Promise Me No Promises

by Outlawqueen86869

(Sequel to Our Promise) Finally, after months of pain and heartbreak, Regina Mills and Robin Locksley were together at last. They know it will be hard. There will be fights and talks and jealousy, but they know they can make it to the end. Together. Follow Regina and Robin through the adventures of their life, finding ways to make it through the good and bad.

14. Chapter 14

Hi everyone! OMG, I AM SO SORRY IT TOOK THIS LONG FOR AN UPDATE! I NEVER go a single month without an update for any of my stories, a lot of you know that, but it's been TWO MONTHS. I AM SO SORRY! Things have been absolutely crazy in my personal life and I needed to take a step back from writing for a little bit, but I'm back! To make up for the long wait, this is an EXTRA LONG chapter :) And also, for those of you who read Love You, Lose You, I'll have an update for that soon as well, hopefully by Friday! I promise I'm still writing, life just kinda got a little crazy for a moment.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE KIND REVIEWS! They always make my day, and I LOVE everyone's different views :) Thank you so much to everyone who keeps coming back to read my stories, you are amazing and I love you :) THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Here is Chapter 14!

Chapter 14

"You're joking," Regina scoffed, sitting in a chair across from the company's CEO, and she swore, the only thing stopping her from strangling the woman was the desk between them.

"I assure you, Ms. Mills, this is no joking matter," the woman shook her head, and Regina uncrossed her legs as she sat up straighter than before, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Let me get this straight. You just fired more than three quarters of your Accounting and Finance department, you let go some of your best people, and you want me to stick around. You're, you're offering me a raise," Regina narrowed her eyes at the woman, and the redhead nodded her head, not understanding the confusion.

"It's not an offer, Ms. Mills, you're now the head of Accounting and Financing. There's no negotiation on the matter. Mr. Moore-"

"I don't care about whoever this Moore person is. You just got rid of Robin Locksley. Do you not understand he's essential to this company's success?" Regina asked, feeling like she was in some slow-moving horror movie. She leaned back in her seat, her lips pursed, wondering if this was just some sick joke Gold was trying to pull.

That was it, it had to be. He was pissed at her and Robin for leaving, so he was trying to get back at them. This would all be over in another ten minutes.

"If he were essential, Ms. Mills, he wouldn't have been one of the many who lost their jobs this morning… now, I understand that you and Mr. Locksley are involved, and I hope you remember the contract both of you signed when you arrived here earlier this month. Under no circumstance should your personal lives interfere with your professional. So, for your sake, I hope when you bring up his name it's in appropriate measures."

Regina put a hand on her forehead as she imagined a fireball in her other hand, burning down the whole damn building. This wasn't happening. It wasn't.

"This is ridiculous. I, I don't even have a team to manage. Half the company is leaving as we speak," Regina shook her head. The redhead sighed as she intertwined her hands together in front of her, tilting her head.

"It's time for change, Mills. As of yesterday, we are now partners with Mr. Moore, and half of his people will be moving into the building throughout the week. You should be honored to have been saved from the unemployment line. In fact, Mr. Moore requested you stay personally."

"You know, I can quit. I don't have to settle for this," Regina raised an eyebrow, and by her surprise, the redhead only smiled, shrugging her shoulders.

"Of course… I just think it would be a shame, you know, to have both you and Locksley out looking for jobs at the same time. I'm sure that wouldn't be too much trouble," the redhead pushed up her glasses, knowing she had the brunette, and Regina glared at the woman.

"Looks like I'm not the one who's making this a personal affair," Regina scoffed, shaking her head, standing from her seat. She grabbed her purse and walked towards the door, her cheeks red with the anger coursing through her veins.

"Oh, and Ms. Mills," the redhead called out as Regina walked out the door, "Mr. Moore and I look forward to working with you and your team."

Regina rolled her eyes as she slammed the door on her way out, her heels clicking against the ice-cold marble floors.

…

Regina stood outside her home, taking a deep breath. There were nerves in the pit of her stomach, and they were traveling throughout her entire body. Her hands were shaking, she already tried to stop them and failed, and somehow, she didn't even care if when she walked in, the case was still on the island.

That didn't even seem relevant anymore. Not when everything now has been shaken upside down.

Regina walked inside her home and closed the door behind her, setting her purse and bag down by the door. She slid out of her heels, looking out to the kitchen. The case wasn't on the island.

Regina's head snapped upwards when she heard fast footsteps on the stairs, and when she saw Robin with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder, when she saw the utter disappointment clear in his usual bright eyes, she was left speechless. He didn't even look like her Robin.

Robin stopped at the bottom step when he saw Regina standing by the front door, and he paused, his face immediately falling. When he saw her eyes travel to his bag he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I didn't think you'd be home this early," Robin stated, obviously uncomfortable with the situation they were in, but Regina didn't hear a word. Her eyes were glued to the bag on his shoulder. The one she knew was filled with clothes and a toothbrush and maybe even a pair of shoes.

Silence filled the house as Regina's fearful eyes traveled back to Robin's, and he cleared his throat after a while, looking down before back up at her. He had to do this now or else he wouldn't do it. It needed to be done, no matter how much he wished to stop.

"I'm going to stay at Granny's for a little bit," Robin explained, and Regina froze, her mouth opening in shock, her heart beginning to hammer inside of her chest. She stammered, tried to look for words, any, but when none came out, Robin didn't waste any time.

He took it as his escape.

Robin walked out the front door, grabbing his keys on the table before walking out, and Regina lost her breath, her eyes beginning to form tears. She heard the door shut softly behind her, but she shook her head, wiping at her eyes. She wouldn't let Robin leave. She couldn't. Not with everything that's happened in the past twenty four hours.

He couldn't possibly think she was done. She was lying, god, of course she was. She could never leave him, she would never want to. Why did she even say that?

Regina ran out the door to Robin quickly, grabbing his arm, stopping in front of him, halting his movements.

"Regina-"

"You're not leaving. You're, you're not going to Granny's. You have a perfectly good bed here. You, you have everything you need here," Regina's voice wavered at the end, and she swallowed, blinking back tears. Robin tilted his head, looking into her eyes with such new emotion it scared her.

"It's been a long day, and after this morning, the last thing you want is to deal with us. With me. I just… I'm not going to fight if there's nothing left to fight for," Robin shrugged his shoulders so brokenly, and Regina's heart shattered, dropped to the ground and absolutely shattered on the pavement of their driveway.

Robin moved around her to get to his car, but the thought of Robin driving away made her want to die.

"It was an empty threat!" Regina exclaimed, frantic, panicked. She turned around, almost out of breath, and at first she had hope. When Robin turned around to face her again, setting his things aside on the blacktop with a sigh, she had hope.

Maybe he didn't really think this was it. Maybe he saw through her lies and realized that she wasn't done. At all. Maybe he just wanted to scare her like she scared him. But then Robin stopped and sucked in a breath that sounded a hell lot like hurt. He shook his head as he let out a small, humorless chuckle, and a chill went down Regina's spine.

"It didn't sound like one, Regina. It sounded like you've been waiting for an out, and this was your opportunity. It sounded like you were leaving me," Robin said, and Regina scoffed as she took a step closer to him, her hair blowing in the late January wind.

"You really think I would leave you? You really think I'd be able to?" Regina questioned back, hurt he would even think such a thing. But as she remembered the words she said to him, how she told him she was done, the look in his eyes as the words spilled out of her mouth, maybe it wasn't so crazy for him to think he should leave to get out of her hair.

Regina expected him to say a million things, but what he did say? She never imagined it would hurt her like it did. She never thought he would bring it up again, especially not when he was two steps from the car.

"You've done it before. It's not like it's out of the question."

Regina was stunned by his response, and she watched as he was dead serious, not even trying to start a fight. It only made her more frustrated.

"Are you kidding me? This all comes back to that? Everything we've worked so hard for, everything we've made for ourselves, it all comes back to that?" Regina asked, betrayal in her voice, and Robin chuckled darkly as he looked up to the sky, cursing underneath his breath. Regina wondered if he was praying for a way out of there.

"You weren't me, Regina. You weren't the one who got played. You weren't the one who actually thought we might have a chance. You knew all along that I wasn't what you wanted, and when you finally realized I was, you still had all the power. What would have happened if I didn't come back that night? Would you have shown up at my door, telling me you love me and want this to work, or would you have just pushed it aside like none of it even happened? Would we even be here today, right now, with a house and a life and plans, if I never came back?"

Regina didn't know what to say. She wanted to tell him, yes, of course. She would have banged down his door all night in the pouring rain until he opened up, and she would have told him she loved him. That being with Daniel was her second biggest mistake, because throwing him away was the first. She would tell him that happiness wasn't an emotion, it was him, and she couldn't survive without his jokes or smiles or kisses. She would tell him that she loved him.

She wanted to say all of these things now, but she was a prisoner in her own body, her feet stuck to the pavement, her mind running a mile a minute, her words frozen. Robin continued after waiting for her to say something in response for a whole minute, not missing a single beat.

"Losing you is the hardest thing I've ever gone through, and, yes, I'm sure you felt pain as well, but it wasn't mine. It wasn't anything close to mine," Robin spoke clearly, his words punctuated sharply, his tone contrasting with soft, gentle phrases.

He didn't even sound upset at her anymore. Just done. Done, like she told him she was.

"You have a temper, worse than mine, and when we're in the middle of a fight, you don't care if you hurt me. You say whatever it is you need to to win, to get me to shut up, and you don't think about what it does to me. You don't think about my feelings or the consequences," Robin crossed his arms against his chest, staring out into the dark sky past her, and when Regina saw that his crystal blue eyes weren't crystal blue anymore, but pale and dull and full of pain, warning signs went off in her head.

"You told me you were done," Robin took a deep breath, holding out an arm to the side of his body, "Those were your exact words. And where I come from, done means done. It means you're packing your bags and you're never coming back. So maybe it was an empty threat, but to me, it was you giving up on us. It was you giving up on us the minute things got tough."

Regina opened her mouth to stop him from going on, but when he saw Regina try to speak, knowing she would defend herself, that wasn't what he needed right now. He needed to be angry, he needed to tell her how she made him feel. He needed to let go of his anger, release it, just like she had earlier that morning.

"And I don't want to be with someone who's only looking for the good parts of a relationship. So maybe you should leave. Maybe you should be done."

Regina's eyes widened as did Robin's, as if he didn't expect the words to come out of his mouth. Regina's lips parted in shock, and then she felt tears sting the back of her eyes, a lump growing in back of her throat. She swallowed down the tears, along with her pride, and she ran her fingers across her face, trying to take deep breaths.

They were Robin and Regina. They were the happy, loving couple everyone hated, everyone wanted to be. They were the ones who never went to bed angry, the ones who never threatened to drive off or stay at another place for the night. They were the couple who's been through hell and back. They were the couple in love. They were Robin and Regina. That's all she had to remember, and that's what she told herself over and over again in her mind.

Regina wasn't sure how long they stood out there, the silence eating them alive piece by piece, second by second. It felt like days, months, years, hell, it felt like a decade. The whole damn day felt like a decade of nothing but nightmares and night terrors and anything and everything in between.

She watched carefully as Robin brought a hand to his mouth, dropping it by his side a second later. Her eyes traveled back to his.

"I'm giving you an out," Robin whispered. There was no more anger in his voice. His accent wasn't flaring up with emotion anymore, and his eyes weren't staring daggers into her skull. His eyes were heavy and blue and empty. He wasn't angry, but he was empty.

"This isn't what you signed up for. You wanted the put-together-me, the one who still had a job, the one who made you laugh, not fight. The one who didn't make you shake with anger every time you looked at him. You wanted this easy, lovable, goofy guy who I've seemed to lose, and I'm not sure he'll ever come back… I'm giving you an out, Regina," Robin muttered quietly.

Regina couldn't believe what he just said. She could not believe he was trying to get her to leave, that he thought she could.

"No," Regina breathed firmly, this time unable to hold back her tears. Teadrops stained her cheeks as she wiped them away quickly, sniffling, shaking her head.

"No."

"You need to think about this. It's been a long day, and-"

"No," Regina repeated again, fists clenched by her sides. Robin looked at her, annoyed.

"You can't just give me an answer. You're high on emotions right now and you can't make decisions when you're upset." Robin scoffed, looking pissed off, and it made Regina angry at him all of a sudden. Why was he pissed at her?

For trying to save them?

"I can. I can and I will, Robin, because I love you. I love you more than anything else in this world, so yes, I will give you an answer right damn now. There is no chance in hell I would ever walk away from you, so you can take that shit about giving me an out and…" Regina trailed off when she realized a tear was rolling down her cheek, and she wiped it away, the rush of frustration she had felt seconds ago vanishing.

Regina looked down as she sniffled, and she laughed sadly, shrugging her shoulders, looking back into Robin's eyes.

"I don't want an out, Robin. I, I love you. I want to be your wife. I want to be the mother of your children… and, and seeing you with a bag on your shoulder, frozen on the stairs… you couldn't even look me in the eyes," Regina sighed, wiping away her tears as they fell.

"I told you I was done. And I am," Regina nodded her head, and Robin's jaw dropped, not expecting that, "I am so done."

Regina took a step forward, and just as Robin was about to shake his head and walk away for good this time, Regina stopped him.

"I'm done going to sleep with my back to you. I'm done driving separate cars, and I'm done not being able to talk to you. I'm done fighting. You're not just my boyfriend, Robin, you're my best friend, and the past week without you even when I was with you? It's been torture. I can't go one more second in a world where we're together, but we're not."

Regina took a deep breath, tucking wayward strands of hair behind her ear, looking out to the side of the house, then back to Robin again.

"I really, really don't want you to go, Robin. But if you want to go, I can't stop you… but just know that if you leave, I'll still be here. I, I'll be wrapped in a blanket on the couch, worried about where you're at or how you are or if you still want this like I do. I'll still be here, and I'm not going anywhere…"

Robin and Regina stared at each other for a long time, and Regina genuinely thought her heart would beat out of her chest at any minute. Why wasn't he saying anything? Why wasn't he lifting her in his arms and kissing her like his life depended on it? Why wasn't he showing any signs of staying?

"Robin, please don't leave," Regina whispered, tears in her chocolate brown eyes.

They stood in the driveway for what seemed like hours, and the more she thought about it, Regina wondered if her sister was right all along. Here she was, begging the love of her life not to leave her when a week ago they were perfectly fine. When a week ago, she was standing in a wedding dress that made him go speechless.

Zelena couldn't be right. She couldn't be. Robin would propose when the timing was right. Knowing him, he probably had it all planned out. He was just waiting for the perfect moment.

Regina stared at Robin, her eyes large, her heart beating fast. This couldn't be the end.

This couldn't be the end.

Robin opened his mouth to speak, and Regina played with her fingers by her sides, the nerves eating her insides at a furious pace. Robin closed his mouth again and looked at her with such emotion, Regina knew it couldn't be good.

Because their lives wouldn't be good for a very long time.

….

"She's threatening to walk out," the woman sighed as she walked into the top floor penthouse office, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor, "you'd think she'd be grateful for not being part of the half forced to leave."

"Her boyfriend just lost his job, of course she's threatening to quit. Just take a deep breath, Barlowe. Everything's going accordingly," Moore nodded his head as he turned in his millionaire chair, putting his legs on his desk. The woman only rolled her eyes as she folded her arms against her chest, narrowing her eyes at the man.

"What exactly is accordingly? What is the strategy you're following here?" Barlowe asked with a raised eyebrow, and Moore shrugged his shoulders calmly as he placed his hands behind his head, looking out into the view outside the building.

"As much as you would like to ignore it, Mills is the future of this company. Just give her the weekend to simmer down, alright? Trust me, we won't lose her," Moore stated strongly, and Barlowe seemed suspicious, the way his words sounded like those of a villain in some movie.

"You didn't answer my question," the woman pushed, and Moore rolled his eyes as he sat up in his chair, straightening out his tie.

"The less you know, the better," Moore explained simply as he stood from his chair, set to leave the office. Barlowe scoffed as she turned in her place.

"May I remind you we are partners, Mr. Moore. I'd like to be included on such matters," Barlowe glared at the man, but he just smiled carelessly, walking out of the room.

"The strategy is success. And Regina Mills is key. That's all there is to know," Moore called out over his shoulder, his steps fading as he continued down the long hallway.

…

All she knew was that he almost left. There was a minute, a single minute, where she thought he would. He'd drive away, he'd call her in the morning, and they'd either be making up or packing bags that day. And she could never blame him for leaving. She was absolutely out of her mind when it came to fights, hell, when it came to him. So if he woke up and realized she's too much for him to handle? She wouldn't blame him.

It didn't matter how good they were, or would get to be. It didn't matter if it was Christmas or Thanksgiving or just Monday. It didn't matter if it looked like they were fine. Because every time Regina closed her eyes, every time her mind drifted off, she thought of Robin leaving. She saw him standing in the driveway, both of them screaming at each other. And then she wondered if he stayed because he pitied her.

So, no, it didn't matter what day it was or if they were back to being America's favorite couple. Because Regina was scared to death he'd walk away now.

It was late, it had to be past two in the morning, and there she was, still holding onto him for dear life. They were lying in bed, and Regina's hands were wrapped around his torso, her head resting against his chest. She thought that if she let go he might try to leave again, and even though she knew it was stupid, she knew Robin loved her, she couldn't bring herself to let go.

"I can hear you thinking," Robin muttered as his fingers ran through her hair, and shivers went down Regina's spine. She remained quiet, only holding onto him tighter. She didn't know what to say, and when she felt Robin's fingers travel down her back slowly, it almost made her worries vanish.

"Regina," Robin sighed knowingly, and Regina clamped her eyes shut hard, biting her lip.

"Are you still in this?" Regina asked, her voice small and trembling. She couldn't look him in the eyes, couldn't lift her head from his chest, because she knew if she did, she'd either be met with disappointment or guilt. And right now, right now she couldn't deal with that.

Regina got scared when he didn't say anything at first, and her heart hammered inside her chest, trying to calm her emotions. Her eyes widened when she felt Robin lift her up to him, bringing her eyes to his level. As she sat in his arms, both a mess of limbs, his hands went to cup her face.

She looked down, letting her hair fall in her face, and when Robin brushed it back to look into her eyes, holding her chin up to him, she forgot that this was one of the hardest things they'd ever been through together. He smiled lovingly as he tilted his head gently.

"I will always be in this, Love. You never have to ask again, because the answer will always be yes. I'm sorry if I made you believe otherwise," Robin whispered to her, and Regina sucked in a breath, trying not to hold it.

"I just… I shouldn't have asked you to stay," Regina shook her head, tears in her eyes suddenly, and Robin frowned as he furrowed his eyebrows, holding onto her.

"I'd be scared if you didn't ask me to stay," Robin tried to grin, but a tear fell down Regina's face as she looked away from him, struggling to talk to him for the first time since they met. Robin wiped away the tears that came rolling, and Regina let out a frustrated breath as she put her hands on his wrists, pulling his hands away from her.

"You stayed because I begged you to, not because you wanted to. If I would've just shut up for one second and let you feel what you wanted, you would've left. It's, it's like I forced you to stay with me," Regina wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her pajama top, and Robin's lips parted in shock, hearing the worrisome words fall from his love's mouth.

"You're not forcing me to do anything, Regina, I swear. I wasn't going to leave, I don't know what I was thinking," Robin tried, but Regina put her head in her hands, running her fingers through her hair as she bit the inside of her cheek.

"You were thinking that you'd rather sleep in some hotel room than here with me. You knew exactly what you were doing, and if I didn't come home early, I would've walked into an empty house… How can you say you're in this after you physically needed to get away from me?" Regina asked in tears, her bottom lip quivering.

"Regina, you're reading way too much into this. I didn't need to get away from you, I needed to get away from everything that happened today. I am so sorry, I didn't even think about how it would affect you. But you have to know that there's absolutely no place I'd rather be than with you. I love you so much, and I could never leave, just like you could never. We're okay," Robin reached for her hand, but Regina put her hands in her lap, swallowing audibly.

"We're not okay, Robin. In the span of one day, we both threatened to leave. We're not okay," Regina groaned as she stood from the bed, pacing their bedroom floor steadily. She put a hand on her head, distressed from the chaos of the last few weeks.

"We went from never fighting to fighting for weeks. First it was the situation with Olivia, and then the gun, and now you just got fired. We went from zero to a hundred in such little time, and it's not something we can just forget about. It isn't something that will just go away with time," Regina sighed, and when she heard the bed creak, when she heard his footsteps closer to her than before, she looked up into him, the darkness making his features ever so tender.

"Did you know that it's good to fight?" Robin asked, and Regina furrowed her eyebrows, letting her arms fall to her sides.

"What?" She asked, exasperated, and Robin only grinned, walking closer to her.

"Not only is it good, but it's healthy. If we're fighting, that means there's still something to fight for. If we're fighting, we still care as much as we did on the first day," Robin smiled, and Regina bit the inside of her cheek, closing her eyes.

"I don't want to fight you, Robin. Just because it's healthy doesn't mean it's fun. It doesn't mean I want to keep arguing to the point where we're sleeping back to back," Regina frowned, and Robin's hand went to her waist as he pulled her to his chest, matching his breathing with hers.

"I don't want to fight you either, Love. But we're not in the honeymoon phase anymore. It's not just us anymore. Back in New York all we had to worry about was you and me. Now, here in Storybrooke, we have Olivia and Sophia, your parents, Zelena, and our future children… Storybrooke was a huge change for us, and we're trying to adapt, that's all," Robin whispered, and Regina's chin rested against his shoulder as she tried to take in his words.

After a while, Regina moved her head back to look at him, and she let out a shaky breath, her eyes tired and shifting.

"You really want to stay? You're not just trying to make me happy?" Regina asked, and Robin grinned as he touched random strands of hair back behind her ear.

"Of course I want to stay, Regina. Seeing the look on your face in the driveway, when you thought I was leaving, it made me feel terrible. It was the same look I had on my face when I thought you were leaving, and I don't want to do that anymore. I'm tired of hurting each other. From now on, when we're fighting, we can't leave. We can't leave, and we can't threaten to, either. It's not worth the tears and the pain," Robin murmured, and Regina nodded her head, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I just… What if your dad's right? What if you're wasting your time with me?" Regina asked, her eyes sad and innocent. Robin smiled sadly as he pressed a loving kiss to her lips, wrapping his arms around her middle.

"My father has never been right in his life. Let's not worry about that," Robin smirked, and a small smile spread on the brunette's face, "I'm not wasting my time with you… and I think you'll realize that very soon now."

Regina's eyes widened, her heart beating fast, wondering if that's what he meant, the dress she already picked out, the millions of catalogues buried in the back of their closet, the color swatches of teal for the bridesmaids dresses. God, please let it be that.

"Let's go to bed, okay?" Robin hummed, and Regina kissed his cheek as she agreed, following him back to their bed. Regina was happy to go to sleep, finally, because she hadn't slept in a week. She finally would be right where she should be, in Robin's arms, and she would finally get some sleep.

She'd finally feel okay for a little while.

Robin pressed a gentle kiss to Regina's hair as she wrapped her arms around his torso, him doing the same with her.

"I love you," Robin whispered, and Regina smiled as she dug in deeper to him, letting out a content breath.

"I love you too."

…

Family game night. It was a goal to try and have one at least once a month, given how the family was all together again after so many years, but given the past weeks with fights between siblings and lovers and everything in between, it had been postponed. Tonight was family game night.

"Someone's at the door," Regina muttered into Robin's ear as both of them sat on the couch, waiting for Olivia to come up with their team name.

"No one's at the door. You're hearing things," Robin smirked, and Regina rolled her eyes as a hand went to his chest, patting it.

"I'm serious. I just heard someone knocking. I may be crazy, but I haven't gone full off the tracks yet," Regina teased, and Robin sighed as he got up, putting his hands on his knees as he rose from the couch. When Olivia saw him get up, she turned to him quickly.

"Where are you going?" Olivia asked, pouting a bit, and Robin smiled as he waved her on, not wanting to disturb the fun she and Sophia were having.

"There's someone at the door, Liv. I'll be right back. And, hey, don't let Aunt Regina pick our name. We all saw how that went last time," Robin smirked, and the five-year-old giggled as she whispered an okay, as if Regina hadn't heard the entire conversation.

Robin shook his head with a grin as he made his way to the front door, wiping his hands on his jeans. To be honest, he wasn't sure what he was expecting when he opened the door. Maybe it was someone trying to sell something, maybe it was Chad who had left something behind when he and Robin were doing work in the basement. Maybe it was Granny, updating them on a new creation they had to try.

But he definitely was not expecting the person at the door.

"You could have chosen anywhere in the states and this is where you ended up. I gotta say, Robbie, I give you credit. This isn't my style, I could never live in a small town again."

Robin's mouth dropped when he saw his little sister smirking in his doorway, and before either of them could mutter another word, Robin pulled her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"Paige, what are you doing here?" Robin asked with a lively laugh as he pulled back, and Paige chuckled with a large smile as she shrugged her shoulders, tilting her head in that perfect way that made her bright green eyes gleam.

"You missed our monthly call, dummy. I had to make sure you were still breathing," Paige teased as she hit her big brother's shoulder lightly, and Robin smiled ecstatically, never realizing how much he missed her until now.

"No, really, how are you here right now?"

"I just missed you, Robbie. The last time we saw each other was Thanksgiving, and I know that's nothing compared to the prior five year gap, but I've always wanted to visit and I had time to take off work and… I mean, I hope I'm not intruding or-"

"Literally shut up," Robin grinned as he pulled her in for another hug, and Paige rolled her eyes lovingly as she wrapped her arms around her brother's neck, closing her eyes at the familiar touch and feel of it all.

Paige pulled away and brushed her hair out of her eyes seconds before Regina's voice could be heard in the hallway, her presence making its way towards them.

"Robin, who was at the-"

Regina stopped in her tracks when she saw Paige at the door, and before she could even process the fact that she was there, Paige squealed and flailed her hands crazily as she ran over to the brunette, hugging all the life out of her. Regina laughed in shock as she hugged Paige back, and Paige stepped back as she practically jumped up and down with excitement, her entire soul beaming.

"Surprise!" Paige exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together, and Regina laughed again, her mind going into overdrive.

"Paige, what are you doing here?" Regina asked with a slight chuckle, "Don't get me wrong, I am so happy to see you, but aren't you supposed to be, like, halfway across the world right now?"

"I came to see you guys! I have a week off for work, and I decided I'd finally check out all the hype you give Storybrooke. Oh, here, Mom sent these, and Hadley wanted me to give you guys this," Paige explained as she put her bags on the island, handing Robin a container of fresh baked cookies and Regina a Christmas tree drawing made with pipe cleaners and pom poms.

"It's a little late, but it's better late than never, right?" Paige asked, pointing to the green tree with red and white christmas ornaments decorating its branches. Regina smiled warmly as she held the picture up to the light, letting out a content sigh.

"Hadley made this for us?"

"Yeah, she was a little down when we told her you guys wouldn't be coming back for Christmas, so she wanted me to give you guys her Christmas present. You should be honored to receive a homemade gift like this one. It took a whole hour," Paige smirked, and Regina smiled as she walked over to the fridge, hanging it up with a snowman magnet.

"It's perfect," Regina grinned, and Robin nodded his head in agreement as they stared at it for a little while. Robin looked to Regina and she knew he was thinking the same thing.

Soon, it would be their own children's work up there along with their nieces.

"So, I don't know about you guys, but I'm dying for a tour," Paige shrieked excitedly, wiggling with excitement. Regina and Robin turned with the same knowing smile, and Regina walked over to Paige as they began their way out of the kitchen.

"We can definitely still do the tour, but we may have a few distractions," Regina smirked, and Paige furrowed her eyebrows, confused until they walked into the living room where the Mills were.

Everyone's heads rose when they saw the unfamiliar person so close to Robin and Regina, but Paige's eyes widened in shock as she covered her mouth, trying not to squeal too hard.

"Oh. My. God. Are I seeing the famous Sophia and Olivia?" Paige asked with a gasp, and at the mentions of their names, both little girls' heads rose, before totally oblivious with their princess toys and game pieces.

"The two and only," Robin grinned as he stood beside his sister, and Paige looked like a kid in a candy store.

Cora and Henry seemed as confused as ever, and Robin led his sister down to them, introducing everyone.

"Cora, Henry, this is my little sister, Paige. Paige, these are Regina's parents," Robin explained, and Cora and Henry both nodded their heads simultaneously, all the puzzle pieces finally fitting together. The three shook hands and exchanged friendly smiles before moving onto Zelena, and then finally, Olivia and Sophia.

"Liv, Soph, this is my little sister Paige. Do you remember that one time we facetimed when Aunt Regina and I were in England?" Robin asked, and Olivia nodded her head with a happy smile, Sophia still too little to form any words or recognition of what was going on.

"Hi! Wow, you're really pretty," Olivia giggled, and Paige's mouth opened slightly in awe, never expecting her to melt at a child's words like this. She thought Regina and Robin were exaggerating when they said Olivia and Sophia stole their hearts in one second.

"Aww, thank you. You're very pretty too, just like Cinderella," Paige smiled sweetly as she kneeled down to Olivia's height, and Olivia gasped enthusiastically.

"I love Cinderella! Is she your favorite princess?" Olivia asked, as though Cinderella wasn't a universal fairytale everyone knew. Paige tapped her chin with her finger as she thought about it for a second or two, coming back with a grin.

"I'd say Snow White is my favorite."

"Mine is Ariel. Aunt Regina says I look like her because of my red hair," Olivia whispered the last part as if only Paige heard that detail, and the strawberry blonde smiled with a small chuckle as she nodded her head, whispering back heavily.

"I think you do too. Are you sure you're not her? Is there a mermaid tail hiding under those pj's somewhere?" Paige asked seriously, and Olivia laughed as she shook her head, her french braids falling over her shoulders.

"You and Robin look alike, and you talk funny just like him," Olivia stated, and Robin chuckled as Paige stood back up, looking at her brother with a tilted expression.

"We're the ones who talk funny?" Paige asked, and Robin nodded his head. Paige scoffed playfully as she brushed her hair off her shoulders, looking back down at the five-year-old.

"Well, someday we'll have to bring you with us to England so you can see all different people talk funny," Paige grinned, but Robin straightened up as he craned his neck, and Regina bit her lip, knowing it was a sensitive subject.

"England isn't all it's cracked up to be, Liv. I'd much rather stay here," Robin said, and Paige looked towards her brother apologetically, not thinking about her brother's history with their homeplace.

"But you and Aunt Regina went," Olivia pouted, and Robin looked to Regina, looking for some kind of help. Regina smiled calmly as she went over to Olivia, brushing random strands of hair out of her face.

"I met Robin's family, baby, I had to go. Trust me, Storybrooke is definitely the place to be. And if you want we could take you to the city again when it's nicer out. How does that sound?" Regina asked, and Olivia nodded her head with a small smile.

"So, what do I call you?" Olivia questioned, looking at Paige again, and Paige stopped, wondering the same. She turned to Robin with a quizzical look in her eyes.

"What does she call you?" Paige asked, and before Robin could respond, Olivia answered herself.

"Wobin," Olivia giggled, and Paige raised her eyebrows at the little girl, smirking slightly to Robin, a teasing glance in sight.

"Aww, isn't that cute, Wobin?" Paige asked, imitating Olivia, and Robin rolled his eyes with a small smile, shoving his kid sister in the arm.

"Paige? Aunt Paige?" Olivia wondered, and Paige looked to both Robin and Regina, wanting to know as well. Robin and Regina looked at each other, unsure what to do.

"You can just call me Paige for now," Paige interjected, and Olivia grinned as she nodded her head, reaching to hand her a candy cane from the middle of the coffee table in the room.

"You want to play with us? You can be on my team," Olivia suggested, and Paige smiled brightly, nodding her head, already taking a seat next to Olivia.

"I would be honored," Paige grinned, and Olivia giggled lightly, handing her a bunch of cards from a pile in front of them.

"Alright, I'll be right back. Paige, I'm gonna put your bags in the spare bedroom while everyone gets situated," Robin announced, and Regina went along with him to help, but Paige stopped them.

"I don't have to stay here, Robbie. I saw a bed and breakfast right across town, I could just crash there," Paige said, sounding nervous all of a sudden, and Robin stopped, staring at his little sister like she was crazy.

"Don't be stupid. You're staying with us, Paige," Robin nodded his head firmly, and Paige smiled with relief, not entirely knowing what to expect after she just crashed into their lives without a warning.

Robin and Regina smiled as they went upstairs to put Paige's bags in the spare room, and Regina leaned against the doorframe, tilting her head, watching Robin set the last suitcase onto the bed.

"Is Paige okay? She's not in trouble or anything?" Regina asked, her eyebrows furrowed worriedly, her arms crossed against her chest. Robin smiled as he looked up to her, sighing.

"Honestly, I have no idea. But if there's something seriously wrong I know she'll tell us… hopefully it's just a surprise visit and nothing else," Robin hoped, and Regina nodded her head hopefully too, going to Robin.

They both sat down on the bed, and Regina let out a tired breath as she laid her head down on Robin's shoulder, intertwining her fingers with his.

"I missed you," Regina whispered, and Robin smiled knowingly as he squeezed her hand, leaning into her slowly.

"I missed you too."

Regina smiled as she let go of a long breath, hugging Robin's arms. She placed a kiss on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her, and they sat there, staring at the wall, enjoying the feel of one another.

Finally, things were starting to go back to normal.

At least, they thought they were.

…..

"No, this isn't… Aaron, that's not what I'm doing," Paige sighed exasperatedly as she put a hand on her head, rolling her eyes in the freezing cold on the deck out back. She hugged her coat to her chest, trying to hide the tears in her eyes.

"This wasn't some spontaneous thing I just decided to do. I, I need my big brother. I need to get out of England. I need… I need time," Paige sniffled, and the tears came rolling when she heard her fiance's angry voice on the other end. She tried to ignore the nauseating feeling in the pit of her stomach, but it was a losing bet no matter what.

"I don't know when I'll be back. I don't know if I even want to come back," Paige explained, flailing her arms in frustration. She shook her head as her fiance mumbled something else into the line before hanging up, and Paige tried to compose herself, but she knew it was most likely the end.

The person she thought she would spend the rest of her life with didn't want that life. Not like she did.

Paige turned around when she heard the sliding door open, and when she saw Robin close the door behind him, a knowing look on his face, Paige broke down, not able to hide it anymore.

Paige wrapped her arms around her brother, holding onto him like he'd disappear if she didn't. Robin held onto her strongly, letting her cry, letting her tears dampen his shirt.

After a little while, Robin walked his little sister inside to the couch, and when Regina came down the stairs to see the both of them sitting so somberly, she stopped, not knowing what to do.

The brunette walked inside the living room to Paige, putting a gentle, reassuring hand on her arm.

"What's wrong, Paige?" Regina asked, and Paige sniffled as she let her head rest against Robin's shoulder, trying to form the words. Robin rubbed his hand up and down her back, trying to calm her down the best he could. Robin looked up to Regina, his eyes asking her to take a seat, and she did, waiting until Paige was ready.

After what felt like an hour, Paige finally wiped away her tears and moved a little closer to Robin, feeling safe and protected.

"I didn't come here for the hell of it. I came here because I needed to know what I was losing," Paige sighed, crying a few more tears before she cleared her throat, smiling softly at the hand Robin put on her shoulder.

"It's okay, you can tell us, Paige. I've got you," Robin nodded his head, and Paige took a deep breath as she bit her lip, trying to swallow down her emotions. She looked up to Regina, and the brunette's eyes softened, seeing the hope in Paige's green eyes.

"You never wanted kids. I mean, you just wanted to be free and travel the world and… and now you're here. And you're making plans. You have an entire basement filled with nothing but toys and games and these small jungle gym sets. You changed your mind," Paige said logically, and Regina smiled softly as she nodded her head, not knowing where this was going.

"What changed for you? Was it Robin, or was it just, you know, growing up?" Paige asked, and Regina put her hands on her thighs as she sighed, looking down before up again at Robin's little sister.

"It definitely wasn't growing up. I was twenty-four and still had no desire for kids or swing sets or marriage. Growing up did help, though. For me, it wasn't really about anything but the fact that I didn't think I'd make a good mother. But then I met Robin, and I knew he was the kind of guy who wanted a family, and shortly after I realized I felt the same way… so yeah, what changed my mind was Robin," Regina nodded her head, answering the question, and Paige looked slightly disappointed with the answer.

"You never wanted kids? Deep down, you never imagined that kind of life until you met Robin?" Paige asked, and Regina shook her head. Paige closed her eyes as she let her head fall, putting her face in her hands.

"What's going on, Beanie?" Robin asked sweetly but concerned at the same time, and Paige tried to smile with all she could, hearing her old childhood nickname from his lips. She looked to Robin and shrugged her shoulders hopelessly.

"Aaron proposed," Paige breathed out, and Robin's eyes went wide, a large smile breaking out across his face. Regina smiled, too, knowing that's all Paige has ever wanted.

She remembered hearing about him back when she and Robin were in England during Thanksgiving, and she saw the way Paige's eyes lit up whenever his name was mentioned. It reminded her of how she felt about Robin.

"That's amazing! Why are you crying?" Robin asked, and Paige looked around before answering, not wanting to say it aloud.

"It was perfect, Robin. It was everything I've ever wanted. He took me back to the place we first met, and he got down on one knee, and I swear to god, it's the most beautiful ring I've ever seen. And I wore it for two days, two damn days, before everything went to hell," Paige practically shouted, and Regina frowned, putting together the pieces slowly. Robin seemed to be slow, and he held his sister's hand in support, wanting to be there for her more than anything.

"I want kids. I want a family. I want a future. I don't want to be stuck in our stupid hole-in-a-wall apartment for the rest of our lives, but Aaron's fine with it. He just assumed since we'd never talked about it that I didn't want kids and that we felt the same… So I jumped on the first plane here before I even knew what I was doing. I mean, I don't even have enough clothes packed for the week, and the ring is just sitting in my purse, waiting to be worn."

"I just… I needed to come here and see what I would be missing. He says that I should love him enough to give this one thing up, and I thought I could, too, but after tonight? With Olivia and Sophia and family game night? I want that… I've only been here for two hours and I know I want that… is there any hope? Will he come around?" Paige asked Regina, tears in her eyes with her fearful tone.

Regina looked at Robin with a sad stare, and he looked back, neither knowing what to say. Regina took a deep breath and let it go, playing with her fingers in her lap.

"It took me about a week to realize I wanted to settle down… and it wasn't just Robin. It was me too. I wanted it. Robin just helped me get there… coming from a former free-spirit and runner, I… I'm so sorry, Paige," Regina bit her lip, tears in the brunette's chocolate brown eyes.

Paige looked crushed, absolutely torn apart, and she shook her head, not believing it.

"We've been together since sophomore year. We, we can't be over. Now not, not after everything," Paige cried, turning to Robin, trying not to fall apart like she was some little kid.

"There has to be hope," Paige whimpered, and Robin frowned, holding his little sister's hand tightly.

"You two have been together for such a long time… but if he doesn't want a family now, he never will," Robin cleared his throat, trying not to cry for his sister's broken heart. Paige sat still for a moment or two before she started sobbing again, wrapping her arms around Robin.

"This isn't how it's supposed to go," Paige cried into Robin's shoulder, and he looked to Regina knowingly, wishing the world wasn't such a complicated place.

…

"Your family is so… different from mine," Paige smiled as she walked outside to the front porch, sitting down on the porch swing next to Regina. Regina furrowed her eyebrows as she tilted her head, grinning a bit.

"How's that?"

"Well, for one, your parents actually like each other. I mean, everyone is just so close. You talk and you share and… you tell each other you love them before they leave at the end of the night. It's just very… feeling-y" Paige shrugged her shoulders with a smile and Regina chuckled as she turned her head, looking at Paige.

"Yours isn't like that?" Regina joked, and Paige rolled her eyes with a smirk as she put her elbows on her knees, leaning forward.

"Please, we're top notch. We don't talk about our feelings, slam doors, and I'm pretty sure my mother would kill my father alive if she could… It's nice seeing how close you are with Zelena. It reminds me of how Robin and I used to be," Paige sighed, and Regina smiled sadly.

"Well, you're part of this family now, so enjoy the millions of hugs and little kids attached to your legs," Regina grinned, and Paige did too, liking that a lot.

After a few moments of silence, Paige sighed, smiling emptily.

"You know, his parents never liked me anyways. It's probably better this way," Paige played with her fingers in front of her, and Regina scoffed as she shook her head.

"Don't say that. Robert hates me and I'm still here," Regina pointed out, and Paige chuckled as she looked out in front of her into the cold, chilly night.

"He doesn't hate you, he hates Robin. He hates him for leaving, and he's taking it out on you… trust me, deep down, he's glad Robin's with someone like you," Paige explained softly, and even though she didn't believe it, Regina nodded her head, staring out ahead of her as well.

"I'm sorry about Aaron. I know how much it hurts, but we're here for you. Me and Robin will always be here for you," Regina stated calmly, and Paige smiled as she bit the inside of her cheek.

"Thank you… I just, I needed to see Robin, you know? I didn't need my dad to say he never liked him anyways, or my mother to hug me and tell me everything would be alright. I didn't need Ryan asking a million questions. I needed Robin… he's always been there for me, even when I wasn't there for myself, and seeing him again is the only reason I'm still acting sane. He didn't judge the situation or try to fix it. He just let me be me."

"That's why he's one of the best people in the world," Regina grinned, and Paige chuckled in agreement, thinking that was one of the biggest understatements ever.

"I know it's none of my business, and I don't want to push, but I'm dying to know when you two are getting married. I mean, when I got here, I was half convinced you'd have a ring on your finger and Robin just forgot to call," Paige smirked, and Regina chuckled as she brushed her hair out of her face.

"You're not the only one waiting," Regina teased, and Paige grinned.

"He's probably got it all figured out and is just waiting for the right time. Do you guys have any anniversaries or celebrations coming up?" Paige asked, and Regina tilted her head, smiling like a little kid in a candy store.

"Yeah, actually, we do. It's our one year together on Valentine's Day," Regina commented, and Paige smiled a large smile, clapping her hands together with excitement.

"Oh my god, a Valentine's Day proposal! How adorable is that?" Paige squealed, and Regina rolled her eyes with a laugh, clearing her throat, trying to ignore the hope running throughout her entire body.

"I don't even know if he'd do something like that, Paige. Let's not get our hopes up," Regina tried, but Paige kept on grinning like the Cheshire Cat, a certain twinkle in her green eyes.

"Alright, then what's your dream wedding? You know, so I know what I'm walking into later on."

Regina took a deep breath as she hugged her jacket to her abdomen, color rushing to her cheeks with the thought of it.

"I really want a fall wedding, like October. That way the weather is crisp and cool and we can still do pictures outside. And Storybrooke looks absolutely beautiful in the fall. We'd have all the different colored leaves in the back of our pictures, and I could wear the dress I've had my eye on for a year now… it has lace sleeves with a floral pattern, and the bottom is almost flowy like a ball gown… and we'd get married in Townhall, on the floor that has enough room to do whatever we want with it. And the bridesmaid dresses would be dark teal, of course," Regina explained, watching it unfold in her head perfectly.

"Olivia wants to be a flower girl, so I was thinking she and Hadley could do it together. Sophia is going to be a mini flower girl, apparently. It's very important to her that she and Mr. Teddy Bear get to walk down the aisle first," Regina smirked lightly, "and Caleb will be the ring bearer."

"Regina, that's amazing," Paige said in awe, and Regina smiled, nodding her head in agreement.

"Do me a favor. Don't tell Robin we talked about this," Regina exclaimed with a small smile as she rose from the porch swing. Paige furrowed her eyebrows as she looked up at the brunette, lost.

"Why?"

"For the last three months, all my sister has been doing is riding our asses about not being married yet… and, yes, I'm ready, and whenever he gets up the courage to do it, I'll happily be a Locksley, but I want Robin to propose when he's ready. When he wants to… if he finds out I'm patiently waiting, I feel like... I just…"

"You don't want any pressure. You want things to happen the way they're supposed to," Paige grinned, and Regina sighed, showing a faint grin of her own.

"Yeah," Regina nodded her head, and she hugged her jacket to her body, making her way towards the door.

"Don't worry, Paige, you're a bridesmaid," Regina smirked as she walked inside the house, and Paige hugged herself tightly with a soft chuckle, looking out into the yard in front of her.

…

Robin looked up when he heard movement in the doorway, and when he saw Regina standing in the entryway of their bedroom, just smiling and watching him get ready for bed after a long night, he furrowed his eyebrows with a gentle smile.

"What is it?" Robin asked, and Regina walked over to him, sitting down on his lap, wrapping an arm around his neck with a certain twinkle in her eyes.

"I just really really love you," Regina grinned, and Robin smiled as his lips parted in happy confusion. He leaned in to peck her lips, and he brushed the hair out of her face, cupping her cheek with his hand.

"Well, I really really love you too."

Regina smirked as she let her head fall to his shoulder, and Robin held her lovingly, rubbing his hand up and down her back soothingly.

"So I've been thinking, and I know you would never do anything that would come close to putting me or the girls in harm's way… so I want you to keep the gun," Regina sighed, and Robin's eyes widened as he turned his head towards her, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Regina, if this is about what happened at work or-"

"It's not," Regina shook her head, shrugging her shoulders slightly, "You're right. If you were willing to stand your ground for an entire week about this, if you feel this strong about it, I know it has to be important. If you want to keep a gun in the house, then we'll keep a gun in the house. But it goes up on the highest shelf in the closet where Oliva and Sophia can't reach it, and it stays in its safe unless, God forbid, you need to use it."

Robin smiled as she leaned into her arms, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. Regina rolled her eyes with a smirk as she wrapped her arms around him, one hand cupping the back of his neck.

"Thank you," Robin grinned so brightly, and Regina smiled as she kissed him soundly.

"Come on, I'm exhausted. Let's go to bed," Regina breathed out as she fell them both back onto their bed. Robin chuckled as he brought the covers up to them, and after rustling and the movement of pillows across the bed, the Mills-Locksley household was asleep in minutes.

Tomorrow would be a new day.

But no one ever said it would be a good one.