He has been on high alert since they returned to Storybrooke but he made sure to never let it show. He wants for Regina to fall back into her routine, to resume her life, without him adding to her stress.
No matter how much he wants to keep living their lives together, the thought of Graham lurking never leaves his mind.
That man had hurt Regina in the past and the threat he poses still exists despite the restraining order and the warrant of arrest issued against him. As Regina had pointed out before, the man is dedicated in getting his revenge on her. If he wants her so badly, he will find a way to get to her.
He's not going to let that happen. That's why he moved in with her at her house. It's not the main reason why he did it but it's one of the reasons why he must. He needs to be there to protect her and he cannot do that if he's living right across the street.
He also cut down his hours at his office and decided to bring work at home so he could be there before Regina gets home. Graham had already been in there without them knowing and he will be damned if he let that happen again.
Emma has been in high surveillance of the entire town too. She has been giving him updates whether Graham has been spotted or not in Storybrooke. They do not want to take any chances.
Regina's nightmare had ceased on the other hand which is a good news. She's been through enough and the last thing she needs is to be haunted by her ex-husbsnd's cruelty as she sleeps. She deserves some peace of mind.
A month since they returned home, still no sign of Graham anywhere. Gold speculates that perhaps, the warrant scared the monster and decided to let it go but a part of him is not convinced so he never let his guard down.
If Regina notices it, she did not talk about it. One thing she asked of him though is that if he heard anything about Graham, he must tell her. If it's up to him, he would not but he expects honesty from her so it's only fair that he returns the favor.
It's bright and early in the morning when Regina came downstairs, still brushing the sleep off her face. She has been swamped with work that week and she has been looking forward to the weekends to relax.
He laid out a plan to give her that starting with a special breakfast he prepared for her. He learned it from Granny who told him all about Regina's favorite foods. He is dedicated in taking care of her so he wants to cover everything.
"That smells good", she muttered as she accepted the cup of coffee from him.
She gets cranky in the morning and a good cup of coffee helps her to be in a good mood throughout the day. It's one of the things he learned whilst living with her.
He knows how high the pressure is with her job and there were times when he had been at the receiving end of her sour mood when things at her office were bad.
"Only for you, my love",
She scrunched up her nose because no matter how many times he had called her that, she still could not get used to being referred to with terms of endearment.
"I was thinking we could head up to the cabin this weekend. I missed that place", she said.
He beamed because that's exactly what he has in mind.
"Good thing you said that because I had everything set up for our weekend getaway",
"Oh, is that so?"
"Yes. We still have time to have some breakfast and get ready so there's no rush",
They were about to sit when her phone started ringing. He can see she's debating to just ignore it but the constant ringing is clearly bothering her.
"Go ahead. I don't mind", he urged.
"I told them not to bother me when it's my days off", she got up and answered her phone. "Hello",
He saw the way her face changed upon hearing who it was on the other line and for a moment his heart stopped beating. His mind immediately drifted to Graham.
"Regina?"
She shook her head while pursing her lips telling him it's not who he thinks it is. "What can I do for you, Mother?"
Oh, he thought. It's her mother. Now, he understood why she's not happy to hear her voice. He knows the two do not get along from what she told him.
"What? No. I have plans", Regina groaned while impatiently tapping her nails onto the counter. "Then, why did you proceed with it without calling me first?"
Her tone is getting higher and he knows she's losing her temper.
"It's not my problem anymore, Mother—" she shifted her weight to her left leg as she frowned deeper into whatever it is her mother is telling on the other line. "You could have at least warned me. Fine. I'll be there. I won't come alone though. Yes…I understand. Of course. Bye",
She ended the call before almost tossing her phone onto the counter. He kept his silence, waiting for her to compose herself because pushing her to talk while she's at that state is not going to end up good.
"There goes our weekend getaway",
"What now?" He asked.
"Mother wanted me to come over for a party and she's not taking no for an answer. I swear she consciously did not mention anything until the last minute so I will have no choice than to attend", she grabbed her mug and downed the rest of the coffee like it's not scorching hot. "You do have a tux, right? There's a dress code",
He did a double take at that.
"Wait a second. You want me to go with you? At your mother's party?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
There's none really but he did not expect to meet her parents so soon. She rarely talked about them so, the possibility of meeting them did not occur to him at all.
"No, but are you sure they'll be happy to see me?" He asked.
"I can't promise you that they will be or at least, my mother will be, but what she thinks does not really matter to me. I don't want to go there by myself", she paused and took a deep breath. "…but if you do not wish to go, I'll understand",
He got up and went to her.
"Hey…you know I will follow you wherever you want. Of course, I'll go with you", he said before she gets the idea that he wants to leave her hanging.
When he was the one who invited her to meet his parents, she did not even hesitate in saying yes. Now, it's his turn to do the same.
"Good. The party is today. So, let's finish breakfast and get ready",
He put on his best suit because it seems like the party is going to be grand. Of course, he also wants to make a good impression to her parents. He recalled how her mother used to want to set her up with the men in their circle so he wants to live up to that.
Appearances is not his thing but it seems as if it's primary in her world so he's willing to keep up with it for her sake.
When Regina came out of her closet, his jaw almost dropped to the floor. He knows she's stunning but her wearing that black dress sent his mind spiraling.
The dress just hugged her body in all the right places. Her makeup is also on point with her red lips and her hair curled to the side. She looks like she's going to walk on a red carpet.
"Wow…"
She smirked at him before fixing his tie. "Calm down, tiger. We don't have time to fool around. Mother hates tardiness",
Oh, the way she looks at him makes him want to say hell to her mother. He wants to get his way with her on that dress.
As if she can read his thoughts, her hands drifted south before giving him a few strokes.
"Perhaps, later if you're still in the mood, I can make it up to you", damn that sultry voice of hers.
"Regina, if you want to leave this house, you have to stop doing that or I swear, I'll pin you against the closest wall",
She pressed her lips on his before letting go. "Come on, we're going to be late",
He watched her leave the room and yes, that woman is going to be the death of him.
She gave him the direction of her parents' house which happened to be an estate. He is aware that she came from a rich family but he never had any idea just how rich until he saw it.
It's twice the size of his parents' house, not to the mention the vast land surrounding it. It's a freaking mansion. That's what it is.
"I feel like I must warn you. My family is the opposite of yours so if my mother or anyone says something off, don't take it personally. It's a way of life here", she said before getting out of the car.
He followed her as they make their way to the door. A butler…yes, they do have a butler took their coats for them before ushering them inside the place.
It made sense that Regina opted for something simple for her house because where she grew up in screams lavishness. He bet one vase in that house can already buy a car. Everything screams money.
"Regina, darling! So glad you can make it", a man greeted her before giving her some sort of a hug.
"It's not like Mother gave me a choice on the matter", she quipped before pulling away from the man.
The man pursed his lips while looking at her. "Now, don't start with your mother. This is after all for you. Happy birthday, my princess",
Wait…it's her birthday?
"Now, who is this gentleman you brought with you?" The man asked.
Regina cleared her throat before glancing towards him.
"This is Robin Locksley, my boyfriend. Robin, this is Henry Mills, my father", she then said.
He wants to rejoice at being introduced as her boyfriend but his mind is still reeling over the fact that it is her birthday and she did not tell him.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Locksley", Henry extended his hand towards him which he accepted.
"Likewise, Mr. Mills",
"Locksley…aren't you the owner of the Sherwood Construction Company?" He nodded. "I heard many great things about your company. There are some people here that might interest you. Don't worry, I'll introduce you to them",
He politely smiled at the man because yes, he knows how important connection is when it comes to business.
"That would be so kind. Thank you",
"Oh, it's nothing. Since my daughter is quite taken with you, it's the least I can do. Now, let's find your mother",
They followed Henry as he observed how Regina is becoming more and more tensed. There is something different with the way she carries herself since they entered the estate. Even the way she talked…it's cold and detached.
He can see why. Everything is so formal. The way the guests greeted them. Even the way, Regina interacted with her father. She was right when she said, it's the opposite of his family.
Finally, they reached a red-haired woman talking with a group of women at the back of the house. He can immediately tell that it is Regina's mother because he can see the resemblance between the two.
When the woman saw them, she threw a smile at the people she was talking to before approaching them.
"Regina, happy birthday", she greeted but did not hug her own daughter.
That threw Robin off. At least, her father did even if it's somewhat awkward.
"Mother", Regina glanced around before looking back at her mother. "I see you've invited everyone",
"Of course! They are here to celebrate you",
"Are they? That'll be a first",
Henry looked down like he's waiting for something.
"Regina Mills! Where are your manners? I did raise you better than that", her mother chided.
He can use the amused smile forming on Regina's lips because from what she told him, raising her was done by other people and not by her mother.
"Anyway, I want you to meet my boyfriend, Robin Locksley. Robin, this is mother Cora",
The way Cora eyed him from head to toe informed him that she is already seizing him up if he fits into their world or not.
"Pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Mills",
"My daughter never told us about you",
"Then, I am glad I could come today. It'll give us the time to get to know one another",
He sensed that his response intrigued the woman as she arched a brow at him. He's not going to back down from her. If she is testing him whether he deserves to be with her daughter, he is not going to fail.
"I would like that very much. Now, let's start the celebration", Cora then said and he has a feeling that this is going to be a long day for all of them.
