wouldn't even imagine the amount of people who have come to me out in the street asking about you and Robin and not in a bad way."

"That's probably because they are nosey and want in with all the gossip."

"I think it was that at first. But now I'm pretty much sure it's more than just sheer curiosity. Robin is well liked around town and after everything that you two went through I'm sure they are actually rooting for the both of you."

That made her laugh, partly because it was ridiculous and then because if it was true it would mean that what her mother made public to hurt her could actually end up helping her. It was ironic, and in a way satisfying.

"So you're saying Robin is actually a good publicity stunt for me?" God he would have a kick out of that if he only heard.

"Only that it wouldn't be a stunt if it's real. A baby would just be the icing on top of the cake."

Tapping her fingers to her lips, Regina looked at the woman through half closed eyelids. "You sound just like my mother. Only that less… deranged."

"I know you care about Storybrooke, you wouldn't have done half the things you've done if it wasn't that way so if you happen to change your mind… like before noon just let me know so that I can put your name in the candidates."

"Sure. You'll be the first to know if I change my mind." She said that, but even to her own ears her tone came off as anything but sincere.

"Okay." Taking that as her cue to leave, Belle got to her feet and walked out the door.

Once alone, Regina began to do what she came to do, which was work, but as she did it her mind would keep going around in circles and she couldn't quite concentrate.

Two hours later she picked her phone and sent a message to Robin.

"I'm about to do something stupid…"

She would have call him but she didn't want to bother him, she knew he was busy getting things ready for the upcoming opening of the bar and taking even more of the time she already had would be abusive.

She called Belle instead, and when the younger woman came into the office she spoke to her in her business like tone. "If I do this and it turns in my favor, you won't be my secretary, you'll be going as my assistant."

"What? I can't… I don't even, what about Sidney?"

"Those are my terms, if it isn't that way then don't even bother putting my name up."

Opening her eyes as wide as she could, Belle chuckled. "Thanks, I promise I won't disappoint and…"

"Don't be mistaken, this is not a favor. But if you are making me do this you may as well suffer along with me and believe me, it won't be pleasant. Especially if Gold is set on getting this seat."

"I can assure you that he won't."

Taking in a deep breath and wondering why she was doing this when she has been set up on stepping down, she ran a hand through her hair. "I hope you are right, I really do…"

TBC