A/N: Thank you guys so much for you fabulous reviews. This chapter features a pretty heavy trigger so I put a trigger warning in. It's at the bottom of the page so scroll down if you think you need it.

Regina frowned as she walked into the bar after yet another unsuccessful day of apartment searching. It'd been six months since she started working at the Drunken Monk and she finally felt stable enough to look for a new place for her and Henry. He was getting so big now. She still couldn't believe he'd started taking his first steps. The look of joy and uncertainty on his face as he tottered across the floor would be forever etched in her memory. Living in the studio was great but it didn't leave him much room to practice. He needed more space.

She saw Marian at the bar counter and quickly took a seat next to her. The other woman noticed the frown on Regina's face and sent her a concerned look. "I take it the apartment hunting didn't go too well."

"The words leaky and moldy could be used," she groaned.

Marian gave her sympathetic look and patted her on the shoulder. "I'm sorry sweetie. I'm sure the next one will be better."

Regina dejectedly placed her chin in her hand. "It's just so frustrating. I'm finally in a place where I can afford to move out but I can only afford to move into horrible places."

"Well maybe getting a roommate would help?"

"I tried but whenever I mention Henry no one wants to commit." She sighed. "I don't blame them either. I love Henry but he's not exactly the quietest roommate these days."

Henry had begun teething shortly after they'd moved into the studio. His fits of distress usually came and went on a daily basis. Luckily his cries never reached past the bottom of the bar's staircase but they would be inescapable in a small apartment.

"Just give it time Regina," said Marian. "If you save up more you might be able to afford a better place."

"I don't know if I have time to wait. Henry's starting to walk now and soon he'll need more space," she said desperately. She drummed her fingers against the counter thoughtfully. "Maybe I should look into getting a second job."

Marian gaped at her. "Another job? Are you kidding me? You're already a full-time waitress and mother!"

"I know but what can I do?" said Regina exasperatedly.

"You don't need another job," said Mulan jumping into the conversation. She rolled her eyes at them as she stuffed a couple bills into the tip jar. "What you need is a side hustle."

Regina gave her a quizzical look. "A what?"

"A side hustle," she repeated. "It's basically a skill or talent you can use to make money on the side. I've got one."

"You do?" said Marian in surprise.

"Yeah. Most of my money from here goes to helping my mom with her medical bills so I teach a women's self-defense class in the park to fill the gaps in my budget," she explained.

"I suppose that's one way to use your military training," said Marian with a smile.

"It helps pay for the little extras," said Mulan with a shrug.

"Well that's great for you," said Regina. "But I don't exactly have a talent I can exploit."

"Everyone's got a talent," Mulan declared decisively. "I advise you take some time and figure out what yours is."

The two women at the bar watched as she then sauntered back to the restaurant floor to wait on her customers.

"Do you also get the feeling of being completely inadequate when she comes around?" asked Regina.

"Every single time," Marian deadpanned. She turned to Regina with a sigh. She hated seeing her friend so dejected. "Hey Henry's down for his afternoon nap upstairs. Why don't you take a break and come with me to the mall? I need a new dress for my anniversary and I could use a friend's advice."

"I'd love to Marian but who would watch Henry while I'm gone?"

"Robin will."

"Robin will do what?" said her husband walking over to the bar.

"Watch Henry while we go the mall," said Marian tossing him the baby monitor. "Regina could use a break and I need a dress for our anniversary."

Robin sighed as he eyed the monitor in his hands. "If I refused would you accept it?"

"No I would not," said Marian shaking her head.

"Well then I would be delighted to watch him," he said cheerfully.

Marian grinned at him. "Thank you baby. You're amazing."

He waved her off as he headed up the staircase to check on Henry.

Marian wrapped her arms around Regina's shoulders and guided her toward the door. "See he's got everything covered here. Now let's go lust over things we can't afford and reluctantly purchase the things we can."

"Well that just sounds like the best day ever," laughed Regina.

After eight months of living as Regina Gardiner, Regina was pleased to say that she thought of her old life less and less with each day. However shopping was always the one activity that would bring life as Regina Mills back to the forefront. Before she'd escaped with Henry money wasn't something she'd had to think about much. It was always there and she knew her family had a lot of it but it was never something she thought of as special. Everyone around her had money. It was just a way of life. Now she could see just how spoiled her family was.

As she walked around the mall with Marian looking at dress after dress she couldn't help but think that two years ago she could've afforded to buy all of them a dozen times over. They would've been dresses and nothing more to her. Now she looked at them and all she saw was food she wouldn't be able to buy or bus fare that she might need later. Not worth it.

"I never knew dress shopping could be so severe," she commented to Marian. They were on their third store of the day and Marian had just rejected her tenth dress. A light blue number with a silk hem.

The older woman looked over at her sheepishly. "I know I'm being picky. It's just that Robin and I don't go out much since we started trying to save for a house. And our anniversary has always been sort of special for us."

"Do you have a special tradition or something like that?"

Marian smiled as she thought of all her previous anniversaries with Robin. "We do actually. It started after my parents had kicked me out. Every year before I met Robin my parents would take me to go see a summer ballet. Nothing specific. Just whatever was playing that year. I used to love seeing the ballerinas dance around on stage. Anyway it was the year after they kicked me out and I was pretty depressed that there would be no ballerinas… or parents. So one night Robin surprised me and took me to this elementary school auditorium for a surprise. Turns out one of his friends had a little sister who was learning ballet and Robin convinced him to let us come see her recital."

"That's the cutest thing I've ever heard," said Regina with a chuckle. "He got you to the ballet."

Marian nodded her head wistfully. "Yes he did. The girls couldn't have been more than 10 years old. Not exactly professionals but it's still my favorite ballet memory ever. Robin hated it though. He would never say it but he did. Poor guy was bored out of his mind the entire time. I felt so guilty for it afterwards that the next I dragged him across town to this free concert for one of his favorite local bands. They weren't exactly my sort of music but seeing him so happy it was enough for me to have a good time. So every year on our anniversary we recreate the memory."

"Ballet and rock band?"

"Ballet and rock band without fail."

"That's so sweet," said Regina with a smile. She'd watched Marian and Robin a lot over the past few months. A blind man could see how in love they were with each other. Thinking of their story and all they'd been through made her wistful. She couldn't help but look at them and wonder if what they had was what she could've had with Daniel.

"This year we're actually going to go see a professional ballet in the city so I kind of want to look extra special," said Marian. "It's why I'm being so picky about the dress."

"Well we will search this entire mall until you find the one dress that makes you feel as special as you want to be," promised Regina.

Marian sent her a mischievous. "Be careful what you say because I am absolutely willing to try on all the dresses in this mall."

"And I am absolutely willing to watch," said Regina with a grin. As she looped her arm through Marian's Regina realized that the older woman was actually the first friend she ever had besides Daniel. It was nice.

After another hour of unsuccessfully trying on dresses the women took refuge in the food court. As they were chomping on their subpar salads Regina spied a thrift shop for baby items close by. She turned to Marian with an apologetic look. "Would you mind? Henry could use some new clothes."

Marian felt her heart clench as Regina pointed out the baby store but she forced a smile to her lips. "Sure."

She did her best not to grimace as they crossed the store threshold. The store was covered in shades of light blue and light pink. Everywhere Marian looked there was a stork with a baby bundle hanging from its mouth. It was particularly overbearing. When they entered the store Regina headed for the baby clothes. There were dozens of used onesies and t-shirts covering brightly covered tables. Marian tried her best to cheerfully help her friend pick out clothes for her son but it was hard for her to keep a smile on her face.

While Regina was at the counter getting Henry's new clothes Marian found herself drawn to the crib section. As she ran her hands over the bars of an old wooden crib she felt a familiar ball of despair swell up in her stomach. Before she could stop it the number ran through her head again. 12 percent.

Five Years Ago

Marian anxiously tapped her foot as she and Robin waited in the doctor's office. She could tell by the way he was drumming his fingers against his thigh that he was just as nervous as she was.

"Robin what if they got my test results wrong?"

"I'm sure that's not what happened," he said in what she was sure he meant to be a reassuring voice. He'd still been wearing his bar work shirt when he met her there. Luckily it was the one without any stains on it. Normally she would find the Drunken Monk logo a little comforting. It was a reminder of the stability they'd reached. They had jobs now. They were relatively comfortable. Not rich by any standards but doing okay. Certainly better than they had been a while ago. But looking at the potbellied monk across Robin's chest did nothing for her now. Nothing except remind her that the jobs they had now were not enough to support a family of three.

"What other reason could they have for telling me to bring you along," she reasoned. She ran her fingers through her hair nervously. "Robin if I am pregnant-"

"Then we will figure it out," he said grabbing her hand.

Marian could only sigh in response. She knew he was trying to be supportive but the thought of being pregnant right now terrified her. They'd only been married for less than a year and they'd just now moved into the new apartment. Having a baby was so expensive and they were nowhere near ready for the responsibilities that came with a child. All the uncertainty was nearly making her burst out in hives.

They both looked up as Marian's doctor walked into the room. She was young with vibrant red hair and bright green eyes. She was an experienced doctor but the way she talked to her patients never came off as condescending. Marian usually loved coming to Dr. Montgomery but she could tell by the look on her face that it wasn't going to be a pleasant visit.

She greeted them with a forced smile. "Hi. I'm glad you both could make it down to see me today."

"Was there a problem with my test results?" asked Marian bluntly. She couldn't take any more of the uncertainty.

The doctor shook her head as she sat behind her desk. "Not exactly. Your bloodwork went through fine and like I said before you're not pregnant."

Marian breathed a sigh of relief and she felt Robin squeeze her hand reassuringly. Well that was good news. It should've made her feel calm to have that answered but instead it only made her more nervous. If she wasn't pregnant then why was she here?

"However there were other things that came up," continued Dr. Montgomery.

"Other things like what?" asked Marian softly.

The older woman sighed before answering her. "Well during your exam I found some abnormalities in your uterine structure. Now it's nothing life threatening mind you but it does come with some complications."

Robin leaned forward in his seat. "What type of complications?"

The doctor wrung her hands. "Because of the abnormalities the chances of you ever getting pregnant are lower than they would be for another woman of your age."

"Lower?" said Marian.

"Drastically so," said Dr. Montgomery sadly. "I've double checked with the others doctors on staff to be sure but there's a very strong chance that you won't be able to have biological children on your own."

Marian couldn't breathe. She felt completely numb. For a moment it was like she floating above her own head. Just watching the scene not being a part of it. And then it was like everything in the world crashed into her at once. The florescent lights suddenly became brighter than the sun. The tick of the clock sounded like thunder as it echoed in her ears. The little itches from the fabric on the seat on her chair suddenly felt the edge of a razor running against her bare skin. Everything became too much. "Wait are you saying that I can never get pregnant?"

"I'm saying that is unlikely," clarified Dr. Montgomery shaking her head.

"Well that can't be right," cried Marian. "I should be able to get pregnant anytime I want! I'm only twenty-one!"

She shivered as Robin placed his hand on her back to calm her down. Somewhere in her brain she registered that he'd tensed up around the same time that she had.

"It's not a matter of age Marian. It's a just matter of biology," said the doctor gently. "Because of the way your reproductive system is built your chances of conceiving and carrying a child to term are slimmer than most."

"How slim?" asked Robin in a low voice.

Dr. Montgomery shook her head slightly. "I'd prefer not to speak in absolute terms."

"Can I just have a number please?" asked Marian desperately.

"Marian…"

"Please!" she begged.

"12 percent," answered the doctor softly. "Possibly less."

Marian felt her jaw drop. Only 12 percent. This couldn't be real.

Next thing she knew she was leaning over a toilet puking her guts out. She supposed she must've stormed out of the office at some point. She couldn't get up once she was done. She just didn't have the strength. Her hands fell over her stomach and her chin began to tremble. She would never feel anything there. No kicks or movements ever. No signs of life. She'd come here hoping to be told that she wasn't pregnant, not that she never could be. Tears ran down her cheeks as she mourned the loss of something she hadn't even been sure she wanted.

Marian blinked back tears as the memory of that day in the doctor's office flashed in her mind. She jumped a little when she felt Regina's hand on her back. Her friend was staring at her with concerned eyes. "Marian I'm sorry. I didn't think that being here…"

It was only after a few months of working at the bar that Regina learned of Marian's fertility issues. It was brought on by a night of babysitting and two glasses of cheap wine. She'd been shocked to say the least but Marian assured her that she and Robin were looking into other ways of starting their family now that they were ready.

"I'm fine," said Marian quickly. "I'm just a little tired of waiting."

Regina squeezed Marian's shoulder sympathetically. "Have you looked into other adoption agencies?"

"There'd really be no point," said Marian sadly. "Until Robin and I move into an actual house with room for a baby none of them will even look at us as an option."

She and Robin had been saving for the past year to buy their own home but it was difficult. California realty wasn't exactly known for its affordability. And as if their options weren't limited enough they were both set on looking only at actual houses. As desperate as they were for a child they agreed that they didn't want to raise that child in a place where they didn't even have a yard. They were trying to be patient but it was becoming a little tiresome.

Regina always felt a little guilty when she thought of their situation. She been gifted with Henry when she hadn't even been able to take care of him. The only reason she'd been able to keep him was because of Marian and Robin. She couldn't help but think that if she had been forced to give him up they were exactly the people she'd want for his parents.

She wrapped her arm around Marian and rested her chin on her shoulder. "Somewhere out there is a child who can't wait to have you as their mom."

Marian sighed as she leaned her head against Regina's. "I just hope they're more patient than I am."

Marian was a little shaken up after her their time in the baby store but Regina made sure to lift her spirits. She tried to make sure that all of Marian's attention was on finding the perfect dress for her anniversary. They had checked every store in their price range and still come up empty. Marian had just about given up when Regina pulled her into one of the mall's more upscale stores.

"Are you crazy?" whispered Marian with wide eyes. "I probably couldn't even afford a pair of socks from this place." She'd never even been in a store as fancy as the one Regina just pulled her into. All the salespeople seemed severe and judgmental. They looked at her as if they had a copy of her last bank statement and were clearly not impressed. Strangely Regina seemed unaffected by their cold stares.

"Well not full price obviously," she said softly. "But maybe there are some deals in the clearance area."

It took some convincing but Marian finally agreed to a quick look through the dresses on sale. It wasn't long before Regina found her a simple one shoulder dress in a beautiful shade of navy purple. Marian reluctantly tried it on but quickly fell in love with it as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"Oh it's beautiful," she said in an awe-filled voice. The dress was floor-length reaching just below her ankles. The color complimented her caramel skin and dark hair beautifully.

Regina beamed at her as she admired herself in a mirror. "With this dress Robin might be forced to actually rent a tux for the night."

Marian chuckled at her joke. "Nothing could get Robin in a tux."

She took one last look in the mirror before closing her eyes in fear. "Regina I'm afraid to look at the price tag. You've got to look for me."

Regina grabbed the tag from the back of the dress and winced when she saw the number next to the dollar sign. "Marian… this dress is 300 dollars."

Marian's eyes practically popped from their sockets. "300 dollars?!"

Regina shrugged her shoulders apologetically. "Well it's kind of a steal seeing as how it started out as 1500."

Marian groaned. "Even if we weren't saving for a house Robin would kill me if I spent that much money on one dress. I would kill me if I spent that much money on two dresses."

I've spent three times that much money on one dress. Repeatedly, Regina thought sullenly. "I'm sorry Marian."

The other woman huffed as she looked in the mirror with disappointed. "I suppose it just wasn't meant to be."

Regina watched as her friend shuffled back to the fitting room dejectedly. All she could think was that it wasn't fair. If anyone deserved a night of feeling pretty it was Marian. By the time they got into the car to leave a plan had already started to form in her head.

It'd been two weeks since their visit to the mall and Regina tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for Marian to show up at the studio before her shift started. Henry watched her from his play pen. He gnawed on the ear of his brown bear as he looked up at her curiously. Regina sighed at him. "What? I can't help it if I'm a little nervous. It's a big surprise."

He cooed at her appreciatively. She'd made a point of talking to him more often now that he was nearing the age of speaking. She wanted to make sure that he had a good vocabulary when he started school. Marian had been helping out as well. She'd made sure to use extra small words whenever he was near. Yet another reason Regina thought she deserved this surprise.

She looked up when she heard a knock on her door. Marian opened the door to the studio with a smile. "Hey guys. How's it going?"

"Good," said Regina wiping her hands on her jeans nervously. She watched as Marian leaned over to give Henry a good morning kiss.

She eyed Regina curiously as she stood back up. "Why'd you have me come over so early? Your shift doesn't start for at least an hour."

"Well," started Regina. "I have a surprise for you. I guess you could call it an anniversary gift."

Marian raised an eyebrow at her. "You know those are usually between husbands and wives only."

"Well then I guess you can just call it a thank you present. For all you've done for me and Henry," she said as she walked over to the closet.

Marian's jaw dropped as she pulled out the dress she'd tried on at the mall. It was just as beautiful as she remembered. She immediately began to shake her head. "Regina I can't accept this. There's no way you could afford it."

Regina chuckled at her. "Well you're right about that. There's no way I could afford to buy this dress from the mall… so I made it instead."

Marian looked at her incredulously. "You made this?! From scratch?"

"Every stitch," said Regina with a small smile. "I took a home economics class in high school and learned to sew."

It was almost the truth. In actuality Regina had learned to sew from one of the maids she'd had as a kid. She fell in love with it. With fashion actually. She used to rip up her old shirts and dresses and make new ones for her dolls. Cora had hated it. She called it a menial skill. Not suitable for the future CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Still Regina found ways to pursue the skill behind her back. She had no idea it would eventually lead to her downfall.

"Where did you even get the fabric for this?" asked Marian. Her eyes were still wide with surprise as she ran her hands over the dress. She couldn't even tell the difference between this one and the one she'd tried on at the store.

"You know all those trips I've been taking the park with Henry the past few days?" she asked. Marian nodded her head. "Well we've actually been going to the fabric store on Fifth Street. The owner is really nice. She actually let me barter for the fabric and use her backroom as a sewing room so you wouldn't find the dress. Don't tell Robin but I'll be keeping her golden retriever puppy up here while she's on a cruise next week. You're not allergic are you?"

"Deathly," replied Marian. "But I don't even care as long as I get this dress."

"Well it's yours for your anniversary date but afterwards I'll need it back," clarified Regina. "The lady at the fabric store wants to put in the store window to show off the fabric. It was part of the deal."

A bright smile lit up Marian's face as she pulled Regina into a hug. "Thank you so much. I think this might be one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me."

"Well you're one of the nicest people I've ever met so…" Regina said with a shrug.

She watched with a smile as Marian tried on the dress and was pleased to see that it fit just as perfectly as it had in the store. She owed a lot more to her than she realized. Making sure that she had this dress hardly covered the tip of the iceberg.

Marian and Robin's anniversary went off without a hitch. They went to see the ballet and Marian looked beautiful in the dress Regina had made for her. They'd been sure to get a picture taken and Regina was pleased to see that it had made its way onto the wall behind the bar counter. Marian had gushed to anyone who asked about the dress her friend had made for her special night. Knowing that she'd given Marian something to be happy about made Regina feel particularly warm inside. She'd spent a long time feeling helpless so doing some good, making someone else's day, was a good feeling. She hadn't realized how much she missed it.

She was wiping down the bar counter during her lunch shift when she felt someone tap on her shoulder. She turned to see a middle-aged blonde woman eyeing her nervously.

"Are you Regina Gardiner?" she asked.

Regina tried to calm the fight-or-flight instinct taking over her body. It'd been months since she'd escaped her mother but she still felt a bit of anxiety every time someone asked her name. Like they were waiting to call her a liar and drag her back home. "Yes that's me."

"Hi," the woman gave her an anxious smile. "I saw your dress at the fabric store and the owner told me I could find you here. I was hoping to ask for your help."

She handed her a folded page of a magazine. "My daughter wants this dress for her homecoming in a few weeks."

Regina looked at the glossy image in her hands. It was a rosebud pink cocktail dress with a criss-cross bodice and an A-line skirt. It was beautiful and according to the page it 600 dollars.

"I can't afford it," said the woman exhaustedly. "I saw your dress at the store and I was hoping that you might be able to make a knockoff version of it for me. I would be willing to pay you a third of what the original cost and the fabric of course."

Regina felt her breath get caught in her throat. "That's sweet but I don't…"

She suddenly felt two hands clamp down on her shoulders. Mulan had suddenly appeared behind her.

"Would you excuse us for a minute ma'am?" she said pulling Regina towards the corner.

"What are you doing?" Regina whispered fiercely.

"What are you doing?" Mulan shot back. "That woman is willing to pay you 200 dollars to make one dress and you're going to say no?"

"Well it's not something I do."

"You made that dress for Marian."

"Well that was for a friend," argued Regina. "This would be for money and I'm not exactly a professional."

"No professional was a professional when they started," said Mulan exasperatedly. "Look a few weeks ago you told me that you didn't have a talent but you do. Apparently it's dressmaking. Now you can either use it to help you get to better places in life or you can ignore it and allow for you and Henry to be stuck in that cramped studio until he's speaking in full sentences. It's your choice."

Regina bit her lip as she thought over Mulan's words. She walked back over to the woman with a smile. "When exactly is your daughter's homecoming?"

"In three weeks," she replied.

Regina sighed as she went over the math in her head. "I can make the dress. Just bring her down to the bar tomorrow and I'll take her measurements upstairs."

"Thank you," said the woman gratefully.

As she watched her walk out of the bar Regina sighed and put her hands into her back pockets. This could either be the start of something really great or something really disastrous.

TW: INFERTILITY

NEXT CHAPTER: Regina discovers a secret about Marian and Marian discovers a secret about her.

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