A/N: A lot of angst coming your way. Trigger warning at the bottom of the page, in case you don't want to be spoiled. Sorry just reposting for editing.

ONE YEAR LATER

"A little to the left."

Regina did her best to slide the painting on the wall according to Marian's instructions. "Like that?"

Marian gave its position one last look before giving her a thumbs up. "Perfect."

"Really?" she said releasing the frame and stepping down from the couch. She stood by Marian's side and eyed the painting critically. It was a small landscape of several trees with amber leaves. She'd found it at a yard sale with Marian and Tink a few days ago. It was cheap and the frame could use a good polishing but she thought it might look good above her couch.

"It looks great," she said with a satisfied smile. She put her hands on her hips and looked around her living room. "You know what? I think I'm finally done."

"Finally done with what?" asked Marian.

"Decorating the apartment," said Regina like it should be obvious. "Now that I have that painting I finally feel settled."

"Well I should hope so," chuckled Marian, plopping down on the couch. "You've lived here for nearly eight months."

"I know," said Regina sitting next to her. "But now it finally looks like a home."

Thanks to the tailoring business that Mulan had convinced her to start Regina had finally been able move out of the studio above the Drunken Monk. She now resided in a one bedroom apartment a few miles away from the bar. A part of her had been sad to leave the studio behind. It was the first place she and Henry called home when they started this new life. He took his first steps in that studio and she'd always smile at the memory of the late night girl talks she'd have with Marian as she waited for Robin to finish his shifts. The studio would always have a place in her heart but she was glad to have a home that was all her own now. Particularly one where the shower wasn't two feet from the kitchen.

"I remember how happy Robin and I were when we got our first apartment," said Marian with a small smile. "I can't wait to feel that sense of pride again."

"Still no luck on the home front?"

Marian shook her head. "Nope. We've had a couple of good leads these past few months but we keep getting out bid by people with bigger checkbooks. It's… frustrating."

Regina tilted her head in concern. "I'm sorry Marian. You'll find a home soon. And once you do you'll finally be able to get on the adoption list. I just know it."

Marian bit her lip at the mention of the adoption list. "Yeah…"

Regina hated seeing her friend so dejected. She stood from the couch and gestured toward the bedroom. "Hey follow me to Henry's closet. I've got something I want to show you."

"New dress?" asked Marian with a smile.

"Yep," said Regina with a nod.

Marian giggled with excitement as she rose from the couch but she suddenly felt herself go dizzy as she stood up straight. Regina reached out to steady her as she tilted to the side. "Marian?"

"I'm fine," she said quickly. "Just have a bit of a headache."

Regina sent her a concerned look but continued to lead her into the bedroom. Since she could only afford a one bedroom apartment Regina had chosen to let Henry have the room to himself while she slept on a pullout couch in the living room. Her side job as a tailor-slash- dressmaker had been really lucrative. Ever since that first dress she'd made for Marian she'd been getting three to five orders a month for dresses or adjustments. Sadly keeping up with orders along with her work at the bar didn't leave her much time for Henry. So she'd set up so her sewing station in his closet so she could be close to him while she worked. It was strange but it worked for them.

Marian gasped as Regina showed her the dress she'd been working on. It was a tea-length formal gown with a champagne bodice and tulle skirt. The spaghetti straps were made of a velvet navy blue ribbon and they extended pass the shoulders to criss-cross around the torso and tie into a bow around the waist.

"Regina it's beautiful," said Marian breathlessly.

"Well it's not finished," said Regina modestly. "I'm planning on adding some applique flowers to the skirt and bodice."

Marian gently ran her fingers over the straps. "It looks like something out of a fairytale. Is this a knock off or an adjustment?"

"Actually it's an original," mumbled Regina.

Marian's eyes widened. "This is one of your designs Regina? Why didn't you tell me you were working on it?"

"I was just a little nervous about how it'd turn out I guess," she said with a shrug. A few months ago she'd shown Marian a few designs she'd drawn and ever since she'd encouraged her to start bringing them to life. Regina was reluctant at first but eventually she relented and made herself a couple sundresses. This, however, was her first formal dress.

"Well it's amazing," complimented Marian. "Amazing enough to gift to a dear friend…"

"Nice try," said Regina with a smirk. "But the dress is already claimed. My fabric supplier is donating it to a fundraising auction for a local church."

Marian frowned at her explanation. She opened her mouth to object but felt bile run up her throat. She quickly clamped her hand over her mouth and rushed to the kitchen sink. She gripped the edge of the stainless steel as she spilled her breakfast down the drain. Regina was by her side in a flash to pull back her hair.

"If you want the dress that bad I'm sure I can make another one," she joked nervously.

To her surprise, Marian felt herself chuckle as she wiped off her mouth with a paper tower. "That's not necessary. I'm okay now, I promise."

Regina eyed her suspiciously as she leaned against the kitchen counter. "Marian I know… that you and Robin were told that it wasn't possible but… with the way you've been acting lately… the vomiting and the fatigue... Well I'm starting to think that maybe you might be…"

"Pregnant," finished Marian softly. She turned away from her guiltily. "Congratulations you're the only one who's noticed."

A bright smile broke out on Regina's face. "Really? You're pregnant?"

Tears started to well up in Marian's eyes as she nodded her head. "Yeah."

Regina's smile fell as she saw a tear begin to fall down her friend's cheek. She quickly moved to pull her into a hug. "Sweetie what's wrong? Why aren't you happy about this?"

"Because I'm too afraid to be," she sobbed into her shoulder. "All the doctors said that my chances of carrying a baby to term were so small I shouldn't get my hopes up. I just can't help feeling like it's not going to last."

Regina guided her over to the couch. "Marian you can't let thoughts like that get into your head. Especially not now."

"But the doctors said-"

"Doctors are not always right," said Regina firmly. She'd always been taught to take a doctor's word with a grain of salt. Doctors had told her grandparents that her father wouldn't make it past his twentieth birthday. He would be having his fiftieth in a few months. Not that she would be there for it. She squashed down the guilt in her chest and grabbed Marian's hand. "It's alright to be afraid. Pregnancy can be scary. Especially since this is your first-"

"It's not my first," Marian interrupted sadly.

Regina felt her whole body go cold at Marian's words. "It's not?"

Marian shook her head. "I was pregnant before. It was about a year before I met you and Henry. Robin and I found out and we were just… ecstatic. We made all these plans and had all these hopes. And then one day I didn't feel well so we went to the doctor… and they told me I lost it. It only lasted ten days."

A tears welled up in Regina's eyes as Marian opened up about her past. She didn't know what to say. Nothing seemed capable of giving her the comfort she deserved. So she settled for an apology. "I'm so sorry."

"I had never felt pain like that before. Not in my entire life," whispered Marian. "Nothing compared to it. Not leaving my parents. Not Tuck dying. I was just hurt all the time. But it wasn't just about me. Robin and I both felt the loss of our baby. He took it so hard. When we found out that I couldn't have children he bought me this pair of red baby shoes. He said they were a promise that no matter how it happened we would find a way to start our family when the time was right. After we lost the baby he tried to be strong for me but sometimes I would catch him just staring at them for hours. Just silently thinking about how they came so close to being used. I can't put him through that again."

Regina furrowed her brow at her last sentence. "Marian… does Robin know that you're pregnant?"

"No," said Marian in a trembling voice. "I just can't find it in me to tell him. Not after what happened last time."

"Marian you have to be tell him. This is something he deserves to know," said Regina gently.

"And possibly put him through the pain of losing another child?" cried Marian hysterically. "I can't do that to him."

"You don't know that's going to happen," said Regina shaking her head.

"But until I'm sure it won't I'm not going to risk it," said Marian firmly. "I won't force him to go through that pain with me again."

"And what about you?" asked Regina. "What about your pain?"

"I suppose I'll have to find a way to get through it on my own," she said with a sad shrug. "If I am wrong and this baby actually does end up making it then I'll be overjoyed to tell him. But until then… I just won't. And neither will you."

Regina widened her eyes at Marian. She was her best friend but she didn't know how she felt about keeping such a huge secret from Robin. She ran her fingers through her hair nervously. "Marian I…"

"Please," she begged. "I know it's a big secret but please just let me keep it. For his sake."

Regina sighed. She knew was it was like to keep a secret for the sake of a loved one. She did it every day for Henry. It pained her to think of Marian carrying such a burden but she couldn't force her to come clean. Not with something like this. "Okay. I promise I won't tell."

"Thank you," said Marian gratefully squeezing her hand.

Regina forced a smile to her lips. She would keep her friend's secret but she couldn't help but worry about the stress it would bring her.

The past few days had been hell for Marian. Keeping her pregnancy a secret from Robin was tearing her apart. She didn't like keeping him in the dark but it was for his own good. Once she was more certain about the baby's future then she would share her news. Until then it would be her burden and her burden alone.

She sighed as she walked into the bar for her morning shift. Regina had the day off so she wouldn't be working today. It made her feel a little nervous. Her best friend had become a rock for her ever since she'd revealed her pregnancy. Having someone to talk and share her fears with made it all a little less scary. She felt calmer when Regina was around and that was good for her baby. But today it would be just be her and the boys.

She could already see Hook leaned over the bar counter reading the local newspaper. Robin came over and snatched it out of his hands.

"No distractions while on the job mate," he said with a smirk.

Hook frowned at him in annoyance. "How am I supposed to spark interesting conversation with our customers if I can't even keep up on current events?"

"You're reading the travel section," Robin replied flatly. "What are you trolling for new vacation spots?"

"Not exactly," said Hook sheepishly. "They actually printed one of my blog posts about my trip to Laos last summer."

"Really?" said Marian with a surprised smile. She snatched the newspaper from Robin's hands and grinned when she saw Hook's byline. "Killian that's amazing!"

Everyone knew that Hook loved traveling. He'd been doing it ever since he was a kid. Nearly every cent he had was put toward trips to exotic places. Hell for three months out of the year he wasn't even around. Ever since Tuck had left him his old boat, the Jolly Roger, he took off sailing whenever he could. It was nice to see him getting recognition for his passion.

"This deserves a spot on the wall," declared Marian.

"I agree," said Robin. He moved to mockingly pinch Hook's cheek. "That way everyone can know how proud we are of you."

"Stop it," growled Hook, batting his hand away. He made a face at Robin before leaning in to give Marian a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you darling. Nothing would make me happier."

"That says so much about your life," quipped Robin.

Marian rolled her eyes as Killian threw a dishtowel at Robin's head. Boys, she thought to herself. She made her way up to her studio-turned-office. It had gone through a few major changes since Regina had moved out. The dusty red pullout couch had been replaced with a cream modern midcentury sofa. The bathtub and shower had been ripped out as well. Only an unattractive patch of ripped up linoleum remained where it once stood. Marian planned to replace it with a ceramic tile once some space opened up in the budget. Until then she covered it with an old blue rug.

She cut out Killian's article and placed it in an old frame as she sat at her old rickety desk. She would hang up behind the bar later. Right now she wanted to lose herself in the business section of the newspaper. Perhaps all the facts and figures would help her distract her from her thoughts. As she looked over all the articles about the stock market and emerging articles a profile caught her eye. One on an investor named Leopold Blanchard. Apparently he had been pulling all his support from a certain hotel chain since ending his engagement with the CEO's daughter. A much younger woman photographed with her mother…

Marian went still as her eyes fell to the picture below.

Regina shook her head as she attempted to clear her thoughts. She tried to focus on dabbing another cloth flower with fabric glue. She'd been working on her dress all morning. It was the only thing keeping her from growing crazy with guilt.

She was actually quite glad to have day off from the bar. It was harder than she'd expected to keep Marian's secret when Robin was nearby. The pressure she had in her chest, that pit of guilt that grew larger every time she looked at him or Marian, it was ripping her apart. She'd been lying to them both from the day she met them. For her sake and for Henry's but this was different. Now she was helping one of them lie to the other and that just wasn't sitting right with her.

Her concentration was broken when she heard a harsh knocking on her door. She opened it to find Marian standing on the other side looking positively distraught. Concern washed over her.

"Marian are you okay? Is it the baby?"

Marian just walked into her apartment and wordlessly held up a newspaper article.

"Is this you?" she asked in a broken voice.

With those three words the earth stopped moving. At least it did for them.

Regina felt everything go still as her eyes fell to the photograph in Marian's hands. It was one of her and her mother at the groundbreaking of a new hotel. For a moment all she could feel was the beat of her own heart and the trembling of her hands. She had to remind herself to keep breathing. It felt like the ground had been ripped from under her. Like a black hole had formed beneath her feet and threatened to swallow her whole. She half-wished that it would. As Marian stared at her with tearful expectant eyes she searched for the right words to say. "I… Where did you get that?"

Marian angrily narrowed her eyes at her. "Does it matter? Is this you or not?!"

Regina swallowed hard before answering her. "Yes it is."

Marian let out a sad gasp as Regina's confirmation echoed in her mind. She could only stare at the person in front of her. Twelve hours ago she would've been looking at her best friend. Someone she'd laughed with, cried with, worked with. Every memory she had with her flashed before her eyes. And one by one they shattered. And so did Regina.

She could no longer see her best friend. All she saw was a stranger.

With one hand on her stomach, she turned away from her and painfully tried to blink back to the tears in her eyes. She jumped when she felt Regina place a hand on her back. "Don't touch me!"

Tears welled up in Regina's eyes at Marian's rejection. She raised her hands in a pleading gesture. "Marian please… just let me explain."

"Explain what exactly?" choked out Marian. "How you've lied to me since the moment I met you? How for two years you let me bare my soul to you while not even telling me your real name? God, everything about you is a lie."

"That's not true!" cried Regina.

"Really?" yelled Marian frantically. "Because you have always told me that you were an orphan. That you were raised up by your poor aunt who died a few years ago. But according to this"- she held up the article- "your parents are alive and well. Living an extravagant life that they're more than happy to share with their daughter."

Regina flinched as she slammed the article down on the kitchen counter. "That article is a lie. My mother is not who she makes herself out to be."

Marian just shook her head pitifully. "I can't believe that I fell for your lies. I thought I was helping a single mother get back on her feet when the truth was you could've saved yourself and Henry at any time. Tell me what was the point of it all? The homelessness and the struggling and the lies. What was so bad about living in your ten bedroom house with your millions of dollars? Was it just too simple and easy? "

Regina felt a fire light under her at Marian words. "So what you think because you read one short article that you know everything about that life? You have no idea the pain I suffered in that house! You have no idea the life Regina Mills had!"

"The life that YOU had!" screamed Marian. "This was YOUR real life! And you hid it from me! How could you do that?"

"You've got some nerve judging me considering the fact that you're hiding a whole pregnancy from your husband,'' snarled Regina. As soon as the words flew out of her mouth she wanted nothing more than to shove them back in.

Marian reared back as if Regina had slapped her and pointed an accusing finger in her face. "Don't you dare! Don't you dare compare the lies you've told me to the secret I'm keeping from Robin! I am doing this to protect him!"

"And I'm doing this to protect Henry!" yelled Regina. "Keeping this secret was the only way to make sure I could raise him safely! How is it any different from what you're doing to Robin?"

"Because I actually plan on telling him one day!" cried Marian. "My secret isn't meant to last forever! Now you tell me: if I hadn't found this article would you have ever come clean about who you were?"

Regina hesitated before answering her. She wanted so badly to say yes. To say that yes she would've found a way to be honest. That she would've one day been secure enough to reveal everything to her. But as she stared at Marian's eyes she knew that wasn't true. And she knew she could lie about it anymore.

"No," she choked out tearfully. "I never would've told you."

Her words were like a pin in Marian's heart. She felt a tear roll down her cheek. "I thought you were my friend," she whispered.

"I am your friend," said Regina desperately. "It's just… complicated."

"No it's not," said Marian shaking her head. "The simple truth is I told you everything while you fed me lies over and over again. That's not what friends do."

Regina couldn't even find it in her to refute Marian's claim. Nothing she said was untrue and there was nothing she could say that would change that fact. So she watched with a heavy heart and tear-filled eyes as her best friend walked out of her apartment and slammed the door behind her. She leaned against the kitchen counter as the sobs began to take over her body.

Marian took a deep breath as she leaned back in her car seat. She'd been showing up to work thirty minutes early for the past few days in order to take twenty minutes to prepare herself just to walk in.

Since the confrontation with Regina things had grown increasingly numb for Marian. Keeping her pregnancy and Regina's double life from Robin, along with everyone else at the bar, began to weigh on her heavily. She'd never felt more isolated in her life and she had no one to talk to about it. The person she'd usually go talk with had just become a stranger to her. She still couldn't believe that Regina had been lying to her for the past two years. She knew she should be angrier about it but after all the fury she'd released in Regina's apartment she couldn't feel that way anymore. What she felt was betrayal, sadness and above all else loss. She missed her best friend. She wanted her back but she couldn't silence the small voice in her head that told her that she had never existed. Regina Gardiner had been a lie and she wasn't sure that she was ready to know Regina Mills. Or if she even wanted to.

She jumped in her seat when she heard the car door open. Tink smiled at her as she slid into the passenger.

"Good morning," she said brightly.

Marian forced a smile to her lips. "Good morning to you Tink. What are you doing here?"

"Well I'm supposed to be ripping the old linoleum from your upstairs office but I thought I'd much rather sit here in melancholy contemplation with you."

Marian let out a frustrated chuckle. "Am I that obvious?"

"A little bit," admitted Tink. "I'm not gonna lie I fully expected you to be listening to teenage angst music when I saw you in here."

I had actually considered throwing on some Alanis Morissette, Marian thought to herself.

Tink tilted her head at her curiously. "Is this about the fight you're having with Regina?"

Marian raised an eyebrow at her. "You know about that?"

"It wasn't that hard to figure out," replied Tink, shrugging her shoulders. "I mean she switched to the night shift which makes no sense considering her daycare doesn't do night service. And she's started asking me to watch Henry when everyone knows that she trusts him with you more than anyone. It's pretty clear that she's avoiding you."

"Yeah well I haven't exactly been in the mood to reach out to her," said Marian, dryly.

"What happened between you two?"

Marian hesitated before answering her. Despite her reaction to Regina's secret she still found herself unwilling to reveal it to anyone. She didn't know why that was.

"The most I can tell you is that she kept something from me and it's changed the way I see her," answered Marian cryptically.

Tink pursed her lips and nodded her head. "Well secret keeping can destroy relationships."

"Yes they can," said Marian flatly.

They sat in silence for a moment before Tink spoke again. "Did I ever tell you that I had a pet bunny when I was younger?"

Marian just sent her a quizzical look as she continued her story.

"His name was Mr. Magic because he was all white with red eyes like the rabbits magicians would pull out of their hats. I had him for ten years, up until my junior year of high school, and I loved him dearly. When he died I was devastated. I was just starting to get over his death when my oldest brother let it slip that for the past seven years what I thought was Mr. Magic was actually Mr. Magic the second."

Marian widened her eyes at that. "What?!"

"When I was around ten years old I became obsessed with the idea of independence. I used to let him roam free all over the back yard. One day he escaped while I was at school. My brothers came home found him missing and convinced my parents to keep me busy after soccer practice while they went out and bought a replacement rabbit."

"Oh my god," laughed Marian. "And you had no idea that they switched rabbits?"

"None whatsoever," giggled Tink. "And when I found out I was furious. I wouldn't speak with my brothers for days. They'd let me cuddle up with an imposter rabbit for years. I couldn't believe they'd kept that secret from me. One day my mom pulled me aside and explained that behind every secret is a reason it's kept."

Marian pressed her lips together as she realized the point of Tink's story.

"It took me awhile but I finally realized that my brothers didn't keep the secret for any other reason than to protect my feelings," continued Tink. "They weren't trying to hurt me in any way."

"That might be true Tink but Regina's secret is far more complicated than a swapped rabbit," said Marian gently.

"I can understand that," said Tink. "But you and Regina, well you're best friends and I can tell that you miss her. So before you throw away everything you have with her over this secret, you need to ask yourself why she was keeping it in the first place. And do you really think she was doing it just to hurt you?"

Marian brought a hand to her forehead as she let Tink's word's wash over her. Did she really want to lose her best friend over her past? A past that, honestly, she didn't think she fully understood?

Tink gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Well this was fun but I should probably go destroy that linoleum. I'll see you upstairs."

Marian watched her as she made her way up the fire escape to the office. Who would've that Isabella "Tink" Harris would've been her advice angel that day?

She sighed as she climbed out of her car and headed into work. She didn't know why she even bothered going in anymore. It wasn't like she could get any work done while all these secrets were flitting around in her head.

Robin gave her a nod of acknowledgement as she walked in the front door. She forced herself to smile at him.

"Hello, darling," he said giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey," she sighed. "How are things going?"

"Pretty busy," he said nonchalantly. "I mean between helping the three customers who came in and wondering what's going on with you I haven't had a moment to rest."

She groaned at his sarcasm. "Robin…"

"Marian," he drawled in response. "We've been married for eight years, together for twelve. You think I haven't learned to recognize when something's bothering you?"

There were times when Marian loved just how well Robin knew her and there were times when she hated it. This was the latter.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Anything you'd like to share with me?"

She stared into his eyes and felt her resolve crumble. "Actually there is."

Regina bit her lip in concentration as she looked through the wanted ads during her bus ride to the bar. She needed to find a new job as soon as possible.

She hadn't slept in days. She'd tossed and turned every night going over her fight with Marian. She'd been so careful with everything. She couldn't believe that it had taken just one newspaper article to blow her cover. After Marian had left day she'd spent a whole two hours curled up on her couch fretting over what would happen to her and Henry now that her secret was out. But was it out really?

Marian had been more than upset with her but she didn't think that she would tell her secret to everyone. Maybe Robin but not anyone else. She wonders what they'll do with her. They'd hadn't fired her yet but she was sure it was coming. No one wants a fraud as their employee. She could understand that but she was afraid of what it would mean for her and Henry. She couldn't survive on dressmaking alone. She'd started thinking back to plastic play castle Marian had found her in. She didn't want to go back to that. She didn't want Henry to have to.

When her stop came up she climbed out of the bus and squinted as her eyes readjusted to the sunlight. It was after four and the sun was being particularly harsh that day. She'd normally refrain from riding out during this time of day but it was payday, possibly her last payday, and she wanted to pick up her check while Marian wasn't there. She'd been avoiding her ever since that day in the apartment and Marian hadn't exactly fought to regain her attention.

She missed her.

Ever since Daniel had died Regina had felt very alone in the world. She'd had her father for a short time and she had Henry but there was never anyone to talk to. Someone she could just be around without feeling pitied or used by. No friends. Until she met Marian. She was her first, best and, for a short while, only friend. She'd welcomed her into her home, got her a job and did it all with a kindness and supportiveness that honestly Regina had never felt before. She couldn't believe she was losing that.

As much as that pained her as she walked into the Drunken Monk she realized she was losing so much more. She ran her hands over the bar counter as she made her way towards the stairs. A lump formed in her throat as she realized just how much she would miss this place. The Drunken Monk was more than just a bar or a job to her now. It was the place where she'd found a family. Robin had been right when he told her that she'd love her coworkers. Mulan, Robin, Tink, even Killian had come to mean so much to her. The way they'd rallied around her when she first started working here. They'd helped her learn how to be a waitress. Taught her to rely on her skills. They'd even thrown Henry a party for his first birthday when they learned that she couldn't. She loved them and it pained her to think that she might lose them.

"Rough day?"

She looked up at the sound of Killian's voice.

"You know as a bartender I'm perfectly qualified to hear you bitch about it?" he said cheekily.

She forced a chuckle from her throat. "No I'm fine. Just the bus ride over here killed me."

He leaned against the bar counter and observed her with an unwavering gaze. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she said as firmly as she could. He only raised an eyebrow at her in response. It was clear he didn't believe her. She cleared her throat and straightened her back, trying not to crumble under the weight of his stare. "I just came in to pick up my check for the week. Are they in?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Robin said we could just pick them up off the desk upstairs."

"Thanks," she mumbled making her way to the staircase.

As soon as she was gone Mulan replaced her at the bar. She leaned over the counter, curiosity blazing in her eyes. "Did you get any details about what's going on with her and Marian?"

He shook his head at her. "None at all. She just came to pick up her check so I told her they were upstairs."

"Did you tell her Marian was up there as well?"

He shrugged his shoulders in mock innocence. "Must've slipped my mind."

Mulan smirked up at him. "Killian Jones, you manipulative minx."

As Regina opened as the office door she hoped that she would be able to grab her check and leave before either Marian or Robin saw her. Her hopes were dashed when she saw Marian laid out on the office sofa. The brunette straightened up as soon as she saw Regina enter the room. "Hi."

"Hi."

For a moment they both tried to look anywhere but at each other. It was the first time they'd been alone together since Regina's apartment. Tension quickly filled the space between them. The only sound to be heard was the obnoxious ticking of the wall clock above the sofa. Marian was the first to break the silence. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to pick up my check for the week," Regina replied hesitantly.

"Oh," said Marian softly. She awkwardly gestured toward the corner. "It's on the desk."

"Thanks."

She could feel Marian's eyes on her back as she flipped through the envelopes. She quickly found the one with her name on it and moved toward the door.

"I told Robin I'm pregnant."

Marian's sudden statement made Regina spin on her heel. "Really?"

"Yeah," breathed Marian with a nod. "He's now as cautiously optimistic as I am."

Despite everything Regina felt a smile tug on her lips. "What made you feel ready?"

"Honestly I wasn't," admitted Marian folding her arms. "But all the secrets were getting cramped in my mind so I let go of mine to free up space for yours."

Regina furrowed her eyebrow at her. "You're not going to tell Robin about everything?"

"No," sighed Marian. "I wanted to. Badly actually. But that's not my right or my place to do such a thing."

"So I can keep working here?" she asked in small voice.

"Of course," said Marian in shocked voice. "I'm not going to fire you. I wouldn't do that to you and Henry. I know how much you need to support him."

"Thank you." Regina felt relief flow through her at Marian words.

Marian cleared her throat awkwardly. "I looked you up, you know? On the internet trying to find out what I could. And there's no mention of Henry anywhere. Why?"

Regina hesitated before answering her. "Because my mother hid him from everyone. Only she and my father knew he existed."

Marian nodded her slowly as she took in what Regina said. "That day at the apartment, you said you were doing this to protect Henry. Was it to protect him from her?"

"Yes," said Regina giving her a small nod.

Tears welled up in Marian's eyes as she shook her head at Regina. "Why didn't you just tell me? Were you afraid that I was going to sell you out or something?"

"No," said Regina quickly. "It wasn't about you. It was about me. It's just hard to explain."

"Try," said Marian softly.

Regina let out a breath before walking over to lock the office door. She didn't want anyone walking in on this. She took a seat on the sofa next to Marian and tried to find the right words for what she needed to say.

"The life I lived as Regina Mills was miserable," she started softly. "I was forced to lie about my son. I wasn't allowed to grieve over the death of his father and I had no freedom because of my mother. I was just… alone. When I got the chance to escape, to run away and become Regina Gardiner I knew there was no way I could ever let myself go back to that life. For my sake and for Henry's. It was hard to adjust but when I met you and I started working here things got easier. And it wasn't just you it was everyone. Hook and Mulan and Robin. Because of you guys I felt like I had an anchor. The bonds I built with you… they made it easier to feel like this life was the real one and my old life was the lie. Because of you Regina Gardiner was ten times happier in two years than Regina Mills was in twenty. So the thought of you, any of you, finding out about that life, becoming a part of it… it would be a reminder that this life that I've built is fragile and that it can be shattered at any moment. And that terrifies me more than anything in the world."

Marian took a deep breath as she let the sincerity of Regina's confession wash over her. "So our friendship was real?"

"Yes," replied Regina earnestly. "You were the first friend I ever made. And I'm really afraid that I've lost you over this."

Marian pressed her lips together.

"You lied Regina. You lied about a lot," she whispered. "And I feel like I should be angrier at you for that… but I'm not. Because you're my best friend and I don't care what your last name is or where you came from I'm just damn glad that you're here now."

Tears fell from Regina's eyes as she leaned in to give her a hug. She felt Marian cry softly into her shoulder. "I'm still afraid for my baby," she whispered. "I've been so afraid because I wasn't able to talk to you."

"Well you don't have to be afraid now," said Regina, hugging her tighter. "Because I'm here now and I promise I'm not going anywhere."

TRIGGER WARNING: MISCARRIAGE

NEXT CHAPTER: Marian and Robin welcome a new addition to their family.

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