Notes:

Hi everyone! I hope you had a good week. I came to you with a very sweet chapter, I hope you like it! Let's meet at the end of the chapter notes...

In the previous chapter

"Regina... I understand you, I'm trying to understand." After hearing the whole story, now it was his turn to explain what he had been thinking for days, his feelings. "But I can't forgive you."

The mask that hung on the queen's face throughout the confrontation made it difficult to see the woman behind her and to understand her feelings without her words. Yes, she had conveyed her regrets, fears, and love to the man in front of her with her words, but this was not the woman Robin expected to see in front of him. This was not his Regina. She continued to hide behind her queen walls, which she had used to protect herself for years, but he knew that love was the greatest power. One day, he will break down those walls as they were built and reach the woman he loved.

He also knew that if he wanted to help Regina, he had to help himself first. While the woman had been trying to survive in this palace for years, Robin was struggling to be reborn from her own debris on the other side of town. It wasn't easy to get over the love of his life burning his heart to ashes, and he hadn't done it anyway. So, first of all, he had his own walls that had to be demolished.

After his last words, he saw Regina's teeth pressed lightly against her lip. It was the first time he saw her mask, which shook from time to time as she told the story, shaken so much.

Already the woman who had been suffering from the burdens that had been placed on her shoulders lately seemed even more depressed by the weight of his words, Robin realized that what he wanted to say needed to make more sense of it.

"I can't forgive yet. We both need time. Thank you for being clear to me about everything. I will do the same to you."

"Our lives have been tied together for years. So at least for me. You took my soul with you the day you left me on that hill. I was never complete without you. Now, if you want it too… I need to be healed to come to you fully."

His Regina is here. Not the queen. It's not a mask. His Regina. Her eyes shine with pure love. Now Robin is sure that his feelings are mutual. They will find each other again.

"Robin…" Her trembling voice came out small. "All I want is you and Henry."

"We will figure it out together." He smiled.

"We will."

Second glass of cider almost finished when the ringing of the queen's telephone on the table is heard. Obviously, Robin missed both the cider and the love of his life, the mother of his child and, chatting with the woman who was once his best friend.

As Regina got up to answer her phone, his eyes met for the first time with the garden stretching out before him. It was obvious that Regina had arranged the garden herself, and unlike everything else in the palace, this room and the garden looked like the woman's place.

The blue orbs wandered among the trees and flowers, which remained alive despite the autumn. He felt familiar when he saw the tree with only one sitting area, but the woman's voice refocused him as she picked up the phone and turned to him.

"Henry, sweetheart." He saw her smile reached out her eyes.

The man felt a sweet palpitation in his heart. Although he couldn't hear his son's voice, he felt connection between mother and son. He wished he could remain calm when he saw Henry and Regina were side by side, as he stares at the living proof that everything he had dreamed of comes together in two people.

"Robin is still here, with me... No, you're not interrupting. We already talked everything, we were just having a chat... Of course, he wants to meet you. I'll give him your phone number."

Robin stopped thinking and listened to his feelings. He made several movements with his hand to tell Regina that he wanted to say something. The queen nodded.

"Henry, can you wait a second?" She pressed the mute button on her phone.

"I don't want to force you, but I realized that Henry is relaxed with you. It might be better if you were with us on our first meeting. If he is available today..."

Regina interrupted his speech as she smiled. "I will ask him."

Robin saw her break the silence, gracefully holding the phone to her ear. "I'm sorry for interrupt but, Robin had an amazing idea. If you're available today, we can have dinner together. The three of us."

Sometimes, even simple words can fit inside it all the beauties of life. The word 'the three of us' filled the hearts with all three of them with love and excitement.

He didn't need to hear Henry approve, Regina's shiny eyes told him everything.

"We will be waiting for you." She hung up the phone. "He'll be here in an hour."

"Thank you, Regina."

"What are you thanking for?"

"I don't know." A smile appeared on his face. "Even though it's late, for giving me everything I want and need."

"No matter what I do, I can't make up for what I did by hiding him from you."

"I'm not just talking about Henry."

"Robin..." She was grateful to be sitting. Otherwise, her legs were screaming they wouldn't be able to keep her up. She felt the warmth in her entire body rise and gather on her cheeks.

"I-well-I'll inform for dinner."

She averted her eyes and stood up hastily. Robin saw her chest rise and fall with deep breaths as she quickly straightened her skirt. He laughed silently at the woman's embarrassment, bowing his head.

Let the flirt season begin! Again!

Exactly an hour later, Graham broke into the drawing room to announce Henry's arrival.

"I'm going to get him. Do you want to come or wait?" The Queen asked as she stood up.

"I will wait you. He will need his mother's support. I had enough."

Regina responded with a broad smile and went out into the hallway to greet her son.

She saw Henry come up the stairs with Ruby escorted, and wrapped her fingers in the banister after telling Graham to check the food.

"Henry!" Her voice was like a bird chirping with morning cheer.

The young boy climbed the last step and slipped into his mother's open arms and hugged her.

"I missed you." Regina whispered while running her fingers through his hair. "How are you?"

"Like the first day of school."

Regina released her laugh. "It seems I have two students starting school today.

"What is he thinking about me?"

"I know he already loves you, Henry."

"But he doesn't even know me."

"Parents has unconditional love for their child. Your presence means whole world to us... It's just..." She remained silent for a second and filled her lungs with a deep breath. "Don't punish Robin for my mistake, please, all responsibility is mine."

"I thought we left behind this." His reassuringly intelligent eyes fixed on his mother's.

"I know. I just want you both to be happy."

She took his hand in hers. "Let's go."

Henry's strides were slower than Regina's, their arms folded into a long broken line with their hands bound together within walking distance. Regina saw Robin walking slowly around the room. Turning her head to her son, she realized that he was also biting his lip. The guilt she felt about all this continued to weigh on her more and more.

She cleared her throat lightly and informed Robin that they have came. The man's eyes slid up the carpet's patterns and met his son, who was holding his mother's hand. Regina could see tears gathering around the blue orbs. She didn't dare turn to look at Henry, afraid to see the emotion-filled eyes of her little prince too.

Although the reason for this meeting was to turn a new page and a bond of love, the queen could not get the sadness of regret out of her mind and heart.

She could not put her logic into action while she kept thinking whether she should introduce them to each other. Robin preceded her and stepped forward, reaching out to Henry, who was now standing beside Regina.

"Hi, Henry. I'm Robin."

"Hi." If it weren't for his confident posture, his facial expression was extremely timid.

The father and son shared a little smile. Regina decided she needed to interfere in the quiet, and put her hand on Henry's shoulder.

"Why don't we sit? Dinner's almost ready."

While they were fascinated by each other, she directed them until they regained their consciousness. After letting them sit in the double seat, she sat down in the single seat next to its.

She was grateful that she hadn't fallen into such an environment on their first meeting with Henry, but she immediately gave up when she remembered her son kicking her out of the house and the emotional and physical breakdown that followed.

At least Henry wasn't looking at Robin with hate. She thinks that their relationship will be easier than their own.

Her son already had a mother figure in his life, Henry never felt her space but, his father wasn't like that. Although she knew that Emma did everything to make the child feel the absence of his father, she understood the importance of having a man idol in his life for a child, especially a boy. She needed a woman idol in her life but, her mother had other priorities that prevented her from giving it to her.

"You look like your mother, except your eyes."

"His eyes look like your mother." The queen thought of Katherine Locksley who loved her as her own daughter. When Robin took her to meet his family, she was the person Regina felt closest to a mother.

"When she finds out, she'll be happy that she can finally get the upper hand on my father." He laughed when visualized his family.

The brunette woman attended him while living same dream. How much she misses contentions of Katherine and Robert Locksley! She always dreamed that she and Robin would be like them.

Robin explained immediately when he saw Henry's eyes filled questions.

"My father's eyes are blue. My sister Belle's and mine too. My mother the only one who has hazel eyes in our family. There is a big conflict between them about this."

"It seems that they are fun people."

"I'm sure you will love them. They will visit soon."

"Where do they live?"

"In England. I've grown up in there, we had come Storybrooke for my university. They've come back England a few years ago."

The woman in the corner watched with delight as the tense atmosphere dissipated and Henry and Robin had a natural conversation. She wanted to give them some space, and she went to check out the dinner. She was careful to make sure their first family dinner was perfect.

After making sure that everything was ready to be served in the kitchen, she returned to her family and found them more comfortable than when she had left them. She leaned against the door in silence for a while, watching them try to get to know each other.

She could always see many traces of Robin in Henry, but from there it became much clearer.

After the blond man showed the boy sitting across from him a list of his favorite songs, Henry noticed Regina in the room.

"Did you know Robin plays the guitar, Regina?" He asked excitedly.

"Do you still play?" She answered his son by showing that she knew and also told the man about her hope and her desire to listen again.

"Not very often." Robin's bitter expression said it all again.

She couldn't decide whether it was good or bad that they could read each other so clearly like a book.

Robin had tried playing the guitar before entering college, but he had been bullied in high school. It was Regina who encouraged him to try again. Once he returned, he couldn't put it down, playing love songs for his love had become his favorite moments of the day. They would sit there for minutes with their eyes locked on each other, immersing themselves in the flow of love with the melody.

Day by day, Regina was realizing how much of a shock she had created in his life...

"Whatever the reason, you must not give up. If even Beethoven, who still plays music when he is deaf, hasn't made any excuses, there is no valid reason for you to be offended by your guitar. Music is the best way to express feelings."

It was Robin's turn to see the traces of the person he loved in their son. He met Regina's eyes for a brief moment as he was enveloped in a sense of dejavu. How had Henry grown so much look like them while he was away from them?

"My heartbreak was disrespectful to Beethoven."

The man's heartbreaks jumped out and pierced the standing woman's heart as pointed pieces.

"But I think it's time to give my guitar a good care. I think we can fix this disrespect, as there is a way to mend every broken one."

Regina's held breath escaped her lips. Although Henry did not understand the meaning behind what he said, the messages reached their owner.

"You may want to continue at the table. Dinner will come soon."

Henry sat on the left side of the table. As a gentleman, Robin pulled out the queen's chair at the head of the table before he settled into his own. She sat down as she thanked him.

As the meal was being served, Robin saw what was on his plate and lowered his head, trying to suppress a smile. It somehow felt better to see the details that remained the same through all this change.

"Mmm, I love lasagna." At Henry's comment, they both turned to their son.

"Why are you looking like that?" The boy was surprised by the gaze of his parents.

Henry looked between them in surprise as both remained silent.

"Lasagna is my favorite dish." Regina acted first.

Robin continued after her. "Mine too."

"Oh." The boy smiled. "The three of us have one thing in common."

"If you didn't clone yourself and send your clone to the kitchen while you were with me, I'm guessing you didn't cook this."

Regina nodded, laughing at his comment. "I don't do engineering anymore, running a country takes all my time."

"Oh, so your inventions are unfinished."

"I was about to find the teleportation." Her lips curved downward.

The Storybrooke palace resounded with the liveliest laughter it had seen in years. Three distinct tones danced with each other as they floated across the room.

"I didn't cook the lasagna, but I guarantee our chef cooked it very well. Bon Appétit."

She watched intently as the men on either side of her cut a piece and popped it into their mouths. Robin chewed slowly, separating every single flavor in it. Henry had already muttered and swallowed with satisfaction.

"Really the best lasagna I've ever had."

The man who finally swallowed the dish said, "I advise you not to decide too soon. You haven't eaten what Regina cooked yet. She still cooks the most delicious lasagna I've ever eaten."

Blood rushed to the queen's cheeks.

"My mom said you made apple pie very well, too."

"It was indispensable for environments." Robin said. "When we decided to meet, everyone was begging her to make it and bring it."

"Henry, never do anything too well, or you'll have to do it until you get tired of it." The woman gave a playful warning to her son.

"You have-You had lost that chance." The blond man maintained the cheerful mood.

But the queen knew it wasn't the biggest chance she'd ever lost.

She wished for the rest of her life to be able to bake and take apple pie to meetings, and when the things she does reluctantly later turn into 'if only', she realized its worth in the bitterest way.

She never needed to cook in this palace, her lover who kissed her to cook beloved lasagna, her friends begging for apple pie were not with her. Instead, she had her husband, who wanted her to always come down to dinner before him, not keep him waiting, and do her duty of being a doll even when she's not hungry.

Robin saw Regina gazing into space and her smile fading. He touched her hand on the table unnoticed to Henry who was back to eat.

"What happened?" He whispered.

"Nothing." The woman coming out of her trance averted her eyes and said.

As the sun leaves its place to the moon, Henry stared in admiration at the glowing lights of the garden through the window. Colors reflected from the pool found the apple tree. The thought that came to mind made the boy's eyes gleam.

He suddenly turned towards his parents, who were sitting on the couch. "Shall we go to the garden?"

His parents couldn't understand the meaningless -it was extremely meaningful to him- smile on the excited boy's face, but they agreed. Henry, who guided their short walks unnoticed to the tree, said he wanted to look at the pool, and he ran away from them.

"Today was very meaningful. Thanks for joining, Regina. Your presence has been good for both of us." Two orbs resembling the ocean met with chocolate ones.

"It's my pleasure. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."

Robin happily agreed, thinking that she hadn't mentioned only that day.

As he continued to stare at the woman returning to watch her son, his eyes tripped over the sitting area behind her. The familiarity he had felt sitting in the study room came back to him. He walked around the back of Regina towards the tree.

Panic took over the queen's body when she realized where he was going as she watched him leave. She struggled with the urge to reach out and pull him from the tree.

"Robin-"

"Is that it?" The man asked without turning to her.

He had already closed the distance between him and the trunk of the tree before the woman had a chance to reply. His eyes scanned the tree in the moonlight and the colors reflecting from the pool, and when he found what he was looking for, his arm lifted, fingertips meeting the brown bark.

He turned his head over his shoulder to the queen standing where he had left off. "Why did you bring it here?"

Regina could see the tears in his eyes shining from the reflected light. Thousands of words came behind her lips but did not reach the front. She wanted to cry out her love and longing that did not stop for years; she wanted to say that she felt a little at home with a part of him here.

"Regina?"

"Can we talk about that later?... Please."

She didn't think she could handle any more of her memories for the moment; their past, which had engulfed their souls all day, was enough to reveal the feelings they had locked onto for years.

If she talked about the tree, she would have to reveal her life in the luxury prison, too, and Regina just didn't feel strong enough to deal with it.

The helplessness that sat in her eyes attracted him like a magnet. He was filled with the urge to take her back in his arms and tell her that everything was over, that he was with her now, but he didn't want to go too fast and crash into the wall again, so he just held her hand.

"We'll talk whenever you want."

"Thank you." Because of the lump in her throat, her voice barely reached even the man who had almost no space between them.

"It's late, we'd better give ourselves time. I'll drive Henry home."

Regina nodded slowly.

"Henry!" Robin called out to the boy who had been secretly watching them for minutes, and Henry turned in the direction of the sound as if he had never seen them.

When he reached them, he could not tell whether his plan had worked out well or badly, he found two confused faces before him.

"Do you mind if I take you home?"

"My mom was going to pick me, but I'll call and tell you'll drive."

"Okay." The boy wrapped his arms around his mother. "Today was very nice."

"For me too, dear."

Regina stayed behind as Robin put his hand on Henry's shoulder and steered his car to the front yard where he had parked. She continued to stare at the 'Rx2+H' expression engraved on the trunk of the tree, whose location she knew by heart, though she could not see it from this distance.

Notes:

Did you like the Mills-Locksley family? I adore family dinners, I liked to include the fact that all three love lasagna. I hope you loved it too.

What do you think of the 'Rx2+H' expression, Regina and Robin scraped the 'Rx2' part together, and Regina added the '+H' later.

Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think.

See you next week!