Regina hollows an old cookbook. It's one of the many she got for her wedding. People meant well but didn't understand that she either made her father's recipes or invented her own. She didn't need Martha Stewart or Ina Garten's tips. Jefferson never touches them. The most cooking he's ever done is when she broke her leg and Granny brought over frozen casseroles. He heated them up and even then, they were either slightly cold or burnt, no in between. There's no way he'll find it this time.

Guilt seeps through her veins every time she takes a fifty from the cash out at the end of her shift. It always goes the same. Killian records the money from the morning shift and hands the bag to Regina to throw it in the safe while he tends to something else. He trusts her and that only makes it worse. Killian isn't easy on any of them, he knows what a big deal it is that Granny trusts him. It's his ass that will be in trouble if Granny catches on. And still, Regina tries to reason it in her mind. Milah has a great job, they won't starve if Killian gets fired. It's not fair, but it's what she has to do.

At least that's what she keeps telling herself.

Weeks fly by and her stomach expands over time. She can no longer see her feet. There's at least three days where she wears different sneakers. One day, she even slides on one of Jefferson's boots and doesn't notice it until she nearly trips. Winter is melting away, turning to spring which rains to the summer months. Being pregnant in warm weather is unbearable. The colder months, she had a little bit of extra fluff to keep warm. Now her stretch skin taunts her behind her uniform. She'd kill to wear flip flops every day but it's just not practical.

Jefferson got the job in Bangor. It's a bit of a commute but he's bringing in some more money now. They're not as strapped as they were before but are still catching up on bills. Luckily their landlord has somewhat of a heart and is letting them catch up on rent. Jefferson still spends a majority of his time at the bar, but combined with his work schedule, Regina doesn't have to see him or his healing nose as much. She's split her time between helping Mary Margaret plan the wedding, getting ready for the pie competition and Robin.

They have less time to see each other these days. Between him having a few patients ready to pop at any minute and her obligations, they're lucky if they can sneak away one day every other week. It just makes it all the more special. Traditional sex is pretty much out, but they've gotten a bit creative. Cuddling in motel rooms or the rare times they feel brave enough for him to come to her place, it's the distraction she's always needed.

One night they meet at the diner after hours. Killian gave them clearance, saying he'd turn off the security cameras and "whatever happens, happens". Regina promises to make him his favorite fisherman's pie the next day. He winks and slips out, ready to spend some quality time with Bailey.

Robin walks in looking handsome as ever. His forest green button down is just slightly opened, showing off his chest hair. A pair of dark wash jeans make his butt look better than usual. On one wrist, he has a lavender giftbag. In his other hand, he holds a white envelope. Regina cocks an eyebrow as she slices into the leftover creamy pineapple pie she prepared earlier that morning.

"We're not doing the whole anniversary thing, are we? I can barely remember mine and Jefferson's."

Robin chuckles, shaking his head. "I'm not that corny. No, you mentioned you're having that baby shower this weekend."

"Sprinkle," Regina corrects, waving the stained pie knife. "A baby shower is full of games and cooing and lots of people that I don't even like. It's just going to be me, Mary Margaret, Mal, Granny, Ruby and her wife."

Robin raises his hands in faux surrender. "Right, I forgot. No cheesy parties for you."

Regina smirks, lowering the knife. "As long as we're clear."

"Anyway, I know you're still going to get lots of cute and well-meaning gifts, but not the most practical. A lot of newborn clothes that they probably won't be able to wear or stuffed animals they won't take any interest in. This was one of the most practical gifts we got."

Robin passes her the envelope and she opens it, tilting her head when she finds a certificate inside.

"A diaper service?"

"Those were honestly the best brand, no pun in intended," Robin explains. "It's for 6 months. You'll be too exhausted to go to the store during that time, much less be able to realize when you're running low. This'll drop them off once a month. You just go on the website and tell them what size your baby is at."

Regina smiles, looking up at him. The diapers were one of the more daunting expenses. A part of her knows she shouldn't accept it, but she also knows she'd be too foolish. It's not like he got the baby a diamond rattle or something. "Thank you, but you didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to. Oh, and here." He holds out the bag. "Everyone gets stuff for the baby, but they kind of forget that you're the one giving birth. You deserve something special too."

Regina flushes, accepting it. She removes some white tissue paper, letting it ungracefully fall to the floor. Her fingers grasp something heavy, solid. She lifts it from the bag, her eyes widening. It's a pie plate made of gold. Too heavy, not at all practical for use. She's seen them in magazines for some of the nicer pie shops, usually has their name on it. Regina squints her eyes that so desperately need glasses. In the corner is an inscription.

For Regina

You matter to me

Tears spring to Regina's eyes as she reads it over and over again. She sniffles, holding it close to her chest. Robin gives her a small smile and she shakes his head.

"This is too much," she whispers.

"No, it's not nearly enough." Robin takes a step forward, putting his hand on her arm. "I know how badly you want your own shop one day. It'll need some nice decoration."

Regina slowly nods, the pie plate still gripped tightly to her. "Thank you."

"Of course."

She leans in, her lips brushing against his. He deepens it, his hand caressing her cheek. The plate along with her bump is sandwiched in between them. For a moment she allows herself to pretend. They're a normal couple, expecting their first child. He just gave her a push present like she's read about online. They'll devour the pie she made and talk about their days.

And then he pulls away, allowing her to get a good look at his ring finger. That damn band snaps her back to reality. She's the mistress. He is her paramour. This baby isn't his, but her abusive husband's.

She lets out a small sigh, placing the plate onto the table near the slices she was cutting. Regina starts to think about where she can hide it. Perhaps the diner. Granny has a storage room. She'll stick it in there and take it when she leaves for the pie competition. If she ever makes it there.

Robin laces his fingers through hers. "What's going on in your head, beautiful?"

Regina shakes her head. "Nothing. Do you want some pie?"

"I want you to talk to me. Is it the plate? Is it too much?" His voice shifts to worry. "Do you not like it?"

"I love it, Robin," she says honestly. "Truthfully, I do. It's beautiful and so thoughtful."

He studies her eyes, his own serious. "But?"

"Do you ever think about the future of us?" Regina asks. "I'm not even talking about Marian or Jefferson. But I'm leaving for the pie competition in August. That's only a couple of months away."

Robin nods. "I know. You're going to kick ass."

Regina partially smiles at the compliment. It quickly fades away. "But once I win the prize money, I'm not coming back."

He frowns. "You're not?"

"I don't think Jefferson would really kill me but he'd put a claim on that baby as soon as he laid eyes on it. Even if he really didn't want it, it'd be out of spite to me. I have to keep myself, the baby, safe." She runs her fingers over the rim of the golden pie plate. "I've started looking into jobs in Boston."

"I thought you would use the money to open your own shop."

Regina shakes her head. "Maybe some day I'll be able to. In the meantime, I'll need it to start over. Legal fees when it comes to the divorce, an apartment, stuff for the baby. If I'm smart, I should start a college fund for them. I'm not foolish, the money will only go so far. Especially in a big city like Boston."

She's looked into apartments and the sticker shock was very real. For the price of some apartments in the city, she could probably rent a nicer house around here. However, she's also spoken with a few bakeries. They'd be willing to pay her just a bit more than she makes at Granny's if she comes early. She'll just barely be able to pay for childcare, which is a con of moving. Mal and Mary Margaret already approached her with the idea that they'd alternate shifts so they could babysit while she works. A sweet offer, but it's not going to be enough.

Robin is giving her a pitiful look, his mouth opening and closing every so often. Regina silently groans. She's never asked him for money. He's never offered. She doesn't want him to. Regina insists they split who pays for dinner when they go to the Heights. She isn't comfortable taking his money. The diaper service and pie plate are enough. Regina's never told him not to offer, but she knows he wants to and would if she were any other person. Even if she paid him back, it wouldn't be worth it.

And yet stealing from the employer is any better?

Regina shakes out her conscious. What does it know anyway? All that part of her seems to understand is black and white, when situations are massively gray. At least that's what she tells herself.

"I could visit you in Boston," Robin offers. "It's only, what, four hours away?"

Regina gives him a small smile. "Yeah."

"Besides you'd have your own place then, no one knows us there," he points out. "We wouldn't have to be so careful."

"Very true." It's all a nice thing to say, but she knows it probably won't happen. He might come down once or twice but life will happen. This relationship of theirs has an expiration date whether they like it or not. She moves the slices of pie onto the paper plates. "You wanna eat now?"

He nods and slides into one side of the booth, Regina maneuvering on the other. Her stomach lays dangerously close to it and she sighs, trying to maneuver her body. Robin chuckles, his hand reaching out and then he hesitates. She grabs it and moves it around a bit until he's resting above where the baby's been super active. Lately, they've been kicking furiously. Reminding Regina every day that they're there. They're on their way. She's due only a couple of weeks after the pie competition, cutting it pretty close. She still needs to research hospitals down there, try to find the best alternative to Dr. Ryan. Right now, she's registered with Storybrooke General, just in case. If she has it her way, she'll labor in Boston.

"You still haven't found out, huh?" Robin asks.

Regina shakes her head. "I've thought about it, but does it really matter? Finding out before or when they're born?"

"Not really. We didn't find out with Roland and I'm sort of glad. It wouldn't have mattered either way but the surprise was well worth it."

"I know it'll probably be a girl," Regina muses, stabbing her pie with a fork.

"Oh?"

"I was an only child but my mom had six sisters. Her mom had three."

"You know it's the male that decides the sex," Robin points out.

"Maybe so, but my father had all brothers. And they still ended up with me." She shrugs. "It's a curse."

"Have you thought of names?"

Once again, Regina shakes her head. "I tried. Mary Margaret and Mal got me this book early on in the pregnancy, they have a few ideas but nothing really sticks out to me." She takes a sip of the ice tea she set out earlier. "How'd you pick Roland?"

Robin has already devoured half his slice, so Regina cuts him a new one. "It was Marian's father's name. His middle name is John, after my best friend."

"You've mentioned him before. Is he going to visit soon?"

"He's hoping to around the 4th. We're both from England so we like to take a piss on the holiday," he chuckles, shaking his head. "It's one of Roland's favorites for the fireworks alone. We used to go to a beach in Connecticut and grill with Marian's mom and step-dad. This year, we'll go to the one here."

"That sounds nice," Regina says. It's been forever since she's been to the beach, even with it being so close. "Can't say I'm much for fireworks."

"What about you? Plans for the holiday?"

"Probably working," she replies, fiddling with her straw. "I always make the same pie, with apples and blueberries. Mary Margaret said David wants to have a BBQ so I'll probably go to that when I get off. Hopefully Jeff is making plans with Victor so I won't have to see him too much."

Robin nods. "Have they been friends long?"

Regina raises an eyebrow. "Why do you care?"

"I'm just curious. I've seen Victor at a few hospital gatherings. I guess I'm just surprised he'd…"

"Slum with my husband?"

Robin flushes and Regina laughs.

"Honestly, I don't know. Victor's a little older. Jefferson wasn't always so bad, you know? He'd drink a little too much at parties but was pretty tame. Then they met at some guy's dinner a group used to throw around here. They hit it off and the rest is history. I try not to spend too much time around them. Jeff is bad enough on his own but he turns into a bigger asshole around Victor. He eggs him on."

Robin nods. "I get that."

Regina sighs, placing her fork down. "I shouldn't be venting to you about all of this. It's not fair."

"I want to hear it. You deserve a safe place."

"But it shouldn't be you. I know how you feel, what you think I should do…"

"I get it's not easy, Regina." Robin sighs. "At first I thought you should just leave and not look back, but look at you." He gestures to her bump. "You have to think of them."

"I didn't leave before I got pregnant, when I could've."

"Did he make it easy?" Regina hesitates then shakes her head. "Then there you go. You've said it yourself so many times, the pie competition is your only way out."

"And that's if I win."

"You will." He squeezes her hand. "You're going to blow them all away."

Regina gazes up at him. Her biggest cheerleader right now. Mal and Mary Margaret want her to win the competition, but she also knows they'd prefer for her not to leave. Robin is the only one that truly believes she can do it.

And just like that, the blue-ribbon winning pie comes to her. The very one her and Robin teased each other about long ago: Maple bacon chocolate pie. Brown sugar, chopped walnuts, plenty of bacon of course and some mapeline extract. Just barely a cup of chocolate chips-semisweet? No, dark chocolate.

It's the kind of pie that wouldn't fly in Storybrooke, but it could blow everyone in Boston away.

Regina receives some nice gifts at her sprinkle. Mary Margaret gifts her a few yellow layette sets and a giant stuffed gray and white owl, practically the size of Roland. Mal goes with a package of pacifiers and a onesie that sarcastically reads "If Mom Says No, Ask Auntie". Ruby and Dorothy went with a baby monitor, they say it's top of the line in Paris. Even after glancing at the directions, Regina isn't sure if she's fancy enough to use it. Granny got her two packages of burp cloths and a package of her favorite coffee grounds, saying she'll need it more.

She loves them all. In a way they make her a little excited for the baby. She tries to picture them in the onesie Mal gifted her along with the owl from Mary Margaret snuggled in their arms. They still aren't real enough to her. Maybe if she knew the sex it'd be a little different, but it's still not enough to make her find out.

Her favorite gift is still the plate from Robin, wrapped in a blanket and hidden in Granny's storage closet.

The girls are digging into the pie she made. Mary Margaret wanted to get a cake, but Regina found that a waste of money given she could easily whip something up. It's nothing complicated, just blueberries sprinkled with lemon juice and coated in sugar. She decorates it with a pram on the top under the sloppy lettering "Baby". The y came out crooked and the b is a little gooey but it's also why she hates working with the letter stencils. No one seems to care. It pairs well with the mini pizzas Granny made and the mocktails concocted by Mal (orange juice and seltzer). It's nearly gone as soon as Regina lays it on Mal's coffee table. Mary Margaret's place was too small to host and Granny can't afford to shut down Granny's, so Hades agreed to clear out for the afternoon.

Regina stands off to the side, rubbing her hand over her bump. She's in a navy-blue dress covered with daisies, showing off that she's only months away from giving birth. Everyone's fussed over her all afternoon, it's nice to get a bit of a break.

Granny makes her way over with her walker. She's had to give up her cane and downgrade recently. Still won't tell Regina or even Ruby what's going on with her. She's missing more mornings at the diner, sometimes she doesn't show up at all. Every time Regina lays eyes on her, guilt builds up given all the money she's been stealing. She's so close to making up what she lost when Jefferson found her stash. She's doing the right thing. She'll pay Granny back. That makes it all the better, or at least that's what she tells herself.

"You should sit, Granny," Regina says once the elderly woman has made her way over.

Granny waves her off. "I'm fine."

"Are you? Or are you finally going to tell me what's going on."

"Or we could talk about your loser husband? How's he?" Regina looks away. "That's what I thought."

Regina rolls her eyes. "You know, we just care about you. Not sure why."

"Likewise," Granny responds with a smirk. "How are things going with the pie competition?"

Regina's fingers tremble around her plastic flute. The condensation from the seltzer makes them cold. "Pretty good. I think I've decided which I'm going with."

"Your peppermint one?"

Regina shakes her head. "I'm perfecting something new. I'll debut it then."

"Do I get a little hint?" Regina gives her a knowing smile and Granny laughs. "Have it your way." She quiets for a moment, the smile draining from her face. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about. Privately."

Regina tilts her head and Granny opens her mouth to speak once more, when Ruby comes over. She throws her arm around her grandmother.

"C'mon Granny, we need to get you off your feet."

Regina frowns. "I was going to take her on the porch for a minute…"

Granny waves her off once more. It's only then Regina realizes how quickly she can turn on her sass. What has caused this old woman to learn how to regulate her emotions?

"Later," she says. "Better go with Ruby before she shoves me in an old folks' home."

Ruby leads her grandmother away leaving Regina alone once more. The frown remains on her face and the baby kicks. She quickly rubs the spot.

"Yeah, I don't know what's going on there either," she whispers.