A/N: Hi guys! Welcome Back! I just want to say I'm sorry for the long wait on this chapter. After what happened on the show my muse was shattered. I still can't believe they decided to go with that decision. I will be forever disappointed with canon OQ but I have not given up on the fandom, I promise you that. I am still committed to finishing this story and have actually been plotting out a few other possible story ideas. I am still in love with this couple and I still believe that their story can be told correctly. If not by the writers, then by the fans.

I really hope you guys enjoy this next chapter. And I hope it takes away a little bit of the pain caused by the show! I love you all! Enjoy!

After nearly three years of living there it surprised Robin that he still found new things about his house to fall in love with. The cabinet next to the pantry which Roland had turned into his hidey-hole. The view of the backyard from his bathroom window. Even the creak of stairs had somehow wormed its way into his heart. The house was a dream and after nearly three years of living there, Robin could honestly say that the only thing he didn't love about it was the garage.

It wasn't the house's fault that he hated the garage so much. If anyone was to blame it could only be him. While he prided himself on the fact that the rest of the house was well-maintained and clean, the same couldn't be said about his garage. The place was a complete mess, filled to the brim with old discarded toys, unfinished projects and unpacked boxes, most of them not even his. More than a few of his friends had co-opted the space as their own free storage unit and Robin hadn't even argued. The space was so crowded that Robin couldn't even park his car there anymore. It was always hell to get in and out with what you needed. Which was why he'd spent the last hour trapped inside it, searching the place for his old toolbox. He sighed to himself as he sifted through another box, disappointed to see that his toolbox was nowhere in sight.

"You know you really should clean this place out," commented Hook from the south corner of the garage.

Robin glared at him. "Yeah, I'll start with throwing out your crap."

"It is not crap; it is my childhood in box form," Hook responded with a grin. He opened up another box. "When's the last time you even stepped foot in this room?"

Robin shrugged his shoulders. "Um… Christmas I suppose. Regina and Henry were here so I needed the spare box of decorations."

Just after Thanksgiving, less than three weeks after her father's funeral, Regina and Henry returned to California. Just like the month before Robin and Roland were waiting for them at the airport. Even though they'd talked everyday while they were apart he'd still felt relief swell up in his chest when he was finally able to put his arms around her again. After everything that had happened it had been hard to let her out of his sight.

Hook hummed to himself thoughtfully. "I suppose I should add braving the land of lost boxes to the list of things you're willing to do for her."

Robin rolled his eyes at him. "Are you really going to start this conversation again?"

Hook shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just saying you two seem pretty close lately."

"Well she's been through a lot lately," Robin pointed out. "I like to think that's a good enough of a reason to keep her close."

"I know, I know," sighed Hook. "We're all still reeling from the double life reveal but you have to admit that it means something that you're the only one who's been in the mix with any of it."

Robin remained silent against Hook's accusation. About a month after her return to California he and Regina, mostly him, had agreed that it was time to tell the rest of the group who she really was. It hadn't been an easy conversation.

They'd had everyone meet up at the Drunken Monk during opening hours. It just seemed right to have the truth come out in the place where'd she met them all, the place that she considered her first real home. Even though he was by her side the entire time Robin could tell that revealing the truth to them had been difficult for her. They were her family and she had been terrified that they'd reject her. She was practically shaking before she even started speaking. Of course everyone had been appropriately shocked. They took the truth hard but better than she'd expected them to. Mostly they'd just shouted questions at her while she did her best to answer. Robin had done his best to rein everyone in but more than a few egos were bruised. Still they'd supported her in the end even if some of them took it harder than others, especially when they'd realized that Robin had been the first of them to know. Since then the rest of the group, Hook mostly, had been taking a closer look at their relationship and coming to their own conclusions.

"I mean she's even living with you now," Hook added.

Robin shook his head at him. "That's because she needed a place to stay when she moved back."

"Which happened three months ago," Hook pointed out. "Most people would be expected find their own place by now."

"Well Regina is not most people to me," responded Robin, a little bite in his tone. "Besides I love having her and Henry here."

It was true. Having Regina and Henry in his home turned out to be a treat for both him and Roland. Even though things had been quiet for the most part he still knew that Regina's mother was threat and it made it easier for him to sleep at night knowing they she and Henry were safe down the hall from him. Regina had taken over the guest room while the boys were sharing a room for the time being, which of course led to some late nights. Well, late for a five and eight-year-old. The two boys were absolutely smitten with each other. Hardly any arguments between them. The same was true for him and Regina. Though her days were spent searching for her own place and setting up her branch of the company, her nights were spent with the boys, sharing meals together and watching Disney films. They'd easily formed a routine with their sons, switching off the days they would cook and pick them up from schools. Sometimes it surprised him how naturally they'd all found a rhythm with each other. After everything that had taken place during their last visit they were closer than ever. As far as Robin knew there were finally no secrets between them and for that he was grateful.

"I just think it's really telling how much you two have intertwined your lives in these past few months," commented Hook.

Robin sighed as he set down another box. "Look… I know that I've been more than a little involved with her lately but it's because I promised her that I would be. When she chose to stay here I promised her that she wouldn't have to go through anything alone. I'm just trying to follow through on that. It's the least I can do for her. I mean she is one of my oldest friends."

Hook scoffed at him. "I've known her just as long as you have and I'm not searching through my garage at eight in the morning so I can help her set up her office on my only day off."

Robin sent him a stern look and Hook rolled his eyes. "Well I am but only because you forced me."

He drummed his fingers against a box. "So you're really saying there's nothing more between you two?"

"No," chuckled Robin, as he searched through another box. "We're old friends, we've seen each other through a lot but I promise you there's nothing romantic between us."

Hook nodded his head understandingly and shrugged his shoulders. "Do you want there to be?"

Robin whipped his eyes back up to him. "Excuse me?"

"Come on Robin be honest," said Hook, his tone growing serious. "Are you saying that there has never been a moment, in these past few years, in all your years of friendship, that you've thought to yourself that maybe, just maybe, you'd like something more with her?"

Robin felt his jaw clench against his will. He didn't know why but the question caused his fight or flight response to kick into gear. Suddenly his mind wandered back through the past few years of his relationship with Regina. How she'd pulled him out of his grief over Marian, how often they'd talked to each other when she was away, how she'd allowed herself to lean on him in these past few months. He remembered a moment they'd shared just this last Christmas. A forehead kiss and a perhaps-a-little-longer-than-necessary hug. It was true that there was nothing romantic between them… but could there be? No, he quickly decided. What he and Regina had was special, that was true, but it wouldn't turn romantic. It couldn't. There were too many reasons it couldn't. He and Regina were just friends. He didn't have any feelings for her. He couldn't have any feelings for her.

"No," he said firmly. "I've never wanted something more from her."

Hook stared at him for a moment, as if searching for a lie in his eyes before nodding his head with a smirk. "Okay Robin… if that's what you believe."

The smug look on his face lit a fire in Robin's gut but he just buried it as he returned to his search. It didn't matter what Hook thought. He knew where he and Regina stood and he was fine with it. At least that's what he told himself.

XXXXX

An hour later Robin and Hook arrived downtown with the toolbox in hand. It didn't take them long to find their destination. Regina's new design studio wasn't a large space. Nestled between a jewelry store and a candle shop, the property had one large showroom, two medium offices and a small closet. It was nothing like Volante's office space in New York and Regina intended to keep it that way. While the New York branch would be churning out designs for starlets and icons alike, her branch would be catering to the wealthy Californian average joe. Because of that she wanted her space to have a warmer, more intimate feel. It had taken her weeks but she'd finally found an affordable property with the energy she'd been searching for.

Looking through the windows the place appeared completely empty but as soon as Robin tapped on the glass door they saw Regina poke her head out from the back room. She cantered over to the door, dressed in a pair of old denim shorts and plain grey tee with urgency clear in her brown eyes.

"Did you bring the tools and nails?" she asked, not even offering a greeting before addressing what she needed.

Robin held up the toolbox with a smile. "Took me a few hours but I got them here."

She clasped her hands together and let out a relieved sigh. "You are my hero."

As he stepped into the store, Robin tried to ignore just how much her words made his heart swell. Those words would've felt good coming from anyone he tried to tell himself.

"Thank you guys for coming in to help," she said, patting Hook on the shoulder.

Hook sent her a charming grin. "Well you know we're always eager to lend a hand when asked."

"Is that the guys?"

They all turned to see Emma walk out of the office, dressed in a pair of black denim overalls with her blonde hair piled atop her head in a knot. She smiled and sent them a small wave as Snow came trailing out behind her. Dressed in a pair of gray leggings and a plain maroon tee, she didn't appear to be in half as good a mood but her attitude appeared no different than Robin usually met her.

Regina quickly introduced them. "Guys this is Emma, my friend from New York. Emma this is Killian and Robin. And you both remember Snow."

Emma nodded at both of them with a close-lipped smile. "Hey guys. Nice to meet you."

"It's good to meet you too," Hook slowly drawled. He narrowed his eyes at her before tilting his head at her curiously. "Hey aren't you…"

Emma's smile dropped and shook her head. "Please don't say it."

"The Swan Princess?" he finished.

Emma let out a defeated groan while beside her Snow released a triumph bark of laughter.

"I am so happy I thought of that moniker for you." She let out a pleased sigh. "It is truly the gift that keeps on giving."

Ever since she'd started managing Emma's modeling career, the blonde's face had been a less than rare sight. With her natural tenacity and wealth of connections Snow had booked Emma jobs in ads and commercials. Her face had been featured nationwide in fashion magazines. Initially Emma hadn't minded. The work was hard but well-paying and for the most part enjoyable. Modeling had opened up a lot of avenues for her and most importantly allowed her to save the money she needed to go to school and earn her degree. However, the more her fame grew, the more her privacy shrunk. Her rising star combined with her and Snow's friendship made her a bit of a target for the paparazzi. Nothing truly invasive had happened yet but a few photos of her around her city had shown up on Page Six and she wasn't exactly happy about it. It made her skin crawl thinking of camera men following her, all yearning for a photo of the "Swan Princess." Normally throwing on a pair of glasses and dressing down was enough to keep her from being recognized but that clearly wasn't the case today.

"I was really hoping that name would've stuck to East coast," she mumbled to herself.

"I can see why," chuckled Hook. "As beautiful as the title is I'm not sure it does you justice."

Emma raised her eyebrows at him. "Oh! Well that was… smooth."

"I do my best," Hook replied with a flirtatious wink.

Robin watched their interaction with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance. Well that didn't take very long at all.

He warningly cleared his throat at Hook. "Well seeing as we're all here to work I suggest we get started."

He turned to Regina. "What exactly needs to get done?"

"Cleaning, painting and replacing the lightbulbs," she listed meticulously. "The girls and I have been cleaning all morning so everything is pretty much done on that front."

"Thanks for showing up to help with that by the way," Snow added sarcastically.

Regina sent her a warning glare her way and she returned it with an annoyed look of her own. "What? I woke up at six am to be here. You should've known I wasn't going to be pleasant about it."

"Well we are here now," Robin interjected, sensing Regina's annoyance begin to rise. "So painting first?"

"I think we're better off starting with lights," said Emma. "It'll be easier to paint once we can actually see."

"Well the lights in my office are already done so there's that," said Regina.

"Why don't you and Robin get started painting the office while the rest of us finish of what's left of the lights?" suggested Hook. "By the time you're finished with the office we'll have the lights done and we can all start painting the showroom together."

"Sounds good," Regina with a nod of her head. "I'll grab the painter's tape from the closet."

"And I'll grab the ladder," said Emma, following her towards the storage closet.

Snow shuffled behind them unwilling to engage the men in any small talk. Robin watched them go before turning to Hook with a sharp look in his eye. "You're not just gonna flirt all day are you?"

"No," replied Hook. He arched an eyebrow at him. "Are you?"

"Don't start," said Robin in a low voice. "I've told you before there's nothing there."

"Then explain why you keep getting so worked up over something that doesn't exist," challenged Hook calmly.

Robin didn't even have time to put together a rebuttal before Regina exited the closet with a roll of blue tape in hand. Instead he just glared at Hook and ordered, "Just focus on the lights" before stomping off into the office.

XXXXX

While Snow, Hook and Emma started on replacing the lights in the showroom, Robin and Regina took on painting the office. Upbeat salsa music played from her iPod as they colored the walls a welcoming shade of Tiffany's blue, all the while Hook's words still swarmed around in Robin's head making it hard for him to concentrate on his work. Did he want more with Regina? He forcefully reminded himself that no he didn't, that they were just friends and nothing more. He reminded himself of this over and over but the more time he spent alone with her in that office the more his resolve weakened. For the fifth time in ten minutes he snuck another look at her from the corner of his eye. Her hair was pulled down into a small over-the-shoulder braid as she painted beside him. He noticed a speck of blue paint had fallen on a strand just above her right ear. It went well with the matching streak on her left cheek. He knew she'd arrived here earlier than him, had been working much longer than he had but it hardly showed. She seemed full of energy. He'd caught her dancing to the music more than once, not openly of course, just a rhythmic step here or a sway of her hips there. He doubted that she even noticed but he had. Her little bouts of dance made him smile. She'd grown a bit addicted to salsa music in the past few months. She told him her grandmother used to listen to it constantly when her father was a young boy and he'd done the same when she was a little girl, so much so that she'd learned to salsa dance just for him. He knew listening and dancing to the music made her feel closer to the father she'd lost and it made him feel good to see her enjoying it. Perhaps he would take her to that salsa club by the beach one night. He'd love to see her dance more openly. With the group of course, he added hastily. It's not as if he'd ever take her alone. That would be heading into date territory. And he tried to remind himself that wasn't what he wanted.

They'd been painting for more than an hour, nearly finished with the first coat when she set down her paint roller and stretched her hands over her head revealing a sliver of skin between the hem of her shirt and the top of her shorts (not that he'd noticed it specifically). "I think I'm about ready for a break," she moaned.

"It's hardly been an hour," he pointed out in surprise. "You can't tell me you're already tired."

"Well I've been here longer than you have," she responded playfully. "Plus we have to let the paint dry before the second coat anyway."

"Fair point," he said nodding his head and lowering his own paint roller. "Ten-minute break couldn't hurt."

He stretched out his shoulders and considered ordering the pizza for lunch when he saw Regina sigh and rub her hand against her right cheek, unknowingly smearing paint against her skin. The sight of it caused a burst of laughter to sneak up his throat.

Regina widened her eyes at him. "What?"

"Nothing, you're just covered in paint," he chuckled.

"It's not that bad," she said defensively. "Besides you're not exactly sparkling clean yourself."

"There is not a drop of paint on me," he declared confidently.

Regina scoffed and marched closer to him. "Oh really? What is this then?" She stabbed a finger at a speck of paint on his bicep. "And this?" Her finger dropped down to his wrist. "And all of this?" She giggled as she waved a hand at the specks mixed in his hair. "Don't throw stones if you live in a glass house Robin."

"Hey I avoided the general face area," he pointed out. "You've got paint on your right cheek, your left cheek, just above your ear. Pretty sure I've seen Roland finger paint and make less of a mess himself."

Another laugh flew from her throat and Robin smiled at her. He hadn't seen her this carefree and weightless since before her father's funeral. He'd missed it, seeing her laugh and smile so freely. He wished he could keep her this way forever.

"Are you happy Regina?" he asked softly.

His question caught her off guard, causing her laughter to trail off. Bringing her hands to her hips she sighed and nodded her head slowly. "Yeah… I think I am."

He found himself staring into her eyes, searching for a trace of a lie, pleased when he found none. He firmly nodded his head at her. "Good." He shrugged his shoulders. "Just checking."

She rolled her eyes at him but kept a smile on her face.

"Am I interrupting?"

They turned to see Emma standing in the doorway staring at them curiously. Robin immediately took a step back from Regina, not wanting the blonde to get the wrong impression.

Regina shook her head at her. "Of course not Emma. What's up?"

"Apparently there's a surprise at the door for you," she said. "You might want to come and see it."

Regina frowned at her. "It better not be the furniture. It's not supposed to arrive until tomorrow."

She exited the office and looked toward the front door. Her eyebrows scrunched together but her lips grew into a surprised smile as she saw who was waiting for her. "Jefferson?"

He stood there in all his New York glory, a bright smile on his face as he watched her come out of her office. A happy laugh came from both of them as he wrapped her in a warm hug, not even half-caring about the chances of getting his clothes stained by the paint specks on her.

Robin watched their interaction with a frown. Who the hell is this guy?

Regina turned back to the rest of the group, a smile still planted firmly on her face. "Guys this is Jefferson Abbott. He was on my design team back in New York. The girls have met him already."

He and Killian both mumbled awkward hellos in his direction. The name sparked a vague recognition in the back of Robin's head. He remembered Regina mentioning him a few times over the phone. He felt his gut begin to twist as he took him in. Jefferson was a clean-shaven man and particularly well-dressed. He wore a crisp, blue button down shirt paired with a gray, two-button vest, matching pants and a purple tie to bring it all together. It was a bit much for California but somehow Robin was sure such an attire was commonplace in New York. He had to admit Jefferson was a good-looking man with his thick brown hair and white teeth. Nothing like he'd imagined. And seeing Regina approach him with such affection… well it stirred up something inside him. Something… unpleasant.

He watched as Regina turned away from him to face the man whose presence had stirred up such an unpleasant ferocity inside of him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked curiously.

Jefferson sighed apologetically. "Do you even have to ask?"

Regina let out a defeated groan. "Mal sent you here to check up on me."

"Yes," said Jefferson nodding his head.

"Seriously?" moaned Regina. "Unannounced? Not even a phone call or e-mail to give me a heads up?"

"She kind of insisted on catching you off guard," he said. "After everything that's happened she's developed more than a few trust issues where you're concerned. And I think you're big enough to admit that you've earned them."

Regina rolled her eyes at him but didn't defend herself. She knew he was right. Things between her and Mal had been… tense. And that was due to her lies. She supposed if a sneak attack would help quell her boss' anger then it wasn't the worst thing in the world.

"Okay," she sighed. "Where do you want to start?"

"Tour of the studio might be nice," he replied.

"Well it's basically all that you can see right now," she said, waving her hand around the bare studio. "We're painting right now and the furniture's scheduled to come in tomorrow."

"Do you have a copy of your order from the store?" asked Jefferson. "Mal wants to make sure you're not going over budget."

"Of course she does," mumbled Regina. She sighed and gave her head a little shake. "I have a copy of the confirmation e-mail on my phone. We can go over it if that's what you'd like."

She pulled out her iPhone and glanced at the time. 12: 30. She grimaced. "However I did promise these guys pizza so… would it be alright if we stepped out for a bit? You can ride with me to the pizza shop and we can talk on the way."

"Sure sounds good." He flashed her another grin and Robin felt his gut twist once more. He resisted the inexplicable urge to punch the other man in his teeth when he saw Regina turn toward him.

"Do you mind cracking the whip while I head out to get the pizza?" she asked, completely ignorant of just how much he wanted to say no.

In truth something about the idea of her being alone with Jefferson turned his stomach and he honestly would've preferred that they stayed here with everyone else while he went to pick up the pizza himself. He almost offered to do just that but instead he squashed down the feeling in his gut and forced a smile to his lips. "Sure. I'll make sure we stay on task."

"Thanks," she said with a smile.

And with that she was gone. Purse hanging from her shoulder, she walked out the door with Jefferson trailing after her. Knots were still forming in his gut as he watched them go.

Once they were out of sight he turned to Snow with a sigh. "So… that's Jefferson?"

"Yeah," she said shrugging her shoulders. "She's mentioned him before, right?"

"Once or twice," Robin mumbled sullenly.

He frowned once more and Snow narrowed her eyes at him. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head unconvincingly. "It's just I expected him to be more…"

"Gay?" Snow supplied with an arched eyebrow.

Robin let out an embarrassed snort and shrugged his shoulders. "Well I mean… hat designer."

Snow chuckled at him with a knowing look in her eyes. "Firstly, he designs more than just hats. Secondly, I'm so sorry to disappoint you but he's completely straight."

It was Robin's turn to narrow his eyes as he replied to her, "Why would that disappoint me?"

Snow just smirked at him while behind his back Hook commented, "Why indeed?"

He turned back to see Hook standing behind him with the same smug look he'd worn in the garage. Once again the words he'd said echoed in Robin's skull. Do you want there to be? Immediately he forced down the swirl of emotions they evoked and sent a harsh glare Hook's way.

"Don't you have a wall to paint?" he ordered firmly.

Hook continued to smirk at him but still took the hint and walked away, as did Snow, leaving Robin alone to simmer in his emotional discomfort. He tried to tell himself that his feelings were just a strange mix of concern and apprehension, nothing more. Regina's mother was still out there and he didn't exactly know if he could trust this Jefferson person. Yes, that's all it was. Just worry. Not actual romantic feelings. Besides even if they were, which they weren't, it wasn't as if he even had a reason to be jealous. Regina and Jefferson were just co-workers and nothing more.

At least that's what he kept trying to tell himself.

XXXXX

There were many differences between California and New York. The streets, the buildings, the people. While Regina knew that California was where she was meant to be, she also knew a part of her heart would always belong to the concrete jungle where she'd learned how to fend for herself. She knew that she would always miss the way the lights sparkled at the night and the unique fashion that she could find just walking down the street. But more than anything she knew she would miss the food. Oh the delicacies she could find hiding around the next corner at all hours of the day. No matter how hard it tried California just couldn't compare. A fact that was glaringly apparent when she brought Jefferson into the pizza shop.

The place was an old favorite of hers. She, Henry and the rest of the gang used it as their go to whenever a pizza craving hit. Even now the smell of sauce and cheese brought back memories of holidays and movie marathons where they'd stuffed their faces with its fattening deliciousness. But while she knew and believed in the quality of the pizza she was getting the same didn't hold true for Jefferson. As born and bred New Yorker his standards for Italian were a bit higher than most.

As they waited near the cash register for her order to be filled he eyed the pizza display critically. "Is this actually what Californians think pizza is?"

Regina snorted at him. "It's better than you think."

"It's cardboard with sauce on it," he retorted, doubt clearly showing in his eyes.

She just chuckled at his reaction. "If you think the pizza's bad just wait until you see the bagels."

Jefferson shut his eyes as he groaned in disgust. "I pity your poor taste buds."

"I promise you they're doing just fine."

"Well what about the rest of you?" he asked curiously.

She scrunched her eyebrows at him. "What do you mean?"

He sent her a knowing look. "You tell me… Regina Mills."

His use of her real name gave her pause. She knew word of her secrets had gotten out in Volante but she didn't think he'd heard. He hadn't exactly approached her about it. Then again, neither had anyone else at the office. She let out an embarrassed breath and brushed her hair behind her ears. "So… you heard about that?"

"Mal told me," he admitted with a shrug. "And Ursula and Carlotta told everyone else."

Regina scoffed and rolled her eyes. "And to think I was just starting to miss them."

Jefferson let out a tiny laugh before folding his arms across his chest and staring down at her curiously. "So… secret identity? That's has to be quite the story."

"Well it's a… long, complicated one for sure," she softly replied, giving her head a little shake. "And it's certainly not one I can tell while waiting for an order of pizza."

"Okay," said Jefferson, nodding his head understandingly. "So come out to dinner with me."

Her eyebrows hit her hairline in surprise. "What?"

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Well we barely scratched the surface of the studio business on the ride over. I doubt we'll finish it on the way back. It might be easier if I could just take you out to dinner and we could talk about it there." He sent her a disarming smile. "Maybe there'll be enough time left over for your story then."

Regina felt her cheeks go red at his offer. "Well… I'm not so sure about that," she drawled nervously.

"C'mon it'll be fun," he promised playfully. "We'll eat a good meal, have a couple drinks. I'll even remind you what good food actually tastes like."

Despite her uncertainty a giggle escaped her and she could see he only took it as encouragement.

"It'll be just like old times," he added. "Except we'll be in a restaurant instead of working late in the office."

A smile tugged on her lips as she remembered their late nights back at Volante. Staying in the office long past nine trying to catch up on the work that Mal had unexpectedly dropped down on their desks. Somehow he'd always been able to make it feel like the office wasn't the last place she wanted to be on a weeknight.

She sighed as she drummed her fingers against her thigh. She had been all work no play for a while now, setting up things with the new branch and making sure Henry was well-adjusted. Perhaps it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to have dinner with a good friend.

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Where would you even take me?"

"Oh don't worry about that," he said, a mischievous glint dancing in his eyes. "I know a place."

She let out a disbelieving chuckle. "Half a day in this town and you already know a place?"

"Oh I always know a place," he replied with a confident grin. "Think you can wash off the paint by eight o'clock tomorrow?"

"I'm sure it won't be a problem," she said gamely.

"Good." He nodded his head happily. "It's a date then."

Ten minutes later Regina left the pizza shop with two medium pies, dinner plans and a smile.

XXXXXX

By the time Regina returned to the studio the rest of the group had already finished prepping the showroom for painting. They decided to take a break for pizza with the guys graciously offering to get started on the painting while the girls had lunch in the office. Robin had finished it off while she was gone. As she chewed on a bite of her stuff-crust pizza Regina looked around her with a critical eye.

"Maybe I should've gone with a darker blue," Regina softly mused. She was sitting cross-legged on the office floor, staring at the walls with a critical as she chewed on a bite of her stuffed-crust pizza.

"Don't be ridiculous," piped up Snow. She sat across from Regina picking the toppings off of her slice. "This color is perfect. It's warm, it's welcoming. And even if you don't like it, it's too late to change it because I've already picked out the matching furniture."

"Snow's right," chimed in Emma, from her spot on the floor. "You'll feel more comfortable once the furniture arrives tomorrow. Don't overthink it now."

Regina nodded her head as she accepted their opinions. Once again it struck her how grateful she was to have them by her side through everything. Their decisions to join her in California had been surprising but her heart had swelled when she'd realized that she would be able to keep both the girls in their life. Honestly, she didn't know what she'd do without either of them.

"I guess you're right," she sighed. "Besides I'd hate to ask Robin to redo it now."

Snow and Emma shared a look before mutually deciding to change the subject.

"So what did Jefferson want?" asked Snow, leaning back on her palms. "A hard copy of the studio's ten-year plan written by tomorrow?"

"No," chuckled Regina. "He just wanted to run though the budget again and make sure we're on schedule for the grand opening."

Emma raised an eyebrow at her. "You covered all that in one car ride to the pizza shop?"

Regina shook her head. "Not even close. We actually made plans to go out tomorrow and talk about it more."

Emma and Snow exchanged another look before the brunette leaned forward with intrigue clearly blazing in her green eyes.

"Go out?" she asked curiously. "Like a date?"

"No! It's not a date," Regina quickly assured them with a shake of her head. "It's just a meeting between professionals."

"Okay," scoffed Emma. "And when is this 'professional meeting?'"

"Eight o'clock tomorrow night."

A bark of laughter flew from Snow's throat. "Yeah that's a date."

Regina shook her head. "No it's not."

"Yes it is," said Emma nodding her head fervently. "If this was about business he would've taken you to lunch. He's taking you to dinner. It's a date."

Snow nodded her head in affirmation. "Let me guess he didn't even tell you where you're going yet?"

"No," mumbled Regina.

"Which would also mean that you're not meeting him at the place but he's coming to pick you up?" added Emma, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. "Regina that's a date. You were asked out on a date."

Regina mentally ran through her and Jefferson's conversation at the pizza place trying to find a way to prove that they were wrong and her dinner with him was not in fact a date. But the more she thought it about it – the way he'd grinned at her, the playfulness in his tone – the harder it was to deny that perhaps there was more to their plans than she'd realized.

"Oh my god! He asked me on a date!" she hissed, her eyes widening at the revelation. "And I said yes to him!"

She brought a hand up to her forehead as her mouth fell open in shock. Oh this wasn't good. She'd completely led him on without even realizing it.

Emma giggled at her reaction. "Calm down Lady Macbeth. It's not that bad."

"Yes it is!" insisted Regina. "I can't go out with him."

"Why not?" said Snow incredulously. "I mean… he's cute."

"He is," agreed Emma, nodding her head. "I mean I don't usually go for pretty boys but he is damn attractive."

Regina rolled her eyes. It wasn't as if she disagreed with them. She wasn't blind. She knew that Jefferson was a handsome man. With his steel blue eyes and thick brown hair he was definitely a catch. She couldn't deny that he was nice to look at but his looks weren't exactly the problem.

"But he's my coworker!" she anxiously reminded them. "Don't you think it's crossing a line if we go out on a date?"

"He's barely your coworker," argued Emma. "You're in different branches of the company now. It's not as if you see him every day."

"Yeah," chimed in Snow. "Besides half the office already thought you two were sleeping together anyway."

Regina's eyes bulged out of her head. "What?!"

Surprise flashed across Snow's face at her outburst. "You didn't know that already? A lot of people at Volante thought you were secretly dating."

"Why would they think that?" Regina demanded.

Snow shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. You were always eating lunch and working late on projects together. You had each other's back with Mal. I don't know. It just always seemed pretty obvious that he was into you."

"He wasn't into me," Regina protested weakly.

Snow sent her a disbelieving look. "Yes, he was."

"If he was then why didn't he say anything?"

"Maybe, same as you, he thought it might be awkward because you worked together," Emma gently suggested. "But now you don't."

Regina threw up her hands with a defeated sigh. God, was she really that oblivious?

Snow tilted her head and stared at her curiously. "Would it really be the worst thing in the world to go out with him?"

"Well… I never said that it was the worst thing," mumbled Regina. "I'm just not sure it's the right time for it now."

"A likely excuse," teased Emma. "Seriously when was the last time you've even been on a date?"

Regina squared her shoulders and turned her nose up at Emma's question. "What does that matter?"

Snow narrowed her eyes at Regina's deliberate non-answer. "Regina…" she drawled. "How long has it been?"

Red began to flood the older woman's cheeks at the two girl's curiosity. Her gaze dropped down to her pizza as embarrassment started to heat up her skin. "It's… been a while."

"Define a while," ordered Snow.

Regina licked her lips before uttering, "A few years."

She saw Emma rapidly blink her eyes in an effort to hide her surprise. "So when you say a few years do you mean… a few years like one or two or do you mean a few years like… since before Henry's birth?"

Regina let out an embarrassed breath before admitting, "Well… I've had a lot on my plate since Henry was born."

A gasp flew out of Snow as she widened her eyes in shock. "You haven't been on a date since before Henry was born?! You do realize he's turning nine in three months!"

"Do you realize what I've been through in those past nine years?!" Despite her best efforts Regina's voice cracked with frustration on the last two words.

She sighed tiredly. "I mean with everything that was happening dating was the last thing on my mind. I was too busy looking over my shoulder and worrying about tomorrow and the day after that. Every time the idea even entered my brain I just felt… exhausted. So I made a decision not to date at all. Not while I was still in hiding."

"But you're not in hiding now," Emma said gently. Her gaze turned sympathetic as she looked Regina in the eyes. "Look I get why you chose not to date anyone as Regina Gardiner. It makes sense but you're not Regina Gardiner anymore. You made a commitment to start living life as Regina Mills again."

"That life doesn't have to include dating," Regina protested.

"No," drawled Snow, "But it might help. Look I thought you were crazy when you decided to take back your old name but you said you wanted to start living a life that your mother couldn't take away from you. Dating sends a message that you're looking forward to the future. That you're hopeful about it."

Emma nodded her head in agreement. "And I personally can't think of a better candidate for you to start with."

Regina scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"I'm serious," insisted Emma, playfully nudging her arm. "Jefferson is cute and smart. And you already know he's not crazy which takes out half the risk."

"Also because you've known him so long there's a zero percent chance that he's spying for your mother," added Snow practically. "It's just one date. Why not see what happens?"

Regina had to admit that they did have a point. It wasn't as if she had any good reason not to go out with Jefferson. He was handsome, and funny. And she did always enjoy the time she spent with him when she'd lived in New York. And before she'd drowned herself in the realization that he had been asking her out she had been excited to spend the evening with him. Perhaps one date with him wouldn't be so bad?

Her train of thought was interrupted by a knock against the wall. She looked up to see Robin awkwardly standing in the doorway of her office with his hands in his pockets.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," he said sheepishly. Her jerked a thumb back towards the showroom. "Hook and I measured the walls again just to double check and it looks like we're running low on paint. I was going to head to the store and pick up a couple cans. Did you want to come with me, make sure I pick up the right color?"

Regina nodded her head. "Yes, I will meet you at the car in a second."

He returned her nod before disappearing around the corner. For reasons she didn't quite understand Regina silently hoped that he hadn't a word of the conversation she'd been having seconds before. She turned back to the girls with a sigh.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," she said standing to her feet. "Do not expect me to finish this conversation when I return."

"Then before you go just answer this one question," said Snow. "Are you still going on the date or not?"

Regina saw Emma lean forward, the curiosity in her eyes just as strong as Snow's. She bit her lip before nodding her head and answering, "Yes I am still going on the date."

XXXXXXX

Robin generally considered himself to be a perceptive man. He wasn't Sherlock Holmes by any means but he considered himself observant enough to, at the very least, notice changes in the people around him. Especially the ones he cared about.

Since they'd left the studio he'd noticed a shift in Regina's behavior. She was no longer the carefree woman he'd seen absentmindedly dancing to salsa music earlier that day. She seemed more withdrawn and silent. Not exactly sad but certainly weighted down by something. He could only assume it had something to do with the talk she'd had with Jefferson (he couldn't help mentally sneering at his name). While he thought he could wait it out and let Regina decide when to open up to him, his curiosity got the better of him when her silence continued all the way to the paint aisle of the nearest Home Depot.

Leaning against his empty cart he curiously observed her as she searched through the paint tiles for the shade of lavender she'd fallen so in love with the last time she'd visited.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked softly.

She turned to him, confusion evident in her eyes. "What?"

He shrugged at her. "You just seem a little… off since we left."

She unconvincingly shook her head at him. "I'm fine, just a little distracted."

She turned back to the cards and nervously tucked her hair behind her ears before clearing her throat ominously. "I actually wanted to ask if you were gonna be busy tomorrow night."

He shook his head at her. "No I should be home by six like always. Why?"

She hesitated before answering him. "I… have a date actually. With Jefferson."

Now Robin had had his heart broken before. When Marian had died, when his mother had abandoned him, when he'd lost his unborn child. He knew what it felt like, the pain that came with it. So he was experienced enough to know that the knowledge of Regina's plans didn't break his heart… but damn it if it didn't leave a crack.

On the surface he knew he had no reason to feel this way. He reminded himself over and over that he didn't have feelings for her. He didn't have feelings for her. He could not have feelings for Regina. But when he thought about the idea of her on a date with that guy he could help but feel things for her. Things like jealousy, disappointment… longing. Like a flood those feelings seeped out of the crack in his heart and filled him from top to bottom, leaving him stricken their wake.

Not that he let it show.

Somehow, in what should be considered an Oscar-worthy performance, he managed not to let a single emotion break through to the surface, except perhaps surprise.

"Oh!" he said, raising his eyebrows at her. "He asked you out?"

"Yeah," she said shrugging her shoulders. "It just sort of happened. So I just wanted to make sure that you were free to watch the boys for the night."

"Sure," he said nodding his head. "I'll be around."

She sent him a grateful nod before turning back to the painting tiles. The silence between them quickly turned awkward and it was too much for Robin to bear.

"So… where are you going on this date?"

"Just out to dinner," she answered nonchalantly. "Not exactly sure where."

Not exactly sure I like the sound of that, he thought to himself. His gaze fell down to the cart as he struggled to battle the emotions swirling in his gut.

"Do you think it'll go well?" Robin softly asked. As soon as the words were out of his mouth he silently berated himself. Why would you ask that? No matter what she said he couldn't see himself liking the answer.

Regina looked at him with uncertainty coloring her face. "I'm not really sure. I mean Jefferson's a nice enough guy. I like spending time with him…"

"But?" supplied Robin. Please let there be a "but."

"But it's been a while," she finished nervously. "I haven't been with anyone since Daniel and even then we barely 'dated.'" She put the words in air quotes. "I don't know. I just feel like I might be a little rusty when it comes to things like dating rituals."

"I get that," he said, nodding his head understandingly. "But I suppose you won't know until you try."

The words felt like nails falling out of his mouth. He wanted to be supportive of her but the more he spoke the wider he felt the crack in his heart grow.

Regina tilted her head at him curiously. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Have you been dating?" she asked.

Robin reared his head back, a little shocked at her question. "No," he immediately answered.

Regina arched an eyebrow at him. "No?"

"No," he chuckled. "Why do you sound so surprised?"

"Well because I am. A little bit," she said shrugging her shoulders. "I mean… you're not an unattractive man Robin. You've got the whole sexy-single-dad bit going on."

He scoffed and narrowed his eyes at her. "Sexy-single-dad bit?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "You know what I'm talking about. Don't act like you've never looked in a mirror before."

He tried not to let her comments go to his head as he let out another laugh.

"I don't know," continued Regina. "I just always thought that maybe you'd started dating and never told me. You know… because of Marian."

Right, his deceased wife who had also been her best friend. The mention of her brought him back to reality and he shrugged off Regina's comments with a playful tilt of his head.

"Well the truth is I did go on one date a few months ago," he said.

"Really?" said Regina, her curiosity piqued. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because nothing came from it," he answered honestly. "She was a lovely woman but…"

"She just wasn't Marian," Regina finished for him.

He nodded his head sadly. "Yeah."

His thoughts went back to that night and how sure he'd felt that no one could ever compare to the woman he'd loved so dearly. He'd been so certain...

"I get it," said Regina understandingly. "When you've had love like the one you had with her and like the one I had with Daniel, it's hard to imagine ever finding something that comes close to it."

The words she spoke were everything he'd said to himself about dating in the past but now, looking into her whiskey brown eyes, he found them harder to believe. Suddenly, standing across from this woman whose life had become so interwoven with his own, he felt the possibility for love was more likely than he'd been willing to admit these past few years.

He swallowed hard before responding to her, "Even so I don't think that's a reason for you to give up on it just yet."

She looked up at him, uncertainty still present in her eyes. "You think so?"

"Yes," he said softly. "Sometimes love can show up quite unexpectedly."

He saw a smile begin to tug on her lips. "Nice to know one of us still has hope."

She turned away from him then, her attention returning to the paint tiles on the while Robin was left to watch her. There in the paint aisle of the nearest Home Depot Robin made three important discoveries. That one of his oldest friends was going on a date for the first time in years. Two, that he wasn't comfortable with the fact that she was going on this date. And number three, he wasn't uncomfortable because he was worried. He wasn't uncomfortable because it was too soon for her.

He was uncomfortable because tomorrow night she would be leaving for a romantic evening with another man.

He was uncomfortable because no matter how much he fought it he desperately wanted to be that man.

He was uncomfortable because despite all his denials and insistence that there wasn't anything there, the truth was he had fallen deeply and unexpectedly in love with her.

NEXT CHAPTER: Regina's date leads to important revelations.

Please read and review! I would love to hear from you! I've missed it!