Waking up in the comfort of his own bed was almost a shock to him, much like his first wave of consciousness back in the Enchanted Forest. At first it didn't seem real to be back in such luxury, all the things he has grown used to in the decade he spent living in Storybrooke. As Robin began to wake, glancing over at his wife, the events that occurred during the previous night didn't seem real either. She looked peaceful, her hair catching rays of soft morning sunlight. Being able to wake up next to her was something he would never again take for granted.
Knowing that he would soon be plagued with worry about her, Robin instead got up quietly and ventured down the hallway, coming upon Caroline's bedroom. Inching the door ajar, he peered in to find his daughter sleeping soundly in her twin sized bed. The sight flooded him with peace- finally, she was safe and sound. Robin then continued to Roland's bedroom, making his movements slow and calculated since he was such a light sleeper. He was surprised to see his room as messy as it was- the fifteen year old had always kept everything in order. Still, despite the chaos around him, Roland was lightly snoring under the covers, his face free of any stress or worries. A makeshift bed for Henry had been made in the far side of his bedroom, yet the man's oldest son was nowhere to be found.
Traveling downstairs, Robin got the coffee started in the kitchen, his movements automatic in spite his month long absence. Normality still felt so strange to him, as if he weren't allowed such a tranquil lifestyle. He was impressed with how clean the house was despite how many guests they had welcomed over the day before. The only thing out of the ordinary was Henry sprawled out on the couch, slowly coming to his senses after catching the scent of coffee wafting in the air. Rubbing his eyes, the twenty two year old took a moment to rest his gaze on his father as he moved around the kitchen.
"I'll be honest, it's still weird seeing you here," he told him, sitting himself against the couch.
"It's still weird to be here," Robin responded, getting two mugs out from the cabinet. Pouring them both a cup, he sat down next to his son and took a breath, finding the silence comforting. "I'm sure Grace hates being stuck in Canada- you must miss her."
Though he was still half asleep, Henry took a few sips of coffee. "Medical school is really cutthroat, keeps her busy. She wishes she could've been there for Mom when it was just the three of us holding down the house."
Robin detected some resentment laced in his voice, a subtlety he was quite good at uncovering. Pausing for a moment, he pursued the question he had been dreading. "What exactly happened after Emma brought her back?"
Henry gave his dad a cautious glance. "Mom hasn't exactly been herself since the whole thing happened. Roland's been following her around as if she's going to break at any second. I know it must've been hard discovering her passed out like that, but he's acting like the whole world ended. I guess this is his first time dealing with intense stuff like this- the first one he remembers, anyway."
Letting his words sink in, Robin inner turmoil only intensified. "Where did she go?" He couldn't help but ask, "and what has she said about it?"
The fresh memory of her childhood estate remained clear in his head, making him unsure of what terrible place his wife could have returned to. There was still so many things left unsaid between them that he had yet to talk with her about.
"I think you should ask her that question," Henry said, "I don't want to get caught in the middle of all this."
Shaking his head, Robin shrugged off the uneasiness that filled the distance between them. "You're right- there's just so much I need to catch myself up on."
Sometimes it was hard to believe that the sweet and studious twelve year old the man had first met was now a young man trying to make a name for himself in the world.
"I really am proud of you for stepping up during all of this... craziness," Robin began, sincerity resonating in his eyes. "We need all the support it can get."
Henry couldn't help but smile. "And when are you planning to tell everyone about what happened in the Enchanted Forest?"
"All in good time," he responded, hardly wanting to revisit those memories, "but first, let's start with pancakes."
As the hours rolled by, there was a calmness in the air that felt like pure bliss. Caroline had awoken to the smell of her favorite breakfast being made, and instantly charged down the flight of stairs to enter the welcoming sight. Her father was whisking strawberries into the mixture while Henry gently poured the batter onto the skillet. The scene was effortless and natural- Caroline couldn't believe it was her own life.
"You're just in time," Henry announced, gesturing towards the stack of pancakes waiting to be eaten.
"Roland's still asleep?" Robin asked, just as the ten year old began cutting into her first pancake. "Why don't you get him up before all the food is gone?"
Looking up at her dad with disappointment in her eyes, Caroline eventually surrendered her knife and fork and headed back upstairs.
"Leave your mother be, she needs the rest," he added, though his plea went unheard. In a manner of minutes, both Roland and Regina entered the kitchen.
"I told her not to wake you," Robin began, giving his daughter a look.
"How could I sleep in when my family is back together again?" Regina said, accepting a cup of coffee with a smile.
Though Roland was still half asleep, he took pleasure in seeing his mother happy again. He took a stack of pancakes and sat down next to her.
"I've dreamt of this morning for such a long time- I can't believe it's finally here."
Robin sat down at the head of the table, the five of them all sitting shoulder to shoulder at their table just like they had done for years.
"Now that all of this is over with, do I have to go back to school?" Roland asked in between bites, the sudden realization of their circumstance dawning on him. He had enjoyed the distance from his classmates, one less thing he had to worry about. Walking down those halls again would mean having to face reality, whatever that even was.
"Maybe you can start next week, if you're feeling up to it." Regina said, giving him a delicate glance.
"I can't wait to go back to school," Caroline chimed in, "they're all going to be so jealous of me. Nothing else happens to anyone in this town."
"Things happen all the time, you just don't know it," Henry added, "but you are the only kid living here to cross realms. Welcome to the club."
Roland visibly rolled his eyes as his little sister beamed at the remark, probably feeling like she was on top of the world in that moment. He hated the feeling of abandonment that came with both of his siblings having an experience that he would probably never have. They were out facing the magical forces he had only heard of through gossip in their small town. Even though he had been born into that world, it was not the one he knew.
"Tell me what you've been up to Roland," Robin began, snapping the teenager's focus back to the kitchen table.
"Nothing much, really- just a lot of stressing out and late nights," he was quick to answer, giving his mother a side glance. She was the only person that knew about August, and it felt good knowing that she understood what he was going through. Sharing something so personal made the weight of it all a little less.
"Roland was there for me since the beginning of this mess," Regina added, "everyone came together and found a way to bring me back. Even though it was hard, I'm glad everything worked out the way it did."
"Who brought you back?" Caroline asked, feigning childlike ignorance, "was it Rumple?"
The four of them pretended not to notice her instant emotional recoil, as if someone had put her hand on an open flame. She took a sip of her coffee to offset the uneasiness that overtook the table.
"It was Emma and Snow," Henry finally answered for her, before she could force out the response herself. The reply sparked interest in the ten year old's mind, though she knew not to say anything more about the whole ordeal.
"Well I'm glad they were successful," Robin began, attempting to salvage what was left of the conversation.
They endured a minute of heavy silence before the sound of the front door being opened gained everyone's attention. Will came sauntering in, analyzing the situation he had gotten himself into.
"You guys didn't save any breakfast for me?"
His niece and two nephews simply shrugged, all of their plates empty.
"Whatever's in the pantry is yours to have, if you can find anything," Regina told him, though he was already rummaging through the kitchen in full force. "I haven't been grocery shopping yet."
After throughly searching every inch of the area, Will gave up and pulled up a chair next to Roland at the table.
"How does it feel to be back?" Henry asked, in an effort to distract him from the fact that he didn't have anything to eat.
"Beds are pretty comfortable," he stated, easing back into the chair, "showers are nice too. It's wonderful sleeping through the night without fearing for your life."
Regina remained quiet as everyone continued to talk about their adventure to the Enchanted Forest like it was some sort of camping trip. She was more than grateful to have them back, but recapping the past month that she wasn't a part of quickly began to grate at her nerves. She wondered if that was how Roland felt- looking at him from across the table, she wasn't sure how to read his expression. The severity of the situation from when she confronted Zelena seemed to have dissipated entirely. No one had mentioned her since their return; she figured they were all nervous to bring her up around her presence. It made her wonder what other information they were withholding from her.
"How did you manage to stop Zelena from changing the past?"
Regina's sudden comment cut through Will and Caroline's playful argument on who would have survived the longest . She could see the insecurity flash in her daughters eyes as the room became silent.
"She... changed her mind," Will began, saving his brother from being put in an awkward position. "The Ice Queen would've killed us all if she hadn't stepped in. She was supposed to give her Caroline, but decided against it I guess."
Regina looked perplexed. "What do you mean she decided against it? Just like that?"
When her husband and daughter hesitated to provide an answer, her worst fear was solidified- they had bonded with her, the murderous woman with the same desire for vengeance as their shared mother. The realization made her chest clench tightly.
"It all happened so fast," Robin said, eventually getting the words out. "I'm just relieved that everyone made it out alive- you should be too."
Caught off guard, Regina continued to grip her coffee mug between her hands. "Of course I'm relieved," she shot back, letting out a smile directed towards Caroline, who appeared uncomfortable in her chair. "This month has been crazy for all of us. I just want to understand what happened to you three out there."
"And we have so much time to get into it," Will told her, his voice soothing. "For now, we have a whole day ahead of us and nothing to do. I can see if Ruby can swing by and hang out after her shift at the diner is up."
Despite the rocky start to the morning, the tension managed to be relieved into the afternoon. The time slowly passed- Ruby followed through and came over, exhausted from working immediately after traveling realms but happy to be surrounded by family. Her arm was properly bandaged, and she had returned to her usual look of black skinny jeans and a red hoodie.
The seven of them were sprawled out in the living room, taking up all of the couch space as well as the carpet. Caroline had chosen her favorite video game to play; she was lazily playing Mario Kart with Ruby and Roland while slouched against her mother's side, secretly reveling in the feeling of being close to her again. She allowed the worry that came from bringing up Zelena to remain in the back of her mind, replaced by her mother's steady heartbeat. During her time in the Enchanted Forest, thinking back to those small moments made her hope burn a bit brighter. Her earliest memories between her and her mother had been their early morning snuggles, when they both faded in an out of sleep and time simply didn't matter. That afternoon reminded her of those moments- everyone was tired yet happy to be in one another's company.
Ruby had surrendered her controller to Henry so she could rest against Will's shoulder, and was asleep in less than a minute. Against the drowsiness he soon felt, Will noticed his phone vibrate in his pocket. As he got it out, he noticed his brother set down his own phone and give him a look from across the room.
Robin: Let's not talk about what happened in the enchanted Forest with Regina just yet. She has too much of her own stuff going on right now.
Will: She nearly flipped her lid back there at the table. You have to find out what happened to her while we we gone.
Robin: I don't know how to bring it up. I know it was something horrible.
Will: She still needs to talk about it, with you at least. We can't just not tell her that we were just in her childhood house. Also where the hell is Zelena?
Robin put down his phone, taking a deep breath to try and forget the weight of all his problems. Part of him didn't want to know where the wicked witch ended up, as long as she remained far away from them. He wanted to forget her entirely and return to his previous life of ignorance, one where crazy stories like the one they all had experienced simply didn't happen.
In that afternoon, the Hood family did the best they could to forget, knowing there was a long road ahead.