Author's note: So I might post more than one chapter a day when the muse allows me. It just works out better story wise.

Marian sighed as she shut the door to the apartment behind her.

She gave Henry a wry smile as she set the milk on the kitchen counter. "I swear it would've taken less time to actually drive to the supermarket."

Henry cooed at her but his noises were drowned out by a piercing scream and thud from the hallway.

"What the hell?" Marian breathed softly. Her eyes widened as they flickered to couch and noticed Robin's hoodie next to her jacket.

She shook her head frantically as she rushed to deposit Henry on the living room floor. "Oh no no no! Crap!"

As soon as she set Henry on the ground she raced toward the increasingly loud voices.

Robin cradled his nose and let out a groan as he was knocked back into sink counter. "Fucking hell!"

"What are you doing in here?!" Regina screamed hysterically as she frantically tried to wrap the shower curtain around herself. She took in his blue eyes and scruffy beard and recognized him as Marian's husband.

Robin glared at her as he quickly grabbed a towel to cover himself. "What am I doing here?! I live here! What the hell are you doing here?"

They both swiveled their heads toward the bathroom door as Marian rushed inside. She saw her husband in nothing but a towel and gave him a strange look. "Robin what are you doing in here?!"

He sent her an incredulous look. "I live here!" he repeated angrily. "This is my bathroom! Why are you not asking the stranger what she's doing here?"

"I brought her here," said Marian stepping in between them.

"Oh my god! Is this why you brought me here?" yelled Regina, wrapping the curtain tighter around her body. "To serve me up to your sex crazed husband?"

"What? No!" she said swiveling her head back at Regina. "This is just a crazy misunderstanding and for the love of god Robin can you please leave the bathroom!"

"Fine," he growled at her. "But we will be having a conversation about this."

"I don't doubt that," she called after him.

He angrily stomped to the living room and stopped in his tracks when he saw Henry staring up at him from a blanket. "What the hell is going on?!"

Marian handed Regina her towel with an apologetic look. "I want to start off by saying that I am SO sorry that happened. I really didn't expect him home so early. I went across the hall for one second. I'm sorry."

Regina took the towel from her with a frown. "Where's Henry?"

"He's fine," said Marian quickly. "He's out in the living room just waiting for you."

"I think I want to go," said Regina softly, as she stepped out of the shower.

"Oh please don't," said Marian shaking her head. "I know this wasn't the most pleasant way for you to meet but my husband is actually a decent person when he's not shocked… and wounded."

Regina scoffed as she turned away from her. Her cheeks still felt warm with embarrassment.

"It's so late and you're already here," Marian insisted. "I hate the idea of you and Henry going back to that castle. Please just let me talk to Robin. I'm sure he's fine with it. So please stay."

Regina closed her eyes and sighed. She could really use the night indoors and the warm meal. "Fine. I'll stay."

Marian let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Why don't you get changed? Dinner will be ready soon."

She shut the bathroom door behind her as she left. Now to face my certainly irate husband, she thought to herself. She found Robin in the living room watching over Henry, still in nothing but a towel. He folded his arms and glared at her as she walked toward him. "I believed I am owed an explanation for my sore nose."

Marian took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay but can you put on clothes first?"- She waved a hand toward his body- "That's all really distracting."

Robin Locksely had had a rough night. He'd been working since 10 am this morning. He'd had to deal with the belligerent drunk surfers all night while he was bartending. One of his bar hands hadn't shown up so his back was sore from lifting all ten cases of alcohol into the storage room by himself. And to top it all off he'd come home to be assaulted by a woman his wife had let into the apartment. Still he couldn't complain. Not when Marian told her all the woman had been through.

"The cashier actually said that to her face?" he asked incredulously. He was feeling a little better now that he had on pajamas and the pain in his nose had subsided. He and Marian had set Regina and Henry up with a few blankets and pillows in the living room before heading to bed.

Marian groaned under breath as she handed him a pillow. "Yeah. It was absolutely hideous Robin."

"What a perfect asshole," he said shaking his head as he slid into bed next to her. "So you just brought them home with you?"

"I know it was insane Robin but I just couldn't leave them in that plastic castle at the park," she explained sadly. "So I told them they could stay the night."

Robin smiled at that. Marian's heart had always been the most beautiful part of her. She always wanted the best for people. It was probably the only reason he'd even had a sliver of a chance with her when they were younger. He wrapped an arm around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I think that was incredibly kind of you."

"Thank you," she said patting the hand he'd placed on her shoulder.

"However…" he started.

"There it is," she said rolling her eyes. "The logic."

"It doesn't hurt to think of the logic," he said practically. "Marian what's supposed to happen with them after tonight? You know I'd love to help her but we can't really afford two more mouths to feed and the apartment is small enough with just the two of us."

"I know we can't afford to take care of them but maybe the bar can," she said thoughtfully. "Kara's leaving at the end of month and we'll need a new waitress. Why not her?"

"Regina?" said Robin raising his eyebrows. "Does she have any experience at all?"

Marian shook her head. "Probably not but Robin you saw how badly she needs this job. No one's going to work harder than her to keep it."

Robin scratched his beard apprehensively. "Well you're the bar manager what do the books say?"

Marian blew out a breath as she thought over the bar's finances. "It'll be tight paying both her and Kara to work but if we bring Regina in for reduced training hours until Kara leaves we should be able to scrape by. We'll just have to take the hit on bar's savings."

"Alright," said Robin nodding his head. "I could be okay with that but we still need a place for her and Henry to stay. The closest woman's shelter is miles from here and I'm not exactly comfortable with dropping off a woman and her baby in that sort of neighborhood."

Marian shuddered at the thought of Henry and Regina in a shelter. The memory of the few nights she'd spent there still made her skin crawl.

"You're right," she said. "I don't want them to have to go there."

"Do you think Tink might be willing to let them stay with her?" asked Robin. "She's got the extra room."

"She probably would but I don't want to force this on her. Plus there's all the tools and sharp objects she has around her apartment. It's not exactly the best place for a crawling baby," reasoned Marian. She drummed her fingers across her knee before turning to her husband. "What if we give her Tuck's old place? Just until she gets on her feet?"

"Above the bar?" said Robin raising his eyebrows at her. "Marian you were going to use it as an office space. You've been planning on redecorating that place for weeks."

She looked him in the eye with a tilted head. "Robin do you really think I need an office more than those two need a home?"

She grabbed his hand. "Tuck did it for us. Maybe it's time we start paying it forward."

Robin smiled at the memory of the kind old man who'd been like a father to them. He'd practically saved their lives. There was certainly no better way to honor his legacy. "For Tuck then."

Regina woke up the next morning to complete silence. She'd formed a habit of rising early these last few days so it wasn't surprising that she was the only one awake. Despite the fact that she was on the floor she'd ended up sleeping pretty well. It was the first night she'd been warm since the motel. She looked over at Henry found him sleeping soundly beside her. It was good to see him stretched out on his back. She knew sleeping in the car seat every night couldn't be good for him. Though she supposed he wouldn't have to do that anymore once she gave him up.

She sighed as she rubbed her hand over his tummy. A warm blanket and a full belly hadn't changed her resolve. Tonight she would be back out in the cold and she couldn't allow Henry to be there with her. She had to do what was best for him and that meant giving him up.

She got up as silently as she could and grabbed her clothes off the couch. Marian had insisted on washing them last night so they were cleaner than they'd been for a while. She went into the bathroom to change and made sure to lock the door behind her. She didn't want a repeat of last night. Her cheeks went red at the memory of Robin catching her in the shower. Yet another reason to sneak out of this apartment and never see these people again. As soon as the thought flitted through her head sadness followed on its heels.

It'd been a long time since anyone had been this nice to her. Marian and Robin had been really hospitable to her and Henry last night. They'd made sure that she ate enough and that she and Henry had enough blankets to stay warm. Truly concerned is how she'd describe them. Regina had no doubt that in another life she would've been honored to call them friends but this was the only life she had. She was struggling too much right now and she shouldn't get attached to anyone. No matter how kind.

She folded Marian's clothes and set them on the bathroom counter before heading down the hall. She'd just entered the living room when the kitchen light flicked on. Her hands flew to her mouth as a small yelp escaped her lips. She turned to see Robin staring at her oddly from behind the kitchen counter.

"I'm sorry," he said with a smile. "Did I frighten you?"

"A little," she replied hostilely. Despite his kindness Regina still found it a little hard to warm up to Robin. It probably had something to do with the fact that he was the only man, besides Daniel, to see her naked. Her arms instinctively folded across her chest. "What are you doing up so early?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I always jog in the mornings."

She eyed his worn sneakers, sweatpants and hoodie. He was dressed to run. "Right," she said with a tight-lipped smile.

"The question is what are you doing up?" he asked curiously.

She hesitated before answering snarkily, "I'm homeless. I tend to rise with the sun."

He smirked at her sarcasm. "Looks like I'm not the only one running."

"Excuse me?"

"C'mon you're creeping around this apartment fully dressed and it's not even six," reasoned Robin. "If you were staying you would've at least lounged around until breakfast."

Regina turned away from him and focused on packing up Henry's diaper bag. "I have places I need to be."

He frowned at her back. "Seriously though? Not even a goodbye?"

"I was going to leave a note," she lied.

"No you weren't," he replied walking over to her. He kneeled down next to her as he double knotted his shoe laces. "I know because I didn't leave notes either."

She stilled her motions as he continued to talk.

"I used to be homeless when I was a teenager," he said softly. "Most of the time I would sleep in my car but sometimes I had friends who would let me stay over. Every time I would get up before they woke and I would slip out of whichever door was quietest. I'd make up some emergency for when they next saw me. Some reason I had to leave. I thought it would seem less shameful if I left before they could see the look on my face when they forced me out."

She didn't look at him as he opened up about his past. She just stared down at her hands and pretended not to listen.

"I know how important it is to hold onto your dignity when you feel like there's no reason to have any. It sometimes feels like the only thing you have left," he said sadly. "However, my wife would be devastated if she woke up to find you gone. So I am asking you to do me a favor and not break my wife's heart. At least not first thing in the morning."

Regina sighed as she shook her head and set Henry's diaper bag back on the floor. "I suppose breakfast wouldn't be so bad."

He smiled at her as he stood up and opened the door. "You'll be glad you stayed. Marian will make you the best eggs you've ever had."

She let out a disbelieving chuckle as the door shut behind him. Truly concerned indeed.

She had to admit that Robin was right about the eggs. Marian had shoveled a decent amount on both their plates when she'd woken up. They were able to talk more openly at breakfast than at dinner. It probably helped that they didn't have the awkwardness of Robin's presence looming over them. She found out that she and Robin were only a few years older than herself but had been together since they were teenagers. A true Romeo and Juliet story seeing as how her parents didn't approve. She wouldn't say exactly why but when she mentioned her parents Regina saw Marian's smile falter and the light behind her eyes dim a little. When asked about her history Regina stuck to the story she'd crafted for herself. She was engaged to a man she loved but he died before they could get married. She found out she was pregnant shortly after but things went downhill after Henry's birth. It was as close to the truth that she could get without revealing herself.

After breakfast Marian persuaded Regina to take a ride with her to her work near the beach. She wrung her hands nervously as Marian pulled up to a bar less than one block away from the ocean. The bricks on the outside of the building were faded with age and the striped awning above the patio had one good rip in it. Regina squinted as she looked up to read the sign. "The Drunken Monk?"

Marian chuckled as she undid her seatbelt. "Yeah the name was not our decision."

Regina quickly gathered Henry from the backseat as Marian unlocked the bar doors.

"You remember the old man from my wedding photo?" she said as she held open the door for them. "His name was Tuck Johnson and this used to be his bar. When he died last year he left it to me and Robin."

Regina looked around the old bar. It was dark but she could only assume it looked better with all the overhead lamps turned on. There were plenty of tables and booths with a small stage and dance area. It wasn't terrible updated but it had character.

"It's nice," she said nodding her head. It certainly wasn't a place her mother would ever go but that was a plus in her book.

"Thanks," said Marian with a smile. "Um, come upstairs there's a place I want to show you."

She followed Marian up the staircase behind the bar counter to a dingy hall with a door at the end of it. When Marian opened the door it revealed what appeared to be a tiny studio apartment. There was a small kitchen stove and bathtub that was hidden by a flimsy room divider. A red dusty pullout couch was under the window and there was a desk and filing cabinet by the door. Two years ago Regina wouldn't believe that someone could live in a place so small. "What is this place?"

"It used to be Tuck's apartment," said Marian. "He loved the bar so much he thought why not live above it."

Regina sighed as she looked around the small space. Despite its small size it had a sort of charm to it. "I think it's kind of nice."

Marian shrugged her shoulders nervously. "Well if you want it, it's yours."

Regina widened her eyes at her and laughed. "What?"

"I'm serious," said Marian earnestly. "If you want a place to stay. You can have this one."

Regina shook her head. "Marian I can't afford to rent a place right now. I'm unemployed remember?"

"It's not for rent. It's more for… until you can get on your feet," clarified Marian. "And as far as your unemployment goes Robin and I are losing a waitress at the end of the month. We'd like for you to take her place. If you want you can start training tomorrow."

Regina felt a lump form in the back of her throat. They would let her stay here and work for them. She could keep Henry. This felt too good to be to true. In her experience that probably meant that it usually was. "Why do you care so much what happens to me?"

Marian hesitated before speaking. "I met Robin when I was sixteen. He swept me off my feet when he wasn't even trying. My parents hated him. I mean really hated him. He was homeless. He was foreign. He was… white."

"Oh!" said Regina raising her eyebrows in shock.

"Yeah," breathed Marian looking down at her feet. "Anyway we snuck around for two years before they just lost all tolerance and gave me a choice. I could either leave Robin and stay under their roof with all its benefits. Or they would cut me off. No college, no shelter, no contact."

"They made you choose?" asked Regina softly. She knew it was self-centered but she couldn't help but think that Marian was lucky. If her mother had given her the choice she knew she'd choose Daniel a thousand times over.

Marian nodded her head. "And to everyone's surprise, including mine, I chose Robin. I just knew that I'd rather be in a cold car with him than a warm house without him."

A smile grew on her face. "I've never regretted that choice for a second."

Regina smiled back at her. Love over security, thought Regina to herself. She could relate to that.

"However, just because I didn't regret my decision doesn't mean that things weren't hard," continued Marian. "There were a lot of nights where Robin and I went to sleep hungry and cold. It was tough. I felt looked down on a lot. Like there was no one who was willing to take a chance on us. Until Robin met Tuck. He was a really good man. He gave us jobs in his bar and convinced a friend to let us stay their basement until we could afford a place. He saved us. So now I'm going to save you. Because Robin and I didn't deserve to be in the cold and neither do you and Henry."

Regina glanced down at Henry in his car seat. She felt a tear go down her cheek as she realized she had a chance to keep him. In a split second decision she wrapped her arms around Marian and hugged her tight. "Thank you so much."

Marian returned her hug warmly. "Don't thank me until after your first day. Our customers tend to be jerks."

Regina giggled happily as she let her go. "I don't care. This means so much to me."

Marian quickly wiped a tear from her own cheek as she let out a chuckle. "I have some stuff in the car to make things more comfortable here. Why don't you take a look around while I go grab it?"

As soon as she left Regina lifted Henry from his car seat and pressed him close to her chest. "It looks like Mommy gets to stay with you."

Next Chapter: Regina and Marian get closer as she starts working at the bar.

Let me know what you thought. Please review!