Sorry for the long wait, I haven't forgot about this story but exam period is exhausting. Hopefully this is worth, at least a bit, the wait.
A huge THANK YOU to LaNaniuska for the help, the support and betareading.
I have no idea how the system of custody works; I hope I didn't wrote it completely wrong. Please let me know if there's something wrong about it so I can fix it.
I own nothing but Alyson and another couple of names.
Chapter 7 - Decisions
The next one was a really long week, one where Regina didn't see the kids as much as she wanted to. It wasn't by choice, but because between all the work she had to do for her situation, you have no idea how many paperwork there are when you come back from the dead, and the preparation for the evaluation to go back to work, she just got extremely busy.
Everything she had to do in order to go back to work wouldn't be too much, minus the paperwork, if she didn't also have to talk with a shrink. Regina, like any other cop, hated the shrinks: they put words in your mouth, they pretended to know you, they tried to understand you...
In addition to all of that there was also the call that Robin made to her on Tuesday evening: they would have seen the lawyer the next Friday in the afternoon.
The fact that the kids would have to divided their time between the two parents was something that broke Regina's heart. She always hated the parents who divorce and the kids were thrown like a ball from one parent to the other. But it was also true that their situation was different from all the other divorced parents.
During the week, Regina also meet up with Graham as much as they could for her physical preparation and the use of weapon, and when he couldn't, she would go alone or with Mulan.
At the end of the week, the only thing Regina wanted was to curl up on the couch with her kids, but instead she found herself sitting on the couch, alone, with her arms around her bent legs and her chin on her knees, silently crying because despite the fact that she was back, she was still so alone, like in the previous years. And it was like this that she spends most of her Saturday night and Sunday morning until 3 AM when her back couldn't take the couch anymore.
On Sunday evening, she found a tall, blonde, skinny woman at her doorstep with wine and Chinese food.
Malvina Dracon, better known as Mal since she detested her name, was Regina's best friend. They didn't know each other from all their life but only since Robin and Regina went to college; in fact she studied law too and Robin met her during his first internship. They shared immediately a strong bond, they were like the two opposite poles of a magnet, and maybe these differences made sure that that bond was so strong even when Mal was older then Regina. Mal knows everything about Regina and Regina knows everything about Mal; they have this strange connection that they didn't have talk to say something to one another.
Regina didn't know how her friend had found out that she was alive or where she lives, but in that moment it didn't matter, because at least she wasn't alone. They ate together on the couch without talking and only when they finished, Mal spoke, her words making Regina feel even more betrayed than what she already was.
"I missed you more than I can actually say. And the fact that I knew you were alive but I couldn't tell that to your family almost destroyed me." Mal said without looking at Regina.
"What?!" Regina said with a shrill voice. "What the hell does it mean you knew?" And now Regina was looking directly at Mal.
"The Hatter case was my boss'. He asked me to help him, I shouldn't have seen the files about the witness protection. When I asked for explanation they told me I had two options: keep it quiet or go to jail. I couldn't help from jail and I have Lily to think about so I kept it quiet."
"You knew. This whole time you knew and you never thought of telling me so I could at least have a friend, even if only on phone?" Regina knew she wasn't being fair but she was feeling so fucking betrayed from everyone.
"I couldn't and you know that. I helped Robin as much as I could, I worked on the Hatter case as hard as I could so you could come home. But when I learnt that Blanchard wanted to keep you away even if it wasn't necessary anymore, I fought like a dragon to make you come home. The last throw was when Henry went into hospital and he still didn't want let you come home. Five minutes were enough to make him change his mind."
Regina's eyes were full of tears, even if she was able to not let them fall out. There was no way she would be able to repay Mal for what she did and as Mal said, it couldn't have been easy keep that secret and seeing her family so often.
Regina didn't know what else she could say and this time she also let her tears fall down and she put her arms around her friend.
"Okay enough of all of this tears and hugs. I love you and I'm happy you're finally back but enough with this sentimental shit." Mal said, pulling away from her friend after giving her a brief hug.
Regina burst laughing, pulling away from her too. That reaction was so her; she was always awkward when she had to show her emotions or feelings; for Mal giving an hug or a kiss on the cheek to someone was really hard. Mal has always been like this, not only with her friends but also with her family, even if she didn't know why; the only person she didn't have problem with was her daughter.
The two women sat on the couch eating and drinking, well mostly Regina, since Mal had to go home and she didn't like go into a cab while drunk. After dinner Regina put her head on Mal's shoulder and Mal put hers on Regina's head; the two of them didn't talk, they just sat together until a couple of hours later when the blonde woman decide it was time to go home.
That night when Regina went to bed, she felt a tad less alone than a couple of hours before.
Robin's week wasn't easy either. The twins weren't happy because they hadn't seen their mother as they were promised, while Roland was still trying to warm up to her.
Robin has also made appointments for the kids and himself with Dr. Hopper. It didn't matter if they said they were fine, something huge had happened in their life and talking with someone could be helpful.
But it wasn't only Regina's return or the fact that his parents would come to visit soon that caused Robin to spend a sleepless night; it was also Blanchard, the bastard who kept Regina away even if it wasn't necessary anymore. He told Dr. Hopper how much he would have liked to go and punch him in the face, but that wouldn't be a smart move.
Robin lasted a week before the need to answer was too much. He needed answer and since nobody would give them to him he decide to go to Blanchard himself to get them.
On Monday, Robin made sure the three kids went on the school bus before heading toward Blanchard's office. He went on the fourth floor where he knew Blanchard's office was and despite the fact the man's assistant tried in every way to stop him, Robin just entered his office, not caring about the fact that there was someone else in the room.
"What the fuck!" Blanchard barked when someone violently opened his door.
"What the fuck?! The fuck is that I want to know why!?" Robin yelled back.
"Sir, do I need to call the security?" The assistant, who had entered just after Robin, asked.
"There's no need I know who he is." He said to the woman and then to his guest "I'm sorry about the interruption, I'll talk to you later?"
"Of course." The man, someone named Spencer from what Robin had gathered, said getting up from the chair and buttoning his jacket before leaving. "Gentlemen." He said with a nod of his head.
"You want to know why what?" Blanchard asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"Yes, why you kept Regina away even if it was already safe for her to come back? Why you didn't let her come back when Jefferson was imprisoned or when he was killed? Why make our family suffer for so long for nothing!?"
"You certain have a lot of questions." He replied with a little smirk. Why was he smirking?
"Just tell me why, damn it!"
"The truth?"
"No a lie." Robin said sarcastically. "Of course I want the truth!" Robin couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"It was easier." he said casually.
"It was… It was easier? What? Why? For who? How?"
"It was easier. For you she was dead so you could move on and Regina would eventually move on after some time. Your kids already believed their mother was dead, so why change that?" Blanchard spoke like it was normal, like keeping a woman, a wife, a mother away from her family was something normal. There was nothing easy or normal about that.
"You're joking right? There's some other reason you're not telling me, right? You won't really do that because it was 'easier'?"
"No other reason. It would have been so much better if she had stayed were she was. Her return just reopened a wound and complicated things."
"Reopen a wound? Complicated things? I can't believe it. Did you really believe she could move on from her family? That she could just forgot about her children? That her children and I could just forget about her? How can you be so heartless and indifferent?"
"I was just doing my job."
"No, you just decided she wasn't worth your time, like a broken object that wasn't worth the time to fix it. Or maybe her return would have cause you to lose something."
"You don't know what are you talking about!" Blanchard said becoming angry.
And now it was Robin's turn to smirk; he was right, Regina's return caused some sort of problem for him. "I really hope you get to live half of what we had to go through, all the pain and suffering. I hope you have a terrible day." And with that, Robin left the room without another word to anyone.
Blanchard stayed in his chair clenching his fists. Accidentally he had revealed more than what he wanted, he just had to hope Locksley wouldn't do something stupid.
If you asked Regina, Monday was the worst day of the week, but this Monday, this Monday, if you asked her was going to be the best one ever. She spent the morning training in the gym and that wasn't fun at all, but in the afternoon she would have the kids for the first time and that was going to be amazing, or so she hoped.
She wasn't too worried about the twins, she knew she was going to be okay with them; what really worried Regina was Roland. Yes the kid had showed a bit more interest in his mother, he talked to her but the conversation were always short. Well, there was always pizza and ice cream.
Robin and Regina decided that it was better for Roland to start gradually to stay with her. He would go home with her after school and stay for a while but someone - Robin, Will or Ruby - would come and get him. The twins on the other hand had decided that they wanted to stay with their mother so they would spend the night at her place.
School ended at 15:30, but Regina was in front of the school twenty minutes early. While she was waiting, more parents arrived, some of them she knew others no. Some of the ones she knew looked at her shocked, and others threw her dirty looks.
Regina shifted from one foot to the other and looked at her watch again: only five minutes left before school ended.
She was waiting for them in her usual spot, well what it used to be her place when she went to get them from school. When the bell rang her eyes left the ground and she started to look around for her kids. Roland was the first one to see her and he went to her.
"Hi sweetheart. Did you have a good day?" She greeted him with a soft smile that unfortunately wasn't returned.
"It was okay." Well at least he answered, Regina thought.
The twins arrived a couple of minutes later and they launched themselves to their mother, who welcomed them in her arms and kissed their heads.
"How was today for you two?" Regina asked taking Roland and Aly's hand while Henry grabbed Roland's other hand.
"It was good but boring." They answered simultaneously.
Regina had to laugh at that answer. "Okay let's try to make this day a bit less boring."
They stopped to grab ice cream before going home. Once there, the kids did they homework while Regina prepared dinner.
Once the homework was done the twins decided to watch a film so they snuggled with their mother, Roland on the other hand preferred to stay on the armchair. Regina really wished that at least Roland would sit on the couch with them but she was not going to force him.
Before everything happened, every time they watched a film, Roland would snuggle into his mother's lap while the twins pressed themselves into her side or Robin's. Regina couldn't wait for that to become again their thing or at least she hoped.
Robin come to take Roland home and to leave the twins' things for the next day around five. Regina and Robin didn't really talked to one another, just 'how are you?' and 'the kids already had ice cream this afternoon'. Who did most of the talks were the twins that asked if they could spend also the next afternoon with their mother. Robin agreed but they couldn't stay for dinner. Roland on the other hand said that he wanted to stay with his aunt so Ruby would go and get him from school.
The evening proceed well. They ate dinner, put pj's on and then the three of them went to Regina's bed so they could read together, with the difference that now the kids read their own books instead of having Regina or Robin reading to them. This broke another peace of Regina's heart. Henry and Aly used their mother's lap as a pillow while were reading and Regina passed her hands through their hair. After a while she saw that their eyes start to drop but she didn't have the heart to tell them to go to their room, so they all slept together. It was not something Regina was going to encourage, in fact she was determined that the next time the kids would sleep there they had to go in their bed. Or so Regina told herself.
In Robin's household the things went a bit different. Robin waited until Roland put his pj's on before asking how his day with his mother was. He decide to wait and not asking him that as soon as they got in the car to not pressure him.
"So how was your day?" Robin asked to Roland who was sitting cross-legged on the bed reading his book.
"You already asked me that and I told you it was okay." The curly hair boy answered.
"I'm not talking about school, I'm talking about mom and you know that."
Roland closed his book with a sigh when his father sat on his bed. "It was okay. She was waiting for us in what Aly and Henry call 'her spot' for when she used to go to get them from school. She took us for ice cream and at home we did our homework and we watched a film. After that Aly and Henry wanted to play some board games."
"And you played with them?"
"Nah, I wanted to read my book." the boy said with a shake of his shoulders.
"Why are you so against spending time with her?" Roland doesn't answered. "She's trying you know? Why don't you want to give her a chance?"
"I'm tired daddy." Roland said faking a yawn and prepared himself to be tucked in. The message was clear: end of the conversation for tonight maybe but surely not forever, Robin was sure of that.
"Okay. Good night monkey." Robin said tucking his son in and placing a kiss on his forehead.
That night was very different for Robin and Regina. While the woman was able to sleep through almost all night, only waking up around five because of a nightmare, Robin had a really difficult time to get some sleep. He woke up in the middle of the night and as always, he went to check on the kids only to find the twins' rooms empty. But after the initial shock, he remembered that they were at they mother. That was going to take a lot of time to get to use to but deep down Robin hoped that he never had to get to use to that because he hope that one day they would be together again.
It was when he began to think of the future, that he remembered something or better said, someone. And that's someone was not going to be happy about the situation and about the fact that he completely forgot about her for almost two weeks. If it was another situation and it was someone else who forgot about someone, Robin would have laughed, but it was him the one that completely forgot about his girlfriend. What that's say about him? What kind of man he is?
In another part of the city someone else was making a call that would change the life of the one to the other side of the phone. Against any better judgment and her husband demands Nora, Robin's mother, decided to call her daughter to let her know about Regina. Her reaction was the same of everyone else but as soon as the call ended, she was preparing a bag so that she would be ready to leave with her wife and her parents first thing in the morning.
Tuesday morning with only one kid was strange for Robin. It's not that the kids never went to a sleepover, but this time was different. He got Roland ready and instead of having him get the school bus Robin brought him there and then he went to his office. He hoped that there he could focus on his work instead his eyes continue to fall on the pictures he has on his desk: the kids, Regina and his girlfriend. The last time he spoke with her was almost three weeks ago; he really needed to talk to her but right now she's somewhere in Africa, where phones don't really work, so he has to wait until she's in a place where the phone works or she's back.
Regina's morning was strange and not only because her children were with her. She woke up around five because of a nightmare and after watching over her sleeping kids for almost an hour, she decided to take a shower, then she prepared everything she could need to make a huge breakfast.
Regina was so focused on the cooking that she didn't heard Alyson when she entered in the kitchen. Suddenly she felt two little arms around her waist and she let out a little sound of surprise that scared Aly who took a step away from her mother with the eyes full of tears.
"I'm sorry." She babbled, "I didn't mean to scare you mommy."
"You didn't scared me sweetheart, I just didn't hear you. You okay?" Regina asked, now worried by her daughter's expression. The reality was that she was a little scared, after years of watching behind your back, you can't just go back to normal in a matter of weeks, but she was not going to tell this to her daughter. This was the first time since she had to go away that she let her guard down, that she didn't look over her shoulders so Aly really surprised her.
"Yes, it's just… It's just that I woke up and you weren't there and the house was so silent and I thought… I don't know..." But Alyson couldn't complete what she was saying because she started crying. Regina took the girl in her arms and started to comfort her.
"It's okay butterfly. I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up, I'm so sorry." She continued to say how sorry she was while stroking Aly's hair. "But I'm right here now and I'm not going anywhere Aly, I'm not going anywhere."
Regina sat herself on the couch with Aly on her lap and continued to rock the girl back and forth until she calmed down. A couple of minutes later, a sleepy Henry appeared in the kitchen; his bed hair was almost comical to watch and Regina had to stop herself from laughing at them.
Henry's face went from sleepy to worried as soon as he saw his sister's red eyes. Regina loved the fact that Henry was protective towards his sister and brother.
"What's going on?" The boy asked sitting on his mother's other leg.
Regina hugged him and kissed her son's head before answering "She got a bit worry because I wasn't in the bedroom when she woke up and-" But Regina was interrupted by Henry.
"And she thought you weren't here anymore." Regina nodded and then Henry spoke again "I was a bit worried too…" A moment of silence then a grin start forming on his little face "But then I smelt pancakes so…"
At this, both mother and daughter burst into laughing. "Come on, let's go eat them before they get cold and you two are late for school."
At mid morning, someone knocked at Robin's office door and a dark headed with some red emerged.
"Ruby come in." Robin said lifting his eyes from the project he was working on.
"Can I ask you something?"
"You just did."
"You're funny, really. Like the rain when you're outside without an umbrella. Seriously I need to ask you something. You asked me to wait before going to Regina and while I wasn't happy, I respected that. But today I'm going to pick up Roland and she's going to pick up the other two so it's almost certain that we will see each other."
"What is that you want to ask me Ruby?"
"CanIgotoseeherbeforegoingtopickRolandup?" Ruby said so fast that Robin didn't understood a word.
"I should be used to you talking fast since it's years that we work together and know each other, but could you repeat that slower?"
Ruby took a deep breath "Can I go to see her before going to pick Roland up? I don't want to break down in from of the school when I see her."
"Makes sense. You could go after lunch, she should already be home from the morning session of training." Robin said giving her the address.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Ruby exclaimed while hugging Robin.
"I've got coffee." Graham exclaimed when he reached Regina in front of the shooting range.
"Thank you."
"How was your day with the kids? As good as you thought?"
Regina's smile become huge as she answered "It was amazing. Roland is still distant but that's okay, I can understand that. We had a little accident this morning when Aly woke up and couldn't find me but apart from that, everything went amazing. The twins asked if I could go get them from school today too." The smile still present and huge on the woman's face.
"That's amazing! Let me know when it could be okay for me to visit. I would really like to see them, it's been a while."
"We can organize something for when I have them again. Shall we start today's training?" Regina asked finishing her coffee.
"Lead the way your majesty." Graham answered bowing in front of her.
"You're an idiot." Regina said smirking while entering the door that Graham opened.
"What exactly did your mother say about Robin and Regina? Because what you said last night didn't made a lot of sense." Ursula said to her wife while her parents-in-law went to get something to eat. Ella only said four things last night Regina. Alive. Robin. Visit. Then she prepared a bag and this morning, with the first light of the day they were on a plane on their way to New York.
"What I told you last night. She said that Regina is alive, she's been back for almost two weeks and before we attack her we need to listen to her story. But last time I called to know how Henry was, that idiot that I call my brother "forgot" to tell me that our sister-in-law was back. So while I can try to wait to get angry at Regina, I am definitely angry at Robin." Robin wasn't ready for what was going to hit him.
Robin had sent Ruby out a bit earlier because with that state of mind, she couldn't work. In fact the girl couldn't keep still for more then five minutes.
Ruby sat in her car on the other side of Regina's house. There was no car in the driveway so she imagine no one was home. It was kind of creepy waiting outside her house like this, but in that moment she didn't care, there were more important things than that.
Almost an hour later, a car pulled in the driveway and Ruby's mouth fall open. There she was, her almost sister-in-law, exactly how Ruby remembered her, maybe a bit older and with her hair shorter but amazing as always.
When Regina arrived home, she immediately saw the car parked on the opposite side of her house but she couldn't see who was in. Deciding that it could be someone who was waiting for one of her neighbors, she went into her house to take a well deserve shower after hours spent between the shooting range and the gym.
Half an hour later, Regina was preparing a sandwich when someone knocked at her door. She glanced at the clock, it was almost one in the afternoon so it couldn't be Robin, as he was at work; the same could be said for her colleagues. Opening the front door she found herself in front of a tall, dark and red hair and skinny woman.
The two looked at each other for a while, then Ruby did something that neither of them expected: the girl slapped the older woman in the face, leaving Regina with her own hand on her cheek and an open mouth.
"Don't you dare do to something like that again or it won't be only a slap." Ruby said angrily.
"Do you want to slap me again and yell at me? Do you want to come in? Or you're leaving?"
"Oh no I'm not leaving. I want to come in and hug you and never let go." Ruby didn't wait for a reply; she entered and closed the door behind her before putting her arms around Regina, who guided both of them toward the couch. They found a comfortable position and stayed quiet for a couple of minutes. Regina couldn't classify that reaction if not strange; a slap and an hug. The girl has always been strange, a good strange, but that was a new level of it.
"Nice place you got here." Ruby said looking around herself.
"It could be a bit better if only I knew a good interior decorator." Regina said looking at Ruby.
"I'm on it. Whenever you want we can work on it." And the after a moment the younger woman spoke again. "I want to know everything."
"There isn't a lot to say. They kept me away from my family. And even if it is terrible to say, God I'm embarrassed even for thinking about it, if Henry wasn't hospitalized I don't think I would have been able to come back."
"But now you're going to stay and everything will be fine, right?"
"I'm going to stay and everything will be as good as it can be."
After a moment of silent Ruby spoke again "I'm angry at you, you know?"
"I know."
Another pause, then "Would you like to be my bridesmaid?"
Regina's eyes widen comically. "Let me see if I got this right. You're angry at me but you want me to be your bridesmaid?"
"Well yes. I'm angry because of the situation but you're still the sister I never had. So?"
"Are you sure this is what you want? Because I know our relationship is different now so if you want someone el-"
"I want you, please. I want you. It's what I always wanted since the day I met you and I decided that you would have been the sister I never had. That's if you want it."
"I'll be honored, Rubs."
The two women talk for a while until their stomach grumble. "Oh wow. It's almost two in the afternoon. Lunch and then we go to get the kids?"
"Sure!"
After lunch, they both went to get the kids. Ruby and Regina brought the kids to take ice cream before they went to separate ways. She made sure the kids did their homework, they played a couple of board games, then Regina took the kids home.
Robin was working on a project when he heard noise from outside his door. Not even five second later, someone burst into his office, followed by someone else. He didn't have the time to talk since one of the women in front of him started speaking immediately.
"If you want to keep something secret, you can't talk with mom."
"Ella-" Both Robin and their mother said.
"No, you don't get to speak Robin. Regina is alive and you didn't say anything?"
"I just wanted to give her a bit of time to get use to be back. And it's exactly what I told mom." Robin said giving a dirty look to her mother who dismissed him with a move of her hand.
"Can you leave? We can talk better at your house." Nora suggest.
Robin looked at his father for help but his expression was 'I won't put myself between your mother and sister'.
"Give me half an hour."
At home Robin and his family found Ruby who, once she saw all the people, decided to leave.
At first they were entertained by Roland, but with time he was sent to do his homework and the adult talk began. Robin told them everything he knew about what had happened. They were angry with Regina and to the situation, but mostly with Blanchard. Ella was ready to plan a revenge on the bastard, she hated when someone hurt her family. They talk until someone knocked at the door.
Robin excused himself and went to open the door. The kids ran inside and they start yelling as soon as they saw they grandparents and aunts.
Regina throw him a dirt look. "I only asked you one thing: to give me one day of advance on your parents. And not only your parents are here and I didn't know but also your sister and sister-in-law are here!" Regina whispered angry.
"I'm sorry! They ambushed me." Robin said speechless rubbing the back of his neck.
"I have to go before they see-"
"Regina" Nora breath out, a sound so low that was almost imperceptible.
"Nora-"
"Dear God girl, what did they do to you?" This time it was Michael, Robin's father, the one who talked after he took a look at the woman that once had fire in her eyes and now just a lost look.
Regina didn't expect this. She didn't expect that hug from Nora, nor the one she got from Robin's father. Robin just stood there watching the scene. He had tried to tell her that his parents would understand, but she didn't believe him; now he can tell her 'I told you so' and he knows how much she hates it, that and being wrong.
"Come on you have to see her!" the twins yelled their aunt Ella in the hallway while Ursula had Roland in her arms.
"So it's true. You just destroyed your family and then you come back."
"Ella!" Both Robin and their parents said while Regina just looked at the floor ashamed. Aly let go of her aunt to go to her mother while Henry stayed where he was.
After a moment of awakened silence Robin spoke. "Why don't we move all of this in the living room?" And so they did. Ella and Ursula with Roland, sat on the two seats couch. Nora, Michael and Regina with her lap full of the twins sat on the bigger couch while Robin sat on the arm of the couch next to Regina. With a bit of encouragement from Robin and his mother, Regina told again her story. There were tears, questions and a lot of why? but at least everything was clear now.
When someone stomach grumbled, they watched the time and it was indeed dinner time.
"Can mommy stay for dinner daddy?"
Regina feels everyone eyes on her and seeing that Robin was in a hard spot, Regina took the situation in hand. "I'm sorry Henry but I have to go home."
"But mommy." The little girl this time whine.
"Another night Aly, I promise." Her mother said lifting the girl's chin with her index.
"It was good seeing all of you again." She said getting up. She kissed all three kids and she left the room with Robin following her.
"I can't believe she still wearing her hair like this." Regina comment shaking her head with a little and sad smile on her face.
"Let's just say she was a very good and realistic Cruella De Ville last Halloween." Robin said smirking. "I'm really sorry about today."
"It's okay I knew I would have to face them sooner or later. It's just a bit sooner then what I thought."
After that, a moment of silence followed, the two of them just staring in each other and the only thing they saw was pain and sorrow where once they saw love and trust.
Instead of going home, Regina went to Mal's where she cried freely for almost an hour. Without Regina's knowing Mal had told her daughter to grab Italian. The wine was already in the house. The three women eat and drank together, even Lily drank a glass of wine, and only one, even if she wasn't 21 yet but they were home and Mal preferred that the girl drank at home instead of at some random party where there was the risk that she drank too much only for the sake of appearance.
Regina indulged a little too much on the wine so Mal insisted that she spend the night there.
The evening at the Locksley wasn't easy either. There was tension between Ella and everyone else. She was angry at Regina, at Robin and at her parents because they kept it secret for almost two weeks. Aly and Henry were angry at their father because he didn't stop their mother from leaving.
When everyone went to bed, Robin's parents in the spare room and the other two women on the pull out couch, the tension could be cut with a knife.
Wednesday and Thursday were the same for both Robin and Regina. The kids were with Robin but since his parents and sister where there, he let them help with them so he could go to work early.
Regina went with Mulan to the gym and shooting range on Wednesday and with Graham on Thursday.
Friday was a strange day. It began normally: Robin worked early, the kids stayed with his parents and their aunts and Regina at the gym and shooting range with Mulan and Graham for the last day of training before the Monday evaluation.
The real strange thing was the afternoon when Robin and Regina meet up with the lawyer.
"Hi."
"Hi."
"So who is the lawyer we are meeting?"
"Ashley Slipper. I did a bit of research and she's one of the best lawyer." Regina listened what Robin said but she didn't spoke. She didn't like this one bit. "Hey are you okay?" Robin asked concerned.
Regina locked eyes with him before speaking. "No, I'm not fine. We're here to establish when the kids will stay with you and when with me, with who they will spend the holidays and how it will be their future. You know how much I don't like when a couple separated or got divorced when children are involved and now this is our situation and it's completely my fault. So no Robin I'm not fine but that's okay, one day maybe I will be."
Robin was ready to reply when someone interrupted them. "Mr. Locksley, Mrs. Mills, Mrs. Slipper is ready for you." The lawyer assistant said.
The ex couple were lead into a meeting room where a blond woman was waiting for them.
"Mr. locksley, Mrs Mill. Ashley Slipper. Please have a seat." The woman said after shaking their hands.
"We're her to discuss the custody of Henry, Alyson and Roland Locksley. From what I had understood, you both want a joint custody, right?" Both Robin and Regina answered in a positive way.
"We could have two options: half week with a parent and the other half with the other parent or a week with a parents and the other week with the other parent." Ashley told them.
Robin and Regina look at each other; Regina stayed quiet, it didn't matter how much she wanted to speak this should be Robin's decision.
"I think the week solution is the best. This situation is already not one of the best and a week with a parent and the other with the other parent I believe could give them more stability than three days in a place and four days in another. And we can always rearrange our schedule if something come up." Robin reasoned.
"Is it okay with you Mrs. Mills?"
"Yes, I think exactly like Robin about this. And for any other thing whatever he decides it will be okay with me."
"Regina…"
"No Robin. I spend three years away from them. You know them better than me at this point and you know what is better for them."
"Okaaay." The lawyer feeling that the tension was beginning, interrupted them. "So we established this. Now about the holidays. You could alternate the Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Years. And for summer, winter and spring breaks the kids could spend half of the time with you and the other half with Regina."
Regina was only listening what the lawyer was saying. As long as she could see her kids that was enough for her.
"We could always do the holidays together." Robin proposed and Regina was ready to reply but Robin interrupted her. "Hear me out before, then you can contest me, okay?" Regina's mouth opened and closed like a fish but she keep it quiet waiting for Robin to speak again.
"The kids already had three years of holidays without you, it's not fair to them keeping you away from the holidays. We should be together during those times. We are still family even of we are not together." Regina only nodded. If she had spoke she wasn't sure she would be able to not cry.
"Okay, you are the easiest person I had to deal with and I mean it as a compliment. I'll write everything down for you and I'll call you when I have everything ready." The lawyer said. Then she got up and left the room.
Robin and Regina walked out of the building and before they went to different ways, Robin spoke. "Can I convince you to come with me to eat a slice of chocolate cake from that place you love so much?" He said smiling at her.
"I don't think this is a good idea."
"And why not?" But Regina failed to answered that. "See, there's no reasons for not going. Come on."
Not that Regina had a lot of choices now since Robin took her hand and he lead her to his car, knowing she has taken the subway on her way there.
They split a slice of chocolate cake and they talked about how to tell the kids what had been decided. They decided that it would be better if they spoke to them together so they organized to meet up one of the following days. After that, they fell in an awkward silence. When they finished Robin insisted on giving Regina a ride home, but she refused firmly so they just said goodbye to one another.
Like a couple of days before, Regina didn't go immediately to her home, but this time she went to her mother's. Once there she explained everything of what happened with the lawyer and then she cried. Regina wasn't one for crying, but since the day she woke up in that hospital room, she cried almost every day.
At home Robin told his family what had been said and his parents were particularly pleased about the fact that he decided to spend the holidays together despite everything.
The kids went to Regina on Saturday before lunch; Roland wasn't so happy but he went anyway. Robin brought them there and then the two parents sat the children down and they told them what had been decided with the lawyer. None of the three were happy about the decision but they couldn't do a think about it. In the evening they went out to eat hamburgers with Graham.
They hadn't planned who would have come to get the kids on Sunday so Regina was a bit surprised when she opened the door and she faced her ex parents-in-law. She welcomed them in before calling for the kids to get all their things.
"Robin told us your plan about the custody." Nora said and her husband added "Not that is our business but we're really happy about how you two worked everything out."
Regina looked behind her back to be sure the kids couldn't heard before answering. "It was all Robin. I'm happy with whatever he decide about letting me see the kids." But Regina couldn't add anything else because the little monsters came running from their respective room.
They greeted they grandparents before saying goodbye to their mother.
Monday come to fast for Regina's liking. Today was day: her evaluation. Today it was going to be decided if she could go back to work or not. She had to do a round of body combat, then one at the shooting range and then again the combat and the shooting range to test her strength and endurance. After that she had to talk with a shrink. They said they would have let her know and in case of positive response she would have start to work the next Monday.
Since Regina was practically free all the week, she and Robin decided that this one was going to be her week so the next one Robin would have the kids and Regina could get to use to work again. Having the kids with her for so long was strange but Regina couldn't be happier and even more when Roland started to warm up to his mother again.
Regina told Robin that it wasn't sure that she would have been able to go back to work but Robin was confident, as all the member of Regina's team, that the woman was going back to work.
The response arrived Thursday evening: she was going back to work on Monday.
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