Dad Quest (Part II)
Sophie was thrilled the next day when Regina told her that Will would be joining them for dinner. "Great. I can get stories about you out of him," she said, teasing her mother.
Regina smiled before frowning. "I've already spoken to Will about your father."
"I figured," Sophie sighed. "He's not going to tell me, is he?"
"No. I've asked him not to."
She parked the car by the promenade, but didn't move to get out. First, she turned to Sophie. "I'm trying not to be the bad guy."
"I don't think you're the bad guy. I just want to understand why you don't want me to know who my father is."
Regina sighed. "Maybe it is time for us to have this talk. Just…after the Summer Festival, okay? When we have all the time in the world together."
"Okay. I'm going to hold you to it though," Sophie said, glad that her mother was softening up. Maybe she would tell her the name of her father before she had to track down her other two candidates.
They got out of the car to find Will waiting for them on the promenade. He held two bouquets. "Flowers for two pretty women," he said, giving them to mother and daughter.
"You're still the charmer, aren't you?" Regina teased him, smiling.
Will laughed. "I am only telling the truth though, Regina."
"Thank you," Sophie said, clutching her yellow roses closer. "These are great. How did you know they were my favorite?"
"They were your mother's," Will replied.
Regina smiled. "Still are."
Sophie smiled as well, putting another checkmark into the mental columns she kept in her head. Will moved up as her potential father. After all, why else would he know her mother's favorite flowers?
Regina urged them forward, reminding them that they had reservations and a fifteen minute walk ahead of them. Sophie walked between the two, holding her mother's hand while Will kept one of his on her back. As they strolled along the promenade, she wondered if this was what it felt like to have a proper family.
"Regina Mills? Why you haven't aged a day," a deep male voice said from behind them.
Sophie felt both her mother and Will tense up as they turned around to look at the voice's owner. He was taller than her mother, with brown hair brushed into a fancy hairstyle. Though he smiled, there was something about that seemed off to her. She shrunk into her mother's side and Regina wrapped her arm around her.
"Keith Nott. What brings you to Storybrooke?" she asked.
He held up one of the invites Sophie now wished she hadn't sent him. There was no way he was her father. That her mother did that mysterious thing adults were always vague about to create her with him.
Regina frowned as she took it from him. "Nott's Bounty Hunting?"
"Yes," Keith said, puffing out his chest. "And I must say I'm one of the best in the business."
Will rolled his eyes. "It seems to suit you."
"Will Scarlet." Keith looked him up and down with a cold, calculating look that sent shivers down Sophie's spine. "I'm surprised I haven't had to track you down yet. Been able to keep dodging the law?"
"I've gone legit, not that it's any of your business." Will stared the man down, arms crossed.
Sophie felt her mother push her toward Will. "Can you take Sophie to the restaurant, Will? I'll join you in a little bit."
"Of course. But if you're not there in ten minutes, I'm sending someone after you, yeah?" He glared at Keith as he took the girl's hand in his.
She clutched onto his hand though she didn't want to leave her mother. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw her mother stand rigid and with her arms crossed. She was uncomfortable around Keith as well.
"Maybe we should go back," she told Will. "Keep Mom safe."
Will stopped, hugging her. "Don't worry. Your mom can protect herself. And we set up a check in time, yeah? I'm sure she'll make it, but if she doesn't…"
"We send Aunt Emma after her? She's the sheriff," Sophie said.
He nodded. "We send your aunt after her. Now, tell me about yourself. What's your favorite subject in school?"
With one last glance over her shoulder, Sophie couldn't see her mother anymore. So she focused on Will's distraction. "Well, I really like math. My friends think I'm nuts but I understand it better than they do."
Will laughed. "Well, aren't you a little genius? Then again, your mother was always good at math. She just liked political science a bit more."
"She still uses math when she has to put together the budget," Sophie said. "This year, she let me watch and I almost understood it."
"Maybe you'll be a mayor like her, then?"
Sophie paused, before shaking her head. "I don't know what I want to be yet, but I know that's not it."
"Well, if you're good at math and you like it, then you have a lot of options in front of you." Will winked at her. "Dream big, little one."
They arrived at the restaurant and were seated at a table by a window, giving them a view of the setting sun as it sunk below the ocean. Sophie sighed. "I wish I could draw. This would make a beautiful painting."
"You ever take a class?" Will asked after ordering drinks for them.
"We have art class in school—Mom's really great about making sure the budget supports the arts—and she let me take a few classes last summer. And I was okay, but nothing amazing. Not like my friend Henry."
"He a good artist then?"
Sophie nodded. "And a good writer. Our teacher submitted one of his short stories this year and it got published in a magazine."
"You sound proud of him," Will said.
"Of course. He's my friend."
Their drinks arrived as Regina walked up to the table. Relief filled Sophie and she smiled at her mother. "You made it!"
"Of course. Keith Nott isn't much a threat." Regina sat down, tucking her daughter's hair behind her ear. "Sorry to worry you, sweetie."
Will leaned closer, handing her a glass of wine. "You sure you okay?"
She nodded. "I just need to figure out how he got an invite, but otherwise, everything's fine."
Sophie slumped down, focusing on her soda as she prayed no one noticed how guilty she looked. She regretted sending that invite and prayed her mother had Keith Nott escorted out of Storybrooke. Right now, she'd be fine just getting to know Will and not even meeting Robin Locksley. What if he was worse than Keith?
As dinner wore on, Sophie decided she liked Will more and more. He was funny and seemed like a good person. And he showed interest in both her and her mother, caring about them. She started to really hope he was her father.
"Sophie, can you put these books back on the shelf for me? I have to organize the reading circle." Belle handed her a small pile of books.
She nodded. "Do you need any other help?"
"No, but keep your eye out for any little kids who might need it. Okay?" Belle smiled at Sophie.
The girl balanced the books as she walked over to a bookcase. She spied a small group of boys who were in the grade ahead of her at Storybrooke Academy, standing in a circle. One held a stuffed monkey in the air as the others laughed. As she watched, a small boy—maybe a first grader at best—jumped up, trying to grab the monkey.
"Come on, baby. What's the matter? Too small?" the bully sneered.
"Give it back!" The smaller boy jumped more, his dark curls bouncing with every attempt to retrieve his toy. "It's mine."
"Only babies have stuffed animals. Don't you think it's time to grow up?"
"Maybe you should grow up first," Sophie said, putting the books down and charging over to the group. "Picking on a small kid isn't very mature."
The boys turned on her. "Keep out of this. This doesn't concern you, Princess."
"I'm helping Miss Belle in the library and I have to help the little kids. He looks like he needs help so yes, this does concern me." Sophie crossed her arms, staring him down. "So back off, Trevor."
Trevor advanced on her, glowering. "You think you're all that because you're the mayor's kid. You're just a spoiled little princess."
"Give me the monkey, Trevor," Sophie repeated as their victim darted behind her legs.
He rolled his eyes, shoving the toy at her. "Fine. I'm bored of this anyway."
"Good, because I can use three strong boys like you in the storage room." Belle appeared, almost out of nowhere. She smiled at the three. "Why don't you follow me?"
They groaned but filed after Belle as Sophie glared at them. Once they were gone, she turned to the little boy and held out his monkey. "Here you go."
"Thank you." He hugged the toy close. "I'm Roland and this is Mr. Bananas."
Sophie smiled, introducing herself. "If you or Mr. Bananas need anything, let me know."
Roland turned into her little shadow for the next couple of hours. Wherever she went, he followed. He didn't bother her, asking only a few questions and help once. Most times he just sat down by her, reading a few books she had chosen for him.
He was a sweet kid and she liked having him around, even if it meant helping with an odd word here or there. Every time she was rewarded with a bright smile and an adoring gaze. She wondered if that was what it was like to have a sibling.
"Roland?" He looked up at her voice, excited and she smiled. "Do you want to go to the arts and crafts table?"
Roland nodded. "Will you help me with it? If it's hard?"
"Of course. But I have a feeling you're an arts and crafts champ."
He giggled, taking her hand and letting her lead him to the table where the other little kids sat making whatever craft Belle had decided on for the day. They sat on the carpet next to each other and Sophie spent the next hour helping him.
"So did you discover who invited that bounty hunter?" Mal took a sip of her pinot noir as she sat at lunch with Emma and Regina.
Regina sighed. "I don't have definitive proof, but I have a strong suspicion it was my daughter."
"Sophie?" Emma frowned as she leaned forward. "Why?"
"I've told you she's asking about her father more and more. A few weeks ago, she discovered an old picture and realized it was taken around the time she was conceived. It was a group shot, though, not one of just me and her father." Those were locked away in a metal box buried so deep in Regina's closet, Sophie would've needed mining equipment to find it.
Emma tilted her head. "So you think she identified her potential fathers, got their business addresses and snuck them onto the invite list?"
"She always has been clever," Mal said, impressed. She reached across the table, taking Regina's hand. "Are you okay with him possibly coming to Storybrooke?"
Mal and Emma knew her story, Emma's being somewhat similar. Neal, though, had left her with not just a child and a broken heart, but with stolen goods as well. Mal had taken on her case as a young idealistic public defender and managed to get Emma off with probation. When Mal discovered she was pregnant after a one night stand, she felt a kinship with the pregnant blonde teen. She took Emma to the same ob-gyn Regina used and an unlikely but beautiful friendship was born in the doctor's waiting room.
As Emma took her other hand, Regina once again wondered how she would've survived motherhood without them. They had always been there for her, just as she was for them. And they would be with her for this.
"I don't know," she admitted. "It's a great unknown. It could be like reuniting with Keith, loud and full of hatred. Or it could be like reuniting with Will—easy though not without tension."
"Well, maybe he won't come," Emma said.
A hearty chuckle floated past their table and Regina found herself transported back eleven years to a beach, gazing into a pair of eyes blue enough to rival the ocean. Eyes she met now across the dining room as they widened in recognition. His smile softened from amused to fond as he excused himself from the table he had been sitting at.
The years had been kind to him. He had been fit back then but he had clearly kept up his routine, judging by his biceps. His face had lost its boyish charm but now held more of a rugged appeal. Scruff covered his face she found herself wondering what it would've been like to feel it scratching against her skin as he kissed his way down her naked body…
Stop. You should not be lusting after the man who abandoned you when you were pregnant. Keep it together.
"Regina," he greeted, British accent still intact despite living in the states for over a decade.
She gave him a polite smile. "Robin. I see you accepted the invitation."
"Well, I couldn't resist when I saw your name." His voice softened, the flirting tone replaced by sincerity. "You look good, Regina."
"You too," she said before introducing Mal and Emma. The two women shook his hand though their smiles remained cool and polite.
He cleared his throat and she knew he was nervous, though she wasn't sure if it was because of her or the dislike radiating off her friends. Regina frowned. "Is there anything you need help with?"
"I was hoping we could have lunch," he said. "We have a lot to discuss."
Regina nodded. "I'll go back to my office and check my schedule. My assistant Ruby will call you."
"Of course. I'll leave you ladies to you meal." He nodded, returning to his table.
Emma followed him with her eyes until he sat down. She then turned back to Regina. "Wow, Regina, you certainly know how to pick them. He's downright sexy."
"I know," Regina sighed. "Do you know how hard it's going to be to stay mad at him when he looks and acts like that? I'm afraid I'll fall for him all over again. Maybe I shouldn't go to lunch with him."
"No, you should," Emma insisted.
Mal nodded. "I agree. You deserve answers and this is the best way to get them."
"And who knows? He may show his true colors and any lingering feelings will vanish," Emma said.
Regina nodded but frowned. "But what if it backfires and I end up more in love with him? Especially now that he's married."
"I didn't see a wedding ring," Emma replied softly.
Mal kicked Emma, judging by the younger blonde's wince. "You're not helping," Mal hissed.
As Emma shrank back, Mal turned to Regina. "Whatever happens, I know you will always act in Sophie's best interest. And we will always have you back."
Regina smiled, nodding. "You two are the best friends anyone could ask for."
"Thank you, but can we stop this before we all start crying in public?" Emma asked.
Laughing, the friends turned back to their meal and lighter conversations.
Sophie met up with Henry and Lily outside the ice cream parlor. Lily crossed her arms. "You're late."
"Sorry. I had a run in with Trevor and his crew earlier. I had to wait until they were gone."
Henry frowned. "How did you get messed up with them?"
"Let's get ice cream and I'll tell you everything." Sophie reached for the door when a familiar little voice called out her name.
She glanced down the street to see Roland racing toward her. He pulled a tall man with him and her heart skipped a beat. The blond hair was shorter, the face no longer clean-shaven, and he was older, but she recognized Robin Locksley nonetheless. Her new little buddy had a connection to Potential Dad #3. What were the odds?
Roland skidded to a halt in front of her, smiling. "Hi, Sophie!"
"Hey, Roland," she said. "Nice to see you again."
"This is my Papa," he replied, tugging on the man's hand. "Papa, this is Sophie. She saved Mr. Bananas from the big kids and is my friend."
His father smiled, holding out his hand to her. "Nice to meet you, Sophie."
"You too, Mr…?" She knew who he was but she wanted to hear it from him.
"Call me Robin," he insisted, enough confirmation for her. He glanced at Henry and Lily. "Are these your friends?"
Lily and Henry introduced themselves before she leaned closer to Sophie. "This is why you got tangled up with Trevor? Because you were playing Superwoman again?"
"Sophie's more of a Wonder Woman," Henry interjected.
Robin laughed. "Well, can I buy the heroine and her sidekicks some ice cream as a thank you?"
"Cool! Thank you," Henry said.
Lily frowned though. "Listen here, I am not her sidekick. I am her handler. Got it?"
"Of course. My apologies." Robin gave a little bow.
Roland groaned. "Can we get ice cream now?"
"Where are your manners, young man?" Robin frowned.
"Can we get ice cream now, please?" Roland stressed the last word.
Lily smiled, wrapping her arm around the boy. "You're okay, kid."
They walked into Any Given Sundae and Sophie saw Sarah's eyes narrow despite her smile. "The three Musketeers…and some friends?"
Roland frowned, looking up at Sophie. "What's a Musketeer?"
"I'll tell you later, okay?" Sophie told him. She looked up at Sarah. "It's okay, Ms. Walker."
Sarah nodded but still regarded Robin with some suspicion as she served them. She handed Henry his chocolate chip mint and correctly guessed that Lily wanted Dulce de leche that day. "Are you sure you're not a witch?" Lily asked as she took the cone.
"No," Sarah said with a laugh. "Just perceptive."
As Lily moved away, Sarah turned to the remaining three. "I know Sophie loves Rocky Road, so what will you two have?"
"I love Rocky Road too!" Roland exclaimed, standing on his tiptoes to see over the counter. "So does Papa!"
"Talk about coincidences, yeah?" Robin smiled at Sophie, who wondered if it was really a coincidence after all.
Sarah handed Roland and Sophie their cones and Robin sent them to sit while he paid for their ice cream. Lily and Henry had already claimed a table and Roland hopped into a seat next to Sophie. His little legs swung happily as he licked his cone. "It's cool we like the same flavor," he told her.
"Yeah," Lily said, staring at her friend. "Imagine that."
"Here you go," Robin said, placing some napkins on the table. He took one to wipe his son's face.
Robin seemed to be a good father and she wondered if he would've been the same had he been her father. Would they have shared Rocky Road cones on nights when her mother had to work late? Would he had held her hand when they went somewhere and smiled at her like she was his everything, just like he did with Roland?
He sat down next to Roland, studying Sophie. She tried to act nonchalant but her stomach was doing flip-flops. Did he think she looked familiar? Or did he see her mother in her? Was he figuring out that he could be her father? Or was Will her father and he now knew it?
"Well, Sophie, I must thank you for stepping in when those bullies picked on Roland," Robin said, running a hand through his son's curls.
Lily rolled her eyes. "We told you. She's Wonder Woman. If she thinks there's an injustice going on, she's going to do everything she can to right it."
"Really?" Robin smiled, seeming impressed. "Sounds like me when I was younger."
Sophie's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yes," he replied. "I once protested an exam because the professor put question on it that were from a unit we hadn't yet covered."
"Sophie did that this year," Henry said. "Almost got detention but Aunt Regina and Aunt Mal went in and had a discussion with the principal."
Lily nodded. "Mom and Aunt Regina got the principal to throw the test out and we got to take a new one with only the things we had learned. Everyone passed that one."
An odd look came over Robin's eyes as he glanced at Sophie. But it passed before she could think more of it and he smiled. "Well, that turned out better for you than it did for me. My hand still hurts from all the lines I had to write."
They laughed as Robin flexed his hands a few times, wincing dramatically. Under the table, both Lily and Henry kicked her and she knew why. Robin was rising very high on her list and she believed there was a strong possibility that he was her father.
And despite really liking Will, she found she was really glad it could be Robin.
Regina heard the front door open and close. Taking a deep breath, she called out: "Sophie? Can you come in here?"
Her daughter entered the dining room and frowned. "What's going on?"
"We need to talk."
Fear flashed in Sophie's brown eyes as she sat next to her mother. "Is this about me messing with the invitation list?"
Regina's eyebrow went up at her daughter's confession. It appeared her suspicions were right. "Not now but we will talk about that, young lady."
"Yes, ma'am." Sophie sank back in her seat.
"But this does have to do with your father. It's time for me to tell you about him."
Sophie sat up. "Because he's here?"
Regina nodded. "And because it's time."
She put down a picture, a group shot of everyone from that fateful summer gathered outside the villas they had rented. "This was taken shortly after I graduated college."
"You spent the entire summer at the beach? Cool."
Regina laughed. "I spent it on the Cape, doing an internship with the mayor of a small town. All of us in that picture were working in that town in some way or another and we all rented places at the same complex."
"And that's how you met my dad?" At Regina's nod, Sophie pressed on. "What was he doing?"
Regina smiled. "He was working as a counselor at a local day camp. He's an expert archer."
"Cool."
"I thought the same," Regina admitted. "I liked that he cared so much about the campers. And that he was funny, sweet and friendly. The accent didn't hurt either."
"So he's British?" Sophie looked over the picture. "Will or Robin, then?"
"Robin," Regina replied, softly. She watched as something that looked like happiness crossed Sophie's face.
Filing that away for later, she moved on with her story. "I never believed in love at first sight until I met him. I looked into those blue eyes and never wanted to look away again."
"Sounds romantic," Sophie sighed.
"It was," Regina agreed. "We spent as much time together as possible. He made me feel special and cherished. We spoke about having a future beyond the summer and I really thought it would be forever."
Silence fell as she tried to keep her feelings under control. Crying now wouldn't help. She had to finish the story for Sophie's sake…and her own.
"Mom?" Sophie asked. "Do you need a break?"
Regina let out a laugh. Her sweet daughter was trying to take care of her. She took Sophie's hand. "No, I'm fine.
"Summer ended and we all needed to face the real world. I got a job here in Storybrooke and moved back with your grandmother until I could afford a place of my own. Robin had to deal with his visa and didn't know where he would end up."
"So you had no way to keep in touch with him?"
"Well, we did," Regina said. "He had my address and phone number. He gave me the address of a friend of his, saying I could mail my letters there until he had something more permanent."
"Did you send him letters?"
Regina nodded. "A month passed with no word from him and I told myself he was still getting everything settled. That he would write soon enough. But after the second month went by without any word, I started to realize that maybe it hadn't been forever after all."
"What happened then?" Sophie pressed.
"I got sick," Regina replied. "I thought it was a stomach bug I couldn't shake so I went to the doctor. And he told me it wasn't a stomach bug but you."
Sophie smiled. "Did you tell Robin?"
"I tried to by writing him one last letter, asking him to come to Storybrooke so we could be a family like we wanted."
"And he never responded," Sophie said.
Regina sighed. "I thought he had rejected me…and you."
"Is that why you wouldn't tell me about him?"
"Yes," she said, taking her daughter's chin in her hand. "I couldn't tell you that your father didn't want you."
Sophie nodded, before sighing. "I met him today."
"Robin?" Regina frowned. "Where?"
She told her mother about everything that had happened that day. Regina's heart beat faster at the thought of Robin already suspecting that Sophie was his. But she still smiled, proud of her daughter. "Good for you, for standing up for Roland," she said.
"Thank you," Sophie said, beaming. Her smile faltered. "I'm sorry, Mom, about sneaking those named onto your list."
Regina nodded. "I will be doling out a punishment after the festival. I'm thinking extra chores are in order."
"What about community service?"
"It's supposed to be a punishment. You like helping others."
Sophie shrugged. "I get that from both my parents."
"More so your father." Regina brushed some stray hairs away from Sophie's face. "I do have to thank you, though. By bringing your father here, I finally had to face my past. And doing so helped me learn the truth."
"The truth?" Sophie asked, scrunching up her face.
Regina nodded, taking her daughter's hand. "There's a lot I've shielded you from, not just about your father but about your grandmother as well."
"What about Grandmother?" Sophie asked with a frown.
"I want you to remember that she loved you. And that she was a good person." Regina took a deep breath. "But she wasn't always a great mother. She did want what was best for me but she went about it in the wrong way."
"There's a wrong way?"
"Yes," Regina replied with a nod. "Grandmother had a clear plan about what she wanted my life to be, whether I wanted it or not."
"But what does that have to do with Robin?" Sophie asked.
"I guess he didn't fit her plan." Regina pulled out an envelope. It had the address Robin had given her written in her cursive as well as her mother's address in the corner. A stamp was still stuck to it and it was unopened. The only thing missing was the post mark.
"Your father didn't abandon you, Sophie," she explained. "He never knew you existed."
A/N: Okay, this is taking on a life of its own. I've posted this here but starting with the third part, I'm going to separate it into its own story. So keep an eye out for that!
-Mac