A/N: Hey guys! Welcome back! Sorry for the wait but this is the longest chapter I've ever written there was a lot I had to stuff in! Hope you enjoy!
All throughout her life Regina Mills had considered herself to be a neat and well-organized person. From a young age her mother's demands for structure and order had seeped into her personality causing her to become the type of person who despised clutter and strived to have everything in its exact place. Becoming a mother herself had softened her stance on such things – children were, by nature, messy, unorganized beings – but she still required a certain amount of structure in her life in order to be truly comfortable. It's not that she was strict. It's was just that she liked it when things were in their proper place. She liked being able to find things at a moment's notice. Something she currently wasn't able to do while she lived in Robin's guestroom.
While she would always be grateful that Robin had allowed she and her son to stay with him while they got resettled in California she didn't exactly love living in his guestroom. For one, the space was very small, even smaller than her bedroom back in New York which was saying something. Secondly, the already small space was half-filled with unopened boxes from her townhouse. She never realized just how lived in her old New York home was until she started to pack it up. The boxes of clothes and books and knick-knacks had accumulated much faster than she anticipated. While she'd arranged for her furniture to reside in a storage unit at the edge of town, the rest of her things had been delivered to Robin's house and quickly took up more space than either of them expected. Half of them were stored in his already filled-to-the-brim garage while the rest were moved into the guest room with her, piled up against the walls and stuffed under the bed. Some of them were filled with stuff she didn't necessarily need at the moment: books, old design portfolios, Henry's neglected toys. But others had more vital importance. Like her clothing.
Regina would be the first to admit that while she lived in New York she'd become a bit of a clothes horse. It was a side effect of both the city and the industry she'd chosen to make her living in. When she'd started working at Volante Mal had made it clear that appearances mattered and every designer was expected to elevate themselves to a certain level of style. And for the first time in years that Regina found herself in the possession of disposal income so she figured why not indulge herself in a few well-earned treats. New York fashion proved to be quite addictive though, and over the years she'd amassed quite a collection. Most of which still remained boxed up.
If Robin's guest room was small, then the guest room closet was positively miniscule. The lack of space had forced her to play Sophie's Choice with the clothes she'd decided to hang up and the ones she'd kept in their boxes. Of course Robin had offered to share space in his glorious walk-in but she'd refused. She and Henry had already taken up enough space in his house, might as well let him keep his closet. Besides she'd developed a system. Luckily for her she was smart enough to box up her clothing according to season and events. (Actually, she'd hardly describe it as luck. It's not like there was any other way to pack up clothing.) For the time being she'd decided that it was best to just unpack her late winter/early spring clothing. It was mostly casual wear. Denim pants, thin sweaters and the like, a couple of button up shirts and blazers. Clothes she could wear almost anywhere. Which would've been fine except she wasn't going just anywhere tonight.
Tonight she would be going out with Jefferson.
On her first date… in ten years.
Casual wear would not do for such an occasion.
Which is why she was currently stuck on her hands and knees, reaching under her bed for yet another box, in order to search for her red, keyhole dress.
"What the hell is a keyhole dress anyway?"
Emma wrinkled her nose at the description Regina provided for the infamous dress. She sat on top of the bed with an open box of clothing in between her legs, her blonde hair falling over her shoulder as she peered inside. When Regina had called her over and asked for help getting ready for her date this wasn't exactly what she had in mind. While Emma also worked in the fashion industry, she'd somehow managed to allude getting bitten by the fashion bug. Besides her unstoppable penchant for leather jackets, she had no interest in clothes, choosing to subsist off a combination of what Regina was sure amounted to no more than ten t-shirts and four pairs of jeans.
With a flip of her hair Regina lifted her head above the mattress to send Emma an exasperated look. "It means that it has both a collar and a deep neckline. It leaves the cleavage open in a keyhole-like manner."
She awkwardly gestured to the space in between her breasts trying to illustrate the concept to her not particularly fashion-inclined friend before once again disappearing out of sight.
Emma's eyes lit up in recognition at her gesture. "Oh that dress!" She wiggled her eyebrows at Regina. "A little saucy, isn't it?"
Regina reappeared, panic in her wide eyes. "Are you serious? Cause if you think the dress is sending the wrong message you need to tell me."
Emma threw up her hands. "The message it sends is fine. Relax!" She turned her attention back to the box in her lap before grumbling, "Geez. One guy asks you out and you forget how to dress yourself?"
"Well this date is kind of a big deal," said Regina, snatching a box from underneath her bed.
"Only because you're making it one," responded Emma.
Regina set the box on top of the bed and glared at her. "You made it one! You and Snow harassed me into admitting I hadn't been out in a decade and now it's all I can think about!"
Emma sent her an annoyed look. "We didn't harass you. We were just curious. And honestly it's not that big of a deal."
"Well, I must've too distracted by the shock in your eyes to notice," mumbled Regina as she cut through the packing tape with a pair of scissors. "You both looked at me like I was a freak of nature."
"We were just surprised!" stressed Emma. "I mean… you're a catch Regina."
The older woman just scoffed at her.
"You are!" Emma insisted with a laugh. "You're beautiful, have a great job, a nice body –"
"Tragic secrets, hidden identity."
"Okay those things aside," continued Emma, "you were still a catch. It's just hard to believe that in all those years you never went out once. Not even casually."
Regina threw her head back with a groan and shrugged her shoulders. "Dating casually just isn't something I considered myself capable of."
Her eyes dropped down to the box she was rooting through. "After what I had with Daniel… it just felt disrespectful to his memory."
Emma set aside the box in her lap as her gaze turned curious. "You know you never talk about him. Henry's father."
Regina lifted her eyes up from the box and pressed her lips together apprehensively. "For the longest time I felt like I couldn't," she whispered.
You can't tell a story without thinking about the ending and even ten years later Regina still found it hard to separate the love she and Daniel shared from the tragic end that he had met. Thinking of him through their son made it easier but after his death she found it hard to even whisper his name. Being on the run with Henry made it twice as difficult. The longer she'd lived as Regina Gardiner the less she wanted to think about life as Regina Mills, even if it did include the love of her life. It didn't take long before the thought of speaking his name felt like summoning a curse upon herself. An invitation for all of her previous life's pain and horror to sneak up a grip her by throat. In the years since his death, she'd barely spoken about Daniel at all. And sometimes, in the dead of night when there was nothing else to obstruct her thoughts, she felt very ashamed of that fact.
"Maybe it's time you started," suggested Emma gently. "What was he like?"
Regina's hand found its way up to the ruby engagement ring that still hung around her neck. "He was… everything I needed. Calm but passionate. Affectionate. Always wanted the best for everyone around him. He was my shelter in the storm."
A smile tugged on her lips as she remembered the feeling she had being in Daniel's arms. How secure she could feel knowing he was in her corner. "Life was never easy for me. I know that I had more than most people could hope for but nothing ever felt certain until I fell in love with him. I was always afraid of something. Losing my father, being controlled by my mother, never having a future that was my own. But when I was with Daniel… that was the closest I'd been to fearless. Knowing that he loved me made everything else inconsequential. And he made sure that I knew it. Every day. Every time he was near. Being with him gave me exactly what I'd dreamed for in a relationship."
"What was that?" asked Emma, her green eyes blazing with curiosity by this point.
"Love you could feel from across the room," Regina answered wistfully. "It was all I'd wanted ever since I was child."
Growing up it hadn't taken long for Regina to realize that her parents didn't love each other. It was always obvious to her in their treatment of one another. Never once did she see her mother smile at her father. Never once did she see him appear eager for her arrival. They were always far happier separated than together, and chose to act as such even when they both occupied the same house. She was barely older than ten when she decided that she never wanted the marriage her parents had. She wanted something warmer, more intimate. An obvious love that no one could deny.
Her hand dropped from her ring back down to the box in front of her. "After Daniel died I just felt like I'd missed my chance at that. And then I changed identities and I knew that I had."
"That's not true," said Emma softly.
"Isn't it?" said Regina raising an eyebrow at her. "All my life I wanted a love that was real. And you can't love someone, I mean truly love them without knowing the depths of who they are. The things that make them beautiful, the things that make them ugly. Their biggest fears, their craziest dreams. How was I supposed to find someone to share those things with when I couldn't even tell them what my real name was?"
"Well you're telling everybody your real name now," said Emma with a smile. "Don't you think Daniel would want you to take a chance on finding love again?"
Another smile tugged on Regina's lips at the thought of Daniel's opinion. "Yes he would," she admitted, "But even that's a little frightening."
"Why?"
"Well for so long I've always had a built in excuse to avoid love," said Regina, sifting through the box of winter clothes. "But now that I don't have that excuse that means anything could happen. I could fall in love with someone. It's been ten years and I still don't even know if I'm ready for it. Building something that has roots. Drawing someone into the hell that is my life."
Emma rolled her eyes as she pulled another box out from under the bed. "Your life isn't hell," she drawled insistently.
"It could easily become hell," Regina shot back. "You know my mother is still lurking out there somewhere."
"You haven't heard from your mother in months," responded Emma. "You can't keep creeping along being afraid of what she'll do."
"Oh god, I'll probably have to tell Jefferson about her tonight," grumbled Regina. "If he's smart he'll probably run before the check is delivered."
"You don't have to tell him about Cora tonight," said Emma, slicing through her box's packing tape.
Regina turned to her with wide eyes. "Yes I do," she asserted. "If there's any chance my mother could target him…"
"She is not going to target a man you went on one date with," said Emma, "Because that's all this is. It's one date. You're not agreeing to move in together. You're not proposing marriage. You're not even looking to fall in love."
With a smile she whipped out the red dress they'd been searching for from the box in front of her. "It's just a first date Regina. You're only job is to find out if you like him enough for a second one."
She offered Regina the dress with a hint of superiority in her eyes. The older women took it from her with annoyance clear on her face.
"Now get dressed. He should be here any minute."
Regina watched as Emma made her way out of the room muttering curses as she tripped over boxes on the way. Once the blonde was out of sight she stared down at the dress in her hands with a sigh. Normally putting it on would make her feel confident and unstoppable. She doubted that it would have the same effect tonight. Even with Emma's assurance that her evening was nothing to fret about she still felt herself growing more nervous by the second. The minute she stepped out that door on Jefferson's arm she'd be opening herself up to the possibility of once again having something that's real. She wasn't quite sure why but her stomach started to twist at the thought of it.
XXXXXXX
Beneath Emma and Regina's feet someone else's stomach was also twisting. All day Robin had done everything possible to try and forget the fact that later tonight Regina would be out on a date with Jefferson (he still couldn't stop mentally sneering at his name). For most of the day he'd been able to throw himself into work, careful not to let his inner frustrations show with his employees and vendors, but once he got home things became harder to ignore. Regina had been there, sitting at the kitchen table, seamlessly altering between helping the boys with their homework (well, Henry's homework and Roland's drawings) and putting together a small portfolio of possible candidates for designer positions at her new studio. Less than a day ago he'd loved living with Regina, he still did but now that he'd admitted to himself the true depths of his feelings for her Regina's presence now carried a slight twinge of torment that hadn't been there before. He could no longer see her raven-colored hair without thinking of how much he wanted to run his fingers through its thick silky locks. He couldn't look into her brown eyes without getting lost in the different shades of amber and whiskey that resided there. And he definitely couldn't look at her rosy lips without wondering just how good they'd feel pressed against his own. Yet, despite all of this he couldn't bear to look anywhere else.
It was torture.
Even as he'd shuffled around the kitchen to make dinner he found it difficult to take his eyes off her as she'd sat at the kitchen table, her fashionable glasses perched just on the edge of her nose as she stared down at the resumes in front of her, biting her lip as she went over every line with damn near competitive concentration, only breaking focus when Henry asked her for help with multiplication tables. Even before he'd realized that he'd had feelings for her Robin had decided that he'd loved these two sides of Regina best. The passionate side of her that fully throws herself into whatever task is at hand, executing it flawless and creatively. And the motherly side of her, the one that carries the patience required to nurture every child that comes in her path. Watching her effortlessly flow between those two personas was practically hypnotizing. Not that he got the chance to enjoy it for long.
He wasn't even halfway through dinner before the doorbell rang and Emma appeared, ready and willing to help Regina get ready for her date. The two of them immediately trounced upstairs to prepare, leaving Robin in the kitchen with a half-cooked meal and a twisted gut.
For the past forty minutes he'd tried to focus on cooking dinner instead of the fact that the woman he was in love with was getting ready to go out on a date with another man. Tried, being the operative word. He'd damn near burnt the chicken he was baking as he lost himself in the various scenarios that could happen between her and Jefferson. All the different ways the night could end. Every other minute found himself shifting between whether he wanted her to have a good time or a bad time. He didn't want to wish ill on her evening but he didn't exactly want things to go well either. In the end it didn't even matter because it wasn't up to him. The only two people who could control the outcome of the date were the two who were going. And he was not one of them.
He sighed to himself as he pulled a bag of frozen Brussel sprouts out of the freezer. He knew it wasn't his right to be jealous. He and Regina weren't dating or romantically involved in any way. As far as he knew his feelings were one-sided and would remain that way for the foreseeable future. Hell, for all he knew his feelings weren't even real. Perhaps they were a fleeting side effect of having her so close these past few weeks, spending all this time with her. It was certainly possible that once she moved out they would just float away and he would look back on them and laugh.
Perhaps that was best.
He was still grappling with his feelings when Emma clomped downstairs in her black jeans and striped tee. He didn't know much about her. Only what Regina had told him over the years. That she used to be in a situation similar to the one he found Regina in when they first met, she used to be Henry's nanny until she started modeling full-time to save up for school and she was constantly leaving crumbs wherever she ate (he'd heard Regina gripe about that last one for months). Emma was supposedly tough, fiercely independent, blunt at the best of times and harsh at the worst. Maybe not the friend that everyone wanted but certainly the one we all needed at some point.
She raised her eyebrows and let out a hissing breath as she approached the kitchen counter.
"How's it going?" Robin asked.
Emma sucked her teeth at him. "About as well as can be expected. She's nervous but not backing out."
"That's good, I guess." Robin wondered if she could hear the bitterness that he was sure was sweeping into his tone.
If she did, she certainly didn't comment on it. Instead she wandered out to the backyard to greet the boys. Robin had sent them outside as soon as Henry finished his homework. Since he'd be handling them both by himself tonight he figured he'd run them out before dinner then stuff them full of food so they'd pass out after a quick bath. They were currently outside enjoying a game of tag that Emma had immediately joined in on. Watching her with the boys it was easy to see why Regina had kept her as Henry's nanny for so long. She appeared to have an easygoing nature that made it easy to build a natural rapport with kids his age, even Roland who she just met.
Robin was watching them run around the backyard when he heard that familiar creak of the stairs. He turned to see Regina making her way in the down the stairs, a vision in an enticing red dress. She wasn't finished getting ready, that was clear. Her face was free of makeup; she didn't have any shoes on or jewelry. Yet the sight of that red fabric against her olive toned skin was enough to get his heart racing. It took nearly everything in him to keep his jaw from dropping. He settled for clenching it as she made her way towards him, looking about the kitchen clearly in search of something.
"Where's Emma?" she asked him, raising up her palms as if surprised that her friend had disappeared so quickly.
Robin took a moment to remind himself how to speak before nodding his head toward the sliding doors. "She's out in the backyard."
Regina turned her gaze out through the sliding doors and let her shoulders slump when she saw Emma running around the backyard with the boys. "Damn," she softly hissed.
Robin narrowed his eyes at her reaction. "Did you need something?"
She turned to him, hesitation on the surface of her brown eyes. "Oh, nothing that urgent. I just…" She turned her back toward him reveal the half undone zipper on the back of her dress. "I need some help with this."
Robin felt his throat grow tight as he ran his eyes over bare skin of her back, unable to look away even when his gaze met the black lace of her bra snap. She brought her chin over her shoulder as she looked back at him with imploring eyes. "Would you mind zipping me up?"
Robin swallowed hard as he nodded his head at her. "Sure."
With shockingly steady hands he reached out and gripped the tag of her zipper. He slowly raised it up to the back of her collar, his heart skipping a beat whenever his knuckles brushed against her bare skin. His mouth nearly went dry as he swept her hair away from her neck and attached the clasps of her collar together. Once done he awkwardly patted her on the shoulder. "There you go," he whispered.
She turned to him, the fabric of her red dress now hugging her curves and a resigned smile gracing her lips. "Thanks."
She sighed and he tilted his head at her curiously. She wasn't exactly glowing with anticipation for the evening. If anything she seemed passive at best. He tried not to get his hopes at that realization.
"Are you excited for your date?" he asked.
She hesitated before answering him. "Yeah. I've known Jefferson for years now so… this should be fun."
He arched an eyebrow at her. "Should be?"
She shrugged her shoulders apathetically. "Well, historically speaking dates have never been fun for me," she mumbled. "Daniel and I had more of a… hide-in-the-shadows type of relationship and when I was forced to go out with… him… I felt more like a trophy than an actual person."
Robin saw her tense up at the mention of her old, disgusting fiancé. He felt his own muscles do the same at the thought of the time she'd spent shackled to the arm of a man nearly three times her age at her mother's will. It was in that moment that the internal shifting inside of him halted and he came to the decision that he wanted her to have a good time on her date. No matter who it was with. She deserved it.
"It's alright to be nervous," he reminded her. "After everything that's happened I'd be worried if you weren't, but being nervous doesn't automatically mean that you're going to have a bad time."
A smiled tugged on her lips as she playfully arched an eyebrow at him. "Really? Are you speaking from experience there?"
"A little," he admitted with a shrug on his shoulders. "I wasn't excited for my date at all. Wound up having a better time than I ever expected."
Regina nodded her head, clearly intrigued. "You really weren't excited at all?"
"It was a last minute, blind double date… set up by Hook," he deadpanned. "Would you be excited?"
Regina snickered at his description and shook her head. "I can't believe you let Hook set you up."
"Neither can I," replied Robin, "But like I said, I ended up having a better time than I hoped for."
Regina thought over his words and nodded her head. "True," she conceded. "And since I know my date I suppose I can consider myself one step ahead of you."
"Two," he quickly corrected. "You're far better dressed than I was."
A blush began to rise in Regina's cheeks as she chuckled at his compliment. "I'm always better than dressed than you," she teased.
She was full-on smiling now and Robin felt his heart warm up at the sight of it. Oh, the things he would do to keep that smile on her face. They'd probably kill him.
Regina reached out and patted his hand. "Thanks for the encouragement Robin. It helps a lot."
He smiled back at her. "Anytime," he replied.
She gave his hand one last squeeze before heading over to the sliding doors and calling for Emma to keep a lookout for Jefferson. He should be arriving any minute now, she'd yelled. The imminent arrival of her date returned Robin's stomach to its original twisted state. As he watched her head upstairs in order to finish getting ready, he silently reminded himself that she deserved this. She deserved a night out where she was treated properly, and as her friend he was right to encourage her to enjoy it.
Even if the idea of it twisted him up inside.
Jefferson arrived hardly twenty minutes after Regina headed back up to her room. Robin was setting dinner on the table for the boys when the doorbell rang and he felt that familiar storm return to his gut. While Emma ran up the stairs to alert Regina of her date's arrival Robin, feeling very much like the reaper at his own execution, headed for the door. He opened it to find Jefferson on the other side, looking slick as ever. Dressed in a dark grey three-piece suit with a silk blue tie he was quite a contrast to Robin in his plain blue jeans topped with a dull blue tee shirt and gray hoodie. His eyes widened when he saw Robin open the door.
"Oh! Sorry," he clumsily apologized. "I think I might have the wrong house."
He was pulling out his phone to double-check the address when Robin quickly assured him, "Don't worry. You're in the right place."
He gestured to the floor above their heads. "Regina's just upstairs. Should be down any moment. Why don't you come in?"
"Alright," drawled Jefferson uncertainly. He stepped over the threshold, confusion still evident on his face as he stared down the man who had let him inside.
"I'm Jefferson, Regina's friend from work." He held out his hand Robin firmly grasped it with his own, giving it two stiff shakes before quickly pulling back his hand.
"I'm Robin." He gave himself a simple introduction, not really in the mood to offer up anything more. Not to this guy. "We've actually met before actually. Briefly."
A spark of recognition shone in Jefferson as he remembered seeing him in the studio the day before. He snapped his fingers. "Right! You were one of the guys she was painting with. Shame I didn't get your name then."
"Yeah, well you were obviously busy." Yet again Robin hoped the bitterness in his tone went unnoticed. He gestured toward the kitchen. "We can wait in the kitchen."
Without waiting for Jefferson's response he headed past him toward the kitchen. He could hear the other man following as they made their way past the stairs to the islands. Jefferson had just taken a seat on one of the stools at the kitchen island when the sliding door opened and the boys tumbled inside.
Still giggling from his time outside Roland ran up to the table and asked, "Is dinner ready yet?"
"Dinner is ready," replied Robin, "But you are not. You need to go wash your hands."
Roland's face scrunched up in indignation. "But my hands aren't even dirty! See!"
He held up his seemingly clean hands as proof and Robin smirked at his protest. "Just because you can't see the germs doesn't mean they're not there. Now go wash your hands," he ordered in a firm voice. "Henry you too."
Roland growled at him as he stomped his way to the bathroom while Henry just groaned in protest. Robin watched them head to the bathroom with a shake of his head before calling after them, "And the attitude is not appreciated."
Jefferson watched their interaction with an amused look on his face. "Is handwashing always such a battle?"
Robin turned to him with a shrug. "It is when you have boys."
Jefferson clicked his tongue. "I wouldn't know about that. I only have a little girl Grace."
Robin raised his eyebrows in surprise as he made his way over to the island. "Really?"
He didn't personally see Jefferson as the fatherly type but the other man nodded his head in the affirmative. "Yeah, she's Henry's age actually."
An awkward silence filled the air then as Robin grabbed a water from the refrigerator. Jefferson looked around his surrounding as if hoping for Regina to appear out of thin air so the tension would finally break. When she didn't he let out another sigh So what's the deal with you? Are you babysitting for the night?"
Robin had to resist the urge to punch him in his teeth. "Not exactly," he said, shaking his head. "Regina and I live together for now. We kind of switch on and off between watching the kids, if necessary."
Though he tried to hide it Robin saw surprise flicker across Jefferson's face. He began to fidget in his seat, rubbing his hands together with poorly veiled intrigue in his eyes. "Oh, you live together? I didn't know that."
"It's a pretty recent development," replied Robin, a hint of smugness in his voice. "It's working out though. The boys love it and it's been nice to have her close again."
A non-committal sound of agreement came from Jefferson's throat and Robin hated that it gave him pleasure to hear it.
"So how long have you known Regina?"
He was fishing for more information and they both knew it. Robin briefly considered letting him squirm but decided to answer, "Almost eight years now. Ever since Henry was a baby. She and my wife were best friends."
"Oh so you have a wife?" A hopeful spark of interest flared in his eyes and Robin immediately crushed it.
"Not anymore. She died when my son was a baby," he bluntly replied.
Over the years Robin had noticed that whenever he revealed this particular piece of information about his life it tended to yield the same reaction. A reaction he saw play out on Jefferson's face. The other man's eyes went wide and he leaned back in his seat as if blown back by Robin's admission.
"Wow," he breathed. "I'm sorry."
Robin gave him his practiced response. "Well it happened a long time ago."
He set his water bottle down on the counter with a thud and let out a sigh. He was no longer interested in playing games. "Listen Jefferson… I don't know you very well but I do know Regina. She's my son's godmother and she means quite a lot to us. I've seen her hurt before in the past and I'd like to avoid seeing it in the future."
A smug look showed up on Jefferson's face. "Is this where you threaten to break my legs if I break her heart?"
Yet again the urge to punch him in his teeth rose up in Robin's chest. His knuckles went white as he stealthy started to grip the island counter. "No this is where I make sure that you're not a man who's blind to her value. She's a good woman with a good heart. I just want to make sure that hasn't escaped your notice."
His tone was even and solid, allowing for no misinterpretation. And the bite it contained didn't go unnoticed by the man sitting across from him.
Jefferson leaned forward in his seat, resting his folded hands against the island counter. "I've worked with Regina for a few years too Robin. So you can believe me when I promise you… that you are not the only man who sees her value."
A little bit of forced entered his tone on the word "not." A response to the verbal punches he knew Robin had been sending his way. A subtle shout out to the feelings he knew the other man harbored. Despite his efforts to conceal them Jefferson had spotted them the moment that door had opened.
Robin pulled his lips into a wry smile and nodded his head appreciatively. "Good. Because I can assure you if you did break her heart I'd be breaking a hell of a lot more than just your legs."
A smug smirk grew on Jefferson's face at Robin's threat. "Noted."
Another tension filled silence occupied the room as the two men stared each other down, sizing each other up, both trying to gauge the other man's intentions with the woman who was still getting ready upstairs oblivious to the barely sub textual war that was being fought across the kitchen island. Their battle of wills was broken the sound the boys returning from the bathroom. Satisfied that his warning had been heard he turned his attention back to Roland and Henry who rushed up to him showing off their freshly washed hands. He focused on getting the boys settled at the table for dinner, choosing to ignore the presence of the well-dressed man who he'd just threatened.
Barely ten seconds after he'd set down dinner in front of the boys he heard that familiar creak on the stairs combined with the unmistakable sound of heels against wood. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Regina making her way down the stairs, finally finished getting ready. Even he'd been taken aback by her before he was completely blown away now. She was still wearing the red dress she'd had on earlier but now it was paired with two dangling earrings and a pair of black heels that accentuated the shape of her legs. The lids of her eyes were perfectly bordered by her pitch black eyeliner and her lips were painted the same color as the fabric of her dress, drawing attention to the luminous smile that was now on her face. Positively stunning.
"Sorry I kept you waiting," she said, walking over to Jefferson. "Forgot which box my shoes were in."
"Don't worry about it." He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Well worth the wait."
Kiss ass, thought Robin sullenly as he averted his gaze.
Regina turned to Robin with an anxious look on her face. "Are you sure you're alright with the buys tonight? Because I could ask Emma to stick around."
He shook his head at her. "No I'll be alright. We are gonna have a boys' night in. Lot of video games and sugar."
She chuckled at him. "Not too much I hope."
Her black heels clacked against the floor as she stepped over to the table and placed her hands on Henry's shoulders. She leaned down and said, "Alright sweetie I'll be back after you've gone to bed. Do whatever Uncle Robin says, 'kay?"
"Okay," gurgled Henry, his mouth still full of chicken as he firmly nodded his head.
Regina smiled as she leaned down to press a kiss against his forehead and Roland quickly hopped out of his seat and rushed to her side. Bouncing on his toes he reminded her, "Don't forget to give me a kiss!"
She giggled as she kneeled down to his level. "How could I ever forget?"
She pressed three quick kisses to his forehead before sending him back to his seat. Grabbing her purse and a small work binder, she sent Robin a smile. "See you when I get back?"
He nodded his head at her. "Have fun."
In that moment he was sure drinking acid would've burned his throat less than saying those words. She was gone ten seconds later. Carted off in Jefferson's rented car. Robin decided against having dinner. He didn't have the stomach for it that night.
XXXXX
The ride to the restaurant was stilted to say the least. As Regina sat in the passenger seat of Jefferson's rented Lexus she found herself wishing that she'd had the foresight to drive herself to the restaurant and meet him there instead of arranging for him to pick her up. Sitting as rigid as a pillar of granite against the soft leather seat of his car, her legs crossed at the ankles and her hands placed just so atop the binder in her lap, Regina knew she was being stiff and hated that she couldn't find it in herself to stop. Jefferson, for his part, had been giving it his all trying to keep the ride from reaching peak awkwardness. He tried to fill the space between him with unimaginative questions, trying to find a flow of conversation that would help her relieve the obvious tension in the air. Poor guy didn't even come close to succeeding but she still admired his effort.
Thankfully it wasn't long, maybe 20 minutes, before they pulled up to the restaurant, a small, fancy affair named Poseidon's Cliff. Certainly a restaurant for romantics, Regina looked past the hostess stand and saw white cloth covered tables with candle lit mood lighting. The small flickering flames reflected off the dark wood of the walls and combined with the soft music streaming from a baby grand piano to create a positively sensual atmosphere. Jefferson quickly claimed their reservation and requested a table out on the patio. He placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her through the tables as the hostess led them outside. Regina took note of the placement of his hand, low on her back but not so low as to be inappropriate. Classy, she thought to herself. His touch was light and not possessive. Very unlike the treatment she'd gotten from Leopold.
They swiftly reached the patio and were placed at a small, two-seat table near the wood railing. From this spot Regina could now see how the restaurant got its name. It was situated right near the edge of a cliff, probably 100 feet above the ocean below. The sound of the waves crashing against the bluffs could be heard from the table and she knew if she looked over the railing she would see the rising white foam of the ocean as it came in contact with the sturdy, gray rock of the cliffs. When she looked straight ahead she could see the light of the full moon reflected against the ocean's horizon. It was a breathtaking view.
As Jefferson pulled out her chair and she settled into her seat she asked, "Just how did you find this place so quickly?"
He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly before taking a seat. "An old friend gave me a recommendation."
Hardly a minute after sitting down they were approached by young, well dressed waiter who handed them their dinner menus and a wine list. They quickly settled on a red wine and then looked over their options. As Regina had suspected, the restaurant specialized in seafood. Jefferson made a small quip that seafood was the only thing California could do better than New York. His comment made her giggle. Taking a moment to catch her breath she realized that it was a beautiful night and she was with a charming man in a wonderful restaurant. She consciously decided that it was worth her while to try and enjoy it for her own sake. No more fretting, no more second guessing. Just enjoying the evening at hand.
The waiter quickly returned with their wine and they told him their selections for dinner. By the time she took her second sip of wine, the tension had already begun to slowly seep out of her body. By the time dinner arrived she could finally say that she was completely relaxed. They'd started the evening by talking about work, as they'd originally planned. Running through her budget for the studio, the schedule leading up to the grand opening and even looking through the portfolio of potential candidates that she'd brought along. It wasn't long before Jefferson artfully steered the conversation away from work though. He started asking questions about her time in California, which she was happy to answer. She talked to him about making sure Henry was adjusting to the move, reuniting with her old friends and how excited she was to be running her own branch of the company. It was more responsibility than she'd ever had but she was ready to start proving her own merit. Little by little the conversation grew more serious until Jefferson finally asked the question he'd been dying to ask all night.
"Why weren't you using your real identity?"
The question gave her pause. She'd been expecting it all night but it still put a brake in her relaxed demeanor. She took another sip of wine to steel her nerves, swallowing hard as she tried to figure out just how much she wanted to tell him.
Finally, she set down her glass and licked her lips before answering him, "Because… I was afraid."
She told him the story she'd rehearsed and retold many times over. That when she was younger there had been an older man, one her mother wanted her to marry. That this man had been wealthy and powerful. That she'd never felt safe around him nor did she feel like he'd ever let her leave him.
"So I ran away, changed my name and I went into hiding… for more than seven years," she finished.
It was truth carved down to its barest bones. Enough to satisfy curiosity but not enough to make her feel particularly vulnerable.
"Wow," breathed Jefferson. He'd been listening to her story intently, not interrupting, allowing her to continue on in her own pace. Looking in his blue eyes Regina was surprised to see not one ounce of pity there, only thinly veiled awe.
"And they never caught on to you?" he asked, curiously.
She shook her head. "Not that I know of. I don't think I'd be here if they had."
"So what made you decide to come out of hiding?"
Regina sighed as she rested her arms against the edge of the table before bluntly answering, "My father died."
Jefferson's eyes widened, fearful that he'd overstepped his bounds. "Oh! I'm sorry."
She gave her head a little shake. "It's fine. He was always – well, he was never the healthiest man in the world. I've always known it would happen before I was ready."
She leaned back in her seat, swallowing thickly, trying to alleviate the sudden need to cry. She would not cry on this date. Instead she just let out a shaky breath before shrugging her shoulders.
"I just always thought that I'd be there when it happened," she said. "Knowing that I wasn't because I was too afraid to face them – my ex-fiancé and my mother – just made it feel like maybe hiding wasn't worth it anymore."
She reached for her glass of wine once again, the burning of unshed tears quickly subsiding in her eyes. "So… I took back my name, moved back to California and decided to live my life. My real one, anyway."
Jefferson nodded his head, as if trying to wrap his mind around all that she'd told him. "Well… are you enjoying it? Being you?"
Regina pulled her lips into a small smile and replied, "For now I am."
Jefferson responded with a smile of his own. "Good. Because I have had a really nice time getting to know you."
A small chuckle escaped her and she found herself starting to relax again. As she took another bite of the best shrimp scampi she had ever tasted she heard him ask, "So have you heard from either of them yet? Your mother or your old fiancé?"
She shook her head as she swallowed her food. "Not yet but I expect it'll happen sooner rather than later. I try to be on the lookout for them."
He paused before hesitantly asking. "Is that why you stay with Robin?"
His question caught her off guard and she let out a surprised chuckle. "What?"
"I just didn't realize that you lived together until tonight," he elaborated, his hands making an awkward gesture.
"Oh," she said, suddenly remembering that she hadn't exactly warned him about the fact that she lived with another man.
"Well, that's actually just a bit of laziness on my part," she admitted. "Robin agreed to let me and Henry stay with him when we first moved back and with the studio taking up so much of my time I haven't really been house hunting like I planned to."
It was the truth… mostly. She had originally planned to move out as soon as possible but over the past few weeks she had grown accustomed to her current living arrangement. It made her feel better to know there was another pair of eyes around the house, ones just as vigilant and concerned for Henry's safety as hers were. Having Robin down the hall did help her feel safe and perhaps it had even helped her grow complacent when it came to searching for a new home. Robin had told her, in no uncertain terms, that there was no need for her to rush.
Across the table Jefferson's gaze turned piercing. "You've been friends for a long time, haven't you?"
It was more of a statement than a question. Almost accusatory in its tone but not so much that Regina felt the need to be openly defensive about it.
Instead she just tucked her hair behind her ears and nodded. "Yeah for around eight years now."
"So you're pretty close then?"
She hesitated before firmly answering, "Yes. He's seen me through a lot. And I've seen him through just as much I'd like to think. I don't expect that to change anytime soon."
Thinking it over she realized she and Robin had been by each other's side for a lot of milestones in their lives. Losing Marian, raising their children, finding new homes. Sometimes she still couldn't believe that he'd come to her father's funeral with her but looking back on it she didn't know why she'd expected any less from him. Robin was one of the best friends she'd ever had. Certainly the closest. And she didn't particularly like that Jefferson seemed concerned about it.
She took another sip of wine. "Does it make you uncomfortable? That I live with him?"
There was a hint of challenge to her words. Almost as if she was daring him to answer in a way that she disagreed with.
Jefferson, of course, knew better than to fall into that trap. He just let out a lighthearted laugh and shook his head. "No," he answered. "I'm just trying to get a feel for the relationship. You know the type of people you keep in your life says a lot about a person."
"True," she said nodding her head concedingly. "But honestly, I think me being friends with him is more beneficial than him being friends with me. His reputation is far better than my own right now."
"Seems like a decent guy," commented Jefferson. "A bit overprotective but that's just my opinion."
Regina narrowed her eyes at him. "Why?"
Jefferson's lips pulled into a smirk. "Well he did sort of threaten to break my legs."
Regina's eyes bulged out of her head. "What?! When?"
"When I came to pick you up," he answered, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It was actually a decent threat. I might use it when Grace starts dating."
She chuckled at the thought of Robin threatening her date like some protective older brother. It was ridiculous but it did explain the slight tension she'd felt when she came downstairs. She threw her head back with a groan. "Oh we are going to have such a conversation when I get back."
"Please don't," said Jefferson. "The last thing I want is for him to think he intimidated me."
She arched an eyebrow at him. "Didn't he?"
Jefferson shrugged his shoulders. "Not physically," he answered, eyes dropping down to his plate. "Just made me wonder if there was something more between you two, romantically I mean."
Romantically? Regina reared her head back in surprise. Between her and Robin?
"Are you asking me if I've ever had a crush on him?" she said, playfully shaking her head.
"Oh, you make me sound so immature," chuckled Jefferson.
Well you are a little bit, she thought to herself. On one hand she found the notion of her and Robin as couple utterly ridiculous. They were just friends. They shared a history. She was best friends with his deceased wife for God's sake! His son was her godchild. The idea of them ever getting together was positively ludicrous.
But on the other hand…
She did remember laying against his shoulder on the late nights after she'd returned to California, too afraid to go to sleep without him there. How the sound of his voice could calm her down from miles away. The particularly heartwarming sight of seeing him playing with their boys, blue eyes sparkling with joy, his rich laughter ringing through the yard. The fact that when anything happened – bad, good, exciting, unusual – he was the first person she'd call, without hesitation. She remembered these things and suddenly she felt… doubtful.
Jefferson took another sip of his wine and looked into her eyes. "But really… there's nothing there?"
With a tight smile she shook her head at him. "No. There isn't."
An easy grin returned to Jefferson's face and he nodded. "Alright. Good to know."
The conversation grew less serious after that, returning to more lighthearted topics like the changes in New York since she'd been gone and how their children were doing in school. She felt more relaxed as the evening went on but even as Jefferson called for the check and they prepared to leave a question buzzed around in the back of her head.
If the words she said about her and Robin were the truth, then why did they feel so much like a lie?
XXXXX
The neighborhood around Robin's house was heavily silent by the time Jefferson pulled up to the curb. It was past ten o'clock at night and every light but the streetlights were out. All husbands and wives, daughters and sons were tucked away in bed, fast asleep. Regina let out a soft breath as she climbed out of the car and onto the sidewalk. She'd reached the end of her date and she couldn't help but feel like a survivor. She'd managed to make it through the evening with no nervous breakdowns or mortifying moments. Somehow she'd managed to let go and enjoy herself at least for a little while. It was more than she could say for the past few months.
She looked over to the side of the car when she heard Jefferson slamming his door shut after he'd stepped out into the street. A bit of laughter escaped them both at the surprise in their eyes when it echoed down the street. Jefferson was still chuckling as he walked around the front of the car and over to her side.
He sighed as he looked down the street with an amused look on his face. "Wow! I have never heard silence like this in my life!" he passionately whispered. "It is… unsettling."
Regina laughed at his observation but nodded her head in agreement. The still silence of the street was a far cry from the lights and noise that characterized night time in New York City.
"I will admit it took a while for me to get used to it again but once you've grown accustomed to it, it makes falling asleep twice as easy."
Well for normal people, she silently added. Ones who aren't plagued with nightmares.
She pushed those thoughts out of her head and returned her attention to Jefferson who was smiling down at her. He'd been a good date, she thought to herself. Her expectations for the night had been low but she had to admit that he'd shown her a good time. And despite herself she felt grateful for that.
"Thank you for taking me out," she said. "It was nice."
"Well I aim to please," he replied playfully.
The silence in the street grew heavier as he stared into her eyes. At this moment she suddenly remembered that end of the night kisses were a particularly common dating ritual. Tension spiked through her entire body as she saw him lean in towards her. Her eyes fell down to his lips as they moved closer to her own. It was a split second decision but she swiftly raised her hand to his chest, stopping him from coming any closer and tilting her own head so she could land a quick peck on his right cheek.
She felt him freeze as her lips pressed against his skin and she realized that there it was. That nervous breakdown, that mortifying moment she'd been waiting for all night. She'd should've known better than to think she could've avoided it.
She pulled back, groan rumbling from the back of her throat as Jefferson sheepishly looked away from her.
"Well that was unexpected," he chuckled, trying to diffuse the tension.
"I'm sorry," she drawled, a nervous waver entering her tone. "It's just… I don't want to start something I can't finish."
It was the quickest excuse she could come up with. And the most rational.
"I mean, you're leaving tomorrow and I'm staying here," she rambled. "It just doesn't seem like a good idea to make it into something it isn't or couldn't be."
He held up a hand to keep her from elaborating further. "Don't worry," he said. "I get it."
"You do?"
"Yes," he insisted. "You don't have to apologize to me for it. This probably isn't the best situation to start a relationship in. Geographically speaking."
She nodded her head, relief swelling in her chest at his easy understanding. "Right," she said nodding her head. She quickly added, "For the record, I really did have a good time. You were… an excellent date."
"Thanks," he chuckled. "You weren't so bad yourself."
He opened his arm to offer her a hug and she happily accepted, grateful that he hadn't taken her rejection personally. He really had been an excellent date. Kind, attentive and funny. But for the life of her she just couldn't shake the feeling that this one night was as far as they were meant to go.
He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before letting her go. Sharing one last smile they bid each other goodnight, Regina heading toward the door and Jefferson climbing back into his car. She could feel his eyes on her back as she unlocked the door. He only pulled away once she was safely inside. Through the peephole she watched him drive away from the house until he was out of sight. Once he'd disappeared down the road, she leaned back against the door with a sigh and kicked off her heels. As she dropped her binder and purse down on the hallway table she noticed the kitchen light glowing past the staircase.
Immediately she headed toward it hoping Robin had just forgotten to turn it off after dinner and that it wasn't one of the boys up past their bedtime sneaking late night ice cream. Turns out it was neither. She rounded the corner to find Robin dressed in a white tank top and sweatpants, standing at the island counter, artfully piling layers of lunchmeat onto a slice of bread.
He raised his eyebrows at her as she walked into the kitchen. "Hey."
"Waiting up for me?" she asked suspiciously.
"No," he instantly replied. He gestured to the half-made sandwich in front of him. "I didn't eat dinner. Figured turkey and swiss could cure my hunger for the night."
At least that what he was telling himself. He didn't want to admit to anyone, especially her or himself, that he'd stayed up watching the window and listening for the sound of the front door just wondering when she'd be home and growing more anxious as the minutes went by. It was just easier to tell himself that he stayed up late to go over the Drunken Monk's finances again, not because he couldn't sleep while he was still wondering just what she was doing out on her date with him. He tried to convince himself that he stayed up purely out of need and not out of curiosity.
"How was your date?" he asked.
"Fine," she drawled, heading over to the fridge. He wanted to know more about their date and she knew it but she couldn't help but torture him after learning about his territorial warning to Jefferson earlier. She was still on the fence about whether or not she would tell him that she knew about his little show of concern.
Pulling out a small carton of chocolate ice cream and grabbing a spoon from the drawer next to the refrigerator she sat across from him, pulling up a stool at the kitchen island.
"How were the boys?"
"Resistant but relatively obedient," he replied. It had been a pretty calm night for him and the boys. They ate dinner, watched Cars 2 and went off to bed without much of a struggle. His night had been easy but it wasn't the one he was interested in.
"So where did he take you for dinner?" he asked, trying his best to sound apathetic.
Regina hummed as she swallowed her ice cream and regarded him coolly. "Poseidon's Cliff."
He inwardly cursed. Even he knew about Poseidon's. It was one of the fanciest restaurants in California.
"Was it any good?"
"Shrimp scampi was the best I'd ever tasted," she replied, eyes still focused on her ice cream.
He topped of his sandwich with a sigh. "And what about your date? Was he any good?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "You don't have to break his legs if that's what you're asking."
She looked up then, just in time to see his hands go still and his eyes go wide. "Sorry?"
"Sorry?" she repeated mockingly. "You're really gonna play dumb here?"
Though she hadn't planned on revealing what she knew but the look on his face made it worth it. All wide-eyed, red-cheeked and open-mouthed. He looked positively dumbfounded.
She softly laughed at him. "You realize you're not my big brother right?
"I know," he sighed, taking a seat beside her. Believe me I know. "But I'm entitled to lookout for you every once in a while, right?"
A bemused smile on her face she turned her attention back to her ice cream. "Maybe. If you left out the threat of bodily harm."
He chuckled. "Now how's that any fun?"
She just shook her head at him. God, sometimes men were unbelievable.
"My question still stands," said Robin. "Think you'll see him again?"
He was toeing a dangerous line. Teasing his heart. He knew if she said yes he'd be disappointed. But if she said no… well what did that matter? It wasn't as if he was going to tell her how he felt. Things were far more complicated than that. He didn't know why he was asking her these questions. Perhaps he'd developed a taste for masochism in these past few days. Learned to enjoy the pain that came with holding his feelings inside. Or maybe, more likely, the part of him that longed to be her lover wasn't as strong as the part of him that needed to be her friend. That needed to be the one she could confide in and open up to. Maybe that part of him was stronger because he knew it was the one she needed the most. In any case he couldn't help but be relieved when he saw her shake her head.
"No he's going back New York tomorrow," she answered "There'd really be no point in prolonging anything."
Robin tried his best to look disappointed for her. "I'm sorry."
She shrugged her shoulders. "Don't be. I had fun tonight." A smile tugged on her lips. "It was nice to be able to go out, enjoy myself and be treated well but…"
"But what?"
She hesitated before continuing. "But I couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't the guy who should be taking me out."
Robin's heart leapt into his throat. "Really?"
Regina let out an embarrassed breath. "Just a gut instinct," she said. "Emma told me before I left that I should try and figure out whether or not liked him enough for a second date. And somewhere along the line I decided that I didn't."
Robin stared at her as she took another bite of her ice cream. "Any idea what turned you off?"
"I don't know," she said softly shaking her head. "He was everything a date should be, polite and charismatic. It just… didn't feel right in the end."
She didn't know just when she'd decided that Jefferson wouldn't be worth another date. Maybe it was during the stilted car ride or on the way back. Or perhaps it was when he'd asked her about the man sitting next to her. Perhaps it was when he'd held up a mirror to one of her oldest friendship and forced her to look harder than she'd originally deemed necessary. Or maybe it was when they'd pulled up to the house and she'd realized that she'd rather talk to the man inside it than the one who'd driven her home.
Suddenly she was very aware of how close he was sitting next to her. Of how good his arms looked as he placed his elbows on the island counter. Maybe it was their proximity or Jefferson putting the idea in her head but in a brief flash she imagined what it would be like to on one of those arms. To have Robin take her out. She started imagining how her date would go if he had been the one sitting across from her tonight instead of Jefferson. In a flash the idea of it ran through her head and she stopped it in its tracks.
She turned back to her ice cream and took another bite.
"So… think you'll be going out again anytime soon?" asked Robin.
She laughed as she swallowed her ice cream and shook her head. "Nope. As fun as tonight was I don't think I'm up for a repeat anytime soon."
She turned her head to him. "What about you? Think you'll be taking anyone out?"
Robin hesitated before answering her. "Maybe… if the opportunity presents itself."
A moment of charged silence passed between them. Against her will Regina's heart skipped a beat at his words and her lips pulled into a smile.
"Well make you sure bring her home first. If I don't threaten to break her arms God only knows how she'll treat you," she whispered playfully.
Robin snorted at her as she climbed off her stool. "Please you can barely break bread."
She sent him an offended look before packaging up her ice cream and sliding it back into the freezer. "It's getting late. I'm gonna head to bed," she said, walking past the island counter. "Enjoy your sandwich."
She'd made it to the stairs and had one foot on the first step when she looked over her shoulder, back to where he sat at the kitchen counter.
"You know it's not your job to protect me," she told him.
A little surprised by her sudden add-on he nodded his head. "I know. That's why I volunteered," he replied seriously.
She locked eyes with him for a moment, absorbing the fact that he meant every word before finally looking away and heading back up the stairs. As she entered her room and started getting ready for bed she couldn't help but think about her relationship with Robin. Jefferson had seen something more between them than she'd been willing to notice. She wanted to say that he was insane. That the only thing between her and Robin was friendship and nothing more. But after tonight she wasn't entirely sure that was true anymore. She couldn't help but think about the way Robin made her feel. Safe, free… happy. She couldn't help but think about the fact that in the ten minutes she'd spent with him sitting at the kitchen counter she'd felt more of a connection than she'd had in the whole two hours she'd spent with Jefferson at Poseidon's Cliff. And she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps Jefferson was right. That maybe there was something more between them.
But as she pulled on her pajamas she firmly told herself that no, there couldn't be.
This was Robin. Marian's husband. Roland's father. She couldn't go down that route.
She couldn't dwell on the way his dimples flashed when he smiled. She couldn't think of how when he grabbed her hand she felt like she could get through anything. She couldn't remind herself that she loved his son as much as she loved her own.
She couldn't let herself fall in love with her dead best friend's husband.
All she could do was ignore the tiny little voice in her head screaming to her that it was already too late.
XXXXXXX
The sun shined through the windows of LAX the next morning. Jefferson took a moment to soak it in as he waited on a bench for his flight to start boarding. He'd checked the New York weather report when he'd woken up that morning and was dismayed to discover that it was expected to rain over the city all day. This might be his last chance for sunlight until the weekend.
As he sipped his coffee he found himself grateful that he'd decided to book a mid-morning flight instead of an earlier. His dinner with Regina had ran long and he'd barely gotten to sleep before eleven thirty. As he sat on the bench, his carry-on bag looped over his shoulder, his mind wandered back to the raven-haired beauty he'd taken out the night before. Suddenly he was very aware that last night might be the last time he ever saw her. He couldn't help but be a bit relieved by that. Spending time with Regina Mills had not been good for his soul.
"Mind if I take a seat beside you?"
His back tensed up at the sound of that voice. He didn't even have to look up to know there were a pair of dark, piercing eyes looking down at him now. His eyes flickered to the ground beside his feet and locked onto the familiar sight of an expensive pair of black shoes joined by the lustrous end of a painted cane.
He swallowed hard before answering, "You ask me as if I have a choice."
A dark chuckle flowed from above him before he felt the man settle onto the bench next to him. Two hands rested atop the golden cobra cane topper as a sigh emanated from the well-dressed man who'd sat next to him.
"Lovely to see you again Jefferson." His voice felt like poisonous honey, sweet, smooth and fatal.
"Is it?" replied Jefferson. "I'm never able to tell with you, Gold."
He finally looked over to see Eli Gold sitting next to him. Dressed in an all-black suit like always, with the ever present look of superiority in his eyes.
"Bit early for so much attitude isn't it Mr. Abbot?" he spat, his temper flaring.
Jefferson averted his gaze, turning his eyes back to the coffee in his hand. "Sorry. Just had a long night."
"Well I expect so," replied Gold. "How was your evening with Miss Mills?"
"Good," Jefferson answered, guilt rising up in his chest.
"Did you take her to the restaurant I recommended?"
"Yes." He nodded his head. "I think she enjoyed herself."
Gold nodded his head with a smile. "Good. I expect you were able to keep track of the usual things for me."
Jefferson sighed and nodded his head before telling Gold all he'd discovered about Regina the night before. Her working habits, her son, her moods, her friendships. The more he spoke the dirtier he felt. It wasn't the first time. No he'd done this many times over the past three years. Hell, it'd all started a week after he'd first laid eyes on her.
Once he'd finished Gold nodded his head thoughtfully. "Did she mention anything else? Anything unusual or noteworthy?"
Jefferson hesitated before answering him. "She talked about her mother and an old fiancé. Said she's on the lookout for them."
At the mention of these two figures from Regina's past Jefferson swore he saw a spark of interest in Gold's eyes.
"Really?" drawled the older man. "And have either of them made contact with her yet?"
Jefferson shook his head. "Not according to her."
Gold looked away from him then, twisting his cane as he fell deep into thought. Suddenly he rose from his seat and looked down at Jefferson. "Thank you Mr. Abbott. As always you've been a big help."
He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a thick envelope of cash, handing it down to him. "Consider it a parting gift. After today your services are no longer required."
Even as self-loathing washed over him, Jefferson took the money and stuffed it into his carry-on. He told himself it was for Grace's future and that was the only reason he was accepting it.
He saw Gold begin to walk away from him and suddenly he felt his curiosity return. If this was the last time he was would see the old man perhaps it might be worth it to get some answers.
"Wait!" he softly called, standing to his feet. "What will happen to Regina now?"
Gold turned back to him, his lips pulled into a surprised smirk. "Well, now… is that concern I'm hearing in your voice, Mr. Abbott? Don't tell me you've grown to care for her after all this time?"
Jefferson clenched his jaw as shame rose, burning red, into his cheeks. He knew he wasn't the most honest person in her life, selling her movements to the man in front of him, but after three years of sitting across from her at work he wouldn't be lying if he said that Regina's safety did matter to him.
"Maybe I'm just a little worried about what your intentions are," he replied, trying to make his voice as firm as possible.
"My intentions should not be your concern," Gold gritted out strictly. "They never have been in the past. You've always come when I called, mouth open like a broken vault willing to answer whatever I've asked without question."
"You've never given me a choice in the matter," Jefferson shot back.
In glorious technicolor he remembered the day when he'd first met Eli Gold. He remembered walking Grace to school, waving goodbye, crossing the street and having a black bag pulled over his head. He remembered being carted off in a vehicle he'd never laid eyes on, being so sure that he wasn't going to make it to see tomorrow only to be dropped at the feet of the man in front of him and calmly told that he was going to perform a much needed service.
Gold smirked at him. "Paint the picture however you like Mr. Abbott. The truth will always be that you entered an agreement with me of your own volition. I offered to keep the Romanians off your trail in exchange for information on Miss Mills. It was a simple deal that you agreed to. You could've said no and accepted the consequences but you chose not to. That's hardly my fault."
Leaning on his cane he took one step closer to him. "Have I not held up my end of the bargain, Mr. Abbott? Have I not protected you and your daughter from the thugs you owed and kept you safe like I promised?"
He stared into Jefferson's eyes with all the warmth of a cold-blooded shark. "Would you like me to dissolve our agreement Mr. Abbott?"
"No," said Jefferson instantly. "No I would not."
As much as he feared and mistrusted Gold he still needed his protection. He and Grace wouldn't last long without it.
"I thought not," replied Gold with a cold smile. "Now like I've said before I will no longer be requiring your services, which is not to say I won't continue to hold up my end of the deal. It just means that I'll no longer have these little chats to look forward to." He reached out to tightly grip Jefferson's shoulder. "So I suggest that you do what you've wanted to do since the day we first met. Go home to your daughter and forget you ever knew me."
He lightly shoved Jefferson toward his gate, which had just began boarding. "You've already worn out your usefulness Jefferson. You don't want to see what happens when you wear out my patience."
His threat was piercing and it did its job. Jefferson only gave him one last look before heading onto his plane, his questions overshadowed by the need he felt to get far away from the man whose interest in him could prove fatal.
Gold watched him go with a satisfied look on his face. He'd admired the young man's survival instinct. In another life he might've been worth grooming into something better than he was. But he didn't have time for that now. He already had a pet project that he needed to deal with.
As he made his way toward the airport exit he thought over all that Jefferson had told him. Neither Cora or Leopold had made contact with Regina yet. On one hand that was a good thing. If Leopold had come chasing after Regina yet it was doubtful that he ever would. Men like him were selfish and entitled but they never had a particularly long attention span. So long as Regina didn't provoke him he doubted that Leopold would come after her. Cora was an entirely different story. The fact that she hadn't popped up yet only meant that she was biding her time, lying in wait, looking for the perfect opportunity to strike. And of the course the longer she waited the more vicious he knew her attack would be.
Next Chapter: While struggling with her feelings for Robin Regina finally decides to move into her own place but a storm draws their two families closer.
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