Alright, first of all, thanks for the nice reviews, you guys rock. Second, I had a special request to update this today so here it is, hope you like it. Third… I just have one or maybe a couple of more chapters planned out so this may be getting closer to the end; meaning, if you want to see something here, let me know and I'll see if I can make it work into next chapter ;)

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"I can't believe you had a baby girl, Robin. That's amazing... I mean you always said it was going to be a girl so I'm really, really happy for you. And she is so cute and small and her hair, that's definitely your hair!"

"I know, the poor child, right?" The former outlaw answered with a laugh while taking his phone out of the pocket of his jacket. "Check this one out." He said and without thinking it twice, the woman sitting by his side leaned even closer to him so that she could take a better look into his phone's screen.

Whatever it was that he showed her, the woman laughed and got even closer. "Look at that, she's like a mini-you! Let's just hope he doesn't inherit your stubbornness." Belle said amusedly and as response, Robin looked at her and snorted.

"Hey, I resent that."

Regina watched the exchange from her place at the bed, her lips slightly pouted as a weird sensation that closely resembled bitterness started to wash through her. She wouldn't know how to explain it, but it was as if her mood was drastically drooping by the minute and she was doing everything in her power not to let her spirits go even more downhill.

It was hard though, because every single person that has entered her room only seemed to talk about her baby and how cute and precious she was and all she could think while listening to those words was that they were trying to indirectly cheer her up.

She didn't like it… no, in her mind their words sounded like a cheap ways to pick up her mood and instead of doing that, they were souring her spirits.

It was a strange feeling, what she was experiencing, but as much as they talked and smiled, all she could muse about was of her baby weighting barely four pounds, of her daughter all alone in an incubator with innumerable wires sticking to her small torso and with oxygen going through her nose so that she could survive.

Sure, the doctors assured her that the baby was going to be fine and it was all a matter of the girl gaining more weight and getting her lungs stronger, but even with the good prognostic, a dull sense of devastation was menacing to drag down.

It was all more than a little upsetting and well, her hormones were still a mess and adding that to the fact that she was on a ten days watch in case she suffered a postpartum hemorrhage and she was in all her right to feel so emotionally beat down about it all.

Ah, but as if all that wasn't enough, now it was this! To add even more salt to her wound, after having to endure the visits of the Charming clan and Robin's Merry Men, Belle was now there and she was getting kind of cozy with Robin.

It was as if everything was conspiring against her mood and she was letting it get to her. It was just… terrible.

As for Belle being in her hospital room with them? She still didn't know how to feel about that. Watching them talk and joke together made her wonder about them as it was more than obvious that the two of them were too comfortable with each other; so with that fact present, it was inevitable that her mind would wander…

But at the same time she trusted Robin more than anyone and she was sure that he wouldn't have said the things he said to her a couple of nights back if it wasn't because he meant them. True, the father of her baby could have many faults, but he would never try to play her for a fool. Or would he?

Taking in a deep breath, the dark haired blinked slowly and tried to get more comfortably on the bed.

Moving was a bit uncomfortable, one because of the IV and second because her entire midsection felt too sore; but what could she do other than suck it up?

"Are you alright?" Robin asked and Regina couldn't help but to force out a smile and nod.

"Yes." Arching an eyebrow and trying to keep the answer simple, Regina looked at the duo and the fake smile grew even more.

Now, as she said that, the two of them were looking back at her and she couldn't help but to have the distinct feeling that she was interrupting something. It was all it took for her and instead of keeping it simple as she knew she should, she blinked slowly and spoke.

"So don't let me interrupt your little chit-chat."

Sighing and apparently oblivious to her cutting tone, Belle rested her chin over her open palms and smiled. Robin on the other hand just ran a hand through his hair and let out a small snort.

"Your baby is beautiful, Regina."

"Thanks," She said, this time the smile on her face turning into a genuine gesture.

"Anyway, I think I better get going. It's getting late and you probably want to rest." Before anyone could reply to that, Belle got to her feet and stretched a little. "I can use a little rest too; life has been chaotic as of late."

"Yeah well let me walk you to the elevator." Robin said, getting up as well.

Regina nodded, and when Belle said her goodbyes she responded just blinked and when she was gone, she rolled her eyes before blowing out a breath in relief.

"Alone at least."

Maybe that was what she needed, a very much moment alone so that she could gather herself. She could also use another bath because well, the after match of a partum with a severe hemorrhage were not so nice to deal with.

With that in mind, she sat up and fighting a wave of dizziness, she closed her eyes and waited for it to pass. Once it got better, she dragged her feet along the mattress and then she let them down to the floor.

"And what do you think you are doing?"

Without opening her eyes, Regina blew out a breath. "I want to go to the bathroom, I need a shower." And she really did, she didn't want to get into many details with him but she needed to clean herself.

Robin snorted; she could listen to him doing it. "And you couldn't wait for me or a nurse to come here and help you?"

"No." Opening one eye to look at him, Regina shook her head. She has always been a bit jealous of her privacy so to her, taking a shower to clean up was something she would rather do by herself.

Thinking about that, she opened her eyes and looked up to see that Robin was just standing right there in front of her, his expression one she couldn't quite read. Now, this was the first time in the two days after she gave birth that they were left on their own; it was also their first moment alone after having a conversation were he confessed to have some kind of feelings towards her and that made her feel a bit awkward; especially since he made it clear that he wanted to discuss the nature of their relationship.

So with that in mind, how should she act now?

"Do you need any help?"

Regina closed her eye and shook her head no, but still, she reached forward and held his arm. "Just… don't pull at me, okay? I am a bit dizzy." After saying that, she sucked in a breath and slowly started to get up.

Robin just remained there as support, not moving and not saying a thing.

"Thanks." Blinking her eyes open, she mumbled once she was firmly on her feet and Robin placed a hand to her lower back and kissed her temple. Now yes, the gesture was comforting but she could only focus on holding onto him until this new episode of dizziness would pass.

"I'm never going through this again."

"You mean getting up from that bed or the whole pregnancy and giving birth thing?" His voice was low and soothing while his hand on her back caressed her lightly.

"I don't know, all of them?" She whispered, the feeling subsiding now that she was unmoving.

"Ah, and here I was planning on baby number two. Are you sure you don't want a baby boy?"

Despite everything, Regina smiled and looked up into his face. His eyes were sparkling in amusement and his lips were slightly curved into a smile, thing that made her know that he wasn't being serious. Or at least she hoped so. "No way, once in a life time is enough for me. Thanks for the offer though."

Robin quirked his lips and arched an eyebrow. "But I'm good at this making babies thing, Gina. Look at what I did in just once try."

Biting lightly on her lips and trying not to think too much on the way he called her Gina instead of Regina, she hummed. It was inutile not to think about it though, she just loved it when he called her like that because well, nobody but him and Roland on occasion called her like that and it felt nice.

"One try? I remember more than one try."

"Of course you do, I mean you did fool me into believing one wasn't enough and you pushed for a second one, but considering the dates and all that, I'm pretty sure I got the good shot on first try. Not that I'm complaining for that second night though."

Opening her mouth and then closing it, Regina felt her face flushing and she swallowed on dry because he was basically right because apparently, when they went for that second try, she was already pregnant but wasn't aware of it.

"Well first of all, I didn't push you, second it was an honest mistake… and third, sure, you did it all in one try because you are such a stud. Never mind that I was taking hormones and taking care of my body to conceive. Tsk."

Now, were they kind of flirting? She wasn't sure, but if it was she should stop it…

"Oh that's what they call it now, honest mistakes? Alright… so… didn't you want to go to the bathroom?"

"I do, but I don't want to walk ever again." She confessed in a beat down tone that didn't sound like her like at all while pressing her face into his chest. But it was just that thinking about walking seemed like such an effort that she couldn't help it.

Running his hand up from her back and into her hair, Robin breathed into her scent, holding her into his embrace as her hands came up to rest against his hips.

It felt good to be like that with him but she still felt like something was missing. "Do you really thing the baby will be alright?" She said out loud for the first time while blinking and chewing on her lips.

"Of course she will. Before we know it, we'll be able to get her home."

"Can't wait." She breathed out against him.

"Come on, let's get you into that shower."

Pulling away from him slightly, Regina shook her head. "No, I can do it on my own."

"No way. You know what the nurse told you, you are still at risk of suffering an hemorrhage and I won't have you bleeding to death in there just because you are too stubborn. I'll help you."

At his words, her eyes widened and she would have snorted if it wasn't because doing so seemed to be so out of place. "No I don't think so." And she meant it. She was bleeding and her body was a mess so no… even if it was just to help her, she wasn't going to allow him to see her like that.

"I won't risk it so I either go with you or you don't go at all."

Rolling her eyes, Regina pursed her lips. "Robin, don't be…"

"Shhh," Closing the distance that was keeping them apart and kissing her lips briefly, he cut her words off. "And this is the end of the discussion."

Running the tip of her tongue over her lips, Regina cleared her throat. Why was it that her mind was starting to get compromised with a mere brush of his lips to hers? She just gave birth a premature baby that was in an incubator, she was in a whole deal of discomfort so why was her heart and soul falling victim of her feelings towards him?

No, she needed to focus. "Oh really, and I'm supposed to do as you say just because?"

"Well-" He started to say, but then he looked up to the ceiling and smiled. "Not just because," Looking back into her eyes, he continued. "You'll just end up doing it because you love me and you don't want to see me worrying about you." After that, he kissed her lips again, this time adding a bit more of pressure. "Right?"

Once he pulled away, Regina opened her mouth, but before a word could escape her lips, she clasped it back shut and shook her head. "That's not fair."

He just couldn't use her feelings against her like that!

"What? I mean, you do love me, right? And please, no more evading the subject."

Swallowing hard down and feeling more tired than ever, Regina looked up into his curious blue eyes. "I do, but that doesn't mean that I want to get naked in front of you while being like this. Robin… I'm leaking everywhere, I'm… a mess and-"

"So you love me as in I love you, my friend or as in Robin, I'm madly and irrevocably in love with you?"

Blinking a couple of times, Regina swallowed on dry. The two of them were just standing in the middle of the hospital room, she was feeling more than a bit nasty and in uncomfortable so the whole thing was just… awkward. "Are we seriously doing this right now? I thought this was all about me taking a shower."

"Which one is it? I'm making it easy for you so is it one, or is it two?" Refusing to tear his eyes away from hers, he pressed on.

Regina considered her next words with care, but before she could say them, he went on.

"I already told you how I feel and what I want, so it's only fair that you do the same."

"I know and I…" She shrugged, the words feelings as if they were stuck in her throat.

"You what?"

Rolling her eyes, Regina sighed and decided to let it all out as fast as she could. "I love you as in I'm in love with you. And I do want everything with you… but I'm… I'm afraid, Robin… I don't want to get my hopes up and then have you realized this is not what you want. What if it's too much and too soon for you and then you just bail out. I don't want to lose you so if that means keeping this as just friends, then I'll have just that."

At her response, Robin blew out a breath and threw his arms to his sides. "And why do you think I would bail out? Is that the kind of thrust you have in me? Wow."

"No." She hurried to say while reaching for his arm to stop him from walking away. Sure the sudden movement of doing that made her hiss as she got a bit dizzy but she let that one pass. "Of course I trust you; it's not about that… I just, I guess I'm just afraid."

Taking a step closer, the father of her child lifted a hand to her face and pressed it to her cheek. "I know what I want and I know how I feel. You know it too so like I said a few nights ago. The ball is in your court so what are you going to do with it?

Regina bit on the inside of her cheek, her eyes caught up in the intensity of his stare. This was the moment, she could take a risk and do what her heart wanted or she could play it safe by running away from what she really wanted.

The choice was easy, so taking in a deep breath she forced out a smile and let him know about her decision.

"I want to be with you-"

"But?" He blurted out, his expression serious.

"No buts; I just want us, you, me, Roland, Henry and baby Sophia to be a family in all sense of the word." Once that was said, she held her breath and waited for him to reply.

"Alright." He said, sucking his lips into his mouth and nodding slowly. "Well, if you insist, I'll take both you and the baby; and Henry of course. But just because you are begging me."

Tilting her head to the side and keeping her eyes on him, Regina blinked a couple of times and parted her lips slightly, her mouth both ready and unable to reply to that. Yes, she knew he was messing with her, and perhaps that was why she wasn't sure about how to reply.

Besides, she felt a little lost; her mind was unable to take in the fact that she actually told him that she loved him so it was all kind of surreal; oh but her heart… her heart understood it alright and it was beating so hard that the sound of it was ringing in her ears. She really told him that she loved him… and he wasn't bailing.

"Now do I get to be kissed properly or what?"

Pushing the inside of her cheek with her tongue; Regina shrugged. "I don't think I'll be able to kiss you properly while being like this." She said, trying to keep up with his playful tone even though she was feeling like kissing him senseless never to let go. "And it will be weird…"

"Weird? Home come?" He asked, his lips curving slightly and his eyes piercing her in place.

"I don't know, I'm a mess and well, let's face it, now that I know your feelings and you know mine, the thrill of it all is going to fade… maybe I liked it better before." She said with a wink, letting him know that she wasn't being serious.

"Oh are you kidding me? I'll like it even more than before and I'm pretty sure you'll like it too. Way too much I will say."

Humming, she felt a flush take over her face. That was probably what he wanted to achieve and thanks to her fair skin, he managed it.

Smiling, Robin settled his hand on her hips. "Just kiss me. Come on, you know you want to."

Doing as he said, Regina rolled her eyes and when he leaned closer into her, she pressed her lips to his. The kiss was soft and tender and Robin didn't push it. Their lips just meet in a soft caress while she breathed into the moment.

Pulling away, Robin dragged his hand into her hair and looked at her face intently. "I love you; now, that doesn't mean that I will let you off the hook with the shower thing."

Regina pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. "Robin… just shut up and kiss me."

TBC