Regina relished the warmth of the local bodega as she stood in the cashier line with Henry. She stretched out her neck as his diaper bag dug into her shoulder.

It had been close to eight weeks since she'd escaped her mother and things were looking pretty bleak. For a while she had been very optimistic. Upon arriving in Santa Barbara she'd found a cheap motel for she and Henry to stay at until she could afford an apartment. It was dirty and the manager was a little creepy but for the moment it was safe. She'd never felt freer. She and Henry were away from her mother and Leopold and she reveled in the fact that no one could take her son from her. But her joy didn't last long.

She hadn't been able to find a job as quickly as she expected. While Regina Mills had gone to a top notch private school and worked at a Fortune 500 company, Regina Gardiner had barely graduated high school and hadn't held a job in her life. Her history was practically blank besides Henry's birth. Her son was actually another reason it was difficult for her to find work. Despite how desperate she was no one wanted to give a job to a woman who had to bring her baby to an interview.

She'd pawned off the jewelry she'd been wearing but hadn't gotten nearly as much as she thought she would. The shop owners had sensed her desperation and undoubtedly shorted her. It wasn't long before she realized she'd have start to cutting back. She walked instead of taking the bus. She only allowed herself to eat a full meal every other day. Anything to stretch what little she had. The same rules didn't apply to Henry though. She spared almost no expense when it came to taking care of him. He ate every day and she always made sure his clothes and diapers were clean. She did everything she could to make sure he didn't suffer because of her lack of employment.

Without work her expenses soon began to add up and about a week ago they'd been kicked out of the motel. She was now down to her last thirty dollars.

The knowledge of how little she had made her feel especially powerless as she stood in the local bodega. She'd just used Henry's last diaper and she knew it wouldn't be long before he needed a new one. A new pack of diapers was going to cost her half of her money. Luckily for her they were on sale today or she wouldn't have enough left for the food she was sure she'd need to buy at the end of the week. What she'd do then… she didn't know.

"Will that be all?" said the cashier in a bored voice. Regina nodded as he rang up the diapers. He was a younger than her. Probably no more than eighteen and clearly not at all thrilled to be working. She hated that she was envious of him.

"That'll be 20 dollars," he said expectantly.

Regina's eyes widened. "What? The diapers are supposed to be on sale for 15 dollars."

"That's the wrong brand," sighed the cashier. "You want the generic brand."

"I looked for the generic brand. They weren't there."

"Then I guess we're out of stock," he deadpanned hostilely. "Do you want these diapers or not?"

Regina brought her hand to her forehead in frustration. She needed these diapers. But if she got them she might not have enough left to feed Henry. It was a complete catch-22. Her indecision was clearly irritating the cashier.

"Do you want them or not?" he repeated crabbily.

Regina held up her hand to him. "Can you just give me a second? It's kind of an important decision."

"Probably the sort of decision you should've considered before you popped out the kid right?" he replied rudely.

The words were like a knife to her heart. Before she could even respond a debit card landed on the counter in front of her. "She's getting the diapers."

She turned to face her savior and saw a dark-skinned woman not much older than herself glaring at the cashier fiercely. "And along with those she's gonna need about three jars of the Gerber's organic baby food as well."

"We ran out of those this morning," said the boy in a smug voice.

"No you forgot to restock them this morning," said the woman accusingly, with one hand on her hip as she leaned against the counter. "I used to work in a grocery store. I know what back stock is. Now you can either run and get them for me or I can tell your manager just how rude you are to your customers. Your choice."

Her brown eyes flashed with fury as she glared at teenage boy. He glared back at her venomously before heading towards the back of the store. As he shuffled away from the counter Regina started to shake her head at the woman. "You don't have to-"

The woman just sheepishly raised a hand to silence her. "Oh please don't worry about it. Consider it payment for my outburst. It's just that I come here so often and he's always so rude. This was a long time coming I promise you."

Regina let out a forced chuckle. "Thank you."

"No problem," said the woman giving her warm smile. She looked down at Henry with affection. "I've done things twice as mean for people half as cute."

Regina seriously doubted that as she watched the woman lean down and tickle Henry's tummy. She cooed at him and Henry laughed and wiggled at her appreciatively. "What's his name?"

"Henry," answered Regina quickly. "I'm Regina. Regina…Gardiner." She'd said her new name more than a few times but it still felt foreign on her tongue.

"I'm Marian Locksely," she said reaching out her hand.

Marian Locksely was never one to tolerate abuse. Especially not when it was directed at someone so helpless. She eyed Regina as they walked out of the store together. It didn't take a genius to know that she was struggling. The way her clothes hung off her body. The dark circles under her desperate eyes. She showed all the signs of a woman in trouble. Not one who deserved to be berated by a teenage cashier.

"Thank you so much for all your help," Regina said. She couldn't thank Marian enough for getting Henry his food and diapers. "It's just been a tight week for us. If you give me your number I can pay you back once I have the money."

Marian shook her head. "It's really not necessary. It was all worth it to see his angry face."

Regina smiled at her. This woman had no idea how much she owed her. "Okay well thanks again."

As she turned to leave Marian called out to her. "You know my car is right there, do you need a ride anywhere?"

"Um… no," said Regina. "We live just around the block. We can make it home on foot."

As thankful as she was to Marian for her generosity in the bodega Regina couldn't let her know how much she was struggling. For one the sheer amount of shame she felt would cripple her. Secondly, she couldn't risk telling someone about her and Henry's situation. They might call child protective services and have Henry taken away from her.

"We'll be fine," she lied.

"Okay," said Marian reluctantly. She moved to walk away but spun back on her heel. "You're a mother who's trying her best Regina. Don't let anyone shame you for that."

Regina just gave her an awkward nod before walking away. Marian watched her leave with frown on her face and a worried look in her eyes. As soon as they turned the corner she started to walk back to her car.

You can't help people who don't want to be helped Marian, she reminded herself.

Night had fallen by the time Regina reached the park that she and Henry now called home. She'd discovered it the day they'd been kicked out the motel. She thought a day at the park with Henry would help clear her head and figure out what to do. They'd ended up sleeping there.

She climbed up the wooden stairs to the plastic play castle where she slept. It had a roof to keep out the rain and three walls that would block out most of the wind. It wasn't perfect but it was shelter. It was late February and even though the days were heating up the night still brought a chill. She thanked her lucky stars that she'd been smart enough to pack Henry a jacket, hat and extra blanket. He was able to stay warm despite the chill. She was not so lucky. Her worn leggings, t-shirt and thin plaid over shirt were fine during the day but offered her little resistance at night. Her slip on flats weren't doing much to keep her feet warm either. She rubbed her hands together and pressed them on her toes in an effort to heat them up. She wished she had a blanket like Henry. As she looked at her son, snuggled up in his car seat and unaware of their struggles, she couldn't get Marian's words out of her head.

You're a mother who's trying her best

It was true. She looked for work every day but every day she got turned away. It seemed like no employer was willing to take a chance on her. Marian had saved her today but she was still broke. It wouldn't be long before she couldn't afford to feed herself or her son. Yes she was trying her best … but her best was not enough. Not for Henry.

She blinked back tears as she ran her hand over his stomach. His onesie still fit but it was starting to grow tight around his arms. She'd ripped at the sleeves so they wouldn't bite into his skin. In a few weeks he'd outgrow it completely and she wouldn't be able to get him another. She couldn't take care of her son. And it was killing her.

Everything you do, you do for Henry

That was her mantra, her guiding purpose. And thinking of it now made her realize that keeping Henry was not something she was doing for him. It was for her. He was the only bright spot left in her life. He gave her a reason to continue but keeping him was selfish.

She rubbed her thumb over his cheek and felt a tear go down her own. "You deserve so much better than me."

Sobs racked through her body as she realized she had to give him up. She couldn't give him what he needed. Not food. Not clothes. Not a home. He needed someone better than her to take care of him. Someone who knew what they were doing.

She tried to take deep breaths to reign in her tears. Knowing what she had to do was crushing her heart. She reached up to her chest and rubbed her thumb over her engagement ring. She wore it around her neck on a string now. When the money had started running low she'd thought about selling it but could never bring herself to do so. Daniel, and a lot of the men in his family before him, had used it hoping to receive a chance of happiness with the woman they loved. This ring didn't belong to her. It belonged to Henry. It was all he had left of his father.

Thinking of Daniel helped calm her down. His laugh and his smile. Imagining him and how he'd hold their son, how he'd love him. It should make her sad but instead it gave her a sense of peace. She knew if Daniel was here he'd do whatever was necessary to keep them safe. No matter what it cost him. Giving up their son would be the hardest thing she'd ever have to do but it was a price she'd pay if it meant he would be cared for properly.

She pressed a kiss to the top of Henry's head. "I love you," she whispered, tearfully.

She ran her thumb over his tiny hand. Tomorrow she would give up her son but for tonight she just wanted to hold him.

Marian let out a yawn as she drove down the street. Her meeting with the meat dealer had run a lot longer than she thought it would. It didn't help that she could hardly focus the entire time she was there. She couldn't get Regina and Henry out of her head. The way she'd thanked her and the way her baby smiled. She could tell those two didn't deserve the struggles they had. They needed help.

She tried to clear her head by turning up her radio. Her mom used to tell her it was never good to dwell on things she couldn't change. Her mom...

She shook her head furiously. Oh god Marian don't fall down that rabbit hole again.

She sighed as she pulled up to a stoplight. Her thoughts would just have to wait until she got home. Well until Robin got home. Marian could always count on her husband to help her sort through things when she would let him. She glanced at the clock. 8:45. He should still be at the bar by now. Serving drinks to the few stragglers who were brave enough to test the ocean water.

Her hands tapped on the driver's wheel impatiently as she waited for the light to change. She let her gaze wander toward her driver's hand window. There was a small park at the end of the crosswalk. It was just a few swings, some monkey bars and a small plastic castle. Wait…

She sat forward and narrowed her eyes at the castle. There was someone inside of it. It couldn't be…

Plaid shirt and car seat. Marian let out a disbelieving breath as she realized just who she was looking at. Regina and Henry.

She'd said she'd had a place to go. C'mon Marian did you really believe that? She had to admit that the answer was no. Oh god, how long had they been sleeping in that play castle?

HONK!

Marian jumped so high at the car horn she nearly hit her head on the ceiling. She looked up at the stoplight and saw it had turned green. If she went straight she could head home. Maybe crawl into bed with her husband and forget about the woman and her son in a few days.

It's not good to dwell on the things you can't change baby

Marian set her jaw and gripped the steering wheel tight as she quickly made a U-turn.

Shut up Mom.

As she looked down at her son Regina sadly wondered just where she was going to give him up. There was a church down the street. Maybe she could leave him there? No. It made the chances of her finding him again slim. And she wanted to find him again. She tried to convince herself that giving up Henry was only temporary. A way to make sure that he'd be cared for while she built a life for him. It was a desperate hope but one she would cling to.

She was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice a figure approach the play castle.

The knock on the wooden stairs caused her to jump in surprise. She laid her arm across Henry protectively as her eyes turned toward its source. "Marian?"

Her bodega savior stood next to the wooden steps staring at her with her arms folded across her chest. "I thought you said you had someplace to go."

"What?" said Regina confusedly. She glanced back at Henry to make sure he was still asleep.

"At the bodega," clarified Marian. "I asked you if you needed a ride somewhere and you said you lived down the block."

Regina looked at her suspiciously. "Did you follow me here?"

"No and that's not the point!"

"Of course the one nice person I run into is a stalker," sighed Regina, rolling her eyes to the sky.

Marian scoffed at her. "You know what I might be a stalker but you are definitely a liar. Why didn't you just tell me that you didn't have a place to stay?"

Regina ran her fingers through her hair and pressed her lips together as the all the pain of the day rushed back to her. She'd been ridiculed by a store cashier, left in the cold and just decided to give up the person she loved the most. This woman demanding her honesty just the last straw for her. "What was I supposed to say to you, huh? That I am so inept that I can't find a job despite the fact that I've been looking for weeks? That I can't afford to keep a roof over my son's head? That I struggle every day to make sure that he can get what he needs to eat?! Was that what I was supposed to tell you? Excuse me for wanting to keep my failures to myself. I'm so sorry it has offended you!"

By the time she was finished with her rant her hands were trembling and her eyes were welling over with tears. "I appreciate everything you did for me today, I really do, but that doesn't mean I owe you the history of all my failures."

Marian looked at her sympathetically. Robin did say that she had a tendency to be pushy.

"Okay," she sighed, dropping her arms. "I'm sorry if I came on strong but really, and this time no lies, do you have a place to go?"

Regina wrapped her arms around herself and dropped her eyes to her feet as she shook her head. "No. No we don't."

Marian bit her lip and took a deep breath before speaking. "Well… what if I told you that for tonight you did?"

The apartment Marian shared with her husband was not large. Just one bedroom and one bath. A tiny living area next to the kitchen. But Regina could tell it was a home for them. The pillows on the couch, the shoes piled by the door and the pictures on the wall told her so.

It had taken some convincing but Marian had gotten her to agree to spend the night at her house. She didn't need to try so hard though. A night out of the cold couldn't be anything but good for Henry. She stood next to the door awkwardly wondering if she should set Henry's car seat on the coffee table or the floor.

"Are you sure your husband won't mind me staying here?" Regina asked timidly. Marian looked back at her as she lazily threw her coat on the couch. "Robin? No. He'll be okay with it I promise. It's just for tonight anyway."

"Right," said Regina softly. Then I will be back in the cold. Alone.

An awkward silence filled the room as the two women looked at each other, clearly uncomfortable. Marian nervously wiped her palms on her jeans and shrugged. What now?

"You probably want a shower," she said quickly, as if the idea just came to her.

Actually food was more at the top of Regina's list but a shower did sound nice. "Would you mind?"

"Of course not." Marian replied earnestly. "Just let me grab you a towel."

Regina set down Henry's car seat next to the couch and leaned down to check on him. He was still asleep but somehow she didn't think that would last long. She stood and examined the photos on the wall above the couch. There were a couple of them, all featuring Marian and a blonde man she could only assume was her husband. Regina had to admit he was cute. Warm smile, square jaw covered in scruff. His eyes were light blue. Similar to the sky on a sunny day.

Not like Daniel's, she thought to herself. No Daniel's eyes were blue like the Mediterranean Sea. Dark even when the light shined through them.

Her eyes fell to a picture of Marian and her husband with another man. They were all in front of the steps of some official building. Marian in a simple white lace dress and Robin in a suit with his hand around her waist. The man next to them was just as dressed up. He was clearly older than them. He had a receding hairline and a bit of a beer belly but his smile was bright. They all looked so happy.

"That was our wedding day."

Regina turned her head to see Marian watching her from a spot next to the hallway.

"It was just a courthouse ceremony but it was still perfect," she said with a wistful smile.

"You look beautiful," complimented Regina with a sad smile. Her hand subconsciously went to the ring around her neck. Sometimes she still thought of what her wedding day with Daniel would've been like. She tried to escape her fantasies with a small shake of her head. She pointed to the man in the photograph. "Is this your father?"

Marian let out soft chuckle and shook her head. "No but he was family."

She patted the pile of clothes in her hands. "I brought you a towel and some pajamas."

"Thanks," said Regina taking them from her. She glanced down at Henry worriedly. "Um…"

"I can watch him while you take a shower," said Marian quickly. "I'm about to cook some dinner anyway. He can hang out with me in the kitchen."

Regina looked at her with eyes full of hesitation. "I…"

"He'll be fine. I promise."

Regina took one last look at Henry before nodding. "Okay."

"Good," said Marian with a smile. "The bathroom's just down the hall."

If Regina could use two words to describe Marian's bathroom they would have to be "small" and "eccentric." The toilet seat was had a furry electric blue cover with white polka dots and the shower curtain had an under the sea mural on it. The towels hanging from the rack appeared to be comic book themed with bright shapes that had words like BOOM! or POW! written on them. The towel Marian had given Regina seemed to be superhero themed as well. As she looked around at the odd little bathroom Regina couldn't help but think that it would make her mother cringe. The thought made her smile.

She started to get undressed as she let the water in the shower start to heat up. As she stripped down she watched herself in the mirror on the back of the door. She could hardly even recognize the person reflected back at her. Her long thick hair had gone stringy and thin with grease. The dark circles under her eyes made her face seem especially hollow. The outlines of her ribcages had begun to peek through her skin as well. It was like she was a ghost of her former self.

She quickly turned away from the mirror and stepped into the shower. As the warm water hit her skin she let out a soft moan. She stood under the stream and tried to let the water wash away her troubles.

Marian absentmindedly stirred the macaroni as she watched Henry from over the stove. He'd woken up only seconds after Regina had left. She'd set him up on a blanket in the center of the living room floor. He was certainly in better shape than his mother. He didn't appear to be underweight or sickly. On the contrary, his belly was full and his cheeks were appropriately chubby and red. He laughed up at Marian as he sat on the floor. She smiled down at him sadly. Everything Regina has must go into keeping him healthy, she thought to herself.

She turned away from him to open the fridge. As she looked around at its sparse contents she let out a defeated groan. In the heat of moment she'd forgotten to buy the milk at the bodega.

Guess I'll have to take a trip to Mrs. Connelly, she thought to herself. She felt herself cringe at the idea of going across the hall. She liked Mrs. Connelly. She really did but the older woman had a habit of rambling. Marian suspected she could hold a one-sided conversation for hours if no one stopped her. Still she would let her borrow the milk. She moved toward the door before looking back at Henry and sighing. She couldn't leave him by himself. Still it didn't seem right to take him without Regina's permission. But she needed that milk for the mac and cheese. She didn't want it to burn. Henry reached up at her with wide eyes.

"What the hell," she muttered, picking him up and resting him on her hip. "It's just one quick jaunt across the hall, right?"

Henry patted her collarbone and gave her a toothless smile.

She smiled back at him. "Okay. Real quick."

Marian left the apartment and knocked on the door across the hall. Almost instantly the door opened to reveal an old lady in a night robe and large glasses. A wide smile broke out on her face as she saw them.

"Marian!"

"Hi Mrs. Connelly!" said Marian brightly. "Sorry to bother you. I just-"

"Oh it's so good to see you dear," the older woman interrupted happily. "I didn't know you had a baby now."

Marian quickly shook her head. "Oh he's not mine. I just-"

"Oh I thought so. I didn't want to be rude but he looks nothing like you. Though I suppose he could've taken after his father. They usually do at this age. That's why I didn't say anything. I remember when my kids were babies-"

"Mrs. Connelly!" Marian interrupted. "I just need to borrow a glass of milk. Do you have any?"

"Why of course I do!" she said stepping aside so Marian could enter. "I'm so glad you came to me first. It feels like so long since you've come to visit."

It was just last week, thought Marian wryly.

Mrs. Connelly quickly guided them into the apartment and shut the door behind them. As soon as the lock clicked the elevator bell rung.

Robin rolled his neck as he stepped out of the elevator. It had been a long day at the bar. He checked his watch. 10:17. He'd made pretty good time actually. Usually he wouldn't be home until well after eleven. Thank god Lani had offered to stay behind and help with the cleanup. He really just wanted to eat whatever was in the fridge and crawl into bed with his wife.

"Marian?" he called out as he entered their apartment. He lazily threw his hoodie on the couch next to her jacket. She was definitely home. He heard the shower running from the bathroom. A smile grew on his face. A shower with Marian sounded quite nice right about now.

He quickly stripped off his clothes and grabbed a towel before heading to bathroom. The steam from the shower hit him in the face as he opened the door. He could see Marian's silhouette as she stood under the water. An eager grin was settled on his face as he pulled back the shower curtain. It dropped when he saw the woman in the shower wasn't actually his wife.

He was greeted with a piercing scream and a punch in the nose.

Next Chapter: Robin and Marian talk about how to help Regina.

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