Author's Notes:

Special Thanks to my illustrator and contributing author ale_nena for the beautiful cover art.

Setting: Misthaven non-magical modern AU. The society and political system will be based on a combination of modern countries, with a probable bias toward the American system as I am an American. However, all characters are fictional and resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidence.

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Zelena squeezed him tightly, sniffing into his shoulder.

"I'll miss you," she murmured.

Henry smiled, recalling how tightly she'd hug him when she was a little girl.

"I'll miss you too, Sweetheart," he stroke her hair, "But we'll see each other again in a few months on Unity Day."

She leaned up, wiping away tears, "Yes, you're right."

He reached up to tweak her chin, "I love you."

"I love you too," she hugged him one last time, finally tearing herself away and heading to her and Blake's car.

He waved goodbye to them and then joined Cora and Regina at their limo. The three got inside and followed them out to the gate. At the road Zelena and Blake's car turned north toward the capital while they turned south back toward Unity City.

They spent most of the ride in silence, Cora occasionally chatting about work and plans for the upcoming week. Henry tried to remain engaged in the conversation, but was distracted by his daughter's presence.

She spent the entire drive quietly staring out the window, eyes hidden behind her sunglasses.

When they finally arrived back at the estate, he and Cora walked up the steps with Regina trailing behind them.

As they got inside, Cora took off her sun hat with a contented sigh and strolled through the foyer.

"It's a nice day, I think I'm going to work in the garden for a little while," she said, setting her suitcase next to the elevator to take up later.

Henry nodded as she took out her laptop and walked through to the garden. He watched her leave and Regina quietly making her way to the elevator.

Frowning, he straightened up and walked over next to her. She glanced his way briefly, but didn't say anything.

He cleared his throat, "So I was thinking about something…"

She glanced over, "What's that?"

"About the windows in my office."

"The windows in your office?" she asked in confusion.

"Yes, I think they might need new stripping," he told her, "Sound conducts through them very easily."

"Hm," she nodded, "Well maybe Marco could help with that?"

"Perhaps," he answered, "I end up over hearing some very interesting things."

Regina looked over at him with a confused expression.

"For instance, early last month I overheard a very interesting conversation between you and a certain member of the security team..."

Her lips dropped open as she realized what he was talking about.

"You...you heard that?!"

He nodded.

"Oh Gods," she groaned, thinking, "Did you hear everything?"

He cleared his throat again, blushing as he recalled some of the more personal details of what he'd over heard. His reaction was enough to answer her question, though.

"Oh Gods!" she cried.

Eager to gloss over that aspect, he changed the subject, "Are you...alright?"

She looked at him, "Why are you asking now?"

"I may have had a discussion with Locksley last night," he admitted.

"I see," she answered, "Why didn't you talk to me first?"

"I didn't want to pry," he responded.

She let out a sigh, "Well, I appreciate that at least someone cares about that!"

"Your mother means well," Henry told her.

"Yeah, I know but…" she trailed off.

"I know she can be a bit overzealous," he acknowledged, "But she is trying to help you and she doesn't know that there's someone else."

Regina laughed, "I can only imagine what she'd say!"

He didn't really have an answer to that because he knew that she was right, Cora would likely not approve, "Well...what matters, though, is what you think."

She sighed, muttering, "What I think…"

"Have you spoken to him?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "We talked last night."

"And?"

She frowned, "I don't know…I don't know."

He lifted his hand to gently pat her back, "Anything I can do to help?"

She sighed, but answered, "I don't think so but thank you."

He wasn't very happy with that answer, but there wasn't much else he could really do. He just hoped Regina knew that he was there for her.

* 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 *

Regina looked around the dining room at the country club for any sign of James. This was going to be the first time they'd spent any time together since the garden party, and she anticipated it was going to be a awkward.

They'd texted and spoken a few times, but things had been a little stilted. She understood why, though. There weren't many guys who would put up with weeks of lukewarm dates that didn't lead to sex.

However, they'd finally decided to meet up for dinner on Friday night at the club.

Her phone buzzed, jolting her out of her thoughts, "Hello?"

"Hi, it's James."

"Hi."

"Yeah, I'm sorry but I'm running a bit late," he said, "Last minute emergency at the office."

"Oh," she nodded, "Okay, did you want me to…"

"You don't have to stay if you don't want," he anticipated the question, "I promise I'll make it up to you. There's a hot new seafood place downtown I heard about."

"Alright, that sounds good," she absently answered.

"Great, I'll call you later."

"Okay," she nodded, holding the phone numbly to her ear as he hung up. Setting it down on the table, she stared at her plate, wondering exactly what the hell she was doing here.

With a sigh, she rested her elbows on the table, disregarding any sideways looks it might get, and buried her head in her hands.

"Regina?"

She looked up and found a familiar face standing next to her table.

"Daniel?"

He smiled, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she nodded, sitting up, "Yeah I was just...waiting for someone. What are you doing here? Are you working?"

"No," he answered, "I'm actually also waiting for someone. A date."

"Oh! Well, please, don't let me keep you..."

"You aren't," he said with a sigh, "Actually I think I might have been stood up."

She wasn't quite sure what to say to that, "I'm sure that's not true."

He quirked a smile, "That's kind of you, but she's nearly an hour late. I actually had a table, but I gave up and was on my way out."

"Oh," Regina answered, "I'm so sorry. Have you...been seeing each other long?"

"No, it was supposed to be a first date," he answered, "We met on a dating app."

She nodded, "Well, did you want to sit down? Give her a little bit more time?"

"Aren't you waiting for someone?" Daniel asked.

"Not anymore," she shook her head, "He's not coming."

"Oh," Daniel answered, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," she answered dispassionately.

He pulled out the chair across the table and sat down. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, he asked, "So...you're waiting for James Spencer?"

Regina looked at him in surprise so he shrugged, "It's all over the tabloids."

She rolled her eyes with a huff and muttered, "Wonder if my mother called them."

Daniel glanced up at her but didn't comment. Instead he repeated her earlier question, "Have you been seeing him long?"

"No," she answered, "Actually not long at all and yet it seems...I don't know…"

"Is something bothering you?" he asked.

She tapped her fingers on the table, staring into the distance, "I owe you an apology."

"An apology?"

"For that day at the stables and for how I reacted to it," she stopped tapping, forcing herself to meet his eyes

He shifted uncomfortably, "Regina you don't need to apologize for that."

"Yes, I do," she answered, "I think...I tend to rush into things."

He looked at her questioningly, "This isn't just about that day in the stable, is it?"

She didn't answer.

"Is it Spencer?"

"What?" she looked at him, "No, no! It's not about him."

"Okay," Daniel said, "Well, whatever's got you thinking this way...I think that's a load of bull."

This time he had her attention.

"You don't rush into things, Regina," he told her, "It took two years of secondary school and one year of college before you even agreed to go to the movies with me!"

She chuckled, "Yeah, I remember. I should apologize for that too."

"Oh, not at all," he assured her, "You were worth it."

She glanced up, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with where this conversation was going.

He seemed to sense that, reaching across the table to take her hand, "I did love you, Regina."

She started into his face, studying its familiar lines. He'd been her first and for a long time she'd clung to how he made her feel. Now, though...well she hardly knew how she felt about anything.

"I know you did," she answered, "But you were right, we were really young."

"Yeah," he nodded, "We were."

"I did think we'd make it, though," she said before considering the implications, "I'm not saying I still want-"

"No, no," he waved her off, "I understand. I did too."

"You did?"

He quirked his head at her surprised tone, "Of course, I did! You didn't know that?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. I mean...you left me."

"Regina, I had to-"

"I know!" she cut him off this time, "I know. I'm not saying I blame you. I don't. You absolutely did the right thing by going to vet school, but, well, when you're 22 and heartbroken...sometimes you don't handle it the best way."

He nodded, "Yeah, that's true. I didn't."

"You?" she asked.

He looked hesitant, "Nevermind."

"No, tell me!" Regina said, "I want to know."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Okay well...you were hurt I left you? Well I was hurt that you let me."

"What?

"I wanted you to come with me."

She furrowed her brow, "You what? You never said anything!"

"No, I never asked you to because I knew what your answer would be," Daniel said.

Regina closed her mouth, taking deep breaths to avoid saying something she'd regret before answering, "I suppose I deserve that."

She sat silently before finally asking, "Can I just ask you one thing? Did you think my reasons were about money? Status?"

He waited a long moment before finally answering, "I considered it."

She let out a breath.

"But I knew you aren't that kind of person," he told her, "I didn't think you were shallow, Regina, but I did think that the fact you wouldn't move in with me meant you didn't love me."

"Well I did," she answered, "I clung to the memory of how much I loved you for years!"

"Would you have gone with me?"

Her silence was answer enough.

"Why not? I know your parents are controlling but you were over 18-"

She barked a laugh, "You think that matters? What my mother wants, she gets. She isn't going to let something like legal adulthood stand in her way!"

"But what could she really have done to you?" he asked, "Even if she cut you off, you could have gotten any job-"

"Not me," she answered, "You."

"Me?"

"A few days after I told my parents about you getting into vet school, she cornered me one night and reminded me that Sonar was a publicly funded university and if the governor were to call the dean asking for a favor, he'd listen…"

"Wait!" Daniel blinked, "You're saying your mother threatened to get my admission to vet school rescinded?"

Regina ground her teeth.

"Just because we were dating?" he asked incredulously.

"Because she didn't want it to go any further than dating," Regina said.

"Gods," he said, "Regina, I had no idea."

She sighed, "She didn't say I had to break up with you. Just that I she didn't want me leaving Unity City after graduation. But then you said you didn't want to do long distance."

He looked down, "I'm sorry. I was…"

"Young and hurt?" she guessed, "Yeah, me too. I guess because I knew about the real reason we'd ended...I never really felt like I had closure and so I always kind of figured that if you came back we could just...it was stupid."

"It wasn't stupid, Regina," he argued.

"Yeah, it was," she slid her hand out of his, leaning back in her seat, "Everything you said in the stables was true. We're different people now. You grew up, but apparently I hadn't."

"And now?" Daniel asked.

She looked over at him, feeling uncomfortable again, "What do you mean?"

"You're different now," he told her, "Even just since last summer...you're different. So what changed?"

She quirked her lips ruefully, "Very little. Nothing ever changes for me."

"Don't say that!"

She shrugged.

"Regina, really," he reached over and grabbed her hand again, "I hate seeing you this way. You know what I always loved most about you?"

"What?" she asked.

"You're a fighter. You also get what you want, and you never give up until you do!"

This time she did laugh out loud, "Not lately."

"Then fight," he told her, "Be that girl I know you still are."

"You really think I'm that, huh?" she asked.

"I do," he assured her, removing his hands from hers, "And whoever this guy is he's really lucky."

She raised one eyebrow, "Oh, so it must be about a guy, huh?"

He laughed, "No, of course not...but, and I don't mean any offense by this, but I know what you look like when you're in love."

Regina was quiet and before she could respond Daniel looked over her shoulder, eyes widening. Glancing behind her, Regina saw a tall brunette who'd just walked into the dining room.

"That the girl from the app?" she asked.

Biting his lip, Daniel nodded.

Regina looked her up and down, turning back to him, "She's cute. Go on. You'd better go get her before she gets jealous."

"I don't mean to-" he hesitated.

"Go!" she insisted, "But make sure she has a damned good excuse for keeping you waiting!"

He looked back at her, laughing in amusement, "Thanks, Regina."

She chuckled as she stood from the table and jogged over to the woman. She sat turned in her chair, watching as they had a conversation in which the woman seemed very apologetic. Daniel listened giving her the charming smile Regina had seen many times when they were younger. Gently touching her arm, Daniel motioned to the bar. His table had likely already been cleared, but she could see that he was suggesting a drink instead.

As she watched them walk away, Regina felt a smile pulling at her lips.

Turning away, she sighed, happy for the peace she was feeling at watching Daniel and feeling happy for him.

She'd spent a long time feeling like when he'd left he'd taken her happiness away from her. Of course, she'd dated a several men after him but she always felt like something was missing. Then that day in the stables happened and…it had been horribly painful at the time, but since then that feeling had faded. It, at first, had been replaced by anger and humiliation, but after a while even that faded and now...now, if nothing else, she was certain that having Daniel wasn't the only way for her to be happy.

Glancing down at her phone, she frowned. That raised some other questions, though, but, at the moment, they weren't ones she felt like addressing.

Standing from her table she gathered up her phone and handbag, walking over to the side of the room where Lot had been patiently waiting for her.

"I'm ready to go, Lot," she told him.

He nodded, motioning for her to go ahead of him out the front door.

He drove her home in silence, dropping her at the front gate as usual. To her relief her parents had already finished dinner, so she didn't run into them on the first floor. She was about to head straight to the elevator, but thought better of it.

Instead she turned toward the kitchen. The outer kitchen was empty.

Pulling a plate out of the cabinet she piled it high with cheese, strawberries, and whipped cream. Impulsively, she opened the fridge, popped the top off a bottle of beer and carried it, along with her plate, up to her suite.

In the living room, she carelessly let her purse and shoes fall to the floor as she plopped down on the couch. She flipped on the TV and searched until she found something that looked halfway decent.

After pigging out on her meal and finishing the last of her beer, she sat back, feeling stuffed and a little overheated.

As she leaned back on the couch she could feel her hair clinging to her neck. It was starting to curl again.

Thinking it over, she picked up her phone and emailed an appointment request to her stylist.

Even if she couldn't quite figure out any other aspects of her life, at least her hair was an easy one.

* 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 *

She woke up the next morning and had an uneventful breakfast with her parents. After finishing her second cup of coffee, she headed back up to her suite. Her phone, which she'd left on the coffee table in the living room, flashed an alert about a new text message.

Opening it, she found that it was from her stylist, offering to fit her in ASAP.

She hadn't expected an offer so quickly, but, after thinking it over, she texted back accepting the appointment.

Pulling on her shoes, she dialed Drake's number to request security for the day.

It was a little nippy outside, so she pulled on a sweater before riding the elevator down and walking out the front door.

Normally, she have changed out of her tennis shoes, but she couldn't be bothered this time.

She waited at the bottom of the steps until her car drove around and Lot jumped out to open the door for her.

Their drive into the city was as painfully quiet as usual, and she was downright relieved when he finally stopped in front of Francois' salon to let her out.

"Thank you," she nodded to him as she got out.

Inside, the receptionist greeted her effusively, offering coffee and water while she waited. She didn't have to wait long, though. Francois appeared after only a moment and led her to a chair.

"Thank you for fitting me in," she told him as she sat down, "You really didn't have to so quickly."

"Oh, no. I'd never keep Cora Mills' daughter waiting!" he joked, draping a cape around her chest, "We doing the usual trim and blowout today?"

She nodded as he lifted her hair out of the cape and clipped it closed.

"Okay, just give me a minute."

As he rustled around in the drawers at his station Regina stared at herself in the mirror. She'd never been under any illusions about the fact that the VIP service she got here was because Francois aslo cut her mother's hair. Really, it was the only reason he'd need to. She'd had the same haircut since she was in college!

Frowning at her reflection, she lifted one hand out from under the cape to run the ends between her fingers.

Glancing back up, she shook her head at herself. She wasn't really going to be that cliche, was she?

As Francois stepped over to her with the scissors, though, she heard herself saying, "Actually, lets do something a little different…"

* 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 *

Regina climbed out as Lot stopped in the front circle. There was little wind that night, but her neck felt weirdly cold.

Climbing up the front steps, she set her purse down in the entryway.

"Regina?" her mother called form the dining room, "Is that you?"

"Yes, Mother," she answered.

"Well come have supper!" Cora called back.

Holding herself up, she strode into the dining room. Her father caught sight of her first, blinking in surprise.

Cora looked up from her plate next. Lips dropping open, she demanded. "What did you do to your hair?!"

"I cut it, Mother," she answered, sitting down in the spot where a plate had been laid for her.

"I see that," Cora said coldly.

Looking over at her, Regina asked, "Problem?"

Cora studied her for a good long time before finally answered, "No, actually. It looks nice."

Henry blinked in surprise. Regina wanted to also, but managed to suppress it, "You like it?"

That was not the reaction she'd expected she'd have to deal with.

"Yes, actually. I wouldn't have expected so, but...it makes you look very professional," Cora said.

"Well thank you, Mother," Regina said.

Cora didn't respond, simply turning back to her dinner and changing the subject.

Regina nibbled at her dinner, an odd feeling distracting her from her meal.

Once they were finally finished and dishes cleared, she drifted out of the dining room and up to her own suite.

Walking to her bedroom, she stared at herself in the mirror. The person staring back at her looked the same and yet very different...and she liked it.

Abruptly, she turned away from the mirror and pulled out her phone. Scrolling down to Robin's name, she typed out a message.

"Need to see you. Meet me in the back garden."

With that she dropped the phone onto her bed, and left the room. Her stomach jumped all the way down to the first floor, but, when the doors opened, she felt the same since of determination she had when she sent the text.

As she strode through the kitchen and opened the patio doors, she was happy to find that Robin was already there waiting for her.

"Hey," he turned to her, "I got your text. Is everything alright?"

"No, it's not," she told him, "I need to say something."

"Okay?"

"I'm not a princess."

He blinked, "What?"

"I'm not a princess," she repeated, "You may be right that I don't know everything, but I'm not naive and I'm not a child. I'm a grown woman. I'm capable of knowing what I want and what's best for me. And I need someone who believes that! I know you're my security, but you don't need to protect me from myself! I know myself. I know my own feelings. I know what I want. Is that clear?"

He nodded, "Yes,"

"Good," she said, grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling his lips to hers. He made a surprised noise at first but quickly returned the kiss, hands resting on her hips.

When the finally broke apart he breathed, "Does this mean you'll give me another chance?"

She tapped his nose with hers, "That depends. Do you still want to be with me?"

He nodded, "Yes."

"Good," she said again, leaning up for another kiss.

He returned it breathing, in between kisses, "You look beautiful."

She grinned against his lips, "I know."

He pulled her tightly to him, kissing her deeply until a bright light flooded the garden. Blinking in surprise, they stepped apart, squirting at the short figure standing in the patio door way.

As their vision cleared, Henry's form came into view,

He crossed his arms, "So I take this means you've worked everything out?"

Both blushed, but Regina stood tall, meeting her father's eyes.

He didn't seem to require an answer as he finally nodded, "Good. However, if you don't want your mother to see you I suggest you be more discrete."

Regina was quiet before she finally nodded, "We will...thank you."

Robin met his eyes too, "We will, Sir."

Seemingly satisfied, Henry nodded, turning back through the doorway and flipping off the light. Staring at each other through the darkness, Robin and Regina stared at each other in disbelief. They'd been caught red-handed by her father and basically nothing had happened.

Finally, they both broke into amazed laughter, both pulling the other back for kiss after kiss to make up for the time they'd lost. They didn't part again for a good long time.