Hi everyone! WOW, it's been a really long time since I've updated this story! I kinda lost inspiration, but it's back now :) Here is chapter 10! I hope you all like it, and hopefully you haven't given up on this story just yet! Love you all!

Chapter 10

Bing...Bing...Bing.

Regina's nose crinkled and her eyes fluttered open as the sound of her phone on her nightstand woke her up from one of the best night's sleep she's ever had. She hugged the blankets closer to her cold body as she turned away from the noise, hoping it would stop so she could fall back to sleep.

From the looks of it, the sun was already up, and she could bet her last dime snowflakes covered her hometown head to toe. But she's had some of the most stressful weeks of her life recently.

She fell asleep practically every night on her laptop doing papers and studying for the last month and a half.

She just wanted a little more sleep before she began her day.

For five minutes, it worked. But her phone went off again, and she cursed everything and anything around her. She sat up in bed groggily as she rubbed at her eyes, ready to kill someone.

Regina grabbed her phone, about to send a very angry message to whoever woke her up, when she saw it was Emma.

I can't believe you.

I'm your best friend.

I thought we both agreed you would never let this happen.

And then, a message from right then and there.

Wake up, sunshine. It's ten thirty in the morning.

Regina's eyes widened as she re-read her friend's text, looking at the clock on her nightstand that confirmed, yes, it really was 10:30 am.

Regina sighed as she read Emma's first three texts again, feeling guilty. She knew what Emma was talking about. She remembered what she was talking about, and Regina couldn't help but wish she never made that promise with Emma.

She was about to explain herself to her best friend when Regina got out of bed, walked over to her vanity, and saw Robin's sweatshirt resting on the back of her chair.

Memories flooded back to her brain from the night before, and a blush graced her cheeks.

Robin kissed her.

She kissed Robin.

He gave her his sweatshirt.

She knew that was such a stupid thing that happened in high school twenty-four seven, but she never had that. So now, it could be their stupid thing right now.

A silly smile never left Regina's face as she got dressed, throwing on a pair of jeans and a black shirt. As she sat on her bed, slipping on her thigh-high tight brown boots, she looked back over to her vanity, noticing Robin's sweatshirt would look lovely on her that day.

Regina chuckled under her breath as she walked over to her desk chair, pulling the sweatshirt off the back of it and over her head, sighing contently when the scent of forest surrounded her.

She would never admit it, but the smell of forest always reminded her of home.

Of Robin….

Regina threw her hair into a messy bun as it rested against her neck, and she smiled, wondering if Robin had been in as good of a mood she was in now when he woke up to begin his day.

Regina made her way downstairs with color dancing along her cheeks, remembering the night she had ahead of her.

In nine hours, she would be on her very first date with Robin, and if she said the thought didn't make her feel like a teenager again, she'd be lying.

She was nervous. God, she was so nervous. Maybe he would realize he never really loved her at all. Maybe he would call her later and tell her he couldn't make it, make up some excuse not to see her.

But maybe, everything would go right. Maybe, Robin really did love her.

Regina walked into the kitchen, her mind lost in her own thoughts. She smiled when she saw her mother sitting at the island with a cup of coffee in her hand, reading the newspaper in her pajamas.

"Good morning," Regina greeted cheerfully as she practically skipped to the marble counter by the sink, pouring coffee into a white mug shortly after. Cora rose her eyebrows at her daughter's ecstatic mood.

"Good morning, Dear," Cora grinned with a confused look in her eyes, but Regina didn't notice. The brunette tapped her fingers along the edge of the kitchen counter as she waited for her coffee to cool, ready for the day ahead of her.

Cora stared at her daughter, who was completely oblivious to anything and everything. It seemed like all that was going through Regina's head was rainbows and unicorns and anything a Disney princess would be thinking.

She wanted to laugh at the way her daughter was staring love-sickly out the small kitchen window, when it made Cora stop, remembering just exactly why her daughter was acting the way she was.

She had a date tonight.

A date that apparently, she has been waiting for… for quite some time now, too.

Cora sighed, wanting nothing more than the mystery man to be Robin, but if this man was having this kind of effect on Regina, he couldn't be too bad, could he?

"Mom, why aren't you at work?" Regina asked her mother as she turned to the elder woman with a cup of steaming hot coffee in her hands, which was held close to her abdomen.

"It's been snowing since two a.m. yesterday. The whole town is having a snow day today," Cora smirked, and Regina grinned. She walked towards the island as she took a seat across from her mother, leaning forward on her elbows.

"The last time we had a blizzard like this was when I was ten, and we built the world's biggest snowman in our front yard," Regina chuckled as she reminisced, and Cora laughed along as she nodded her head, picturing the snowman in her mind.

Her daughter made a whole snowman family that day with her and Henry.

"That is one of my favorite memories," Cora smiled sweetly, and Regina did too. Regina brushed a strand of loose hair back behind her ear, wondering how even when she tucked her hair away in a messy bun it still bothered her.

"Mine too," Regina sighed as she took a sip of her coffee. Cora raked her eyes over her daughter, noticing her choice of style for the day. She looked comfy, and maybe if she wasn't always dressed in nice, stylish sweater and black leather jeans, she would be more used to it.

Regina always looked like a supermodel, in her opinion, and it was nice to see her with very light to no makeup on, cozied up in an oversized sweatshirt.

"New sweatshirt?" Cora asked, and she didn't miss the way Regina bit her lip, trying to hide her smile.

Well then.

"You could say that," Regina beamed, her chocolate brown eyes twinkling. Cora raised an eyebrow with a questioning smile, but Regina stood from her seat before she could say anything.

"I'm going to head over to Granny's. I have to go talk to Emma," Regina explained as she placed her coffee mug back on the counter. Cora stared at her in disbelief.

"Well, you're not driving today, Sweetheart. You think I'm going to let you in that car of yours when the roads are this bad? You must be crazy," Regina rolled her eyes as she walked to the small table by the kitchen door, grabbing her purse.

"Fine. I'll walk," Cora sighed as she got up from her seat and dumped the last drops of her coffee down the drain. Her daughter was so stubborn…

She would be proud if it wasn't twenty below zero outside.

"You will freeze. And then who will your mystery man come for tonight?" Cora asked with a knowing smile, and Regina smiled to herself, a sigh escaping her lips.

"I will not freeze, Mom. I really need to talk to Emma, and it needs to be in person. As soon as we're done, I'll come back and lock myself in the heat until my date tonight, okay?" Regina asked with a smirk, and Cora rolled her eyes with a grin.

"Fine… You know what, something just crossed my mind. I have somewhere to be, as well," Cora nodded her head as she walked to her daughter, putting her hands on the brunette's shoulders.

"Be careful. I don't want my daughter turning into a popsicle," Cora warned, and kissed Regina on the cheek before she walked out of the kitchen.

If you want something done, you have to do it yourself, Cora thought as she climbed the stairs to her bedroom, getting ready to knock some sense into the guy who lived right across the street.

….

Knock knock knock.

Robin sat in the living room of his childhood home with his parents, watching the fire burn in the fireplace when he heard three violent knocks on their front door.

Robin's eyebrows furrowed and he shrugged his shoulders when his parents shot him a questioning look, as if he knew what the hell was going on.

Robin rose from his seat as he approached the door, running his fingers through his hair before he turned the knob, revealing a very pissed Cora Mills on the other side, snow in her hair and melting on her coat.

"Good morning to you, too," Robin smirked, and Cora rolled her eyes as she moved past Robin, welcoming herself into his home. Robin chuckled under his breath as he shut the door, Cora putting her hands on her hips when he turned around.

"Please, come in," Robin smirked again, and Cora glared at the man in front of her.

"We have a problem," Cora only stated, and Robin nodded his head, confusion lacing his eyes. He looked at the ground then back up again, wondering what Mother Mills could be so upset about.

"And what would that be?" Robin asked as he crossed his arms against his chest, tilting his head. A hint of a smirk still rested against his lips, and Cora just wished she could wipe it right off his face.

"You see, this is all your fault. If you just would've grown a pair and told Regina how you really feel about her, none of this would be happening. Now, she's going out with some guy tonight, and she thinks she's in love with this man," Cora ranted, taking off her coat as she threw it to him.

Robin caught it off guard, stunned as he listened to Cora's words. She really must have no idea.

Regina's in love with me, Robin thought happily, hiding the smile in front of her mother.

"I had it all worked out. I played every damn card in the book, and you still have yet to sweep my daughter off her feet! That stupid hunting-loving hippy-moving nature-crazy boyfriend of Regina's is finally out of the picture, out of every possible thought, and you just sit around like she'll just wait around forever!"

Robin just stood there and nodded at Cora's words the whole time, trying not to laugh at Regina's mother. He knew she had no idea it would be him who would take his daughter out tonight, but it was still hilarious to watch her go off, nonetheless.

"You know, you broke them up. And don't think I didn't see all those times you two got all too comfortable with each other on Thanksgiving. Now, she's onto the next pretty guy when everyone knows it should be you, but you're too chickenshit to do anything about it," Cora raged.

If she were a cartoon, steam would be coming out of her ears, Robin was sure of it.

"Cora, please, calm down. Something happened between Regina and I the day after Thanksgiving, and she never wants to see me again," Robin explained as he moved his hands in front of him, gesturing as he spoke.

Cora narrowed her eyes at him.

"I know. I saw you two in the hallway that morning," Cora said as if it was the most obvious thing, as if it were written on everyone's foreheads. Robin sighed and shook his head.

"It wasn't just that… we, we almost kissed," Robin told her, and Cora's mouth dropped open, her eyes going wide.

"You almost kissed my daughter?!" Cora gasped, and Robin furrowed his eyebrows at the lady in front of him.

"Alright, I am quite confused here. You want me to be with Regina, but I tell you we almost kissed and you freak out?" Robin asked, and Cora scoffed as she rolled her eyes, walking closer to Robin.

"Of course I want you two to be together. But that doesn't mean I won't hunt you down and give you the protective mother speech before you shove your tongue down her throat," Cora explained, and Robin smirked.

"Ah, you see, I only thought it was the protective father speech I had to worry about," Cora groaned as she put a hand on her forehand, shaking her head, clearly annoyed.

Cora walked away from Robin, walking into the Locksleys' living room, and Robin followed her, watching as his parents confused faces met Cora's figure.

"Your son is an idiot," Cora complained as she pointed to Robin, her eyes angry, and Helen and Robert stared between Cora and Robin, wondering what the hell has been going on.

"Alright, what is going on here?" Helen asked, used to Cora's stubbornness and out-going manner. After all, Cora was her best friend. She's lived with this human for so long.

"Girl meets boy. Boy meets girl. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy. So why the hell has this been such a complicated mess since high school? Just walk up to Regina and ask her out, right? No, because Robin would rather give me a heart attack before the time I'm fifty," Robert and Helen scrunched their noses in confusion, their eyebrows furrowed.

Robin stood behind Cora, making the motion of cutting his neck off, trying to tell his parents to let it go, but all they did was stare at him with even more confusion evident in their eyes.

"Cora, what the hell are you talking about?" Robert asked, and Robin put his head in his hands, wishing his parents could just take a hint.

"Regina has a date tonight," Cora exclaimed with wide eyes, tilting her head towards Robin's parents. Helen and Robert shared a look, as if to say that Cora went absolutely mad this time.

"Am I missing something?" Helen questioned, and Robin stepped forward, standing next to Cora, looking her in the eyes.

"Before anyone says something they really shouldn't," Robin began, flashing a serious look towards his parents for a split second, his eyes back to Cora then, "I don't think you need to worry about tonight,"

"Oh, trust me, Locksley, Regina's told me all about what you have to say about this mystery guy. And I can't believe you. Why the hell would you tell Regina that this guy is the one?" Cora asked, crossing her arms against her chest, staring daggers into Robin's soul.

"Look, I know you don't understand, and trust me, in a few hours, you will. But right now, just take a deep breath and remember that it's all about timing," Robin advised, and Cora rolled her eyes.

Honestly, she had no idea what Regina saw in Robin sometimes.

"Take a deep breath my ass. You better fix this, Robin. Don't let my daughter be the one that got away," Cora warned as she walked away from the Locksleys, out their home, slamming the door behind her.

Helen and Robert stared at Robin in shock, silently telling him they better get answers to what just happened. Robin sighed and ran a hand across his stubble, shaking his head.

"Alright, I swear this is all just one big misunderstanding," Robin started, and his mother stared at him, nodding, ready for him to continue.

"Yes, Regina and I are going on a date tonight. And yes, Cora just looked like she lost her mind a few seconds ago. But it's not her fault… Regina's parents don't know that we are going out tonight," Robin explained slowly.

Helen's eyebrows rose while Robert's furrowed.

"What?" Helen sighed, tucked her blonde hair behind her ear, and Robin let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Regina is nervous about telling her parents about me. You know, because of all the history we have," Robin explained with his hands, and Helen frowned.

"Sweetheart, that was years ago."

"I know," Robin nodded his head and let his hands fall to his sides, "but just because Regina's forgiven me for what happened doesn't mean that her parents have. I mean, if she did that to me, would you guys truly have forgiven her for everything? You can't tell me there wouldn't be a small part of you that still didn't trust her fully."

Helen and Robert looked at each other, and they knew that Robin was right. If someone ever hurt their son, they would never fully forgive them. Maybe if it were Regina, but that was the only exception…

"When I pick Regina up tonight, we will both tell her parents and explain everything. But until then, Regina wants it to be… a surprise, let's call it," Robin said.

Helen and Robert nodded their heads, and Robin was about to leave the room when his mother's voice stopped him.

"Robin? If you take away anything from Cora's visit, let it be this… don't let Regina be the one that got away…" Robin smiled at his parents as he walked out of the room, calling over his shoulder with a smile.

"I'd rather die."

…..

Regina hugged Robin's sweatshirt closer to her body as she sat in a corner booth in the back of Granny's, counting down the hours until she could begin her magical night with Robin.

The brunette brought a cup of hot chocolate to her lips as the beverage made its way down her throat, the warm liquid tingling her insides, as a familiar face sat down in front of her.

Regina looked up at Emma and smiled welcomingly, but Emma only frowned.

"You promised me, Regina. What happened?" Emma sighed with disappointment evident in her voice and sad green eyes. Regina let out a tiny breath as she intertwined her fingers, wishing Robin's were the ones holding them.

"Emma, we were seventeen. I didn't think you would even remember," Emma rolled her eyes as she slouched back in the booth, her blonde hair sprawled across her shoulders and back.

"Well, I do. And imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning to find out about you and Robin," Emma glared at her best friend, and Regina frowned.

The truth was, back when they were still in high school, when Regina turned seventeen that hot July day, she and Emma had made a promise under Regina's large oak tree out front.

It had been a little over a year after Regina and Robin had stopped speaking to one another, and it was Regina's first birthday she would spend without him. Emma knew back then that Regina would most likely never get over her childhood best friend, so they made a promise.

Emma and Killian had just broken up a month before, and both girls were defeated by sadness, even though Regina's birthday had finally rolled around.

"Promise me," Emma began, "promise me that no matter what, no matter how charming or familiar it all seems, that you will never go back to him."

The two sat by the oak tree that rested in the Mills front yard, their backs scratchy against the hard stump. Regina let her head fall, wondering how that would even be possible if they would never speak to each other again.

"Life isn't like some Hallmark movie, Emma. I don't want to talk to Robin ever again. There's no point in making that silly promise," Regina sighed in the shade of the tree's branches. Emma only frowned.

In all honesty, Regina didn't never wanted to talk to Robin again. In fact, she wanted the exact opposite. But she would never tell anyone. Not when she knew her heart was bound to get heart a million times worse than before.

Regina didn't want to make that promise with Emma because Regina did hope life was like a movie. She wanted Robin to come back into her life. She wanted Robin to want her back. She wanted them to go back to the way it used to be.

If she made that promise with Emma, all the chances she would ever have again with Robin would already be gone. Vanished in the sun. Barely particles in the dust.

"If you are so sure that it won't be an issue, you won't have a problem with the promise," Emma pointed out wisely, and Regina rolled her eyes.

"Fine...but only if you make the same promise."

"What?"

"Promise me that under no circumstances will you ever get back together with Killian, and I promise I will never get with Robin," Regina reasoned.

Both the blonde and the brunette stared in front of them, sitting in silence. Regina knew Emma didn't like that, and Regina knew Emma was waiting for Killian to beg on his knees for her back.

Which is why she was surprised when Emma took her hand after long moments of silence and shook it.

"I promise that Killian and I will never be a couple again," Emma whispered, hiding the pain in her voice and fake smile. Regina sighed and nodded her head, slowly shaking her hand to hers, as well.

"And I promise that no matter what happens, Robin and I will never be anything more than new strangers."

Emma stared across to Regina at their table, and Regina looked away, feeling powerless by the intimidating look she was receiving on the other end of the booth.

"What happened?" Emma only asked in a disappointed, disapproving matter. Regina squirmed in her seat a bit before she got comfortable, realizing that this wouldn't just be a quick stop for coffee.

"Over Thanksgiving, things got a little...heated, with me and Robin," Robin sighed, and Emma's green eyes went wide like saucers, "We acted like we did before, you know? We joked around and we teased each other, we talked, we got a little handsy…"

"Oh my god, Regina," Emma groaned in disapproval as she put one hand on her forehead, closing her eyes, as if the worst thing possible has happened to her, "wasn't Graham with you?"

"Yes, but the whole time, it just didn't feel right… I only brought Graham home because I felt lonely, Emma, you knew that," Regina looked to Emma with a knowing look in her eyes, but Emma was having none of it.

"Sure, but I didn't expect you to have a quickie in the bathroom with Robin while your boyfriend was in the other room," the blonde pushed, and Regina scoffed, amazed that Emma would think so little of her.

"I said we got handsy. I never said we did it… As a matter of fact, if I remember anything, it was you that had a little fun with Captain Guyliner at the Halloween party two months ago," Emma froze when she heard Regina say this, her mouth parting in shock, words temporarily unavailable.

"Wha-how-what?" Emma stumbled over her words as Regina looked away from her, using her fingers to trace the black top of her styrofoam cup.

She knew that look. It was the same one Regina has in her eyes when she got the texts from Emma this morning. She wasn't about to pressure her like the blonde did to her.

"Robin told me a little while ago… and I didn't say anything because I know you are still in love with him. Because I thought you would have told me yourself, when you found your way back into Killian's arms," Regina sighed through her teeth, and Emma's cheeks reddened.

"And I did remember our promise… But I wasn't about to make you feel bad for doing something that made you feel good… I know you're still in love with him, Emma. I saw it then, and I still see it now," Regina whispered, but Emma tucked her blonde hair behind her ear, denying every statement.

"I have no idea what the hell you are talking about. Yes, we slept together on Halloween, okay? But nothing is going on. We haven't spoken since that morning… It doesn't matter, Regina. What matters right now is that I have to stop you," Regina's eyebrows furrowed as she stared at her best friend.

"You need to stop me?"

"You think I'm just going to let you go out with Robin after what he did to you? Do you not remember all the nights you spent crying, all the days you spent sulking, all the hours you locked yourself in your room? It was because of Robin, and I won't let him hurt you again," Emma breathed passionately.

"It was almost three years ago, Emma. We've changed. We both grew up, and quite frankly, you are not about to tell me what I'm going to do. Not when I think Robin might be the one," Regina breathed out, and both women froze for a minute.

"He broke your heart."

"And he fixed it."

"He lied to you."

"He won't do it again."

"He said he would never love you."

"Well, I guess times have changed."

Emma and Regina stared each other in the eyes, and Emma gave up, putting her face in her hands, groaning in defeat.

"I'm only looking out for you. I love you, and if history repeats itself-"

"It won't. I swear," Regina breathed. Emma was about to say something else, about not to trust Robin or anything he said and to be careful at all times, but something made her stop.

It was the light in Regina's eyes.

There was so much hope, so much belief, so much love.

And who was she to deny her that?

Who was she to crush her dreams?

"Regina, I want you to be with Robin. And I want you two to be together forever. You could get married, have that house on the hill with a white picket fence, have some babies, start a real future together… But I need to make sure that Robin truly cares for you before I get my hopes up, as well as you," Emma sighed, playing with her long, delicate fingers.

"I know you're scared. And honestly, I'm terrified. But if this does go well, this could be it for me. Maybe Robin will change my mind. Maybe one day I will want to settle down," Regina smiled, and Emma gave up, showing a small grin.

"Wow. Regina Mills settling down… You know, you said you never wanted that," Emma smiled, and Regina shrugged her shoulders, taking a sip of her hot chocolate.

"I did… but what I really meant was... I never want to settle down if it's not with him."

…..

Regina stood in front of her bed in her robe, her hands on her hips, looking down at the two dresses that were laid out on her comforter. Her hair was already done, her brunette locks twisted into a side bun resting just against her neck, a small braid wrapped around the style.

She knew Robin liked that hairstyle on her.

If the Halloween party just months ago said anything.

(He couldn't keep his eyes off of her that night, and even though she pretended she didn't notice, she did, and to this day, it still made her cheeks go red).

Now, all that was to decide was which dress she would wear.

The one on the right was a short maroon one, which sported a v neck with thin spaghetti straps, the material flowing, just stopping before her knees. It was a dress she had bought for the Valentine's Day Ball held annually at Storybrooke, but she knew it was too good to not even have it as an option.

The other dress was black, lace sleeves stopping short of her wrists with a beautiful pattern, the dress hugging every curve of her body perfectly. It would stop before her knees, and Regina smiled to herself, noticing she liked that style.

"The black one," came a voice behind her, and Regina turned around to see her mother leaning on her doorway, her arms crossed, a knowing smile laced upon her lips.

Regina smiled as she looked back to the bed, to the two dresses, and let her arms fall to her sides.

"You think so?" Regina asked as she lifted the hanger the black dress occupied, studying it carefully, wondering how Robin would react seeing her in something like this.

Cora walked to her daughter, taking the spot next to her, and put a hand on Regina's shoulder.

"You can never go wrong with black, Dear… It's beautiful, perfect for a beautiful person," Regina smiled as she looked at her mother, letting out a nervous breath. Her mother smiled back, moving her hand to Regina's back, rubbing it soothingly.

"I just… I want everything to be perfect. I'm just so nervous," Regina admitted, letting her eyes go back to the dress in her hands. It really was perfect, and she fell in love with it the moment she saw it in the store.

Would Robin fall for her just as hard as soon as he saw her in it?

"Regina, you have nothing to be nervous about… I know this means a lot to you, and even if I don't necessarily agree with your choices, I am your mother… When you talk about tonight, there's a special light in your eyes that I've only ever seen once before… I don't want you to lose that," Cora breathed out, brushing a few small strands out of her daughter's face.

"So even if I'm the only one still hung up on Robin, I won't lie to you… You will look beautiful in anything you wear. You could have on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, and your mystery man would be knocked off his feet just as hard. If he really is the one, he will love you no matter what you wear."

Regina ducked her head as a small smile graced her features. She would always be forever grateful for her mother, who, no matter what, somehow, always knew just what to say, at the exact right time.

Cora gave Regina one last smile as she made her way out of the room, and Regina let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"I swear to god, Locksley, please don't mess this up," Regina muttered under her breath as she slipped into her black dress, running her fingers through her hair and trying on a smile, seeing how she didn't need to fake it.

…

Regina sat at the bottom step of the staircase, fidgeting with her fingernails, as she waited on Robin, her nerves getting the better of her. This was her best friend. This was the person she grew up with… what if they realized they didn't work romantically? What if she and Robin came all this way just to realize they weren't meant to be?

She could see her father pacing in the living room as Cora sat quietly on the armchair, pretending to read some magazine when really, she was as nervous as Regina on the inside.

Cutting the soothing silence, a knock on the door broke Regina out of her thoughts. The brunette stood up and straightened her dress with shaking hands, taking a deep breath. Cora and Henry made their way to the hallway, feet away from the door, ready to meet the mystery man their daughter had become so fond of.

Regina let out an anxious sigh before twisting the doorknob, and the large oak door opened.

Robin stood on the Mills front porch, a light pink courage in his hands, a denim button-down dress shirt on along with a pair of black dress pants, and Regina's breath caught in her throat at the sight of him.

Robin appeared to react the same way about her, if his wide eyes and jaw-dropping smile said anything.

Cora's jaw dropped to the floor, and Henry just stared at the two.

"Hi," Robin smiled, almost shy, and Regina blushed as she tucked strands of hair back behind her ear.

"Hi," she whispered back. Robin smiled as Regina's eyes went down to the plastic box he was holding in his hands then back up to him with a questioning look, and he chuckled, shrugging his shoulders with a twinkle in his eyes.

"We never really got a chance to do this last year, but better late than never, yeah?" Robin asked with a childish grin, and Regina smiled as he slipped the courage onto her wrist, the flower matching perfectly with her dress.

"You look stunning," Robin breathed, and Regina smirked as she bit her lip.

"You don't look half bad, either."

"Wait a damn minute," came Cora's voice from behind them, and Regina turned around to see her mother's eyebrows furrowed, completely incapable of comprehending what was going on.

"What the hell is going on? You told me you were over Robin," Cora exclaimed as she pointed her finger at her daughter, and Regina bit the inside of her cheek as she looked like a child caught with her hand inside the cookie jar.

"I never said that, you just implied it," Regina sighed with a small, nervous chuckle, and Cora's eyes widened even further.

"And you let me believe that all along? How long have you two been together for, then?" Regina looked to Robin, who's smirk was plastered across the face.

"Well, you see, this will be our first date, so if I play my cards right, I plan to be with your daughter for quite some time… we have to make it out the door, first, though," Robin teased, and Regina blushed. Cora stood in the hall with her mouth hanging open.

"You jackass," Cora breathed out, and before she could say anything else, Henry stopped his wife, putting his hand on her arm.

"I think what she's trying to say," Henry chuckled under his breath as he went up to Robin, "is to have fun."

Robin nodded his head, and Regina kissed her father's cheek as she made her way towards the door again. Robin led Regina outside and got her into the car as he shut the passenger side softly.

"Locksley," Henry called from the door before Robin hopped into the driver's seat, and Robin turned, putting his hands on the roof of his car in an easing manner.

"If you hurt my daughter, I will hurt you. I have no problem taking care of delicate matters," Henry threatened fiercely, and Robin nodded his head with an audible gulp, settling inside the car, taking a deep breath.

Henry and Cora watched as Robin drove away with their daughter from the front porch, and the elder woman shook her head.

"It's about damn time."