A/N: This is a subject that I wanted to write about for a while in this verse: Marian coming back into Robin's life. He never wanted to talk about her before, that's for a reason. If you want to know which one, then please, be my guest and read! I hope you'll enjoy it!

Because it is damn long for a OS and I haven't yet finished it, I decided to split it, the second part should be posted in about two weeks.

Nani, thank you so much for your precious help, the fangirling, the brainstorming. I know I bugged you with this one, that I still do about the second part, but I really appreciate the help 3

Happy OQ Month everyone :-D

Ding!

"I'll get it!"

She wipes her hands on a towel lying on the kitchen counter, turns down the heat under the pan, and walks to the front door.

A woman about her age with dark skin and long black hair stands in front of her, gauging her with a slightly disdainful look, which is clearly not to her liking.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Robin Locksley."

Regina frowns. She knows Robin's entourage very well since they have the same friends, and this woman is certainly not one of them.

"And you are?"

"Does he live here?"

As the woman tries to see what's going on inside the house, Regina steps forward, partially closing the door behind her and blocking the view of the living room where Henry and Roland are playing video games while Robin gives Maddie her bath.

"I'll repeat my question: who are you?"

With an annoyed sigh, the woman stands straight in front of her, her eyes fixed on hers, determined. A cry of victory from one of the boys breaks the brief silence that has settled between the two women, attracting the curiosity of the stranger, whose gaze wanders back behind Regina as she tries to take a step forward.

"Is that Roland?"

Regina feels her blood freezing in her veins.

"How do you know my son?" She growls, ready to defend the disheveled teenager she loves as much as if she had given birth to him.

The stranger's lips flash a smirk. She sticks her stiletto heels in the ground in front of her, clutching her purse. "Because I happen to be his mother."

Regina feels her heart stop beating, and for a few moments she fears that it won't start again. The identity of the person facing her, as well as fear of a situation she thought would never happen, strikes her hard.

All of a sudden, she feels blood drain out of her face, her chest and throat squeezing with the anxiety she had worked so hard to push away over the last months, the fear of seeing her family fall apart hitting her like a brick to the head. She has no idea what this woman wants from them, from her son or her husband, but she can feel it in the depths of her soul: her intentions aren't good. And it scares her.

"Mommy!"

"Babe, what are you do-"

Regina's numbness is broken by Maddie hitting her legs at lightning speed, followed by her husband's hand landing on the crook of her back, but she doesn't miss the way he immediately tenses to the point that he doesn't even finish his sentence when he realizes who's on the other side of the door.

"Hello, Robin," the other woman greets with a mellow voice. "It's been a long time."

"Regina, take Maddie and go inside!"

It shakes her. The strength, the coldness, the urge boiling within Robin that was conveyed by his voice, by his blue eyes that turned grey, and by the way his entire body became rigid in an instant, set Regina's mind and body on alert. Surely, whatever this woman is here for, there is no immediate threat, there is no need for so much defensive behavior right now.

Although, in the almost ten years that she's known Robin, he's never once mentioned Roland's mother. It's always been a subject he kept to himself, which she respected. But today, that is exactly what tells her that this is not good.

She faces Robin's hard eyes when he turns to face her, urging, "Now."

Unwilling to complicate the situation even further, Regina bent to hoist her daughter in her arms, glancing one last time between the two people in front of her, a hand she wanted to be comforting but truly must have come across as insecure running along Robin's arm before she went back inside.

"Who's that, Mommy?" her little girl asks, clutching her neck, oblivious on the tension behind them.

Regina puts on her best poker face, erasing all traces of anxiety, because she knows Maddie might be too young, but her boys would see right through it. "I'm not sure, sweetheart. Let Daddy handle this, alright?"

Nodding her head happily and nuzzling her nose with her mother's, Maddison giggles, her eternal good mood and cheerfulness contagious and putting a little balm on her heart. Regina pecks the tip of her toddler's nose, which draws another laugh from the child, before she puts her on the floor.

"Dinner isn't ready yet, so you have a moment to play-"

"Yeah! I crushed you!"

Regina's head snaps up, her brow furrowed as she stares at Henry victoriously lifting his video game controller in the air while Roland snorts in frustration.

"Shut up, stupid!"

"Boys!" Regina scolds, back into parenting mode. "Language!"

"But he-"

"I don't want to hear it!" she cuts Roland off firmly. "One more word like this and the console is confiscated for a week, understood?"

The annoyed sighs of the two teenagers are barely hidden as they concede. "Okay, Mom."

"You have five more minutes, and then you turn it off and set the table, please."

Their answer is more inaudible grunts than words, but Regina lets it go, crouches in front of her daughter and grabs a book that's lingering on the ground of the living room for some reason that she doesn't even want to know. "There, sweetheart. You can look at your book while Mommy finishes cooking dinner, okay?"

Enthusiastically grabbing the book, Maddie presses a noisy kiss to her cheek before running towards the small area that they've arranged for her in a corner of the living room, sprawling on the large bean bag chair they've bought for her, already engrossed in the colorful images of the story.

When Regina stands and heads towards the kitchen, she can't help but glance at the door, her stomach knotting in anxiety. She can't hear what's going on on the other side, but her gut screams at her that the peacefulness that their family had recovered after her depression is about to be disturbed once again.

xxx

Robin inhales sharply and crosses his arms over his chest to contain all the suppressed anger and resentment that have been his everyday companions for the last twelve years whenever his mind wanders back to that time in his life.

To that day.

The day he became a father and his entire world was turned upside down.

Although he hasn't gotten to think of her much since he married Regina, Roland's mother has never truly left his mind, but not in a good way. It's been twelve years, and the wounds feel wide open, his pain is still raw, and the second he saw her, it all came back to the surface.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he snaps, not even trying to hide his annoyance.

And what upsets him even more is that she seems to be completely aware of his state of mind, and pretty much satisfied with it.

She always made him feel like he was walking on eggshells when he was with her, and despite the love they shared for a time, her many addictions and lies quickly ruined their relationship. Had it not been for Roland's unexpected addition to a couple already on the verge of tearing each other apart, he would have left her long before she left him.

Biting her lower lip in a seductive way that only results in irritating him, she leans towards him, which makes him step back to keep the distance between them the way it is.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to see you and Roland."

Robin snorts and rolls his eyes, letting out a dry chuckle as he looks back at her. "Right. Sorry, you're thirteen years late. Neither of us want to see you."

"Really?" She moves towards him as if she is trying to approach him to seduce him, and Robin has to hold himself back to avoid actively pushing her away from him. "I'm sure you've missed me."

"Are you kidding me?" he thunders. "Roland doesn't even know who you are! You left him at the hospital, remember? He wasn't even one day old and you walked out on him without even a glance back!" Falling back on his heels and standing his ground, his voice lowers, but stays dry nonetheless. "Which was, actually, the best decision that you ever made. So no, we haven't missed you, Marian. In fact, Roland doesn't even know that you exist, and he's perfectly happy that way!"

She flashes him a furious glance, standing right in his face. "Is he really? I'm his mother! He has a right to know about me!"

"Roland doesn't ask about you, Marian. You are his biological mother, nothing more. You never wanted to do anything with him, that much he understood. You didn't even care about him, or should I remind you why he was born prematurely?"

"I want to know my son, Robin!" she snaps. "I have every right to!"

"You lost your rights when you bailed on him before he was even born."

Her lips curl into a snarl, her eyes darkening. "Oh but on the contrary! You see, I've changed. I've built myself a life now, and I have done some research. Guess what? I am legally his mother, and there's nothing you can do to stop me from seeing my son. Now, move!"

She tries to walk past him, but Robin steps in her way, standing at his full height and glaring at her. "Nothing gives you the right to enter my house uninvited. So either you get off my property, or I'll call the police."

For several seconds, they face each other, staring, both standing their ground, refusing to give up. Until Marian snorts, taking a step back.

"Fine. Tonight, you won. But I'm not done. Be sure I'll do whatever it takes to get my son back."

xxx

Regina turns the heat down and covers the pan, keeping it warm until Robin comes back inside. She clasps her hands together, turning towards the couch and television.

"Come on, boys! Set the table."

"But Dad's still outside," Roland argues, not putting the controller down.

"And he's going to be back any minute. Table!" she reminds him firmly, failing to hide her exasperation. She's already tense enough right now, she really doesn't need for the boys to be stubborn. When she hears the loud sighs coming from the two teenagers as they force themselves to put down their controllers and notices that they purposely avoid shutting the video game off, she inhales sharply, pursing her lips. "Without complaints would be better. And no more video games tonight, so turn it off."

"But Mom, we-"

"Henry!" she cuts him off with a bit more strength than she intended. "No discussion."

Before her son gets to say a word, the entrance door bursts open with a bang, Robin entering the room and opening the entrance hall closets loudly under the confused gazes of his entire family. After reminding the boys of what they have to do with one look, Regina immediately walks to him, keeping her voice low so the children won't hear.

"What happened out there?"

"Not now," Robin mumbles.

She frowns. "Can you at least tell me-"

Robin swirls around, shrugging off the hand she just placed on his shoulder, which startles her and makes her step back. She's almost frightened by what she sees, by his eyes that are shining a dark blue she's never seen before, his mouth scowling in a grimace that turns him into a man who doesn't look like her husband.

Even his voice holds nothing of the kindness the man she loves is full of.

"I need some air."

"But… dinner is ready."

His fist crashes against a small counter, the vibration causing a vase to tip over and shatter on the ground, the sound making her freeze.

"I said: Not now!"

Her heart stops for the second time that evening, but this time, it's not caused by a stranger. It is caused by her own husband, a man who swore to love and respect her, who is supposed to protect her instead of screaming at her as if she was bothering him.

The door slams shut behind him before she has a chance to move, and she stands there, arms by her side, head still buzzing with the screams and the sound of the shattered glass.

"Mom?"

The tentative, shy voice of her son breaks the spiral of the daze she was locked in, but instead of moving the only thing she manages to do is hum shakily.

She feels Henry's presence behind her, his fingers looping around her wrist and pulling slightly. Exhaling slowly to give herself some confidence, she turns around to face him, plastering a fake reassuring smile that she knows he sees right through.

"You okay?"

She nods, although this must not be very convincing either, because the next thing she knows is that Henry is hugging her, comforting her as much as himself. Her eyes land behind her son, and she realizes that Roland is standing next to the table, a hand keeping Maddie against his leg, the little girl hiding behind him fearfully.

And for the very first time, Regina hates her husband for making her, but above all their children, feel that way.

It takes a long time for Henry to let go of her, and she has to admit, she wasn't ready to release him either. She senses in the gaze of her son the concern that he's been full of way too often for her taste over the last two years since she was attacked, which only increases her anger at Robin. They are the parents; they aren't supposed to make their children worried.

"I'll take care of the broken vase," he murmurs when he pulls back. She opens her mouth to argue, but one glance from him in the direction of his brother and sister are enough for her to realize that her other children need her as well.

"Thank you, sweetheart."

She cups his cheek and kisses his temple, smiling gratefully, lingering just a few more seconds before breaking the physical contact and walking to Roland and Maddie. She crouches in front of her daughter, the little girl jumping into her arms immediately, and Regina adjusts her on her hip when she rises, a hand cupping Roland's neck, bringing him to her chest.

God, she loves this boy. He might not be her son by blood, but he is her son in her heart. Hearing him call her "Mom" so casually every day warms her heart, makes her forget sometimes that when she first started taking care of him as her own, he was already a toddler, because she feels like they've been a family since forever.

"Mommy?"

Regina pulls back just enough to be able to look Maddie in the eye, but keeps her and Roland against her.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Why did Daddy scream?"

She holds back a sigh, not wanting to sound on edge to her five years old. Her lips find Maddie's forehead, then she nuzzles the child's nose, forcing herself to widen her small smile.

"I don't know, my princess," she says honestly. "But it has nothing to do with you, alright? Your Daddy loves you all more than anything, and I'm sure he didn't want to scare you."

She lets her daughter hug her close again and rubs her back soothingly while she presses kisses to her head, letting go of Roland after making sure he is feeling a bit better as well.

"Come on, dinner's ready."

xxx

Robin wipes his face with his hand, and releases a long, deep breath.

He messed up tonight, big time.

He let Marian get to him, and failed his family. It took him two hours driving through town, two whole hours of trying to clear his mind of all the memories of that time of his life that he hadn't talked to anyone about in years, for him to calm down. Even his brothers, the only ones aware of the whole story, know that the subject is off-limits.

He never thought he'd see her ever again, and what she said, the way she pretended to be someone else, to have changed... it sounded fake, hollow. He knows her, he remembers her lies, her pretense, how she assured him that she'd change, she'd do and be better, for him and for their son.

He remembers how much he hoped it was real, that even if the love between them was already fading, they could make it work, for Roland.

He remembers realizing that she left the maternity ward without a word, the dozen attempts at calling her, hitting the voicemail every time.

So hearing her claim her right to a son she never wanted in the first place was the last straw.

But instead of throwing his anger at the person responsible, he blew up in front of his wife. He barely remembers how it happened, barely remembers why he took it out on her when all she did was inquire about the situation.

He hopes his apology will be enough.

But he's not sure it will.

When he opens the door, the house is relatively quiet, the dim light coming from the living room barely enough for him to see what he's doing. He hangs his coat in the closet and drops his car keys on the small table next to the door. His heart feels heavy when he notices the emptiness where the vase he didn't realize he had broken was, his guilt flaring.

He steps into the living room and finds the TV on, a movie he quickly identifies as Thor playing. That's when he notices the heads of his boys barely popping over the couch.

"-you Thor is the strongest! He wins the chick in the end, if that's not proof then I don't know what is!"

"Loki stirred up a rebellion right under everyone's nose!" Roland argues.

"But Thor has Mjöllnir, and no one else can use it, not even Loki," Henry counters.

Robin steps forward carefully, staying silent so as not to disturb the debate between his sons. If he wasn't anxious about the welcome he's about to receive, he would've smiled at the sight.

The movie reaches its end, switching the debate to a pleading, the teenagers both turning to their right, to a person whom Robin assumes must be Regina lying on the couch.

"Mom, can we start Thor 2? I want to show Henry that Loki is the best!"

"He dies in Thor 2, idiot!" Henry retorts with a roll of his eyes.

"That's not true! He fakes his death and rules over Asgard, remember?"

"Boys," the soft and low voice of his wife interrupts the dispute. "It's too late to start another movie. Go brush your teeth and change, it's time to go to bed."

"Can we watch it tomorrow then?" Henry begs.

"We'll see. If you stop calling each other names, maybe. Now, go." She sits up, holding their sleeping daughter tucked against her chest, and Robin in this instant wishes for nothing more but to take the two women in his life into his arms. "I'll put your sister to bed and then I'll kiss you goodnight."

Robin waits. He knows they're oblivious of his presence, and he's not really sure how to step into such a casual scene.

Regina is the first one who notices his presence. The way she freezes and tenses hits him, bringing back his guilt and anxiety, but that's nothing compared to the look on his sons' faces when they meet his eyes.

Cold.

Angry.

They walk past him and head for their bedrooms without a word, and Regina follows their steps, throwing over her shoulder without sparing him a glance, "There's some food left in the fridge in case you're hungry."

And then she disappears into Maddie's bedroom.

xxx

Regina carefully lays Maddie down in her bed, the little girl sound asleep. She was particularly upset by her father's scene and the tense atmosphere left in its wake, and refused to leave her arms the entire evening.

Even when it was her bedtime and her brothers were about to start one of their favorite movies, her puppy blue eyes looking up at her, along with the trembling of her lower lip that she usually uses to win her mother or her father over, did the trick.

Regina has to admit that she didn't feel very well herself, so she relented and kept the child against her, even when Maddie dozed off after barely fifteen minutes into the movie.

She tucks Maddie under the blankets, sits on the side of the bed and brushes her daughter's curly blonde hair tenderly. She willingly makes the moment linger, not really keen to go back to the living room and face her husband. She knows they need to have a talk, but she's not certain that she's ready to let go of her anger quite yet. Especially after witnessing the boys' reaction to their father's presence.

"Sweet dreams, my princess," She murmurs, leaning forward and kissing her forehead.

She goes to Henry's, then Roland's bedrooms next, kissing her sons goodnight, reassuring them that she's going to be fine, that they need to sleep, making them promise to turn off the light in less than half an hour.

And then, she's back in the living room.

Robin is sitting at the kitchen counter, eating his food, and he looks up at her when she comes in. He's anxious, she can tell, and a little voice in her is somehow satisfied.

"That's excellent," he compliments.

Her only answer is a lifted eyebrow, before she walks to the couch, grabbing the remote and turning the TV off.

"Turn off the light when you go to bed."

"Regina, wait!"

She holds back a deep sigh and turns to face him expectantly. He grabs a bouquet of flowers that's resting on the countertop, strolls to her and hands it over.

"I'm sorry."

Her eyes close slowly as she takes a deep breath, stopping herself from rolling her eyes at him. As if that was going to be enough.

"Did you also buy a vase? Because you broke the one we had, remember?" she bites.

Robin falls back on his heels, the arm holding the flowers lowering while he scratches the back of his head with his other hand.

"Look, I know this won't be nearly enough to make up for my behavior-"

"No kidding," she snorts.

He gulps anxiously at her cold tone. "Can we at least talk?" He senses her hesitation, so he adds, "Please?"

"Look, Robin, I'm not really in the mood tonight, so-"

"I know," he interrupts. "I don't deserve any favors, but Regina, we can't go to bed without discussing what happened. Don't tell me you don't have questions, because I know that'd be a lie."

"Very nice, Robin," she says, crossing her arms over her chest. "Making this about me instead of you. That's clever." She pauses, thinking for a moment. She wants nothing to do with him tonight, but at the same time, he's not entirely wrong. Her eyes find his again, so furious that it makes him shiver. "Alright, you know what? How about I talk first, and then it's your turn?"

Robin is taken aback by her offer, but her tone was clear enough: it wasn't a request. Frowning and then looking down, he gulps anxiously, a knot forming in his stomach. "I messed up, so I guess that's fair."

"You guess it's fair?" she snaps, her eyes widening in shock. "Robin, you went too far tonight. I understand that whatever happened on the porch with that woman must not have been very pleasant, but that was no reason to react the way you did. That you're in a foul mood and take it out on me is one thing. It wasn't deserved, it was brutal, but I am a grownup, I can handle it. But," she takes a step towards him, a finger pointed behind her in the direction of the bedrooms, her voice lowering so no one but him will hear. "That you did it in front of our children, that you scared them to the point that Maddie wouldn't even leave my arms for one second tonight because she was shaking from head to toe, and Henry and Roland were concerned about me being alone with you right now, is a limit you should've never crossed."

Robin's face falls, his throat squeezing at the realization of what he did. He didn't think it was that bad, didn't think that the children heard everything… and then he remembers punching the table and the broken vase, and there was no way they'd have missed that.

His family is the most important thing to him, he'd go to the moon and back for them, to protect them, and tonight he failed them. He let Marian get to him like she used to when they were together years ago. She brought back the worst in him, even though they switched roles, and he hates himself for it. A wave of self-loathing and guilt overwhelms him, leaving him at a loss for words as all he can do is stare at his wife with tearful eyes.

"I don't know what this woman was here for," Regina resumes, reading in her husband's eyes the shock and turmoil caused by her revelations. "I don't know if she plans on coming back. But what I do know is that what happened tonight is going to stay a one-time thing. Because if you ever were to react like that again, be sure that you'll have to find yourself a place to crash until you cool off and this whole story is over."

She reads in the way his body tenses his contrition and confusion, his shock at her decision. Perhaps she will never resort to that even if he crossed the line again, perhaps her anger at him is clouding her judgement right now. But she needs him to understand that what he did was beyond unacceptable, and he has to learn how to control himself in front of their children. Especially if Roland's biological mother enters their lives for good.

"You're mad at me."

"Mad doesn't even begin to cover it, Robin. I'm furious that you couldn't control yourself in front of them."

"I know," he sighs, wiping his face with both of his hands. "I let Marian get to me, and I lost control. I'm sorry, Regina."

She nods, but she keeps her distance and doesn't relax, and Robin knows that she's not placid yet, that it will take time for her to forget what happened tonight.

But he needs her. If Marian's threat is real, then he will need Regina to keep their family together in this new ordeal that takes place barely a few months after his wife's recovery. She finally stopped all her meds, her therapy is almost over, she can go back to work for 24 hour shifts without any sign of anxiety, and the nightmares are gone. They had just found a new balance, they were closer than ever. Marian's timing couldn't have been worse.

"Do you think she will come back?" At her question, he looks up in confusion. "Marian. Should I be worried?"

And there it is…

He's about to open up about the one part of his life he never confided in her, what he's tried his best to forget. It scares him. They weren't his most glorious years, and a part of him fears that Regina won't accept his past.

Yet, he knows she would.

Their relationship, their love, is based on a solid friendship and an unwavering trust. After what they went through together since her attack, he knows they will always be there for each other.

He walks back to the table and sits down, unsure if he has enough strength to stand while telling her about this time in his life. About the shame that has followed him for so long, but never truly faded.

"I'm afraid so."

"How bad?"

"She seems determined to be in Roland's life."

"After so much time?"

Robin shrugs, grabs his fork and absentmindedly toys with his food. "She claims she has changed. Which isn't true, I know her enough to be certain that it's a lie. She has a hidden agenda, and I haven't figured out what it was yet."

"How do you know she hasn't changed? Robin, who is she? What happened between you two?"

"You should sit," he suggests. "That's a long story."

Regina warily joins him at the table, although she doesn't sit next to him, and that doesn't escape his notice. He takes a bit of food and inhales sharply, gathering his courage.

"I met Marian at the end of my residency. At first, all went well for months. We were in love, moved in together, and life was good... until she got into a car accident. Nothing serious, but she started having chronic back pain, took medication regularly and soon, it wasn't enough anymore. That's when all hell broke loose. She met with the wrong person, and before I realized it, she became addicted to not only painkillers, but cannabis and cocaine as well. The woman I knew disappeared little by little, and with that, our love did too. I tried to help her, but…" He glances down, unable to look his wife in the eyes when he reveals the most shameful secret of his life. "She didn't let me. And she… when I disagreed with her, when she was in dire need of a new fix, when we fought, she…"

"She hit you," Regina finishes for him.

He looks up at her, barely surprised that his so smart wife guessed his deepest secret before he voiced it. Unable to admit it out loud though, he simply nods, hands fidgeting anxiously.

"I thought it was an accident the first time, that she didn't mean it. But then, it happened more and more frequently. Every time, I convinced myself that she could change, that she was in a bad place and I was enough. But I wasn't, and when I realized that, and that there was nothing I could do to help her, that all my attempts were in vain, that's when..." He sighs heavily. "That's when Marian found out that she was pregnant. My resolve to leave her shattered then. How could I leave a baby in her hands? She was a junky, she was violent with me, verbally abusive, she had managed to convince me that I was worth nothing. I couldn't abandon my child in her hands." He places the fork on his half empty plate and leans back in his seat. "So I stayed. For months, I suffered from her addiction worsened by the hormones. I did everything I could to try to protect my son. I accepted the increasingly violent blows, insults, threats, resulting from the withdrawal that I tried to impose on her as best I could. Roland was born 6 weeks premature, with a weight well below the norm, like most children of drug-addicted mothers. Fortunately, he did not suffer any other complications, even though he spent several weeks in an incubator."

Robin pauses, taking a moment to digest the reminiscence of such a dark and at the same time magical period in his life. Roland was enlightenment amidst sorrow and pain, amidst shame and isolation. An abused woman already doesn't dare talk about her suffering, so a man... The police would probably have laughed in his face, and the situation with Marian would have been worse.

Of course, today he knows that he should have dared, and if he had denounced her, Marian might have had more thorough care, she might have been completely weaned.

But with some ifs, the world could be rebuilt, and that's not the question tonight.

However, Robin wouldn't turn down a moment of comfort with his wife. Not much, perhaps the touch of her hand on his, her fingers caressing his face. But pain and anger still shine in those brown eyes he loves so much, and it's all his fault.

"And Marian?"

"I doubt the decision was altruistic, but she ran away from the maternity ward less than twenty-four hours after giving birth. It was the best decision she could have made, in all honesty. Roland may never have known his mother, but at least he was able to grow up safe."

Silence follows his confession as Regina digests the revelation Robin just made to her. In any other circumstances, she'd have taken her husband in her arms, would've brushed his cheek tenderly. She would've comforted him. But she can't. Not right now. She needs a moment to digest the events and information that were dropped on her tonight. And that's not even all.

"I guess that's why you left England when Roland was still a baby."

"Indeed. I needed a fresh start, to put all of this behind us, and also, make sure Marian would never find us."

Regina clicks her tongue against her palate. "Well, she apparently did."

Robin nods sadly. "She did."

Regina gets up, takes a long breath, her hand squeezing the back of the chair to give herself the strength to say what's on her mind, despite how badly she wants to do the exact opposite. Her still-infuriated eyes delve into his tormented ones, keeping her voice even despite her own inner turmoil.

"I... I think I understand why you were so upset about seeing her again. And also why you never told anyone about your story. I want to be there for you, Robin. I really do. Just not tonight. I need time to process all of this, and most of all, I need time to get over how angry I am at you. Just give me some time, okay? And then we'll figure it out. Together."

Xxx

Robin barely slept. He couldn't. Not with his son's biological mother back in their lives, not after the scene he made yesterday and the coldness of his wife and children when he came back home. Even less as he missed the warmth of the woman he loves in his arms, as Regina slept with her back to him all night.

I really screwed up, he realizes, tears welling up in his eyes, but he doesn't let them fall. Rolling on his back and letting out a deep sigh, he rubs his tired eyes and yawns. He better get up and do something useful instead of staring at the ceiling.

He removes the blankets and tiredly swings his legs over the bed, inhaling deeply.

"Robin?"

It was but a rough whisper, but he didn't miss his wife calling his name, and pauses.

"Robin, come here."

He feels the softness of a hand against his back, a slight pressure that has him shuddering. Holding his breath, unsure of what to expect, he sheepishly turns around, faces his wife's sleepy eyes. Regina stirs, opening her arms and motioning for him to join her.

His hesitation barely lasts a second, and he lies down, burying himself in her embrace, feeling better immediately when she closes her arms around him, her fingers getting lost in his hair, scratching his scalp soothingly.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs against her skin. "I'm so sorry."

"I know." Regina closes her eyes as she leans her cheek against her husband's head. "I know. Don't worry. Whatever happens with her, we'll deal with it together," she assures, squeezing him against her, feeling him stiffen and look up at her hopefully. "I'm with you," she reminds him as her thumb brushes against his temple soothingly. "always."

"So you're not mad at me anymore?"

She shrugs, tilts her head to the side when she meets his apologetic eyes. "A little. But it will fade, and I know you got caught up in your past and you didn't mean to be so… brutal. Just never speak to me like that again."

Breathing out in relief and closing his eyes as he presses his forehead to hers, Robin hums, feeling better with the knowledge that the ice between him and Regina is thawed. "I won't. I promise you I won't. I love you so much, Regina. I don't know what I would do if I were to lose you or the kids."

"Hey!" She tugs at his nape, forcing him to pull back just enough so they can look at one another, and she places her hands on his cheeks, holding him tenderly. "We are not going anywhere."

"But Marian-"

"Will not get whatever she wants, especially if what she wants is Roland."

Robin lets himself fall on his side next to her, wraps his arms around her waist to tug her close, his eyes fluttering when her hand lands in his hair and her thumb scratches his skull gently.

"Regina, I'm scared," he breathes when he opens his eyes, fighting a sob and on the verge of losing the battle. "I don't want to lose my son."

Regina brings Robin to her, hugging him and clutching him at the same time, because even though she's here to reassure him, she doesn't know this Marian. And from the little she got to see, she sounds like trouble, like thunder in a bright blue sky. Like someone who could break their family apart.

You've survived so much already, she won't be able to destroy your family, a little voice whispers in her head, the one that overcame Sidney Glass' voice during her therapy with Archie. The one that is full of hope, that allows her to hold on even during difficult moments. The one that comes from the depth of the love she feels for her husband and children, and who knows, deep down, that nothing and no one can get between them.

"We won't. Roland is our son, and no one will take him away from us," she says with the most confident and determined voice she can muster, kissing Robin's temple. "I had planned to surprise the kids with brunch this morning, you want to help me or get some rest? I figure you didn't sleep much during the night."

Robin inhales sharply, pulling back shakily. "I'll help you. I need to do something to stop thinking about that mess."

"Alright." Sensing his need for reassurance, and because she doesn't want to keep the tension between them, Regina pecks his lips once, then twice, thumb rubbing his cheek as she nuzzles his nose. "Come on. There's a lot of preparation to do if we want to finish before the kids get up."

xxx

The sound of a door opening catches Regina's attention, and she lifts her head from the pancakes she's cooking to watch as her daughter sleepily walks towards them, dragging her comforter with her as she rubs her eyes and yawns.

"Hey, sweetie," she coos softly, reducing the heat before placing the pancake on top of the pile. "Did you sleep well?"

The little girl nods, glancing between her and her father, frowning, bringing her comforter to her mouth the way she does when she's feeling insecure.

Regina walks to her daughter and crouches, gathering Maddison in her arms and lifting her up as she wraps her little arms around her neck and leans her head against her shoulder. She notices Robin's hesitation, but also the heartbreak he's filled with at the sight of their daughter being wary in his presence, something that never happened before. Yet Robin almost never raises his voice except when the boys cross the line, so seeing him act as he did yesterday was a bit disturbing for the little girl.

She takes a moment to reassure her child, cuddling and rocking her gently, allowing her to wake up as well, and then she walks to Robin, pushing Maddie's blond hair from her forehead and stopping once in front of her husband. With one look, she lets Robin know that he has to take the first step. It's his mess to fix.

He puts on a reassuring and loving face, smiling tenderly, wiping his hands on a cloth and leaning forward. "Good morning, my princess," he calls gently, brushing Maddie's cheek with the back of his fingers. "Can I get a hug?"

Maddison hesitates, looking up at her mother, and Regina nods, kisses her forehead reassuringly. So the child accepts her father's arms, hesitant at first, but relaxing after less than a minute, clutching Robin's neck tightly as he buried his face in her hair.

"My princess… I'm sorry…" he breathes against her temple. "I'm sorry I scared you yesterday. I swear, it had nothing to do with you, and it won't happen again." He kisses her forehead, her temple, her head. "I love you so, so much Maddie. You have no idea how much."

"I love you too, Daddy," she admits when she pulls back, her cute face beaming. Regina blesses their daughter's cheerfulness and gluttony, because a handful of seconds later, Maddie is humming, her eyes growing wide and sparkling with joy as she discovers the preparations in progress on the kitchen counter.

The atmosphere is much more relaxed and jovial as the little girl tries to help them prepare brunch, regularly trying to pick at the dishes and plates. Robin gradually relaxes, enjoying Maddie's contagious good mood and laughing at her flour-covered face. But the arrival of Roland, followed by Henry, the two teenagers glaring at him, ices over the ambiance immediately.

"What are you doing here?"

Robin frowns, surprised by Henry's retort. "I live here."

"I wasn't sure if you remembered that after your scene yesterday."

Robin almost chokes at the young boy's inappropriate response, but before he even has time to say anything, Regina responds to her son.

"Henry, that's enough! You have no right to talk to him like that."

"It's not like he spared you last night."

"What happened between us is none of your business. He's your father, you owe him respect."

"He's not my father," Henry snaps, crossing his arms over his chest in a defiant attitude.

Robin startles at that, and as he meets the defiance in Henry's eyes and feels the shock emanating from Regina at the words, he can't hold back anymore. Abandoning the dish he was working on, he walks over to the young teenager, planting himself in front of him from his full height, staring into the eyes of the boy who seems to be sticking to his guns. Under normal circumstances, he would have reacted like Regina, would have defended himself, punished Henry, depriving him of his console or pocket money, and the situation would have ended in an exhausting series of retorts escalating to chaos an argument that could have been settled with a few words.

After failing in his role last night by letting his emotions overtake him, he is not ready to make the same mistake a second time.

"I am your father, Henry. Maybe not by blood, but in here." He puts the tip of his forefinger against the boy's chest, right where his heart is. "I've seen you grow up since you were two. I've been blessed with taking care of you since you were six. I watch over you when you are sick, I taught you how to ride a bike, I bring you to school and pick you up, help you with your homework. I've seen all of your baseball games and Lord knows how proud I am to be your dad and call you my son. I love you, Henry. With every fiber inside of me, I love you. And I messed up. I know I did, how deeply I disappointed and hurt you. I can read it in your eyes. So you can be mad at me, you can pretend that I'm not your father, but we both know it's not true."

He inhales deeply, grabs the boy by the neck and looks between him and his brother as Roland is shyly observing the scene. The younger boy has always been more discreet, less prompt to conflict, and he's not surprised to read in his eyes the same pain and anger Henry seems to be full of, but being unable to voice it.

"I'm sorry, boys. What happened yesterday was a one-time thing, it will never happen again, I promise."

"Really?" Roland takes a tentative step towards him, his curly and messy hair half covering his face, forcing him to shake his head in order to keep looking at him. "You won't yell after mom like that again?"

Glancing at his beautiful wife to find her smiling encouragingly at him, Robin confirms. "I won't. But I don't ever want to hear again that I am not your father, Henry, because that's the farthest thing from the truth. I think this family has proven more than once that blood doesn't count when it comes to love, yeah?"

Gently poking Henry's chin, Robin dares a small smile, and it works. Glancing down shamefully and shrugging the way he does when he refuses to admit out loud that he's wrong but acknowledges it nonetheless, Henry dares look up at him and his mother.

Giving him a short break, he receives Roland in his arms, the boy apparently relieved by the thawed ice between them. As he looks back at Henry, he can read in the young teenager the affection that they share, and that's how he knows that Henry, no matter how he can be disinclined to hugs, has forgiven him.

TBC...

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