A/N: Thank you guys so much for your awesome reviews and your patience! I know it's been a while but I really wanted to post the chapters of Robin's POV day after day. I would also like to give a shout out to my lovely friend Laura or doublel27 for betaing these chapters. If you get the chance you check out her OQ story Bridging the Distance. It's on .

Anyway this chapter starts out the day that Regina leaves California. Enjoy!

THREE AND A HALF YEARS EARLIER

Robin watched with a heavy heart as Regina and Henry climbed into the yellow cab that would take them to the airport. He forced a smile to his face and waved goodbye as the car pulled away from the curb carrying them away. A hole had already begun to form in his gut at the knowledge that he'd wake up tomorrow without them in his immediate life. On his walk home to the apartment he wondered just how things would go for them in New York. He'd told Regina he had all the faith in the world in her and he could only hope that faith would bring her success.

As he walked into his apartment he heard Roland begin to whine in his stroller seat and quickly gathered him into his arms. He rubbed his back comfortingly while murmuring in his ear, "Oh I know you're worried about her too sweetheart but don't worry. She'll be okay."

He sighed before softly adding, "And so will we."

THREE YEARS EARLIER/SIX MONTHS WITHOUT REGINA

Robin took a deep breath as he listened to yet another excuse from the meat dealer about why the delivery of wings would be late. He leaned back in his office chair as he shut his eyes in annoyance. It had been more than a little stressful running the bar without Regina's help but thankfully she'd left an organized and well-detailed system behind to help him in her absence.

Robin scowled in his seat as he went through the calendar on his desk searching for the proper day. "Mikey I'm looking at the calendar right now and we agreed to a Wednesday delivery. Not a Friday. It's right here in ink… well I don't care if you wrote it down wrong all that matters is that the delivery arrives on my schedule, not yours… well you better figure it out or I promise I will take my business elsewhere!"

He hung up the phone and slammed it on the desk in a fit of anger. A frustrated groan escaped him as he ran his fingers through his hair tiredly. He knew he should take a minute to calm down but at that moment a sharp noise attracted his attention. His eyes flickered over to the corner where he saw Roland slamming his bright red play phone onto the ground repeatedly. He held up a finger warningly. "Roland Tucker Locksely, don't you dare start imitating me."

Roland just looked up at him with a grin and giggled playfully. A chuckle escaped Robin at Roland's laughter. He walked over to his son's play area, careful not to step on any of the toys scattered across the floor, and pressed a kiss to the top of his curly-haired head. "Oh Roland, you're the only thing that ever goes right around here."

Bringing his son to work with him was one of Robin's greater joys in life. Having Roland's books and toys scattered about the office floor and his playpen in the corner made it feel less like work and more like home. He half-considered taking a little break to spend some playtime with his son when the office door opened and Mulan and Hook entered with the same nervous look on their face. When Robin saw them his shoulders deflated as he let out a deep sigh. "Oh god, why are you both in here? You only both come in here when you're too afraid to tell me something by yourself."

Hook subtly nudged Mulan in the ribs. "See I told you he noticed!" he whispered.

She sent him a sour look before turning her attention back to Robin. She strode over to where he sat with Roland and tried to keep her voice as calm and even as possible. "Okay first of all I'd like to start this conversation with the fact that we adore Roland."

"Absolutely," chimed in Hook. "He's our favorite person in the world."

"However," continued Mulan, seriously "it's been three months since you promised to find him a daycare and he's still showing up to work with you."

Robin sighed at their comments. They'd been over this more than a few times since Regina had left.

"Robin you have to admit that having your son at work with you is a bit unprofessional," said Hook, shrugging his shoulders. To be honest, this whole conversation made him feel a bit uncomfortable. He was a firm believer that as long as they weren't hurting their child everyone should be allowed to raise their kids in their own way. However, he'd heard more than a few complaints from both workers and vendors on how Roland's presence had been a bit of a distraction for their boss. He hated it but somebody had to bring up the issue and as Robin's closest friends it was no surprise that the job fell on his and Mulan's shoulders.

Robin shook his head at them. "I've been looking you guys. It's just been a bit difficult to find a decent daycare with openings this late in the year."

Mulan narrowed her eyes at him. "I think you're being picky on purpose."

"Well forgive me if I have standards for my son's childcare," said Robin, offense coloring his tone.

"Robin I got you a tour of one of the best daycares in this county and they still weren't good enough for you," she pointed out.

"Of course they weren't," said Robin, with a grimace. "It was as sterile as a hospital in there and they had one teacher watching seven one-year olds. Who can keep track of that many infants by themselves?"

"That's actually a fair point," mumbled Hook from his spot by the door. Mulan shot him a glare and he cleared his throat awkwardly. "However, it doesn't change the fact that you can't keep bringing Roland to work with you."

"Hook's right," said Mulan. "It's not good for his social development if you keep him cooped up in this office with you all day."

Robin stared at her with a tilted head and narrowed eyes. "His social development?"

His eyes widened and a scoff flew from his throat when the realization dawned on him. "Regina called you didn't she?"

Hook and Mulan exchanged an awkward glance before she turned back to Robin and crossed her arms guiltily. "We may… have exchanged an email or two."

Robin chuckled darkly as he stood to his feet. Even from New York Regina had been pushing him into putting Roland into daycare for weeks now. Still he didn't expect for her to reach out to Mulan and Hook to further her agenda. "Well you can tell her that Roland is just fine coming to work with me. I am quite capable of both managing the bar and watching my son."

Hook focused his eyes to the wall behind Robin's back. "Is that why he's coloring on your walls with a Sharpie?"

"What?" Robin whipped his head behind him to see Roland happily drawing on the walls with a permanent marker. His eyes widened as he rushed over and wrenched the marker from his son's grip. "Roland!"

Roland only giggled as his father scooped him up into his arms. Robin groaned at the sight of the two feet high black scribble now permanently drawn on his walls. He sighed as he walked Roland over to his playpen in the corner. "Come on son. You're making me look bad in front of my critics."

Mulan smugly shook her head at him and scoffed. "Yeah looks like you've got this completely handled."

Robin turned to her with a glare. "Look I will stop bringing him once I find a decent place for childcare. Until then I'd prefer to keep an eye on him from here."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Fine but you and I both know you're going to have to let him go someday. So I say you might as well treat it like a band-aid and just rip it off."

She turned and stalked out of the office. Hook watched her go with raised eyebrows before turning back to Robin and shrugging. "You know she has a point mate."

Robin crossed his arms defensively. "Look you might not understand this because you're not a parent but I can't just leave my son with anyone. And now that Regina is off in New York I'm just having a bit of trouble finding someone I trust."

Hook nodded his head understandingly. "So you're saying that if I was able to find a daycare run by someone you could trust you'd let them take care of Roland?"

Robin hesitated before answering him. "Yes."

"Well alright then," said Hook with a mischievous grin. He sauntered out of the office smugly and Robin watched him go with a bit of anxiety settling into his chest.

What the hell is he up to?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A few hours passed and Robin migrated down to bar area with Roland in tow. His son wiggled happily in his high chair as Robin spoon-fed him another round of mashed peas. An awful choice really seeing as how he now had three green stains on the legs of his jeans. He let out a sigh as he spotted yet another glob of green goo on the sleeve of his gray hoodie.

He scrubbed at the stain with a napkin before whispering to Roland, "You're not going to stop until I'm as green as Gumby, are you?"

His son paid him no mind, he was far more interested in the food he was sucking off his pea covered hands.

Robin was about to get started on cleaning him up when Hook practically skipped up to his side and clapped a hand on his shoulder with a grin. "Get your son ready, Locksely. We're going on a little field trip."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After a ten-minute argument against leaving the bar in the first place Robin agreed to load Roland into Hook's car and head toward a nearby suburb. After a short ride they pulled up to an old fashioned two-level manor surrounded by an iron wrought fence. As he climbed out of the car Robin could see five school-age children copying the yoga poses of a tall, brunette woman on the front lawn. He gripped Roland's car seat tighter as he followed his friend up to the house. Once they reached the fence Hook let out a sharp two-note whistle as he leaned over the railing gate. At the sound of his whistle the brunette turned her head toward them and rolled her eyes. After a few quick words to the children she stalked over to Hook with a glare. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Hook smiled at her sheepishly. "I take it from your tone that you're still be upset about how things ended between us."

She crossed her arms and scoffed at him. "I'd slap you but there are children present."

Robin cleared his throat awkwardly as he watched the woman glare at Hook but his friend only chuckled lightly at the brunette's anger. "Well I can't say that I wouldn't deserve it but I am not here for myself. I'm here for my friend Robin and his adorably dimpled son."

He clapped a hand on Robin's back and gestured toward the brunette. "Robin this is Ruby. She and her grandmother run a daycare here."

An uncomfortable chuckle slipped from Robin's throat as he politely offered his hand to Ruby. She begrudgingly stretched out her own and shook it firmly. "So what's the deal? You're interested in us watching your son?"

Robin shrugged his shoulders. "Well I'm not exactly sure if-"

"Yes he absolutely is!" said Hook jumping in. He gripped the back of Robin's neck warningly. "He's quite fond of the warm, home-like feel your daycare has. We just thought a small tour along with a meet and greet would be helpful."

Ruby rolled her eyes at him with a soft laugh. "Of course you do but you know how Granny feels about surprise drop-ins. It's better if he makes an appointment."

Hook sighed before tilting his head at Ruby. "Look I know it's a bit unorthodox but don't consider this a favor for me. It's more like helping out our mutual friend."

He leaned closer to Ruby and whispered, "This is her godson."

Ruby raised an eyebrow at him as she let out an annoyed breath. She took a quick look down at Roland's car seat and smiled when she saw his dimpled face staring back up at her. "Well I suppose we could make an exception for such a cute little boy. Just let me get the kids situated with another teacher before I bring you inside."

She opened the gate and instructed them to wait on the porch while she talked to the kids on the lawn. Robin watched her go with his lips set into a thin line. As soon as her back was turned he angrily punched Hook in the arm. "You're unbelievable! Did you really bring me to your one of one-night-stands for childcare?"

Hook hissed as he tenderly rubbed his arm. "Okay, first of all, Ruby and I were not a one-night stand. We were in a steady relationship for a good two months. And secondly, just because I've slept with her doesn't mean she isn't good at what she does."

Robin scoffed and Hook glared at him. "Hey that woman has a degree in early childhood development so you will not scoff at her skills. She runs the place with her grandmother's help and I advise you to wipe that angry look off your face before you meet her because she will notice."

Robin's quick-witted comeback was cut off by the sound of Ruby's approaching footsteps. She walked up to them her, her long brown hair bouncing against her shoulders as she hopped up the porch steps to the front door where they waited. With no flourish at all she opened the door and gestured for them to follow.

As soon as he walked through the manor doors Robin felt like he was transported into a Thanksgiving movie on the Hallmark channel. The hardwood floors beneath his shoes creaked as all three of them made their way into the foyer. Sunlight streamed through a bay window at the landing level of the staircase, illuminating the dozens of framed pictures that were hung above the railing leading downstairs. More apparent than all of this was the smell of fresh cookies that hit Robin's nose the second he crossed over the threshold. Ruby lifted her nose into the air and smiled. "Looks like you boys are just in time for Snickerdoodles."

She led them past a row of children's cubbies to the kitchen in the back of the house where they found a plump old woman lifting a tray of cookies from the oven. She looked over toward the kitchen door when she heard them enter and sighed as she slipped off her red oven mitts. "Now don't tell me you actually smelled my cookies from the front yard."

Ruby tilted her head with a smirk. "I've always had an unnaturally good sense of smell Granny. You know that."

Granny smirked back at her before offering her a cookie from a plate on the counter. "At least take one that's already cooled off. You're more fond of chocolate chip anyway."

"Thank you," sang Ruby as she lifted a large cookie from the plate. She gestured back to Hook and Robin before taking a huge bite. "You remember Killian, right? We used to date."

"Oh how could I forget," drawled Granny, peering at him from behind her wire-rimmed spectacles as she crossed her arms against her chest. "All the moaning and complaining you did after the break up I wouldn't be surprised if I remembered his name well into my nineties."

"Well it's nice not to be forgotten," said Killian with a forced smile. "It's a pleasure to see you again Eugenia but as I told your lovely granddaughter outside I am not here on my own behalf. I am here for my friend Robin."

Robin sent her awkward wave at the mention of his name. "It's lovely to meet you mam."

"Glad to hear it," she said warmly. She dropped her eyes down to the car seat hanging from his right hand and smiled. "And who is this handsome little fellow?"

"Oh this is my son Roland," said Robin holding up the car seat so she could get a better look. Roland had since wakened from their car ride and began to fuss at the sudden movement.

Granny cooed at him as she gently reached out to stroke his cheek. She looked up over at Robin and raised an eyebrow. "Well you might as well unload him from that thing. It's not like you'll be leaving anytime soon."

Her bluntness made Robin want to argue but one look into the grey-blue eyes behind her glasses told him that any efforts he'd make would be futile. He quickly unloaded Roland from his car seat and settled him on his hip. As Roland continued to whimper at his side he turned to Granny with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry. He just isn't fond of being in new places."

"Uh-huh," said Granny knitting her eyebrows at him. She watched him for a moment more before turning back to Ruby with her hands on her hips. "Ruby why don't you take Killian out back and show him the new swing set we installed for the kids."

"My pleasure," said Ruby sarcastically, before snatching another cookie. She gestured for Hook to follow her as she headed toward the back door.

Hook followed her without hesitation and Robin watched them go with a confused look on his face. "Should I also go-"

"No," said Granny, cutting him off bluntly. "You can take a seat right there."

She gestured toward the kitchen table and looked at Robin with expectant eyes. He stared back at her with uncertainty coloring his face and she let out a boisterous chuckle. "You don't have to be so afraid darling. We might be in a kitchen but I'm not gonna eat you."

Robin forced a laugh from his throat as he lowered himself into one of the table's chairs. He settled Roland on his lap as he watched Granny head back over to the stove to transfer her freshly baked cookies onto cooling tray. She tsked to herself as she puttered around the kitchen in her slip on shoes. Her silver hair was piled on top of her head in an elaborate fashion and Robin had no doubt that in her younger days it was probably a glorious shade of blonde. In the few moments since he'd met her he had already begun to wonder how someone so short could manage to occupy so much space with just their personality.

She headed back over to the table with a plate of cookies in hand and set them in front of him.

"Go ahead and take a snickerdoodle," she ordered in a gruff voice. "I know you want one."

If he was perfectly honest Robin had been drooling for the cookies from the moment he stepped foot in this house, yet somehow it had seemed impolite to ask for one. Maybe it was because he so sure that he wouldn't be needing her services but it just seemed like bad manners to take the cookie, even if it had been offered to him.

He shrugged his shoulders at her. "I'm fine actually. Thank you."

"Really?" said Granny, raising an eyebrow at him. She took a seat in the chair next to his and eyed him critically. "You know I've only had people refuse my cookies for two reasons. One, they are physically sick and two, they're about to give me bad news. Forgive me if I'm wrong but you don't look particularly sick to me."

Robin bit his lip nervously as he shook his head at her. "I'm sorry about all this. My friend thought a tour of this place might help me be more comfortable with the idea of putting Roland in daycare but honestly I just don't think that daycare is what's right for us. I apologize if I've wasted your time in anyway."

She waved him off with a laugh. "You don't have to feel so guilty about it Robin. I completely understand."

"You do?"

"Of course," she said shrugging her shoulders. "Anita, my daughter, would only leave Ruby in my care. I did the same with her and my mother. I understand if the idea of leaving your son with strangers isn't something you're comfortable with."

Robin felt relief flood through him at her words. "Thank you. It's just been a little hard explaining that to my friends. Neither of them are parents yet."

Granny hummed in understanding as she nodded. "I tell you what. Why don't I show you around the house anyway? Even if Roland won't be staying with us I can show you some excellent tips on how to start baby proofing your home now that he's walking. Plus, it would allow you to eat one my cookies without guilt."

Robin was tempted to refuse her offer and just wait in the car for Hook to join them then yell at him for the entire ride home but then his mind flashed back to the giant black scribble that now marked his office wall. A few tips couldn't hurt, he thought to himself.

"Well I suppose I would like a cookie," he reasoned softly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Eugenia "Granny" Lucas was quite the interesting woman. An accomplished world traveler she met her husband on an expedition to Macchu Picchu when she was only 18. After three years and five separate proposals she finally agreed to marry him in 1960's Paris. They had a good life filled with travel until she gave birth to their daughter, Anita. After that she and her husband thought it best to settle down and provide a life for her. Still the traveling never stopped completely. They took their daughter on trips to New York, Italy, wherever the mood struck them and soon the traveling bug took hold of Anita too. The only difference being that motherhood wouldn't be enough for her to give it up. She'd come to visit one night with baby Ruby in tow and the next morning they'd woken up to find her gone, leaving their granddaughter behind with nothing more than a note. Robin found out all of this and more during his tour of the house with Granny.

Built in the 1950's Granny had inherited the house from her parents and lived there with her family ever since. Pictures of her husband, Ruby and even Anita were prominent in every room on the lower level. And yet when they headed upstairs to see the nursery Robin didn't see any of their photos in the frames lining the staircase walls. When he asked Granny about it she'd only smiled and said that the wall was reserved for the children in the daycare, the ones she might not have had the privilege to raise but to still see grow up. They held a special place in her heart and therefore on her wall. The thought made Robin smile. He made his way up the stairs behind Granny eyeing each of the photos curiously until he was stopped in his tracks midway up the stairs by a single circled framed photo. His jaw dropped as he pointed out the photo to Granny. "Henry Gardiner was one of your daycare kids?"

It was an old picture. One where Henry couldn't have been more than three years old. He was grinning at the camera with his hands behind his back proudly displaying the Thor t-shirt that covered his chest as he stood in front of the porch steps. Robin had the same photo hanging on his wall at home. Roland cooed in his arms as he reached for photo, recognizing Henry's familiar face.

Granny turned and smiled at the photo he pointed out. "Oh yes. He was quite a joy whenever he was in my care. You know him?"

Robin stuttered as he tried to get over his shock. This is where Regina took Henry for daycare. "I, uh, his mother is Roland's godmother."

Granny's eyebrows climbed to her hairline in surprise. "Regina? Well what a small world. I've missed her since she took that big job in New York. Any idea how our girl's doing?"

Robin let out a shaky breath at her question. "She's stumbled a bit but I think she's been doing quite well up there. Calls every week."

"Well that's good to hear," said Granny happily. She leaned in and mischievously whispered, "You know I like to say that I don't have favorites but I will admit that those two… highly favored around here."

"Not just here," mumbled Robin absentmindedly as he continued to stare at the photo. It was still hard to wrap his head around the fact that this was where Henry had gone for daycare. That these were the people Regina had trusted with her son. How could he have not known that?

The questions swirled in his head as he followed Granny up the stairs with Roland on his hip. She led them to a room at the end of the hall with the word NURSERY spelled out in yellow block letters nailed above the doorframe. She opened the door with a tiny bit of flourish. "And here's where we keep the kids who are Roland's age."

It was a small room with light green walls and two cribs across from each other. There was a mobile above each one with tiny elephants on each arm and a plush stuffed toy in the corner. A crate practically overflowing with toys was just under the window and a small bookcase full of children's stories sat next to it. It was a room full of warmth and Robin could actually see Roland being comfortable in it. Speaking of Roland, the time spent his father's arms had begun to make him restless as he began to squirm and cry out.

"You know you can let him wander around the room if he needs a little exercise," Granny suggested. "I don't mind."

Robin sighed as he gently lowered his son to the floor. Without hesitation Roland waddled over to the toy chest as soon as he escaped and giggled as he begun to play with a squeaky rubber duck. Granny watched him with a satisfied smile. "You have quite the adorable son Robin."

"So I keep hearing," said Robin with a grin. He eyed Granny curiously as she moved to introduce Roland to a few new toys. He had to admit she seemed more than comfortable with his son and Roland didn't seem to be stressed by her presence. The knowledge that this was also a woman who Regina trusted weighed heavily on his mind. Regina didn't trust easily that much Robin knew for sure. So what about this particular woman had garnered her confidence.

He cleared his throat to get her attention. "Um Eugenia…"

"Just call me Granny," she said raising a hand. "It's the only thing you can answer to once you get to my age."

"Okay… Granny," he said, the word feeling a bit unfamiliar as he forced it from his throat. "Since you've taken care of so many children I suppose I just wanted to know… what exactly is your childcare philosophy?"

She turned to him with a quizzical expression on her face. "My philosophy?"

"Well…yes. I mean you've been doing this a lot longer than I have. There must be some steadfast rules you could pass down to a new parent like myself," explained Robin.

She rested her hand on her hip as she shook her head at him. "Robin I can't give you a guide book on how to raise your son. He's your child and only you will be able to truly know what's best for him."

He nodded his head in concession and she gave him a long hard look before sighing. "But I suppose if I had to narrow it down to a few things it would be this: I believe that children need to be kept close so that they can feel secure. They should be encouraged when they do well and they should be punished when they misbehave. I believe they should always be watched with a careful eye and guided so that they always know the difference between right and wrong. But most importantly I believe that children should be told they are loved every single day. There's nothing sadder to me than a child who doesn't know just how special and treasured they are. It's our job as the adults in their life to make sure that they do. Those were my guiding principles when I raised Ruby and now that she's grown I use them to guide every child that comes under my care. In a way, from the moment they step foot in my house every one of them becomes my grandchild. At least that's how I like to think of them."

Robin nodded his head dumbly, just a little overcome at the sincerity in her voice. It suddenly became very apparent of how Regina was able to trust this woman. He looked over at Roland and sighed when he saw his son giggling over a plush toy train. He did seem rather comfortable here.

Granny patted him on the shoulder comfortingly. "Look Roland is your first child and I completely understand if you're not ready to separate yourself from him yet. But if he was to enter my care I can promise you that he'd receive the same care I provide to every child that comes through my door. Showered with affection and watched like a hawk. So if you're willing I could take him tomorrow. Just for a half-day in the morning to see how you feel. Free of charge?"

Robin swallowed nervously before choking out. "I suppose a half day wouldn't be so bad."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next day Robin woke up with reluctance poured into his heart. He was reluctant to get out of bed. He was reluctant to force himself to take a shower. He was even more reluctant to get Roland dressed and loaded into his car seat. He was reluctant the whole morning and all because he knew as soon as they left the apartment he would get into his car and take Roland to daycare. The entire drive there Robin tried to focus on anything other than the fact that in a few minutes he would be separated from his son for no less than half the day. As he pulled up to the manor his eyes flashed to the rearview mirror where he could see Roland tucked away in his car seat still a little sleepy from his early morning wake up call. He eyed the manor with a sigh trying to remember all the good things he'd liked about it from the day before. If Regina could trust Granny, then so could he. He turned back to back to Roland and tried to send him a reassuring smile. "Okay son, I'm going to be leaving you with Granny and Ruby for the morning but I promise it's only until lunch. As soon as that's over I'll be right back."

As he reached for the handle of his car door his breath caught in his throat as he realized what he'd just said.

The Year Before

"Are you sure you don't want to come in with us?" asked Robin. "I'm sure the gang would love to see you."

Marian shrugged her shoulders at him from the driver's seat. She had parked them right in front of the Drunken Monk fully prepared to drop off her husband and son when Robin tried to coax her inside the bar. Her dark curly hair was pulled up into a shoddy ponytail which swung slightly as she shook her head at him. "Robin please," she laughed. "I don't want to go in there right now. Look at me. I'm a mess."

"You're crazy. I think you look gorgeous," insisted Robin with a smile.

She only rolled her eyes at him in response. Despite his sincerity she could never believe him in her current state. Not when she knew there was a spit up stain on the shoulder of her purple t-shirt, one that she'd chosen to hide under sleeves of her old jean jacket. The rims of her eyes were accentuated by the dark circles only found on a woman who'd spent most of her night soothing her newborn back to sleep and some days she couldn't even be bothered to care. These things, however, weren't what Robin saw when he looked at her. Instead he saw the way her brown eyes lit up whenever she held their son. And he saw the bright smile that graced her face whenever Roland did something even remotely interesting. He saw the love that she was pouring into their child and he knew that she would never look more beautiful to him.

Marian leaned into the back seat to tickle Roland's stomach and he smiled, toothlessly, back up at her. She smiled down at him and sighed. "I love our son Robin, but you have to admit he has infringed on my beauty regiment."

Not that I would ever care, she added silently. She knew that looking this run down wasn't even a fraction of the price she'd pay to have Roland in her life. For that she'd give up anything.

She turned back to Robin. "Okay how about this? I will go to the store and pick up some makeup along with the milk. A little blush and mascara and I'll be confident enough to face the world. I promise."

"Well if you're sure," said Robin shrugging his shoulders. "I mean we could just go with you to the store and come back together."

"No that's alright," insisted Marian, waving him off a bright smile. "You need some time to look over the books and the grocery store's just a few blocks away. I'll pick up the milk and the makeup and I'll be right back."

Robin sighed before nodding his head with a forced smile. "Okay."

I'll be right back.

Not thirty minutes after she'd said those words to him he received the call that she'd died alone on the tile floors of the grocery mart.

Robin pulled his hand away from the door handle and brought it back up to the steering wheel. He gripped it tight as his head fell against the headrest and he let out a shuddering breath. "Goddamn it."

NEW YORK

Regina flipped through the business section of the New York Times as she waited for her lunch order to arrive at her table. It truly baffled her how a day could feel so long when it wasn't even noon yet. What with Mal breathing down her neck and Snow glaring at her from across the room the forty-five minutes it took her to eat lunch would be the only time she got peace all day. The only thing that kept her going was knowing that in hopefully less than ten minutes she would be tasting the delicious Albondigas soup from the bistro down the street from her job.

Her attention was pulled from her newspaper when she heard her phone begin to buzz in her purse. After fishing it out she saw Robin's name lit up on her screen and she quickly answered.

"Hey!" she greeted brightly. "Have you dropped off Roland yet?"

Robin hesitated before answering her. "Well not exactly."

Regina straightened up in her seat, the tone of Robin's voice sending a spark to her nerves. "Why not? What happened?"

Robin sighed as he looked over at the manor again. "Well I'm here in front of the manor. Less than fifty yards away from the front door… but I can't get out of my car."

Regina knitted her eyebrows in confusion. "I don't understand. Are you stuck?"

"Not physically," mumbled Robin. "I just... I can't open the door."

"Robin…" sighed Regina sympathetically. "We talked about this last night. Granny and Ruby are good people. I trusted them with Henry and I know you can trust them with Roland."

Frustration ran through Robin as he recalled their conversation the night before. Regina had spent the better part of two hours convincing Robin that Granny was more than well equipped to take care of Roland in his absence. She'd told him dozens of times just how much Henry had enjoyed his time there and how much she'd loved the staff. It had all seemed so reasonable and believable from the safety of his apartment but now that he was here, in front of the now intimidating manor where he was expected to leave his only child, those words just seemed like they weren't even real.

Robin ran his hand over his face tiredly. "I know what we talked about but I just can't help thinking… what if he needs me? What if something happens and I'm not there to help him? How am I supposed to live with myself if I'm not?"

Regina set down her paper and swallowed hard before answering him. "I know that letting go is hard. It's hard because one day you're not going to be there. One day he's going to be hurt or sad and you won't be around to do anything about it. That's a certainty that haunts every parent. It haunts me. Every time Henry's out of my sight I wonder what could happen to him. It's always in the back of my mind. The only way I can live with it is knowing that I've prepared him to experience things without me. Even if right now it's just little things like going to school.

"Robin… you can't be by Roland's side every minute of every day. It's just not possible or healthy. You've have to start believing that he'll be able to survive without you even if it's for just a few hours with someone else that you trust. Granny and Ruby will take good care him. And if you can't believe that then believe me. If you leave Roland with them today everything will be fine. I know it will."

Robin gritted his teeth as he listened to Regina reason with him. He knew she was right. But that still didn't make it any easier for him. He looked into the back seat and Roland smiled up at him flashing his three baby teeth. Robin stroked his cheek affectionately with a sigh. "What if he misses me?"

"Oh he'll miss you," chuckled Regina. "But I promise it won't be half as much as you miss him. You can't let him cling to your side Robin. If you do he'll just grow up afraid."

Robin looked at his son with apprehension in his eyes. I don't want you to be afraid, he thought silently.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Getting out of his car and walking Roland up to Granny's door would go down as one of the hardest things Robin had ever had to do. His throat was practically closing up by the time he rang the doorbell.

Granny greeted them with a smile on her face. "Hi there! It's good to see you fellas again. Did you make it over alright?"

"We had a bit of car trouble but we got along just fine," answered Robin. Every word felt like gravel tumbling out of his mouth.

Granny nodded at him understandingly. "Well I'm glad you could make it. Why don't you follow me up to the nursery so we can get Roland situated?"

Robin followed her up the staircase trying to remind himself to breathe. It was just for a few hours. Everything would be fine. He glanced at the picture of Henry as he passed it on the railing. Henry had gone here and he'd turned out just fine. So would Roland.

As he entered the nursery with Roland on his hip Robin was a bit startled to see another baby playing in the crib on the right side of the room. When she caught sight of them the baby girl lifted her arms and let out a soft, "Up. Up."

"Okay darling," said Granny walking over to fulfill her request. She lifted up the little girl and set her on her hip before turning back to Robin. "Guys I'd like you to meet Alex. She's one of our regulars. Say hello Alex."

The little girl waved shyly at them both and Robin summoned up a smile for her. She was a pretty little girl with shiny blond hair and chocolate brown eyes. The tiny yellow bow in her hair matched her yellow Winnie the Pooh onesie perfectly and she gnawed on the plush piglet in her hand absentmindedly.

"Do you often take more than one baby at a time?" asked Robin curiously.

"Sometimes," said Granny, removing Alex's hand from one of the buttons on her cardigan. "But I never take more than two. Babies require a lot of attention and I wouldn't want split my focus too much."

She lowered Alex to the ground where she immediately wandered over to the toy bin. "I thought it might be nice for Roland to have a playmate on his first day."

"How thoughtful," said Robin, forcing a smile to his face.

He hesitated before kneeling down to plant Roland's feet on the floor. He pressed a lingering kiss to top of his head and whispered, "Okay Roland, I am going to leave you here with Granny and Alex for the next couple of hours and then come back to get you. I'm going to miss you while I'm gone but I will be back before you know it."

Robin didn't know if the words he said were meant to comfort Roland or himself but in either case he was sure that they weren't effective. There was a lump still caught in his throat as he pressed another quick kiss to Roland's cheek before reluctantly releasing him from his grip. His son quickly tottered over to Alex's side where he joined her digging through the toy bin.

Robin sighed as he stood to his feet and Granny reassuringly patted him on the shoulder. "I'll watch him like a hawk, I promise."

Robin could only force a smile to his face in response. He didn't know how he was going to get through the day without Roland by his side.

NEW YORK

Regina impatiently paced the floors of the office closet, her heels making even clacks against the white tile floors. She'd been more than a little on edge since her talk with Robin during lunch. Even though she reassured him that Roland would be fine at Henry's old daycare she found herself a little anxious at the prospect of Robin being separated from his son for so long. To be honest, she didn't even think he'd be able to make it for the whole half day. She took another look at the clock on her phone. 4:10. She sighed. Robin should've picked up Roland by now and that meant he could be calling any second. She'd snuck off to the closet in order to get some privacy from her team. This wasn't exactly a call she wanted to answer in front of them.

Her heart began to race as the phone vibrated in her hand and she pressed the answer button. "Hey. So… how'd it go?"

"That was the longest day of my life," complained Robin sullenly. He opened the door to his apartment with Roland's car seat in his hand. "I don't think I even got any work done. I could hardly focus on a thing."

"Well that's unsurprising," sighed Regina, as she drummed her fingers against her thigh nervously. "Did you manage to make it the full six hours?"

"Only five and a half," admitted Robin. "I sped through traffic to make it there early."

He placed Roland in his play pen and settled down on the couch. All throughout the day he couldn't make it ten minutes without worrying about Roland. He'd almost called the daycare no less than 12 times. Having his son back in his sights had been the only thing with the ability to make him relax.

Regina chuckled at his eagerness. "And how did Roland take the day without you?"

"He took it just fine apparently," mumbled Robin. "According to Granny, he ate well, played nicely with his playmate and didn't even cry the whole time."

Regina pursed her lips as Robin rattled off Granny's assessment. "You know it might just be a bad connection but I'm detecting a little bitterness in your tone."

Robin sighed before replying. "Well it's just… I fretted over him the whole day and when I went there to pick him up it was as if he'd hardly even noticed that I was gone. I don't know whether to be relieved or worried."

"For now… be relieved," answered Regina. "Your son's first time in daycare was easy for him. Try to remember that's a good thing."

"I suppose," sighed Robin. "He did look like he was having a good time there."

"Good," said Regina with a smile. Relief flowed through her with the knowledge that everything had gone well. "So what do you think? Are you willing to let Granny watch him full time?"

"We talked it over while I was there and I agreed for her to watch Roland three days a week," said Robin. "I don't think I can handle any more than that right now. Baby steps, you know?"

"I get it," said Regina, nodding her head. "I'm just glad that you found a place you could trust."

"Well that's all due to you isn't it?" replied, Robin with a smirk.

"I don't know what you mean," said Regina softly.

Robin chuckled at her attempt to feign ignorance. "Regina please. Do you really expect me to believe that Hook came up with the idea to take me to your old daycare on his own? I know you sent him there."

"I… may have mentioned Granny in one of our emails and suggested he bring you by," she admitted reluctantly. "I just… I wanted you to have a safe place to send Roland."

"I know you'll always have his best interests at heart. It's why we chose you as his godmother in the first place," said Robin with a smile. "It's nice to know that hasn't changed. Even with the distance between us."

"Robin I could be on the moon it wouldn't stop me from meddling in your life," joked Regina. "I'll always be keeping an eye on you and Roland. I love you both dearly."

"I know," he said. "It's always nice to hear though."

They weren't able to chat for long after that. Regina needed to head back to work and Robin was more eager than ever to spend a little time with Roland. Letting go of his son had been hard today and if he was perfectly honest he wasn't particularly gung ho about doing it again in a few days. Still he knew that he would. Regina had been right when she said he couldn't cling to Roland for the rest of his life. Going to the daycare and seeing his son having fun with his first real playmate had reminded him of that. There was a world outside of him that Roland needed to experience and Robin knew that he wanted him to see all of it.

NEXT CHAPTER: Robin gets grapples over what to do with Marian's insurance money.

A/N: The next chapter will be posted within 24 hours. Please Read and Review!