A/N: Hey guys thank you all for reviews. They've really put things in perspective for me. I will be posting Robin's POV but I'll be trying to post all the chapters in one day. I hope you enjoy our last chapter in New York.
TWO YEARS LATER
Emma forced open her eyes at the sound of shuffling feet in kitchen. She stretched out on the pullout couch as her pupils adjusted to the dim light coming from over the kitchen counter. Her watch beeped around her wrist and she sighed when she saw that it was 2:30 in the morning.
Just like clockwork, she thought to herself.
A yawn escaped her throat as she swung her legs over her mattress onto the floor. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she walked into the kitchen and came across the same sight she'd seen every night for the past two months. Regina, in her pajamas, pencil in her hand and head bent over a sketchpad biting her lip in concentration. The overhead light fell over her face causing dark circles to appear under her eyes as she looked up and acknowledged Emma's presence with a sigh.
The blonde tilted her head in concern. "Should I tell you to go to sleep or would I just be wasting my time?"
Regina rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Making me a bagel would be more productive."
Emma gave her a look before shuffling over to the toaster and loading in a bagel. She eyed Regina pityingly as she walked over to the refrigerator for the cream cheese. "What's the problem this time?"
"The waists," moaned Regina in annoyance, as she crumpled up another unfinished sketch. "I can't decide if they should be natural or empire or dropped. It's been bugging me all night. I couldn't sleep."
"Okay, I don't understand what any of that means," said Emma, narrowing her eyes in confusion as she sat down at the table with the bagel in hand. "But I do know that none of it matters anymore because you handed in the final designs for this project weeks ago."
Regina just sighed. Three months ago Mal had chosen her to help design a group of dresses for Volante to present as an application for Fashion Week. Five dresses would be presented to Elsa Arandale, the events manager who had final say on who would be included in the major runway shows. Mal had been more than on edge seeing as how Volante had never been chosen before and her stress had fallen onto Regina as well. She hadn't had a good night's rest in weeks.
"I know I already sent the designs in to the seamstresses but if I come in early tomorrow and hand in the new ones they can get it done before Elsa shows up," Regina reasoned hysterically.
Emma just raised an eyebrow at her. "You expect them to make five whole new dresses before 3pm tomorrow?"
"I have faith in their abilities," said Regina weakly.
"You should start having faith in yourself," replied Emma as she gently reached over and removed the sketchpad from her friend's death grip. "You've already sent in your designs. They're great the way they are and they will turn into beautiful dresses. Stop stressing over it."
Regina sighed. "I just keep feeling like there's something more I should be doing. I mean I'm pretty sure my job is riding on this."
"Well maybe it is but I've seen how hard you've been working on this project. You have nothing to worry about," said Emma comfortingly. "You're ready. You've prepared. The rest will take care of itself."
"Quite the laid-back philosophy you've got there," said Regina, shaking her head.
"Hey it got me my GED didn't it?" responded Emma with a grin.
After a long road of bumps and setbacks Emma had finally gotten her GED a month ago. It was hard and it took her a couple tries but she was proud to say that as far as testing was concerned she'd finally finished high school. Regina and Henry had taken her out for celebratory banana splits when she'd learned that she'd passed. It warmed her heart to know that they were proud of her.
"Have you given anymore thought about what you want to do now?" asked Regina, settling back in her chair. If she wasn't allowed to stress about her own life she could certainly stress about Emma's.
Emma shrugged her shoulders. "A little. I mean I've spent so long working toward this goal and now that it's done… I'm not really sure what comes next."
"Well," sighed Regina, "why don't you look at something in childcare? Henry's loved having you as a nanny these past few years and you're actually really good at it."
"Thanks," said Emma with a grimace. "But I don't think that's the route I want to go down. I like kids but I don't think I want to take care of them for the rest of my life."
Over the past two years Emma had truly enjoyed nannying Henry and being a part of his life but when she thought about doing that for any other child it just didn't sit right in her gut. Being a nanny full-time just wasn't what she wanted to do with her life.
"Well, don't rush into anything," said Regina. "Like I said, I love having you as Henry's nanny and the pullout couch certainly isn't going anywhere while you figure out what comes next."
Emma smirked at her. "You know there will come a day when I no longer sleep in your living room, right?"
"And I patiently await its arrival," said Regina, with a grin. "I just want you to feel free to take your time."
"I know," said Emma with a grateful sigh, "It's just that staying still has never really been something I'm good at. I mean these past two years with you and Henry are the longest I've ever been in one place."
During her time as her nanny Emma had intermittingly opened up to Regina about her past as a foster kid. How she'd been abandoned as a baby, and then given up by her adoptive family at three-years-old when they decided to have another child. The thought of a couple giving up a child purely for convenience always made Regina's skin grow hot with buried anger. Anyone who could throw away a child so carelessly clearly didn't deserve one. Especially not one as special as Emma.
"I'm glad you stayed with us Emma," said Regina with a smile. "It would feel less like home if you weren't here. Even if you do interrupt my midnight design sessions."
"I do it because I care," stressed Emma. "Seriously, please tell me you're going to sleep after this."
Regina scrunched up her face in hesitation before speaking. "Maybe in an hour if you give me back my sketchpad."
"Regina!"
"The sooner I work through my stress, the sooner I'll go to sleep," she reasoned, holding out her hand for her sketchpad.
"Fine," sighed Emma, handing it over as she stood from the table. "But I expect you in bed by 3:30."
"And I expect you to remember that you're Henry's nanny, not mine," Regina called out to her retreating back.
Emma just rolled her eyes as she crawled into bed, knowing full well that come morning she'd have to scrape an exhausted Regina off their kitchen table.
The lights were bright and the coffee was fresh as Snow carefully steamed the hem of a beautiful dress in the office design closet the next morning. Old dresses and costumes surrounded her as she put the final prep touches on Regina's designs before the models arrived to get dressed. Once she was sure there wasn't a wrinkle in sight she turned her head and frowned when she saw a closed-eyed Regina leaning against a desk with a cup of coffee in hand, halfway between sleep and death. Snow rolled her eyes as she stood to her feet and gently flicked her on the nose. Regina's eyes popped open and her coffee nearly spilled as she trembled with a start. She glared at Snow with narrowed eyes. "You're not funny."
"Wasn't trying to be," said Snow folding her arms across her chest. "You know I'm steaming your dresses; the least you could do is be awake while I'm doing it."
"Sorry," mumbled Regina, straightening up. "I'm just a little tired and anxious about today."
Snow sighed at her and gestured back to the dresses. "Regina you have nothing to worry about. Look at these dresses. They're beautiful. If the ice queen can't see that then it's her loss."
"Don't call her that," scolded Regina, at Snow's reference to Elsa. Whenever she heard successful women being called names it always made her skin crawl. The one thing her mother had taught her is that few people like it when a woman is in charge and because of that they'll do many things to make her job twice as hard. Even name-calling.
"Just relax," urged Snow. "The models will be here in a few minutes and then we can get the ball rolling and get this over with."
"Thanks for the pep talk," replied Regina dryly. Her words were sarcastic but her heart was grateful. Snow had been a big help to her these last few months as she prepped for the presentation. Ever since that day on the steps she'd been making strides to find her inner peace and Regina had started to see more pieces of the girl she knew rise to the surface. Her enthusiasm and her warmth were slowly starting to return and she hadn't so much as looked at a pill in years. Regina couldn't be more proud her. She was just about to say so when she heard rapid footsteps approaching the closet. Both she and Snow looked up when Jefferson entered the room with an urgent look on his face.
"We have a problem," he said grimly.
And with those four words Regina's heart sunk into her stomach. "What happened?"
"The modeling agency just called," said Jefferson apologetically. "The fifth model just dropped out."
Regina's jaw dropped as she slid off the desk in shock. Any exhaustion she had before evaporated and was replaced with a hot vibrating panic. "What do you mean she dropped out? She can't just drop out! We had a contract."
"I know," sighed Jefferson. "But apparently her boyfriend surprised her with a trip to Tahiti and she flew off without a second thought. She's probably halfway to the south pacific by now."
"What about the other models at the agency?" questioned Snow, sensing Regina's distress. "They have to send a replacement girl. We've had this booked for weeks!"
"I asked but they said everyone they have is booked for the day!" he grumbled angrily. "I'm calling other agencies now but I've got to be honest, the chances of us finding another model in less than an hour are slim."
With that he turned on his heel and marched back out of the closet, leaving the two shocked women behind him. Regina was left breathless in the wake of this new development but beneath all her shock was a tiny drop of relief. From the moment she left her apartment she'd known something would go wrong today and now she finally knew what it was. It would be comforting if not for the fact that all her hard work had gone up in smoke.
"Mal is going to kill me," she whispered breathlessly.
Snow looked at her with determination behind her eyes. "No she won't because we are going to find a solution."
"What solution Snow?" said Regina tiredly. "If we have any less than five dresses our application will be deemed incomplete and as far as I can see there's no way we can get a fifth model here in time."
"Well I'll just wear it!" said Snow frantically. "I can model… a little."
"That would be an excellent solution if I hadn't made it for a girl five inches taller than you!" said Regina shooting down Snow's idea. She ran her hands through her hair as she paced the closet floor. "I can't believe she flew off to Tahiti!"
"Who flew off to Tahiti?"
They both turned at the sound of Emma's voice coming from the door. She stood there eyeing them curiously behind her glasses as an enthusiastic Henry stood by her side.
"Hi mom!" he said cheerfully.
Regina quickly forced a smile on her face for her son. He might be eight now but that was still nowhere near old enough to see his mother go through a breakdown over work.
"Hi Henry," she said as happily as she could. She turned to Emma desperately. "What are you doing here? You know Mal doesn't like it when our families come up to the office."
"I know but we're not staying long," said Emma shrugging her shoulders. "Henry found something he'd like to give you for your presentation."
Henry proudly held up a four-leafed clover and presented it to his mother. "I found it on the playground and the teacher said it would give you good luck."
Regina smiled tearfully down at him as she took the tiny four-leaf clover from her son. "Thank you honey. If only I'd had this ten minutes ago."
Emma noticed the tears in her eyes and quickly ushered Henry over to a desk before turning back to Regina. "What happened?"
"One of our models dropped out at the last minute and now I'm screwed," answered Regina tiredly.
Emma gave her a sympathetic look. "That's awful. Isn't there something that you can do?"
"There possibly is…" mused Snow, as she circled Emma like a vulture. "You're thin and tall."
"What?"
Snow reached out to touch her ponytail. "Hair's a little dull but I can fix that."
Emma leaned out of her reach. "Okay hands off princess. And what the hell are you talking about?"
"You're going to wear the dress," declared Snow decisively.
"What dress?" asked Emma with wide eyes.
"This one," said Snow pointing out the dress she'd just finished steaming. A floor-length ombre gown with long sleeves and a near-waist deep neckline, it was dark blue from shoulders to waist and lightened into a sea green near the feet. Emma could see that there were tiny threads of silver running through the flowing fabric, probably meant to make it shimmer as it moved. The dress reminded her of the sea and she let out disbelieving laugh when she saw it. "You expect me to wear that thing! Snow look at me."
She gestured down to her own outfit which consisted of a pair of two-year-old jeans and a gray graphic tee with a button down plaid shirt thrown over it along with a pair of faded, no-heel brown boots. "I'm not exactly model material here."
"But you can fit in the dress," mumbled Regina hopefully.
Emma's jaw dropped at her. "Oh please tell me you're not taking her side in this!"
Regina shrugged her shoulders apologetically. Emma wasn't exactly her first choice for a dress model but in her desperation she could see how she appeared to be the best option. "Well you have to admit you'd look good in it."
"Yeah it even has pockets so you can hide your hideously chewed up nails," pointed out Snow, critically eyeing Emma's hands.
Offense colored Emma's face as she self-consciously folded her arms, hiding her nails under her armpits. "Regina please don't make me do this! I hate dressing up and I can barely even stumble in heels."
"I'm not going to make you do anything Emma… but I am going to beg you," said Regina with pleading eyes. "Please, please do this for me. My job is depending on this going well and that means yours is too."
Emma groaned as she realized that Regina had a point. "Well what about Henry? You said your boss doesn't like it when your kids are around."
"I'll smuggle him into the daycare," said Snow, waving off her concerns. "I doubt they'll notice one more kid."
Emma took one more look at Regina's desperate face before throwing her head back with a sigh. "Okay fine. I'll wear it but we are switching beds for the rest of the week."
"Deal!" agreed Regina quickly. She clasped her hands together in relief. "You won't regret this I promise."
"Come on," said Snow, gripping Emma's arm. "The judges will be here in the next hour and I still have to decide whether I'm going to hide those split ends behind a braid or a bun."
Emma glared at Regina as Snow dragged her away. "I regret this," she hissed.
After nearly an hour trapped in a bathroom with Snow, Emma could honestly say that she felt like an over abused Barbie doll. Her hair had been pulled back into a strict bun and her lips had been painted with a nude shade of pink lip gloss. An even boundary of brown eyeliner now circled the edges of her eyes making them seem just the tiniest bit wider and greener than before and her cheeks were covered with a light layer of blush meant to highlight her cheekbones. Emma knew if she was to look in a mirror right now she wouldn't even recognize herself. And not just because Snow took away her glasses.
The bottom of her dress swished elegantly around her ankles as she teetered to the waiting area in the strappy two-inch heels she'd been forced to wear.
"I feel ridiculous," she hissed.
"Well you look glamorous," responded Snow as she rolled her eyes.
Emma sighed as tried to focus on her footsteps. "What am I even supposed to be doing in there? I hope you don't expect me to walk down a runway."
"No," insisted Snow. "I'm just going to walk you to your spot and you'll stand there while Elsa judges the dresses. It'll be fine."
Regina quickly rushed over to them as they entered the waiting area. She took in Emma's appearance with a dropped jaw. "Wow! I almost didn't recognize you. You look perfect."
Emma only groaned in response.
"Are all the other models ready?" asked Snow.
"Yes," said Regina gesturing over to the other young women present in the room. They were all made up in a similar fashion as Emma, just enough to highlight their features but not enough to overpower the presence of their dresses. All of which were just as stunning as Emma's. Regina and Snow quickly guided her over to her spot next to them and gave her a quick pep talk.
"Okay just remember to stand up straight," Regina reminded her with a gentle tug on her shoulders.
"And don't smile!" ordered Snow.
Emma glared at her. "There's literally no chance of that happening."
Snow's comeback was cut short by the sound of footsteps approaching the entrance of the waiting room. Mal swept into the room wearing a flawless black dress and a scowl. All three women straightened their backs at the sight of her. She walked over to Snow and Regina with quick even strides.
"The security guards just called. Elsa should be arriving in less than three minutes so I expect everything is ready," she said.
"Yes," said Regina with a nod. "The models are all here and they're all dressed."
Mal's eyes floated over to the models taking in the appearance of each one critically. A frown settled on her face as her eyes landed on Emma. "Why is there a blonde when I specifically requested all brunettes?"
Regina's eyes whipped back to the models and her eyes widened when she realized that Emma was the only blonde in the row. She stuttered as she searched for the words to mollify her boss. "I- I can explain that."
"Her hair color or your incompetence?" gritted out Mal behind clenched teeth.
"It was a mistake on the part of the agency."
Regina head turned quickly at the sound of Jefferson's voice coming from her side. Her blue-eyed savior shrugged his shoulders at his boss apologetically. "They switched models on us at the last second and by the time she arrived there was nothing we could do."
Mal let out a seething breath as she clenched her hands at her side. "Well tell her to straighten her back for god's sake!"
Regina let out a breath as Mal went to double check things with the rest of the staff. She turned to Jefferson with a grateful smile. "Thank you."
"Trust me I've taken harsher bullets," he replied with a wink.
They both turned their head toward the door when they heard the room go silent. With an entourage of no less than three people Elsa Arandale walked into the room and truth be told Regina would swear that she felt the air get ten degrees colder. Elsa was a thin woman, with ice blue eyes and hair so blonde it was nearly platinum as it fell over her shoulder in a long braid. She wore a bright blue dress and a thin black blazer as she walked over to Mal, her silver shoes clacking against the tile floor with even footsteps.
She offered her hand to Mal with a forced smile. "Mallory Volante, so nice to see you… again. Your persistence is one to be admired."
Regina could see Mal's grip tighten as she shook Elsa's hand. "Well you know what they say, only those who are afraid of failing don't try."
They smiled at each other and it was like watching two tigers bear their teeth before battle. Elsa was the first to pull back her hand as she grinned at Mal with false sincerity. "Shall we get started?"
Mal held out her hand toward the models in a sweeping gesture. "After you."
Elsa slipped on a pair of sleek black-framed glasses before walking over to the first model on the far right. She was wearing an ombre-colored dress, one that began as black at its strapless bodice but flowed into shades of purple, pink and golds in the sheer fabric that reached down to its hem. The waist was emphasized by a thin sleek belt that Jefferson had designed himself. Regina held her breath as she watched Elsa circle the dress critically, writing a few notes in her iPad before moving on to the next model.
The idea for the next dress had come to Regina after watching a rerun of the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet. Seeing even a fictional interpretation of loss and first love put thoughts of Daniel in her mind and she suddenly felt the need to design a dress that could withstand a tragedy. The dress had short capped sleeves and was fitted with tiny gold beads until just under the bust line where the fabric turned into a form-fitting purple lace that fell into a sheath design that reached the model's feet ending in mermaid's tail. Snow had said even though the color would look awful on her that the dress would always be her favorite. Elsa examined it with a neutral expression, the ghost of a smile only appearing when she lightly ran her fingers over the sleeve.
She moved through the next two dresses rather quickly, which made Regina wonder if she should be nervous or excited, before landing on Emma who subtly straightened her back and clenched her hand in her pockets. Elsa tilted her heads and pursed her lips as she circled Emma like a vulture. After a moment she turned to Mal and asked, "You worked with your staff on this project. Who's responsible for this dress?"
"That would be one of our senior designers, Regina Gardiner," she answered smoothly, pointing out Regina.
As soon as Mal's finger landed on her Regina felt her breath get caught in her throat as her brain decided to stop working. She was sure she was about to have an out-of-body experience when Snow subtly nudged her forward bringing her back to Earth. She cleared her throat before nodding at Elsa. "Hi."
"Hello," replied Elsa with a smile. "Would you mind telling me what inspired you with this dress?"
Regina took a deep breath as everyone in the room began to stare her down. "Well, I was with my son helping him prepare for a project for school, a landscape actually for his art class. He chose the ocean as his landscape so we stayed in for the afternoon watching sea documentaries so he could get a better idea of what it looks like under the water. He became inspired and so did I."
Elsa nodded her head appreciatively. "Well that's adorable but what about the pockets?"
"The pockets?"
"Yes," said Elsa. "I'm assuming this is a ball gown, meant to be worn at the elegant black tie events. Do you really think a woman who attends such events would need pockets?"
Regina's mouth hung open as she searched her brain for an appropriate answer. Elsa stared at her pityingly before adding, "I doubt anyone would think such a thing."
Mal opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by an unexpected voice.
"I would."
All heads turned to Emma as her voice broke the silence. She stared down at Elsa with confidence radiating from her pores despite the terror pouring into her stomach as everyone in the room turned to look at her. "I think the pockets could be useful."
Elsa turned back to Emma with a surprised expression. "Huh, you know it's strange. I've never actually heard a model talk in such a situation."
"Probably because rarely anyone lets them but I've never really been someone who follows the rules," replied Emma, not missing a beat.
Regina stared at her in shock. Apparently all it took was a bun and some make-up to turn her roommate into a completely different person. A person who was going to get her fired if the look on Mal's face was any indication.
Elsa just looked up at Emma with a smirk. "Hmm, a rebel. Well if you are so inclined to speak then answer me this. You're on a date in this dress. He's a handsome, wealthy young man and he's taken you to a lovely fundraising gala. What exactly do you put in these pockets?"
Emma pressed her lips together in thought before smoothly answering, "Snacks and a Taser."
Elsa's eyebrows rose to her hairline as she heard Emma's answer. "Snacks and a Taser? Why those two things?"
Emma shrugged her shoulders. "The snacks are for if I don't like the food and the Taser's for if I don't like my date."
Snow quickly pressed her lips together to keep her laughter from escaping and out of the corner of her eye Regina saw Jefferson do the same.
"That's quite an answer," said Elsa with a small smile. "And a point well taken. Perhaps pockets will be the new trend."
She sighed to herself before turning back to Mal, with a conceding look on her face. "Well Mallory, I still have to fill out the paperwork but it appears that 2015 is your year. I'm willing to offer you a slot on the third day of Fashion Week."
"Excellent," replied Mal arching an eyebrow at her. On the outside she looked as cool ever but Regina could see the small smile tugging on her lips. "Your people have my number. We can deal with the paperwork next week."
"Perfect," said Elsa. "Bring your head designer and we work out the details in your office."
The two women walked out of the room in sync and Regina subtly gave Emma a thumbs up before following on their heels. Well that went better than expected.
High-paced Latin music played in the background of Regina's favorite restaurant as she, Snow and Emma clinked their glasses in celebration. The two girls had persuaded her to leave Henry with a sitter for the night and get a round of drinks celebrating her success. To be honest it hadn't taken much convincing. Now that the presentation was over and Volante was officially in Fashion Week Regina felt lighter than she had in weeks.
"So how's it feel to finally take a break without Mal breathing down your neck?" asked Snow playfully. She was chomping on the plate of tortilla chips in front of her with a grin.
"Damn good!" replied Regina, slurring her words just the tiniest bit. She was on her second margarita of the night and was just now starting to feel the effects. Her heels had already been kicked off under the table and her shoulders swayed slightly with the music. "And I owe a lot of this project to you two. I wouldn't have been able to get through it without you."
An uncharacteristic giggle flew from Emma's throat at Regina's slurred words. "Well you're welcome. I was happy to do it."
"No you weren't!" laughed Snow, shaking her head incredulously.
"Okay I wasn't," admitted Emma, playfully rolling her eyes. "But I will be when I climb between her soft 500 thread count sheets tonight."
Save for the thin layer of brown eyeliner around her eyes she was back to old herself with her hair back in a high ponytail and her glasses settled firmly on her nose as she took another sip of her margarita.
Regina rolled her eyes before suddenly sitting up straight in her chair. "Oh that reminds me!"
She reached down into her purse and pulled out a small business card which she handed to Emma. "Elsa Arandale wanted me to give you her card."
"What for?" asked Emma curiously looking over the card.
"She owns a pretty decent clothing line and she'd like for you to be the face of it," answered Regina, before taking another long sip of her margarita.
"As a model?!" said Emma, her eyebrows raising in shock.
Snow's eyes widened at the news of Emma's new opportunity. "That's awesome! You should totally do it!"
Emma chuckled at her enthusiasm but slid the business card back over to Regina. "Thanks but my modeling days are over."
Snow threw her head back with a moan. "Oh my god. Why do you have to be talked into everything?"
"Hey!" Regina scolded Snow warningly. "She can make her own choices about whether or not to call."
"Thank you," said Emma with a smug smile.
"However," continued Regina pointing a finger at her, "This morning you did say that you didn't exactly know what you wanted to do next and now a golden opportunity has fallen into your lap and you won't even give it one chance? I find that odd."
"It's not odd," said Emma, offense coloring her tone. "I just don't think modeling is in my future."
"Why not?" asked Snow, narrowing her eyes at her. "Don't tell me you think you're too good for it."
"No," drawled Emma, shaking her head. "It's fine but dressing up, posing for photos? It's not something I'd ever really want to do. It's not me."
"Well what is you?" asked Regina, leaning back in her chair.
Emma leaned her elbows against the table and pressed her lips together anxiously. "Well I've thought about it and I really want to do something to do something with kids like me. The foster kids. I was thinking I could go into social work to help them."
A proud smile grew on Regina's face as she heard Emma's preferred career choice. She reached over and squeezed her hand encouragingly. "Emma that's great. You'd be amazing at that."
"Thanks," said Emma with a grin. "It'll take me a few years to actually get my degree but I think it'd be worth it if I could actually make a difference in a kid's life."
Snow nodded her head concedingly. "Well that's totally awesome and noble but just how are you going to afford college? I mean I know Regina pays you well but it's not that well."
"I can make it work," said Emma, straightening her back. "I'm willing to get another part-time job while I go to school."
"I'm sorry do you know what New York's minimum wage is?"
"Do you Miss Manolos?" replied Emma challengingly.
"I think what Snow means is that modeling while getting your degree might be easier than working two part-time jobs," said Regina quickly jumping in.
"I realize that," conceded Emma, "but I still don't know about it. I mean modeling isn't something I ever saw myself doing."
"And waitressing wasn't something I ever saw myself doing but I did it," responded Regina. "When I was around your age my friend gave me a job in her bar so I could support Henry on my own. I'd never done it before and I was sure I'd be awful at it but it ended up working out for us. I was able to take care of Henry and after a while pursue what I really wanted to do. If you decide to model while going to school, it doesn't have to be forever."
"I don't know," sighed Emma, shrugging her shoulders. "How would it even work? I can't imagine it's actually going to leave me much time to go to classes."
"Emma no one actually physically goes to classes anymore," said Snow shaking her head. "Pretty much everything is online now. As long as you plan well you'll be able to get everything done."
Emma tilted her head at her. "Was that encouragement coming from you?"
"Don't get used to it," replied Snow with a smirk.
"All we're saying is… maybe just call and see what she's offering," said Regina, sliding the business card back over to her.
Emma pursed her lips as she picked it up with a shrug. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to check."
She slipped the business card into her pocket, cautiously optimistic that the ten numbers printed on the side could be her ticket to a more secure future.
6 MONTHS LATER
Regina sat on the edge of her bed anxiously tapping the side of the "Best Mom in the World" mug Henry had gotten for her two Christmas's ago while the hot chocolate inside of it slowly reached room temperature. It was silly but she was hoping it would fill her with confidence like it usually did.
She took another look at the clock. It was 2am and despite the late hour she could still see the lights of the city twinkling outside her windows. In a few hours she would have to get up and start heading over to their tent at Fashion Week. Her designs would be shown to the world, with Mal's name on them of course, and it was all she could think about. Her nerves were at their last end and she still couldn't sleep. For a moment she considered going out to the living room to have one of her late night chats with Emma but then she remembered that Emma was no longer there.
It'd been nearly three months since she'd moved out and Regina still had to remind herself her old roommate/nanny had crossed over the bridge and moved into a small Manhattan apartment that she now rented with Snow. It had been a bit of a shock when they'd decided to move into together but it made sense now that Snow was managing her modeling career. Still Regina longed for someone who she could express her fears to at this late hour. She eyed the cell phone on her night stand warily before picking it up and dialing the number she now knew by heart.
Robin was already deep into sleep before he heard the buzzing of his phone against his nightstand. He groaned as he forced his eyes open to look at the clock. 11:00 PM. His eyes flicked over to the left side of the bed and he felt a moment of relief when he realized that when he saw that Roland hadn't crawled into bed with him like he usually did. His son was a very light sleeper. Sometimes even the lightest creaking of the stairs could wake him up.
He reached over to grab the cell phone and was shocked to see Regina's face stare up at him. He quickly pressed answer and brought the phone up to his ear. "It's a little late for midnight chats, don't you think?"
Regina sighed as she leaned back against her headboard. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"
"It's alright," said Robin, switching on the lamp next to his bed. "I'm a bar owner. I'm used to late night calls."
He sat up in his bed and let out a stealthy yawn. "It should be at least two in the morning there," he said. "You've got a big day tomorrow. Might be a good idea to get some rest."
"I would… if I could," mumbled Regina. "I can't really get to sleep."
"Is that due to excitement or fear?"
Regina hesitated before answering him. "Fear."
"Okay," drawled Robin. "Tell me what your fears are."
"I guess… I'm afraid it won't go well," admitted Regina softly. "It just feels like… I don't know, I'll put my heart out to the world and the world will decide that it's not good enough."
"That won't happen," said Robin automatically.
"How could you know that?"
"Because I know you," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "And I know how much it's taken for you to get here. You've been designing for years now and you've been working on this project for months. And from what you've told me of your boss, she wouldn't have chosen to work with you if she didn't trust your abilities completely."
"I know," sighed Regina. "I know all of that but what if something goes wrong? I could mess up one thing and the whole show could fall to pieces."
"That's not true," said Robin. "You won't let it be true. Regina I've known you for close to seven years now. I've seen what you've been through and how you've put it behind you. You're one of the strongest, most determined people I've met. And that determination isn't going to allow you to fail. You're ready and you deserve this chance at the spotlight. You've earned it."
Regina felt herself smile at Robin's words. Hearing him say exactly what she needed made the anxiety in her chest disappear. It was always baffling to her how easily he could talk her down from a ledge. "Is it silly that I called so late just to hear those words?"
"No," said Robin with a small chuckle. "You know I have an always-pick-up policy with you. Whenever, wherever. That's always been the deal."
She took one more look at her clock and sighed before asking, "Will you be watching?"
She could almost hear his grin through the phone. "Of course. We all will."
Robin's house had never been so crowded, but then again he'd only lived in it for a few months. It was the day of Regina's fashion show and Robin was kneeling next to the back of his television desperately trying to hook up his laptop while both Hook and Mulan watched him apathetically.
"You know you wouldn't have had to worry about this if you'd just gotten a smart TV like I suggested," pointed out Mulan as she leaned against the kitchen counter smugly. Her police belt weighed down against her hips as she cracked open another can of soda.
Robin turned to glare at her. "My TV's intelligence is just fine thank you. It's the wires that are confounding me."
"Let the man work Lani," said Hook, reaching for the bag of chips. "We all know how this is going to end. He's going to try to do it himself, get frustrated and then realize it's just better to wait for Tink to show up and do if for him. Let the process continue."
"I don't need Tink to help me," Robin mumbled absentmindedly plugging in another wire.
"You don't need me to help you with what?"
They all looked over to see Tink opening up the back sliding door with a large purple bowl in her hands.
"Is using the front door just a foreign concept to you?" said Mulan, narrowing her eyes at her.
"It's a party," drawled Tink, shrugging her shoulders. "Why would I come in through the front door?"
"It's a little thing called common courtesy Tink," said Robin. "And it's technically just a viewing party, not an actual party."
"Well then I guess this isn't actually strawberries and whipped cream, just viewing strawberries and whipped cream," she quipped, setting her bowl down next to the chips.
Robin growled under his breath as he plugged in yet another wire with no effect.
Tink kneeled down next to him on the floor. "Still can't get the stream hooked up?"
He turned to her with a defeated look on his face. "This is not me asking for help but…"
"Yes I can hook up the stream," she said with a nod. "Move over."
Hook let out a chuckle as Robin left Tink to play with the wires. "And cycle continues."
Robin turned to give Hook a piece of his mind but was stopped when he heard rapid footsteps coming down the stairs. Roland ran up to his father's side wearing a pair of nice slacks and a white button up shirt. Robin looked down at him curiously as he held up a tie and vest. "Daddy can you help me put these on?"
Robin kneeled down to his eye level with a small laugh. "Son, why are you all dressed up?"
"For Aunt Regina's fashion show," said Roland enthusiastically. "Aunt Lani said everyone had to wear nice clothes."
"Everyone on the runway kiddo," corrected Mulan, with a smile. "We don't have to dress up because we're staying home."
"Oh," mumbled Roland, his smile falling into a frown.
"However," said Robin, noticing his son's dejection, "your Aunt Regina would probably be so happy to know that you've dressed up. I bet it'd make her feel really special. So how about we put on your tie and vest and take a picture for her?"
"Yeah!" said Roland, his dark curls bouncing as he nodded his head gleefully. Robin smiled at him as began to loop the tie under his shirt collar. His son had grown up a lot in the past 3 years and he looked more like Marian every day. Except for his dimples. Those were purely his.
"So I have a question," said Lani. "Now that her dresses are literally streaming worldwide, does that mean Regina's famous?"
"No," said Hook shaking his head. "If her firm was one of the bigger names they would've had a show either at the beginning of fashion week or at the end. Since their show is on a Tuesday I would say they have a decent reputation but they're not that widely known."
Everyone turned to look at Hook with a quizzical expression but he just shrugged his shoulders at them. "If you want to date models you learn about what's important to them."
"Wow," breathed Mulan. "It's almost impressive how you've managed to make sleazing an art form."
"I'm gonna choose to take that as a compliment," replied Hook with a smirk.
"Oh I've got it!" exclaimed Tink suddenly. "The stream's set up."
Regina felt a bead of sweat go down her back and tried not to cringe. The flurry of models, designers and assistance made the tent they were under practically swell with heat. The blazer she'd worn to work now lay forgotten over a chair she hadn't had the chance to sit in all day. This was officially the most hectic day she'd ever had.
As she kneeled down to double check the hem of a model's dress she felt her back pocket buzz and stealthily pulled out her cell phone. A smile grew on her face as she saw a picture of a dressed up Roland pop up on screen. The text beneath it read: dressed up, ready and watching. She chuckled under her breath and nearly started to text back when she heard a voice from over her shoulder.
"That better not be a cell phone!" Jefferson whispered fiercely. "You know if Mal sees it she will kill us all!"
"It's not," said Regina shoving the phone back into her pocket. "It was just a pick me up from an old friend."
Jefferson only shook his head at her before turning back to adjusting a hat on a model's head.
"Alright everybody!" They heard Mal's voice shout above the crowd. "The show's about to start! Get them lined up!"
"It's starting!" yelled Tink from her spot on the couch.
Everyone's attention turned to the screen as models began to pour out on the runway in a steady stream. High paced pop music played in the background as strutted one after the other, each wearing a phenomenal dress.
"The dresses look beautiful," said Mulan in awe. "I can't believe she was able to design all of these."
"I know. I'm so proud of her," said Tink, before reaching for another strawberry.
"I think we all are," said Robin proudly. He sat with Roland on his lap and watched as the fruits of Regina's labor make their way across the runway.
The show was over before Regina even realized it. With all her time spent dressing and undressing models she barely even has time to watch. The most she saw were the backs of the models as they walked away from her and onto the runway. In the blink of eye Mal had pulled her and the rest of the team onto the stage to do a final wave to the crowd along with the models. As she stood awkwardly on the stage she quickly spotted Henry seated between Snow and Emma. Her son held a bouquet of roses bigger than his own head as he waved up at her with a grin. She waved back at him with a happy tearful smile.
Robin watched her walk off stage with a grin on his face. He waited only ten seconds before calling her once she got offstage and she answered immediately.
"Did you see it?" she asked breathlessly.
"We all did. Every second," he said with a smile. He quickly put her on speakerphone so everyone else could speak to her.
"Hey sweetie it's Tink! That was glorious! I loved it all!"
"That was totally amazing, so proud you!"
"Well done lass!"
Regina was grinning from ear to ear as she listened to the accolades coming from all her old friends. Each one made her heart swell with pride. "Thank you guys so much. I can't believe you all watched it for me."
"Of course we did. Wouldn't miss it for the world," Hook yelled over Robin's shoulder. "Now please tell me you're planning to go out to celebrate at least a little."
Regina shrugged her shoulders. "I guess a drink or two wouldn't hurt but I do have a son waiting home for me so we'll see what happens."
"Enjoy yourself. You deserve it," commented Mulan. "And tell Henry we love him."
"I will," she said happily. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Mal urging her back to group. "Guys I gotta go. I love you all though."
"We love you," said Robin quickly before she hung up.
For the rest of the night of the night Regina felt like she was walking on air. When she finally left backstage she was greeted with massive bouquet from Henry and hugs from both Emma and Snow. The two girls convinced her that an hour or two out on the town couldn't hurt and she happily obliged. As she crawled into bed sometime after midnight Regina could honestly say that she felt like she was on top of the world.
She should've known it wouldn't last.
The next morning started out relatively normal. She woke up, had her coffee and got dressed. The high from the previous night kept a smile planted on her face as did the fact that Mal had given them the day off. She was looking forward to a day of drowning herself in reviews of the show as soon as she walked Henry to school.
They were all dressed and ready to go when they heard a knock at the door. Regina opened it find Emma and a grim looking Snow by her side.
"Hi," she said cheerfully, despite her apprehension. "What are you both doing here so early?"
"Well," yawned Emma, still clearly exhausted from her night out with Snow, "Snow had something important she wanted to share with you that for some reason had to be shared in absolute privacy, so I'm here to walk Henry to school for old time's sake."
"Awesome!" exclaimed Henry. Even though she still visited more often than not, it was no secret that Henry missed having Emma around.
Regina looked between them nervously before letting out an anxious chuckle. "Okay, I guess."
She turned her attention back to Henry. "Have a good day sweetie."
"Bye mom!" he said, practically skipping out the door to Emma's side.
Regina watched them make their way down the block before heading back inside to talk to Snow. The younger was practically trembling as she nervously twisted up the newspaper in her hands. She swallowed hard as she stared at Regina with tears welling up in her eyes. Full of concern Regina placed a hand on her shoulder. "Snow what's wrong? You're scaring me."
Snow let out a shaky breath before speaking. "Regina… there's, uh, something you should know and you might want to sit down for it."
A heavy ball of dread began to form in Regina's chest as she slowly sat down on one of her bar stools at the kitchen counter. "Is this about your sobriety Snow? Did you break it last night after I left? Because I can help you get back on track."
"No," said Snow quickly shaking her head. "This isn't about me. This is about… your family."
Regina's heart sped up as fear settled into her bones. "Is it my mother? Did she find us?"
"Not it's not about your mother," said Snow tearfully. "It's about your father."
She shakily handed over the newspaper that she'd brought with her. Regina felt the world go still as she opened up to see a youthful picture of her father staring back up at her. Above his picture was the headline: HENRY MILLS, DECEASED at 54.
"I'm sorry Regina," whispered Snow. "Your father died last night."
NEXT CHAPTER: Robin adjusts to life without Regina.
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