Summary: Roland and Robin move in to the mansion, Henry has an important talk with his mother's former boyfriend. And The Sorcerer has a big request for the Mad Hatter.
True to his word, Robin arrived back at the mansion an hour after Regina got home. She opened the door with a grin, looking at him as though she hadn't just left him at the dockside a short while ago.
"You seem happy!" he whispered, in case anyone was within hearing distance. "How'd it go?"
"Good so far..." she whispered back, letting him in. "Henry wants a word with you. Alone!"
"O-kay…" he drawled, rolling his eyes. "I guess that means the threat of dire consequences or even death, if I so much as hurt your feelings?"
"At the very least!" she joked, checking the coast was clear before stepping in front of him, pressing her lips on his. "It's rather nice having my young prince back here, protecting his mother from disreputable men!"
"Men?" he pulled her into his chest. "Who else have you got coming over?"
"Oh, do shut up!" she sniggered. "Come on, they're waiting..." She led him through to them.
"Is your phone working? I called you earlier and it said your mail box was full."
"Now you mention it, I haven't had any calls since yesterday," She pulled the phone out of her pocket, looking at the screen. "Dammit, I still have the call blocker on! I didn't want us to be disturbed…last night." As she slid the control bar to restore it, seconds later numerous text, voice messages and email ringtones came in. As Robin watched her huffily start reading, he entered the living room, where Marian and Henry were sitting. Roland was outside in the garden.
His ex-wife stood. "I'd best leave you to it." She walked out of the room, pecking his lips on the way.
"Hi Henry. God, you've certainly changed over the last few years, haven't you? The young man stood, Robin giving him a brief, friendly hug. "Behold the man!" Henry was now a good six inches taller than him!
"You're looking well, Robin. Death becomes you, so it seems? Sorry, bad joke. But I'm not sure what you say to a guy who's come back to life!"
"Apparently I wasn't dead, just...trapped!"
It took but a moment for them to relax in each other's company, Henry having forgotten just how easy going Robin was. He thanked the outlaw for saving his mother's life, albeit at the cost of his own, and asked him many questions about how he was brought back. Robin asked him about Harvard and living in Cambridge. It took the best part of an hour before Henry finally got around to why he wanted to talk to him privately.
"So, are you going to be moving in, or not? Mum and Marian don't seem so sure."
He frowned. "They aren't sure about whether they want me to move in?"
"No, unsure whether you'll say yes! But they both seem pretty keen, for both them and Roland."
"But what about you? This is your home more than anybody's."
"I don't know, to be honest. It's all a bit odd. As I said, I moved to Harvard two years ago and live there most of the year. Grandpa Gold gave me quite a big endowment, so I'm independent financially and I bought a place in Boston. Mum and ma were pretty upset about that, by the way! Plus, It's only nine months ago mum told me about Marian moving in!"
"Did that bother you?"
"Having someone to love after you died? Definitely not. I was pissed off initially, but only because she didn't tell me until after she moved her in! I was a bit stupid about it, and we had a falling out; with my other mum too, because she took her side, like she always does!
"But the fact it was Marian?"
"That was a shocker! I didn't even realise mum liked girls. It's one thing living in a city with gay, straight, bi and everything around you, but quite another when you find out your own mum's become a lesbian!"
"I get that. This week I not only found out Marian was very much alive. But she'd also come here, met Regina, fell in love with her and married her! All in under a year. That's a lot to take in."
"Yeah, weird right? But I've gotten to know Marian, and she's great. Plus, it was nice for mum to have Roland to take care of. They've kinda given her a purpose again."
"Until I came back and screwed things up?"
Henry sniggered. "Not really. They must have been so shocked! Robin, you have no idea what it was like after you were killed. Killian came back, which was great for ma, but just made it worse for mum! She truly loved you, and it hit her badly. Tink warned me she'd be in a bad way for a long time, and she was, even if she kept busy and tried to hide it. I almost didn't take up Harvard tp be here for her, but she and ma ganged up on me! She hit the bottle, had to have counselling, everything! Ma was great. The two of them became really close. So much so, there were even rumours being spread that she was cheating on Killian. With mum!"
"I heard something about that, from Emma herself! She said they both got drunk in a bar and made out a bit, and that's how the rumour spread?" he chuckled, Henry joining in.
"Yeah, it's a really touchy subject with both of them! They're fairly inseparable, but only as best friends, so they tell me. Besides, I'm sure ma wouldn't do that to Hope and Killian. Still, they don't see each other so much, since Marian came on the scene."
"And now? Are you happy with Marian?"
"She's lovely. And good for mum! She's really easy to talk to, and calms her down so much. Must be really odd for you though, thinking she'd been killed and all?"
"In our time, I was in love with Marian every bit as much as I was with Regina! It's only after Merlin told me Roland has dormant magic, that I realised I had that ridiculous 'true love' thing with both of them! I mean, what's the chances of that?"
"Mum told me that that magic wave yesterday, was caused by all three of you? That's odd, because grandpa and grandma woke each other from the sleeping curse with a kiss, like ma did to me. Then mum broke grandma's curse by kissing me. So how come you three made one happen?"
"Henry, I'd rather not answer that one. If I told you, you'd really wish I hadn't!" he raised a brow, trying to hide a smirk. "Let's just say we all acknowledged one another. I really don't want to traumatise you!"
"Sorry, I don't…" then he realised what he was saying. "Ah! Right. Yeah, perhaps I don't want to know, after all."
"So, that brings me to the big question. What do you think of them wanting me to move in with them?"
Marian and Regina walked in the garden, watching the boy climbing up one of the taller trees to attach a rope. Like his father, the nine-year-old was an avid outdoorsman, constantly climbing, walking and swimming whenever he got the chance. Normally they would have had him inside by now, but with recent events, and not wanting to go back in themselves just yet, they patiently watched him, at least twenty feet up, unfurling a long rope from his shoulder, swinging it to catch on another tree nearby.
"Roland, what on earth are you doing up there?" asked Marian, standing at the base, her arm through Regina's.
"Making a rope bridge between four of the trees, like Pip has! This is how you start building it, according to dad!" he yelled down.
"Rolly, if you'd just asked me, I could have used magic for you!" called Regina. "It'd be quite easy; I could build a rope bridge and then-"
"Nah, where's the fun in that? Papa says it's much better to do it yourself! He says magic makes people far too lazy and they don't learn how to do without it!"
"Does he, indeed!" she replied, sharing a look with Marian. "I'll be having a word with him!"
"Never mind all that…" whispered Marian, so he wouldn't hear. "Just be ready to use that magic if he falls! He may think he's Tarzan up there, but I can hardly bear to look!"
"He's safe, I promise!" she said, continuing to look up. "He doesn't know it, but there's a little invisible net just below him! You think I'll let him hurt himself?"
"That..." Marian turned the shorter woman to face her, pulling her close, "…is one of the many reasons I fell in love with you!" Regina beamed back, sliding her hands into her hair and kissing her on the lips.
"Eugh, yuk!" called a voice from above. "If you're gonna do that, could you go back inside?"
Unsealing their lips, his mother called up, never taking her eyes off her, "Not till you come down, young man! Does it bother you, me kissing my own wife?"
"Yeah, it's yucky! I know you do that stuff in the bedroom. That, and all the screaming, but still!"
Regina almost blanched, realising she obviously hadn't always remembered to cast a silencing charm when they had sex! He'd obviously heard her rather 'appreciative' manner. Marian's eyes positively bulged with embarrassment.
"Well we are married! Would it still be 'yucky' if you saw me kiss your dad on the lips like that?"
"Course it would! I'm not going to let girls do that to me when I'm older!"
That made them both chuckle. At least he's not homophobic! "Oh Rolly, I've a feeling you will one day! And probably a lot sooner than you think…"
After a few minutes, they watched him start to climb down, using a leather strap wrapped around himself and the stem, Regina whispered. "Henry's been in there with him over an hour! I heard no yelling. Do you think we should go back in and see what's happened?"
Minutes later, they walked inside, to laughter coming from the living room. Robin was calling out. "Ten of clubs, six of spades, jack of diamonds, jack of spades, four of spades, king of clubs, seven…"
Henry was sitting on the floor, his long legs under the coffee table, as he shuffled a pack of cards underneath, dropping them one at a time, face up, while hiding them all from Robin, who was looking down on the table, calling them out the moment they were revealed.
Henry was astonished. "Jeez, mum! Have you seen this? He's looking at the cards through the table!"
"Yes, Henry, he showed us that particular party trick last night. Emma has also seen him use that particular skill, hasn't she Robin?" she said with a sly grin. He looked up, remembering what he'd told them about her jibe, and the Saviour without any underwear.
"Unbelievable. And you can read minds too? That's amazing!"
"It's a blessing and a curse, to be frank! Still - you're back in, ladies?"
"It's getting a little cool outside," Marian walked in with their son "And Roland needs to be having a bath. What about you, Henry? Did your talk with Robin answer your questions?"
"Yeah. Not that it's my business anymore, but it does kind of make sense that he moves in with you guys, if he wants to. Leaving aside all the true love stuff, you'd all be together under one roof."
"Oh, and he's promised he'll hang, draw and quarter me if I so much as make you unhappy!" Added Robin, with a grin.
"I said nothing of the sort…" he rebuffed, knowing he was being ribbed. "But yeah, probably…"
"Henry, this is your home, as much as anyone else's!" said his mother "You grew up here, and while you may have your fine apartment in Boston, I want you always to consider this your real home!"
"I do. But it's gonna get crowded soon! From what Robin told me, he's gonna be looking after little Robyn regularly too, once he's sorted all the legals out with the witch. That's five of you here!"
"Henry…" Regina breathed a heavy sigh. "We both had an evil past, but Zelena's still my sister!"
"Yeah but she didn't kill your dad, did she?" he retorted, an underlying anger in his voice. "Sorry mum, but I'll never be able to forgive her for that!"
That seemed to kill the mood stone dead. Robin rose. "I'll go up with Roland. After he's had a quick shower, I'll read him a story."
"He's nearly ten, Rob!" said Marian. "Also, from the sound of it, over the last few days with you, he's been spending the night texting and skyping people! I'm not sure he's even into bedtime stories anymore?"
"On the contrary, milady. I've told or read him a story every night on the Jolly since I've been back! And, I'll have you know, he fell asleep in my arms for most of them!"
"Oh," was all Marian could say, surprised, looking at Regina who seemed equally taken aback. Was she such a bad mother that she'd never read to him over the last nine months? He's never asked her to! Should she have offered anyway? Did she know so little about her own son's likes and dislikes? Feeling guilty, she silently nodded to him, as he stepped past her to head to the stairs.
Leaving them to walk into the kitchen, Regina was finally left alone with her son. "Henry, are you really okay with all this?"
"Yes, mum. Robin's a good guy. You deserve him. Both of you…"
"Thank you, my darling. But don't forget, you'll always be the most important man in my life!"
He stood, wrapping his long arms around her. Now almost a foot taller, he enveloped her in a hug. "I love you mum."
She blissfully surrendered to the cuddle. "That's all any mother wants to hear from her child! I love you too, my prince."
It was almost ten when Marian came out of the bathroom, standing outside the boy's bedroom. As she tentatively opened the door to peek inside. Regina arrived by her side. "Okay?"
Carefully stepping in, the sight before them made her heart flutter. Robin was lying on the centre of the bed, on top of the quilt, with Roland beside him. Both apparently asleep, the boy's pyjama-clad upper half was above the quilt, his head resting across his father's broad chest as Robin's left arm was protectively draped around his shoulder. A copy of Robinson Crusoe lay beside them. A gentle breeze brushed over him from the wide open window.
"Oh, bless!" whispered Marian, squeezing her wife's arm a little tighter. She hadn't seen father and son asleep together since she lay her baby on his bare chest all those years ago. And now here they were, her son grown up, still clinging to his father. She couldn't stop a rogue tear sliding down her cheek. "Just look at them. I missed so much, didn't I?"
"I know," her queen whispered back, wiping away the stray tear.
As they carefully closed the door, Henry appeared on the landing with his bag. "I'm turning in too. Goodnight mum, goodnight mamma!"
"Bit early for you to go to bed, isn't it?" said Marian grinning. "Nothing to do with that late night at the Rabbit Hole?"
"Something like that! After we left, we went to Patrick's. You remember Patrick, mum? Well he's in town over the holidays, and working part-time at that fancy restaurant you guys went to last night. He said he saw you there. He'd just finished his shift so we went to his folks for a few beers. I didn't get back to ma's till gone three! So, I'm pooped. See you in the morning?"
"Goodnight, my love." Regina kissed his cheek. "Your room's all made up. I'll see you in the morning..."
Almost as soon as he'd walked way, Roland's door opened, a sleepy Robin appearing, rubbing his eyes. "Roland's fast asleep."
"We looked in," Regina smiled. "You two looked absolutely adorable! Thanks for getting him to come home without too much fuss."
"He'll be just fine. I've left his windows open. I'll go bring my things up - which room am I in tonight? I can bunk up with Roland?"
"After everything we spoke about last night…and this morning, and you still need to ask?" She pulled on his sweater moving in front of him. "That is a very stupid question!"
"Are you quite sure, Gina? It is my first night here after all, and Henry's in the house…"
"If I hear you ask just one more time, I swear to god, I'm going to poof you into the laundry room to sleep!"
Marian looked at him lustfully, in a way that used to never fail to arouse him. "How clear do we have to be? From now on, you're sharing with us!"
As he left the bathroom after a quick shower, he stepped into the bedroom, with a towel around his waist and bare above, to find Marian on one side of the bed, under the quilt and reading through something on her cell phone. While Regina sat upright on the other side, wearing reading glasses and scanning through a book.
"Mmm, love the glasses! Makes you look sexily academic..."
Marian looked up, surveying the bare torso. "The view from here's pretty nice, too!"
Regina tutted. "None of that, you two! I'm still tired from last night, and I'm putting the blame for that square on the pair of you." she took off the glasses, placing the book on the little side table.
"I don't seem to recall you objecting at the time? Robin, I hope you're going to put something on other than that towel?"
"Spoilsport..." he grinned. Focusing, his irises went a pale gold colour momentarily. The towel disappeared, to be replaced by a pair of plain blue silk boxers and white T-shirt.
"Much better..." Regina approved. "Merlin taught you well, though your son told me this evening that, apparently, you seem to think that using magic makes us 'far too lazy'? Bit hypocritical, thief, don't you think?"
"True, I did say that, but I forget to pack my PJs! So needs must. Anyway, where do you want me to sleep – side or centre?"
"Gina usually hogs the quilt and rolls, taking half of it with her," Marian sniggered, "so best she sleeps in the centre to keep warm, and we hold the sides."
"I do NOT hog the quilt, madam!" she objected, moving into the centre of the bed, before sliding on top of Marian, looking down on her. "Anyway, you endlessly toss and turn in the night!" she retorted, Marian now merely giggling under her, but parting her thighs to allow her to get in between them. It was obvious to Robin this playful squabbling was probably a nightly occurrence. They were still besotted with each other. But just the sight of them like this made things stir inside!
Marian, enjoying the lighter weight of her wife's warm body on top, dug her palms into her sides, knowing exactly how ticklish she was, and just where! With a resulting cackle, she scrunched up, giving the taller woman the opening, and within a second she twisted, turned and forced the queen off of her, onto her side, then onto her back, Marian immediately mounting her to reverse their positions. "Gotcha!"
Robin watching their love play throughout, feeling like a voyeur.
"A word of warning, Gina, I seem to remember Robin farts in his sleep sometimes?" Two pairs of chocolate brown eyes turning to look at him, Marian's cheek now resting on Regina's, as he eased himself between the sheets.
"Hey, don't include me in your petty squabbles! If you two do want to go to sleep, kindly stop mounting each other in front of me? The very last thing I need right now, is trying to settle with a raging stiffy!"
"Poor wee thing!" Regina snarked. "Feeling a little left out, thief?"
"Says the woman telling me a moment ago she needed to sleep!"
"He does have a point…" said Marian, before kissing her wife again.
Sure enough, things would escalate. None of them would get much sleep tonight either!
The Convent
In the cool night air, a small group stood on the convent lawn, studying the cloudless, starry sky. A mounted telescope had been assembled, and one of the guests peered through.
"You're right, just north of Dubhe," said the tall, dark-haired man. "That's definitely new!"
"Blue believes it's connected to the Golden Child prophecy. Look to the right of the new star. See that dim, yellowish one?"
"I see it. How's that connected?"
"That also wasn't there two nights ago!" said the Blue Fairy, certainty in her voice. "It was much further away, in a different location. We've been tracking it's trajectory. I believe it will align itself with Polaris, Merak, Dubhe and the new star in about four days from now."
He looked into the viewer again. "Five star alignment? So, the birth of a child?"
"Not quite. I ran it through some rather useful modern software the ladies use here, and it indicates not quite a full alignment, but a passing one. However, the full alignment is calculated to happen at the end of May next year…"
"End of May?" he did a quick calculation of his own. "That's about nine months away. So, what's this predicting, Merlin, some sort of conception?"
"We think so. That's why I called you! You've some rather unique magical gifts. I'm hoping you'll agree to assisting us in finding out whether we face a threat, or something…much better."
The Hatter studied him closely. "Don't tell me - you want me to time jump? Go forward a few years to see what's going to happen?"
"Precisely, but only one year! You're the only person who can move both backwards and forwards unassisted by the need for a wand. Mine has been lost with my apprentice sadly, so I can't, otherwise I'd do so myself."
"It's dangerous. I may not be able to get back if anything's happened to magic there when I arrive. Besides, if there is a child, I don't know who to look for, or where? It's a big country, Merlin!"
"It is, but I believe I can help. Remember the magic wave we discussed? Well, I believe I've identified one of the signatures coming from it. I think Robin of Locksley to be one of the sources."
"Locksley? I wasn't even aware he had magic? And I thought he was dead!"
"Jefferson, my boy, a lot's happened over the last week or so, which I need to fill you in on. However, suffice to say, Robin's very much alive, and currently living here. I don't believe you'll have to travel far."
"Who's the other signature?"
"That's where it gets complicated. Robin had breakfast with me this morning, and was joined by his former wife. As you know, since his death she married Regina Mills. I detected Marian's presence, which was odd as she doesn't have magic. So, it could be her."
Reul Ghorm studied him, anxious for his decision. "Alright, I'll do it. But I need to talk to Grace first! And if anything goes wrong and I can't get back, you must promise me you'll take care of her!"
"With my life, my boy! You have my word."
"Mine too!" said Blue. "I know her fairy godmother. I'll protect her if necessary."
For the second night running, their passion just got the better of them. Seeing her lovers making love right beside her, had been a remarkable aphrodisiac for Regina, restoring her from her sleepy state completely. Compared to last night's mad passionate sex, this time it was much more relaxed, and less frenzied. Unhurried, and each more experienced now in the obstacles and intricacies of satisfying two partners instead of one, the feelings were more intense. This time it was all about tenderness and nobody felt left out. This time it was only for just over an hour, but it was a wonderful hour!
Nonetheless, when they'd reached their final peaks together, with Regina mounted on Marian and Robin taking his time ploughing into each of them from behind, alternating between them regularly, the loud, almost primeval final scream from Marian was almost matched seconds later by Regina's screech and Robin's angry growl as they all finally finished for the last time.
"Ooooooh!" groaned Marian, from the bottom of the pile as Robin eased himself from Regina and she in turn slid onto her wife's left side. "That gives a whole new meaning to 'sharing'! I'm pooped!"
"Robin…" Regina just about caught her breath. "Did Merlin show you how to do a sleeping spell he used on me on the Jolly? If he did, use it on me now."
"Fortunately, he did milady. Unfortunately, it's not one you can do to yourself, so I'll do it after I take a moment in the bathroom. Marian, do you want me to out you to sleep too?"
Meanwhile, completely oblivious to them, and less than thirty feet away, across the landing, Henry lay back in his bed in the darkness, cringing with embarrassment.
"Will they ever remember to use a fucking sound-proofing spell?"
