AGE SEVEN: It's 1992 and Regina and Robin are gonna spend their first Christmas together... but neither of them are happy about it.
It was five days 'til Christmas and seven-year-old Regina Mills was not happy.
Pouting, she sat between her two parents in the back of a town car, arms crossed and brow furrowed. The sound of Jingle Bells, her favorite Christmas song, played on the radio but she didn't crack a single smile. Instead, her face remained determinedly sour.
It wasn't that Regina was an unhappy child. On the contrary, she was kind and joyful, smiling and laughing often, especially during the holidays. She loved all the Christmas decorations, and holiday treats and especially the snow. Normally this time of year would fill her with cheer but this year she was decidedly unhappy. And all for one reason…
It was five days 'til Christmas and her parents were leaving her.
Her older sister, Zelena, had missed her flight home from boarding school in London so, with a few days delay, her parents were going to pick her up themselves. In order to do so, they'd be leaving Regina behind with her nanny. A decision she didn't agree with at all.
She glared at the the floor of the car as they rode through town, still stewing over the situation. She didn't dare cry about it - she'd already tried that method, it failed - but she could still silently convey her displeasure. Not that either of them noticed. Or so she thought.
"Regina…" her mother drawled, warningly. "I'll remind you that pouty girls don't get presents. At least not the ones they like."
Cora Mills didn't even bother looking in Regina's direction as she admonished her for her attitude. She kept her gaze firmly on the window when she added, "I suggest you straighten up before we reach your nanny's house."
Regina dropped the pout but allowed her arms to remain crossed. "It's not fair," she said. "Why can't I go to London? I'll be good!"
"Because the flight is too long for a girl your age," her father gently reminded her. "You'd get bored."
Henry tried to comfortingly pat her shoulder but Regina's pout returned. It still wasn't fair.
It wasn't long before they reached their destination. Regina's nanny, Eugenia Lucas, lived in a small three-bedroom house across town. Looking out the car window, Regina saw a wreath hung on her door and two small snowmen standing on the snow-covered lawn. The place seemed perfectly welcoming but she still groaned when she caught sight of it. Just because she liked going to Granny's didn't mean she wanted to be there for Christmas.
Ignoring her daughter's obvious displeasure, Cora simply kissed her on the cheek and whispered "Be sure to behave" before allowing her father to walk her to the door. Pulling her purple My Little Pony suitcase behind her, she held his hand and pleaded once more for the chance to come along.
"Please daddy!" she begged. "I can sit still on the plane. I won't make noise, I promise!"
Henry sighed, kneeling down to her level. "Listen princess, it's already too late to bring you, I'm sorry."
Regina looked to ground, dejected and Henry reached out to stroke her cheek. "We'll only be gone for three days, sweetheart. And when we get back we'll have your sister with us. Aren't you excited to see her again?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Regina mumbled, "I guess."
Though she did miss her older sister, Zelena hadn't lived in the house for months now and Regina had kind of gotten used to her not being there.
"Until then you'll be at Granny's!" he reminded her, with a smile. "You'll love it. You're gonna have so much fun I promise. Especially now that Robin and Belle are here."
Regina frowned harder at the mention of Robin and Belle Locksely, her nanny's new wards. She'd met with them a few times since they'd been here but she still didn't know much about them. Belle was nice but her brother Robin was the worst. She most certainly wasn't looking forward to spending the next few days with him.
Henry knocked on the door and within seconds Granny appeared, opening the door with a smile on her face and a dish towel in her hands. She looked down at Regina, took in her frown and disappointed eyes and immediately turned sympathetic.
"Aww, doesn't look like someone's in much of a Christmas spirit," she remarked. Pulling Regina, into a hug, she promised, "Don't you worry. We'll fix that."
"Still we appreciate it," he sincerely replied. Looking down at his daughter, he sighed. "Now, be a good girl Regina and we'll be back soon."
Regina remained silent as she looked away, glaring in the opposite direction to let him know she still wasn't happy.
Henry gave her a sad smile. "I suppose it's too much to ask for a hug?"
He opened his arms to her and smiled. Despite how mad she was still was Regina reluctantly stepped over to give him a hug which he heartily returned, squeezing her tight. Rubbing her cheek against his wool winter coat she tried not to cry.
"Three days," whispered Henry. "And I'll be right back."
He gave her one last kiss before letting go and walking back to the town car. Her parents waved as it pulled from the curb and headed down the street. Halfheartedly, she waved back.
They actually left her.
Granny sighed as she watched the car disappear down the road. Patting Regina on the shoulder, she tilted her head toward the house. "Come on in sweetheart."
Regina had always liked visiting Granny's house. With less rules and more to do it was always more fun than her own but the thought of that didn't keep the frown off her face. As they walked in together, the first thing she noticed was the smell of ginger and cinnamon in the air. Her heart leapt in her chest when she recognized it.
Looking up at Granny with wide eyes she asked, "Are you baking cookies?"
Smiling, Granny nodded. "That's right. And we're going to decorate them together, all four of us."
The sound of rapid footsteps came from the living room and Regina saw a little girl, only a few years younger than herself running toward them with a happy grin. "Regina!" she yelled.
"Belle!"
The two girls hugged each other tight, as if they were reuniting after a long time apart. In truth they'd seen each other just a day ago.
Regina liked Belle Locksely, even though her accent was funny and she was only five years old. Belle liked a lot of the same things that Regina did. Things like stories, dress up and puzzles. The two girls had grown quite close since Belle moved to town.
"Alright girls," said Granny, taking off Regina's jacket and grabbing her suitcase. "Why don't you head to the living room. I've got a surprise for you."
Smiling, Regina held Belle's hand as they rushed back into the living room. As if blown away by the wind her sadness disappeared. Her parents might not be here but at least Belle was. And maybe that meant she would have a good time.
Her optimism waned when she got to the living room and saw him there.
Robin Locksely sat on the couch, his blue eyes fixed on the gameboy in his hands. He didn't even look up to say hello when he heard his sister return with their new houseguest, an act that irked Regina. She didn't like Robin, but she liked being ignored even less.
Granny passed through the living room carrying Regina's things and sent Robin a stern look as she passed through.
"Robin don't be rude," she ordered. "Say hello."
Robin moaned and rolled his eyes before looking over at Regina and bitterly sneering, "Fine. Hi."
Regina angrily scrunched her face at him but didn't respond.
When she'd first learned that Robin would be living with her nanny she'd been excited. She thought it'd be nice to have someone her age around but Robin had quickly declared that girls were stupid and he'd never want to be friends with one. She'd hated him ever since.
Granny took in Regina's reaction and pointed a warning finger in both their directions. "Hey! I want no nonsense from either of you. Understood?"
They both nodded, but as soon as Granny's back was turned they continued to glare at each other. To them is was abundantly clear that the two of them would never get along.
Pulling three small, wrapped boxes out of the closet, Granny gave one to each of them. "Okay kiddos, before we get started on cookies, I have a little present for each of you!"
Belle and Regina cheered in excitement as Granny handed out gifts and Robin even put away his gameboy. Happily ripping open the boxes, they each discovered a cozy hand knitted sweater, each with a different Christmas symbol. Robin's had a Christmas tree knitted across the chest, while Regina's was colored with a reindeer and Belle's had a christmas present with a bow.
Regina's jaw dropped in awe. "It's so pretty!"
Granny chuckled. "Well I'm glad you like it, sweetheart. Why don't you all toss them on over your shirts and meet me in the kitchen?"
Xxxxxxxxx
Cooking with Granny was one of Regina's favorite activities. There was almost nothing that she loved more than cracking eggs and mixing dough to make delicious cakes and treats. That being said she found herself a little disappointed when she walked into the kitchen - Belle and Robin in tow - to see that there were no ingredients set out for them. Instead the cookies were already baked. A dozen or so little gingerbread men were laid out on the table, all delicious smelling but unceremoniously blank.
"I thought we were baking cookies," she mumbled.
Granny pulled out the chairs so they could all sit at the table. "I know but this year I thought we could try something different," she said. "We're gonna be decorating gingerbread men. Doesn't that sound fun?"
Regina only shrugged her shoulders but Belle immediately clapped her hands in excitement. "Just like with mama and daddy."
"That's right, sweetheart." Granny nodded, sending a warm smile her way. "I've got all the frosting and gumdrops we need."
Rolling up their sleeves, they all sat at the kitchen table while Granny passed out their gingerbread men. Immediately, Regina set to work decorating her cookies.
With Granny's help she used frosting to make them vanilla eyes and smiles. She added peter pan collars and cuffs to their arms and legs until they finally looked like happy little men. Only when she was satisfied did she finally reach for the bowl of gumdrops. Though Granny had bought an assortment of colors, Robin and Belle were only using red and green for their buttons. It was pretty but Regina wanted to use her favorite color, purple, instead.
However, when she reached for the bowl to grab one she saw Robin glare at her from across the table.
"You can't use that color!" he sneered.
Regina scowled at him. "Why not? I like purple!"
"Because it's not right! They're Christmas cookies. They have to be red and green!" he declared.
"Well I'm gonna use purple," said Regina, sticking out her chin defiantly.
Robin growled at her before turning to Granny with desperate. "Granny she's doing it wrong! Tell her she has to do it right!"
Granny hopelessly looked up from helping Belle with her cookies and sighed. After a short moment of internal debate she shook her head at Robin. "Regina is free to do whatever she likes with her cookies. Pay attention to your own."
Regina smiled before triumphantly sticking her tongue in Robin's direction and sticking a purple gumdrop on one of her gingerbread men.
Robin's face went red as he furiously stood from his chair and stomped over to her.
"You're not doing them right!" he cried.
Before she could stop him, Robin had balled up his fist and smashed her cookies. Her mouth dropped open in shock as she watched him angrily render her gingerbread men into broken crumbs, growling as he did so.
Looking down at her destroyed cookies Regina felt her face grow hot and her eyes grow wet. Tears started to stream down her cheeks as she opened her mouth and bawled at his cruelty. Robin had ruined her cookies.
Granny immediately stood from her chair and grabbed her grandson by his wrist. "Robin!"
But the boy remained unapologetic. "It's her fault! She wasn't doing them right!" he yelled.
"I told you to leave her cookies alone," Granny hissed at him, clearly angry at his outburst. "That is it! You go to your room!"
"That's not fair!" he argued, his face growing red.
"I said go to your room Robin! And stay there until I come get you!" Granny repeated.
Robin sent them one last rueful look before turning his back and stomping toward the stairs. Through her own cries Regina heard him slam the door to his room.
After watching her brother storm out, Belle slid from her chair and wrapped her arms around her friend, giving her comforting pats. "It's okay Regina, don't cry."
But she did cry.
This was the worst Christmas ever.
Xxxxxxxxxxx
Back in London, Robin had loved his bedroom. It had been big and colorful with a mural on the wall painted with all his favorite cartoon characters. He'd had a big race car carpet and all the toys he could ask for. He and his best friend John used to have sleepovers all the time where they made forts with all his blankets and pillows.
He missed his room. And he missed John.
Robin didn't like it at Granny's. His room was dull and dusty. There weren't any colors on the wall and it got really cold at night. He never had any friends over either. The boys at school were mean to him, always making fun of the way he talked. No wanted to have sleepovers with him. Not that he'd wanted to invite anyone. There's nothing to play with in his room anyway. A fact he was dreadfully aware of now that Granny had banished him there.
Laying on his bed thinking about what he'd done, Robin was still angry. He didn't know how long he was left up there but he saw the sun go down through his window. It wasn't fair that he'd been sent upstairs. Granny had promised him that morning that they'd make cookies just like he used to with his mom and Regina had been the one who messed that up. She should be the one locked in her room, not him.
In fact, he shouldn't even be here at all.
He should be home in London with his parents. They should be the ones he was making cookies with. They were ones he should be spending Christmas with.
Turning over to face his nightstand, he stared at the picture of his mom and dad. It was an old one from back when Belle was a baby and he'd been really little. His father was holding him up and his mother had his sister in her arms while they both carried matching smiles. Smiles that he'd never see again.
Staring at the picture, his eyes grew hot and itchy but he blinked away the tears. And just in time it seemed.
The door to his room creaks open and in walks Granny with a plate in hand. Immediately, Robin turns from her, rolling to face the window. He hears Granny sigh before walking over and setting the plate on his nightstand.
"I brought you dinner," she said. "Mac and cheese, just the way you like it."
He remains silent, only crossing his arms in response. A soft dip in his mattress lets him know that she's taken a seat on the edge of his bed. "Robin… the tantrums need to stop. Just because you're sad doesn't mean you get to be mean too."
She pauses before adding, "You owe Regina an apology."
"I don't care!" he spat, finally turning around to face her. "I hate her and I hate you!"
Granny blinked, taken aback by his sudden outburst. Robin's face was red and tearful as he cried at her. "I don't want to be here anymore! I want to go home!"
Granny swallowed, hesitating to answer him. After a moment she took a deep breath and gave him a sympathetic look.
"Robin… this is your home now." Her reply only served to upset him further but she continued on. "I know you want to go back to London but you can't. It doesn't work like that. I'm sorry."
Tears streamed down Robin's face as she explained, yet again, that his current situation was permanent. Now that his parents were dead there was no left to care from him but her. And sadly that meant leaving England behind. Forever.
Robin fell back on the bed in despair and Granny gently ran her fingers through his hair as he cried. "Honey, I know it's hard having your life become so different so quickly… but just because it's different doesn't mean that it's bad."
She squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. "You might've loved things in London, but you can love things here too. You just have to give them a chance."
Giving him one last sympathetic smile, she rose from the bed. "Your dinner's on the nightstand if you want it. I'll be back to tuck you in before bedtime."
Robin didn't respond as she walked out of the room. Instead he waited until he heard the door close behind her to throw his hands over his eyes and cry.
This was the worst Christmas ever.
Xxxxxxxxx
It had been a few hours since Robin had destroyed her cookies and Regina had finally calmed down.
After she'd sent Robin away, Granny had wiped away her tears and hugged her. Along with Belle, she'd help Regina salvage what had been left and promised that she'd have another chance to make cookies tomorrow. Once all the excitement had passed the rest of the day went by uneventfully. She and Belle had played with puzzles and read a book or two.
It was after dinner now and Regina was in her PJ's for the night, her skin still warm from her shower. As she and Belle sat in bed waiting for the younger girl to be called for her bath, Granny came in to the room. With her hands on her hips, she smiled at the two of them.
"Okay girls, it's nearly bedtime," she said, looking down at them. "Are you sure you're alright sharing a bed for the night?"
The two of them happily hummed in agreement as they nodded. Regina had been sleeping alone since she was three but sharing a bed was the best part of a sleepover. She and her sister used to do it when Zelena had lived with them. They always did get along best when they were sleeping.
Granny turned her attention to Belle. "Okay, sweetie, why don't you go to the linens closet, pick out your favorite towel and two toys to take into the bath tonight? I'll be in the bathroom in a sec, alright."
"Okay!" Belle happily replied, hopping off the bed. Once she was gone, Granny took her place and smiled at Regina, apprehensively.
"What about you, pumpkin? You ready for bed?"
Regina nodded. "I think so."
In her head she went over her bedtime checklist. She had her blanket, her PJ's and her favorite stuffed horse, Roci. Yep, she was ready.
"Good," said Granny, patting her on the cheek. She took a short breath before adding, "So… I wanted to talk to you about Robin."
"I don't like him," Regina immediately mumbled, scowling as she crossed her arms over her chest. "He's mean."
Granny hesitated before reluctantly nodding her head. "Yes, I can see why you would think that. He hasn't been very nice to you, has he?"
Regina shook her head.
Sighing, Granny continued. "Regina… I know we had a talk when Robin and Belle came to live with me but do you know why they came here? What happened to their parents?"
Pinching her eyebrows together, Regina shook her head again. Whenever she'd asked about Belle and Robin's parents she'd quickly be hushed up or given a stern look. It'd left things a bit of a mystery.
"Well," said Granny, slipping off her glasses before solemnly looking down at Regina, "Belle and Robin's parents… they died."
Regina felt a chill go over her skin. Her voice came out small and soft as she asked, "Really?"
Granny hummed affirmatively, as she sadly nodded her head. "They died a car crash… and that makes Robin really sad. And sometimes when you're sad it can feel easier to be mean than to just let people know that you're hurting."
"Oh," Regina whispered, dropping her head. She didn't know that.
Granny reached out to brush her hair away from her face, gently cupping her chin in her hand.
"I know Robin has been very mean to you Regina but I just want you to remember that it's not you he's mad at," she softly explained. "You didn't do anything wrong today, alright?"
Regina nodded her head, thoughtfully. "Does this mean I should be nice to Robin? Because he's sad?"
The older woman let out a soft breath before reluctantly shaking her head.
"It's okay if you don't want to be friends with him, you don't have to be," Granny assured her. "But if you can, I think you should try to be kind to him becauseI think his heart could really use it. Okay?"
Regina pressed her lips together before nodding. "Okay. I'll try."
Granny smiled at her, relieved. "Thank you, my sweet girl."
She pressed a kiss to her forehead before standing from the bed. With one final promise of a bedtime story she headed out to give Belle her bath, leaving Regina behind to wonder about the sad little boy in the room down the hall.
Xxxxxxxxx
The dream always started the same…
It was always him in the backseat with both of his parents. He'd be in the middle seat looking forward, able to see both of them, the sides of their faces lit up by the car's headlights.
He can't make out the words but he can hear them talking, saying things to each other, chuckling to themselves. It's nice and peaceful.
He can see his mother turn back toward him and she smiles, says his name… then everything changes.
Their car swerves and topples. Glass cuts his face and arms as things spin out of control, he can't see up or down, all he can hear is the sound of his parents screaming, echoing…
Robin wakes up in a cold sweat, shaking beneath his blankets as his eyes frantically dart around his dark room. He can hardly see a thing, just enough to know he's not in the car. Not again.
Closing his eyes he lets sharp, heavy gasps fall from his lips as he curls up beneath his blanket, silently trying to convince himself that it was all just a dream.
This time.
Xxxxxxxxx
It was well past bedtime when she heard the cries coming from Robin's bedroom. She'd only gotten up to go to the bathroom but when she finished she heard them from the hallway. Soft, trembling cries coming from behind his door.
She thought about going to get Granny or just going back to bed and not telling anyone at all. Then she remembered that she'd promised to at least try and be kind to Robin. She supposed checking on him herself would be the kind thing to do.
The floorboards creaked beneath her feet as she crept over to his bedroom door. Gently pressing against it she she peeks into the room and is surprised by what she sees.
It's Robin, curled into a ball, sobbing under his blanket.
She's never seen him cry before. She's never really seen anyone cry, except her mother when Zelena left but they never really talked about that.
Biting her lip, she again thinks about going to get Granny but for some reason she decides against it. Instead she goes into the room herself, still gripping her stuffed horse to her side, and approaches his bed. Her eyes adjust to the darkness and once she's up close, she can see how much he's shaking and how tightly shut his eyes are. He looks scared.
She touches him and he jumps up, startling her. Sniffling he wipes at his eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"I… I had to go to the bathroom," she hesitantly whispers. Stepping forward she softly asks, "Are you okay?"
He doesn't answer her, at least not aloud. Silently, he just presses his lips together. Another tear falls down his cheek as he gently shakes his head. Regina swallows, nervously.
After a moment's thought, she holds out her stuffed horse. "Do you wanna hold Roci? She makes me feel better sometimes."
To her surprise, Robin hesitantly reaches out to take the toy. He'd never liked Roci before - he'd claimed that stuffed toys were stupid, stuffed horses especially - but now he clutches her to his stomach like she's the only thing that's real.
Watching him carefully, Regina sits down next to him on the bed. She can see that he's still crying, only less so now that she's here. Gently, she places her hand on his back and starts rubbing in circles, just like her daddy does when she's sad.
"Did you have a nightmare?" she asks.
He nods.
"I had a nightmare once," she whispers. "It was scary."
Together, they sit in silence for a while, waiting for Robin's breathing to even and the tears to no longer run down his face. The whole time Regina rubs his back, working to calm him down and after a little while he does. His breathing evens and his tears dry. Finally he takes a deep breath, passing her back Roci.
Taking back her favorite toy, she raises her eyebrows. "Better?"
"Yeah," mumbles Robin. "But I don't want to go to bed again."
"Okay," she says. Biting her lip she thinks of what to do instead. "Do you want to watch a movie?"
"But it's after bedtime," he points out. Granny didn't like them to get up after they'd been tucked in, especially not to watch tv.
"I know," said Regina, "but I've watched tv after bed before. You just have to be sneaky about it."
She hops off the bed and hold out her hand to him. "Come on."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dragging Robin's blanket from his bed they tiptoe downstairs, careful to step over the creaky spots in the staircase. The lights on the Christmas tree flicker as they walk into the living room, lighting up the walls with different colors.
Robin climbs onto the couch still wrapped up in his blanket while Regina flips on the TV, keeping her finger on the low volume button so it immediately mutes. Quietly, she looks through Granny's videotape collection, smiling when she pulls out a familiar case. "Wanna watch Rudolph?"
Robin nods, mumbling a soft ok. He'd seen the story of the Red-nosed reindeer more than a few times and he'd always liked it. Seeing the little clay character always made him laugh.
Regina slipped the tape into the box, then took a seat on the couch next to Robin. They sat together on the couch, watching in silence as the little reindeer had his first flying lesson.
They'd been watching for a while when Robin finally turned to her. "I'm sorry, I smashed your cookies," he whispered.
"It's okay," Regina said shrugging her shoulders. "Granny said we can make more tomorrow."
She pauses, biting her lip. "Why are you always so mean to me?"
"I don't know," mumbles Robin. His looks down at the floor, uncomfortable. "I just wanna go home."
Regina knits her eyebrows, confused. "I thought this was your home."
"I mean my real home," he says. "With all my friends."
"Can't you just make friends here?" asked Regina.
"Nobody here wants to be my friend," he mumbles, with a frown. Back in England he'd had lots of friends but here the kids at school were mean. He was different from them and nobody seemed to like that.
"I'll be your friend," Regina offers, shrugging her shoulder.
"I thought you didn't like me," said Robin, pinching his eyebrows at her.
"Not when you were being mean," she points out. "But if I was your friend that means you'd be nice to me… and I'd be nice to you."
"How?" he asks, curiously. He'd never been friends with a girl before. What if she wanted to do girly things with him?
"I don't know," said Regina shrugging her shoulders. "What do you want?"
Robin pauses for a moment before softly asking. "Will you make cookies with me the right way? Like my mom used to make them?"
Regina remembers what Granny said about his parents and she realizes that maybe the cookies are more important to Robin than she thought. So she nods her head. "Okay, red and green buttons only."
"Thank you," he says with a small smile. "How do you want me to be your friend?"
Tilting her head, she thinks it over. "Will you share your Gameboy with me?"
She hadn't wanted to admit but she'd always been jealous of Robin's little video game. It'd always looked like fun. "My mom won't get me one. She says it'll rot my brain."
"No it won't!" he says, scrunching his face up in disgust.
"That's what I said!" drawled Regina. "But she won't believe me. Can I just borrow yours instead?"
Robin presses his lips together, thinking about her request. He does love his gameboy… but she did promise to make cookies with him. "Alright, I'll share my gameboy."
"Okay!" Regina smiles at him and reaches out her hand. "Friends?"
Nodding, he shakes it. "Friends."
After shaking her hand he noticed how tightly she was curled up on the couch, her arms wrapped around her legs as she pressed her knees into her chest. She was probably cold. He offered her the ends of his blanket. "Wanna climb in?"
Regina happily nods her head and crawls under the blankets with him. Letting out deep yawn she rests her head against his shoulder. It warm next to Robin and by the time Rudolph and Hermes run into the prospector the two of them have fallen back to sleep together.
xxxxxxxxx
The next morning Granny finds them on the couch together and breathes a sigh of relief. On any other day she knows she'd scold them for staying up so late but today she lets it ride. After the day before she's not in the mood to dole out more punishment. A wise decision it seems, given that Regina's second day in the house goes a lot smoother than her first.
Though she was anxious about round two of gingerbread cookie decorating turns out to be a breeze this time around with not a complaint from either Robin or Regina. And to her surprise, she finds her new grandson passing his gameboy - which she has only ever seen attached to his two hands - over to their house guest, so she can play a level on her own.
While a tiny bit suspicious of their newfound friendship and it's potential longevity, Granny accepts their ceasefire with a pleased smile.
It's the best Christmas gift she could've hoped for.
A/N: Got this in just under the wire haha! Happy New Year's! Please leave a review if you liked this!
