Chapter 20:
-2008-
Robin didn't know what to do.
He was so lost because he loved Regina more than anything – he had wanted to marry her for God's sake, but whenever he thought about his little baby girl…
Robin took his phone and dialed a number,
"Yes?" came a feminine voice.
He swallowed dryly.
"Can we meet?"
Regina was at home, fidgeting and trying really hard not to worry.
Robin and she would be fine.
They would.
And he had practically said he wanted to marry her as soon as this situation was over..
And then her phone rang.
"Yes?"
Marian was in her hotel room, not at all convinced she made the right choice.
But the loss of her baby girl…
It wasn't fair and she was tired of having to live with that all by herself.
She couldn't do it anymore.
And then her phone rang.
"Yes?"
-2015-
Regina was frozen.
Marian was there.
The woman she hated more than anything.
The woman responsible for everything that went wrong in her life.
The woman responsible for the fact that she couldn't give Robin that second chance she wanted so much to give him...
She didn't even know what to think about that.
There was so much she wanted to tell her...
"Can I come in?"
She was so surprised that all she could do is nod absently and bracing herself for the strangest thing ever.
Robin was in his bed but couldn't sleep because everytime he closed his eyes, all he could see was Regina.
Regina.
Regina.
Regina.
And then after what felt like hours, he finally understood...
He needed to leave.
To go back to England.
He needed a fresh start and that was the only way.
So he got up, ready to plan.
They were both facing each other in a tense silence.
Regina was so, so mad at Marian and she was so exhausted.
"You know this is all your fault, right?" Marian sighed sadly. "I blame you for so many things."
"I know."
"I blame you for the way my life has turned, for losing the love of my entire life and for the fact that I have no family."
"Regina-"
"I blame you for the pain I am going through and for the pain Robin is going through." Marian looked down a few seconds but she was too angry to care. "You ruined our relationship and all because of what? Because you were a selfish bitch who certainly does not deserve the perfect husband you had, nor the perfect son you has!"
She was breathless, fuming.
Marian stayed silent.
And then...
"Do you feel better?" she said softly.
And surprisingly enough...
"I kind of do."
Getting all of that out of her chest...
It was years overdue.
"You're right." sighed Marian and Regina's eyes widened. "Everything that you said is the truth."
Robin had thought about everything.
He had even got his passport out.
(And yes, he was losing his mind. But losing Regina twice in a life was way too much.)
He was still English – he was actually both English and American, so he could work there easily, Marian and Roland were still English too so that shouldn't be a problem… Marian and Keith could work there as attorneys, he knew she had wanted to move back eventually so now was the time.
He just had to call.
Robin looked at the hour and sighed.
11pm… Too late?
No.
He couldn't wait.
He needed to get back control of his life.
Even if it was just trying to.
"How can you live with yourself knowing you ruined both of our lives?"
"Look, I get why you hate me. Really, I do." Regina was about to talk but she cut him, "But I am actually here because Robin is miserable and it kills me."
Regina's eyes widened and then she chuckled darkly.
"Oh so because now you care about Robin and I being together."
"I do." Regina laughed again, "You have every rights not to believe me, but I do. You wanna know why? Because Robin is miserable and he is my friend, despite of everything."
A silence.
"You should have thought about that earlier." she looked down, "I begged you that night at the hotel to leave us be." her voice broke. "Now it is too late."
"I am so sorry about that night. I know this is no excuse but I was so young and I really thought-"
"It doesn't matter."
"I was a child, Regina. A stupid, selfish child. Now that I have a child of my own, I realize-"
"It's too late." she said again. "And yes, a child with Robin."
Marian tilted her head.
"I know you still love him, Regina."
"Believe me or not, you're not the person I wish to talk to about that. Now please, leave me alone."
Marian sighed again and got up, ready to leave.
"You're wrong on one part; it's never too late." their eyes locked, "Yes, I won't lie to you. I will always be in Robin's life… But I don't love him and more important, he doesn't love me." Regina was out of words and Marian seemed to notice that and tried her last shot, "Wouldn't it be stupid to lose him a second time, but this time because you are too afraid to trust him?"
Regina really didn't know what to answer.
And then the phone rang.
"Robin?" came her voice and he let out a sigh.
"I am sorry, do I bother you?"
"How can I help you?"
"You remember how you said you owed me for what happened with Regina?"
"I do."
He took a deep breath.
"I know how you can repay me."
A silence.
"How?"
"I want to move back to England."
And then, as expected…
A silence.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes. I want to move back to England and I was wondering… if maybe you could come with Keith and then Roland would grow up there and Marian, this is home to us and I know-"
"Stop, please. Just… Just one question, Robin."
"What is it?"
"Are you sure this is really what you want?"
He frowned.
"How so?"
"Are you sure you're not just rushing things because of what happened with Regina?"
A silence.
And then…
"I can't stay here and not hope for her to come back to me." he finally admitted, voice breaking. "This is too hard." he took a deep breath and cleared his throat, "I need a fresh start to let her move on."
She sighed.
"I understand, Robin. And… And if this is what you think you need, then we'll do it. But I don't think this is what will make you happy."
A silence.
"Thank you, Marian."
"I'll talk to you tomorrow, after I'll talk to Keith about all this."
And then she closed the talk.
Marian closed the call and Regina wouldn't lie and tell she wasn't curious. She had gathered that Robin was on the phone.
"You shouldn't give up on Robin, you know."
"Thanks for the advice." she said sarcastically.
Marian sighed again.
"He has a lot of love to give, and he wants to give it to you."
"Thanks a lot. I really care about what you think. Now you can go." said stubbornly Regina but the other woman seemed just as stubborn and she was starting to wonder if that wasn't Robin's type, stubborn women.
"This man is so in love with you that he just calls me to tell me he wants to leave the USA to try and move on from you because living in the same country is unbearable without you."
Regina's heart stopped.
"What?" she breathed, "But… Where...W hat… Where?"
"England." sighed Marian. And then she left, but not before these last words… "This isn't too late, Regina. You can still stop him and be happy together. The first time was all my fault and I know that, that's all I have been able to think about these last years, believe me. But now? The only obstacle to your happiness this time is your own self. Robin is yours if you want of him."
-2008-
Robin had made his decision and now he had to stick with it, no matter what.
So he came inside the café and spotted her right away from where she was shyly waving at him. He walked to her and sat facing her, fidgeting.
"Thank you for coming."
"Thank you for calling."
"Look, Marian..." he took a deep breath and found it difficult suddenly. "I… I am sorry you had to … to go through all of that alone." he took a deep, shaky breath. "But I am here, now."
She smiled, tears shining in her eyes as she took his hand from where it was on the table.
"You're here now. We can start over. We can have a family of our own…"
He looked down.
"This… I… But… I … You have to know that I love my girlfriend."
Marian's eyes widened.
"What are you doing here, then?"she said in a bit of a defensive voice.
He chuckled darkly.
"Because whenever I close my eyes," he frowned. "All I can see is our baby girl or what she could have looked like..." his voice broke and she squeezed his hand.
A silence.
"What do we do, now?" she asked and he shook his head.
"I want to make this work. Us. For her." she nodded and then a tear rolled down his cheek, "But I need time to say goodbye to Regina."
And the thought of that alone…
Was like a punch in the very heart.
Robin came inside the flat,
"Robin?" came her voice and his heart stopped as he finally saw her and tried a smile.
"Hi."
"Hey!" she said, running to him and hugging him so tight against her. "I've missed you, you know."
He hugged back.
Because he didn't know how he would ever be able to let her go…
"You too." he murmured, burying his face in her hair. "I've missed you too."
A/N: Hi my dear friends,
I hope everything is alright for you all!
Sorry for the lack of OQ but you'll see more of our ship soon… ;) Hope you liked it!
Love you all and thank you so very much for all the love, reviews&everything!
Answers to my Guests:
Guest#1 : I am so sorry that I broke your heart my friend, even if I am proud I was able to make you feel this much ! Hope you'll like what is to come... :)
Guest#2: Thank you so very much ! I have no words to tell you I glad I am that you like this story ! :) And about them being together... We'll see, shall we? Mouhahah ;)