December 14th

She's happy.

Really really happy.

Has this strange new bounce in her step and twirl in her wrist as she doles out peppermint crusted mugs filled with cinnamon eggnog. Her smile hasn't faltered, her heart yet to cease it's cheerful parading beat.

She is just happy. And it's damn nice to feel this way. Having weird anticipating butterflies in her stomach every time the door opens, wondering if it's going to be a pair of blue eyes walking through the door. More than once as the door chimed, Roni heard herself let out a depressing sigh when it wasn't him. Which is ridiculous. It's been two weeks of knowing the guy. There is no way she should be this bubbly over someone she hasn't even kissed yet.

Which in retrospect as much as her drunken whiskey state wanted to melt her lips to his a few nights ago, being "courted" as he put it has been rather fun. They ended up talking till four in the morning that night. She learned about a part of his life back on the east coast as a building architect, something he never really enjoyed. It was too much steel for him. He prefers nature, working with it, making something new out of something that was already beautiful. It's the way he talks about his work now that she knows he loves it. The sparkle in his eyes over a particular piece he's been working on for months now. It's a desk. An massive oak trunk he acquired from Portland that had to be specially shipped given it's size.

He'd shown her a photo of it and her jaw dropped. It's center had been nearly completely carved out, leaving a perfect curve that kept the bottom attached to the top. And while the frame of the desk was already impressive, it's what he'd been whittling into the base that had her completely in awe. It's a forest. A tiny mass of trees carved into the wood with unimaginable precision. It curls around the entire underside of the top too, half finished but incredible. He'd blushed when she praised it. It was the most incredible piece she'd ever seen.

He let her flip through photos of other items he's made, each as impressive as the last. The rouge on his cheeks deepened at her comment that he had a true talent. Their hands had found each other at that point, his thumb stroked over the back of her hand as they continued to get to know one another and Roni found herself becoming more and more fascinated with him. He lives a simple life, something she'd love to have. Once a month he goes to the coast just to smell the sea salty air and dip his feet in the cool ocean waters. It calms him. A place of solace he escapes too. Somewhere in her gut, a knot began to unravel at the thought that around him she is calm, calmer than she's felt in years.

It was easy to talk to him. The flirting was even easier. He took every licking jest she gave him, poked back just as well, and her heart tumbled about her chest every time he smiled. She likes him. A lot. Agreed to a date with him even which is something she hasn't done in god knows how long. Not that there hasn't been opportunities, but she hadn't been able to bring herself to do it. And now, she's almost impatient at the chance to go out with Rowan.

Yesterday he'd sent her flowers attached to a bottle of that whiskey he'd brought. A card taped to it that had her grinning like an idiot. He shouldn't be able to make her feel this way with just a few simple words about how he hasn't been able to stop thinking about her. And damn him and his code of honor that kept him from kissing her that night. It's all she can think about in all honesty. How his lips would feel against hers. The way his stubble would surely scratch lightly along her skin. His hands on her hips, or perhaps threaded through her curls. It's consuming, just the mere idea of kissing him.

And she is so wrapped up in her mind that she hadn't registered Henry sliding into the bar stool across from her. Doesn't hear his greeting, nor does she see the quirk in his eyebrow at her vacant response back. It's only when he leans over the bar, waving a hand in front of her with a rather loud "Earth to Roni!" that she snaps out of the pair of blue eyes in her brain and jolts backwards.

"Jesus Henry. You gave me a heart attack."

He eyes her curiously as he sits back down. Smirks, "Daydreaming about the British guy again?"

"I was not day dreaming."

She tries to scoff, but her smile betrays her and Henry grins, crossing his arms over his chest. "Right, and I am the President of the United States."

"Shut up." She groans, clearly caught and tosses the bar rag at him. "What do you want?"

"Hey now. Is that any way to talk to your fictional son?"

"Careful now, I am the Evil Queen." Her brow arches playfully back as she slides him a beer he graciously accepts with a chuckle. "You know, I can't really see it."

"See what?"

"You, being all villainous and vengeful like Regina."

Roni laughs half heartedly, "Perhaps you're just on my good side still."

"I'll consider myself lucky then."

It's still completely ridiculous to the both of them. They aren't fairytale people from a book, regardless of how adamant Lucy may be. It's an escape for the little girl. Her life hasn't exactly been easy and it's natural that she let herself escape into a world where things are easier. And if Roni has to play along for a little while to keep Lucy's heart from being broken, she's more than happy too.

"So, where is Robin Hood?"

"What?"

"Rowan."

"Oh." She flushes at his name. "I haven't heard from him today." Which isn't entirely true. He texted her earlier, wishing her a good morning. And they have been talking off and on throughout the day too.

"You're an awful liar."

"I am not!"

"And you are completely smitten with him."

"You're out of your mind. I am not smitten with the forest smelling Brit."

"He smells like a forest?"

Groaning into her hands when Henry laughs at her comment, Roni shrugs, "He works with wood."

"So you've been close enough to get a good whiff of the guy?"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have too."

Rolling her eyes, Roni spins around, not exactly denying Henry's claim about her being smitten, but not admitting to it either. She doesn't know what she feels. Rowan is incredible. And sweet, and down right fucking handsome. But it's brand new, and she doesn't want to put hope into something that in her long history of love more than likely won't pan out into anything serious.

Hope is a dangerous thing for her.

And apparently hope like to fuck with her because the second before she is about to turn around and lay a jesting barb at Henry and Miss Cinderella, there he is. Walking through the door with a smile and she would melt into a puddle on the floor if it was possible.

"Henry. It's nice to see you again." He shakes the young man's hand, and settles into the barstool beside him.

"Back at ya. We were just talking about you in fact." He grins up at Roni, sipping back his beer with a bounce in his brow.

She is going to murder him. Absolutely kill him. The blush in her cheeks flushes hotter than the sun at Rowan's curiously hum and tip of his head to her. "All good things I hope."

"Roni here was just telling me how you smell like the forest."

Jesus Christ.

Rowan laughs, and Roni burns. "I said it was because you work with wood all day." She throws a glare at Henry who is far to giddy about her clear discomfort being outed.

"Well I can't argue with that, though I hope it's a good thing?"

"It could be worse."

"I'll take that as a compliment M'lady." He smiles, bites down on his lip and her eyes immediately fly the way his tongue peeks out behind his teeth. He's impossibly gorgeous. And if Henry and the other patrons weren't here right now, she'd be climbing over the bar top to kiss him senseless.

She slides Rowan a glass of the whiskey he'd gifted her yesterday, downs a shot of it herself, needing the courage to get through Henry's clear determination to embarrass her right now. If she was his mother she'd ground his ass till the end of his days. Even if he is an adult. It would be law under her roof that he not be allowed to make her feel like a dopey lovesick schoolgirl.

She's not in love. Or at least she doesn't think she is. It's too soon be using the L word. But Rowan certainly doesn't make it easy as he sits back in his chair and starts up a conversation with Henry. There is just this casual way about him. The way he speaks, interacts and converses like he is truly interested in what Henry has to say. It's sweet. He doesn't have to be doing it, but he wants too, which only makes Roni's insides scorch hotter. He would have been a wonderful father. She ends up leaving them at the bar for a bit, filling up other customers drinks clearing empty tables for a while, and fixing a few skewed decorations on the tree. She's so involved in fixing the one string of lights she doesn't hear Rowan walk up behind her, half jumps when his hands find her hips but he holds her strong, his back against her chest as he peers over her shoulder to look at the tree.

"Stunning." He breathes into her ear, making her shiver from heel to nose. He does smell like forest. A heavy dusting of pine and sawdust and something a little spicer. It's enthralling as she involuntarily sighs and leans back into his embrace apparently uncaring that it's the middle of the day as she has customers who can watch this interaction.

"I can't get this string to wrap properly." She scowls and slings it over a branch annoyed.

"Well the tree is beautiful too."

Roni freezes, eyes wide and heart thumping. He meant her. He called her stunning. Not the tree. Inhaling a breath she bites back her smile, hoping he can't see the blush invading her cheeks once more. His hands squeeze gently on her hip bones, a palm settling flat on her abdomen as he reaches around her to trail the light over a higher twig. He's strong. She can feel it in the way he holds her, the muscles beneath the dark blue sweater flexing against her side. It's going to drive her insane, feeling him like this and not being able to do anything about it right now. Fuck him and his code, she's going to kiss him. Later. Not right now, even if she is desperate too. She'd rather not make a scene, or do it in front of Henry who will clearly only use it as more ammo.

"You know, Scotch Pine's tend to hold weight better than a Balsam fir."

"What?" She cocks a brow up at him, turning her head up enough that her lips are just a fraction away from his.

Rowan chuckles, bumps his forehead to her temple, and guides her fingers to the branch before them. "This here is a fir tree. The wood is slimmer and therefore it bends under less weight, like your ornaments."

Her hand traces underneath his along the green needles. It's erotic in a way she never thought possible. Feeling his fingers slides through hers along the branch. "Pine's are sturdier. They have more branches and are thicker in circumference and thus won't flex quite as much."

The breath shakes out of her as she nods, half listening to his lesson, half demanding herself to not melt into his arms like she already is. His heartbeat is steady against her back, fingers rubbing gently along her side as he adjusts a red bulb a touch further to the left.

"Perhaps you'll have to help me pick out a better tree next year."

The words fumble out before she can stop them. And she feels Rowan stiffen for a moment at them before he softens and curls both hands around her stomach, his nose nuzzling into the crook of her neck. "I'd be honored Your Majesty."

She turns at that name, arches a playful eyebrow at him as he grins. Peppermint. That's what else he smells like. Tree's and peppermint. "Thank you for the flowers by the way."

"You're most welcome."

"Should I be worried you stole them, being the thief you are?"

Rowan smirks, grips her hips a touch tighter, tugging her fractionally closer to him. "You knew I was a thief when you met me." His lips touch the skin on her jaw. A light barely there caress that damn near has her eyes rolling into the back of her head. She hopes he didn't hear the pathetic needy whine that escaped her. Though she doubts it when he blows a hot breath out, swallows thickly against her neck at her rather husky response as to whether he's come to steal from her too. He's affected by her. Really affected if the evidence slightly pressing into her backside is any evidence. God she's going to have a good time with him being naked. If he ever lets them get that far. His fucking gentlemanly side coming out as he retracts himself from her body, putting a touch of distance between them as she turns, heat in her eyes at the darkened lust look in his gaze.

The chiming of the door breaks the moment between them. She's closing the bar. Mid-day she is tossing everyone except Rowan out. Rent be damned, she will more than gladly lose business today if it means the ache between her thighs is taken care of.

It's Jacinda and Lucy. Hand in hand oblivious to Roni and Rowan standing basically on top of each other, as they head to the bar where Henry is sitting. Leaning into Rowan's side, Roni watches as Lucy climbs into Henry's lap for a hug, the smile that passes between he and Jacinda. They are cute, she has to admit it. And seeing Henry all happily flustered by Jacinda's sudden presence gives Roni some satisfaction. He's cute, and clearly in love, which only makes Roni's heart stumble harder.

As crazy as it is, Henry feels like some sort of adopted son to her now. They spend nearly every day together, and more often than not it's him coming to her for advice, like a child to his mother. She likes it. Being there for him. Guiding him when he needs it, giving him a kick in the butt when he is sulking over ridiculous things. It's natural between them. Which should probably scare her given Lucy's claim they are in fact mother and son, but instead of fear, it's a strange comfort she's found in the nonsense of it all.

Rowan leads her by the hand when Lucy screams out her name, finally realizing she hasn't said hello and Roni goes with a wide smile into the awaiting little arms. It doesn't also escape any of the three people at the bar that Roni's hand is in fact encased by Rowan's, something that even has Jacinda's brow sliding curiously as Roni blushes and waves them all off, and apparently tugs Rowan behind the bar with her. He goes far too willingly, settles beside her by the liquor cabinets as they all listen to Lucy talking about her day at school, or how her and her mom are going to ice cream tonight and that she absolutely demands that Henry come with her, and Roni too, and Rowan. The last invite has Roni's squirming beside him all giddy when he accepts Lucy's offer. It's a date. Or a strange outing between people that are kind of together and kind of not even if the littlest of them all promises down to her core they are all already a family.

She'd think Rowan would be nervous about being thrown into such a situation. Being proclaimed as a fairytale character, more over at the notion that himself and Roni are apparently soulmates in this fictional world. But he says nothing to have Roni feeling insecure about it all. He graciously smiles at all of it. Comments once or twice that he'd think Robin Hood would be enthralled with having the Queen as his partner, which only has Lucy flipping her lid even more.

It's only when Lucy smiles rather oddly at Rowan that everything shifts. A tear drips down and that has Roni frowning when she leans into wipe it away. Being a kid of divorce, shuffled between homes, having a horrible grandmother who is trying to take her away from her mom, none of it can be easy. Perhaps this world she's created in her mind with all of them truly is her only safe space.

"Hey, why the tears?" Roni whispers between them, flicking her gaze out Lucy's face though the young girl's eyes are concreted solid on Rowan behind her. Lucy swallows hard, sniffs and hangs her head down. "Whoa whoa, come on, tell me."

"He died."

"Who?"

"Robin Hood. Near the end of the book, Hades tried to kill you and Robin stepped in front to save you and he died."

The God of the Underworld? Jesus. Henry has one hell of an imagination bringing a Greek God into a story about Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Roni stiffens, cast a questioning glance to Henry who sadly shrugs, and well maybe he shouldn't be letting Lucy read a book that has a clearly loved character die. She's only a child after all.

"It's just a story Lucy."

"You're wrong. It's real."

"But how could Rowan be Robin Hood then?"

Henry shifts in his chair, a frown deep in his brow. He hadn't shown Lucy the start of the next book. The second installment where Regina goes on a quest to bring Robin Hood's soul back. He's alive in the second book. Trapped in limbo somewhere, but he comes back in the end. They have their happily ever after. But there is no way Lucy would know that is going to happen.

"I don't know. He just is."

Roni sighs, curls Lucy into a tight hug. Rowan behind them has been rather silent. A vacant lost look in his eyes as he stares down at his hands. He's confused about something. Like he is lost in a memory. Maybe all of this is a bit much for him. Can't be easy to hear the fictional version of yourself, crazy as it is, died.

She see's him rub a spot on his right wrist, and a sharp sting pierces her heart. She whimpers at the action, which pulls Rowan from his mind and to her side. His eyes frown as she blows out a breath, the stab of pain receding when his hand finds her back, smoothing up and down softly.

"How about we go for ice cream right now?" Henry finally chimes in. "I mean we are the only people in the bar right now, why don't you close for a few hours and we all get some fresh air?"

It's a good idea. Maybe a walk will do them all some good. In her arms Lucy sniffs and nods, climbing down from the bar stool with a shake of her head. "I know this is confusing for all of you. But once the curse is broken I promise everything will make sense."

Well she is determined, Roni has to give it to her.

They all shrug on coats, and Roni locks the door behind her, Rowan waiting a few paces in front as she jogs towards them all ready to go. It's good being outside. Even better when Rowan's hand laces into her own behind Henry and Jacinda, with Lucy in between them. The three of them do look like a rather happy family. All smiles, giggles and shy looks between the older pair. It may not be a fairytale, but it does look like the start of something promising.

Rowan has been rather quiet beside her as they walk down the streets. His brow creased as she watches him avoid her eyes.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine."

Roni stops them, turns Rowan towards her and traces his confused features with her hand on his cheek. "I know this is all strange with Lucy, and I understand if it's a bit much for you and you'd rather leave."

Rowan sighs, leans into her cheek and wraps a hand around her back, securing her hips to his. "I'll admit it is a bit odd hearing that I am dead."

"But you're not him. It's a story Rowan."

"I know. I just…" He exhales heavy, smiles half heartedly as he tucks a curl behind her ear. "A part of me loathes the idea that we were separated. Fictional or not, it doesn't sit very well with me." His confession catches her off guard. It's not the story he's afraid of, it's not being with her. It has tears prickling against her lashes. Hot and furious as she does her best to give him a reassuring smile. "That's not going to happen."

His eyes find hers, hopeful and downright disbelieving at what she just said.

"Look. We don't know each other that well. This is really really new and I don't do this, I don't even know how in all honesty."

He smiles at that, brings her hand up to his chest to rest on his heart as she finds a string of courage to continue bearing her soul to a man she's only known for two weeks.

"It makes me nervous, you make me nervous. But in a good way and I want to keep that."

His thumb tips her chin up to meet his eyes, brushes along her cheekbone and leans into rest his forehead against hers. "I know the feeling." She smiles wetly, tucks into his arms a bit more, feeling his heart beneath her hand. "And I know it's just a fairytale. Robin Hood and the Queen."

"The Evil Queen." She corrects him playfully but Rowan shakes his head, "I think there has to be more to the story than you just being a villain."

"You have a lot of faith in a fictional character."

"Perhaps. If it's any consolation, Robin Hood was no patron saint from what I know. Not everything is black and white, or good versus evil Roni."

"You're right. But I still understand if you need some space from all this."

He shakes his head with a chuckle, "I think space is the last thing I would want from you."

Well that has her heart leaping from her chest and straight into his hands. Willingly given to the notorious thief she's read about. It's safe with him. That she is fairly certain about.

"Now, I don't know about you, but I could use a scoop of mint chocolate chip." He dips down to press a kiss to her cheek, and she purrs at the feeling of it. And he lingers for a moment, a breath away from her lips, his eyes cast down to her mouth as she lifts up onto her tiptoes, carding her fingers through the short hair on the back of his neck. This is it. She's going to kiss him.

"Are you certain?" He questions in a whisper between them, something that has her letting out a breathless giggle as she nods, she has never been more certain about anything. The beam he gives back nearly knocks her off her feet if he wasn't holding onto her. He tips and she lifts, something hot sparks as his lips brush hers, the peppermint of his breath invading every single sense she has. As her eyes flutter closed, she hears him breath her name, and then again, and then rather concerned as he steps back and turns to the right. Roni scowls that he's left her hanging like this, and she's about to protest her disappointment vocally when the sound of sirens echoes through the street.

Three police cars fly down the avenue her bar is on, and Roni's heart drops.

"What the hell?"

She breaks out into a run as a fire truck screams by, and her entire world crashes down at the sight of cops and firefighters storming into her bar at full tilt. "What the fuck is going on!?" She scrambles to the door, tears flooding her eyes as fire pours from the windows. "My bar! Holy fuck!"

The crowd gathers on the street as hoses spew thick heavy streams of water onto the brick establishment that is her life. The tears fall as she screams. Rowan is there in an instant, corralling her back from a police officer that holds her back from running into the burning building.

"Let me go! I have to get inside!"

"Roni you can't!" He wrestles her back and into his arms, wrapping her tight as the flames swirl into the sky.

"What the hell happened?" Henry huffs beside them, staring hopelessly into the fire. "Shit, Roni. I'm so sorry!"

She can't hear anything but the ringing in her ears from the sirens. Can only feel Rowan's hands holding her back as her home burns up in smoke. It's gone. Her life, her home, everything, it's up in flames and she can do nothing but watch as firefighters battle the fire.

From the corner of Rowan's eyes he spies someone looking rather smugly in the crowd. Victoria Belfrey, grinning darkly as Roni's bar cinders to the ground. The fire wasn't an accident. That fucking witch did this, and he is going to destroy her.

TBC.