Happy Valentine's Day everyone! This fic is for Julia ( regal_artist), who asked for a winter fic with horses. Julia, I really hope you enjoy the start of this fic, every chapter but this one was inspired by one of your manips!

Robin walked the streets of Storybrooke, wondering whether the plans he had for his new life here would come to fruition. He had a dream that he wanted to see come to pass, aspirations that he hoped would make the lives of many in Storybrooke better. However, he would need to seek approval of his plans from the town's mayor, and if he remembered the woman he had known as a child with any accuracy, he would have an extremely difficult task ahead of him.

As he walked through the town square, pulling his coat tighter around him to ward off the chill of winter as his coat became flecked with flakes of falling snow, he spotted Granny's diner, which had always been his favorite restaurant in town. Suddenly ravenous for a slice of her famous lasagna or one of her delectable burgers, he headed toward the restaurant with a little spring in his step. Some of his best memories of living in this town had happened in this very diner.

The familiar sound of the bell over the door brought back such a strong wave of nostalgia that Robin stopped for a minute to bask in the rush of feelings that had assailed him. The moment was interrupted, however, by a short, older man who muttered, "Coming through," his coat brushing Robin's as he stepped aside to let him pass. As he watched the older man, who he recognized as the town handyman, Leroy Grump, sit next to some of his six brothers at the bar, Robin glanced around Granny's, taking in the fresh coat of blue paint that adorned the walls, that, combined with the familiar chalkboard menu that hung over the bar, spoke of both fond memories and the new things that his years away had brought to the town.

"Do my eyes deceive me, or is that Robin Locksley?" a deep voice said, interrupting his thoughts. He turned to see who had spoken and walked to embrace his longtime friend. John Little was not so little anymore, and in fact towered over him, his dark unruly beard and curly mane of hair a testament to their years of only seeing each other every so often, whenever Robin's travels would lead him close to the place he had once called home.

"John," Robin said, smiling, the two friends embracing. With pats on the back they broke apart, and John gestured to the booth where he had been sitting.

"Care to join me?" he asked, and Robin deeply regretted that he had to shake his head and decline.

"I have a meeting with Mayor Mills in twenty minutes," he told John. "You know her, she won't respond well to tardiness, especially not from me. Cora Mills was never my biggest fan, after all, and I suspect that that hasn't changed in the fifteen years since I last saw her."

A confused expression clouded his friend's habitually jovial features. "That she won't," John readily acknowledged. "However, I think you're in for a surprise. Mayor Mills isn't quite the woman you remember." He looked around. "I see that Roland and Marian aren't with you?"

Robin nodded. "Our new next-door neighbor, Ashley, has a baby of her own and teaches preschool at Storybrooke Elementary. I enrolled Roland as soon as we moved here. Marian and I both work, so it seemed best. Besides, we both want our son to have a good education."

John nodded. "Just remember that he's welcome to stay with his Uncle John anytime."

Robin laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

"What?" John inquired innocently, but Robin was having none of it. He saw right through his friend's feigned innocence.

"If I let you look after my son, he'll also spend time with his Uncle Will and likely come home stuffed full of sweets and not fall asleep until the wee hours of the morning, which will of course make him cranky the next day," he predicted. "He's only three, he needs his rest, even if the full day that they make preschoolers and kindergarteners endure every day here suggests otherwise."

John raised his hands in the air, a gesture of surrender. "Have it your way, then. Just know that the offer is there whenever you need it. After all, starting a shelter isn't a task for the faint of heart. You'll have a lot to do both during and outside of business hours to make your dream a reality."

"I know," Robin commented. "How will you be able to watch Roland if you're helping me start the shelter, though?"

"Easy: I'll entertain the lad while you do all of that boring paperwork," the burly man proposed.

Robin shook his head. "Remind me why I'm starting this project with you again?"

"Come on, you know it'll all be fine, so stop worrying," John reassured him. "Besides, I think you're in for a surprise anyway. I suspect that asking for funds isn't going to be as difficult as you think."

Robin's eyebrows rose. "Is there something you're not telling me? I remember Cora Mills well, I find it really difficult to believe that she'll let our shelter become a reality without forcing us to fight for the necessary funds to keep it running."

John smiled mysteriously. "You'll find out. Now, go. Don't you have a meeting to get to?"

Robin glanced at his watch, then with a muttered expletive that he wouldn't ever dare utter in front of his son, he pivoted and sprinted out the door. The mayor of Storybrooke was waiting for him.

(********)

Robin found the town hall as if no time had passed since he had lived in Storybrooke. He and his best friend had spent many hours running its pristine halls, the stone floors and matching paneling on the walls containing the perfect acoustics for their various antics, always careful to steer clear of her mother's office. Even her secretary, Leopold, was a fearsome entity to behold. Robin had never wanted to be on his bad side, and was fiercely protective of his best friend, Regina, around the older man, especially when they entered her teen years and Regina started to lose her childlike features and he began to not like the way Leopold looked at her. His protectiveness only grew when Leopold married Cora and he and his daughter, Mary, moved into Regina's house.

Thoughts of the amazing girl Regina had been made Robin simultaneously smile and wonder for perhaps the millionth time what had happened to them. He and Regina had been nearly inseparable in their youth, so much so that Granny had never worried about his whereabouts because she knew that he was never alone. Regina's father, Henry, was the same way. Robin had always admired the older man and seen him as a second father. Unlike Cora Mills, he had never been anything but loving toward his daughter. Regina had received nothing but love from him, while her mother had sought to control her every movement. Robin couldn't count the number of times over the years that Regina had come to him in tears because of something or other that her mother had done. He had always done what he could to soothe her aching heart, but he had always felt that his efforts were inadequate. Just when he thought that Regina might get a month, a week, or even a single day of peace, her mother would dish out yet another way to control her daughter's life.

Now, of course, he knew that he had done the best he could under the circumstances. After all, just how much could a ten-year-old, or even a teenager, do against someone in a position of power like Cora Mills?

All of his memories of the fearsome older woman were the reason why he was so apprehensive now. The task he was trying to undertake was difficult enough. It was very unlikely that things would be any easier if he had to get approval for anything from Cora Mills.

When he opened the door to the mayor's suite of offices, he saw an ebony-haired secretary who he immediately recognized. Even though her hair was much shorter than he remembered, cut into a pixie style instead of in a long braid down her back and the roundness of her face had thinned over the years, he would know the green eyes of Mary Blanchard anywhere.

She was on the phone, so Robin sat down in an adjacent chair to wait for her to be ready to help him. When she finished the phone call, she looked over at him. "Robin, it's so good to see you!" she exclaimed.

Robin wasn't exactly sure he could honestly return the sentiment. Years of this woman trying without success to gain his and Regina's friendship when her father was part of the reason for Regina's misery left a negative impression of her that he may be able to shake someday, especially since he, Marian and Roland had moved to Storybrooke, so he'd likely be seeing Mary again. However, today was not that day. But he had to say something, so he finally settled on, "It's certainly a surprise."

She smiled. "How can I help you?" she asked, her hands now steepled on the desk in front of her.

Robin stood and walked until he was directly in front of her. "I'm here to see Mayor Mills," he informed her. "I made an appointment about a week ago."

After a moment of typing on her computer, she nodded, confirming his presence there. "Have a seat and I'll let her know you're here," she instructed, and Robin did as she asked, fingers nervously fiddling with the accordion folder on his lap that contained all of the information he had gathered over the last months.

"Robin?"

The voice of the mayor was so unlike the voice he had been expecting that it took him a moment to realize that he had in fact heard correctly. It was only when she repeated his name, her voice indicating that she saw and understood his disbelief that he dared to lift his head from the papers resting on his lap and meet her gaze. Although her appearance had changed immensely in the two decades since they had last seen each other, he would know those chocolate eyes anywhere. Beaming, he stood and embraced her. "Regina! What are you doing here?" Realizing what he had said, he immediately deduced what was going on, and immediately rectified his erroneous assumption. "Oh, of course, you're meeting with your mother today too, aren't you? You must have seen her before me."

Her laugh and smile were radiant, whether at his words or because of her mother he didn't know- although he remembered her mother well enough to assume it was the former. "No, I didn't. Robin, I'm the mayor now."

"You're the mayor?" he repeated in disbelief. "But I would have thought after your mother- you always wanted to ride, to raise horses. And why didn't you reach out and say anything when you saw you had an appointment with me?"

Her smile fell. "A lot has changed since you were last here. We have a lot to catch up on. For now, suffice it to say that after Mother retired, I ran for her position and was elected." He was relieved to see her grin mischievously. It was apparent that whatever had transpired hadn't been too painful for her, and for that, he was glad. The woman who had once been his best friend deserved nothing but happiness in her life. "I honestly didn't see that I had an appointment with you until I walked into the office this morning. By then, it seemed like a good idea to surprise you."

Robin grinned. That was the Regina he knew: always finding a way to help others. It was one of the many reasons why he was so thankful that she was the mayor now instead of her mother. He was more likely to see his dream become a reality with her at the helm. An idea began to shape itself in Robin's mind, a way for her to regain a part of her youth she had lost- and a way for them to spend time together that wasn't business-related. "You certainly did. And I think I know the perfect way for us to reconnect, Are you available this weekend?"

She nodded. "What are we going to do?"

He grinned. "You'll just have to wait and find out."

She nodded. "In the meantime, let's go in my office to discuss the reason you're here."

He followed her to her office, noticing as he went that while she hadn't completely transformed the mayor's office since her mother's time in the position, there were subtle signs that Regina had made it her own. The plain walls that had once been filled with nothing but various awards that had been given to Storybrooke over the years were now filled with pictures of its citizens both past and present. Robin smiled, deducing from the change that Regina was everything that a mayor should be, that she cared about the people she governed.

He followed her into her office, which was professional, but bore personal touches regardless of the purpose of the room. A picture frame rested on her desk that contained a picture that made Robin smile, remembering fond memories. A young Regina sat astride of a chestnut thoroughbred, beaming down at her father, Henry, who held nothing but love and pride in his gaze.

She sat behind her desk and he followed suit, sitting in the chair across from her. "Now, tell me all about the shelter you want to start," she prompted, extracting a notebook from her desk and selecting a pen from the collection that was housed in a mug to her right.

He got out some of the papers that he had brought with him, handing them to her so that she could peruse them. "At Arrows to Hope, my goal is to provide a place for youth of all ages to have a home, to help make their lives better. In addition to providing a home for them, I want to help them with their studies and help them find a direction for their lives through career counseling. Of course, I'll also provide outings for them to give them the opportunity to experience things that they wouldn't have a chance to do otherwise. As you can see, that's the mission of the shelter, to provide more than just housing for youth, but a home, a place where they feel loved and cared for."

"It's an admirable goal," she praised, her smile genuine when she looked up at him. "However, it's also going to be a lot of work, and as much as I would like to, I can't help you pay for all of it, you'll need to pay for a large part of the cost on your own. There's the building, staff, equipment, monthly bills that come with owning a building, possible repairs…"

"I know," he reassured her. "And I have savings, I'll have that money for some of it. But don't you think you could give a larger amount, seeing as it's such a worthy cause?" He flashed his most dazzling smile in her direction, one where his dimples were on full display. Marian had admitted time and time again that his dimples were her greatest weakness, and though Regina was nothing more than an old friend to him, he hoped that they would have the same effect on her as well.

She sighed. "To be honest, I need to look to see what funds we have currently for this type of thing first. I want to help you, Robin, I really do, because you're right, it is a worthwhile cause, one that I know is close to your heart. But unfortunately, money doesn't grow on trees, so even if I can, it'll only be a limited amount."

"That's fine, I understand you have a budget," he assured her, his heart giving a little pang at the fleeting reminder of his past. "As I said, I have savings, but wanted to supplement them with as many funds as you can give me."

She nodded, seeming lost in thought. After a moment, she asked, "Did you have a building in mind?"

He nodded. "The old mayor's mansion that I heard your mother moved out of, that white house on Mifflin Street- unless you live in your childhood home now, Madam Mayor?"

She shook her head. "I saw no need to live in that giant house all alone, so no, I live down the street in a much smaller place."

He nodded, noting that she had let slip that she was alone. Why she had done so, he had no idea, but he did find that knowledge incredibly hard to believe. Even though he was in love with another woman and viewed Regina only as his best friend, he had to admit that she was a beautiful woman that any man would be lucky to have by his side.

Next thing he knew, she was handing his things back to him and telling him, "I'll see you Saturday. What time, and what should I wear?"

He chuckled. They had always surprised each other as children, and he was going to continue that well-established tradition now, even though they were both adults. "You'll just have to wait and see. As for the time, I'm not sure yet. We should probably exchange numbers and I'll just text you a time when I know."

She nodded. "That works for me. I don't have any plans, so I'll be free all day."

He grinned. "You don't have any mayoral duties to attend to?" The Regina he remembered had always been a workaholic, and while he was sure that some things about her had changed, he didn't think that that aspect of her personality would be any different now that she was an adult. In fact, that diligence may have been the very thing that led her to become mayor in the first place.

She sighed. "I'm sure there's work I could be doing- there always is. However, I'll put it all aside for you. After all, it's been two decades, Robin. If that doesn't call for a day off, what does?"

He smiled. "Well, I'm honored. The Regina I knew would have never taken a break from what she needed to do just for an old friend."

She laughed. "You're more than just an old friend, Robin. Once upon a time, you were my best friend. I don't know about you, but I've never found a friendship quite like ours."

His eyebrows rose. "You don't have any friends?" He found that hard to believe. Yes, she may have had a witch for a mother, but Regina was far from an unpleasant person to be around.

"Oh, I do," she assured him. "Mary Margaret, for example."

He found that hard to believe, and his skepticism showed itself in his voice. "I noticed that she's your secretary, but assumed at the time that your mother had put her in the position as a favor to Leopold. Your stepsister is your friend?" He remembered that the two women hadn't gotten along when they first met, a condition that was probably a side effect of her father, Leopold, marrying Regina's mother less than a year after Regina's own father, Henry, passed away.

She laughed. "As I said, a lot of things have changed." She opened the desk drawer in front of her and took out a white business card from a stack that Robin assumed was there. If he knew the woman who had once been his best friend at all, he would be correct in assuming that every inch of the space she had available to her was likely organized, with all of her belongings in their rightful place. Regina had never been able to stand when he would use something of hers when they were younger, then put it back in a place where it didn't belong.

She turned the card over and wrote something, then handed it to him. "Here you go. I typically only put my professional information on this card, by I wrote my cell phone number on the back. Whenever you've finalized our plans for Saturday, just send me a text and let me know, okay?"

He nodded, taking the card from her. "I'll send you a text before that too, so you have my number, all right?"

She nodded. "Sounds good." Suddenly, she was back on his side of her desk with her arms wide open, and he went into them gladly. He had missed this, the ease of their friendship. They had both always been prone to showing their affection in a physical way, and he couldn't be more thankful that although other things had changed over the years for both of them, this one thing had remained the same.

When they separated, with a wave and a reiterated promise to text her when he next got a chance, Robin walked out of Regina's office with a spring in his step. With his best friend by his side, he knew that there was nothing that could stop his dream from becoming reality.