Killian gets time with both his boys. Ruby and Dorothy plan a trip, and Roland gets comforted by someone he wasn't expecting.
The Jolly Roger
Killian Jones sat in the large leather captain's chair, holding his now-sleeping eleven-month-old son Nathaniel in the crook of his arm, his free hand gently stroking the boy's cheek. Opposite him sat Ruby and Dorothy, each holding a glass of port, served by Rosalind, who stood beside her husband. The two couples had just enjoyed a hearty lunch on board, cooked by Killian's new chef Patrick. Replete, they were now slowly recovering.
"Ladies, in the month I've been back, I feel like I've fallen in love all over again. I'm going to miss this young man terribly."
Dorothy smiled at Ruby, who was holding an equally slumbering Liam Jones in her arms. "And now he's met his father and brother, I'm sure he'll miss you too. Do you both really need to leave?"
"Sadly, we do," Rosie answered for him. "Kill's still got a bunch of things still to do from Zeus's list. Plus, we're going to Queen Elsa's and Little John's wedding. We'll need to be gone at least two months."
"I'm sorry to see you go. I even wish we could come with you. With the boys, I feel we've all become quite the little family now, the four of us."
Rosie beamed down on her. "Awe, what a lovely thing to say? I feel the same about you two. We're family now." She leaned over and placed a soft kiss on the top of the wolf's head. "You know, seeing Nat and Liam together gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. Like it'd be wrong to separate them."
"I have to agree with my girl," Killian wink at her. "You know, you're welcome to join us? Rosie's father will be in Arendelle for the wedding, too. I'm pretty sure he could open some sort of portal to get you back quicker. Thanks to him, we have some larger cabins here you could use. We'd be more than happy to have you as our honoured passengers."
"Oh, I'd love that!" The idea excited Dorothy. "We used to travel so much, and we haven't since…well, since we've been together. Ruby, is there any way…?"
"We have a diner to run! Of course I'd love to go but, I don't see how we could!"
"Well Mike's got the kitchen all nailed, he's found part-time staff for him and serving in front of shop recently, and he's forever telling us to clear off and take a proper break! Why don't we ask him?"
"Yeah!" Rosie agreed "And don't forget that Killian can magic up money! Coin doesn't matter to us these days, so we could easily help make him a generous payment for his time while you're away! Ladies, I think it's a great idea. You both get a decent break, and a chance to visit Arendelle, and our boys get a chance to be together. And with Tink still over there, I also get some decent female company on board. No offence Kill!"
"None taken love," he chuckled. "The crew's earthy humour can get a big much for you, I guess?"
"You can really magic up money?" Dorothy was dumbfounded. "So why do you keep sailing?"
"I owe the guy who brought me back from death, big time! So, if he has some 'tasks' for me, I'll do 'em."
"I'll have a word with Mike in the morning." Ruby was coming around to the idea. "Though we do also have a Royal Wedding of our own over here in six weeks' time, remember? We're not doing the catering, but we are guests!"
"Royal Wedding? Who?"
"Regina and Emma Swan-Mills. They're marrying Robin together. It'll be the second poly wedding held here."
"Oh, of course," Rosie now remembered. "I forgot. Anna's become best buddies with Robin's sister. Apparently, they were all in New York last week, shopping."
"Can we get back to the topic in question?" Killian didn't want reminding of his former lover's nuptials.
"I'll best have a word with dad. See if he can guarantee a portal back to Storybrooke. I may be wrong, but I think others from here are going there too, so he may already have it in hand. I'm sure we'll have you back here in no time!"
The Mansion – Mifflin Street
"Did Regina murder my mum?"
Robin's jaw dropped in shock, unsure how to answer him. However, Roland wasn't done. Not by a long way. "Is it true that Emma and Killian Jones almost got her back accidentally, by going back in time, but Zelena murdered her before she even got here?"
"Ro…Roland, I…"
"You swore you'd tell me the truth, dad! Did they? Did they kill my real mum?"
"Zelena did, the second time. Royal guards killed her the first time, on the Evil Queen's orders. That's not Regina though, Roland."
"How? How did she kill her?"
"Roland, I'm really not sure this-"
"HOW DAD? How did she die? The truth!"
For the first time ever, Robin felt almost intimidated by his son. "Villagers said she was captured by the Black Guard, after dropping off two children at a safe site. She was hanged nearby."
"Hanged?" My own mother, hanged? "Did you find out which soldiers did it?"
"We found out it was three of the Alpha Platoon, some of their most vicious. Alan-a-Dale and I...dealt with them."
"I hope that means you killed them?"
Robin nodded. "It was quick...and clean. Better than they deserved."
"And Zelena? How did she murder my mum?"
"I'm not sure. Apparently, your mother was putting up a fight not to come with them, so either Emma or Killian knocked her out. While she lay there unconscious, while they were gone, the Wicked Witch killed her and swapped identities, so she could travel back with them disguised as your mother. That's all I know."
He watched his boy's expression change, from sadness to anger. "So she killed her, while she just lay there? Where's her body? Where's her grave?"
"I really don't know, son. Somewhere in the Enchanted Forest, I presume."
"But Zelena would know, wouldn't she? She'd know where she put her body!"
"Roland, wherever she's buried, that's not your mother, my Marian, anymore! Her spirit, the woman I loved, has moved on to a much better place! And you know what? I truly believe you'll see her again!"
"That's not good enough, dad! Even Regina and Zelena, the women who killed her, get to visit their mother's grave! Henry goes to his dad's whenever he's back. But me? Nothing!"
"Roland, I not sure how we could even…"
"Zelena! How can you let her live, dad, knowing what she did? Now you have magic, why couldn't you just kill her? Destroy the bitch who murdered my mum!"
He ignored the swearing. This time. "Because that's not who I am, Roland! I thought about it many times and came close to doing it when I first came back. It's one of the reasons I'm getting therapy from Archie. But Zelena is also Margot's birth mother! Margot is an innocent in all this. Something pure from something horrible. And it would be wrong. Vengeance never satisfies the blood, my boy! I learned that so many years ago..."
"Well you had no problem killing King George or the Black Fairy, did you? But the woman who murdered my mum? Well I DO want to kill her! She gets a fucking life, and everything forgotten, but I get no mother…forever!"
Robin never heard Regina listening outside the door. Never saw her react in shock when she heard the boy's anger. Never saw her slump to the floor, leaning against the wall with her knees to her chest. Never saw the tears flow.
"Roland, I killed those two bastards because they were killing others and threatening worse! I won't kill Zelena because…"
"Because she's Regina's sister? Did she even apologise for raping you? Because that's what she did, didn't she?"
Oh, that hurt! He'd gone straight to the nub of why Archie was treating him. Robin felt like crumbling at the vile memory.
"Roland, please? We have to move on. We-"
"I want to kill her. I WILL kill her! She doesn't have magic any more. And if she never comes back here, I'll go to her! I'm sorry dad, but I don't think I can live here right now. Not like this!"
"Roland, don't talk like that! This isn't you! I know you're angry. I was too. But you're only twelve. You have to live here with us."
"I can live in Sherwood. The guys can take care of me, like they always have. Like when you died…"
"Roland, NO! Despite what you've just discovered, I am your father and you will obey me! You will NOT leave this house without my express permission. Do you understand?"
Roland said nothing. Just sat staring at him, challenging him with angry eyes.
"I SAID DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Robin barked, sadness now turning to anoyance.
"You can shout at me dad, but can't keep me here forever!" His son challenged, eerily calm for his age. "I know you're bigger than me and have magic now. You can lock me up. But one day, you'll have to let me go. And I vow I will kill that murdering bitch, or die trying..."
Robin's heart broke. We didn't want to shout at or fall out with his wonderful boy. Didn't want to lock him in his room. Didn't want to bellow at him. Hell, he understood why he was so angry. He'd just discovered his own mother had been murdered by someone he knew! But he couldn't condone murder.
He had to take a stand now if he were to avoid everything spiralling out of control!
"You'll stay in your bedroom tonight. No TV, no phone. I'll bring your supper here, but you will NOT leave your room! You can use the adjoining bathroom, but I'm putting a seal on anywhere else. I'm sorry Roland, but you cannot take the law into your own hands."
"Like everyone around here who has magic does, eh?" A cynical tone returned to Roland's voice.
Robin wanted to respond, but thought better of it. Let's both cool down! He flicked his fingers to create a magical barrier, preventing the boy from leaving his room, combined with a sound blocking charm.
~oOo~
But as he stepped out, he barely noticed one of his fiancées sitting just outside the door, on the floor with her head in her hands.
"Regina? What are you-? What did you hear?" He almost groaned the last words.
"Enough," she sobbed, red eyed. "He's right though, isn't he? If anyone had done to me what I, or Zelena, have done to his own mother, to your family, I would have killed them in the blink of an eye!"
"You're not that person any more. You know that."
"Doesn't bring back Marian though, does it?" she croaked.
"No. But you, unlike your sister, have regretted your actions ever since, and taken steps to make amends."
"Every day! But it still doesn't change things does it? He's right to hate me." She still couldn't look up to face him.
"Roland doesn't hate you! It's just…this is all news to him. He's confused, but he'll get through it. As I did."
"I need to talk to him. I have to apologise. I need to fix what I've done."
"No, Regina! Seriously. If you go in there now, it'll just make things worse! I've also just put a seal on his door."
"I murdered his mother, Robin! His life was ruined, because of me!"
"That's an exaggeration. He hardly knew Marian. He was very young."
"I heard him! He doesn't want to live here…with me." She almost whimpered the last words..
"What's going on? I heard shouting!" A new voice from the stairs made them jump. "Regina? What're you doing down there? Why are you crying?" Emma dropped to her knees in front of her.
"Roland found out about Marian. About how she died…twice!" Regina croaked, between sobs. "I heard him."
"Yeah,' Robin nodded. "He was angry and said some things. I've sealed and silenced his room till he calms down. I'll bring him some dinner later but…it's not good!"
~oOo~
The moment his father left the room, Roland picked up his tablet to make the call, something he'd been intending to do when he'd been interrupted.
"Ro? What you doing, bro? You stormed off! What happened?" asked Henry.
Roland had come to regard Henry as a kind-of step brother over the last few years. Both having had a fairly traumatic childhood and the loss of a parent, the boys had an affinity, an understanding, and the pair had grown to confide in one another. Though Henry, under sound advice from Emma, Regina and Archie, had never disclosed to him the circumstances of his mother's death or his father's rape at the hands of the Wicked Witch. So, as Roland now told him what he knew and what had happened, he felt guilty for having withheld so much.
"Why didn't you tell me, Henry? I thought we were friends?"
"We're more than friends, Ro, I think of you as my little brother! And I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but my mums and Archie really thought you knowing all that stuff could do you more harm than good! I was planning on telling you when you were a bit older. You deserve to know, but…"
"But you couldn't tell me now? Henry, they murdered my mum!"
"You forget, Zelena was responsible for my dad's death too! He died to save the town from her. I know how you feel Roland. There's not a day goes by when I don't think about him. Especially when I see that ginger bitch in town." It was rare for Henry to show anger, but old feelings surfaced.
"Even more reason to kill her! She doesn't deserve to live."
"Roland, you may be right, but I've seen this before. Killing Zelena won't bring your mum back! And don't forget, Margot is an innocent in all this! If anyone should punish Zelena, it should be your dad. But he won't do that, because he's one of the good guys. And what about my mum, Regina? She'd had Marian killed the first time. Do you want to kill her too?"
"I don't know. I can't imagine her doing something like that. Dad says her soldiers did it. But she was in charge, wasn't she? She let it happen?"
"The Evil Queen killed hundreds, perhaps thousands, Ro! Some of them were mothers and children. But that isn't the same woman who you live with now!"
"I don't think I can live here...with her...anymore. Now I know."
"Roland, you don't mean that! You're just angry; and I get it but, you need to think what you're saying! Don't do anything stupid, okay?"
But Roland decided to blank him. "Sorry Henry, call coming in. I really need to go. Bye!" He suddenly ended the call.
The Town Hall
"Come on in, Sheriff. You said you needed to see me?" Philip Briar welcomed him into his office.
"I did, Mister Mayor. Thanks for seeing me at short notice."
The former Prince Philip had been the elected mayor of Storybrooke for over a year and a half. In that time, after proposing Hank Morgan, a former Knight of the Round Table, as his sheriff, the pair had restored a sense of order to the town, following a turbulent period after the removal of Mayor Spencer. Although both were military men from another age, they had embraced the new knowledge and technology from the Land without Magic, learning and introducing computers and many other modern systems to the running of the magical town. With the result that most of the administrative functions became smoother, simpler and more streamlined as a result. And now-elected Sheriff Hank Morgan and his trusted deputies had played a strategic part in its success.
"You're welcome. What can I do for you, Hank?"
"Well…I've decided, or I should say Laura and I have decided, to move to Connecticut. She has family there and, what with Violet now in Boston, we felt the time was right. I'm giving you a month's notice."
"I'm very sorry to hear that, although I wish you both well. Not so good for me, though! Frankly, you'll be difficult to replace. You've been an excellent sheriff, and I'm sure I'm not alone in saying I'm going to miss you."
"That's kind of you to say, Phil. And for the record, I've enjoyed working with you enormously. You've made so many changes here, I'm sure you'll find an excellent replacement. What about Mulan? She's always been a superb officer, far better than me. I'm sure she would be an excellent sheriff. Or Emma Swan-Mills? She's held the post before..."
"True. Well, I agree with you about Mulan; she is my wife after all! And I did propose her once! Though I think if she took it and won the election, I should rightfully stand down as the mayor. I don't think it's healthy to have both the senior positions held by members of the same family. I have no problem in standing down after all. I came into this on a temporary basis, but I'm a soldier like you, not a politician."
"I think most of this town would disagree with you on that! Your little family is very well regarded here, and after all that nonsense with the royals, Spencer and Nottingham before, you were all a breath of fresh air. You have two rather astonishing wives, young man! Aurora is rather brilliant at running the nursery, the social services and the elderly support team. And Mulan? Well let's face it, she could run anything thrown at her."
"I know, I'm blessed! We got some very strange treatment from some people when we married her, but I couldn't imagine life without either of them! Well Hank, first you're going to help me interview your replacement, then you're going to be the principal guest at the leaving party I'm going to throw you! Mayor's orders, and all that." He smiled at his sheriff, knowing he was going to really miss his friend.
Back in Mifflin Street...
Three hours had passed since Robin had used magic to seal his son in his bedroom. Three hours of guilt on his part, and he felt terrible for doing it. Regina had stayed silent, knowing that if she interfered, it could well backfire. In her mind, she was the cause of this. Her past crimes coming back to bite her. The thought of losing her younger son to bitterness made her feel really rather ill.
As he sat, silently nursing his coffee in front of the fire, he felt a warm hand wrap around his arm. "Robin. I know it's your decision. You're his father, after all, but out of the three of us, I'm the one least involved. Would you mind letting me talk to him alone? Just the two of us?"
He looked up to see soft green, sympathetic eyes staring down. "I'm not sure it would help."
"Let me try? Please?" Emma pleaded, lowering herself to place a soft kiss on his forehead. He smiled up, before pulling her head down a little lower to peck her lips. "Okay." He flicked his fingers to silently change the spell over Roland's room. "You can go in now. He can't come out…"
~oOo~
A few minutes later, as he sat on his bed, surfing for details on Zelena's current whereabouts, Roland heard a soft knock on the door.
"May I come in?"
Of the adults downstairs, Emma was the last person he expected to see. "Dad's locked me in."
"I know..." The door opened, and Emma stepped inside, moving closer to the bed. "Can I have a word?"
"If it's to tell me I can't kill Zelena, then no! Dad already gave me the talk…"
"No. It's not that. I just wanted to talk to you. Not to talk about her, but to tell you something about me. And Regina." She stepped closer, lifting herself on to the end of his bed, before bringing her legs up.
He rolled his eyes, expecting yet another talk on behaviour, or revenge.
"You know, Roland, I was completely alone most of my life, right up until I was twenty-eight. I didn't know where I was from, who my parents were, or anything. All I had was a blanket that said 'Emma' on it. I spent most of my childhood being passed between foster homes. I went on the wrong side, I stole, I got pregnant and I even once went to prison for a year. Then one day, an annoyingly persistent ten-year-old boy came to my flat, telling me I was the mother who had given him up for adoption!"
"I heard about that. From Henry."
"Yeah? Well, it's true. I came to this crazy little town. Your mum…Regina…well she was the Mayor. And a horrible one at that! She tried to run me out of town. She really was a thorough b-i-t-c-h!"
"You mean bitch? If you mean bitch, just say bitch!" Nonetheless, he gave the tiniest hint of a smirk.
"Yeah, all right smart-ass. Bitch! I hated her!"
"You hated Regina?"
"Couldn't stand her! She was horrible to me. She thought I was a threat and tried to get rid of me. Even so far as giving me a poisoned apple turnover to put me under a sleeping curse, just like she did to Snow White! She actually tried to kill me!"
"And Henry bit it instead, right? To prove to you he wasn't making things up?" He already knew the story. Emma sighed. This was going to be more difficult than she thought!
"Well, anyway. Henry bit something intended for me, and it put him under a sleeping curse. After trying everything at the hospital they thought he's died. So upset and not knowing what I was doing, I kissed his head, which broke the curse and brought him back to life. It was then I started believing in magic. It took a while before I realised, after something Rumpelstiltskin said, that I had it too! After that, I also realised Henry was right all along, and that Snow White and Prince Charming really were my parents."
"And Regina Mills was the Evil Queen!" Roland added, making Emma wince. "I knew that, too."
"Yeah. Although even then, she was trying to change. For Henry. She and I had fights. She wanted to kill me, and I sure as hell hated her! But somehow, we survived. Ro, do you know how and why she became the Evil Queen?"
"She had magic! That sort of power over other people makes you do some stupid stuff!" There was certainty in his voice.
"It does, but something needs to trigger it! Did she ever tell you about Daniel?" He shook his head.
"Daniel was a stable-boy, who became Regina's first boyfriend. They were very much in love, and she wanted to marry him. Unfortunately, Regina's mum, Cora, had plans for Regina. She was a violent psychopath who had an evil plan for her daughter to become queen."
Emma gradually told Roland about the Red Queen's past crimes, including arranging for the murder of Snow White's mother, Queen Eva. Then how she arranged for Regina to act as a nanny for the young Snow White, gaining the attention of the old, widowed king, Leopold.
"There was no way Cora would let Regina marry Daniel. She wanted her to become queen by forcing her to marry Leopold. So, Regina planned to escape with Daniel. Unfortunately, she made the mistake of telling Snow White when she nagged her about something. Unfortunately, Snow told Cora, thinking it might help. Cora stopped them by killing Daniel, pulling out his heart and crushing it, right in front of Regina!"
"She killed him in front of her? That's…that's…"
"Horrible! It sent Regina crazy. Over the edge of sanity. She vowed revenge on Snow, for breaking her secret!"
"So that's why Snow White ran? But that's just stupid! Her mum killed him, not Snow!"
"Very true. And later Cora forced her to marry Snow's father, the King. Leopold was a brutal man. He was an old, frustrated, but still very powerful. And now he had a very young bride and he…well, let's just say he treated her badly. VERY badly!"
"You're saying he raped her, aren't you?"
Emma felt bad for revealing more about Regina's past than she intended. But he was a bright boy and he needed to understand. So, she just nodded. "And she had no way out. He was the King! That's got to make anyone go crazy, right? So she completely lost it. She tried to get her revenge on Snow White, and that's where the 'Evil Queen' nickname came from. Then, Rumpelstiltskin, who had taught Cora magic, realised that Regina had it too. He trained her and in her very fragile mental state, it just made her worse."
"I read she murdered thousands. How did Snow survive?"
"Well, I've only known my own mum for the last twelve years or so, but one thing I do know. She, and my dad, are amazing fighters who never give up! Plus, they're brilliant at rallying people to their cause, dad especially. The Evil Queen saw that, but the more she threatened and killed people, the more hostile they became, and the more they rallied to my parents side."
"So how did they stop her if she had magic?"
"I'm not sure how exactly, but I think it had something to do with Rumpelstiltskin, again. They captured her once, but mum wouldn't let them kill her, and banished her instead. So, she decided to escape it all by using a special dark curse that Rumpelstiltskin had created, to make a new realm that she could control. That's how Storybrooke was created. But to do that, she had to sacrifice the life of the one person she loved the most."
"Who? You said Daniel was already dead? Who could love such a horrible person?"
"Her own father, Prince Henry. My Henry was named after him. You know I met him in the Underworld? He seemed to a kindly, gentle man, but without any magic, too weak for a powerful witch like Cora. He was the last person who believed Regina could become good again. So to enact her curse, she crushed his heart."
"She killed him? Regina killed her own dad?" God, this was worse than he thought! She's a psychopath!
"Not Regina, the Evil Queen, the person darkness was controlling. But even after that, she still wasn't happy in her new life. She needed saving."
"By you, the Saviour?"
"Hardly! No, she was saved by my Henry, when she adopted him. He convinced her she could change. There was a time that he rejected her, and it nearly broke her! But eventually he realised that she was just the product of a very, very damaged childhood. Henry made her change for the good. A few years later, someone else came into her life. Someone who convinced her she could permanently renounce all darkness and be capable of being loved. Any ideas?"
"Dad?"
"Exactly. Your dad! Her true love and soulmate, according to Tinker Bell. And you helped her Roland, in your own way! You helped her just by loving her. Between you three, you changed her magic from dark to light. For the first time in most of her life, Regina was really cherished. Wanted. Then, nearly seven years ago, your dad showed the greatest love of all; he sacrificed his own life to save Regina, and his daughter, from one of the greatest evils ever. Hades, the Lord of the Underworld! There is no higher love than that, But that really did break her one and for all! Her true love was gone, for the second time. Roland, I'm not making any excuses for her past, but I just want you to know what led up to it."
"And what about you? You also fell in love with Regina too…" His face showed no reaction, good or bad.
Emma had never spoken about this with Roland before. Until recently, he had always been a lot more distant from her than Regina, choosing to always call her by her first name. "I did. I lost my own love, Killian Jones, just before your dad was killed. I became sick. I'm not sure whether you've learned about depression yet, Ro? But at the worst moments in your life, you sometimes do really stupid things. I drank too much alcohol and took drugs. I had to go to hospital to have things pumped out of my stomach to save my life. But your mum…Regina…she was much worse! After losing Robin, she was so depressed, she even tried to…tried to…harm herself."
"You're trying to say she tried to commit suicide?" he said it in a matter-of-fact voice.
God, that kid knows too much already for a twelve-year-old. "Yeah. But our family managed to save her. There's still a good few people in this town who care for her. Who know she changed. The two of us were in a very bad way. And all because we lost the loves of our lives."
For the first time, the wild-haired boy gave her a sad smile, dropping one of his hands on to hers, giving it a squeeze. Another little thing your father does, she thought.
"Go on. I'm still listening."
"All of that happened in just the first few months after their deaths. Then, Regina discovered she was pregnant, with Honour. That made her feel even more guilty that she could have killed her too, by accident. We were both having treatment under Doctor Hopper and Doctor Whale. We both moved into my mum and dad's place and spent a lot more time together. Neither of us could work, so we lost our jobs as Mayor and Sheriff. Finally, she gave birth to Honour, and that triggered us to go find her big brother; we needed you home, kid! About a year later I moved in here, as it was easier taking care of the baby together, while we were still going through the treatment programme."
"And that's when you fell in love with her?"
"It took a while. I slowly got over Killian's death, and started going out again. That's when I started to see Regina very differently. Once she'd moved past her darkness, I saw someone astonishing. She's really an incredible woman. Yes, she's beautiful and clever, but she has so much love in her, Roland! After a little while, my feelings for her grew to something more than just friendship. I had no idea she felt the same about me, until Archie banged our heads together. It was a little weird at first. We both felt guilty, like we were betraying the memories of Killian and Robin. Plus, neither of us had ever been in a relationship with another woman before. It took a long time, but finally, we admitted things had changed between us. A year later, I plucked up the courage to propose. I still wasn't sure she would accept."
"Thanks for telling me, I saw it made you uncomfortable. And what about you and dad?"
Emma found it easier to smile this time. "Roland, when your father, the famous Robin Hood, first came back from the dead, nearly two years ago, I couldn't bear it! Regina was always madly in love with him, and I knew I never stood a chance against him when it came to her. The guy who gave his life for her? No competition! But something happened. Something wonderful. Robin never wanted to break us up, so he decided to make a friend of me instead. I never imagined it would happen, but I began to fall in love with him. I won't give you all the details because that's adult stuff. But I can honestly say I have never loved another man, not even Henry's father, as much as I now love your father! And I'm really looking forward to being his wife; well, one of his wives!"
"I know he feels the same about you, Emma. About both of you. He told me."
The pair sat silently for a few minutes, holding hands, Roland deep in thought. Eventually, and without warning, he rose onto his knees, before shuffling closer to her, silently wrapping his arms around her neck. Then, finally, the tears came. And Roland Locksley once more became a twelve-year-old boy, crying for the loss of the birth mother he never knew. Emma welcomed it, hugging him even tighter. It was the closest the pair had ever been.
Eventually, he pulled his head back, having left a large wet stain on her sweater.
"Its…it's not fair! I don't even have a picture of her! John, Will and the guys tell me all about this incredible woman who was my mum. All the great things she did! And I've got no memories. Nothing!" He returned to sobbing, which even brought a few tears from Emma. Jeez why do the Locksleys always reduce me to tears?
"You're right, Ro, it isn't fair. But you've given me an idea. What if I told you, I might have a way to get a few pictures of your mum? Would that help?"
He nodded silently, before burrowing his head back into her shoulder. She continued to hold him. "I'll do my best Rolly," she whispered, kissing his cheek. "I love you."
~oOo~
The awkward afternoon led to an uncomfortable evening for both Regina and Robin. Emma never left Roland's bedroom. After playing with all their daughters and toddlers, reading them bedtime stories and getting them settled, the pair finally prepared for a, probably restless, sleep. Regina had spent all day worrying about Roland's likely reaction when he next saw her, now he knew she was responsible, or at least partly responsible, for Marian's death. She now lay in the centre of the bed, trying to read, for the umpteenth time, a page from Cymbeline, one of Shakespeare's lesser known, later plays, which she knew Henry had been studying recently. It just wasn't sinking in.
Robin stepped into the bedroom. "I always think you look sexy in those glasses!"
She half-attempted a smile, rolling her eyes. "You'd say I was sexy with a monocle! Have you checked on him yet? What's going on in there?"
"Yes. I peeped in. Emma's in bed with him and they're snuggled up. Let's try and talk to her?" He stepped to her side and took her hand. Closing his eyes, he focused on his blonde fiancée, using his mind to reach her with their telepathic link. Fortunately, she wasn't asleep.
[Emma, my love? Is Roland asleep? Are you ok?]
[Robin? That you? Jeez I still can't get used to talking this way! I keep thinking I'm going mad!]
[It's me. How did it go?]
[He's asleep now. I might stay the night with him, if that's okay? It was quite emotional. We talked a lot. About Regina's past and about mine. He's a bit better now, but there's a lot of feelings he's bottled up about Marian. He's really upset about the fact he can't remember her. Robin, do you have any drawings of her or anything that belonged to her? You said you used to draw?]
[No pictures, but I may have something back in Sherwood. I'll check in the morning. I haven't drawn for a long time. I made lots of sketches of Marian, but they all got lost in the realm switch. I could ask Tuck though? He keeps lots of old records and things. Perhaps he has something…]
[I thought not. But I had an idea. You remember those dream catchers from Camelot? Well when I was a Dark One, I used to pull memories out, to put them into the catcher to display them. I don't have those powers now, but Mulan said Merlin's back? Perhaps he could help us pull something from your memories of Marian to show him? We could even get a picture or two from it?]
[Emma, that's brilliant! I'll call him in the morning]
[Okay. Gina? I can sort of sense you. Are you hearing this?]
[I'm here, Emma. I was just listening. He must hate me so much right now! I'm not sure if he'll ever look at me again, after what I've done!]
[That's not true. Just give him a chance for everything to sink in. He'll be alright, you'll see. Anyway, you get some sleep. Robin, hold our girl especially close tonight, please? I'll try to sneak out first thing tomorrow]
[I will, and thanks for doing this. Sleep well, my love. Our love]
~oOo~