Prompt Summary: Robin and Regina are trying to figure out who would take in then kids if they die when Henry says that he's taking care of his brother and sisters.
"What are godparents?"
Regina pauses, the knife in her hand going still mid-swipe as she cuts up Clarissa's chicken. She looks toward Roland in surprise as he stares at her from across the table, his brown eyes brimming with innocence as he waits for an answer. She looks over at Robin and sees he's just as much thrown off guard by the question as she is.
It's Henry who finally answers him.
"They're the people who are supposed to take care of you if your parents die," he absentmindedly answers as he continues to stealthily text from beneath the dining table. Regina's eyes whip toward her elder son, silently trying to convey her displeasure at his nonchalant tone. Her reaction goes unnoticed.
"Oh," said Roland, his eyes going wide with understanding. Curiosity satisfied, he simply shrugs his shoulders and goes back to eating his green beans.
His parents, on the other hand, aren't left so relaxed. Locking eyes they have an intense silent conversation that ends with Robin clearing his throat and turning to his son. "Why do you ask Roland?"
"Because at school Freddy said that he had godparents and I didn't know what they were," he answers.
"Oh. Okay," says Regina nodding her head, still a bit thrown off.
Another moment passes before Roland pops an even heavier question. "Do I have godparents?"
Regina locks eyes with Robin and sees the answer written clear across his face.
And so begins the longest argument they've ever had.
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"How could you not pick godparents for him?!"
Regina runs the brush through her hair a little rougher than usual that night, spurned on by her burning shock from this new revelation. She'd been hounding him about since they'd put the kids to bed.
"Well it's not like it was the main priority when he was born," argued Robin, pulling his t-shirt over his head. "I was on the run and Marian was captured a few weeks later. I didn't have time to think of the future. I was too busy trying to make it through the day."
She lets out a frustrated groan as she glares at him from the bathroom mirror.
"Don't look at me like that," he warns. "It was a tough time. And seeing as how you're judging me so harshly what about Henry?"
She narrows her eyes at him. "What do you mean?"
"Where are his godparents?" Robin interrogates, accusingly.
Still glaring, she only clenches her jaw in response.
"So you didn't pick any either," he smugly replies.
"I was living in a town full of people I was cursing for all of eternity," she reminded. "Do you really think I would've trusted any of them with my son?"
Looking back, it suddenly struck Regina as odd that with how worried she'd been about being a good mother when she'd adopted him that she'd never put anything official into place for Henry's care should something happen to her. To be perfectly honest she hadn't really expected for her demise to be a concern. She lived in a cursed town where time stood still and she controlled every little thing. In her mind the chances of an unexpected death were slim at worst, impossible at best.
She sighs, dropping the brush on the counter. "Great, so neither of our sons have godparents."
Robin moans, nervously. "I hate to bring this up… but neither does our daughter."
Regina's eyes widen. "Oh my god! Neither does our daughter," she breathes.
Her heart clenches when she realizes that even three years after her birth they still haven't chosen godparents for their baby girl. In all fairness, the initial weeks after Clarissa's birth had been quite stressful. Going to the underworld, dealing with Hades and Zelena. Regina would always be grateful that her sister had chosen to do the right thing. She gave up Clarissa and chose to vanquish Hades even though she loved him and knew it would mean being forced to take his place in the underworld. Her choice had saved all of them, including their baby girl. And after everything settled she and Robin had been so focused on just getting back into a routine that any thought of godparents just went out the window.
"How could we let this happen?" she whispers.
Robin sees her starting to spiral and immediately rushes to her side. "Regina…"
"Robin we have three children," she stresses. Pressing a hand to her stomach she shakes her head, "And we're about to have a fourth."
It was early. She was barely halfway through her first trimester, the only people who knew were Henry and Emma but they were going to have another child. And of course, she was ecstatic about that. Stunned, perhaps a tiny bit frightened but still ecstatic. Or at least she was until now.
"What is supposed to happen to them if we…?"
She can't even bring herself to say the words and he certainly doesn't let her.
"Don't think like that," he says, pulling her close. "Our children will be fine. They will be taken care of by us, because we are not dying. Not today, not anytime soon. So… let's just put this out of heads, ok? It doesn't matter if they have godparents. They have us. That's enough."
His calm promises soothe her nerves. She sinks into his embrace, letting it warm her from the inside out. Taking a deep breath, she nods her head. "Ok. I'll put it out of my head."
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She couldn't put it out of her head.
The pregnancy had been messing with her sleep for weeks now but that night it wasn't the baby keeping her up. It was her thoughts and her memories. Despite Robin's assurances all she could think about was every battle they'd ever face, every time she'd come close to losing him or her life. The mines, Camelot, the darkness… Hades. They'd had so many brushes with death that they'd narrowly escaped. How long could they tempt fate before it finally decided to take one or both of them? And what would happen to their children then?
It was one a.m. when she reached the end of her rope.
Rolling over she viciously shakes Robin's shoulder until he reluctantly opens his eyes with a groan. "What? What's happening?"
She stares down at him with urgency in her eyes. "Robin we have to find someone to take care of the kids. I mean it. Now."
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The merry men are his first suggestion.
They run into John after their thirteenth-week sonogram. He's the first one to see the picture of their new little one. Looking down at it he gets a little teary-eyed like the giant softie Regina now knows him to be. Makes them promise to bring the children around for a proper visit to the new forest rangers' station that the merry men proudly use for work. It'd been a while and the men have long missed having the little ones around.
Their run-in reminds Robin of how much he'd been able to rely on the men when Roland was a baby. For the first few months his son had barely been put down, instead spending his days being passed from one pair of arms to the next. Though he worried as much as any other father, he remembered feeling a certain security in knowing that there were more than a dozen pairs of eyes watching over his son just as vigilantly as his were. Having so many watchful eyes could be helpful should they inherit their four children.
Despite all these points Regina still held doubts.
"Robin I understand that the merry men are family and that you and Roland still feel very close to them," she said gently. "But they're still men of the Enchanted Forest. They all live as though they're still in that world."
"It's the way they're comfortable," he'd explained to her. "And there's nothing wrong with that."
"Not for them," said Regina, arching an eyebrow. "But our children will be living Storybrooke, Robin. This world is their home and they need someone who can show them how to live in it."
He reluctantly sighed. It was a valid point. The men had chosen to shirk most of this world's benefits in favor of remaining in the forest and keeping to the old ways.
"And let's not forgot about the incident we had with John…"
Robin rolls his eyes. "Regina…"
"Robin he shot my toaster! With a crossbow!"
"Fine!" he cries. She'd never been able to let that go, even if it had happened three years ago.
"We won't leave our children with the merry men."
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Strangely enough, Belle is the next person they consider to be an option.
Regina is closing in on five months along when she arrives at the library with Clarissa to pick the boys up from the library. It'd become a bit of a habit for Henry to take his younger brother there after school.
She found Roland in the children's section with Belle looking for a book to read for class. At the sight of her Clarissa squealed with glee and raced over to wrap her arms around the librarian's legs. Belle had been a frequent babysitter for them in the past and both Clarissa and Roland adored her. Watching the patience she displays with her two younger children Regina starts to think about what a good influence she'd be on them both.
Belle was kind, nurturing and clearly intelligent. She loved children and was always happy to look after any baby or child she could get her hands on. If given the chance Regina thought she would make an excellent mother.
And Robin didn't disagree.
Well… not exactly.
"Of course, I think Belle is wonderful," he said, one evening as he gave her a foot rub. "But we also have to consider the company she keeps."
"You mean Gold," mumbled Regina, dejectedly. She'd nearly forgotten about him.
"I love Belle but she's never been able to let go of him," Robin sadly reminded her. "She and the dark one come as a pair. And I don't want him around our children any more than necessary."
"You're right," Regina sighed before solemnly nodding her head. "Belle's not an option."
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It's six months into her pregnancy before she even lets him suggest the Charmings as an option. They'd returned home from her baby shower, an all-day affair planned by none other than Snow herself. The princess had arranged every last detail and had even managed to guilt nearly every woman in town into making an appearance. At the end of the day she'd made a heartfelt speech citing that even with everything that had happened between them Regina was still the greatest, fiercest mother she knew. It'd nearly brought Regina to tears. Not that she'd ever admit that.
Now Robin was pressuring her to choose the Charmings as their children's potential guardians.
"Name one good reason not to choose them," he challenges. "Just one and I'll let it go."
Regina bit her lip as she struggled to come up with an answer. She had to admit that the Charmings were not the worst option in town. They were brave and good. They spent a lot of time around the kids as it was, Clary and Neal were practically best friends and they were already Henry's grandparents.
But even with all of that the idea of choosing them just didn't sit right with her. She loved Snow and Charming, truly she did, but she just couldn't imagine letting them raise her children.
"The loft is too small," she lied.
"What?"
"Their home is not big enough," she insisted. "Robin we'd be adding four more children to their family when they've already got Neal sleeping upstairs and baby Eva in the bassinet next to their bed. They can't handle adding our kids to the mix. There's just not enough space. End of discussion."
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"Emma and Hook?"
"What?"
"Emma and Hook," Robin repeats. "Do you think they'd take in the kids if we asked?"
Tilting her head, Regina silently considered it. She was eight months now. Big as a house and just as heavy. They sat at the kitchen table, matching mugs of tea in their hands. They'd been going around in circles with this argument. They'd run through all their friends and family and it wasn't the first time they'd considered Emma and Hook.
Regina was actually fonder of the idea of it than she'd like to admit. Emma and Hook were fierce protectors when it came to family. They had more than enough space in their home and could afford to take in the kids if necessary. Roland loved spending time with their dog, a shiny haired black lab they'd rescued from the shelter and Clarissa got along with them both. However, there was one tiny snag.
"Robin they don't want kids," she reminded him.
Emma had stated as much more than once and Hook had always agreed with her. They didn't plan to make children a part of their future. Pregnancy had been traumatic for Emma and Hook had been fine either way so they'd opted out. A decision that Regina more than respected.
"I know they don't want their own kids," said Robin. "But don't you think they'd considered taking ours if we were no longer here?"
"I know that they would," said Regina, thoughtfully. "but I need them to want to. I don't want our children feeling like burdens."
"I know," said Robin, reaching for her hand. "But we won't know how they feel until we ask?"
"Ask who what?"
They looked up to see Henry walking into the kitchen, a curious look on his face as he headed for the pantry. Sometimes it still surprised Regina how much Henry had grown up. She still remembered the days when he needed a step stool to reach the handle on the pantry door. Now he was pulling things off the top shelf for her.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Well…" drawled Robin before looking over at Regina.
She sighed before nodding her head. They hadn't planned on telling anyone about their search for guardians, especially not the kids, but Henry was a special case. He was the oldest and if anyone deserved to voice an opinion on the subject it was him.
"Why don't you come sit with us," she said patting the chair next to her.
"Okay," Henry suspiciously drawled as he sat down. "What's going on? Is the baby okay?"
"Oh yes, the baby's fine," she quickly assured him, letting her hand run down her middle. God she didn't even know how to start this conversation. She looked over at Robin for support and he took over.
"It's just that with the new baby coming your mother and I have had to do some… extra planning," he said, carefully.
Henry curiously tilted his head. "Planning?"
"Yes," said Regina. "More specifically planning what would happen to the four of you if…"
She trailed off still unable to speak the words.
"If your mother and I were no longer here," Robin finished for her.
"Oh," breathed Henry, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Yeah," sighed Regina. "And we've been giving it a lot of thought…"
"More than you know," mumbled Robin.
"And," drawled Regina. She sent a warning look at her soulmate before turning back to her son. "And right now we're thinking of asking Emma and Hook if they'd be interested in being named guardians for you and your brother and sisters. So… how would you feel about that?"
She saw a few different emotions pass over her son's face over the next couple seconds but in the end the only one she could read was disbelief.
He scoffed before crossing his arms over his chest and shaking his head. "Yeah, that's not gonna happen."
Robin's head reared back in surprise at Henry's firm declaration. "Why? Do you think they wouldn't be interested?"
"I think it doesn't matter," Henry sharply replied. "Because if the worst does happen I'm taking care of Roland and Clary." He gestured toward his mother's stomach. "And the same goes for whoever's in there."
He spoke with so much conviction. The said his words as if he couldn't even believe they'd considered anyone besides him. For the next ten seconds he'd rendered them both speechless. They exchanged surprised looks as they tried to come up with something to say.
"Henry… that's incredibly sweet but… we couldn't possibly the leave the kids with you," sputtered Regina.
"Why not?" he replied shrugging his shoulders. "I'll be eighteen in a few months and I know we've had some close calls in the past but I'm sure you can both manage to stay alive until then."
"But… Henry being a parent isn't like babysitting," argued Robin. "It takes a lot to provide for three children. They'll need a home and food and clothes…"
"Then we'll stay here," said Henry. He looked over at his mother. "As long as you leave the house in our names then we'll always have a place to call home. And if we need money I'll get a job around town. Storybrooke practically runs on nepotism and I've got connections at the school, the sheriff's department, animal shelter and pawn shop. I'll find a place to work."
"And that's all well and good," said Regina, finally recovering from her initial shock. "But there's more to being a parent than just the money and shelter. It's about giving your brother and sisters what they need, being here for them."
"And I already am," stressed Henry, leaning forward in his seat. "Have you guys seriously not noticed all the slack I've been picking up these past few months?"
Robin scrunched his face in confusion. "Slack?"
"Yeah," said Henry nodding his head. "I know you guys have been busy with work and getting ready for the new baby but have you really not wondered why Roland's math scores have gone from D's to solid B pluses? It's because I've been tutoring him three days a week for the past five months so he can get caught up."
All Regina could manage in response was a soft "Oh." She had noticed Roland's grades steadily improving but she'd assumed it was because something had finally clicked for him. But now she remembered that Henry had been taking him to library after school for quite some time at this point.
"And have you noticed that Clary no longer cries about the monster in her room at night?" Henry pointed out. "It's because three months ago I pretended to check her room and told her that the monster in her closet was just a sugar-eating Snuffleupagus that was looking for midnight snacks. It's why she keeps leaving out marshmallows on her dresser before bed and why I keep getting up early to eat them before she wakes up."
"Is that who Stella is supposed to be?" asked Robin. Every night when his daughter reminded him to leave out marshmallows for "Stella" he'd just assumed she'd been talking about a new imaginary friend.
"Yes, Stella the Snuffleupagus," said Henry. "I even drew a picture and came up with a backstory for her so Clary would think she's a character from the storybook that she doesn't have to be afraid of."
"Oh," said Robin. Somehow it'd escaped his notice that she'd gone weeks without crawling into their bed for safety like she had before.
Henry sighed shaking his head. "Look I know it's hard for you guys to see me as more than some kid but you have to realize that the way you see me is the way I see them. They're my brother and sister. I love them. And if you can't be here to take care of them… then I will."
Regina felt her eyes growing hot and watery. "Henry…"
"You don't have to promise me anything now," he said. "It's not like you're dying tomorrow. Just… think about it."
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And they did.
There room was extremely quiet when they finally got ready for bed. Robin brushed his teeth at the sink while Regina pulled on her pajamas, both of them thinking over everything Henry had said.
In all the months they'd been discussing the matter it'd never once crossed his mind to name Henry as a guardian to the younger children. The boy was still a child himself. Well that's not entirely true. He'd grown quite a lot since that day on the docks when Robin had first shook his hand, both in stature and maturity. He was thoughtful and responsible. Roland and Clary both looked up to him and no one knew their ticks and habits better than he did. Perhaps Henry was the best choice.
He rinsed his mouth and joined Regina in bed. Though she was tucked into the sheets she still sat up staring at a framed photo in her hand. It was one of the kids, all three of them, at the beach taken months after the Underworld nonsense. God they'd all grown up so much sense then, Clarissa had barely learned to sit up at the time. She'd taken the photo herself and placed it on her night stand to remind herself that no matter how hard things got she'd finally made it to her happy ending. But now it made her wonder would she be around to make it to theirs? And if not, then who would be?
"So…," Robin, settling next to her. "Henry."
She sighed. "Henry."
He pressed his lips together nervously before speaking. "Regina… I know it might sound crazy but…"
"It doesn't sound crazy." She cuts him off shaking her head as tears well up in her eyes. "I want it to. I want to say that it sounds insane to leave three of our children in the hands of our almost eighteen-year-old but it doesn't. I I trust him, more than anyone. And I think he'd take really good care of them."
Tears were running down her face now. "If we die I want to leave Henry in charge of the kids. I hate myself for that."
Robin's eyes went wide at her confession. Almost instantly her arms went around her, pulling her close as she continued to cry. "Regina… why would you say something like that?"
She shakes her head. "What if we die in the next couple months? He'll only be eighteen and stuck with two kids and a baby. What about his future?"
She exhaled trying to calm herself down. "It feels like we'd be stealing his freedom like…"
"Like they did to you when they forced you to be Snow's stepmother," Robin softly finished for her.
She goes silent then, remember how trapped she'd been in her role in the palace. How she'd been forced into a role she'd never wanted at the whims of Cora and Leopold and fate. How it'd hardened her heart to everyone, including Snow.
"I just don't want him to resent us after we're gone," she whispered.
Robin sighs, rubbing her shoulders. "I understand why you'd feel that way," he says. "But you have to see that it would be different for him than it was for you."
He turns to look her in the eye. "He loves his brother and sisters." He lets his hand fall to her bump. "Even the one he hasn't met yet."
She scoffs and rolls her eyes but still lays her hand on top of his. Just a few more weeks and they'd all get to meet their new baby girl.
"More importantly," Robin continues, "this is his choice. He wants to be there for them. It's why he let us know. And you know as well as I do that no one fights for this family to stay together more than he does."
She nods her head in agreement. "He's practically the only reason it even exists."
Some days she tries to imagine what this family would like without Henry. Her, Emma, the Charmings. How alone they all would be had that little boy not appeared in their lives when he did.
"We've gone through this town trying to find someone good enough to take care of them," said Robin. "But what maybe the best person to look after our children… is one of our children."
A small smile pulls on her lips as she looks up at him and nods. "Henry?"
"Henry."
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Five weeks later they lay their baby girl in her bassinet for the first time.
The mobile above her crib plays a sleepy time lullaby as they look down on her.
Raven Lucy Locksely.
She's a beauty with midnight black hair (enough of it to surprise everyone), sky blue eyes and chubby red cheeks. Her parents look down at her completely hypnotized as she sleeps. They can't believe that after all these months she's finally here.
A soft knock at the nursery door pulls them away. They turn to see Henry poking his head in the room. "Can I come in?"
"Sure." Regina waves him over.
In an instant he crosses the room to look in on his new baby sister.
"Wow," he breathes. "I can't believe she's finally home. She still looks so tiny."
"I know," whispers Regina. "It's even harder to believe that you used to be just this small."
He softly chuckles in response but still keeps his eyes trained on the baby. Same as everyone else when she's in the room. For a moment the three of them stand around the crib in silence, marveling over the newborn as she sleeps. But then Robin pats Regina's shoulder and she nods in agreement. It's time.
She turns to her oldest son and takes a deep breath. "So Henry, Robin and I just wanted to let you know that we've discussed it and… we agree with you. If anything happens to us Roland and your sisters should stay with you."
He finally tears his eyes away from his sister. "Really?"
"Yes," said Robin, nodding his head. "We want this family to stay together if we're not here. And no one knows how to keep one together better than you."
"So long as you're at least eighteen then they'll be yours," said Regina. "But we want to make sure that you know that just because you'll be their only legal guardian doesn't mean that you'll have to do it all alone."
"We've checked in with the rest of the family," said Robin. "And they all promise to be there to help you."
It'd been the one fact that had pushed them over the edge. Before they officially named Henry their guardian they'd been sure to check that if the worst did happen that he wouldn't be alone. And they'd been pleased to discover that should Henry need to look after the children he'd have a family of heroes, saviors, woodsmen, pirates and even a librarian to make sure he had everything he needed.
"Thanks guys," said Henry, with a smile. "And I promise if I need anything I'll reach out."
"Good," said Regina, nodding her head. Robin cleared his throat and she suddenly remembered the other news they wanted to share with him. "And one more thing, Henry?"
"Yes?"
"How would you feel about being Raven's godfather?"
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