Hey everyone, first of all I have to thank you for all the amazing reviews. They really make my entire day whenever I read them and they definitely motivate me into writing more and more.

Now, to clarify some doubts; someone asked about if this story followed the story line of the show and I have to answer with a no. I think I mentioned something when I posted first chapter but I never gave too much emphasis to it and thus the confusion. Now, the story takes place about a year after they defeated the Wicked Witch and no, during that year (or even before), nothing romantic happened between Regina and Robin. They were just friends and nothing more. I think there's not much more to say about that but if there are still more doubts, thoughts, critics or even suggestions, feel free to let me know ;)

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Every time she walked into a room, any room whatsoever, people would stare at her. It was almost as if she was stepping into a new dimension where she was the only being that moved and everyone else was doomed to watch. Some observed in distrust and others with repressed hatred; she was aware of that and probably because she knew their reasons, she couldn't help but to feel their eyes following her every move.

Now, she reacted to the leers and the sneers that they wouldn't dare doing in her face in a stoic manner, meaning that any outsider would have the impression that she didn't even notice or cared, but the truth was deep within her, it bothered her quite a lot.

Especially after all she has done to vindicate herself; but it was what it was, to some she would always be the Evil Queen no matter what and in their minds it was a matter of time before she would surprise them all and strike again.

Now, for them to think that she would easily succumb to her old ways was ridiculous, but sometimes when she could feel them watching, she would play with the idea of swirling abruptly on her heels and lifting her hands as if she was about to strike. She would do it just for the hell of it, to see the looks in their faces… but she never got around to do it… not by lack of opportunity but by decision.

Oh but the thought of it always made her lips curve into a smirk and that day, as she walked across the room, she flipped at her raven black hair and arched an eyebrow without even sparing a glance to those around her. She just kept going, walking haughtily as ever while everyone just looked.

"Can I have a double chocolate malt?"

Blinking her eyes and transforming her smirk into a soft smile, Regina looked at the little boy holding her hand and pursed her lips. "Double chocolate? I don't know… that sounds like too much sugar." And she wasn't even sure if such a thing even existed.

"Please, pleaseeee! I was good at school today and when I'm good my Papa lets me have one." The boy said jumping up and down and chuckling at his never ending energy, she bit on her lips and looked up to the ceiling as if looking for an answer.

"She'll say yes, she always falls for this little one. Now when I was that age, she wouldn't even consider letting me have a double chocolate malt. She would have banned them from this place if she even knew they were being made."

Parting her lips and turning around so that she could take a look at her son, Regina pressed her tongue to the edge of her teeth and blew out a breath. "That's not true." She said looking at him and then moving her face to the side so that she could face the girl besides him, she frowned. "That's not true."

"So can I have one?"

Humming and turning back to Roland, Regina smiled again. "Let's make a deal. I'll get you a regular chocolate malt and I'll tell Henry to buy you some popcorn at the movies."

"Yes!" Roland yelped excitedly and together, the four of them went to order. Once that was done and as she waited to pay, Regina watched absent mindedly as the two adolescents held hands and whispered in each other's ears while Roland slurped happily his malt. As she watched, one of her hands came to automatically rub against the bump of her belly. Sure, it was hidden underneath her coat so that not too many people were aware that she was pregnant, but it was there and getting bigger and bigger as the time kept passing.

"You'll keep an eye of him, right? I mean no making out so that he could sneak out." She asked and not for the first time since Henry told her that Robin gave him permission to take the boy to the movie theater.

"Mom…" Henry said in a less than happy tone of voice and Regina smiled. Ever since her son had a girlfriend, he got annoyed easily and over nothing and for some reason, she quite enjoyed that.

Who knew, maybe Emma's antics were starting to rub on her and now one of her favorite things was to see her son get flustered.

"Just say yes."

"Yes, I'll watch over him, I've told you already, and Robin and Mary Margaret…"

"We'll keep an eye on him… and we'll not make out." Wendy said sweetly and quirking her lips, Regina tried to force out a smile.

"Keep four eyes on him."

Nodding her head, Wendy giggled when Henry kissed her cheek and Regina watched through half-closed eyelids as they interacted. She didn't like it, quite frankly and not because she disliked the girl, she just didn't like the idea of Henry being old enough to be acting all lovely dopey and right in front of her.

She was about to say something of the matter when she heard it, someone hissing behind her back.

"I don't understand why Robin let's her take care of his kid…"

Turning around so that she could see who said that, Regina arched an eyebrow and saw no other than Grumpy. He was talking to another of his dwarf friends and when he saw her looking, he lifted his head in defiance.

It made Regina curl her lips into a snarl and her mood took a turn into acrid, but still, when she spoke she did it in such a low tone so that the kids wouldn't hear. "You have something to say to me, dwarf?"

Snorting, Grumpy shrugged. "Just what you just heard." With that, he grabbed his order and without bothering to wait for her response, he turned around and left.

"Mom, we are going to go now. The movie starts in ten minutes."

Pursing her lips and watching as the small man walked out the door, Regina nodded and said her farewells without letting the kids become aware of her mood. Then, she waited a little before walking out the door herself and when she did, she was basically seething.

Now, outside, she focused on getting to her car because she has never been good at holding back the most spontaneous part of her nature and unfortunately for her, she was most spontaneous when she was mad and she didn't want to give into her impulses; it was for that reason that she wanted to get into the safety of her house as soon as possible, so that she could calm down and so that she could keep from doing something stupid.

But before she could even reach her car, she saw out of the corner of her eyes that Robin was down the street and apparently, he was making his way to her.

She kept walking anyway, and when he passed by her side he stopped on his tracks and grabbed her by the arm. "Hey- you alright?"

Feeling the tug in her arm, Regina turned to him and placing both hands to her face, she grunted. Then, through clenched teeth she replied. "I just want to get the hell out of here and the sooner the better."

With that said, she took in a deep breath and felt the way he grabbed her hands and made her look into the depths of his blue eyes. "Alright, tell me what happened." He said in a low whisper, his hands moving to the back of her head while he angled her face towards his.

Blinking slowly but refusing to tear her eyes away from him, Regina licked her lips and breathed in.

Now, in the last five months of her life, this has been the closest she has been to Robin and somehow his proximity was disconcerting. Now she could remember the reason why she has gone all the way to mark a clear distance between them, because he would make her feel things that she would rather ignore.

But now there he was, and add to that the way his eyes were digging into her own and the way his fingers buried themselves into her hair and that was it; in a matter of nothing she forgot all about Grumpy and all that remained were memories of times past gone invading her mind in such a way that she had to close her eyes to collect herself.

"I just… I'm not feeling so well. I want to leave." Opening her eyes and finding that he was still there, a breath away from her, Regina bit the inside of her lips and said nothing more.

As for Robin, he moved his eyes to her lips and then back to her soft brown orbs and for a wild second, she imagined that he got a bit closer and she thought that he was going to kiss her.

But he didn't, he just dropped his hands from her hair and placed them over her shoulders. "Not feeling well in a 'I want to go to the hospital' kind of way or in a 'I just want to the get the bloody hell out of here' kind of way."

Snorting despite her sour mood, Regina shook her head and smiled. "The second one, I'll go anywhere but here."

"Is that so; well then let me treat you real nice. I just saw Roland get into the movies with your son so I have time to spare. So what do you say, dinner and a movie?"

Humming, Regina realized that what he just suggested was the worse idea ever. She didn't trust herself with him anymore and for that reason only, she has been evading to end up anywhere where there would only be themselves. True, she has seen the man and interacted with him in many occasion in the last months, but as of yet they hadn't met anywhere one on one and in her mind, there was a very good damn reason to let it stay that way… but still, for some reason she ended up agreeing.

"Deal if we get some take outs and rent something to watch in my place."

"Then it's a deal."

Opening her mouth to reply, Regina felt the baby kick and instead of words she gasped. In the months that had gone by since she found out about her pregnancy, this was the first time that she felt her baby kicked and she couldn't help but to get excited.

"Oh my God, Robin…" She said, taking his hands in hers and placing them over her stomach. "The baby kicked."

"Really?" He asked, looking into her eyes and smiling one of his dimple smiles.

Nodding and keeping her hand covering his Regina bit hard on her lips and stopped breathing. For a few seconds the world remained still and then there it was, another kick.

"Ah, I felt it… I think we have here a strong little one. I think she's going to be a hard one like her momma."

"And what makes you think it will be a girl." She asked,

Leaning forward so that he could talk in her ear, Robin dragged one of his hands to her hip and then he whispered. "I just know."

Chewing on her lips and closing her eyes as his breath caressed her ear, Regina smiled. Yes, maybe going with Robin would help nothing in clearing her mind about what she wanted or needed, but if truth be told, there was no one she would rather be with than him in that moment….