Six days ago, when Regina turned off her phone and walked out of Robin's apartment to head back to the safe sanctuary of her own house, she has been a hundred percent sure that putting some distance between her and the bandit would prove to be the best cure for her feelings to him.

True, she has been well aware that creating said distance was going to be hard with him being the father of her unborn baby; but if she could manage to at least cut any unnecessary communication with him until the baby was born, then chances of her crawling out of the infatuation phase she has succumbed into were going to increase.

That line of thought came into her mind almost a week ago… and throughout those days she has evaded seeing and even talking to the man as if he was the black plague incarnated.

At first she her attempt to cut all ties were simple, she turned off her phone and locked herself in her chambers, but because it was impossible to maintain the device off for all eternity, she turned it back on the next morning to find that he had texted her a few times during the night.

The first message has been simple enough, a 'where are you?' that came about twenty minutes after the two of them had left the premises of his home; the second and third ones were almost on the same line, Robin asking her to please call him to know if she was alright and then the fourth and last one came at four in the morning of the next day; that one read like this; 'Fine, I get it. Won't bother you anymore.'

It has been that last text the one that hit her the most and because of those simple words she had spent the whole day in full weepy mode, wondering if she was doing the right thing by running away from her feelings instead of facing them… instead of facing him.

That was just the first day, then came the second and third ones and those were a bit better but not by much, as she would find herself laying in bed, staring at her phone and fighting the urge to call him. By day five things hadn't changed and now it was this, day six and she couldn't take it anymore.

So yes, it took her a total of six days to understand that staying away wasn't going to do anything for her and that forced her to come to the conclusion that she needed to put her pride and feelings aside so that she could salvage one of the things she appreciated most in the world, him and his friendship.

Now, to do that, the first thing she needed to do was apologize. Apologize for overreacting, for running away… for letting her feelings fog her judgment and for being the possible executor of their friendship.

True, saying how genuinely sorry she was might not be enough, but she saw it as the first step to mend things with him, a way to make things go back to the way they were before.

It was sure going to be a rocky road for her because of her feelings for him and of course, the way their relationship had turned into, but she was willing to put that aside just to have him in her life once again.

Coming to that conclusion hadn't been a tough decision even though she was proud to a fault, after all she was really sorry that things ended the way they did and she was sure that a sincere apology would flow out of her mouth just by taking a look at him.

That was the reason she was there, lifting her hand to knock on the door that has been mocking her with the simplicity of its wooden frame for the past ten minutes or so and fully aware that she should expect a lot of things out of that visit.

In fact, she should expect the unexpected and she knew it, after all, their last encounter hadn't ended up so well so she was bracing herself for anything. In her mind a lot of possible scenarios could play out, from one where he would open the door, see her standing there and silently close the door on her face to one where he would get angry at seeing her standing there and so he would start bombarding her with a repertoire of cutting words that would probably kill her inside…

Or maybe none of those and instead he could simply smile and let her pass as if nothing out of the ordinary happened between them.

Maybe something entirely different could happen… she hadn't been exactly sure, but if there was something she hadn't been expecting, was for someone else to open the door of his apartment, especially not 'this' someone…

"Regina." The woman said with a pronounced frown in her face as her hand wrapped around the knob of Robin's door and at the sight of her, Regina couldn't lie, she was at a loss of words.

Opening her mouth and closing it again, the dark haired just placed a hand protectively over her pregnant stomach and then smiled, the smile feeling forced and fake. But it was only then that she was able to find her voice.

"Belle." She said, an empty sense of being proud over the fact that her voice didn't falter washing through her.

But God, it was taking all the power of her being not to turn around and leave at the sight of the woman standing there, smiling at her as if it was the most natural thing in the world for the two of them to run into each other at his door.

Sure, she knew that both Robin and Belle had a very amicable friendship that apparently started back in the Enchanted Forest when Belle saved the bandit from being killed by the Dark One… but she wasn't aware that said friendship consisted on them meeting at his place in the middle of the night.

"Wow, you know, this was something I had to see to believe." As the woman standing inside of Robin's apartment said that, her eyes lowered down to Regina's stomach and then she chuckled. "So, a little Robin on the way, uh?"

"Seems so." Nodding and keeping her eyes on the younger woman's eyes, Regina replied coldly, her hand staying in place. At least Belle knew about the baby being Robin's, what she wondered was how much did she know... and she also wondered if Gold was aware of these late night visits.

True, rumor had it that Belle and Gold's relationship had taken a turn for the worse after she found out he lied to her about something important so…

Biting down a bigger smile, Belle opened the door wider as if to let her walk in. "Come on in, Robin's taking a shower and Roland just got to bed; I'll let him know you are here."

Blinking her eyes a couple of times, Regina forced another smile upon her lips, one that made the muscles of her face ache. "No. I don't want to interrupt anything. I was…" Lifting her hand up to her hair, she blew out a breath, not really knowing what to say.

It was just an awkward moment and she just wanted to flee the scene as soon as she could.

"Oh no, no, don't you worry, we were just-"

"No," Lifting a hand to the air as if to make Belle stop talking, Regina's face became a stoic mask. "I just came to give him this." Swallowing down, she reached into her purse with slightly trembling hands and took out a small envelope to hand it to her. "I just thought he would like to see it. Anyway, I'll just go."

With that said, she turned on her heels and closing her eyes in shame, she started to walk toward the elevator.

"You are so stupid." She mumbled to herself as she stabbed angrily the small button on the panel that would make the elevator come to Robin's floor.

How come she didn't see this coming? Robin and Belle?

This was exactly why she has been trying to push her feelings for him away, because deep inside she knew that someday, somehow, he was going to realize that there were a lot of women worthy of him out there and he would obviously want to take his chance with someone who didn't have such a dark past as her.

And Belle… the woman was everything that she was not and well, her and Robin did have some common ground. They knew how it was to be with the rotten likes of her and Rumple and…

Shaking her head and trying to clear her mind from such thoughts, Regina took a deep breath and tried to act as calm as she could. At least not everything went bad, at least she was able to somehow save face by bringing the latest sonogram of the baby to give him. Yes, it could seem weird that she came all the way to just to give him that, but whatever.

"Come on." She hissed, feeling almost desperate to board the elevator. She didn't want an encounter with Robin, not in that moment that she was feeling out of her element.

Ah, not that an encounter was necessarily going to happen; she didn't know what was the deal between Belle and Robin, but who was to say that the woman would tell him that she came by?

For all she knew she was not the only friend Robin liked to stumble in bed with and who knew, maybe Belle didn't want to cut their encounter short by having the tall man going after her.

At that thought, Regina felt her heart grow heavy in her chest. Six days… a lot could happen in six days… were Robin and Belle something that was born during those last few days or has it always been there? Or maybe she was just overreacting.

Maybe she was panicking because seriously, after all they have gone through; she didn't think Belle would leave Rumple out of the blue.

True, she would take Robin any day over Gold… but then again that was just her.

Blinking her eyes closed and scratching her head almost compulsively, the soon to be mother heard the elevator stop and open its doors in front of her. At the sound, she opened her eyes to step inside, but when she turned around to press the button to go down to the lobby, she saw Robin holding the doors open so he could go in as well.

Clenching her jaw and feeling all the blood of her body drain down to her feet, Regina stared straight into the blue orbs that were his eyes and remained mute. He wasn't saying anything either and as much as she tried to, she couldn't even manage to flash his way a smile.

"What do you think you are doing?" He asked at last when the doors of the elevator closed behind his back.

At the question, Regina blinked slowly, taking notice that just as Belle told her, Robin has been taking a shower. She knew because his hair was still wet and plastered to his head and because the shirt he picked up to put on was damp as well, almost as if he put it on before getting to dry off.

There was also the fresh scent of soap and shampoo clinging to him and well, he was also barefoot; thing that he didn't seem to notice or mind.

Clearing her throat and hoping that her heart would stop beating so hard and fast against her chest, Regina tilted her head up.

"Robin."

At her words, the man lifted his hand and showed her the sonogram pictures. His eyes were questioning, digging into hers harshly.

"That was from my last check up, thought you may want to see them."

"So you can come all the way here to drop this by but you can't pick up your phone to call. You are unbelievable, Regina."

Picking up the small trace of anger in his voice, the former Queen closed her eyes and blew out a breath while trying to focus on what was important, and that was conserving his friendship. "I didn't come here to argue- I actually came to apologize about the other night."

There, that was a start; might as well be done with it now that she was there.

Humming, Robin pushed the inside of his cheek with his tongue. "Apologize? Apologize to whom? To my door? Oh, maybe it was to Little John downstairs and that's why you are on your way down." He said sarcastically, his eyes piercing her in place and his accent sounding more pronounced than ever.

But choosing to ignore his obvious rotten mood, Regina chewed on her bottom lip and shook her head. "Actually I came to apologize to you; I just thought that I better leave it for another time since you are obviously busy tonight."

Snorting without amusement, Robin ran his fingers through his hair and turned around as if to leave; but because they were still trapped inside the elevator, he stopped on his tracks and threw his head back.

Regina just watched him, a big part of her wanting to reach for him and touch him. But she didn't, of course… there were some habits that were hard to kick out and keeping things inside of her was her way of life. She couldn't help it, there was always a struggle of mind and heart, a battle that always prevented her from letting her emotions run free and that day wasn't the exception.

Oh but how she wanted to break free of such a burden. If only she wouldn't be so afraid of it.

Closing her hands into fist, she breathed in. Baby steps… she could start with those. "I'm really sorry that things turned out so bad between us. I- what I told you that night is true; I care a lot about you and I would hate for us to drift apart because of some stupid argument."

"Funny. I mean you say that you don't want us to drift apart but it was you the one that ran away and it was you the one that decided to ignore all my calls and messages."

Pursing her lips, Regina decided to reply with a calmed and even tone. "I didn't run away; you left me there by myself and under the circumstances, I thought it was best for me to leave as well."

"Oh don't you give me that, Regina." Robin blurted out while turning to her and at his tone she flinched in surprise; but then as if realizing the tone he was using, he took in a deep breath and lowered his voice. "I told you to stay in the room until I came back but you still ran off. And not only that, but you also started to ignore my calls and only now, almost a week gone by, you decide to show your face! For heaven's sake, Regina, if it wasn't because Emma told me you were fine, I would have thought that something happened to you."

Lowering her eyes and her jaw clenching once again, Regina nodded. "You are right; that's why I came here to apologize; I should have talked to you sooner. I… I also want to apologize for the things I said. I didn't mean to imply that you used me or anything like that."

At her words, Robin blinked slowly. He didn't say anything thought and deep inside she resented him for it. Why couldn't he say something, anything?

That was one of the things that confused her the most, he never said anything.

"So, I'm really sorry… I appreciate your friendship very much and I don't want it to end; especially now that the baby is coming soon and well, you know-" Biting hard on her lips and locking eyes with him, she finished up.

On his part, the Outlaw quirked his lips and shrugged almost indifferently. Ah, but there was a glint in his eyes that told her that he was acting out of anything but indifference. "It's alright, no hard feelings."

Smiling a faint smile because at least she could have his friendship if not his love, Regina extended her hand towards him; offering it as a sign of peace. "So, friends?"

With his eyes glued to hers, Robin took her hand in his. He didn't shake it though as it has been her intention, he just held it in his and flashed her way a crooked smile.

"Yes, friends."

"Good," Regina said as a deep sense of relief mixed up with a lot of sadness because in that moment, she understood that her feelings for him were not going to change as easily as she thought.

No, she wasn't an expert when it came to love but she just knew that it wasn't the way things worked. She knew it as well as she knew that even though being her friend would give her some sort of solace, in the long run she didn't know if she could bear it; having him so close and yet so far… hanging on every word he said… it was going to be rather sad on her part.

Well, more than sad it was going to be pathetic but that was the way unrequited love worked. It did not die, it would only lie beaten down in a secret place where it would hide, curled and wounded.

"I guess I better leave so you can… go on with your night."

Thinking back on the woman waiting at his apartment, Regina's eyes casted down a shadow but the smile never faded off. If she wanted them to remain friends, then she couldn't allow herself to get jealous of his other 'lady friends'.

"You don't have to go, I mean it."

"No; I don't want to ruin your plans or anything. I came, I apologize, I did so I'm out." She said, trying to smile as genuinely as she could.

"Alright then;" Robin said, still holding her hand while staring directly into her eyes. "I guess it will be some other day."

"Sure, I'm going to go now."

Nodding, Robin pulled at her hand to bring her close to him. She went willingly and automatically rested her face against his chest as soon as his arms came to circle her.

Closing her eyes and breathing into her lungs the alluring scent of him, Regina sighed. God, how was she going to do this? Just by feeling the solid frame of his chest pressing against her as his hand settled on her back as he engulfed her in his embrace was making her feel slightly emotional, so how was she going to do it?

Closing her eyes and feeling her heart hammering against her chest, she tilted her head to the side and pressed her forehead to his shoulder.

So yes, the next couple of weeks were going to be hard, feeling so much for him and holding back. But hopefully, when the baby came, all her focus would be on him or her and thus, little by little she would be able to get over him.

"You know I love you, right?" Robin said, pulling apart and moving his hands to cup her face and thus making her look up.

That way, with her eyes on his and her heart on the back of her throat, she smiled.

"I know," And she did, she knew he loved her in his own kind of way. It was a love based on friendship and not the kind of love she unknowingly craved, but still, it was love and it was the first time he ever told her and well… it melted her heart a little bit.

"I love you too; I wouldn't have asked you to be a part of this if I didn't." And there…she said it even though he would not understand the depths of those words. And would he ever know that in the last three decades, she has only said those words to her son?

"I know," He whispered before leaning forward to kiss her cheek. His lips lingered there for the longest of times and Regina closed her moistened eyes to keep them from leaking. Once that was done, he flashed a smile her way as his thumb came to caress her cheek. Then he turned around, pressed a button so the doors would open and stepped out.

For a while Regina just remained there, watching him walk to his door.

Yes… a rough couple of weeks they were going to be, but it was what it was and there was nothing she could do about it.

TBC

I need to thank you all for the amazing reviews! They really make my day so thanks. As for the story, baby steps... that's what they are taking, maybe they should stop it and have a serious talk?