The heady scents of Magnolia and lilac waft lightly on the night air, and from the spot where she lays lounging, on a balcony lit with outdoor candles and overlooking the botanical gardens of Olympus, Zelena hums her barely intelligible thanks as Persephone hands her another warm drink.

"I don't know what's in this stuff, but I can't get enough, and the baby is so calm."

Aphrodite murmurs musically. "It's a simple little recipe really. It's guava and pomegranate juice with just a tiny half-pinch ambrosia – the nectar of our people. I've had the recipe adjusted, so as not to overpower you. Too much is just as harmful as not enough, but you give the wee little god-child a bit of that every day and he won't put such a drain on you. He needs it, especially if you're going to live separate from us. You need to feed his power. If he feels weak, he's going to rebel and give you a very rough time."

Zelena runs a freshly manicured hand over her swollen abdomen. "Can I take a vial of the stuff home with me?"

"Afraid not, love. It doesn't leave the mountain. If it were to inadvertently fall into the wrong hands, you'd have greedy humans overdosing on it and the world you live in would become incendiary in nature."

Zelena laughs wickedly. "Obviously you haven't spent too much time in my world. It's already incendiary in nature even without the nectar of the gods. And, if that's the case, I may just stay right here until he's born. I mean right here in this spot. I seriously never want to leave this place. That massage was simply divine, and I feel so languid and indulged."

"And you look absolutely scrumptious, too," Aphrodite confirms. "My uncle doesn't deserve such perfection… but then what male does. "She pops a plump sweet black grape into her mouth and smiles alluringly at the well-muscled half-naked man painting her toenails a dramatic shade of red.

"I truly don't want to move, but I suppose I should check on my daughter."

"Ah-Ah, stay right where you are, darling," Persephone instructs lightly. I assure you, she's fine. Right now, I'm sure she hasn't a care in the world. The little ones are always looked after by a veritable horde of nannies. Daddy likes to sneak into the nursery at bedtime and participate in story hour. He does separate voices for the characters in the stories and makes silly noises, and the little tykes just eat it up! He gets the kids all stirred up and has them laughing and jumping around, and Madame Fulbright scuttles about acting like she hates him. He threatens her with lightning, which just makes the kids laugh harder. She'd die if anyone found out. But I'm pretty sure she secretly has the hots for the old man."

Aphrodite chuckles gleefully. "Drives Hera crazy. She hates Madame Fulbright."

Persephone arches an eyebrow. Please sister, Hera hates all females who look twice at Dad."

"Well, that's certainly true."

"Ah, but I'm afraid I must give a girl a break." Zelena decides to play devil's advocate. "I wouldn't want someone looking twice and your uncle either."

"It doesn't really matter if they look." Persephone offers. "I don't think Uncle Hades would even notice."

"He better not." Aphrodite and Zelena say in unison and then laugh. "Not if he knows what's good for him."

It takes several long seconds for their laughter to dry up. Once it does, Aphrodite smiles mischievously. Eager to keep the fun going, she whispers conspiratorially "Seriously though, inquiring minds wanna know, what's he like in bed?

Shocked laughter tumbles out of Zelena, and she covers her mouth as she sets her drink aside; praying she doesn't choke; while Persephone tries to scold, "Aphrodite!" but can't manage it without laughing, herself.

"What? I can't help it. I'm curious. He does have a dark side; you know."

Zelena objects lightheartedly. "But, he's your uncle!"

"Oh, honey, that never stops me from wondering."

Robin jerks awake sometime after 1:00 AM, unaware until he does that he had fallen asleep to begin with. For one confusing moment, he's disoriented. This isn't his bed. this isn't his bedroom. He looks to his left. His wife is not beside him. For one fleeting moment in time, he wonders, "Where am I?"

He moves to get up from the bed and before his feet touch the floor, his mind does a quick little rewind. "Room four, above the Three Broomsticks Pub, the Rowlingshire Realm, after almost two hours of charms and practice in Regina's vault before she would declare herself ready to make the journey here. And that was after returning to Storybrooke from the underworld, where the two of them had narrowly avoided bumping into Fiona; who only missed seeing them because she was busy talking to some dark-haired, wild-eyed witch who, by Robin's best estimation, may have had Tourette's Syndrome.

"Regina?" He calls out quietly, as he notices the stream of pale light visible from beneath the closed bathroom door. Before he fell asleep, she went into the bathroom. He thought for a quick shower. That was some time ago. When there's no answer, mild concern turns to worry. He calls out again and waits. When there is still no answer he rushes through the door only to startle her awake; causing her to slosh water from her bath and extinguish a few of the candles placed near the tub.

"What? What's wrong?" She demands sleepily; a fireball instantly forming in the palm of her left hand as she watches his worry slide away and the tension in his shoulders and legs begin to soften.

Robin shakes his head. "I apologize. It didn't realize you were asleep. I got worried when you didn't answer me."

Chuckling softly, Regina extinguishes the fireball and offers him a wry smile. "There's only one way in or out of this room, you know. In order for somebody to do me any harm, they would have to enter the same room you were just in. If anyone had entered magically, you would have heard something."

He grins sheepishly. "Yes, but at home when you fall asleep in the bath, it's never so soundly that you don't hear me calling your name. You always answer."

She offers him a tired shrug as she uses a bit of magic to warm water that went tepid as she slept. "Give a lady a break, okay? I was both Mom and Mayor all day. I chased off a dementor, I went to the underworld, had a mostly civilized conversation with my mother - always a chore, then went back home for a self-guided magic lesson, and finally did a little realm hopping. I'm not ashamed to admit I'm whipped."

"My apologies. Her Majesty has had a long hard day. Robin approaches casually and perches on the edge of the deep, old-fashioned, claw-footed, bath basin to deliver a light but affectionate kiss. He runs his fingers gently through her hair. "We could have waited until tomorrow to travel here. We could have slept in our own bed tonight."

Regina shakes her head. "Tomorrow Zelena will be home from Olympus. Once Hades is satisfied that she's alright … Well, he would have demanded to come with us. It's not like we can stop him. I came here to talk to an auror, which is basically police, or maybe a bounty hunter, who specializes in apprehending dark witches and wizards. I don't know who this, Harry Potter guy, is or what he's like. If he's not a reasonable sort of man, he may well attempt to throw me in Azkaban." She sighs tiredly at the thought of that possibility alone. "I don't think it would work in our favor to have an angry vengeful god tagging along. If Hades goes with us tomorrow to this Ministry of Magic and starts throwing his weight around – not that he doesn't have a reason to be angry - but I don't see that going well for us."

Robin helps himself to the washcloth draped over the faucet and reaches for the soap in the wire dish on the opposite side of the tub and lathers up. "As usual, you're strategically six steps ahead of me. I hadn't thought about any of that yet. Maybe, you should let me go talk to this Potter bloke alone tomorrow."

Regina shakes her head. "Thank you for wanting to protect me, but I refuse to hide like some timid little schoolgirl. That's not what I want our children to see me doing. Actions have consequences; all actions. I want them to know that the good we do matters, just as much as the bad. How can I teach them that, Robin, if I don't step out there and take the risk? Besides, she may get on my nerves, but Zelena is my sister. If that damn thing was specifically after her, it's in for a fight! I don't care if I have to face a whole room full of aurors. Somebody is going to teach me how to deal with that thing!"

After the day you've had, you should be up there on Olympus, with your sister, being waited on hand and foot with you every whim indulged. Here, lean forward, mi'lady."

Regina complies with a lazy smile, sitting upright in the tub and drawing her knees and chest together. For a long moment, she simply enjoys the feel of warm water and Robin's capable hand gently washing her back. "Uh-uh." She finally murmurs in soft surrender. "I don't need Olympus."

"No?"

"No. I'm good, right here, right now. With you.

"Olympus is quite likely to have some much prettier scenery than this dusty old rattletrap inn."

"Oh, they do." She assures him quietly. She falls silent for two beats and then purrs in sublime gratification, "But they don't have you."

Robin flashes his easy grin. "Are you sure you wouldn't toss me over, for an entourage of Olympian underlings to do your bidding?"

"Umm-umm." Regina hums lazily as warm water, soap, and Robin's strong but nimble hands begin to have an almost hypnotic effect on her. "Don't need an entire entourage. Just one capable woodsman who doesn't find it objectionable to indulge my every need or desire."

"Ah, I'm to be the palace slave, then?" he jokes lightheartedly. "Will I be sleeping in the livery with the livestock, my queen?"

"What would be the sense in that? If you're out there with the horses and chickens. I won't have anyone to warm the royal bedchamber."

He offers her a roguish smile as he blindly feels for, and removes the stopper from the bathtub drain. "Then, please, allow me to be of service." Robin stands and pulls a fresh towel from the rack with a flourish and holds it open, ready to receive her gloriously willing body.