Little Robin was not as easy to calm this time as she had been when she woke up from her nap. Then, the crying had just been an instinct, but now the sound of the door slamming had started the baby and she could hear her heart beating frantically even through the blanket she kept over her for warmth. Getting her to stop wasn't just a matter of using a happy voice and waving a giraffe in front of her face, it was a matter of calming her down so that she forgot the sound she'd heard.
Little by little with every bounce and whispered word she felt the tears slow and her heartbeat reduce. In the end Robin was her own knight in shining armor, or at least her body was. She hiccupped suddenly toward the end of her tears, and with the jolt that came through her body, her eyes widened, she stopped crying, and she looked around wildly, looking for an explanation to what she felt. Then it happened again. She laughed at the expression of bewilderment on her face, and suspected that the sound of laughter helped to calm her. After a while she was able to lay her back in her bassinet with a smile on her face and hand her back the giraffe.
"Do you want to hear a story?" she whispered to the baby. "I don't have any here, but maybe we could make one together. There once was a girl named Robin who loved giraffes…"
The story worked, or else the sound of her voice did. Robin was quiet and stared up at her, listening intently and chewing on her giraffe's ear as she concocted a tale of Robin and her magical giraffe named Muff. She lost time making up that story; she told it even as she continued to sweep the floor, using the broom as a dancing partner, and the dustpan as a broken jewel. When she finally returned to Robin's side to retrieve the baby she'd come to a conclusion: she would have been a good mother. The conversation she'd had with Rapunzel in the library a few weeks ago came back very clearly to her and she remembered how her friend had assured her she'd be okay. That no one really knew how to be a parent it was just something they learned.
She wasn't entirely sure she believed that now. No one had ever taught her to do these things, and taking care of Robin these past few hours had certainly come easier to her than it had the first time she'd watched Neal. Was that because she was a mother now? Because she'd given birth and really just knew? Part of her thought that and when she finally picked Robin back up and dipped her up and down in her arms making her smile she knew that if given the chance with Gideon she would have done just as well if not better with him. At the very least she'd have been better than the Black Fairy.
Once again cradled against her chest, the baby was eager to reach out and grab at the stray, unkempt locks of her hair. She had tiny hands, but such a strong grip. It didn't make any sense how something so tiny could pull so hard on her hair, or make her smile this much. It was no wonder she kept thinking about Gideon as she stared down at her face. It would have been impossible not to think of him. Not as he was now, but as he was when he was born, how he could have been. Dressed in blue and wrapped in a blanket like this. Would he too have snuggled close to her chest? Would he have pulled her hair and smiled at her? What would the bond they'd have had created been like?
She dared to think further, just as she had only hours ago when she'd settled Robin down. What would life have been like if he'd never been at Hades' mercy? If Rumple had told her of the curse some other way? Would they be home now? Counting down the months until they held their own baby? Would they have put their hands over her belly and picked out furniture together? Thought of baby names? Would Gideon's name even be "Gideon"?!
That thought was enough of a shock she could barely fathom it. To her he was Gideon and no other name would have suited him. But still, he was what she'd made him, what he would have been if they'd done it together wasn't worth thinking about because it would never come to pass. But that didn't mean she didn't think about it.
"Hey, I'm back," Zelena sighed as the bell to the shop went off behind her. Her daydreaming interrupted she felt the bubble she'd been living in with Robin burst. If she was honest, she'd completely forgotten about Regina's arrival until this moment. She'd been too busy comforting the baby and telling her stories. But as it all came back to her, she issued a sigh of relief. Obviously what Regina feared, whatever that was, hadn't come to pass, or hadn't been what she thought it was…she may never know. But what mattered was that Zelena was back, though she loved the tiny infant she'd helped to sustain through her early days she was suddenly aware that Robin was not Gideon, she was not her mother, and it was time to give her back.
"Hey," she sighed. "How ah…how did your business go?" she questioned, doing what she could to draw out the minutes she had left with the baby as well as figure out what exactly had happened.
"Not as productive as I'd hoped but it doesn't matter anymore," Zelena muttered, her voice sad. Maybe Regina had gotten her way then. She wasn't sure what had happened, what Zelena's business actually was, maybe someday she'd ask, but now didn't seem the time, the look on Zelena's face made that entirely obvious.
"How was she?" Zelnea finally inquired looking to her daughter.
She felt her smile grow as she gazed back down at her. "She's ah…she's a sweetheart," she admitted cheerfully. "I'm happy to watch her any time!" The words were out of her mouth before she could even consider them, but she didn't have any urge to take them back even knowing what she'd tried to do to Gideon. She did adore baby Robin, just as she adored little Neal. And as far as Zelena went…no, she wasn't happy about what happened at the cabin with her son. In fact, she was downright furious about it, but when she looked at Zelena, she was surprised to find that she wasn't furious at her. Angry, certainly. But furious…those were emotions she was saving for David and Hook.
Why? She wasn't entirely sure, but if she had to guess it was because she was more to blame for that than Zelena was. She'd asked Zelena for help, knowing who she was and what she did, knowing he was an enemy. She'd still decided to get into bed with her anyway. She was the Wicked Witch, she really had no right to be angry when she had been exactly who she always claimed she was. David and Killian on the other hand, after all they'd done and promised her, after how much she'd trusted them…they were the ones she truly felt betrayed by.
"I don't think that'll be necessary but thank you," Zelena breathed as she quickly reached forward and pulled the baby into her arms. "What do you say Robin, hm?" she questioned shifting the blanket and bundle so that she could get an arm free. "I think it's time we went where we belong…home."
She looked her over. It wasn't the words that she'd used that set her on edge but rather the tone that she'd used with them. They were words of finality, sad and regretful all at once.
"Zelena…are uh…are things alright?" she questioned cautiously. Robin she adored, Zelena she still didn't trust and wasn't sure what she would do if the answer to that question wasn't a positive one. But to her relief the witch nodded.
"They will be," she muttered, nearly echoing her sister as her eyes never came off the child in her arms. The answer was what she wanted, but she didn't trust it. How was she supposed to respond when her gut told her there was more going on? Before she could come up with an answer or say anything else Zelena turned and walked out of the pawn shop with Robin, leaving behind her new giraffe.
Filler. Really this entire sub-plot was just filler and in truth, it kind of annoyed me in the next episode. I understand why they did this, had Belle watch Robin, I just think that the number of times Zelena shows up without Robin and Belle doesn't have her clearly shows that there are other people in Storybrooke capable of watching her and that having Belle do it after the 6x11 scenes made no sense. But I'm not a writer, what can I do other than rant and rave in my Author's Note.
Thank you Grace5231973, Paintbrush123, and Fox24 for you reviews! I'm glad that you liked the interactions, filler as they may be! I'm hoping you'll love the chapters that come next more! Lots of good conversations are coming up with other characters that kind of make me happy in a wonderful way! Peace and Happy Reading!
