Written for OQ Fix It Fic Week Day 5: Off Screen Day

Taking Roland for ice cream

"Are you okay?" Robin asked her, wrapping her arm around Regina's shoulders. They sat in the park, right by the lake, watching as a few ducks swam through the cold water.

She shook her head, still feeling numb. Pain would come—it always did—but for now, it seemed he kept it at bay. And for the first time in a very long time, she believed she wouldn't have to deal with the pain alone. Robin would be there for her, to hold her, kiss her and rock her until the worst of it passed.

It was a concept both alien yet comforting to her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, rubbing her arm. It provided a little warmth as they sat there, huddled close together.

"About what? About how my sister chose to kill herself rather than accept my offer of a second chance? Rather than try to form a relationship with me?" she asked bitterly. "Or about how a certain blonde Savior wants to take my son away from me?"

Robin sighed, kissing the side of her head. "Don't look at it as Zelena rejecting you. She just couldn't see past now. All her plans, everything she had bene focused on for years, everything she had expended her energy and time on, the reason she got out of bed, the thing that she thought gave her life, it was all gone. She no doubt felt she had no purpose, nothing to live for and that everything was meaningless. Unfortunately, she decided that she would never find something else to give her purpose, unlike some other people in her position, and so she chose to end it all."

"Other people in her position," Regina mused. "Are you talking about me?"

With their memories returned, she could now recall their first adventure together when they broke into her palace. And she remembered how he pleaded with her not to use the sleeping potion on herself. How she had wanted to end all the pain by falling asleep forever (or until Henry came, no matter how impossible that appeared) but putting those thoughts aside after meeting Zelena.

"Yes," he said, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. "You thought there was nothing to live for after losing Henry but you found something to put your energies toward."

"You mean revenge? Destroying my sister?" She frowned, once again staring at the ducks as they dove their heads into the water. "I guess I accomplished that last part."

He gently cupped her chin and guided her until she was looked at him against. Robin smiled softly. "You may have started out seeking revenge but really, you've been trying to protect and save us. Which you did. Need I remind you about the light magic you used the other day?"

She grinned at the memory of the white magic emanating from her hand hands and then knocking her sister over, stopping her nefarious plans. And she even saved Zelena, stopping Rumpelstiltskin from killing the witch. "I did save everyone, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did," he said, sounding very proud of her. He kissed her forehead. "Zelena wanted your heart because it was the most resilient. She wasn't as strong as you, milady, and that is not your fault."

Regina closed her eyes, again seeing the image of her sister on the sheriff stations' security footage. She seemed to move about her cell before retreating to the back, using the last of her magic to destroy herself. It made her heart stutter before she took a deep breath. Robin was right. Zelena just hadn't been strong enough to realize the opportunities that had been offered to her and that wasn't Regina's fault. She let out the breath, releasing her guilt with it.

"Feeling better?" Robin asked, nuzzling her hair.

She nodded before frowning. "Well, about Zelena at least. There's still Henry."

"You're his mother and he remembers that now. He wants to stay in Storybrooke with his family, with you. I'm sure Emma will have to take that into consideration," he told her.

Calm came over her as she realized that her spell had only affected Emma's and Henry's memories, not on reality. Emma had "remembered" choosing not to give up Henry but she had done so and Regina had adopted him. The paperwork was all still filed with the proper authorities. As far as all legal agencies knew, Regina Mills was Henry's only parent and legal guardian. Emma technically couldn't take him away from her.

Not that Regina was going to play that card right away. Maybe a year ago, she would've in her desperate bid to keep Emma Swan from Henry. Now, though, she was changing and appeared that at least part of her was hero. Heroes worked things out and compromised to do what was best. While Henry wanted to stay in Storybrooke with her and the rest of his family, he would also want to be able to continue his relationship with Emma. Regina realized that if Emma continued to insist on returning to New York, she was going to have to have a conversation with the blonde where she laid everything out and then gave Emma the choice: Stay in Storybrooke with Henry or go back to New York without him.

Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that and even if it did, Regina believed Emma would chose Henry. But they would cross that bridge when they got to it.

"Well, someone seems a bit brighter than when we got here," Robin said, a warm hand now on her knee.

She glanced over at him, grinning. "You're very handy to have around, you know that?"

"Glad to be of service, milady." He leaned in and they shared a quick kiss as the ducks looked on.

Regina, though, didn't want it to just be a quick kiss. Her fingers grasped his jacket and she pulled him closer, deepening the kiss as Robin let out a little moan. When he nibbled on his lower lip, she opened hers and let his tongue into her mouth. She didn't care that they were making out on a park bench like a pair of teenagers. Especially as she felt like a teenager, enthralled with her first love, and yet felt like she was kissing someone she had been with forever. Her heart sped up as Robin pulled her closer, his body heat warming her.

Or maybe that warmth was coming from somewhere else.

They broke apart as Regina's lungs began to burn for air, panting as their faces remained only inches apart. She could see their breaths in the cold air, the two mixing together in an apt metaphor for the moment. Regina never wanted it to end but knew it must so they could make more of these memories together.

Robin stood, holding out his hand. "Might I entice you to come back to my camp? Now that he has his memories back, Roland is quite eager to spend some time with his beloved Majesty again."

Her grin morphed into a beaming smile as she remembered the sweet curly haired toddler who had wormed his way into her heart back during the Missing Year. Roland had been a lifeline on days when she missed Henry too much, it felt like her entire body was full of cement and she didn't see the point in moving forward. He hadn't been a replacement for her little prince, but it had lifted her spirits to spend time with him—outside in the gardens or in the kitchens baking. Even just getting a random hug from him had gone a long way in helping her continue living.

She took his hand, letting him help her up. "I would love to see my little knight again. Lead the way."

Roland had been ecstatic to see her and had given her the biggest hug a four-years-old could give. She had held him close, letting his curls tickle her as he babbled away about everything he had discovered in his new world. It seemed he was fascinated by the boats in the harbor and loved Granny's chicken nuggets. He was scared of the cars but Regina soothed those fears and the train whistles sometimes woke him up at night, but she soothed his fears and told him that those whistles were just the trains saying hi to him. That seemed to please him and he continued on babbling as the Merry Men watched on in amusement.

The sun began to set soon after and Regina checked her watch with a frown. "I should be going," she said. "I don't want to be late for David and Mary Margaret's party for the baby."

"Please don't go, Regina," Roland begged, clinging to her. "Not yet."

"We are going to the party too," Robin reminded her. "They invited everyone in town. Maybe we can go together?"

She smiled, looking between the dimpled boy and his dimpled father. "Well, I think that's a great idea. And I have an even better idea too. Why don't we leave now and I'll introduce you to a place that's almost as good as Granny's?"

Roland gasped and looked at his father, locking his fingers together and giving him big brown puppy dog eyes. "Can we go, Papa? Please?"

"Please, Papa?" Regina echoed, also clasping her hands together and pouting for extra measure.

Robin gave an exasperated sigh but his smile to her he felt anything but. "Okay, I guess we can go," he said.

Giving a little cheer, Roland leapt from Regina's arms into his father's. He hugged Robin tightly as he said: "Thank you, Papa."

"Come on, Roland," she said, holding out her hand. "I know you're a little frightened of them, but we're going to ride in my car. How does that sound?"

The boy hesitated but looked up at her with complete trust in his eyes. "You'll be making it move?"

"Yes," she told him, crouching down to be eye level with him. "And I'm very good and very safe at it."

"Okay, Regina. I'll get in the car with you. Only you," he stressed. She laughed, thanking him as she hugged him.

She led the Locksley men to her car and conjured up a car seat for Roland, helping him into it and buckling him up as she explained that it was just for extra safety. "I don't want anything to happen to you," she told him, gently bopping his nose.

He giggled and she closed the door, hopping into the driver's seat. Once she was certain Robin was buckled like she taught him, she started the car and headed into town. Roland watched the trees go by with wonder in his eyes as his little legs bounced against the car seat. And when she glanced over at Robin, she met his shining eyes and bright smile.

Zelena hadn't been able to see past her own anger and jealousy to see the beauty in the world and everything it could offer. Regina could understand that for once upon a time, they weren't much different. Yet she was glad that even when she was at her lowest and the world seemed the darkest, she had listened to Snow and not buried her heart and then she had not put herself under the sleeping curse. For now, things were so much brighter. She had Henry back and she had love again—both Robin's and Roland's. A family was starting to form here, she realized with a burst of warmth in her stomach, and happiness was in her reach.

So with those pleasant thoughts going through Regina's mind, she beamed as she parked outside Any Given Sundae, ready to introduce Roland and Robin to the magic of ice cream.