I'm so sorry for the long wait. I told myself I wasn't going to take too long to update and in the end it took me even more time.
But the chapter is finally finished and I hope you like it.
As always I have to say a huge THANK YOU to LaNaniuska for her help, support and betareading.
I own nothing but Alyson and another couple of names.
Chapter 8 - Adjustment
Since he didn't have the kids Robin decided that it was a good time to talk to his girlfriend. How he could have not thought about her for almost two weeks was still a mystery to him. He knew she was in a zone where the reception was bad but he tried anyway to call and he was able to get an hold of her after the second attempt.
"Hey!"
"Hi."
"How are you?"
"I'm good, tired but good. Sorry I couldn't call you sooner but we were in the middle of nothing in the city of nowhere. How are you?"
At the question Robin let out an almost hysterical laugh. "I don't really know how I am. A lot of things have happened in the last weeks."
"Like what?" Marian asked, now worried.
"Like… I don't know… Like the fact that Henry was in hospital and he was discharged not long ago or that my dead wife is not so dead anymore and she's back."
"Oh God, and now he's completely fine right?" Even if she didn't have met the kids yet she perfectly knew who Henry was. The kids were Robin's world and he was always ready to talk about them to whoever was there to listen.
"Yes of cour-" but Robin was interrupted by a skeptical Marian.
"No no no, wait a moment. What do you mean your wife is back? Are you drunk? Come on Robin, be serious."
"I'm serious. She's back."
"You told me your wife was dead, Robin…"
"I know and it was what they told me." Robin snapped, tired of having to tell every time the same thing.
"This doesn't make any sense, tell me the story from the beginning."
And so Robin did, for the umpteenth time. At the end he only received silence from the other side of the phone.
"Marian? Are you still there?"
Silence, so he waited a bit more.
"Yes, yes I'm still here. But Robin-"
"I know it's almost impossible to believe but it's true." And Robin's answer was followed by another long silence.
After a while Marian spoke again. "Where does all of this leave us?"
"What do you mean?" Robin asked, confused.
"You told me you could never love someone else as much as you loved her, how she would always be your true love, that you would have walked through Hell for her and now she's back. So where do I fit in all of this? Are you going back with her?"
Robin didn't know what to answer: on one hand he wanted to go back with Regina, he still loves her like the first day, but on the other hand he can't be with her, at least not right now but he couldn't know about the future. But he couldn't say all of this to Marian so he just answered with something that wasn't entirely the truth but it wasn't a complete lie ethier.
"I'm with you. And even if I wasn't with you I don't think I would have gone back with her. I don't know if I ever could, not after everything that happened." And that was a big lie, he just didn't know why he was lying.
"Okay. I don't think this is something we should talk on the phone. It's still not sure but I should come back next week or the one after that. This way we can talk face to face. And maybe I can meet the kids? Yeah?"
"Yeah…"
"Robin?"
"Yeah, yeah. Yes."
"Well I have to go now. I'll talk to you soon." And with that she closed the call before Robin could say bye back.
Robin stared at his phone for 10 good minutes before going back to what he was doing, and that was working.
Robin's week passed with him thinking on how to tell Regina and their kids about Marian. The kids still didn't know he had a girlfriend, maybe the twins could suspect something they are perceptive and intelligent like their mother after all but he wasn't sure, they never met her but now he has to tell this to them and to Regina. He tried to avoid the elephant in the room as much as possible but he knew that sooner or later he would have to talk with her about this.
For the kids were strange spending so much time with their mother again and the fact that their father wasn't there was even stranger. It was a strange situation to adapt to, it was like for those kids whose parents are divorced, but as long as they could have their mom back they were ready to accept everything. At least Henry and Alyson were.
As for Roland the things were still difficult. After dinner Regina and her three little monsters were watching a movie and while his siblings were snuggling with their mother Roland was sitting in a corner of the couch. Regina tried to call him to sit with them but he didn't move from his seat. It was like this almost every night of the week they kids were with her. But for Regina it was enough to have all her kids in the same room as her again.
Monday arrived too soon and too slow at the same time for Regina. She had the kids until Saturday when they went home with their father and had one last dinner with their grandparents and aunts before they went back home.
Normally she would have them until Monday morning when she would have dropped them to school but since their grandparents and aunts would be gone by Sunday she and Robin decided to cut a litter short her week, with the understanding that she would have them from the next Sunday instead of Monday.
Monday morning Regina found herself standing in front of the police station. Instead of her usual pantsuits and heels that she used to wear when she worked, she was wearing tight jeans, a sweater, a black leather jacket and black combat boots and her make up was darker than before; it was like she was back in high school only that now she has short hair. Before everything she wouldn't have been caught at work wearing something like this but now she didn't feel like the Regina from three years before, ence the new but at the same time old look.
Still in front of the precinct her mind was telling her to go in but her body didn't move. There were so many questions and doubts in her mind. How would her colleagues react to work with her again? Would they trust her as before? They said they didn't have problems but was it true? A lot of things were changed in three years, what if she didn't fit in there anymore? They already had a new colleague that took her place...
Some of her worries were erased when someone did a bear hug to her from behind, adding "You're finally back!"
She tense as she felt the arms around her but as soon as she realized who was the owner of said arms she almost melted into the hug.
After a moment she turned around to properly hug the person who was bold enough to approach her from behind risking to be thrown onto the ground as a reflex.
"Good morning to you John. I hope this is going to be a one time thing, right?" She answered, still hugging him.
Normally she wouldn't be caught doing something like this but that morning she needed it, so even if she wasn't an huggie person she gladly accepted that hug.
"Of course. We wouldn't risk people knowing that our queen has actually an heart and she's capable of showing some affection towards other people other than her family." John, the computer genius as his colleagues refer to him, fired back before freeing her from the hug.
"You are a big idiot. You know I consider all of you as my family, I mean someone less than others but…" she smirked as she didn't finish the sentence, letting him understand that she was talking about him and to that he fired back an indignant 'Hey!'.
They stayed outside and in silence for a couple of minutes before John asked if they were going in.
"You can go" the woman said, "I just need a couple of more minutes before going in."
"I'll wait with you then." He said in a way that didn't leave space for an answer.
John was like this, always ready to help in every way he could. The words weren't needed on why Regina wanted to wait to go in, he just knew she needed some more time but it didn't mean she would have to spend that time alone. She already spent enough time in that way and he was more than happy to make sure she knew she wasn't alone anymore.
John was a huge man, literally, in height and well in the stomach and that's why he was called Little John. Regina had often thought that he really should be more careful with what he eats and show a bit of control in front of the food. His face always seemed angry but he was actually one of the sweetest men Regina knew. In that moment her mind went to a picture of him holding a sleepy two years old Roland in his arms during a Christmas party and to another one where he was dressed up as Santa Clouse.
"I know you said you need a moment but if we don't go in we're going to be late."
Regina cleared her voice, lifted her head and put on the 'Detective Mills' mask and started to walk in. "Right, come on. Let's go."
Following John inside she took the elevator with him to go to their floor.
The raven hair woman stopped again in front of the door that separated her from her team but John put his hand on the small of her back and he pushed her in.
"Hey!" he said to no one in particular, "I found someone outside, she was standing there like she didn't know where to go so I brought her up here."
The last part made Graham and Mulan, who were talking in the little break room, coming out to look at who John was talking about.
Meanwhile John was still talking, "Maybe from there she can find her way to her desk alone." He said, walking away towards 'his cave', as he calls his office.
Silence had fallen on the room when the pair had arrived and no one apart from John had spoken. The spell was broken by Regina herself with all her regal composure: "Thank you for your service Little John." She purposely called him that since he doesn't really like that nickname even if everybody call him that "You know, since you made me take the elevator when I was used to take the stairs there was a possibility that I could get lost."
This little exchange was followed by a new silence that was broken by a sentence that made all the people in the room laugh. "Well our evil queen is definitely back!" Philip said, clapping his hands, action followed by everyone in the office, and then with the others he made his way towards Regina to hug her. No one dare to make a comment about her look.
Even their boss made her way to the little group that had formed there in order to congratulate Regina for her return and apologizing again about what had happened to which Regina answered with a 'It's okay, it wasn't your fault'.
The only one who didn't move from her desk, Regina noticed, was a blond woman with a red leather jacket on her chair. She soon arrived at the conclusion that the woman must be the detective blondie that took her place. For reasons still unknown to her, since she didn't personally know her but only through what others told her and she didn't like it, Regina already disliked her.
Feeling she was being observed the blonde woman got up and went to introduce herself to the other woman.
"Emma Swan. It's a pleasure meeting you. I've heard quite a lot." the woman said with the most fakest smile on her face.
"Regina Mills, nice to meet you too" The black hair woman said with the same fake smile, "even if I can't say the same since the only thing I know is that you are the one who took my place."
Before the blonde could answer their boss spoke: "Okay, enough of this chit chat. Let's go back to work." Ingrid Ardell said.
"John you still have those security videos to finish to analyze."
"Consider me gone, boss."
Then she turned toward Kristoff, Philip and Mulan "Svenson, Wraith and Warrior, where are your reports from last week's robbery?" 'On it' the three of them answered.
Then it was the turn of Graham and Emma "Hunter and Swan, what about the shooting?"
"We identified the two bands responsible but we still can't find the responsable. We're trying to make someone who saw what happened talk, but you know how it is: nobody saw or heard anything." The man said and the boss just nodded.
Then Ingrid turned to Regina "Don't think you have escaped the paperwork, Mills. You have to catch up with all the new regulations and all the new things from the last three years."
Regina groaned but nodded anyway and she took all the papers her boss was giving her. Not that she had any other options, she thought.
She made her way to the only empty desk that was her old desk and she couldn't understand how it was possible that after all that time the desk was still empty. Putting all the paperwork on the surface of the desk Regina made a mental note to herself to bring something to personalize the desk.
Robin went to get the kids from school thinking it was going to be a quiet afternoon but to Robin's dismain it wasn't.
"Daddy I was thinking..."
"That's never a good thing." Henry said grinning. As an answer Aly showed him her tongue.
"Okay, that's enough. Aly what were you thinking?"
"I was thinking that maybe, maybe" but the girl was hesitant to finish her sentence.
"Maybe what sweetheart?" Her father tried to encourage her.
"Maybe we could go to visit mom and bring her and uncle Graham something to eat or some coffee." the girl was now looking at her feet and biting her lip.
"Maybe some donuts. They love them!" Henry proposed eagerly.
"I don't know. It's her first day back, maybe we should let her get used to that, let go back to normality."
"But that was normal. We always brought food to mom and Graham."
Checkmate for Aly. It was true, they had often brought food to Regina and her coworkers.
"Okay let's go get some donuts and coffee." Then Robin turns to Roland. "What do you think? Are you okay with that?"
"Okay. But only if I can have a chocolate donut." The kid stated with a little smile.
Robin laughed. "Okay let's go!"
"God I hate paperworks!" Regina groaned. Everybody, except from Emma, laughed.
"You know Mills, I have to admit that I missed your complaints about paperwork." Kristoff said, glancing at her.
Regina threw him a dirty look before going back to her paperworks, munching on a bag of skittles she had found on her desk during the day. She suspected that the responsable were Graham or Mulan, so she made another note to herself to thank them later. But after a couple of those little and colorful balls she spoke.
"You know I promised to myself that I wouldn't complain about anything if I ever come back but the paperworks…" She didn't need to finish that sentence to explain her feelings towards them.
Not even ten minutes later John appeared from his office asking them if they wanted to go and get food. "After all, it's almost lunch time" he said.
The seven of them went to the little diner near the police station. It wasn't the usual place where the cops would gather together and it was for this reason that they love that place.
As they entered a woman with grey hair and glasses on the nose spoke from behind a counter. "I was beginning to think that you had forgotten about me or you had betrayed me for another place to eat." she said, taking down her glasses to clean them with her apron.
"Never! You know how much we love your food!"
"Your adulations won't get you more bacon in your plate mister!" She said to John.
"As I would ask for something like this." he said back, acting all innocent.
"Mmm." was the only response of the old woman.
Regina, who during this little exchange had stayed behind the group to hide herself, thought that something really never changed since this scene happened every time they didn't go to the dinner for a couple of days.
They started to move toward their table but someone's voice stopped Regina on doing that.
"Not so fast girl. You come back from the dead and you didn't even think to come here to say 'Hi'?" The woman scoddle her like she was a little kid.
"Granny…"
That wasn't the real name of the woman but everybody called her that.
"No, I don't want to hear anything." Granny silente her with an hand before enveloping her in an hug.
"Do you want your usual?" she asked freeing her from the hug.
"Yeah sure." Regina said, figuring 'her usual' was hamburger, fries and coke zero.
They ate their lunch, Regina almost not talking while the other stopped to talk only to take a bite of their food, and then they went back to their job.
Robin and the three munchkins arrived around 4 PM but before they could reach Regina's desk they were intercepted by Emma.
"Can I help you?"
"Oh no thanks, we're good. We just need to speak with detective Mills." Robin said the name a bit lauder so that Regina could notice them.
"Well she's busy now, maybe I can-" But she never finished that sentence because the black hair woman as soon as she had heard her name she ha look towards the door and with a nod she gave the permission to them to enter and the twins did that, yelling 'mommy' has they went into her arms for an hug. Robin and Roland were right behind them with donuts and coffee, completely ignoring Emma who was left with her mouth open and trying to figure out the situation.
"What are you all doing here?" Regina asked, squeezing her kids and caressing Roland's cheek, happy that the kid didn't take a step away from her.
"They proposed to bring you food and coffee because this was what we normally did. But I think they just missed you." Fact that was confirmed by Aly and Henry who were snuggled up with their mother.
"There's food also for us or it's just for your mommy?"
"Hi uncle Graham." A choir of three little voices said.
"That was creepy. Have you trained them to be so in sync?" Philip asked, taking a donut for himself.
Ignoring that Regina reopened the box of donuts that Philip had closed before offering one to Graham.
"Thanks." he said, putting in his mouth the donut so he could grab the two cup of coffee Robin was giving him. He put a cup on Philip's desk before going to his.
Going back to her desk Emma glanced at the container where there were the coffees.
"I'm sorry but it seems I have not brought enough coffee for everyone, detective..." Robin said, addressing to Emma without saying her name since he didn't know it.
"Detective Emma Swan. Well" she said moving on her feet, "there could always be another time." Robin just looked at her like she had two heads. Then she took a donut and went back to her desk. Regina didn't like that move one bite but she said nothing.
The Mills-Locksley clan spent almost half an hour together before Robin took the kids at home and Regina went back to work.
Regina accompanies them out to the car. "Thank you for bringing them. It means a lot."
Robin touched the back of his head. "It was Aly's idea. And if it wasn't for her and Henry's insistence we wouldn't have come." He admitted. "I didn't won't to come but then she said something about going back to normality, so here we are."
She looked at him without saying a word but her eyes were full of gratitude. They just stared at each other, she looked up at him and he looked down at her. Words were not needed.
On Tuesday they didn't see each and Regina only got a call before bedtime.
During the rest of the week Robin and the kids showed up a couple of times. This was a sort of new routine for the kids when they were with Robin, showing up at her work place like they did before. For the week they were with Regina, she always went to pick them up from school since she practically didn't have a lot of work to do.
None of them was really happy but that was their new routine. Roland still had difficulties around his mother, he was always quiet around her, he sat away from her, he never started a conversation but he only answer to direct ones.
Robin and Regina thought that it could be a good thing if the kids, and them too, talked with Dr. Hopper. The twins were okay with that, it was something they had already done three years prior but for Roland it was different, he had never had to do such a thing and he didn't like new things. But he did it anyway even if the first few times he didn't say a thing.
Everything seems to go well until a couple of weeks later when Marian returns. The kids were with Robin and while they were doing their homework he was working on a new project when someone knocked at the door.
The children lifted their head as they were questioning their father on who it could be but he just shook his shoulder, he had no idea about who could be on the other side of the door.
When Robin opened the door his mouth fell open.
"Hi." the woman in front of him said smiling.
"Marian, what are you doing here?"
"Wow. Yes Robin, I'm fine and I'm happy to see you too." her tone sarcastic.
"Of course I'm happy to see you, I just didn't expect you here now. I didn't know you were already back.".
"Can I come in?"
"I… The children are inside. I haven't-"
"You haven't told them about us yet."
"It's a complicated situation."
"What is so difficult in telling your children you have a girlfriend?!"
"Are you serious?" Robin said with an expression of shock on his face. "Their mother just came back, they have to get used to that and to the fact that they have to spend alternate weeks with us. I wanted to give them some time to get used to that before giving them something new that will twists their life once again."
Marian passes a hand on her face, "You're right, I'm sorry."
"I just need time but I promise you I'm going to tell them." he told her. "Next week the monsters are with their mother, what do you say if we go on a date?"
"Why not?" she answered smiling. "It's better if I go. I'll talk to you later?"
"Of course."
With that said Marian left a confused Robin standing in front of his door. Why was she so insistent about getting to know the children? After all, they only knew each other for less than six month and she spent the last month and half in Africa. They have been together not even for three month, so why such a hurry? Robin just went back inside to his kids with a lot of unanswered questions.
It was a Wednesday night, well Thursday morning since it was 3 A.M., when Roland woke up screaming for his mother like he did the first months after her death.
Robin jumped out of his bed and ran to Roland. He sat on the bed and took the boy in his arms trying to calm him down.
"It's okay Roland, everything is okay." his father whispered to his ear but it was all in vain and the boy continued to call for his mother.
"I want… I want… I want mommy!" he said between sobs.
Robin looked at his other two children, who were now standing on the door.
"I want my mommy!" Roland continued asking between sobs.
Robin tight his arms around the little boy and looked again at his older siblings who had tears running down their little faces.
"Maybe we should call mom." Henry proposed quietly.
Robin was ready to protest but Aly had already run towards her father's room to grab his phone and she was now holding it out for him to take.
With a sign he took it and he made the call, everything for his kids.
Regina sat up in the bed. It was never a good sign when the phone rang in the middle of the night. She turns the light on before grabbing it. Her eyes widened when she read Robin's name on the screen.
"What is going on? What happened? Is everyone okay?" She asked frantic, in her mind there were already all the worst scenarios ever. She was hearing someone crying on the other side of the phone and if she wasn't wrong, which she was sure she wasn't, it was Roland.
She was continuing to ask questions so Robin tried to stop her. "Regina" he said a first time but with a poor result so he tried again, a bit stronger this time. "Regina! Breath love, please." he heard her stop talking and taking a deep breath.
Upon Robin's request she took a deep breath but she didn't know if it was because he had asked her too or because he had called her 'love'. It was almost four years since she's been called like that.
"What's going on?" she asked again, this time calmer.
"I have someone here who was asking for you." Robin replied and he passed the phone to a now calmer but still crying Roland.
"Mommy" he whispered.
"Baby what are you doing up at this hour, what's wrong?" her tone changing from worried to mama bear in a second.
"I want you mommy."
"Sweetheart-" but she wasn't able to finish the sentence.
"Please mommy, please. I want you, please."
"Sweetheart." but he wasn't listening, too occupied to beg his mother to come there.
"My little knight," she tried and this caught his attention.
"Can you give the phone back to your father, please?"
"Mommy." he whimpered.
"Roland."
"Okay." he sniffled.
When she was sure the phone was back to Robin she spoke again. "It's okay if I come over, right?" Not that she was going to accept a no as an answer.
"It's the middle of the night Regina. He's already calmer, you don't have to-"
"My son just called me in the middle of the night crying for me and you're telling me it's not necessary that I come over?" she fought back with a raised eyebrow forgetting he couldn't see her.
"You're completely right, sorry." and before he could say anything else Henry grabbed the phone telling her that they couldn't wait to see her and that they'll be waiting. With a smile she closed the phone call and she got up to get ready to go to her angels.
Since she was wearing a normal shirt and a pair of leggings as a pj's so she just grabbed a black hoodie with the drawing of a crown on it; it was so worn out that you couldn't read what once there was written but she loved that thing anyway.
Robin took the children downstairs and covered them with a blanket while they snuggled together on the couch waiting for their mother. Aly, Henry and Roland were almost asleep again when not even half an hour later the doorbell rang. Robin went to open the door and Regina went immediately into the house. Roland was the first one to get up from the couch and he ran to her, clinging to her neck as his life depended on it and he started to cry again.
Regina took him in her arms and went to sit down on the couch.
"It's okay Roland. Calm down sweetheart."
"Mom...momm… mommy."
"I'm here sweety, I'm here." she replied, kissing his head. Henry and Aly snuggled to her side and they put each other an arm on their brother, like a big group hug. Robin just stares at them, not wanting to disturb them.
Regina hugged Roland tight trying to calm the still crying boy, repeating again and again that she was there, that everything was going to be okay and that she loved him so much. When she glanced at Henry and Aly and she saw tears also in their eyes she moved herself in order to be able to hug all the three of them and she started to repeat the same thing that she was saying to Roland to also his siblings.
After some time in that position Regina glanced at the watch in the wall, deciding it would be better if the kids were in bed. Well they were already half asleep on her but in their bed they would have definitely been more comfortable. The problem was that she didn't want to move; even if that position was uncomfortable she loved having her kids, literally, on her. But as a mother she knew better, so…
Robin heard Regina calling his name and that woke him up from the state of trance he was in.
"Yes?"
"Help me move them so we can take them to their bed?"
"Of course."
So he proceeded to take first one twin and then the other one upstairs and tuck them in their bed. Coming out from Henry's room he met with Regina who was bringing Roland to his bed.
She stopped befor entering the room. The last time she put a foot in there, that was the bedroom of a toddler while now it was the bedroom of an almost seven years old who loves basketball, exactly like his father. She moved further into the room and tucked Roland in., smiling when she saw the basketball hoop attached at the wall and a ball near the bed. But the movement woke the boy, who immediately started to call for his mother again.
"I'm here, my little knight, go back to sleep." she reassured the boy, who in response just climbed on his mother's lap who was sitting on the bed. Regina tried to move him but his little arms were tight around her neck.
Giving up she positioned herself in a more comfortable position on the bed and she covered both of them with the blanchet.
Roland fell asleep again on his mother, with his head on her chest and his legs and arms on either side of her. Regina kept passing her hand in his hair and kept murmuring to her little boy even if he was already asleep.
Robin was leaning against the door frame watching the scene. "You have no idea how much he wanted that."
Regina just smiled sadly while he continued to talk. "He would wake up in the middle of the night asking for you and I couldn't do anything. I'm so used to doing everything by myself that the fact that this time I could give him what he was asking for seems like a dream."
Robin paused, passing both his hands in his face; Regina just stared at him. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry if earlier it seemed that I wanted to keep you away from them, because it's not like this."
"It's okay." she whispered, still passing a hand in Roland's hair.
"It's not okay." Robin replied back, entering the room and sitting down on the bed. He caressed his boy's back before his hand landed on Regina's leg.
"Yes it is." and her answer didn't leave space for another reply about that argument.
"He's definitely asleep. I don't think he will wake up if I get up now."
"It's really late or early, depending on how you look at it, why don't you crash here."
"Robin…" she knew his intentions were good but she didn't know how she felt sleeping again in that house.
"Look, I know it's not ideal and there's the risk we could confuse the children but it's almost five in the morning and you normally get up in what? An hour? An hour and half? If you go home you won't sleep but if you stay here you'll rest a bit more."
"I don't have any cloth for tomorrow."
"All your clothes are still here and I'm sure they still fit." he said, smirking.
Checkmate, how she could respond to that? He had an answer for everything.
"Mommy can we sleep with you?" Now she was definitely K.O.
"Well milady? What is your answer?" smug bastard, he knows she can't say no to them. She glared at him before addressing the kids.
"Come here you two. We all should really get some more sleep." Aly and Henry literally ran to the bed, looking for a comfortable position to sleep in.
Fortunately for her Robin had brought the kids double-size bed so all of them could sleep quite well.
He watched as all of them got comfortable on Roland's bed and not even two minutes later they were all fast asleep.
Robin leaned down to kids his boys and girl's head and after a moment of hesitation he kissed Regina's too.
When Regina woke up again she was met by three, already way too much active for that hour, kids. Their father called them for breakfast and their mother went to use the bathroom. When she came out she saw Robin coming her way.
"If you want to go look for something to wear all your things are in the guest room. I couldn't bear to throw them away but at the same time I couldn't keep them in the bedroom."
"Understandable. I'm going to look for something to wear now otherwise I'll be late for work."
"I leave you to it." and he disappeared downstairs.
Regina went to the guest room and took a deep breath before entering. It was all so surreal; she perfectly knew that house, it was her house for God sake but she felt like she was an intruder, like she should be there.
Opening the dresser she started looking through the clothes. She found a pair of jeans and a sweater. She put them on and she grimaced when she realized how large that clothes were on her know. They same happened when she tried on a pantsuit, so she opted for the jeans and the white sweater. She knew she had lost weight in the years away but she hadn't realized how much until now. It wasn't the best but for today they had to do.
"What do you want for breakfast? Coffee and cereal? Eggs? Toast?" Robin asked as soon as she entered the kitchen. It was exactly how she remembered it but with different drawings against the fridge and without an highchair.
"Nothing, thank you. I have to go or I'll be late." she said, putting her hands on the back of Roland's chair.
"But you said breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Aly objected.
"And that's why I'll grab something on my way to work."
"Why can't you eat with us?"
"Henry is right. Come on sit down."
Regina just stares at them, the kids with big puppy eyes and Robin with a cheeky grin on his face.
But then a smile began to form on her face. "4 against 1, really? That's not really fair." she said smiling and sitting down in what used to be her place at the table. Roland immediately moved his chair to be nearer his mother.
So they had breakfast together and then they parted ways, Regina went to work and Robin brought the kids to school before heading to his office. For one morning it was like nothing had happened.
"Where did you steal those clothes from?"
"They're mine. I slept at Robin's last night. He still had my clothes and I needed something to wear for this morning so…" she said quietly.
"You slept at your ex-husband's house?" Graham said, smirking.
Even if they all have a good friendship, Graham and Regina were the closest. Not surprisingly Graham was the only one that Aly, Henry and Roland call 'uncle'.
"Don't be an idiot. Roland woke up in the middle of the night calling for me."
Graham's face changed immediately, now worried about the young boy. "But he's okay now, right?"
"Yes, he's perfectly fine. He just wanted some cuddles." she replied with a shy smile.
"So he's finally back to be his momma's boy self?" Regina nodded. "That's good." he said nodding.
"It's definitely good. But when he fell asleep again at five in the morning, Robin offered me to sleep there. You have no idea how good it is falling asleep again with three little monsters literally on top of me." her smile getting bigger and bigger. Graham squeezed her shoulder lightly before going to his desk.
Since that night Roland began to open more and more to his mother and wanted to be around her. The next monday when Roland got out of school and saw her, he ran as fast as he could in her arms and Regina had to fight the tears that were threatening to fall out her eyes. When his siblings got out of school they joined them for a group hug. And since it wasn't too cold yet the little monster convinced their mother to take them to the park.
What Regina didn't know was that also Kelly and Margot, Zelena's daughters, had convinced their mother to bring them to the park for an ice cream. It didn't matter how cold it was outside, they would always eat ice cream. Truth be told it was the same for Zelena, Regina and Regina's kids too.
Zelena had told Tom, her husband, Kelly and Margot about Regina but they hadn't seen her yet. That was about to change, at least for the two girls. Being older than their cousins, in fact the twins sisters were threeten, they understand the situation better.
"Is that-" Kelly began the sentence and Margot finished it "aunt Regina?"
Zelena toured to watch in the same direction as the girls. "Yes, that's definitely her." she didn't even end to talk that both girls were already sprinting towards their aunts. It was difficult for them to accept what had happened but in the end they were just happy to have their aunt back.
"Hey look, that are Kelly and Margot!" Roland, who hadn't let go of his mother's since they had set foot at the park, said.
By the time Regina realized that those girls were her nieces, they were both in front of her, breathless. She looked at them, then she met her sister's eyes who gave her a nod so Regina let go of Roland's hand to open her arms for the girls.
Kelly crashed immediately against her aunt while Margot, being shy also around people she knew for her entire life, took a bit more time to accept the hug.
"I missed you so much!" the girls whispered out together.
"I missed you both too, you have no idea how much." Then she pushed them back a little so she could look at them. "You're both so grown up!" the three of them just stared in each other's eyes until Henry greeted his aunt.
After the older women hugged each other the group agreed on going to get ice cream together.
For Regina that afternoon was a taste of normality, a sign that slowly but surely they were all going to be okay, even if adjusting to the new normality was going to be difficult.
As promised, Robin took Marian out that week. He took her to a nice French restaurant. They talked of this and that, of her period away and what had happened during said period and they talked a lot about Regina. They talked a lot about her and what it means the fact that she was back, Robin had to rassicure Marian more than one time about the fact that he was with her.
"It's just… You always describe her as the love of your life, how amazing as a mother she was, how perfect she was. And it's okay, I get it, but a thing was while she wasn't here but now that she's back… You can understand where I came from."
Robin sighed and took her hand. "I'm sorry if I have pictured her as this perfect person, I mean yes she's great but she's not perfect, no one is. She can be stubborn as a mule and if she has something in her mind it needs to be that way. Part of me thinks that it was her stubbornness that brought us to this situation. But that is who she is, you don't have to compare yourself to her. Okay?"
"Okay."
They started to eat again but Robin stopped again. "Can you answer just one question?"
"Of course."
"Why are you so eager to meet the kids? We've been dating only for a couple of months and while I see this going on I want to be extremely sure before introducing you to them."
"I don't know, maybe because meeting them would make everything more real."
Robin just nodded and went back to his food.
Regina was working when she saw a notification on her phone that left her puzzled, a single sentence from Robin: 'Can we talk?'
"Everything okay?" Mulan asked, seeing her face. "Regina?"
"Yes… No… I don't really know. Excuse me." Then she left the room, phone in her hand.
"Hi milady. What can I do for you?"
"Stop calling me that and you were the one who wanted to talk."
"Never milady." And she knew he was smirking. "And I didn't mean right now and I would prefer to do it in person. Are you free at lunch?"
"Yes, Granny's okay? I know it's not really near your office but-"
"It's perfect. I miss her burgers."
Regina went back to work wondering about what on the earth Robin wanted to talk about.
"Here alone today?"
"No I'm waiting for my hus-" Regina had to force herself to stop. "I'm waiting for Robin." Granny just nodded without saying a word.
"Do you want to order or you prefer waiting for him?"
"I can order. For him one of your burgers with everything and for me a chicken salad and onion rings. Water is fine for both of us. Thank you Granny."
"Of course." she squeezed lightly her shoulder before leaving.
Robin arrived five minutes later. "Sorry, Ruby stopped me and you know how she is when she starts talking."
"Perfect timing. I have your burger and your salad." Granny said putting the plates in front of them. "Enjoy."
"Thank you."
They eat in silente but after a while Regina couldn't take it anymore. "What's going on?"
"Can we finish eating?"
"No, we can't. Now talk." It was like she was talking to a child instead of an adult.
"Okay, I… ehm… I…"
"You what, Robin!?"
"I have a girlfriend."
"Oh…"
"We haven't been together for long but I wanted to tell the kids so-"
"So I know what they are talking about when they're going to tell me you have a girlfriend." The black hair woman looked down and began to play with her food.
"Regina."
"No it's okay. I get it and I'm happy for you, really. It's what I wanted, you to be able to be happy again." Robin didn't say anything but he knew she was lying, he could read it in her eyes.
"What's her name?"
Robin took a deep breath. "Marian. She's a photographer and until last week she was somewhere in Africa taking pictures for a magazine."
"That's good."
"Is it?"
"Yeah. I have to go back to work." she said, looking for the money to pay her lunch.
"Don't worry about that, I'll pay."
"Thanks." then she left. Robin was left there alone, wondering if it had been a great idea telling her about Marian.
"Regina please wait." but she was out of the diner before he could finish the sentence.
He saw granny approach him. "Are you sure about what you are doing?"
"No." he answered truthfully.
Friday night after dinner Robin sat down the kids to tell them about Marian but it didn't go as well as he hoped.
"Why?"
"What do you mean Henry?"
"Why do you need a girlfriend when mom is back? Why can't you just go back together?"
"It doesn't work like that. And it's not like I 'need' a girlfriend. We met, we started to spend time together and we like that so here we are."
"You're with her because you're hungry at mom?"
"What?! No. Where did you hear that?"
"Nowhere. You two love each other but you don't want to be together, so you are punishing her."
"No, none of that. I will always love your mom but love someone and being in love with someone is different."
"Can we call mommy?"
"Of course Roland."
Robin gave the kids his phone and they went immediately to call her. This was going from bad to worse, Robin thought.
During the weekend the three little monsters poke very little to their father. They were hungry at him and he could understand that.
"I've told to Regina and the kids about you."
"And?"
"Regina seems okay with that, the kids on the other hand…"
"It's understandable. You told them you're seeing a woman that is not their mother."
"Aly thinks I'm with you only to punish Regina. I don't know how to explain to her that is not true."
"Look, it's saturday evening why don't you watch a movie with them so you give them time to adjust to the news?"
"That's actually a good idea. Talk to you later?"
"Of course."
But the kids had no intention to watch a movie with him or talk to him so instead of forcing them he left them to be.
Monday after dinner Regina found herself cuddling with all her three children on the couch and their tone when they spoke broke her heart.
"Dad has a girlfriend." the boy said quietly.
"I know Henry." his mother responded kissing his head, "I know." The kids only snuggled more into their mother.
"Listen I know it is difficult, different and unknown but together we are going to learn how to adjust to this new situation okay?" Three little heads nodded against her.
"Mills-Losksley team forever?"
"Forever!" the kids answered together.
Thank you so much for reading.
Reviews and constructive criticism are always well welcomed.